The Curse of Calamus

[Quiet_Cool]

Sometime before dawn, in the hills

Copplen searched for the small box, hectic, hands waving around in the darkness beneath the wooden floorboards. He could hear the nighthounds diving against the side of the building outside, claws scraping the stone walls.
They can't get in, he thought. Stone walls, door strongly boarded...there's no way for them to get in...
He found it then, fingers gripping one corner. He pulled up on it, lifting it from beneath the floor and pulling it open.
Perfect.
Just as he had left it so many years ago. he shifted it aside and looked beneath it.
Yep. That was still there, too. Perfect.
"Copplen," one of the soldiers said. "Have you found it yet?"
"Yes."
"Is it...?"
"Everything's fine."
The soldier sighed with relief, then glanced to one of his companions, who nodded back, also relieved. There were five of them, trained soldiers serving the Wizard's Council, bringing him back to where he'd left the item to retrieve it and ensure that it found its way into the right hands.
"Barriste," another soldiers said, his voice suddenly greatly concerned.
Barriste, the soldier he'd just been speaking with, hurried out of the room toward the sound of the voice.
He paid no attention, but carefully closed the box cautious of the safety of the items inside. Voices, hectic and slightly elevated, floated across the air toward him. The other soldier, the last remaining in the room, hurried off to see what the matter was.
A moment later, their voices fell silent.
Barriste entered the room, his face both brave and afraid.
"Copplen, we have great trouble. We need you to be brave, and to hide the box where no one save you knows its location," Barriste explained.
He just looked back, confused.
"You've said before that you'd rather die than hand those items over. If that is true, and I believe it is, than you must be the one to do it. They may torture us..." He trailed off.
Copplen nodded back, then Barriste left the room, saying over his shoulder, "We'll wait near the door, facing away. Act quickly."

 

[Quiet_Cool]

Battle in the wood

The weapons struck the door with heavy thuds, each one weakening it more.
"We may not see the end of this," Barriste said, holding his sword in both hands already, ready for the battle ahead.
"Be brave lads," Copplen said, watching the scene with great fear and helplessness. He'd never learned to use a weapon. In his younger days, thieves had no use for such things. And he was no longer young. The old man could hardly have lifted a weapon, nonetheless wielded it.
"Barriste," one soldier, Copplen believed his name was Duggan but wasn't sure, began. "If we all die here today, I--"
The wood of the door burst apart before them, splinters flying in at them. The soldiers all stood on guard then, watching with their finely made weapons in hand and the old, beaten and clunky weapons tore through the wooden door.
"Stand your ground men," Barriste said, his voice now determined. "Let them know who they've chosen war with."
The wood finally fully gave way, swinging open on hinges that were merely beaten loose. The first of the Orcs rushed in, their swords swinging almost blindly at their opponents. The group easily cut through them, sending their bodies to the ground with pieces missing and great gashes taken from them.
But more rushed in, trampling their own to get at the enemy, weapons swinging in every direction.

 

[bobo_daclown]

Uwef:

Damn unhelpful fellow, I think to myself. Waddling to the kitchen, I find some ale and begin to nurse the bottle. I continue drinking as I walk through the house, exploring the nooks and crannies for a dwarfish place to sleep. I never even consider going up the stairs. We dwarves are underground folk; stairs are for exiting mines, and that's about it.

Finally, I realize that the cubby under the stairs is perfect for me. I pull a barrel of the ale into the cubby and close the door. I relax in the corner, occassionally dipping my cup into the barrel for a refill. I open the door once and yell out, "Eef yas needs ta find me, Iym een ere." Then, I slam the door shut and drift off to sleep in good time.

 

[Jazzi]

Chroi

Chroi carefully regarded the tall human who had saved her…twice. She quickly changed her first opinion of him, the man wasn’t just rude, he was dangerous. She had seen his eyes darken when the mage named him and his curt response to the dwarf who now glowered at him.

The elf shivered but not from the cold. Her large violet eyes watched him unblinkingly for a long moment before answer his inquiry,

"All elves can heal. ‘Tis a nature ability bestowed upon us by the goddess. But such healings can leave one…drained."

She sighed tiredly yet refused to let any sign of her fatigue show externally. However, to those with trained eyes, they could see the poor elf was indeed physically spent. Only her will allowed her to remain standing.

