It’s late in the afternoon when Rhi’Slo Carwen returns to the village of Vriska from her hunting trip. Footsteps heavy the gravel crunches as she walks the final steps towards her home breathing heavily and her blonde hair sticking to her face from sweat. It’s a modest, painted gentle blue house with an outdoor garden for spices and medicinal herbs located on the outskirts of the village surrounded by trees and foliage. As she trudges past the garden fencing she smells the distinct bitter sour aroma of her husband brewing one of his medicinal concoctions. 

On entering she unbuckles the quiver full of arrows from her hip. Setting the quiver and her bow down by the door she shouts for her husband, Pha’Ail Quinn.

“Honey, you home?” 

“I’m in the kitchen!” He shouts. Carwen wipes the dirt from her shoes on a mat before walking further inside.

“Can you get me a…” Carwen starts to say as she walks into the kitchen. 

“Already done,” Quinn says, pointing at a cup of water on the counter as he stands by the fireplace slowly stirring the contents of the cauldron. 

“Thanks, love. I missed you while I was gone” Carwen says as she begins to chug the water. 

The cold water tastes sweet as it quenches her thirst. She sits on a wooden stool by the counter to rest her aching feet.

“I missed you too. I was starting to get worried since you were out there quite a while this time. Is everything okay, did you have a good hunt?” Quinn asks, watching the contents of the cauldron steam. Carwen sets down the empty cup and groans.

“No, unfortunately. Those cursed goblins chased away most of the animals from good hunting grounds so I had to travel even further this time, and even then...” Carwen grabs a cloth wiping the remaining sweat from her face and moves the hair out of her face.

“So, what are you brewing this time?” Carwen asks while watching Quinn remove the cauldron from the fire and pour the contents into a ceramic jar. 

“I’m making some medicine for Nora, she’s come down with a fever.”

“Is it serious?” Cawren asks, concerned for her mentor.

“It’s the mild Dric sickness. With some rest and medicine, she’ll be healthy again in no time.” Quinn says while putting a lid on the jar. 

Carwen sighs with relief, 

“That's good to hear. I can’t imagine what our village would look like without her.”

“She’ll be fine. Though I’m getting low on ingredients, especially after making this. Would you like to help me gather more tomorrow after you’ve rested?” Quinn asks while putting the jar of medicine into a basket and getting ready to leave.

“Of course, love. Perhaps we can also have a picnic. Oh, can you tell my parents I’ve returned and Nora my good wishes?” Carwen asks, then kisses Quinn goodbye. 

“Sounds good, and yes. You rest up.” Quinn walks out the door. Quinn thinks to himself that it’s a good thing Carwen’s parents and Nora are neighbors since it means a simple trip.

On the way to Nora’s house, Quinn helps those he sees in need. From helping a merchant unload supplies at the market to leading some adventurers to the Guildhall. Though on arrival there was a bit of commotion. On further inquiry, Quinn is led to a badly burnt man. After casting a spell to heal the man who accidentally burned himself Quinn leaves the guild hall and resumes his casual stride towards Nora’s. 

Some kids run by playing a game though he hardly notices since his thoughts are preoccupied with his upcoming anniversary. He thinks about the gift he got for Carwen. A magical bow with enchantments to give arrows properties such as homing, ice to freeze, fire to set alight, and even lighting to either stun or kill. He’s grateful that Nora has been holding onto it so Carwen wouldn’t find it inside their house.

As Quinn nears the center of the village he passes several workers as they renovate the central tower where the village Baron Jyk’Arl Tosh resides. Vriska is one of the larger villages in the region and is built in the ruins of the ancient Fort Kel’Kyr located in a glade next to River Walla 30 miles upriver from the major port city of Izath. Some of Fort Kel’Kyr’s towers and walls still stand and dot the landscape providing good protection for the village. The stones from the collapsed portions were used to build the village itself. 

Quinn continues to walk the winding paths until he turns the final corner and sees Nora’s house in the distance but before he can get there the Village elder, Kel’Ist Ael stops him.

“Ah, Quinn. Just the man I was looking for, "she says. 

“Great Elder, how may I help?” Quinn asks while bowing his head. 

“Oh stop it, Don’t ‘Great Elder’ me. Makes me feel old. Ael is fine,” Ael says with a dismissive wave of her hand. 

“How can I help, Ael?” Quinn asks. 

“Better. And I’m not here to ask you to help. Yet. I’m here to thank you for the help you’ve already given. Do you need anything to make your life easier?” Ael asks. Quinn starts to say 

“I would like some time off too…” “Of course, you can take time off for your anniversary with Carwen,” Ael interrupts cheerfully before walking away without letting Quinn finish. 

