Adventurers in worlds of High Fantasy, chapter 1: The Village of Dagheim (Giantmutantcrab & Puddle)

[Giantmutantcrab]

Faerûn.

The year of the Worm, 1356, by Dale Reckoning (DR).

The continent brews with hardships, and had been for nearly a decade.

After unknown thieves steal the Tome of the Unicorn from the Green Library, Ruathym's forces sink a Luskanite caravel. In return, Luskan wipes out most of Ruathym's fleet, then invades the island of Ruathym.
It would be months before the islanders would repel the invaders.

The armies of Waterdeep, Amn, and Baldur's Gate besiege Dragonspear Castle for nearly two months before succeeding in burning it down, defeating the baatezu within in a conflict known as the Dragonspear War.
Little did they know it was but the first conflict of that name.

The Red Wizards of Thay open a portal to the Elemental Plane of Fire and summon forth a great number of fire elementals to assault their neighboring lands.
In their folly and arrogance, the Red Wizards laid the groundwork for the Salamander War, which would begin officially in the following year.

The trading settlement of Triboar in the North, one of the first settlements that was founded in the Dessarin Valley, is sacked.
Refugees flee northwards, to Mirabar and Silverymoon.

A roaming band of goblinoid forces, devils and dark mages ravage the Sword Coast.
Baldur's Gate is under direct assault and overland traffic in northern Amn is all but closed.

The second war-between-dales begins as Lashan Aumersair, Lord of Scardale attempts to reunite Dalelands under a common banner.
His forces managed to defeat Featherdale, Battledale and Harrowdale but were eventually stopped at Mistledale by a coalition of Dales powers and united soldiers from Cormyr, Hillsfar, Sembia and even Zhentil Keep.

Dark tidings were afoot.
None knew it, but the Age of Humanity was coming to an end.

The Age of Upheaval was closing in.

But this story is not about the Time of Troubles.

It is a story of strangers, of blood and coin... and Heroes.


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This tale begins within the country of Amn.

Amn, also known as the Merchant's Domain, is a tremendously wealthy nation in West Faerûn. Amn holds colonies far away in the savage land of Maztica. It controls important trade routes to Calimshan and Baldur's Gate as well as colonial ports in the Moonshaes and Chult. Its population, mostly human with a large minority population of halflings, is historically in the range of 3 million. The country's natural resources and wealth, combined with its mercantile nature made Amn to become one of the most important and influential trading centers throughout Faerûn. The crowning jewel of this powerful state is the capital city of Athkatla, founded in 100 DR in official documents and often known as the "City of Coin."

To the north-west of the port city of Murann. At the westernmost edge of the small cluster of mountains known as the Small Teeth. The northern point of the land crescent that imprisoned Tarseth bay. A tiny, nameless village. Forgotten by history, of so little mercantile worth as to not be inked upon maps. A place where adventure should, normally, never be found.

This is where the story begins.


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It was in a small tavern along a main road, upon a billboard that the bounty was presented. The parchment read:

“WANTED! The fine city of Dagheim seeks individual(s) of stout body and mind for secretive mission for the good people of the fine city of Dagheim. Inquiries to be made with possession of this document at the mayoral home of Dagheim. Individual(s) are to present themselves by the 30th day of the month of Ches of the year of the Worm, 1356 DR. No tardiness will be tolerated for this mission.”

...And it was signed by a flourish so wild it was basically indecipherable. The document was… less than impressive. It was vague. There was nothing catchy about it, no large sums of money or terrifying foes to defeat. Why, it could be anything at all. The local barkeep wanting to be rid of rats or something. But the thing had been taken off of its bounty board and rolled away.

The one that had taken it had been struck curious by the oddity of the request. He had decided to travel to the “fine city” of Dagheim and attempt to uncover why such a hidden place would want for adventurers in such a way that open bounties would be placed in taverns and inns along major roads. At least, the instructions to reach the “fine city” of Dagheim were clear enough, if a bit wordy. From Murann, the interested party needed to walk along the shoreline for a half-day’s trek. At the roots of the Small Teeth, that is where they would find Dagheim.

And sure enough… There it was.

​

And for a moment, the adventurer stood there, his hands to his hips, still holding the bounty parchment. He wondered why such an idyllic-looking hamlet would ever need one like him.

​

His name was Bjorn. He was a barbarian, born of a place far away, beyond the Trackless Sea. His travels had brought him to many lands. Now, the fur-and-leather-clad man was in Faerûn and had decided to pursue this peculiar demand for aid. As he approached the village, a pair of men eyed him, as they were just about to push their small fishing raft back into the waters, heavy with nets and hooks. They were barefoot and with their trousers rolled up to their ankles but had knitted turtleneck sweaters on. The month of Tarsakh was ending and the warm times of summer were within a few weeks’ time.

“Oy! Ye’re ‘ere for the bounty?”

The man nodded.

“Ye should ‘ead for the mayor’s house! It’s the big one, can’t miss it!”

The man nodded again, before moving towards the fishermen. He pointed with his head for them to step into their raft. The duo blinked, looking at one another. One of the two eyed the stranger warily, but the other simply slapped his companion on the shoulder with a grin. Why refuse free help? They hopped in and the barbarian moved behind the small, sail-less rowboat. Gripping one end and holding it to his shoulder, his boots dug into the sand and he heaved forward, launching them a good twenty feet into the waters, much to the delight of the men who waved goodbye. Brushing the sand off his hands, he smiled lightly and waved at them, before walking along the sandy shore, heading for the “town center”. It was a tiny village, with perhaps a hundred souls, if that.

