It has been three days since you have left your home of Burrsvane. In the distance you can see smoke that would indicate another settlement of sorts to the north. A narrow track winds through the waist high grasses heading north in a general sense. Another trail continues to the east leading further toward the rising sun and a distant spire. A final path goes west heading back toward home. Which path do you take?

Three days...

It had been three days, and Kilona already felt a sense of homesickness. She had bid her mother, her siblings, her friends, and her father goodbye before she left for the journey. She had left another bouquet of flowers at her father's grave before leaving. Hopefully, he was watching over the village now. Of course, now that she had said her goodbyes, going back wasn't an option.

She had decided to go and see the world, and she was going to follow through on it. She couldn't help but feel that sense of having butterflies in her stomach. She was both excited and nervous to see the world outside of Burrsvane and outside of the Esjour Plains! The ideas of seeing distant lands and meeting new people was exciting! She's bound to learn more than she could staying in Burrsvane.

The journey had been simple and easy enough. She was glad to have packed everything she could need for camping outdoors. Now, she came to a crossroads in the trails. Looking to the north, there seems to be another settlement there, while a distant spire continues to the east.

Kilona is curious about the distant spire. So she decided to start heading there.

As you progress along the trail, the grass begins thin and shorten, and the ground becomes more rocky over the next two hours. The size of the spire becomes more evident as Kilona neared. Beings could be seen moving around the base of the spire, and around a few structures now more noticeable.

When Kilona gets to be roughly a mile away, she can hear the sound of a horn being sounded. The beings around the spire pause their work to look toward a tower then out beyond this little settlement. Slowly and starting with only a few the being return to their work, though noticeably keeping their eyes on where Kilona is.

At the edge of the settlement Kilona is met by a band of two halflings, a gnome, a few kobolds, and a dwarf. A grey and black scaled kobold steps forward spear at the ready. "Hold up there. Who are you and where are you from? What business do you have here?"

Kilona noted her the change in terrain as she continues down the path towards the spire. Her keen eyes pick up movement around the spire and she spots a few more structures. She also hears the sound of a horn and she couldn't help but raise an eyebrow. She could understand the caution when it comes to the monsters, animals, and large groups of people. But for one single person? That seems overly cautious.

She could feel eyes on her as she keep on walking. "Are they seriously expecting an attack from me? Sure, like I could take on an entire settlement on my own," Kilona wondered to herself with some amusement. With her knowledge of combat, she knew that she would lose if she was outnumbered.

She soon finds a group meet with her, and she stops. She listens as the kobold steps up to speak with her. She tilts her head at him and she answers him simply with a casual shrug, "Kilona Starshield, from Burrsvane. I'm just traveling and I was curious about the spire you guys got going here,"

The kobold relaxes some and peers around Kilona to see what else may be behind her. "I have heard of Burrsvane, though I've not met anyone from there yet. You traveled from there alone?" He asked after waving off the others and returning his focus to Kilona. "Most visitors we have from the grassland are not always the most friendly or honest."

The other guards slowly disperse, all either watching the horizon or Kilona for a few extra moments. Several make their way to a fallen tower to clear the rubble. Others start to walk along the edges of a crude wall that is little more than a loose pile of stones.

"This little set up is for those who have fled the wars to the west. Many of lost our homes to the conflict between the local rulers over a series of ruins discovered three years ago. Some tried to rebuild where they could and were run off or were killed. I still don't understand what is so important about those old buildings from so long ago. Regardless we are trying to live here in some form of better peace. As long as you are not here to cause trouble you are welcome here." His tone more wary at the end of his statement.

My name is Delgren, I suppose I am the closest to what one would call the head guard of this place. I do hope you understand our caution, many had set their hope on being able to live in this area in peace only for it to be crippled by raiders,
liars, and thieves."

Kilona nods and answers the kobold's question about traveling alone, "Yep," She raised an eyebrow at the statement that not all of the visitors from the grasslands were friendly or honest. She has heard that people who cause trouble get in trouble at the settlements, but other than that, she hadn't heard much about any unusual hostile behaviors from anyone in the other villages or settlements in the Esjour Plains. Then again, there was her father's death...perhaps he isn't too far off...

She listens as the kobold mentions that the settlement here were set up for people who lost their homes to the wars in the west. She had to admit, she was also confused about the importance of the ruins that were discovered three years ago. Why would anyone prevent others from reestablishing shrines?

She nods at Delgren's introduction and how he's the head guard of this settlement. There were still questions on her mind, and she asks, "Hmm...Can you describe the 'raiders, liars, and thieves' a little more?"