Chapter Two: In An Elven Way

"I have a strong constitution, poisons effect me the same as a regular human, but my body has a high probability of fighting it. As for silver.. it's a calculated risk. It burns to the touch, and yes that includes jewelery as well. Silvered weapons basically forgo my healing ability as if I didn't have one so if we run into enemies with that equipment or they get a hold of ours, I'll just have to play from a distance" it had been quite some time since he's been asked so many questions about himself and his kind, he enjoyed it.

"Once i have a look at these monsters I'll have a decent clue what we're up against. Then we can figure out ways to best deal with them so you don't have to worry about us. Alright? Now relax" he said warmly

Looking from the book in her hands to Sigurd and back again, Lopiena nods. "Calculated risk...high constitution...got it. I'll try to remember that, and try to relax." Smiling half-heartedly, she closes the book and turns it over in her hands. "You know it's funny. I've waited half my life to learn the spells in here, and right now I can only think of Mother and wonder how she's doing, or if she's even still alive." Looking back up, she smiles at Sigurd. "Your father. Thunderknoll. What's it like?"

Ashwyn smiled as Sigurd and Lopiena spoke of his kind. Most of this information she knew already of course, having worked so closely with his people for so long. She could tell that Sigurd was enjoying speaking of his home so she didn't want to interrupt. She simply lay her head against him and nibbled on the food while she listened.

Zane also was listening, intrigued by all of the new information. Of all the places he'd gone, Thunderknoll was still new to him. He was very interested to hear about it. "I'm be curious to hear about Thunderknoll as well. You're people are something of an enigma to me. It's so rare to find creatures such as your people who maintain their intelligence and control over their abilities."

"To our knowledge, we're the only ones of our kind, when it comes to werewolves anyway." He said to Zane.

Sigurd turned back to Lopiena, "my father is a proud man, a strong warrior and a devoted husband. In the history of all the Alphas his reign has been the most industrious for our people. ThunderKnoll started as a crater, then a cottage, a camp, an outpost and many iterations until it became the city it is now, we've filled that crater with streets, shops homes and pubs. For all the fear against most lycanthropes you will never find a people more open and welcoming to outsiders" his eyes stared off into the distance.

"Once this is over we can go back there" he smiled "I'm going to warn you ahead of time however, clothing is optional. Some citizens enjoy the freedom while in their hybrid form, and their base forms as well I suppose. So don't be shocked" he laughed.

Sigurd addressed Zane again "Our abilities stem from how our people came into being. Some people think it was some divine blessing.. or curse. But it was just happenstance with two werewolves falling into what we call the Mana-well, a pool of pure magic energy." He paused and decided to elaborate "as you've seen, my shifting is almost instantaneous, where as normal werewolves taken time and it's a painful process. That said if you weren't born a spellwolf your first transformation is quite painful, but it's like working a muscle. Secondly someone who's been turned doesn't enter a thrall phase, they are who they are in whatever form they're in. No rabid wolves to be concerned with. One thing we do share in common with werewolves is we have no control of our form under a full moon. We can go between hybrid and wolf but not back to our base form until sunrise." Feeling like he was rambling he stopped

"Any other questions?"

Fascinated, Lopiena leans forward with Sigurd's explanation of his people and Thunderknoll. At the 'clothing optional' part, she actually giggles and glances at Zane...not the kind of place the gnome should visit! Once Sigurd stops, she leans back and considers. "This 'mana well' sounds incredible...a powerful magic. The Archdruid mentioned it, and...a blue maple? What is that like?" Blushing, she looks back down. "I always focus on the trees...force of habit. Can you tell me...about the city?"

Ashwyn smiled up at Sigurd as he seemed to get lost in his home as he talked about it. It must be wonderful having a home that you felt so strongly about. She had never really had a home like that. Most places she'd been an outsider and it wasn't exactly comforting. Ash had already found her home in the people she cared for. Namely her parents. And then Lucas. But once they were gone she was on her own. No place was home, it was just where she happened to be. She was looking forward to finding that same familiarity that Sigurd enjoyed so much.