Quinn sighs since he wants to ask about visiting his parents and sister in his home village of Kyplo with Carwen. When Quinn and Carwen married they decided to rotate between their home villages every five years but visit the other once a year. They had missed last year's visit because flooding had destroyed a major bridge and the detours were too dangerous at the time. He resumes walking towards Nora’s, passing several other villagers on the way who give him a polite smile. This village, much like its fortress origins is guarded against outsiders. He is still treated like an outsider despite being married to a local and living here for nearly four years. They do, however respect and appreciate his efforts. They mostly haven't gotten used to him yet.

Though he doesn’t blame them. Quinn too is from a village so he can empathize with their view. Elven villages are secluded with most residents having lived here for centuries. Truth be told he hasn’t fully accepted them either. He misses his parents, his sister, and his home village. However, Quinn chases those thoughts out of his head as he arrives at Carwen’s parent's house. On entering he sees his mother-in-law Est’Wyr Rhiannon and father-in-law Pyl’Tar Sloan. Carwen’s parents are some of the few people within the village genuinely warm towards Quinn. After a pleasant exchange, he leaves his in-laws and finally heads towards Nora’s house. Taking a deep breath he starts to walk up the creaky old wooden stairs as he walks up to the door.

Before he can knock on the door it suddenly opens and he quickly ducks as a fist comes out. Nora chuckles as she comes out 

“Good dodge there kiddo”. Exasperated and clutching the basket to make sure the contents don’t fall Quinn replies 

“I’m glad you’re spry as ever but you need rest. You won’t get better anytime soon if you’re too active”. 

“Just making sure you’re a man worthy of my star pupil,” She says as they enter her home. 

Despite being middle-aged for a Caldian Elf at 156 she still looks youthful though a little red from her fever. 

Nora starts to open the curtains to allow light in when Quinn asks, 

“Do you want me to fix your stairs so they don’t creak?” Quinn sets the basket down on a table and sits. 

“No, I like them creaky to alert me if someone is approaching,” Nora says and sits across from Quinn. Quinn takes the ceramic jar of medicine out and places it on the table 

“3 times a day put a spoon of this into some tea before eating.” Nora nods, picks up the jar, and looks at it 

“Thank you,” Nora says. Quinn and Nora make some polite talk for a while then Quinn returns home.

On returning home and entering he sees Carwen sitting outside on the porch fletching some arrows. Carwen smiles as she sees Quinn approach and asks 

“Hard day?” “A little yeah. I’m going to start a bath. Want to take a bath together to wash away the tension?” Quinn asks as he walks up the stairs onto the porch.

“Of course. Let me know when you’re finished setting it up.” Quinn kisses Carwen before he enters the house leaving Carwen to continue working on her arrows. 

He enters the bathhouse and starts to draw water from the well and pour the water into a large pot. After filling the pot he starts a fire underneath it. Once the contents are boiling he pours the water into the washtub. It’s a large wooden tub with an iron band around it and looks like a very wise wooden barrel with its top cut off. After filling the tub halfway he tests the temperature of the steamy water with his hand. Though a bit too warm at the moment it’ll soon cool to a comfortable temperature. 

He gets up and goes out to the porch where Carwen is now repairing the string on her bow. 

“Bath is ready,” Quinn says as he leans on the doorframe admiring her. 

“Thanks, honey,” Carwen says as she gets up. They walk together to the candlelight bathroom and start to undress. Carwen finishes undressing first and gets into the bath with Quinn joining after and sitting on her lap, feeling her breasts pressing on his back. 

“What should we do tonight?” Quinn asks enjoying the warmth of the water and Carwen.

“Hmmm. I’d love a foot massage. My feet are killing me.” Carwen says while wrapping her arms around Quinn from behind and resting her chin on his shoulder. “ 

“Consider it done,” Quinn says. Carwen bends her leg and rests it on Quinn's lap. Quinn takes her foot and gently massages it underneath the water. Carwen grabs a cup, fills it with water, and slowly pours it onto Quinn's head then starts to massage his scalp. He closes his eyes and enjoys the sensation. Since getting married it’s become routine for them to bathe each other. After they finish bathing they dry off, get dressed, eat dinner, and go to bed.

The next day Carwen and Quinn wake up early to have a hearty breakfast before heading into the forest to forage. Carwen carries a basket with supplies while Quinn has a large satchel to hold any ingredients he finds as they wander. After a few hours of foraging, it’s now midday and they decide to take a break by the River Walla that flows next to Vriska. 

