The expedition group is gathered outside the guild. The adventurers are assembled into their individual parties of 4-6. They are wearing all sorts of armor going from a combination of mail, gambeson, leather and some in partial plates. Most of them are using single edged axes with shields. A few of them have bows with a full quiver on their back. Only a couple of the parties have a mage. The mages are the only ones dressed solely in cloths armor and their tall staves give them away.
The royal guards lead by Roisin are in plate armor with a halberd for weapon. The light of the morning sun glances off their distinctively polished armor. I cannot help but to feel that they keep their armor so well maintained so that whoever is shooting at them will go blind from glare. Roisin is fully armed and riding a horse on the front followed by a carriage and several wagons encircled by the royal guards.
"Ready to leave? We are just waiting for you" Roisin notices me.
"Yep, I am all good to go." I reply back as I walk towards her.
"Get into the carriage. There is a mage that I am escorting as well inside. I am sure you two will have a lot to talk about. I will be riding in the front. We will be off shortly" Roisin points to the carriage.
I step inside the familiar carriage. As I pass through the door way, I see a man probably in his forties leaning against the window with long brown hair and eyes closed as if he is deep meditation. He hold a simple wooden staff on his hand. The light shining through the window illuminates half of his face and cast shadow on the other. I sit down on the couch facing him. The couch sinks in deeper than I expected. They must have added extra padding.
I hear some distinct shouting by Roisin, and the carriage starts to move. Seems we are setting off. The carriage is definitely more comfortable than I last remembered.
"Hello, I am John. I am an alchemist on this trip." I greet him.
He opens his eyes and examines me before answering, "I am Roland. A mage of wind. I am in charge of surveillance. It is a pleasure to meet you."
"You are the first mage that I have met. Can you tell me more about mages and magic?"
"It is funny you ask. Most of the time it would be the other way around." Roland chuckles. "Alchemist uses magic in strict pre-determined formulations and perform complex transmutations with mana. We mages are more artistic."
"More artistic?"
"Like this" Roland opens his palm and a butterfly flies out and circles around us. "It just a simple manipulation of air. Alchemist can manipulate mana the same way as mages, but when it comes to the elements they are restricted to fixed formulations. Mages instinctively feel the flow of the elements and cast spells freely. The effectiveness of our spells are heavily influenced by int stat, but the effectiveness of spells cast by alchemists are only influenced by the formulation that they use."
"I see. What made you join this group quest?" I ask.
"I am enroute to Venen to visit the Arcane college when this came up. The Arcane college is founded by alchemist and mages. It contains the most complete repository of arcane knowledge. I am hoping to...seek some answers. It is better to get paid to travel than to travel myself. What about you?"
"I am part of the expedition group." I reply.
"Hm..it is not for me to judge, but I wouldn't want to be part of this political jumbo. Wars become brutally bloody once alchemists and mages get involved."
"Is that so, what started it all?"
Roland leans forward, "my views aren't that popular among the mess, but I don't think there is any real meaning behind the wars. All of the northern city states are kingdoms of men and not half bloods. As far as the nobles are concerned, they simply want to halt the expansion of Holy Church of Gaia's influence so that they don't have a church over their heads."
"Isn't there a Church of Gaia in the North?" I ask as I recall the Sunday mass a few days ago.
"You aren't a religious one huh. Church of Gaia's core beliefs are too weak. It cannot hold ground against the Holy Church of Gaia's promise of redemption and protection in afterlife. I am not a devout follower, but I still carry a book from the Church of Gaia. Why do you give it a read? I will need to attend more to surveillance now that we have left the town's proximity." Roland takes a book out from his knapsack and closes his eyes again.
I examine the cover. It is a very simply bound book with a wooden cover. The pages have been treated and smells faintly burnt. I turn the page and starts reading.
She has no form, and yet she gave birth to sky and earth; she has no emotions, and yet she created the scenery that bards sing in their songs; she has no name, but she created all things that parents name their child after; we do not know her, and so we named her Gaia.
. . .
We evoke her name to lean on her and rest in assurance that we all have purpose in life and we all get to choose our own purpose. Whatever weight we choose to carry in life - the duties and responsibilities of our life is our oath to fulfill and becomes our purpose to live on.
Kings have the duty of providing justice in time of peace, guidance in times of turmoil, and protection in times of war. Knights have the duty to safeguard the virtues of chivalry
. . .
I flip to the last page. There seems to be something missing.
"Hey, is there a page missing? There is no mention of afterlife." I ask Roland.
"Now you see why I say it is a weak religion. Even one without religious belief would quickly question." Roland shrugs. "I don't mean to sound dismissive. The priest of the Church of Gaia are probably better at life counseling and have the same access to divine skills as priests from Holy Church of Gaia. But if the religion itself is compared, I have no faith in Church of Gaia surviving."
"Do you have a book from the Holy Church of Gaia?" I ask.
"No, I always make sure to not carry any in case I spontaneously convert to a believer and start loathing myself and all non-humans." Roland replies back light-heartedly.
"Look outside, we are just past the farms." Roland points to outside the window before continuing.
"The half-elves that migrate from the north years ago taught the people of Yellowseed on planting different crops each season to replenish soil without leaving land to waste. There used to be a time, when the farmers would leave a field empty each season on rotation just for the soil to recover. Yellowseed has access to steel as part of trades with dwarves that live in the mountain ranges to the north-east. In a way, the religion created an openness that gives the north its prosperity."
