Tales of Faerun

[mythicdawnmaster]

Aurora, still clutching her aching head and cursing in various dialects to lament the throbbing sensations of concussion, retrieved herself a bottle of ale, pulling free the cork with her teeth and guzzling down a few mouthful ungracefully. She sighed heavily at the taste and wrinkled her nose, checking for any sign of a label in order to identify the veritable bog-water. Finding none however, she settled for alcohol over taste, and chugged away merrily on her way back to her cabin. Opening the door, however, she found Conall. Raising both eyebrows in surprise and muttering her apologies, she tottered hastily away from the Werewolf, remembering Aera's little quip regarding her prey...

 

Once she had finally found her own cabin, however, Aurora skipped to her bed and reclined languidly, exhausted, she drifted to sleep soon after another five bottles of ale and a few shots of Thayan Brandy. All medicinal, of course.

 

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Ravenna's grin spread and she nodded her approval, lowering her golden form into the stony embrace of her throne with a small sigh of contention. "You will strip from the Spider Queen her power by ciphering it for yourself... I shall assist you in this endeavour, of course. A like minded Goddess to count among my future allies would be... a boon to be certain, our houses both have much to gain from this pursuit my dear Quarylene. But it is no easy task, to face a god... I had not considered conversion before my own ascension, and a part of me deeply regrets it... to have a goddess but centimetres away... blade poised for her throat! To usurp the powers of the gods... I will enjoy this scheme my dear, indeed I shall." She paused "There is, of course, the matter of how."

[josh900]

Tannin chuckled at Nawen's question. "Someone who's... as comfortable with killing as I am. Rather odd that people would object to that in our profession but to each his own I guess." He said with a shrug. "Guess I'm just more casual about it than everyone else. Most people translate that to me simply not caring about anyone's life, which is ridiculous to say the least. I'm just... picky, about those I care about."

[Deleted6317247User]

Nawen wasn't expecting to hear what Tannin said. She looked at him, forgetting that she saw roots sticking out of the ground right in front of her, and she nearly tripped but managed to regain her balance. She wasn't sure what to say to that so she simply listened.

 

"Good," she finally spoke, "that you are picky about those you care about, I mean. Seems safer that way." She said. "But even if you do understand why they're uncomfortable, should they really feel that way? I don't. You haven't exactly hurt anyone in our group."

 

She then looked at him again. "Or are you also going to say something like we shouldn't trust you because of it?" She asked. "Cause it's too late for that. For some of us."

[AurianaValoria1]

Rhaine fell asleep as quickly as she had the previous night, wrapped in the warm blankets of her cot beside the cabin's fireplace. However, her dreams were quite different. In fact, they were unlike any she had experienced before; most of her past dreams had been either like most - silly, inconsequential, or repeats of past memories (both good and bad) - or they were in her dreamworld. These, however...these were unusual...

 

Hints of a warm amber glow punctuated by silver flashes...green flames licking her hands and dancing to her whims...surrounded by a darkness that was both empty and soothing...the feeling of eyes watching as unblinking as a cat's...the sense of the soul bared but honest even in such an uncomfortable state...the sound of whispers, countless whispers of unintelligible words that, nonetheless, sounded sweet to her ears...the perfume of roses and the touch of their velvet petals at her fingertips...the heady scent of cedarwood and the taste of mulled wine...the touch of silken gossamer enveloping her like a cloak...

 

Her eyes snapped open and darted back and forth; the images and sensations continued long after the dream began to fade, and it took a moment for her mind to recognize the room she was in and the light of dawn through the glass of the window. She sat up and stared out of it.

 

Gods, what was that all about?

 

Shaking her head rapidly back and forth, the Doomguide immediately began to arm herself and make ready for their journey. She had decided it best to leave that day, especially after Argyros had reported that the land dispute seemed to have been resolved later the previous afternoon. The weather was clear and the wind was fair, which bode well for their travels...

