Tales of Faerun

[mythicdawnmaster]

Xallistine bowed his head to Tannin in thanks and acknowledgement. "My pleasure, Tannin. Without you this parasite would still plague the land and Ginafae would never have been lured to her demise... It seems we have much to thank you for, however indirect. I do wish to extend my apologies for showing you nothing but ice and hostility as you have been a member of this group, A necessary precaution as I'm sure you understand." At a lack of the ability to smile, a bow of his head was all he had to convey his expression.

 

-----

 

Ravenna cackled as Aedan stormed from the chapel in his little terror tantrum. "No? my dear Aedan you joined my little campagin knowing fullwell your role was to project me as I attained divinity- You are nothing if not a fool should you have missed that detail." Ravenna called out after him. Making an indifferent gesture with her hands she arose from her throne and focused on Sefris with her stare.

 

"Now that the children have been removed, let us speak of greater things, unless of course you wish to throw a little fit as well?" Ravenna asked with a smirk, gracefully starting towards to doors to the chapel undercroft.

[josh900]

"Oh it's quite alright Xallistine, It's not like you were going to eat my brain like others of your kind. So in all honesty you've treated me better than most other mind flayers I've met." Tannin said with a smile before turning back to Nawen. He nodded in agreement at her wish for a more peaceful surrounding. "And without any of us having to put down old friends would be nice to." He said offering her a sympathetic smile. "If it's any consolation... well I don't have any feelings of regret or remorse or..any feelings about killing really, joys of the heritage but, I obviously just went through a similar experience so... If you need anything, An ear, shoulder, or anything else just let me know and I'll go take one off a drow hater for you." He joked, hoping to maybe get even the tiniest bit of a positive emotion out of her.

[Deleted6317247User]

Nawen stared at Tannin without saying a word. He saw that then? And was it so obvious that something was wrong with her? But then again she wasn't really trying to hide anything nor was she really willing to pour her heart out. She wasn't the only one who lost a friend down there and she did not want to seem selfish by looking for someone to talk to when others might need it more.

 

"A shoulder sounds nice." She smiled. "You probably won't have to go far to get one too." She added and glanced at the patrons by the counter before looking back at him. "Same goes for you too. I mean that ear and shoulder thing."

[AurianaValoria1]

Rhaine ate what little food she had taken with her after she entered her room and locked the door. It was not long before she heard Weyland's heavy footsteps and subsequent snoring, which was quite possibly loud enough to wake the dead. She smiled inwardly at the thought of having to put down restless undead because her comrade's breathing was raising the very rafters of the inn.

 

The Doomguide then called for a maid to bring water for her washtub. She was filthy from the battle in the Underdark; her body was smeared with blood in places - mostly her own, from where the dracolich's claws had raked through her armor. As she pulled off the tattered remains of her armor, she examined the fresh pink flesh on her thighs from where she had healed the wounds. The claw-marks had been deep, and they still stung a little if touched. Sighing, she dropped her armor pieces in the floor beside her pack; they would be sold on the morrow to use as scrap metal - one more piece of her past gone forever. Rhaine still remembered when she had the Ironfist clan make it for her, and she thought that they would be pleased their creation had served her so well.

 

Rhaine slipped into the washtub, glad that the water was at least lukewarm; she was expecting it to be cold. The half-elf scrubbed herself thoroughly, the water turning an awful pinkish brown as she cleansed her gold-tinted skin. Even before she was quite finished, she began to feel better - if it was one luxury she indulged in frequently, it was a nice, warm bath.

 

At last, she got out and dried herself, donning her black nightdress and sitting before the small vanity by the window. As she brushed out her damp scarlet tresses, there was a small pecking sound and a muffled twitter. Turning her head sideways, she saw Theron sitting upon the sill, barely visible between the curtains. Rhaine laughed aloud as she got up and opened the window to let the black eagle inside. It was only then that she noticed it was raining, and Theron immediately set about preening himself as she closed the window again behind him.

