[IC] Into The Dark: Tales of Maroleth

[spicykvnt]

Aeryn rubbed her hands together at the table, looking at the tankard of ale that had been set in front of her with a bemused expression. She'd had it before - surely? She just couldn't recall. There was so much going on within the inn too that she could barely focus on anything, her brain scattered and tired after the events of the day so far. She rubbed the tip of her nose with a finger, and tucked a set of loose strands of hair behind her ear before raising the tankard to her lips for a sip.

GROSS! Disgusting! Absolutely no flavour whatsoever!

She stuck her tongue out in disgust, and opted to slide her tankard along the table to any other takers. Now, some Dorcha Chilli Whisky? That would go down a treat and parch her appetite for a drink. She doubted they'd stock such a thing here. Her lips pouted and tugged to the side comically as she just sat in her seat, watching the merriment around her. She gave thought to the last few days, her rescue from the guardsmen and subsequent meeting with this gang of misfits. As she eyed them all up, she wasn't sure who was the strangest of the whole party. Was it really her? Probably not.

She shrugged and waited for Beren to return. She liked Beren, he had been the one whom she had noticed first during the events of her rescue. He did seem to be quite a strange fellow but she couldn't put her finger on what that was. As he hadn't yet arrived, she plucked herself up from her seat and moved timidly over to watch the three man who were knife throwing a little closer. Each of them had poor technique that she couldn't help but chuckle at. Eventually one of them noticed, and challenged her to do better - and so she took the throwing knife from his grip and flung it with a gentle flick of her delicate wrist towards the board. Of course, it landed with a dull thud right in the centre - and deep too, a splinter of wood falling out from under the silver blade. She smiled arrogantly, surprised that the three boys had been so eager to trust a Dorcha with a blade. It set her at ease, and for the first time all day she genuinely smiled and forgot her troubles.

[Mortarion]

"Yes, it'd seem like I underestimated the creature." Nicademus said in reply to Alice's aside. He hadn't expected the Mantiraus to possess the ability to shoot lightning out of it's mouth, a fact that made the possibility of an easy victory all that much less likely if not outright impossible. He nodded in response to Alice's request for him and Argon to get the creature's attention, if she could shield them from it's lightning then that would give them a substantial edge in the battle to come.

However, the magic missiles sent by Alice gave Nicademus an idea that, hopefully, would allow them to finally do some true harm to the Mantiraus. "Argon, I'll go first. You stay behind in case to protect Alice." The knight said, waiting for the lizardman to give sign of his agreement, before charging forward towards the Mantiraus.

Using the fact that the Mantiraus' concentration was briefly directed towards the projectiles that Alice had conjured, Nicademus took the chance to direct a strike against the creature's flank. He wasn't sure just how strong the hide of the beast was, but he doubted that it'd be able to withstand a strike from a valdium blade. Still, it'd be key for him to strike quickly and then regroup with Alice and Argon or, otherwise, he'd risked being mauled by the Mantiraus once the creatures attention was redirected towards him.

@The Fated Fallen@Gardevoiran@BCTheEntity@Fetzen@Stormflyx@POOHEAD189

[Fetzen]

For the moment, An-Hasst deemed his current position in the bushes still be to be a good choice. He wouldn't get into the creature's direct range of harm and also did not take away precious space for the others standing closer to it to maneuver. It seemed as if they were in need of such more than ever before. Alice was hammering it with magic -- which came as a little surprise for him --, but so was their enemy.

Yet still there was a major issue to solve and that was how to actually start dealing some damage. The first bolt had proven utterly ineffective and An-Hasst was sure this couldn't simply be attributed to some bad luck like it hitting a thick bone or so. Now whoever thought that the hulking Skayleigh had outfitted himself with only one kind of ammunition was wrong. The problem was more with the other kind being a lot more valuable, so he had not much of those and each shot that couldn't be salvaged afterwards would come very close to an irreplaceable loss so far away from his homeland. These were not made out of wood and metal, but only wood along with some tiny feathers serving as stabilizer fins at their back. The trees necessary for this only grew in some places on the Kaelic' Isles and their bodies were said to be harder than steel. The ordinary soldier wasn't provided with those, but it did have some advantages to be a member of a family of woodcutters...

Soon the large and heavyweight projectile had been loaded on the crossbow and An-Hasst took aim again. Now hopefully none of the others would cross his line of fire in the wrong moment, otherwise they'd have another, probably extremely severe issue to deal with. The Skayleigh pulled at the trigger.

@The Fated Fallen@Gardevoiran@BCTheEntity@Mortarion@Stormflyx@POOHEAD189

[Gardevoiran]

While the other priests went off to their own affairs, Ursaren simply went on his own way for a while, taking a seat outside the tavern and simply relaxing. Without thinking, he began to hum a tune to himself with a smile on his face. It was a moment of peace amongst the chaos of today. Eventually, he found himself singing a few words, and a trio of kids came up to the old man, one of them asking him a question.

"Hey mister! What're you singing?

"Just a tale of an old hero to some folk." Ursaren smiled as he leaned forward to the kids. "Do you guys want to hear the story?" All three kids nodded quickly as they sat down in front of the old man. Well, wasn't this just dandy. The old man didn't have anything to do, so this was a good way to pass the time.

Without further adieu, he took a deep breath and began his tale.

Gather 'round, ye boys and girls,
Sit thee for a while,
As I embark on you a tale,
Of a warrior filled with guile!

