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A Practical Guide to Vampires and Werewolves

by Rumor Duskveil, herald to Donovan Shadeweaver

Introduction

This is a guide for incoming members of Donovan’s staff here in Mire’s edge. It will serve as a valuable resource for navigating and exploiting the Vampire and Werewolf situation here in Blackspore for the benefit of Shadeweaver business. Keep this guide on you at all times during your operations, and remember to never openly attack a Vampire, Werewolf, or anything for that matter here in Blackspore, leave it to the Shadowtalon to get their hands dirty.

You’ll find that a lot of things in Blackspore want to eat, maim, or otherwise harm you. That’s kinda just the way of life here, and you’ve gotta learn to deal with it. Even old Mucklewump keeps a pretty tough dingy paddle in his house that he’ll smack snoopy noses with if they get too close. Don’t even try it.

Amongst those ghouls and monsters in Blackspore are the two predominant monster-families in Sacred Grove, the Vampires and the Werewolves. Both hail from the once-lush valley Blackforest, which is just east of Stillwater Crossing. Rumor has it that after the unbinding, Blackforest was decimated and not restored by Queen Ayani, so they came to Sacred Grove a hundred years ago to petition for Druid assistance. When Queen Ayani deemed the land full of foul and dark magic (which, to be fair, the place had Vampires and Werewolves, so duh) and refused to restore their homeland, the two parties attacked the Royal Guard in protest, and were banished from Sacred Grove. They found solace, as all criminals do, in Blackspore.

The ancestral home of both these races, Black Forest, simply called Blackforest by some, is credited as being the most lush and lively forest in all of Sacred Grove before the unbinding. With trees as high as buildings, many of the denizens of Blackforest were able to carve out homes within them. The World tree is actually inspired by Blackforest architecture. The rulers of the forest were the two so-called “elite” races of Pixies and Humans, the Vampires and Werewolves. The Werewolves, with their supreme warmongering and martial skill, assumed kingship over all of the inner sanctum of Black Forest. Meanwhile, the Vampires, with their extreme intelligence and political prowess, ruled the outer edges of the forest, the clearer and more civilized areas. Every so often, small villages of humans and pixies lived in relative isolation from the rest of the everlasting forest, but they were often raided and/or taken over by either party. This is the reason Queen Ayani deemed the two tyrannical races were not allowed to be considered part of Sacred Grove politics, and why before the unbinding they were not on the Gleam Council.

The great empires of both Vampires and Werewolves have been decimated and reduced to two single-bodied political groups, displaced from their homelands and disgraced beyond recovery. The citizens of Sacred Grove, whether Vampire, Werewolf, or otherwise, all do not feel like they belong in Sacred Grove, despite being permanent residents. For the Vampires and Werewolves, who were at the height of their power before the unbinding, this has had two consequences:  

1. They each blame eachother for attacking guards 100 years ago in Sacred Grove while maintaining their own innocence, when it’s confirmed by the Royal Guard’s records that both attacked the Royal Guard. It should be noted that this was also several generations ago, and yet the current leadership and members of each race still blame one another. This extends to blaming either or for the loss of their great home, Blackforest, which is the more violent opinion, and mention of “the homeland” will typically result in immediate fighting.

2. They hate eachother, and are in an eternal struggle for control of Blackspore as they were in Blackforest. Which is dumb, Donovan controls Blackspore and they should know that.

The 100 year old grudge between Vampire and Werewolf also extends into the Pumpkin Prince’s assault on Sacred Grove every so often. Every time he has risen, he’s asked either the Werewolves or the Vampires to participate in his invasion of Sacred Grove. Every time, both of the monsters have an all out ground war to prove their worth. What’s worse, the Pumpkin Prince takes full advantage of both of them to stir up trouble, and eventually chooses one to bring undead-wrath upon the world. Luckily, he’s been stopped pretty early the few times he’s been successful by some unknown heroes, so the Vampires and Werewolves haven’t been in that much trouble lately. They’re still considered evil by most though, so they cannot leave Blackspore Swamp.

In your business travels, you’ll often find yourself either on one side or in the middle of a fight between the Vampires and Werewolves. Here’s what you need to know about them to be successful.

Vampires

“Blessed” as they say with an unidentified type of Gloam Magic, the souls of Vampires have been permanently frozen in time. As a result, their bodies are lucratively strong, they’re extremely skilled at most forms of magic, and are even able to perform some even without a wand. They have their own distinct set of spells, including transforming into a bat, which they use quite often. This comes at a cost though. Because the very souls of Vampires are “frozen” in time and forever static, they are effectively immortal, and live excessively long lives. The other problem is that over time, their souls lose their natural magical affinity. In order to maintain magical presence in their souls (and basically stay alive) they have to feed on the souls of the living! They do this by sucking blood, and powerful Vampires can even suck the soul right out of a person, making them a corpse. It’s pretty disgusting too, they make a slurping noise when they’re feeding on people. Trust me, I’ve seen it way too many times. Also as a result of their lack of a soul, most forms of magic are extremely effective on them, and the sheer power of the sun weakens their magical abilities, as they live off of darkness and dark magic.

Becoming a Vampire is pretty straightforward. The soul is altered and corrupted by Gloam Magic, and can be spread from person to person by biting. It’s believed (though not really studied) by Druids that the fangs of Vampires act like wands in a way, channeling dark magic from them as they bite. This is why it’s very dangerous to be bitten by a Vampire, and more than likely you’ll be infected if you get bitten.

In Blackforest, before the unbinding, Vampires lived in small, isolated kingdoms on the edges of the forest, each with their own kings and queens, and vampires who supported them and worked under their rule.The Sullenfang family were amongst the highest of Vampiric Nobility, and were responsible for the “good intentions of the vampiric race” according to them. Under Sullenfang leadership, the Vampires grew to adapt their own types of strange Vampire-magic, arts, culture, and fashion style. The Druid Academy classifies vampiric magic as Gloam Magic, but I haven’t found it to be as sinister as full on Gloam Magic. It’s absolutely dark though.

