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Nebulous's Keep on the Shadowfell (FR)
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<blockquote data-quote="Nebulous" data-source="post: 4525791" data-attributes="member: 31465"><p><strong>Nebulous's Keep on the Shadowfell (FR) Updated 10/28/08</strong></p><p></p><p><span style="font-size: 15px">Adventure #2: Court of the Frog Queen</span></p><p><span style="font-size: 15px"></span></p><p><strong></strong></p><p><strong>PART ONE</strong></p><p></p><p>An hour has passed since the last session when the group spoke with the bitter dwarven smithy, Thair Coalbiter. Their main mission is still to find and map an old keep somewhere in the vicinity, but of more immediate concern is the kobold problem. Two of the heroes (The Warlock and Wizard) retire to bed at Salvana’s Inn, but Ash the Elf Rogue and Helga the Dwarf Fighter stay on the lower level, sipping drinks at their own tables. Ash prefers to be alone, but Helga openly chats with Salvana Wrafton as she cleans up and prepares to close for the night. Meanwhile, Brandis Padraig, son of Lord Padraig, is still at the walled estate attending to his beleaguered mother and father.</p><p></p><p><strong>As for Ash… </strong></p><p></p><p>…the rogue has not been resting very long on his stool when someone sits down close beside him. It is a young half-elf woman, not uncomely, somewhat tomboyish, with short cropped hair and a smattering of freckles. </p><p></p><p><img src="http://www.med.unc.edu/~saasha/keep/scene.jpg" alt="" class="fr-fic fr-dii fr-draggable " style="" /></p><p><img src="http://www.med.unc.edu/~saasha/keep/nin1.jpg" alt="" class="fr-fic fr-dii fr-draggable " style="" /></p><p><img src="http://www.med.unc.edu/~saasha/keep/nin2.jpg" alt="" class="fr-fic fr-dii fr-draggable " style="" /></p><p><img src="http://www.med.unc.edu/~saasha/keep/nin.jpg" alt="" class="fr-fic fr-dii fr-draggable " style="" /></p><p></p><p>“Who are you?” she asks bluntly, but quietly, so that no other patron might hear. There is a pig farmer and a drunkard nearby. Ash is blunt in return, immediately distrustful of her forward approach. A quick glance offers many clues about her; her skin is dirty yet tan, as if she is outdoors often; her scent ripe as if she has not washed for days; both her forearms are bandaged. The half-elf introduces herself as Ninaran, and asks again what has brought Ash to Winterhaven. “A task for gold,” is all he offers. Seemingly satisfied, Ninaran goes further, asking Ash what it is like to be a pure blood elf, untainted by a human lineage? What an odd, odd question. Ash is quiet and somber by nature, and suspects that this strange half-elf girl is perhaps attracted to his dark nature. His cowl is pulled up, covering his features in shadow, but she presses in close enough to see his eyes. </p><p></p><p>“Do you like to walk?” Ninaran asks. Ash nods, and the half-elf urges him up. “We walk in the dark then. It suits us, doesn’t it? Hides us, warts and faults and all.”</p><p></p><p>“What do you dislike so much about your heritage?”</p><p></p><p>Ninaran sneers, looking away. “Weak-willed humans. It disgusts me. None of the grace and beauty of…your kind.”</p><p></p><p>Her eyes flash at Ash, and the elf is intrigued. “And why should I trust a stranger in the dark? You might try to kill me.”</p><p></p><p>Ninaran laughs. “You to fear me? Indeed, elf, it should be ME afraid of you in the dark!” Ash smiles ruefully, obliged to agree with her. So, he tells Helga he is stepping outside, and the two depart.</p><p></p><p></p><p><strong>Meanwhile, Helga…</strong></p><p></p><p>…is enjoying her fifth mug of frothy cold ale while Salvana Wrafton sweeps meticulously around her legs and wipes the table down with a wet cloth. </p><p></p><p><img src="http://www.med.unc.edu/~saasha/keep/sal2.jpg" alt="" class="fr-fic fr-dii fr-draggable " style="" /></p><p></p><p>“So you know Brandis Padraig, eh?” the tavern-owner asks. “Oh, that boy has grown up handsome, an image of his father he is. That Lord Padraig is a striking man. I’ve had an eye for him some years now, truth be told! Truth be told, aye. Too good for that wife of his. She’s a crazy one I say, even before Kel passed on. Had only I met Ernest when we were younger, there might be a different Lady Padraig!”</p><p></p><p>Helga has heard about the problems with the Padraig family though, and the death of their young son Kel has created emotional turmoil, sinking the Lord into his cups and the wife into a pit of wailing despair. Salvana is extremely talkative and keeps spilling her feelings about Lord Padraig, until Helga starts to wonder if the woman has an ulterior motive for talking to her so much. Is she hitting on me? the dwarfs wonders, and gulps her beer in silence. Strange. The dwarf isn’t sure what to do about that so she just drinks more.