The savage glanced here and there but noticed no weapons. Of course, everyone had a dagger on them but those were mostly used as tools. There were spears and hooks resting at the end of the pier in a bucket, but those were fishing implements. An old wood axe next to un-split piles of flotsam upon the beach. His face shifted ever so slightly when he realised that there were absolutely no weapons of any kind in the village. None. Not a single bow, sword or shield. No scout tower, or a single guard.

How did they defend themselves? A seagull suddenly squawked overhead, flying out towards the waters. Bjorn looked up, following it with his eyes, turning his head as it seemed to fly on towards the horizon… Then, something in his peripheral vision caught his attention and he turned his head slightly.

The fishermen seemed to watch him, even from upon their rowboat.


Bjorn kept what questions he had to himself, instead focusing on finding the tallest building. From afar, it looked like a small wooden temple. But it was, in fact, a home. A rather generous one, at that. When he arrived at its front, there was a woman sitting behind a desk, under an awning. Blinking, he approached the woman who smiled at him.

“Welcome, sir! Are you here for the bounty?”

”Yes.”

“Excellent! I would ask for you to please go inside and wait in the main area. There is food and there are drinks on the dining table. Please, feel free to eat. The mayor of our village is hopefully waiting for a few adventurers such as yourself and would like to meet you all at once, to explain our situation. I do hope you’ll be able to help us, sir.”

”I will try to help as best I can.” He said simply and plainly, being unable to lie.

The woman smiled at him again, before getting up and pushing the door open for him.

​

It took a moment for his eyes to adjust to the sudden contrast of dim candlelight, especially when compared to the bright midday sun that stopped just a few feet after the open doors. The woman outside spoke about other adventurers… Perhaps someone else was already here?

 

[Lady-of-Lust-and-Love]

Sea of Swords.

Some would say a very appropriate name for the waters, so much and so little known of what happened beneath the waves but all of it having some sliver of edge to it.

One can never know what can come up to shore.

At the break of dawn, just as the orange hue broke at the bottom of the starlit sky, at the quiet docks, a head broke the surface of the cove, it looked as though a skull of a fish, like some supernatural undead rising beneath the tide, but with one more silent lift, beneath the top teeth of the crown, two human...ish seaglass eyes peered up to the wood of the pier and then two athletic arms covered in gray scales with cyan spots reached and took hold. The creature lifted herself into a pull up, revealing her half human-half aquatic form, the top of a lass and the bottom of a fish.

Luna managed to wriggle herself upon the wharf, crawling her way out of Tareseth Bay, and as her curvy and strong form made it further and further out of the murk, her mermaid tail was already beginning to twitch and change, the scales splitting at the spine, bones breaking and reforming with loud cracks as Luna growled from the pain, a deep primordial trill due to this new and agonizing sensation, her second layer of teeth briefly extending over her more human-looking incisors, sharp and like a piranha.

Though eventually, as she laid stomach first upon the planks, that aquatic-mammal tail had changed into two human-like legs, save for her scales that were left from thigh to ankle, it being a leftover sign of her species, or more specifically, the mixture of her lineages.

As the pain subsided Luna sighed, wet hair hanging over her shoulder, and shakily she stood her trembling form up, nude from the waist down, toned legs quivering as she slowly became upright, her second-set-of-fangs retracting as her head fell backwards and she exhaled deeply into the morning air.

"Umm..m-miss?"

Luna's head fell forward curiously, most of the scales of her arms and back having receded beneath porcelain flesh, even her fin-like ears shrinking down to a more oval-ish shape beneath her long maroon tresses. Almost as though she were a true land-dweller. She blinked, looking far too innocent considering the transformation she just underwent.

An older man, an early riser to the fishery, stood a few feet down the dock, a younger woman beside him, probably of familial relation, looking exceedingly anxious, "Uh...need any...help?"

Luna blinked, her head tilting to the left quizzically.

The younger woman elbowed him, and the two shared a gentle knowing glance, and he turned back to her, "You...are you here for the bounty?" Normally he would have asked that first of a newcomer, but with her marine traits, something unseen to common knowledge had warned him against it.

Luna again, staring appropriately like a fish, felt her thoughts race, her ambitions and curiosities counting themselves out as though on an abacus, and she felt like a chance had been laid down at her feet. She should take it. She smiled gently, like one unaware of culture norms, "Yes," Luna lied, only feeling a small twinge of guilt doing so, "I am."

"Ah well you'll...you'll want to be off to the mayor's house then, the uh, the big one up that away."

"Thank you." Luna continued smiling, but a bit more genuinely, and she took her first step, her ankle immediately leaning to the side, in confusion of its own use, and almost plopping her right back down to the deck, but her other leg staying sturdy. She was a wobbly thing for the first few steps, like a baby animal, but she had the natural balance to help her learn quick enough.

The Father and Daughter stepped to the side, allowing a wide berth for her to step around them, though the maiden let her head tilt as she gave an eye to her backside. With that mass of muscle that was her merfolk tail having to convert somewhere on her form, the tendons reformed and went taunt around her calves and thighs, but there was a special tautness just beneath the long wavy curtain of hair that the human lass couldn't help but mumble, transfixed, "Ah, ass like a peach, that one.."

"Merida." Her father scolded.

"Sorry Da."

