The path of an Archer
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Short and clear
_I tried to enhance my arrows, and I was unable. The enhancement fades as soon as I stop concentrating, it doesn't stick to the arrows. Maybe it'll take longer than I expected to recover from the dead. I've always been cautious to avoid unnecesary dangers and keeping myself alive. Now that I've seen the true consecuences, I'll try even harder.
E._
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The next lines have a slightly different letter, the writting is not as clean as it uses to, seems like he didnt feel much like writting
_It was the first time in my long existence that I died. Or at least, that's what Val Kyrie told me when I found myself in the temple of the triad in peltarch. The reason I'm still uncertain about it, is that the place that I recall being at, was not what I had thought, not what I expected, not even by far.
I thought when I died I'd go to a beautiful place, I'd see Uthgar, meet other elves, wide and long woods to spend my time in, infinite peace and time to perform my best woodworking arts…What I got instead? I don't remember clearly, but it was all grey and sad, nothing to do, eternal boredom... I can't believe that's what awaits at the after life.It's true though, that I at least lost consciusnes for some time. Hard to tell how much. Is also true, that I feel slower with my bow though I'm recovering from that fast and I still feel am able to enhance my arrows. Must be something common after you are dead? I don't know.
Whilst I was dead, something crossed my mind in that sad place. Why would I want back? Didn't take long to get the right answer...
I still have to walk my Path.
E._
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_It was a quiet day. I spent quite some hours with the wooden woman. Some people has been joking around that they'll ask me to shape some women for them If mine ever gets to life. I don't think they understand the reason I spent so much time with the same figurine. I want it to be beautiful, I want it to be nice, to have the best shape, the best carvings, I wan't it to be perfect. I ended it today, it's a tall elven woman (I shaped the ears pointy), long hair with arms open, as if wellcomming. And it has snowflakes, on a recent trip to that Icey island I discovered how beautiful snow can be.
My fletching is comming out pretty good, I might be able to do decent arrows soon…if I was able to get my hands on the proper wood anyways. For now I can do my own arrows, and I spend my time marking each of those. Still looking for that Cherry tree...haven't seen one yet. They can't be so rare, can they?
E._
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_Sir Vladimir was showing me the mines by oscura. It's a dark place, not something I like. The city I mean, but I must admit it has some large and productive mines. There was tin, malachite, copper, and other ore that i'm still not able to work with, and all withing short range. The problem? there's some strange crystal-looking oozes that seemed inmune to sir Vladimirs hits and my own arrows. There it prooved why is my path so important, so special. The ooze paralized and poisoned him, so I had to act quick, I took two arrows from my quiver and concentrated, the arrowtips glowing blue. I must say everytime I'm able to do this faster and faster, it only took me a few seconds. My arrows did now hurt the thing, only a bit, but it was hurting it, enough to bring it down in time before it could hurt Sir Vladimir further.
Situations like this tell me my fate is to become what I'm trying to become, that my path was never clearer.
E._
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_It was totally unexpected. I was by the gates, talking to the merchant named Alexi. When I was done talking with him Celad approached to me and showed me 10 cherry sawn boards. I ran a hand through them and the touch was soft and at the same time strong, It's as flexible as Oak, yet stronger. The color of the wood is a beautiful red, a dark and mighty redish wood. He sold them to me for a fair price, so I got them and inmediatly rushed to peltarch. I wanted to put my hands on such a wood.
I must say I enjoyed the whole procedure, putting the boards in the woodhorse, cutting them quietly into long staves. I even made one with so much care and dedication that it turned to be an excelent piece, or so said the master bowyer of the hall. I could only make four usable staves after all, and I moved to the bowerying rak. My fingers moved anxious at first, but after a deep breath and a failed bow attempt, I concentrated further and managed to do a decent bow. It wasn't as accurate as my Oak one, but it was actually stronger and could be pulled more. I worked two more staves into bows, with similar result, and for the final one I spent a bit more than half a day….but the effort payed of. I can safely give away my oak bow now, because I've done something better with the cherry.It's a long redish bow, strong and flexible, it has a resistant string. The shaping of the edges of the bow are carved like a thorn rose and in the middle of the bow there's the "E."
The words of the first person that saw the bow were: A good bow, for a good archer._
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_I'm still on my break with the woodcutting. Is anyways hard to come by a cherry tree. After the wooden rose I was feeling like making a new figurine. I enjoy the work and apart from relaxing it's full filling. I've started now to shape a bigger wood piece, and I believe so far the figurine is pretty well done. It's a woman, though it still has no face and is missing many details. It's a woman, but I've left a blank spot by her feet, because I'm going to shape there something not sure what yet, an animal? a plant? we'll see. Something that reflects beauty… suddenly there's a line crossing the page
That is, reflecting.E._
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I had finished my work. It was a pretty wooden rose, with all the details, even the smallest of them. It took me near a week to shape it like this. I had found someone to give it to, Cara. She was very nice to me, and she was as beautiful as the rose itself. She died, and she won't be back. For that, I will put this wooden rose by her grave.
