# [FR] The Seven Swords of Myth Drannor...[Updated 5/03/2003]



## Celtavian (Jan 20, 2003)

This story hour will chronicle the adventures of a group of heroes known as The Seven Swords of Myth Drannor, so named for seven magical swords they found in the ruins of Myth Drannor. 

The Heroes

*Archametes Stormblade, Wood Elf male (Rang 2/Ftr 4)*

A ranger from the Cormanthor forest, he is talented with the blade and devoted to Eilistraee. He hails from a family that once guarded the area surrounding ancient Myth Drannor and is known for producing two-blade wielders of great skill. His family is converts of Eilistraee and he shares Eilistraee’s dream of seeing dark elves once again take their rightful spot in the woods of the surface world. His sister is Tavitha.

*Laethan, Human male (Rang 2/Ftr 4)*

A dark-haired human mercenary from Scardale whose father was a scout before being murdered by the Zhentarim, he is on the road searching for a better life away from the corruption and despair in Scardale. 

*Holly Windstrider, Human female (Rang 2/Clr of Shaundakul 4)*

A dark-skinned young woman from Turmish with an adventurous spirit and a growing faith in Shaundakul, god of the winds, she serves Shaundakul by helping those she meets on the road.

*Celtavian Magerius, Half-elf (Sun) male (Wiz 2/Mnk 1)*

A mysterious silver-haired half-elf from Silverymoon with a talent for magic and a strong sense of justice, he has been sent by the Church of Mystra in Harrowdale to investigate the mysterious disappearance of several young magi and clerics from the area.

*Phallon Spidermoon, Dark Elf female (Brd 1/Clr of Eilistraee 1/Ftr 2)*

 A beautiful silver-haired woman from the Temple of Eilistraee in the Velarswood, she is learning the ancient elven art of bladesinging and possesses the voice of an angel. Her twin sister is Thourne Spidermoon and her brother is Zaemiel.

*Thourne Spidermoon, Dark Elf female (Rang 2/Clr of Eilistraee 2)*

A beautiful silver-haired woman from the Temple of Eilistraee in the Velarswood, she is a faithful member of Eilistraee’s clergy and aspires to master both blade and dance. She is abnormally pure of heart even when compared to other good dark elf followers of Eilistraee. Her twin sister is Phallon and her brother is Zaemiel.

*Zaemiel Spidermoon, Dark Elf male (Rog 4)*

A wiry, white-haired dark elf from the Cormanthor forest, he is a member of a band of outlaws lead by a dark elf man named Drulitho Del’crav. He has a roguish charm about him and a strong sense of family loyalty. He also serves Eilistraee by stealing from her enemies and giving what is stolen to her followers. He is the brother of Phallon and Thourne.

*Xanar’ix Del’armgo, Dark Elf male (Monk 2/Fighter 2)*

An extremely tall and muscular dark elf originally from Menzoberranzan, he has studied under a monk of the Sun Soul order in the Silver Marches for many human years. He is the son of Uthegental and Mez’Barris Del’armgo and was believed dead during the attack on Mithral Hall. He traveled to Waterdeep where he met Phallon Spidermoon and became her lover. He is prone to arrogance and sees himself as superior to non-dark elves, though because of the teachings of his human monk mentor, he does not seek to control or destroy those he perceives as inferior. 


Lost Heroes

*Tavitha Stormblade, Wood Elf female (Clr of Eilistraee 3)*

A beautiful coppery-skinned redhead from the Cormanthor forest, her green eyes are as bright as emeralds and her smile would melt the heart of a white dragon. She loves to dance in the forest and feels sorrow and love for the good dark elves that are barred from Arvandor. She has great faith that one day the dark elves will be redeemed and she follows Eilistraee to help make that dream come true. She is an excellent archer and skilled at brewing potions. Her brother is Archametes. 


*Note:* ‘A’ stands for apprentice level per pg. 40 of the DMG.

I am going to be building a campaign site which will include the House Rules that we employ in the game. This should help folks to understand why the characters might be able to do a little more than what is listed in the books.

If you have any tactical questions, feel free to ask. I will be more than happy to explain mine or a player’s tactics from a meta-game standpoint.

I will try to update at least once a week or more.


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## Celtavian (Jan 20, 2003)

*Prologue...*

*Prologue...*

A great creature floated in the watery depths of an ancient place contemplating dreams of a world ruled by its will and malice. Ever had it lived with but one desire, one burning dream within its soul, to dominate all living things. A dream shared by its kin, yet a dream not fully realized. 

And in the dark, watery depths of its home, the great creature reveled in this dream. Such a dark dream filled with the endless suffering of every being it had ever known. A dream where great cities were built for the comfort of it and its kin by untold thousands of slaves, slaves whose bloodied hands and feet would be as the brushes of artists painting an eternal image in blood of suffering and despair upon the grey-green stone from which every magnificent city would be built, each city a living testament to it and its kin’s power and dominion. 

Oh how it longed… how it longed for its dreams to come true. Dark dreams forming into dark thoughts, and dark thoughts forming into a dark prayer, a dark prayer filled with longing and desire and malice, a dark prayer to an evil goddess whose own desire was the wellspring from which its dream flowed. 

_Blood Queen, I call to thee. Hear my desire; know that it is thy desire too. A desire shared by all thy children whom thou taught in ages past the secret of dominion over thought and will. Help me to fulfill thy desire. Help me to dominate all living things in your name. Oh great Blood Queen, grant thy servant the knowledge and power to dominate all of creation until time itself bows down before thee and all other gods are but forgotten memories of an ancient past._

The great creature reached out as it prayed, reached out with a desire born from years of yearning, a desire that flowed forth like tears of despair from the eyes of a demon who had failed to remake all of creation into hell. Unfortunately for those who dwell in lands protected by the light of the sun and the moon, the great creature’s prayer was answered. It was answered by a god with an evil spirit who cared nothing for the wishes of followers; this god cared only that its own desires be fulfilled. Desires it would see fulfilled by a great creature who prayed to the darkness. A great creature whose prayer was one that those who dwell in the world of the sun and moon hope and pray is never heard. 

The great creature was suddenly startled from its thoughts by a barely audible whisper that seemed to emanate from the shadows around it, “Dark fantasies and unrealized dreams of ruling the Night Below and the world of the sun and the moon. Ever seeking the means to dominate all that live, to sit upon a throne deep beneath the earth using man and elf and dwarf and illithid and all that reside within the depths of the earth and under the sun and moon as a slave to thy selfish whims. Powerful rulers whose subjects will know neither love nor compassion, for their lives will be spent under the cruel domination of a slave master they can neither see nor hear save in the deep recesses of their tortured mind. Ever screaming will be their souls as they do acts unspeakable to enemy… and friend, no longer able to choose between the two. No being free from the yoke of thy eternal dominion. Is this thy desire?” 

The great creature understood every word for the whisper seemed to bleed into its mind like darkness slowly melting away the light of the sun at the coming of the night. 

“Oh Great Blood Queen, mother, you know my heart better than I know it myself. I live to fulfill thy desires” it responded slavishly in a voice like gurgling water.

