Tales of Ikhorus

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Smiling sadly, Mel pats Barost on his back. Turning to the druid, she sighs. "We will head your warning, there is no doubt of that. If there is any other passing wisdom you wish to part with. It would be best to do so now. For we wish to get to the town sooner than later."
 
"Oh... that was a language?" The druid's eyes are glinting with curiosity. "Languages are very weird thing.... Did you know giant owls have their own language? It's been a while since I let met one of those... you see, they don't usually wander this far north... they prefer a place with more trees... which is not something that I can blame them for, this corner is mostly filled with shorter plants." Brown shook his head. "I ramble too much... At least that's what the bees tell me... But they have shorter lives so it's a reasonable answer..."

He glanced up to the woman on the cart and cocks his head. "Passing wisdom? No, no, no... I think I told you what you had to know... Unless there's anything else that you want to know... But yes... Reaching town sooner is best... Many dangers lurk out here, in all shapes and sizes..."
 
Mentally wrapping his head around the world of druids, Garret sat mostly in silence listening to the funny fellow know as Brown. This was one of those tales that he would one day tell his children.

However with the floor now open to questions, he had to know...

"Brown, or Mr. Brown if you'd prefer, I find I have to many questions for you in such short time. Many about the very nature of druids and animals, do you have time to accompany us for a little while? Maybe we could offer you a lift if you were heading a similar direction?"
 
Brown takes a few steps back from the cart and nods. "Yes, yes... I got all the time... Time is not something that concerns me... But, you see... I'm not heading anywhere... I'm simply walking, seeing things, talking to things..." He motions to the group excitedly. "And it's working.... Yes, met new people today... I never meet people... Mostly animals or plants... People don't talk to random wandering animals, few actually care that much... But the nature of druids and animals is not something to be answered... It's a journey, a rather interesting you could say... Maybe the big guy is interested in that and in some time he will be able to pass the knowledge forward... If that's what he wishes, of course..." He starts walking along the road looking to the horizon. "Nature is a peculiar thing... People try to tone it down and sever themselves from it with walls, cities and the like... Nature, however, is not restrainable and just finds a new way..."
 
"These town-living folk can be strange indeed. They think they aren't part of nature just because they walled themselves off from it. But then, is a bird not part of nature because it lives in the nest it built?" Says the Firbolg in agreement to Brown.
 
Glancing towards Mel, he gave her a faint nod. Replying to Brown, "It's ... part of a language I was taught when I was little. I was tol' it was how some of my ancestors used t'speak to elements, maybe where my storms come from -- recently I learned some creatures speak it too." He messed with the necklace he wore from the Current priest, "I thought I'd try with a Druid ..." Clearing his throat he cycled through the other three sides of primordial, his voice shifting to sound like the soft crackling of a campfire flame, the rumble of falling rocks, then finally like a breeze howling through trees.

Finishing he continued to lean against the wagon, listening to the conversation continue. The half-elf raised an eyebrow at Brown and Kae, "Hey -- I used t'live on ships, I know one way or t'other nature does as it wants. The strongest men on the larges' ship can only do so much in a hurricane or a whirlpool. Lotta sailors have been lost to the depths."
 
The druid chuckles to himself and stops in the middle of the road. "See? You're not as lost as I thought you were." He said layfully before cupping his hand around his hear, as if trying to listen to something in the calm surroundings. "Yes,yes... You might even reach the city before the storm.... At least I think so... You are all in good hands... And if you want to know one thing or two about the elders..." Brown turned to face the firbolg, "I'm definitely not your elders, but I am an elder nonetheless... I'll maybe show you some things... Once you are not so so... preocupied..." With that, he mutters something while holding the twig he got from inside his robes and nine fluttering butterflies appear where he once stood. The many colored bugs fly happily in different directions, with the same carelessness shown by all insects without complex worries in their shorter lifespan.
 
Garret watched the man go, and the silence settled. Broken only by the sounds of the antelopes restlessness. He felt both enthralled and inspired by this stranger they had met on the road. Captivated by his presence, he had spoke very little throughout the exchange. It was not for want of words, but whenever he tried to speak them he found they mixed up in his mind beforehand.

What would such things be like? To live a great long life, talking to the plants and animals... Hopefully the next time they met, his questions would grow passed infancy. His normal demeanor had resurfaced by the time he addressed his large companion.

"Well then my friend, it would appear you have a perspective teacher when you are ready. Now then, shall we Sally forth to destroy evil and take its stuff?"
 
After the brief encounter with the druid. Kaesalor tells the antelopes to keep moving and the travel to Bankshire continues. Not more than one hour later, you find the first sign of a second road since you left Dewfall. On the exact spot that this other packed-earth road merges with the one you are currently following, a single weathered sign points forward down the direction you are already traveling that reads:
"BAN H RE"

Following the ever-clear sign, you continue your uneventful, winding travel through the hilly grasslands. Barost, you keep your trained eyes on the horizon once more and, among the usual myriad of animals that pay no attention to your small group, you could swear to see a brown butterfly on more than one occasion. Nearing the fifth hour of continuous journey, you spot something not so harmless, way out of the road's path. A sickening, green-skinned figure is lying against a tree, it appears to be almost humanoid if it wasn't for the fact that it stood as tall as the tree it lies against. The creature is scratching the tree's reddish bark with its long, sharp claws that resemble daggers and looking in the opposite direction, appearing to have smelled something coming from there.
 