 

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

 

Three days later, the party arrived on the outskirts of Innarlith - the last stop before their trek through the Firesteap Mountains and across the burning hot plains of the Shaar. The city lay on the edge of the Lake of Steam, and it would likely their last available water source for long while.

 

Rhaine pulled Azrael to a halt on a hillock overlooking the city. Gesturing to it, she addressed her company.

 

"Well. There's Innarlith. We should make the best use we can of this stop, as it is likely the last of civilization we shall see for several days."

 

Dagny gripped Azuris's belt a little tighter, "All right, then. I'm ready to get off this horse for a while. Even if the place does look like a dump."

 

Zorica shrugged from her place behind Conall, "Looks better than some places I've seen."

 

Theia snorted, "All your settlements look the same to me. All of them ugly and all of them a blight on the land."

 

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

 

Quarylene watched Ravenna with an appraising white stare before replying, "It is a matter of convincing them that I am more powerful and more worthy of worship than the Spider Queen. Between you and I, surely we can find ways to...persuade them."

[mythicdawnmaster]

Aurora stood beside her companions atop the hillock and breathed deep of the noxious city air drifting up from the squalid streets; the effluvium of city life was a welcome scent to the city-born half-elf, soothing her with the familiarity of clustered bodies, mouldering market food and herbal remedies mingling in the dense air. She grinned and clapped a little, excitement building- she could almost hear the tavern calling it's siren song from here; 'Aurora oh Aurora! Come, sing, and drink ale!' "A blight? No it's paradise! Think of the taverns, Theia! Dagny will agree I'm sure; we must sample them all!" Aurora's grin spread across her face and she jumped up and down like a child upon it's birthday.

 

Xallistine chuckled, coming to a halt upon his steed "Some things never change"

 

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

 

Ravenna tapped upon the granite arms of her throne and considered coolly for a moment "Indeed. The weak among the faithful will be easiest to convert, and I imagine Lolths most devout priestesses are truly beyond salvation. If we are to annihilate these foes, then first my Orcish army must first have a taste of battle; we shall prey upon the stragglers, the isolated communities and whet their appetites for Drowish blood. Then, we may claim faith within an iron grip, and begin the conversion to your own faith."

Edited June 3, 2014 by mythicdawnmaster

[AurianaValoria1]

Zorica glanced at Aurora with a slight smirk, "Trust me...do that and you'll have the wastrels and pickpockets sampling your purse, too."

 

Dagny chuckled, "Ah, what's the fun if it doesn't have a wee bit o' risk? 'Sides, I'll give 'em a taste of me fist if I see 'em after anyone's coin."

 

"If you see them at all," Conall added with a snort.

 

Theia sighed heavily and walked off towards the treeline, obviously tired of the banter and unwilling to accompany them into the city. The last sight of her was her satiny tail twitching in irritation as she moved behind a wall of low-hanging branches.

 

Rhaine merely shook her head and exchanged looks with Xallistine, "I must agree with you, my tentacled friend. You speak truly." With that, she spurred Azrael on, the warhorse's heavy hooves plodding along the road again with a rhythmic sound as the Doomguide guided him to the city gates.

 

As she reached them, however, the two guards on duty held up their hands, "Oy! Stop right there!"

 

Rhaine's brow furrowed at the two men as she pulled her steed to a halt; the guardsmen approached and peered around her at her company. Their eyes widened as large as saucers after only a breath or two, and the one who had stopped her spoke again, "Oh no you don't...you're not coming anywhere near here. Not with drow and...gods above is that...thing...a...?"

 

"M-m-indflayer," the other man whispered in horror.

 

The Doomguide's eyes narrowed, "I am Kelemvor's Chosen, Rhaine Alcinea, and these people are my companions. I give you my word that they mean neither you nor this city any harm, no matter what race they are."

 

The first guard put his hands on his hips, "Look, I don't care if you're Elminster's bloody bride, you're not getting in these gates with those...companions. The Magister finds out and it'll be my corpse you're saying your prayers over. Now why don't you just turn right around and head back where you came from...?"

