DUNCAN: Hello again! It’s me, the trusty explorer Duncan with more tales of this great land of ours.
It’s come to my attention that many of you crave stories of the fantastic creatures that roam the wilderness. Now, I’ve certainly encountered many Lunari in my travels, but I’m no Warden. I don’t have experience battling, curing, and recruiting these beasts. So, for this series of tales, I’ve done a little recruiting of my own, bringing in some acquaintances to help out.
For my first story, I’ve asked my good friend Guildmaster Agatha to talk about the creatures that you might encounter on the Lunari Trail of Thorn Heath. In addition to her work as guildmaster in the town of Gateway, Agatha is also the head of the local Warden Academy. Thank you for joining us, Guildmaster Agatha!
AGATHA: Oh, it’s my pleasure. I don’t get to do quite as much teaching since I took on the duties of running the academy, so it’s nice to have that opportunity. And please, just call me Agatha.
DUNCAN: All right, Agatha! Now, you’ve spent most of your life in Gateway, correct?
AGATHA: Quite true, Duncan. My family has lived in this area for generations. I did some traveling in my youth, as most Wardens do, but before long I found myself drawn back to this lovely place.
DUNCAN: I imagine that makes you quite the expert on the local Solari population.
AGATHA: Well, I admit that I have spent a lot of time studying the creatures who live nearby. It’s important for me to understand what my students might encounter as they explore the fields and forests of this region.
In fact, the local Solari population is one of the reasons an academy was built in this town. Thorn Heath boasts a wide range of Solari affinities, allowing our students to learn about many different types of Solari first-hand.
DUNCAN: I would’ve assumed that Solari of similar affinities would tend to cluster together instead.
AGATHA: That’s a pretty common assumption, and in some regions it’s more-or-less true. The deserts of Agarid Barrens, for example, have quite a few Stone Solari—more than any single other affinity.
DUNCAN: So what makes this place so different? What makes it so common for these various affinities to live in close proximity?
AGATHA: Well, officially speaking, the Wardens Guild favors the theory that certain regions have innate connections to particular affinities.
DUNCAN: Like “an affinity for an affinity?”
AGATHA: I suppose that’s one way to put it, yes. But not all Wardens support that theory. Guildmaster Ibli quite enjoys pointing out that the desert around Qurada Colony is home to Nature, Electric, and even Water Solari, if you look in the right places.
Personally, I think there’s something to the theory, but I suspect it’s not a complete explanation. But regardless of the reason, Thorn Heath is blessed with a plethora of Solari affinities to study.
One of the most commonly encountered denizens of Thorn Heath is the Ryzo. In fact, early Wardens theorized that this area might possess a connection to the Nature affinity due to the Ryzo’s prevalence here. Since then, of course, we’ve run tests that confirm the Ryzo to be no more plentiful than our other common fauna. Of course, it’s hard to convince young students of that, especially when their sample size of encounters is still so small!
The Ryzo tends to be the first Lunari that we expose our students to in the wild. It’s not that a corrupted Ryzo is harmless or docile, but that its skills tend more toward healing than aggression, even in Lunari form. However, we caution our students to beware encounters with a Ryzo paired with other Lunari, as its Grant Stamina skill can turn a routine battle into something quite challenging!
DUNCAN: I don’t suppose that all the Lunari of Thorn Heath are quite as appropriate for young students to battle, eh?
AGATHA: Certainly not. One that we try to save for our senior-level students is the Buzzle. Unfortunately, its preference to feed on the trash created by human settlements can lead to unplanned Buzzle encounters even inside Gateway.
The Buzzle is an aggressive creature, prone to quick, unprovoked attacks. It takes quite a bit of discipline to weather the speed of Electric opponents, and I’m afraid that many of our younger students panic when facing the rapid stings of a Buzzle. Its ability to Infect targets with Toxin, via its Wasp Sting skill, can be particularly frightening.
DUNCAN: So that’s Nature and Electric checked off the list…what about other affinities?
AGATHA: The Stone affinity is represented by the Shellfox, a surly Lunari that displays a surprising level of aggression in the wild. We spend an entire week teaching our younger students that you can’t just pick up and hug a Shellfox simply because it looks cute!
That said, the Shellfox makes an excellent early addition to a young Warden’s team. Its defensive prowess can make up for the Warden’s lack of experience, and its Spinward Strike skill provides the versatility of Basic-affinity damage.
DUNCAN: A Stone Solari with a Basic signature skill? How does that happen?
AGATHA: It’s actually more common than most people would think. For example, the Hatchwing possesses the Fire affinity, and its temperament, tactics, and typical skill array matches what you’d expect from a Fire Solari. And yet its signature skill, Flutter Strike, is of the Basic Affinity.
DUNCAN: I never realized that Solari could vary so much from their base affinity!
AGATHA: A Solari’s affinity rarely if ever completely defines it, and some demonstrate more of a blend than others.
DUNCAN: So far I count four different affinities among the creatures living along the Lunari Trail of Thorn Heath. Any others?
AGATHA: Those represent the four most commonly encountered Lunari in this area. However, we also have a small Growley population.
DUNCAN: They have quite a distinctive voice, if I recall correctly.
AGATHA: Oh yes! The Growley’s Fearsome Yowl is quite memorable, particularly if you’ve ever been close enough for it to strike Fear into your heart. It’s another Lunari that we try to save for our senior-level students…it’s just too savage for inexperienced Wardens to handle.
DUNCAN: So that’s five Solari, with five different affinities!
AGATHA: Indeed. The only common affinity that we don’t see on Lunari Trail is Water…but as it turns out, we have a representative of that affinity that lurks in our nearby dungeon.
DUNCAN: Well I’m afraid we’ll have to leave our audience in suspense for now…by the position of the sun in the sky I see it’s lunchtime. Care to join me at the tavern? I recall that Ayodele has quite the collection of delicious ciders on tap…
AGATHA: Duncan, I like the way you think.
Join us next time as Duncan quizzes Agatha about the Lunari of the Crumbling Ruins!
Solari of Thorn Heath’s Lunari Trail
Common
Buzzle (Electric)
Hatchwing (Fire)
Ryzo (Nature)
Shellfox (Stone)
Rare
Growley (Basic)