 

Rhaine then began preparing for bed, the rain becoming louder as it fell in heavy sheets against the inn. She extinguished the candles and tucked into bed...and it wasn't long before the Doomguide fell asleep, having been lulled by the sound of the trickling water and Theron's absentminded twitterings.

[josh900]

"Oh be careful there." Tannin said with a smirk. "I ever start pouring my heart out we'll have another undead infestation with the number of skeletons that would come out of that closet. But I appreciate the gesture. And now to another one, will you be alright? And please don't be the type that acts strong when they're a wreck on the inside cause that never helps anyone. So if you are going to say that you're fine please mean it." Though Tannin wasn't the most honest of people he still found that in certain situations honesty was the best policy, Troubled emotional states being one such instants.

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

 

Azuris laid in bed and stared at the ceiling, the snoring from the next room down keeping him awake. "I have made a terrible mistake staying with these people." He said to himself, fearing that he'll never again have a restful nights sleep.

[AurianaValoria1]

Rhaine felt a wave of tranquility wash over her, and when she opened her eyes, she found herself in a place that she had dreamed of before. Ever since her stay in Rashemen, her dreams were much more vivid than most others' - dreams in which she could talk and laugh and walk and even eat. This place her mind often returned to when she needed a respite from the stress of the world...though this time, she was strangely calm and without worry.

 

She was standing at a cliff edge, facing the setting sun, though the sun never dipped any lower than just above the horizon. Thus, the sky and water were perpetually aglow with orange, rust, pink, and violet hues. There was a constant breeze that whipped her thin nightdress about her form and kept her hair aflutter...no sounds but those of the pounding waves and the wind through the grass. It was much like the tall, sheer cliffs near Waterdeep, but before man or elf had ever set foot there. Indeed, it was as if there were no sentient life in the world but she.

 

There was a soft hum, almost imperceptible, and the Doomguide smiled to herself, knowing that someone now shared this dream with her. Without turning around, she addressed the newcomer.

 

"Fine greetings, my lord."

 

"And to you, Rhaine."

 

It was then that she moved to face her god. She offered him a deep bow, lowering her eyes appropriately before allowing them to follow his form back upwards, as she often did when they met. Kelemvor's attire was a little different than usual, but no less befitting his regal nature - a set of black and dark brown robes, slit front and back for riding, highlighted with gold and silver and cinched by a broad leather belt, to which Fatal Touch was casually slung as an accessory. It appeared as if his gauntlets and boots were not armored this time, but rather embroidered with matching gold and silver stitching. His hooded cloak and silver death mask were the same as ever, though, the former billowing in the steady breeze and the latter looking like molten gold in the rays of the sun. No flesh at all visible, unlike the last time they met...

 

He stepped closer, his form barely disturbing the waist-high grass. His somber vestments were in stark contrast to the brilliant colors of the sky and sea, but it did not seem out of place - rather, it simply accentuated his presence in this idyllic dreamscape. In fact, he seemed more real to her than the "ground" upon which she stood...and he was.

 

"You are more at peace than you have been in years, is it not so?" He asked softly, his silver face looking down at her.

 

Rhaine smiled gently and nodded, "I am, and I know not why. But I do know that, for the first time in a long time, I feel...content. Content with my life and my self."

 

There was a quiet hm, as if he were slightly amused at her reply, before he answered, "You have finally come to terms with your status as my Chosen and the duties that come with it. You know yourself now...know what you must do. You have learned to shed all worries and regrets that come with these duties...to at last not blame yourself for those who perish at your side."

 

Her brow furrowed, but before she could ask anything, he continued, "That is not to say that you should not mourn the fallen. You should indeed honor them and hold them dear in your heart...but these men and women who follow you know what they risk by fighting at your side. They know who you are. They know what you must do. And they also know the danger that comes with your path. They chose to come with you..."

 

"...and so the blame for their deaths is not mine," she finished, "Where have I heard that before, I wonder?"

 

His only answer was a simple nod, his mask flashing in the light.

