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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Rel" data-source="post: 996515" data-attributes="member: 99">Distrust, Betrayal and Oathbreaking Part 4: Questions and AnswersNear the end of the week, Glynden received an unexpected group of visitors.  A group of dwarves, all wearing the regalia and bearing the symbols of Mordin entered the town, having made the journey through the still snow-clogged passes of the Dragon Tail range.  They were a taciturn bunch, even for dwarves.Discovering that Raven (They refused to call him by that name.  They would only use his dwarven name.) was in town, they asked for a private meeting with him.  Their voices were especially grave and somber when making this request.  Raven was able to get Boss Brathwaite to let them use an abandoned equipment room near the mouth of the mine to assure that they wouldn’t be disturbed.The group represented a variety of the sects of Moradin's worship, but the Record Keepers made up the bulk of the group.  They informed Raven that the high priests at Mithrak Ghul (the Deepest Delve) had foreseen a darkness rising in the west that could, ultimately, pose a threat to the dwarven peoples of the Northlands.  One of the oracles among the Record Keepers had received visions that this evil force was especially subtle and corrupting and had "turned children against their mother".The high priest had a vision sent from Moradin himself and this resulted in an Edict Stone being sent forth.  (An Edict Stone is the most serious kind of missive that can be sent forth from Mithrak Ghul.  They are written in dwarven runes and are to be shown only to dwarven clerics.)  The leader of the expedition to Glynden unloaded the Stone, roughly the size of a dinner plate, from his pack and showed it to Raven.  It read:The Faithful to Moradin should place their Trust only in those who Speak With StonesRaven's eyes went wide as he read the stone but he held his tongue for the moment.  The leader of the expedition quickly took the Edict Stone back and stowed it in his pack again.  He explained that those among the Record Keepers believed the message referred to the Sages of Boccob who dwelled in the Empire.  The Sages were known to use various crystals to scry and communicate with one another and this was a way of "speaking with stones".  As a result, most of the dwarves were going to depart Glynden headed south for Oar.  There, they would take a ship across the Crescent Sea to Emor to consult with the Sages.  (This is a BIG deal since most dwarves hate the water and shy away from shipboard travel.)  The rest of the group will head to the west and inform the dwarves at the Stone Tooth of the recent developments.Raven thanked them for bringing the information.  He then went to spend some time contemplating what he had learned and meditating on its significance.Speaks was continuing to spend time at his home in the woods, communing with nature and unlocking more of its secrets.  Word had reached him through Rhys and Tarsheeva that his name was being sullied in Glynden, but he decided that he didn't care.  His patience with the town and its leaders was beginning to wear thin.  He had done nothing but try and aid them and still they called his motives into question.  He had restored the wealth of the mines of Aquae Sulis to them, but they called him greedy.  Speaks decided that he would have as little to do with the town as possible from now on, so long as they respected the boundaries of his forest.Speaks instead kept to himself and spent his time trying to draw closer to the wildlands.  But the distracted feeling he had continued and, if anything, was getting worse.  He found himself trying to concentrate on his link with the wild, only to discover after several minutes that he was simply staring into space.After several more days of this, he discovered that whenever he found himself staring like that, it was always in the same direction:  Northwest.  He tried to focus on this feeling and found that it was some kind of calling, pulling him in that direction.  He further determined that it had a "natural" source, but it differed from the forces of nature from which he derived his own powers.Finally, he resolved that he needed to discover the source of this calling.  He was becoming unable to concentrate on anything else anyway.  He transformed into an eagle and flew off to the northwest.  He informed none of the rest of the party as to where he was going or how long he would be gone.A couple of days after Speak disappeared, in early afternoon,, the sound of hoofbeats was heard beyond the walls of Glynden.  A group of six horsemen arrived at the gate and after a brief challenge by the guards, they were allowed inside.  They all wore heavy armor and the symbol of St. Cuthbert was featured prominently on their tabbards.  The horses they rode were monstrous compared to the mountain ponies found around Glynden.  The group moved with an air of authority that was somewhere between regal and arrogant.The riders slowed their mounts to a fast walk but did not pause as they made their way to the Church of St. Cuthbert in town.  They entered the abbey and emerged a short while later and walked purposefully (having left their horses tied outside the church) straight to the market plaza with Father Tomas hurrying to keep up in their wake.  At the market, one of them called out, "Which one of you is Tadius Silvanus."  The man (although he hadn't identified himself yet, Scar and Raven could both tell that he was some kind of Cleric of St. Cuthbert from the holy symbol that he wore) didn't yell, but his voice brooked little room for disobedience.  Tadius stepped forward hesitantly and asked what this was about.  The man told him that they needed to speak privately.  His manner indicated that this was not a request.Tadius told them that he would meet with them later and needed time to put away his wares before leaving them unattended.  With a snap of his fingers, the Cleric detailed two of the other men (one, obviously another Cleric, the other perhaps a templar or man at arms of some kind) to stand watch over Tadius' belongings.  "I can assure you that no one will disturb your 'wares' while we speak.  Now come with me."  Tadius gave a glance at Tarsheeva who was already standing at the ready.  She and her men took up position nearby.  Tension hung palpably in the air as the caravan guards and the warriors of St. Cuthbert engaged in a heated staring match, hands hovering near undrawn weapons all the while.Any customers or would-be shoplifters had long since scattered.Tadius walked away with the Cleric toward the Abbey.  The other three men at arms easily slid into formation around the much shorter elf as though to assure that he had no second thoughts about coming quietly.A couple of hours later, they emerged from the church.  By then, a small crowd had gathered outside.  Tadius appeared red faced although from anger or embarrassment or both, could not be told.  He quickly thrust his way through the crowd and headed back to the market.  Raven and Scar noticed that he was missing the headband that he normally wore The Cleric addresses the gathered crowd.  "I am Lucius Aelius Capito, Inquisitor of St. Cuthbert.  We have reason to believe that certain members of this community have recently come under a corrupting influence.  We intend to expose this corruption to the Light of Truth.  If you are of pure heart, and you aid us in this endeavor, you have nothing to fear.  But if you are among those who have been touched by this foul influence or if you try to shelter those who have, you will feel the Retribution of St. Cuthbert.Now, who among you has seen someone bearing this symbol?!" He held up a medallion of coppery red metal made into a wheel with three wavy spokes that met in the center.  It looked just like the one that hung around Scar's neck.  Speaks and Rhys usually wore one too.NEXT:  Distrust, Betrayal and Oathbreaking Part 5: The Inquisition</blockquote>

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