The Westgate Campaign Chronicles - serial

[Carlo-One]

Shanni cursed as Dermot asked Aerikoth if the noise was from the child he had seen, to which the wizard dryly replied that it was very likely. More yelling was heard in the night and Dermot quickly used the sound to locate the boy, who was cowering a short distance away on the manor grounds. The child retreated against the nearest wall as Dermot came over, crossbow in hand, yelling at the boy to stop, while the ranger’s eyes attempted to seek out any threats lurking in the dark. Shivering, the boy muttered about seeing a dead body, which apparently had spooked him, then somewhat accusingly told Dermot that he wasn’t a ghost.

Sighing, the ranger put away his crossbow, as an invisible Aerikoth confirmed that was the child he had seen. When Dermot asked if he had seen any ghosts, the boy replied that he had seen the manor door open but no one was there, so instead of going inside he had run, thinking it was the ghost. The wizard explained that the boy had seen nothing because of the invisibility spell cast upon himself before exiting. Curious, the boy then asked them if they had seen the ghost, getting a no in reply from Dermot and Darrow.

Shaking off the momentary confusion, Dermot then inquired what the boy was doing at the manor – a haunted house in the middle of nowhere, in the dead of night – and what his parents knew about him being there. The boy, mustering some enthusiasm, said he had heard about the ghost and figured he would be the bravest kid in the village if he saw it. Shanni sarcastically asked how that had worked out for him, and the boy shivered in response.

Fente Bross, for that was the boy’s name, mentioned that his dad was Kente, who ran the Tallwell general store. Quickly shrugging off his previous terror, Fente with even more enthusiasm told them there was supposed to be buried treaure there, since the Beast’s hoard had never been found; the boy thought that it would help his dad out a lot to have it. Admiringly, he asked if the adventurers were those who had killed the Beast, getting a nod from Darrow in return.

Dermot congratulated the kid on having done what he set out to do, which noticeably brightened Fente’s mood. The boy nonetheless grasped the seriousness of the situation, so when Shanni suggested that Aerikoth take him home, the boy was excited at the prospect and jumped as the wizard suddenly appeared. Aerikoth dryly commented that they might as well return to Tallwell and bring the thrill-seeker with them.

Curious about the magic Aerikoth had used, Fente asked if he could learn to do that. Darrow explained to the lad that it took a lot of book learning, to which the boy replied that he had the time. Aerikoth reinforced the point to the child that a lot of effort went into wielding magic, but Fente declared that he was not afraid of hard work, or anything else, as his presence at the haunted manor proved. (While the boy's enthusiasm does not necessarily correlate with his ability to learn and perform arcane magic, I expect that this is in fact how many wizard's apprentices are first identified. As with the training for a monk's life, much discipline is required to learn the necessary skills, and not everyone has the personal attributes required for such pursuits. Yet a willingness to consider the prospect and lack of aversion to hard work are, to be sure, the fundamental requirements. --C) After some discussion, it was agreed that Aerikoth would teleport back to the village with Fente, then return shortly afterward to the bedroom inside, which the wizard had used as a destination for the assault on the Beast.

 

[Carlo-One]

Aerikoth took the boy – scared but eager – back to Tallwell using his magic, the wizard grasping the boy’s hand and speaking a word of power after a moment of concentration, the two of them vanishing afterwards. While Aerikoth was returning Fente home, at Shanni’s suggestion the others began looking for dirt and other dry, powdery materials that would reveal footprints. The wizard then returned quickly and suddenly, making Darrow think he had teleported directly back to where he and Dermot were located, rather than to the main bedroom. Aerikoth explained that he had returned the child to the innkeeper’s wife, who said she was willing to accompany him home.

Shanni, who had been scouring the manor for supplies, reappeared struggling along and hefting a large sack of flour. She thought it would help the cause, even if it was full of weevils. She started scattering the flour, heading back to the front door of the manor. Dermot and Darrow meanwhile started for the downstairs, the dwarf trying but failing to avoid stepping in the flour, leaving footprints behind. Shanni returned and scattered the remainder of her sack’s contents in the area around the two storage room doors. The petite rogue noted that there was one more sack left.

