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Korrigan sat on the stiff barstool, staring at the carving that some jackass had cut into countertop. It looked sort of like a puppy chomping on a bone, only the bone appeared to be attached to some dude and it likely wasn't a bone at all.

Idiots.

People had gotten downright loopy these past few months, almost as if they were waiting for something, anything to happen. The lowpoint was when Rothek chased that squirrel all over town, convinced that it was going to turn into some giant carnivorous creature from hell. Korrigan wasn't sure anyone actually believed him, but damn near half the town took chase and blew things half to hell. The freaking squirrel of course got away.

Everyone was bored, that was clear. Hell, he was bored. It had felt like they had spent half their lives in battle, and now that it ended it felt, strangely unfinished.

Probably because it was. Surely it was.

He forced himself up from his seat, determined to go through the motions at least, to make sure everything was perfect for next week when the guests arrived. It had been Gateways's idea, to celebrate the end of the Red Tear. Somehow Suspin and the Corsair Isles got wind and they wanted to come as well. Then Roderick, Lizardmen, you name it. It felt like the world was converging on Haven in just one week. If nothing else, it was sure to break up the monotony of their lives.

How did it get that way so quickly?

He stepped outside and was quickly reminded. "Oh yeah," he said to no one in particular, " because of the fucking cold."

Worst than having nothing to do was being stuck inside for the majority of the days with people who you are far better friends with when you can get away from each other for a spell.

"We need to expand. Everyone needs their own house...Or at leat I do."

Finally he started walking just as two arrows flew past on either side of his face. "Sorry!" Came two voices in unison.

Fucking guthries.

He didn't give them any notice, just carried on, looking for something to be wrong.

A little further along, something shiny caught his eye, a gold piece. He almost left it there. Lord knows he had enough, but in the end he bent down to pick it up. At that precise moment, an axe went flying, traveling over the spot his head used to be.

"My bad," someone shouted.

Korrigan just traveled on. Suddenly there was a traveler, someone he didn't recognize. As he got closer, it appeared to be a dwarf, and his hair almost appeared to be on fire.

"Who goes!"

When ther was no answer, Korrigan drew his sword. "Haven!"

In an instant, warriors approached, swords drawn, and he knew somewhere arrows were pointing at the dwarf as well.

"Wait," Nellie yelled. "He's a friend...He's late, but he's a friend."

There were audible sighs from those waiting for the moment where they might once again defend their town. He watched as Nellie took the dwarf and others joined them: Rothek, Marcus, Kaylen, and that Inpericy member from Gateway who had been hanging around and whose name Korrigan could never remember. He watched them chat long enough to feel confident that he was in fact a friend.

Korrigan then slowly turned, saw many members of the town, of his town, smiling, chatting, jesting. Although still cold, the pure blue sky was breathtaking, and the sun, though providing ill enough warmth to heat his feet, still seemed to warm his soul. He felt something then, something that while not entirely foreign had been long forgotten, and truth be told, was something that was not entirely comfortable.

He felt Peace.

PLOP, PLOP, PLOP, PLOP, PLOP POOF

What the fuck?

Turning back around, he saw Nellie, Rothek, Marcus, and Kaylen lying on the ground, along with that Inpericy fellow, and the dwarf, naturally, was missing all together. Korrigan smiled.

This was more like it...

OOG: those checking on the fallen will find them in good health but not wakeable. You have the funny feeling they'll awaken in a week...

Alinar approaches and arches an eyebrow.

"'Friend' indeed. I see no injuries, but clearly a healer or six are clearly warranted. Anyone else familiar with that dwarf or have an idea what occurred here?"

Cirrus came hurtling around the bend in the path that lead to Honorwood, booted talons beating along the frozen mud, her only concession to the cold thick brown canvas pants that were belted around her waist and likely sewn for someone much larger than her. Sword drawn, her face fell in obvious disappointment as she gazed upon the complete lack of violence around the Tipsy Traveler.

"Boop. What happened to them?"

She walked up and started prodding Marcus in the side with a boottip, head cocked to the side in concentration, then crouching down to get a better look, popping one of Nellie's eyes open with two fingers.

"Helllooooooo? Wakey wakey, fish and snakey."

