#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.