Tales of Faerun

[FreemasonGamer]

Rameses continued to offer Ayala a small yet warmly smile as he beckoned the young Mulhorandi woman to a nearby unoccupied table. Turning on his heel, the genasi respectfully pulled a chair out from underneath the heavy oaken table for the lady to sit. "Splendid." He said in a slightly cheerful voice, consciously maintaining a reserved attitude.

Ayala gave a nervous smile in response and followed, seating herself carefully in the offered chair.

Rameses sat across from her, holding his hands together before resting them on the table. "So, you and your friend seem like native folk of these exotic lands?" He asked curiously.

She nodded, "Yes...we were born and raised here." She glanced to her sister and then back to Rameses, "This town is all we have known."

The genasi returned her nod gently. "It seems like a comfortable enough place. I'm sure we are only a handful of many adventurers who pass through here?" He mused curiously, tilting his head slightly.

Ayala dipped her head, "Of course. Many pass through here every season. Rauthil guards the only safe crossing for the river...you'll find it runs straight through town just north of this inn."

Taking in the information, Rameses smiled slightly before nodding. "Interesting, I was unsure if Rauthil was the only place that offered such crossing." Glancing to Ayala's sister as she struggled to converse with Azuris, Rameses finally asked, "Do you two come here often?"

Ayala blushed, "No...no...we don't. This is a...special occasion..."

Rameses refrained from smiling too widely at Ayala's response, chuckling softly. "So a celebration of sorts, perhaps?" He mused further, tilting his head slightly out of curiosity.

That seemed to elicit a grin from her as she took a chance, "No...but we can turn it into one..."

The genasi then arched a brow, his szuldar runes shimmering slightly as he pondered how her words could be interpreted. "Oh?" He replied simply.

She jumped a little upon seeing the strange glowing runes on him brighten, "Yes...I mean...if you want, that is. It seems a bit dull in here, yes?" She chuckled nervously and glanced around, "You all seem the sort who know how to brighten an evening..."

Rameses slowly grew less confident as he nodded slightly. "Er... I suppose we are a bit more entertaining in appearance than the average passerby..." He returned with a somewhat nervous smile.

"No! I-I did not mean," she stammered, eyes wide, "I'm sorry...my Common, it is rough, I...did not mean to insult you..."

Rameses widened his eyes at her unexpected reaction. "Er, please don't fret..." He stumbled, his face reddening as he attempted to keep his szuldar from flaring from embarrassment.

"I...sorry," she apologized again, looking down at her hands, "It's not often anyone pays us much attention...and I frighten easily."

At that moment and a few others that followed, Rameses spared a small smile for Ayala. "Honestly, I'm not too talented of a conversationalist myself." The genasi admitted. "So, may I ask why you and your friend are here, among us adventurers?"

She shifted uncomfortably, "Well...we had hoped...perhaps you would like us to come with you..."

When the Mulhorandi expressed her and her friend's intention of accompanying the group, Rameses raised his brows curiously in astonishment. However, his astonishment was soon distracted when Hazel approached the two of them and requested a seat at their table. "I see no reason why not." The genasi replied to the dryad before rising out of his chair and pulling a third seat outward for her to sit down.

Hazel grinned at Rameses as he pulled a chair out for her, "Thank you. How gentlemanly of you. Pardon me if I'm butting in, but what are we chatting about?"

"You are most welcome." Rameses replied to Hazel, returning to his seat after she took hers. "Lady Ayala and I were discussing how she and her companion wished to accompany us out of Rauthil." He answered, the Mulhorandi blushing at the fact before nodding quietly.

Nodding, Hazel added, "Are you sure you two would be ready to fight for your lives? Traveling with our party has proved to be dangerous, even for those of us who prefer not to fight. But I suppose you two should talk to Rhaine if you're still curious."

Rameses nodded firmly in agreement with the dryad's words, gesturing to the party's redheaded, winged leader who disappeared up the stairs. "Indeed. Lady Rhaine is just over there, and she is a friendly individual. Speaking with her would be wise." He responded, and Ayala nodded uneasily before looking to Hazel. "Should I speak with her...now, or later?" She asked hesitantly.

Hazel gave the girl a friendly grin, before saying, "She won't bite."

Edited June 8, 2015 by FreemasonGamer

[josh900]

"No." Azuris answered the girl's question, rowing tired of her bothering him with inane questions.

