Baldur's Gate : The Sword Coast Chronicles : NWN2 Persistent World

In reference to: DM Rumours of the Sword Coast: Bellingham the Bard

As word makes its way between the various circles in town of the impending performance by the travelling bard, Bellingham, so too does word spread that the evening will be sponsored by the local vinter business, Clarity Cellars. Those that would seek to know more would learn that a small release batch of the local Ruins Red signature wine will be showcased and available for tasting on the night as well as the regular range wines, ales and spirits at the Risen Phoenix will be readily available.

......At the Risen Phoenix


A local trader Clarity Cellars promoted a new wine, Ruins Red at the sponsored launch of a play, the Pages of Promise, by a travelling Bard by the name of Bellingham. He had been coincidentally delayed on the Coast on a journey south. He drew a specialist audience to a very ancient and somewhat dark play, though a goodly number of local citizens also drifted in likely inspired by free wine, courtesy of the sponsors Clarity Cellars.

There were Knights and wizards, a poet too. One of the Guests remarked that the play written long ago hid within it a secret riddle. This gathered little interest among the crowd who satisfied themselves with the very real and present treasure which was Ruins Red a rather fine vintage.

DM Spartacus wrote: ↑Wed Jul 03, 2019 5:00 am ......At the Risen Phoenix

There were Knights and wizards, a poet too. One of the Guests remarked that the play written long ago hid within it a secret riddle....

The Scene...enter a Knight-errant to the Risen Phoenix, shortly after a performance has concluded:

Henryk Urde: *looks around at the...odd crowd*

Lora: It was good was it not?

Henryk Urde: What was good, my lady? *he pulls back his hood*

Lora: Well...both I suppose ..cheers!

Henryk Urde: Would you care to describe both, to me? I seem to have...been unattentive.

Lora: Ruins red this delicious wine, I got one free earlier put on by Clarity cellars wonderful and Bellinghams play of course, very dark and surreal but with a twist of enchanting and everlasting love cleverly wrapped within wonderful. Hmm, cheers *drinks*

Henryk Urde: Ah, I see. Tis rare that a bard takes to perform, these days...it would seem more pressing matters of Life and Death, hold the sway and distract the Arts. *he looks to the stage*

Lora: Pressing matters?

Henryk Urde: But it is good to know, that such an Inn, here, provides the aspect of reflection, that can be found in a great performance. Yes, pressing matters…things most common people have little to say or do about, I'm afraid to say.

Lora: Well you missed a great escape from what was it pressing matters, what we had was pages of promise hmm eh see what I did there…art reflecting life perhaps pressing matters what was that?

Henryk Urde: Well, yes. The greatest of art can show us the true nature of Life itself, in the reflection, though and on the Work of Art.

Lora: Oh, but you are an artist too excellent!

Henryk Urde: I am not, my lady. I am a crusader in the name of Justice and Righteousness. However...I do write poetry, to comfort my soul.

Lora: Oh, dont ever give that up! We need more poets!

Henryk Urde: Yes, I believe we do, as well.

Lora: Bellingham could have given you a spot in his play perhaps shame, this wine is really rather rude you know.

Henryk Urde: If it would please you, my lady, may recite a favorite of mine...to delight you, and all around, in this one moment.

Lora: well of course

Henryk Urde: *he takes a better position in the tavern, then takes a calming breath, before he begins*

Love rules all things
Sways the heart strings
Solitary love sings.
Love than honey sweeter, makes the sour more bitter.
Blind love, scorns modesty
Ice cold, burning, tepid turning.
Love is fearful, daring, a faithful faithless thing.
Now is the perfect time, Love sings its love rhyme
Now the all the birds chime.
Love rules young men, Love seizes girls again.
Age depart! You've no place here. Off with you
*he coughs*
Off with you! My dear,
Theoclea...my darling, I revere.
You pest, Age, disappear.
Whether hot or cold, none desire the old!
Nodding grief untold, by nature growing cold.
Now your tale is told.
Gods guarding youth's delight, health glowing bright
How I love your light, yours is the right.
Nothing better, to my sight.

