Rashemen - Book 3

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Kongol was it able to get much sleep, other than bieng tired, Kongol was thinking for the most part on where all this adventure where going to lead him at. As he toss and turn, Ciana storm thru the door asking him to go over Jex room, and as fast as she came in she left running towards another room.

Kongol got up and went to Jex room, Jex was still laying in the floor, a heavy acrid smell linger thru the room. Kongol gently pick him up and brought him over to his room, then lay him down on the bed. He notice the burn marks over his skin, so it try to cover him softly with the covers waiting to see if Ciana will back with some help..

 

Ciana rushed into the room grabbed Elendia by the wrist and dragged her from her bed. Elendia confused and still half asleep, let Ciana lead her. Ciana burst through another door and the stench of burnt flesh assaulted Elendia's nose. Now wide awaked she looked around and saw Kongol standing over Jex. She rushed forward and pulled the sheet down, exposing the burns. Without saying another word she looked to the heavens and prayed to her god, Tyr. She weaved her hands in intricate patterns over the unconcious drow. Jex's wound began to glow, slightly at first, with growing intensity. The room exploded with light blinding all those within. When the light faded, the wound was gone. The Heal spell complete, Elendia quickly started a second spell. Tiny blue lights circled Jex's forehead, then they started following seemingly random paths. As the lights sped up, it was obvious the lights were forming the emblem of Tyr. Elendia reached forward and lightly touched his forehead. With a small flash of light, the emblem disappeared and the Exhaltation spell was complete. Elendia looked at Jex expectantly, hoping he would awaken.

 

Awaken from her restless sleep by the noise, Nakia went out to the hall. The smell of burnt flesh lingered in the air. She saw activity in Kongol's room so approached the door. Peering in she could just make out Jex on the bed with Kongol, Ciana and Elendia gathered round.

Tapping Kongol on the knee she got his attention.
"What happened?"

 

Kongol looks down at Nakia tapping at his knee.

"I'm a bit confused actually; Ciana storm thru my door while I was sleeping and ask me to get Jex, and then left again. When I got Jex from his room, there were deep burn marks in his hands and chest. I pick him up and drought him to my room till Elendia came in and heal him. He still out tho!"

After Kongol explain the situation to Nakia, he went thru his pack, and got a small cantina of water, then lifts Jex head a bit and gave some water to him. Even though he was still out, the water easily gulps down.

 

The taste of water assualted his sense. The pain of the burns seemed to have retreated. Jex lurched awake, knocking the cup from Kongols hand. His hands went to the emblam on his neck annd he tore it off breaking the chain and cutting the back of his neck as he did. "What in the abyss happened?" He swore loudly.

Looking around the room he recognized his companions. The smell of burning flesh still lingered and he could still feel the burns despite Elendias spells.

"Who did this?" He said accusingly to the others. Not thinking straight. "Who attacked me?"

 

Ciana looked at Jex "I found you, there was no sign of anyone else with you. I'll start at the beginning I was going down the corridor towards the taproom, I needed to play (I still do), when I came next to your door I could smell burning, I broke the door down and found you on the floor. It seemed that your emblem there had burnt itself into your chest and hands, I cast a healing spell, but knew it was beyond my skills to really help you.

"I then got Kongol to come and move you while I got Elendia to come and help you, or decide if a visit to a temple would be appropriate. She healed you and then Kongol revived you with some water. That's all I know Jex."

 

Maron closed her eyes and tucked her wings around herself, leaning back against the tree.

"Not very talkative tonight, are we?"

She smiled, still with her eyes closed, and pulled a small bag from her pocket and offered it to Del.

"Honeyed fruit. My favourite. Want some?"

 

"Yes. A temple would be appropriate. The only foes of mine powerful enough to attack me like that are either dead o deamonic. I need a temple." Jex grabbed the amulet and through it in his pack. Gathering his equipment and items, he seemed hurried to leave. Inconsiderate of the others. If the others hadn't already recognized it. Jex was scared.

 

Nakia hurried to catch up with Jex. Tugging on his sleeve to get his attention she said, "Jex, first we better ask where a temple is. The Barkeeper will know. I'll ask him."

With that she dashed over to the bar and spoke briefly with the bartender.

"Jex, there is a small temple of Helm nearby and a temple of Silvanus right outside the town. Which do you wish to go to?"

