Lefarious' Sanctuary

Druids were an old and ancient race that originated from a vast fertile forest known to the druids as Orrilion. They lived in the largest areas of the forest, living off what the forest provided rather than the lumber and the senseless means to obtain it. They were fascinated with plant life and practiced herbalism and alchemy, gaining knowledge from plants and life that grew from the earth. Eventually the druids were given a gift. Surrounded by life and the knowledge they held about it allowed them to become one with the natural surroundings of their forest home. It was referred as nature weaving and was a common practice among the druids, able to control the plant life and manipulate their growth and behavior. They could capture the very living essence of a plant and convert the energy they obtained. This aspect became a large part of druidic life and ultimately defined the druid. The druids' study of nature revealed yet more qualities they became gifted with. The moon played a large role for the druidic race. Their abilities seem to grow more powerful during the night, augmented when the moon's light was present. Separate groups of the druid people began to study this knowledge of their lunar boost. Among the most well-known was an elite group of druids known as the Druids of the Moon who learned to use the moon's enhancing effects to draw physical power from it just as they did with the living plants that grew from the earth. The druid's now only have one option if they were to seek more power from their knowledge.

With so much knowledge and power gained from their home land of Orrilion the druids would expand to farther, vaster regions away from the forest dwellings to study plant life in unfamiliar environments and enhance their knowledge of herbs. That's where all of the knowledge the druids obtained originated. The herbs and plants they studied allowed them to understand the particular plant. The wide variety of plant growth around the world provides more foundation to discover more power. So search of the plant life the world had to offer could only mean to increase the druids' power so long as initiative remained within the druids.

Narnisus has been given a mission to continue what many druids have started and explore the unfamiliar lands outside their home. He was trusted to search for and find the elusive Purple Lotus, an herb potentially valuable to the druids, known to augment their powers further. His superior, Aminar the Blessed, an herbalist with exceptional skill, entrusted this task to him, giving him only a crude drawing of the plant found on the last known witness to its power. The only information Aminar could give was to search toward the western region of the world in the warmer climates of the land, and to use the knowledge he already possesses to aid him.

Narnisus set out to do this for Aminar the Blessed, never questioning his intentions. He traveled by foot and eventually entered into uncharted forests far from his own and soon found out it was inhabited by more than just trees. After fending off a band of marauding orcs he would not linger within the forest any longer.

Traveling westward, he ran through the thick of the forest with futile efforts. The moon began to wane. He would not make it outside the forest by daybreak when he is most vulnerable. It was then he decided that it was time to change his form. An unspoken ability among the druids as it came naturally to them, shape shifting took much out of the caster and therefore can only perform it once every new moon and then only for a twenty-four hour period. The value of the ability must meet Narnisus' required need in his situation. Running through the branches of the forest, a flash of magic surrounded him and instantly he became transformed. Through the mist of the effect jumped a cat clad in black. It continued to run but with a completely different gait and greater agility. Narnisus had successfully shape shifted into a wild panther, completely conscious of his form. The act of shape shifting came instinctively so Narnisus thought nothing of it other than a faster way to travel.

With his new form he would be able to escape the boundary of the twisted forest sooner than the sun's rise, or at least find a safe haven until the next nightfall. Racing his way through the forest among the branches and roots that seemed to twist and guide the way, he noticed a bright light growing in the distance. The forest around the mysterious light also shined. An orange glow of a fire lit up the area in the forest.

Narnisus approached the light until the border of the trees stopped abruptly, revealing a small clearing in the forest. As he viewed the clearing he saw two buildings covered in foliage and vines. One looked of a circular stone dome adorned with round windows, from where the light glowed, bordering the sides of the structure complete with a large wooden door. The other structure was large and built of what looked like limestone. It towered over the small dome and had square windows along the edge of the top and nowhere else. These windows were bleak without light. The forest floor all around the entrance of the small complex was lush with green grass that blazed orange from the windows' glow. A small stream ebbed around the yard and into the forest. Narnisus decided to investigate the area.

His paws splashed the stream after he pounced from the forest and across the water. Making sure to avoid the light of the windows, he crept into the shadows and around the back of the structure. He was nearly invisible. The thick vines and foliage that covered this side of the building allowed a comfortable foothold to climb atop the dome. Up here he found a wooden flap for ventilation. It was open as arcane auras and fogs hovered its way outside through the vent. The wooden entrance was large enough to enter but needed some encouragement to open a little wider. Slowly he applied some leverage crouching his feline body to support the wooden door with his back. His tail whipped about to counter for balance as his front paws reached inside atop a wooden crate. He was within the darkness of the room, hidden behind stacks of crates and chests with parchments strewn all over. Narnisus jumped down onto the crate and slid his tail along the roof of the door to absorb any shock it withstood when it shut. He prowled his way to front of the pile he stood perched on. On the other side was the rest of the room, filled with light from burning candles that hovered and floated all around. At a desk an old man with dark hair sat, pouring over alchemic research, ingredients, and vials. All around him were stacks of papers and parchments filled with research. It reminded Narnisus of his own studies, though not as extensive as this. The wooden crate creaked and feline ears twitched as he sunk deeper into the darkness.

