Dragon of Icespire Peak ***CLOSED***

Minsys takes a few early shots as his competitor was not not quite who he had envisioned facing, but quickly snaps out of it and goes to task. A heavy blow sends the lighter female off her feet, landing flat on her back. The crowd gasps, thinking she may already be defeated, but after a still moment she kicks her feet up and uses the momentum to half-somersault herself up off the ground in a lithe, acrobatic maneuver.

In the second round, she charges the half-orc again only this time she dives into a feet-first slide, going right between Minsys' widely-planted legs. She pops up quickly behind him, snatches a hand-full of his long, black hair jerks sharply downward. His head slams hard into the floor, actually breaking a few of the thick, wooden floorboards. This time the crowds erupts with glee at the quick turn of events as Minsys' challenger looks around at her adorers with confidence.

The stars cleared from Minsys' vision and he looked up to see his opponent standing over him in apparent victory as the crowd cheered her on. Down but not out, the half-orc reaches out and locks his grasp around one of her ankles. He then executed the same pop-up maneuver as she had done only seconds before, only this time he did so with her lower-extremity in his vice-like grip. He kicked first up and then down, launching his upper body forward, snatching the fierce woman's feet from underneath her in the process. As he came upright he swung her body over the top like a heavy club, slamming her into the hard wooden floor as he stuck the landing with all the grace of a circus acrobat.

She lay motionless as the crowd looked on in anticipation, but after several tense moments, no signs of consciousness were observed. "That's match!" shouts Mordecai as he clanged the bell several times to indicate the fight was over. A mixture of shouts and jeers went up as bets were paid and Minsys' able but outmatched competitor was dragged from the collapsing fight circle and into the crowd.

 Connak is paranoid, and holds his purse in his hand, watching his allies to make sure they don't 'accidentally' lose coin out of their purses.

Perception: 6

But mostly, he holds his purse in a vice like grip.

Minsys stands looking down at the woman still huffing a bit until the match is called.  He tenses a moment and then sees her chest still rising.  Content that she is not dead begins to calm down.  He reaches up and touches the spot where his head made contact with the floor finding it tender and slightly bloody.  With that done he slowly makes his way back to his shed clothing and puts it back on.  

Making his way back over to Mordecai he says, "Tat was fun.  Got me bell rung pretty good there too but me head is made of harder stuff."  He gave a little rumble of a laugh.  "Now that was 100 gold iffen I recall," he says as stands and waits for the money.  Once it's securely in his hand he'd head to the bar to get himself some mead and then purchase a bottle of whiskey to have it sent to the girl.  

"You were fantastic!" shouts Mordecai as he plops a sack of coins into the half-orc's open palm. "Sheila is the second-best fighter among our regulars - that little hair-snatch maneuver she pulled on you is usually the beginning of the end for those she squares off with. She's in the back being treated by Brother Loomshank now, but you can bet she'll want to share a toast with you later."

The evening wears on and the group watches as several more bouts are held and tankards foisted. Vaxis and Ando later learn that Brother Loomshank, the house healer, is actually the hungover priest they found asleep in the empty tavern earlier in that day. On several occasions throughout the night, they thought they might have to step in to assist with some of the more serious injuries, but the man managed to keep everyone alive - barely.

From the wooden cross-beam high above, Arvi (in centipede form) watched with glee as the competitors pounded one another into submission. Through their telepathic bond, he provided Tabesha'l with a bird's eye view of the action allowing her to avoid the crowded, sweaty and conversationally less-adept gathering of drunken neer'-do-wells. Towards the end of the night, Arvi activated his invisibility and scurried down one of the support timbers and snaked his way along the floor around the bar to where Connak was perched next to a drunken halfling. Still invisible, he polymorphed into his true form and reached out to snatch Connak's coin purse from his belt...making sure he was not very "careful" about it, in order to draw the wood elf's attention to the sneaky-looking halfling to his left.

Connak swats the halflings hands away, confused by the obviousness of the attempt.  "Piss off little one.  See my friends here, these..." Connak points to his party, "Don't be trying for theirs either and if you already have, better hand it over to me now.  You can keep whatever else you stole and we'll be leaving."

