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Message: <blockquote data-quote="el-remmen" data-source="post: 190828" data-attributes="member: 11">Session #29 (part II)“The fight is over.  Everyone drop your weapons!” Martin called, holding his hands out and open.  He looked at Relaford who still pointed his crossbow at Ratchis. A second guard stepped out of the mist hesitantly, and when he saw Relaford covering the half-orc his drew his long sword.“So look, I have an idea,” Relaford began.  “We just you leave, and we say you all escaped in the chaos of that thing’s attack.   We could even say one of you was eaten by that thing and then everyone will think your are dead.”Martin shook his head, “We are going to Twelve Trolls.”“Lower your crossbows!” Ratchis barked.  The other guard was startled, but Relaford held his gorund.“Why do you have to make this difficult?  We are giving you a chance to get away with no trouble and no more blood spilt,” Relaford said.Martin looked over and suddenly noticed the blood staining the snow around and beneath Kazrack.“Jana! Jana, where are you?” the Watch-mage called into the mist.  “Kazrack is dying! You’re still here, Jana?”The young witch came out of the mist.Ratchis looked at Relaford, “I could heal the dwarf, but I am not going to move until you and your man put down your weapons.  His death will be on your heads.”“If we wanted to harm you we would have done it already,” Martin said.  “We only want a chance to speak to the king and clear our names.”“I’m going to lose my job,” Relaford said, lowering his crossbow.  The other guard hesitated, but then sheathed his sword.Ratchis lowered his own crossbow and walked over to where Jana was calmly binding Kazrack’s near-mortal wounds.  He leaned over and called to his goddess to heal the dwarf, and in a moment Kazrack’s eyes were fluttering as he coughed.“Whu… where’s Richard?” Kazrack coughed out.“He got away again,” Ratchis replied.“Damn!” the dwarf groaned.  “We need to bring him to the king to clear us.”“Well, you don’t have this Richard guy, whoever he is,” Relaford said.  “So you might as well go on your way and we’ll do our best to cover up the whole thing.”“No, we’re going to Twelve Trolls,” Kazrack said, sitting up.“Yeah, so we have to…” Relaford’s voice trailed off.The guards helped the party lift the manticore’s corpse onto the wagon.  It seemed to smoke occasionally, and smelled to Kazrack like molten copper.“I’m glad you showed up,” the dwarf said to Ratchis as they wiped their hands clean of the beast’s ichor in the snow.“I wish I could have gotten here sooner,” the half-orc replied.“You got here when we needed you, that’s all that matters,” Kazrack gave Ratchis an awkward pat on the shoulder.  “I won’t be going back to Twelve Trolls,” Ratchis said.  “No matter what they will be wanting to arrest me.”“You are probably right,” the dwarf concurred.“I won’t be going back either,” Jana said, overhearing as she walked over.  “Even without Rindalith around they may decide to hold me until they get things straightened out, and we don’t have time for that.”“If that is how it has to be,” Kazrack said.  “But I was thinking we should tell the king the whole thing; the whole truth.”“I do not trust the king,” Ratchis said.“Not do I,” said Martin walking over. “But on the matter of Jana, I fear that you will be a fugitive if you do not hand yourself over with the rest of us.””I am not exactly unused to dealing with the law,” Jana said, and walked over to check on Beorth and Jeremy’s bandages, as they had been moved onto the wagon.  Kazrack gave her a sideways glance.“Why couldn’t the manticore have killed and eater her?” Ratchis said with a sigh.“We could say that it did,” Relaford suggested.Kazrack, Martin and Ratchis looked at the guard, and slowly nodded.“That is not a bad idea,” Ratchis said.It was agreed that this was the story that would be told.  Ratchis would not be mentioned and that Jana was eaten by the manticore.  Ratchis would take Jana with him and they would wait along the route to Twelve Trolls and then follow the others to the pass overlooking the castle (120) and wait there for a sign from Martin that would tell Ratchis and Jana if the group had been pardoned.  Ratchis and Jana would wait a maximum of three days and then move on to complete their tasks for Osiris if there were no word.“Okay, I need to chain you to the back of the wagon,” Relaford said to Kazrack.“How come? We have proved we have no intention to escape,” the dwarf replied, indignantly. “Look, this is how you wanted to handle this, and for no one to get suspicious if we happen upon anyone or when we arrive at Earthport we need to handle things are normal as possible,” Relaford explained.Kazrack acquiesced.  