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Dein had left and come back, just now realizing that he knows nothing about the Wrinkle. "Its alright. I know the general layout of where everything is here." Nihere then slowly began explaining generally where things were, being sure that Dein at least mostly understood what he was told. He told Dein about the Inn first, and then the well he came up from. He worked his way outwards from there.

After a short time, a nurse came in. She asked if Nihere knew a mage named Peter. Nihere thought a moment. "...I might have met him once, but i dont recall them. Tell them sorry, but no. And," Nihere said, as the nurse turned to leave. "I think it would be okay to tell the public one of them is awake now." Nihere returned to his explanation of the Wrinkle as the nurse left.

Ruth noticed the large man running through the crowd and thought this to be a little odd, especially since the man appeared to be rather frantic. He was directed back to the inn by the guards, and this made Ruth wonder if he was one of the new Branded. Perhaps one of them had woken up and had decided to try to leave the inn. Apparently the man that Ruth had been speaking to thought that the bulky man was one of the newcomers too. Perhaps Ruth would get her chance to talk to the newcomers sooner than she thought.

Just as Ruth began to consider asking the nurse about the condition of the people recovering in the inn, an almost skeletal-looking person approached the nurse. From their conversation Ruth was able to find out that the newcomers weren't ready to see visitors yet. While she wanted to question the newcomers, she thought it best to wait until they had recovered and begun to adjust to life here. She wouldn't have been able to see the newcomers anyway as she did not know someone named 'Nihere'.

Ruth gave a short wave as the man with the axes left. She wondered about what she should do while she waited. She thought that she could go visit the magic school and speak to some of the mages inside. Perhaps they could think up some theory about the unusual arrival of four new Branded. It would help pass the time before the newcomers had gathered up enough of their strength to be able to leave the inn.

As far as Ruth knew, this event was unique. So she thought that it would the give the mages a lot to talk about. Ruth certainly found it fascinating, especially since she had been trying to figure out the secrets of the Conglomerate, the well and how people, including herself, just seemed to appear in the well with memories of another life. This event gave Ruth something new to research, perhaps it would help unlock some secrets of this world.

Ruth walked over to the mage's school, passing by a group of magicians working on a phial of some sort of strange liquid. She said "Good evening" to them as she passed. She was just about to knock on the door of the building when she saw a friend of hers: an aspiring mage, named William, who specialised in fire magic. She had met him on her first visit to the mages school. She remembered how during that first visit one of Will's spells had gone awry and left a scorch mark on the floor. Ruth was the first one to speak.

"Will, have you heard about the new Branded?" she asked.

"Yeah" he replied, "Four of them at once, it certainly is unusual."

"I wonder why they all appeared at the same time... perhaps something has happened to cause this" she speculated.

"Seventy, huh?" Anders considered the gold he had. He wasn't currently saving it for anything, and he did favor the craftsmanship of the pants. After considering it for a short while, Anders agreed to the price. He handed the money to the tailor in exchange for the pants. He changed into the new clothes he'd purchased, and, having nothing else to do at the moment, walked around the market while waiting for some news on the Branded to come out.

The nurse nods in agreement. "Now would be a good time. He seems to have calmed down enough, and the others are in stable condition. I'll fetch the crier."

"And, Dein... stay here, at least just for the night. Usually, people are weak when they awaken, and need bedrest. I'm surprised you could walk like that at all." Dein's only response is a twitch of his head in the nurse's direction; his face is motionless but focused, as if trying to absorb Nihere's exposition. His eyes occasionally glance out the window, at the well in the town's center.

She walks back down the stairs, betraying the age of each step with their squeaks and groans, and out onto the street. She stops briefly to relay Nihere's response to the skeletal man before setting off towards the mayor's manor.

---

Peter searches for the ritual shop for some time, but all the while feels as though something is missing. After a while, you realize why: you've never actually seen a ritual shop here. Perhaps you've frequented such shops in the past, and you are confusing your memories with the current reality?

Either way, sunset's amber glow has begun to fill the sky, and shops are starting to close. If such a shop does exist in this city, it'd be closed by the time you find it.

---

The commotion of the town center is broken by a bugle's cry; its holder, the Crier, is in full crimson garb and holding a short piece of parchment, preparing for an announcement.

