Trademeet

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" Princess!" he exclaimed. His first words since they left. Dalamar was always anti-social he would stand outside the tent all night. One who thrived in darkness never slept. When they marched the would guard their sides, back and front, but he never spoke. When he was finished with the undead he simply looked for more things to kill.

Dalamar had just walked in with a elk slung across his slender shoulders to hear the part about princesses.

" How did your mother die?" he asked, dreading the response.

 

"Oh you're here," Elwithral said," I didn't notice!"

 

"My father murdered her." Galliel told Dalamar matter-of-factly. "And he got away with it, some even lauded him for it. But I returned the favor. I shamed him in front of the court, which is why I'm here now and not there. It was worth it though, to see the look on his face."

Galliel could tell by the look on Dalamar's face that he wanted the full story.

"Okay, here it is. My mother was not really Princess Karance Wellblume of the Sword Coast. She was really Kissing Karen of the docks in Athkatla. She got tired of whoring and thieving the dregs of society, so she set her sights a might bit higher. She ensnared my father, Prince Raphalavie, with her beauty and her lies. Her story wasn't checked out much, because my grandfather is just from a secondary royal line, and hundreds of princes and dukes would have to die before my father got anywhere near the throne, plus, he is a spoiled brat who always gets what he wants, and he wanted to marry my mother."

Galliel chose a nice, ripe peach from the bowl next to her bed and took a big bite. "Well, you know how long romantic lust lasts, right? About nine months, or until I was born. Then my father was off to other conquests, and my mother was allowed to keep herself entertained with servants and slaves.

Everything went fine until a few years ago, when my mother started an affair with Bowmaster Illeys Eggyel, my archery instructor. Father found out and became insanely jealous, probably because Illeys was a much better bowman than he is, which is stupid, because as a high-mage my father never hunts anymore. Well, whatever the reason, he contrived to 'catch' the two of them in the act, then feign a rage big enough to justify murdering them and get away with it. Well, get away with it he did. He had a 'justified' reason, and my mother, being human, was never very well liked at the court anyway.

Well, I didn't like that at all. At the next session of the royal court, I called my father out as a liar and a coward. I exposed my mother as a whore and a thief. He took the bait and had at me, but I, who had served him his after dinner drink the night before, had arranged it to his disadvantage. I laid him low and arranged it so that he will never again enjoy conuptial relations.

Of course, the King intervened at that point and the guards restrained me. I was banished, de-crowned, and my father gave me my curse. I will never be able to love anyone. Anyone who I like will be plagued by ill luck, and I will constantly lose my friends. It's a pain in the ass, but I'm still alive.

I left that place and traveled to the docks in Athkatla, working for my mother's old employer for awhile, then I signed on with a mercenary group for awhile. After that I hooked up with a dwarf and a mage, who I just left before meeting up with you three in Trademeet.

Well, that's the down and dirty about me. Hope it doesn't scare you away."

She had finished her peach. She tossed the pit out the door of the tent.

 

"Interesting, did he kill her himself, or did he hire someone? I've heard of this tale, but never got the full details."

 

Dalamar seemed uneasy. Secretly he thought he might of killed her mother. He was once hired to kill a woman and an experienced archer. Dalamar was worried, he had begun to like this new party and didn't want to ruin it because of his past. Dalamar, The Darkness, killed, assinated and murdered but for once he began to hate himself for his evil ways. But Dalamar couldn't help it sometimes, a red haze would cloud his vision and he would become a demon in soul and in battle. Dalamar was the one cursed and feared he might in a century even turn on his best and only friend. Dalamar vowed that when he lost control he would kill himself before he killed too many innocents.

 

Elwithral could see Dalamar's uneasiness and had thought the same. If her father had hired someone, it would probably have been Dalamar. He was the best.

 

"No, he did it himself, as a high-mage would, with his magic. A couple of horrid wiltings that he modified to work over a long period of time, to draw out the agony, the bastard!" Galliel spat on the floor with hate.

 

"I knew him when I was a high mage. He was a bastard. He never liked me because of my half blood."

 

"Yes, he was a bastard, you can say that again, but if I said that as much as I felt it, my conversations would be quite boring. So enough about me, what about you? Have you ever met your non-elf parent? What's it like having an immortal as your mom, or is it your dad?" Galliel was feeling better now, she could only stay really angry for a short while.

 

"My mother was a priestess of Corellon Lathian, and my father was, or is rather, a celestial being by the name of Malinga. My mother's soul was sent on a mission to the heavens by Corellon Lathian, while her body was in a meditative state. While up there, she met my father.

They fell in love, somehow, and then I was conceived. The other priestesses couldn't believe that her soul had conceived a child. It had never happened before and they were delighted to have me. The nobles of Suldanessalar loved me, gave me every thing I wanted, and before I had even finished learning my language, they trained me as a wizard. I already had magic from my father, but I couldn't control it.

They trained me as a fighter without weapons, so I would be more focused on my magic. After I had trained for years, they appointed me to the High Council. I was sent on missions for Suldanessalar and there was one that made me want to leave.

I was sent to Amkethran to see a man by the name of Gytuio. I was sent there to get him to join the staff at a magic school in Suldanessalar. He didn't want to, but decided that I was hostile instead. He attacked, but never hit. This is the reason I was sent on missions. I had the most intense training on the High Council. He could never hit me and then started to use magic. His magic fizzled quite a bit and I wondered why the High Mage at the time wanted this fool.

