Allansia Wildlands Campaign.

"I'm sure the city can deal with these bandits if we hand them over with a report of what they did, if not, maybe cut them loose." Aramis shrugs. "But from insult to insult, only a fair duel should answer such, sure as the deck heaves port to starboard off the eastern blow. If the creature is still fit to insult friend Herman, has he indeed surrendered? Seems to me there is a certain fire and fight in the prisoner still? A fair fight sure, but a bound on their knees? Not so sporting."  

Enwynn turns from looking somewhat concerned about the mechanical sage's structural integrity to Herman as he gives his opinion on goblins. Her expression is one of shocked surprise, followed by anger, then utter disappointment. Corwyn simply stares at him, open beaked, then smartly shuts it.

The crow pecks the downcast elf's earlobe as the goblin captain answers Herman's words with the courtesy they deserve. She puts her hand over her mouth lest she burst into laughter at Blade Captain Jar Orc-Cleaver's reply, all too aware that there is a knife edge being walked here in words, but allows herself to hope that this may yet be a matter of sharp words not sharp knives at throats.

That hope grows as Banzo offers his own opinion. Enwynn smiles, hope growing by the second at their proposed solution and willingness to hear everyone's contribution. Then Corwyn pecks her earlobe again, the crow's eyes still on the barbarian as he arms himself and walks towards the captives.

Zeltheris smartly steps between Herman and the bound goblins to make a pointed observation about the nature of heroism, and the elf's hopes rise even higher as she swiftly walks over and stands next to the brave bard while Aramis speaks of human law and honor's price for insult. 

Enwynn looks Herman in the eye, her watchful silence sharper than any words she could utter in reproach as she offers her mute support to Zelthris in this argument. Corwyn steadfastly remains on her shoulder, his feathers ruffled up and seemingly twice as large as he was but a moment ago. 

The Blade Captain nods to Banzo, " The Heroes of Chalice? Them what brought that great flying fortress down?  Well, now I want to kick that scouts arse even harder."

He set a wary eye to Herman as he approached before being blocked by Zeltheris, " Aye, only fair. A man degrades my entire kind as being nought but muck and I make a mild jest about personal grooming.  I didn't realise it would wound so, brings a tear to this old goblins eye to see a warrior who hasn't lost touch with his emotions it does."

He looked across at Aramis, " Now....that I may find appealing if I hadn't just had six levels of shit kicked out of me by you mob.  Rain check?"

" Seriously though? You lot are The Heroes of Chalice?  Dropped that flying dreadnought.  And I heard tell you slew a Devourer as well?  Went up against a few of those myself back during the war, nasty fellas. Did one of you say something about a demon as well?"

" Bloody Hell, should have run up the white flag a bit sooner, might have saved a few more of the lads."

Herman looks at the others but mostly is stopped by the awe comment of the goblin.

He gestures ot the others to get away from earshot from the goblin and whispers to the others:

"He knows too much, I don't trust him to travel with us. We can kill it (I would accept a fair fight) or we set it free but I don't trust it to go with us, full stop"

he gestures with his hand, palm down

Zeltheris gives Herman a puzzled look, "Knows too much about what? What could he possibly tell people that won't be part of the ballad?"

"I am afraid that for the time we go Chalice he realises we have valuables and do something nasty"

( Other viewpoints?)

((ooc: oh, damn, I did not want to stop the game for so long, and actually I was just RPing, I cannot care less about the goblin, so)...

Herman waits for some seconds with the hands on his hips, but then looses patience and whispers

Fine, have it your way, but if he steals something it will not be from my share

Then he gets face to face with the captive, still with a smirk on his face.

He pats the gobln's cheeks twice:

Today is your lucky day, you can get along with us. Of course you won't be given a BLADE and you won't CAPTAIN of anything but...who knows...if you behave well there might be place in a song for JAR, THE SQUIRE. No need to tell what will happen if you don't behave.

He turns to the others:

All yours, don't make regret this, ok?

Zeltheris shrugs cheerfully, "Let's get going then!"

The companions, old and new head off south, some happier than others with their three prisoners in tow.

After about  six more hours you are among the hills on the southern edge of the Moonstones and it is getting late in the afternoon, from the rough trail you are walking you can see a number of wooded hollows, a rocky depression and a fast flowing stream which you assume will join the Silver River once it leaves the hills, a number of the companions realise that they are near where they first met the Hill Folk.

As you travel south out of the Moonstones you see no sign of anymore Orcs and Goblins, or the stranger things you have encountered such as Chameleonitesor the Fay.

