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Buffy the Bhaalspawn. A role playing Playthrough.

I opened my eyes and the sunlight streaming in through the window hit me like a ton of bricks. Closed them again PDQ and tried to remember the events of last night.
There had been drinking, and singing, and drinking, and dancing, and drinking, closely followed by more drinking...and a cake. The rest was gone, much like the contents of my stomach wanted to be at that point.

After throwing up copiously in the chamber pot, (thankfully unused), drinking some water and throwing up that as well, I decided that laying down was the safer option than attempting to get out of bed. But the sun was getting high, my room was getting hot and if I didn't make the effort to open the window, that would just lead to more throwing up.

Staggerered to the window, and leaned out grateful for the cooler fresh air. Four floors up, the sheer walls of Candlekeep stretched below, but I was used to the height and the view was spectacular.
It didn't ease the pain in my head though, for that there was only one cure and that meant making it to Winthrop, his concoctions were foul but effective. Even though it meant I would have to face the bad jokes and his unsettling references to arses.

"Do you want some breakfast with this?" Winthrop asked.
But one look at me gave him the answer,
"I'll shove a raw egg in it, that'll do, she needs the protein for an empty stomach" he muttered.
It tasted, smelt and looked awful, but from experience I knew that the initial ghastliness was worth the longer term effect.
"It's the willow bark, that's the secret and the Ferment Bracon" he added.
"Just shut up please Winthrop, I need to keep this down".
"Yeah well, you weren't telling everybody to be quiet last night, mind you, you were making so much noise yourself you wouldn't have heard an ogre farting".
(Thanks for that Winthrop, really needed to hear that).
,,," what with the singing and trying to dance on my tables. But I suppose you're only eighteen once and most of the time you're not too much trouble."

As I sat there, a monk approached with a message from Gorion, asking me to come immediately, that sounded ominous. How badly behaved had I actually been last night?
I asked Winthrop.
"Not too bad all considered, you drank a fair bit, had a bit of an argument with a couple of guests here, stuck up so and so's, not entirely unwarrented."
I groaned, I had better make peace, last thing I needed was a complaint from visiting nobs. Candlekeep made good use of and money from it's various visitors.
I left the bar and went up to the guest bedrooms, groveled a fair bit, apologised and made good.

Time to face the music. Just as I was leaving, Winthrop handed me a bow, my birthday present from last night which I'd forgotten completely. It was beautiful and it had my name and DOB carved on it.
"Thanks Winthrop"
"No worries, I hung onto it because at one point you wanted to try it out in the bar and I didn't fancy cleaning up the casualties".

As I walked to meet Gorion, I rehearsed the various excuses I was going to make.
"Hurry child, we have to go" he said on seeing me.
"Wait, What, I wasn't that bad, nobody got hurt and it's not like it's the first time I've had a few drinks"
"What on earth are you talking about?" he asked.
"You know, last night, the party, the singing, the complaints..........."
Gorion interupted, "nothing to do with that, you are not safe here and you're presense endangers everybody".
"Pardon,.......... I'm what, why?
"No time to explain now, we need to go, get yourself ready"

Slightly (understatement) confused at the turn of events, I headed back to my room to pack. Decided that a quick bath was probably a good idea, and then five minutes lie down to collect my thoughts (plus the dull ache in my head wasn't helping matters) and promptly fell asleep.

Consequently we didn't leave until dusk (I was absolutely starving by the time I woke up so had to eat). As we made our way out of the gates, Gorion said that if anything were to go wrong I should head for the Friendly Arm Inn and meet friends of his, Khalid and Jaheira. TBH, he sounded a bit paranoid.

I

















CaloNordBlackravenbooinyoureyesJuliusBorisov

Comments

  • CaloNordCaloNord Member Posts: 1,809
    edited August 2015
    Ahh I do so enjoy reading these! :)

    Please do continue when you can! :)

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    BlackravenJuliusBorisov
  • UnderstandMouseMagicUnderstandMouseMagic Member Posts: 2,147
    As we walked away from Candlekeep, I tried to open a conversation about what was happening. The last few years I had spent less and less time with my foster father. There had been an underlying tension between us that had grown. Perhaps it had something to do with not wanting to follow his path as a mage, but instead spending as much time as possible away from the books, the monks, the priests, the scholars, the heirarchy of Candlekeep. It hadn't always been like that. As a child I spent hours learning everything he wanted to teach me, happily helping the custodians of the library, willingly listening to their teaching as well, reading almost as much as they did themselves.

