The Tale of Neilah, Child of Bhaaaaaaaal!
Nimran
Member Posts: 4,875
Well, I've done it. I decided to finally attempt a full playthrough of Baldur's Gate, from beginning to end. I'm gonna go roll up the character, and I will use this thread to tell the story in a similar fashion to my story. I sincerely hope that I can finish the series, and that I can keep my friends here on the forum entertained as I do so.
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Standing in front of a two-story inn, a young blond woman wearing a blue robe scratched her head as she stared at the building's entrance. "Buy what I need, eh?" she silently asked no one in particular. "But I don't need anything. He should know that by now. I'm good enough to keep myself safe, especially if he's going to be traveling with me." The young woman sighed as she thought back on her years spent within the library. She remembered the day when she discovered her latent talent for magic, and her foster father Gorion's insistence that she study arcane tomes in order to further hone her talent. She remembered the day when she had finally had enough of the tedious act, and her explosive tantrum that nearly destroyed several shelves of books. Since then, she had been forced into a new daily routine that involved running errands for the other residents of Candlekeep, as well as doing anything else they could need a lackey for. After a few years of this new routine, she yearned to return to her studies, but Gorion had told her that it was too late for her to learn, as both her body and mind had reached maturity, and learning the arcane arts then would have been difficult. As a result, she had resolved to hone her instincts instead, using her intuition and memory to perform the proper movements and say the proper phrases that would create the magical effects that she wanted.
Now, she found herself in front of Winthrop's inn. She had always found it odd that the inn had no name aside from 'Winthrop's Inn', as she had read about many towns in which inns were given names such as the Journeyman's Respite. Of course, she couldn't tell Gorion that of all of the things that she had read, that piece of knowledge was all that stood out to her now. She shook her head and groaned as her feet reluctantly carried her to the door.
So many questions... I'm eager to find answers on them in your future chapters. It's great that you've decided to attempt a full playthrough of BG, @Nimran .
"That joke's as funny as the last time I heard it," Neilah replied, though her tone implied otherwise. "HAH!" Winthrop's booming laugh nearly caused her to fall over in shock. "I'm just messin' with ye, girl. The monks might walk around as though they have sticks in their nethers, but ye'll not find any sticks in mine. Speaking of which, I figured out a new advertisement for visitors. 'My hotel's as clean as an elven arse', I'll say to 'em! Makes for a nice picture, don't it?" Neilah considered the new slogan for a moment, then shrugged and said "I guess so. Hey, is Imoen around?"
Winthrop's face scrunched up, and he said "Nay, that little tenderfoot is out gallivanting around somewhere. If ye find her, tell her to get back here so she can finish her chores, will ye?" Neilah smiled mischievously and said "Oh, I'll bring her back her, in one piece or not. Mwahahaha!" She wrung her hands as though she was one of the cliche villains from the old stories that Gorion had read to her when she was a child. Winthrop laughed again at the sight. After spending some more time with Winthrop and halfheartedly looking at his old weapons before finally deciding to bring a staff and a small leather sling, as well as a few of the smooth, round stones that were used as ammunition for the sling, she waved goodbye to Winthrop and started to leave the inn.
"So hard to find decent folk, nowadays." Neilah stopped when she reached the door and turned around to see a lean elven man sitting alone in one of the chairs in the center of the lobby. He had muttered the phrase to himself, but spoke loudly enough for her to hear him. Neilah approached the man and asked "Who is indecent now? I hope it's not me." The elderly elf looked up at her, then shook his head and said "No, dear girl, it isn't you. It's that Tethtoril. He borrowed my Identify scroll in order to run some tests, but it has been days since he had borrowed it, and I have not the time to hunt him down and get it back." "So, let me guess," Neilah replied. "You want me to fetch it for you, right?" The elf's eyes widened, and he asked "You would do that for me? Thank you, girl! That's one less matter that I need to attend to." Neilah shook her head and said "I didn't mean-" but she saw that the old man was not paying her any further attention. Finally, she groaned and muttered "Fine, I'll do it."
She proceeded out of the inn and started walking across the dirt road to find Tethtoril in the library's courtyard. Surrounded by an inner wall made of stone, the library was easily the most defensible building within Candlekeep, and the courtyard within that inner wall was where most of the monks wandered regularly. "No better place to start looking than here," Neilah spoke to herself, trying to chase away the feelings of hopelessness that usually came with the knowledge that she was being sent on yet another simple errand.
Chaotic Neutral elf sorcerer
STR 10
DEX 18
CON 16
INT 10
WIS 16
CHA 18
Total roll is 88, which in my opinion isn't too high, but is also high enough to give her good scores where it counts. Had to sacrifice INT a bit, but as far as I know, sorcerers don't need it to cast spells. The only real worry that I have is if an illithid gets close enough to eat her brain, but she'll have plenty of meat shields (brain shields?) in the form of her companions and maybe some summoned monsters, though I don't know if she will ever learn any summoning spells. Her spells will be selected based on the character, not on what is most effective, so we'll see. The scores are all even because I am a little bit obsessive about even numbers, with the exception of using tomes during the game and if I roll an odd total during character creation.
