Dusk was just beginning to fall as Isa drove Holgate Boulevard to the park. “This is crazy,” she said aloud, but she didn’t turn around. Yes, it was circumstantial that the necklace was Varanese, but--

You should stop right there, she told herself. Turn the car around and go tell Alice everything.

But where would she even begin? “The night we met….” That was a start, but what follows? “I slipped into another dimension” or “I visited a D&D plane” or maybe just scrap the beginning altogether and just say, “2 months ago something inexplicable happened….” No, God help her, that sounded like the beginning of a marriage proposal.

As she pulled up to the park, Isa made her decision. First things first: she would find the person who dropped the necklace, talk with them, and then decide what to do about telling Alice.

If the parking lot was any indication, the trail would be busy. At least 10 cars filled up the little lot, which meant Isa had to park on the street. And, although she wasn’t dressed for it, Isa jogged down the trail. The sooner she got to the spot at the bottom of the hill, the better.

Despite the cars, the trail seemed as empty as a Sunday morning. Isa jogged along looking for the spot. The path is hilly for the first part of the route - one of the things Isa liked about it - so any of the 3 hills could be the hill. Or rather, the bottom of the hill.

Nearing the top of the third hill Isa heard voices. Faint and indiscernible, but voices nonetheless. At the top of the hill Isa was able to see that two figures were struggling with each other at the bottom of the hill. One figure in brown, the other in jeans and a sweater. As the two moved, Isa realized that the one in the sweater was Alice. She yelled Alice’s name, and both people stopped and looked up.

“Isa!” Alice yelled out, and the figure in brown yanked on her arm.

Isa started pounding down the hill as fast as she could, and a figure in a white robe seemed to shimmer from the treeline and grab Alice’s other arm. Between them, the two wrestled Alice toward the trees.

Suddenly aware of having no weapon, Isa considered her options. She could try to tackle the one in white - they seemed the taller of the two, the one who had tipped the scale against Alice. But if she missed her tackle, Isa would be sprawled on the ground and no help to anyone.

She had almost reached them when the one in white touched a tree trunk with the palm of their hand. The trunk began to glow green, and the lead figure stepped through, dragging Alice. The one in brown shoved Alice from behind and stepped through the glowing portal.

Isa reached the tree just as the light faded. “No!” she screamed. “No, no!” She slapped at the trunk with her hand. “Open, damn it. Open!”

The trunk began to glow with a brown light. Isa jumped back and stared at her hand. Had she just somehow cast a spell? She immediately surged back and placed her hand squarely in the middle of the glow.

“Come on, come on,” Isa muttered, but the trunk stayed solid. “Fuck. Come on, open!” She shoved her hand against the trunk and fell through, landing on her hands and knees in warm, dappled sunlight.

Isa scrambled to her feet and looked around. A man in a white robe lay on his side moaning. A woman in green stood beside a large tree, one hand on the tree, the other clasped to her side. Blood dripped red through her fingers. Other figures lay on the ground, motionless. Alice was not one of them.

With a sigh of relief Isa scanned the trees to see which way they’d taken Alice. No movement. “Alice! Alice!” Isa drew a deep breath and screamed out her girlfriend’s name one more time, the name ripping out of her throat as if the force alone would reveal Alice to Isa.

“They are gone. Portal.” This from the bleeding woman. Her voice had a soft lilt that reminded Isa of Mery’s voice.

Isa snatched up a stick not much longer than a ruler, but it felt good to have something in her hand. She advanced on the woman. “Where did you take her? There was someone in brown with that one.” Isa whipped the stick toward the now-still form in white. “Where are they?”

“Vayla is dead.” The woman motioned her head past Isa. “Your friend was taken. We were set upon by enemies.”

Now that she knew where to look, Isa glanced behind her and saw a brown-clad body in the leaves. She refocused on the injured woman. “Why did you take Alice? Who has her now? Tell me right now.” She stopped 10 feet from the woman. At this distance Isa could see more blood on the ground. “I can help you or hurt you - your choice.”

