5/29/2004

Players: Kathi, JC, Davy, Chris, Michael, Melanie, Ed

Characters: DM & Salaisee, Elendil, Nathan (Nate), Billimiah (Billi), Rixis, Rowan, Nym

We resume our travels after breakfast. It's cool and windy and just as we set out it starts to rain. There is a break in the rain for a couple of hours around lunchtime but as we set out after lunch the rain resumes. The afternoon is uneventful (cold by now and wet, but uneventful) and we find a rough campsite for the evening. Salaisee starts a fire and begins cooking and after a while, seeing the long faces and shivering as the group huddles under the tarp, she asks Billi to tell a story to lift our spirits and warm our hearts.

After dinner Elendil settles in for communion and then takes first watch with Rixis. First watch is uneventful and after waking Nate and Rowan the cleric settles in under the tarp for some sleep. During the second watch the rain finally slows to an occasional drip and it is the last thing Elendil remembers before drifting off into sleep.

After a few hours (just before third watch begins) Rowan and Nate hear something coming (two somethings actually) and move a little way towards whatever they are to investigate. Dire wolves!

MELEE

The sounds of battle worm there way into Elendil's consciousness and he looks up with a yawn, sees the wolves attacking and comes instantly awake as the adrenaline kicks in. He pops up, heedless of his lack of armor, grabs his staff and moves to attack as the others do the same. Only Salaisee is still asleep. Seeing a cluster of folks around one of the wolves, and only Nate on the other, Elendil moves to attack the one on Nate and hits for minor damage.   The next round Nate kills it but sways a little unsteadily from his wounds. Seeing they are serious (and not knowing exactly how close the fighter is to being down) Elendil commands the man to "Hold still!" and then casts Cure Moderate Wounds. Salaisee somehow remains asleep.

The next round the remaining wolf turns to flee and is killed by Rowan before it gets away. Elendil casts another on Cure Moderate Wounds, this time on Rixis before returning to an uneasy sleep for third watch. Third watch thankfully is uneventful and the morning finds us preparing a damp, cold breakfast. It's still cold, in the low 40's, and we set of as bundled up as we can be in our cold weather outfits. As we travel we come to a point with a side path leading up to the west in a set of stone stairs. After stopping briefly Elendil sees little to be gained by investigation and continues leading Sander on the main path.

Naturally Nate and Billi (mostly Billi) simply must go investigate so Rixis decides to go with them. The path leads them to a small flat platform with a shallow stone well at the center. As Billi takes a drink he notices a small box at the center of the well and he hops in to try and retrieve it. The box doesn't move but the lid can be opened. Billi opens the lid and a stream of bubbles gushes out. Something has been released!

All of a sudden Salaisee falls over backwards and Billi's voice calls out from her body. "Salaisee where are you?"

After a few moments we come to the realization that somehow, someway Billi and Salaisee have enchanged bodies. Rixis has also suffered some form of adverse effect as seems greatly weakened. Seeing this Elendil yeilds his spot on Sander to the elf who is so weakened that for a moment he has to struggle to stay in the saddle. After some discussion Salaisse(Billi) says that she believes the effect is some type of curse and that a Remove Curse will probably rectify the situation. Billi(Salaisee) is somewhat pleased to be tall enough to drive the horse (and look Nate in the eye) and he begins investigating the subtleties of his new body and pondering some of the finer aspects its care and maintenaince. Salaisee(Billi) is not so thrilled although she does at one time admit that she wishes there were some snow around so she could "write" in it while relieving some of the internal pressure she is already beginning to feel.

Deciding there is nothing to be gained by just milling around we return to the journey and by lunchtime we come to a small hamlet surrounded by a stone wall. Hilltop! The guards at the gate are all women (humans, half-elves and elves) and several are wearing holy symbols of Meilikki. They inform us that there is an inn and an apothecary healer (a woman named Bridee) who runs a shop called the Mystical Thistle. Nym, Billi(Salaisee) and Salaisee(Billi) go to the apothecary and the rest of us head off to the inn to secure lodgings. At the inn a tall elderly human meets us, hears our need for rooms and stable space, and then calls out to his son to take care of the horses. His son turns out to be a fully grown man who seems to have the mind of a small child. He does have a way with horses and, after helping him get the horses settled, Elendil feels secure knowing they will be safe and well cared for.

