The city of Erlenbis, once a minor town on the fringes of the Shadow Woods noteworthy for nothing aside from being a small stopover between the human kingdoms and the realm of the wood elves. After the fall of the Dwarves of The Grey Peaks in their civil war adventurers came to strike out for the riches of the hills and the mountains. After the sun elves of Oraibus were conquered and enslaved and the moon elves of the now lost woods had their land razed around them the wild elves of the Shadow Woods became the last of the elven kingdoms. Then at last there was Free City for Erlenbis is the last city of any note before the long trek south to reach the city of paladins overland. This has made the city into a hub of adventurers and travelers in the south.

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As you approach the city you will notice that there is no solid wall surrounding the city and is still caught between a growing town and city in size and demeanor there are few large buildings about and aside from main thoroughfares through it most roads and alleys are smaller and narrower now even large enough to allow two carts to pass side by side. It has the ever present buzz of a city though particularly in the burgeoning market where traders and tradesmen hark their wares to those passing by as well as the ever watchful guards of a city. Any who bother to look can instantly and easily pick out the handful of Iron Guard who reinforce the town guard to defend the city from bandits and raiders as well as maintain the law for the city is claimed by Kingdom of Vektis and swear fealty to Ironhold.

At the town center there is a voice that rises above others, a man stands upon a cart armed and armored as a warrior espousing claims of human superiority to other sentient races. His primary target seems to be elves who he lambastes with every opportunity speaking of them as a degenerate race and that the fate met by the sun and moon elves is a fate all elves should meet. He is being watched carefully by a handful of nearby guards who are otherwise not intervening and his crowd is naturally composed almost entirely of humans with a handful standing near the cart clearly with him.

The city of Erlenbis was something new to Kalista, she had not been to a single human settlement since before the end of the war. Everyone seemed so paranoid and racism seemed to run rampant. Kalista Tugged the hood of her cloak tight around her head to hide her hair and unnaturally tinged skin. She could hear the town crier screaming his anti elf propaganda, but paid it no mind. Her parts and herself were likely to run into many people of like mind to this fool. She cast glances over her shoulder at her two companions Darth and Korbin. She just hoped they didn’t have a different reaction to the call for genocide.

Kalista tilted her eyes up to look at building signs trying to find a inn, hopefully one that wasn’t narrow minded or if it was usually inkeeps were susceptible to gold. She kept her head down though so that no one could see the blue tinge to her face, because surely that would bring unwanted attention to herself and her companions.

The hustle and bustle of city life bristled throughout Erlenbis. With nobles or merchants alike astride their proud horses, or lounging within a couch, shifting down avenues packed full of creatures of numerous races. Humans arguably made the largest group of inhabitants of the city. However, the surface races were not the only ones to be found there.

One lithe cloaked figure glided through the noonday sunshine's oppressive heat, moving as if always cloaked in shadows, though the place had few, and as if even the ever present dust of the road could not touch her. The open market was crowded—it was always crowded—with yelling merchants and customers bargaining for every copper piece. There thieves would be positioning themselves in all the best and busiest places, where they might cut a purse string without ever being noticed, or if they were discovered, where they could melt away into a swirling crowd of bright colors and flowing robes. Aliaga A'Daragon made sure to note any thieves clearly but just then something within the towns square pulled at her curiosity.

The bustling towns center at that moment seemed to be peeking the interest of others as well. So she nimbly danced through the crowds of the open market with practiced ease. There she soon discovered the reason for the gathering of the crowd and scowled under the shadow of her cowl. Standing upon a cart was a human male voicing human superiority among other propaganda. Aliaga only shook her head in wonder. The audaciousness of the male was truly surprising, and once more Aliaga was reminded once again how different the surface societies where to the dark realm that was her home. She soon made it a point to become scarce, pulling her cloak closer around her form as she made a beeline to the north street. She wore more clothing then was her typical style, but purely out of practicality. She would rather not drew attention to her presence. Which her coal dark skin and pointed ears surely would.

She crossed the busy avenue, heading for a small tavern that served as the locals main drinking hole. As it was a stopping point for many crossing through the region it served as her best place to start looking for the artifact.

Being a bit of an outcast was nothing new to Korbin. As he and his companions drew closer to the middle of the city the half-elf couldn't help but notice the armored man calling for the blood of his kin. The cleric responded by pulling his hood tighter around his face. Of course he could have spewed hate filled words back, but that would only succeed in causing trouble that he wasn't interested in. It was for this reason that he keep his head aimed at the ground in front of him to avoid the unwanted attention. The half breed wasn't much for unnecessary battles, and would much rather talk his way out of them if possible. However that didn't mean he wouldn't fight when push came to shove.

In front of Korbin the blue skinned Kalista chanced a glance over her shoulder to ensure that he and Darth were still in tow. Once she had confirmed this she had returned to searching for a decent inn; hopefully one that wasn't interested in turning over sovereign elves. It would be a pity to spill blood and earn an unsavory reputation when they had only just arrived.

Boar hated cities, give him the woods and plains any day. Cities were a necessary evil and no different than goblins clinging together like an orgy of snakes to try and keep safe in numbers. But all it took was a raider from one side or the other to rewrite the history of their community.

It was just a swinging pendulum really, Thousands and thousands of years ago the 'monsters' were pushed to the edge of the world and now they pushed back to put the former victors on the edge of their heels. In a thousand years the heroes would rise up and push them back the other way, summer to winter.

As it was, here he found himself in the city with a 300 lbs pig trotting beside him wearing studded leather barding as he came to deliver forest foraging to market for the few things he needed, as he said, necessary evil. It was here he herd the bitching and moaning of a pale human espousing the failings of one race over another. Here they were on the ropes and still had to establish alphas and bitches. Just as bad as orc war camps!

The massive orc stood in the crowd, moving himself to the front of the throng, an orc listening to the propaganda against elves wouldn't seem that bad. He fished out a single gold coin and held it under his chin for a moment before nodding to a nearby alley to indicate a private audience. Werther he would follow or not, Boar still made his way to the seclusion for a moments privacy from the prattle of the city to collect himself.

Edder didn't care for the racist's cries of eradication. Except for maybe a grunt and a request to stop talking and start acting. "All bark and no bite." was a motto used by his fellow pirates when they talk of the many times they've been intimidated, and no motto fitted the crier better. Much like the others, Edder wore a cloak, but it wouldn't dawn upon anyone to note that the cloaked figure was almost to big and bulky to be considered human. If they had a problem with it, they can talk to him about it, maybe get a good chance to see his horns up close and personal. He was making his way to the inn. He needs a good drink after the latest raid he and the pirates did.