 

"Because we are on a mission of great import to the security of the Realms," Rhaine said flatly, "And we are on the way to save our-"

 

"I'm sure this is all part of a nice story that neither myself nor my comrade here has time to listen to...milady...so cut it short and you can save all of us some grief."

 

His companion elbowed him in the ribs and guffawed, "'Grief,' get it?"

 

The two had a good laugh whilst Rhaine's patience was wearing thin. Her lips formed a line as she bit back a quip and tried to think of a more diplomatic way to word her sentiments. Before she could reply, however, Argyros stepped forward.

 

"We do happen to have a healthy amount of coin on our persons," the pale elf began, "And we have a habit of spending quite a lot at each of our stops. We are particularly tired and famished...surely your merchants would appreciate our business, and perhaps your Magister the influx of gold, yes? It should not matter who we are...your economy will benefit all the same."

 

The first guardsman grinned wryly, "Well, unless your offer happens to magically put some of that coin in our pockets, I think that would be a 'no.' And I don't believe the Magister would be pleased with bribery, being concerned with safety and all that. Nice try though, elf."

 

"You really have no lawful reason to keep us out," Zorica replied, "We have done nothing illegal that you know of, and we are not brandishing weapons your way, you cannot say-"

 

"Ah, but you see," the first guard interrupted, "There's this thing where if I think you might cause trouble, it's on me to make sure that it doesn't happen. And I do think you'll cause plenty of trouble. Now, be on your way."

 

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

 

"Well then," Quarylene smirked, "What are we waiting for? Call your dogs forth and we'll proceed. We must strike quickly to have the advantage, after all."

Edited June 5, 2014 by AurianaValoria1

[Quintatas]

As they traveled to Innarlith, Xundus, as usual, said little and stayed a short distance behind the others. Few thoughts went through his mind; he was in a trance-like state as the monotony of traveling got to him. The drow almost wished for the party to be waylaid by bandits or some such - traveling the Underdark was more interesting.

 

When they finally arrived in Innarlith, it was little surprise to Xundus that they were turned away. It was nothing new to him. He touched his hand to his scar, reminded of past experiences. "His words are closer to the truth than he realises," said the drow under his breath.

[Flipout6]

"Rhaine, can I whack him?" Arland asked the Doomguide sincerely.

 

"Have fun climbing up the wall." Weyland added drily. "You sure won't hit him with a crossbow, the way you shoot."

 

"No whacking." Sybille ordered, just as Marie was mentally lining up a cheeky shot to the first guard's groin.

 

Instead she settled for muttering, "Disgraceful excuse for a watchman." under her breath.

 

"...I think I have a plan." Sybille mumbled quietly to herself before she cantered forward and placed herself and her horse beside Rhaine. "I'm sure we could think of our ways to make the improved economy benefit such poor hard-working, under-appreciated men like yourself. How about I give you ten gold pieces each-" She rustled around in one of her saddle-bags and pulled out a sack, and then as she counted out the coins she demonstrated to them that she was sincere. "-and as many drinks as you can drink, on us? I'm sure hardy folk like yourself can handle a lot. How's about you show me just how much?" Both of her brothers and Marie began to protest before she silenced them with a quick hand signal, whispering that she had it under control.

 

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Half a mile outside of town in the woods a woman sat beside a tree in a small clearing in the underbrush, a spear by her side and several shorter ones held in a pouch on her back much like a quiver, and armor seemingly made of bark. She played with the grass and the dirt as she waited, directly in Theia's path, for her opportunity not to strike, but to talk.

 

After all, who better to speak with than a fellow druid?

 

When Theia did get close enough, Elaril stood up and looked her dead in the eye, getting straight to the point. "Don't be startled, I'm of the wild, like you are. Or at least, so you seem to be. I'm here about the group you're 'traveling' with, and I use that term loosely. I intend to do the same, as we share a common foe and I cannot take them on single-handedly. What can you tell me about them, their goals besides the annihilation of this "Valthanarax" abomination? You seem to have the most...enlightened opinion of them all."