</p><p></p><p><strong>And behind the walled royal estate, Brandis Padraig…</strong></p><p></p><p>…holds his sobbing mother in his arms. She is hysterical, and has not stopped crying since he arrived. She laments the loss of her son Kel, and has not let Brandis’s young sister out of her sight since the incident two weeks ago. Lord Padraig stands nearby, his brow furrowed in worry. Cynthia Padraig drags Brandis to the trophy room and shows him a shield on the wall that surprises him:</p><p></p><p>A fresh goblin head is mounted there, its eyes wide in shock!</p><p></p><p><img src="http://www.med.unc.edu/~saasha/keep/orc1.jpg" alt="" class="fr-fic fr-dii fr-draggable " style="" /></p><p><img src="http://www.med.unc.edu/~saasha/keep/orc2.jpg" alt="" class="fr-fic fr-dii fr-draggable " style="" /></p><p></p><p>“Filthy beasts. They took my Kel’s head!” she sobs. “They took his head, Brandis, and we’ll do the same to them! Find their vicious, ugly heads! As many as you can! Kill them and hurt them and bring me their rotting little heads! We’ll mount them around the keep, a warning to all! Stay away from our children! Stay away!” </p><p></p><p>Her eyes are wide, her lips trembling, and then Cynthia begins twisting her hands, mumbling that the blood won’t come off, it just won’t come off no matter how many times she washes them… Lord Padraig finally guides her to bed, and then returns to Brandis.</p><p></p><p><img src="http://www.med.unc.edu/~saasha/keep/pad.jpg" alt="" class="fr-fic fr-dii fr-draggable " style="" /></p><p></p><p>“Son, your mother is very ill. I…I fear for her health. Do you know Delphina Moongem? Perhaps not. She has lived here for not long. She is an elf maiden with some magical talent. She has been picking herbs to brew tonics and elixirs for your mother, to calm her. I feel that Cynthia might harm herself otherwise. But the ingredient for the tonic is rare and nearly gone. Delphina can only pick it by moonlight on Jade Hill, nearly a mile from here. There are…rumors that creatures of the night will not harm Delphina, and so far such rumor seems true, although I know not why. She seems to walk untroubled in wild places blessed by the gods perhaps. But…there are things in the woods worse than goblins and kobolds. Please, accompany her to Jade Hill. Protect her while she finds the herbs. Your mother needs it more than anything right now.”</p><p></p><p>Brandis nods gravely, and swears to help find the herbs…AND the heads.</p><p></p><p></p><p><strong>And outside Wrafton’s Inn…</strong></p><p></p><p>…Ash and Ninaran have stepped into the brisk night air. It is newly spring, the month of Mirtul, the moon full and bright, and they walk side by side toward the walls. Ash finds this girl to be very strange, but can’t quite put his finger on why. “What are the bandages for?” he asks. She is defensive and changes the subject, pointing to a ladder leading to the parapets. They climb up near the guard towers and stand overlooking the night scenery. To the north looms the immense High Forest, and Ash mentions that he was born there, deep in the shadows with his people. Ninaran is fascinated by his tale, and presses him for more detail. Ash works his way around to the nature of the bandaged arms again, and Ninaran finally admits that when one hates themselves enough, they’ll try to kill themselves. The bandages hide scars, but that is long ago and not of concern now. </p><p></p><p>She changes the subject, pointing to the woods and says that she has small hut near town. She lives there, away from the encroaching walls and hubbub of people. She wants Ash to follow her there. It will be…private. Right….Ash isn’t too keen on following this woman into the woods alone, even though he does figure himself superior in a fight. She seems genuinely interested in him on a physical level, but she’s dirty and uncouth, almost as she lives off the land and only forays into civilization occasionally. </p><p></p><p>Ninaran repeats the offer, but just about then Brandis Padraig has exited his father’s estate and sees Ash up on the wall with another figure he can’t identify. He climbs the ladder and finds Ash with a female half-elf. Brandis briefly explains that they need to round up Helga because they have some “business” to take care of outside the walls. </p><p></p><p>Ninaran’s features flash with anger that they have been disturbed. “My offer then, Ash? What of it?”