The Map
Seifous leads the party into his home and opens up a secret door leading down into a hidden underground stairwell. Under his estate the blight pokes through the hewn stone walls as Seifous leads them past large rooms full of gear, supplies and his personal quarters. Seifous draws close to a closed door and knocks upon it, announcing that “the guests we have been waiting for have arrived”. Opening the door the weary travellers see a strange being before them. Seig and Aranel recognize the mans species from stories and folklore tales, though none have met such a being. He stands over 6 feet with long horns and a tail sticking out from the back of his chair as he sits studying ancient runic tomes that the courteous Seifous has provided. A Teifling? “This is your map gentlemen” Seifous exclaims to reactions of distrust and confusion. Never before has a more motley band of random beings been so unaccepting of a stranger into their midst. Here they were, Human, Elf, Halfelf, and Dragonborn all metamorphasized by the blight, and they were hung up on ancient folk tales and stereotypes of the untrustworthy tieflings. Seig made an effort to accept a man as rare as he, but Aranel carries old hatrids and instantly questions the Teiflings motives.
“This is Varaxis, he has been my guest for some time, he is your map” chimed Seifous. What, who where, when, why, came out of the party in varying degree's of diplomacy and candour. Varaxis lifts up his arm to reveal a queer looking bracer. It sinks into his skin as though it were a part of him, and moving tattoos emanate from its epicentre. There are ancient runes marking it with a faint glow and a plate of shifting pieces across its surface. It doesn't seem quite metal, and not quite stone either. Very curious. As Varaxis holds his hand up and pans around the room the tattoo shifts and changes, lines scroll and pinpoint fixing on a single point as Varaxis steadies his hand facing northeasterly. “And we believe that is the location of the Magnatherian library or archive” Seifous explains. He continues to tell them about how another blight lord had Varaxis captive and was taking him to the library when they were assaulted by Orcish war priests. Seifous himself carried off poor Varaxis saving him from a horrible end and Varaxis has been his “guest” ever since.
Dress for success
Seifous offers our band gear and supplies so that they may make haste in their task. A human woman is brought in to fix some chainmail big enough for Seig to wear. As she brushes past him taking measurements he finds her scent intoxicating. Seig cannot control his urges, his eyes darken, his gizzard makes a guttural purr as he lunges for the unanticipating woman. Seifous, Dex, Aranel and Jaspyr manage to intercept Seig before he can taste that poor woman. Seig bucks and sends Aranel flying accross the room slamming hard into the hewn stone walls. Seifous wonders aloud if Seig's lack of control is contingent to his race, or is he just a weak willed individual, more animal than sentient being? The party gathers there things and parts ways with Seifous that evening, promissing to return with information.
Collosian Patrolmen
As the party travels eastward they come across the river Duindarin river as the Tellion Elves call it. Aranel recognizes this river as it borders his homeland of Tellion. Deciding to travel further down river, the party looks for a place where they could cross into the now dead treed borderlands of Tellion. Aranel spots some figures in the distance with torches and investigates, getting close he sees they are indeed Collosians, numbering 6 strong they do not seem to notice their elvish spy.
Returning to the party and reporting his findings Aranel sees a feral Seig lunging past and darting for the Collosians. Unable to control himself again. The rest of the party follows quick pursuit so as to take advantage of the frothing Dragonborn's attack. Seig bowls headlong into his prey loosing his axe to a surprised patrol of humans. With their military training the Collosians don't miss a beat forming up and flanking Seig from all sides they wail on the Dragonborn with maces and longswords as their leader positions himself for a deadly attack. Dex runs in to Seigs aid a few steps behind him, as Aranel loosens an arrow and charges in. Jaspyr, unaffected by the hunger strategically leaps into a nearby tree readying himself. As the battle progresses just before the Collosian leader can sink his silvered longsword into Seig, Jaspyr pounces from the tree sinking his claws into the chest of the unsuspecting leader binding him to the ground.
Aranel drops his bow and lunges for his first victim. Latching onto his throat as a great cat would a grazing herd beast. Aranel is intoxicated by the feeding frenzy as the life drains out of the hapless human. The battle rages on and Jaspyr maintains his prison on the Collosian leader as Varaxis has spell after spell fizzle before they can take form. Aranel flips off of his first, straight onto his second as though he has a lifetime of blood sucking training behind him, instincts take over and all he can sense is vessles of blood as he drinks.
Bearing the weight of many calculated attacks Seig falls, as does his hunger lust. Just then Varaxis makes a connection to the infernal plane and summons forth a fiery bolt that strikes the bound leader, killing another lesser man and severly burning his ally in the process. Jaspyr doesn't give into the pain as his body smolders with fire tongues kissing his blighted body as he brings down a flurry of claws that mince the newly cooked Collosian leader. Dex letting his hunger get the best of him sinks his jaws into a longswordsmans femur snapping it in twain as Dex pulls the pieces apart scattering the dying mans body on the battlefield. Aranel lunges for a third man is met by a swift swing of a mace. One of Aranels tusks is caught in the blow and shatters upon impact leaving him broken and in pain. The remaining Collosian runs into the dark as the party regroups and feeds.
Seig awakens and refuses to bear the fruit of his hasty attack and will not feed. Jaspyr strains and chooses not to feed unitl Varaxis convinces him otherwise. Varaxis doesn't wish to be fed upon next and would like his new “allies” with full bellies so long as the food is all ready there.
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