At the 83rd annual Lumber Festival of the Forest town Gilbreives in the Verdant Continent, howls of laughter can be heard from a crowd gathered around a man telling his stories.
Attending the festival are also 4 individuals, who seem to have nothing in common, apart from the fact that they are the only people not laughing at the man’s story. After seeing this, the man calls them out, demanding them to state their name and their case. Among the four, a Dwarf, Brogan Stone-Flask who flips a coin between his fingers while chugging down mugs of ale. A Hooded Man, the only thing visible on his face a black goatee, who says nothing. An elf, Ylvëstrïa, who throws insults at the man after he makes misogynistic advances. A human named Ysgarlad, who introduces himself and then instantly challenges the man to an arm wrestle! The man accepts, betting 15 gold coins against Ysgarlad’s 5. Brogan bets 9 on Ysgarlad to win. After putting up a meagre amount of resistance, Ysgarlad loses. The crowd roars with laughter and the man scoops up his winnings.
???:
I didn't expect you to be this weak! Hahahahaha!
The man finally introduces himself as Gronk Growheart, the record holder for the most chops using the Emerald Axe against the Great Tree of Gilbreives. He then tells the gang about the wood chopping competition about how the winner gets to swing the Emerald Axe, and welcomes them to Gilbreives and tells them to enjoy the festival. He seems to be very popular with the ladies. Gronk notices that amongst all of the commotion that the fourth man has disappeared, but blames it on himself being drunk and convinces himself that there wasn’t a fourth individual after all. After the crowd returns to normal, Ysgarlad decides to go look for the Hooded Man, whom he happens to see walking towards the town hall. While Ysgarlad follows the mysterious figure, Brogan and Woo decide to go enter themselves in the wood chopping competition.
Entering the Gilbreives Town Hall, Ysgarlad finds nothing inside, apart from an old man sleeping in a throne.
He decides to wake the old man up, stating that he saw a shady figure enter the hall. Startled, the old man implores Ysgarlad to check the treasure room, hidden behind a trick bookshelf at the end of the hall. Upon realising that the old man has no intention of tricking him, Ysgarlad follows the order, and enters the treasure room. He finds a room full of gold trinkets, with a large empty pedestal central in the room. Looking down to his feet, Ysgarlad finds two guards who are unconscious. After waking one up with the smell of his boot, the guard gathers his thoughts and tells Ysgarlad that within the blink of an eye a hooded figure had knocked both guards unconscious. The guard then looks to the pedestal and realises what is missing. He runs to tell the old sleepy man.
Guard:
It's missing! The Emerald Axe is gone!
The old man scowls in disbelief, and pleads with the guard and Ysgarlad to go inform the rest of the town of what has happened. All the meanwhile, Brogan and Woo have entered into the wood chopping competition. While they wait for it to start, Brogan challenges the man standing next to him, to a pint off. The man accepts and introduces himself as Quin Fellbrook, the man to last win the wood chopping competition. Brogan opens his throat and gulps his pint in one. On the contrary, Quin chokes on his drink and runs away in embarrassment dropping two gold coins on his way out. Laughter can be heard from Gronk, who was looking on from a distance. Ysgarlad and the guard come running to find Gronk, telling him that the axe has been stolen. Gronk panics, and notifies everyone to find the axe as fast as possible. This attracts the attention of Brogan and Woo. After providing some comfort to an official running the chopping competition they decide to go help Ysgarlad and Gronk find the Emerald Axe. Gronk sprints off officer Earl style. Woo spots some commotion in the distance; the Hooded Man pushing through a crowd of people, trying to escape towards the north gate of the town. As they run towards the north gate, Brogan riding on Woo’s shoulders, the hooded man comes into vision. Just as the man is about to escape, Gronk crashes down in front of him, jumping from a tree.
Gronk:
I've got you now you scoundrel! Hahahahahaha!
The hooded man decides to turn and face our gang of three, holding a big weapon wrapped in bandages. Ysgarlad decides to try to tackle the man, however trips over his own foot and lands with dust in his eyes. Gronk roars with laughter from a distance. Brogan also tries to tackle the man, wrapping his arms around his legs, however is ripped off and thrown aside into a pillar of the gate. Gronk laughs again.
