Act I:

A Fateful Competition

Chapter 2:

The Maroon Mercenaries

It was mid afternoon when the group finished their third competition. In which Dewhert lost in the finals of the arm wrestling competition to a giant ogre named Maggie. They decided to cheer up their firbolg friend with a bit of drinking at the local tavern.

"I could have had her if I got my height back!" Dewhert slurred through his words after his seventh ale. Then he proceeded to bang his head on the table with a loud thud. Snoring indicated that he had passed out.

Lostmark calmly watched their friends drink and cheer in merriment. Not certain what to do with themself. They couldn't drink after all. So they settled for people watching. Seeing all the excitement of everyone cheering and toasting and gambling and drinking put a proverbial smile on their faceplate.

Soon enough, Lostmark noticed shouting that was off kilter to the celebrations. They looked over to a table not too far from the group's that had a lithe, blue skinned orc woman with black hair and a robed drow man with soft features caught in a heated argument with a hobgoblin wearing a grin perfect for eating shit.

Lostmark decided to stand up and investigate. Unaware that they caught the attention of Elijen and Benjicot in doing so. Making their way to the table. Lostmark called out, "Is everything alright?"

"No, everything is not alright!" the orc shouted as she continued to point her finger at the table that was covered in playing cards. "This fucker has been cheating."

"Come now," The hobgoblin shrugged, his smile never leaving his face. "I just got a bit of good luck is all"

The drow, who hadn't said a word since Lostmark arrived. Simply waved his fingers as a thud was heard followed by a shout of pain. Everyone at the table looked about frantically as they searched for the source of the shout. In quick order they all found a previously invisible fairy on the ground behind the orc woman's seat, rubbing her rump as she talked to herself aloud, "Why'd I stop flying? Wait, why am I visible?"

Everyone turned from the fairy to the hobgoblin, who was no longer smiling.

What happened next caught Lostmark off guard. As the Hobgoblin made to grab his ill earned winnings and bolt. The blue orc pounced like a moorbounder upon the cheater. Which caused them to both crash into a nearby tavern wench carrying drinks. Who spilled them all over a bugbear standing next to Lostmark. Who mistook the Aeormaton as the culprit and punched them in the faceplate. And despite the resilient metal that Lostmark was made out of. The Bugbear's strength was great enough to knock them on the floor. From his new perspective of the tavern floor Lostmark saw Benjicot and Elijen getting into a fist fight with the burly bugbear that was twice the height of the two of them combined.

A tavern brawl was well in suit. Elijen was the first to be thrown off the bugbear, causing him to land on a nearby table and knock over a bunch of food and drinks. The orcs that sat around the table immediately got angry and reached out to grab him only for the halfling to wild shape into a wolf with gnarled bonelike protrusions sprouting from his body and gave a warning growl. Most of the orcs quickly backed off, but two of them reached for Elijen anyway.

Benjicot was in a full on fist fight with the bugbear. As a burly fist hit the dwarf in the face. He tasted a bit of blood in his mouth. So he spat in the bugbear's face and used the blood as a catalyst for one of his blood curses. His foe suddenly went temporarily blind as he swung another fist and it collided with a massive ogre woman that was trying to break up the fight. The ogre then knocked the bugbear to the floor, unconscious with a single hit to the face.

It was then that Benjicot noticed that the ogre was Maggie Keeneyes. The one who had won against Dewert in the arm wrestling competition earlier, "Thanks for the help,"

"No problem," the ogre replied before a wolf was thrown at her. The two tumbled down onto another table with goblins who were previously laughing at the mayhem in the tavern. Thus drawing more into the brawl.

"You've got to be shitting me," Llyn, who saw the whole commotion. Rushed from her seat to help Elijen, Lostmark and Benjicot. But was intercepted by an orc who had a table leg as a weapon. But when he swung it at Llyn, she simply summoned one of her echos closer to Elijen, then magically switched places with the copy so she wouldn't get hurt.

At this point, Lostmark was standing again and trying to break up the fight between the blue orc and the Hobgoblin. They snuck behind the blue orc woman and put her in a choke hold to try and restrain her. But then felt a chair smash atop their head as a scrawny human with shaggy hair had gotten into the fight as well. This caused Lostmark to lose their grip on the blue orc. The aeormaton then turned to face the human. And used the strange divine power he didn't fully understand to command the human to halt. Magically stopping him in his tracks. Then an invisible force shoved Lostmark into a wall. Looking around they saw the robed drow with his hand outstretched towards them, glowing with strange magic.

It was at this point that Dewhert awoke to the sounds of combat. Seeing Elijen in his wolf form tussling with a familiar ogre, Lostmark pinned against the wall, Llyn caught in a fist fight with several orcs, And Benjicot fighting goblins. He stood up and gave a massive roar, "STOP!"

As he roared, something unusual happened. Strange vines and brambles started growing out of the wood that made up the tavern floor and walls and furniture. The vines then started grabbing and pinning everyone in the tavern, brawlers and bystanders alike.

-V-

Luckily, most of the vines wilted away by the time the aurora watch arrived to reinstill order. And while the tavern owner was willing to not press charges; she insisted that everyone get out and promptly closed up shop for the day to clean up and repair the lingering damages.