This man was one of many swords,
He was a mighty champ,
All of the kings throughout the land,
Heard of this man's great stamp!

He was made of bones and carried steel,
But his soul was far from bad,
He used his will to raise up friends,
Of roses and of lilly pads!

One cloudy day he was home building
Up his mighty fort,
When a fine maiden of a nearby town
Called for his handiwork!

He followed her back to her home
And the problem made him gasp,
Many denizens of evil's face
Had terrorized the mass!

With his sword, the warrior spoke
Through movements brash and bold,
No denizen was far too strong
For the skelly's heart of gold!

Then the leader of the evil
Stepped forth and faced the man,
A horn decored upon his head
His arms, both toned and grand!

The skeleton raised up his sword
And he stared right at his foe,
The skeleton asked the evil lord
'What brought you and your co.?'

"Does anyone here know what the evil lord wanted?"

A little boy stood up, a smile as wide as the ocean on his face. "Sweets!"

He was then followed by a little girl beside him. "Doggies!"

Then that girl was followed once again. "Money!"

"Ah-hah-ha! Of course!" Ursaren paused for a moment to think, before he continued to sing to the kids.

Weeellllllllllll,

The dark lord spoke, with his voice of pride,
'I want the best o' pets,
I want a throne made o' candies,
and I want all yer' wallets!'

The skelly drew his blade once more
And aimed it t'wards the lord,
'He who steals from a place like this
Will meet the end of my sword!'

The warrior and the lord had clashed
Their blades sending sparks fly,
The maiden watched on in awe
As she saw the skelly try!

In the end, the dark lord kneeled,
Defeated and bloody,
The skeleton took a look at him,
And spoke, just full of glee!

'Mighty lord, you have fallen
By the will of my great blade,
Return from the place you came
Make haste, do not delay!

This village was never a place
For you to romp around,
If I see you here ever again
I'll put you in the ground!'

With that, the dark lord took his men,
And left the walls of there,
The skeleton had bowed and left,
Returning to his lair!

Now remember kids, this is for ye,
Don't forget to hear,
Listen once and listen well
For this needs to reach your ear!

Stealing is wrong, and it's no good
So don't do it on a whim!
Be a hero, do what's right,
And you'll be as good as him!

The kids all giggled before thanking the old man for his song, and then ran off. Ursaren couldn't help but smile at the youngsters. Some days he wished to go back in time to moments where he was that young. Alas, he knew his place in this world. He was just fine giving smiles to some kids every now and again. It was always worth it for those smiles.

[POOHEAD189]

Argon surged forward, attempting to strike at the beast, though his blade was turned aside by a massive horn. Argon did not let that stop him, however, and he dropped his flying blade to grab the Mantiraus by the horns, using his intense reptilian strength to keep the bucking beast at bay. The creature breathed in, and suddenly unleashed a bolt of lightning, but Alice's electrical shield held! The Lizardfolk bit the beast on the nose as he held it from bestial instinct on his part.

Now, the fight was at an end. The large bolt shot by An-Hasst hit the Mantiraus in the neck, weakening it considerably now that his aim was true. Calanon landed on the opposite side of the clearing, an arrow flying into the beast's neck on the other side, peircing its hide and causing it to wheeze out lightning, before Nicadimus finished it with a valdium blow that sliced through its flank like a knife through butter.

The spawn of the jungle spasmed and contorted, before whipping its head and then hitting the ground heavily. The dust billowed out into the brush, and they all had a minute or two to breathe. Calanon walked over to the fallen beast to retrieve the arrow he had shot. "I saw its tracks up ahead. I nearly did not get back in time." he said.

Argon let go of the thing, and hissed. "I have never ssssseen its likessss before."

"The Mantiraus doesn't go near swamps usually. They prefer hills and forests. But, if we're satisfied, should we go back or continue?"

---

The barkeep smiled, setting down a freshly cleaned glass. "He didn't, but judging from the commotion and what I've heard of you and your companions, I believe you." He said, and nodded toward Geradin who was just now sitting down and giving a jovial wave at Settionne and the barkeep. "You and your friends, we're indebted to you. Not only for the baby, but protecting the town. EverGod willing, you came at a good time. High summer is when it's most dangerous."

"Hey, I'm not out. I'm not out!" a man yelled, though it wasn't with malice. A few drinking buddies were playing card drinking games, an odd activity where it looked like if you received the right card and threw it in the right cup, you'd win. More than a few of the lads had shirts stained with ale and beer.

Beren came out of the crowd and grabbed two drinks, one for he and Geradin, and greeted Settione. "Grab yourself something and sit with us." He offered to him, and then headed back to their seat. As he did, his monk reflexes helped him in keeping the drinks in the cup even as he dodged a thrown knife, ducking at the right time as if he was nonchalantly ducking an overhead branch. The tavern was warm, but the drinks were cold and kept them cooled off in the shade.

Beren turned the corner just in time to see Aeryn attempting to sip her drink, and then curling her lip in disgust before pouting. He had to admit it was girlishly cute. He never thought he'd see someone being stingy and spoiled as attractive, but it worked for her, for some reason.

"Oi, lad! So tell me, what have you and the she thief been doing while we were creating life?" Geradin joked, grabbing the drink Beren had gotten him and greedily gulping the mug's contents, staining his beard. Beren laughed and sat beside Aeryn. "Digging holes and making stakes." He replied casually, before seeing Aeryn's still dissatisfied look with her drink. Beren blinked, and held out his mug to her. "You want this? It's ice water."