After the unbinding, the Sullenfang family led the expedition to Blackspore, being one of the few noble Vampire families left standing after the unbinding. They where in charge of the diplomatic meetings in Sanctuary, and Don Sullenfang, Edward Sullenfang’s father, was the one who ordered the Vampires to attack the guards after discovering their homeland would not be restored. Don is generally the guy to blame, because none of the other Vampires, being pretty well versed diplomats, wanted to make any further trouble. After a hundred years, Don was taken out of power when Jacob Blackforest defeated him in combat. He was considered to be the most foolish and least experienced Vampire King there ever was, and Vampires were happy to see Ed come into power.

Under Edward Sullenfangs (or just Ed), the Vampires have made notable steps to working their way back into society, and some say he’s a pretty good guy. Ed has made trade deals with the Shadeweaver organization in Blackspore, allowing for some free exchange of resources to occur between the two in Mire’s edge. He’s rumored to have started up several small Vampire covens (covens are what they call their little family groups, lead by a leader or a king of some sort) outside Blackspore, to ensure the survival of their race and integrate Vampires into society without harm. He’s opened up Vampire recruitment to willing souls that wish to take their eternal gift, and Vampiric numbers have grown strong by the flocks of really dumb adventurers who think it’s a good idea to just go get bitten. Don’t let any of this fool you though, Edward is a political mastermind, and has been working against the Werewolves and for the pure benefit of the Vampires his entire career. He’s double-crossed, ambushed, and lied his way to the top, and he’s the best Vampire to do it. Take the Vampires very seriously when it comes to politics and deals, it’s likely they’re setting you up for a trap.

The Royal guard still sees Vampires as monsters and criminals all at once, so if you ever see a Vampire outside of Blackspore in a place where the Royal Guard patrols, you can easily get them out of your hair by turning them in. They’ll be arrested and taken to Sanctuary for jailing. This is a very easy way to deal with them.

If you ever get in a scuffle with a Vampire, remember to shine some light on the place you’re fighting if you can, and avoid getting bitten. If that doesn’t work out for you though, make sure you visit a mage as soon as possible. Most mages are able to use Gloam Magic to cleanse your soul of Vampiric corruption, but only within a full day of being bitten. After that, you’re stuck like that forever.

Werewolves

Feral beast-like creatures of the darkness, Werewolves, much like their Vampire counterparts, have had their souls altered by magic. While the Vampires’ souls seem to have been imbued with Gloam Magic, the Werewolves seem to have picked up a strange enchantment that has no discernible magical school of origin. Some say elemental magic contributes to it, others claim it is merely the true representation of a “wild soul”. Regardless, they too receive a variety of skills, mostly physical. Increased strength and sense of smell, keen eyesight, the ability to see in complete darkness, and ability to attune with and hide in nature, a skill that rivals that of the most masterful Ninjas. They even have a keen ability to communicate with predatory animals, and many run with wolf companions.

The most notable feature about Werewolves is their transformation into a feral form. In this state, their entire physical prowess is heightened, and they are hyper-aggressive. Most werewolves are still capable of speech in their Werewolf conditions, but I do not recommend speaking to a Werewolf. Much like the Vampires, infection is spread through a bite, and the magical details of infection are far from understood.

Werewolf history, unlike the well-recorded beginning of Vampiric nobility, is shrouded by folklore and pack-family stories. Legend has it that Moonlight itself blessed the wolves of Black Forest during their eternal hunt for power, and granted them humanoid forms. It was then that Werewolf Packs began to form, and an ancient royal bloodline was formed of the most capable and strong Werewolf leaders. A series of Werewolf Packs came into power in Blackforest, developing a rich honor-based and combat-driven culture that was so harsh and unlike the rest of Sacred Grove cultures that the Gleam Council were forced to create a Royal Guard just to ward invasion. The most powerful of these Werewolf families, the Blackforest pack (named after the forest itself), bred several smaller subfamilies that made up Werewolf nobility, each calling themselves a “bloodline” of the original. These “packs” fought amongst each other almost as much as they fought the Vampires of Black Forest for power, territory, and the ability to assert their “Alpha” over others. The Werewolves’ vast empire was the most violent in Sacred Grove’s long history.

After the unbinding, many of the Packs were unable to support themselves with no forest or food, and fell apart. The Blackforest Pack, led by Jacob Blackforest, fled to Sacred Grove before his pack was destroyed by the collapse of Black Forest. It is rumored that Jacob Blackforest was not the only Werewolf nobility to make it to Sacred Grove, and that his two siblings, of the Blackpaw and Blackpelt packs, made it as well. The three families were at war with one another though, so it’s doubtful any survived, and they’d be quick work if they were. If however one were to run into these parties though, they would be great leverage for Master Donovan in Blackspore, and should be reported immediately.

Jacob Blackforest led the diplomatic discussions between Sacred Grove and the Werewolves. Known for his battle prowess and supreme combat-knowlege, Jacob has been a hero for the Werewolf people, and a villain for pretty much anyone else. The Blackforest family, and hence any Werewolves in Blackspore, are simply hyper-aggressive. I stress again that they should not be attacked whatsoever. Taking advantage of their aggressive behavior and intense hatred for the Vampires should be the route you pursue when speaking with a Werewolf; they’re very easy to inspire to attack someone else.

As with the Vampires, Werewolves are regarded by the general public as monsters and criminals, and you should be very quick to take advantage of that fact if you encounter a Werewolf in the suitable circumstance. It’s unlikely to encounter a Werewolf outside of Blackspore, but if you do, be sure to alert the guards and clear out- there will undoubtedly be a fight.