 

Feeling sorry for the poor girl, Leif got up from his own table and moved to sit on the opposite of where Azuris and the Mulhorandi girl sat.

"Ahh you'll have to forgive him, Miss. He's not a big talker you see, going for the strong silent type I think." He said with a smile.

 

"More like the, I don't want to be bothered, type." Azuris said irritably.

 

"There's that too." Leif replied. "Anyways, you look like you're wanting to talk so, what's life like in this place? Seems kindaaa....kinda dull to be honest. Not that I've seen much but, judging by the welcoming party we got earlier, folks like us must not come through here very often huh?" He asked the girl, hoping to save her further frustration by trying to strike up a conversation with Azuris.

[Flipout6]

Amendale observed the confusion caused by Ayala's not knowing much in the way of common and decided to do something about it. His hand glowed silver for a brief moment before the light faded.

"There. You can understand and speak Common now...along with any other spoke language in Faerun. I'd give the spell perhaps two to two-and-a-half hours before it fades away." He told the Mulhorandi girl matter-of-factly. "And now that you can understand me, I'm obligated to let you know that venturing with us has the potential to be extraordinarily dangerous. We've had friends die before."

 

"And we were attacked just the other night." Weyland added quietly, not quite meeting their eyes. Dri conveyed her reassurance to him and him alone, deciding that telepathic communication would likely startle the girl. He smiled at her and patted her hand before adding, "I know a desire for adventure and excitement is a hard thing to quench, but it's not worth it to travel with us. You're better off here, for your own safety."

 

"Take it from someone who was in your shoes once." Amendale said. "I know what it's like."

 

Arland listened intently, but decided that the two of them would do a better job of keeping the towngirls out of their adventure without his pitching in...a rare occurrence. They'd be mincemeat in their first fight anyways. He shrugged internally and ate the extremely good food off his plate ravenously, exercising decidedly more table manners than he usually did.

 

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

"When I was hit with whatever black magic he used, it felt like my eyes were on fire." Marie explained to Rhaine. "It's difficult to remember any real details through the haze of pain, but most of it was around the back of my eye. A little bit like the sting that happens if you're about to cry, but far worse."

 

"That sounds pretty bad." Sybille remarked.

 

"That puts most of the damage somewhere deep within the inner workings of the eyes themselves." Annette noted. "Though I suppose since her pupil and irises have disappeared entirely that goes without saying."

 

Her sister winced. "That bad, are they?"

 

"For now." Sybille stated matter-of-factly. "They won't stay like that."

 

"We don't know that, though." The older Ordain said, uncertain.

 

"I do."

 

Despite herself, Marie smiled.

[AurianaValoria1]

Samassa's distaste at Azuris's response showed plainly on her face, and she replied to Leif rather shortly, "Dull? Yes, very much so. But folk like you come through on a regular basis." She was about to say more, but her sister approached of a sudden, whispering, "I think we should leave. This is not for us." As Ayala said this, Samassa nodded in agreement, her expression turning into one of feigned smugness, "Yes, Ayala, you are right. We shall seek our fortunes elsewhere...with folk more deserving of our attentions. Come, sister." With that, the two women departed the inn in a swirl of colorful fabrics and disappeared into the Mulhorandi evening.

 

Abby, full to bursting of food and drink, lazily slid from her stool and made her way upstairs where her warm bed awaited her. Argyros, curious still about the local cuisine, made his way tentatively into the kitchens, where he began to strike up an animated conversation with the surprised, yet enthusiastic cook. Nearby, Conall looked up at Aera from his seat on the cushion and gave her a wry smirk, "The Mulhorandi revere Bast...she who would eventually become Sharess; she is goddess of cats as well as sensual pleasures, if I remember right," he patted the top of Aodh's head before continued, "It is little wonder, then, that the local innkeep would treat you so. He believes you to be an incarnation of Bast herself. All because of your appearance, of course."

 

Zorica rose from her seat as the girls left, "Pathetic indeed." Glancing to Amendale, she added, "Care to join me upstairs? I'd like to talk to you about something."

 

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

 

When Marie described her symptoms, Rhaine's brow furrowed, "That...does not sound that different from any other infection, to be honest. But if that is the case, it should not have resisted our magics so." She sighed heavily, putting her head in her hands, "There is something far darker and more foul than a simple disease at work here...and yet all the symptoms it manifests points to such a thing. I must delve into more research...into curses, perhaps, or..." she trailed and took Marie by the hand, "Know this: I will do everything I can for you in the time we have to rest. There must be a way to stop this and to reverse the damage done to you, and I promise you, I will find it."