The darkness thought to itself, _‘Yes…yes…this creature will serve my desires well. Soon, oh so very soon, even the sun and moon will fall into the dark chasm of the void taking with them all that was once alive and free. Nothing shall be left to worship my enemies, and slowly their power will wane while mine grows. Then it will be as it was before time existed when darkness reigned supreme.’_

The darkness spoke again to the great creature in a thin whisper not unlike a light wind blowing on a dark winter night. Whispered secrets of magics unknown to mortals, unknown even to the immortal gods; secrets of unspeakable acts that corrupt the soul to even have had heard them uttered. Yet, great power was conveyed to those willing to use such secrets, power to fulfill one’s darkest dreams, power to dominate all of creation.

The great creature listened intently. Its heart had already embraced the bitterness of evil long ago in the dark recesses of its home, a home unseen by any save the few fools who ventured too deeply into the vast labyrinth known as the Night Below.

A place of infinite nightmares that occur within an eternal night that persists not only as the absence of light but as a darkness within the hearts of those who call such a place home, a darkness that extinguishes both hope and goodness, a darkness where madness and chaos reign while friendship and love are quickly murdered and forgotten. For none will suffer such weak emotions to exist as the denizens wage an endless war for control of the deep places of the world and the treasures that lie therein, for this reason, there can be no mercy beneath the earth. 

In this place, already fertile with evil, a seed was planted and nurtured, and it has grown, grown strong and powerful, unchecked by the forces of light and goodness. Who knows how close this great creature has come to fulfilling its dark dream…


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## Celtavian (Jan 25, 2003)

*On the Road....*

*Session 1: On the Road…*

_*Eleasis 1, 1371…*_

	The dark-haired man stopped by the side of the well-traveled dirt road. The sun was beginning to set and after a long day of travel he decided to look for a good place to rest for the night. As he studied the surrounding countryside for a campsite, his gaze fell upon a kneeling figure on a small grass-covered hill. The figured kneeled before a strange stone structure that appeared to be a dais with a throne framed by two pillars. All was silent save for a strange whistling sound that seemed to emanate from the stone structure as if by magic. 

	The stone structure intrigued the man as did the figure kneeling before it. He had traveled the road from his home in Scardale to neighboring Harrowdale many times, and remembered no altars along the way. He hoped the kneeling figure might tell him more of this altar.

The dark-haired man approached the figure very quietly, surprisingly so for a man of his size, for he did not wish to disturb the figure’s meditations. The figure did not seem to notice his approach and remained kneeling before the altar in silence. The whistling from the stone structure continued. As the man came closer, he saw that the sound was caused by the wind passing through small holes atop of each pillar.

The man stood for some time before the figure rose and turned around. To his surprise, it was a young, astoundingly beautiful, dark-skinned human woman. She was small, nearly a foot shorter than he, and light of frame save for thick legs and hips. Her black hair was very short, like a boys, and windswept, and her brown eyes seemed innocent and untouched by the rigors of life. She was startled by his presence and quickly took a defensive stance.

“Who are you? Why did you not avail yourself?” the woman asked defensively. Her lovely brown eyes were full of fear at the sight of the tall powerful looking, dark-haired man. 

The man smiled slightly, “I did not wish to disturb your prayer. I have never seen this altar before, though I have traveled this road many times. To what god is this altar dedicated?”

The woman did not relax. Many men she had met on the road that seemed polite only to turn into uninvited suitors or worse once her guard was down. She replied apprehensively “Do you really wish to know to whom I pray? Many men I have met in my travels, few care to hear what I have to say.”

The man understood what she implied though she did not clearly speak her concern. He was not unwise to the way of the world, for he had grown up in a place rife with corruption where women were often considered a piece of property rather than a human deserved of good treatment. 

“I am no brigand or any man of that ilk. If I did not wish to know, I would not pose the question. I ask again” the man looked to the stone structure “To whom is this altar dedicated? I would know what god watches over this road, so I may know who not to offend with my words or deeds.”

The young woman relaxed only slightly, her eyes remaining always wary of his movements “This shrine, for it is no altar, is dedicated to Shaundakul, the Rider of the Winds and The Helping Hand. He watches all roads and protects those that travel upon them. He is not easy to offend lest thy wish is to make the roads unsafe for travelers.” 

The man raised his chin. His proud grey-blue eyes met her soft brown eyes “I am no highwaymen or brigand. I am but a traveler on these roads, the same as you, with no need to rob or murder to make my living. My skill with sword and woodcraft put bread and ale on my table.”

The young woman was beginning to feel more at ease. The dark-haired man seemed honest and forthright, and she had yet to find a friend on the road.

An uneasy smile formed on the young woman’s face, “It is good to meet a friend on the road. My name is Holly.”

“I am Laethan. Well met Holly.” the dark-haired man’s smile grew “I am weary and hungry. Let us rest and break bread this night. I would have you tell me more about Shaundakul, for I too love the open road. Maybe Shaundakul will be my god, for I would gladly walk the roads both in life and in death.”

After the two travelers found a suitable campsite, Laethan went forth to hunt while Holly gathered up some wood to make a fire. It was not long before Laethan returned with a deer which they cooked on a spit over the fire Holly had built. After their hunger and thirst were sated, they sat by the fire talking of Shaundakul.

Laethan lay on his side propped up on his elbow while Holly sat across from him with her legs crossed. Her eyes were vibrant as she spoke of Shaundakul. She told him of how Shaundakul had called her to service in waking dreams, often why she walked the open roads and backwoods trails of Cormyr. She had heard his voice in the winds and often visions of him walking on the winds from place to place appeared in her mind as Shaundakul revealed to her the wonders of Faerun. 

She smiled at Laethan, “The visions Shaundakul gave to me made me restless. There are so many wonders in Faerun…I hope to see them all.”

Laethan was amazed at the young girl’s spirit, “You certainly are bold for such a young girl. Did not your father or mother object to you leaving home at such a young age? The road is no place for a young and beautiful girl, especially one that travels alone.”

Holly’s expression became dour and defiant, “I am no girl. I am a woman, and I am as skilled with the sword as most men my age or older and have learned the way of the road well enough to survive more than a few weeks of travel alone. I hope you soon learn that I need not the protection of civilization or men, whether they are father or friend. I will not be caged because my youth and womanhood seem to turn men into jailors, though they call it by terms more polite.”

	Laethan was surprised by the reaction. “I did not mean to offend Holly. I am not accustomed to girls…err, women so young taking to the road with swords bigger than themselves.” 

	Holly turned away from Laethan and lay down on her bedroll. “I am sorry, Laethan. I have heard similar words many times.” She paused for a moment and let out a sigh. “Let us rest; we have a long day of travel tomorrow. We should start early.”

	Laethan decided he too was tired and he did not wish to press Holly into conversation. He was happy to have met a new friend on the road. He only hoped that she was as able as she claimed. She seemed so fragile to him, though her spirit seemed strong.

	“As you wish. Good night Holly. Sleep well.” 

	Both Holly and Laethan lay awake thinking. Holly thought about her home and family, for she missed both dearly though she tried hard not to show it. Laethan thought about Holly. Before he slept, he decided that he would stay with the young girl until he could not do otherwise. He truly did not wish to see harm come to her. 