If you are foolish enough to enter combat with a Werewolf, the best strategy I would adopt is to run, or keep them at range. If you’re a skilled wizard or archer, hiding in a tree seems to be a half-decent option, but rest assured the Werewolf will rush and attack you no matter how much you try to keep them away. If bitten, seek out a healer immediately who is familiar with using Gleam magic. The transformation process into a Werewolf is much more violent and dangerous than that of a Vampire.

Conclusions

All in all, these two races of Sacred Grove monsters are dangerous, and some of the trickiest problems Master Donovan has run into during his reign over Blackspore. Armed with this knowlege, that has been collected by Shadoweaver agents for as long as they have been functional, you stand a chance against them.

Utilize your wit and your clever deception to twist their actions and motives to fit your own, such is the way of our organization. Above all, never let the Vampires or Werewolves find out if you’re manipulating them or that our organization is manipulating them. Our very delicate and careful web of lies would be completely torn up if they discovered we were prodding their conflict for our own profit.

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The Council of Guilds: Transcript 1

Date: January 12th, 101 years since the rebirth

Attendance: Representatives Ironfist, Potts, Camellia, Naia, and Dare, Queen Valerian, new Representative Master Ty, Royal Wizard Oswald recording transcripts

Agenda: Introducing new Representative Master Ty 

Transcript begin, meeting called to order at 3PM

Queen Valerian: “Thank you all for coming to this emergency meeting, it’s become apparent that we must consider another guild in our defense committee” 

Representative Monica Dare: “With all due respect, your highness, I would not categorize the Ninjas of Sacred Grove as a guild, and definitely not any guild worthy of this council” 

[Redacted] Sam Potts: “They’re snakes, the whole lot of them! Always sneaking around with their weird shoes and their swords and their oddly shaped weapons... up to no good...” 

Representative Marcus Ironfist: “I agree, the Warrior’s Guild will tolerate NO such scoundrels on this committee, the Ninjas’ lack of loyalty proves their unreliability to our nation’s cause” 

Queen Valerian: “Order! This committee was founded for the protection of Sacred Grove and her people. The Ninja Clans of our lands may not all be reasonable, but Master Ty and I have quite the history, and I trust him as much as any of you, you will listen to what he has to say.”

[Redacted] Representative Potts: “Is that a ship I hear?” 

The floor is given to Master Ty 

Representative Master Ty: “Thank you, your Highness. I thank you all for tolerating my presence, and I understand that our paths as guilds are very different. The Ninjas of Sacred Grove have a unique political system in place that doesn’t quite lend itself to an overall organization, this is because we Ninja value our freedom of unique practice: every dojo runs themselves differently. I will attempt to prove to you during our time together that, at the very least, the Flying Dragon Clan is worthy of being represented on this council. We will serve as eyes in the darkness, and others have been hiding from this committee. We are dedicated to the protection of Sacred Grove, and intend to put even our lives down as proper proof of this fact. I would ask that in today’s vote you consider my loyalty and service for Sacred Grove, and bring me on to work with you all.” 

Queen Valerian: “I would like to add that Master Ty and his Dojo have the most instances of cooperation with the Royal Guard, according to our records:” 

Royal Mage Oswald: “The Committee records have 51 individual instances of Flying Dragon Clan cooperation in assisting the Royal Guard in tasks that were too difficult or complex for the deployed guard to handle alone”

Representative Ironfist: “This is impressive, but the Warrior’s Guild alone has almost triple that, and we’ve been around much less than the Ninja Clans have” 

Representative Ty: “This is because you’re only looking at the instances in which our Clan defended threats the council knew about” 

Representative Dare: “Are you trying to say that we’re ignorant or something?” 

[Redacted] Representative Potts: “Dare, you’re not the smartest Druid in the flower field”

[Redacted] Representative Camiella: “I take offense that, any Druid is smarter than a brawler”

Queen Valerian: “ORDER!” 

Representative Ty: “It is true, as effective and strong as this council has been, it has missed some rather large threats that have been kept in the dark from even this most-capable group of people here today.” 

Representative Potts: “And because you’re the fancy ninja dude you have connections with every underground network from Lavender Coast to Snowhill” 

Representative Ty: “Correct.” 

Representative Camiella: “Excuse me Master, but you mentioned the Dojos, if your Clan is so willing to assist, why not bring the other Clans into the fold on this committee as well, as to offer as many eyes in the field as possible. I would imagine more informants from the shadowy sides of the realm would be useful, no?” 

Representative Ty: “What you must understand is that each Ninja Clan operates independently from one another; the big three have been known to adopt three unique and wholly opposite viewpoints, and smaller Clans generally work for themselves and whatever jobs they can get, that usually means illegal ones.” 

[Redacted] Representative Potts: “Because three things can all be opposite of one another, right” 

Representative Ty: “The Flying Dragon Clan stands at the corner of moral righteousness and adherence to the ethics of the laws. Meaning, we trust most in the system of law put into place by the ruling party, in this case Queen Valerian and by extension this committee. The Leaf Clan in Greenwood Forest believes in a world of balance, that righteousness a world of balance, and that what is right for one Ninja may not be right for another. They run an absolutely independent political system in their Dojo, and will only take missions all their Ninja agree to and vote to support. As such, they would not like to simply agree to any laws put forth by the Royal Guard that they do not think are fair to one person or another, but will unite against wholly evil sources in the world, they would not be a good fit in the committee, as certain rebellions could be viewed as righteous in their eyes.”