 

She sighed, "Maydiira's death I can deal with. But Ravenna-"

 

"Was a force that you could not easily stop," Kelemvor provided, "You did what you thought was best at the time. You do not have the foresight of a god; you did not know she would succeed in manipulating the Hells to her own ends."

 

"But I should have known!" she hissed, putting her hands to her forehead, "I should have killed her with my own blade...saw the light leave her eyes so that I knew she would not come back!"

 

"But that did not happen, and you cannot change past actions."

 

She nodded, a sudden sense of acceptance flooding her being, "Yes. And so her Damnation was not a damnation at all, but a temporary gantlet of fire and brimstone."

 

His head cocked slightly, "On the contrary, she may be more damned than even she herself realizes."

 

Rhaine's brow furrowed again, "Whatever do you mean, milord?"

 

"Ravenna is still a slave to the thing she despises most: authority. She may not be a servant of the gods, but she is the consort of Asmodeus...and you know as well as I do that the devils are not unlike demigods in their own right - both in power and in lawful nature. They, too, are bound by universal law...and thus, so is she. Bear in mind that her body may be that of an Archfiend, but her soul is still mortal. Should she displease Asmodeus, his gifts to her can be taken just as easily as they have been given."

 

The Doomguide's mouth split into a grin. The very thought of Ravenna having to walk a tightrope to keep her power took the edge off of the witch's return.

 

"But what if we encounter her again?" she asked.

 

Kelemvor shifted from one foot to the other, crossing his arms atop his chest, "Now that you have bested her in combat, she is unlikely to willingly face you again. Indeed, I would venture to say that she will avoid you and your companions. However, rest assured, this is more out of respect than fear. That being said, your greatest weapon against her is not sword or spell, but your very words."

 

"And so her pride becomes her weakness," Rhaine murmured, a wave of realization hitting her, "if I can turn her against Asmodeus..."

 

"Perhaps it is best not to be quite so ambitious," Kelemvor warned, "but any small action of Ravenna's that is outside her nature would be a strike against her. She knows the operations of the Cult better than anyone you have encountered thus far. Use this to your own advantage."

 

"And turn a foe into an ally," her lips turned into a wry smile. Perhaps things would work out as intended after all...

 

There were a few breaths of silence between them before Kelemvor began to fade from view, "Your travels are far from over, my Chosen. But I shall be with you every step of the way. You have many paths before you...choose wisely..."

 

A sudden gust of wind transformed his body into a whirlwind of silvery wisps, dissipating in seconds. Her eyes were still fixed upon the air where his mask was only moments before.

 

BANG!

 

A deafening blast yanked her from her dreamworld and thrust her back into reality. She shot up straight in bed, glancing around. Theron was doubly flustered, his feathers ruffled all round his neck. Dawn had already broken, the golden light pouring through the window. Then, the faint scent of smoke came wafting under the door accompanied by a string of curses in elvish.

 

It was after that she realized Amendale had finally had enough of Weyland's snores.

Edited April 30, 2013 by AurianaValoria1

[Flipout6]

The fireball sailed right across the hallways and exploded, setting alight dozens of miniature fires in Weyland's room, which he completely ignored.

 

He also ignored the noise, the smell, the sudden destruction of his bed, plummeting onto the floor, and otherwise everything that wasn't sleeping.

 

Amendale sighed in frustration, and decided to try a different route. He to the edge of the doorway to the room, Weyland's snoring rattling his skull, and let loose with a vicious Ice Storm that put out every fire in the room and turned the entire thing into an icycle. Somehow, Weyland, whose bed had been demolished by the fireball, found a blanket seemingly out of nowhere and pulled it tighter around himself, snoring loud enough to shatter most of the ice in the room.

 

Amendale stopped in his tracks, and began to question reality. How was it possible for somebody to snore this loud and sleep so deeply? How could he sleep through being frozen and set on fire? Was he dead? Could a dead man still snore? Did he have some sort of incredibly powerful elemental resistance to allow him to sleep through such events? Was Amendale cursed to endure such horrifically disturbing and powerful snoring until the end of Weyland's days? How was it possible to possess such incredibly powerful throat muscles to snore like that and still yell like a lunatic when he was concious? Was Weyland half bear?