 

Ciana had caught up with Jex and Nakia "Do you have the scroll with you as well Nakia? We can start the process off to treat the scroll while we're there."

 

"Aye, It is here, Ciana." Nakia pats a bag hung from her belt. "Do we need to be in the temple or can I buy the oil from them? I would prefer that we be in private to do this. "

Nakia turns and looks at Ciana very seriously. "As far as I know you will be the first human (looking at Ciana thoughtfully) to know ought of this. We have kept it a secret for many centuries. Even many halflings do not know of its existence."

She turned and followed Jex.

 

Ciana ran back to her room, and grabbed a very old scroll from her bag, quickly she caught up to Nakia, and handed the scroll over

"As you can see this is just as fragile as the other, show it to the archivist, and tell him that it is a present for someone, that you wish to make it more readable, but don't have the time to wait. As we must be off quickly to catch up with others, could you have the materials necessary, you'll be willing to pay of course. Once you have the materials, I leave it to you how much you pay. If he asks the scroll is a treatise on the architectural styles of the Dambrathan.

"I'll be over by the square, I need to play"

She moved over to the fountain in the middle of the square laying down her cloak and sitting on it, she began to play and then she started to sing. Her song told of the capture of a Bard by an evil wizard, of her escape, of finding other victims of his evil machinations, of finding the halves of one person and making them one again, and then the battle against Torturus and his death. And at the end the feeling of a job well done and revenge satisfied.

As she finished Ciana released her focus and was surprised to find the market silent and no-one moving, all had listened to her song and at her feet lay a pile of coins, and they applauded her song and asked for more, to repay them for their kindness she sang and played some of the local folk songs that were called for by the people, so that they danced, and clapped and sang along. As the day approached noon she wound down and stopped playing, thanking everyone she gathered up her cloak to hold the money and went back to the Inn to see if Jex and Nakia were back.

Behind the poeple gradually got back to their everyday activities now that the charismatic bard had finished.

At the Inn Ciana counted the money in her room and was astonished to find over 400gp in there, it seemed that her focus was back, later after the temple visit with Maron and the scroll she would try and meditate and reach Robin.

 

Kongol stayed back in the room, as he picked up the now empty cantina of water and tried to clean the mess as much as he could, then gather his belongings and step down to the bar.

"Excuse me, do you happen to know where I can find a shop or a smithy around here" Kongol asked as he looked down at the small bartender, "Ahh...ahh, all I know is a small travelers’ shop across from one of the local temples..." the bartender answer in a low voice.

Kongol pick up his bag and started to walk toward the shop mention, as he continue he saw Nakia and Jex walking to the temple. Kongol knocked in the shop door and the door just open without answer, as he came in, a very tall human just nod it his head and then just move about moving items from one place to another. “Is this the travelers’ shop?” Kongol asked, but the men did not speak, just looked at Kongol and then nod it the head again; Kongol remove the some of the continents of his bag, the men pick up a small bag form the counter and push towards Kongol, the bag had several coins.

With that Kongol took the bag of coins and left the store looking for Ciana and the others.

 

Jex and Nakia entered the temple and while Jex went off to do whatever he had to do Nakia found an attendant, explained what she needed, showed the cleric the scroll Ciana had given her and explained her hurry. The cleric requested a 'donation' of 100gp which raised Nakia's eyebrows very high. "It is very expensive and hard to make and you will need enough to completely cover the scroll." The attendant was eying her rather dubiously. She wasn't sure if he thought she didn't have the money or was really there to steal something. She shrugged.

"Ahyee, tis high but needs must pay." She pulled out a bag and carefully counted out the coins. The attendant disappeared but returned shortly with a pottery jar. She took the jar and walked out the door. As she left she saw Kongol in the street looking around.

"Kongol, over here. Jex is in the temple but I don't know how long he will be. Ciana was going to the square. She said she needed to play."

They walked back to the square but there was no sign of Ciana. "Best to check the inn. We can't be wandering in all directions." So off to the inn they went. Back at the inn they found Ciana in her room.

"Kongol, I need to do something with Ciana that may take awhile. Could you keep an eye out and make sure we aren't interrupted?"

