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Message: <blockquote data-quote="sniffles" data-source="post: 2839162" data-attributes="member: 30035">Fiery FriendsDevo did a great job of padding this session to fill in time until we can storm the castle. He didn't want to proceed to the castle this session because Hedrin was absent.  <img src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/joypixels/assets/8.0/png/unicode/64/1f609.png" class="smilie smilie--emoji" loading="lazy" width="64" height="64" alt=";)" title="Wink    ;)"  data-smilie="2"data-shortname=";)" /> Night was falling over the tiny hamlet of Banin as we made our departure from the Seven Song Cup. It seemed our plans for a night spent under shelter and a hot meal had gone awry. We briefly considered taking shelter in the burnt husk of a former mercantile establishment, but the structure proved to be too badly damaged to provide sufficient cover. We were obliged to seek a secluded spot for our camp some distance from the village, and the hour had grown late enough by that point that we must pause in our search while Nekaya performed the 'girding' ritual required of her by her devotion to Elishar. At last Rock located a copse of trees in which we could hide ourselves. Fortunately the self-described warlord sent no soldiers to pursue us that night, or our hiding place was sufficiently well chosen that they did not discover us. As dawn neared, I detected the sounds of some small creature approaching our campsite. Though I realized it was likely a wild animal, I alerted Rock. Then a small grey fox entered our camp and strode purposefully up to Erim.This creature proved to have a note pinned to its fur. When Erim removed the note the fox scampered away. Erim read the note with perplexity, then passed it to the rest of our company. It stated: "I would like to speak to you. I come as a friend. Foxfire."We had no inkling of who Foxfire might be, but decided to risk waiting for this person to arrive, presuming by the phrasing of the note that Foxfire meant to come to us. Only a few heartbeats later a woman with faintly elvish features appeared from the morning mist. She wore rugged attire and carried no weapons of metal on her person, as I have been told is the custom among some druids. She readily introduced herself as Jayda Foxfire.Nekaya took the lead to question the woman, as her gods grant her the ability to determine evil intent. Jayda Foxfire first asked us if we had any ill will toward Kal Brimstone, to which Nekaya, ever truthful, responded that we sought only to deliver a package to him, though I do not recall that she stated from whom the package came. Jayda Foxfire appeared relieved by this news. She explained to us that she had once belonged to an adventuring company by the name of the Dragonfire Guild, of which Kal Brimstone had been leader. They had come to the Border Kingdoms to remove the keep's previous resident and afterward had decided to take control of the keep themselves. Recently the Guild members had had a falling-out, but all of them remained in the area and wished to find a way to release Kal Brimstone from his captivity. Jayda Foxfire confirmed that he was indeed a prisoner in the keep, for she could summon small animals to spy for her. When Jayda Foxfire asked us if we would aid her in freeing Kal Brimstone, all of our company readily agreed save perhaps Erim, who is always somewhat unwilling to risk his safety. Jayda then indicated that she might summon the other members of the Dragonfire Guild to free Kal Brimstone while we attacked the self-styled warlord Darik Tellusk. This seemed a favorable course of action to me. As Jayda related to us, Tellusk has oppressed the local folk and forced all merchants to remove their merchandise to his keep. I cannot abide a tyrant, and if he is indeed of the Zhentarim then it is all the more worthwhile to thwart his schemes.Jayda further gained our trust by drawing a detailed map of the keep's interior and revealing to us that at some past occasion the Dragonfire Guild had dealings with the Grey Wizard - better known to my companions and I as Havin Wayfinder. Disappointingly, she could not bring her companions to join us at once. We soon met her closest companion, Blaze Pathfinder, a half-orc of rough exterior and few words. But the other two members of the Guild, a gnome mage called Singe and a halfling woman known as Mira the Brand, had chosen to reside some distance away from the keep in opposite directions from one another. We had no means of immediately contacting them. Jayda suggested to us that while she sought out Mira, our group could go to Singe and seek his aid. She warned us that he was a fire mage of some skill, and also that he was rather fond of strong drink. To persuade him that we meant him no harm, she gave us a note for him and Blaze sent along a dagger bearing the emblem of the Dragonfire Guild. Our journey to the south to find Singe must be completed quickly, for Jayda had suggested that it would be well to infiltrate the keep at dusk. Tellusk had in his service a priestess of the foul god Bane, who was evidently reliant upon the magic of foretelling to gain information. Jayda hoped that if we struck during the time when this priestess was at her prayers, she might not yet know much of our strengths. As we made our way toward the cave where Singe made his home, Rock noted tracks of interest upon the route we followed. Some of these tracks appeared to be those of a large being of man-like shape, but larger than any ordinary man yet not as large as an ogre or giant. A second set of tracks belonged to someone the size of a man or elf, and a third to one smaller still. Occasionally he observed a fourth set of