On the Wererats is a note.
"My trusty trout old stumpy is sending provender up Boneyard. They'll be dunny lies at tomorrow's darkman. Give them all this crash. Don't try to take any for your birds. Keep the dummees, and the rest of the iron on earnest of the hush, and ye'll have his ken."
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Volk looks at the notes and quirks his head reading over the strange language.
"My ally Saul Vancaskerkin is sending marks up to the spar tomorrow night. Kill them all. Don't convert any, we don't want any new members. Keep whatever valuables they have, you'll receive payment once the job is done. Do this, and you'll be family. "
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Volk speaks the message aloud, his voice without emotion or surprise. " Mr. Gramlag.... I think this means that Mr. Saul set us up? Or it was a trap like I thought. When Mr. Saul lied to us before.. I was not happy but I found it odd. If I had not seen the lack of wondrous chest flesh on the dummies.. we would have gotten ambushed. And he was not aware of my ability to make these platforms. We would have walked in this swamp. Or swim for Miss Shade and you. *twitch* Mr. Saul *twicth twitch* is.. *twitch* A liar. "
Volks face starts to twist from his often observer poise to.. what you would think might be depression fused with.. wrath? It then fall into a face that only those who watched the scene with the old warrior could recall. Quite Merciless.
Ternock pulls the wand out of his belt pouch and waves it around on himself. A dark red energy seeps forth and enters his wounds. A vile black smoke rises from his now disappearing wounds. While this is going on, he will munch away on the wererat and the swarm, after the party is done with the info gathering and have dispatched the remaining wererat. Ternock will munch again.
Volk looks down at the Wererat.. and places his hands up as the dark flames begin to reach not just his hands or elbows, but all the way up towards his shoulders. " You were sent to kill us.. and you would have as such you should receive.. no mercy like you would have shown us. I will make it quick. " He grabs at the Wererat's neck gripping tight..tighter than you have seen him ever do so as blades begin to wrap around the rat. He gives the creature a small time.. to regret its decision before void energy separates his feet from his legs, knees from his thighs.. and systematically goes up until finally blades cut into its neck in a spray of viscera. Volk leaves the pile of parts there. He was covered in gore save for his arms which burned away any blood. " It seems Mr. Saul has made his choice. "
As Ternock finishes eating the wererat that Volk so kindly cut up into the primest of cuts. A few may notice now that a small amount of dirty brown fur has appeared around his scales. Ternock looks to the group.
The note doesn't specify Saul as the doer of this, it was an ally of Sauls. Saul still holds responsibility for this however, but to what degree, we can't be 100% sure. Either he was double crossed by an ally and getting attacked now or they're meeting to discuss future plans. Which means they believe we are dead, ergo we have the drop on them, if only for a moment, until that wererat that escaped gets word out. Hurry and loot them and lick you wounds on the way.
A look of anger overtakes Ternocks face as he begins to hover into the air.
The wererat that Volk killed will not be the last meal I eat this day. And if it be Saul... well... ill make sure to make the other hand even.
"Did the note state Saul knew he was setting us up, or is it possible his ally is double crossing him by taking us out first?"
Shade turns to volk, speaking with a stern voice
volk, you kill too quick. He may have had information we could have obtained. Also he was evidence we could have used, especially if saul is behind this. Try to stop thought equalling action.
Volk looks down to Nel and picks up the head of the Wererat and shows the note while dangling the grotesque trinket in front of her. His face was serious though clearly a mix of pain, sorrow and anger. He shakes his own head. " Miss Shade.. he is still evidence. He had this note. If he knew more he would have spoken. Miss Shade, if their plan had gone well.. you, Miss Runa, Miss Strigala.. Ternock.. would be dead. All Dead. And I would be alone again. He was going to help kill you with no remorse, the note is all I need. It has Mr. Saul's name. And it matches up with the way his plan for our group to approach. "
You are missing the point. I had no problem with his death, only his utility. Writing can be forged, faked. We could have found out much from the rat man, now we can't. Also you acted without consulting us. Did he and his feĺlows mean to end us, yes. But he had yielded. He was not an immediate threat. You should not decide for the group.
Volk looks at Nel , blinks and says " I am not sorry, Miss Shade. If Miss Shade hates me then I shall be hated. Because Miss Shade might not have been here if Mr Saul's plan went according to plan. Maybe the note was all wererat-man knew? Maybe it was not. Mr Saul lies. " Volk's flames died.
we peer through shadow, volk. And everyone. Let us not jump to conclusions just yet. We have one note. It could be the deception. We have no motive for saul to do this. Why would he?
