Londelirinen Kingdom
Aerie of the High King
Isiliri Residence
1st day of the 8th month: Temoth Ore
8:15 am
The morning brought new travels, and Elessarae left early. Her journey was set out clearly, and she only had to go from one major site to the other. Following roads would give her an advantage, and she might be able to make up for lost time.

Her first landmark was the Flower Castle, a place for festivities and celebration of the seasons. Right now summer was descending into fall, and the feast of transferral would be later today. It was known to be one of the most beautiful happenings for this time of year.

It would take her two and a half days to get there, and the first day went by considerably peaceful. The roads were fairly empty, and there was no cause for obstruction. At noon on the second day of her trip she came by a small village, where she was welcomed by a very disturbing sight.
A possum, the size of a young child, was impaled on a group of sticks. Dried blood covered its fur, and flies swarmed around it. As she moved closer, two elves sprang forward, one carrying a short sword, the other a bow with knocked arrow. Upon seeing Elessar, they lowered their weapons, and greeted her.

“Good day, my lady. We apologize for the rude display, but we’ve been facing some terrible animal attacks. Are you sure those horses you’ve got there are healthy?”

---

Inhabited Cave
South-west Chakran Mtns.
28th day of the 7th month: Pfier
12:39 am
The fishmen hadn’t looked like they were going to attack Vidar right after he had come out of the water. With the arrival of the enormous tentacled fish, they changed like leafs on a tree.
Vidar noticed the sudden change, and reached for his longspear. Grabbing the weapon cost time, and the six fishmen were on him before he could ready himself.

The first one took a running jump, but Vidar could duck away in time to avoid the gaping maw. The second one timed its charge better, and sharp teeth sunk into the fighter’s arm. The fishman drew back, and tore a bloody stream of skin with it. In its wake came another attacker, using the distraction of the successful hit. This one bit hard into Vidar’s shoulder, pushing part of the Khord’s armor into his own muscles. Vidar twirled around and shook off the scaled menace, and was now ready to face the other three creatures.
The first two attacks failed, but the last fishman dove low, and closed its mouth around the warrior’s lower leg. Vidar kicked the creature aside, and readied his spear for a counter attack. Down came the weapon and punctured the heart of the kicked fishmen. It died instantly, but its death did nothing to lower the morale for the others.

They came upon him all at once. There was nowhere to duck, and there were too many hands and mouths to fight off. He was losing blood rapidly, and the fishmen pinned him down, and tied him up. He was half conscious when he felt himself taken into a cave, where he was stripped of his weapons and left for dead.

The cave was damp, and water dripped down on Vidar’s head. There was only one opening, and that was blocked by a heavy wooden fence.

(OOC: You have your equipment and armor, but not your weapons or your shield.)

Alloryen Kingdom
Village of Birch-Root
25th day of the 7th month: Pfier
9:13 pm
In another part of Antaron, another battle was fought. Malius Darkblade was in serious peril. His leg was trapped in loose sand that was now tamped down by the weight of the dire badger. Fighting feverishly for his shorter weapons, Malius also tried to duck the attacks from the large beast.

The creature was fast, two claws came flying in, and one raked hard over the ranger’s chest. With a hew driven by a sudden fear for his life, Malius slammed his short sword into the creature’s leg. The blade bounced off an external piece of bone. The badger’s long snout with gleaming teeth dove down with disastrous aim. It was cut short by a sudden flash from the side. Malius looked up to see Thondrek’s beard staring down at him. The Khord’s blade had hit the badger straight in the face, and teleported it 10 feet away. Malius had been bought some more time.

Geimiedefher came running after his fellow beard. He wasn’t much of a fighter, but his healing skills would most certainly help out his Sylvari companion. Judging by the torn and bloodstained outfit, Malius would not last much longer. He lay his hands on the ranger, and let Kharox weld the wounds shut. Still heavily bruised, Malius was able to draw some breath.

As soon as Geim bent over to heal his companion, a crackling beam of lightning flew overhead and struck the badger in the chest. A sickening smell filled the area, but when the brightness of the flash faded from their lenses, they could all see the badger coming in at full speed.
The creature looked shaken, but still charged straight at Thondrek with a deadly claw aimed at the Khord’s head. The claw closed over Thondrek’s face and the impact of the badger almost knocked him down. Now he had four bloody lines from nails over his face, missing his eyes by an inch.