    "So, now we are on the road, can you tell me why we are in danger, why we have to run and hide?" I asked.
    "Not now, that wouldn't be fair on you, you will have questions, things that will trouble you, that you need time to comprehend"
    He stopped and turned towards me, "I should have, I should have spoken but you have been so happy, carefree. It was good to see you so unburdened. I love you Buffy and being your father has brought me great joy, don't ever forget that".
    He turned and continued walking and for the first time in years I felt the closeness we had had when I was a child. I fell in step beside him and as I surreptitiously wiped a tear away, he held my other hand.
    CaloNordJuliusBorisov
  • UnderstandMouseMagicUnderstandMouseMagic Member Posts: 2,147
    We walked on through the night in companiable silence. I felt both at peace and excited about the coming journey. With my father beside me, this was going to be quite an adventure. Although happy at Candlekeep, there was this sense that the world was passing me by. The many visitors kept us pretty well informed about the outside world but I had been wondering when I'd get my chance to see it.

    Perhaps it was those thoughts that stopped me sensing any danger or hearing any approach. I'd been out hunting at night enough to have not been so unprepared.
    Gorion stood his ground as they approached, but as I reached for some arrows, he told me to run. I looked at him confused, with his magic and my arrows we had a good chance. The armoured man spoke, demanding Gorion hand me over. And at that point I realised Gorion knew of him, knew that he couldn't be stopped by the two of us.
    So I ran, expecting Gorion to throw out a spell that would enable him to escape too. But he didn't, instead he stalled them, fought them to give me time.

    I ran on, looking for some cover, somewhere to hide. I needed to be out of sight but running blindly, knowing there were wolves in these woods, wasn't going to end well. I needed to get off the ground, up a tree, that was my only hope. I found an Oak, with low enough branches to climb and broad enough branches to conceal, and waited for dawn.

    I didn't cry, shock I think. Instead I thought, thought about what the armoured man had said, about what Gorion had said. Tried to fit the pieces together but I didn't have anything like enough of the jigsaw to begin. And as the night wore on, an immense feeling of anger began to overtake. Those murderers knew where we would be, who had betrayed us? What was it Gorion hadn't wanted to tell me? Who I really was? Something/somebody that inspired murder?
    CaloNordJuliusBorisov
  • UnderstandMouseMagicUnderstandMouseMagic Member Posts: 2,147
    Morning came and I climbed down from my concealed perch. A little distance up the road, a figure approached. Inwardly I groaned, you have got to be kidding.
    "Imoen, what on earth are you doing here?"
    "I knew there would be trouble, a letter Gorion received said as much.............and now he's dead.........I found the bodies......" she trailed off and I realised she had been crying and was desperately holding back the tears now.
    "You have to go back, back home to Candlekeep"
    "I can't, I left without permission, you know the rules, with no password, nobody enters without a book".

    She stood there looking utterly dejected, possibly the first time I had ever seen her like that. Imoen, my childhood friend, always chirpy, always up for adventure, always ready with a quip, ever cheerful.
    Possibly the reason why I avoided her like the plague.

    "That was stupid, irresponsible" (but why would I expect anything else). The tears she was holding back threatened to fall and have to say, I felt like a complete bitch. Her misplaced loyalty was touching.
    "OK then, looks like it's you and me, you do have your bow at least".
    "And a wand.....I nicked it............"she quickly interjected.
    Have to say, that made me smile, Imoen was notorious in Candlekeep for her sticky fingers. She continued, "the letter I saw, it might be with Gorion still, might tell us what to do".
    I was taken aback by her suggestion, was she really proposing looting his body, perhaps I have underestimated her grit. "Do you know the way, I was running blind last night" I asked.
    "This way" she hissed.

