Several miles north of Springbrook I was approaching the area indicated on the map, my green dot was almost on top of the yellow one. Initially I started looking for signs that might be an encampment nearby, I realized that a Ranger encampment would be harder to find than most. I was tempted to holler out that I was looking for the Rangers, but I recalled that Rangers tended to be quiet folk who don’t like drawing attention to themselves. I figured that would be a bad foot to get off on before I even delivered the message.

On a hunch, I stopped and summoned my faithful guide companion, I thought sarcastically. Now that I was watching for it, it seemed that it only followed me if I was interacting with it, and it disappeared if I didn’t interact at least every 10-15 minutes.

“Guide, what is the best way to attract the Ranger’s attention? Stop. Wait.” I held up my hand to forestall what my guide considered ‘useful’ suggestions. “What is the ‘safest’ way to attract the Rangers attention?”

“Walking into their camp would be effective. However you already have their attention, and have for some time.”

“You mean the Rangers are watching me right now?” I said with some surprise.

“Indeed.”

With a shrug I held up the message case and slowly turned in a circle before walking towards the area indicated by the yellow dot.

***

I hadn’t made it ten steps when a cloaked figure stepped out from behind a tree. He didn’t appear to have any weapons, but I assumed he had many friends hiding the trees, all aiming their lethal arrows at me.

“Come no further.” A harsh voice said, from somewhere within the cloak.

“I come bearing a message for the Ranger encampment. I was requested to deliver it by someone in town.”

“Is that so?”

“It is.” I extended the message case towards the figure.

“Why were you chosen to deliver this message?” he asked, with no move for the message.

“Apparently the townsfolk think I look like a wilderness sort. Perhaps they mistook me for someone associated with you?”

“You do have the look of one of our apprentices perhaps. Perhaps one of the young ones.”

“Well, do you want the message? “

“That is not for me to decide. However, I will take you to our camp and a leader can decide what to do with you.”

Well, that didn’t sound ominous, I thought. However having little choice I followed him into the trees.

***

I wasn’t sure what to expect. Several dozen people milling around tents and campfires wasn’t too far from it. Somehow I thought it wouldn’t be this elaborate, but I didn’t have anything to gauge it by in this…place.

There were large and small tents, some with people coming and going, others seeming to serve some function, such as healing or cooking.

My escort led me to one of the larger tents. Telling me to wait outside,he ducked in. I could hear words being exchanged, however it sounded as if they were speaking a different language.

After a few moments of conversation, the tent flap was pulled back and my escort waved me inside.

“I am Kyrrah.” she introduced herself with a slight bow, “You have a message for us. Do you know who it is from, or why they asked you to deliver it?” A tall woman asked from the back of the tent, she was walking around a fire as she spoke, there was something earthy, but regal about her.

“I don’t know who it was that gave it to me, they just asked me to deliver it to the Ranger encampment. They said that I looked like I might be one of you.”

“Well here you are. May I see the message?” she held out a hand.

I handed the message case to my escort, who took it across to her.

[Quest completed: Deliver message case to Ranger encampment.]

I waited while she opened it, unfurled the message and began read it, to herself.

While she was reading it, my escort turned to me, “Did the person who gave you this offer any form of payment?”

“He did. He mentioned a silver piece.”

“I see.” He dug into his waistband and pulled a silver coin from a pouch. As he was offering it to me the woman reading the message called over. “Wait.”

She turned to me, “Do you wish to go back to the town with your coin and forget about this, or would you like to stay and learn our ways?” she paused, “It seems you have some knowledge of the wilderness, and the townsfolk can see it too.”

“I… I haven’t decided my path yet. I’m still trying to determine which road to follow.”

“Very well then. You have our offer. For as long as this encampment remains here, you have the offer of an apprenticeship.”

[Class option: Ranger apprentice]

“If I agree, what would this involve?” I asked her.

[Ranger apprentice path]

“You would train with us until you’re ready to continue training on your own, then you would seek out a more advanced Ranger at various points to receive additional training. In return you would perform duties for us, undertake missions, and in general uphold the Ranger code.” she informed me.

“Is there a place I can sit while I consider this?”

She nodded to my escort, who waved me out the entrance to the tents and indicated to follow him. He led me to a space near one of the smaller tents. “This is my area, you can sit here for as long as you like. Please let me know if you wish to leave our encampment and I will escort you to the boundaries. If you have any questions, please find me. I am Alomar.” he bowed.

I thanked him and he headed back to the larger tent.

I called up my displays again and started scrolling through the various options. Now that I had something to compare the other information to, I started digging into the details.

As a subset of the fighter class Rangers were stronger than many of the other options and had some limited supernatural abilities as you gained experience and levels. Rangers gained some bonuses depending on the race chosen. Since I still seemed to be an ambiguous non-race, I had neither bonuses nor detriments.

“Guide.” I said to the air around me.

“I am your guide.”

“Is it possible for you to appear in front of me? Rather than behind me?”

“Yes, I can appear in many forms and locations.”

“From now on please appear beside me or in front of me.”

The hooded figure nodded.

“If I accept the Ranger path will I be excluded from taking other paths at a later time? Is there a certain distance before additional limitations apply?”

“Every time you gain enough experience to advance you may choose between any class you have completed apprentice training in. If you have only one class, your advancement will automatically be applied to that class. If you have more than one class, you must select the class to advance in. Some classes do not require apprentice training in order to advance.”

“What sort of class does not require training?”

“All classes require some form of training, however there are some that do not have a formal structure to their advancement. There are spell casting classes that draw their power from sources other than rote learning. Either from divine power or from within themselves. Some of the martial classes simply require engaging in combat. In most cases training will assist you in advancing faster.”

“What sort of spell casting power can you draw from yourself?”

“Depending on other selections within race and characteristics, different options become available.”

“Can you give me an example?”

“If someone were to have draconic heritage, they would be referred to as Dragon-born. Some are able to tap into this heritage and utilize that power to affect supernatural abilities. These can include casting spells or utilizing spell like effects.”

“How many different options are there?”

[Heritage]

[Background]

Assuming I was in for some reading, I settled in beside the fire.