Ashwyn giggled at Lopiena and Zane's reaction to the clothing comment from Sigurd. "Don't feel bad, it too time for me to get used to also." She winked.

When Lopeina asked for more detail about the city itself, she sighed. "It's a beautiful city." She said, giving Sigurd a break from talking. "The construction resembles human engineering mostly, though you can see certain influences from the many other races part of the city. But the most grand building. The one that is the most beautiful. Is the Alpha house. Really more of a castle, actually. I've only been inside a few times while meeting with Sigurd's father. Great stone walls with carved wooden pillars. And inside, the history of the Alphas hang along the walls. But by far the most beautiful part...is underneath the house. Where the Mana Well is. I've only seen it once. When I was making my initial business arrangement with Sig's father. But I will never forget it.

"I can see why the druid remembers the tree there. The moonflower maple. The flowers glow a pale blue, like moonlight. It was the most beautiful thing I'd ever seen." She had a far away look in her eye when she spoke of it, as though describing a dream.

Zane was on the edge of his seat as he listened in rapt silence. "Fascinating..." He muttered.

Eyes shining, Lopiena tries to envision the tree. "Moonflower maple...it sounds incredible! And it grows from the magic of the mana well? Underground, with no sunlight? Only the light of its own flowers...that's amazing! I would love to see it one day. Oh, and the city too, of course." Smiling, she looks between Sigurd and Ashwyn. "It sounds like a wonderful place. Has the Alpha castle been there the whole time, as well? There's quite a history there. What is the community like? Is everyone a warrior like you, or just a select few?"
Completely absorbed in the discussion of Thunderknoll, Lo puts the scrolls to the side. They're right, time enough to study later. They still have to journey out of Fey Forest, after all.

Sigurd laughed "I won't tell you everything, I should leave some surprise for when you visit. But yes, The Maple grows underground, the only light in the Mana-Well chamber is the tree and it's just like full moon light. To the point in fact, that we are forced into our Hybrid forms when we're in it's proximity. As far as our jobs go. No, not everyone is a warrior but most of us are in some aspect or another. Think of it like any other major city, we're a mixing pot of human, Elves, Half-Elves even some halflings Pretty much any humanoid can live in the city. Our last census indicated that Non-SpellWolf citizens only made up about 3 percent of our population where there is a 15 percent population of turned individuals and 82 percent is the rest of the natural born population." He had honestly never saw a use for those numbers before, so it was nice to be able to use them in conversation.

Sigurd continued, "We have our fighter's guild that is run out of the Alpha house barracks. Pups with a natural fortitude for magical ability and physical strength are selected and are given a mandatory 15 years of training and education. It's a very strict program that I am now in charge of.. well, was until I left. Every person who graduates, and they all do I make sure of it, Have the option of continuing their training and entering the next stages of being a fighter or have the freedom to do whatever they like. Be it something magic related or something as simple as being a baker. That said, People who are turned have their own program they're put in, and it's mostly to get them used to their new forms and abilities. They're allowed to keep the profession they had in their former life of course. We're very accommodating" he said with a wink to Ashwyn

Listening with full attention, Lopiena is amazed at Sigurd's knowledge of his people. She doesn't know a shred of that kind of information about her own village! Comparing the two...no, there's no comparison, the people in her village tend to be mistrusting of strangers and only welcome outsiders (and their coin) for trade and feast days. As for taking an actual census...maybe the Mayor kept track of the comings and goings of the town dynamics, but you'd get better information from the gossip mongers.

"Fifteen years of training...just to start becoming a fighter? Wow. You must be an accomplished instructor," Lo smiles, then tilts her head to the side with a puzzled expression. "Why did you leave? All the talk about the Alpha and the way everyone treats you with respect...not to mention how you carry yourself...you're to become the next leader, right? Is all of this for world experience or something? ...I mean...we were each asked to represent our villages, but it sounds like you have quite a lot going on at home."

