After reporting to their superiors at the Enterprise (maintaining the promised discretion), the three adventurers took a much-deserved sabbatical (Aloysius having been released with thanks and a hefty reward for his efforts). Lina researched the properties of her newly acquired vest. Green Arrow went hunting. And Edward paid frequent visits to Miae’s brewery, and invited her to do likewise at his estate. Firiona was still gone on her own quest; the rest of the adventurers decided that she should be left free to do so. No news was good news, they agreed.
The Enterprise, however, never took a sabbatical from its vast, intricate and long-term plans. Its recruiters were constantly on the watch for potential new members.
Meanwhile, in the Yeomanry League, in the town of Longspear (population 9,000), a male gnome wizard named Zzyggy was looking for adventure at the Gargoyle Tavern.
The place was filled with working men of all races, drunks, carnies, pickpockets, mountebanks, cardsharps, and assorted other unsavory characters. Zzyggy looked around the room. Among the rowdies who packed the common room, he spotted two male humans, one fighter, one barbarian from the looks of him.
The barbarian was also looking around. He noticed a male gnome wizard and a human fighter, neither of whom seemed to belong in a crowd full of drunks and carnies. Turning back to the bar, he took a seat and waved the bartender over to him.
"So, barkeep," the barbarian began, "anything exciting going on in these parts?"
"Well, for starters," replied the bartender, "how about our exciting lunch menu?" He handed a menu with the day’s lunch special to the barbarian.
The barbarian took the menu and looked it over. Unlike most barbarians, he was actually able to read. "OK," he said to the bartender, "I’ll have two!" He laid sixteen silver pieces on the counter, which the barkeep happily accepted. The order went to the kitchen. A few minutes later, a waitress emerged from the kitchen with two hearty trays of tasty meats, vegetables and bread.
The barbarian dug in to the first tray, with all the manners expected of a barbarian. As he devoured the meal, he paused long enough to mumble to the barkeep, "Like I said, I’m looking for excitement! Anything you can recommend?"
Zzyggy the gnome overheard the barbarian, and went over to him at the bar. He started dancing around, seemingly looking for tips! The human fighter came over too, and had a good laugh at the gnome’s performance.
The barbarian found the gnome sufficiently entertaining to invite him to have lunch on him. "Come join me, little guy!" he laughed. Zzyggy readily joined the barbarian, and hopped up on a barstool. Once seated, he quickly cast dancing lights. A fine light show added to the entertainment!
The fighter watched the show for a while, then asked the barbaria, "What are you drinking? A round on me." So all three enjoyed big pints of dark ale. The fighter introduced himself. "I’m Troy," he said. "Pleased to meet you."
"Adam," said the barbarian, "and likewise." They both looked to the gnome. "My name is Zzyggy. You can call me Zzyggy!"
The three new acquaintances finished lunch, after which Adam followed up on his previous question to the bartender. The bartender looked around, then quietly replied, "Well, there’s been talk about something . . . unhealthy going on in the mountains to the west of us."
"Sounds scary," said Adam, somewhat intrigued. "Where in the mountains is this?"
"It’s in Duvik’s Pass," the bartender answered. "They say people in Duvik’s Pass are suffering from some kind of illness." He lowered his voice. "Smart folk’re staying away. Unfortunate, because Duvik’s Pass has a lot of mining activity and other economic benefits to this area."
"How do we get there?" the barbarian asked. "It’s about a hundred miles west, in The Jotens," replied the barkeep. "About two days’ ride."
Adam looked to his two new friends. "Don’t know about you, but that sounds interesting enough to me!" He tipped the bartender a silver piece for the information. Zzyggy added two more, and the three then left the tavern.
"My horse is at the stable," said the barbarian. "What say you two?"
"Let’s go!" said Troy. "Me too!" agreed Zzyggy. And so the three adventurers saddled up and rode out of town, heading toward Duvik’s Pass. They rode until dark, then camped out for the night.
The next morning, the party continued roughly westward, into hilly, wooded country. The elevation gradually increased. Travel slowed. That evening, they again made camp. Zzyggy took the first watch. Troy doffed his armor and slept. Adam slept as well.
At the end of his watch, Zzyggy heard something. He cast flare to provide more light, then woke Troy and Adam. "Doggie-monsters looking for trouble!" he cried.
Four dog-like creatures with loose skin appeared, circling about the party. The first creature advanced on Zzyggy. It screeched. Suddenly, the creature retracted the skin of its head, revealing a hideous skull. A krenshar! The sight scared Zzyggy, who began to lose is grip. He fled away from the creature.
Adam charged in the opposite direction–directly at the krenshar! The barbarian raged at the ugly creature. He swung a mighty blow, and the monster fell dead. But then, three more krenshars appeared. All three converged on Zzyggy.
Troy, without armor or shield, nevertheless charged at one of the approaching krenshars, and wounded it severely with his greatsword. Adam ran up to aid Troy.
Another krenshar assaulted Zzyggy as the gnome continued fleeing back toward the party’s campfire. It missed. Two more targeted Adam. Claws drew copious blood from the barbarian. Trow slashed another krenshar, killing it too. Now Adam charged at a third krenshar and slaughtered it as well, then moved behind a nearby tree to gain cover. Needlessly, as it turned out. The surviving krenshar was smart enough to run away.
"That was close," huffed Troy, as he extracted some fangs from the krenshars for a trophy. Adam had nothing to say. He was busy quaffing a potion of cure light wounds. "OK, my watch," said Troy. "You two get some rest."
No more krenshars troubled the adventurers. Next morning, the party consumed rations, then resumed their journey toward Duvik’s Pass.
A few hours went by. Suddenly, Zzyggy spotted two individuals approaching from afar. One was a human female; the other, a half-elf male. "Ho, Troy!" one of them called out. They seemed to recognize the fighter. He recognized them too.
They rode up to the party and introduced themselves. The woman was Fiora; the man, Graves. The adventurers told the newcomers what had happened previously, and what their mission was. "Why don’t you join up with us?" Adam invited the newcomers. "Just what we had in mind!" replied Fiora.
Now five strong, the party proceeded to reach Duvik’s Pass. They rode up to the town limits, where they were questioned by two guards.
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