An incredibly powerful alcohol based poison fought against Martins constitution. He had a total level over sixty, the same amount of endurance and over a thousand health. The alcohol for all its strength resulted in a mild headache. Barely noticed As Martin woke up the next morning. What Martin did notice was a bone aching desire for another drink. It was paired with a heavy dose of regret, regret he didn't have more alchemical enhanced alcohol. He prayed rose and headed to the breakfast table. David was full of life, his anticipation was palpable his new shield was going to be ready for them to pick up. He was going to get a very sizeable upgrade to his defences.

They were soon finished eating equipped then ready to go. “Today is the day I get my tower shield, my first custom made piece of equipment not a second hand piece of scrap”. David was humming as he walked along. “Yes the enchantment alone will dramatically increase your survivability in a fight” Alice had gone over the enchanting specification. “It might be a bit heavier but your strength has gone up quite a bit, so you should be fine” Vivian mused.

“The Damascus should actually be lighter as its tempered steel, if it was the same weight it would be exceedingly tough. They can achieve a much stronger structure through the tempering process”, Martin responded he had worked for years in a trade guild so he would know at least up to Damascus he never worked with mithral which was a bit far away on there budget.

The guards at the craft hall instantly identified the party and let them in. A few minutes later they were lead to meet the guild master Gavin. He had there commissioned piece on the table, a red cloth under it. The light from the window shining on it. he certainly had a bit of showmanship. It was a beautiful work of art folded Damascus plates bent into a rounded tower shield. A solid reinforced edge to weather any blow, a raised central boss that was twice as thick as the rest of the shield. There were reinforced banding across the metal, even two spikes at the bottom to allow it to be driven into the ground. It was enchanted from top to bottom, blue energy shimmered all over it.

David didn't so much pick it up as cradle it, “Let me just look at my sweet girl”. “do the two of you want to get a room”? Vivian shouted mockingly. “Maybe, Alice can you check that the enchantment is as powerful as he promised”. She reached out a hand, “give me a second, it has a composite enchantment. One section of the shield enchanted with one defensive spell. They combine when the sections of the shield are joined together, it’s as powerful as they said”. David nodded to the merchant “Hear you can take my old shield as part exchange just like we agreed”. His shield had served him as a trusty ally, now it was going to be passed on, well sold on.

The merchant examined the old shield, barely able to lift it. He put down the tower shield panting. The adventurers started to move to the door, he banged his fist on the shield like a gong to get their attention. “Look I can cut you a deal on that Damascus suit of armour, if you do a job for me. I can give it to you for 310 silver, that's a heavy discount. After you do a tiny bit of scouting for me”. The group looked at him questioningly. A bit of scouting would have to be extremely dangerous to get such a high reward. He continued having their attention, “Over the last ten years four expeditions have been sent into Blood Thorn Woods. Sent to see what is going on in there, not one has ever come out or even sent up a signal”.

Martin looked at him, “what was the composition of the party's that disappeared it could help”?

“Give me a second” the merchant grabbed a ledger and checked. “The first was ten years ago, a druid a scout and a mercenary level 25 or below. The next was seven years ago, a crusader a monk two man at arms and a forester level 20 or below. Five years ago a cleric two town guards, a musketeer and a bounty hunter reportedly they were level 30 and below. The last was one year ago a mage a vampire hunter and two knights around level 35”.

Vivian looked at him cautiously, “OK first off can you tell us the history of this wood. We need to know more”. David added “what reward your offering, this many fatalities I would like cold hard cash as well. If the last four groups disappeared, I don't think we will find them in a clearing sipping tea”.

The merchant composed himself, “right you have probably heard some things about the Blood Thorn Woods. If you go back in the history books, they were just called the thorn woods. Supposedly thousands of years ago when this land was still just little tribes. Before the elves moved in from the central plains. Before the dwarves crossed the eastern ocean from there island home, before the northern kingdom was founded.

One of the first druids to reach the status of an exulted master, one of the oldest magical traditions if not the oldest. They used their magic to find and empower nature’s nexuses, enabling them to create the dryads as nature’s guardians of the forest or just to awaken them”. Alice nodded “I have heard this before, the theory goes that the guardians would have awoken anyway. But the druids eased them into this world, so that they would be more amenable to humans and the druids specifically”.