"Do you seek knowledge?" the old man inquired in a deep, hoarse voice.

Narnisus wondered if he was being addressed or if the old man was crazy.

"That is why most come, to bother me and my studies of earth and life, taking away my precious time that can otherwise be used for a greater cause. Or is it for a different reason, druid?" the man continued.

Obviously detected, Narnisus jumped from his perched position atop the crates and transformed into his former self, landing upon the floor of stone in front of the man's desk to accost him.

"What is a druid like you doing at such a far away a place such as this? What is your mark?" Narnisus wondered, knowing studies as arcane as this are more commonly performed by druids.

"I should be asking you that question, druid," the man said observing a gaseous reaction on his desk, "for why would any druid venture as far as this?"

"I am on a mission…"

"To seek knowledge!"

"To search for and locate an item assigned to me," Narnisus finished.

The old man looked up from the scribbles he had printed. "From where do you hail, druid?" he asked.

"From where do I call home?" he replied, bewildered. "Orrilion of course."

"And this is my home," the man said quenching Narnisus' inquiry, "and I am alone."

"How do you know of the druids?" Narnisus asked.

"Can't you see? I am a druid and a damn good one. I know you're a druid aswell because of your green hair."

"But your hair yields no green."

"You don't need to have green hair to learn all there is to know about herbs," he said. He turned from his studies and pondered the situation. "However, you're the first druid I've seen that hails from Orrilion. I've heard a rumor that the druidic people of Orrilion began to seek more knowledge. When I heard that my only thought was that the druids from Orrilion are doing what comes naturally to all druids and instinctively search for more knowledge to fuel their power. It was only a matter of time before your land could capitulate nothing else for your power. Your presence confirms my suspicion I suppose."

"There are more like you? Druids that live independantly?" Narnisus wondered still trying to comprehend the fact of other druids.

"Yes, but quite unlike your kind. Consider yourself lucky, young druid. Your kind, a race originated from Orrilion, is blessed with more than I can wish for, filling you with great potential," he pondered once more and paused for a moment. "...The name's Lefarious."

Narnisus never gave a thought to druids outside his the realm of Orrilion. Lefarious was one-of-a-kind and among the few who acknowledged the druidic ways outside Orrilion and its people.

Lefarious went back to his alchemy. Narnisus took advantage of this fortuitous meeting and retrieved a folded piece of cloth from his person. He unfolded it in front of Lefarious, revealing a drawing of the plant Narnisus searched for. Lefarious glanced at it and recognized the drawing.

"I'm looking for this, a rare herb called the Purple Lotus," Narnisus was interrupted.

"I know what this is," Lefarious said observing it.

"You recognize it? So the drawing is accurate," Narnisus said.

"So your kind has gotten word of this plant as well. My time runs short," Lefarious said. "Do you know what abilities this plant holds for the imbiber?"

"Not entirely. I was told it is used to augment our own abilities. All I know is that I'm to find it and bring it back by any means necessary."

"With this plant a druid like me would find this plant useful, but a druid like you would find it godly. With this you are capable of more than what you know. You'd be capable of exhuming immense roots and make the trees themselves walk, or enhance your magical attacks by multiplying your energy tenfold, or even resurrect the dead." The two druids looked at each other for a moment, Narnisus awaiting more insight and Lefarious wondering whether more information was wise.

"Have you seen it? Where do I find the Purple Lotus? I need to know," Narnisus asked, leaning over the cloth on the desk.

Lefarious thought for a moment. "There is a city northwest of here, called Brosshold," he began to explain. "It is a prosperous city constructed above a wide river. Its streets and walls are trimmed with marble and directed to its center where a mighty structure stands, the city's capitol. It teems with normal people running normal lives all under the rule of a just ruler. Until and unfortunate skirmish caused the city's ruler to fall in battle. The city was disoriented and without law. Amidst the upheaval soon rose a man to become the self-proclaimed leader. The people were skeptical at first and grew suspicious after the death of the former king's son. The city almost turned on the new leader until he brandished a staff known as the Staff of the Moon. Afterward he gave the people a source of infinite lumber for shelter, healing for the sick and injured, and upward flowing fountains for fresh water tapped from the river below, performing druidic acts of charity. The people admired him and revered him as a god. I, for one, don't trust his druidic abilities. His powers are beyond mine. The only explanation is Purple Lotus…"

Narnisus was listening intently until Lefarious was through. A moment later, Lefarious got out of his chair he sat in and at the same time the floating candles extinguished and hovered into a single crate. The windows revealed rays of sunlight that poured into the smoking room. Lefarious grabbed a short staff and approached the door.

"Where are you off to?" Narnisus wondered.

"'Tis morning. I'm off for a harvest," he said and closed the wooden door behind him.