12 Mirtul 1368
After sixteen uneventful hours of travelling, we arrive at the southern end of the Trade Way. We’re not far from Nashkel now, but we remain alert. The road has been full of hobgoblins and ogre-kin on our journey thus far.
As we travel further south, we come across a hobgoblin that Morwen quickly takes down
Unfortunately, it isn’t alone.
We take out a second hobgoblin, but they have archers supporting them.
Drake moves to take out the archers.
With the archers occupied, we finish them off easily.
They don’t have anything interesting – the usual weapons, armour and gems. One necklace in particular stands out, though.
The Colquetles have a home in Beregost, if I remember right. Yet another package I’ll need to deliver soon.
We make a grim discovery within the hobgoblin camp. If I’m right about who these bodies belong to, Mr. Colquetle won’t be seeing his family again.
We check the area for more hobgoblins, but find only a gibberling.
We keep searching and find 4 more hobgoblins.
We make corpses out of them.
We find another. It’s alone so doesn’t give us any trouble.
We come across some human bandits in the area as well.
They pelt us with arrows, and Verr’Sza and I get hit. We take one of them down in return.
Damn, these guys are stronger than I expected. I was lulled into a false sense of security by the hobgoblins.
Drake charges them with his Rift Hammer while the rest of us regroup.
They retreat, so we follow and provide cover with our ranged weapons.
They fall to our weapons.
Drake heals Verr’Sza, and I summon some Mage Armor for myself.
We are surprised to come across a ghoul further south.
Morwen reminds it how to be dead.
We find an old hermit wandering nearby.
Aegon: Your… yard? No, wait! Please, I was hoping to speak with you. Has your isolation given you any insights I may benefit from?
Portalbendarwinden: Eh, insights? Um, never take raisins from rabbits, never spit in a man’s face unless his moustache is on fie, and don’t take any wooden knickers unless you’ve got a good supply of salve.
Aegon: Okay, I’ve just about had my FILL of riddle asking, quest assigning, insult throwing, pun hurling, hostage taking, iron mongering smart arsed fools, freaks, and felons that continually test my will, mettle, strength, intelligence, and most of all, patience! If you’ve got a straight answer ANYWHERE in that bent little head of yours, I want to hear it pretty damn quick or I’m going to take a large blunt object roughly the size of Elminster AND his hat, and stuff it lengthwise into a crevice of your being so seldom seen that even the denizens of the Nine Hells themselves wouldn’t touch it with a twenty-foot rusty halberd! Have I MADE myself perfectly CLEAR?
Portalbendarwinden: Well… someone certainly woke up on the wrong side of the realms this morning. So be it, I shall say my piece and nothing more. You have an exceptionally unstable aura because you are literally at odds with yourself. I have not seen your like before, but I get the feeling that is because your type do not survive exceptionally long. Your battles to come are both physical and otherworldly, but I cannot discern the outcome. Your coin is on its edge. If that means nothing to you, then I cannot help. Leave me now.
The rest of our party stares at me. I’m not sure what came over me. It’s been almost a tenday since I last left the Keep, and I still don’t have answers. Perhaps it was that. And I just unleashed that frustration on this man.
But what he said… At odds with myself? My coin is on its edge? Is he saying I can determine my own fate? So Gavin was right?
No. It’s nonsense. Just another crazy old man out here in the wild.
Right?
We make our way back to the road, where we meet a travelling half-orc.
Morwen: We also don’t seek trouble.
Uguth: Forgive my talkativeness. I know I can’t conceal my orcish heritage, and it’s given me a lot of unnecessarily unpleasant confrontations in the past.
Well then, now I will leave and continue on my way to Baldur’s Gate, where my beloved is waiting!
This is the start of a quest from Baldur’s Gate Mini Quests & Encounters by jastey.
The Half-Orc continues north along the Trade Way. “Half-orc” – such a human-centric name. Humans think they are the center of the Realms.
We find more gibberlings to kill. As usual, they aren’t much of a threat, but one of them manages to scratch Drake.
We meet a wealthy-looking traveller when we get back to the road again.
Aegon: Am I to understand you are from that faraway city?
Lord Foreshadow: Oh, I actually hail from Waterdeep. The great City of Splendors has much more in the manner of social luxuries suited towards my particular tastes. I do, however, make a point of keeping in touch with Neverwinter, though I have only visited once previously. It was quite popular in those nights, if I recall correctly. I’m going to make a second trip in the coming year, and I’ll wager it will be as popular again.
Ah, almost forgot! I have a trinket for you from a secret benefactor. You are young and on the road, my friend… It might well happen very soon that you fall in love with one of your companions. Here is a little something to help you win a heart.
He gives me a ring.
One of my companions…? Helga laughs when I look at her. I turn to Morwen and ask her if she knows what this ring could be. She tells me it’s a Ring of Human Influence.
Well, this is a good replacement for Algernon’s Cloak. It basically does what the unmodded cloak does. As far as I can tell, this is added by the BG1 NPC Project, though I’m not sure exactly why.
I put it on. I don’t really feel different. And yet…
…maybe I’m a bit more confident now.
We are only 8 hours travel away from Nashkel. The roads seem a little clearer as we move southward. I talk to Drake as we travel.
Aegon: I’d like to ask… do you think there could be anything between us?
Drake: Between you and me? Never thought I’d see that coming. Usually I’d make the first move on someone and see whether they responded by swooning or slapping me.
I’m the heir to the Caulfield family, ever since my brother died at war. I have a duty to carry on the bloodline by siring an heir, and even if the thought of it irritates me, I feel duty-bound to uphold my responsibilities. Still, if it were up to me…
You’re not all that unappealing, Aegon, I’ll admit it. But we’ve got a few years between us, and you’re still fresh to all of this, I wager. Give it some time, then see if you’re still interested. I’m not planning on dying any time soon.
I don’t usually flirt. I’ve never flirted with anyone, in fact. Even in the Friendly Arm, it was Linda doing all the work.
What is this ring doing to me?
