When all the threads tie together

Sarenith 28, 4712

Returning from their latest trip to the Emerald Spire, the Coopers arrive in Fort Inevitable to find the town in uproar. The entire Hellknight guard has been deployed at the gates and on the walls as if an assault was expected. People entering the town as well as people leaving are being thoroughly searched, and traffic is backed up on both sides of the gates. Noticing this, and realizing that there is now a dwarf and a gnome among their party, the Coopers decide to avoid the questions and fees their appearance would receive at the gates and instead enter through the sewer tunnels. Instead of following her siblings, Daryle heads back into the woods. She will hunt for a few hours, then return through the Juliver Gate and see what information she can obtain from the guards.

The gnome Olifrit is the first one to enter the town, followed by the rest of the party through the sewers. They head directly to the secret door that leads into Dr. Mordel's basement. A few creatures are laying in clean beds, while in the corner the silver demon paces his cage relentlessly. They come up the stairs and meet Erynna, who greets them warmly. When questioned by Darelle as to what is happening, she informs them that two nights ago, Duke Mosley returned in a covered wagon. Deathly ill, he has taken residence on the top floor of the Citadel in Roscoe's old quarters. The few that have seen him report that he is bleeding heavily from a large gash on his shoulders. Magical healing has been unable to staunch the flow, and remove curses have all been ineffective. He is ghastly pale and shivers uncontrollably. Even though it is the height of summer, fires burn in all fireplaces of the Citadel. She further tells the Coopers that though Dr. Mordel's healing and alchemy skills are well known, his services have not been called for.

They then join Dr. Mordel himself in his small laboratory on the second floor. He also greets them warmly, and tells them that he suspects Duke Mosley is both dying and highly infectious, if the rumors and gossip reported by his network of informants are to be believed. Most people who can flee the town have already done so, but the Hellknights are ensuring that valuables are left behind. Hence the heavier security details at the gates. Darelle asks him what Mosley might be suffering from. Dr. Mordel replies that to the best of his knowledge the Duke was stabbed by a demon during a campaign in the World Wound, and Mosley has never recovered. He's not sure what it could be, but with magical healing not working, it has to be some seriously powerful demonic magic. Dr. Mordel might be able to analyze the sickness and prepare an antidote, but he would have to get a sample first. Concerned about herself, Olifrit interrupts the discussion and asks Dr. Mordel to restore her hands and her left foot to their proper nature. She confesses that she used to be Gerald. Dr. Mordel agrees to do so but it will require some time, extensive and very painful testing, and most of Dr. Mordel's patience, but it should be possible to at least address some of the issues currently plaguing Olifrit.

Pulling Darelle aside, Dr. Mordel also tells Darelle that her that Fort Inevitable's enemies are marshaling their forces against the town. Events are coming to a head and the fate of the town's citizens hang in the balance, he warns her. Armed with this newfound knowledge, Darelle and the remaining members of the party, minus Olifrit, head back out of town to avoid the contagion.

Thorne enters the town a little later through the same sewers wearing a disguise. He returns to his old shop, and finds it shuttered by Roscoe's orders, but it has not yet been repurposed. The rogue gathers gear, and he bids farewell to his place of commerce. He heads to Dr. Mordel's house, but Erynna turns him away and does not let him in the house. Dejected and sad that no one recognizes his role as a hero and savior of the town, he enters the sewers and heads out. Thorne manages to avoid two Hellknight patrols, but he runs into his siblings right outside Dr. Mordel's basement. As they leave, Darelle fills him on what has happened in town, but tells him flat out that she does not trust him. They emerge from the sewer outside the walls, but unfortunately Thorne is noticed by two guards and the alarm is raised. Thorne runs away, pursued by a Hellknight patrol but eventually manages to lose them.

Daryle comes in a little later with the produce of a hunt through the Juliver Gate. She encounters Bolgur, the Hellknight half-orc who leads the guard detachment. He seems very unhappy to see him, but he's generally unhappy so she's not too worried. She tells him she's been gone for four days, and she inquires as to what is happening in town. Bolgur reports that the Duke has returned with a small escort of four guards, and is now living atop the Citadel. He's real sick, and it is said he's taking it out on the staff. Bolgur then tells Daryle that Maralictor Wirt has left her a letter. He retrieves it and hands it to her. Daryle reads Wirt's message, which tells her not to enter the town but to send word she's back with a place to meet. Daryle tells Bolgur she forgot something at the farm she must get. Could he send Wirt a message? The half-orc replies that he can, but it will cost her. Daryle agrees to leave him the result of her hunt.

Half an hour later, Wirt meets Daryle outside in the shade of a grove by Mother Holworth's farm. The Hellknight reports on the event of the last three days. On top of the information already gathered by the other Coopers, Daryle learns that the Hellknight contingent that transits through Fort Inevitable every three months has disappeared. More than 600 troops have simply vanished. On top of everything else, quarterly taxes are due in three days, the merchants are stuck in Daggermark awaiting their Hellknight troops as escort, and the population is restless and panicky due to persistent rumors of infection. Wirt advises Daryle to avoid entering the town right now due to the possibility of contagion. She also tells the ranger that the Seven Foxes have all left the town. Daryle requests that a meeting be set up at the Hunters' Lodge with everyone to discuss the current situation. Wirt replies that she should be able to get them there in time for supper.

The necromancer Rowen, who has finally recovered from the betrayal of his cult, has spent the greater part of the last months rebuilding his evil forces. Having returned to Fort Inevitable, he decides to investigate Duke Mosley's claims to see if there's any way Mosley might be entreated to join him in his last days. Rowen contacts a highly placed servant in the Citadel, and that servant describes that the mental status of the Duke has deteriorated and he's been abusing his staff. The servant also reports that Duke Mosley is compiling a list of individuals he plans on executing before his death to settle old grudges. No one seems to know who's on the list, but speculations are rife among the Hellknights. Rowen wonders how he can capitalize on this situation. He decides to spread rumors through town and wipe up the hysteria that surrounds the fears of an epidemic. Throughout the day, more and more people gather to listen to speakers at the fountain boasting of the benefits of joining the Death Cult. Rowen rubs his hands in glee.

Daryle and Darelle connect at the Hunters' Lodge. There they are met by Shim Longbranch, who is very much out of breath. He has run all the way from Dimsdale to report that an army of emerald automatons has laid siege to the village. They are left by four different Geralds. Shim reports he barely managed to escape the siege. Gerald has threatened to burn the village down to the ground if a powerful object is not turned over to him before nightfall. Shim tells the Coopers that the inhabitants have fled across the bridge into the forest, but all fighters have remained behind to resist the invasion. The Dimsdalers have some experience with a siege, having suffered one only a few months back. The sisters agree to help Shim. Darelle summons her jar of cloud and they fly south, reaching Dimsdale a half hour later. Shim also mentions that his patrols have discovered that the giants have finally arrived and that they have setup a camp at the base of the Emerald Spire and could attack at any moment.

They spot from the sky four distinct forces arrayed against the village, all led by a different Gerald. They all appear to be collaborating together. Darelle and Daryle land beyond the village, connect with the refugees, and then enter the village. They meet Dunleaf Appletop, Dimsdale's mayor, who informs them of Gerald's demands. He doesn't know what Gerald wants, but he'll fight to protect his village. Daryle heads out and, under a flag of truce, meets with Gerald. He reveals that he has had a vision that the Hellknights have hidden a powerful weapon in Dimsdale. In his vision he has seen Duke Mosley use the weapon to destroy Fort Inevitable, and he wants to prevent that from happening. He's not sure what he is searching for, but he is convinced it is here in the village. If it is not turned over by nightfall, he will order an assault and burn everything to the ground. During this conversation, Gerald is joined by the other Geralds, who all agree that this is the proper course of action. All of them have had similar visions, and they all sincerely believe that they are saving the town from certain doom. Daryle informs the Geralds of the events that have transpired in Fort Inevitable over the last few days. Gerald is encouraged that his vision is coming true, and he threatens his sister with bodily harm if she remains in the village.

