CH 1: The Road Travels East

[JadedDM]

"Much better, thanks to you and that staff," Flint answers. "Shoulder's still a bit sore, but give me a week, I'll be good as new. Well, as good as a dwarf my age can be, anyway," he chuckles. "I'm not a young man of 100 anymore."

Tanis turns to her when she approaches. "I've had worse," he says. He has not complained once, but it's clear his injuries will take several weeks to heal on their own. The battle with Toede's goons took more out of him than he would let on.

[Breila]

Goldmoon looks straight into Tanis's face and thinks for a moment. "We need to be strong. Let me pray to the Godess to heal the worst of your injuries." When he consents, she'll cast CLW with the blue crystal staff.

[JadedDM]

Tanis nods and braces himself, not sure to what to expect. The illusion of the plain wooden staff melts away, revealing the blue crystal beneath. The blue light it emits flows from the staff into Tanis' body, rapidly knitting the worst of his injuries in moments. The light then fades and Tanis lets out his breath, not realizing he had been holding it.

"Amazing," he whispers, examining himself. "It really is a miracle."

=======================

Goldmoon restores 8 HP to Tanis and expends 2 charges of the Blue Crystal Staff.

[Breila]

(ooc: Hey! I wrote Cure Light Wounds! But of course, Goldmoon doesn't know that the staff has expendable charges and might run out of them, and anyway, the staff has its own head, I know.)

[JadedDM]

(OOC: I'm...confused. The staff did cast Cure Light Wounds.)

[Jenara]

Laurana blushes, realising Tanis was hurt and she had been caught up in her own thoughts to realise. "Yes, it is a miracle, Tanis, you should have asked for help." She smiles, her blonde hair glittering in the fading sun, "The Army you saw, my father spoke of an army, of trouble at the borders of Qualinesti."

[Breila]

(ooc: sorry, my fault. I thought cure light wounds was one charge and 4 hp)

[JadedDM]

"The army is too far north still to be at the borders of the elflands. But scouts, perhaps?" Tanis considers. "We just don't have enough information to know for sure. We don't know who the army works for, or why, or what they want. All we can do is for now is just avoid them as best we can."

[Talyn]

Raistlin sits down once they announce they are going to make camp. Though he tries to hide it, he is plainly exhausted. He lets out a sigh as he waits for the others to finish talking as he tries to catch his breath.

[Breila]

Breila approaches Raistlin. "Is there anything I can do for you except bringing you hot water? Clearly, this trip is hardest on you."

[Jerrard]

"I do not like the idea of running away to this place of shadows and darkness, The measure is quite distinct on such things." Sturm says sitting down, despite his physical condition the chase after the Stag had left him fighting for breath.

"This place is Darken Wood?" He asks as he surveys the trees, the shadows. "The Stag must have lead us here for a reason."

[JadedDM]

Quickly growing bored, Tasslehoff decides to start climbing one of the nearby trees. Once he's up in the lower branches, he scouts around, hoping to see something interesting. However, the tree itself suddenly shudders and begins swaying back and forth. Caught off guard, the kender falls out of the tree and lands in a heap on the ground. "Ow!" he says.

"Mind your manners!" a deep voice booms. "Leafloam does not appreciate you climbing his limbs."

Tanis puts his hand on his sword and quickly leaps up, as do the others, turning to face outward, staring into the darkness. Then the silver moon appears, suddenly, as if a hand has produced it from beneath a black silk scarf. Now they can see the head and shoulders of a man standing amid the trees. His bare shoulders are as large and heavy as Caramon's. A man of long hair curls around his neck; his eyes are bright and glitter coldly. The companions hear a rustling in the brush and see the flash of a spear tip being raised, pointing at Tanis.

As for the tree itself, it suddenly grows a pair of eyes and a mouth. It shudders again, as if stretching from a long nap. "Verily," it says slowly.

"Wow! A talking tree!" Tas says, getting to his feet. "Hullo, I'm Tasslehoff Burrfoot, nice to meet you, Mister Leaf Foam."

"Leafloam," the tree corrects.

"Put they puny weapons down," the man interrupts. "Ye be surrounded and not have a chance."

There is a tremendous crashing and cracking of tree limbs. Five more men and two women appear, surrounding the group. Some are armed with lances, some clubs, and the women with bows.

The first man strides forward then, and the companions stare in amazement. The man isn't a man at all, but a centaur! Human from the waist up, he has a body of a horse from the waist down. He canters forward with easy grace, powerful muscles rippling across his barrel chest. The other centaurs move into the path at his commanding gesture.

Flint sneezes violently.

"Thee must come with us," the centaur orders.

[mltillis]

Caramon puts himself between Raistlin and the centaurs, standing firm with his sword...." For what purpose? I'd just as soon keep my sword here with me, until your intentions are clear horseman. "

[Jenara]

(ooc: Nice Touch Jaded! And he got the name wrong too!!)

Laurana steps fowards, her sword in her scabbard, "Master Leafloam." she bows gracefully, "I am Princess Lauralanthalasa Kanan of The Qualnesti, long have the Elves lived with graceful, kind and considerate trees such as yourself." She felt better here, with the trees, she used to play in the trees as a child, coming here wasn't so bad.

She then looks back to the group and then creatures that surrounded then, ushering the group to lower their weapons. "My companions will come with you, you have my word as a member of the Royal household. Please tell me where we are going?"

[Talyn]

Raistlin was about to answer Goldmoon when he heard the voice. He goes silent and grips his staff tightly as he watches events play out.

"They are not our enemies, let us not waste our lives attacking them." he says to Tanis as he leans on his staff to stand. Raistlin studies the centaurs with a curious eye, but his gaze holds no real interest it seems.