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THA TORST O' DRYVNIK AN' BAMBOOM ~ AS RITTIN BY DRYVNIK Dryvnik drained the last draught of ale from his mug and casually tapped it on the table to get the attention of his companion, Bam. His kin turned to face him, and Dryvnik held up his mug, nodded slightly toward Bam's empty mug, then raised his eyebrows in a questioning look. Bam nodded and pushed his mug toward Dryvnik, who gathered both up and signalled the serving maid to bring them another round. Dryvnik leaned his chair back against the wall in the tavern room of Mataga's Inn as he waited. He and Bam had recently arrived back in Neverwinter as mercenary guards for a caravan of metal goods from Mirabar. The trip had been suprisingly quiet, and the two dwarves were staying at Mataga's and living off their earnings for a few days before seeking further employment. It was a quiet evening in Mataga's. The early crowd was a little sparser than usual, and the presence of two females seemed to have a calming influence on the tavern's patrons, if only because it gave them some reason not to drink until they became violent or passed out. Dryvnik frowned slightly as his gaze passed over the two human lasses. He could sense the aura of magic coming from the table where they sat, and wondered if one or both were spellcasters. His ponderings were interrupted as an old human, whose somewhat tattered clothes identified him as a merchant, entered the tavern and began to survey the patrons. Clearing his throat, he announced to all in the room that he was seeking to employ several brave souls for one night of guard work, and that any interested parties should see him at a table in the corner, where he quickly sat down and waited. Feeling a tug on his sleeve, Dryvnik looked over at Bam, who nodded toward the merchant and gave Dryvnik a questioning look. Realizing that the merchant had faced away from them while speaking, Dryvnik mouthed the words, "guard work, one noche" and when he saw Bam nod added, "wots ye thinks?" Bam seemed to think it over for a second, then shrugged and nodded at Dryvnik. Dryvnik also nodded agreement, and the two dwarves quickly downed the ales the serving maid had just brought to their table. Leaving a few coins as payment for the drinks, they stood and headed over to the merchant's table. Dryvnik looked over the group who had moved toward the merchant. The two lasses were there, as well as a wiry elf that had been sulking quietly at a shadowy table far from the fireplace. Two more humans, both fighter types by their look, were heading over to join the group. As they arrived, the merchant began to describe the work. He had finished assembling a large quantity of goods which he was going to transport by caravan to Leilon starting the next day. He had already arranged for guards for the journey, but needed a group to guard the stored goods overnight until he arrived the next day with the wagons to load out. Dryvnik scowled at the merchants words. "Duz nae Nasher provides guards in da city warehouses enne more?" he asked. "Well," came the merchants measured reply, "he does, of course. It's just that I've arranged to store the goods in a... um... personal warehouse on the southern outskirts of the city, er... so as to get an early start on the journey tomorrow." Dryvnik grumbled slightly, but let the merchant continue. A nudge and smirk from Bam told him his kin found the merchant's story just as hard to believe. Still, the price the merchant was offering was quite good for one night's work, and in the end all seven in the group agreed to hire on. "Good!" The merchant exclaimed, looking over the assembled party. "I think seven should be enough." Dryvnik scowled as the merchant continued to speak, giving them directions to his 'personal warehouse'. If seven fairly stout guards only should be enough, this was probably going to end up being a very long night. The party went their separate ways to gather their needed supplies for the night, then met several minutes later back in the common room of Mataga's. Oswal, a warrior dedicated to the service of Torm, held a hasty map sketched out by the merchant, and led the way. The others fell in step behind him as they meandered through the city. They reached the southeast city gates at twilight, and as they continued onwards the guards gave them the routine warning that none would be allowed to reenter the city until dawn. They worked their way through the district known as Southwall, which centuries ago had been the center of the original settlement in this area. When Castle Never was built, the town shifted into the protective shadow of the mighty structure, and Southwall went into decline. Now it was a maze of houses, shanties, and workshops, some in good condition, most in a state of disrepair and neglect. Almost all of the honest commerce in Southwall originated in the farmer's market, where most of