***The intricately covered
ice blue journal contains a single
blue crystal on the centre, with the simple gold lettering below it
'Lazulin' ***
Page 15
A'horangi of Syrtis required assistance. The Syrtis people had been contacted by the K'tenshin War College, they were in need of the legendary insight of the Syrtis. As such A'horangi was being dispatched to investigate the disappearance of two instructors form the War College. We were accompanied by Bloodbeat, Elisen, and Azurea. Just enough diplomatic tact backed up by enough force to be respected by a military academy.
We learned that the instructors has apparently gone AWOL, having stolen off in the early morning. Investigation turned up a portrait of the commanders and a third colleague, as well as a wooden token. These led us towards the town of Farram, a week up the river. We were given the escort of a riverboat and her crew and made for the town of Farram. We ran into a small amount of trouble on the way, ufghants attacked in a pack. We prepared to repel them and moved as a well oiled machine, allowing them to extend into us and then vanquish them one at a time. A few of us were affected by the powerful poison, however a few Kelia's Antidotes and some Cold Purification by Azurea and all were fine.
We arrived in Farram a few days later, and speaking with a local fisherman on the docks revealed that the two instructors had arrived a few weeks ago and we're under the employ of the 'new' boss. It seems this boss had violently overthrown the last boss and was not particularly pleasant to the people. This already started to boil my blood. We proceeded to the large tavern to meet with this boss. Elisens and A'horangi spoke with him when we found the instructors in the tavern with him. While he attempted to negotiate Elisens fealty in exchange for the two instructors, Bloodbeat was able to discern a lower level to the tavern with a guard and a captive. Elisens bought time, and told the bandit leader he would sleep on the offer. I know a plan was hatched, but I was seething and rather distracted. The leader flaunted the fact that they were all but extorting people into doing what was best for them, with no consideration for the people around them.
We retired to the inn and prepared our plan. Azurea would sneak to the building under the cover of night and magic and attempt to locate a way to the prisoner, she did one better and took out the guard and freed the prisoner. This person proved to be the leverage that the boss had been using over the two instructors. He advised us to inform is friend that he would always loose at cornhole to convince him that he was safe.
Before I even had full confirmation of the next steps, I was out the door and proceeding to confront the bandits. We walked into the tavern and I pointed to the boss, V'korn and turned to the instructor named I'jacloi and claimed in a flat tone "I challenge you to V'korn-hole, I'm told you'll lose." As the eyes of the T'skrang instructor lighted with understanding, the light of the Point of Triumph bathed my allies and battle was joined. I did not break my gaze upon each enemy, I did not stop to avoid what they threw at me, I simply shrugged off what I could and moved forward to the deliver the next punishment. At some point I'm told they surrendered, I remember nothing of the such. Though I respect that each accumulates their own defeats, and A'horangi and the instructors eventually started to knock the opponents unconscious.
We freed the original town leader and turned the captives over to him and the town. We returned to the War College and the instructors took their punishment with the responsibility of a leader. A'horangi was invited to study with the instructors for a while, and a transport was provided back to Throal for the rest of us.
While our beliefs may differ, the team was like that of the fire engines on the T'skrang vessels, each piece doing a specific job to help us be thrust to success. It is good that an engine such as this can drive itself forward without a great deal of delicate attention, because some of the situations did not require delicate touches.
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