Your chat with Father Blackhand winds down. A messenger comes with a letter of appointment to meet the Count: tomorrow, three gongs. Elzemond warns—This appointment is pivotal for you. Do not be late, come dressed respectfully, and above all observe full formalities. You will be in the presence of one truly in line to become King of Seshnela and perhaps of all the West. Bow and scrape. Grit your teeth. The Count can be patient but he is unforgiving and expects deference, and bad things will happen to those he develops antipathy for. Your meeting has been scheduled for tomorrow so his people can learn more about you first. Elzemond cautions that your scribe is not just a bureaucrat. He is taking notes not just for paperwork; he works for the Count; “spy” would be a pessimistic word for him but not wrong either. Behave yourselves in Tiskos in the meantime. And think about what you will talk to him about, although he will tend to lead discussion. With further questioning, Elzemond clarifies that you’ll have little time with the busy Count, so focus on what you most want to talk to him about. You ask for more information about the Count, and Elzemond mainly says that some would call him a tyrant, but he has held the diverse factions of Tiskos together in relative peace throughout his reign; no meagre task; so some would say he is what Tiskos needs. The Father doesn’t hide that his feelings on the matter are complex.

You ask about what else is of interest in Tiskos. Elzemond explains that the City is heavily influenced by the old noble Houses– Grimman (who trade with Seshnela but are not considered to be their allies; they aid the Count); Nekanda (based out of town; notable for the son Quinto Nekanda the “dragon-knight”, perhaps the most famed heroquester in Tiskos County); and the Harago family is essentially an extension of the Count; loyal and focussed on a wing of the military. On the Library of Safelster, the Father says that it is of minor interest; I has been plundered over the centuries, and he quips that much of the documents of interest to this Temple have made their way here from that Library.

Elzemond Invites you to stop back regularly; to check in with him. He will watch for news of interest, and would appreciate the same from you. You’re friends now. As you prepare to leave, Bog heads down a passage and calls for Nugget the imp, asking what it needs for its advice on Kimiv. It cackles and explains that he should first go get information from the High Wizard, then come back to Nugget for more advice. Bog asks about a Zorak Zoran shrine or similar, and Nugget says there isn’t one he knows of; as for local Uz he says that the ghetto of the Borough of Lost Hopes houses some of them. You’re headed out when Elzemond catches up and says, mainly to Bog but in earshot of the others, that if you seek Duke Kimiv, you have options such as the High Wizard, the Limestone family’s Baroness Terentia, or – for the formal route – through the Count himself. Elzemond gives Bog a clay tablet inscribed in Darktongue, which introduces you to the High Wizard as friends of Elzemond. Oh, and as you talk about what to do about your weapons etc., he notes that Boamund and Fraud could (and should, ceremonially) bring their registered sword and dagger in, but you can securely leave any gear here in one of the hidden Temple rooms that he assures no one can find unless he wants; you can trust him. And—interestingly, he says that Malkioni titles like Dronari, Horali, Zzaburi, Talari are not commonly used in Tiskos (by the Rokari). They prefer informal terms of peasant, soldier/knight, wizard, lord. You ask and he says that yes, Boamund and Fraud are Lords in their lands and this status is recognised here too. The Tiskos Malkioni do use the formal terms sometimes in religious and other contexts, but like to set themselves apart. They are more flexible with caste issues, so they downplay the formal terms. But they’re still Rokari.

