Erol approached the imprisoned elders with the water. Most of them were getting what sleep they could, but discomfort and the cool night air made it difficult. “You look like you could use a drink.” Erol offered one woman. She looked suspiciously at Erol before gulping down the offered water. “Thank you,” She said, “Harbuk’s lads come twice a day with water and bread, but it’s not really enough.”
With some small talk Erol managed to steer the conversation to what the elders were up to. “Most of the prominent business owners in town have been part of the believers since they were kids. Our grandparents found the cavern and the Tomb of Moving Stones beneath the town. It was made by the Delvers many, many years ago. Since Red Larch discovered it, they have met every full moon in the Tomb to read the stones and debate the meaning of the new position. We have always used our readings as a way to guide the town.”
As she opens up two of the other prisoners get agitated, shouting at her to “shut up” and “stop dishonouring the Delvers” a few more prisoners grumble in agreement. A few well aimed pieces of rotting fruit from Ilvellios silence most of the desenters, but the first two won’t be stilled.
Erol’s confidante continues, “Around three months ago a priest named Larak turned up. No one knows how he found the Tomb but he was just there one day. The stones also started moving more often, we took it as another sign. Larak started living in the Tomb and would preach to us. Telling us of the sanctity of dirt and stone and how all things eventually end up in the ground.
“Under Larak’s guidance the readings became ever darker, telling us to not just intimidate and scare unwanted but to maim and kill them. Three travellers were murdered by the Believers. Targets specially chosen by Larak and killed using a ceremonial dagger he had. Two Believers at a time were assigned the murder. It was always kept by the statue of the Delver in the caverns underground.
“Larak also had some henchmen staying at the boarding house pretending to be itinerant labourers, though really they were his muscle, he mostly used them to spy on the town and to scare away the quarry workers at nights when we used the quarry entrance to the Tomb.”
The two Believers shouting continues to build, their impotent rage causing quite a scene. Nothing Ilvilios does will silence them.
“A couple of days ago a group turned up and stumbled across the Tomb, Larak’s henchmen attacked them but the group fought back and killed them and hunted Larak down. Larak caused the cave in in the Tomb. He either escaped before the cave in or is still under there, along with the group.” The cooperative prisoner finishes.
One of Harbuk’s lads, what passes for the town watch, comes over, “Hey, whatcha doin’ to the prisoners? Best you move along b’fore someone gets ‘urt.” With the nervousness of someone with authority who sees he is locally outnumbered he ushers you away from the prisoners. The two agitated ones continue to shout about the betrayal for some time after you leave.
But before we leave Red Larch, Ilvellios will check out the boarding house, with anyone else who wants to come.