Her current spells are Chromatic Orb and Identify, which will make up for her lack of INT in regards to lore.
Another thing that I wanted to point out, just as a side note: I will often replace lines of dialogue spoken within the game with similar lines that I make up on my own, not because I think that my lines are better, but because my memory is terrible. I literally can't remember most of the dialogue after I tap the End Dialogue button. I apologize to anyone who might consider this disrespectful to the original dialogue. Also, I say that I tap the End Dialogue button because I am playing on an iPad Mini.
Her portrait is the default elf portrait that appears first in Character Creation. I would post a screenshot, but I have no idea how to do that on a tablet, or if it's even possible to do on a tablet. I think that covers everything about her in-game record. Because my memory is so bad, I will probably make only a small amount of progress between each update. Either that, or I can edit my posts a certain number of times before moving on to another post.
I am actually really excited about this. I have never completed the first BG. I have completed both SoA and ToB, but not with the same character. This will hopefully be the first time that I play through the entire saga with one character. The game is on Core difficulty, and will be throughout the entire playthrough.
"Heya!" The sudden loud greeting made Neilah nearly jump out of her skin, and she turned her startled gaze toward a familiar face approaching her from the opposite end of the building. "It's me, Imoen!" spoke the cheerful young woman with red hair wearing a set of pink clothes as she walked up to Neilah, her face beaming with delight at the sight of her best friend. Neilah waved to Imoen as she approached, though she was still somewhat frazzled from the verbal surprise attack. "Imoen, have you been neglecting your chores again?" she asked the young woman. Imoen snorted and replied "Oh yeah, like you're one to talk. When's the last time you cleaned out old man Reevor's storehouse, huh?" She chuckled and continued, asking "You got time for a story? All of Winthrop's stories are either boring or filled with bad jokes. Yours are much better, since they are about adventurous heroes who vanquish demons and stuff. You don't always pull them from a book, either."
Neilah shook her head and said "I'm afraid I cannot chat today, little one. I don't have a lot of time before I need to see my father, and as usual, everyone and their dog will want me to do something for them. You had best get back to Winthrop. He's staring to get cranky, and you know how he gets when he's cranky." Imoen nodded and said "Uh huh, I know. Well, good luck on your trip-er, uh, I mean good luck with whatever it is you're doing." Neilah cocked and eyebrow and said "Sounds like someone has been sticking her nose where it doesn't belong. Do yourself a favor, and get back to the inn before I set your pants on fire." "Pfft," Imoen replied. "You can't fool me twice with the same threat. I know you don't know how to do something like that." Neilah frowned for a moment, then leaned her staff against the library's wall, raised her arms, and waved them around, saying "Whimsical flames that never tire, set this little brat's pants on fire!" Imoen's eyes went wide, and she quickly scampered away toward the inn, checking the seat of her pants to make sure that they weren't set ablaze the entire way.
Neilah watched her go with an amused smile and laughed when she was out of earshot. "Oh, I'm such a terrible person," she said to herself as she continued to search for Tethtoril.
Here's an article how to take a screenshot on a tablet: http://lifehacker.com/5994516/how-to-take-a-screenshot-on-android
http://forums.beamdog.com/discussion/33353/advertise-your-written-play-through-s/p1
He pulled an old, wrinkled sheet of parchment out from within his red robes and handed it to her hastily. "Now, as soon as you deliver that to him, make sure that you talk to Gorion. He is a very patient man, I know, but it is still impolite to make him wait." Neilah shrugged, ignoring the resulting frown from Tethtoril, and proceeded to return to the inn. Gorion had never really paid much attention to her beyond her studies, so she had no problem with making him wait. In fact, she rather enjoyed seeing the look on his face whenever he became frustrated with her, which wasn't often, despite her best efforts.
Eventually, she found her way back to the inn, and to the old elf resting inside. As she handed him the sheet that she had received from Tethtoril, he smiled warmly at her and said "Ah, I am pleased to see that growing up has not hardened your heart, girl. I remember your troublemaking antics back when you were young." Neilah tilted her head and asked "We've met before? I don't recall seeing you, well, ever." "It was a long time ago, dear. I had passed through here on several occasions when you were younger, though I have not been visiting as much recently due to the entrance fee required. Anyway, you have helped me, and I shall help you in return." He reached into a pocket on his green robe and pulled out a small vial filled with blue liquid, and he handed it to her, saying "Take this potion of healing. It should prove handy in certain situations. I also have a spell prepared that will protect you from any evil you encounter tonight."
