Tales of Faerun

[Deleted6317247User]

"I suppose you're right," Nawen said to no one in particular, "wouldn't want to cause any inconveniences to Rhaine and others, let alone disappoint them."

 

She was about to ride off once she saw that both Hexol and Tannin had horses and ponies but then Shalena, surprisingly quietly leaped on the horse's back behind her. "He took the only horse worth taking." The pirate announced as she pointed at Tannin.

 

Nawen only sighed. It seemed that the pirate had no intention of walking. "I just don't like the idea of losing to cheaters," The drow continued, "not to mention that we could use those prizes for, you know, saving the world from an evil dracolich."

 

The pirate behind her back laughed. "You forgot my men, dear drow," "it is more than likely that they're going to steal everything that isn't nailed down."

 

Nawen gently urged Kiira to start moving. "I thought you told us you're going to behave yourself." She mumbled.

 

The pirate captain grinned. "I did. They didn't."

[AurianaValoria1]

Rhaine glanced sideways at Az, "If anyone gets on the wrong side of the law, they can deal with the authorities themselves. I'm not bailing them out."

 

Conall rode up on the other side of Azuris, his lean grey stallion dwarfed by Bob, "Unfortunately, fairs usually run amok with ne'er-do-wells...the guard can't keep up with them all. If anyone is planning trouble, there's a great chance they won't be caught."

 

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

 

They reached the town of Sarshel by evening, the sunset illuminating the walls in pink and orange. The place was bustling with activity...people moving in and out, merchants still hawking wares at the last possible moment before closings. Perhaps here they could acquire more specific directions to the fairground in the countryside...and make any last-minute purchases regarding gear.

 

Theron had lighted on Rhaine's shoulder again, staying perched there for the latter half of the ride. His golden eyes blinked rapidly as he took in the liveliness of the town...it was like an anthill that had been stirred by a child. The black eagle made a slight whistling sound and took off, presumably to find some nice rodent on the perimeter of the settlement.

[josh900]

"Well I suppose one could try and look on the bright side of having a band of thieving pirates traveling with us." Said Tannin, "If we get any trouble we'll just have to run faster than the pirates can." He said in a joking manner, though by now it shouldn't really be a surprise if he wasn't.

"I like em!" Said Hexol. "They seem like a really happy bunch! Always singing and laughing, but they all smell really bad, don't they know how important it is to be clean?"

----------

 

"Well maybe we'll get lucky and lose a few of them in the process." Azuris grumbled, even though he was no longer a paladin he still maintained a code of honor and despised traveling with thieves and liars and more importantly, people that carried talking swords that radiated pure evil and occasionally started screaming for blood.

[Flipout6]

"Pirates with us just means we have more competition at the arm-wrestling table. And the drinking contests." Arland said.

 

"And the eating contests. I'm all over those...after I'm done getting the stuffing beat out of me at the joust. Don't want to lose my lunch right after I lose the wind in my lungs." Weyland yawned. "So once we get there though, screw anything practical, I'm going to bed. Except maybe for a drink or three."

 

"Surprise." Amendale murmured, voice just barely on the edge of hearing.

"Shuddup you."

 

"Rhaine." Amendale rode beside her. "Can you think of anything constructive I'd be able to do at the competitions tomorrow? I've never attended festivities of this sort."

 

"Try the magic show!" Weyland suggested.

 

"Against Xallistine?" Amendale countered.

 

"Jousting!" Arland chimed in.

 

"I'll be flattened."

 

"That's why I suggested it..."

 

"That does raise my point, however." He turned back to Rhaine. "Xallistine's presence has practically secured our victory in the magic show and the realm of the physical is not my specialty. I'd imagine you'd hold more knowledge of such things than I, and I wish to pull my weight tomorrow, so to speak. Perhaps you can shed some light on it?"

Edited August 8, 2013 by Flipout6

[mythicdawnmaster]

Xallistine had spent the greater duration of the trip rummaging through his notes and writing out detailed arcane formula that could lead him to the creation of a scroll that would somehow allow him the ability to morph into human form... without it having any chance of being dispelled by arcane means other than his own. While it was a difficult task, he gave no heed to their time constraints and inscribed a different pattern of runes upon his arcane paper each time, attempting to create the required parameters for the spell.

 

Eventually he put his things away in triumph and cradled his newly birthed scroll, reading the inscription before they reached the town, he was transformed into, well, into himself or rather, his host before he was transformed into an Ulitharid. In a sudden fluctuation of magical energy, Xallistine's form was covered by a glittering mist, that settled into his skin and revealed his form.

 

There, atop his steed, sat a tall, thin man in fine black robes, with a hairline of receding black hair, and a huge jet black beard, that reached down to his knees. Looking down at himself with shock, his well boned and gnarled face stretched with surprise, deep brown eyes looking around at the others.

 

Speaking in voice rather than a mental projection, Xallistine queried to Rhaine "Did it work? Cast a dispel upon! Someone quick!" confident his spell had prevailed, he had to be sure.

