The Adventurer’s Guild was a sight to behold for Peter and he couldn’t keep himself from inhaling a sharp, excited, breath as he and Broseff approached the three-story stone-and-wood building. While the bottom floor had a tral entrah double-wide double doors that were currently open as well as wide windows, the two floors above that, tered over where the doors below would meet, was the Guild’s sign or heraldry, or whatever. A grand-sized shield with two crossed swords and a down-pointing spear. In the left se of the shield, made by the crossed swords, was some sort of orb with light radiating from it in rays not unlike a sun. On the right, opposite of it, was the head of some sort of creature, fag the edge of the shield rather than inward, and as far as Peter could identify it, was a dragon.

  From the inside, he could hear muffled hustle and bustle, growing louder as they closed in on the building, and he could just about see people moving inside — he most certainly did not miss wearing gsses, that was for sure. “It’s… big.” He whispered, “What all goes on ihat it hree stories?” “Lots of things.” Broseff expined, “People don’t always sign up solo.” He motioo himself, “But as teams roups. And they travel. So Guild buildings have a floor with rooms and other facilities to board those travelers ahem practid work out. The bottom floor has an area where people sit aoo, even order a drink. As well as a reception area for those Tasks I mentioned; for both making a Task and accepting one as a job.”Peter nodded as Broseff expined. “There’s also facilities for meetings — like t and Adveuff — as well as an on-site processing workshop for things brought back from dungeon delves.” “Dungeon… delves.” Peter stopped in mid-step, “I’m guessing Dungeons are a little more than… old ruins, or massive caves.” “They be. But what a dungeon will look like depends on where its core spawns, and how much mana it's taken in. Even how many leyli's on.” He expined. “Core. Leylines.” Peter rubbed his forehead, trying to process the information while still feeling a little weak from healing Khasha, “Right. High Magic world. So naturally…” “Heh.” Broseff cpped Peter’s shoulder, “You’ll learn. You seem to learn quickly enough.” He shook his head, “Where did you learn to heal? You said you didn’t know magibsp; “I don’t. Well, didn’t. I learhat oudying and trying to teana before we got kicked… I mean, were suggested we find lodging closer to the Pilrs for our training…” “Ah.” Broseff nodded, “Just… be careful with doing that. The Church Luminous doesn’t like non-saned Healers using healing magibsp; “… Of course they don’t.” He pinched his nose, sighing, “I mean… sure, it’s good to have regution and ht and atability… but at the same time…”Broseff only shrugged, “It’s different in other tries, if I’m to be ho.” He expined, “But in Freiholm that’s how it is. The Church Luminous oversees the Healers, and then we have Curists, their assistants, like Jensa, and their ics for other healing. And they have their own ittee trolling and watg them.” “Ahah.” Peter tried to take in the information without dwelling over-mu what that might all imply, fog oask, and building, ahead of him, “Right. So. What first?” He asked.

  Stepping up the stairs into the buildier saw that it en up to the sed floor, well, half of it anyway, with fe deliers fasteo the ceiling to provide light to the bottom-most floor; it en too, with only six tables uhose deliers, each manned by a person in uniform set about w at papers. Along the bad front walls were waist-high ters, behind which were more attendants, and the right wall had eight different sized cork-boards, onto which were pinned various job fliers. To the left, uhe closed portion of the sed floor was where the adventurers and potential ts must have sat and waited as Peter saw more tables, as, there, with the left-most wall and back wall ag as a bar with its own ter while the front had a bar as well, but that was just seating.

  As they entered Peter was keenly aware of a few gnces his and Broseff’s way — the kanabō as tall as he was likely didn’t help, though with his fairly casual dress, he probably didn’t look terribly intimidating. He was just a six-foot-two ‘lumberjack’ with a metal-banded mace the size of a small tree, after all. “I’ll go and see if there’s an attendant free.” Broseff expined, “You go over there—” He motioo the sitting area, “— and grab a drink and rex.” “Sure.” Peter nodded. “Once I find out when we talk to an attendant I’ll join you.” He expined, “After waiting for however long, we’ll go over to those desks and you’ll get the application, fill it out aurn it. They’ll look it over, talk to you, and so on.” “Sounds like a fairly standard interview.” “Fair enough. Though I don’t think interviews on your world include a test of your bat skills.” “They do not, no.” Peter chuckled, “Not for any job I ever applied for, that’s for sure.” “You’ll be fine.” Broseff assured, chug, “Oh, Did you think of a name for that?” He o the kanabō. "It’s not needed, like at all, aainly not for the Guild… but some adventurers do heir ons.” “Hadn’t crossed my mind, but I’m not against it.” He admitted, shrugging.Broseff nodded, “Right. Be back soon, then.” He pat the otherworlder’s shoulder a over to not the desks, but one of the attendants along the walls.Left to his own devices Peter went to the ‘bar’ area to sit, though he did stop and order a drink so he at least had something to futz with.

