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Ember's Tale 32: The Protectors of Cloakwood


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#1 Guest_Cel_*

Posted 31 July 2006 - 06:53 AM

Chapter 32: The Protectors of Cloakwood


Cloakwood turned out to be very much unlike the dismal, inpenetrable place Ember had always imagined it to be. In truth, it was far wilder than any forest she had seen so far, with dense clusters of trees and several packs of dire wolves and giant spiders, but there were numerous tracks and paths for them to follow, and the woodlands around them were stunningly beautiful. It was pleasantly warm, and the air was filled with the smell of ripening berries and summer flowers. Every now and then, a squirrel would watch them from a tree. The alert little creatures were completely unafraid of people, and some of them even indulged Minsc's attempts at playing with them.

"Aw, that is so cute!" Imoen exclaimed as a squirrel snatched a sunflower seed from Minsc's outstretched palm.

"Yes, it is very cute and our sole mission in this godsforsaken cesspit is to play with squirrels and one can only hope that the great oaf will not be too distracted by their cuteness when the next wolfpack shows up!" Edwin said testily. "(I will not become a wolf snack due to his inattentiveness!)"

"There are no wolves near us, and Boo likes making friends his own size," Minsc said, patting the hamster with one finger. Boo was perched on his shoulder, and was nibbling a seed of his own.

"(As if someone with his mental capacity could be trusted to judge the presence of wolves)," Edwin grumbled.

Minsc was proven right, though, as they encountered neither wolf nor spider on the path they were following at the time. It showed distinct signs of being used by people; there where hints of cartwheel tracks, and it was wider and more linear than a path made by animal activity, Kivan told them. Despite its width, it was still completely covered by a thick canopy of branches, and only muted light reached the forest floor.

After they had followed the path for an hour or so, it ended in a clearing; a circular area had been clear cut to make room for a very large and elegant-looking log cabin. Several deer antlers and bear skulls were mounted above its doorway.

"Who would live out here?" Ember said.

As if on cue, the front door of the cabin flew open, and a silver-haired man dressed in stylish leather armor and a crimson cloak ran out of the cabin. "You there! Identify yourselves!" he bellowed, waving a bejewelled sword.

"We are adventurers," Kivan called out to the man.

"Butt-kicking for goodness!" Minsc exclaimed. Edwin rolled his eyes.

"Indeed?" the man said. He peered closely at them, then nodded and lowered his sword. "Oh, I see! I apologize for my rudeness, I mistook you for someone else. Let me introduce myself, I am Aldeth Sashenstar," he said, pronouncing the name in a manner that indicated they should immediately recognize and respect it.

"Nice to meet you, Aldeth!" Imoen said. He frowned slightly at the familiarity, but Imoen merely gave him one of her sweetest grins.

"You must understand that at the moment I'm under a terrible amount of stress," Aldeth said. "You see my dear fellows, there is a group of uncouth savages that has declared their intention of killing my friends and I; they have already killed Elban, one of my oldest friends! I've been holed up in this cabin for several days, and have lacked the wherewithal to try and make an escape. Perhaps you would help a fellow in trouble? I would be willing to pay a considerable amount for your assistance."

"Where are these evil men? Minsc will smack a sense of justice into them with his sword!"

"Of course we'll help!" Imoen said.

Edwin sighed. "The reward had better be worth it," he said.

Aldeth beamed. "Good men!" he said. Ember raised an eyebrow. I did not realize Immy and I looked like guys. Behind her, Imoen mumbled a similar statement; Ember turned and shared an exasperated look with her.

"I'm glad you had the sense of decency to help a man in my situation," the man continued. "Let me explain my predicament. You see, my friends and I come here every year to do some sport hunting. This year however, a group of woodland savages threatened us with bodily harm if we did not stop our hunting trip. Being civilized men we realized that it's well within our rights to hunt where we damn well please, so we stayed, but after a few more days of hunting the crass woodmen lost all pretense of humanity and murdered Elban! I'm sure that they plan to attack our cottage here, so we had best be prepared."

Ember frowned. The man's attitude galled her. "Surely it would be better if we could just escort you safely out of the woods?" she asked.

"What, and let the savages win?!" Aldeth exclaimed. "Ah, but I see the point is moot; they must have seen me leave the cottage. Here they come!"

Four men carrying staves and dressed in shades of brown and green entered the clearing around the cabin. Their leader, dressed in a robe of darkest green, had a tanned and weather-beaten face, and his hair was the colour of ripe wheat. Druids, most likely, Ember guessed, but if so, they look more wholesome than that shadow druid we met. I guess we'll see.

"Trespasser and butcher of our wood; I, Seniyad, have come to administer the punishment that you have brought down upon yourself," the leader said to Aldeth. He regarded Ember and her companions curiously. "Who are these that stand beside you? With them we have no quarrel." He turned fully towards Ember and Kivan, who were at the front of their group. "It is now to you that I speak; this man has most likely duped you into protecting his sorry hide. He has most likely not told of the druid they have slain in cold blood. I will allow you to rethink your earlier decision and leave this man to their most deserved fate."

"Do not listen to these slavering wild men my dear fellows; they lie as befits the uncultured barbarians that they are," Aldeth said condescendingly.

Ember ignored him. "What is the nature of his punishment?" she asked Seniyad.

"He has been warned multiple times to cease his destructive ways, but the time of warnings has passed. We shall destroy his lodgings, and he must leave these woods, never to return. If he has not left by nightfall, his life will be forfeit."

"And exactly what has he done?" Ember asked.

"He and his companion have shot many animals, often merely wounding them. They would kill a deer for its antlers and leave the body to rot. Finally, they shot and killed one of our number while she was tending a bear they'd wounded. He ran away like a coward, but his friend remained and attacked us. That one has been dealt with already."

Kivan stepped forward. "Sashenstar, we will escort you out of the woods safely, if you will. In no other way will we aid you."

"What!?!" the man exclaimed, his rosy cheeks turning quite red. "Have you gone mad, throwing your lot in with a band of madmen?! You treacherous savages, you will suffer for your foolishness! I will deal with you after I kill Seniyad!" He roared dramatically and charged at the druid leader.