The fisherman seemed hesitant, but after a second, just when Luna was stepping from wood to solid ground, he piped up, "Uh!" Luna looked over her shoulder, cerulean eyes big yet piercing, and he gulped before adding with an intention of kindness...or perhaps just propriety, "You might want to...put some clothes on. Not really normal for a lady to just be," He did everything in his power not to glance down at the spherical mounds attached to the top of her thick thighs, "Out...like that."

Another moment of the ruby-haired woman's staring, processing every thought in real time it seemed, looking the two land-dwellers up and down, taking in their garbs and the emphasis of just how much of themselves they kept covered and then she smiled again, "Of course."

And wandered off, the daughter taking a step around her Pa to get one last look, sorry to see her go but not unhappy with watching her leave, to which her father grabbed her hand and yanked her towards their fishing boat, "Oh what am I gonna do with you."

The land-dwellers seemed to have acted a bit odd to her arrival, or maybe not, truly it was a challenge to know for certain, but the way they scrutinized her legs, she assumed their garb was really important to their culture. She walked low, snooping about, and came across a hanging rope, tied to either side of opposite posts, and some garments just hanging about. Damn for some reason.

How kind, perhaps they were set out for this exact sort of situation.

Luna grabbed a shirt, clearly a man's long sleeved blouse, and a skirt, similar to the one she saw that human woman wearing, and tugged them onto her form. The shirt was backwards but she could tell enough visually of where her arms were supposed to go and where her head fit, and the skirt she put on was inside out, all unknowingly to her of course, as it looked fine in her eye. She took of the coral-leather and stone belt she already possessed, putting over the waist of the top and bottom, unknowingly cinching it around her waist in a flattering manner, but all so that she could properly sheath her simple rock-dagger, and then once looking appropriate for the surroundings, in her mind, she began to wander. As the day marched on, her hair dried into long unruly waves. she spotted what had to be the mayor's house from it's size and grandeur, but her curiosity beckoned her to walk about and enjoy everything that was just so, 'new' to her, looking around the little town, a few heads suspiciously glancing at the fish skull she wore, though she paid it little mind, and eventually she did circle back to address this 'bounty' and she was guided to the dining area, instructed by a woman, and she was left alone with a table of food.

She began to circle it like the predator she was, frowning at the unfamiliar assortment, and landing on the fire of a candle, her pupils dilating slightly as she became intrigued by it's flickering until she reached for the wax stalk itself, and picked it up with little care, just as she heard the door open.
Luna looked to see a lumbering land-dweller standing at the doorway, and she blinked back at him. He didn't seem like he owned the place, but how was she supposed to know what that sort of person would look like? In the process of her registering his arrival, the melted wax slid down it's stem and the hot oil met her grasping fingers and she hissed like a snake, dropping the item and letting it clatter unceremoniously to the ground, thankfully the fire went out due to the collision, but what also came out was her underlying incisors, glaring down at the object with disdain from it's sudden attack, waving her hand in the air beside her shoulder in irritated confusion, however, after a few seconds of realizing it was but a sting, her green-blue eyes looked back to him, and she pondered if that was an acceptable human response, as she was slightly disguised as one now considering the skirt hiding her scales and all, "uh," Luna tried to shake off any possible suspicion, attempting to behave as the land-dwellers do, by inquiring, her eyes looking left and right as though she were already anticipating a 'no', "Hello...Are you who I'm supposed to be waiting for?"

 

[Giantmutantcrab]

The spread was generous, considering the relative isolation of the village. Salted viands and plates of fruits, mixed in with, of course, a vast array of fresh fish, probably caught in the early morning. Some were simply grilled, with the marking still evident on the scales. Others were boiled, and there was a large cast-iron casserole with steaming hot chowder. Fresh cuts of lemons and limes were displayed, as well as a small bowl of distilled sea salt. Small bottles of liquors, wines and juices were on display, with a collection of pewter goblets. And at one end of the meal table? Pastries. Pies, fresh muffins, cookies and other delicate, still-warm pieces of bread, the staple cooked food of any civilization, shaped and baked in various forms.

There was one person in the room where he peeked inside. She was… Absolutely not what he expected to find in a remote fishing village, half-built over the waters. Whatever she was, she did not come from the area, nor from the country of Amn. Her mannerisms were of one who had never been out in the world before, ever. She had held a candle until the wax burned her fingertips and then... Scolded it with a warning noise and a baring of her teeth. She had fang-flashed like wolves and tigers would. A peculiar reaction. Also, her clothing was completely out of sync. The barbarian was no fashion model himself, but at the very least he could wear his clothes the way they were supposed to be worn. She was also strikingly pale, as white as marble tiles. She seemed lost, standing in a place that she had no business being in. He could understand that feeling and felt a certain degree of sympathy towards her. "Take care with the candles." The man warned with a low voice, crouching down to take the said extinguished candle, moving to the table and using another one to light the first again, placing it back upon the small pedestal it had been propped on. "Wax can leave a nasty burn if it stays on skin for too long."

The barbarian cut himself a fair bit of that seared salmon from earlier, moving to sit down on the same side of the table as her, one chair's distance. "Do you not sit down to eat?" He asked, the question easy enough to be answered without much thought. Of course humans sit down to eat, just like he did! And of course they use those short, blunt little lengths of bright steel to eat, instead of shoveling food in their mouthes. As he took a bite from the fish, he observed the female standing besides him. "You are a long way from home." It was not a question, but an observation. He would know; he was also an outlander. Bjorn carried a massive two-handed sword strapped to his back, sheathed in a leather scabbard that hung from his fur-lined shoulder harness. His leather boots were covered with bear fur. His thick pants were held up by an intricate girdle, over which he wore a heavy leather tasset and steel leg plates. His twin war-axes were worn at the hips on his weapon belt.