From the corner of her eye, she watched the swordswoman move into another room. The woman moved with an effortless grace and seem unfazed at the earlier carnage. The woman bent near the giant in the hallway and spoke. A thump on the wall caused Chroi to jump. She stared at another human near the window.

Her observations were interrupted when the one called Richard directed his question at her once again. She smiled and touched a dirt smudged cheek,

"Aye, water and a clean cloth to wash the earth off my face would be most appreciated."

 

[Guest]

Nathan

Nathan looked at the window and at the nighthound who sat there and smiled at it. He put his hand to his sword and looked at the thing, hoping the wizard was right. He looked at the glass and the wooden frame and saw that maybe the wizard was right. He suddenly felt something overtake him and knew that it was tiredness. His entire body suddenly felt as heavy as lead and he felt as though he was going to fall where he stood.

He looked around for a place where he could sleep and saw to his delight that there was an empty chair near him. He walked over and pulled the chair over to him and then sat down on it, still looking at the nighthound who continued to look at him. He watched the nighthound until his eyelids felt too heavy to keep open. He put his hand down on Mylanir and slowly drifted off to sleep, his thoughts still on the nighthound outside.

 

[Angelus]

me

 

[poohlive]

Sebulba nodded, but drifted off again to sleep a minute later. It would be light soon, and he assumed that they had a journey to begin. He would need to save his strength.
Long enduring walk were not common for giants, they mostly moved in short spurts. Lots of energy for a short time, but overall tiredness.
He would have to grin and bear it.
Not like he hadn't before.
Once more asleep, he finally let his body relax. It was a comforting feeling.

 

[The GrandMage]

Cleanliness-Right Next to Godliness.

He nodded once, and slowly started moving off again. He walked slowly, head angled towards the grounf a little. His hands reached up, wringing out his braid as he walked, leaving water on the ground as he moved.

He went upstairs, and searched the master bedroom. He moved quietly, leaving the old man to sleep. He searched a large cupboard, finding a clean towel. He also found a large metal basin. He went back downstairs, and filled the basin halfway from a large barrel of water located in the panty before returning to the den, he supposed it was.

He set the itmes on the mantle, and relocated a chair and small table close to the fire, movin g the obects top the table. "Please, sit. I'll try and find you a mirror."

He returned a moment later with a small mirror, which he held so that the light of the fire didn't glare into the elf's eyes, and so that she could see her face. He closed his eyes, and simply stood, his mind wandering.

 

[Quiet_Cool]

The master bedroom

He rested soundly at first, dreaming of nothing necessary to remember, and in fact, he could remember none of them. Not those he had at first. But as the night grew toward morning, his dreams became more vivid, gaining darker tones and evil deeds done by evil men. Calamus's demise had been only twenty-odd years ago, and he'd seen the days when the man lived, though he'd never met the man. He'd been refused the chance to go by the head of the Council, but heard in bloody detail of the man's death and the events leading up to it.
Evil was not the word, but the idea, and Calamus had represented that in excess.
In the old man's dreams, Calamus was alive, his face that which Pennindar had seen in a painting once, staring at him just inches away, smiling.
He awoke near daybreak, sweating, feeling more tired than when he lay down.
He sat up and watched the window. Outside, the sky had turned a lighter shade of blue, daybreak getting ever nearer.

 

[Jazzi]

Chroi - Morning Aubade

The morning stretched his arms wide and pushed back against his sister, night who sighed reluctantly before folding up her black scarves and retreated slowly away. The wind picked up slightly and blew in as the stars faded away. A soft, bright tone rose gently into the air, dancing with the dusty rays of sunrise.

Chroi stood outside facing the rising sun. Her eyes were closed as she sang her aubade. She was from an ancient culture utterly devoted to nature, and as a Singer she was responsible for greeting the sun and marking a new day.

The elf ended her song a few moments later and watched the sunrise. After gratefully accepting the basin of water from Richard, she had cleaned herself as best as she could before finally falling asleep on her chair. She had wakened up on the couch with a blanket draped over her. How she got there, she could not remember.

It was strange how the beasts from the night disappeared as night began to fade away. The door to the house opened with a loud groan. Chroi turned around. Someone else was an early riser or heard her morning devotion.

 

[bobo_daclown]

Uwef:

In the tiny cubby, I am soundly sleeping the night away until suddenly, disgusting music fills the air. I fill my mug again and open the cubby door. Silently, I walk out into the main room and see the elf singing to the sun. To my dwarfish ears, she is a cat complaining about being trampled on.

