GREYHAWK: The Golden Era CY963: A1-P1-S2 [RESTORED CAMPAIGN THREAD]

[Diarmadhim]

While waiting for Crestwall to comply, I field Kasnik's questions with open honesty.

"I came out of retirement and recruited the others when I saw a healthy bounty on the undead posted by Lord Margull. We are using my mansion/tavern, Moresby Hall, as a headquarters currently. Maxwell Silverhammer, the former leader of the now disbanded Seven of Steel, pointed us to the possible recruitment of his cousin Vale, whom is a cleric. On our way here to meet him we found Fiendish Orcs wearing Pomarj insignia and riding upon a pair of manticores. After we dispatched them we were attacked by an assassin named Vaelik the Deathblade that was masquerading as Sheriff Denby Fairweather. After waking up this morning we happened upon the real sheriff and spotted Crestwall acting suspicious. That's when you come in."

 

[Sylvar B.]

Sylvar's grip on his Naginata tightens and his knuckles turn white. They are the only indication of the rage building up inside him at Mr.Beringers insolence.
Sylvar leans forward so that he can whisper to Mr. Beringer. If you are of no use to us we have no reason to protect you, I suggest you cooperate, I for one have never seen the Pomarj torture someone. Sylvar stands up, turns his back to Beringer and speaks out loud. . Mr. Beringer, please answer the questions in the manner I asked. It will help clarify the situation Sylvar turns back around and looks at Mr. Beringer expectantly.

OOC: Sylvar won't actually turn Beringer over to the Pomarj, he just wants him to think that he will. I tried to word the statement carefully, since Sylvar has in fact never seen someone tortured by the Pomarj. He is allowing Beringer to reach his own conclusions

 

[Tellerian Hawke]

"Fine," Beringer replies, in an icy tone. "No, I have not received magical items from the Pomarj. No, Shem did not give me other magical items besides the ones I used to attack Sir Denby. It angers me that you would treat my earnest, honest confession with suspicion and contempt, when you surely realize that I will be murdered in a manner most foul for having said these things. My best hope is that I will be hung instead; at least that will be a swift, dignified death. If the sentence is commuted to hard labor, you can rest assured that I will disappear soon afterward."

He finishes the last statement by mumbling to himself, something about throwing pearls before swine.

 

[Sylvar B.]

Mr. Beringer, I will not lie to you and tell you that everything will be okay. Your sense of fatalism and despair is certainly warranted as the danger to your life is significant. Although, you cannot lie in this place, it is possible to dance around the truth, thank you for answering my questions as requested.

Sylvar internal dialogue: ~Mr. Beringer's life is in grave danger. It is possible he will say anything to gain the Father's favor. He knows he needs protection; I believe he will also do anything to get it. Including endanger his life with that ring. If he flips me off again, I'm going to wait for Kasnik to leave, and find a shed to take that insolent little man behind.~

Sir Denby, I'm satisfied, I think we should let him attempt to remove the spell. We have nothing to lose, and you have everything to gain. Perhaps we should retreat to a safe distance when he speaks the command word.

 

[Tellerian Hawke]

"Sir Denby, I'm satisfied, I think we should let him attempt to remove the spell. We have nothing to lose, and you have everything to gain. Perhaps we should retreat to a safe distance when he speaks the command word."

Sir Denby (To All, in Common): "I'm OK with it, I think he's been more than fair to us, by answering our questions in the face of his own, impending doom. I don't think anything will be gained by one of us trifling with the ring."

Edward and Harold both nod their agreement; Sir Denby takes a deep breath, exhaling slowly. He urges everyone to step back from the box. He picks the box up, and opens the top, exposing the ring. Then he extends his arm toward Beringer; Beringer reaches for the ring, but before he can grab it, Denby turns the box upside down, allowing the ring to fall to the floor, with a clatter. "Scarlet Soul," Denby intones, smiling. Beringer gasps in awe, as he realizes what is happening.

As the command word is spoken, the ring begins to glow an eerie red. Denby's form begins to morph and change, growing taller, and stronger in limb, and changing in many other ways, as he reverts to the form that resembles the way Vaelik first appeared.

Edward and Harold smile broadly, as the man they knew is once again restored. Edward shouts,"What's the big idea? Why did you risk it?"

