Dragon's Egg - Act I

[Philip Overby]

"Many thanks!" I eat the hot meal when it comes, making sure not to make too many horrific sounds. No cold fish for me tonight! Oh, wait. Is this cold fish? Ugh.

Mouth shut, Nod. Mouth shut. Just eat and be happy.

"Dead horses! The cavalry's skin dripping black with tar!" I blurt out. "I mean...this is good! Good, good fish."

 

[Phietadix]

I look at Nod.
"Who are you, and how have you come to be in our company?"

 

[Ireth]

I look askance at the halfling, trying not to seem too perturbed by his odd behavior. Perhaps he cannot help it. I do not let his odd comments take away from my enjoyment of the meal; it is nice to enjoy a good hot meal after days of ship's rations at sea.

 

[Legendary Sidekick]

The Stone Knife

The knife has a bone handle inlaid with reddish-orange stones. The blade itself seems cut from the same stone, with wispy lines of pink and white running through it as well. It is fearsomely sharp, having a single razor edge and a broad, flat edge running the length of the blade on the opposite edge.

 

[Legendary Sidekick]

Burnbright giggles at the halfling's odd commentary on the … rabbit. Are we not eating rabbit? Fish don't have ears! For some reason her laughter makes me want to laugh, and I almost spit my Glühwein all over the silly twerp. What song would he have written about me if that had happened?

 

[Sparkie]

I sit to eat. Before partaking, I fold my hands together, bow my head, and speak to Betula. I channel my thoughts to Him silently, so as not to disturb certain ones of my fellows...

Battle-Father, Divine Swordsman, Lord of Combat, hear now your humble servant if it pleases you. I approach you this day to thank You. Thank You for the meal before us, which through the Constant Struggle we have attained. Thank You for allowing me to find companions of worth, who are not afraid to show steel. Thank You for guiding me north to this strange land, for the poeple here are in dire need of hope. Thank You most of all for the Fight, for it insures our survival and our life.

And now, please, Father, do look upon your servant with favor. I am more convinced than ever of these people's need, so please allow me, if you will it, to do everything I can to end this curse.

My Lord, I also wish to protect and aid these my brothers and sisters in arms. Help me to protect them, and lead them if neccesary.

Battle-Father, my heart is still heavy for the loss of Your Commander. I know it was according to Your teachings, Your will, but my consciense still stabs me. Please, My Lord, ease my pain. Help me to see what happened as Your will, and not as my shortcoming.

Thank You once more, Father, for this meal, and for our salvation through the blood of the fallen. So be it.

I open my eyes, which have begun to water, and look around to my companions before digging into the meal.

 

[Phietadix]

I notice Rdyh folding his hands and bowing his head. Oh no, I forgot to thank Tyr for the meal. Thus I too bow my head and thank Tyr for this wonderful meal and fine company. I then Proceed to thank Ankari who bought it for us.
"I appreciate your kindness Ankari."

 

[Phietadix]

"Also along the line Baldhart was speaking of, about pooling our resources, I have an axe and a sword I can give to any that need them."

 

[Ireth]

I nod. "And I have arrows to spare, if anyone else is an archer."

 

[Phietadix]

"For those skilled in the crossbow, I have one I make little use of and One Hundred Bolts."

 

[Ankari]

"Here is what we know. The priestess, Aslaug, has been slain. The north has suffered some kind of affliction resulting from her demise. Her temple bordered what is referred to as the 'bad territories' to the north. Another priestess has taken her place here, in town. The curse hasn't been lifted even though, by all accounts, she hasn't done anything wrong. So the lack of a priestess isn't the reason this place suffers. Perhaps Aslaug knew of a threat and had sufficient power to hold it back. Perhaps it has something to do with abandoning the temple."

I take a moment to weigh everyone's reaction, masking the act by eating a few mouthfuls of food and drinking some water. Something resides in the north that must be dealt with, but going blind would only assure us of the same fate Aslaug earned. The food is surprisingly good. I scoop a couple more spoonfuls before I continue.

"I would like for Matthew, Burnbright, Baldhart and Cadell to visit Aslaug's uncle. He is the priest of Tyr."

I nod towards Burnbright. "I'll pay you a gold for all the assistance you provide us during our time here."

"I'll take Rydh to visit the new priestess. I want to know what they feel is the source of the problem and why hasn't anyone addressed it. Surely, if the issue is linked to their former priestess, they'll have some kind of insight." The uncomfortable silence that follows is unbearable. My attempts at leaving out the other two weighs on me. I'm not sure why. "Gnat and Daggerman will come with Rydh and I. What do you all think?"

 

[Phietadix]

A priest of Tyr! What could be better? A million gold pieces, doubtful.
"Sounds reasonable to me."

 

[Ireth]

I nod in agreement. "That is fair." Dividing our number may have its drawbacks, but then again, we will cover more ground and hopefully accomplish more that way.

 

[Sparkie]

It seems a good plan. I have a nagging feeling that Burnbright and Baldhart should come with Ankari, the stranger, the Gnat and me, but other than that I have no objection.

"It is well, Gods willing."

I then wink at Ankari and say "No offense meant, of course."

 

[Steerpike]

Hrolf and his companions seem well-disposed toward Baldhart, and indeed the rest of the group, after the arm-wrestling match, and this friendliness seems to grow even more after Grim distributes the heated Glühwein. On hearing Baldhart's words about Burnbright, Hrolf raises his large hands. "I started coming here when that one was about three years old. Watched her grow over the years, like many of us who drink here. Any who come here often know better than to lay a hand on her, and if any strangers took the notion...well, I'd have to get behind Grim and the priest at the temple of Tyr, if he heard about it, before I could give out a beatin'. But get in line I would." Hrolf grins again and drains his wine, smacking his lips with approval.

