He takes a deep drink of his mug with a heavy sigh as he stands to walk over to Nida before taking arms in his. "My dear, Nida, I am far more flattered than you can possibly imagine and I know I will regret this very soon as I lay down in an empty bed, but for tonight I feel it may be for the best. Only too recently I am separated from my first love and the bitter sting lingers within my heart. I am sure that my path will bring me through Melton again, perhaps then I will not be such damaged goods." He leans in to kiss her on the check as his nostrils catch her scent. "I know that I shall regret this decision, but it would not be fair to you, Nida." 'Be not like your father, Reyn.'
Reynwyn spent the short journey getting to know the men they had liberated from the foul tunnels. It felt good to do something for someone other than himself for a change, especially as the men began to recover from their ordeal. He gladly accepts the gift of the horse, a jet-black mare that he decides to apply name Twilight. He bids Mikel and Jereth farewell (a funny coincidental name that is not lost upon him) and promises never to forget their chance meeting in those tunnels.
As their journey continues, Reynwyn spots the figure hidden among the tress and immediately sends a telepathic message to Jareth, who quickly flaps up into the sky to scout the area for any other individuals hiding nearby...
Arthur moves one hand over his mouth and waves them back trying to get them to halt their approach without making too much noise. It might be too late, it all depended where it was.
He thinks for a moment and takes out an arrow from his quiver. He very clearly held it above his head and snapped the arrowhead off. Taking out a dagger he hastily starts carving something into it. Hopefully they'd trust another traveler on the road well enough to just wait... but perhaps not.
Revjak lowers his hand, and watches the figure attend his curious task.
Without taking his eyes away from that tree, he says to the others:
"What do you think? This may be warning, this may be an ambush. Or he may have caught too much sun."
Arthur takes out a longbow and fires the headless arrow towards the group and it lands amongst the wagons. He then pointed from his perch in the tree at where he had shot it not wanting to do anything to draw it's attention to the group.
Something has been crudely cut into the arrow, a word. 'Ankheg'
Out of rising concern and curiosity, Revjak jogs over to the arrow and seizes it and reads it so those in the wagon can hear:
"Ankheg."
He immediately drops the arrow and grips his glaive tightly.
"We will need to deal with it. The caravan and horses would be in danger."
"You in the tree, you should come down if you want to talk to us. You have provided us warning, which is useful, so we have no need to grind you to pulp."
Suddenly, a section of grass becomes disturbed at the foot of the hill side to the caravan's right, and the disturbance moves 10 feet, directly towards Signey. In a spray of dirt and rocks, the ground beneath her erupts, and turning to look, you all see a huge insect-like creature lunge at her with its gigantic mandibles.
Revjak breaks into a sprint towards the now visible threat.
And as he reaches it and swings wildly, the fury takes him!
Arthur slides down the tree and starts moving towards the strangers to help them with the ankheg which had revealed itself, at least he had warned them. With their aid he might be able to kill it.
Carric quickly Mark's his target and fires at the Ankheg.
Seeing the creature erupt out of the earth at her feet, Signey calls on her goddess to guard her from harm . Arthur drops to the ground and rushes forward towards the action.
Revjak darts forward, his face suffused with blood and anger. He slashes into the ankheg's carapace, and his glaive digs deep into its flesh. An acidic smell washes over those near the beast, and fluid oozes out of the wound.
Carric murmurs a few words, pointing at his target with his arrow before nocking it, drawing, and letting fly. The missile flies truly, and strikes the beast in the join between head and thorax. The ankheg emits a shrill cricking noise as it takes serious damage from the glaive and arrow.
Reynwyn urges Twilight around the front of the cart caravan and off to the side to clear up his line of sigh to the massive insect-like creature. Once in position, he raises his ring to aim at the ankheg as the ambient light around him dims for just a moment as it is sucked into the eyes on his ring. He fires off a bolt of black energy, but the strange shift in light causes Twilight to buck a little and the attack goes wide!
Reynwyn rides up the side of the hill and fires off his eldritch energy attack at the creature, but misses, and the patch of grass it strikes instantly fades to a dead-looking grey colour.
The ankheg, previously about to bite at Signey, turns towards Revjak, the more immediate and deadly threat, and skitters around beside him. It then opens it maw wide, excreting a wide jet of liquid over the barbarian and the priestess. The liquid hisses as it hits the caravan behind Signey, and the wood begins to peel and crack.
Reynwyn takes a moment to steady Twilight before repeating his actions, this time rubbing the horse gently on the neck with his left hands as the bolt of black energy streaks out towards the ankheg with greater accuracy!
