With everyone having moved past the chuckle at Nebulos’ expense, the trio of scholarly travelers decided to move on. Keeping close to the center of the path, they neared the turn in their path, and the lights shimmered a multitude of pale colours. Gold and whites, blues and yellows twinkled around the bend. Moving as quietly as they could to take a peek around the corner, they were startled by what they saw. Standing their, in the middle of a grove measuring roughly 20’ in radius, was a unicorn trotting around too and fro. Along the length of its beautifully spiraled horn sat a pair of tiny sprites twinkling lights floating all about their persons. The unicorn traipsed along without a care in the world, and the sprites were more than happy to go along for the ride. Listening closely the trio could here the sprites speaking.

“You know Frik, I really like the shinies, the way they glimmer, it matches my beautiful wings don’t you think?”

“Oh Frak, no gem could ever outshine you, you know that; even though it’s the size of a man’s head you’re still the prettiest pixie in all the woods.”

Frak: “Oh Frik you always say the sweetest things. But the shiny really is soooo big and soooo pretty. Maybe we should go check on it, you can compare my beauty to it some more an tell me how I out sparkle it?”

Frik: “Of course dear, but be careful, we wouldn’t want anyone else finding our secret hiding place now would we?”

Frak: “Oh, no, it’s perfectly safe. No-one would ever find it in there“

Frik: “Well, just be careful, and remember to pull the blue one this time, you remember what happened last time you were in a hurry and pulled the red one?”

Frak: “Oh yes I do, were it not for your amazing heroics it would have certainly meant a terribly agonizing death!“

With that, the pixies patted the young unicorn on the horn, and Frak blew it a sweet kiss, before the two of them began an easy flight across the clearing towards the other side of the grove where another path continues on.

Aelistae smiled graciously as Elesia praised her abilities to heal those stricken by the sword-arms of the bandits and by their parting gift of the fireball.

‘Although these men were like no bandits I’ve ever seen,’ she thought to herself as she recalled their willingness to throw away their own lives rather than surrender.

Aelistae shook her head and the errant thought away. There were still sick comrades that needed her attention.

“If you can aid me in healing the stranger, Sister, I would be grateful,” the drow priestess said to Elesia with a gesture towards Kas. “Eilistraee is a generous mistress, but I fear that I’ll soon have spent all of the blessings she has given me this day.”

Aelistae briefly touched her own forehead, and that of Xaris as she made her way to Kas’ side once more.

“I am not hear to hurt you,” she whispered to the stranger, aware of how her appearance could startle surface races. Except when Aelistae looked at the woman without the horrific burns she had been clad in before, she realised that she was not a member of any of the surface races she had seen. She was beautiful but in an odd, unearthly way.

Aelistae promised herself that she would ask the woman about it later. For the moment she contented herself with a swift prayer to her Goddess, and another spell of healing over the stranger.

OOC: Cure Light Wounds on Xaris, Aelistae and Kas. 1d8+3 for each spell.

Aelistae’s Healing results:
Kas - Cure Light Wounds 1d8+3 =7
Kas HP: 25/31

Aelistae: Cure Light Wounds: 1d8+3 =5
Aelistae HP: 27/30

Xaris -Cure Light Wounds: 1d8+3 =6
Xaris HP: 56/60

Elesia walks over to where everyone is wounded, and looks over the companions. “Lady Aelistae, I do not wish to go against your wisdom, but perhaps, if I bare what meager healing we have left this day, I should save it. Aside from some marks that will likely tell of all your bravery and character to future generations, it would seem you are likely no worse for wear.” Sunshine and Daisy soon trotted alongside Elesia, who reached into their saddlebags and pulled forth a vial from each. “So too were you very brave.” Said the songstress to both Moira and Moonshadow. Perhaps to Loriel’s surprise, neither creature, particularly her wolf so much as flinched as the strange woman neared. With the a gentleness befitting a mother to her babe, Elesia fed both creatures the contents of a vial from a bowl formed by her delicately cupped hands.


