Writers: Thask the Bard and Hush

Thask: It’s been eight months since the events at Baldur’s Gate and the defeat of the netherbrain. The heroes of Baldur’s Gate have since gone their separate ways, through their own journeys, and personal ambitions. For one, things haven’t been the same. In a bustling tavern, one of the adventurers sits alone, in the corner, nursing an ale. A large man, a half-orc with dark red skin that contrasts the bright blonde hair draping down his shoulders. He is unkempt, hair wild, beard overgrown, and he looks weary. For most, the victory at Baldur’s Gate was a celebration. A joyous occasion, but for this man, something changed that day. His oldest friend had sacrificed himself to avoid succumbing to his illithid transformation. A moment of bravery no doubt, but was it a sacrifice that needed to take place? He battles with this thought each day, missing him so. The rest of the party had also gone their separate ways. He had begun to form these connections over the 4 month journey to save themselves from the mindflayer parasites, and then like that, they were gone. Wyll stayed in Baldur’s Gate to take the place of his father to help rebuild the city. Lae’zel was off in the Astral planes, attempting to free her people from Vlaakith. Gale had become the god of ambition, Astarian was off with his newfound powers as a vampire ascendant, Shadowheart exploring her Selunite connections, Karlach and Hush were off in Avernus, trying to find a cure for her heart and defeat Zariel. It seemed everybody knew what direction they were heading, but this man, he was broken, lost, and without that spark that once drove him.

Thask sits alone, sipping at his drink. His mind still cannot come to terms with the nightmares. The loss of his friend Dorfyr still weighs on him. What if there was more he could’ve done. What if there was some magic spell we could’ve found to bring him back to his former self. Through the years of travel with Dorfyr, he had seen the power of his wild magic. Great things could be done. He didn’t have to end his life. Right? He lifts his drink, take a swig, and rests his head on the counter, his head spinning from the alcohol. The noise of the tavern keeping him awake through the blur of his mind.

The bartender slowly makes his way down the bar towards Thask. He already knows what the next words will be. “Thask, I’m afraid that’ll be your last drink for the night. We people of still appreciate the Heroes of Baldur’s Gate but your tab is overdue and we can’t keep this up.” Thask nods and tips the last contents of the mug into his mouth before wiping his face on his sleeve. Setting the mug back in front of the bartender. “Thanks. Sorry to bother.” Thask says as he shuffles towards the door. “It’ll get better.” the bartender yells after him, but Thask is too far gone to comprehend. He stumbles into the Lower City of Baldur’s Gate. He turns down an alleyway and trips into a pile of garbage. Great. Couldn’t get worse than this.

Thask pushes himself off the ground with great effort. His body is heavy and the world spins. I need to sit down somewhere… Thask stumbles through the streets until he reaches the docks where it happened. Where Dorfyr ended his life. Like most days lately he finds himself here, unable to leave it, hoping that somehow it’ll be fixed. Maybe the wild magic will make things better. He sits on the dock and lowers his head to his knees and lets out a heavy sigh.

Hush: 8 months she and Karlach had spent in Avernus, fighting demons and searching for a way to fix Karlach’s heart. 8 months- twice as long as their quest to rid themselves of the tadpoles and defeat the Elder Brain. One would think saving the world would take longer than fixing a broken heart, but alas, such was not the case. Now, with Karlach’s heart stabilized, the two teiflings were finally able to safely escape Avernus through the House of Hope and return to Baldur’s Gate. There, the two agreed to split up: Karlach catching up with her old friend, Flo, as well as Wyll, and Hush to seek out Thask.

While passing through the House of Hope, the two had been informed that Thask had remained in Baldur’s Gate after their fight with the Elder Brain. While Hope did not provide details, she did make it seem that possibly catching up with him was recommended. So once on the surface, Hush had spent her first few days back in Baldur’s Gate hopping from pub to tavern, following the trail of rumors of “Thask the Fallen Bard.”

