The party woke up the next morning and met in the main tavern room and ordered breakfast. After a quick breakfast the party swung through the merchant district to buy some basic supplies and then turned towards the town's eastern gates.
"Okay guys we need to get heading out. There is really no time to waste." Lucian said.
"I really don't want to walk that far again, " Rory said with disdain. "Can we try and find some transportation to at least get up part of the way there?"
"Agreed Rory." Lucian said.
The party searched around the market district to see if any of the merchants that were starting to pack up were heading east. As they were asking around it just so happened that there was a red bearded dwarf that was packing up with his cart facing the east.
"Ah yes, the adventurers league dwarf." Kainith pointed at the dwarf. "Let's go ask him if he is leaving. Lucian, you got along with him. How about you ask?" Kainith pushed.
Lucian nodded and started walking over to the dwarf and with a wave got the dwarfs attention.
""Hello sir!" The dwarf exclaimed. "If you're looking to shop I'm sorry I'm just finishing packing up so I can't really get to any of my stuff."
"No, We aren't looking to shop. We…" Lucian gestured to his band of adventurers. "...can't help but notice you are looking like you're going out of the east gates. I don't suppose you are heading east?" Lucian asked.
"Why do you want to know?" The dwarf asked with suspicion.
"We need to head east to a crossroads and we really don't want to spend days walking again." Rory continued to gush. "Honestly when you decide to become an adventurer no one tells you about all of the walking."
A smile now forms on the dwarfs face. "Well I am going east to a new digsite. I suppose I can take you part of the way. I will need some form of payment. I'm not in the business of given' things away for free."
"Deal" Rory said as he crawled in the back of the wagon pushing merchandise aside. "Rance, pay the man. Let's get going."
Rance with a sigh pulled four gold pieces out of his pouch and gave the dwarf the pieces. "Four gold. Hopefully this is enough? One gold per person."
The dwarf happily turned to the gold and said, "Oh I think this will do." He grabbed the gold. "I guess I'll introduce myself since it seems like we're gonna get to know each other on this trek." The dwarf reached out his hand to Rance. "Names Hakket. Dwarf of the Explorers League."
The whole party took turns shaking the dwarfs hand. Rance and Lucian climbed into the back of the wagon with the dwarfs' merchandise while Kainith sat up front by the horses with Hakket. Hakket and the crew set out from the town of Rivens eastern gate towards the crossroad mentioned by Elara.
The journey towards the Whispering Woods was a stark contrast to the harsh desert they had just a few days earlier traversed. As they continued on the pathway Kainith started making conversation with Hakket while the rest of the party started bickering in the back of the cart over another tall tale Rory was telling.
"So Hakket, The Explorers League, that's pretty impressive. What are you doing just hawking wares in some small town?" Kainith asked.
"Well the League has to make money too. This time I was the designated merchant. We all take turns and split into markets all over Archanella." The dwarf answered.
"That makes sense." Kainith mused. "So where are you off to? You said digsite. Anything major or just more old relics."
When Kainith said this the swarf got a smile on his face. He leaned in and said in a conspiratorial whisper. "You know all that purple metal all over Archanella? Well, we might have found a still mostly intact village buried by layers of soil and rock. That's where I'm headed now. We are hoping to find more information on the precursors. Or at least that's what we are calling it."
Kainith realizing what this all means whispers back. "What you find could change everything. If you find out how to use that metal and all their artifacts you could bring about a new age!" Kainith said, starting to get louder.
"Exactly." The dwarf said with a smile.
As Kainith and Hakket talked, Rance noticed the rock structure the Elara had mentioned.
"Kainith." Rance said.
"Kaintih!" Rance now said with a shout.
"What?" Kainith responded.
"This is where we get off." Rance said pointing at the rocks.
Kainith saw what Rance was talking about and asked Hakket to stop. The cart slowly came to a halt and the party crawled out. The party waved at the Dwarf as he continued on the way he was heading.
"Keep in touch!" Hakket shouted.
"Will do!" Kainith shouted back.
"Looks like you guys got along." Lucian noticed.
"Yeah he's a good guy. He and the rest of the Explorers League found an intact city from the people that made the purple metal." Kainith said excitedly.
The party excitedly talked about all the possibilities and the conspiracies that could come from this "Precursor Civilization". As the party continued north the air grew cooler, laden with the scent of damp earth and decaying leaves. The sun dipped below the horizon, casting long shadows that stretched like grasping fingers across the land.
As twilight deepened, the forest loomed before them, a dense wall of gnarled trees and tangled undergrowth. The air grew heavy with an unsettling silence, broken only by the occasional rustle of unseen creatures and the faint murmur of leaves whispering secrets on the wind. Following Elara's instructions, they turned more northeast and ventured deeper into the woods. Moss-covered stones marked the path, barely visible under the encroaching darkness, their ancient carvings barely discernible in the fading light.
As they walked, the silence became oppressive, punctuated only by the rhythmic crunch of their boots on the damp earth. The air grew colder, and an unsettling feeling of being watched settled over them. Suddenly, a chilling whisper echoed through the trees, sending shivers down their spines. It was a voice, yet not quite human, filled with malice and ancient secrets.
"Turn back," it hissed. "The woods do not welcome strangers."
Lucian gripped the hilt of his sword, his eyes scanning the surrounding darkness. "Who's there?" he called out, his voice echoing eerily in the stillness.
No answer came, only the rustling of leaves and the unsettling feeling of unseen eyes following their every move. The whispers grew louder, more insistent, urging them to retreat. Kainith plucked a string on his lute, a haunting melody filling the air. The whispers faltered for a moment, then resumed, their malice emboldened by the defiance.
