By fate or fortune, all of you have traveled to the town of Pashin. Pashin, a hub of trade for the nation of Khur brings many travelers either out of a desire for trade or to claim as a place of refuge from the scorching sands of the desert. Whatever the cause that brings you here, it is the hand of fate that guides you along the path.
the first of these stories lies with the Squire of the Crown, Gareth Brightblade and his friend the wizard acolyte, Ahelcot Ulson. After a long journey for 10 days through the desert, you are glad to finally look upon some remnant of civilization. As it is the winter season of Aelmont, you fortunately were spared much of the scorching heat that can be unbearable to most in the summer. Still being those of more temperate climates, the heat of Khur was a difficult burden to bear. You look upon the walls of Pashin with anxiety for you know that your mortal enemy, the Dark Knights have a strong presence here. You can only hope to complete your task here as quickly as possible before the Dark Knights of Neraka become wise to your presence in the city. Those of the Solamnic people are known to suffer the most under the tortures of the Knights of Neraka.
Flashback Start:
Ak-Khurman, Coastal city on the shores of the Khuraman Sea. After taking time to rest and settle in the city, Garath Brightblade and Ahelcot Ulson travel to the Legion Headquarters to meet with the Solamanic representative Leonel Uth Dartan. The Solamanics have only recently gained interest in the affairs going on in Khur. Having heard reports of the Dark Knights gathering in Khur, the Solamnics knew they needed to provide some aid to Khur, lest they become overun and become yet another subjugated nation of the Nerakans. The Legion of Steel having a strong presence in Khur were courteous for the aid of the Knights of Solamnia allowing Solamanics refuge at their strongholds.
Traveling to the stronghold, you present your papers to the guards at the entrance who usher you into the fortress. As you travel through the courtyard, you look upon a number of Legion warriors engaged in combat training. Garath finds their discipline admirable, although knows well that the Legion honors its own code, one that is far more libertarian that that of the Measure. Many might scoff at their ideals as undisciplined but their acts speak well of their honor.
As for Ahelcot, you spot among the trainees some individuals dressed in light clothing who seem to be shooting blasts of magical energy at target dummies. These people wear the symbol of the Legion and not the robes of the Orders of High Sorcery. You have heard that the Legion is known to both recruit sorcerers as well as train new sorcerers in the art. While most of these sorcerers seem to be only lowly spell-slingers, but you are sure that some of the more powerful sorcerers of the organization would be considered "Renegades" by the Conclave. It is further testate to the louse ideals of the Legion. While the Solamanics follow the just path of recruiting wizards among the Orders, the Legion embraces the dangerous arts of Mystisism and Sorcery.
You both have a brief conversation with Kenat Three-Lives, a veteran Khur Legionnaire who helped found the Legion in Khur. After exchanging a warm welcome, you are allowed to pass onto meet with Leonel Uth Dartan. Leonal is a Crown Knight in his late 30's, who has a look of experience upon his brow. He welcomes both of you, seemingly pleased to see more Solamanics arrive at the fort. After reading your papers, he says to Garath.
"Garath Brightblade. Such a noble name you bear young squire. Indeed even now, the stories of Strum still are held in high esteem among the Knights of Solamania. You know that Steel Brightblade was the inspiration to form the Legion of Steel. Although his sins as a Dark Knight were many, his acts of redemption during the Chaos War redeem his former deeds. I am most glad to have one bearing that name under my command. Your record speaks highly of you young squire and I am looking forward to working with you."
"I as the representative of the Solamanic Knights in Ak-Khurman, have been given the dispensation to promote those of worthy honor to the station of a Knight of the Crown. I believe you have the mettle to achieve such a rank. But like every knight, you must first prove your loyalty to the measure with a quest. If you complete this task to satisfaction, I will be honored to field promote you to the rank of Crown Knight and sponsor you to the Knightly console."