"Attention, citizens! Greetings! All eyes on me, please... attention!" His beckoning continues until all eyes are on him--it does not take long.

"Thank you, everyone," he declares in his deep, reverbrating voice, "for waiting patiently. For those who do not know, four Branded have appeared in the well this morning, an entirely unique occurrence. We are pleased to report that all four of these Branded have been stabilized and are expected to make a recovery. One has awakened and is quickly recovering his strength."

The crowd quickly erupts into murmurs and curious chatter, but the crier ceases it with a few quick toots of the bugle. "Settle down, settle down..."

"As is standard, we ask that no-one disturb the awakened Branded while they recover. As usual, the Inn is off-limits to those who do not have an authorized medical permit or permission from an owner of such a permit. Newly-awakened Branded can be dangerous in their confusion, so for your own sake, do not enter the Inn."

"In other regards"--the crowd begins to roar again, with the Crier's horn barely bringing back a calm--"In other regards! Silence, silence... The barracks are running low on weapons and wands, so if any brave souls are willing to venture into the Conglomerate to accompany soldiers in an expedition to retrieve more, the Mayor will pay you handsomely... please speak to the Captain of the Guard, Clarence, tomorrow if you wish to know more."

With one final bugle-toot, the crier announces "That is all!" and rolls the parchment up in one deft movement. The crowd gathered in the town square bursts into a loud rumble again.

Peter isn't entirely sure where the Captain of the Guard is, so he runs over to the barracks. Unfortunately, for one reason or another, the door is locked.

You recall that the crier said to check with him tomorrow. It'll probably be open then.

Anders heard the horn in the distance, and figured it was relating to official news regarding the Branded. He reached the center of town to hear a crier give a brief statement, announcing that the Branded would all recover. He then went on to say that there was a need for people to adventure into the Conglomerate due to a lack of weaponry, and that there would be payment for their services.

"A trip to the Conglomerate and money? What's not to like?" He murmured. Anders would make his way to the barracks tomorrow to talk to Clarence about going.

The sun was setting and the shops were closing, leading Anders to return home. He lit a lamp upon entering and retrieved a whetstone from a crate of supplies for taking care of his weapons. He dipped the stone in a bucket of water and began sharpening Marshall. "Wonder why they need weapons. You'd think if it was just weapons they needed they'd buy them from the citizens. Maybe it's men that they need." He thought. When he was satisfied with the edge of his axes, he put a coat of oil on the heads with a cloth to prevent rusting.

Anders knew it may be a long time before he returned home, if he he came back at all, and packed a few things for the journey. First, old manuscripts from his master. Anders studied them often, and didn't hope that the trip would impede that. He packed a small book that had mostly pages on axes, and a few on the longsword. Anders had a sort of soft spot for the longsword, as it was his introductory weapon into martial arts, and hoped to one day become more adept at using it. Next, he packed what money he had in the case he'd need it. Lastly, a small bottle of oil to keep his axes clean.

Nearly ready for tomorrow, Anders laid his leather armor next to his front door, along with his hip pouch he'd packed, and laid down on his bed, thinking about the conversation he'd be having with the Captain tomorrow.

Nihere was getting a bit tired. After he finished his explanation of the town to Dein, it was very close to sunset. "Really, think about it, Dein." Nihere told him one last time. "Get some rest, and talk to the others once they recover."

"Alright. Thank you for talking with me." Dein responded.

Nihere smiled and nodded. He ran into a nurse on his way out, who stopped him. "The town crier told everyone about the Branded, and i think you might want to know- the captain of the guards is looking for volunteers to journey to the Conglomerate to get more supplies, weapons, et cetera."

"Thanks." Nihere said. "Dont tell the branded, though. They need time to adjust."

"Of course."

With that, Nihere left the hospital and made his way home. He had planned on stopping by the barracks tomorrow. He hadn't been to the Conglomerate yet, and he felt like putting his battle skills to the test. He also wanted to explore the Conglomerate, like most other Branded, so this opportunity was the perfect time.

Anders sharpens his axes; Marshall looks so sharp that it'd cut a hair if one fell on it. It'll dull eventually, but for now it'll be a little more effective than before.

