Without being able to do anything, Ryan falls to all attacks at him, what remains of him is just a mess of blood and bones and gore near the burning tent.
Seren complete her spell, after the captain was already dead, but her beautiful skeletal horse was just a deformed mass of reeking bones, nowhere near looking like a horse.
Before the tent burn down completely, you go inside trying to savage anything worth. In the end, you were able to get this list of items:
- Masterwork Lance
- Masterwork Composite Shortbow(+3str)
- 7 Longsword
- 7 Dagger
- Masterwork Fullplate
- +1 Heavy Steel Shield with personal heraldry
- Key
- 6 Lances
- 6 Composite shortbow (+2str)
- 140 arrows
- 6 Chain shirt
- 67 gp
- 7 bedroll
- 7 waterskin
- 7 rain cloak
- 6 Light warhorses (Trained in combat)
Everything except the arrows bear the symbol of Talieran military.
The person Ryan was dragging is currently conscious and looking franticly at you, buy gagged and unable to speak.
Nahia giggles to herself when Captain Varning falls. She looks towards Seren and says "Sorry, he apparently couldn't stand up to the veritable storm of blades going through his body. But I like what you have done with his steed. It seems oddly appropriate to desecrate such a thing."
After a final look over the bodies to make sure that no living enemies remain, Nahia looks over the captive of the rangers.
Well look at this one. He looks strong and limber enough, though not the prettiest thing. Maybe he'll look better when he cleans up. Might make a decent slave, if nothing else. Too bad that we can't really afford the liability of one right now.
Nahia looks at her companions and says "So what should we do with this one? And just as importantly, what did the rangers want with him?"
Rose took off her helm, letting her bright red hair fall down and shine in the firelight. Suddenly she wasn't the fearsome black knight, or the giddy spoiled noble girl. The roles were dropped and she seemed like she was just herself.
She looked around with a smile, proud of their handiwork and shrugged to Nahia. "Lets ask him."
She strode to the prisoner, pulled him up into a sitting position and untied the gag.
"So? What should we do with you?"
Fausto sinks his axe into the captain one more time, relishing in the sound of cleaving through bone and flesh.
He looks up from his bloody work and saunters over to the prisoner, "He's seen us. It's best we kill him outright. less trouble that way. I always thought that prisoners were a hassle."
"If he's someone the Mitran's want dead, he's someone we might find useful." Rose says. "Let's hear what he says before we decide."
Seren looks down dejectedly at her latest minion. So close but going to need to work on that. She swings hard at the things skull with her heavy mace, reducing the mangled bones to dust, a tear in her eye thinking about what could have been.
She overhears her companions talking about a prisoner and looks back at the carnage of the battle.
"That and we're in the middle of nowhere, and nobody is looking for the patrol yet. I vote we have some fun with our new plaything!" Seren adds enthusiastically as she notices the tied up prisoner.
"Look at all those intact toes and fingers! Oh the fun we could have, I'm sure he knows something that we could torture out of him." Seren contemplates as she pats her belt for her hidden dagger.
"Ladies, my father once told me that there are five ways of getting what you want. Asking. Bargaining. Coercing. Threatening. Taking. For best results they aught to be done in order. Let's just see what he says, shall we?"
Looking up at the murderous group before him, having heard the terrible things uttered to the rangers as the slaughter ensued not to mention the terrible things threatened upon him now, the prisoner should be terrified senseless, weeping and begging for his life. Instead, Troost, bare-footed, dressed only in his skivvies and undershirt with his hands bound behind him and trussed at the ankles as well, appears practically rapturous.
"Your Lord is my Lord," he happily confides to his liberators, "I serve Asmodeus, Dark Prince, The Archfiend, The First, Lord of Darkness, Ruler of Hell. These fools that you dispatched so handily--absolutely brilliant work, by the way--captured me only because I allowed it. I was blessed with a vision the other night. I knew that you would be here and that I had to be here too." The small man seems relieved at the opportunity to speak so openly about his religious convictions.
