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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Seravin" data-source="post: 1971732" data-attributes="member: 6783">Please Collect Your Items Before Leaving A coach was parked perhaps eight feet away from the events happening at the Blue Diamond.  Standing next to the coach, near the driver and horse was a man whose features were concealed by a heavy cloak with the hood pull low.  Both the driver and the man watched the events for some few minutes trying to assess what exactly was going on.The cloaked man known this evening as Father Dark swore softly at the swarm of watchmen and bystanders surrounding the entrance to The Blue Diamond.  It was all going wrong and he could not forsee how it would get better.  The best he could think of was to mitigate the damages.  Off the top of his head he couldn’t think of anything in the building that could be traced to him or the one he reported to but the man behind the mask of Father Dark wasn’t going to rely on that.Concentrating briefly he invoked one of the powers of the black silk mask he wore and his face and form ripple then shifted to match his mental image of a rather non-descript city watchman.  “Wait here.”  He ordered the driver.  So saying, Father Dark then invoked the words of a dimension door spell.  He stepped into the ripple of air and was gone.A few minutes later the driver of the coach observed the flickering of fire through several of the windows of The Blue Diamond building.  It didn’t take long for the flames to turn into an inferno.--Their bags and packs were loaded, now all the four friends had to do was escape.  Perhaps anti-climatically, it was perhaps easier to escape then enter.  The rough, sloping tunnel that ran underneath the will o’wisp room to the metal lined room was narrow enough to force the adventurers to go through single-file. Ashimar was the first out of the rough tunnel and back into the will o’wisp room.  Kellron was still in the tunnel behind him, but given the steepness of the sloping tunnel the paladin was going to need several more seconds before he could climb the short ladder.The delay nearly cost Ashimar his life.  After a quick scan of the room, Ashimar was barely out of the hatch when he heard what sounded like a few footsteps and then the familiar swish of a rapier.  Ashimar was flat footed as an invisible rapier stabbed through the links of chain shirt.  The fight was on, but afterwards neither Ashimar nor Kellron spoke much of it.  Neither man was inclined to brag and to be honest there wasn’t much to brag about.  Knowing that this was only way out, Father Dark had waited for them to appear out of the trap door one at a time.  The head of the thieves was prepared with several spells, including bull’s strength, cat’s grace, haste, and improved invisibility. Ashimar was able to just hold his own against the invisible opponent for several seconds but he almost certainly would have lost.  With Kellron’s help though, the outcome of the battle became less certain.  When Father Dark’s improved invisibility eventually expired the tide shifted entirely into the favor of the Sarathian warriors.Father Dark was forced to flee the pair as Kestral stuck her head out of the trap door.  Before leaving he passed on two threats.   Looking to Kellron first, “We know where you live and the inn you own.  Expect retribution.”  Then looking at Ashimar.  “We know where your family is.  Don’t expect them to live long.”  With that Father Dark invoked another dimension door and disappeared.Kellron and Ashimar shared looks with each other as they helped Kestral and then Jallarzi out of the tunnel.“I can expect another attack on the inn, I guess.”  Said Kellron.  “Any idea what he was saying about your family?”Ashimar shook his head, obviously confused.  “Not a clue.  I don’t even know who they are.  I’m guessing he was just bluffing.  I hope he was bluffing.”--Having no desire to fight their way up through the basements, the friends decided to utilize the secret doors in this storeroom to leave the underground complex.  As they guessed, the secret passagesways do lead to small sewer passages which in turn lead to the surface a short ways away from the tavern.  The flickering light of a fire starting to blaze out of control greets them when they make it to the surface.  Kellron and Ashimar quickly shucked their packs and dropped them next to Jallarzi.  The two men then quickly went to help the bucket brigade.  Using her elven cloak and boots, Kestral drifted around the burning building and used her ring of water elemental command to summon as much water as she could onto the fires.  With her help the fire was quickly brought under control and soon put out.The building is a total loss and deemed unsafe to enter.  Lieutenant Brand’s superiors take a keen interest in the lower basements and the secret sewer entrances reported by the adventurers and promise to investigate.  Sadly, there is not enough evidence to trace who the leaders are.  The party is able to suppose that Grandal Deverex is Father Dark, but they have nothing to prove it.  Given that Ker Deverex is considered an upstanding member of the community and vouchsafed by a prominent businessman, that line of investigation is dropped pending further proof.For their part, the adventuring companions are kept busy.  Jallarzi eventually capitulates and agrees to create a wand for the Library in order to earn her journey-mage status.  Meanwhile, Ashimar, Kellron, and Kestral keep their organization informed of what they found and turn over all the items recovered from the secured vault.  Needless to say the respective owners are pleased.  The money and the gems and potions are virtually untraceable and so by order of Duke Hilmaron the party is allowed to keep these (minus a small tax).  Oddly, the adamantine shortsword turns out to be untraceable too.  Though finely made it only bears a single distinguishing mark, that of the elven word ‘Thereval’; meaning ‘Mine’ in a strongly personal way.  The shortsword also bears a strong aura of transmutation magic, though Jallarzi was only able to identify a moderate magical strength (+2).  Further experimentation of the blade reveals that when wielded in mock combat the bearer found himself unwilling to strike at his or her friends, deciding at the start of the combat to not go through with the fight in case they hurt their friends.  This affects everyone except Jallarzi who was able to ignore the compulsion.  Shrugging, Kestral decides that she’s willing to wield the blade until they can find out more about it.Finally, Panther decides to leave his companions and their adventures in the underdark.  Having Imych Thassel's harp in his possession brings him to the attention of the bardic college of Keria where Imych himself had trained.  Possession of the harp and his own skills are enough to earn him a place at the college.</blockquote>

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