Jayse has to suppress a shiver at the thought that what he saw through the hole was in any way related to where he now stands. "I guess if there was an easy way from thereto here, we'd already know about it." He gives one last look around, finishing with the kids. "We should get these kids home. I don't think their parents would appreciate us keeping them away any longer than we have to"
Once again he picks up the wrapped body of Dinwat, waiting for everyone else to ready for the remaining hike. "Let's stay ready," he whispers to the other adults. "I hate to let something happen this close to returning these kids."
Our heroes round up the children, pick up the dead, and continue on as darkness falls. Everyone travels quietly through the ancient woods - few words are spoken and then only in whispers. After a bit more than an hour, Jofram leads you onto a logging trail as the trees thin. Eventually the trails widens and side paths, leading to clear-cut sections of forest, are passed in the dark. No sign of a threat appears, much to everyone's relief.
Another half an hour loping through the gloomy night sees our worn group of heroes and survivors clearing the forest for true and seeing the glowing lights (dim and bright) from Bartleby's Cross. The children, though bone weary, grow excited at the approach of hearth and home. They chatter excitedly - alerting a nearby guard watching quietly in the darkness.
A blinding light shines out of the darkness from one side of the trail. Hallis, the town's cleric steps out of the darkness bearing a mace that glows like a sun in one hand and a holy symbol in the other. His look is hard, "Who goes..." then changes to relief as he recognizes you, "Children... and our visitors! It is good to see you!"
The children run up to the familiar halfling, who is no taller than the shortest of them. They weep and hold on to him. All he can do is hold them and say, "Children. Children. You are safe now..."
Hallis silently counts their number, then looks at the heroes... and notes the burdens they carry. His look is grim. Attracted by the cleric's light, Constable Hern comes out of the darkness. Hallis' tone is commanding, "Take these children into the church quietly. Then get their parents - quietly as well. Not every family will get good news this night and I'd rather speak with those poor folks myself. They do NOT need to find out the fate of their children here... Children, go with the Constable. He'll bring your parents very soon. You must be very quiet."
Hern nods to Hallis and then to the companions out of respect, grabs the children along with another guard just come from the darkness and carries them to the church. Hallis immediately douses the magic that lit his mace and the evening falls to blackness again.
The halfling approaches the companions, looking at the three small wrapped bundles and the larger fourth one - grief and anger cross his face. He straightens up and his voice become formal. "Thank you for returning all of our children. We owe you a great debt. If that other bundle is their murderer, our debt is greater still. But, you must be hungry and tired. Please come with me to the rectory where you can put down your burdens, refresh yourselves, and we can hear the tale. We saw fires and smoke to the Northeast last night and feared the worse."
He looks at the largest corpse again, his eyes becoming slits, but says nothing. He turns and quickly leads you stealthily to the church, entering through the graveyard gate and heading directly into Hallis' home, the rectory at the back of the church. He has you place the shrouded bodies in a small private chapel - the children's bodies in a place of honor on the simple altar and Dinwat's body on the floor in a corner.
Hallis directs your through an oak door while he performs last rites on the children. Through the door, you find yourselves in a very comfortable living room with couches, chairs, a table with fruit, cheese, bread, and a few bottles of wine. You've barely sat down when Hallis hustles through and out another door before quickly returning. He takes a long breath and then sets about rounding up cups, pouring wine, and putting out what food he has. "I'm sorry, its not the hearty fare you'd probably like. It is what I have on hand. I've sent for Aidep and Riev Coe. They should be here soon, then we can talk."
After you've had a few minutes to eat and drink in a silence the cleric seems content to leave unbroken, there is a light knock on door that leads into the church. Hallis opens the door quickly and you hear the sounds of parents crying in happiness at a scarcely dreamed reunion with children who are just crying in relief. The tiny cleric lets the Hetmon and the elder fisherman in and offers them drinks. Hetmon Aidep takes a cup gladly and follows it with a long drink before saying what is clearly on his mind. "I saw three children in the arms of their parents... what of the rest?"
Hallis points to the door leading to the private chapel. "They are there."
Aidep deflates at the dreaded news. It is clearly a personal loss. "Oh. Damn." He sits down heavily. "What happened? Did you find out who did this?"
Jayse endures the whirlwind of the re-entry to the town in silence. When food is presented, he takes enough to be polite, nibbling on a bit though his stomach doesn't need any.
The hetmon catches everyone else with food or drink in their mouth, so Jayse responds, "We did." He gestures to where Hallis placed Dinwat's body before continuing, "The kidnapper died in the encounter, and I think we should show you who did it. I'd like to show you two who it was before any of the community find out."
