Outside the temple is a sight that is utterly beautiful. A massive dome has been excavated from the earth to create a spacious underground cavern. Despite being underground the Twilight Grove has none of the characteristics of a cave. Soft light filters down from a large crystal moon at the apex of the dome while smaller crystals paint constellations of stars across the ‘sky’. A soft breeze flows across a carpet of thick soft grass carrying with it the scent of fresh spring rain. The sound of water running softly over rock echoes from a stream flowing into the cavern where it splits to form a hexagonal lake with an island at the center. A small gently arching bridge in faded shades of green and brown spans the river to provide access to the island. At the very heart of the cavern, directly under the light of a crystal moon stands a tree. Weathered and stooped with age a single unopened blossom is the adornment it possesses.

Faint barely noticeable pulses of power draw my attention to the ancient tree. The waves come in a regular pattern as if a large heart is pushing life into the ground. In a daze staring wide eyed around the cavern stuck in an eternal night I find my legs drawing me towards the source of its heartbeat. I freeze as my foot finally touches the first plank of the bridge. Should I approach this place? It feels… holy… no that’s not right. It… it feels… natural. It emanates a feeling of untouched wilderness, wild, free, and delicate. Hesitating afraid to cross into such a place I decide to investigate what all the notifications I received in the last couple of minutes have to say.

Welcome to the Twilight Grove, the heart of Greenwood Forest.

New Location Discovered!

Quest Complete: Baby Steps II

You have explored the Twilight Grove and found the heart of the forest. You are in a place untouched for hundreds of years… tread carefully.

Reward: Access to Skills page

Quest Alert: Baby Steps III

The forest’s heart beats faintly. Approach the heart tree and find out why.

Reward: Choice of knowledge text: Crafting, Magic, Medicine, Plant Care

New Class options are available!

So this place really is the heart of the forest. Both of the quest prompts are telling me that I should got to this heart tree but I still don’t know if I should. I really need a few more minutes to think this over. Still trying to get up the nerves to approach the heart tree I decide to check out the new skills page I have access to.

Skills

Living Enchantments

Natural Language

Endless Song

Okay so I only have three skills, that’s honestly more than I expected to have. I wonder if I can pull up additional information on this page like I did with the status page. Focusing back on the list of skill I start at the top and try to expand the information on each of my skills.

Living Enchantments – An enchantment has been engraved upon your body and soul. To account for the fluctuating nature of souls the enchantment has been given life. Developing it will cause it to grow with you and possibly develop new abilities.

Natural Language – You are able to speak the language of nature itself. Animal or plant, all will hear and understand the words you speak and you will hear theirs.

Endless Song – Beginnings, endings… both are meaningless within the endless flow.

Wow those are some damn cool skills. The living enchantments must refer to the soul lock on my chest. That one although it says it is there to help stabilize my soul, seems to hint at possible growth. Maybe I can get it to change or there is even the possibility of gaining new enchantments. I will need to think on this and do some experiments in the future. Natural Language is also interesting. Being able to talk to animals would be cool but plants? Can plants even talk?

Now the last skill… Endless Song… its description is vague. The way it is worded hints that it is much, much more than just a song. Focusing on the skill I can almost hear the faint echoes of what could be words. As I try to listen harder a force pushes my mind back. Wrinkling my brows in irritation I push back harder. This is my skill, I want to know! The force resisting me vanishes and my mind plunges forward into the flow of music. I should not have done that.

Words crash into my mind with the force of a mountain dropped from space and I start to scream as I fall to the ground blood pouring from my eyes, ears, and nose.

*Warning you do not poses the knowledge required to safely comprehend the Endless Song. Attempting to use this skill without the requisite knowledge will result in further pain or death*

Ding- Pain resistance has reached level 3!

Ding- Mental resistance has reached level 5!

Ding- Soul resistance has reached level 3!

Pain resistance – You have experienced pain that others would find debilitating and survived. Either gravely injured, a masochist, or just very unlucky you have learned that pain is inevitable but feeling it is a choice. Reduces the physical pain that you feel.

Mental resistance – You have learned that physical pain is child’s play when compared to something that can attack you very mind. The mind is a delicate thing and should be protected at all costs. You seem eager to turn yourself into a vegetable, but this skill should help prevent that. Reduces the effects of mental damage.