tracks, but these appeared only intermittently. After a time he came upon a spot where some scuffle or struggle appeared to have occurred, and a small stain of blood marred the earth. As he paused to examine this, we all dismounted and looked about curiously. Suddenly two large beasts sprang out of the tall grass and launched themselves at us, roaring with fury!The two beasts resembled lions but were covered in scaly hide and equipped with wings like those of a dragon. When they roared I felt more than merely a blast of sound. They seemed to focus their attacks on Rock, who had been standing over the bloodstain, though they did not fail to strike at the rest of our company who were in range of their swiping paws. I drew my blades and slashed the nearest creature while Erim moved to my side.Somehow Erim recognized that amid the beast's roars were spoken words in the ancient tongue of the dragons. He understands this tongue, though it was difficult for him to make out the words of the lion-creatures. They seemed to believe we had been responsible for the death of their child. Erim began trying to make them understand that we had not seen such a child, while he called on the rest of our company to cease our attacks and step away from the creatures. One of the beasts heeded Erim's words and no longer attacked us. But the second beast, apparently the female of the pair, continued to direct her ire at Rock. Rock backed away and used his hammer only to defend himself. Liadan even called upon Lathander's grace to extend healing to the beasts as well as to those of us who had been wounded by them. This demonstration of goodwill did not seem to impress the angry female, but her mate was able to persuade her to desist. After assuring themselves that we had none of their offspring's blood upon us, the two creatures flew off in pursuit of those responsible for the tracks we had been examining. But before our hostilities had ceased one of them roared again, and this time I felt such a wave of weariness as I have never experienced before. Liadan has the ability to relieve such exhaustion through Lathander's mercy, but it was decided to wait to see if we might find time to rest before our assault on the keep, so that her spell would be more efficacious. In the meanwhile I found myself barely able to climb back into the saddle when we continued our search for the gnome.Jayda's directions proved accurate and we soon located the cave we sought. It was quite obvious that the gnome was in residence when we arrived: we heard singing of the variety that is only produced by the intoxicated. Concerned that he might react aggressively to strangers in this state, we waited outside while Nekaya entered the cave alone and unarmed to allay his suspicion. A few moments later a ball of fire shot out of the cave entrance. But Nekaya gave no indication that she had been injured and we remained outside. Soon she reappeared, unharmed, with a red-haired gnome staggering behind her. When he saw our group he attempted to burn us with another spell, but in his drunken state chose an incantation that did not have sufficient range to reach us from his position. Nekaya showed him the tokens we had been provided with, which calmed his fears. He agreed to accompany us to the chosen meeting place - but only if he could bring along barrels of ale! This request we reluctantly agreed to, if only to make it easier to persuade him to come with us.When we came once more to the spot where we had encountered the lion-beasts, we found the pair waiting for us. They explained to Erim that they had found the "child-killers" and that they had brought gifts to us to apologize for attacking us earlier. One of the beasts batted some rounded object with its paw and the severed head of one of the Tel'Quessir rolled toward us!As soon as they had delivered their 'gifts' the beasts flew off. We were left with the severed head, which wore a silver circlet that Liadan identified as magical in nature, and a heap of cloth and broken twigs and straw. The cloth was determined to have been a small magical carpet that was capable of flight, though it was uncertain if it could still be so used in its present torn and bloodied state. The twigs and straw had evidently been a broom. Nekaya put the soiled carpet in her saddlebags so that the smell would not disturb our mounts. We buried the elf's head, keeping the silver circlet so that Erim might later learn its purpose.Jayda and her other friends met us at the designated spot. At dusk we will enter the keep, having Erim cast upon Pakkin the same spell he used upon me when we attacked the sinister altar a few days ago. Pakkin will become insubstantial and pass through the walls, then open a small gate to allow us admittance. Jayda has revealed that Tellusk has only perhaps thirty men in his service, not enough to provide sufficient protection to hold the keep. Once we are inside, the Dragonfire Guild will go to free Kal Brimstone while we hunt down Tellusk. With Corellon's blessing we will be able to destroy him before his men or his pet wizards and priestess can come to his aid. I hope that Liadan will be able to relieve me of this weariness before that time, else I shall not be in my best form for this battle. Corellon lend me strength!Quips & Quotes for this session:Erim: "The first rule of Fight Club..."Jubilee: "...is don't mention Brimstone Keep."Devo: "You have from dawn to dusk."Erim: "That sounds ominous."sniffles: "And nobody has a crotch gun!"Erim: "You don't know enough about Erim!"Devo: "Judging by the tracks, the giant you're following is about 10 feet tall."Jubilee: "Not so much a giant as a basketball player."</blockquote>

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