The Gambit & The Reckonning

[Brennor]

"No." is the only answer Datu gives, quietly enough to not upset the farmer.

Though, the next farmer they come across, also hawking the turnips, he also pays the 'pence' for.

He continues onwards through the misshapen town, looking for a larger building, one that is possibly an inn or a tavern.

[TetNak]

Each pay a pence for a turnip, and now the village is in a buzz. About two dozen farmers rush out to meet the elf and dwarf, each trying to yell over the other, waving their turnips at the pair.

"Bye from me! Me! I have the best!" and similar phrases are barked over and over again. Soon, Aethalion and Datu find themselves surrounded by farmers waving turnips and shouting.

[Vardaen]

Aethalion gets caught up in the whole thing and waves his turnip at Datu, "No, buy mine! Mine!" He is actually smiling due to happiness as he plays with the dwarf and the farmers, "Mine is the best! The best!" He makes certain however to keep the farmers from plundering his pockets or his weapons.

[Brennor]

Datu laughs as the sea elf tries to sell his turnip as well.

He looks over the sea of farmers, all holding up their turnips to sell to him.

"I have enough in the way of turnips fer now, however, I might be interested in some information and I'll pay ye well enough fer that!"

He looks around again, making sure that none of the pence hungry farmers are slipping their fingers into his gear.

"There be an inn or a tavern around here?"

[TetNak]

They do not seem to even hear Datu, only pushing their turnips closer to the dwarf. Interestingly, they do not do so to Aethalion, but instead start 'pushing' past him as if Datu might seriously by his turnip instead.

"Mine! Mine!" go the streams, and now people are starting to get pushing around, violently so, as well as a few fists that seem to be flying around every so often. The mass is getting frenzied indeed.

[Vardaen]

Aethalion leaps free of the mass of farmers, if possible, pulling himself clear of the crazy turnip salemen, "Well that is something to don't see every day, insane turnip farmers, hmmm." He considers a use of his magic to calm the crowd, but think better of it, and so rests a hand on his sword as he looks around, a turnip still in his hand. Then he cries out, "By Yeor! What's that? Its a pack of rabid turnip eating wombats and they are headed right for the turnips fields!"

[TetNak]

The farmers stare at Aethalion, not buying anything /he's/ selling. "Fine!" one grunts, making his way from the crowd, and after a few moments the rest of the farmers follow suit. Left alone, Datu and Aethalion have some room to breath for the first time since they entered this hovel of a village. It becomes clear that there is no such thing as taverns, inns, or anything such place here. Each hut is a home to a farmer and his family. The farmers depart without giving any information, but Datu suddenly realizes in the commotion someone has snatched his belt pouch full of all his coins!

[Brennor]

Datu seems pleased for the new breathing space that Aethalion has finally gained for them.

He takes a deep breath, and finally is able to look around the small village. Sighting no tavern, he is disappointed.

He rests his hands on his belt, finally noticing that his pouch is missing. "What the?"

He instantly turns red, which is hard to do given his deep ruddy complextion.

He looks around the small clearing, sighting in some of the farmers. He bellows out, "HOW IS THAT TO WELCOME VISITORS!?! I EVEN BOUGHT SOME OF YOUR TURNIPS AND WAS PAYING FOR OTHER THINGS!"

He draws in a deep ragged breath, and sights in a new group of farmers and he continues. "THAT IS A GREAT AND WONDERFUL WAY TO BRING PEOPLE HERE -- TAKE WHAT THEY OWN."

He begins shaking with his barely contained fury. "LITTLE WONDER YOU ARE ALL STILL TURNIP FARMERS!"

He looks around, trying to find at least one farmer flinching from his tirade. His fury continues to grow and if something isn't done to quell his anger soon, it might go beyond just the shouted words.

[Vardaen]

Aethalion aids Datu in tring to get the dwarvesn coin purse back, and then checks all his own things, and keeps a close eye on them. "We have begun a new time in our lives my dwarven friend. It will be a difficult road ahead, but in time, Yeor shall be free. The Forsaken shall set things right, and the mist shall lift." He pats his hot headed dwarven friend on the shoulder and leads him off to their brave new life...

[TetNak]

The days past and soon even the crazy meeting with the turnip farmers were forgotten. The two friends, Aethalion and Datu pressed on in their quest for a reckonning with the Three Towers that controlled all. Months passed, and their journey took them deep into the Thunder Cliffs, deep into the heart of the Marshland Swamps, back into the Witches' Pass, and even into the Tower of Farsight itself.


In the end, Damascus joined their cause and delivered the 'proof' they had been seeking, a worn map of the world. This Equinox, their real world, thousands upon thousands of leagues greater than Yeor, only a tiny speck upon this wrinkled parchment. The dwarvish and elvish eyes causes something to stir, and within a month the first boat passed the great reef as the Tower's hold was broken.

The last scene unfolded upon the docks, with Aethalion and Datu ready to sail into the ocean to test the true waters surrounding Yeor. The day was peaceful, but quickly turned into horror as crazed creature came in off the water, plaguing the island and killing thousands. The pair were found alive, in the cells of the Tower, now decriped and rotton. They were visited by Ola's father, one of the leaders of their order.

"You Forsaken have indeed killed us all ... for what you did not know was far more powerful than what you had found. Beyond our wardings lay Oblivion, and when you read that word upon the map you broke them all! Now the greatest evil of this great, wide-open, land you thought you had found will soon inhabit this isle ... and with it we will all be destroyed."