---

Peter tries studying the spellbook, but it's hopelessly complex. Flipping through the spellbook, you notice the entire book is dedicated solely to this spell! Whoever wrote this was either incompetent or trying to rip someone off; there's probably a better way to cast this... you could try learning from the book, but it'd take a lot longer than one night to learn it using this method.

You read what you can before setting the book aside and going to sleep.

---

"Of course."

Nihere left, but the nurse still had duties to attend to. Namely, watching the Branded.

The nurse ducks into one of the empty bedrooms to grab a stool, before returning to the bedroom that the Branded were sleeping in. Dein was lying in the bed with his eyes closed--presumably sleeping--but the others had not yet moved. Two of the figures in the beds were hidden by the covers, but one had a few tufts of black hair jutting out from beneath the bedding.

Even the simple wooden stool managed to feel comfortable; the setting sun and the ambient warmth in the room wrapped around her like a blanked. Before long, the nurse had nodded off...

...but not before her eyes--blinded by her slipping consciousness--saw the black-haired Branded twitch.

It was with grogginess that Kahente slowly awoke, staring in confusion at the dimness of her surroundings. She was generally a heavy sleeper yet an early and efficient riser, but she felt that this situation was different. First of all, it should not have been so dark. The sun should have already poked through the trees - that should have been her rooster. There was no rooster, however; there was only the slow emergence from a heavy, necessary slumber.

Kahente then forced herself to move more quickly. She fought against the exhaustion, overcoming a strange ache in her limbs and forcing herself to push outwards. A strange substance like a large, furred, leaf covered her from toes to neck; she threw it off. She was beginning to enter a panic: without light she could not see what surrounded her. In this state of mind she could not remember where she had gone to sleep the night before. She urged herself towards better sentience.

Still lying on this soft - mossy? - ground, Kahente realized with a start that she was looking at a starless sky. It occurred to her that there might instead be a rock or canopy above her, but something seemed off about both of these ideas. Then she thought she knew where she might be. Then she knew she did not.

The sun was setting, filling the sky with the last few rays of golden light, and Ruth was beginning to consider heading home. But she decided to stay a little longer when the voice of the town crier reached her ears. The first thing that he described was the condition of the four new Branded. As the crowd began to murmur and chat about this new information, Ruth turned to Will and spoke.

"They're recovering huh?" she said quietly, "that's good to hear."

"Yeah, it is" Will replied, "I wonder how long it will be until they are ready to leave the inn"

Once the crowd had quietened down, Ruth heard the next part of the announcement. They were told to leave the newcomers alone, that they might be confused. Ruth remembered how confusing this place was when she first awoke in the well. She thought that it would be good to give them some time, in which they can process their new surroundings. The chatter started again and required the crier to use the bugle to stop the talking. The final announcement was in regards to a new expedition to the Conglomerate.

"Are you thinking of going on the expedition?" Ruth asked her friend.

"Me?" Will responded, "Not really, I have more magic training to do. What about you?"

"I think I will go" Ruth said, "I might find out something new there that could help my research"

With that Ruth said goodbye to William and the two went their seperate ways. As she walked home she thought over the events surrounding the four newcomers. But her mind soon wandered to the upcoming expedition. They were going to find supplies and weapons, but perhaps Ruth could find something there that could help her research.

Once Ruth made it home she hung her coat on the back of a chair and ate dinner. She then began to plan what she would need to bring for a journey to the Conglomerate. She would bring her staff and her coat, along with her circlet and pendant. She thought that it would be a good idea to bring some healing potions, so she would try to buy some before going to see the Captain of the Guard. Having done all the planning she could tonight, Ruth read for a while. She was about halfway through a nice novel written by one of the residents of the town. After that she extinguished the light by her bed and went to sleep.

Kahente throws the cover off of her. It makes a subtle sound as it touches a wall opposite of you, brushing against the unseen nurse's leg in the process.

The nurse, naturally, wakes up with a startled jolt. "I'm awake! I'm awake! Aw, sheet--wait, no, that's a blanket--I didn't know someone had awoken--sorry, let me get a light going, can't see a thing, too dark..."

