Tales of Faerun

[Naktis]

Luckily for Aedan the paralyzing poison had finally worn off and the rest of the group that survived were too busy with their wounds and a fallen friend. Quickly, he picked up his sword and as quietly as he could left, through one of the broken windows and disappeared into the woods. It seemed better to lay low for a while, at least until the people will somewhat forget about the massacre in Sune's temple.

 

 

Nawen hastily patched up her most severe wounds and was ready to leave the temple. "I have some bandages as well." She said and looked around. That's when she noticed Arva and his legs, she approached the sun elf and offered him some bandages. "I'm afraid this is the only way I can help at the moment." She said sadly.

[Ithildin]

(Double post - sorry.)

[Ithildin]

Sune's favor ... what did it mean? The halfling had never been a spiritual creature. She knew very little about the ways of the gods, and while Mahira had tried to teach her something of what she knew, those lessons never took.

 

Listening to Tak'we's heartbreaking lament beyond the chapel door, she realized she felt sorrier for him, and for the rest of her companions, than for herself. At that moment, she resolved to make herself less of a burden; at the very least, they would not see her cry for Mahira again.

 

She went to retrieve the dirk that had somehow traveled all the way through Ravenna's body. It lay where it had fallen, covered in the witch's blood, and with grim satisfaction, the halfling picked it up and wiped it on a corner of her cloak. The dagger protruding from the hook horror's corpse was another matter ... its hilt was reduced to cinders, and had fallen away from the half-melted blade. "Ahh, well," she muttered, "such weapons are easy enough to come by."

 

She heard Rhaine directing the company to take Mahira's body with them, and steeled herself, preparing to do whatever she could to help.

[tokyobiohazard]

Reona blinked once, suddenly coming to her senses as something rushed past her, feeling as if it'd come very close to her head. She noticed with a frightened expression that there was an area around herself in the shape a perfect square which was completely untainted by blood, gore, and other detritus. Her eyes scanned the impossibly immaculate space, which only spanned large enough to cover the floor around herself about a foot in each direction. The only indication that anything could possibly occupy the space around Reona was a puddle of blood, presumably Arva's, which seemed to have run around the edges of the invisible something which surrounded her, leaving the bricks around her feet pure and as free of grime as if they'd been scrubbed clean. She was afraid to step outside of the square, and tentatively extended her arm, heart pulsating with what seemed like anticipation.

 

Nothing. The space was occupied by empty air. She stepped outside of the space and knelt down. Tak'we's staff lay nearby, presumably what had nearly hit her. She picked it up, surprised by both how heavy it seemed to her and how much longer than her small body it was. The door remained open, and Reona noticed the Thri-keen curled up just outside the threshold.

 

She once again knelt, gently lying the staff down and feeling her heart thump as she placed a hand on Tak'we and mumbled, "It's not anyone's fault except Ravenna's."

 

Alphonse looked up to Nawen and smiled gratefully, taking the bandages. "Thank you so much! I'm not sure if he'll be able to keep his leg after this, but we can try."

 

Arva was dizzied by the amount of blood he'd lost, but he hadn't missed that part. "What do you mean? I-"

 

His ears perking up at such a revelation, William shot up and dashed to Rhaine's pack, pulling out several of the items she'd mentioned, and rushed to Arva's side. "We can't have the handsome one lose a limb, the female readers will never let us live it down!" He pulled three vials from inside his robe, pouring them inside a larger bottle he'd gotten from Rhaine's bag. The resulting mixture was thick and barely seemed to pour from the vial when he mixed it into the salve he'd gotten. He lined Arva's wounds with it and then promptly pulled a thick, already-threaded needle from his robes. With several swift motions, he stitched up the wounds and smeared them with the salve, before handing if off to Alphonse.

 

As he walked away to recover his papers and journals, he muttered, "Next time, I'm going for the twist!"

