The Quest of the Missing Quill

[HorizonsDream]

Jasmine, much like Gaheris, decided to stay out of this conflict. "So, it looks like we might be watching a couple of duels tonight," she says softly to Gaheris.

[Just_Ice]

Benji scrapes frost from his shoulder, stepping from the wall and sitting on the staircase with a look of exhaustion.

"I'm not quite sure what you were trying to accomplish, friend," he queries Ishan, "But I appreciate it. Categorically not in your favor, but the telling of dangerous truths is a mark of true character."

He plucks a few notes on his lute, adding with a dispassionate tone, "I've less than half-a-mind to take our angry friend up on his dichotomous challenge. Honor doesn't clothe, feed, or move you. If the consensus is to move along, I wouldn't want to inconvenience the group so much on the behalf of a bard."

[Vrindlevine]

Ishan relaxes a little once Alex finishes. "You know I'm sure that if you'd been recruited back when I was serving you'd be halfway to General, that is if you didn't get killed during impromptu duels for honor, but if that's what you want then alright."

Ishan takes his hand of Benji and moves towards Alex, straightening up he smiles, "To business then, as I'm sure you've guessed we are mercenaries on a job at the moment, the human back there is the leader of our humble venture I am just acting as their guide, the province has gotten dangerous lately with cults and what not as I'm sure you are aware.

(Ishan explains how they met Brook and Warren and decided to find the source of the problem)

"As you can see we took 3 prisoners alive, they seem better equipped then I would think for a small group, their magic circle might be of some interest to you, of course I'm sure you'd like us to hand over to you, as we our I'll-equipped to keep them anyways I see nothing wrong with that but I'll leave it up to the rest of my employers."

"While this has nothing to do with our current job I would certainly like to hear what they have to say."

[Haahque]

What would ensue goes along the lines of probably being a torture scene, which I do not have a desire to roleplay through, so I'll just give you the information that you're likely to glean from the interrogation. That is, unless someone wants to go through the motions of intimidation/torture/persuasion/diplomacy or whatever means to get the information. If so, speak up!

Although Alex keeps his distance from Benji and Ishan (threatening them if they come near him), the entire group get the prisoners into the room with the tables and summoning circles, Alex ready to join the interrogation while the other soldiers examine the clues that they might find in the room. Kannock, it seems, has gotten into a conversation with Warren about gods or some such, and both of them seem too preoccupied to take part in the information gleaning unless, perhaps they were requested to join.

By the way Alex explains things to his soldiers, it's becoming more clear that Alex is indeed a veteran, while the other soldiers are newer recruits. Especially the girl and the younger of the men, the one wielding the mace, seem to be learning the ropes.

[Vrindlevine]

Ishan steps out of the first room where the impromptu interrogations are being held and shakes his head, before speaking to the others, "It's just like the old days, an imperial squad, a dark cellar, some good old fashioned torture, why I could almost salute the Emperor, but I wont."

He moves closer to the others well keeping his voice down. "They seem to have things well in hand here If we were to make our way back to the town we could be gone before they return, this duel thing is petty the empire doesn't care and I know the terrain they wouldn't find us, and by us I mean me and my dark-skinned friend, we have some time so look around, think it over. I for one don't think what a farmer can pay is worth getting my bits frozen by some lizard prodigy."

In the spirit of not looking like he is trying to run away Ishan heads back into the circle room and examines the magic circles as well as trying to talk to the recruits, and eavesdrop on the interrogation.

"Oh I certainly hope your aren't going to hurt these prisoners that is seriously against imperial protocol, what are they teaching recruits these days," he says to the man with the mace while smiling at the women. "Your captain is extremely competent, you made it here after us very quickly. I'm glad to see I can still track like the old days."

(Perception on the room/circles)

[JadedDM]

Gaheris observes the interrogation, but doesn't speak out or interfere...at least, not yet. Unlike his companions, he's not terribly eager to piss off the Empire. So for now, at least, he's content to let them do their job. He quietly crosses his arms and observes.

[keymeister16]

Zurgo simply shrugged, they where not going to kill them at this very moment, humans where convenient that way, they like to set times to kill each other by.

he followed Ishan into the room with this circle he had heard so much about.

(arcana on the circle)

[HorizonsDream]

Jasmine puts her hand over her mouth and yawns. She puts her chin on Gaheris' shoulder, and watches the interrogation in boredom.

[Haahque]

The interrogation takes about half an hour, Alex and his soldiers using various unpleasant (but not brutal) techniques to try and wring information out of the cultists, who seem to swing between refusing to give any information or replying with threats of their own. From the conversation the most useful pieces of information seem to be delivered through the threats, one of them declaring "You'll all bow before us when the Doombringer arrives." and "You couldn't possibly survive an attack on the dark tower, and when you die you'll only make us more powerful." And also "Even now, if you had arrived but a few moments later, we would have summoned a power so powerful that your pathetic little band would be wiped out."

Meanwhile, while Ales and the imperials wring the information out of the cultists, the rest of the group gets a chance to look around.

