Knightfall
World of Kulan DM
It takes a bit of time for the horses to settle. They are uncomfortable being back where the battle took place.After introducing himself to the stranger, Caerth mostly ignores him. Instead, he takes his horse and those of the others and secures their reigns to a tree so that they can feast on the grass and leaves nearby.
"To say that there has been instability is a bit of an understatement," Aureus notes as she takes a seat around the fire. "We've faced a lot of evil in the last few months."Once everyone is seated around, he distributes what little food he has.
"I am sent here to investigate rumors of instability in this area. Looking for clues, you might say. Maybe get to know people of the region, to feel what they're thinking of life, universe and everything."
Aureus looks at Maur quizzically when the dwarf mentions Xander. Does her new friend think that the duergar has survived somehow? Or that Xander will return from the dead? She ponders the idea and shudders. "Let's hope Xander is no longer a threat," she mumbles towards the fire, as she pulls out some of their own food that Ivoron gave to them. She passes around some crusty bread and a bag of sweet nuts.Maur focuses his attention at their host, lenses on his eyes flashing behind the goggles for barest of moments.
"My apologies, Litrix Maekrix." grumbles Maur sliding from his horse in a clatter of armor
"We had a bad experience here, I was...unneccessarily hostile. Maur Deepdelver." He takes the offered seat, considering the man in front of him.
"You might have trouble gong further east. There were hard times for the folk there. Suspicious of strangers. Cultists caused some trouble, which we resolved. Except one or two of them. You might consider that an instability. If you meet duergar wizard posing as a smith named Xander, feel free to kill it with extreme prejudice. He is a wanted murderer and semi-willing servant of death-cult I mentioned."
"I have no objections to adding another blade for when we face Eike," Phar agrees. "Now, he could be as dangerous as Tarrak was, if he has truly been corrupted by his goddess."Angus nods and says, "Aye, and in my experience, the best way to get to know someone is to figure out what they believe (or profess to believe) in, and what they are willing to die for. So perhaps, if my compatriots agree, you'd like to join us on our manhunt for Eike...? "
Aureus looks to Caerth to see what the half-orc druid thinks.JustinCase said:Confident in his group's ability to take Litrix out in a fight if it would come to that, the half-orc druid does not take any overt precautions. Instead, he gathers some berries, roots and the rare mushroom from the surroundings and places them all on a plate near the fire, free for all to eat.
He himself merely takes a small branch holding a few berries, and sits himself down to chew on them while listening to the others' conversations.
"What did your demon look like in your dream?" Aureus asks. "Did it look like a crow? If so, that would be Malotoch. That's is Eike's demon goddess. Or, maybe even..."The host looks at Angus, focusing the eyes and tilting the head like a bird of prey.
"And what...or who...is this Eike? Why would I join your manhunt if I have my own mission? I admit, I was brought here by a prophetic dream, but you weren't in it. Just a big bad god-demon."
Aureus hesitates to say Vok's name in the place where the demon lord manifested.
"I'll do my best," Aureus replies. "I'm still learning to spin tales..."MetaVoid said:He nods at the rest of the group as the introduction are made. And to Maur specifically
"I am used to suspicion, it's not like I'm inconspicuous. You mentioned demons here, just as in my dream. Can I hear the story?"
He sits down after at least someone took his invitation, leaving the shield next to him on the ground and revealing ornate sword pommel at his hip. As he moves, strange scale he wears doesn't ring like metal, but produces dry, rustling sound, a susurrus like sliding dry wood panels.
Aureus waits until everyone is seated around the fire and has had a bit to eat. Quinn is the last to take a seat. Cruel Justice and Qi have remained silent all this time. The divine bard starts at the beginning of her own journey to Carnell alongside Phar. She tells Litrix of the village, its people, and the quest for Lord Pendour's body and the key alongside Caerth, Lorien and Phar. She delves into the cultists' lair and the fight through Gurnard's Head on the Sea Isle and meeting both Maur and Angus.MetaVoid said:"Please, help yourself with what I have. It is not much, but it will keep the energy up."
She mentions the star Arms but doesn't give away their powers or Cruel Justice and Qi's intelligence or their ability to speak.
She gives a rousing account of the battle in the cave against Tarrak and his undead army and of the tragic tale of Galzadar the Fallen and his return from corruption through the ritual that saved his soul. She also goes into the tragic loss of Lady Pendour's nephew, Brutus Wruck, at the hands of Eike, and the group's current mission to retrieve the dead half-ogre lad's signet ring, so it can be buried with him.
She pauses for effect before telling the ambush planned by a corrupted Xander and the manifestations of both Vok and Druaga. "Here, under the Pillar of Songs, we fought against a great evil and it could have overwhelmed us. Almost all of the villagers were consumed by Druaga. Those few we were able to save, we took with us to an inn west of here."
She ends with telling of the inn and meeting both Ivoron and Old Mazz. She doesn't mention Caerth's newly discovered 'blood' father or the details of Maur's commune with the dwarf gods. She leaves that up to them to share, if they so choose.
"And now, we are hunting Eike again. To bring him to justice and retrieve Brutus's ring for Lady Pendour."