Rance, his hand tightening around his daggers, muttered a curse under his breath. "These woods are playing tricks on us. We need to keep moving."
With a shared nod, the party pressed on. As they ventured deeper, the path narrowed, leading them into a tangled maze of ancient trees. The air grew thick with a strange mist, obscuring their vision and making it difficult to breathe. The whispers grew louder, filled with a chilling laughter that echoed through the trees. Suddenly, the ground gave way beneath Lucians feet. He tumbled into a hidden pit, his scream cut short by a sickening thud. The party rushed to the edge, peering into the darkness below.
"Lucian!" Rance called out, his voice laced with panic.
Silence. Then, a faint groan from the pit's depths.
"He's alive," Rance said, his voice grim. "But we need to get him out."
Kainith, his eyes scanning the darkness, spotted a low hanging nearby tree branch. He tied a rope to it and lowered it into the pit, hoping it would reach Lucian.
As they pulled Lucian to safety, his body battered and bruised, the surrounding whispers reached a fever pitch. The forest seemed to come alive with malice; the darkness pulsating with a malevolent energy.
"Thanks guys." Lucian said with a cough.
"No problem buddy." Kainith rushed.
"We need to find shelter," Rory declared, his voice urgent. "The woods are not safe when we can't see where we are going."
"Over there." Rance said, pointing over to a faint yellow light.
Following the faint glimmer of light in the distance, they stumbled upon an abandoned cabin, its windows boarded up and its roof partially caved in. It wasn't much, but it offered a temporary refuge from the darkness and the unseen threats that lurked within the Whispering Woods.
Taking refuge in the dilapidated cabin, the party huddled together for warmth and safety. Lucian, nursing his injuries, recounted the chilling sensation of falling into the pit, the darkness pressing in on him like a living entity.
"Those whispers," he muttered, his voice shaky. "They felt… evil."
Kainith nodded, his face grim. "The woods are not what they seem. Elara didn't say we were going to risk death here. We were just supposed to meet a contact here."
As the night deepened, the whispers outside grew louder, their chilling laughter echoing through the trees. The cabin, though dilapidated, offered a temporary haven, but they knew their respite wouldn't last long. The party was struggling to sleep then Lucian spoke some magic words as he embraced the gem around his neck. Just as all of the sound disappeared from outside Rory sat up and started asking what was going on. Or at least that's what Lucian assumed he was asking but the silence spell that was just amped up surrounded the party shutting all noise out including the noise in the bubble. The spell that would have usually required Lucian to focus on all the sudden required no effort. The gem seemed to glow and keep the spell up for him. After making hand gestures that it was him that created the silence the party seemed to calm down and one by one they all started falling to sleep.
Morning arrived, bringing a faint glimmer of light to the oppressive darkness of the woods. Following the faint path marked by more ancient stones, they ventured deeper into the heart of the Whispering Woods. The air grew colder, the mist thicker, and the whispers more insistent. The forest seemed to press in on them, its gnarled branches reaching out like skeletal fingers.
Suddenly, a figure emerged from the mist, a wizened old man with a long, white beard and eyes that seemed to hold the wisdom of ages. Was he the hermit Elara sent them to find?
"Welcome, travelers," he said, his voice raspy but kind. "I have been expecting you."
Relief washed over the party as they gathered around the hermit, their eyes filled with hope and desperation.
"You were expecting us?" Rance asked suspiciously.
"The man pointed at his temple. "Elara let me know. I heard you are here seeking information on The Eye of Thanatos."
"Yes." Lucian said. "We are hoping to stop it from cursing people. We want to put it in a place where it will be stopped from causing any more issues."
"The Eye of Thanatos," the hermit began, his voice echoing through the stillness of the woods, "is a powerful artifact, corrupted by ancient magic. It festers within the heart of these woods, poisoning the very essence of life."
He pointed towards a towering oak tree in the distance, its branches twisted like grasping claws. "Beneath that tree, within a hidden cave, lies the Eye. But beware, for the closer you get, the stronger its influence will become. The whispers will intensify, your minds will be clouded with doubt, and fear will threaten to consume you."
Lucian, his hand gripping the hilt of his sword, met the hermit's gaze. "We are prepared to face whatever dangers lie ahead. If we silence the gem will it stop the torment of the woods?"
The hermit nodded, a flicker of approval in his aged eyes. "Yes. I want to ensure your success so I have a gift for you take this." He reached into his cloak and pulled out a small, silver vial filled with a shimmering liquid. "This is Moonwater, blessed by the light of a full moon. It will offer you temporary protection against the Eye's influence. Drink it before you enter the cave. Once you get to the gem though how you get it out is up to you."
With a last nod, the hermit turned and walked deeper into the woods, his figure disappearing into the mist.
"Okay so The Eye is in a tree? I thought we were going to a temple where there might be something to sell." Rance said with a tinge of sadness.
"Who knows?" Kainith said. "Maybe there is a temple under the tree? Plus I'm sure there will be some reward for making The Eye disappear." Kainith finished with a smile.
As they approached the towering oak tree, the whispers grew louder, filled with malice and despair. The air grew thick, and an unsettling darkness seemed to emanate from the cave beneath the tree.
Lucian uncorked the vial of Moonwater and passed it around. Each member of the party drank deeply, feeling a surge of energy wash over them. They knew the protection wouldn't last forever, but it was enough to give them a fighting chance.
With a shared look of determination, they approved the cave entrance; darkness swallowing them whole.
"Well here it goes. Rory, want to lead the way?" Lucian asked.
"You know I do." Rory said with determination.