"The task before you is a dangerous one young squire. The town of Pashin has become a rallying point for the Nekharians, who have built up a strong presence in the town. If trends continue as they are, the Dark Knights may well invade Khur, using Pashin as a strong-point for their invasion plans. Fortunately the local population is resistant to the Dark Knight occupation. In addition the legion has some agents among the populace who have been gathering intelligence on the Dark Knights over the past few months. Your mission is to go to the town, not reveling your identity and meet with the Legion contact at the Old Omar Oddities shop. There you will ask the owner, Klaudia Lorn if she has some "Star-Eyes" for sale. This will tip her off of your affiliation. She should provide you with the intelligence we need. Retrieve this from her and return it unopened to myself or Kenat. Do so and you will prove yourself worthy of your knighthood."
Flashback end:
Arriving at the gates of Pashin, you quickly see that there are some Dark Knight soldiers watching the gates. Fortunately with your disguises and a slight payment of coin to the gate guards, your caravan passes almost unopposed into the town. The town seems to have a larger population than its size would indicate as the streets are packed with various individuals doing their daily tasks. The construction of the town is a surprise in itself as you see some actual stone and mortar buildings, where a majority of the buildings in Ak-Khurman are made of Sandstone. The flow of the traffic eventually leads you further into the town and towards the market district of Pashin.
Next up, Introductions for Melisaria Darkflower and Anshim Karas.
Melisara Darkflower and Anshim Karas are currently in the market of Pashin on an important shopping trip. Having been given some money by an elven noble Solquin Oussea seeking to help his fellow elves. Melisara and Anshim wander the markers looking for various produce and purchase as much as they can with the donation to help feed the hungry elven refugees that have settled in Pashin.
Indeed, life for elves in Pashin have not been pleasant. The Nekharians and the local Khur population have shown their dislike of the elves, often denying them basic services or charging exuberantly for such services. What has become even more unsettling is the onset of a strange plague among the elven population. This plague known as "Sunblight" causes ill health and a sickly appearance. As it progresses, the infected skin becomes extremely pale and sensitivity to sunlight. Those infected who spend too long in the sun can get serious sunburns unless they are adequately bundled up. The Clerics and Mystics among the elves have had no luck dealing with this disease and many say it is a curse upon the elves for their sin of being deceived. Only those with divine magic have proven themselves immune to the illness.
Flashback start:
The friendship between Melisara and Anshim was one forged by circumstance. Melisara was in Silvanost when the Minotaurs invaded and one of those to escape with a group of refugees. During the escape, they were attacked by Minotaur scouts . Anshim was among the scouts thinking the elves would be an easy kill. Fortunately for the elves, they had some soldiers with them who used the superior forest cover to ambush the Minotaurs and slay them. Anshim barely clung to life, when Melisara decided to heal him and offer him redemption. The other elves with her were not too pleased however and quickly abandoned her to the forests for such an obvious betrayal of her kind. Eventually Melisara and Anshim after a while of wandering settled in Pashin. However Melisara's friendship with Anshim was never accepted among the local elven population and she was told to never bring him to the elven settlement in the sewers of the city. Thus Melisara and Anshim were restricted to helping those on the surface.
Flashback end:
While the markets had vast supplies of food, Melisara and Anshim have had difficulty finding someone who would be willing to sale their wears to them. The Minotaurs are despised as much as the elves in Pashin and finding those willing to put their prejudices aside was a difficult prospect.
Next up, Introduction for Cassim Doka, local thief in Pashin.
Cassim Doka, a local thief in Pashin has had quite a lucrative career in the past few months. With the influx of the Nekharians and other refugees, there opened up more opportunity to apply his trade. Of course working in Pashin as a cut-purse also ment that he had to pay his dues to the local authority. The head of the crime in Pashin is a figure known among the criminal circles as "The Blackbird". Indeed, the Blackbird is a title that many have held throughout the history of Pashin. He runs his operations out of the Wounded Crow Tavern, an old building of solid construction and a place where many go to indulge in their share of vices.