You descend from the uplands that stretches for many miles to the east of Darkwood Forest and to the north of Trolltooth Pass. Hidden somewhere within these lonely hills about a day’s ride northeast from where the Silver River flows out on to the Windward Plain towards Chalice is the fabled Lost Lake. For a century the skeleton of Kull sailed a raft on this lake, clutching the necromancer Razaak’s sword, awaiting release from his curse but Razaak is now destroyed or so the tavern rumours go.   Dead or not,  Razaak’s  lair is also hidden somewhere in the  southeast of the Moonstone Hills, about a day’s journey from the Flatlands.

Heading south towards the city gate via the Lowland Gap you follow the rough trail as it descends. Looking toward Chalice you note the city burial ground off to the west surrounded by high walls and a number of seemingly abandoned farm houses and plots among the other more bustling holdings.

As evening closes in the party comes to the gates of Chalice where a group of Man-Orcs in the livery of the Chalice Guards are chatting amiably among themselves, they nod to you recognising a few faces at least.

Enwynn, already wary of speaking out of turn after her last suggestion became the seed of an argument, instead puts aside any thought of slavery, and listens intently in silence to the whisper as she seeks to understand Herman's mistrust of the captive goblins. There seems to be a matter of hard-won gains and the fear of them being lost so close to home for the heroes of Chalice, which is a fair point when dealing with bandits in her experience, but bewildering in the current circumstances of a party of seasoned adventurers rather than a lone traveler.

Then, whilst the elf is still desperately trying to find the right words to express her confusion over the warrior's odd concerns, Herman instead turns back to the goblins and loudly offers Jar the slim hope of an apprenticeship in war. 

It is all she can do to not stand there with her mouth hanging open in astonishment at this mercurial turn of events, as Corwyn watches the exchange, then calmly begins preening his ruffled feathers. Zeltheris cheerfully dismisses the whole matter in favor of getting back on the road, so she nods in agreement and quietly says "Thank you for your wise words." to the bard, and does so.

Enwynn gathers up what she can carry of the captive goblins lighter possessions, including their weapons, as an apprentice in war cannot be expected to fight to their full ability without at least some of the tools of the trade to hand, then follows along behind the captives, keeping an eye out for any further trouble chasing after them.

When the city comes into view, she looks to the seemingly empty farms around it's outskirts, moves closer to the group and says very quietly to Jar "If being apprenticed to Herman does not appeal to you, they do seem to be in need of farmers here. I mean no insult to you by that suggestion, as an army cannot march on an empty stomach."

Aramis keeps his eyes and ears open and remains with the group, proceeding with caution but appearing to gaze around all blase. 

"Shalana needs an oil change," clanks the rickety metal contraption.

"Back home again." Brocc says as they enter the gates, giving a wide grin around at the town. He keeps a hand on his spider, which is laden with all of the treasure and loot they took out of the dwarf complex. "Shall we first get somewhere to see about selling some of this, before we cause some lowlifes to think it time to end their careers by stealing from us? I dislike cleaning lowelife blood from my gear, so would like to clear out our inventory before having to knock foolish heads together."

"That sounds like a plan Brocc. Once the loot is dealt with we can see about getting an oil change for Shalana the squeaky, and something for the rest of us, of course."

Banzo walks into Chalice with the odd gait of a tortle which is probably becoming more familiar to the older members of the group, and in time will become familiar to the newer members.

As the group enters the main gates, Zeltheris moves a little ahead and starts into the latest song of the heroes, describing their fight against a coven of rocklike demons as they prepare to summon an even greater threat, describing how each of the companions slew one of the demons just before the ritual could be completed, mentioning himself only as humble witness and chronicler.

( And, yes, he is including party members who weren’t actually there yet.)

Performance: 23

Quote from Ismenow >>

As the group enters the main gates, Zeltheris moves a little ahead and starts into the latest song of the heroes, describing their fight against a coven of rocklike demons as they prepare to summon an even greater threat, describing how each of the companions slew one of the demons just before the ritual could be completed, mentioning himself only as humble witness and chronicler.

( And, yes, he is including party members who weren’t actually there yet.)

Performance: 7

Zeltheris gets across the tale that he intended but from the looks on the faces of the onlookers he needs to work on the melody and meter.......and maybe give the lyrics another go over.

Aramis smiles encouragingly and pats Zeltheris on the back. "I thought it was pretty good, friend. Don't you mind the critics, you're ahead of your time." 

Enwynn listens, blushes slightly to hear her own name, among others, mentioned among heroes. The elf smiles and offers "As ballads go, Zeltheris, that was a diamond perhaps in need of further polishing, but still a fine composition." 

Zeltheris shrugs, "Just a preview anyway, hard to get it right when your lungs are coated in mine dust, will need some lubrication to clear things up. Don't worry, the final work will spread all your names throughout the land!"