Ricbodo takes you to the Stygian Temple of Henotheists and waits outside again. It is a grand edifice of dark stone and few windows, unabashedly presenting Law and Darkness motifs together, with proud exhibition of Dark Empire iconography. Daylight near it is muted. You notice some Mastery runes, too, as you approach. It’s an interesting décor. The Temple grounds include a barracks for the Stygian Knights who are run by Limestone family. They wear ornate troll-helms and bear the insignia of the Dark Empire of Arkat, which is also the Limestone heraldry, interestingly enough. Knights guarding the door let you through with a cursory look at the clay tablet. An initiate brings you in, explaining along the way that the Stygian faith here is reverence of Invisible God and Malkion, with worship of Xentha (the night goddess and counterpart to Yelm, as an intriguing contrast to what you saw with Ehilm in Estali County) as greatest [personable] goddess. The night is holier than the day, they believe. You learn that they do not engage in explicitly Arkati practices, but do have great fondness for Arkat (and the Autarchy) and are not shy about it, and value his huge role in furthering Stygian faiths.

You meet the tall, muscular, dark-haired and bearded High Wizard Oriolandus Dervay. He is entirely open-minded and welcoming, even happy to speak Darktongue with Bog. Bog asks about local Uz and the Wizard replies that they live in the ghetto along the west side of Tiskos’s walls. He considers your request for means to reach Duke Kimiv, and agrees to give directions, but for a favour: “There is an item of interest to me and the Temple, but I can’t be seen to be involved in procuring it. Just outside of the city, to the northwest near the lakeside, there in an old wizard’s tower, now occupied by renegade Rokari who are trying to set up their own little power centre. The Count has given approval to remove them by any means. I don’t care what happens to them, but I need the item. They have a wizard who likely has it in his care somewhere in the tower. You’ll recognise it as a lead box, 30cm square and 15cm high, with two Darkness runes on the lid. There might be some kind of lock holding it closed. Before you take it away, I need you to open it and check to ensure its contents are still there; the box is just the container, not the item, although I need both together. There was a series of people that had it before these people got hold of it, and I don’t know how they did. It’s a First Age Arkati item and that’s what you need to know. Here, I have a map of the tower. I’ve done some scrying and some research that has told me a little.“

The Wizard presents a slightly aged map of what the interior and exterior of the tower look like/used to look like, and explains it: The tower is a Second Age Godlearner sorcerous coastal defense structure. Some of its magics remain; namely a Protective Circle: a sorcerous ward that prevents magics, spirits and missiles from bypassing its perimeter. The group has managed to steal an arbalest for defense. The guards are around 10 army deserters and mercenaries. There is a seasoned veteran as their leader. The guards probably are more loyal to their leader than to the wizard, although the wizard seems to be of more than trifling power. They’ve kept a low profile thus far, so names and other affiliations are unknown. Surely they expect trouble at some point. There are some peasant servants that presumably are non-combatants. Are you able to operate under the cover of night, he asks? Good, because he recommends it. Rokari are less well equipped to deal with the night. He apologises that he can’t cast Xentha magic on you as aid, as it would connect them to him, but he has weighed you up as competent people that can handle the challenge, and Elzemond’s letter backed that up. You chat a little more then thank him and leave.

Bog won’t go to the tower tonight, he says; he must find a way to regain some of his magic. He slips away from your group as you go with Ricbodo on a tour of Tiskos, to see the major sites and get familiar with the layout. You know that Bog will be away for quite some time, but back soon enough to meet the Count tomorrow. Bog sneaks past a weapons checkpoint into the Borough of Lost Hopes, which is a half-ruin of some of the older homes (or remnants of them) in Tiskos; the old City. Some of them have shadows that cling to them in the daytime. There are some residents here eking out their existence—the unfortunates, those who don’t want to be found, those that make use of those two, and more. Bog runs into a half dozen trollkin scampering about from shadow to shadow, squinting meekly in the daylight. He calls them out and they cower and simper before him in the shadow of a building. Bog tells them he needs a dark space to use, asking for something underground, but they say that isn’t around, but there are empty buildings that could be dark enough even in the daytime (these are the kinds of places they hide out). He asks about local Zorak Zorani and they’re too scared to say anything. So they bring him to a suitable building in the shade of walls, ruins and trees. He goes in and seals himself in, taking one trollkin (who lagged behind when the others fled, and now is begging to not to be eaten) to aid him, and makes a shrine of bones and rocks and such. The last thing he needs to consecrate the shrine is a sacrifice, so he grabs the trollkin’s head and smashes it in with his mace, splattering the piled shrine with its remain. And he calls forth the power of the Lord of Demons, who infuses this dark space with his cruel energy. Bog proceeds to pray well into the wee hours of the morning, regaining his magics.