Seniyad whispered something and made a gesture. The sky darkened overhead. Aldeth raised his sword and slashed at the druid in impressive yet inefficient swings, and the druid easily blocked the attacks with his staff.

The was a loud boom and a bright flash of light. An immense bolt of lighting flashed from the clouds overhead, striking Aldeth's sword and passing through his body. He fell to the ground at the druid's feet.

"He has paid for his actions," the druid said. "I congratulate you on your wise decision." He glanced at them all in turn, frowning visibly as he scrutinized the red wizard. His eyes widened for a moment as he noticed the hamster perched on Minsc's shoulder. The druid walked closer to Minsc, staring intently at Boo. Eventually, he nodded. "Your hamster is content and well cared for, and it cares deeply for you. I commend you, forest walker," he said.

Minsc beamed and patted Boo. "See, Boo? The nice druid likes you!"

"I have no quarrel with those who respect my forest," Seniyad said, "but I would know where you are headed."

"Our foes have a base in these woods. We are searching for it," Kivan said.

"Would this base involve those known as the Iron Throne?"

"Aye."

"Then I would suggest you head west, then north. They have built a fort in the deepest part of the forest, above an abandoned dwarven iron mine."

"Something tells me it's not so abandoned anymore," Imoen said.

"That is correct," Seniyad said. " Be careful in your journeys, for there are many foul beasts that have inhabited the woods of late. Another danger is a sect of Shadow druids. Their Order is a dangerous splinter group of the true druid Order; they believe in the violent suppression of all forms of civilization, and will often attack travellers."

"We met a Shadow druid in the Wood of Sharp Teeth," Ember said. "He'd poisoned the other druids there."

"Was it then you that disposed of the miscreant?"

"Yes," Ember said.

"She killed him," Imoen added.

"I thank you," the druid said. "I have heard of the destruction of the grove there, but not of how it occured. You must tell me more."

They shared what they knew about the destroyed grove while the druids cast minor healing spells on them, closing up the cuts and scratches they had gained over the course of the day. When they continued onwards, it was with Seniyad's well-wishes, and Edwin was the only one who left less than satisfied with the encounter.

"The gall of telling me what I can and cannot do with my spells! (As if I am a mere child with no sense of proper application with regards to evocation spells!)" he grumbled irritably.

"He's just being protective of his lands, Edwin," Ember said, "and I am sure that you are aware of the reputation of red wizards."

"Don't worry, Eddie, we know you can use fire spells properly," Imoen said. "In fact..." She stopped and reached into her pack.

"Don't call-" Edwin started to say, but he stopped in mid sentence when Imoen handed him the wand of fire. "I..."

"Use it well, Eddie," she said with a grin, and attached their wand of frost to her own belt. "If we're going to run into all those 'foul beasts' on the way, I figure we'd better be fully prepared," she told the others.

Edwin didn't answer. The look on his face as he clutched the wand said everything that needed to be said.

#2 Guest_AlphaMonkey_*

Posted 31 July 2006 - 07:04 PM

"Yes, it is very cute and our sole mission in this godsforsaken cesspit is to play with squirrels and one can only hope that the great oaf will not be too distracted by their cuteness when the next wolfpack shows up!" Edwin said testily. "(I will not become a wolf snack due to his inattentiveness!)"


I wouldn't want the wolves to eat him, either...

...

They'd get indisgestion, and possibly the runs.

I did not realize Immy and I looked like guys.


Raven: "You don't. Now -we- on the other hand..."

Harlequin: "Yeah, well, with the BDUs and the assault vests..."

Raven: "And the however-many-kilos of gear..."

Harlequin: "And the combat helmets..."

Raven: "We... end up looking like guys."

Harlequin: (Grumbles) "Doesn't help that we both got kinda screwed in the boob department."

Raven: (Sighs and looks down at her chest) "Yeah. You're telling me. Like a board with nipples on it. Damn it."

Harlequin: (Sighs as well) "I know."

His eyes widened for a moment as he noticed the hamster perched on Minsc's shoulder.


Oh no! Boo's cover is blown! :wink:

"Was it then you that disposed of the miscreant?"


Does shoving him in a trash compactor count? :shock:

(As if I am a mere child with no sense of proper application with regards to evocation spells!)


I know a bunch of children who have a better sense of tactics and "What not to do if you don't want to blow yourself up" than he does.

Edwin didn't answer. The look on his face as he clutched the wand said everything that needed to be said.


Hmmm... Edwin clutching possessively at a phallic object, huh? Wonder what I should be reading into that? :twisted:

#3 Guest_Keldan_*

Posted 31 July 2006 - 08:11 PM

"Yes, it is very cute and our sole mission in this godsforsaken cesspit is to play with squirrels and one can only hope that the great oaf will not be too distracted by their cuteness when the next wolfpack shows up!" Edwin said testily. "(I will not become a wolf snack due to his inattentiveness!)"


Don't worry, Eddie, the wolves have better taste than that.

... they probably know divine meat when they smell it; Ember'll be the prime target if they get that desperate. :P

"Nice to meet you, Aldeth!" Imoen said. He frowned slightly at the familiarity, but Imoen merely gave him one of her sweetest grins.


Which surely blinded him with the glint off her teeth. :D

Aldeth beamed. "Good men!" he said. Ember raised an eyebrow. I did not realize Immy and I looked like guys. Behind her, Imoen mumbled a similar statement; Ember turned and shared an exasperated look with her.


Apparently women who adventure are automatically considered men. :D For a seemingly fairly equal world it's surprisingly sexist sometimes.

"He and his companion have shot many animals, often merely wounding them. They would kill a deer for its antlers and leave the body to rot. Finally, they shot and killed one of our number while she was tending a bear they'd wounded. He ran away like a coward, but his friend remained and attacked us. That one has been dealt with already."


Ah, so this Aldeth is a bastard. Not much loss there.

"What!?!" the man exclaimed, his rosy cheeks turning quite red. "Have you gone mad, throwing your lot in with a band of madmen?! You treacherous savages, you will suffer for your foolishness! I will deal with you after I kill Seniyad!" He roared dramatically and charged at the druid leader.


