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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Medriev" data-source="post: 4485588" data-attributes="member: 21864">Chapter 1 - Shadows of the Past (Continued)Enlishia looked ahead down the trail and as a pleasant evening breeze touched her face she was momentarily reminded of Knightswood and the peace of her home. The day had been pleasant for the time of year despite the climb into the high vales of the Thunder Peaks along the East Road and after the exertions of the road, the cool of the breeze was actually soothing. The road beneath Enlishia’s feet was level here while an occasional cobblestone peaked through the dirt indicating decades of neglect. Looking down, she noticed footprints leading up and down the road, many of which were seemingly made by small, clawed feet.“Have a care hear,” Enlishia said softly. “We may be watched.”The others moved forward cautiously and Enlishia marveled for a moment at the trust they had built in one battle. Lavren and Mandratan were a part of their band now as much as she was, as much as Dulvarna was. The raven haired woman pulled ahead of the group as usual and Enlishia felt edgy. She reached for an arrow from the quiver from her back and as she did so, Dulvarna passed between two piles of boulders. Small creatures hiding behind the rocks sprung into view and began to move towards Dulvarna and to block the road. Scaled and rust-coloured, they had reptilian heads and tails.Enlishia rushed forward, an arrow already nocked to her bowstring and let loose at one of the creatures to the right of the road. It fell with the shaft through its chest.“They are kobolds,” she called back to the others. “Have a care for they are sly and tricky.”From close to the fallen kobold another rose, this one with a sling in its hands and a clay pot loaded to it. The creature let fly at Dulvarna but she ducked and the clay pot flew into the undergrowth at the left of the road. The pot burst and flames came forth only to be smothered in a hiss of steam by the snow that still covered the ground hereabouts. Javelins came from the kobolds at the right of the road, while Mandratan loosed a silvery bolt that seared through the chest of a kobold and felled it. Two more surged forward from the left of the road, these with short swords and shields that looked to be dragon scales. Lavren called out to Dulvarna and rushed forward. He saw a move from his right and lashed out with his hand sending crackling dark energy there. His foe ducked back and the eldritch power seared only leaves and branches. Deloak roared and surged forward, hammer in hand, taking to the grass beside the road where he was met by another foe. Hammer clashed with sword and neither gave ground as the battle became more fierce.Another fell to Enlishia’s bow and behind her another pot of flame burst against a rock. The enemy surged forward from the right then but Erlmoor was ready and met them with his blade. Mandratan loosed another silvery bolt, this towards Dulvarna and the enemy she faught. It flew past both and struck the road a way ahead of all. Beside him, Erlmoor met a kobold that came from the right and drove his blade into its belly. It fell gasping to the floor and blood poured from the terrible wound. The dragonborn stepped over the kobold and circled around the rocks, heading for the kobold with the sling and his last companion. The kobolds saw him come and one moved to meet him with a sword. It stabbed at him feebly and he swatted the blade away.Lavren saw Dulvarna step back, her leg bleeding and moved forward to aid her. Again he tried to summon terrible witchfire within the kobold and again, as in Arabel, it failed. Instead, part of the grass beside the road was seared by white flame. The moon elf cursed in elven. As he did so, Deloak stepped back towards him, drawing a kobold on towards him. At the last he moved to protect the elf and lashed out with his hammer. The kobold stepped back to evade the mighty blow and then darted forward, plunging his blade into the dwarf’s leg. The dwarf grunted and then shoved the kobold back and away. Dulvarna drove the kobold back before her, cutting a shallow wound in its chest and thanked Lathander as she advanced. The Morning Lord had blessed her with the skills of a warrior and she intended to use them to take his message into the wider world. Further back Enlishia loosed another arrow and once more the shaft struck true. This drove into the shoulder of the sling wielding kobold who fell back against the rock beside him. The slinger twirled the sling over his head having put another clay pot into it but no sooner had he done so than the accursed archer had ducked back behind a rock. He loosed the pot instead at Lavren and this time it struck home. Lavren cried out as the heavy missile struck him and then cursed again as glue, rather than fire, spilled out down his legs and onto his feet, rooting him to the spot. Mandratan moved past him, winked at him and then reached out with the wand he carried. Another silvery bolt burst forth, seared through the chest of the slinger and hurled him back against the rock. He did not rise again. Erlmoor lashed out with his blade and cut down the kobold before him and again he stepped over his foe and moved to aid Dulvarna. The kobold before her retreated before the onslaught then, backing towards its last companion who faught Deloak. It came back at the pair fiercely but both were ready and parried expertly. Lavren loosed dark crackling energy at it