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[center][h3][color=#bfafb2] The Journey - Part 2.1 - Side Quest - Protect the Village! - Unknown - Light Woods Village [/color][/h3][/center]

The Penumbral party, now armed with new weapons and clad in armour, were more than ready to protect the village or so they thought.

Or so they thought.

The situation in the village was worse than they thought it would be. Way worse. Most of the buildings were overrun by the vegetation that seemed to have grown as if by magic and while some effort to clear them out was initially made, it was obvious that the work was never finished.

The "guards'', if one could even call them like that, were a ragtag group of villagers armed with sharpened sticks and stones. Clearly over exhausted, little hope in their eyes. Some hasty barricades were built from the corpses of different creatures they've managed to kill and wood they've cut but that wouldn't help them against the flying plant monsters. Not for long…

As soon as the group approached, the guards were suspicious, never having seen an Umbra but after a few conversations back and forth, they let the group pass on.

The situation in the village was worse than it looked from a distance. Piles of dead bodies were thrown unceremoniously in a hole, most of them stripped to the skin. The villagers looked like corpses themselves. Exhausted, starving and they barely had any water left. Truly a scene which would haunt Penumbra’s dreams for the next few months.  

The leader of the village was of an unknown mortal species for the group, same like the guards and everyone else in the village. Looking similar to the Satyrs, but with no excess hair, no hooves and especially, white skin. Custosa and Dahm stayed behind to help the villagers, as Penumbra went forward to speak with the leader.

"[color=#bfafb2] Greetings! We are…[/color]" started to say Penumbra as the human turned towards them and said
"[Color=0072bc] No offence, stranger but if you're not here to help, then know I've got no time for you. We need to finish packing by sunrise and you're in the way. [/color]" before lifting up two bags that looked quite heavy.

Penumbra looked at the leader once more as they formulated their reply. He was tall, taller than most Umbra and his big muscles shined in the light of the touches and short white hair and face with quite a few wrinkles made them seem too old to be able to lift so much and with such ease.

"[Color=#bfafb2] My name is Penumbra and we [i] are [/i] here to help. What are you called and what are you? [/color]"

The leader turned towards Penumbra with a glint of hope in his eyes. "[Color=0072bc] I'm George, leader of this poor rabble. I am a human or at least that's what we call ourselves. I'm assuming you're an Umbra, an elf and I don't know what your companion is. Help me here. [/color]" George said before taking a dead body by the legs as Penumbra took its arms and then guided it to the pit.

"[Color=#bfafb2] A Satyr. I'm assuming they're something like you are but the Goddess Ashevelen modified them for her own uses, shortly after she made us. [/color]" explained Umbra.

"[Color=0072bc] Whatever, I honestly don’t care. The plants have gone crazy and we’re about to be overrun, very soon. We’re hoping to gather everyone in a hole in the ground we’ve dug, some will stay to fill it up and lat–[/color]” started George before stopping mid-sentence as a howl could be heard. Putting everyone on edge.

“[color=#bfafb2] Look, I’ve got a way to take everyone out of the village until it will be safe or something else happens but it’ll cost you. [/color]”

George turned towards Penumbra and for the first time since they met, looked them into the eye.

“[color=0072bc] Anything. Name it and if we can give it, we will. [/color]”

“[color=#bfafb2] There isn’t much you can offer, as I can see. Offer a year of service in my village, Shadowton. Whatever needs doing, you and your people will do. Swear to me and we’ll make it happen. [/color]”

George shook his head and told Penumbra to wait, this was a decision which all should take. Quickly gathering the villagers, bar the guards, George explained to them the offer and after a few grumblings, shouts and howls from the forest, they all agreed.

Taking a torch and asking Custosa to climb on the building and hold it high. A massive shadow was formed. Uttering the words of the Goddess, Penumbra instructed each human on what they had to say and that was it. In a matter of minutes, the whole village, around 33 humans including children, appeared in the Shadow Bazaar. Penumbra soon followed them and made sure they’ve got somewhere to sleep in the Bazaar before going back.