“They didn’t take Alice, not on purpose. You’re Isa, aren’t you? It was supposed to be you.”

At the woman’s words Isa’s stomach clenched. “What do you mean?” She glanced behind her, suddenly realizing her vulnerable position.

“We are alone,” the woman said. She moved her bloody hand. “And you have me at disadvantage.” She closed her eyes. “Your friend, Alice, she touched the necklace, yes? That was designed to call you back to Varana. Your help is required.”

“Fuck that. You’re wasting time. Who took Alice and where?” Isa took half a step closer to the woman. She knew instinctively that the woman was stronger and faster. In a fair fight, Isa would be outmatched, but the woman had a bad injury, that was obvious, and the blood loss had weakened her.

“I can help you,” the woman said to Isa. “I’m the only one who can.” She gestured weakly at the clearing. “Who else is here to say where your friend has gone?”

Anger flared in Isa. She tightened her grip on the stick. “You look pretty hurt. I can make that much worse for you.”

“And never know where Alice has been taken. Isa, I know your enemy, for he is mine as well.”

“I don’t have--”

“Vernal Fedru.” The woman’s voice was quiet, but Isa had no trouble hearing her. “Has he not thwarted you at every turn? Enticed you from your path?”

“That makes no sense. He’s not-- I’m no one. I don’t belong here. He was happy to see me leave.”

“And you don’t wonder why?” She lifted her hand away from the wound on her belly. “Help me, and I shall help you. Alice is in danger, after all.”

Isa saw the logic in her words. If the woman died, Isa would have lost her only lead to Alice. It had been a few years since she’d taken first aid training, but the basics were there. With luck, she could bind the woman up enough to keep her alive until a healer could finish the job properly. “Drop your dagger over here,” she told the woman. “And any other weapons you have.”

The woman pulled a knife from her belt and tossed it at Isa's feet. Isa picked it up and knelt beside the man in white. “He’s still breathing,” she said as she sawed at the hem of his robe to make a bandage.

“That is well,” said the woman. “We’ll see to him later.”

Isa approached the woman. “Lift your shirt a little for me. I need to see the wound.”

“I am called Ysel. Since I know your name, I thought you should know mine.”

Isa didn't answer. The woman’s wound was severe, moving from just above her navel to her right hip. Isa had no salve, no wine, not even any water to wash the wound. For now pressure would have to do.

“How many were there? The ones who took Alice,” she said to the woman. “Looks like a longsword, cut maybe? What sort of weapons do they have? I don’t have time to waste.” Isa reached her arms around the woman, pulling the cloth across the wound.

“We were 3; they had 6 or 7. My…. friends,” Ysel winced as Isa pulled the cloth tight. “They stepped through the portal, and moments later so did our attackers. I am ashamed to say they surprised even me.”

“So they knew your plans?”

Ysel nodded. “That is what I fear.”

Isa tied the ends of the bandage. She’d done the most basic of basic first aid, but it would have to do. She reached up to pull down Ysel’s shirt, but Ysel grabbed Isa’s hand in both of her own. “They were right. You have the hands of a healer, Isa.” She put Isa’s hand against her breastbone. “I give this gift to you.”

As Isa watched, her hand glowed green between the other woman’s hands. With a cry she yanked back and stumbled away, clutching her hand. After a moment she dared to look at her left hand. It seemed fine. “What did you do?” She glared at Ysel. “What was that?”

The other woman smiled and stepped toward Isa. “You have my blessing, Isa. With that comes many gifts.” Ysel held out the necklace with the tree and key medallion. “First, this is for you. Wear it always, and I will be with you, for I am The Lady of Lockwood, and I name you a cleric of my clan.”

Isa found herself ducking her head to accept the necklace. Even so she mumbled, “I don’t understand.”

“I know,” said Ysel.

Once the necklace was around her neck Isa straightened up and said, “Why would your sworn enemy, Vernal Fedru, wear this symbol? I recognized it because he wears it, too.”