Thask: Thask is standing in the middle of Baldur’s Gate, flames surrounding him and Mind Flayer ships hover in the sky. There are shrieks and panic all around. His heart is racing as he runs toward the Upper City. There he’ll find the source of all this vile magic. He runs until it feels like his heart is going to give out, slicing through foes like they’re nothing along the way. Then he arrives, atop a mountain of stairs, where a single person is standing. It is only a silhouette but he knows immediately who it is. Dorfyr! Thask sprints towards him but as he comes into light, turning towards Thask, it’s another horrible Illithid. “NO” he screams. “No no no!” The creature lunges towards him, grabbing him by the shoulder. Thask is staring at the nightmare in the eyes as he hears his name. “Thask.” It’s his voice. Dorfyr. “Thask. You can’t sleep here.” A moment of confusion jolts him. “What?” Again the words come, this time a different voice. “Thask, you can’t sleep here.” and suddenly Thask jolts awake. He’s at the dock. He must’ve dozed off. He looks up to see a dock worker standing above him. “Sorry Thask. I’ve got a ship coming through. You’ll need to find somewhere else to sleep for the night.” He says to Thask as he begins to rise off the docks. “No, I understand.” Thask mumbles as he saunters off. The nightmare is still fresh in his mind, a nightmare he can’t shake. He is only momentarily distracted from his thoughts as his stomach lets out a mighty growl. It’s been awhile since he’s eaten. He reaches for his coin purse…to find it has been nicked. “No!” He bellows. “Great…just great.” Somebody must’ve taken it off of him while he was asleep. If he was going to eat tonight, he was going to have to get creative.

Hush: Ah, the docks. Seemed that every person down on their luck ended up by the docks. It was strange, really, she thought. What was it about the docks that attracted the poor folk? Perhaps fishing for some luck, Hush thought to herself, mildly amused despite it being a particularly bad joke. But she needed something to break through the gloom that surrounded this place. It wasn’t just the mix of fisherman, traders, thieves, and beggars either that made the docks so grim. No, it was the memories associated with this place. Sure, they may have saved the realm in this exact spot, but they had also lost a friend. A companion. And each other. After that day, they had all gone their separate ways. And she and Karlach had had to make the decision to leave so quickly that they barely had time to say goodbye, lest Karlach’s heart burn out before they got the chance. It was during this grim trip down memory lane that Hush’s long ears would twitch at the sound of a familiar bellow. With pursed lips and a furrowed brow, Hush turned and began heading towards the sound, each step growing quicker. She was sure she knew that voice, she thought, excitedly. But she also didn’t like the tone of it. It had sounded desperate, forlorn… Perhaps he was in danger??

As soon as she rounded the corner, nearly tripping over a discarded fishing net along the way and kicking it off to the side, she spotted a large form in the distance. It was tall, bulky, red…and a bit shaggier than she remembered. Squinting and shielding her eyes against the reflected sunlight along the water (the light above ground seemed so much brighter compared to Avernus) Hush continued in the direction of the figure. “Thask…?” she called out, tentatively. A few steps more and she quickened her pace again, calling out, “THASK!”

She raised an arm and waved after after, dodging a pair of fishermen as she chased after him, frantically waving her arms to get his attention and earning a few dirty looks from the fishermen and dock workers in the process. “Thask! Wait!”

Thask: As Thask works his way from the docks, he climbs the stairs towards Sorcerous Sundries. There is usually enough commotion around there to have some light fingers. Pushing through people, he thought he heard his name right as an explosion sounds up the stairs. Fearing danger initially, he quickened his pace, only to calm down at the sounds of cheers. Must’ve been somebody putting on a show. As he reaches the peak of the stairs, he sees a full market going on outside of Sorcerous Sundries. Great, maybe his day is looking up a bit. His stomach lets out a mighty growl as the prospect of finding some food to eat, only to remember his money is gone. “I could pawn something I suppose.” he thinks to himself. “But I don’t have much left. I already sold most of my armor he had on him during the invasion.” He only has his first lute, the clothing on his back, and an amulet belonging to Dorfyr, none of which he was comfortable parting with. He moves through the crowds smoothly and quietly. If it wasn’t for his obvious size and appearance, you’d hardly know he was there. He spots a food cart; a farmer selling some produce. He positions himself near the cart and waits patiently for a minute for…BOOM. Another loud explosion giving the farmer a jump as his head whips around towards the magician putting on a show. At that moment, Thask strikes. He quickly grabs a large apple off the cart, spinning in one fluid motion to blend back into the ground. “Good. I don’t think anybody saw.” he thinks to himself as he puts a little distance from the cart just in case.