Still, word is on the street that another bandit leader has been profiteering in Pashin. Someone named Pegrin, a Nekharian bandit who apparently has been making profit off of the acquisition and sale of elven goods. So far Pegrin and the Blackbird have not come to blows, mainly because such a conflict might rise the attention of the local Dark Knights who are trying to install their martial law on the town. Indeed, despite the increased opportunities for thievery, the increased Dark Knight presence has also made it more dangerous. While corrupt, the Dark Knights still uphold an illusion of honorable justice. Those unable to "Bribe" their way to freedom are subject to horrible tortures and eventually execution at the hands of the Dark Knights. So a good rule of thumb is not to get caught.
On this current day, Cassim is in the marketplace looking for some marks to steal from. With the influx of travelers and tradesmen into the market district, there is great opportunities for thievery. One just has to be careful, in case the Dark Knights are on the prowl.
Next up Jackin Foolquest the Kender Magus.
Jackin Foolquest in his wanderlust has ended up in the town of Pashin. He's only recently embarked on the path of a Mage, having converted from sorcery after presenting himself to the Conclaive. While the Conclaive was weary of accepting a Kender, they knew that it would be better to train him as a mage than allow him to continue to embrace the art of sorcery. After his conversion to wizard magic, he was allowed to travel on his way, but warned that once he gained enough mastery of magic, he would have to take the test of High Sorcery and prove his devotion to magic if he wished to become a full wizard. Still he was unique among his peers as he learned to blend magic and sword-craft, an art developed during his Sorcerer days.
Currently Jackin is in Pashin, shopping in the marketplace looking at the various wares for sale.
(OOC: Magus was not introduced as a class in Dragonlance, so I have to ad-lib a reason why you'ed be able to use it. Basically I see most Magus as sorcerers who combine Magic and Swordplay. You're just a convert now, using spellbook magic instead of wild magic for your spell-casting power)
All the characters are currently in the marketplace of Pashin. The time is mid-afternoon. While looking around at the various venders hawking their wares you see a group of six gruff looking Nekarian men speaking to one of the local merchants who runs a size-able stall of antiques and other decorative goods.
Here are some options to assess these men.
Perception: To see what the men are selling.
Stealth: To eavesdrop on the conversation.
Knowledge Local: To identify who these men might be (You must be trained to use this skill in this situation).
Ahelcot breathes a silent sigh of relief as the Dark Knight soldiers allowed them into the town of Pashin. Although he was reassured by his friend Gared there was nothing to worry about, he had trouble resisting the urge to hold his breath and breath normally as their credentials had been examined by the gate guards.
I suppose he was right...I just hope we can keep from attracting their attention...
Once the pair had arrived in the marketplace, he laid a hand on Gared's shoulder and inclined his head to where the Nekarians were accosting the merchant. "Look, Gared. What do you suppose has their interest riled up?" He asked quietly.
That's a good enough roll Ahelcot. You see the lead man of the group holding in his hands a finely crafted Onyx figurine in the shape of a panther. Its craftsmanship is exquisite, not a blemish to be seen in the design. Its eyes appear to be gemstones, like rubies. He appears to be showing the figurine to the merchant and discussing something with him. Probably some sort of haggling by the looks of it. You'ed need to get closer to clearly hear them over the noise of the market.
Gareth pulled the hood of his cloak a little further over his head attempting to hide his features. If being 6'3" and 220 pounds was not obvious enough, his ruddy complexion would be a dead giveaway of his Solamnic heritage to the dark knights patrolling the town. He knew that blowing his cover would be tragic in Pashin. What he had desired for many years was finally in arms reach. He was not about to let it slip through his fingers. One successful mission and he would be able to start the path of the Crown Knights.
Gareth followed Ahelcot through the market. Over the last few weeks, Gareth had built a high level of trust in his new wizard companion. Multiple nights during the journey from Solanthus the two shared their dreams. When the wizard interrupted his thoughts, Gareth knew it had to be important.