Noticing the creature in question, Garret actually knew what it was for once. "Guys!" he whispered, "it's a troll! A mean ugly troll! These things have super deadly claws and can regenerate! Holy shit! What if we killed it? Could we do that? What if it's a toll troll?"

Laughing quietly to himself, he looks around expectantly to the others.
 
Chuckling, Mel whispers back. “If so we may need to tell the troll the toll is too tall .” Looking back over to the disgusting beast. She sighs. “I would hate to aggravate such a creature. But I will aid you if needed.”
 
Trying their best to keep quiet, the group slows down to try to pass by the troll unscathed. After long, excruciating minutes, the party finally got to a point where they believed to be out of the creature's earshot and got back to their regular pace - a peaceful resolution for this unexpected encounter.

No more than an hour later, you see a second path merging with this one and a second, equally weathered sign that points you to the nearest town. Shortly after that, you see yourselves riding towards a wide river with a tall, sturdy bridge, built out of dark gray stones, that arches over this big body of water. This, as Garret would know, despite having never actually seen it in person, would be the Tallygan River that flows from the Stonecore Mountains down to the northern cliff and out of Ikhorussian territory. The ancient stone bridge offers an interesting change in the overall unchanging scenery. While on the apex of the gradual archway of the structure, a ship can be spotted close to the horizon, moving eastward. Also, Barost, you notice a faint glow coming from one of your ears, as your earring is announcing a coming storm.

After the magnificent complexity of the bridge, the simple earth packed road did not get any better, just slightly wider. Less than half an hour later, however, the dirt road merges into a wide stone pathway that is the mark of one of the main roads and trade routes - you're finally getting closer to your destination. Next to this merging point, a wake of vultures is crowded on top of what could only be assumed to be bodies, as the scavengers they are. Getting close to them, the beasts fly off, circling above waiting for a better time to finish their meal. Without the beasts obscuring your vision, it's easy enough to notice what they were once feasting on, as many bone carcasses and shards of different shapes and sizes litter that spot in the field. Oddly enough, one of the bodies was not picked clean, and gnoll corpse is laid out in the grass with a spear piercing through his skull to the ground below. The two keen half elves notice, even from this far away, the black necrotic marks that spread from the deadly wound on the hyena-like skull.
 
"Who could've left all these bodies here?" Says the Firbolg, his voice taking up a bit of a grim undertone. "And what of that... gnoll there? It seems so unnatural."
 
Holding his breath while the passed, Barost finally released it once it seemed they were safe and back on their way. With the city looming, he was hesitant to pick a fight -- his magic seemed to have grown and the sorcerer wasn't exactly great at trying to control how much he used.

Glancing off to the side he caught sight of a ship and sighed ... he'd rather be on the waves than the rumbling pathways. At least on a ship there was always something to be done. The glow finally caught his attention as he looked up, trying to look for clouds, "Seems Brown wasn't wrong in'is weather prediction -- if we don't get into town tonight, we're gonna need to find some more robust shelter."

Returning to silence in the boredom, he looked over at the dead bodies, frowning at the strange blackness on the one. "If even the scavengers don't wanna touch it, that says a lot. Do ... ya think the nasty stuff is from the gnoll? Or the weapon ...?"
 
"Well my good friend, there is really only one way to find out isn't there?" Garret hops down off the side of the wagon and heads towards the corpse for a closer look.

He had spent most of the trip simply bored out of his mind, switching between driving the animals and practicing his new composition To Cook A Cockatrice. It all felt terribly monotonous, and sneaky around a troll hadn't shook his boredom in the slightest. However a creepy dead gnoll untouched by vultures was a different matter. It had caught his attention. The cautious approach was for lesser mortals he decided, as he proceeded to poke and prod the spear. Summoning the courage he grasped the spear with two hands and gave a mighty tug...

The mud where his face landed wasn't pleasant but it also wasn't unpleasant. Shaking off the embarrassment he made a second sure footed attempt, only to be rewarded with a massive blow to his brain. "Owwhh owwhh owwhh. Fine stay here you stupid fucking thing!" Turning quickly he marched back to the cart. Sitting down he began massaging his temples to ease the discomfort.
 
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Watching Garret approach the bodies and staff, Barost kept an eye out, wary in case the corpses moved -- suddenly rising to strike at the fellow half-elf. Seeing him finally give up after reaching for his head, Barost chuckled, "Maybe not all things need ta be poked, eh?"
 
Unsure what is the nature of the body or how to deal with, the group makes its progress through the now paved pathway.

Through the next hour, the cart skirts across the rolling hills, never leaving the safe beacon of civilization that is the fairly-old stone route. As the time passes, dusk gets closer and closer and so does the foretold storm, evident by the increasingly overcast sky. The sunlight was fading quicker than imagined, due to the dark clouds that blocked the warm tints of sundown, and still there was no sign of the town yet.
 