Soul resistance – You have done something unbelievably stupid and somehow managed to suffer damage to your soul. After somehow surviving something that should never have happened you have gained this skill. Reduces the damage taken from soul-based attacks.

“Oouuuuch.” I manage to groan weakly between coughs. I lay there for some time waiting for the pain assaulting me to fade. Even with my new resistances it takes a while.

Trembling violently, I force myself to sit up and wipe the blood off my face. What the hell was that! My own skill tried to kill me! How- why do I have a skill that I ‘don’t have the knowledge’ for! Going from shocked to pissed in a heartbeat I fume silently while trying to regain my composure. The skill sits in the back of my mind calling out to me like a siren, begging me to use it. I mentally glare at it. No way! I am not going through that again!

Ding – Intelligence and Constitution +1!

Quest Alert: The Endless Song

A song of incomprehensible power that bends the very laws of nature; it is beyond your current understanding. To know this song you must know the 6 primal aspects of nature. Feel them, listen to them, and understand them.

- Understand Fire

- Understand Wind

- Understand Water

- Understand Earth

- Understand Light

- Understand Darkness

Reward: The Endless Song

Well at least I can eventually lean to use it but, understand fire? How the hell can I understand something like that its just fire! Uuuhhhg, I can’t deal with something like this right now. Sighing in resignation I relegate this skill and quest to the realm of temporarily impossible.

Across the bridge the tree’s faint heartbeat still calls to me. Hesitantly I put a foot back on the bridge before freezing in indecision. The island still feels like a place that I shouldn’t approach. The wind in the cavern shifts and a voice like leaves rustling and a summer breeze calls softly “Come child… do not… be afraid.” Instantly my ears shoot up and my tail puffs up while twitching erratically. Th-That tree i- it just spoke to me. Unwilling to disobey the order of something so powerful and definitely afraid, very afraid, I slowly start to cross the bridge.

My first step onto the island sends adrenaline shooting through my veins as instincts unknown to me awaken to the pure wildness of the area. My eyesight sharpens, the sounds around me become clearer, smells become more distinct, and the taste of water and grass come on the wind.

Ding- Skill acquired – Primal senses

Primal senses – You have experienced something that is truly wild. Your deepest instincts have been awakened. All senses are now heightened to help you survive in a place where nature rules all.

“Goooood. You can feeeel it. The wild calls to you. Now coooome siiiiit.” The tree speaks again its voice coming and going on a whisper of wind. Slowly I approach the old withered tree and lower myself to the ground beneath the single unopened blossom. “Little fox… my time has long passssssed. I can not remain much longer… even now my power fadessss.” This I can sense. The pulses of power so much like a heartbeat are comeing further ant further apart, weakening in strength.

“C-can I help you?” I ask, my voice just as soft as the tree’s. A rustling laughter sounding like leaves and rain comes from the tree. “Nooo little one. All things eventually die and even I have clung to life for too long.” My fear is gone, replaced by deep respect and a twinge of sadness. To see something so ancient, that has fought fate for so long and now is ready to calmly accept its fate is humbling. “I have but one thhhing to requessst of you, but first you musssst know… more”

“I am the heart tree, center, watcher, and guardian of this forest. I guide it and protect it. But time has gotten the better of me and I have failed to uphold my dutyyyyy. Corruption has sunk into the hearts of those I once thought would aid in protecting the forest. They have turned against the natural order and now try to rule what is not theirs. They call themselves the forest queenssss.”

“The queen of illusion weaves things where there is nothing. She misdirects and misleads others while devouring their minds. The queen of shadows hides from the light. She strikes at all without cause and without honor. The queen of deception spreads despair an lies in her wake. She breaks the strongest hearts and preys on the broken. The final queen I shall not speak of. You must find her on your own. Each has gone against the natural order and their efforts are tearing the forest apart, attempting to convert it to their assssspect.”

“Alassss they are not the only threatssss. To the south a blight has newly formed. In the north drakes encroach on territory they should not. Worst of all… outsiders are destroying the forest. They stomp and crush and take… They carve long paths, fell trees, and kill without purpose.”

The pain in the old tree’s voice is near heartbreaking. As it speaks, I can almost feel the forest’s pain as a physical sensation. Things sound really bad and this tree can no longer protect what it clearly loves. Thinking about the forest dying and outsiders spoiling a place that is so pure and wild almost makes me retch. “Wha- what would you have me d- do?” I stammer trying to hold back tears. Wrapping my tail around myself, hugging it against my chest, I gently start to stroke it trying to find some comfort.

