"It would honour me to have you by my side Runzyl. I would expect nothing else from you at any rate."
"Ooohhhhh yeah....". As Janosz tests the pull of the bow, a nasty grin spreads over his face. "'Tis a most excellent weapon. I'll do you proud, Lightbringer". Heh. If my pops could see me now, hunting monsters in the big city. As the party walks, he starts scanning the buildings for both possible assailants and good lurking positions.
As his eyes adjust to the gloom, Trose recognises the shrine he last visited… Was it really only yesterday? Superficially it looks the same, but then he notices that the tapestry of Tira Miron is slashed and in front of it the floor is covered by a large, rusty stain which someone has unsuccessfully tied to mop up.
Sitting near the front of the pews is a youngish man with blond hair and wearing darkish clothing, his head bowed, seemingly in prayer. As Trose enters, he looks up and cast an appraising eye over him. As Trose takes a few steps into the shrine, the man suddenly sweeps up a hand crossbow he was concealing and he yells, “Halt in the name of the Watch! Hands in the air!” As he shouts, at least five armoured watchmen begin to spill out of one of the back rooms, pointing heavy crossbows in Trose’s direction.
Everyone turns and Lightbringer recognises Laris Hedd, one of the local worshippers at the shrine. Dressed in a plain green dress, with dark hair and a rounded, friendly face, she works as seamstress. Normally bright and cheerful, her eyes are red and puffy with dark circles. She steps over and places her hand on Lightbringer’s arm.
“Oh, it’s been dreadful. Where have you been? These gnolls came to the church while we were at prayer, with this terrible man. They started hitting everyone, and he kept asking ‘Where is the warforged? Where is the warforged?’ all the time. I guess they meant you, but none of us knew where you were. And he was pure evil. He held a knife to poor Reka and said he would kill her if no one told us where you were. When none of us could, he cut her throat, in front of her parents and everyone. Poor little Reka – she was only 12. Who could do such a thing? Then they took Brother Erfan away to who-knows-where. What have you done, Lightbringer? Who are these people? Why are they so angry?” Laris then bursts into tears.
"Please lord, sirrah. I am but here to pay me respects to the lost and the dead, and to see if I may render any service to those who see the light of the Flame."
I do try to remove any noble or educated tone from my voice, reaching down deep to the feral roots of Tharashk...
I do raise my hands, and even sick to my knees.
A guardsman moves behind Trose, and roughly pulls his arms behind his back where he manacles them in place. The blond man slowly walks over to Trose, and then kicks him between the legs, hard. The guardsmen murmer in approval, and the one behind spits on Trose's recumbent, gasping form. His leader leans over and hisses in Trose's ear.
"You're filth. What you did to that kid, I'm tempted to have you killed 'resisting arrest' and just end it here now. But I'm not going to do that. I'm going to bring you in, I'm going to see you convicted, and then I'm going to be standing next to that kid's parents as they watch you choke your life out on the gallows. But first things first." He grabs Trose's face and pulls it round so they are face to face, barely inches apart. "Where's the priest?".
"Ah well, that then," my voice going back to its normal tone, "I see you and I are after the same man. My name is Trose d'Tharashk, and I am currently working with the warforged named Lightbringer, who should be arriving out front any moment now. If you would like some confirmation, feel free to cut this filthy itchy robe off of me, and check my identification papers beneath. You will find them fully crentialed, with both a Sivis mark and the Mark of my own House."
"By the way, if you do not take these manacles off of me right now, I will personally make sure that you find out all of the possibilities for punishment when someone violates the sanctity of the Houses, and their Rights as protected by The Treaty."
ugh i think to myself, never wanted to call upon the house or politics for anything, and here I am using it like a trump first chance I get
The sergeant frowns, the seeds of doubt clearly sown in his mind. "Check his mark." The guards rip open the robe and find the blue dragonmark. "Hmm," muses the sergeant, "It's not unknown for changelings to fake marks when they have to, but most don't have the knowhow. I don't know enough to tell if that mark is genuine or not."
He thinks for a few seconds, then makes a decision. "Let's take him to the watchpost, where we can check up on his story." He turns to Trose. "You'd better be telling the truth. If this story is false, I'll hang you myself. Bring him!"
He heads for the doors, and two of the guards drag Trose along while the others continue to train their crossbows on him. Once outside, one waves to someone higher in the towers, and two skycoaches with the emblem of the Sharn Watch descend. They shove Trose roughly into one of them, and begin to pile in behind him.
Runzyl, visibly furious after hearing the woman's account of Daask's attack, remains silent while Lightbringer attempts to comfort her. He paces in the street, glancing at the shrine every few minutes. Finally, when he sees Trose emerging in manacles, his jaw drops open in shock.
Quickly, he turns to the others, "It would appear that our ruse has failed. Such is the price of deceit. I have no desire to do battle with the lawkeepers of this place, but I will lend my blade to the cause if it is needed. What do you make of this, Lightbringer?"
