D&D 5E [IC] Creamsteak's Princes of Elemental Evil

[Forged Fury]

Damien's mouth twitched when Dent announced he was leaving. That's not good...

You're right it isn't good! I had plans for that one! Go after him!

The warlock looked back and forth at the remainder of the party. Arihda had apparently left, only to be replaced by the new elf, Maighan. Tolan had disappeared to the Hell's knew where, he hadn't been seen in a few days and had been even more quiet of late than was characteristic of him. Thaliss was Thaliss. Finally, Carrodoc remained something of a mystery. Pulling the wool over this crop would be decidedly more difficult without Dent's antics to cover him. Plus, without the two warriors, Damien noticed he would be left as the sole front-line fighter, aside from Maighan's bears. That is definitely not good...

Nodding, he made his decision. "Alas, I must be off as well, I have an unrelated, but important, investigation to undertake. I imagine you all have this well in hand. Hopefully Tolan will be along soon enough and you all can undertake this new commission. Good luck, it was a pleasure working with you all." The warlock had to keep himself from gagging at the last.

Sliding out the doorway, he quickly conjured a new illusion to disguise himself, looking like nothing more than a greengrocer.

Well, it looks like it's just the two of us again. Now find out where the grumpy one has gotten off to and get going. I want his soul and he seems to currently be without purpose. Hah! Hahahaha!

Inside Damien's pack, Nicodemus popped his head out and chattered angrily, as if his very existence had been forgotten for some time.

 

[Shayuri]

Maighan lifted an eyebrow and glanced at the others queryingly.

"Is it something I said?" she asked with a perfectly straight face masking the glint of humor at the corners of her lips.

 

[Steve Gorak]

As both Dent and Damien both both bid their farewells, Thaliss ceremoniously says, telepathically of course It has been an honor to be your brother in arms. I wish you safe travels my friends

Maighan lifted an eyebrow and glanced at the others queryingly.
"Is it something I said?" she asked with a perfectly straight face masking the glint of humor at the corners of her lips.

One part of Thaliss is relieved that the more persuasive members of the group are now gone, leaving this charming newcomer all to himself. Telepathically, Don't mind them my dear, they have their own agendas. They were worthy warriors, and they will be missed. However, we need to focus on the issue at hand. Are we in agreement that we will seek this young elven maiden? If so, we need to find Tolan first, to see if he too has left us.

 

[Kobold Stew]

Carradoc watches Dent and then Damien leave.

"Pissers," he says just a little too loud to be an attempt to be under his breath.

 

[Forged Fury]

On the second morning following the party's return to Red Larch, Tolan broke camp early. Looking to the south, he could just make out the smoke from the chimneys of the town's taverns and bakery as they were fired in preparation for the days cooking. The elf didn't like cities much; when the party had returned, he had taken a quick second to restock the few supplies he needed and headed back out into the wilderness to wait for the scheduled rendezvous.

With the distractions of the town being far away, Tolan was able to focus on his bladework. The past several days had certainly allowed him opportunities to put his practice to use, but a darkness hung heavy on his spirit. The reason I came here was to try to find alternative answers to the sword, but the group I am with seem fine with solving every problem with blade or spell. Other than Aridha and Damien, at least, but the human's duplicity is just as bad... The elf didn't necessarily have many moral qualms with the party's approach. After all, it seemed that nearly everyone they had crossed swords with was engaged in some type of criminal enterprise. But still, he had hoped to find a different way.

Running through his morning practice routine, the elf cut and thrust vigorously, parrying the clubs and axes of imagined foes. Rapidly moving his feet, the swordsman wove his blades through an elliptical pattern as he ducked and wove around the clearing. Twirling his sword in two-hands over his head, he brought the blade down in a heavy slash, completing the routine.

"See something you like?" Tolan asked, his keen elven ears having picked up a soft muttering during his practice. Whirling around with blade at the ready, the elf sighed as three humans wearing dirt-stained leathers charged out of the brush, rusty swords held high with one of them wearing a straw coolie hat. He took the first of the three in the side. Stabbing deeply from near the waist, the blade ran through the thug's rib cage and out his armpit. A gout of blood burst from the man's mouth as he fell.

