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Hi Lan~! ^^
I'm so glad you joined. ^^
Is this the role play that you made avis for or is it a different one?
[[Btw, do you recognize me?]]

Part 001: Travel Inconveniences, Path to Destruction

"So we can't get a ship." Our party was huddled together around a table at the Bloody Ankle, a cross look on their faces. "In fact, there's only one ship scheduled to go to Potain and that is in three months. So unless we either find another treasure cove or port town, we're stuck here." Five pairs of eyes glared at a certain redhead.

"Okay, I'm sorry," the paladin brought his hands in front of himself, "but in my own defense, I'm an idiot and you shouldn't have listened to me."

"We should figure this out, you guys." Hazel spoke up, "Now, there's a river north of here where most of the villages on this continent are built around. I remember that me and Soren visited two other port towns, one west of here and one far north of here, right Soren?"

"Yes..." Soren perked up a bit. "The western town is hidden by a forest, which holds an underground cave. We may have to fight goblins, kobolds, and the occasional lizardfolk. North, on the other hand, contains nothing but flat land, though the temperature is freezing. We may have to face gnolls and the undead. Luckily, Hazel knows a bit about the undead that allows her music to affect them. The decision should be voted on however. I suggest west as it will be less of a burden to us."

Kress blinked. "Wow. That is the most you have spoken since you decided to join. In fact, I think that was the first thing you said. Ow!"

"Kress, mind your manners. I think we should go north. If the undead brings us any trouble, my turning will turn them to dust."

"My head...I agree with Tesla. I'll turn them as well as smite them. Of course, with this sword, the undead will be toast."

"I say west. Playing music for the unintelligent undead isn't much fun. 'Sides, I really wanna see some more of those kobolds. They are kinda adorable, in a red, scaly, poor, dirty, smart, vicious, ankle-biting kind of way. Maybe we can get one to join us! Wouldn't that be awesome? I mean, like a little kobold thief? No one would expect something that small to steal your gold out of your pockets. Or maybe a kobold sorcerer to make a giant-"

"I see that you have made your decision. Lock and I have yet to announce our opinion." The necromancer rubbed his temples to get the sound of her voice out of his head.

'Cool! Sable is SO gonna join me and Tesla! He's like the expert on the dead, he's gonna love going to fight things that want to eat his flesh!'

"I actually loathe being in the presence of undead that have been created via magic. Zombies and skeletons are not for me. I'd like to go to the forest. I may even be able to recruit a kobold. I do speak a bit of Draconic."

"I shall go wherever Sable goes."

"So it's decided. To the forest!" Hazel pulled out her rapier and charged out of the tavern. Sable turned to face Soren.

"Is she always like this?"

"More or less."

SCENE SKIP

"-that poor idiot didn't even know what hit it! I mean, it was just standing there, glistening in the light shining through the skyline, when suddenly, crack! The troll began to break apart, and I don't mean just piece by piece while it just stood there, I mean like it tried to lift its foot and it pulled its leg off! It was so funny, I almost wet myself!"

"I feel kinda sorry for lock, don't you?"

"Not really. Being mainly with just necromancers, Lock never was in an actual conversation for longer than three minutes. I feel that this will be an excellent learning experience for him. By the way, are you two in a relationship?" Soren almost tripped over his feet.

"Re-re-relationship?! N-n-n-n-no! Definitely not! We just lived in the same town. We're best friends, but that's it!"

Sable smirked a bit. "Guess you're a little sensitive on that topic."

"Well, she walked out of the bathroom without a towel on when she was 16 and I was 19. We were having guests at my house and I haven't managed to get over the embarrassment yet."

"Wait a moment, she was taking a bath at YOUR house?"

"She has this nature of only caring about her needs and no one else'." By this time, Soren was as red as Kress's hair. "Um...what about you? Do you have a girlfriend waiting for you on your continent?"

Sable chuckled a bit. "Well...Let's just say that I'm more interested in her brother than her. You got it?"

"Wait, you're more interested...oh...OH!..." Soren stopped dead in his tracks, jaw on the floor.

"Yep, he got it." Sable smiled at the younger man's expression. "Soren. Soren...Hello?" Sable snapped his fingers in front of his face, receiving very little response. "...He'll be okay." Sable and the rest of the party continued onward, or at least until Soren managed to snap out of it to call out:

"Wait! I have so many questions!"

SCENE SKIP

"Remember what you said about kobolds being cute?"

"Yeah?"

"Are you ready to take it back?" Luck was not with our party, as Hazel, Lock, Soren, and Tesla were caught in a hanging net trap. Sable and Kress were being threatened by seven kobolds with spears.

"Uh...Okay guys. We don't mean any harm, we just want to get past to the village west of here, okay?" The kobolds snarled and pressed the tips of the spear against the gaps between Kress's armor.

"Kress, weren't you listening back at the tavern? I speak their language. Now keep your mouth shut while I try to calm them. Ahem..." Sable cleared his throat and spoke with a calm, regal manner. ((From this point on, author's notes will come in double parentheses and draconic will be spoken between two asterisks or *'s)) *Please forgive me and my friends for trespassing on your ground, but we would like to get to the town west of this forest. Would you please release my friends and allow us to go through?*

The largest kobold pulled his spear back an inch, causing the other six kobolds to pull back as well. *Why should we listen you? Your kind has been harrassing us! Those in the town have been killing us off! We only travel out of our cave to scavenge for plants, undergrowth, and dead animals. Our scavengers are lucky to avoid encounters with your kind when they go OUT of the cave. Why should we listen to you?"

