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Dear Mom - Mishap Adventures of a Mommy's Elf
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<blockquote data-quote="Lwaxy" data-source="post: 5899226" data-attributes="member: 53286"><p>Bosslady, </p><p></p><p></p><p>Very sorry I messed up with the fire thing, totally lost my level head. I know Nev and son of yours will say I do not have a level head to begin with but them wrong. Slavers are as bad as them demons though so am not all much sorry but apologise to man who owned the warehouse. Son of yours say he will repay him for loss if he leave town and council kinda agrees cuz he been renting to criminals most of time. I promise to be more careful with this fire thing from now.</p><p></p><p>Day after I made big fire, all went to the birds. And I mean litra..litoral... well in true meaning. Oswald the beggar king came waking us early morning – so says son of yours but it was more like late afternoon and Flip said no water waking for he been out making party with that group of elf chicks. Long story me not suppose tell. </p><p></p><p>Was one of those days when moon is full bloom when the sun still up, and am not sure if that was good or bad. See, demon did his ritual thing and need full moon for it, and demons love doing stuff at night so the priest lady we met says. Well, this was the right time for that ritual for the moon was full, but also very wrong time for it was still day when moon rise up and all. Do I make sense? So this vrock demon thing got on some rooftop at old boathouse on some abandon like part of docks and got started early, so it would be done when moon goes down early at night. It like thinks no one sees it there before it is too late and starts calling all those angry flock of birds. It is master of bird, somewhat, and loves another demon girl called queen of birds or some such. Not so sure for when the others all talk about it they babbled very fast and use all those arcane and divine words that not stick in my head. </p><p></p><p>So when moon went up this vrock jock start calling up birds, controls them somehow. Sends birds to attack people. This is the bad part because during day more people in streets even when Freeport never really sleeps. There were small birds and big birds and all sorts sizes between. People run cover, so streets start being empty what is when Oswald come get us, the hero thing and all. </p><p></p><p>We go out all invisible again, really nice doing that unless folks bump into you. At the main dock we meet the limping halfling and the girl priest who say they don’t know where the birds come from or where the demon is. Flip gets flippy and asks how we are to know, as divination stuff fails on this demon for some reason, Nev tried. </p><p></p><p>The priest had some sort of bird protection going on, and I got bored so wanted to start smashing them, but just then the druid we met a few days ago comes running, complaining that the birds are innocent and under demon control and not to harm them. Guess he had a point. So they capture one of the doves and try to free it and talk to it, but somehow it won’t work as should. So me get different idea. Son of yours won’t listen, is arguing with priest over some spell. Well, when stuff needs to be done right, do yourself, yes? Is what you always tell son of yours. I look at sky to see where them all come from. There is doves and gulls and such flying in from sea, others from land, and they attack fishers and workers ho are not hiding. But one spot on docks some bit away no flocks go down. So methinks, there must be the demon, no? Why else no bird would attack the spot.</p><p></p><p>I ask to be invisible again and tell Nev what I think. Nev gets all exited and puts spell back on us, also some silent zone thingy. Son of yours and others are still not listening so Nev is all confedent we can do ourself. I’m there first course for Nev still not train daily. No battle cry though, bit disapointing but then vrock did not hear me and that is good. </p><p></p><p>The demon dances on that roof of the old boathouse and cackles like raven. Was easy enough to climb up with crates next to it, so I could go have a run at him. Didn’t look at roof though. So when I run at him, a shingle come loose and made me stumble. Embarassingly I lose my axe. And you know what, bosslady? The axe makes right for him and knocks him in the side with blade first. It also sparkles some ellow or orange shade, and then it did not fall down but flew an arch and hit the vrock in head splitting it up. And then... then it came back to my hand!!