As Angus is taking Wieland and Elle where they need to go, he begins to make small talk.
Angus says, in BROKEN Harqualian, "I think figure out I did some of very easy things to speak at Harqualian. While battle lasted, I hear again and again some words using together, and words to be starting made sense. I am doing how?"
After pausing a moment, Angus continues, "Wonder I do at the things broke I did. Tarrak say they important not, and but then he make upset and say his Malotoch kill me she will for doing. Think I do that we must getting the pieces do, and figure out what for was those things purpose for."
Quinn flies and helps where needed, burning the rook bodies, or whatever he is sent off to help with. if needed to remove the items from the re-deaded corpse of Tarrak he will fly and hover as directed by Mauer, Ghal or Caerth.
Caerth hesitates. He knows better than to trust a demon, even when this particular fiend has just helped saved his life.
He is convinced killing Galzadar is wrong, at least in this state, but freeing the mage and risking him turning on them again is something the druid is wary of.
"Phar! Maur!" Caerth calls out to his companions who, in his mind at least, have the most experience with magics, both arcane and divine. Hopefully they will know the truth of the ritual Eutharic claims can help.
While waiting for his allies to arrive, the half-orc drops down and makes extra sure there are no magical aids within reach of Galzadar when he releases the tangling vines in a few moments; no wands, scrolls, amulets, components, or even daggers and rings. This time he is a bit more reckless in shifting through the items, thinking that any magical traps sprung will have less of an effect with the rest of the undead army defeated.
OOC:
Caerth only took a few items last time; now he makes sure to remove everything from Galzadar. He awaits this allies before releasing the spell holding the wizard.
It doesn't take long for Caerth to strip away Galzadar's remaining possessions. There is a dagger, a pair of bracers, fancy slippers, the unique-looking longblade, and the elf wizard's impressive spellbook. The half-orc druid is forced to drop the entangle spell in order to get the spellbook away from Galzadar. The wizard's robe look like they could be enchanted but Eutharic objects to Caerth stripping his master to his bare skin.
"Hey!" The quasit complains. "He can't attack you with his clothes! Leave my master a little dignity!"
Galzadar speaks. "I promise I will not attack you, druid."
Phar moves to the part of the cave where the Zombies are still concentrated and choosing his target carefully, he calls upon his magic once more. With a whoosh fire erupts in the midst of the Zombies burning them where they stand.
He readies his bow to deal with any survivors, but Caerth's call instead brings him to the entangled Sorcerer and his familiar. "Tell me of this ritual you think will help your master." He listens carefully and considers what he knows of such things.
Eutharic nods to Phar. "I know it will help him, but it won't be simple. When Vok transformed him into this form, the demon lord bound Galzadar to both him and to Malotoch. The Carrion Goddess can see and hear everything around my master..."
"But not now," Galzadar says quietly. "So quiet."
"Yes, with Tarrak's destruction, the link to Malotoch has been severed. She could also command him through the abyssal link but won't be able to do so again unless another powerful demon or undead creature comes close enough to command him. Vok could also see through my master's eyes, but I don't think he could hear through him as well."
"I've never heard his voice in my head," the elf wizard says. "But, he may still be watching us... I don't know."
"I can't say for certain, but I don't think so." The quasit says. He shakes his head. "It doesn't matter. While Tarrak still existed, he saw everything around my master. Vok will send something to try to get him back." He looks at Phar. "You must act quickly. We need to take him to a holy place dedicated to the North Gods. The grove at Carnell will probably be enough... I hope it is strong enough."
Once the entangling plants have retreated from around his master, the quasit finds a small rock and begins scratching out a diagram for the ritual on the rock next to Galzadar. Phar can tell that the quasit has done his research. He lays out a plan that requires Galzadar to be placed in the center of the grove. Divine symbols must be etched into the ground in key spots around the cursed elf wizard. Phar can tell that it will be complicated but will require only a few exotic components -- night plague, starclay, and stormdust. Phar has heard of both night plague and stormdust but starclay is completely unknown to him.
"Night plague is a plant that grows in dense grasslands. It should be easy to find. Stormdust is created by powerful sea storms. Apothecaries often collect it."
"Reynold might have some in his home," Galzadar has been listening closely to his familiar's plan.
"Yes, yes, I forgot about him!" He pulls on Caerth's arm to make sure he has the half-orc druid's full attention. "Reynold Bradshawe is in Carnell. He is my master's... apprentice."