Representative Naia: “Understandable, doctors feel the same way about medicine”

Representative Ty: “Meanwhile, the Shadowtalon Clan believes that there is no such thing as good or evil, and that there is simply what benefits the Clan, and what does not. The Shadowtalon Clan has caused the most trouble for Sacred Grove for this reason, although their intentions are pure, they often find themselves acting out against the law in many ways for their own gain. To them, if it will help their Ninja, it is worth doing. What’s best for their greater good is perfectly within reason” 

Representative Ironfist: “That sounds all too familiar”

Queen Valerian: “So, it seems only fitting that the only Clan aligned with us should serve on this council. I understand we have much to discuss and very little time in this emergency meeting to do so but I would like to bring Master Ty’s immediate induction into the committee to a vote. He has shown his objectives and experience already, and I think he’d be a great addition to this team.”

[Redacted] Representative Potts: “Do it for the meme” 

Vote: 6/7, vote passes. 

End of transcript

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Mysteries of Sacred Grove Artifacts

by Sir Wellington of the Sacred Grove Artificer’s Guild

Introduction

The world is a very, very old place. 

Sacred Grove’s rich history is recorded to the best of anyone’s knowledge in the History Books of the World Tree. It tells of the Precursors, of the Gloam Council and the Gleam Council. The Unbinding, and Queen Ayani’s mystical restoration of our known world. It’s concise, simply placed, and seemingly written in stone. 

But written in stone is far from the case, I dare do say so myself. The history of Sacred Grove may be found in rock yes, under years of dirt and grime and rot, but it is not all uncovered. The history of our great Sacred Grove is still a mystery in itself, and it wasn’t until the first Artificers began pulling great artifacts out of the ground that we began to learn of the true power and glory of our precursor civilization and even about the world before that. 

I am Sir Edmund Wellington of the Sacred Grove Artificer’s Guild, Master Artificer, and this is my passion. Discovering the truth behind the great lost mysteries of our past, seeing what can be brought out from the depths of the deepest tunnels and mines of our world to show everyone a different place, what maybe could have been, and what yet could be. I am an Artifact Hunter, and in this book I will uncover many of the mysteries and untold stories of our past, and perhaps our future! 

At some point in this text you will find that I am delving into territory unknown. This is the art of the Artifact Hunter, as sometimes the things we may find are not exactly things anyone has ever seen before. I ask you then, dear reader, to bear with me, and enjoy the adventure as we explore the great mysteries of Sacred Grove’s Artifacts. 

Precursor Artifacts

The most recognizable and yet surprisingly the most rare of the artifacts you are bound to have heard of are Precursor artifacts. These artifacts are best distinguished by their tan/stone base with unknown precursor energy flowing through them in literal veins all across the artifact, either in the traditional blue-energy form or a strange “molten” alternative, although they differ only in appearance. Even rarer are ACTIVE precursor artifacts, or those who are found with functioning abilities. They appear to have a very raw, primitive form of magic imbued within them. Despite that, much of their magical capabilities are lost to us as a society. 

Most Precursor Artifacts are dated by most artificers to originate in the early days of the Gleam Council, when the Gleam Council began its centralized influence over the rest of the world, it began manufacturing precursor structures and various other tools in the same fashion to distribute to the denizens of Sacred Grove. When the Unbinding occurred, many of the Precursor objects and structures were lost to the massive wipe of magical energy that swept across the land. What remains are bits and pieces of a magical/technological knowledge that we have yet to even fully understand. 

Some Precursor artifacts are simple to figure out the usage of, and even still work, yet we have no idea how. The fundamental laws of magic imply that magic imbued in objects is simply limited in its nature in both power and capability, and once put into an object, it can’t exactly be dismantled without a release of the magic kept within it. We cannot build objects that keep massive and easily convertible amounts of magic within them. The precursor artifacts though, simply do not care for the fundamental laws of magic, and seem to break everything we think we know about the subject. To begin, they appear to be made of normal bedrock and yet hold and generate their own power. This would imply that the Precursor artifacts are somehow either receiving magic continuously from some unknown source, or are somehow generating their own magic power, meaning they are living beings. Both possibilities are intriguing. Owners of Precursor Artifacts report their artifacts pulsing or acting strangely in the moments before trouble arrived. Most times the function of Precursor artifacts are easy to figure out, such as in the case of the warpstone, and the Druid Academy has been able to figure out how to utilize its network via Spectral Magic. Many, however, still remain a mystery. Objects with no obvious function, humming and waiting for their moment to reveal themselves to us. 

The allure of this strange mystery behind working precursor artifacts has made them highly sought after by average consumers, and artificers have made a pretty penny by selling off found artifacts to consumers. The smartest of these artificers have found that precursor artifacts can be carved into objects that simply take on the form of what they appear they are. For example, Precursor hoverboards and hover-boots are wildly abundant in the current market, and yet only two to three ACTUAL precursor hoverboards have ever been recorded to be found, and no hoverboots have ever been reported by Artificers. The rest were artificers defacing large portions of precursor stone and structures to carve something that resembled the first-found precursor hoverboards. Hoverboard salesman didn’t seem to notice, but these objects SOMEHOW  began acting as hoverboards, the select stones at their base becoming filled with the light-blue magical energy that allows the extremely heavy bit of stone to float. According to one Artificer, “It’s as if the artifact, once carved, knew exactly what I wanted it to be, and changed to fit that order” . The defacing of valuable pieces of history for Sacred Grove consumer enjoyment is something I find revolting, and I myself will never use a “fake” precursor artifact. What’s more, the conventional usage of precursor artifacts is a complete waste of the potential of the artifact. Real precursor artifacts, such as the real precursor hoverboard found, was able to manipulate its shape at will, become a chair for the user, close and open doors, and shade its owner from the sun if it wasn’t being used. Precursor artifacts, though we think we understand them and use them, likely house a plethora of unknown functions and mysteries that could be dangerous. For this reason, I tend to keep precursor artifacts rather sparingly. 

Even more mysterious are the precursor structures that still stand, although there are few. Merryvale houses the most pristine precursor structure, that seems to be emulating a massive rainbow from its core. The Great Wall in Blackspore is also an example. These structures still appear to be partially active, and their true purpose is completely unknown. 