</p><p></p><p>Son of yours told me it must be some sort of demonbane weapon when they catched up. Strong one, too. Nev who finished vrock off with some ice spell thinks it must be aware, like a person, intelligent weapon and all that. Want to know if it ever talked to me. </p><p></p><p>I feel bad saying that bosslady, but it did. I use to hear whispering, funny comments and bad jokes in my mind, not know ever where it was coming from. I know hearing voices not good at all, means loosing yours marbles, never stop think it may be axe. How can I know, was just told this axe is better. Truth is bosslady, me am bit afraid of it now. It hasn‘t whispered since it attacked that demon almost on its own, and Nev thinks it may be angry at me. Maybe it is a female weapon, then, voice always sounded a bit girly to me. Bosslady, i never want marriage or even girlfriend. Women just complicate things big time. I no need explain myself but to son of yours and Nev, and they understand me. No disrespect bosslady, but you said yourself that to keep a woman happy you need be special type of man. I’m not a special type! </p><p></p><p>Anyways, birds all free after Nev, and probably son of yours, sling spells at vrock and kill it. Priest say it is truly dead not just returned to abyss because it has been outcast or bound of some sort, as I say before too much arcane and divine babble for me to get. </p><p></p><p>I am happy we won’t see Freeport for a few weeks. Son of yours has plan out our trip to the rest of the isle all well he says. Flip was chuckling when he says that so I am scptri.. scapt... don’t trust it. </p><p></p><p>~U</p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p>7th of Peli</p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p>Bosslady</p><p></p><p></p><p>Flip was sooo right not to trust son of yours to plan anything. He took us to a swamp! Says there are talks of all sorts of treasure there, and he and Nev always wanted to be treasure hunters, even if they don’t really need them. Nev joked and said real heroes need to be adventuring out of town, and need to hunt treasures. Maybe wasn’t joke, not sure. But this is all crap. </p><p></p><p>You probably never were in deep swamp, bosslady. Us not before, too. Let me tell you you find dirt and crawlers everywhere on body after a few hours, and it is all smelly, too. Here are all sorts of living things not friendly but despite having some crocs and snake and a meat eating plant come at us (got a ring of protection from that one because it won’t fit on anyone elses finger) we did find no treasure but the ring and a few coins and an old key from that plant.</p><p></p><p>Most of time we don’t even have dry place to rest at. Last evening we finally find a place not so wet, with a statue of a warrior in the middle. Nev thinks this was middle of a large park or some such one time back. Of course he checks out that thing and cleans it up. And you know, what a coinca... coci... weird happening that they key we found and almost threw in swamp was a fit for under a writing when they de-mossed the statue. I’m sure the gods play tricks on us. </p><p></p><p>So you can guess what happen next. Those 2 dumbheads – sorry to have say that – make clear we go down the entrance they find when them turn key, which was almost stuck and they shoulds have taken hint from it. Cuz there was 9 stupid mummies and skeleton and something other rotten down there and it all smell worse than swamp. And the old dust all stick to us. Also am sure you can guess who had to do most the smashing. </p><p></p><p>Today we come across some sort of ambush with fake treasure, a lizardfolk village where they sacrifice people to appease their dread king or some such and some giant crabs mating who got unhappy with us disturbing. So sick of the place, but we can’t leave just yet. Oh no, son of yours thinks we need to deal with this dread king stuff, too. We are the heroes of Freeport, for the Wargod’s sake. Not the heroes of some smelling swamp sane people not go to. </p><p></p><p></p><p>~U</p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p>9th of Peli</p><p></p><p></p><p>Bosslady! </p><p></p><p>I want out of here, now! I’m sure you can make him do it, some how, he is son of yours after all. We are stuck and maybe lost in this swamp, and me having to free Flip from the sinkholes or carrying him over the deeper parts doesn’t help at all. Flip says not to tell you – everyone but me has lost their magic missives though so I feel can write whatever I want. </p><p></p><p>We found that so called dread king. Is no monster or some such. Is gnome sorcerer guy with too much of a magic item problem. Some old treasure, an amulet he finds long time go, makes him turn into evil. So he was, so to say, a small problem. He now is all fine and will help lizard peoples but before he went normal again he froze Nev into swamp and son of yours healed the cold wounds but with that arcane healing it does not help with Nev moving, so he is limping and needs help and we are all very slow. </p><p></p><p>I need things to smash, I does! </p><p></p><p>~U</p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p>The late afternoon sun reflected brightly from Lhess‘ hair as she was watching the madness that was Freeport’s harbor draw close. It had been a while that she had been in a port city, other than boarding ships that was. The chaos of such places was both intriguing and disturbing to her. She knew that in most ports, there was a definite order behind all the chaos, but from the little she had heard about this place, there was a definite chaos behind all resemblance of order.</p><p></p><p>Something was different as they put in, something other harbors had in abundance. There were no birds around. No seagulls, no doves, not even the annoying little fishbiters, whatever they would be called here. The ship’s crew noticed, too, and it was the first thing the second mate shouted from the ship down. “Where did all the birds go?