The merchant continued, “As you say, the records indicate that the druids awoke 12 spirits of nature. The local dryads to look after the thorn woods. They must have been on a good terms with them. For thousands of years the druids and the dryads maintained a close relationship. The royal court from the times of the first king seemed to have been on there good side, with people allowed to harvest some timber hunt and gather certain areas. Maybe they just feared the evil bastard like everyone else”.

“Shortly after the vampires became active the druids order collapsed. They couldn't fight the vampires, they were broken up. Some survived the battles, there is one decent number of them left in deep furrow, the farming town, and they use what is left of their power to grow crops. We are not sure how, but the vampires were able to taint the forest guardians. To infect them with some version of the thrall taint. The merchant guild want to get at the resources in that forest. We need you to go in there and see how practical that is. I can offer you fifty silver if you can scout the place. An additional 100 silver if you can actually find a way to remove the taint from the place, so any further expeditions would not meet similar fates”.

David looked at the others, “I think we should do this a discount on equipment is a good thing”. Vivian looked at her bow, “I can support you in this endeavour, I am fully equipped now I can help you become as well prepared as I am”. Alice looked at them, “I am in, but remember the next magical trinket we find is mine, or I get first pick if there is more”. Martin looked about the group “it is possible to hurt the vampires grip on this land, I am in. But if I get the chance for to enact vendetta for the hunter that fell I will”. The rest of the group nodded. Martin pulled out his book on monsters. “What are we likely to face”? The merchant flicked through his ledger, “supposedly spriggans wolves and boars on the outside of the forest, with trents and ents further in possibly a dryad if you get close to their tree”.

Martin scanned through his book as the party headed for the woods, “spriggans are the most basic creatures, hovering between level ten and twenty five. They can attack with shooting vines poisonous clouds of gas and at a last resort in melee with bark and vine composed bodies. They have a tree that they are tied to, the destruction of this tree will end them. If there body is destroyed it can reform eventually”. Trents are effectively animated trees, brought alive they are physically tougher but slower. They are the tree that the spirit inhabits, so they are gone when the tree is destroyed”.

“The ents are larger versions, supposedly very slow but with a very actuate throwing arm. Generally these creatures are resistant to ice and poison but, fire electricity and physically force should do us just fine”. Vivian wondered “what level are the trents and ents”? “Trents are around level thirty to fifty, ents level forty to sixty. “What about the dryads”? They are similar to the spriggans, but there trees are much bigger. Expect anything from level 10 to 50 with their bodies regenerating very quickly, at least as long as they remain close to their trees.

Alice looked at him, “that's not what I remember from class”. Martin sighed and checked his book, “I think you are thinking of greater dryads, they start at level 50 and go to level 400. They have trees as big as a castle, you only find them much further south near Lignorum in the deep old forest. Thankfully all these creatures are unable to venture very far from there tree's, or place of awakening”. He thought about it, “so we effectively have a barrier monster, the natural guardians infected with the thrall taint”. Before they went the merchant threw something to them, “call this trinket an advance on a payment. This is a compass a basic one. It can save your life in the woods, where everything looks the bloody same”.

They moved out of the city, a few guards and militia saluted them. The Merchants guild had a very old outline of a map. The old logging trails were there guides, as they were send into blood thorn woods to investigate. The boundary of the woods had a series of thorn of thick bushes. They would have dissuaded most people from attempting to get through. David took one look drew his sword and chopped right through the five foot high wall of briers and thorns. It offered a token resistance to his sharp blade and immense strength. The thorn bushes were about ten feet deep, something had planted them to keep everything else out. They would have been an effective defence, against someone that was not covered from head to toe with armour.

Once they were inside the forest it was far more open, there was a bit of undergrowth but it was far thinner. There were signs that something was chewing away at the growth, rooting around and eating the plants. The place would be far harder to navigate in the dark. It would be a maze without light and a compass. There was a certain still almost sterile quality to the woods, as if life was under a pressure an external plan to conform. The deeper that they went in the more they felt it. There was some presence that already owned the land that they stood on. It had been co-opted corrupted to another's will, but it was still there some spark of life, unable to think for itself.

