Iflen takes a moment to notice the barmaid as he's engrossed in creating the perfect goblin death throes. When the woman speaks he jumps up and takes the robes graciously. "Thank you my dear. Ostler's generosity holds no bounds and it appears he employs only the most beautiful barmaids as well" says Iflen with a smile and a raised eyebrow. "Do you have any free time tonight? Is this bath big enough for two?"
"I'll take the dagger, good man."
"I'll wait until you call out when the room is ready, I shall be in the stables. Again I thank you for your hospitality."
Conrad then bids Kelara, Ama and Kraine goodnight and heads off to the stables. (If he runs into Ilfen outside, he also bids him goodnight ofcourse.)
While he checks on Pearl he mentally asks Onyx to come back to the stable for the night.
Making a little comfortable sitting place from hay he sits down to study his spellbook. Waiting untill well after dark before returning to his room to sleep.
Outside, the maid giggles at the handsome young Iflen's advances. She smiles back suggestively.
(I'll leave it your imagination what happened later.)
When the adventurers retire for the night, the professor says,"in the morning I shall see you off and pay you the first half of your fee. Sleep well, friends."
By daybreak the party is up and ready for the short hike into the forest. But Kraine does not appear for the send-off. Ostler goes to check on him, then hollers in surprise. Kraine limps into the taproom, leaning on Ostler's arm. His left eye is bruised, swollen shut.
"They robbed me," he whimpers. "The elf woman knocked on my door saying it was you, Kelara. When I opened it one of the men struck me, and I fell unconscious."
"I .. I don't know. I'll have to see."
Returning to his room, Phineus picks through his belongings strewn on the floor.
"They took most of my gold, my dagger, which is enchanted, and the other copy of the map I gave Conrad last night. They left my shrouds alone, thank the gods!"
Iflen stays in the young barmaids room tonight and well...you get the idea. In the morning he gets up nice and early and gets dressed. Whilst he does he admires the room thinking how much nicer it is than those in Falcon's hollow before also admiring his "catch" for the night. Without waking her he gathers his belongings and heads downstairs to greet his companions.
He greets Kelara enthusiastically and nods to the other two. As Kraine steps down the stairs, black and blue, Iflen seethes quietly with anger. Bastards! Four against one and he's not even the fighting type, bet that was the goblins idea
As Kraine returns downstairs and tells them what was stolen Iflen now speaks up, "Well I'd be more than happy to take out those scum succers! You want us to find them Kraine?" says Iflen slamming his fist into his palm.
"Robbed ?"
"Oh dear, are you alright ?"
"The insolence some people have ... praying on innocent unsuspecting people."
"There's no telling what they will do the that druid protecting the artifacts."
"Those artifacts are priceless, it would be a waste to come into the hands of ... of those ... thugs ..."
"Good thing we already had a map ..."
"Wait, perhaps Onyx saw when they left. I'll be right back."
Conrad goes outside and mentally calls Onyx to his side.
With a loud caw, Onyx announces himself.
He's sitting on the roof of the stable, and addresses Conrad in elven.
"No need to call me, Conrad."
"I've been in the barn all night. Nice and warm."
"Ah .. alright .. there you are .."
"It seems our employer got robbed last night, we believe the thieves left somewhere in the night."
"I was thinking if you might have seen anything ?"
"I saw a group leave not long ago. A big man led them right into the forest. They smell like blood, especially the small dirty one."
"Hmm, not so long ago eh ... we might catch up to them ... if we leave quickly."
"My dear Onyx, once again you prove to be a valuable companion ..."
"Wait ... you're not serious are you ... going after a group of mercenarie thugs ?"
"You're a ... scribe ... who just recently lost his job ..."
"Perhaps ... But I have a feeling this is only the beginning."
"I went out into the world to discover ... It was perhaps a bit naive to think we'd get everywhere without trouble."
"This could be a chance to make ... friends ... and not just read about those adventure stories, but actually live them."
"Then *I* will be the one writing the story ..."
"Yes Onyx, I think this is the right course of my .. our .. life's journey."
With that he goes back into the tavern.
"Onyx saw the group of mercenaries leave not to long ago ... if we hurry we can catch them."
"I know you think I'm just a daft elf ... without courage, like Ilfen here, but together we can overcome the odds."
"I've realized that this can be my new life ... But I will need some help in the combat area. Perhaps, Ilfen you can help me out in that regard ?"
"But first ... we should get moving and stop those thieves !"
"I've realized that this can be my new life ... But I will need some help in the combat area. Perhaps, Ilfen you can help me out in that regard ?"
