Whispers in the Vale IC

[CaeruliusVentus]

"I shall send it to your room." He swipes the money and places down the room key in one smooth motion.

You head to the hallway indicated and eventually find your room. The sparsly decorated room is well furnished with 7 beds and a large fireplace. A solid wood table sits in the middle with several chairs set up around the room.

The innkeeper enters after a few minutes and puts down several bottles of wine and a set goblets. He works quickly to start a fire in the fireplace and then leaves. For the first time since meeting each other, you are alone and able to relax.

[Empedocles]

Hector begins to wish he was more sociable, but finds himself quickly retreating to the few texts he brought from home. I'll leave the speeches to Bleys he thinks.

[Man on Fire]

"They say that in vicious empire of Kyber they can make delicious meats, but they spice it with viarous poisons that enslave the will, so each who eats it is willing to immiediately swear alliegance to their dark god. But, as it's well-known wine neutralizes results of these poisons and many others, so while we should be always wary of what we eat, it is always safe to drink good wine. For success of our mission." Said Bleys, opening the bottle and pouring winde into the cups, later raising a toast with his own.

[a gentle goat]

Rirleg raises his goblet in toast, and takes big gulp of wine shortly afterwards. "Good wine. So, uh, what, uh, brings you all to the Vale anyways, besides getting chosen for this quest?" he asks of his fellow adventurers. "Are you all locals?"

[NosferatuZodd]

Leokul slammed down the wine, the crimson liquid disappearing into his yawning mouth as he gently put down the goblet. His fingers gently tapping at the table as he glances at Rirleg. "Not a local, i've been traveling most of my life for work, I come from a village a far ways from here. Dirty place, was always very unappealing to me, one of the reasons I tend to travel now." Leokul chuckled and leaned back in the chair, putting his feet on the table as he looks over to Bleys. "I thank you for the wetting my mouth, comrade. It helps after what happened earlier."

[Demidos]

Sjakk looks at the wine for a long moment -- one can almost see the thoughts in his eyes. Then, slowly, he shakes his head. Thank you, but no, I do not drink.
I do hail from the Vale -- I have grown up here all my life. I am a carpenter's apprentice. He says. He looks up now, still in some small anguish but much calmer now, weighing his fellow travellers.

[Man on Fire]

"You make a mistake my friend. Wine is the finest of drinks, it raises spirit and wit, gives brilliant ideas in the time of need and makes your heart stronger and braver. But as you wish, more for us." Bleys said, swearing to himself he will introduce Sjakk to wonderful world of drinking. "As I said, I travelled a lot, even to other kingdoms. In one of them I was even taken prisoner by Orcs and spend entire year as their leader's, Cesar-Kan's, as they call him, personal slave, for he enjoyed my wit and I had taught him Common language, which he wanted to learn very much. Now, in my old years call for adventure boils again in my veins. But enough about me. How about you, our dear preist? What does brought you to the live of traveller?"

[a gentle goat]

"Huh. Sounds like most of us're travelers then."

Rirleg takes another gulp of wine. "As for me, I used to be a settled-down city man. The Church actually chose to send me on a sacred pilgrimage to a holy site, because I was such a great help, but I got lost and ended up here instead. The cardinals said I should take as long as possible before coming back, for the purposes of spiritual reflection, so I'm not in a hurry or anything."

[NosferatuZodd]

Leokul listened to the words of Rirleg and then turned his face to Bleys. "Please Bard, if you do not mind, i'd enjoy another goblet full of that wine. And do tell, what made you want to become a music man such as yourself?"

[Man on Fire]

I was born with natural talent for words and songs." Said Bleys, pouring the wine into Leokul's cup. And into his own. "I would become the greatest poet in the history, haven't the call of adventure send me away from books and straight into the saddle."

[Empedocles]

Hector puts down his book and says, "It sounds to me like most of you are travelers. Perhaps you can tell me something of this land, for I lived most of my life never going far from home...unfortunate circumstances led me here, but I would be fascinated to hear about the world us five will surely explore."

[NosferatuZodd]

"Death is the only thing you'll find everywhere in this world, i've seen death my entire life and have caused my fair share of it. If any of you are expecting a journey full of wonder and happy praise, you'll be disappointed." Leokul stated, a flat, grim tone to his voice as he took a long drink from the goblet. "So if you have any naive ideas, it's best to squash them before they really sting you in the ass"

[a gentle goat]

"Oh, I disagree. I dunno much about this Vale place, but it seems pretty nice. The locals are friendly enough. I bet this adventure is gonna be really fun." Rirleg finishes the rest of his wine and reaches over for a bottle to fill his goblet again.

[Empedocles]

Hector smiles shyly at the contrasting descriptions of the world at large. I do hope that Rirleg is correct on this one, though I mean no offense to you Leokul.

[Demidos]

Fun. The quest to save our entire world. Well, I suppose after all, an adventure is only an inconvenience rightly considered. An inconvenience is an adventure wrongly considered. Sjakk says wryly.

[CaeruliusVentus]

The night continues pleasantly and at last you all crawl into bed. The morning, in turn, comes quietly and you wake to slight hangovers for those that imbibed the wine.

The morning is dark with overcast clouds that promise rain and there is a slight headwind. Travel is still easy on the road, but around noon your path turns off across a field that leads to the forest. Other travelers gives you weird looks when you head off the main road. Everything seems fine in the field, though half way through the clouds open and a downpour begins.