" Miss Shade I am not jumping to conclusions. Mr. Saul has always shown himself to be smart but overall Mr. Saul has shown cunning. Think back on almost every job we have had. We have either been attacked on the way somewhere with a job he has sent or were attacked at home when he was conveniently in the safe room only ourselves in danger or the pier Job that we found out was us actually stealing. Mr Saul has thrown us at situations that would get a person killed and then wrote it off. No, I am smart too. Mr Saul said only Miss Padomae, the Luscious *momentary pause for daydreaming* did not band together against him. Why would they do that? In which case unless he told them exactly how we would approach, when and how that ambush would not have been planned so well. I think.. Mr Saul was afraid of us finding out something. "
"lad she aint sayin yer wrong, she is saying that she wants to know more, ive half a brain to agree with her, so whats done is done. We should take some time to plan our return, just walkin in the doors to Sauls place seems like a bad idea at the moment but i dont take to kindly to an attempted offing either. lets make our way back but stay somewhere out o the limelight and see if we cant gleen some info off the streets. how does that sound?"
Gramlag lets out a low sigh, it would seem this isnt the first time he has been betrayed but you all get the clear impression that he doesnt let those betrayals go unanswered
Volk blinks several time at Gramlag.. before the idea sets in. " Oh.. no. Mr. Gramlag I actually thought we should go visit Miss Padomae. If anyone knows something and is neutral it would be her. We act like we died by not coming back and then seeing what Mr. Saul does. Maybe we stay at Miss Lilica's for a day? "
That would be a good plan... if the other wererat didn't escape. Its obvious he would tell his employer this... and as much as you want to see Miss Padomae, we have to assume for now she is in on this as well. For our sake.
let us seek more information. And find the right people to kill.
" Ternock is right .... maybe we should have killed that one too? Or maybe his employer would kill him so he wouldnt go back? Hrmm we can't go back without preparation and Mr. Saul is probably prepared too. Ternock you look funny by the way. Like a.. rat dragon. "
Volk, the man at the pier said that I was a flying rat, don't ever call me that again...
Sabola will cure some folks up:
On Volk:
Finally arriving runa channels to close some wounds.
Volk feels the energies seep into him and momentarily his body rejects the effect before it finally takes hold. Volk's wounds are much much better.
" Ternock, But you have... fur coming out of you. If you insist I guess I will call you a fur dragon? And as to you all having a plan... What is it? I would be happy to know.. please inform me as I begin to rid the traces of my method to get here. " Volk begins to destroy the walkway he had set up to travel upon.
let's head back to town. We have questions that need answering Shade starts head off, back the way they came.
As the party decides the best course of action, a loud raspy voice rings out across the swamp,
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Imidiatly reacting to the voice Gramlag gets his shields up and scans the area "Whos there!? Be ye friend or foe?"
Just call me a dragon!
When the voice rings out and Gramlag speaks, Ternock will speak to everyone in thier minds.
Quiet! It may be their, the wererats master. Hand me one of thoughs scrolls I have an idea.
Ternock holds the scroll out and attempts to use it.
In a raspy yet booming voice Ternock calls out to the sound. My master. They be snuffed down. Me likleys are gripped with the shell stinkers. Nix be grabbing gooders, jiffy back me will?
Ternock's words ring out across the swamp much as those did before them. But the party is only met with silence only interrupted by the chirping of crickets and ribbeting of toads.
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Volk looks as Ternock rears up like a cat and basically mewls out his proclamation. Something inside of Volk giggles but he shows little outside. There was a name for this, he believed it called... cute?
Volk trie to figure out what Direction that came from.
Either way we have the cloaks we need... Excluding me... Well, who wants to carry me in their backpack.?
Still cautious about the strange voice Gramlag slowly lowers his guard, no responce was returned to either him or Ternock, whatever or whoever it was seems intent on not showing their face.
Getting back to the more pressing manor Gramlag looks to interject his opinion on the discussion that seems to be going nowhere "Well lass if ye gots a problem with clerics o different faiths then so be it that hindin in a church is out of the question, there are plenty of warehouses we can hide in, i vote for one of those while we gather information. assuming this note is correct we wont have alot to look into and instead have a mans head to take i think"
" Mr. Gramlag is right. We might find information but it may be old. Mr. Saul was very sure to make things lead to other people instead of himself with our other jobs. But I am sure Mr. Saul betrayed us. I will wait for information.. however. Did I forget to mention that I seem to scare people when i ask them questions? They never quite say anything.. or the run away.. or call me a pervert.. it makes me sad. What is a pervert? "
Person with abnormal sexual behavior Volk... More accurately, you just lack fundamental communication skills. You can get your point across, however, your execution of your point is... upfront... in most cases. You just need to think of how someone will react to what you say first is all. Other than that your a valuable unde- er, friend... Now a vacant warehouse is a good place to regroup and prepare for whats ahead.
In Draconic
Most likley Sauls head... on a spike... whilst I drink his blood... still dripping... M'yes M'yes.
Ternock trails off and takes to the air, ready to head out.
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By the time the party gets back to town it's nearing midnight. Few people walk the streets of Riddleport at the witching hour and you're able to find an empty warehouse in Croat's territory at the docks.
Why the warehouse is empty though becomes apparent upon entering however as apparently a bunch of fish has expired in the crates inside the building.
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