Precursor objects present a mystery in both how they work and how they’re still active. They are, in my opinion, the most interesting of artifacts, as uncovering them has very much felt like uncovering a part of the soul of Sacred Grove. 

Artifacts from before the Unbinding

Arrowheads, Jugs, Plates, Jewelry, these are truly the bread and butter of an Artificer’s dig-site. These objects, while seeming completely mundane to their precursor counterparts, are actually MORE telling of what life was like before the binding! Their simple structure, intuitive design, and lack of strange magic that is liable to harm anyone who pried too much into it has allowed artificers to truly delve into the way life was lived by the everyday Sacred Grove inhabitant before the Gloam rocked our world. 

What’s interesting is the degree of craftsmanship found in many of the artifacts recovered in these pre-binding artifacts. Many of the pottery and plate craftsmanship is eons ahead what our current blacksmiths could accomplish with traditional sets of tools. Some dinnerware and plate-ware from the pre-binding era have been found under several-hundred feet of rubble and have been found both unbroken and without a scratch on them, still shining. The same is true for lots of artifacts, including swords without chips or scratches, mirrors that appear brand new and have strange magical auras about them, and many more objects. 

Many designs we’ve found have been brought to craftsman at the best forges in Sacred Grove to be mimicked to create better technology for today’s world to use, another useful outcome from Artifact Hunting. 

It seems, based on our findings, that the precursors knew something we didn’t about crafting objects. Hopefully further investigation will uncover their sources.

Items of Unknown Origin 

The job of Artificer may simply seem like uncovering old pieces of what one would call “junk” from the world, but it is as much an adventure as any profession in Sacred Grove, I would dare say more adventurous than most. 

Occasionally, objects will be found by artificers that don’t have an obvious era of origin, or any signs of where they came from or how they got somewhere. The picture above is a photo taken by world renowned artificer Sunstone Jones, who was doing a dig not far from the Shadow Talon Dojo in Blackspore when he found a set of Ninja gear that looked identical to that in which you see this ghost wearing. Upon consultation with Dojo headmasters it was determined that this set of armor hadn’t been crafted by any Ninja in dojo history and had no origins in either design inspiration nor Ninja Clan affiliation (might I add that the Ninjas have kept EXTREMELY detailed records for millennia, and even possess records that go before the Gloam Council’s destruction). Simply put, it came from nowhere, and had no known origin. 

Intrigued, Sunstone Jones took the suit of armor out of Blackspore on his way to the Druid Academy, where he had done research in the past with the Druids on ancient artifacts. While leaving and after the sun had set, highway robbers (Thugawugs, no doubt) took to trying to take Sunstone Jones’s artifacts away. Being unarmed, Sunstone Jones was forced to hand over his pack of artifacts. As he sadly hiked on the path back to the nearest town, the Thugawugs returned, screaming and shivering. They shoved Sunstone’s items back in his hands, pack and all, and gave them all their money and pleaded for forgiveness before fleeing into the woods. Given that Thugawugs generally are too stupid to be scared of any regular vigilante, Jones was confused, but wasn’t asking any questions, he proceeded to Shrouded Glade, with haste. The travel took him all across the back-roads of Sacred Grove. 

Once at the Druid Academy, Arch-Druid Camellia and him began investigating the Academy’s record of Ninja individuals who could have work such a suit of armor. They found none, to Jones’s surprise. It seemed like a dead end for the investigators, and the Druid Academy was ready to retire the suit of armor to a case before he spotted a strange looking sword on a table next to theirs. A Rookie Artificer had found a sword that no one believed he hadn’t fabricated himself. Interestingly enough, the Sword looked like it matched the armor. Working together with the new artificer, Sunstone Jones was still unable to find any record of a Ninja with such a suit of armor, but the discovery of a matching sword was promising. 

During a routine break from study, Sunstone Jones returned from a meal to find the young Rookie Artificer screaming hysterically. Apparently, he had tried to wear the armor only to find an angry ghost demand he take off his armor. The Rookie agreed and the Ghost took the armor and the sword, and had disappeared. The Armor and the Sword disappeared. 

Dumbfounded, Sunstone Jones began to run outside to find the Arch-Druid before he was greeted by the ghost, in which he took the above picture. The ghost said nothing except “thanks for taking me on vacation” before disappearing. Similar stories of the EXACT artifact set of armor and sword being found are reported every ten years or so. 

Becoming an Artificer

The life of an artificer is one of adventure and wonder, but also one that requires a particular amount of faith and endurance. Digging for artifacts is often a tiresome and fruitless task. Sometimes even the most experienced Artifact Hunters and Huntresses will go weeks without a good find. The best advice I can give is to fall in love with the simple act of finding something, and the rest will come. Adventure, as Sunstone Jones always says, comes when one is not seeking it. Those who seek adventure, find trouble, and those who find trouble typically end up at the bottom of a ruin without their safety ropes. 

If you wish to scour the world yourself and would like to learn the tools of the trade, feel free to visit me at my Artificer’s office in Blackspore Swamp. Better yet, if you see any Artificer on the job, feel free to come speak to them. While we are a very territorial group regarding our own dig spots, we are always welcome to speak on our passions. 

Good luck, adventurer, and happy digging! 

Sir Edmund Wellington, Master Artificer 

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whomst the voice

I cannot say

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Spells of Sacred Grove: Schools of Magic and How to Use them

Written by: Arch-Druid Camellia

The Druid Academy has spent years learning and perfecting the art of magic in Sacred Grove. Every spell is kept in duplicate in their libraries, and over time, five schools of magic have emerged. These schools of magic are similar to individual physical skills. Much like strength, agility and speed are each unique skills to be learned and applied in a broad context, the schools of magic are unique in their qualities and application. As such, this text will cover the individual schools of magic, their most common and useful spells, and how to recognize each school. 