After some discussion about the chest they had found in the manor, which Aerikoth re-examined to ensure it was nothing special, the four adventurers headed for the basement. The wizard remarked that he had only been on the lower level once before and it had held implements of torture, which Darrow also recalled. As they descended, Shanni scattered the last of the flour on the stairs behind them.

With the agreement of the others, Aerikoth cast light as soon as they emerged onto the dark floor. Looking around, they all noticed that the visible bloodstains appeared to be old, but there were fresh urine stains by the floor drain. Darrow spotted a bedroll on the floor, which Aerikoth observed had not been there during their prior visit. The dwarf took a closer look and said that the bedbugs in it were fresh. Shanni came to the conclusion that someone had been bunking down there.

Dermot, looking at the torture implements, wondered who would do that, when there were untouched rooms up top. Both Aerikoth and Shanni made the point that whoever it was seemed to want to avoid the guards upstairs. Darrow half-jokingly stuck to his two-kobolds-in-a-robe theory about the ghost, despite being chided by the two of them. (Dermot's question reveals that the ranger maintains a sort of innocence about him, which is remarkable considering what he has seen in these chronicles, and what he must have experienced previously as an adventurer. Sadly, his personal aversion to torture devices and the stale signs of their use is not necessarily shared by everyone. --R)

Further examination of the downstairs revealed nothing new and the four turned to discussing the significance of what they had found. Dermot suggested that it might have been treasure hunters, but Aerikoth considered it more likely that it was an assassin fleeing the raid on House Cormaeril, who believed that the locals in Tallwell would be incapable of acting against him. Shanni and Darrow agreed, the rogue noting that the two murders might have been to scare folks away – which was working, until the adventurers had come along.

The wizard thought that whoever had been there had fled to a safer locale upon their arrival, which would explain the door sound that Shanni heard. He suggested that Dermot’s tracking skill would serve them best at that point, if the ranger could check the two entrances to the manor for recent tracks not made by the party. They then headed back upstairs, where Shanni noticed dwarf-sized tracks in the flour, which caused momentary confusion until Darrow explained that they were his.

 

[Carlo-One]

Once they were outside the manor, Dermot began sorting through the old and new tracks, commenting that it would be tricky. Moving around the area, the ranger searched the ground carefully in ways difficult for the others to comprehend, looking at boot impressions, divots and recent signs of rain to reveal what he needed. After examining what appeared to be an unremarkable patch of ground, he waved the others forward, moving along what seemed to be a trail. He explained that another had walked that way, not long ago, wearing boots, with a light, human gait that was too far apart to be the kid’s steps, and heading away from the manor. (The ranger's tracking ability shows the value of mastering one's skills in life. There is no magic to such mastery, only practice. --C)

Once they reached the main forest trail back to Tallwell, Dermot was unable to distinguish their quarry’s prints, but did note the presence of the child’s on the approach to the manor. The ranger’s companions eagerly searched for further signs in the vicinity, but came up with nothing. Dermot then led them back to the village, along the way evading roaming bear and boar in the forest.

By the time they reached Tallwell two hours later it was raining, to Shanni’s disappointment, which the ranger noted would probably hide tracks. The consensus among the party was that their culprit was not enough of an outdoorsman to stay in the wilds, so would likely be looking for a place to spend the night. Dermot raised the possibilities of a traveler having stashed their things at the inn, or that their quarry might even be a local inhabitant. Aerikoth cast doubt on this interpretation, still believing that their target was a member of the Fire Knives, running after their assault on Castle Cormaeril.

The four adventurers tracked their wet selves into the village inn and were greeted by Yasia and Kablin Menson. Dermot remarked with some concern that they were up late. Yasia said that she couldn’t sleep after the wizard had showed up with the boy, not to mention what was going on with the ghost at the manor. A bleary-eyed Kablin told her that if it were a ghost, then it would be nowhere near town, to which his wife replied that if the wizard could move by magic, why not the ghost.

