Drd’zzoth’s Journal – Crellar’s Inn
...the Frozen Ones failed to locate all members of our hunting party during their stay in this place of warmth and isolation. I escaped by killing one of the elves and then claiming that he had tried to take my form. Astonishing gullibility. Joined my comrade in the woods, and waited for the departure of magic and sharp steel from the house. We are entrusted to ferry the thrice-cursed blade to its destruction, and must not fail. However, there is danger in travelling with diminished numbers during the months of cold. We shall remain here, and play our games....
...I slew the magic wielder, donned his garb, and placed his corpse within the cold meat locker. I dared not take the staff, for it Knew me. The noises continued in the common room. I mingled with these Stiffs, these Defenders of Daybreak. The ones called Grundo and Tom-Tom have returned. Tom-Tom cannot be penetrated, but knowledge of my deeds burns in Grundo’s mind. They have found the hidden bodies of Gardis Crellar and his son Kellog beneath the wood pile.
Great care, now. My comrade has already been warned. A distraction is needed. I must get The Sword....
...went with Alix and Tom-Tom to search the bedrooms. They found the box and bypassed the well-laid traps upon it. Opening it, they uncovered The Slayer, glittering with runes upon the velvet. I attempted to take it, on pretext of examining the runes. No longer caged in its container the blade turned upon me, blazing with white light and searing my fingers. Dropping The Slayer, I howled and fled the room....
...while Tom-Tom examined the blade, Alix came to assist his friend. I found Alix alone with me in the hall with his back briefly turned. Silently, I made an end of him with my hands....
...distraction has been achieved. While the Defenders sought the body of Arcade Deltarion, I rapidly passed through the house and set it afire at strategic points. We dare not remain. They have The Slayer, and despair finds me. But as we flee into the night I am comforted, for my comrade’s seed grows even now within my “mother” this night....
[Ed. Tom-Tom left the bedroom seeking Alix, only to find him lying dead in the hall. Instantly he knew that Arcade was dead as well. He searched the kitchen, but while looking for Arcade’s body with infravision missed it entirely in the cold, lightless, meat locker. He then spiked the door to the locker closed!
Tom-Tom then returned to the common room and gathered the party to tell them what had happened. Suddenly a green flash lit the room and Arcade’s staff appeared in Glimmer’s hand.
“I am displeased,” it said.
“Why is that?” said Nolin, astonished that the staff could speak.
“My perambulatory extremities have been disabled!” said the staff.
The staff informed the party of Arcade’s location. Just at that moment a chambermaid ran down from the upper floor screaming that the inn was on fire. The Defenders managed to grab their supplies and Alix’s body, extricate Arcade’s body from the locker, and flee.
They spent the night in a magic pavilion created by one of the merchants. The party was then faced with the horrible task of telling Gertrude Crellar what had happened. She became, naturally, distraught and hysterical. Cadrienne took charge of her and escorted her to a nearby relative’s home.
Later, the sword recovered from under the bed was revealed to be “Cambion”, a unique Sword of Shapechanger Detection. It glowed strongly in the presence of shapeshifters, was plussed against them, and with a successful hit had a high probability of forcing one back into its own shape.
The doppelgangers escaped, and nothing more was heard of them.
For several years.]