“It pains me greatly to ask so much of one so young. I ask that you do what I no longer can… I ask that you protect this forest.”

The request stuns me. “Bu- but I- I- can’t. I am so weak, and I don’t know how.” I stammer, mind racing trying to grasp what such a job would entail. “Do not fear, little fox. You will learn… you will grow. I am at the end now and no time remains for another to find their way here. So please I ask you one last time… will you protect this forest?” The tree replies its voice fainter than before. Heart pounding, I think over everything the tree has told me. I remember the feeling of awe that overtook me upon entering the cavern, and the pain at the thought of the forest dying and this wild place ceasing to exist. I know what I need to do.

“I-“Swallowing deeply I continue, “ I accept.”

“Thank you little one. The task ahead of you is great but it will not always be yours alone.” The tree rasps its voice becoming strained. Its words confusing me. “What do you mean that the task will not be mine alone?” I ask. “The seed you carry… it has the potential to become a new heart tree.” It replies. “This seed? Please tell me how I take care of it! How do I get it to grow?” I nearly shout. “Blood, water, mana, light, dark… it needs all of these. She will bond to you. You must learn how much of each she requires. Though she sleeps she will hear your voice… speak to her… teach her.” Gratitude fills my chest at the reply. To know that I will not always be alone, and to know how to bring my little seed to life warms my insides.

“Our time… has… reached its… end little fox.” The tree rasps voice fading. “I give… a final… gift…” Parts of the tree start to crumble, bark and branch turning to dust. Above my head a single branch lowers, a single blossom pulsing with life. Reaching up cupped hand I watch as the small green bud opens into a beautiful flower. Petals of deep violate are streaked with patches of blues and dots of white. Just like the Twilight Grove the heart tree produces a flower that captures the beauty of the night sky. “Goodbye… little… fox…”

Tears fill my eyes and a deep ache fills my chest as the flower separates from the tree falling into my raised hands. The branch it had ben on falls to land next to me as the tree crumbles.

A thousand years it spent protecting this forest and it leaves behind a thing of beauty and dust to nurture what comes next. Clutching the flower gently to my chest I cry. For a long time, I mourn the loss of something that was so pure and loving.

After some time has passed, I am finally able to quench my tears and start to look at the notifications that had come during my discussion with the tree.

Quest Complete: Baby steps III

You have learned the heart tree is dying and listened to its dying wish. The future is now in your hands. You must decide which path you will follow.

Reward: Choice of knowledge text

Quest Alert: Guardian of the Forest

The heart tree is dead. You have agreed to take up its duties. This forest is now yours, but you do not control it. To carry out your new duties there is much that is required of you.

- Defeat the 4 forest queens

o Queen of illusion

o Queen of shadows

o Queen of deception

o Queen of ?????????

- Cure the blight

- Drive out the drakes

- Fix damage caused by the outsiders

- Grow a new heart tree

Reward: Unknown

Failure: The forest dies

Unique items received!

The Twilight Heart – The last gift of a heat tree before its death this flower will never deteriorate. It will remain as an everlasting reminder of your promise, and the beauty that can only be found in truly wild places

Eon Branch – Steeped in the magic of a heart tree for a thousand years this branch has unique and unknown properties. Due to its shape and suppleness it is meant to be used to craft a bow.

New class options are available!

Things certainly are changing for me. Only hours ago, I woke up with no memories and now I sit here with a quest I’m not sure I can complete. The flower from the heart tree is meant to be a reminder of my promise and I will remember it as that. To ensure that I never forget my promise I take the flower and while I collect my hair into a long single braid, I weave it into my hair next to my right ear. Now I can carry it with me every day. I will either fulfil my promise or I will die bearing its weight.

Now the branch that will become a bow is something I cannot use right now. To attempt carving it with no skill would border on heresy. I must learn how to make a bow to make use of this gift.

The events of the day finally catch up with me and I realize how utterly tired I am. I still have to pick which knowledge text to receive as a reward for completing my quest, but I can’t decide which one I want, and I would regret picking one without careful thought. I will get to that tomorrow.

Curling up on grass nearly as soft as my fur I clutch my tail to my chest and quickly fall into a deep sleep. In my dreams three large figures wrapped in shadows loom over a forest. They laugh as their shadows spread through the trees.