Caelam Zefer Heartstone | World Anvil

Caelam Zefer Heartstone


17th of Frostmoot, 247

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16th of Snowmoot, 240

Dreams of Ivory

by Caelam Zefer Heartstone

AAR for "Dreams of Ivory" (3/2/18)
 
Caelam stumbles into Galloran's Hearth and collapses onto the nearest table. He is drenched in sweat and dirt and blood, his breathing labored.
 
"Water!" he manages to croak out. "Please!"
 
A tankard is placed before him and he downs it with some difficulty, choking a little between gulps. He sets the empty container down heavily and closes his eyes for a few seconds, focusing on slowing his breathing. He regains his composure somewhat and relaxes into his seat.
 
"It took Kaecil," he sighs. "We went out a few days ago to help him gather some pearls. He said the spellcasters around here needed them to help them identify arcane objects. Myself, Wesley, Taur, and Irhtos agreed to assist him but we couldn't save him from that...that...monster of a bird.
 
"It began simply enough. We traveled a few miles east along the coast and Taur's dog sniffed out suitable location. We set up camp and managed to dig up a decent amount of clams, but no pearls. And then, we saw it..."
 
He takes a moment to steady his breathing again. "It was massive. Bigger than any creature I'd ever seen. A roc, they called it. It dove straight into the ocean and burst out back into the sky with a fully grown shark in its grasp."
 
He shakes his head as if still in disbelief, "That should've been a sign, a warning, right there to turn back. Yet, we simply retreated into our shelter as it passed us by. We continued on due east for the next few days, stopping each day to camp and search. We managed to dig up plenty of shellfish but only found 4 pearls and only 1 that was suitable for use by the spellcasters.
 
"Faced our fair share of challenges though, almost all in the last 2 days of the quest. We were turned around while passing through a wooded area and nearly cornered by a pack of wolves. Though Kaecil was heavily wounded, Wesley and I kept them off him as Irhtos conjured some kind of skeletal hand to claw at them from a distance. Between us slaying a number of them and Taur's threats we managed to drive off the pack and tend to Kaecil.
 
"A small group of fish-men came to investigate our camp that evening but Irhtos noticed their approach and they were swiftly dispatched. When Wesley and I went to dispose of the bodies...get that awful stench away from our camp...we may have alerted a large group of goblins to our presence. Luckily, I heard them sneaking around our shelter later that evening and alerted the others. While they managed to take down Taur and his pup since he was not able to don his armor in time, the rest of us were able to spread out and take defensive positions in the surrounding wilderness. We slew them all and revived our allies. This was in no small part due to Kaecil's magic being able to sleep and burn whole swaths of our foes at once and Wesley's shear speed and skill with blade and fist. Damn...that man is fast."
 
Caelam sighs once more, "After that evening we decided to head back. Several miles out from the barrier is where we saw him. Wesley spotted him first...an orc druid or shaman of sorts. It wore furs adorned with bones...antlers upon its head. It held a staff with some sort of bird skull strapped to the top. On its arm was a symbol...a large, yellow eye. It simply stood on the beach staring out towards the water at a bird in the distance. We wait a bit...waiting to see if the orc would move on. None of us were ready to start another fight.
 
"Then we notice the bird approaching. It's figure growing as it gets closer. As the realization dawns upon us, Wesley begins to panic. He tries to lead us around the orc and its beast but both have us in their sights! Kaecil and Irhtos shout we need to hide and Taur spots a cave nearby. We scramble into it just before the gigantic bird crashes down outside. Though we hear the beast and the orc tearing through the foliage outside for a short time before flying off again, we stay in the cave an extra hour or so to be safe. Then we run back to town. A hundred feet out, Kaecil...he notices the orc sitting above the cave we'd just left. He gives our foe a small wave as a sign of respect.
 
"It just...laughs at us."
 
"We hear it coming for us, a great 'whooshing' noise above the tree tops. We pick up the pace and make a mad dash for the barrier. Wesley shouts at us to hand him the valuables as he is quicker than us...he could at least ensure the journey was not for naught. We don't have time to argue. We pass him the loot."
 
Caelam shakes his head again, "Damn...that man is fast. He makes it into the barrier well ahead of the rest of us and screams for help. Meanwhile, the bird crashes into the ground beside the rest of us, raking the dirt with its massive talons before shooting back...up into the air. The orc bastard...he was riding it, laughing his head off as he toyed with us. We keep moving...sprinting for town. Kaecil moves ahead of us.
 
"Then he trips. The creature is on him in a flash, screeching down from the heavens in an explosion of dust and dirt! He is knocked unconscious from the impact but Taur...he manages to quickly rouse Kaecil with a word. Yet, we cannot stop the beast from flying off with our ally.
 
"The three of us...we make it into the barrier in time to witness the top of the Hearth split open. Evander...he's there at the controls of a giant siege weapon, a ballista. He fires bolt after bolt at the creature in an attempt to bring it down. Myself and several other adventurers join in...with our bows as Sir Boaz charges out upon his steed.
 
Caelam's head bobs for a second. "The creatures grip...it falters and Kaecil falls to the ground yet...somehow...slows his descent just before impact.
 
"But...that damned orc...and its bird! It...follows poor Kaecil to the ground...and snatches him up once again. It quickly...moves out of range of our weapons... We need to...save him..."
 
Sheer exhaustion finally takes its toll on the young warrior. His consciousness fades and he collapses in his seat.

The major events and journals in Caelam's history, from the beginning to today.

The list of amazing people following the adventures of Caelam.

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Caelam

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