"He is Tarrak's spy in Carnell," Galzadar sighs and shakes his head. "He was forced upon me and is lowly horrible person with little talent beyond necromancy. If I every see him again, I will burn him to a crisp!" Galzadar's eyes begin to swirl with energy and Eutharic is forced to land on the elf wizard's chest and cover his eyes.
"Master, master, you need to calm down!"
Phar watches the elf man's skin begins to shimmer like the night sky. Bright yellow spots like distant stars going nova burst like fireworks, which causes his skin to look rain-soaked but without any dampness. His hair seems to come alive as if a powerful wind is tossing it in a storm. Phar watches as the elf seems to blend in with his robes and rock underneath he until he appears nearly invisible.
Then, the shadowstar elf's rage passes and his skin returns to its normal hue.
"That was close," the quasit sighs in relief. He takes his hands off of Galzadar's eyes and the elf wizard has fallen into a deep sleep. "We need to get him to somewhere secure and out from under the moonlight until dawn breaks. He will be calmer after that." He checks his master's breathing. "He'll sleep for a while now."
"Once we get the ritual set up, three spell will be required to break the curse. They must be cast in order and timed just perfectly. They must be cast all on the same day. The first spell has to be break enchantment and requires the stormdust. The second is remove curse and it requires the starclay. Getting the clay won't be easy. It will have to be created or purchased from an alchemist. It will be very expensive. You could try to find it in the wild but it is usually only found at higher elevations near mountain lakes. Monsters often use it to strengthen their lairs... dragons too. The third spell is atonement."
He looks up at Phar. "While the first two spell don't require my master to be a willing participant, the the atonement spell requires his consent or the ritual won't work completely. He will gain back a part of his morality, but he won't be exactly who he was before," the quasit pauses. "He was a silver elf before Vok transformed him. There might be a way to turn him back completely but it could be risky. In this form, he can be dominated again easily. If the ritual succeeds partially, my master will still be at risk, but his soul will be his own to fight such magic. Vok's servants won't be able to command him with only a word or gesture."
Phar can sense that the quasit is telling the truth as best as the tiny demon knows. The paragon elf wizard also knows there will be a risk to Galzadar's life during the ritual. If he dies during it, he soul might be completely destroyed. But, better that than becoming a demon. Phar has heard of shadowstar elves before. They are extraplanar elves that live on the plane known as the Shadowstar Sea. Phar knows that it would require, at least, a dominate person spell to keep such complete control over Galzadar's soul. If it could be dispelled, it could make the ritual more effective.
OOC:
The Shadowstar Sea replaces both the Astral Plane and the Plane of Shadow in Kulan's cosmology. It also has elements of both the Negative and Positive Energy Planes, which don't exist in the cosmology. The higher one flies into the plane's sky, the more powerful the positive energy becomes. The deeper one dives into the plane's sea, the more powerful the negative energy becomes.
With no more threats, Angus is able to guide the survivors in helping him recover the last of the dead soldiers of Carnell. Sir Ghal insists on taking the dead cultists with them as well.
"We can not leave them behind," he says. "They could rise as undead. The bodies need to be consecrated and buried on holy ground."
As Angus is taking Wieland and Elle where they need to go, he begins to make small talk.
Angus says, in BROKEN Harqualian, "I think figure out I did some of very easy things to speak at Harqualian. While battle lasted, I hear again and again some words using together, and words to be starting made sense. I am doing how?"
After pausing a moment, Angus continues, "Wonder I do at the things broke I did. Tarrak say they important not, and but then he make upset and say his Malotoch kill me she will for doing. Think I do that we must getting the pieces do, and figure out what for was those things purpose for."
"I don't know if there is a risk," Elle says. "But lets gather up everything and make sure that thing cannot come back." She helps Angus search for the broken bits of the box while Scarborax keeps the dancing lights floating overhead so the Gala of Inanna can see. The two of them find the remains of both Phre and Tarrak's phylacteries.
Wieland makes his way to the horses along with Bothild and Thorvid. The old dwarf fighter is in bad shape after the Infernal Wind hit him and the female dwarf soldier helps him up the slope.
"I need a beer, a bath, and a bed," Thorvid mumbles.
Quinn flies and helps where needed, burning the rook bodies, or whatever he is sent off to help with. if needed to remove the items from the re-deaded corpse of Tarrak he will fly and hover as directed by Maur, Ghal or Caerth.
