Past Meet Present - Out Into the Rain

Yet another night has come and gone and the Karameikan Fist finds itself short a couple of people as they head West towards the x-marked location on the "treasure map".  The recap can be found after the jump...

After having spent some time selling the equipment the party had accumulated, and having hired a traveling wizard to identify some of the things they had found to be magical, the party then set out to see what they could discover about the "Earth Blood".  However before they could Karath announced that given recent events he felt it best that he part ways for the time being with the company.  He said that he would return to Ashabenford and speak with Bastion of this and that he would ask to remain in his employ, perhaps seeking information rather than adventure, but may return at another time if they would have him back.  He then turned to Daisy and asked her to watch over Howler, having been working with her on the commands he uses with him.

Shortly after his departure they also received a note marked from Atvan along with a package.  He stated that he regretted to inform them that he as well had been called away by his old master who happened to be nearby.  He didn't state what he was being called away for but left parting gifts for the party such as chalk and colored rocks for Daisy and a sunrod and smokestick for Temeris and claimed that he would be able to track them and knew where they were heading and as such would catch up to them as soon as his business with his master was finished.

After seeing two of their party members depart in separate directions they stood discussing where to go from there.  They decided to continue on towards the treasure map believing it necessary to beat the Zhents there, and that they would still look to the local temples and also Elminster for information about the "Earth Blood".  It was decided that Crispin would try to reach Elminster while Shadow and Temeris would go to the local temples.  Daisy would remain with the horses and with Howler for a while at the Old Skull Inn.

Crispin decided that he would be the one to try Elminster, and approaching the tower which could have been an abandoned windmill or grain silo at one time he noticed that the trail leading up to it was marked with signs.  He read as he went along, things such as "Please respect my privacy" and "The rumors of the pit traps are mostly untrue" with each getting progressively worse and finally ending in one stating that the person interrupting the resident should notify the next of kin before doing so just in case.  Stepping much more carefully than he had before he approached the door cautiously, and getting no answer to his knock pulled out a piece of parchment and wrote a note which he slipped under the crack in the door and returned to the Inn.

Meanwhile Temeris and Shadow went to each of the three temples in town, those to Chauntea, Tymora, and to Lathander.  Each was able to state that without further information they really couldn't offer much themselves, though each stated that items of similar names have been talked about previously.  They also discovered that none of them knew of any tombs in the area on the map.  The Priest Grimson, who had greeted their new relationship with a hearty welcome in the way of the Lord of Beginnings would, was perhaps the most helpful mentioning that often times things named such have had dark connections with bringing life back where it shouldn't be brought back.  After each location Temeris was sure to give a healthy donation to the church before parting ways.

After leaving the final church Shadow went to the general store for some last minute supplies and Temeris went about running some of his personal errands, including seeking out a tailor to make a banner for the now "Royal" adventuring company the Karameikan Fist, and running down rumors about a man seeking to create a shrine to a new god named Tarastia.  He was able to find that while the man he spoke to wasn't sure if it was Jhaeman himself that had begun negotiations for the building of the shrine he could confirm that a man named Jhaeman had been a key piece in it and the representative had indeed come from Phlan.

Having found little out about their upcoming target, the "Earth Blood", the party sat again around their table at the Old Skull Inn having acquired rooms and food for the evening.  The inn had a few patrons already, some locals, some travelers, and Temeris decided that he would get up and talk to another table of people who also appeared to be adventurers.  He stood and made his way, however on his way a group of guards and their merchant employer who had just entered practically walked through him on their way to the bar without so much as an "excuse me". 

Shadow, seeing this, dug a pebble from her boot and throwing it at him said "Temeris, you should make that oaf appologize for not being able to see where he's going" and in reply the guard said "Temeris, you should inform that wench to open her mouth only when it is opened for her" and proceeded to the bar.  Temeris stood unsure of what to do, and Crispin cringed and just sat rubbing his temples while Daisy's attention had never left Howler at her feet.  Shadow stood and approached the bar and asked the bartender to bring a drink for her and the "oaf".

Temeris continued on to the party of adventurers, introduced himself, and sat down.  After brief introductions Temeris began telling the group of the Karameikan Fist and about how they had just emerged from the Underdark.  The group sat attentively enjoying his story.

