Epilogue
On stage Chaucer told a story of the time he was swallowed by a giant froghemoth, using minor illusions and animations to assist him in his story telling. The crowd around the stage sat awestruck as the tale was brought to life through magic. Chaucer beamed with pride as he looked out over his audience. Bran stood leaning with one elbow against the bar, his stance casual and inviting. He was impressed with what the group had done with the tower.
It had been three months since they vanquished the cult of Acererak and there had been no blowback. Turned out no one was sad to see them go and neighbors had viewed them as a nuisance and were glad they were gone. All that remained was smoldered ruins of where the building once stood. No investigation was held and no one asked any questions. The assassination attempts had stopped once word got out that the cult was no more. It meant there would be no one to pay the bounty should anyone succeed. Crom had a strong feeling that it was going to happen that way having dealt with assassination contracts himself.
The tower was a buzz with activity. What used to be the front meeting room was now a small tap room with a stage, Chaucer performing on it almost nightly. He'd had a few guest bards stop by to play the venue but the crowd seemed to enjoy his stories of the Oakdell Circle more than anything. One visiting bard in particular drew a crowd, a changeling who had the help of a sorcerer to assist with effects and lighting from behind the stage, the crowd awestruck with her show and talent. Chaucer was in his element and loved performing for an audience.
The garden had become a miniature forest by now, Ari and Riri tending the trees and plants for optimal growth. Onika stalked the grounds for small prey, darting through the trees and shrubs to pounce on her target. Ari spent most of her time in the garden while Riri divided her time between the garden and the tower. The ranger didn't sleep outside as Ari did, instead enjoying the comfort of a nice bed and four walls. Ari remained in her hut with the exception of when the wind was particularly strong or the night too cold for her comfort. During those times she stayed in a guest room in the tower as if she were a patron in the tap room. Riri had decided to stay on with the group, finally deciding she liked it better with companions than without. She was once again a member of the Oakdell Circle.
Xasia too decided to stay on when she was approached about remaining with the group. She'd been aimless prior to this experience and was without direction. She now felt like she had purpose and drive once again. Being a part of the group made her feel alive and being around Samash made her feel like a young girl again. The two of them had hit it off and spent much of their time together, very recently having even moved into the same room together. They were happy, Samash and Xasia, and everyone around them was happy for them.
Cotton had stayed for a few days before heading back to Mbala without Bran. The smuggler had stated he had some business in port to tend to before he could return. Cotton helped to get the armory established in the few days he was at the tower, installing gismos and gadgets to automate the door and for retrieving equipment. As a symbol of his retirement he mounted both his shields on the wall, centered across from the door, keeping his third shield slung across his back.
Bran opted to keep his room in the tower for when he was in town, his ultimate goal being for the Silent Hand to spread into Port Nyanzaru as the predominate thieves guild. In the last three months he'd been working with Captain Peter Dagger to muster their forces in the city, pulling from the ranks of smaller lesser-known thieves organizations to populate the ranks of the Silent Hand in Port Nyanzaru. While he kept his role as founder and leader a secret to all but a few, he did make sure to let his name become known as a well renowned swashbuckler and fighter. He found it had just built on his already well-known reputation as a scamp and scoundrel.
Samash had been enjoying the downtime in the last three months, using it to better get to know the members of his party, in particular some of the newer faces like Xasia. He had quickly become smitten with the half-orc fighter and the two often teased one other in a playful manner. Samash got a true sense of family when he was with her and their friends, his feelings of homesickness washing away. Samash sparred with Xasia often and even learned a few new maneuvers from her that he incorporated into his own fighting style. He also learned through her how to better control his rage.
Kuku had left to take a trip up to Icewind Dale to see his childhood home. He'd said he would return but no one knew for sure just how much time the trip would take or how long to expect him. His loss to the group was somber and in part it felt like they were missing a core member of their family with him gone. Samash seemed the most impacted by the loss, while Tamar felt the loss in a different way. She'd always felt like a mother to the kenku, making sure he was ready and had everything he needed.
