The path of an Archer
-
_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._
-
_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._
-
_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._
-
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.
-
_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._
-
_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._
-
_I met master Ginger. She brought us to so many places to find some pine…and it was so hard to find...it took us three days to find some pine, by the crazy animals near the destroyed town. It's a good place to go for pine.
I'm already an expert cuting down pine, and I've been told it's time to move to birch trees. Those are quite rare, but I hope i'll be lucky enough to find them. I enjoy all this thing about making your own arrows and bow. It makes me feel closer to my archer path.About my gift, there's little new to say. I've mastered the few spells I can cast. I can cast them at any time, by just whistling a tune. So far I can only do some small healing and some light, but maybe soon I can pull out something that helps my archery.
E._
-
_Many pine. I got the chance to work lot of pine today. It was certainly a really good trip to the spider woods. Val and a warrior called Targohr were with me, and we fought our way into the deepest part of the woods. I can cut pine already with good skill, might be trying the birch wood if I find a place to find them. I've adquired such skill in fletching that I dont need to buy more arrows from shops, all I need is a bit of wood and I can make hundreds of arrows spending a couple hours on it.
About my force, I'm safe to call it gift now. I asked Val to perform a song for me, and it helped me to pull out a light spell as I was whistling along. So far, I can cast some small healing spells, and that light spell…but who knows what else will I be able to cast with time.
E._
-
_ah, today was an interesting day. I have not improved my woodworking. Went to the woods to look for pine, but couldnt find any.
However, I went also to another part of the rawlins with another adventurer. He's a halforc, and he doesnt look too smart, but he looked like a good guy..so I went with him. We fought many goblins and we were doing fine. I must admit my archery skill has improved considerably. At one point, we got surrounded by mace weilder goblins, and he was beaten down unconscious, not dead though. I managed to take down the rest of goblins with my bow before they killed him. I quickly approached him and he was bleeding out, I'm no doctor, and I've never even bandaged propertly a wound.
Suddenly without even noticing, I begun to whistle to overcome my nerves, and from my hands came a soft blue light, and the halfer's wounds started to heal. Soon after he recovered consciousness, we ran out of the place. I even felt reliefed when the magic came out of me. Now, as tindra suggested, I'll meditate…and also practice, to see what else I can pull out of this...E._
-
_Everyday it seems to go smoother with the woodworking. Today I met two new person. Uljas, an odd barbarian, and his wife, Belia, who is a member of the Union. We headed to the spider woods, deep, to find some PINE for us to work with. On the way back Belia was so nice to let me use the norwicks hall under her supervision, and she instructed me how to clean after using the rak and saw. She says it's something important if I want to become a member.
About my so called "force". I've found out some things. I spoke to Chea, a friendly sorceress, and she told me that probably my gift it's the same as a skalds'. Chea also pointed out that such gift could help me with my archery, I have songs that enchant my abilities, or even my arrows or bow itself, better coordination and stronger pull… That would be nice to achieve in order to improve my archery, my path._
-
_I've stoped working on deadwood. It feels as if I couldn't learn anything else from that, and I've decided to move on pine wood. Thanks to Vander I know now where to get it from. I've spent quite a number of hours with the crafting, but I'm enjoying it. I'll soon start to work the arrow heads…though that requires mining, and I know nothing about that.
Today I met someone that might be really helpfull in regards of my "force". Yes...her name is Val, and she's the skal of an Uthgar- Torm clan. She offered to bless me and two others that were going to hobgob hunting. She started chanting, and I couldn't but whistle myself at her rythm. When I wanted to realize it, my hands were glowing a bit, and I got a bit scared, and so the light faded away quickly. I'm not sure what was that, but Skald Val told me it was a light spell, and that practicing my music will make me learn._
-
_I've met more crafters. Aprentice Vander and master(?) Devlin. Vander was really nice and helpfull, he showed me where to find some deadwood sources and pine, for when I'm done with deadwood. The spider forest was an interesting place to be, full of spiders, as the name indicates, but still a wood and as such feels like home at some points.
Devlin is a bit more serious and harsh, yet he was not unpleasant, just…dry. He leaded the expedition very well and there was no risks taken at any point.On another note, I did as Tindra told me. Meditating...It's hard to do, but it was not pointless.
I was meditating and I felt like whistling a tune while I did so...to my surprise, soon after starting the tune, the "force" inside me moved faster, increased, what does that mean? I have no idea, but It feels I'm closer to find out._
-
_Important step in my search. I met a sorceress called Tindra and I asked her for help. Of course, she can't tell for sure what's it, but she told me she believes it's something similar as what happened to her, when she discovered she could cast spells. However that kind of sounds ridiculous to me…I'm an archer, I'ver been always like that, didnt ever even use any other weapon that wasn't a bow. There was no mages in my family either that I know off. Tindra adviced me to meditate about it, were she right, she could help me further, and if she's not, well...still might help to meditate and think about it.