Setting down the satchels they spread the blanket beneath a tree for shade. Taking out the freshly baked bread, meat pies, berries, nuts, and a wine flash they sit down on the blanket.

“So, what do you have planned for our anniversary?” Carwen asks while glancing at Quinn as they sit down. 

“I can tell you I do have something planned, but not what,” Quinn says as he grabs a pie. The rich venison seasoned with salt and pepper melts in his mouth. 

“Can I at least have a hint?” Carwen asks with a playful pout, taking a sip of wine.

“Nope,” Quinn grins, and just as Carwen opens her mouth to playfully pester him. He starts to tickle her, causing her to giggle “Stop!” she barely gets out as she laughs. 

They continue to play and roll around on the ground before settling down and kissing each other.

The kissing becomes more passionate as they start to remove clothes and soon they’re making love. After cuddling to savor the afterglow they get dressed and resume their picnic though some of the food became ruined from the action.

After cleaning up they pack everything and start their walk home. Slightly tipsy from the wine they hold hands and giggle together as they say sweet nothings to each other. Though they’ve been married for nearly four years at this point they still feel like newlyweds. Haters would become nauseous at the sight of the couple being so lovey-dovey in public with each other as they walk home hand in hand after having a romantic date out in nature.

Though, unfortunately, their picturesque moment will soon end. As Carwen and Quinn walk back home from their outage they come across an armored man covered in mud and blood lying on the ground with a bloody trail behind him from having crawled. Much of his armor is damaged or missing with his chainmail exposed on his arms and legs. The chainmail on his right leg is ripped with pieces of his leg missing and his femur bone visible. 

Quickly sobering up, Quinn rushes to the man and heals his injury to prevent further bleeding. 

“Carwen, help me carry him,” Quinn says urgently as he grabs the man’s legs while Carwen grabs his torso and helps lift him. 

They hurriedly carry the man for several minutes until arriving at Vriska Village. Upon arriving at the outskirts they hear one of the sentries hitting a bell rapidly signaling the rest of the village of trouble. Kel’Ist Ael and some guards come rushing to the perimeter as Quinn and Carwen enter the village while carrying the man. 

“What happened?” Ael asks, shocked.

“We found him on our way home,” Carwen replies, sweating and breathing heavily from quickly carrying the heavy man in armor. Quinn looks no better as he looks ready to pass out from exhaustion. “You two have done well enough until now, let us take it from here. Guards, take this man to the temple for healing” Ael commands. 

Carwen and Quinn hand the man over to the guards then promptly collapse to the ground to catch their breath. After a few minutes, they get up and accept drinks from some of their neighbors. It’s a flurry of commotion as they get questioned by their fellows until Ael returns and disperses them. Ael informs the group that the man survived but is unconscious. Relieved they return home after a long day. On returning home they notice their clothes are stained with blood and covered in dirt. After bathing and changing they decide to go to bed early.

The next day Carwen and Quinn head to the temple of Nyr to check on the injured man. On entering they see Orla, a priestess tending to the sleeping man who is still pale from blood loss. Now that they can get a good look at him they see that he has brown hair and a scar on his right cheek. On closer inspection, they realize his ears are far too short for him to be an elf. They hadn’t noticed yesterday because of all the commotion.

“Wait, is he human?” Quinn asks, perplexed.

“Yes indeed. He’ll survive for now but I’m uncertain if he’ll completely recover. Humans are rare on Caldia so I don’t know how to properly treat him,” Orla says.

Some medicines that elves can take are toxic to humans. Juice from the Cloudberries can treat nausea for elves but causes nausea in humans. 

“Should I prepare some Shedfyr for the pain? That's one of the few herbs that's safe for all races.” Quinn asks while helping Orla move the man so he doesn’t get bed sores. 

“That would be appreciated,” Orla says while gently inspecting his bandages. 

Quinn leaves the temple to return home to his garden to harvest some Shedfyr while Carwen remains at the temple.

“Has he woken since he’s arrived? What’s his name?” Carwen asks, not liking referring to the injured stranger as simply ‘the man’. Orla shakes her head and then says

“We found his adventurer’s ID tag in his pocket. His name is Arlan Smith, age 29, C-3 rank adventurer. As for him waking, not yet. He lost a lot of blood. It could be a couple of days before he can wake. It’s a good thing you two found him when you did and stopped his bleeding. Otherwise, he’d be dead now.” 

Carwen nods and follows Orla out of the room then says

“I wonder what Arlan was doing out here.” 

“Most likely a quest. Humans don’t live long; they're more likely to live recklessly to ‘get the most out of life’ as they say.” Orla says dismissively. 

