The chaos caused by Ruddy's stealing of religious artifacts from the Rivergard Keep chapel spreads to the rest of the compound as workers and guards run around, evidently searching for something, but with a clear lack of enthusiasm. Watching the chaos, the Coopers snicker at the gnome's cleverness.
Given that they now find themselves in possession of two of the Crushing Wave's sacred (if nonmagical) items, the Coopers discuss what they should do with them. Eventually they agree that disposing of one near the Sacred Stone Monastery is the better plan, as they reason that finding such an item near their lair, the Black Earth most would not accept such an insult.
Naga transforms into a hawk and carrying the plate, which Darelle places into a sack, to the Sacred Stone Monastery and drops it in the garden to be discovered by the contemplative monks that use the space for their daily reflections. It takes him a full day of flying to reach the Monastery and return to their camp of fortune.
Meanwhile, Ruddy proposes to hide the defaced chalice into Gar Shutterkeel's quarter, and arrange for Grimsaw to find it. This, hopefully, would be the impetus for a confrontation between Grimsaw and Shoalar. Darelle agrees to carry the plate into Rivergard Keep.
Tom the gatekeeper greets Ruddy and Darelle when they present themselves at the door. Ruddy attempts to convince Tom that he's returning with an expert. Tom is confused, and seems reluctant to let them enter the Keep, and Ruddy's poorly attempt at distracting the gatekeeper is saved when Mikael runs in the gatehouse, and he engages the gnome in a conversation. Tom becomes even more confues. Mikael reports that Drosnin, the cleric who runs the chapel, ordered everyone to look for her missing chalice and plate. Mikael also informs Ruddy that if the dishes are found, they are to be brought back to Grimsaw for inspection before he gives them back to Drosnin. Tom lets Ruddy and Darelle enter the Keep.
Meanwhile, Daryle goes hunting and she catches three rabbits. Using some of her sister's herbs, she laces them with hallucinogens. At the gatehouse Tom is even more confused, and attempts to sort out the fact that he just let her in a few minutes ago. He agrees to lets her in after she gives him a few coppers. She spots the gnome and her sister heading towards the old keep. She heads down to the boat to meet with Shoalar and try to sell him her rabbits. Pike intercepts her, however, and agrees purchases them for 3 silvers.
Ruddy and Darelle drink potions of invisibility and enter the keep. Grimsaw looks up at the open door and tells a worker to close it. He seems puzzled and stares intently at the invisible figures, but he goes back to his paperwork after a few moments. Carefully, the two climb the stairs on the left side of the keep and reach the wooden balcony above the dining hall. A hallway leads to three closed doors. Behind one of them they can hear the sound of people arguing in low voices. The second one is quiet. The third one, at the end of the hallway, is locked. Darelle uses her gloves of magnetism and unlocks the door. They enter a sparsely furnished room, with a chest, a dresser, a bed, a chair, and little else.
Darelle spots a button on the wall. She pushes it, and a ladder falls down from the ceiling. The voices in the room next door stop, and the door opens as four guards emerge. Ruddy and Darelle climb the ladder and find themselves in the rafters. This is not Gar Shatterkeel's room after all. Guards also climb the ladder, but thanks to their invisibility they remain hidden. Grimsaw, who was alerted to the commotion, stands in the room below and looks at the chest, making sure that it is still locked.
Ruddy and Darelle shimmer down the ladder and avoid Grimsaw. They make their way down the stairs and out of the keep, and become visible again.
Midday, the dwarf makes his way to Rivergard Keep. Dhukhean is welcomed by Tom, who directs him to meet with Grimsaw. He notices Ruddy and Darelle reappear outside of the old keep. When the dwarf enters the dining hall, he sees Grimsaw berating his guards. The old man then turns to him and tells him to report to Jubber, the foreman. Dhukhean mentions to Grimsaw the weaknesses he discovered in the curtain walls.
Working on Jubber's crew, Dhukhean meets Belsun, a local dwarf who's been working on the keep for the last three months. Belsun tells Dhukhean that he's treated well. He's been searching for the lost kingdom of Tyar-Besil, but he ran out of money and has taken employment with the keep to replenish his resources.
At the end of the day, Jubber reports to Grimsaw that Dhukhean is not that great of a stone worker, and the dwarf is downgraded to three coppers a day to haul construction debris in a wheelbarrow. All of the Coopers aside from Naga are now inside the walls.
Calistril 12, 4713
In the morning, having returned from the Sacred Stone Monastery, Naga presents himself at the gate with a deer. Tom the Gatekeeper asks for it, and Naga graciously offers it to him. Tom lets him inside, and tells him to go and meet with Grimsaw in the old keep. Naga meets with the old man and introduces himself as Wyatt Gray, a man looking for work. Grimsaw tells him to go see Ankos, the foreman on the western curtain wall. The rest of the Coopers continue to work with various crews around the keep.
Following his performance as a worker, Grimsaw appoints Naga as a foreman on the south curtain wall for 7 silver pieces a day.
Calistril 18, 4713
Over the next week, the Coopers continue their work and their observation of Rivergard Keep. A storm that lasts three days dumps four feet of snow, and Dhukhean is tasked with shoveling all of it out of the keep. Naga manages to get all of the Coopers to be assigned to his work detail.With access to blueprints, Naga is able to determine that Gar Shutterkeel does not have a room in Rivergard Keep.
Late in the afternoon two monks from the Sacred Stone Monastery arrive at the keep and meet with Grimsaw. When they emerge from the old keep the Coopers notice Grimsaw slapping the monks on the back. That evening, Grimsaw tells the assembled workers that brothers from the Black Earth have returned holy objects that were stolen, and tomorrow morning at dawn all workers are expected in the chapel.
Calistril 19, 4713
Following the morning ritual packed with all workers, Naga quietly talks to Drosnin, thanking her for an inspiring sermon. After carefully asking questions, the cleric is more than happy to explain the relationship between the cults. The followers of the Crushing Wave detest the Cult of the Eternal Flame, because they find the fire cultists to be hostile, short-tempered, and unforgivably rash. They aren't as hostile towards the Howling Hatred cultists, but because they are given to sudden impulses the Crushing Wave finds them unreliable. The Crushing Wave cultists get along with the Cult of the Black Earth. The earth cultists are deliberate and dependable, if perhaps too inflexible for their own good.
Naga reports his conversation with Drosnin to the remaining Coopers. Now that they know the relationships between the various cults, they have a better idea how to strike back. Naga uses his fire abilities to damage the chalice and inscribes it with the symbol of the Eternal Flame.
Darelle drinks another potion of invisibility and enters Sholar's cabin. He harps about the events in Yartar, ranting that surely the Eternal Flame is about to make a move since they detonated one of their orbs of destruction. The ranger carefully places the chalice on a shelf, but it falls and clatters to the ground. Sholar turns around and grabs it. Startled, he wonders aloud where it came from when he notices the symbol of the Eternal Flame. He hurries out of his cabin. Darelle follows him up the stairs, and into the old keep.
Grimsaw is visibly upset that Sholar has interrupted his work, and his guards close in. Sholar hold the chalice up and shows the damage to Grimsaw. The two agree to put their claims to leadership aside, for surely the desecration of a Crushing Wave chalice by the Eternal Flame means war!
No comments:
Post a Comment