Revelations.

Turn 18

Stirli comes up. "Gregory, how are you doing, is everything ok?" He then tells Gregory what happened and shows him the gold. "Well, nice lot of grain we were transporting, don't you think?" Then taking a second look, with a mischievious glint in his eye, at the gold.

Volum draws his sword and directs it at Gregory, nodding in the direction of the gold. "Gregory, it looks like you got some explaining to do, what is that gold doing in the caravan?"

Gregory replies, "Aye....what gold.......is there any markings on it?" You tell him that the Cult of the Dragon has minted the gold. He sighs heavily, ".......Aye...I've been such a fool." He rolls back his shirt sleeves to show tatoos on each arm......HE'S A HARPER!!!

He continues, "I was in Tilverton to spy on the Cult's activities. That man who hired you was one of their agents.......when he hired you, I assumed it was just to insure the safe passage for easy money for the Cult.....but then there's THAT..." he points towards the pakage Stirli's pony, Bill, is carrying. He gets up shakily to his feet and walks towards Bill. He takes the chest and smashes it, as you look on in shock. He learns over and picks up the contents...a very ornate carving of a dragon, made of black onyx. On the bottom is the name 'Shz-ra the Black'

"It was a cover for this.....a gift to a black dragon to secure their pact. I also think that it is his receptcle for Shz-ra the Black's soul. If you do know of the Cult of the Dragon, they activly recruit dragons to promise them to become dracoliches. They use any means necessary to insure that dragon-kind rule the world. Apparently I was also to blind to think that something might be hidden in the grain as well. I shoulda told you after the fight in the cemetary.......it showed me which ones I could trust.....As for who attacked...your guess is as good as mine."

"Now, I say we go find who the hell did that to us," looking at the boulder, "and made me lose four of my best horses. As for the gold.....throw it off the cliff......it's as good as blood-money."

Stirli offers to scout ahead, he does and finds nothing.

You arrive on the top of the plateau just as the storm begins to break. You find an abandoned camp......with provisions. Three horses, 29 GP, 18 EP, 46 SP, and 52 CP. Enough rations for a week for everyone as well. You can also tell that orcs were there....because there is a dead orc still in his blankets.....with a stake driven through his head. They also left a very obvious trail to follow, which heads towards a small forest ahead, but away from the trail.

You camp here with no problems and prepare to head out.

Meeting the Enemy?

Turn 19

Ariel looks at everyone. "Seems to me we ride in a bit of danger. Keep your eyes open. Anything can happen! I'll ride inside the middle of the group. Me just being a girl and all," she says as she smiles.

Gregory pipes up, "Aye, we are.....but I don't expect anything unil the forest."

"Should I scout ahead?" Darian asks the group.

Volum speaks up, "You should go ahead to scout, but don't go to far, we would like to help you if you get into trouble.

"No," Gregory replies, "it's better to stay together, for now." He takes a pipe out of his jacket and lights it. "This statue doesn't hold the dragon's essence, yet. It was probably going to be put in his treasure hoard for safe keeping, until the time is right for the transformation into a dragonlich to take place. The statue it self is an excellent bagining chip, although the Cult may come after it, we always have that option to destroy it."

You ride for a while longer until you are about 100 yards from the forest. There are no leaves on the trees this early in spring.....but the pine trees would be excellent places for cover. You find a crude trail into the woods, that is marked by wagon tracks. You also notice that ther is also some spilled grain scattered around the tracks.

"Well, at least we're on the right track," Gregory says.

Soon enough you come to a clearing. and what you see is amazing.......Several wagons lie here, broken and tipped over. Grain lies everywhere and birds are eating a lot of it right now as you look. The party is on watch for anything....and you hear some thing.

Eight orcs hop out from their various hiding spots, behind trees, wagons, and even under the grain. And they all have bows, nocked and aimed right at you.

Before you can move, you hear a voice, "Well....I say you've come at a bad time." A man steps out from behind a wagon. He glares at you and then climbs up ontop, carrying a bag. You notice he is wearing a jade crown, which is glowing fiercely, which makes it appear that there is a halo of green around his head. You notice the same thing with the orcs, except that they don't wear crowns, and their halo is dimmer. Obviously the man is a mage.