Intimidation: 22

The halfling looks up at Connak with a look of insulted incredulity painted across his face. "Beggin' yer pardon thin one…" says the halfling, pulling back his cloak to reveal a pair of silver-and-pearl-handled daggers, "…but my friends here say I didn't take yer coin…but I easily could've, if I'd wanted to. You must have felt a strong draft, so perhaps you should go and close the door…on your way out through it…"

The halfling hooked his thumbs in his pockets close to but not quite touching the pommels of his weapons.

Connak looks baffled, as if the halfling truly believes he even wants to be here in this rowdy crowd.  "Sure, that's all the push I need to be outta here."  Standing up, Connak pats Minsys on the shoulder and whispers while pointing a thumb at the halfling, "Better watch your coin and your winnings around that one.  Well, most everyone here, probably."

Connak walks out looking for the inn where Tabesha'l made arrangements to stay.  He decides sticking to the shadows would be prudent and tries to stealth.

Stealth: 12

 Meanwhile Tabesha'l, who's been seeing the exact nature of Arvi's deviousness through the small demon's own eyes, is aghast at what just happened. Back in her chambers at the Northfound Shield, she nervously paces around her small but finely furbished room as she admonishes her familiar telepathically:

" Creature, what is this thou thinketh thou art doing ? Is this how thou serveth thy mistress, by starting bar fights and false rumors ?"

However, even though she is doing her best to show disapproval, something stirs inside her: against all her principles and strict education, part of her is sharing the familiar's glee at the success of his little stunt. She suppresses another shiver: is this the creature's demonic influence, or - more disturbingly - a side of her own self she was loathe to recognize, finally coming to light ? She shakes her head to push the thought away.

" Come back to me this instant, I will not have thee endangering my companions with thy antics a minute more !"

“Why mistress, as we have both clearly witnessed, they went with the intention of finding a brawl to entertain themselves with...I was merely aiding in their quest,” came the demon’s screeching reply followed by sickening laughter that sounded more like several tormented voices all screaming at different pitches and octaves. Nonetheless, Tabesha’l's fiendish servant did as she commanded and returned to her without causing additional chaos.

As he had been told to expect, the female warrior Sheila invited Minsys to share a drink with her. She congratulated him on his win and two swapped stories over shots of whiskey for a while.

Connak managed to extract himself from the Talking Troll and dashed from shadow to shadow back to Northshield House a couple of blocks to the east. Vaxis, Ando and Minsys followed along shortly thereafter, suddenly feeling a little less welcome under the scathing looks of the halfling rogue and his companions.

All found peaceful rest that evening and attended to their own needs throughout most of the morning.

Around noon, Minsys arrived at Foehammer's Forge to take possession of his new weapon. The dwarven blacksmith was nowhere around when he entered the smithy, but his attention was immediately drawn to the finely crafted maul lying on the table opposite the forge. The two-inch thick haft was of hardened hickory and nearly four feet long. The gripping surface was wrapped in fine leather and dyed a bright orange. At the business end of the weapon was a massive, double-sided steel striker shaped like the heads of two rams charging in opposite directions.

As Minsys gripped the weapon, a gruff voice behind him spoke: "To yer likin' then, I assume?" He turned around to find the blacksmith behind him near the doorway.

Minsys ignored the Dwarf for a moment and gave a few measured swings testing the wight and balance.  Turning to the Dwarf he said, "It's a fine weapon.  Better than I spected."  He holds out his hand to shake hands with him.  After which he says, "Last night I got me some more coin.  You have other weapons for sale, ready?"