After he made his decision, Laethan fell into a deep sleep. Holly did not fare so well and only after many hours of warily watching Laethan and worrying that he might attack her, did she fall asleep. Even then it was a restless sleep; the poor girl was more scared to be on the road than she let on.


_*On the Road Continues...*_


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## Black Bard (Jan 28, 2003)

Quite interesting!!!
Shaundakul is one of my favorites gods in FR, so it will be a pleasure to accompany Holly in her adventures...

Anyway, I hope to see more of the Seven Swords, and how all these drows fare in the Dalelands ( without being attacked by a mob!!!)


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## Celtavian (Jan 28, 2003)

*Re*

I am working up more the story. It takes me a bit to get it down on paper, but hopefully it will be worth it for those who read.

Shaundakul is one of my favorite FR deities as well. Very cool philosphy and image...)


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## Black Bard (Jan 31, 2003)

I'm sure the waiting will be worth the effort... 

Just a question... Did you use the old 2nd edition _Ruins of Myth Drannor_ box?? " Seven Swords" is familiar to me... And a hovering Face too... Are you using any of it??


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## Celtavian (Jan 31, 2003)

*Re*

Yep...that is the adventure we used to obtain the swords. I tailored the swords to the characters and modified the villain, but otherwise it is the same adventure. I thought it was a great way to name an adventuring group...)


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## Celtavian (Feb 2, 2003)

*On the Road...*

*Eleasis 4, 1371…*

After three days on the road, the two adventurers arrived a few hours after highsun in the port town known as Harrowdale Town. The town was large, almost a city, and was alive with activity. People were hustling and bustling about as they moved between various shops and taverns seeking anything from exotic new clothes from Kara Tur to fine elven wine. Many carts laden with goods filled the streets as the drivers brought deliveries from the docks to the various shops, taverns and warehouses spread throughout the large town. The lively atmosphere was a welcome change of pace for the road weary travelers.

As they made their way through the streets of Harrowdale, Laethan asked a few townsfolk the location of a good Inn. It was not long before he was directed to the Inn of the Greystag. The two travelers followed the directions until they came to a plain two-story wooden building that had a large sign with an enormous grey stag painted on it hanging above the door. Once they entered the place, it was easy to tell that this was a travelers Inn. 

The Inn was adequately decorated with pictures depicting powerful animals and wall hangings of the kind a hunter might have such as mounted bear and stag heads. They both felt that a woodsman of a considerable skill must own the place or a man posing as a woodsman of considerable skill, for no common hunter could have fell such beasts given the size of the heads that hung upon the wall.

The Inn was over half full and the clientele were a loud and varied lot. There were leather clad woodsman, armored mercenaries, robed men that were presumably wizards, traveling priests bearing their holy symbols on their breasts, stylishly armored bards telling tales, and all manner of adventuring folk including a few dwarves, elves, Halflings and even a single gnome. The very air of the Inn buzzed with conversation and activity as adventurers boasted of treasures and battles while competing for the affections of the various serving wenches and ladies working or staying at the Inn.

Holly and Laethan found an empty table and sat down. The table and chairs were made of sturdy cedar and showed signs of heavy use. It was not long before a buxom serving wench with short brown hair and a ready smile arrived to take their order. She smiled at Laethan, “What can I get you, milord?”

Laethan smiled back at the wench. He loved bar wenches, always friendly and willing to treat a man proper. “A bit of roasted meat with onions and potatoes and a mug of ale and aft…” Laethan caught his words before they left his mouth “Roasted meat and ale will be fine.” He had thought about saying ‘and after my meal a night with you will sate my appetite.’, but he caught his words as he knew they would offend Holly. 

“And you lass, what will you have?”

Holly had never been in a tavern before, and her parents had rarely let her drink alcohol of any kind. She put on a sure face so as not to seem inexperienced, “A bit of roasted meat with a mug of Ale will be fine for me as well. Thank you.”

The girl smiled at them both, “That’ll be one gold coin and eight coppers.”

Laethan and Holly both fished into their belt pouches for the coins. They paid the girl the price of the food and drink and included a healthy tip of one gold. Both noticed that their pouches were rather light on coin. 

After the serving wench left, Holly voiced their shared concern, “I have but a few coins left. I have spent nearly all the money I brought from home. ”

Laethan nodded. “I don’t have much coin either. Enough for a few nights in town and little more, we will have to find work.”

A dark-haired man with a neatly trimmed beard and fine robes seated at a table next to the two adventurers turned around in his chair and addressed them in a louder than normal voice so as to be heard above the chatter. “Did you say that you were interested in work?”

Laethan and Holly both turned their heads and looked at the man a little surprised. They weren’t used to folk eavesdropping on their conversations. 

Laethan spoke warily to the man, “What work can a man such as you offer?”

The man rose from his seat and turned towards the adventurers. He stood up straight, put his hands on his hips while sticking out his chest in an effort to make himself look important, “I am Gordrenn, Purveyor of magical paraphernalia, material necessities, and related items to many wizards of note. I offer work related to my specialty” Gordrenn paused for a moment to collect his thoughts then spoke again more pointedly, “Basically, I need a package delivered to a wizard client. Are you interested? Please decide quickly, I am in a hurry.”

Laethan didn’t think much of the portly fellow, but he did need the coin. Before he even had a chance to reply, he heard Holly replying for the both of them, “We’ll take the job. What are you paying and where are we going?”

Laethan was slightly irritated, but decided to let Holly take the lead. They had become fast friends in their short time on the road, and what the girl lacked in experience she made up for with a healthy dose of common sense. He hoped she would negotiate a fair price.

Gordrenn was surprised the girl answered so quickly. He looked to Laethan for confirmation, “Are you in agreement?”

Laethan nodded, “Her and I will take the job…for a fair price.” 

Gordrenn turned his chair around and joined them at their table “The pay for the job is one hundred and fifty gold coins, more than a fair price for an easy delivery. You will be paid by my client after he receives and inspects the package. Are these terms acceptable?” 

Both Holly and Laethan were excited by the prospect of making seventy five gold coins each. They replied in unison, “Agreed.” They smiled slightly at each other amused by their mutual quick response.

Gordrenn was surprised by the lack of negotiation. He smiled to himself and thought how lucky he was to find two such eager young couriers naïve to the ways of business. 

“Excellent. I will come by tomorrow with the package. The two of you will accompany me to the Church of Oghma to sign a contract agreeing to the terms of our agreement. You’ll have about a tenday to deliver the package to a wizard named Tauster. Don’t be late, or I’ll surely hear about it.”

“We’ll meet you here in the morning ready to travel.” Laethan assured the man.

Gordrenn stood and smoothed out his robes, “Good, I will see you here tomorrow morning just after dawn. Good day to you both.” He bowed slightly and left.

Holly and Laethan watched the man leave. Holly smiled happily at Laethan, “That’s seventy five gold coins each and a chance to travel to a new place. Quite the good deal for us, don’t you think.”

“Aye, Holly. Hopefully we will have no trouble on the road.” 

“Don’t worry, we shouldn’t. Shaundakul will watch over us. We’ll be fine.”

