Lord considers fighting his way out, but then reconsiders as he sees the others giving up. He doesn't really want to fight the guards all by himself.
"What a day," I groan, but I do not resist arrest, instead I smile cheerfully and say to the guard leading us away, "After you."
"What a day," I groan, but I do not resist arrest, instead I smile cheerfully and say to the guard leading us away, "After you."
Hashal starts to lead and then realizes that he has just turned his back on four dangerous men. "Uhhh ... no. After you, please." His breath doesn't smell so good.
"Very well, but I don't know where I am going," I say as I take the lead.
"Oh, we're more likely to start fighting each other than you.", Tallis mutters as he goes in front of the guard, his hat low over his eyes.
"Oh, we're more likely to start fighting each other than you.", Tallis mutters as he goes in front of the guard, his hat low over his eyes.
"Only for honor," I quip, "But we each seem to have been set up by the same individual for a rather gruesome death. Does make you wonder. Now should we go right or left at the door?"
"Left. No, right. Hhhow did you hhhappen to end up hhhere?" asks Hashal breathing hhheavily on you.
Hashal directs you through a winding series of passageways and eventually up above ground. Lord Flash entered from this direction, but for the others, this is blocks from where you started. The door which closes behind you, is a rather ordinary door and suggests nothing of the subterranean secrets it hides.
"This way, please." As he makes no attempt to ensure that you don't run, Hashal seems to be relying on your sense of honour at this point away. Either that, or he isn't very good at his job.
"Left. No, right. Hhhow did you hhhappen to end up hhhere?" asks Hashal breathing hhheavily on you.
He looks at Hashal funnily as he speaks, but otherwise keeps quiet.
He takes an interest in the fact that they exited by the same way he entered, but for now remains silent and watches.
"So, have you been a guardsman long," I inquire politely, "Where did you say we were going?"
"No. Not long. Not here anyways. I was at Fort Tempest for a while but then my uncle ...," he cuts himself off and glares at all of you. "Look. Just keep walking. There's a guardpost down the street."
After you get to the guardpost, you are thrown in a cell occupied only by a curious looking gnome.
A gruff older guard arrives at the guard post after about an hour an briefly interrogates you. The interrogation seems to be more of a formality than anything else. It has already been established that you were engaging in mortal combat in a restricted area ... you were, however, fighting the undead.
From your cell, you hear the older guard berate Hashal who responds with "Yes, captain" about fifteen times and "Yes, uncle" once, which only makes the captain angrier.
The captain lets himself into your cells, "You have violated a city ordinance set by the Grand Council, the fine for violation of this ordinance is 300 gp paid in advance to secure your release. Do you have funds to pay this fine?"
Tallis stays in the back of the cell, playing quietly on his flute. "If you would be kind enough to send someone to the Conniving Bullfrog Monastery to get my things, I would be glad to pay the fine."
Tallis stays in the back of the cell, playing quietly on his flute. "If you would be kind enough to send someone to the Conniving Bullfrog Monastery to get my things, I would be glad to pay the fine."
"Ahhh ... We will arrange to have someone get your things then ... tomorrow at the latest," smiles the Captain. "Are the rest of you also capable of paying your fines?"
"*sigh*... Violating an ordinance. I am so sorry. Could you please let me know which ordinance so I can be sure not to violate it again. It wasn't an ordinance against fighting zombies was it because I did not actually get to fight any of them myself. Someone hit me when I wasn't looking and I woke up to find myself there with the zombies about to eat me. I am sure that the fine can be paid but maybe you could put up bigger signs warning people of zombies under the town."
"Jakie, they didn't arrest us because we were fighting zombies. They arrested us because we were fighting some place we weren't supposed to. That reminds me. The note we got said to not bring any magic or lethal weapons that weren't padded so this would be a fair nonlethal fight. So, what were you doing with that potion, huh?"
"*sigh*... Violating an ordinance. I am so sorry. Could you please let me know which ordinance so I can be sure not to violate it again. It wasn't an ordinance against fighting zombies was it because I did not actually get to fight any of them myself. Someone hit me when I wasn't looking and I woke up to find myself there with the zombies about to eat me. I am sure that the fine can be paid but maybe you could put up bigger signs warning people of zombies under the town."
"We have found," sighs the captain, "from sad experience that posting signs saying 'Do not enter / Dangerous area / Zombies ahead' attracts the wrong sorts of people. The 'secret arena' has been off-limits for thirty years but, in order to maintain the secret, we have been careful not to tell anyone that. You understand, of course."
"Oh yes, that makes perfect sense in a very weird way," I say to the Captain, and then I reply to Tallis, "The note said no magic. I figured that meant not to use it. I didn't bring it planning on using it."
I think back and say to the Captain, "Sir, I think you will find that there is enough money on the floor of the secret arena to pay for our fines. An intoxicated friend of ours threw a sizable purse of gold onto the floor there earlier in the evening."
"It may ... uh ... take some time to find that. They're still cleaning up zombie parts in there. ... You would have thought that zombies wouldn't bleed much, wouldn't you? Still, ... if what you say is true ... I guess I'm out of luck."
"You were hoping we couldn't pay?"
I think and then grow suspicious, "Say what kind of jail are you running here?"
"You were hoping we couldn't pay?"
I think and then grow suspicious, "Say what kind of jail are you running here?"
The captain breaks out into a grin, "I'm not sure what you're thinking but ... No, it's just that from the reports I received ... and from the fact you made no attempt to escape when my nephew ... Graycloak Hashal ... brought you into custody, you seemed like a likely bunch for a task that needs doing that can't be done by any men under my command. I thought, perhaps, I could pay your fine in exchange for your services. But, if the monastic life no longer involves vows of poverty and service, it's a sad day for all of us I guess."