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  I wonder if Xtha’s sword has a name… Or if I should e up with one myself. I could always ask — she seemed open enough to talkier mused as he poked at the handle of the mug he had before him, watg the ripples in his mead as the poking of the hairred the drink. Gods, though… I was not prepared for healing to sap me so badly. He mused, rubbing the side of his head as he picked up his mug to sip slowly, I’m going to have to be careful if magic is going to be part of the bat prowess test for applying to the Guild. “Peytr?” A somewhat familiar voice called out, causing the otherworlder to turn. “Shepherd Vaunn!” He returhe greeting.The older man ughed and made his way ood to see you, d.” He reached out to csp Peter’s forearm as the younger man stood in respect, returning the grip. Nodding to the kanabō resting against the table he chuckled, “Got yourself a hell of a on I see.” “With a story attached to it, no less.” Peter motioo the seat o him at the table, Vaunn took it with a polite nod while raising his hand towards one of the bartenders, “e here often, I see?” “There’s a story attached to it.” He ughed, eg Peter’s words. “I’m all ears if it’s a story you wanell.” He offered, lifting his mug. “Ah, nothing so dramatic.” The older man admitted, chug, “I was, simply, an Adventurer myself, in my younger days.” He patted his knee, “I got injured and, while healing, found a different part of myself.” “So you joihe clergy?” Peter asked.A soft tig got the two’s attention, turning to see a tall woman with three-toed lizard feet with rge curved cws, the middle cw especially so, like a raptor. The long, preheail, curling as she walked towards them, and the wings draped over her shoulders lead Peter ‘away’ from ‘dinosaur dy’ though. Her silver and blue scales shone in the light of the deliers as she set down Vaunn’s mug. The older man smiled, nodding, “My thanks Ayzema. And might I say that your scales are especially bright today.” “Always the charmer, Vaunn.” Ayzema clicked her teeth and gave a quiet guttural grunt in a ugh, turnier she cocked her head and opened her short muzzle just enough to show her teeth, “And do you need anything, sir?” “Ah, no, thank you—” He lifted his cup, “Still got more than half. And please, call me Peter.” “Alright, Peytr.” She clicked her teeth again as she turned with a half-nod and clicked her way back to the bar.Vaunn chuckled, a slight self-satisfied grin on his face as he sipped a dark red liquid, “Mmmh.” He smacked his lips. “The drink or the dragonkin?” Peter asked, eyebrow raised. “Yes.” Vaunn chuckled, “So, what are you doing here, d?” He asked, “I know young Broseff is a member here…” “Actually, he brought me here after suggesting it would be a good ce for a steady source of , which I am not against.” He sighed, half turning to look at the other end of the building, spotting Broseff talking to an attendant in a white blouse and red vest and what looked to be a backwards ft-cap, “Though finding out how much the application fee was almost turned me off of it.” “Fair enough.” Vaunn nodded, “Though sider this, if I may?” “Please do.” Peter nodded his mug in the priest’s dire half toasting half in a ‘please, proceed’ motion. “The Adventurer’s Guild, and Advehemselves, employ a unique position in our world.” Vaunn sipped at his drink, “They are not military, like the guard Broseff and I are in, nor are they town guard. While they are essentially ‘for hire’, due to how the Task system works, they are not meraries. Adventurers specialize in a number of areas, like bat style, Task specialization…” He sighed, rubbing his , “Mh. How to best expin things without being too wordy, and dropping just a rge amount of information that makes it hard to follow.” “Well, so far-so good, Shepherd Vaunn.” Peter said, “Broseff said something about dungeons.” “Ah, yes. Dungeons are a thing Adventurers go into. Sometimes a civilian will happen upon a dungeon and bring it to the attention of the local Adventurer’s Guild, who then send out an Iioo assess the dungeon on several criteria. Once assessed for safety the dungeon bees accessible for further exploration and mapping.” “Broseff mentioned something about cores, and leylines and… growing, or f?” Peter ventured. “Aye.” After another sip of his drink, Vaunn tinued, “Dungeons are entities that form around a crystal-like object we call cores. They appear on a leyli least one, more only two, where they meet at the nexus.” “Makes sense… more mana produced on a leyline, more-so on a nexus.” Peter nodded. “Huh.” Vaunn blinked, “That is… right. I thought you said you didn’t have magibsp; “As far as I know. Never saw anyone perform anything like this…” He raised a hand, letting a little mana out and flicker at his fiip, but not f either his sword or the energy bst. Peter had to stop after a moment as he did not want to feel woozy again, “But either eople believed that stuff, and used it in stories for eai and the like. I was… a bit of a shut-in, a bookworm, and read a lot of these stories over my life.” “Ahh.” Vaunn chuckled, “I was like that myself in my younger days. In fact, reading those stories of heroes and adventure is exactly what drove me into Adventuring.” “Heh.” Peter sighed, “I wao be a ‘hero’ in my younger days.” “You aren’t that old.” Vaunn seasing. “My point still stands.” He said, sipping his mead, smiling.Vaunn rolled his eyes, sighing, and removing his round