Prologue
Party Members
Caw | Rogue 1 | 9/9 +3
Vaal Storm-Touched | Sorcerer 1 | 7/7 +3
Magdar Ironheart | Cleric 1 | 12/12 +3
Norixius Surina | Barbarian 1 | 14/14 +3
Rhaeyla Voll | Monk 1 | 10/10 +3
Sebastian N. | NPC Fighter 1 | 11/11 +3
Cassandra N. | NPC Druid 1 | 9/9
Lucian | Horse, Riding | Healthy
Sylvana | Horse, Riding | Healthy
On a crisp autumn morning, as the sun just barely peeks over the horizon for the first time, Sebastian extinguishes his lantern; his eyes still scanning the surrounding area as his watch comes to a close. The party have been travelling for six days now, today being the seventh. On the edge of the camp, the two horses that he and Cassandra made the journey with are already awake, grazing on dew-covered grass. With little else to do, he begins to shake people awake, leaving Cassandra for last, and only shaking her gently. As many of the group have likely noticed while they kept vigil, she has slept fitfully almost every night, and during travel, her gaze would often drift back the way you came.
Kicking a swathe of loose dirt over the embers of your campfire, he turns to the rest of you.
"We'll reach Greenrest today… without any unexpected surprises, of course. I am, ah... grateful that you kept up with my commands. I know that I asked a great deal of you all, keeping up with us on foot while my sister and I rode. For what it is worth, we have not travelled much before, so this was... unusual."
Cassandra nods, smiling at her brother. This seems to be something she discussed with him. She, too, looks over at the party.
"Once we reach our final destination in Greenrest, you will be properly compensated for your time and services. We greatly appreciate it."
"So, we are going to be travelling at a more... relaxed pace today. This way, you won't be so exhausted you cannot enjoy the town's amenities."
Cassandra's mouth drops in shock, and her brother returns her gaze with an impish grin. This is not something that they discussed. Sebastian had been setting the pace for the whole journey, one that often had most of you exhausted by the end of the day. He wasn't a slavedriver - no, not at all. The group did take breaks throughout the day. If you were lucky, one of the twins had, at some point, dismounted and allowed you to ride their horse instead. It has been a tiring, and unusual experience. Most employers of their kind would have moved at a slower pace, had a carriage instead of horses, and they certainly wouldn't have let you ride in said carriages.
But today, Sebastian seems content to let you all move at a more leisurely pace, one that lets you admire the countryside around you. In the same vein, Cassandra no longer seems as withdrawn, and instead of keeping her gaze on the horizon behind, she keeps it on the one ahead. Both of them have carried a tense atmosphere for the whole journey, but now, it seems to have dropped. And you finally have a spare moment to take things in.
For one, there is finally a spare moment to observe the people around you. Aside from the twins, you probably haven't spoken to the others very much, your energy being taken up by the march. There are a number of unusual characters among you, you knew that much, but now you can properly take them in.
Most obviously, there is Vaal, the kobold. Blue in colour, he seems to hold very little of his race's cowardly nature and he even wears clothes much finer than that of many kobold chieftains. It was unusual, to say the least, but Cassandra had made it quite clear that the group was not to harass him... he is a powerful spellcaster, and he is on your side. Woe betide you if you turn him away.
The other unusual member of your group is the kenku, Caw. Most of their kind stick together in gangs, better known as 'flocks' - to see one generally meant there were a few dozen others close by. As far as you know, there are not thirty other kenku following you. Sebastian has been watching him closely, and he did warn Caw openly that he was not to steal from his colleagues. However, he also seems to have a growing fondness for the creature, making sure that he has eaten enough and so on.
And for that, Caw can thank Surina, the tall green dragonborn who has cooked every night. Certainly, her food has made it easier to enjoy the mostly uneventful journey. Surina Norixius (or Norixius Surina with dragonborn naming conventions) is a talented cook, and if her weapons are anything to show for, a strong woman as well.
Then there is perhaps the most mundane-looking member of your party; the dwarf, Magdar. A cleric of war, so you've gathered, he, too, seems to be among your stronger warriors, though for dwarves, he's barely of age. There's no mistake in that he carries scars of his past with him, too - something haunts him.
And last but not least, the girl, Rhaeyla. Though not the youngest of your group, she nonetheless looks the least experienced, perhaps. That's only at first glance, however, and there's plenty more to see at first glance than her age - among them, the pale silver sheen of her hair and eyes.
In the small moments of interim, when you were not focused on the march, or on catching your breath, you may have had your chances to socialise – certainly, everyone has had their chances to talk, or at least learn the names of their travelling companions.
It is about midmorning when Sebastian begins to sing. To most of you, the language in which he sings is a mystery, but to Rhaeyla, it is one that she has always known, knew better as a child than she knew how to walk; Celestial. Even when spoken normally, the rise and fall of the words is a song in itself, meaning it is all the more beautiful now. Sebastian’s voice fills the air around you, warm like the summer sun, and even for those who cannot understand him, it invokes powerful emotions deep within you.
