Session Seven: HAVOC AND HIDEAWAYS

Ralnur’s sudden charge took nearly everyone by surprise. Only Tessel was able to keep her head and respond quickly, running forward to support her new half-orc companion. Together, they swiftly surrounded the captain of the band of Peacekeepers. They hacked and slashed furiously, but the captain was somehow able to dodge attack after attack, until finally Ralnur was able to land a hit with his greataxe. By then, however, the captain was ready to retaliate. He struck at the half-orc with his longsword, striking a solid blow... but in his battle rage, Ralnur seemed to barely feel it.

The others swung into action. Ardwyn landed an incredible hit with a thrown dagger, while Adamir swung in from behind with his twin blades. When one of the Peacekeepers pulled out a crossbow, Valra cast a Heat Metal spell, causing him to drop the weapon and frantically try to remove his red-hot chainmail shirt.

“For God’s sake, get the chest!” shouted the captain. One of his soldiers hurried to pull out a small locked storage chest from the bottom of the wagon and tried to open it. Tessel and Ardwyn moved to stop him, but they were too late. He threw open the chest and pulled out a silver locket, which he clutched tightly in his fist, as well as two swords, which he tossed to the ground beside the wagon before bolting away from his pursuers. But just before he was able to open the locket, Adamir caught up with him and ran him through with a sword.

Near the wagon, however, the two swords that had been pulled from the chest suddenly rose into the air and began flying around, attacking the party. The battle descended into chaos. Adamir dueled with the flying swords, which proved to be nimble and slippery opponents. The captain began to shout orders to his men, but was cleaved in half by Ralnur’s axe. Valra was pursued by a spearman, but when he accidentally stuck his spear into the ground, she used a magical Thunderwave to send him flying back away from his weapon. Ardwyn teleported to her cleverly-hidden Tagger Dagger to assist the druid. In the center of the battle, despite dishing out massive damage with each swing of his axe, Ralnur was taking the brunt of the Peacekeepers’ attacks. Tessel moved in and used her Sancturary spell to protect him. Luckily, when one of the spearmen turned his attacks on the paladin herself, he slipped and stabbed himself in the foot instead.

Gradually, the tide of the battle turned decisively in the party’s favor. Tessel used her healing powers to keep the others in the fight, Adamir began to successfully shatter the flying swords, and Valra used a second Heat Metal spell to put an end to her remaining pursuer. Finally, the last soldier fell, and all was quiet. Ralnur slowly came out of his rage as if waking from a trance. They stripped the soldiers of their valuable armor, as well as the silver locket. Inside the chest, they also found a paper containing the Peacekeepers’ orders to patrol the road, signed with the name “Isabel”.

They were soon interrupted, however, by the arrival of two strangers holding longbows, who seemed unconcerned (or even impressed) by the carnage. It was soon established that these were indeed members of the band of Outcasts that the party was hoping to find. After leading the party into the nearby woods, they blindfolded and tied them up, getting the party’s tacit permission. It was all quite civil. As they were led deeper into the woods, some in the party tried to note their surroundings and memorize the path, but only Adamir was able to keep a clear trail in mind.

Eventually, the two Outcasts removed the blindfolds, revealing that they were standing near a dark crevasse, and they instructed the party to jump in. Adamir, looking down, saw that there was a bright light in the cave below. One by one, they jumped down, landing on a slanted net that cushioned their fall and gently launched them into the cave. The exception was Valra, who stunned everyone present by casting Spider Climb and walking calmly straight down the wall.

At the bottom, they saw the Outcasts’ hideout. A huge tapestry covered one wall of the cave, depicting a beautiful landscape and shining magical sunlight into the cave. The ground was covered with luxurious carpets stained with mud, and one of the Outcasts offered the party a bottle of expensive drink. Apparently, robbing merchants had left them with an overabundance of luxury goods. Near the entrance to the cave, below the net, was a pair of soft leather boots with feathers attached to the ankles; the party recognized them as Jilbin’s Flitter Slippers, which allowed the wearer to fly (albeit very slowly).

