Rage surfaces on the evening of June 28th with the results.
She also advises that when she picked up the first longsword she was shocked for 8 hit points, and the blade ordered her in common to never touch it again!
"Is it evil?" Niko asks.
"Can you find out, Edelle? Ummmm...please?"
"I don't have the spell memorised," she replies, "Do you?"
Dor pokes at it. "What kind of sword are you?"
When he touches it, Dor is not shocked.
"I like you," says the sword. "Pick me up."
"Dor, we had a problem with a sword before. Do not pick up the weapon until we do further tests."
Rage rolls her eyes.
"Talking swords can be quite challenging to wield," she says, "And if it has any sort of an ego, we're in trouble."
"Be silent, woman," the sword says, "Your place is in the kitchen. I will not harm him. We share the same ethos."
"I sense trouble here," says Malvis cautiously, "And, quite possibly, a struggle of wills. Dor, can you wait a little before you pick it up? It may have plans for you."
"My plan is find a wielder fit to use me effectively so that together we may destroy evil and chaos," the sword replies.
Dor looks from the sword to Kailar to the sword to Kailar to the sword...
"Well, I promised to follow orders," Dor says. "But what kind of tests are you talking about?"
"Can a sword lie? It sounds like a lawful good sword to me," says Malvis. "Maybe we could let Dor try it."
"The problem is that it is seems to be a very strong-willed sword. And it may be able to take over Dor's body." Kailar looks at Dor for a minute. "That might not be entirely bad.
"Dor, ask it what powers it possesses."
"OK," Dor agrees looking at Kailar. He picks up the sword, "What powers do you have, besides seeking to get rid of evil and bring the rule of law to the land?"
A funny look comes over Dor, as he realises that he is not being controlled by the sword.
"I have many abilities," the sword replies, "I can detect magic, gems, secret doors, elevator rooms and shifting walls, plus I can read maps and understand many writings. In fact, I am considerably more intelligent than you are, but that is alright, as I need your strength to wield me."
"My name is Dor," the man says. "What is yours?"
"Bill. Pleased to meet you."
"And I am certainly pleased to meet you, Bill," Dor replies. He finds an open space and says to Bill, "Let's dance a little."
He then launches into some practice swings, lunges and parries.
Bill handles very well.
"Yes, pleased to make your acquaintance indeed."
Kailar shakes his head sadly at Dor and begins to understand the headaches that Kadlian gets.
"I did not ask you to pick up the sword. I asked you to ask it questions."
"Bill, will you give your word that you will not try to usurp control of Dor for your own purposes?"
"To the likes of you?" the sword replies to Kailar. "Of course not."
"OK, we have a talking sword named Bill and a bunch of other stuff that may be useful to others. We should divvy up what looks useful and head back to get the lich. I suspect the two wands are useful, but the one with the word terror may be a wand of fear, and that is of little use against undead. The ring of what looks like invisibility is a good one for another spell caster. Other items that look useful now?"
Kadlian gives Kailar a little smile of sympathy. "You did your best, Kailar."
He speaks to the sword.
"How about to me, Bill?"
"You are almost as lawful and honest as Dor, though not quite so good," the sword replies to Kadlian. "In fact, I sense that a change will come across you if you keep to your current path. I encourage that. Until then I will not give my word to you."
Niko picks up the cube.
"I'd like to have this, if no one else wants it."
"What do you think it does again?" the mage asks, "I'm curious, and perhaps more information can be gleamed at a later date."
"It's a tower...or at least it becomes one if you know the proper command words...that'll take time to decipher, though."
Niko puts the cube down as he goes to memorize Identify.
"Learn what you can, Niko, but please do not assume ownership of the item. I will let you be the custodian, but I want this artifact to remain a party item. I am still kicking myself for letting Hlarn walk away with that girdle of giant strength. I should have asked that he return that item back to the party."
Niko shakes his head in disgust.
"Here we go again with this party magic crap..."
"And I know you do not agree."
"And Dor and his sword are another problem we need to deal with."
"Which of our spell casters do not currently have a ring of invisibility?"
Malvis coughs twice, quietly, then steps forward shyly, and says "I have no magic but this wand. I could use an item that let me fade from combat temporarily."
"Okay, we have one candidate. Anyone else?"
"The other longsword should be used by whomever in our party does not currently have a magical weapon. I am guessing that means one of my followers."
Vastelle raises her hand hopefully.
"Do we really want to go toe to toe with the lich now or sweep through some more sections of easier monsters?"
Kailar says, "Dor, he seems to like you. Why don't you ask him? It is, after all, your life."