Ratchis and Jana moved off the path to the south and found a sheltered spot where they camped for the night, Ratchis casting endure elements on his companion.The wagon continued on eastward to Earthport.  The manticore corpse had a stench hanging onto it like a burning rotted carcass, and Relaford and his men walked along either side of the wagon wearily, clutching their wounds and wearing long faces.  Martin also walked along side, as the front bench of the wagon was full by Jeremy and Beorth’s still unconscious forms were draped there.It had already been dark for over an hour when they rolled into Earthport.  Earthport was built on a large chunk of solid bedrock that was adjacent to a huge marsh that extended as far as the eye could see during daylight, but in the dark all they could hear was the muted sound of toads and insects.  The town itself was made up of many small square buildings built very close together creating a labyrinth of narrow streets lined in places with hooded lanterns.They were brought to the constable’s office of Earthport, and Kazrack, Jeremy and Beorth were put in separate cells, while Martin was given a blanket and a bench in the entry room.Anulem, 14th of Dek – 564 H.E.The next morning Claude Rhines the alderman of Earthport came by the constable office to see Martin the Green, while the local guards kept the ogling townsfolk away from the manticore corpse.  A sickly cold rain fell over everything.Rhines told Martin about how Earthport was still in danger from the orcs that fled the skirmishes of two years before and into the swamp that lay to the south of town.  He went on to imply that Earthport might be just the place for a Watch-mage to settle down once he chose a permanent place to settle in Gothanius.  He explained how there was already a woodsman, a follower of Osiris (but not a druid) who lived in the swamp and hunted the orcs down and helped the local people when he could.  Martin asked if hew could speak with this man, named Seerin No-Road, but the alderman explained that he had not been seen in some time and that he kept to himself a lot.Kazrack awoke feeling feverish.  He could feel blisters on his tongue and all around the inside of his mouth, and his head felt foggy.  He alternated between flushed and pale.  The dwarf could barely remember a dream he had had in the night.  He was within a circle of trees, hammering at a forge, and all around him he could see and feel glowing eyes watching him from the darkness between the trees.  He could hear the whispered chattering of strange voices. Kazrack moaned, feeling the weight of his need to accomplish his task for Osiris upon his heart. (121)By mid-morning Kazrack was chained back to the wagon and they were being led out of town to the north.  A few miles outside of town, Kazrack was unchained and allowed to use his divine spells to heal Beorth and Jeremy, both of whom were still unconscious from the wounds they had suffered in the battle with Rindalith and the manticore.Jeremy was further from death, but he did not awaken. Beorth stirred.“Martin, I don’t feel like talking much, can you bring Beorth up to date with what has happened?” Kazrack asked the watch-mage.“Okay,” Martin agreed.  “But what should we say to Beorth about Jana?”“I don’t think we should hide anything from Beorth,” Kazrack said.“Good, all these lies have me confused,” Martin said with a sigh.After being healed and awakened, Beorth took some time to give thanks to Anubis and then laid his hands upon the Neegaardian’s chest and said, “Anubis, Guardian of the Dead, give me your strength to bring this man back from the borders of death.”Soon, Jeremy was stirring, and before they knew it the both of them were being pulled along, chained to the back of the wagon. “I have a question,” Jeremy asked, when he became more clear-headed.  “Why are we chained?  Did we get captured again?”“Kazrack’s their willing prisoner, as am I,” replied Beorth.“So Jana and Ratchis are gone?” Jeremy asked bewildered.“Yes,” replied Beorth.“They are really gone,” Jeremy said, his voice catching in his throat.“They are still with us,” Beorth said.“Huh?  You mean in spirit?”“No, they live still.  They are following, and we will meet with them after our fate has been decided at the king’s court,” Beorth explained.“Oh, good…uh, I guess.”------“I’m cold,” Thomas whispered in Martin’s mind as they crossed over the pass down into the awesome chasm Gothanius Castle was an island in.