Who made who?
The trip north to Kindoras Keep was uneventful, save for Kessen urinating all over himself and falling off his horse dazed and confused. This added an extra day onto the travel time; Xanthos was pleased at that outcome but was less favorable to Menthos claiming his cigar had nothing to do with Kessen’s actions. To prove himself right, Menthos gave a cigar to Doopa who smoked down gleefully within minutes, his hardier constitution able to easily withstand the pungent herbs incased therein. Haimish offered to try one as well, but Menthos balked at that idea, claiming to need something to sell the poor keep guards once they reached their destination.
On the fifth day just after the sun had reached zenith, the keep’s form emerge from behind a hill, Xanthos quickly noted with his eagle-like eyes, that the northern wall that faced the Majestics was still sporting an open wound.
“No wonder they need help, that hole’s so wide a purple worm could slither in and not scratch it’s side.” Xanthos remarked
Kessen noted that the keep really did stand at the base of the Majestics, the mountains were visible three days ago and Kessen kept thinking they must be off course as he saw no signs of civilization such as smoke or a scouting party as this keep claimed to have.
“Looks like a giant’s outhouse with no roof.” Kessen opined
Menthos however strode confidently over the broken ground and brambles that marred the hilly terrain, the rest of the party followed and soon they were dancing around fresh vegetables and damp irrigation ditches, although no sign of anyone that was tending the fields.
One hundred yards out, they heard someone on the battlements yell out their approach.
“Well, at least someone’s home, I thought they had abandoned the property.” Turgar offered
The sturdy wooden doors of the keep’s entrance slowly creaked open, Xanthos noted the doors were a recent addition as the wood had yet to be weathered and he could still smell the pine scent from the wood.
The party’s progress was halted by a gruff looking northerner, chiseled from years on the frontier; he weathered reddened cheeks showed above a full beard that hadn’t seen a straight hair in twenty years. The man’s eyes were ice blue and his scarred fingers gripped the pommel of his greatsword with a determination that comes from facing death several times and realizing that it’ll come for you when it’s ready, not when you think it should. His field plate armor had seen better years, Doopa though the contraction laughable an infestation of fleas was likely to cause the whole thing to collapse on the man.
“I am Gorn, captain of the guard and purveyor of the peace for this keep, state your business and be done with it, or kindly get your carcasses out of my keep.” Garn demanded
Before Menthos could speak up, a slender hand snaked it’s way over Gorn’s left shoulder and draw his arm back so the figure behind him could step around and in front of Gorn.
“Calm down Gorn, you can’t go scaring every living thing that wanders in here hoping to validate your own position.” Spoke a dark haired woman of barely twenty years, her face was angular than a normal humans and Xanthos guessed she had some elven blood in her from somewhere. Her eyes were dark and heavy, making her stare weigh on a person’s soul as her gaze passed over them. Her simple blouse and trouser attire concealed the elven thin blade at her side perfectly, and for all the mud that was prevalent within the keep, her boots looked like she had put them on and teleported to this very spot.
“I am Aleena, Priest initiate of the second fire of Kador.” She paused briefly as she took in the sight of the party, “and you must be the travelers Statinisor spoke of. We are happy to have you assist us.” She smiled and bowed
“Yes, where should I start? I did not notice anyone in the fields, am I to presume it is you that I am here for?” Menthos asked
“Were you not sent by Statinisor? Your descriptions match perfectly.” Aleena inquired
“No we were, well actually I was, the rest of these louts are my personal retinue. Shall we commence with the duty or does your kind need to freshen up further?” Menthos stated puffing out his chest and speaking with a breathy tone to his voice.
“What do you mean?” Aleena asked
“The breeding program, Statinisor sent me to help in the defense of this keep, I figure we’re going to need more than just the six of us to do it, so we should get started soon.” Menthos answered
“But, I” Aleena started
“Shh.” Menthos said putting his right index finger over Aleena’s lips, “don’t talk I understand your nervousness, it’s not everyday that a man of my proficiency arrives with a plan to help you build up your defenses.”
“Oh really?” Aleena asks, Menthos nods and the priestess knees the teifling in the crotch.
“Now then, Gorn will give you any information you require about the building’s specifics and current roster of guards. Be advised though we only have what we were sent with.” Aleena advises, having to raise her voice over the incessant moaning of the downed Menthos
“Captain, please see to these men’s needs.” Aleena states pointing out the rest of the party, “leave this one to come crawling for forgiveness in my quarters.” Aleena turns and strides through the muck as if she was barely touching the ground.
“Follow me then.” Gorn orders and leads the rest of the party away from the entrance gate and into the center of the keep. Kessen makes sure to “accidentally” kick mud into Menthos’ open mouth stopping the high pitched whining for a brief moment.
