Toppled bookshelves, a table, and some chairs half-covered in ivy suggest this room was once a library. The ashes and pulp of burned, waterlogged books lay heaped amid fallen furniture, creating a large nest of sorts against one wall. A set of folding paper screens divides the room. A lantern flickers on the opposite side, projecting the silhouette of a desk and high-backed chair upon the thin paper.
"I haven't called for you." Fauhra is greeted by the voice known from meeting Razelago at Archbaron Fex's home.
Fauhra turns and walks down the stairs to help Clarice up, before taking the stairs two steps at a time.
"I know. Something has come up I think is important." Fauhra replies. "I think it only fair for everyone to join, before I explain."
"Howdawe know he's not gonna just kill one of us?"
Fauhra takes a while thinking over Razelago's words, but Clarice's comment snaps her back to the point at hand. Having calmed down by the demon's honeyed tongue, she explains calmly.
"A member of your staff was murdered today by skeleton who is not vowed allegiance to our cause. No, it hid its mind from you and the rest of the group, posing as minion of Moira. Moira, while she has sworn allegiance to our cause along with the rest of us, seems to have found this assault on your staff justified, even boasting about it."
She sighs, and clasps a hand on Clarice's shoulder. "Clarice is right. We may not fight for all that is good, but we fight together. How can I know that Skeleton is part of our cause, or that skeleton has enchanted Moira to do its bidding? And even if skeleton is joined with us, this temper of it and Moira is troubling."
She looks over her shoulder at Moira, before continuing to adress Razelago. "Maybe Moira find me annoying for bringing you this news, and for my suspicions. What says I am not killed while sleeping?"
"I understand sacrifices must be made some time. But this was murder, for no good reason, and it is not good for trust inside group. I cannot work if I must think of allies stabbing me in back. And I look not so powerful and fearsome when I look over shoulder at allied daggers all the time."
Karthus followed the others to Razelago and tries to stay calm after what Fauhra said and he's having a hard time doing it, because this could have been his death death sentences or at least he'll be forced to join this Hellfire compact.
"Like still water." Fauhra nods.
"Understood." Moira replies in a sour mood.
"But she was nice..." Clarice says, sitting down again.
Moira thinks of another insult, but keeps it for herself.
"Any new tasks to accomplish, or errands to run?" she asks, while she is here.
Fauhra nods, and turns to leave, tapping Clarice on the shoulder to get her to come with. "I will see you at jailhouse, yes?" she asks Moira. "We have reason to keep bard locked? Or he can go free?"
"Okay then. We'll take a look at the western gate. A little bird told me that it is not closed. Then we go to the prison. If you release the bard, then you have to sing Karthus to sleep." Moira states and leaves this unpleasant situation.
"Thanks for getting my head on the backlist for trophies to hang in the Archbaron's manor." she complains to Bony.
Karthus starts talking as soon as they're out of the ash house.
"Blame this b!#*+ and her "you have to be like I want you to be" attitude in this town of s~+~, it's like she is a convinced arch baron follower. And you signed up for this stupid hellfire pact not me." Karthus replies grumbling.
"Who think skeleton would be so hot-blooded." Fauhra says, off-handedly.
Showing she isn't phased by Karthus' cursing, she tells him "And you not have to be like me. You couldn't." she pauses for dramatic effect. "I have flesh."
Grinning over her own joke, she continues. "All I want is to be sure you not stab me when I make joke. And now I am sure, because I don't think you want to be trophy in manor."
Turning to Moira, she says, "Only way to get on list is to get us killed. Keep us in one piece, you not on list for trophy wall. I think is fair deal."
"I hope you're more sturdy than your friend. I don't want to lose my head, because you stub a toe." Moira adds insult to injury.
"And don't you dare to try it out." she adds to Bony.
Fauhra laughs heartily at Moira's joke.
"Boar man tried kill me, but he could not. I can take toe stub."
As the group approaches the western gate it stands indeed open. The decree telling that the gate is closed still hanging on the wall of the gatehouse.
"You seem to be as dumb as your joke, I said: you have to be like I want you to be." Karthus is seriously pissed off by Fauhra being able to laugh at him without having to regret it.
"You know what else I like about Baron's decree?" Fauhra keeps the conversation going as they're walking to the gate. "I now not have to think on revenge, or how to kill bonehead for being bad at working in team. I can rest, no stress. Think only ahead," and she raises her voice for the next bit of the sentence, for all the gate guards to hear. "Like about how gate is open while should be closed."
"I'd say, get yourself a drink and cool down. But that hasn't worked ever since you're dead. How about you talk a walk in the woods and kick some tree?" Moira suggests to Bony.
"Whom are we going to question about that open gate?" Moira inquires, while taking a look at how to close and lock the gate again.
"I will murder these trees if Fauhra won't report me for murder again."