Henryk Urde: *he finishes, and gives a small bow*

Barmaid Miriam: Hope you are a good Cruasader…

Lora: simply delightful…yes art is...art in all it's forms. You are to be commended in taking this to the dangerous places of the world. If you ever give up pressing matters - then i am sure you have another career waiting

Henryk Urde: Strong words can carry a Man far into Battle, and raise Courage to unknown heights. Such is why I carry poetry in my memory, to give me better focus, during the Time of Crusade.

Lora: Oh thats sounds a dangerous life.

Henryk Urde: It is both a Life, and a Cause.

Citizens of Beregost have undoubtedly noticed the recurring morning ritual of a young woman who has come to reside at the Rising Phoenix Inn on a permanent basis.

Every morning just before dawn for the last week the young woman, unmistakable for her height, vibrant red hair, and considerably muscled frame, has been seen leaving the Rising Phoenix and making a number of laps around the town just outside the fence with what appears to be a quarterstaff slung over her shoulders behind her head and two bags of sand hanging on the ends. She then returns to the outside of the inn and begins lifting the bags individually in a variety of odd forms that would have undoubtedly gotten her a few stares.

After one of her odd morning rituals, the young woman can be seen delivering a letter to the hands of one of the local militia to be handed directly to Commander Mirrowell.

((PM Sent))

Notices for vacant positions are pinned to the Beregost town noticeboards.
///pm to this account, referencing this post pls.

A notable hin woman would be seen entering the Council Office, and less than a candlemark later leaving again, returning to a premises on West Traders Way.

Sometime on the 21st of Flamerule, a beautiful red-haired woman in dazzling full-plate armor is seen walking into the Beregost Town Hall. It's reported that she deposited upwards of fifty bags of gold on the Adjutant's desk, indicating that these are the first of many donations to Beregost's militia, and leaving a note for the Councilman who was not present at the time.

((PM Incoming))

Patrons of the Risen Phoenix would notice a crimson-haired woman of Amazonian proportions in beautiful full plate meeting with a balding man with a magnificent mustache. A few snippets of their conversation could be overheard by the men and women at the Inn, mostly things concerning armor, weapons, and the acquisitions of funds for the local militia.

Rumors spread that a small group of holy warriors and priests were attacked in route to nashkel, from beregost. It is said that 4 knights of lathander escorted the 4 priests of illmater when a large horde of undead duergar warriors surrounded the group. As the battle insued one knight was slain and 2 priests of illmatar were captured and dragged away by the creatures. Though the knights were able to fend off the remaining creatures, it was to late as the priests were taken into shadow where they vanished. There location is currently unknown.

DM Warden wrote: ↑Thu Jul 25, 2019 12:56 am Whispers curl and wander on the border of Beregost and the farmlands. The hushed tone of rumors inch across the land nearby of things on the town's doorstep. It is said that the settlement has turned on a sudden high alert with more men being stationed at the gates and near the more popular destinations to keep watch over their townsfolk.

Farmers have entered the locality after a few days travel stating that from their farmsteads they can see a blazing red in the sky along with the wind throwing dark and pluming smoke their way. Children playing in the wheat and cornfields swear to their parents they hear the long echoes of screams coming from a long distance.

Overall, one word is whispered often to those both living and traveling within the town: "Beware."

DM Foresight wrote: ↑Tue Jul 23, 2019 7:04 am (7/18/19 - 7/23/19) undead have swarmed the lands around nashkel, in the days of late, and it seems in the days to come more will remain. They hunger, they hunt, but not simply for flesh.. But for the bodies of anything they can collect. A group of adventurers set out to purge these undead and though many assaults have failed, others have had victory. The southern road is now clear into the cloudpeaks, and the nashkel mines purged by helmite knights. Word has spread that amn has responded to the threat, and 100 helmite soldiers are due to march into nashkel within a weeks time. With the recent victories moral has increased, through many suspect this is only the begining, and nashkel itself will be the next target.

The whispered words of dread are quite the topic of discussion in the town of Beregost, as two members of the Temple of All-Seeing Eyes catch wind of them in their travels to Nashkel. The two members ebb and flow through town with arched eye brows and heightened curiosity to the events as of late around the town-ship as the obvious threat of evil and chaos grows it's reputation in whispered numbers. . .