As they conversed, they could hear singing from outside, and it was quite the merry tune.
@Mortarion@Gardevoiran@BCTheEntity@Fetzen@Stormflyx@The Fated Fallen

[BCTheEntity]

'Well. Good, then!' Sett smiled, sipping his mead once it had been poured out for him. Sure, this was pretty good. The wine available in his local church tended to vary in quality, such was the nature of its acquisition, but generally, the stuff that didn't make you choke on either the flavour or the intensity was good to drink. 'I wouldn't want to have arrived at a time when there was naught to do, after all!' And wasn't that just their luck, to have arrived at a time of such intense danger? How droll fate could be, when they still had Dark Elves to scupper the plans of, and dragons to sway to their cause. It felt like an eternity had passed on their mission, yet it had been mere days.

A few other matters came to his attention as he drank. First, Beren's knife-dodging skill proved itself unparalleled. He was a monk, right? So that was no surprise. Then their new Dark Elf companion, Aeryn, showed the crowd of drunks her own prowess with a thrown knife - far better than theirs, frankly, but sufficient as well to make Sett himself yet more concerned about how she might treat him. It was strange - she'd stolen his bag back for him, she threw knives like a champion, he still needed to discuss how they both felt regarding Nicademus, and he wasn't about to forget how she'd snuck in and smelled him and perhaps the others back in the caves... yes, they needed to talk.

And what a shame that those of their party that remained present had crowded round her, Beren and Geradin both. Ursaren... not so much. Actually, was that the old hermit's singing voice outside? Huh. Well, he needed her attention anyway, and wasn't it the case that his persona as a social priest of the gods demanded the attention of others on the regular?

'Heh, "creating life". We're not quite that lucky, Geradin,' Sett called as he walked over to the trio in a bid to make it a... a four-square. He'd considered another term, but that didn't seem appropriate. 'We merely ensured a new child came into the world safely, after all - though not to say digging holes and planting stakes won't do to help keep that new life safe, so well done, my companions, to you for safeguarding it!' He gestured to Beren and Aeryn as he congratulated them, and punctuated that with yet another swig of his mead, largely drained by now. Actually, this really wasn't too dreadful - quite a deep flavour, and sweet of course, which was always a good thing.

'Since it seems our work for the time being is concluded, though,' he pondered, 'what do we reckon we'll do once this meeting is concluded? I, for one, am likely to spend some time praying, perhaps even conduct a sermon if it's desired. The gods are, of course, ever-vigilant to see that the faithful keep their own vigil, not to mention eager for worship by those who truly appreciate them.' A false story, naturally, and a means to tease out where the others would likely be. If Aeryn found herself alone later on in the day, he could confront her privately. If not, he could make himself wait for a more opportune time. Patience was sometimes a necessity in order to pull off a clean theft, and so it was for many other aspects of life, too.

@POOHEAD189@Gardevoiran@The Fated Fallen@Fetzen@Stormflyx@Mortarion

[Fetzen]

"We would be a humble shame of a patrol if we'd stop doing our job now that it has become easier than it was before!" An-Hasst's natural light-footedness had allowed him to listen in to the conversation well before reaching it and he wasn't afraid of telling his opinion. "I mean that beast seems pretty dead by now, so unless they grow children a lot faster than a bunch of mice there should be one less out there by now, shouldn't it ?"

The Skayleigh had not seen anything like this before, but at least he could put up a good excuse with his homeland being situated at almost the opposite end of the world. Carefully he inspected his bolt that was still sticking out of the creature's neck, blood all around it. It certainly had done its job -- the question was if it would be able to do it again. He started pulling strongly, ripping out even more flesh as the barbs put up the intended resistance. Then he put the bloody thing into his bag. Only after a decent cleaning one could tell if the supporting structure had suffered any fractures upon impact or not.

An-Hasst crouched and took a breath, inhaling the smell of the Mantiraus. "Who is the fastest of us ? Maybe it would be a good idea to send someone a little further ahead to give more pre-warning time." Of course there were the drow to consider as well, but they could ambush a single person from range as easily as they could ambush an entire group. The only increase in danger lay in the possibility of getting captured he thought.

@POOHEAD189@Gardevoiran@The Fated Fallen@BCTheEntity@Stormflyx@Mortarion

[The Fated Fallen]

Alice felt and reacted to the blast of energy before she saw it. It was like a great surge, or a pulling in the air that she felt run through her, tingling and crawling across her back before being drawn into the beasts maw. Had she the time she would have prayed, but all she managed to do was inhale and brace herself and wards. A great crack sounded, a light flashed and Alice felt suitably drained. Her wards had held, and she wrestled with power to maintain them in case of further attack.

She pulled at the strings of the arcane in the air, they had been tensed by the beasts abilities and she found it easy to draw power to herself through them, two orbs gathered in her hands and she prepared to arc her own lighting from them but the beast had already fallen in a blur of martial fury.

She allowed her spells to fade, her chest heaving more from the surprise and burst of action than physical excretion, and thankfully the creature's own magical aura had allowed her to preserve most of her own power. She pulled a handkerchief from her bag and, mopped the excess moisture from her face for a moment, before heading over to the gathered party.

