For Justice and profit, chapter 1 [punkrockartist91 & Giantmutantcrab]

[Giantmutantcrab]

Faerûn.

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

The continent brewed 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 profit... and Justice.


-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-


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.


-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-​

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 missions 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. The "fine city of Dagheim".

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 help as best I can.” He said simply and plainly, being simply incapable of lies.

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?

 

[punkrockartist91]

“WANTED! The fine city of Dagheim seeks individual(s) of stout body and mind for secretive missions 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.”

The poorly written excuse for some form of aide had been tucked away into the confines of her satchel that rested against a curved hip. A teal colored tiefling with white hair was nothing if not an exotic sight to behold. Waited semi-patiently in the waiting room of this rather posh mayor’s house.



So much for ‘fine city’. Her eyes actually rolled while she half mindedly picked up a blade used for cutting thick meats into her hand and looked at her reflection against it. Sucking her teeth, she could hear the slight sound of a deep baritone voice, most likely male and the female that Justice had spoken to earlier in the hour.

She had been there for almost a half hour now before the male walked in but that seemed to not matter as a female tiefling sat at the table, looking at a piece of silver cutlery. The gleam in the fire had caught her eye while she had sat there trying to keep herself occupied. But her curiosity had gotten the better of her and she wanted to find out if the cutlery in question was actual silver or if it was just another ruse like this house was.

It wasn’t until he walked inside that she immediately stopped what she was doing- which was clearly going to be holding the knife against the flame of her closest candle but she quickly slipped it into her bag instead. Slowly her golden colored eyes landed on his face and the slightest flick of an eyebrow moved upward. “Stout body, indeed.” Her voice was soft with a soft accent that would almost resemble Slavic in modern language.

For a moment she averted her eyes from him to look about the room and then to him, “Fine city,” there was a brief comical pause. “Not so much.” She grinned, her petite pearly fangs peeking through blue lips. “I was beginning to think I was going to be the only one here, then I’d have to murder the mayor and take all his monies.” Justice shrugged though never gave any indication as to if she was lying or telling the truth.

“Oh well, no worries,” Curling her back forward, she stretched out her joints and cracked a few in the process before letting out a sigh of relief. It was then she started to wonder if anyone else was going to show up. Part of her wished not, because being a social butterfly wasn’t always her cup of tea and she liked to stick to her own crowds for information.
This wasn’t her normal crowd.
Not at all.

She couldn’t help but look the male up and down. He was muscular, good. She didn’t have much luck when it came down to looking intimidating but he did and that could definitely get them places. Places she wasn’t able to get to on a normal basis. Golden eyes gleamed and she leaned back in the chair, slightly hard enough so that her well endowed breasts naturally bounced when she moved and forcibly stopped. “So, what’s your name, big guy?”

 

[Giantmutantcrab]

Although the mayor’s estate was a fair bit bigger than the rest of the other houses, it was not comparable to some of the castles and manors he had seen in his travels. It felt almost… Modest of a man of means. He heard a voice and blue eyes focused on the source… And he stood still for a moment.

To say that this woman was beautiful was almost demeaning. She was stunning in a way that few people he had met could be described so. The color of her skin and the fact that she had horns protruding from her skull marked her as something quite different from the regular individuals one would chance upon in cities and towns of Amn, or nearly anywhere in the Sword Coast. One would have to travel to Waterdeep or Baldur’s Gate for a chance to see such an exotic being.

She had noted the over-inflated qualities described in the bounty note. “It has its charm.” The large man replied with a low voice, a slight shrug and a smile, glancing about at the place. He was speaking of the village of Dagheim, of course. “It’s... peaceful.” He observed the outside for a moment before slowly closed the door behind him. So it was going to be two of them. It was unsurprising; often, the most popular bounties are those offered from specific guilds or patrons; local aristocrats or larger townships that were in need of people to aid with specific issues. Sometimes, walled cities will send out calls to arms by the way of bounties, or would even use them for recruitment purposes. But such vague bounty notes, with no mention of money nor of the actual problem, were often left to rot. Which meant that these two had a certain curiosity about them, to find such a small village in the middle of Amnish territory.

