#72 - One-handed Apprehension

With the troll defeated, and Kard so terribly wounded, the aftermath of the battle was protracted. Clarion finally emerged from the cave, having caught up to his companions. The newcomer, the human who had intervened and crippled the ogres, introduced himself as Simel. He was quite obviously a Karrn, though his reasons for being there were not obvious. He spoke of a bounty he'd been asked to take—his target was a criminal known as the Blue Wraith—but why a Karrn would be hunting bounties so far from Karrnath was not so obvious. Certainly, in these days of tenuous peace, many citizens of the Five Nations have taken to exploring other lands, but Simel did not seem like a tourist.

Clarion use some of his healing magic to aid Kard. With a longsword, he even managed to extract the cleric's gnawed and partially digested hand from the half-melted and burned troll carcass. Their hope was to find a way to attach it again, but they knew powerful and expensive magic would be needed. Perhaps House Jorasco could help.

The gnome, Sylvander d'Sivis by name, was subdued, although when the PCs bound his hands, he began to speak—and offer an alternative to being handed over to the Brelish authorities. As an heir of House Sivis, he reminded Simel that Sivis gnomes were trained with a preternatural discipline that enabled them to literally forget whatever they chose to. Even though handing him over to the Citadel, which is what the halfling Szen d'Jorasco would want, he would not prove to be valuable.

Magnus was not pleased. He wanted to simply hand the gnome over and finish their part. Simel was not convinced that was the best course of action, and Cypher agreed. Likewise, the druid Dar believed that Sylvander might be a lead for her own mysteries.

What was learned during the deliberations and interrogations:

• The cave they party had emerged from was situated several miles outside of Wroat, just inside the King's Forest. 
• The cave served as an emergency escape for Sylvander, but the cave—and the troll, and the ogres, and the shortsword-wielding rogue they'd slain—all belonged to the Blue Wraith.
• Yes, he, Sylvander, forger and excoriate of House Sivis (who was wanted by the Citadel and his former house), had played some part in the theft at the Wroat Exchequer, which was big news back in town.
• The Blue Wraith is believed to be Alain ir'Valish, a prominent member of the infamous ir'Valish family. The ir'Valish family, it is well known in Wroat, was once a prominent noble family loyal to the crown. But through acts of treason, and rumored devil worship, they have gone underground.
• According to Sylvander, Alain is indeed the Blue Wraith, and is a wanted crime lord who has managed to elude capture right under the Citadel's nose. (If the Citadel had a nose.)
• Sylvander claimed that if he is not handed over to the authorities, was kept free, he could provide the PCs with forged identification papers, whatever they desired. He assured them that their intrusion into his home had already ruined his business in the city anyway. He 
• Likewise, Sylvander has a link to the Blue Wraith, and if he is allowed, he could attempt to make contact and allow Alain ir'Valish to come forth. Alain is believed to be behind the recent theft against the Wroat Exchequer, which seems to be a larger threat against the crown.
• While Sylvander is a wanted criminal in his own right, his purpose is decidedly self-serving; he seems to serve no grander purpose. Clarion attempted to learn more with Detect Thoughts, but the canny gnome resisted. The warforged did learn, however, that Sylvander served no others. He's a free agent.

Rather than risking bringing Sylvander into the city—where he insisted the guards who apprehend him at the gate—the PCs decided to go directly to the Carnival of Shadows. The Phiarlan elves had told them in Galethspyre that Wroat was their next stop. Accordingly, they found the Carnival still setting up in the fields outside the eastern gate of the city.

Visiting them, they met up again with Mussfinch, the tall, white-haired, gaunt, and yellow-coated Master of the Carnival. He greeted them, and asked briefly about the newcomers: Simel and Dar.

When they found some privacy, Mussfinch asked them how their mission went—but both the elf and they were short on details, because neither Simel nor Dar were trusted with such classified information. The PCs then asked if Mussfinch could hold onto Sylvander for a short while—if they let him go, he would vanish, and if they turned him in to the Citadel he'd become useless. Mussfinch agreed only to watch the excoriate for 24 hours, understanding why but insisting that he was not comfortable keeping secrets from his Brelish hosts.

