They were an odd group of friends. Ranging in ages from 5 to 200, they had
grown up together in a small village near the towns of Loudwater and
Llorkh...
Having lived their entire lives in this village, they all craved that elusive creature known as adventure. Fortunately for them, the world they lived in would provide in abundance what they sought.
Chpt 1
Midway was a small stopover village that provided food, lodging and some small entertainment to the ore caravans that came from the mines in Llorkh, which lay directly to the east, on their way to Loudwater, which lay to the west. Small and close, the community was made up mainly of elves and humans, all of whom had a forced peace after living in such close proximity to one another. The most exciting thing the village could boast of was a small inn, and a whore house that lay on the outskirts to the east and was frequented by nearly every caravan that came through. To the north near the village center was Liandis the cleric's small hut, where all in Midway went to get their hurts cured, Liandis was a wiry thin man with graying brown hair, sharp chiseled cheekbones and soft blue eyes, As a follower of Mielikki, the goddess of nature he was always seen in his green robes walking around town and in the outlaying forest. He inspired trust and respect from most people who met him. Next to the cleric to the west was Joander the blacksmith, a huge mountain of a man who had, it was rumored, been in a great battle with a horde of kobalds and lived to tell the tale. Joric's inn lay to the south across the street from the cleric, Joric was a fat dour man who had lost his family many years ago to a pack of wolves, he had never recovered since that day and had kept to himself ever since. Several small market stalls dotted the sides of the road. And to the east was the whore house, owned by the madam Yalendria, a half elf who had moved to midway nearly fifty years ago to ply her trade.
Kipsie Theifcatcher strolled slowly down the main square in her boringly normal village waiting for something, anything, to happen. So far today had been the same as any other day and tomorrow looked to follow the same tired old pattern. She had been up since dawn, having left the house early to avoid her mother, who, while married again, still pined after her elven husband who had been killed many years ago by a rogue orc that was eventually caught and put down. Kipsie missed her father, but couldn't bring herself to stop herself from living life because he was gone. It surely didn't help that she looked like him, with dark brown hair and pale skin, her green eyes glinting brightly even in the dark, she was the spitting image of her father.
Kipsie shrugged and continued looking around, waving occasionally to the few people she passed, and noting with little interest the ore caravan that was camped to the south east near miss Yalendria's house. As she passed the clerics hut, kipsie fingered the new knife her step father had given her recently, it was not as fancy as some of the jeweled confections that the blacksmith sold, but it was still a beauty, made of silver and doubly precious as it was a gift from her normally distant and uninterested step parent.
A shout had her tucking her dagger away and looking toward the sound. The sight that greeted her eyes was a welcome one, for there, in the middle of the road leading to Llorkh, was someone she hadn't seen in three months, but had thought of often with envy and longing. Jaelara Dilathon, looking the same happy excited young elf she had three months ago when she had gone to visit relatives ran up and wrapped her arms around her best friend in a rib shattering hug, her black hair flowing around her shoulders, occasionally allowing her sharply pointed ears to peek through. Glinting green eyes shone in her pale face as she grinned ear to pointed ear at the sight of her friend. Her oversized dark green tunic was held up by a leather bustier and a leather loincloth hung from her slender hips to cover her green trousers. Leather elbow length gloves encased her small hands and matching leather boots encased her tiny feet. Her backpack bulged with travel goods and the weapons that hung from her belt consisted of a small punching dagger and a light crossbow.
Jaelara took a moment to eye her friend critically, noting the brown tunic and trousers that fit the slender frame perfectly, and the leather boots that looked new before she rushed into speech, causing kipsie to grin in anticipation at the wild tales that would fly out of her friend's small mouth.
"Gods kip, you should have been there! There were so many of my family and friends at the gathering! They were sooo lovely! All silver and bright in the sun as they glided into the clearing near waterdeep! You would have been hard pressed to keep your jaw out of the dirt! I know I dropped mine at least a dozen... no a hundred dozen times when the great wyrms showed up…" jaelara rattled on and on as they walked toward the well that stood in the center of the road in the middle of the village. Kipsie reflected that maybe she should have been born a silver dragon, since her friend went on such great adventures and could shape shift into virtually anything, even the shape she wore now as an elf. It was common knowledge that silver dragons were very fond of humans, spending hundreds of years among them to observe and enjoy their habits. Jaelara herself had been left with a human family five years ago as a hatchling so that her parents could enjoy their explorations without the burden of a child, which seemed kind of coldhearted to kipsie, but never seemed to disturb jaelara in the least, especially now that they came occasionally to take the young dragon to gatherings that were held every so often to share stories and catch up.
