Chapter 1 - The Red Waterfall

After spending a year in mercenary service to a beholder warlord and doing things I wasn't terribly proud of, I put away enough money to buy out the rest of my contract and looked for someplace quiet and boring to recuperate. And so I ended up here.

I can't help but take a kind of professional interest in what happened to Darious and how the town plans to deal with the situation, whatever it is. I wander closer to get a better look, and maybe eavesdrop on the Hellriders.

I adjusted my inch-thick spectacles, trying to peer over the shoulder of a large man in front of me. A thick lump formed in the center of my stomach as my eyes locked on the guard's mangled corpse, strewn on the ground. I had read plenty of books about murders and mysteries, sure, but to see one myself was an entirely different experience, I felt the color drain from my face as I looked onto it, my eyes drawn to it against my will. Yet I quickly averted my gaze, flustered and pale at what I had just seen. Elturel had always been a relatively safe place, sure there was the occasional thief, but never this. It had always been a place filled with people I could call a friend, no matter how different we were - but now to see one of those men, one of my friends, one of the first men to great me when I arrived here a year ago, lying on the ground as a charred shadow of himself...

I've always been quite sheltered, admittedly, even after I moved from my father's Keep to the Watchful Order mage academy in Waterdeep. The Tower of Order had acted as my shield, protecting me from murders, monsters, and any brutality running rampant in the rest of Faerun. Before that I had always been under my father's disapproving eye and my mother's sheltering arms - I hadn't even seen an Orc until I was almost 14. And Elturel had always been a nice little town, relatively safe from outside scourges, and a perfect place to practice my Magic in my spare time when I hadn't been working part time as a farmhand, far from the kind of brutality laying on the ground not thirty feet from me. I wiped my spectacles clean on my shirt and looked back at Darious's corpse, this time shuddering a bit less. If this was what the rest of the world was like then I supposed I ought to do something about it.

Doing my best to slink through the crowd, I attempted to get closer to Taveen, hoping to hear what was going on. I would do whatever I could to help Elturel and stop this from happening again. I wasn't much of a warrior, far from burly as any of the other farmhands, but I had been practicing magic for almost two years now, both with and without the Watchful Order, and in another month I would be twenty. Besides, Elturel had always been kind to me, perhaps this incident would give me a chance to pay the people back. I may have flunked out of the Watchful Order, but I refused to fail now.

Life was good in Elturel. It had been a quite town. Being one of the few Dwarves in the town, I've always stood out. The rumors of my blessing also made me well known. This, I always used to my advantage, especially when it came to starting my tavern - The Brewer's Den. Elturel was the perfect town for inexpensive, quality goods to craft my famous Dwarven Ale.

It just so happens, that when the ancient blessed me, it told me to wait in Elturel and I would know when it was time to begin my journey. My destiny. This must be the day. Unfortunately the beginning of my journey seems to be marked by the death of a good friend Darious. Darious was always the joking sort, he would visit The Brewer's Den often. Many a good times we had playing dice together and he always was the first to try my latest batch of ale.

I could see the crowd gathering through the window of my tavern. I quickly served the last order and told my waitress Laurel to take over. This didn't matter much as most of the customers had already cleared out to see the commotion. I push my way to the front of the crowd and cry out "Darious, laddy! Who did this to ye!" I then check his body to see if my cleric training would serve him in any way.

[OOC: Is this supposed to say waterfall? Also, I'm just going to write in 3rd person from now on, I think it flows a bit better.]

Mac emerged from the crowd, standing next to the Dwarf. He glanced down at Ghelin, although the pair were not close friends Mac was an occasional visitor to The Brewer's Den and he knew Ghelin to be a good man. "Excuse my, my Lord," interrupted Mac, "I heard what Mr. Kairoos just said and I believe I may be of some assistance. This sounds like the work of Magic, perhaps the waterfall is enchanted. Would you mind elaborating a bit on what happened and its history? Did anything particular draw you there while scouting? I might be able to figure out something - I used to be a student of Evocation in Waterdeep."

This was finally Mac's chance, he had been learning about magic for years but this incident was finally an opportunity to put his knowledge to use. He was convinced that this was the work of some kind of magic based on the description, and perhaps his knowledge could come to use for the village.