The serving wench soon brought the food and drink to the table. The two adventurers enjoyed the fine meal and strong drink. Laethan downed his meal and ale with zeal, while Holly slowly ate her meal and could barely down the bitter ale. 

Though she drank slowly, all it took was a single ale to get her drunk. She spent the rest of the night happily chatting with Laethan and singing bar songs with strangers.  Laethan finally had to carry her to bed before she ended up doing something she would regret with a silver-tongued bard enamored of her beauty and innocence. Luckily for Laethan she didn’t put up much of fight and fell quickly to sleep once in her bed. He did not stay awake much longer knowing full well that he would be setting forth on the morrow.

The two adventurers woke up the next day. Holly had a bad hangover. Her head throbbed and her mouth was dry. Laethan laughed as Holly asked him about the previous night. She wasn’t sure when or how she made it to bed. After he told her how she had acted the night before, she swore off ale for the rest of her life claiming “ale was the work of Bane.”

After Laethan ate a hearty breakfast and Holly managed to down some bread and water, Gordrenn arrived with a small chest. 

“Good morning.” Gordrenn greeted them. 

”Good morning” the two responded, though Holly in a less cheerful voice than usual.

Gordrenn studied the young girl, “Are you alright, young lady?”

Holly managed a slight smile, “I’m fine. Just drank too much ale.”

“Ahh. I see. You will still be able to travel this morning?”

Holly nodded “I can still travel. The fresh air of the open road will help me regain my wits.”

“Good…good…Now, may we go? The priest is waiting and I have other business to attend to this morning.”

Laethan, Holly and Gordrenn left the Inn. The two adventurers followed Gordrenn to the Temple of Oghma located a fair walk away from the Inn near the center of town. They arrived at the Temple and signed the contract Gordrenn had drawn up the day prior. The priest of Oghma notarized the document and gave it to Gordrenn. 

Gordrenn handed over the chest to Laethan, “Remember, you have a tenday to complete delivery of the chest and don’t think about opening it. I have placed magic upon the chest that will inform me if it is opened. You are to take it to Tauster who resides in the village of Thurmaster in Haranshire which lies about four or five days travel Northeast of Harrowdale past the Velarswood near the River Lis. Just ask directions along the way if you are lost. The only town of note before reaching Haranshire is Velarsburg. If you have any trouble, try to make your way there. Good luck to you and good day.”

Laethan and Holly bid Gordrenn farewell and set off on the road. A man watched them leave town, a man that had been in the Inn of the Greystag when Gordrenn and the two adventurers struck their deal. He was a brown haired man of common appearance who dressed no different than a townsman. He watched the two adventurers set off on the road, and then he quickly made his way through the bustling streets of Harrowdale to a warehouse near the docks.

He entered the unremarkable wood and stone warehouse and made his way through the stacks of crates to a particular section of the interior wood wall. The man turned a torch sconce counterclockwise and then pulled it down and over to the left. A clinking sound could be heard from behind the wall and a portion of the wall opened inwards leading into a lavishly furnished twenty foot by thirty foot room with a single living occupant and two skeleton-like creatures with malevolent glowing red eyes standing on either side of the door.

The living man was sitting at a desk reading a book. The brown-haired man stepped inside, fell to one knee and bowed his head knowing that to do otherwise was to invite an attack from the red-eyed skeletons, “Lord Varkin, I have news of importance.” The brown-haired man said no more as he waited for the man at the desk to give him permission to speak.

The man at the desk looked up while gentling setting his book on the desk. His dark eyes beheld the kneeling brown-haired man with interest. “Speak Jorl.”

Jorl did not rise from his kneeling position, “Two travelers are on the road to Thurmaster. They left less than an hour ago, and they carry with them a chest from the fat mage Gordrenn. One women and one man, the woman is a priest and the man a warrior.”

Lord Varkin reached his hand into a pouch on his belt and extracted two gold coins. He canted a few mystic words and wove his fingers in a strange undecipherable pattern causing a small hand made of pure magical force energy to appear. He set two gold coins on the hand and it carried the coins to the kneeling man. “Here is your payment. Well done, Jorl. You continue to serve the Black Network well. You are free to go.”

Jorl quickly took the two coins and bowed respectfully, “Thank you Lord Varkin. I live to serve.” Jorl rose and took his leave securing the secret door after he was out of the room.

Lord Varkin rose from his chair and made his way to a round finely crafted silver mirror about two feet in diameter hanging on the wall. He reached into a large, many pocketed pouch on his belt and pulled forth an eyeball and a small vial filled with a fine metallic powder. He opened the vial and gently shook a bit of the powder onto the eyeball. He canted mystical words while his free hand wove strange symbols in the air over the eyeball. The eyeball seemed to form into pure magical energy that slowly seeped into the silver mirror.

An image suddenly formed in the mirror, an image of a dark-haired man with a black eye patch over his right eye. The man had a swarthy complexion and was dressed in fine chainmail armor. He sat at a desk intensely absorbed in a book.

Lord Varkin watched the man for a few moments, amused that he had not yet noticed the presence of the magical sensor. Lord Varkin then reached into his pouch once again and took forth a copper wire while canting mystic words and using his free hand to weave strange symbols over the copper wire.

“Ranchefus…”

The swarthy man suddenly looked up startled from his reading. He looked around the room as though he thought he would see the source of the voice. Eventually the man detected the location of the magical sensor and looked towards it. 

“Lord Varkin, to what do I owe this pleasure?” Ranchefus responded respectfully, though he knew well what the message would be.

“Two travelers are on the road to Thurmaster. A man and a woman, the woman is a priestess. I know not whom she serves, so please do not ask. They left this day a little over an hour ago.”

Ranchefus’s mouth formed into a sinister smile, “I will prepare for their arrival.”

“Excellent” Lord Varkin said approvingly “Now tell me, how are the Baneguards I sent you performing?”

“Very Well, though I have only used them to frighten and torture prisoners. I have yet to test their use in defense of my stronghold, though I relish the thought. They are formidable servants and I am most grateful for the gift Lord Varkin. May Bane reward you for your faithful service.”

Lord Varkin smiled approvingly “An excellent use of such servants. I would have enjoyed such a spectacle. I am glad that they help you to carry out Bane’s will.”

“Indeed, they are a true testament to the power of Bane.”

“I pray all is well in Haranshire?” Lord Varkin inquired.

Ranchefus glared confidently “All is well Lord Varkin. All is proceeding accordingly. We our preserving our end of the alliance, and it would seem that plans proceed accordingly with our allies as well.”

“Excellent Ranchefus, I shall contact you soon if I learn of suitable victims moving in your direction. The Black Hand rules forever.”

Ranchefus bowed slightly, “As it shall always be.” 

The image in the mirror faded. Lord Varkin returned to reading while Ranchefus begin to plan for the arrival of the travelers.


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## Celtavian (Feb 22, 2003)

*On the Road continuation...*

_Eleasis 11, 1371…_

_“Archametes, do you hear?”_ the coppery-red haired wood elf woman asked the brown haired wood elf man walking a few paces in front of her. She spoke in the fair tongue of the elves, a tongue that seemed more alike to a song than a language. 

_“Yes Tavitha, men conversing.”_ Archametes replied in elvish. 