At the well, jaelara grabbed the dipper that was left there to drink out of and filled it to the brim so she could guzzle the clear liquid thirstily, barely getting it down before continuing her tale. Kipsie smiled and motioned her friend to walk with her toward their friend Mir's house, which was situated to the east of the inn. Kipsie knew that Mir would be engrossed in his studies of magic; he rarely saw the light of day, much to his mother's disapproval. He would, however, be happy to see their friend returned from her trip, and would undoubtedly grill her, to Jaelara's delight, about the magical goings on at the gathering.
As they walked, Kipsie began to think. Looking around at the same boring inn, the same boring people, she began to get an idea that she knew would gain approval from at least one of her friends, since jaelara was always up for an adventure no matter how small. Nothing to dangerous, kipsie thought, just a little jaunt to Llorkh or Loudwater, maybe, if things looked good after that, they could go to waterdeep and go sailing on the ocean. After all, waterdeep wasn't that far from midway was it? The world couldn't be that big since their village was fair sized. Kipsie strove to think up viable reasons to go adventuring so that the others wouldn't gainsay her.
Finally they stepped up to the small house where Mir made his home with his mother. Jaelara was bouncing with excitement. Kipsie knocked and waited, putting on her best "I'm responsible" look on her face, as she knew that Mir's mother would be the one to answer the door and the poor woman had a severe case of over protectiveness. As they waited, kipsie turned to her companion, "Jaelara, what say you to another adventure? I have an itch to visit Loudwater or something and it would be fun to get everybody together and see what we can see." Kipsie put on her casual I don't care face and waited for jaelara to start making Kipsie's case for her. Sure enough, the excited dragon began making plans and explaining why it was a good idea, rushing her words so fast that kipsie figured wryly that if Mir and the others refused that she could sic jaelara on them and have her annoy them into going.
The sudden opening of the wooden door silenced both girls as Mir's mother peered out and spied them, "Why Kipsie and Jaelara! What are you doing here? Have you come to take Mir out? He really should get more sun, the boy'll waste away, and with no thought to his poor mother!" Mir's mother turned away after waving them in. Bustling into the kitchen, the worried woman kept talking, only taking breath to yell to the back where Mir slept that his friends were here.
A moment later a thin young man with long black hair, hard brown eyes and a pale face emerged wearing black trousers, a long black tunic, and a black short cloak strapped across his shoulders. He carried a backpack that bulged with what were obviously books and scroll cases. Strapped to his hip was a dagger, and hanging from his backpack was a crossbow. Around his narrow waist was a belt attached to which was a pouch that clanked lightly.
Kipsie reflected that he looked annoyed but prepared for a journey, so she ventured to ask, keeping her voice down, "Where ya goin Mir? You're all packed up." Kipsie cocked an eyebrow. Mir grimaced and motioned for them to follow him outside to the back yard. Once there he turned to them and asked with obvious annoyance, "So where are we going this time ladies? You never come over here together with jaelara chattering up a storm unless you want an "adventure", and since I know that you will both bother me during my studies until I agree to go, I just thought I would save you the trouble and me the headache. So where are we going? And why?" Mir settled himself against a tree and waited for an answer, looking bored.
Kipsie grinned, Mir was always surprising her, but at least this time their journey wouldn't be delayed by his arguments. Jaelara launched into an excited account of their plans liberally mixed in with an account of her trip, causing Mir to smile slightly at kipsie as her grin widened with amusement.
Kipsie waited for a moment for jaelara to wind down a bit before explaining her idea. Mir listened with a pensive frown before asking,
"Why Loudwater, why not go to the mines in Llorkh? There would probably be more treasure to be found in the mountains that in a town like Loudwater."
Kipsie looked at him for a moment before answering.
"Well, you always said before that the mines were dangerous, so I figured that we could just go to Loudwater and explore the markets."
Kipsie paused for a moment before continuing,
"After we get done there we could go to waterdeep and go sailing…" she trailed off at the furious frown that Mir leveled in her direction.
"Waterdeep is three or four days away kipsie! I can't be away from my studies that long! You know I have to practice or I can't get any better!" Mir scowled fiercely. Mir was a student of necromantic magic, a path usually frowned upon by most, but fascinating to Mir. No one but their circle of friends and Mir's mother knew what he was and they all strived to keep it that way.
Before kipsie could reply, jaelara piped in,
"But Mir, don't they have a wonderful library in waterdeep? Yes, I'm sure they must, after all it is a huge, gargantuan city! You could go study or copy the texts there while kip and I go sailing!" The small dragon beamed with approval as she looked at Mir expectantly.