the produce from the fields surrounding Neverwinter was sold. Lord Nasher's guards patrolled the market and maintained order during daylight hours, but when the farmers packed up and left at sunset, so too did Nasher's guards. Southwall became an entirely different place by night, a place populated by thieves, transients, and (according to rumor) even monsters. Several times prominent farmers had asked Lord Nasher to extend the guard patrols around the clock, but each time they backed down whenever he suggested an increase in taxes on their goods to pay for the patrols. These thoughts were little comfort to Dryvnik as he walked through the deserted streets of Southwall. Apparently deserted, Dryvnik reminded himself as he kept a careful watch on the doors and alleyways they passed. So intently was he watching that he bumped into Bam as the group came to a halt in front of an old mansion. His kin grunted in annoyance, and Dryvnik muttered a quick apology as he turned to size up the place. It had probably been the home of a wealthy merchant long ago, but was now merely one of many abandoned buildings in the area. A hushed question came from one of the lasses as to whether they had made a wrong turn somewhere, but they had followed the merchant's directions explicitly, and the map Oswal held showed this to be the correct location. The party slowly filed through the broken iron gates and into the courtyard of the manor. Oswal and Manatee, the other fighter, went first, followed by the two lasses. One of the lasses, Meranda, was a healer, and Dryvnik had noted the red-haired symbol of Sune Firehair on her armor. Marghou, the other lass, wore no armor, and Dryvnik figured her for a mage of some sort. Dryvnik and Bam filed throught the gates after the lasses, and then turned to make sure the other member of their party was still with them. Azzaroth had lurked at the rear of the party the whole journey, and it was several moments before he emerged from the shadows and entered the courtyard. Dryvnik suspected the lad was a thief, or else he was particularly flighty even for an elf. A quick question to his kin via hand signals confirmed that Bam (who should recognize a thief, since he had been known to pilfer an item once in a while himself) held the same suspicions. As the party approached the door to the mansion, Bam noticed a stairway leading down, perhaps to a root cellar. He grunted and pointed that direction, but Oswal reminded him that the merchant had said the goods were inside the house, and so the party went up to the main entrance. The door creaked loudly as Oswal turned the key and pushed it open, and Dryvnik cursed silently as the group filed into the mansion. There was certainly no chance of surprising anyone, or anything, waiting for them inside. Fortunately for them, the place appeared completely deserted. The entrance hall rose two stories, and the crumbling remnants of a stairway led up to a sagging balcony which ringed the upper level. The group headed to the left, where a vaulted entryway led into a large room where the merchant said he had stored the goods. Indeed, in the dim light of the torches Dryvnik could see a large pile of crates and barrels stacked in the center of the room. As the party entered the room, a loud thunk was heard from behind the pile of goods. Everyone froze. Dryvnik shielded his eyes from the torches and tried to look into the heat spectrum to pick out any creatures behind the goods, but even the shielded torchlight reduced the effectiveness of his infravision so greatly that he could make out nothing. Just as he was shifting back to the visual spectrum, three forms emerged from behind some crates and charged toward the party! A clamor erupted as weapons were brought to bear. Bam was first in with his shortsword, slicing at the lead creature. Oswal was soon beside him, adding another sword to the fray. The second creature headed for Marghou, seeing her as the least imposing of the group. Meranda strode in with her mace to help as Marghou fended the creature off with her dagger. As Dryvnik's vision came fully back into focus, he saw the third creature coming directly toward him. He noted the panic on the creature's face shift to grim determination as it swung it's curved sword at Dryvnik's head. Dryvnik shifted quickly into a combat stance and brought his shield up to meet the creature's blow. Knocking it aside, he countered with his axe, but the hairy creature deftly ducked under the arcing blade. As the creature prepared another attack, Dryvnik heard a whizzing sound and then a solid thunk as an arrow from Manatee's bow buried itself into the creature's shoulder. The creature howled in pain and broke off its attack, and Dryvnik took advantage of the opportunity. Bringing his axe up quickly, he slammed the heel into the creature's stomach. It staggered backward, then tripped over one of the other creatures which had been recently