Tamar spent much of her time in the tap room, either picking pockets or listening to Chaucer's stories. Kevin and Adora were never far behind and would often stay perched in the rafters watching out for trouble. She'd offered Bran a little assistance in recruiting for the Silent Hand, going around to some of the smaller gangs she knew and selling the new thieves guild to the youth. She was surprised to find that the reputation of the Silent Hand already preceded her and she didn't have to work that hard to sell the idea. In all five street gangs brought their entire ranks into the fold of the Silent Hand before the months end. One of the things she didn't much care for was all of the recognition she now received for having defeated both Acererak and his cult. It made staying anonymous and hidden very difficult.
Goilon had gone to accompany Kuku up to Icewind Dale, the big game hunter hoping for the opportunity to hunt something like a mammoth or yeti to bring back with him. Kuku had just laughed at him and patted him on the back, telling the dwarf his company was welcomed. He'd spent the day before leaving going around the city trying to find cold weather clothing and blankets. He settled for trying again in a city closer to the tundra. He had no luck finding things for the cold weather in the dense jungle. He carried Big Medicine with him and set out of with Kuku shortly after returning from dispatching the cultists.
Crom was enjoying the free time he had, trying out a few new hobbies in his downtime. He'd first tried whittling but found he didn't have the patience for it. Next he tried his hand at carpentry and found he didn't have the technical savvy for measuring and precision. Painting was a wash and basket weaving was a disaster. In the end Crom decided that smoking and killing were what he was best at and what he'd stick to, taking assassination contracts in the city every now and then to kill the time. He'd begun to make a name for himself so he decided to create a new persona that he changed into for doing contract work. He tried to avoid having anything he did with contracts coming back on the Oakdell Circle.
Chaucer finished his tale on stage and was met with loud applaud. He gleefully hopped over to the bar to where Bran stood and hopped up onto a barstool, ordering a glass of milk. "Packed house tonight," Chaucer mentioned to Bran who sipped his rum. "Don't know when I'll be ready to give this up to head back out on the road."
"Don't worry, little buddy," Bran remarked looking out into the crowd, "The road has a way of coming to get you when it's time."
Jing and Chiandrias sat on the front step of the Bravado Inn, arms folded over their knees as they sat in thought and reflection. They'd been performing in Port Nyanzaru for the past two weeks, even playing the famed Oakdell Circle tower. It was time to move on, they'd worn their welcome.
"It's hot and humid here," Chiandrias complained for the thousandth time. "Is it time to leave this wretched jungle yet, Jing?"
"It would seem we've overstayed our welcome," Jing said somberly. "We've played all the taverns and inns that will have us and people seem to be over our show now." Jing sighed. "It doesn't help that I publicly show myself to be a changeling in a world that distrusts and hates changelings."
Chiandrias laughed out loud. "Let them come against us little sister. I'll fry them all with lightning and storms. With the Storm King's blessing who among them can stop me?" Chiandrias rubbed her hands together at the idea of hurting anyone who would do harm to her friend Jing.
"That's very reassuring, Chian, but I don't want anyone to die over their petty hatred for my kind." Jing looked out into the street at the people walking by. She wondered if any of them suspected she was the changeling that performed the shows her and Chiandrias were known for. Jing was careful to keep her identity a secret, keeping the persona she wore now as her core persona and carefully hiding it away when it was time to perform.
"Let's head north," blurted out Chiandrias as she stood from the step and stretched her arms. "Somewhere like the Dalelands or Neverwinter or Waterdeep." As she said the words Waterdeep she caught herself and apologized to Jing. "I'm so sorry, I didn't mean to suggest that place!"
Jing waved her hand. "It's fine Chian, but yeah, we're not going to Waterdeep. How about Baldur's Gate? It's the largest city on the Sword Coast and there must be tons of places to perform there!" Jing stood up and ran a hand through her long platinum blonde hair. "We can hit some of the smaller cities on the way for coin and room and board."
