Chapter 2: High Road to Krusk

The four of you lift the sleeping worg and stretcher into the rear of the cave, to ensure that prying eyes will not easily notice its presence. As you all exit the cave and look out at the evening skies, you realize that you will have just enough time before nightfall to focus back on the primary quest, and end your day's journey in the trade town of Scornubel. It should be the best option for supplies and lodging.

Cordial, you linger back a bit and lay a hand over the bandaged neck of the worg. Despite the common knowledge and awareness of the inherently vicious, evil nature of worgs, you could not help but feel empathy for this suffering beast. It will be hard to predict what it will do when it wakes from its slumber, and realizes again that its master has gone.

As you lift your hand from the beast's neck and walk to catch up with the others, you hear that voice talk to you, the one from before. It's certainly not the worg speaking, nor the two human corpses in the cave or your companions.

"I'm going to guesssss that this worg is going hunting when it wakes up," the voice says, "all posssssible because of you. I think you're probably the best candidate to be my new master. Name, and line of work?

Cordial looks around furtively at the others. She doesn't recognize the voice and something about it tells her she might be the only one hearing it. She would like to be certain that no one else is hearing it before she attempts to reply. This also gives her a moment to wrestle with her competing thoughts of where the voice could be coming from and what it might mean about her if she is in fact hearing voices.

(OOC: Is anyone else hearing this?)

Ezythyr sees the frantic look in Cordial's eyes. "It's the staff, lass. Somethin' resides in the wood." He narrows his eyes and glances back at the goblin. "It wanted nothin' t'do with me." He walks over to the corpse. "But I aim to try and make right with me mistakes. I'll be a few minutes." He sits down and becomes silent.

----

OOC: You know my plan, DM. Tell me what to roll.

[Cordial first, then Ezythyr. - DM]

The voice speaking to you, Cordial, confirm's Ezythyr's words. "For sure, misssss, I find myself very intrigued by your kindnesssss and methods. This worg could rend your flesh from your bonessss--I've seen it before--but you still wish to provide it care. Will you do me the same kindnesssss, regardless of my nature, my appearance, as my master did before you? That dwarf there, issss... quite glib about life and death... I would prefer to live and thrive... May I travel with thee, so that I can continue to do so under your care?"

Cordial decides to keep the staff as long is it's useful and doesn't appear to cause unintended consequences. She paused after her thoughts to see if she needed to put her thoughts into words directed at the staff or if it was able to read her mind.

"Cordial... Deadheart, is it?" the voice confirms. "I can roll either way, your thoughtsss or words I am very familiar with. We are now bound, and my sssservices are at your disposal, you need only ask or think it. Just, please, when the time comessss, please be nice?"

As the staff mentions the "bond", you unconsciously realize some truths about the staff. This is a very old, very odd Staff of the Python +1, radiating unusually occurring arcane energies. It has deflected many curses and magical attacks over its life, preventing its master's death at the cost of irreversible physical and non-physical changes, which will likely reveal themselves over time.

[Cordial, once I add the item description page to the Magical Items section, you can update your character sheet accordingly - DM]

Ezythyr channels his arcane energy, attempting to pierce the veil into the realm of the recently passed. He knew it wouldn't be long before the spirit of the goblin was drawn into the realm beyond. This would be tricky, as he needed to not only pierce the veil, but also convince the spirit.

---

OOC: Going to roll Arcana +5 to contact Ethereal realm and communicate with the goblin's spirit.

The member 'Ezythyr Coalthane' has done the following action : Dices roll

---

'd20' : 16

[At this point, I think Cordial has left the cave, Thokk and Eledriar are waiting at the ridge for the rest of you to catch up, and Ezythyr is in the cave with the bodies. This got a bit confusing because I thought you brought the gerblin body out next to the worg's, but we'll say that you all 'stretchered' them both back into the cave. - DM]

Ezythyr, only you are able to see that your summoning is successful; a small portal appears on the ground next  before you, swirling and spinning quickly. You see a pair of arms emerge from it, and as they pull a body up from the portal, you recognize the gerblin form that climbs out of the portal as Morkan the gerblin shaman. It appears puzzled, floating and looking around at its surroundings, its voice wispy and echoing.

"This is not what I was expecting, when that Kravitz fellow said I would need to receive sentencing from the Raven Queen. This place looks just like the cave where I dragged the mages and..."

The spirit has caught a glimpse of its worg companion, now laying very still, wrapped in mage robes. It floats over, passing its ethereal hand over the worg's neck bandages.

"Dhakec, I didn't see you in the astral plane, surely you're still alive? Thank Maglubiyet! I suppose I have you to thank--and hate--for this?"

The gerblin spirit is looking directly at you, Ezythyr.

Meanwhile, Thokk and Eledriar, you stand at the ridge overlooking the cave mouth, seeing Cordial make her way back up to you. The night has fallen, and in the distance you can make out the faint torchlights in the caravan town of Scornubel. Ready for rest, meals, and supplies, you are ready to put this strange encounter behind you, and wait somewhat impatiently for Cordial and Ezythyr to catch up.

