This is a continuation of the Lore from the first page of Hedge Wizard Nicolas of the Oasis Lore Book
Crossing through The Mountains of Warfare
Nicolas' journey was progressing smoothly, guided solely by the gut feeling spurred by the signs he received back at Atlant's Pool. One thought consumed his mind: "Travel northwest." Having been born in a desert oasis, he had grown accustomed to its harsh conditions. His affinity for the desert sands and waters had endowed him with the knowledge to leverage harsh terrain to his survival in most any circumstance. The trek from the pools to the
As he neared the BattleMage Mountains, he was awestruck. He had always seen the peaks from his time at the Yellow Wizard Keep but had never truly understood the beauty of the landscape until he stood at the foot of these massive structures of the Earth. The snow-capped peaks were stunning, with vibrant (but oddly sparse) plant and tree life from the midpoint down. They seemed even taller up close. He briefly reflected on his prior life, realizing he had never ventured far from the keep to appreciate the world around him. Sadly, he feared he would never again have the opportunity to appreciate his home's version of the mountain's.
Coming back to the task at hand, Nicolas remembered his father had mentioned a path through the mountains, but they had always been separated from the arcane warfare training that the cultures of the mountain held dear. But the fear of encountering a situation he wasn't prepared for burdened him. He venture forward realizing it was the optimal and potentially most dangerous path. Chronomancers at the Yellow Wizard's Keep preferred to use their magic for enjoying life's pleasures, whereas the battle mages practiced their craft with a somber ideology, focusing on utilizing their magical prowess in combat. Something Nicolas was not very keen to, having used his magic primarily for landscaping, he was not much of a warfare specialist.
Continuing on his path, Nicolas approached a large crevice in the mountains that looked to have once been populated. He admired the beauty of the historical landscape, albeit a dramatic scene: a large explosion of arcane magic among the historical structures. "The Crag!" Nicolas shouted excitedly, looking at Gus. Though he arrived as an observer of a clearly hostile situation, his excitement got the better of him. He had read about the ancient history of the area but had never seen a picture for reference. It was both ghostly and beautiful, seemingly desolate yet bustling with activity, as indicated by the arcane magic that greeted Nicolas' arrival. He particularly noted the observation that this was yet another similarity with his old world. He wondered how many cultures and settlements persevered between both realities. 'Maybe this isn't so different after all?' he thought, somehow finding a moment of relief amidst the absolute chaos that played out in the valley below.
Nicolas pondered how to navigate through the ruins, the only way to reach the other side of the mountains and continue his journey. He realized that sneaking through would be futile, given the battle mages' keen awareness of their surroundings. He sat for a few moments to contemplate.
...
A sudden loud buzzing noise, much closer to Nicolas, broke him out of his trance. He stood on guard as he looked toward the Crag, but nothing seemed to have changed. Looking to his left, he was startled. His eyes widened as he realized it was the same Red Wizard he had seen while he was leaving the Yellow Wizards Haven at the beginning of his journey. The Red-hatted stood next to a portal he had just created. This time, making eye contact with Nicolas, the mage nodded and stepped through.
Seeing no better option, Nicolas grabbed his belongings and signaled Gus to follow. As they approached the portal, they were spotted by one of the battle mages below, who immediately began an all out attack. 'I mean no harm!!' he yelled in an attempt to quell the onslaught. The response was continuous barrages of magical missiles of all elements. Nicolas grabbed Gus and dashed through the portal just as a large firebolt obliterated the peak where they had stood.
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Crossing the rivers of the Desert
"That was a close one, Gus!" Nicolas exclaimed, still rattled by the hostility they had encountered before diving into the portal. Now safe on the other side of The Crag, the weight of his harsh reality bore down on him, and he began to sink into a familiar melancholy. It reminded him that this new world was not the same as the last.
"It probably would've been better not to have made it through at all," he thought bitterly, continuing onward.
As he trudged through the mountain passage, the view before him shifted. To his left lay Kelpie's Bay, shimmering with an eerie, otherworldly light. To his right, in the distance, a bridge spanned toward a bustling cityscape, alive yet emitting strange aura of desolation. Raised in the isolation of a wizard's keep, Nicolas had only glimpsed such wonders in passing.
Far to the right, a dark fissure in the earth caught his eye, pulsating with a deep, sinister magic. Large black, and somehow crackling, bubbles were rising from the mass of blackness. His bewilderment left him for pause, he'd never seen anything like it. He felt a weird sensation come on, a strong desire to investigate the primordial black goo, despite having just laid eyes on it for the first time.
"Is it... oozing?" he wondered aloud. ...
As he approached the bridge, he noticed three figures dressed in ragged clothing. The leader, or so it seemed, wore a purple wizard's hat, though he exuded no discernible magical presence. Nicolas guessed they were not friendly, but perhaps neutral at best. He attempted an introduction. "Hello! The name is Nicolas, a member of the Yellow Wizard Haven. Are you citizens of the metropolis behind you? Could you provide some information about its development and whatever that massive black gelatinous-body to the right is? I'm new here and could really use some help getting ar—"
His words were cut short by their laughter.
One of them spoke up, "Must be new to these parts, so we'll give you a discount on crossing the bridge. Most who try pay with their lives." He pointed to some human remains below by the river. "But we'll let you cross for every gold coin you have and that delectable cat!"
Another thug chimed in, "Been a while since we've had cat tail!"
The first one spoke again, "You've got a moment to consider, but even if you decide to turn around, I can't promise we won't follow."
The three thugs turned their backs, as if Nicolas' presence meant little to them.
Nicolas' gut wrenched. He had no idea how to respond. Panic set in. "They want to eat Gus?!" he thought, his breath quickening as a visible mental crisis took hold.
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