Serving and assisting Stormpoint's High Justice, the majority of the city's rangers function as clerks, land inspectors, tax collectors, judges, and other government functionaries. A select few, however, serve another purpose. Watching over the city from its darker places, venturing into places untread by most, they act as the last line of defense against unknown threats and dangers. The black-clad trio you improvidently interrupted belong to this latter classification. Hence, you find yourself bound in shackles and being escorted to an audience before the High Justice.

Your captors take you through largely untravelled portions of the city, thereby skirting any crowds or other distractions that might afford you an attempt to escape. The trip is swift, and soon you reach the open gate surrounding the High Justice's mansion. On your way through the grounds, you pass by an open-air orientation lesson for newly appointed Rangers. The instructor's voice is strong and full, and you can hear his words clearly as you approach the mansion where the High Justice resides.

"Fighting is only a small part of what we are. We are here to protect the weak and further just causes. We work toward the careful preservation of history, crafts, and knowledge. We work against, and must often fight, those of evil mind--those who would overturn peace and unleash fire and sword across the land to raise their own ambitions. Strong words, eh? Well, I feel strongly. If you come to do so too, you will truly be Rangers. If one falls out of such belief, he or she should leave both the struggle and our ranks. Working for good and maintaining balance are often matters of small degrees. If you wish to shape a bush you must prune it gently, not take a scythe to it. Fight not always with blade or spell. The slower ways are surer. Aid freely given, friendships and trust built--these things evil cannot abide, for it shrinks away from what it cannot destroy with fire and blade. What makes a Ranger? Well, different folk will tell you a lot of high and grand things, but to me it seems the only crucial talent, the one we all have, is the ability to turn up at the wrong time in a place where we are neither wanted nor expected, and plunge right into whatever trouble's afoot."

~written by Marcus' writer

COPYRIGHT© Amy Ann Demint, "Teneb Niko"
Marcus wears the black and silver uniform of the Rangers, which he leads, over his lean muscular frame. His handsome face is framed with a nicely trimmed beard leading back into his dark wavy hair. He absently spins a small bronze colored cylinder back and forth in his fingers. At a sudden hint of danger, a simple twist of his wrist extends the fighting staff to its full length and he stands ready for what may come.

"I am a Ranger. We stand on the bridge and none shall pass. We walk in the dark places where others fear. We hold the line between the light and the dark and never sway."

© Copyright Jonathon Bowser, "Forest Light," (1999)
Most here in Stormpoint have come to know her as Isa Solestra. When asked of her past she simply replies, "It is not who I was that is important. The adventure of life itself is what makes me who I am." As she speaks, she evokes a kind of mysticism and enchantment and you are most certain that there is more to the story. You take note of every word where normally you wouldn't; perhaps it's her natural beauty that captivates. She wears a delicate 5'9" frame, a subtle face, and golden hazel eyes that seem to be wise beyond her years. You're not quite sure of her heritage, but beneath her chestnut colored hair she conceals her slightly pointed ears.
Trained to fight and ride by a ranger, she chose to make it her way of life. Nature is her ally. The creatures of the wild serve as her friends, confidants, and protectors. Do not let her compassion, kindness, or generosity fool you. She is a trained fighter and will fight to the death for those persons and causes she holds dear.
"No one can make you feel inferior without your permission." - Eleanor Roosevelt