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Message: <blockquote data-quote="cthuluftaghn" data-source="post: 245929" data-attributes="member: 4799">Session II: Chapter 5Chapter 5 - Back at the Inn Session 2: June 29, 2002 28 Coldeven, Dinner Time: Gann relaxed his grip on his mace and settled back into his seat.  Somewhat embarrassed that his companions may have witnessed yet another one of his outbursts, he swiftly composed himself and got right to the point.  "I have learned much this day from those who would gladly support our cause of dishing out divine retribution upon the wretched evil we have encountered. How have you fared in your quest?"Tyris and Willow slid onto the bench next to the cleric.  They were then joined, on the other side of the table, by two newcomers.  One was a tall and slender woodsman, and the other was a copper-haired woman with piercing eyes.  Gann raised an eyebrow in suspicion and subconsciously allowed his hand to fall back upon the hilt of his sacred Truncheon of Truth.  "Well, for one," began Willow, "We've found ourselves two new allies.  This is Valeria, and her companion Tonan.  Both hail from Verbobonc.  They will be joining us, at least for a while."Gann nodded politely in the direction of the newcomers, and he addressed them directly.  "And by what virtue should I consider the two of you my allies?" He glanced sideways at the couple and asked bluntly, "Not evil, are you?" Turning to Willow, he continued,  "It seems you have traded three trusted friends for these two strangers."  A vision of Tas popped into Gann's mind, and he reworded his statement.  "Make that two trusted friends and a halfing," he said, looking pensive.  "Perhaps not such a bad bargain after all."The woman smiled and did not seem phased by Gann's excess of personality. "You must be Gann Tolar," she noted.  "Your companions have spoken much of your bravery, and we are happy to meet you.  I believe you are just the righteous sort we are in need of."  Gann seemed genuinely pleased by the compliment, and he relaxed a bit as the woman continued.  "As Willow has stated, my name is Valeria, and this is my good friend Tonan.  We had come to Hommlet to celebrate the festival of Growfest with old friends, but I'm afraid our journey has taken a sour turn."A large tray, loaded with steaming potatoes and mugs of ale, was suddenly shoved across the table, forcing Gann and Valeria to lean back to avoid getting smacked on the chin.  "Here ya go," said Maridosen, with a sour expression on her face.  "On the house, from the old lady," she called over her shoulder as she disappeared back into the crowd.Tyris leaned forward and scowled at the young woman.  "That girl," she explained to Val and Tonan, "is high on my 'list'.  She's given us more trouble over the past two days than the evil in the Moathouse.  She'll get what's coming to her soon enough.  Just watch!""Poor lass," observed Gann. "Seems she's upset that I'm going off to get my fool self killed smiting evil."“Anyway,” piped in Tonan, anxious to relate his tale, “We arrived at our friends’ home to find them inexplicably absent.  That was a most distressing, considering the frightening events of our journey.  I witnessed a murder last night, on the road from Verbobonc.”Gann looked unimpressed.  Murder was a foul deed, to be sure.  It was a deed that deserved swift justice from a devotee to the god of retribution.  But, compared to the evil he was up against right now, it was a small matter for Gann.  The cleric was losing interest, and he began to push his potatoes around his plate with his fork.  Willow gestured for Tonan to continue.“I’ve been witness do many deaths,” said the ranger, “But none like this.  The intense evil of this act will haunt my dreams for years to come.”Gann’s head perked up at the mention of evil.“A merchant wagon with two innocent travelers was ambushed on the road, in the dark.  The wagon was surrounded by a bunch of occult crazies.  Every one of them was dressed in a dark yellow robe, and it was like they made some kind of ritual out of the killing of their prisoners.”Tyris and Willow were satisfied that Tonan’s story had Gann’s full attention at this point.“I felt so helpless… there were so many of them, and it was just Valeria and myself hiding in the bushes along with my friend, Thor.  I couldn’t do anything but watch.  It was horrible, what they did to those two.  The crazies moaned and writhed and sang some kind of morbid death song, driving the poor wagon riders nearly insane with fear before slitting their throats.”  Tonan’s voice was trembling at this point, and Valeria put her hand on his broad shoulder to calm him.Gann stared wide-eyed at the ranger, and then turned to Willow, who was nodding at him knowingly.  “You see,” she stated with an undisguised measure of pride in herself.  “We did good, right?  It was right for us to bring these two here?”The cleric of St. Cuthbert stood up at his seat as if preparing to make an important announcement, and then he reconsidered and sat back down.  “You have done well, my friends,” he responded, measuring his words carefully.  “But I yet have questions.  First and foremost, where are the others?  Why have Davok, Tas and Endora not returned for dinner as we had agreed?  That is a dishonorable thing to do… to break a pact.”“Their reasons are honorable, I assure you,” Valeria interjected.  “When she heard of the evil we had witnessed, this ‘Endora’ that you speak of became enraged.  