(Corvin/Mordred Adventure 2): Hole in the Thornwall

[archolewa]

Terri smiles and backs up a step to keep from crowding Corvin as he climbs down. Now that he is closer to her, he can get a better look at her. It is immediately clear that whoever, or whatever, Terri is, she is not an elf. Some older elves *do* sport bright red hair. But elves tend to be much thinner and wispier in build than humans, and this woman has a more humanlike, comparatively stocky build. Her skin color is also more human. Elven skin color is as varied as human, but is of a different hue. It tends to match the color of wood, from light pine to dark ebony. Furthermore, elven ears are long and pointed, enough so that not even the thick hair Terri sports would be enough to hide them. Corvin sees no sign of such ears. Her dark red eye color is nothing like Corvin has seen in human or elf. He gets the faintest whiff of a campfire, as if the woman had recently spent several hours sitting next to one.

She is wearing an elegant, practical, and well-made short-sleeved dark red dress that blends into the darkness, and solid leather boots perfect for walking through a forest like the Great Green.

"I hope you don't mind if I toss this little thing away." Terri flicks the glowing pine cone into the trees. "I lit it up to make it easier for you to see me. We have no need of it now, yes?"

Assuming Corvin does not object, Terri begins leading him through the trees. Her eyes flick about the dark trunks warily, but not fearfully.

[shaidar]

Corvin

"I hope you don't mind if I toss this little thing away." Terri flicks the glowing pine cone into the trees. "I lit it up to make it easier for you to see me. We have no need of it now, yes?"

"Not at all"

Corvin follows Terri, but stays alert in case she is leading him into a trap. He also tries to get an idea if he thinks she is leading them in generally the right direction to get back to the group.

"You live out here all on your own? You can understand why I'm a little surprised at that."

[archolewa]

Going to carry Corvin's successful Navigation roll forward here.

Terri seems to be leading him back to the caravan in as direct a line as possible. The only time she leads him remotely astray is when they draw close to where he judges the abandoned monastery to be, at which point she leads him in a bit of an arc, giving it a wide berth.

Terri laughs her tinkling laugh. "Oh, I don't live here. I'm just passing through, getting a lay of the land. Quite a bit has changed in the past few months. It's enough to make a girl's head spin."

[shaidar]

Corvin

"Where do you live then? I hope that's not a rude question. Speaking of questions, you had some for me. Unless you're waiting to meet my friends."

[archolewa]

"That is some very valuable information," says Terri, her musical voice and expression still amused. "You'd have to do a lot to earn that. But then, I have a lot that needs to be done. A topic for later. I'll ask my questions once we're back with your companions. A show of trust on my part, yes?"

Terri guides Corvin the rest of the way, and before long, the caravan is back in view. Corvin spies the face of a halfling peering out from some bushes. He's pretty sure it's Beb, one of the Outside halflings. There's a rustle, and then the halfling sprints back towards the caravan. Terri does not seem surprised, or disturbed by the halfling. Her steps neither falter, slow, nor quicken.

Beb rushes back to the others. "Mordred, Mordred! Corvin is back! There's a strange human woman with him, and he looks like he might be injured. There's blood on his fur, and his tunic is torn in a few places."

"Injured?" cries Astrid, looking in the direction Beb came from. She spies Corvin and Terri approaching. "Sebastian, quick!"

Astrid hurries to meet the two, Sebastian right behind. Eleanor and Jandley get to work organizing the people of the caravan with Kasper's help.

She puts her hand warily on the hilt of her sword when she looks at Terri, her eyes flicking between Corvin and Terri, her expression torn between concern, and wariness. She says nothing.

[shaidar]

Corvin

Corvin smiles at Astrid.

"It's OK Astrid, it's nothing too serious. I found an old abbey down the path but it was protected by two gargoyles, living statues. I eventually lost them, and then I met Terri, or I suppose Terri found me. Terri hasn't been out for a while and was out taking the lay of the land now the Kinslayer is dead. She offered to help guide me back here in exchange for some answers to questions about what's been going on recently. She saw our group and was intrigued."

[Edeldhur]

Mordred

'Terri hasn't been out for a while...?' - Mordred frowned, replaying the words in his head, and observing Corvin carefully, wandering if he might be magically charmed, to simply trust this stranger so...

[archolewa]

Astrid frowns uneasily, but nods in acknowledgement of Corvin's words. She removes her hand from her swordhilt, but still watches the fiery-haired woman warily.

Sebastian approaches Corvin. "Come here, let's get you sat down and your wounds tended to."

Wisdom(First Aid): 1d20+16+1 = 30 > 20, heal 1d4 = 2. Corvin heals 2 HP, putting him at 12/14 I believe.

Sebastian takes some time to check and bandage Corvin's wounds. The pain eases, though his wounds still throb, and he remains rather tired.
Meanwhile, the Druid's dogs warily approach and sniff at Terri, low growls deep in their throats. Terri arches an eyebrow at them, her confident little smile not faltering. The dogs back away to rejoin Sebastian. Not cowering exactly, but respectful.