Uh, yeah, not smart, Aldeth. Besides, if you thought you could beat them and the druids why did you ask for help in the first place?

The was a loud boom and a bright flash of light. An immense bolt of lighting flashed from the clouds overhead, striking Aldeth's sword and passing through his body. He fell to the ground at the druid's feet.


Most impressive!

"Was it then you that disposed of the miscreant?"

"Yes," Ember said.

"She killed him," Imoen added.


Simple and direct. That's Immy for you. :D

"Don't worry, Eddie, we know you can use fire spells properly," Imoen said. "In fact..." She stopped and reached into her pack.

"Don't call-" Edwin started to say, but he stopped in mid sentence when Imoen handed him the wand of fire. "I..."

"Use it well, Eddie," she said with a grin, and attached their wand of frost to her own belt. "If we're going to run into all those 'foul beasts' on the way, I figure we'd better be fully prepared," she told the others.

Edwin didn't answer. The look on his face as he clutched the wand said everything that needed to be said.


My Edwin: Aha. Ahahaha. (The delicious irony of it.) And what, precisely, were you saying about "not losing the ability to speak" before? Oh, I remember; you were saying it never happened to you. I'll just let this situation "speak" for itself. *smug grin*

Hehe. If I recall correctly, you said Ember finds out about her poison-cure ability in Cloakwood... perhaps Edwin is going to be bitten by a spider while he attempts to fireball it? :D

#4 Guest_IronDragon_*

Posted 31 July 2006 - 08:14 PM

Cloakwood turned out to be very much unlike the dismal, inpenetrable place Ember had always imagined it to be. In truth, it was far wilder than any forest she had seen so far, with dense clusters of trees and several packs of dire wolves and giant spiders, but there were numerous tracks and paths for them to follow, and the woodlands around them were stunningly beautiful. It was pleasantly warm, and the air was filled with the smell of ripening berries and summer flowers. Every now and then, a squirrel would watch them from a tree. The alert little creatures were completely unafraid of people, and some of them even indulged Minsc's attempts at playing with them.

"Aw, that is so cute!" Imoen exclaimed as a squirrel snatched a sunflower seed from Minsc's outstretched palm.

so it isn’t being suggested that Boo hid his nuts?

Maybe they are friendly squirrels
Any friendly moose around?

"Yes, it is very cute and our sole mission in this godsforsaken cesspit is to play with squirrels and one can only hope that the great oaf will not be too distracted by their cuteness when the next wolfpack shows up!" Edwin said testily. "(I will not become a wolf snack due to his inattentiveness!)"

Remind me why Eddie is tagging along again

"We are adventurers," Kivan called out to the man.

"Butt-kicking for goodness!" Minsc exclaimed. Edwin rolled his eyes.

"Indeed?" the man said. He peered closely at them, then nodded and lowered his sword. "Oh, I see! I apologize for my rudeness, I mistook you for someone else. Let me introduce myself, I am Aldeth Sashenstar," he said, pronouncing the name in a manner that indicated they should immediately recognize and respect it.

Apparently everyone is happy to meet adventurers…

Aldeth beamed. "Good men!" he said. Ember raised an eyebrow. I did not realize Immy and I looked like guys. Behind her, Imoen mumbled a similar statement; Ember turned and shared an exasperated look with her.

:D Wait…your GIRLS!!! :D

"I'm glad you had the sense of decency to help a man in my situation," the man continued. "Let me explain my predicament. You see, my friends and I come here every year to do some sport hunting. This year however, a group of woodland savages threatened us with bodily harm if we did not stop our hunting trip. Being civilized men we realized that it's well within our rights to hunt where we damn well please, so we stayed, but after a few more days of hunting the crass woodmen lost all pretense of humanity and murdered Elban! I'm sure that they plan to attack our cottage here, so we had best be prepared."

And of course actually listening to the others concerns was just out of the question.

"Trespasser and butcher of our wood; I, Seniyad, have come to administer the punishment that you have brought down upon yourself," the leader said to Aldeth. He regarded Ember and her companions curiously. "Who are these that stand beside you? With them we have no quarrel." He turned fully towards Ember and Kivan, who were at the front of their group. "It is now to you that I speak; this man has most likely duped you into protecting his sorry hide. He has most likely not told of the druid they have slain in cold blood. I will allow you to rethink your earlier decision and leave this man to their most deserved fate."

the plot thickens

"And exactly what has he done?" Ember asked.

um...did you hear the part about the killings?

"He and his companion have shot many animals, often merely wounding them. They would kill a deer for its antlers and leave the body to rot. Finally, they shot and killed one of our number while she was tending a bear they'd wounded. He ran away like a coward, but his friend remained and attacked us. That one has been dealt with already."

Kivan stepped forward. "Sashenstar, we will escort you out of the woods safely, if you will. In no other way will we aid you."

if only this were a game option

"What!?!" the man exclaimed, his rosy cheeks turning quite red. "Have you gone mad, throwing your lot in with a band of madmen?! You treacherous savages, you will suffer for your foolishness! I will deal with you after I kill Seniyad!" He roared dramatically and charged at the druid leader.

What I wouldn’t give for a happy ending to this bit ...guess i'll have to write one.

"Then I would suggest you head west, then north. They have built a fort in the deepest part of the forest, above an abandoned dwarven iron mine."

"Something tells me it's not so abandoned anymore," Imoen said.

you are probably right

"That is correct," Seniyad said. " Be careful in your journeys, for there are many foul beasts that have inhabited the woods of late. Another danger is a sect of Shadow druids. Their Order is a dangerous splinter group of the true druid Order; they believe in the violent suppression of all forms of civilization, and will often attack travellers."

And hunters….

"The gall of telling me what I can and cannot do with my spells! (As if I am a mere child with no sense of proper application with regards to evocation spells!)" he grumbled irritably.

"He's just being protective of his lands, Edwin," Ember said, "and I am sure that you are aware of the reputation of red wizards."

