Chapter 6: Record-Keeping
The skies above them were painted in fiery hues of orange and red as the party of adventurers moved towards the east, the trees around them grew ever thicker, their branches reaching out like grasping fingers. The ground beneath their feet was soft and spongy, with patches of grass and moss growing in between the roots of the trees. The air was thick with the scent of pine, the fragrance of the forest filling their lungs with each breath.
As they moved deeper into the woods, they heard the rustling of leaves and a twig snap in the distance. They stopped in their tracks, alert and ready for danger.
Out from the thick brush stepped a man, dressed in simple garments and carrying a small bundle of sticks. His face was weathered and lined, but his eyes sparkled with a strange intensity. He looked to be an innocent woodsman, but Charmane sensed something was amiss.
As the man approached them, Charmane's eyes darted to the trees around them. She could sense movement and the presence of hidden figures. There were at least five lurking in the shadows, waiting for the right moment to attack.
The party drew their weapons. Charmane took a step forward, her gaze locked on the woodsman. He smiled at her, but it was a cold, empty smile that sent shivers down her spine. She could feel the malevolence radiating from him.
"Ah, weary travelers, well met!" the man said, his voice smooth as silk. "Neville, the fairest of all fair bandits, at your service." The man said giving up all pretence. "What may I do for you this hour?"
"Well, for starters, you could tell your men in the bushes to drop their bows and step out into the open." Charmane retorted.
"Did you find all five of them, then? Pity, I shall have to train them better. Anyhow, I'm afraid that I can't abide by your wishes: My men would think me a coward to surrender in the face of such a paltry force. Truly, I see no other choice than to order them to fire at will and rob your sad corpses of any iron they may carry. Come men, I believe the choice before us is clear."
"Take cover!" Charmane shouted as she gestured towards the trees to the south. Dynaheir, Edwin, and Imoen scrambled to find suitable trees to shelter behind, while Jaheira and Khalid moved forward with their shields raised.
Within moment, the five hobgoblin archers unleashed a flurry of arrows from up in the trees, towards Jaheira and Khalid. Dynaheir wasted no time, and cast magic missiles at one of the hobgoblins, knocking it off the tree, taking it out of the fight. Edwin conjured an acid laced arrow and launched it unerringly towards another. It struck the hobgoblin in the shoulder, the acid causing it to writhe in pain, lose its balance and follow its companion to its death.
Meanwhile, Charmane, had disappeared into the shadows. She quietly scaled a tree, her fingers finding purchase on the rough bark as she ascended higher and higher. The hobgoblins were focused on their targets below, completely unaware of the danger lurking over them.
"Seven." Charmane muttered hanging upside down from a branch. She grabbed a hobgoblin's hair, and plunged her dagger into its throat. It's body slumped forwards and fell to the ground with a thud. With cat-like grace she lowered herself onto the branch below.
The motion alerted a second hobgoblin further down, but it was too late, Charmane was already hanging behind it. Before it could react, she hooked her legs over its knees, and yanked hard, sending the creature tumbling to its death. Still hanging from a branch, Charmane surveyed the trees. One was missing.
Charmane's heart raced as she watched the last hobgoblin jump off a nearby tree, and hurtle towards the backline where the Red Wizard stood, his bright, red robes making him an obvious target. With no time to waste, Charmane sprang into action, leaping from branch to branch in a desperate attempt to intercept the charging hobgoblin before it reached its target.
Edwin, took a step back, and launched rock after rock at the hobgoblin, which showed no sign of stopping. With a roar it lifted its arms, sword in hand.
Just as it was about to strike, Charmane landed squarely on the creature's shoulders.
Edwin's eyes narrowed eyes as he watched her wrap her legs tightly around the hobgoblin's neck.
It struggled wildly, thrashing about in an attempt to dislodge the rogue. But Charmane was too quick. With a gruesome twist, she snapped the creature's neck with a sickening crack. The hobgoblin's body went limp beneath her weight, and she gracefully dismounted, landing triumphantly on the ground.
Charmane's lips curved into a wicked smirk as she took in Edwin's sling, "Hmph, seven it is then." she muttered, her eyes sparkling with amusement.