The coy look falls from Nida's face, to be replaced with a somewhat exasperated expression. "Well, to that I'd say you're a fool, Reynwyn. In my experience, nothing brings you out of bad times better than good, honest happiness." Her voice drops to a whisper as she moves her mouth close to your ear. "And boy, would I have given you some happiness." She pulls back once more, the coy smile returning. "You come and visit Melton again someday soon, you hear?" She then turns, skirts twirling, and walks out of the inn, flashing you a kind smile as she opens the door. Then she is gone.
Carric digs his knees into Smoke and steers the mount to a slight turn for a better angle as he loses another arrow at the Ankheg.
He glances to his companions. "I could use another drink..."
Revjak's body begins leaping aside before he even consciously realises what has happened. His right side still burns though.
And in response, he delivers a flurry of blows against the insect.
Arthur continues moving as quickly as he can towards the ankheg to help the strangers but it was quite some distance from where he started.
Piety's etched runes begin to glow, and his body begins moving more faster than it normally does. He handsprings one of the horses and then moves next to the giant insect, before bringing his fist smashing down on it.
Piety bursts into motion, his arcane body speeding through space to meet the ankheg. Unfortunately the beast manages to dodge his blow, and Piety's fist slams into the earth with a boom.
Arthur arrives on the scene, his rapier bared. Signey calls out to Shar, and her flames coalesce around the ankheg, and the beast emits its strange scream again as the flames dance around its body.
Revjak roars again and delivers a series of blows, one of them slicing the glaive into the creatures head. Overcome with its wounds, the ankheg falls to the ground, twitching.
The surviving combats all take a breath, glad the thing is defeated, when suddenly, the ground to the south of Signey and Piety erupts once more, and a second creature appears, spraying acid as it emerges!
Carric and Reynwyn burst into action again, manoeuvring to get clean shots at the second beast. Arrow and eldritch bolt slam into the ankheg, and it begins lashing out in a frenzy of pain
Revjak is taken by surprise with the appearance of the second ankheg, and the acid hisses against his left arm.
He roars, and charges the newcomer, determined to smash it into pieces.
"You know what now I know there's two of them I'm really glad I didn't try to fight my way out of this alone." Arthur moved forward to strike at the oversized creature but isn't sure whether the blade pierced it's chitinous hide.
Piety lashes out at the second ankheg, his gears whirring in fury, but his blow glances off the insectoid's carapace. The strike is enough to take its attention, however, and Arthur's rapier finds a soft spot in its armour, his blade sliding in deep. Signey raises her arms to cast flame down upon it...
...and the flames scorch its back, doing minimal damage. Revjak steps forward, swinging madly, and manages to land a brutal blow on its back legs, nearly dropping it to the ground... But the creature stays up.
The ankheg lunges at Signey, and its mandibles snap shut just short of her torso. Severely weakened, and sensing it is in a terrible position, it attempts to withdraw back into its burrow.
The ankheg manages to evade the heavy swings of Revjak and Piety, but again, Arthur takes advantage of its lack of attention and skewers it from behind. The thing twitches, then falls.
Kehlann pokes his head over the front of the first wagon. "Are they gone?"
"I think so good sir. I would have shouted warning but I was worried it would rouse them. At the least I wanted to give ye time to prepare. My name is Arthur d'Cannith." Arthur smiles before cleaning the ichor from his rapier.
Revjak looms taller than most southerners by a head, a full seven feet tall. He has the fair blonde hair and light blue eyes typical of his people, the Reghedmen, that hair grown long and wild on head and face. His cheeks, neck, and what can be seen of his chest and arms are covered in tattoos proclaiming his allegiance to the Tribe of the Elk and to Tempos. A set of chainmail with leather underneath, a few fur pieces, leather leggings and boots are the rest of his covering. A pair of hand axes are visible at his sides, and four javelins surround his backpack.
He calms from his rage and smiles, with his trusty dwarven glaive held in both hands.
"Well met, Arthur d'Cannith!", he replies in a slightly booming voice, "I am Revjak of the Elk. We are all standing and they are not, so I do not complain. What brings you out on the road?"
Indeed, Arthur, thank you for your assistance. I am Carric Armastacia, formerly of the Knights in Silver of this area. Now, we travel together as companions.
He gestures with his hand to the others.
Kehlann spots Arthur and squints as if trying to recognise him. "Now then, haven't we met before? You look awfully familiar, my good man."
Arthur is a half elf with an athletic build. His stance is confident and open, he has studded leather armour stained greens, browns and yellows. A dark green cloak on his back is held by a brass clasp depicting a male lion's head with an almost contemplative look. His buckler is far more practical but the handguard of his rapier is a roaring lions head.
"Good to meet you Revjak of the Elk and Sir Armastacia. I see you in good company, it has been some time since I saw Kehlann Majarra. Given his presence I suspect my path is much the same as yours and ends for a time at least at Waterdeep."