"Don't worry, Eddie, we know you can use fire spells properly," Imoen said. "In fact..." She stopped and reached into her pack.

"Don't call-" Edwin started to say, but he stopped in mid sentence when Imoen handed him the wand of fire. "I..."

"Use it well, Eddie," she said with a grin, and attached their wand of frost to her own belt. "If we're going to run into all those 'foul beasts' on the way, I figure we'd better be fully prepared," she told the others.

The Druid has a point. So why doesn’t the use of a fire spell start forest fires?

#5 Guest_Cel_*

Posted 31 July 2006 - 08:48 PM

"Yes, it is very cute and our sole mission in this godsforsaken cesspit is to play with squirrels and one can only hope that the great oaf will not be too distracted by their cuteness when the next wolfpack shows up!" Edwin said testily. "(I will not become a wolf snack due to his inattentiveness!)"


I wouldn't want the wolves to eat him, either...

...

They'd get indisgestion, and possibly the runs.


That's actually a rather likely consequence, I think :D

I did not realize Immy and I looked like guys.


Raven: "You don't. Now -we- on the other hand..."

Harlequin: "Yeah, well, with the BDUs and the assault vests..."

Raven: "And the however-many-kilos of gear..."

Harlequin: "And the combat helmets..."

Raven: "We... end up looking like guys."


Not really surprising, considering modern combat gear.

Harlequin: (Grumbles) "Doesn't help that we both got kinda screwed in the boob department."

Raven: (Sighs and looks down at her chest) "Yeah. You're telling me. Like a board with nipples on it. Damn it."

Harlequin: (Sighs as well) "I know."


Hey, I'm a fan of any and all heroines who do not have heaving, gravity-defying bosoms of doom :D

His eyes widened for a moment as he noticed the hamster perched on Minsc's shoulder.


Oh no! Boo's cover is blown! :P


Boo: *squeak*

"Was it then you that disposed of the miscreant?"


Does shoving him in a trash compactor count? :D


Yes. Yes, it does.

(As if I am a mere child with no sense of proper application with regards to evocation spells!)


I know a bunch of children who have a better sense of tactics and "What not to do if you don't want to blow yourself up" than he does.


Well, my Edwin happens to be one of the rare ones who actually knows what he is doing when it comes to blowing things up :D

Edwin didn't answer. The look on his face as he clutched the wand said everything that needed to be said.


Hmmm... Edwin clutching possessively at a phallic object, huh? Wonder what I should be reading into that? :D


Heh. Probably as little as possible, considering your opinion of him :D

#6 Guest_Cel_*

Posted 31 July 2006 - 08:57 PM

"Yes, it is very cute and our sole mission in this godsforsaken cesspit is to play with squirrels and one can only hope that the great oaf will not be too distracted by their cuteness when the next wolfpack shows up!" Edwin said testily. "(I will not become a wolf snack due to his inattentiveness!)"


Don't worry, Eddie, the wolves have better taste than that.

... they probably know divine meat when they smell it; Ember'll be the prime target if they get that desperate. :D


Ember: Thanks :D

"Nice to meet you, Aldeth!" Imoen said. He frowned slightly at the familiarity, but Imoen merely gave him one of her sweetest grins.


Which surely blinded him with the glint off her teeth. :D


Perhaps :D

Aldeth beamed. "Good men!" he said. Ember raised an eyebrow. I did not realize Immy and I looked like guys. Behind her, Imoen mumbled a similar statement; Ember turned and shared an exasperated look with her.


Apparently women who adventure are automatically considered men. :D For a seemingly fairly equal world it's surprisingly sexist sometimes.


In this case, I think the problem is more that his tiny brain doesn't realize that Ember and Imoen aren't along for purely decorative purposes.

...In case you hadn't guessed already, I really don't like Aldeth.

"He and his companion have shot many animals, often merely wounding them. They would kill a deer for its antlers and leave the body to rot. Finally, they shot and killed one of our number while she was tending a bear they'd wounded. He ran away like a coward, but his friend remained and attacked us. That one has been dealt with already."


Ah, so this Aldeth is a bastard. Not much loss there.


To me, he's always been a bastard, and I've almost always sided with the druids, cheesy aloe vera line notwithstanding. (I tried siding with mr. snooty once or twice last autumn when I was fiddling with not-so-good parties)

"What!?!" the man exclaimed, his rosy cheeks turning quite red. "Have you gone mad, throwing your lot in with a band of madmen?! You treacherous savages, you will suffer for your foolishness! I will deal with you after I kill Seniyad!" He roared dramatically and charged at the druid leader.


Uh, yeah, not smart, Aldeth. Besides, if you thought you could beat them and the druids why did you ask for help in the first place?


Because he's a noble and he can do whatever he wants to, common sense be damned!

The was a loud boom and a bright flash of light. An immense bolt of lighting flashed from the clouds overhead, striking Aldeth's sword and passing through his body. He fell to the ground at the druid's feet.


Most impressive!


Yeah. I noticed those druids were pretty good with the weather during those test runs where I sided with Aldeth :D

"Was it then you that disposed of the miscreant?"

"Yes," Ember said.

"She killed him," Imoen added.


Simple and direct. That's Immy for you. :P


Yep :D


"Use it well, Eddie," she said with a grin, and attached their wand of frost to her own belt. "If we're going to run into all those 'foul beasts' on the way, I figure we'd better be fully prepared," she told the others.

Edwin didn't answer. The look on his face as he clutched the wand said everything that needed to be said.


My Edwin: Aha. Ahahaha. (The delicious irony of it.) And what, precisely, were you saying about "not losing the ability to speak" before? Oh, I remember; you were saying it never happened to you. I'll just let this situation "speak" for itself. *smug grin*


Edwin: Oh shut up, this is a different matter entirely. You were dumbstruck by a mere girl, not by a priceless object such as this. (I don't recall him ever obtaining a wand of fire...)

