The sun would rise soon. Not that Theia would be able to tell, alone with her thoughts in the windowless prayer room at the heart of Empath Abbey. What began as a half hearted attempt at meditation had become a marathon of reflection and the contemplation of recent events. It had been weeks since Rangvald and his company of adventurers had rescued her from strange cultists. Had it not been for the Noble Paladin and his friends, Theia would surely be a captive of those twisted mages, or worse. Most of the written record of her findings while in Ocllo had been destroyed by one circumstance or another, so there was little to aid her in recalling the details. The wicks of the candles in the room had grown long, wax puddling at their bases. It had taken all night for Theia to clear her mind and achieve a state of peace, simultaneously hyper-aware of her surroundings but not thinking of anything at all. That is until the smell of rotting flesh entered her nostrils. "I did not intend to disturb you," came a deep and raspy voice. A figure leaned forward and out of the dark corner of the room. As her eyes adjusted, Theia noticed an improvised bandage had been tied tight around the thigh of the man, soaked with ichor and surely the source of the stench. "Whatever you intended it must be important to have let your wound fester so", she replied, relieved that the origin of the voice was not of the undead. Very few were capable of such skill in stealth, she noted. "I had always believed Rangers to be knowledgeable in the art of healing." "Aye, but I thought it best to deliver word to the Abbey without delay: the Orcs rally to the south. Their machinations reach even the Deep Forest and their numbers are legion. I had been tracking the movement of a strange man who walked with confidence toward their activity, when I was detected and forced to flee." The Ranger stepped forward out of the deep shadow at the edge of the room. "Do not underestimate their scouts" he said as he held out his hand, holding a rune and motioning for Theia to take it. Theia studied the markings on the stone that had been handed to her. "I am unable to u--" The Ranger had vanished. She would have to get the rune to Rangvald. ----- The adventures of the Naturalists shall continue this Friday at 7pm PST / 10pm EST. We will be gathering at The Drunken Stag, next to the Cove moongate.