 

Marie smiled, if only a little. "Thank you. It means a lot. If you discover any way for a blind girl to pull her own weight, let me know, but otherwise I'm useless unless this cursed magic is cured."

The Doomguide nodded, "And that is why I will work as swiftly as I can. Now," she rose from the bedside and gave Marie's hand a gentle squeeze, "Get some rest. You need it."

 

With that, she left the Ordain sisters and Sybille and headed towards her own room - as always, at the end of the hall - to do more studying and planning for the journey ahead. She did this well into the evening, until sleep finally beckoned her, and she changed into her nightdress to go to bed.

 

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

 

 

That night, as Rhaine’s eyelids slid closed from sheer exhaustion, she felt herself drift away into the world of the dreaming; she was back in her old dreamscape at last, after what felt like an eternity of absence. Her body at once tingled and shuddered with delight as she opened her eyes and beheld the palpable comfort of that familiar scene. Relief flooded her as she welcomed the return of her mind’s creation with open arms; illusion or not, the soft caresses of the warm breeze and the sweet scents of the grass and the trees refreshed her in a way nothing else could, and she had been kept from it for far too long…

 

She sank to her knees and let her hands feel the thickness of the grass beneath her, cushioning her with its springiness. As she ran her fingers lightly over the blades, she let all of her thoughts rush to the forefront of her mind and released them with a sigh; the deaths of Imhiros and Heidi, Ariel’s sacrifice, Weyland and Dri’s terrifying ordeal, Marie’s horrible blinding, Conall’s near-fatal wounding, the surfacing of the Shadovar agents, the theft of the phylacteries…one minute the party had been enjoying themselves in a Mulhorandi paradise, and the next…utter disaster had struck. But at least they had each other, those that remained, broken and tattered as they were. From their sorrowful loss came great strength, and they would need it to pursue their new foes.

 

The breeze gusted stronger and brought with it the heavy, pungent fragrance of cedar. A smile gently tugged at her lips, and she let her eyelids slide closed again for a brief moment, the torrent of worries and plans for the future swept away and replaced with painfully beautiful memories of her childhood and teen years in Waterdeep. She could hear Father Dunstan’s voice as plainly as if he spoke beside her…laughing with her, reading to her, comforting her when the other acolytes made fun of her when she was a child. Of all the people she left behind over a year ago, she missed him the most, and with him now well over his middle-aged years, there was a slight fear that plagued the back of her mind – the fear that she might not see him alive again…

 

“Your thoughts are troubled once more.”

 

The voice that banished the concerns from her mind brushed across her consciousness like a soft hand, forcing her eyes to open again and rest their gaze languidly upon her patron. She felt like a small child as she looked up at him looking down on her, not ten paces away – oddly fitting, considering the memories that had flitted through her consciousness only moments before. Rhaine let her head dip respectfully, and then replied, “Yes, my lord. I am beginning to think that if they were not, something would be terribly wrong.”

 

The wind whipped his dark cloak behind him, the tattered edges billowing lazily through the air in a manner that reminded Rhaine of a battle-torn pennant. The blazing evening sun lit one side of his mask in blinding liquid gold, hues of red and orange highlighting his right cheek and jaw, whilst the other side faded from a shimmering, liquid-like silver-blue into the deep, near-black shadows of his cowl. Where others might be frozen with wonderment or paralyzed with fright at the sight of his authoritative, even intimidating bearing, she had grown to welcome it…along with a healthy dose of respect, of course; there was always that stomach-flipping feeling of being judged, but Rhaine had long come to accept it as a natural accompaniment of the much more powerful sensations of tranquility and security that also arose from his presence. She remembered the way he had looked in Menarses’s courtyard, recalled his statuesque composure and refinement, and reminisced on his words of wisdom and his precious gift to her…the mask that she now treasured dearly…

 

Suddenly, she was all-too-aware that she was gaping at him, and she cleared her throat, adding, “I…I keep thinking about those with me who seemingly are in love with each other. Weyland and Audri…Arland and Marie…Amendale and Zorica. They have been so close to death, recently. They are…but a knife’s edge away from losing each other forever. I fear for them, for their sanity in the face of what may come…”

 

“They live in the moment, not for what might be,” Kelemvor remarked, “They have each other, and that, for them, is enough…even if it is something that they will cease to possess in the next day, month, or year. They are aware of this risk they take, and even so, it is not something that will dissuade them from involving themselves with each other.”

