The Accidental Quest

I stood at the gate just inside the West Woods, fumbling with my maps and recalling the words of M'lady Bryne as she dispatched me upon my first quest...

"There be many strange thin's happenin' in the woods..."

Standing there at the gate, well-rested and filled with confidence, swelling with pride at being a Squire of KORT, I could not imagine any creature terrible enough to detract from the beauty of the woods. It was quiet, peaceful, undisturbed... I was basking in the solitude and feeling nearly invulnerable. Suddenly another adventurer appeared very abruptly at my side, rather seriously wounded but in good humor. KEF Hammer muttered a single "Ouch" before bowing and introducing himself. I curtsied and returned the greeting, then asked if he required healing, but he healed himself even as I spoke. He looked at me with concern and asked what I was doing alone in the woods, then offered to escort me wherever I needed to go. I explained to him that I was on a quest for my Knight and that I had been instructed to go alone. He looked at me with even greater concern and so I tried to appear as self-assured as possible. We exhanged more discussion regarding my quest and he wished me well and assured me he would keep me in his prayers as I went on my way.

It was unknown to me at the time, but I had misunderstood M'lady's directions to search the southern regions of the woods and I set out immediately for the Northwest. Once there, I followed the path, making notes on my maps, and enjoying the beauty of the woods. When I came upon a secret door leading west, I was quite excited, believing I must have found the entrance to a lair of one the evil and unusual creatures M'lady spoke of. I cast my prep spells and held my long sword out before me, trembling with anticipation. "For the Good of the Realms!" I shouted as I burst through the door. I found myself in a tiny room, an empty antechamber. But before I could register any disappointment, I saw another door at the opposite side of the room. Knowingly, I stepped forward, sword still in hand, ready to do battle. Just in case the terrible creatures lurking on the other side of the door had not heard my first pronouncement, I decided I had best shout it again. "For the Good of the Realms!" I cried and threw open the second door. This time I found myself in a larger room... still empty... but larger.

I refused to be fooled by appearances. "If M'lady says there is danger here, there is danger." I crossed the room with my sword in hand and cautiously approached a third door leading to the north. As I stood at the door, I believed the aura of evil that emanated from beyond was nearly tangible. I refreshed my prep spells... just in case my overzealous door-opening had affected them. I raised my sword... I gave my shout... "For the Good of the Realms!" I burst through the door and came upon... a deserted path. "Okay, okay," I mumbled to myself. I was beginning to see a new logic to travelling alone... it allows you to be less embarrassed when you look silly.

The path led in two directions. I decided to explore the longer end first. I followed it around a bend where I encountered another door. A little less eagerly this time, I drew my sword and made my pronouncement, "For the Good of the Realms!" My cry sounded a bit limp I think, but it didn't matter since there was no one on the other side of the door to hear it. I sighed, wondering what had happened to my natural ability to trigger a battle anywhere and anytime. "Sir Eagle would never believe I have travelled this many steps without a battle," I thought. I made note of another safe rest area on my map and proceeded to a door at the south of the room.

"For the Good of the (yawn) Realms!" I cried, and proceeded through the door. A narrow passageway led south to yet another door facing west. I approached the door, stretching my arms and rotating my shoulders. My long sword was becoming a little heavy. I considered sending a message to KEF Hammer asking what beasts had so injured him when I met him at the gate... and where had he found them. "No help," I reminded myself aloud... and since I was already talking out loud to myself, I gave my announcement again, "For the Good of the Realms!" as I progressed through the door.

At last! A battle! I was surrounded by the leathery bodies and beating wings of wyverns... STRONG wyverns, I amended in my mind, recovering a bit of my dignity... and Yeti too, by golly... I defeated them quickly and approached the next door with a renewed self-confidence. I decided I should celebrate my victory by moving on to a new battle cry. After a few moments of deliberation, "KORT!!" was selected. This new proclamation served me well as I passed through the door facing north into another empty and silent chamber.

I glanced to the west. Another door. "Truly I have become proficient at opening doors today," I thought. "If ever KORT is in need of a doorman, I am the woman for the job." Recognizing the note of weariness in my remarks, a knightly voice spoke up from within me... "Stay alert! This is a learning experience! Glean what knowledge you may!" And I quickly responded... "Oh, hush up."

Realizing that I had now passed beyond talking to myself... into the shadowy realm of answering myself, I began to giggle. I approached the last door, still giggling, and sheathed my sword. Terribly amused by my own humor I knocked on the door and called out "Yoo hoo! Anybody home?" as I flung it open. And so, of course, I was immediately surrounded by Fire Giants, Fire Giant Mages, and Hell Hounds. I was unprepped, unarmed, and unaccountably giggling. The Giants were not amused.

I have decided that it is extremely difficult to appear "knightly" while slamming into the gate with your mouth hanging open. And it's especially embarrassing when you have witnesses.