disemboweled by Bam and Oswal. Its head slammed back onto the floor as it fell, and the creature lay still. Nae a kill to be braggin' of'n in da taverns, Dryvnik thought to himself, bu' a kill nonetheless. He looked up just in time to see Meranda land a heavy blow to the last creature, which crumpled to the floor in a heap. The party quickly searched the bodies, which the healer identified a hobgoblins, and then regrouped. Oswal collected the coins gathered from the bodies and asked if anyone needed healing. Bam had taken a hit during the fight, but shrugged off any treatment. A quick check of the merchants goods showed nothing apparently stolen or damaged. Another search was begun to determine from where the hobgoblins had come. Dryvnik moved to check one corner of the room where the ceiling had collapsed. He peered up into the darkness, but could see no evidence of ropes or handholds which would have allowed the creatures to descend. A grunt from Bam brought his attention back down to where his kin was standing, carefully feeling along one section of wall with his hands. "Wots ye finds, kin?" Dryvnik asked as he moved up beside Bam. The other party members gathered around also as Bam located the catch and a wall panel slowly slid back, revealing an earthen staircase which descended into blackness. Bam stepped back and grinned, then pointed into the darkness and started down the staircase. "Wait!" Oswal cried, and Dryvnik caught Bam's shoulder and told him to come back up. "We cannot leave the merchant's goods unattended. We must post some guards here while the others continue." Bam grumbled at this delay, but then a grin spread over his face and he hopped on top of one of the barrels, pointed to himself, and pointed down to indicate he would stay with the goods. Dryvnik wondered briefly about his kin's sudden change of heart, but soon discovered the cause for it when he saw that the barrel Bam sat on was full of ale. Turning to ensure his kin could not see him speaking, Dryvnik whispered to Oswal, "Mebbe it be bes' if'n me kin nae be one o' da guards." Oswal looked around for anyone else willing to stay behind, and Marghou and Meranda reluctantly volunteered. Dryvnik signalled his kin to follow the group descending the stairs, but Bam shook his head and bear-hugged the barrel of ale, grinnning. "Dere be time fer dat later, kin!" Dryvnik sighed, "We'll finds better daubles down below, methinks." Bam snorted, but released his hold on the barrel. Falling into step behind Dryvnik, the two dwarves bid farewell to the lasses and hurried to catch up with the three others down below. Arriving at the bottom of the stairs, they found the group moving cautiously down the passage, the flickering torchlight eerily casting their shadows on the dark earthen walls. Dryvnik and his kin caught up with the group as they rounded a corner and proceeded a short distance before the passage opened into a room. The five halted and listened intently for any noise coming from the room, but heard nothing. Oswald broke the silence with a hushed whisper, telling the others he sensed no evil in the room ahead. Motioning the others forward, the group entered and quickly scanned the room. All they found were a chest and some sacks in one corner. Bam headed directly for the chest, reaching deftly into a belt pouch for his picks. Most of the others followed him. Dryvnik headed for the sacks, the scent of precious metals strong in his nostrils. He opened one and was quickly rewarded, the feeling of gold coins trickling through his fingers bringing a smile to his face. His hands clenched around the bag and he held it close to him, wondering if he could sneak it beneath his armor before anyone saw. Fighting his greed, he turned and grudgingly handed the sack to Oswal, saying that the paladin might be able to count the large number of coins more quickly. As he did so, he noticed that Bam had managed to open the chest, and a potion as well as a bundle of gleaming arrows were revealed inside. Smiles flashed all around as the group gathered the loot and turned to head back toward the two lasses on guard duty. The smiles soon faded, however, as they discovered three bugbears standing directly in their path. The creatures had emerged from a hidden door in the corridor just outside the room, and looked none too pleased at the party holding treasures they obviously felt were their own. Shields were unslung and the two groups squared off. Oswal engaged the middle bugbear, with the two dwarves battling the creatures on either side. A series of attacks, feints, and parries ensued. Dryvnik worked desperately to control his nerves and stick with tactics, but the frightening leer of the seven-foot tall bugbear made it difficult indeed. Oswal drew first blood, and called for all to concentrate their attacks on the wounded foe. The dwarves complied, fending off attacks from the opponent before them while