In response to a question from Dermot, Yasia indicated that no one had come by since Aerikoth had shown up with Fente Bross, the son of the general store owner. The wizard asked to see the two rooms at the inn and Kablin welcomed the four to stay in them for the night. They soon determined that no one else was present and debated where else their quarry might have gone to ground in the village, having hit a dead end at the inn. Dermot was confident that the tracks he had followed leading away from the manor house were no more than an hour old when he found them, meaning – as Aerikoth pointed out – the person had an hour head start on them.

Yasia stuck her head into their room, apparently concerned at continuing to hear voices so late at night, but was assured that everything was fine. Aerikoth took the opportunity to ask her some clarifying questions about her delivery of Fente to his father, then asked her about where one would stay in Tallwell if not at the inn. She struggled to understand what the wizard was driving at, saying she supposed that someone could stay with friends in town, but the inn was the only one. After some further reassurance that there was in fact no ghost, she departed and left the four to their discussion.

 

[Carlo-One]

Darrow, having downed an ale, took a quick snooze while the others figured out what to do next. In the dwarf’s defense, by then it was three bells in the morning on Ches 25, and they had been up for some time. After his short “ale-nap” Darrow agreed to go talk to the shopkeeper to follow up on what had happened with the boy, the party having decided to split up. Dermot would attempt to uncover recent tracks, despite the rain, while Shanni would use her stealth skills to peep in various village windows. Aerikoth, apparently deciding that he had nothing specific to add to their efforts, declared he would retire to one of the inn rooms and await their return.

Perhaps twenty minutes later the wizard welcomed the other three back. Shanni and Darrow were sopping wet, the dwarf complaining about rain in his crotch as he poured water out of his boots, and the rogue cursing as she spread her outer clothes and boots out to dry. Dermot seemed less bothered by the rain, merely hanging his cloak on a peg by the doorway. Darrow reported first on what he had learned, that somebody had stolen some hardtack, a rain cloak and a bedroll from the general store. The theft was only discovered after the boy was returned, which the dwarf reckoned meant that their “ghost” was on the move. Shanni mentioned that the rain cloak might mean that the theft had taken place recently, seeing as how it was “pissin’ in down” outside, in her words. The petite rogue said she had found nothing regarding their quarry, although she had seen the Mayor still awake and sitting in his house downstairs, just looking at the fire, which made her wonder at the reason.

Aerikoth observed it seemed that their target intended to travel in the rain, which prompted Shanni to ask Darrow where he thought their quarry would be going. The dwarf said the only places he could think of were the village they stayed at on the way to Tallwell, it being the only other place nearby, unless the person knew of a cave or something; he couldn’t imagine anyone would be sleeping on the ground, given the weather. Shanni recalled that there was a cave back the way they had come, to which Aerikoth added that he believed it was the one that had one time been occupied by manticores. (The dwarf often gives the impression of being mostly concerned about his next ale, if not the one currently in his hand, but can be clever and insightful when it comes to the practical matters involved in dealing with their enemies. --R)

After some further discussion, Dermot suggested that they rest at the inn, then in the morning tell the innkeeper that they had decided to head back to Glees. They could then secretly head back to the manor, perhaps using a teleport from Aerikoth, to see if anyone had reoccupied it. Aerikoth said that he thought the matter of the “ghost” had been satisfactorily resolved, so had no further personal interest in it, but would assist in whatever manner they wished

Although further details still had to be worked out, all agreed that sleep was a priority. Shanni took one of the two inn rooms, falling asleep almost immediately, while the other three occupied the one next to her. Aerikoth took the bed and Darrow and Dermot unrolled their bedrolls, sleep coming easy to all of them after the long day of travel and their efforts at the manor.

It was early afternoon before Dermot arose, immediately observing that they had overslept a bit. The ranger pulled on his armor and cursed as he heard rain continuing to strike the inn’s roof; the lack of sun no doubt contributed to their long rest. Darrow, who had forgotten to take his armor off before falling asleep, joined him in heading to the common room downstairs as Aerikoth roused himself and began studying his spells for the day.

