Frost Campaign: The Tenderfoots

This is a short story from the frost-burn campaign, featuring the introduction of Neena and Lee'am. Please enjoy.


Neena and Lee’am Tenderfoot were very well read spell-casters; that is to say that between the two of them they possessed one spellbook that had only three spells in it, all three of which they had read enough times that the binding of said spellbook had nearly fallen apart.

This avid reading was due to their long practice, and they were very practiced spell-casters. That is to say that Neena was very skilled in casting two of the three minor spells that they had managed to acquire, and Lee’am had been practicing on the third, although she had been forced to warp the nature of it’s casting in such a fashion that it couldn’t even be considered the same spell.

They were very talented spell-casters, in that they shared the family trait that gave them the immense talent for stirring up trouble, and offending most of the people that they came into contact with. Lee’am in particular had a knack for dealing with people in a way left Neena periodically pulling her hair out in frustration and trying desperately to find some method of damage control in their social encounters.

Tying things together, this method of damage control usually had something to do with the two spells that she had access to, another reason why they were such well-practiced casters. The first spell that Neena had mastered was the infamous magic missile, which conjured a single fist of arcane force that blasted at the target and never missed. The second spell she had mastered was a shield spell that conjured a wide disc of invisible arcane force which was useful for deflecting the incoming blows of angry villagers and other such menacing forces (coincidentally, the magic missile was a spell that never missed, except when it was fired upon someone protected by the invisible shield. This was something that Neena had initially found fascinating, because she hadn’t known that fact until she’d cast the magic missile at someone, fully expecting it to hit them.)

The third spell, the one that Lee’am so adored, was a charm spell that was meant to influence one’s perception of the caster. This was the one that caused them the most trouble.

One example of this recurring pattern came on the rainy evening that they had arrived in the city of Iriaebor, in the Sunset Vale. The twins stumbled inside the city just before dark, soaked to the bone. Being a pair of unguarded halflings, they had actually spent most of their time walking through the brush and tall grasses on either side of the Traveler’s Road, to avoid contact with the trading caravans and any other bandits as they went. The inn that they came to first was called ‘the Weary Man’s Rest,’ which they took as a good omen despite the fact that they weren’t men. They entered.

The interior of the inn was very crowded, but also quiet and comfortable for the two soaked Halfling girls. It seemed that more than one merchant or trader harbored a similar state of fatigue, because no one seemed to notice their entrance.
Neena, undaunted, slicked her thick black hair over her head and calmly approached the cook, who was stir-frying a vegetable dish in front of all of the inn’s patrons. “I would like to order a room for the evening, and a hot meal,” she said.
“Speak up.” The combination cook and innkeeper had taken just that moment to pour a greasy mixture of beef onto a hot iron pan, and didn’t hear her response above the sizzling.

The cook had just covered the mixture as Lee’am answered the question, which quieted the brief distraction while the second Halfling bellowed her response. “We want a place to stay and we want some of that food you’re cooking!”
The room was even more silent as every eye in the room turned to the shouting Halfling.

“Ahem,” Neena said, patting her sister on the head. “Whatever food you are preparing, it smells wonderful, and we would like to stay the night.”

“My apologies, small ones, but the Inn is full and the food is for patrons. If you keep moving, there are more places available.” The combination cook and innkeeper was busily chopping other various meats and vegetables, and his reply was polite

“That’s great. Phenomenal. Wonderful.” Lee’am began a short tirade as she hopped off of the stool that she had come to occupy.

“Can we at least stay for a few minutes to rest our feet and get out of the rain?” Neena asked calmly.

“That would be fine, just stay out of the way of the other guests.” He waved them off with one hand.

“It’s been this way since Chessenta, chased out, no room, no time, no patience, no food, and no magic!” The second sister seethed.

“Lee’am,” her sister reminded her quietly, “It’s best for you to remain calm. You do remember what happened in Hlondeth, do you not?”

“The snake had it coming!” Lee’am said with a pout.

“Yes, but the snake wasn’t the one who got poisoned, now was he?”

“Poison is a mean little trick. Vicious.” Lee’ams pout deepened.

“But it cost us half our supplies to get you healed.”

“Greedy Tymora, why does she want so much gold? I don’t want to talk about it!” She stomped off and sat down by the fire. Neena stood on the opposite side of the huge stone hearth, letting the warmth drown out the wetness of the rain. And letting her sister cool her temper.

It took a few minutes before she felt remotely comfortable, making slow turns to dry out both the front and back of her long tunic like a hog on a vertical spit. She was very nearly dry when she heard something that horrified her.

Neena’s twin sister began to play her flute.

“No, not tonight, not when we’re just here,” Neena whispered as she shook off the magical effect that was began seeping into the back of her mind. It was easy, as she’d heard her sister play this tune many times and was ready for its effects.
The room, which was already fairly quiet, grew deathly silent as every person in the room moved their attention to the flute’s calming tune.

“This is going to be bad,” Neena whispered to herself. Her sister had stood, using one hand to trill up and down on her small reed flute, and the other to walk forward and draw a jeweled dagger from the belt of a merchant. The man had been so intent on her music that he didn’t seem to notice as she slid the dagger into her own belt.

Seeing the inherent danger and idiotic risk of such an action was enough to start Neena moving toward the door. Neena was convinced that the man most certainly would notice, and he would do so the moment that Lee’am stopped playing her instrument. She had seen it before, and somewhere deep in her mind, she knew that she would see it again. Brea began to quietly cast her shield spell when she reached the door, motioning for Lee’am to follow.

Lee’am, a look of intense pleasure shining on her tanned face, did a little hopping skip as she made her way across the room. Her pleasure was discomfited when she tripped herself, giving a shrill and off-key note on the flute as she hit the ground.

The music stopped, and a general commotion erupted as the whole of the room was loosened from the fascinating grip of Lee’am’s music. Neena readied her other spell, looking for a target, and found it as one of the men abruptly stood and drew his sword. It happened to be the same man who was currently missing a jeweled dagger.

“Run, you little idiot,” Neena told her sister, who scrambled toward the door, dodging the hands of various people who grabbed out to stop her. Neena finished her magic missile spell, and the glowing blue flash of light struck the standing man on the left side of his face, knocking him back over the bench and tripping him over.

Three flagons, a knife, and a small crossbow bolt struck her invisible shield as her sister pushed past her and into the street. Neena followed her, sprinting back into the rain, and together they sought out some place to hide in the depressing sound of the pouring rain. Neena briefly lamented the cold rain, but was more concerned with staying out of sight.

Berating her sister could come later, but oh, it would most definitely come.

A general observation of this situation would lead one to the understanding that Neena and Lee’am Tenderfut were also very well-traveled spellcasters; that is to say that they had been chased out of nearly every city or settlement or farmhouse or barn or cave that they had chosen to call a temporary home, since they had begun their mutual pursuit of the arcane Art.