back to Weight Of Water - 2
20 Talislandre, 621 NA
Entering the Kasmiran tower at the secret mine, our heroes begin passing a series of trapped and locked doors. The presence of Danuvian guards is further incentive to remain undetected! After several stairs and passages, we come upon a lone young Kasmiran in a lounging-room, and take him prisoner; his name is Gretch zu Nabu. After passing the personal chambers of the Kasmirans, the party comes into the secret counting-room of the Kasmirans; three Kasmirans are present. One is but a lad, one is very old, and one had spoken with Keja at the Oasis near Lake Zephyr!
The Kasmirans are taken prisoner, but only briefly, for a secret signal summons the Danuvian guards! And, the older Kasmiran proves to be an able cryptomancer, employing spells to throw our heroes into a slumber. After a short fight Mord lay grievously wounded, Keja smashed into unconsciousness, Aldak knocked out, and Vidan magically comatose.
Upon awakening, the party is still in the secret counting-room, which is aflame! The Kasmirans and Danuvians are gone, along with Keja, and Mord is now in the form of Puliko (still badly wounded though, and minus the Shadowstrike set)! Explanations have to wait; after quickly leaving the inferno, the party finds the remains of Detonar, apparently slain by the Danuvians or Gretch. Some quick healing is performed, searches are made of the Kasmiran's rooms (at some risk from traps), and eventually our heroes locate and use one of the Kasmirans' secret exits (another has been recently used - and blocked - by the Kasmirans themselves).
The secret exit from the tower leads out at the top of the ridge surrounding the mining valley. Within the valley itself is death and confusion -- the Rajan carrack is departing in haste, and the Rajan and Vird being left behind are unhappy about this desertion! The camp is afire, riot and chaos spreading!
Once the flying carrack moves off a bit, we began tracking Keija (Puliko has a magical amulet which shows her direction, though he must be left behind due to his wounds). Crossing the hilly, rocky country for a couple of hours leads us to a hidden entrance, behind a boulder standing in a rivulet. Behind the boulder is a short passage which leads to an underground highway. And, in a side chamber off the highway, nearby, are four Danuvians, three Kasmirans, and Keja; the Kasmirans are torturing Keja for information about the Shadowstrike Set. Drawn by her cries, Aldak, Puliko, and Vidan attempt a rescue.
The rescue turns quickly into a sort of standoff (despite some amazing scimitar-work by Aldak); some bargaining and bribery are attempted by both sides. It becomes clear that the Danuvians dislike the Kasmirans, dislike torture, and have been kept in the dark as to the value of the Shadowstrike Set when they turn and slaughter their erstwhile employers. A quick agreement on shares follows, and Keja is freed from the Kasmiran restraints, mostly uninjured.
After helping themselves to some of the supplies cached in the chamber by the Kasmirans, our heroes and the four Danuvians set forth, returning to the edge of the hidden valley and Puliko. Except for an attack by a Fiend (possibly sent by the unhappy Rajani vizier), a night passes easily enough. Two days of walking brings us all to the shores of Lake Zephyr, where we are quickly detected by Dracartan soldiers, and escorted to their military camp at the Oasis.
The Dracartans are obviously dubious about the story we related, but send us back into the hills with a military force; and so, in a couple of days, a battle occurs between the Dracartans and the remaining Vird and Rajan. The battle, and the now-deserted camp in the hidden valley, and the other evidence collected by our heroes, more or less convince the Dracartans of our truthfulness in some things.
Many of the slaves, and some of the Vird, had been sacrificed to the Khadun, deep in the mines...
Aldak spends a couple more days scouting for the last Vird in the foothills, with the Dracartans. Upon his return to Lake Zephyr, about the 28th of Talislandre, the party meets with Ceriefseran, an agent of the Cymrillian Wizard-King. Ceriefseran has great authority, or at least leeway, in quietly resolving Matters of National Importance. The party presents him with Rajani papers documenting their plan; Kasmiran correspondence about hiring a revenant to assassinate the Queen of Astar; and samples of the "necrocarnis" poison, along with Dracartan orders for the rare jellyfish product needed to produce it.
Ceriefseran explains that while he may believe our story, there have been quite a lot of unpleasant charges brought against our group. Necromancy, regicide, narcotics distribution, impersonation of military officers, escaping from prison, tampering with evidence, forgery, theft, associating with sub-men, etc.; and some evidence seems to have been planted at our rented cottage in Cymril.
This leads to an offer: Ceriefseran and the Dracartans will overlook our crimes, in return for which we must assist the Seven Kingdoms in the Wilderlands. The Danuvians will escort the Shadowstrike Set back to Cymril, where eventually it will be auctioned. Despite many misgivings, our heroes agree; Ceriefseran will do what he can do free Khamir and Mord from prison; and, in the meantime, presents us with a way of avoiding attention and gaining some instruction in useful skills.