Bog wanders the Borough of Lost Hopes that night when he is done praying, and is awed by the change that night brings: while most buildings are the same, some new ones have appeared as buildings made of shadow, or as spectral buildings that are half-there. Clearly the old Tiskos of Arkat holds some sway here still at night. Bog looks for an Uz and finds one confidently strolling the streets – a huge Great Troll warrior, well-armed. He calls out to it and converses, asking where he might get his maul repaired, and he shows off some of his weapons skills, convincing the (somewhat dull-witted) Uz that he is worthy to be helped by this warrior named Bratbakk. So Bratbakk takes the maul, says to come back in 2 nights to see if it’s ready, and is about to leave but Bog inquires more about local Uz. Bratbakk won’t say more, mutters something about his boss, and goes away.

Ricbodo leads the others around town. You get familiar with it, see the markets and get nice clothes for your meeting with the Count, get some fresh fish for Bog, Shrett finds interesting little things to please himself, and you see a few landmarks, like a glowing ruby-topped wizard’s defense tower by the harbour/warehouses (it is nothing similar to the one you seek), and the big “Harbour Statue” which is a long lump of greyish stone that everyone thinks looks like something, but can’t agree on what. Along the way, Fraud is calmly strolling through Tiskos with you when his eyes are suddenly drawn to a shadowed corner between two statues. A crouched figure is there, beckoning him forward. It looks like a beggar holding a tin bowl, or at least it hovers between his hands in an eerie way. Boamund, Shrett and Ricbodo see Fraud pause and look somewhere. Fraud tosses a silver guilder into the bowl, and it clanks, then a dark, scintillating fluid appears in it as the beggar holds the bowl up toward Fraud. Looking into the bowl, Fraud receives what he knows as an Arkati Sciomancy sending—a private message from someone in his sect. Maybe even someone he knows! But who? Here? He has no idea. Safelstran letters float up to the top of the fluid, swirling around until they form a word: “URCHETH”. Moments later, the letters sink and three runes rise. Chaos and Beast and Earth. Fraud meditates on this and gets a deep insight from his mystic training: these are runes of a Chaos god. But not one that is known. It is a NEW god! There is no Chaos god known to Fraud that has such runes. And this is a warning from his sect: this God is rising/has risen, and presumably this has to do with Ralios, and it surely is Very Very Bad News. The beggar lowers the bowl and just squats there. Fraud thinks over this major revelation and its implications, then turns back to the others, who are wondering why Fraud is staring at an empty space between two statues. Fraud sees the beggar slink away into the crowds, maybe even vanish. The others realise that those two statues are worn, barely recognisable as anything but people, but have the form of First Age Arkati figures of some sort. Boamund tries to explain away Fraud’s weird behaviour to Ricbodo as meditation that he does, and Ricbodo is left suspicious, more so when Fraud is questioned a bit, but he leaves it be as probably not his business.