Dor responds to this a little huffily. "Bill is on the side of law and good. And so am I. In my book it is neither lawful or good to take someone over nor make them do something against their will. And I doubt that Bill does."
"You obviously have never ran into a paladin, Dor. Just ask him, Bill. We have had the unfortunate pleasure of having a former member of our party taken over by a sword and the results were not pretty."
Kadlian says to the sword, "Thanks for the warning, but if you will not give your word, then we will have to separate the two of you. Dor has the right to lead his own life without you making decisions for him. And if you cannot promise to let him make those choices on his own, then you are not good for him."
"That is his decision, not yours," the sword replies.
Regaining his usual cheerful mood, Dor glances at the pile of treasure. "You know there are other unclaimed magic items here? I do not want to be greedy or anything. I am very happy to have Bill here. But is anyone interested in this magic shield? And what is the story on this splint mail? Bill, can you tell anything about it?"
"The armour and shield were worn by my previous owner," the sword replies, "Who died defending the Empire against the Black Wizard's invaders. They served him well...though perhaps not well enough."
"Do you remember if either of them had any special powers?" Dor asks.
"I do not remember anything exceptional about them."
"If no one else lays claim to them, then you may have them. If someone else wants them as well, then you both roll the dice to see who gets them. Higher number wins. And that includes all of my and Sian's followers."
Rage weighs in on Niko's side concerning magic division.
"Count me in on that too Kadlian," the mage says. "We need to rethink our division of treasure and the like. Part of our reward is gaining items like this tower, and the girdle of strength. I do not know about this item, and hope that Niko will allow me to help discover what makes it tick. However, since he has expressed a claim on it, and no one else has, I say it is his. We cannot continue to live in this quasi-communist communal property rights zone."
Kadlian sighs. "Very well. We can put it to a vote. Those who want to change the magic distribution to be lifetime ownership of the item, say 'Aye'. Those opposed, say 'Nay'."
Malvis, who has been following the exchange between Rage and Kadlian closely, responds with an "Aye" to Kadlian's request for a vote, adding, "I certainly believe in private ownership. Some of us have little enough, and doubt the wisdom of 'communal ownership'."
"We'd better think carefully on this. The crystal ball has been very useful to us. Do people really want to grant me the ability to sell it, if I so choose?"
"Ultimately, yes, it is better that possibility than to get used to an item and then have it 'pulled' away from you for the 'common' good. I do not want to go down that path any further," the mage says, "All I would ask is that if you wish to sell an item, please give others in the group the right of first refusal, meaning sell it to someone inside the group before you sell it to an outsider."
Niko shrugs, "What we want is irrelevant, if it's yours and that's what you want to do. But if you want to sell it, I'll buy it."
"What I am proposing is the following. If you take an item from what we have recovered, it's yours. However, if there comes a time you wish to sell it, then please offer it to a member of the party first. This right of first refusal is a reasonable practice, and does not prevent you from selling to someone else, if the person in the party cannot match the price you are asking," Rage replies. "Is that so unreasonable? Would you prefer that everything was owned by the collective?"
"I prefer that people be able to do as they please and be bound by the goodness of their moral obligations instead of others."
"And no, I don't believe in everything being owned by the collective."
"Like I said, if you wish to sell something you have claimed, all I would ask is that members of the party get first rights. And besides, I will buy the crystal ball," she says, sticking her tongue at Niko. "You got the magic tower."
Niko shrugs. "If he doesn't want to sell it to the party, he doesn't have to...if you own it, you should have the right to do with it as you please."
"And as for the crystal ball, no way! It goes to the highest bidder!"
Niko grins, "Ahhh...mercantilism at it's best!"
"I am not interested in selling the crystal ball. It was an example. If I were to sell it, it would not be for money."
Niko scratches his head. "Another pet?"
"What?"
"Would you sell it for another pet...ya know, like your kitty, Sir?"
"Sir is not a pet."
"Ok...poker player?"
Concerning Dor and Bill, Rage observes, "It seems to have dealt with itself quite well."
"I am not convinced that Bill will not take over for Dor."
Kadlian says to Vastelle, "As long as there are no other claims."
Rage takes the magic sword in question and hands it to Vastelle. "Take it, and use it well. It looks good on you."
The elf looks to Kadlian.
Kadlian nods. "Take it."
"Let's clean out our back, and then we can see what we have," Rage says. "Let me cast an invisibility spell on the wands to see if that can reveal their command words."
"Okay. You have an hour and then we move out back for the keep."
"Now to these wands, to see what they do."
It looks like Dor takes Bill, Vastelle takes the other sword, and Niko takes the cube. When Rage casts detect invisibility she spots a command word on the second wand: "burp".