He's laying it on a bit thick.
"Oh, just tell us what you want us to do already."
"Oh, just tell us what you want us to do already."
"Now Tallis, don't be grouchy. I'm sure the Captain has had a very rough day. I for one would be glad to be of service."
"Oh, just tell us what you want us to do already.""Now Tallis, don't be grouchy. I'm sure the Captain has had a very rough day. I for one would be glad to be of service."
"Third rule of the Conniving Bullfrog. Always honor your contracts, but know what you're signing before you make them."
"Wonderful," says the captain with a smile. The smile seems to startle the junior Graycloaks who act as if a carrion crawler has popped out of the captain's eyeball. "So, we're agreed. You will travel to Fort Gyr and find out why they have not transferred the prisoners from Ashwing Prison. I was told not to worry about it and that the Grand Council has more important affairs and it really isn't part of my duties but it just seems to odd. Besides, one of those prisoners was an old friend of the families and I wanted to welcome him back."
"Oh. I think, I've jumped over several minutes of expository text, but I'm sure smart fellows like you can deduce what I've skipped. Fort Gyr -- prisoners -- no contact -- strange silence -- slight mystery ... you get the idea. Now, if indeed your friend has left a sufficient sum of gold on the floor of the arena, that should cover the costs needed. I will cover your fine on trust that you will travel and return to Fort Gyr, a two day journey each way."
"Agreed? Great! I'll be off then."
The oddly hued gnome pops up from where he was skulking in the corner.
"Does this mean I can renegotiate my charges as well?....I mean being pastel hued and asking alot of questions doesn't seem as bad as tresspassing in a zombie pit.I can't...er don't have 100 duchesses to get myself....it does seem like an awful lot and I need my tools back! Say, did you say Conniving Bullfrog??" he queries in a gnomish soprano turning to Tallis.
"I had heard there were numerous schools of developmental studies here! I am studying trancendent perfection and I was looking for the Leaping Monkey school when I asked that rather slow fellow over there" He gesticulates towards Hashal, "a few questions...apparently that's not quite legal here as his uncle...er the good captain there decided that he wasn't in favor of the way I asked....hmmmn, I thought I said please and sir...well it might have came out like 'You great hairy uncoordinated baboon', but it was purely unintentional!"
This all comes out in a 20 second word bomb and it seems that indeed the gnome might never shut up but he does quite abruptly as if he's used to people taking a minute to catch up. Turning to the captain he blurts "So, what do you say?"
"Sure, I'll do it."
Tallis sits there, trying to ignore the gnome.
Lord Flash sits and listens to what is going on quietly, finally speaking up.
"Well I don't have the money to pay, so in that case I guess I am helping." He sighs audibly.
He turns his head as the Gnome starts to talk and after the little Monk is finished he gives him a disdainful look before turning away to ignore him.
The oddly hued gnome pops up from where he was skulking in the corner.
"Does this mean I can renegotiate my charges as well?....... So, what do you say?"
Captain Runewell stops at the door, turns to listen, listens as long as he can, refocuses his eyes which have glazed over during the 20 seconds of Bandle's prattle, and says, "You must have done something. You were arrested. People don't get arrested for doing nothing. Therefore, you did something. If you did something, you're guilty of it. Simple, right? So, seeing as we all agree you did something, but no one seems to know what that was, you too will have your charges reduced to a fine to be paid in public service."
Runewell leaves and Hashal translates, "He said 'Yes'."
As the Captain leaves, I heave a great sigh of relief, "What a day."
I then ask the nephew, "So, are you going to release us so we can get going. Jails and I do not agree with each other. I am allergic to metal bars."
"Ooo... And I might still want to see a priest about this headache I still have."
As the Captain leaves, I heave a great sigh of relief, "What a day."
I then ask the nephew, "So, are you going to release us so we can get going. Jails and I do not agree with each other. I am allergic to metal bars."
"Ooo... And I might still want to see a priest about this headache I still have."
Hashal points out that the door to the cell is unlocked but, then, crosses the room to open it for you anyways. "Are you going to wait for your gold?"
He's barely finished the sentence before a Graycloak returns from the arena smelling like decomposing flesh and carrying the sack of coins that Drunk Monk threw to the floor.
"Well, there's still some paperwork." Hashal takes an hour to prepare a simple paragraph outlining your agreement. It says that you agree to travel to Fort Gyr to check on a prisoner transfer that was due to be completed several days ago.
"Everything seems in order," I say examining the paragraph, "You don't mention a timetable for the mission though, I assume if we take over a year to get to it your un... uh, the Captain would be upset."
"As for the gold," I say to my companions. "We might want to be splitting it. I know I could use a visit to an apothecary or priest to take care of this headache someone was giving me."
"Sounds fine to me. I could use some supplies too."
"Hey, Jakie, did you get a haircut?"
"Sounds fine to me. I could use some supplies too."
"Hey, Jakie, did you get a haircut?"
I feel my head.
"No, why? Do I need one."
"I know I could use a visit to an apothecary or priest to take care of this headache someone was giving me."
Lord Flash aproximates a grin, it is obvious it is not something that he is used to. "As far as I was aware, that was the purpose of being there."
"No horses is just fine, as my uncle always says, walking puts hair on your feet."
"No horses suits me as well. If you can't walk there it's probably not worth seeing."
As the four monks begin to head Northward towards 'Fort Gyr', a small and by all accounts hopeless settlement closer to the center of Kortos, a wagon slows. It's a spacious wagon, heading in the direction you're going. Lots of room to sit down on soft bales of cloth. The older man driving the wagon slows and scowls at you suspiciously. The two buxom teenage girls in the back smile mischeviously and point there crossbows away from you.
"Um, so are you girls, um, needing, um, do you, um, could we, uh, have a ride."