"Aye......a bad time for you, mi lad," Gregory says coldly. "Who are you and who do you work for?"

"My name is Feniwald, and I work for the greater good........you vile members of the Cult of the Dragon...do you want your gold back?" He raises the bag and tosses it down at your feet.

"I'm no member of the Cult of Dragon, I'm Volum Firefalcon, bladesinger from Evermeet, we're hired to escort some grain to Shadowdale. We don't want to help any cult members to get their gold, so can you prove that you're no member of the Cult." He stares defiently at the mage.

"I am not looking to start anything, but we are a little busy. I am no cult member. I am a Knight of Torm!" Darien says proudly.

The Enemy of my Enemy is my Enemy???

Turn 20

"Huh......priests don't work for the Cult......neither do elves or halflings.......where am I?....."

Suddenly the green halo from the jade crown glows fiercely, almost blinding you. The halos around the orcs also grow.

"AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!! LEAVE ME ALONE!!!!!!!!!!!!" Feniwald screams in pain, clutching at the crown.

A deep echoey voice reverberates through the forest. "DO AS YOU'RE TOLD!!!! MERVREEN THE GREAT DEMANDS THE MOST OF HIS APPRENTENCES!! FOLLOW...........OR DIE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"

"I

will

not

FOLLOW!!"

He grabs the crown and tosses it down and steps on it, crushing it. The halos immediatly disappear. Feniwald faints and falls backwards and off the wagon.

The orcs shake their heads, and then suddenly notice your party standing there shocked at the scene. "Stoopid hoomans trick us to leave tribe....now they will die.........." They draw back their arrows and ready to fire.

The Enemy of My Enemy(round 1)

Turn 21

Volum, drawing his blade yells, " By the spirits which once gave this blade its power, I shall not be killed before my quest is over...CHARGE" He lies flat down on the horse, making himself as small a target as possible. He gallops towards 'orc 1'. He swings and hits the orc in the shoulder. He drops to the ground.

Darien silently unsheaths his broad sword and rides at full speed towards 'orc 8', swinging and cleaving the orc with a visious wound to his neck, as he falls backwards.

Gregory pulls his wicked looking axe out and rides at 'orc 4' and slashes him in the chest, knocking him back. "Here we go again!" Ariel cries as she pulls out her crossbow and cocks a quarrel as she yells to the boys. "Let's try and keep moving....they might shoot at the horses and I'm in no mood to walk!!" As she takes aim for 'orc 3', she moves her horse steadily towards the fallen Feniwald. She drills 'orc 3' in the chest.

'Orc 2' panics and shoots at Volum. He misses high.

'Orc 5' shoots at Stirli and hits him in the shoulder. 'Orc 6' tries to take out Bill, Stirli's pony, but the pony steps aside. 'Orc 7' takes aim at Darien, but is stumbling backwards as he is shooting and misses low. Volum jumps of his horse and blocks any way 'Orc 2' can escape. 'Orc 7' is running full speed away, dropping his bow and arrows. He is about 40 feet from where Darien is.

'Orc 5 starts running as well, but is suddenly cut down by a glowing orb that shoots from where Feniwald was laying. Immediately, 'Orc 2 drops his weapons and raises his hands, as does 'Orc 6'.

"Aye, it appears that we have some prisoners and maybe a new ally." says Gregory as Feniwald stumbles out from behind the wagon and falls to his knees, simply out of exhaustion.

Feniwald speaks up...."Who the hell is Feniwald??? My name is Usen. The last thing I remember is my teacher placing that crown on me," he points to the pile of jade shards that lie in the dirt. "Uhhhhh my head..... there are so many blanks in my mind......."

"Well, my lad, I think I know someone who can help in Shadowdale. We're heading that way anyways. What do you say guys?" He turns to you.

Enemy of Enemy......clean up.

Conversations.

Advancing on 'orc 2', Volum kicks the orcs' weapons away, using his sword to force the orcs to their knees, he turns his head, looking amazed at the others. "You are going to let them GO? I can't let you do that, they will strike again somewhere else and the next time an elf or another being might get injured or even killed. These foul creatures are a menace to the world and they have to be eliminated! We can question them, but that is all."

Volum clears his throat and starts to talk to the orc in another, rougher, language. You can see from the expression of the orc, that it is quite surprised to find an elf which is able to speak the orc language.