He grins up at Seren. Doing his best to gesture with his elbow from behind his back, he points at a bundle of clothes and a backpack at the foot of a nearby bunk and says to her, "That's my stuff. You'll find my holy symbol in there. It's not much but it's very precious to me. I made it myself and it was quite an effort to get even that amount of silver together without the brothers noticing."
Rose nodded and looked back toward the rest of her fellows. "See? Our faith and diligence is rewarded."
She din't need to check or hear more. She had faith and knew when the Father Below was lending a hand in things. A quick cut loosed the man's bonds. She gave him a dazzling smile and moved to collect her throwing arms.
"Collect your things, we need to be moving."
Nahia lets her disguise fall, resuming her normal form, nods at the new man and says "It is good to find a brother in arms. And we could always use the help. I would ask more, but I have something I must attend to before we go, and it seems we must hurry."
Nahia walks over to the tattered corpse of Captain Varning, her eyes wide and an unsettling grin on her face. She lays the corpse on its back, removes his boots, and then removes her own boots and sleeves. Drawing forth her sickle and several bowls, she cuts lines in his clothing, exposing his legs and arms. She then begins to mumble and chant as she runs her fingers over his fingers, then his wrists, then his elbows, his shoulders, his hips, his knees, his ankles and his feet.
After several minutes of this chanting, she takes her sickle and begins to open the skin around his hands and wrists, catching some of the blood in a bowl. She repeats this at his elbows, shoulders, hips, knees, ankles, and feet, using a different bowl for each location. She then moves back to his hands, and begins using the sickle with surgical skill, removing the tendons and sinew from his joints and placing the gathered cords in the collected blood of their respective bowls, mumbling, chanting, and groaning the entire time.
Her grim task with the corpse done, she moves the bowls away and places them, very particularly, in a circle around her and she takes a sitting position on the ground in the open moonlight. Starting at the bowl containing sinew collected from his feet, she begins taking pieces of the bloody gristle and placing them in her mouth, chewing and chewing and chewing the tough things, finally swallowing her meal and moving on to the next bowl.
Upon consumption of the last piece, Nahia continues her chanting, gesturing over each of her joints, starting at her feet and working her way up to her hands. Then, beginning again, she dips her hands into the blood contained in one of the bowls and begins to rub and massage her feet and toes with it. And when they are thoroughly covered she moves on to the next bowl and messages the crimson liquid into her ankles. And so the ritual continues with her knees, her hips, her shoulders, her elbows, her wrists, and finally her hands.
Finally, Nahia lies back in the grass, exposing her painted joints to the moonlight, and closes her eyes, her breathing deep and rhythmic. Twenty minutes goes by, without her stirring, the blood glistening in the soft moonlight as it runs in lines across her pale skin. But, no matter how relaxing she may find this, Nahia knows that they must move on, and she rises.
Andros, who up until this time had been curled up on some moss nearby, turns to his companion and approaches. Nahia, bends down and offers her arms to the serpent, who quickly wraps himself around it. ”Andros, I think it would not be a good idea that I return to town like this. Mind helping me clean up a bit?” she says to little viper. Andros climbs his way up her arm and to her shoulder, where he stretches out his form and touches his muzzle upon Nahia’s forehead. All at once the blood falls like crimson rain from her, leaving her skin once again as white as driven snow.
Her ritual done, Nahia replaces her boots and sleeves, ready to head back to town.
Seren lets out a dejected sigh. "I really do hate this place." She mumbles to herself
She places her dagger back in her belt, and concentrates on once again hiding her rotting body with the circlet. Better
As Nahia goes to perform her ritual Seren watches with fascination. Seren looks up in contemplations as she sees the portions of bone sticking out from the various wounds inflicted upon the captain.
She twirls another Onyx in her hand and wait for Nahia to be finished with her ritual. Good a time as any to practice.
Seeing Nahia return to her non-blood soaked self Seren speaks up.
"Umm, you all done with this pretty little thing Nahia?" Seren asks gently stroking a portion of exposed bone.
Seren walks to the Captains feet, and stands motionless for a time, a fine black crackling spreading between the fingers on her left hand. As her spell nears completion Seren can see the necromatic powers betray her disguise as bone and muscle once again becomes apparent on her hand. Seren grins mischeviously. The price of power.
