Tales of the Bard 006

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.

Tales of the Bard 005

Trustworthy Allies

Seifous returns with saddles full of fresh blood as the party decides to take him up on his offer of a safe haven for the day. As they travel towards his estate just a couple hours south of town. Seifous decides these poor souls could use some guidance and tells them of how he was once Pretor of Fendis Ren and how he had saved that town from the blight by making their “deal” and signing himself over to the blight. In return Seifous' will and mind remained intact and he was given a small fiefdom south of Fendis Ren to control.

Ambush

As the party travels and are about to learn the year they are ambushed by 2 lesser carrion crawlers. Ploughing out of the ground the entire group is completely taken aback as 4 blight thralls are swallowed whole by the emerging worms. Jaspyr the only party member with a blade, looses grip out of terror and inexperience with an argent weapon, sends it flying past one of the crawlers. Dex motivates Jaspyr to move past the worm and pick up his weapon and try anew as Seifous releases a quick flick of the wrist and a bolt of fire scores one of the great beasts. Dismounting with great grace and skill Seifous charges headlong into the Crawlers unleashing a flurry of rapier strikes mincing the carapace of the monster. As Seig attempts flanking with claw attacks, and Dex attempts using his new robust jaws, Aranels arrows let loose and fail to hit anything but trees and rocks. Luckily Seifous' entourage surround the beasts and let loose claw after claw dealing several slicing blows to the recoiling worms. Jaspyr learns the weight of his new blade just in time as Seig gets his claw stuck in between chitinous plates of the carrion crawler. As he flaps around wildly with the bucking beast Seifous delivers a rapier pinning the monster to the ground by one of his legs. One worm flees as Seifous mounts the pinned one driving his other rapier through the brain of the devourer of dead flesh.

The other white meat

As the party gathers themselves Seig is unable to contain his hunger, wildly devouring the newly felled worm that sits before him. Jaspyr and Dex to decide to partake in this unexpected bounty so they may stave off cravings for another day. The party gathers their things as well as the blight thralls that were swallowed whole by the worm and makes for the Seifous estate.

51/1st/786ce(51-blight era)

The party finally gets an answer out of Seifous that it has been 51 years since Ostwick fell, and they had been blight thralls all that time committing unspeakable acts. They arrive at his estate just before dawn and are greeted by fields of wheat untouched by the blight, and pastures of livestock. Seifous explains to them that he lives off of the livestock here and has human servants to farm them for him. Seig and Jaspyr are particularly untrusting of this information. The hero's of Ostwick, ever cautious decide to camp outside of The lavish if slightly rundown home of Seifous. Seifous needing rest also decides to retire to his chambers for the day. A morning and afternoon later Seifous meets with our party again to determine their next course of action. He reveals to them that King Romos of Proteria is the Blight King and controls much of the blight forces. However he wishes a more neutral standing in the war Seifous tends to be of too little influence and importance to warrant the Kings direct involvement in bringing him back into the fold. Seifous has attained a map to an ancient Magnatherian “library” that could hold answers as to how to control/cure the blight. He cannot trust the blight lords with this information, nor their living enemies. Perhaps these newly released Blight touched of strong will and virtue could prove useful in tracking down this information.

Tales of the Bard 004

50/1st/??? evening

To catch a thief

Is it wrong to steal to feed your family? Is it wrong to steal as a means of survival in a harsh world? As our heros explored Fendis ren, they realized that they are without money, nor decent clothing or weapons by which their very survival is linked. As Jaspyr, Dex, and Seig head through town to scare children and discover the southern gate in Fendis Ren, Aranel is tasked with no easy feat for a woodsmen by trade. You see Aranel doesn't feel comfortable among people, let alone sneaking amongst their buildings and shops and guardsmen in order to steal from them. However dire times require dire actions. Would you or I act any different in those troubling times?

As he pilfers a few clotheslines and lifts some gold from the more fortunate in town, Aranel notices a lack of silver in the local economy. Using his new found wealth Aranel attempts to purchase some new weapons from a local smithy. The smithy soon realizes he is talking to “blight touched” and reluctantly sells him his wares out of two parts fear, and one part pity.

The taste

Scurrying back to the alleys our elfin blood touched goes. Searching for more gear he stumbles upon a weary guard who is alerted to this ranger turned rogue. As he is screaming for help Aranel has no choice but to take out the guard. Using perhaps too much force on one of these gaunt fendis rendians Aranel slays the guard, spilling blood all over the ally. As the beautiful crimson elixir rolls over the slumping body of the poor guardsman, Aranel feels unbridaled urges. He hears help coming, but he cannot contain himself, his thirst must be quenched at all costs. His willpower leaving him, Aranel drinks, he drinks as though a new babe sups mothers milk for the first time. He can feel the power and essence of the consumed man coursing throughout his body. It feels good, too good. How can a simple elf come back from this divine taste? Taking as much as he can, Aranel receeds into shadow once more to wait out the heat from the local authorities.

Tobias Aerilious

Meanwhile after Seig has had his fill of scaring the local youth, Dex is approached by Tobias Aerilious. Tobias is completely enthralled with our crew asking them questions about the war, and informs our weary travellers that they can stay at the inn for free and dine on the word of the towns Pretor(mayor). Tobias is wisked away suddenly by news that some blight touched has fed on one of the local guards this night.

Open the gates....please

Once our party regroups with Aranel Dex makes his way to secure the southern gatesman to open up. This does not go over well, and it takes some quick thinking and wit from our dragonborn and Jaspyr to convince the guardsmen to let them out. As they leave Fendis Ren behind, there is a shipment of Blood barrels set outside the gate. Our heros leave the barrels behind and make way down the southern road, trying to get their bearings still. Not far from town, and man on a horse with a large entourage approaches from the south. Not wanting to stir up extra trouble the party stays the course and are met by a man who introduces himself as Seifous. Seifous brings with him his blight steed and 10 blight touched. His smooth charm and interest in the party soon reveals to him what new babes to the woods our heros truly are. He tantelizes the group with hints of information and an invitation back to his estate where they will be “safe” to spend the daylight hours. As he heads to Fendis Ren, the party agrees this would be a good course of action, if for anything but to find out what year it is.