Servant of the Circle

[wangxiuming]

Kaelyn made her way through the towering trees of the Viridale, reflecting on all that had brought her to this gods-forsaken valley. All that had transpired in these last years - the Circle's failure. Andal's failure.

Andal Lothandrian; once, one of the most revered members of her order, now no more than an empty husk of an existence, swallowed whole by his own power. The order's subsequent dissolution: Master Ander, Mistress Alara - all of them, abandoning their purpose, leaving their goals to scatter in the winds.

Without her Circle, Kaelyn felt ... lost. Meaningless. She needed a purpose, she needed a reason for her life. She had dedicated her life to protecting the balance - she would try to continue doing so here.

The forest seemed to shimmer slightly as she stepped into a secluded Glade. Here is what she had been looking for. A new Circle, a new purpose, a new life. She approached the Keeper, and knelt to her knees:

"Treefather watch over us, Keeper of this Glade ... if you would have me, I would join you in your defense of Nature, at any cost."

[wangxiuming]

"Wise Keeper - the Treefather has seen fit to guard me through this day's disturbing events. I speak them to you now, and seek your wisdom in our next step.

While patrolling through the Viridale border camp, a group of lizards and snake-men began a small invasion. We were under siege for some time before the attacks finally stopped, but not before they brought in a lizard that towered over even the trees. Finally, we managed to fend off their advances, but upon further investigation into the heart of the forest, we came upon a cryptic scene.

A corpse - wearing the same cloak as the Legion - stripped of any other possessions was guarded by an alarm spell. From his scratched and wounded hands emitted an eerie blue light that stretched up past the canopy. We tripped the alarm during the investigation of the body; I can only guess that the spell was placed there by the same snake-men that beseiged us, though for what reason we still have yet to determine.

Several mercenaries began to follow leads deeper into the Untrodden Grounds. I thought it better to report to you first what I discovered. The fact that the invasion came from within the forest greatly worries me. I await your counsel on how to deal with this.

In service of the Treefather ... may he guide our path with wisdom and balance."

[wangxiuming]

Some time later, Kaelyn returned to the glade after having completed one of the Keeper's tasks.

"As you requested, Keeper, I escorted Cybil, Yashia, and their retinue through the Viridale in search of the moon-child's cure. They were successful in their mission, and I was relieved to see they were respectful of the Treefather's domain and did no harm to Nature or the Balance. The undying one continues his watchful gaze over the tears of the moon; we left him to continue his worship of Selune.

Should you have further need of me, please do not hesitate. In service of the Treefather ... may he guide our path with wisdom and balance."

[wangxiuming]

Days passed. Kaelyn made herself acquainted with the denizens of her new forest-home, working hard to form new friendships and allies. The glade was subject to quite the commotion at times; Kaelyn envied the Keeper's patience with all the glade's visitors. Still, she discovered there were a few pleasant surprises to be found in surprise guests ...

When she wasn't getting to know new faces, Kaelyn had taken to patrolling the forest in regular intervals. Despite its many dangers, the Viridale was truly a verdant emerald upon the valley's lands. Kaelyn marveled at how high the trees stretched, treasured the places where the canopy was shallow so shimmering rays of light could pass through; on sunny days, patterns of light would swim and dance on the forest floor as the wind rocked the trees back and forth. When it rained, the multiple layers of vegetation would form miniature waterfalls that flowed from the skies and returned to the earth. Kaelyn could patrol the forests for hours upon hours and remain fascinated at every living creature, and its interaction with the living heart of the Viridale.

It was on a rare day of uninterrupted sunshine that drew Kaelyn out from the glade and into the forest once more. Her patrol began normally, though a hostile wolf did force her to call upon the Treefather's aid to soothe the beast. But as she crossed the river, she noticed something - the shadow of a panther near the riverbank. The same panther, in fact, that she had noticed at the very beginning of her venture, and the same one that had watched her subdue the wolf, always just out of clear sight, but always just there enough to be noticed.

She had thought it was coincidence at first, but now she was not so sure. Kaelyn focused her attention onto the sleek black panther to determine its intentions; the panther sauntered over to her, tail twirling methodically, golden eyes now locked straight onto her own.

Kaelyn sensed no hunger, no malevolence within the creature - the panther merely continued its lazy pace towards her, until it finally reached her feet and began to walk in a circle around her legs. But as Kaelyn bent down to better examine the curious cat, something changed. The panther leaned back on its hind legs, until it's body was vertically positioned, front paws held in the air as if were inviting Kaelyn to dance. The cat opened its mouth widely to yawn - and its prominent features began to melt away. The ebony black fur that covered its body shriveled back into its skin, to be replaced by leathery patches. The body thickened, grew straight, as its legs took a firmer hold onto the earth. Even the panther's face melted away, twisting and contorting to reveal the face of an old, old friend.

"Zarah! What are you doing here?"

The human girl that stood before Kaelyn merely smiled coyly before responding. "Took you long enough to notice, Kaelyn. I was beginning to wonder if you were really a druid."

Kaelyn couldn't help but to return Zarah's sentiment. "It has been too long, my friend. Much too long."