Tales of Faerun

[tokyobiohazard]

Aera, upon hearing Leif's conversation with Rhaine, cringed slightly as she finished off the last few sips of her ale, washing down the nearly stale bread with a gulp. Hearing the inn's door slam, Aera then scanned the room and realized Lucas was gone. Without thinking, she immediately stood up and shoved her chair back under her table with a clatter of plates. In three strides, she was outside the inn and chasing after Lucas.

Outside, Lucas had put a bit of distance between himself and the inn. Still angry about Leif’s initial reaction to the Kraken, he wanted to stay far away from him if he didn’t want to lose his temper and blow up in Leif’s face.

He didn’t get too far however when he heard someone running towards him, shaking him from his rage induced train of thought. Looking behind him, he saw Aera as she quickly approached him, the memory of their last interaction and the image that it left him with reddening his cheeks slightly.

“H..Hey… Aera.” He greeted her when she was close enough.

"Hey. What, uh, made you leave so suddenly?" Aera had a theory, but she wasn't going to say it without having it proven first.

Lucas exhaled sharply. “That new guy, Leif… When the Kraken attacked he was just going to stand and watch, now he’s in there acting like the big hero, trying to get Rhaine to go out with him.” He said in an obviously irritable fashion. “Just couldn’t be in there around him for much longer.”

Aera didn't immediately have a response, so she just silently kept up with his brisk, angry pace. After a few moments of walking nowhere in particular, she finally uttered, "To be fair, I doubt even he thinks Rhaine will say yes to him. He just doesn't let it stop him from trying. He's... persistent."

Stopping his angry walk with a sigh, he paused for a moment to collect his thoughts before turning and looking up at Aera. “I know that. There’s no way that she would even consider it, it’s just.. His attitude about everything, like it’s all a game or something. He doesn’t get that we’re all in danger.” He spoke, his voice getting louder and louder as he went.

“I don’t know how strong he is, but the rest of us…. Some of us.” He said, his voice softening to a mere mumble. “Some of us aren’t able to stand against giant threats like that… or any threat for that matter.” He debased himself, once again his feelings of total uselessness coming up to the surface.

Aera, in a moment of rage hearing Lucas berate himself for the thousandth time, gripped his shoulders and looked down at him with a furrowed brow, "You need to stop that, Lucas! If you want to get braver, or stronger, you're going to have to try!" Realizing the strength of her grip, she released him and apologized before adding, "My offer to train with you still stands."

Startled by her reaction, Lucas stared up at her until she released him. His eyes lowered to the ground as he thought silently for a moment until he let out a sigh. “Yeah…. Yeah I know. It’s just.. I train, I meditate, I do what I need to I just… never can seem to get any better…. Braver you know?” He admitted in a soft voice.

Aera's expression and tone softened as she heard Lucas' admission. "I can't promise you'll get better, but I'd like to try and help."

After a moment Lucas answered with a nod. “Okay then. I mean, it’s not like trying will hurt anything.”

Aera nodded and broke into a sharp-toothed grin, leaning over and hugging Lucas briefly. "We can start whenever you're ready."

Completely caught off guard by the hug, Lucas stood stiff as a board and wide eyed for the duration of the hug. When she released him, he looked up at her with an utterly confused look on his face. “Umm…. Uhh… Okay?” He stuttered at a complete loss for words.

[josh900]

Leif gave a little shrug before answering. "Eh, I like to watch from a distance for a bit before I try and get close to people, get a read on people and see if they're on the up and up. Never take anything at face value, that just leads to trouble." He said, recalling several times that nearly cost him his life.

 

"And it's not so much that I doubted your word, I've read your books before so I know what you look like. I just wanted to see if you were really anything like they say you are, can't always trust word of mouth or what they've got written in the history books ya know?" He explained with a smirk, he himself knew all too well how much second hand accounts of events can be filled with misinformation.

"So there ya go, offer still stands, if you wanna make a big deal out of it, I'll grab someone else then. I like to take the time to get to know everyone I'm traveling with so I'll just find someone else to take out instead and come back to you with a different idea." He said, proclaiming his intent, it wasn't that large of a group so she couldn't avoid him forever.

[AurianaValoria1]

At We'tak's mention of Leif's awkward scent, Abby giggled and leaned close, whispering, "'Cause maybe he is..."

 

Conall glared at her before answering the curious thri-kreen's other inquiry with a heavy sigh, "I do pay homage to the moon goddess, Selûne, yes," he added a nod to Rameses, "Though she is not the reason for my transformations, I'm afraid." He lowered his voice, waiting until the barkeep and the barmaid were both back in the kitchens, "No, young one, I have lycanthropy; I am a werewolf. But the Moonmaiden does make it easier on me than most, and for that, I am thankful."

 

Back at Rhaine's corner, the Doomguide blinked at Leif, "There are books about me?" Not waiting for him to answer, the Doomguide then put her head in her hand and leaned against the table with her elbow, "Look...if you have questions, ask them now, before my patience runs its course. There is no time like the present, and there is nothing that cannot be said here, now, and with everyone else around. The chance you ask for in the future may not come like you wish it to."