Moonshadow: Potion of Cure light wounds: 1d8 +1 =8
28/33
Potion of Cure Light Wounds: 1d8+1 =9
Moira: 26/30

Both creatures were obviously relieved of some of their pain,--as well as a healthy layer of hair-- and moved aside Loriel, hoping to ensure she too was fit to go on.

Aelistae nodded, seeing the wisdom in Elesia’s words.

“That might be best, especially if we intend to track down the last of these…” Aelistae paused trying to think of the best word to describe the group they had fought off. Clearly they were more than bandits, and yet she knew little of humans and even less of what group they might represent. “…Humans,” she finished at last with a shrug.

“I have come across bandits before, but none like these. They were willing to die rather than be captured. To attack an armed group rather than flee. And the bridge and river we saw were illusions.”

Aelistae cocked her head as if pondering the mystery, before shrugging once more, and turning to regard the prone form of Kas.

“How are you feeling?” she asked the woman in her lilting common.

Loriel gives way as the Drow Priestess moves in to the fallen warrioess. She adds her prayer to Corellon as well. When the Drow left to help others Loriel continued to bandage and patch the woman, then Moria and Moonshadow since they had no way to heal themselves. She uses her one heal spell on the worse injured of her companions.

Loriel soothes Moira as she gently tended her wounds, praising her courage. Moonshadow was still on edge, she could tell but not with her just the situation. She cared for Moonshadow’s wounds as well using the healing skills and such her to aid.

She was still working on Moonshadow when the Drow Priestess returned. Loriel was surprised that the woman asked if she wanted healing. She was surprised herself, she had almost forgotten the woman’s race, one which was usually a bitter enemy of hers. Loriel turned to the Priestess and looker her in the eyes, "I would be a fool to reject your healing, Priestess, and I am not a fool. If you please, I will appreciate your gift of healing." As the healing energy washed over her Loriel felt a whole lot better. The burning sensation was lessened and her wounds closed and much further along in healing.

“Thank you very much I fell much better as I daresay we all do for your healing powers.” Loriel nods to the Drow women trying to be a generous as the woman had been with her healing skills.”

In the aftermath of the battle, Loriel’s quick mind reviewed the event from start to finish n her mind. A lot of things just did not add up and make any sense. For one these were not just bandits or thugs waylaying travelers for money. Why would someone go to such great length and this extensive illusion of water and bridge that actually had a physical existence to make money from chance met strangers?

“Priestess I think we need to of over what happened here. It totally doesn’t make sense to me, that what looked like bandits exhorting money from strangers would be, in reality, a high level illusion, with desperate men that carry some powerful magics. We really need to look the dead over and find out what we can,” Loriel states. She rises to go over to where the dead lie and examine each one carefully. This includes stripping them of everything, and examining their bodies as well for any clues in their possessions or on their bodies. She will also collect all their weapons and anything of value.

“I need a magic user to see if any of these things are magical.” Loriel calls out

She had come to a bridge over a river that would not be easy to ford, the intent of the sentries that demanded toll was not right. There was evil about her and a fight ensued as she had tried to cross the bridge without paying, during which a terrible blow between her eyes from a mace wielding sentry sent her into oblivion. She was lost in a nothingness, until a red haze rose with her returning consciousness and she found that she was not alone, others where now fighting the sentries. There was an intense desire for retribution as she rose and fought. She had cut off the foot of one sentry disabling him and then she turned on mace wielder, the man who had downed her earlier. Just as the enemy began to run a great conflagration enveloped the fighters on the bridge. Kas leaped over the bridge into the water in a vain attempt to escape the fire damage; luckily she was unconscious before hitting the dry ground.

Kas opened her bright golden eyes to find a Drow female kneeling beside her. Her first thought was to defend herself, but the healing that had been done to bring her to consciousness was not enough to allow her badly burned body to respond. The Drow then prayed or incanted a spell for healing, Kas felt the soothing warmth spread out over her body and even more of her pain dissipated in its wake. This was no follower of Lloth or any of the other deities followed by the Drow and the dwellers of Underdark.