“</p><p></p><p>“Afraid t’ come back, the birds are,” a halfling dock hand yelled back in a jolly voice. “Was some sort of demon here a bit ago ‘n it forced the birds t’ obey ‘n attack people. Lots of birds died, and I guess them didn’t like any of it. The birds killed some people, too, though. Tell ya, without the birds it might be quieter, but there’s more dirt all round. Gulls ‘n doves use t’ do a good job in eating trash, them did. When them come back eventually, some folks will sure appreciate them more.”</p><p></p><p>“A demon?” Lhess was sure that there had not been two of those around at once. “What happened to it?”</p><p></p><p>“The heroes of Freeport drove em off, them did. With some help from a priest ‘n druid ‘n the boss from the Halfling organization.” The dock hand finished his job tying the ship. He seemed mightily proud of halflings being involved in the matter. </p><p></p><p>“Would I find those heroes somewhere?” the paladin asked. </p><p></p><p>“Them got a house in the city, expensive, too. The leader of the group is a noble, ya know? Some high ‘n mighty prince from the elf Realms, them say. Not sure where exactly, mayhap in Drac’s End.”</p><p></p><p>“Thank you.” Lhess gabbed her pack with her shield and weapons tied to it and jumped off the ship before the plank could be lowered. If she could not find Orlath and the others, she could just let herself in and wait for them. After all, before becoming a paladin, she had led a life out for excitement and pranks much like her brother.</p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p>At the same time, not long after Uthas had, in all secrecy of course, sent his letter, the group of swamp soaked adventurers finally found a path out of the wet zone – at least as far as the terrain was concerned. The weather, however, had taken a turn for the worse and heavy rain was now soaking them relentlessly as they stepped out on a plain covered with lush grass. </p><p></p><p>“Finally” The Goddess of all Beauty be thanked.” Flip dropped on the biggest patch of grass he could find. “Swamp alone is bad enough, but swamp and rain is terrible.”</p><p></p><p>“At least the rain kept those flying bugs off,” Uthas growled. “And it sure helps cleaning our stuff.” </p><p></p><p>“Yeah, about that.” Nev pushed wet hair out of his face. “I can fix our equipment little by little, but I’d like to keep some spell power for more important stuff.”</p><p></p><p>“We have him for the other stuff.” Flip pointed at Orlath, who was still hopeless with any sort of spells fixing or cleaning things. </p><p></p><p>“Yes, but still. First we need to find a dry place.”</p><p></p><p>“There is that,” Flip agreed and looked around. He was sitting on a moss and grass covered stone, and as he stood upon it he had almost as good a view of the area as his taller companions. “Not that there is anything around we could take shelter in – or under.” </p><p></p><p>“Who had the hare brained idea to leave Freeport again?” Uthas stared at the prince, who seemed not to listen. He was, instead, staring at the stone Flip was standing on. </p><p></p><p>“What?” Flip looked down, too, but all he could see was moss and grass, nothing seemed remarkable about the stone.</p><p></p><p>“That stone is hewn and polished,” the prince explained. “It looks like it has been part of a wall, probably the upper part of a foundation of sorts.”</p><p></p><p>Nevukh nodded. “Seems so. So what?”</p><p></p><p>“Buildings from that age usually had basements, no? Maybe there is something to dig out around here.”</p><p></p><p>“Seriously?” The half-orc stared. “After the undead under that statue, you want to go digging around again?”</p><p></p><p>“Those undead were a mere hassle,” Orlath pushed dripping hair out of his face and then gave up and shook his head instead. “And usually, abandoned basements are just abandoned basements.”</p><p></p><p>Flip had come down from the rock and had a closer look. “Actually, I think this is a marker stone for a smuggler’s lair, not a foundation for anything.”</p><p></p><p>“Marker stone?” Orlath bent down do check what Flip was pointing at. He could barely make out the symbol of the moon on the withered stone.</p><p></p><p>“Smugglers use those, usually covered in bushes or other plants, to mark the entrance to their inland lairs. We can’t be that far from the shore, then. This one’s clearly abandoned, but asides from maybe still having stuff inside, it should give shelter until the rain is done with. We could use a dry night.”</p><p></p><p>“So how to get it open? It’s not magical, is it?” Uthas sniffed the air as if he could smell magic. All that happened was that he got water in his nose and had to sneeze.</p><p></p><p>The halfling was already looking for an opening mechanism. He produced a set of thieves' tools and inserted a long pin into a small, moss covered hole and twisted it. “If I’m not mistaken, this should.... aaaah!”</p><p></p><p>A low rumble shook the ground, and the place where Flip had been standing rotated sideways, sending earth and grass flying. It almost got stuck but the mechanism proved strong enough to open it all the way. </p><p></p><p>Barely catching his balance, Flip slid over the wet grass for a bit and then shook his head. “What idiot makes the entrance so you’d fall in it?”