 

"Hold on, I got this." Arland appeared out of nowhere, quite obviously hung over, and crouched down beside Weyland's ear. He imitated his mother's voice, which both in reality and in Arland's imitation, sounded very masculine. "WEYLAND! GET UP OR I GET THE SPOON!"

 

Weyland bolted right up like a shot, and was somehow fully dressed, save armor, in seconds. "Alright! Alrig- Arland, you BASTARD!" He shouted. "You wake me up before noon?" Suddenly the Grey brothers were wrestiling and scuffling on the floor, rolling right past an exasperated Amendale and out into the hall, shouting something about reasonable hours of the morning, snoring, and recalling childhood memories of doing the exact same thing, except on top of a barn (which ended with a few broken bones.)

 

Amendale walked downstairs, greeting Rhaine as he went by. "Just a usual morning with Weyland, my lady. I do hope you slept better than I."

 

He ordered a big breakfast, needing to make up for energy lost being kept up at night, sat in a corner, and began to eat. There was a broken stool where Arland was sitting the night before. Apparently the drinking contest had gotten out of hand.

Edited April 30, 2013 by Flipout6

[nethgros]

Kowolj woke up the next morning in someones room in the inn, though it wasn't his since Othos was no where to be seen. His head was absolutely throbbing, and the night blurred away somewhere during his drinking contest with Arland. That man was really good at drinking, for a human...

 

Looking around the room he saw nothing out of the ordinary, until his eyes gazed to the bed where there lay a sleeping pig lay. This also brought about the point that he was sleeping in the middle of the floor with four empty mugs and an empty nondescript bottle of something that smelled quite awful, likely a poison.

 

Kowolj let out a painful groan before staggering to his feet, "Ughhhh... What happened?"

 

He wanted to go get something to eat, but the thought of moving seemed so impossible that he decided to stay in this room. He wanted to sleep in the bed, but remembered that it was occupied; perhaps the pig was his breakfast? Seemed like a good idea to Kowolj so he picked the pig up and stuck its head out the window far enough that its neck hung outside, then he drew one of his shortswords from his back and cut the pigs throat so the blood would drain out the window. He smiled to himself at the thought of fresh pig and got into bed; the bed itself creaked under Kowolj's great weight, but did not break.

 

Othos woke in his room to find that Kowolj had never went to bed. It didn't really matter to him too much, seeing as how Kowolj was his own 'man' so to speak. He picked up his book and began reading where he left off, determined to finish this book and increase his skill.

[AurianaValoria1]

"Gods, thish shtuff...ish awful...nuttin' more than a...throatshlake...but it dush the trick..."

No one paid any heed to the slinky woman with the tattooed tail as she stumbled around the docks of Westgate at the break of dawn. It was a regular occurrence, and the guards and citizens both knew better than to say anything to her about it. The catsuit and dual sickles marked her as Lyria Fenwhisper...the unlucky mercenary leader without a company to lead.

She stopped abruptly on the boarded walk and stared up at the ugly stern of one pirate ship...which looked even uglier from her drunken perspective. With a sly grin, she took the empty bottle by the neck and threw it at the window of the captain's cabin.

"SHAAAAAAALEEEEEEEENAAAAAAAAA!"

Edited April 30, 2013 by AurianaValoria1

[Alaylyne]

Sefris watched Aedan leave with a slight pout, quite displeased her little toy is abandoning them. With a silent tsk, the fey'ri turned to the witch, plancing a hand on her hip. "Now you scared my little toy away."

 

"But no matter." Guess she'll have to find something else to occupy her time with - like this ritual Ravanna mentioned. "Yes, that sounds quite interesting, may I add."

 

She couldn't wait to drain someone of their youth - such a feeling must be simply exquisite.