He waits to make sure none of the others have any initial words for any of the town's leaders before they head to where the dead were set down. Still a bit paranoid from the way this whole experience has played out, Jayse can't help but watch any of the three for any reactions out of the ordinary.
Ushari speaks up quietly. "Yes, once you find out who it was you will understand our caution here." She sighs tiredly. "Also we need to talk about exactly what happened there. I fear this ordeal is not yet over..."
Ushari's pronouncement sends a ripple of fear through the townsmen. As you head into the chapel, Hallis says. "I've already seen him. When I sent the children onward, I got curious - particularly after seeing their state - what sort of monster was in our midst."
Aidep and Coe stop short at the entrance to the chapel, the shrouded cadavers clearly shock them. Coe makes a curt religious sign in front of his heart. "A'right. Best get this done." He moves to the corpse in the corner like he is approaching a thresher shark that may or may not have fight left in it. He whips the cover from Dinwat's head - seeing the archivist's sightless eyes, smashed nose, missing top of the skull, absent brain, and unnaturally bent neck. He jumps back, "Asmodeus' smokin' brass testes! THIS is the black-hearted bastard?!" He is shocked, surprised, and outraged all at the same time.
Aidep pales but stays on his feet. The wounds as well as the identity of the culprit are stunning. He stares at the dead face as if willing it to yield answers to a myriad number of questions starting with WHY? Receiving no answers, he settles for an observation, "It looks like you made him suffer to the very end... good."
Aidep moves over to the three bodies lying in state, his hand going to the white shrouds Hallis placed over them. The cleric shakes his head. "Hetmon, I'd suggest you don't do that. They aren't pretty. You'd be happier remembering them in better days."
Aidep shakes him off and gently pulls back a single cover. His gasp says it all. He replaces the sheet and turns to the companions, eyes wet. "Were you there? Did they suffer? I'd like to be able to tell their families that it was quick and painless."
Aidep shakes him off and gently pulls back a single cover. His gasp says it all. He replaces the sheet and turns to the companions, eyes wet. "Were you there? Did they suffer? I'd like to be able to tell their families that it was quick and painless."
Ushari is not surprised to feel tears brimming in her eyes. "I...I am not going to lie to you here...They DID suffer tremendously. The only comfort we can give you is the period was brief...and we repaid the suffering of them tenfold!"
Aidep nods, "Well, for their families' sake, we're going to lie. The children were unconscious when this happened to them. They never felt a thing. That's the story we will all tell and the truth never goes beyond this room." He spares a final glance at the children and leads you back into the Hallis' living room where he pours himself another tall glass of wine, downs it, pours another, and sits down. "Now, tell us everything... and especially why this isn't over."
When Ushari hears Aidep's response, she nods in silent agreement. She then waits for her companions to fill in Aidep on the details of the group's efforts to track down the identity of the kidnapper. Only when the details of the final encounter with Dinwat are brought up does she resume.
"It seems the kidnapper was under the impression he could control whatever he thought he was summoning. However, we recognized the true nature of what was answering his call. It is known as the Dweller." Ushari takes a drinkl of wine, trying to chase the dryness in her throat out. She then continues, "We interrupted the process, however a portion of the Dweller escaped to this plane. We weakened it but it fled from us before we could destroy it. It is lurking out there still..."
She turns to Hallis and says to him, "I can tell you its strengths and weaknesses, but I do believe it is not tied to the location from where it was spawned."
Hallis looks horrified and determined all at the same time. "I'm glad that Protection from Evil can keep it at bay and that the power of benevolent deities can hurt it to some extent. I'd be hard-pressed to do much more to it than that... I'll need to contact the Diocese in Orfallen, to warn them of this creature and get some help here immediately."
Jayse finally pipes in, "I was actually wondering about this when we were heading back here." He looks back towards where the dead children rest, "We saved a few of them from... whatever piece of the Dweller slipped through. What I don't know, however, is what it still needs to grow in power. At the time it seemed pretty intent on taking those remaining children. What I don't know is what else it will be hunting. Does it need children? Will other humans or humanoids work? Does its victims even have to be humanoid?" He looks over at Ushari and Straehan, hoping they might have some insight on the matter.
"Other than that, I don't know how safe it is here."
Straehan sips, swirls his wine, and considers Jayse's questions - the same questions he's been asking himself since the Dweller retreated.