gsses for a moment to rub at his eyes before repg them, “Back to Dungeons?” “Please.” Peter nodded. “As Dungeons absorb the mana around them they grow. They extend out, and how they do this depends on how and where they form. Sometimes it’s creeping vines, sometimes they’re able to form small minions to dig for them.” “Is that where dungeon monsters e from then?” “Yes. As a dungeon grows they absorb more mana and are able to make rge creatures. For exploration, for security, for a number of things.” Vaunn tinued his education, “While not ily hostile you see how an expl Dungeon’s creature might cause a bit of a stir for a vilge that is out in the wilds, a bit of a ways away from a rger tower.” “I certainly .” Peter nodded, “No wonder you have iigation squads for them.” “Not just that.” Vaunn shook his head, “A dungeon absorb too much mana too quickly, and grow too fast. This leads to unstable dungeons that are, to apply a word to it, insane.” “Oh…” He hissed softly, “I… yeah… yeah that…”Vaunn nodded, sipping his drink and, this time, taking a long draught. “Well, that’s something to keep in mind then if I make it into the Guild.” Peter sighed, taking a long drink from his mug. “Aye, I’m certain you will, though, d.” Vaunn said, pausing for a moment and looking at Peter, “Lad… Peytr… I know it’s only been a day or so, but how’s Ennalyssa?” “Well enough.” Peter said, his tone non-defensive, “It’s only been, as you said, a day or so.” He sipped at his mead, “She’s excited to learn magibsp; “Aye.” He nodded, “Something I was trying to do for her for the st two years.” Vaunn frowned, ing both hands around his mug, “Thank you.” “I’m going to ask ‘for what’ because I feel like I haven’t done much but cause issues and trouble this past week.” Peter admitted. “You certainly caused a stir.” Vaunn chuckled, “Which isn’t a bad thing, I’d say.” The older man sighed, twisting his mug in his hands, looking at Peter over the top rims of his gsses, “I know my words will fall ft… but I, Broseff, and others… we tried. I know there was little evideo that and everything pointing to the trary…”Peter held up a hand, “I uand, I do. You have a system stacked against you, or her, rather, and you were trying to work with-in it to the best of your ability.” “Santis and I may be the same… rank… within the Church, but he took over… seized power, as it were, and used all sorts of means to get people to his side.” Vaunn expined, “I have proof, and eve this to our superiors, a—” “Why a child?” He whispered. “I wish I knew.” Vaunn answered, “Santis’ only answer was that it was the Goddess’ will. I prayed to the Goddess and she told me to trust that things were turning out the way they should be.” He frowned, “I prayed to Xtha’leri’gath, Lady of Fate, and was told to trust her that Enna had a good Fate ahead of her.” “Still. A child.” Peter sighed, not acg Vaunn but just menting. “I agree.” He aking another long drink, “Which is why I am fully gd that you arrived and things have gohe way they have.” “No pressure.” Peter snarked. “Sadly, quite a bit… but I help you a bit more openly since you are not staying oemple grounds anymore.” He motioo the Guild, “We could meet here, for example. This is my old stomping ground, after all, it’s ly a secret I visit here regurly.” “And as an otherworlder, looking for money… ‘of course’ I’d seek the ‘glory’ of being an Adventurer, because of how Adventurers were presented in my old world’s stories.” He nodded, “Lean into the expected, ah, well, over-used expectation of ‘my type’. So it wouldn’t be odd to see me frequent this pce.” “A fair pn, really.” Vaunn nodded, agreeier sighed, pulling out the trabsp; “What’s that, if I may ask.” “A tract, for a Pixie.” He said, starting to read it.Vaunn sat forward, “Really? That’s iing… Holy, I’d go for it. They’re useful panions, to be sure.” “Do you have one, or had one?” Peter asked. “Careful.” Vaunn said, holding up a hand, “Having a pixie brings certain expectations to mind. Much like you being an otherworlder makes people expect certain things from you, or assume certain things about you.” “Ah. Apologies.” Peter flushed.Vaunn shook his head, “No offeaken, you couldn’t have known. I merely wish to educate.” “Please. I’ve been worried about… well, this sort of thily.” Peter sighed.Leaning over Vaunn put a gentle, firm, hand oer’s shoulder, “Now, I’m assuming that since you have the tract you’ve spoken with this pixie?” “A little. I know trag with them will link our mana.” Peter mused, trying to recall the entire versation. “Correct. Pixies thrive off mana, and so seek out those with a lot of mana. Even already tracted pixies may be tempted to go for someoh stronger mana… but if you treat them with respect…” “Makes sense.” Peter nodded. “So. Those with a lot of mao be ‘powerful’ in some way or another. I don’t mean just athyrikly.” He expined, “Though, yes. If you have a lot of mana, you do a lot of magic, a lot of magic means a variety of spells, useful for, say, Adventuring.” “And… Adventuring likely means lots of well-paying jobs.” Peter ventured. “Exactly.” Vaunn nodded, “Asking if a person has a pixie is basically asking ‘how I hold you for ransom’. ‘Powerful’ people, you assume, tend to get rich ‘quick’.” “Ahah.” Peter sighed, rubbing the back of his nebsp; “Lad, don’t worry. I know the question came from a pce of innod simple ck of education. I know you meant no insult.”

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