When he returns to the inn he takes a spot by the fire and begins to warm up and dry off. Nate and Rixis announce that they are going to the Mystical Thistle to see if anything can be done for Rixis. Bridee as it turns out does have a potion or Minor Restoration that Rixis manages to gag down. Shortly thereafter he does begin to feel beter and at Bridee's recommendation returns to the inn for a full day of rest.

After we are all assembled back at the inn Raymond (the inkeeper) brings out bowls of thick steaming stew and we eat heartily, thankful for the hot meal on this cold day. After our late lunch Rixis retires to rest and, after the conversation between Billi(Salaisee) and Salaisee(Billi) gets decidedly strange, Nate does the same with a rather disturbed look on his face.

Billi(Salaisse) requests a hot bath and soon leaves the group to enjoy it. Rowan decides to seek out the legionaires and asks the ladies at the gate about the surrounding area in general and the Flaming Fist Monestary in particular. Elendil relaxes in front of the fire at the inn with his mead and is soon nodding due to the interrupted nights sleep and the effects of his drink. By dinnertime he is much refreshed and ready to eat, which he does with some gusto.

During the course of the evening the inn fills somewhat with legionaires and miners and there are stories exchanged and legends told. Elendil enjoys the surroundings and listens attentively to those with anything to say to him. Later in the evening a large muscular dwarf slams open the door to the inn, fills his plate with food, sits next to Elendil with a plunk, and starts shovelling food in with gusto. When Rowan mentions the upcoming silver shipment the dwarf stops and eyes her somewhat suspiciously. He does not directly accuse us of being theives but warns that the last group of bandits met with a bad end. At this a very tall human comes over clamps a hand on the dwarfs shoulder and says that we are obviously not bandits and to just relax.

The conversation continues along the topic of ghost stories and legends and half baked tales of the monestary and mountains, and at one point Elendil notices that one of the legionaires (the only male among the all female crew) seems intently interested in us and when he notices Elendil looking at him turns hastily back to his dinner. Shortly thereafter Elendil mentions this discretely to Nym who calls the man over and tries to engage him in the conversation. He tells us that is heaven to work among so many women, that he had to endure several months of sleeping on the slate roof, and pass several strength and endurance tests before being allowed to join.

As the crowd finally begins to thin Elendil stays in the common room until the last and then, after a brief check on Sander, finally heads off to his room for Communioin and then retires for the night after checking the lock on his door and window.

The next morning dawns with a crack of thunder and a rather impressive electrical storm after which it settles into a steady rain for most of the morning. By noon Rixis is feeling still better and seems back to normal. After a bit of discussion we decide to stay for another night and leave the following morning, especially given the weather. Later in the afternoon the rain stops and the clouds begin to break so Elendil wanders about the town with most of the others looking into the few shops and just being a tourist. He ends up buying a potion of Cure Critical Wounds, Nate purchases a potion of Cure Serious Wounds and Nym purchases a potion of Negative Energy Protection.

Some of the group buys pelts and furs at the furriers and Salaisee also buys several large bear skins for communal sleeping blankets. As we continue from shop to shop we end up at the wood carver and again have the same conversation regarding the surrounding area and the monestary in particular. He tells us that he does know a good relevant story and would be happy to tell it to us if we buy something. Elendil purchases a waterproof box of 100 tinder twigs [matches] which he will store in one of Sander's saddlebags with his cold weather outfit. His tale is in line with several bits of information we already have, specifically that the fire opal is still there and that the monestary was betrayed from within, so we thank him (and his thrush familliar) and return to the inn.

By now it's shortly before dinnertime and the group relaxes in the common room until the evening meal is served. The remainder of the evening passes quietly and we have a last comfortable night before setting out again in the morning.

End of session.

Next Session 7/31/2004