Soon the party was approached by Emmon, the leader of the Outcasts, who was unmistakable thanks to his resemblance to his uncle Rawley (excepting his blond hair and grim demeanor). He was upset after hearing that the party had killed the soldiers. “Peacekeepers we can handle,” he said gravely, “but now they’ll send Seraphs.” The party offered him the silver locket and the written orders that they had found on the soldiers, which he gladly accepted. Emmon asked them why they were seeking him out, and they tried to explain that they were hoping for his help against Baldric, but they were met by skepticism. “Let’s cut the bullshit,” he eventually said. “Why are you dressed up like the Dauntless?”

“The Dauntless?” asked Ardwyn. Ralnur explained that it was a nickname sometimes used to refer to the party, originating as the name of a popular tavern song. They asked to hear it, and he began to sing:

In yesteryear the darkness came and gazed upon our land

An evil god of madness reached out with his foul hand

But yesteryear the gods of light upon our land bestowed

A ranger, druid, paladin, a wizard and a rogue

The people and their lords alike knew danger had arrived

A demon loosed upon the land against these dauntless five

They raced to stop its mission to unlock the gates of hell

To take their stand against the foe before our nation fell

They battled monster, man, and beast before they caught their prey

Beneath the earth they saved us when the demon they did slay

Then all at once they disappeared, their dauntless service done

But if the darkness strikes again... perhaps once more they’ll come...

The rest of the party applauded his impromptu performance, and even Emmon had to smile.

Adamir explained that they were exactly who they appeared to be, resurrected 44 years after their death. Emmon narrowed his eyes. “If that’s true, tell me: what’s the last thing you spoke to Rawley about?” The half-elf responded that Rawley had gifted them silver arrows and new armor. “Yes,” said Emmon, “but what did you talk about?” Adamir reluctantly told him about the conversation about his grandfather, while Ardwyn and the others listened intently. When he finished, Emmon nodded. “Follow me,” he said. “I have something to show you.”

He led them into a separate chamber of the cave, separated from the main room by a hanging curtain. On the other side, they saw another magical tapestry depicting a moonlit lake. And on the far side of the room, sitting on a chair with a blanket over his legs, was Rawley.

The former Head Ranger looked to be in his 80s or 90s. His body seemed too small for the bits of old armor he still wore. But when Emmon gently shook him awake, he looked up with sharp eyes and spoke clearly. “I don’t think this is the afterlife,” he commented dryly, “so can someone explain to me what's going on?” Adamir told him about their death and resurrection. “That’s the second time you’ve come back from the dead, Adamir,” said Rawley. “Don’t make it a habit.” He smiled and told Emmon that he would vouch for the party.

The seven of them all shared their stories with the others. It turned out that Rawley had faked his own death when it became apparent that Baldric considered him an enemy, and they had gone underground (literally) after the Rangers were disbanded. (Rawley apologized for not stopping Baldric early, when it would have been easier.) Emmon led the new band of Outcasts to rob the rich merchants, partially to rob Baldric of the potential tax revenue and partially because they could not find a more productive way to spend their time while safely supporting themselves in hiding.

Now, knowing that Cedric and the other clerics were mounting a resistance, they seemed to find a new source of hope and purpose. The party asked Emmon about deposing his brother, the Duke of Revo. Emmon told them that he had always known he might someday need to wrest control of the duchy from his brother, but he asked them to let him do it in his own way. “I know the politics in Revo. I think I can remove my brother from power without assassination,” he said pointedly.

There was only one problem: the other dukes would not look kindly on a former outlaw taking over a duchy. If a majority of the dukes aligned against him, they could prevent him from keeping his new position. At least two of the other dukes would need to commit to supporting him. Ardwyn suggested that the party could help, and she asked Emmon which dukes they should try to persuade. “Cindre and Highrock, certainly,” he told her. “Cindre has always been the greatest opponent of the Regency. And once they’re on your side, Highrock can be encouraged to follow.” The rogue pointed out that the Duchess of Cindre was said to be a supporter of Baldric, but Rawley scoffed at the idea. “I met her when she was just a pipsqueak, maybe eight years old,” he said. “She idolized her grandmother. People don’t change that much.”

