Alyce follows the woodland path beneath silver-barked trunks. Her scraped palm stings with each swing of her arm, while the bruise in her shoulder answers every uneven step.
Warm lanternlight appears ahead, golden beads strung among the roots. Beyond them, a concealed Freehold rests within a ring of hollow trees, its doorways tucked into living wood.
A short Brownie woman steps onto the path and raises one hand to bar the entrance. She is middle-aged and compact, with russet hair, bright wary eyes, a green wool coat, and a thorn-shaped brooch.
the Brownie woman
Stop there. I know you came down from the great tree, stranger. Are you seeking shelter, a Hedgeway, or trouble?
Behind her, pale shapes move between the distant trunks, glimpsed only when lanternlight catches them. They do not approach, but their silent passage makes the hollow trees feel watchful.
the Brownie woman
My name is Mara Bramblewick. If it is a Hedgeway you seek, say so plainly. Freeholds trade in directions, not guesses.
The lanterns sway softly overhead. Mara keeps her hand raised, while the pale figures continue drifting beyond the ring of trees, leaving the path and its question open.
✓ Quest Accepted
Learn a usable route to a Hedgeway
“"Hey now, I'm not here to cause any trouble, my name is Alyce, and I actually am here to- wait...how did you know I was from the Great Tree?"”
FAILURE (Good Diplomacy, rolled -3)
Alyce
Hey now, I'm not here to cause any trouble. My name is Alyce, and I actually am here to... wait. How did you know I was from the great tree?
The introduction softens the air only briefly. Mara's raised hand lowers an inch, but her wary gaze sharpens at the question, measuring Alyce instead of welcoming her.
the Brownie woman
Because the great tree leaves its mark on anyone who comes down from it. Yours is plain enough, stranger, and your arrival shook the roots beneath our doors.
Mara gestures toward Alyce's clothing and the distant slope behind her, then points to the splinters and leaf-dust still clinging to the path. Her explanation leaves little room for mystery.
the Brownie woman
You came from above, and you came down badly. That tells me enough to bar the gate until I know what you truly seek.
Beyond Mara, the Pale Shapes drift closer between the trunks, still indistinct but no longer distant. Their silent attention turns the entrance from a question into a guarded threshold.
the Brownie woman
So speak plainly now, Alyce. Shelter, a Hedgeway, or something else? Choose carefully, because the Freehold will not open itself to uncertainty.
The lanterns sway above the path. Mara holds her ground, and the three pale inhabitants remain behind her, making a repeated reassurance useless until Alyce answers the sharper demand.
Director's note
Shows Pocket Watch
“"Okay look, I'm going to be honest with you, though you probably aren't going to believe me, but I'm a Human, probably the first and only one there ever was in all of Faerie, and the Freehold I just came from, they don't even know that I'm here because I snuck out. I just want to find my way to a Hedgeway so that I can at least try to find the World of Man, to see if I had a family, a home, anything back wherever I came from as a baby. I even have this Pocket Watch to show for it, if it helps."”
SUCCESS (Good Diplomacy, rolled +3)
Alyce
Okay, I'll be honest. I'm Human, probably the first and only one in Faerie. I came from that Freehold, but they don't know I'm here. I need a Hedgeway to reach the World of Man and find my family, my home, anything. This pocket watch is all I have.
Alyce draws out the bronze pocket watch, its worn casing catching the lanternlight. The engraved name, Alyce, gleams beneath her thumb as she holds it where Mara can see.
Mara studies the watch, then Alyce's face. Behind her, the three Pale Shapes gather silently, their pallor thinning the golden light around the gate.
the Brownie woman
A Human child carried through a Hedgeway, bearing a watch marked with her own name. I believe you, Alyce. More than that, I believe you need the truth.
Mara turns and presses her thorn-shaped brooch against a seam in the living wood. Roots unwind, revealing a mist-filled archway glowing with Seelie gold and Unseelie violet.
the Brownie woman
There is your Hedgeway. It leads toward Arcadia's outer roads, where old records and travelers may know routes into the World of Man. Take shelter first, and I will give you a map.
The Pale Shapes part to either side of the opened arch. Mara steps aside, granting Alyce the threshold and the unexpected promise of a map before the journey continues.
Quest Complete
Learn a usable route to a Hedgeway
Skill Upgrade: Diplomacy Good→Great