He waved his hands, and a soft glow enveloped Neilah, causing her to shine brightly within the dull candlelight of the inn. Neilah looked down at herself and surveyed the swirling lights for a moment before looking back up at Firebead with a frown. "Gee, thanks," she said sarcastically. "Now everyone can see me in the dark. Seriously, how does this protect me?" Firebead snorted and replied "Fiends won't be able to touch you while that spell is active, dear girl." "It also turns me into an obvious target for non-fiends," Neilah protested. Firebead scowled at her and said "Well, you need not worry about that for long, as it will wear off in a while." "Hopefully before I leave," Neilah replied, her countenance betraying her disgust at her 'reward'. She turned on her heels and walked back outside, muttering "So hard to find decent folk nowadays."
She had nearly made it around the corner when she heard "Oh, Neilah! Neilah, wait, I need your help with something!" "Stupid Firebead and his stupid glowing spell aura," Neilah groaned as she put on a fake smile and turned around, saying in a forced happy voice "Of course, Phlydia, how can I help you?" "I seemed to have misplaced my book, dear. Do you think you can find it and bring it to me? It's titled 'The History of Halruaa'." Neilah nodded and said "Sure, I'll find it. Do you know which way I should go to look for it?" Phlydia thought for a moment before saying "East, I think. Or maybe west? Could be south, maybe. I don't know." "I'll start looking east, then," Neilah said quickly, trying to end the conversation so that she could get the job over with as quickly as possible. Without waiting for a response from Phlydia, she headed east and into the Priests' Quarters, thinking that it was as good of a place to start looking as any.
"Oh, goody goody, I've gone and found ye first." The voice sounded like someone's vocal chords were crushed by a wagon, and it was a voice that she did not recognize. Neilah looked around and saw a short, hooded man walking toward her with a sleazy look on his face, and she immediately knew that something was wrong. She recalled a spell that she had learned for just such an occasion as the man approached her. "Ye're Gorion's child, aren't ye?" the man asked. "Ye fit the description closely enough, so I'm sure ye are." "Who are you, and what do you want?" Neilah asked cautiously. The man shrugged and said "Who I am is not important, but who you are is very much so. If I pull this off, I will no longer be mocked by the others. I'll show them all. Just because I'm short and scrawny doesn't mean that I can't kill someone." With that, he drew a dagger and lunged at her.
Neilah yelped as she scampered back, frantically waggling her fingers in the correct movements required for her spell. An instant later, she finished casting, and she desperately flung her spell back at the man while still trying to escape. The bright ball of swirling energy connected squarely with the man's chest, and he fell over with a thud, his body devoid of life. Neilah took a moment to catch her breath, then said "Well, that was anticlimactic."
She looked around the building for a bit, but she didn't find the book. She walked outside, where a man in yellow robes was staring at her curiously. "Neilah," spoke the man. "Is something wrong? You look a little disheveled." "It-it was nothing, Parda," Neilah lied, even though she knew that the man's body was still lying on the floor within the Priests' Quarters. The ordeal had shaken her to the extent that she no longer cared about telling the truth. She just wanted to find the damn book and get away from that building as quickly as she could. Parda looked at her for another moment before replying "Well, okay. You should hurry and find Gorion, child. He has something he wants to tell you."
Neilah nodded, and Parda walked away. She was starting to calm down, but she still didn't want to be around there anymore. She continued her search for the book by continuing east, when she was greeted by a familiar face. "Hey there, Neilah!" the man named Dreppin called out to her. She walked up to him with a nervous smile, and he responded with a smile of his own. "Phlydia lost one of her books again," he told her as he pointed toward the stack of hay behind him. "It's in the hay, there, beside the cow. If you run back to her, then come back, I'll have a job for you." "Why wouldn't you just take the book out and give it to her yourself if you had already found it?" Neilah asked, but Dreppin was no longer listening to her, as he had turned back toward the cow and started petting and whispering to her.
"You know, I've said it before, and I'll say it again," Neilah said. "I'm surrounded by a bunch of weirdos." She then shrugged as she turned and walked back to Phlydia, to whom she gave the book. "My book!" Phlydia exclaimed as she hugged it to her chest. Neilah couldn't help but smile at the sight. "Oh, you remind me so much of Gorion when you grin like that," Phlydia said to her. "Here, this might be valuable." She reached inside of a pocket and pulled out a small blue gem, and she handed it to Neilah. "Go and sell that to Winthrop. He collects those kinds of things, I hear. The gold you get from it could prove useful." She flashed a smile at Neilah, who smiled back, suddenly very glad to have such a conversation.
Alright, I got it. Thanks, @Elrandir.
I'm not able to delete the small image, though.
I've decided to just leave a brief summary of the rest of the prologue because it's getting kinda long. I'm ready to move on, so here's how it went in a nutshell:
Neilah went back to Dreppin, who told her about his sick cow. She then ran into Jondalar, who challenged her to a sparring match with their quarterstaves. An instant after she whacked him with her staff, Neilah was struck by one of Erik's practice arrows from behind, and she looked at Jondalar, who said "Surprise!"