The plan slowly came together. Emmon would head to Revo with a few of his men, telling the party that “when I make my move, you’ll hear about it” and to disregard any stories they might hear about his premature demise. Rawley would be moved to Avisha’s shrine to hide with her. Emmon asked what the rest of the Outcasts should do, but without a clear job for them, it was decided that they would continue to hide in the countryside outside the shrine and await further orders.

They also discussed some of the other potential goals that the party might pursue. Emmon claimed that he was certain Baldric was somehow behind the soul sickness, while Rawley suggested seeking out the Red Monks who lived on the island in Lake Balen, since they were said to guard some powerful ancient secret.

When the party mentioned seeking out other allies, however, Rawley became tense. Mustering all his tact, Rawley informed Adamir that his grandfather, who had likely killed his parents, was the one who had unified the Elfwood clans. They treated him as some sort of prophet or war leader, and they were now one of the only forces that openly defied Baldric. “Adamir... it was so long ago,” implored Rawley. “Promise me you won’t seek your revenge. At least not yet. Not until Baldric is dealt with. Please, Adamir.”

An awkward silence filled the room. Valra, seeking to escape it, began to pace the floor, then the walls, then the ceiling. Ardwyn, hoping to join her, threw the Tagger Dagger to the ceiling, teleported up to it, and said hello. Sadly, the dagger did not stick to the stone ceiling of the cave, so the rogue quickly came back down to the ground with a loud and painful crash. On the bright side, this did cut the tension in the room somewhat, and ultimately Adamir agreed that he might be able to delay his vengeance.

The party began to leave, but before they did, they asked Emmon if he could spare any funds for them. He protested that he would need most of the Outcasts’ financial resources for his own work, but he agreed to spare 750gp for the party. They gladly accepted. One by one, they used the Flitter Slippers to ascend to the entrance of the hideout. (All except for Valra, who attempted to walk up the wall again. Unfortunately, her Spider Climb spell expired halfway up the wall, causing her to fall down into the net. She ended up using the flying boots like all the others.) Once they all reached the top, Adamir led them back to the road.

With their new gold in hand, they decided that their next step would be to visit the city of Wayport and seek out Jilbin, the gnomish merchant who had sold them their magic items in Cindre so long ago. After a few days of walking, they approached the city and beheld its gleaming white towers and walls looming over an enormous, sprawling refugee camp. Peacekeepers and local guards patrolled the roads, keeping the refugees away from the travelers. One of them approached the party as they walked, offering to sell them falsified papers, but they refused. After waiting in line at the gate, they were examined closely by a guard, but Valra’s Druidcraft spell (a flower blooming in her hand) and a handful of Tessel’s Zoomy Bloomies succeeded in convincing the guard that they were some sort of floral-themed troupe of entertainers. He waved them on into the city.

Wayport was a small, clean, wealthy city, at least if you ignored the sea of slums and refugees just outside the walls. Ardwyn asked around and quickly got directions to Jilbin’s shop. Like her shop in Cindre, it was located in a back-alley in a high-end shopping district. As the party approached, they noticed an oak tree sprouting through the middle of the cobblestone alleyway, as well as a huge hot air balloon on the roof of the shop. They had clearly found their destination.

Jilbin was sitting behind the counter of the small shop when they entered. “Oh, there you are,” she said happily. “Wait, did we have an appointment? Are you late or am I early?” Without waiting for an answer, she gleefully began pulling out her collection of magic items from under the counter. It was apparent that she had not sold many of them in the past 44 years, but there were a handful of new additions and upgrades that caught the party’s attention.

The gnome was most excited when the party offered to test out some of her inventions. Tessel allowed Ardwyn to apply the “Ceiling Whacks” to her, which slammed her violently into the ceiling before the paladin easily broke its hold. They spent quite a while scraping the wax back together. Jilbin also joyously tested a magical longbow called “Mr. Ballista” on Tessel, shooting an arrow at her with incredible force. Ardwyn also tested the Muffle Puffer (a pipe that could send silent messages) and the Portable Ram (a statue that transformed into an actual full-sized male sheep if you called its name, which was apparently “Rodney”). Valra turned herself into a ram as well and butted heads with Rodney. Seeing this, Ardwyn used her Mouthbeast to have a short conversation with the annoyed ram. Calming down, it soon decided to transform back into a statue.