Only to find George appearing next to them a few minutes later.

“[color=0072bc] I cannot let you go alone. I've said I'll offer a year of service, let it be with you and if I die fighting the Mind Pod…then let it be. Don't worry about my age, I've still got a lot of strength in this old body. [/color]"

"[Color=#bfafb2] If you're sure, then you're welcome and by the power invested in me by the Goddess Ashevelen, I name thee a [Strongman] Class. [/color]"

Sure enough, the notification rang in George's head.

[Hider=George]
Class - Strongman
Level  - 1
Abilities - [list][*][One Normal Punch] ability which makes the user throw a super strong punch at a foe. Strong enough to bend metal. [/list]
[/hider]

And so, with a new companion in tow, the group went to fight the Mind Pod.


[hider=Penumbra]
Class - Champion
Level - 6
Abilities - [list][*][Inspire] ability which inspires the user’s allies to fight until their last breath, to forgo fear or tiredness. [*][Shadow Javelin] ability which enhances the user's shadow manipulation to allow them to take out a spear made out of shadow and throw it at their enemies. [*][One with the shadows] ability which allows the user to hide inside a shadow becoming invisible to sight and odourless to smell[*][Passive - Low Resistance to Mental Attacks] a passive ability which makes the user a bit more resistant to mental attacks [*][Blink+] ability which enhances user's already existent ability to teleport allowing him to take one person with them at the loss of distance [*][Strengthen Shadow] ability which allows the user to make their shadowy form impervious to attacks for 3 seconds.[/list][/hider]

[hider=Custosa]
Class - Protector
Level - 7
Abilities - [list][*][Enhance Reflexes] ability which enhances the reflexes of the user to allow them to make moves at unnatural speeds to dodge attacks for a few seconds[*][Increase Defence] ability which increases the natural defence of the user against physical attacks[*][Taunt] ability which allows the user to shout at nearby foes to attract their attention [*][Passive Ability - Enhanced Hearing] ability which is unlocked after a user loses one eye, allowing them to focus on their hearing more. [*][Passive Ability - Poison Resistance] ability which makes the user highly resistant to most types of poisons or venoms [*][Full Counter] ability which counters a physical attack with double the power back at the attacker, can only be used once a day[*][Magical Full Counter] ability which counters non-physical attacks and throws them back at the caster[/list][/hider]

[hider=Dahm, the Bard]
Class - Bard
Level - 6
Abilities - [list][*][Song of Confusion] ability which makes the user sing a song of confusion, making anyone who can hear the song (as long as they’ve got the ability to hear) see shapes at the edge of their vision, hear howls etc[*][Song of ignoring Pain] ability which makes the user sing a song full of adrenaline and mighty deeds which in turn makes allies who can hear it, ignore whatever they may have until the song ends [*][Goddess’s Song] ability in which the user sing a song which calls upon the power shadowy powers of Ashevelen to cover a small area in them[*][Song of Charm] ability which makes the user sing a song of love which makes the target believe the singer to be their best friend for a few minutes[*][Passive Ability - High Resistance to mental attacks] a passive ability which makes the user highly resistant to mental attacks[*][Song of Pain]ability which makes the user sing a song of pain that gives mental damage to three targets which the user wants[/list][/hider]

[hider=Summary]

The group arrives at the village and meet the humans. Penumbra convinces the village to offer 1 year of service for refuge in the Bazaar.
George, the village leader, joins the party in their next leg of journey.

[/hider]


[hider=Spirit expenses]
[b]Starting Spirit:[/b] 15


+1 Spirit - Appeared in the post
+1 Spirit - Longer than 5k characters
+1 Spirit - Creator doesn’t appear in the post

[b]Ending Spirit:[/b] 18
[/hider]