Chapter 185. Fields of Ruin

"Anything else troubling the Downs beside these creatures?"

[No. Just those thrice-damned goatmen. Seems there's more of them each year. And the spiders have taken over the Harrowfields. But we Down farmers are used to trouble. We can take care of our own problems.](Phelan)

Remembering the farmers who went into Sarat's Lair to 'solve their own problems' and ended up as hosts for the brood, Michael wanted to comment but abstained.

[ Side Quest issued - Fields of Ruin

Objective: Place the Wardstones (0/3). ]

There was no need to agitate this old man further. Looking at the Druid explaining to Iveta how to place the wardstones and where the Necromancer continued questioning Phelan.

"What about this young Druid, Artair? What do you think of him?"

[Tsk! I am old enough to remember when there were Druids here before. Then Astaroth came, and they abandoned us. Eh, we've had to manage without them for this long. Not saying Druids are bad or anything, but I don't think we need some young whelp telling us how to run things.](Phelan)

Hearing the old man's voice intentionally increasing enough for Artair to hear his last words, Michael shook his head bitterly and left Phelan to his own devices.

Walking to the Druid, he introduced himself.

"Michael, Necromancer. If you don't mind me asking, what are you doing here, Artair?"

[I grew up here in the Downs, hearing stories of life before Astaroth came. I left to study their ways so I could bring those days back. This place has been without our protection and guidance for too long. I will change that!](Artair)

Seeing the confidence and recognizing the exuberance of youth in his words, Michael thought of Yorin, who yearned for adventure against his father's best wishes. 

Romanticizing old stories was the folly of youth and their privilege. Only old and mature people could be cynical, as their hopes and dreams were shattered long ago.

"Well, it's good if you want to help. Judging from the goatmen's increased activity, having a guardian isn't a bad thing for the farmers."

[*Sigh* Things were bad when I left, but this is so much worse. The Khazra hadn't ventured down from the hills before. There also wasn't a werewolf problem.](Artair)

Hearing the word 'werewolf,' Michael threw a confused and questioning glance to Iveta, who shrugged and showed no recollection of such creatures being an issue around these parts.

"A werewolf? What's that about?"

[I am not sure yet, but I heard rumors of one in the area just south of here. I couldn't find the creature, but even the bandits and brigands spoke to me about it. That's not what I'm most worried about, though. As strange as it might sound, there's something else. A shadow that lays over everything. The others won't talk to me about it yet - but keep your eyes and ears open, adventurers.](Artair)

The Necromancer immediately thought of Lilith, but there was little for her to gain here. However, even her mere presence was enough to send these monsters astir, so it would be best to investigate the situation carefully.

Leaving the Druid and the farmers behind to deal with the corpses of the goatmen and the killed livestock, Michael and Iveta sped up to place the wardstones and wrap up their Side Quest.

[There are two strips of farmland. Since there are only three wardstones, Artair wanted us to place them in these three spots.](Iveta)

"I see... the two pieces of land are next to each other, so covering them in a triangle formation is indeed the best option. Let's get going before the sky darkens." 

The first spot was on the road to the farms, and since Artair had previously laid waste to all the goatmen in this area, the duo had nothing to do except place the wardstone in the place suggested by the Druid and marked by the Sanctuary.

The second spot was above the small road separating the two strips of land, but the 'installation process' was somewhat difficult due to the combination of Phantoms and Blood Clan members interrupting it.

Fortunately, after a taunt from the Quarterback, some Ice Storms from the Accountants, and some high burst damage from Iveta, they were all taken care of. 

"The third spot is in the lower right corner of the second farmland. Still... the number of monsters is ridiculously high, but they don't get closer to the people's houses. It's very odd."

[Maybe the Druid did something? I'll arrange some Knights Penitent to patrol this area starting tomorrow. These farmers provide much of Cerrigar's food. With them gone, a famine is inevitable.](Iveta)

Michael also agreed to this approach and decided to contact Celeste later today to inform her of everything that occurred. It has been quite an eventful day so far.

