Yestereve’s Happenings

     This eve was one of the most interesting nights I've seen in Tel'Ruid in a long time. As the attack group from Tel'Ruid was in Hythloth with the goal of slaying Baal'morda (and I was to faithfully guard the fey wine!) the Arrow was mostly empty. However, there was a scoundrel trying to steal a dye tub! As Ostar, I would normally have booted the rogue out, but as he happened to be Jared Syn, a member of Tel'Mithrim, and the dye tub was his to begin with, I figured I'd leave him be.
     I interrogated Jared (nicely) about his adventures while away from Tel'Ruid until moongates began to open outside of the Arrow, delivering the members of the attack group home.
     I stepped outside to hear Cat'trina asking Myra if her marks had left.
     "I haven't looked. And don't want to yet," she replied. "I feel good and don't want to ruin it just yet." Cat'trina looked quite unsatisfied.

     The news spread quickly that Baal'morda was dead, though a general uneasiness persisted in the group as they all hung around, wondering what was next. As if in answer, a skeleton clawed its way out of the ground beside the group. Needless to say, it fell quickly. As it did, another took its place. One other--scarcely reminiscent of the hordes that have attacked Tel'Ruid over the past several days. As that one was returned to the earth, another popped up. This continued for several more minutes, more a mystery than a threat. "I wonder... did we just severely weaken it?" "He ain't sendin' much is he?" "He ain't got much." "We have killed the daemon behind the attacks..." "Ya can't truly kill a Daemon."
     Meanwhile, Cat'trina and others renewed their interrogation of Myra, as the attack seemed to naturally be Baal'morda's work. She remained tight-lipped through the questions until Glorfindle stepped in and commanded them to back off. He needn't have done so, as at that time, Baal'morda disgraced Tel'Ruid with his presence, once more, appearing a short distance away from the group.
     "Curses... to you..." Baal'morda gasped, glaring at Myra with what appeared to be as much strength as he could muster. "... and your pathetic... gaggle of.. breathers..." Myra returned the look, and advanced towards the daemon. Seeing this, the daemon called for her to stop.
     "For my home and everything you've hurt!" she yelled, and slashed at the daemon with her scimitar. Surprising us all, the daemon then fell into a lifeless heap.
     "Why didn't you do that earlier?" Talanithus wondered.

     As Myra stood over the body, trying to accept what had happened, Melyanna rode into the clearing. "Trenton Sythe's tower is open again. There is a book in the tower that describes Patrons. And until it is seen, Myra needs to be watched."
     "I want to see it," Myra spoke. But before anyone had moved, the corpse of Baal'morda began to rise above the ground and floated away from the group.
     "What the hell?" "He is not dead." "He is being summoned?"
     It quickly became apparent that its destination was Tel'Ruid Temple, and as moved rather slowly, we easily formed a wall and blocked its entrance.
     "Allow you... where?" Myra asked, replying to an unheard request. Veil and Cat'trina repeated her question. "I heard it!" Azeron said, incredulous. Apparently, only those close to the body heard his voice, which had said simply "Allow me..." A few minutes later, the corpse decayed into dust, and that was the last of Baal'morda I've seen.
     A portion of the group then set out for Mord'sythe's tower, to see what they could learn from the book Melyanna had described, while others stayed behind to guard Tel'Ruid. Against, what, none of us knew, though we figured that if Baal'morda had to be killed three times, a fourth time might not be that far-fetched.

     As it were, Baal'morda didn't return, and the fey wine soon started flowing once more in the Arrow. People began to relax, a large crowd gathered in the Arrow, and talk eventually turned away from the hopefully late Baal'morda.
     I sat in the midst of the crowd, trying to keep track of all the conversations I could, but this proved to be an impossible task.

     "Mind if I sit here, Thrand darlng?" Christina called to Thranduil with a venom-laced smile and sat beside him, not waiting for an answer. Her pale skin and scent of decay called out clearly that she was a vampire.
     "I suppose I can keep an eye on you better there," he responded diplomatically, which elicited another smile.
     "Oh Thrand, is this the new girlfriend of yours?" Talanithus asked, joking.
     As an answer, Thrand asked the vampire, "Perhaps you should play with Tal."
     "Oh no, I cheat." Tal replied with a grin...

     Myra stepped into the Arrow, and was quickly assaulted with questions. Obviously fighting the urge to flee the tavern, she remained and sat at a table, conversing quietly with her friends...

     Elder Anomius strolled through the doors with an enthusiastic "Hail!" and collapsed into one of the barstools. "Why... oh why must you elves put your city so far out here?"
     "Far?" "Keeps the riff-raff away?" the questioning answers came.
     "My feet are sore from walking." the robed one replied. "Walking from Trinsic to here is no picnic, I tell ye.
     "Waterfalls that talk... fiendish skeletal marauders in the Britain graveyard... and old scholars who require cookies, of all things, in exchange for rumors... I swear, this realm gets more odd by the day." After requesting a pitcher of milk, he asked what had happened in Tel'Ruid since he'd last come.
     The answers came randomly, as people recounted the tales of walking reapers and then the many problems with Baal'morda...

     Awhile after all the facts and opinions on Baal'morda's attacks and deaths had come and gone (and Anomius had drunk several pitchers of milk), the Elder Xeranth arrived in a flash of lightning, fortunately, outside the Arrow. He walked in and sat at the bar.
     "Can I get ye anything?" I asked Xeranth.
     "Hrmm, how about a wine?"
     "Ahh, a real drink," I said, half joking to Anomius.
     "Mmm... Milk," Anomius said.
     To that, Xeranth replied with a grin, "I am a man with class."
     Interestingly, Xeranth drank the pitcher of wine with as much speed as his counterpart, and I found myself placing another two pitchers on the bar.

     Awhile later, after Anomius had left, and Xeranth had switched seats to flirt with Alleandra, a human woman stepped in, obviously several weeks pregnant, and sat at the bar. "Has anyone seen someone named Elrond?" she asked to any in earshot. "I was told he frequents here." It was easily seen who she believed the father to be.
     Tessa stepped up to her and spoke, "Oh, he's on his way. I just passed him up."
     Somehow, as things usually do around Tessa, the conversation turned angry, with the pregnant woman (who refused to give her name) defending her case, and Tessa... well... being Tessa. Soon, Elrond stepped in, with Vivian at his side.
     "Elrond, honey!" the pregnant woman called. Elrond looked blankly at her and asked who she was. "Look at me! You did this! You said you loved me!"
     "You are quite mistaken," Elrond replied.
     The woman stared at him for a moment and fled the Arrow.
     Elrond claimed that he had never met the woman before, and that there was absolutely no chance that he was the father. This was followed by an enlightening conversation about why he wasn't the father, which I think needs not be repeated here...

     As the night wore on, the crowd thinned, and I decided that was a good time to head home and reflect on what had happened this eve.

--Brisid