After having spoken to the orc for a few minutes, Volum turns again. "Ok, I have asked it who its leader is, where it comes from and what that crown is, now lets hope it knows some of the answers." Returning his attention to the orc, he presses the tip of his sword against the throat of the orc, not breaking the skin, but very close.

"VOLUM!" Ariel cries out! As she get's up and pulls away his sword, "I don't care if these creatures are your enemies! There shall not be anymore bloodshed! Let them go, they can't do anymore harm now! We are here on a mission of good and these creatures were under control! No more." As she lowers her arm and stands between him and the orc.

"I am a Bladesinger, sworn to protect the People and their ways. These creatures are the sworn enemies of the People, therefor they must perish. I can't let these creatures live to injure an elf, because then I would have failed my duty as a Bladesinger...My duty is all I have left."

Presenting his blade, "Since this blade judged my unworthy of wielding it. This blade was one of the last active moonblade, the ancient inherital sword forged by long ago elves. It can be wielded by only one person at a time, my father wielded it, when he died, I, his bladeheir and the last of my clan the Firefalcons, was given the sword...But when I drew the blade for the first time, it judge me unworthy, but since I was the last of the Firefalcons it did not kill me as they usually does with unworthy wielders, it became dorment, it gave up all its magic, the magic of my ancestors."

For a long time I have lived in exile of Evermeet, I wowed newer to return, unless I could restore the magic to my sword, until 2 months ago I thought I had tried anything, but then I heard a song written by a waterhavian bard Danilo Thann, that a gold elf Elaith Craulnobur, former assassin, had managed to return the magic to a moon-blade.

Since that I have tried to locate some adventures, who could join me in the quest, that is the reason why I'm here with you."

Sheating his sword, "Ok Ariel, I have to consider this for some time, I'm a bit confused right now, I have to collect my thoughts....." Volum walks over to a tree not far a way.

Ariel walks over to the elf.....and kneels down in front of him takes his hand and looks up. "I'm here for you. I just don't like to fight if we don't have to. Violence is only a means to death for ones wose time hasn't come yet. Don't get me wrong, I love to cock and load a quarrel once in awhile but just no more sometimes. Only so much you can take."

As for your sword, I'll do in my means, anything I can to help you restore the powers you have lost in it. And yes, I am your comrade. Right from this time, right here, right now." As she stands back up, forcing a hug outta him as she makes her way back to the others for any last minute healings anyone needs.

Going to Shadowdale

Turn 22

You get ready to mount up when you see a black house cat come out of the woods. He meows loudly before Usen exclaims...."Chuck! There you are." Obviously it is his familiar.

Usen tells you his story as you begin to mount up. (Stirli is healed) "I was born and raised in Phlan, on the nothern shore of the Moonsea. I was only a young boy when some adventures freed the town from the great evil spirit Tyanthraxus. Luckily, I was out of town when Bane took the city himself......but that's another story......"

He tightens his cloak around him. You finally notice that he is dressed in all black. Boots, robes, cloak...everything. His hair is jet black, as is his goatee. He reaches in his saddlebags and pulls out a black broad rimmed hat. "When I was 20, my father insisted on me becoming a mage. I did, too, because I heard that my grandfather was a great mage. No one has seen him in 50 years, though. Any ways, I went to Arliss the Great of Phlan...a somewhat disturbing man....that may be the reason why I'm dressed in black.....Where was I......"

"Your teacher," Gregory says.

"Ohhh, yeah," Usen chuckles. "He was a great teacher dispite his odd ways. I was the only one who would talk to him because everyone else was scared of him. Finally, I was good enough to no longer need him, so he insisted on me wearing that crown. I don't remember a thing since then....and that was 4 months ago. It must be some sort of mind control, because that voice you heard has Arliss's." A scowl comes to his face. "He WILL pay."

You encounter no enemies during the 3 days to Shadowdale, only a few anmals, a few merchants, and a patrol from Shadowdale. They asked you a few questions, just about where you are going and where from.

You are on the outskirts of Shadowdale. Gregory says, "I have to visit an old friend and take care of the grain business. I also need to see if I can get someone to heal Usen. You five meet me at the Old Skull Inn. Shop awhile."

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