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Isagoras catches the two diminutive women dart from the room. 'Confound we do not have time for soft hearts!' he thinks, his growing frustration at the fallen cult leader's cryptic message fed by the fire of rage that this...thief...would hold them in so low regard as to return to the scene of the crime to dip his hand again.
'This is no game of tiddlywinks where all is well, win or lose! If there is even a 1% chance that this thief is one of Lord Borak's lackey's ready to return with news of our actions, we must take it as an absolute certainty.
We must weigh his life against the countless thousands that a lack of action would cost.'
As Belros descends, Allysen and Katherine pass too quickly for him to question them. He quickens his pace forward.
"Isagoras. What happened? Ah, Ned."
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"What happened?!? This heretic and...OATH-BREAKER...has returned to the scene of the crime! Despite our insistence on his guilt before, and our stern URGING that he NOT return to this place upon PAIN OF DEATH, he has broken all pacts!
I charge that he is in league with The D...with beings most foul and he plans on selling out all that he knows for a mere pittance the first chance he gets and this will mean the death of not merely all of us, and not all we hold dear, but I fear each being of life and goodness might pay a heavy price for our weakness of heart.
We gave him quarter the first time with the proviso he turn his back on all wickedness, but that oath was as hollow as any he might take now!
In the name of the Order of the White Angel, by High Father Joakim, by the harbinger of confrontation Imrael and by Propoket the Many himself do I condemn this man HERETIC and an agent of CHAOS.
No longer can I stand within his presence and call myself worthy."
He weaves a writhing rune in the air that burns with a white-hot purging before it leaps at the would-be thief.
Belros nods as his own sword moves.
"He has proven false.", he says simply, moving in to finish off Ned just moments slower than Isagoras' magical assault.
MWG just stands and watches the execution, no expression on her face.
Katherine closes her eyes and puts her small hands over her ears trying to block out the sound of the execution.
Isagoras' magical bolt hits Ned full in the chest. He is thrust against the wall of the cavern by the force of the spell and collapses on the ground, moaning weakly.
Lord Belros' swing is thrown off by Ned's sudden movement. Undeterred, the elf advances and slashes him across the chest.
I had to confirm but he does have his shield out.
Belros immediately stops, carefully placing down what he was carrying, then slowly drawing his sword and shield.
As Belros swoops in to stab at Ned, he reaches up toward the elf, a gleaming dagger in his hand. Pointed at his gut, Belros manages to deflect it with his shield at the last moment.
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Isagoras lets lose a peel of raging laughter that shakes the ceiling. "HAHAHA! What perfect carrion you are! Ever the penultimate villain! HAHAHA! Un-killed by attack, you play possum and lay in wait for the saintly knight to offer you the dagger's peace, and then you spring the trap when he draws close!
Haha! Well played, sir, well played.
Of course such skullduggery only steels my resolve that I am right to kill you!"
Isagoras tries again with his magic, drawing for a more lethal bolt.
With a final blast, Isagoras ruptures Ned's midsection, spilling entrails across the cavern floor. He gurgles for a few moments then lies back as if taking a nap and closes his eyes.
Lord Belros is surprised by the return strike from Ned but presses his own attack, regardless of current appearance.
Belros plunges his sword into the prone body of the thief, but hardly gets a response. He seems to truly be dead.
Belros withdraws his blade from the surely-now-a-corpse and flicks the blood from it.
"Isagoras, that man drew and struck out with his dagger swiftly. I do not believe that was the movement of a fool thief. What do you make of that?"
Belros makes sure this sword is clean, then sheathes it, and begins to search the body.
You go through the corpse's belongings and find a few more daggers hidden in various locations. All seem to be of excellent make, much better than you would find at the local smithy in Saltmarsh. He is also carrying a purse full of coin, about 50 gp in all, along with a metal disk impressed with the symbol of an eagle in flight above a caravel.
As Belros is about to pick up the dagger Ned had been wielding, he catches something out of the corner of his eye and instinctively draws his hand back. The dagger's blade is coated in some kind of nearly translucent oil that is already beginning to pool on the ground.
"'Ned' was clearly far more than a foolish thief. The near-invisible oil flowing from his dagger - I imagine that is deadly.", says Belros, as he peers at the oil from a safe distance.
Belros does not recognize the oil, but it seems to be more than would be needed just to keep the blade from rusting, even in the moist environment along the coast.
Allysen holds Katherine tight, rocking back and forth as she hears the fight break out. As everything goes silent, she whispers softly to the ha'folk cowering in her embrace.
"I-it's over Kit-kat. It's over," she mumbles as she tries to keep from crying, screaming, and vomiting all at once. It must have been terrible for poor Ned, fighting hopelessly for his life. She tries to keep from picturing the scene, but her imagination is too good and she can only shudder at the brutal and thorough job her "companions" must have done.
