A Return to Faerun from Elben Aator

silke_rahn · Post by **silke_rahn** » Sun Jun 14, 2009 2:59 pm

Calia looked at the native Drow of Abeir-Toril and smiled as she watched their banter. Then she looked at the Dwarf farmer.

"Mister Resker," said Calia, "my soldiers and I would love to share your table with you. As for a place to rest we need only a place to pitch our tents."

Nedylene took the banter of Adain and Zazzt in stride and smiled. Then she turned her attention to Resker.

"Honorable Dwarf I would be pleased to sup with you as would my people, daughters, and son. We need only a comfortable barn or like Calia a place to pitch our tents."

Adian Novar · Post by **Adian Novar** » Mon Jun 15, 2009 8:31 am

"That's what the barn's for, ma'am" Resker said. "Ye'll find plenty of room in it. An' under it if the sun bothers any of ye. There's a door in the floor near the back.

"Hooper!" he roared at the farmhouse in a voice that rolled across the distance like a wave. "Norbert! Geissinger! You lot! Get the big table ready! An' try not ter embarass me tonight!"

"Dinner will be served behind my house seen' as there's so many. Ladies," he said, touching the brim of his hat. "Boys."

And he resumed his walk back to his home.

[quote:ztoetdny]Zazzt turned to Adian, "Well, now, this I will remember for a while yet." He winked, "Is he always like that?" [/quote:ztoetdny]

Adian nodded.

"From the moment I'd arrived before," he said. "He mellows when he's playing host, but be careful what you say. I made the mistake of offering to repay his generosity. He had me out in the field picking fruit the next day."

There was definitely something Adian was leaving out. The boy's "poker face" was almost laughable.

NathreeDe'Shezbron · Post by **NathreeDe'Shezbron** » Tue Jun 16, 2009 5:25 am

"Which you didn't do," Zazzt laughed, "And here I though I had you figured out... ever and always you surprise me, friend Adian."

Adian Novar · Post by **Adian Novar** » Tue Jun 16, 2009 8:42 am

"But I did!" Adian protested, looking scandalized. "I went out as he asked and did what he told me. I do not fear hard work."

Adian looked down at his shoes.

"Except..." he said, genuinely abashed. "I failed to take something into account. As you are aware I am not well-adapted to the sun. I was working out in the daylight with a cloth over my eyes and a wide hat to block the sun...but the effort was more strenuous than I thought and I was not used to the sun's heat."

He paused for a moment then spoke the rest in a rush.

"I passed out.

"The next thing I knew he was throwing water on me and telling me to get ready to leave. To pick up Lady Nedylene, you see."

"He's been calling me things like 'boy' and 'brat' ever since."

NathreeDe'Shezbron · Post by **NathreeDe'Shezbron** » Wed Jun 17, 2009 1:07 am

"Hmm, well, ignore it, you are a fine drow, a testament to the goodness in the race, and honestly, in your place, I would have burned the place down, and teleported away before the dwarf would have had any idea what had happened." Zazzt clapped Adian on the back, "Don't worry, Resker will respect you, sooner or later."

Adian Novar · Post by **Adian Novar** » Thu Jun 18, 2009 10:15 am

"I hope so," Adian muttered.

The barn was quite sizable and cleverly designed. The back wall of the building looked further than it was, concealing the door and stairwell descending into the underground portion of the "safe house"...or barn in this case.

The contents of the barn area covered a wide range of supplies nessecary for the running of a farm, all in good condition and well-maintained. There were plenty of places for people to lay out blankets and mats to sleep, and cots were available for those who wanted them and were in decent repair.

The underground area was about half the size of the barn above and had obviously been tailored to Eilistraeean worshippers and her dark elf followers in particular over the years. Silvery trim decorated some of the walls here and there, and a simple shrine consecrated to the Dark Maiden was available for use. Alongside it were slightly smaller shrines dedicated to Melliki, Mystra, and Corellon Larathian. Close examination revealed that they had probably been supplied by the dwarf's frequent guests with origins ranging from Baldur's Gate to Waterdeep.

The smell of cooking drifted over the party, including such mouth-watering items as spiced potatoes, fried tomatoes, and well-cooked corn. The sharper noses would notice the presence of salted meats and fried chicken. A great deal of noise could be heard from behind the house as Resker's as yet unseen workers busily set out plates and utensils for their guests

Laraun would find that the farm's crops extended into the forest somewhat further than the first appearance had suggested, with worked and irrigated plots tucked among sunlit groves and the sourrounding low hills. The local wildlife was plentiful, though it tended to give the main farm area a wide berth.

Laraun would also find a small graveyard with a little over a dozen markers in it. A grave near the edge looked recent...only a few years old. The numbers on it listed the person's age as forty-five.