"Hmmmm...perhaps it's the rare Wand of Indigestion?"
"Edelle, do you need anything?"
"If it's open to anyone then I'll take a ring."
Niko looks to see if there are any objections.
"Which one?"
"Malvis also expressed an interest in the ring of invisibility. So, since you two were the only ones who were interested, you can roll for it."
Malvis looks toward Rage, and asks, "If I may, may I take the wand? I have only the one wand you gave me as an item, and, although I am brave, I sometimes worry about my survivability. We Illusionists can use few magic items compared to you wizards, but wands are the one thing we can use freely."
"Actually it was the other one I was interested in," the woman replies.
Kadlian raises an eyebrow. "As if you need to be any more beautiful. Actually, I was thinking about putting in a claim for that myself. It might help with my leadership a bit, if I was a better looking."
"Also, I think we should spread those envelopes around to everyone. If it really makes invisible things visible, it might prove great use if everyone had some."
"Dor, no one has claimed an interest in the splint mail and shield, so you can take them. However, before anyone else takes anything, I think we should have one of our clerics cast a few augury spells to make sure nothing is cursed."
"Rage, do you remember how Hlarn used to do that?"
Dor changes into his new armor and leaves behind his normal chain mail and shield and longsword. As he sheaths Bill, Dor grins and says, "Ready to go."
"Go for it, Malvis. Anything to keep you alive and add to our attacks," the mage says. "Is anyone else interested in the ring of invisibility?"
Concerning the ranger's hopes of improving his leadership abilities with the ring, she says, "Kad, I don't think that it will help. Once you open your mouth, all bets are off. And you can't fool us."
Kadlian laughs. "Not with you folks, but outside the party. It is too late with you guys."
She then answers his question about auguries.
"Yes, he would strip naked, under the light of a full moon. Then he would begin to build a big fire and dance around it, scaring off the evil spirits with his dwarven nakedness. Once that was done, he would immerse himself in mud and then ask questions over and over again, while banging his head on the ground. Of couse, there is obliate chant of 'I'm not worth,'" the mage says. "What do you think I am, a cleric? Ask someone who can cast a spell of that nature. Let's get going."
Kadlian rolls his eyes. "You are fiery today. No, I meant by what method he used to determine what was cursed and what was not. I think he split the treasure in two parts and checked them. If either party indicated there was something wrong, he would split that pile again and again until he found the cursed item or items."
Rage looks at Kadlian. "If you knew, then why ask me? That method will work as well as any other."
Kadlian chuckles. "Until you gave me that little speech, I did not remember."
"I happen to like my version better." the mage says.
Kadlian laughs. "I am sure you do, but I am not going to recommend it."
Rage thinks for a moment, "Yes, you are right, seeing a naked dwarf is just too...ummm...well...gross."
"And that is being polite!"
"Are we going?" the mage asks, changing the subject.
"Sure, we can deal with the rest of the treasure tomorrow."
Off you go. It is afternoon.
As you walk through town you pass through the central square by the bridge. A row of upright iron spikes are there, and impaled on their points are the severed heads of a number of orcs, kobolds and men.
Justice has been dealt against those who would stand against the might of the Empire.
Back in the dungeon, you complete your exploration of the first passage.
All of the doors on the east side open into 10' square cells. You have done in all of the threats which once resided there.
The north door on the west side opens into a narrow room (10' X 30': 20' north) while the others lead into 10' X 20' rooms (10' north). All are now deserted.
You open the north door and head east down the passage. It is as previously described.
Dor unsheathes Bill. "Any traps or shifting walls or secret doors, Bill? Feel free to speak out if you detect anything of the sort as we go deeper into this dungeon."
"Will do. I detect nothing shifty or secret, though I'd watch that elf who smells of halibut."
"Hey!" Niko exclaims as he draws his cutlass and shuts his eyes. Slowly he turns toward and points his cutlass toward Bill "Ha! Dwarf's Envy says that he senses a sword who's wit and edge are as sharp as a plank!"
"Your sword is about as perceptive as you, then," Bill replies sternly.
"Let us try the door on the north wall. Dor, Windul, Edelle, guard the southern passage. Kailar, check the door and open it up. Niko and myself will be right behind you. The rest of you stay back in this passageway just a bit."
Rage complies, invisible via her ring.
Malvis also complies, thrilled to activate his new ring of invisibility.
Kailar checks the indicated door for traps, listens at it, and unlocks it as necessary.
Niko draws his cutlass and dagger, awaiting the door to be openned.
Rage begins to twiddle her thumbs.
"Patience, patience," she says softly to no one in particular.