Orla sits on a bench in the main hall.

“You’re not in the least bit curious? Do you not care for his life?” Carwen asks incredulously, standing above Orla. Orla sighs and then says

“Of course, I care. It’s my duty to care for all those who enter the doors of this temple in need. I’m just not particularly curious about the stories of someone I’ll outlive by centuries.” Carwen scoffs and says

“Just because we live longer doesn’t mean we’re better.” Orla smiles patronizingly and says

“You’re only 35. Once you’re older you’ll have lived many life experiences that will be greater than his. While you can learn from him, I can’t. I doubt he’s experienced more than I have at 189 years old.” 

Carwen smirks and says 

“Didn’t you say earlier you didn’t know how to properly treat a human? If you met a human doctor you’d be able to learn something new instead of being ignorant of the world despite being a hag.” 

Orla glares but before she can speak Quinn opens the door and says “I got you some Shedfyr leaves,” then attempts to hand Orla a pouch full of dried leaves. Brewed into tea or added to soup, Shedfyr acts as a painkiller. 

Carwen grabs the pouch of Shefdyr, places it on the table, and grabs a confused Quinn by the hand, and leads him out. After a few moments of quickly walking Quinn asks “What was that about?”

Carwen slows down and sighs “Orla didn’t seem to care much about who Arlan was. Sure she cares about his survival but not who he is. I just can't handle her sometimes. ” 

Quinn nods and says “I understand. I'm curious about how and why he came this far. Perhaps he came from Izath. It's the closest major city” But Carwen is hardly paying attention. She can’t hold her frustration anymore and says “She's such a bitch sometimes. Just, Ugh.” 

Carwen pouts and kicks a rock down the road as they continue to walk home. Quinn remains silent letting Carwen vent her frustrations 

“I want to explore the world.” She says. Quinn holds her hand and says 

"We can travel a bit on the way to visit my home village next year.” Carwen shakes her head 

“No, I want to truly explore on my terms. We should become adventures like Nora used to be.”

“Okay. Let’s say we seriously decide to become adventurers. Isn’t it dangerous? You saw the state we found that man in.” 

“His name is Arlan,” Carwen states. “And I truly do want to become an adventurer. I can travel far when I go hunting. I just don't travel far enough and I always have to return." 

Though she truly yearns for adventure she couldn't do so alone. She continues saying "Just not far enough. Though I wouldn’t want to be too far from you for too long.” Carwen says before kissing his cheek. 

“I want us to become adventurers,” She says. "Besides, I'm no stranger to danger. I meet dangerous creatures sometimes when I go hunting." Carwen says.

Quinn says “I know we talked about this before we married about us becoming adventurers but I would like to enjoy our early years married in some semblance of peace before we do that.” 

Carwen nods and squeezes Quinn’s hand then says 

“I understand. I just want to see the world and meet all those fascinating people, exotic cultures, and magnificent dungeons just like the stories Nora told me about.” They continue to walk home while making small talk about the going on in the village. Shortly after arriving home, they have dinner, prepare for bed, then go to sleep for the night.

Early the next day while they’re eating a breakfast of bread, fish, and eggs, they hear someone knocking at the front door. Quinn gets up and opens the door to Kel’Ist Ael. “He’s awake,” She says.

80 miles downriver in the port city of Izath, Jennifer sets foot on dry land for the first time in months after having left her home in search of greater magical knowledge. She graduated from the Magic Stargazer Academy 10 years early at the age of 26 and disappointed at the lack of variety and depth of knowledge of her homeland she decided to leave for the wider world. 

Clutching her staff close to her chest she squeezes through the dense crowds closer to the city center to find the adventurers guild building. With an Adventurer's license, she’ll be able to freely explore Caldia in the countries that host the adventurers guild. After some wandering about she finally finds the city’s adventurer headquarters and guild hall. Standing at the base of the stairs she braces herself as she watches a variety of races come and go. Since this is an elven homeland over half the people are Caldia elves with the other half being an assortment of human, dwarf, and beastkin. 

Though she’d never admit it to anyone she’s always wanted to pet a beastkin. Taking a deep breath to steel her nerves she ascends the stairs and enters the building. The main guild hall is a massive room ornate filled with hundreds of adventures and staff. One wall is particularly crowded since it's where the hardest quests are posted. 

Jennifer spends some time admiring the architecture of the building. massive pillars of polished marble support the ceiling where large chandeliers hang that glow with illumination magic. And the decor leaves little wanting in comfort. The adventurers guild is one of the most wealthy and powerful guilds besides the merchant guild. 