 

[Carlo-One]

As the innkeeper Kablin was seeing to Dermot and Darrow’s breakfast, Shanni ran down the stairs breathlessly, having overslept as well. He mentioned that the mayor had said he would like to speak with them, when they were available. Dermot replied that they had been planning to head back to Glees, but after some meaningful glances with his companions, agreed to do so after breakfast. The ranger observed that maybe something had been keeping the mayor up, as Shanni had seen the night before.

After Aerikoth joined them in breaking their fast on the simple village fare, Dermot asked Kablin how the mayor had looked to him. The innkeeper shared that he had seemed tired and preoccupied, but did not find this strange, considering the circumstances the village faced. Kablin then asked if the adventurers would be staying another night, showing some disappointment when Dermot replied they should depart that day and head west. A little nervously, the innkeeper asked for five coins a head – whenever they were ready, of course! – and bustled off to the kitchen as they finished their meal. Dermot searched his belt-pocket for the requested amount of coin and left it on the table, with a little more added for Kablin’s trouble.

The four companions made their way through the rain and large puddles to the mayor’s house, seeing an occasional villager dashing for cover in the wet. Darrow knocked on the door and Haman Amraphel soon opened it and bid them to enter and dry off before his fire. The adventurers shook the rain from their outer clothing and moved to join the mayor, who pensively noted that he found himself spending much time in front of the fire, as of late.

Haman mentioned he had heard from Kablin at the inn and Kente at the General Store how things had been going, then asked the adventurers to confirm that it was a human hand behind what had happened. Shanni immediately answered in the positive, as did Aerikoth, who noted that he had been certain it was not an actual undead spirit prior to going to the manor. (The wizard rarely misses a chance to point out to his companions when he has been proven correct about a certain matter. --R) The mayor sighed and said he still found the deaths of the two guardsmen tragic, as they had been sent to protect Tallwell and paid the ultimate price; there has been too much death and sadness in the village, he felt, which Dermot agreed with.

Haman nonetheless expressed some optimism that once the rain ceased, the village could start down a more happy path. He said he understood that Darrow had offloaded his brewery supplies at the Winfall farm, which the dwarf acknowledged, saying that he hoped it would help start a new chapter. The mayor thought the extra industry would indeed be a boon for Tallwell.

The adventurers turned to the business at hand, declaring that they still intended to try and find the murderer. In response to a question from Shanni, the mayor said he could not think of any abandoned places near the village where someone could hide, besides the manor. Aerikoth explained that the individual was very skilled in stealth, but would need to eventually find shelter. The wizard, with his usual lack of emotion, noted that some among their group felt that this person would return, specifically to the manor, but Aerikoth himself was unsure of such, given the lack of information.

Haman then said he thought there were some strange things that had been left unexplained. Encouraged by Darrow to say more, the mayor raised the question of how this person had gone to the manor in the first place and where they had come from, remarking that certainly no one had passed through town. Shanni offered up the idea that they were good at hiding and didn't need to stop. Haman continued, stating that the incident had made him recall some instructions from Baron Hallton, when he was alive. He had insisted that if any travelers turned up unexpectedly - particularly noble ones - to treat them well and escort them to the manor. Specifically, if they did not arrive by the main road. The mayor had found this puzzling, given the lack of any other obvious means of entering the village, but stated that questioning the Baron's orders was not wise.

Dermot’s face betrayed his own puzzlement as Shanni asked if anyone had in fact arrived, to which Haman replied no. The mayor said it had got him thinking, though, about how the “ghost” had arrived, since now obviously it was no such thing. He then shared that the only other “empty place”, as they had said, could be the old smuggler cave in the forest. According to him, it hadn't been used for years, because of the beasts that moved in. The village’s hunters and loggers were aware of it, but once the trail to Glees was cut and the beasts moved into the forest, no one would dare to go. Haman explained that under Baron Hallton, the cave was sometimes used to store goods to avoid taxes, to which the mayor turned a blind eye.

Shanni asked if manticores had inhabited the cave and was told aye, along with other beasts. Dermot noted that it was on the way to Glees and they could look into it. Haman, suddenly becoming teary-eyed, declared that they had done so much for the village and that he could not thank them adequately. The awkward silence that followed was broken by Darrow, who joked that he shouldn’t be thanked until the mayor tried the beer, getting a chuckle from Dermot as well.