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Deciding it was best to sleep with a roof over your heads, Kasealor tells the beasts to keep moving with hopes of finding the city soon. The last bit of daylight fades away and the wind howls through the tall grass that surrounds the road, the moonless and starless sky makes navigation difficult for those that can't quite see in the dark. After a bit over one hour following the path, hanging on by the expectation of reaching the city soon. The blackness that surrounds you is broken only by the faraway lightning and the flickering firelight of a cabin at the bottom of one of the nearby hills, that might have been barely noticeable if it was not for the late hours of the night.
 
Shifting the cart's course to meet the cabin, Garret jumps from the back of the vehicle, a little tired after the long day of travel, and politely knocks on the rough wooden door. You can hear shifting inside before a loud creaking sound of the door opening. On the threshold now stands a female halfling about 4 and a half foot tall, with long straight blond hair and dressed in flowing green robes. "A little late to be traveling around, eh? Haven't you learned that it's dangerous out here?" The woman said in a calm voice while studying the group of wanderers with her pale blue eyes. "Although you do seem like the kind of people that stumble upon my doorstep every once in a while... Come in, come in. What can I do for you?" She says while stepping to the side and further opening the door, allowing you to look at the inside.

The inside, or at least what you can see of it, appears to be a homely environment as a big crackling hearth adorns the opposite wall and a tea pot hangs over the flames. The wall itself is cluttered with multiple shelves that are filled with bottles of different shapes and sizes as well as small potted plants.
 
As the sun went down, Barost felt a familiar sense of tiredness but managed to overcome it -- used to being on watch on ships overnight. Seeing the cabin off to the side he paid it little mind, the city ahead now the main goal keeping him awake only to frown as the cart turned towards the cabin.

"Guys ..." he began tiredly, "We're so close to town ..." As Garret walked up to the door, Barost rubbed his eyes, calling out, "Apologies ma'am, it'd be rude t'disturb ya as has been done, it'd be even ruder to bother ya this night even more." The half-elf gestured towards his fellow, "C'mon, we're nearly there, let's jus' ... get into town an' sleep in real beds..."
 
Ignoring Barost's apologies, perhaps because Garret was use to halfling hospitality to travelers. "Thank you kindly man, we don't mean to intrude but as you said the hour draws late and a storm nips at our heels. I find myself concerned to be caught in the open on a night like this."
Striding across the threshold Garret warms himself by the fire. "Pardon if this may be impolite, but isn't it dangerous out here for you? Living in the wilderness like this, without the guards to offer protection?"
 
The woman looked puzzled at the apologizing half elf, only to be more lost in confusion as the second one proceeds to completely contradict him.

Garret, you can now see more of the interior. In front of the hearth lies a rocking chair with a massive pile of books towered next to it and, on the opposite side of the room, five stools are pressed underneath a table, where it is possible to see several tea cups as well as some kind of reptile skin hanging on the wall above it. Next to the door, a large reinforced chest is being used as a counter to hold even more books and what appear to be two skulls of different origins. Overall, the warm interior and the natural scents make this crowded environment feel almost homely and inviting.

As soon as the bard finishes speaking, the woman arches an eyebrow and lets out a lively chuckle. "Oh sweetie, I'm fine out here. I know how to take care of myself. But, the way you all are behaving, you truly don't know me... Interesting. It has been a while before someone came up to me and did not know what they were getting into." The woman still stands on the doorstep, to better address those that remain outside. "I am Madam Discordia. Usually people who desire things come to me and I, in turn, do my very best to find a way for them to pay me back for it. You guys fit the adventuring look, I simply thought that was the reason you stumbled upon my abode."
 
A being that makes deals with adventurers, well this was turning into quite the exciting tale of heroism and adventure...

A sly look crosses his elven features, "ah a broker of deals and a mysterious stranger both in one day. I'd say this has turned into quite the epic tale already. Tell me more my dear about your deals. I find myself intrigued but without a set goal in mind."

Any coldness forgotten, instead choosing to pace the room looking at the various curios...
 
As the night fell, Mellis thinks back on everything. Closing her eyes she starts to hum. Repeating a small lullaby her father use to sing to her.

Stepping off to join the other two, Mel sighs. "Garret, I would suggest coming here when you have an actual deal in mind. For debts are best paid back for more serious needs. Something trivial or on the spot can be solved by thinking longer about it." Placing her hand on Garrets shoulder. she digs her finger nails in. Guiding him out of the house.
"Terrible sorry, Madam. if we shall meet again I hope it will be on good health and circumstance."
 
"Some people have more complex goals in mind, in that case the payment is a bit more... creative. However, I tend to make a multitude of potions and collect different magical artifacts, that seems to be enough for the regular mercenary that knocks on my door." Madam Discordia follows Mellis with her gaze, entertained by the weird collection of people that found her by accident. "In those more common cases, I simply order them to fetch some ingredient that is a bit harder to come by." She nods to the woman and simply shrugs. "If you really have nothing that you wish, you can come back later. I love to make deals, even if just to get another batch of troll nails."
 
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