Well hello there!
My name is Duncan, and in my years I’ve explored nearly every corner of this land…and some of the sea as well! Lately it’s come to my attention that folks like you are interested in hearing some of my stories about the places I’ve seen. As my good friend Hoku will confirm, there’s nothing I like more than telling a story…other than telling a story while enjoying a fine beverage, of course!
So pull up a chair and sit a spell, and I’ll begin my world tour with a quiet little town called Gateway.
I first visited Gateway almost thirty years ago. I was only a foolish young man back then, and I had the idea to walk the entire width of the Grand Frontier, surviving on nothing but what I found or bartered for along the way. Of course, I hadn’t counted on the challenge of foraging in Lunari-infested territory. I was chased by Buzzle swarms, battered by a pack of territorial Shellfoxes, and hunted by a particularly tenacious Growley! My pride led to quite a few hungry nights, let me tell you!
By the time I stumbled into the Gateway Tavern, I must have looked like some kind of wild hermit! But the locals kindly nursed me back to health, apparently more taken by my bravery than my foolishness. As I recuperated, I became quite familiar with some of the delicious ciders that the town has since become somewhat famous for. As soon as I was back on my feet, I moved on, continuing my trek across the Grand Frontier. I’m embarrassed to admit that I barely even took time to acknowledge the kindness of these good people!
I don’t remember many other details of my first visit to Gateway. I do recall that the place had a sense of history and stability despite its small size. This wasn’t some boom town like Qurada Colony! No, these folks had built something that they intended would last for lifetimes.
It would be almost two decades before I returned to Gateway. To my surprise, almost nothing had changed in the intervening years. To be sure, different folks ran most of the businesses, and many buildings sported a new coat of paint, but the hardworking, can-do attitude of the local population was just as I remembered it.
I began at the tavern, just as I had twenty years earlier, but this time I made sure to properly introduce myself. I met Ayodele, who had then just started working in the tavern that she now owns herself. Quite an impressive young woman, and a fitting example of the pioneer spirit of that region. And she’s also turned into quite a talented woodcarver, though she’s not yet been bold enough to display her work publicly at one of the town’s many art shows.
Edwyn was running the Gateway Shop even back then. He claims that he’s lived his entire life in that town. Personally, I think he’s spent most of it inside the walls of that shop! I tried to inspire a little curiosity in him by sharing stories of the wondrous places I’ve seen, but frankly I’m not sure he believed even half of my fantastic tales. Ah well, travel isn’t for everyone.
It may be hard to believe it now, but Agatha was just a new guildmaster back then. Not that she was some spring chicken like Guildmaster Laskian over in Kijang Village, mind you! Like me, she’d spent years traveling across the land, learning about people and customs (and Lunari) of every region. Personally, I think she was holding out on settling down until she was able to score an assignment to her home town. We traded many stories over mugs of ale at the tavern, each tale attempting to top the last. For the life of me, I don’t recall who won that contest.
The next day, Agatha dragged me out to Thorn Heath, where I watched some of the new Warden graduates battle Hatchwings and Ryzos. I envied their youthful bravado, remembering a time when I had felt similarly immortal, not to mention possessed of all the knowledge worth knowing in the world. I remember laughing out loud, and then having to explain to Agatha of my first visit to her town, which was somewhat embarrassing!
As we walked, I must have pondered why there were so many Wardens for such a small town, because Agatha spent some time explaining the situation. Since Gateway is home to one of a small number of Warden Academies scattered across the land, many recent graduates spend time instructing or tutoring the students. That’s in addition to their normal Warden responsibilities of keeping locals safe by curing the Moonrise-corrupted Lunari, of course! Sounds like quite a full schedule, if you ask me.
Agatha finished my tour by showing me a site that the locals call the Crumbling Ruins. She explained that this place used to be part of a rite of passage among young Wardens, who proved their bravery by exploring deep into the ruins and coming back with a souvenir. These days, though, anything more than five minutes spent in the ruins was apparently enough to impress the other students. I took the hint, and shelved my thoughts of exploring this dungeon, at least for the moment. Still, there was something familiar about the architecture of the place, ruined as it was, which would draw me back there later.
But that’s another tale, for another time. Right now, I’m feeling parched and my mug seems uncharacteristically empty! Don’t worry, though, I’m not going anywhere. Come back again soon and I’ll tell you more of my journeys across this wondrous and perilous land of ours!