The Druid

[hakiko]

The druid finished his sermon and watched his parishoners disperse. The sun was setting as he turned back towards Surefall for a good nights rest.
Halfway his knees began to remind him that he was not as young as he once was.

"Perhaps," he said to himself, "running around in the hills bashing gnolls could be left to a younger man."

As he crested a hill he caught a flash of movement out of the corner of his eye. His chest sprouted a branch with feathers for leaves.

An anvil crushed onto his ribcage as he fell backwards clutching at the shaft protruding from his torso.

One of the rangers has shot me in the dark, I must be slipping I didn't give the signal.

Sure enough a green cloaked figure approached from the forest, rushing towards him.

"Its ok friend, it was an accident you are forgiven"

It was not going to be OK though his breath was getting shorter and lights swam before his eyes.

"Nay, old man, it was no accident. You should have left the Gnolls alone.'

The ranger lifted a club over his head and Hakiko's world went dark.

[hakiko]

Light filtering through the shudders woke him, to the burning in his chest.
Trying to move as little as possible, Hakiko took stock of his surroundings.

The light was dim in the room but he could make out some details. He was on a cheap bed under cheap but clean blankets. The windows were shuttered but it was probably around noon outside. The room appeared to be bare of any furnishings other than his bed and a dresser. A group of people were talking outside the door.

He turned his head towards the door and was rewarded by shooting pain and dancing lights. Ah yes, the club. Deciding further motion was ill advised he laid his head back down and closed his eyes.

Was I rescued? Captured? Left for dead and found? Where am I? How long have I been here?

He could hear more voices coming from beneath him. So I am upstairs then. The sound of glasses clinking, and laughing came up through the floor as the light from the window faded.

An inn, I'm in an inn. But this is not the inn in Surefall for sure. Where am I? How did I get here? Surefall, Surefall......Surefall!

The Gnolls! They had an agent, an assassin, in Surefall! And they knew about the druids plan to stop their treaty with the Froglocks.

[hakiko]

Early the next morning a blond woman in a light blue dress brought him some food. His attempts to start a conversation were unsuccessful. As she left he glimpsed a group of people confering at a table, guarded by the hulking for of an earth elemantalkin.

So I am most likely a prisoner then. But where? And why?

His day passed uneventfully and in the afternoon he manages to get to his feet and walk to his window. He could see hills ahead and a courtyard below surrounded by a crude fence. Just to the left of his window a sign flapped in the breeze but he was unable to read it.

As he lay in bed that night he heard a tapping sound on his wall. At first it irritated him and kept him from slee. Then he recognized it for waht it really was. A message in ranger code:

I am Nemo. And you are to be executed at noon.

[hakiko]

I have to get out of here tonight! But how?

The drop from the window seemed to be too perilous to attempt. That left the door. Crouching against it, he leaned his ear against the cool metal plate of the latch.

He could make out at least four voices coming through the door. One or more of them could be attached to a summoned elemental like he had seen earlier.

Too many to take alone.

Moving over to the wall, Hakiko tapped a message of his own.

"How do you know?"

"I got captured on purpose. We have a plan to get you out."