Baldur's Gate : The Sword Coast Chronicles : NWN2 Persistent World

In the past few days, Mendel has been spending more time in their small village within the Misty Forest, yet each night he still slips away once the sun sets, returning before the first light of dawn. He keeps to the older paths, circling a secluded glade where pale stone gathers the moonlight in a way that feels intentional, though he never lingers long. His gear is simple and chosen for protection rather than show: sturdy leathers, well-kept blades at his sides, and a trusted bow within reach. He walks not in search of enemies, but to ensure that whatever stirs beneath the trees finds the forest guarded.

Moonlit patrol of a ranger

It was very early in the morning when Mendel emerged, his silhouette cutting a strange figure against the pale dawn. Instead of his longbow and quiver, he carried the heavy iron of a spade and long-handled shears. Curious stares followed him through the village, as the kin noted this departure from his usual patrols. Mendel ignored the questioning looks, vanishing into the treeline, determined.

Beneath the heavy canopy, he bypassed the scout trails for a secret path that led to the Shrine of the Sisters. He set his tools down with a heavy thud, scanning the vines and moss threatening to swallow the sacred stonework. To Mendel, the information the Sisters provided was a debt that could not remain unpaid without giving something back. He sucked a sharp breath through his teeth and began the labor of clearing the shrine. His hands, more used to the draw of a string, now worked to ensure the path between allies remained clear.

The Promise and the Prayer

The day dawned with the vibrant, chaotic energy of the storytelling festival. Organized by Elyssa, the village was alive with a "glimmer" that usually made a ranger like Mendel retreat into the deep shadows. He had hoped to remain a mere spectator, a "vantage point" in the back of the crowd, but Deleniel was quick to remind him of the importance of his word. A promise had been made: when the time came, Mendel would share a story with them.

Though his sibilant breath hitched with a rare, cold anxiety, Mendel valued Deleniel too much to break his promise. He took the stage, his hands folded tightly over his chest to still his nerves, and shared the tale of the Great Boar and the Guardian Angel. He spoke of his early days in Doron Amar and the silent arrow of Shynt that had saved his life. When he finished, he endured the playful teasing of his kin - a social "rot" he tolerated with a rare, dry grin - before a Sending from Larael vibrated in his mind. The message was urgent: a meeting at the Shrine in the Misty Forest with their new allies.

The transition from the festival to the shrine was a journey into a "Time of Firsts." Upon arrival, Mendel witnessed a sight that challenged his long-held view of the world: followers of the Dark Maiden and surface elves standing side-by-side. It was a union of shadow and light, working in harmony to excise the evil plaguing the woods. Information was exchanged and promises were sworn with the gravity of an oath to the Seldarine.

When the planning concluded, the priestess Alva'Ssun extended an invitation that Mendel and his companion never expected to receive: to attend a prayer to Eilistraee. Having spent his life under the moon of Sehanine, Mendel watched, awe-struck, as the ritual unfolded. It was a display of beauty and kind words of goodness that felt like a healing balm on a long-festering wound. For the first time, the ranger saw that even in the deepest darkness, there was a dance of light that could not be broken - a new vantage point that he would carry back to the village long after the festival fires had dimmed.

Rumour has spread that a wounded elf was found unconscious on the outskirts of the Reaching Wood, his robes torn and smeared with blood and earth. He was said to have been barely clinging to life when discovered, drifting in and out of awareness before being carried away for treatment to Greenest.

The blue armored woman thinks first before approaching the humans. When her mind is made up, she sheathes her sword. Her tone is serious and she tries her best not to appear threatening. She questions them about how they survive along a sick and dead river and of the large spire on the other side. After a moment of listening, she then describes to them a human man's description before offering a name (Krauser). She asks if they had seen or heard anything about him or perhaps seen him recently.

As she turns to leave a whisper of a prayer is uttered in her native tongue. Not only for them but for the Zhentarim man she enquired about. If she were being watched, she would have been seen heading back towards the direction of the swamp where the lizard men dwell

"After the Drow elf Mitheera finished tending to the grounds of the Misty Forest shrine (for days now she has spent time removing the overgrowth of vegetation) to Eilistraee she went out into the wider forest looking for trouble. It has been over a week now since she had last consumed cheap liquor and grog. As she made her way into a mist covered clearing an orc swatted at her with a club dislodging her helmet from her head. She looked at the Orc with a smile. In the back of her mind, it was a relief for her to no longer be covered. She dropped her shield and leaped at the black skinned orc.

When all was done, and the orc laid on the forest floor dead, it's throat slashed and splayed open she looked about the trees wondering if the elven rangers were observing. She wiped the blood from her silver sword pendant around her neck as she collected her shield and helmet before returning to the shrine mumbling about the cowardice of bandits"