Spring Fair

Spring Fair

Jordero, Spring Festival

Bards are dancing in the street with other street performers. They are celebrating the Spring Fair for the agricultural deity Mother Gaia. The festival celebrates the new season of agricultural goods and commerce. Traveling the back-roads today is Merrill and his recent newlywed wife Asa. The two are dressed in their best clothes as they shake hands and exchange hugs with the good people of Jordero In the distance Jerrin exchanges arrows with his druid girlfriend Kayla Long. The two practice their archery skills at a Bowers' Test. Merrill and Asa join the other couple at the archery range. “Greetings Jerrin, hello Kayla how are the young lovers doing this day?” comments Merrill as he watches Kayla take aim with her short-bow.

“We are well how is the married couple doing old man?” snickers Jerrin to his longtime friend.

Asa steps in front of Merrill and smiles back at Jerrin and his half-elf girlfriend. “It seems the old man is more a bureaucrat now than an adventurer so it kind of is a bummer Jerrin.”

“Some days we have to slow down Asa, especially since my recent injuries by that daemon bounty hunter looking for you dear.”

“That is UN fortunate lover, but it is a curse we need to follow through with our marriage.”

Kayla releases a double spiral arrow at the archery target in the Bowery contest. Striking the centerline of the target. “Good shooting Lass.” Comments the human vendor of the contest.”Do my ears claim that you are adventurers?”

Jerrin steps in at the brown walrus mustache man in charge of the Bowery contest. “ We have been known to travel the regions for adventure, my friend, Why do you ask?”

The brown mustache man looks around carefully. “I hear the priestess is looking for a group of guards to protect a flower picking mission in the Ever-dale Mystery Woods. I hear she is paying well. If this festival bores the men and women here.”

Merrill gives a look at Jerrin who shows the look of an excited child at Christmas. “What is in your devious mind, old friend?”

“Well you know Merrill we can only take so much of the festival and though the girls love it . Why not get a little extra tariff for the church and our lives. What do you say?” comments the copper-haired elf

Merrill looks at the ladies who seem intrigued. Kayla speaks “Being a servant of Chauntea, I believe it would help me get an extra boon with the church. What about you Asa?”

“Though I am a party fan of Sune, I could use the extra boon for my history as an

Eryines. What about you lover?”

Merrill massages his 5 O Clock stubbed face. ”My wife changes her hair color to match Sune and I do my best to serve Torm. Though an extra income is good for the church and our future as a couple. Why not?”

The heroes walk over to the pick-nicking activity of the Church of Chauntea and are quickly joined by their rogue Kapaka dwarf barbarian.

A brown copper-haired elf sits at a desk filling out papers for her upcoming trip to the Mystery Woods. “Good day, priestess Agnes, I am Merrill Brillcrek and my friends and I were informed that you need a protection detail for your trip out to the Mystery Woods.

The older Elf female looks up at the adventurers and sneers at Asa and Kayla. “Though I am not a fan of half-elves and Eryines I accept your offering Justicar. Your reputation has been passed down from several churches of Chauntea over the years.”

“My next trip to the mystery Woods needs a pair of adventurers who can serve as protection because most of the travelers are just commoners. For Chauntea we are picking several rare plants that serve as a benefit for several of her healing powers. Though your women may not be on the good side of Chauntea. Your reputation as a former hero of the common man is greatly accepted.”

“Though we are in the middle of the Chauntea festival, we can discuss your bounty upon our return from the Mystery Woods. We will be leaving early morning and your crew will be our out-riders since the Mystery Woods has a number of mysteries we were not meant to see.”

“Thank you for your offer, Priestess and if you could give us a list of the noted plant remedies we will greatly appreciate it. Until the early hours have a good night.”

Early Morning Hours

The Out-riders take point led by Jerrin who serves as a lead scout. Merrill and the ladies flank the commoners while the dwarf Barbarian rogue Bruenor takes up the rear guard. The caravan is small and has three wagons two are covered the third carries the necessary supplies needed to retrieve the healing remedies In the darkened Mystery Woods creatures watch the advancing caravan but hold their position until instructed by their leader. “You sure we are on the right course Jerrin.”