 

He crossed his arms before continuing, “As for Arland and Marie…do not think they are so…connected…as they appear. Arland has had his eyes set on you for quite some time, now.”

 

Rhaine’s mouth dropped open. Even though she was still sitting on the grass, she felt as though she would fall over with the slightest gust of wind. She was, quite simply, flabbergasted, in every sense of the word. The thought had never crossed her mind that Arland Grey would ever be romantically interested in her. She blinked twice at Kelemvor, as if to make sure that he was really there and that this was not some fluke of her imagination.

 

“However,” he added slowly, after a few breaths, “this is something that he will never admit to you…or to himself, for that matter. He knows that he has such feelings for you, but he refuses to acknowledge them. He has not determined how best to contend with this truth, and so he has chosen to foster his simultaneous affections for Marie instead.”

 

She mentally reeled, putting her head in her hands. This revelation certainly explained some things, including some words that the Grey brother had said to her, but it did more to cause her concern than it did to ease her mind. And, it also picked the scab on an old and deep, self-inflicted wound…

 

Her heart panged, and she felt a little nauseous…the same kind of sickness she had felt years ago on the battlements of Crossroad Keep with the paladin Casavir. And yet, the fact that he had turned his attention to Marie cushioned the blow; at least he could focus on someone else and forget about her. With Marie’s blindness, he would be paying the Ordain girl more attention than the rest, and so perhaps he would grow to abandon whatever he had seen in Rhaine. It was for the best that way. Perhaps he would find the contentment with Marie that he would never achieve with Rhaine herself.

 

“I am glad that he has chosen her,” Rhaine finally spoke, her throat dry as she swallowed hard, “She needs him, and I think that he will find something much more fulfilling in caring for her…instead of me. I pray they find happiness together, even if – like the others – it could be taken away from them at any moment.” She sighed heavily and continued, “And this does nothing to make my work easier in trying to keep everyone safe.” She glanced back up, “What if, forbid it, something happens that forces them to choose between each other and the rest of us?”

 

Kelemvor dipped his head, the cowl turning the one golden side of his mask to shadow, “Then you must be confident that they can make the right decision at the right time. That is all you can do.”

 

Rhaine slowly closed her eyes and reopened them, subconsciously letting them graze his form as they dropped towards the ground again – the same beautifully dark green robes he had worn the previous few times, punctuated by the broad leather belt to which had been tied Fatal Touch, the small peek of exquisite russet velvet at his throat, the shapely chocolate-brown knee boots – and the sight brought a pensive smile unbidden to her lips. Yet the slightest movement of the silvery mask brought her attention to it once more, and its bright flash of brilliance was like a startling and sharp splash of coldness in the midst of this warm and soothing vision. Struck with self-consciousness, she pushed her thoughts to immediately return to her comrades, and she sighed heavily again.

 

“I am happy for them,” Rhaine finally remarked, “For those in my company who have managed to find a slice of joy in this journey that is plagued with sorrow. Perhaps…” she trailed, remembering Sune’s words in her chapel, what seemed like a lifetime ago, “Perhaps we have indeed been blessed in more ways than one.”

 

“Perhaps,” he agreed quietly, almost unmoving.

 

“I know I have been,” she continued, suddenly filled with something other than heaviness of heart, and she gave him a warm smile. It was as if acknowledging all of the good things that had come their way made their tribulations a bit less dire in appearance. Of course, great tragedies had still befallen them as of late, and some things could not be healed with positive experiences alone…

 

Her thoughts were then abruptly directed towards Marie, and Rhaine added, “Marie…she has been blinded by some awful sickness…a malady that not even I can cure as of now. Please tell me, my lord…is there one? Is there hope for her?”

 

His head tilted slightly, the mask flashing again in the light, “Yes. Though she has been afflicted by a divinely sanctioned curse of a powerful and favored servant of both the goddesses Loviatar and Talona, the one whom you know as Silithus,” his posture became more rigid as he spoke the names, obvious revulsion emanating from him in a discomforting aura, “such work can be reversed. But it will require the persistent and near-constant application of your most powerful curatives, spell and potion alike. It will not be easy, but over time, it can be undone.”