I was thinking of suggesting something cinematic. In Baldur's gate you could get Ankheg hides made into armour. Perhaps the PCs who use suitable heavy armours or breastplate could get them reworked in Waterdeep, mechanically just buying the gear but a nice exotic twist on the gear.
I remember a pathfinder game where the part investigator had an albino sewer alligator fashioned into studded leather after we killed it.
Reynwyn settles Twilight once the combat ceases and gives his horse a comforting rub along the neck before leading her over to the carts. He slowly dismounts and attaches the reigns to the cart before joining the others in speaking with this newcomer, Arthur. "Well met, Arthur. My name is Reynwyn." He offers his hand to shake. "Thank you for warning us of the dangers nearby. Had it not been for your fortuitous presence, we may have suffered more gravely then we did."
When talk of their destination arises, Reynwyn nods. "We are indeed. While I can say that I would appreciate another steady hand, such things are not my bailiwick."
Revjak turns to Kehlann.
"You know this man then? I see little reason to refuse him joining us until Waterdeep."
Kehlann squints again. "D'Cannith, did you say? Yes, I know this man - a courier, and a trustworthy one at that, if I remember rightly. Heading to Waterdeep are you, d'Cannith? I also remember you spin a fine tale. Why don't you sit up front with Sillon and me, and I'll try to sell you a new lute." Kehlann also motions to Carric. "Ride up front and help us out with the navigation, would you mind? Sillon's a bit lost I think, and I believe you know the area well."
Revjak gives Arthur a hearty slap on the back.
"Welcome on board, Arthur!"
My pleasure. Anyone care to join me on point? Revjak?
Carric turns Smoke to the front, and he uses his abilities as a natural explorer, as well as as former patrol and scout of the area, to plot a course to the Sword Coast.
"Aye! No more surprises from bloody ankhegs!" Revjak cheerfully replies, his wounds now bandaged.
"You may call me Piety. Everyone else does." says Piety.
Piety continues trudging on alongside the wagons.
"I wont say no to some company on my return... especially since the road is being so eventful!"
"Before we leave would ye like to harvest the Ankheg hide, I've not too much interest in it myself but it would be a shame to leave it here. Scavengers will deal with the soft flesh beneath before too long. I've heard of master craftsmen using the material to fashion heavy armour from it. It's tough as forged steel and you'd cut a distinctive figure even if you'd have to pay a solid price for it."
Arthur does indeed sit up front with Kehlann but he speaks in a manner that his voice easily carries so all can hear, projecting it with practiced ease. "I'm a simple servant of Nobanion bringing news and tales from one place to the next as well as making inquiries for my own motivations. I've spent a bit of time in Waterdeep but not so much as I'd want to call it home." He pauses [b]"Tell me you're a diverse group, in your travels have any of you heard of an albino flynd or a gnoll?"
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6pm, 18th of Eleint, 335 NR (1367 DR)
You have been more than a tenday on the road since Melton, and engaged in a battle with fearsome insectoid creatures a few days after Triboar. Since then, Arthur has proved to be a friendly and interesting companion. The caravan has since stopped in Westbridge, Red Larch, and finally now Rassalanter, only two or three days north from the City of Splendors. Little more than a half a dozen walled farms centered on a spring-fed horse watering pond, Rassalanter is shrouded in a light fog, despite the mild autumn weather. Across the road from the pond, on the east side of the road, stands the Sleeping Dragon, an inn with a welcoming look. Behind the inn is a barracks house, bearing the arms of the Lords of Waterdeep, and beyond that to the east, an even foggier, sprawling marsh. To the west is a small wood, with the top of a ruined keep peeking over the tops of the trees.
The wagons clatter over a wooden plank bridge over the stream that drains the pond into the marsh, and you have arrived at the inn. Kehlann jumps out of his wagon immediately, a smile on his face. "Well, lords and ladies, we have not quite made it home, but Spider Samallahan keeps a good house here. Eat and drink your fill tonight, for we face two more nights on the road, then our journey will be done!" With that, he strides into the inn in obvious anticipation of drink and food.
Once the wagons and horses are taken care of, you all troop out of the day's fading light and into the inn. The small taproom is all dark wood, and the cosy fire is roaring. A dozen or more patrons, mostly men, some in guard's uniforms, lounge around the room, and the general mood is one of good cheer. Kehlann is currently at the bar, sitting talking to the man behind the bar. The barkeep is an older man with just a fringe of grey hair on his head, but his shoulders are broad and his waist looks trim for a man his age, and his blue eyes sparkle brightly. His broad, weathered hands slap on the bar as you approach. "Ye're Kehlann's folk, are ye? Well met folks, I'm Spider. Yer boss tells me the bar's open for you lads tonight, so what'll ye be havin'?"