Tairn

Play date: 5/12/2009 

1533.1.5

Keddick and Varende head to The Dwarven Camp in search of Banic to heal Keddick from the raw blast of energy that struck him in the street. Failing to find him there, they return to The Long Road and find Jack, Malperder and Banic drinking at a table. Keddick requests healing and Banic lays hands on him. All save Malperder notice a tall, thin, muscular man with dark hair and a two-handed sword watching them from across the common room. Keddick approaches the bar under cover of more drinks and inquires with Geoffrey as to the man’s name. The barkeep reveals his name is Serk and he has been staying at The Long Road for quite some time. Keddick returns with drinks for the table and after a minute or two  Jack calls out an invitation for the man to join them. He seems excited to be asked. He introduces himself and seems to know everyone else’s name already (dragon slaying is full of notoriety). He says he is from the border of the Grey Marshes. When asked about Lizardmen, he replies in Draconic to Keddick that he has met a few in passing in the marshes. He also knows of a black dragon deep in the swamp. After hours, Serk moves off with promises of sparring with Banic in the morning. After Serk leaves, Varende asks if he intends to scry on the dark-haired woman. Keddick says he will do so tomorrow.

1533.1.6 – Scrying on Ithran and Training

The next day, sparring occurs in the morning. Serk proves himself to both Banic and Malperder. Eventually Jack wants a piece of him too. Serk is happy to oblige one and all. At four in the afternoon, Varende arrives at The Lucky Silver to call on Keddick. Keddick is preparing to scry. Varende enjoys some refreshment while Keddick  spies on the dark-haired woman. He watches her sitting in a chair by a shuttered window watching out it. She is quite relaxed. A man lies face-down on the floor behind the chair. A pool of dark liquid spreads out around her body and a smear of something dark is across his back. The man is fortyish, but Keddick can’t see his face. The house appears to be “middle class”, perhaps similar to Varende’s house, but there are no distinguishing architectural features that point out the location of the house she is in. Keddick relays it all to Varende and voices his intention to go to Malverin to ask if there are any missing older men. Varende convinces him it might be a sticky situation.

Back at The Long Road, the four there are met by a messenger of the Crown who asks them to come meet with the King. He even has a drawing of Serk. On the way to the palace, Varende sees his friends and the messenger says he is asked to come as well. Keddick has received a Sending from Attalus asking him to come to the palace.

All arrive at the palace and are conducted by Enon, a Lower Chatelaine, into a room with a polished oak table. Clove-studded citrus sent the room; bowls of apples and flagons of drink line the table. Enon says the King will come shortly. Enon leaves and returns a bit later with King William. Everyone wisely shows proper deference to His Majesty. He seats himself in the big chair and Enon pours wine for him. He tells you that Lord Plythe has sent his second son Andrew to request help of the Crown. Some creatures have slaughtered sheep, recently two shepherds, and finally a contingent of ten common soldiers sent to deal with the beasts once a tracker had followed their trail back to a cave. The soldiers were killed to a man. A surviving shepherd saw them by dim moonlight and described them as the size of children (four feet tall), but stunningly muscular. They carried off the two shepherds and entire ewes. The tracker made his escape once he realized all the soldiers were dead. Andrew Plythe, a young man perhaps 20 to 24 enters, and supports what the King has said. The King says his advisors believe you are equal to the job. He tells you he wants you to take care of it. He says Serk has been chosen for his wilderness skills. He also reveals Kordis is busy training warmages at the Wizards Guild. William says horses will be provided for you for the ride north, and he wishes you to leave in the early morning. Everyone seems to agree, and Varende checks with Enon if there will be reward. Enon replies that they will do as the King asks out of generousity.

Everyone scatters home. After Varende arrives home, within a few minutes a knock comes at the door. He asks who it is. “Ithran” (the dark-haired woman). He finally opens the door and she asks to enter. She tells him in no uncertain terms to quit following her and asking questions about her. Varende tries to bluff his way out saying he has not done so. She does not believe him and asks if she should list the people he has talked to. She leaves with a final “Leave me alone.”

1533.1.7 – Headed to the Northern Border

Everyone meets at the palace early in the morning and mounts up to head north. Andrew has a group of four soldier with him also mounted. The eleven of you ride north hard and arrive at Plythe’s northern castle before lunch. Andrew conducts you inside as the soldiers take the horses. You briefly meet his father who thanks you for coming. He offers you refreshment and a meal, and he suggests you head north with the trackers as soon as possible. It took some convincing to get the tracker to take you back, but he has agree, though he will go no further than he has to. After a meal, Andrew says something about getting going. Keddick questions him and says he didn’t realize he was coming. Andrew boastfully says of course. There is talk of making him spar with Serk; apparently sparring is the new hazing ritual. He finally says yes after pleading to Keddick about the plight of the second son of a noble and how Kehln gets all the glory. He returns girded in full plate and with a spiked heavy shield. He draws his longsword and circles with Serk. He can clearly handle the blade, but not as well as Serk. His armor is much better than Serk’s though. After they finish, Serk apologizes for having subjected him to such a test.

The group heads north for a couple of hours into the edge of the foothills. Eventually the guide says “Just over this rise, a few hundred feet,  you’ll see it.” Keddick makes Varende invisible as Banic forges a telepathic link with him. Varende moves ahead to scout. He see the low wide entrance to the cave and approaches quietly. As he gets within thirty feet, he can smell a foul stench. Within five, his stomach lurches but he keeps himself in control. He enters the cave and can see one wee beast, naked and completely androgynous, looking at the cave entrance seemingly alert. Five others are scattered about the approximately twenty-five foot wide cave. The roof slants up a bit to make walking not quite so uncomfortable. Varende again fights off the effects of the stench of decaying flesh. Bones and offal are scattered across the floor. Varende leaves the cave and moves back to his companion. Everyone hopes to draw the creatures out by marching loudly up to the cave. Even as they approach the actual entrance, nothing sallies forth. Banic and Malperder enter, neither getting sick. As the battle ensues, some become sickened, but only Varende is fully laid low with nausea. He backs out of the cave and gets control of himself in 20 or 30 seconds while a fierce battle rages in the cave. Banic and Serk both get terrible wounds when the things strike with both claws. There are eight in all. They have a nasty bite as well. Keddick and  Banic both discover that they are resistant to their spells, but only mildly. Giant Bane screams out to Malperder to swear as he first attacks. Surprised, Malperder does. Banic and Malperder notice that despite their diminutive size, they move and fight very similar to giants. Everyone eventually notices their wounds closing as they fight. They are ferocious and inflict many wounds with only Keddick and Varende going unscathed. Keddick teleports himself, Serk and Andrew into the cave. When he does so, he notices an imposing 10 foot wide metal door across the back of the cave before continuing the fight. Eventually all the creatures fall, but blood flowed freely on both sides.