"Ah hah! Yes! We'll have you beating off drunks in no time! Lets get after them then! I've got some goblin face to smash! See ya Kraine, you'll have your shroud and your stuff back in no time!
Kraine shakes his battered head at Kelara. "No, my dear, don't blame yourself. It was I who was incautious. Those thugs must be up to no good, so someone has to warn Willowroot."
To the entire party he says, "I am sorry I have no coin left to pay you now, but you may keep anything you retrieve from those thugs. I can only express my sincerest thanks for your aid. May the gods be with you."
****
Following the trapper's map, the adventurers hurry into the dark forest. Here, the axes of loggers have never met these ancient trunks. Tooth and claw is still the order of the day. But the hike is uneventful, and in two hours they arrive at the grove, a nimbus of sunlight within the forest's immense gloom.
In the center of the clearing is a crude stone altar constructed as a dolmen — a stone slab supported at either end by smaller stones — sits in the center of the clearing. Flanking it are two rough stone monoliths, lines of writing rudely chiseled into their surfaces.
Before the altar is the crumpled body of a middle-aged man. He has not only been beaten, but cut and stabbed many times. He is breathing, but barely.
"Onyx, please fly high and see if you can spot the thieves somewhere."
Conrad then rushes to the mans side ... this must be Willowroot.
"Please, sir ... Willowroot ... can you hear me ?"
Conrad looks up to his companions,
"I know enough of the human anatomy ... but only from books ... can one of you help him ?"
"Damn! too late!" says Iflen spying the body.
can one of you help him ?"
Iflen shakes his head "Not my area I'm afraid...but I aint just gonna stand by and let him die" Iflen rolls up his sleeves ready to help but cant help thinking the mercs are far away by now. Hopefully they dont know we're following them, sneak up on them in the dark then bam! skewered goblin!
Kelara gasps, releases a cry, then runs next to the lying human, trying to help him with her magic.
"Onyx, please fly high and see if you can spot the thieves somewhere."
Conrad then rushes to the mans side ... this must be Willowroot.
"Please, sir ... Willowroot ... can you hear me ?"
Onyx obediently flies off into the sky.
"No more ... please ... I've told you everything ... no more," he moans.
As usual, the first thing he does is take a look around, looking for anything out of the ordinary in their area besides the fallen man.
All around, the altar and grass is spattered with Willowroot's blood.
"Give me your map before you tend to him, please."
The map shows only the location of this grove. No other locations are marked.
After a short while Onyx returns to tell his master that the four people he saw earlier have split up into groups of two. Two miles away to east the goblin and the big man are stopped at the mouth of a small cave. Two miles to the west the other man and the woman are approaching a pond.
The druid ceases moaning seems to regain cognizance. He watches the newcomers with suspicion.
"Onyx tells me that the robbers split up in two groups. The goblin and the large man went east to a small cave."
"The other two went to the west, to a pond."
As the druid comes round, Conrad turns to him.
"Sir ... I know you have no reason to believe us ... But we are here in name of Phineus Kraine."
"He wanted to make a shroud of some sort from King Narven, and needed his artifacts."
"He has hired us to help him transport the items to him, unfortunately he got robbed by the same people that hurt you like this."
"But ... where are my manners ... My name is Conrad. The man lying on the floor is Ama, the lovely lady is Kelara and the man with the mustache is Iflen."
"I fear we cannot stay too long, if we can lay you on a bed of some sort in the cave, we must go after the bastards now. Else they will be long gone, and the artifacts with them."
"They asked of me the same ... then attacked me when I refused," whispers Willowroot, struggling with each breath. "If you're truly here to do good ... you must retrieve what artifacts you can ... return them to Mishakal ... "
He then speaks a mystic word and waves feebly at the altar. The crude inscriptions on the stone monoliths melt and reform into clearly readable Common script. It says:
Lofy stone reaching higher, holds in its grasp the sacred fire.
Two miles toward the sun’s first fire, the earth’s embrace will still its ire.
A league to the west in sacred mother’s home, the royal water is returned to its own.
Northwest four miles the image flies, atop forest giant in azure skies.
Six miles north at forest’s heart, where name and namesake no longer part.
In the time it takes the heroes to read the riddles, Willowroot passes away.
Willowroot passes away
Iflen is busy reading the words that have magically formed on rocks Looks like some sort of verse or riddle...I hate riddles. He doesnt notice Willowroot dying until it is too late. "Damn! yells Iflen "looks like he's dead, nasty way to go."
