City of Orussus, The Red Dragon Inn X

[Richard Rawen]

Richard tries to shake off the feeling of being a country bumpkin in a room full of wizards.
It's not easy, mainly because he really is a country bumpkin.
Looking around, he decides to order some more alcohol and sit down with the gamblers. With barely enough coin to make his purse clink he decides against gambling, instead content to relax with a warm ale and try to comprehend the enormity of what is going on around him.
Finally he speaks quietly, more to himself than anything, though clear enough that he is heard if anyone is paying attention. "If... if all this is just the beginning... then the warning the Dragon gave was . . . "
Taking a few pulls on his ale, the human sits quietly and contemplates what lies ahead.

 

[Patlin]

A short man walks into the Red Dragon Inn. He wears full plate armor and has two Falchions, a brace of javelins and a backpack strung across his back. In spite of all this gear, he moves very spryly, suggesting great strength. Those looking carefully can also see he wears two necklaces, a periapt and something on a longer chain that is hidden inside his armor. He steps up to the bar to introduce himself.

"I'm Kinkaid. Ironwolf Kinkaid."

He looks around for anyone he might know, but doesn't immediately spot anyone.

 

[SlagMortar]

"Ironwolf? Is that you in that tin can? Hah! Devlin is here, too! Next thing you know Rika going to come throught the door in a princess gown followed by Sturm with a magic sword he pulled from a stone. You must have been on some great adventures since our cutoff trip to search for those hippogriffs!"

 

[Patlin]

Ironwolf's eyes light in recognition.

"Planus! I haven't seen you since that wild goose chase we went on. Yes, I've been busy. After the hippogriffs, I was involved in a short murder investigation. After that I got involved in something a bit more... calamatous. I'm still not entirely sure what happened, but there was a she-demon, a plague, and a possibility of a war breaking out. We found a cure for the plague, a combination of spells that will cure it. Unfortunately, the she-demon got away... and the appetites of nations still threaten anyone wishing to live in peace."

 

[Rystil Arden]

*A startling unnatural-looking man with striking red hair has entered the inn.*

"Zaeryl Alant," he says simply and quietly, not caring if anyone hears.

*As he hears Ironwolf sum up their last adventure, he sighs and adds:*

"That was quite disappointing, though at least we drove her away instead of letting her leave with the treasure. Made more disappointing since we didn't really find the cure--she just told us..."

 

[Patlin]

"That was quite disappointing, though at least we drove her away instead of letting her leave with the treasure. Made more disappointing since we didn't really find the cure--she just told us..."

"Yes, though we had to survive the meeting to make much use of the information. And the treasure certainly helped get our equipment up to snuff. The she-demon was much more ambiguous in motivation than I would have expected. Paranoid, untrustworthy, and dangerous... but I'm not completely sure we couldn't have saved her somehow. It troubles me."

 

[Rystil Arden]

"Too many morals muddle a decisive action. While you continue to debate whether or not to save her, we will strike her down the next time we see her. You may be right and she may be savable, but the woman transformed herself from a human into a creature of evil--the chance is low enough that it isn't worth losing the advantage of a rapid attack, logically."

 

[Patlin]

"Perhaps so. Action would depend on circumstance, of course. If I next met her on a battleground, I might act as you suggest. If she were to walk in that door and peacefully ask to converse... I'd at least hear her out."

 

[Rystil Arden]

"She does certainly seem to be more in possession of her faculties than most demons, and closer to the edge of redemption, but that only makes her more dangerous, not less."

 

[SlagMortar]

"Well, that seems to be the way of it. This group Mongrel lead me to adventured through planes of nothingness, fire, and water and in the end only proved a small thorn in the side of evil, if I understood Opale correctly. Still, we fought evils and are still alive to tell the tale, and ready go out and fight the evil some more."