Bjorn’s own accent was quite peculiar as well. It was obvious that the common tongue was a secondary language to him. But… It would be difficult to pinpoint, precisely, from where he came. The clothing spoke of a northerner, perhaps from as high up as the Savage North, where the Spine of the World chain of mountains could be found. But the tattoo about his chest had nothing to do with the Tempus-worshiping barbarians from that region. It looked like… water? A wave? Hmm…

She presented herself, stretching and popping and allowing her ample bosom to jiggle somewhat as she moved. She was very seductive and seemed to have a playful streak about her. Those golden eyes shone softly in the dim lighting of the room. “I am Bjorn.” He nodded slowly to her, walking to the table and sitting down opposite of her. It was a fine spread; cut charcuteries and fresh fish, crackers and biscuits with condiments, whole fruits and prepared vegetables, as well as a full, fresh loaf of still-warm bread. The large man looked about and glanced back at the gorgeous female across the table from him. He picked up a few things in his plate, actually taking the time to take a cracker, add a sliced piece of ham, put some mustard and a cheese cube, before eating it all together. It was a good combination and he nodded approvingly at his selection.

“What is your name?” He asked in return, pulling the bread knife to slice off two pieces and laying them down upon his plate, slowly preparing himself a hearty sandwich with the impressive selection of meats and cheeses and vegetables. For a savage, this guy seemed to know how to make a good sandwich.

 

[punkrockartist91]

At first, Justice took in everything she could about this man. His tattoos, the way they moved along his skin and the line structure there. She could only imagine the time it took for him to sit down and allow someone to needle his skin for hours into flowing shifts that she could only imagine would be water. Perhaps she'd be finding that out soon enough. But she was a curious cat by nature though she wasn't feline at all and maybe that is what got her into the trouble that she was always in. But it was always fun finding ways to get out of her own trouble. That was the beauty of being a rogue after all. "Peaceful,"

She pondered the thought. That was true, it did seem like a peaceful village. It wasn't glamourous in the slightest but it was quaint and had it's odd charms in a way. But she wasn't here to look for house value. She was here for money, for a job. "Peaceful is so, so boring," He started to make a plate and it was then she actually took a moment to care about the feast that was in front of her. Food? It was a feast if she wanted to be fair. The bread was warm. Fuck, she was a sucker for bread and pastries. Her mouth watered slightly and that's when she heaved a sigh and grabbed a warm slice of baked dough and slathered a bit of butter on it.

"Justice," She took a bite of the bread. Bjorn. Well he did look like Bjorn, she smirked to herself at the thought. She crossed her legs beneath the table and while she was in mid-chewing a thought struck her and she perked up before swallowing her food. "Oh, oh," She chuckled playfully. "What do you think the mayor is like?" Her brows wiggled at him and she put her bread on her plate while he created his sandwich, which looked very appetizing. "I bet he is an old man with an ale belly who likes potatoes." She nodded to herself in satisfaction and then smirked with a hint of wicked gleam to it. During this conversation, she had slipped some bread into a cloth she had spread out over her thighs which was then folded and placed into her satchel against her side as well. Maybe stealing the note wasn't such a bad idea after all. He wasn't that bad to look at and the way his muscles moved was like watching waves curling along the surface of the water before crashing to shore.

 

[Giantmutantcrab]

“Justice.” He spoke the name, committing it to memory with a slow nod of his head. It was difficult for him to hide his interest and attraction to the woman sitting before him. She was everything; shapely, firm, beautiful, exotic, mischievous, flirty and there was the aura of a troublemaker about her. The kind of trouble you will want to see again and again.

Bjorn moved like a big cat; there was a deceptive smoothness and control to his actions. He was tall and wide, yes; perhaps all those of his people were this way, living in open spaces where one could stretch out their limbs comfortably. Yet he was no dumb brute, grabbing fistfuls of meats and shoving them down his throat like a starving wolverine. He was instead acting in a way that was civilized, taking what he needed and nothing more. When his pale blue eyes glanced up to see her watching him build his meal, he smiled warmly and, once finished, closed the sandwich, sliced it in half… And reached over, setting the plate in front of Justice.

Giving it to her. He winked at her and took another empty plate, and began to make another sandwich, identical to the one he had just created. So there was a kindness, a generosity to him. Or perhaps he wanted to know more about her and offering food to a gorgeous, hungry young lady was a fine way of making a positive contact.

“We shall see when —” The grandfather clock at the back of the dining room stirred to mechanical life, a small cuckoo bird coming out twelve times, indicating that it was midday and that they would be the only two present. Once the chimes had ceased, a door softly creaked open from the second floor. Quiet footsteps plodded on the wooden floor and in walked a man, holding the railing as he descended the stairs.