Sigurd smiled "Fifteen years isn't just to become a fighter, that's just the way our education system works, those that want to become a fighter are in for a lifetime of training, it doesn't stop after fifteen years. That said I wouldn't recommend picking a fight with anyone you see on the street there. The training serves as a defense against raids. It's hard to attack a city when it's citizens are trained in the art of war"

When she asked why he left his face hardened slightly "I left because I had to, as amazing and picturesque as ThunderKnoll is we have our own issues. For the last century or so we've noticed an increase in... behavioral ticks" He chose his words carefully "my purpose here is two fold, I was sent as our cities champion in this who border dispute and that is my primary focus. Secondarily I am to seek out and try and discover information that could help my people deal with whatever affliction is currently an issue back home. My duties have been suspended for this journey and have fallen to my cousin, while not as skilled as myself, will do a fine job."

Ashwyn smirked as the discussion changed to the youth training programs in Thunderknoll. She'd often seen Sigurd drilling the youth while she was in and out of the village. It was odd seeing him from afar for so long and now being able to sit in his lap. It was strange how things worked out.

When the conversation turned to less pleasant things, her smile faltered slightly. She looked down as he spoke of his secondary mission. She'd had some horrible memories due to that affliction, but she could only imagine what Sigurd had gone through.

Her demeanor wasn't the only one that changed at Sigurd's change of tone. Zane noticed it to. "Behavioral ticks? It wouldn't be.... No surely it isn't..." He frowned. "I recall reading about some....attacks. In the High Forest. Attacks that no one could really explain. Not very often. Maybe once a year for the last...oh...couple of decades or so? But they all had the same sorts of wounds. I don't suppose there's....a connection?"

Sigurd said nothing more, it wasn't a topic he was ready to discuss with the party. He wanted to continue painting a bright picture of his home rather than mar it's beauty with the harsh truth. Though Zane was right, there had been the odd feral SpellWolf that had escaped and attacked caravans of people in the High Forest. Unfortunately once a year was generous... "could be" he said simply "That's what I intend to find out."

At his last report there had been more than thirty confirmed cases of the beginnings of the sickness when he had left, the most recent was his mother. Each citizen was isolated and contained in a silver lined cell, some went willingly some.. not so much. These were the cases that would go on to attack trade routs, they wouldn't take anything, they'd just kill. And eat. Eventually they would be hunted down like the animal they seemed to be turning into and, as he had told Ashwyn in their private conversation 'relieved of duty'.

The amount of time it took for the affliction to take hold varied so much that in a hundred years they still couldn't narrow down a cause, whether it was because of fear from contracting it themselves or the internal fear that they may already have it. The cities healers did very little to determine its origin. Sigurd's uncle had turned but he had taken the longest. Seventeen years he fought the symptoms until eventually he snapped as they always do...

Sigurd turned his head and looked off in the distance lost in thought. He lamented the idea of losing another family member.

Noticing the change in Sigurd's demeanor, Lo looks at him carefully...whatever it is clearly matters to him a great deal, and just as clearly is not a topic for discussion. It also looks like Ashwyn might know something of it, but whatever it is saddens her as well... Lopiena's upbringing had unintentionally made her excellent at reading people, but unfortunately left a lack in how to deal with potential conflicts other than avoid, avoid, avoid.

Intentionally brightening her countenance, Lo turns to Zane. "And what about you, Zane? With all your travels, you must have come across some amazing sights."

Zane turned away from Sigurd at Lopiena's question to look at her. "Hm? Oh, well you might say that. Mind you I've spent a good deal of time In Faerun. Let's see....I've been there for the last 5 years or so. But before then, yes, I traveled a lot. Originally from High Haspur, a small village in the Vast. High in the Earthfast Mountains. Mostly Gnomes and Dwarves that high up. A few humans. I grew up in a monistary there. Spend all of my childhood reading as many different books as I could. Which, I suppose, wasn't unusual. Most Gnome children spend the early childhood exploring their various intrests. I was a bit of a late bloomer, you might say, so I didn't begin formal schooling until well into my 31st year. All of my peers of course had already attented for around 18 months. Not that it made a difference I already knew what they were teaching. Gnomes come of age at the age of 40, you see. So it was after that when I began traveling. I just picked a direction and started walking. Sometimes riding.