Her babbling ceases--surprisingly, you could understand it perfectly well--and, judging from the sounds of shuffling and the scraping of wood on wood, she's moving quite furiously.

"Damnation--let me just grab a candle..."

She stamps off in a hurry, and you hear an odd creaking sound as her footsteps fade away. Moments later, they grow in strength again and you see a tiny flame a few meters away from you. The flame is attached to a shiny white object and illuminates the source of the noises--the tiny, three-foot-tall nurse.

"Sorry, I was never a good hand at magic, not even light spells. Are you alright? I assure you, you're safe here."

She studies your face for a moment, before realizing your uncertainty. "Oh, sorry--where are my manners? Right now, you're in the City on the Rim--we found you floating in the central well in the morning, and you've only just regained consciousness. Most people who wind up here have some memory of a life before they wound up in the Well. Do you happen to have any memories like that?"

"I don't... I don't think so," Kahente replied, responding to the question without actually responding. She was confused and cautious here; what she said was only a gut-based reaction, not a deliberated statement. She needed a moment to comprehend what was happening. Subconsciously, she put a hand to her dagger, beginning to slide the hilt out of its sheath. The dagger felt familiar in her hand even while the room was alien. The woman was the most normal thing about it, but even she could hardly be deemed normal. Suddenly, Kahente felt faint. She put a hand to the bed to steady herself, found herself shocked again by its texture, and then decided it was safe enough to collapse into.

Still awake, she felt an odd pain in her head. Everything grew blurred and she grew incredibly tired for only a brief moment. Never did her hand leave her dagger.

"Hm. That's a shame," the nurse murmurs as she eyes Kahente warily, "I haven't seen anyone like you before. You must have had an interesting past..."

She doesn't seem to notice your hand reaching for your dagger, but she does see your efforts to steady yourself. "A-are you ill?" She takes a step forward, as if to take a closer look at you, but hesitates. "The doctor would want to see you, anyway." It sounds more like she's trying to reassure herself than you.

The nurse turns, as if to leave the room, and grips a metallic-looking curved object on the wall. "Just try to get some rest... we can teach you more about where you are in the morning." She pushes on the object, and a small section of the wall swings out, opening a hole that leads to darkness. You try to peer down the new exit as the nurse leaves, but you feel another sharp throb of pain in your head. Tiredness quickly takes over.

---

In the night, Kahente has two faint dreams.

You first see the nurse hovering over you, and an old wrinkly woman with patchy gray hair beside her. Everything is blurry, but judging from the texture of the ground beneath you, you're on some soft object like the one you fell asleep in. You try to move your hand towards your knife, but your limbs feel like stones; you can barely move your toes. The women don't make a move towards you; they just mutter nonsense and stare...

The dream devolves into a blur, and another one forms. You still can't see well, but the shapes are a little sharper. It looks like you're still in this mysterious room you woke up in. You can tell it's dark in here, but oddly you can see perfectly fine, as if the stars shone into this place. The nurse and the old woman are gone, but three new figures are here. One is giant and burly, with piercing green eyes and short brown hair that looks as if it were hewn off crudely with a blunt knife. Another is just as tall, but is much thinner, and is clad in opulent robes. The last is a short, stubby figure with strange, inhuman proportions. You can't make out just what he looks like, as his figure is garbed in black clothing and an odd mask shaped like a bird's beak.

The figures seem to be conversing, and the scene occasionally seems to "jolt" and move the figures instantly. Almost as if this were several dreams pasted together. It's hard to make out what they're saying, and what you do catch seems like nonsense.

"...you saw the white eyes, too"

"Yes, a pair... --"

"--at least ten, on a face without a mouth. You only saw the one?"

"Just the one, without a face."

"I saw at least seven faces with the eyes. Confusi --"

The scene jolts and the figures have moved slightly.

"--all it a hunch, but I would say we need to go there."

"Yes, definitely. I think that place is what the eyes told me about. The ruins."

"...My faces told me about us three. Did yours say anything, Beakface?"

"It mentioned something about a key. Here, in this city. What did the small--"

The scene jolts again. This time, the tall robed one is staring directly at you from a few feet away--a wave of panic sets in, but you can't run away.

"...fast asleep. Don't know anything about here." The figure turns away, and says "Let's leave her be."