He…

…did not look well.

The elegant clothing sagged upon his thin frame. Although he tried to walk with dignity, he seemed to have trouble with simply walking. His features were strained, his eyes betrayed exhaustion. And yet he was present, and the front door opened. The lady and the mayor looked at each other.

"No one else was present at the appointment." The lady said dejectedly.

"We will make do, Barbara. Thank you."

"But…" the mayor cut her off.

"We will make do." Apparently that was the end of the conversation. The lady nodded and did not insist, closing the door behind her. And now there were three. The mayor moved to the end of the table to be at equal distance of both.

"Please forgive that demonstration. We were all expecting a fair bit more aid." There was a hint of worry in his voice. But he returned to the act of the dignified official. "The bounty was set up as the village if Dagheim is in dire straits. We are set upon… …by gnolls."

Gnolls were a humanoid race that most closely resembled human-hyena hybrids within Faerûn. They were carnivorous humanoids, known for their savage culture and warlike ways.

Though gnolls were not all necessarily evil, the craving of the hunt and primal bloodlust that inhabited the gnoll's mind have made many of the race lean towards a chaotic evil alignment by reflex. Gnolls that succumbed to this tendency often became nomadic savages, wreaking havoc wherever they can, giving them their fearsome reputation as slaving brigands throughout the world.

The mayor took a breath and kept his eyes closed for a moment. "We need help, simply put. We are fishermen and shipwrights. We do not have walls and we are too far from the main roads to be of interest to Athkatla." From the pocket of his dinner jacket, he produced two gems.

Bloodstones.

One of the most important properties of bloodstone was as a medicinal agent similar to the herb bloodstaunch. When a bloodstone gem was pressed on an open wound, it caused the blood to coagulate, the wound to close, and any blood diseases or poisons to be removed. No health was restored, but further injury from blood loss was prevented. The gemstone dissolved upon conferring its benefits. A typical specimen had a base value of 50 gp. By comparison, members of the City Guard of Waterdeep were paid 6gp a month.

Using a cloth handkerchief, the mayor produced one gem and slowly set it before Justice, before walking slowly around the table and coughing into his elbow. The woman could smell a bittersweet, unpleasant odor emanating from the mayor. It was not body odor… more like some kind of plant? The sickly man had a difficult coughing fit and it took a moment for him to breathe once more… and then he produced a gem of similar size for Bjorn. "Forgive the presentation; I am Ill." The barbarian nodded slowly and rose from his seat.

"Sit. Eat. You need it." The pale man shook his head and tightened the scarf around his neck. "I will return to my bedchambers. Please, eat to your fill. Miss Barbara will pack up all the food on the table for you. There are baths down the hall, behind the staircase. She has a map of the area and will be apt to indicate the way to go to find the gnoll lair. She will return at sundown; gnolls retreat to their lairs at sundown. Please help us, adventurers. Thank you." And with that, the mayor turned and walked back up the stairs slowly, returning to his bedchambers and closing the door.

So they had access to the manor to themselves, all the food and drink they wanted and baths. The outlander glanced at Justice. "He smelled of bitter flowers." That was something that stood out for Bjorn. He finished making his sandwich and took a large bite. "Gnolls." He stated again.

 

[punkrockartist91]

There was something about a large muscled man that made her want to purr. And while she sat there at the table with him, Justice took in Bjorn. He did have quite the physique that would certainly appeal to many women of this time. Ones that cared to have an erection between their legs at least. But the way he moved, the mannerisms and politeness he had certainly tainted any stereotypical rumor she had heard.

Barbarians were known to be savage. Brawn and no brains. Yet this man was polite and her curiosity piqued once more.

He placed the other half of his sandwich before her and she looked at him from beneath the thickness of her lashes. Smirking at him, she figured what the hell and took a bite. Sadly she never really received an answer to her question about the mayor before the ticking mechanism started to chime midday. Her ears picked up the sound of the door opening and creaking and then the sight of the mayor descended the stairs with a lack of strength due to declining health.

She wasn't sure if potatoes were going to help this man.

Oddly, she was silent through the whole ordeal up until the mayor left and they were left alone once more.

Leaning forward, she picked up the blood stone that was placed on a cloth before her. Holding it in her fingers she held it up to the fire to inspect it. "He did smell of flowers. Maybe an ointment." She seemed to fall into a gentle silence while she looked at the bloodstone in her hand. Turning her hand over slowly, she let the stone fall onto the cloth before she folded it up neatly and looked over at Bjorn across the table while ate his sandwich.