"I crossed the Moonsea. Walked along the Great Glacier. Explored the Mines of Tethyamar. Looked into the Well of Dragons. Passed the Serpent Hills. And finally made my way to Faerun." He shrugged, as though it was no big deal to travel over 1200 miles for one Gnome.

While Zane spoke, Ashwyn leaned into Sigurd a bit and laced her fingers with his free hand as a way of silent comfort. She knew that he didn't really want to talk about what was happening to his people and she hoped to provide what comfort she could.

Blinking at Zane in confusion, Lo pulls out the map of the area and looks for even one of the places he'd mentioned. Nothing...and considering the massive scale of this map, the thought of traveling even further is more than even Lopiena's overactive imagination can fathom!

"That's...that's a long way. Where...what is the 'Moonsea?' The 'Well of Dragons?' I've never even heard of such places...not that I have much knowledge of the greater world, but Mother was well-traveled and she told me lots of stories. How far away are the Earthfast Mountains?"

Glancing at Sigurd and Ashwyn on occasion, she keeps her focus on Zane. Whatever is bothering them will either come up eventually or it won't, and prying any further than she already has would be inappropriate. Besides, she’s not quite sure how much of her own past she wants to bring to the light, especially with the revelations from earlier still exploding in her head. Directing focus away from personal troubles will give her time to process her own emotions.

"Hmm... well let me see here." Zane leaned over the map that Lopeina had opened on the table. His eyes traveled over it for a moment. "Well the Serpent Hills are just sound of The Cloud Peaks." He pointed to a point below the map. "And the Mines of Tethyamar are just on the other side of the Anaroch Wasteland." He pointed to the right of the map. "So that would mean that the Earthfast Mountains are somewhere...." He moved over some and pointed off of the table, directly east of the Fey Forest. "Here. Four hundred and two leagues to the east. Every now and then when I get homesick I calculate the distance from home. I've often thought about going back but....well, there's always something new to see." He smiled at her.

"You'd quite like the Moonsea, I think. At night it's perfectly still and reflects the moonlight so beautifully. It's desperately cold though. Not for the faint of heart. It's where dragons to go mate, you know. Once ever seven years or so. I saw it once. Horribly dangerous, of course. Never want to get in the way of a dragon matting ritual. But so amazing to see so many of them in such close proximity."

He turned to Lopiena. "You said your mother was well traveled? I'm very much intrigued. Where did she travel? to the east? Course there's not much to the east until you get past the Wasteland. I've never crossed it myself. Decided to around. Course I suppose that will be changing now. Or perhaps she went west? Followed the river to the sea? I've often contemplated doing that. Venturing past the High Forest. Perhaps someday I will. I always wanted to see the great ocean before my time is passed."

Looking at the map, Lopiena frowns. Most of her mother's stories were about areas, regions, even habitats...but rarely specific places. Her grandmother had discouraged much exploring; while they had taken trips following the river north into the mountains they'd rarely done much more than look at the view, study the stars, and come back home. All of the stories had been told as just that...stories, with some expected exaggerations and details left out.

Trying to piece something together from the fragments she'd gleaned over the years, Lo starts vaguely gesturing at areas on the map. "Well...I know she went to the ocean and did some sailing there, which means she passed by the High Forest...possibly through it, but I've never heard of Thunderknoll and I think she would have mentioned such a fantastic place. She most likely hugged the mountains; she was always most comfortable in the rocky peaks, so she might even have crossed the mountains to the north and gone around them to reach the ocean. We used to go into the mountains regularly when I was a girl, and it was the only time I ever saw her smile..." sighing, she turns back to the map. "I do know that at some point she went to the Wasteland and spent quite a lot of time there, but whether she passed through or actually stayed somewhere...I just don't know. Sorry, Zane. I try to pretend that I know many things, but my own mother is a mystery to me. She...went through a lot, and didn't like talking about it much." Saddened, Lo stares vaguely at the map again. "Maybe someday I'll see her again...if she's even still alive. She just left one day for the mountains and never came back."