A thick dagger, of exotic origin, was sheathed on the left side of the same weapon belt.

​

Torcs of embossed steel were wrapped around his massive biceps. He wore a short, gem-studded gold bracelet on his left wrist.

Even if this moment was enjoyable, the quaint normality of sitting down for a hearty meal in what was otherwise a very welcoming place… There was a tiny sense of unease that prevented him from enjoying himself fully. Something felt… Off. He couldn't quite put it into words, but he had felt it when he first stepped into the area. There was the fact that there were no weapons, at least none that he had seen. Even the most remote and poorly-patrolled villages had SOME kind of protection. A barrel full of spears, a handful of bows or crossbows… Here, they were completely vulnerable. What would they use if something as simple as a bear, or a pack of wolves dared to approach at dusk? And there was another thing, although Bjorn had not picked up on…

But there were no children in Dagheim. Absolutely none at all. The youngest person in the village was the lady that was walking with her father earlier, and she was old enough to be considered a woman by most cultures. Where were the children, knee-high and dirty-faced, playing with sticks and chasing butterflies?

He put those thoughts away for a brief moment, as another mystery was before him, wrapped in an outside-in skirt and a man's dress shirt. "You asked if I'm the one that you were supposed to wait for. Which means you've no idea of what's going on here, nor why I'm here." There was a tense moment where her subterfuge was bared to all. He shrugged lightly. "Sit down besides me. Take some food and put it in a plate. And... Tell me why you're here. We've some time to eat. The day is still young."

 

[Lady-of-Lust-and-Love]

Luna took a instinctive and cautious step backwards as this sizable human closed the distance to pick up the burning implement, glancing down to her fingers and lightly swiping at the wax to get it off, though she did it as though a bug attempting to nip at her flesh, with more urgency that the fur-dressed land-dweller probably meant.

Feeling a bit sheepish due to the state she had been found in, she was only able to mumble beneath her breath, "I wasn't eating." More so avoiding the rather rhetorical question considering the fact it was rather uncommon for her, or anyone from her pod, to remain still while eating, let alone sit down.
He seemed to quite easily size-her-up, his statement, not inquiry, sending a small jolt between her ribs, and she could practically hear her cold aunt's voice snarling in her ear, warnings of fighting to stay safe, or at least for her useless self to flee. Luna instead swallowed, pushing the teachings off to the side and trying to self soothe, letting the voice of her mother enter her ear instead, shrugging her shoulders, feeling the least suspicious response would be to just agree with his assertion, yes, it was true, no big deal, it was not as though humans didn't travel.

Then he continued to read her as he fixed himself a plate, and a bit of petulance finally decorated her cheeks, the winter complexion dusting gently with pink and she pursued her lips, air billowing in her mouth causing those same rosette cheeks to puff in brief indignation, though with a tiny "fff." She released the air and that same scratching within her lungs said 'be ready, stay safe, stay alert,' the amount of weapons on him, both intimidating and some oddly glittering and ornamental-like, made her all too aware of the possible threat that was feet from her, certainly within his reach, especially of that long blade on his back, but then those boulder shoulders went lax and he instructed her next movement.
Like a bottom feeder trying to nibble at her insecurities, self preservation threatening her own ambition.
The Fish-skull-helmeted maiden glanced down to the food, squinting as the only thing she really recognized was the fish, so as casually as she could, she tried to assemble a plate, all of fish, glancing at his own assortment and trying to place the food around each other in a similar fashion, worried that piling it on in an odd way would only make her seem more out-of-place, before sitting down. Luna cleared her throat, sitting upright to attempt her own air of confidence, and she countered his points, "Well, you know I'm not from here, and I know nothing of what's going on...in a way you know more about me than I do you." Her hand naturally reached for the fish, but a split second glance to his hands and the eating instruments, and she picked up a fork, though she didn't quite understand how…she had seen these used by humans in passing before, it was in her species nature to observe humans to a certain extent at least, but she never thought to study how in the deep they...

Luna haphazardly stabbed at the fish with her fork, skewering it like a child squishing an ant, and then allowed it to wiggle, frowning as a piece did not simply pull off by itself, eventually flicking at the morsel hard enough, trying to get a proper bite, that the fish plopped off onto the plate and the propulsion caused it to then bounce onto the floor. Luna remained perfectly still, the sound of the rolling fish echoing in the room until it stopped just passing her feet, and only about a finger-nail sized amount of meat left on her fork.

She shoved the tiny bit into her maw, chewing with vigor brought on by bashfulness, though her soft square face was oddly placid as she reached down, grabbed the cod, the whole time looking the man in the eye as though the mood was not rapidly changing, and then placed it back onto her plate, swallowing, and just skipping over all of that with denial-fueled-determination, "So...what I mean is, if we're to talk about ourselves, it feels like perhaps you should go first, to make things more even at least, or, maybe you can tell me what you know of the bounty?" Perhaps knowing of the existence of the bounty could play a sort of mask for her otherwise uninformed amount of knowledge, hoping it held some gravity.

Luna seemed a suspicious one, but not necessarily by her own nature, more like, a nature programmed into her that she stumbled over herself to execute properly.