But the free use of the mayor's home was appealing. She could bathe and sleep after her trek here. Gnolls. Her shoulders shrugged while golden eyes looked up into his blue ones before she quirked a brow and her fangs poked out against her lower lip. "Just a bunch of puppies in armor," the tiefling waved her hand and ate some of the sandwich he had shared with her. She pondered the situation. "Athkatla must have better things to do with their thumbs up their asses than help the poor." So there was that. That decision was made for her, she was going to help this sickly mayor and the fine city of Dagheim.

Her look of determination was evident on her face as she stood up. She stood a good height of 5'5" with deep curves and with emphasis, she put a hand on her hip before giving him a cheeky look, wanting to make sure he was also in it. "For justice?"

 

[Giantmutantcrab]

The massive male raised an eyebrow when she spoke of “puppies in armor”. “I hope you are not too serious with that claim, Justice.” He did not know her at all, so he had no clue if she was joking or not. “Gnolls are brutal, cunning. They are all quite tall; their reach must be accounted for. Those who choose to be evil are the worst of wild dogs and of man combined; the intellect of sentient beings and the savagery of pack animals. They are slavers and man-eaters, torturers and pillagers. Do not underestimate them.” He ended with a nod and a big bite of his sandwich, chewing slowly as he observed her.

Bjorn then smiled when she said for justice. “Do you mean justice for Dagheim… Or justice for Justice?” He winked at her, chuckling lightly and nodding. “I wish to discover what secrets hide here.” To begin, he took the bloodstone in his hand and held it up to a nearby candle. “This… Is a lot of money. Almost too much.” He put it back on the table and ate more of his sandwich. “How can a village of fishermen and shipwrights muster up such funds? The mayor stated that they were hoping for more; does the village have a chestful of gemstones to throw about at adventurers and mercenaries? If so… They could hire guards… Or equipment, and have their own militia.” Once he was finished with his plate, he got up and picked up a handful of pastries, lobbing one cream-filled dough ball and chewing on it approvingly. “And have you noticed… That there are no children within the village? Only adults and the elderly.” So Bjorn had a bit of a head on his shoulders.

But he walked over to her, tilting his head to the side as he observed her up and down, breathing in slowly and exhaling with what can only be described as a hungry look. And Justice could guess that he wasn’t hungry for anything that was on the table right now. “I need a bath.” He stated flatly, taking a half-step closer to the young woman of light blue skin tone. He actually smelled just fine. “I believe you do, too.” Oh, so was this his way of attempting to seduce her? “I am going to go use that bath he spoke of, at the end of the hallway behind the staircase… I want you to join me.” Well, at least he was forward. He walked past her, allowing a massive paw to slide along her midsection, glancing over his shoulder at her with half-lidded eyes. “I’ll scrub your back.” And with that, he walked around and to the entrance, opening the door to see miss Barbara.

He produced a small bag, a satchel really, and handed it to her. “Please, put all of the food on the table in this.” At first it almost seemed like a joke. There was enough stuff in there to last a week, and that satchel of his would maybe fit a pie, at most! But… unbeknownst to anyone else, Bjorn had a few secrets of his own, and one of them was that this bag was in fact 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. The woman blinked and nodded when the large man gave her the bag. The barbarian then moved back past the adventurous young lady, walking to the stairwell and began to walk down the corridor, towards the bath area.

 

[punkrockartist91]

Justice ate half mindedly as he spoke to her. Gnolls she knew of but she wasn’t familiar with hunting the creature. Perhaps she was underestimating them but they were still dogs at heart, right? Kill their smell and it should be easy to take them out. But, this was all just in her head, she really wasn’t having this conversation. “Maybe not, but a dog is still a dog. No smell or sight and they’re easy targets.” Taking a big bite as if to comically intimidate him, the tiefling leaned back into her chair once more and pondered the predicament they were in.

Justice for… well… “For Justice of course.” She grinned almost smugly at him but you could tell there was a playful innocence behind it that she was willing to show. Tilting her head, she placed the sandwich down and her golden eyes followed his every movement while he ate and spoke.

He was right. How could a run down ‘city’ afford to give them payment on top of gems and free room and food yet have no law enforcement. But to her this was just fair game. It would be easy to steal here. Again, maybe this wasn’t such a bad idea after all. He grabbed a pastry and took a large bite of it, the cream squishing out of the other end made her mouth water while watching his strong jawline move while he ate awoken her senses.

