RC No. America (Wed) - Returning to Sundabar

Remove all ads!

Turning toward Gaspar, Brother Jasper tells him that the Merchants in Sundabar would be the ones to organize any investigation into the disappearance of the caravans. After purchasing several items from the Clerics, including a mule and one additional horse, the party set off toward Sundabar. The journey to Sundabar would take them a good 8 hours, and the time was passing by as were the miles. About mid-afternoon, Kitiara thought she saw some motion in a small copse of trees near the crest of a hill. Gaspar decided to ride up and investigate. He was met by a pair of Magic Missiles which forced him to jump from his horse and seek cover in the tall grass. Gaspar could see 6 figures lurking behind the bushes , when a hail of arrows was fired at the party from the copse. Kitiara was struck for minor damage, and the battle was on. Iris was the first to react, casting a sleep spell on the copse. The spell was successful despite the arrow that barely missed her. Gaspar then rushed forward, while Xalen cast Mage Armor on himself also having been missed by an arrow. Jager moved toward the trees hiding in the tall grass following the orders from Kitiara who while trying to cast a shield spell was struck by two magic missiles disrupting her spell. The group then noticed another figure move toward the trees from the side, firing an arrow into the copse. Serena cast a CLW on Kitiara healing her for most of the damage she took. Iris then attempted to cast another spell only to have her concentration broken by an arrow striking her for minor damage. Gaspar finished his charge, striking the enemy spell caster with his great axe killing her. As the party advanced toward the trees, the remaining two assailants took up their swords and attacked Gaspar. Jager was the next to score a hit, raking one of the two conscious swordsmen, killing him. Iris struck the last with a pair of magic missiles while the mystery archer hit him with an arrow. The remaining attacker was finished by a blow from Xalen.

The mystery archer, recognizing most of the group, re-introduced himself as Knomal. He had been following these brigands when the group happened upon them. The ones that were put to sleep by Iris were tied up by Nimbul. A search of the bodies, Xalen searched the spell caster and Gaspar searched the fighters, revealed that each had a small gel-like capsule inside their mouth. Xalen was able to stop one of the live ones from biting it. A search of the live attackers revealed similar capsules along with each having a short bow with a quiver and 14 arrows, a long sword, a buckler, and a purse with 10 gold pieces. Attempting to question the humans, Gaspar and Xalen asked questions and threatened one, only to receive the same answer in an unfamiliar language; “Ba ja wuk zis.” Gaspar inspected the bodies for any distinguishing marks and found a tattoo on the back of the neck of each one of the captives, a Blue Dragon Claw.

Each party member receives 300 experience points.

 

"These are not your average band of outlaws, you know... What's usually working on these roads tends not to have any mages backing them up and they usually speak common, mixed with a variety of curses from all the tongues one can meet around."

Knomal put his wide-brimmed hat back on and tucked a mess of hair under it to clear his eyesight. His cloak, bright yellow, but dirty enough to look swampy green and the rest of his clothes, covered in dirt, leaves and grass, suggested that he's spent quite some time in the wilderness. He then shook off some of the dirt from himself to stand in better form. I miss a good inn and a better mug of ale these days... he mumbled.

"I wonder if these are Cultists. Sights of dragons have been reported from the east, and where there is a wyrm, there is a cultist. Something makes those merchant caravans disappear, you know, and it must be either something that big or something magically adept... Not many new merchants are willing to go on their way after such things."

He sat beside a tree and observed the group - seeing that some of them do not look familiar.

"Well, my greetings to those whom I've not seen before, I am Knomal, to the others - It's a small world so we meet again... Maybe you'll share your story, I have not heard a good one since those durned Harpers decided to wed and left me on my own in the woods. {Knomal chuckles and pauses} It will be good to fetch these dolts to Sundabar, for some mage to take information out of their heads. Where are you heading?"

[This message has been edited by Skedaddle (edited February 01, 2002).]

 

Gaspar looks at Knomal suspiciously. "Why don't you tell us YOUR story first. No offense but it just seems a wee bit suspicious that you just happened to wander by just when we are attack attack."

[This message has been edited by Avarahtar (edited February 03, 2002).]

 

Knomal smiled at the big man
"No need to be suspicious, for it were you who suddenly appeared before my nose and set these bandits off. I have been following them for quite some time and you happened to wander by and scare my gain off. No blame, of course, there's a live one, and I probably wouldn't be able to do well against them. You know, it's Tymora's luck that you happened to wander by that place!"

Knomal takes a look at Gaspar to find signs of dissapearing suspicion and goes on

"What of my story... After I have left for my homeland, some things have moved me back, primarily the fear for my own life, since I have discovered that there were people who didn't like their thieves to run off to the north without notice... So I turned back, to meet with a pair of Harpers and get in a trouble of no real significance, which certainly was better than what I've had on my tail. Now my quest is over, but instead of feasting, I have that task to look out for anything worthy of high attention on these roads. And look, I've found something... Now I just have to find out what these are up to. Now, your tale, if you please."

[This message has been edited by Skedaddle (edited February 03, 2002).]