 Back at the Northshield House Inn, Tabesha'l approaches Connak during the morning meal down in the common room. She bears a serious expression as she adresses him in Elven:

< May I sit, Thuniviel ? > without waiting for an answer she sits next to the wood elf and clears her throat. For the first time, she seems to be at a loss for words, reflecting on how to proceed, before she turns towards him, her voice somewhat tremulous as she announces quietly:

< You and I have not been... on the best of terms ever since our fortuitous reacquainting in Phandalin, and I am loathe to admit a lot of it may be my doing. Duncan's departure and the things that happened then - including the terrible unfairness that was brought upon you -  I've never gotten around to apologize to you for. It was all a horrible mistake, I know this now,  as you were innocent of the crimes the High Elven Council banished you for. At the time I admit I felt ... unsettled and confused because of Duncan's departure and a number of other things, yet I always wondered why you did not try to defend yourself and refute the terrible misdeeds you were suspected of. Only recently did it all come together. Very recently, and strangely enough it took the wickedness of the Orc named Urzuul to make me realize what must have happened... >

She takes a deep breath before facing Connak. He can read a mixture of feelings hiding underneath the varnish of her tightly knit aristocratic demeanour: sorrow, anger... fear, perhaps ? 

 < ... You were protecting him, were you not ? You let the Council banish you to preserve Duncan's reputation. Why would you, Connak Thetumal, honored hunter of the Or-Tel-Quessir Anandrethri, renounce everything you held dear ? What truly happened that day ? >

Connak guffaws and shakes his head, responding in elvish careful to not be overheard by strangers nearby,  "I was not protecting Duncan.  I tried to stop him from stealing the artifacts.  Your family, those stuck up nobles, couldn't possibly accept a truth where a man they anointed as a hero, a man who was their daughter's lover, was in fact a base thief.  The narrative that I, a non-noble wood elf was the thief allowed your family to save face.  So even though I served dutifully, had an exemplary military career and showed great promise, even though there was no hard evidence I stole anything, I was charged with the theft and exiled, because it was convenient to your noble family's image.  So pardon me if I don't really care much for your superior attitude and need to talk like a snob to make you feel better than others.

As for Duncan, I've debated going after him to prove my innocence.  But the elves were too quick to sentence me.  They betrayed me as surely as Duncan did.  I'm half a mind to make my life out here among hard working folk, too busy living to have to prove themselves better.  So I think it's best I don't go after Duncan because if I do find him, it's likely he'll sprout a couple feathered shafts out of his eyeballs.  If I do find him first, I hope you managed to learn speak with dead, because he won't be answering any of your questions otherwise.

But like I said, I'd rather not pursue Duncan.  Best to let the prick dig his own grave and I can live my own life."

Vaxis wakes in the morning and dons his equipment. After getting ready, he assesses where everyone is going, he decides to tag along with Minsys, seeing as the elves paired off and Ando seemed to be in reverie.

"That weapon seems like it shall serve you well in driving back fiends and the cursed, Minsys." He says coming from behind him.

Tabesha'l listens to her wood elf companion without interrupting him, then sighs, her eyes cast down as she says, hardly loud enough to be heard:

< Tis true what you say, Thuniviel. You did show great promise, in fact you still do. I never doubted your skills or your courage. Yet do not judge my people too harshly, this I beg of you. I know they do seem terribly cold and aloof to most - especially to you, our woodland cousins - and they can be vindictive and cruel even, yet the burden they carry is great and that very burden forces their hand, at times. And yes, they are proud of their heritage, but do not be fooled: the way we High Brethren are, is part of our blood and of our very souls, as surely as you and your brethren run with the autumn wind and hear the rustle of the new leaves budding on the trees in the spring. Thus know that I do not choose to express myself in the High Speech to humiliate you or anyone else, or to make myself feel 'superior'. Trust when I say this: it is simply the way I've been made to learn both the human and elven tongues and I know of no other speech, at least none that would feel natural to me. > 

 She takes his hand in hers as she continues, her face fierce: < I understand and respect your anger, this I truly do. But remember: you are not the only one Duncan has wronged. He's been manipulating me and extracting secrets from my family, probably ever since we met... >

She then slowly pulls back her hand, clenching her fists as she seems to be making an effort to recover her calm. She finally stares right at Connak again, this time with a pleading, almost desperate look: < Connak Thetumal, Hear Me When I say This... > her voice is now becoming a little distant, yet incredibly fragile, almost as if she was chanting to herself, < I need  to find him and I must  know why  he did what he did. And to this end, I once again ask for your help. After this is done you can do with him and with yourself as you wish. Don't you understand ? That's the way you can find your rightful place among your people again ! With Duncan admitting to his crimes and with me, a True Heir of the House Pananthyr as a witness to the Deed, your banishment can be revoked and reparations will be made, you will recover your Name and so much more ! You must hear me when I say that if you renounce this and let your spirit choke on bitter resentment instead, you will truly lose yourself... this I fear not for mine, but for your own sake. How will you fare, away from your true brethren ? How long before you're too far gone, before what's left of your elven pride lays shattered by too many dusty roads, too many broken deals, too much blood shed for coin ? You know all too well the toll this life you speak of will take, not only on you, but on all those who wait for your return. >