The scene jolts once more. The wall-hole's cover is ajar, and the room is empty.

---

Kahente awakens with a start; you're still in the soft object you fell asleep in. Dawn's first rays are reaching through an odd transparent section of the wall, and the door is ajar just like in the dream. Looks like you're alone.

Nihere awoke once again and stretched his arms. In his room that he called home once again, he re-lit the candle just as he did yesterday. Today, we was a little less swift in his preparations to leave. After he put on his cloak and quiver, he took a backpack from the side of his desk and put his money with a few books in the bag. One was a fictional adventure novel, another the book about the Branded he was reading the other day, and the final book was a book on advanced offensive magics. He also pocketed his dragon figurine he got from Ana. Lastly, his longbow.

Once he was packed, he left. He made his way to the market. Despite it being early, there were a few vendors open, one of them being a weapons shop. Nihere approached. The owner, Jack, recognized the blue and orange robe immedietly and smiled. "Nihere! Its been awhile! How are things?" He held out his hand, and Nihere shook it.

"Its been good enough. I guess I can't complain. What about you?"

"Same old, same old. What can I do ya for?"

"I need a few more arrows. Fifteen, I think, should do me."

"Oh, fifteen? But I see plenty in your quiver."

"I plan on going to the Conglomerate."

"Ha! Finally. How long has it been since you got here, a year?" Jack listened, but began gathering arrows together.

"Ten months, I think. Maybe more."

"A typical Branded would've already seen the Conglomerate thrice at this point! Any reason for right now?"

"The captain of the guard is searching for supplies, figured i'd help out."

Jack laughed. "Oh, it just HAD to be that." He began wrapping the middle of the arrow shafts in a ribbon-like string.

"I'm sorry?"

"Nothing, it's just everything you do seems to be to help someone else out. Don't take me wrong, but you need to think selfishly sometime."

This time, Nihere laughed. "I suppose I don't know how. I get so much satisfaction from helping, that I forgot the pleasures of self-indulgence."

"Well, if you want to remember, tell me, and i'll show you." Jack lifted the arrow bundle onto the counter. "Alright, here you are."

"Thanks. Have a good day!" Nihere took the bundle and left money on the counter, waving as he left. Time to visit the captain, he thought.

(+15 arrows, -X Money. I am unsure of how much i would pay for 15 arrows.)

The faint light of the sun breaching the windows of Anders' house woke him. He laid there for a moment before sitting up and getting out of his bed. He sat on the edge with his face in palms, rubbing his eyes, before standing. He looked at the bag he'd packed for the night before, noticing his old linen pants laying next to it. He put them in a drawer, as he didn't find it necessary to take them on the trip. He changed out of the clothes in which he slept into what he'd be wearing for the adventure. White shirt, his new cotton pants, and his leather breastplate and pauldrons. He fixed the pouch with his belongings to his belt, then fitted his axes into the metal loops on his hips.

After he left, he made his way through the market. Few people walked the streets this early, most of them were likely just waking up or tending to their responsibilities at home. He browsed the shops and saw that one in particular sold tools of sorts. Anders approached the vendor and browsed his stock. He saw hammers, saws, hoes, and various other tools, but the vendor also sold knives. Anders wasn't searching for a new weapon, his axes in his hands were far too effective to need anything else, but a knife was a good thing to own as a utility. He spoke to the vendor. "What knives do you have in stock? One with a sheath that I could attach to this strap would be perfect." He gestured to the strap across his chest that held his left pauldron to his shoulder.

(( I put the parts that relate to my inventory in bold an attempt to help you out with my character sheet, let me know if you don't want me to continue this and I will stop. ))

Ruth was still fast asleep when dawn arrived, but the light streaming through her window would not let her stay in the land of dreams. She frowned slightly as she made a vain attempt to block the light from reaching her eyes. Gradually she began to stir, reluctantly joining the waking world. With a yawn, she stood up and resigned to the fact that the day had begun.

She spent her morning in the usual way and spent some time generally preparing for the day. But today was not an ordinary day, today was different. There would be an expedition. It was a journey into the Conglomerate for supplies. She had made some preparations already, she had gathered her circlet, amulet and made a list of things that she thought she would need. Once she was ready to leave, Ruth picked up her staff, put on her coat and left her house.