'Damn. I have to make a deal with them...What could they hate more than humans that they will be able to make a deal for?' Sable looked down at his feet...noticing some odd tracks from a creature larger than a kobold, but smaller than a human. 'These...these are...yes! I found my deal.' Sable gave a sly smirk. *You are being harrassed by forestkith goblins.* The kobolds seemed to have been taken back by the remark. 'I knew it.' *Forestkith goblins also have been killing your scavengers, only they gather the corpses for food. They only hunt creatures smaller than themselves. Tell me, have you found the corpses?*

*No. No we haven't.*

*You have judged the wrong kind. This forest is filled with these creatures. They hide as small plants like shrubs or trees, so I suspect that a kobold looking for vegetation was ambushed. In fact...* Sable quickly slid his songblade out and stabbed the adjacent tree. The tree shrieked in shock and began to swing its limbs, which slowly began to show as arms. Second by second, the tree formed hair and legs, becoming a forestkith goblin. Sable pushed the rapier further into the small body before withdrawing it and standing in a fighting stance. *Be on your toes, these goblins may come in families or packs.*

As if on cue, 17 or so goblins came out from the shadows of the woods. Their leader came forward with axes in each hand, ready to strike down the kobolds.

*Get my friends down! We'll easily overpower these creatures!* A kobold pulled a rock out of a tree root, causing the group to fall on two of the goblins. "Tesla! Cast a Daylight spell!" *Everyone! Close your eyes!* Tesla stood up as the kobolds covered their eyes with their hands.

"Pelor, hear my call. Allow your light to bless my symbol to you so we may cause these dark heretics to fall. Daylight!" Tesla held her symbol high as the radiant light from the heavens shot down, magnified and scattered by the symbol. The goblins covered their eyes, cowering. "Alright! Now we have the upper hand!" Tesla immediately bashed a goblin on its head. "Everyone! Attack!"

Lock swung his hammer down on a goblin and smacked it into another. Soren manages to take out two with his twin daggers. Hazel skewers tree on her rapier while Kress smites the life out of two more. The kobolds help out by taking out three. "This is way too easy! We need more of these to kick around!" Kress smacks the body of a goblin further into the woods. In that same direction, a net was thrown and caught the ankles of Kress. "What in the name of Kord?" Another pack of goblins, about twelve, came into the fray. Furthermore, they weren't blinded by Tesla's light.

One throws a net on Tesla, preventing her from pulling out her holy symbol. Three of the goblins ganged up on Lock, inflicting minor damage due to his armor. Though the goblins may be sneaky, they aren't very strong. Across from one of the goblins, Soren manages a sneak attack on one of them, felling it. Hazel pulled out a bottle full of liquid. "You guys are gonna get it." She opened the bottle and sang quietly. "From every tear shed, my body gains a wound. Those who ignore my call, shall be swallowed by the doomed. Crushing Despair!" Four goblins gasped as they lowered their weapons, quivering with emotion. "They're weak! Kress! Tesla! Get out of those nets!'

"What do you think we're doing?" Kress began squirming as his goblin wepted. He took his sword and managed to cut himself free. "Okay, you brat. Feel the strength of Kord!" Kress lifted his sword high and brought it down, severing the goblin in half. Sable pulled out a candle and a finger bone as Lock protected him, getting another two goblins.

"Listen to the sound of my voice. Assist me in my fight against these who dare to challenge us. I summon you. Summon Monster III: Celestial Dogs!" Four dogs materialized and began to rip goblins apart while Sable skewered some, totaling 7 altogether. The kobolds took out 7 as well, leaving a single goblin, which cowered in fear. Sable held his rapier directly in front of it. "Listen to me. I do not want your kind to be preying on these kobolds, do you understand? There are many things that I can do to you to make you understand, okay? I want you to go to your tribe and report to your leader and tell him or her not to prey on kobolds. If you don't, I'll be forced to call upon more of my dogs to rip your kind to pieces, and I don't want to do that, do you understand? Now go." The goblin ran away, fearing for its life. Sable sheathed his sword and began going through the loot. "There's not much here other than these nets and this small greataxe." *I shall give this axe to you. Thank you for releasing my friends. We shall travel to the town without bothering you again.*

*Thank you for defeating the goblins! Farewell!* The kobolds waved goodbye as the party (along with the still netted Tesla) continued west.

SCENE SKIP

"Oh dear Pelor..."

"This is horrible. I can't believe it."

"Is this the town that you spoke of?" The entire town was in ruins. Houses had gaping holes in the roof. Windows were shattered. Bodies lay battered and bleeding on the ground. The smell of smoke lasted in the air as the party approached the port. Barrels were broken. Crates were overturned. The dock was stained in blood as well as the water. Ships were burnt to crisps and floated as driftwood.

"Why? Why did this happen?" Sable stared blankly at the nearest corpse. "We should find out what happened here. No one deserves this kind of death." The group agreed as they began to make a search. They didn't find anything, other than the occasional dead body, although Lock did notice a dagger stuck to a wall.

"Sable, I believe I may have found something." Sable gently pulled the knife out of the wooden wall. The design was simple. The hilt seemed to have been damaged. "It's nor much, but it may lead us in the right direction."

"Let me see it." Hazel gripped the handle, studying the hilt carefully. "It says...Spirit of the Triton. Haven't I heard of that before?"

"I don't know. It does seem familiar, though. Wasn't that from the Bloody Ankle? When you were reading that bulletin board? You said that that name seemed very nautical."

"I know it." Kress sighed in despair. "The Dread Pirate, Jack of Seven Blades."