Hehe. If I recall correctly, you said Ember finds out about her poison-cure ability in Cloakwood... perhaps Edwin is going to be bitten by a spider while he attempts to fireball it? :P


Heh. No. :wink:

#7 Guest_Cel_*

Posted 31 July 2006 - 09:13 PM


"Aw, that is so cute!" Imoen exclaimed as a squirrel snatched a sunflower seed from Minsc's outstretched palm.


so it isn’t being suggested that Boo hid his nuts?


I don't recall ever seeing something like that. Where does that come from?

Either way, my Boo is more about seeds and grasses and less about squirrelfodder.

Maybe they are friendly squirrels
Any friendly moose around?


Yes, and probably (even though there'll be no interaction) :D

"Yes, it is very cute and our sole mission in this godsforsaken cesspit is to play with squirrels and one can only hope that the great oaf will not be too distracted by their cuteness when the next wolfpack shows up!" Edwin said testily. "(I will not become a wolf snack due to his inattentiveness!)"


Remind me why Eddie is tagging along again


Imoen: Because he's good at magic, and because I want to be good at magic. But I am very glad we have Kivan and Minsc with us as well, or we'd never get anywhere with all these woods Ember's buddies are hiding in!


"Indeed?" the man said. He peered closely at them, then nodded and lowered his sword. "Oh, I see! I apologize for my rudeness, I mistook you for someone else. Let me introduce myself, I am Aldeth Sashenstar," he said, pronouncing the name in a manner that indicated they should immediately recognize and respect it.

Apparently everyone is happy to meet adventurers…


Everyone needs a hand with something, you know.


Aldeth beamed. "Good men!" he said. Ember raised an eyebrow. I did not realize Immy and I looked like guys. Behind her, Imoen mumbled a similar statement; Ember turned and shared an exasperated look with her.

:D Wait…your GIRLS!!! :P


:D

"I'm glad you had the sense of decency to help a man in my situation," the man continued. "Let me explain my predicament. You see, my friends and I come here every year to do some sport hunting. This year however, a group of woodland savages threatened us with bodily harm if we did not stop our hunting trip. Being civilized men we realized that it's well within our rights to hunt where we damn well please, so we stayed, but after a few more days of hunting the crass woodmen lost all pretense of humanity and murdered Elban! I'm sure that they plan to attack our cottage here, so we had best be prepared."

And of course actually listening to the others concerns was just out of the question.


Aldeth: They are savages, I tell you! What could their concerns possibly matter?


"And exactly what has he done?" Ember asked.

um...did you hear the part about the killings?


Ember: Yes, but I wanted clarification.


Kivan stepped forward. "Sashenstar, we will escort you out of the woods safely, if you will. In no other way will we aid you."

if only this were a game option


The in game dialogue for siding with the druids is pretty much the worst line in the entire game. It's disgustingly obvious that the designers prefer you to side with that stuffy merchant :D

"What!?!" the man exclaimed, his rosy cheeks turning quite red. "Have you gone mad, throwing your lot in with a band of madmen?! You treacherous savages, you will suffer for your foolishness! I will deal with you after I kill Seniyad!" He roared dramatically and charged at the druid leader.

What I wouldn’t give for a happy ending to this bit ...guess i'll have to write one.


So, what'd you consider a happy ending?


"Use it well, Eddie," she said with a grin, and attached their wand of frost to her own belt. "If we're going to run into all those 'foul beasts' on the way, I figure we'd better be fully prepared," she told the others.

The Druid has a point. So why doesn’t the use of a fire spell start forest fires?


A very good question and one of many reasons I am making my Edwin be a bit careful about where and when he'll use his favorite spell :D

#8 Guest_Futurist_*

Posted 01 August 2006 - 12:16 AM

"Yes, it is very cute and our sole mission in this godsforsaken cesspit is to play with squirrels and one can only hope that the great oaf will not be too distracted by their cuteness when the next wolfpack shows up!" Edwin said testily. "(I will not become a wolf snack due to his inattentiveness!)"


I think squirrels running away may be a good sign of wolves coming.

As if on cue, the front door of the cabin flew open, and a silver-haired man dressed in stylish leather armor and a crimson cloak ran out of the cabin. "You there! Identify yourselves!" he bellowed, waving a bejewelled sword.


Oh... That guy.

"You must understand that at the moment I'm under a terrible amount of stress," Aldeth said. "You see my dear fellows, there is a group of uncouth savages that has declared their intention of killing my friends and I; they have already killed Elban, one of my oldest friends! I've been holed up in this cabin for several days, and have lacked the wherewithal to try and make an escape. Perhaps you would help a fellow in trouble? I would be willing to pay a considerable amount for your assistance."


He does spin a good yarn.

Aldeth beamed. "Good men!" he said. Ember raised an eyebrow. I did not realize Immy and I looked like guys. Behind her, Imoen mumbled a similar statement; Ember turned and shared an exasperated look with her.


So it wasn`t just "good men" in general. :D

"What!?!" the man exclaimed, his rosy cheeks turning quite red. "Have you gone mad, throwing your lot in with a band of madmen?! You treacherous savages, you will suffer for your foolishness! I will deal with you after I kill Seniyad!" He roared dramatically and charged at the druid leader.


Yeah... charging alone at groups of people is so smart.

"Use it well, Eddie," she said with a grin, and attached their wand of frost to her own belt. "If we're going to run into all those 'foul beasts' on the way, I figure we'd better be fully prepared," she told the others.

Edwin didn't answer. The look on his face as he clutched the wand said everything that needed to be said.



Ahhh... he got his wand at last. I imagine that he is really happy now.

#9 Guest_sparrow_*

Posted 02 August 2006 - 04:22 AM

Cloakwood turned out to be very much unlike the dismal, inpenetrable place Ember had always imagined it to be.


I like the opening paragraph, gives a very complete picture. :P

"Aw, that is so cute!" Imoen exclaimed as a squirrel snatched a sunflower seed from Minsc's outstretched palm.

"Yes, it is very cute and our sole mission in this godsforsaken cesspit is to play with squirrels and one can only hope that the great oaf will not be too distracted by their cuteness when the next wolfpack shows up!" Edwin said testily. "(I will not become a wolf snack due to his inattentiveness!)"



