Has it truly been five years?

In order to continue my story, I’m going to have to jump forward about 5 years. Although we tried to stay in touch for as much as possible, the sad truth is that we were mostly focused on our own lives during that time. Therefore, there is not much point for me to bring up the events of those years. However if you are interested, I can always tell you a bit more about that time later. But for now, let me tell you about our joyful little reunion party.
 
For on that fateful day, we had something to celebrate. After 5 long years, Liliana had finally returned from her servitude towards Lady Vivienne at King Ulther’s court. Thus, we decided to hold a small reunion for those of us who had journeyed to Keralon together all those years ago. And fortunately, we even had the perfect place for it. Our good friend Feyris, the mysterious traveller with amnesia, had spent the last couple of years working in a local tavern in the Foregate District. And when the old proprietor sadly passes away, she kindly left the tavern to him. Which he then renamed as “Erna’s wish” in her honour.
 
I arrived just before the agreed upon time, only to find that a good number of us were already there. Dadroz, Luke, Alistan and of course Liliana were gathered around a table which Feyris was determined to fill every square inch of with as much platters of food and snacks as possible. I must admit that seeing most of our little group sitting together like that again, did make me a little misty-eyed. What can I say, I get sentimental from time to time, even if I don’t show it. And I am pleased to say that they all looked like they were doing quite well for themselves. Especially Liliana, who seemed like she came out of her part of the deal relatively unharmed. Though I admit that her new hair colour did take some getting used to. But then again, I’m not really one to judge a change in appearance.
 
Right as the bells struck the agreed-upon hour, Hayley entered the tavern. Now between you and me, I must confess something. And I will admit that I have absolutely no proof for this and that I’m basing it solely on my own suspicions. But I'm certain that her punctual arrivals are not so much due to some tricks of fate that make her seem more wise, but rather because she cheats. Now I don’t know how she does it. Whether through some kind of magic or by simply waiting outside until she hears the bells, but it happens too often to be mere coincidence. But however she does it, I’ve sadly never been able to figure out how. But let's keep that one between us, though.
 
Our next guest arrived in rather spectacular fashion. Two heavily armoured men entered first to ensure the tavern was safe enough for Lady Elsa Colline to enter. Her time in Keralon had certainly suited her, as through her efforts, she had become one of the most well-known courtiers among the nobility here. Certainly no small feat for a noble daughter of a family in charge of a small village such as Tarn. However, as impressive as her entrance was, the last guest of the day did manage to outdo her. For just as she greeted us and sat down, a loud ruckus erupted outside. And as we rose to investigate, one of her guards was flung through the door, followed by a smiling Dorr, mumbling something about spoiled nobles and the like.
 
And with that, our party was complete. Though sadly with some noticeable absences. First, there was Ileas. The last thing I heard was that he had safely rejoined his family in the satyr tribes. However, as time passed, the messages from him sadly became less frequent. But fear not, for based on what I know of him, I’m certain he is doing well. And should he ever find himself in the neighbourhood, he knows we will always be there to welcome him back with open arms.
 
Our second open seat belonged to Lord Edward Colline jr. Due to his father's suddenly falling ill, he was forced to return to Tarn to take up his father's duties. This sadly preventing him from fulfilling his dream of becoming a knight. But sadly that’s just how life goes sometimes. But news from the grapevine concerning a certain romance between him and a certain young lady from Hillfield suggests that he is not doing too badly. And I admit, knowing that he is keeping an eye on things does ease my worries about home a little bit.
 
Next, of course, was good old Onvyr. Who admittedly had changed very little over the years. After recovering from his stone curse, he quickly returned to earning his keep as a guide for the various caravans traveling through the Lorewoods.
And last but certainly not least, there was Robert Talespinner. He managed to survive his time in Lorewood with nary a scratch and a variety of new tales to add to his collection. Which he also continued to expand over the years. Most often due to trips he took away from Keralon. Unfortunately, this meant that during the time of our party, he was sadly too far into one of those trips to join us.
 