But you sense something in the air, something amiss. You can feel a presence approaching, one that seems to be emanating a very hostile energy.

[Thokk or Eledriar, please roll a d20, I'll take an average of the two and round down. - DM]

"Ye have me to thank for naught but what I regret, Morkan. I judged quickly, and reacted harshly. I did ye a disservice." He gestures to the sleeping Worg. "Ye have me companion to thank fer yer friend's rest. She says the creature will live." He turns back to the spirit. "I now ask of ye somethin' ye may not wish to give. I ask yer forgiveness. I'm trained in the necromantic arts. I do not yet have the power to restore yer life, but I can allow yer spirit to join with me, to serve for the good of people." He lowers his eyes. "To stay me hand when I dare raise it against those that are innocent."

A stirring of ethereal energy manifests next to the dwarf. The form of a heavily armored dwarf appears, looking stern and angry. Eyes aglow with rage, he screams at the two. "Over my dead body! Er...deader body? Bah! Either way, I say nay! Ye cannot destroy thousands of generations of tradition to let some creature have an honored position with yer ancestors!"

Ezythyr sighs. "Ye lead me to his death, Kidrin. I let you have more sway than ye should." He looks angrily at the spirit. "Ye can no longer be the only voice screamin' in me head!" He turns his gaze back to the goblin spirit. "What say ye, shaman? Will ye be me voice of reason?"

---

OOC: Diplomacy? +5 to the roll.

The member 'Ezythyr Coalthane' has done the following action : Dices roll

---

'd20' : 16

Eledriar frowns as a chill wind rushes through her, as if it pierces straight to her bones. "Cordial," she calls, "everything alright in there?" - knowing, as she asks, that she may not like the answer.

OOC: rolling d20.

The member 'galaxysedge' has done the following action : Dices roll

---

'd20' : 4

OOC: I don't know if I've rolled well even once this chapter. Damn

[Ezythyr, your rolls are beefed out... 16 + 5 Diplomacy check means that Morkan does not question your sincerity. - DM]

The spirit of Morkan looks over at the angry dwarven spirit of Kidrin, then down again at Dhakec, before responding to your request.

"Thank your healer for her kindness, but do understand, what you did was monstrous. I'm not ready to forgive, but I understand why you did what you did; any other man, dwarf, elf, that saw what I was doing... I suppose they would have done the same. Violence truly begets more violence, and to my old mob boss I was just another mage-killing gerblin. I ran away from that life with Dhakec, hoping to be more. These mages offered me that chance..."

Morkan's spirit drifts backward a bit, momentarily lost in thought, then speaks once more.

"Truly I'm not the one to teach you the balance of when to take or preserve life... and I sense that this 'dragaac dhuuch' haunting you isn't the one, either. But with time, you will probably learn this yourself. For now, I will follow you and your companions to provide what worldly knowledge I still possess. I only ask that should you run into the men that brought this ruin upon my 'dhalkel'dec', send their souls swiftly to the Raven Queen's judgment. Call upon me when you seek guidance... of the non-'kill kill kill' variety."

The spirit begins to fade out towards the cave mouth, flowing away on the night breeze. Suddenly, it reapparates quickly, and whispers to you.

"Oh, you don't want to be anywhere near Dhakec when she wakes; she'll be fine without me, but if I know my worg, she's going to be quite hungry when she gets up. And of singular purpose when she can run again."

[Ezythyr, you have obtained the persona spirit of Morkan the gerblin shaman, to be summoned when guidance is needed. I'll add the Backstory to the boards later. - DM]

Thokk is cleaning his sword and keeping it's blade honed. "I don't like this place too much, do you think we can get into town for the night?"

The member 'Mikegld561' has done the following action : Dices roll

---

'd20' : 6

Cordial doesn't rush to the ridge, as she wants to spend more time understanding the staff to which she has suddenly found herself bound. She glances back toward Ezythyr and calls to the others that she believes everything is alright. Then she thinks to the staff, "where have you been before now and what services have you performed?" Her Druidic nature is cautious, hoping that the staff doesn't have an evil spirit, but her Infernal heritage, deep down, wants to yuck that yum a little. She adds to her thoughts, "have you a name?"

(OOC: pleasesayitdoesn'thaveaname pleasesayitdoesn'thaveaname pleasesayitdoesn'thaveaname pleasesayitdoesn'thaveaname pleasesayitdoesn'thaveaname)

[Thokk and Eledriar, your averaged encounter roll of 5 has been acknowledged. - DM]

Thokk and Eledriar, the hostile presence announces itself from behind you, and from its appearance and repulsive odor, you confirm that a Diseased Giant Rat is on approach. Currently standing about ten feet from your position, it is likely very hungry; the Diseased Giant Rat bares its drippy, jagged fangs, and prepares to leap towards the two of you, ready for a tasty bite.

It occurs to you that rats of this size may not need to hunt in groups, but the presence of the rest of the pack cannot be confirmed at this time.

[Because Ezythyr and Cordial are not yet in range, Thokk and Eledriar, please roll initiative. - DM]

OOC: +3

The member 'galaxysedge' has done the following action : Dices roll

---

'd20' : 10