Chapter 5 - Searching for Innocents

Thursday 11th September

As we headed back to the Drunken Morkoth we decided to save time in the morning by visiting Skie’s Treasury, as Khandalar pointed out there is no time like the present and it was only late afternoon.

We approached the entrance to the shop again, as I looked around the door and the names became obvious to me I had another pang; unless we decide upon a name for our adventuring group we would never have the honour of appearing amongst some of the most prestigious adventuring parties known to Cauldron.

We showed Skie the items we believed to be magical; as she rolled them over in her hands she put each item to the next, by the time she had finished examining them she declared that they were all cursed.

Her eyes narrowed as she explained that the vanishing that had torn through the Gnomish enclave of Jzadirune was a magical disease which most people referred to as a curse. The Gnomes had been experimenting with various forms of magic and combining them, it was during this time the vanishing was created. It infected other magical items and potions created and then infected the users of these items.

The vanishing itself wouldn’t be immediately obvious but slowly as this disease ravaged the body of the victim would become slowly more and more transparent before in the final stage vanishing completely. If a victim did indeed vanish it was not possible to resurrect them.

When the Gnomes left Jzadirune they took the majority of their valuables and abandoned the items they felt might be cursed; the vanishing had wiped out the best of magic users before it had been correctly identified. By the time the reason for the vanishing had been identified it was too far spread within the magic user community to be effectively countered; the Gnome King declared that Jzadirune should be abandoned and all valuable none magical items removed.

After telling us this tale a hush fell over the store, the light seemed to dim and the walls move a little closer.

Skie smiled a little sadly when she said if it would be possible to remove the curse from the items she would be very interested in purchasing them from us.

During her examination of the items she did determine the purpose of each.

The highly polished stick with what appeared to be a closed eye carved at one end was indeed a wand of sleep, Skie estimated there were about 20 charges left within the wand.

The minty green potion was a healing potion and more specifically, cure moderate wounds. The purple potion would provide protection from evil and the last drown potion was in fact a potion of invisibility.

The conversation drifted back to Jzadirune and when Owyn mentioned the big fans in the ceiling and their purpose was unclear Skie laughed and send we meant the air conditioning system. She explained that in some parts of Jzadirune the air became stale as a result of the flow of air in certain areas not being strong enough. The solution for the Gnomes living there was fairly simple; create a way to increase the air flow; so the fans in the ceilings of the affected rooms we added to ensure that fresh air was always available.

Skie was a bit unsure of the actual mechanics of how the fans were operated but was sure there would be some sort of machinery close by to power the fans; after all she said not everything a Gnome does is pure magic.

We all look at each other at this comment as the purpose for the machines in niches in the corridor between the Pulverizer and the Grell becomes clear to us all.

We ask Skie if she has any items that would be able perform magical healing as well as the potions she offers us there are also two wands; one that would be able to cure twenty-two light wounds and the other could cure twenty moderate wounds. While the wands are expensive they are far cheaper and smaller than the same number of potions. The only real disadvantage for the group is that I am the only one capable of using them; apparently I am the only one tuned to healing magic within the group. After a brief discussion simple economics wins and the wands are purchased, much to the pleasure it appeared to Skie.

The conversation carries on for a little longer with Skie even suggesting that Jenya would be able to remove the Vanishing from the magical items we have removed from Jzadirune.

We leave Skie and head round to the Church Of St Cuthbert, when he arrive we are actually greeted by Jenya who seems to be growing slightly impatient with our lack of progress; when we explain the size of Jzadirune and the encounters we have had to overcome she sighs telling us the St Cuthbert is guiding use and that the path will become clear.

We ask her if she could do us a favour and remove the vanishing curse from the items we had recovered from Jzadirune. She takes the items and says that she will do what we can but they would not be available for a couple of days at least. Thanking her and promising that we are making our best efforts to recover the missing children we bid her farewell.

I do feel guilty each time we meet with Jenya, we ask a lot of her but so far have not produced the children that we are charged with finding.

