stjorthotic Chapter 19 Heading to the Town of the Friendly Arm
Chapter 19 Heading to the Town of the Friendly Arm
Ronan immediately remembered seeing this plant in the herbal guide he had bought from the witchcraft general store.
"Silver Leaf Thistle" is the main ingredient for the common quality [Health Elixir].
If the ingredients are not skimped on when making the elixir of health, the quality level of the elixir will be "extraordinary," and it can remove magical plagues such as blindness, deafness, paralysis, and poisoning.
Ordinary quality health elixirs can only alleviate blindness, deafness, paralysis, and poisoning in adventurers.
After the Midwinter Festival, silver thistles will grow in large numbers.
The area near Baldur's Gate where Silverleaf Thistles grow is the Cloak Forest.
According to Cuthbert, during this period, many alchemists in Baldur's Gate have been commissioning adventurers to harvest large quantities of Silverleaf Thistle.
They need to go to the Cloak Forest early to pick the Silver Leaf Thistles on the outskirts of the Cloak Forest, as many as they can get.
Otherwise, once others have finished picking the outer areas, we'll have to venture deep into the Cloak Forest to gather more.
Cuthbert clearly had a good understanding of his own strength, knowing that if he ventured deep into the Cloak Forest, he would unfortunately become food for goblins and gnolls.
Ronan had long wanted to visit the Cloak Forest in order to grind monsters and level up, and now that he could team up with others to go there, it couldn't be better.
As is customary in Faerûn, four people are the minimum requirement for an adventure team.
Cuthbert then needs to find at least two more teammates.
Although there are many adventurers in the Elf Song Tavern, Cuthbert is naturally looking for his two former teammates—the monk Ramir and the drow paladin Therath.
After all, they had cooperated very well when they were clearing out the Shahua fishmen.
Moreover, their small team can be considered the best combination of an adventure team.
What is the "best combination"? It is when a team has a warrior, a mage, and a priest, commonly known as "warrior-mage-priest".
In this four-person team, the monk Ramir and the drow paladin can engage in melee combat and defend against enemies, while the "warlock" Ronan and the priest Cuthbert of Woking provide support and damage from the rear.
This combination is very similar to the Warrior-Mage-Priest combination.
After forming the team that day, Cuthbert imagined that their team would start from Baldur's Gate, travel all over the continent of Faerûn, and along the way, absorb mages, barbarians and other classes to make up for the team's shortcomings, and then slowly grow into a legendary adventure team.
However, after completing the task of the Shahua fish people, everyone had their own plans, and in the past six months, they had not reunited even once.
Ronan then entrusted the task of finding teammates to Cuthbert, arranged to meet at the tavern the next day, and went home to train.
……
The following day at noon, Ronan arrived at the Elf Song Tavern as agreed.
Compared to the bustling atmosphere last night, the Elf Song Tavern was much quieter now.
The adventurers in the tavern were gathered in twos and threes, drinking and chatting, completely lacking the atmosphere of the grand chorus from the previous night.
Cuthbert, Ramirez, and Cerasiel had already arrived before Ronan.
After all, they lived in a crowded side street, not far from the Elf Song Tavern.
Since all three of them are here, it seems that all four of them can arrange to meet at the same time.
The adventure team can then be reassembled.
After exchanging pleasantries for a while, the four set off for the town of Friendly Arm.
Friendly Arm is a town located south of Baldur's Gate, near the Cloakwood Forest.
Silver thistles don't all grow at the same time; they grow in batches over the next few days.
Therefore, they had to wait early, patrolling the perimeter of the Cloak Forest every day, and picking any newly sprouted Silver Leaf Thistles they saw immediately.
To shorten their travel time to and from the Cloak Forest, they would stay in the town of Friendly Arm for the time being.
As soon as he left the Elf Song Tavern, Cuthbert took a small handful of soil from the cloth bag at his waist, chanted a spell, and patted it onto himself.
Suddenly, mud and dust swirled around his feet, as if a gentle breeze was swirling beneath them.
Ronan and his two companions knew that Cuthbert had cast a first-circle spell on himself and was running away.
It seems that Cuthbert has been holding a grudge ever since he struggled to keep up with Ronan and the other two physically strong guys, and finally managed to get the first-level spell "Great Stride" from Woking.
When Cuthbert saw that Ronan and the other two were looking at him, he gave an awkward smile and said, "I'm sorry, everyone. The Goddess of Wealth has granted me a day's worth of divine magic, but I don't have many uses. I have to use it sparingly, so I can only use it on myself."
"Besides, the journey to the Arm of Friendship is long, and even if I run, I can't catch up with you."
Ronan and his two companions didn't say much and set off immediately.
They headed east, exited through the petrified lizard gate, and arrived at the outer city.
This was Ronan's first time visiting the outer city.
Compared to the lower city, the buildings in the outer city are much simpler, mostly shantytowns.
Clearly, the residents of the outer city were poorer than the lower-class residents of the lower city.
As a paladin who had sworn an oath of "dedication," Seras could not bear to see the poor suffer.
When she saw several poor people begging on the street with earthenware pots, she gave each of them a few silver coins.
To the east of Baldur's Gate's lower city lies Mount Dusthawk.
The outer city area was built along Chenying Mountain.
After circling Dusteagle Mountain and passing through the lower city, they arrived at another famous landmark of Baldur's Gate—Dragon Rock Keep.
This is a sturdy stone bridge over the Chongsa River, with buildings densely stacked on it.
It houses the headquarters of the Flame Fist Mercenary Group, as well as the renowned pleasure quarters of Baldur's Gate—Charles's Caresses.
Especially recently, the story of the drow elf twins has reached even the lower-class residents of the lower city.
After passing through Dragon Rock Fortress, you will find your way through Baldur's Gate and arrive at the Livington District.
Ronan and his companions kept walking and soon left the Livington area.
It was still daytime, but looking eastward, one could see vast stretches of darkness.
Where darkness shrouds the land lies the Cursed Land of Shadows, a place said to be even more dangerous than the Cloak Forest.
It is said that even if adventurers are well-prepared and not corrupted by the cursed power within, they will still die at the hands of monsters and the army of Katheric Som.
Ronan stopped looking at the Cursed Lands of Shadows and continued on his way.
After a brisk walk, Cuthbert easily caught up with Ronan and his two companions, chatting and laughing all the way without even breaking a sweat.
However, what surprised the three the most was Ronan.
Ronan hadn't cast any spells on himself, yet he was able to keep up with them without showing any signs of fatigue.
They had never seen a spellcaster with such a powerful physique before.
"Friend, have you undergone warrior training?" Cuthbert couldn't help but ask.
Ronan nodded: "Yes, to better protect ourselves."
Part-time work is no easy task, and the other three nodded in admiration.
As they chatted casually, the four of them unknowingly arrived at the town of Friendly Arm.