Keep an eye out, but do not be quick to react. We need to blend.
That was not enough on the perception. You think the lead man may be holding something but there is just too much blockage from his companions. By the looks of the men, they're likely not Dark Knights as they're dressed in dirty leather armor with no visible identifiers but by the skin tone you can tell off the bat they're not Khur either.
On wary lookout in the busy market place for Nekarian men who always want to pick a fight with Anshim or denigrate her, Melisaria is confounded to see the 6 scruffy fellows just around the corner from where they stand. She casts a few furtive glances that direction to see what the trouble-makers were up to:
At the same time she whispers to her companion "Ansim, trouble ahead. Wait and see what they're up to. We can't afford another scuffle in the market. Let's quietly cross to the other side. Remember restraint, Great One"
She raises the hood of her cloak to blend in with the strange headgear worn by Khurian women and motions for Anshim to be silent, while quietly offering a brief prayer to her Goddess-- hoping that peace will prevail, this time...
"Hmmmph" was the minotaur's reply. But he followed quietly casting a furtive glance towards the humans and shielding Melisaria from them even as he attempted to identify them from a distance. His nostrils flared as he picked up the salty scent of human flesh.
Those who got a 15 or more on perception also catch a look of the onyx panther. Melisara you don't even have to roll to know that this panther is of Elfen craft. The design and effort that went into this figurine could only have been done by the delicate hands and skillful paitence of an elf. As for any unusual scents Anshim picks up on, he of course smells various scents of the bazaar, but also gets a slight whiff of some scent from a sack one of the men next to lead thug. He seems to be holding a bag of some kind where the lead thug removed the onyx statue from. As for the men themselves they have the scent of people that recently travelled in the desert, but that's common for this region.
Cassim you do sneak up on the foreigners (ooc: despite ahlacourt rolling a 19, I would say that due to the thick crowd and distractions, Cassim gets a +3 circumstance bonus to his stealth checks in the market). Getting a closer look, Cassim can tell these foreigners look slightly different. Both have fair skin, but lighter hair colour. Nekarian maybe, but they carry themselves with a different gait. You've seen your share of Nekarians before and these people just seem a bit... Off.
Anyway as the scruffy individuals haggle with the merchant over the price of the only figurine, a fairly nicely dressed Silvenesti elf, in some kind of entertainers outfit walks nearby. He catches a glimpse of the Onyx Figurine. You immediately see his face contort into rage as he approaches the men and raises his voice loud enough for those nearby to hear. Despite his obvious outrage, his voice is articulate.
"You brutish men! How dare you steal the righteous heritage of the Silvanesti lands! It is worse enough that my people have been driven from their homes by the filthy bull men and forced to live in squalor. Now I see you dammed humans profiteering off of ill gotten gains pilthered from my people. I demand you hand over the goods to me you thugards for they do not belong to you."
The men look at the elf and then laugh. One says "Hey look, we hurt the skinny Elf's feelings. Like we care about a bunch of lousy elves we got their butts kicked by flipping cows. Ain't that right boys?"
There is more laughter among the men. Then head thug then says, "Get lost knife-ears. What we chose to sell is our own darn business." And points for him to leave.
The elf seems slightly intimidated but he's got a tough combination of arrogance and pent up rage. He says to the head thug, "No! Hand over your stolen goods or I swear I will return with others and make you regret your crimes against my people."
The thugs give him a dirty glance and the head thug says. "So elf boy wants to be a tough guy huh. Woot de do."
Another thug says to the leader. "Hey Nedd, this elf looks pretty well off for the average pointy ears. He's probably got some steel in his pouch."
The thug leader Nedd gives an evil smirk and replies "Yea he probably does."
You can see all the men have saps strapped to their belts and seem to be moving their hands close to them. Things might start to get ugly, fast.
"Cruel men." Anshim says simply, but he continues to guard Melisaria from the encounter. He waits to see if she wants to interfere.