</p><p></p><p>“It will have to wait,” he says. “Tomorrow though, I will see your abode.” </p><p></p><p>“Then I’ll join your task tonight,” the half-elf says. “I know these woods well.”</p><p></p><p>Brandis shakes his head. “No…but thank you. This is a family matter. We can take care of it.”</p><p></p><p>Ninaran is clearly offended, and after exchanging a few heated words with Brandis, she spits at his feet and says, “You worthless Padraigs are all alike.” She clambers down the ladder which Brandis probably would have kicked over were it not bolted to the timber.</p><p></p><p>“By the love of Sune, Ash, what kind of company do you keep?”</p><p></p><p>Ash just shrugs.</p><p></p><p>***</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="Nebulous, post: 4525791, member: 31465"] [b]Nebulous's Keep on the Shadowfell (FR) Updated 10/28/08[/b] [size=4]Adventure #2: Court of the Frog Queen [/size] [B] PART ONE[/B] An hour has passed since the last session when the group spoke with the bitter dwarven smithy, Thair Coalbiter. Their main mission is still to find and map an old keep somewhere in the vicinity, but of more immediate concern is the kobold problem. Two of the heroes (The Warlock and Wizard) retire to bed at Salvana’s Inn, but Ash the Elf Rogue and Helga the Dwarf Fighter stay on the lower level, sipping drinks at their own tables. Ash prefers to be alone, but Helga openly chats with Salvana Wrafton as she cleans up and prepares to close for the night. Meanwhile, Brandis Padraig, son of Lord Padraig, is still at the walled estate attending to his beleaguered mother and father. [b]As for Ash… [/b] …the rogue has not been resting very long on his stool when someone sits down close beside him. It is a young half-elf woman, not uncomely, somewhat tomboyish, with short cropped hair and a smattering of freckles. [img]http://www.med.unc.edu/~saasha/keep/scene.jpg[/img] [img]http://www.med.unc.edu/~saasha/keep/nin1.jpg[/img] [img]http://www.med.unc.edu/~saasha/keep/nin2.jpg[/img] [img]http://www.med.unc.edu/~saasha/keep/nin.jpg[/img] “Who are you?” she asks bluntly, but quietly, so that no other patron might hear. There is a pig farmer and a drunkard nearby. Ash is blunt in return, immediately distrustful of her forward approach. A quick glance offers many clues about her; her skin is dirty yet tan, as if she is outdoors often; her scent ripe as if she has not washed for days; both her forearms are bandaged. The half-elf introduces herself as Ninaran, and asks again what has brought Ash to Winterhaven. “A task for gold,” is all he offers. Seemingly satisfied, Ninaran goes further, asking Ash what it is like to be a pure blood elf, untainted by a human lineage? What an odd, odd question. Ash is quiet and somber by nature, and suspects that this strange half-elf girl is perhaps attracted to his dark nature. His cowl is pulled up, covering his features in shadow, but she presses in close enough to see his eyes. “Do you like to walk?” Ninaran asks. Ash nods, and the half-elf urges him up. “We walk in the dark then. It suits us, doesn’t it? Hides us, warts and faults and all.” “What do you dislike so much about your heritage?” Ninaran sneers, looking away. “Weak-willed humans. It disgusts me. None of the grace and beauty of…your kind.” Her eyes flash at Ash, and the elf is intrigued. “And why should I trust a stranger in the dark? You might try to kill me.” Ninaran laughs. “You to fear me? Indeed, elf, it should be ME afraid of you in the dark!” Ash smiles ruefully, obliged to agree with her. So, he tells Helga he is stepping outside, and the two depart. [b]Meanwhile, Helga…[/b] …is enjoying her fifth mug of frothy cold ale while Salvana Wrafton sweeps meticulously around her legs and wipes the table down with a wet cloth. [img]http://www.med.unc.edu/~saasha/keep/sal2.jpg[/img] “So you know Brandis Padraig, eh?” the tavern-owner asks. “Oh, that boy has grown up handsome, an image of his father he is. That Lord Padraig is a striking man. I’ve had an eye for him some years now, truth be told! Truth be told, aye. Too good for that wife of his. She’s a crazy one I say, even before Kel passed on. Had only I met Ernest when we were younger, there might be a different Lady Padraig!” Helga has heard about the problems with the Padraig family though, and the death of their young son Kel has created emotional turmoil, sinking the Lord into his cups and the wife into a pit of wailing despair. Salvana is extremely talkative and keeps spilling her feelings about Lord Padraig, until Helga starts to wonder if the woman has an ulterior motive for talking to her so much. Is she hitting on me? the dwarfs wonders, and gulps her beer in silence. Strange. The dwarf isn’t sure what to do about that so she just drinks more. [b]And