Edited June 5, 2014 by Flipout6

[GrueMaster]

Tak'we, though embarrassed by the mess he had caused, was glad with how the boar meat had gone over, and ate more than the Grey Brothers combined. He had mixed feelings over Arland's return, however. In some ways, he had missed the foolish softskin, in others... Well, hopefully the softskin is not as foolish now. He gave a good hiss of laughter as Lucas gave Rhaine a rubbing, the scents the young softskin was throwing off not unlike those of Tannin in mating season, but with the way the females teased him, Tak'we decided against making further jokes.

 

The thri-kreen kept watch as everyone went to sleep in ones and twos, in the mean time making a jerky-like food from the remaining boar meat with a recipe he remembered his clutch-mother using. Satisfied with the results, he packed it away and patrolled the camp for the rest of the night.

 

Dri gave a silent cry of despair at the food ruined by Tak'we's hunt, having been wanting to have a filling meal of Nawen's cooking. Well, at least there's more food... she thought glumly, wondering if Tymora was teasing them or not.

 

Nearly starving when the boar was cooked well enough to eat, the girl nearly beat Weyland in getting in line for food. She was grabbing a plate when she saw Arland entering camp, and silently put a palm to her face. Tymora, now I know you're joking with us. Dri did smile at the sight of the wayward Grey, though; it had seemed surprisingly odd, not having Arland around. Heh, there certainly won't be a quiet night anymore...

 

She finished her meal and quickly gave her good nights to everyone as she went to bed, wanting to get to sleep before the Greys did and she had to deal with even more snoring. Huddling up tightly, Dri fell asleep, dreading when some of her companions went to sleep as wel at first, before going into a deep peaceful slumber

 

Tenebris gave an exasperated sigh at Aurora's response, muttering under his breath. "You're quite welcome..." Before he said any thing he might regret, the Jergali simply sat down near the fire and pulled out that black book of his and a quill, squibbling away little portents and tidbits on his companions, especially the mystery surrounding Tannin. He kept at this well past dusk, ignoring everyone until the boar was finally done.

 

He took a slice of boar and absently chewed it as he studied his companions, thinking on their personalities and pasts, but his concentration was interrupted by the the arrival of a stranger. Great, another Grey... he thought, not even bothering to roll his dice; he could already tell by the reactions of those around him that this man would prove to be... colorful. Tired by the sudden antics and the way Aurora's response nagged at him, the Jergali wordlessly got up and went to bed, quickly falling asleep.

 

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

 

Tak'we gave a hissing sigh as they approached Innarlith; he had enjoyed being back on the road again, and it hadn't seemed long before he had to be in yet another stone softskin village. *TCK-TCK!* We are almost there, he comforted himself. I am almost home... With that, he breathed deeply and continued following the others, confidant he would be able to weather a stay in one last softskin village.

 

Dri barely contained her excitement as the party approached Innarlith, looking forward to experiencing a new city and its streets. "For once, I can actually agree with you, Aurora," she said, giving a small smile at the half-elf's enthusiasm for the city. "I wonder what they will have in the markets..."

 

Tenebris gave a humph at some of the others' reactions at being back in a city. "Well, I'm glad all of you are looking forward to being in Innarlith." He had studied a lot of places in the world and tried to keep track of how those places changed, and Innarlith had been one that hadn't changed for the better, the black market there having picked up in business in recent years.

 

At Xallistine's comment and Rhaine's agreement, the half-vampire nodded his agreement. "Indeed... I just hope no one gets any ideas about torches and stakes. Rather tired of that."

 

When the group ran into trouble at the city gates, Tak'we gave a quiet yet menacing chitter, beginning to lose patience with the softskin guards. Knowing his anger would only cause his clutch more problems, he kept his irritation at rest. Although... if they keep this up, I'll toss them over the village walls, spirits help me.