She was then accosted by Reevor, who demanded that she clear out some rats from the storehouse. She went in, dealt with the rats, and was rewarded with 5gp! Not only that, but the Protection from Evil spell wore off during the task, so she felt really good afterwards.
She then spoke to Hull about his missing long sword and ran into the gatewarden, who told her to talk to Obe for training. She staunchly refused, and he called her stubborn, but she didn't care. She was the errand girl, after all, not a watcher! Afterward, she stopped by the infirmary and convinced the priest of Oghma within that she was sick, getting another potion of healing.
She went into the bunkhouse, thinking Hull might have left his sword there, only to find another assassin! She killed him in the same manner as the first one, by casting Chromatic Orb and running away in case it didn't kill him. She didn't need to bother, though, as Carbos died from the spell. She left the bunkhouse feeling less traumatized the second time, and when Karan came running, she told him not to worry with a stronger voice.
She made her way inside of the barracks, where she saw Fuller staring at her pensively, and she asked him if he needed something. He sent her on another errand to buy some crossbow bolts from Winthrop. She grabbed Hull's long sword and the antidote from Hull's chest, and she knew exactly which one to search because Hull had asked her to do this sort of thing before. She rushed back to Hull, who gave her 20gp for his sword! Feeling really good about herself, she then returned to Dreppin and gave him the antidote for a whopping...nothing! Aaaaaand her good feelings were gone.
She stopped by Winthrop's to sell Phlydia's gem and buy some bolts, then ran back to Fuller, who gave her his family dagger. She used her last spell to identify the dagger, which was a dagger +1! The good feelings were back! After having finished doing the rounds at Candlekeep, Neilah finally decided to go and speak to Gorion.
"Please, father, tell me where we will be going," she said hopefully, trying not to sound too desperate for fear of making him even more agitated than he obviously already was. Gorion stared at her for a moment before saying "I cannot say, for I do not honestly know the answer myself. We could seek shelter in the woods, perhaps, or maybe a city. With its teeming throngs of people, a city would provide us with some anonymity, at least. I will think upon this as we leave, child. Do not worry." Neilah did worry, however. Despite Gorion's assurance that everything would be fine, she still couldn't shake the feeling that something terrible was about to happen, and as a rule, she always trusted her intuition. Despite her worries, however, Neilah also knew that Gorion was a wise and powerful sage, and that he loved her deeply. He would never lead her into harm willingly, and if harm were to find them, he would try his hardest to protect her from it.
After they had made their way to the gate, Gorion stopped and turned toward Neilah. "Listen carefully," he said with urgency. "If we ever become separated, it is imperative that you make your way to the Friendly Arm Inn. There, you will meet Khalid and Jahiera. They have long been my friends, and you can trust them." Neilah quickly nodded, not wanting to waste anymore time than she already had. Gorion was a patient man, but even his patience was limited. Neilah's earlier escapades have wasted enough time already. The two left through the gate and proceeded into the wilderness.
They kept off of the road, choosing to move between the trees that surrounded it instead to avoid being seen. Some time later, night began to fall. Neilah had already begun to feel her legs tiring. When she stopped to rest, however, Gorion looked at her and shook his head. "Let's hurry, child," he said with a hint of anxiety in his voice. "The night can only get worse, so we must find shelter soon." Neilah nodded in agreement, although she was quickly growing more tired with each step she took. "Don't worry," Gorion said as they continued on, trying to alleviate the tension that was in the air around them. "I will explain everything as soon as there is time." They walked forward a short distance, into a clearing that seemed odd to Neilah. Several large stones were placed in a peculiar pattern, forming what seemed to be three large circles upon the ground. Neilah opened her mouth to speak, wanting to ask her father what the purpose behind these rocks was, but Gorion stopped suddenly, causing her to decide against speaking.
"Wait, there is something wrong," said Gorion as he surveyed the trees that surrounded them. "We are in an ambush. Prepare yourself." Neilah gripped her staff and followed his gaze toward the trees. She had run out of spells when she was running errands earlier that day, so she had no power with which she could defend herself. She had to rely on Gorion as her only real protection. Suddenly, out from the shadows of the trees appeared a group that seemed odd to Neilah. Two large, burly green men with pointed teeth were positioned in the front of their formation. Neilah looked at them with awe for a moment, recognizing them as ogres, creatures that she had only read about in stories back in Candlekeep. Seeing two of them at that moment nearly made her jaw drop. Behind the ogres came two men, regular human men with bows who seemed a lot meaner than the assassins within Candlekeep, their steely eyes scanning both her and her father with obvious disdain. A young woman appeared behind them, though she seemed out of place within the group. Her expression was downcast as she surveyed the two travelers. Finally, from behind the others appeared a large hulking figure wearing a suit of spiked black armor that Neilah felt was a bit ridiculous. Of course, she wouldn't dare say that to the man's face. From behind his large helmet that was shaped like a skull with spikes that matched those upon his armor jutting outward, two glowing yellow orbs stared blankly at her. She felt the intensity of the man's stare, and it made her shiver.