"I think these particular children have no more to fear from the Dweller than any others might. I suspect he wanted to get to them because the magical connection between them persisted even after Dinwat abandoned the spell. I think Ushari's use of Protection from Evil severed the last vestiges of that link - thereby ending the spell and the Dweller's quick way to full strength. Having no ability to drain these kids, and no way to reach them any longer, he cut his losses and fled."
"I can't begin to speculate on what he'll need to get back his strength - perhaps time, or souls, or some other fool of a caster who is willing to create a gate that he can use to reunite his split essence. Maybe it is a combination of all of these things. My best guess is that the process can't be easy and it will take time... otherwise he would have done it ages ago." He stabs a finger at Jofram's bag of holding. "I'll look through Dinwat's diary and notes, perhaps something in there will tell us what the Dweller will need to restore himself. It will also give me a chance to study the Shaudran language. I have a feeling that a familiarity with that language will be helpful at some point."
"So, what's his next move? If we apply Master Coe's 'Striper' analogy to the Dweller... he's weak now. Jofram and Ushari managed to damage him with little effort and he was ineffective against either of them. He's going to need to find easier prey. He can't risk running into us, our snares, or anyone of like ability again until he is restored, to some extent, to his true power. I think it's a safe bet he'll be heading in a different direction than us. There are ways to track him if he's close at hand. He knows that we know enough about him to track and destroy him. We know his weaknesses. We have his name. We know him as well as any in this world could. With the right spells, that would be enough to put us on the scent... So I think he is going to run, hide, and do whatever he has to do to restore himself. One thing he won't do is come for a rematch until he feels that he is up to the task. So I think Bartleby's Cross is safe. He'll give it a wide berth."
The gnome stews for a time before adding his final thoughts with a bitter smile. "Something else to consider. A consciousness, so far as I know, can't be in two places at once. While he was at the height of his power, on his own plane, he was keeping tabs on us. It's the only way to explain what happened in Forestal and Shiv... NOW, he's here. He transferred his consciousness and a mere fraction of his powers. He couldn't even mount a decent fight against two of us. I'm willing to bet LONG odds that his clairvoyant abilities are gone or extremely limited. He's effectively blind to our comings and goings. The field of play is now level."
Ushari listens to Straehan and when the gnome has finished, she nods slowly. "Your explanation is...plausible, Strae. I just hope it is accurate. Still, I suspect the Dweller will come after us at some point. It would be best if we were away from here when he decides to do that."
"Well, I wasn't intending on building a summer house here."
Jayse cocks his head to the side, "So if we have the power to take him down now, and the resources to track him. Why shouldn't we go after him? I mean, if time will only make him stronger, it seems like we have a small window of opportunity here."
"I agree. Better to fight him weakened, than allow him to take more lives, and come at us when he has regained his full strength. But I'm not sure of this tracking that Straehan uses - it doesn't leave a trail in the traditional sense, it seems."
Ushari sighs, "Right, but where do we start looking? Keep in mind my detection spells have a limited range, and these incorporeal undead leave NO tracks. Not to mention the fact he has nearly a full day on us. If Strae is right with his theory, the Dweller fled deeper into the forest. I think it would be like searching for a sliver in a forest of haystacks!"
The gnome nods in general agreement with everyone. "I'd like to take the battle to him as well but, as 'Shari says, our tracking spells are limited in range. And incorporeality presents far bigger problems than the lack of earthly tracks. The Dweller can travel through stone and earth the way we move through air. We don't have the occult means to effectively dig him up or prevent him from slipping our grasp... yet."
Straehan gets a calculating look, "For the moment, he's gotten away, and there seems little we can do about it. But there is nothing to stop us from seeking out eldritch items and spells that will allow us to track him from greater distances, dig him out, and nullify his ability to escape us. We can't hunt him down today, but I'm not content to sit and wait for him to pick the time and place."
Jayse leans back, "That's kind of what I thought. I wondered if you had some trick tucked up your sleeve. Oh well."
He looks over at the town's leaders, "So hopefully you all are fine for the time being. I'd imagine his beef is with us, anyway. Which would mean you wouldn't have to worry about retribution." He shrugs, "At least you can hope."
"Which just begs the question for the four of us... 'what now'? Back to Orfallen and Bitiborium?"
Strae smiles, "As ludicrous as it sounds, our mission was to find out what happened to Bitiborium's wood shipments. Answer found. I think we repaid that debt and then some."
Jayse chuckles and gives a half-smile, "We're just REALLY thorough."
