Life is a Bittersweet Candy (3) - A BG1 Tale

(Bah! Sorry for being a little less prompt, and lacking depth and action in this installment... Khalid in-game was very uncooperative and kept dying on me, so I couldn't accuratly type up their adventures in Beregost. I promise to make it up in the next episode! ^^ Anyways, with no further ado, the third of many! Enjoy.)

Imeon and Deleta enter the Friendly Arm Inn, looking around and hoping to spot Khalid and Jaheira right off the bat. Unfortunately, they’ve nothing but names to go by, so they walk more in and start to head for the bar.

Some man only half-sober bumps in to them on their way and starts whine about iron problems down west, and something of a blacksmith, but they pay him only half-heed. The two move around to approach the ‘keep and secure rooms, but another pair stops them.

The female of the two, a decent sized and of lovely Elvin features, motions to Deleta and steps forward. “You, you are Gorion’s ward? Right?” She seems curious. Deleta backs up, pulling out his sling and loading it with a stone, half-raising his arm, and then glaring.

“Back off, lady! I’ve had enough of your bloody assassin type pestering me!” He looks her over, and then looks to the male of the two, well armored, toting shield and sword, whom has conveniently moved to place a bit of himself in the way. Hope and realization hit Deleta at the same time.

“Oh, you are Jaheira? … My apologies… And you, you are Khalid?” Deleta questions. Khalid responds by lowering his shield, nodding. “I-i-it’s a-all right… Right J-J-Jaheira?” Jaheira then responds, “I am no assassin… Apology accepted, and yes, he is Khalid, my husband. Gorion is not with you? He would never let you even out of his sights…”

She considers the reason for this, then frowns and shakes her head a little. “Would you wish our company in your travels? We were friends of your foster-father, and he would have us help you.” She continues.

Deleta nods. “Aye, I would… But first, we could use this night for rest…” He heads over to the ‘keep now and secures two rooms. As the four head up two short flights of stairs, they make for the rooms, but a gnome at the center calls to them. “Yer the adventurin’ sort, aye?”

Deleta blinks, then nods. “Well, I gotta task for ye. My home in Beregost, just shy west o’ the Jovial Juggler, ‘s infested with spiders. I was jes’ here to collect some poisons, but if ye’d go and take care of it, it would be mighty fine on m’feet. I’ll pay you a hundred gold if y’do, provided you bring me the spider’s bodies to prove ye did the job. If ye can get my husband’s boots an my bottle o’ wine, I’ll throw in something special.” Deleta nods slowly, then looks to the rest of the party, finally speaking. “Well, all the more reason to head south, ‘eh?” He then turns to the gnome. “Alright, we’ll do it.” That said, they enter their rooms for the night.

They wake refreshed and ready to go, stopping only downstairs when Deleta decides Jaheira would benefit from some scale mail, since she can wear it. He also decides to invest in ten +1 bullets. They exeunt from the Friendly Arm Inn, and then head for the gates. Deleta gives the guards at the gate that same almost-pity look, then simply shakes his head and walks on with the other three in tow.

As they travel south, he suggests they cut a straight path, commenting that it would be faster, and so they run off the beaten road and make a bee-line south. As a result, they encounter a wolf or two, and a gibberling before nightfall. Stopping halfway to Beregost as nightfall approaches, they make camp. They sleep away a few minor injuries, and their tired feet.

Waking, they continue on, luckily avoiding more hostiles the second day. As the town comes in to view, Imoen looks cheerful a little. “Wow! Such a big place… I don’t even see the Jovial Juggler…” Deleta laughs softly, looking over his sister. “Well, we can ask around…” And as if those were the magic words, a humble commoner steps forward as they approach, beaming.

“Hello to ye, newcomers. Anything I can help ye with?” Deleta blinks, looks to the rest of the party, then smiles. “Aye, I could use directions to the Jovial Juggler.” The commoner grins and gestures vaguely across the city, indicating past a row of housing and a small monolith that indicated town square. “O’course, just that way, shy a few space left o right, can’t miss it!” Deleta grins in return, then walks on with his party. “My thanks.”

They do miss it though, several times, and eventually find themselves in front of Feldepost’s Inn. “Well, what the hells, lets stop in here and as for directions…” They enter, and just as promptly a man steps forward, growling and looking a little less than sober, yelling out. “’Ey! Get out! I don’t like yer type in ‘ere!” A voice chides in behind him. “You tell ‘em, Marl!”

(Bah! Sorry for being a little less prompt, and lacking depth and action in this installment... Khalid in-game was very uncooperative and kept dying on me, so I couldn't accuratly type up their adventures in Beregost. I promise to make it up in the next episode! ^^ Anyways, with no further ado, the third of many! Enjoy.)

Ack! Before playing BG1 I had read plenty of those NPC guides and they all labelled Khalid as a worthless character. When I played with him, he performed very solid, anyways.

The female of the two, a decent sized and of lovely Elvin features, motions to Deleta and steps forward. “You, you are Gorion’s ward? Right?” She seems curious. Deleta backs up, pulling out his sling and loading it with a stone, half-raising his arm, and then glaring.

Careful now! Being hostile to Jaheira is really not the greatest of ideas!

They wake refreshed and ready to go, stopping only downstairs when Deleta decides Jaheira would benefit from some scale mail, since she can wear it. He also decides to invest in ten +1 bullets. They exeunt from the Friendly Arm Inn, and then head for the gates. Deleta gives the guards at the gate that same almost-pity look, then simply shakes his head and walks on with the other three in tow.

Um. Better replace that '+1' with something like 'magical'... +1 is a purely technical term, unrealistic for story telling purposes.

Btw. How does Deleta know that Jaheira can wear a scale mail? Or that she wants to?

They do miss it though, several times, and eventually find themselves in front of Feldepost’s Inn. “Well, what the hells, lets stop in here and as for directions…” They enter, and just as promptly a man steps forward, growling and looking a little less than sober, yelling out. “’Ey! Get out! I don’t like yer type in ‘ere!” A voice chides in behind him. “You tell ‘em, Marl!”

Eck. It's the violent drunkard. Nice source of cheap exp in the game, wonder how are you going to handle him in the story.

First of all, curses, second of all, more curses!!! >.<; Third, scale male was SPLINT mail, forgetful me lost proper terms. Fourth, forget the +1 bullets, I remember now I got that later when I arrived in beregost, then re-loaded form a save and thoguht I got them before. Fifth, more curses! And sixth, my apologies for a shabby episode.

I dealt with the drunkard like a kind chaotic-good adventurer and told him to SOD off. I got my arse whipped then went back and tried to talk it out with him... I'm opting for the second, scince I don't want everyone on the boards to see just how much of a whipping Deleta got.

Fourth episodes the charm! Tune in next time!

“Back off, lady! I’ve had enough of your bloody assassin type pestering me!” He looks her over, and then looks to the male of the two, well armored, toting shield and sword, whom has conveniently moved to place a bit of himself in the way. Hope and realization hit Deleta at the same time.

They're SAVED.

You're right. It's a little lacking on the action, but fill-in chapters are also neccesary

Hunter