Niko regards Rage curiously. "Since when do you countenance wounding them instead of killing them? Plus, I'm not sure Nick the Healer wants that kind of patients."
"Shush. Kailar is working, listening at the door and the like. We'd better be quiet and not disturb him," she says, putting an invisible finger to her lips.
Malvis smiles invisibly at the exchange, afraid to make noise while Kailar listens at the door.
All of Kailar's attempts come up negative, so you open the door.
Through the doorway you see a 10' wide passage running east for 60' and out of sight. The air seeping through the doorway smells...older...and the stonework of the floor, walls and ceiling seems to be more ancient and of higher quality than that of the passage you currently stand in.
Niko turns invisible and then uses his cutlass' various detect abilities.
"Kailar, please close the door and bar it with a spike. We will move on to the next door in this passageway."
Kailar closes the door and bars it with a spike.
You move on to the next door in this passageway.
That is the door in the east wall at the north end.
Kailar does his thing and then you open it.
You see a room (10' X 20': 20' east; door in south wall west end). It is bare.
You open that south door.
You see a similar room (10' X 20': 10' east; door in south wall across from you; door in west wall). In here are a number of packs and sacks, which you discover contain food, clothes and odds and ends. Apparently this was where the bandits laired.
You open that south door.
Now you see a 20' square room (10' east, 20' south, door in west wall north corner). Going by the clutter in here this was the kobold lair. Searching, though, you find nothing of interest or value.
You open the west door and reenter the passage.
So it goes...the last two doors on the east wall open into identical 20' square rooms. In the most southerly room you find a pair of wooden sandals and that is it.
Working your way up the west side, you find that the southernmost doors open into 10' X 20' rooms (10' west). In the second room from the end is a long blonde wig...otherwise you find nothing else. The final door opens into a 20' square room (20' west, 10' south). You find a well-used brass brazier in here.
"Hey," says Bill to Dor, "That wig is magic!"
"What type of magic does it radiate? Alteration?" Niko asks Bill.
Bill does not answer the fishy elf.
Dor snickers with a wink a Niko.
"Let's collect the wig and someone can try it on later," Dor suggests.
"Kailar, unspike the other passageway. We go that way now."
"Bored...bored...bored..." the mage says.
Kadlian shows you his map.
The invisible mage speaks. "Yo... Kad-li-an. We gunna kick some monster butt soon? I'm getting bored here, and youse don't want a bored Mage, doues youse? Short Illusionist dude, anything a knocking at dat door dhere?"
The rest of you see the blonde wig floating in the air, it seems, over by the source of the voice.
"Uh, if you're referring to me, Rage," says Malvis hesitatingly, for his mistress had never spoken to him that way before, "I don't hear a thing. But then, I wasn't listening too closely, either."
"NO Mal-man. I was talking about the man with the cat. The one with groove," Rage replies.
"No, Rage, I do not want a bored mage. We will find something to fight soon, I am sure. Oh, and please take off the wig. It is not invisible like the rest of you and it sort of makes you stand out."
"What wig, K-man?" the mage asks. "You think I'm some sorta dame? One of those wierdo cross-dressing girlie men? Them's fighting words."
"Well, if it is not a wig, what is on your head then, a fedora?"
Kadlian sighs fearing that Rage has just put on a wig that is cursed.
Meanwhile, the short illusionist dude has unspiked the door and as the conversation waxes you head down the passage to the east.
From the wall at the west it runs for 110' in all, then ends. In the 80' - 90' section of the north wall is a door, and in the 90' - 100' section of the north wall is a passage running north.
While Kailar checks out the door the rest of you look north up the passage. It runs for 20', turning east after 10'.
Meanwhile, Kailar reports that he hears no noises except for Niko's indigestion and finds no traps in the door.
"Kailar, open the door. Dor and Windul, watch that passageway. Edelle, please guard behind us in case there was some secret door we missed and something tries to sneak up from behind."
Dor gets out a mirror and looks to see if he can see himself.
The gnome actually manages to open the door on the first attempt.
Through it you see a room (10' X 20': 20' north).
In here are five hobgoblins, sitting around drinking cheap beer (undoubtedly stolen from the kobolds) and smoking funny-looking cigarettes.
They jump up, grab their swords, and rush at you!
The bored mage casts magic missile at the hobgoblins, 2 spells worth.
Niko snorts and lays them low with a simple Sleep spell.
Kadlian sweeps into the room, both swords flashing and attacks the hobgoblins.
All of the hobgoblins drop, thanks to Niko.
Simultaneously, Rage blows one to bits with a magic missile spell, while Kadlian hews one to pieces, just for the exercise.
