p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"The sun rained down its golden drops, splattering onto tree tops and setting the world alight with mid-morning glare. Jaskier was walking briskly, the radiance of day dulled by his festering anxiety. The tavern trail had taken him to Nazair; a once independent kingdom that had since become polluted by the ever-stretching fingers of Nilfgaard to the south. He had never prided himself on his skill for the avoidance of trouble, and so had rapidly turned back towards the East. Whilst heading North, towards Cintra, was probably the better course of action, its presence stirred old memories. Memories he didn't plan to /Cintra lay upon his shoulders like a water-logged cloak, sending lines of tension through his body as he forstalled his normal jovial skipping for a more pressed pace. He travelled light, with only a pack of supplies, a sleeping roll, and a lute bumping lightly against his thigh. Yet they didn't make less the weight of his unwanted recollections./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;""Sing more about the white wolf, they say", he scoffed to himself, "What monster did he lay his sword in to today, they cry! Not the monster of conceit or egotism, that's for sure!" He bristled in indignation for the fifth time that day./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;""It's your fault he says, to all of his strays!br /go away and leave me be/p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"I count the ways, and hope for the daysbr /when you're not here with me-"/p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"He broke off his musical musings by kicking a stone and watching it hit the nearest tree with satisfaction. Possibly imagining that the tree had white hair and terrible clothes. His grin faded and he stepped back startled as the tree did indeed grow hair - black hair, with a complementary man of considerably hostile intent. Appearing from behind the tree, black eyes met his own, with generic country drab poorly disguising the man's lean and muscular /Jaskier spread his hands wide in a defensive position and a tremulous grin reappeared with effort. "Now good sir had I known that tree was indeed yours I would never hav-" His step back had landed him against another tree, or so he thought until arms as thick as branches wrapped around his waist and throat. Cut off with a choke, he bucked wildly as the man in front continued his forward stalk, producing a club from behind his back./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"***/p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"A relentless pounding awoke Jaskier. He shivered and groped for a blanket, peeling his eyes open and staring around blearily./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;""I've never seen your wife sir!", He called groggily as the thudding continued, "or your sister!"/p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"With wits duller than a post-alcohol-induced orgy he realised the pounding to be his head, and cold black stones his bed. He scrabbled to his feet and squinted in the gloom. The impenetrable blackness receded into sulky dimness and he began to make out crude iron bars, a rickety wooden stool and a similarly dilapidated waste bucket. The stagnant stench of damp mould and human excrement made itself abruptly known as he clamped a hand over his nose. Stumbling to the bars he grasped them and peered around for guards. Once satisfied with their absence he began a vain search for cracks, crevices, and crannies he could use to worm his way to /The stale air cracked violently as a harsh cackling erupted from opposite him. He paused with trepidation before inching back to the bars. Swallowing the bile that had crept up his throat he made out a poorly defined mound of decaying rags that swathed an equally decrepit-looking woman./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;""You're too kind, I haven't even started playing yet" he joked, but his tone was laced with the fear that was growing in his chest./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;""into the Dungeons of Caldorn he finds himself, with Carvin and Lucan, Rience and Cyrpian-" She cut off as seemingly involuntary giggling assaulted her frame. He took the opportunity to try to shed light on his situation./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;""This is Caldorn? is that a country, city, or just this dungeon? Are those names you said the guards? is there anything else you can tell me about them, like what they want with me?"/p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"Her shudders had died down as she listened to him with hollowed eyes. Her mouth gaped open (which he swore he could smell from his cell), and another bubbling perversion of mirth erupted from her throat./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;""Come now Jaskier, we've seen stranger things" he said rather doubtfully to himself as he stared dumbfoundedly at the wench. The air then rippled with the echoes of turning locks. Apprehension crashed into him once again and he resisted slinking back into the dark and raised his chin and eyebrows to congenially greet whatever, or whoever was coming next./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;""Sing more about the white wolf, they say", he scoffed to himself, "What monster did he lay his sword in to today, they cry! Not the monster of conceit or egotism, that's for sure!" He bristled in indignation for the fifth time that day./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;""It's your fault he says, to all of his strays!br /go away and leave me be/p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"I count the ways, and hope for the daysbr /when you're not here with me-"/p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"He broke off his musical musings by kicking a stone and watching it hit the nearest tree with satisfaction. Possibly imagining that the tree had white hair and terrible clothes. His grin faded and he stepped back startled as the tree did indeed grow hair - black hair, with a complementary man of considerably hostile intent. Appearing from behind the tree, black eyes met his own, with generic country drab poorly disguising the man's lean and muscular /Jaskier spread his hands wide in a defensive position and a tremulous grin reappeared with effort. "Now good sir had I known that tree was indeed yours I would never hav-" His step back had landed him against another tree, or so he thought until arms as thick as branches wrapped around his waist and throat. Cut off with a choke, he bucked wildly as the man in front continued his forward stalk, producing a club from behind his back./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"***/p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"A relentless pounding awoke Jaskier. He shivered and groped for a blanket, peeling his eyes open and staring around blearily./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;""I've never seen your wife sir!", He called groggily as the thudding continued, "or your sister!"/p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"With wits duller than a post-alcohol-induced orgy he realised the pounding to be his head, and cold black stones his bed. He scrabbled to his feet and squinted in the gloom. The impenetrable blackness receded into sulky dimness and he began to make out crude iron bars, a rickety wooden stool and a similarly dilapidated waste bucket. The stagnant stench of damp mould and human excrement made itself abruptly known as he clamped a hand over his nose. Stumbling to the bars he grasped them and peered around for guards. Once satisfied with their absence he began a vain search for cracks, crevices, and crannies he could use to worm his way to /The stale air cracked violently as a harsh cackling erupted from opposite him. He paused with trepidation before inching back to the bars. Swallowing the bile that had crept up his throat he made out a poorly defined mound of decaying rags that swathed an equally decrepit-looking woman./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;""You're too kind, I haven't even started playing yet" he joked, but his tone was laced with the fear that was growing in his chest./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;""into the Dungeons of Caldorn he finds himself, with Carvin and Lucan, Rience and Cyrpian-" She cut off as seemingly involuntary giggling assaulted her frame. He took the opportunity to try to shed light on his situation./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;""This is Caldorn? is that a country, city, or just this dungeon? Are those names you said the guards? is there anything else you can tell me about them, like what they want with me?"/p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"Her shudders had died down as she listened to him with hollowed eyes. Her mouth gaped open (which he swore he could smell from his cell), and another bubbling perversion of mirth erupted from her throat./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;""Come now Jaskier, we've seen stranger things" he said rather doubtfully to himself as he stared dumbfoundedly at the wench. The air then rippled with the echoes of turning locks. Apprehension crashed into him once again and he resisted slinking back into the dark and raised his chin and eyebrows to congenially greet whatever, or whoever was coming next./p