[IC] Ethend: Hunt for Cantus

This is the Hunt for Cantus IC thread.

Tau

Tau
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The weeks have worn by since the episode in the mining town of Peasia which has put you upon the trail of Cantus; a trail which has grown darker and twisted with the tales that have spread from those you encounter who speak of the tainted human.

What pains you even more than the trail itself is the loss of your leader, Uiim. You had Cantus tracked to Teh’venro, a small village on the border between Cihairdun and Agoria, but none in the village claimed to have seen the human. With a day of investigation, the trail seemed to have gone cold in the little village and you would be moving on. Taking a night in the local inn, you attempted to relax for once in your long trek, after a few drinks you retired to your shared rooms. What shook you from your sleep can only be described as pure terror, it drove deep into your spine, your knuckles white clenching the bed sheets around you; the scream of an old gnome.

In a blink, Kromgron had burst the door to Uiim’s private room, you poured in and stumbled in horror. The old gnome lay face down, sprawled partly on the floor and partly on the bed. His flesh shriveled and contorted, a withered hand still clasped around the bedpost. Then you heard the whimpering from the corner of the room. Turning, you found Olivia curled up on her bed rocking back and forth, her face ashen white, her lips trembling and tears running down her face. Whatever had done this to Uiim, she had seen it in her mind, lived it far more vividly than any natural sense would allow.

Nassitch could smell the oily scent which evaded him always, it twisted out of his nostrils with a pungent anger and the scent of Uiim filled his nostrils, but this time it was different and he could not bear the smell and stumbled into the hallway. Cantus had been here, the oily-black residue left upon Uiim’s skin was the tell-tale sign of the taint, of the Eternal Shadow.

In the days that followed, what remained of the close-knit group began to fall apart. Feeling an odd sense of responsibility, Osric has taken it upon himself to bring Olivia to the elves, in hopes that they may shake the haunting visions from her broken mind. Nassitch and Kromgron in a surge of misdirected vengeance have set off for Agoria, rage in their hearts at the loss of their close friend and leader Uiim. They plan to take their revenge to the heart of the Mythar empire. Lastly, Log, the sly halfling rogue has deigned that while this life may have been for him, the horrors he has seen have dashed his will to fight. Taken up residence in the small village, he works as a cook at the local inn.

With his friends scattered by responsibility, despair and rage, Tau is left alone on the trail of the monster Cantus in the small town of Teh’venro. Having buried Uiim, he is left with only a single item: a small crystal tablet of psionic nature from the resistance contact Vyrick.
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Greer
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Wiping the sheen of drizzle off of your face, you pull your the rough leather cap lower in an attempt to keep the wet away. Your journey has left you with little enjoyment so far. The trek from Psuche, the sky city, through Agoria and into Cihairduin has gone with little events. You had to deal with some rabble humans who broke their station and insulted you in the last town you were in. Few would forget their place their for many years.

Sent from the Sky City into the Rolling Green to seek out a collective of natives and avert some grand catastrophe. The Great Seer, one of the eldest had informed you of this task, by which you had accepted loyally and without reserve. He had warned you of the dangers that would be involved, that you would receive no support from the Mythar Empire, and would potentially be branded a traitor. It was all in the name of duty and the future, your peoples future.

He had been given a few details of this collective of natives: they were members of the so-called resistance, a futile effort; they had traveled through the town of Peasia only a month ago where they killed the local Mythar magistrate and fled from the pursuing forces; they had failed to capture an assassin who slew an informant; they were led by a gnome by the name of Uiim; lastly, they were headed deeper into Cihairduin. By his estimation they were only a day or two ahead, the humans had send the next town in this direction was Teh’venro, a meaningless little village.
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Kolbyr
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Your search for Delynn has lead you to the small town of Teh’venro, an band of resistance members, “brigands” as the Mythar call them, were last seen in that area and rumor has it that they had an elven woman with them who could speak with the natural world. Delynn perhaps.

The tiny little village is old and weathered, however the stout timbers of the buildings show that little has shaken this village since before the Mythar arrived. There seems to be a single local inn, there are few locals out, and an eerie hush hangs over the walls amidst a foggy drizzle, as if death has recently been here.[/sblock]

Delynn
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Time has rushed past since the massacre outside of White Cliff. Overwhelmed with anger at the abominations that were the Mythar, she struggled on her own to drive them off. Alone she was not strong enough, nor were her battles worthwhile for while a dead Mythar meant a dead Mythar, it often meant prolonged trouble for the local people. Her methods slowly changed to hampering the Mythar with her strong ties to the natural world she would wash out bridges as caravans laden with goods bent for Mythar beds passed over, and so on.

Her methods soon attracted the attention of the resistance, a series of small bands connected by some uncertain and hidden structure. She was to seek out a particular group led by a gnome called Uiim, last words were that they had caused a ruckus in the town of Peasia and had fled off farther into Cihairduin.

The trail grew cold until she heard of a grizzly murder of a gnome only a day away in a small village named Teh’venro. She was almost there now, a foggy drizzle hung in the air and an impending feeling sank like the cold into her.[/sblock]

[sblock=Ferrix]Teh’venro, Delynn thought to herself. If Uiim is indeed the gnome recently killed here, his companions would probably have left for safety. Unless, of course, they had decided to stay and investigate the death...