A Brief Summary of The Root of Magic:

It should be recalled that the root of all magic comes from the soul. According to Queen Ayani’s scriptures “The Magic In Us All” magic is a spectral force that can be derived from the invisible, raw power of the soul inside all living beings. Thus, all living beings are capable of magic, and all magic comes from a discreetly living being, the only exception being small fragments or remnants of the soul in our world. Ghosts are a notable exception, although their magic is limited by the absence of their souls in our world and the type of object holding the remnants of their soul (whether it be bones, an artifact, or otherwise). 

As souls differ from person to person, so do magical aptitudes. Some may be more skilled at one bit of magic, while others are not. It is important that this distinction be made, as it should be pointed out beforehand that all forms of magic are useful or valuable in some way, and none are objectively better than the other. As such, no mage or wizard or novice should ever be treated as above or below another. This breaks the foundation of all magic in Sacred Grove, as all magic is wonderful and beautiful in its own way. 

Despite the inclination of some to specific schools of magic based on the unique qualities of their souls, the schools of magic can all be mastered by anyone willing to put in the hard work and dedication willing to do so. So try, try and try again!

The School of Elemental Magic

Characterized by the use of the elements: Earth, Fire, Water, Air, and Wood (nature), and many of their iterations or combinations, Elemental Magic is the most openly used magic by non-mages and professionals alike. It involves the direct summoning or usage of Sacred Grove’s elements by the caster. It is very much used by blacksmiths and other non-traditional magic jobs.

Most Common Spells:

Blacksmith Weapon Enchantments: 

Any and all Blacksmith Weapons of any quality enchantment are used with materials provided by Wizards and with spells placed upon them. Weapons imbued with any sort of magic are subject to simple elemental spells that do not require a caster to maintain (as they are relatively simple and work off the power of the wielder). Think of them as training wheels for non-wizards trying to cast spells. The Ninja, or Warrior, or Medic or Archer or Brawer uses their weapon, and the enchantments (casted by a wizard) casts the spell for them without their knowing in line with the weapon. Most weapon skills like this are in the elemental school of magic, but not all. 

Elemental Control: 

“Fire Control, Water Control, Air Control”, simple use of already existent elements, such as causing a fire to blow up into the air, or using a pond of water to splash a friend or foe or build a wall of the element, is a relatively simple spell that requires little energy. This is because the element itself already exists in the world and must not be created. This is commonly called “bending” by novices. This is because the spell can be used to morph or manipulate the element to any form. Creativity is the key to success when using elemental spells. 

Common Elemental Forms: 

Fire-Bend (for fire) 

Water-Bend (for water) 

Spring Life (for nature and plants)

Air-Bend (for air)

Earthquake (for earth)

Elemental Summons: 

Elemental control by summoning the required element is known as an Elemental Summons, and requires a bit more focus and energy to form. This is particularly true for fire magic, and pyromages must go through particularly more training before they can effectively control and summon fire at will. The more powerful the mage, the more powerful the spell and the more of an element one can summon. 

Common Elemental Forms: 

Summon Fire 

Fountain Blast

Call of Ayani

Call Winds

(note: you cannot summon land) 

The School of Spectral Magic

The School of Spectral Magic, also known as “Space Magic” or “Energy Magic” by novices and unprofessionals, is the magic that involves the usage of raw soul-energy. Such magic is a bit more temperamental and prone to error than elemental magic, as most forms of spectral magic aren’t meant to be sustained in Sacred Grove for long periods of time. As such, users should proceed with extreme caution when performing Spectral Magic, otherwise it could literally explode in their face. 

Most Common Spells: 

Lightning Bolt: 

Summon a bolt of lightning, or field of raw energy, to wipe over your opponents with extreme shock damage. Stronger spells can bounce between targets to cause even more electrical damage. (this is also somewhat used on some weapons) 

Teleportation: 

Warpstones take advantage of Spectral magic to teleport Sacred Grove inhabitants from place to place. Spectral magic can also be used to simply teleport without the use of the warpstone, should the user be strong enough to cast such a spell. 

Vortex: Summon a Vortex of pure destructive magic, warping everything inside. 

The School of Illusion Magic

Illusion Magic is magic that changes the form of anything and everything. The changes are typically temporary, but very powerful illusion magic can permanently change the form of whatever the spell may be cast on. This sort of defeats the name of illusion magic, causing some scholars to speculate that the name should be rehashed into “transformative magic”, but we at the Druid Academy have found that the new scholars have trouble pronouncing “transformative” and spelling it correctly on term papers. For this reason, and for the sake of position, we will continue to call it “illusion magic”. 

Most Common Spells: 

Transform: 

Change the form of any physical object or being into that of something else. It should be noted that it is unwise to transform nonliving things into living things and vice versa. A novice wizard once helped a furniture company in Snowhill by transforming a fake moose head into a live one. The Moose would not stop screaming and singing, much to the dismay of those who had bought it thinking it was an interesting furniture piece. In addition to casted spells, “mask” objects take advantage of the transform spell, and are imbued with a simple illusion spell to transform them into the object of whatever mask they wear. 

Project: 

Summon an illusion without transforming an other object, such as a fake wall, or person. These are most often used for springing traps. It should be noted that Ninjas are particularly skilled at projections and transformations to disguise themselves. Be wary of their magic, as it is very unrefined and rudimentary. The simplest of Druid Academy attendees should be able to point out a hoax. 

Summon Light: 

Much like project, magic lights are a form of illusion magic, and are much safer than mages who prefer to summon lightning or fire to illuminate an area. It causes much less burns and shocks.

