The Fires of Hel
After parting ways with the wagon-driving bard, I found that I was still unable to muster any significant number of my former companions for the battle against the bandits. After looking around a bit, the best I could do was to gain knowledge of another party of adventurers by the name of Dementi Co. They would no doubt be strong enough to aid me, but they were currently off in another region of the island. I rode hard for many days in hopes of reaching the city of New Vanari before they passed through.
Shortly before my arrival, I passed a group of several dozen black-armored dwarves on the road. They told me that their leader was with the very same party I sought, and that they would be grateful for any information on him. Sure enough, when I arrived in New Vanari, one of those divvying up treasure in the dock area matched the description I had been given. The dwarf seemed suspicious of me and told me that his clansmen were attempting to detain him against his will. However, when I told the party of the threat of the bandits, they were eager to help out, particularly after I mentioned the two dwarven spellcasters. However, Dementi Co. was in the middle of a mission to escort three members of the House Stewart to Connor [sic], and they were scheduled to sail with the tide. I decided to go with them for the moment, leaving Brand at the Order of Acquisition's stable. The party appeared to consist of the renegade dwarven noble (who appeared to be a druid), two human warriors, an elven archer, a halfling archer, and a halfling sorcerer.
As the ship weighed anchor, we saw the dwarf's kinsmen arrive at the docks. The captain of the ship was determined to deliver his passengers safely and promptly, but the dwarves soon gave chase in their own ship. Although our ship was magically enhanced, we found ourselves unable to shake the pursuers. Further, the two halflings and I had bouts of seasickness.
On the third day, a severe storm appeared, and we passengers attempted to weather it below decks. When all became quiet, we ventured above to find that the ship had been beached. The dwarves' ship had passed us on, although the halfling archer and one of the human fighters seemed keen on attracting their attention to get a reward for turning in their compatriot. We had run aground on the mainland (by which I am still not sure whether the captain meant the main island of Vanari or somewhere else entirely), so we climbed a cliff and made our way to the road, whence we could travel to a town and find horses to take us the rest of the way to Connor. One of the nobles being escorted was a child who was whining about having to walk, so he was allowed to use one of the party's riding dogs.
As we marched, three black-clad humans appeared out of nowhere in the middle of the road. The two warriors bore shields with an emblem half a woman's face, half a skull. The nobles warned us that these were the assassins from whom Dementi Co. had been hired to protect them. The halfling archer took the civilians back to a reasonably safe distance, while the sorcerer launched a fireball at the enemy. We were surprised to see the glowing bead vanish a few paces in front of its target. Nonetheless, I and one of the other warriors moved forward to deal with the armored assassins, while the other black-clad human produced a massive boar. Our two archers tried to pick off the sorcerer but found that he was well protected against arrows as well, so they joined the sorcerer in supporting our mêlée in the center of the road. Meanwhile, the dwarven druid tried to wheel around the flank and get to the mage, but found himself and his wolf blocked by the summoned boar. I personally struck a few good blows against the evil warrior, but he fought more consistently, and, even though I healed myself, I finally was beaten unconscious (yet again).
The dwarven druid awakened me with a healing spell, and I looked up to find that the only enemy left standing was the warrior I had been fighting. I merely managed to strike him with a bolt from my lesser bracers of dawn before the elven archer finished him off with her shocking bow. We tended to our wounds and those of the party's employers, who had apparently been caught in a fireball cast by the enemy mage. Then we continued on to Connor.
As soon as we had stepped inside the gates, they were closed behind us by more of the druid's clansmen. They insisted that their lord produce an heir before continuing on his dangerous adventures; his grandfather had arranged a marriage for him. After some extended negotiation (including the druid threatening suicide), we traveled to the castle to meet the contingent from Clan Rockchewer. After meeting his fiancée, Ulna, the druid agreed to go through with the wedding.
We were fitted out in finery for the ceremony. There, we met Zed, the druid's grandfather and current patriarch of their clan, and (briefly) Nicholas, the official from the Wayfarers' Guild who had transported him to Connor. After the ceremony, the druid and Ulna went off back to their home while the rest of us turned our attention to more pressing matters. . . .
Note to Self: