You walk along the damp passage trying to balance a plate full of food and a silver goblet filled with a deep red liquid. Resisting the urge to taste the sweet smelling fluid, you keep your eyes on the edge of the goblet as small waves attempt to wash over it. Conveniently, the old man’s quarters are usually deserted, and much easier to traverse with full hands than the busy kitchens you came from.

Finally arriving at the door of Issar Roon’s study, you push the door open with your shoulder, unable to knock. You pray the sight of food will extinguish any hard feelings remaining from your last visit.

Food! You certainly know how to penetrate this old heart of mine.

The old man falls upon the food before you are able to reach his desk, removing large pieces of meat as it balances precariously on your left hand. You manage to set the food and drink down safely, then back off while the old man devours the food. Between gulps he begins talking.

I imagine you wish for a story in return for the food. I will comply, but only because the duck is delightfully tasteful.

You avoid mentioning that the duck the old man is eating and the duck he had fed the previous month were one and the same.

Shall I tell you about Autumn Willow m’boy? She is a very beautiful woman. Do forces of nature have a specific gender? I couldn’t tell you, but this one certainly has a very feminine appearance. Perhaps she modeled herself after a nymph. Ah… the things that one contemplates when his belly is being fed.

The old man continues to shove food down his sarcophagus between sentences.

Autumn Willow is a force of nature on Ulgrotha, or the Homelands. After the Great Destruction, the denizens of the plane relied on mana coming through the Dwarven Gate. Thanks to Feroz’s Ban, mana built up within the plane, unable to be drained by those on other planes. Specific locations around Ulgrotha became powerful places to practice the arcane arts or amplify one’s skills. One of those nodes of power was the Great Wood, and within that great forest Autumn Willow was manifest. She became the Great Wood’s protector, and went on to oppose Baron Sengir alongside Feroz and Serra.

That is the history of Ulgrotha, but I wish to tell you about Autumn Willow herself. Let me begin again.

The old man seems to have changed his mind in the middle of his story. He begins again, in a more disjointed arc.

Autumn Willow is the avatar of the Great Wood, a sprawling forest that separates the lands of An-Havva and Aysen from the Koskun Mountains. Within the wood lie many curious oddities and creatures. Autumn Willow was manifest to take care of the living things within the Wood’s boundaries. She grew into that role quite well, and became feared by the enemies of the Great Wood.

Can a grand forest have enemies? This one does. Travelers and poachers often vandalize the trees and animals, taking what they want, criminals use it to hide from those who would serve justice, and even the Baron Sengir is considered an enemy, though he has never directly harmed the Great Wood.

To help protect the wood Autumn Willow created many creatures to aid her. The Faerie Noble is the leader of faeries, a playful group who took over the River Bridge connecting the Wood to the Koskun Mountains. They serve Autumn Willow’s orders to stop any unwanted visitors from crossing the bridge. The Hungry Mist was a wild creation, and devours anyone in its path. Tales tell that it can only be stopped by sunlight or campfires.

Of course, she created helpful beings as well. The Daughter of Autumn, who leads lost children and woodsmen out of the Great Wood. Finally, the Spectral Bears, who guard and watch over merchant caravans following the Lady’s Path to the Koskun Mountains.

The old man finishes the meats and fruits you had brought, and then drains the silver goblet in one large swig.

So how is the Baron Sengir an enemy of Autumn Willow if he has never set foot within the Great Wood or sent his minions there? Quite simply, he wants control of all Ulgrotha, and that includes the home of Autumn Willow. As a being created from the very land, Autumn Willow has a deeper connection to the Baron than Feroz or Serra ever did. She has had visions of the vampire lord leaving a barren Ulgrotha through the Dwarven Gate with a large army behind him. Whether that vision will ever come to pass is unknown to the Autumn Willow.

There, I have told you a beautiful story about a lovely lady. Yes, she is real. Do not argue about such silly things. You’ve been paid for the food and drink, now leave me in peace. A development has come to my attention that could change the future of the entire Multiverse.

You are snapped back to reality by the realization that the old man believes his stories to be true. He always has a flair for the dramatic, but you can’t help wondering why he insists on these tales as truth. You watch for a moment as the old man removes the silver book of Karn from a mountain of books. Curious about his “research” you resist the urge to ask and quietly take your leave.