The Story Starts

There was a banging noise coming from the front of the lodge though Gran preferred the human word home. He wondered who could be disturbing his sleep cycle. As he rose from his sleep mat, Gammy was mumbling something he couldn't make out. Gammy had been his mate for more seasons than he cared to count and still stirred in him feelings of warmth and joy. Only one other creature affected him in a similar way and she was his Elin, Mistress Poppy.

Most races do not take an Elin seriously when they first lay eyes on one. Elins have childlike eyes and human features that lead them to believe they are dealing with a child. The animal ears and tail should contradict their presumption or at least give pause. But most don't see past the innocent face which is a mistake. Elins are much older and wiser than they appear in fact they are woodland spirits made from the Goddess Elinu's fragmented pure and innocent essence. Also their dark ominous speech and often vicious sense of humor tends to make many races dislike them. They do have a heart full of life, curiosity, and tenacity and hold sacred their duty to protect nature.

Mistress Poppy awoke him 252 seasons ago from a lodge east of the Lake of Tears and whenever he was near her a peace came over him that he did not know how to describe. The peace wasn't there now so it must be someone else making the racket, so "Who could it be?" he thought.

He made his way in the dark through the long tunnel towards the front his home when he recognized Dinda's voice. "Why is Chief Warden Dinda here during my sleep cycle," he thought, "especially since he never ventures out of Popori Elinu?"

Popori Elinu the capital city of Poporia, is forever bathed in star light. Those who look upon it are awe struck when they first see the city, whether your first time is from the back of a Pegasus or on foot approaching. It is a city built into the grandest tree you have seen. It towers over the nearby hills and mountains. The city stands dead center in the dark sparkling waters of the Lake of Tears. A twenty-four foot wide wooden platform completely surrounds the outside bottom of the tree. Travelers access the city from one of the three spectacular humped bridges crossing the lake from east, west and south. Stained glass windows are everywhere making the city visible from fifty miles away. The window above the only entrance will take your breath away. The top of the city looks like the crown of a pineapple with a treetop branching out. The crown leaves are pale blue bioluminescence and give the tree-city a magical look.

As Gran was opening the door he heard the Chief Warden squeal "Gran Poppy! Gran Poppy! Wake up I have urgent business!" A bad feeling came over Gran when the thought it must be serious as the Chief Warden never comes himself.

"Gran Poppy, good, it's you we need to talk", said the Chief Warden.

"Come in and have a seat." Gran told him.

"No time! No Time! Wake up Gammy, we must leave right now!" the Chief exclaimed in an out of breath voice.

"Warden we need a little time to prepare ourselves before we leave" Gran said calmly.

The Warden sternly said, "Read this!" as he handed him a folded piece of paper. "It came by rider from Mistress Poppy" he added.

Gran unfolded and read the words. He turned pale white and flopped to the ground as his legs gave way. He sat there for a second, jumped up and roared while running to the sleep chamber. "Gammmy! Up! Up! Now! We have to leave at once!"

He burst into the room still shouting as he grabbed the emergency packs hanging on the wall. Gammy was already up and was calmly removing their bows and quivers from the wall. She handed Gran his and turned and picked up his hat and said, you can't go without your lucky hat."

His lucky hat had been given to him over 200 seasons ago by Mistress Poppy. It is forest green, had a green gold tipped feather on the left side leaning towards the back and a gold, gear shaped emblem on the front. It looked like the haberdasher mated a brim from a Homburg to the top of a Derby. It was as much a part of him as his mustache or his black beaver tail so he never went anywhere without it.

Gran yelled at the Warden, "Where is she and who else have you told!"

Dinda replied "You are the first! Mistress Poppy was working with some young tweener Popori Wardens in the Blessed Woods east of the Emergency Camp. You know where the abandoned Goddess Elenu Chapel is?"

"Calm down, Gran. Take a deep breath and think" Gammy coolly told Gran. Taking her advice, Gran asks, "Warden who is available and close?"

Dinda replied quickly, "Hmm let's see. Kopu, Modin, Kuno, and Urura are at the Emergency Camp."

"We will need a healer. Send someone to get Sister Dora. She should be at home" Gran ordered.

Gran Poppy thought for a moment, then said "Someone to the Spirit Outpost also, should be a couple guards there that can help us."

The Blessed Woods was once one of the most beautiful spots in Poporia or in fact in all of Arun. Legend is that it was blessed by Goddess Elinu herself. She imparted some of her magic in the woods that can be found in the dewdrop plants that grow in the small ponds throughout. Its beauty was rivaled only by Seeliewood before the Argon invasion and the migration of Fangspawn throughout Arun.

Fangspawn. Gran shuddered at the thought. The most hideous creatures he had ever laid eyes on. The god Lok must have been having a nightmare when he created them. How else could you explain four mouths and seven eyes, five which are on the humongous cancerous blob that is its body and head combined. No legs, just two gigantic muscular arms with an eye on each wrist and spikes on the elbows. The front mouth could swallow two cows whole at once and the left and right side mouths a Popori in each. The only weak spot is its back but the way it can swivel its blob body one could easily get into serious trouble.

"What was Mistress Poppy thinking? The blessed woods is crawling with Fangspawns, not to mention Popori Rebels and Insurgents!"

The Emergency camp is located due east of Pora Elinu, off the northern road. "It should take just a short time for us to get there", Gran grimaced.

Gammy growled at Gran, "Take this it will speed up our travel".

Gran opened a small bottle of green potion and gulped it down as they were leaving their home. He could immediately feel energy pulsating through his body. He took off running east towards the Emergency Camp, his feet softly touching the cobbled stone road which the weeds are slowly claiming

As Gran was running he touched the smooth blue crystals on his leather cuirasses. He was glad he had struck up a friendship with the Baraka specialty merchant, Frasi, long ago. Barakas are large, most ten to twelve foot tall with stone like features and skin that has the look and texture of cooled lava. Their appearance is fierce but, their nature is gentle and they value knowledge most of all. They haven't had a homeland since the Day of Fire but live throughout the lands as librarians, teachers, historians and scholars. Do not think them weaklings though, for they strive for balance and apply the same focus and dedication to the art of combat as they do to their studies. Any Baraka will fiercely defend the weak and downtrodden.

Gran met Frasi for the first time in Popolion while traveling with Mistress Poppy to the Vale of the Fang. He went over to Frasi's stall and looked over his unique offerings. After a polite introduction, Frasi, like all Barakas, asked if Gran had any good tales to share.

Frasi would come through Gran's neck of the woods every other planting season for the Spring Festival. They would talk about the latest news from the Argon front and Gran would tell him an adventure or two and how the grandchildren were. Eventually the Baraka, with a spark in his eye, would get around to showing Gran his latest wares. Like a small kit Gran would look at all the charms, potions and scrolls, never failing to purchase the newest Fleet Foot and Swift crystals. It always amazed him how light on his feet he felt with these crystals attached to his bow and chest piece. He was quite glad he picked up the Anarchic Crux and Mutinous Crux crystals during their last visit, as these would come in quite handy if he had to dance with a Fangspawn today. "Quite handy indeed!" he thought to himself.

His heart was pounding, his breathing hard but his feet were a blur. Not bad for an old fat Popori of over two hundred and fifty seasons he thought to himself. He glanced back over his shoulder and saw that Gammy was not ten steps behind him and in the distance he spotted three riders. The riders couldn't be from the Spirit Outpost. Hopefully they were from Popori Elinu. Finally, he could distinguish the Emergency Camp's walls glowing tips.