“This is the direction for the first of a number of plants that need to be picked, Dwarf. But very little is known about this part of the woods.”

“What exactly are we looking for Jerrin?” comments Kayla as she raises her short-bow

to surrounding woods.

“I think its called Slime-weed and it's supposed to be a plant that stops of petrification and stone-breath. It's supposed to be on the trees of the Slander Swamp which we are heading for, I think. Is that correct, Druid Waite.”

A dark-skinned man in dark robes looks over to Jerrin and his long mustache shows a man of wisdom and knowledge. “It is one of the components needed for the anti-toxins of what you said, Scout.”

“Great visiting Slander Swamp for a mysterious slime-weed that stops petrification and stone-breath. Just what a dwarf-like me follows.”

“What would you rather be doing Bruenor, getting drunk and gaming while bathing naked in the icy winters of our home.”

“You bet I would Justicar, this is just not my steed. Okay, Slime-weed where are you, Bruenor and his crew are looking for you. Here Slime-weed.”

Asa and Kayla just shake their heads at the antics of their Kapaka dwarf friend.

Slander Swamp

The winds of spring-fall against the wagons as Druid Waite directs the commoners to the trees that carry the Slime-weed. Pushing through the dark swamp moss and waters the commoners start to remove the slime-weed with special gloves and tools provided by the Church of Chauntea. The outriders stand guard as Jerrin checks for tracks along the swampy coast.

He runs his gloved hands into the swamp bog and tosses it into the sky mumbling a few

druidic words from his tongue. Merrill spots the movement of the ranger and realizes something is coming.

Moments later

A dark creature of the swamp pushes its way towards the commoners and heroes. The creature appears to be a mixed creature of both a rooster and a great cat. Known as the Cockatrice the aggressive creature stalks its prey working on the slime-weed. Caw-Caw- Caw. The creature appears to be the size of a great-cat compared to its smaller cousins.

“Cockatrice...Take Aim!.” yells Jerrin

The creature attacks aggressively at its victims. Using a concentrated burst of weapons the Out-riders strike back at the aggressive creature. “Watch for his eyes, mirrors up.” comments Kayla.

As the creature uses its mad gaze at the party and commoners. Its mad eyes paralyze several of the commoners but have minimum damage on the heroes and Druid Waite. Bruenor has a

close call but reflects the gaze back at the beast with his silver-lined mirror. Bruenor throws his ax at the beast striking it hard. Arrows are released from both Kayla and Jerrin and Merrill swings his Mace of Smiting against the swampy coast disrupting the creature's balance

Caw-Caw-Caw

The heroes continue to plummet the creature who seems to have lost his aggressive nature from the Mace of Smiting. Working fast Bruenor is joined by Jerrin and the two strikes the beast down quickly. As it attempts to regain its balance from the loud noise of the Mace.

The creature is quickly subdued as Druid Waite uses his animal handling talents to control the beast and send it back to the surrounding wilderness. Asa and Kayla assist in helping the paralyzed commoners from the creatures' look.

Druid Waite joins Merrill as the uninjured commoners start to place the slime weed into a specially modified vase for transportation. “It would appear that Agnes was correct in hiring

your mercenaries. Though I disagreed at first I thank you for your help in this expedition.”

“”It is part of our job, Druid Waite, this is just the first of many hijinks we will probably face on this trip. I would recommend that we return back to the city with the Slime-weed and drop off some of the commoners to prevent any further injuries.”

“Train my team on how to use your druid tools and gloves and we will save you from a loss of injured commoners. That is my opinion, these woods are not made for commoners but a man with your talent can be a benefit as well.”.

“Just think about it, Druid Waite.”

Merrill joins the others as he leaves Druid Waite to continue the packaging process of the

healing remedies.

To be continued in 235b...

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