Daryle returns to the village and reports what she has discovered from Gerald. Darelle, meanwhile, searches the former Hellknight barrack and discovers a secret space behind a wall. In this small space she finds a lead chest. Even without any particular ability regarding the detection of evil, Darelle feels a faint trace of it emanating from the chest. The sisters remove the chest from Dimsdale and depart on their cloud. The Geralds sense that the object has been removed. One Gerald returns to Fort Inevitable to retrieve his wife and mother and save them from the destruction that's about to take place. One Gerald takes control of some automatons and heads back to the Emerald Spire. Another Gerald decides to search for the missing Hellknights, while the last Gerald launches an assault on Dimsdale with greatly diminished forces and is quickly wiped out. Darelle and Daryle head back to the Hunters' Lodge.

There they meet six members of the Seven Foxes. Dunleaf remained in Dimsdale. The Foxes advise they have about 80 fighters ready to seize key infrastructure areas of Fort Inevitable if an attack by giants and Greenhide leads the Hellknights to attempt a sortie. They are concerned, however, about the remaining civilian population still in the Fort. Darelle and Daryle agree that in case of an assault on the town, the Foxes' forces will need to remain hidden until needed to either turn the tide of battle or to remove weakened Hellknight forces. Abernard Royst identifies the object the Coopers retrieved from Dimsdale as the Octillio Crystal Sphere, a deadly weapon that could destroy a large section of the town.


In the late afternoon, feeling that the Death Cult has been sufficiently frenzied, Rowen leads a group of about 100 individuals out of Fort Inevitable. The Hellknights do not oppose this departure, correctly assuming that these discontented folks were better off beyond the wall, and possibly dead, in their quest to get rid of the powers that dwell in the Emerald Spire. Having taken refuge in a barn, Thorne spots the procession and follows it. The crowd walks down the road and passes in front of the Hunters' Lodge. Rowen senses the evil of the object newly acquired by the Cooper sisters, and he attempts to break into the Lodge. His attempts are repulsed none too gently by Daryle, and Rowen accepts for the time being to move his group away from the Lodge, bidding his time.

Omok, who also joined the Coopers at the Lodge, feels the pull of the object as well. Rowen attempts to convince Omok to join him and take the object by force, but reason prevails and Omok chooses not to align himself with Rowen at this time. Thorne, who has observed this whole exchange, also attempts to enter the Hunters' Lodge, but is turned away by Daryle. She vociferates a series of threats and advises him that he needs to step up. To prove his loyalty to the family, he must organize an evacuation of Fort Inevitable. If an assault does come, he must get as many inhabitants out as possible.

Thorne returns to town and, working with his remaining contacts, creates a plan that will safely see most of the remaining residents depart Fort Inevitable in the first minutes of the conflict. Darelle contacts Zoarth and delivers a message telling him about the alliance between hill and cloud giants and Greenhide, and request any possible assistance the cloud giant could provide. Worried about their new object, the sisters decide to hide it in the dimensional gate below the Hunters' Lodge. It's possible, but improbable, that a creature from that level of the Abyss would stumble upon it, and it would also remove its influence from the Material Plane. The sisters thus take into the basement, through the mine tunnels, and into the Abyss, before using the hand of banishment to block access again from the Abyss.

As night falls, the Coopers feel as ready as they ever will for what is surely to come on the following day.

The Foxes assemble

Gozran 5, 4712

Concerned over the loyalty of the Hellknight command staff, Roscoe and Omok devise a clever strategy to determine whom can be counted on. Every day, they will question the orb of command with the name of a Hellknight on the command staff and determine whether that individual is loyal to Roscoe or not. Over the course of the next 45 days, the same depressing answer is returned: No one is loyal to Roscoe. The entire command is not loyal, nor are any of the senior officers out in the field. Roscoe begins to ponder how to replace the command structure before it is too late.

Three options present themselves to Roscoe. First, he can clean up the command staff of Fort Inevitable either by wholesale replacement or through attrition and appoint a new command staff that will be loyal to him. His second option is to figure a way to exile the Hellknights completely by clever stratagem or rapid battle attrition, and replace them with soldiers loyal to Roscoe before the next quarterly exchange of troops. The third option is to simply walk away from the Fort and its people.

It will take Roscoe a long time to reach a decision, and he wants to talk to his siblings. Unfortunately, none of them are currently around.


Sarenith 12, 4712

Now back from investigating the stealing of lumber, Daryle and Darelle meet with Roscoe and report on their discoveries. First, they mention that one of the conversation they overheard on the Unbroken dealt with the rumor that Duke Mosley's injuries were serious and were getting worse. Such rumors have been swirling around Fort Inevitable for a few months now.

They mention to him that it's time to come up with an exit strategy from Fort Inevitable. Roscoe tells them he's been thinking the same thing, and it is time to implement his strategy. He presents the options he and Omok have been weighing over the last few weeks. The sisters agree that the first option, that of replacing the command staff with new leaders is the best option. There is no realistic way to entirely remove the Hellknights from Fort Inevitable, and as for simply walking away many people in town and around depend on them, including their mother's cousin and others who depend on them for help or for work.

Roscoe mentions that there are references in Hellknight files to an organization in Fort Inevitable called the Seven Foxes. This resistance group was decimated six years ago when two of its leaders were arrested, tried, and executed following the assassination of the former Lord Commander, Emos Varden. Since then there have been hints that this group still operates in the shadows, but none of the remaining principals' identities have been revealed. Perhaps someone can connect Roscoe with this group and survey their interest in participating in a replacement of the Hellknight command staff? Darelle says that she's never heard of this group, but Dr. Mordel probably has. The Coopers decide to go talk to him. Their plan is to invite some of the Foxes at the Hunters' Lodge, then discuss with them Roscoe's plan.

After exchanging pleasantries, Darelle reaches the reason for their visit. She explains the dilemma the Coopers are in, and explains the three options outlined by Roscoe. Mordel agrees that the first option is not the safest, but it provides the most likelyhood of keeping Fort Inevitable away from disaster. Roscoe asks Mordel if he knows of anyone who could serve in a leadership position and be loyal to the town. Mordel provides the names of six people who could form an effective council to govern Fort Inevitable: Falandra Nolm, whom he trusts; Abernard Roysts, whom he does not trust; Karlyle the Butcher, whom he does not trust but knows he has Fort Inevitable's best interests at heart; Doliver Reedbank, owner of the Juliver Arms, whom he trusts; Mormuk Goldfoot, owner of Goldfoot's Mercantile, whom he trust; and Peter Ardra, son of Adrian Ardra, one of the civic leaders of Fort Inevitable. Adrian was executed following the assassination of the Lord Commander Varden in 4706, and Peter is currently in exile. When asked by Darelle whether he could also serve, Dr. Mordel replies that he has no interest being involved in such a leadership entity. He expresses that he has enough work with his research and his patients.

Departing Dr. Mordel's hospital, Roscoe and the sisters decide they need to organize a meeting between themselves and members of the Seven Foxes. Getting the Seven Foxes involved, along with the citizens named by Dr. Mordel would help fill a void left with a dismantling of the Hellknight command staff. Roscoe asks his sisters where they think they should start looking. Daryle mentions that Mordel suggested Karlyle's name. Since she's on friendly terms with Karlyle, and he seems to know everyone that's anyone in Fort Inevitable, he's probably the first one the Coopers should talk to. Roscoe agrees and says that he will talk to Doliver, since he used to live there and knows the halfling pretty well. Darelle agrees to talk to Falandra. The Coopers part ways to talk to their respectives contacts.

Daryle is the first one to reach her destination. The doors are wide open, and Karlyle is busy butchering a sheep with his assistant. They make small talk for a few minutes, and then Daryle intimates that she would like to talk to him alone. Karlyle sends his assistant away, and brings Dayle to his storage area. Daryle uses all of her diplomatic and innuendo to invite Karlyle to a dinner at the Hunters' Lodge that very night. She tells him that he can invite a friend, and intimates that she hopes members of the Seven Foxes will be present. When Karlyle discovers that Roscoe will also be there, he wonders aloud, in these times of trouble, how his return back to the Fort will be made safe. Understanding that he's asking for a guarantee of safety that this is not a Hellknight trap to catch the resistance, Daryle personally vouches that he will neither be harmed not impeded. Karlyle agrees to meet her there at dinner time.