</p><p></p><p>“I guess you used to rotate with the stairs.” Pointing at the still solid looking wooden stairs attached to the platform, he mumbled a word and the tip of his sword lit up in a bright light. “Let’s get dry, then, before the rain floods the place up.” </p><p></p><p>“Smells fresh enough.” Uthas, his not-so-much trusted axe in hand, went down first. “And it smells sea water, so maybe the smugglers used to come out here and had tunnels to the ocean.”</p><p></p><p>“Yeah, good thinking.” Orlath went in second, and Nev and flip followed, the halfling closing the mechanism again. Dripping water on the ground, they could hear no other sound. The hallway they were standing in had two rooms to the right, which were filled with old crates. Nev made Flip’s sword light up, too, and the halfling went to check them out while Nev went about drying and cleaning their stuff, especially their clothes. The halfling heard Uthas complaining about being last to be dried out, and Orlath mumbling about not feeling confident enough if he would not look regal enough while he opened the first crate. Thanks to their discussion, the halfling’s gasp of surprise went unheard. </p><p></p><p>The small boxes in the crate carried the late Sea Lord Drac’s symbol. Each of them was sealed with wax, and clearly labeled as to their contents. Whatever it was Drac had been planning after his cult was to have taken over Freeport, it involved the use of a lot of alchemical mixtures, magic potions and, as he quickly checked out the next room, scrolls and magic items. The latter were clearly labeled as to their enchantments.</p><p></p><p>“There is a table here. And a strange mirror,” Uthas called from the end of the tunnel. And more doors, one to the left, one to the right.”</p><p></p><p>“Anything interesting in there, Flip?” Orlath called back.</p><p></p><p>“You could say that.” Quickly catching up to the others, Flip opened the other rooms which were also not trapped in any way. While he explained what he had found, he checked out the barrels and crates in the right room. This time, he found weapons, not all of them magically enhanced but those that were were also clearly labeled. Some looked stolen, an impression he had had with the items in the other room, too – like a holy hammer which was definitely paladin’s weapon or maybe tat of a priest. The room to the left contained jewels and money in abundance. Probably all the money, Nev mused wile watching in astonishment as more and more riches came out, which the council was missing when they checked out the books after Drac’s death. </p><p></p><p>“So, we come through a dirty, annoying swamp, deal with a twisted gnome, beasts and plants and all, and get almost nothing, and then we stumble over a smuggler’s nest, or rather a cult stash, and get all the riches?” shaking his head, the half-orc looked into the boxes. “Someting’s wrong about that.”</p><p></p><p>“There’s something even more wrong,” Flip sighed. “If I know our bosses right, they’ll want to return most, if not all of it, to the council.”</p><p></p><p>“No, not right now, anyway,” the prince answered to everyone’s surprise. “We don’t know who the next sea lord would be, or, given the current political tensions, if there will even be a next sea lord. We will not give money to a potential evil government. We would be better off helping the poor with it. Or use it in other means to achieve our goals.”</p><p></p><p>“Huh? What goals?” “Goals? What?” “What are you talking about?”</p><p></p><p>“I’ve just decided that going around on a whim and wasting our energy on undirected adventures and waiting for people to come ask our help isn’t going to cut it. We are representatives of the Realm. We should start acting like it. Maybe mom was right all along and we need to grow up. The Realm stands for justice and equality. We should, too.” Orlath straightened himself. “The gods have given us a clear hint. Our little swamp adventure may not have done much much but help a gnome and some lizards. But that alone made it worth something, not our going after riches we don’t even need. And now we find this.”</p><p></p><p>“Never knew you to be the religious type, boss.” Uthas looked doubtful and stared at the prince as if he had been taken over by something.</p><p></p><p>Nev grinned at his friend. “You have a point, but hey, we are heroes already and always did what we could. You are not telling us to get all serious now, and not to have fun anymore, do you?”</p><p></p><p>“We stumbled into being heroes. Nev, you have sometimes told me to take things more serious. We will do that now. But we’ll also have plenty of options to have fun, still.” With a wide smile, he gestured at all the riches. “We just need to find a way to access this from our place, or get it all there. And then we need a plan.”</p><p></p><p>“A plan for what, exactly?” </p><p></p><p>“To make the world around us better, of course.” Orlath seemed to shine from an inner light. </p><p></p><p>That was when Flip decided the prince still had no idea about real life and was just exchanging one blue eyed view for another. But this, he supposed, was still better than drifting aimlessly. </p><p></p><p>“Found another hallway,” Uthas shouted from a corner. “And there are more rooms.” </p><p></p><p>While Flip checked those out, Nev took a piece of dry paper out of a scroll case and started making inventory. “If we are going to use all this, we need to know what we have.”