It was then she took in his body. The veins protruding from his arms made her react in a feminine fashion. Her pupils became slightly bigger when he stopped to walk toward her. The teal tiefling female looked deep into his eyes and took in his smell. He smelled oddly clean for a barbarian. But his smell hit her nose and mixed with the scent of the pastry, it made her almost purr. “A bath?” She questioned. It was obvious he wanted to see what was beneath the clothing she wore and to be honest she was pretty curious to see him unclothed as well.

Again, what a curious kitten she was.

She did need a bath, that she couldn’t deny. Her shoulders relaxed a bit in his gaze but he moved past her, moving his large hand over her torso while he moved which made her stomach muscles clench. He had large hands. It made her wonder... 'Would one finger or two get the job done?' She started to day dream. Dammit, now she was even more curious. What was it again? Right. The end of the hallway behind the staircase…

He left her alone there with her thoughts. Fuck, he was right. There was something odd about this town and he seemed to know the little details she cared little about. But in the end didn’t everyone want to seem like a good guy? It was such a struggle.

Justice sighed and stood up good ten minutes after he had left just pondering the situation and if she should take his invitation for a bath. He must have been naked in the warm water by now. Standing up, she marched out of the room while speaking to herself. “You better be a good back scrubber or I’ll stab your heart, barbarian.” She stated in her cheeky, childish tone. Her hips swayed with each demanding step she took toward the end of the hallway behind the staircase.

With quick precision, she turned the knob quietly and slipped through the door like a shadow, closed it behind her and then leaned her curvy frame against the sturdy door. Leaning her head against it, she could smell the warm bath and the scents of oils that you could put into the water. Lavender, sage and juniper and even some sort of citrus. A bath. She hadn’t had one in almost a week. ”Why aren’t there small humans in this village to terrorize?” She moved her head and opened her eyes to adjust to the room, was he already submerged in the water?

 

[Giantmutantcrab]

There were a few things that were out of place. The idyllic-looking village had its issues. The first thing that had bothered Bjorn was the fact that there were no weapons. He had seen places upon Faerûn that were peaceful… To a point. Even if a country had no foes, nearly every town and city had its watch, walls, or at least palisades and lookout towers. Bows and arrows, spears and shields to at least fend off hungry predators or out-of-control wildlife. But this place had nothing. Were there no wolves in the forests? A fishing village meant refuse from the fishmongers. This would attract scavengers, from raccoons to bears. Did they expect to fend off bears with fishing poles and nets? He could imagine how easily the gnolls would have taken over the village…

…Then why didn’t they? Gnolls were not patient things; they wanted something, they took that something. There was rarely a long-term plan. And with no weapons, they would raze Dagheim within half a day. But there was nothing destroyed in the village. The barbarian’s thoughts returned to those fishermen he saw earlier in the day. They were not going out into the waters; they were observing him. They had followed him from his entrance to the mayor’s estate. But why? They seemed like fit men; why had they not volunteered to fend off the gnolls, or at least accompany Justice and Bjorn? Now that he thought about it… They were away from the rest of the village. Were there separations between the populace? Families, bickering over ancestral slights? It seemed unlikely; Dagheim was too small for such a thing. The people here lived simple, tranquil lives; they were used to working together, not tearing one another down.

But these were all simple observations, with nothing tangible enough for him to choose how to react… Yet. So, he could focus on the here and now. He opened the door and…

The bath room was a beautiful place and smelled lovely.

​

The outlander reached back and removed the massive two-handed sword strapped to his back, sheathed in a leather scabbard that hung from his fur-lined shoulder harness. He set the blade against a nearby wall, holding it with something approaching reverence. He removed the weapon belt upon which his twin war-axes were worn and set that on the ground, next to the sword. A thick dagger was sheathed on the left side of the same weapon belt and that was removed as well, though he smiled fondly when he looked at it.

Then, his fur-covered leather boots were removed, as well as his socks. After that the heavy leather tasset and steel leg plates came off. His thick leather pants are held up by an intricate girdle, which was unfastened. Now, he stood there, nude and breathing in the wafts of heat and scented water. So he would smell of citrus for a while, apparently. He smirked and chuckled lightly; urban people and their perfumes. But the smile died as Bjorn blinked, his olfactory memory returning to him; the mayor… Smelled of wolfsbane. That was a poisonous plant. Why would be slather himself with oils or ointments made from a plant that could be lethal? Again, he shook his head clear of such thoughts and unfastened his bracelet.