Hush: A ship must have docked and begun the process of offloading its catch, because soon the docks were swarming with fishermen tossing lines and lowering great wooden crates loaded with all manner of fish. Thask apparently did not hear her over the calls of the crewmen, because not once did he turn to look her way. Soon, he was lost amongst the crowd. Still, Hush continued in the direction she had last seen him, doing her best to shoulder through the crowd without starting a fight. As she hurried up the flight of stone steps away from the docks, she thought she caught a glimpse of a large, red-and-blond shape moving in the direction of one of the public squares. She quickly followed, wincing as some street performers (or were they a hired act by the Sundries shop?) set off a dazzling explosion of magic lights near the square’s central fountain. It wasn’t surprising that after so much battle and chaos, she had developed a distaste for such displays. However, she recovered just in time to see a certain meaty red fist snatch something from a cart. Her jaw dropped. No…surely it wasn’t… It couldn’t be… But sure enough, she recognized Thask immediately as he began to hurry away from the scene of the crime. Shocked, she followed, but not without dropping a coin on the edge of the cart to pay for the apple (with interest) as she passed. “THASK. WAIT,” she called as she continued to follow, slowly catching up to him.

Thask: Thask slips through the crowd putting a bit of distance from the stall. “Time for the spoils” he thinks to himself as he raises the apple to take a bit. Before the apple touches his lips he hears “THASK WAIT” in a familiar voice. “Oh no, the shopkeeper saw me.” he thinks as be slowly begins to turn towards the voice, ready to talk his way out of any trouble that might be coming his way. Turning towards the voice, his eyes lock onto a purple haired tiefling heading his way. The apple slowly tumbles out of Thask’s hand as the shock sets in. “H…Hush?” Thask says shocked to see somebody familiar for the first time in gods know how long.

Hush: “Tha-! Oop, sorry…” Hush interrupts herself as she nearly trips over a young (hopefully…) halfling, ultimately sending them sprawling. Embarrassed, she quickly leans down and pulls them upright by the back of their shirt, tossing pleading glances to Thask as she hastily shoves the items the halfling had been carrying back into their arms. Once the last item was deposited, she rushes to close the last few meters between her and the bard… nearly knocking the halfling right back over in the process. “Thask….wow, hey!” she puffs, breathless from the excitement. “I’m back! Well… we’re back, but Karlach went….” she gestures vaguely, still trying to catch her breath, “…t’find Wyll. But I came! To find you!” Hush finally stops to take a deep breath and lets out a large sigh. “So. Hi!” She throws out her arms, grinning, obviously expecting a hug.

Thask: Thask stares at Hush for a second, not believing what is before his eyes. He grabs Hush and pulls her in for a deep hug. “I…I didn’t think I’d see a friendly face again” A tear rolls down from one of Thask’s eyes as he pulls away from Hush. He smiles weakly “but I’m happy to see you.” he says as he wipes his face. “Let’s move out of the way. Lots of traffic today.”

Hush: “ooooooooph…” she half sighs, half groans. The hug was apparently even more enthusiastic than anticipated. As she pulls away, she notices the distinct glint of a tear as it rolls down his cheek. From his expression, it’s pretty obvious it’s more than just a bittersweet reunion. “Oh…Hey…” she says, her voice a little gentler now. “You doing ok, big guy?” Hush hooks her arm through his, head on a swivel as she guides them both away from the market stall traffic and towards a more secluded side street… Preferably one with a bit more greenery.

Thask: As Hush and Thask move away from the market, they find themselves walking towards the graveyard north. Thask turns to Hush, having been asked if he was okay. Thask had changed over the 8 months. He was still a large figure of a man, but noticeably thinner than he had been during the battle of Baldur’s Gate. His hair had grown wild, his beard unkempt and ratty. He looked tired. The lines in his face ran deeper than normal. He let the question hang as they approached a bench in the graveyard before taking a seat. “I’m.” He paused. He didn’t know where to begin. He hadn’t talked to anybody about anything personal in a long time. Always throwing up a facade, to keep people out of his business, but seeing Hush again, he couldn’t keep up the act. “No.” he said as tears began to well up in his eyes once more. “I don’t know if I’ve been okay in a long time.” he said as he looked out into the graveyard, watching the sun flicker off the ripples in the water nearby.