</p><p></p><p>“The hallway goes on.” Not wanting to go much further in the dark despite his dark vision, Uthas waited for the others. “Or do we just stay here for the night and check the rest out later?”</p><p></p><p>“Yes, please, I’m tired and want a good dry night’s sleep,” Flip sighed. The others agreed. While Nev was still noting down items, the others set up camp in one of the first rooms, where they could open up the exit a little for the smoke to get out. For the first time in long days they could rest comfortably after a warm meal.</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="Lwaxy, post: 5899226, member: 53286"] Bosslady, Very sorry I messed up with the fire thing, totally lost my level head. I know Nev and son of yours will say I do not have a level head to begin with but them wrong. Slavers are as bad as them demons though so am not all much sorry but apologise to man who owned the warehouse. Son of yours say he will repay him for loss if he leave town and council kinda agrees cuz he been renting to criminals most of time. I promise to be more careful with this fire thing from now. Day after I made big fire, all went to the birds. And I mean litra..litoral... well in true meaning. Oswald the beggar king came waking us early morning – so says son of yours but it was more like late afternoon and Flip said no water waking for he been out making party with that group of elf chicks. Long story me not suppose tell. Was one of those days when moon is full bloom when the sun still up, and am not sure if that was good or bad. See, demon did his ritual thing and need full moon for it, and demons love doing stuff at night so the priest lady we met says. Well, this was the right time for that ritual for the moon was full, but also very wrong time for it was still day when moon rise up and all. Do I make sense? So this vrock demon thing got on some rooftop at old boathouse on some abandon like part of docks and got started early, so it would be done when moon goes down early at night. It like thinks no one sees it there before it is too late and starts calling all those angry flock of birds. It is master of bird, somewhat, and loves another demon girl called queen of birds or some such. Not so sure for when the others all talk about it they babbled very fast and use all those arcane and divine words that not stick in my head. So when moon went up this vrock jock start calling up birds, controls them somehow. Sends birds to attack people. This is the bad part because during day more people in streets even when Freeport never really sleeps. There were small birds and big birds and all sorts sizes between. People run cover, so streets start being empty what is when Oswald come get us, the hero thing and all. We go out all invisible again, really nice doing that unless folks bump into you. At the main dock we meet the limping halfling and the girl priest who say they don’t know where the birds come from or where the demon is. Flip gets flippy and asks how we are to know, as divination stuff fails on this demon for some reason, Nev tried. The priest had some sort of bird protection going on, and I got bored so wanted to start smashing them, but just then the druid we met a few days ago comes running, complaining that the birds are innocent and under demon control and not to harm them. Guess he had a point. So they capture one of the doves and try to free it and talk to it, but somehow it won’t work as should. So me get different idea. Son of yours won’t listen, is arguing with priest over some spell. Well, when stuff needs to be done right, do yourself, yes? Is what you always tell son of yours. I look at sky to see where them all come from. There is doves and gulls and such flying in from sea, others from land, and they attack fishers and workers ho are not hiding. But one spot on docks some bit away no flocks go down. So methinks, there must be the demon, no? Why else no bird would attack the spot. I ask to be invisible again and tell Nev what I think. Nev gets all exited and puts spell back on us, also some silent zone thingy. Son of yours and others are still not listening so Nev is all confedent we can do ourself. I’m there first course for Nev still not train daily. No battle cry though, bit disapointing but then vrock did not hear me and that is good. The demon dances on that roof of the old boathouse and cackles like raven. Was easy enough to climb up with crates next to it, so I could go have a run at him. Didn’t look at roof though. So when I run at him, a shingle come loose and made me stumble. Embarassingly I lose my axe. And you know what, bosslady? The axe makes right for him and knocks him in the side with blade first. It also sparkles some ellow or orange shade, and then it did not fall down but flew an arch and hit the vrock in head splitting it up. And then... then it came back to my hand!! Son of yours told me it must be some sort of demonbane weapon when they catched up. Strong one, too. Nev who finished vrock off with some ice spell thinks it must be aware, like a person, intelligent weapon and all that. Want to know if it ever talked to me. I feel bad