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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Guido" data-source="post: 1256605" data-attributes="member: 15515">Back to the Ruins:Somewhat let down by the sombre mood in the city, the party’s spirits pick up when they are offered a substantial reward in goods up to 20kgp each by the Duke’s Chamberlain, and an honorary knighthood. The Duke it seems is indisposed, still suffering from the shock of having nearly been toppled from power by the foolhardiness of a simple adventurer probing too far into the ruins.Rumours abound, but the Chamberlain keeps the characters out of sight until a deal is done. Rewards in return for silence and co-operation. It would appear that the public message is that their rescue mission had been ‘organised’ by the Duke’s government, and if it hadn’t have been for ‘prompt government action’ to hire this team of ‘capable mercenaries’, things would have been a lot worse! Most of the team agree to go along with this, and take part in a number of carefully staged parades at which they are seen but not heard, and the Polochenko magnates lap up the glory. Kraven however seems to have obtained for himself some kind of office with the Duke and is whisked away from the main party with unseemly swiftness. He is glimpsed in distant corridors once or twice but is otherwise not seen again.The goods are available in various forms but the party opt for magic items across the board. There is an esoteric mix of things available and they choose wisely, ever aware that the gathering of such objects must have been a dangerous and difficult task in a realm that fears and despises arcane power. If the Church of Saints found out about this lot the Polochenko might well fall rapidly out of favour.All is still not well in the city however, and the Chamberlain is keen to see them leave before things get out of hand. Various powers are flexing their muscles and the added complication of talkative heroes is the last thing the Government needs. His last words as they leave the town in the late Spring early light resplendent in their fine new trappings are, ‘this very eve the Council meets to pass an edict forbidding passage within one mile of the ruins on pain of death, I trust after this last escapade you shall not return there again’. It is a statement not a question.Wanda stays back in the shadows as the party pass out of the gate and after a moment when the Chamberlain and his frozen faced guards have turned away, dives down a dark alley heading for another exit. Scamp keeps contact with them while Wanda scurries back to the next gate along the city wall. No-one questions the bent-backed crone with her pack at this time of the morning. She hums quietly as she marches and lets her awareness drift out to the edges of the morning, sensing scamp’s stealthy pursuit of the group through the empathic resonance that bonds them together.Shrugging nonchalantly at the Chamberlain’s words the party pass out of the South gate and are immediately joined by an escort of 20 stout soldiers and a trio of Priests from the Church of Saints. They are accompanied by this dour bunch until the sun reaches it’s zenith, when the escort peels away without a word. It is suddenly very quiet.They march on until Gwayne is sure that the escort are out of sight and kick left off the road, describing a curve back to the North over the next few miles. They’ll have to ride hard to get to the ruins before nightfall.</blockquote>

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