Hush: Of course, as they made their way through the narrow streets towards the graveyard, Hush would note such details about her old friend. It was especially jarring considering she hadn’t seen him in so long, and now he looked so…different from what she remembered. There’s no way he had been this scruffy before. Bards tended to be rather meticulous with their appearance, didn’t they? After all, they were all about charisma and performance, and part of that was looks. Right now he looked more like a barbarian than a bard. Regardless of how he looked, whether it was her intuition or something else, she could sense deep sadness in him. It pained her to see her old friend this way. Indeed, she even felt a pang of guilt. How could they all have just left him after everything they’d been through? Hells, they had all known that he and Dorfyr had been fast friends. They should have known better than to leave him on his own! They finally sat on the bench in the graveyard, the silence between them growing heavy. She would not rush him by bombarding him with questions, she didn’t need to. She could sense him gathering his words before, at least, he spoke. The honesty and emotion in his voice pained her deeply, even despite having expected it. Hush sat, patient and quiet as he spoke, allowing the silence to fill in the gaps as they both stared out at the water. Eventually, she would speak. “Thask…” she began, softly, “I’m really, really sorry we parted ways. Left you on your own. What shitty friends, we have been…” She sighed, looking down at her hands clasped in her lap. “But I’m here now. I’m here, and I’m willing to help in any way that I can, for as long as it takes. You’re my friend, after all. Hells! We’ve been to the end of the worlds and back!“

Thask: “So much has happened since the last time we saw each other. It’s the first time in gods know how long I was traveling alone again. I’d traveled with Dorfyr for years…and suddenly he’s gone. I tried every night after that horrible fight to try to bring him back. I tried every song spell I knew and even tried to write some new. But…nothing. Nothing worked. With each failure, I could feel myself losing inspiration. I not only lost my friend…I’ve lost my song. I just wish I could speak to him again but without a body, I don’t know how to even start to speak to him.” Thask finally breaks his gaze away from the rippling water. “I just don’t know what I’m doing anymore.” Thask looks over at Hush taking in the reality of the situation. A friendly face again. A little bit of warmth enters his heart, feeling something other than sadness in a long while.

Hush: She nods, a wry smile pulling her lips into a thin line. “I lot has happened, I know. For all of us, but especially for you. All of us lost something, but you…” she pauses, eventually sighing and taking a deep breath to start again. “But you lost everything, didn’t you?” She was about to say more, but it wasn’t necessary. He didn’t need to be reminded. Again, she allows the moment to just be. Only now did she realize the significance of the location Thask had chosen for their private conversation. How much time, she wondered, did he spend on this very bench since they had all parted ways? Leaning back, she rests her long, curving horns – once alive with moss and mushrooms and other growing things, but now dry, cracked and peeling from her days in Avernus – against the stone wall of the mausoleum so that she could stare at the sky above. The sky… she thinks, It has been too long… And here was her friend, with whom she had helped save the world, mourning the loss of someone he would never see again. Unless… Hush peered up at the giant of a man sitting next her. He looked so fragile now, despite his size. “Thask,” she said, straightening up on her seat. “What if I help you find a way to speak with Dorfyr again? There must be a spell out there that would allow us to do just that, even without a body. His ghost, spirit…something. We could look for it together, just like old times.” She leaned forward and peered up at him with a gentle smile, hope in her green eyes. “If nothing else, maybe it’d get you your inspiration back. Surely, you haven’t been stuck in this godsforsaken city this entire time?? You need fresh air… fresh scenery… Space.“

Thask: Thask sits back and lets a small smile show. “It would be nice to have some sort of quest to focus on again. Some sense of purpose.” He shifts his weight to one side and stretches his neck as he rubs the muscle. “I haven’t really been anywhere else. Haven’t left since…since it all happened.” He slumps forward on the bench scratching at his ear. “I’m not even sure where to start.” A sudden loud explosion can be heard in the distance at Sorcerous Sundries. “I feel like I’ve already…”And suddenly cut off by another loud booming explosion. “Augh.” Thask exclaims, jumping slightly at the last explosion. “I can’t focus on where we can look for a spell to help when those damn wizards keep causing that commotion.” Thask exclaims, completely missing the obvious answer here.

Hush: “Really? You haven’t left this entire time?” she exclaims, though softly. Part of her could understand why, but that didn’t make it any less concerning. It was no wonder why he was struggling to move on though…he quite literally hadn’t moved on. Hush frowned at the booms off in the distance. While she was no longer as sensitive to the noise as she once had been, shortly after their experience with the mind flayer, it still had a tendency to put her on edge. But Thask’s reaction gave her an idea. “……Why don’t we ask them, then?”

