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Aphonion Tales (New posts 6/13, 6/15, 6/19)
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<blockquote data-quote="Cerebral Paladin" data-source="post: 2507856" data-attributes="member: 3448"><p>The next morning, the group set forth from the capital of Tang. The</p><p>maps showed that about the first four days of travel would be along</p><p>the well-maintained and patrolled roads within Tang, and the group</p><p>felt safe travelling relatively openly. The group periodically passed</p><p>merchants, some local and travelling in groups of threes, others from</p><p>beyond Tang, and the occasional military patrol. The group paid their</p><p>fellow travelers little mind, nodding in friendly greeting.</p><p></p><p>In the early evening of the first day, a wagon of merchants slowed as</p><p>it approached them.</p><p></p><p>"Good day," called out Kit, pausing slightly as she saw that the</p><p>merchants had the dark skin and pointed ears of the drow and noticed</p><p>that they seemed to be making some hand signals.</p><p></p><p>The merchants' leader smiled, "Good day to you as well." He then</p><p>touched an amulet he wore around his neck and looked at Mahler.</p><p>"Perhaps you would care to join us, m'lord, for a light meal? Your</p><p>companions can travel ahead to set a camp and you could join them</p><p>quickly enough."</p><p></p><p>Mahler leaned back on his horse and then drew his rapier, calling out,</p><p>"The leader is a mage! He tried to charm me."</p><p></p><p>The other two drow cursed and swung their cloaks aside, firing</p><p>crossbows at Dame Brionna and Alistair, but failing to penetrate their</p><p>armor. The battle was swift and, from the perspective of our heroes,</p><p>more comical than dangerous. Delbon summoned grease and toppled one</p><p>of the drow warriors from the wagon in the midst of drawing his sword,</p><p>while Alistair, Stithis, and Dame Brionna made short work of the other</p><p>warrior. The fallen warrior never even managed to stand up. Mahler</p><p>and Kit maneuvered to take the mage from both sides, and quickly</p><p>cudgeled him senseless.</p><p></p><p>"What a pathetic group of would-be assassins," muttered Alistair,</p><p>while they searched through the wagon.</p><p></p><p>"I'm not sure they were really assassins," replied Mahler. "They</p><p>seemed ill-prepared for fighting, and their wagon is filled with</p><p>actual trade goods. Mostly mushroom wine from Veclavarna, an</p><p>Underdark city, sealed with the symbol of a purple urn. They could</p><p>have just been opportunists."</p><p></p><p>Alistair produced some wine glasses from somewhere. "Well, we might</p><p>as well break open one of their best bottles and enjoy our good</p><p>fortune. Their leader will probably be ready to answer some questions</p><p>soon enough." Dame Brionna glowered while the rest of the group</p><p>enjoyed the rather unusual loot.</p><p></p><p>After a few minutes, the drow mage awoke to find himself bound,</p><p>gagged, and disarmed. Mahler strode over to him imperiously and had</p><p>Dame Brionna untie the gag. "Who are you, and why did you assault my</p><p>guards and myself?"</p><p></p><p>The drow looked rather forlorn. "I'm just a merchant of the Clan of</p><p>the Violet Urn, m'lord. We recognized your picture from the posters</p><p>and thought that it was worth attacking to get the 20,000 gold reward</p><p>that's been offered for your capture. Hey, what happened to my</p><p>guards?"</p><p></p><p>"They did not survive the fight."</p><p></p><p>The drow merchant nodded. "I guess that's what we get, attacking</p><p>nobles and warriors when we're just merchants. It was just... that</p><p>kind of money could have made our clan powerful, and would have made</p><p>me a wealthy and influential drow. But now I suppose I'm just going</p><p>to end up dead. And my family won't even know what happened to me."</p><p></p><p>Mahler and Dame Brionna looked at each other. "If you answer the</p><p>remainder of our questions truthfully, I give you my word of honor as</p><p>a Knight of Valor that I will attempt to deliver a letter you may</p><p>write."</p><p></p><p>"Sounds more'n fair to me. What else do you want to know?"</p><p></p><p>"Where did you come from?"</p><p></p><p>"We travelled up through the Great Gate from the Sunless Sea, near the</p><p>Twin Cities of the Peaks. We then travelled overland towards Tang,</p><p>planning on trading our wine for hard money and surface goods."</p><p></p><p>"Have you seen other drow or Noldar since departing the Underdark?"</p><p></p><p>"Noldar? I don't know as I can recall ever seeing a Noldar, m'lord.</p><p>And there were many other drow in the Twin Cities; always are, there.</p><p>It's really one of our outposts. But we haven't seen any others since</p><p>then."</p><p></p><p>Mahler nodded. "What about other assassins? Do you know anyone else</p><p>who sought the reward?"</p><p></p><p>"No... I can't even say that we were hunting you. The posters didn't</p><p>say where you would be or anything, just offered riches for your</p><p>capture. We just got... unlucky, I guess. But there will be a lot of</p><p>other people hoping to get the reward, too."</p><p></p><p>"Did the poster describe my companions?"</p><p></p><p>"Not in detail; just that you were in a group of about six."</p><p></p><p>"I think that's about all. Dame Brionna, you can allow him to write</p><p>his letter."</p><p></p><p>"And then what?" Dame Brionna asked, her eyes looking at Alistair.</p><p></p><p>Alistair swallowed hard. "We can't have news of Lord Alistair's</p><p>presence spreading. And if we spend the time to turn him over to the</p><p>authorities of Tang, it will give our enemies more time to close the</p><p>loop around us. So our choices are really leaving him tied up where</p><p>no one will find him and executing him. A clean death seems better</p><p>than leaving him to dehydrate."</p><p></p><p>"Very well, m'lord." After the merchant finished his letter,</p><p>explaining in general terms that he had been very foolish and would</p><p>not be coming home, Dame Brionna beheaded him and buried the bodies in</p><p>a shallow grave.