Kadlian looks at Niko, extreme frustration on his face. He takes a few deep breathes. "Okay, folks. Until we get to some truly worthy foes, no more sleep spells. Because, based on the morality of some of us, it creates complications. Now, we have three prisoners that are just going to be killed by the constable. It would be much easier to do it in this dungeon. Less work on our part, okay?"
Niko shakes his head. "What kind of logic is that, Kad? You're willing to slay foes that we obviously outclass, but you're not willing to kill them while they sleep, even if it prevents us from being hurt..."
"It is not a line that I draw, but others in our party do so, like Dor. It makes little sense to me, Niko." Kadlian sighs. "Tie them up and check carefully for weapons. We will leave them here while we explore more and come back for them on our way out."
Rage, however, slits their throats.
"We send a message to the others here. There is a new Sheriff in town."
Dor shakes his head sadly. "Your are treading on the path of evil when you do that. And evil is what we are supposed to be fighting."
"Yea, yea, yea," Rage says. "Talk to the hand."
Kadlian looks at Rage and then at Dor. "Well, that is one way to handle it."
Kadlian sighs again. "Okay, check this room for secret doors and see if there is anything else of interest and then we move on to the hallway."
Searching the room, you find nothing of interest or value. Even Niko is repelled by the kobold beer.
You depart and head up the passage to the north. Looking around the corner to the east, you see that the passage continues for 60' and on, as measured from the back wall. There is a door in the north wall, 20' - 30' section.
"Secret door here!" calls Bill from the back of the party. He is pointing at that 10' section of wall on the east side of the north passage.
"Whew! Stinks more than week old fish in the bilge!" Niko comments regarding the beer.
Niko goes invisible again and waits for the gnome to open the door.
"Kailar, please do the honors and open the secret door."
Opening the secret door, you find yourselves looking into a wine and beer cellar.
Niko's eyes goes wide as he heads toward the barrels to sniff them for ale.
He smells ale, and his nose never lies concerning matters so dear to Niko's heart.
He then checks the wine bottles for their vintage.
They are finely aged, the youngest being some six years old.
"Not now, Niko. Besides, this is obviously someone's liquor cellar and you cannot assume it is abandoned."
Niko curses. "Never a portable hole around when you need one."
"Mark this room well, Kadlian...I'll be wantin' to come back here later..."
Dor takes one at random and wraps it in a spare shirt in his backpack.
"You never can tell," he mutters.
"Kailar, please investigate the stairs and determine where this entrance to the dungeons comes out into the town."
Kadlian listens at the door while the gnome heads upstairs.
The elf hears nothing at the door.
After a few minutes Kailar returns, and advises you that the stairs lead up to the ground floor of a tavern...behind the bar. A man and a woman are behind the counter, serving drinks to a few patrons and polishing glasses. No one noticed him.
"Put it back, Dor. It is not yours. It belongs to whomever lives above."
"I thought this belonged to the creatures living underground," he replies as he returns the bottle.
Niko sighs. "Figures...kobold and hobgoblins could never make something that smelled this good!"
"Kailar, would you recognize the place if you were to come in the front door instead of the cellar door?"
The gnome thinks so.
"Good. I want to come back to the tavern later and find out if the owners know anything about the secret door. They should bar it from inside so that nothing can get into the town through their tavern."
"Okay, let us check this door and see where it leads."
Opening the door, you look into a 10' X 20' room (10' east, 10' south). Obviously sleeping quarters for the tavernkeeper and his wife upstairs, you see a double bed, a few chairs, a table, chest, dresser and a footstool. Otherwise, the room is unoccupied.
It is late afternoon.
"Back into the hallway and check that door that is in the north wall."
Moving up to that door, you look ahead down the passage. In all it runs for 90', turning north again after 80'.
Kailar checks the door in the north wall.
As he puts his ear to it the door suddenly drops off the wall, slamming to the floor!
The gnome is fast enough to leap aside, but Kadlian, standing close by, is not, and the door lands on him, flattening him for 16 hit points of damage.
All that can be seen of him under the door are his splayed arms and legs.
Kailar announces belatedly that he has detected a trap.
Behind the door is nothing but wall.
As Niko moves to lift the door off Kadlian, he comments, "So much for our vaunted talking sword!"
"Who, me?" asks Bill.
"Yeah, you...you worthless piece of slag! I thought you could detect traps!"
"Well, you don't think very well then, do you?" retorts the sword.
"Are you saying that you don't detect traps?" Niko asks.
"Yes!"
"Ummm...well, I guess that's why Kadlian put Dor in the back!"
"Hey," Dor calls out. "Bill is way back here and the trap was way up there. How do you expect him to know if he is not in the area of the trap? That's what you get for having me in the last rank."
