Hunted by a Nightmare

Team Ramrod awoke early the next morning. With any luck, they’d find the Vistani and Dare would have answers regarding his hag sister before the day was through. They packed their belongings, but there was one quick stop they needed to make before leaving town. Dare wasn’t the only one seeking answers.

Led by Lilvari, Team Ramrod made their way to the gardens of Helm’s Cathedral — to the small brick building known as Ucantan Orphanage. According to Chief Speaker Wanderfoot, if anyone was to know more about Gennal Nailo — the man who was hunting Lilvari — it’d be the headmistress of this orphanage.

The main doors were unlocked and led to a small classroom. It was empty save for the slender elven woman sitting behind a large wooden desk at the front of the room. She had long silver hair, parted down the middle and wore elegant purple robes. She was in the middle of straightening things up as Team Ramrod entered.

“Uh, hello?” Lilvari said.

The woman startled.

“Sorry, I didn’t mean to scare you.”

“It’s alright,” the woman replied. The look of surprise on her face had already turned into a pleasant smile. “I was just preparing for class. Lost in my own world, I suppose. What can I do for you?”

Lilvari approached, the others following closely behind. “Are you the headmistress of this orphanage?”

The elven woman nodded. “I am. My name is Helena Birmsquatter.”

“My name’s Lilvari. These are my friends. I was told that you could possibly give me more information regarding someone who used to stay here, someone named Gennal Nailo.”

The woman’s face darkened. She suddenly looked her years. “I haven’t heard that name for ages.”

“So you knew him?”

“I did. It sounds awful to say, but I wish I didn’t.” She visibly shuddered. “Why do you want to know about Gennal?”

“It’s for a friend,” Lilvari lied. “I think he might be after her.”

Helena stood and walked to the front of the desk. She crossed her arms as if cold. “In that case, I’d be worried for your friend. So what do you want to know?”

“I guess anything you can tell me. Where he came from. Where he might be.”

“Well, both the beginning and the end are shrouded in mystery I’m afraid. He arrived on our doorstep when he was just a baby. There was no note, no nothing. He was adopted when he was thirteen, and his parents took him back to their hometown, which was Silvery Moon, but that was more than twenty five years ago. What has become of him since, I have no idea.”

“So what can you tell me about the middle?” asked Lilvari.

She seemed to think on it for a time. “Gennal seemed to be an exemplary child — at least at first. Very smart, very dedicated to his studies and yet… there was always something troubling about him. Something about the way he looked through you instead of at you, as if he was contemplating a million and one ways he could kill you.”

“That’s a little messed up,” Dare said.

“Yes, well, I tried to ignore it. After all, there wasn’t any evidence of problems. But then something happened with one of the other students – a boy named Rothberg Hall. Rothberg was Gennal’s age — eleven or twelve. Rothberg had taken one of the younger girl’s dolls and ripped it’s head off. I didn’t see it happen, but I heard the girl crying. I went over. I remember it clear as day. Everyone had scattered when they saw me coming, everyone but the girl… and Gennal. It was like he was in a trance, staring in the direction Rothberg had gone. I’ll never forget the look in his eyes. It gives me goosebumps now just as it did then.

“I made Rothberg fix the doll as punishment, and then he was sent to bed without supper. The next morning, he didn’t come down for breakfast. We went to check on him, and there he was — still in bed, sheet white and shivering.”

“What happened to him?” Lilvari asked.

She shook her head. “No one knows. Or rather… no one dared say. All I know is that Rothberg changed overnight. He used to be outgoing and a friend of most of the other boys. After, he was scared of his own shadow. He’d hardly ever talk. Often the nightmares were so bad that he’d scream himself awake, and every time he saw Gennal, he’d go pale, drop into a ball and start sobbing.” There were tears in the headmistress’s eyes. “It was horrible.”

Everyone stood quiet for a moment. The echoing sound of youngsters playing could be heard coming from somewhere further within the building.

“Anyway,” she continued, “Gennal got adopted less than a year later. I should have told his adoptive parents about him, but to be honest, I was just relieved to see him go.”

“So who adopted him?” Lilvari asked.