Everyone that was in the tavern dispersed with various degrees of anger and frustration over the situation. Soon, only nine individuals remained out in the street in front of the tavern. All of whom were participants of the brawl.

"Well that could have gone better," Llyn remarked as the blue orc approached her and the rest of the group.

"Sorry, I can be quite hot-tempered when someone cheats," the orc said as she stood there sheepishly. Maggie engulfed her shoulder with one of her massive ogre hands and said. "It's okay, Ayo."

"You two know each other?" Benjicot asked.

"Yea," the blue orc named Ayo said as she seemed to gather herself mentally, "We're part of a new adventuring party, "The Maroon Mercenaries!"

"Maroon?" Dewhert raised an eyebrow at that.

"It's the only dye color Dermot's mother had on hand when she made our uniforms," Ayo said as she gestured to her maroon scarf. Indeed, Maggie was wearing maroon dyed leather armor; and the drow was wearing a maroon robe. While the shaggy haired human had a maroon belt.

"So you are all members of the Maroon Mercenaries as well?" Llyn pointed to the drow and human.

"Indeed," The drow confirmed. He then gave a gentle bow before saying, "And we haven't been introduced properly. I'm Galsariad Ardyth, and this here is Irvan."

"Yo, like he said I'm Irvan, Irvan Wastewalker, not the most charming name but don't let that fool you," The human said with a wink.

"So we've given introductions," Ayo said, "What about you guys? You all look like a group,"

"We are the Wayward Wayfarers," Benjicot stated, "Names Benjicot Gwynres, the group's founder."

"And resident old crank," Llyn retorted, Benjicot harrumphed in response, "My name's Llyn Haligwell, just an ordinary girl who likes a good fight."

"Elijen Wildheart," The halfling said simply.

"I'm Dewhert Moonpetal," Dewert said excitedly, he then eyed Maggie and Irvan, "Though I think I've already met some of you."

"Oh yea, you beat me in the pie contest," Irvan said as he rubbed his stomach, seemingly still bothering him.

"And I beat you in the arm wrestling contest," Maggie replied.

"Greetings, I am L.O.S.T. MRK.1, but you can call me Lostmark," The aeormaton introduced themself.

"Whoa," Ayo exclaimed as she got a good look at Lostmark, "I thought you were wearing armor, I didn't realize you were a… what are you exactly?"

"They are an Aeormaton, a sort of metal construct," Galsariad explained, "They have been arriving from the north recently."

"You know about my people?" Lostmark asked excitedly.

"Not too much I am afraid. Mostly rumor and hearsay about pre-calamity constructs awakening in recent years," Galsariad admitted.

Lostmark seemed to visibly deflate at the drow's words, "I'm afraid I don't remember my past life."

"How unfortunate," Galsariad stated as he grew contemplative, "Imagine the wonders and secrets you hold, even from yourself."

"Hey!" Ayo suddenly exclaimed, "Where's Dermot?"

"Who is Dermot?" Llyn inquired.

"Another member of our band," Irvan explained, "I think he might still be at the temple,"

"We should go let him know what happened," Ayo suggested. As the Maroon Mercenaries head on towards the local temple to the Luxon; she shouted back at the Wayward Wayfarer's, "Maybe we'll compete against each other in the final competition!"

"Look forward to it," Dewhert answered as they all waved bye for now.

"We're not actually partaking in the final competition are we?" Benjicot asked.

"We might as well," Llyn answered. She then pointed at the tavern "You saw how pent up with energy we are Ben, we could use a more sanctioned way to release that energy."

"Fair 'nuff,"

"Come on guys, let's get going," Dewhert encouraged as they made for the docks.

The Wayward Wayfarers' stats

Benjicot Gwynres

Ancestry: Duergar Dwarf

Pronouns: he/him

Class(es): Blood Hunter (lvl 3)

Subclass: Order of the Ghostslayer
Stats:

Strength: 16
Dexterity: 13

Constitution: 16
Intelligence: 17

Wisdom: 12

Charisma: 9

Dewhert Moonpetal

Ancestry: Firbolg

Pronouns: he/him

Class(es): Barbarian (lvl 3)

Subclass: Path of Wild Magic
Stats:

Strength: 18
Dexterity: 12

Constitution: 16
Intelligence: 9

Wisdom: 14

Charisma: 10

Elijen Wildheart

Ancestry: Lotusden Halfling

Class(es): Druid (lvl 3)

Pronouns: he/him

Subclass: Circle of the Blighted
Stats:

Strength: 15
Dexterity: 18

Constitution: 15
Intelligence: 12

Wisdom: 18

Charisma: 15

L.O.S.T. MRK.1

Ancestry: Aeormaton (Warforged)

Pronouns: she/they

Class(es): Paladin/Rogue (lvl 2/1)

Subclass: N/A
Stats:

Strength: 14
Dexterity: 14

Constitution: 14
Intelligence: 9

Wisdom: 12

Charisma: 16

Llyn Haligwell

Ancestry: Drow Half-Elf

Pronouns: she/her

Class(es): Fighter (lvl 3)

Subclass: Echo Knight
Stats:

Strength: 11
Dexterity: 18

Constitution: 18
Intelligence: 13

Wisdom: 13

Charisma: 12