Mussfinch pointed out that his wife, the eladrin Lady Amaryllis, "had something for Magnus." The barbarian was quite eager to get his dragonbone mace back and discover what properties it possesses—though the arrangement he had made also meant that he owed a very powerful and royal eladrin an unknown service. He was to return the next day to meet with her.

With Sylvander in the hands of the Phiarlan elves, the PCs returned to the city, fumbled their way through the gate (Dar went mute, forcing Cypher to "explain" who she was and document her entry), and reunited with their other companions. Simel, too, was staying at the Royal Bear inn, and as as a group they began to discuss their next steps.

A short visit to the Jorasco enclave revealed the cost of having Kard's handed reattached and healed. It would be expensive indeed, but for helping Lord Szen find the gnome forger, he would get a discount.

#71 - Ogres, a Troll, and an Unexpected Ally

From the Leaves of Memory, the written musings of Loh, druid of the King's Forest

From the doorway, I saw pure chaos. A lush carpet had wrapped itself around Magnus like a coiled, paisley snake. A mad gnome, who I assumed was the forger we seek, was thrusting documents by the fistful into a blazing fire. From one room to the next, this forger's hidden compartments have held endless mystery and surprise. How is it that a forger has the ability or the need to create such a vast magical abode?

Honestly, at this point I was overwhelmed by all the foes we had faced, so I turned my attention to another, more familiar force: the fire that the forger was counting on to hide all evidence of his wrongdoing. I couldn't risk him destroying proof of what happened to my brother and my comrades—after all, it's possible that the images of me and Sah that Lord Szen found at the ir'Valish estate were created by his hand. So I strode into the room and sent a mammoth gust of wind towards the fireplace. The fire extinguished easily, and the forger looked quite angry and surprised.

I had little time to revel in my small victory, however, as a dwarven guard quickly approached me, battle axe swining. As we fought, I saw the forger relight the fire with a spell of flame, then he hopped into the fireplace, and disappear—dastardly magical doors! But the watchword he used to activate the portal was audible to all, and one by one we followed the forger through the fireplace as we had the paintings.

Our new surroundings were far less luxurious than the previous few rooms. Stone walls surrounded us on all sides, and a dark tunnel lay ahead. As Kard and I discussed what to do, it seemed as if Cypher was under some kind of spell. Very out of character for him, he urged us to wait for the forger to return so we could simply talk with him. This advice didn't seem normal for a defender of Brelish justice, but whatever spell had taken hold of his mind soon lifted, and Cypher began barking orders to get us across the tunnel, whose pitch-covered floor separated us from the forger.

At Cypher's command, I bestowed upon Magnus, then Cypher, and then Kard the ability to cling to surfaces like a spider. Then I wild-shaped into a giant wolf spider and followed suit. I've come to love that furry, eight-legged, keen-eyed beast. Blinking is so satisfying when you have eight optical orbs.

Once we had all crossed to the other side of the tunnel, the group headed toward an exit to our right, and fortunately so, as I smelled troll in a tunnel that wound the other direction. I silently hoped that moving away from the troll would keep it out of our path.

The manmade tunnel that we followed led to the mouth of a cave, and a forest widened before us. While I didn't know the exact location, it seemed to be part of my home, the King's Forest. But I had little time to feel excited because all eight of my eyes were instantly filled with the sight of two giant ogres bearing down on Magnus and Kard, lunging from around the bend!

Even more surprising, two arrows that seemed to come from nowhere dealt the ogres a crippling blow. Both howled and dropped to the ground, stricken in the ankles. With the ogres prone, we attacked them mercilessly. To my eyes, it was a flurry of activity. Cypher unleashed a a giant fireball from a spell-scroll and it erupted just beyond the ogres, rendering one of them instantly hairless. The same brute was quickly killed by Magnus, while I leapt up and bit the throat of the still-hairy one. His throat swelled as my spider poison spread through his veins, and he suffocated quickly. Paralyzed but perhaps not dead yet. The dumb creatures were no match for us.

