A. Dodging the Guards’ Questions.

Passersby cannot miss the dead mage in the street, nor the bloody mess visible in the front room of Laibrook’s store through the open door. Broc, claiming his sword from where Athron dropped it, notices the stares and swings the front door shut. In the rear alley, with Duran watching, Athron heals Dorath Kir just enough to bring him back to consciousness. The cleric tells the badly injured fighter that he will live if he tells the truth, and asks whether they know where the girl is. Dorath tells him, truthfully, that they do not. Athron also asks who hired the group, and Dorath responds that Antazos did, through a woman who was at the time jailed in Tarrish. Athron surmises the woman must have been the sorceress Erqua Ashilim, the sole survivor of the “pirates” who sank the Freemen.

By now, a substantial number of guards have started to arrive, heavily armed and armored. Some surround Duran and Athron behind the store while others take up a station at the front. When commanded, Broc drops his sword and he and Vermillion come out with their hands away from their weapons to kneel in the street. Vermillion informs the officer in command that he is from the Nightsong Guild in Tarrish, and that James Laibrook had contacted the Guild to discuss business. The others, Vermillion claims, have come with him and they have protected the business and two employees from the attackers. Inside, Cassick helps the injured guard and the receptionist, Therese, to the front where they confirm that Vermillion and the others are their saviors.

Laibrook, summoned by the Alarm triggered when Cassick broke the upper floor window, arrives with his own guards. Prompted by Vermillion, he goes along with the story that he had asked the Nightsong Guild to send representatives.

After the bodies are taken away, and Dorath Kir is arrested, the guards question each of the PCs separately. Most of them tell some version of the truth, though the guard realizes that most of them are omitting key information. (Cassick, on the other hand, successfully bluffs his way through the discussion.)

During the questioning, one of the guards shows Athron the message from Ethan Seer, which was removed from Enchilios’s body – Daned Thand had never arrived to receive it. When asked what Seer’s message means, Athron directs the guard to speak with Laibrook. Vermillion also dodges inquiry by saying that they were working for Laibrook in Tarrish, learned there was evil afoot regarding some secret business of Laibrook’s, and tell the guard they need to ask Laibrook about it – leaving it to the merchant to successfully bluff or bribe the guards.

Afterwards, Athron speaks with Laibrook in the back office and bluntly tells him that Antazos uncovered a link to Halveet and may very well know about Laibrook himself. Athron points out that two survive (Varimer and Dorath) and that it may be possible for them to send messages even while under arrest, since that is what Erqua did in Tarrish to hire them. Laibrook tells Athron that Erqua was actually hanged only two weeks before. He then asks whether Athron is certain that all the hunters have been flushed out; when the cleric admits they are not, Laibrook says they cannot risk moving Maeva until assured there are no others currently on the trail. However, he states that it may be necessary to have someone visit the two survivors in jail.

B. Passing Time in Halveet.

The PCs have a couple of days to buy and sell stuff, or to have some items magically buffed. After borrowing 1500 gold from Athron (a better choice than paying the high interest rates likely to be charged by Cassick), Broc takes his greatsword to a Politi mage to be magically enhanced. This leaves him penniless when he visits the local jail branch late at night to see Varimer. The guard indicates he will have to come up with some gold to buy some time to talk to her, and Broc has to go borrow more money from Athron to gain access to the hall outside her cell. When the woman is flippant, Broc glowers at her and tells her to apologize –“and if you don’t mean it, then lie.”

After she does, Broc then knocks to be let out. When the night guard makes a remark indicating that she has had a busy social calendar, a suspicious Broc asks whether she has had other visitors. When the guard indicates he needs some more coin, Broc is forced to leave and sell a potion to otain some more gold. Only then does he learn that Laibrook has been to visit Varimer. Worried that perhaps there is a second doppelganger, Broc reports this news to Athron.

Athron in turn has spent his time at the chapterhouse, teaching Joy how to use a dagger so that she has some hope of defending herself. While there, he learns from Joy that Dorath apparently died of his wounds while in custody. After speaking with Broc, Athron goes back to see Laibrook again and explains the concern to Laibrook. He casts Augury and asks whether it is wise to trust the merchant; the spell indicates that it is. Laibrook tells Athron he will have to find out why the guard told Broc of his visit – his gold was supposed to buy the man’s silence.

Vermillion makes his own visit to Laibrook. Laibrook again expresses his thanks for how the PCs saved his guard and Therese (who has not returned to work and may not for some time). He tells Vermillion that Maeva will not be moved until they are sure it is safe to do so – further, he and Thand will not allow the PCs to be involved, since they are so well known to Antazos and his people.

C. Broc’s Sword Speaks.

When Broc returns to pick up his greatsword, the Shal Politi mage has his student carry it out to Broc. The mage looks nervous, almost exhausted – he refuses to touch or even look at the sword. “It … it speaks,” he whispers to Broc. “It says … death will be the price of my lies.” Broc asks the human student whether he heard anything, but the young man shakes his head, giving Broc a look that says he suspects his teacher to be off his rocker. The mage gives the greatsword and the money back to Broc, telling him that he can do nothing to enhance the sword.

D. Duran Decides to Go Home.

With the autumn solstice approaching, Duran decides to travel back to the Middle Redding for the Conclave, to redeem his honor and perhaps learn why everyone thinks he did not pay the wergild. The other PCs, with nothing to hold them in Halveet, agree to accompany him . The party takes a ship to Chade to pick up a river transport on a merchant boat sailing upstream. As they pass into the Middle Redding, Duran is surprised to see fences – and less surprised to see, the next day, other fence that have been demolished by the Middle Redding horsemen.

The PCs disembark where the tribes – and outlanders who want to do some business with them – have been setting up their tents. After changing into his native garb and the red cloaks of the Kesten tribe, Duran rides towards the area claimed by his clan. Eventually, he is recognized and people call out his name, announcing his arrival.

DM’s notes: Between this week and the next, I spent a great deal of time planning how the tribesmen would react to Duran’s return, and the motivations of different people – especially the Chief. At the beginning of next week, John presents me with a two-page write-up of Duran’s background and the duel – which altered, in one key way, the history he had previously given me. And which required me to re-cast who the real “bad guy” was.