:D

"What!?!" the man exclaimed, his rosy cheeks turning quite red. "Have you gone mad, throwing your lot in with a band of madmen?! You treacherous savages, you will suffer for your foolishness! I will deal with you after I kill Seniyad!" He roared dramatically and charged at the druid leader.


Sigh, another fool who underestimates and doesn't realise how outnumbered he is :D

The was a loud boom and a bright flash of light. An immense bolt of lighting flashed from the clouds overhead, striking Aldeth's sword and passing through his body. He fell to the ground at the druid's feet.

"He has paid for his actions," the druid said. "I congratulate you on your wise decision." He glanced at them all in turn, frowning visibly as he scrutinized the red wizard. His eyes widened for a moment as he noticed the hamster perched on Minsc's shoulder. The druid walked closer to Minsc, staring intently at Boo. Eventually, he nodded. "Your hamster is content and well cared for, and it cares deeply for you. I commend you, forest walker," he said.

Minsc beamed and patted Boo. "See, Boo? The nice druid likes you!"


Aww! Everyone likes Boo, and that spell is so fun. :D

"I thank you," the druid said. "I have heard of the destruction of the grove there, but not of how it occured. You must tell me more."

They shared what they knew about the destroyed grove while the druids cast minor healing spells on them, closing up the cuts and scratches they had gained over the course of the day. When they continued onwards, it was with Seniyad's well-wishes, and Edwin was the only one who left less than satisfied with the encounter.


I also like how you've linked those two groups together.

"Use it well, Eddie," she said with a grin, and attached their wand of frost to her own belt. "If we're going to run into all those 'foul beasts' on the way, I figure we'd better be fully prepared," she told the others.

Edwin didn't answer. The look on his face as he clutched the wand said everything that needed to be said.


:D

#10 Guest_Finduilas_*

Posted 03 August 2006 - 03:50 AM

"Aw, that is so cute!" Imoen exclaimed as a squirrel snatched a sunflower seed from Minsc's outstretched palm.

"Yes, it is very cute and our sole mission in this godsforsaken cesspit is to play with squirrels and one can only hope that the great oaf will not be too distracted by their cuteness when the next wolfpack shows up!" Edwin said testily. "(I will not become a wolf snack due to his inattentiveness!)"


Whoa, someone got up on the wrong side of the bedroll.

"Indeed?" the man said. He peered closely at them, then nodded and lowered his sword. "Oh, I see! I apologize for my rudeness, I mistook you for someone else. Let me introduce myself, I am Aldeth Sashenstar," he said, pronouncing the name in a manner that indicated they should immediately recognize and respect it.


No! *The* Aldeth Sashenstar?

Aldeth beamed. "Good men!" he said. Ember raised an eyebrow. I did not realize Immy and I looked like guys. Behind her, Imoen mumbled a similar statement; Ember turned and shared an exasperated look with her.


:D

"And exactly what has he done?" Ember asked.

"He and his companion have shot many animals, often merely wounding them. They would kill a deer for its antlers and leave the body to rot. Finally, they shot and killed one of our number while she was tending a bear they'd wounded. He ran away like a coward, but his friend remained and attacked us. That one has been dealt with already."

Kivan stepped forward. "Sashenstar, we will escort you out of the woods safely, if you will. In no other way will we aid you."


This is another quest where a walk-through is very helpful. I think the first couple of times I played I sided with Aldeth.

"What!?!" the man exclaimed, his rosy cheeks turning quite red. "Have you gone mad, throwing your lot in with a band of madmen?! You treacherous savages, you will suffer for your foolishness! I will deal with you after I kill Seniyad!" He roared dramatically and charged at the druid leader.


Umm, bad idea, pal.

Seniyad whispered something and made a gesture. The sky darkened overhead. Aldeth raised his sword and slashed at the druid in impressive yet inefficient swings, and the druid easily blocked the attacks with his staff.

The was a loud boom and a bright flash of light. An immense bolt of lighting flashed from the clouds overhead, striking Aldeth's sword and passing through his body. He fell to the ground at the druid's feet.


:D

"He has paid for his actions," the druid said. "I congratulate you on your wise decision." He glanced at them all in turn, frowning visibly as he scrutinized the red wizard. His eyes widened for a moment as he noticed the hamster perched on Minsc's shoulder. The druid walked closer to Minsc, staring intently at Boo. Eventually, he nodded. "Your hamster is content and well cared for, and it cares deeply for you. I commend you, forest walker," he said.

Minsc beamed and patted Boo. "See, Boo? The nice druid likes you!"


See, Edwin? :D

They shared what they knew about the destroyed grove while the druids cast minor healing spells on them, closing up the cuts and scratches they had gained over the course of the day. When they continued onwards, it was with Seniyad's well-wishes, and Edwin was the only one who left less than satisfied with the encounter.

"The gall of telling me what I can and cannot do with my spells! (As if I am a mere child with no sense of proper application with regards to evocation spells!)" he grumbled irritably.


Poor baby. :D

"Don't worry, Eddie, we know you can use fire spells properly," Imoen said. "In fact..." She stopped and reached into her pack.

"Don't call-" Edwin started to say, but he stopped in mid sentence when Imoen handed him the wand of fire. "I..."

"Use it well, Eddie," she said with a grin, and attached their wand of frost to her own belt. "If we're going to run into all those 'foul beasts' on the way, I figure we'd better be fully prepared," she told the others.

Edwin didn't answer. The look on his face as he clutched the wand said everything that needed to be said.



See? Somebody trusts you!

I know it may not be in the next chapter, but I'm interested to see what you'll do with Coran.

#11 Guest_Theodur_*

Posted 04 August 2006 - 09:23 AM

"Yes, it is very cute and our sole mission in this godsforsaken cesspit is to play with squirrels and one can only hope that the great oaf will not be too distracted by their cuteness when the next wolfpack shows up!" Edwin said testily. "(I will not become a wolf snack due to his inattentiveness!)"


What, Eddie, a wizard of your magnitude needs this barbarian meat shield to survive?