We decide on the way back to the Drunken Morkoth to visit Gurnezarn to sell the arms we have recovered from Jzadirune. We reason we would rather do business with him than one of the Lathamire armouries that are in Cauldron.

He greets us and as we explain where we got the weapons from and that we would like to sell them he asks about the children. Again we explain that we are searching Jzadirune but it is much larger and more dangerous than expected, in fact the recovery of the weapons we have is evidence to this fact.

Gurnezarn looks over the weapons and considers them carefully and then offers five pounds for the short sword and eight pounds for the four javelins. As he makes the offer he also suggests that we accept it because that is the best offer he would make us and tomorrow the offer would be less.

Although trading Gurnezarn might be the better ethical option for the group I doubt it is going to be the most profitable for us; still we took the thirteen pounds and departed wishing him well and he us luck in returning the missing back to their families.

As we walked back from the armourers I kept looking back; it felt as we were being followed or watched. Owyn noticed my glances behind me and with a smile on his face assured me that no one was following us. The smile as always highlighted the scar across his left cheek and the torn ear; I hope for all our sakes that Owyn developed the ability to sense people following him after the events that left him scarred. Checking one final time and seeing nothing out of the ordinary in the dusk lit streets, I sighed and agreed with Owyn the events in Jzadirune have probably just put me on edge.

From down the street I could her music coming from the Drunken Morkoth, which puzzled me some what. Music is usual from the Drunken Morkoth but I didn’t recognise the players there was a very practised edge to the lead instrument. As we approached closer the sounds of a lute became even more prominent, almost as if it was demanding to be heard and still I could her the practised and honed edge to the playing style. The player was talented but the raw natural style that usually accompanies so many inn players was not there.

Kellen pushed the doors open and strolled in confidently; Cass as usual when entering the Drunken Morkoth now was just behind Kellen and glancing around, in fact her head movements closely mimicked the raven sat atop her shoulder. Khandalar strode in with the appearance of utmost confidence, surveying the room as he went.

I walked in looking instantly at the players, the lute was being played by a very attractive women in a pale blue riding dress, I watched her for playing her eyes open looking at the crowd. Anari gasped just behind me, I tore away room the musicians to look at her.

Anari’s eyes were wide, some of the colour had drained from her face and her hand was over her mouth. Owyn had also noticed Anari’s reaction and was looking around for what ever had startled her.

“Annah”, Anari whispered, her eyes locked onto the women in the pale blue dress.

Annah turned slightly to look in our direction and her eyes locked on to Anari. Her eyebrow raised and the corner of her mouth twitched upwards slightly. Her eyes then found and scanned me, I was given a much harder look than Anari; Owyn fared no better under Annah’s scrutiny receiving the same treatment as I.

I asked Anari who this Annah was, stepping in between them to regain Anari’s attention.

Annah it was explained to Owyn and I was the leader of the Stormblades the main adventuring party currently operating in Cauldron. Just as she was about to provide more information she gasped again and seemed to shrink a little as she said, “Gods they are all here”.

Owyn and I looked at the table in the corner that had Anari’s fully attention now, at it sat three people; one a woman with short copper coloured hair and what appeared to be a perpetual scowl. The first of the two men had a full beard and should length light brown hair, his eyes had been locked onto Annah before our entrance but now his gaze has shifting in our direction. Looking at the second man I felt the hairs rising on the back of my neck, I am not sure if it was a combination of the openly leering look he was giving Annah or the fact that he looked greasy; with lank dark brown hair and a weak face I did not get a good feeling about him.

The man with the shoulder length brown hair locked eyes with Anari, smiled and waved to her. Anari started walking towards with slightly reluctant steps; Owyn and I glanced at each other and fell in behind Anari. Following for me was two fold I was curious to meet this Stormblades and I wanted to ensure Anari was okay and kept from harm.

As we approached the table the man with the brown hair stood his smile never faltering, his eyes how ever did not smile when he looked at Owyn and I. The smile in the eyes was replaced with something else, a darker look.