saying that bosslady, but it did. I use to hear whispering, funny comments and bad jokes in my mind, not know ever where it was coming from. I know hearing voices not good at all, means loosing yours marbles, never stop think it may be axe. How can I know, was just told this axe is better. Truth is bosslady, me am bit afraid of it now. It hasn‘t whispered since it attacked that demon almost on its own, and Nev thinks it may be angry at me. Maybe it is a female weapon, then, voice always sounded a bit girly to me. Bosslady, i never want marriage or even girlfriend. Women just complicate things big time. I no need explain myself but to son of yours and Nev, and they understand me. No disrespect bosslady, but you said yourself that to keep a woman happy you need be special type of man. I’m not a special type! Anyways, birds all free after Nev, and probably son of yours, sling spells at vrock and kill it. Priest say it is truly dead not just returned to abyss because it has been outcast or bound of some sort, as I say before too much arcane and divine babble for me to get. I am happy we won’t see Freeport for a few weeks. Son of yours has plan out our trip to the rest of the isle all well he says. Flip was chuckling when he says that so I am scptri.. scapt... don’t trust it. ~U 7th of Peli Bosslady Flip was sooo right not to trust son of yours to plan anything. He took us to a swamp! Says there are talks of all sorts of treasure there, and he and Nev always wanted to be treasure hunters, even if they don’t really need them. Nev joked and said real heroes need to be adventuring out of town, and need to hunt treasures. Maybe wasn’t joke, not sure. But this is all crap. You probably never were in deep swamp, bosslady. Us not before, too. Let me tell you you find dirt and crawlers everywhere on body after a few hours, and it is all smelly, too. Here are all sorts of living things not friendly but despite having some crocs and snake and a meat eating plant come at us (got a ring of protection from that one because it won’t fit on anyone elses finger) we did find no treasure but the ring and a few coins and an old key from that plant. Most of time we don’t even have dry place to rest at. Last evening we finally find a place not so wet, with a statue of a warrior in the middle. Nev thinks this was middle of a large park or some such one time back. Of course he checks out that thing and cleans it up. And you know, what a coinca... coci... weird happening that they key we found and almost threw in swamp was a fit for under a writing when they de-mossed the statue. I’m sure the gods play tricks on us. So you can guess what happen next. Those 2 dumbheads – sorry to have say that – make clear we go down the entrance they find when them turn key, which was almost stuck and they shoulds have taken hint from it. Cuz there was 9 stupid mummies and skeleton and something other rotten down there and it all smell worse than swamp. And the old dust all stick to us. Also am sure you can guess who had to do most the smashing. Today we come across some sort of ambush with fake treasure, a lizardfolk village where they sacrifice people to appease their dread king or some such and some giant crabs mating who got unhappy with us disturbing. So sick of the place, but we can’t leave just yet. Oh no, son of yours thinks we need to deal with this dread king stuff, too. We are the heroes of Freeport, for the Wargod’s sake. Not the heroes of some smelling swamp sane people not go to. ~U 9th of Peli Bosslady! I want out of here, now! I’m sure you can make him do it, some how, he is son of yours after all. We are stuck and maybe lost in this swamp, and me having to free Flip from the sinkholes or carrying him over the deeper parts doesn’t help at all. Flip says not to tell you – everyone but me has lost their magic missives though so I feel can write whatever I want. We found that so called dread king. Is no monster or some such. Is gnome sorcerer guy with too much of a magic item problem. Some old treasure, an amulet he finds long time go, makes him turn into evil. So he was, so to say, a small problem. He now is all fine and will help lizard peoples but before he went normal again he froze Nev into swamp and son of yours healed the cold wounds but with that arcane healing it does not help with Nev moving, so he is limping and needs help and we are all very slow. I need things to smash, I does! ~U The late afternoon sun reflected brightly from Lhess‘ hair as she was watching the madness that was Freeport’s harbor draw close. It had been a while that she had been in a port city, other than boarding ships that was. The chaos of such places was both intriguing and disturbing to her. She knew that in most ports, there was a definite order behind all the chaos, but from the little she had heard about this place, there was a definite chaos behind all resemblance of order. Something was different as they put in, something other harbors had in abundance. There were no birds around. No seagulls, no doves, not even the annoying little fishbiters, whatever they would be called here. The ship’s crew noticed, too, and it was the first thing the second mate shouted from the ship down. “Where did all the birds go?