As the two of them have a look around town an iron-clad adventurer enters the town of Beregost from the south in a hurry. He looked beaten and bruised as he entered only to stop the two temple of eyes officials in their tracks as they walked towards the gates he came from. The man walks close, staring deeply at the two of them with eyes pure of fear as he speaks. . .

"Dun' not go pass em' gates south! Dey' are everywhere down 'ere! Hundreds. . . NO. . . THOUSANDS o' dem'! Bloody rotten' corpses walk'n and gnaw'n on anythin' alive I tell ye! Damn deaders caught me and me-lads off guard. We 'ere were hold'n em off fine too till dat damn. . . dread-wing came. . ."

The man's head cranks in the direction he came from as a terrifying scream echos from the south. His eyes flicker of fear once again only to look away as quickly as his eyes set upon the direction.

"Beware. . ." The armored man turns his back to the two members of the temple limping away in the direction of the Beregost temple.

Batibat and Julius look between each-other a moment after the scene with obvious peaked interest in the occurrence ahead. With a few preparations of wards and summons they set upon the roads south of Beregost where the stories of the iron-clad knight had come to fruition.

The area south of Beregost was filled with hordes of undead clawing, scratching and moaning within every corner of the area in a battle between the natural and un-natural. Wyverns screeched in battle-crys from the west while the screams and yells of the local xvarts marked a clear defense from the hordes to the east. Batibat and Julius took stride choosing to venture forth into the wvyerns lair where it was there they witnessed the battle between life and death within the rocky canyons. The battle raged on in a blood bath of ripped off wings, torn ligaments, half eaten wyvern corpses and charred efreeti remains. The two Temple of Eyes members pushed forward into the thick of the battle giving no quarter to the dead or the wyverns in their traverse. It was a bloody sight to behold as the now three sided battle of the southern beregost area brought forth even more carnage in their assault. Only after many hours of battle was most of the area cleared of undead as well as the wyverns leaving the area by flight in a disheartening retreat leaving their eggs exposed for the time being. The air grew cold and quiet after the fact as the place gave forth a chilling atmosphere of blood and gore. Batibat and Julius looked around at the scene before nodding a job well done. . . Although to their surprise their job was not over yet as the shadow of the colossus loomed over from above with opened wings of splendor. Atop the canyons of the wyvern's lair it stood, over a contaminated egg screeching with a terrifying war-cry from above for all those to hear. . .

"Dread-wing. . ."

With quick reactions Batibat and Julius took the battle to the Undead Wyvern Lurker as it swooped down to challenge them. Batibat held it's attention while Julius weakened the creature in an array of powerful eldritch blast shattering the wvyern's tough hide defenses. The wyvern was quick, but batibat proved quicker. . . The wyvern was strong, but Julius proved stronger as they out-manuvered and over-powered the creature in every way possible before bringing it down to it's knees. In a struggle of pain and ravenous rage the creature lied helplessly on the ground before it's predators. With every bit of strength it had it attempted to finish what it was made to do only having the strength to bite at Baitbat and Julius as they moved to close. Without it putting up a fight Baitbat found that this was the time to conduct her magic. With the wyvern helpless to interrupt her magical concentration she casted a powerful control undead spell on the creature subjecting it's will to her control. As the creature fell onto her command she nods delighted at the scene only to heal the creature using a few cast of Blood of the Martyr transferring her blood to it to give it the strength to stand once more. The sounds many of footsteps were drawing nearby as Batibat ordered the wyvern to sit. Where she and Julius would climb onto it's back and with a single word. . .

"Fly. . ."

Did they approach closer to the moon as they took to the skies away from the scene into the distant darkness. . .




_______________________


/// Shout out to DM Foresight for the mini-event. And a thank you to DM Warden & DM Foresight for the setting!

A redheaded woman, now a familiar sight among the locals, some of whom address her by name with a wave and a smile, and others by title, is seen entering the Beregost Barracks and leaving only a few moments later after a brief talk with the Adjutant, handing over a slip of paper and a folded bit of parchment to the man and asking it be brought straight to the Commander.

Rumor has it that the woman had delivered another large donation to the militia along with a letter of some length.

///Feel free to PM this account to organise RP around the trade crates of wine. I'm not often in game but can be on arrangement. Cheers