“Care to share a bit more, I know it's been hard at Gravitas young lady but why Trask and it's fledgling Enchanter’s guild?” Dren showing genuine concern for Heran, the kind a doting older relative would have for a niece.

In all truth Dren was a family friend and himself was already a grandfather though unfortunately was living alone by the fact that both his daughters had married into a different branches of a prominent family in another Erun city. He had been living with his wife 10 years after their youngest daughter was married and they at least visited them about twice a year with their own families when his wife Lena passed from ill health. Close friends would say it was a miracle that she lived to see her own grandchildren as her health was never great since she was a child and each birth of their daughters was an emotional ordeal of her frail health.

Lena died at 45 years of age, a week before their daughters’ visit. They were shocked at first but had already understood their mother’s delicate constitution.

Afterwards, Dren’s girls were kind enough to offer him a place to stay at either of their homes which he gently refused by saying “I made a promise to your mother to give something to the grandchildren and I’ll be true to that wish.” It has been 3 years since then and he has reached the ripe age of 50 and according to his words, “Only a year left to finish it.” though whatever “it” was he never told his daughters and they never forced him to.

“Well simple story is, I'm planning a fresh start there.” Heran stated but seeing Dren and the rest of the group still confused she began to elaborate. “As you all know, I was born to parents who where as young children were both exposed to the calamity that brought about the affliction called “Living Decay”. From the moment they moved away from the Fallen City and into new different Erun settlements they were marked as survivors and afflicted with the unusual conditions, in their case, both were considered infertile and no other Erun would have them until they met on another. I was of a few rare occurrences in the many survivors who were able to marry and not have children. They were able to have me but no more and even now the few children who had grown up healthy are being ostracized as also an end to our line by being unable to sire and conceive.”

“Aye Lass. Ya live in a hard society. We dwarves had always extolled the value and achievement of our ancestors and strive to bring praise to our family but to you and Dren, family and blood is the core to existence.” Oleg shared his sentiments to everyone.

“Thank you. But I am not done. I wish to make my way to Trask as news of the Head enchanter there was an Erun by the name of Dasha and she to was born to parent who were survivors of the Living Decay and the word is that she has a child which shares qualities to both parentages.” Heran ending in almost a soft whisper only enough for the group to here.

“It may be just Human and Erun. I mean all humans are apparently compatible to the other enlightened races.” Gale plainly said with a shrug

“You mean the rumored Orc-Erun hybrid?” Dren matching the soft whisper Heran ended on and setting the rest of the parties eyes wide.

It was a fact that humans were able to procreate with all of the other enlightened races and even to some monsters but it was near impossible for most of the enlightened races to be able to procreate with one another, save for the Fae, though theirs is an entirely different case. Hybrids were extremely rare, much more so as compared to the cases of half humans.Births for healthy, same raced couples produced upwards of at least 2 children. A human with a different raced partner would successfully have at least one child per couple though might increase if the other partner was half-human to begin with. Then the case of different raced couples the possibility of having young came to 1 child for any 10 couples and that already accounts for a coupling of over both partners’ reproductive lifespan.

The children of these mixed coupling were like weakened copies of their other parent as per example of a male human and female troll or vice versa. Their children would gain the slightly shorter lifespan of a human and their flexibility to sire other offspring of a different parentage and barely a third the strength and vitality a troll would have of the same size. Their arms would be a bit longer and they were slightly taller but when they say have children of another human they would lose all traces of troll traits or if they were to have children with a troll, then all those born were trolls with a slightly lessened vitality.

The lessened possibility of having better qualities of the non-human parent would decrease dramatically the stronger the traits became and may reach a point of like one child for every hundred couples and the miniscule chance of a child having both its parents traits were then a hundred times less likely than the previous case.

Using the example in the previous paring of troll and human, this would mean an adult retaining the form of the human parent but having the strength and vitality comparable to an adult troll or in the other case a troll gaining the ability to have offspring with decreased traits of other races while still having the troll’s own characteristics.

There are varying degrees to changes in appearance in every case and all the previous knowledge has been recorded in many an oral tale for the common folk but in more detail in scholarly learning.

“This news is slightly dated, over a few years already. But the fact stands that she had found compatibility and I wish to ask her about it. And maybe bring more information on this case for the Health Ministry’s notice or simply live my own life there and find a good man who doesn’t know of my affliction.” Heran ended with a little glisten to her eyes as the two other female members of the party came hug her from either side.

Mala, herself was half elven from her mother and half human from her father and was as sure a shot with a bow as any human marksman only in her case it was with greater ease and consistency as she was able to pull a bow twice the draw weight one might expect of her lean build and moving through the forest was as easy as a sprint on open ground, though seeing as her father was an talented enough of a human to become an Elven Rangers apprentice also helped.