Along the way through town, Ricbodo has dropped in pearls of facts about Tiskos. Tiskos has a checkered history. It was founded in 487 ST, late in Great Arkat’s reign, as a new jewel in the Dark Empire’s crown; a centre of learning. It then was partly razed by the Kingdom of Seshnela’s Army of Rightness with the Godlearners in 740 ST. Ricbodo now points out lines of stones here and there along the streets, and you realise that these are the old First Age walls’ remnants, of the then smaller Tiskos, but largely scavenged now for usage in other buildings. The Godlearners plundered Arkat’s formerly great libraries here to steal his heroquesting secrets; The Library of Safelster is but a remnant of them. Tiskos was rebuilt even larger by the Godlearners, and it changed hands many times between various factions including Tanisor, other city states, Arkati claimants, and old noble houses. Now it has been unconquered for 400 years; not in the hands of modern Seshnela. In 1500 ST (125 years ago) there was a crisis because its Count died with no heir, and civil war looked certain but then the nobles agreed to elect a new Count who would decide the state religion each time. Count Hangalor, an ambitious but tolerant Rokari, protected the minority Stygian nobility in return for their support in the election, and so ensured their survival into modern times; and his line’s. This began an era of splendour and diversity, even though Rokari usually ruled Tiskos; yet always independent from Tanisor. The current Count is of that same Abryon lineage as Hangalor. It is remarkable that here, the ruler is elected; but a Rokari of noble bloodline can be and often is chosen.

Night approaches and you return to the Dumped Barrel Inn, but Shrett heads out to gather intelligence from the locals. He finds some rumours:

• The Estali and their allies aren’t getting along so well, because the Estali have been chasing beast-people across Safelster, without enough respect to local authority.
• Count Gerad de Chevalier of Kustria just had a public execution of several prominent Arkati that caused riots in the city against his rule. Some say they came from the Limestone Family of Tiskos.
• Baroness Terentia of Limestone is a secret Arkati who pretends her family lost that faith.

The next day, Bog sleeps in and then joins you. You go with Ricbodo to the Limestone Mansion. It is a substantial old fortress-mansion on the waterfront, surrounded by a 3m high strong stone wall and iron gate, with looming dark towers and almost haphazard architecture (think: Gothic haunted house/Munsters/Addam’s Family/a bit of Tim Burton/House of Usher) that stands out as strange for Tiskos. The Limestone family heraldry is abundantly displayed: 2 crossed black swords on a gold background (Arkat’s Dark Empire), which you saw on the Stygian Knights. The guards let you in with your letter of introduction. Servants guide you into the mansion, to a smoking room thick with the scent of kafl leaf, with too few candles, old worn furniture, scuffed decorative tilework floors, and a fading wall mosaic of old (Arkati) Tiskos that faces the main window into the courtyard and out into the city. The Baroness Terentia, in her 50s and finely dressed in odd local attire, enters after a wait. She is accompanied by a creature you learn to be called “Clamps”: a blue lobster, which carries its own glass bowl of water as its house, with its legs poking through and its big claws inside the bowl. It scuttles along very slowly by her feet.

You discuss various things with her. She mostly maintains a stony, noble composure, and mostly keeps her attention on Boamund; a little on Fraud. When Arkat comes up, she says “What is in the past is not now.”, and some of you see her visage crack: there is sadness and disappointment; a brief moment of reflection and then the mask of implacability returns. This happens another time in your discussions. (John forgot details) She brings up that the Baron died in war vs. Seshnela years ago; she birthed the line no sons; and had two daughters married off. So the Baroness is alone, but has plenty of staff and comers and goers; relatives etc. There certainly is a malaise of nostalgia and pain here, that she covers with a strong veneer of her rich noble history and demeanour. You’ve asked if you can provide her any service and she’s surprised by the offer but says that there’s nothing she can think of that she needs. Carbo comes up and she is unmoved by its fate; simply says that the Count must be disappointed; and when you say that he might not know yet, she says that he surely does. You part on terms that you may return, but she says she doesn’t know why and you have to agree.

Returning to Ricbodo who waited outside the gates, he asks how the meeting went and Boamund says something rude that Ricbodo tries to scold but admits he’s not a noble so who is he to judge. He does however raise that the Limestone Family is still highly regarded by many Arkati and the general populace; their prestige is not gone. As to the weird pet “Clamps”, he says that to the local nobility: these “slow pets” are a fashion; a show of status, leisure time and wealth. A small, slow animal is chosen or crafted through magic (often Tapped to be extra slow and dull), then is often modified through sorcerous Shaping into elaborate decorative forms. He isn’t such a fan of the idea, and proper Rokari scorn it as blasphemy to spoiling that which Makan loves, but then Tiskos is different.