The beast had stayed where it fell, it's tongue lolling and it's eyes blank. A large chunk of it's head and been bitten away, an assessment made after she observed blood dripping between Argon's teeth and down it's jaw. "I have never ssssseen its likessss before." She nodded her assent, though lacking any sort of experience her Lizard friend had.

Alice spoke up, massaging her shoulder-blades which were very sensitive from the beasts attack. "The creature was magical, of that there is no doubt. Is this normal, Argon?" She stooped and began to assess the beast for magical tampering. Her attention wove from stretching it's lip up to look for the traditional over-crowding or asymmetrical setting of teeth, between counting the amount of ribs on each side or if there was any melding and finishing checking the creatures fingers and toes to see if any featured extra joints. All were tell-tale signs of magical experimentation or exposure without needing to cut the creature open; she had little will or way to perform an autopsy on the beast. She'd never had the stomach for such things really.

"The Mantiraus doesn't go near swamps usually. They prefer hills and forests. But, if we're satisfied, should we go back or continue?"

"I'm afraid I am not satisfied. Though before I proceed, I would like to say well done all. If the creature had strayed any further mayhaps it might have stumbled upon the village? We did well to stop it here." Very well in fact, while no judge of hand to hand combat she had hardly seen people react to danger so quickly and efficiently.

"Though that is what makes me worried. The fact it was far from it's home combined with it's raw magical strength concerns me greatly as to how it found itself here, and that the creature is an extremely powerful beast of war. I am afraid it may have been driven or unleashed here by dark forces." She had seen in years past goblins use their own kinds of creatures like this, beaten into service and unleashed upon the dwarven supply lines. She wanted to pay close attention to gauging the level of magical influence, though, as it may give a clue as to what the party may find themselves up against. Lots of augmentation may mean a more sophisticated enemy like the dark elves. Little scarring or long-term punishment on the beast's flesh may mean it was ensorcelled as oppose to being tamed through more savage means

@Mortarion@Gardevoiran@BCTheEntity@Fetzen@Stormflyx@POOHEAD189

[spicykvnt]

"I think water has more flavour than this..." Were the words that left her lips as she came back to Beren's side after her knife-throwing display. She nudged the glass of ale with her finger and watched as the amber liquid rocked inside the glass - the bubbly froth stirring at the surface. "I do not understand it sometimes..." She uttered with a laconic sigh, slumping back into her chair so that her chin just about touched her collarbones. She felt like a fish out of its bowl at that moment, feeling the eyes of Settionne on her. What was he thinking exactly? She didn't really care.

Aeryn's ears pricked at the sound of the music from outside, it was a screeching din to her ears, but the others seemed to enjoy it so she didn't say anything about it. They were each so chatty and jovial and so she thought it best to attempt to get on their level. They all seemed to be loosening up because of the ale and so she sat up once more, and squinted her eyes as if mentally preparing herself for a difficult task. She studied the glass ferociously before grabbing it in her hand, her other hand smacking against the table as if counting down.

Then it happened. She brought the glass to her lips with a sharp movement and began gulping down the contents of the glass quickly. Her nose wrinkled, and the smacking of her hand got quicker as more and more of the ale was consumed. There was also the slight dribbling, down each side of the glass at both corners of her mouth - but she persevered with it until it was gone. She brought the glass down with a thud, her entire face shuddered and she couldn't help but propel a loud "BLEHHH!" The Dorcha ran the back of her hand over her mouth and wiped the spilled ale from her lips and chin and she panted - catching back her breath.

She could feel it all sitting in her stomach, and with every subtle movement she made in her seat she could feel it slosh around. It was a strange feeling. She was perhaps too small and thin in frame to have downed an entire pint of ale like that, but all of a sudden she felt a lightness in her limbs and started giggling to herself and an almost obnoxious hiccup burst from within. It was a feeling on the fringes of unpleasant and enjoyable. "No more..." she slurred slightly, shoving the glass away once and for all.

As for Settionne's question, well, the Dorcha had no idea what she should do with herself now. She hadn't really had downtime like this for a very long time, she could barely remember what it felt like. She had been free once, but the memory of it was fleeting. "What do I like to do?" She asked aloud, it wasn't supposed to be said - and her expression was that of a curious woman, but her eyes were tinged with melancholy too - as if inside her mind she was desperately trying to find threads of her old life to help her decide.

[Gardevoiran]

The old man hummed the continuation to the tune as the time passed outside, overhearing a loud "BLEHHH!" coming from a familiar elf in the tavern behind him. Eh-heh... Aeryn must've tried some of the hogwash that was the ale of the tavern, or at least, she had similar opinions of it to Ursaren. The elder didn't mind those who drank religiously, he just didn't like drinking himself. The only thing he partook of in terms of alcohol happened to be wine, and even then it was normally at social events. He didn't drink it when he was alone like this, nor did he when he was preparing to get back to work once again. This town had a lot of injured, and someone had to heal them up. Still, he was enjoying his small break, be it that it wouldn't last much longer than this. Especially with a guard hastily stepping towards the man.

"Cleric." The guard had an official tone to his voice, despite looking rather too young to be a guardsman for this town. Poor kid must've been hardly older than sixteen.

"Guardsman."

"We have, uh, gathered the wounded from the barracks. We're ready for you to come and work your holy magic."

"Hm. I'll come along now, if you sit a while and listen to this old man's lament."

