Tales of Faerun

[Deleted6317247User]

"That sounds fair." Nawen said when Tannin suggested to tell her about his first adventure once he'll be working on that armor.

 

When Nawen joined others in the common room in the morning she saw and heard a lot of interesting things. First, she heard Conall saying that he's a werewolf, one particular event made her uncomfortable about werewolves but Conall has been nothing but kind to her and everyone else in the group so it seemed unfair and rather hypocritical to judge him because of what others did.

 

There was another lycanthrope, a weretiger who was now being asked all kinds of strange questions by Hexol. "Poor girl." She thought and looked for an empty seat beside her friends. That was when she noticed two familiar faces.

 

"Ianthe? Arva? What are... nevermind that, it is wonderful to see you!" She would have gladly hugged them both but sadly she wasn't very good at expressing herself like, for example, Tak'we just did.

[AurianaValoria1]

Conall sighed again and nodded to Xundus and the approaching Aera, "I was born a lycan. My entire family consisted of natural werewolves dedicated to the service of Selune. How far back it began, I don't know; I remember meeting my great grandfather when I was very small, and he was a werewolf. He told me of how his father and grandfather were werewolves, as well. I was told that then the Whitefang clan was old, and very well established in the Cormanthor. Our business was to tend to small shrines to the Moonmaiden throughout the forest. We kept to ourselves, mostly, though we did offer hospitality to pilgrims and other travelers."

 

The paladin poked his fork at a piece of egg on his plate, his blue eyes clouded with thoughts, "And then, one day, the illusion of peace came crashing down around my ears..."

 

===========================================

 

Rhaine smirked, "I do get that, Shalena. I'm sure we'll come across enough to satisfy your men's appetite for gold."

 

Rolling up the map, she added, "We should be prepared to leave again tomorrow morning."

[tokyobiohazard]

Aera listened to Conall intently, then said, "I recently found out my so-called mother infected me when I was a toddler in a raid and kidnapped me." She didn't find herself nervous anymore, somehow, and was grateful for it.

Aera giggled at the small elf child's enthusiasm after being approached, then said, "I bet I could do ALL of those things if I wanted to. And I don't know a Todd... Wait, what's a Kender?"

Ianthe then ran over to the Kender and said, "Wow, a Kender! What's your name? I'm a nymph and my name is Ianthe!"

Arva was quite happy to then see their old friend Tak'We enter and to his surprise, snatch up both he and Ianthe and spin them around in a great hug. He questioned them about the whereabouts of Reona and Alphonse and possibly William as well, so Arva answered, "Reona and Alphonse married and disappeared, it seems. As for William, I haven't seen a trace of him in ages... Perhaps he's still writing down the group's adventures and has just learned to hide better."

Aera then greeted Tak'We with a very horrid try at saying his name and was a bit shocked at his appearance. It was slightly scary, but the mantis' disposition was so cheery that it was impossible not to smile at him.

Nawen then walked into the room and expressed her happiness at seeing Ianthe and Arva again, which was met with smiles and likewise comments.

Even more traffic came through the inn in the form of the Grey brothers and their sister, introduced as Sybille. The three newest members of the group raised a hand in greeting almost simultaneously, which scared Aera, as it was almost as if someone had sloppily written their greetings at the same time.

Edited January 31, 2014 by tokyobleach

[Flipout6]

Sybille went around to personally introduce herself to everybody in the group. Weyland, not quite sure about what else he could do, went upstairs and grabbed his own armor and put it on. Despite only having the fancy-looking skin of mithral a week or so at most, Weyland already felt comfortable in it. He figured the previous owner must have been a similar size. Once he managed to fit on all of the pieces and fit his helmet into his backpack, he re-clipped his sword-belt to himself, casually held his shield on his arm, and began walking back downstairs. Suddenly he found Amendale at his side.

 

"Arva and Ianthe are back with us." The Moon Elf stated casually.

 

"Really? Great! Remind me to welcome 'em back."

 

"Make sure to welcome 'em back." Amendale reminded him helpfully.