Bjorn rarely carries loose currency. Instead, he wore a gem-studded gold bracelet on his left wrist. For the folk of his homeland, carrying currency was a noisy and clumsy affair; a stumble, a poorly closed pouch, a cut purse-string and one’s money was lost. This piece of jewelry was molded with predetermined weak points. In case of a mercantile exchange, he would simply hack off what is needed and keep the rest. So he walked around the bath and climbed in, sitting down and resting his arms along the edge of it. He had to admit, some of the privileges of living in a civilized society were quite thrilling, indeed. Warm baths, comfortable beds and well-cooked meals were all things that made visiting new places quite interesting.

And his thoughts turned to the blue-skinned beauty. Her golden eyes and tight little figure had him quite interested, indeed. He wondered what he could do to her… And have her to do him. Perhaps she was a proper and prude gentlewoman, who would be polite but offended at his bold offer of intimacy. But when the door creaked open, Bjorn’s smile grew wide and his eyes focused on her. There was a small changing room with its doors closed but he had evidently not bothered with that; his clothing and armor were tossed in a corner, with his weapons and gear nearby. All he wore still were those torcs of embossed steel around his massive arms.

“Show me what you hide beneath your clothes.” The barbarian said with a deep breath and a raising of his eyebrows. He wanted to watch her undress in front of him.

 

[punkrockartist91]

The more she thought about it, the more that none of this seemed to sit right with her. Justice had come into the town ignoring any individuals that took a moment too long to look at her. Prying eyes always seemed to linger longer than she wanted. It wasn’t that she was ashamed of herself or where she came from. She just knew that sometimes good intentions may not seem so good. She didn’t get that from this barbarian though.

He treated her like an individual instead of a deviant. Sure, she wasn’t dumb, she knew that he had thought about what she looked like naked. But other than the heated look in his gaze, Justice didn’t quite get the sense that he would hurt her or sell her off to the highest bidder at some exotic slave shop. That is why she was so at ease to take him up on this offer. That instinct feeling didn’t make her want to vomit or run away.

Plus…
She got a bath out of it.

Bjorn was a smart individual and she actually wanted to know what he had to say. She became interested when he spoke of the town and how it all didn’t sit right with him and he was right, it wasn’t normal for any town to not have guards or some sort of enforcer of peace.

The room was absolutely beautiful and the smell of citrus was strong here. It wasn’t a bad scent, it smelled clean and she did like biting into an orange. His already familiar form was sitting in the round tub, the steam rolling over him in whisps slowly moving toward the ceiling. He spoke to her and his voice was deep and demanding. Her brow cocked upward with amusement at his voice. “Now where is that gentleman that shared half his sandwich with me?” She only teased.

But she did take note of the room itself. Where his stuff sat in the corner of the room and any other exit but the door behind her in case things turned south. Luck with men never really ended with much luck at all and most of the time they just wanted to cut off her horns or turn her into a form of circus amusement and perhaps that was why she was a nomad, always on the move and relying on no one but herself most days.

There was no reason to be embarrassed of her body. Sure, she had a couple scars and burn marks from some quests she took and trouble she either got into, caused or perhaps trying to get her way out of both. First it was the chest plate and pauldrons and Justice made sure to go fast enough to keep his gaze but slow enough to tease him. If he was getting a show, then she might as well have fun doing it, right?

Beneath the padding was a tan dyed tunic which almost resembled a pirate’s aesthetic. The material didn’t cover her shoulders yet left them bare since they were covered with her leather shoulder cuffs. Placing that down to the floor with the beginnings of her pile, she continued on her trek to nudity.

Two daggers were pulled from her sides and resting against the strap to her leg was a crossbow. She took those off as well and then the belt that was tied semi-loosely around her curved waist. Thieves’ tools, a crowbar and two healing potions were tossed to the pile before she stood up fully and started to take off what was left of her clothing. Soon she stood almost naked before him.

The light here was dim for relaxation purposes so she wasn’t sure if he could make out the sporadic scars or wounds that adorned her body but Justice figured that everyone had them and were used for telling stories anyway. Her chest was well endowed with a smaller waist and hips yet she was toned. Soft ripples of her ab muscles moved as she slowly walked toward him; it was then her tail presented itself as it curled against her left leg.