The guardsman rubbed the back of his neck before sitting down in the rocking chair besides Ursaren, elbows on his knees, looking at his elder with a straight face. Ursaren simply smiled before looking out upon the hustle and bustle of the town. "Guardsman, tell me. Are you simply doing what you have to in order for the best of your town, or are you sitting there just to get me off of your back?"

"W-wha-?"

"Heh, don't be hard on yourself there, comrade. I've been in your boots before." Ursaren chuckled for a moment before looking to the guardsman, leaning back in his seat. "I'm asking for a reason, of course. Not just to stump you. There are no wrong answers here."

"... to get you off my back. Why?"

"I knew a elven girl back in my youth. Absolutely beautiful, but there was a catch, as she was raised by this real beast of a man. I heard tales of him, too, and they really showed. Tall, brawny, hairy, just a real bloody monster of a man her father was. He walked through the lands scaring all that he came across, no stopping to care for anyone's desires or wants. He felt like the world rejected him, turning him bitter and cold to everyone he came across. Rumors said he was even a cannibal for a while, or at least, that's what she told me!" Ursaren let out a hearty laugh to mellow out the situation.

"The girl told me about the day the two met. She told me he wasn't her real father, as her real parents had died in a carriage accident very early in her life, far earlier than she had been able to remember. Apparently, the crash was on the day that the beastly man found the wreckage, and he was rather hungry that day. He found the girl as a fine meal, and he found himself faced with two choices. The choice to do what he needed to survive, as he hadn't eaten in a few days, or another option." Ursaren raised his finger to the guardsman. "Leave her alive. Find another meal. Of course, I wouldn't be telling this story if he had eaten something right then, no. He fought back the instincts to eat and survive as he found another thing to do. He lifted the girl up and carried her with him, back to his cavernous home. It wasn't much, not at all, but it was certainly a better home than an orphanage would be for the girl. Have you heard of the rumors around those places? I've heard terrible things."

"Good man, where are you going with this?"

"Sometimes, son, we must do what's best for the masses. That elven girl changed my life more than she could ever realize, and she wouldn't have been able to lest her father did the unthinkable." Ursaren let out a sigh, smiling afterwards before nodding to himself and standing up from his rocking chair.

"Well, a deal is a deal. Come, guardsman. Lead me to the wounded, if you would so kindly."

[Mortarion]

"I agree with what both Alice and An-Hasst have said. The Mantiraus' presence here worries me greatly and we'd be doing a poor job if we returned now that this threat has been eliminated." The knight said, his gaze lingering on the corpse of the beast that they had just slain. "Still, it'd be best if we sent someone back to warn the village." He added after a moment's pause, shaking his head slightly. "Who knows what else might be lingering in the forest at this very moment....it might be a coincidence but something tells me that it isn't." He said, turning his gaze to look at those who had come with him.

If it was as he suspected and someone had purposefully unleashed the Mantiraus near the village, whoever they sent back to the village could be ambushed and captured if not outright killed. And, yet, if they did nothing there was a good chance that someone or something might attack the village, something that the militia there wouldn't be prepared to handle. "Calanon." He spoke finally, looking at the Elven ranger. "It's probably for the best if you returned to the village to warn them. You out of all of us are probably the one who could get back the fastest." The knight continued, pausing for a second as he pondered whether or not to voice his fears. "And...if someone unleashed the Mantiraus on purpose, I think you'd be able to know if someone was shadowing you given your skills." He finished, looking at the elf directly on the eyes.

"Given what we've seen just now I can't say with certainty that the trip back to the village will be a safe one." The Andred man said, shaking his head slightly. "But I think it's imperative we warn them. I hope that I'm wrong but...I have a bad feeling. If a beast like the Mantiraus attacked the village, the guards there wouldn't be able to stop the creature, at least not before it wrought immense damage to the village." He finished, letting out a sigh. "The rest of us would stay here to continue scouting the woods and, hopefully, find some answers as to why the beast was here." Nicademus said, pausing for a second before he continued. "So, what say you Calanon?"

@POOHEAD189@Gardevoiran@The Fated Fallen@Stormflyx@Fetzen@BCTheEntity

[POOHEAD189]

"There are many forces in the Southlands that are of dark origin." Calanon said, looking very much the weathered veteran of many battles, despite his apparent youth. Elves were often like that, of course. He tested the strength of his bow string by running his finger over the material as he spoke, his keen eyes falling back to the party. "The Mantiraus is not unknown to these lands, though I am not familiar with this region. I don't believe the Dorcha would have had anything to do with it, even if it is a powerful beast of magical creation."

Argon looked at the monster's corpse, blinking. "I shall ssssee if it hassss the taint." he whispered, and began to devour a part of the dead monster's flesh with his razor sharp teeth. The group would see the body moving faintly before Argon raised his head via his lengthened neck and had some of its flesh in his mouth, which he promptly slide down his gullet like a monitor lizard. The bulge of the flesh going down his throat was like a rolling wave.

"I taste not the taint of Dark Elvesssss." He said. Though whether Argon had any real expertise on the matter was up to investigation. Calanon hopped back atop Brogach, rearing the Elk into a tight turn as he found his heading to leave the clearing. "Let us continue our patrol, and I shall follow your lead and scout. But I am afraid we would do little more than knock upon the door of sleeping things that are better off being undisturbed."

