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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Carlo-One" data-source="post: 8216704" data-attributes="member: 7015827">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.</blockquote>

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