Transcript from the unwritten memoirs of the ogre Vorg:

Vorg was hungry today. Found blue toadstools, made tummy hurt. Got Qog to eat them, too. Funny!

Vorg and Qog told to guard cave again. Stink in there. We not go far inside. Shark man says ugly troll who lives there not allowed to eat Vorg. So that good. Vorg and Qog guard cave good like always. When mean little Shark-man come again, he talks and Vorg forgot to listen. But then a little squeak shows up from INSDE cave—what! we guard it good!—and he talks too fast. Says something about robbers, I guess. Shark-man tells Vorg and Qog to hide and then hit robbers when they come out of cave. Vorg thinks this would be fun. Hit hard to make bones crunch and red go splat!

We not wait long. Loud robbers coming. Qog and Vorg jump and scare little people. But a sharp thing hits foot like faerie spear. HURTS! Vorg rolls to ground and sees Qog also on ground. Qog is so dumb! Lets little arrow-stick make him fall. We roll to get up and squish robbers, but then fire hits Vorg's body and head. Vorg thinks fire comes from little metal war-man with piece of paper. Stupid magic paper! Vorg is HOT! Vorg doesn't feel good but at least it make him SO MAD. War-man robber will get hurt worse now!

Vorg sees Qog get up again, but not-as-little little robber man with big mace hits him good. One time and then another one time, and Vorg roars and then falls into side of hill. Funny, but not-as-little robber man needs to get smashed quick!

Vorg is stronger than Qog and gets up faster. Vorg wants to crunch and bite and rip squishy little robbers real bad now. Vorg not like them at all. Then a VERY BIG SPIDER comes out of cave. It not biting robber men! Comes after Vorg! This not good day at all. Spider bites Vorg and Vorg can't breathe right.

Don't feel so good. Vorg will take a nap and smash little robber men later.

We continued to battle with two men who walked out of the trees. The first was a human, who wielded two short swords, was a clear danger. The second was the our fleeing gnome forger. He blurred his form with a spell and unleashed magic missiles at Magnus, so I scuttled over the second ogre towards him, trying to get a better look—and not a moment too soon, for the troll I had hoped we'd avoid loped out of the tunnel and into our path. More dumb creatures, I thought. But this one was especially hideous, with a third, malformed arm sprouting from one shoulder.

Suddenly, I heard Kard calling out in exalted tones. Then there stood in our midst a towering, glowing, angelic entity bearing a sword and shield and a symbol not unlike the Octogram of the Sovereign Host—conjured into being like an elemental from the outer planes. It lashed out at the troll with a blazing sword, keeping the troll from maneuvering easily towards us. This new force is not one I'd want as an enemy.

The troll, meanwhile, flailed wildly at us, and he knocked the spider-form right out of me. Dar again, I moved as far away as possible, only to turn around and see the troll swipe Kard a potentially mortal blow, then seize him and lift him in the air! Unconscious and dying, the human was mercifully unaware as the troll bit into his arm and tore his right hand clean off—then proceeded to gnash at the stump like a giant turkey leg. There was so much blood.

Elsewhere, I spotted the forger again—he'd relocated magically as Magnus bore down on him—as well as an unfamiliar, new face. A road-weary, but armored human, he seemed not to be the friend of the forger or the other human—though I soon learned that he was the sniper from the trees who felled the ogres when the battle began. I do not know if he is friend or foe to me. Keeping an eye on both men, I watched Magnus deal the final blow to the troll.

Kard's body hit the ground as the troll fell, but miraculously seconds later he came awake, climbed dazedly to his feet, and tried to move away. His wound wept red puddles upon the earth.

The gnome, still blurred by his magic, appeared to have surrendered.