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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Jon Potter" data-source="post: 2401673" data-attributes="member: 2323">[PLAIN][Realms #313] Southward Ho!, part 9[/PLAIN]Huzair spared one of his healing potions on Wolf, bringing the animal back to consciousness. This prompted Lela to hug the wizard's face, planting a tiny kiss on his eyelid."Ah! Mind the piercings!" he chided, gently pulling her hand off the ring in his ear that she was using as a handle. Giggling, she fluttered away to lavish Wolf instead.The others conferenced at the edge of the Entangle while they waited for it to dissipate."There'll likely be more at the manor house," Ledare commented, eying the rooftop just partially visible high on the wooded hillside. Karak nodded."Aye. That much seems plain enough," he agreed. "We should press the attack!""I disagree," Morier said with a rueful shake of his head. "I have all but depleted my magic. And I'd wager that Huzair is the same although he'd never admit it.""I've a few blessings in me yet, but my healin' stick's runnin' a might low," Karak admitted. He looked at Ledare. "What say ye? Findin' tha' Shamalin lass be your quest. Do we press on?"Ledare sighed. "It is pointless for us to fail just because we overtaxed our resources. Shamalin will not be served by our deaths," she said. "I hate to think what evils she may be enduring, but our best chance to rescue her is to go in as prepared as we may be.""As ye wish!" Karak said. "The faerie's magic seems to be fadin' so let's glean what we can from th' dead an' then make for Floxen."Their opponents had been well-equipped and well-paid. Their weapons were masterwork quality and in top condition, but without any identifying ornamentation. The maker's mark on each ricasso had been thoroughly obscured, but the origin of each weapon had clearly been a common forge. The same held true for their plate mail although the armor was of a more pedestrian make than the bastard swords and daggers.Feln gathered the dead into a central pile, carrying the corpses over his broad shoulders like armor-plated sacks of grain. Lela then used her natural ability to Detect  Magic on the pile, identifying by their auras a pair of rings and a mace, as well as Sir Brin's armor, shield, and sword."Dibs on the rings!" Huzair shouted eagerly as he snatched them up. He slipped one on without hesitation and felt... a presence."Brin?" a voice rasped in the wizard's head. "Are they dead?""Uh... Yes," Huzair bluffed, ready to yank the ring off at the first sign of any threat from that quarter."Good," the voice replied, apparently unaware of the mage's deception. "Gather the bodies and bring them to me." In response, Huzair removed the ring and told the others what he'd heard."Could be Heurist," Ledare postulated. "He was with Brin last time I saw them." She gave them a brief refresher on the pair while they all gathered what spoils they cared to take.Feln was disinterested in the loot, having no use for armor and swords, particularly those sized for a body half as big as his own. Still he recognized the value of the items and knew that they could be brokered into healing draughts or other items that might ultimately benefit him. He was in the process of joylessly stripping Sir Brin's nearly headless corpse when he froze.Years ago - literally in another life - Feln had belonged to a group of martial artists in the Freehold of Farmin who called themselves the Gelgian Brotherhood. They had a well-earned reputation within the right circles as consummate infiltrators and spies, trading in secrets and political intrigues. The Gelgians also held a less-well-known reputation amongst a select few clients who had powerful enemies, tight lips, and overflowing coffers. For the right amount of gold, one of these practitioners of the Shadow Warrior fighting style, could eliminate a client's enemy - no matter how well protected they might be. Feln was on such a mission when the monastery in Palton Bay was attacked and his fellow Gelgians put to the sword.He returned to find only corpses of men and half-elves he'd grown up amongst since birth - the only family he'd ever known. There were no survivors to explain who had attacked or why, and Feln uncovered only two clues within the wreckage of his former life. The first was the word of a nearby blacksmith named Abos who claimed to have seen armored riders bearing a yellow banner visit the monastery during the time that Feln was gone. The second clue was found buried hilt-deep in his former master's chest: a black dagger with a pommel worked into the shape of a predatory bird. Sadly, he'd lost the blade - along with all his other worldly possessions, including his original body - in the belly of the Chaos Elemental.Looking now at the eagle-head fashioned into the haft of a morningstar hanging from Sir Brin's belt sent a rush of discovery through Feln's chest. He crouched down, ripped the black morningstar free with a jerk and brought it closer to his eyes, examining the iron bird. It was the same. He looked at Sir Brin with new eyes, noting the man's bright yellow livery, and he knew that he was close. Closer than he'd ever been to those who had killed his family."What'd ya find?" Lela asked as she alighted on the half-ogre's shoulder. He scowled and rose to his feet."Nothing," he said unconvincingly as he thrust the morningstar into his wide, studded belt. "Nothing that can't wait."</blockquote>

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