“ “Afraid t’ come back, the birds are,” a halfling dock hand yelled back in a jolly voice. “Was some sort of demon here a bit ago ‘n it forced the birds t’ obey ‘n attack people. Lots of birds died, and I guess them didn’t like any of it. The birds killed some people, too, though. Tell ya, without the birds it might be quieter, but there’s more dirt all round. Gulls ‘n doves use t’ do a good job in eating trash, them did. When them come back eventually, some folks will sure appreciate them more.” “A demon?” Lhess was sure that there had not been two of those around at once. “What happened to it?” “The heroes of Freeport drove em off, them did. With some help from a priest ‘n druid ‘n the boss from the Halfling organization.” The dock hand finished his job tying the ship. He seemed mightily proud of halflings being involved in the matter. “Would I find those heroes somewhere?” the paladin asked. “Them got a house in the city, expensive, too. The leader of the group is a noble, ya know? Some high ‘n mighty prince from the elf Realms, them say. Not sure where exactly, mayhap in Drac’s End.” “Thank you.” Lhess gabbed her pack with her shield and weapons tied to it and jumped off the ship before the plank could be lowered. If she could not find Orlath and the others, she could just let herself in and wait for them. After all, before becoming a paladin, she had led a life out for excitement and pranks much like her brother. At the same time, not long after Uthas had, in all secrecy of course, sent his letter, the group of swamp soaked adventurers finally found a path out of the wet zone – at least as far as the terrain was concerned. The weather, however, had taken a turn for the worse and heavy rain was now soaking them relentlessly as they stepped out on a plain covered with lush grass. “Finally” The Goddess of all Beauty be thanked.” Flip dropped on the biggest patch of grass he could find. “Swamp alone is bad enough, but swamp and rain is terrible.” “At least the rain kept those flying bugs off,” Uthas growled. “And it sure helps cleaning our stuff.” “Yeah, about that.” Nev pushed wet hair out of his face. “I can fix our equipment little by little, but I’d like to keep some spell power for more important stuff.” “We have him for the other stuff.” Flip pointed at Orlath, who was still hopeless with any sort of spells fixing or cleaning things. “Yes, but still. First we need to find a dry place.” “There is that,” Flip agreed and looked around. He was sitting on a moss and grass covered stone, and as he stood upon it he had almost as good a view of the area as his taller companions. “Not that there is anything around we could take shelter in – or under.” “Who had the hare brained idea to leave Freeport again?” Uthas stared at the prince, who seemed not to listen. He was, instead, staring at the stone Flip was standing on. “What?” Flip looked down, too, but all he could see was moss and grass, nothing seemed remarkable about the stone. “That stone is hewn and polished,” the prince explained. “It looks like it has been part of a wall, probably the upper part of a foundation of sorts.” Nevukh nodded. “Seems so. So what?” “Buildings from that age usually had basements, no? Maybe there is something to dig out around here.” “Seriously?” The half-orc stared. “After the undead under that statue, you want to go digging around again?” “Those undead were a mere hassle,” Orlath pushed dripping hair out of his face and then gave up and shook his head instead. “And usually, abandoned basements are just abandoned basements.” Flip had come down from the rock and had a closer look. “Actually, I think this is a marker stone for a smuggler’s lair, not a foundation for anything.” “Marker stone?” Orlath bent down do check what Flip was pointing at. He could barely make out the symbol of the moon on the withered stone. “Smugglers use those, usually covered in bushes or other plants, to mark the entrance to their inland lairs. We can’t be that far from the shore, then. This one’s clearly abandoned, but asides from maybe still having stuff inside, it should give shelter until the rain is done with. We could use a dry night.” “So how to get it open? It’s not magical, is it?” Uthas sniffed the air as if he could smell magic. All that happened was that he got water in his nose and had to sneeze. The halfling was already looking for an opening mechanism. He produced a set of thieves' tools and inserted a long pin into a small, moss covered hole and twisted it. “If I’m not mistaken, this should.... aaaah!” A low rumble shook the ground, and the place where Flip had been standing rotated sideways, sending earth and grass flying. It almost got stuck but the mechanism proved strong enough to open it all the way. Barely catching his balance, Flip slid over the wet grass for a bit and then shook his head. “What idiot makes the entrance so you’d fall in it?” “I guess you used to rotate with the stairs.” Pointing at the still solid looking wooden stairs attached to the platform, he mumbled a word and the tip of his sword lit up in a bright light. “Let’s get dry, then, before the rain floods the place up.” “Smells fresh enough.” Uthas, his not-so-much trusted axe in hand, went down first. “And it smells sea water, so maybe the smugglers used to come out here and had tunnels to the ocean.” “Yeah, good thinking.” Orlath went