Thask: Thask looks off in the direction of the distant explosions. “What do you mean?” genuinely confused. Thasks mind so deep in past trauma, losing so much of his past self these last few months, he isn’t able to make the connections required. He looks at Hush, straining to figure our what she means. “Ask who?”

Hush: Hush stared at him for a long moment, waiting to see if he’d work it out on his own. She’d forgotten this about him, it seemed. Realizing that he wasn’t going to quite get there on his own, she decided to give him a little push. “Sorcerous Sundries…they sell and specialize in what, exactly, Thask…?” It took a bit of self-control, but she managed to keep her tone gentle and and guiding, while also somehow managing to keep a straight face. Gods, it’s good to be back, she thought, unable to suppress an internal grin and giggle.

Thask: Thask looks between Hush and the direction of Sorcerous Sundries. He looks back at Hush, and you could swear his cheeks had reddened slightly in embarrassment. He’d done it again. He had been so focused on what he could do to try to reach Dorfyr that he completely ignored what the rest of the world had available. After all, it took a team to take down the Netherbrain. If this was possible, it was going to take more than just him. “Good idea. Can’t believe I didn’t think to start there.” He run his hand through his hair, getting caught in a tangle of hair. “Ugh. You wouldn’t happen to have a knife or something on you? I haven’t worked since I lost my inspiration, and I had to sell most of my stuff to survive.” He gestures towards his face. “I haven’t exactly kept up appearances and I’d love to clean up a bit before we start shopping around for help. Best make a good first impression.”

Hush: Her eyebrows slooowly raised as she watched as the gears turned behind those half-orc eyes (because it was definitely his orcish side that was the cause. Wait…was that racist? That was definitely racist. Bad Hush.) “Theeeere it is…” she said with a grin, patting him good-naturedly on the shoulder. She laughed, reaching down to slip a sneaky little dagger from her boot, flipping it once in her hand before holding it out to him, handle first. “Always do.” She watched him for a moment, thoughtfully, a furrow forming between her brows. “Thask, where are you staying now…?” Given his appearance, she certainly hoped he wasn’t on the streets.

Thask: Thask begins combing his fingers through his hair and slicing through large bundles. Light glitters off the golden strands as they fall to the ground and catch in the wind. “I haven’t really had a place to stay.” Thask says as he works through the wild mane that has grown during the last few months. “If I didn’t pass out at the bar…well I’d just find a place to sleep somewhere.” He cuts through another large chunk of hair. “Turns out being the hero of Baldur’s Gate can only get you so much good will before people boot you out.” A few more large chunks of hair fall to the ground as he moves from his hair to his beard. “I haven’t really felt myself in awhile. I’ve been a bit lost without my music. I’ve been just taking it a day at a time.” Thask finishes trimming up. He flips the knife around and hands it back to Hush. He smiles a genuine smile for the first time in a long time. It was good to see his friend again. “How do I look?” Thask has trimmed his hair short. Much shorter than he’s had in years. He’s taken a few inches off his beard as well, styling his moustache upwards slightly. His tusks have grown a bit in the last few months. “I’ll need to get a file for my tusks at some point.” he thinks to himself.

Hush: She watched him as he worked, listening with a frown that formed and only deepened as he continued. Guilt sunk her stomach like a stone. Everyone had gone about their lives and here he was, living on the streets. And he sounded so casual about it, too. Quite frankly, she wasn’t entirely sure what to say, so she just continued to watch until he was finished. She gave him a crooked smile. “You look great, Thask.” And he did, too. How he managed to do it, she wasn’t entirely sure. Must be a bard thing. She chuckled and patted him on the back. “Well, we’ll add that to our shopping list along with information about a spell to get Dorfyr back, yeah? And a room so you can clean up proper and get an actual night’s rest. “

Thask: “That sounds good actually.” Thask stands from the bench. “Let’s head back down to the wizard store and see if we can find….what do we need? A cleric?” Thask scrunches his face as he thinks. “No they help the living. We need a necromancer right? I wonder if they have a job board or something. How do we do this?” his voice suddenly rising in a slight panic. It’s already becoming overwhelming. He rubs his temple trying to pass it off as just brushing his newly cut hair aside.