Quinn first helps Maur get to the top of the crevasse. The ordained champion ties himself to the rope and Aureus and Quinn pull the dwarf up after Maur recovers the destroyed ghast's dangerous possessions from the bottom of the crevasse. Quinn is forced to pull Spinereaver out of the wall and is pleased to discover that the human-bane weapon doesn't burn him.
Everything is gathered up from the other dead cultists and put into bundles, so that no one is forced to touch anything. After several hours of work, the bodies of the dead rooks have been stacked in the area consecrated by Maur by the remaining palisades and then set on fire. The smoke fills the cave and Quinn flies back to the cave mouth where all his allies and the survivors have gathered.
Caerth and Phar have gathered up Galzadar after binding the elf man's hands and blindfolding him. The shadowstar elf still slumbers. The bodies of the two priestesses are slung over one of the horses with the unconscious Crisenth bound and gagged and slung over top of them. Both Sir Ghal and Lady Pendour had insisted on taking the man prisoner instead of killing him outright.
"He will pay for his crimes, but it will be done in the traditional ways," Lady Pendour insists. "The people will probably insist he be hanged, but trial in the arena of Sandbreak could also be his fate."
"If he goes to the arena, I will personally make sure he never leaves it!" Sir Ghal says.
"I say we just hang him and not worry about telling the senate at all," Wieland adds.
"That is not our way, Mr. Bowen," Lady Pendour notes. "No one else will speak of lying to senate! The traditions of the Strandlands must be upheld!"
"You could challenge the Confessor to a duel to the death, Wieland," Thorvid suggests. "He did kill your kin, so it would be justified."
"He'd probably kill you, Wieland," Sir Ghal says. "He is too powerful. No, we must let the people of Carnell decide. They will likely vote for a trial here and the senate will agree to it."
"We will worry about that later," Lady Pendour says. "We must get back to Carnell and find out if it has come under attack, or not."
"Yes, mi'lady," Sir Ghal nods to her from his horse.
Elle rides with her lady while Ailward rides with Sir Ghal. There aren't enough horses for everyone, so the journey back to Carnell is on foot. Takes several hours, but Quinn flies ahead to help the defenders left behind to guard the village after being ordered to do so by Lady Pendour.
Quinn finds that Tarrak was not lying to them. The village was attacked by rooks but it seems the defenders fought them off. There are casualties among the militia defenders, but it looks like it could have been much worse. Nearly a dozen members of the militia lay dead, but all of the attacking rooks were killed. He finds Mabon and Timmins helping to clean up the second mess in Carnell caused by attacking rooks. He is surprised to find Aries out of his cell and helping with the wounded.
Mabon tells Quinn that Aries helped them against the rooks. "If he hadn't, there would have been a lot more deaths on our side."
"He saved my life," Timmins adds. "The rooks surrounded me and took me down but he came out of nowhere and healed me."
"I only wish I could have helped the ogre boy in time," Aries says glumly. "Damn that bastard, Eike!"
"I tried to save him," Timmins adds. "But I'm not a skilled healer."
"But at least you were there to try," Aries says.
"You saved many of the others," Mabon notes. "We thank you for that."
OOC:
Quinn is the first of the PCs to arrive back in Carnell due to being able to fly. If Caerth can still fly with his spell after several hours of gathering up the dead (and items of the bad guys), burning the rooks, and helping the wounded out of the cave, then he can get there too, although he might want to stick near Galzadar and the quasit. (He could easily carry the cursed elf wizard while flying.)
Wild shaping back into a bat would get him there faster, I think.
It takes the other PCs and the NPC survivors several hours to get back to the village while making sure that all the survivors get there in one piece. Neither Sir Ghal nor Lady Pendour will ride ahead and leave her people behind. After the fight is officially over, I'm going to say it takes over 6 hours to gather up the dead, cleanse the cave, and return to Carnell.
Once back in Carnell, the PCs discover that 20 rooks attacked the village. During the confusion, the false apprentice of Galzadar, Reynold Bradshawe, left the defenders (under false pretenses) and entered the manor where he freed both Eike and Xander. (He left Aries to rot.) The two prisoners escaped the manor while Reynold summoned a skeleton and attacked his fellow citizens from behind.
Aries called out a warning that went unheard in the manor for some time until Brutus finally heard him and let him out. Aries told the half-ogre what happened and Brutus went after Eike and Xander. Brutus loaned Aries a weapon and the Soldier of Iron entered the fray on the side of defenders. At one point, Timmins was nearly killed, but Aries saved him with a cure spell.
No one saw what happened between Brutus and the two escaped prisoners as it occurred near the smithy while the main fight was going on on the other side of the village. (Some of the rooks also attacked the manor. Brutus had been leading those defenders.)