(Improved Spot)

"Before we get too far, I would like to announce this wasn't me." Abaddon said, sitting in the corner on a stool. The old Man's mask was heavy on his face and he was holding a cup of tea in two hands. His eyes looked older than they had before and the single bell left on his hat made a faint rattling,

*as rothek fell to the ground a small blue and white feathered ball sailed into a nearby snowbank. flitting and chirping in protest it poked itself out and it was revealed to be aurora's pet blue jay, Stormmageddon. the small bird flew over and landed on the beastman's head furiously pecking at his nose, squeeking loudly in his ear and pulling a few hairs after it realized this wasn't working it looked at cirrus and flapped its small wings, chirping and hopping around at the avyana. *

**when Cirrus rolls Kaylan over for inspection, the dwarf wears a feint quirky, crooked, and oddly content smirk**

"No, Stormageddon, I don't know what happened either. Yes, it's quieter with him just lyin' there. Now quiddit."

The Av'yana poked and prodded at the sleeping forms some more, feathers puffed slightly at each gust of wind whipping snow at the gathered Havenites. She rolled each body into a more comfortable position, whistling softly at Kaylan's horrendously bloodshot corneas, but stood gingerly, beak tweaked in a frown.

"I'm gonna say something really, incredibly, stupid... but... I think they were really tired and needed a nap. Really tired. Humanly tired. Which, considering that none of them are fully human, except maybe that gropo from Gateway... I don't see anything immediately wrong with them. Anything... magicy, guys?"

The old man gives them a look. He holds his hand up to them as lightning trickles off his finger tips and the the room fills with the smell of burned candle wicks.

*detect magic. greater sense magic.*

The old man curses a few times, tapping the edge of his mask with a gloved finger.

"Cirrus would you be so kind as to fish the small stone out from one them. I have no interest in touching it myself, but it is the cause of the slumber. I can disable the magic and they begin to wake but something turns the stones back on. I kind of like them." Abaddon says leaning heavily on his staff like it's a cane. He puts his hands to his mouth and coughs thickly for a few moments.

The Valkin'Vi in the purple robe stands quietly behind Abaddon. Rather than looking to the ground as usual, her attention is fixed on the chirping blue jay.

Cirrus tossed Abaddon a look, head cocked to the side incredulously, but nonetheless she took a knee and fished around, patting Nellie down to try and find this stone the Valkyn'Vi mentioned. As she did so, her gaze locked up on Alinar, almost daring him to say something about her searching fallen Havenites for loot with a wide grin.

(Improved Spot again, Anticipation charged )

Cirrus fishes around and removes a small stone from Nellie's pouch with some sort of marking on it, initially with a bluish glow but that immediately ceases once it is fully removed. Cirrus glances at it briefly but then seems troubled by something, staring at Nellie, who, despite the frigid cold is sweating from her temple. Suddenly she starts to convulse and then vomits.

"Healer!" Korrigan shouts and like thirty of them appear out of nowhere, they too eager to be doing something, anything. They quickly assess her and with concern on their faces they begin to attempt to heal her, but with shakes of heads it is clear that something is wrong.

"It's not working," one of them says, and then another: "She's dying."

"Well give her back the damn stone and we'll figure it out after," Korrigan says, and then, noticing the slightest of hesitation from Cirrus, adds, "Now!"

Cirrus returns the stone to Nellie's pouch, which begins to glow once again. Shortly thereafter the convulsions stop and breathing returns to normal.

"Well, is she okay or is she just dying faster?"

"She's okay."

Everyone stares, more than one of them likely wondering if Abaddon did that on purpose, though most if not all deciding it was unlikely...

"No need to shout, I was gonna do it anyway. Though it is interestin'... shiny blue... I'm guessin' they all have those rocks on them? So dwarven buddy aleph must have planted slash convinced these five to take them earlier. Unless anyone saw if he was moving fast enough to plant them? I would say that I'd be hard pressed to move that quickly, but then I might be lyin'."

Cirrus grumbled unhappily as she used a handful of snow to start to clean up some of the vomit from Nell's face and clothes before it froze there.

"We oughta get them inside and out of the wet. Even if they don't got down to soak."

She looped her arms under Nell's and started to drag her inside the Traveler.

Abaddon doesn't move to help, it's clear his old bones are wearing on him with the weather.

"Anyone who could do that with the stones could have used them to kill. They wanted them asleep." Abaddon says.

The Valkin'Vi remains behind Abaddon. Her attention from the chirping bird has been disrupted with the commotion of the yelling in front of her. As she watches Cirrus interact with Nell, she leans in close to Abaddon. Her lips move, speaking softly into the edge of his mask.