Niko shakes his head "Excuses, excuses, excuses..."
"Kadlian, considering the rather low caliber of opponents we've found so far, perhaps it would be better to move Dor up front," Niko suggests.
Kadlian helps Niko with the door from underneath.
"Thank you, Niko."
He then uses his two cure light wounds spells on himself, for 10 hit points of healing.
Rage begins to laugh very hard.
"Good spell Kailar, detect traps 1/2," she says. "I wonder what is on the other side of that wall that it is trapped? How about some reconstructive surgery? Say a rock to mud?"
"As long as you do not bring the wall or the roof down on us."
"Well, you did bring the door down," the mage says, "But since I am not a dwarf, I cannot attest to the strength of this area. Any one of those magic sword things sense any hidden doors?"
Niko uses Dwarf's Envy to find any sliding/secret doors, as well as gems/treasure.
"Guess we head down the passageway to the east and see if there is anything else. Oh, and Bill... Please volunteer such information in the future."
You move forward to the corner.
Looking north, you see that it is just a 10' jog and then the passage continues east. In the first 10' section is a door.
"Secret door back here!" calls out Bill from somewhere at the back. Dor's sword is pointing at the north wall, 60' - 70' section as measured from the west end.
"Thank you, Bill. Kailar, please do the honors."
Niko makes sure he's not within striking distance in any direction the door could swing.
Kailar follows through with his usual routine and then opens the secret door.
On the other side is what appears to be a common room (10' X 20': 20' north; doors in left and right walls at the far end). In here are some tables and chairs. Otherwise it is unoccupied.
The room is quite clean.
"Kailar, first the left door and then right one."
Kailar hears nothing at either door and detects no traps.
You open the west door.
This reveals a kitchen (10' X 20': 20' west; stairs up in north wall west end; locked door in west wall; open door in south wall east section). This room is a kitchen, furnished with the usual adornments. Like the room before it, it appears to have seen recent use.
Through the open door to the south you see another room of similar dimensions and orientation. In here are five human warrior types in splint mail and shield, armed with broadswords, sitting around a table playing some sort of game evidently involving lots of different dice, books, maps and notes. One of them sits behind a vertical screen so that his notes cannot be read by the others.
When they see you they jump up, drawing their swords.
"Intruders!" shouts the one from behind the screen, apparently the master, "Kill 'em!"
They charge at you!
At the same time, you hear a loud ringing noise, evidently coming from between Kadlian's ears.
Niko, invisible, move to attack the one behind the screen with cutlass (flame off) and dagger.
"Ouch," Kadlian rubs his ears.
He yells out to his party. "Someone make sure that they are evil and that this battle is not a mistake!"
Kadlian draws his weapons, obviously not sure if he should attack these warriors. He will, however, defend himself if attacked.
Dor yells, "Are you evil?"
"Using magic!"
"Of course not!" is the reply.
"Then put down your swords. We would rather not have to kill you."
He spits at Kadlian and follows up with an attack.
From upstairs you hear more voices.
Kadlian sighs and swings his swords, trying to finish the fight quickly. "Dor, Edelle, watch those stairs."
"Kailar, check the stairs and try to figure out where they go."
"Excuse me? Are you evil?" the mage says sarcastically before casting magic missile spells at the fellow, starting with the one who commanded the others to 'get them'.
Malvis steps forward, unleashing a 'color spray' at the game-playing soldiers.
The battle is joined as the spells go off.
The man behind the screen hears the invisible Niko approaching and swings his blade wildly, connecting for 6 hit points. Niko swings back, missing, then connects, cutting the man down.
Kadlian in turn misses his target and instead cuts the table in two, sending dice flying everywhere. His foe fares little better. The elf's second swing connects, and the guard drops.
Rage's first magic missile spell kills the rest, so Malvis holds his fire.
"Ack! Monsters!" you hear a female voice cry from the top of the stairs. Dor and Edelle, standing near the bottom with Kailar, see a female form in a long dress standing at the top, screaming.
"Call the watch! Fetch the constable!" shouts another female voice from somewhere behind her.
"Please do," Kadlian shouts up. "Maybe we can avoid further bloodshed."
Niko cleans off his cutlass. "Well, this doesn't bode well..."
Rage turns invisible, casts fly on herself and then flies upstairs.
Vastelle looks at the others.
"Maybe it's time to go?" she says, "I don't want my head on a pike."
She starts to edge back towards the exit.
After a moment you hear the woman at the top of the stairs say, "I just felt something move by me! It's a ghost!"
She starts screaming as well.