 

[Giantmutantcrab]

“Take care! The fish is so fresh it flops off the plate!” The tattooed man said as a smile appeared on his face. He was not flashing his fangs or attempting to look threatening; this was genuine emotion. There was levity at the oddness of their meeting, the clumsiness of her actions. The way she was doing her best to appear tough and hard while slowly picking up a flaky, cooked fish from the floor and slapping it back on her plate. He chuckled a bit, his chest and shoulders lifting and lowering rhythmically.

“Ease yourself. I am not your foe. I would say that few, if any, are your enemy in this village.” He glanced back to the door both of them had come in from and saw that it was still closed. No one was eavesdropping. “Very well…” He said, turning his attention back to her. “I will speak with you about the bounty, so that we may both seem like we know why we’re sitting at this table.” He grinned again. His smile really was beautiful. When he wasn’t smiling he seemed rather stern, almost grim. But the way little dimples appeared, his pearly whites big and bright, how there was actual real joy in his face and eyes… It was a disarming smile. Nothing like the fake grin of dolphins, or the toothy rictus of sharks. “Later on, once we are alone… We will speak of whatever you wish to discuss.” It was but light flirting; she was totally out of her element here and there was no need to make her feel any more lost. But she was a lovely creature, a fine mixture of athleticism and shapeliness.

“We are in the village of Dagheim. It’s a small coastal city in the country of Amn, along the Sword Coast and upon the continent of Faerûn.” Well, at least geographically she was situated. “We are both here because of this document.” He pulled the small document, a rolled length of parchment, from beneath his fur bracer. He unfurled it and presented it to her. Not knowing if she was able to read, so he read it for her. “Wanted. The fine city of Dagheim seeks individual(s) of stout body and mind for secretive mission for the good people of the fine city of Dagheim. Inquiries to be made with possession of this document at the mayoral home of Dagheim. Individual(s) are to present themselves by the 30th day of the month of Ches of the year of the Worm, 1356 DR. No tardiness will be tolerated for this mission.” He set the parchment on the table between them.

“In simpler terms… This village needs help and the deadline for this bounty is today. But I do not know what Dagheim needs. That is why I came here.” He nodded slowly, observing the exotic woman for a moment. “Usually, when villages send bounties, the reasons for the call of aid are stated. Some dangerous predator stalking the area, robbers on the main road. But this message says nothing. Most adventurers would refuse such a request; it can be very dangerous to accept a bounty without having an idea of what threats await. Others may be specialized to hunt a specific foe and will only take bounties concerning that specific quarry.”

He took a moment to take a large bite of the food he had taken. Once he was finished chewing, he swallowed and took a short breath. “My name is Bjorn. What is your name?”

 

[Lady-of-Lust-and-Love]

The venom, or what was pretending to be venom, evaporated as Luna's brows unfurrowed, his rich sounding chuckle a warmth inducing sound, and he seemed to be operating on much friendlier wave than she, and it was...it wasn't unwelcome, on the contrary, there was this ease in which he side-stepped the tension, and she was unfamiliar with such levity pointed her way, her way of life, not always but mostly, 'be afraid, or be feared'. Her instincts fought the core desire to ease as he instructed, and it seemed mind won over body as Luna felt her shoulders fall lightly and she even leaned enough to actually allow the back rest to support her.
Her mouth parted lightly as his lips curled in a kind manner, that bubbling innocent curiosity peeking out, like someone looking at the stars for the first time. There was a softness that surfaced, and in her green orbs gold flecks sparkled like treasure as she looked at him.

Oh, what a...what a nice sight.

Hmm, she felt kind of funny all of the sudden. Warm, yes that was it...why though? It was a moderately tempered room...
The heat rose as he mentioned further time alone, again, being confused, her robust thighs held tight against one another, this little spark at the base of her belly.
Was this normal when talking to a land-dweller? She knew her voice and those of her pod could affect man, was there a similar thing that happened in return? She had never heard of it though.
Perhaps it was just the food...it did taste weird after all, the flavor overwhelming her mouth as her diet consisted of mundane often flavorless meat.

She listened with a much more comfortable look on her moonlight face, looking at the paper and being thankful for his reading of it, leaning over the table and impulsively sniffing at it, as that seemed a natural thing to do, though no scent seemed important to mention, and she lightly reached up to her fish-skull cap, gently pinching at the little fangs, a nervous tick of hers, "Oh, My name is Luna." That little brush of coral decorated the tops of her high cheeks ever so gently.

"So, yes, a very strange bounty indeed," She feigned the extent of her knowledge again, acting as though she knew half of what he had said by personal knowledge, but the fib felt like an ache on her heart, and she wasn't even under the impression that she had been believable in doing it, so with a swallow, and what she considered to be against her better judgment, she cleared her throat, "I've never been 'on a bounty'," Luna felt the honesty spill as though she was doing something wrong she would soon be scolded for, though it was oddly thrilling to talk and not receive agitation, at least it not appearing so, "If it's a strange request, then, the one who made it must be strange as well, yes?" She lifted her scarlet head, eyeing the room and then the food on the table, inquisitive nature continuing to breach, "Tell me, is it also abnormal for food to be laid out for," She paused to remember the term he used, "Adventurers looking for a bounty? And...The parchment mentions not being late, but, we're the ones now waiting? Could that be intentional?" The oddly dressed maiden who smelled of ocean pine continued to scrutinize about, her little pointed nose scrunching, "I wonder where the mayor could be? I wonder if," Luna's gaze finally returned to Bjorn and she inquired, mischievousness peeking into her voice with a strange urgency, like it was afraid it would be wrangled back into a cage if it did not take advantage of this moment, "Perhaps we should take a look around before he gets here? Maybe the information we seek, we could get ahead of time?"