Loda and Gothard stood nailed to the ground. Draven also seemed reluctant to act. Whatever their reasons, fear, judging expectation or something else, their companions would need their aid.

"Arg!"
Thondrek howled and cursed as his face felt afire with pain, and he could taste the blood upon his lips. The Badger had struck him good, but he knew Malius, still stuck beneath/behind him was in more dire straights than he.

The blood gave him an idea as he licked crimson droplets from the corner of his mouth. "Kharox watch over me, and Loda get yer head out o' yer arse and back me here!"

Thondrek slashed once more at the badger, this time channelling a Blade of Blood at the beast, choosing to take the self inflicted damage in hopes of dealing a more devastating blow.

With more than one capable healer in the party, he hoped they would be able to backpack him with their healing touch, that he may stand and fight that much longer.

Another mutated beast, Elessarae pauses in her ride to view the animal. How far ranged was this contagion; owls, rabbits, squirrels and now this possum. What would it be like when a true predator was also tainted?

As the two figures leap from cover, Elessarae's hand is on her sword and her sword half out, such was the training she recieved at the Tower. Even as they speak her sword is full clewar of her sheath out and ready. Stating the obvious she nods

"I am aware of the mutated animals and have even fought some demonic owls," and when they inquire of the health of her horses, she is puzzled, "but why do you ask about the health of my horses?"

Londelirinen Kingdom
Road between the Aerie and Flower Castle
Town of Daffodil Falls
2nd day of the 8th month: Temoth Ore
1:07 pm
"We inquire any who travels through our grounds. We had to put two of our finest mares down because they were attacking their children, as well as their owners."

He looked around as if he heard something, though Elessar wasn't aware of anything unusual. Then he continued.

"We have our healthy horses inside for now, and kill anything that could possibly be tainted by this sickness."

"I am sorry for your loss, this colt lost his mother from an attack of mutated owls, though they did not kill her she was sorely affected and chose to go off and die."

Elessarae saw the man's sudden inattention and she moves her right hand closer to the hilt of her sword. She extends her senses out to possible ferret out what it was that caught the man's attention. Were there others in the bushes? Was that why he ended up ingoring the sound or movement.

"A Lady of the Bladesinger's tower has recently taken up the quest to find the reasons for the mutated animals. If you wish to help, then take that carcass to the High Druid in Sillmarion, maybe he can find out from it if it is a disease or something else. But be careful, I took a dead demonic owl to the High Druid and a flock of them came to attack his tower. It might be that there is someone behind all this that does not want us to find the source of the mutations."

Alyssia watched as the badger turned on Thondrek, bringing a series of cuts to his face, just missing his eye. She would not stand by and watch as it felled her companion. her goddess would stand by to aid her in this action. It was something she had done once, turning her skin into a virtual suit of armor and would so once again.

With a prayer to her goddess, she then rushed off to aid her ally.

(Casting stoneskin and then will move in to help thondrek.)

Malice once on the verge of passing out felt refreshed and was no longer bleeding. Thanks to Geim and his fast action on healing the Ranger, Malice was able, while the creature's attention was elsewhere, to pull his leg out of the dirt and pick up his dropped longsword. Moving closer the Sylvari Ranger awaited an opening to strike back at the creature who had surprised him. This time the badger would not find him as helpless as before....

Loda waited at the south eastern edge of Birchroot, waiting for this so called monstrous badger to appear. Gothard lay next to her, vigilintly watching for anything and everything. They both were content with the ale that they had before they left, and was ready to fight anything that came her way.

Soon though she heard leaves and twigs crunching underfoot, and it seemed to be coming closer, and very fast. She reached for her axe and shield, but sighed as it was only Lanelion, one of the residents of the town.

He ran right up to her, his face as white as freshly sheered sheep wool.

"It's coming this way, it's coming this way I tell you!"