Ruth had not forgotten her plans to pick up some supplies before going on the expedition. She planned to buy some health potions, after all they could prove to be very useful in the Conglomerate. So she set off down the street, making her way to the local apothecary's shop. She opened the door and a bell inside rung to announce the arrival of a customer.

"I'll be there in a moment!" came a yell from the stockroom.

The walls of the shop were lined with glass-doored cabinets which housed a number of neatly arranged bottles containing liquids of various colours. She walked up to the counter as the shop's owner appeared from a door to the stockroom. The owner was a short, aged gentleman, with thinning hair and a neatly trimmed beard with matching moustache.

"How can I help you?" he asked.

"I would like to buy two lesser healing potions" Ruth answered.

"Lesser healing potions huh? I think I have some around here somewhere..." the owner turned to the cabinets on the wall behind the counter, "Did you hear about those newcomers who appeared in the well yesterday? Four of them appeared!" he said, making conversation as he searched for the potions.

"Yes I did, I heard that they are recovering" she replied, "I was at the town centre yesterday, it seemed like everyone was talking about them."

"It always seems like I'm the last to know..." he said, "Oh, aha! Found them!"

The owner turned back to face Ruth with a pair of vials, each containing a vivid red liquid, in his hand. The owner held one up to the sunlight gleaming through the shop's front window for a moment before placing it, along with the second one, on the counter. "Two lesser healing potions, perfect for recovering from an injury!" he said cheerily.

Peter looks for more lunar magic spellbooks, but they're all too expensive for you to afford. The one you bought the day before was on the cheap end, perhaps because nobody else could understand it.

Most people tend to use spellbooks and other instructional tomes to study individual theories, and then use those theories to create spells (or other techniques, in the case of nonmagical fields). Since there seems to be few practitioners of lunar magic, there aren't many spellbooks on lunar magical theory. You are able to find a few enchanted books--which impact magical knowledge so long as you can comprehend and memorize the book in its entirety, much like the one you have--but all of them cost over thirty gold. Maybe they weren't able to sell the book you bought, and put a huge discount on it to get it out of the store?

After your fruitless search, you return to the Barracks. Two guards are posted outside, holding spears in an odd, untrained stance. You give one your question.

He ponders your request for a bit, before a brief expression of realization appears on his face. "Ah, yah're talking about the Captain's expedition, arentch'a? He has a few duties to attend to first, but he'll be ready to see yah in a few minutes. Jes wait here 'till he's ready."

---

"Knives? Field use, right? Got just the thing for that." He reaches to a rack behind him without turning his back--looks like he knows his stock very well--and displays a small knife in an unblemished leather sheath. You draw it to take a closer look; the blade is single edged and about seven inches in length, with a straight unsharpened spine and an edge that runs straight for five inches and tapers off to a point. The sheath has a ring that could loop through your shoulder strap; it's not the most secure thing, but it'd do.

"This is eighteen silver, unless you want something simpler. I've got a rusty old thing I could get rid of for twenty copper or so, if you're looking for something cheap. No sheath for that, though, and I haven't got one that fits it."

---

"Two lesser healing potions, perfect for recovering from an injury! Twenty silver each!" The shopkeeper sets them on the counter.

"Nineteen silver, actually, 'cause I don't want anyone throwing their lives away on another one of the Captain's weapon requests. Weapons that our guards can barely hold right, at that! Heh, heh."

You spend a moment fumbling for your coins. The shopkeeper idly eyes the potions, twiddling his mustache and watching iridescent bubbles sporadically float to the top of the liquid. You're a bit surprised to see him speak up: "You know, I heard from one of my earlier customers--tall burly guy, don't know him--that three of the men from the well were missing this morning. Said only the girl was left, the one in the hide clothes. You don't know anything about that, by chance, do you?"

Ruth reached into her pockets and produced a handful of silver coins. She smiled slightly when the shop's owner gave a small discount on the potions. As she counted out the coins needed to pay for the supplies she listened to the shop keeper talk about something that he had heard earlier that day. Apparently, some of the new Branded were missing. This made her stop counting and pay more attention to what he had to say.