Haman then turned towards Aerikoth and said that Kente the shopkeeper had mentioned something about his boy wishing to become a wizard. Kente was unsure about the idea, but Haman told him that he would support an apprenticeship, should Aerikoth wish it. The wizard stated that it might be possible if the child had the potential and the diligence to work hard. Aerikoth knew he had courage, but it needed to be tempered with intellect. If there was time, he would explore the boy's potential further. Haman replied that he was a smart lad, knowing his letters and figures from the work at the general store. As a last remark, the mayor noted that people were afraid of magic and unsure of wizards, but he believed Aerikoth taking a local apprentice would be welcomed.

 

[Carlo-One]

Before the adventurers departed, Darrow asked if the mayor had ever met any of the nobles from Westgate, meaning the Cormaerils. Haman said that “met” was perhaps not quite the right word, but he had seen a noble party come through one time the previous year, well-armed and armored. They had arrived by the road from Glees, prior to the war with Baron Pahar, and the villagers had been asked to provision them before they headed on to Hallton manor. In response to a question from Shanni, the mayor indicated that it had been perhaps close to a year ago. He also noted that the Cormaeril nobles’ red armor had been very distinctive. Aerikoth remarked that the visit made sense, as it was the Cormaerils that gave Hallton numerous enchanted weapons to assault the lands of Pahar.

Under further questioning from Shanni, the mayor related how the nobles had stayed only the minimum time required. The village blacksmith had to reshoe one of their horses, but they did not do anything beyond the ordinary, treating the villagers like servants. Haman suggested they speak with the blacksmith, if they were interested in such details. After some further discussion about the possible identity of their quarry and a meaningful nudge from Shanni, the four adventurers exited the mayor’s house, saying they would go see the blacksmith.

Outside in the rain, which continued to drown the village, the petite rogue explained on the way to the blacksmith’s that she was now not sure they should leave town, saying that it suddenly made more sense that one of the Fire Knives was behind the killings at the manor. However, she thought that maybe they should still go check that cave in the woods. Reaching the door to the smith’s house, she knocked and then slightly awkwardly responded to the deep, masculine voice from inside asking who was there. She responded that they were “folk from the city” and in reply received an invitation to come in out of the rain.

Inside, they were greeted warmly by Horvath, the blacksmith’s brother, whom they had earlier encountered as a reluctant member of the Beast’s forces. He thanked them again for what they had done at the manor, which was reinforced by the smith, Larent, who stated that without the adventurers, his brother would not have found a new life in Tallwell. Shanni, Dermot and Darrow modestly accepted the praise as Aerikoth stood by, silently regarding them with an unblinking stare.

Shanni said it would be a favor if the smith could cast his mind back to when the group from Cormaeril came through. Larent’s brow furrowed in response and he mentioned that it had been nigh on a year, as he recalled. Shanni then asked about his changing of a horseshoe for them and what he remembered. The shoe work itself was easy enough, said the smith, but he sweated doing it under the gaze of the Cormaerils and their blades, which were never far from their hands.

He observed that they had seemed to resent having to stop in the village on their way to Hallton manor. It was a party of five or six travelers, the smith recalled; one appeared older than the others, but carried himself well. He was the one that Larent had feared the most, looking at the smith with hungry eyes as he worked. Larent said he made sure the re-shoeing went well and fast, so that was that. Shanni asked if he knew their names and the smith replied that they had not asked his, so he did not ask theirs; speaking to them seemed dangerous.

Shanni then turned her attention to Horvath, who explained that during Hallton’s time he had mainly served with the borderers in the forest. He had heard some camp talk of the nobles' visit, no more, although there had been reference to an alliance and conquest to come. In response to a question from Shanni, he said that there was no road coming from the direction of Westgate through the forest, other than the one from Glees. Beyond the village there were logging trails and such, but they did not lead to any other town.

