A Reunion Aboard the Lady Narath, Part 1

Darvin watched the Wood Elf, whose name he couldn't remember, walk down the gang plank and disappear into the crowds on the wharf.  He always felt pangs of guilt and longing when the elf maidens would leave in the morning. Deep down he always knew that he had become a shadow of his former self, but he could always rationalize his way out of it. He had failed, he didn't matter anymore. Although, that last thought had been proven wrong when he had received notice that the leading Guild of the city had put a lien on the Lady Narath. In his depression he had neglected to pay off the debts the City Council had bestowed upon the group when the ship was put under his care.

He was lost in thought as he stared out over the crowd. A familiar looking cat caught his eye.

"No...it can't be." Darvin thought to himself. He needed to get a closer look.

"Guybrush, please bring me the spyglass," He requested to the monkey.

"Another pretty lady in the crowd this morning, sir?" Asked the cheeky monkey as he handed Darvin the spyglass.

Darvin ignored the comment and used the instrument to look over the crowd. Upon closer inspection, Darvin was sure that he had just spotted Tigrisclawu, who was having a terrible time trying to catch a swallow. Although, it was maybe the most athletic swallow that Darvin had ever laid eyes on. Eventually, the cat caught the bird and continued down the wharf where he dropped the creature at the feet of a very attractive woman. Who was standing next to a very large Paladin.

"Well, I'll be dipped in shit and rolled in breadcrumbs!" said Darvin in surprise.

"One of Greg's recipe's, sir?" asked Guybrush.

"No, you cheeky bastard. Beranhond and Tigrisclawu are down there. Sure as the sun rises they are." Darvin explained. He quickly climbed a third of the way up the rigging of the main mast and started to wave at Beranhond and his companions.

"Beranhond! Up here! The Lady Narath has missed you!"

Tigrisclawu and Flutterwings

Please note that the following is an adapted version of the thoughts and mindset of both Tigriclawu and Flutterwings. Sadly, bird and cat thoughts are hard to translate into the common speach of Faerun, so a certain amount of anthropomorphization is required. 

Flutterwings the sparrow was born shortly after the troubles began. These troubles didn't bother her one bit as the destruction of parts of Baldur's Gate created wonderful hiding spots in which to nest and live. Plus, she and her siblings had many delightful places in which to swoop and soar, and there was always the presence of all the other sparrows from which she was thinking of selecting her mates.

The pier was one of her favorite places to stay around until one day when life became a little stranger after an odd human grabbed her and said 'you'll do nicely.' After that she felt this odd compulsion to fly about in an obvious way. This unerved part of her, but whenever she tried to stop she found that she couldn't. Her heart fluttered uncontrollably when a tiny human grabbed a hold of her body as she danced along the wharf. To her utter surprise she shouted, "Visit Oden's for all of your adventuring needs!" In perfect common speech at which the little girl screamed in horror and ran away.
Still, Flutterwings flew about drawing attention. Yet, she found that her ability to dart around and escape harm was superswallow! That part she adored, yet it was put to the test when an intelligent looking cat began to poke around the wharf.

Tigrisclawu hated Baldur's Gate. He hated the place the first time he had been brought by Beranhond, he hated it the second time he had been brought by Beranhond, and he hated it the third time that Beranhond sent him. The last time he protested about being sent as an advanced scout, shrieking in anger at Beranhond about being treated like a common household pet. Beranhond was about to give up until Evelaen stepped in and started to pet and cuddle him, encouraging him about how strong and tough and independent of a cat he was. Tigrisclawu knew that she was buttering him up, but he gave way to her utter charm and agreed to slink off into the city to search for a message from Violet.

On the second day in the city he found his way to the wharf and couldn't believe his eyes when the most delicious smelling swallow darted all around. He darted around, snarling, and hissing, his tail thick as he jumped from the various barrels, containers, and boxes in an attempt to catch the bird. Despite his best effort the swallow seemed to have an almost supernatural ability to avoid his attacks and the swings of his claws.

Finally, after a truly sneaky and dashing move he managed to trap the bird underneath his claws, as he licked his lips and bent his face toward the struggling the swallow. To his surprise the bird squeaked in common, "Deliver me to your master." Tigrisclawu growled, and then bent down, gently, and took the bird, delicately, into his mouth and carried it off in the hopes of finding Beranhond.



To his delight, he saw that Evelaen, and Beranhond, had actually made their way to the wharf. He dropped the swallow in front of Evelaen, just as a gentle reminder to Beranhond that he hadn't completely forgiven him.

For every season

The area surrounding Baldur's Gate had fallen steadily into a wilder and wilder state and travel was becoming increasingly difficult. Roving bands of brigands and outlaws harassed the few merchants and traders willing to brave the treacherous journey.

Outside of the once fair and prosperous city a small enclave had formed at the top of the hill guarding the path into the city. The people living their were called by a variety of names, though they themselves claimed no title or allegiance. The city officials generally let them be as they helped to guard the passage into the city and, for the most part, kept the peace.

Rumors floated around the city that the leader of the encampment was a former Paladin of Torm. Others said that it was a foul mouthed halfling, yet others swore to their dying day that it was an elf lord from a distant kingdom. Regardless, it was common knowledge that the leader of the encampment had been part of the alliance that had led the charge against the forces of the darkness years ago...