The School of Gleam Magic

The school of Gleam Magic was founded by Queen Ayani after the unbinding, and involves the restorative and cleansing energies of a pure and kind soul. Gleam magic takes advantage of the good in a person and, unlike the other schools of magic mentioned before, do have prerequisites. A truly evil person cannot perform Gleam Magic, just as a truly good person cannot perform good Gloam Magic. Seeing as most people have small mixes of both good and bad, this is not a problem, but to perform truly great Gleam Magic (on the scale of Queen Ayani herself), it takes a mage of pure heart and soul. Still, many Gleam Spells can be casted with ease so long as you are not Gloam-infected nor inherently evil. Considering you are a member of the Druid Academy reading this book, I doubt you are evil. 

Most Common Spells

Heal: 

All healing magic stems from Gleam Magic. Medics, although they are highly skilled at physical forms of first aid, are mostly taught the fundamentals of Gleam Magic as a part of their medical training. Gleam magic can restore flesh and plants and souls torn asunder. It can cleanse sickness, and bring those close to death back from the brink. 

Detect Corruption: 

The best way to detect if someone is Gloam-Infected (though this has not occured in years) is to either cast a Gleam Spell on them. This will undoubtedly cause the Gloam-Infectee harm and rage, at which Gleam Spells should be used immediately to cleanse an infection. 

Light Magic/Cleanse: 

Similar to how Elemental Magic is used to weaponize the elements, Gleam Magic will summon the power of the light in one’s soul to attack and cleanse those of foul intent. A pure beam of light casted from the wand will dispel or knock out any foul creature. But beware, you might expose traitors in your midst as well. 

The School of Gloam Magic

The school of Gloam Magic has been strictly forbidden by the Druid Academy, as the corruption caused through the usage of Gloam Magic is far too dangerous and risky. Many a curious Druid has delved into the realms of Gloam Magic only to be corrupted and had their titles from them stripped. It caused many personal harm, or worse, caused them to be expelled from the Druid Academy. 

Still, one should be aware of the signs of Gloam Magic and its spells, as they can be extremely dangerous and a threat to all living beings in Sacred Grove. 

Most Common Spells: 

Mind Control: 

The most recognizable Gleam Spell is the mind-control spell, as many of the stories of the Gloam’s first rise tell. Purple-eyed minions absent of reason or their own memories. Do not try and speak to those who are under a Mind Control spell, you must cleanse them as soon as possible. 

Necromancy: 

The dark depths of Sacred Grove house those who try to cheat life by bringing the remains of beings back under their control. Necromancy is a dark and difficult magic that has many opportunities to backfire on the user. Should you see an undead zombie approaching you, beware! It should be noted that some fungus infections also cause necromancy. These fungal-zombies are simply infected with Gloam Magic stemmed from foul fungi and Gloam Spores themselves, and Gleam Magic is just as effective against them. 

Dark Magic/Shadow Magic: 

The use of Darkness as a physical element that is particularly potent against living things is one of the most dangerous forms of Gloam Magic. Purple and black-colored sparks and beams of light are telltale signs of powerful Gloam Magic. Avoid this at all costs. 

It should be stressed again that all Gloam Magic is FORBIDDEN in Sacred Grove. The Royal Guard and the Druid Academy alike will deal with culprits and criminals alike. Beware! 

Choosing your School of Magic

The schools of magic themselves are all unique and offer their own costs, benefits, advantages and disadvantages. As an aspiring scholar, one should consider each school (except Gloam Magic) before perhaps choosing one or two to initially focus on. Finding which school of magic is right for you can only be done by experimentation. Learn basic spells, find out what you like and what will help you in life best, and chase your dreams! 

Although it is technically possible to master all schools of magic, such wonderful feats are reserved for only the greatest of wizards. Considering you are at the Druid Academy, you may find yourself pressured to immediately launch yourself into a mastership of all the schools. Do not be foolish! Start small, and build your knowledge of each school of magic up gradually. The more you practice, the easier spells will become to cast. 

Even the greatest of wizards started out as small novices and hedge-wizards struggling to get somewhere in the world. Remember that! 

I wish you the best of luck in your magic adventures, and Ayani be with you! 

-Arch-Druid Camellia

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All about Oswald: a biography

Oswald is the Royal Mage for Queen Valerian in Sanctuary. He has served in numerous locations as an expert in magics of all schools, most notably as a head professor at the Druid Academy where he taught illusion magic to students. He was known as an exciting professor who often brought his students into the real world rather than teach in a classroom. 

Born and raised in Pixiewood, Sanctuary to two chef parents, Oswald’s only experience with magic as a child was in his own imagination. He and his friends used to play pretend as wizards, ninjas, and medics amongst the city’s streets. At the young age of only thirteen, he was accepted to the Druid Academy, and left his family bakery in Sanctuary to pursue a career in Elemental Magic. His original purpose in becoming an expert in elemental magic was to help out at the bakery using magic after he graduated. 

Once at the Druid Academy, Oswald took a particular liking to the imaginative and creative abilities illusion magic gave him, and instead changed career paths to illusion magic (much to his parent’s dismay). He was one of the youngest graduates from the Druid Academy and began a career as a wizard-for-hire adventurer immediately after graduating. Most graduates went on to run their own magic shops, or work for the Royal Guard as mages. Going the route of a rogue adventurer was a rather foolish decision, most people thought. 

For much of his young adult life, Oswald spent much time adventuring with artifact hunters and dungeon delvers (many of which a combination of adventurers and combatants) to pursue the deeper secrets of Sacred Grove. He published several papers and journals during this time, most of which were dismissed due to their subject matter by the Druid Academy. Because Oswald had delved deep into the depths of the darkest corners of Sacred Grove, he had a unique exposure to the darker magic of the world, and proclaimed that Gloam Magic was not, as the textbooks currently read, gone from this world. Many, seeing Oswald’s career path as rather unprofessional and improper for a scholar, dismissed his claims.

