Jack walks through Rivermouth, looking for the market Joe went to.
He follows the signs from the town square and crosses the bridge over the river Elden, which is guarded by a small garrison, before he arrives at the market.
The river market is a bustling marketplace where fishermen sell fresh catches and merchants bring goods from other regions.
There is a large inn called Stonebridge Inn, a central place where the people of Rivermouth gather and exchange news and gossip.
Jack walks around aimlessly at first, trying to get the layout of the market. Thanks to his extraordinary mental aptitude given to him by the gods, he spends roughly 10 minutes there before he knows every road and corner, being able to easily traverse the market.
Most stalls here sell fish or various other food supplies, some containing grown vegetables and wheat or barley from up north.
However, there are all sorts of merchants, those who sell cattle, chickens, furniture, swords, metal, tools, horses and most things you can imagine.
Jack manages to ask some of the merchants for Joe, giving a simple description, but ultimately finds him anyway by simply walking around and finding his cart parked nearby.
He stops by Joe and tells him he will be staying here for a few days while working, but then he will come back to Greenwood to pay Joe back for all the help he has offered Jack, and also pay back the money he owes Elphon.
"Oh, Jack, you don't need to pay me anything. I simply helped a stranger in need." Joe responds while waving his hands dismissively.
"I'll make sure to tell Elphon that you will give him what you owe. Otherwise, I can pay for it myself, and you pay me back later." Joe continues.
"Well, you have really helped me, Joe. Thanks for all your help so far. I'll be sure to bring some coins back to Elphon in a few days. Don't worry about that." Jack says.
They bid each other farewell, and Jack makes his way back towards the Black Talon.
'I like Joe, he is a really nice and friendly fellow, glad I came across him.' Jack thinks while walking away.
As he leaves, Joe looks back at Jack and sighs.
'That fellah scares me, there is no way he is just an average merchant who got robbed.' Joe mutters lowly to himself.
'He is probably one of those special soldiers working for either the church or a magic association. Better make sure we part on friendly terms.' Joe continues thinking before he eventually goes back to his own business.
Jack reaches the Black Talon and enters, searching the great hall for Baldric, who he finds standing around with three others.
Baldric sees him and waves him over, introducing him to the three people as the last recruit to join them for the goblin outpost.
Out of the three people, one is a woman. She seems to be somewhat young and is equipped with a large wooden staff and a long robe covering her entirely. The robe is black and has exquisite silver patterns woven into it. The staff she holds is an unremarkable wooden walking staff, almost as tall as her. She introduces herself as Dianne.
Next is Felix, a nimble man dressed in simple leather and equipped with daggers and a shortsword. He gives a quick nod before turning back to Baldric.
Last is a slightly older man, probably in his late 30s, dressed in a cape and travelling clothes and equipped with a bow and quiver. He gives off a calm vibe and shakes Jack's hand while introducing himself as Garrick.
"Hello, everyone, my name is Jack. Nice to meet you all. I am good at close combat with my warhammer and shield." Jack introduces himself.
He then turns towards the girl and asks, "Do you know magic?" in a curious tone.
"Yes, I studied at the magic association in the kingdom down south. I-I uh know magic isn't that common, and I have sort of spent most of my time indoors studying, but I-I still know enough to use it in combat!" Dianne says in a nervous tone.
"We are really happy that you are joining us today, Jack." Garrick says, jumping into the conversation. "We were missing someone who could engage in close combat and take the heat off our backline." Garrick continues.
"You see, Felix here mostly uses stealth and deception to quickly strike his opponents, and both Dianne and I are ranged. So you fit perfectly in our group!" Garrick says.
Jack once again looks over the rest of the party, this time more sceptically and discerningly.
He notices how Dianne is looking nervous. It seems like this is her first time preparing for a fight. Garrick looks calm and collected, but he also looks somewhat concerned about the people around him being young and inexperienced. Felix doesn't say much or do anything, which makes him hard to read and appear very detached from the rest. Almost like he doesn't want to be there or has no particular interest in his companions.
Baldric decides to cut the conversation short. "Alright, everyone, you have been introduced and can talk more on the way. We are leaving in a few minutes, but first, we have to go over supplies." Baldric brings forth a sack with different healing supplies like salves and ointments, bandages and such. Then another with waterskins and simple dried rations.
"Someone has to be responsible for carrying healing supplies, someone for food, and lastly, we need to check that everyone's equipment is working properly." he says and asks people to show their weapons to inspect them.
The group starts chatting, and Dianne quickly explains how she would rather not carry any bags as she isn't particularly strong. She still tries to volunteer that if given a backpack, she can carry a small amount to help.
Felix doesn't say a word.
Garrick decides to carry the healing bag, and Jack easily lifts the rations bag, throwing it over his shoulder without showing any restraint. Dianne sighs in relief and thanks both Jack and Garrick.