[josh900]

Mimicking Rhaine, Leif rested his head in his hand with his elbow on the table and spoke out of the corner of his mouth. "Well you're just a big 'ol ball of fun aren't chu?" Rhaine was going to be a tough nut to crack it seemed. "And yes, you have books on you, several in fact, two are filled with utter crap, exaggerate everything as they usually do. Talk about your blinding beauty, your voice that could melt even the coldest of hearts, your wit and wisdom held up high above what mere mortals could ever hope to achieve." He said with a laugh, leaning back in his chair.

"A couple are religious texts so they skip over any earthly traits you have, then you've got the clear cut history books that skim over the bits that the author didn't think were important or were changed to better fit their view of the scenario or for whatever politician wants browny points by claiming they aided you. You know how it goes." He explained. "I got a couple if you wanna give em a read." He offered, hoping that this would perhaps spark some sort of interest in a conversation from her.

[FreemasonGamer]

Rameses listened intently to Conall's hushed words with We'tak, and the genasi kept a keen eye on the kitchen's entrance to hopefully avoid any unsavory accidents involving the bar maid or innkeeper unexpectedly wandering back into a conversation regarding lycanthropy, a very delicate and serious topic for a commoner's comprehension. In fact, Rameses felt some relation to the general circumstances involved in being something abnormal like Conall; werewolves seemed as different to ordinary humans as humans were to genasi, Rameses believed. Stretching slightly, he then released a content sigh as the pair's conversation continued to his right. However, the genasi's relaxed demeanor was briefly threatened when he contemplated on what Conall had said. Homage to Selûne, Rameses thought to himself with a slightly arched brow. After several more moments of silent curiosity, he acknowledged his ignorance of many things, including the near-countless deities such as the Moonmaiden whom he had heard of but never truly knew much about. Shrugging the sequence of thoughts from his mind, Rameses quickly became bored and somewhat fatigued, honestly.

 

His szuldar flickering and smoldering like a brazier of embers, the genasi stood and stretched once more before sparing a nod to both Conall and We'tak. "I believe I'll fancy a walk before dark. Try not to get into too much trouble, little one." Rameses joked with a relaxed smirk before strolling out of the inn whilst whistling a peaceful little tune.

 

~

Eirene's rust-brown rouncey huffed and snorted irritably as they rode parallel to the shimmering beaches of Aglarond's southern coast; the gifted horse was entirely unnecessary in Eirene's opinion, but she did not want to disrespect such an act of generosity, even if the steed was as rebellious as an unruly child. When a port city came into view on the horizon, Eirene squinted her eyes in its general direction before assuming the seaside settlement to be Laothkund of Aglarond. If what the ranger had been told was correct, the group of adventurers she was searching for must have passed through the settlement recently. Holding the reins firmly in her gloved hands, Eirene then glanced up at the sky, seeing that the sun had just begun its descent towards dusk. With any luck, she might be able to find another lead before nightfall and ride out of Laothkund with the dawn.

Edited August 23, 2015 by FreemasonGamer

[AurianaValoria1]

Rhaine blinked at Leif again, her expression blank as her brain tried to wrap around what he had told her. She nearly put her hand to her throat and furrowed her brow as he got to the part about her voice; when he offered to let her read a couple of them, she shook her head.

 

"No, thank you...I prefer to let what's in the past lie there. I suppose I shouldn't be surprised there are a few books ab-" the Doomguide cut herself off as she narrowed her eyes at him, "Wait a minute. You have books on me. Gods above, tell me I'm not going to be hounded for an autograph or for a feather as a souvenir..."

[josh900]

"I'm a reader, I read books, there are books about you that I happened to read." Leif explained in as simple a way as he could, trying to hold in a laugh when she began to wonder if he was about to pester her like he was some hick who had never seen an adventurer before.

"So don't worry, your not on my short list of idols." He laughed. "I do know a few though that would love to meet you though, I could always arrange a meeting if you ever need the attention." He offered with a knowing smirk.

[AurianaValoria1]

Rhaine, patience having finally run out, rose from her chair and stood, collecting her gear and making ready to relocate to her room - wherever the innkeeper decided that was, "No. Thank the gods I am not one who needs that sort of attention. And since you've read so much about me and refuse to present your questions like I requested, then I think that information will have to be enough to sate your curiosity for now. You want to know about the others and their history this group? Ask them directly; I shall not gossip about them like a fishwife. Now, if you will excuse me, I have far more important matters with which to attend than recounting past exploits and relating my personal history to an overly-inquisitive mind."

 

As she turned away, she added, "My apologies if that makes me a disappointment in your eyes."