Skin a perfect shade of teal with nipples and lips a few shades of darker as well as her soft womanhood between soft thighs that she had recently used to break a man’s neck a few days prior to meeting here. Her hands moved up her curves and body to her hips where she looked at him and smirked.

“Most people would pay lots of monies to see me naked like this. You get this for free. At least for now.” There was that wicked yet playful grin again. “Are you going to scrub my back?”

 

[Giantmutantcrab]

There was a comment that he wished to utter about what he wanted to share with her, but her sheer beauty and sensuality made him remain quiet and nodding slowly. For all of his bulk, he was lean and hungry… And his hunger was directed at her. By the way he was fixated on her, she could have taken all the time in the world and it would have been just fine for him. She did not see for most of his body was submerged, but there was quite a reaction to her teasing and taunting.

She was well-armed and notably prepared. Potions of healing were generally an afterthought for many adventurers, but Justice carried them on her person, to be accessed easily. When more of her light blue skin was showed, Bjorn’s mouth was partly open. His tongue flicked out and curled back into his mouth, a clear indication of what he thought of her and what he was planning to do to her. Or perhaps have her do to him? It was hard to tell what that primitive, savage mind of his was planning for the taut, lithe rogue disrobing before him.

When she was finally naked before him, the barbarian eased himself to a standing position… And revealed himself to her fully. The tattoo of his covered part of his chest and traveled down to his thigh, ending near the V shape of his lower abdominal muscles. His legs were like sculpted marble, as massive as the top half of his. And he was erect… And he was massive. Larger, much larger than an average male… And thick! It was a surprise that this man’s greatest weapon was hidden in his pants, not carried in a sheath. Oversized balls, plump and tight, were nestled on the underside of his base. He was tight and firm all over… And he stepped out of the bath, walking to her. Wherever this barbarian was thinking of sticking his length, he was going to stretch and bulge inside delicious, sexy little Justice.

Gently, he set a hand to her shoulder. “You grin like a Cheshire cat… and even have a tail.” The large man began to slowly walk around her, taking in every inch of her physique. His hand trailed where his eyes roamed, boldly caressing her toned abs, her generous breasts, his fingertip brushing against the nipple, before sliding over her side, up her shoulder and down her back… Before generously grabbing her ass and exhaling with an “Mmm…” noise. “Your voice is like a purr…” The palm of his hand then slid over to the base of her tail, very softly caressing it down for about a foot, then back up. “You call yourself Justice… But I believe I may call you Kitten.” That same hand moved away from her tail and around her waist, along the side of her hip and down to barely brush along the very edge of her sex, just grazing near the tip of her outer lips and her clitoris. Justice could feel the heavy, fat, hard cock of his pressing along the small of her back, as he stood behind her and facing her. One hand moved up from the bottom of her stomach up her body to her throat, then up to the side of her beautiful visage, brushing her full dark lips with the edge of his thumb. Meanwhile, his other hand moved from her shoulder down her side and back to her tight, round ass, grabbing her ass-cheek and exhaling a grunt of approval again. Bjorn was, apparently, quite the ass man.

“Would you like that… Kitten?” He asked the words softly, leaning to look at her from over her shoulder. “I will make you clean… Then filthy… Then clean again.” The way he said "filthy" instead of dirty... And the growling want in his voice... Both hands now moved in unison, caressing her breasts and nipples, before gliding down to her fantastic backside, parting her cheeks to allow his massive girth to press between them, and she could still feel him on the small of her back. By the gods, he was going to stretch her out, wasn’t he? One hand cupped her chin and lifted her head up so she could look him in the eye. There was also a bit of a height difference between them. He moved to kiss her. A deep, open-mouth, tongue-filled kiss. Something long, slow, and sloppy. With his long, flat tongue brushing against hers and his hands moving all over her body.

 

[punkrockartist91]

Here in the heat of the bathing chambers, Justice stood completely naked before the barbarian male inside the hot waters of the tub. Her feminine body was curved yet muscled in all the right places. Gentle muscles of her protruding abs flexed when she breathed.


In and out….


Her yellow eyes followed his body while hers started to grow hotter. An instinctual need took over her as she took in the tribal beast of a man before her. Her mouth watered and she couldn't help but swallow. Being a rogue one must always be prepared; think ten steps ahead of your enemies, remain stealthy, get what you need and get out but prepare for the worst.


