Adrian: Baldur's Gate

Kagain Dragonaxe was not pleased to be leaving the city; Baldur's Gate had been a second home to him, as it had been for Adrian himself. But he knew that Adrian was determined to shatter the Iron Throne into a million pieces to get at his fellow Bhaalspawn, and Kagain couldn't blame him for that.

Kagain was not a deep or introspective person. To his mind, it was simple; you go where the gold went. He and his cousin had learned, at a very young age, not to look for more "enlightened" ways of doing things. The only difference had been that his cousin had been more interested in bloodshed.

Shaking off such thoughts, he caught up with the rest of the party, which was headed for the docks. Zavrian's ship was in, and Coran and Bexira waved cheerily at them from it's deck.

Kagain saw Adrian smile a little, and raise his hand, but his pace never slowed nor his direction waver; they were just going to get their personal effects off the Low Lantern and get out of town.

"W-wait, I must speak with thee!" came a slightly accented voice. A middle aged woman hobbled up in front of them.

Adrian waved her aside. "Not today, woman, we've business to attend."

"You are mercenaries, are you not?"

Adrian stopped, and Kagain saw him suck in a breath. "No, we just carry weapons around to kill things with for the joy of the experience, what do you think?"

Kagian snorted, and heard Edwin and Viconia also chuckling. Adrian's dry wit was often a pleasure.

"I am sorry to disturb you, but I am desparate!"

"And we have better things to do," snapped Adrian. "On your way."

"Please, hear me out. The mage Iago has cused my baby. I need from him his spellbook to cure the child! I will pay you well! Iago is lurking in the Low Lantern."

"I said--" Adrian stopped. "The Low Lantern, you say?"

"Aye, he stays in the bottom deck of that noisome den."

Adrian looked at the others. "It is on our way," he said thoughtfully.

"It's money," Kagain said. And for him that was enough. Why anyone would consider any other option until they were set for life was beyond him.

The others agreed, save Tiax, and he was overruled. Kagain watched the Gnome warily. He was not to be trusted. Nor the Drow, for that matter, but she was useful enough for now. Not that trust was something Kagain normally concerned himself with, but working in a group like this you had to watch your back.

They tromped down through the ship, past their own quarters to the lower decks. But before they could even reach the mage, a pair of nihilistic crazies attacked them, a warrior woman and a priestess.

Kagain lunged forward at the warrior, but she was gone, invisible. He heard the Drow chanting behind him, and suddenly the foe was visible again. He closed with her and battle began.

The cleric had made herself blurry, but Viconia had dispelled that. She tried to start casting agian, but Edwin and Xzar gave her magic missiles, and Adrian introduced her to his poison crossbow bolts.

Tiax and Viconia moved to help Kagain and together they beat down the warrior woman as the others finished off the cleric.

Viconia took a pair of bracers off the warrior and put them on, smiling to herself. Kagain supposed they incrased strentgh, as the gauntlets he had taken from the Ogres at the Gnoll fortress had increased his agility. Gods, that had been so long ago now....

He shook himself. Today seemed to be the day for introspection for him. The party took no serious injuries from the battle, and of course he himself healed very quickly.

The next level down produced a number of ladies of the evening, and Iago. He would not listen to reason, And the mages were forced to kill him. One mage against the entire party, and not a particularly powerful one, was no threat. It couldn't really even be called a proper fight.

Kagain found the spellbook in a cabinet, and they went back up to their own rooms to get their things and decamp.

The woman babbled meaningless phrases of gratitude, which Kagain ignored. He was only interested in the (relatively meager) amount of gold she gave, which Adrian doled out fairly between the party. This was another thing Kagain did not understand; he should've kept the largest share for himself as leader.

But leader he was nevertheless, and Kagain fell in behind him without question as he had done since Beregost. They left the ship behind, and headed for the city gate. As they passed through, Adrian held his head high.

A gnome tried to approach them as they left the city; Quayle, he called himself. But Tiax knew him and, with a snarl of hatred ran him down and knocked him out with a blow.

"What was that about?" Kagain asked the madman.

"A fool who thinks himself wise," Tiax snarled, with uncommon venom. "We've crossed paths before."

Adrian and Kagain shared a long, weary glance.

Then they followed the road, heading for Candlekeep, Adrian's former home.