</p><p></p><p>They travelled on with the wagon to the next town in Tang, while</p><p>Mahler did a radical disguise effort, cutting his hair to a much</p><p>shorter length, padding his cheeks and belly to create the impression</p><p>of more weight, and altering his skin tone with skillfully employed</p><p>make-up. They quickly sold the wagon and the balance of the mushroom</p><p>wine for some 3000 silver-- less than its worth, but far more than</p><p>they would have gotten by abandoning it, and headed along the road,</p><p>travelling fast and light.</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="Cerebral Paladin, post: 2507856, member: 3448"] The next morning, the group set forth from the capital of Tang. The maps showed that about the first four days of travel would be along the well-maintained and patrolled roads within Tang, and the group felt safe travelling relatively openly. The group periodically passed merchants, some local and travelling in groups of threes, others from beyond Tang, and the occasional military patrol. The group paid their fellow travelers little mind, nodding in friendly greeting. In the early evening of the first day, a wagon of merchants slowed as it approached them. "Good day," called out Kit, pausing slightly as she saw that the merchants had the dark skin and pointed ears of the drow and noticed that they seemed to be making some hand signals. The merchants' leader smiled, "Good day to you as well." He then touched an amulet he wore around his neck and looked at Mahler. "Perhaps you would care to join us, m'lord, for a light meal? Your companions can travel ahead to set a camp and you could join them quickly enough." Mahler leaned back on his horse and then drew his rapier, calling out, "The leader is a mage! He tried to charm me." The other two drow cursed and swung their cloaks aside, firing crossbows at Dame Brionna and Alistair, but failing to penetrate their armor. The battle was swift and, from the perspective of our heroes, more comical than dangerous. Delbon summoned grease and toppled one of the drow warriors from the wagon in the midst of drawing his sword, while Alistair, Stithis, and Dame Brionna made short work of the other warrior. The fallen warrior never even managed to stand up. Mahler and Kit maneuvered to take the mage from both sides, and quickly cudgeled him senseless. "What a pathetic group of would-be assassins," muttered Alistair, while they searched through the wagon. "I'm not sure they were really assassins," replied Mahler. "They seemed ill-prepared for fighting, and their wagon is filled with actual trade goods. Mostly mushroom wine from Veclavarna, an Underdark city, sealed with the symbol of a purple urn. They could have just been opportunists." Alistair produced some wine glasses from somewhere. "Well, we might as well break open one of their best bottles and enjoy our good fortune. Their leader will probably be ready to answer some questions soon enough." Dame Brionna glowered while the rest of the group enjoyed the rather unusual loot. After a few minutes, the drow mage awoke to find himself bound, gagged, and disarmed. Mahler strode over to him imperiously and had Dame Brionna untie the gag. "Who are you, and why did you assault my guards and myself?" The drow looked rather forlorn. "I'm just a merchant of the Clan of the Violet Urn, m'lord. We recognized your picture from the posters and thought that it was worth attacking to get the 20,000 gold reward that's been offered for your capture. Hey, what happened to my guards?" "They did not survive the fight." The drow merchant nodded. "I guess that's what we get, attacking nobles and warriors when we're just merchants. It was just... that kind of money could have made our clan powerful, and would have made me a wealthy and influential drow. But now I suppose I'm just going to end up dead. And my family won't even know what happened to me." Mahler and Dame Brionna looked at each other. "If you answer the remainder of our questions truthfully, I give you my word of honor as a Knight of Valor that I will attempt to deliver a letter you may write." "Sounds more'n fair to me. What else do you want to know?" "Where did you come from?" "We travelled up through the Great Gate from the Sunless Sea, near the Twin Cities of the Peaks. We then travelled overland towards Tang, planning on trading our wine for hard money and surface goods." "Have you seen other drow or Noldar since departing the Underdark?" "Noldar? I don't know as I can recall ever seeing a Noldar, m'lord. And there were many other drow in the Twin Cities; always are, there. It's really one of our outposts. But we haven't seen any others since then." Mahler nodded. "What about other assassins? Do you know anyone else who sought the reward?" "No... I can't even say that we were hunting you. The posters didn't say where you would be or anything, just offered riches for your capture. We just got... unlucky, I guess. But there will be a lot of other people hoping to get the reward, too." "Did the poster describe my companions?" "Not in detail; just that you were in a group of about six." "I think that's about all. Dame Brionna, you can allow him to write his letter." "And then what?" Dame Brionna asked, her eyes looking at Alistair. Alistair swallowed hard. "We can't have news of Lord Alistair's presence spreading. And if we spend the time to turn him over to the authorities of Tang, it will give our enemies more time to close the loop around us. So our choices are really leaving him tied up where no one will find him and executing him. A clean death seems better than leaving him to dehydrate." "Very well, m'lord." After the merchant finished his letter, explaining in general terms that he had been very foolish and would not be coming home, Dame Brionna beheaded him and buried the bodies in a shallow grave. They travelled on with the wagon to the next town in Tang, while Mahler did a radical disguise effort, cutting his hair to a much shorter length, padding his cheeks and belly to create the impression of more weight, and altering his skin tone with skillfully employed make-up. They quickly sold the wagon and the balance of the mushroom wine for some 3000 silver-- less than its worth, but far more than they would have gotten by abandoning it, and headed along the road, travelling fast and light. [/QUOTE]
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