Of Durin and the Speckled Trout

Durin had been walking for days on the dusty road.  It had been less than a week since he had accepted a self-imposed exile from his mountain home.  Leaving in haste Durin had managed to scrape together little else than his maul, holy symbol, chainmail shirt, a back pack full of salted pork and most importantly, a tankard of ale.  He was not fearful of what waited ahead, as he knew in his heart that Moradin had designs on his path.

 

He was however getting a wee bit peckish, as he had polished off the salted pork earlier that morning by a lovely waterfall in the foothills of Baro-Karak.  The trail he followed ran beside a stream coming from that same waterfall.  Durin was thankful for that stream as it sated his thirst, something which his long finished ale was no longer able to do.  Durin reminded himself that next time he travelled to bring more ale!

 

Glancing into the stream, Durin though he saw something jump.  Durin raised an eyebrow and said to himself,

 

“While it’s no salted pork, I will hardly refuse a nice juicy speckled trout!”

 

Durin looked around for something to help him fetch this tasty trout.  Being of noble birth, Durin had never actually attempted to catch a fish, but he said to himself,

 

“How hard could it be?  It’s a little wee fish.  I’ve felled orcs 20 times its size in a single blow with my trusty maul!”

 

Unfortunately for Durin there was little in the way of items that proved useful.  He found some stones, but found his aim with them was not nearly good enough hit such a small target.  There were no trees in the foot hills, just some shrubs, and their branches were shorter than his maul.  Grumbling Durin took off his pack, boots and armour and jumped into the stream with his maul,

 

“For Moradin!!!”

 

Splash! 

 

He waited for the water to settle and with a grin on his face expected to see the lovely white belly of the trout floating.  Instead he saw nothing… then he saw the trout jump again.

 

“I cannot believe my eyes.  This must be some sort of devilish fey fish to have evaded that well aimed blow!  No matter, Moradin guides my hand, die trout!”

 

Durin assaulted the water, in a way that it had never been attacked before.  The banks were flooded by his onslaught.  In the height of his fury he tripped and face planted into the river bank.  As he extracted himself, covered in mud he pleaded,

 

“Moradin, show me a sign of how I am to defeat this evil fish!!”

 

As he whipped his face clean he saw the imprint of his body in the river bank, and in it he saw the shape of his holy symbol, the Anvil of Moradin.  He glanced down at it hanging about his stout neck and raised an eyebrow.

 

 

Journal Entry 6

 

Blessed be Moradin

 

The journey into the world is most enlightening.  Today I discovered two new things.  The first was a new use for Anvil of Moradin, and the second was that I quite enjoy speckled trout, especially when lightly seared!

 

Your faithful servant,

-Durin Foehammer

In a case of Duplicity remember to hold on to your trousers as they say, What goes around comes around.

Faragone lounged by the fireside smoking a pipe. "A good days work" he thought to himself, "all I need now is finish breakfast and be on my way. Those chumps will be none the wiser." After finishing his meal he couldn't resist secretly rubbing their faces one more time. It was after all an art form perfected among his kind. Faragone gathered his things and went after the adventurers that had gone to check out the merchant who had finished setting up shop outside the Monastery. "Curious" he thought, "I didn't receive any warning of travelers from Clewsoro. I guess his men must be sleeping on the job again."

The mid day light washed over Faragone as he left the Monastery. He could hear the Adventures as they looked over items brought by the merchant. "And you say it can penetrate even the thickest armour made by dwarfs. That's preposterous!" He heard Durin say. Valaris piped in "Well Durin perhaps if we use that when talking to you some of the words we speak may make it in the that skull of yours."
"I don't know about that. Durin's head is pretty thick", said Rothgar.
The merchant spoke up before elf blood could be shed, " Why don't you look at this master Foehammer I think it will be more to your liking."
Faragone's blood went cold he recognized the Merchant's voice. "On second thought I shall take my leave of this place." He moved behind a tree and started rummaging through his bag.
"Faragone! How lovely to see you again after all of these years," shouted the Merchant. "Why don't you come out from behind that tree and where we can see you. First though put the bag down and remove your ring, you know the one I speak of." his voice sounding of barely contained composure.
Faragone knew that if he tried anything at that moment he would likely not live to try again. He removed the ring and came out from behind the tree. "Machellose," he said greeting the merchant by name "I thought you didn't like mingling with the rifraf of this world."
Mechellose looked at Faragone with daggers in his eyes. "I only come here when I need supplies you know that better than anyone else. Also times are not as good as good as they could be thanks to you and you friends. Hand me the ring and you may go with your skin intact."
"Something was wrong here", thought Faragone. "How unlike him to make such an offer." Faragone moved toward the Adventures and Machellose with caution "You know I never discovered why you were so upset about never getting this ring in the first place. It not even magical or an artifact. Its curious isn't it. Perhaps is some sort of memento" he smiled slyly. "Now just before I give this to you I need your word that you won't harm me in anyway nor pursue me after I am gone. That also goes for these gentlemen just in case you get some ideas about hiring them Machellose. What do you say?" Faragone then extended his hand forward with the ring in his palm looking into the eyes of the Adventures and then Machellose. The Adventures looked at each other feeling a out place in this confrontation and silently agreed with nods. Machellose relaxed and his head drooped just a bit looking defeated. "I agree Faragone", he said "Clasp my hand and it will be as you say."
Faragone grinned "Then we have a deal", and took Machellose hand. There was an almost prickly feeling in the air and then a pulse of light from their hands. "It is done" said Machellose. Just then Machellose clamped down with all of his strength on Faragone's hand and spoke an ancient phrase. there was a flash of light and Faragone was enveloped in blue nimbus. Faragone shouted "You swore, you swore how dare you attack me!" Machelloes replied as he let go "I did not harm you, I'm just showing your your true form."