Gronk:
You guys are worthless! Hahahahahaha!
The hooded man starts murmuring a spell and unbandages the weapon, a heavy battle axe glinting bright green in the sunlight a small shadowy jewel embedded in the centre of the head. The Emerald Axe! He rips the purple jewel from the head with his right hand, tossing the axe to the floor. Angered by this, Gronk swiftly grabs the man by the neck and hoists him into the air. The man chants his spell faster and a portal starts to form around him. When the spell is complete the portal disappears, along with the man, and half of Gronk’s Arm. Gronk screams in pain. Brogan yells to the crowd for a healer, resulting in a lady to come running to Gronk’s aid. His wife. The gang look at each other in irony, thinking of Gronk’s manly behaviour all the while having a wife. The lady casts a spell which cauterizes the wound on his arm. Thinking he was whispering, Brogan yells a joke in the ear of Woo, remarking about Gronk’s arm.
Brogan:
I GUESS HE'S ARMLESS NOW!
With everyone in the crowd falling silent cringing at the distastefulness of Brogan’s joke, Gronk’s wife strides over to Brogan and back hands him, causing to fly into the pillar again. This leaves Gronk laughing, although wincing in pain too. After he finally stands up, Gronk picks up the axe with his remaining arm, and gives it a practice swing. It no longer shines bright green, and instead looks dull and decrepit.
Gronk:
We must inform my father of this.
Gronk marches off with the Emerald Axe towards the Gilbreives Town Hall with his wife. The three follow him. Upon entry, the three find Gronk kneeling in front of the old man sitting in the chair, holding the axe up, a sad look across his face. Gronk notices the three.
Gronk:
Ah Ysgarlad, this is my father-
???:
Yes we have met once already.
Gronk has a confused look on his face, as the old man continues.
???:
I am Grink Growheart, father of Gronk and leader of Gilbreives.
Grink then continues to thank the three for their help in trying to retrieve the axe, and looks puzzled about the situation. Woo asks if the man stole the gemstone from the axe because it was a Fragment of the Eternal Shadow.
Grink:
Where did you learn that name?
Grink a shoots a serious look at Woo. She explains that she once read about a similar gemstone in a page torn out of a book.
Grink:
I have only heard that name once before - and I was told not to throw it around loosely. Perhaps though, as you seem to already know this name, you may be the most suitable person in Gilbreives to retreive the stone. What do you say?
Woo and the rest of the gang look at each other, before Woo looks back to Grink and nods. Grink strokes his beard pensively.
Grink:
Alright, It might be worth looking for information from the one man who told me that name years ago. He's much more an expert than I am. His name is Crystus, Crystus of the Cruster Guild.
Grink then hands the three a two sided map. On one side a map of Cordisalia, on the other a more detailed map of the Verdant Continent.
Grink:
Crystus resides in Rorkard, a village at the foot of the mountains about 2 weeks northwest of here by foot. Perhaps if you speak to him he might tell you more about the stone and why that man wanted it. We can provide aid for you to make the journey as you see fit.
As Ysgarlad and Grink talk back and forth about provisions for the journey, Brogan asks Gronk if he saw the Hooded Man’s face.
Gronk:
He had black facial hair, glowing purple eyes, and scarred ragged skin.
Upon hearing this information, Woo decides to head to an information outpost in the south of the village to send a message to the syndicate Post Mortem regarding the visual features of the Hooded Man. She finds a kid in a shed, who upon hearing the code word transforms into a tall lanky man, agreeing to distribute the information as he sees fit. Upon returning to the town hall, Ysgarlad and Grink have finished discussing the trip to Rorkard. Men from Gilbreives will take the three halfway to Rorkard by horseback, from where they will complete the rest by foot. Gilbreives will provide supplies for the journey. Finally, as the sun is setting Grink provides rooms at the Sleepy Leaf, an inn for the three to sleep, with the plan being to set out in the morning.
Our story continues in Chapter 2 - Into the Verdant Forest…