Her pile of clothes were willingly abandoned to the floor as he started to stand. Every muscle moved when he did and her eyes started to move along his physique. Fuck, he was the epitome of a male. Her body burned with need and it wasn't until her eyes trailed downward did her eyes widen.

In and out! Breathe...

He was huge! Girthy and thick. He stood up at the sheer sight of her and she could only imagine just where his thoughts were going. Her breath became hot, her cheeks a gentle pink as her arousal kicked in. He'd definitely ruin her for any human male if he fucked her.


Heat took hold of her loins, burning with need but he teased her. Bjorn touched her and she gasped softly at the impact it made. Her dark blue nipples became erect and hardened, her abs tightened as she sucked in a breath through her teeth.


Kitten?
Breathe...

She moaned unconsciously at the thought of it. His voice was deep, bestial. He wanted her and he wanted to make sure that she knew it. Her eyes slowly rolled closed as soon as he touched the base of her tail. The teal tiefling almost lost her balance momentarily as the smell of her arousal mixed with the steam of the chambers.


"Mmmfffha…" She was lost in the sexual heat of her mind. His hard, girthy cock ran along the small of her back as he groped and touched her body. He was pulsing with need and she purred imagining the feel of him sliding between her naked thighs or along her growing wet slit.


His roaming fingers brushed over her, making her react. Gasping her eyes opened, heated yellow eyes seemed like smoldering lava pools of the sun as she all but verbally begged him to fuck her. She wanted to feel his thick fingers inside her, probing wiggling, inching deeper as he teased her.


"Yes," she purred, her pink tongue darting out from between blue lips. It was long and slitted like a snake's before Justice breathed heatedly. "I like the sound of Kitten." Giving him the best Cheshire grin she could muster while being in the heat of the moment she closed her eyes just as he kissed her.

Breathe!!!

He tasted even better than he smelled. Moaning against his mouth, she let her body relax against his while he teased her with his thick length. The probing cock moved between ass cheeks and covered itself with her slick wetness dripping from her tight entrance. A snake tongue curled with his as she submitted to him.

 

[Giantmutantcrab]

If the room got any hotter, it was because of their interaction. Justice was a teal-tinted temptress, removing her clothing with a wicked gleam in her eye and an even more wicked kiss. When they shared a tongue kiss, the barbarian’s eyes opened and he moved his head back, breaking the kiss suddenly and letting both their tongues loll out of their mouths. He brought a hand up from her fantastic ass to her mouth, delicately bringing her tongue out and examining it with his fingertips. Bjorn seemed… Fascinated. He even slowly rolled the tips of it around his index, with parted lips and curious eyes.

Then, his gaze lifted up to her golden orbs and he raised his eyebrows. “I am very curious about all the tricks you can do with this.” And with that, he moved his hand away, running his tongue over the length of hers, and sealed their lips again, beginning a new, fiery tongue kiss. Now his arms moved to wrap around her tight frame, feeling up all of her curves and muscles. There were noises of approval as he felt her up, tasting her skin with his fingertips.

After an instant or an eternity, their kiss ended and even he was panting for air. Looking at her with hungry eyes, he made her lean forward and set her hands on the edge of the bathtub. Those big, strong hands of his moved from her shoulders and down her sculpted back, to her fantastic rear end and to the base of her tail. She felt him shift position and kneel behind her. Was he going to…? Thumbs parted her ass-cheeks, exposing her completely to him. She felt his breath, his lips were achingly close…

The savage kissed Justice’s ass-cheeks, once each. “Forgive my manners.” He said gently, slowly getting up and taking her into his arms with ease. “I promised I would scrub you. Make you clean… Before making you filthy.” The way he whispered the words. How he moved around her. Like he wanted to consume her. And in a very real way, he did. But… Apparently, the barbarian wanted the best of both worlds. So he went back into the bath, with Justice in his arms, lowering the both of them in. The water was warm and soothing, while their pressed bodies kept the sexual energy high. He brought her closer to him, until she was sitting in his lap, straddling him, with his length against her stomach. Big hands moved over her frame as he pulled her to another kiss.

“Or have you changed your mind, Kitten?” Oh, that little nickname carried heavy sexuality to it. “Did you want for me to bathe you before… Or after we’re done?” What a gentleman; even offering to wash her when it suited her. It’s not like his throbbing erection was threatening to impale her in every orifice. His tongue trailed along her collarbone and up the side of her throat to her beautiful face. “Climb on top of me, Gorgeous One… Let me feel you from the inside.”