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An elite ranger greets you as you approach. You notice his movement is fluid and organic; it is as if he sways with all the leaves around him, making him nearly invisible even when standing out in the open. <pb>"Greetings to you, adventurer! You have stumbled upon our small encampment deep in the forest of Elderoak. You have nothing to fear from us...well, that is unless you are a blighter of these woods which we are bound to protect. You don't appear that way to me, and I am generally very good at determining character. My name is Ranimer, leader of this troop. What brings you this way?"
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Ranimer stands silently waiting for you to say something.
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"Ranimer, I have a note for you from Shelta of Moonrise." [Hand letter to Ranimer]
Ranimer reaches out and plucks the letter from your hand. "Well then, let's see what we have here." He holds the letter to the light, turning it over carefully to fully examine both sides. He takes special care to inspect the wax seal, verifying that it has not been broken. After a satisfactory examination, he lifts the front flap on the carefully folded letter, and finally proceeds to read the contents. <pb>After a brief moment, his eyes lift from the paper and look upon you. His lips press into a slight smile and he nods agreeably. "Tell my sister Shelta that I received her note, and the codeword she is looking for is 'fireglow'."
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A sealed letter
remove_item (A sealed letter)
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"Ranimer, I have a note for you from Shelta of Moonrise." [Hand letter to Ranimer]
Ranimer reaches out to take the note. "Well then, let's see what we have here." He examines the note, taking special care to inspect the wax seal. His brow furrows and you sense that he is not approving the condition of the note. He quickly opens the letter and barely even glances at the contents. <pb>At that moment, the letter slips from his fingers and begins to fall like a leaf from a tree in autumn. Before it reaches the ground he has notched an arrow and drawn his bow, focusing the arrow's tip upon your forehead. He loudly yells to the others before letting his arrow fly: "My fellow rangers, we have a wasp in our garden!"
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An unsealed letter
quest 10 -2 ; npc_alignment 112 2 ; npc_alignment 113 2 ; npc_alignment 114 2 ; remove_item (An unsealed letter)
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"What is it that you do here?"
Ranimer smiles. "Ah, I am the leader of this troop called the Shadowgrove Rangers. We have made camp here because there is a great evil growing in these woods, and we have an oath to defend this forest." <pb>"The threat first began with the arrival of the Nidaria in the northern woods. The Nidaria are vile, floating globs of death that look much like a jellyfish that might swim through the sea, but these creatures have left the crushing depths and now float through air using their gas-filled bells. Why they lay siege to these woods, I cannot say." <pb>"However, to the northeast resides a very important tree named Ulgolek. He is the grandfather of all trees in Eschalon, and we fear for his safety. We have been unable to make contact with him because the bridges have all been destroyed, and the Nidaria prevent us from rebuilding them."
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"Why would the Nidaria destroy the bridges?"
"We simply do not know. The caretaker of Ulgolek lives in a cabin, just a bit north of here. She is an old druid woman named Baizel. I went to speak with her a few days ago, but she was nowhere to be found. Sentinel Stalks have popped up around her cabin, which suggests some kind of dark sorcery has set upon her home. When we got inside her cabin, I discovered an odd note laying on the floor, but nothing else to explain why she was not there. Perhaps she is with Ulgolek now, but until we can cross the river again, we have no answers."
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"I will deliver this codeword to Shelta." [EXIT]

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quest 10 9 ; quest 12 1
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"An odd note? May I see it?"
"Yes, you may. Perhaps you can make sense of it. No one here knows what it means." Ranimer hands you the strange note. <pb>"For now, our plan is to ensure the Nidaria do not come to this side of the river while we devise a way to rebuild the bridges. They are resistant to projectile weapons so our arrows have little effect on them from afar. They are devilish creatures, no doubt. I fear these are dangerous times we are in." <pb>"Oh, and as a precaution I locked the gate on the path leading to her cabin. Take this key if you wish to investigate, but be careful. The Sentinel Stalks surrounding her property will best even the strongest of opponents, so don't pass that way until you are prepared. If you uncover the meaning of this letter, please do not hesitate to return to me."
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quest 115 1 ; give_item (A strange note) 0 ; give_item (Tarnished Key) 0
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"I will return to you if I figure it out." [BACK]

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"I have discovered the meaning of the strange note."
"You have? Please tell me."
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quest 116 2
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"Thank you for giving me the note. I will see what I can make of it."
"Of course. Please let me know if you discover its meaning."
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[BACK]

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17
"It was a riddle for opening a secret path through the forest, which leads to a hidden stairway."
"A hidden stairway? I've heard rumors of an old dungeon beneath Elderoak; perhaps this is one of the entrances. And Baizel, that old witch! I've never trusted her, and with good reason it turns out. All along she has been poisoning this forest with her dark sorcery." <pb>"We will remain here to protect the forest from the Nidaria. You should go ahead, uncover what you can. See if you can reach Ulgolek, the Grandfather Tree, and check on his condition. I am afraid something dreadful has befallen him with all the evil in this forest. I will tell Alywin that you have the blessing of the Shadowgrove Rangers and that she is to offer you training."
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quest 17 9
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"Thank you." [EXIT]

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quest 121 1
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17
"It turned out to be nothing. Just a poem."
"Hmm. Well, thank you for investigating it anyway." <en> reaches into his pocket. "My sister in Moonrise told me you might be looking for one of these. I give it to you to show my appreciation for your help."
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give_item (Sigil of Fire) 100 ; quest 17 -2
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"Thank you." [EXIT]

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"I must be on my way." [EXIT]

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"Thanks for the information." [EXIT]

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