"You're perceptive for an old man," the armored figure spoke in a deep voice. "You know why I'm here. Hand over your ward and no one will be hurt! If you resist, it shall be a waste of your life!" When Neilah heard the man's words, she was terrified, but Gorion stepped in front of her, shielding her from the man's gaze. "You're a fool if you believe that I would trust your benevolence!" Gorion shouted back at him. "Step aside, and you and your lackeys will be unhurt!" Neilah felt inspired by his words, but the armored figure was not dissuaded. He slowly turned his unyielding gaze upon Gorion and said with a frighteningly calm voice "I'm sorry that you feel that way, old man."
In the next instant, battle was upon them. One of the men with bows aimed and fired at Neilah, who was partially shielded by Gorion. The arrow grazed her shoulder, and she yelped from the pain. Gorion glanced at her over his shoulder and shouted "Run, child! Get out of here!" In that instant, he became surrounded by several duplicates of himself. He quickly threw himself into casting a spell, his duplicates moving exactly as he did, as Neilah ran away in terror. The archer and his counterpart turned their attention toward the casting mage, firing their arrows at will, but Gorion had prepared for such encounters, and the arrows veered away at the last instant to plant themselves into the ground at his feet. The two ogres rushed in with their morningstars raised when Gorion finished his spell. Suddenly, one of the ogres dissolved into a small pool of ash. The other ogre was undisturbed by his companion's sudden death, and he continued forward. Gorion began casting another spell while the ogre had reached him and began to swing his spiked weapon straight at Gorion's head. The blow never came, however, as Gorion had finished his spell, and a lightning bolt shot out from his hands and collided with the ogre, who screamed in pain as he fell to the ground and died.
The armored figure then raised his massive sword with one hand and strode forward, leaving the archers and the young woman behind. Gorion took advantage of the short reprieve to cast another spell, sending a bright orange ball of fire flying toward the archers. As it impacted with the ground just between them and the young woman, the fireball burst, and the resulting explosion fried the two archers where they stood and knocked the young down. Her hair and face singed, the woman stumble back up to her feet and started casting a spell of her own, and the armored figure reached Gorion, who quickly began to cast another spell. The armored figure swung and hit one of Gorion's images, causing it to disappear immediately. The young woman's spell fired just before Gorion finished his own, and the other duplicates disappeared. Gorion felt his combat protections falter as well, and as he finished his spell, he knew that he couldn't win. With the armored figure so close to him, and with his protective spells gone, he knew that he stood no chance, but he would not give up, could not give up, until he had given his last breath for his beloved daughter to escape. His spell shot forth from his hands, and the young woman suddenly found herself trapped within a large swirling sphere that held her in place.
With the other threats eliminated, Gorion immediately began to cast spell after spell at the armored figure, who stumbled from each hit that he took. It wasn't enough to save him, but Gorion could at least buy more time for Neilah. The armored figure growled defiantly at the barrage of magic, and with a swift retaliatory backhand swing of his sword, he smashed Gorion's body, nearly cleaving it in two as the force of his swing swept Gorion aside and to the ground. He then looked around at the surrounding trees, desperately searching for signs of Neilah's passing. After finding none, and seeing that his entourage had been decimated, the armored figure left in a huff. Gorion's sphere faded soon afterward, and the young woman rushed after him.
Witnessing the carnage from her hiding spot, Neilah had nearly given away her position with a scream when she saw Gorion fall. Tears streamed from her eyes as she watched the two survivors heading back in the direction from where they came. She shook her head slowly as she gazed upon the broken corpse of her father. She couldn't believe that he was dead. For as long as she could remember, her father was the symbol of strength and resilience that she had come to admire. His patient and gentle, yet firm hand had been there for her through all of the hardships of her life. Those hardships suddenly seemed so small to her, for the man who had helped her fight through them, the solid force of good in her life, was gone in the span of a few short moments.
She ran. She didn't know where to go, but she had to get away from that place. That clearing, those circles of stones that she had wanted to learn more about, now left her feeling sick. She couldn't stand to spend another second in that place, not that night. Knowing of no other place to go, she ran toward the road, and upon reaching the road, she collapsed and cried helplessly through the night. Eventually, her sobs abated as she drifted off into a deep sleep that carried her away from her pain, albeit only until morning.
When morning came, Neilah awoke to a familiar sight. She was helped to her feet by none other than Imoen, who had apparently snuck out of Candlekeep. The young red-haired woman smiled cheerfully at Neilah and said " Well, aren't you a pretty sight. Fallin' asleep in the middle of the road like that sure doesn't look like a bright idea." Neilah tilted her head and stared at her curiously, and Imoen's smile grew wider. "You got dirt all over your, well, everything," she said, gesturing toward Neilah's robes and face, which had been covered in dirt. Neilah frowned and immediately began patting herself all over in an attempt to brush the dirt off. Finally, she looked back at Imoen, who gave her a thumb's up and said "That's better. You look almost clean now." Her face suddenly turned dour, and she muttered "Sorry."