Roscoe arrives at the Juliver Arms. As he enters, the conversation among the numerous guests gathered for lunch swiftly come to an end. He steps to the counter, and is greeted by Doliver Reedbank. They talk for a few minutes, then Roscoe notices that the place has emptied rather quickly. He takes this opportunity to invite the halfling to a meeting at the Hunters' Lodge. Doliver agrees to meet him there at dinner. Roscoe steps outside, and waits around the corner. The departed guests all return inside the inn. Roscoe shakes his head and walks away. This is another reason to implement his plan!

Darelle walks to Nolm Bindery and is greeted by Gerald, who appears to be balancing the books. Something is off, though, and she can't quite put her finger on it. She meets Falandra in the back of the store, and asks her if she's noticed something strange about Gerald. Falandra replies that indeed she has. Gerald has not screwed up anything nor has he destroyed anything of significance in the last month. Darelle shakes this off and invites Falandra to dinner tonight. She agrees to attend.

In the afternoon the Coopers arrive at the Hunters' Lodge. Darelle prepares a sumptuous meal. Daryle patrols the grounds. Roscoe prepares his argument. Around five, the guests begin to arrive. Karlyle is the first one there, followed closely by Falandra and Abernard. Soon, Doliver and his cousin Dunleaf Appletop also cross the bridge. High Mother Sarise Dremagne , head of the Temple of the Golden Key arrives next. This surprises Roscoe, but not as much as the next guest to arrive: Maralictor Wirt! Finally, old Mother Holworth is the last to arrive. There are now seven guests at the Hunters' Lodge.

Roscoe questions Wirt and asks who invited her. Mother Holworth discreetly nods at the group, and Karlyle reveals that he invited her. Wirt may not be loyal to Roscoe, but she appears to be loyal to the people of the Fort. Roscoe then presents his plan, with the hope that the Seven Foxes could take a leadership position. Mother Holworth retorts that they are not willing to stick their neck out at this time in case his plan backfires, but they know some reliable young folks who could step up and fill these roles, with the Seven Foxes remaining in the shadows for the time being. However, Dunleaf adds, they have a condition. Thorne and his various associates and enterprises must be dealt with. Roscoe tells them that Thorne has already lost access to the treasury, and that he is more than willing to deal with his associates if Dunleaf could provide a list of names. Dunleaf agrees to do so. Darelle talks with Dunleaf Appletop about the missing lumber and reports what her sister and her discovered. Dunleaf is pleased that at least the wholesale theft of lumber from Fort Inevitable has been dealt with. Falandra agrees to take a look at the bookkeeping Thorne did while in charge.

Satisfied with their meeting, the Seven Foxes depart. The Coopers return to Fort Inevitable soon after. That very night, Falandra delivers three forged letters to Roscoe.


Sarenith 13, 4712

In the morning, Roscoe requests his top three commanding officers to meet with him, one at a time. Using Falandra's forged letters, he informs them that he has received news from the Hellknight hierarchy that several forts have recently lost their commanding officers, and due to their tireless and devoted services, they are being promoted but most leave immediately. By the end of the day, all three have ridden away. Roscoe's plan has begun!

The chess game has started

Desnus 4, 4712

Daryle is on Hellknight patrol in the middle of the night walking with her sister Darelle and two other soldiers when the sisters notice suspicious activity near one of the wells. A man is sitting by the well holding a keg of wine singing Hooray, it was inevitable softly to himself. Daryle talks to the man and he is clearly intoxicated. In the conversation, the drunk reveals that he got the keg from Thorne, but he was told he wasn't supposed to say that. Daryle arrests the man and orders the Hellknights to escort him to the drunk tank and to place the keg in evidence. She quickly examines the keg and notices that it is from the Zelnaux winery. They shackle the man's hands, and leave with him and the keg.

Meanwhile, Darelle smells the well and it resembles the plant hoya carnosa, take a sample of the water and notices it is very waxy. This well, much like many others in Fort Inevitable, has been contaminated with a waxy substance. She packages the water in a jar for further study.

After some waiting for the two soldiers to return, the Coopers decide to head back towards the Citadel. They discover the prone figures of the two soldiers. Daryle checks for vital signs but she sees severe puncture wounds. There is no sign of the drunk, but the keg lays on the ground. The wounds are similar to those inflicted to the Juliver Gate guards a month back. Daryle sounds the alarm, and as soldiers arrive on the scene she reports the incident, and she requests that Commander Roscoe be notified as well, even though he is on patrol with a party of Hellknights in the mountains, searching for the giants.

While examining the Zelnaux keg that has been left behind, Darelle discover that the keg has a secret hinge that opens a hole in the top. When leaned over, this hole could be used to dump the contents of the keg out of it without being noticed. Unfortunately the keg is empty, but it still smells like hoya carnosa.

Wanting an explanation, Darelle and Daryle decide to go and find their younger brother Thorne. They locate him in Braddon's General Store as he is about to open his doors. After a headed conversation he reports that he doesn't know anything about the water being poisoned, but he suspects the poisoners from Daggermark. He also acknowledges that he did sell kegs of Zelnaux mead, and his most recent sale, of 7 kegs, was to the Hunters' Lodge. When asked by Daryle, he produces a liquor license he obtained from the Hellknights. He also tells her that he actually doesn't own the mead but acts as a broker between Mayor Dunleaf Appletop and other parties interested in this rare beverage, so even if he did not have a liquor license, which he did, he never owned any liquor himself and therefore would not be in violation of any Hellknight ordinances.

Daryle informs him about the millions of board feet missing. Thorne professes not to know anything about it, and for some unknown reason Daryle believes that his surprise is genuine. Thorne had not heard about the wood being stolen, and he vows to investigate and find out how he can get a cut. Perhaps Gerald has discovered something since he was asked to look into the topic.

Darelle decides to bring the sample of the water she collected from the well to Dr. Mordel. The good doctor agrees to investigate the waxy water and perform alchemy checks. Darelle wonders if there's some illegal dumping going on. It does seem like a strange way to get rid of whatever this substance is. Dr. Mordel tells her the local priests are treating the water, but they can't keep up. Clearly someone is still contaminating the water. In Fort Inevitable, most wells are about one hundred feet deep and reach the water table, but in a few cases the wells had to be dug to about one hundred and fifty feet. It is believed these wells tap a different water table. However, wells from both depth have been contaminated.

The Coopers decide to head over to the Hunters' Lodge, on the outskirts of the forest. The place looks as it always does, but there are now three very mean looking and well trained dog, as well as two men on the deck who appear involved in casual conversation but are in fact guarding the place. Daryle approaches and asks to speak with the owner. The lodge's president introduces himself as Vorkstag and listens politely to Daryle's inquiries. After some back and forth he agrees to let her look at his wine cellar even though she doesn't have a search warrant. In the cellar Daryle discovers the lodge only has two barrels and not the seven Thorne claims to have sold. Was their younger brother lying to them?

Back in Fort Inevitable, Daryle and Darelle pay a visit to Karlyle the Butcher. He tells the sister that the last time he had contact with the lodge's president, Peter Dusk, was about two months ago. Come to think of it, he has not seen any of the hunters for at least a month. The sisters consult the tax rolls. The quarterly taxes were paid by Vorkstag, the new club president. Darelle writes down a timeline in a her notebook:

• 73 days ago, Karlyle claims that this is the last time he saw Peter Dusk, the hunter also known to Daryle.
• 36 days ago, an assassin kills Hellknight guards at the Juliver Gate. There are reports that many of the wells in Fort Inevitable have been poisoned, and there's a confrontation between Roscoe and Karlyle the Butcher. An assassination atttempt on Roscoe's life results in the destruction of a newly erected apartment block.
• 34 days ago, all of the ruffians and workers from Daggermark are tricked into leaving Fort Inevitable on rumors of a gold rush in the hills.
• 30 days ago, paperwork is filed with the Hellknights indicating that the Hunters' Lodge has a new president.
• 7 days ago, the Cooper sisters resolve the confrontation between the Hellknights and the villagers of Dimsdale.
• 5 days ago, Thorne brokers the sale of 7 kegs of Zelnaux mead with the Hunters' Lodge.
• Today, the sisters discover that one of these kegs is used to poison at least one well in Fort Inevitable.