After the rooks and Reynold were defeated, Mabon and Timmins went looking for Brutus. They found him dead just outside the smithy. Timmins tried to save him, but it was too late. Brutus's axe and few of his other items were missing, as was all of Xander's remaining gear that was being stored in the smithy for safe keeping. The lock was picked (probably by Xander). Note, however, that Phar still has Xander's spellbook and spell component pouch, as well as the other items the duergar gave up willingly.
There were other missing items. I'll post which items are missing on the OOC thread.
Carrying Galzadar behind him, Caerth arrives with the others at Carnell. Seeing that the villagers managed to defend the town successfully, the half-orc decides to head to the sacred grove first before checking up on the townsfolk.
Motioning for Phar to help him with the symbols to keep Galzadar safe, the druid warns Eutharic, "I don't think you'll find it a pleasant place to be in there. Perhaps you can keep watch just outside?"
His tone is almost apologetic, but Caerth does not want to take any risks. The presence of a demon on this sacred ground could have unpredictable effects. However, the half-orc realizes that the quasit helped save his life, and for that he grudgingly respects the tiny fiend.
OOC:
The Master Air spell lasted 9 minutes, so Caerth has walked alongside most of the others to Carnell.
Caerth will place Galzadar in the grove, helping Phar with the magic symbols if needed, before moving to town.
Once he heard about the spells needed to free Galzadar, Maur commented on the ritual "I can cast all those spells. I am not the most powerful caster, but my faith is strong and the shrine will help. But for tomorrow, we travel to bring murderers to justice."
Between his healers hands, alchemist shop and remaining charges of the healing wand, no additional deaths happened, but the toll is terrible. His skills would help in armory perhaps, but he was never true craftsman with the stone. On the other hand, his spells can create and shape stones, call earth elementals for help and do stuff to keep people fed and healthy until such time they re-assemble the town.
But the evil at the root of this all, the promontory in the sea and even those monsters that maybe took the lives of those in the boat...those need special attention. There are always more monsters, but this little town neglected its defenses and now paid the price. If there were some reclusive monks, well, some kind of contact was needed. At least mutual aid agreement and a way to contact them quickly.
Same for the support from the wilderness. Having good relation with your neighbors helps, but the city itself was wide open. It is true, flying monsters wouldn't be deterred. But they knew there were flying monsters around. And yet, where are net-catapults? Organized crossbowmen? Palissades and covers to protect warriors from aerial attacks?
There is a lot of work to do. But first and foremost, he needs to pray. His thanks for the victory which would be impossible if not for The Blessing of The Great Table. For the confidence shown by his patron. For good companions who although each worships different gods came together and overcame this emissary of the hells.
Pray. Learn. Focus.
Then go and root out some more evil. Until such day he cannot lift his hammer anymore. Where his armor will become a burden and not security. Ever after fighting the undying his thoughts return to the immortality. But obtaining it through evil, what kind of perverted soul turns to that. Live good and prosperous life and you will be rewarded in the life after this one. How can one be so short-sighted and accept the undeath? Especially with such gods as devour their followers as readily as enemies.
Pray. Reflect. Focus.
The purpose of the champion is to slay evil or be slain in trying to slay it. Not to protect the innocents, not to rebuild the lives of the affected. He is here to smite, not protect. The people will survive, maybe even thrive. Their Lady has shown some backbone and survived to tell the tale. Maur will find a bard to tell this tale to. Everyone will hear about her deed and The Exemplars. Humans forget so easily with their different cultures and isolationists settlements. They need some dwarven unity.
Pray. Learn spells. Focus.
As the night goes and new dawn breaks, Maur lowers his dark goggles over his sensitive eyes and goes into the town, his armor polished, his step firm and body in better shape than the day before. The determination visible in the set of his bushy eyebrows and clenched jaw, he finds the group one by one and looks for Sir Ghal and Lady Pendour.
"We need to plan."
OOC: if we need dispel magic maybe I would be better with inquisition domain
Phar speaks to the little demon before preparing the symbols. "There is considerable risk to your master in what we are going to do. I will try to remove the domination effect with a dispel magic and I hope that will make things easier."
OOC: Phar will need to rest and regain spells before he has anything useful to offer.
Carrying Galzadar behind him, Caerth arrives with the others at Carnell. Seeing that the villagers managed to defend the town successfully, the half-orc decides to head to the sacred grove first before checking up on the townsfolk.