Neilah sighed. She had calmed down by then, but the pain of Gorion's loss still cut through her like a knife. At least she wasn't bawling her eyes out anymore. Imoen likely wouldn't let her live it down if she was. "I kinda figured something like this would happen," Imoen said somberly as she glanced in the direction of the stone circles. Neilah shook her head in disbelief and asked "How could you have known? Gorion did not even tell me." Imoen started to shift uncomfortably before she reluctantly replied "I kinda sorta read a letter of his the other day. It basically said that you were going on a trip, and that some bad guys would try to get you. I think he took it with him, so he might still have it on his..." She trailed off as she considered what to say next. "His body. You might find it with him, if you want to go back."
Neilah gave her a hollow smile and nodded.
Meanwhile, Imoen was moving from body to body and collecting everything that she found valuable. By the time Neilah had finished reading the letter, Impen had moved back to her side wearing a suit of leather armor and carrying a pouch of gold coins. "Not much loot on 'em, after all," she said in an attempt to bring Neilah out of her somber mood. "Hey, this is the perfect time to have one of those adventures that you're always telling me about! You know, with suspense and intrigue, along with action and maybe even a little romance." Neilah sighed and replied "This isn't a game, you know. We're stuck out here with nowhere to go." "Aww, that's not true!" Imoen said somewhat more happily than she had intended due to her success in snapping Neilah out of her gloom. "We have those people at the Friendly Arm Inn. They could help us." "How do you know about them?" Neilah asked. "They weren't mentioned in the letter." "Yeah, I know that," Imoen replied. "But I overheard what Gorion said to you before you left. You weren't paying attention?"
Neilah became flustered, and she stammered "Wha-hey! I was paying attention!" Imoen laughed and said "Sure you were," mockingly rolling her eyes. Neilah groaned as she stood up, and the two returned to the road. They headed east for a short while before being approached by a large bald man wearing colorful clothes. "Hey there!" he shouted as he waved at them. "It's not often when I see strangers on the road, though some strange things have been happening around here lately. There was a lot of noise up to the north last night, for instance." Neilah looked at him with sudden suspicion. "Get away from me!" she shouted. "I don't trust you. How do I know you're not here to kill me?" The man looked at her, startled. "Well, that was certainly rude," he said. "You should really watch that attitude of yours, young lady. It won't make you any friends out here." Neilah shook her head and replied "If I wanted your opinion, I would ask for it. Get out of my way!" The man shrugged and said "Very well. I wish you luck. You're certainly going to need it." As he departed, Imoen leaned into Neilah's ear and whispered "Maybe you should cool it when we're talking to people. That guy didn't seem so bad." Neilah breathed a long sigh and said "Sorry, I'm just a little frazzled." Imoen nodded, and the two continued onward.
Neilah and Imoen looked to each other and shrugged. With a little urging from Neilah, they continued down the road and attempted to pass by the strange travelers. As they started to pass, however, the man in green robes turned toward them suddenly and declared "Hold, traveler! I see that you and your friend are in dire straights indeed. If you would, pardon me for but a moment as I examine your person. It seems that you have encountered a most deadly foe, and you have only barely escaped with your life." The shorter man, who Neilah recognized as a halfling, also began to look at her appraisingly before saying "Aye, Xzar, she looks to be roughed up quite a bit." Neilah looked down at her robe. She had barely noticed, but there were tears and scuff marks all over it from the previous night.
The robed man reached into a pouch on his belt and pulled out a small vial of a familiar blue liquid. "Perhaps this potion could be of service to you," he said with a sly grin. Neilah looked to Imoen, who shrugged. "I would be grateful for any assistance," Neilah said slowly, trying to follow Imoen's advice despite her suspicions concerning the strange men. The robed man seemingly noticed her apprehension, and his face contorted into a variety of expressions before finally settling into a warm smile. "Nothing to fear from these simple potions," he said in a more polite tone, though the change seemed to put significant strain upon his face as his muscles began to twitch each time his lips moved. "I won't even hold you in debt, though your conscience knows otherwise." His short companion, who had been eyeing both Neilah and Imoen silently, finally spoke up, saying "Just like all good people." He seemed to spit the words out as though they were poisonous, and Neilah couldn't help but wonder if the men's intentions were truly altruistic.