---

Beren stepped outside into the sun, warming himself on the front porch of the tavern with the Southern heat permeating off both the sky and the earth beneath his feet. He sat down on the creaking wood, resting his feet on the steps as he lounged, much like a hound dog that had appointed itself on watch duty without having asked anyone.

Aeryn stepped outside as well. Somehow, she was agile enough not to stumble while still giving off the vibe that she had, in fact, stumbled. And she asked Beren on what she liked to do, echoing Settione's question. For the Priest's part, he had stepped outside as well, their drinks having been consumed. It seemed as though Aeryn had either gulped hers down too quickly, or she was simply not used to surface brew. She looked to be thinking about something deeply, trying to remember things she had locked away long ago.

"I'm not sure," Beren said lightly, with a smile. The muscled Monk gave Settione a wink as he spoke to Aeryn, and then continued. "I can show you a few things I like to do. Here, have a seat." He bade Aeryn, patting the wood beside him and hopping up. He stepped forward and rolled his left arm to stretch it. He unstrapped his bo staff and planted it on the ground firmly, closing his eyes and controlling his breathing.

Slowly, he spaced both of his hands shoulder width apart as they held the pole, and then suddenly he reached up with his bottom hand to place it near the top. His feet were also no longer planted on the ground. After a moment, his other hand placed its palm atop the pole, and he lifted his entire body atop the pole to balance (only lightly wobbling) atop the pole, upside down above the ground. He breathed again, and slowly moved his left hand outward, only using his right hand to keep himself up.

He was doing it to just entertain Aeryn, though it was good exercise and practice as well. Meanwhile, Settione would feel a slight pulsating from his Fineki pendant, giving off an otherworldy feeling of faint anxiety from it.

---

Inside the barracks, now a makeshift healer's tent, Ursaren would quickly see that the greatest adversary the seven men and three woman had was disease. There were only two people wounded in the flesh, and it was a man and a lad and both were from accidents with the new iron tools that had been forged to better help them make the palisade walls. The diseases were rudimentary, though definitely dangerous if left unchecked. The female nurse, a plump woman in gown wearing the sign of the Goddess Galena, shimmied around and told him that any herbs he might need were in the third shelf above the counter where the grool would be.
@Mortarion@Gardevoiran@BCTheEntity@Fetzen@Stormflyx@The Fated Fallen

[BCTheEntity]

Well, Sett had a feeling a conversation with Aeryn now would be... rather unfruitful. She was clearly unused to drinking so heavily, and she was already starting to get tipsy as a result of her mead-chugging, even if her innate grace prevented her from showing it too clearly. Though, it seemed she teetered between giggling and melancholy with ease as a result - a susceptibility which might make it simpler to get straight answers from her. He'd learned ways of persuading people to talk in the past, more effective on some than on others, and there was a reason they said alcohol loosened lips. Though he'd only had the one glass of mead himself, he'd have to make sure he avoided the same pitfalls.

Even so, as he, she, and the Monk stepped outside to ponder the ever-poignant question of their immediate future, Beren inexplicably felt the need to show "a few things he liked to do". Complete with a wink in his direction...? And then...

It suddenly became clear what was happening as Beren began his routine, and Sett had to hold himself back from smacking himself for not realising it sooner. Beren had a thing for Aeryn, or at least for her figure, and he wouldn't be surprised if vice versa was true too. And good for them, he supposed. Sett did enjoy the female physique, mind, but nine times out of ten, there was naught to be gained save the internal discord that let him sneak past their guard and filch their valuables. With those he'd been sent out with, and those the group had gained during their journey, he hadn't even had an opportunity to do that much, certainly not without marking himself as against them, and at this point, he wondered if anybody would be so gullible as to-

The sudden ethereal pang of anxiousness emanating from his amulet, squeezing his chest with invisible arms, instantly put him on edge. It seemed that Fineki had sent him a warning sign through the very symbol hanging from his neck - and he had no idea what it meant. Was the Monk about to fall and wound himself? Were Dark Elves about to strike the village? There was simply no way of knowing... nor any reasonable way to convey that sudden concern to the duo without giving them too many hints.

Unreasonable it was, then. As if struck by a thunderbolt, Sett gasped loudly and stumbled back dramatically, almost but not quite falling on his rear, eyes wide and apparently unseeing for a half-second before refocusing on the world around him, eventually refocusing on Aeryn and Beren with great worry.

'I- I- the- the gods- they have sent-' He stammered, his frenzied words intentionally scrambled for a moment, before he scrunched his eyes, grit his teeth with a grunt, and held a hand to his temple, as if extracting the pain of an aching skull from himself in whatever ways he could. 'They have sent me a- a sign! We must be ready for... for something terrible!' A perfect setup, he considered as he slowly and awkwardly got to his feet, eyes still wide with falsified revelation. Who would question a vision from the gods, after all? The average layperson certainly wouldn't... but if these two did, they were probably going to have a bit of an issue in the very near future.

@POOHEAD189@Gardevoiran@The Fated Fallen@Fetzen@Stormflyx@Mortarion

[spicykvnt]

Her suspicions were all but confirmed as she watched Beren perform some strange acrobatic manoeuvre atop his pole. All of these people were odd, and that was probably why they had all ended up in each other’s company. It was probably why they hadn’t cast her out yet. It was probably why she felt herself smiling in sincerity at him, his facial expression comedic and in a way, cute. The almost stoic look he often wore was gone, at least she had thought he was stoic when she’d last really looked at his face. She had to remind herself that he had been asleep when that had happened.