Gorn explains that for the past three months the keep’s been harassed by various goblin and kobold groups, initially Gorn thought them to be a local annoyance as all they would do was get close enough to hit the keep with their slingshots and once we returned fire they would scamper off. The keep’s been able to kill about a two dozen or so and the goblin haven’t killed anyone much less hurt anybody with their pebbles. He began sending out a patrol as the attacks were getting so frequent that the keep was spending most of their day shielding themselves against the rock shower than they were rebuilding the keep or tending to the fields.
Then a sinister thought entered Gorn’s head one day, he noted a method to the goblin’s attacks. One group would draw the patrol further and further away from the keep while another sat and watched the keep from afar. This convinced Gorn that something else was behind these attacks as goblins aren’t’ too bright in the strategy field. Gorn started reeling in the patrols to not go after the fleeing group but to go after the waiting group. This incensed the goblins and they’ve begun using coordinated attacks on the keep, even attacking under a cloudy sky during the day. These renewed attacks are what keeps the farmers from tending the fields and keeps our livestock grazing far to the northwest.
Gorn takes them to the wounded wall and points out the keep’s efforts to have it repaired, “we have a supply caravan coming over from Omen in about four days, laden with quarry stone and some additional masons to help us out.”
Menthos begins his muddy crawl to the far left corner of the keep, where permanent housing has been erected, slowly at first and then up to hands on his knees as he trudges along to finally upright and proud of himself for not vomiting along the way as he opens the door to the partially completed tower.
Menthos waits as his eyes adjust to the dimmer light and he notes the light footprints of a set of small boots heading off to the left, following those his arrives at a closed thick wooden door. Menthos debates whether he should kick the door down and barge in to demand an apology, or whether a knock and polite response would be more appropriate. In the end he decides both are acceptable and lightly raps on the door. He hears the footsteps of someone as they approach and unbolt the door on the inside. Menthos watches as the door begins to open and once the smallest sliver of the room beyond can be seen beyond the door jam, Menthos kicks the door attempting to have the door fling into the face of the person opening it.
However he was never a good dungeoneering study and failed to notice the door was reinforced with iron and only managed to stub his toe and sprain his ankle by kicking the door, and to top of the humiliation the door failed to budge from his kick.
Aleena finished opening the door the rest of the way, dressed now in a gown of faux fire, the bottom was a pale blue color, followed on top of that by an orange color which covered most of her torso, the top part of the gown was yellow around the shoulders and neckline.
“If I am to believe that Statinisor sent you to me to have me baby-sit a perpetually foul up such as you, then I have no recourse but to train you to become effective fodder for the campaign.
Menthos brushed off the insult and instead rolled back onto his elbows and propped himself up to look up at Aleena.
“I know you find me irresistible, there’s a reason I carry a ten foot pole, it’s for clearance.” Menthos speaks
Incensed at the teifling’s disrespectful tone, Aleena draws her elven thin blade and points it at the neck of Menthos, “the next time you tongue fails to address me properly, I shall have it cut out and animated onto your shoulder where it will insult you with your own words for all eternity.”
“You know, I like hearing myself talk as much as the next person, but I don’t think I you could get used to taste.” Menthos answered
Aleena brought her blade down and Menthos rolled away, then leaped up and activated his spider climb ability to prop himself up onto Aleena’s door. Aleena spun around following the warlock’s move, locating Menthos stuck to the front of her door, Aleena looked up and stared into Menthos’ outstretched fist where a small ring was located. With the twitch of a finger muscle, Menthos activated the magical ring and a shower of glittering lights fell in front of Aleena’s eyes.
The rogue blood in Menthos seized the opening and fired an eldritch blast into the flat-footed priestess’ face. Aleena screaming in pain and she tried to clear her vision of the glittering motes in front of her. Menthos used this moment to spider climb up the door and onto the ceiling of the hallway just above the flailing Aleena, timing his move, Menthos waited until the motes were beginning to clear and Aleena let her guard down to wipe her eyes. Then he let go of the ceiling and fell upon her.
The stunned priestess dropped her blade and had the wind knocked out of her as her body slammed into the floor of the hallway. Menthos quickly wrapped her arms up behind her with his left hand. With his right hand he pushed away the dark hair of Aleena that had fallen over her right ear, Menthos put his mouth in close to her ear and whispered, “I think we both know who Statinisor wants to train who, and the next time you think about getting feisty, make sure you drop by my room, preferably nude.”
Menthos retreated and let the pride injured Aleena collect herself before returning her blade to her, she snapped it out of his hand and placed it back in it’s scabbard, spun on her hells and quickly re-entered her room and slammed the door behind her.
“Your welcome!” Menthos shouted as he went to clean himself up and find some suckers to sell tobacco to.