"Three of them are missing?" she said, surprise evident in her voice.

"That's what I heard" he replied

"Did anyone talk to the nurse?" Ruth asked

"I don't know" he said.

With that Ruth finished counting out the coins and handed them over. She picked up the two vials of red liquid. She watched the iridescent bubbles float up to the surface of the liquid for a moment before putting them away. She waved to the store's owner as she left, he smiled before disappearing back into the stockroom. She thought over what might have happened to the three newcomers. Where had they gone? What happened to them?

She could think of only two people that might know: the nurse and the only newcomer who hadn't vanished. Although she knew that she had to go see the Captain of the Guard, perhaps she could spend five minutes asking about what had happened. After all, they would probably be taking recruits for quite a while. There would be enough time for a quick visit to the inn.

She walked quickly to the town centre, hopefully she might be able to talk to someone there. While she did not want to waste too much time, this latest development in the story of the new Branded was something she wanted to know more about. Ruth walked up to the door of the inn and knocked, hopefully she would be able to ask whoever opened the door about the newcomers.

Kahente ((Acting on behalf of Commandosaurus))

Kahente awakens with a gasp; fear was still lingering in her gut from the dream. "What... who... was that?" Perhaps questioning the dream and the nonsensical discussion within could come later; the pounding headache bouncing through her head certainly didn't lend itself to inquisition. Right now, it was bright enough to see in this cave--well, it clearly wasn't a cave or a canopy now that the walls were visible. Too smooth, too angular to be natural... unless that was this place's "nature", anyway.

The fluffy, mosslike platforms were empty now. Kahente couldn't see that there were others in the room, but she sensed that there was more activity than the nurse when she had awoken in the night. She approached a hole in the wall--covered in an oddly-smooth, transparent material--and saw the business of the streets and shops below. The pit in Kahente's gut deepened; where were the forests and trees? Only the sky was the same...

Perhaps there are forests beyond these constructions? Couldn't hurt to look.

But before Kahente could leave the room and look for a way out of the structure, she found that she was no longer alone; the woman from the night before was back, and with her was a stern-looking man in odd clothing. The man seems to be supporting his weight on something in his hand, but he's deliberately holding it outside the doorway; you can't see what it is.

The woman begins to speak up: "Please, stay calm, I know this is a strange circumstance--" Her assurance is hardly comforting, "--but I need you to come with me. Stay calm, and I will explain what has happened with you shortly. Just stay calm, and follow me..."

Your hands instinctively gravitate towards your knives, but you notice the man subtly swing the object he was supporting himself on into the doorway: a short spear with a slightly-rusty metal head. You're somewhat relieved to see something familiar, but you're not happy that it's a weapon. He's not brandishing it, at the very least.

Feeling that your knives wouldn't shape up well against a weapon that long, you reluctantly hold your hands behind your back as a show of peace. You say "sure," but you're not sure what else there would be to say. You doubt they'd accept no for an answer.

You are led out the doorway, down the dusty stairs, and on to the streets...

---

Ruth

You knock on the door; almost immediately (and quite surprisingly) the nurse opens the door with a spear-wielding guard in tow. A woman, dressed in animal skins, follows closely behind them. The potion shopkeeper mentioned a woman just like that...

Seeing your expression, the nurse immediately tries to brush off your imminent questions. "Yes, she's one of the Branded from the well yesterday. We're bringing her to the Barracks, please don't ask too many questions, go to the Captain's office if you want to know more, thank you very much." They cross the plaza quickly and pass through the doors of the barracks; looks like the guards won't be letting you in for now, though.

---

Kahente

"Bear-acks?" You have a brief recollection of panic, and running through woodlands. The word dances on the tip of your mind.

The pair leads you into a second structure--this one made of rock instead of wood--and through various doorways and halls. Finally, they stop in a small room. The woman nudges you in, and closes the door behind you without warning. The room feels cramped and claustrophobic; you could sprint from one end to the other in four seconds.

"Please, take a seat and relax..."