Daryle thinks the wells should be locked. Darelle thinks the wells should be guarded. Both of these measures should be implemented to stop the contaminated process. Plain clothes officers should be placed next to wells. These ideas are suggested to Maralictor Wirt, who agrees to the measures and dispatches soldiers immediately.

Darelle goes back that evening Dr. Mordel's neighborhood patrol could guard the wells. Mordel tells her that his sources report a master alchemist from Daggermark is involved in the plot to poison the residents and the Hellknights of Fort Inevitable. Dr. Mordel says that his agents will keep an eye on the wells. When Darelle questions whether an alliance of assassins and poisoners could truly take place, Mordel responds that if their target was a common enemy, they may be able to put aside their differences.

Daryle tells Mordel about the missing members of the hunter's guild. Mordel replies that he will try to find out as much as possible.

The sisters meet again with Thorne, who claims not knowing why both guilds would want him dead. He speculates that the presence of demons indicate that Duke Mosley, who is a member of the Order of the Nail, and has an not-so-secret interest in demons, might be behind the overall plot, maneuvering pieces like the assassins, the poisoners, the Mistress of Thorns, the giants, and Greenhide and his goblins like so many pieces on a chessboard.

Darelle then talks to Falandra about manufacturing evidence against Thorne to get him demoted. Falandra replies that it shouldn't be too hard, but maybe the sisters should address themselves to Maralictor Wirt while Roscoe is gone first. They do so, and Wirt is more than happy to immediately suspend Thorne's access to the treasury.


Desnus 5, 4712

Passing through town in the morning, Darelle finds a message waiting for her at the Juliver Gate. Dr. Mordel urgently needs to see her. She goes over to his house, and he tells Darelle that there are 22 members of the poisoners' guild in the hunter's lodge. He also shows her the prisoner he captured in the night. The demon is currently captured behind a series of walls of forces in Mordel's basement, and the good doctor will attempt to get as much information as possible from it.

Leaving the house, the sisters run into Gerald who tries to hide that he is carrying a spellbook. He was coming from the direction of Abernard's house, and he looks suspiciously guilty, as if he had borrowed the book without permission.

In the evening, the sisters trek to the Hunters' Lodge. The sisters fire arrows and slay the guard, then Darelle entangles the dogs under the porch. They break into the lodge and interrupt a card game, only to let one of the guards escape. He returns with a team, but in no time the Coopers dispatch them all. Exploring the lodge, they discover an alchemy lab on the second floor. Darelle finds a jar of cloud.

In the basement they discover over 40 barrels of Zelnaux mead behind a secret wall. They then find another trap door leading downward. The latter takes them about 150 feet below ground, in a series of tunnels. Someone has been mining crystals. They locate the rest of the poisoners' crew, who are running away. The sisters manage to eliminate them all, then they track what had scarred them. In a wall at the end of one tunnel, they discover a clear crystal window, and on the other side is a frightening outsider who appears to be trying to break free. The sisters wisely decide to withdraw, and they return to Fort Inevitable.

Are the Coopers responding to chaos, or are they the cause?

Pharast 30, 4712

It's been twelve days since the Coopers have returned to Fort Inevitable following their confrontation with the automatons. They spend time replenishing their equipment, selling gems and other trinkets, and preparing a return to the Emerald Spire. Unfortunately, events conspire to prevent them from heading back today.

Roscoe is bruskly awakened by Maralictor Wirt early in the morning. She reports that the entire night guard at the Juliver Gate has been slaughtered between the 4th and 5th hour of the watch. No sound was heard, though there seems to have been several attempts at raising the alarm. As Roscoe rushes to dress, the Hellknight's Chancellor intercepts him and tells him that the treasury is empty. It will not be possible to meet the Hellknight payroll in two days' time. Finally, a representative of the civilian town council catches the Hellknight commander as he exits the Citadel and notifies him that all of the town water wells have either run dry overnight or have been contaminated by a strange waxy substance, making the water unfit for drinking purposes. Finally, as Roscoe meets his siblings along the way to the Juliver Gate, he notices that there are many newcomers in town who appear to not be doing very much. The arrival of over 2,000 workers to rebuild Fort Inevitable following a devastating fire has caused the population to swell, but now that most of the housing stock has been rebuilt, these newcomers seem to have become a nuisance.

Roscoe questions Thorne on the number of workers should stay and how many should go. Thorne answers that he's discovered a plot. His network of people reports that the laborers, who are not the most skilled, are actually part of a force looking to spread chaos throughout Fort Inevitable. They were sent here by enemies from Daggermark. He proposes mandatory conscription to attack the hill giants. Roscoe says that this is a genius move, but what would prevent the workers from just walking away or turning on the Hellknights? Thorne replies that if they acted switfly, this problem would disappear.

Daryle contacts the Hellknight Spymaster and requests information on this plot. The spymaster advises her that Thorne was responsible for hiring and paying the workers, and he selected the dredges of Daggermark. The spymaster has no proof, but he believes that Thorne was hoping to overthrow the Hellknights. Daryle informs Roscoe of her findings. Thorne points out that Roscoe and the Coopers were often gone in the last few months, yet the workers did not strike. Those must be rumors planned by enemies of Fort Inevitable.

Roscoe asks about the fighting value of these men. Hellknight officers report that all of them are of fighting age and seem to have some experience. Against the full contingent of Hellknights these men would not stand a chance, but if allied with another group, like an army of giants, a victory would not be assured.

While this conversation is taking place, Darelle obtains a leather armor +3 from the Hellknight armory but it will identify her as a Hellknight. She paints it to hide the colors but the symbols are still visible to the perceptive eye. Gerald, meanwhile, requests that a helmet be made to make his new horn appear to be part of this helmet and not his head. He shines it and sharpens it so it can be used as a weapon.

Tired of the discussion taking place in the Citadel, Omok storms off and decides to investigate the murders at the gate. The guards were clearly slaughtered with a piercing weapon and in order, one tower then the next. They appeared to have defended themselves, but neighbors and members of the night watch confirmed they heard nothing. Omok returns to the Citadel and reports this new information to Roscoe. The Hellknight and his entourage head back to Juliver Gate and investigate. Darelle does not find any new information on the town side of the gate, but on the outside Daryle finds a set of tracks that belong to an individual about 140 pounds. The cuts and trusts from the dead bodies indicate that the person who attacked the dead Hellknights was about 5'9'. Darelle uses her ranger abilities and speaks with the towers' resident pigeons. They confirm that the attacker was one humanoid, came from inside the town, slaughtered everyone on that side before jumping the wall and attacking the sentries outside. The person then climbed the wall. The birds also tell her that the person was very agile, almost like a cat.

Roscoe questions Maralictor Wirt as to whom inside the wall would have the skills necessary for accomplishing such a feat. Wirt replies that she doesn't know of anyone agile enough to successfully drop from the wall and then climb it back up again without the aid of magic, but as far as the manner of killing, Karlyle the Butcher certainly would be able to pull this off if he were so inclined. Roscoe decides to confront Karlyle, so the Coopers head to his shop. Even this early in the morning, the doors are opened and Karlyle stands inside, processing cuts of beef from this morning's slaughter. Roscoe and Omok stroll in and begin questioning the butcher. Omok successfully intimidates the man, who backs off towards a corner of the shop.