Slowly Seren traces a haphazard line down the Captain legs and watches pleased as skin, muscle, and fat rot away in the wake of her touch. It seems to only take moments for Seren to outline his full body, leaving nothing but a shiny skeleton left on the ground.
Okay last time didn't work, take your time.
Seren slowly walks around the newly cleaned corpse, tracing Asmodeus' unholy star around the bones. Pausing over the bones, Seren removes her largest onyx from her bag and begins to chant.
Black mist pours out of her and slowly envelops the corpse at her feet, a torrent of necromatic energy creating a cyclone over the corpse. Just as quickly as it began the magic fades, with Seren looking expectantly over the prone corpse.
Rose cleaned the blood splatter from her weapon and armor with a corpse's tunic, watching with intrest as the other ladies went about their post-slaughter business. She had definitely fallen in with a fascinating group of ner-do-wells.
Nahia, seeing the disappointment and frustration in Seren's eyes, looks at her apologetically and says "Don't let it get you down Seren, I thought it was pretty brutal. And I'm sure Lord Havelyn has a magnificent steed that you can defile!"
While the ladies perform their bloody rituals, Troost gathers his possessions and dresses himself. He carries very little of note and, perhaps alarmingly, no weapons other than a dagger strapped to his wrist in a hidden sheath and a sling.
When he pulls a pair of close-fitting translucent sleeves onto his arms, his clothing all takes on the appearance of the drab, utilitarian, and well-worn outfits favoured by farmers and peasants in the area. With great care, he tucks his pentagram into a pocket hidden on the inside of his tunic, close to his heart but safe from the prying eyes of judgemental Mitrans. All in all, he appears rather unremarkable although there is a hint in his light, easy gait of something perhaps note-worthy hidden carefully away.
"My name is Troost, son of Richter," he spits on the ground after uttering his father's name, "I achieve greatness with you all, because of you all and our devotion to the Dark Prince. I have seen it. Tell me how I can best serve our Lord's goals." He clasps his right fist into the palm of his left hand at chest height with elbows bent while bowing the tiniest bit at the waist. After a moment, he straightens, lowers his hands and awaits instructions.
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We should cache this gear, so we can access it after the sack of the tower. We cannot sell any of it at the town due to these Mysty shows the makers marks, showing that these weapons and armor belongs to the tower guard.
It will be safe enough buried somewhere near
Mysty looks at the newly freed man. Another human. Great. But then again she thinks looking at seran, what is she? Oh well, one way to find out.
Seran, a personal question. Why does it looks like you sleep on knives? And then left a while? Looks worse than your average shaving accident.
Seren watches with glee as the skeleton of the captain slowly rises.
finally! A minion! not my horse but it's something.
She looks over at Nahia and laughs. "he better! I want my horse."
"Let the poor captain here handle the digging, not like I can bring him into town anyways." Seren replies to Mysty looking back at her new skeletal creature, captivated that she was finally able to raise a permenent minion. This one wont disappear into dust right away! hahaha, oh this watchtower shall be fun....hmm I'm going to need more Onyx.
She finally looks over at the small rogue, weighing whether or not to explain her story. She mulls it over for a moment before replying.
"My angelic blood and the dark power that Asmodeus provides don't exactly like one another. Last time I checked, the power is still slowly rotting away everything I used to be. The transition from Mitran holy prodigy to Asmodean disciple came with it's fair share of side-effects." Seren replies with a manic laugh.
"So where to next? One captain down, still a whole bunch to go!"
"By His will we are made or broken." Rose replied to Troost with an appreciative nod to his piousness.
"The first thing we need to do is lug this gear back to the carriage so we can find a place to bury it that isn't anywhere near this camp site."
"Another possible option would be to ride out and make contact with the bugbears, trade this stuff to them for other equipment. The idea of letting our horde use the Mitran's weapons against them when they crash the gates amuses me."
After creating her first long lasting skeleton, Seren order him to bury the remains.
You do a cleanup in the place, and for an unaware eye, it’ll be hard to see that a slaughter happened here.
You head back to your own camp, to find Sourat had a small fire done and had a meal prepared.