[Man on Fire]

It wasn't what I means when I asked for water." Said Bleys, who was still suffering from hangover - previous night he drank the most of them all. He would ask his commrades to go a little bit faster, but in his state even that could send him from the saddle, right into the mud.

[NosferatuZodd]

"Come now Bleys, a little rain never hurt anybody. And it feels rather relaxing after that buzz from last night." Leokul laughed, riding up towards Bleys and looking at him closer. "Come on now, Music Man, don't tell me you can't even handle a hangover?"

[Man on Fire]

"Hangover is a price we pay for enjoying viarous healing propherties of the alcohol, a man should not hide it but wear proudly. And I would enjoy the rain, wouldn't we be forming our own heroic saga. In every one of them nothing good ever happens in the rain - except for the song of Lurych and Oren, but even there touching reunion in the reain leads to the tragedy. We're following steps of legendary heroes in our journey to save the Vale, we should expect things may work for us similiar way. Of course you may say this is not a story but real life, but belive me - in my long live I seen too many people say that, only for things to turn for them just like in one of the stories they dismissed so quickly." Bleys smiled at Leokul - apparently a little irking of his ego was enough to make him deal with a hangover. "And when we're at it, I thought of what you said yesterday. And yes, it is true our journey is probably going to be hard and full of horrors, but every once in a while sun shines even through darkest clouds. Therefore, we should enjoy every happy moment we have like it's our last, so we won't regret anything if we die. I'm defenitely am going to - as a wise mentor figure I'm probably the first one to go, through I hope my status of bard, as someone who will have to tell our tale one day, may be enough to grant me god's protecion."

[NosferatuZodd]

"Perhaps, but forgive me if I don't believe that this journey will have much sunshine for this warrior... Something has been bothering me, when I asked the prophet my question, it was answered in my head, but i'm not sure if I like the answer." Leokul paused in thought, looking at his hands, flexing his fingers to examine the black talon-like claws that jutted from the tips. "Whatever gives me my power is from my ancestors, she said i've received it much stronger and greater then any before me. But this power isn't good, it doesn't come from a just being. And she said it's only going to get stronger."

[Empedocles]

Hector looks at Leokul, pondering his words for a moment, then answers, I suspect that among all of us, you may perhaps have to do the most wrestling with your inner passions...but there are those who have received a dark power and put it to good use. I have studied several of them before...

[Man on Fire]

Bleys was silvent for a moment and his face was serious like never before.
"You carry a dark burden. But whoever was your ancestor, you are you, not him. Each one of us carry our parens in the blood, but it's never said we have to turn out to be like them. You are a good person, Leokul, so if the darkness in you will grow, so must the good." He said, then strongly pat the large man in the back. "And being grim and worrying does nothing but feeds the shadow inside all of us. So lets us enjoy every moment of happyness, for it is good for mind and and soul."

[NosferatuZodd]

Leokul smiled, nodding at the words of his comrades. "Bleys. I thank you for you words, for a Music Man you carry a grand amount of wisdom." He then turned to Hector and said. "What are you saying my comrade Hector? Do explain if you don't simply jest at my expense."

[Demidos]

I know not of who our friend speaks, but I have certainly studied many with dark pasts who have done great works. Katzar the Fist was a Githyanki that turned his back on his heritage, and travelled with the Order of the Golden Tree, even saving the order on numerous occasions, not the least of which was the Battle for Kelsguard. Raq'sil the Craftsman was perhaps the greatest sculptor of all time, decorating dozens of fair churches, despite his fiendish nature. Though many follow their nature, it is only due to their decisions that they follow it -it isn't intrinsic. Sjakk interjects. Had the group known him better, they would know that he was thinking of his father. A half-fiend. His father's heritage was all that his mother would ever tell him, in the hope that he would abandon the search. It had never worked, but Sjakk had never found ever the slightest clue as to his father's identity.

[CaeruliusVentus]

Soon enough, while you talk, you pass beneath the edge of the forest and are freed from the onslaught of water, though the sound of it is still present. There no path through the woods, but there is little underbrush to impede your travel.

Your first sight inside of the forest shows it to be a normal forest with tal trees amid a carpet of dead leaves.

[Man on Fire]

"Now, lets stay focused." Said Bleys, pulling out and loading his crossbow."I'll go first and see what lies ahead. Be prepared in case I'll ecounter something I won't be able to handle.
And as he said, so he did, moving ahead the group, while being very careful, watching and listening his surroundings.

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(1d20+4)[16] Listen check
Followed by
(1d20+1)[2] Spot check

[Demidos]

Right. Sjakk reaches into his pocket. I've picked up a few tricks to defend myself. Pulling forth a small figurine, he tosses it up, spinning. As it spins, a keen eye would see that it is a small carving of a wolf. As it reaches the top of its arc, it falls to his hand, lengthening as it does, until a short sword lies in his grasp. In his other hand, he grasps another figurine. Ready to go in?

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Spot (1d20-2)[18]
Listen (1d20-2)[15]

[CaeruliusVentus]

Bleys

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The sound of the rain resounds loudly on the leaves, but you can still detect the absence of normal forest sounds as the creatures wait out the storm.

Sjakk

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The rain is still loud as it hits the leaves. You notice that some of the leaves are considerably darker than others. A leaf on one tree, two on another. They seem randomly dispersed.

[Man on Fire]

Bleys gives his comrades a signal that he doesn't see anything strange and moves ahead, still observing his surroundings.

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(1d20+4)[9] Listen check
(1d20+1)[19]Spot check

[Demidos]

Sjakk motions for the others to stop, and examines the leaves more closely.

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