“Devotees of Eldath, the Goddess of Peace. As I said, they took him back to Silvery Moon, and we never heard hide nor him of him again.”

“And Rothberg?”

“He’s still in Helmshold. Usually he can be found doing odd jobs around town or more likely than not, wallowing behind his cups in some cheap tavern. I sometimes wonder what he’d be like if he’d never met Gennal Nailo.”

The sound of the children grew louder. “I’m sorry, but I need to prepare for class. I told you all I know. If there’s nothing else…”

“That’s all,” Lilvari said. “Thanks for your help.”

With that, Team Ramrod left Ucantan Orphanage. Once they were through the garden, Dare leaned in towards Lilvari. “Can’t tell you how glad I am that that guy’s after you and not me.”

Lilvari didn’t reply. The look in Helena’s eyes as she spoke of Nailo was haunting to say the least. Lilvari figured that if he was indeed looking for her, he’d find her, and it wouldn’t be pleasant.

The Boulder and the Ambush

As they left Helmshold behind, Dare kept watch on the road ahead, making sure their path was clear and safe. Lilvari had no idea what Gennal Nailo looked like, but she felt his stare coming from every dark corner and shadowed area they passed. After a half hour’s time, the rolling hills and farmsteads gave way to trees — at first sporadic, but slowly the foliage gathered closer to the edges of the road.

A bird darted out from the branches ahead, giving Dare a start. He watched it take to the skies in awe. It was pretty with its gold and red plumage, a work of art. He kept watching it as they continued on. He was so enthralled with its beauty that he didn’t notice the strange sight before him: A large boulder next to the road ahead. That in itself wasn’t so strange, but if he was paying attention, he might have seen the gouges in the ground leading up to it — as if it was dragged there on purpose, probably by something very strong.

Just as they reached the boulder, a large creature with grayish mottled skin jumped out. Wrapped around its enormous shoulders and once around its pot belly was a heavy chain. It held a length of chain in its hands, ready for a fight. “Give me gold,” it said in stunted Common. It’s beady eyes glared down at them from a head that seem much too small for its body. It was an ogre.

“Way to keep watch,” Lilvari said to Dare. Then to the ogre she said, “I’ll give you something, but it ain’t going to be gold.”

The ogre smiled, revealing a mouthful of rotted teeth. “This going to be fun,” it said as it began swinging the chain above its head in a wide circle.

The fight was on. Mercarri muttered some arcane words and a familiar swirl of brown liquid started to form in the air above. Mystic closed her eyes and her shape changed into that of a black bear. Dare ran up first, taking a swing with Talon. The ogre caught the attack in its chain and attempted to yank Talon from Dare’s grasp. Before it could, Shit Hammer slammed it in the back of its head, sending bits of feces everywhere.

Lilvari was about to unleash an Eldritch Blast when an arrow flew past her, coming from the woods beyond. “Shit! He’s not alone!” she shouted. She turned towards where the arrow came from and was just in time to see a goblin dive into the bushes. Another was taking aim at her from behind a tree.

Mystic, in her bear form, roared in pain. She’d been hit. An arrow jutted from her shoulder. More goblins were popping up from within the foliage, loosing arrows and then hiding again. Team Ramrod was surrounded, but that wasn’t all. Heavy footfalls could be heard from the south and getting nearer. Something big. And whatever it was, there was more than one.

“Run behind the boulder,” shouted Lilvari. “It’ll give us some cover.”

“But that’s where the ogre is!” Mercarri said.

“Don’t worry,” said Dare. “I got this.” He sliced at the ogre again with Talon, this time breaking through its defenses. The creature didn’t growl in pain. It didn’t roar in agony. It simply looked at the wound in its belly, and then looked at Dare with pure rage in its eyes.

“Uh oh,” Dare said.

With lightning-quick speed, the ogre brought the chain down towards Dare’s head. Dare managed to raise his shield just in time, but the impact was so great, that the shield slammed into his head with extreme force, bringing stars to his eyes. He didn’t hear the familiar sound of a ringing bell, which was common whenever he took such a strong shot to the head. Instead, he heard a wolfish howl. From his periphery, he saw the source — two large wolf-like creatures at least six feet tall and just as long bounded out from the trees. Worgs, each one ridden by a goblin. One of the goblins was wearing what seemed to be a puffy-looking coat.