"What are we waiting for?" asked Chiandrias as she stepped off the porch and onto the street. "The day is wasting away. Let's grab our horse and carriage and head out!" Jing smiled and followed her friend out into the street and off towards adventure. On the road again.
Prelude
Ari bit down hard on the undead tyrannosaurus rex's neck and thrashed her head from side to side with the sickly hide in her mouth of razor-sharp teeth. The feathered plumes on the top of her own tyrannosaurus head ran down her long neck and into her back shaking wildly with the motion. Grappling with the monstrous tyrannosaurus rex she didn't notice the giant orange tiger at her feet, clawing and biting in a frenzy at the undead creature. Arrows whizzed past her to explode against the dinosaurs chest and head, one arrow taking out a section of yellowed razor-sharp teeth. Ari let loose her grip to try to catch the tyrannosaurus rex closer to its head but the monster evaded her bite and came around with a headbutt that sent her reeling to the ground with a thunderous boom, the sudden jolt knocking her back into her elven form.
Scrambling to her feet Ari narrowly avoided the jaws of the undead tyrannosaurus rex as it clipped the base of her robes as she rose, tearing off feathers of green fabric. Glancing back Ari saw Onika the giant tiger leap up at the dinosaur's head and swipe her claws against its eye and down its face. Another volley of arrows careened overhead and exploded into the predator's head causing it to take pause and let out a thunderous roar. As it did Ari stopped and turned to face it, weaving her hands in front of her as she recited an incantation. In a whirl of wind and loose foliage the ground around the rotting dinosaur began to flex and rise, breaking up out of the undergrowth to trap the rex in earthen shackles that bound it in place. It roared out its rage as Ari wove her hands in a different pattern, her soft voice calling out the chant of the spell. In a flash a thick beam of moonlight shot down from the heavens to rip through the tyrannosaurus, rotting flesh burning away under the radiant light. Ari focused the beam to remain on the dinosaur as Riri hit it with another volley of magical arrows, this time striking with radiant light, searing into the target as they found their home.
Behind the undead tyrannosaurus rex Onika was traversing up the tail, claws digging deep into the translucent flesh as she found her way to its neck and head. Onika bit down at the base of its skull with ferocity, sharp teeth rending through soft flesh. Riri came up alongside Ari as she fired off another arrow hitting the rex in the roof its mouth as it roared loudly.
"Cuttin' it a little close, aren't ya," Riri joked in her light island accent as she pulled another arrow from her quiver. Nocking the arrow she took aim and assessed the undead beast. "Will dis beastie eva go down? I feel like we been fightin' him all morning." Letting out her breath she released her arrow into its chest as it exploded on impact.
"Him seems ta be vulnerable ta radiant attacks," Ari replied in her own quiet island accent as she let off blasts of radiant magic at the beast, the tyrannosaurus roaring with each hit as it struggled to break free of its earthen manacles and the moonbeam that was searing him. The young elf druid began weaving her hands once more as Onika bit again into the neck of the dinosaur. As the big cat rend loose more rotten flesh a magical wash came over her as she let out a roar of her own. Pouncing back up to the base of the creature's neck Onika opened wide and chomped down as a magical blast of lightning damage emitted from the hit, splitting the tyrannosaurus open at the base of the dinosaur's skull and knocking the beast senseless. The giant dinosaurs body hit the ground like a ton of bricks and shook the jungle with a loud thud.
From the Author
Thank you for stopping by and reading what is my first ever completed novel. This was written with no outline or planning, completely on a whim, as a sort of love letter to my gaming group with our characters from the Tomb of Annihilation campaign setting. This practice novel has helped me to gain the confidence needed to write more and seeing that I'm able to complete a novel builds confidence. I realize the writing style in this novel is not the traditional format for fantasy, but please understand I was trying to keep it true to table top RPG's. It does read more like a campaign book in places than a novel, I realize that. It's why I'm thanking you for taking the time to read this little experiment. I wish you all the best and hope you'll be on the lookout for a follow up novel featuring Jing and Chiandrias.