After this she stands up and gives Connak a nod, accompanied with a sad smile. < Promise me you will think on this, Thuniviel. Whatever you decide, know that I will never forget who you really are and what you did for me and my people. Uura Na Datreyh (*). >

(*) - Uura Na Datreyh: 'This I Speak To You', traditional elven oath, normally used to offer solemn promises or seal pacts of friendship.

Connak hardens up, face going blank once again.  "You sound like a fox beseeching a hare to understand the hunger and cease running.  If your high elves are so burdened, they can shuck it.  Tabesha'l, you do not listen to me.  I do not know if I want to go back to the elves.  Your high elves sentenced me for a crime I did not commit for their convenience.  My fellow wood elves accepted it without protest.  I am betrayed by my kind as surely as Duncan betrayed all of our kind. 

I can create a life away from them.  Maybe with another realm of elves.  Or maybe among the other races.  I will wander these lands and learn their ways and their customs until I can decide where I belong.  I know not where I will end up.  But I can surely tell you, I will not end up anywhere near Duncan.

He played all of us, from the soldiers he led, to the women or woman he wooed to the leadership he spelled with his stories.  Why did he do what he did?  You still hope for a just cause?  It is much more likely he did it because he could.  To gain wealth, prestige, power.  He did it out of lust, greed, envy, pride... if you think otherwise you set yourself up for yet another wound.  Stop ignoring the wound you have.  Clean it, cover it with salve, bandage it and heal.  Then learn from it and move on."

The dwarf tells Minsys that all his other work is already spoken for but that several outfitter shops in town sell common weapons, armor and adventuring gear.

"Thank ye again.  If I come back dis way I'll return with more work," Minsys says before heading away with Vaxis.  Walking with his friend he says, "It's a fine weapon.  Too shiny for me, but it will take on some blood from mine enemies and then be better."  Walking further, he continues, "Vaxis, Where we go next?  More orc, the dragon?  Elsewhere?"

Vaxis and Minsys reconvene with the rest of the party as they are making their final preparations and checking out of the Northshield House. Vaxis notices a small black bat hanging upside-down from the tip of Tabesha'l's conical-shaped hat of wizardry. Sensing the dragonborn's approach, the bat's head pivot's 180 degrees to face him and then the creature speaks to him in a squeaky, high-pitched voice using a language that Vaxis does not understand, but knows he has heard before:

IF YOU SPEAK ABYSSAL, YOU MAY OPEN/READ THE SPOILER:

The strange words (or rather the sudden familiarity of the foreign tongue) of Tabesha'l's tiny passenger echo throughout Vaxis' subconscious for a few moments but he is jolted back to reality when the bat suddenly and unexpectedly spreads both of it's leathery wings to full extension and lets out a blood-curdling screech:

Arvi uses his Scare ability:
VAXIS - Wisdom (Save) 18 vs DC 10, becoming frightened for 1 minute on a failed save.  

" Arvi, this is quite enough, now. I will have none of this ! Vaxis here is a trusted companion, more so that thou art at this present moment. As such, thou shall avoid this type of outbursts in the future, or I shall be forced to dispense of thy services !" Tabesha'l admonishes the bat, grabbing it by the scruff of the neck with two fingers and holding it at arm's length, " Remember I am quite ready to banish thee and invoke a more suitable pet, should thou continue in such fashion. Am I making myself clear, creature ?"

She turns towards the dragonborn with an apologetic look: " Are you quite alright, friend Vaxis ? I am so terribly sorry, this was of very poor taste indeed. I don't know what came over him, he's never done this before... !" then in an exasperated whisper, " One can't even trust the magical Help, these days... what is this world coming to ? Makes one wonder, verily."