The man gulps as he looks back and forth between Theo and Rowan even though Mara is asking most of the questions, "Was there anything else you wanted to know? Can I go now?"
"Where exactly are Melisenn's quarters at Iris Hill?", Mara asked the cultist. She also pressed the man for details of the manor's defenses.
"One more thing," she added, after the cultist had answered her questions; "What do you know about the whereabouts of Accuser Omari?"
"Melisenn's always studying the third Star Stela Lowls discovered under the Manor. I don't know much about the defenses the magical ones are keyed to us and the savages know who to let in."
The cultist finds his spine, "You have to let me go before I tell you what happened to the Accuser. Maybe throw in a nice dinner."
Dervak respects the cultist for finding a spine and is inclined to let him go. However, he has no nice dinner to offer. He begins looking around the docks to see if this falchion is as good at killing rats as his old one was.
Ellery considers what the cultist has said thus far pondering how truthful he has been.
At the cultist's latest words and twitches his hands.
Theophilus signs agreement.
Reaching slowly into his coat pocket, blue eyes never leaving the cultist's, the ever smiling gentleman lights a firecracker.
He then casually drops it at the cultist's feet.
He smiles.
Answer the lady and, perhaps, you may be able to use your own feet for running out of town!
Theophilus smiles.
"Either kill him or let him go," says Dervak. "I'd say let him go. But either way stop torturing him. He told us a lot. He's not our slave."
The man flinches at the firecracker at his feet but does not answer.
Ellery does not sense any deception from the man so far.
Mara added, "If you have actual useful information about Accuser Omari, I'll give you enough coin for a good dinner, how about that?"
”You have been very cooperative, which is a nice change... but also a little disappointing.”
“I tell you what; here is a silver. Head down to the bar and tell that Rowan sent you. She will take good care of you.”
After the cultist is released and the coin placed in his hand he nods, ”The Accuser was sacrificed. I don’t know how but Melisenn converted Constable Cesyll and she captured Omari.” His final answer delivered the cultist runs away as fast as his legs will carry him.
Mara gave the cultist 5 sp for a good meal.
Upon hearing the last bit of news, she shook her head and turned to the others, "I guess we should report this to Winter. Do you think it's too late to tell her now?"
Mara set off for the New Chapel to deliver the grim news about Accuser Omari's fate.
As she walked through the town, she said, "I think I'll head over to The Stain later on and catch up with Keldrin. I think he should be able to fill me in on what I was doing before I was committed to the asylum."
Theo memerizes where ever the murals are while the walk.
I am thinking that these murals still need to be neutralized. They seem to work like a portal of some kind. Dangerous if they can use them all willy nilly!
When Mara delivered the news about Accuser Omari Winter's face hardened with a hint of sadness, "I didn't know Omari very well but she didn't deserve this. It sounds like it will fall to us to stop this Melisenn and her cult. What is your next move and how can I help?"
Mara replied, "I think we should talk to Cesadia and she what she knows about Melisenn, and the 'cannibals' as well. We need to find out what we're up against, before we make plans for an assault on Iris Hill.
Dervak and Rowan are sick, as you know. I'm hoping that they will overcome their ailments by morning, but if not, they might need some of your healing."
"I've had worse," says Dervak with a cough.
"But yes, let's find out more and then make our move."
Yes, a nice little chat. We really need to know their endgame. It would allow us to stop chasing and to start preventing.
Winter nods, "Of course. I can spare one restoration spell tomorrow and any healing you might need. Perhaps investigating Fort Hailcourse would be a good place to gather information, I've heard that the soldiers stationed there defected so it can't be manned by much other than the constable."
”Give your restoration to Dervak. He’s obviously the frailer of the two of us.”
Rowan says with a weak smile, still obviously a grayish color.
Dervak gives Rowan an odd look. "Huh? Well we'll see how we are feeling in the morning."
A smile cracks across Winter's face, "Let your healers make that assessment." She winks at Mara.
Mara wanted to meet up with Keldrin, but wanted to speak with Cesadia before it got too late. She told her associates, "I'm going to drop by the Sleepless Detective Agency and talk to Cesadia, before I head over to the Stain. Given that there's apparently more cultists in town, it wouldn't be a bad idea for someone else to come along."
Theophilus bows to Mara.
I would be honored to escort you, my dear.
The gentleman turns to Dervak.
Coming?