“Don’t worry, we are almost there,” Martin reassured his familiar, stroking his head.  “Here have some dried apricots… oh wait, never mind.”“Ya know, I want to want them, but I really don’t want them anymore.”“I know… don’t worry.  I’ll teach you some more reading tonight.  I’ll even teach you how to read the word ‘nut’.  You’ll like that,” Martin suggested.“I used to dream about nuts,” Thomas replied. “But now I hardly sleep, and when I do I don’t dream about them anymore.”---------They came through the castle gates a little more than two hours later.  Jeremy, Beorth and Kazrack were cold and exhausted.  In the west, the sun was beginning to set and the wind was howling in the canyons north of Gothanius.  “I will need to speak with the king immediately,” Martin the Green told the lieutenant of the wall-guard that was on duty.  “I will need to alert the captain of the guard, and the castle steward, sir,” the guard said. “But in the meantime please wait in the guardhouse, while I see that the prisoners are brought to cells.  I will also have to take a report from Relaford of the Ogre’s Bluff guard.”Relaford shot Martin a worried looked.  “Please wait patiently,” the guard told Martin and then gestured for one of his men to show the watch-mage to where he should wait.  Martin looked back at Relaford and tried to nod reassuringly.  “There is also the matter of the manticore’s corpse we brought with us,” Martin said.“It will be stored somewhere safe so that those that have more authority than I can determine whatever it is they might need to determine about it upon examination,” the guard said, sounding annoyed and dismissive.Martin waited over two hours before Daniel the Castle Steward came for him.“Martin, I am sorry that you had to wait so long, but I needed to take care of some things that your unexpected arrival might precipitated,” the round-faced young courtier said, putting out his hand to shake Martin’s.  “Come with me, I will bring you to your former quarters.  I have arranged for a meal and fresh bedclothes to be brought there.  I am sure you are hungry and tired, but we have much to talk about, especially in regards to the story we got from the guards from Ogre’s Bluff.”Soon, Martin was relaxing in an over-stuffed chair in a nightshirt and a woolen robe, before a roaring fireplace.  Before him was a tray full of strings of roast pork smothered in gravy on a bed of the days bread crusts and a bowl of steaming broth, and a foaming mug of ale.Jeremy, Kazrack and Beorth were sleeping on moisten dirt floors that smelled of urine, after they had been given a foul white gruel filled with unidentifiable gray chunks for dinner.Jana and Ratchis were sitting beside a small fire set under an over hang of rock, and within a little nook to shield it from being seen from the castle towers, waiting for word in the morning.“So, it seems that a lot has happened since we saw you last,” Daniel started.  “I feared that perhaps that you were dead since months passed with no word.”“Yes, a lot has happened, but what has happened most recently is what is of most concern,” Martin said,“You mean the arrest of your companions?” Daniel said.“Yes.”“Well, they are not the first to be arrested,” Daniel said, leaning back in his own chair.  “Two other groups of would-be ‘dragon-hunters’ have been imprisoned for taking to waylaying travelers.”“I assure you that my companions have not been waylaying anyone,” Martin said, sternly.“Oh, I am sure of that as well,” Daniel said with a smile.  “Relaford told us that it all began with the arrest and then escape of the girl named ‘Jana’.  It seems that she was eaten by the manticore?”“No, she was not,” said Martin with a sigh.  “Unfortunately, she did not trust that she would get fair treatment by the authorities and that she would be imprisoned until everything was straightened out, or at worse that she might be handed over to the false representative of the Kingdom of Herman Land.”“Well, we have no record in the court of any representative or bounty-hunter from the Kingdom of Herman Land being with our borders, and if there it he is here without the leave of the Crown.  And since neither he nor she is here to state the case and I am the one who would arrange the audience with the King, I have the authority to declare it a null matter.  She is free to travel in Gothanius, but is still subject to the laws and regulations of our kingdom as any visitor or traveler is.  I will be sending word to the authorities in the different alder-villages not to cooperate with this man, and to hold him for questioning if he does turn up.”