"Vastelle, while there may be repercussions from this, we did not attack them and asked for a chance to discuss things. The constable and the mayor know we are exploring the ruins. We must not run away from this meeting. If the rest of you wish to retreat back into the ruins, I will await the constable here."
"That might not be the wisest course of action, Kadlian..." Niko says as he turns invisible.
Vastelle waits back by the secret door. Nuanna joins her. Wizbang stays near Kadlian.
From upstairs the screaming continues, as you also hear new voices.
"Silence, woman!" says one voice.
The screaming subsides to a whimper.
You hear footsteps moving across the floor above, then a uniformed man appears at the top of the stairs with another behind him. Both have swords drawn. The first takes out a metal cylinder some two feet long and points it downwards. A ray of continual light illuminates you.
"The elf Kadlian?" the man says, evidently having heard of your diligent leader. "What are you doing here?"
"Yes, sir, it is myself and the rest of my party. I am sorry, but we came through a secret door," Kadlian points in the direction of the door. "When we came through, five warriors were over there with another man behind a vertical screen. The man behind the screen ordered the warriors to kill us. We tried to convince them to put down their weapons and they attacked anyway. I am sorry, but we defended ourselves and they all are dead. I do not know who they were, but they were not very good fighters."
As Kadlian finishes one of the women shrieks. She rushes past the officer and down the stairs. The man follows.
Reaching the bottom, she sees the corpses lying about and screams again. She throws herself on the corpse of the man who had been behind the screen, sobbing loudly.
The patrol officer surveys the scene.
He turns to Kadlian.
"So you did this?"
Kadlian sighs. "Yes, in self-defense. They apparently did not know who we are."
"Do you know where you are?"
"Sadly, no. We have discovered a number of secret doors into various cellars and we assumed that this was one more. We have been exploring the ruins of the keep. Here, let me show you what we have mapped so far. We are in the section marked K. I have not had a chance to add the rest of the rooms, yet."
"Actually, you are in the cellar of the most prestigious jewelry store in Tybol," the police officer informs you, "And you have just murdered five of the owner's guards."
Kadlian rolls his eyes. "Those were the guards for a jewelry store? Pathetic. And we didn't murder anyone. We defended ourselves. We tried to talk to them and convince them that we did not want to fight. The order was given to kill us, not to arrest us or even a demand to surrender."
"This is up to the Constable and the Mayor to sort out. You'd best come along peacefully."
The other officer has by now also come downstairs and is busily taking notes.
Kadlian draws his swords one at a time and looks to hand them to Vastelle. "I will go with them. The rest of you, wait for me at the inn. Kailar, Niko, Rage, I leave it to you to decide what to do, if these folks decide to hang me."
However, there is no sign of Vastelle, Niko, Rage, Kailar or Nuanna.
"You had better all come along," says the officer firmly.
"Officer, I am the leader of this group and, therefore, I am the one who answers to the local authorities. Accept that or ask the Constable and Mayor to come to here."
"The others are accessories or witnesses, so they have to come along as well," the patrol officer replies, his patience apparently beginning to wear a little thin. "If I have to call the Mayor and Constable here then it will go worse for you."
"The law is the law," Dor reminds the group. "We'll come along."
Malvis steps forward shyly, and says, "Kadlian speaks the truth, officer. They charged us on sight, and refused to talk with us. Their only words were, 'Kill them!'. I tried to get off a subduing spell, but it all happened so fast that they were dead before I could act. We were all acting only in self-defense."
Malvis pauses only for a moment before continuing, "And why does this dungeon connect to a jewelry store?"
"The town is riddled with interconnected catacombs," he answers.
"Put yourselves in their shoes!" the woman kneeling over the dead man says, looking up and glaring at Malvis with a tear streaked face.
Kadlian sighs, his patience wearing thin. "Officer, if we chose to resist, it would go worse for you and your guards and I have no wish to see it come to that."
"You are threatening an officer of the Law?" he says, his voice hardening.
"No, Officer, that is what I am trying to point out."
"So, this is what is going to happen. Those that you see in front of you will accompany you to the see the Constable, but we will retain our weapons and possessions. We will come quietly and present you no further difficulties. Agreed?"
"Isn't that what I asked you a moment ago? Let's go."
"Not exactly, but I suppose it is close enough. Lead the way, Officer, and we will follow."
The patrol officer turns and heads upstairs. Kadlian, Wizbang, Dor and Malvis follow, with the other officer bringing up the rear.
Upstairs you find yourselves passing through a fancy jewelry store. Another guard glares at you, and there is a second woman there too.
Heading outside, you see that a crowd of onlookers has gathered. They are being held back by several more patrolmen.
