Second Expedition

The Second Expedition is named as it was the second expedition of all the guilds into the Radiant Wilds, after the first ended in near disaster. Despite protests from Davian, the event went ahead in **458PR**.

## Background

### The First Expedition

The First Expedition was put together by a man named Cassius Firmin, who was the current Chapter head of the Aliquam Guild in Helicules. He gathered representatives from every guild in South-East Arlec to attend. There, he discussed the idea of mounting a huge expedition with all their members to explore the Radiant Wilds.

Many of the guilds agreed, including the Blue Heroes, Lucent, and the Reapers. Some independent parties and individuals also attended including Davian of the Three Greats.

Before they ventured out in **399PR**, they had some festivities, celebrating the fact that they would soon accomplish something great. Upon entering the forest, they entered the Troll War. By the end of the expedition, only 600 of the 4,000 adventurers returned from the expedition.

### Formation of the Second

In **456PR** Oliver Clemmensen of the Barktree Lions branch in Nylev came up with the idea of starting a Second Expedition, believing there would be less casualties now that they could prepare for the worst. As the Aliquam Guild was now the regulator of all guilds, he called a meeting through them, letting all the representatives of every guild meet on neutral grounds.

After intense discussions that lasted a week, and pressure from their own members, the guilds decided to go with the idea, taking 2 years to prepare for the event in order to reduce any potential damage.

## Opposition

One of the major people against the Second Expedition was Davian and the survivors from the First Expedition. They stated that they had lost three quarters of their own group and had seen untold horrors, wishing that on not even their greatest enemies. Some of the people later gathered behind them, stating that it was disrespectful to the fallen that lost their lives in the first place, or especially groups like Venom Strike that sacrificed themselves to get the story out.

In the end, the Second Expedition went on anyways.

## Participants

Since the First Expedition, there had been another influx of adventurers, causing many more guilds to be created. Most of the guilds, parties and individuals that participated in the First Expedition were either refusing to come or too old. Though bigger guilds such as Lucent and the Aliquam Guild went with it anyways.

### Guilds

* Aliquam Guild
* Barktree Lions
* Harlech
* Heavy Giants
* Lucent
* South-Eastern Knights
* Steel Panthers

The Blue Heroes wanted to participate but were shunned due to one of their branches contributing in the Iwakita Guild Uprising.

### Parties/Individuals

* Alexander Molgaard
* Avice
* Crystal Adventurers
* Decius Sellic
* Delirious Donkeys
* Edo
* Giants of Serdica
* Idiot Patrol
* Jair
* Raharjo
* Saga
* Solem Solace
* Viper’s Fang

## Festivities

Just like the First Expedition, there was a large festival full of festivities for the adventurers who came early. First, it started with discussions and briefings about the danger they could face and what information they knew of the First Expedition. Then came a brief time of mourning and respecting those fallen in the first before the parties began.

The Second Expedition festival ended up lasting 2 weeks, making the trip very profitable for some of the merchants that decided to travel all the way to the forest.

Then came a speech from the Aliquam Guild South-Eastern leader Edvin Drakenberg.

## Expedition

In Mak **458PR** the Second Expedition began, with 5,000 adventurers travelling into the Radiant Wilds, split into their various guilds and parties. There two different stories emerged, titled by the leaders that took control of the adventurers in the region.

### Edvin

Edvin’s side travelled for a week before they found anything significant in their expedition. The group, consisting of around 2,000 adventurers, came across a deathly wasteland. Taking control, Edvin ordered any experts on nature to first survey the area and understand what was happening to the forest, but they found nothing.

Then, they were attacked by hordes of undead, crawling out from behind them or from the dead side of the forest anyways. Despite their number, the adventurers managed to defeat the horde relatively easy, venturing further into the dead side of the forest.

There, they came across stronger and more numerous undead, including a thing called Bonedrinkers, heard of previously with the Necromancer of the South.

After clearing some of the deathly wasteland, nicknamed the Deadlands during the expedition, and defeating some fortresses, Edvin called for the remaining to return back to the original camp.

### Oliver

Oliver and the other 3,000 adventurers found their action quite quickly. First, was a series of dungeons that they decided to split up amongst the guilds and parties, defeating them separately, before coming up against all types of monsters.

The monsters they fought came in all manners, rarely working with the biome they were in or likely to be an ally with the others. For example, Saga had to fight a Behir, known as dragon killers in Arlec, and a dragon at the same time. They managed to defeat both but only just.

As they continued to venture ahead in search for more discoveries and mainly, loot, the group continued to get attacked by bigger and stronger monsters. At one point, a trio of T-Rexes managed to breach the camp wall they had set up and wreaked havoc but was eventually beaten.

Oliver himself actually died during one of the fights, eaten by a Froghemoth that managed to grab him from behind.

It took some time to realise their leader was dead, the adventurers still fighting on for the next two days against all manner of creature. Finally, they retreated back to the hub, taking what loot they had gathered and bringing some of the bodies they could with them.

## Aftermath

After 3 weeks, all the adventurers still standing managed to get back to the original campgrounds, healing their wounds and boasting about their loot. When they realised this was it, they all held a ceremony remembering the fallen.

When the scholars counted, they found that of the 5,000 adventurers that went, 2,000 had died, most from Oliver’s group.

This time, many of the scholars had managed to survive the ordeal, writing down the stories of the legends and heroes that sacrificed themselves or simply died in the expedition. Adventurers who were brave enough later would also share their stories.

## Legacy

Despite the deaths, the Second Expedition was a success and is remembered as such. The loot that the adventurers managed to acquire from it was enough for most groups to live quite happily for some time, others even retiring.

It is remembered as the first real expedition, as the first one had lacking information and was a failure.

The second expedition would later inspire the third and fourth, before coming more of a tradition later on.