Todrik seems not so much defiant as beyond caring – he’s been beaten, magically scared and weakened, and he’s soiled his pants. It almost seems like he’d rather be dead. He just grunts, neither a yes nor no – but neither does he call out.
Todrik seems not so much defiant as beyond caring – he’s been beaten, magically scared and weakened, and he’s soiled his pants. It almost seems like he’d rather be dead. He just grunts, neither a yes nor no – but neither does he call out.
Boland looks upon the man almost with pity, though he reminds himself that by aligning himself with the half-orc he has declared himself unsavoury at best. Still, he realises that the man needs to get some hope back if they were to get any information out of him. With a magical word spoken quietly he cancels any remnants of the spells he had cast on the warrior.
Taking a deep breath to calm his nerves, he then steps up beside Brashen reaching out a hand to lower his companions dagger, hoping to offer a counterpoint to Brash's intimidation.
"You drank too much in the pub, stumbled out to relieve yourself and passed out before you could do so. In the morning you will awaken to realise all this" and he motions to Brashen and his other companions, "is just a bad dream. Answer our questions honestly and we will ensure that this happens. Now, what do you know about bodies disappearing from their graves"
Todrik lets out a single harsh, barking laugh, entirely devoid of humour, and looks at you, shaking his head.
“What? Bodies? Gods, you’re not telling me this is all about those stupid damned bones we dug up from that old farm last week?”
Todrik lets out a single harsh, barking laugh, entirely devoid of humour, and looks at you, shaking his head.
“What? Bodies? Gods, you’re not telling me this is all about those stupid damned bones we dug up from that old farm last week?”
Boland sends a furtive glance at the others, pleased they at last had confirmed a connection between the graves and the gang.
"That's right. Why did you dig up the bones and what did you do with them?"
“Why? Ha! You’ll have to ask Kullen that, he’s the boss ... though he didn’t seem much happier about it than the rest of us, especially when Skutch went in to check out the farm house and that damned owlbear killed him. Bloody hell ... anyway ... so if I tell you what we did with the bones you’ll let me go, right?”
“Why? Ha! You’ll have to ask Kullen that, he’s the boss ... though he didn’t seem much happier about it than the rest of us, especially when Skutch went in to check out the farm house and that damned owlbear killed him. Bloody hell ... anyway ... so if I tell you what we did with the bones you’ll let me go, right?”
'Thats the plan. Talk. Where did you take the bones? And have you dug up any others?'
“We got ‘em for that freak at the old observatory – you know, that old tower just outside of town? Not sure of the guy’s name … Fitch? Filch? Finch? Kullen’ll know if you dare ask him. He – the freak, not Kullen – has been living at the tower for a couple of weeks, we’ve been doing odd jobs for him, though I think Kullen’s pretty well had of it since we lust Skutch to the owlbear.” Todrik looks up defiantly. “There’s been no more grave digging since then, not by us anyway. Now that’s all I bloody well know – let me go.”
You don’t recall hearing of anyone by that name, nor the others Todrik mentioned. You know the old observatory though; it hasn’t been used for its original purpose in decades, as the clouds of smoke and ash produced by the lakeside foundry tend to make star watching a less than satisfying experience in Daimond Lake. For a while it was used as a small monastery for an obscure sect of monks, but has stood empty (as far as you are aware) for several years.
You don’t recall hearing of anyone by that name, nor the others Todrik mentioned. You know the old observatory though; it hasn’t been used for its original purpose in decades, as the clouds of smoke and ash produced by the lakeside foundry tend to make star watching a less than satisfying experience in Daimond Lake. For a while it was used as a small monastery for an obscure sect of monks, but has stood empty (as far as you are aware) for several years.
Boland backs up a couple of steps and turns his back to Todrik, whispering a quick update of what they had learned through to Andolphas via the message spell.
Once done, he adds another whispered comment via the spell for Brashen's benefit. "We don't really want him running immediately to Kullen. Perhaps you could, um, ensure that he doesn't wake up for a couple of hours at least? Give us some time to check out the tower?"
"Good," whispers Andolphas back to Boland. "Let me know if an when you would like me to meet up with you. How are you going to make sure that Todrik doesn't give us away to Kullen? Or do we want to see if we can make a business proposition to the half-orc?" The sinister young priest pauses uncomfortably for a long moment, evidently unsure about the wisdom behind his last suggestion...
The cowled and masked figure from the alley lets the group ask their questions, but when conversation turns to the observatory it he clears his throat and steps in a bit closer. In a low voice he asks, "Why don't you tell me a bit more about this freak out at the observatory? How did he contact you? What other kinds of odd jobs were you doing for him?"
