Pie sat in the tavern, listening to the traveler recount his stories. He had passed through goblinton and Pies big goblin ears twitched with interest a
s the man mentioned the names of people and places he was familiar with.
"..and then they told me why it was so empty. A viscous monster called a False Hydra had preyed on the village over the course of weeks devouring the poor souls of the village and with them the memories of the unfortunate victims. The innkeeper lost his wife, The tailor lost her husband, A family lost their only child, it seems like so many of the villagers fell prey to this hideous creature. The monster ate even the memory of the victims, and they went about their lives as if their loved ones had never been. Some brave folks faced the monster in a cave below the hills, and can you imagine, the memories of all the lost ones came flooding back with the creatures death. "
Pie nodded, remembering the Tavernkeepers wife, Mrs. Ladeki with fond sadness, and Mary the little girl whom they had played with her and her dog while they tired to figure out what was happening in the town of Goblinton. The town had been shaken by Mister Duncans death, Pies own mentor who had taught him magic when the monster in his head had been rampaging wildly and causing him to do terrible things. Thinking of the loss of the old kind wizard further increased his pang of sorrow, one he indulged briefly before swallowing it and returning his ear to the mans words.
"Fate was not through with the tribulations for Goblinton however. The town lost their mayor as invaders from another realm, sickly yellow skinned creatures called gith slaughtered him as they rampaged through, looking for a young boy who held the key to reviving a dark monster they revered as a god. A group of warriors and mystics fought the wild attackers, and escaped with the boy, fleeing and drawing the terrible group away from the vulnerable and defenseless town."
Pie was surprised at the accuracy of the mans tale. That almost exactly described their flight from the gith, taking Boy as far as they could from them. They had avoided the capitol city of Flechester and run south, trying to lie low in a small town. They had thought that perhaps they had evaded their pursuers and had taken a room. He remembered fondly Miss Ashla asking everyone about something she overheard one of the girls that worked at the inn say. They had all offered their own definition of a "One pump chump" and laughed. The terror and sorrow of the previous days seemed so far away in that moment.
"The brave group was cornered on a bridge though, as the gith freed their evil godlike being, and trapped between mercenary brigands and the forces of literal evil, the boy fell into their grip and the creatures retreated into their dark realm gleefully leaving carnage in their wake. " The traveler shook his head, seemingly taken by the weight of his tale. "The boy was gone, and the brave group that tried to help him were lost when they tried to chase after, and disappeared. No one has seen them since."
The other listeners piped up with questions, and talk turned to different topics. Pie drank his warm honey mead slowly, enjoying the pleasant drink as the surprisingly accurate gossip settled on his thoughts. They had been transported nearly a thousand miles south, into a wild and dangerous forest when they had tried to chase the gith and their dark master that had taken Boy. They had met Mister Rowey-boats there, who kept insisting his name was Rowan, but Pie was pretty sure he heard it right the first time. They were attacked relentlessly by were creatures and that was where mixture Lurog embraced becoming a were-boar, and would sometimes let LuHog out. That tale ended sadly and poorly as well, despite their best efforts to help the ancient druid reconcile with the humans.
Thinking of Goblinton There was one bright note, Mister Kalevi had left them to go back to goblinton. He felt that he could not journey on with the town in such sorrowful state and stayed to set up a temple to Mister Aitos, the face in the sun god he knew. Perhaps he should go visit the temple? Mister Kalevi had passed on, but he had left a beacon of warmth and light behind in the struggling town. Pie finished his Mead, and tossed the traveler a few silver with thanks for sharing the news from the small town.
Perhaps it was time to make the trip to the place where it all began, where he had met his friends and his mentor. A trip to remember the important things and to grieve all that had been lost.
s the man mentioned the names of people and places he was familiar with. "..and then they told me why it was so empty. A viscous monster called a False Hydra had preyed on the village over the course of weeks devouring the poor souls of the village and with them the memories of the unfortunate victims. The innkeeper lost his wife, The tailor lost her husband, A family lost their only child, it seems like so many of the villagers fell prey to this hideous creature. The monster ate even the memory of the victims, and they went about their lives as if their loved ones had never been. Some brave folks faced the monster in a cave below the hills, and can you imagine, the memories of all the lost ones came flooding back with the creatures death. "
Pie nodded, remembering the Tavernkeepers wife, Mrs. Ladeki with fond sadness, and Mary the little girl whom they had played with her and her dog while they tired to figure out what was happening in the town of Goblinton. The town had been shaken by Mister Duncans death, Pies own mentor who had taught him magic when the monster in his head had been rampaging wildly and causing him to do terrible things. Thinking of the loss of the old kind wizard further increased his pang of sorrow, one he indulged briefly before swallowing it and returning his ear to the mans words.
"Fate was not through with the tribulations for Goblinton however. The town lost their mayor as invaders from another realm, sickly yellow skinned creatures called gith slaughtered him as they rampaged through, looking for a young boy who held the key to reviving a dark monster they revered as a god. A group of warriors and mystics fought the wild attackers, and escaped with the boy, fleeing and drawing the terrible group away from the vulnerable and defenseless town."
Pie was surprised at the accuracy of the mans tale. That almost exactly described their flight from the gith, taking Boy as far as they could from them. They had avoided the capitol city of Flechester and run south, trying to lie low in a small town. They had thought that perhaps they had evaded their pursuers and had taken a room. He remembered fondly Miss Ashla asking everyone about something she overheard one of the girls that worked at the inn say. They had all offered their own definition of a "One pump chump" and laughed. The terror and sorrow of the previous days seemed so far away in that moment.
"The brave group was cornered on a bridge though, as the gith freed their evil godlike being, and trapped between mercenary brigands and the forces of literal evil, the boy fell into their grip and the creatures retreated into their dark realm gleefully leaving carnage in their wake. " The traveler shook his head, seemingly taken by the weight of his tale. "The boy was gone, and the brave group that tried to help him were lost when they tried to chase after, and disappeared. No one has seen them since."
The other listeners piped up with questions, and talk turned to different topics. Pie drank his warm honey mead slowly, enjoying the pleasant drink as the surprisingly accurate gossip settled on his thoughts. They had been transported nearly a thousand miles south, into a wild and dangerous forest when they had tried to chase the gith and their dark master that had taken Boy. They had met Mister Rowey-boats there, who kept insisting his name was Rowan, but Pie was pretty sure he heard it right the first time. They were attacked relentlessly by were creatures and that was where mixture Lurog embraced becoming a were-boar, and would sometimes let LuHog out. That tale ended sadly and poorly as well, despite their best efforts to help the ancient druid reconcile with the humans.
Thinking of Goblinton There was one bright note, Mister Kalevi had left them to go back to goblinton. He felt that he could not journey on with the town in such sorrowful state and stayed to set up a temple to Mister Aitos, the face in the sun god he knew. Perhaps he should go visit the temple? Mister Kalevi had passed on, but he had left a beacon of warmth and light behind in the struggling town. Pie finished his Mead, and tossed the traveler a few silver with thanks for sharing the news from the small town.
Perhaps it was time to make the trip to the place where it all began, where he had met his friends and his mentor. A trip to remember the important things and to grieve all that had been lost.