Iflen takes another look at the rocks. "These artifacts seem a lot more important than some shroud, but ive no idea what this means" he says pointing at the rocks "and what the hell does he mean return them to mishakal"
"Indeed, this is no way to die .. robbed and murdered."
"Now we are not only chasing robbers, but killers too."
"We'd be doing the world a great favor if these types ... disappear ..."
"But first things first, we need to decipher that riddle."
"I'll write it down, there's no knowing for how long we're able to read it."
Conrad grabs a piece of parchment, ink and pen then start writing the riddle down.
"Almost done ... almost done ..."
"There ... I have it all written down."
He carefully tucks the paper in his scrollcase, and looks at everyone.
"Alright, time to see if we can make this world just a little better!"
"I say we go for the big man and the goblin first, I think Iflen has a score to settle ..."
"Hells...yes!" says Iflen "That goblins gonna wish it was never born! lets go!
Iflen runs off towards the forest then stops a second, "err which way is it?" he asks sheepishly.
Onyx caws, telling Conrad it sees a flame that burns with no smoke on top of the left monolith. From the ground none of you can see anything. There is a tree at the edge of the clearing with a large limb that hangs directly above the that monolith.
Conrad looks at Ama ...
"That actually sounds wise in my ears, Ama."
"Perhaps we ARE getting a bit too carried away with ourselves."
Glancing at Iflen, Conrad continues.
"And perhaps we should make a plan first, before we run headfirst into trouble."
"If we get the other two artifacts first ... all four of them will come after us."
"While now we can take on two at a time ..."
Conrad sighs.
"Look, let's be honest ... we're after 4 merciless robbers and killers and I've never really hurt anyone."
"Chances are that four people of this caliber will quickly deal with us."
"Then we accomplice nothing, and is the death of this man for naught."
"With four of us against two of them ... we stand a very good chance."
"I'm sorry Ama, your words sound very good ... but my reasoning says we deal with them as soon as possible."
As soon as Conrad wants to answers Iflens question of where to go, Onyx interrupts. Telling him about the smokeless fire atop the monolith.
"Just a second, before we leave ... Onyx sees a smokeless fire atop the monolith."
"It might be nothing, but the first line in the riddle says: Lofy stone reaching higher, holds in its grasp the sacred fire."
"Now ... if my thinking is correct ... I have unraveled the clue to the first artifact."
Conrad looks at the top of the monolith ... then back to the rest.
"Only one problem .. it's atop that monolith .. and my climbing skills are a bit rusty since I was a youth .."
"Wait a second...I thought the killers had stolen the artifacts? Now your telling me they're hidden?" says Iflen sighing.
He ponders to himself for a moment, Riddles and clues, damn I thought this was gonna be simple.
"I think we should take them out while we can. But if we hurry maybe we can climb this monolith and then take them out! I've got no practise at climbing but I can haul my own weight!" says Iflen flexing his muscles slightly towards Kelara
"So are we gonna check out the monolith first or go after the goblin and his friend?"
"Let's quickly check out the monolith ... if we somehow cannot move the Sacred Fire we go after them."
"I think they don't know about the scared fire atop the monolith, if Onyx hadn't warned us ... we would have also missed it."
"Right! Well im gonna go see what I can find over there then, the sooner we find this artifact or whatever it is the sooner we can kill some goblin!"
Iflen runs over to the left monolith and looks around for a tree to climb in order to get nearer. Once he's found one he attempts to climb it.
Perched upon the tree branch above the altar Iflen sees shallow concavities cut into the tops of either monolith. In one stone bowl is the smokeless flame, dancing on what appears to be a breastplate. In the other bowl is a piece of jewelry: a ring. Both are in easy reach of Iflen, who fetches the items and tosses it to his companions below.
On closer inspection, the flame is but an illusion cast on the front of the breastplate. The armor itself is a specimen of masterful workmanship and has somewhow avoided damage from the open elements.
The ring is a band of tarnished silver with a decoration of curving patterns running along it's circumference.
=========================================================================
OOC: The breastplate has no other magical properties other than the illusion. It is a functional masterwork armor.
The ring is a ring of swimming.
Iflen looks down with wonder at the breastplate as the flames magically dissapear, leaving the armour miraculously unhurt.
"Wow...you think these are them artifacts?" says Iflen picking up the armour and staring at it from arms length.
"Possibly ... it would fit the riddle ... but I had thought of something else ..."
"Nevermind for now ... we have a score to settle."
"Let's head east, that's where the goblin and his human companion went."