"Yeah, sounds good. I'm not Sleepless, though, I'm going to get some rest tonight to shake off this fever."
Dervak follows along, falchion at the ready and watching all the walls for more cultists appearing out of nowhere.
As dusk approaches the town of Thrushmoor grows still and eerily quiet. Doors are shut and windows shuttered. The party arrives at the Sleepless building without incident and Cesadis sees them right away.
"I apologize for calling so late," Mara said to Cesadia when she answered the door. Once inside, she continued, "We were ambushed by a group of cultists of the Yellow King at Pier 19 about an hour ago. We captured one of them and learned some interesting and alarming things from him.
"They were sent by Melisenn, who supposedly leads a group of them at Iris Hill. Apparently, there's about ten of them there, plus ten red-eyed 'savages'. He also said that Constable Cesyll is a member of the cult, and that she captured Accuser Omari; Winter Klaczka has asked us to look to Omari's disappearance. I'm afraid the Accuser was sacrificed to the King in Yellow.
"We came here to ask your advice, and what you can tell us about Melisenn, and the red-eyed savages. We're going to have to deal with Melisenn and her followers ourselves, I think."
"I apologize for calling so late," Mara said to Cesadia when she answered the door. Once inside, she continued, "We were ambushed by a group of cultists of the Yellow King at Pier 19 about an hour ago. We captured one of them and learned some interesting and alarming things from him."
She took a seat, and briefed the detective on the interrogation. "They were sent by Melisenn, who supposedly leads a group of them at Iris Hill. Apparently, there's about ten of them there, plus ten red-eyed 'savages'. He also said that Constable Cesyll is a member of the cult, and that she captured Accuser Omari; Winter Klaczka has asked us to look to Omari's disappearance. I'm afraid the Accuser has been sacrificed to the King in Yellow.
"We came here to ask your advice, and what you can tell us about Melisenn, and the red-eyed savages. We're going to have to deal with Melisenn and her followers ourselves, I think."
Cesadia's face grows worried as Mara fills her in on their discoveries, "That is disturbing news but would explain a lot of the troubles of late. It seems that the crown's investigation of Count Lowls was quite justified."
Cesadia rummages through some files pulling out a few papers before continuing to speak, "Melisenn was hired by the count a little over half a year ago as an assistant and steward, we've never had any problems with her so she's clever enough to get other people to do her dirty work," she motions to the party.
"She's originally from Katapesh the daughter of some wealthy merchant. If you had your memories I'd be the one asking you about her, you would have had to have a working relationship with her. I think our next move should be to infiltrate Fort Hailcourse and search for answers there, if possible you should capture the good constable and interrogate her."
She taps her finger thoughtfully, "Then we should root out the cult in Iris Hill and stop whatever their plan is."
"Infiltrate?"
Dervak sounds discouraged.
"How heavily is it guarded? Can we just force our way in?"
Theo looks embarrassed.
I must agree with Dervak. We are not especially espionage material. We are more kick you in your nuts until you talk.
He winks at the others.
Ellery raises an eyebrow at Theo after he speaks the makes some hand signs.
Mara replied, "I got the impression that the main door was barred from the inside, so I don't think we'll have much luck forcing it. We might have to go over the walls."
Cesadia reaches into a desk drawer and produces two vials, ”Here this should help with being quiet if you need to. Consider it payment for the good you’ve done in the last two days.” She continues, ”It is a Fort meant to repel invaders, I know that some of the soldiers have deserted but I don’t want any that remain to be hurt. Still I wouldn’t expect Melisenn or Cesyll to leave it undefended. I do have confidence in your abilities to get the job done even if you go in loud.”
"We'll do our best to keep casualties to a minimum," Mara replied. "One more thing I wanted to ask you: what do you know about a local man named Keldrin? I think we were friends before I lost my memory."
She got up and said, "I'm going to head over to the Stain now, before it gets too late. I want to learn more about what I did before the asylum."
Cesadia responds, "I'm unfamiliar with that name. If you need a secure place to spend the night feel free to stop back here. There is usually someonw working until dawn and we have a few extra blankets we can losn you."
Theo continues to visit along with Mara.
Tis the Season!
"Thanks. We'll go to the fort in the morning. I don't mind trying to sneak; those potions might help. But I am not good at pretending that I belong places."
