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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Whizbang Dustyboots" data-source="post: 3584505" data-attributes="member: 11760">The mangy black cat does tight figure eights around its master's ankles, seemingly smirking at the group assembled on the benches."As your lordship well knows, I have lived on Green Mountain for almost a dozen years, since my ... departure from my homeland. Seeking solitude, I erected a tower in the shadow of Gax's lair, trusting that her presence would ensure my privacy."When the dragon left, the kobolds made contact with me, demanding to know if I knew anything about her departure, if I was responsible somehow. And shortly after kobolds began coming and going from the Black Tower, your constable and sheriff paid me a visit and invited me into your presence."Khenemet-Apep's tone is light and casual, as though he and the baron did nothing more than sip tea."Since then, I have had periodic contact with the kobolds, who were thrown into disarray by their mistress' departure. Once it became clear that Gax would not be returning, the various factions she had nurtured in their community turned on one another. An important kobold lieutenant I might deal with regularly would suddenly vanish, and his replacement would refuse to speak to me about what happened or why. Some kobolds would come to me and treat me as an equal, others would flatter me in an obvious attempt to turn me against their rivals and still others would treat me with thinly veiled hostility. But when it became clear that I am my own master, we settled into an agreeable business relationship all of the factions appear to find comfortable."Recently, a new leader has emerged among the kobolds. I have not yet met him, nor do I know his name, but he appears to be a worshipper of Tiamat, Mother of Father Claw and Queen of Dragons. In keeping with his faith, his goals appear to be the annihilation of the gnomes of Wit's End and, beyond that, the destruction of your barony and the wholesale slaughter of your people, your lordship."The wizard sneaks in a smirk back at Tucker before continuing."All of this, you know."From where he watches on the bench, Bufer blinks, looks up at Hazel in shock, then turns back to the baron and Khenemet-Apep, red-faced and wide-eyed."You KN--"Reacting faster than anyone not expecting this sooner or later possibly could have, Hazel clamps one hand over the gnome's mouth and smiles apologetically at the baron."Sorry about that," she says sweetly, as Bufer murmers loudly and struggles against her hand. "Please go on."The baron stares at Bufer until he quiets down."I studied under Jecture himself," Nicodemus Midwood says mildly. "There is very little that happens in my barony that I do not know, and praise Lothian for that." He murmurs a quiet word to soothe an outraged Sheriff Glangirn, who is silently apoplectic with anger at the interruption. "Now then, if there are no further comments from Master Potentloins, let us hear about your meeting with the bookkeeper, Khenemet-Apep, and what transpired after."Bufer stops struggling against Hazel's restraining hand, and after a few hesitant moments, the young ranger removes it from his mouth. For his part, Bufer barely seems to notice as he glares from the baron to Khenemet-Apep and back again, quietly seething. He says nothing, but the grinding of his teeth is plainly audible.Khenemet-Apep hunches over and raises his hands to wipe a stray hair from his face, his chains clinking as he does so."About a month ago, a representative of the Green Mountain tribe came to visit me in Baraj Al-Aswad, my Black Tower. She was seeking information about where the tribe could find dragonscales, one of each of the colors of Tiamat's scales, for a ritual that will somehow enable them to destroy the gnomes and the barony. They will be entering Glangirn to try and recover one of Gax's green scales, and apparently have purchased another scale from the Black Reavers, but still need three more beyond that."The baron snaps his fingers and points at the slate, which his steward hastily brings him, along with the chalk. The baron begins jotting notes as the Kemite continues to speak."In addition to asking about various ancient ruins in Kem, as well as inquiring how difficult it would be to board a ship to Uraq and visit some ancient temple of Tiamat there, the young priestess wanted to ask me about a pair of wizards living in Maidensbridge," Khenemet-Apep continues. "According to her, both had conspired to assist the kobolds in their plan. She claims one, a simpleton, had given her information about what sorts of military forces were stationed in Maidensbridge. The other, the bookkeeper who calls himself Kem, had made a deal in which he agreed to kill Deputy Gallaway on the night of the ritual, when the kobolds attacked."But the kobolds do not trust outsiders, a situation which has only gotten worse since their new leader unified the factions. So she paid me to cast a spell on the bookkeeper, as they did not believe he would follow through on his deal."The baron looks up, puzzled."What? A geas?""Yes, my lord."The pair grin at each other, chuckling. Even the cat seems to snicker. The baron waves for the other man to continue, but his mood has considerably brightened."I went to Maidensbridge during the festival. I had planned to 'enchant' the bookkeeper," and here the Kemite makes the universal sign of quotation marks with his fingers, "But it seems the kobolds were right about his intentions and he fled my presence. I have reason to believe the kobolds have a spy in Maidensbridge, so I was determined to cast the spell for their benefit."For the first time, Steward Eule Wood seems bothered by the testimony, and he begins pacing before the Oak Throne."The gnome overheard the proceedings and interfered," the Wizard of Green Mountain continues. "I know what the Vast Codex demands as a sentence for treason, and did not want things to become any more complicated, and tried to get the bookkeeper to get his friend to leave us alone, but he seemed perversely determined to find himself with a noose about his neck, or so I thought."On the ride to Middleborough, a group of young men I assume are the bookkeeper's co-conspirators rode up to meet us and tricked the constable into leaving. Once he was gone, they drew their weapons and attempted to kill Deputy Gallaway. None of them are experienced criminals, though, and the cart was still heading down the road. I did not want to be seen as conspiring to help kill an Imperial official -- I know the sentence for that, as well -- and knocked him out of the cart before opening a dimension door and fleeing into the woods. My thought had been that the bookkeeper and his friends would continue to flee instead of risking a delay. The rest, the deputy has told you."Khenemet-Apep stands proudly a moment, but as the baron's silence continues, he shrugs awkwardly, his dusky skin darkening as he blushes."That's all, my lord.""Very well, then ...""My lord, may I speak?" Constable Ward Bridger asks as he stands.</blockquote>

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