The Curse and the Treasure - The Quest

Lashmir. The legendary fallen kingdom, once a great nation now reduced to emptiness.

You walk along the once mighty Whitestone road. It’s since fallen in disrepair, but the eponymous white stones still mark the path into Lashmir.

Lashmir. The cursed land, where all who live there exist under a constant threat of the curse and the Shades.

It begins to rain. Slowly at first, enough to warn you of the coming torrent. Then the full load falls, drenching the land.

Lashmir. The land where a treasure exists, so powerful it’s said it can undo the curse itself. The reason you are traveling to this forsaken place. Where you met others like yourself, wanderers who seek the treasure for their own reasons.

The rain begins to drench your clothes, but just then you spot a cottage on the roadside. It’s hard to say, but in the twilight you think you can see smoke coming from the chimney. You knock at the door and proceed in.

Inside, the warm glow of a fire permeates the room, a sharp contrast to the cold, colorless outside. A rocking chair sits in front of the fire, rocking gently as its occupant lounges. The occupant is a young man with dark black, shoulder-length hair and a smile upon his strong face. “Welcome,” he says, standing up and resting an arm on the chair’s backrest. “Been a while since anyone’s come here. Most people who come by are looking to get away from Lashmir, but you… where are you headed?”

"As if anyone can answer that." The young man- no, not anymore- the old soul speaks, voice full of confidence, experience. "We are headed to where we end up, and nothing else. But I don't think all of us remaining cryptic will get any of us very far." Horizon approaches the fire, standing by it, the heat barely permeating his cloak or his mask. "I believe we're after a treasure, of sorts."

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Quick BTW:

Eight, shrugging off her white hood, held her arms crossed in front of her "We will go where the Healer sends us to. It has been declared by the Six Gods that I shall free the land and reclaim the treasure. It shall be glorious!" She shot one of her fist's  into the air for emphasis, before recollecting herself and placing it back where it belonged. "Saving the country, that is." She added, embarrassed.

Horizon gestures at his exuberant comrade. "And that's what I have to deal with."

Clothing Details:

The man chuckles slightly. "After the treasure, eh? People like that come along this way sometimes. Sometimes they even come back." He smiles a bit longer before it fades. "A lot of people have tried to find the treasure. Tell me, why are you trying to find it? To spend your lives, possibly, searching for it? Do all of you agree with the lady here?"

The Gnoll, a small but muscular spotted female wearing a loincloth and nothing else, had been standing by the door, looking oddly disconcerted before she finally got down on all fours and shook. Water sprayed everywhere out of her fur and she sighed contently before realizing what she'd done. "Oh, oh I'm very sorry! Uh, instincts. Hard to curb. I can catch us all dinner tonight to make up for it if you want. At...at any rate, I'm going into Lashmir. My master's daughter is very sick with curse, so I want to help her." She speaks common like she hasn't spoken it for a few years and has a Gnoll accent with just the barest hint of an elvish twinge.

Strange, Nadir thought. It sat in silence, oblivious to the water dripping from it's cloak onto the floor. It's clothing stuck to it, revealing a thin, spindly frame. At a glance, Nadir seemed like a thief- and a conspicuous one at that. A mask covered it's face, and it's hands were gloved.

Of course, they served a more practical purpose- Nadir wasn't built to feel warmth or coldness. The gloves were an easy way to cover the unfinished lumps that made up it's hands, each arm ending in two thick clumps and a thumb. The mask covered a face which was lumpy, it's only features a pair of holes for eyes and a small, crooked slit for a mouth.

There was a whistle as Nadir sucked in air, then spoke, in a voice flat without inflection or gender, addressing the cottage owner.

"Yes."

"I'm here with them. Treasure's cool and all, but I've found in the past I don't do well on my own. Rather..."help" others with their own goals. But the treasure wouldn't be too bad to actually find either." It was at least partially true. The honest to gods truth didn't need to be shared. "Curing this curse? Well, I live in this world, too. So I'd rather see it not kill everything."

