LEGACY the Path of Heroes - Session 017

TEMPLE OF ELEMENTAL EVIL
SESSION 017 - The Village of Nulb

SUNDAY, 02 FIRESEEK (MID WINTER) 579CY
The encounter with the hill giant and now with the locals had left Darius with a lot of questions, since their arrival in Nulb. Something just didn’t feel right, there was something sinister a foot here. He was sure about it. He had used a spell of obscuring mist to make their escape from the men and the little girl on the road earlier. This had occurred shortly after they had entered the village. The little girl had been looking for her large friend Crag, which they had later learnt was the hill giant. Markus had pointed out to the little girl that they had slain Crag in a fierce battle. It was at this point that the little girl ran away sobbing and saying that “Mother” would not be pleased. The men with her become hostile at this point, not that they hadn’t been before. He was sure that this wasn’t that last time that they would be seeing them or the little girl.

Darius looked at the group that he travelled with and wondered what they had gotten themselves into this time. They hastily made their way down the road away from the incident with locals and the little girl, seeking refuge. He thought it best that they get to a safe place and think things through before continuing. It may cost one of them there lives if they did anything foolish here.

Markus had taken lead with Siam, as they made their way down the road and was about to ask her something when he noticed that she has suddenly stopped walking. He turned to look at where she was looking. She was looking over at a building off to the side of the road in front of them and it was there that he spotted a woman with red hair in the shadows.

The woman was urging them to follow her, beckoning with her hand, “This way … Come this way …” she called. Taking a few steps closer he suddenly recognised her as the woman that was with Jaroo in Hommlet. She called herself Vex, when they had encountered her in Hommlet. The companions approached closer, not sure of Vex’s intentions. It was at this stage that another figure stepped from the shadows behind her, a large figure and spoke. Markus saw the utter distaste on Siam’s face as the man stepped forward.

The man took a step towards Siam, he was dressed in a lavish Keolandish styled clothes of grey and browns with knee high boots. His cloak whipped back and forth as he approached.

“Siam. How I have missed you … daughter!” said Balabar licking his fleshy lips with a smile. “Come embrace your father,” he said with a chuckle, standing with his arms open before him.

At the mention of her name she felt a flood of anguished memories fill her mind, the memories of the years she spent living with him, after her mother’s sudden death. The stocky man that stood before her was a pig; his jowls drooped on his reddened round-face how she loathed him. She watched as he pulled his meaty hand through his greasy hair as he spoke; but the words did not reach her. She felt herself lost in a pained memory, recalling how the man had stood the very same way in her bedroom doorway years earlier, before stepping in and closing the door.

Siam’s hand dropped to the pommel of her rapier, the blade hung loosely off of her belt. The sudden cold touch of the pommel pushed the memory from her mind and replaced it with another. One where she had her father pinned to the ground and he  pushing her rapier through his bulbous eye. She could feel the last of his death throes, as his life blood flowed into the snow covered ground beneath her… Shaking her head, she heard the last of Balabar’s sentence.
“… not so daughter?” said Balabar, a smile spreading across his fleshy lips.

The man was vile! She knew that his honey forked tongue spread nothing but lies. The mere thought of him made her sick to her stomach. Siam could feel the hatred well up inside of her as she looking at the man before her. Conflicted with the companions that she now travelled with, she knew that she had to be careful. Where was Anmar when she needed him most.

Duerin felt the hairs on the back of his neck rise as if someone had ran across his grave. It was at this point that he heard the voice behind him …

“So these are the ones responsible for the death of Crag ….” croaked the feminine voice behind Duerin.

“Yes …, yes Mother. That one over there said he killed Crag,” said another voice pointing at Markus.

“Now, Now Needle didn’t I tell you it was rude to point at people,” said Mother as she stepped forward from the doorway.

The old woman looked at the group before her; shifting her gaze from one person to the next and finally looking at Erewhon she said, “Forgive the little one, she knows not her manners. Let me be the first to Welcome you to Nulb! I am Mother….”