 

[Giantmutantcrab]

“Luna.” He repeated her name. It sounded good, resting on his lips and coming out of his mouth. Pushed by his breath, it held a melodic tone that would have fallen flat, had someone else said her name. He had remained closer after reading her the bounty note, having lifted his chair and setting it down nearer. At arm’s length.

When the lady suggested that they slip through the manor like sneak-thieves to obtain information, Bjorn’s head lowered and a very sly, very sexy smirk crossed his face. “How devious of you to suggest that idea. I love it.” He actually slid a little bit closer to the exotically-colored woman, blue eyes sliding over her form with interest. He was apparently the best kind of bad examples. “I wonder what other naughty ideas you have floating around.” Ooh, that was a very suggestive approach. She was receptive to the first few flirts he sent her way, so why not push it a little more? Bjorn was not a “civilized” man; social norms of courtship and polite, chase romance were of no interest to him. He lived life to its fullest, yet considered the wants and needs of others.

But their impromptu breaking-and-entering was apparently cut short as there was the noise of a door opening and slowly closing upstairs. The barbarian looked up and towards the direction of the sound, tilting his head to the side. “I suppose we will be able to get answers to our questions now.” Glancing back at the beautiful young lady, he winked at her and rested his back against the rest of the chair, presenting a unified front.

Bjorn cut the conversation as there were slow, heavy steps coming down the stairs of the second story of this small manor. A man came down, slightly overdressed for the weather and the occasion. He wore freshly-polished dress shoes, clean pants and a leather coat over his shirt, which was tied all the way up to his neck. And he seemed to have some sort of a scarf under there, as well. His skin was pallid and he seemed like he had seen better days… Long ago. There was a tiredness to his visage, but he put on an air of polite enthusiasm.

​

“Greetings, welcome to one and all!” He said, turning the stairs and entering the room where the adventurers were. He blinked for a moment, as if taken a little by surprise. The woman that had greeted them both outside had just entered at the same time, with a finger up as if she wanted to warn him… And they stood there, awkwardly, looking at one another for a moment. The man looked at her and forced a smile. “We will do with, dear Margaret.” The woman half-heartedly wanted to protest. “But Theosophus...” “But nothing, dear Margaret. We will do with.” And that seemed to be the end of the conversation between them, as she nodded her head and closed the front door behind her, allowing the three of them some privacy.

“Please excuse that demonstration. To be completely honest, we were expecting a few more adventurers. We did send messages to the four corners of Amn…” The man seemed somewhat dejected; it seemed like he had set much of his hope on a small troupe of would-be adventurers from all walks of life. It was painfully clear be seen that of the half-dozen chairs around the dining table, only two were taken and it was past midday. He clasped his hands together, accepting the situation. “But! We shall make do. Now, before I begin, would either one you wish anything else? We have a barreled ale, pale and blond like the morning sun. Or would you prefer wine? Perhaps something more robust?”

 

[Lady-of-Lust-and-Love]

Luna's mind slowly processed his insinuation, though being a rather literal beast herself a part of her was inches from suggesting that he could take something from the house? She guess if he wanted to? Though, she was not very interested in such things, that seemed 'naughty' correct?

Felt like the word had a different meaning here though, especially as the light pink hue of warmth spread over her cheeks.

She, probably thankfully, didn't have the time to get the words out before noise lightly sounded off from the level above, and her intuition guided the sea-woman to mirror Bjorn's positioning, leaning back as he did and watching, though very discreetly she let her right hand rest on her lap beside the hilt of her sheathed stone-knife.
It seemed less like she wanted to fight, and more like fully relaxing in the sudden presence of strangers while confined was, not her thing.

Luna's brows furrowed as her eye line hopped in-between the two. The sickly looking man, the kind of land-dweller which would be the target to be picked off for prey, and there was an anxious sort of shiver that fell down her spine when the man and woman exchanged a rather curious bit of banter, then looked back at the paper her freshly-met companion had brought, gently reached forward to take a hold of it as Theosophus yammered on.

"Not for me," She seemed to mentally side-step his offer, not even really sure what those things were, well, she was aware they were types of food...or drink?...something to be consumed, she swam beside enough ships to understand most of the basic lingo, and it was necessary to learn their language for 'luring', so she asked a out-of-left-field inquiry, "If you wanted more people," She held the paper up, wrong side facing out, heat tilting to where it almost looked like the fish-skull-helmet was curious along with her, "Why did you put down so little information?" It wasn't some big accusing question, it was a straight-forward query, it not dawning on her to wait before she continued further investigation, but with survival-driven rational clawing at the back of her mind it was a near impossibility to just, not speak on things that held clear irregularities, though she had let go of her weapon's handle, naturally assuming someone so ailing was not a threat to her, though, still an oddity.

 

[Giantmutantcrab]

​

“Yes. Of course.” The man nodded with a short bow of his head, clearly willing to abdicate his suggestions to placate those that came here. Looking once more to make absolutely sure that the door was closed, he sat at the far end of the table, at the opposite end of the wandering adventurers-for-hire that were seated. The ease and comfort of his actions suggested that this place was his home, this room his dining room. “We were expecting… Hoping that more, many more adventurers such as yourselves, would come to our aid. Runners left copies of the bounty upon boards along the Coast Way, from Murann to Baldur’s Gate itself.” He sighed with resignation, checking his pocket watch once again. It was past midday. The man took a small breath. “I am Theosophus, the duly-elected mayor of Dagheim. I have written this bounty because… we are in need of being rescued.” His voice had cut to a half-tone lower, looking at the table before back up to both of the strangers there.