Aidep looks relieved at the idea of the Dweller heading in any direction other than towards the small lumber village. He chimes in, "We'll load Master Bitiborium's wood supply and then some into your boat tomorrow morning. It's the least we can do for what you done. When I got news you were back with survivors, I took the liberty of getting rooms for ya at the Bargeman's Rest. Hern will see you there whenever you're ready. Also... I hope you'd be willing to do us one last favor. Look at Dinwat's rooms before you go? It seems normal enough - I've been there dozens of times. But with all the wool he's pulled over my eyes and his dark activities... well, I don't want to muck with anything."
Ushari glances at Straehan, "That seems a good plan to me." She then looks at Aidep, "Would you like to take us there now?"
Aidep gives a shrug, "That's up to you. It's late and I expect you are worn out. His rooms will be there tomorrow. He lived above our office - and I've got the only key. No one will go in there."
Galvanized into action, Hallis slips off the couch. "I've got bitter news to deliver to some families; I best get about it. You are all welcome to stay and refresh yourselves. Hetmon, perhaps you'd visit the grieving parents when you have a chance?" The small cleric gives a half-hearted wave and heads out through the private chapel, dreading the worst duty that his job requires.
"I'd rather get this business over with, honestly, before crashing. Unless you all want to rest up before checking out his house. I guess it wouldn't' be out of character for him to lay some traps for anyone who broke into his place."
"Let's go now. Tired or awake, I can search for the odd trap."
"I am right behind you, Strae."
Aidep raises no objection, as he puts down his half-finished glass of wine and, along with Coe, leads the companions out the door into the church proper. You realise, belatedly, that if you wanted to get to the Necromancer's rooms with little fuss, this was not the route to take. Happy families, reunited with their children, cheer at your appearance and swarm you. Hands pat you in thanks. Women weep and say "Gods' bless you!" and a veritable carpet of children - both those you saved and their numerous siblings - surround you, wanting to get close to honest-to-goodness HEROES.
Snapper jumps up and down, loudly describing what it is like to FLY with a real, live, Arch-Magus... much to the consternation of Straehan who is immediately beset with pleading requests to take a spin around the inside of the church.
It is clear from the sea of babbling talk around you that the children have, albeit brokenly, relayed the key events of their captivity, harrowing experiences in the temple, and subsequent rescue. And while the truth is even more frightening than the children know, their accounts are so magnified (through the lense of childhood) that every little action you performed becomes the stuff of legends. Even Shaggar gets woven into the story as a mystical Holy Werewolf that struck down a whole host of evil creatures "...with one swipe of his glowing evil-destroying claws!"
In fact, according to the children's re-telling, you cleaved through a vast legion of undead populated with vampires, giants, titans, krakens, and the very forces of Hell. And while the adults don't believe all of it - they believe more than enough to look upon you all with a reverence that is, frankly, a little disconcerting.
Then Snapper, precocious little tyke that he is, kicks off another avalanche of chatter - by misquoting Ushari. "And then the Misty White Lady came... and she rescued them when they were gonna be overwhammed by the vampires! And she's a Goddess that blesses them with holiness so they can rescue normal people like us! She's called Nala-something and she's protectin' the whole town which is why the big Shadow Claw thing can't get us."
This pronouncement kicks off many more questions:
"What is your benefactress' name?"
"Is it true she sent you to help us?"
"Is she guarding our village now? Are we safe?"
"Are you Celestials in her service?"
"How can we thank her and you?"
Getting out of the church becomes a nightmare of continual smiles, trying to politely push through the crowd, and trying to answer questions in such a way as to not throw more oil on the fire. In the end, Aidep and Coe run interference to get you clear of the church. They satisfy the families with a claim that you are all exhausted from fighting, that you really need rest, and a promise that all questions will be answered tomorrow... 10 minutes later, you slam the church door and catch your breath.
Standing in the cool of the evening on the church steps, Coe lights his pipe and looks at you all with an appraising eye. Flinty seaman that he is, it doesn't take him long to get to the point. "It seems to me, I've heard legends of a Misty woman before - Nadoranda or somesuch. Comes awful close to the name those children were bandying about. Was that a fanciful tale you was telling them or is there some truth in it?"
So much for not attracting attention; there goes our low key evening...
Ushari handles the not-so-unexpected attention gracefully, if somewhat mechanically. She was still feeling the effects of the battle earlier that day as were her friends.
I did NOT want all of this attention...still I am glad for the children's sake...they need their fairy tales....as do we all.