Gale on the other hand had an Erun father and Human mother and she has a way with imparting power into projectiles and blades even though her father was never talented in enchanting and worked as a logger and her mother was a fairly competent seamstress. Gales talents lay in enhancing the effects of her attacks by means of inscriptions to her tools, said inscriptions were imparted with a bit of her own energies and needed only to be activated when in use.

This was the same in all Erun. Though enchanting can be done by any skilled member of any race, Erun Engraving was unique in that their enchanting had more permanence as it did not need to be re-etched after a few uses like how a blade would dull after vigorous use, and that their enchantments were the only ones able store energies to power the effects before actively drawing on the user once the stored energy runs out and after use the enchantment could then be recharged.

“We wish you luck then sister.” Gale said as Mala nodded in affirmation.

“Hmmm. I understand the sense to your humble reason Lady Heran. I admire the way you value life and family and I wish you well in your plans.” Renas humbling himself with a curt bow and a hand over his heart. “To us Khar, those that survive the first 2 years as hatchlings are only then named and considered completely part of a family.”

The Khar had young in clutches of about 4-6 at a time and are cared for like that of any infant but by two years only 1 or 2 may survive due to many different reasons as they live in a swampy or waterside land. One may argue to move the young immediately to a different location or have a pregnant female lay eggs in a safer area but the Khar eggs will only hatch and the young only grow properly from food from places with the most inhospitable of swampland or rugged of seashores.

The egg laying, birthing and initial raising of Khar young could well be likened to that of migratory animals such as ocean fish spawning in freshwater lakes after a grueling upriver journey. Some Khar from long ago had tried to defy this fact of nature to little success. Yes the were a handful of other viable places to nest and rear their clutch but only to the hundreds of failed attempts and subsequently weakened or inferior generations produced or lost from the attempts of expansion. There were also three main kinds of Khar but that is something for a later tale.

“So Lady Heran, when will you be embarking unto Trask?”

“Renas, my friend, no need to rush. Maybe after a two weeks as I have yet to arrange my means of travel and for now I will apply for a license to be able to accept work and move through the Khar boundary.”

This was a fact and function fixed by the different branches of the adventures guild that as a great number of individuals with military potential and even a few with kingdom theatning might needed to be properly accounted for and their credentials be vouched for. Badges are used for identification with marks of rank and professions practiced or skills possessed and there is even an imprinting system which allows each branch to input titles and achievements unto the badge which can be read by every branch but only edited and amended by the branches guildmaster with the precense of local governments representative. Also in some countries the guild may be so named as the freelancers, laborers, pioneer, mercenary or even problem solver’s guild. The only thing that carries over all different iterations of the guild is that all their operations conforms to the laws of the locality they are in and they will abstain in all military conflicts and move more towards relief and rebuilding functions though any members who do align with the local military shall lose their neutrality.

“I may be able to help you there Lady Heran, I have contacts in the next Khar towns.”

“How about you Sirs? Have you set your own plans for the following days?” Renas asking the rest of the men.

“Well both of us shall join up with the lass for the weeks she'll be here as we would wait for the seasons to change. The routes to Dwarven lands would still be closed with the rains and rock falls as summer changes to fall and the we'll bide our time here on the border before getting some ponies to take us to the mountains down south.” Veren answered for both of them.

“Me, I'll be going back with the return group of the caravan in about two days, Gale and Mala are coming with me.” Dren answered as Gale nodded and rested her arm on her.

“Well as long as you all are here in town, I will welcome you to my cousin’s house. He was left to care for the house as the rest of his family are traveling to Scar’s Edge for his brother’s wife will deliver her first clutch and they would stay there for a while. I was asked to accompany my cousin as he waits for other relatives from Scar’s Edge to move here to fill in the opened work.”

Heran looked to the Oleg and Veren which both gave approving nods. “Thank friend Renas. We will take you up on your offer.”

“Thank you Renas but I would kindly decline the offer as an I will be staying with an old friend in town.” Dren replyied and looked towards Gale and Mala.

Gale made a motion to speak but Mala spoke first. “Thanks Renas we will take up you offer.” Mala grinned and Gale was helpless to her side simply nodding.

Her reasons simply wanting to continue talking to Heran before they would part ways and it allow her a little bit more coin for souvineers to bring back to Gravitas. Khar houses were known for their hospitality to guests and especially so in Renas’ case as his family was one of the martial oriented Khar and worked as arm's masters, soldiers and officers for the Khar armies.

“Now then friends, how about I bring you to my family’s abode.” Renas showing a wide and toothy grin before and walking out the tavern with a joyous sway in his tail.

Once outside, they all saluted Dren before they parted ways.