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I've been taking a break from the woodcutting. For one side, it's complicated to find the wood I need, and for the other, is good to relax for some time. I've been taking regular walks through the woods, not fighting, not doing much but walking and ejoying the nature.
Yesterday I started shaping a small figurine in a piece of wood. I've adquired quite some skill with all the woodworking i've made, and It helps me relax.
I'm doing it slow, trying to make each movement with precision. The good thing is that I'm under no pressure, noone tells me how to do it, not even wether it looks good or not, I can take my time, do it in silence, when I feel like it.
And know what? So far I like how it looks like
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_I gathered a group of adventure-hungry adventurers and with some effort convinced them to move towards the forest called Mintas forest, where I had heard the best wood grows. We fought our way through dozens and dozens of wild huge beasts…bears and tigers mostly, the size of a large tree, or bigger.
We were a strong group, and they seemed to be able to deal with this all without trouble. It made me happy that some of them recognized my archery skills as quite good. If people is noticing, it's because it's true.
I've managed to make the enchantment on my arrows last a little bit longer, though is not enough for a large encounter, is still usefull for certain situations. I must train harder, improve further.E._
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_Today was the day. I was outside in the rawlins, taken on some hobgoblins to make some money. It all was going fine, my arrows flew here and there, hitting the target, making killing piercings on their bodies.
I must have killed a couple of dozens before it appeared.
I don't know from when, but a hobgoblin with an extremly mean face came towards me chanting. I shot my arrows, but his skin was so tough I would not even scratch it. I tried to run away, but something was holding my feet…the hobgoblin had conjured some plants to entangle my feet while I was distracted shooting.
Runing was not possible, and my arrows could not even pierce his skin. The hobgoblin laughed and cursed me in his language, and told me in common that I would die for killing his brothers. I left out a gasp. I was traped and nothing I could do to hurt the damned thing.Suddenly a glint of hope crossed my mind. I took two arrows from my quiver and put both by the bow string, I pulled the string, tensing it as much as I could, aiming for the hobgoblin's forehead.
He started laughing, telling me in a horrible common how hopeless it was to keep shooting and I suddenly felt it. Blue sparks came from the hand holding the arrows and the sparks floated towards the arrows, turning into dust and falling all over the arrows.
The tip of the arrows glowed blue, and a smile crossed my face before releasing the two arrows. The hobgoblin had no time to react, and before he could realize he had the two arrows pierced in his forehead. He touched the wound, it was bleeding...I could see the surprise and fear in his expression.
The magic inside me enhanced the arrows, making them able to pierce through his tough skin...but how could he expect that?A big step in my path, my life.
E._
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_Time to write down about some progress. I've been practicing to enchant my arrows with my magic, but so far I've managed not much. I enchanted a few, yes, but the enchantment would not last more than 10 seconds. I must be missing something that will help me make the enchantment last some more…hopefully so long that I have time to use them. I know I can do it, I'm just one feet away from it.
Today Vander and I were able to recruit two scorts to reach the deep parts of the gnoll woods to gather some Oak. Aelthas and a nice human lady that was an excellent healer. We pushed without trouble into the woods, and they both showed an excellent skill in fighting and keeping us alive respectivly.
The reason I'm writting about this, is because on the way back I was as close to death as I've ever been. It was painfull, the Gnolls seemed to like my smell or something because they'd run for me and trip me down. It was a real pain, and I was sure I would die there...had it not been for that nice woman, I'd be dead by now. We made our way out and were scorted to peltarch, where Vander and I split the oak equally, and I managed to this fine Oak shield i carry.
I also met again Chae, who seems to be working in the Peltarch library. I asked her for help looking for information about the Arcane Archers and she invited me to visit her during working hours, and she will direct me to the right books. I'm not sure how will I reach my goal, be it being teached or finding information in books, or simply learning on my own. What I'm sure though, is that this is my path, and I'll give out everything I have to succesfuly complete it.
E._
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_Today I could go with Master Z to some crafting trip. We went to the hobgoblins, we were lucky to find some oak tree there. He said I'm getting really experienced, and that he has no doubts I'll become a good member soon.
Apart from that, today I went into some crazy adventure with a gnome called Rubo. He was a bit strange, but seems that Val knew him, so there was no reason not to trust him. We helped him defeat some cyristic thieves that were in a cave and we took their belongings to split amongst us. There was nothing I could really use, except the many magical imbued arrows. They look great and usefull, and gives me a chance to study about enchanted arrows. A little step in my path.
E._
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_I found a new kind of wood to train my harvesting skills with. The Oak tree…it took me some time to figure out the best way to angle the hatchets to cut it propertly. I've not mastered, not even by far, the tactic, but it seems I'm doing ok. With the wood I collected from the Oak tree, I was able to craft a fine bow made of Oak. This one will now substitute my old Maple bow, this is lighter and is as good as the other at aiming. I'm happy with the result and the way I'm advancing in my wooodworking. Makes me feel closer to my path, since the bows I wield, are just crafted by my owns hand, by me.