She laughed to herself at her own mistake. A dry and raspy chuckle from the back of her throat, followed almost immediately by another obnoxious hiccup that had her almost fall forward for her seat on the step. She laughed again, less this time.

“You make this one laugh,” she remarked to Beren with a toothy grin. Was it genuine amusement, or amusement spurred by liquid courage? “I think I do like sometimes to do a trick like it. I don’t quite know as much balance as you.” Her broken common tongue was more apparent after the alcohol. “I think once I did a cartwheel across walls to reach a tower for... Something.” Her voice tapered off and she pulled her knees up to her chest, burying her head behind the. “I said much too much...” Even her pointed ears seemed to fall back and droop.

She didn’t sit like this for long, the Priest was up to something, his body shifting between stiffening and convulsing. He fell over to the ground briefly after a stumble. The words falling from his tongue were tinged with fear, and he warned and spoke of something terrible.

The Dorcha leapt to her feet, almost suffering from a similar bout of clumsiness as Sett just had, but she regained herself. “What is it?” She asked, her big silver orb like eyes wide with worry as her hands cloyed at the fabric of his shirt and she shook him. “What did your God man show you? What is the foot?” What is afoot? being the question she should have asked. Another one lost in translation. Sett had only a handful of inches on Aeryn, and she pushed herself to the tips of her toes to put her face as close to his face as she could. “What is the sign they sent for you?!”

[Fetzen]

An-Hasst let go of a sigh that was almost too calm to be heard by anyone, but still it was a slight indication of him being less than completely relaxed. It seemed than the party was less than fully confident about going on, so in his mind the Skayleigh was already prepared a tiny speech. Something along the lines of: I can only repeat myself: The fact that he just averted a possible threat to the village does not mean that it was the only one waiting for us. I do not avertise the idea that we go on a dedicated magical lizard hunt as that would work against the idea of a general patrol as well, but if anything the presence of this thing here is a clear indication that our job is worth it. We should not discontinue with any kind of 'we're done' feeling right now.

Yet as the Skayleigh was preparing to speak up he could hear hooves thudding on the soft ground. Calanon was carrying on, hopefully taking the remainder of his companion with him metaphorically. "The village we are doing this patrol for is merely a resting point in between on our own journey. We would have to strife through this forests and thus potentially wake up something that would better have been left sleeping anyway. I think we're even better off doing it now while we still have a village we can retreat to."

Fully convinced of himself, An-Hasst marched on, following Brogach's traces. He didn't omit though to turn and look behind himself after a bunch of yards in order to check if, and how, everyone else was still with him.

@Mortarion@Gardevoiran@BCTheEntity@POOHEAD189@Stormflyx@The Fated Fallen

[The Fated Fallen]

Alice nodded attentively to Calanon's observation. She wondered when was the last time he had walked these lands, probably a hundred or so years ago. She had always been jealous of elves, to an extent, for their long lives and memory. She imagined what human society would be like if she could meet human heroes from hundreds of years ago like Andreas the Scholar, Felicity Dragontongue the champion of Andred or even, well, her father once more. She didn't dwell on the subject more than that.

"I shall ssssee if it hassss the taint." Argon piped up, before snapping off a chunk of their newly fallen quarry. Alice turned away, more in shock than disgust, and chided herself for doing so. While it had been a long time since she was in the courts she prided herself on her ability to hide her emotions and motives when needed. That stoicism came in more useful than one might think.

"I taste not the taint of Dark Elvesssss." Argon concluded, his gullet flexing in a gruesome way as his meal went down. Alice was unsure as to the veracity of such a claim, but what was she going to do to disprove it? Get out her knife and fork and cut herself a piece? She managed to hide the shudder at her own thought; No thank you.

Calanon remounted his Elk, before making to move on. "Let us continue our patrol, and I shall follow your lead and scout. But I am afraid we would do little more than knock upon the door of sleeping things that are better off being undisturbed."

It was a statement typical of the elder race, and Alice didn't really have an argument against it. She wanted to continue, it felt like they were doing good, but what if Calanon was right? He had the more experience in these matters. An-Hasst responded "The village we are doing this patrol for is merely a resting point in between on our own journey. We would have to strive through this forests and thus potentially wake up something that would better have been left sleeping anyway. I think we're even better off doing it now while we still have a village we can retreat to."

Alice looked at the Man from Skayleigh with a new respect, it was all too common for her and others to get caught up in doing good in the moment. She had simply agreed to do this patrol for the good of the village and hadn't even considered it's purpose on their own journey. She followed promptly behind him gesturing for Argon to follow. She rallied her healing magics which, while limited, would at least staunch the bleeding for a while. She also mentioned to the harmed lizard that he should consume some of the Elven brew each of the party carried, which would help with the bruising and aches until they could get to a real healer.

@Mortarion@Gardevoiran@BCTheEntity@POOHEAD189@Stormflyx@Fetzen

[Gardevoiran]

Boy, this town sure got along well for not having a true healer.

Ursaren shrugged to himself after that thought. Not every town needs someone who can heal the sick or wounded as quick as he could. A small settlement like this should, due to it's size most likely being above what it should be without a healer. What size was that? Well, Ursaren didn't know. He operated under a feeling of how much workload he had to perform with his restorative abilities. It was starting to get a little taxing, but have no fear, Ursaren was still able to keep up the pace.

