Tales of Faerun

[Deleted6317247User]

"Good morn-" Nawen started saying but then Tannin approached her and handed her what looked like bundled up armor. "Huh? What?" She asked as she looked at it before nodding and going back to her room again. After locking the door behind her she approached the bed and placed the bundle carefully on it. She gasped in awe as she unfolded it. It was the most beautiful armor she had ever seen. It was all dragon scale and skin. The entire armor was of her two favorite colors - green and silver. The boots that reached her knees, as well as the cuirass, the sleeves and gauntlets were silver and made out of the dragon scale, while the pants and a shawl were dark green. Smiling to herself she quickly undressed, folder her old armor neatly and on the new armor.

 

As she came downstairs wearing her new beautiful armor, she shot a quick glance at Tannin and smiled warmly. "So, how do I look?" She asked but without waiting for an answer she approached him and kissed him lightly on the lips but as she was wearing her hood it concealed them from everyone's view. "Thank you," she said before pulling away, "I love it."

 

Shalena looked up from her breakfast and grinned. "You should really charge for these things," she said to Tannin, "it looks better than what some master armorers make."

Edited July 1, 2014 by Guest

[josh900]

Tannin turned to get a good look at her and was happy with what he saw. He started to give his opinion but he was cut off by her sudden kiss, not that he minded. It certainly answered his question of how she thought it was. "Well that's good." He smiled. "Here's something you're not going to like." He said as he handed her the vial of putrid liquid. "Word of advice, don't stop swallowing, just.. down it all at once. It kicks like a horse but does the job, also got you this." He said inclining to the mug of milk in his other hand. "Milk helps best with the after taste, drink all of that, then count to five, then take a swig of this." He told her.

[Deleted6317247User]

Nawen looked at the vial he handed to her. "How disgusting could this possibly be?" She thought. She never drank any potions after sleepless nights, so she had no idea how it actually tastes. The only thing she had is Tannin's opinion on it and she trusted him, so she believed that he was telling the truth. Doing as he suggested, she opened the vial and downed the liquid in one go. He was right. It was beyond disgusting.

 

"Gods, this is disgusting." She said as she shuddered and frowned at the taste. She then counted to five and took a mug of milk from his hand and drank it in a few gulps. "Thank you," she said as she placed the empty mug on the counter, "for both disgusting potion and milk. Now I won't have to worry about falling asleep and falling off Kiira." She chuckled lightly.

 

When Shalena finished her breakfast she got up from her seat and approached Arland and sat at the table across from him. She shot a glance at what he was eating and burst out laughing at the sight of sausages. When she finally stopped laughing, the piratess took one sausage and chuckled. "Interesting choice for breakfast. Figured you're more into bagels."

 

"Normally, I don't bother saying anything, I just leave or they die. Not by my hand of course," she continued, "speaking of hands, you are very good with yours, among other things. Might let you steer my ship sometime later." She winked at him as she got up from her seat and went towards the bar again to order another drink.

Edited July 1, 2014 by Guest

[mythicdawnmaster]

Xallistine descended the stairs shortly after Rhaine and the other had arisen from their own slumbers, allowing himself time to address the minor problems of his recoveries that plagued him yet; Annette's potions were working like elixirs of life itself (if only life could be distilled into a bottle) reinvigorating his form and returning his stolen strength. The poison had indeed ravaged his body, and the price paid for suffering the blade of the assassin was visible in the protrusive veins-like worms beneath the surface of translucent soil- snaking across his flesh in a tangle of patterns; The Ulitharid's emaciation was further enhanced by the paling of his skin, now a light violet as opposed to the royal purple of his pre-afflicted flesh, hanging further around his eyes to deepen the impression of age, tentacles sagging like the great beard of a gnarled old master.

 

Having had his robes repaired and reinforced during his infirmary, Xallistine's clothing at least spoke of his ennobled blood; the once-tattered collar extended high above his head in a proud, peacock-like display, golden cuffs securing his midnight blue robes at the wrists- gone was every scratch, gash and tear. Xallistine's every step was proud once again, and he descended the stairs like a ghostly apparition of alien grace and fluidity; in truth only his magics and the dear care of his companions held the Ulitharid together, but Xallistine was nothing if not resilient. He would see this quest to it's completion. In full, and beyond.