”I’m not good with cooking, but figures it just need to put it into the fire and everything is right.” he says with a smile ”I take the deed’s done. Are you ready to go back?”
I smile a thankful smile at Sourat and say "I think my work here is done."
"Rumours around town led us here, so the townsfolk know the route this patrol takes... When the patrol doesn't return they are sure to retrace this route. The plans in motion now, time to tear down this watchtower" Seren says with a beaming smile.
When they got back to the carriage, Rose efficiently stripped out of her armor and stored it in the hidden bottom of her trunk. Then when she was down to just her sweaty shift, she carefully moved Sourat's cook pot and stepped into the flames.
"Thanks Sourat. I can't stand feeling sweaty."
She sighed like she had just gotten into a warm bath and rub bled herself down with her burning undergarments, cleaning herself in the flames. The feathery looking markings on her back lit up to match the flames, the lines flickering and dancing. The wings on her skin went from her shoulders all the way down her back. The longest feathers curved over her hips and wrapped around to the front of her thighs near her knees, like the wings were hugging her body. Lit up by the camp fire, they looked like they were made of flames.
Eventually her fine underthings burned away to nothing, leaving her wearing only a silver chain around her waist, on which hung the inverted pentacle of her Lord Asmodeus.
She stepped out again looking a little pink but no worse for wear, with soot stained feet. Naked as a jay bird she walked over to her chest, pulled out a new lacy shift and tugged it down over her head.
"That's much better."
Then she sat down to eat, stretching out her legs and wiggling her toes at the edge of the coals.
"I really like it out here."
"Me too, but lugging a proper tub all the way out here would have been difficult. I hear witches sometimes enchant cauldrons to fly around in. Maybe Nahia could make one out of a bathtub? If it was a claw foot tub it could even run around on the ground. She could race it against Seren's bony horse."
”So this is the fella that was being hunted?” says Sourat looking at Troost ”Don’t seem much to me, which is good. Less attention he attracts, the better.”
So you all clean yourself from the blood and gore and sweat. Some using conventional methods, other more unconventional ones.
Fausto mounted in his horse, the ladies in the carriage and Troost with Sourat guiding the horses.
The trip back in uneventful, Sourat ride hard the entire night and before the sun is up, you have already on the other side of the town, the same side you left the day before.
After little more than one hour of travel after the sun is up he stops and says ”I think it would be back if we get to the city too earlier, we left yesterday, spent the night away, and got back just after the sun rise, some may ask what we were doing during the night. But that’s my opinion. What do you all think?”
Troost knows he is secure with his new companions, in no immediate physical danger, however he is not so foolish to presume these powerful women Asmodeus has clearly smiled upon would ever be commanded. He must earn their respect and prove himself at their sides before he can expect to strategize as their equal and he must accept this as enough. Troublingly though, he finds himself dangerously spellbound by their beauty, his thoughts somehow both flighty and muddled in their presence, particularly Lady Rose.
It is almost possible to completely banish Nahia's grisly and Seren's ghoulish visage from his mind when he surreptitiously appreciates the cut of their bodices or the curve of their backsides. The memory of their post-battle actions seems more like a bad dream than reality with each passing hour but a thin sliver of revulsion stubbornly remains. Lady Rose, however, he watched her bathe in the fire, basking in the Lord's grasp, the flames lovingly licking at her naked flesh. She has no horror hidden within, she is only beautiful and made even more so by Asmodeus' fiery caress. That memory galvanizes him with a hot thrill every time he returns to it.
Realizing that he is gazing upon the anti-paladin with open desire, Troost averts his eyes quickly. He coughs nervously, pale cheeks hot with embarrassment as well as lust now.
"I do think that Sourat makes a valid point. Retuning so early might raise some questions depending on what you led them to believe when you departed. What had you intended at this point?"
Rose was no stranger to being looked at. It was usually something she cultivated. Those sorts of looks told her who would make a good mark. Among her own people though, she wasn't so devious. She didn't crave the attention. She got plenty of that. Rather, she simply didn't mind when she felt eyes on her.