Adamir briefly snuck out to sell the armor they had gathered from the dead Peacekeepers, getting an extra 100gp in return, as well as a large “feather crest” that was intended to decorate a helm. He then helped organize the party’s purchases, due to their limited funds. Ultimately, it was decided that Tessel would buy the Charmor (a set of plate armor that can charm others until they hear you speak), Valra would buy the Giver Quiver (a quiver that creates magic arrows when you say “thank you”), and Ardwyn would buy the Poser Composer (a lute that allows you to play melodies by plucking random strings).

Jilbin also asked everyone if they had any requests, offering to make them anything they wanted. Valra, still in the form of a ram, just bleated “baaaaaaaaa” in response. Tessel asked for something that would let her use her healing powers at a distance (“like a healing gun,” Jilbin suggested). Adamir gave her the crest he had gotten when selling the armor, which Jilbin accepted with great excitement. Ralnur asked for a big axe, possibly with powers involving blood in some way. Ardwyn asked for a communications device (potentially an “eye pod” of some sort), or perhaps a false mustache that could be double as a set of handcuffs or some other useful object, or maybe something that would allow her to conjure simple illusions.

Jilbin energetically noted their requests, then started to put away the unsold merchandise. It was time to move on...

44 Years Later

[The following is a summary of major events in Rakos since the death of the party 44 years ago, as related to them by Cedric and his friends shortly after their resurrection. It reflects the clerics' limited knowledge and understanding, and it is not an objective, omniscient historical account. This is not necessarily the truth, the whole truth, or nothing but the truth.]

- At the Grand Council, shortly after the death of the party, the main topic was the war between Cindre and Valen over a slice of contested territory. After much negotiation and political wrangling, the duchy of Valen generously offered to stop fighting and to relinquish the territory to Cindre, but asked for a modest payment in exchange and, as a gesture of goodwill, an official pardon for the Duke of Valen's new behind-the-scenes advisor, Baldric. (Avisha suspects that he may have attained this position through mind-influencing spells.) The Duke of Cindre agreed to the deal, though she lived long enough to regret it.

- In the years after their death, the party became famous, thanks mostly to a famous tavern song and to an endless series of stories originating from the village of Fairway, traditionally attributed to a villager named "Old Tuck".

- Baldric rapidly grew his reputation as a competent adviser and administrator. About 40 years ago, five of the dukes (all except for the Duke of Cindre) voted to appoint Baldric as the first "Regent" to the figurative throne of Rakos. At first, the idea was that he would hold very limited power, but could better coordinate the joint endeavors of the six duchies and ensure peace among them. (And indeed, there has not been a true war between any of the duchies since that date, largely thanks to Baldric's mediation and political maneuvering.) But before long, he began to assume a greater role. The Regency (as his administration became known) was authorized to levy its own taxes, and it took direct responsibility for running the Treasury and the Capital Hall.

- About 30 years ago, Baldric established the Peacekeepers, (essentially his own personal army) who were originally intended to patrol the roads between the duchies. Their numbers have grown immensely since then, while the armies of most of the duchies have correspondingly dwindled.

- Also about 30 years ago, Rath (the halfling Sage of the Silver Tower) abruptly announced that he was graduating all the current students in the Tower, kicked out everyone except a small circle of close colleagues, and refused to admit any new students. Visitors are sometimes welcomed, but the few that actually do visit the Silver Tower unanimously report that Rath has gone mad and established a sinister cult around himself.

- The old Duke of Cindre, Lanna Greydale, was known to be a fierce opponent of Baldric. Coincidentally, she and her family were the target of multiple assassination attempts. (Her cousin Galbarth was killed defending her from one such attack.) She ultimately died of "food poisoning" about 25 years ago. She was succeeded by her cousin Saphira, who took a much more friendly stance toward the Regency. However, many rumors claim that she remained a steadfast enemy of Baldric behind the scenes, and it's well-known that Cindre maintains the strongest army among the duchies.