As the dwarf takes over the questioning, Brash steps back towards Bowland, taking out his axe as he does so, keeping an eye on both dwarf and prisoner.
'I dont know if letting him go is the best idea. Im sure he'll recognise at least a few of us, and I doubt very much that he'll just let this lie. If we take him out of the picture there is less of a chance that word will get back to kullen, and one less enemy to deal with if it does.'
“The freak … I dunno, I never really got a good look at him. Only ever seen him at night in the shadows, or else wearing a big hooded cloak. Kullen told us we were helping him, I’m guessin … well, I don’t think it’s a great secret that we’re Smenk’s men. Yeah, that’s right, you heard me, Balabar Smenk. You’re not just messin’ with me, you’re messin with Kullen and Smenk too!” Todrik seems to be getting some of his bravado back, when he looks past the dwarf and sees Brashen pulling out his axe.
“Hey! Hey, what are you doing with that. You can’t kill me, people will have seen you grab me you know!” There’s rising panic in his voice carries through the still air in this small wasteland in the midst of town.
"I asked you what other odd jobs you did for the man at the tower?" the dwarf growls. When the prisoner overhears Brashen and starts to lose focus the dwarf cocks back a fist and slams it into his mouth. "We're talking now- you and me. Answer my questions and maybe I put in a good word for you with the eager axe-man back there."
As the dwarf takes over the questioning, Brash steps back towards Bowland, taking out his axe as he does so, keeping an eye on both dwarf and prisoner.
'I dont know if letting him go is the best idea. Im sure he'll recognise at least a few of us, and I doubt very much that he'll just let this lie. If we take him out of the picture there is less of a chance that word will get back to kullen, and one less enemy to deal with if it does.'
"What? We c-can't do that!" Boland whispers back, clearly stressed by the idea. "I-I gave my word. He might not deserve much more, b-but surely we can't k-kill him in cold blood? If you're worried about him running back to Kullen, then we can bring him with us, to the tower. Then m-maybe we can hand him over to the authorities when we have proof?"
As he whispers his response, he overhear's Todrik's mention of Smenk. He wracks his brains for where he has heard that name before.
As he whispers his response, he overhear's Todrik's mention of Smenk. He wracks his brains for where he has heard that name before.
You know Smenk – near everyone in town knows of Balabar Smenk. He’s one of the most influential mine managers in the town (the mine managers being about the nearest thing Diamond Lake has to nobility). Most folk think he’s dodgy as all hell, but he’s got his admirers, particularly amongst the former employees of some of the former mine managers he’s run out of business in the last few years. For all his faults, Smenk seems to treat those who work for him well enough. He’ll happily ruin his business rivals, but he’ll offer work to their former employees.
"I asked you what other odd jobs you did for the man at the tower?" the dwarf growls. When the prisoner overhears Brashen and starts to lose focus the dwarf c%*&~ back a fist and slams it into his mouth. "We're talking now- you and me. Answer my questions and maybe I put in a good word for you with the eager axe-man back there."
Mythalas, the elven paladin, who currently holds Todrik down, eyes Brashen and his axe warily, but his attention is brought back violently nearer to hand as the dark-clad dwarf whacks Todrik in the mouth.
“Be careful stranger,” he says coldly, addressing the dwarf. “This man might be scum, but let us not lower ourselves to his level.”
Todrik spits out a bloodied tooth. He glances between the elf, the dwarf and the human with the axe, but then seems to come to the conclusion that having one of the three on his side – maybe – won’t be enough.
“I’ll tell you what I know. Just let me go once this is done – living I can decide not to tell anyone what happened here, kill me and Kullen and Smenk are going to find you sooner or later – Whoa! No need to hit me again, I’m talking ain’t I?
“Well when the freak first arrived – dead of night, on a coach from Greyhawk City – Kullen said we was to help him settle in to the old observatory, only he didn’t seem real happy to do it. The guy was creepy, speaking in that slimy voice of his beneath his cloak … and those others he had with ‘im, all cloaked and bundled like he was, creepy as all hell, shuffling about, all silent. Nine of ‘em there were, plus him.
“There was a big covered wagon that came along with the coach – some of his friends rode in that – and full of big boxes and barrels and crates. Helping the freak settle in meant hauling all those boxes and stuff from the wagon, up the stairs into the observatory. No, I don’t know what was in ‘em, but they were damned heavy, and he kept telling us to be careful, he’d see us suffer if anything broke. Don’t know why Kullen put up with that, but he did. And no, we didn’t unpack it, or go far into the observatory, he had us leave it all in the front hall, I’ve never been further into the building than that.