Zane shook his head, hoping to distract Lopiena from her sadness. "Oh that's alright. The whole reason to travel is for the story anyway. That's the point." He smiled at her.

Ashwyn frowned hearing Lopiena's story. She finally leaned forward a bit. "So, what about the rest of your family, Lo? Any siblings, perhaps? Or cousins? I've never actually been to Sylva. Is it nice there?" She asked, hoping to lighten the mood a bit.

Smiling slightly at Zane, Lopiena nods.  "Stories...of course.  We already have some good ones."

Turning to Ashwyn, Lo ponders her response for a moment.  "Sylva is...nice enough, I suppose.  Small town, agrarian...livestock, crops, a few orchards...some lumber, mostly in the hands of craftsmen who turn it into furniture and such to sell at festivals." She shrugs.  "Not very welcoming of strangers except for the festivals, though...and I guess I'm strange enough."  She laughs, but not really.  "My family...well...it's hard to explain..." swallowing and looking at her hands, she considers how much of her life she really wants to talk about right now.  Most of the revelations of the morning are pretty well processed, and she can probably get through it without getting overly emotional.  Choosing her words carefully and not looking up...eye contact will do her in, and she knows it...Lo explains.

"I'm pretty sure I have at least one brother, but I've never meet him.  Our family has...a tradition of only women being accepted into the household: the Elder...my Gramma, the Matron...my mother, and the Maiden...that's me. Obviously you can't just have women and expect the next generation to occur, so in order for the Maiden to become the Matron she prepares herself to receive...a man's seed...but she's not supposed to know who it is, it's all done the night after the Solstice with masks and other stuff. No connection, and no love...just mutual exchange of bodily fluids aided by some extremely powerful aphrodisiacs to result in a child born in the spring.  My mother's first baby was a boy...but like I said, only women are accepted so she had to give him up...was forced to, some of the folks in the village talk about how she screamed and wept when he was pulled from her arms.  That's why she left to go travelling, to recover from the loss.  That's also why she never talked about it...the loss was too great for her to bear, and everything I know about it is from the gossip mongers in town.  The problem is, gossip mongers never quite get the story right.  Some say she returned much...looser...and conceived several more boys before finally having me.  Others say she was gone for many years, and only returned once she'd birthed a baby girl that she knew she could keep.  I kinda prefer the second story, it means my father isn't one of the men in the village...those guys are jerks...but either way, I have no idea who my father is, or how many other brothers I might have.  What bothers me...what's been bothering me since we talked to the Archdruid...well, I've been told that this tradition has gone on for centuries, over a dozen human generations.  And now I find out that it's only fairly recently...that my great-great-grandparents loved each other, my great-grandmother Lily must have known her father...but somewhere between her and Gramma something broke, split apart.  I can't even guess what happened...that's the problem with these dreadfully short human life spans, you can rewrite history just by lying to your children...but if Gramma knew...if she destroyed my mother, broke our family, knowing it was a lie! It's...it's more than I can bear."

Ashwyn frowned as Lopiena spoke. She couldn't imagine being a prisoner in your own family. She thought it was bad to be shunned by your village but she had never faced anything close to that from her parents. And the thought of her mother having to get rid of so many children all because of some rule her mother made up? It made her long for the child she lost and for her own mother all at the same time.

"That's...awful." SHe wasn't even sure how to respond to it. What did you say to something like that?

Zane seemed similarly lost for words. "My...Well that's...quite a story." He said at last. "Well... if it means anything... I don't know who my parents are at all.. I was found on the doorstep of the monistary as an infant and raised by the monks there. I too have often wondered who they are but... i don't know... i suppose that's part of my wanderlust. i keep hoping that I'll find them one day." He shrugged. "Of course i'm sure they're long dead by now...."