She shows Ciana the jar. "100gp, robbery methinks and they call me a thief. I hope we can save a wee bit to show my mother. She is an herbalist, very gifted. Now what do we do?"

 

Jex pounded on the door that lead to the back of the temple. Attendents scurried around, eyeing the half drow with pain and rage in his eyes warily.

After a few moments, a preist opened a door and silently ushered Jex into a small room. "What can we do to help you?" An ancient voice asked from behind a desk.

"I'd prefer if this was a temple of Ilmater, but Silvanus will have to do" Jex almost spat.

Pulling the clasps on his armour, he let the chainmail drop, and showed the burn in his chest. "An amulet that my father gave me. I've worn it for almost 30 years. Last night, it suddenly burned me, it burned my chest, it burned my hands and no matter what I tried I couldn't get rid of it. It was being used against me by someone of that I know, I what to know who and how."

"You'll have to tell me of you and your fathers enemies as well as of your father. Then I will try to help you." The old cleric said as he steepled his hands under his chin.

"Well, that might take a while."

 

Ciana looked at Nakia "Ok first we need to remove as much of the seal as we can, I'll leave that to you, your fingers are more nimble than mine." As Nakia carefully removed the seal with a sharp knife, Ciana was looking in her bag and produced an empty potion bottle. She picked up the pottery jar that Nakia had brought back from the temple, she opened it and poured about half the contents into the potion bottle.

"Now place the scroll in the oil and leave it for 5 minutes, then take it out and turn it round and put it back in." While Nakia was doing this, Ciana found from her bag a thin piece of straight wood.

"Now take this insert it into the end of the scroll, now carefully take it round the scroll while I pour the oil back in, this makes sure the scroll isn't stuck anywhere and also that we get oil right inbtween the turns." After this procedure the scroll was sitting in the oil preparation, Ciana sealed what was left in the potion bottle, and gave it to Nakia.

"All that's necessary now is to leave the scroll soaking for at least an hour, probably two as it's so old, then you need to unwind it onto this scroll frame so it can dry out. That takes about four, maybe five hours, roll it back up and it'll be fine again for another 30 years or so."

 

Nakia smiled at Ciana as she tucked the left over oil in her bag. "Thank you, Ciana." She looked at the scroll soaking in the oil. "I wonder what it says. Little is known, at least to folks like me, about the society. I have been trained to be patient when need be but my fingers are itching to unroll the scroll. Now what can we do to pass the time?"

She wandered over to the window and looked out. "I don't need much in the way of supplies but we could stock up on trail food. Also, I would like to let Del and Maron know what we are doing. Maron! She needs to go with you to a temple but would one of these do? Does it have to be a special temple? Uum, who was that god at the temple in Rashemen?"

"So many gods! Even halflings have a lot, although we don't exactly worship the way tall folk do. It's more an agreement of you help us and we'll help you." She ponders quietly for a moment then snaps back to her normal cheerful self.

"What say you? Shall we get Kongol, see what Elendia is doing and check in with Del and Maron?"

[ May 25, 2006, 02:29: Message edited by: Nakia ]

 

"That sounds like a good idea, I think any good temple will do for the purpose. Let's go"

 

So Nakia got Kongol and they stopped at Elendia's door, knocked but got no answer. Figuring she was either out or meditating they went their merry way and soon arrived back with Del and Maron. They explained what they were doing.

"Maron, remember you need to go with Ciana to a temple. Ciana thinks any temple will do. We have a choice of Helm or Silvanus. Del, are you okay here? Maybe Kongol could stay with you if you like?"

 

"Hmmm? Oh, sorry. I was a little lost in my thoughts. I didn't mean to ignore you, Maron," Delphinae said with a smile. "Oh, look, here comes Nakia."

Delphinae listened intently to Nakia's tale. By the end, her muscles in her arms and jaw were clearly taut, making it seem almost as if she were straining against invisible bonds. "I'll be okay here. Maron, go with Nakia. Help Jex, help Ciana, help yourself. I'll be fine, I can take care of myself; but not if you don't take care of j...yourself." When Maron hesitated, Delphinae grabbed her by the shoulders and propelled her a couple steps toward Nakia. "I mean it. Go."

When she and Nakia were gone, Delphinae sat heavily back down on the log. "Great," she sighed, "as if my stuff weren't enough to worry about, now I've got him to worry about too."