They found a trail that seemed to be mostly created by boar tracks. They moved along it for a minute. The first sign of the corrupted natural guardians was a group of spriggans. They were each eight feet tall, having the proportions of a woman but made from a mixture of bark vines roots and grasses. They had long hair of reeds and twigs. They wore dresses formed from leaves. They stood on their tip toes almost as if they were ready to dance. There was something off about them, there posture was twisted to one side or another. There were two pin pricks of glowing red light on each of their necks, their bodies almost seemed to twist away from the marks. There eyes were a dull glowing red, a faint grey tint spread out from the area of the bight marks affecting the rest of their bodies. There were several dread thrall wolves and thrall boars behind them.

One was slightly taller than the others, she turned around to gaze at the party her eyes were unfocused. “Intruders like the others, sisters attend me, you humans will try and kill us to free us from our pain”? Her face snapped backwards and forwards conflicted, she was hesitant to follow the compulsion of the thrall taint. “We live we hope the taint is deep within us, you will not succeed your bones will mealy be fertilizer you will...”. The party realised very quickly that the spriggans were well past the point of reasoning with, there was no chance of a productive conversation.

Alice's duel cast fire ball blasted the group apart, before they could begin to attack. The thrall creatures behind them charged forwards. David's new shield did admirably well, as he charged into a group of boars scattering them. Vivian already had iron arrows flying striking the ranks of boar. Martin used focus shots with his two pistols silver pierced the eyes and brains of two thrall wolves. It left them convulsing and shrieking on the floor, a mournful howl of loss and pain faded with their lives.

One of the spriggans sent forth a wave of poison at Martin who promptly ignored it. He let three of the thrall wolves run into it to suffocate. Martin pulled his triple pistol and emptied three rounds into three more of the wolves killing them. One of the spriggans got back up and sent vines towards David. He charged through them tearing them apart with this strength, he got to melee range of the spriggans and cut her in twain. Her essence departed the body of bark and wood. A green glowing formless shape with red veined lines throughout it, heading towards a tree. Alice threw a third fire ball that caught a few of the thrall boars in its radius. Vivian finished off the rest of the boars with power shots.

There were now two injured spriggans and three of the dread thrall wolves left. The spriggans switched tactics, the leader sent poison at David while the other one threw vines at Martin. Martin was slowed but not stopped by the vines. He managed to pull one hand free and throw a large thermite grenade into the remaining wolves. This ignited them and took them out of the fight, as molten metal burned through there fur. David was just able to stop the spray of poison with his shield. Now he was next to the spriggan and she was reduced to kindling, her essence abandoned her body seeking out her tree. The last spriggan was hit with an iron arrow with enough force that her head was removed, her body crumbled and her spirit fled back to the tree of her origin.

Alice looked around, “it’s not over I can feel there spirits in the area, we need to do more”. She held out her hand and stepped forwards. Martin reloaded his triple pistol and joined her, holding out his holy symbol. David and Vivian finished off the remaining thrall wolves then followed them. Alice led them to a tree. Its trunk was discoloured a dark grey tint to it. A vine curled around the trunk pulling the vine to one side revealed two holes in the bark. The source of the thrall taint in the spriggan. There was a glow from the tree, a series of roots and vines started to weave themselves together forming a new body. It would take several minutes before she pulled herself back together.

Alice pointed to the tree, “David cut it down”. He sighted gripped his Damascus blade then dropped it into the side of the tree. There was a cry like a woman screaming that came from nowhere, a black gunk started to leak out of the tree. It happened again as he dropped his blade for a second cut. There was an ear piercing feminine scream, as the blade dug into the trunk far deeper on the second strike. The spriggan's formation was slowed as the tree she was connected to was damaged. A third blow and it was more of a whimper than a scream. The half formed spriggan fell to her knees. David gritted his teeth and delivered a fourth blow. The tree toppled on its side. The spriggan was now down on her knee's she tried to crawl forwards.

Alice looked at the spriggan and at the trunk, she walked over to the trunk and used a spell “acid strike”. The half formed spriggan collapsed to the ground as the remains of the tree were burnt away. Her green essence separated from the spriggan body, the green essence took a form. The spirit of the spriggan seemed to look with a moment of clarity and horror then faded completely. David looked rattled the way the tree had screamed as he cut it down was un-nerving. Alice looked at him “we can’t stop now, the other two spriggans need to be dealt with, before we can stop to think”. She held her hand out, feeling the trail of magic to the second spriggans tree.

