7- A Clash of Hexxers

Date: 9/19/2024

---

In the dim, flickering firelight of the secret chamber deep within the wyvern’s lair, the party stirred from a restless slumber. The air hung thick with the metallic tang of blood and the fading scent of the wyvern’s corruption, a reminder of the fierce battle that had nearly cost them their lives.

Narvane, taking the last watch, suddenly tensed. His hand shot up for silence, eyes narrowing as distant voices echoed from the outer chamber. The unmistakable shuffle of boots against stone grew clearer, accompanied by whispered words.

"...residual magic here,” a female voice said softly, barely above a breath. “And it feels... strange."

"The trail ends here,” came a sharp and determined voice. “The beast must be nearby.”

A gruff male voice followed. “Look at this carnage. Something big went down here.”

Narvane’s expression tightened. “It appears,” he whispered to the group, “we have company.”

Clovis listened closely, a sense of familiarity stirring. One of the voices tugged at his memory, the way it sliced through the stillness like a blade. Elia. His former ally from the Order of the Shrouded Blade. What was she doing here?

The party emerged from their sanctuary, stepping into the aftermath of their battle. There, standing over the wyvern’s corpse, were three figures: Mara Windstalker, Torin Blackforge, and Elia of the Whispering Woods—a rival hunting party led by the Hexxer, Elia. Tension crackled in the air, as the two groups locked eyes.

Elia notices Clovis, her sharp eyes narrowing. “So, you made it here first,” she says, voice low but edged with tension. “Seems that old habits die hard, eh, Clovis?”

Torin crosses his arms, grumbling, “We flushed the beast from its first lair, but looks like you’re about to steal the glory.  Without us, you’d never have cornered it here.  Half the bounty is ours.”

Clovis scowled, stepping forward, his voice gruff. "You drove it away, sure. But we killed the damn thing. Half the bounty for chasing it off? That's rich."

"We tracked the wyvern to its original lair two days ago,” Mara explained, eyes sharp. “We set up traps and prepared an ambush, but something spooked it. It fled in a frenzy, heading south.”

Torin nodded grimly. “We followed its trail here, but it’s behavior changed drastically after it fled. It became more aggressive... more unnatural.”

Elia, her sharp eyes scanning the lair, stepped forward. "Clovis," she said, her voice tinged with concern. "This isn’t just a simple wyvern kill. There’s dark magic at play here. What exactly happened?"

The dots connected swiftly in Clovis’s mind, and the party realized the significance of the timeline. The wyvern’s sudden, erratic flight coincided with its appearance over Tharik Blackhand’s camp, where it had been exposed to the powerful shard of the Heart Gem. This explained the creature’s corruption and violent behavior.

Clovis hesitated for only a moment before deciding to tell the full tale. The party laid out the events leading to this moment—the wyvern’s connection to the Heart Gem, the growing corruption, and their mission to stop the artifact from falling into the wrong hands. Elia, Mara, and Torin listened intently as the party spoke of Tharik Blackhand, the bandit leader who had a shard of the Heart Gem, and the wyvern’s unexpected flight after its exposure to the artifact.

The rival hunters exchanged glances, clearly processing the gravity of the situation. Elia’s eyes lingered on Clovis for a moment before she finally spoke. "That explains a lot," she said. "We wondered why the wyvern suddenly fled from our trap. This is bigger than just a hunt." The tension between the two groups lessened slightly as the shared understanding of the stakes grew.

The rival party stands ready, not in open aggression, but with clear expectations. Elia steps closer to Clovis, memories of their shared past evident in the tension between them.

Elia, her eyes locked on Clovis, added sharply, "This isn't about the kill alone, Clovis. You know the hunt’s more than just swinging a blade. We did the legwork. The town council would see reason in our claim."

With both parties now realizing they were after the same bounty, it became a race against time. They rushed back to Greenvale, each group eager to present their claim before the town council. The tension was palpable, as exhaustion and rivalry drove them onward.

As the party surveys the land surrounding the wyvern’s former lair, Johnny watches the transformation with unease. The gnarled trees are straightening, their stone-like bark softening, and the corrupted creatures, once twisted by dark energy, are either dying off or regaining their natural instincts. Yet Johnny knows things like this don’t fix themselves so quickly. The rapid return to normalcy feels wrong, as if something darker is at play. The heart gem, once believed a force of chaos, now seems disturbingly easy to control. Johnny’s gut tightens with a nagging thought—perhaps the corruption hasn’t vanished, but only learned to hide.

When the party reached Magistrate Mathis Ironmonger, a large, boisterous man with a booming voice and too many gold rings, they quickly realized he cared more about his own profit than fairness. Janos produced the wyvern’s tail stinger, proof of their victory, but Elia’s team argued that they had tracked the beast to its original lair and had set the ambush that led to the wyvern’s flight.

Seeing an opportunity to manipulate the situation to his advantage, Mathis grinned and proposed a solution: a resource procurement competition. Both parties would be tasked with finding rare Star Sapphires, gems believed to hold protective and divination-enhancing properties. Whoever collected the most within a week would win the 150-coin bounty and secure an exclusive contract for future work in Greenvale.

Mathis, ever the businessman, knew this would provide him with valuable resources at no cost, while giving him leverage over both groups. Both parties reluctantly agreed to the competition. The rivalry between them now had new stakes, and it was clear that the next few days would be as dangerous as they were competitive.

As the party prepared to leave Greenvale, they overheard rumors swirling through the tavern:

"That other Hexxer, the girl, is still in town, mad as hornets that she missed the wyvern bounty. You can feel the tension brewing at the tavern."

“The three of 'em were arguing in the tavern again last night—sounds like they’re not leaving until they get paid, wyvern or no wyvern."

More troubling were the whispers of Tharik Blackhand, the infamous bandit leader.

"Word is, Tharik Blackhand’s gathering more bandits. Some say he's planning a raid, others think he's after something even bigger."

"He’s not just rounding up bandits for a raid. I hear tell he’s after some powerful artifact that’ll make him unstoppable."

Determined to win the competition, Narvane sought out the local wizard, Azuth, for information about where to find the Star Sapphires. Azuth, with his knowledge of ancient relics and gemstones, explained that the sapphires were only created by an ancient cult of night worshippers and could be found in their temples high in the mountains.

Piecing together the clues, Narvane and Janos realized that the Mountain Top Temple in the Saltmire Mountains was their best chance. The temple had stood for as long as anyone could remember, its dark silhouette visible when the clouds parted. Legends told of wind demons, precious gems, and healing powers within its walls, but most who ventured there never returned.

The decision was made. The party would journey to the temple, despite the dangers that lay ahead. As night fell, the party camped at Boccob Park, preparing to leave Greenvale at first light. The competition with Mara’s team, the rumors of Tharik’s growing power, and the mystery of the Star Sapphires weighed heavily on their minds. Their journey to the Mountain Top Temple promised danger, but also the potential to secure their future—and perhaps, to uncover more about the dark forces slowly rising around them.