When Coe mentions the legends of the Grey Lady, she turns to regard him, her gaze unflinching. "Yes, we have heard these tales as well. Suffice it to say there is some truth to what the tales hold. She did assist us, and without her assistance we would not have survived."
She pauses to let that sink in, then asks pointedly "What do YOU think of these stories?"
The fisherman shakes his head, finding something funny in her question. "I'm of the sea, girl. Fishermen are all kinds of superstitious. Probably heard two tall tales for every fish I ever caught. That's a lot of fish - and a lot of stories. I've never run into a mermaid but I ain't saying they don't exist just cuz I never seen one in the flesh. So, it seems to me that some mist woman out of a book could be real. You seen her and I got no reason to doubt your honesty. Truth be told, I'm a little sorry she didn't show up here doing something fantastical. I woulda like to see that!" He puffs on his pipe with enthusiasm.
Jayse weathers the deluge of praise and questions as best he can, giving encouraging smiles to parents and pats on the heads to the kids despite his fatigue and general level of frustration at the day's events. Based on how more than a few of them shrink back from some of his less guarded looks, he's fairly certain he failed miserably.
What? Do I have some Dinwat on my face or something?
Finally outside, Coe gives his mind the distraction it needs. He scrubs a hand across his tired eyes, "So what do superstitious fisherman's tales tell of our Misty woman?"
Coe frowns, pulling as hard on his memory as he's pulling on his pipe. "Can't say what the books say... but I spent six months fishing from a small town many years ago. Those folks were squirrelly for this fog lady. No one weighed anchor without askin' for her blessing and calm seas. Those were treacherous waters - lots of inlets, fjords, rolling fogs, submerged rocks, things of that sort."
He shakes off the memory, "Anyways, they looked to her to protect'em and liked to talk about her a fair bit... especially to me since I fished without giving her the least cut of my haul. They had a notion that she somehow gave birth to all the mermaids and sirens in the world. Always struck me odd how that could be. I always though sirens lure sailors to their deaths... so how does that fit with someone who protects fisherfolk? Anyhow, that's the kind of strange superstitious things you get from men who work the sea."
Jayse considers the information, attempting to store it away for a time when it can be useful. A pragmatic man, he never really had much reason to worry about the beliefs or customs of the superstitious or religious. Though I guess when myth steps into your reality, pragmatism dictates that you start paying attention…
He shrugs, "Well, one thing we do know is that there's a bigger game being played here. We're still a little hazy on our role." Not knowing how appropriate it is to be telling Coe all this, he decides to shift gears. "Whatever the case, that thing we fought.. the thing Dinwat released… is definitely not going to be a good neighbor. We don't' think it's sticking around, but if people looked to me for leadership, I'd be looking for a way to safeguard them." He looks over at Ushari for emphasis. "I don't usually worry much about religion, but hers seemed to have done us and those kids we saved some serious good."
As he prepares to head on, a thought strikes him. He can't help but chuckle as he looks back at Coe, "And for what it's worth, I'm glad you're not an aggressively territorial were-wolf with deviously-murderous habits."
Ushari pipes up, "There are clerical spells that can consecrate an area which should be sufficient to block the Dweller from entering, but those last only a matter of hours." She glances in the direction of the church. "I will mention this to Hallis, it would be a good idea to start casting that spell, at least for now."
As he prepares to head on, a thought strikes him. He can't help but chuckle as he looks back at Coe, "And for what it's worth, I'm glad you're not an aggressively territorial were-wolf with deviously-murderous habits."
Coe doesn't know what to make of the comment but he hears the humor lacing through it. "Well, then, I s'pose I'm glad I'm not a murderin' werewolf either.... judging by what Dinwat got for his troubles." He salutes you all with his pipe as you continue on to the lumber office.
You arrive at the office with no other delays. Aidep unlocks the door marked 'private' in the lumber office and you all head up the rickety stairs to Dinwat's room, lanterns in hand. As you near the top of the stairs and peek through the railing, you see a large, spartanly furnished, single room built under the sloping roof eaves. A few modest windows look out over the dark village.
There is a bed, wardrobe, writing table, small round dining table (with a single place setting) and two chairs, a modest couch with ottoman, a half-height bookshelf, and a large padded trunk at the foot of the bed with several pairs of shoes sitting in front of it.
The room is tidy to a fault. The bed is made and every personal item is neatly ordered and laid out. The quills and pencils on the desk are neat - parallel to each other and perpendicular to the table's edge, with the rear end of each pencil 3" from the edge of the table. The shoes sit well-mannered in front of the trunk - all of their toes touching an exacting, imaginary line. Even the books' spines are perfectly aligned and they are organized by height. Everything in the room is dustless, unblemished, and laid out with precision.