"Noble goals one and all." The man smiles. "Well, I don't know that you'll find the treasure... though you never know. I'd certainly like to see someone get the treasure, at any rate. I'll offer you a bit of advice. Down the road, you'll find the town of Miklev, if you didn't know. In it, there's a woman who might be able to help you find the treasure - she wants the curse gone as much as anyone. Her name's Dawn, and she acts as a de facto leader of the town. Tell her I sent you. Wait," he grins. "Don't do that. Mentioning me, I mean. Or do. It's your choice. I think she'll help you all the same."

Draugdagnir wondered at what the man had said and decided to examine the people that seemed like they might end up being her packmates in the cursed land. "It's not really so noble to help my packmo...packfaaaather? Yes, I suppose so. But that's just being a proper Person. And little warriors are to be cared for until they're ready to fight for themselves."

Meta:

@Elacular:

The man laughs. "Ah, of course," he says. "I go by Elric. I've lingered here in Lashmir for a few years now... and I certainly hope I see you again. I travel around the nation - such as it is - a lot, and I'm sure we'll meet again... if you survive. There's all sorts of threats, from shades to the cursed to monsters."

Spoiler:

If Nadirs face could crease with thought, it would have. The creature hadn't been sent to Lashmir blind after all; it was, in fact, only the latest- last- in a long line of such beings. It's 'mind' reached into those past experiences, scanning for anything resembling the man before the group.

Draugdagnir finished her observations and nodded vigorously, though her eyes lingered distractedly on both Eight and Nadir. "Thank you very much, Elric. It's been a great pleasure to be welcome under your roof. May She-Is-Fiercer guide your spear well and keep your liver strong in times of strife." She placed her hand on the underside of her ribcage and bowed her head solemnly before peering out the window to see if the deluge had stopped.

Knowledge Roll Result:

The rain is beginning to let up a little. It's not as heavy as it was before, though it's still raining. It will end soon, however.

Eight clapped her hands. "Alright then. We have our destination! Should we go now, or wait out the rain?"

"I don't think either the curse or the treasure is going anywhere, and you'll miss the warmth of the fire when you find yourself without it. Let's hold back for the rain to stop." Horizon leans against the hearth, and looks at Elric. "I don't suppose you have any other helpful hints to give us? Shortcuts to take, places to avoid, monsters to expect? Or should we be the brave and naive adventurers and discover that for ourselves?" His voice sounds irritated, like he's mocking someone who isn't here.

The man chuckled. "Well, if you've come here, you already know to expect the cursed and the Shades. Beyond that, I can't say much. The road will lead you to Miklev soon enough, and then... well, you'll probably find out more from Dawn then from me. I certainly couldn't tell you where the treasure might be - all the obvious places have been searched by now."

"And those places less obvious? Near-abandoned cabins along the side of the road, perhaps?" Horizon offers cryptically, with an added chuckle. "There's a metaphor to be found here, if nothing else."

Dagnir stared at the rain and shook her head. "I'm all for not wetting my fur again if I can avoid it. Thank you for the advice, Elric." She nods at him, then sits down by the window.

Eight snorted. As if it would be that easy, or simple. But if it was, it the curse would have already been lifted, and we wouldn't be on this glorious quest."She walked over to a nearby chair, and sat in it with a thump. "Honestly, I doubt there's any more information you can squeeze out of him, so why don't you follow you own advice and enjoy the fire?"

"Oh, there's plenty of information you can get out of me," Elric says, smiling. "Just ask me. You're new to Lashmir, right? I can tell you quite a bit about the place... if you'd like. I'm not sure how much you've already heard."

"And I'd think of all of us," Horizon addresses the young girl, "that you'd be the most talkative. Your type always is."

Eight froze a bit." I am not a 'type'." She said steely. "I am a person. I'd prefer you treat me as such. For instance, you could refer to me by my name, Horizon.And if you intend to inquire about the color of every blade of grass in Lashimir, I'm sorry, but I'm not interested. "

ooc:

"Young, eager, naive, vocal, and sociable. You are very much a type, and I've had plenty of young ladies just like you around to know that for a fact." Horizon speaks plainly, like reciting an essay. "But relax, you could be a much worse type. Like my type. Or..." he vaguely gestures at the spindly, motionless creature kneeling nearby, "...whatever his type is. No need to get flustered....whatever your name is."