I've been practicing my wood cutting a lot today. Chop chop chop chop, chop chop chop, seems always the same movements, i'm catching the rythm to it, at least with this deadwood, I've been told it'll be toughter later on. For now, I'm able to work out my own arrows, and that's a true pleasure.
E._
-
_I've met a man called Z. He's a master of the Crafter's Union, and I've decided to improve my fletching with them. I've always made my own arrows, but they have never looked too good. I'm sure I'll learn things from them at the time I make new friends. Today I was out with a small group hunting hobgoblins, everyone aplauded by good aim with the bow. I haven't lost my touch, and actually I'd say I keep improving, and that's good and makes me happy.
Anyways, I'm wiling to learn to craft better arrows than the usual ones I craft.About the feeling inside of me…I've no clue so far. I found a priest, and he told me only that It wasn't a disease or a curse. That's good. But I still feel how it wants to come out sometime. Also, when we were out hunting, one of our group was severely wounded and I could feel it stronger inside me, as if pushing me to go to the wounded comrade...
Strange feeling.E._
-
_I woke up in the infirmary of the town. Seems a man called Cabel had found me bleeding and carried me there. I owe him my life, because it would have been matter of time that I bleed out or some creature found me lying there.
It seems im in Norwick, a small town in the region of Narfell. This town has many problems, drows, fallen elven gods, bugbears, undeads, and probably other things i've yet to discover…so far I'll try to stay away from big threats and focus in my search. I need to know what's that thing I feel inside me, it doesn't look like going to hurt me, but it sometimes wants out, and I sometimes can feel it runing through my veins... as the shaman of the tribe told me, I should look for a mage, for they are known for having a vast knowledge on things.E._
-
I woke up at dawn, and I was ready to go. I took my bow from the shoulder and got on my way. At first I managed to go past the undeads, but promptly some strange shadows attacked me out of nowhere. They were on me, I had only one arrow, it was hopeless, I couldn't but run. I managed to move away from them, but I was already severely wounded. I needed to find quickly a spot to hide and make them lose my track. They didnt move slow like the zombies I had seen previosly, they were fast, and I was wounded. I spoted a small thick tree area and I knew it was my only chance. I literaly jumped into it, hoping to be able to conceal my presence with the trees and bushes. It worked, after some time they gave up the chase. I was bleeding too hard, and I could barely move my left leg, but I had to keep going. Quietly, dragging my leg, I walked out of my hiding spot and moved away. I saw at the distance a gate and a wall, and for a moment I stoped paying attention at my surroundings, a big error that allowed one of the shadow things to spot me. I turned away when I heard it runing away, it was going to call the others, and being in the open, i'd be easy prey. Suddenly this words crossed my mind "One arrow, one shot, one kill". Missing meant death. I took my last arrow, aim carefully and shot. From the firing of the bow my wounds opened even more, and my vision became fuzzy, and just before I collapsed, I could see the shadow falling to it's knees. One arrow, one kill.
-
I've walked out of the forests, but there's not what I expected, there's no town, but some ruins…mayhaps there was a town here before...but so far i've only seen ruins, and some strange looking pigs. I found a hiding spot, it looks like the remains of an old house. I had to bring down some kind of weak shadow, one arrow left....hopefully I will not be found here, and will stay for the night without troubles. I've seen indicators of people walking this path not too long ago, so I believe the nearest town or village can't be too far away. I'll try tomorrow in the morning...It'll be hard. One arrow left....many undead out there. Can hear they creepy walking and noises...I hope I survive this night. One damn arrow left...
-
_A sudden noise woke me up a while before the dawn. I quickly reached for my quiver and slide an arrow to my bow, it was quite dark, but my elven eyes could discern something moving in the shadows…it stops for a moment, and I set free the first arrow, a loud cry, and I shot another arrow. Now silence...for a few seconds. I soon started to hear footsteps approaching, and sounds, probably goblin talk. I killed one of their scouts, and they probably heard it and were after me. With only 3 arrows left I knew I couldn't stay for a fight, and I started runing, hoping that my elven vision was better than theirs, hopefully making them lose track of me.
It worked, soon I stoped hearing the goblins move and talk, they are not great ambushers...
I'm safe for now, dawn has just come and I'm probably only half a day walking from the exit of the forest, but I must walk now more quietly, because the goblins might be still looking for me, and I only have three arrows left...I'll walk at half the usual speed, and stay one more night in this forestE._