 

Greeting everyone with a warm inclination of his head, he paid Nawen compliments on her beautiful attire before drifting over to Annette, placing a hand upon the young mage's delicate shoulder "I am it appears, indebted to you with my life, Lady Annette; In the forthcoming chaos we are no doubt to be plunged head-first into, I shall make a solemn promise that no lasting harm shall befall you. You have saved me from a crisis I possessed no defences to counteract, and I shall ensure that with my magics, your mind and body shall remain safe. It is a pale and pathetic strand of gossamer to the gold you have gifted me, but it is all I have to offer." He showed his thanks and affection with a gentle squeeze upon Annette's shoulder, as neither his face nor his eyes held the humanity to convey such emotion. Leaving her to enjoy her meal and the company of her closest companions, Xallistine took his place beside Rhaine.

 

"I stand ready, my Lady Doomguide; here we stand once again upon the eve of great conflict... my magics and mind shall not falter my Lady, I shall not fail you in this. We will vanquish the menaces before us."

 

 

Aurora grinned at the sight of Nawen's attire as she took a seat next to the Piratess Shalena, looking the Drow up and down with appraising eyes. She clapped her hands and barely contained her excitement "By Sharess Nawen, you are the very image of beauty!" She grinned, inclining her head to Tannin "And compliments are due to the craftsman; I agree with Shalena, I'd certainly pay to have something so divine." She took a swig of her morning brew, checking that her weapons were in order and that she looked presentable; if she was to fight, it best be done in style.

[AurianaValoria1]

Dagny looked up at Sybille with a grim expression, "Not sure I share ye enthusiasm, lassie. Me fingers are itchin' for battle, but me brain is warnin' me somethin' fierce."

 

"We'll be fine, I'm sure," Conall remarked, with small nod and a smile for emphasis. He absentmindedly fiddled with the pins on the side of his visor, the small components making a slight tinkling noise as he did so. "I'm feeling much better," he added, "And it looks like Xallistine is as well, no small thanks to Annette."

 

Rhaine watched the exchange between Tannin and Nawen with a raised brow. The half-drow's work was indeed impressive, and Nawen herself looked stunning in her new garb. The Doomguide could only hope that it would afford the ranger more protection than her old suit had. She voiced her approval once the two were finished conversing, "Very fine work, Tannin. I must admit, I've been eager to see what else you could make with that old dragon's hide. You've made a masterpiece once more. Nawen, I must say that your new outfit suits you most excellently. May it guard your life well."

 

Turning to Xallistine, the helmeted priestess smiled broadly to her Ulitharid companion, "I believe you, my friend. Let us take our wrath to them and make them rue the day they ever threatened one of our allies."

 

Meanwhile, Zorica overheard what Shalena had told Arland, and the paladin stumbled backwards as if struck, putting her head in her hands, "Oh gods...that's just...more than I needed to know..."

 

At that moment, Argyros walked into the inn's common room, the bright light of the outside almost completely washing him out before he let the door close behind him. He observed everyone getting ready to leave for a few minutes before he half-bowed to Rhaine, "I see we are preparing to depart soon. That is good. I have some information to impart to you. I took the liberty of asking around about the best route into the mountains, and I believe I have found it. Unfortunately, upon doing some scouting around, I've found that the way is most treacherous. It seems large bands of kobolds and gnolls have set up camp on the way to the ruins. I don't believe there's any way to get around them; they've established themselves too thickly. It appears we will be fighting before we ever reach our destination."

 

The Doomguide nodded slowly as she took in the pale elf's report. After a few minutes, she replied, "The kobolds I don't see as much of a concern. The gnolls, on the other hand, could be problematic." She had first-hand experience with the brutality of a pack of gnolls. In large numbers, they could be overwhelming, and their strength was not to be underestimated.

 

"Well then," she turned to the others with a sigh, "Let's not waste any more time. It seems we'll have more obstacles than we thought obstructing our path this day. Come, we're moving out."

 

Heidi waved from her stool at the bar, her short legs dangling freely, "I'll just wait here for you, then. If you don't come back in three or four days, I'll assume the worst."

 

With that, Rhaine began leading the way out of the inn and into the streets of Kormul.

[Flipout6]

Sybille shrugged and grinned. "Dagny, if we let out brains dictate everything we might become- gods forbid- sensible. And then where would we be?" She looked sidelong at the dwarf. "Certainly too sensible to pull off a stunt like this. And that'd just be boring! Might want to keep your brain in check, though, apparently this lot's pretty good at playing around with 'em."

