Howdy folks. I had a busy weekend of server migration and D&D over at iRP. I’m going to do the last couple updates here on iRP here on Rizzn’s progress, because very soon Matthew is going to take over scribing duties and do some regular posts up here on what’s going on with the rescue party. To summarize, however, Caligh’is was murdered at the Inn a few sessions back, and his friend, Rizzn the Kobold was unable to fend off his attacker before the damage was done. Rizzn and Lutherous, a strung out Kei’Dyn (cat-like race) began making preperations for a journey to the Northern Temple of Bianesse, Caligh’is’s deity. What follows here is the summary of the events following that murder.
Fellowship of the Corpse
Chapter I
It was not because he liked Caligh'is that Lutherous chose to save him. And it was not because he liked Caligh'is that Lutherous hauled the Urdon's lifeless corpse onto his horse Pendleton, the only creature that could hold the behemoth while Rizzn ran about uselessly( but Rizzn was a kobold and not quite of the stature required to aid in the lifting of an Urdon onto a horse).
Rather, it was because the Kei’Dyn liked the possibility of Caligh'is being in his service for the rest of his days. Slave wasn't the word Lutherous would like to use (especially not out loud), but it was the first word that came to mind. He was very aware of the concept of the lifedebt, and he was very aware that Caligh'is was very much a victim to the harsh notions of honor of Bianesse. It would be many days journey to ressurect the behemoth, not one that he and Rizzn would make alone with the luck that seems to follows those in Lenier's service. And even with his magick skills and Rizzn's warrior abilities, a small group of orcs could easily spell they're undoing.
He will miss his lover EmeraldEyes, and he was concerned over how she will feel over him doing this. She hated Caligh'is and Caligh'is hated her. He would gladly trade a lover, though, over one such as this colossus in his service. Women come and go but this was an opportunity not to be missed.
Turning to Rizzn as the kobold is mounting his war boar Maximillian, “Rizzn, we by ourselves cannot hope to drag such a behemoth to the temple of Bianesse. Many creatures will be attracted to us because of his decomposing state. We will need the help of the others.”
"I'm not ssso sssure that we have a lot of friendsss left!" exclaimed Rizzn.
"Sssshadowynd'ssss in prissson, and Ssshassshilia isssn't likely to leave him." Rizzn indicates the Inn full of assorted guildmembers with his claw. "I'm not sssure we'll get much cooperation out of them. Not a ssssingle one backed me up againssst the hobgoblin."
Rizzn ponders silently for a bit, and thought to himself, “Who indeed would join them on this?”
Lutherous looked down at the kobold, thinking for a moment as to who would willingly join up with the two of them that wouldn't slow them. Size alone prohibited most from joining with them, then there was the fact that he didn't want anyone who would lay claim to his ownership of Caligh’is.
As it stood, there was one mount for each of the travelers – Pendleton, the only horse known to be capable of carrying Caligh’is’s large form, Maximillian, the war boar Caligh’is had won in a tournament and subsequently gave to Rizzn, and Isobel, Rizzn’s old horse he had traded to Shadowynd the half-elf.
Then, a flash flickered across his mind. A short human with blonde hair, holding something. Talking to Caligh'is, who was she? Scrounging in his mind he couldn't remember, he never heard her name, he had never met her. Turning to Rizzn the image flickers on and off repeatedly, he unable to figure out who the little one was.
“Rizzn,” Lutherous asked, “who is that....um, the halfling that Caligh’is was talking to earlier? Uh, blonde hair, holding the orb. Who is she?”
A puzzled look passed over Rizzn for a moment, until the recognition took hold. "I think you are sssspeaking of the halfling, Marigold? I haven't sssspoken with her, but ssshe'd be an exsselent addition," said the kobold.
Rizzn poked his head into the inn door from the adjoined stables, and scanned the room, not spotting the halfling. "I don't ssssee her, let me try to track her down."