The adventurer guild operates by accepting a quest for a fee. In exchange, they'll find the best candidates for the job. Most of the time adventurers will apply for quests that they meet the requirements for then a manager will find the best adventurer or party for specific quests. However, on rare occasions, managers will request specific individuals or parties to complete particular quests instead of waiting for applications.

After she finishes looking around she finds the correct line for applying. It takes several minutes until she gets beckoned to one of the available reception desks. 

“Hello, my name is Lisa and I will be your assistant today. How may I be of service?” The finely dressed woman asks. Her suit is perfectly tailored and form-fitting. Her hair is immaculate with her posture perfect. She sits behind a fine wood desk that's polished and shined. All around her are papers, stamps, ink, quills, and many books. 

Many of the adventurers around her seem like slobs compared to the refinement of the staff. Even Jeniffer feels improperly dressed despite wearing her best robes and hat.

“I would like to register please,” Jennifer responds calmly. Despite her inner excitement her exterior remains flat and betrays no emotion. 

“Do you have any prior qualifications that will help me determine your rank?” Lisa asks while getting the proper paperwork.

Jennifer reaches into her pouch grabs her graduation medallion received from headmaster Thrynbatar and places it on the desk, “This is from Stargazer Academy located on Frimna.” 

Lisa grabs a book and flips through the pages until she arrives on the page showing a picture of academic medallions from Frimna. “I’ve confirmed this is the real article and not a counterfeit,” Lisa says while handing the medallion back, including several papers. ”Please read and fill these out. You’ll find work desks over there with quills and ink,” Lisa says while pointing at a group of desks. Jennifer nods as she receives her items “Thank you,” she says.

Jennifer sits down at a desk and starts to read the first paper. It details the ranking system and how it determines the actions she’s allowed to take. The ranks are:

S-1

S-2

S-3

A-1

A-2

A-3

B-1

B-2

B-3

C-1

C-2

C-3

D-1

D-2

D-3

E-1

E-2

E-3

On average most beginners start around D-3. E-1 through 3 are largely for those who are young and or have had no prior training or experience. They’re only given small local quests such as delivering mail, pest control, errands, etc. Being of higher rank opens up more quests, from greater distances, and of higher difficulty and danger. But with the greater difficulty and danger comes greater rewards and fame. 

However, the maximum rank an applicant can receive is C-3 no matter how powerful they are. This is because ranks aren’t only determined by strength but also by how many quests someone has completed. Their success rate, quality of work, character, and reputation. The Adventures guild can and will revoke a person’s license if they prove unreliable, or unstable, or even place a bounty on someone if they prove criminal.

A party’s rank is determined by the average rank of the members. So if there are four members, two at rank C-1 and two at D-2 the party rank is C-3. Being in a party is better since solo adventures have a harder time finding quests. Some quests require a party and all dungeons require a party to enter. 

Jennifer’s first order of business is to find a reliable team she can trust. However, being a foreigner and having no knowledge of the local environment will make her a less viable prospect than her competition. If she were in their shoes she’d also prefer picking someone experienced to become a party member than a complete novice like herself. She’ll just have to deal with the shit quests until she gets enough of a reputation to be seen as a good addition to a party.

After finishing her paperwork she gets up and gets back in line. 

A few minutes of waiting later she’s called to the reception desk, this time it’s someone else.

“Hello, my name is Orlan, and I will be your assistant today. How may I be of service?” Orlan asks in the same professional tone as Lisa from earlier despite his more casual and relaxed posture. And just like Lisa, his suit is well-tailored. His well-stylized bead complimented the suit. Jennifer remains expressionless despite internally gushing over how handsome he is. 

“I finished my registration form,” Jennifer says as she hands him her paperwork.

“Thank you, and is there anything you need?” Orlan asks as he starts to review her paperwork.

“No, thanks,” Jennifer responds.

“Then please return tomorrow afternoon so we can process your paperwork. Have a good day” Orlan says before getting up and walking away.

Jennifer leaves the guild hall and finds an inn to check into. She soon falls asleep after getting into bed. The next day she spends most of the morning exploring the city. She ends up finding the library and spends several hours there. When she finally leaves it's dark out and her stomach drops when she realizes she completely forgot to check back in to see if her application was accepted. She sprints the entire way to the guild office and quickly finds the help desk.

After explaining her mistake she sits in the waiting area and nervously eats some of the snacks provided. After what feels like days she is called. When she finally gets to the desk where Lisa is working. "Congratulations Jennifer Blackoak. Your application to become an adventurer has been accepted," Lisa says while handing Jennifer a copper ID.