[I think I have the timing of this right; or it was the prior day?] You go to the Library of Safelster (run by Ricbodo’s own Guild of Protocol): a sizeable but weathered building of First Age architecture, with few runes or other trappings left visible. Ricbodo gets a scholar within to help you and you (Fraud?) ask for aid finding information on this “Urcheth”. The sage says to come back tomorrow and see if they’ve found anything. (if I have timing wrong by 1 day, you did go, and they’d found nothing at all)

The time comes to get cleaned and dressed to go to the Citadel and meet with the Count. You got Bog a good dark toga and loincloth; for Shrett, simple but clean and intact peasant garb in caste-appropriate brown. The Citadel is reached by steep stone stairs up to an imposing gatehouse with mounted knights outside and a heavy presence of guards in the towers. The walls are old but well-maintained, with fairly fresh paint illustrating Count Abryon’s family crest (black tower on white field surmounted by checkered band) and Rokari symbology. However, the legacy of past rulers remains in plain sight where there is decoration elsewhere: most noticeably, Arkati third eyes and runes of Air, Movement and Death or other Storm Tribe iconography. It is a jarring contrast, though, to see victims of the Count’s displeasure on display. A few select examples have been made of people impaled on great spikes (one of them still barely alive), pinned onto boulders by spikes through their hands and feet and then burned to a charred mess, and then a heap of heads in varying stages of decomposition organised in a prominent position. You can see why Elzemond mentioned the “tyrant” side of the Count, and why he said to be deferential.

Perfectly dressed, in shining armour, much of their gear iron, the very professional guards of the Citadel check your letter of introduction and let you into the compound, noting that Lord Boamund and Shrett can carry weapons, tied in scabbards with leather cord. The Citadel’s large complex features diverse Second and Third Age architecture and perfectly manicured grounds. Surfaces are richly festooned with decorations including lions and lotuses. There are pleasantly cool courtyards and gardens with fishponds and small lakes, and roofed colonnades. The huge Rokari temple is half the size of the remaining buildings, and sparkles clean in the sun. There is an obvious main entrance to the keep ahead of the entry gates, guarded by three Humathi warriors decked out in extremely well-fashioned iron gear. At the main keep, there is a second checkpoint, where three Humathi warriors (Stygian Storm Henotheists; not Rokari) in full iron gear cast what must be Detect Truth spells and ask each of you if intend to do any harm to the Count or others within, and you each respond no in return, although Bog growls that he won’t as long as no one gives him trouble, and the Humathi doesn’t like that, giving a long cold look at Bog and touching his iron sword hilt, and Bog just stares back, but you go on inside and are led down halls.

The Count’s throneroom is austere and chilly, with a wide open space before the ancient throne, which is a single piece of tall, broad, black stone with no carvings except an inscription in Safelstran arching over the top. “Tiskos for Tiskos. We guard the world.” [an old Arkati ideal, Fraud knows] There is a banner with the Count’s heraldry across the whole back wall, and a short golden font to either side of the throne, embossed with the symbol of the Invisible God. The chamber’s floor is bare, and every sound within echoes off all surfaces. There are no guards, and that is disquieting because a sense of foreboding implies that none are needed; another presence watches all here.

Count Reynaldi Abryon is seated on the throne, a big iron broadsword sitting across his lap. He is massively built, grey-white haired and bearded, and a greatly imposing figure. He looks how Elzemond described him: a proven warrior; a Talar in the classic sense; and one who even has fought Seshnela on the field of battle in recent years. Fraud knows to kneel and say nothing, and you all follow suit. A green tortoise with its shell shaped up into a birdcage, where a red slow-songbird sings a dirge, wanders the floor around the throne (another of these “slow pets”). Beside the throne, there stands a wizard in typical Rokari robes, with an iron staff ending in a Law rune of the Invisible God’s all-seeing eye. This, as Elzemond said, is Walaric, the Count’s personal Rokari wizard and very capable advisor.