“Focus on the ogre,” Lilvari said.

Mystic, in her bear form, leapt onto the boulder and tried tackling the ogre, but it easily caught her. It flung her to the ground like she weighed nothing. For as bad as it was, it left an opening. Lilvari cast Eldritch Blast at it, catching the ogre in its midsection this time, right where Dare had wounded it. The ogre stumbled backward and as it did, Dare lunged a final time. Talon went through its belly to the hilt, and when he pulled his sword free, the ogre collapsed.

One of the worgs reached Mercarri as arrows were being loosed from every direction. Lightbringer drawn, she readied herself for the attack, but its speed surprised her. With its monstrous jaws, it latched onto the arm that held Lightbringer and tried tearing her to the ground. But she still had one hand free. She quickly twirled her fingers, and Shit Hammer changed course. She felt the drips of warm excrement as it floated overhead. With a meaty slam, it hit the worg. The worg let go, and as it did, she followed up with an attack from Lightbringer.

Its rider shouted something in goblin as it raised its scimitar. Mercarri looked up and tried to get ready to block the attack, but before she could, something happened. The worg bucked wildly, and the goblin was suddenly holding on for dear life as the worg tried to flee. Mercarri didn’t give it the chance. She swung Lightbringer at it’s middle and felt the crunch of the worg’s ribs. It howled in pain and collapsed — right on top of its goblin rider. She finished the goblin off with Shit Hammer.

A flash of fire appeared at her periphery. She turned to see Dare knee-deep in shrubbery. One thought ran through her mind: “What the hell is he doing?”

Dare had his flask in one hand, and a lit torch held up to his mouth with the other. He was blowing a fine mist of alcohol from his mouth, setting the bushes ahead of him aflame.

Before she could shake her head at his stupidity, a goblin sprang from bushes — completely on fire and screaming. It darted several steps into the clearing then dropped to the ground where it rolled back and forth, trying to extinguish the flames. After a few moments, it stopped moving and lay still.

“Take that you little shit!” Dare said.

“Dare! Look out!” Mercarri shouted.

The other worg was charging right at him. He turned towards it but was too late. The worg lunged, taking a good chuck of meat from Dare’s thigh. He managed to keep his balance as it tried to bring him to the ground, but doing so took his attention away from the worg’s goblin rider — the one wearing the coat. It swung down, inflicting two deep cuts along his upper chest and shoulder with its scimitar. Thankfully, Mercarri was already whispering the arcane words of a healing spell. Within a soft green glow, Dare’s wounds began healing almost at once.

Dare struck out at the worg. In two swings of his sword, Dare had cut the beast down. The goblin, a bit more dexterous than the other, managed to jump out of the way and land on his feet. It tried using the momentum to hit Dare with an overhead swing of its scimitar, but Lilvari wasn’t about to let that happen. She loosed a bolt of Eldritch energy which hit the goblin square in the crotch. it hit him hard enough to lift him off the ground and into a heap next to the worg. The goblin didn’t get up.

Team Ramrod gathered together, all eyes towards the woods and the goblins hiding within.

“Come out and fight,” Dare yelled.

As if in answer, Team Ramrod heard the sound of retreating footsteps moving quickly away.

“That’s what I thought,” Dare said.

Having bested the threat, they searched the bodies for loot. “What you find?” Dare asked Lilvari, who was in the process of removing the puffy coat. “Anything good?”

“A few coins,” she replied, though as she got a better look, she was more interested in the coat. It was made of the feathers or a large creature — an owlbear she guessed. It was too small for her, but she knew a particular goblin who might like it. “How about you?” she yelled back to Dare.

Dare was carefully manuevering around the ogre, trying his best not to come in contact with the splotches of feces that covered most of its body. A pouch was tied to its waist and seemed to be, for the most part, clean. “Maybe,” he said. Using the tip of his blade, Dare severed the string that held the pouch to the ogre’s simple leather belt. He then dumped the contents on the ground, hoping to see the shine of gold.

“Seriously?” he grumbled.

“What is it?”

“Toenail clippings. Like, who the hell carries around toenail clippings.”