 

"Amendale....Go hang." Weyland grinned and jabbed him on the shoulder.

 

"The hells are you wearing, brother?" Sybille asked Weyland when she saw him. "That armor looks like it was made for royalty, not a sword-swinger like yourself."

 

"Yeah, I think it used to belong to a Paladin." He explained. "Whoever it was, they weren't wearing it when I found it. Either way, I found it in a dragon's hoard, you're not going to find anything basic in a dragon's hoard."

 

"Speaking of which..." Arland approached her with the gifts he'd finally managed to haul out of Hexol's bag. "Pretty sure these are enchanted to the hells. Try 'em." He offered the suit of armor and the maul to his sister.

 

"Looks like I ought to head upstairs to get changed then."

 

"Use my room. Fourth door to your right up the stairs." Amendale suggested.

 

"Alright, I will. Thanks." When she came back down a few minutes later with, she was grinning broadly and wearing a very heavy-looking set of Darksteel full-plate, that glimmered faintly purple, and hefted a massive cold-iron maul that was even bigger than her previous weapon. "Well, Arland, you were right. I can feel the enchantments on this. Thanks, brother." She crushed him with a one-armed hug. "Hells of a homecoming gift. Means I can pull even more of my weight than I could before. Now, I've introduced myself to everybody in this group here, it's about time we go get Arland's list off the wanted charts."

 

"Sounds good to me." Arland agreed. Sybille quickly informed Rhaine that they'd be out for a while, told her where they were going, and then brought them all outside. Amendale decided to tag along, while Weyland politely greeted Arva and Ianthe on the way out.

 

"Hey, you two. Good to see ya again! We'll have to catch up sometime, but I got business to get to before that happens. Let's talk later, over dinner perhaps. Something tells me we all got stories to share." He smiled warmly at them before following his siblings outside.

 

"Again, make sure to welcome 'em back." Amendale thumped Weyland on the shoulder and smirked cheekily at him.

 

"So, Sybille, these people aren't going to try to shove my head on a spike when I walk in the door, right...?" Arland asked.

 

"The guards or the Ordains?" Sybille questioned.

 

"Both."

 

"Nah, not with me around."

 

"That's....reassuring?"

 

"Don't worry, if you tried to get away the two of us would hunt you down anyway." Weyland stated matter-of-factly.

 

"Somehow that doesn't help."

 

"I wouldn't." Amendale stated.

 

"I know you wouldn't, I stabbed your bounty-hunter friend in the gut." Arland snarked.

 

"Is there anybody in the Realms who you HAVEN'T irked?" Sybille asked him, frowning sternly.

 

"I dunno."

 

That began a long lecture for Arland from all three of the others that lasted until they reached one of the many guard offices located around Westgate, and Arland handed several gold pieces to the guard with a cold glare, about six words total, and a hasty departure. Without further ado, Sybille led them to where the old farm had used to be, and then Arland took them across the old wheat field across the road, and across the left side to where the very same well that Weyland had disappeared fetching water from still stood and was used by the locals. By now they were a mile or two outside of Westgate itself, and there were only farmhouses around, though the Ordains' old manor stood on top of a hill another mile away. Amendale approached the spot warily, feeling that he was treading on sacred ground upon which he didn't feel he belonged. Weyland insisted he stay, however.

 

"Here we are." Arland pointed out.

 

About ten feet to the side of the old well sat two relatively small gravestones, about two feet high and three feet wide, and they sat a mere foot and a half apart. In years past a ring of flowers had surrounded the two square feet around the old gravestone, but now that halo of colors had been extended to encompass the stone on the right. These flowers had seemingly not been tread on and had been lovingly kept.

 

Weyland frowned as he approached the memorial site, and the other three hung back.

 

WEYLAND GREY

 

1354-1364

 

Nothing can replace you, our dearly-loved child.

 

The words marked the grave, and little more, but it was all Weyland really cared about. Hells, he wasn't expecting anything glamorous after he was gone, a stick or a stone behind one of Kelemvor's churches would've been enough for him, let alone something given this much time and care. It touched him deeply.