Just as Roscoe accuses Karlyle of killing the Hellknights at the Juliver Gate, a volley of arrows slam against all three inside the butcher's shop. Surprised, the other Coopers draw their weapons. The assault is coming from the roof of the third story building across the street from the butcher. Currently in construction, scaffolding surrounds the building on two sides. Roscoe throws himself against Karlyle to protect him. Gerald becomes invisible and flies upwards. Daryle fires off a volley of her own. Rowen uses his sleep spell and manages to incapacitate one of the attackers. More arrows fly down to the Coopers. Omok uses his ring of ram and collapses the building, while Gerald incinerates the ruins with a fireball. The surrounding buildings catch on fire but Darelle is able to put the fire out with a wall of wind. Roscoe uses his paladin's abilities to heal everyone in the group.

In the rubble of the building the Coopers find one of the attackers. The other two are missing. Roscoe interrogates the survivor, and quickly discovers that it is a demon. He decides to cart it off to the temple. Unfortunately, High Mother Sarise Dremagne informs the Hellknight Commander that she can't guarantee that the demon won't escape. Roscoe decides to keep custody of the demon in the prison of the Citadel under triple guard.

Darelle tells Dr. Mordel about what has happened around town in the last ten hours. He does not seem surprised. He tells her that the tensions are high in town with the foreign workers, and could boil over at any time.

The search for the missing two demons continue, but is fruitless.

Back at the Citadel, Thorne proposes a bold scheme for getting rid of the foreign worker problem. The Coopers will plant a fake map indicating that there is gold in the hills north of the Emerald Spire. Rowen will be sent in the hills, and return to Fort Inevitable the next day with a bag full of gold and the map. With a change in personality, Rowen will not remember that this is a set up and will be able to sell this idea to the ruffians. Ideally, all of them will depart Fort Inevitable. They may encounter the giants that are mustering in the hills, or at least act as a buffer between the two sides.

Roscoe approves the plan, and the wheels begin to turn.

Pharast 31, 4712

It's the end of the quarter, and several of the Coopers have set up businesses or work for other people. These are their statements for tax purposes:

• Gerald's message delivery business and his Hellknight wages earned him 62 crowns after expenses.
• Daryle's hunting has earned her 43 crowns after expenses.
• Darelle's employment with Dr. Mordel and Mother Holworth, as well as her herb business earned her 51 crowns after expenses.
• Thorne's general store earned him 139 crowns after expenses.
• Roscoe earned 1,200 crowns as Hellknight Commander.

In the morning, Rowen comes riding into Fort Inevitable carrying gold and a map to a location where the gold was supposedly found. The rumor spreads like wild fire, and by noon most of the riff raff has departed. Thorne's general store makes a fortune selling panning gear. By the end of the day, the overwhelming majority of foreigners have departed for the hills. The town is now very quiet.

All tax payments are made today, and there is enough money in the coffers to meet Hellknight payroll. Somehow Thorne has come through and located enough money to pay the troops. How did he do it? He returned to the Emerald Spire the day before and met with the Mistress of Thorns. In exchange for the gold he needed to replenish the Hellknights's coffers, he traded her the magical name of each level of the Spire. Then, he swore fealty to her and declared that henceforth he would become her agent within Fort Inevitable in exchange for a cloak of invisibility. He also promised her the souls of the Daggermark workers he so cleverly attracted to a deserted location.

Thorne's network also spreads the rumor among the guards and the public that Thorne was responsible for the rebuilding of the city. There wasn't enough money to pay wages, but somehow Thorne intervened and secured enough funds. He hopes this will buy him some goodwill in the city.

Omok departs Fort Inevitable for the Emerald Spire.


Gozran 1, 4712

In the morning, Thorne, disguised as a ruffian, rides into Fort Inevitable with another report that  more gold was found. The remaining ruffians depart, along with several citizens. With the foreign threat now gone, Roscoe orders that all patrols be doubled. Orders are sent out to bring in as much food from surrounding areas while collecting as much water as possible. In two days' time Fort Inevitable's gates will be closed. The Hellknights are also now required to keep a record of who comes and goes, and only taxpayers are allowed to enter Fort Inevitable.

Omok enters the Emerald Spire and meets with the Mistress of Thorns. In exchange for information on the assassin he will perform a service for her. Omok reveals to him that the individual behind the attack is Nagal Imban, someone of considerable means since he or she was able to take control of three demons and order them. The Mistress of Thorns reveals that she knows of Nagal Imban but has nothing to add at this time. In exchange for this, she requires that Omok assassinate Roscoe within the next two weeks. Omok agrees to commit the dastardly deed.

When the giants have a party

Pharast 20, 4712

Daryle is summoned by Maralictor Wirt to the Juliver Gate, and she is to bring her gear. Wirt has a mission for her. She reports to the gate with her sister Darelle and she is not surprised to see Gerald there as well. Their assignment is to find Byrsag, the hill giant near Dimsdale and collect the back taxes he owes. Wirt believes that the Coopers are the best people for this task since they have already had some dealing with him. They are to make contact with the giant and "convince" him to turn over the two barrels of honey he must pay every quarter. This honey is especially needed now with the rationing and the lack of food. They can use physical force but they are not to kill him, however, as he fulfills a needed economic role in the area. The Coopers are provided with two riding horses, and a sleigh with a team of two horses. Daryle and Darelle will ride the horses, while Gerald will drive the sleigh.

While they are readying their equipment and animals at the Juliver Gate, Cassandra walks in from the refuge camp. She talks to Gerald and attempts to convince him to help her and Nissa by allowing them to stay in his house. Gerald mentions that there are already two families staying there, and that there is no room available. He tells her she should seek shelter in the Hellknights barracks as other civilians are also housed there. Cassandra walks away angry at Gerald. The Coopers shrug, then head out.

The ride to Dimsdale is cold and uneventful. They notice logging activities along the way, with several logging camps set up and hundreds of Hellknights cutting away a large number of trees. Darelle is concerned that these logging operations may not be sustainable. When they arrive in Dimsdale, they notice that the population of has doubled overnight with refugees. Mayor Dunleaf Appletop is happy to see the Coopers again, and greets Gerald enthusiastically. He shares with them some of the hardships the village has been living through since the destruction of part of Fort Inevitable. He also gives them the village's last apple pie.

The Coopers head up the valley, following the pastures that border the river. Slowly they ascend until they reach an altitude of 2,000 feet. Here they find Byrsag's home, a rough one room cabin built of hewed timber. There are several large bee hives as well as a stable. Right away Daryle notices that there is no smoke coming from the cabin's chimney and that all of the shutters are closed. She also sees several large tracks, which indicate that a sleigh pulled by two large draft horses accompanied by the giant left here since the last snow fall and headed north east higher in the mountains. Nevertheless, they decide to check the cabin just in case.

The door is locked from the outside, and there is only one window but it is shuttered. Daryle opens the door and steps inside the cabin. Byrsag appears to have left everything but his winter gear here, indicating that he plans on returning. Gerald looks at the thatching job and sees that it's decent work. But the spigot appears to be broken, so Gerald casts mend. He also uses flaming sphere to start the fire while the rangers place the horses in the barn for the night. They spend the night in the giant's home. The cabin eventually becomes nice and warm. Gerald casts clean to provide himself with a space to place his bedroll, and also wizard lock to close the door, but makes a slight change to allow Byrsag to come in. Fortunately for the girls' sanity, he does not share this information with them.

Pharast 23, 4712

Waking up refreshed after an uneventful night, the Coopers set out with their animals and arrive after two days to find a large stone fort at the bottom of a valley nestled between two high peaks. The fort sits at the base of a large frozen waterfall. This waterfall, when running, falls on the roof of the hall then wraps around on either side and the water forms a natural island. A stone bridge leads from the hall across the river. The tracks on the outside of the fort indicate that a large amount of traffic has circulated through here in the last three days.

As they observe from a distance, Daryle notices two orcs coming out of the only set of doors visible, carrying a large chamber pot on a wooden pole. They carefully make their way on the ice, then dump the waste in the river. Marks on the orcs and the poor quality of their clothing indicate that they are slaves. The Coopers can also hear faint merry singing, even with the distance that separates them. Thinking that the level of intoxication must be high, they decide to enter the giants' fort and explore.

