Jasper grinned widely at the old gnome in front of him. He'd been traveling for two weeks now, and still he did not find who he searched for. They've got to be around here somewhere, he thought. A young gnomish guard began to speak wildly in his own language to his elder. The older gnome nodded and gestured with his hands and pointed down. Jasper went to his knees, his ear to the gnome's mouth.
"It seems your quary has just been spotted less than a leaguesbreadth away to the Norinth," he whispered.
Jasper stood up. He knew the terrain well, and could easily travel the distance in less than a minute. He started to walk away when small hands gripped the hem of his cloak. He turned around with a frustrated glare.
"What?!"
The gnome held out his hands and Jasper rolled his eyes.
"Very well," he said, thrusting a few gold pieces into the gnome's greedy paw. The gnome, quite content with his pay, turned around and began skipping about. Jasper shook his head.
"Gnomes," he muttered under his breath after he began his walk.
***
Minsc held up his hand in a gesture to stop. Anomen rushed up to his side.
"What is it?" he hissed into Minsc's ear. Minsc sniffed the air looking puzzled, and began muttering something to Boo. Boo's reply was the usual squeak.
"Boo smells something very wrong, as do I. But I cannot place it," the Rashemi said, looking wildly in every direction. His hand slowly inched towards his back for the sleeping Lilarcor. As his hand gripped the hilt of the blade, the sword itself exploded into conversation.
"...and so I says to him, 'Getcher own pommel. This one's mine!' So ya know what he did? He goes off and gets his master. Well, naturally his master was a wizard, so he casted mage hand and WHOOSH!" Lilarcor forced Minsc to make a cutting motion, "there goes me pommel. So I chases after the mage and his stupid Moonblade and when I gets there..." Lilarcor was immediatly silenced as Jaheira gave the sword a glance that would have made the most steel nerved man to leave a streak of yellow down his leggings. Minsc sighed with relief. Anomen suddenly tensed up.
"What is it?" Jahiera asked.
"It seems as though an evil wind has just blown in. I suggest we camp here for now," he said, shivering a bit. Aerie gave Anomen a pleading look, but Jaheira collapsed in a heap, and the unspoken words settled the matter.
***
Anomen looked at the mess he had created in attempts to create a fire. He sighed, shrugged and looked around cautiously. No one ever said anything about magic. He chuckled quietly to himself and at his "deviousness" and concentrated on a Flamestrike spell.
"Perhaps I can help you there," a voice said from the shadows. Anomen whirled around, his mace in one hand, shield in the other.
"Who are ye?" he called out into the darkness. A chuckle answered him.
"A fellow traveler like yourself. Might I inquire the same question?" the voice said, a little nearer this time. Anomen relaxed a little.
"I am Sir Anomen Derlyn, Noble House of Athkatla, Knight of the Most Noble Order of the Radiant Heart," he said proudly.
"Order of the Radiant Heart. Well it would seem as though you're a ways away from home. Amn is south of here, my friend. You are in the Western Heartlands, some fifty leagues south of Baldur's Gate," the voice said.
"Yes I know, but after a friend of mine," Anomen's feautres darkened. "I'll not talk to someone invisible. Reveal thyself unto mine eyes, that I might know who I speak with," Anomen demanded. Another chuckle answered him.
"Very well," the voice said, and something stepped out of the shadows.
The figure was an elf, and a very tall one. He wore boiled leather armor, lined with studs around his torso, and a tanned tunic underneath. Draped around his shoulders was a simple brown cloak. Around his belt resided a large girdle and strapped to it was a shortsword and a small quiver of darts. His skin was almost gold, with hair a matching color. His eyes, however, told a different story. The almost ruby things gazed everywhere with sadness, despite the perpetual smile on his face.
"I am Jasper Praevilo, Noble Family of Evereska. Or at least I was, until my family was killed in a backlash of magical energy, wherein a red dragon was summoned. I escaped, of course, and I lived in the Candlekeep monastary for some...seventeen years," the elf said. Anomen nodded.
"Candlekeep. I had a friend there. A half-elf, roughly your height," he said. The gold elf raised an eyebrow.
"Your friend. Did he usually wield two warhammers?" Jasper asked. Anomen nodded.
"Was he Rogue Priest [1]?" Jasper asked.
"I've tried many a time to convince him otherwise, but yes he is," Anomen said. Jasper sat down on a nearby log.
"Was his name Quilik?"
This comment made Anomen's eyes widen.
"Uh, yes. You knew him?"
Jasper stood up and smiled. "Of course! We were very close friends at the monastary. Near his nineteenth birthday, however, I decided to leave, and I haven't seen him since," he said. Anomen looked around, then leaned in close.
"Would ye like to acompany me...my party in our travels, Sir Praevilo?" he asked. Jasper paused for a moment, then bowed.
"I'd be honored to join you!"
***
Kakrin stared at the scrying bowl hours on end, listening to Jasper's endless babbling to the group.
"Jasper!" he hissed into the bowl.
Yes? Jasper's voice said in his mind.
"I need to talk to you personally!"
Now? But I'm just about to tell them when I ignored my vow of chasti--
"The one with in canyon?"
Of course the one in the canyon!
"It can wait."
Please?
"No, this is urgent."
But, they'll get suspicious if they see--
"Dammit Jasper! Then excuse yourself! This is of utmost importance. It seems that we may have to lengthen the deadline."
Wh-
"Just go somewhere safe."
Moments later, Jasper could be heard giving the excuse that he retrieve something from his pack. Kakrin acted quickly. In a magical flash, Jasper appeared.
"You know, you could be a little more considerate. Every time you yell, it hurts as though Mistress Tiamat herself was roaring into my ear," Jasper said, brushing excess magical energy off his tunic. Kakrin shook his head.
"Jasper, tell me if you noticed something odd about those six people," he said. Jasper paused for a moment.
"Well, the large Rashemi constantly mutters to what appears to be a fuzzy rodent. Ah, and the Avariel seems to keep looking at her mirror. Did you say six?" Jasper asked, suddenly catching on.
"Yes, you sensed it too. From the naked eye, it appears to be five. But in a simple detect life spell," Kakrin trailed off, letting Jasper figure it out for himself.
"I see...I understand now. The..."
Not here. Not with the Bhaalspawn. We can discuss it in my library. Kakrin said urgently into Jaspers mind.
"The the Rashemi's hampster really IS a Miniature Giant Space Hampster," Jasper said. A clever ruse, Kakrin thought as he began to smash his head on the table.
Thank you.
Kakrin stopped banging his head as Jasper's voice invaded his mind.
How did you do that? he asked. Jasper chuckled dryly.
I can see many of your thoughts. For instance, there is that one incident with woman in the red clothing, he said.
Jasper, you speak of that again and I'll tear your throat out.
Jasper chuckled in Kakrin's head. Come my friend. We have much to discuss...
[1] Rogue Priest is the term givern to clerics that do not worship a Diety. Rather, they draw and channel magical energies from within or some other unkown source, not unlike a mage or sorcerer.