Mir frowned a bit more, but kipsie knew the battle was won.
Having lived their entire lives in this village, they all craved that elusive creature known as adventure. Fortunately for them, the world they lived in would provide in abundance what they sought.
Chpt 1
Midway was a small stopover village that provided food, lodging and some small entertainment to the ore caravans that came from the mines in Llorkh, which lay directly to the east, on their way to Loudwater, which lay to the west. Small and close, the community was made up mainly of elves and humans, all of whom had a forced peace after living in such close proximity to one another. The most exciting thing the village could boast of was a small inn, and a whore house that lay on the outskirts to the east and was frequented by nearly every caravan that came through. To the north near the village center was Liandis the cleric's small hut, where all in Midway went to get their hurts cured, Liandis was a wiry thin man with graying brown hair, sharp chiseled cheekbones and soft blue eyes, As a follower of Mielikki, the goddess of nature he was always seen in his green robes walking around town and in the outlaying forest. He inspired trust and respect from most people who met him. Next to the cleric to the west was Joander the blacksmith, a huge mountain of a man who had, it was rumored, been in a great battle with a horde of kobalds and lived to tell the tale. Joric's inn lay to the south across the street from the cleric, Joric was a fat dour man who had lost his family many years ago to a pack of wolves, he had never recovered since that day and had kept to himself ever since. Several small market stalls dotted the sides of the road. And to the east was the whore house, owned by the madam Yalendria, a half elf who had moved to midway nearly fifty years ago to ply her trade.
Kipsie Theifcatcher strolled slowly down the main square in her boringly normal village waiting for something, anything, to happen. So far today had been the same as any other day and tomorrow looked to follow the same tired old pattern. She had been up since dawn, having left the house early to avoid her mother, who, while married again, still pined after her elven husband who had been killed many years ago by a rogue orc that was eventually caught and put down. Kipsie missed her father, but couldn't bring herself to stop herself from living life because he was gone. It surely didn't help that she looked like him, with dark brown hair and pale skin, her green eyes glinting brightly even in the dark, she was the spitting image of her father.
Kipsie shrugged and continued looking around, waving occasionally to the few people she passed, and noting with little interest the ore caravan that was camped to the south east near miss Yalendria's house. As she passed the clerics hut, kipsie fingered the new knife her step father had given her recently, it was not as fancy as some of the jeweled confections that the blacksmith sold, but it was still a beauty, made of silver and doubly precious as it was a gift from her normally distant and uninterested step parent.
A shout had her tucking her dagger away and looking toward the sound. The sight that greeted her eyes was a welcome one, for there, in the middle of the road leading to Llorkh, was someone she hadn't seen in three months, but had thought of often with envy and longing. Jaelara Dilathon, looking the same happy excited young elf she had three months ago when she had gone to visit relatives ran up and wrapped her arms around her best friend in a rib shattering hug, her black hair flowing around her shoulders, occasionally allowing her sharply pointed ears to peek through. Glinting green eyes shone in her pale face as she grinned ear to pointed ear at the sight of her friend. Her oversized dark green tunic was held up by a leather bustier and a leather loincloth hung from her slender hips to cover her green trousers. Leather elbow length gloves encased her small hands and matching leather boots encased her tiny feet. Her backpack bulged with travel goods and the weapons that hung from her belt consisted of a small punching dagger and a light crossbow.
Jaelara took a moment to eye her friend critically, noting the brown tunic and trousers that fit the slender frame perfectly, and the leather boots that looked new before she rushed into speech, causing kipsie to grin in anticipation at the wild tales that would fly out of her friend's small mouth.
"Gods kip, you should have been there! There were so many of my family and friends at the gathering! They were sooo lovely! All silver and bright in the sun as they glided into the clearing near waterdeep! You would have been hard pressed to keep your jaw out of the dirt! I know I dropped mine at least a dozen... no a hundred dozen times when the great wyrms showed up…" jaelara rattled on and on as they walked toward the well that stood in the center of the road in the middle of the village. Kipsie reflected that maybe she should have been born a silver dragon, since her friend went on such great adventures and could shape shift into virtually anything, even the shape she wore now as an elf. It was common knowledge that silver dragons were very fond of humans, spending hundreds of years among them to observe and enjoy their habits. Jaelara herself had been left with a human family five years ago as a hatchling so that her parents could enjoy their explorations without the burden of a child, which seemed kind of coldhearted to kipsie, but never seemed to disturb jaelara in the least, especially now that they came occasionally to take the young dragon to gatherings that were held every so often to share stories and catch up.