"Perhaps as payment, you could come with us to Nashkel," the robed man said, drawing Neilah's attention away from the halfling and back toward him. "We have heard that there has been some trouble with the mines of late, and our superiors have ordered us to investigate it, or more specifically, to find out where to lay blame in the matter. Your assistance would be appreciated, though we will not hold you to it. These are dangerous lands, however, and it is best to travel in larger groups so that you are not without allies." He tried to smile warmly at her again, but his second attempt wasn't as successful, and his entire face seemed to twist into a crazed grimace. So distracted by the strange sight, Neilah didn't notice his halfling friend as he snuck up beside her and nudged her in the ribs, muttering "Yer conscience be yer guide." He sneered at her as he finished speaking, and Neilah could surely tell that there was something wrong with the two men. Still, she couldn't pass up an opportunity to find allies, questionable though they may be, which reminded her of something that Gorion had mentioned to her before they had left Candlekeep.
"I wouldn't mind traveling with you," she said cautiously. "But I have to meet with some friends first. You can come with me if you wish, and I will help you as soon as my business with them is done." The robed man's weird smile turned into a frown as he contemplated her offer. Finally, he said "We have precious little time, but it is best to travel accompanied." His companion nodded, albeit reluctantly, and he said with a cold sneer "Aye, we'll go wit' ye. Ye owe us for our time, though." Neilah nodded, and the four travelers continued northeast, following the road as it wound its way up toward where Gorion had told her the Friendly Arm inn was located.
Xzar pulled out a scroll from within one of his pockets and recited the scribed incantation, and a white ball of necromantic energy shot toward the wolf, causing it to stumble upon impact. Neilah could not cast any spells, as the previous night was far from restful, so instead she leveled the small wand that Imoen had given her and fired a missile from it that hit the wolf squarely in the face. Imoen had gained enough distance by then, and she turned as quickly as she could, loaded her bow, and fired. The arrow hit the wolf as it continued to chase after Imoen. Imoen turned to run once again, but Montaron stepped in front of her and charged the beast, yelling "And the rivers run red!" The wolf lunged at him, but he dodged. He reacted with a thrust of his sword, and the wolf caught the blade in its ribs with a yelp, but it still remained on its feet and snapped at the halfling, who jumped back to avoid the bite. Another white ball shot from Xzar's outstretched fingertips struck the beast once more, and another missile from Neilah's wand was also released, but the wolf snarled through the pain as it bit at Montaron yet again. The halfling dodged the third strike as well and countered with his sword, but the wolf had expected the blade and leaped back to avoid it. "Oh, to hell with this!" Neilah shouted as she fitted a stone upon her sling and let it fly. The smooth stone cracked against the beast's skull, finally forcing it to collapse in a heap as it died.
As the party regrouped, Montaron glared at Imoen with a nearly murderous gaze. "Dammit Fluffy, why'd ye have to bring that furball back to us?" "Fluffy?!" Imoen nearly screamed. "What kind of nickname is that?" "A suitable one for a wolf magnet," Montaron replied as he sneered at her. "Now show us what it was that ye picked up in that tree. I won't risk my neck for nothing, so ye had better share if ye know what's good for ye." Imoen looked at Neilah, who shrugged and nodded, then produced from within one of her pockets a shiny clear gem. Montaron's eyes suddenly lit up, and he let out a long whistle to signify his astonishment. "Yeah, that'll fetch a nice price for sure," he muttered. "We could use it to secure our passage to Nashkel," declared Xzar, a look of excitement upon his face. He began to giggle softly to himself, and Imoen moved closer to Neilah. When she had gotten close, she whispered into Neilah's ear, saying "What a couple of weirdos, huh?" Neilah chuckled and whispered back to her "I agree, but I think that only makes things more fun." Imoen frowned at her, but Neilah shook her head and said "Hey, you're the one who said that we should get along with people, remember?"
"Yeah, but-" Imoen started to say, but Xzar cut her off, shouting "Off we go then, my friends! Onward for friendship!" Montaron scowled at him and shook his head. He leaned toward Neilah and murmured "One of these days, I'm going to gut that wizard." Neilah couldn't help but smile a little as she considered her two new companions. They were certainly an interesting pair, she had to admit. The group continued onward, down the road toward the Friendly Arm Inn.
A few moments later, Montaron, who had been taking the lead for the later part of their journey, stopped and sneered as he stared at the road ahead of them. Neilah nearly bumped into him when he stopped. When she turned her attention toward the road, she quickly realized why they had stopped. An old man dressed in a red robe and a rather large, pointed red hat had started walking toward them. "Ho there, wanderers," he said in a tired, elderly voice. "Stay the course a moment to indulge an old man. It has been nigh unto a tenday since I had last seen a soul treading upon these roads. For now, such a venture seems to be the domain of either the desperate or the deranged. If I may be so bold, which pertains to thee?"