The second spriggan was a lot easier to find as she had fully reformed and had no intention of letting the party cut down her tree as well. She had a bow and arrows that seemed to have grown from her body. Alice blocked a shot from the bow with her shield spell. David blocked a second shot with his shield. The arrow heads seemed to be made from a seed, one arrow struck Martin it barely lodged in his armour. Still he felt the urge to pull the arrow out, the seed on its tip had already sprouted roots trying to grow into the wound on impact.

In return the spriggan was hit with a Damascus arrow, right between the eyes. She started to form almost immediately from the ground again, as her other body collapsed into nothing. Alice pointed out the tree, but it was fairly obvious with the grey discolouration. David steeled himself and swung down with a power attack. The bark shattered and there was a scream of pain. He swung again and again. The shrieks of agony ended, as the tree fell and Alice burnt the roots away with her acid strike spell.

The third spriggan was far easier to find. She had fully formed and she had the opportunity to perform some sort of flashy magical ritual. Around her tree were four thickets of brambles the way they were formed was odd. She screamed at the party, “My sisters, you slew them. They were awoken the same day I was. You will pay you murderers, you forced me to do this”. There was a flash of light and four balls of energy flew from her hands into the four thickets. Two broke apart to reveal suits of rusted and corroded armour, filled with bones and brambles.

It was some sort of necromancy as the two suits rose up to stand. Taking a guarding stances with axe and mace. The third pile rose up to form the skeleton of a mage, there tattered robes and rotted staff held together with bark and vines. The last glow seemed to be blocked by a white glow and faded, the spriggan looked puzzled. “You can’t reanimate a vampire hunter, or any religious job as the undead”. Martin shouted at her in response to the unasked question.

She had still managed to even the odds somewhat. A spear of oak grew in her hands, she assumed a fighting stance with the remains of the reanimated adventures. The undead mage targeted David with an acid strike. He blocked it with his shield and closed the distance. His blade cut what was left of the mage in two, dispelling the enchantment that had forced there remains back to life. Alice blasted one of the knights away with two fire bite spells. The second one crumbled after Martin put three pistol shots into it.

The spriggan herself was charging at Vivian, her spear held ready. She would get one chance to make it count. Vivian was quicker, a single arrow shattered her knee then a second struck her in the head, causing the spriggans physical body to disintegrate. David was at the spriggans tree, he gritted his teeth and buried his blade into the wood again and again. He caught his breath, wishing he could cover his ears, the tree was soon down. A quick acid strike and it was over for now.

As the last spriggans remains crumbled into mulch the group levelled up. Martin reached level 54 gaining the 5th level of the trap specialisation. Allowing him to use fire mines, not that he had any but they were a useful munition if he ever got the chance. Vivian reached level 47 and raised her pierce armour skill to level 6. Alice hit level 47 and mastered her icy tomb spell, it could now deal close to 4000 damage over a period of 13 seconds. David hit level 46 and picked out a skill hail of blows, allowing him to chain attacks together far more efficiently.

They sat down in a clearing Martin looked at the others, “imagine them as blood thralls we have to kill to release. it’s not pleasant but it is necessary”. Alice looked at him, “nature spirits should not have access to necromancy. It goes against everything they stood for, using an unnatural energy”. Martin nodded, “they have been corrupted, they can’t be reasoned with they have to be destroyed”.

They mechanically set about clearing up after the battle, recovering arrows reloading. They dragged the remains of the spriggans trees into the centre of a clearing, then they chopped them up into a pile and started a fire. The remains of the tainted animals were next spread about the fire. Martin looked at the others, “the remains of the three adventures that rose against us we should burn them. I don't want to have to fight them again, but the remains of the vampire hunter. I want to bring them back. As they has a holy job there remains would not come back to un-life”. There were a few half-hearted nods of agreement.

Martin got a sack and pulled the hunters remains from the pile of plant material. He found a few vials of holy water some silver shot and the hunter’s holy symbol. He said a small prayer, he would take the remains back as his duty of vendetta. It was someone from the previous expedition half his duty was done, helping to slay there killer. Now he just had to ensure there funeral rights, then the return of their holy symbol to a new hunter for the next generation. They put the other adventures remains on the pyre as respectfully as they could. Martin said a short prayer for their spirits souls and joined the others in a quick meal.