Mordred sees a magnificently beautiful human woman of indeterminate age. She could be anywhere from a mature twenty-something to a youthful forty-something. She has bright red hair pulled back into a braid, and dark red eyes. She wears an elegant but practical short-sleeved red dress that extends to just above her ankles. She is wearing a pair of fine leather boots of the exact type you would expect someone walking through the woods to wear. Her eyes flick briefly to Mordred's Magic-User starburst. She gives Mordred an amused smile, and her voice is filled with gentle humor. "Such wariness Sir Wizard! I'm only a lone woman wandering through a dense forest occupied by the remnants of the Tyrant's monstrous army. Whatever could you be suspicious of?"

[Edeldhur]

Mordred

"With the truth you deceive me" - Mordred replied to the woman and remained wary, reciting words he had heard or read somewhere he does not remember anymore, but which now seem fitting to the situation.

Then he turns to Corvin - "So...."

[shaidar]

Corvin

Happy with the job done, Corvin smiles at the druid "Thank you Sebastian. Luckily I found a dense tree where they could not follow and eventually they grew bored and left. Otherwise it would have been much worse."

Once Sebastian has finished binding his wounds Corvin turns his attention back to Mordred and Terri.

"Mordred, I see your manners haven't improved while I was away. So, Terri, what questions did you have for us?"

[archolewa]

Terri grins at Mordred's comment, but turns her attention back to Corvin. "We'll start with an easy, but most vexing one. How on Earth did the Tyrant die? Last I knew, he sat secure in the Maw fat on the power of three slain Immortals while His army kept you people bottled up behind your Wall. It was only a matter of time before He broke through and swept across your little refugee camp like He had countless times before."

[shaidar]

Corvin

"Sorry to disappoint you with the lack of our demise. While the details have not been shared with us commoners, we do know that the Seer took ten of our mightiest warriors into the Maw with him and defeated the Kinslayer."

[archolewa]

"Disappointed? Corvin my friend, I'm thrilled." Terri laughs with delight, but then her smile vanishes and her next words carry an edge. "That insane god turned my sons into violent beasts, and kidnapped my daughter. It has brought me no end of glee to hear you ended him."

A hot wind briefly rustles the leaves, and carries the smell of burning pines.

But then Terri smirks again. "But you don't really expect me to believe that a mere ten mortals no matter how powerful, and an Immortal with a fraction of the Tyrant's power just waltzed into the Maw, killed Him, and just waltzed back out?"

[shaidar]

Corvin

Corvin looks surprised "I'm sorry for what happened to your family." he pauses for a second before continuing "Only the Seer survived."

[archolewa]

"Oh? And I imagine the Elf Matthias was one of his warriors then, assuming he hadn't died of old age? Hmm. Interesting." Terri taps her lip thoughtfully. "And I don't suppose you know what the Seer is up to? He must be riding high right now, as the only surviving Immortal."

Matthias was indeed one of the Ten. A very old Elf, he had been getting on in years when the War started over three hundred years ago. He is the center of countless stories throughout the war, contending with powerful priests and wizards of the Kinslayer, destroying a lich, dueling with dragons, single-handedly holding off a Kinslayer army long enough for an entire city to evacuate. How much of these are true, how many are exaggerated and how many are wholly made up is impossible to really know.

[shaidar]

Corvin

Corvin shakes his head "Sorry, the Seer doesn't share his plans with the likes of me."

[archolewa]

"How very true." Terri winks at Mordred. "And do you know anything of the Tyrant's lieutenants? Dread, Viper, Malice and Karthiaxus?"

A hint of venom enters Terri's voice at that last name. "Surely they're scrambling to fill the Tyrant's oversized shoes. Any of them giving the Refuge trouble, or are they all bickering amongst themselves?"

[Edeldhur]

Mordred

"Who ARE you? Why all these questions?" - Mordred replied with a sneer - "And why should we answer them?" - he added - "You can head into Thorncity and ask around - we have more pressing matters than satisfying the curiosity of a random stranger on the road. We should leave. Now" - the last part was aimed at Corvin.

[archolewa]

Terri's eyebrow quirks. "You should know as well as anyone Mr. Mordred that knowledge is power, and I find mine distressingly out of date. And you are answering them because I helped Corvin get back here without getting lost in a dense, unfamiliar forest crawling with the Tyrant's monsters. A simple trading of minor favors."

Her eyes sweep across the exhausted caravan. "And you really intend to drag these people through said dense, unfamiliar forest in the middle of the night? They look dead on their feet. Those few who even are on their feet anyway."

[Edeldhur]

Mordred

"Why is your knowledge out of date then? Where have you been to be so detached from what is going on?" - the Magic-User did not relent - "Speak plainly, or leave us to our own business"