Ashwyn had curled back into Sigurd's arms while Zane spoke. She found his arms around her to be a comfort, now more than ever. "My parents were killed when I was 11." She said softly. "I remember waking up one night and they weren't at home. My father was a world class hunter so he taught me to track. I tracked them into the HIgh Forest... And straight to a Green Hag coven. There wasn't much left by the time I found them." She looked down, remembering the gore seen by her young eyes. "I trained for years, studying everything i could find about Green Hags.... I got my revenge at the turn of my 14th year. Her head hung on the wall of my family home for many years until i could finally move on."

Sigurd said nothing. He had a decent family life, knew both of his parents. Had scads of friends. Grew up to be well respected though called harsh by some of his trainees. Hearing the tragic stories of his companions made him feel slightly ashamed... sure he had the affliction his people had been dealing with for centuries and only now has his mother fallen ill to it but to have the childhoods that the others have had.. he shuddered at the thought.

"Zane...Ashwyn....I had no idea," Lopiena whispers softly. Looking from Zane, who had never known his parents and threw himself into books, to Ashwyn who had witnessed something horrible at such a young age and became a strong warrior because of it, to Sigurd who is also dealing with his own issues even if they're not readily apparent...Lopiena almost smiles. "We're quite the group, aren't we? Seems we're all running from something or learning what we're made of. I don't know what to say. You've all been through so much, and somehow come through stronger. I just hope...I hope I can come out of this as strong."

Ashwyn looked over at the young druid and smiled. "You will. I believe you already have. It's only been a few days since we left Faerun but I've already noticed your confidence has grown."

"Quite right." Zane nodded. "And your spellwork improves every day too. We musnt let the sad things slow us down, my dear. They make us into better people, if we choose to allow them to."

Ash sat up a bit. "And...don't take this the wrong way Lo, but... is there any real reason for you return home after this? I mean... you're out now. Away from all those rituals and emotionless. I know you hate being reminded of it, but human lives are far to short to be spent in misery."

Zane nodded. "Oh yes, I absolutely agree. You mentioned contemplating seeking your mother out in the mountains. Why don't you do that? Why, I'd even go with you if you wanted. It would be a grand adventure." He smiled excitedly.

"yes, we can add it to our already expanding list of endeavors... saving this forest, breaking an unknown curse and searching for a woman who doesn't want anything to do with her daughter. They will write songs about us" he patted Ashwyn's leg as a sign to let him up and silently excused himself. Yes he was willing to do everything in his power to help his new comrades but fancifully making promises to a girl with a fleeting lifespan when there was already so much at stake was just foolhardy.

If they did manage to complete this mission in a timely manner then yes. fine. they would go on a wild goose hunt. It was a ridiculous notion, Lopiena would be better suited to find a new family. A new home. The village she grew up in had a way of life now that was completely unacceptable to Sigurd's strong sense of family. If they were to ever set food in that place he knew he'd be having harsh words with whoever was in charge.

But none of these thing were going to happen if they just sat around all cozy chit chatting as if there weren't more pressing matters to attend to. He felt rested enough. Walking over to his armor he ripped off the Elvan clothing down to his smallclothes and donned his armor without uttering so much as a word.

Ashwyn turned to Sigurd as he silently asked to be let up. She moved off his lap and watched him leave with a frown on her face. She watched him dress in his armor in silence. Finally she turned to Lo and Zane. "Will you excuse us for a moment?" She asked softly.

She stood and walked over to Sigurd. "May I speak with you please?" She asked him and then, without waiting for him to answer, she left the bedroom and walked out into the hall. She walked a few feet down the stairs and then sat down on them. The foot traffic in the hallway had slowed down and now it was fairly quiet.

Zane rubbed at the back of his neck awkwardly at Sigurd's words. He looked down at the food, unsure what to say, until Ashwyn stood and excused herself. "Oh...yes of course" He said softly, nodding and still staring down at the food. He awkwardly fiddled, with a roll.

"So... I hear deserts are quite hot, yeah? So... we'll need water...I suppose.." He said, awkwardly trying to change the subject.