About her...I have not gathered any new information. I'm not too certain that she's still around these lands. What if she isn't? Would that mean I will never become an arcane archer? that i will not fullfill my will, my path?
No, it can't be like that. I'll make it, with her help or without it.
E._
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_Today I finally decided to give a try with the Ash boards Master Z gave me. It's a very very nice wood, and really difficult to work with. I managed to do some long staffs from it to begin with, I even did one that could be considered a master piece. It's pretty.
I tried to shape the staves into bows, and that was were the thing got most complicated. It's a tough wood, and I had to press the bowyer knife with strengh to shape it, but if I pressed too hard, I'd eventually break it. That's what happened to the first four staves. The fith didn't break however, I managed to controll the strengh of the hand that wielded the knife for enough time for me to shape it into a decent bow.
I got rid of the Cherry bow, taking the Ash one instead with me. However I still keep the Maple one, because it seems to be more accurate, even if I can't pull the string as much as with the Ash bow.I've been asking around about -her-, but it'd seem noone has even heard of her. I might have to keep trying, and look for people that has been in these lands for longer.
E._
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_Today I was in the south Norwick gate, asking Val about the arcane archers, when suddenly someone joined the conversation. An elf, standing on the archery tower, as I'd discover later, his name is Aelfin now, before, decads back, known as Ridian. He says that I'm not the first that is trying to walk this path. One called Sûldîn Cúthalion and the other Sinu' Selira. They too tried to become what I've decided to become, and they found someone wiling to help them in this task, someone that was already skilled in the art…a true arcane archer. Sha'mai Di' malle a wood elf. Friend with Aelfin/Ridian, if I can find Sha' mai, then she could teach me. I don't know where to look for her, or how to find her...but it's something I need to try.
Aelfin was explaining me about the past of the Shesae en’i’Seldarine, about an old elven camp south of norwick that is now destroyed, and about other interessting things related to this region's history and story. Sadly, I could not let him finish with the story, because as Master Ginger asked me to do, I had to clean the crafter's hall at dawn...
I feel closer to my Path, I feel more alive.
E._
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_It's been a long day, we did a long trip into the gnoll woods with Master Z, Uljas, and aprentice Vander. It was a dangerous trip, we nearly lost Vander. That place was full of mapple trees, and we did even find some cherry and ash. Master Z gave me the cherry sawn boards he made, and some of the Ash, too.
I don't feel ready to work with the Ash wood yet. It looks….mighty. Brilliant grey wood, strong and resistant and I feel it'll need more training before I can shape it correctly.
I worked the Cherry though, and I made a decent bow out of it. Not a very good work, but I still carry it with me...I was working for hours, but I didn't feel tired, I enjoy it actually.I was remembered that there's a library in the spellweavers keep, and I went there to see if I could find something regarding my Path. The librarian was helpfull, and I found something relevant and important.
It'd seem there's some elite archers called "Arcane Archers", the book says that Arcane archers are peerless archers able to interweave their magic and ranged attacks into a deadly barrage of arrows to strike down their enemies. In short, they merge their magic in their Archery.Maybe this is my true path, that's why I am gifted, why the magic runs through my veins and I was born archer. I might find more information in the library, or maybe I will find someone that knows more about it.
E._
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_Finally! Finally! My own bow. It took me quite some effort and time, but I did it. A longbow I'll use, crafted with my own hands… I could feel myself being much excited, and I could feel my magic runing through my veins moving faster and as if excited itself. Now I can use my own bow, and my own crafted arrows as well. I tested it, and even though it doesn't improve much my aim and the string can't be pulled more than with a normal bow, I feel much more comfortable with it, makes me more confident. Birch is not the best wood out there, but is the best I can take for now, and I'm very happy with the result. It's a good bow.
I've been doing some research in the peltarch library and there's indeed ways to enchant with magic your bow and arrows. I will work on this as well, might be helpfull.
E._
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Today I had a somewhat heated conversation with a trio of right-sized folks about crosbows, bows, their mother and my parents. Seems that one of them isn't entirely sane at all. The spellcaster one for instance. The funny one with glasses duel me to archery, and I politely had to accept…and I lost. He's a really trained Marksman for what I could see, and his crosbow was made from a wood that I've never seen before, such a beautiful wood...
This only helps me want to train harder and improve in my path, my goal, to be able to win that Marksman some day.
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_As I advance with the woodworking I start to feel better with my own and with my magic. Today I found a magic weapon scroll, interesting magic. I believe If I could pull such a spell from me, I'd be able to enchant my bow and even my arrows in a way that would certainly make me improve as what I am, an archer, my life. It will be hard? Maybe, I don't know…but it's the path I've chosen and I will not give up.
E._
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_I'm finally able to craft my own hatchets! I can stop with the mining and focus with the wood. It's so much different…the ore is just..rock and rock is dead..but when I work the wood it's totally different, it feels good. It comes from a living creature and as such it earns more respect from me, I work it with different eyes and motivation.
In fact, when I work the wood making bows my magic seems to like it somehow, it's like when I'm with music, my gifted power flows faster. That's pretty curious, and I'll investigate a bit more around this.E._