Starting Out

I was quite happy to see the inn coming into view. Aurincia might have only been 5 more miles down the road, but I'd already been traveling for 10 hours today. It was time for a hot meal and a soft bed. Checking into the temple of Kord could wait until morning. Besides, they were just going to send me off on some fool adventure so I could follow Kord's edicts and prove my strength in battle. Merrab mentioned something about how my healing skills I would be a great asset to the Order of the Rampant Dragon, whatever that is, before stuffing me on the first ship out of Farport. All I know is that Kord is already showing me his sense of humor by calling up a storm that blew my ship into a harbor on the Calthas coastline three days ride from the capitol city. Curse my birth order and curse that god of mine.

I walked into the common room and signaled the barmaid for a mug of whatever they were serving. A human wizard conversed with an elegant looking elf in the middle of the room, while two dragonborn, one almost certainly a paladin from his armor and tabard, were chatting in draconic and laughing about some anecdote the younger of the two had gotten into. Nearly all of the other tables in the large room held parties of two or three. Some were local farmers in for a drink, but most had the dusty look and swagger of adventurers. I sighed, rolled my eyes and made a lazy gesture of reverence to Kord. There was going to be a bar fight tonight or I was a kobold. Over by the windows sat a lone tiefling and as she looked like my best chance for a little intelligent conversation, I introduced myself and sat down. Bellavixi, was also traveling to Aurincia to inquire about the Order of the Rampant Dragon. As it turns out so was most of the room, including a roguish looking fellow she had been talking to earlier who had just retired for the evening.

The tavern hostess, a large smiling woman with sparkling blue eyes and a pile of blonde hair, had just set a plate of the special in front of me when a sharp piercing whistle sliced through the noise of the crowded tavern. The elegant looking elf sprang up and headed to the doorway. Cautiously peering out, she announced the presence of rushes spread out in front of the door and some short-beings near the guard tower. Rushes?, I thought, I don’t remember seeing any rushes when I came in. I started to stand, wanting a better view of the proceedings. As I stood, the elf stepped through the doorway and suddenly vanished from view. Turns out the rushes had been a trap.

Before anyone could react to the strangeness of the situation, a fwoosh of igniting thatch sounded and orange light spilled in through the windows. The two dragonborn rushed to the far side of the inn, while the human wizard called out for a rope. Vixi grabbed her bag and using herself as an anchor, lowered it down to the elf in the pit. I heard the wizard yelling “Kyri! Climb up! Don’t worry about the bug!” I couldn’t hear her reply but I’m guessing it wasn’t friendly as her companion was trying to be.

I was about to go lend my strength when a human skeleton walked by the window, continuing to set fire to the already burning building. Shouldn’t it be doing something else to cause even more trouble? I looked around and sighed. At least I know why Kord put me by this window. I know a cleric’s job when I see one. Securing my pack and holding my solid oak quarterstaff in front of me, I jumped right through the window. How’s that for bravery? I shot upward to Kord. I missed the first few swings, but its aim wasn’t any better. Somewhere in the background I heard the roar of dragon breath and a cold breeze wafting by my ear. Those two dragonborn must be of an ice clan. I thought idly. Finally the end of my quarterstaff connected. Kord must have seen something he liked because the a stylized symbol of a longsword crossed by a lightning bolt glowed briefly on the skeleton’s skull before the minion fell.

My quarry vanquished, I turned around to the sounds of battle behind me. The inn was blazing like a bonfire on Beltane, lighting the scene in front of me. The dragonborn were fighting a group of small kobolds and another undead on the far side of the inn. Closer to me, the elf was still trapped in the pit along with some kind of giant acid bug. She wasn’t looking good. Acid burns were visible on her clothing and exposed skin and a long wound, probably from a javelin was visible on her leg. But she wasn’t giving up either. She had obviously hacked at the bug and several arrows were dissolving in acid. Dilligently she kept attempting to scale the slick rope that had been tossed down to her. Two dead kobolds were also strewn in the pit, most likely the result of a fireball from the wizard, but as they were dead they weren’t on my list of problems to deal with. Sending a small plea to Kord to honor the elf’s bravery, I began a healing chant I had learned in my early days of clerichood. Kord must have decided she was worth the effort because the wounds on her arms and legs stopped oozing. She managed to scramble spryly up the rope and shot me a grateful look across the pit.

Making my way toward the fracas on the other side of the inn, I heard chanting in draconic. As it was a prayer to Tiamat and lightning shot out toward the fighters in the inn, I was pretty sure the kobolds had a shaman with them. The dragonborn did not appreciate the kobold attack, I could see wild swings of glaive and halberd. Nor did the wizard, as a column of golden flame appeared out of the sky, searing all attackers in a six-pace radius. Most of the vile creatures fell before I could offer my aid, but one tried to run for the hills. I stepped next to him in an attempt to halt his escape, but he evaded my attack. The paladin however was enraged and chased down the kobold, smashing in its head as he cried “This is for worshiping Tiamat!” Shaking my head softly I muttered, “Looks like you got me into a fight after all, Kord.”