And judging from the time, it was far from over.

After clearing two Elites—one Phantom and one Goatmen—, the duo looked curiously at the blue, glowing book that dropped after killing the goatmen Elite called Hyug Gorethief.

['The History of Scosglen'? That should be one of the books written by Miss Braega. What is it doing here?](Iveta)

"It dropped from that goatmen, but it seems like a Quest Item. Let's grab it first."

Opening the book and curiously reading some of its pages, Michael shrugged in incomprehension. Although interesting stuff was mentioned in it, he didn't see why it was a Quest Item.

[ Side Quest issued - Braega's Chronicles 

Objective: Return 'The History of Scosglen' written works to Wilfred at the Firebreak Manor.

Description: Some foul creature was carrying lost works by Donan's wife, Braega, which was possibly stolen during the attack. They belong back at the Firebreak Manor. ]

[Well, that explains it.](Iveta)

"Strange... did some monsters escape during the attack? And why steal books?"

[Beats me. Nevertheless, isn't it good that we retrieved it?](Iveta)

"I guess..."

Remembering how the monsters reacted during the manor attack, none fled in the face of certain death. 

So, how come a number of them escaped and even carried a book with Braega's work about the history of Scosglen? 

Things weren't adding up, and it bothered the Necromancer. Still, he couldn't do much about it, so he returned to the farm with Iveta to hand in the completed Wardstone Quest.

They found the farmers working hard at chopping the goatmen, stunning the duo.

"This... are goatmen edible?"

[I... don't think so?](Iveta)

[Edible? What are you two talking about? Of course, they aren't.](Phelan)

Seeing the old man carrying a makeshift cart covered in blood, Michael mentally complimented him for his recklessness. Phelan was still carrying weights at his age, and he was not worried about his lower back at all!

[Then why are you all chopping up the corpses?](Iveta)

[It's good fertilizer for the farmland. Why are you back so fast? Did you place those silly stones?](Phelan)

"Yes... we placed the wardstones."

[*Scoff* We'll see how well Artair's magic works. Me, I prefer a more direct deterrent, which even goatmen can understand.](Phelan)

"Looks like you have something in mind. Tell us."

[Ahh, the damned beasts have moved into the Pits at the south end of the Downs. They're led by some big, ugly brute of a thing named Blackhorn. *Spits at the ground* Mounting that bastard's head on a pole would teach them what happens to those that attack the Downs.](Phelan)

Iveta nodded pensively while Michael was stunned at the audacious behavior. What if the goatmen attack in retaliation with large numbers?

Even Donan's Firebreak Manor suffered under their hoves, so how could a head mounted on a pole serve as a sufficient deterrent? 

[ Side Quest updated - Fields of Ruin

Objective: Travel to the Unhallowed Pits. ]

'Oi! Stop being ridiculous, Sanctuary! This plan could kill all these farmers and induce a region-wide famine as a result! This is not the time to play around, with the retarded Inarius invading Hell and Lilith planning stupid shit!'

Still, his mental complaints remained unvoiced and unanswered. The Sanctuary had awareness, and if it considered killing the leader of the goatmen to warn the rest, it wasn't an overall bad idea.

Coupled with Iveta sending Knights Penitent to patrol the farmlands more often and Michael informing Celeste, hopefully, the worst won't come to happen.

Opening the MAP to find the location, the Necromancer saw two more blue exclamation marks in his area. One was near where they were headed to slay Blackhorn, and the other was much further away, close to the Sarat's Lair Dungeon. 

[ Side Quest: Ever Faithful (Level 47+)

Description: A grieving mother wants revenge on her daughter's killer. ]

[ Side Quest: Feral Moon (Level 47+)

Description: Help Edan ward off the strange call. ] 

As both Quests appeared for the duo, they marched south to wrap up Phelan's request and hopefully complete Ever Faithful on their way there.