again then but again his spell flew wide. For a third time he cursed and drew his sword from his belt.Deloak fell back against Lavren bleeding from the shoulder now and despite his anger and desire to aid Dulvarna, Lavren turned towards the dwarf. He glanced back towards Dulvarna and as he did so, the raven haired woman ducked low and swept the legs from beneath the kobold she faced. It fell to its back before Dulvarna and Erlmoor. Enlishia too saw the chance. Shouldering her bow and drawing her sword from her back, she charged to aid the woman and the dragonborn. Mandratan, meanwhile, turned towards Deloak and his foe as Lavren had. He lashed out with his wand and loosed a silvery bolt that struck the kobold in the shoulder and forced it back a step. Further ahead, Erlmoor drove his blade into the belly of the fallen kobold but still it scrabbled away and rose to its feet. It backed away then and stabbed its blade at Enlishia who parried. Lavren darted around the snow covered boulders and darted in at the other kobold from its right. He thrust at it, driving his blade into its side and it staggered back another step.“Honourable warriors never fall!” roared Deloak then and with a huge blow he smote the kobold’s skull with his hammer shattering it utterly and spraying Lavren and himself with blood and brains. The kobold fell and the others took up the cry, surging forward. The last of the kobolds, wounded and fearful stood not a chance as Dulvarna surged at it and drove her blade into its chest. It fell amongst the others and the battle was won.        ******The rutted East Way wound through the Thunder Peaks fro the rest of the day until eventually coming upon the walled town of Winterhaven. The town was nestled in a forested valley in the midst of the mountains, the stone walls appearing weathered but still managing to support the defensive palisades. Small thatched homes stood around the town, each fronting a small piece of farmland that had been cleared of trees. Beyond the farms, to the west and south, were dark woods, and in all directions rose tall mountain peaks. The gates were open and two guards pointed the newcomers towards and inn just inside.“I must leave you here,” said Gevarn then. “My temple lies against the west wall and I must go and see Sister Linora. I shall tell her of your bravery both in Arabel and on the road and please, come to speak with her as soon as you are settled.”“We shall learn what we may first,” said Lavren. “Winterhaven seems and intriguing place and a difficult place to hide a cult.”“Aye, lad,” said Deloak, “we’ll come if we learn nothing more here.”Gevarn left them then, his shoulders slumping at the less than enthusiastic words of Lavren and Deloak. The six turned towards the inn and made their way inside. Within, Wrafton’s Inn was a spacious place with a wide, long common room in which a scattering of villagers drank and ate. A middle-aged woman with short, black hair served behind the bar and soon the travelers had rooms arranged and food, ale and wine brought to them at a table near one of the two hearths.“Think you a dark cult lurks here?” said Deloak. “They say that Shar created this world with Selûne her sister but that Shar longs only to see a desolate world filled only with evil and despair.”“How can a cult lurk here?” said Lavren. “We are so close to Cormyr and to the north my kin guard ancient ways while to the east, the Sembians ever reach forth with gold and goods. Surely the East Way cannot be as dangerous as this?”“Ever it has been thus, though friend,” said Mandratan. “These peaks are the border between Cormyr and the Dalelands beyond and the Dalesmen have no Purple Dragons to guard every trail and road. These mountains have become riddled with dangers of late as many frontiers have. It is even said that a  dracolich known as the Sibilant Shade prowls the mountains. Though she sleeps often of late, she stirs sometimes to prey on particularly treasure-laden caravans that pass through the Thun¬der Gap along the East Way. Know you not that when Cormyr absorbed the nations of Esparin and Orva at its founding, it created a series of fortresses in the Thunder Peaks to guard its east¬ern border but for reasons now lost to time, the keeps failed and Cormyr withdrew its might to instead guard the lower lands. Even the Purple Dragons could not keep this mountain roads safe. There could yet be a cult here.”“Then if there is one here,” said Dulvarna, “surely someone would know about it. We should ask amongst the townsfolk to learn what we may as we said we would. We must give Lathander the chance to shed light upon the darkness.”“Lathander aids those who aid themselves,” rumbled Erlmoor. “Though I am sworn to his service I rely on him little. Shar gains much power from servants on the Plane of Shadow, which some call the Shadowfell. The Shadowfell is a dark reflection of Toril, where undead and shadowy humanoids stalk the land. If any such servants lurk here they would be hidden in dark places where we could not see. Like as not none would know unless they were in league with them. Sister Linora it was who sought aid and it is she who likely will know as much as any could in this town. We should see her when morning comes.”It was agreed then and as platters began arriving of smoked meats and bread and cheese, silence descended on the table and all took to eating and drinking. They retired to their beds satisfied and sated, with new business before them at the dawn.</blockquote>

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