 

"You all...you all did this?" He asked, gesturing to the marker.

 

"Yup. Mom mostly got the flowers while we scraped letters into the actual rock, mind you." Arland answered.

 

"It... uh, it means a lot. To me." Weyland told the two of them. "Wish I'd been able to see this when Amendale and I came through. But my own superstitious fear kept me from coming back here."

 

"You might've been a troublemaking little bastard, but you're still our brother." Sybille answered, before she stepped forwards and looked at Ethel's grave.

 

Ethel Grey

 

1356-1376

 

Your gentle soul deserved far better than we could ever give you.

 

Sybille knelt down on one knee in front of her sister's grave, bowed her head, closed her eyes, and clasped her hands together. She murmured a prayer to Kelemvor, some private personal words to her sister, and stood up. Arland was next up, and tried the same thing, but unlike Sybille, the other could hear a faint I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry...

 

Arland stepped back from the grave holding back tears.

Edited February 1, 2014 by Flipout6

[GrueMaster]

"Sure, I'll come along," Dri said, following after the the Greys. When they arrived at the inn, she gave a curious look at the incredibly tall woman covered in fur and had a tail. Wow... wonder where she's from... But the girl stayed where she was, waiting for Weyland and Sybille to finish and complimenting them when they were. "You two look impressive," she said, nodding with approval, and once again followed them when they left.

 

"So, where are we going?" Dri asked, having missed that information earlier. When she figured out that they were visiting Weyland's and Ethel's graves, she felt like she didn't belong in such a personal place, electing to keep her distance slightly from the others out of respect. Walking up beside Weyland, she nudged her friend softly. "Weyland, you going to be okay?"

[AurianaValoria1]

Sana, who had been watching the whole affair around the gravesites with relish from the edge of the woods, smiled. She could take out the rest of the snotty Grey children, the elf, and that little mute imbecile all in one fell swoop...

 

Deciding to go for shocking the eldest Grey out of his wits rather than the more flashy and flamboyant introductory route, the lamia conjured a bright light ball. It floated amidst the trees like a will-o'-the-wisp, strangely alluring in nature. Then, drawing her scimitar, she leapt at Weyland, blade poised and all claws extended, her cackling shriek echoing across the hills.

Edited February 1, 2014 by AurianaValoria1

[Flipout6]

"Yeah, I think I'll be fine. Arland looks a little shaken u- DUCK!" He shoved Dri backwards as hard as he could and barely had his blade out of its sheath in time to barely parry one of the massive golden blades that parted the air as it screamed at him. A jet of searing red-hot flames flared to life on Arland's twin swords when he drew them almost instantly and he rushed the Lamia, striking with a complex series of strikes that took advantage of every opening, every pause. Sana didn't take a scratch, but he bought enough time for Sybille to haul her maul out of its holster and Weyland to shrug his shield off of his back. Amendale's hands flared with magic as he cast Greater Magic Weapon on Weyland's blade and he retreated approximately twenty feet away, where he cast a Prayer.

 

"Weyland, keep her occupied!" Sybille shouted authoritatively as she circled around to Sana's right. "Arland, flank her! Hit her left!"

 

"I'm a little busy doing his job!" Arland replied, before a vicious kick to the stomach threw him three feet backwards and he landed on his back. Sana lunged for a kill, both blades raised, only to meet Weyland's mithral shield as he placed himself beneath them, kneeling down onto one knee. The force of the blow pained his arm even from behind the shield and armor, but he kicked himself upwards, blowing an opening in Sana's defenses as her scimitars were thrown upwards, and he shoved his sword forwards towards her stomach. Arland rolled out of the way and slashed at Sana's hind legs as Sybille brought her hammer upwards and brought it down towards the Lamia's back, hoping to break her spine, before one of the cursed golden blades halted the blow in mid-air and Sybille too was kicked backwards. She slid through the dirt on her feet, but didn't fall.

 

"That won't work on me, creature!" She snarled.

 

She saw Amendale's owl familiar take to the skies high above them, soaring to fifty feet in the air before swooping down and conferring a Protection From Evil spell to Audri and returned to Amendale's shoulder, before taking flight again.