Ahelcot face grows alarmed at the events unfolding before his eyes. Knowing his friend would not stand for this show of brutality against the elf, he says quickly in a low voice, "I know this burns your blood but remember why we are here! If we must interfere, then by the Gods ...NO Oaths!"
Although I want to teach those thugs a lesson !
Her curiosity aroused by the onyx statuette, Melisaria now fumes inside at the offense done to the poor Silvanesti. She thinks "Great Blue Lady, I have seen enough injury and death done to the poor Elfen-folk to last 100 lifetimes. Give me the Will to be restrained, but when will our suffering ever end." She fingers the infinity symbol she wears hoping for a sign.
To Anshim: (softly but with teeth gritted); "They will NOT do violence to that poor Elf. If they attack him, we will respond. Let us ask the Lady to intervene on his behalf, so we do not have to engage, but be prepared".
The statuette is not something religious in nature. It appears to be a work of a Silvanesti artisan of some kind. To many it might be considered priceless, but on the open market in Pashin it could be worth a healthy payment of steel.
(OOC: Just waiting on Garth's reaction before I progress, as he still might have a chance to intervene)
These guys need to be taught a lesson. Gareth shifts uneasily watching the men bully the elf. ,but I have no authority here and there is no proof this statue belongs to the elf. I wonder who the legal authorities are? Gareth looks around to see who is watching.
Anshim does not respond. He does nod as though he understands, or is at least beginning to. He seemed to be holding onto a lot of thoughts and ideas that he did not have the vocabulary to express.
Looking around Garath has seen that the so called legal authority is the occasional dark knight patrols. Unfortunately no patrols seem to be nearby at the moment. Pashin you have heard was a town that had a very louse legal authority. With the dark knights being the strongest military power in the city, law enforcement is done with their brand of justice, which is often a mix of brutality and corruption. These men being Nekharians they probably have a lot of leeway to do what they want.
Anyway, the elf is no fool and seeing the thugs move their hands toward their saps, he himself reaches for his rapier.
elf init
thug init
The thugs are quicker on the draw and pull out their saps before he can react. They proceed to gang beat him with their saps, knocking him unconscious before he has a chance to defend himself. They laugh and one of them says, "just like all them Elf's. A flipping pointy eared pansy."
This is their actions this round of combat. Is anyone intervening before they start to ransack his unconscious body?
Anshim turns towards the men, and brandishing his polearm in a menacing manner, approaches them with a ferocious roar.
"Stop, now!"
Ahelcot's blood starts to boil as he sees the thugs beat the elf senseless. The Silvanesti elf nation has always been a friend and ally to the people of Solamnia and it angered him to see the defenseless elf brutalized like that.
He knew Gareth would not tolerate this affront to his justice, and yet still he knew blowing their cover here was unwise at best. Using the appearance of the minotaur as a distraction...Minotaur? Defending the ELF?? Did I hear correctly?....he leans over and calls on his magical schooling while touching Gareth on the arm. "This will help protect you from their blows."
Seeing the authorities are absent, Gareth draws his falcion as he moves toward one of the thugs attacking the elf. When he reaches the closest combatant, he uses the hilt of his sword to hit him in the head.
Get off of the elf or My next blow will be at your neck!
(Any pluses for crushing one of their friends?)
Seeing the Nekharian men strike the innocent elf, Melisaria's blood is stirred to fight. Knowing that Anshim will join in the fray, she prays: "Blessing of the Light Bringer be upon you as you act in the name righteousness and justice"
Casting Time 1 standard action
Components V, S, DF
Range 50 ft.
Area The caster and all allies within a 50-ft. burst, centered on the caster
Duration 1 min./level
Saving Throw none; Spell Resistance yes (harmless)
Bless fills your allies with courage. Each ally gains a +1 morale bonus on attack rolls and on saving throws against fear effects.
Bless counters and dispels bane.