You were so surprised by being forced in here and by this cramped space that you didn't notice you weren't alone; there's a weathered man with short, gray hair in the same strange clothing that everyone else here seems to wear. Only, there's a shining sort of metallic shirt on him that only covers his chest. He's sitting on a wooden chair behind a desk. There's also a man in elegant red clothing leaning against the far wall, wearing a circlet set with a plain white circular gemstone. There are also two other bizarre figures wearing some kind of yellow metal garb next to the red-clad man. They don't seem important.

"Go on, now, take a seat! You'll get footsore standing around like that." He gestures towards a chair much like his own, there are a few others against the walls, so he must have put it there for you. They've been expecting you. Hmm.

You do as he requests and sit down. Better than bare ground.

You've been keeping quiet this whole time, confused all the while. Your nervousness breaks out into a flurry of questions:

"What is this place? Where is this place? Where are the forests!?" The red-garbed man in the back cracks a smile; you become acutely aware that you sound ridiculous.

The man across from you, however, merely chuckles. "This is the City on the Rim: a sizeable group of people clustered together for mutual safety and prosperity. We are currently in a region known as the 'Wrinkle in the World, an area surrounded by an impenetrable wall of mountains we call 'The Rim.'" You stare at him blankly; sensing that he hasn't said enough, he continues: "The Wrinkle is composed of our City, and the 'Conglomerate' below. The Conglomerate is a strange, eldritch location that seems to be a mish-mash of buildings and constructions from past ages. And, sometimes, there's trees there."

"You, yourself, are also from a past age. Most people here are. You arrived here just yesterday morning, face-down and floating in the well."

He gestures backwards, towards the man with the circlet. "Now, Lord, would you like to continue from here?"

"Lord" nods and steps forward. "With pleasure," he exclaims as he looks towards you.

"Most people arrive here individually, floating in the well, with a scarce few finding their way here from--or being rescued in--the depths of the Conglomerate. But, they always have something they did not have before: A "Brand". A jet-black, circular mark of unknown purpose."

"Your situation, however, is unique. Every Branded person who arrives here, arrives alone: but not you. You arrived with three others: but these three Branded have an salient determination to return to their homeland, unlike anything seen before. And they have knowledge they should not have. But, you do not seem to share this, as they have left this city with an object of vital importance."

"I have a task to request of you. This will not be your task alone, should you choose to accept it. Normally, I would not want to see a new face leave the city, but you seem to have a connection to the natural world. I doubt you would be comfortable here."

Lord turns to the man at the desk again. "Clarence," he directs as they lock eyes, "now would be a good time to bring the mercenaries in."

"On it."

The man--Clarence?--rises from his chair and walks to the door in a few hasty strides. He opens the door a tad and mutters something outwards outwards--presumably towards the spear-carrier--before closing it again and returning to his chair.

"Just wait a bit, please."

---

The gates of the barracks open, and a young guard holding a rusted spear emerges. The guards at the door glance sideways at him; he gestures towards the gate, and the two guards step to the sides and pull their weapons to their bodies. The young guard pushes the gates open completely, before disappearing inside again.

Looks like the Captain of the Guard is ready to see visitors.

Nihere had just realized he needed to make one more stop before visiting the guard. He stopped in front of a medium sized stall that sold potions. "Can i help you?" Asked a young woman inside. There were few people Nihere didn't know by name, and this woman was one of them. She was roughly a head shorter than Nihere, with brown hair extending to her shoulders, and a pair of green eyes.

"I'd like two lesser healing potions, and two lesser potions of focus. And your name, if you don't mind." He responded, holding out his hand. "I'm Nihere."

The woman turned around almost immedietly. "I'm afraid i only have one of each. Many people came to buy yesterday, and I haven't had time to brew more. I hope that's alright with you." She reached for the potions he asked for and placed them on the counter. "Twenty silver each."

Nihere didn't try to her her name after that. She was completely ignoring his request, and someone like this would take more than a quick visit to get anything out of. So, he nodded at what she said, and counted out the money for her.

(-40 Silver)

Once it was paid for, Nihere took the potions and placed them carefully in his backpack. He then thanked the woman before leaving. He swiftly approached the barracks, and saw a moderate crowd gathered. The doors opened, though, before it got much bigger. Nihere shuffled in with the crowd, unsure of exactly what would happen. He simply waited until he got an indicator of some sort.