 

Rhaine was relieved to hear the news, but a new passionate anger filled her heart, "Believe me, my lord, I will have vengeance for the injustices he has committed!"

 

His head tilted upwards as he cautioned her, “Be aware – his only love is pain. Keep that in mind when you confront him next, as it could determine your course of action in battle.” He paused a few moments before adding, “And I should inform you that he also attempted to assassinate Ilmater many years ago. He was, of course, caught and imprisoned for his foul crime…”

 

Rhaine’s mouth dropped open, but before she could interject, Kelemvor finished.

 

“…but he was just recently broken from his bonds by someone you know quite well by this point – the esteemed Queen-Consort of Asmodeus, Ravenna.”

 

She swayed backward as if she had been struck. Then, putting her head in her hands, she raked her fingers through her hair and growled, “That witch! Even now she causes us misery!”

 

“As she is wont to do,” he replied, “But make no mistake – this servant of Talona does not do Ravenna’s bidding. He acts of his own accord, and though he is indebted to her for freeing him, he does not consider himself beneath her; he is effectively independent of her, and so exacting vengeance upon him will do nothing to affect her in any way.”

 

She crossed her arms and pressed her lips into a thin line, looking down at the grass to avoid staring at him anymore as she immersed herself in her own rage-fueled, fiery thoughts. The wind pressed her gown to her body and caused it to billow behind her, brushing her scarlet mane away from her face and making it flutter in wavy red ribbons. She let out her breath in a frustrated huff and shook her head rapidly back and forth, “The Shadovar you mentioned. They’re behind these missing phylacteries, aren’t they? They’re the ones we’re going to have to track down, now.”

 

“Yes. With the phylacteries from Chult, Icewind Dale, and Mulhorand in their safekeeping, they intend to use them to obtain Valthanarax’s vast arcane knowledge…and quite possibly transform him into a suitable servant for their cause. The dracolich himself, however, will be the least of your worries…they have managed to net themselves much more powerful allies than he.”

 

Rhaine swallowed hard and looked back up at him, determination shining in her eyes, “They will fall. Just like the rest of our enemies. Just like Silithus and all the others who oppose us.”

 

He dipped his head to her, as if in approval of her words, and then suddenly, her world quickly faded into warm blackness, and he was gone...

 

 

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

 

Rhaine awoke with a start, "Divine!"

 

Scrambling out of bed and tossing the coverlet from her form, she bent and pawed through her pack where it lay on the floor next to the nightstand. Of course! How could she have been so stupid as to overlook the obvious? The curse itself may have been a dark one, but it was divinely granted, most certainly by Talona herself. She flipped through her worn and weathered spellbook. Marie's affliction was curable enough through a war of the wills...divine against divine. She would need to find holy ground - a place sacred to a goodly god or goddess - to counter the machinations of an evil one more effectively.

 

The Doomguide snapped the book shut and glanced out of the window with its open curtains.

 

It was still barely past midnight.

Edited June 20, 2015 by AurianaValoria1

[FreemasonGamer]

The leaving of the two Mulhorandi sisters from The River Crossing enticed a faint sigh of relief from Rameses as he shook his head slightly; whatever their intentions might have been, two damsels such as themselves would have had a truly hellish experience traversing the road under the conditions the party endured. Even if the party had traveled safely to their next destination, those two young ladies would have been sore and exhausted from such time spent on horseback. Regardless, them remaining in Rauthil was one less concern for Rameses and the group, who simply weren't escorts-for-hire by nature. After they had departed, the fire genasi's attention turned to Hazel, the friendly dryad who alone kept him company at the table. The pair conversed in forms of small talk and exchanged a story or two before Rameses was eventually overcome with fatigue resulted from a long day and hearty meal. While somewhat reluctant to depart, the fire genasi soon arose from his seat and gave the lady dryad at his table a small grin and a modest bow, and a quiet yawn broke his gentlemanly demeanor soon afterward.