Aerikoth then interjected a change of subject, noting that there had been a lot of talk heard about some elusive treasure hidden by the Beast, and asking Horvath if it had ever been mentioned during his association with the bandit leader. (This was something of a surprise to read, as I would have expected this kind of query about buried treasure to come from Shanni, rather than the wizard, who has not displayed much in the way of overt greed in these chronicles. --C) Horvath made a face at the mention of “treasure” and called it the Beast’s blood money. The bandit had made a great show of placing it into the chest in the main hall, saying that it would put food in his follower’s bellies forever – along with wenches and such, Horvath shamefacedly acknowledged. But as they discovered after the Beast was slain, there was nothing in there, and so began the tales of buried treasure in the forest.

 

[Carlo-One]

After some final pleasantries, the four adventurers left the smith and his brother and decided to stop in at the guard barracks before heading out of the village. Guard Captain Calen greeted them and mentioned that the mayor had been to see him, in order to explain that they had been tracking someone unknown – not a ghost - who had been hiding at the manor. Shanni said they had just dropped by, to make sure the soldiers knew that. Calen immediately informed her that the guardsmen would now go recover their dead, mentioning in a grim tone that it would not be difficult to stay away from the manor afterwards, which was Shanni’s suggestion. He furthermore observed that there was nothing up there left to guard, and it would be easier for him not to have to split his forces defending the village.

Dermot was curious if any of the guard patrols had scouted the outskirts of the village, including the logging trails. Calen replied that they typically kept to the village itself, the path out to Glees, and until recently the manor, since there weren’t enough men to do more. The ranger then flipped a lazy salute to the guard captain, receiving a crisp one in return, as the adventurers departed the barracks. (It appears that Captain Calen made no mention of the adventurers' failure to bring back the bodies of the guardsmen as they had previously promised. While perhaps it would have been within his rights to complain, in light of the adventurers' efforts to resolve the matter of the killings at the manor and the inability of the guard captain to deal with the matter himself, I believe it was prudent of him not to raise the issue. Holding others to their promises, regardless of circumstances, often helps no one. --C)

As they headed for the village’s western outskirts, Shanni in rather coarse terms expressed her confusion over what it meant that the Mayor had been told to report on folk arriving without coming down the Glees road. Perhaps the continuing rain had something to do with her foul mood, as Darrow encouraged her and the others to get a move on, since he wasn’t getting any drier. As they walked along the road, the Winnfall farm came into view and Aerikoth observed to the others that the door was open. The wizard wondered why the family would have the door open on such a foul day, as both Shanni and Darrow cursed at the possible implication of foul play at the farmhouse.

The dwarf circled around back of the building as Shanni sneaked up to a window to peek in and Aerikoth stood in front of the door. Hal the ox driver then emerged from the opening, carrying a sack, and almost bumped into the wizard’s staff. The drover immediately apologized and said that he was just getting feed to the oxen. Shanni lingered a moment at the window to make sure that nothing was in fact amiss inside, then shook her head and said it was a false alarm, although she commended Aerikoth on his observational skills.

The four adventurers left Hal to his duties as he grumbled about the rain and they continued on the path west into the countryside. Once in the forest, the little-used track became effectively invisible, but Dermot and Shanni recalled where the cave occupied by the beasts had been, leading the others to it across a rain-swollen stream. Shanni asked if they wanted to go in quiet like and Darrow motioned as if to shoo her in, the dwarf evidently deciding he would make too much noise. She and then Dermot crept into the opening, as Darrow listened for any sounds of fighting.

The two re-emerged shortly afterwards and cautioned the others not to enter, saying that the entrance was trapped. Darrow commented ironically that it was crafty for a manticore. Shanni volunteered to use her "little fingers" to shift the tripwires out of the way, as Aerikoth asked Dermot if there were any tracks besides theirs in the area. The ranger, somewhat tense, replied that in those conditions, he had no idea. He then accompanied Shanni back in, to cover her while she attempted to deal with the trap.

 

[Carlo-One]

Outside, Darrow began tapping his foot impatiently, waiting for his two companions to return as he discussed potential tactics with Aerikoth. Shanni after a while exited the cave, apparently successful at her task. The petite rogue asked if Aerikoth could get something to guard the door, in case whoever was inside tried to sneak past them. After a moment’s thought, the wizard said he could summon a large bear, which could remain by the cave entrance. Satisfied, she re-entered the cave, asking the other two to follow when ready. Aerikoth cast his summons spell and an invisibility spell on Darrow as well, then they entered.