At the well, jaelara grabbed the dipper that was left there to drink out of and filled it to the brim so she could guzzle the clear liquid thirstily, barely getting it down before continuing her tale. Kipsie smiled and motioned her friend to walk with her toward their friend Mir's house, which was situated to the east of the inn. Kipsie knew that Mir would be engrossed in his studies of magic; he rarely saw the light of day, much to his mother's disapproval. He would, however, be happy to see their friend returned from her trip, and would undoubtedly grill her, to Jaelara's delight, about the magical goings on at the gathering.
As they walked, Kipsie began to think. Looking around at the same boring inn, the same boring people, she began to get an idea that she knew would gain approval from at least one of her friends, since jaelara was always up for an adventure no matter how small. Nothing to dangerous, kipsie thought, just a little jaunt to Llorkh or Loudwater, maybe, if things looked good after that, they could go to waterdeep and go sailing on the ocean. After all, waterdeep wasn't that far from midway was it? The world couldn't be that big since their village was fair sized. Kipsie strove to think up viable reasons to go adventuring so that the others wouldn't gainsay her.
Finally they stepped up to the small house where Mir made his home with his mother. Jaelara was bouncing with excitement. Kipsie knocked and waited, putting on her best "I'm responsible" look on her face, as she knew that Mir's mother would be the one to answer the door and the poor woman had a severe case of over protectiveness. As they waited, kipsie turned to her companion, "Jaelara, what say you to another adventure? I have an itch to visit Loudwater or something and it would be fun to get everybody together and see what we can see." Kipsie put on her casual I don't care face and waited for jaelara to start making Kipsie's case for her. Sure enough, the excited dragon began making plans and explaining why it was a good idea, rushing her words so fast that kipsie figured wryly that if Mir and the others refused that she could sic jaelara on them and have her annoy them into going.
The sudden opening of the wooden door silenced both girls as Mir's mother peered out and spied them, "Why Kipsie and Jaelara! What are you doing here? Have you come to take Mir out? He really should get more sun, the boy'll waste away, and with no thought to his poor mother!" Mir's mother turned away after waving them in. Bustling into the kitchen, the worried woman kept talking, only taking breath to yell to the back where Mir slept that his friends were here.
A moment later a thin young man with long black hair, hard brown eyes and a pale face emerged wearing black trousers, a long black tunic, and a black short cloak strapped across his shoulders. He carried a backpack that bulged with what were obviously books and scroll cases. Strapped to his hip was a dagger, and hanging from his backpack was a crossbow. Around his narrow waist was a belt attached to which was a pouch that clanked lightly.
Kipsie reflected that he looked annoyed but prepared for a journey, so she ventured to ask, keeping her voice down, "Where ya goin Mir? You're all packed up." Kipsie cocked an eyebrow. Mir grimaced and motioned for them to follow him outside to the back yard. Once there he turned to them and asked with obvious annoyance, "So where are we going this time ladies? You never come over here together with jaelara chattering up a storm unless you want an "adventure", and since I know that you will both bother me during my studies until I agree to go, I just thought I would save you the trouble and me the headache. So where are we going? And why?" Mir settled himself against a tree and waited for an answer, looking bored.
Kipsie grinned, Mir was always surprising her, but at least this time their journey wouldn't be delayed by his arguments. Jaelara launched into an excited account of their plans liberally mixed in with an account of her trip, causing Mir to smile slightly at kipsie as her grin widened with amusement.
Kipsie waited for a moment for jaelara to wind down a bit before explaining her idea. Mir listened with a pensive frown before asking,
"Why Loudwater, why not go to the mines in Llorkh? There would probably be more treasure to be found in the mountains that in a town like Loudwater."
Kipsie looked at him for a moment before answering.
"Well, you always said before that the mines were dangerous, so I figured that we could just go to Loudwater and explore the markets."
Kipsie paused for a moment before continuing,
"After we get done there we could go to waterdeep and go sailing…" she trailed off at the furious frown that Mir leveled in her direction.
"Waterdeep is three or four days away kipsie! I can't be away from my studies that long! You know I have to practice or I can't get any better!" Mir scowled fiercely. Mir was a student of necromantic magic, a path usually frowned upon by most, but fascinating to Mir. No one but their circle of friends and Mir's mother knew what he was and they all strived to keep it that way.
Before kipsie could reply, jaelara piped in,
"But Mir, don't they have a wonderful library in waterdeep? Yes, I'm sure they must, after all it is a huge, gargantuan city! You could go study or copy the texts there while kip and I go sailing!" The small dragon beamed with approval as she looked at Mir expectantly.
Mir frowned a bit more, but kipsie knew the battle was won.