I look out the small window and notice that the nighthounds are gone. They always vanish by dawn. To free myself of the racket, I push the large door open causing a groaning noise. I step into the doorway as I notice the elf has stopped her screeching. I turn around to see her inquisitive eyes staring at me. "Arrr, tha yellin kid wake de dead."

Her upset face tells me that I have succeeded in insulting the elf woman. With that, I walk out of the mayor's house and head toward the inn. "Iyl be loogin at de inn."

When I knock on the door to the inn, the innkeep looks out through the window. Assured that no nighthounds are around, he opens the door and lets me in. I thank him and take a seat. "Arrr, ale pleeeese."

I wait for the ale in silence until I notice a satchel on the seat of a nearby table. Looking around, I notice the innkeep has gone to get my drink. So, I jump up and rush to the table. I grab the satchel and return to my table just as the innkeep returns.

 

[Firesprite]

Kyleen

Having bathed herself and deposited a basin and cloth beside the giant for when he awoke, Kyleen had prowled around the premises checking everything before she had allowed herself the rest of sleep.

Finding a good quality cloak in a closet, Kyleen took it - after all, the Mayor wouldn't need much protection from the elements now.

Taking Sharp, she'd curled up in a fetal ball and fell asleep quickly.

It seemed like only moments had passed before singing and the door opening awoke Kyleen, but she felt refreshed none the less.

 

[poohlive]

By morning, most of his wounds had stopped aching. Now, just a dull throb could be felt, and by the time he had cleansed himself, there was hardly any pain at all.
There was no point in keeping the door up. With a grunt, he pushed himself outside, the doorway turning to splinters. He looked back as a huge hole was now where the door was supposed to be.
Shaking off pieces from his shoulders, he decided to go for a short walk. Within earshot of the town though, just so when people were ready, he could be as well.

 

[Angelus]

Nathan

Nathan slowly opened and stretched then looked out the window to see the sun slowly rising over the trees. He then saw that the nighthound was gone and smiled as he remembered that those things hated the light of day. He slowly got up off the chair that he had been sleeping on and walked towards the front door and saw to his surprise that it was gone completely and looked outside to see the giant, Sebulba as he walked away.

He gave a sigh and then walked out into the cold morning air and stretched again, happy to be alive.

 

[The GrandMage]

Another Good Night of Sleep Lost.

When Richard awoke sometime after making sure the elf was semi-comfortable (in reality, he'd just wanted the chair by the fire), he heard singing. He looked up just as the elf stopped, and yawned as the dwarf showed just how rude his kind can be. He got to his feet, and stretched. It hadn't been a full night of sleep, but it was good enough. He pulled his gloves from his pockets, and put the on. A few minutes later, and he was simply a pillar of black. Only his eyes remained uncovered, and they were hidden by shadows. After a few minutes of searching the house, he only came across a few small coins, the mayor's seal, a few peices of parchment, a quill, and a half bottle of ink-complete with stopper.

These, he tucked away into his cloak. He glanced around at everyone wandering off or just waking up. He bowed to the elf, and stood tall again as he wandered out the door. He didn't know where he was going, but he supposed he should get a move on. He turned towards the way out of town, intending to finish passing right of through as he started walking.

 

[Quiet_Cool]

The satchel

He was awaken by the sudden jostling of someone grabbing the bag and moving around with it. He'd been sound asleep at first, then been suddenly tossed to the bag's bottom and nearly smashed as the large book inside shifted that way as well. Grumpily, he stretched and cursed under his breath. The old wizard finally comes back and he's so rude as to...
He peeked out and saw the creature, large compared to him but still smaller than he had expected to see.
"Ahem," he began. "Excuse me, but would you mind telling me what exactly you think you're doing with this particular bag. It would seem it belongs to a friend of mine, by the name of Pennindar. Perhaps you've heard of him."