 

Annette, meanwhile, was surprised with Xallistine's gratitude, but she was relieved to learn that the Ulitharid would be looking out for her. "Thank you. I'd have to respectfully disagree when you say it would be little compared to the aid I've given you, but thank you." She paused. "I know I made antivenom to counteract Black Lotus poison and handed some out to everybody already, but I can teach you how to make some of your own. You might not have a healer around next time."

 

"Hey, maybe that means I don't have to do anything." Arland told Marie seriously. She raised an eyebrow, but nodded.

 

"Do your thing, then." Was all she said.

 

Arland sniggered and gave Shalena a grin that could be described as a combination as lecherous, mischievous and flustered. "I think I'd make a great- ahem- helmsman for you someday, captain." He winked at her.

"...Or do her." Marie rectified, looking horrified.

 

Both of his siblings overheard him. Sybille giggled and cracked a joke about his flexibility finally being useful for once. Weyland's reaction was much more spectacular: he was caught off-guard by the conversation and started laughing so hard that milk leaked from his noise and he slid right off of his chair. His armor made a spectacular crash as it slammed into the floor.

"Sorry, sorry-" He was still guffawing when he got to his feet. "-I just didn't think Arland was into women to start with."

 

"Can be hard to tell, can't it?" Sybille agreed.

 

"What, are my siblings jealous?" Arland mocked. "I think they are."

 

"If you get a rash, don't come crying to me." Amendale commented, and suddenly Annette realized that as the group apothecary she'd be the one that'd have to fashion a salve to apply to such a thing, and paled. To her that was a scarier thought than facing down an entire coven of evil psychic cultists.

 

"It'd be completely worth it." Arland raised an eyebrow at Shalena as he spoke.

 

And on that note, it was finally the time to start on the journey to the mountains. The preparations were rather uneventful, and mostly consisted of the Greys shooting jeers back and forth at one-another. Once on the road this changed. Weyland rode beside Dri, and his mood visibly peaked. Annette took the time to verbally describe to Xallistine the ingredients and techniques required to make Black Lotus antidote, as she promised. She wrote it down on a sheet of spare paper and handed it to him so he wouldn't forget...though she doubted it was even remotely possible for him to forget anything in the first place.

[AurianaValoria1]

Rhaine and the rest of the company followed Argyros's directions to a small dirt trail that wound up the southern foothills and into the Wyrmbones. Within a few hours, the terrain had gotten too steep to ride the horses any farther. They tied their steeds to sparse trees and continued upwards on foot, hiking their way forward along the increasingly treacherous route.

 

At last, Argyros stopped them, whispering, "This is close to where I saw the kobolds encamped. I think the gnolls have roped the little beasts into working for them. The last I saw of them, there were more than a dozen tiny camps spread out over the crags; I cannot estimate specific numbers. However, I do know that if we allow them to overwhelm us, things could get nasty quickly."

 

Rhaine nodded and motioned to Nawen, murmuring to the drow ranger in a low voice, "Right then. Nawen? I'm going to need you to do some scouting ahead. I need as specific numbers as you can get on these kobolds, and where exactly they are positioned. Try also to guess the grade of their equipment and how much of a threat they could possibly pose to us. Watch out for gnolls acting as their overlords. Can you do this?"

[Deleted6317247User]

"Of course." Nawen said feeling quite happy to do some scouting. Before moving forward she turned to Marie. "Would you like to come along?" She asked. "I could certainly use your help." She added before going down the kobold encampment.

 

The two of them made their way forward, barely making any noise as they walked. They stopped and hid behind several large borders. Thankfully, their location provided good vantage point and was at a safe enough distance. "Let's see what we have here." Nawen said quietly as she peeked through the gap between the top of the boulders and looked around the encampment. There was a large number of kobolds scattered around the camp, she counted to a hundred but it was quite likely that there were more of them. She then focused her attention on the gnolls and counted about fifty of them. She scanned the encampment ahead for anything else that could help them before looking at Marie. "I think we got everything we can from this." She said.

 

When they returned to others, Nawen immediately reported everything she saw. "They're not unprepared, I'll give them that," she said, "there are about a hundred kobolds, possibly more, and about fifty gnolls. As for their equipment, gnolls got better but even theirs is decent at best, though their weapons look well made." The drow paused for a moment before adding, "it won't be easy but we've fought worse."

 

"So we gonna fight them there?" Shalena chimed in. "Don't know about you but I don't feel like being crushed by boulders."