The nimbus grew into a blinding flash and where the halfling Faragone had stood now stood a humanoid of 7 feet tall dressed in fine noble garb. Its face was that of a tigers head and its body was covered in short fur with tiger stripes. It had clawed toes and its hands were like wise with one exception. Its hands were Backwards. A new and fearsome voice issued from the Creature that was Faragone. "Machelloes! I will get you for this insult!" The Creature that was Faragone then leaped back with feline grace and moved toward his backpack. He reached within hastily and spilled some of its contents on to the ground. Grabbing a rod in his hand he waved it in the air and a portal appeared shimmering just above the ground. "If you though times were tough now just you wait. I'm Shar'Kah would love to here that your still alive and within his grasp." With that said he stepped through the portal and in a flash the portal was gone.

The Adventures stood in silence for a moment. "Moridan's beard what was that!" said Durin. Kethevan calmly replied "Well that was a portal that likely went to the Astral Sea however there is a chance it went to Sigil." Arcus piped in "And that was a Rakshasa Noble they are very dangerous. Are you sure it was the Astral Sea? It looked to me like the Elemental Chaos." Kethevan snorted "Well to the untrained eye one might think that. The tell tale swooshing sound as the portal appeared accompanied by the dancing of colors as it opened and closed is the clear evidence that the portal goes to the Astral Sea."
"I disagree with your assessment" said Arcus "Clearly the swooshing noise you heard was in fact more of a crackling noise indicative of the energies that emanate from the Elemental Chaos."
"Well my friends" said Machellose "clearly you deserve an apology with regards to being involved in my affairs. Would you take a discount of say 15% in our transactions today as a way to make up for that bit of trouble I have caused you?"
"Friends" said Nadrash "observe the ground from where Faragone left by portal. What do you see?"
On the ground was the casement that the book was in along with a small pouch containing a bit of money and gems.
"Well his loss is our gain I say we have a drink on Faragone tonight" said Rothgar.

Machellose took the ring and put it on his finger there was an unmistakable sense of completeness he now felt. "Your back" he said to himself "and now we can get our work started again. I have missed you my love"

"Machellose how much is this scale?" said Valaris. Machellose came back to his senses and smiled "Oh that suit is quite pricey perhaps a bit out of your price range here how about this Drakescale?"

"Say do you mind if I ask you fine people some questions about the area? I'm looking a place rumored to be around here...."

Skeletons in the closet

You open the double doors and a harrowing site greets you. Skeletons of many men and other creatures litter the floor locked in eternal combat. It looks like a great battle was fought in the room. Against the far wall you can clearly see the leader of the defending forces and his personal guard fighting to their last. Some of the Skeletons appear to be frozen as if time has stopped for them in motion. Others are scattered in piles on the floor and some are bent over as if the weight and length of battle has been upon them for all this time. Clearly lingering magics have aided in keeping this battle in pose for such a long time.
While the air is dry you find hints of mold reaching your nostrils. The faint sound of water can be heard beyond the next door where the leader and his band stand. While nothing useful could have survived for this long your curiosity drives you to explore this forgotten sepulcher.
As you move through the mass of bones the sounds of snapping and crunching fill the air. While not scary it is certainly disconcerting as you make your way looking for anything of value. Your torches light the way as shadows play off of the bodies making seem like they could be moving but your sure they are not. As you come to the other side of the room you can now see the leader in his regalia. Tattered cloth clings to the fragile skeletal frame. Its head bearers a small circlet of copper long tarnished and yet not corroded. The spears of his guard bristle outward making it difficult to approach and the area around them is surprisingly free of debris. You notice, in the skeletal leader's hands, a rod of about 30 inches in length lacquered in red with silver bands that encircle it every 5 inches. At its top is a gem that seems to shine in the darkness, while not generating light itself you can see it clearly. As you get closer the gem begins to pulse as if sensing life. A chilling breeze whips through the room and you can hear the creak of the double doors closing behind you slowly. You steal yourselves for you know now there is little chance of escaping through the door in time. A voice sounds in the darkness, "To the last my brothers.... make them pay with their lives!". The gem on the rod flares to life and you can see the shadows playing off of the skeletons but this time you are sure that they are moving. Skeletons burst up from the plies of bones on the ground while other groups of standing skeletons turn to face you in a formation. You take in the site of a mass of skeletons all around you and it is clear that you have but one course of action. Fight!