As the evening wears on, the party gathers together, discussing recent events and planning strategies. The ship's hands are gone by this point, having returned to help unload the Bladnir, albeit belatedly. Some guests have retired to rooms upstairs, others stretch out across empty chairs as though they fully intend to sleep in the common room. Grim doesn't seem to have a problem with it. Both the loudmouth and the young man who ridiculed Burnbright's story eventually leave as well. It is much easier to hear one another as the common room grows quiet.

Burnbright joins the group at their table and does indeed eat more. She is rapt at the discussions going on, and her eyes gleam when Baldhart shows the stone knife to the group. She seems uncharacteristically short of words - at least for the time. At the mention of a gold coin from Ankari, however, Burnbright's eyes widen. "A whole gold! I've never had a gold before. I don't think I've ever even held a gold. I'll earn it, sir, you can count on me. You just tell me what you need and I'll do it. I'm good at lots of things like I was telling Baldhart before. I know where Aslaug's old temple is. I've been out near there a couple of times, but I never went inside or anything. But I'm real sneaky and I bet I could go up there and look around and then come back and tell you..." Burnbright trails off at a look from Baldhart. A momentary pouty look crosses her features, but then she brightens again. "Anyway, a whole gold!"

Time passes again, the hour becoming late. Grim walks across the common room to the front door, saying loudly "All out who's going out. I'm lockin' the place up!" Only a couple of other people leave, a cold wind carrying thick snowflakes into the room when they open the door. You don't know when the snow started, but there looks to be a thin dusting of white covering the ground. Grim locks the door behind the men who leave, then looks around the room, satisfied. Snores echo from some of those who have chosen to stay in the common room and are already asleep, stretched across chairs or simply curled on the floor near the dying fires.

Each of you eventually retire for the evening as well, either to the rooms that have been purchased or, if you prefer, remaining in the common room (a choice that promises an uncomfortable evening). By the time you fall asleep a quiet has settled over Srilkind. There is not much activity here in the small hours of the night.

You are jolted from your sleep in the middle of the night by the ringing of a bell somewhere in town. The sound is clear and carries well. Why some fool would be making such a noise at this time of night is a mystery, but one that is soon solved. The sound of the bell is followed by the much closer, and almost as loud, sound of someone beating at the front door of the Hooded Crow. Patrons who are sleeping in the common room lurch awake, scrambling for their weapons even as their thoughts are still muddled with sleep. A couple of the drunkest patrons remain asleep despite the racket.

Grim comes running from the backroom, the key to the front door in his hands. "Fire!" he yells as patrons are starting to rise. "On your feet lads! Fire!" Grim unlocks the front door and pulls it open. "Where?"

"Temple of Tyr!" yells the man who had been beating on the door, then he dashes into the night to rouse others. The snow has stopped, but his feet slide as he runs through about half an inch of white powder.

Grim runs toward to back room of the tavern, calling over his shoulder "It's the temple of Tyr! Get to it lads, I'll be right behind you!"

Even those guests upstairs have the gist of things in short order. The bell awakened everyone and the yelling of instructions in the common room has been passed around from person to person until folk are crammed into the second story hallways, abuzz with the news.

Burnbright practically leaps into her clothing at the news, having slept in Baldhart's room in a knee-length undershirt whose origins are best left undiscovered. As she rushes through tying the laces of her boots she says "That's Father Harald. We've got to get over there right away!" The instant her boots are laced she's sprinting for the door to the room.

And so the party finds itself awakened to the chaos of a cold night.

 

[Sparkie]

I'm surprised at how used I'd gotten to the rolling waves of the sea. Now that I'm back on land I can hardly sleep. It probably doesn't help that I tried to sleep in the common room with my head on a table.

I rise up when I hear the clanging and shouting. A fire, they say, at the Temple of Tyr. Tyr may be a human God, but His ilk still watches over Their temples. A fire in any temple bodes ill for everyone.

I see Burnbright cruising swiftly for the door. She'll know where to go, and I can't allow her to run blindly into danger either. I grag my equipment and move to follow her, shouting "Wait for us, girl! We'll help!"

 

[Legendary Sidekick]

"Right behind you, Burnbright!" I shout as I lock my door behind me. "Good to see you, Rydh. Sleep well?"

My words are meant to be light, but my gesture with my large sword is not.

"Looks like we travel as one."

 

[Phietadix]

At the words 'it's the temple of Tyr' I dashed to my horse as quick as I could. I saw plenty of smoke so where it was obvious where to ride, and there's not a moment to lose.

 

[Ankari]

I throw on my clothes, bellowing to the rest in the room. "Wake up! Fire!"

It's not so much that a fire has blessedly burned down one of these repulsive buildings, it's the fact that the fire is burning down the Temple of Tyr on the eve of us visiting it. Coincidences doesn't exist. Someone doesn't want us to talk to the priest and that someone had been in the tavern while we made our plans.

I weave my way through the traffic of bodies and descend the stairs. I spot the little girl leading Rydh and Baldhart and join them. "We need to make haste. Let's go."

As I near my companions, I whisper to them. "Keep an eye on the girl. I have a feeling that she will play a greater role in this thing, more than anyone would suspect."

 

[Philip Overby]

Fire? Fire? No, it wasn't me this time. I know, I am looking at my hands. This could make an excellent song. 'The Embers of Tyr' or the 'Fiery Tears of Tyr.' Something snappy. Catchy.

I muster up some tears. "Oh my, what a tragic turn of events." I follow the others to the temple, trying to suss out the lyrics of my new song in my head.

'The tears of Tyr are raining down...No, no...The tears of Tyr are pouring down...Damn. Maybe seeing the place burning will give me better inspiration.

"Hurry! Before it collapses!"