behind the walled royal estate, Brandis Padraig…[/b] …holds his sobbing mother in his arms. She is hysterical, and has not stopped crying since he arrived. She laments the loss of her son Kel, and has not let Brandis’s young sister out of her sight since the incident two weeks ago. Lord Padraig stands nearby, his brow furrowed in worry. Cynthia Padraig drags Brandis to the trophy room and shows him a shield on the wall that surprises him: A fresh goblin head is mounted there, its eyes wide in shock! [img]http://www.med.unc.edu/~saasha/keep/orc1.jpg[/img] [img]http://www.med.unc.edu/~saasha/keep/orc2.jpg[/img] “Filthy beasts. They took my Kel’s head!” she sobs. “They took his head, Brandis, and we’ll do the same to them! Find their vicious, ugly heads! As many as you can! Kill them and hurt them and bring me their rotting little heads! We’ll mount them around the keep, a warning to all! Stay away from our children! Stay away!” Her eyes are wide, her lips trembling, and then Cynthia begins twisting her hands, mumbling that the blood won’t come off, it just won’t come off no matter how many times she washes them… Lord Padraig finally guides her to bed, and then returns to Brandis. [img]http://www.med.unc.edu/~saasha/keep/pad.jpg[/img] “Son, your mother is very ill. I…I fear for her health. Do you know Delphina Moongem? Perhaps not. She has lived here for not long. She is an elf maiden with some magical talent. She has been picking herbs to brew tonics and elixirs for your mother, to calm her. I feel that Cynthia might harm herself otherwise. But the ingredient for the tonic is rare and nearly gone. Delphina can only pick it by moonlight on Jade Hill, nearly a mile from here. There are…rumors that creatures of the night will not harm Delphina, and so far such rumor seems true, although I know not why. She seems to walk untroubled in wild places blessed by the gods perhaps. But…there are things in the woods worse than goblins and kobolds. Please, accompany her to Jade Hill. Protect her while she finds the herbs. Your mother needs it more than anything right now.” Brandis nods gravely, and swears to help find the herbs…AND the heads. [b]And outside Wrafton’s Inn…[/b] …Ash and Ninaran have stepped into the brisk night air. It is newly spring, the month of Mirtul, the moon full and bright, and they walk side by side toward the walls. Ash finds this girl to be very strange, but can’t quite put his finger on why. “What are the bandages for?” he asks. She is defensive and changes the subject, pointing to a ladder leading to the parapets. They climb up near the guard towers and stand overlooking the night scenery. To the north looms the immense High Forest, and Ash mentions that he was born there, deep in the shadows with his people. Ninaran is fascinated by his tale, and presses him for more detail. Ash works his way around to the nature of the bandaged arms again, and Ninaran finally admits that when one hates themselves enough, they’ll try to kill themselves. The bandages hide scars, but that is long ago and not of concern now. She changes the subject, pointing to the woods and says that she has small hut near town. She lives there, away from the encroaching walls and hubbub of people. She wants Ash to follow her there. It will be…private. Right….Ash isn’t too keen on following this woman into the woods alone, even though he does figure himself superior in a fight. She seems genuinely interested in him on a physical level, but she’s dirty and uncouth, almost as she lives off the land and only forays into civilization occasionally. Ninaran repeats the offer, but just about then Brandis Padraig has exited his father’s estate and sees Ash up on the wall with another figure he can’t identify. He climbs the ladder and finds Ash with a female half-elf. Brandis briefly explains that they need to round up Helga because they have some “business” to take care of outside the walls. Ninaran’s features flash with anger that they have been disturbed. “My offer then, Ash? What of it?” “It will have to wait,” he says. “Tomorrow though, I will see your abode.” “Then I’ll join your task tonight,” the half-elf says. “I know these woods well.” Brandis shakes his head. “No…but thank you. This is a family matter. We can take care of it.” Ninaran is clearly offended, and after exchanging a few heated words with Brandis, she spits at his feet and says, “You worthless Padraigs are all alike.” She clambers down the ladder which Brandis probably would have kicked over were it not bolted to the timber. “By the love of Sune, Ash, what kind of company do you keep?” Ash just shrugs. *** [/QUOTE]
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