“You used to wear that necklace that had a bunch of elf ears on it,” Mystic reminded him.

“That was different. I stole that from the orcs fair and square.”

Shanty Town and the Enchanted Apple

After looting the bodies, Team Ramrod continued North, a little sore but not too worse for wear.

“How much farther?” Mercarri asked.

“We have to pass through a town first,” Dare replied. “It’s called Shitty Town? Shatty Town?”

“Shanty Town?” Lilvari said.

“Yeah,” Dare said. “That’s the one.”

As they crested a rise in the road, Team Ramrod spotted several small cottages dotting the horizon.

“That must be it.”

From what Dare was told, the Vistani were just a few miles east of the town. As they approached, they saw that there weren’t more than a dozen houses in all — most of them in various states of disrepair. A few locals were gathered near what must have served as the market area – a meager setup of broken down carts filled with random assortments of goods and half-rotted vegetables. As always, all eyes turned to the adventurers as they neared. “Let’s just get through here as quickly as we can,” Lilvari said.

An elderly woman approached them before they could get too far.

“Great,” Lilvari muttered under her breath, but what the woman said surprised her.

“Are you here for the enchanted apple?”

Team Ramrod looked at each other. They weren’t, and they told her so. She seemed relieved, which made them all the more curious. “What’s the story with this enchanted apple?” Lilvari asked.

“Once a year,” the old woman told them, “a goblin comes from the North with one apple. He sells it to the highest bidder.” A determined gleam shone in her eyes. She pulled out a handful of gold coins, somewhere in the neighborhood of twenty — quite the sum for a commoner. “Today’s that day, and I’m going to win that apple. I need to. For my husband.

“It has the ability to heal whatever affliction you may have, you see — disease, curses. I’ve been saving all year.” As she spoke, her voice started getting shaky. By the end, she was almost in tears. “I have to win it, otherwise, my husband might not make it. He’s been sickly, and he’s getting worse each day.”

Lilvari reached into her satchel. “Hold out both hands,” she said. The woman did, and Lilvari dumped another one hundred gold into them. The woman’s eyes went wide. The tears in them could no longer be contained.

“Oh bless you! Bless you!”

“Just make sure you win that apple,” said Lilvari.

With that, they left Shanty Town behind, and headed east when Mystic pointed out the wheel ruts of what must have been several wagons. They followed the path for several miles as it wound through the hillside and into woodland. If there was to be another ambush, this would be a good a place as any. Mystic told them so.

“Yeah,” Dare added, “and watch out for boulders.”

Mystic held up a hand, and everyone stopped. “You hear that?”

They did. In the distance, they could make out the faint, somber sound of a violin. Mystic put a finger to her lips, then motioned everyone to follow her. They followed the sound as quietly as they could. Soon they heard voices and the occasional bout of laugher or singing. They also caught the scent of roasted pig, and Dare could be heard licking his lips.

Mystic wheeled on him “Shh!”

He mouthed an apology. She just rolled her eyes and continued forward. Soon, they reached the edge of a clearing. Through the foliage, they could see the glow of a large fire. The music was coming from the other side. Peaking through the leaves, they could make out four barrel-top wagons arranged in a large circular formation. At the center of the circle was a large fire surrounded by about a dozen men and women. Some were dancing. Some were singing. Most had a cup in hand. Several familiar casks were stacked near the closest wagon — the ones Dare had helped purchased.

These were the Vistani, and they were all dressed in bright, garish clothes of all colors and decked out with lots of jewelry — just like the man Dare had met.

Mystic heard rustling behind her. She turned to find Dare heading into the clearing. “What are you doing?”

“These are my peeps,” he said, waving her off. Then he called out loudly, “Hey all! Can someone hook me up with some wine?”

All conversations ceased. The ones that were sitting, stood quickly. At least a dozen weapons — dirges, scimitars and short swords all came out at once.

Dare glanced around, looking for the man he met at the tavern. The man was no where to be found. “Hey,” Dare said, raising his hands. “It’s okay. I’m a friend of… of…” he drew a blank. Shit. For the life of him he couldn’t remember the guy’s name. Not good. Not good at all.

From behind, he heard Mystic sigh.