The spring suddenly stills. A lone goblin steps from the fern shadows, a wiry adult with moss-green skin, a crooked nose, and a patched brown vest, his dark hair tied in a short topknot and amber eyes bright beneath heavy brows. His hooked spear remains lowered.
In one clawed hand, he carries a cracked wooden token marked with the same ancient symbols carved into the mossy road stones. Tomas stiffens beside the spring.
Vek
Do not reach for the road, human. I am Vek, keeper of what remains. You crossed ground protected by an old agreement.
Tomas
I crossed no marked boundary. The stones were buried, and your hunters drove me here.
Vek turns the token so its split edge catches the pale light. Beneath the silence, a faint vibration passes through the springbed, as though the symbols are listening.
Vek
The agreement does not ask who intended what. It demands a witness, and the little traveler has already awakened the road. Let her hear the terms.
✓ Quest Accepted
Secure temporary passage for herself and Tomas
“Faye reasons with Vek that they are just passing through.”
SUCCESS (Good Persuasion, rolled +2)
Faye
Vek, Tomas and I are only passing through. We mean no harm to your road or to your people.
Faye’s words settle over the spring like a gentle song. The vibration beneath the stones softens, and Tomas lowers his tense shoulders beside her.
Vek
You speak plainly, little traveler. Plain words carry farther than frightened feet.
Vek studies Faye, then glances toward Tomas and the moss-hidden markers. At last, he presses the cracked token against the nearest stone.
Vek
The road will recognize you as travelers, not claimants. Walk its old line, disturb nothing, and pass freely.
Tomas
Thank you. We will keep to the stones and leave your hollow untouched.
The ancient symbols glow softly beneath the moss, revealing a clear path toward the ruined watchtower. The spring resumes its bright, bubbling song.
Quest Complete
Secure temporary passage for herself and Tomas