 

Tenebris, feeling the aggravation beginning to rise in everyone, and seeing how the bribes weren't going anywhere, decided to aid Sybille in his own way. "That is a very generous offer, but I think they'd drink the tavern dry, ma'am," he complemented, careful to hide his fangs as he spoke. "But, if you good sirs would accept the gold, I'll gladly add a platinum as well... look me in the eye and say I'm not telling the truth..." The Jergali held up a platinum coin by his face, trying to get the guards to meet his gaze.

 

They looked at the money first, then met his gaze. "Well, sir, I don't much care..." the first guard began to say, before trailing off, a distant gaze coming over his eyes. Tenebris gave a smile as the charm ran its course. Weak-willed fools... "Besides," the cleric continued, "if you don't let us in, we would have to go around the city, and in doing that, we could run into that very trouble you wish to avoid. If that happens, not only would you be called out early in the morning about said trouble, you would have to leave the walls of the city and deal with it out here, rather than in the comfort of the streets. You don't want that to happen, now do you? I certainly do not."

 

"No..." the guards said hesitantly. "But this way," Tenebris continued, pushing the point home. "We get to go in the safety of the city, where we can avoid trouble, and the two of you not only get a donation for giving and allowing us poor travelers succor, but you won't have to worry about us at all. Sound fair?"

 

The guards both shook their heads in agreement. "Sounds perfectly fair to me. All of you can move on through." The half-vampire plastered a smile on his face. "And I promise, no one else will be the wiser. This will just be between us, yes?" The guards nodded and waved them on. "Thank you, kind sirs, and may the gods smile over you." The Jergali gave a bow, then strode on through the gates, speaking to Rhaine quietly as he did so. "There are some advantages to having my particular... ancestry... but all the same, I would like it if we found a place some distance from these gates, just for safe measure."

 

Tenebris stiffened for a moment suddenly, an ominous feeling worming its way into his heart. He glanced around casually, trying to play off the feeling while checking his surroundings. Despite not noticing anything, it continued to bother him, and he noted to bring it up later with the party's leader. Sometimes... I hate my life..., he rued silently his ability to foretell, then banished the thought kept moving, eager to eat a hot meal.

 

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

 

A figure in the shadows watched as a large group of adventurers entered through Innarlith's gates, a sadistic smile coming to his face, one that grew larger as he spotted the illithid, thoughts of murder playing in his mind. Simple yet powerful magics kept the murderer known as Zuir from being detected, and he sent a message to his mistress. They have arrived in Innarlith, mistress. I shall take care of their leaders as you wished.

 

Enjoying the thoughts of events to come, the assassin turned around, and disappeared in the alley...

Edited June 5, 2014 by GrueMaster

[AurianaValoria1]

Rhaine followed Tenebris without a word, searching for a place to stable the horses. At last, after a few minutes, she spotted one: a fairly large yet dilapidated-looking inn roughly in the center of town, near to the market stalls. The bickering, squabbling, and haggling between citizens and merchants could be heard even at this distance, a street over from the main marketplace. Shouts and cries of goods of all sorts melded together into one hodgpodge call for customers. Smells of goods both rotten and fresh, of bodies perfumed and unwashed, also mixed into one distinct and unforgettable aroma.

 

As the companions dismounted, Conall took the reins of the horses, "I'll see about our steeds and meet you in a bit."

 

Rhaine nodded, "Aye, and I'll secure us some lodging here."

 

Dagny rubbed her sore legs and wrinkled her nose, "Smells like bad ale and bad people around here."

 

Zorica glanced around, amber eyes darting from corner to corner and shadow to shadow, "Aye...not the best of places that's for sure. Though it's a mite better than some."

 

Argyros strode forward with curiosity glittering in his silvery gaze, "Still, there must be interesting and wondrous things to be found here. These markets are vast."

 

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

 

Theia stopped and stared at the elf before her, her red-brown eyes wide at first, and then narrowing to intense slits. One hand moved close to her bow, and Kyli hissed atop her quarterstaff. The centauress's tail flicked from side to side as she looked the elf woman up and down, "You have been watching us. Who are you to ask this information of me?"

 

The muscles along her flanks rippled in agitation, and she stamped one foreleg nervously.