[i]Let them look. It costs you nothing, and is the cheapest of all rewards to give to the faithful. It is also an investment. Those feelings can be cultivated into loyalty, or used as leverage. The Lord Below gave you a great gift. It would be a shame not to use it.[/] her mothers voice echoed in her head. She looked back at Troost without much expression, just enough to let him know that she knew.
"I'm not sure we told anyone what our plans were. Something about a vague picnic?" Rose said looking to the others for confirmation.
The inquisitor is content with their work and tells his companions, "You've all done well. I am happy to continue in your company for as long as the Dark Lord wishes it so."
He looks over the dead and desecrated bodies but the man is too practical to do anything more at this time. "One captain down, a few more to go. What do you think the chance is for the tower to send another another group to investigate. We could lay a neat trap..."
Nahia nods and says "We could stay out here. Or we could tell them that I wanted to stay to find night-blooming herbs. And of course there were those rumors of some wild beast out on the roads, so we heard some noises and got scared. Or Rose got cold and we had to end the event early."
Nahia looks to Fausto and replies, "That might be a good idea, but we shouldn't dally. There is too much else to do and we might make better use of our time storming the castle while those troops are gone."
"I've got to agree with Nahia. If we really want to leave a small trap. The dead Captain should do nicely." Seren replies.
"We do have lots to do. I suggest we go deal with that adulterating captain pair next, get the eyes focuses on rumours and gossip about that while we deal with some of our other tasks. Hmm, and I seem to recall promising death upon a certain dwarf as well in my umm... drunk state of mind. Should probably get on that before that trebuchet their working on is finished" Seren suggests.
Despite of everything, you enjoy the day in a calm and tranquil picnic. After lunch, you all prepare to return, you all assume any disguise you used before leaving and enter the town again.
You get some curious looks but nothing more than that.
As you get to the Lord’s, the place is full and alive as ever. As usual, all the male looks follow the ladies while they move to their room.
Aldencross is a peaceful and small town.
Here you can find happy and simple peasants living their life, unaware of any danger.
The Lord Thomas, commander of the Watch-wall is also the town Lord.
Being this close to the garrison, it’s normal that the entire town way of living is influenced by the watchtower;
Seeing soldiers walking about is a common thing. There are more metal workers (armorsmiths, weaponsmiths) than a conventional town. There’s a general store, were you can buy supplys, there’s a church, were you can go if you are ill, there’s a alchemy shop, were you can buy simple potions and charm-trinkets, there’s a weapon stores that sells some magic items, there’s a mage studio where you can buy simple scrolls.
The only Inn is called Lord’s Dalliance run by Bellan Barhold, it’s a common knowledge it was a brothel. What it’s not common knowledge, is its secret passage that lead directly into the basement of the watch tower.
The most loved person in town is the smiling and always cheerful Father Donnagin.
The four captains are in order of seniority:
Captain Samual Barhold, respected by the entire garrison he has earned the nickname “Iron Sam”. He leads 30 infantry soldiers, they being trained with Longswords and heavy crossbows.
Captain Franz Mott, an ugly lump of a man, married to the third most beautiful woman in town (Losing only to Rose and Seren). There are some rumors concerning how he is able to keep such a beautiful wife. Franz is a master of the halberd, and all his 30 soldiers are trained as such.
Captain Zacharias “Zack” Eddarly, the dashing and charming captain of the watchwall, has almost every girl in town lusting after him and no one knows how he is still single! But rumor says he is enjoying someone else wife’s… Zack is a master of bow and his mans are trained as arches and siege engineers.
Captain Ryan Varning, dead from an ambush, was in command of a special unit of mounted combat specialists. Shame they were caught sleeping…
And so it ends you sixth day in Aldencross.
Until now, you’ve learned lots of useful information.
There’s was patrol that could be hunted.
There’s a secret passage to the tower.
There’s an affair to be revealed.
There’s a good priest to be killed.
There’s a play to interpret.
There’s a dwarf to interrogate.
There’s an old woman to use.
There’s so much more, and so little time.
You have yet, eight days before the bugbear hordes are ready to march.
There’s yet a commander to kill and some gates to throw open.