But despite these absences, having our merry little band together once more allowing us to have a grand old time catching up and enjoying each other's company. At least, until we were rudely interrupted by the sounds of bells ringing throughout the city. And given that, to our knowledge, there was no grand celebration planned, this was most likely not a good sign. A suspicions that was quickly confirmed when we stepped outside to investigate, only to see droves of guards rushing toward the main gate. Worried about this, we naturally decided to follow them.
 
Arriving at the gate, we were immediately drawn not only to the sight of guards trying to calm the civilians gathering in front of it, but also to the large plume of dust rising beyond the walls. Our fears to the meaning of this were quickly confirmed when Hayley told us that her raven, Fiachna , had spotted an army just outside the city walls, holding banners with the mark of the Fernhunter, the ancient green dragon who launched a war with Keralon only a few years earlier. We quickly attempted to join the guards, in the event that the worse would happen. But were told that for now no assistance was needed. With little else to do, we ultimately decided to return to the tavern in order to wait it out.
 
When we returned, we noticed that Lady Elsa had already left. Most likely to return to court in order to gather more information about the situation. Dorr and Feyris, on the other hand, had decided to move the party to the roof in order to get a better view of the surroundings. And not wanting to waste Feyris' efforts in preparing said feast, we decided to join them atop the roof.
 
Just as we had finished eating, we heard a knock upon the door. Before Feyris could see who it was however, a visitor entered the tavern through the kitchen: Herald Vern Skald, a most notable figure indeed. His arrival was especially significant for Hayley, Dadroz, and Allistan. Afterall, they were aspiring to achieve knighthood with one of the knight orders of the Outer Circle. Which meant that as Herald, Vern Skald’s recommendation would go a long way into fulfilling that dream. Which meant that it was no surprise that he was there to speak with them specifically. Given the current situation, he was there to present them with an emergency pledge. While the city was still preparing an official response, he wanted them to go out and investigate the army. In particular their goals, potential battleplans and maybe even most importantly, how they had managed to bypass Keralon’s advanced lookouts. In return, he promised to put in a good word for them with their desired orders.
There was however one small catch. While the pledge was official, our mission was not. Which meant that beyond us and the herald, few were aware of it and this including the guards. This meant that we would need to find a way to not only smuggle ourselves out of the city, but also back in when we were done. Not an impossible task, but certainly not an easy one considering the circumstances.
 
After discussing our options, we decided we only had two reasonable courses of action open to us. The first was to head to Fishtown and find a boat to sail down the Lorerun River; Thereby bypassing the city walls. However, as none of us were skilled sailors in the least, this made that plan risky at best. The second option was to head to Huntington, where legend spoke of a hidden passageway hidden deep in the cemetery that led outside of the city. Which meant that we would only need to find a secret tunnel that may or may not exist. Personally, I preferred the second option all things considered. But in the end after talking things over, we decided to settle on the first. Thus, we set out towards Fishtown.
 
As we ventured deeper into the district, we noticed the rising panic amongst the people. Most understandable given not only the army just outside the gates as well as the uncertainty of the situation. Knowing that fear, a crowd and an enclosed space are a telltale recipe for disaster, Hayley decided to take action. She raised her voice and addressed the crowd in a calm yet authoritative manner, urging everyone to calm down and return to their homes. And though her success was admittedly rather limited, I am certain that she prevented the situation from escalating any further.
 
Meanwhile, Dadroz decided to sneak off on his own. Now remember back when I said that I consider Dadroz to be my equal in matters of stealth. And that the only problem he was facing at the time was that he was not in his element. Well this was his element. Skilfully, he used the distraction of Hayley’s address to the people in order to manoeuvre towards the docks unseen. Once there, he immediately attempted to find us a ship. Once there, he immediately began searching for a ship for us to use. Sadly, most were already locked down by the guards. Instead, he resolved to stealing the keys to a drydock instead, where hopefully a few boats might still be stored.
 
After Dadroz returned, we discussed the situation once more in order to review our options. Ultimately, we decided that that if we wanted to pull this off, we were going to need help. Unfortunately, it was already getting late and few people were still out and about on the streets. So, we headed to the only place we knew might still have some people around: the nearest tavern.
 