[Flipout6]

Marie nodded at Nawen. "Sure, I'll come along." She stayed behind Nawen as they went, the ranger making even less noise than the fleet-footed Marie was.

 

Wary and checking all sides to make sure they weren't being followed, Marie kept an arrow ready in her bow as she went. Being the smaller of the two, she hid behind the smaller of the two boulders when she took cover with Nawen and carefully examined the horde before them. It was a rowdy, disorganized collection of kobolds and gnolls...the latter of which made Marie's heart drop when she saw them. She'd had experience with gnolls, they were nasty. And in such numbers! They made up a third of the force on the field. But she swallowed her fear didn't let it affect her.

 

When they got back, Marie kept her voice low as she added on to Nawen's description of them. "Gnolls look to be in charge, think I saw a few shaman and spellcasters in there. They don't know there's anyone here, but they're close enough that I could have shot one if I wanted to. They're divided into several groups of ten to thirty each."

 

Sybille had a strategy on hand after a few seconds of thinking. "How's this: You two, take Connall and Argyros here- they can shoot- and head back up to your vantage point. Kill the gnolls from a distance, spellcasters first, then archers, then work your way down from there. When they start to gather some steam to catch you, draw them back here. We'll get ourselves into a formation; tougher, heavily-armoured targets in the front in a wide arc so they don't get a chance to flank us. Those of you without much in the way of armor stay at the back and either use hit-and-run tactics or nail 'em from a distance. Amendale, Xallistine, the likes of you two can rain the hells down on dozens of them at a time. If we can concentrate them into one area we can kill.....oh, fifty birds with one firestorm." She shrugged, before she looked at Rhaine. "That sound like a good plan, m'lady?" Rhaine just nodded, a serious look in her eyes. "Alright, let's do it."

 

As Marie ventured back up to the boulders with her bow in hand, Sybille and Weyland took positions at the front of the group with weapons drawn, while Arland stood a few feet behind them, blades wreathed in flame. Annette stood beside Amendale at the back, looking uncertainly at him. He just gave her an encouraging smile and a nod.

 

"Just put some of those spells you're so good at to good use, then blast whatever you like with magic missiles." He shrugged. "Don't think there'll be too many injuries here if we're careful, so leave the healing to me."

 

Bears' Endurance went to the heavily-armoured targets, while the more agile combatants were gifted with increased agility, and others with spells suiting them.

 

Marie didn't know who fired the shot that alerted the horde on the fields to their presence, and focused solely on perfecting her shots. Her sharp eyesight spotted a gnoll with a spear and she put an arrow through its neck. Other arrows- she couldn't tell whose- dropped sorcerers and shamans, and several gnolls with crossbows. Marie herself killed a considerable number, nearly ten, before a particularly observant kobold tracked where the arrows were coming from and gave chase, prompting the rest of them to begin a charge. She only killed two more before she stood up, turned tail, and sprinted back towards the group as they began to get close enough to cause a problem, and arrows thunked and splintered on the rocks. She kept her head low and legs moving like pistons, hugging her bow close to her chest. She blew right past Sybille and Arland and skidded in the mud to pull herself to a halt, before twisting around and preparing another shot. When the first gnoll got close enough for her to accurately pitch off a shot, she dropped it in its tracks with an arrow through the chest.

 

Weyland and Sybille brought their visors down as the horde approached, and when the kobolds were upon them, they burst into action. Weyland beheaded the first one to approach and cut two others down as Sybille's hammer swept through the front rank and connected with five of them, sending the mangled creatures flying. As they began approaching in great numbers, suddenly a blazing inferno burst up from the grass, stretching fifty feet across, and then two identical ones behind it, set in a pattern that forced anyone who wanted to avoid the flames to go through the ten-foot gap between the two walls, creating a choke-point which Marie took to full effect.

 

"That'll set their brains a-whirl." Amendale laughed, even as he conjured a storm of ice directly in front of the gap between the walls, where anybody that made it to the choke-point would be hammered with massive hailstones.

[josh900]

Knowing that he mostly likely wasn't needed for the battle, Tannin sat back and watched as it unfolded.

 

Azuris and Lucas on the other hand, rushed forward with the other melee fighters to push the horde back. Now armed with a spear, Lucas was much more capable on the field, his skill and reach gave him the edge he needed to dispatch several of the kobolds, and even a gnoll or two.

 

Azuris meanwhile was doing considerably more damage to the horde, cleaving through kobolds with his claymore left and right, not at all happy with this distraction.