From: Naron (naron_at_bigpond.net.au)
Date: Sun Jul 27 2003 - 00:48:29 BST
Garrott nods at Pean and Shalandra. "I seek not to threaten you but remind you that we have only your word for the goings on of this afternoon. I accept your word for the moment but watch carefully to ensure your actions match them. I am Garrott, this is Kalais, Farli, Lenora, Rose, Elklisee and the bear is Suskin." The rockman motions to each in turn. "Omasu, the other Obsidiman and owner of this caravan has gone to speak with the leader of the guard." The big rock man known as Garrott takes a step back after finish his speech and places a hand on the Ork womans shoulder known as Elklisee and gently pushes her forward.
The ork woman is wearing a dirty red dress. You see brown mud stains along the hem and over the bodice. Soon you realise that the ones on the bodice are actually dry blood stains, with cuts in the fabric to match the wounds. Beneath the dress you see bandaging and realise that Elklisee was also lucky to get away from the battle as well as she has.
"The battle was only the last of a long journey. I have relayed the story to my travelling companions but will relate it to you so you can understand what has happened."
<To those who have heard this story, I am putting it in italics so if you do not want to read it again, just find the area where the italics stop and continue from there>
"I have come from Jerris to Lake Ban seeking an item for an Obsidiman in Jerris. He had informed me that the item was in Kralas. I am known for my ability to return things that have been lost. The item is magical and valuable to those who understand its purpose."
Tears begin to run down her face as she continues. "I traced the item first to Kratas and found there that it had been moved to Lake Ban for final sale. It was then that I also realised that there was someone or something also pursuing this item."
"The broker who was organising the items trip and also several of his runners had been brutally murdered the night before I was due to talk to them. I found the bodies and was held by Garlthick's men for several days before they could verify that I had not indeed been the cause of the killings. They were kind though and let me know where the last runner had been sent. He had been seen with the item I seek and so I departed for Lake Ban."
"I arrived several weeks after the item, mainly due to a run in with a group of scorchers along the way that could have gone better. It was not hard to trace and I soon heard that the item had been purchased by a local troubadour named Seltin. That night I was attacked. A Windling with a poisoned blade found me in my bed, asleep, and moved so quietly that I did not know of his presence before I was cut. He escaped through a window, but within moments the T'skrang known as Veltus appeared in my doorway."
"We battled of course, as I thought he was there to finish the job, but the poison weakened me and as I was breathing my last, Veltus applied the antidote to the wound. He has kept me in hiding for several more weeks as I have not been strong enough to make the journey that I have to."
"It turned out that Veltus is in fact the Troubadour that I was seeking. He uses the Troubadour as a cover while he is in Lake Ban. The item I am after was purchased by a woman named Sara Mayfler. She is the mayor of sorts in your village. Apparently she follows the path of a magical adept and sought the item out for research she is conducting."
"Veltus promised to take me to her as he needed to report to the lady. He has found that the Windling who attacked me is not acting alone and fears that there may already be some that have infiltrated the village in an effort to obtain the item and kill as many as it takes to keep it a secret."
She looks to the ground downcast. "I cannot tell you of this item, as I have sworn to my employer that none shall find out of its presence unless they are first aware of its nature. We were attacked to make sure the object remained safe in the hands of those my employer would rather keep it from."
As she finishes, the ork sobs loudly. Pean places the last of a poultice on a wound to Veltus' abdomen and looks up. "It is in Garlen's hands now. He is feverish and needs his rest".
Just as the elf finishes speaking a shrill scream is heard from the square. "Murder! Murder! Murder!" The womans voice chants the word like a mantra. The locals recognise the voice as Velma Ironbeard, Kaleb's mother, normally heard at the same pitch in the local inn after far too many wines.
Without a second thought you run into the street, and find the village guard surrounding Velma who has collapsed in the street sobbing. Angavorn, your old travelling companion exits the forge that the Ironbeards live and operate their business in. He sees you and motions you forward. Leading you into the forge, through the storeroom he looks at you all, staring hard and cold at those that are not locals but saying nothing further. "It is Kaleb. Prepare yourself for it is not pleasant."
The smell emanating from the room confirms Angavorn's words and you move into the room. The scene is ripped straight from your worst nightmares. Kaleb lays on his bed, his skin peeled back from the flesh of his body lays underneath him like a discarded costume. You recognise it as Kaleb only by the colour of the beard that pokes out from underneath a wooden death mask. A wooden deathmask that has been carved to resemble the skeletal features of a dwarven skull, made from a fine Myrtle, though now stained deeply with blood.
The open sockets of the mask show Kaleb's eyes, frozen in fear and pain. It is then that you realise that the young Dwarven weaponsmith that had travelled with you the day before, had been skinned alive, until hedied from shock. But by what? Did the T'skrang that had been impersonating him hold the key? Has a horror finally breached the defences of Bush Namur after nearly half a millenia of being repelled?
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If you are into role-playing, check out http://users.bigpond.net.au/naron/
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