Once they approached the first Side Quest marker, a Silent Chest well hidden between some bushes surprised them. Iveta lacked Whispering Keys, so Michael opened it instead.

The Necromancer was excited about his third discovery of this kind, especially since it would be the first to be opened.

"Let's see... A Rare scythe, a Legendary amulet, and two Magic item boxes. I guess that's fine..."

[It could be worse.](Iveta)

"Always..."

A bit disappointed by the lackluster loot, the duo reached Wraithstead, where more farmers' houses stood unprotected. 

Before either could complain about this place's lack of protection, Iveta reacted upon seeing a middle-aged woman hauling a cart. On it, there was the mangled corpse of - probably - a young woman. 

The middle-aged woman looked grief-stricken, and judging by the exclamation mark above her head, she was the Quest Giver.

[Brenna!? What happened here? Is that...](Iveta)

[Iveta... M-my daughter! My Deidre...](Brenna)

"..."

Hearing the pained cry of the mother, Michael's blood froze in his veins. He had seen and heard it before, but for any parent, seeing their child die before they did was a pain that tortured them worse than anything else.

[How could this be... I just saw her a day ago in Cerrigar, selling your woven clothes... Who did it? Was it the goatmen!?](Iveta)

[No... a young Druid placed wardstones around our farms so the goatmen don't come close. It was her wretched husband who did it... Faolan. I caught him - feeding on her corpse, and he fled that way, dripping in my baby's blood!](Brenna)

[What!? Faolan? He... was feeding on her corpse? Aunty Brenna, did he look like a wolf?](Iveta)

[Yes, yes! Please! Hunt him down, make sure he suffers... I'll pay you all I've got.](Brenna)

Before leaving to search for the murderer, who was undoubtedly the werewolf Artair mentioned, Michael and the Battle Priestess helped the woman dig a grave for her daughter and lay her to rest.

Fortunately, after Iveta stored the dead girl's body in her inventory, the Sanctuary helped fashion a simple coffin she could be buried in. 

Then, they left the grieving mother behind as they searched for clues about where Faolan had run off.

It didn't take long for them to find a torn dress covered in blood. The Sanctuary identified it as a clue, slightly explaining what it was.

[ A woolen frock, badly torn and soaked with blood. ]

Continuing their exploration, Iveta frowned and stopped their advancement. 

[Come out, you lot!](Iveta)

Under Michael's confused gaze, a group of five wounded brigands left the bushes and approached the duo cautiously.

[Lintel! I thought I told you to stop your stupidity and leave this place!?](Iveta)

[I... we were trying to, Miss Iveta. But our den was surrounded by spiders and goatmen on all sides, and we couldn't leave. We had sufficient food and drinks to survive for a while, but a damned man entered our den a couple of hours ago. Then, he transformed into a wolf standing on two legs and massacred our men and cattle... we barely escaped with our lives.](Lintel)

Hearing the explanation, Iveta's anger at the group of five heavily wounded bandits lessened considerably. After asking them to head for Cerrigar and report to the Quartermaster there, she took Michael to their hideout.

[It's here. An old abandoned Smuggler's Den. Those idiots were loafers of Cerrigar who didn't want to work and fashioned themselves bandits. A bunch of idiots incapable of even stealing a single purse... *Sigh* There were more than forty of them before...](Iveta)

Michael grimaced, hearing her words. If that was true, then Faolan probably killed more than 35 people, not including Brenna's child.

Furthermore, the Smuggler's Den was now apparent on their MAP, similar to how Cellars showed. It signified that an enemy occupied it, and it was definitely hostile.

The Necromancer entered first and immediately summoned his minions to scout the way. In the next room, they found the man they were looking for. 

There were tens of corpses of men, cattle, and goatmen alike strewn about. Faolan was standing above the corpse of a person, feasting on it with tears in his eyes.

[FAOLAN! What have you done!?](Iveta)