Cards Reshuffled

Everybody who walks the road of the adventurer will gain a few enemies. You’d do well to hope that your enemies are the boastful kind who will want to taunt you with their victory, and draw things out. That gives you the time to retaliate, unlike the case with the enemy who’ll simply shoot you.

Excerpt from ‘Ruminations Of A Master Bard’

Zaerini watched Jaheira carefully as the druid looked upon the face of the unpleasant stranger who had addressed her. Jaheira’s facial expression remained neutral, calm and impassive. And yet there was…something. She knows who he is, the bard thought. But I was wrong. This is no old friend or lover. This is…something else. Beneath the table she carefully eased her hands closer to her bags of spell components.

“I...I am sorry?” Jaheira asked. “Do I know you?”

For a moment there was a look of annoyance in the strangers dark little peppercorn eyes. Then it passed, and when he spoke again he was even smiling. It wasn’t a friendly smile though. “You do not remember? Ahh, but this is understandable. It has been years since we last spoke. Far too long, really.”

Jaheira smiled in return, a hard and satisfied little smile. “Forgive me, but I will require a little more information. Your name again?”

The man cleared his throat, and extended his hand in a dramatic gesture. “My name…is Ployer, Baron Ployer? Of the Calimshan Ployers? Come now, you must have some inkling?” Then his face reddened with anger at Jaheira’s blank look.

“No…” Jaheira said, and now Rini could swear that she was almost laughing. “No...no, I am terribly sorry but your face is unfamiliar. Perhaps if you told me what you do...”

WHAM! The stranger smacked his fist into the table, making glasses tremble and overturn. “My name means nothing? Nothing?! I am Baron Ployer! PLOYER! You ruined me! Not remembering is an even greater insult! You are why I am destitute today!” He had been gradually raising his voice, and by now he was practically screaming. “You and your Harper kin accused me of breeding slaves in Calimshan! My businesses in Athkatla were taken! I was made a pauper and you do not even remember?!”

Jaheira was on her feet in an instant, and yanked hold of the man’s shirt, pulling him towards her. Rini caught a good look of the druid’s face and was startled at the anger she saw there. Jaheira seemed almost as furious with this stranger as with Irenicus. “I remember well,” she snarled, “but I wanted you to say it, and I wanted others to hear. Quite the outburst, Mister Ployer, I assume you are still at odds with your new life?”

“You...you...This is the type of insolence I was talking about! It is not enough that you ruin a man, you must also berate him!”

Edwin gave him a bemused look. “Of course she must,” the wizard said. “Insulting and humiliating your foe is an art form in itself, one of which I am the undisputed master of course.”

Jaheira ignored him. “MISTER Ployer, I wanted you dead instead of merely humiliated! The courts did not seem to think death was warranted, so they claimed your assets instead. That you live in poverty is gratifying, if you must live at all! I would suggest you change your tone. I am not in a mood for giving charity to old slavers!”

“Aw, come on Jaheira!” Jan said. “Be nice. Even an old slaver shouldn’t go hungry. Here, Mr Ployer, have a turnip!” And he threw the turnip slice that had once graced his drink into the former baron’s face, where it wound up dangling from his nose. “Now, don’t forget to chew properly,” Jan said, grinning at the incensed man. “My great-aunt Flora once choked on a turnip and died, and didn’t wake up until a very kinky Necromancer came by and decided to give her a kiss. Sucked the turnip clear out of her windpipe he did, but then he choked instead. They still got married though, and they took turns being the dead one. Very happy marriage, only one of them could speak at a time…”

“Jan, be silent!” Jaheira snapped. “I am busy getting rid of this vermin.”

Ployer sneered at this. “Haven't lost your fire, I see. Still a Harper? This little runty one too? That fellow Khalid you were once with was a better compliment. Is he here as well?”

Ouch, ouch, ouch! Rini thought. He’ll be lucky to leave this place alive now. Or at least with all his teeth.

Jaheira had turned as pale as a sheet, and in that white face her eyes were burning with green fire. “He is none of your concern. If you value your teeth you will not speak that name again. You dirty it.”

“That’s right,” Zaerini said. “I suggest you leave now, and stop bothering my friend. I wouldn’t mind removing a few of your teeth myself if you keep this up.”

“Minsc will help!” Minsc cried out. “Selling slaves is evil, and when it comes to teeth, Boo has plenty of those, sharp and ready to bite.”

“He speaks true,” Anomen said, scowling at Ployer. “Leave the lady alone, or suffer the consequences of your unchivalrous actions as I grind your body to dust.”

“Sounds wasteful to me,” Edwin remarked. “I could use some new spell components. I believe ‘Liver of Coward’ is one of the required components for the ‘Horror’ spell.” He gave Ployer an inquiring look across steepled fingers. “Would you prefer for me to remove it before or after I kill you?”

Ployer cleared his throat nervously. “Er, yes. Very well. How about your companions, Jaheira? Do they count themselves among the Harpers as well?”

“We are not,” Rini said. “But we are her friends, and we’ve had just about enough of this. This is your final warning. Get lost, or there won’t be enough of you left to bury.”