"Ahh, good, my friends arrive, perhaps in a moment we can set things right."
Hangman, hangman, wait a little while, I think I see my friends coming, riding many a mile...
"Ahh my friends!" I call out, "and I still have your letter of credit on me..."
Yep - sure looks like Trose.
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Lightbringer hangs his head in shame. “Missus Hedd, through my stupidity I have brought death and danger to this place and to you all. I do not understand how or why they could do that to Reka, such are the ways of evil. But as I have brought this evil to you, I must make it right. I will make it right. Pray for young Reka’s soul. She is young and pure, and will have gone to the Flame, but it is not right that her life should be snatched away like this. I must make it right.”
Hearing the commotion from the direction of the shrine, and seeing Trose being bundled into a sky coach by the Watch, Lightbringer stands and strides quickly (hustles) in their direction.
“Officer, halt!” he calls out as he approaches. “What is going on here? Why are you arresting this man? What crime has he committed?”
“I am Lightbringer, a member of the staff of this shrine. This man is a companion of mine, attempting to help me find out who did this, and who killed that little girl. He has committed no crime. We are searching for the Brother who ran this shrine, and haste may be imperative!”
Runzyl follows step behind Lightbringer, carefully sizing up the opposition with a slight scowl on his face. He maintains a civil posture, however, and waits for an answer from the guards.
If this conversation goes like all the other ones this warforged has had with people over the last couple of days, I fully expect to see these men dead in the next 5 minutes. The elven warrior smirked to himself and watched in silence.
Escape Artist - 2 + 2 = 4...
Hurrr!!!!
If this conversation goes like all the other ones this warforged has had with people over the last couple of days, I fully expect to see these men dead in the next 5 minutes. The elven warrior smirked to himself and watched in silence.
Uneasily, Janosz looks at Runzyl grinning in anticipation of duking it out with the Watch. Damnation! What is wrong with this guy? You've gotta pick your fights better than this! Somewhat desperately, he steps up next to Lightbringer. "This is an outrage! Trose is a member of excellent standing in House Tharashk; also, we can not only vouch for his character, but also describe his actions and location up until this very moment. Whatever charge you plan to bring against him will not stick".
The man in charge appears to be a youngish, blond-haired sergeant. He squints at Janosz and then addresses Lightbringer.
"So you're Lightbringer, that warforged those filth were looking for? And this miserable wretch here is one of your's." He sighs, and the other guards look irritated, while Trose struggles ineffectually with his manacles. "Since you seem to be key to this thing, perhaps you would like to tell me why a nut-job like Gelb wants your tin head on a platter so badly?"
Then he notices the oddly-grinning Runzyl, and takes an involuntary step back. Then he raises an eyebrow and says to Lightbringer, "Something to do with that rumble in the Bazaar a couple of nights ago?"
“That is correct.” Lightbringer stands up straighter, almost to attention, and begins to speak almost as if he is reciting a report from memory.
“Several nights ago, my companions and I witnessed a number of gnolls led by a man whom we believe to be the changeling Gelb, attempt to abduct a woman in the Bazaar district. The group identified themselves as members of the Daask criminal organization. They ignored our request to let the woman go, and drew weapons in an effort, I believe, to cause harm or death to us. We defended ourselves with lethal force, killing the five gnolls but unfortunately allowing Gelb to escape. The situation did not allow us to capture the gnolls alive to hand over to the Watch without significant risk to ourselves, the kidnap victim, and innocent bystanders.
“I believe that the attack on this shrine was retaliation by Daask, and an effort to draw us into a rash attack on them.
“Fearing the possibility of an ambush should we return here, my friend Trose,” he indicated the manacled man, “volunteered to scout ahead. I was not aware that he intended to make himself appear as a priest of the Flame, but as I understand the articles of the Galifer Code of Justice, he has committed no crime.”
He pauses, and looks around at his companions. “I believe that Gelb wants me – indeed all of us – for foiling his kidnap attempt. Of course, we do not intend to be cowed by the underhand methods of criminals. In killing the girl, Gelb has crossed far across the line, and he will pay for his crimes.”
"I see," says the sergeant, slightly sceptically. "Well, since we are on introductions, I'm Sergeant Croke of the Watch, Serious Crimes Division. The shrine here is a crime scene, and I don't need amateur detectives creeping around and mucking up what the professionals are trying to do. I ought to arrest the lot of you."
He shakes his head. "Still, you are right, I can't think of any crime you have committed. Normally, offing the patrons of a bar in the Bazaar calls for Watch action, but since they were Daask and, more importantly, from Droaam, that isn't criminal either. So who was this lady you were rescuing, so I can check your story? And what information do you have on Gelb? And what did Gelb want with your lady friend anyway?"
"Ahem, the shackles?"
