Adrian: Baldur's Gate

Adrian was of two minds wether to make camp here at the edge of the wood, or press on. On the one hand it was late, but on the other they usually didn't stop this early. He polled the others for their opinions, and with Viconia casting the deciding vote, they moved on.

They encountered a group of little reptilian things with spears, which were called Tasloi. Highly annoying, but dispatched without any real risk to the party. Moving onwards they pushed their way through a mess of trees, and came fce ot face with three large spiders.

Viconia hissed and started bashing them before any of the rest of the party had time to react, but Adrian and Kagain were quick to follow her lead and start slashing and chopping.

"You all right, Viconia?" Adrian asked her.

Viconia nodded, but her mouth was set in a grim line. "Spiders are no longer my friends," she said softly.

Kagain and Adrian shared a glance, but said nothing.

"You there! Identify yourselves!" came this querulous shout in the shaky voice of an old man.

"I am Adrian," he answered, "And this is my troupe of mercenaries."

"Ah good," said the old man, smiling a little. "Just the sort I need."

Adrian eyed him. He was old, yes, but still healthy and relatively well muscled. He leaned upon a sword-hilt, the blade resting on the earth as though it were a cane, but Adrian had an idea he could swing it pretty fast when he wished to.

"And what do you need us for?" Kagain asked.

"I've been hunting in these woods for years," said the old man. "But those damned fool unwashed druids have been trying to kill me. Hunting is my right, but they've already scared my fellows off. I won't give in. Will you help me? I'll pay you well."

Druids. Like Jaheira. Adrian grimaced, a bitter taste in his mouth at the memory. "Aye, we'll help."

"Excellent!"

They hadn't long to wait. A quartet of staff-wielding men came out of the woods.

"It is time for you to die, parasite of the Gate," said the leader. "But what of these others? They need not die with you."

"And you want him dead because why?" Adrian asked, patiently.

"Why, he killed a druid of course. And he despoils these wondrous woods."

"I've killed no one my friends, I assure you," the old man protested.

Adrian sighed. He was really coming to hate Druids. Nature, while pleasant to look at, was something to chop down for firewood, not live in. Pretending otherwise was more than stupid; it was insane.

The lead woodsman had opened his mouth to say something else, but Adrian's sword slashed across his chest. The wound was not deep enough, however, to kill him. Instead he began to cast a spell.

Viconia and Adrian made short work of him. Kagain closed in on one of the others, Safana another, and the last one rushed the wizards, who didn't bother with magic; they simply tripped him up as he charged them, and stomped on him while he was down.

"Idiots," Adrian said with contempt.

"Thank you! Thank you!" The old man cried gladly. "My name is Aldeth Sashenstar. If you're ever in the city of Baldur's Gate, look me up!" He gave them a potion, and three hundred gold, saluted, and marched off.

"Not much gold," said Kagain, dissapointed.

"True, but now we have a contact in the city," said Adrian. "Something I think we'll need in future."

"Greetings, Adventurers," said a voice, as they reached a bridge over a river.

"Coran, you old devil," Safana chuckled.

Coran, an Elf, blinked. "Safana, is that you, you nasty vixen?"

"Aye, it is," she said, grinning openly now.

"You know him?" Adrian asked her.

"Yeah. We've....travelled together before," she said.

"You could put it like that," Coran agreed.

"So, what are you doing here?" she asked him.

"Hunting Wyverns. Beregost has a bounty on them. A rather nice one, I'll be bound."

Safana nudged Adrian. "Shall we join him?"

Adrian looked thoughtful. "We're on the way to the Iron Throne mines," he said. "But I daresay we can accomodate you, if you in turn help us."

"Those secret mines that are supposed to be in these woods?" Coran asked. "Hmmm, sounds like an adventure. Sure, we can help eachother."

"Excellent."

They made camp there that night. Coran looked more than a little dissapointed to see Safana snuggling up to Adrian.

"Do not worry," a voice said in his ear. Coran jumped, and stared at Viconia, who had snuck up behind him.

"Worry about what, dark one?" he asked, unsettled.

Viconia smiled. It was not a pleasant smile. "They shall not stay together overlong."

"Safana never stays with any man for long," sighed Coran.

Viconia nodded slowly, red eyes gleaming in the dark. "That is why she's still alive."