NathreeDe'Shezbron · Post by **NathreeDe'Shezbron** » Thu Jun 18, 2009 5:43 pm

Laraun squinted at the graves, "Hmm, may they have died well." He said, then under his breath, "for your glory, Lord Bhaal." He touched his ring, and concentrated on Zazzt, "There is a grave here, perhaps, after we are done here, some thing could be slavaged?" All that came back was "Perhaps..." Laraun shrugged, and pulled out a little figurine of a worm, and blew on it. Throwing it on the person's grave, he waited for it to dig into the ground, to see what was inside that grave.

Adian Novar · Post by **Adian Novar** » Thu Jun 18, 2009 6:33 pm

The body in the newest grave was inside a still-intact coffin. It was a dwarf male, now reduced to bones, tattered shroud, and bits of decorative armor. An axe of good quality rested on the body's chest. Cracks in the rib cage and skull suggested that the dwarf had died violently.

If the marker's numbers were right, the dwarf had died only a few years after becoming a full adult.

NathreeDe'Shezbron · Post by **NathreeDe'Shezbron** » Thu Jun 18, 2009 10:49 pm

Laraun smiled, and placed a dagger into the earth over the grave, then proceded to examine the other graves.
Zazzt suddenly turned around, saying "If you will excuse me, I think it might be best if I went to find Laraun." With a bow, and a swish of his cloak, he was gone. Moments later he appeared near Laraun, "Fool, leave them be, Resker and the other would kill you and me if we were to disturb those graves. I do not want a confontation with those drow, especially not the newest arrivals." Zazzt turned around, "Now come, before things become any worse." Zazzt and Laraun walked back to the barn, and arrived within minutes of Zazzt's departure.

Adian Novar · Post by **Adian Novar** » Fri Jun 19, 2009 9:03 am

Adian had unpacked his horse and was in the p[rocess of giving it a brushing when Zazzt and Laraun returned.

"Change your mind?" he asked.

NathreeDe'Shezbron · Post by **NathreeDe'Shezbron** » Fri Jun 19, 2009 4:38 pm

Laraun just shrugged, without saying anything, and kept on walking, Zazzt smiled an nodded, "As I have said, he just had some bad experiances with dwarves, he just needed time to straighten out his emotional imbalance. No need to worry now, he's gotten over himself."

Adian Novar · Post by **Adian Novar** » Fri Jun 19, 2009 10:54 pm

"I am glad for him," Adian said, resuming his brushing.

Some of the more jaded members of the group exchanged a few glances, guessing Zazzt had kept the elf out of [i:3am1783g]some [/i:3am1783g]sort of mischief, but chose not to enlighten the young drow.

silke_rahn · Post by **silke_rahn** » Sun Jun 21, 2009 5:19 pm

After taking care of her horse and seeing that her followers had done the same, Nedylene prepared one of the cots for herself and spread her bedroll upon it.

"Not as comfortable and my rooms at Nec'perya or at Lunar Temple, but it is more so than hard and sometime rocky ground."

Then she went over to help Delia, Elfie, and Ingrid get their cots set up. Delia had been on a few campaigns as a member of the Rahn Household Guard the Guardians of Luna so she did well in setting up her sleeping area. The younger daughters weren't as skilled at field craft and camp craft yet so Nedylene helped them set up their cots and arranger their gear so it is easy to get to in case of an emergency.

Both her and Ulrike were seasoned campaigners so their gear was stowed away in an orderly fashion and all of it was easy to access in case of urgent need. Ulrike was already working with the guards from the Promenade and Calia and her soldiers to set up a watch for the night. Nedylene smiled, [i:1vuhrbo6]It is a good thing I chose Ulrike to be the First Lieutenant of the Darksong Knights' Company of the Guardians of Luna.[/i:1vuhrbo6]

She then walked over to Adain, "Well Adain I see you took care of your horse first. That is always a sign of a good horseman. You and your animal are a team and the care of the horse comes first."

Adian Novar · Post by **Adian Novar** » Mon Jun 22, 2009 11:09 pm

Adian practically glowed at the praise.

"It was one of the lessons sister Shridia ground into me," he said. "I got a great deal of advice about the surface world. This was one of the lessons that stuck."

At the farmhouse below them a bell rang.

NathreeDe'Shezbron · Post by **NathreeDe'Shezbron** » Thu Jun 25, 2009 6:20 pm

Zazzt chuckled, "Never did like beasts, when I could just summon more useful mounts, then never need care you see, and carry me wherever I need to go. No offense to your magnificent horses though." Zazzt turned at the sound of the bell, "I see the old dwarf has visitors." He shrugged, and pulled out his tent, "If these accomidations are not to your liking, I think there is room enough in this old thing."