D&D 5E [D&D 5E] Tattered Memories: An Adventure in Tethyr (COMPLETE)

[Forged Fury]

A second passed before a gruff voice shouted, “Come in!” Brue entered the small dwelling and closed the door behind her. The rain was now falling heavily with thunder and lightning fast approaching.

Dimly lit, a small fire burned in a fireplace on the far side of the room. Above the mantle hung a shield and longsword, both showing signs of past use; these were not mere ornaments. Against the wall on the right side of the room was tacked a large map of the Wealdath area of Tethyr. Sitting at a small table on the left side of the room was a weathered man in his 60s. Looking up from the table, his eyes quickly assessed Brue. "Ah, looks like you're awake. How are you feeling?"


^{Credit: Anthony Vinh Nguyen @ www.avn-online.com}

 

[CanadienneBacon]

[section]"Are you Greycastle?" Brue stood stock still in the open doorway and stared at the grisled man. She searched his features and felt as if she ought to find something in his face, but couldn't pin down just what that something was.

A gust of wind blew in a few rain-sodden leaves and threatened to snuff the meager fire. Brue kept her eyes on the man, but reached behind her to close the door. The air in the room grew grew close. The flames of the fire steadied. "Not so well," Brue answered the man when he asked how she was feeling. "But I'm alive. And I hear I have you to thank for that. As well as my stay at the temple." Her eyes went to the shield and longsword mounted above the fireplace.[/section]

 

[Forged Fury]

"Aye, Randal Greycastle, at your service. Feel free to take a seat, I won't bite." The man chuckled as he leaned back in his chair. Waving off the woman's thanks, he continued, "Any decent folk would have done the same as me. Of course, the world isn't always filled with decent folk. As far as the temple, Tolliver owes me a few favors, so I got a discount. In any event, if you feel you owe me something, we may be able to figure out a way to settle the debt."

Noticing Brue's eyes on the sword and shield, he said, "But enough of that for now. I see you're interested in my old tools? Yes, they are mine. Something of a past life... but what about you? What brought you to the point you were lying bloody and dying on the Trade Way two nights ago?"

 

[CanadienneBacon]

[section]Brue moved to enter the cottage but the heavy mud caking her boots gave her pause. Do people take off their boots around here when they go inside someone's home? Why do I think that's proper custom? She froze for a beat, undecided, then bent at the waist and took off her muddy boots by the door, lined them in a crisp row. At Greycastle's invitation, she padded to a chair at the table, pushed down her hood, and sat. Greycastle's easy way made her feel more comfortable than she had with the too-pretty Coinmaster. "I don't know why I was wherever it was you found me," Brue said. Opting for honesty and trusting that her tactic would work, she continued, "My memory seems to be shot. I was hoping you might recall some detail that would help me remember. My name, maybe?" Brue couldn't help but swallow when she felt hope rise in her throat. Part of her knew this man was about to dash her hopes of figuring out who or what she was, and that part warred with the half that clung to the prospect of discovery.[/section]

 

[Forged Fury]

"Sorry, lass. This is the first time I've seen you on two feet. You must have taken a hard hit to the head. I knew a few soldiers who suffered from memory loss during the Reclamation Wars." Glancing at Brue's boots by the front door, he added, "Although it seems like you remembered your manners."

Pausing, Greycastle's visage grew thoughtful, "By the time I found you, the bandits had already cleared out with your belongings... and their dead. There was a good amount of blood and it didn't seem to be yours. Judging by your scars, I'd say you were a fighting woman of some skill. Some folk look down on scars, but to me it means you were good enough to survive. Beyond that, I don't think I know anything else... Helm, I don't even know exactly what you are, if you forgive my bluntness."

Greycastle gestured at the table and Brue noticed a pitcher of water and bread. Murmuring a quiet prayer, the man held his hand out, palm down over the food. The water and bread glowed briefly with a blue light. "Care for some food and water, I'm sure you're famished."

 

[CanadienneBacon]

[section]Brue's face folded in on itself with disappointment for the span of four seconds. Then she sat up straight in her chair, pushed back her shoulders. The "what you are" bit hurt, but was also a steel rod of determination that slid up her spine.

When Greycastle intoned a prayer over the bread and water that caused both to glow, Brue leaned forward, fascinated. She looked at the water, then up at Greycastle. "Did you just do magic?" She eyed him. "Maybe I should be asking what you are, Sir?" Just then, her stomach growled. Loudly. Hunger set in so fiercely it made her innards knot, but she made herself wait until Greycastle broke bread.

When Greycastle offered food and drink, Brue accepted both. She drank the water first. Picking up an end of bread, she broke off a piece and chewed thoughtfully. "This is good. Thanks." Something percolated to the top of her mind. "Coinmaster Cooper is young to be head cleric." It was a statement, but also a question. Brue looked up from her bread and watched Greycastle for his reaction.[/section]

 

[Forged Fury]

Taking note of Brue's body language and words, Greycastle offered, "Sorry, didn't mean to offend. I've marched with armies across Tethyr... seen humans, elves, halflings, gnomes, dwarves... you name it. I've just never quite seen anyone like you before. Your race doesn't really matter though, it's about how you act. Just remember that there are a lot of people out there that don't think that way."

"Lucky for you, I'm a paladin, a holy warrior of Helm, the Vigilant One. In addition to the bit of magic that Helm allows me, I can also look into the character of a creature. So I can at least tell you that you're no fiend. I checked the night I found you before bringing you back."

When Brue mentioned the Coinmaster, Greycastle chuckled, a deep, rolling sound that mirrored the thunder outside. "Ah, you noticed that? Sharp mind. While Tolliver is the head priest of Commerce House, which I am sure he mentioned, he's also the only priest of Commerce House. The Church of Waukeen is rebuilding after the Time of Troubles with most of their efforts focused on the big cities. Mosstone is most definitely not one of those, but is a convenient stop on the Trade Way, so the Church had to put someone here. The lad's of noble birth, but he carries himself better than most. He does well with their... mercantile approach to faith." Greycastle finished off by drinking deeply from his flagon of water.

 

[CanadienneBacon]

[section]"Where did you find me? Exactly? Coinmaster Cooper said he thought I'd been set upon by brigands. Does that square with what you saw?" Brue finished her bread, and had a second cup of water. She thought about what Greycastle said about knowing she wasn't a fiend. Ask him, ask him, ask him . . . . She didn't, though the question burned.[/section]

 

[Forged Fury]

"About two leagues south of Mosstone on the Trade Way. Whoever attacked you had been rolled you into the bushes. If not for the tracks left in the mud from the fight, I would have passed right by..."

Clasping his hand, Greycastle continued, "Considering whoever attacked you stripped you of your possessions, I figured them for bandits. When I realized you were still alive, I headed straight to Commerce House and told the Coinmaster what happened. Granted, the Coinmaster would probably blame everything on bandits, considering how they impact trade, but it seems on the mark to me."

"It's possible something was left behind at the ambush, but there's not much we can do about that now with the walls closed."

 

[CanadienneBacon]

[section]Brue thought about what Greycastle said. She put down her empty cup, and leaned back in her chair at the table. The warmth of the fire felt good. "Aye, I want to go back to the scene and have a look. But the quarantine is a problem. Brue focused on Greycastle, took in the chisel of his cheeks. "I saw the notice tacked on the outside of the tavern door." She shifted her weight, uncertain. "How heavy is the patrol outside the walls?"[/section]