- About 20 years ago, Rawlish Boswell (the head of the Capital Rangers) was killed by wild beasts while traveling. He was succeeded by his nephew Emmon, but shortly thereafter, Baldric disbanded the Rangers, claiming that they were no longer capable of fulfilling their purpose. Emmon and most of the remaining Rangers later resurfaced as a group of bandits calling themselves the Outcasts, robbing merchants on the road between Wayport and Balenor.

- Soon after disbanding the Rangers, Baldric formed a new elite corps of bodyguards and soldiers called Seraphs. They are easily recognized by their trademark uniform (plate armor trimmed with white), and their fighting prowess is widely respected.

- About 7 years ago, Duchess Saphira Greydale and most of her family died in a tragic fire, leaving only one heir: Anna Greydale, granddaughter of the Duke who hired the party. But Duchess Anna was only eight years old. The other dukes agreed to let Baldric take responsibility for her, and she has lived most of her life since then in the Capital Hall of Balenor. She is reputed to be a shy, bookish girl who has passively accepted her situation and supports Baldric's regime.

- In the last six months or so, "soul sickness" has begun to strike the people of Rakos. The symptoms progress from apathy and listlessness to outright catatonia and eventual death over the course of several weeks. Nobody knows the source or cause. The epidemic appeared to start in the northern duchies and is more severe there, but there have been isolated cases throughout the island. Neighboring nations have set up a naval blockade in hopes of preventing the spread of the epidemic.

- In the last year, Rakos has fallen into crisis, which has been greatly accelerated by the emergence of the soul sickness epidemic. The cities and roads have been flooded by desperate refugees. Famines have struck several regions, and when the Regency collects food for its relief efforts, it seems to spread the famine rather than subdue it. To make the roads more safe, the Regency has begun to demand that travelers carry travel permits or risk arrest. Many of those arrested and some of the refugees have been shipped off to be "resettled", but are never heard from again.

Session Six: RUIN AND RETURN

The party exited the Treasury and proudly reported their success to Davros. The gnome was impressed, but warily asked about how much damage had been done. When he was told that “almost everything” had been destroyed, his dismay was palpable. “You’d best go off to the Grand Council, then. I would appreciate it if you would inform the Duchess of Highrock about what happened here.” Ardwyn spoke up: “Oh, I think I forgot my knife down there, do you mind if I go and grab it real quick?” The gnome narrowed his eyes, replying that “we’d be happy to retrieve it for you.” The rogue quickly retreated. “Oh, never mind! Found it right here, haha!”

The party set off for Balenor along the same road they had arrived on. Shortly after they passed an old man in loose brown robes, however, their journey was interrupted when a magical Forcecage sprung up around them.

“Please, calm yourselves. This is merely a precaution,” said the old man. He reached inside his robes and retrieved an object that appeared to be the severed hand of a devil. Adamir drew his bow, while Ardwyn retrieved her Tagger Dagger. The man pointed the hand at Adamir, and one of its fingers curled inward menacingly. The party was alarmed and protested, but he responded with a steady stream of reassurances. “I know it looks frightening, but don’t worry. Forgive an old man his caution.” One by one, he pointed the hand at each of them, and one by one the fingers curled. When he was done, he threw the severed fist to the side of the road.

“That,” he explained in a soft and measured tone, “was an exceedingly generous gift from my patron. The Hand of Belial. It contains, or contained, five words of power. Five of the same word: ‘Kill’. Suffice it to say, I can snuff out your lives in an instant. So don’t try anything...” He made a magic gesture, and his magical disguise faded away to reveal a younger man, with thin features and closely cropped brown hair. “You probably know who I am.” They did: he perfectly matched the description they’d heard of Baldric, the mage (or warlock) who had eluded them so far.

“Answer my questions, and I will let you go,” he told them. “First, who sent you? Who do you work for?” Ardwyn immediately shot back “your mom!” but Baldric merely glared and repeated his question. Daelon was incredulous. “You mean to tell us that you don’t know who sent us?” Baldric addressed him: “of course, Daelon, you are the Duke of Cindre’s lapdog. But the rest of you arrived all at once from afar. Who sent you?” The party looked at each other in confusion. “Yeah, I think you’ve got the wrong idea here,” said Tessel. Baldric seemed confused. “Then why did you risk your lives pursuing the demon?” They briefly explained their various motives, from money to holy idealism.