 

"Well that told us nearly nothing, but I'll tell you our tale anyway. Basically we left Quaevarr, travelled to the ruined city and castle of the hydra clan, which wasn't so ruined, we found a jar containing the essence of an evil god, we smashed some doors, killed some orcs, ran into a hydra, went through a portal and ended up in Ascore. There we met up with a few other people we meet in Quaevarr or early, we learned about some drow activity, some shade lord activities, a vergence of the planes or some such. We destroyed the vergence and subsequently most of the tunnels and towers in ascore, we left, went to a monestary, and came here. That good enough for you?"

[This is the Reader's Digest condensed version. Av, I couldn't resist. Baldak]

[This message has been edited by Baldak Oakfist (edited February 03, 2002).]

 

"Hah! That's good enough for me, I guess I deserve it. So... you destroyed the vergence. {he shrugs} Such things don't happen often, you know. But, no time for details, we need to get to Sundabar afore it's too dark and all sorts of orckin start flocking to anything on the road that they consider, well, edible. Of course, some orc should not be a problem for the likes of you, but belive me, the orc in the night is much more dangerous than an orc in the daylight..."

Knomal went on with explaining the advantages of dealing with orc in the daylight, while he went in the nearby bushes and lead out his horse, camouflaged with small tree branches. As the thief returned, he shut up about the orcs.

"Are you ready to go?"

 

Gaspar glances around. "Well I'll be ready after I go catch my horse." Gaspar wanders off looking for his horse muttering to himself. "I'm still not sure if I trust him. Still seems far too suspicious to me. And why the hell did I jump off it in the first place?"

 

After a short discussion, it was decided that Serena and Calin would ride together allowing two of the captured bandits to be lead into Sundabar on Serena’s horse. The other one would be placed on Gaspar’s mule. Serena cast the spell Comprehend Languages and learned that the phrase the prisoner was muttering was “Go to hell, scum.” As they were getting ready to depart, an archer riding a horse appeared off to the east. A single arrow was fired at one of the prisoners and the archer rode off. Xalen rode to the crest of the hill, but could not see the assailant. The group decided that it would be necessary to leave quickly and headed toward Sundabar.

The sun had just dipped below the horizon and they were about 5 miles from the city gates. Many travelers were on the road here and the light was growing dim. 100 feet to the south, the party didn’t notice the hooded figure on the horse. They could only look around them when the arrow pierced the body of the prisoner on the mule. As the second arrow whizzed through the air, Knomal noticed the archer once more. Having been discovered, the archer rode off toward the road leading toward Turnstone Pass. Xalen and Knomal rode around to discourage any further attacks while the rest of the party spurred on their horses to make the city gates in short order.

They were halted at the gates by a guard who noticed that the prisoner on the mule was now dead. Iris removed the arrow to inspect it closer. The arrow was entirely blue in color and the arrowhead had a small hole in it which had contained some liquid. They were directed to bring the prisoners to the Officer of the Day located at Masters Hall. They decided to inquire about an Inn along the was and were told that the Trumpet was near, they went there first. Having secured four rooms and stabling for the horses, the party then made their way to Masters Hall, a castle located in the center of the city which served as the center of government. They met with Lieutenant Gorin Zachian, the Officer of the Day, who received the prisoners and gave the party the reward for the capture of bandits, 200 gold for each live bandit and 25 gold for the dead one.

Returning to the Trumpet, the party had settled down for a hot meal, when one of the soldiers from Masters Hall entered the inn. Bartook, the proprietor, directed the soldier to the party. The guardsman asked them to return to Masters Hall with him as there was a development with regards to the prisoners they had left. Gorin informed them that the two live bandits had somehow gotten free and, seizing pole arms, had impaled each other. He questioned the party about the circumstances of the capture. They told Gorin about the spell caster and about the poison pills. Gorin left to meet with his superior and the party was shown out. Gorin gave Knomal a note to hand to Bartook which would make the party the guests of Masters Hall.

When they again returned to the Trumpet, Bartook told them that they had a “friend” waiting for them in their room. The friend was a tall gangly figure wearing a dark cloak. Knomal, Gaspar, and Xalen sneaked down the hallway. Gaspar failed to kick in the door on the first try, making lots of noise, their surprise was lost. The door burst open on the second attempt, but the would-be assassin had fled through the window. Xalen rushed to the window in time to see a figure rushing through the ally toward the rear of the inn. With no time to waste, Xalen climbed out of the window and sped off after the assassin followed by Knomal and Gaspar. The assassin was pulling away, when Knomal let loose with an arrow, hitting the assassin in the leg. Upon turning the next corner, Xalen discovered the assassin waiting. Xalen was struck by the assassin’s short sword twice before landing his own blow. Knomal arrived next and used the flat of his blade to try and subdue the assassin. Gaspar arrived next and clubbed the assassin on the head with the large flat of his great axe, rendering the human unconscious. While Xalen bound his wounds, Gaspar searched the assassin. He found the following items; A short sword, a short bow, a quiver with blue arrows, a dark cloak, and a belt pouch. They then tied the assassin up and returned to the inn, with the assassin in tow. Serena cast Cure Moderate Wounds on Xalen and Cure Light Wounds on Gaspar.

Xalen, Knomal and Gaspar each receive 500 experience while Kitiara, Iris, Serena, Calin, and Nimbul each receive 100.