After they had followed the path for an hour or so, it ended in a clearing; a circular area had been clear cut to make room for a very large and elegant-looking log cabin. Several deer antlers and bear skulls were mounted above its doorway.


"Who would live out here?" Ember said.


Umm, it’s a hunter’s cabin? They are a fairly common fare, I think. ;)

As if on cue, the front door of the cabin flew open, and a silver-haired man dressed in stylish leather armor and a crimson cloak ran out of the cabin. "You there! Identify yourselves!" he bellowed, waving a bejewelled sword.


Umm, hi. Do you greet all people this way? ;)

"We are adventurers," Kivan called out to the man.


And that is always dangerous. Because adventuring is all about killing people and taking their stuff. ;)

"Where are these evil men? Minsc will smack a sense of justice into them with his sword!"


"Of course we'll help!" Imoen said.


Whatever they will do now without the Walking Detector of Evil? They’ll end up killing off some totally Neutral druids! ;)

Ember frowned. The man's attitude galled her. "Surely it would be better if we could just escort you safely out of the woods?" she asked.


"What, and let the savages win?!" Aldeth exclaimed. "Ah, but I see the point is moot; they must have seen me leave the cottage. Here they come!"


Too bad that killing the druids is just so much more worthwhile EXP wise, I would have loved to kill off that ass Aldeth once in a while.

"Trespasser and butcher of our wood; I, Seniyad, have come to administer the punishment that you have brought down upon yourself," the leader said to Aldeth. He regarded Ember and her companions curiously. "Who are these that stand beside you? With them we have no quarrel." He turned fully towards Ember and Kivan, who were at the front of their group. "It is now to you that I speak; this man has most likely duped you into protecting his sorry hide. He has most likely not told of the druid they have slain in cold blood. I will allow you to rethink your earlier decision and leave this man to their most deserved fate."


I remember that I had to address the situation with these hostile druids when writing Jaheira for the BG1 NPC mod. Seniyad, supposedly a mentor to Jaheira, did not even seem to remember her or noticed her presence. I put in a personal quest for Jaheira, where Seniyad asks her to deal with the Shadow Druids, and it allows you a peaceful solution between the druids and Aldeth as well.

Kivan stepped forward. "Sashenstar, we will escort you out of the woods safely, if you will. In no other way will we aid you."


Respect points for Kivan.

"What!?!" the man exclaimed, his rosy cheeks turning quite red. "Have you gone mad, throwing your lot in with a band of madmen?! You treacherous savages, you will suffer for your foolishness! I will deal with you after I kill Seniyad!" He roared dramatically and charged at the druid leader.


Umm, outnumbered ten to one, idiotic much? ;)

The was a loud boom and a bright flash of light. An immense bolt of lighting flashed from the clouds overhead, striking Aldeth's sword and passing through his body. He fell to the ground at the druid's feet.


Well, Ember, I’m afraid someone in Baldur’s Gate will want a word with you over this.

"That is correct," Seniyad said. " Be careful in your journeys, for there are many foul beasts that have inhabited the woods of late. Another danger is a sect of Shadow druids. Their Order is a dangerous splinter group of the true druid Order; they believe in the violent suppression of all forms of civilization, and will often attack travellers."


Yes, yes, the equally True Neutral Shadow Druids. Can you believe that there are people who seriously argue that Faldorn is not Evil? ;)

"The gall of telling me what I can and cannot do with my spells! (As if I am a mere child with no sense of proper application with regards to evocation spells!)" he grumbled irritably.


Edwin, only YOU can prevent forest fires! ;)

"Use it well, Eddie," she said with a grin, and attached their wand of frost to her own belt. "If we're going to run into all those 'foul beasts' on the way, I figure we'd better be fully prepared," she told the others.


Edwin didn't answer. The look on his face as he clutched the wand said everything that needed to be said.


Awww, my Precioussss! ;)

#12 Guest_Cel_*

Posted 10 August 2006 - 09:22 AM


"Yes, it is very cute and our sole mission in this godsforsaken cesspit is to play with squirrels and one can only hope that the great oaf will not be too distracted by their cuteness when the next wolfpack shows up!" Edwin said testily. "(I will not become a wolf snack due to his inattentiveness!)"


I think squirrels running away may be a good sign of wolves coming.


Good point :)


"You must understand that at the moment I'm under a terrible amount of stress," Aldeth said. "You see my dear fellows, there is a group of uncouth savages that has declared their intention of killing my friends and I; they have already killed Elban, one of my oldest friends! I've been holed up in this cabin for several days, and have lacked the wherewithal to try and make an escape. Perhaps you would help a fellow in trouble? I would be willing to pay a considerable amount for your assistance."


He does spin a good yarn.


Well, he has to be good for something.


"Use it well, Eddie," she said with a grin, and attached their wand of frost to her own belt. "If we're going to run into all those 'foul beasts' on the way, I figure we'd better be fully prepared," she told the others.

Edwin didn't answer. The look on his face as he clutched the wand said everything that needed to be said.


Ahhh... he got his wand at last. I imagine that he is really happy now.


Oh yes.

#13 Guest_Cel_*

Posted 10 August 2006 - 09:25 AM

Cloakwood turned out to be very much unlike the dismal, inpenetrable place Ember had always imagined it to be.


I like the opening paragraph, gives a very complete picture. :D


Thanks :lol:

"What!?!" the man exclaimed, his rosy cheeks turning quite red. "Have you gone mad, throwing your lot in with a band of madmen?! You treacherous savages, you will suffer for your foolishness! I will deal with you after I kill Seniyad!" He roared dramatically and charged at the druid leader.


Sigh, another fool who underestimates and doesn't realise how outnumbered he is :)


But... he is Aldeth Sashenstar!!! :(

The was a loud boom and a bright flash of light. An immense bolt of lighting flashed from the clouds overhead, striking Aldeth's sword and passing through his body. He fell to the ground at the druid's feet.


Minsc beamed and patted Boo. "See, Boo? The nice druid likes you!"


Aww! Everyone likes Boo, and that spell is so fun. :lol:


It's too bad that lightning spell can't be used more often :D

"I thank you," the druid said. "I have heard of the destruction of the grove there, but not of how it occured. You must tell me more."