And so, the seventh day begins.
This was not Troost's first excursion into Aldencross. He had visited a few times in the past but had never stayed long and had always avoided attracting attention to himself. He'd purchased sundries at the general store, slyly listening to the clucking of women-folk and grumbles of men-folk for interesting tidbits while filling his own basket with items more easily traded for than home-crafted by Chelaine the druid. Additionally, he had spent time in the shadowy corners of the Lord's Dalliance, sipping at lager while his ears drank of the gossip flowing through the large common room. Each time he'd entered the little town previously, he'd taken care to appear slightly different than the last so that no one would become familiar with him but there was less need to remain anonymous now that he knew of Aldencross' imminent doom.
Rather than staying only an hour or two and returning to the cozy hovel in the wood, Troost takes a room at the Inn and then sits in the common area with his dazzling new companions to quietly plot the best way to advance the town's demise.
"It'd be delightful to find some way to turn the townfolk against that fat priest. Maybe after befriending him and plumbing the depths of his knowledge first," the little man's eyes gleam wickedly as he envisions Father Donagin set upon by his beloved congregation. "I could work on that since your feminine charms should have less sway with a man of the cloth." Allowing his eyes to momentarily stray to Lady Rose's bosom, he chuckles, knowing full well that what should be and what is can be miles apart.
Nahia, quite content to be reunited with her wine, nods at Mysty, saying "Agreed. At this point ostracising him might only send him into the fortress. I say we take care of him out here, if we can, around the same time we take care of the dwarves, just before we go to hide in our nest."
Looking at the others, she continues "I think it is time to push our plans with Mott and Eddarly. Some chaos there could give us an opportunity to shake things up a bit. If we can poison that special stew they have in a few days that would give us an advantage too. If the rest of you ladies can help me sneak in with the servants the day before I can probably spoil most of their food stores, making sure that the their special meal is extra effective."
Turning to Fausto again, Nahia will smile and say "And a question for you Fausto. During out last encounter I attempted to... augment you... and it seemed as if you actively resisted it. Is that what happened, and if so, why?" Nahia's voice is not angry, but instead simple seems curious.
Turning to Fausto again, Nahia will smile and say "And a question for you Fausto. During out last encounter I attempted to... augment you... and it seemed as if you actively resisted it. Is that what happened, and if so, why?" Nahia's voice is not angry, but instead simple seems curious.
The inquisitor smiles, "Augment me, eh? Why, not big enough for you?"
He chuckles, "I thought that must have been one of you but it was too late once I resisted. I don't like surprises. I like to know what's going to happen, as much as possible. Let me know ahead of time and it will be fine, ok?"
He then speaks to the group, "From the intel we have gathered, it seemed like a good idea to get a letter to the 'good but disgraced priest'. You know something that summons him away to the capital for a 'pardon of sorts'. if what we know is true, he will jump at that idea and he then is gone when our friends storm over."
He shrugs, "My skills don't bend that way but can one of you craft such a letter? I would be more than happy to deliver it to him. I'd love to see his face."
”I remember Nahia and Rose saying they could create the document… but I may be wrong.” Sourat says before he start to cough.
”And dear Lady Rose, how goes the couple hunting?” he smiles.
Then after some more time, he turns to Mysty ”You there, little one. I heard there’s an alchemist in town. I know almost nothing ‘bout poison and stuff. But I can pretend to be a father and with his daughter while in search for some pest control. What do you say?”
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Mysty shakes her head. You know I have never been very enthusiastic about the forged letter. It depends on many things out of our control. The good father seems happy here, not a man who has been disgraced and shamed. Besides it it all comes back to time. We are running out.
Mysty turns to Sourat and says, That is a good idea. Let us go as soon as possible. But let us go in different guise
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"Sure" says Sourat.
"Should I be the son and you the mother?"
Seren sits passively listening to her companions discuss plans for the next day. hmmm. I don't really fit into any of these.
"Likely the only other things we can do outside of being in the tower then are dealing with the dwarves, and maybe barhold..." Seren muses to herself.