"Lord Taveen, where is this waterfall? And what do you mean 'again'? Has this happened before?"

Ghelin nodded towards Mac, sensing his urgency and his commitment to solving this tragedy. Maybe he would be a usefull ally in the inevitable journey to Ghelin's destiny. Ghelin knew his world was changing, he would be sorrowed to leave his tavern, everything he built. One goal completed, he was itching for another goal, with a more exciting journey. Even danger seemed thrilling after decades of being a brewmaster.

Kicsi over hearing the conversation between them approaches Ghelin and Mac. "I've never heard of such a thing in my previous travels. I would be interested in traveling with you and offering my assistance. Perhaps some sort of explanation would help bring some small bit of peace to Darious' loved ones."

Ewan looks over the three strangers who have just volunteered to go investigate this bloody, flaming waterfall and shakes his head. Do they know what they're getting into? It could be some cruel enchantment, but flowing bodies of water made of fire and blood -- that smacks of planar influence to him. And he can't just idle away his days resting in this town if something of THAT nature is so close at hand.

"You there -- you're going to see this waterfall?" he asks them. "If you've no objection, I'd like to go with you. I don't like what I'm hearing about it and I want to see it for myself."

Ghelin looks over the two new voices stepping out of the crowd. Two familiar faces, acquaintances from around town. Kikci and Ewan they were always more capable than other folks around town and seemed to have good heads on their shoulders.

"Your companionship is most welcome. It looks like we have four able bodies. A good number. We can watch each other's backs while we travel to figure out this mystery." Ghelin says. "Let us see justice done for Darious's family and to protect this city we call home."

"Shall we gather a few supplies, horses and meet back here, say in an hour?"

The halfling nods at Ghelin and and answers in Dwarvish, "Excellent!".

Speaking to the newly formed group while staring at the ground, "An hour will be sufficient for me. I will gather some supplies and see about acquiring a smallish mount from the stables."

"An hour should be find for me as well," Replied Mac, "I just need to grab my spellbook and wand, some supplies, and try to find myself a horse."

Mac shot the group a smile, he was really just a boy but for a split second Mac Bartle looked like a man. He had trained his whole life for this chance, a chance to put his Wizardry to use and finally help someone. Mac adjusted his spectacles once more and silently vowed to bring justice to Darious with his new found allies.

[Could I do some Persuasion at the stables to try and talk whoever's in charge into loaning us horses?]

Ghelin hurriedly prepared his backpack with all the things he could think to bring on an adventure. He had an inkling that he would need more than just rations and water. He told Laurel, his waitress, that he would be gone for the day, maybe longer; and that she would be be in charge of the evening preparations for the tavern. If she needed help, she could hire one of the local youngsters for the day.

Ghelin then walked over to the fireplace mantle. He eyed the Warhammer hanging above. This warhammer had been handed down from his great grandfather who fought in the Weeping War. He told the warhammer, "It is time you see action again. I just hope I'll live up to grandfather's name."

Ewan tries to convince the stablemaster to loan us some horses for the good of Elturel. He's not above dropping some hints that his ancestry might give him some special insight into the dire nature of the waterfall situation, even if that isn't strictly true. Might as well take some advantage from having been born as this.

Mac hurridly gathered his things from his room. He already prepared some spells for the day, and just needed his spellbook and supplies. This was finally Mac's chance, an opportunity to be a real wizard and put his training to practice. Done packing, Mac turned to leave his hut, and was half way out the door before he realized he missed the most important thing. Mac spun seound and opened up a crowded drawer. After about a minute of rifling through it, he pulled out a delicate mahogany wand. This was the wand he used back in the academy, and now for the first time since he left it was back in his hands. Mac made certain to place it in his frontmost pocket. On the other side of his robe he placed a dagger with the same care. It was really just a pocket knife, but Mac didn't want to take chances. Mac looked through his bag once again to make sure everything was right, and when he finished the young wizard headed back to town, and making sure to bring money to buy equipment with.

[I'm going to buy a bedroll, a waterskin, a glass bottle, a tent, and 10 days of rations. This comes up to 5 gold and 52 silver going by the Basic Rules prices. I'm also going to make sure my waterskin is filled with water from the well.]