_“What do you think they are doing in the forest?”_ Tavitha inquired further.

_“I know not. Move closer”_ Archametes replied.

Both Archametes and his sister, Tavitha, crouched down and moved very quietly towards the source of the voices. Men used a road near the wood for trade, yet save for the lone hunter or trapper they did not often enter the wood itself. And it was especially strange to find such a large group of human men in the wood; they hoped there was no trouble afoot.

The two wood elves did not come often to this particular part of the forest. It was far from their home in the Velarswood and far too close to human civilization for their liking. It had once been home to a tribe of wood elves, some of whom had been their kin. Thus, the two wood elves, brother and sister, occasionally made the trip for nostalgic reasons.

The wood was a part of the great Cormanthor, but had been renamed Lyrchwood in the common tongue. It had become a separate forest when humans had cut down large numbers of trees to build their cities and towns. Many forests surrounding the Cormanthor had come into existence in the same manner. And though to the elves these forests were still part of the Cormanthor, the humans thought of them as separate forests and renamed them as they did the Lyrchwood in the common tongue. 

The two elves managed to approach the source of the voices without being detected by the human men. The density of the forest was much lighter in the area where the men stood, and the elves could clearly see all that transpired. Their keen elven ears allowed them to listen in on what was said between the men even though they were some distance away. 

They counted eleven human men in all. The men stood in a loose circle about fifty feet from where they hid. The leader was a burly man of average height with black hair and a gruff voice. He was at the head of the circle and was rallying the men with stories of necromancy and undead.

“Lads, these folk are bringing evil to our town. We have to put a stop to it now or every necromancer from Sembia to the Moonsea will think our town a welcome place for their dark sorcery” the leader said emphatically. 

The men responded just as emphatically with a chorus of “To hell with dark sorcery” and “We’re with you Carlanis.”

The leader held up his club, “We’ll teach’em what happens to necromancers and their servants in Milbourne, won’t we lads.”

The men held up clubs, pitchforks and bows. Their eyes darting back and forth to affirm that each person present was equally as enraged as they themselves were, “Aye, we’ll teach’em.” 

“Let’s get to it, lads. You know what to do. The lads with bows hide yourself in the trees near the road and the rest of you follow me” Carlanis walked swiftly towards the road motioning with his arm for the men to follow. “Remember, the necromancer woman we take alive. Her warrior servant, fill him full of arrows and leave him for the carrion birds.”

The men moved off in a frenzy following Carlanis. The road was not far from where the men had been standing and the elves watched as two of the human men with bows hid themselves in some thick bushes. The rest of men made their way through the trees and were no longer visible to the elves.

Archametes and Tavitha noted where the two men had hidden. They had no way of knowing if what the leader, Carlanis, had said about necromancers and undead was true. 

_“Do you think it is so?”_ Tavitha asked her brother. Her almond-shaped emerald green eyes filled with a curious fear as she gazed up at Archametes.

_“About the necromancer?”_ Archametes clarified. His dark hawk-like eyes continued to note where the men with bows had hidden  while he addressed his sister.

_“Yes, about the necromancer”_ she clarified knowing her brother liked to ask questions when he was formulating an answer. Archametes was a careful man, taking after their father who had taught them both that caution saved one’s life in a dangerous world.

_“I cannot say. No elf scout has reported undead in this area of the wood. We shall watch the road and see for ourselves who this necromancer is”_ Archametes answered.

Archametes and Tavitha moved silently from tree to tree skirting the edge of the forest as they moved to a position where they could clearly see the road. They remained hidden from the human men and watched the road intently awaiting the coming of the necromancer. 

*On the Road continues...*


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## Black Bard (Feb 26, 2003)

I still couldn't manage the time to finish reading the last update, but here goes a bump as compensation...


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## Celtavian (Feb 27, 2003)

*Re*

The first battle is coming up. I don't know if I went overboard, but my first session has reached 19 pages of text.

I hope I can cut it down in the future. The first session is setting the stage, and I hope that is the reason it was so long.


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## Celtavian (Mar 1, 2003)

*On the road conclusion...*

_A few hours later…_

“Only a little farther now” Holly said cheerily “and we’ll be in Milbourne. After we get a good nights rest, we’ll only have about another day until we reach Thurmaster. We can deliver our package and then decide where to travel next. I was thinking of maybe heading east to the Vast. I bet that would be a good place to seek our fortunes. What do you think Laethan, The Vast sound like a good place to adventure?” 

Laethan did not know much about The Vast save that it was a wide open place where a man could make a name for himself if he were able to survive a life of hard adventuring. “The Vast seems as good a place as any to seek our fortune” he replied while smiling pleasantly at Holly.

Laethan was beginning to have strong feelings for Holly. The young girl was a never-ending source of joy and her ability to make long, arduous travel seem like a walk in a field of flowers only served to strengthen his feelings. At this point, he probably would have followed her into the hells if that was where she wished to go. Anyhow, luck had been with them thus far and it seemed as though this would be the easiest coin Laethan had ever made. How could he go wrong continuing to travel with Holly?

“Good, The Vast it is then. We’ll spend a few days wandering Haranshire, then off we go on a new journey into the unknown” Holly smiled. She loved to travel to new places, and the idea of traveling to The Vast excited her. She had never been to frontier lands, and The Vast was known as an untamed land filled with danger and wonder. 

The two companions had been on the road for seven days now. The road they were traveling on was little more than a wide dirt trail with forest on both sides as far as the eye could see. The travel itself had been easy and food and drink along the way plentiful. They had had no trouble with bandits or orcs and had met mostly farmers bringing food to the market. They had made good time covering over 80 miles in the seven days they had been on the road, and they planned to reach Milbourne before nightfall.



Archametes and Tavitha carefully studied the two figures walking up the road. One figure was a human woman, little more than a girl really. She was small and wore a friendly smile on her beautiful dark face. The other figure was a large human man with a handsome face and a grim expression. Neither figure looked like the evil sort that one might associate with dark sorcery. Archametes begin to doubt that the human men were anything more than highway robbers seeking to steal whatever valuables the two figures carried.

_“I doubt the woman is a necromancer or the man a servant”_ Archametes said as he took his bow from the case on his back. _“These men mean to rob these travelers.”_

_“Agreed, brother, we must help them, but there are too many men for us to battle them all”_ Tavitha replied also taking her bow from the case on her back. _“What do you suggest we do?”_

Archametes thought for a few moments. _“We will attack the two archers hidden in the bushes on our side of the road. This should alert the travelers to the ambush. Let us hope they are skilled enough to do battle with the other men while we dispatch the archers.”_

The two elves quickly and quietly moved from tree to tree until they came to a position that allowed them a clear shot at the two human archers. They drew their bowstrings to fire at the archers as the archers drew their bowstrings to fire at the two oncoming figures.



Ahead, Laethan and Holly watched a group of farmers round a bend in the road. The farmers were walking in their direction at a steady pace. They did not carry any bundles or lead any beasts of burden as farmers usually did, but Holly and Laethan both failed to notice this oddity.

As the groups drew closer to each other, the lead man, a stocky, dark-haired man with a club stuck in his belt nodded in Laethan and Holly’s direction. “G’day” he said as a smile crossed his face.