“Thank you,” Kas got out, with some lingering pain. She slowly began to move testing out the extent of her remaining damage. She winced once or twice as she moved newly healed and unhealed burned skin. When she could she reached for her sword, and used it to help her stand.

Her eyes widened as she looked about and saw no rushing river or bridge. Off to one side was a couple of carts and some milling riderless horses, including Sunfire her big palomino war horse, there was no mistaking his deep gold body and snow white mane and tail.

She whistles and winces again. Sunfire raises his head and canters down to where Kas stands. Kas then slides her bastard sword back into the O-ring and taking hold of Sunfire’s stirrup, using it to help support herself.

As they stood together they were a picture in tones of gold and white. Kas’s eyes were bright gold ringed with a dark circle, like an owl’s or eagle’s eyes. Her skin was pale gold and her hair was snow white like her horse’s mane and tail, but it also seemed to have been dusted by powdered gold. She was dressed in golden tanned leather traveling clothes, well made, but not fancy About her neck was the golden symbol of Pelor and the only spot of color came from a medallion showing a set of balances on the head of a hammer on a bright blue background.

She looked to the strangers about her, which allowed each of Bart’s group to see an odd scar on her forehead, the place where the mace wielder had jabbed his mace causing her to go unconscious. It had the look of a sun in splendor. (A sun with rays around it.)

Searching through the dead… Loriel had begun picking through the fallen enemies, laying out anything and everything she could find while requesting the aids of a magic user to detect any aura’s they might give off. Elesia was only happy to comply, and she waved her hands out before her over the small pile of items and scraps before her. For a brief moment, those with especially keen senses such as Aelistae, Xaris, and Linnix (high spot rolls) were able to see the faintest outline of translucent wings behind Elesia; much too small to bare her flight, but definitely fairy in origin. With a gentle wave of her dainty fingers, she pointed towards a blackened, charred disc whose details were masked by black, as well as a scroll case which had sustained heavy burn damage, but apparently had kept its contents protected.

“The disc I do not feel right about my friends, there is something unsettling about it.” To Kas as well, the disc before them bode ill to her senses, though she knew not why.

Aside from those items, the following are also retrievable.

Small pouch carrying:
12 gold pieces,
40 silver pieces
1 silver non-magical ring

A burned and weakened, but functional set of banded mail
2 short swords
2 daggers
1 crossbow with 8 bolts
One set of ‘bandit’ apparel :Black hood, and cloak, boots (size 10male), vest and leather gloves

1 silver non-magical bracelet
I blackened magical unidentified/touched disc
1 scroll case with scroll inside.

Linnix, Barrbarra and Bart have all approached as well, though they say little in the way of opinion at first. It would see mthey are lost in thought as to what just happened.

A smile sprang up upon Aelistae’s lips as Kas rose slowly to her feet and thanked her for her the healing she had imparted.

“There is no need to thank me, Sister. I would have failed Lady Eilistraee had I let you slip away unaided.”

“My name is Aelistae D’Vrann,” she added with a slight bow, “I would be honoured to learn the name your mother gave you, and what you know of these men who attacked you.”

The drow woman turned momentarily, catching the faint outline of translucent wings upon Elesia’s back as she cast a spell upon the items Loriel had gathered. Her eyes widened slightly at the sight, but she did not comment upon what she had seen. Everyone had secrets that they at times they did not wish to divulge. And it was not as if Aelistae herself had not tried to hide her heritage.

“It may be that the disk is attuned to a sect or some group,” Aelistae offered in response to Elesia’s warning. “I could commune with Eilistraee this night, and ask her about the item. Until then perhaps we should avoid interacting with it?”

Whilst she avoided the disk, however, Aelistae did pick up the scroll case and examine its contents.

OOC: Aelistae will just see if she can make any sense of what’s written on the scroll. If it’s a spell and she can’t read it she’ll cast read magic.