 

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

 

Some hours later, after Rhaine found out that they would have to split the party between the upper floor of the inn and the barn loft that night, the Doomguide found herself making her bed out of a pile of hay in the latter building. The beds in the inn proper were limited in number, so much so that those of the party who stayed there would have to share them. Thus, in order to free up a space for someone else in the inn, Rhaine decided to sleep in the barn, having had a good deal of experience sleeping in worse conditions before. There, after she had gotten her bed as comfortable as she could make it, she lay - still fully armored - and continued to study her map, occasionally flipping through her spellbook or other tomes when she became tired of examining the route ahead. Zorica spoke to her briefly about future plans, but otherwise mostly kept to herself, occupying her time with entertaining Sir Meowsalot. The half-drow, too, decided to sleep in the barn that night, not interested in sharing a bed in a communal room.

 

Conall took it upon himself to take care of the horses, and was occupied for most of the evening with brushing them down and cleaning their hooves. Aodh watched him complete these tasks from his perch on the werewolf's shoulder, occasionally squeaking softly in interest. The little pseudodragon seemed to hold a silent conversation with Conall through his mental link with the paladin, as Conall would smile or chuckle occasionally as he went about his work. Meanwhile, Abby practiced acrobatic maneuvers in the inn's yard, going through training sequences to occupy her time and keep her mind sharp - or as sharp as it could be in spite of her memory loss.

 

Sunset arrived more quickly than expected, tinting the sky a brilliant pink and lavender, and it brought with it a sudden chill. Rhaine shivered as the cold settled upon her shoulders, but she shrugged it off. There was no way to provide magical heat in the barn without risking burning the whole thing to the ground.

Edited August 25, 2015 by AurianaValoria1

[FreemasonGamer]

Rameses's walk, which he had prolonged into an earnest hike among the hills that dominated the landscape surrounding The Silver Hart, proved itself to be very relaxing and almost therapeutic in a fashion. With the burdensome task of sailing far behind him and the rest of their group, the genasi was both overjoyed and rejuvenated by simply being able to explore among the grassy hills and and flowing creeks. During his outdoor excursion, Rameses was also able to envisage freely on some of the most recent happenstances. Poor Lucas, whatever had ailed him, concerned the genasi the slightest bit; the young man seemed troubled, though hopefully the daunting weretigress had helped ease his anxiety. Also, Leif's prodding towards Rhaine seemed somewhat uncouth in Rameses's opinion, but the griffon rider did seem kindhearted enough to warrant a chance. Immediately after considering such, Rameses chuckled and shook his head, thinking to himself, Who am I to decide who deserves a chance?

 

Continuing his insightful pondering as dusk began to descend over the realm, Rameses thought of the brief conversation between We'tak and Conall. Two followers of Selûne couldn't have possibly been more different; a middle-aged lycanthrope and an underage thri-kreen had about as much in common as apples did with oranges. Still, they amused Rameses and fueled his curiosity no less than any of his other fellow companions. Then, the genasi's thoughts soon focused on Hazel, which soon resulted in much more in-depth contemplation. The dryad was majestic and almost surreally regal with her reserved yet gentle nature, and her feminine poise fascinated Ramses the most. How those bashful blooms had ushered forth from Hazel's foliage earlier that day when Rameses had promised her a future drink still remained vividly clear in his memory, enticing an amused smirk from his features as he hiked. However, the genasi soon shook his head before turning back towards the direction of the inn.

 

"Steady, Galeran. You're swooning." Rameses chided to himself as he hiked back towards the dim glow of The Silver Hart some distance away.

 

Once he had arrived back at the inn, the genasi noticed a good number of his fellows heading into the barn beneath the strengthening moonlight. Although, Rameses was distracted moments later when a streak of light zoomed overhead that seemed much like a defiant shaft of sunlight racing through the darkness of night. The sudden movement out of the edges of his vision caused the genasi to duck slightly out of an inherent wariness of being struck by some airborne projectile, but he soon realized there was no threat when another ribbon of light soared across the cosmos, followed by more and more until a shower of glimmering starlight began to charge across the night sky like stallions galloping across the plains. Fixating on the beautiful phenomenon, Rameses briefly peeked his head into the barn's entrance and called out to his friends, "You all might want to see this! Someone above seems to be arranging a show for us tonight!"

[josh900]

As the hours passed Azuris eventually re-joined with the group, looking far better than he had when they left the ship, having enjoyed the peace and quiet of his walk with Bob.

 

"Hi Az!" Hexol called out at the sight of Azuris coming up the road. "Have fun on your walk? Anything neat happen? Our trip was kinda boring really, nothing fun happened. What about you?"

 

"Was great. Not a word was said the whole time." Azuris said with a smirk, leaving Hexol dumbfounded.

 

"But.... that sounds awful!"

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

 

While Abbey practiced in the yard, Leif sat nearby tossing jokes her way in an attempt to break her concentration, from lighthearted teasing, mild flirtations, and juvenile humor, all the way to classic wordplay, tongue twisters, and knock-knock jokes.

 

He stopped however once he noticed the streaks of light that slowly began to streak across the sky. "Oh.... Haven't see one of these in a while." He said with a smile as he watched for more.