 

Alphonse took the belt off of Arva's leg and as he was bandaging it, said, "Whatever he used, you can bet your leg will be alright, maybe leave you with a limp at the worst. Probably will help your body produce blood, as well."

 

Ianthe slipped over to Mahira's body, seeing that Arva was going to be alright, and offered to help Echo with carrying it out.

[AurianaValoria1]

Rhaine, satisfied that the rest of them were going to be all right, slowly made her way out of the temple. She left behind bloody footprints as she went...some of it from the priestesses, some from her own companions. Near the doorway, she collected Ravenna's dagger, Lord's Bane - perhaps she would keep it as a reminder of the events that took place here.

 

As she passed by the thri-kreen, she looked down upon him and cast him a weak smile, "Worry not, Tak'we. Reona is right. There is no one to blame here but Ravenna...and she has found her due punishment."

 

She hesitated, looking around the landscape. Everlund was a shining speck just across the river.

 

"Well. You have made it out of the forest, Tak'we. As for us, we are heading to Everlund. Should you choose to come with us, you will be welcome at our side...always. But if this is where we part ways, may the gods watch over you."

 

With a loud groan, she put her foot into her horse's stirrup and swung herself into the saddle.

[mythicdawnmaster]

Xallistine gave one final look at the desecrated, blood soaked temple, all of it's beauty had been sucked thoroughly away: A grim reminder of what Ravenna had done. He exited the temple, looking at Tak'we, one of the only creatures to match his own height, and said "You fought well friend." Xallistine mounted Fatty, and prepared to leave.

 

Aricia too gave a final, bitter-sweet glance at the temple; She would forever remember it was here they had saved Faerun; But it was also there she had lost her youth to the witch's vile powers. She walked out of the temple, not looking back, having already tended to her own wounds, she mounted her white steed, and was ready to follow.

 

------------

 

The Everdawn's residence was the largest, grandest home in Everlund, fit for it's lord and his family. Lord Everdawn was in a state of worry as to the location of his wife- She had last been seen at the Cormyr ball. A servant came and opened the door, peering at the man before her. "Can i help you sir?" She asked sceptically, wondering why it was the household was being disturbed.

[Ithildin]

Echo gratefully accepted Ianthe's help carrying Mahira's body. Once outside, the halfling silently communicated with Kismet, Mahira's gelding, who lowered himself to the ground. Mahira's body was carefully wrapped in her cloak and tied across the gelding's back, and then Echo went back into Sune's chapel looking for the Calishite's weapons. As soon as all of her beloved friend's belongings and her own had been secured, she approached Nawen and hesitantly offered Kismet as a gift to her. "He no longer has a rider ... as soon as we reach Everlund, he's yours, to keep or trade, as you like."

[AurianaValoria1]

The group of bedraggled adventurers arrived in Everlund shortly after departing the ruined Sunite chapel. Limping, hobbling, trudging, and covered in blood, the travelers elicited startled gasps from the townsfolk as they entered the southern gate. The guards, of course, demanded to know what had put them all in such a state. Rhaine informed them of the massacre at the chapel…explaining that they had simply failed to protect the priestesses there, and she left it at that.

 

After the guards let them into the city, they sought out the local temple of Mielikki: the Evergreen Hall. The clergy there agreed to lay Mahira to proper rest. Rhaine was unsure of the Calishite’s faith, or if she even had one, but she hoped that her spirit would be satisfied. The Doomguide would return later to offer prayers over Mahira’s grave.

 

Rooms were purchased at the Dreaming Dragon, and there Rhaine washed herself of all the grime of battle. Her rest that night was long and dreamless, but she awoke to a throbbing headache and sore limbs. Thus, breakfast was meager, and she left early to take her armor to the local smith for repairs. After this small errand, she made her way back – alone – to the Evergreen Hall, where Mahira had been buried. The Doomguide then performed all of the customary rites and rituals, praying that the Calishite had arrived safely in the hands of whichever god she worshiped. Offering one final apology to Mahira for failing to protect her, she departed the Mielikkian temple, heading back to her room at the inn.