Read magic is cast, and it is indeed a spell scroll, and a divine one to boot.

Alter Self: lvl1 Cl1
identify: lvl2 cl3

"FIrst of all, I could kick myself over this whole affair I bought a map of our route and had gone over it carefully. I remembered no river or bridge in this area. I should have figured out something was wrong, but I didn't." Loriel starts.

Turning to the others Loriel continues, "I will repeat to you all what I mentioned to Aelistae, something about this whole event just does not add up. Bandits with access to magic do not waylay travelers on an illusionary bridge for a few silver per person, nor do they have out fireball necklaces. Bandits usually run when face with even odds. We might not have looked strong but when we started taking them down only one ran and rest fought on even killing themselves rather than running. Someone sent set them here and set the bridge and river illusion. Did they want to stop us? Could this be the work of the the Mage leading the other group?"

"First e need to stash all that and bet moving, We need answers and so we need to get hole of the one who ran off. I will put Moonshadow on the trail. Loriel moves over to where the man ran off from points to the ground for Moonshadow. "Find." Moonshadows moses the area picking up the scent her keen nose thousands of time more sensitive than and man's or an elf's. Once she has it she loooks up to Loriel's face. It was her signal Moonshadow had the scent and was ready to hunt. Loriel whistles to Moira to her and mounts up.

Let's ride

Sense motive on what I hear these pixies say .. as to how i might respond to this situation. Keep in mind I am already suspicious of anything a pixie says.

As far as you can ascertain, the pixies indeed have something of valuable stashed away and are heading there now to check up on it.

"My name is Kas......Kasenarrion....." Kas seems to stop to ponder something, her brow wrinkles as happens to someone in deep and puzzling thought.

For the Drow had given her whole name, and Kas had given her family name and her given name, but not her surname, as most all have surnames of one sort or another, but try as she might she could not come up with a surname.

As the Drows attention was turned to others of her group, Kas mounted Sunfire. As they speak of things they found Kas rides over. Even before she approached the pile of loot, she feels an unease, a sense of something being wrong, being Evil. When one of them pointed out a disc and mentioned that it was strange and felt wrong, Kas's own impression, now centered on the disc, intensified as she looked at it. It was not only dark in color, but there was a dark aura about it.

"That disc must be destroyed, or buried," Kas spoke to no one in particular. She did not know why she felt that, but is was a strong apprehension that flooded into her, even before she saw the disc, "It is tainted with Evil."

Her estimation of the disc came out of her mouth, even while she was trying to understand how she knew that, or at least came up with the idea that is was Evil.

You know, a Unicorn could fetch a fair price and would make a great pet .. It would be such a shame to leave it here all alone in the clearing Nebulos commented quietly to his companions with a smirk. Shall we follow those pixies quietly. No doubt though if that Unicorn sees us we will have to deal with it.

Whips' eyes for all they were worth might as well have been gold dubloons. It was obvious he was already counting his share of the kill in his mind, long before Nebulos mentioned possibly going after the unicorn.

Selena however was less sure.
"To slay a unicorn, so pure a creature is undoubtedly an act of cruelty and evil. While I understand what riches lie within her beautiful form, and what rare magical components might be harvested, do we really want to cross that line? We're already attacking pixies, something that was not on the doctrine of my signing up to rid a keep of goblinfolk. How far do we stray from our path?"

Whip just looked back and sneered. Without hesitation he fell into the workings of a spell, and in a mere moment the others could tell they were under the influence of a Invisibility Sphere focused on the gnome.

"Bah." Whip snorted; much akin to a dwarf. "The beasts alone, and there are three of us, how hard could it be? Plus, there's noone around to sit us in a corner and tell us boo boo how bad we were. Are ye mice or men? I doubt ye'll have another chance to fetch such fine components as unicorns blood ... or that horn in this lifetime lady. We're talking the things of rituals, epics invocations here, and if not for us, then I be knowni a few patrons who I bet would offer hefty reward for netting us this extra bounty. Perhaps even Gafgherion hmm?"