She sees the valiant knight and his companion also enter the fray, and silently thanks Mishakal for the aid from an unlooked for source -- readying herself for what must come next.
Seeing now that the men would likely not be intimidated into a more righteous lifestyle, Anshim moves in to attack.
The minotaur's antics don't so much scare the Thugs but have them look up in confusion at a minotaur threatening them over them beating up an Elf. However in that split second distraction by the Minotaur, Garth rushes drawing his sword smashing one of the Thugs across the face with the butt of his longsword as he turns to look. The mighty blow sends the thug reeling and smashing into a nearby merchant stand. While the wood holds, it cracks and the man is sprawled passed out over the counter.
(OOC: I'm going to give a major circumstance bonus to your intimidate check. +4 for knocking the guy out with a critical hit, +2 because you're metal armor which puts you a cut above the average citizen. I;m also giving you a +2 bonus from the Minotaur. Even though he failed the intimidate, the fact both of you are threatening them at the same time gives Garth a better chance of demoralizing these brigands).
Thugs get a will save at a +2 (As they outnumber you)
The Thugs are immedately demoralized after seeing one of their own get totally pasted by the blow from Garth. Indeed they seem somewhat more hesitant to engage a human in the middle of the market square. The head thug backs away looking nervous and says, "Right, ya made your point. You're looking out for the small man it looks like. I'll leave em to you and be off on our business." The other thugs also take a few steps back, taking up defensive stances, still wary of further attacks. Is Anshim going to still continue his attack? And is Melisaria still going to cast her spell?
.
"Hold those men, Sir Knight for they have a valuable object which bears further inspection. It may well not belong to them, and is the likely cause of this assault"
"Anshim, please recover that figurine. I need to examine it more closely, Great One". She points it out to him.
In either case, she kneels and adminsters any necessary care to the unconscious elf victim.
Seeing the men stand down as he approaches, he looks over at Melisaria, uncertain if he should attack or not. She is surprisingly calm, and that calms Anshim as well.
"Good." He says peacefully, going back to his normal breathing.
He carefully picks up the onyx figurine, retrieving it for Melisaria. He looks briefly at the merchant if he is still there, "No deal." as his nostrils flare in anticipation of hostilities. He turns away and takes it back to the elf woman.
Guy with the Onyx statue was the leader but Gareth only went after the closest target, which was not him. However, we'll say he left it on the counter top of the Merchant stall when he took his sap out to beat the elf and left it there after being startled by the sudden attack. Anyhow, the Merchant stutters in terror after witnessing the violence. He makes no moves to stop the large Minotaur who plucks the statue with his large hand and gives it to Melisaria.
As for the thugs given the chance they quickly grab their unconscious fellow (Along with their remaining sack of loot) and book it. You can see the crowds start to part. The scene has drawn attention. It may be only a matter of time before a Dark Knight patrol comes to investigate.
Gareth sheathes his sword. He turns to the merchant. Who had possession of the statue?
Originally the leader of the thugs had the Onyx Statue, but left it on top of the merchant stall when he pulled out his club and helped the others beat down the Elf. Now Melisaria has the Onyx statue. The thugs have fled the scene. The merchant appears to be a Khurish gentleman, dressed in vibrant and colorful merchant clothes with a black mustache. He's currently cowering behind the counter and uttering. "Please don't hurt me. I was just bartering with those men to expand my wares."
Ahelcot places a hand on Gareth's shoulder saying in a calming voice, "Forget him for now. We need to get out of here before the Knights show up." He then bows to the elvish lady, while thinking to himself She is quite a lovely lady...
"Excuse me, Miss...We need to get away from here before the patrols arrive. Do you have a place to go here?" He asks as he eyes her minotaur protector out of the corner of his eye. I always believed the minotaurs and the elvish peoples were mortal enemies...and yet one protects the other! I must learn more of this...
Gareth turns to the Minotaur and offers his hand. You acted honorably. Maybe we should all find a tavern to head to and lay low for awhile? Gareth looks around for trouble. He then turns to the merchant. You have nothing to worry about. I was going to reimburse you if the statue was yours. Here is five steel for your trouble.