I never acted towards him, I just dodged and parried. But then he disappeared. I looked around and then saw a cat. Then it vanished. Then a frog. I figured he was a shapeshifter and then understood why they wanted him. After a while of showing off his shapeshifting, he did a spell, which I thought would fizzle like the rest. The spell slashed me across the chest, closing my arteries and airways. I fell to the ground, as he turned to his normal self, not laughing, but just looking at me with a sort of pity in his eyes.

He then disappeared.

Luckily for me, a few commoners had heard the commotion and called the Healer of the town. He healed me, and was baffled that he couldn't identify the spell that had hit me. Not showing it, I too wondered, with all of my sorcerer training, what that spell was.

It was then that I decided to leave Suldanessalar. I wanted to track him down, but never did. I still am looking for him to this day.

After I left Suldanessalar, my mother died. It seems the only reason she stayed alive was because she was with me.

I travelled for years, doing errands for rich merchants and important figures, and then decided I would go to Icewind Dale. There, I met a mysterious figure, who I instantly had a depp hatred for. I had no idea why I hated this man. One day I confronted him, and my hatred took over me, and I attacked.

This man was Dalamar, a tiefling, the exact opposite of me.

We fought for weeks, not stopping, each of us bleeding and broken, destroying anything that came in our path. We both struck the same spell at one time, and it connected us between the magic. We were then drained of our energy and both fell to the ground.

We were out for at least three days then woke up. We spoke at each other and explained. After arguing, we decided to travel together, having similar stories. We travelled together for a century, bought a mansion together in Athkatla, but then split up on personal missions.

Lately, I travelled back to Trademeet to see another one of our houses we had bought. And you know the rest." Elwithral laid back on his bed and sighed.

 

"Wow, the truth is stranger than the legends about you two. I must say that I am honoured to be journeying with you both." Galliel yawned, "I guess that fighting has caught up with me, good night." She layed down and closed her eyes.

 

Dalamar was relieved he didn't have to tell his past. He didn't enjoy talking about his past.

His mother was raped by a demon warlord and was later cast off because of his heiretage. Later he became a cold blood killer for another cold blood killer. It's not a pretty story so he kept his silence.

" Night " Dalamar grumbled. Then went outside to keep guard in the dark cold night.

 

Dumbledalf had fallen asleep in the tent. He quickly woke up when the cold air rushed into the tent. Where... where am I?

 

"You're safe now, Dumbledo--- I mean Gandal-- I mean Dumbledalf." said Elwithral soothingly.

 

When the others appeared to be asleep, Galliel got up and went over to Dumbledalf. She cast an unobtrusive detection spell to see if he had any warding or defensive spells on him, which of course he did.

Slowly, she attuned herself to the resonance of his barrier, then slowly, slowly, she slipped inside his envelope of protection. She started softly humming a lullaby, with just a little magical encouragement in it to keep him in deep slumber. She cozied up next to him, he felt like a were-bear she had journeyed with in the north and often slept next to to keep warm. She gently patted his robes down and quickly felt the form of a few books underthem.

Ever so carefully, she removed one of the books from his robes. BINGO! It was a spellbook.

Of course it was warded, but since she was in his protective envelope, she hoped they wouldn't go off. There was a simple mechanical lock on it too, which she quickly popped with her left pinky nail, which she always kept long and filed in a useful shape.

She opened the book and started reading. There were many of the usual spells, some very interesting spells that she would like to try out someday, but alas, no spells that looked to hold any promise of removing a high-mage's curse without his consent. Damn!

"That bastard!" Galliel cursed a little too loudly.

Dumbledalf woke up with a start. Galliel quickly shut the book, put an arm around his shoulder and curled herself up in his lap.

"Grandpa, I couldn't sleep. Will you read me a bed-time story? Pleeeeeease?" She offered him the book and gave him her best puppydog eyes.

 

Dalamar heard a noise and rushed into the tent and found the attractive elf sitting on the old fools lap. Emotions of all sort came to his mind jealousy, anger, confused and suppisous. He just shook his head and mumbled an appology and hurried out of the tent. Dalamar was wary and he didn't like it.

 

Elwithral opened his eyes a bit, just to see what was going on. He had already sensed Galliel getting up, and read her mind of her feelings of curiosity. He knew what she was after. After seeing Dalamar enter and leave, said, " You know, I might have a spell to cure this curse. But you will have to wait until morning, my energy has gone," and noticing the look of excitement on her face," and I promise that I will make the curse more standable, if not cure it."

 

Morning...

Elwithral woke up with a start. He heard war drums.

"Galliel, Dumbledalf, Kalab, Dalamar!! Wake up!!" but not to his surprise he saw that Dalamar was already up and ready for battle. He cast a Divination spell, and wondered what was going on.

The spell then showed him the army of men advancing on Athkatla. "We must hurry!!" He said getting up quickly and cast protections on all of them. "We must go!!"

 

Dumbledalf had fallen asleep again without saying anything, so Galliel had slipped his spellbook back into his robes and went back to bed.

Waking up with a start, she grabbed her bow and sword belt, and ran out after Elwithral.

"One question," she shouted at Elwithral, "Are we fighting with this army, or against them?"

 

Elwithral thought and then,

"Against them."

He then waved his hand like the previous night and the tents were gone.