He just had to relax his magic for a few minutes more. Making medicine was an easy way to do that, so he went over to the cabinet and helped himself to grabbing the herbs he needed for proper medicine. This wasn't a particularly difficult mix to brew for the old man, and he had all the proper ingredients for it right here. After he grabbed all of the herbs, he placed them into a small mixing bowl and grabbed something to crush the ingredients into a fine paste with. It was all a matter of waiting for the medicine to finish brewing, which wouldn't be too long now.

[Mortarion]

The Andred knight was silent for a long while after Calanon and Argon's words, doubt nagging at his mind. Was he truly being just a paranoid fool? His gut instincts told him that something out of the ordinary was afoot and, yet, all that they had found seemed to point to the contrary. The half-elf's words about waking threats best left sleeping if they continued their patrol also worried him.

He was about to suggest they return to the village before they instigated a threat worse than the Mantiraus when An-Hasst spoke. The Skayleigh's words served to bolster the knight's waning confidence. "I agree with An-Hasst." Nicademus finally spoke, nodding in the Skayleigh's direction. Whatever beasts or potential threats we might disturb now would also have been disturbed when your group or when myself moved on from the village." He continued on as he followed after Calanon. "It is best for us to take our chance now, when we have the village to fall back on still." He finished, falling silent once more as he resumed the march through the forest.

@The Fated Fallen@Gardevoiran@Fetzen@BCTheEntity@Stormflyx@POOHEAD189

[POOHEAD189]

Beren was pleased that his efforts to cheer Aeryn up were working, at least for the moment. He might be a natural warrior and a fine leader, but he had his silly moments, and for all intents and purposes, he still had plenty of youth left in him. With only a slight wobble, he hopped off the raised pole with yet another impressive push from his left hand, spinning and landing on his feet. He probably should have stretched a bit because he felt slightly sore, but not in any serious way.

"Thank you, thank you!" he declared, giving a facetious bow to the two.

He might have continued with an encore, if not for the very odd premonition of Settione suddenly causing the priest to shudder and speak a portent of doom for all to hear. Beren blinked, confused as to the man's suddenly strange behavior until he realized the seriousness of what he was claiming. He had seen such religious fervor before in priests. His father was a priest of Eruvar after all. Coincidentally, it was then that Geradin strode out of the Tavern, chewing on some jerky, though his face was concerned.

"I sense i-..." he noticed Settione shaking and placed his hands on the priest's shoulder and arm, the shaking suddenly halting abruptly. "I sense it too."

It was at that moment, that a patrolman trotted up to the group. "Sirs. Madam. Sirs and Madam...there's someone at the entrance to town."

---

Calanon inclined his head. He gave his opinion, but he was a ranger first and foremost. He had traveled into danger countless times, and he would do so again. What was another horror of the forest deeps, after all? He hopped atop Brogach as if he had hopped over a root rather than made a near seven foot verticle leap, stroking his truest friends mane. "Let's continue then." he told them, and led the way for the group.

Argon took along a chunk of the Mantiraus flank, gnawing on it happily. Though it was particularly stringy and rough to the jaw. Even cooked, most creatures and humanoids would have found it distasteful. But Argon had survived on worse, and he was simply happy he had something to chew on as they walked.

The ground was still upturned by long roots and ubiquitous plantlife, and as ever, thick with trees. But as they continued, the path began to grow somewhat wider, the soil growing less rich. Until they suddenly found themselves at the edge of the treeline, at least for a mile or so. Instead of a forest, there was a rocky crag filled with boulders. The earth was barren rock, some of it lifting high into the air, and paths of the rock was almost cut into the stone. Perhaps the paths had been dry riverbeds, or perhaps they had been cut by residents long dead.

However, the most curious thing was two tall statues, stately and stoic looking statues that looked like bald, giant men, standing 15 feet tall. Two of them that framed the entrance of the rock hewn road that lead deeper into this new area.
@Mortarion@Gardevoiran@BCTheEntity@Fetzen@Stormflyx@The Fated Fallen

[Fetzen]

No more trees... An-Hasst initially felt anything but sure about what he should think of this. On one hand he was a part-time wood elf and as such very fond of large plants growing as they provided good cover and advantages to anyone with superb mobility and agility, on the other hand he also was a part-time giant, more fond of open areas like this one. In any case however they were standing in front of a very interesting phenomenon. A densily populated forest did not stop spreading for nothing, but only for a good reason like too much height up a mountain or a natural obstacle.

"The statues look quite intact, so I doubt they have been standing here for eons. The question is what has made all the plantlife disappear and not repopulate this area over time. I don't see even as much as grass."

The Skayleigh stepped closer to one of the giant stone men, craning his head to look up to that of it. The statue 'merely' was about two times taller than him, so its arms were in his reach with a little effort. He wrapped his strong hands around the stone wrist above him, then pulled himself up hoping that nothing would break. Using all four limbs in order to get more friction An-Hasst crawled upwards until he could see over the stone man's shoulder and into the rocky void ahead of them. A quick inspection later he jumped down again so he didn't have to talk that loudly.

"Nothing... at least for a mile. I don't see why we shouldn't continue here as we'll probably have to cross this area on our journey anyway, but I also wouldn't be surprised if we'd encounter different animals than in the forest. If any, that is. Does anyone in the village know about this ?"

@Mortarion@Gardevoiran@BCTheEntity@POOHEAD189@Stormflyx@The Fated Fallen