Beranhond sat up in shock, breathing heavily, sweat pouring from his brow. He looked about the room, trying to remind himself that he wasn't in the midst of the long ago battle.
"What's wrong Eth?" Came a woman's voice from beside him.
He rubbed his eyes and turned to look at her, smiling slightly despite himself.
"It was that dream again... of Candlekeep, and of my visit to the aftermath of the Temple of the druids." He said in a tired voice.
"Oh, Eth, I'm sorry." She said putting her hands around him and pulling him down into the mattress. "At least we made it safely to Baldur's Gate and can start looking to see if there is any sign or words of your friends.
"Yes." He said letting himself be pulled back into the comfort of the sheets.
 As Evelaen fell noislessly back to sleep Beranhond's mind couldn't help but reflect on all the changes since his last trip to Baldur's Gate. It had been filled with the worst kind of adventure - after the disaster at Candlekeep he'd worked with the Paladin's of Torm to stem the tide of darkness from reaching into the continent. Yet, it had been for naught, as the dark God arose, and changed the balance of the land. All across Faerun word had spread that the Gods and Godesses were distant, beyond hearing, and their miracles and blessings seemingly less potent. Beranhond's own faith had been shaken after...
No, he thought, I'm not going to think about that right now.
He looked over at the dark haired, dark eyed, Evelaen, and pushed her hair out of her eyes. It had been an unexpected event that had brought them together, but she had become one of the few sources of comfort in the troublesome world of Faerun.
The next morning Evelaen and Beranhond packed up their meager belongings, said goodbye to the surprisingly polite innkeeper and headed off into the partially ruined city that was Baldur's Gate. Along the way Beranhond pointed out the changes that had occured to the city - especially noting the square where he had once upon a time had the ability to cure the multitude, and the entrances to the underground where they had to fight giant rats. Evelaen humored Beranhond as he narrated nostalgia, even asking a few follow up questions to show her willingness to listen.

Finally, after some backtracking around blocked streets they found their way to the wharf district.
"If Darvin is anywhere, he'll be here, and I know that Violet told me that she'd leave word for me at the docks if she was ever in the area."
 

It's Time...

Darkness. Pounding. Pain. The moment before you open your eyes in the morning. These were the sensations Darvin was experiencing. He opened his eyes and looked around the room. Moonlight was pouring in through the cabin window. His head hurt. He noticed an empty bottle of rum lying on the ground. And then he noticed another one. This was a typical morning for Darvin Amblecrown, formerly mighty pirate, these days.

Darvin remembered setting off with his friends for Candlekeep three years ago. He even recalled fighting a battle, however, he could never remember how it turned out. He ended up in Baldur's Gate. He wasn't sure how he got back there either. His friends were nowhere to be found. Based on all of this, he had assumed that the ending of that battle had not gone well. That had weighed on the half-elf tremendously. He had never been as close to a group of people as he had been with his fellow adventuring friends. Slowly though, it all unraveled. First, with the death of Thjdolf five years ago. Then the Candlekeep disaster, as it came to be known in his head. And finally, with the dissolution with his ill-conceived marriage two years ago. It had lasted for 3 days and then she left him for a bard. Darvin had always hated bards. (For the record, my real life marriage is going great. No need to worry.)

The culmination of these three event had led him into a life of depression and alcohol. He had spent the last two years drinking the nights away on the Lady Narath. Slowly but surely the crew had disappeared. Either embarrassed for their captain or upset that they weren't getting paid. The only one who remained was Guybrush, his monkey First Mate. Darvin noticed his friend sleeping in his small cot in the corner of the room. It was also at this point that Darvin noticed the Wood Elf in bed next to him. This had become more and more frequent lately. Baldur's Gate had many seedy establishments. Darvin had discovered one called "The Naughty Wood Elf" which employed those very beings. He spent many nights drinking there and then bringing a random elf-maiden home. He looked at the woman laying next to him. 

"What the hell is her name again?" He thought to himself.

"Nefertari? Nefertiti?" In the end it didn't matter. She would be gone right after sun-up. They always were. It was probably better that way. 

He got out of bed and made his way to the deck. The moon was low in the sky and sunrise would be soon. Darvin made his way to the rail and looked out of the harbor toward the open ocean. He started to reminisce on his times with his old friends. How he had met Talathel in a bar in Secomber. Two lost souls who found purpose through each other at just the right time. He thought of his large cleric friend, Beranhond, who was as bumbling as he was righteous. He sadly and fondly remembered his friend Thjdolf, who had died under mysterious circumstances. He thought of Nym as well. The half-elf maid they had discovered in a sewer. He shook his head when he thought about his ill-fated and ill-advised romance with her. He wondered what had become of them. He missed them terribly. It made his head hurt even more.

He heard the cabin door open behind him and Guybrush climbed up onto the rail beside him.

"Morning Cap'n." Said the monkey.

"We can't keep doing this, Guybrush," Darvin sighed as he looked out over the sea before them, "I wish our friends were still alive..."

"Aye Cap'n." The monkey nodded sadly.

"We can't do this anymore," Darvin said again, "It's time...it's time we move on. It's time we find out what happened to them and where they are. It's just time..." 

"It tis, Cap'n, it truly is." They both continued to stare over the vast Sea of Swords in front of them.

All right. Your guys' move.