Still, he honed his abilities in elemental, spectral, and Gleam magic while on the run from all sorts of dangerous monsters, ghouls, and beasts. He began trying his hand at crafting his own combat spells that took advantage of multiple schools of magic, something completely revolutionary at the time. Still though, his groundbreaking work was dismissed by his fellow scholars and mages.  

It wasn’t until the Gloam assault on Sacred Grove that the Gloam threat was recognized and Oswald’s papers and journals were treated as the truth. By that time, Oswald was an older Pixie, and decided to return to Shrouded Glade for a time to teach young wizards how to defend themselves from the dangers of Gloam Magic. 

A bit after his teaching career had only begun, Queen Valerian offered him a position as the Royal Mage in Sanctuary, given his unique experience with Gloam Magic, and fighting creatures of the dark. He has been serving there ever since, and though he has aged quite a bit, he is still a formidable magical force in the land of Sacred Grove. 

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The Chronicles of Oswald, Chapter 1: The Pixie, the Treeble, and the Tree

Floating, purple motes of light. That’s what it looked like when he was sleeping. Big warm, flashy, lulling orbs of a deep violet. They lulled Oswald. He was floating in an ocean of them, the purple orbs. They all floated in a sea of pure darkness. Only the orbs and the darkness.

But something was disturbing that, something bright and loud and... Green? He could see it through is closed eyes, a bright light that overcame him despite his tosses and turns away from it. He had just only gotten comfortable, he needn’t wake up now. 

The Green light disturbed Oswald. It shone through his closed eyelids and forced his entire face into a squint. His wings fluttered, annoyed. How dare this annoying green light disturb his peaceful sleep with the purple orbs. He loved spending time slumbering away his days. It was so nice. So peaceful. So... Nothing. 

Wait. Nothing? Not nothing no, nothing is typically associated with the absence of something, and Oswald was certainly something. Wait... 

What was he again?

Oswald fluttered his wings. Oh, a Pixie, that’s right. That’s what he was. He was a Pixie, living in... Sacred Grove, was it? Sleeping peacefully amongst the nice, warm, purple lights, none of that information really mattered though. All that mattered was rest with the nice purple blanket of warmth. 

Purple? Are you sure those are nice and warm? 

“Why yes of course” mumbled Oswald, rolling over in the sea of Pur- oh. Oh wait. 

Wake up Oswald, I have summoned you. 

Suddenly the annoying green light seemed to multiply by a thousand and his eyes were forced open. The purple lights clung to his body, forming a tight coat around him, continuing to try and soothe him despite the annoying light which whispers and coos and lullabies. Each seemed to release a shrill screech as they struggled to hold on for dear life as thousands of memories flooded his mind. Books, studies, the faces of his dear friends, Queen Valerian and the Elder Council, the Druid Academy, and finally, him. His face, his desires, his goals in life. They rushed into him. A feeling came over him that he hadn’t felt in a long time. It was coursing through his body, his wings, his arms and legs. It was the urge to move. To think. To know, to learn, to love to live. It was the urge of life, and it was shoving him awake. 

This is not over for you Oswald, not yet.... 

Oswald, strangely enough, woke up on his knees, looking down at his hands. As his vision adjusted to the sudden brightness, he could make out the shape of little brown flecks and bits and pieces of green. 

Dirt the green light told him, drifting away. That is dirt

Where are you? 

Now that he was awake, Oswald could make out the finer qualities of the voice he was hearing. It was a woman’s voice. Pixie’s no doubt. Calm and soothing, probably a very old pixie no doubt. He nodded along with the voice, recognizing the dirt and bits of plant sproutings below him. Despite hearing a strange voice coming from all around him, Oswald was uniquely calm. The sproutlings danced and grew beneath him. He didn’t quite remember just yet, but he was pretty sure they didn’t really do that. He fixated on them a moment, before the voice spoke again. 

Do not dilly-dally now, Oswald. I must go. Find the others when I wake them, you’ll know what to do when the time comes

What to do when the time comes? Who was this person speaking to him? Oswald reared his head away from the plant sproutings to look for the source of the voice. He was blinded by the sunlight for a moment, reaching his hands up to cover his eyes. As the blinding white faded, he could make out a few things. A small, mangly looking wooden fence. Dirt, lots more dirt, and hulking mass of bark and branch, with a little streak of orange fur tucked into the upper branches. He was on a farm no doubt, which confused him because he did not like farms. Well. He generally didn’t like farm animals, as they smelled, but he liked looking at them, or reading about them more precisely. 

A green twinkle caught his eye, a play on the light no doubt, he was just waking up after all, or at least he felt like it. He blinked as the green twinkle disappeared and his vision cleared up. He was indeed on a farm, wearing his mage’s robes while kneeling in a row of what looked like chugaroot. The thing ahead of him was indeed a tree, and yes, that was a treeble in that tree. It stared down at him, wide-eyed. Its tail swished back and forth as it looked down on him. All around them towering trees lined the edges of Oswald’s sight. It was apparent that this was just a patch of dirt, fenced off, in the middle of a forest. Which forest was lost to Oswald, but judging by the large overgrowth, Greenwood Forest was a safe bet. Broad, bright rays of light shone through the forest floor, the clean grass below bathed in a warm green light. Birds chirped in the distance, but otherwise not a sound was to be heard. 

“Well hello there” said Oswald, leaning back on his knees to rub his eyes once more. He brought his chin to his chest, reaching his arms out into the air to stretch as he squinted and sniffled. “What seems to have happened here?” 

The treeble chattered at him, ran up and down the tree, chattered again, and disappeared into its branches with a loud clatter. Several small twigs and branches dropped from the tree, some pelting Oswald. His wings snapped to attention as he brought his arms up to defend him from the assault. Already questions were rushing through his brain. What was that voice? Why was he in a forest? What had happened? 

“What a pleasant alarm clock” was all he could manage to murmur.