"What have you done?!" demanded Harbin, visibly afraid.
Murmuring and whispers waved across the gathering, as torches lit the midnight air. Out of the crowd, a lone voice called "Hang them!"
More calls sprang forward, "Kill the Redbrands!" "They killed Thel Dendrar!" "Justice!" "Hang them! Hang them!"
The young Dendrar children hid themselves under their mother's arms as Mirna, with glistening eyes reflecting the flames of the torches, stared with fury at the unconscious wizard on the ground before her.
Sister Garaele stepped forward and turned to face the crowd. “Oh! Now, now! Can’t we be reasonable here?”
Qelline subtly turned and walked away. “Come along, Carp. You don’t need to see this.”
"But, mooom!..." Carps voice trailed as the Alderleafs walked away.
"L-let’s not be hasty," Harbin stuttered.
Mirna suddenly burst, shouting him down. "Shut up, you doddering fool! These men are evil, and justice will be served!"
Daran Edermath put his hand up and calmly replied, "they should be brought to the city."
Linene quietly said to the party, “I’m good either way, so long as justice is served.”
Halia approached, “I think there’s a bigger picture here.” Her words were drowned by the building crowd.
Elmar, just entering the crowd, yelled out, “Yes! What have you done with the Rockseeker brothers?!”
The crowd seemed somewhat confused by this, but nonetheless enthused to see justice.
Sildar stepped up to the prisoners, and with a commanding voice said, “we will bring them to Neverwinter. Nobody else needs to die today.”
The adventurers stood beside Sildar, silent but standing firm in their support for his words. The townsfolk slowly calmed, persuaded to let formal justice take precedence.
"Everyone, just go home. We will jail them for the night, then transport them tomorrow to face the Lord's justice in Neverwinter."
Toblen piped up, "I’ll go."
"Me too," Daran added
"Count me in as well," Barthen said. "We can use the wagon and oxen you delivered yesterday."
"We need to post guards tonight," Sildar advised
Durial and Lemon volunteered to guard the prisoners, as well as a local miner named Robert.
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In the basement of the Townmaster's Hall, within two crudely constructed jail cells, were several short-term residents: the redbrand from the taphouse ("aren't you cute") and the Redbrand Captain in one cell, and Iarno "Glassstaff" Albrek in the other, bound and gagged.
Lemon, Durial, and Robert sat quietly, taking shifts to watch the prisoners. Sometime around 2 am, Robert stepped out for a restroom break. Less than 5 minutes later, he came back, and silently took his seat once more.
Robert, looking over Durial and Lemon, glared into Durial's eyes and takes a swig from his flask. Suddenly, Robert vanished.
The barred door to Iarno's cage opened, and his bindings loosened. Pulled to his feet, Iarno cast Blur on himself, his form seeming to vibrate violently in the air.
[DM note: I ruled Iarno had a short rest, and thus only had 8 HP.]
Lemon slashed at the wizard with her greatsword, and just as mere hours before in the Redbrand hideout, opened his freshly closed wounds she had inflicted, dropping the wizard once more. She then went to work stopping the bleeding and closing the wound she re-inflicted.
Durial pulled the invisibility potion he found earlier in the manor, and drinking it quickly, ran to face the unseen threat.
Unable to determine Durial's location, "Robert" toppled a nearby oil lantern onto the floor of the cell containing the other two Redbrands, spilling oil and setting fire to them both. The Captain, waking to being engulfed in flame, disrobed and began beating out the flames with a blanket. His efforts were not fast enough, and though he was able to save himself, the other Redbrand (who had accidentally cat-called Durial from the porch of the Sleeping Giant Tap House) perished in the flames.
Suspecting "Robert" would go for the door, Durial waited and struck out with his rapier as the door started to open. Blue-tinted blood coated his blade, and Durial's invisibility was dispelled.
However, the still-invisible intruder continued out the door and escaped into the night.
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Running out the door in pursuit, Durial noticed Robert's body just outside behind a bush, his throat slit.
Yelling into the newly acquired Sending Stones, he awoke Eva, who yelled for the others and ran outside. Noticing the smell of smoke in the night air, they ran down the street to see the porch of the Sleeping Giant Tap House set aflame.
Lana quickly quenched the fire with her icy dragon's breath, and the party scoured the area for evidence of the intruder's whereabouts, but to no avail.
Wow! Love it!
ReplyDeleteHoly Moly!! Is “Robert” who I think it is? Not the big bad boss from WEC. Perhaps one of the “D”s? This is really great turn of events.
ReplyDelete