With the last hobgoblin taken care of, Charmane turned to the bandit leader, but she need not have bothered. As she watched, Jaheira parried his sword, and Khalid took the opportunity to deliver the final blow. The bandits all lay dead on the forest floor.
"So, Edwin," Charmane began, playfully. She had pulled him aside as soon as the party had set up camp in a nearby clearing. She was looking at him with smug amusement. "Two more spells." she said, her words dripping with mock adoration. "So superior."
Edwin flinched, now realising why the woman had been watching him so intently all day. "Bah! "You may mock me now, rogue, but soon I will be casting more spells than your primitive brain can comprehend, let alone count on your measly ten fingers." Edwin said, his voice laced with disdain.
Charmane raised an eyebrow. "Is that so? Well as leader of this group, I need to know your capabilities, Edwin." she said, now in a serious tone. "It could be the difference between life and death."
"You will know what you need to." Edwin retorted. "Nothing less, nothing more."
Charmane smirked, mischievously. "You know I'll find out anyway, don't you?" Charmane tapped her chin and continued, "Three Melf's Acid Arrow, two Magic missiles, one Burning hands and Grease, was it?"
"The monkey always manages to find a brain cell for the most inconvenient tasks." Edwin muttered to himself.
"Dynaheir was forthcoming." Charmane baited. "It would be such a shame to choose the inferior mage. Besides," she continued with a hint of a smile. "I'd miss your delightful company."
"Insult me as you please, you shall not be privy to my secrets." he sneered, turning to leave. "If you will not have me, I shall simply find more adventurous adventurers to do my bidding."
"I spoke true, Edwin." Charmane called back. "You are nicer to have around than you give yourself credit for."
Edwin halted abruptly, his back facing Charmane, his eyebrows raised in shock. "Your flattery is not unwelcome," he said, after a pause, his tone low and measured, "Though your motives are transparent." As he began to walk away, he muttered, loud enough for Charmane to hear "I suppose your record-keeping is not entirely flawed."
Later that night Charmane distributed some 1st level scrolls she had collected to Edwin and Dynaheir. Edwin received more, having been with her longer and being objectively more powerful.
Charmane felt pleased with her decision, as the belligerent mage agreed to prepare the exact set of spells she desired, without so much as a grumble.
As Charmane sat by the campfire, marvelling at the plate mail she acquired from the paladin, she was interrupted by Dynaheir's disapproving voice.
"Thou art a leader, Charmane, yet thy decisions remain questionable. Did thou not see the wrong in thine actions towards the paladin and the merchant?
Charmane raised an eyebrow. "How convenient of you to ignore that the paladin attacked us first, and the merchant a scoundrel that skins innocent creatures for profit. I'm afraid I do not share your righteous delusions."
Dynaheir shook her head. "Righteous delusions? Is thou not the hypocrite? How canst thou preach against the senseless slaying of sentient beings, yet be so quick to rob and kill for thine own gain? Thou must learn to see the truth in good and evil, and act accordingly."
Charmane chuckled darkly, taking a swig of ale. "If only life were so simple, Dynaheir. I care not for the welfare of strangers over me and mine. Anyone who pretends otherwise are sanctimonious charlatans. I'll protect what is mine, if you believe that makes me evil, so be it."
Dynaheir huffed. "I can only hope that one day thou shalt see the error of thy ways."
Charmane sighed, "And I only hope that one day, Dynaheir, you see the value in self-preservation."
Edwin's eyes were fixed on his spellbook, but his ears listened intently as the women argued, a wry smile crossed his lips. "There may be a shred of intelligence in this group, after all." He muttered, quietly for once.
As the sun rose, the party continued their journey towards Nashkel, hoping to reach their destination in two days' time. As they walked, a suspicious looking man appeared before them, blocking their path.
He was a middle-aged fellow with a scruffy beard. He wore a long, tattered coat that seemed to have seen better days, and a wide-brimmed hat that hid most of his face from view. His eyes, however, were piercing and sharp, and they seemed to scan the party with an almost predatory gaze.