Holly smiled back and nodded, “Good day sir. May Shaundakul protect you…”

Her words were cut short as she heard Laethan groan in pain. Her head snapped around to see what had happened. Laethan’s face was covered in sweat and two arrow shafts protruded from his chest. 

Holly quickly surveyed the surrounding country side. She spied two men with bows amongst the trees on the left side of the road looking in their direction; the men had been well-concealed by trees and bush. On the other side of the road, two other men were shouting and firing arrows into the woods at what she could not tell.

Holly grabbed Laethan’s arm and pulled him towards the forest while running for cover herself, “To the trees, seek cover. We are being ambushed.”

The farmers gave Holly and Laethan little time to react. The lead man who had smiled at them suddenly drew his club, “C’mon lads. Let’s get to it.” 

The other farmers threw down their pitchforks and farming tools, and drew weighted saps. They rushed forward just as Laethan regained his wits and followed Holly towards the cover of the trees. Laethan could barely stand and his chest burned with pain where the arrowheads were stuck in his flesh. He could feel his warm wet blood seeping from the wounds beneath his chain shirt.

Holly and Laethan made it to a small group of trees not far from where they had been ambushed on the road. Holly looked at Laethan with concern. “Get behind the trees Laethan, I’ll hold off these brigands.” She drew her greatsword from the sheathe on her back and held it ready while staring down the onrushing brigands. “Stand fast you brigands or face my blade.”

The lead man stopped a short ways from where she stood, “Surround her lads. Use only your saps. She won’t be able to get all of us and there’ll me more gold for those still standing at the end.”

At the lead man’s command, the men rushed forward. Holly swung her blade fiercely at the first man to come near her. Her blade clove his head from his shoulders splattering blood in all directions as his body fell in a heap and twitched for a few moments before laying still upon the ground, a pool of blood steadily forming where his head had once been.

The remaining men surrounded her on all sides and begin to strike at her. She ducked and bobbed trying to avoid the blows, but occasionally she felt the dull thud of a sap strike her body bruising her flesh and taking some of the fight out of her with each successful blow.

Laethan leaned against a tree. He could hardly see Holly amongst the men that surrounded her. All he could make out was her bloody greatsword rising and falling as she swung her blade in a fury trying to fend off her attackers. ‘Must help her’ Laethan thought as he snapped off one of the arrow shafts lodged in his chest. 

Laethan drew his greatsword and stumbled forward. He was in a state of shock from his wounds and felt weak. Yet, even in such a state, he could not bear to leave Holly to fight alone.

The lead man, Carlanis, had been watching Laethan closely hoping he was too wounded to help in the battle. When he saw the warrior stumble from the tree he was leaning against, greatsword in hand, he moved to finish the warrior. “So, you’ve still got fight in you, eh lad. We’ll see how much fight you’ve left when I crush your stinking skull” he snarled.



Not far away amongst the trees, the wood elves were exchanging arrows with the human archers. No one had yet been seriously wounded and Archametes grew weary of the exchange. 

_“Tavitha, this exchange brings no victory. I am going to close the distance and engage them blade to blade”_ Archametes yelled as he fired an arrow and advanced from the cover of the trees. 

_“Be careful Archametes. I am going to make my way to where the humans are. The human man was struck by arrows. I must bring him the healing touch of Eilistraee. I shall return brother.”_ Tavitha fired an arrow and ran to the cover of another tree making her way to where the humans were fighting each other. Her long red hair flowed behind her like a trail of flame.

Archametes ran forward through the trees dropping his bow and drawing his longsword. The human archers launched another volley of arrows at the onrushing wood elf before he burst through the trees upon them.

“He’s on us lads. Ready your blades and watch out for the wood elf wench that was with him” the man closest to Archametes warned as he dropped his bow and drew his own longsword.

Archametes lunged forward slashing the man across his chest. “Don’t refer to my sister as a wench, you human cur. For such an insult, you shall pay with your blood” he promised.

The other archer dropped his bow and drew his sword as well. Both men joined the battle with the wood elf while shouting for help. One of the “farmers” heard their shouts and left the fight with Holly. The man arrived before Archametes could dispatch one of the archers and he was now beset by a total of three brigands.


Before Laethan took another step forward, he heard a woman’s voice behind him. He turned around and saw a stunningly beautiful elven woman with long coppery-red hair and kindly emerald green eyes. She was approaching him quickly with the palm of her hand extended towards him. 

“I come to aid in the name of Eilistraee. Do not fear my touch for I am gifted by Eilistraee with the power to heal” she said as she approached him.

Laethan had not the strength to argue and made no move to bar her approach. He could only hope she spoke the truth. 

She touched him with her extended palm while chanting a short prayer in elvish. Laethan suddenly felt a cold, yet invigorating sensation causing the pain of his wounds to lessen and his strength to return. She had not lied and Laethan was glad for the aid.

Laethan turned his attention to Carlanis who was fast approaching him with club in hand. He moved to meet Carlanis, “You cowardly brigand. I’ve enough fight in me to deal with the likes of you.”

Carlanis swung his club viciously at Laethan who barely managed to dodge the blow. Laethan swung his greatsword at Carlanis in return. To Laethan’s surprise, Carlanis avoided the blow even though the armor he wore was little more than padded clothing. Laethan knew then that he faced a formidable enemy. Carlanis possessed the confidence of an experienced warrior, and showed no signs of fear though Laethan was much bettered armed and armored.

“I must help my brother. He fights more brigands in the woods. I shall return” Tavitha said to Laethan as she ran back the way she had come. 


The fight between Archametes and the humans did not last long. Archametes bested the three humans, his speed and strength more than a match for their numbers. He moved through the forest to the road and crossed the road to the engage the archers on the other side. The other archers had been watching the battle between the farmers and Holly, prepared to shoot either Laethan or Holly if they tried to flee.

They were quite surprised when Archametes came upon them with sword in hand. They quickly dropped their bows and drew their blades. A short fight ensued with Archametes emerging victorious. He fell the last archer just as an arrow from Tavitha struck the man in the back. Archametes was sorely wounded and if the archer had struck him again, he might have been the one who had fallen.

Holly fought her attackers viciously. She swung her greatsword with all the strength she could muster and to her great relief the last man attacking fell. She looked about and saw Laethan engaged with the lead man who had smiled at her earlier.

Laethan looked haggard and was barely standing, yet he still swung his blade with great force. The lead man was wounded but in much better shape than Laethan. He swung a vicious blow that struck Laethan in the chest causing him to fall to the ground in a heap.

Holly screamed, “What have you done?” She rushed at the man swinging her greatsword as hard as she could manage. The man withstood the first blow, but Holly followed it up with a series of strong blows that brought the man down in a heap before her.

Holly cast her blade down and fell to her knees next to Laethan. She held his hand as tears welled up in her soft, brown eyes. “Laethan, don’t die...please…don’t die” she wept as she checked Laethan for life. 

His chest still rose though his breathing was shallow. Holly tore Carlanis shirt off and used it to staunch Laethan’s bleeding. She looked around and saw two elves walking towards her. She gazed at them through teary eyes, and said pleadingly “Can you help him? Please, he is hurt badly.”