“My fellow citizens have told me of a small cave, along the shore, to the north of here. At the very beginning of Small Teeth, the humble mountain range that separates Athkalta, Amn’s capital, from Murann. The cave’s entrance is accessible only from the shoreline, half-submerged. Fishers have reported strange lights and bestial, inhuman sounds at night. We fear that the cave has been taken by… Gnolls.” The mayor dropped the last word with defeat.

Gnolls.​

​

Half-man, half-hyena humanoids. Savage killers, vicious scavengers. Their lust for violence was equaled only by their desire for pillage.​

Mayor Theosophus had allowed a moment’s pause for the news to sink in, before continuing. “We are but a fishing village, exporting little and importing even less. For a mercantile nation such as Amn, that makes us nearly beneath notice. Dagheim is too “small” to be of any import to the grand folk that draw maps in the capital. We are too far “away” for them to send any permanent troops, and no patrol would bother traveling a full day’s trek on “whims” from “simple rural folk.” He had made the quotation marks with his index and middle fingers on both hands, indicating that they were not taken seriously by those that ruled over them from afar. He wrung his hands together, looking down at them for a moment. Pulling out a spotless white cloth handkerchief, he fetched into another of his coat pockets, opposite where he had his pocket watch, he fetched out two small gems.

Garnets.



Each with an average, estimated value of fifty gold pieces. To compare, a member of the City Guard of Waterdeep, those who patrolled the outer walls and surrounding areas of the City, were paid 6 gp a month for their work.​

Standing up from his seat, the tall man walked to them, offering them both one single gem, placing it on the table in front of them, making sure to wipe them clean with the kerchief he had, not touching them directly. “Forgive the manner in which these are presented to you. I am somewhat… ill… and do not wish to make you sick in turn.” He DID look rather pale and sickly. In fact, from this closer up, it could be noticed that his skin seemed a little loose around the chin and jaw area. And his buttoned-up waistcoat was rather loose. Hints that he was once much heavier-set than this.

He moved to sit back down, dabbing a bit of sweat from his brow before tucking the handkerchief into his pocket once more. “I would suggest that you leave at dusk, traveling under the cover of night. Follow the shoreline north to find the cave entrance. Please, adventurers… Help us.” There was genuine desperation in his voice, especially in the last two words. He closed his eyes a moment, slowly rising. “By all means... Eat, drink to your fill. Take anything you wish from the table to keep with yourselves. My assistant outside, Regina, will pack whatever foods you wish to keep for your journey. On the opposite end of the stairwell is a corridor that leads to guest chambers. Feel free to rest if you so wish. There is a bath at the end of the corridor, drawn this morning.” He pulled out his handkerchief again, wiping his brow once more. “Please excuse the rudeness of my behavior. I will return to my bedchambers upstairs. Thank you both for your cooperation in this endeavour.” With a short bow, the lanky man excused himself from the table and left, allowing them both back in their intimacy.

The barbarian watched Mayor Theosophus leave, sharp eyes following the man’s slow strides along a creaky staircase. He then picked up the gemstone, holding it between index and thumb. Holding it near one of the table candles, he observed the multiple facets of oranges and yellows within the neatly-cut gem. Tucking the thing within the folds of the fur bracer along his forearm, he looked back at the exotic, strangely-dressed female besides him. His eyes turned to look into hers, pale blue into green-blue. Luna's eyes were almost like the ocean waters. He seemed somewhat pensive, looking back at where the other man had stayed seated. The two warriors heard the echo of a door closing and latching at the end of the first-floor hallway. The quest had been presented, the choice clear.

But now, his attention returned to Luna. His eyes slowly, clearly and deliberately moved from her poorly-fitting clothing to the dips and curves of her figure. She was striking... And he clearly wanted to see what she looked like beneath that clothing. "Luna." He said softly, grabbing a piece of meat and chewing on it slowly. ”We’ve half a day to wait until night, decent food, a warm bath, and beds.” The listing he presented seemed far more erotic than how the mayor had worded it a moment earlier. ”Do you have any plans until sundown?” He finished the sentence with a question, wishing to know what she wanted to do. Because clearly, he had a few ideas. He was bold, and by the way his eyes roamed over her physique, it seemed like he hungered for more than the meat on the table. He smiled as he chewed with his mouth closed, swallowing and resting his forearm on the table, his body turned towards her.

 

[Lady-of-Lust-and-Love]

Luna seemed sympathetic for the man's bout of disappointment, but also a bit perplexed as he repeated the emphasis of wishing more land-dwellers had arrived, her brow knitting as he seemed hung up on this detail when she had just inquired why he wouldn't do more to assure otherwise.
The vermillion haired oddly dressed maiden said nothing as the gaunt man continued, though that unease welled back up as she was laser focused on one singular aspect of this interaction.