Motioning for Phar to help him with the symbols to keep Galzadar safe, the druid warns Eutharic, "I don't think you'll find it a pleasant place to be in there. Perhaps you can keep watch just outside?"
His tone is almost apologetic, but Caerth does not want to take any risks. The presence of a demon on this sacred ground could have unpredictable effects. However, the half-orc realizes that the quasit helped save his life, and for that he grudgingly respects the tiny fiend.
OOC:
The Master Air spell lasted 9 minutes, so Caerth has walked alongside most of the others to Carnell.
Caerth will place Galzadar in the grove, helping Phar with the magic symbols if needed, before moving to town.
Galzadar remains placid during the trip to Carnell. He continues to sleep, but the half-orc druid keeps the elf man tied up, blindfolded, and gagged.
Caerth places the cursed elf wizard at the center of the grove near the Altar of the North Gods. The morning sky is bright but Caerth can see storm clouds at a sea. He will have to put up some sort of shelter to keep Galzadar dry and warm.
"I will stay here," Eutharic says to Caerth. The tiny quasit sets himself up in a tree near the grove where he can keep watch on his master. "I will let you know if he wakes up."
Phar speaks to the little demon before preparing the symbols. "There is considerable risk to your master in what we are going to do. I will try to remove the domination effect with a dispel magic and I hope that will make things easier."
OOC: Phar will need to rest and regain spells before he has anything useful to offer.
"I understand the risks," Eutharic replies. "I think he does too. But we cannot wait too long to try this. He will become agitated if left alone for too long." He pauses. "And Vok will come for him."
Once he heard about the spells needed to free Galzadar, Maur commented on the ritual "I can cast all those spells. I am not the most powerful caster, but my faith is strong and the shrine will help. But for tomorrow, we travel to bring murderers to justice."
Aureus stands nearby and listens to the conversation about Galzadar. "Yes, we need to find those that have escaped but we also must find those that are missing." She looks towards the beachhead with concern. "Sir Gareth isn't a young man and Quinten isn't truly an adventurer. If they are in trouble, we need to find them." She sighs. "If they are still alive."
She looks at Maur. "Can Moradin tell us if they are still alive?"
Neurotic said:
Between his healers hands, alchemist shop and remaining charges of the healing wand, no additional deaths happened, but the toll is terrible. His skills would help in armory perhaps, but he was never true craftsman with the stone. On the other hand, his spells can create and shape stones, call earth elementals for help and do stuff to keep people fed and healthy until such time they re-assemble the town.
But the evil at the root of this all, the promontory in the sea and even those monsters that maybe took the lives of those in the boat...those need special attention. There are always more monsters, but this little town neglected its defenses and now paid the price. If there were some reclusive monks, well, some kind of contact was needed. At least mutual aid agreement and a way to contact them quickly.
Same for the support from the wilderness. Having good relation with your neighbors helps, but the village itself was wide open. It is true, flying monsters wouldn't be deterred. But they knew there were flying monsters around. And yet, where are net-catapults? Organized crossbowmen? Palisades and covers to protect warriors from aerial attacks?
There is a lot of work to do. But first and foremost, he needs to pray. His thanks for the victory which would be impossible if not for The Blessing of The Great Table. For the confidence shown by his patron. For good companions who although each worships different gods came together and overcame this emissary of the hells.
Pray. Learn. Focus.
Then go and root out some more evil. Until such day he cannot lift his hammer anymore. Where his armor will become a burden and not security. Ever after fighting the undying his thoughts return to the immortality. But obtaining it through evil, what kind of perverted soul turns to that. Live good and prosperous life and you will be rewarded in the life after this one. How can one be so short-sighted and accept the undeath? Especially with such gods as devour their followers as readily as enemies.
Pray. Reflect. Focus.
The purpose of the champion is to slay evil or be slain in trying to slay it. Not to protect the innocents, not to rebuild the lives of the affected. He is here to smite, not protect. The people will survive, maybe even thrive. Their Lady has shown some backbone and survived to tell the tale. Maur will find a bard to tell this tale to. Everyone will hear about her deed and The Exemplars. Humans forget so easily with their different cultures and isolationists settlements. They need some dwarven unity.
Pray. Learn spells. Focus.
As the night goes and new dawn breaks, Maur lowers his dark goggles over his sensitive eyes and goes into the town, his armor polished, his step firm and body in better shape than the day before. The determination visible in the set of his bushy eyebrows and clenched jaw, he finds the group one by one and looks for Sir Ghal and Lady Pendour.
