RECAP (Long Time in Coming)

The stay in the camp of the Emerald Claw was not a restful one. Phax had horrible nightmares which were borderline feverish; he grasped his weapon close to him as rambled in apparent goblin. The group looked on worried as they watched their troubled friend succumb more and more to the will of the blade he carried.

The next day didn’t fare much better. Almost from dawn the group started to hear pitched drums through the woods in which they travelled. Erin and Phax recognized the drums to be that of the tribe of Rehesh Truakbar; a minotaur general from the lands deep n Droaam who followed the demon lord Baphomet the demon lord also known as the Horned King. The group prepared themselves for an encounter and were not shocked to see a loan gnoll on the side of the road (soon after they spotted the rest of the raiding band). The followers of Rehesh Trukbar demanded a tribute of gold from the group for their lives. Jan attempted to threaten his way out but the followers didn’t understand the prowess of those that stood before them. A fierce battle ensued where are heroes triumphed through magic, blade and bow and made short work of the minotaur’s band.

That night Jan was beleaguered by nightmares all night speaking in languages the group didn’t understand at all. More alarming then the speaking of tongues was the shifting that the human did; first to that of an older man; then to a younger child before finally returning to his normal form. The gem also began to glow a translucent green and animals had appeared along the path silently bobbing their heads and weaving to the pulsating gem. This caught both the attention of Phax and of Pike; Phac muttered something under his breath in a language Pike knew to be goblin and returned to bed; Pike just looked on stoically. In the morning Pike had Vogrum translate for the elf; the phrase he muttered... “The only thing worse than a changeling is an elf.”

The next morning brought the sights of the majestic monument of six kings, a colossal monument built into the Grey Wall Mountains by goblin artisans millennium ago. The sight of them were nothing more then majestic and the 6 figures seemingly haunt the legacy the goblins once had in the world. Under the outcropping of the third King you found the markers which Captain Kalaes had set out for... and there you found the Word Bearers who were none to happy to see you.

Yesterdays Heroes... The Prophecy

I sit listening to the others tell their wonderful tales of adventures and I began to think of all I have been through. My short time was not full of adventure nor the stuff of heroes, I'm being paid to do a job and nothing more. My father was a wonderful spinner of tales and song and could captivate all who heard him. 'I AM NOT MY FATHER'... the silence was piercing, I spoke those words through clenched teeth!! The pain is still too fresh.

'Sorry everyone. I am not my father... he could tell you tales of great battles or events and leave you wanting more. Not I! I am a book learned man with no secret heroes hidden inside. Those tales are my fathers and will remain with him in his grave. But what I can tell you is of a young man who left his fathers side to find a world beyond his own borders to become more than he had ever dreamt.'

I paused to collect my thoughts feeling all eyes upon me. I feel cold and naked like I don't belong and for all intense purposes I do not.

'Many years after I began my studies, my Master brought from Sharn back to Cyre. He had met with a Captain of the Cyre Militia and commited him to find a volunteer for a mission of great import. While we waited I was told a great event was about to unfold and I was needed to find investigate the Tower of Scars near the border of Cyre and Breland. He handed me a recording crystal just as a warforged showed up "I am your volunteer". I had never seen a warforged in the... "flesh" before and was startled when my Master spoke "You have completed your training and your last order of business is to gather the information I have requested.".'

Nodding to Pike to acknowledge that he was the warforged in my tale. 'We fought our way into the tower and I discovered a glowing sigil on the ground. I tried to collect the data I was required when I was caught up in it and was granted a vision! I was watching the battle on the lands of Cyre, the cities burning, an emblem of an eye, and a giant pyramid. I saw a human woman and an elf.' I nodded to both Erin and Fax in turn. 'I don't know how long I was out for, but that is where my journey with my companions began.'

Whispering 'The Mournland was born that day as well...'

I didn't realize how charged I was in telling of our beginning or that I would feel so drained as if telling a confession.

'Maybe we are heroes...'