 

"THIS IS WHY I HATE CATS!" Weyland shouted randomly. "AND SLAVERS!" He parried every ruthlessly powerful blow Sana threw at him, but was left few opportunities to make his own attack, even with his siblings by now attacking Sana from two different sides. As the owl made contact with Weyland, barely avoiding being annihilated, he instantly felt himself become far more formidable. Amendale had given him the endurance of a bear. Sybille was quickly gifted with the strength of a bull.

 

"So SHE'S the reason you disappeared?!?!" Sybille asked.

 

"YES! JUST KILL HER ALREADY!" A vicious strike from two angles at the end of a long chain of blows left him wide open for an attack, and Sana's scimitar cleaved a path across the front of his chest that, provided his armor had failed to protect him from it, would have created a scar nearly identical to the one that still marked Sana's chest, from her belly to her upper-left shoulder that he'd given her during their previous encounter. Instead, it scraped across the surface, knocked the wind out of Weyland, and sent sparks flying everywhere.

 

"Ack!" Arland felt his neck tear wide open as Sana swiped him with her claws, slipping by both his helmet and his armor and barely missing the jugular vein. It was a wound severe enough to knock him off-balance, and Arland fell into the dirt, gasping. Shouting, Weyland and Sybille redoubled their attacks as the owl took flight to deliver a healing spell to Arland, again barely avoiding death to bring the youngest Grey back into the fight.

 

Amendale already felt sweat on his brow. It hadn't yet been thirty seconds and already one of them had nearly been killed. This was going to be a tough fight, even with superior numbers on their side.

Edited February 1, 2014 by Flipout6

[Deleted6317247User]

"Good to know. My crew are known for many things, but patient isn't one of them." Shalena said and got up from her seat. "I'll be going to make sure no one steals our supplies, we're in Westgate after all. I'll be at the docks if anyone needs me." The pirate said before leaving the inn.

 

Nawen was happy to meet Arland's and Weyland's sister as she was hoping to meet their family before they left but at the same time she wasn't sure how'd they react upon seeing a drow. She finished eating her breakfast and was now sitting at the table and wondering what to do next.

 

"Is there anything to do in Westgate?" She asked. "Aside from trying not to get mugged." She added.

[AurianaValoria1]

Sana cackled, even as her abdomen bled from Weyland's sword strike. It pleased her to no end to see his pathetic brother so near death. Calling upon her magics, the lamia abruptly went invisible.

 

There were a few eerie moments of complete silence before she spoke from behind them.

 

"You are mine, Weyland Grey. You have, and always will be."

 

With another spell cast, her invisibility was dispelled...

 

....and there were now five Sanas where only one stood before.

 

===================================

 

Conall inclined his head to Aera, "I am sorry to hear that. It is one thing to be born with such an affliction and have a family to...commiserate with, I suppose. It is quite another to have such a thing forced onto you by someone else. To be violated in such a way. Especially as a child. You have my deepest sympathies."

 

Rhaine, finished speaking with Shalena, moved over to the bar to get a bit of breakfast for herself.

 

Dagny, who had overheard Nawen, glanced at the drow and grinned, "I be thinkin' that trying not to get mugged is the main thing in these parts. Or, if you're of shadier folk, trying not to run into the law."

Edited February 2, 2014 by AurianaValoria1

[Quintatas]

Xundus was fairly disturbed at Dagnys response to Nawen. He knew it was innocent, but the night before he had been having serious thoughts as to going back to his old ways. Without a word, he stood and walked out of the tavern, walking past a few buildings before ducking into a narrow alley. A few poor-looking folk sat there; they probably had no home. His hand went to his rapier, but he pulled it back, startled. Was he really going to do that?

 

"Curse it all!" he muttered. The drow sat down there, running his fingers through his hair. Once, he would have happily killed the people, not for anything they had, but for fun. But now, he had a stronger set of morals. He had the Moonmaiden with him. And there was no greater joy than that.

Edited February 2, 2014 by Quintatas