The first room they enter after cracking open one of the giant double doors is the barn. A large numbers of wagons, sleighs, and animals are housed here. A tower in the southwest corner contains hay bales and lead to an observation post above the roof line that is currently not manned. Two well crafted doors stand over twenty feet tall and ten feet wide. They work together and manage to prop one of them open. Inside they see a large corridor leading to a great hall. Though only a portion of the hall is visible, they can see that many giants are gathered here, enjoying food, drinks, and songs. Daryle sees at least three kinds of giants: hill giants, stone giants, and even a frost giant. The sound is deafening. There are smaller doors on either side. As they debate what to do, an unseen giant orders the crowd in the great hall to settle down and let their guest speak. An unseen Greenhide then takes the floor and begins to discuss the possibility of an alliance between the goblins and the giants to attack the Hellknights while they are weak.

Having heard enough, the Coopers decide to open the western door. A corridor leads the length of the fort and sports several doors on either side. This hallway smells of good food and fresh bread, indicating that the kitchen is nearby. The Coopers walk to the end of the hall, and open the furthest door. This appears to be a guest room, richly adorned. Evidence indicates that four giants currently reside here. Gerald proposes to steal some of the giants' possessions and place them in Greenhide's room to mark him as a thief and lose credibility with the giants. Darelle and Daryle agree but decide they should find his room first before encumbering themselves with the giants' stuff.

Other rooms along this corridor include the weapons room and the armory, as well as two other common guest rooms. So far the Coopers have seen that there are at least twenty-two giants in the fort. Not wanting to explore the kitchen while it is being used, the Coopers cross the large hallway leading to the great hall again, and enter the east wing. The first room they enter has a giantess sleeping in the bed, and several gleeming objects on the shelf about ten feet off the ground. They then enter a room where four beds are tightly placed next to each other. On two of these beds two hill giants are passed out drunk. Darelle notices that one of the giants has a bulging purse. After a whispered conference with her siblings, she decides to steal the purse. In it she finds 110 platinum pieces from Galt.

They move on to another room. This room is richly decorated and appears to be unoccupied. Daryle spots a chest, and struggles to open it. Inside she finds female clothes. Meanwhile, Gerald is grabbed from behind and thrown on the ground before being dragged under the bed, where he is attacked by a bear. Darelle manages to charm it. She eventually gets it to climb on the bed, and once he is settled Gerald casts deep slumber and the bear goes down. In the mattress Daryle discovers a large leather backpack with 28 gems of various value, for a nominal value of 5,890 crowns, as well as roughly 5,000 crowns in coinage.

The Coopers then converse with each other. Should they remain here and continue their attempt to set up Greenhide or should they head back to Fort Inevitable with the wealth they found in the mattress? Surely, they surmise, the value of the coins will more than offset the missing honey.

They head back, encountering nothing in the corridor, but when they crack the door to the barn open they see a stone giant accompanied by an ogre. The giant is feeding the animals while the ogre is sweeping the waste away. Darelle and Daryle successfully sneak under the wagons and head towards their own sleigh. Gerald is not so lucky, however, and the money he is carrying jingles, attracting the stone giant's attention. He lumbers over to the first wagon, where Gerald is hiding, and bends down. The stone giant confronts Gerald, mistaking him for an orc and orders him to get back to work. Gerald replies that he's been ordered to lubricate the axle. The stone giant grumbles but heads back to feeding his animals. A few minutes later, both giant and ogre step back into the fort.

The Coopers quickly hitch their animals and ride out of the giants' steadfast.

Pharast 26, 4712

The party returns to Byrsag's house and they check the barn to ensure that there were no honey barrels left, which is indeed the case. They arrives in Dimsdale early in the morning, and provide Mayor Appletop with some of the game they found along the way. The mayor is thankful.

They head back to Fort Inevitable and report what they discovered to Maralictor Wirt. She collects the animals. Darelle turns in 100 of the Galt platinum pieces, while Daryle turns in 2,600 crowns to the Hellknights. Wirt tells them she wants them to go back and find out whether the giants were convinced by Greenhide and, if so, what their plans are. In the meantime she will notify Roscoe and take appropriate defensive measures.

Gerald returns home with flees from Byrsag's home. He finds that Cassandra and Nissa have convinced Roscoe to issue an order relocating them to his bedroom. Gerald heads to the Citadel. He explains to Roscoe what has transpired in the last week and attempts to talk Roscoe into nominating Cassandra as ambassador to the giants. Roscoe replies that he will think about it.

Thorne, dragon slayer!

Calistril 28, 4712

It has been two days since most of Fort Inevitable was destroyed in a magical fire. The town is still reeling with the lack of shelter and food, and plummeting temperatures. Emergency actions taken by Roscoe and his officers have managed to house most of the residents in the remaining housing stock, but many citizens have been sent to surrounding localities, including Dimsdale, and about three hundred people are camped in the fields outside the Fort.

Roscoe hosts a leadership meeting with his officers when the door to the Council Chamber opens. The Mistress of Thorns steps and advises Roscoe on what steps must be taken to rectify the situation following the fire in Fort Inevitable. Specifically, she is concerned with three issues: the lack of wood for rebuilding, the lack of food, and the critical shortage of housing stock. On the first, she recommends that Roscoe orders the harvesting of as much quality lumber as possible to speed up the rebuilding of the town. He agrees and orders that it be so. On the second issue, she tells the Hellknights that she has organized a caravan that will arrive within a month carrying much needed supplies to alleviate the worst of the famine. This caravan will be accompanied by a small party of devils to assure security. Roscoe agrees to this as well. Finally, on the third issue, the Mistress recommends that buildings should fit more dwellings to allow the relocation of all people who lost their lodgings during the fire. On this topic, Maralictor Wirt tells Roscoe that she has already begun working on a new urban plan that will redesign roads and services. Roscoe tells her to pursue this goal.

Finally, the Mistress of Thorns addresses Roscoe again. Mentioning that she has heard of his troubles dealing with the magma dragons, she offers him tools to deal with them. First, she presents him with four bolts of dragon slaying +10. These must be fired with a man portable ballista, which she offers to Roscoe as well. With this equipment, Roscoe and his siblings should be able to deal with the threats of the dragons.

When news filters down to Thorne about the food convoy, he begins to plan and organize a task force to defeat the devils and capture the food on its way to Fort Inevitable. On a completely unrelated issue to the fire, Thorne had acquired six months' worth of hard tack biscuits he meant to send to the front in the Mendev crusades. They arrived about a month ago, and have been stored in a farm owned by associates. He now sees an opportunity to save the town from starvation and make a tidy profit at the same time.

Due to the housing crisis, Gerald has been forced to welcome three large families to his house. This interrupts his studies, so he becomes very adept at writing scrolls of sleep. He also sends a message to Abernard through Cassandra requesting advice on possible magical remodeling of his house, much like the old wizard had done himself. He also locks up all of his magical supplies to ensure they don't inadvertently end up in a dish and consumed by the new residents.

Rowen, a wizard recently arrived in Fort Inevitable, offers his services to the Hellknights in the wake of the disaster. Roscoe interviews him and agrees to let him join the reconstruction effort on a interim basis.

Having discovered that Cassandra and Nissa have not in fact perished in the explosion that destroyed Abernard's house but were rather at an acquaintance's house in the countryside, Roscoe decides to meet with them to discuss the source of the explosion. The two have been relocated to the camp on the training fields, and Roscoe finds them there. He interrogates Cassandra on her whereabouts and determines that she is truthful when she mentions that both herself and her daughter were not involved in the house's destruction. When he asks her whether she might have been the target of the destruction, Cassandra appears to be genuinely puzzled. Who would want to harm her?

Thorne's arrests papers having disappeared, the thief decides to find his brother and become Fort Inevitable's hero by solving the food crisis with his warehoused merchandise. He looks up Roscoe in the tent city, and they negotiate a deal. Thorne is made quartermaster of Fort Inevitable. He is granted access to the treasury so he can secure quick payment for the food. There are about 125,000 crowns in the treasury at this time. Roscoe also mandates Thorne to hire masons, timber wrights, carpenters, and other builders to rebuild the town. Thorne says he can find these people but this will be costly. Thorne plans on heading to Daggermark and secure workers from their prisons and bring them back.