Hush: Hush hooks her arm through his, guiding their way back down the hill towards the din that always seemed to fill the square in front of the Sorcerous Sundries. It was nice, being under a blue sky again. Even the city at least had some tree-lined streets. And to be able to stroll them once more with an old friend – without the threat of danger – was a treat. “No, you were right the second time. Necromancer, I think.” The rise in his voice caused her lips to twist downward and she suddenly stopped. Turning to face him, she placed a hand on both of his upper arms. “Hey. Look at me.” Hush stared him in the eyes. “We don’t have to have all the answers right now. We’re just getting started! This is just the research and planning phase! Besides,” she said, matter-of-factly, as she once more took his arm and pulled him along. “We’ve faced far bigger challenges in a much more dire timeframe before. And I don’t think any of us knew what we were doing then, either. Pretty sure we got this.” She grinned up at him, patting his arm cheerfully.

Thask: “Right. You’re right.” Thask said as he looked into her eyes. He could feel the anxiety almost melt away. He wasn’t alone. He had somebody to help guide him and maybe he’d be able to find himself on this journey together. “So where do we start?”

Hush: “Mmm…” she hums, thoughtfully, face tilted up towards the sky as if soaking in the sun as they walked. Sure, she was happy to be out in the sunlight again, but she was also making a point to seem casual and at ease. She wanted him to remain calm. This wasn’t an emergency mission with a time limit, after all. “I think we should simply start asking around Sourcerous Sundries and see if we can catch any leads. Ask if anyone there knows of any resources we can use as a place to start.”

Thask: “Yeah. Yeah okay.” Thask nods. Thask leads Hush through the busy streets, pushing through the crowds, moving back towards Sorcerous Sundries. It was a busy day with the market, people tripping over one another getting around. Thask was able to see through the crowds, standing at least a head taller than most of the people bustling through the city. “Should be just up a head” he shouts back at Hush, turning his head slightly to see if she is staying caught up.

Hush: She does her best to keep up, remembering now how notorious he was for outpacing everyone in the party, with the exception of Halsin, perhaps. It didn’t seem fair that people with such large bodies should also move so quickly. With a sigh, she elbows her way past a lumbering bugbear (she hoped it was a bugbear…otherwise he was just an ugly and particularly hairy man) and hurries after Thask.

Thask: They arrive at the entrance to Sorcerous Sundries. Well, Thask arrives with Hush arriving soon after. “We’re here. The wizard store!” Thask exclaims, slapping Hush on the back. “So should we just go inside and ask the sales clerk? I’d imagine they can point us in the right direction” Thask asks.

Hush: She catches up, brushing herself off and adjusting her belongings with a huff. “Alright…I don’t miss the crowds…” she mutters under her breath as she comes to a stop next to him. “It is indeed,” she sighs. “Yep. That’s about the extent of the plan at this point. Surely somebody here knows something.”

Thask: “Okay. Great.” Thask says smiling. ‘Yeah, I can do this’ Thask thinks to himself. ‘I can properly interact with somebody again, put on the charm again. I got this.’ Thask pushes himself forward, into the shop towards the counter. At the counter is a young human woman with green hair and almond skin. She’s trying to shuffle some scrolls into a box. Thask comes up on the counter “Hey there.” he says as he slaps his hand down on the table, leaning forward. Unexpectedly, the page slips out from under his palm as he stumbles forward, knocking a pile of scrolls to the floor. “Oh, whoops. Sorry about that. I need to talk to a dead guy.” The woman looks incredibly annoyed and turns towards him. “What?” she says in a voice that screams that she’d rather be anywhere else but here.

Hush: Hush quickly grabs the back of his tunic in both hands to prevent him from falling into the counter entirely, but then lets go to stop a stack of books from falling over next. She sighs and quickly elbows him out of the way. “Hiiii there! Terribly sorry to bother you- I can see that you’re incredibly busy so we’ll try to make it quick, promise! Would you be able to direct us to someone who might know where we could find more information about speaking with the dead? Specifically, in the case that we don’t have the person with which we wish to speak with’s bodyyy…” The last word was dragged out as a grimace as she realized how odd such a request sounded. “Iiiif such a thing exists…?”

Thask: The sales clerk just stares at the towering half orc and tiefling in front of her, letting the silence hang a second as she stares. She lets out an exasperated sigh. “Yes such a thing exists.” she says “You just need to find the right spell and anything is possible.” She goes back to shuffling spell scrolls into a box behind the counter. “It’s not something you’re going to find here, at least not for sale.” She places the box back on the shelf under the sales desk. “I imagine you want a necromancer, but talk to the librarian in the back of the store, maybe they can at least tell you something more.” The clerk turns away from the two and goes back to stocking shelves. Thask turns to Hush and then looks back to the clerk. “Thanks?” Thask says as the clerk raises a hand in acknowledgement…or dismissal, he’s not quiet sure.