“Are you expecting me to deny it?” Ysel crossed her arms. “I cannot control who wears my symbol, can I?”

“That didn’t answer my question. And before I trust that you really have Alice’s best interests at heart I need to know.”

“Fedru was once part of my clan. He grew up among my people, taken in at an early age. You would say he was an orphan.” She shrugged. “But the child is not the man. Now, trust or don’t, but the danger to Alice - and to yourself - will only grow. So here is your first lesson in magic.” Ysel pointed at the man in the white robe. “You can heal Doma. You have that power now. My first gift: Healing Word. You can send a small healing light toward a friend. Point your finger at Doma over there. Think of my symbol, the one you now wear, and say ‘thrive.’”

“Right now?”

Ysel nodded. “Quickly now. We need to find Alice.”

Isa swallowed, but her throat felt raw and dry. She pointed at the man, pictured the symbol, and croaked out the word. Nothing happened.

Ysel took Isa’s right hand and placed it over the medallion. “At first you might need help. That’s understandable; you are an outlander.”

Isa’s hand felt warm against the metal. “OK, I’ll - I’ll try again, but--”

“Do it. Do it, now.”

Isa flung out her hand, finger aimed at the man in the white robe. Her right hand gripped the medallion. “Thrive!” she said. A pale green light shot from her finger toward the man.

He shuddered and sat up. “My Lady!” He pushed himself to his feet. “They attacked, and I saw….”

“I am well, Doma. Isa healed me and you too, and now we must go find her friend. You took the wrong outlander. I am displeased by that, but I will save my words for later.” She let the bandage Isa had used flutter to the ground. “Come with me to Lockwood. From there we will rescue Alice.”

Spoiler: Isa's Level 5 character sheet!

Name: Isa Chamberlin

Race: Human

Height & Weight: 5ft 6inches / 120 lbs

Class: Fighter Level: 4 / Cleric level 1

Alignment: Chaotic Good

Background: Stranger in a Strange Land

Domain: Nature

Hit Points: 34 AC: 16

Current Hit Points: 34

Combat: +6 to Hit / +4 on club/shillelagh

Weapons: Rapier (left hand) 1d8 +3 / club/shillelagh +4 (right hand) 1d8 +4 (bludgeoning)

STR

11

0

DEX

16

+3

CON

11

0

INT

13

+1

WIS

13

+1

CHA

12

+1

Saving Throws: Str and Con +2

5

Acrobatics* (Dex)

1

Medicine (Wis)

1

Animal Handling (Wis)

4

Nature* (Int)

1

Arcana (Int)

3

Perception* (Wis)

0

Athletics (Str)

1

Performance (Cha)

1

Deception (Cha)

1

Persuasion (Cha)

3

History* (Int)

1

Religion (Int)

3

Insight* (Wis)

3

Sleight of Hand (Dex)

1

Intimidation (Cha)

3

Stealth (Dex)

1

Investigation (Int)

1

Survival (Wis)

Special Attack: Two weapon fighting. When you engage in two-weapon fighting, you can add your ability modifier to the damage of the second attack.

Class Features:

Second Wind - On your turn, you can use a Bonus Action to regain hit points equal to 5 + your fighter level. Short or Long Rest before you can use it again.

Action Surge - On your turn, you can take one additional action on top of your regular action and a possible Bonus Action. You must finish a short or Long Rest before using it again.

Martial Archetype: Surgical Fighter

3rd level - Clinical Eye: Spend 1 combat turn studying your enemy and learn one of the following: if the enemy is equal to or stronger than you in strength, dexterity, or constitution. Can spend up to 3 turns to discern all 3. Can be used outside of combat as a free action - spend 1 minute to learn all three.

Cleric Spells: DC = 12 Spell Attack +4

Cantrips – Shillelagh / Spare The Dying / Sacred Flame / Thaumaturgy

Level 1 - Animal Friendship (domain) / Healing Word / Bane