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Just a heads up, I intend to start this on Monday. Anyone who still wishes to join but hasnt got their stats up by then can still join, and Ill work their character in throughthe writing. However, there is an advantage to being in it from the off.
King Ventas III of Harrsha takes a moment to survey the four before him. Each has answered the call for mercenaries, and judging from the eclectic nature of the group, each has their own reasons for doing so. But he cares little for their life stories, he only wants to know one thing.
€˜This job will be most dangerous,€™ he tells them bluntly. €˜As you are no doubt aware, my son has been taken captive by the rogue wizard Hayse. Without him, we cannot solidify a truce with Tyn, and the Council would sooner see us at war than give in to blackmail. I do not wish for war, but if we are unable to ally with Tyn I fear it will be impossible to avert. Rogue though he is, Hayse is powerful. Before I send you on this mission, I must ask. Can you best him?€™
One by one, three of the warriors nod.
€˜I don€™t like it,€™ Cliff whines. €˜Wizards can kill you before you even see them!€™
Ventas replies with a merciless smile.
€˜You€™ll go, or rot in our dungeons. Should you die, it will only be a shortening of your life sentence, and should you survive the job, you will be free to go. Pray tell me, what do you have to lose?€™
Cliff doesn€™t say anything, Adam€™s apple bobbing up and down as his eyes nervously flick from one of his erstwhile companions to the next. They all look used to violence, whereas the only major fight he had been in was with a guard dog with a magically enhanced intellect which stopped it from eating drugged meat. As a result of that conflict, he had been caught and thrown into the dungeons.
€˜Are we also to keep an eye to ensure he doesn€™t escape?€™ Fennel asks pointedly.
€˜No need. As you can see, he wears a dog collar. Though you cannot see the leash, he will not be able to stray.€™
Cliff scowls. He€™d been told in no uncertain terms what would happen should he attempt to remove the collar. Magical deaths tended to be messy.
€˜Only the elite magic users may aspire to the Council. I would assume Hayse can be classed among the elite?€™
Ventas nods to his court magician, who conjures up an illusion of Hayse. He is younger than his power would have you believe, although a streak of white interrupted his otherwise pitch black hair.
€˜Yes, don€™t be fooled by his youthful appearance. He is highly skilled in the subtlest of arts,€™ the magician tells them. €˜But no matter how powerful, wizards die like any other man.€™
€˜Bear in mind, this mission is to rescue my son. That is the highest priority€¦ The only priority. If Hayse can be defeated, so much the better, although it is not essential. I fear, however, you will not be able to rescue Heidich without a reckoning with Hayse. There is one more matter, however. I employed some mercenaries from the local guild as soon as the abduction took place, two weeks ago. I have not received word from them. Their homing pigeon may have been lost, but I fear the worst. Should you discover the fate of the team, send the pigeon back to me.€™
You are handed a birdcage and a small sack of feed. + 30 weight for whoever carries it.
€˜Also, I regret I cannot allow you to take equipment from the armoury, but I can furnish you with provisions and a purse each of 1000 coins.€™
Each member is given a sack of food. +15 weight and a heavy purse +5 weight.
You are also given a map with the believed location of Hayse€™s base +1 weight for whoever carries it. The base is on a small island, which is far to the North. The first order will be to get to the port town nearest the island, but that is several days journey away. The king has ordered some soldiers to take you part of the way by carriage, but you can opt to walk if you wish to draw less attention. You can leave now by foot or by carriage, or you can look around the town first.
If Cliff has any underworld contacts that could know anything useful, Id like him to show me to them so, through using my Paladins insight I can see if they know anything. If Cliff doesnt know anyone (and use Paladins insight on him to make sure he doesnt lie) set off on foot, going alogn small trails to avoid attracting any attention, but also increasing liklihood of encoutnering thigns we can fight to improve our skills.
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