“A few days later there was another wagon and more heavy boxes to haul up there.
“That’s it, apart from the bones. A week ago or so Kullen told us we had to go find some skeletons – pretty well intact – for the freak. Again, didn’t look too happy about it … anyway, we figured it wasn’t worth trying to tangle with the Cult over in the boneyard, but Skutch said he knew where some old graves were on a farm outside of town. That’s where we got ‘em from.
“After that, after Skutch died and we delivered the freak’s bones up to him, we haven’t seen no more of ‘im.”
Not present at the scene of the interrogation, Andolphas whispers a message to Boland. "So? Does he know anything about the grave digging? What are you doing out there -- he isn't dead, is he? What do you want me to do?"
Andolphas:
Not present at the scene of the interrogation, Andolphas whispers a message to Boland. "So? Does he know anything about the grave digging? What are you doing out there -- he isn't dead, is he? What do you want me to do?"
Boland listens intently as Todrik spills all he knows about the occupant of the observatory, a cold feeling creeping through him. Hearing Andolphas' whispered questions he gives him a quick run-down of what Todrik had told them.
"He's not dead, but there are mixed thoughts about what we should do with him" he whispers quietly, moving a little way so that Todrik would not hear. "Brashen wants to do away with him, Mythalas and I disagree, and the stranger, well not really sure. My instinct tells me if we let him go he will go running to Kullen, and possibly even higher to Smenk, which would not be good for us. But I can't condone killing him either. I think the best course is to knock him out and go check out the tower before Kullen has a chance to learn of it. Any suggestions?"
You can’t really tell what Todrik is thinking. As for necromancy, well, you’re something of an expert on the subject, but aren’t quite sure what all the crates might be for. Traditional necromancy only really requires raw materials – bodies. Maybe the boxes contained coffins or something?
"He's not dead, but there are mixed thoughts about what we should do with him" he whispers quietly, moving a little way so that Todrik would not hear. "Brashen wants to do away with him, Mythalas and I disagree, and the stranger, well not really sure. My instinct tells me if we let him go he will go running to Kullen, and possibly even higher to Smenk, which would not be good for us. But I can't condone killing him either. I think the best course is to knock him out and go check out the tower before Kullen has a chance to learn of it. Any suggestions?"
"My suggestion is to do something quickly! The natives are getting restless, wondering why their friend is taking such a long piss. One of Kullen's goons seems like he's getting ready to walk out and check on him... I don't suppose your master taught you how to wipe out Todrik's memories? I'm not sure what I'm going to do myself..."
"My suggestion is to do something quickly! The natives are getting restless, wondering why their friend is taking such a long piss. One of Kullen's goons seems like he's getting ready to walk out and check on him... I don't suppose your master taught you how to wipe out Todrik's memories? I'm not sure what I'm going to do myself..."
"My master didn't teach me any magical way to wipe memories, but there is a mundane way. Can you get to the bar and buy a bottle of rum - some of the strong stuff? If you get out here with it quick, we can move on and force him to drink it. With a bit of luck, he'll pass out and wake up in the morning with a sore head and no real memory of what went on. Even if he does remember when he awakes, it will buy us some time."
Brash looks at Bowls and then to his axe, and an ironic smile creeps accross his face.
'No Bowls, I didn't mean kill him, not even I could plant my axe in a defenceless man, even if he is scum. I got this out so he doesnt get it into his head to make a run for it. I was more thinking along the lines of keeping him tied up somewhere, or perhaps taking him over to Andolphas' lot. He got pretty angry about those graves being disturbed, I figured his order may want to dish out some justice to those who did it. Maybe they would lock him up for a few days.'
Andolphas:
“Have you finished questioning this fellow?” Mythalas asks. “It appears that we know where the bones have been taken. Is that what you also wanted to know … friend?” He addresses the last to the dwarf.
'No Bowls, I didn't mean kill him, not even I could plant my axe in a defenceless man, even if he is scum. I got this out so he doesnt get it into his head to make a run for it. I was more thinking along the lines of keeping him tied up somewhere, or perhaps taking him over to Andolphas' lot. He got pretty angry about those graves being disturbed, I figured his order may want to dish out some justice to those who did it. Maybe they would lock him up for a few days.
"That could work. whatever we decide we should get moving now before Kullen makes his way out here and uncovers him. Let's head for the Observatory and meet up with Andolphas on the way. If his order will take him we can pass him to them. If not, we can top him up with rum till he passes out and leave him to sleep it off. It should at the least buy us till morning to investigate his story."