"We need to plan."
OOC: if we need dispel magic maybe I would be better with inquisition domain
Maur finds that most in the village of Carnell are still resting when he gets up at dawn. The people have been through a lot and they needed time to recover. Overnight, Sir Ghal and and a few others remained vigilant but the bulk of the small community's population slept long and soundly.
Thankfully, there were no new attacks overnight. The rooks seem to be depleted and no undead have risen from the dead either friend or foe. That took a lot of preparation from Maur and the halfling Gala of Inanna, Elle Redding. Aureus helped too. The gala is now watching over her comatose kinswoman, Temperance. It will take high-level healing magic to free the halfling's mind from the despair caused by the mummy. Maur was able to heal her minor wounds but her mind is beyond his reach, for now.
The newly ordained Divine Disciple finds Elle sleeping next to Temperance in the common room of Gurnard's Arms with Aureus sleeping on a nearby cot. The hutaakan is bandaged across her chest and legs. She nearly perished when the Infernal Wind hit.
Thorvid almost died too. He is snoring on a cot near the back of the room. The small inn is bursting with people, as many of the villages homes are now in the need of major repairs. That was from the first attack more than the second.
Maur finds Sir Ghal ready to fall asleep on his feet. The knight doesn't even resist letting Maur take over the watch over the village. He retreats to Pendour Manor to find his bed and sleep. He will likely sleep the rest of the day. He needs it.
Two other members of the militia are keeping watch over Carnell. They aren't tired as they slept last night while Sir Ghal remained awake with a few other guards that have now found a bed to sleep in at the inn.
The owner of the inn, Rosemergy brings Maur a plate of food and some willowhoney mead. "Are you feeling better?" she asks. "you looked so ragged after you and the others came back."
OOC:
Do the PCs rest a full 24 hours (full bed rest) or only 8 hours?
Also, a decision has to be made to decide what to do first. Do the PCs go after Eike and Xander first? Do they go to try to find out the fate of Sir Gareth and Quinten first? Do they help Galzadar first? Do they go back to Gurnard's Head and deal with any undead that have risen first?
I think Galzadar is a beacon for evil, so I think a possibility is splitting up. Caerth and Phar treating the star elf and catching up through those nifty druid transport spells. Only problem is, Caerth is the best tracker...
After a good night's rest, morning comes and Caerth is up before the dawn. He knows there is only a short window to find those who fled after the fight in Carnell. He makes his way to the smithy where the two cultists broke in and stole several items that were brought back from the island... after they killed Brutus.
That was a tough loss.
The day is pleasant, which is unusual for Carnell. There are barely any clouds in the sky and the day is warm. It isn't boiling hot and will probably be a great day, if the weather holds. The half-orc druid doesn't see any storm clouds on the horison, but he knows that can change, fast.
He finds Mabon working in the forge. He's been cleaning up the mess left behind by Eike and Xander. They stole a lot, including some of Mabon's own wealth... taken out of a locked chest that was broken open. Caerth can see that Mabon has also been working at his forge. He's been busy repairing items through the night.
"Ah, lad," Mabon says as Caerth appears near the smithy's open doorway. "Glad to see yer rested." He motions to the area around the doorway. "I made sure no one trampled the area. Do ye think you can find those bastards?"
Caerth quickly goes over the ground in the light of day. He can see in the dirt the fight that Brutus has with one of the cultists. The prints are shallow and not heavy, so it was probably Eike who killed Brutus. He finds other prints that are probably Xander's. They lead out of Carnell along the edge of the southern trail that leads past the old graveyard towards the Wasting Shores. Caerth knows he can track him.
Eike's prints disappear near the rear of the smithy. There is an old post where horses can be tied up. He can see hoofprints leading south as well. The escaped cultist is on horseback. Not good.
Mabon sticks his head through a nearby window. "One of those bastards stole Reimas. I didn't realize it last night. I thought he just ran off away from the fight, but he hasn't come back."
That news means Caerth knows the two escapees aren't together. While it will be easier to defeat each of them on their own, it might be harder to find Eike with him on horseback. And Xander can use his psionics to hide himself.
"Took a saddle and saddlebags too," Mabon adds. "Damn cultists!"
Caerth looks down the street and sees Maur heading towards the inn.
So, normal weather for the climate and season. I can't remember what time of year the game began but it is either late spring or early summer. So it is a bright sunny day that isn't too hot and there hasn't been any rain.
Not surprised about the duergar though
Only problem is, Caerth is the best tracker...