Walaric introduces you sternly, “With the Invisible God as all-seeing witness, you are guests honoured to be present in the court of Count Reynaldi of the Abryon bloodline and Prince of Seshnela. My lord, these are the adventurers who come from Pithdaros, vassal state of Guilmarn but of course your rightful lands. Their island home wrested its rule back from the false-crowned fat king. They’ve come northwards, probably from Handra, into Ralios via Estali, for purposes unclear. Yet they have proven to be foes of Chaos, although it seems to conveniently follow in their wake. Lord Grimoald of Carbo wrote praise of their aid, though.”

Silence drapes the halls again. The Count looks you over one by one with his steely gaze. Boamund, then Fraud, then Shrett, then Bog. You know to keep quiet. He is weighing you up and you can feel it.

Finally he speaks, and his words don’t even echo here—they silence everything, even the slow pet’s bird. “Pity about Carbo. It was bringing in a fair profit, much as some of its business reeked of Error, right Walaric? Well, so it’s my third group of visitors today that would be heroes and saviours and such. A funny group. Two Pithdarans with the look of petty lords about them; one hiding behind a mask; with two odd companions. Tell me, what makes you so important in your eyes?”

He's looking at Boamund as he says this; Fraud is about to speak but Boamund does so first, explaining that you have fought King Guilmarn’s people in Giraine and driven them off, and seek allies in Ralios. The Count replies that he has his own war and allies; he doesn’t show real interest in what Boamund has said. He follows up on Walaric, saying that Chaos seems to follow you and why? Boamund says that it is already there and you fight it when you find it; and that judging from Carbo, the demons and other evil there might well appear elsewhere in Tiskos. Fraud speaks as the Count looks his way, saying with apparent casual interest: “So you’ve visited the Temple of Great Arkat. Why?”; Fraud takes his mask off and, inspired by his sense of personal destiny, praises how the Count has held the diverse factions of Tiskos together and this is what you all aim to do, to bring allies together to aid your fight in Giraine. The Count and Walaric show no reaction at all to the unmasked serpent-faced Fraud. Maybe they see this kind of weirdness all the time. Count Abyrgon says something about Fraud’s good courtesy and looks to Walaric, who pronounces that your audience is over. Bog has worked in some gruff words as he leaves. (IIRC) You hurry out, though, glad to be departing.

But Ricbodo takes you to the Invisible God temple; he has already commented on how he hasn’t seen the Rokari-raised Shrett pray; and you’ve been interested in seeing it. It’s very nice and all, but it brings up bad feelings and Fraud can’t hide them. Ricbodo notices, wondering what faith Fraud ascribes to, and Fraud tries to dissemble but does a poor job of it and Ricbodo is left suspicious, but still gracefully leads you onwards. Night isn’t far off and he says he should return to his family. You have some discussion about this, as he inquires what you’re doing. You’re aiming to go take on that wizard’s tower but aren’t sure how to handle getting out and back into Tiskos. Thinking it over, you figure you don’t need him for that; you can get out easily enough, and with you known to the gates via your letter to the Count, you should be able to get back in; the gates do open throughout the night; just with added scrutiny of nighttime visitors. Ricbodo departs. You go to the Great Arkat temple, get your stuff, change into armour and such, and head out by twilight.

That night presents a cloudy sky, light cold rain and breeze, leaves turning, wind tossing them around; all hints of winter creeping nearer. It is 3 weeks until Dark Season of 1625. The tower is 30 minutes northwest, through orchards and farms and then into a ruinous old area with scattered trees and very broken remnants of Tiskos civilisation; probably Second Age. You can see the tower from a good distance, and torches or lamps bringing it some light as night falls. You approach, scouting it from around all sides. You see four guards: two by the front gates, one on the parapet bridge into the first floor, and one out back by the interior stables/corral/smithy. The arbalest platform atop the tower is lit by a torch.