I also like how you've linked those two groups together.


It seemed sensible at the time, especially since my Seniyad is not a shadow druid :D

#14 Guest_Cel_*

Posted 10 August 2006 - 09:47 AM

"Aw, that is so cute!" Imoen exclaimed as a squirrel snatched a sunflower seed from Minsc's outstretched palm.

"Yes, it is very cute and our sole mission in this godsforsaken cesspit is to play with squirrels and one can only hope that the great oaf will not be too distracted by their cuteness when the next wolfpack shows up!" Edwin said testily. "(I will not become a wolf snack due to his inattentiveness!)"


Whoa, someone got up on the wrong side of the bedroll.


Or someone doesn't want to admit the forest unnerves him a bit.

"Indeed?" the man said. He peered closely at them, then nodded and lowered his sword. "Oh, I see! I apologize for my rudeness, I mistook you for someone else. Let me introduce myself, I am Aldeth Sashenstar," he said, pronouncing the name in a manner that indicated they should immediately recognize and respect it.


No! *The* Aldeth Sashenstar?


Really, it is he!


Kivan stepped forward. "Sashenstar, we will escort you out of the woods safely, if you will. In no other way will we aid you."


This is another quest where a walk-through is very helpful. I think the first couple of times I played I sided with Aldeth.


Well, all the walkthroughs I've seen will say you should side with Aldeth (better exp and you get a quest later), and even the dialogue options seem to suggest the designers wanted people to do that :(



Minsc beamed and patted Boo. "See, Boo? The nice druid likes you!"


See, Edwin? :)


Edwin: Well of course a druid would like the hamster! (They can share fleas for all I care, just let us get through these woods and be done with it!)


Edwin didn't answer. The look on his face as he clutched the wand said everything that needed to be said.



See? Somebody trusts you!


And it's actually not wholly unfounded :D

I know it may not be in the next chapter, but I'm interested to see what you'll do with Coran.


He'll be there. Not sure when the next chapter will be done, though; the computer didn't like being abandoned for over a week and is acting up today.

#15 Guest_Cel_*

Posted 10 August 2006 - 09:55 AM

"Yes, it is very cute and our sole mission in this godsforsaken cesspit is to play with squirrels and one can only hope that the great oaf will not be too distracted by their cuteness when the next wolfpack shows up!" Edwin said testily. "(I will not become a wolf snack due to his inattentiveness!)"


What, Eddie, a wizard of your magnitude needs this barbarian meat shield to survive?


Edwin: Have you ever tried channeling a spell while a dozen wolves maul you? (Simians. None but simians would even want to go to this wretched place.)

After they had followed the path for an hour or so, it ended in a clearing; a circular area had been clear cut to make room for a very large and elegant-looking log cabin. Several deer antlers and bear skulls were mounted above its doorway.

"Who would live out here?" Ember said.


Umm, it’s a hunter’s cabin? They are a fairly common fare, I think. :D


Yeah, it's not like Cloakwood isn't inhabited. I think her reaction is a combination of her previous thoughts about the forest being nothing but a deathtrap, and the fact that it is large and fancily decorated.

As if on cue, the front door of the cabin flew open, and a silver-haired man dressed in stylish leather armor and a crimson cloak ran out of the cabin. "You there! Identify yourselves!" he bellowed, waving a bejewelled sword.


Umm, hi. Do you greet all people this way? :(


He's Aldeth Sashenstar. Of course he does. :D

"We are adventurers," Kivan called out to the man.


And that is always dangerous. Because adventuring is all about killing people and taking their stuff. :lol:


:D

"Where are these evil men? Minsc will smack a sense of justice into them with his sword!"

"Of course we'll help!" Imoen said.


Whatever they will do now without the Walking Detector of Evil? They’ll end up killing off some totally Neutral druids! :lol:


Or something :)

"What, and let the savages win?!" Aldeth exclaimed. "Ah, but I see the point is moot; they must have seen me leave the cottage. Here they come!"


Too bad that killing the druids is just so much more worthwhile EXP wise, I would have loved to kill off that ass Aldeth once in a while.


I never let that stop me. In fact, the only parties of mine who have let Aldeth live have done so for roleplay purposes, not exp :lol:

I remember that I had to address the situation with these hostile druids when writing Jaheira for the BG1 NPC mod. Seniyad, supposedly a mentor to Jaheira, did not even seem to remember her or noticed her presence. I put in a personal quest for Jaheira, where Seniyad asks her to deal with the Shadow Druids, and it allows you a peaceful solution between the druids and Aldeth as well.


You wrote that bit? I don't use that mod, but now I am curious and will look at those dialogues (when my computer is doing better, anyway) :lol:

Kivan stepped forward. "Sashenstar, we will escort you out of the woods safely, if you will. In no other way will we aid you."


Respect points for Kivan.


But of course.

"What!?!" the man exclaimed, his rosy cheeks turning quite red. "Have you gone mad, throwing your lot in with a band of madmen?! You treacherous savages, you will suffer for your foolishness! I will deal with you after I kill Seniyad!" He roared dramatically and charged at the druid leader.


Umm, outnumbered ten to one, idiotic much? :lol:


Need you really ask? :lol:

The was a loud boom and a bright flash of light. An immense bolt of lighting flashed from the clouds overhead, striking Aldeth's sword and passing through his body. He fell to the ground at the druid's feet.


Well, Ember, I’m afraid someone in Baldur’s Gate will want a word with you over this.


Considering she didn't even touch the guy and there is nobody around who would bring news that she was even in the area at this time, Dabron will be quietly ignored.

"That is correct," Seniyad said. " Be careful in your journeys, for there are many foul beasts that have inhabited the woods of late. Another danger is a sect of Shadow druids. Their Order is a dangerous splinter group of the true druid Order; they believe in the violent suppression of all forms of civilization, and will often attack travellers."


Yes, yes, the equally True Neutral Shadow Druids. Can you believe that there are people who seriously argue that Faldorn is not Evil? :lol:


Druids = True Neutral Only is a silly concept.




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