Ishan looks at the summoning circle: 13, yup, that looks like a circle to perform dark unholy rituals at.

Treasure:
9 daggers, 3 sets of rusted equipment (sword/shield, some armour), 1 longspear, 1 large mettle shield, 36 gold pieces (from purses of the necromancers and minions), 3 days rations, another spell-book like the one you found with the other cultists (same spells), a small gem of some manor.

The basement doesn't seem to have anything else unusual about it. No obvious hidden doors, no traps. The summoning circle seems rather non-threatening without an array of cultists chanting their dark rituals, but you can destroy it if you like anyways.

When Alex decides there's no more information to get out of the prisoners here, he gives the orders: "Simon, take these prisoners back to the imperial fort, see if they can get any more information out of them. The rest of you come with me and we'll see what this dark tower he was boasting about looks like. Prime directive is to scout, if we find its defenses lacking we might change directives to clearing it out." It's rather unclear on if Alex included the party in these instructions, but either way there's no law that forces them to follow him if they aren't soldiers employed by the empire.

Note: Alex mentions that the tower they speak of is likely the ruins up north, near the swamp. He also regrets to inform the party that he might have to delay the duel for a day, in favor of following this lead while it's fresh.

[JadedDM]

Gaheris will attempt to appraise the daggers, shield, spear, spellbook and gemstone. He assumes the rusted equipment is useless.

"First things first," he says. "We should destroy their summoning circle. I'm not versed in such things, but do we need some kind of ritual or will a good broom sweeping do the trick?" he asks, mostly to Father Warren who he assumes would be more knowledgeable of such things. "It would be a shame if anyone else wandered down here and summoned something nasty, intentionally or accidentally."

[keymeister16]

"they're more fragile then human babies, smudging one end would most likely mean they would need to redo the entire array," Zurgo demonstrated by soaking one of the dead bodies in water and rolling him though the circle, his cloak making a very effective set of rags.

"the tower however.....now that doesn't sound fragile at all...." he mused.

[Just_Ice]

Benji looks at his teammates with slight disbelief upon hearing the duel is postponed, feigning dismay, "How horrible it is that I won't spend the majority of the evening being blasted with spells and pummeled with a laundering pole."

He re-adjusts his leather pads, looking for bloodstains or wear, and recovers his crossbow- making sure the sensitive mechanisms weren't damaged when he dropped it. Satisfied, he re-joins the group to see what they've pilfered- as well whatever it is Zurgo is doing.

"Friend orc," he comments with some bemusement, "You make me wonder if you use that corpse as a mop to clean the fell circle because you are intimately familiar with corpses, dark magick, or if you're simply a pioneer of a sort."

He slumps against a wall, playing a high-pitch chord progression without much structure to it, and speaks to no one in particular, "By the by, I have aught in the way of interest to visit any towers alongside someone that'd very much like to see a pike wearing my crown as its own. I will not complain if that is the path we shall choose, but mayhap we should steady ourselves on our original path, and be re-winded after a battle as tiring as this one."

[HorizonsDream]

Jasmine watches Zurgo with a wrinkle of her nose. "That's just gross," she says. "But, I think we were suppose to be searching for a quill and we got a little distracted by this."

[Vrindlevine]

Satisfied with his understanding of the circle and getting nowhere with the imperial soldiers, a situation that fills his heart with pride (Imperial soldiers should all be so tight lipped) Ishan thinks about the groups original objective and nods to himself.

"As long as me and my elven friend are far away from here. I'd hate to hate a mage with such potential for the empire and I doubt my Benji would enjoy being frozen. The quill is certainty a more lucrative use of our time."

"As usual I'll follow our fearless leader, (he clamps an arm on Gaheris) Hopefully somewhere with less walking dead men eh G?"

[Haahque]

Alex doesn’t stop the group from dividing up the loot amongst themselves, nor does he say anything when Zurgo wipes the summoning circle with a dead cultist body. This act is rather effective, if someone wanted to use the circle they’d be better off starting anew instead of trying to repair the remains of that circle.

The group splits up with few words exchanged. Alex doesn’t seem like much of a conversationalist, and Ishan and Benjamin don’t seem to make him any more talkative in this juncture. After he determined that the party is on its way back to Trevsville Alex heads north towards the tower, three of his soldiers in tow. The fourth one, Simon, departs on his own to the south, pulling the prisoners behind him.

Gaheris appraises the items: 12, the items appear to be of average quality. (Dagger 2gp, shield is a heavy steel shield 20gp, longspear 5g) The gemstone is hard to figure the exact value (Between 10g and 100g).

Warren has something to say about this affair, or rather about the cultists. “From what I’ve seen here this place was no doubt a den of evil before we arrived. The church has precious little resources and as such can’t give out a reward for such deeds as those you performed today, but if you would like some healing from the church consider your donation pre-paid by this act. Unfortunately I cannot heal any more today, but if you’re around in the morning I’ll be ready to help the wounded.”

(At this point it sounds like people want to go back to Trevsville, although some sounded like they’re not quite ready yet so I’m giving you all one more post. This post you can go to the village and do whatever you want to for the night)