# The Blight



## Kashell (Jan 17, 2005)

* WANTED:


Crazy man with gray scrally hair. Claims to be of druidic origin.

Bring to Lorsan's Reach to the Temple of Obed-Hai.

Reward: 200 gold *




Avalon took a bite out of the last remaining piece of pork before putting down the bounty note. The ranger stood a full 6 feet tall, depsite his elven heritage, the human side of him made him slightly taller. The eyepatch that was over his left eye was simply there for aesthetic looks, one that often intimidated enemies, or one that he often brought up over coversation with ale...


Ale...


But now was not the time for getting drunk. Not because it wasn't a good time, but the fact that there was no ale on hand made it quiet difficult. Besides, he only had a prisoner and a silly gnome to get drunk with.

That's when the gnome with the bright yellow coat finnally looked up from his wizardry book. "We should be close to Lorson's Reach." he said firmly, packing his book under his arm.

Avalon had grown to love the little gnome in the past few days, and he had come of use in capture of the weirdo druidic man whatever-he-is. "Gold, then ale, then...ok, then ale." Avalon thought to himself as he led the man in front of them.




Travel was slow but sure as they made their way into Lorson's Reach and to the temple of Obed-Hai.


_I am alive. ...._ 

The monk kept his thoughts to himself as he entered the town of Lorson's Reach. The horrible event of waking up in the middle of four other dead clerics still remained on his memory. He needed some money...his stomach told him so.

Townsfolk pointed him to the temple of Obed-Hai when he asked where to go for work for a slightly pious and religious man. Though Kashell wasn't really religious, he knew that the towns of the 'real world' were only truthful when some sort of religious nonesense was place behind their deeds.

A quick entrance and exit of the temple destroyed his ideal of "Religion equals truthfulness and honor". He had been hired to play a practical joke on one of the workers at an adjacent temple, the temple of Ehlonna, late in the night. Apparently he was hired for his abilities in stealth combat, but 20 gold sounded like enough money worth the risk of being caught in risky-territory.

That was just the thing though, the man who gave Kashell the mission didn't exactly tell him how dangerous this particular mission would be...



"Very well then. Here is your 200, Mindle and Avalon." said the Cleric of Obed-Hai.

Mindle the gnome gave a low whistle, "Man, I could sure use some more of where this came from...."

The Cleric's eyes lit up, "Ah...looking for more? Let me first introduce myself."

"I am Father Midu. Now, if you are willing to get me a book..."


Mindle interrupted, "I'm sorry, but we're here on buisness besides this. We're searching for the origin of a terrible blight that turns living things white and kills them."

Avalon spoke up, "Yeah. I've even seen it kill humans."


Midu quickly perked up, "That's interesting you mention it. The book I am looking for has to do with this incedent you are speaking of..."

Midu continued, "Now, I have a druidic friend that will go along with you. He'll meet you tonight at the Plate and Stone tavern. You'll recognize the elf by the feathers in his hair and his silver hair."

Avalon looked at the 100 gold in his hand and plainly said, "Ale."

Mindle follow begrudgingly to the Plate and Stone tavern.




_They were dead...._ 

The monk waited, his thoughts, the only sound that could be heard in the empty second floor of the library.






" ANd THEN I says to the guy, "That wasn't a halfling, but that was QUITE the human!" HAH! *hic* ....midgets...."


Avalon had obviously had one too many.


Mindle kept his eyes open for the elf with the feathers in his silver hair. Hours past, when finally, near midnight, the elf entered the tavern alone. He spoke once to the barkeep, who pointed over at Mindle's table.

" I am Reis Nailo of the secret society of druids. I have come to you from Father Midu for our assigned mission. Are you properly prepared, or is the halfbreed only pretending to be drunk as I suspect?"

Avalon glared at Reis, "Let's go."

"A moment." Declared Reis. "We are to grab the Woes of the Wild that resides on the third floor of the temple of Ehlonna. We shall do no other task, and return the book as soon as we can to the Father. Do you understand, little one?"

Mindle nodded, becoming impatient with the elf.

"Now, I suppose we shall be on our way. Oh yes, remember to leave a good tip, dear Avalon." Reis said, drawing the coversation out even longer.