The Stain is a small old tab house with a newly constructed patio on the lakefront, unused due to the rain. The inside smells of smoke and whiskey and several townsfolk are drinking and playing cards. A few of people are drunkenly singing:
"Come hither, my lads, with your tankards of ale,
And drink to the present before it shall fail;
Pile each on your platter a mountain of beef,
For ’tis eating and drinking that bring us relief:
So fill up your glass,
For life will soon pass;
When you’re dead ye’ll ne’er drink to your king or your lass!
Cailean had a red nose, so they say;
But what’s a red nose if ye’re happy and gay?
Gad split me! I’d rather be red whilst I’m here,
Than white as a lily—and dead half a year!
So Betty, my miss,
Come give me a kiss;
In hell there’s no innkeeper’s daughter like this!
Young Harry, propp’d up just as straight as he’s able,
Will soon lose his wig and slip under the table;
But fill up your goblets and pass ’em around—
Better under the table than under the ground!
So revel and chaff
As ye thirstily quaff:
Under six feet of dirt ’tis less easy to laugh!
The fiend strike me blue! I’m scarce able to walk,
And damn me if I can stand upright or talk!
Here, landlord, bid Betty to summon a chair;
I’ll try home for a while, for my wife is not there!
So lend me a hand;
I’m not able to stand,
But I’m gay whilst I linger on top of the land!"
Keldrin waves Mara over to his table and orders a few ales, "I'm glad you came!"
Mara went over to Keldrin's table and sat down. "Thanks for the tip on the stuff at Pier 19; we found our stuff. However, we were attacked there by a group of cultists! We're OK, but I'm going to have to watch my back in town."
When the drink arrived, she raised her mug and took a generous swig. "But enough about that; tell me about what we did before I went away. I want to fill in the big gap in my memory."
Theo stands awkwardly holding a drink as the third wheel.
He smiles.
Keldrin’s eyes go wide at the mention of the attack, ”Wow! I’m sorry. After taking a swig of his ale, “I guess I didn’t know you as well as I would have liked to, heh, as well as you would like. You would mostly come around here and we’d drink and play cards. Let off steam that sort of thing.”
He looks past Mara and Theo thoughtful, ”You came to town over year ago I think? Maybe it was longer but that’s as long as I’ve known you. You came from Numeria, some kind of discovery that you thought Count Lowls could help with."
He continues, "And so you worked for him; you seemed very frustrated with the arrangement. Threatened to quit more than once. I don’t think he was a very good academic and he had an ego, as nobles do, but a lot of money and resources to throw around. You certainly spent a lot of time trying discover the secrets of the two Star Stela with that Melisenn lady and Theo here, all stuff over my head. I think you were close to something and then you were shipped off to Briarstone.”
Mara listened intently to Keldrin's account of her past. Finally, some details about what she had been up to! She felt glad that she hadn't seemed to like working for Count Lowls; he seemed to be pretty unsavory.
She commented, "I remember leaving Qadira for Numeria; that's where my memories stop. I wonder what I found there? In any case, it would seem that Count Lowls didn't want us to learn the secret of the Star Stela. Or maybe we did, and he somehow wiped our memories after we passed on the information.
"I hear that Melisenn is up at Iris Hill, along with what I've heard described as red-eyed savages. Have you any idea what those would be?"
Dervak has gone to sleep early in hopes of shaking off his illnesses.
Keldrin shakes his head, "You never shared the details, course I don't have the head for that sort of thing. Some nights you would show up just dreadfully serious and just drink yourself into a stupor."
When asked about the savages in Iris Hill, "Don't know too much about it. Melisenn just up and fired all the usual servants one day and brought on these strange folk from gods knows where. Right creepy I'd say."
Theophilus sits down at the lovely couples table.
Creepy? Oh, I can do creepy!
He smiles and sips his drink.
"You do it so well, Theophilus!", Mara assured the hatter.
She turned back to Keldrin, "Tell me a bit about yourself, Keldrin. I've forgotten so much!"
She conversed with her old friend for a couple of hours, and even joined in singing one of the songs. Eventually she said, "It's getting late, and I should get back to the Silver Wagon. Dervak and Rowan are sick, and I should administer some remedies. It's been really good to catch up with you, Keldrin."
She made here way back to the inn, and tended to her ill comrades.
After performing her medical rites, she suggested, "Do you want to spend the night in the Sleepless building? There are more cultists in town, and I'm sure Melisenn knows where we're staying."