He introduced himself as Zachary Aslaxin, but we should call him Zack, he shook my hand his grip firm and determined shake as I introduced myself as Anari’s brother. The look in his eyes shifted again the darkness was still but it was almost replaced with something else. Owyn got the same firm hand shake with Zack’s eyes narrowed slightly as Owyn introduced himself as a friend of mine and he saw the extent of the damage to the left side of Owyn’s face.

Zach introduces the copper haired woman as Cora and other man as Todd. Cora looked Owyn and myself up and down and then turned back to watching Annah perform while Todd sneered at us. I smile back my eyes fixing on his and staring until he is forced to look away, when he does my smile became more genuine. So these are the people that left my sister to handle three thugs beating up Ord the other night, I feel the tension and anger building up within me, although knowing of the prominent Cauldron families starting anything with these posers would be a very bad idea. Four of the most powerful families are represented at this one table.

Zach invites us to sit, after only gathering a chair for Anari, Owyn scoops up another chair from the next table turns it around and sits next to Cora. It is then I notice the number of scars Cora has on her hands, arms and face; she seems to be wearing them as badges of pride. The scars vary in age and severity with some reduced to silvery lines while a couple are still fresh and very angry in appearance. The scars do not appear to bother Owyn as he immediately starts to try and engage her in conversation.

As I turn to gather a chair I her Zach asks Anari where she has been since the other night when she decided to go off on her own. Anari mumbles something that sounds like she has been hanging out with me and my friends catching up with stories of my travels. My hand grips the chair a bit harder and I force myself to breathe out slowly, turning back with chair in my hand a heavy hand slams on my shoulder.

A very drunk Tyron is in front of me, drink in his hand a very wide smile on his face. In fact for Tyron to be smiling this much an inn or tavern in Cauldron must be nearly out of ale. He drags me over, on very unsound feet, to a table on the opposite side of the inn to the Stormblades at which three other people are sitting all in similar states of inebriation to Tyron.

Tyron virtually pushes me into the empty seat at the table and I order a round of ales from Clara as she pauses for a second at the table giving me a warm smile but the other inhabitants a slightly frostier look. I guess that Tyron has been testing the depths of the cellar here. There are two half elven men and a very drunk dwarf at the table.

He slams his hand on the table slurring it is great to see me again and that he has joyous news; he has joined the Town Guard. After a moment or two I gather my wits and close my mouth, Tyron has always been as he called it an independent contractor, for him to take the coin of Cauldron and become a Town Guard is something I would never have seen coming. When I ask why he has done this his face shifts slightly and he sighs apparently there is less work available for independent persons, merchants are instead hiring established group. Town Guard, he explains, have good pay and there a benefits to being able to go and sleep in the same bed each night.

I introduce myself to the two half-elves who call themselves Fario and Fellian when they speak it is apparent they are not as intoxicated as either Tyron or the Dwarven chap whose head is by now resting on the table. I try to mask my recognition of their names, thankfully at the same time Clara brought the drinks to the table and left with a swirl of her skirt.

Fario and Fellian shared a look, just a quick glance at each other before they spoke again. They explain they are visiting Cauldron with the express purpose to visit and old friend another half elf called I can’t remember his darn name. Since their arrival they learned he was one of the people kidnapped, Fario leans forward and says that he and Fellian have heard stories about a group of adventurers looking for the kidnapped children. When he enquires whether I belong to that group I cautiously say that I am, this time there is a more overt look between them. Fario glances around the smoke filled room with steely eyes, when they again meet mine they have relaxed; he asks if both he and Fellian can accompany the group to see if they can rescue their friend.

A small knot of tension between my shoulders tightens; they have given me a different story to the one they supplied to Gretchen at the Lantern Street Orphanage. Now they are looking for a friend and not investigators for the mayor.

I explain in principle I have no issues with them joining us but I would rather check with everyone else first. I excuse myself to discuss the matter with the others. It does not take long before I go back to Fario and Fellian and say that we would be pleased to have them join us in the morning and say that we plan to be leaving after an early breakfast. When they do join us I will be sure to tell the others to keep an eye on them.