In the gloom of the cave, they came upon Shanni finishing up the placement of one of her own traps, covering its tripwire with dust. She hissed softly at Dermot, who was further ahead, keeping a watch on the far end of the cave. Aerikoth commanded the bear to stay by the entrance and started to move further into the cave, but was then stopped by Shanni putting an arm on his shoulder. At the same time, Dermot emerged from the shadows and yelled a challenge, leveling his crossbow at the dim figure of a man who had just stepped into view.

The man, dressed in expensive red-dyed leathers, first inquired why Dermot was troubling a poor traveler, voice dripping with evident scorn. He then wondered out loud if it was just the ranger there – which an invisible Darrow immediately contradicted – and queried if they were frightened of one poor traveler, as he put it. The ranger was blunt in his response, saying that in Westgate he imagined the man was wanted for all sorts of reasons, as well as hereabouts for murder.

This earned a scornful laugh from the man, who inquired if Dermot was a bounty hunter. He then drew two short swords and with a sneer told Dermot to collect the bounty, if he could. Dermot warned him to put the swords down, as he could be sure that the ranger had not come alone. Suddenly the man disappeared, after making a quick motion, but the ranger was not fooled. Keeping his concentration and his senses alert, he waited a moment, then threw some magic dust next to him, just as the man attempted to pass, stripping him of invisibility. Aerikoth then hit him with a spell that held him in place, frozen.

After a moment, Shanni took the initiative to start binding Tagreth’s hands together with some rope, then ran it up into a noose around his throat. The man gritted his teeth and submitted, having no choice, as Darrow also pried the two swords out of his hands. Once they had finished, Dermot asked who they had caught. Reluctantly, the man declared that he was the Lord Tagreth Cormaeril. (And so the loose end from the adventurers' raid on Cormaeril Castle is tied up, with the head of the Fire Knives assassins caught on the run. But their troubles are not yet over, where Tagreth is concerned. --R)

 

[Carlo-One]

Darrow observed that the red armor fit the description, not that anyone doubted Tagreth’s statement. The Cormaeril lord and head of the Fire Knives berated and insulted his captors, only falling silent after Aerikoth pointed out that they could have killed him, so he should take solace that he was still alive. In the meantime, Shanni had tossed his bedroll in the back of the cave, finding nothing of value.

Aerikoth told their captive that killing the guardsmen at the Hallton manor had been unwise, expressing curiosity about why Tagreth did not just hide from them. Darrow chimed in, observing that if he hadn’t done that, they never would have been tipped off to Tagreth’s presence. The Fire Knives leader replied that he had wished the manor for his own, asserting that the superstitious peasants would have stayed away for months, at least. Dermot, showing his kind heart, said he could not believe that the two guardsmen had been murdered just so Tagreth could have a nice bed. In response Tagreth glared at the ranger and commented that they were the ones who had destroyed his home in Westgate, evidently recognizing their descriptions.

In response to further probing from Aerikoth, Tagreth said that he expected no one else in Tallwell would have known about him and questioned why they had come out to this godsforsaken place, as he characterized it. Shanni, smirking, said he was going to cry when he found out. Darrow then told him that he was starting a brewery. Tagreth, eyes bulging, was incredulous that a drunken dwarf’s desire for more drink, as he put it, had led to his defeat. Aerikoth, with his usual lack of humor and inflection, told him that Baron Pahar, who had been at war with Hallton, had occupied the town and would have informed them of the murders.

After some additional pointed comments about the deaths of the two guardsmen, Tagreth stared bitterly at the pool of water as the party debated what was to be done with him. Darrow was against hanging him – which Shanni was fine with – so they had two options in front of them: to turn him over to Baron Pahar’s men in Tallwell, or to have Aerikoth take him directly to the Baron in Turnton. Shanni said she didn’t think the locals would be able to handle him.