 

For most of the remainder of the day, Rhaine remained alone, pouring over Ravenna’s papers, correspondences, and journal for any and every reference to the Cult branch with which she had been working. After much digging, translating, and decoding, the Doomguide finally learned that the remnants of the Cult working out of the Sword Coast were now holed up in the Dalelands…though she knew not the specifics of their location. Rhaine, however, did know someone who might.

 

At dinner the second night, the Doomguide informed her companions that they would be returning to Loudwater, and then make their way across the Anauroch desert by way of the Black Road. Though it would be treacherous, it was the fastest way to reach the Dalelands. Hopefully, they could make arrangements with a caravan…it was always best to travel in large groups across the vast and shifting sands of the Anauroch.

 

The next morning, Rhaine decided that she had gleaned all she could from Ravenna’s papers and resolved to meet with Lord Everdawn. Donning her full robes, she made her way to the Lord’s estate, where she found a man in armor waiting just outside. She nodded to him respectfully, holding the papers close and waiting for him to respond to the maidservant.

[Ithildin]

Echo sat in her room inside the Dreaming Dragon; Mahira had been laid to rest that afternoon. The halfling had managed not to cry in front of anyone, and wept silently now that she was alone. After some time, when it seemed there were no more tears, she picked up her coin purse and Mahira's, wondering whether she might be able to consolidate them. She emptied both onto the bedspread. There were golden lions, a few moons and platinum tricrowns, and many coins of lesser value. The gems were mostly uninteresting: polished frost agates, faceted irtios and cleiophanes, a skydrop in a claw-mount pendant ... all semi-precious, and not worth more than fifty gold pieces each, with the exception of the pendant. There were assorted ornamentals, such as rhodochrosite and sunstone, and a few that were more precious, but none of them rare.

 

The last object, however, was a mystery. She knew it had come from the banshee's lair, and now that she had time for a proper look, she had no idea why she'd bothered to pick it up in the first place. It was fashioned from a glossy black material, and rather ordinary, about the right size and shape for a worry stone. One flat side had an inscription that simply read: Heart's Desire. Perhaps the piece had magical properties; why else would such a plain-looking item have found its way into Maraiel's hoard?

 

"Heart's Desire", the halfling thought, looking down at the stone in the palm of her hand. Well, my heart's only desire is that I might speak to Mahira again, somehow.

 

She held her breath, hoping for a miracle, but nothing happened.

 

Deeply disappointed, she spent a few more minutes putting everything back where she'd found it, then lay down and tried to sleep, without success.

[Flipout6]

Only a few seconds behind Weyland, a short, slender elf named Amendale rounded the corner up the pathway to the Everdawns' estate. The black hooded cloak he wore flapped about inconspicuously in the slight breeze, and his long black hair hung down past his neck. He still wore his backpack from the trade caravan, having neglected to leave it at his house. As he came up to the front of the house he recognized Weyland Grey, one of his fellow caravaners. He nodded a polite greeting as he came up beside him. Before any words were said, the door opened and a servant spoke to Weyland. Realizing there was someone else behind him, Weyland gestured for the half-elf behind him to go first. Amendale was interested to note the black wings that sprouted from her back...probably a Favoured Soul. One who had recently come from a battle, if her battered and beaten look was anything to go on.

 

"Are you hurt?" Amendale asked kindly, his voice soft. While Favoured Souls could heal their wounds, perhaps this one had run out of power for the moment. "I am trained to heal wounds."

 

Weyland looked at the servant and spoke. "I heard that Lord Everdawn was offering up a job, but I do not know the details. Is such a rumor true? If it is not, I apologise and shall depart imminently. If it is, however, I'm here to take it." As much as he hated charging for his services as a mercenary sometimes, Weyland had to eat just like anybody else. He looked behind him at the Favoured Soul. Shattered look about her, physically and emotionally. "Were you attacked? Do you need help?" He asked her, concerned.