Boland makes ready to head out, and will communicate to Andolphas whatever is decided.
"Trouble heading your way quickly, too quickly for me to run interference," hisses Andolphas at Boland. "Take cover quickly, shut your prisoner up and take him with you!"
"You boys don't have much experience with a long night and a bottle of whisky do you? I done plenty of things I can't remember after I started drinking, but I never have forgotten the day leading up to the drinking."
He crouches down over Todrik, "I got no intention of killing you, but I ain't about to have you running back to your boys and telling 'em where we're headed either. So you can come with us, and I reckon we'll cut you loose once we're done with this little run. If I were you I'd take that opportunity to find a new line of work in a new place, cause you run back to Kullen and there's only one way that's gonna end. If we come to that I'll be forced to gut you like a pig to make up for showing you a little mercy today. You got me son?"
Hearing Andolphas' message relayed through Bowland, Brash replaces the gag around the prisoners mouth, and then hauls him up with the help of the elf.
'Do what your told and you'll live. If you dont, i'll cut you down without remorse.'
Brash will start moving down the alleys, trying to think of a roundabout course that will bring them to the observatory, sticking to backroads.
Todrik nods sullenly to Harrigan. After Brashen hauls him to his feet and replaces the gag, Mythalas takes charge of the prisoner (not seeming to quite trust Brashen or Harrigan not to do something violent).
Brashen leads the way out of the gully into the tangle of narrow streets beyond. As the group heads out, Boland looks back and notices the silhouette of a tall figure standing atop the edge of the small cliff behind the tavern, looking down – it is not clear whether he sees the group in the darkness at this distance, and unlikely that he could make out much detail if he does.
Before they get too far away, Boland whispers a message to Andolphas, who has slunk seemingly unnoticed from the tavern, telling him where they are headed.
The group meets back up with the cleric at the edge of town, before heading off along a narrow dirt trail that winds through the rocky terrain towards the old observatory which lies about ten walk away.
---
The gibbous moon hangs low in the sky this evening, bathing the landscape in a patchwork of wan light and long dark shadows. Soon enough, the group’s destination comes into view ahead; the crumbling old observatory, it casts its gaze heavenwards from its perch atop a bluff overlooking an abandoned mine site. A wide slit bisects the squat domed tower, where once a great telescope must have peered upwards into dark eternity. Now the place bears a somewhat sinister character, like a sagging tenement broken by the weight of years of inhabitants and neglect.
A narrow stairway cut into the steep hillside leads upwards towards the east end of the towers attached one story outbuilding. Flickering light can be seen winking from the narrow, slit-like windows on the tower’s upper floors.
"Nice work, gentlemen, and not a moment too soon," says Andolphas once he has met up with the others. "And who might this fellow be, and what is his interest in all this?" he asks, nodding towards the dwarf.
Harrigan sees that newcomer asking his name and motives is a handsome, but almost effeminate and definitely unsettling youth. He has the frame of a scarecrow, but is surprisingly strong. His long (mid-back), straight, jet black hair and piercing eyes contrast sharply with his thin lips and perfect alabaster skin. He wears a long necklace of canary skulls and silvered symbol of Wee Jas over his green robes and chainmail shirt, and carries a black-feathered short spear in hand.
"Nice work, gentlemen, and not a moment too soon," says Andolphas once he has met up with the others. "And who might this fellow be, and what is his interest in all this?" he asks, nodding towards the dwarf.
"He doesn't give away much, but seems to have similar interests to ourselves" Boland mumbles quietly glancing nervously over his shoulder as he does so. He continues to look behind every 4-5 seconds as they make their way to the observatory, paranoid Kullen and his lackays will jump out at them at any moment.
Only when they approach the tower does his attention re-focus on ahead rather than behind. He eyes the flickering light in the window warily, his apprehension building, but a steely look in his eye.
"We should continue on and check it out" he says quietly to the group when they come to a stop.
Brash stops and turns to the rest of the group, fixing Harrigan with a hard stare. 'Hold on Bowls, if where going in there I want to know what to expect, and who im going in with. Whats your interest here Harrigan? Do you know something, or suspect something about this ... freak our friend Todricks been telling us about? As much as im usually up for chopping first and asking questions later, if were going to be facing the undead... id like to be prepard.'
“I don’t think it would be wise to take our prisoner inside,” says Mythalas, eying the tower before glancing back towards town. “And I am not certain that Kullen will not attempt to track us. Perhaps I should remain here, keep an eye on this one and try to slow down any pursuit.”