He shook her shoulders hard, and Loda yelled out for her allies to hunt this beast down. Soon they were tracking the beast where Lanelion had seen it, a clear path of broken branches and things layed out before them.

Malius sunk into the ground, and the beastly creature burst from the ground. Mud and dirt matted in its fur, and bone pieces jutted from its boy. This wasnt a normal badger. This wasnt even a normal dire badger. Something was tampering with nature, and this enraged Loda. If the stories of what the townsfolk had told them about the other animals were true, then somethign was wrong here. Something for than the eye can see.

But they needed to take care of this now, and Malius was already badly damaged, they retaliated against the beast. Alyssia Lightning bolted it, and Thondrek attacked it multiple times, it was her turn now to try an help.

" Gothard, get behind the beast and attack it, it's better than charging it from the front! I have just the thing that will help us out."

Loda set her weapon to her side and started to pray, and waved her hands gently infront of her. A small orange ball of fire started to grow in her hands, whisps of flames licking off of it as it grew bigger and bigger as she prayed. Soon she raised her hands in the air and a very large ball of fire hovered above her. She pointed her finger at the badger, and the ball of fire moved towards it, hurling itself onto the beast.

( Loda will cast flaming sphere, and direct it to attack the badger, and every turn as a free action i will direct it to attack the badger too. if this takes multiple turns to cast, on the second turn I'll heal Thondrek, and direct the flaming sphere to attackt he badger again.)

Geim cursed under his breath as the monster rent the flesh of another of his companions. It seemed that this would become a battle of attrition - would the party's healers be able to keep the warriors together long enough for them to slay the beast?

Grimly, the runemaster once again grasped his holy symbol and muttered a prayer to Kharox, this time seeking the god's aid to heal Throndek. Though none of us'd complain if ye dropped a bouler or three on tha' badger-monster! Geim mentally noted to the Ageless Craftsman.

Provided that the party's collective wounds are reasonably healed, the runemaster will grasp his own weapon and lend whatever aid he can to the fight directly. If, however, others continue to face the same luck as the warriors thus far have done, the cleric will tend their wounds as best he can.

Truth be told, Draven Ire'Dante had not intended to join his companions on their “hunt” for the troublesome badger that had been plaguing the village. The mercenary wasn't accostomed to team work, or even human company for particularly long periods of time; and, for the most part, he could do without this group that he currently found himself surrounded with. The events of the previous night had left him in the same condition that countless nights since his “Rebirth” had done before. Physically he was rejuvinated. Even mentally his thoughts were clear, and he wasn't plagued by that aching call. But he was miseribly dour. Why wouldn't he be? Yet another bit of eternal torment placed on his shoulders. A lesser man would have crumbled by now, and done himself in.

Or are you simply a stronger man because said option isn't available?
Draven leaned back against the tree and took a deep breath from his pipe, savoring the taste of the smoke; before letting it flow from his lips and over his face like a gray, etherial blanket.

The night was calm, for the circumstances, and he had succumbed to the call of the darkness and the trees. So he stood, in a grove, away from the lights of the village, and enjoyed the caress of the nights breath, and the whisper of the forest. He enjoyed his solitude; and he enjoyed this respite from duty, and from pain. He had removed his glove, and tucked it into his belt. The back of his right hand; that evil, black spiral...had stopped spinning a few hours ago, and the mark was motionless and typical once more. For a moment he wondered what would happen if he severed his own hand...and the thought brought a smirk. “Prolly just piss Ol' Lugsy off, and drag him from his halls to give me a brand new tattoo.” The smirk disapeared when Draven realized just where the new mark might be placed. “You win again, Lugsnadah.”

Enjoying another breath of his pipe, before tapping the contents out against the trunk he leaned against, and replacing his pipe in its pouch, Draven sighed. “But one day, you will lose.” Turning, he started to head back towards the village. 'and you need a better hobby then talking to yourself. Perhaps a girl...or the collecting of rocks.' Draven chuckled.