“Make sure the yare warned that he is a very powerful warlock and can assume the shape of different animals, perhaps different people,” Martin added.“Duly noted,” Daniel replied.“And my other companions?”“Well, the other three will be released,” Daniel said.  “If Jana of Westron is not to be detained, the charges against them can easily be made to disappear.”“You don’t know how much I appreciate your quick handling of this entire unfortunate situation,” Martin said, gratefully.“Have you gathered any news of the dragon?” Daniel asked, looking down at the plate of food that Martin had not yet touched.“We have heard some rumors and some seen some signs of something, but it might have only been the manticore that we slew and returned here with,” Martin said.“Have you fought many such fearsome creatures with our borders?” Daniel’s eyebrows raised up in concern.“No. No, we have not,” Martin said, moving the meat and gravy around in his plate with a piece of bread.  “But we have discovered evidence that scores of these creatures called quaggoths have enter the caves beneath Ogre’s Bluff and might be an advance force for an invasion of the dark elves of the Plutonic Realms.”“Dark elves?” Daniel laughed, and sat up straight.  “But there is no such thing!”“I’m sorry, Mr. Ortun, but I am afraid to tell you that they are very real and pose a very real danger to the Kingdom of Gothanius, if not the entirely of Derome-Delem.”“How soon can such an invasion be expected,” Daniel was growing alarmed.”That is the good news,” Martin said, smiling.  “It will likely be many, many years before such an attack were to come to the surface.”Daniel let out a long low breath.“There is also the matter of Ratchis,” Martin added quickly.  “Ah, you mean the half-breed woodsman that assaulted the guards in Ogre’s Bluff during his escape?” Daniel asked.“Well, he did no permanent harm to anyone, and he was being wrongfully imprisoned,” Martin said, meekly.“Yes, well…,” Daniel cleared his throat.  “There is little I can do about him.  Even if I send word that he is to be cleared of all charges, his ancestry is not one that is appreciated in Gothanius, and I cannot promise that some group of locals might not take the law into their own hands.  While I can assure there will be no official inquiry into his actions, his fate is in his own hands if he returns to areas that have heard of his exploits.”“I guess that is better than can be hoped for,” Martin sighed.“Now, you must understand that all of this aid I am giving you must remain between us,” Daniel said, lowering his voice.  “It will take quite a bit of string pulling just to get your friends released and get the proper papers filed and messages sent. The king need not be bothered with this matter, all that matters to him is that you do your job for the benefit of Gothanius, and that you have companions you are comfortable with to accomplish this task.”Martin nodded.“However, as you will recall I had sent word to you about a specific task that needed to be accomplished by you and your companions for the sake of the kingdom,” Daniel said.  “At that time I was willing to use my influence to get your friends free of the contact they signed, however, since it took all of my influence to get them freed, we will have to assume that that is what I am giving you in return for doing what I am about to tell you.”Daniel paused, and Martin looked at him puzzled.“There was a reason why I wanted to meet you away from the castle, but now this cannot be avoided,” Daniel said, lowering his voice.  “The king cannot find out about what I am going to tell you, nor can the populace at large for the good of the stability of the kingdom.”“What is it?” Martin asked.“It seems that a dark warlock was able to steal a diary belonging to the Queen,” Daniel said, lowering his voice to a near whisper.  “Unfortunately, this diary details a dalliance that must not become common knowledge no matter what it takes.  Not only can the king not find out about this, but his very fitness to rule could come into question if certain ambitious nobles were to gain this information.  You must discretely re-gain the diary and return it for me to return to the Queen.  And no one, not even you, may look at its contents.  If it becomes necessary that you need to look in it to confirm what it is, then I prefer it be you and no one else, but even that should not be necessary.  It should be obvious what it is when you see it.”“A dark warlock?” Martin asked, with an edge of suspicion in his voice.“Yes, our sources say that his is named Rindalith, and has been seen meeting with what appear to be monks of Anubis in both Earthport and Summit,” Daniel said.