"Thiefs! Robbers! Hang 'em!" shouts one man from the back, shaking his fist. Several others nod and murmur their assent.
Glancing about, you see that you are a block or so away from the old castle where you entered the dungeon.
As Kadlian, Wizbang, Dor and Malvis are led away to the constabulary, the crowd follows, growing as more people join in.
Through the town you walk, with the crowd trailing along behind.
Eventually you come to the constabulary. Kadlian, Wizbang, Dor and Malvis are led inside, the door slamming in the invisible faces of Rage, Niko and Kailar.
Perhaps forty minutes after the others went into the constabulary, several officers come out and start walking off in the general direction of the inn that you are staying at.
For some reason you think that this is significant.
Niko whispers, "We should warn the others at the inn."
Niko activates his anti-grav belt and heads off as fast as he can to the inn.
Kailar whispers, "I will see what I can do here."
Niko reaches the inn and flies invisibly in through an open window. The officers are several minutes behind him.
Niko heads to Edelle's and the others rooms.
"What do you want?" says Edelle, looking up from her book.
Niko cocks his head to the side. "You still mad at me?"
Shaking his head, he says, "Never mind. Kadlian and a couple others were just arrested for murder...there are officers on their way here coming for the rest of you."
"Murder..?" says Edelle, a stunned look on her face. Then, an expression of determination comes over her features, and she jumps off of the bed.
"I'm outta here," she says, as she reaches for her pack and starts packing. "You coming?"
"Just take what you need. I have to warn the others, too."
Niko heads to tell the others as quickly as he can.
Niko finds Windul, Vastelle and Nuanna in their rooms...the latter two still in their armour after they made a hasty exit from the basement of the jewelry store via the dungeon. None of the other followers are present, and neither is Sian.
After telling them what has happened, they quickly grab their things...but not quickly enough, it seems, as you hear footsteps in the passage outside of Nuanna's room (where you are), and several voices, including that of the innkeeper.
There is a knock at the door.
Niko shrugs and points to the window for Windul, Vastelle and Nuanna. He then turns invisible.
Windul looks dubious, then takes his rope and ties one end of it to the bed frame and tosses the other end out through the second floor window.
There is another knock at the door.
"Miss Nuanna," calls the voice of the innkeeper, "Are you there?"
Vastelle goes through the window and down the rope.
You stand by the window and watch her awkwardly descend. Outside, it is evening twilight.
As she reaches the bottom Nuanna stands ready to go next. Then, out of the shadows steps a police officer.
"Good evening," he says to the surprised Vastelle. "Are you in the employ of one Kadlian Lun'Folard? If you are then I have a message from him for you."
There is a third knock at the door, more insistent this time.
Niko puts a hand on Nuanna's shoulder and whispers "Better answer the door."
Nuanna nods, and opens the door.
Standing there are three men: the innkeeper and two officers from the town watch.
"Miss Nuanna?" says Idanius, "These officers would like to speak with you."
"We have a message from your leader, Kadlian," one of the officers says, "In view of recent events it has been decided by the Mayor and Kadlian that it would be best if your party were to leave town before dawn tomorrow. For your own protection we would like you to accompany us to the constabulary where you can stay until it is time to go. If you can please collect your possessions..?"
Nuanna nods, and looks to Windul.
They gather up their packs and follow the three men out.
On the street below, Vastelle has already left with the other officer.
Niko waits until Nuana, Windul and the officers leave. He then whispers, "Anyone else here?"
All he hears is the sound of silence.
Niko shrugs and tries to catch up with the others and the officers.
Niko follows the followers back to the constabulary at a distance.
The door into the building closes before he can enter.
Inside the constabulary Vastelle, Nuanna and Windul meet up with Kadlian and the others.
"You've put on weight, milord," observes Vastelle.
Kadlian shrugs. "It was the food. A moment on the lips, a lifetime on the hips. Anyway, I will work it off in due course. So, do you have all our possessions and mounts? If so, it might be best to leave this town before the townspeople are given a chance to overreact."
"Yes," says Vastelle.
"Your horses are in our stable now. Have you decided where you are going to go?" asks the chief constable. "South to Vandrake, west to End, or east to Atlantia?"
"I think South. Maybe we will have more luck in Vandrake than we have had here."
The constable nods.
"The mayor is preparing you a letter of introduction for you to take. It should help smooth your road."
"That is very thoughtful. Hope he leaves out the part where we slaughtered a bunch of guardsmen because they foolishly attacked us."
"I'm sure he will," the constable replies, then adds dryly, "Those guards were only doing their jobs."
"Then they should have tried to arrest us rather than trying to kill us."
He shrugs.
"And what would your response have been to that?"
The evening passes.