in second, and Nev and flip followed, the halfling closing the mechanism again. Dripping water on the ground, they could hear no other sound. The hallway they were standing in had two rooms to the right, which were filled with old crates. Nev made Flip’s sword light up, too, and the halfling went to check them out while Nev went about drying and cleaning their stuff, especially their clothes. The halfling heard Uthas complaining about being last to be dried out, and Orlath mumbling about not feeling confident enough if he would not look regal enough while he opened the first crate. Thanks to their discussion, the halfling’s gasp of surprise went unheard. The small boxes in the crate carried the late Sea Lord Drac’s symbol. Each of them was sealed with wax, and clearly labeled as to their contents. Whatever it was Drac had been planning after his cult was to have taken over Freeport, it involved the use of a lot of alchemical mixtures, magic potions and, as he quickly checked out the next room, scrolls and magic items. The latter were clearly labeled as to their enchantments. “There is a table here. And a strange mirror,” Uthas called from the end of the tunnel. And more doors, one to the left, one to the right.” “Anything interesting in there, Flip?” Orlath called back. “You could say that.” Quickly catching up to the others, Flip opened the other rooms which were also not trapped in any way. While he explained what he had found, he checked out the barrels and crates in the right room. This time, he found weapons, not all of them magically enhanced but those that were were also clearly labeled. Some looked stolen, an impression he had had with the items in the other room, too – like a holy hammer which was definitely paladin’s weapon or maybe tat of a priest. The room to the left contained jewels and money in abundance. Probably all the money, Nev mused wile watching in astonishment as more and more riches came out, which the council was missing when they checked out the books after Drac’s death. “So, we come through a dirty, annoying swamp, deal with a twisted gnome, beasts and plants and all, and get almost nothing, and then we stumble over a smuggler’s nest, or rather a cult stash, and get all the riches?” shaking his head, the half-orc looked into the boxes. “Someting’s wrong about that.” “There’s something even more wrong,” Flip sighed. “If I know our bosses right, they’ll want to return most, if not all of it, to the council.” “No, not right now, anyway,” the prince answered to everyone’s surprise. “We don’t know who the next sea lord would be, or, given the current political tensions, if there will even be a next sea lord. We will not give money to a potential evil government. We would be better off helping the poor with it. Or use it in other means to achieve our goals.” “Huh? What goals?” “Goals? What?” “What are you talking about?” “I’ve just decided that going around on a whim and wasting our energy on undirected adventures and waiting for people to come ask our help isn’t going to cut it. We are representatives of the Realm. We should start acting like it. Maybe mom was right all along and we need to grow up. The Realm stands for justice and equality. We should, too.” Orlath straightened himself. “The gods have given us a clear hint. Our little swamp adventure may not have done much much but help a gnome and some lizards. But that alone made it worth something, not our going after riches we don’t even need. And now we find this.” “Never knew you to be the religious type, boss.” Uthas looked doubtful and stared at the prince as if he had been taken over by something. Nev grinned at his friend. “You have a point, but hey, we are heroes already and always did what we could. You are not telling us to get all serious now, and not to have fun anymore, do you?” “We stumbled into being heroes. Nev, you have sometimes told me to take things more serious. We will do that now. But we’ll also have plenty of options to have fun, still.” With a wide smile, he gestured at all the riches. “We just need to find a way to access this from our place, or get it all there. And then we need a plan.” “A plan for what, exactly?” “To make the world around us better, of course.” Orlath seemed to shine from an inner light. That was when Flip decided the prince still had no idea about real life and was just exchanging one blue eyed view for another. But this, he supposed, was still better than drifting aimlessly. “Found another hallway,” Uthas shouted from a corner. “And there are more rooms.” While Flip checked those out, Nev took a piece of dry paper out of a scroll case and started making inventory. “If we are going to use all this, we need to know what we have.” “The hallway goes on.” Not wanting to go much further in the dark despite his dark vision, Uthas waited for the others. “Or do we just stay here for the night and check the rest out later?” “Yes, please, I’m tired and want a good dry night’s sleep,” Flip sighed. The others agreed. While Nev was still noting down items, the others set up camp in one of the first rooms, where they could open up the exit a little for the smoke to get out. For the first time in long days they could rest comfortably after a warm meal. [/QUOTE]
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