They started to head along the same path that they had been on before. Alice looked at Martin, “you think we can do the same to the dryads as we did to the spriggans”? Martin nodded “we clear out one of the dryads and a 12th of the forest loses its protection. All the Trents and spriggans under its span become weaker, at least that is my belief. We will have to see if it can be made into a reality”.

Farther up the path there were two more spriggans, one held a spear formed from oak the second held a bow. They looked at the group there eyes glowed red full of hatred. “You slew our kin, not just shattering a branch but you burnt them down to the roots. They are gone they were countless centuries old how dare you...”. Vivian hit one in the head with an arrow, Martin shot the second with a pistol shot. Both of their bodies collapsed into woodland detritus. There spirits were pulled back to their trees. Vivian looked at Alice as she pulled her arrow out of the ground. “They do like to talk, it’s probably the loneliness and the conflict from the thrall taint”. Alice held out her hand, “I can sense them. They went off this way, the magic comes from the left of the trail. They are close together, but I can sense something else”.

A minute down the trail they found the two spriggans trees. They were either side of a much larger hardier tree, it was also tainted grey. The two spriggans had reformed, they held weapons formed as before. But they didn't look quite so confident. They could sense the attack about to fall on them. There was a hint of desperation as one of them called, “cousin help us or we shall fail and fall”. The tree between the spriggans was a Trent. There was a cracking noise as it woke and transformed, its outer bark seemed to split into two legs rather a trunk.

There was a head with swept back horns made form branches. Rather than having two arms it had four, each held a wooden club that would have been a projecting branch plucked from itself. It was about twelve foot tall, its eyes were red even if its facial features were dull. There were two holes on one of its limbs, a faint red glow emanated from the two holes where it had been infected.

The Trent lumbered forwards, quite ready to smash the party into pulp. The party had no such desire Martin hit it in the centre of its chest with a medium thermite grenade. Setting it on fire as molten metal burnt into its heart wood. Vivian took out the two spriggans with head shots, before they could react. Alice hit the Trent with a duel cast fire ball, sending it staggering back adding to the flames from Martins thermite. David charged forwards, he blocked a strike from the Trent with his new shield. Then struck at the Trent’s equivalent of a knee to take it down.

The Trent tried to kick at David, but he dodged out of the way delivering another cut to its knee. Vivian put two arrows into one of its right arms, with enough force to separate the limb form the body. Alice hit it with another fire ball. Martin took aim and destroyed one of its eye sockets with a pistol shot. Slowly the spriggans began to reform as the battle waged on, they might get a chance before there cousin was spent. Alice noticed this and pre-empted it hitting the Trent with her spell icy tomb holding it in place. She turned to David, “finish off the spriggans before they can help”. David swallowed and turned away from the battle, as the Trent slowly lumbered about frozen to a snail’s pace. He ran over and started carving up the spriggans tree there were screams then the tree and one spriggan was gone, he headed for the second.

The Trent tried to stop this, struggling against its frozen limbs. It shattered its body and toppled over. Martin shot its second eye out and blinded the creature. Vivian concentrated her fire sending two arrows into its knee joint, crippling the limb insuring that it would not get back up. Alice hit it with an acid strike spell adding a little damage to the creature. David finished his task then turned around and faced the Trent. It was in a far worse position, he charged over to it and started to rain down blows on whatever was closest.

A pistol shot with an overload charge disables another joint, a few more spells and arrows and the Trent became inert, it’s flailing and cries ceasing. They harvested some bark and nuts as alchemical ingredients from the Trent. They cut up the remains stacked them in a clearing along with the spriggans tree's from the fight. A little kindling and a second fire was left to burn away, Martin had no intention of finding out if a Trent could be reanimated as the undead.

They headed deeper into the woods, until they came to a tree that was easily eight feet thick. There were no other trees around it, as well as three circles of little mounds. Probably the final end of the other three groups of adventures, which had failed to come out of this place. The party steeled themselves, the dryad might be more reasonable than the spriggans. Or she might be as hopelessly controlled by the vampires taint. The tree seemed to be twisted to one side a grey taint on it, the chances were not good.

From the massive tree a gentle green glow emerged, the glow formed into the shape of an eight foot tall woman. The pieces of the forest seemed to leap up and fill out the outline, what had taken the spriggans minutes had taken her seconds. It was a measure of how powerful she was in comparison. She looked at the party, “you have killed several of the guardians of this forest. Opening up a logging trail, a scar in these woods, do you not think that I can close it”? They looked at the lesser dryad. They could feel the magic in the air, a thick wall of the thrall tainted plant spirits. She sighed “I will pull no punches”.