attempting to overpower the defenses of the center bugbear. From the back rank, Manatee and Azzaroth lobbed arrows into the creatures. After several more fruitless exchanges, Bam took a heavy blow from a bugbear's morning star. Dazed, he stumbled back away from the battle. Manatee quickly unsheathed his sword and stepped into the front rank to replace him. Out of the corner of his eye, Dryvnik caught a glimpse of his bleeding kin retreating from the fight. Screaming Bam's name, he launched another series of attacks against the foul creatures. His axe couldn't seem to connect however, and soon the endless string of blows raining down from the taller bugbear had him on the defensive. He kept his shield raised to protect himself, but it did him little good as a misguided arrow from the elf's bow burrowed into his back just beneath the shoulder blade. Dryvnik howled as he felt the warm flow of blood mix with the sweat on his back. Oswal also cried out in pain, and Dryvnik caught sight of a fletched shaft protruding from the back of the paladin's thigh. The wounds did little to help the party's offense. They continued to struggle, but only scored a few minor hits on the bugbears. Suddenly, the bugbear in front of Dryvnik turned around. Too weary to launch an attack, Dryvnik tried to look down the passageway to see what had drawn the bugbear's attention. He thought he saw some movement, when suddenly he felt very tired. Ach, he thought to himself, me is blackin' out! He wondered briefly if the wound on his back was worse than he had thought, or if this was what death felt like. Then darkness enfolded him. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Dryvnik heard Bam's voice shouting in the distance. The voice grew nearer, and soon he discerned other sounds of battle as well. Suddenly, his eyes opened and he found himself slumped on the cold earthen floor. Shaking the cobwebs from his head, he looked around to find himself in the midst of a battle, with Bam's sword and the bugbear's morning star swishing by just inches over his head! Dryvnik rolled around behind the bugbear, right into another set of legs. Thinking he had just moved right into the second rank of bugbears, he was quite relieved when he looked up to see that it was only Marghou, attacking the bugbear from behind. As he struggled to his feet and brought his axe and shield up, a gurgled cry came from the bugbear. It slumped to the ground as Bam pulled his sword from its midsection. Dryvnik muttered a mild oath as he looked around. There were five bugbear bodies on the ground, as well as the body of the healer lass. The other party members were standing, but all had taken some wounds. As he felt the burning pain still in his shoulder, Drynik noted that the elven thief was nowhere to be seen. Muttering another oath, this one not quite so mild, Dryvnik moved to where Meranda lay, and seeing that she still breathed, he tried to staunch the bleeding and bind her wounds as best he could. Oswal was soon beside him. "Let me see if I can help," he said, laying his hand gently on her forehead as he closed his eyes and whispered a prayer. After a few moments, Meranda's eyes fluttered open, and she slowly sat up. Looking over the group, she asked quietly, "Does anyone need healing?" Dryvnik chuckled. "Aye lass, ye duz!" he retorted. Meranda protested, but was overruled by the party, who agreed that she should first ensure her own health. Reluctantly, she asked Sune to heal her so that she might heal others. Her prayers were answered, and Sune's healing powers soon graced Marghou and Bam as well, both of whom had taken serious wounds in the fight. The bugbear corpses were searched and then piled into a corner of the room. As the party considered whether to go through the hidden passage from whence the bugbears came, they heard a loud creaking noise. Immediately they recognized it as the front door of the mansion above them. Racing along the corridor and back up the stairs, they emerged into the room with the merchant's goods, to find the merchant staring furiously at them! "This is what I pay you for, to leave my goods unattended?!" he asked incredulously. His face softened slightly as he noted the battle-worn condition of the party. As the party recounted the evening's adventures, he realized they had saved his merchandise from certain theft. Reaching into his purse, he gratefully handed them each the agreed payment, suggesting that their bravery deserved even more reward. Bam lost no time in taking him up on this offer, quickly bear-hugging one of the kegs of ale. Laughing, the merchant agreed to let the party have the keg to help ease the telling of their tales in the taverns this evening. With that, the merchant began loading up his wagons, and the party filed out into the early light of dawn to start the long walk back to the gates of Neverwinter.
Dryvnik
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