Avalon left the tavern with Mindle and Reis shortly after.





_Master Rae....You taught me everything from the day you saved me from the slave traders at the age of seven.... And this is the first time that I haven't had you to guide me. Should I still go through with this unhonorable deed?_ 


Just then, the monk heard a door closing and low voices. _ The Cleric said there would be a group possibly... _ Thought the monk to himself.


The monk tried to peer around the corner but saw the flash of an oddity against the wall. Lights were flickering, different random colors as well, from the location of the sound.

The monk retreated to assess the situation.


Soon, the monk found his way into a room with three desks in it. Footsteps could be heard against the stone as  two...no, three people came his way. The same light came off in the darkness.

_That's it. I'll confess. I can't do this._ said the monk to himself.

The monk stood at the end of the hallway and saw something totally different from what he had expected.


First, he saw the half-elf, with a bow drawn and an arrow notched. Then, he saw the odd elf with feathers in his hair, odd, because most of the feathers were a-light. Standing below them all was a young gnome with a yellow cape with dancing lights around his head.

Instantly the elf drew his hands together and a flare of light came from them. The monk hid his eyes effectively and ran into the other room again.

Suddenly the monk felt someone touch him. He reacted and tackled the enemy to the ground and pinned him with the same training that he had done thousands of times before.

Hoping to escape, the monk ran back into the hallway, only to be greeted by the gnome and elf again.


"Wait friend." Said the gnome.

"Listen. We can work this out simply. I am Mindle. This is Reis. The man...elf...who should be up in a moment..."


"Is Avalon" said the half-elf, with a bruise on his face, rounding the corner.


"And I am Kashell" said the monk.

"We're all here to get a book." said Mindle, "The more people, the greater the reward for it. Do you want in?"


Kashell shrugged, at this point, not worried about the honor in stealing, "Sure. Why not."




Stairs were soon found with the help of Mindle's dancing lights (which seemed to dance in the same rhythm as he did) and with Reis' feathers. While searching for the stairs, Reis told Kashell (and at great length) of the stories behind the three companions so far.

Kashell took up the front of the group, aware of the dangers that lurked on the higher floors of magical libraries as they came up the stairs.

Had his timing been any less perfect, Kashell might have seen a half-eaten gnome lay on the ground.

For seconds after reaching the top of the stairs, a huge snake appeared out of thin air. Kashell charged in with his only weapon, a kama, and began to batter the terrible beast.

Avalon grinned and fired an arrow...only to terribly miss.

Mindle took a moment to remember his studies that morning and brought forward a gemstone that seemed cut from the ground itself. The gemstone hovered in mid-air, and then shot towards its target with cunning precision.

The snake took a quick once over at Kashell and managed to wrap its cord-like body around him. The snake squeezed once, taking nearly all the life out of him.

Avalon fired his bow again.

The arrow went straight towards Kashell's head, and hit. Had Kashell not moved his head at the last second, it would have been him that would have been dead, and not the snake.


The group took to splitting up and searched the library as quickly as possible. 

After three rooms were searched, the group came back together and traveled down the hallway a little ways to reach the rest of the rooms.

"Do you think that - - "

Avalon was interrupted mid conversation by the screaming of an elf.

"HOLY CRAP!"

Standing before all of them was a giant red dragon, filling the entire hallway of the library. Everyone ran off back down the hallway except for the gnome.


"MINDLE! CURSE YOUR GNOME CURIOSTIY!!!" yelled Avalon from the other end of the hallway.

Mindle looked at the terrible red dragon and took one giant leap into its mouth.





...And then he jumped out of the mouth.



And back in again.


"Hey, silly brains, it's not real." said Mindle, reassuring the group.


The group reassembled their broken pride and strode on to the end of the hallway.

One last room with books in it, and there lay the green book...

"The Woes of the Wild" said Mindle, reading the inside cover.

"This book contains t~./\][---`-p~ ..."


"Look, the words are all distorted. It's written in Draconic but..." Mindle paused.


"Let's not worry about it and get going." Said Kashell.

"Right. Time to worry later. Time to leave now." said Reis, his pants still slightly wet from the previous encounter.


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