The spell was cast rapidly, the vine re-animated remains of a druid a scout and a mercenary stood up. Their equipment rusted and rotten but held together with vines and green tainted magic. Two men at arms with halberd and spear stood up out of the ground. Then A Forrester with a bow, they were joined by two town guards a musketeer and a bounty hunter with a crossbow. Three of the mounds didn't rise, they were obviously belonging to people that had held religious jobs in life, so there remains would not be possessed in death.

Martin shouted to the group, “Vivian handle the dyad and the zombies. Everyone else focus on the tree”. The undead were unravelled with a single shot from Vivian's bow. There was just too much power coming from it. A field of vines erupted from around the tree, David barged through them and started to hack away at the branches and trunk. Martin started to invoke his area of effect blessings he emptied the bottles of hoy water over the tree. That caused the bark to start steaming. Then he used his targeted attacks like pillar of salt and smite, the tree was hit by fire balls and fire bite spells from Alice.

The dryad played a game of cat and mouse with Vivian. Every-time she showed her head, it was struck with an arrow and she would have to reform her body again. The undead constructs were not that fast or accurate, Vivian kept firing. Alice switched to acid strike spells aiming at the roots. David hit the tree again and again cutting away splinters and bits of wood. The dryad didn't look good. On her body burns cut marks appeared to match the damage to her tree, her reactions were slowed down with every strike.

Martin held his holy symbol to the wood of the trunk “chain smite”. Lightning arched from the symbol into the tree, second by second burning the wood away. The dyad fell down and started to scream, she looked like she had been struck by the lightning. Martin filially stopped the lightning, then completed his gambit using a blessing “purify” on the side of the tree.

The dryad could not stand up, she looked about bewildered and confused. The party stopped attacking, tears of sap and resin rolled down her face. She looked about confused, “who are you what … what happened where is what”? The rest of the party approached her cautiously. Martin had burnt a hole in the side of the trunk. He removed the bundle of dynamite he had been saving and shoved it into the hole, he held his tinder box in one hand looking at her. “This place has been a refuge for the vampires for centuries can you tell us what happened”?

Her eyes were glassy her response slow “This was a sanctuary of nature, we lived in harmony the cycle was free to roll on to change and yet remain the same. We noticed that some of the animals were tainted, it was like necromancy and sorcery all rolled up into one. We tried to clear it, the druids stood with us then. But the corruption spread, the vampires found a way in past the boundary guardians. A way to taint the spriggans through there tree's. Then the Trents and the Ents though it took longer for them to fall. The druids tried to flee, but I don't think they made it. One by one I felt my fellow dryads succumb, they fought with all they were but they failed. Then a vampire appeared, he used corrupted Ents to distract me. Then he was upon my tree, his spell poison the thrall taint. It entered my heartwood and I was his reluctant servant, Bismarck his name was, Servant to a shadow queen”.

Martin lit some tinder with sparks from his tinder box. The dryad looked up at him, “please don't I am free from the vampires corruption. My name is … I can remember having a name it was … Delphinium that’s what the lady of oak and water the first druid called me, I can think again, you don't need to do this”. Martin looked solemn, “what stops the taint from returning”. She stumbled a few paces forwards, “please don't do this”. He looked at her “this place has served the vampires are you strong enough to resist”?

Her head fell “there is nothing I can do to stop his return. A twisted part of me even welcomes it, I think you may have just suppressed the thrall taint.” Martin made a gesture the rest of the party moved away very rapidly, he lit the dynamite bundle, he started to run. The dryad tried to get to her tree as the adventures got out of the way. There was a loud ear splitting explosion and her tree was ripped in twin. Cleaved by the force she felt her life flicker then fade, the dryad was gone her tree shredded.

With the lesser dryad filially defeated and her tree broken the group levelled up again. Martin hit level 55 he felt energy and change flood through him. Martin felt the slightest tinge in his skull his body grew tougher. A slew of blessings arrived three more used of his divine favour healing blessing, 4 more uses of purify. He gained a single use of the purge mind blessing allowing him to remove a high level vampire’s mind control. He gained two uses of the purge soul blessing allowing him to remove demonic corruption and possession. As well as this he gained one use of the cleanse air blessing allowing him to remove poison or airborne disease. Alice felt her mind shift as she reached level 48. She learnt the basic version of the electrical strike spell, it was similar in power to a fire ball but used electrical energy rather than pure heat and flame.