    It was a pitiful sight, the flies were already beginning to congregate, it wouldn't be long until the wolves got the scent. We quickly went about the grizzly task. Not only his corpse but the three he had killed before being cut down. We found the letter, not so impressed. A warning encoached in the language of pious indifference and a reiteration of the helpfulness of those called "Jahiera and Khalid" at the FAI.
    "We should bury him" said Imoen.
    "No, we don't want anybody to know we have been back and we can't spare the time. I'll pay my respects by finding out who did this" I retorted.
    "You sound so angry, it wasn't your fault"
    "Angers good, it will help keep us alive, regrets and guilt will ensure we end up the same as Gorion" I snapped.
    "Come we have to go"
    "To the FAI, to find Gorion's friends to help us?" Imoen asked eagerly.
    "No, we go south, somebody knew we would be leaving Candlekeep last night, why won't they know where we would be directed to travel?"
    How close were the "friends" who waited in safety while Gorion and I were on our own out here?
    Too many coincidences, too much secrecy. And the murderers last night had accents from the North".

    As we walked away from the scene of the bloodshed, I remembered stupidly thinking that Gorion seemed paranoid. I wouldn't make that mistake again.

    JuliusBorisov
  • UnderstandMouseMagicUnderstandMouseMagic Member Posts: 2,147
    The wolf came in for the attack from the trees, "Imoen run" I yelled as I grabbed arrows from my quiver. Two struck home and the wolf turned it's attention to me. And so it went on, each being chased while the other shot, a deadly game of "piggy in the middle".
    Eventually the wolf succumbed and we sat to get our breathe back.
    We are going to need help I thought.

    We carried on, due South, the sun disappeared and a light rain began to fall. Great. The strange rattling was the first warning and then there it was a skeleton, attacking and throwing darts.
    The surprise of the situation outweighed any fear. We brought it down and went over to where it had fallen. Just a pile of bones and skull and shield. The absurdity struck me and I started to giggle, Imoen joined in.

    Above the trees we could see the outline of a tower, which seemed as good as anywhere to head. There might be shelter, even an answer as to why there was an animated skeleton wondering around in the woods and should we expect more.

    As we headed down the path, I became aware of a figure, standing so still it was hard to distinguish them from the tree.
    "Fall back and cover me, if they make any sudden move, use your bow" I whispered to Imoen.
    As I approached the figure spoke,
    "What foolishness takes city dwellers this far from civilisation"
    Now I have been called many things, but "city dweller" having been on the road all day and night was unexpected. This one has definitely been out in the woods too long.
    "Mind your own business" I replied.
    "Perhaps our paths will cross some other day" he answered and went back to his immovable stance under the dripping tree.

    I waited for Imoen to catch up,
    "What did he say" she said as we walked on.
    "He called us city dwellers and I told him to mind his own business, I was rude, I shouldn't have been"
    I glanced back, the man just stood there silent, patient, waiting, for what?
    I walked back, "I apologise, it was rude to be so dismissive".
    Imoen caught up"we're adventurers looking to smite evil" she volunteered (I could have cheerfully throttled her, does she really have no filter whatsoever?).
    I saw a fleeting look of hope in his eyes, "I have been hunting bandits, perhaps if we were to work together".
    "Why" I asked, "you're an elf, a ranger not the usual mercenary".
    "Their leader, an ogre named Tazok, took the life of someone very dear to me".
    The simplicity of the statement didn't completely conceal the catch in his voice as he answered. It was someone more than "dear" and I knew without doubt that he would never give up.
    "Yes, I think we could help each other, I too am hunting somebody, they killed my father".
    JuliusBorisov
  • UnderstandMouseMagicUnderstandMouseMagic Member Posts: 2,147
    The three of us walked towards the tower we could see through the trees.
    "Do you know who lives there?" I asked Kiven
    "A mage, unfriendly but he may talk to us as I helped him out once" answered Kivan.
    A mage I thought, perhaps he knew Gorion, could tell us something about his past.

    We encountered another animated skeleton which we brought down, who was releasing these skeletons right, left and center? And why did Kivan not show the slightest surprise at a walking bone pile, just one of those things I suppose. Odd.
    We met a thief who wanted to do a heist on the mage, not the sharpest tool in the box.