Harrigan glances at the bound and gagged Todrik then back to Brashen, before motioning them to walk some distance away. "You might say I'm returning a favor for someone. Tower with shady dealings pops up in your back yard, people out in the country take notice. In this case maybe a little too unhealthy of an interest. Trying to give my friend a little piece of mind here. I've been camped out here the last week tryign to figure out what this guy was up to in the tower, but I haven't even seen him yet. Kullen and his boys though- they come and go. Figured cornering one of them would be about the best lead I could get my hands on about now. Course I would gone for the smaller one- trailed him home away from the tavern, but looks like it was my lucky night." The dwarf keeps his face covered for now. His accent betrays his city roots, but he definitely looks rough enough that he might have been sleeping outdoors recently as he says.
"You boys plan on fighting Kullen later? I woulda gone for a more stealthy approach, but that guy will be able to pick you out now in a town this small. If we don't get him to leave town, yer gonna have problems."
"You boys plan on fighting Kullen later? I woulda gone for a more stealthy approach, but that guy will be able to pick you out now in a town this small. If we don't get him to leave town, yer gonna have problems."
"With the right persuasion, Todrik here can be kept quiet and Kullen will remain none-the-wiser of our..." Boland's voice trails off as he realises the naivity of his words. "Well, at least we've had a bit of practice dealing with problems of late" he adds, as if consoling himself.
He quickly turns his attention back towards the tower, the determination returning to his eyes. "The longer we stand out here chatting, the more likely we will be noticed by someone inside the tower, or caught up by Kullen, or both. If this guy is dabbling in raising the dead, he needs to be stopped. I'm for heading in." Boland turns and scans the tower, looking for ways in other than the obvious.
“I don’t think it would be wise to take our prisoner inside,” says Mythalas, eying the tower before glancing back towards town. “And I am not certain that Kullen will not attempt to track us. Perhaps I should remain here, keep an eye on this one and try to slow down any pursuit.”
At Mythalas' offer, Boland nods his head slowly. It would be comforting to have the able warrior beside them in the tower, but at the same time it made some sense to keep an eye out for Kullen, while also keeping an eye on Todrik who would be a hindrance inside.
There appear to have at one time been some larger windows around the attached outbuilding and the ground floor of the tower, but they have since been bricked up – the building’s somewhat precarious position perched atop the rocky crag would make these difficult to get to anyway. The upper windows are little more than arrow slits, far too narrow for a human-sized person to squeeze through. It is not clear if the building might be accessible through the wide slit in the domed tower roof – even if it is, it would require an expert climber or flight to reach it.
The steep stair cut into the hillside leads up to a small open area on the east side of the hilltop. From there, another stone stair leads to a door set high up in the outbuilding’s east wall. A small wooden door is situated below the stair, also in the east wall of the building. There are no other ways in evident from this position.
"Which door first, gentlemen?"
"You boys plan on fighting Kullen later? I woulda gone for a more stealthy approach, but that guy will be able to pick you out now in a town this small. If we don't get him to leave town, yer gonna have problems."
Brash nods, seeming to accept Harrigans explanation as to why he is here. 'I agree that its more than likely we will have to fight Kullen eventually. Even if we can keep Todrik out of the way, its very possible someone saw us grag, interegate or drag him along with us. Chances are word will get back to Kullen. But I guess thats something to worry about later. Lets deal with one problem at a time.'
'I guess the door at the top of the stairs is more likely to lead up to the top of the tower where the lights are, but perhaps it would be a good idea to check this one first?'
Brash will try the handle of the closer door to see if it is locked.
"May as well at least given a listen at the lower door before attempting the main door... Once we've down a bit more scouting, we'll be in a better position to decide which way we should go. After you, gentlemen..." The somber cleric waves Brashen and Harrigan ahead.
"And where shall we find you, should we return, Mythalas?"
"May as well at least given a listen at the lower door before attempting the main door... Once we've down a bit more scouting, we'll be in a better position to decide which way we should go. After you, gentlemen..." The somber cleric waves Brashen and Harrigan ahead.
"And where shall we find you, should we return, Mythalas?"
Mythalas looks about, his elven eyes obviously having no trouble picking up detail in the moonlight bathed landscape. “Those rocks there,” he says after a moment, pointing to some large, squarish boulders near the base of the hill, not far from the path. “They’ll give me some cover and provide a good spot for me to spring an ambush and make a stand should the half orc and his thugs follow us.”
He hoists Todrik (who glowers at him, silent behind his gag) to his feet and nods to Andolphas. “Good luck up there. Should you have need of me, you know where’ll I’ll be.”