Ployer backed slowly away, his hands raised, but there was something else than fear in his voice. “No matter,” he said in a smug manner, with the pleased look of a man who has everything under control. “You are not my intended victim.” He raised his voice as he turned to the druid again. “Jaheira, I'm going to repay the harm you did me. I did not find you by accident; I'll make you pay for your libelous ways and the shame you have caused me.”

Jaheira snorted contemptuously. “I don't think that word means what you think it means. You really were trading in slaves, you know? How am I libelous...”

“That is beside the point!” Ployer screamed. “What matters is that you ruined me, and now I'm going to ruin you!” He laughed triumphantly as three shimmering magical portals formed in the air beside him.

Cowled wizards? Zaerini wildly thought. But the three men who appeared were not wearing the gray robes of the Cowled Wizards. Rather they all wore black mage robes, trimmed with green, something that gave them the air of a military force. They chanted rapidly in unison, and something formed in the air between them and the party, something brown and small, like the throbbing heart of a sick child. It pulsated in the air, and then it moved, faster than a striking snake.

“NO!” the bard shouted, but it was too late. The thing struck Jaheira straight in the chest, driving her to her knees, and then the three wizards were gone again, teleported away.

“Enjoy my curse, Jaheira!” Ployer laughed. “I had it made specially for you. Wither and die, like I do, die slowly like my family did! Oh, and give my regards to Belgrade when you see him!” Still laughing, he disappeared, teleporting off just like the wizards had.

Jaheira slowly got to her feet, steadying herself on the table as she did so. She was still pale, and breathing heavily. Her temper was just the same though. “By the horns of Silvanus, I'll plant him beneath the Stones of Aisath if I...if I...” Suddenly she broke off, her eyes widening as if with a sudden pain.

“Jaheira?” Zaerini asked, hurrying over to steady the druid lest she fall. “Are you all right? What did he do to you?”

Jaheira shook her head. “I…am well. I merely felt strange for a moment. It has passed. That...that fat excuse for a slaver, he's cursed me! Damn him!”

“Surely the curse can be removed?” Anomen asked. “I have not the skill myself, but the temple of Helm has many a skilled healer, they will aid.”

“You don’t know much about curses, do you?” Edwin said. “The slaver said that he had the curse tailor-made for her. That means that only he can remove it. Of course I would expect you to be ignorant about such matters.”

“And I am not surprised that you know about them, you…”

“Shut up!” Rini cut in. “Both of you. We need to help Jaheira get this curse off, we can’t waste time arguing.” Once she was satisfied that both men looked sufficiently embarrassed, she turned to the druid again. “If Ployer is the only one who can get the curse off of you, then we’ll find him, I promise. Any thoughts on where to look?”

Jaheira pursed her lips. “His old estates were confiscated after he was arrested. He said that he lived as a pauper, which would suggest the slums, but that is a big area. It will not be easy to find him there. However, he also mentioned Belgrade, and old friend of mine who aided with Ployer’s arrest. Bernard at the Copper Coronet knows him, he might know where he is.”

“There are those wizards to be considered as well,” Edwin said. “I have seen them about before, and I believe they are some form of mercenary group. They might provide us with a link to their employer – with a little persuasion of course.”

“Do you know where to find them?” Zaerini asked.

“Not exactly. But if they are registered with the Cowled Wizards, then they will know.”

Zaerini nodded as she thought this over. Jaheira still looked pale, and rather more tired than she ought to. “Right,” she finally said. “Here’s what we’ll do. Since we don’t know how much time we’ll have before the curse gets serious, I think we should split up. First we stop by the nearest temple to make certain the curse can’t be removed, then we divide into two groups. Jaheira, you and Minsc and Jan go to see Bernard and see if he knows anything of this Belgrade person. Meanwhile, I will go with Anomen and Edwin to the Government district and see if we can pick up any leads there. We’ll meet you back at the Coronet by sunset at the latest.”

Jaheira looked doubtful. “Are you sure it is wise to split up?”

“No. But like I said, I don’t dare waste any time. Anyway, we aren’t exactly planning for any major skirmishes, just to gather information.” I just hope we will find it in time. And I hope we will have time enough.

Just as Zaerini had suspected, the priest at the temple of Oghma simply clucked his tongue in a worrying manner after he had finished examining Jaheira. “I am afraid I have some bad news, and some even worse news,” he said. “The bad news is that I cannot remove this curse. It runs too deeply, it permeates your entire body and it is like a complicated knot that can only be untied by the person who tied it in the first place. I am sorry.”

Jaheira nodded. “It is unwelcome news, but not surprising. Can you determine the nature of this curse? What should I expect?”

The priest nodded, and when he spoke next his voice was grim. “We all have our measured years, and then in time the body withers and dies. Some of us have longer years than others, like the elves, but even they are not completely eternal. What this curse does is to speed up the rate at which your body decays, increasingly so. You will find yourself growing weaker, more tired, unable to find the energy to do things that would normally come easy to you. Most likely you will lose your appetite and find it difficult to sleep, as old people often do. Eventually, your body will fail you in one manner or another, and you will die, many years before your normal time.”

“I see,” Jaheira said. If this news shocked her she hid it well. Her face might have been that of a marble statue for all the emotion it showed. “And how long will it take?”

The priest’s voice was almost as grim as that of the druid when he answered. “As exactly as I can pinpoint it, it will take around three days. As I said, I am very sorry.”

“Yes,” Jaheira said. “So am I.“