The PCs put Toinet, Sherat Shal Ashili and Zachary into the main room of the ziggurat while they debate what to do with them. Cassick suggests that the easiest thing to do might be to kill all three, as he does not want Lord Antazos to have any chance of knowing they were involved. The decision is eventually made, however, to “ransom” the prisoners off – to take them back to Tarrish and use the Vind Hall as an intermediary.

At midnight, while Cassick is on watch, he hears a muffled voice speaking Shal from inside the pack of loot gathered by the PCs. He wakes up Vermilion to investigate; Sherat Shal Ashili awakes as and, speaking very loudly, tries to taunt Cassick. Vermilion pulls out a small pouch holding a number of gems, including some bloodstones. One of the bloodstones is glimmering, and the voice demands in Shal, “Answer now –has anyone else succeeded in making the Robiane work?”

Broc gags Sherat Shal Ashili when she attempts to answer, and then has to drag her from the room; the speaker, suspicious, speaks again but this time in Draconic, the language of magic. Toinet confirms that it is her father, who can communicate with them once a day through one of the gems. Cassick and Athron throw the sack into the empty sarcophagus and replace the lid, to keep Antazos from over-hearing them. The PCs agree that they will wait until the next night to let Antazos know that they have his daughter.

The next day, Athron burns the bodies of the dead in keeping with Shal tradition and over Sherat Shal Ashili’s protest says a prayer to Hamal over them. Duran gives Boeden a fly potion to use so that he can transport everyone across the chasm. The two human servants have fled, leaving behind the PCs’ horses and half a dozen of the Antazos party’s mounts. Toinet is nauseous throughout the day.

That night, when Antazos uses his farspeaking amulet again, Vermilion, Duran and Cassick are ready with Toinet. They inform Antazos that they have the three prisoners and that the Vind Hall will be in touch to communicate the terms for their return. Duran tells Content Not Found: Antazos that the PCs did not start the fight, and merely defended themselves. Toinet confirms that statement, and then volunteers (falsely) that Sherat Shal Ashili and Content Not Found: ilar were responsible for starting the confrontation that led to their capture. When they return to the campsite, Toinet tells Sherat Shal Ashili that Antazos thinks Sherat Shal Ashili is responsible; Zachary is obviously surprised.

A few days later, the PCs realize that they are being followed. Almar Pialo, a Shal ranger, steps out to stop the PCs from killing one of his two apprentices. He assures the PCs that they will cause no problems, as it is obvious the party can easily kill all three. He tells them that they sought out the ziggurat after seeing the flashes of light and the subsequent fires, and found the remains of the bodies. He lightly debates whether they are on the Sajeem’s lands; when told the PCs were attacked, he agrees that Sa’iph recognizes the role of the Vind Hall in resolving a dispute such as this. Almar tells them that they may hear him and his students, as it is his duty to make sure they leave the Sajeem’s lands without causing any trouble.

About an hour before they camp, the PCs stop hearing or seeing the three rangers. As Athron feeds her, Toinet asks about his half-breed status; he tells her how he was found at the standing stones, and how he hopes that eventually peace will come between Sa’iph and Torei. Toinet asks whether he thinks his parents expected he would die when he was left exposed, or expected that he would be found; Athron answers that he hopes it was the latter. Toinet tells him that he probably would have been considered property if he had been raised in Sa’iph, and that he would be hanged as a priest of Hamal in her country.

That night, while Vermilion is standing guard watching the surrounding trees and Broc walks around keeping an eye on the prisoners, Sherat Shal Ashili disappears. (DM’s note: She used her Still Spell ability to cast Animate Rope to release her hands, and then cast Invisibility on herself.) Broc feels the blankets, but cannot find her. He calls for Vermilion, and then both listen – they hear Sherat Shal Ashili walking and then running away. As Broc pursues her into the trees, Vermilion wakes Cassick. Having moved 30 feet, Sherat Shal Ashili then stops and casts a fireball into the middle of the camp. Now visible, she starts yelling “Help us! If you are still here, help us!”

Everyone awakes, though most are badly singed. Duran shoots Sherat Shal Ashili, and Vermilion successfully traps her with a tanglefoot bag. Broc attempts a grapple at this point, but fails (to the players’ and DM’s amusement – Bards will write songs, Nick says, about “The Grapple of the Glue-Footed Mage”). Boeden overruns Sherat Shal Ashili and before she can cast another spell Athron casts Silence upon her.

Meanwhile, at the camp Toinet tells Duran, Cassick and Vermilion that they should kill Sherat Shal Ashili – she will be a danger to them for the entire journey. When asked why, Toinet says that if Sherat Shal Ashili lives to reach Antazos, it will mean both Toinet’s and Zachary’s deaths. The three PCs ask why, and Zachary responds “Because I started the fight, and I am responsible for creating this situation.”

Vermilion points out that the party was about to leave, and the attack was unprovoked. Zachary agrees, and explains that he attacked “because you have information about something that would buy freedom for myself and for my child.” The PCs have confirmation of what they suspected – Zachary and Toinet are lovers and Toinet is pregnant. Zachary asks that the PCs allow Toinet to go, but return only him and Sherat Shal Ashili to Antazos. “It is my debt, and I will bear the price of it.”

Vermilion asks Zachary how much it would cost to buy his freedom, surprising the other man. Zachary responds that he cannot say now, as the debt includes the value of the prize he lost to the PCs, the ruby that he used to fire upon them.

(DM’s notes: In preparing for this session, I had to write out for myself the rules for Intimidation and Diplomacy checks. Sherat could be intimidated, but not won over – but the PCs would get the greatest amount of information from Toinet and Zachary through the use of Diplomacy. Assuming they didn’t kill all of them from the outset, of course.)

(There was one thing, though, that the PCs did not pick up on: Only one person in the Antazos party was able to use the Eye – Zachary. The PCs did not follow up on this with Toinet and Zachary.)