Dark and ominous clouds rolled over the landscape, as the three adventurers finished their climb of a particularly tall hill. In the distance, the massive walls of The Elder Village finally came into view. The entire area was covered in rolling hills, with a large coniferous forest sitting to the north of the town.

Legends surrounding the mythical sword on Mu’s back all began in The Elder Village, so the warrior suspected it was probably his best bet to start his journey there as well. Their new strange companion, Sheila, had agreed to take Mu and his jester there only if they at least saw her through to the Elder Council.

The trip had taken almost three days, and the abnormally large warrior had seen through their guide’s accent before they had even set off. He wondered why a Shandarian would be on this continent at all, and why she’d be using a fake accent still eluded him; but the fact that Shandarians were famous for magic-use might be enough to keep one out of The Elder Village on its own, so he decided to leave it be.

“There they be,” the large woman declared proudly, with her hands on her hips. “Always such a beautiful sight, these walls. I bet you Icarians ‘ave never seen a thing like it!”

A strong breeze blew past the adventurers, and the temporarily chilly air was wonderfully welcome. Mu had been reflecting on the stories of old surrounding the weapon he now carried. Duilcron could supposedly only be wielded by the most pure of heart, but everywhere it went it seemed to bring great tragedy. The Legend of Liam Hines stuck out prominently in his mind. The story of a true hero turned into a monstrous villain.

Liam had been born in the very village they now ventured toward, had been its renowned savior, its fearless leader, and ultimately, its merciless destructor. Mu began to wonder if he would ever see the shores of his home again.

The large warrior was snapped out of his thoughts when his jester let out a painfully high pitched scream. The small man had lost his footing, and was violently rolling and flailing his way down the hill. This was not the first time this had happened, and the two larger adventurers simply waited for the inevitable thud at the end of the jester’s trip. Sheila and Mu chuckled together at the event that was sure to repeat itself in about an hour or so.

“Well, looks like it’s not too far now. Let’s just hope we can beat this storm.” Mu sighed, as the very first raindrops began to fall on his shoulders. A loud crack of thunder echoed across the sky, as the already sparing light of day almost finished fading away from the land.