Lanal 5-6, 652 DR: Feyd and the suffering Eeres are interrogated. Alcèrra prays over the dead. Dammon and Jak go shopping. The magician is attacked in a storeroom. The group look for his assailant, but find no one. Kaithah plays at Bugaven’s. The group leaves Erhet and meets two loquacious Ogdar who escort them to Ironhold. In the foundations of the growing keep, Feyd is brought before the paladin and Jandanar.

Continued from One Stormy Night in Erhet.

Wōdìndor, 5 Lanal 652

When morning came Kaithah still sat near Feyd, while Jak watched over the room. The prisoner’s screams had subsided again, though he shuddered upon the table top with every breath. Mishara and Nirst arrived after dawn to begin the interrogation. The uncooperative prisoner was shaken until he talked, suffering greatly from his leg wounds. He explained his name was Eeres, and that a bounty of 100 audàrār had been placed on the priestess’s head for her death or return. Feyd in turn answered few questions, and at one point accused Nirst of being responsible for the ambush. Not amused, Nirst expressed his wish to take Feyd before Endren. No one dissented.

During this time, Mishara found a prickly ball in the fireplace while searching through the room. The poisoned needles left the Eylfāe in screaming agony despite Alcèrra’s ministrations. In time, the Eylfāe fell unconscious. Dammon opened the needled-ball to find a small iron amulet with an inscribed stone inside. Nirst explained that it was a key, but did not know what for. Alcèrra resumed her duties of ritual and dragging the dead out of the tavern, where they were laid along the street outside.

After breakfast, Dammon and Jak wandered into town to buy some leather goods at Tamlana Fromdotter’s Craft Shop. Afterward, Dammon wandered alone to the Curios Shop around the corner. The place was filled with a wide assortment of junk and trinkets. Soon a man invited him into the rear of the shop to look at some special items but drew a sword on the magician once they were in the store room. Dammon fired a barrage of Mesral’s Arcane Arrows but the man slashed the mage to within a fraction of life. His vision blurry and his wounds severe, a strange wind howled through his skull, and Dammon ran out into the street. Whether he was pursued or not he couldn’t tell as it took all his concentration to keep upright and move forward. Returning to Bugaven’s,Dammon explained his encounter. Jak, Nirst and Alcèrra “suited-up” and returned to the shop to find it abandoned. After some looting, Nirst razed the building with his hammer and soon climbed from the rubble. That night Kaithah played for a small crowd in Bugaven’s.

Iyldor, 6 Lanal 652

The next morning, the group wandered north along the Barony Road. Just out of sight of Erhet, they were attacked by three half-stag half-eagle creatures which could not be hit by normal weapons. Mishara was heavily wounded before the creatures could be killed.

Further along the road, they encountered two Ogdar named Ogrug and Onkgruk who were gathering water for the Keep workers. For the remainder of the walk to the Keep, the Ogdar exclaimed loudly about how the Dwürden workers were saved by the Ogdars’ good graces. They also spoke of an Ortor camp they’d routed. Crossing a ridge, the foundations of Ironhold came into view surrounded by its hundreds of tents and campfires. Nirst was greeted by a large dark-skinned man named Black Tom, another member of Endren’s Seven. In the center of the Keep’s foundations they were led to a sprawling gray tent and invited in by Endren. He spent a few minutes pushing coin-ladened chests around to make seats for his visitors, before Nirst told them of the reason for their visit. Endren’s mood soured at this and asked Nirst to take Feyd outside while he prepared for the thief’s judgment. Outside, a crowd quickly gathered. Endren stepped from the tent with a glowing sword and announced to the crowd that a holy judgment was to take place. He ordered that Feyd be untied. Nirst cut the iron free from Feyd’s aching arms and wrists. Feyd looked about at the gathering crowds of Yrūn, Dwürden, and Ogdar, and then back at the disapproving paladin. “Surely, there must be a way out of this,” he thought as Endren brought the point of the shimmering sword to his chest and ordered him to “kneel”.

Continued in Children of Sin.

Characters

• Alcèrra Nàdrelan
• Dammon Shroudson
• Feyd
• Jak of Cænden
• Kaithah Argentale
• Mishara Mythdaras
• Black Tom
• Bugaven
• Endren of Orynder
• Ogrug
• Onkgruk
• Nirst Ohlmdamnor
• Saluk the Curious
• Tamlana Fromdotter

Played: 20 Sep 1997