But Baldric just seemed more and more perplexed. “You’re just... a mere band of adventurers?” He shook his head and continued, speaking almost to himself. “My patron warned me that fate sometimes weaves strange patterns around those like you... that I must not underestimate you. But... I just don’t see it.  You seem so... ordinary.” He looked at them with obvious distaste.

“Another question, then. I offered you a deal: I would tell you where the demon was, if you would agree not to pursue me. Why did you not take the deal?” Ardwyn pointed out that a devil was perhaps not the most trustworthy representative, and maybe he should have sent a different messenger. “Or used a better illusion,” he muttered thoughtfully.

“One last question. I understand that your time in Rakos has been... messy. First the sage, then the assassin, then the demon. And I want to apologize for my part in it. I have no fundamental quarrel with you. I only seek to fix this broken nation. So... if I were to let you go, would you continue to oppose me?”

“If that’s true,” said Adamir, “why did you summon the demon in the first place?” Baldric admitted that it was not his best moment, but said that the demon was Sylvan’s idea, not his. For his own part, Baldric claimed that he desired power, but quickly realized that the demon was too chaotic and destructive to be useful. Fearing for his safety, he told the demon about the Gate scroll to make it go away. Then, realizing that he would be hunted down and punished for what he had done, he sought power elsewhere, praying to the demon’s enemies, the devils. It was confirmed: he had become a warlock, bound in service to a devilish patron.

Tessel challenged him next. “You say you seek to ‘fix this broken nation’, but unleashing a horde of demons doesn’t sound like it would do that.” Baldric answered that he had never believed that the demon would succeed in opening a Gate, and that he knew that the demon and the party were on a collision course. “Better to let you fight, and then deal with the survivor,” he explained. “Also, have you ever heard the saying, ‘never waste a good crisis’? I have a plan, and I needed something to frighten the people of Rakos.” But despite these rationalizations, and despite pressing each of the party members in turn, they refused to give in, and insisted that they would continue to fight his plans.

“I am out of questions,” the warlock finally announced. “Can you guess what happens now?” Tessel hesitatingly spoke up. “We go to the Grand Council?” Baldric slowly shook his head, muttering “they’re always so... stupid.” He raised his hand toward the party, fingers outstretched. Ardwyn quickly spoke up, challenging him once again, but he barely listened. “Trying to keep your enemy talking,” he observed. “A good strategy. But it won’t work.” Suddenly, he closed his fingers into a fist, triggering the spells he had placed on the party, and in an instant, they fell dead.

Four of them (all except for Daelon) woke up a moment later in a basement, surrounded by strangers and feeling awful. Most of the strangers around them were obviously clerics: a stout middle-aged man, a male dwarf, a young woman, and a very old dark-skinned woman. “It worked!” one of them cried. “Praise Bahamut!” In one corner of the room stood a young male half-orc, while in the opposite corner was a bed with the apparent corpse of a female dwarf. The party, needless to say, was confused.

The stout man spoke to them first, addressing Tessel. “What is the last thing you remember? Do you remember slaying the demon?” The paladin confirmed this. “Do you remember me?” the man asked in a hopeful tone. She couldn’t quite place him, but he continued, “I believe the last time we met I knocked you to the floor with a stick. My name is Cedric. I am the son of Celestahn, the priest you spoke to before setting off to slay the demon...

“That was 44 years ago.”

The party was shocked. But Valra, remembering the boy she had met just last week, decided to transform into a panther, and nuzzled Cedric just as she had when he was a boy. He smiled, and some of the tension in the room drained away. “Wait,” said Valra, after transforming back. “Are we zombies?” Cedric rushed to reassure her, “oh no, no, of course not.” He explained that they had been resurrected by the use of very powerful (and expensive) spell scrolls, which were capable of bringing to life those who had been dead for up to 100 years. (Daelon’s body, unfortunately, had been sent back to Cindre for burial at the request of the duke.) Less advanced resurrection spells were unable to do the job, since the party’s hearts had been removed from their bodies after they died...