Dermot said he was fine with either option, as justice would be done – this prompted a sneer from their prisoner – but then the ranger raised the rumors of the Beast's treasure and asked him he if knew anything more about it. (Yet another member of the party brings this up, unexpectedly to me. It seems the lure of "free" wealth is a powerful one. --C) Tagreth, a smile growing across his face, rhetorically asked what treasure. This led Shanni to start grinning as well, as she described how answering questions helped with avoiding falling into deep pools of water with a foot on one’s head. Tagreth, still smiling, offered that perhaps he could simply lead them to the treasure. He pointed out that this would be hard to do if they handed him over to Pahar’s men, of course.

Some additional honeyed words from the Fire Knives leader, including the fact that there would be enough for all, made the party exchange glances and Shanni’s face twitch underneath her hood. Aerikoth broke the spell by asking their prisoner whether he had intended on rebuilding the assassins’ organization after taking over the manor. Tagreth said that escaping the fall of his castle in Westgate had been the first priority and that it seemed a good idea to leave the city for a while. Darrow chuckled at this, noting that the party might have had the same idea.

In Aerikoth’s opinion, Tagreth could have done better by hiding in Westgate, unless there were other enemies of his there. At this, the Cormaeril lord shook his head and stated that the wizard was still a callow youth in the ways of Westgate. He questioned whether storming Castle Cormaeril was their idea, observing that others in the city had benefited. (Looking at the record of events in the chronicles, I am forced to admit that this observation may well be true. House Urdo seemed especially keen on it and apparently manipulated the City Watch to look the other way regarding - even encourage - the party's plans to assault the castle. I am not fully sure how I feel about all this this, but in the end the Fire Knives got what they deserved, I am sure. --C)

Returning to the topic of the hidden treasure, Dermot asserted that if it existed, it would be found one day, but at the moment they had a job to finish. Tagreth asked pointedly who was paying them for this ‘job’ – no one, as he presumably had figured out – prompting a small sigh from Shanni. Dermot said that it was not that kind of a job, to which Tagreth replied that perhaps they could use a new employer.

 

[Carlo-One]

Perhaps tired of Tagreth’s words, or simply needing to study his spells, Aerikoth retired to a side part of the cave with his summoned bear, asking not to be disturbed. The Fire Knives leader continued verbally sparring with his three remaining captors, attempting to undermine their confidence in each other and dangling the promise of riches in front of them, but they refused to bite. Dermot did a thorough search of the man, extracting some potions and jewelry from his pouches.

Since they were being so chatty, as Darrow put it, he asked Tagreth if the noble could tell them about how he had arrived in Tallwell, seeing as how he got there ahead of the adventurers. For once the Cormaeril lord did not appear to dissimulate, instead with an evil grin telling them that there was an escape portal in the bowels of Castle Cormaeril. He stated that only those of noble blood had its secret, enabling them to take a one-way trip that deposited them in a field near Tallwell.

After some more back-and-forth with their prisoner, Shanni being notably riled about the two murders which Tagreth had committed, the three adventurers decided to march Tagreth back to Tallwell and turn him over to the guards there. When he saw the bedraggled-looking noble, Guard Captain Calen questioned Darrow, Dermot and Shanni about how they knew he was the one responsible for the deaths of his guardsmen. Despite Tagreth’s protestations of innocence, the adventurers stated they had all heard him confess, as well as noting various pieces of evidence, including the thin blade found in his possession which no doubt would match the wounds on the corpses. Calen, his face impassively neutral, took possession of the prisoner, saying that their word was the only thing needed.

The three then stopped at the Mayor’s house, in order to inform him of Tagreth’s capture. He was very pleased to hear that they had caught the “ghost” and considered their suggestion about keeping up the stories of the ghosts of Hallton’s victims inhabiting the manor, to help discourage anyone else from going there. They then quizzed the mayor about having seen any signs of the Cormaeril portal’s egress point in a nearby field, but there seemed to be no knowledge of such a thing in the village. Nonetheless, their enthusiasm for exploration undimmed now that it was no longer raining, Darrow, Dermot and Shanni roamed the fields and country tracks near the village, searching for something that might be a sign.