Denby, who is wearing leather gloves, picks up the ring and replaces it into the box, closing the lid quickly, and then replies, "It suddenly occurred to me that Beringer here, at least in the eyes of a mastermind who is capable of such a complex plot, would be nothing more than a lackey, a pawn. His job was to speak the command words. But the maker of the ring would have had no way of knowing who the pawn would actually be, when the time came to activate the ring. So he enchanted it to work for anyone. Any one of us could have spoken the command words. And since Beringer had already assured us the proximity was not required, I saw no reason to force him to pick up the ring. It is, after all, my duty as Sheriff to protect lives, even the lives of suspects. So I did what was necessary. And now that my true form has been restored, the final test of Mr. Crestwall's veracity has been passed with flying colors. I assure you, my good man, that your sentence will not only be commuted to a lesser crime, but you will have the protection of the Domain of Dyvers. I shall see to it that you serve your time in Dyvers, not Caltaran. Lord Margull's dungeons are enchanted so as to prevent the mightiest wizards from escaping; such enchantments would also prevent anyone from getting to you. A dungeon cell might seem a harsh punishment, but Lord Margull is known for treating prisoners fairly, even if he is a bit strict. With good behavior, I doubt you'll serve more than 15 years. And I hear that the Temple of Pelor is in charge of feeding the prisoners, so I don't think you'll suffer from undernourishment."

Having said this, Denby hands the box over to Sylvar, with a wink. "I think you and your friends could earn a hefty reward by turning this over to the proper Dyvers authorities. Consider it my way of saying thanks, for all of your help."

[Everyone: What do you do?]

 

[akahdrin]

OOC: For Sylvar. You will notice that when you whisper or even speak quietly, Kasnik can't hear you at all and always asks for others to speak up if he is interested. Old age has dulled his senses. Think he has -6 listen.

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[Aust Thale]

~ Time to get more answers out of the fellows we felled yesterday...if they aren't too rank by now ~

Respen hopes that the chilled evening, crisp morning and cool temperate midday have kept the orcs and the dead assassin from becoming too ripe. He is eager to see Vale commit the dead to questioning; he had seen it once before in his tribe as a young elf. It was fascinating and powerful magic. Respen walks outside to the courtyard, and is glad to see that Vale has not left the temple grounds. The gorgeous weather seems to have calmed Vale, somewhat. Respen motions to the Dwarf; Vale follows Respen back inside the sanctum, in order to help conclude the party's business.

To Vale: "Vale, might we attend to our other matter...or matters?" As Vale nods in recognition and places his finger to his lips indicating he agrees with Respen's continued discretion, despite Dewydd disclosing it to all in attendance in the temple. Clearly, the box with the ring in it gives Vale pause. It does Respen also.

To Denby, quietly so that the prisoner can not ascertain what is being said: "Sheriff, might we have more of your and Edward's time? Our friend Dewydd shared a previous encounter with you; we have unfinished business regarding it. And our man Vale here possesses the ability to explore it. "

To Sylvar, whispering quietly, "The orc is hard of hearing?"

Vale frowns and then smiles at the irony of it. At the root of politeness and diplomacy was being able to listen better than one speaks. It galls him that the orc might best him at those skills, all the while remaining hard of hearing.

 

[Tellerian Hawke]

Denby's Request

To Denby, quietly so that the prisoner can not ascertain what is being said: "Sheriff, might we have more of your and Edward's time? Our friend Dewydd shared a previous encounter with you; we have unfinished business regarding it. And our man Vale here possesses the ability to explore it."

Denby, To Respen: "What would you ask of me? ... and before you answer, I have a question for you. Criminal charges are heard by the Court of Dyvers every month, on the 15th. Today is the 11th. We are a day away from Dyvers. I can't spare any of my deputies to make the trip, so I was wondering, would you and your fellows agree to escort Mr. Crestwall to Dyvers, and protect him, and deliver him safely into the custody of Lieutenant Benquist of the City Watch? Father Xavier and Father Clarence will also be travelling with you; Father Xavier believes that the High Priest of Cuthbert in Dyvers can remove the curse that afflicts Father Clarence, thereby restoring his memory. You would want to arrive the day before, so that there will be time to add Mr. Crestwall's case to the docket. So that means that if you leave on the morning of the 13th, you should arrive in the late evening of that same day, with plenty of time to rest for the night before delivering Mr. Crestwall into custody the following morning. That leaves you the rest of today, and all day tomorrow, to conclude whatever business that you have here, in Caltaran. What say you?"

As an afterthought, Denby says, "What is it you wanted to ask me? You said you needed some more of my time?"


[Respen: What do you do?]

[Everyone Else: What do you do?]

 

[Diarmadhim]

"We actually have quite a good rapport with Lieutenant Benquist, having made his acquaintance personally not even a week ago. Escorting Crestwall, Father Clarence, and Father Xavier would be our pleasure."

 

[akahdrin]

After Dewydd says that, Kasnik nods and gives an affirming orcish grunt.