A cry pearced the forest ahead, followed by raised voices and a shrill, animal shriek. Draven stopped, frowning. So they had found the beast. Well good. Means tomorrow they could head out again. Of course, Dravens luck indicated he would need to pass by the battle to get back to the village. Sighing and unsheathing his blade, he strolled through the trees, towards the glimmering of torches, and the cries of battle. While he had valued his quiet time,and saw little reason to help with the hunt, it was now brought conveniently close to him; and only a coward would intentionally avoid a battle for the sake of avoiding it. A coward was one thing Draven had never been called, and should it ever happen, would likely be the last words of the accuser.

The battle was raging, as Draven strolled through the brush, massive Dai-Katana in hand, and long, black hair flowing in the night air. His unholy, golden eyes flashed over the group, hesitating on the wounded Elf, grappling with his weapons behind the sturdy figure of Thondrek; before settling on the Badger. Draven couldn't help but let out a shrill whistle of approval. The elves hadn't lied. Cracking his neck once, the warrior strolled the perimiter of the battle, to get a clear charging point, before lunging towards the beast, blade held high, and gleaming with hunger.

( Will attempt to get a clear CHARGE at the badger, at the rear, as to get a flanking on it, and also so as not to suffer the effects of the negative to my own ac for the first round)

The battle was overwhelming and rather short. Vidar barely managed to kill one of them before being defeated by the others and tied up. They stripped him of his weapons and brought him to locked up room. If he could get loose from the ropes, he might be able to get out of there, but the Khord had never been good with knots.

Vidar was badly wounded from the fight, but the worst part was that his armor was damaged. He loved his armor. The relatively young Khord tried anything he could think of to loosen the ropes; he tried to break them by force, tried to use the edges of the cave walls to cut them, and he even tried to wriggle himself free. He needed to get loose and get out of here. He was not going to die as a prisoner.

Alloryen Kingdom
Village of Birch-Root
25th day of the 7th month: Pfier
9:13 pm
Pulling and kicking his leg, Malius was able to free himself from the dirt trap. Once he had liberated himself, his eyes sprang to the abomination of nature. He resheathed his dagger, and grabbed for his longsword. The creature would suffer.

In the meantime, Loda had snapped out of her trance, and ordered Gothard to attack. With healthy reluctance the wolf obeyed, while the druid wove her spell. A ball of fire began to grow in her hands. Careful not to burn her beard, Loda pushed the ball away from herself, and mentally steered it at the badger. The ball picked up speed along the way, and soon its light could be seen reflected in the eyes of the distorted mammal.
The badger reared up in a strange twist and evaded the ball by inches.

Thondrek roared from the pain in his face. But he used the anger the pain created to his benefit. Calling on the magic of battle he swung his axe, giving his own life energy to enhance the impact. His blade swooped in, but missed the badger, who was now descending from the rear.

Alyssia was also casting her magic. She felt the magic grow like a solid aura around her. It tightened around her skin until it felt hard as stone. Feeling much safer, she darted forward to help Thondrek with his wounds.
Geimiedefher arrived first though, and channelled the Creator’s divine magic into his hands. Aiming carefully, he pushed his hands upon Thondrek in between the warrior’s axe-swings. Dodging the blade, he could see the cuts in Thondrek’s face close and vanish. Then his eyes caught a flash in the bushes. A black form sprang forward from the badger’s flank and a dark blade came down. Draven had joined the battle.
Unfortunately, the fighter’s entrance wasn’t as glorious as he had hoped. Soulscythe came down hard, but bounced off a piece of bone and thick hide.

The badger roared up again, and made a full attack against the Khord in front of him. First came two claws, rapidly after each other. The first bounced off the solid breastplate, but the second one dug its nails into the warrior’s neck. Then the badger’s pointy snout opened up and closed itself around Thondrek’s right shoulder. For a moment the badger had a full hold of the Khord. Then it released, and tore a chunk of flesh and clothes with it.

Now Malius got his open chance, and took it. He buried his longsword deep into the badger’s back.
Loda’s ball of flame returned, but again the badger knew to evade it, and by doing so, yanked itself free from Malius’ blade.
Gothard finally found the courage to spring at the beast, and bit hard in one of the legs.
Thondrek swung his axe again. It hurt him to strike, but he hit hard, and true. Deep went the blade of his axe. The badger roared, cried even.
Its screams intensified when Geim stepped in with his axe, and hit the animal hard under the chin. The creature stammered for a second. Alyssia saw her chance and spread her healing energy over Thondrek.