Montaron scowled at the old man furiously, while Xzar merely looked on in disinterest. Imoen and Neilah seemed to be the only members of the party who really paid any attention to him. Hearing his question, Neilah raised an eyebrow and replied "Um, not to imply anything, but how do you live up to your own standards? Pestering random strangers about their sanity hardly seems like a particularly sane thing to do in its own right." The old man smiled at her reply and said "Point well taken, and thou hast answered my query most adequately. I shall think of thee as determined instead. I would, however, like to make a few more points before I leave." His gaze shifted from Neilah toward Xzar and Montaron, who eyed him with suspicion. "Thou should consider carefully the friends in thy presence, especially when faced with a journey of such peril. I believe that to the north, some trustworthy folk have been waiting for thee. Such allies are... difficult to come by these days." He added emphasis to that last part and slightly nodded his head toward the two men in the group. "But I have taken enough time from thee, and I am certain that thou hast had enough of my ramblings. I shall bid thee farewell, until we meet again." With that said, the old man continued along the road, passing by the party as they stared at him dumbfounded.
When he had disappeared from sight, Imoen leaned closer to Neilah and said "You know what? Nevermind what I said about being friendly to people out here. Apparently, people on the roads are a bunch'a lunatics." Neilah smiled at her friend, though she couldn't stop thinking about the old man and what he had said. He seemed to be a little too knowledgeable about the group's plans, and he made it clear, at least to her, that he was somewhat less than approving of Xzar and Montaron. Still, Neilah didn't see any problem with those two. They had proven themselves to be capable allies and welcome company on the road, at least as much as a raving madman and an angry halfling could be.
Neilah turned her attention back toward the road, and she took several steps forward. As soon as she started moving, however, she couldn't help but notice her legs starting to buckle. She hadn't received much sleep since the previous day, after all, since the last night had been impossible for her to sleep through. Imoen knowingly placed a hand upon her shoulder gently and looked around, saying "Maybe we should stop and rest for a while." Xzar scoffed dramatically at the notion and said "She's still moving, right? If so, we should continue onward without delay. We have a strict deadline to meet, after all, and I won't be late because some prissy wench's feet hurt." Montaron shook his head and said gruffly "Ye got a big mouth, wizard. Ye should keep it shut before ye cause more problems for us." He looked at Neilah carefully, then said "Aye, we can rest. There's a large marker up ahead. We can use that as a lookout post so someone can keep watch."
Xzar groaned in protest and said in a whiny voice "But Monty, we gotta get to Nashkel before someone else beats us to it!" "Ye'll have plenty of time to spare, wizard," Montaron spat back at him. "Besides, we won't get anywhere if the girl passes out." Xzar groaned, and, with a disdainful glance at Neilah, he followed behind the others as they made their way to the crossroads.
"You just told a murderous blue psycho to come back with friends!" Imoen exclaimed. "This is NOT a decent spot to camp!" "Have no fear, madam!" spoke Xzar in a dramatic tone. "I shall hunt the blue man down before he finds his friends and MURDER HIM!" He then took off into the bushes, chasing after the xvart, cackling like a madman as he went. Imoen stared at his back as he disappeared behind the brush, completely dumbfounded.
Neilah, however, was too tired to notice the exchange between her companions, and she trudged her way toward the large stone pillar in the center of the crossroads and slumped against it, feeling the full force of her exhaustion. Montaron stared at her with a look of disdain and said "Ye have until nightfall, girl. That should give ye enough time to recover yer strength." Imoen shot him a hard glare as she passed him and sat down beside Neilah, who had also sat down at the base of the pillar. "The Lion's Way," she muttered as she read the writing on the pillar. "It's hard to believe that we're outside Candlekeep after all these years. It's almost like a dream." She looked sideways at Neilah, who had already slipped into unconsciousness. "Though it must be a nightmare for you, huh?"
She knew that Neilah couldn't answer, fast asleep upon the cobblestone road, but she couldn't help but feel tremendous sympathy for her childhood friend. Montaron scowled at the two young women, then turned away and began pacing back and forth impatiently. He was quickly alerted to a sudden rustling of leaves in the bushes to the north, and he immediately drew his sword with a snarl. His stance softened, albeit only slightly, when Xzar slid through the brush, carrying a short sword in his hand. "Well, I have good news, and I have bad news," he said. "The bad news is, the blue man had no friends, and I may have used my last scroll on him. The good news is, I slapped him, he died, and I took his sword." He then tossed the short sword at Imoen's feet, and it slid to a halt in front of her. She looked at the sword, then back up at him. "Take it!" he shouted at her. "You might need it in case Monty can't keep his sword up." "Maybe ye'd like me to test it on you next, wizard!" Montaron spat at him viciously. Xzar gasped and said "Monty! I had no idea you thought that way about me!" Montaron paused and stared at him for a moment. When realization finally hit him, he shook his head and growled "That's not what I meant, ye damned fool!" He waved his sword at Xzar, and Xzar wiggled his eyebrows and grinned in response.
Imoen watched the two men argue with some amusement. Of course, she knew that she had to keep an eye on them for Neilah's sake, even if her friend considered them trustworthy. At least they gave her a show whenever she watched.