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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Lars Frehse" data-source="post: 246551" data-attributes="member: 1674">The serpent Amphora- part 3Storyhour 6-3The man broke down, and Torn saw that there was blood seeping through his torn cloak in the back. Picking the wounded man up, he ran back to the feast.At the sight of this emergency, a hush fell over the crowd. Ben cast a healing spell on the Ranger, who recovered. Resting him on a bench, Ben examined the puncture wounds of the man."Poison", Ben said. "I can try to help him with some of the herbs I found in the mountains. But my magic is not strong enough to cure him.".By now, a small crowd had gathered, and the wounded man spotted Jan. Upon seeing Corean's insignia, the man seemed to gather his last strength, and he signalled Jan to come closer.The man now started speaking frantically, with the conviction of a man, who knew that he was living on borrowed time: "I thank the gods and the mother for your presence here, servant of Corean. My name is Eochaid, a Vigil of Vesh. We learned of a small covey of hags on the edge of the Hornsaw and the Blood Steppes. They had come into posession of a vessel that contains part of the essence of Mormo the Hag-queen."The man coughed heavily, blood flecked his lips and his body was shaken with spasms. Then, after he was able to breathe again, he continued: " We, we raided their encampment. We lost two... But we got the amphora and then we were pursued all across the Blood Steppes, and the servants of the hags caught up with us over and over again! And each time, they got some of us... One or two at a time... My brothers in arms, my friends... They sacrificed themselves to buy us time with their very lifes..."For a short moment, it looked as if grief and exhaustion were keeping the ranger from continuing. But then, he motioned for his backpack, and after Niklas had handed it to him, he pulled an Amphora out of it. It was crafted of lead and had a metal seal impressed with the scepter and laurel wreath symbol of Chardun. The amphora itself was decorated with a twisting, intricate pattern of intertwined snakes, and as Jan focused back on Eochaid the Ranger, it seemed as if the snakes were moving at the edge of his sight.Eochaid grabbed Jan's shoulder, and pulled himself halfway up to him:" This must be returned to Vesh. Don't let all those lifes be wasted for nothing- guard it with your life now until it has reached the hands of the Vigils of Vesh. Swear you shall do this, in the name of Corean!".And as Jan swore, the poisoned Ranger settled back with a reliefed smile, closed his eyes and fell asleep.By now, some villagers had brought a stretcher and the heroes carefully put the wounded man on it and carried him to Radraan. When they reached the midnight shrine, the priest of the slayer was waiting for them in front of the windowless shrine."Ah, you brought the wounded man! Some villagers already told me about him and the prize he brought. Well, carry him inside, I will take care of him and the amphora."."I am sorry", Jan objected:" But I have promised this man to bring the amphora to Vesh!".Radraan kept on smiling but his eyes got even colder:" Now, certainly you won't consider the words of a delirious man to be binding, no? I would make sure that the Amphora reaches the hands of king Virduk himself."Jan shook his head:" He is a Vigilant, so I don't think  that his wish to have the amphora delivered to Vesh can be considered to be delirious."."But certainly, it is much safer in the heart of the Calastian empire then it could be in a land that is besieged by titanspawn on all sides. And of course, I am certain that his imperial highness would be more than grateful.".Now Ben spoke up. The little Halfling had never forgotten that he came from a country that had been raped by Calastia:" No way. We will take care of the poisoned man and the amphora ourselves. Let's go:".They turned around to the hut they had slept in, and Radraan kept on staring coldly at their backs, as if his gaze was a dagger, poised to strike them down.Back in the hut, they decided to leave the next day, after Ben had tended to the Ranger's wounds. For the next hours, he kept on taking care of the wounds. Fortunately, the herbs he used countered the poison, and it looked as if his patient should be able to recover after a couple of days rest.Niklas was examining the amphora, Ben checked the Ranger's pulse and the others were sleeping in cots on one wall, as the door burst open, and two lizardlike creatures were standing in the doorway.They had long necks and were as slender as an elf while being as tall as a human. Their scaled skin was deep green and their golden eyes were burning with a rare mixture of intelligence and hatred. Both scanned the room for a short moment and then regained their motion when they spotted Niklas holding the amphora.Niklas and Ben in turn recognized the creatures from countless stories and legends: They were Asaathi- an ancient race of reptilian warrior-wizards who had once, in an ancient past, ruled an empire that covered half of Ghelspad. Their once proud cities were now in ruins, but they were still serving their maker, Mormo, the serpentmother, as fanatically as they were back when their cities were still filled with life.</blockquote>

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