Ushari doesn't believe for a second this room is as harmless as it looks. She casts a minor cantrip and does a quick scan of the room.
Ushari turns to Straehan, That trunk has something really nasty in there. I suspect that trunk is trapped with some sort of magical spell. Do you think you can bypass it?" She sighs, "I do not have any magic to delay the poison, at least not until the next morning."
Jayse waits for those better equipped to check for mundane and magical surprises, simply taking the time to look around the place for anything interesting. "This type of organization goes beyond disciplined or practical... this is borderline sickness here. What I wouldn't have given to come in daily and move one small item. I'm guessing it'd have thrown him into fits."
Straehan walks in a tight circle at the room's center, taking everything in, silently agreeing with Jayse's estimate. "OK... Creepy." He walks over to the desk, gives a devil-may-care look, and flicks a precise pencil out of alignment. "Better?"
Being thorough and taking heed of Ushari's warning, he fires off a brief incantation and scans the room.
He frowns. "There's something magical at the bottom of the trunk... but I don't see anything near the lock or lid. 'Shari, what are you seeing?"
Usahri looks up at Jayse from where she was examining the trunk, "Yeah, Jayse....I think we just figured out the actual reason why Dinwat wanted to sacrifice the children to summon the Dweller...because one of the children changed the order his shoes were pointing!" Her eyes twinkle with mirth as she adds, "Those naughty children!"
When Straehan asks his question, she points out the trunk "Pretty nasty poison, I would say."
Aidep winces at Ushari's jest but says nothing.
Jayse can't quite bring himself to joke about the recent killings, acknowledging the joke with a nod.
The gnome quickly pulls out his tools and gets to work on the chest, warning everyone back with a wave of his hand.
He whistles at the task before him. "Yeah, this is definitely trapped AND our boy installed a mithril lock. This should prove quite a challenge..." CLICK! "...IF I weren't so damn good!"
The lock sits open. Straehan debates his approach and opens the lid just a hair, scanning the edges. He inserts a pair of needle-nosed wire-snips into the crack and clips something before opening the lid fully. He pulls out a vial with a stopper attached to a severed wire. He sniffs the bottle. "My guess is this is poison gas - smells like those vines." He secures the wire around the stem of the vial and pops it into his belt pouch.
"Now, let's see what that psychopath would guard so carefully..."
"Keep an eye out for anything that might implicate his allies - surely something as grand as summoning the Dweller involved outside help. Other followers might lead us to that damnable shade."
Straehan removes an odd collection of items: black candles, some sort of animal fetus in a jar, a charred and blackened human skull, a small sheaf of loose pages, and a long, oddly shaped, black velvet bag containing something vaguely sword-like.
Focusing on the bagged weapon that registered to his occult senses, Straehan takes a peek in the bag, rattles the sheath, and then tosses the whole thing to Ushari. He skims through the sheaf of over-sized pages briefly before sharing them with Jayse and Jofram.
The pages are carefully cut along one edge - presumably taken from the village and lumber logs and ledgers. There are maps, reports, and assessments. The main map is clearly a lumber survey - dated 14 years ago - that notes the location of a 'strange collapsed tower' on a slight hill. It takes only a moment of skimming the map to confirm it is the tower where you battled. The follow-up report, with sketches of some artifacts and charcoal impressions of text fragments found at the site, clearly say 'Shaudran ruin' to anyone familiar with their culture. You suspect this is a copy of the report that found its way into Dinwat's hand and drew him to this out-of-the-way spot.
Riffling through the rest of the sheaf, they all seem to refer to the area or potential resources surrounding the hill and tower. It looks like Dinwat selectively and carefully removed anything from the town logs that might draw the lumbermen to that area. The only other thing of note is a smaller slip of paper, a bill of lading for some general lumber equipment - replacement saw blades and wedges.
Ushari drops the velvet bag and is left holding an exquisite rapier in a black lacquered sheath. The basket is composed of ornate silver strands that intertwine like vines. Pulling the rapier from its sheath a few inches - the blade itself is equally fine and the silver strands motif becomes etching that winds down the gleaming fang of steel.
"Keep an eye out for anything that might implicate his allies - surely something as grand as summoning the Dweller involved outside help. Other followers might lead us to that damnable shade."
"Hmm... I don't see anything like that here. We might find that information in the journals we grabbed from his other lair."