Noxis’ Tap was the very definition of what you might call a dive bar, but it did have a certain charm to it. Even here, however, there weren't many people left. Apart from Noxis, the tiefling barkeep, there was only a group of bugbears who were busy drowning their sorrows over the situation. And while initially hesitant to help, the largest of the bugbears, Ferran, was ultimately persuaded by Dadroz to assist us. For a meagre fee of course. So with this, we had acquired the skills we need. Now all we needed to do was find a ship. So back to the docks we went.
 
You might think finding a vacant ship in a mostly abandoned dock would be rather simple. However, as Dadroz discovered earlier, most of the ships were already locked down by the guards. And they were most determined to make sure that no one got away with one of them. Fortunately, Dadroz’s foresight in stealing the key proved to be most fortunate. And after a quick inspection of the boats docked at the drydock, we found the perfect one to borrow.
With Ferran’s help, retrieving the boat from the drydock was easy enough. And just as the bells struck midnight, we left the city under the cover of darkness. Thankfully, our trip was short one. Don’t get me wrong, I have no problem with swimming or open waters. I’m just not a big fan of boats in general. So I was quite happy when we reached shore and I felt solid ground under my feet again. Ferran informed us that he would return to Keralon, but that he would keep an eye out for Fiachna. And would return at midnight in order to pick us up when he got our signal. And with that he left.
 
Considering the time, we decided to take a quick night's rest. Afterall there was no point in a forced march only to be exhausted in the morning. Especially as we would need our wits about us. That said, we did rise rather early and continued onwards. Hayley informed us that Fiachna had spotted no obvious signs of a siege preparation, which was a good sign. Armed with this information, we decided to forego stealth and simple approach them openly.
It wasn’t long before a small force of kobolds and dragonborn set out to meet us. They were led by a green-scaled dragonborn, whom we later learned was named Rachnar Ergoll, the general of this army. Attempting diplomacy with him proved challenging. Unlike the subtlety and hidden meanings common with the fey, dragonborn culture was apparently more straightforward. And it wasn’t long before we found ourselves going around in circles. Eventually we simple decided to forego subtlety and proclaim us as the delegation from Keralon and asked why he and his forces were there.
 
Pleased with this response, he welcomed us into his camp. The camp itself had an interesting structure to it. Instead of a uniform layout, it instead consisted of several smaller individual camps. he genius of this design was its decentralization, which prevented any obvious targets from being easily identified from a distance. It actually kind of reminded me a bit of the structure of a beehive.
 
When we arrived in his tent, Commander Ergoll explained that he had been sent here by his mistress Velora Morenthene, the true name of the dragon Fernhunter. And that was indeed here on a diplomatic mission. Following the end of the war, Velora Morenthene desired a more open relationship with Keralon and thus dispatched him in order to discuss a peace agreement. She even went so far as to teleport his army as a show of respect towards Keralon. Which explained how they managed to catch us of guard.
 
He was most pleased that Keralon had finally sent over its representatives, as this allowed him in turn to send an envoy back with us to present the king with his proposal. However as is usually the case, there was one problem that needed to be resolved first. In order to send the envoy back with us, we would first need to undergo a ritual in order to be accepted by the clan. Nothing serious, just a form of ritual combat. And while Liliana and Allistan were already eyeing each other to see who would volunteer first, Commander Ergoll continued to explain that it would take the form of a six-on-one battle against one of their champions, a dragonborn named Dren.
 
It was a name that I had heard of before. In fact most of us who had fought in the scale war had heard of him at one point or another. A giant dragonborn, whom many believed was in fact a genuine half-dragon, known for wielding a greatsword in one hand and cutting down scores of men with but a single swipe. Ergoll was wise to make this a six-on-one battle, as even with the numbers this would not be an easy fight.
 
As we exited the tent to meet our opponent, we were instead greeted by a young, black-scaled dragonborn. Ergoll introduced him as his son, Norgar Laar and explained that he would be the envoy we would be escorting. In the distance, I saw a towering figure striding toward us, his fellow soldiers quickly darting out of his way. Dren was exactly as I had imagined: red scales of deep crimson, almost as big as a house, with giant wings furled at his back and a greatsword in hand. He licked his lips, his eyes shining with a clear desire for combat. No, this would not be an easy fight at all.