[AurianaValoria1]

Rhaine slowed Red Thunder to ride beside Amendale, "Perhaps your skills in healing would be of value? These tournaments are dangerous, and injuries inevitably result...usually nothing life-threatening. More like scrapes, cuts, bruises, broken arms, that sort of thing. Simply lending your aid between rounds would be enough."

 

Of a sudden, she heard frantic shouting for a dispel charm. Twisting around in the saddle, she spied Xallistine, or who she presumed to be Xallistine, now looking exactly like a human male. It seemed he had succeeded in creating a convincing disguise and now sought to test its strength.

 

Brow furrowing, Rhaine cast a Greater Dispel incantation, releasing a massive ball of crackling violet and electric-blue energy that washed over the Ulitharid's illusion. The charm fizzled and popped as it encountered the disguise, flashing with small sparks all over the bearded male in an attempt to break up the energy. Alas, after several moments, the Dispel faded, unable to strip Xallistine of his new form.

 

Grinning, the Doomguide said with a wink, "I guess it works, friend. Well done!"

 

Spying the guards atop the town gate, she hailed them and requested they keep the gates open until the rest of her band came through. The pikemen nodded in acknowledgement of her request, shiny kettle hats flashing in the last rays of sunlight.

[Deleted6317247User]

On their way to the fair, Nawen and Shalena discussed what each of them would do as well as the pirate trying to convince the drow to participate in at least one tournament.

 

"... archery then? I saw you had a bow." Shalena said as she looked back at the road to see if any of her men had caught up with them. Sadly no.

 

"I don't know," Nawen replied, "I'm not a very good archer. I'd lose for sure."

 

"How about jousting? You're a good rider."

 

"I wouldn't want to risk Kiira getting injured." The drow said as they rode past the town gates. "Besides, I never fought on horseback. I think I'll stick to watching."

 

As they rode into the city Nawen stopped for a minute to search for her friends. "There they are!" Shalena pointed at the group. Strangely enough the first person the drow spotted was a human she never saw before. Curious to see the stranger from shorter distance the two women dismounted the horse and walked the rest of the way on foot.

 

"Who's tha-" Nawen started but then she recognized a horse, "Xallistine? Is that you?" She asked.

[josh900]

Catching up with the rest of the group Tannin stared at the man with the long beard and laughed. "Well he certainly looks like an old wizard now. " He then clapped his hands together. "Now then, what's the plan oh great leader?" He asked Rhaine with a smile.

----------

Hexol looked at Xallistine in amazement. "His chin hair's longer than yours Azuris!!" The Kender yelled out happily.

 

"Yess yes it is." Azuris said.

"Why don't you let yours grow out that long?" Hexol asked as he looked up towards Azuris.

"It'd be too much to fool with, gets in the way during a fight and can be easily grabbed and used against you."

"Ooooh." The Kender nodded. "I bet it would get real dirty too."

"That it would, that it would." Azuris said with a nod.

"Could it be used as a giant pocket!? Could you put stuff in it if you wanted??!!" Hexol asked as his eyes grew twice their usual size.

Before Azuris had time to answer Hexol took off after Xallistine.

"Xall Xall! Can I put something in your chin hair and see if it stays there?!" Hexol asked, looking and acting much like an excited child.

[mythicdawnmaster]

Xallistine chuckled, although he couldn't boast an enjoyment of using these alien throat muscles that rattled around in his neck, the workings of the human body never ceased to amaze the Ulitharid... no more so because he could experience it in-person "Indeed my dear Lady Nawen, it is me! Or at least, it is me before my parasitic form was forced into it's brain... a story for another time perhaps." He smiled, turning to Hexoll with a bushy brow raised.

 

"No my small and excitable friend, you may not. I would accept no such request in my true form, and neither shall I in this one. What a funny little creature you are." Xallistine remarked amusedly, leaning down from his steed to pat the small creature upon his head in a manner one would a good pupil (or a dog).

 

-----

 

Aurora had, much against her nature, remained quiet for the duration of the journey with this new crowd of people. If her hangover wasn't the overlaying reason, she was simply taking these new people in. She listened to their accents, their manner of speaking, deduced from their demeanour what kind of people they were, whom would be partial to nonsense and risqué tales, and which would require a more refined edge to engage conversation with. For the moment, she was content to stay close by the purple-eyed elf, Tannin he called himself. She felt a magnetic pull to him, a bond between one hedonist to the other, while she was content to drink and sing her life away, she could feel he dipped into the darker side of sanguine pleasures, his posture spoke of arms used to killing, and his eyes told many tales of their own. A dangerous, yet utterly enthralling man, he did not seem like he belonged with the others.

 

Not at all.

[AurianaValoria1]

"Now?" Rhaine glanced at Tannin, "Now we find an inn and rest up. Tomorrow, we'll make some last-minute purchases regarding equipment, so if you need anything, get it then. I'll find more specific directions to the fairgrounds and see if I can't discern what kind of folk have already gathered there. It's still a few more days until the official start, so we should have some time for practice as well."

 

"Hmph," Conall snorted, "We'll need it. Most of the other competitors will be on top of their game, as they do this stuff for a living."