    The mage Thalantyre recognised Kivan and allowed us to look at what he had for sale. Useful items but far more expensive than we could afford. But he had repaired Kivan's spear and placed an enchatment on it that could be useful. He said he didn't know Gorion.

    It was still raining when we left. Without proper equipment we needed shelter. Kivan said the town of Beregost was close and we made our way to the west.
    Following the wall of the building, we were attacked by three Gnolls. Not the easiest fight but using the patented "piggy in the middle" technique we came through unscathed. Though I'm not sure Kivan was particularly impressed, but until we got better at fighting, it was by far the safest way to fight large, dog headed creatures that growled a lot.

    Imoen was delighted when she found they had dropped some gold, necklaces and a sword as well as the equipment they were using.
    She picked up the sword, "it has the word "Perdue" engraved on it".
    "That means lost," I answered, "a bit like us, we should hang on to it".

    We got to Beregost as night fell, cold, wet, tired and hungry. With a sense of relief we headed into the nearest inn. But before we had a chance to order some food and a room, we were accosted by an angry drunk at the door.
    Thankfully Kivan was leading the way as I certainly wouldn't have had the patience to deal as kindly with him as he did.
    The barman offered to buy the few bits of treasure we had picked up, but we kept the sword. Perhaps this could be a way of making the money I knew we would need to track down the killers of Gorion and to find out who wanted me dead? Selling treasure we managed to find, hiring ourselves out as "problem" solvers?



    JuliusBorisov
  • UnderstandMouseMagicUnderstandMouseMagic Member Posts: 2,147
    After as good night's sleep and a hearty breakfast, we prepared to head out and take a look around Beregost. We needed to find a smith to stock up on arrows and sell the various swords and halbards we had picked up.

    We were approached in the square by a young man,
    "Hail adventurers, (that set Imoen off giggling, though it may have been his good looks) I have heard you are an excellent group of warriors" .
    "You have, how, where?" I asked.
    He looked confused , "well around ...........and.....and...... you are carrying swords and stuff..........no matter, how would you like a well paid job as bodyguards for my mistress?"
    Though it was clear he didn't have a clue who we were and that this was some spiel he had used before, the prospect of a paying job was attractive.
    "What will we have to do?"I enquired.

    He told us that his name was Garrick and his mistress Silke, a famous and talented musician, was being threatened by some thugs because she had refused a performance at the Inn we had just stayed at. It sounded straight forward enough, some protection until she was able to leave town.
    "Very well, let's go talk to her" I said.

    He led us through the town to the outside of another Inn where the woman in question was waiting. She confirmed the price for our services and advised us to ask no questions and act quickly, should the ruffians who were threatening her turn up, as there was a mage with them
    They arrived shortly, but they didn't appear very threatening, instead rather as if they were looking to conduct some business, open faced and ready with their greeting and no mage.

    "Quickly, strike them down," ordered Silke.
    "Why, they aren't threatening you, what's going on here?" I asked.
    She turned on us angrily, "if you aren't going to help then I shall deal with them myself, after I have dealt with you",
    She didn't last long, our arrows disrupted her attempted spell casting and she wasn't wearing armour.

    I turned to Garrick, "what on earth was that about and by the way thanks for your help..........not".
    "Oh well, I dare say she had it coming to her, what with her being evil and suchlike. I'm out of a job now, can I join you" Garrick asked.
    "Why, why on earth would I let you travel with us after seeing you display such breathtaking indifference to both our well being and the death of your mistress?"
    "I'm a bard, I can sing and cheer you up" Garrick offered.
    "Not nearly enough after that little display" I retorted.
    "Umm.....I can use a crossbow and..and I have some magic I can use".
    That sounded more promising.
    Imoen pulled me to oneside, "let him come with us please, he's fun and we need somebody to keep our spirits up, somebody who can talk to people, find things out,".
    She had a point, though I think it was more about his looks than anything else on her part.

    "OK Garrick, looks like you can join us but make sure nothing like this happens again. I won't be so forgiving if there is a next time."
    Garrick smiled, "I'll write songs about us, about our adventures. We'll be famous, people will come from far and wide to hear me sing"
    "Grrrrr" said Kivan, "you had better not else we will be going far and wide to get away".



    JuliusBorisov
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