Tonan overheard one of the cultists mention a stronghold in the Kron Hills, and your paladin friend insisted that it be investigated and destroyed at once!  She started to march away on the spot, but Willow here slowed her down just long enough to form some kind of plan.”“Plan?” grumbled Gann.  It was apparent that he resented not being included in the formation of any plan that involved smiting evil.“You see,” explained Willow.  “Tyris and I were talking to a wizard craftsman down by the southern bridge, along with Endora and the others.  He was in town for the festival, hoping to make some gold to fill his coffers and support his trade.  Thester, I believe was his name.  Anyway, he quoted us a very fair price for many of the items we recovered from the Moathouse.  His inventory was pitifully small, and we almost passed him by at first… but he saw what we were carrying and insisted on speaking with us.  Anyway, he told us that last night, on the road to Hommlet, his wagon was ambushed by strange robed men!  He was following a short distance behind on his donkey, and he could only watch in horror as his apprentices were murdered, and his livelihood was stolen!”“And that’s where we came in,” Tonan piped up.Gann looked confused.“Tonan and I happened to be walking up the same road,” Val explained, “and we overheard the merchant relaying his story to your friends, here.  We stopped to listen, and the two of us became part of the conversation.”“So what does all this have to do with the plan?” Gann asked, growing frustrated.Tyris chimed in, rolling her eyes as if she were stating the obvious.  “We couldn’t just let Endora run off into the hills by herself to take on a stronghold of insane cultists.  So, we sold the magic bow we found to Thester, and we gave the profits to Endora for her journey.  After a bit more discussion, Davok and Tas agreed to accompany her.  The three of them together, while they may not be able to bring the stronghold to its knees, will surely make an effective scouting team to bring back tactical information!”“We would probably have gone with them, if for no other reason than to satisfy my guilt at not assisting the wizard’s apprentices,” added Tonan.  “But, like I said before, our friends here in town are missing.”“Yes,” said Valeria.  “We stopped by the flour mill early this morning… our friends are the millers, of course… and their house was closed up tight.  We spoke with Themock, who helps Karlun run the mill… that’s our friend, Karlun… and he said that he hadn’t seen Karlun or Mandy in a couple of days.“So, we figured we’d spend the day in town and see if we could find them… or at least learn news of them,” finished Tonan.“So?” asked Willow.  “What do you think, Gann?  Is it possible that the missing millers… this Karlun and Mandy… could be connected with this oddball cult?  I think we should check it out!  Oh… and that Thester guy down by the south bridge… he said that, since he had very little to sell after his tragedy, that he’d be thankful to buy whatever we had.  I told him that we’d have to talk it over with you first.  I just sold the bow to give Endora, Tas and Davok some traveling money.  I figured that was fair enough, and Tyris agreed with me.”Gann nodded his assent.  “Yes, Willow.  I believe we have found ourselves a pair of allies to help us fight the good fight.  While the danger at the Moathouse is weighing on my mind, the possibility that the evil may have spread into this peaceful town… into their flour mill, by the Cudgel!  Well that needs immediate attention.”  Gann tossed his hard roll down in disgust.  "I shall not partake of bread baked from evil wheat!"  The cleric stood up once again and extended his hand to his new friends.  “I am pleased to have you join us,” he said, and he meant it. “I have learned from a fellow cleric at the church of my patron, St. Cuthbert, that the mace we brought back from the Moathouse has magical properties, though its value does not outweigh that of my own Truncheon of Truth.  I would think that we should visit this Thester fellow and allow him the opportunity to sell it to someone who would wield it honorably in the never ending war against all that is corrupt.  It is well that such a noble purpose would also bring us some measure of profit, that we might use to better equip ourselves to face our own conflict.”The companions, now numbering five, rose from their table and headed for the door.  As they pushed their way through the crowded common room, the bard who had been performing poorly throughout the evening jumped down and ran up to them.  In a blatant effort to draw attention to himself, to compensate for his overwhelming lack of any other real talent, the half elf stood on a chair and made an announcement to the patrons.  “Give a cheer!  Raise your drinks, one and all for my good friends!  Let us hear it for Spugnoir’s Saviours!”Gann shoved past and led the party out of the inn, leaving the joyfully drunk commoners behind.  Within seconds of the group’s departure, the crowd had already forgotten what they were cheering about.  They went on with their revelry, blissfully unaware that the cult of the Elder Elemental Eye had once again returned to Hommlet.***Moments later, the door opened once more and a lone figure departed from the inn and moved silently into the growing darkness.  The figure followed the heroes, and remained just far enough behind to avoid detection.  He heard the haughty cleric speak..."So, my new woodland friend," he said to the tall ranger.  "Who's Thor?" ....</blockquote>

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