She remembered the beetle attacking David and the attack passing through his armour. She would have a better weapon in her arsenal. In two more levels time she would receive a bonus, an additional 50 points to her mana from a class level. It was the next big target solidifying her as a master. At this rate it would happen very soon, Vivian was in a very similar position. Her pierce armour skill was now raised to level 7 as she reached level 48. David slightly behind them reached level 47 and gained the second rank in the hail of blows skill, his ability to deliver fast effective stabbing and slashing attacks increased.

They searched the area finding on the remains of the deceased mage. There was one surviving magic bracelet. It was a silver item with a few gold stars, it was going to Alice. She identified it as a bracelet of + 25 resistance to mind control. It would be as useful to her as anyone else. They burnt the remains of the tree and the adventures remains with a short prayer. Vivian sighed, “Well that is one twelfth of the forest cleared. I can see the need for lumber growing to the point we clear away the rest of this ancient forest”. David put a hand on her shoulder, “that is for another time”. It was a depressing trudge back to the city, the compass was invaluable to guide them. Somehow the forest seemed less ominous but it still felt unwelcoming.

They dropped the hunter’s remains back at the church, for last rights and cremation. It was a sombre experience as they reported back to trade guild master. He sighed as he listened to the story. “Thank you for your report, we will be wary of the natural guardians. We will keep the logging to the very edge of the forest, but we desperately need the trees for ship building. Hear is your reward for today's efforts, do you want the Damascus plate now David”? He briefly checked with the others then David swapped his old iron plate for a suit of Damascus tempered plate armour.

It was exceptionally strong, but also far better articulated. It was built in the same utilitarian style, but fluted and rounded so that most piercing attacks would simply slide off the durable construction. When they were finished Gavin looked at David, “your almost a master go and see the sheriff, he has a little reward for you from the guild”.

David remembered what Vivian had been presented with, after they had vanquished the dragon. Cutting a hole in the defences of blood thorn wood allowing them to collect lumber, would be just as potent economically as the tin mine. Melcher grinned, “David well done, I have just the thing for you. This is the grey sword, well one of the ones forged for the grey company. It was forged form the remains of three older magic weapons. A hand and a half bastard sword mithral steel alloy enchanted with durability”.

“The sheath is ash grey wyvern hide, it has a cleaning and sharpening enchantment on it. The tip of the blade has a piercing enchantment. The left edge has a poison enchantment specially tailored to humans. The right edge has a silver plating and a lingering fire enchantment that is perfect for monsters. The pommel has a stun enchantment on it, that activates if you strike an opponent. The haft has the sure grip enchantment, not that you need it.”

David handed him his Damascus blade, “pass this onto someone who shows a bit of promise. It’s got a very good cutting edge”. Melcher nodded “a thoughtful idea, as a bounty hunter I teach people to be ruthless but a helping hand can make allies for you. You’re almost a master, a few years down the line they will ask you to act as a mentor. Passing some advice onto the next poor sods, picked to do the job of going out there and keeping people safe, a bit of your experience for the fresh blood, maybe I will live long enough to see that”.

The bounty hunter had a little sales pitch ready, “I work as a sheriff for the triune, but I stay loyal to the merchant’s guild. They can get you the best equipment, they have the deepest pockets. The church think too broadly, they focus on a future we might not see. The nobles the royal court they focus on a past long dead. The hear the now what people need, the merchants guild is what provides it. There is a contract for a guard caption at market town, overseeing the main merchant’s quarter. Training guards as much food and drink as you want. You would be perfect for it, your training abilities your level. You could make your home in with the roots of the trade guild.

David sighed, “Someone made a similar offer to Vivian, I don't want to settle down yet. I am a fighter out in the field. Give me a few years and I might want to settle down. But I will be a grand master by then and my services will be far more expensive”. He patted the sheriff on the shoulder, “come with me have a few barrels of orange ogre ale” He stepped out of the office drawing his new sword and showing it off. “Look at this beauty Alice I bet you can appreciate the enchantments”. The group picked up Reginald and Jonathan then headed to a bar. Even if bitter sweet they had victory one more servant of the vampires dead.