THE HERMIT
Crossing the river brought the three friends into the farthest wilds of the Karanas. The soldiers of Qeynos held the crossing at the great stone bridge in the name of Antonius Bayle, but beyond the river their power did not go. Strange civilizations were said to exist there- the centaurs and the aviaks. And somewhere out in those vast plains lived a hermit, an outcast.
"A traitor to the Jaggedpine Treefolk," Benarque sneered. The wizard nodded in agreement. His own folk, the Erudites, had expelled heretics in the past. Of course, the similarities ended there, but Belrosian thought he could understand some of the Gladesman's feelings. Kalweni wore a stern look as well. A paladin was opposed to traitors of any sort, and she would see this hermit was brought to justice.
"Let us travel cautiously," Belrosian warned. "Many unknown dangers may lie ahead." Kalweni and Benarque nodded their agreement as the wizard cast upon them a spell which made their eyes tingle, allowing them to see through any arcane veil of invisibility. The Erudite then cast another spell, and first Kalweni, then himself vanished from the view of the guards. Benarque, using his own form of magic, made himself blend into the surroundings as well.
They skirted the hills along the southern shore of the great river, heading east. Benarque, a little bit ahead, lead the way, while Belrosian in his robes and Kalweni in her bronze plate armor followed behind, on guard. A heavy mist was in the air, and they could see little. Atop a hill to their right stood a centaur archer, watching them indifferently. Yet he was a sentry, and the centaur's enormous horn bow was held strung and ready in his hands. Benarque raised a hand, beckoning, and they continued on.
They saw no more centaurs that day, only the great wild elephants that inhabited the warm southern plains. The Gladesman lead them skillfully past a gathering of treants. The huge, towering, solitary treemen were known to them of course. Treants ranged all across the Plains. But here they paused. There were two of the enormous creatures gathered here, as tall as towers, their great outstretched limbs creaking as branches in a gale, almost as if the two were speaking to one another. Belrosian did not know if the treants could see them, but he had no desire to find out. In any case, as long as one did not anger the great treemen, no harm would they do. But their red eyes burned.
They turned south, and to their left a great precipice dropped off to unseen depths. Belrosian had never seen a canyon so wide or so deep. At last, Ben raised a hand and called a halt. The ranger knelt down, examining the turf and sniffing the air. "There are tracks here," he said. "They are not fresh, but I am skilled enough to follow them. A human, alone, and male by the look of it." "It seems that we have found our quarry," Kalweni observed. "Lead on," she said. "Let's make an end of it."
A short distance ahead, a small compound was built in the midst of the plains. Square, made of rough stone, it had a large wooden gate on the east side and a single, shingle-roof cottage inside. The three friends hurried up to the compound. Quietly trying the gate, they found it unlocked. They opened it and went inside. Barrels of fresh water and boxes of provisions were stacked neatly inside the compound, and a thin stream of smoke rose from the chimney of the cottage. "It seems the hermit is at home," said Kalweni.
"What is that barking?" Belrosian asked aloud. He'd not seen any wolves in this part of the Plains, south of the river. Then, he stood bolt upright. Terrible memories from his past came flooding back, memories of a place dark and dank and horrible. Black Burrow. That was no wolf they heard barking- that was the speech of a gnoll!
"Quickly!" he yelled, "Get away from the outer walls. Stay in the center of the compound, near the hermit's cottage!" But it was too late. They had relied on the stone walls of the settlement to keep them secure, but the walls were not high enough. Over the west wall climbed the largest gnoll any of them had ever seen. It was a gnoll of Tesch Mas. The beast snarled, and leapt at Kalweni, who was resting with her back to the wall.
"To arms!" the paladin cried, swinging her great axe at the gnoll. Almost as if it were an afterthought, Kalweni added, "I could use a little help."
Crossing the river brought the three friends into the farthest wilds of the Karanas. The soldiers of Qeynos held the crossing at the great stone bridge in the name of Antonius Bayle, but beyond the river their power did not go. Strange civilizations were said to exist there- the centaurs and the aviaks. And somewhere out in those vast plains lived a hermit, an outcast.
"A traitor to the Jaggedpine Treefolk," Benarque sneered. The wizard nodded in agreement. His own folk, the Erudites, had expelled heretics in the past. Of course, the similarities ended there, but Belrosian thought he could understand some of the Gladesman's feelings. Kalweni wore a stern look as well. A paladin was opposed to traitors of any sort, and she would see this hermit was brought to justice.
"Let us travel cautiously," Belrosian warned. "Many unknown dangers may lie ahead." Kalweni and Benarque nodded their agreement as the wizard cast upon them a spell which made their eyes tingle, allowing them to see through any arcane veil of invisibility. The Erudite then cast another spell, and first Kalweni, then himself vanished from the view of the guards. Benarque, using his own form of magic, made himself blend into the surroundings as well.
They skirted the hills along the southern shore of the great river, heading east. Benarque, a little bit ahead, lead the way, while Belrosian in his robes and Kalweni in her bronze plate armor followed behind, on guard. A heavy mist was in the air, and they could see little. Atop a hill to their right stood a centaur archer, watching them indifferently. Yet he was a sentry, and the centaur's enormous horn bow was held strung and ready in his hands. Benarque raised a hand, beckoning, and they continued on.
They saw no more centaurs that day, only the great wild elephants that inhabited the warm southern plains. The Gladesman lead them skillfully past a gathering of treants. The huge, towering, solitary treemen were known to them of course. Treants ranged all across the Plains. But here they paused. There were two of the enormous creatures gathered here, as tall as towers, their great outstretched limbs creaking as branches in a gale, almost as if the two were speaking to one another. Belrosian did not know if the treants could see them, but he had no desire to find out. In any case, as long as one did not anger the great treemen, no harm would they do. But their red eyes burned.
They turned south, and to their left a great precipice dropped off to unseen depths. Belrosian had never seen a canyon so wide or so deep. At last, Ben raised a hand and called a halt. The ranger knelt down, examining the turf and sniffing the air. "There are tracks here," he said. "They are not fresh, but I am skilled enough to follow them. A human, alone, and male by the look of it." "It seems that we have found our quarry," Kalweni observed. "Lead on," she said. "Let's make an end of it."
A short distance ahead, a small compound was built in the midst of the plains. Square, made of rough stone, it had a large wooden gate on the east side and a single, shingle-roof cottage inside. The three friends hurried up to the compound. Quietly trying the gate, they found it unlocked. They opened it and went inside. Barrels of fresh water and boxes of provisions were stacked neatly inside the compound, and a thin stream of smoke rose from the chimney of the cottage. "It seems the hermit is at home," said Kalweni.
"What is that barking?" Belrosian asked aloud. He'd not seen any wolves in this part of the Plains, south of the river. Then, he stood bolt upright. Terrible memories from his past came flooding back, memories of a place dark and dank and horrible. Black Burrow. That was no wolf they heard barking- that was the speech of a gnoll!
"Quickly!" he yelled, "Get away from the outer walls. Stay in the center of the compound, near the hermit's cottage!" But it was too late. They had relied on the stone walls of the settlement to keep them secure, but the walls were not high enough. Over the west wall climbed the largest gnoll any of them had ever seen. It was a gnoll of Tesch Mas. The beast snarled, and leapt at Kalweni, who was resting with her back to the wall.
"To arms!" the paladin cried, swinging her great axe at the gnoll. Almost as if it were an afterthought, Kalweni added, "I could use a little help."