By now the pull of the music is too strong and I cannot hold myself back, I need to play, I have been to long amongst this music without adding to it, I feel it coursing through me.

In front of the players I show my flute an incline my head, the usual way to see if it is okay to join established players in a tavern. Three of the four players acknowledge and welcome me; the fourth Annah does not even acknowledge my existence. As I turn to face the Drunken Morkoth patrons a smile play across my lips, it is eliminated when I lick them preparing to play as soon as I have picked up the melody I let myself join the music and allow it to flow through me.

As I play I look around, Owyn is still talking or at least trying to talk to Cora; Anari and Zach are chatting, Todd is looking at Annah in a most lustful manner. Fario and Fellian have left, although I missed their departure. Tyron is now passed with his head resting on the table just like his Dwarven drinking companion. Cass and Kellen are still chatting and soaking up the atmosphere while maintaining a careful but guarded eye on the Stormblades. Khandalar has stopped reading his books and is now talking to mother, well if he wants to make a fool of himself pursuing her.

I consider the Stormblades a bit more and add it to something Fario said; there are stories about us floating around Cauldron, Zyn refused to let them enter Jzadirune. I know from asking discretely about them that they usually frequent the Tipped Tankard and have rarely been seen here. I smile inwardly at the realisation that they are here to find out about us, for some reason this amuses, pleases and worries me in equal measure.

When the players stop I thank them for letting join them, Annah walks from us without a word to the Stormblades and as one they get up and walk out of the Drunken Morkoth with only Zach making his goodbyes.

Not long after I decide that it would probably be a good idea to get some sleep after the efforts of the day and before the undoubted trials ahead of us tomorrow.

Friday 12th September

We awake early and followed our now familiar routines; Khandalar spent the hour before breakfast pouring over his spell books, idly stroking the head of his ferret. Kellen joked the volcano could erupt and he wouldn’t notice so engrossed in his books everything else mattered naught. Kellen did receive some dark looks for his joke, which he shrugged off with a wry smile and going into the courtyard.

Kellen and Anari clashed steel in the courtyard; their practice sessions showing their differing styles to anyone that may watch them. From my observation Kellen relies more on his strength and the sword combining to create powerful attacks. Anari uses her nimbleness and speed along with strength I never realised she possessed allowing her to create rapid attacks and damaging attacks. Both are interesting dances; Kellen’s dance would suit any tavern, Anari’s dance would not look out of place at a ball. Together they compliment each other in the most interesting of ways.

Cass as she does each morning retreated to the barn loft with her raven Jazz and quietly composing herself; one day it would be interesting to find out what she does think about. Every time she comes down from the loft she appears to glide across the courtyard with a knowing smile playing on her lips.

Owyn went out, looking for interesting things apparently; returning moments before breakfast was ready. His ability to detect food being served is almost as good as his ability to spot a trap in Jzadirune.

I sat and played by flute, my fingers moving as they willed and sending forward and optimist tune that seemed to lift the mood of all that heard it.

After breakfast we waited for Fario and Fellian for half an hour before heading out to Jzadirune assuming that the night of drinking had made them sleep through our arranged meeting time.

As we approach Ghelves Locks we notice that a small crowd has started to form, kept away from the entrance by a small number of the Town Guard. I don’t recognise any faces in the crowd but I assume they are either people with missing friends or family, or simply because they had no where better to be.

Entering the shop I start to feel the nerves building, I loosen my rapier in its scabbard. We approach the Guard that ensure that nothing tries to get into Cauldron from Jzadirune. They smile at us grimly; they have heard our shouts, battles and screams from below and no what were are entering into. We pass without words but rather nods and half smiles.

Descending the stairs as quietly as possible we ready our weapons and once again enter the hall with the laughing masks, the room so no signs of life apart from ourselves. This did not stop use from cautiously moving through the dark corridors towards the corridor with the machines in the niches.