Karthus leaves the party, goes to the general store and buys himself an axe. After that he's going on a tree chop walk in the forest.
Fauhra looks about. "No men running yet?" She had expected the guilty party to make themselves scarce after her 'announcement'. "Then we ask guard who is supposed to keep gate closed."
Fauhra wasn't there when the gate was closed the first time, but everyone in town knows the former gate keepers Bolouisia and Denton Gramel. As they are nowhere found around the so called Castle Gate, Fauhra walks to their nearby house and knocks. Shortly thereafter Denton opens, his wife in the background. "What do you want?" he grumpily asks.
"I wish to introduce esteemed colleague and leader," Fauhra says. "She has opinion to say on open gate."
Fauhra then steps aside, showing Moira standing not far from her.
Why am I surrounded by mindless minions only. Moira thinks and sighs.
"Why is the gate open?" Moira simply asks, ignoring the introduction.
"We don't know. We left the Castle Gate and it is no longer our responsibility but yours. We didn't open it." Denton mocks Moira and closes the door.
Fauhra guffaws. "Hah!" They got you there."
She steps back in and knocks at the door again.
Moira turns around to check on the gate, how she can close it for good.
Denton opens the door again. "What?
Fauhra opens her palms, showing a non-agressive stance in which she obviously wields no weapons. However, at the same time, she moves forward, making sure she stands between the door and doorpost.
"I understand your point." Fauhra says. "Taunting armoured lady is always fun."
She moves to throw her arm around Denton's shoulders, continuing as if she's a friend giving good advice. "You see though, her job is make sure rules are obeyed. Your job is take care of gate. Rule of gate is stay closed, so if gate open, you not obey rule."
"That makes dangerous for you. Armoured lady may get annoyed, decides to jail your wife until you prove you can watch gate again. I would watch gate before she thinks of that."
The gate can be closed manually, but it doesn't move easy. As a mechanism inside the tower usually moves the gate. A rickety wooden door leads inside the Castle Gate’s stone tower. It doesn’t have a lock, but it is closed and doesn't open by pushing it.
Denton is visibly uncomfortable with this situation, but also not willing to agree to that gate duty. "If you want us on gate duty again, you have to pay us." he objects.
"City not pay you?" Fauhra asks. "Who did money before Moira was in charge of laws here?"
"It was just a honorary post to keep the gate working and OPEN. Now, that there is no honor in this town anymore we're no longer interested in the post." Denton elaborates.
"Town has fallen to hard times." Fauhra agrees. "But honor still to be found. Transition period just difficult, I think."
She looks at Denton. "What can I do to restore faith in town honor?"
"Tell that Archbaron, that he shall take back his stupid decree." Denton suggests.
Moira rattles at the door, and as it becomes clear that it is stuck she pushes with her shoulder, to little effekt.
"Where is that stupid skeleton, when one needs it." she mutters. "Destroy the door." she tells her undead minions and points to the target.
The bloody skeleton and the ectoplasmic undead start clawing and beating at the door.
"Archbaron has many decrees." Fauhra says. "Which one you think is stupid?"
"All of them. But especially that about our gate."
"Look," Fauhra says, and she gestures as if presenting a future right ahead of them. "Archbaron smart man, who know why he chose to do as he chose? We must trust he has best interest of city in mind."
Fauhra turns to face Denton again.
"Come, let me help you. Fix gate, keep it closed. Keep yourself and your wife free from jail - Lady in armour is nasty, and you don't want her as enemy, see? If you have questions on policy, write to baron, or ask audience. You can ask yourself."
She bends down a little so she can look denton in the eyes.
"But you cannot do so if you are locked up, listening to cries of your wife as armoured lady tortures her."
Fauhra straightenes up again. "Be smart. Keep gate in check."
"Sure I can close it. But that won't help as the 'ghost of the gate' will open it again." Denton replies.
"Ghost of gate? This is good story, yes?"
"You'll find out soon enough. The door can simply be closed by turning a handle inside the tower. You can do that without me, and lock the gate with the braces, if they are not rusted to the ground. So your mean leader can be sure it is properly closed herself." Denton gives back. He seems to be stubborn.
"You must tell of ghost!" Fauhra encourages. "I like good stories."
"There is no good story. There is a ghost of the gate, and when you close it, it comes after you and steals your breath in your sleep."
That is totally made up.
Fauhra's demeanor changes on a dime, and her previously friendly face casts a dark shadow now. She raises herself up to her full height once again, and her cloak rustles as if a breeze flies through it, though none can be felt.
"Do not try to fool me, gatekeeper. Things go not well for people who try to play me for fool."
"I don't. The Archbaron does." Denton replies.
Fauhra glances over to where the gatekeeper's wife was standing earlier, before glancing back at Denton, still towering over him. "You better start talking, and talking lots."