Hush: Hush stared right back at the clerk, crossing her arms in front of her chest and raising her chin in a look that calmly demanded answers. She smiled politely at the woman and bowed her head in thanks, but the sales clerk has already turned her back to them and returned to busily stocking the shelves. Green eyes roll upward towards Thask and she grins, already turning in the direction of the aforementioned library. “See? Already getting answers! First steps of the journey already in progress…” Hush gently nudged the back of his arm with her fist before leading the way to the back of the shop where the library was located, only getting distracted a few times along the way.

Thask: Thask wanders his way into the back of the shop, casting his gaze at all the tomes that line the walls of the shops. So many books on magic, surely there’s an answer out there somewhere. A few wizards can be seen flipping through a few books, sitting in chairs along the walk towards the back. At the back of the shop sits a single desk, behind which is a young man, human with short red hair. He’s dressed in typical wizard garb, flowing gray robes, with blue accenting weave throughout the garment. He is holding a quill, writing on some parchment as they approach. He gently lifts his head, sensing the presence of customers. “Hello” he says “Can I help you?” Thask smiles gently. “I need to talk to a dead guy,” Thask starts to say as he receives an elbow in the side from Hush. “Oh sorry. I need somebody to talk to a dead guy. “ Thask says, smiling at Hush.
The librarian sets down his quill to the side, and sets down the parchment he was writing upon. “I’m sorry” the librarian says, glancing upwards confused towards the towering half-orc, “You want what? I’m just a librarian. I’m afraid I’m not going to be of much help to you.”
Thask’s smile begins to slip a bit. “But the clerk said.” Thask begins to mumble out. The librarian sighs, and begins to rub the bridge of his nose.
“Let’s start from the top and see if I can figure this out. Tell me what you’re wanting to do, and maybe I can guide you on the right path.”

Thask leans back a bit scratching at the back of his head. “I suppose….well.” Thask pauses for a minute to gather his thoughts so he wasn’t just rambling the first thing that comes to his mind. “A friend of mine died during the battle of Baldur’s Gate…back when that gigantic brain tried to take over. He gave his life and….I don’t know. I suppose I’m seeking closure or a way to talk to him one more time.” Thask’s smile has completely melted away from his face, revealing a deep hurt and sorrow. “The clerk mentioned something of necromancy, but I don’t even know where to start. He lost his body during the battle, so there isn’t anything left to talk to…”
The librarian flicks his eyes between the half orc and the tiefling before him. “I see.” the librarian says and lets the silence that follows hang for a minute as he ponders. “You’re on the right path. Necromancy is the right magic domain, but I believe you’ll specifically want somebody who can commune with spirits. You’ll need a powerful mage, I imagine, to be able to bridge a connection to the afterlife from the material plane and- ” the librarian suddenly cuts himself off as an older woman, who appears to be in her 50’s or so (it’s hard to get a true sense of her age) approaches the back of the store. She has gray shoulder length hair, with two braids tied back along her crown. She has brilliant purple eyes, and almost seem to glow against her skin. Her face is covered in freckles, and purple paint markings. She walks up to the librarian.
“Hello Rodger. Do you have those tomes I requ-…oh I’m sorry I didn’t realize you were with somebody” she says, stopping in her tracks.
The librarian smiles towards her, “Vallora! You’re actually just the person I was thinking of.” the librarian says as he gestures to Thask and Hush, “I believe these two might be in need of somebody capable of communing with the spirits”
Vallora turns towards them, “Oh?”

Vallora turns towards the two before then, looking the orc up and down. “How can I help you?” she says as the librarian passes her a few tomes.
“Here are those books you requested. Now if you’ll excuse me, I need to get back to work.” As the librarian finishes the conversation, Vallora tucks the tomes away in her bag.

Thask looks down at Hush for a second, looking into her purple eyes, looking for some sort of support. He blinks, turns towards Vallora, digging up the courage to move forward with this quest. “Yes. I..We’re trying to find a way to communicate with a friend of mine who sacrificed himself during the battle with the Nether Brain. Our wizard friend can only communicate with the dead if a body is left, but…well this time there wasn’t.” Thask stops for a second, having to relive the past. It’s hard to remember that time. He looks up at Vallora, looking for some sort of indication on what she was thinking.