"M'lady? Are you all right?" KEF Hammer was standing near the gate, perhaps waiting on a companion. He had mentioned at our earlier meeting that he was instructing a page. I healed and nodded, explaining that I had just located the Fire Giant Mages. He must have known a little of KORT and its practices for he said, somewhat puzzled, "M'lady, this is not the way to the Southeast Woods." Of course, I had begun to wonder if I was in the wrong place even before I encountered these words. But it seemed irrelevant now, because I had been bested by the Mages and I could not leave without showing them what a tough doorman they were dealing with. So I responded with confidence, as if I knew exactly what I was doing..." I am instructed to explore this area first and locate certain battles... I have found the Fire Giant Mages." He nodded, knowingly. Embarrassed, I quickly wished him well and started off again but he called after me, asking me where I was going now. I told him that I was returning to the Fire Giants to try them again. He offered to go with me and assist. I told him again that I was required to complete my quest alone, but asked for any advice he might have for me. He walked alongside me, offering suggestions on useful spells and reminding me that I should prep before entering.

He shadowed me as I proceeded back to the evil and dreaded Series of Doors. We talked along the way and he was good company. Of course, my triggering skills had returned to me and so he entered to fight by my side in several minor battles along the way. When we reached the door before the Giants, he suggested that I might want to watch him fight them once to learn how it could be done. I was still clinging to the hope that this battle was one of the "strange happenings" I was dispatched to deal with alone. M'lady Bryne was not available at the moment for me to ask, so I made a decision.

"Since my lady is not here for me to ask, please come with me... I will tell her that you helped me when next I see her and I'll return to fight them alone if necessary."

We prepped and entered the fight together. I was fortunate to have him there because my stinking cloud spells fell a bit short of where I intended and I soon found myself in need of assistance. When we had managed to hold almost all of them, he instructed me to begin killing them quickly. We finished them off, each of us taking heavy damage from one that was fire shielded before we were able to kill it. As we were resting and chatting, I was quietly thinking that I was still not pleased with my performance in this battle and I wanted to try it again. I inquired, as if it were only a curiosity, whether the Giants would return if I re-entered the room. He told me that I would have to leave the area entirely before they would reappear and I thanked him for the information. We wished each other well again and I went on my way, intending to explore awhile before returning.

I travelled down the shorter end of the path I had found earlier and discovered... a door! Not one to learn a lesson easily, I walked through the door without prepping and found myself faced with driders and Remoraz...er... Remorazes... er... Remorhaz? Remorhazes? Well, anyway, driders. Fortunately a cloud kill served me well and I was able to take out all the driders rather quickly. Unfortunately I was then promptly swallowed by a Remorhaz.

Of course, KEF Hammer was standing by the gate to witness my return. He was puzzled to find me still in this area and I admitted that I intended to return to the Fire Giants. He looked me over carefully as if trying to decide whether I was crazy or just stubborn. So I quickly said, "Aye, I'm stubborn, Sir." Best to make that choice myself, I figured. And so, being the chivalrous type that he was, he shadowed me to the Evil Series of Doors once again. I prepped quickly and entered the battle alone. It must have been very frustrating for this KEF warrior to wait outside while a lady fought alone. He shouted into the room to reassure me that he was available if I needed him, and then he finally entered the fight but stood away in a corner to observe, respecting my wishes... and perhaps pitying me for my obsession with this battle. When I finished the battle, he made me very proud by saying "I need not have worried! You had it under control all along!" I was very pleased to be rewarded with a magical flail at the end of the battle, so I had an appropriate gift for my new friend. I am hoping that it turned out to be a worthy weapon for him.

When we left the home of the Fire Giants, KEF Hammer accompanied me to the battle of the Driders and Unspellable beings and observed politely from outside while I had my revenge. We talked about the two areas of the Northwest Woods that I had not yet explored and he confirmed my guess about the way to reach them. I believe he would have liked to come along but he was called away to instruct one of his pages, whom I met briefly as well.

I passed through areas of the West, East, and Northeast Woods briefly in order to follow paths to the areas of the Northwest which still needed exploring. I found a couple more interesting and high experience battles, including one with mammoths which Lady Bryne had told me to expect to see on my quest. And so I was just beginning to think that I might be in the right area after all, when M'lady herself sent a greeting to me from an unknown location. I inquired about the area I was supposed to be searching and she replied apologetically, "I was afraid of that." She had already sent me a missive, clarifying my instructions, but I had not been out of the woods long enough to receive it. We had a pleasant chat and I relayed to her some of the things I had learned for which she congratulated me.

I stood at the gate leading back to the West Woods and looked around me, filled with pride. Looking over my map, I could see that I had stood upon every square in the Northwest Woods. Since I was completely alone in this area, it did not seem TOO ridiculous of me to call out, "I, Joraina Darron, Squire to Lady Bryne of KORT, have now conquered the Northwest Woods!" But I giggled after I said it anyway. After a few moments of quiet thanks to Tyr and solemn reflection upon all the things I had learned, I took a deep breath and resumed talking aloud to myself.

"Okay, enough of this... I had better get started on my quest."

Jo Darron KORT !!!
Squire to Lady Bryne Protected by Sir Vinman...
... and occasionally by kind strangers
Conqueror of the Northwest Woods