"They appeared to be exiting in haste. I grew concerned about what threat had emerged down here. As it turns out, I was correct to be concerned. We should seek them out."
Belros turns and begins to move back towards the surface.
"Allysen! Katherine! There was more to this!"
Grace is caught unawares by Ned's counter-attack, and both Isagoras and Belros react before she is able.
Healing to identify the oily substance on the daggers :
But she can not identify it any better than Belros.
Lord Belros and the others find Allysen holding Katherine like a lost sailor hanging onto a lifeline. She looks up, her eyes full of hurt, fear, and just a spark of anger.
"You don't have to bother defending your actions to me," she says, a sullen note souring her tone.
Belros holds Ned's dagger by the hilt, careful not to let the blade near his skin, and addresses Allysen and Katherine.
"Allysen, Katherine, I want you to look at this blade. Ned had it hidden away on his person and then used with with frankly more skill than I possess. He was no simple thief."
Katherine looks at the blade, considering the oily substance carefully. "Poison," she says at last, as much as a question as a statement.
Allysen looks at the knife for several long moments, not saying or doing anything except holding Katherine. Slowly, her gaze falls and she shivers as she starts to think through the possibilities. The most worrying was that he was also sent by Ma Belladonna.
"I'm sorry," she mutters into Katherine's hair. She wants to hide, to run away and disappear, but where could she run to? She feels trapped and wonders if she has doomed them all by staying.
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"Shhh, Katherine comforts the half-elf, guessing at her thoughts. "It's not your fault."
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Something clicks with Belros.
"It is Wyvern's Sting. A paralytic, intended to freeze not kill. Which is even more concerning. "Ned" was ready - or planning - to take someone alive."
Katherine feels Allysen stiffen when Belros realizes what "Ned" may have been trying to do. Raw terror paralyzes the half-elf with a grip of iron and Allysen's mind goes blank.
"D-did he have some mark or badge on him," she asks after a long, uncomfortable silence.
Ned is also carrying a purse full of coin, about 50 gp in all, along with a metal disk impressed with the symbol of an eagle in flight above a caravel.
Allysen takes Belros' word for it and feels a sick, churning feeling in her stomach as she hugs Katherine like a sailor lost in a stormy sea hanging onto flotsam.
"H-he attacked first," she asks.
"Isagoras struck Ned first. Then I joined battle, surprising myself by not landing a blow and then barely parrying Ned's counterstroke. Isagoras's second casting finished him off."
"I insist that we rejoin the others and keep within sight of each other while in the house, at least for the time being. Should Ned have had any allies, they will surely seek to strike back at us."
The elf gives Allysen a knowing look as he says this last part, concern visible in his eyes.
"Let us do a full accounting of this place - together - then assess the situation."
Allysen nods and numbly goes about doing what she can, mainly just checking for any missed nooks or hiding spots.
Katherine works close by Allysen, keeping a watchful eye on her.
As you take stock of what is left in the house, you reenter the cavern that opens up to the ocean and find a small rowing skill beached here on the shore. As it wasn't here the last time you visited, it most likely belonged to Ned.
Numerous crabs and other creatures are busy taking apart the corpses of the pirates who perished here.
"I wonder if he was dropped off via ship or simply rowed a short distance from a nearby beach.", muses Belros out loud.
Grace will focus on loading up the cart.
Katherine can see that Allysen is far more skittish than usual. She turns and looks around with a frightened look on her face at things only she can see or hear. The others can see that she's acting much like she had the night and morning after being visited by the elves she named as Ma Belladonna's agents.
After scouring the place and getting things ready for the cart, She finds a place that's out of the way and curls up in a corner. Too exhausted to do anything else and too scared to sleep.
The group ignores the rowboat for the moment and focuses on loading up the cart they brought. After several hours of work, you think you have collected all of the smuggler's supplies and are ready to head back to Sandpoint.
The journey along the coast road is uneventful until you hit the edge of town. There you are met by three of the Baron's town watch guards, who ask you to halt and take a look at what you are carrying.
"In the name of the Baron, halt. We must inspect all goods entering Sandpoint."
Belros notes:
"We can leave the corpse with the other smugglers."
***************
"Why certainly. Any news on the road?"
Katherine does not take part in disposing of the bodies, preferring to comfort Allysen as best she is able.
The Sergeant acknowledges Belros' question with a shake of his head and gets off his horse, handing the bridle to one of the other guards. "No, all has been quiet since you last left for the Haunted House. Are these the goods you recovered from it? If so, you'll have to take them to the Merchant's Hall where it can be appraised so that the Seneschal can determine the taxes that will be levied."
He moves over to the cart and takes a quick look at your goods.
"Quite a nice haul. This will have you folks set for quite a while if the merchant's take it off your hands."
"That they are, and hopefully so."