Daryle finds Maralictor Wirt and organizes a hunting party. Darelle joins the party, but they don't travel near the Fort. They are unable to find any prey, and the forest is filled with traps, most of which will not catch anything they are so poorly designed. It's only been two days since the catastrophe that wiped three fourths of the town, and already the people are hungry!

With the affairs of state now in order, the Coopers return to the Emerald Spire and descend to the Magma level equipped with the Mistress of Thorns's new gear. Their plan is simple. They will come down to the third level, then will use the spire transport to land on the tenth level. They will cross over the lava lake, set up the ballista, and lure the young magma dragons out to their demise.

Rowen and Thorne appear by the Spire first. Thorne checks the rope they had previously strung, and it is still standing. It appears to be secure. Thorne crawls the rope and makes it across. Rowen then teleports across. Daryle, Roscoe and Darelle then come in using the second transport token. Daryle crosses the magma lake using the cable. Darelle and Roscoe also make it. Thorne sets up a trip wire at the back of the room to prevent an ambush from the rear. They arrange themselves in a line. Rowen casts invisibility on each member of the party, then true strike. He will handle the firing of the weapon, while Thorne will reload between rounds.

The party throws stones into the lava lake, and makes a lot of noise. Nothing happens on the first or second attempt, but on the third attempt the female and dominant magma dragon emerges from the lava and climbs up in the air. The battle is on. Rowen looses the first bolt, which successfully hits the female, but not before she's able to breathe on the party, causing considerable damage. Her brother emerges from the lava as well, and he joins the attack. He also breathes on the party. Everyone successfully attack the dragons but the situation is dire. Rowen manages to fire the second bolt, hitting the female who crashes on the ground near them. The male sees where the bolts are coming from, so on his second pass he grabs Rowen and almost throws him in the lava.

Darelle summons a blue pegasus and heads up for the dragon. She lands a mighty blow on the beast, but he in turn inflicts enough damage to her magical construct to destroy it. Falling to the ground, Darelle barely manages to grab the cable. She climbs back to the Spire ledge.

As the magma dragon comes for one more pass, Rowen releases another bolt, hitting him square in the chest. Thorne also takes a shot with his small bow, and he is amazed that his arrow is true. The dragon is hit in his one functional eye, and arrow penetrating deep in his brain. He crashes into the lava, and quickly sinks out of view. The Coopers have defeated the magma dragons!

Burn, baby burn!

Calistril 26, 4712

It's a blistering cold and windy day in Fort Inevitable. The weather has been dry, but the winds over the last three days has created major drifts along the streets of the town. Hellknights have tried to keep up with the digging but it has been almost impossible to remove enough and keep the streets clear.

On this particular morning, the Coopers are dealing with the meteorological conditions. Gerald is outside the walls of the Fort using flaming sphere to melt some of the snow. Darelle visits Dr. Mordel's house. Daryle is out hunting big game. Roscoe has ordered the Hellknights to pile as much snow as possible on Lord Warden Way to block the worst of the wind.

At nine o'clock, the residents of Fort Inevitable feel the ground violently shake and the sound of an explosion spreads quickly. Windows are broken, dishes fall to the ground, chimneys collapse, and much property damage happens. People are stunned. What just happened?

A large blue cloud quickly raises from the area near Dr. Mordel's house and reaches up to the sky. At the same time, the pillar of smoke quickly spreads outwards. Houses catch on fire and begin burning down. Seeing this out of the window, Darelle helps Mordel and his assistant Erynna move the patients to the basement to escape from the flames. Gerald notices the smoke pillar and immediately returns to Fort Inevitable. Daryle bags an elk and sees the pillar raising. She rushes back to the town.

With the smoke rising and the fires spreading, Roscoe orders an evacuation of Fort Inevitable. Hellknights rush in to fight the fires, and with the help of the inhabitants they manage to put it out. The smoke was debilitating, however, and the fires felt more like acid than flames. Unfortunately, over 400 people, including 87 Hellknights, perished in the explosion and its aftermath.

Investigating the scene, Roscoe discovers a crater about 50 feet deep. He can clearly see one of the main sewer lines, but further down there is another, older tunnel that has been cut in two. Water is slowly pooling at the bottom of the crater, and soon it will reach up to that second tunnel. Roscoe decides to investigate. He climbs down to the sewer. The ground is covered with a scorching blue ash, and soon the Hellknight is covered in blue.

Roscoe explores the tunnels, and discovers a strange creature radiating a strong evil aura. With six legs, four arms, and a triangular head with eyes all around, the creature seemingly stops, scratshes something on the wall, and proceeds down the tunnel. Roscoe follows at a distance, and takes a look at the scratches. They appear to be some sort of runes. Roscoe defaces the runes, then returns above ground to gather some help.

With the situation now under control, Maralictor Wirt reports that over 70% of the dwellings withing Fort Inevitable have been destroyed, including Darelle's cute little house. Even if people bunk up in the remaining residences and surrounding farms, more than a thousand people will be homeless. With the granaries burned to the ground, there is enough food left to feed everyone for the next three weeks, but then starvation will set in. Roscoe orders that lumber be immediately felled and that temporary shelters be built. Campaign tents are to be pitched on the training field, and rations are halved to stretch out the food. Messages requesting assistance are sent to Dimsdale and to other surrounding localities. Gerald proposes building temporary snow shelters, and Roscoe grimly agrees that, though this may be one of Gerald's worse ideas, it is worth trying. With the evacuation proceeding apace and a plan in place, the Coopers head back to the newly discovered tunnel.

Darelle is the first to notice that the crater stands exactly where Abernard's house was located. And no one has seen Cassandra or Nissa since the day before. Could there be a link between their disappearance and this explosion?

Down in the tunnel, the Coopers realize that it is quite old. It may in fact predate the Emerald Spire itself, and its construction is not Azlanti. Roscoe describes the creature to his siblings, and they proceed down the tunnel. This tunnel is straight and never deviates left, right, or up and down. It is made of large stones that have been tight fitted, and there is no sign of humidity or water. The creature has a few hours on them, but Roscoe is convinced that it can't be too far ahead since it stopped every few feet to scribble on the walls.

After a hundred feet they find the first rune that has not been scratched out by Roscoe. Gerald examines it, and notices that it is some sort of summoning rune. The creature appears not to know what it is trying to summon, but the rune repeats itself enough that, whatever will come through when the ritual is done, will be big. Gerald copies the symbols to discover who they might have been. The Coopers then remove every rune that they find.

They eventually discover a small side room connected to the tunnel that allows for travel up and down a shaft. There are no signs that the creature climbed either up and down. Daryle drops a coin down the shaft and when the sound eventually comes back she knows that it is hundreds of feet deep.

Continuing on, the Coopers estimate that they walked out of town about two miles in the general direction of Mosswater, and the tunnel has not deviated from its course. They walk in a large room with strange machinery and gears made of a metal they have never seen before. The mechanical devices appear oiled and greased and ready to be turned on. A control panel with strange symbols, levers, and buttons is present in one of the corners. There are more levels of gears below and above. The creature's runes are scribbled all over, and the Coopers spend some time removing them. Gerald speculates that these gears, when activated, would open some large gate, and that if they did they might be able to pick up the point where the gates opened from Fort Inevitable.

Right next to the gear room is another large room with several stories of metal walkways along the walls, going up and down, with the tunnel continuing on. The creature itself is on the third level, still scribbling on the walls. Daryle looses an arrow, getting the creature's attention. It jumps down, summons two large air elementals, and attacks. The creature's blows are vicious and dangerous, but eventually the Coopers prevail and Gerald manages not to die in the process.

Trekking back to Fort Inevitable, Roscoe crosses over the crater, and takes a look in the other tunnel. There are no runes carved in the walls on this side. The creature seems to have appeared at the bottom of the crater. Roscoe orders that Hellknights cement and waterproof a wall to close both of the tunnels, before the crater itself is filled with rubble. The other section of the tunnel seemed to lead in a straight line in the direction of the Emerald Spire...