"Thank you guys, I can carry some of it if I had a backpack or similar, but otherwise my magic would be sort of interrupted." She tries explaining.
"It's okay, not that heavy anyway." Jack answers.
Baldric observes the interaction but doesn't say anything.
After the bags are claimed and the equipment has been inspected, they are off. They leave the guild hall following Baldric through the town, walking west.
Baldric greets the guards as they leave the town palisades and takes a road heading west, before going off path and into the forest.
Garrick spends most of the journey conversing with Baldric about the mission, discussing strategies to fight goblins, where they could have placed an outpost and keeping track on the map so as not to get lost.
Felix walks with the group in silence, not partaking in any conversation.
Jack is very interested in the magic aspect of this world. He does not know what magic can do nor how it works, so he spends time with Dianne trying to get her to tell him anything.
"Sorry for making you carry the bag, Jack." Dianne says regretfully. "It's just that you have the physical strength, and I don't. So I thought it would be smartest to not let me carry it." Dianne argues.
"I understand your logic. It works for me." Jack answers. "Hey, you said you studied magic before, enough to fight with it. What type of magic can you do?" Jack asks curiously.
"Oh, uh, I can call forth small bolts of fire, frost rays, winds strong enough to push a person. A few different elements in a strong enough fashion to hurt someone." Dianne answers carefully.
'Holy shit, she can summon fire and control it? THAT'S AWESOME!! But, uhh, a firearm sorta does the same thing as shooting a bolt of fire, only anyone can use a gun and it has like several bullets before it's empty...' Jack thinks, slightly disappointed.
"Oh, that is awesome and useful. Can you call down lightning as well?" Jack asks with a more excited tone.
"No, sorry, controlling weather and calling lightning is a bit more advanced. I only know spells which require a maximum of two circles." She answers a bit hesitantly.
"What do you mean by two circles?" Jack asks.
She hesitates a bit before deciding to give a simple explanation.
Magic is a natural part of this world. Its raw form is a type of energy which can be called mana. Arcane magic, which is what wizards study, is the practice of drawing upon said mana and using the runic alphabet of power to transform the mana into something else, like fire or wind.
The runic alphabet of power, or runes of power, has over thousands of years been redefined to create standardised ways of casting spells. One such model, which is commonly used today, is referred to as "Circles of Magic" and uses a mental visualisation of circles.
The runes of power are channelled through a circle, or several, in which you lead the mana through, and in doing so, the effects of the runes are fulfilled and the spell is cast.
Channelling several circles, overlaying them or fulfilling multiple of them at the same time is possible, but requires years of studies, intense mental focus and extreme willpower.
The more circles are channelled, the more runes can fit, which results in a larger effect in the world.
"I can only channel 2 circles, therefore spells of the second circle. But some people can cast spells with 5 or 6 circles at the same time. As far as I know, the human limit is 9." Dianne says after her explanation.
"Sorry if I confused you, I just find it fascinating and have spent a few years studying it already." Dianne continues while carefully eyeing Jack.
Jack doesn't respond immediately, but the gears in his head are spinning, absorbing the information.
'Magic just sounds like school, but still, if school made me able to fly and summon flames, I would have studied way more.' Jack starts thinking
'But this sounds interesting, a new alphabet exclusively for magic, mental representations for spells, and it all relies on someone's mental aptitude, knowledge and focus. Sounds like something I would excel at, given my new body and brain,' Jack chuckles to himself.
"So if someone successfully channels two of the same circles at the same time, but not overlapping, then that means they are casting the same spell twice, right?" Jack answers.
"Yes, exactly, wow, you learn quickly!" Dianne exclaims in surprise. "Have you never studied magic before? Maybe you would be good at it." She says with a smile.
"Never before, but where could I find someone to teach me?" Jack asks.
Dianne explains how there are institutions, organisations like wizard towers that take on magic initiates and apprentices. There are also schools or magical research institutions. She recommends that Jack try finding one next time he reaches a real city and see if he can apply for studies somewhere.
Jack thanks her and continues some small talk about magic, learning a bit more about Dianne's magical aptitude.
The group finally stops, and Garrick tells them that a goblin outpost should be in the vicinity.
"Alright, recruits, I will let you find the goblin outpost, make a plan, and if I like it, I'll let you go ahead with it. But you must realise this is serious and you could get severely hurt or die if you fuck this up, okay?" Baldric says to the group.
"I will oversee you guys and tag along, but don't rely on me, I won't do more than anyone else here." He says.
"Then let's do this!" Garrick exclaims.
He then hurdles everyone closer and proceeds to explain the plan, giving out some orders and strategies regarding positions. Baldric gives a few nods here and there, showcasing approval for the ideas.
After everyone has their orders, they start moving towards the outpost.