"Why, looky here. A finer bunch of adventurers, I don't think I've ever seen." the man said, his voice smooth and oily. "Hmm, though from the looks of it, you don't seem to be that well equipped. Well, you're in a lot of luck, I can solve all of your problems." he said, grinning widely. "I have a huge collection of potions and scrolls, all for a cheap price. Right now I can give you a potion of extra healing for 25 gold, a scroll of protection from petrification for 25 gold, or a scroll of protection from magic for 100 gold. So what do ya say?"
Charmane listened to the man with growing irritation. Who was he trying to fool? She knew the tricks of the trade, and she was not about to let this man get the better of her. "I don't think we really need to 'buy' anything from you." She said, menacingly. "You hand over all of your precious potions and scrolls, or we'll take them from you by force."
"Holy bloodthirsty!" The man mocked. "You guys obviously don't calm down often to think about things." he continued, condescendingly. "Okay now, let me explain: I'm selling magic items for cheap. Therefore, I have easy access to said items. Therefore, you just called out the wrong guy."
With a flick of his wrist, the peddler multiplied. Before them now stood three identical men.
The next moment a wave of terror washed over Charmane. She ran in fear, no longer caring where, as the man's image warped and twisted before her eyes, becoming something grotesque and otherworldly. The fear was all-consuming, and Charmane could not think. All she knew was that she had to escape.
The man's spell had hit Khalid and Jaheira as well. The three now abandoned their formation in panic.
Gritting his teeth Edwin cast magic missiles, the familiar orbs surging towards the enemy mage, crackling with arcane energy. But the peddler's magical defences repelled them effortlessly, leaving the orbs to fizzle into nothingness.
Meanwhile, Dynaheir brought forth a ball of pure magical energy and launched it at the magical peddler. It too fizzled as it hit its target. The Chromatic Orb never missed. The two mages realised in unison that magic would be useless against the man.
The enemy wizard cackled as he sent volleys of magic missiles streaming at Edwin. But the Red Wizard was too fast. The orbs were mere inches from his face as he mounted an invisible barrier, stopping them in their tracks. "Hah! Two can play that game." he gloated. "You two, get behind me if you value your lives!" he commanded, pulling his sling out with a smirk. "Edwin Odesseiron is now in charge."
The three pelted the enemy with arrows and rocks, while the peddler sent missiles after missiles hoping to catch Imoen and Dynaheir. But the two were now stood behind Edwin, and the missiles collided and disappeared as they hit his Shield.
Frustrated, the man angrily pulled out a shortsword and ran towards them. But it was too late. The Horror spell had worn off and now Jaheira, Khalid and Charmane intercepted the man with a vengeance.
Jaheira discarded her shield, wielding her scimitar with both hands. With a powerful swing, she struck one of the illusions, but her blade passed through empty air, causing her to nearly lose her balance.
Charmane was on the verge of pulling off a fatal attack, but just before she could strike, an arrow pierced the man's forehead with deadly accuracy. Imoen let out a victorious laugh, "That's what you get for messin' with us!"
"Well done!" Charmane cheered.
"You can thank Edwin for savin' our hides this time with his quick thinkin', ain't that right, Edwin?" Imoen said with a grin, giving Edwin a playful nudge with her elbow.
Edwin straightened his robe with a self-satisfied smirk. "A mere trifle for a mage of my unparalleled mastery. It was only natural that I would save us from such a paltry threat."
"If I recall, beyond yon shield that Charmane hath suggested thou to memorise, thy other spells did naught but fizzle against that scoundrel." Dynaheir retorted, wryly.
Edwin's smirk faltered for a moment before he regained his composure. "As if I would waste my best spells on such a petty opponent. A true master of the arcane knows how to choose the right spell for the right circumstance."
"There's no arguing that," Charmane chimed in before it lead to another argument. "but let's not forget that it was your combined efforts that brought him down. All three of you played a part in this victory."
Jaheira nodded, "Indeed, it was a team effort. And now that the enemy is defeated, let us gather what we can and be on our way before more unsavoury wizards come our way."