Owyn stepped up to and checked the machines over for any physical traps and when he was happy there weren’t any Khandalar checked to ensure there were no hidden magical traps. When he stepped back satisfied that there was nothing to be concerned about, Owyn moved back to the machines working out how to activate them.

During this time the rest of us stayed out of the corridor and kept watch on the Skulk passageways and doors into the area to ensure that nothing caught us by surprise.

After what felt like hours but in reality was more likely only to be a matter of a few minutes there was a clicking noise. Then a low level rumble just as I was about to ask Owyn what he had done the fans hanging from the ceiling started to turn causing a very pleasant draft and moving the staler air out of the room.

Owyn leaves the corridor and rejoins the group and during the discussion of the direction we should go he maintains a smile on his face. Looking at the map we decide to continue moving in an anti-clockwise direction making use of the areas already explored. We know from the writings of Jenya from the divination and from Zyn that we need to find away down to the Malachite Fortress there are a few places on the map that are likely points and proceeding in the planned route should limit our exposure to Skulks, Dark Creepers and Dark Stalkers.

As we work our way through the Skulk made tunnels Owyn heads back to the room full of fog, apparently following a hunch. When we arrive at the threshold to the room we find the fog has all but been dispersed, there are still some thin tendrils moving along the floor and the shelves that line the wall.

In the middle of the hexagonal room there is a lectern which is in front of two rows of six chairs arranged in a semi-circle. There is a ladder attached to a runner on the shelves to allow it to move around the room. The place feels and looks like a library that has died, the shelves are devoid of any books and the inkwells on each desk have long since dried up.

As we move further into the room four large centipedes rush towards us, each one is a two feet long with thick lurid red stripes on their bodies. As they get closer Kellen seemingly casually swings his sword smearing the two closest to him across the floor and splattering some of the body segments on the walls.

Anari thrusts at the centipede approaching her, skewering it on her rapier. She studies as it slowly stops writhing on the blade and the push the body of with the sole of her boot.

Owyn turns from the carnage cause by Kellen and Anari too late to react and as the fourth centipede reaches him and hits him deeply in the calf. I slash at the creature now attached to Owyn slicing it in half.

Once the head of the centipede is removed from Owyn’s leg and we ascertain that it did not have time to poison him he searches the room finding a secret door.

As we enter the small room a figure of a female Gnome appears in front of us. In place of her left eye there is a large ruby, glancing at Owyn I notice that this is the feature that has his attention the most.

The image of the Gnome then starts talking and introduces herself as Emerstal the Librarian of Jzadirune. It would appear that the purpose of this image is to explain the history of the fall of Jzadirune and the causes and effect of the Vanishing. Once the image of Emerstal completes her message, she smiles sadly and the image slowly fades away.

We leave the library through the secret door I found the other day that leads into a larger room and then into the workshop in which the Grell had taken up residence. On entering this room we are extremely cautious and move through the secret passage and down through Jzadirune going through rooms we have already been in and fought in.

We don’t encounter any creatures on the way through, to a small room with a gear door in the South wall and Skulk tunnel in the West wall. Owyn confidently examines the door with a “J” marked on it and starts working on disabling the trap, after five minutes, there is a barely audible click and Owyn turns away from the lock just as a cloud of green gas spews forth burning his face.

After he recovers his composure and I heal his burns with a wand, Anari with her hand on her hip and pointing casually pointing at the Skulk tunnel with her sword asks if maybe now we can use the easy route.

I cannot help but grin at her comments or the dark look Owyn flashes her; he was burnt by acid gas, his pride is hurt and to top it off for him Anari decides to point out it was all for naught anyway.

Anari goes first into the dark narrow tunnel with Owyn and then myself, Cass Khandalar and Kellen follow on behind. Kellen was ensuring that nothing caught us by surprise while we were in the confined space with everyone stooping to move along the tunnel.

As Anari entered the next room she called out that there was a Dark Creeper ahead of us, as she uttered these words in a harsh whisper I could he the creature from the Under Dark shout in Gnomish, “Attack all intruders”.

