Sword and Magic and Taxi

Driving southwest along the Healthy Forest, the trees gradually become sparse, and intermittent logging trails appear from time to time near the shore of Ash Lake. On both sides of the trail, you can still see some old and decaying tree trunks. After being exposed to wind, sun and rain, they have become shelters for moss, mushrooms and other plants.

Through the trees, you can see the old tree stumps hidden among the grass and shrubs. It was once a lumber camp, and high-quality timber provided a source of livelihood for many people. Nebo Town is located next to the Healthy Forest, or to be more accurate, a part of the Healthy Forest was cut down and changed its shape to become the current Nebo Town.

The town once prospered because of the logging industry, but it also caused disaster because of excessive logging. A group of druids living near the Lake of Ashes disagreed with Nebo Town's indiscriminate deforestation for commercial interests, and launched their own action after repeated warnings to no avail. A plague curse targeting loggers struck the town of Nebo. All those who cut down trees were infected, extremely weak, and soon completely unable to work.

The townspeople and the druids began to confront each other. The merchants of Nebo Town hired many adventurers to launch a continuous attack on the Druid community, and continued to pursue the two forests on the east and west sides of Ash Lake. The druids who occupied the right place at the right time were very powerful. Many adventurers went to perform tasks, but they disappeared without a trace as if they were swallowed by the forest.

The high stakes drive up the bounty, but the wealth the merchants have accumulated in the past is enough to keep the mission going. More and more adventurers are attracted to Nebo Town by the benefits and join hands for this task. After exchanging many casualties with the druids, they discovered another way to make a fortune.

The young and middle-aged people in Nebo Town are mainly lumberjacks. Under the curse of the debilitating plague, they can barely pick up a bowl to eat. They can't do any work, let alone pick up weapons to protect themselves. The defense of Nebo Town has dropped to its lowest level in history, but the adventurers gathered here are the most powerful ever. Although not all adventurers will become bandits, under the connection and instigation of some caring people, upright adventurers who are willing to selflessly help the town have become a very small minority.

A looting begins, the whole town is plunged into chaos, and the killings continue in the name of money. The druids saw everything and came to the aid of the townspeople in their despair. A safe passage to the forest for refuge appeared, and the beasts became protectors, greatly reducing the human losses in Nebo Town.

The town was almost in ruins, but on top of the ruins, the villagers and the druids came to an understanding, and crazy commercial logging became a thing of the past. From the original wood production to the processing of wood products, the use of trees has decreased, but the profit is not much different from the past. Coupled with the fact that townspeople began to plant trees and replenish healthy forests in a planned way, a new balance emerged.

The pursuit of those bandit adventurers continued for twenty years, and all the money recovered was used in the construction of the town. After this lesson, Nebo Town attaches great importance to dialogue and communication, and is very opposed to intensifying conflicts to the level of armed confrontation, and their capable professional town guards are a strong guarantee for this idea.

This is a talking town! Although it is a somewhat slanderous and biased statement, it can also reflect the style of this town. Because of this style, it is not difficult to understand why it has become the most tolerant and open town in the north.

The forest Zhao Mai saw along the way was replanted later. The tree stumps left over from past fellings are still left in place because their roots are still clinging to the soil and the cost of digging and cleaning them up is too high. The roads in the forest are often gnawed half off by tree stumps, making them unsuitable for cars.

Modern transportation requires a whole system to support it, and Golarion's level is still at the level of riding horses and using carriages. Zhao Mai also thought of this, no, he discussed it with his partner while driving.

I don't think we can park the car in villages or towns, it's too risky. Such a rare thing will attract too much attention, don't you think?

Wow, Li Liang opened his eyes wide and answered very seriously.

Although I defeated the dwarf illusionist before, it was a calculated calculation without intention, and it does not represent my true ability. If someone else plotted against me and gave me a sap, wouldn't I be miserable?

Reserve opened his mouth wide, licked his tongue from the upper teeth, and then barked twice.

Oh, you don't agree? You said that as long as you are here, no one can beat my sap? Zhao Mai looked at the puppy with a smile and said happily: Thank you for your concern, but you are still too young, I can't It’s a risk on you. It’s better to play it safe.”

Woof!

I must have a brain problem to keep talking to dogs, and I can still talk to dogs very smoothly. Zhao Mai pinched his face hard, and the pain in his brain alerted him. I hope this isn't a sign of schizophrenia. Talking too much about yourself won't end well.

This is currently what Zhao Mai is most worried about. The fact that he was able to drive a taxi across the country was a huge shock to him. If he couldn't share it with others, the excitement in his heart would continue to accumulate and become more and more blocked, and maybe it would break through the nerve defense line at some point. Therefore, he seized every opportunity to learn lingua franca and continued to use his limited vocabulary to simulate various communication situations, hoping to integrate into this world as soon as possible.

But the car still needs to be hidden, and it's never a good idea to swagger into town. The ranger told Zhao Mai through his lackey that he was going to Nebo Town, but he didn't say what Nebo Town was like. What if there is a powerful lord there who sees the car and decides to rob it? If Zhao Mai was still in the car, he would be fearless. The only thing he was afraid of was what he told Li Liang: being beaten.

An abandoned lumberyard appeared on the roadside, and many animals that were frightened by car horns rushed out of the half-collapsed warehouse. The roads in the factory area have long been destroyed. With wind, frost, rain, snow and no one to care for them, the force of nature will inevitably cover up the traces of industry.

This is a nice place. Zhao Mai drove around and found no signs of camping or human traces. He moved away a few rotten logs and parked the car in a warehouse with half the wall missing. Unless you walk in and stand right next to the car, you can't tell from the outside that something like this is still parked in the warehouse.

The next step is to walk on your own. Zhao Mai rummaged through the old lumberyard and picked out a few good long pieces of wood, split them, whittled them and wrapped them in cloth to use them as long sticks, poles and walking sticks. An old wheelbarrow can still be used, if you can tolerate the loud squeaking noise. No oil was found in the entire lumberyard, so this harsh sound accompanied Zhao Mai all the way.

After leaving the logging camp, he walked along the vaguely visible old road. In more than half a day, Zhao Mai set foot on a trade road with wheel indentations. Behind the distant woods, faint white smoke rose straight into the sky, blending with the clouds. There is the town of Nebo, which is about to welcome a pair of hungry travelers.