In fact, Cedric explained, nobody understood how the party had died, since no wounds appeared on their body. What's more, the severed hand of a devil had been found nearby. That, along with their victory over Sylvan and the demon, had led to all sorts of stories and legends growing up around them.

They were known to be great heroes, so Cedric and his associates had teamed up to resurrect them. Over the next couple of days, the clerics told the party much about what had happened during their time in the afterlife. The party was horrified to hear that Baldric now ruled the nation under the title of Regent.

Cedric introduced the party to the others in the room. The young woman was an acolyte of Bahamut’s temple, named Rose, who had heard many of the stories about the party and idolized them. The dwarven cleric was named Thordan Orixbane, a local of Highrock who lived in the shrine where they all were speaking. The old woman turned out to be Avisha, the archer who had once tried to assassinate them as part of Danica’s crew; she had been taken in by a merciful priest of Pelor after her capture, and after a long period of reform and penance (and the magical healing of her once-missing tongue), she had decided to become a cleric of Pelor herself.

Tessel used her Deathoscope to investigate the corpse of the dwarf woman in the corner, and was stunned when it reported the impossible fact that the dwarf had been dead for less than a minute. The party asked the clerics about this. By way of explanation, Cedric introduced the young half-orc, Ralnur Unghart. (Ardwyn was shocked to hear that this half-orc shared her last name, and she gladly accepted Thordan’s offer of several strong drinks. Despite drinking copious amounts as she absorbed the news, she remained surprisingly unimpaired by the alcohol.)

Ralnur told the party about the "soul sickness", a recent mysterious epidemic that apparently sapped its victims of the will to live. When his adoptive mother Lorwyn Unghart fell ill, he sought out his friend Thordan. The cleric did not know of any way to treat Lorwyn, but they decided that he would repeatedly cast Feign Death, a spell that makes someone appear to be dead and which, as a side effect, halts the progress of any disease. It might not be safe to undo the spell yet, but it would hopefully buy them enough time to find a cure.

Ralnur was an interesting lad. Although only an adolescent (12 years old), he was bigger than anyone in the party, with greenish skin and unusual black eyes. Hoping to discover a cure for his mother, he had traveled far to the north, to the old ruins where it was rumored that the ancients had dabbled with powerful magic. There, he found a magical crow’s beak, which spoke into his mind and sometimes granted incredible fighting prowess (though he doesn’t remember what happens when he enters this “rage”). Now, he hoped to join the party and help them in their adventures. He kept the beak in a pendant around his neck, which he referred to as a totem. “I have a totem too! It’s a cat,” said Valra. Ralnur was ecstatic. “That’s so cool! Is there a spirit in that one too?” Valra shook her head. “Oh...” said Ralnur. “Well... that’s still cool!”

The conversation turned to their current situation. The clerics said that they had set up five safehouses scattered throughout Rakos, with each of the safehouses assigned to one of the clerics (plus one assigned to Perrin, the mage they had met in the Silver Tower long ago). The safehouses had protective wards, as well as teleportation circles that could be used (albeit with some expense) to move the party around. The clerics had also recovered the party’s stored equipment, and they had arranged for fake travel permits for each of them, claiming that they were a traveling band of entertainers. Each of them was assigned a fake name in these papers: Arlav, Michelle, Fartwyn, Petey, and Bigboy.

As for the question of what to do next, the clerics all had ideas:

• Thordan said that the party needed money and equipment, and he suggested that they return to the Treasury and rob Baldric’s regime of its wealth. Security had been improved since the party’s earlier visit, but their earlier experience would still be an advantage. 

• Rose said the party needed information about Baldric’s plans. Who better to speak to than Rath, the new Sage of the Silver Tower, and the only one who knew Baldric before his rise to power? Admittedly, everyone knew that Rath had gone mad nearly 30 years ago, but surely they would be able to persuade him to help.

• Avisha said that the party needed to find allies. She suggested either making contact with the clans of the Elfwood (who had recently begun fighting openly against the Regency) or replacing the Duke of Revo (an ally of Baldric) with his brother. This brother, Emmon, was the leader of the Outcasts, a group of bandits that formed out of the remnants of the old Capital Rangers after they were disbanded by Baldric.