As we moved into the room we saw it run down a passageway cut out into the walls of the room. The room was moderately sized with a passageway to the right in the southern wall, the unopened “J” door in the northern wall, the skulk tunnel we just used in the west wall and a similar tunnel in the east wall recently employed by the Dark Creeper. Rubble was strewn about the room but it was heaviest along the northern wall and in the north-eastern corner.

Anari moved 10 feet into the room and vanished! In horror we called out to her and she calmly and quite casually asked what the matter was, in a rush we explained that when she had walked into the room she had vanished.

Anari slowly backed out of the area and became visible again; she said that she could see normally in the area. The room and its contents including us were visible to her. Using a method of trial and error we marked out the areas that were covered by this invisibility. Standing on the rubble near the north-east corner it was quite easy to see that there appeared to be two circles of invisibility present in the room. Khandalar was explaining that this is to be expected as a static invisibility spell has a defined radius resulting from the casters ability; at this point I heard a click and whirring.

Too late I stepped back and the tip of a Pulveriser Automaton arm swung at me with a powerful but glancing blow to the side of my head. I crumpled to the floor, the world spinning and above the ringing in my ears I could hear Owyn shouting for the machine to deactivate.

Minutes later when I have recovered, I find that Anari and Kellen have scouted across the room to the passageway in the southern wall; finding that there was no resistance to their progress they are urging the rest of the party to join them.

Cass and Khandalar cross the room as Owyn helps me to my rather unsteady feet, we then cross without incident. At the threshold to the passageway, I stop and call out “activate” in Gnomish. The familiar sounds of a Pulveriser Automaton starting up and then moving can be heard from the area of invisibility. In Gnomish I tell the Automaton to halt, the sounds of movement can still be heard getting closer to use. Apparently we are still unable to find an Automaton for us to control, it certainly would let us gain an advantage against some of the current inhabitants of Jzadirune. I sigh as I call out for it to deactivate and the noise stops.

As we walk down the passage way I hear impossible sounds; leaves rustling in the wind and bird song. Anari and Kellen gasp as they exit the passageway. When I see what they have walked into I also have the breath stolen from me.

We appear to have walked into the outside, even though I know we are under the city of Cauldron, Thee are two large trees, a blue sky with clouds floating in it. The grass on the floor and the leaves in the trees are swaying to the gentle, warm and fragrant breeze. The sun gently bathes us in a bright and warming light.

Anari starts climbing one of the trees the tension of travelling through Jzadirune suddenly pulled from her, as it was the same for all of us; as I looked around the group I could see the relaxation flowing over everyone and washing the knotted tension away.

I sat on the grass and smiled by face turned like a sun flower towards the sky. I knew it wasn’t real, there were subtle clues that gave it away but at the time I just did not care. For a moment we were out of Jzadirune and away from the constant threat of violent deaths and maiming injuries.

Cass was running her fingers through a patch of flowers and smiling why talking to who was Anari hanging from a branch just above her head, Anari’s long golden hair almost touching Cass’ scarlet hair. Kellen did what so many men of the sword do in time like this. He was sitting with his back on a tree and dozing; the sword a finger tip away from his right hand.

Khandalar, it seemed, had decided not to spoil the mood of this Gnomish glade and was reading his books and making notes in them. He even managed a laugh at himself for swatting an illusionary bug.

With Owyn though things were the same, it is like he has fire ants in his trousers. When the rest of us relax he seems to get tenser, if there had been a small cask of ale in the glade he would probably have relaxed much more easily. He eventually crouches next to me, blocking the sun, telling me there is another passageway in the western wall at the southern end of the glade and that there was a crude passage way cut into the wall on the eastern side of the glade.

I ask if he has checked for any secret passageways as Jzadirune is seemingly littered with them. Owyn looks a little crest fallen; I guess that he had not considered the likelihood of passageways here and immediately went off to search. To be quite honest I just wanted to get him out of my sun and allow to lie back in the soft grass some more.