 

[Quiet_Cool]

The old man rises

Still exhausted, the old man remained still until the morning was full outside and the sound of singing carried up the stairway. Then he rose, gathered himself, making sure to dust off his robes and put on his cloak and hat, then headed back to get his companions together. By the time he reached the bottom of the steps, they are already outside. He glanced out the window, seeing a few of them standing outside. The elf now healed, and Nathan, and Richard walking off through town.
He walked outside, stretching, and said, "Hey, Richard. There's nothing in that direction but trees and brush. Perhaps we haven't had the opportunity to speak that we require."
He followed after the man, moving past the others and padding over the blood stains left in the soil from the night before. Where the mayor's corpse had been, there was a thick damp spot, nearly black as it had saturated the soil.
"It is best that we discuss our situation in more detail, as I've had little ime to explain, and there is much at stake here."
He moved ever closer to the man, finding himself right next to him in spite of his old age and lack of proper rest.
"We must quickly head off, and I cannot make you go, but I do request that you join us, at least for long enough for me to explain. We have must business to attend, and dark work lies ahead in which we will need your assistance. What say you?"

 

[bobo_daclown]

Uwef:

A rustling in the satchel and then a sudden verbal attack from the bag. I grab the bag and hold it closed, hoping the innkeeper did not hear. I drop a coin on the table to pay for my ale and walk outside with the bag.

Once safe from prying eyes and ears, I open the satchel and look down at a short little half-weight. "Arrr, a Brownie. I hayt Brownies." With that, I close the bag again and tie it shut with a length of cord.

Hmm. He spoke of a man named Pennindar. That name sounds familiar. Could that be what the wizard fellow is called? With that possibility in mind, I decide to investigate what is in the bag--and, what it is worth. Trotting off toward the mayor's house, I am pleased with my new aquisition. Indeed, I smile all the way there--except when I think about the Brownie. I hate Brownies. Seeing the wizard up ahead, I wave at him and continue toward him.

 

[The GrandMage]

Richard Joins the Party.

He turned, a black pillar facing the man. His voice was somewhat muffled when he responded, giving it an edge that could make on shiver. Richard didn't find it difficult to scare most people, but the wizard knew better. He was just a tired thief with bags under his eyes.

"For a good night's sleep, sure, what the hell? It couldn't hurt. But you best be supplying the food, old man."

Just then, the dwarf waddled up, as it's stumpy little legs prohibited what Richard would call running. He turned, looking away. "Well, looks like the tunnel-dweller is coming."

 

[Quiet_Cool]

Communication is the key

"Excellent," he replied, smiling. "but we best do our talking on the way. I'm sure one of our companions won't mind killing something to eat in a short while. But I must share a few words with my dwarven friend here before we set off."
Uwef came within earshot, and Pennindar walked over to greet him, still smiling.
"Hello, my friend," he said. "I have a proposition for you. Would you mind coming with us for a short while, and speaking with myself and the elf and Richard here?"

 

[Firesprite]

Kyleen

leaning on what remained of the door, Kyleen watched her new companions mill around. Keeping one eye alert on Pennindar, she finger combed her hair out, enjoying the dawn light.

 

[bobo_daclown]

Uwef:

Wondering about the old wizard, I pull the satchel from under my cloak. "Arrr, peraaps Iyl come wit ya. Buh, furst, ees thees important? What's it worthhhh."

 

[Quiet_Cool]

The satchel...again

"Oh, goodness, you've found it," he exclaimed. "Why that is worth both very litle and a great deal. Little in many people's hands, but of quite a high value in my own. Not to mention of great importance to my small friend inside."
He pondered asking for the satchel then, but decided to test his new companion's character. A thief's character, he thought, this should be interesting...
"Come, let's gather up the others and be on our way, shall we. We've got quite a distance to walk, and day already has awakened. Much to do, little time."
He went back to the house, gathered a few things, extra water canteens and such, and said, "Now, perhaps we can be on our way, unless anyone objects?"

 

[poohlive]

Sebulba finally emerged, looking at the rest of the group. It seems as if their journey was about to start after all. That was best. The faster they started, the sooner it would end.
He needed no supplies with him, he was a giant of the woods. Whatever he needed the woods provided, and if there was need for anything else, he didn't doubt the wizard could conjure something up.
Standing behind, the decision to take up the rear already well in his head, he waited for their journey to begin.

 

[Angelus]

Nathan

Nathan looked at the group as they walked out of the mayor's house and wondered if they were about to get on there way. He hoped that they were because he didn't want to bring more destruction onto this village as was necessary and last night they had brought alot of destruction with them.

He looked around and could see in the faces of all the people that he saw that they were scared of him and his companions and wanted him out of the village. He turned to the others and said, "I'm afraid to say this but I think it would be best to get on our way. I don't like the looks of the villagers as I think they blame us for what happened last night."