• Cedric, finally, said that the party needed rest most of all, but perhaps there was a way to find money, information, and allies all at once. The new Duchess of Cindre was fifteen-year-old Anna Greydale, the granddaughter of the duke who had originally hired the party. Baldric kept her practically imprisoned in the Capital Hall in Balenor, ostensibly to tutor her. Thanks to the efforts of her forebears, Cindre was a hotbed of unrest against Baldric’s regime, and rescuing the Duchess could be extremely helpful. The only problem was that, according to those who had spoken with her, the Duchess was a willing prisoner and a passive supporter of the regime. 

The party gathered together to discuss their options. Ralnur walked in before too long, asking his “auntie” if he could join in. Still shocked by recent events, Ardwyn lashed out at him. They walked outside together, and Ralnur tried to explain his feelings. “It’s just... you’re so cool! And, I just wanna kill stuff with you, and I was thinking that, y’know... maybe we could kill stuff together?” They spoke a bit more about his mother and his upbringing, before Ardwyn softened her tone and invited the young half-orc to join them in their discussions, as long as he wouldn't call her "auntie" anymore. They went back into the shrine’s basement to rejoin the others.

At first, Adamir suggested that their best bet was doing as Thordan said and robbing the Treasury so they could afford better equipment for the trials ahead. Tessel objected to the idea of outright theft, and instead suggested that their best bet was following Avisha’s advice and deposing the Duke of Revo, possibly through assassination. “Wait a sec,” said Ardwyn, “is the paladin seriously talking about offing someone?” Tessel explained that it was righteous to slay evildoers, but, thinking along the same lines, she also began to reconsider the idea of stealing from the Treasury.

Other concerns were voiced. Valra said that she wanted to keep a low profile, especially while they were still believed to be dead. Ardwyn suggested minimizing their travel costs, and argued that trying to “rescue” the Duchess of Cindre was a big risk if she didn’t actually want to be rescued. Perhaps it was better to stick to situations where they could be honest about their identity, rather than immediately getting involved in a messy and unfamiliar political situation.

After much conversation, the party made a decision. The next day, they approached Avisha and told her that they wanted to help find the Outcasts and depose the Duke of Revo. The old cleric smiled and told them that they would need to teleport with her back to her safehouse: a shrine along the road between Wayport and Balenor. The Outcasts were based nearby, and often robbed the merchant caravans along that road. After saying their goodbyes, the party squeezed into the teleportation circle with Avisha and disappeared. They immediately arrived in a cozy room situated underneath an open-air shrine. Avisha pointed them in the right direction, and they set off on the road again, for the first time in 44 years.

Shortly after reaching the main road, they encountered a wagon, filled with six Peacekeepers and their captain, who called out to them: “Halt, citizens!” Ardwyn immediately hid behind a boulder. The captain, showing a nasty disposition, approached the rest of the party and demanded to know their business. Ralnur met his eyes and offered their falsified papers, claiming to be entertainers. The captain glared and examined the papers for a long while before handing them back. “You should be more careful. It’s dangerous to travel these roads alone.” Seeing that the coast was clear, Ardwyn left her hiding place, claiming to have been dealing with some private business. The captain grimaced and refused to shake her hand.

His troops, however, were distracted by the party’s cover story. “Do a trick!” called out one of them. Thinking fast, Tessel reached into her pouch of Zoomy Bloomies and threw a handful of them toward the captain. He drew back and drew his sword, sputtering, but he relaxed as the seeds sprouted into colorful flowers, drawing scatted applause from the soldiers on the wagon. Adamir, meanwhile, tried his hand at juggling as he walked around the side of the wagon. He quickly fumbled, and had no better luck at balancing arrows, but even these failures were entertaining to the soldiers on the wagon, who showered him with jeers and mocking laughter.

Ardwyn spoke to the captain, begging to be allowed to travel with the Peacekeepers for protection. He refused, claiming that it was against policy. But he took a more gentle tone when she pretended to be horribly frightened, and he offered to wait with them until a merchant caravan showed up.

They briefly considered this offer. But suddenly, Ralnur let out an ear-piercing “CAWWWWWWWWWW!” The half-orc drew his great-axe and charged toward the soldiers...