 

"It was a pleasure, Hazel. Although, I believe I'll investigate the quality of my room for the evening. Goodnight." He said with a humorous tone before he followed his companions' trail upstairs. Since some of the others were also retiring to their rooms and relaxing for the night, the genasi tried to remain as quiet as reasonably possible. Upon reaching and entering his room, Rameses gazed around at the luxurious nature of it before quietly shutting the door behind him. He gently kicked his boots off before shedding his satchel, cloak, sword and dagger sheaths, and finally his overshirt before wandering over to the washbasin next to the kingly-sized, luxurious bed. A few minutes were spent washing his hands and splashing his face, and the genasi wandered over to the balcony of his room afterward. The stars and moon glimmered like jewels in the deep night sky, a cool night air playing across Rameses' smoldering szuldar. Taking a deep breath, Rameses sighed softly as he leaned against the sound railings of the balcony. With each passing day, Rameses had spent more and more time considering his place among these adventurers, and a faint smile played across his face as he considered if that said place could possibly be permanent.

[AurianaValoria1]

Rhaine, a plan rapidly forming in her mind, went back to bed not long after her revelation and slept soundly for the remainder of the night, sunk into a dreamless bliss. She was still asleep when Conall and Abby came down to the common room for breakfast. The former retook his place on the cushion to eat a light meal of fruit and honey, feeding a few pieces to the drowsy Aodh every now and again. Abby, on the other hand, quickly tucked in to poached quail eggs and sausages, eating with her hands with gusto and licking the grease from her fingers every few bites. Argyros noticed her ravenous appetite again and merely chuckled; the half-dragon was an amusing one, to say the least.

 

Zorica emerged not long after, though she had less sleep than the others. She had spent hours of the night conversing with Amendale, mostly on the subject of the return to her home and the gradual letting go of her old desires for revenge. It was odd that they seemed to experience love in the reverse; they had had moments of passion early on, but now appeared to court each other with a tentative sweetness. Perhaps it was the quick sweeping aside of physical desire that gave way to an exploration of the soul, which was a far more serious and lengthy process. In any case, speaking with the elf left her feeling far more calm and collected than she ever had before, and she was grateful to have met him. These thoughts swirled through her mind as she took a seat in the commons and ordered her own breakfast, her amber eyes not focused on anything before her, but rather images in her own mind as she waited for it to be brought to her.

 

It was not long before Rhaine finally clattered downstairs in her armor, purpose in her steps and fire in her eyes, "Eat your meals quickly and let us be off...we have a journey to make and a port to head for." The Doomguide then nodded to Shalena, "I want us prepared to set sail from Sultim by nightfall, which means pushing our horses long and hard this day." Like Conall, she only took bit of fruit for her breakfast as she watched the others and waited for them to all make ready to leave.

[Flipout6]

Amendale was, as usual, one of the very first people awake, and quietly hopped down the stairs, clad in the white robes he'd been wearing for the duration of their time in the desert. He had a light breakfast of some fruits, nuts and berries, giving Zorica a meaningful smile when she came down the stairs.

 

The Greys, of course, had no issue eating their meals quickly, even as they ordered hearty dishes complete with solid portions of a little bit of everything. Weyland, having not seen Dri yet, sighed as he remembered just how deep a sleeper she truly was and went upstairs to rouse her. She eventually stumbled down the stairs, bedraggled and groggy. Sybille was the one helping Marie down the stairs this morning, given that Arland had (for once) made the wise decision not to walk into her room, even if announced. Annette followed right on their heels, a little bit like a puppy.

 

"Shame there aren't more places like this around." Sybille commented wistfully.

 

"Would be nice, that's for sure." Arland replied. "And it'd clear out our coin faster than one of the Shadow Thieves."

 

Weyland, finishing first, stood up and grabbed his shield, pulling it solidly into place on his arm. "It's comfortable to be sure, but I've spent a lot longer than I'd like to in the desert. Maybe the next place we venture to is a bit more temperate."

 

"Whatever the case..." Arland cracked his neck and stood up. "Ready to go when you are, Wings."

[FreemasonGamer]

Invigorated from an excellent night's rest in the immeasurably comfortable bed of his luxurious inn room, Rameses was neither the earliest nor the latest to wander downstairs for breakfast. Freshly dressed in another simple travelling outfit of his with all his personal effects on his person, the genasi sat down at an oaken table near the foot of the staircase and ordered a fair-sized breakfast of bread rolls glazed with honey, fluffy scrambled eggs, and even a few strips of bacon. Watching the others of their party who were enjoying their breakfast, Rameses himself did not feel any urge to feast unnecessarily since they were likely heading out for a hard day of riding. Once his meal was finished and the inn servants took his empty plate, the genasi sipped contently at his tea until their leader finally made her way downstairs, a monolith of polished dark armor.

