The War of the Deep (Forgotten Realms)

[Drakkwall]

The troll warrior swung his massive greatsword in the air and as he stood in the open field behind the inn, he shifted weapon once in a while, glaive, greatsword and club swinging aroudn the air as he shifted weapons in random order. Soon the troll was done with his training and returned to the inn to get some breakfast, entering the inn the big green skinned giant kin ordered a roast and a big tankard of water. He saw the nice sorceress from last night and gave her a small wave with his hand before he sat down on the table nextto the group, he wouldn't fit by the table as they were too many around it, he ate his roast and drank his water, enjoying the meaty breakfast.

 

[Daniela22]

Aeria was relieved that the girl, Valencia was her name, so readily agreed.

"Yeah, the broad guy over there is Targ. He can be as wild as he looks but can be really nice..."

She remembered Valencia's question. "My name is Aeria." She held out her hand.

"You seem to be a magic-user, judging from your looks. Maybe you know the owner of 'Fjorn's Warez'? He could have valuable information for us. Maybe..." she hesitated. "Maybe we could go and check it out together?"

 

[iridium248]

The sorceress grasped the ranger's hand warmly, giving it a gentle squeeze; "Pleased to be aboard." She tipped her lovely head to the side, her lips pursing in thought... "The owner of Fjorn's Warez? Can't say I remember him, really- But I'd be glad to come along, if I could help."

 

[Daniela22]

Aeria shivered as the girl squeezed her hand lightly. This was completely different from her 'contact' with Targ but equally pleasant. The cute smile made her slightly nervous and in order not to maneuver herself into an embarassing situation she got back to business.

"OK, it probably doesn't matter if you know Fjorn or not. A wizard for company can't hurt in a magic shop. I heard stories of people who went into these stores and got themselves trapped in other-worldly dimensions. Just because they touched some stuff in a shelf..."

She grabbed Valencia's hand and tugged her out of the inn. The morning air was chill and refreshing and gave the young ranger goosebumps on her arms. They headed across the town square towards a ramshackle old hut that definitely could need a good carpenter... or a few more for that matter. A worm-eaten sign that dangled on one hinge in the morning wind showed a wand and a strange rune of some sort. The word "Fjorn's" was carved underneath but barely readable.

Aeria frowned. "If the owner is in the same condition as his shop, we can be glad if he lives long enough for us to pose our question..." Shrugging she gave the door a careful prod and was surprised that it swung open without a sound, obviously well-oiled.

The ranger and the sorceress stepped inside...

 

[Drakkwall]

The Troll wandered through the town after his breakfast and soon settled down by the edge of the square, reading a book about proper sex manners he had been given by one of the waitresses after he asked her about the sorceress attitude against him. It was an interesting and non racist reading, though he had a hard time understanding complicated words like masturbation, impregnation or lactation.

Fjorn was a short gnome dressed i nslightly thorn green and brown wizard robes, he was mixing a simple potion when the trio entered his shop. "Ah welcome costumers to my humble abod, how may I be of service to you all?" He then blinked at the sorceress and pulled out a magical scrying glass and look at her throguh it. "Oh my, girl did you know you have a magical bond? As in a bond between two people making them feel each others emotions? It looks really messed up too, entangled like a net, you need to straighten it out before you become emotionally unstable."

 

[iridium248]

Valencia...blinked. "An...emotional bond?" The sorceress chuckled. "I've never *heard* of anything like that- And I don't think...Oh, wait," She rolled her eyes heavenward, suddenly struck by an unpleasant thought; That troll from last night! Gods!

"...Wait, I think I might. Tell me...Do you know *any* way to break it? I don't want to go through life bonded to a-" she almost said 'troll', but bit down the words. A one-night stand was one thing, but a life-long committment was another! She shifted her weight, leaning forward on the counter- giving the gnome a nice, long look down her cleavage. "...Please? It'd just get in the way of fun...And I could make it worth your while..."

 

[Drakkwall]

Shaking his head the gnome pulled out a tome and rolled up a page for the sorceress to read. "I am married my dear, but either way I couldn't help. Read here, what has caused this bond is not a simple spell, it is a curse called the Bond of Misery, a curse that is normally easy to disrupt I might add. But someone must have really hated you when they put the curse on you. and the stronger the emotion a person use for the curse is the stronger the curse becomes."

The short wizard then moved over to a drawer and pulled out a potion and a wand, he put the potion on the desk along with the wand in his hand. "The bond of Misery is a curse that makes a woman or man be bonded to the ugliest creature they have ever slept with. I assume you have only been sleeping with good looking people so far, so the one you have bonded with must not have a very appreciated appearance. The curse makes it so that you feel the emotions of the being you slept with, but he, she or it won't feel your emotions, making you alone to know the emotions, even if you were to be in a different realm you would feel it, thus the meaning of Misrry in the Bond of Misery is pretty clear. I think you might have slept with a married man and his wife put this curse on you, but that's just a theory. I cannot unmake this bond, it is too strong, but I can untangle it so you won't be afflicted by the emotional distress, now stay still."

Swirling his wand and chanting in a uncomprehending language the gnome untangled the bond and Valencia could feel emotions from Bareuk, curiosity, confusion, interest and astonishment, he was very into reading that sexual manners book.