Only a few moments later Owyn is back telling me that he has indeed found a passageway, hidden in the brambles. I open one eye and squinting in the sun light look at him, there are scratches on his hands, arms and face. You have to give him credit he can be very through.

Owyn in forms the rest of the group and as we gather we decide to leave the glade and explore this new secret exposed by Owyn. He had already checked for traps and ensured the door was open; this leaving the way for Kellen and Anari the two best swords we had to enter first with myself and Owyn following and the Cass with Khandalar.

The secret door opens up through the brambles and as we bundle in I notice that the room is hexagonal with a strong looking wooden floor with chains running through the floor, looped though pulleys and then attached to the floor. There is also a leaver in the south-eastern wall, which is currently in the up position.

Of course these details are not what immediately grab my attention; rather it is the four Hobgoblins stood in the middle of the room looking surprised at our rapid entry.

Owyn quickly darts forwards and stabs one of the hobgoblins who only just manages to stop the blade slicing removing his head, instead there is left an angry and very vicious cut across the hobgoblins face and deep into its shoulder. It screams as blood pours out of the now empty eye socket.

Anari dives into the fight and plunges her sword hilt deep into the hobgoblin. The blade penetrates between the stitching on the armour and exits through the throat. The hobgoblin gurgles and coughs up the dark blood it as Anari withdraws her now crimson blades.

Kellen slams into the third hobgoblin his might sword slicing deep into the hobgoblins body, red pours out of the grievous wound as the hobgoblin falls unmoving to the floor, blood pooling rapidly around the body.

Owyn stabs the hobgoblin again and this time his strike is true and unopposed, the screams of the hobgoblin are cut short as the blade enters its heart.

As Anari and Kellen turn the gaze onto the last hobgoblin, blood dripping from their swords, you can see the panic cross its face. Suddenly it drops the short sword as if it had only just become aware of it there. Both of its hand went straight into the air and it shouted that is surrendered.

I approach warily removing any weapons from the hobgoblin and make it sit on the floor. A mixture of fear and anger never leave its eyes.

Asking it question we discover very quickly that its name is Gord and that he has a small mother that lives in the Under Dark. We press for more pertinent information discovering that Gord works for Kazmojin and that Kazmojei is a slaver, selling the captured citizens of Cauldron to the denizens dwelling in the Under Dark. As Gord continues to explain the disgusting business it becomes clear that the Skulks and Dark Creepers are commanded by a lone Dark One and that they are responsible for kidnapping the Cauldronites.

They are then handed over to the hobgoblins that take them to Kazmojin in the Malachite Fortress. They are held there until the slaver holds an auction for them. Gord describes Kazmojin as the big boss man who is very tall, at least 20 feet. This revelation causes us some concern there are not many half-Dwarves that are twenty feet tall unless the other creature involved was extremely tall.

Kazmojin pays the holbgolins and the Dark One from the proceeds of the slaving transactions. I glance around as I am translating and I can see mixtures of disgust and anger on each of my companions’ faces.

Gord offers to draw a map of the Malachite fortress; which he does in a fashion. Creating a crude map, of what we assume to be the Malchite Fortress. When asked about the details Gord is vague and then admits that he only uses the parts he has drawn he never goes very far into the Malachite Fortress..

After telling us all of this Gord becomes anxious and agitated. He jumps upa dn starts asking us not to go to the Malachite fortress as the boss man would be angry with him. He moves towards Anari reaching under his tunic. Believing that he is going for a hidden weapon I attack him with my rapier. The blow is sound but not fatal.

An enraged Gord strikes out at me and as he does Kelln’s sword bursts through his chest. Gord dies on the sword, Kellen lowers the blade and Gord slides off it and onto the floor.

Owyn walks away from Gord and pulls the lever, there is no need for discussion, the grim mood in the lift as it starts to descend is palpable and this is why we are here.

We are going to find the stolen innocents of Cauldron.

Bran Journal Session6