“I’ll have to be careful if Rizzn wanted to bring her aboard,” though Lutherous. “She could want a stake in the fruits and I cannot allow that to happen.”
Very much in a hurry, Rizzn scampered across the inn floor, using both front and hind legs to make up some speed, appearing more like a lizard than a kobold as he made for the staircase. He passed door after door until he came to the room he was certain he'd seen the halfling enter before, and knocked on the door. Unfortunately, his repeated attempts to find the halfing were met with failure.
As quickly as he ran upstairs, he scurried back to the mounts and Lutherous.
"Ssshe'sss not in her room. Perhapsss ssshe'sss about the town or ssssomething? We can't wassste a lot of time, I fear. Perhapsss we ssshould possst a note and begin our final preperationssss?"
Just as Rizzn reached the mounts and Lutherous, a one armed dwarf named, wearing mage’s garb was making his way down the upstairs halls of the inn, knocking lightly on the kobold Rizzn’s door. With no response, the dwarf turns toward the stairs and heads to the inn common after deciding the kobold may be already on the move. As he passes by, the dwarf notices the note pinned up by that strange bald man who spoke Ummbah.
Ummbah is a simple language that seems not far evolved from grunting and belching. It is embraced by the grey gnomes of Silent Hills and the surrounding civilizations of lummigans and hobgoblins.
To no one in particular, in Ummbah, he says, “This will be as good a place as any.”
The dwarf manages to fold the note in half through the aid of the solid wall itself, then pins the note in place akwardly. Scrawling 'Rizzn' across the front of the note; he had discovered the creatures name during accounts of the fiasco a few nights past.
The note reads:
"Rizzn, I have interest in aiding the Urdon who fell to that accursed Hobgoblin. If you ask about in the loft of this inn, I'm certain the others can direct you to my room.
Omrii Grizzlebeard"
Rizzn was a whirlwhind of activity in his 'preperationssss' for travel. He was eager to leave an uncomfortable situation and get back on the road, in the countryside, and on a quest. Strange new arrivals, and hostile recent arrivals had made him anxious, and really, there's not much more pathetic looking than an anxious kobold (except maybe a Kei'Dyn on the outside edge of a catnip bender).
On his way back from the kitchen, he noticed in the Inn commons a note pinned about kobold-eye level with his name written on it. Slinging the pouch of carrots and other assorted horse food and boar-slop onto his left shoulder, he reached over and grabbed the note, tucking it into his cloak.
After tying off the provisions onto his saddle bag, he read the note to Lutherous.
"Luthoroussss, we've another kindred sssspirit. The one-armed dwarf wisssshessss to join ussss in our quesssst for Caligh'isss," said Rizzn. "He'sss not an attracktive halfling ssssinger, but he'ssss an extra blade for the road!"
... later that week ...
Rizzn returned on Maximillian (his boar mount) with Pendleton (and Caligh'is) in tow from Eldran after a long day making preperations. The ride in the stiff wind was tough even at this temperature (he was, after all, cold-blooded). He did not look forward to the ride northwards to the Temple of Bianesse.
The day's activities had left him drained, and he looked forward to the warmth of Hero's Haven Inn, the place he had come to call home recently. After stabling Pendleton and Max (he'd have to wait until later to remove Caligh'is's large form from Pendleton - unable to manage the task by himself), he made his way into the inn.
The small crowd of patrons surprised him, all of them seemingly feasting in reverence of Cal's passing. From the group he was able to pull a few others into his quest for Cal's redemption, including Doidali, Cal's cross-dressing brother, Gaia, a slight and beautiful elven ranger, and Marigold, the very pretty halfling bard, in addition to the Kei'Dyn Lutherous, and Omri the dwarven mage.
As Rizzn tiredly trudged upstairs after partaking in the feast, he felt that he was doing his part for his departed friend Cal. He had (with help) pulled together a mighty, if not unlikely, band of adventurers. Sleep would come easy for the little kobold tonight.
/rizzn