"Actually. Today I'm going to go find out about this play. We have a way into the castle, and I'm sure most of the people in this town will be at the play. Be nice to know the length it. I think it would probably be a fantastic time to take out the rookery and maybe do some recon in the Tacticus' Tower while the play is in session."
It is only a single presentation, more than that; it is exclusive for the Watchtower. No one else on the town, besides the soldiers and its family can attend. Rumor says it is one of the many attempts of Father Donnagin to cheer up the commander. It is scheduled for a two-hour duration.
You are atm at Starday, it is scheduled for the next Sunday (eight days from the current day.)
Nahia giggles at Fausto's remark, and responds "I didn't say that, but if you had the potential to be bigger, wouldn't you take it?"
Taking a sip of her wine, she says "But seriously, I can't always plan in advance when it might be the best time to do that, though I do think you have a fair point. If you'd like, I can work with you to help you identify when I am asking the spirits for that particular boon. Or, if you'd be willing to provide the materials, or the cost of them, I can brew some potions for the same effects."
Looking at Fausto and Mysty, Nahia continues "Yes, it seems as if both Rose and I have the ability to create such a letter. But I agree with the cute one. The priest seems to like it here, even if it is an exile. Maybe he has sought this refuge anyway? Though I am still willing to give the plan a shot."
Nahia nods at Seren, before responding, "Barhold, and probably the dwarves as well, will be missed, and quickly. We should save them for last. Though the play could indeed be a good distraction."
Nahia pours herself another glass before adding "Either way, I agree with Seren that the rookery should be our main target when we being our assault. And the Magister may be able to give us sorely needed supplies. In the meantime, I have a day or so of preparation that I need to do myself. It would seem that we have maybe five days before a search party is sent after the captain. What can we do to best aid us in that time?"
Rose was thinking as the others spoke. Back in the city she felt suddenly tense. The freedom of the wilds had been a welcome reprieve. She felt like she didn't really know what she was doing here in this place. She'd sewn the seeds to expose an affair before, but that time it had all been fabricated. The people involved had their guards down because it wasn't true at all. They never saw it coming when suddenly everyone knew.
In this case it was real, so the illicit lovers were careful. It made the whole mess so much harder.
Maybe I'm over thinking this.
She turned to the desk and writing as the others laid out their plans, she drafted an official looking document. Then she pulled out some parchment and started writing. When she was finished she passed it to Nahia.
It was an invoice for a carriage rental, including pickup and transportation to the capital, made out to "Captain Zacharias and Kaitlyn Eddarly." A drop of water and a smudge made the pickup point illegible.
"Tell me what you think. Would you buy this as an invoice a teamster's accountant would write up and give to a driver?"
With Nahia’s help, it’s almost impossible to notice it was a forged document.
Rose smiles as they finish it up.
"Troost, I have your first job. Your cover is simple. You're a teamster in town for a job, which is why you showed up today. You were hired to transport "some captain and his wife." You are supposed to pick them up tonight at midnight, but the point of pick up is illegible. So, to complete your job you need to find out where they plan on being. Take this out into town and ask where "the captain Eddarly and his wife live." Eddarly isn't married, and the address on the invoice is actually the Mott residence. People will assume you have the wrong name and eventually you'll end up talking to Captain Mott, possibly at the garrison rather than his home. If you run into his wife, just say you have an invoice for her husband that needs some clarification. She doesn't seem the kind to worry about financial affairs, beyond spending her husband's money. When you go ask the captain where you are supposed to pick up him and his wife tomorrow. He'll be confused. Show him the invoice. He'll probably get angry. Just play dumb and clear out as soon as you can."
"That should be all it will take for Captain Mott to come to the conclusion that his wife had planned to elope with Captain Eddarly tonight, and stick him with the bill for it."
Nahia smiles at Rose's forgery, saying "This looks very good. I don't see why anyone would disbelieve it."
Turning to her companions, Nahia sips her wine, giggles, and says "Ok, so we have a forged letter to expose the resident adultery, an action to examine a local distraction, a proposal to taint a sumptuous dish, the contested idea to offer distant solace to a potentially shamed priest, and a final assault on both those short of prestige and those short of stature. Anything I am missing? And anything else to add?"