Melisaria's desire to examine the elfen relic is outweighed by her understanding of the precariousness of their situation.
She looks about for the watch approaching
She says"I would like to talk to this elf and examine this figure, but you're right we cannot stay in the market much longer without attracting the watch. And we definitely do not want that..
Can you help us move this poor man?. We have a a shelter nearby where we can get out of sight. Not as safe as the Underground, but we are not allowed there now. Will you aid us yet again?
Melisaria's eyes rove over the newcomer taking in his Khurian heritage and attire.
.
Quickly sizing him up she decides to trust him (as if there were lots of other good choices). "Perhaps this one is different than his countrymen, and wishes to redeem himself with honor" she thinks. Motioning to the local, she says"In Her Name, help us, friend. We need refuge from the Dark Knights who are surely headed this way. Do you know a place we can evade their vigilance? Perhaps you can misdirect or distract them if they arrive? This poor elf is injured and cannot travel quickly. Now we must away.".
(OOC: A lot of posts it seems, I'll get caught up)
The watch has not arrived yet Melisaria but you do see the crowd making way for something. You have 6 rounds before a watch patrol reaches your location.
The Sense Motive check does make you think Cassim might have some alternate motive. But he is a Khur so he likey knows the town better than Melisaria.
As for that Knowledge local check Cassim, I would have given you a +2 circumstance for being a resident of the town. So with a 15 you can think of two places you could take them. There is a good traveler's inn called the Five Dragon Inn which should be fairly safe. You also could go to the Wounded Crow, although you know that its a seedy place owned by the Blackbird. Also with that roll, Cassim thinks the group can make a pretty clean so long as they get out of here soon, as during the day Patrols don't usually move too far from their assigned locations in pursuit of petty criminals. He could attempt to try and create some kind of diversion through a proper skill check if he wants however. (OOC: Bluff could do it, but I'll let you be inventive if you want to use another skill)
Anshim snorts as he nods and follows Melisaria. He looks at the man in the bright metal armor (Gareth). "Bring him.", nodding at the unconscious elf.
Melisaria silently prays that her trust in this Khur is not misplaced even as she senses there's more to him than he's showing now. Goddess, guide my decisions and lead us safely through these trials.".
She slips the onxy figure into the folds of her robe momentarily curious about the reaction from the wounded Silvanesti and prepares to exit hastily to where the local man directs
While Ahelcot does not like the idea of heading away from their known place of refuge, he liked the idea of facing the Dark Knights even less. Silently he follows the young Khurish native to the indicated safe zone.
Gareth lifts the unconscious elf and puts him on his shoulder. Lead on.
Cassim approaches the patrol and points in the wrong direction. Some random citizen says "No they're over there.". The dark knights give Cassim a look for a second and then follow the directions of the other citizen. Fortunately they don't pay attention to his features and don't give a care when he merges with the crowd.
The rest of the group is able to escape and the dark knights do not pursue for long and you lose them. Cassim soon meets up with the group and guides them to the Five-Dragon Inn which is close to the center of town. It is an L shaped building, with its two wings flanking the central square. Double doors lead to both the tavern and the stable, their surfaces decorated with five dragon heads of different colors with fading and chipping paint, showing parts of an old paint job, painted over. The rest of the building is weathered sandstone, its windows covered with leather flaps to keep out the weather and the sun.
Heading into the front door and into the first floor lobby, you see 3 wooden tables with benches and a bar. It is currently empty of patrons at the moment but there is a middle-aged Khurish woman dressed in a plain peasant garb who is cleaning one of the tables. In addition there is a large middle aged Ergothian man with a stocky build tending the bar.
The woman looks up with surprise as the group comes in and spots Gareth carrying the unconscious elf. She looks to Gareth and asks, "Sir, why do you have that man slung over your shoulder?"