The Changing of the Guard

Abadius 1, 4712

As the bells of the temple begin to ring, announcing the birth of the new year,  Daryle begins searching the offices on the ground floor of the Citadel. She finds all the doors locked, so she feels confident Duke Mosley's men must have gone to the upper level to ensure the Lady Commander was dead. She moves up to the second floor.

Meanwhile, Gerald heals himself using a potion of healing he had smuggled inside. He winces a little at the smell, but quaffs it anyway. Feeling better, he also decides to head upstairs, and heads straight to the fourth floor.

Darelle, in the Lady Commander's room, sees the army outside the walls continues to move. Drovust asks Mordel what her next move should be, and he advises her that Duke Mosley has begun his final move, but it is not yet time to intervene.

Arriving on the landing, Gerald notices two Hellknights standing strangely still. He observes the situation for a few minutes but realizes that the Hellknights must be paralyzed. He climbs behind the nearest one and puts a blindfold on him. By doing so, however, Gerald breaks the spell. The Hellknight bites his finger and holds him hostage. Moving forward with a dagger pressed hard under Gerald's chin, the Hellknight pushes the sorcerer forward until he is in striking distance and he throws his knife at one of the two guardsmen by the Lady Commander's door. Gerald trips the man behinds him but ends up underneath him.

Hearing the commotion outside, Darelle removes her skirt and charges out of the Commander's room. A brief but bloody battle ensues, and the Coopers are triumphant. Daryle comes charging up the stairs but finds the situation under control. Mosley's assassins are quickly dispatched. The Coopers return downstairs, but Daryle ties the door to the 2nd floor.

Duke Mosley, having returned from the wall, is once again in the Receiving Hall surrounded by his men when the Coopers return to the ground floor. He tells the ladies to move along, but he takes Gerald with him to the bathroom to wash off some of the demon goo off the sorcerer. Coming out of the restroom, he invites Gerald to accompany him to the treasury to account for the gold that might be missing. He tells the sorcerer that he finds it odd that during a green storm and a battle someone would have been able to physically break through the defenses of the treasury, buried deep under the Citadel, and steal more than 600,000 crowns without being noticed. The Duke tells Gerald he believes it was a set-up from the inside, and he wants to confirm his opinion.

Daryle and Darelle are being pressed to leave the Citadel, but they grab a hold of a drunken Bolgur and decide to carry the stinking half-orc down to the prison floor to find Roscoe's new offices. Mosley's men let them take the drunkard downstairs. In their brother's office they discover the Book of Warrants, that include the warrants served on all the prisoners. They notice that the prison cells are all empty, and that Thorne has successfully escaped. Darelle takes Thorne's warrant and burns it. She then notices that there are no warrant, or even a prisoner file, on Dr. Mordel. It's as if there was no reason for him to be here in the first place.

Daryle decides they must rescue Gerald, or at least follow them to the treasury. Darelle wakens Bolgur, who leads them back to the first basement floor and to an intersection. Unsure of himself, he heads in one direction, while the Coopers head in the other. Fortunately for Daryle and Darelle, their keen ears hear the sounds of a wench coming from Bolgur's hallway, and they retrace their step. They find the sound coming from behind a locked door. They barricade the door from the outside and wait.

Inside the room Duke Mosley, Gerald and the Duke's men are heading down a large platform, more than a hundred feet below the sewers and the base of the Citadel. They arrive in a large antechamber with two large iron-plated doors guarding the way. The doors radiate magic and Gerald is quickly able to determine that several guarding spells have been placed to protect the treasury. The Duke politely asks Gerald to open the door, but the sorcerer declines, finding reason after reason to allow the Duke to do the deed himself. Unfortunately, this is a battle of wits that Gerald cannot win, and, in his last desperate gambit Gerald tells the Duke that only a ranking Hellknight could open the door without triggering the trap. The Duke commissions Gerald on the spot, offering him the grade of Signifier of the Hellknights. Unable to come up with another delay, Gerald comes up with what he thinks is a clever plan. He triggers one of the traps, a fireball spell, but at the same time he casts one of his own and sends both of them towards Mosley and the rest of the group, knowing that he will most likely suffer terribly. And indeed he does. But as he falls towards unconsciousness, he notices four of the Duke's seven men collapse to the ground, crisply burned. The remaining three appear grievously wounded. To his amazement, however, the Duke look as freshly pressed in his white uniform as he did when he first walked in the Receiving Hall.

Daryle and Darelle  wait a while by the door when they finally hear the winch start again. Soon, the sounds of people behind the door can be heard. There is a short struggle with the barricaded door, and then a hush. Suddenly, the wall next to the door begins dripping, and it turns into mud. A hand sticks out, then another, and soon there is a rough doorway. One of Mosley's badly burned man steps through. Daryle quickly dispatches him. Duke Mosley steps through next. Daryle shoots a few arrows at the Duke, two of which hits. But he then rubs his arm and a large fireball discharges, and both Coopers are hit. Mosley's remaining swordsmen charge the sisters, and a fight ensues. Mosley, meanwhile, hangs back, a few small blood stains slowly spreading on his otherwise immaculate uniform.

The Coopers manage to slay one of the swordsmen, but a stalemate is quickly reached, with neither the swordsman nor the sisters able to triumph over the others. Duke Mosley then proposes a truce. He tells the Coopers he is neither after the Hellknight treasury nor does he wish to become Fort Inevitable's master. How is it, he asks the Coopers, that he would know so much about the comings and goings in the area without a spy? He reveals that he has in fact two independent spies who are not aware of each other. He's willing to make a deal with the Coopers to end this stalemate. If they leave the Citadel now, the Duke will go about his business, and he guarantees their safety and that of Gerald and Roscoe. In fact, Roscoe will be appointed Commander of Fort Inevitable. When questioned about Thorne, he tells them there is nothing he can do for the thief. Daryle tells Mosley that she needs a token of good will, and Mosley agrees to reveal that one of his spies is Maralictor Wirt. Daryle realizes that she's the only one who had told them about the thief of the Hellknight treasure. Perhaps they had been set up after all.

After conferring with each other, the Coopers agree to Mosley's terms, but not before they retrieve Gerald from the treasury room. Soon thereafter, all of the Coopers exit the Citadel and retire to Shadowborn Manor.


Abadius 2, 4712

After a restless night, Gerald leaves Shadowborn Manor and heads back to Fort Inevitable to meet with Duke Mosley, who had previously invited him for breakfast. The Duke is enchanted to see him. He tells Gerald that the matter has been resolved, and that he will depart with his army in the afternoon, after the changing of the guard ceremony. Later in the afternoon, Audara Drovust will also depart Fort Inevitable, along with the usual contingent of Hellknights returning to Cheliax. Gerald realizes that the Lady Commander is about to depart with a very large treasure, and there is nothing they can do about it. He does request a letter certifying his commissioning as a Hellknight officer. Duke Mosley laughs and gives this letter to Gerald, certifying his appointment as a Signifier.

Hellknights present themselves to Shadowborn Manor and deliver invitations for the Coopers to attend the Changing of the Guard ceremony where they will be awarded the  receive the Second Level of the Order of the Crow. The Coopers respectfully decline, citing ill health.

Over the next few days, Daryle spends some time hunting, while Darelle returns to visit Mother Holworth. She catches up on the news from Fort Inevitable. Mother Holworth tells her that things have relaxed a little in the area. Taxes were not due until the 2nd instead of the 1st of the quarter. Both Mosley and Drovust have departed, and the garrison is now down to about 1,000 men.

The Coopers head back to Fort Inevitable to pay their taxes and the interest on the late payment. Gerald attempts to convince the Tax Collector that, because of his filial relationship with Roscoe, the charges should be waived. The Tax Collector chuckles and refuses. The Coopers then withdraw money from the bank so they can pay Captain Rémi, when, in the next few days, he returns to Fort Inevitable to collect his fee for transporting them away from Razmiran.

With this first year now over with, the Coopers are faced with five remaining questions:

1. Who is Karlyle the Butcher?
2. What about Greenhide?
3. What's Abernard up to?
4. What is Mordel's role?
5. What are the green storms and what causes them?