You cast spells and split into 2 groups: Fraud and Bog take the rear, with Fraud calling forth his “Trust in Me” snake-spirit to inhabit him and make him able to scale walls with ease. Bog Darkwalks and climbs on his back. Shrett and Boamund watch the gates; Shrett has prepared two arrows with Pierce magic. The guards are in ringmail with target shields and short spears, and some light crossbows. They are alert and don’t have much of a routine, just hanging out in about the same spot. You close in. Fraud, finding the load of Bog to be a bit cumbersome, clanks against the outer walls but the guard doesn’t see him as he looks around. Then they get into the compound and begin scaling the tower wall. They get about halfway up when the guard spots some lumpy shadow on the wall and shouts out, who’s there, what’s that? The guards begin exchanging calls of concern but can’t quite make out what’s up. One near the gates keeps trying to cast a spell and finally does, his eyes glinting as he scans the tower, but even then he’s not sure what he sees; and the guard at the rear finds his gaze lost in the night’s shadows.

Shrett and Boamund take the cue to rush in. Boamund bashes into the wood-patched ruined wall section, with Shrett also now holding his shield instead of bow and using that to bash the wall. But there is a rude surprise! A spring-loaded contraption, some 2.5m long and lined with big spikes, from within the walls is triggered as Boamund smashes a hole in, and it swings forward, penetrating the whole wall with those wicked spikes! Boamund spots it coming but the spike misses him anyway. Shrett isn’t so lucky (he failed Perception and it critical hit him, so he luck-pointed its crit to a regular hit…). He is impaled in the side of the head by the spike, taking a nasty wound. Guards shout warnings of intruders now. Boamund slips inside the walls, and a third guard is rushing out of the interior guardhouse. By now, the three guards in front have cast some Rokari sorceries on themselves and their spears; and one has been vainly trying to throw Disruption spells at Boamund from atop the wall. Shrett wrenches himself clean of the spike and almost faints from the lancing pain. He drops his shield, grabs his bow, crosses through the wall as Boamund moves further in, but then changes his mind and gets his shield again, then his sword. The guard near Shrett climbs down off the wall, ready to face Shrett. (note henceforth: Shrett has a Serious Wound to the head, at 0 HP, so is at Formidable penalties)

Meanwhile, the guard at the rear has disappeared around back of the tower while Bog and Fraud have gone in through the top, and down the internal wall toward a top walkway above the sorceror’s (third) floor. They make some noise and hear a voice down there calling out, and the tower is starting to echo with sounds of alarm from below. Soon that voice calls out in Seshnelan: “Child of Seshna and Penda, avail me of this threat!” Fraud continues down, and Bog gets off of him to start sneaking (still Darkwalked) down the ladder from the walkway. The wizard, in Rokari grey robes and holding a golden rod, flies up through the central space of the tower, well out of reach, and starts casting a spell toward Fraud. Fraud Darkstrikes him once, then twice, and does hurt him but not blind him, so the wizard doesn’t have protective magic (yet?). Bog has climbed back up to the walkway/ledge, hoping to get on Fraud’s back again, but even Fraud cannot see him.

And so the battle proceeds. Shrett with a guard rushing him, Boamund soon with two, and Fraud and Boamund against the wizard, but there is quite a stir elsewhere in the tower. You’ve got at least 7 more guards somewhere, and their leader, and what did that wizard ask a “Child of Seshna and Penda” for?

> Rokari… There is the scent of blood in the air. Boamund, who has held back his hatred of those people for days now, feels the gnawing of an old hunger from within. Will he give in to sate it, if it is more than just a mild urge?

© Copyright - 2000-2024 - John Hutchinson, Tim Evans, Pete Nash, Colin Driver and Gordon Alford