Rashemen - RP Thread

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Nakia glared at the druid.

"Why? Who are you and why do you want the Earth's Heart."

Suspicion ebbed from every pore as she rose and moved away from the man, sending a private warning to Black.

 

Sepp sat with a dumbfounded look on his face and his head in his hands.

Black violently shook his head a couple times and thought, "Damn! That's really hard, projecting to so many new people for so long. I'll have to try to not do that too often." He gave Nakia a friendly glance, then looked at the druid. "Like I told you, I'm pretty sure Anatha hid it somewhere in the valley where we all lived. Gods know that I've looked for it to try to turn myself back into a halfling, but as a dog I have several limitations, and Anatha also probably used its powers to help keep it hidden. And yes, why do you want the Earth's Heart?"

Sepp finally spoke, "My whole life has been a lie. My dog is my uncle. My Ma and Pa had real names, and I never got to call them by them, and now I never will."

 

"It wasn't a lie Sepp, it seems they did what they had to in order to protect their family and that was you and your brother. But it seems like their past may have drawn some unwelcome visitors and problems."

Jex was standing impassively watching the dwarf. He wasn't sure if he liked the dog invading his head, it felt and intrusion similar to what an Illithid would do to being. "30 years ago I was just starting to travel and I was in Athkatla. A city south of Baldurs Gate and there was a religious cult that held alot of power, they had money and prestige. They were called the Fellowship of the Serpent. I heard rumours, that they just fell of the face of the planet one day, the rumours varied from they were destroyed the the Radiant Heart, or another church, to they disbanded due to problems. Perhaps it's the same group that held the Heart of the Earth?"

 

"The Earth's Heart must be returned to the Earth. Darwyn always told me that that was why the forces were so out of balance. Ah, he would know what to do.

Where is this valley you mentioned? If the Earth's Heart is there, then I should go there as soon as possible."

 

"That's it! The Fellowship of the Serpent" thought Black. "Like I told you, I was never good at remembering names, but when you said it, I remembered. I didn't think we did enough damage to them to make them disappear though."

Then he looked at the druid. "Okay, I'll show you where our valley is and even help you look for the Earth's Heart, on two conditions. One: you use whatever powers you have to help us find and rescue my nephew, Gesed, first. And two: you help me figure out how to use the Earth's Heart's powers to turn me back into a halfing again before you try to return it to the earth. Do we have a deal?"

Sepp looked up at Jex. "You're right Jex. Although Ma and Pa didn't tell us everything they could have, I know that they did love us. And I love Gesed, and I'm going to find him. If those serpent people have him, I'm going to cut them up."

He jumped up and started running up the creek bed.

[ July 02, 2005, 05:12: Message edited by: Scot ]

 

"I can promise to help find this Gesed, but I cannot promise to use the power of the Earth's Heart to help you. That is not its purpose. Returning it to the earth and bringing balance is the most important object. If that somehow does something to help you, then so be it. I can promise no more."

 

Nakia quickly gathers up the food and drink and prepares to follow Sepp. Turning to the druid she says:

"I did'nt catch your name, human. If we need travel together it might be handy to know. I gave you mine."

 

Black looks at the druid, "Fair enough, it's a deal."

 

Jex slowly walked to the creek bed. Nodded approvingly at Attin and continued after Sepp.

 

"I am Atten"

Atten headed off after the halfling and the dog. His heart finally slowed to a more normal pace after the incredible revelations of the previous few minutes.

"How far to this valley?"

 

Sepp looks up at Atten, "My home valley? It took me about two days traveling south-west to get to Iceborn. I don't know how far to the fort. The sooner we get there the better."

 

Nakia looks down the creek bed at the dwarf then turns and follows the others.

 

Maron swooped down closer to the ground. She's caught sight of something from higher up. She focused her sharp eyes down to the group she'd spotted.

A group of humanoids, wearing strange robes, carrying what looked like a smaller demihuman. From the way he was being carried, he was injured, badly.

"Slavers" she spat.

She felt the urge to head down, and rescue the poor wretch, but she'd heard stories about traps like this laid out for unsuspecting avariel. Daie had told her about one wingless avariel he'd met.

Still, she couldn;t do nothing. She began to begin praying for spells when she caught sight of another group further in the distance.
More help. Perhaps with their aid, she could rescue the man.

She thrust her wings out, and darted at the second group. Within a minute of so, she'd hit the ground running twenty paces before them, and began yelling.

"There's a group ahead and they've got a hostage. Please help me rescue him, I can't offer you a reward, but Sune's blessing will be on you if you help!" She cried, before stopping a moment to catch her breath, and wiping the golden hair from her flushed face.

 

Sepp was running as fast as it was prudent to in the dark and unfamiliar creekbed. He chanced to glance up and saw an angel suddenly decending on him. His foot caught a branch and he tumbled head first, just barely managing to turn it into a roll. He ended up on his but with his legs splayed out in front of him just as the angel landed.

Of course, he had never actually seen an angel before, except in Drell's book. Of the few books their family had, one was about how to recognized the different types of angels. Drell would have surely been able to tell which type this one was, all Sepp knew was that she was an angel. Beautiful face, lovely white wings. Angel.

And then she was talking about a hostage! It had to be Gesed! Why else would an angel suddenly appear before him? And she said that Sune's blessing would be on them if they helped. She was an angel of Sune then!

He rolled himself forward onto his knees and cried, "Oh angel of Sune, your god has surely sent you to me! That hostage must be my brother whom I have been searching for for days. Praises to you and your god!"

He jumped up and drew his short sword and dagger. "Show me the way, we will butcher them all!"

 

"Oh man, what now? First Bhalla, now Sune. Am I doomed to be surrounded by fanatics who pledge their lives to divinity?

Hmm, I'm not sure what you think an 'angel' is, but this is an Avariel, a winged elf. This could be a fortuitous encounter. We often had Avariels visiting us in the forest.

Please, slow down, take a breath and tell us who you are and what you have seen."

 

Sepp looked at Atten, "Angels? You know, the messengers of the gods. They fly around and tell people what the gods have planned for them, and they help people who the gods like. My sister had a book that was all about the different types of angels and their names. Planars, solars, devas, atvars, bolars...um, maybe not bolars. I only looked at it a couple times. But they all had wings and were beautiful, just like this angel here. And she's here to help us, so let's go!"

[ July 05, 2005, 15:30: Message edited by: Scot ]

 

"Why do have a problem with the gods Atten, don't you follow the teachings of Silvanus?" Jex questioned as he drew his twin blades and broke into a silent sprint tracking the avariels flight path towards the slavers.

 

"The living force of nature is not bound by the will of gods. If more people took time to learn the ways of the living force and less time pandering to the whims of gods, the world would be a better place."

 

Nakia followed Jex and Sepp, calling back to Atten.

"Angel, Avariel, it don't matter. Let's try to keep Sepp out of trouble."

 

Maron beamed at Sepp, before grabbing him, and kissing him on the cheek. "Your brother? Right, we must rescue him at once. But, I'm not an angel. Your friend was right, I'm Avariel."

She gave the obvious-druid a steady gaze.

"I saw a group of robed humanoids carrying a bound figure. He looked...hurt."

She left out the details, wanting to spare the other man's feelings.

"They aren't far, we could catch them if we move quickly."

She straightened up, and drew her mace from her belt. It's glass head sparkled in the sun light.

"My name is Maron, by the way."