Tavitha quickly moved to Laethan’s side. She called upon Eilistraee to heal his wounds. She had only enough power to bring Laethan to consciousness, but he was still too badly hurt to do more than sit up, which he did.

Even sitting was painful for Laethan, but he was too much of a man to lie still when friends might need him. He looked about him taking in the beautiful faces of Holly and Tavitha, “Well, it is not so bad to be struck with arrows and beaten with a club when one wakes to such beauty.”

Holly hugged Laethan gently, “I’m so glad you didn’t die” she said as tears of joy streamed from her eyes.

Tavitha smiled, “I see your wounds have not dampened your male nature.” 

Laethan chuckled and wrapped his arms comfortingly around Holly, “It would take more than a few arrows and a beating to make me disregard such loveliness, elf-maiden. I am Laethan, well met.”

“I am Tavitha Stormblade, and that” Tavitha paused and looked over at her brother who was now walking amongst the bodies of the men “is my brother, Archametes. Well met.”

Holly turned to Tavitha, “Thank you so much. You saved our lives. We are in your debt.” 

Tavitha smiled at the young girl, “It is Eilistraee you should thank. It is her power that has saved Laethan, and we are her servants. It was her will that we aid you, for I cannot believe that it was merely coincidence that our paths have crossed.” She caressed Holly’s hair; she could not help but feel sympathy for the young girl.

“I thank Eilistraee then, and Shaundakul, for he too must have had a hand in your coming” she replied, her teary eyes met Tavitha’s kind eyes. 

“I know little of Shaundakul, young one. If that is your god, then I am sure that he to had a hand in our coming. The gods watch over their faithful followers and sometimes even over those who do not follow them at all.” Tavitha was surprised at Holly’s youth. She thought the girl could not have been more than fifteen or sixteen summers in age. 

Archametes checked the men for life while his sister tended to the humans. He found only one alive. The other few men who had tried to escape had made it only a short distance before they bled to death. He tended the one living man hoping he would survive to tell Archametes the reason behind the attack. 

Archametes eventually made his way back to the others. Tavitha looked up at him, _“The human man is not fit to travel. We must build a stretcher to carry him. A human town is not far away. Even dragging him, we should be able to make it to the town in a few hours.”_

Archametes nodded._ “There is one brigand still alive. I wish to question him when he awakes. I will build a stretcher large enough to carry them both.”_

_“Good brother, I would also like to know why these men attacked these travelers. Do not forget to collect the coin off the dead for the coffers of the church. When you are done, we will burn the bodies as tribute to Eilistraee.”_

_“You cannot burn them”_ Holly said in perfect elvish surprising both the elves. _“That would be wrong. We should bury them.”_

_“Eilistraee requires that we burn our enemies when victorious in battle”_ Tavitha replied tentatively in elvish._ “Your elvish is excellent. Where are you from?”_

_“I am from Cormyr. My family has many elvish friends.”_ Holly paused _“It is the custom of elves to burn their enemies?”_

_“It is the custom of followers of Eilistraee. Please do not concern yourself with these men; they do not deserve your concern. Murderers and thieves deserve not the respect of their intended victims. Let us hurry Archametes, I want to reach town before night fall”_ Tavitha turned away as she left Holly and Laethan to help her brother collect the coin, burn the bodies and build the stretcher.

Laethan laid his hand on Holly’s shoulder in a comforting manner. “Holly, you fought well. Your brothers and sister would be proud.”

Holly did not look at Laethan. Her eyes were again full of tears. Her body was shaking as she took in the full measure of what had just happened. She hugged her shins and placed her chin on her knees. She stared at the bodies the elves were dragging and placing in a pile just off the road. “I have never killed anyone before, Laethan. I was so afraid…I don’t understand why they attacked us.”

Laethan squeezed Holly’s shoulder, “Nor do I. Maybe answers will come, maybe they will not. You fought well and lived, you can ask for no more.”

Holly remained silent while lost in her own thoughts. She wished her sister was here to explain why men would act in such a manner. She had done no wrong to anyone and could think of no reason why these men would attack her and Laethan. 

The elves built a pyre and burned the dead men upon it. They danced around the fire swinging their blades and singing an elvish hymn praising Eilistraee, whom they also referred to as the Dark Maiden, thanking her for the victory. It all seemed very odd to Holly. Laethan was not bothered; he had seen such burnings before, usually after wars or plague when there were too many bodies to bury.

After the elves were done dancing and singing praise to Eilistraee, they set to building a stretcher. The stretcher consisted of several long branches tied together with clothing taken from the dead men. One end acted as a harness for dragging while the other was made for lying on. 

Tavitha came over to the humans, “Laethan, you shall lay on the bed of branches with the human brigand. We shall drag you to town.” She held out a sack to Laethan and Holly, “Here is your share of the coin. It is a paltry sum, but it should be enough to pay for lodgings.”

Holly shook her head, “I want no coin from the dead. I do not feel right taking it.”

Laethan took the sack, “I’ll take it. No use letting dead men’s gold go to waste.”

Tavitha helped Laethan to the stretcher. He lay down upon the stretcher and found it to be more comfortable than he thought it would be. The still breathing brigand lay next to him unconscious and sorely wounded. 

“Let’s be off” Tavitha said as she took up a position next to her brother to help him drag the makeshift stretcher. The two elves dragged the stretcher down the road moving carefully and avoiding rocks or holes in the road. 

Holly followed along quietly. She was exhausted from the battle and more than a little confused and saddened by the events of the day. Though she had heard many tales of battle, she found that battle itself was not as glorious or fulfilling as she hoped it would be. She was haunted by the hollow eyes of the dead men, and she wondered how one could ever take joy in dealing death.

The small group quietly made their way up the road. No one felt much like talking. The sun was still in the sky, though it was slowly setting as dusk approached. The smoke from the pyre rose in a black column behind them. The smell of burnt flesh became less and less strong the farther up the road they traveled. They all hoped to have a good meal and a nights rest once they reached town.

_*Next: Little Girl Lost*_


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## Black Bard (Mar 18, 2003)

Nice story...
I really liked your writing style, pretty clear and swift...


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## Celtavian (Mar 18, 2003)

*Re*

Thanks Blackbard.

I am way behind at the moment. I used to write while drinking caffeine, but I quit caffeine and sugar because I am dieting. My energy levels are kaput.

I should have more story as soon my energy levels even out. 

Thanks for reading. It has taken a while to set the stage, but slowly but surely the characters are being introduced.


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## Black Bard (Mar 27, 2003)

Maybe you could use a "Potion of Endurance" or somethinglike... 

I hope you'll come up successful in your Holy " diet" Quest...


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## Celtavian (May 3, 2003)

*Re*

I've lost 14 lbs. so far and still managed to bring my bench up to 345 lbs, so I am doing fairly well. Been a long time since I have updated, but we haven't been playing as much as usual either. I have finally sat down and started to write more of the story. I have started bringing CD's with me. I hope that music can be a suitable replacement for caffeine.

Anyhow, here is the beginning of the next installment. I am still in the laying the foundation for the story, so it will be a bit before I get to sink my teeth into some meat (battle).