"And really Lightbringer, I wasn't going for priest so much as pilgrim, I'll try harder next time."
Croke nods to one of his watchmen and they begin removing the manacles from Trose's wrists. "You still haven't answered my questions. This is an ongoing investigation and I can have you arrested for holding back on me."
I wait until I am free of the shackles, then wander over to the group, "tut tut, now Sergeant Croke, lets not to be too hasty with lobbing threats around. I think you would find your career cut suddenly short if you were to arrest House investigators, or their cohorts, in the lawful pursuit of their industry."
"And don't take that as a counter threat," or do, since that is how I meant it, "simply a reminder. And if you expect to be gleaning any of the fruit of our investigationi, then I think it would be best if you were sharing as well."
Croke stares hard at Trose for a few seconds. Then, still glaring, he calls out to his men, "Right, let's move out."
"I'll remember you," he mutters to Trose, then turns on his heel and stalks to the waiting skycoaches.
Lightbringer was trying to marshal his thoughts as to exactly how much to tell the man – without lying of course – and whether it was worth trying to enlist the Watch in their hunt, considering that for once, this group appeared reasonably competent. Unfortunately, he waited too long, and the guards leave in response to Trose’ comments.
Lightbringer looks at the House Tharashk finder, and then at the departing Sky Coaches. “Well,” he states, and then seems lost for a follow up. After a moment he continues. “It is probably better for them that they do not get to fight Daask. Did you find anything within Trose?”
He then turns around to look for Laris Hedd again. “Excuse me for a few moments,” he says to his companions, and returns to the distraught woman, asking her if she can tell him exactly what happened – how many of them were there, what did the man they were led by look like (in case he’s using a consistent disguise), if they said anything about where they were taking Brother Erfan or what they wanted with him.
Runzyl wanders around the streets outside the shrine while Lightbringer questions the bereaved woman, glancing down the nearby alleyways and all around for any signs that they were being watched.
Runzyl scans the passers-by and the buildings, but if there is anyone lurking, he can't see them. Possibly the blundering of the Watch scared them off if they were ever there.
Lightbringer gets the gist of what happened from Laris. Late yesterday afternoon, as some of the faithful were getting down to a service, the gnolls burst in, led by a swarthy man with thick black hair and a bristly black beard and dressed plainly in workaday clothing. The gnolls, about six of them, immediately began yelling and striking out at the assembled congregation, with two by the door to stop any escapees. They kept asking for "the warforged", and while some of the gnolls ransacked the shrine, two took Reka and Erfan hostage. When Lightbringer could not be found, the man threatened to kill Reka if his whereabouts were not given. When no one could, he killed her. Then they tied Erfan up and dragged him out, saying they would extract the information they needed from him "the hard way". They then boarded a waiting skycoach (a big one - more like a flying truck) and flew off, heading north. The whole thing took barely five minutes.
Inside the Shrine, a tidy-minded someone decided to clear up - the floor has been swept, the pews put back in order and any broken furniture neatly stacked in a back room. The big blood stain by the pulpit has been scrubbed, but traces of it remain in the cracked and worn marble. The occasional footpriny or gnoll pawmark has been missed, but very little else is evident in the way of clues.
"But, I..." I say to the retreating Watch vehicles, "I wanted to share information. "
Now towards the ground, my head hanging, "I just hoped you had been more successful then we had."
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Runzyl enters the shrine with the others, looking a bit disappointed. "Well... so much for an ambush. I doubt we're going to find anything useful here, but at least we know what happened. These skycoaches... are they common enough besides the ones used by the public? That woman said that the Daask fled in one. It would seem odd if a public skycoach driver simply allowed them to board with someone tied up and beaten... unless the corruption of this city runs far deeper than I wish to understand?"
The elf furrows his brow, tapping his right temple with his index finger. "Is there any way we could track this skycoach? Perhaps with a detailed description of it?"
Walking inside, and rubbing his wrists, "Someone remind me next time that going off on my own is less than a good idea."
"Now lets talk strategy," I add, sitting reverently in one of the pews, "we will be hitting them somewhere they are probably prepared for an attack. There are only five of us now that Nox has wandered off. We could hire a few extra blades from Tharashk."
"Personally, I would also like to see some stouter steel in Lightbringers hands, and I think their is a Valenar 'smith who could rebalance your blade for your exact size and style, Runzyl."
"Personally, I would like to be certain that some healing magic is following us around, even if only a wand and not Nox, I may even be able to make it work if no one else can."
"Otherwise, I think it might be wise to invest in a few thunderstones, and some tanglefoot bags, so we can control people without having to kill everyone," I deliberately avoid looking at Runzyl with that, "In case we need to extract information."
"Oh, and thinking of Nox reminded me, the Ghallandans supply a service, a magical meal that grants stamina and confidence. It is expensive, but it would benefit each and every one of us, even the hired swords if we decide to bring a few of them."