“Why, that is the same man who was after Jana!” Martin exclaimed.“I figured as much, thus my willingness to believe your story about his inauthenticity.” Daniel said.“So, what now?” Martin asked.“Your companions will be freed in the morning and then you will be allowed to return to the alder-villages seeking this warlock and the diary and doing whatever else you have to do in terms of the hunt for the dragon and any investigating on this dark elf situation you need to do,” Daniel said.  “However, I would like for you to write down everything you know about Rindalith and anything else you have discovered since  you were last here and turn it in to me before you leave.”“Very well, I will do my best,” Martin replied.Daniel stood and put out his hand.  “I want you to know that your efforts for the Kingdom of Gothanius are very much appreciated, and I wish you the best in your endeavors.”“Thank you, and thank you for all your help, Mr. Ortun,” Martin said, shaking his hand as firmly as he could.“Please, in private you may call me ‘Daniel’,” the steward said.Martin thanked him again, and then Daniel left.The watch-mage spent the night writing the requested record.   Ralem, 15th of Dek – 564 H.E.In morning, Martin the Green climbed up to a tower and created an illusion of a large colorful bird circle the tower as widely as the spell would allow him.  Nearly a mile away Ratchis saw it.  “They have been pardoned,” Ratchis told Jana.“Oh?  Good,” she replied.By mid-day, Beorth, Jeremy and Kazrack had been released and had their gear returned to them, and were marching with Martin up to the pass where they’d meet their other two companions.“Hey, so what happened to the manticore’s body?” Jeremy asked.“Daniel told me this morning that he is presenting it as a gift from us to the king to be stuffed and mounted in the royal trophy room.” Martin explained.“So, we’re going to get credit for killing it?”“I guess so.”Kazrack stumbled along.  He now had boils on his face, and the blisters in his mouth were bursting, causing him to spit out yellow puss that dribbled down his beard, and smelled of rotted meat.  His mind felt even cloudier.“What happened to him?” Ratchis asked.“He is very sick,” Beorth replied.  “The curse of Osiris is upon him for not seeking out to accomplish his task.”“Hopefully, now that we are going to see the Circle of the Thorn directly, he will recover,” Martin said.  “And how is your arm healing?”“It seems to be healing well, though it still aches,” Kazrack responded, spitting more puss.“Is the bone healing straight?  There was a man in my village who got kicked in the head by a goat.  Now he has a permanent dent in his head,” Martin reminisced.“I hope the druids will be able to heal my arm. I may not be able to complete the task set for me in time otherwise,” Kazrack said.“We also have another task before us now,” Martin added.  “It was something I had to say we’d do in order to assure that you’d be freed, but it seems like it already lies within our sphere of interest.”Martin explained to the others about the queen’s dalliance and the stolen diary and Rindalith.Jana snorted.“Remember, it is very important that we tell no one about the diary,” Martin said, looking at Jeremy in particular.  “If we must say anything at all, we can just say we are looking for Rindalith.”“But looking for him will have to wait until Kazrack and I have fulfilled our tasks for Osiris,” Ratchis said.“Of course,” Martin said. “But on the way there we can keep our eyes open for evidence of his passing.”“Of course,” Ratchis replied.The ate some rations, re-packed their things and made ready to make the two day’s march to Archet.  (122)“Anubis, the path that Ptah has placed before is ling and fraught with danger, grant us your strength so that this can complete the journey,” Beorth said, laying his hand on Jeremy’s shoulder as they made ready to leave.-------------They marched across a gray and white landscape, avoiding contact with whomever they saw in the distance, moving generally westward, hoping to make the ridge that defined Greenreed Valley by evening in order to follow it south and westward to Archet.However, the driving wind and occasional snow slowed their progress, and by evening they were forced to take shelter beneath some tightly-packed trees.  Martin stayed up the vast majority of the night, not feeling sleepy because of his magic ring, but still feeling the fatigue of travel.  He woke Jeremy for the last couple of hours of the night and got his required sleep, which was fitfull.</blockquote>

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