Ben: [To Med] Navels! That was the thing that seemed off. None of the creatures had one. As for the spell, you can (of course) cast it as soon as you like, but it will be roughly 24 hours before you can memorize a replacement. I guess the rule is that each spell slot needs 24 hours between memorizations, not necessarily between casting and memorization. It takes about 15 minutes to memorize your spells.
The steward looks at Med suspiciously for a moment. “You’re one of the ruffians who were brawling with the monsters last night, yes?” Thumbs’ eyes widen a bit at this. The steward goes on, “I don’t think it would be suitable for--”
He’s cut off by the approach of the Countess Grau herself. She is a slender, upright woman in her fifties with long gray hair held back under a painted silk scarf. She is dressed in fine riding clothes of wool, linen and leather, the symbol of stars and waves discreetly embroidered on the black vest. Her look seems more suitable for a formal fox hunt than a wilderness mountain expedition, but she has an air of both confidence and competence about her. Even before she speaks, something about her bearing sets Med’s teeth on edge. When she does speak, her tone is commanding and severe.
“Nonsense, Harwold. Of course we’ll hire them. The two men-at-arms you chose to bring hardly look like they’ll make it up the mountain and if there are monsters from legends wandering about, I do not wish to have such dullards as my only protection. Offer the big broadsword you told me about thirty gold and this one here twenty.” She pauses to look Med up and down. “No. Fifteen. Paid upon return to the Inn. The invalid and the wild woman we have no use for.”
Despite the fact that Med is standing only a few feet away, she does not address him directly. Harwold opens his mouth to speak, but she interrupts him again.
“We leave in ten minutes. Tell the innkeeper to saddle two more horses. I’m going out to look at these dead creatures for myself.” She sweeps out the back door of the inn, just as Pral, yawning, appears on the balcony followed by a limping Elendil. A moment later, Talia steps in the front door.
Harwold snaps at Med, “Well, you heard the Countess, we leave in ten minutes.” Turning to Thumbs, he continues, “Two more horses out back, same terms as the others.” With a worried look, he rushes out after his mistress.
Thumbs grins at Med. “Have fun.” He turns to leave for the stables, but then stops. “Oh. I sent Corin up the hill an hour ago to fetch a priest from the Harmonic Brotherhood. My money says,” he pauses to touch wood, “S’cuse me. Ain’t right to gamble about a Priest of Kronnor. My guess is that he’ll be back in another couple hours with Brother Landrau, who will be eager to have a look at the monsters. If that’s the case, I expect he’ll be willing to heal up your friend. He won’t ask for no money, but the right thing to do is offer up a donation. Fifty gold, maybe.”
Thumbs, in no visible hurry, leaves for the stables.
Ben: You gather that it will take all day to reach the Sisterhood of Vexia at the summit of Mt Dain. Anyone going up will clearly have to stay there one night, and possibly two. Vexia is the Lawful Evil goddess of martial discipline and death. Her followers believe it is both the right and the responsibility of the strong to rule the weak, by any means necessary. Rumor suggests that the Oracle at this remote altar prophesied both the stunning defeat of Gar Durrok by the King’s army five years ago and the early death by heart failure of Prince Wellesoll that precipitated it’s recapture by the Gosts two years later.
Almost forgot to mention: Each character earned 250 experience points for living through the previous night.
No comments:
Post a Comment