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## Celtavian (May 3, 2003)

*Little Girl Lost...*

_*Session 2: Little Girl Lost*_

_*Eleasis 11, 1371…*_

_“Town is not far”_ Archametes assured his sister in elvish as they dragged the makeshift stretcher along the dirt road. 

Tavitha walked next to him putting forth all the effort she could muster to help drag the makeshift stretcher carrying the two humans. She nodded to Archametes; an expression of grim determination upon her beautiful face.  Her body was sore and sweat-soaked. 

	The two wood elves had dragged the stretcher for nearly two hours with few rest breaks. They were both tired, yet determined to reach town before sundown. The injured humans needed care and the townsfolk would be more likely to help strangers before sundown.

	Holly had been no help dragging the stretcher. Her body was bruised and tired. She could barely stay on her feet much less help the elves. Both the elves felt pity for the young girl and did not press her for aid.

	Laethan was quiet upon the makeshift stretcher. He lay next to the wounded and unconcious brigand. Nearly the entire trip he kept his eyes were upon Holly, concerned that she might fall too far behind.

	The road had changed from a relatively unused winding dirt road surrounded by forest to a well-traveled reasonably straight dirt road surrounded by farmland. A few farmers were on the road ahead. Archametes halted and approached the farmers cautiously. The farmers, not often having met elves, eyed the rugged well-armed wood elf suspiciously. A short conversation ensued. The farmers told Archametes to speak to Garyld when he reached the town of Milbourne. “Garyld is town constable and an able carpenter” the farmers informed him. Archametes thanked them and set out again down the road lighter of heart knowing the journey would soon be over.

	Holly trudged along quite a ways back. Her mind lost in the events of the day. So many questions filled her mind: ‘Why were they attacked? Who were the men that attacked them? Is Laethan going to live?’ She looked ahead at her friend who lay still on the makeshift stretcher; his armor stained with his own blood from arrow wounds inflicted on him by the ambushers they had met earlier in the day. 

	She sighed and looked to the sky hoping to see some sign from Shaundakul that might explain the events of the day. The sky was clear and blue and no signs could be seen whether real or imagined. Disappointed, she said a quiet prayer to the Windrider to watch over her and her friends and to guide them all to a safe haven where they may heal and rest, and then continued on her way. 

‘How can men be so cruel?’ she thought. ‘People are not so cruel in Cormyr. My sister told me that leaving Cormyr on my own would be a mistake. She always seems to be right. I wish she were here. I really miss her.’ Holly’s eyes welled up with tears as thoughts of her family made her homesick and sad. She wished she had her sister to talk to, or even her father, but she was alone and her only friend lay grievously injured not far ahead. She wiped the tears from her eyes with the back of her hand. “I’ll not be driven home by brigands” she told herself defiantly.

The sun was just beginning to set as they entered the town of Milbourne, a small quiet town of well-built wooden buildings with a well-traveled dirt road leading further into the heart of the town. Very few people could be seen, but the few townsfolk who were out and about eyed the strangers warily.

Archametes managed to find a boy willing to show them to Garyld’s home. The boy took them to a large one-story house built of sturdy wood. Archametes approached the door and knocked. The loud barking of dogs could be heard from inside and after a short time the door was answered by a tall, lean middle-aged man with a thick mop of black hair and careful eyes. He looked at Archametes curiously, “Well, if this isn’t a surprise, an elf, grim and well-armed, what brings you to my door?”

Archametes bowed respectfully, “I am Archametes Stormblade. I hail from the Cormanthyr. I do not often walk amongst your people without need. I bring wounded humans seeking care. One is a criminal who sought to murder the others. I am told that you are an elder of the humans who handles such matters.”

“Well, you don’t mix words do you? Let’s see if I can help. We may need the assistance of Semheis, the local priest. Then again, he may not be willing to help folk of other faiths” Garyld replied. 

Garyld limped quickly towards the small group favoring his left leg over his lame right leg. Archametes followed. He looked over the two men lying on the stretcher. “I think I know this one” he pointed to the brigand. “Not sure of his name, but looks like a local I’ve seen about town; usually working for passing riverboat captains and spending most of his days at the The Silver Crown, a local tavern frequented by the riff raff of Milbourne. Bit off more than he could chew from the look of it. Never seen the other one, so which ones the criminal?”

Archametes pointed to the unconscious brigand as he recounted the events of the day telling Garyld of the attack upon Laethan and Holly and subsequent battle that cost most of the brigands their lives.  Garyld listened intently occasionally glancing at Holly and nodding his head slightly. 

Holly was too tired and sad to add much. When questioned by Garyld, she nodded weakly and told him she didn’t know why they were attacked. “Maybe they were trying to kidnap me for some evil purpose or to steal this chest we are delivering” she offered as possible reasons. 

 Garyld didn’t press the young girl for answers. It was obvious to him that she wasn’t hiding anything and didn’t know why she was attacked. He figured such a young girl wouldn’t be up to no good unless she was tricked. Holly didn’t look much different from many of the local men’s young daughters save that they weren’t as brave and didn’t carry Greatswords on their backs, and none of the local girls plotted much worse than a way to marry a suitable husband.

Garyld looked over the small chest Holly carried on her back. It didn’t seem like anything special. Holly told him it was spell components they were paid to deliver to a wizard named Tauster. Tauster was well-known to Garyld and he was sure Tauster wouldn’t be paying folks to bring him anything dangerous or evil.

Garyld turned his attention back to the brigand. He studied the man and thought to himself for a few moments before speaking again. “Well, I’ll definitely look into this matter. Let me take this here brigand off your hands. I have a secure room inside I can keep him in until he’s well enough to appear before Darius Carman. He’ll probably end up doing work in the mines, which is better than he deserves.”

	Garyld had Archametes carry the brigand into his home. After the brigand was secure, Garyld and Archametes walked joined the others.

“Will you be staying around Milbourne for a bit?” Garyld inquired. “The young man and woman will most likely need some rest. If you’re looking for lodging, The Baron of Mutton is a fine Inn. You should be able to rest up there with no trouble from brigands and such, should be a safer place to sleep than the road given the circumstances.”

“I must speak with my sister first. I am fairly sure we will spend some time in Milbourne. My sister will wish to care for the humans until they are healthy. Our faith demands that we care for those in need and my sister is a priestess” Archametes replied.

“Good, good. The young lass looks a bit like a lost child. I’ll feel better knowing she is being looked after. The man is sorely wounded. He’ll definitely need healing which I’m sure your sister will attend to.  And if you don’t mind, I’d be much obliged if you’d keep an eye on the local roads for a bit. Make sure no further brigands are ambushing travelers bringing goods to Milbourne. I’ll do some searching myself, but I can’t get around like I used to as you can probably see” Garyld said while patting his lame right leg.

“I will speak with my sister. She will pray for guidance. I am sure that our goddess will wish us to aid your people. That is the only assurance I can give you” Archametes said as he helped Laethan stand. His sister Tavitha comforted Holly who seemed overcome with fatigue.

“Good enough. The Baron of Mutton is not far. I’ll walk you over there.”

*Little Girl Lost continues...*


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