 

Nodding in response to Rhaine's words, Rameses stood up and brushed himself off before glancing at most others among their company. "I suppose we'll be heading off to the stables once everyone has awakened, then?"

Edited June 21, 2015 by FreemasonGamer

[AurianaValoria1]

Rhaine nodded first to Arland and then to Rameses, "Indeed. Which should be just about..." she glanced around "...now." Gesturing to the others, she added in a louder tone, "Finish up, and let us go! We have a long way to travel, and we do not have eternity to get there." With that, she made a last-minute check to ensure all of her things were secure and headed out, moving directly to the stables to saddle up. After everyone had joined her and was prepared to leave, the Doomguide spurred Kaliste into a gallop, clattering through the streets, across the river north of the inn, and beyond into the dusty country, following the road northwest to Sultim...

 

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

 

When Rhaine finally pulled her pearl-gold horse to a halt, the mare's coat was darkened by a sheen of sweat, foamy wherever her tack had rubbed her damp hide. The sun was beginning to dip below the horizon as they rode through the gates of the port of Sultim, where they were gaped at by more than one guardsmen who was too dumbstruck to question them or their purpose in the city. Once at the docks, Shalena scouted out a good place to work her magic on the Sea Compass, which had been safe and secure in her pack ever since they had made landfall the last time.

 

Approaching an empty pier, the pirate captain carefully removed what looked like a model frigate from the pack on her back and gingerly dropped the delicate thing into the sparkling water below. Then, taking a scroll from that same pack, she spoke the words writ upon the parchment, a flash of light engulfed the model ship...

 

...and with a BANG, the Sea Compass returned to its former size and glory in the lapping waves beside the wharf. It rocked violently from side to side, clanging loudly and listing dangerously close to the dock as it splashed seawater upon everyone nearby. However, after a few breaths, it stabilized itself, and its bell stopped ringing with the force of its movement. It was then that Shalena smirked and barked to her remaining crewmen, "All right, you filthy curs! Get your scurvy-ridden arses aboard and prepare the boarding planks! Move it!"

 

Turning to Rhaine, who held Kaliste's reins in hand, the half-elven pirate motioned to the ship, the men scrambling to do her bidding, "Ready when you are, dear Doomguide...and not a day too soon, either."

[GrueMaster]

"Sstupid strange softskin..." the young thri-kreen cursed under his breath as he trudged through the gates of yet another softskin village; the man in question, a strange person blessed by the spirits with the gift of foresight, had told him that Tak'we's clutch would find their way to this place. What that Tenebris figure had failed to mention, was just n'rakk'tic far it was...

 

I've nearly lost track of the moons, it seems so long! he thought to himself, panting with exhaustion; he had traveled practically nonstop to make it to the village called Sultim, not even stopping for the sake of rest or food... he was close to the end of his endurance. At least he had Mother Moon's blessings.... nothing had impeded his progress much or threatened him severely on his journey. It almost seemed he was being protected

 

"But now I'm spirits-know-where in this place!" The thri-kreen lamented in his native tongue as he wandered the city, ignoring the strange looks he garnered. Granted, despite his frustration at being in unfamiliar surroundings, a part of him was greatly thrilled at the prospect of exploring such an exotic place; he was just simply too tired for the time being to notice. A small glossy-scaled snake spiraled up one arm and glanced at its friend with concern. "I am alright, Pekwe," the hatchling reassured his friend. "Just a little longer, okay?"

 

As he wandered, wondering where he might find a place to rest (and not get bothered greatly), the hatchling came to a set of wooden buildings floating over the great waters, and stood in awe of such a sight. "And to think that the softskins have things that let them travel on it... such wonder!" Just then, he spotted what looked like black wings... and immediately shot into an excited run. Dashing almost wildly and barely dodging passersby, the thri-kreen finally pounced and fiercely hugged the figure he recognized.

 

"Winged Pointy-ear!" *CHEE-CHEE!* "I finally found you all!" The thri-kreen squeaked almost unintelligibly from lack of breathe, before finally passing out from sheer happiness and exhaustion, his companion Pekwe almost frantically slithering over him from concern and hissing at those around the two...

 

We'tak had finally found them...

Edited June 23, 2015 by GrueMaster