"There, now that the bond has been untangled, I want you to take this potion, drink a single sip once a day for the next five days, it should make the emotions transfered affect you less." He then turned back to business face. "Now that the pleasantries are over I'd like to know what you want from on old gnome like myself."

 

[iridium248]

The sorceress sighed. "I knew it was going to come back to haunt me..." she muttered, taking a sip of the potion; This was one hell of the way to start the morning- Still, it *could* be worse. She'd have to find a cleric to cast Remove Curse later...

"My friend here has located a map; However, we're not too familiar with the inscriptions, or the area...We're hoping that you could take a look?"

 

[Drakkwall]

Taking the scroll the gnome unfolded it and read it slowly as he checked on the map. "Slithering through the earth's core. There's thick roots growing to the number four. hmm by the way these roots are shaped the biggest clue is the roots shaping the number four in the roots of the tree.
Branching arms drains water that siphers through the soil. Sitting in the branches of the triangle's boil. in some of these lands there's minor colanic activities, thus this might be a hot spring of soem sort in the eye fof the four shaped by roots.
There's a root that is shaped very wrong. Perhaps if you try, you might figure it out at the twilight hour of the root boil's song. Twilight hour, the time when enither sun nor moon is in the sky, the time between dawn and sunrise, sunset and dusk. The key to the mystery is at this hour. But there's a hidden meaning, there's a clue here that says There's a root that is shaped very wrong. That means two things, one is that one of the roots in the four is the key while there's also a root in the map, a basic beginner thing where you will find a hidden clue. The key in the box by the bear's head shows that the bear skull is the hidden key i nthe puzzle."

Pulling out a freshly made map the gnome held it otu fro the trio. "This map shows you the Thestle Glow Forest, where yo uneed to go, three days walking west towards neverwinter. I suggest you pack lots of things before you leave and rest up, there wil lbe dangers ahread and it wil lbe better to be prepared, I'd suggest you get one more member, three are not many for such a dangerous trip, perhaps that troll by the square outside, he seems liek a strong fella. that will be ten gold pieces for the translation of the map and the map to the forest."

 

[Daniela22]

Aeria fished the coins out of her pocket and threw them to Fjorn who caught them with surprising agility. They quickly thanked him and left the shop.

Outside Aeria touched Valencias shoulder and looked her in the eye. "What was that about the emotional bond? The ugliest person you ever slept with?" She grinned. "Oh my dear. I saw a thing or two yesterday in the tavern and if your taste is not worse than I believe I know exactly who your counterpart for this bong-thing is."

She looked across the village square and motioned a the reading troll. "That's a year's worth of bad luck I'd say. Never liked these trolls anyway. Though this one seems different... at least he acts like he could read. Well, can't say that I envy you."

When Aeria saw the indignant look on Valencia's face she laughed. "Oh come on. I can't be that bad. It's not like you would have to marry him now. I'm sure you'll be perfectly able to have all the fun you want, bond or not." She winked and turned to go. Over her shoulder she called out "Come on now, sweetie. We have to pack and get ready for our leave."

With (intentionally) swaying hips the young ranger went back across the town sqaure still unsure if she could stand a troll in the team...

 

[iridium248]

Valenica scowled, her pretty face wrinkling- Then it slipped, and she couldn't help but chuckle. Just bad luck- Still, she'd find a way to overcome this. Wait and see...

"I really have poor taste in men," the sorceress sighed, brightening ever-so-slightly...At least it wasn't going to get in the way of fun. She'd left her-admittedly meagre-possessions at the tavern; If the troll was there, they might as well pick him up.

 

[Drakkwall]

Bareuk read his book in peace and didn't even notice one of the children move over to him until the young boy poked him in the leg, the green skinned giant kin looked down at the young boy with a raised eyebrow. "Hey d'ere, what ye want Bareuk?"

The young boy grinned and spoke up in a childish voice whiel his mother screamed at him to get back. "You look funny, and you smell, do you need a bath? Mommy says that when you look funny and smell you need bath."

The troll blinked and sniffed his armpit and frowned a bit, he wasn't sure if he smelled, but he had no clue what a bath was. "What is bath?" He aksed i na curiosu voice, he was always eager to learn new things and this little human boy told him an interesting thing he hadn ever heard abotu before.

"Beth is when you go into water and wash with sponge and soap to clean yourself off dirt, bugs and infections, at least that's what mommy tells me, she's a healer." The boy's innocent answer made the normally neutral troll smile a bit and he petted the boy's head carefully whiel giving him a gold coin.

"Than'k fer da talk li'dle one, Bareuk may trie bath'in later, tell ye mommy thanks fer bath'in ye, Bareuk's mommy no bath Bareuk." The little boy took the coin and thanked the troll with a hug around his leg and then ran to his mother and told her thanks for bathing him, making the woman a bit surprised at the troll's manner and generosity.

"Mommy, can I take a beth when we get home? I don't want to look like Bareuk because I didn't bath, it must be hard to be so smelly." The troll just chuckled as the poor blushign healer was dragged by her son home, the townfolks snickering, laughing or gaping at what had happened. He was no charity person but he was grateful for the young boy's information, perhaps he woudl take a bath when he got bac kt othe inn for lunch.