As Tolan counterattacked, the other two thugs closed in, swinging their blades. The swordsman twisted the falling body and parried the second attack with the dead man's corpse. Kicking out, the elf knocked that attacker off balance. Lowering his sword, Tolan allowed the first thug's body to finally slide off the end of it as he bent backwards at the waist to dodge the third attack. As his foe's blade whistled a hair's breadth over his head, the swordsman raised his now free sword and spitted the third attacker through her heart.

Freeing his blade, Tolan turned to square up to his final adversary, his subconscious noting that it was the man wearing the hat. Observing the man favoring his leg, Tolan lashed out low, cutting at the his opponent's ankle. As his blade sheared into the leg, time seemed to slow down and the elf saw that he had sheared through the stalk of a tall weed growing next to the man, as well. Snatching the sheared weed out of the air, he stuck it between two of his teeth. Spinning around, the elf sliced through the man's neck as he fell, separating his head from his body. In an odd twist of fate, the coolie hat remained secured underneath the man's chin. As a result, instead of dropping as was normal, Tolan observed the head float to the ground, the Coolie hat achieving enough lift to allow the severed head to defy gravity itself, albeit briefly. "You don't see that everyday..."

---

As the party gathered their gear and prepared to depart, a blast of warm air filled the room as the double swinging doors were pushed open. Stepping into the gap was a cloaked figure wearing a broad straw coolie hat. Within the shadows of the hat, the party made out familiar elven features. Tolan, the stalk of a weed wedged between his teeth, looked around the room and nodded as he took in the carnage, "I guess I missed the farewell party?"

 

[Steve Gorak]

"Tolan!" Thaliss exclaimed out loud, which was rather unusual given his propensity for telepathic communication. Thaliss had a soft spot for the wood-elf; even though he was a commoner, the warrior was noble at heart, and Thaliss felt a kinship that transcended status.

Continuing telepathically for all except the thugs to hear I'm glad you'e back. Dent and Damien permanently left our group and headed their own way after we had a slight altercation with these thugs. Thaliss then proceeds to the counter where the elf-lady is, and grabs Tolan's bag of gold and hands it to him. Here you go, this is your share, the guild considers we have completed the caravan mission[/].

Oblivious to the cowering Thugs that are still alive, Thaliss re-positioned a chair next to a table furthest from where the thugs are located, and proceeded to brief Tolan on the new mission that the Guild offered to them.

This must have been an eerie scene from the Thugs perspective...

 

[Kobold Stew]

Carradoc is pleased to see a familiar face. He lists his head in acknowledgement when he comes in. "Nice to see you," he says laconically.

 

[Creamsteak]

The constable shows up after a few minutes with one singular recently recruited deputy in tow. They have manacles... and a tiny 6 foot jail cell to accommodate the guests until, hopefully, someone else arrives to ferry them off to Summit Hall.

Tolan is able to find what he seeks, though it is a bit of a trial, taking approximately an hour to rummage around town.

Wagon vendors hawk their wears as you walk down the main strip. As this town has two different wagon vendors, they seem quite competitive in Wagons and Wagon accessories.

The morning sky is orange as the sun cascades over various clouds, though it is not particularly bright.

 

[Shayuri]

"So, Tolan," says the 'new elf on the block,' "I'm Maighan, of the Circle of Memories. I've come to look into claims of the druids in this area...and I've gotten word from Aridha regarding the cults you lot have uncovered so now I'm looking into those as well. Good to meet you. Aridha had good things to say about you."

 

[Forged Fury]

Tolan tipped his straw hat to the elf. "Pleasure's mine," he replied. "Arihda sent a squirrel to intercept me on the way into town and told me I could trust you. I reckon that's good enough for me." Pausing at a nearby stable, he asked, "Should we get horses? The travel would certainly be easier. If this girl was traveling with the previous group, I think we should check the Spire. Her name was not brought up as one of the remaining prisoners in the Monastery and we know someone took captives further west, at which point they were attacked by warriors from the spire."