"In any case, Sali," the elven woman lovingly pets the bear beside her. "Teh’venro is my next step. You'd best stay hidden out here." The druid speaks in the tongue of nature to the bear and waits for him to lope off.

Delynn shivers and she leads her horse, rather than riding it, into the town. As the druid meanders through the town, she keeps intent eyes and ears on her surroundings. She looks about curiously. If she neither sees nor hears anything that catches her attention, Delynn finds her way to a tavern or inn. Preferably someplace not too seedy, where folk are likely to be about this time of day.

Wait out the rain. Then when the sun shines, the grass shall grow all the better.[/sblock]

[sblock=Ferrix]Signals to Fjord to wait in the woods and hunt, and Fjord bounds of, quite used to not entering towns.

Kolbyr enters the town, noding in aknowledgement of any he meets as he passes by. Looking for signs of Delynn, he heads to the inn. As he enters, he examines those in the inn, looking for a familiar face, before he approaches the inkeeper.
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Bront said:

[sblock=Ferrix]Signals to Fjord to wait in the woods and hunt, and Fjord bounds of, quite used to not entering towns.

Kolbyr enters the town, noding in aknowledgement of any he meets as he passes by. Looking for signs of Delynn, he heads to the inn. As he enters, he examines those in the inn, looking for a familiar face, before he approaches the inkeeper.
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[sblock=Bront]Fjord bounds off into the woods with the customary crunch of dense brush at his passage.

Nodding at a young boy, no more than 12 maybe, he seems to startle the lad who darts off into a nearby house. The fog is heavy and limits how far you can see, but fog has a funny way of transporting sound. A peel of a smithy's hammer on steel calls out its rhythm, a sound familiar where ever your travels bring you.

The inn is a stout building of thick oak timbers, two stories with a single iron-bound door on the front with two narrow windows (almost arrow slits) on either side. The door is heavy but well hinged and swings easily under your push.

The quiet of the fog has penetrated into the building, a pair of locals sit next to a dull fire playing Mills. Sitting in an armchair next to the bar is a gray-haired gentleman watching the two local men play with fascination. Two doors exit the room, one behind the bar, the other to its right which must lead upstairs.[/sblock]

Dichotomy said:

[sblock=Ferrix]Teh’venro, Delynn thought to herself. If Uiim is indeed the gnome recently killed here, his companions would probably have left for safety. Unless, of course, they had decided to stay and investigate the death...

"In any case, Sali," the elven woman lovingly pets the bear beside her. "Teh’venro is my next step. You'd best stay hidden out here." The druid speaks in the tongue of nature to the bear and waits for him to lope off.

Delynn shivers and she leads her horse, rather than riding it, into the town. As the druid meanders through the town, she keeps intent eyes and ears on her surroundings. She looks about curiously. If she neither sees nor hears anything that catches her attention, Delynn finds her way to a tavern or inn. Preferably someplace not too seedy, where folk are likely to be about this time of day.

Wait out the rain. Then when the sun shines, the grass shall grow all the better.[/sblock]

Click to expand...

[sblock=Dichotomy]With Sali off in the woods, Delynn leads her horse into the town as the peel of a smithy's hammer bangs out its rhythm, the fog makes it come from all around her. This small town seems relatively homely, working people who did not see much of the war, and have little connection with the Mythar. A wholesome place.

A building in the center of the village seems to be the only inn, a two story building of stout oak timbers, a single iron-bound door on the front with two narrow windows (almost arrow slits) on either side make up its front. Two hitching posts, one to either side of the door seem to be the best place to leave her horse.[/sblock]

Ferrix said:

[sblock=Bront]Fjord bounds off into the woods with the customary crunch of dense brush at his passage.

Nodding at a young boy, no more than 12 maybe, he seems to startle the lad who darts off into a nearby house. The fog is heavy and limits how far you can see, but fog has a funny way of transporting sound. A peel of a smithy's hammer on steel calls out its rhythm, a sound familiar where ever your travels bring you.

The inn is a stout building of thick oak timbers, two stories with a single iron-bound door on the front with two narrow windows (almost arrow slits) on either side. The door is heavy but well hinged and swings easily under your push.

The quiet of the fog has penetrated into the building, a pair of locals sit next to a dull fire playing Mills. Sitting in an armchair next to the bar is a gray-haired gentleman watching the two local men play with fascination. Two doors exit the room, one behind the bar, the other to its right which must lead upstairs.[/sblock]

Click to expand...

[sblock=Ferrix]Kolbyr nods to the two local men and aproaches the man in the armchair. He reaches into his pack and pulls out a few pieces of paper, which he shows to the man he hopes is the Innkeeper.
"My name is Kolbyr Fjorin, of the Danurii tribe."
"I need a place to stay for the night."

Kolbyr has always been an imposing figure, but since his incident, he's not carried himself quite the same, and that makes him much less imposing than he otherwise might be for a man of his size and build. His demeanor is friendly, or at least as friendly as he can look.[/sblock]