She was still staring at the exit by the time she felt Bjorn's head swivel her direction, and there was still a certain scrunch in her nose of suspicion, though as his sky-eyes met her gem orbs and then fell down her body, there was a little spark in her belly ignited by...whatever feelings he held behind that gaze. Goosebumps dusted from shoulder to finger-tips as he said her name, and she gulped instinctively, "Oh, n-no, nothing else to do but wait, as far as I see things," Briefly she glanced back to where she heard the echo of the mayor's chamber door closing, and it seemed she didn't completely understand the muscle-bound one's intentions as she turned slightly in her chair towards him, straddling the corner of the square seat, her hands pressing down against her skirt and legs in order to hold onto that same edge, this allowing the garment to more accurately outline her shape beneath is as she leaned forward, her chest unintentionally being lightly squished by her upper arms, a bit of that cream ravine of cleavage peeking from the V-neckline of the clearly meant-for-a-man tunic, but her expression was lightly anxious and curious as she pointed out, too fixated to not change the subject, "He didn't answer my question," Luna's heel began to bounce, and as it did so, the sizable meat of her thighs wobbled beneath the cloth, strong legs hidden just beneath the cloth, "All that talking, and he didn't once say why he didn't put more detail on the flyer, he completely avoided what I asked him and just left..." As her leg continued to bounce, thigh jiggling, that wobbly reverberated back to the rear she sat with, the perfect circle of a behind, while not some giant mass, was still quite supple and from the movement like water that reverted back to it's natural shape every time she took a brief pause from her nervous tick, the bundle was probably pure muscle as well, her expression of innocent inquisitivity revealed she was rather unaware of her own shape though, pondering aloud, "I suppose sick Land-dwellers just act strange," She mumbled, though her next group of words seemed almost like a quote from someone else than of her own thoughts, "well, all land dwellers are odd." The reminder of her 'disguise' hit her, and her leg stopped shaking, turning back to him in concern, however he had already made it crystal clear that he could tell she was not from around there...but referring to land-dwellers as separate from herself?

Gods...

He was rather easy going, with a quick glance away, she steeled herself to lean in so as to then pivot away, focusing more on consideration, "uh...no offense." Luna forced a chuckle, bringing her hands up and behind her own neck to rub in a self soothing manner, eyes suddenly searching the room until they fell upon the gem she had been offered, still untouched by her, recognizing it as a thing land-dwellers, but more specifically, humans, would often get their lives taken from them in the pursuit of, and one hand unlatched from her moonlight flesh to point down at the red circle, "Umm, I have no use for this, do you want mine?" In the efforts of being cautious about how much Bjorn did or did not know, she completely missed the cultural implication of turning down payment.

 

[Giantmutantcrab]

“Land-dwellers?” Bjorn was resting his face against his closed fist, an elbow propped up on the large table. He had repeated the words she used, a little smile on his face. Whatever discretion Luna thought she had… She didn’t have it anymore. The barbarian seemed amused by her choice of words. In fact, he dragged his chair closer to her and was now very close. He leaned forward, his head only a few inches away from her beautiful face.

“Well… That takes away a few options on what your origins might be.” He brought himself to sit straight, before presenting an open hand and putting his index finger on his opposite thumb, beginning a count. “You’re clearly not a creature from the outside Planes.” Then, his middle finger. “Not a demon, or a devil… Nor an angel, for that matter.” Then, the ring finger. “You’re not a monster... “ Bjorn’s hand moved and pressed to her thigh, slowly sliding from close to her waist and back down to her knee. “...Definitely not an illusion.” He winked at her, eyes hungrily sliding along her figure. “I’ll figure out what you are.” The smile he flashed her hinted that he was going to be exploring her secrets soon enough.

Not releasing her thigh just yet, the barbarian took her hands into his free hand and slowly rose to his feet, helping Luna up as well. The hand to her thigh had slipped to her waist. “Do not be too upset, beautiful one. You saw how ill he was. Perhaps the mayor is simply feverish and was unable to hold a conversation. He was focused on the words he had learned by heart, gave his speech and then left.” The savage shrugged lightly. “We will see as this quest goes on. I’ve a feeling there are secrets we will discover throughout this adventure.” The tattooed savage glanced back at Luna, his smile growing lightly. “Your secrets will be… Interesting, I’m sure.” He nudged her with his elbow. “And we are all strange, Luna. Not just us “land-dwellers”, you know.” Bjorn chuckled lightly at that. "And keep the gem! To be paid for services is the basis of commerce. You're an adventurer, here to help Dagheim and protect it from a pack of vicious gnolls. You must pay for lodging, time on the road, food and drink... And healing potions do not come cheap. Keep this in mind..." His smile vanished for a moment. "These gems are worth a month's salary of a guardsman. This is a small fortune that is offered, up-front, to strangers. This village and its mayor are truly desperate."

He left her side for a moment, opening the front door slowly. The woman, named Margaret, entered the estate and looked at both of them. Bjorn produced a bag and placed it on the table. “It should all fit in this bag, thank you.” The lady glanced at the table, then at the bag, then back at the barbarian in an unconvinced look. He simply smiled warmly at her, clearly knowing something she did not. He did not tell her that he had produced a magical item.

​

A bag of holding was a small sack that acted as an opening to an extradimensional space. The space inside the bag could hold a huge amount of materials without increasing the weight of the bag. Margaret would soon find out about this.

Bjorn had now grabbed his greatsword, holding it by its sheath as he would move to accompany Luna to those baths that the mayor had spoken of earlier. Now, he took her hand into his and began walking. “Come, Luna. We’ve half a day to wait and I have quite a few ideas on how to spend that time. You had questions to ask me, and I’ve questions for you.” And unless she openly struggled against him, he would walk with her from the dining room to the hall leading to the baths, at the back of the abode.