The companions were now a sea of healthy assault on the steadily weakening badger. Last to strike was Draven. He sprang upon the faltering creature and drove his katana through its skull.

The badger sunk and breathed out its last air. They had all lived through his rage, and the village was safe once more.

(OOC: Wow, that first round you hit nothing, but the second one was one big line of successful hits. Only Malius has some wounds left to heal, but Thondrek is healed completely.)

---

Londelirinen Kingdom
Road between the Aerie and Flower Castle
Town of Daffodil Falls
2nd day of the 8th month: Temoth Ore
1:07 pm
The elves blocking the road thanked Elessar for the information. They would seek the druid in Sillarion and request his council. They allowed the bladesinger to pass and wished her good luck and Kith-Jora’s blessing.

She continued her journey and several hours later arrived at the River of Floating Flowers. She realized immediately why it was named, for the streaming water was layered with flower petals. On the evening of the last day of Pfier, the festivities at the Flower Castle were concluded by strewing all the dried petals of summer’s flowers into the river. The transition to the next season always was a rather abrupt one, at the Lote-Ishtel. The road she had to follow bent northwards, missing the Flower Castle, but aiming towards Flame Keep.

When the sky was turning purple and the moon was making its introduction, she reached the swamps that lay between the river of flowers and the river of light. There, on a dry piece of land, rested a group of elves. They had a campfire up and crackling. When they saw Elessar coming, one of them got up and invited her to rest the night with them. It was always safer to be in groups during the nights.

(assuming you take the invitation)

That night, by the fire, one of the elves shared with them a tale about the area between the two rivers. The legend told of the two spirits of the Duin Lotesira and the Rilma Duin coming together on the stretch of land where the two rivers came closest. Their love sprouted flowers, so special and enchanted, they gave light in the darkness. These plants carried an essence of healing, but only bloomed when the River of Light shone at its brightest. It was said that only then the spirit of the Duin Lotesire could perceive her lover, and that her happiness gave life to the flowers.

(OOC: You can continue your journey the next morning. There are no further obstacles, but I need you intentions, because I have no clue how you want to find the group.)

Inhabited Cave
South-west Chakran Mtns.
28th day of the 7th month: Pfier
12:39 am
Vidar had been wounded. His body ached, but that was not the worst part. He lay defeated and tied up. His pride had taken a deeper cut than his physical self.

Waking up from the dampness and the bruises, Vidar looked around. After a short inspection he found a sharp rim on the rocks, and started scraping his ropes. Very soon, the hemp was down to thin strings. A couple of firm hews later the rope split, and Vidar was free. But now he still faced the fence that blocked his exit.

The bars of the fence were solid, though stinking heavily of fungus and decay. From his prison, Vidar could see a hallway going either way. There were several more chambers here, though he could not see what was in those chambers. Most were natural caves, but apparently the fishmen had cut out some extra doorways and barricaded other areas. The hallway was empty and dark, with no lights or fishmen walking them.

Thondrek felt the blood running smoothly down the wounds in his face, using the pain to fuel the swing of his mighty axe, cursing as he missed the incredibly agile beast. His companions reacted in tune, and he smiled as Geim placed a firm hand upon his back, Kharox's gift mending many of his wounds.

The gift wouldn't be enough however, as once more he took the brunt of the badger's attack, this time the bloody lil bugger took a piece of the khord with him. Growling in anger Thondrek stepped forward his blood freely flowing and spurning him on. He swung his axe and was satisfied as it sank deep into the creature with a flaying crunch.

Alyssa too had stepped forward this time to heal him, and her goddess had answered with a powerful blessing. With the addition of Draven, Geim, and Malius' return to the fight, they made short work of the badger.

Breathing heavily, Thondrek could only place a hand upon Geim's shoulder with a look of thanks. And a smile and nod tossed to Alyssa. With his eyes falling upon Draven but speaking to noone in particular he added "and this is why our wall stands firm; each knows their part, and supports one another, for surely no single stone of would have felled this beast."