Back at the bar Shadow and the guard sat drinking and talking, and soon Shadow had learned that this man was hired to protect this merchant and his wares, along with the others there.  In reply to the question about what was being guarded and if he had taken a peak the man replied that "there are few things that can come from sticking your nose where not invited and very few are good for a man's employment".  He soon revealed that they were coming from Suzail in Cormyr and were heading towards Phlan.

Temeris, nearing the end of his story but hearing this, stood up quickly and excused himself from the table of adventurers despite their pleas to hear out the rest of his story.  He then made his way up to his room.  Shortly after, having seen this, Crispin followed as well.  Shadow saw this but thought little of it, and finding herself bored with the guard and gaining little knowledge returned to his table with Daisy.  He could see that a number of others, both locals and travelers, were starting to fill the bar.  There seemed to be little talk of interest though one group was talking about their travel plans to Myth Drannor, one group of farmers was talking about how a herd of cattle had been driven through their farm the night previous, and one group was talking about how someone from Waterdeep had purchased some nearby ruins with the intent to apparently rebuild them.

Back upstairs Crispin came upon Temeris's door and hearing the sounds of hurried and frantic packing inside tried the handle.  Temeris hearing this dove behind his bed and said in his best female voice "he isn't here ... he has left already".  Crispin with a chuckle used a spell to unlock the door and stepped inside, shutting the door behind him.

He then asked Temeris what was going on as good friends and traveling companions don't just rush off leaving their fellows behind in the middle of the night.  After a small amount of coaxing Temeris began to tell of how he had run from home in Cormyr and that his father would have sent people to look for him, and the man downstairs being from Cormyr may be such a man.  They spoke for a while and then decided that they would switch rooms and Daisy would watch over him that night and they would leave in the morning.

Returning back downstairs he relayed this information to the others, and soon Daisy went up to do her part in watching over Temeris.  Crispin and Shadow soon retired to their rooms as well, and other than a very restless night for Temeris where each sound would awaken him, including thunder from a bad storm that moved into the area in the early morning hours, it was a quiet night.

The next morning Temeris rose early, and having already packed ran around waking the others suggesting they get an early move on things.  Despite some grumbles after seeing the downpour outside the windows they agreed and began to pack.  Temeris informed them he would soon be back as he needed to run to the tailor's and the others sent Daisy with him.  Sneaking out the back door after seeing a couple of groups, one with a man soaked through declaring they wouldn't be traveling in this weather, he made his way quickly to the tailor.

Only a minute outside and they were both completely soaked and chilled, but soon they arrived and Temeris was able to finish his commission of a banner for the band and they were back on their way to the inn.  Back there they grabbed Shadow and Crispin and soon all four were on their horses in the rain.

The travel was slow and cold as the rain poured down upon them, however later in the afternoon it began to lessen considerably and by the time evening rolled around it was barely a drizzle.  As they set up camp Shadow noticed a number of smoke trails against the sky to the West.  They were somewhat sizable and a decent distance off, however there were 6 or more of them that she could make out.  After reporting this they decided that should the rain let up they would try to move around this group, thinking perhaps it was Zhentarim agents that had made it ahead of them already.

It was only a few hours into night when the storm broke as they hoped, and after waking Daisy who let it be known that she wasn't happy about having to wake with so little sleep after being up the night before watching over Temeris they began West.  After a few miles they saw that it was 8 or 9 fires and they were indeed very large campfires much the size of a festival bonfire.  Stopping briefly Shadow snuck off towards the fires where she noticed that each had a half dozen to a dozen orcs gathered about it.

Realizing that the numbers were definitely not on her side she returned to the group and suggested they continue on until at least daylight.  The skirted around the orcs and continued west and as the sun began to rise they found a small gathering of trees they thought could hide them should the orcs come their way as the day wore on.  Settling in for much needed rest they took up watches as the sun rose above the treetops.



So that is where we leave off.  The party, now a couple of members short, have begun their journey to the location of Temeris's treasure map.  Where they are in relation to the Zhentarim they have no idea.  The rather large gathering of orcs is also a bit troublesome, being within a day's travel of Shadowdale and being as large a group as they are.  However their attentions are to the West, towards a location on a map which they are racing the Zhentarim to, towards an item which they know little about but know that it is of interest to the Black Network....