Chapter 1: Departure (Day 2)

Kramat, the big guy in question, has moved away from your group and is making a show of checking his sword and shield, rebuckling armor, running through a few calisthenics, all as though he expects to be attacked by vicious, magically mutated monsters the second he crosses the wards. Or he's still just trying to show off. Probably the latter. Four others eventually filter in to join the original three --human, dwarf, and gnome -- that arrived earlier. One is a halfling man dressed in traveling clothes over leather armor, a shortsword and dagger belted at his waist and a black enameled pin at his collar -- an Obsidian College member. Two human women that can only be identical twins, they're so uncannily similar to one another, follow soon after. One carries a longbow and is dressed in greens and browns, the other in plain traveling clothes. The latter's affiliation with the school is impossible to tell from her appearance. Finally, an elven man carrying a pair of rapiers saunters into the square, his chain shirt jingling slightly. None of them approach your group, staying to their own team members, though they don't seem to be interacting with one another all that much.

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What you guess to be a short time before second bell, Athisa Veras arrives at the square flanked by two of the Shining Guard. She slows for a moment, looking from group to group, before she comes closer and speaks. "Everyone is here on time once again. Excellent."

She spends some time reiterating things that she told you on the previous day: how you are to explore, reestablish contact with people outside the wards, study firsthand the lingering effects of the War on the landscape and the people who occupy it, report back when you are able, and so forth. She addresses Kramat's group then, saying, "Your initial mission is to head east to make contact with the elves of the Vaelt. Master Iene of Jade College has family on the eastern shore of the lake that will assist your on your journey." She pauses then, the obvious concern that this family may no longer be there hanging over her words. "In the event that is not possible, you should continue east toward the capital, Asmaran."

Then she turns to your group. "As for you, we have spoken of this a bit already. Head to the southwest shore and up the river, try to make contact with Yelnar's family. From there, your path is somewhat up to you, depending on what you find. My own inclination would be to send you south into Valerma, but Ardraven to the west would also be a reasonable choice."

Verrian raises a hand to gain Athisa's attention. "Athisa, is there a specific reason you are leaning toward Valerma as our starting exploration objective?"

The South Gate leads to one of the major harbors of the city, and while the wards have cut off the typical lake traffic back and forth to Meriava's island, traditionally the South Gate square was one of the busier areas of the city. Three years on after the wards went up, the square has shown the cracks in Meriava's bustling society. Where the open air market used to offer fresh fruits from Valerma and exotic foods from The Vaelt and Rhamia, there's little such commerce any more. A full half of the merchants have closed their shops. While the School provides in these times of shortages, there's something missing from the soul of the city, and the South Gate square shows it.

So the rumors that people are starting to leave the city definitely cause curiosity. At first, no one was really certain when or where these departures would happen, but word travels fast, and there are crowds beginning to gather around the edges of the square. The Shining Guard is here, and to a careful observer, you would notice that there are more and more of the Guard showing up every minute, matching the growth in onlookers among the citizens.