Half an hour later the group arrives at the guards quarters, a large building right next to the town gate. The street is completely desolate and the lack of traffic through the town gate is obvious, the large iron structure seems like it has not been opened in a while and the only part of the gate which is free of rust and mould is a small door on the side of the wall.

Time - 2:15 pm

---

Gaius walks towards the guards quarters. He turns to the others and asks. "Should we check the guards quarters? Or just head towards Verholm's Manor?"

Urien nods. "I could act as a captain of Verholm's guard and check to see how everything was. I am wearing a load of their equipment."

"That could be dangerous... they could discover you" Saris said turning to Urien, and analising what to do. "But it's not a bad idea, I think... the rest of us should stay alert"

"The building must be pretty much empty, Verholm's garrison in this town was barely about 20 men, considering we've killed about 15 since this morning..." replied Gaius approaching the door.

Saris sighed relieved. "Then it shouldn't be a problem" she said smiling slightly.

Eirian eyes the building uneasily, rustling her wings as she waits for the others to decide what they're going to do.

Urien nodded firmly. "I'll do it. I'm a lochmorian, so I look the part. If there's any trouble, you guys run in, alright?"

"Alright, we'll be ready" Saris said. "Let's move, we don't have much time"

Urien sheathed his customary longsword and wrapped the hiltand scabbard in cloth, shifting the Verholm mark sword into better view. He adjusted the cloak and shook himself, getting his mind into the part of a Captain of the guard. "Just like old times," he murmured, approaching the quarters.

Gaius approached the door quietly a few steps beyond Urien. Though he seriously doubted there were any guards left, an acolyte cannot take the same chances in combat as a knight does.

Urien took a deep breath, opened the door and walked in, his face immediately looking grim and humourless.

Almost as soon as Urien crossed the threshold of the door, a man clad in dark blue with leather armor appeared in front of him. His clothes and skin were dusty, as if he had not bathed in several day. Pointing a crossbow directly in Urien's face, the man spoke, "Tell me where Skelle is, lackey, or die!"

Urien's eyes widened and his face went red. "How dare you point that crossbow at me, you 'orrible little man! I should have you dragged through the town by wild horses for threatening a captain!" He benged his fist against his chest, looking down upon the soldier.

The man continued to stare down his crossbow at Urien, unperturbed. "A captain, eh? Then you definitely know where Skelle is. I have a score to settle with him for my stay here...or should I say imprisonment! Too bad you scum can't keep a proper watch. Now take me to Skelle or take a bolt to the eye!"

Urientilted his head to one side. "A prisoner?" he asked, going calm again, yet not entirely as he had a bolt pointed between his eyes.

The man grinned. "Former prisoner. Now, avenger." The grin vanished. "To Skelle...I won't ask again."

Urien tapped the insignia on the brooch of the cloak. "This belonged to Skelle. I killed him. I am not a captain of the guard, it was a ploy to trick any guards in here... although I see that you dealt with them."

The man took a step back and pointed his crossbow slightly to the side, away from Urien but in the position to bring it back to bear quickly. "I see...I haven't had the opportunity to deal with any guards. I believe this place is deserted. I heard silence and took a chance to escape." He eyed Urien carefully. "How do I know you are not trying to trick me? Prove to me you are Skelle's killer and not his toady."

Urien shrugged. "What do you wnat me to do? I have nothing of his but this cloak and the armour, although another of my group has a letter we pried from his dead fingers."

The man lowered his crossbow. "Very well. I am Amadea Tor of the Forest Guard. I am...observing for the Guard at the moment, which is why I am here. My first stop was here, where I was set upon by Skelle and his rogues, who accused me of spying for Caessen, and refused to release me without a ransom." He tried looking around Urien's massive form. "Where is the rest of your party?"

Urien stepped aside and opened his arms, gesturing outside. "All of them are out there, waiting to make sure I am well."

"But you WERE spying for Caessen Amadea! for Angkone at least" said Gaius walking in with a smile after recognizing from outside the voice of a young archer with whom he served during the war of corruption.

Saris walked in slowly after Gaius and tried to figure out what was happening. "So, there are no guards here anymore?"

Urien searched through the guards' quarters. "Appears so," he called to Saris as he brought anything valuable or useful or interesting to a table and dumped them on there.

Urien lay 2 chests on the table, one of them had a a Nervan crest and looked very old. The chest was locked with a sturdy iron lock. The second chest was very small and was not locked.

Urien stepped back and flipped the lid of the small chest open with the tip of his own longsword.

Amadea looked over at Gaius. "Details," he said with a grin. "They never had any definitive proof besides me being Rysallean. What's all this about a letter?"

"It was a letter about a couple of spies in these territories" Saris said to Amadea with a grin. She then examined the old chest's lock. "There has to be something important inside here! I wonder if the key could be somewhere here in this place... I don't remember Skelle did carry a key"

Eirian peeked into the guardroom, then quickly entered, relaxing her bow string. "All's well then?" She questioned Gaius. 

Amadea said, "Maybe the big fellow can break the lock or the chest open. Or maybe that strange projectile device Skelle was carrying could work?

"Everything is ok Miss Eirian" replied Gaius corteously while he opened the smaller chest.

Inside the chest Gaius found several documents and 3 of what appeared to be magical scrolls

"There may prove interesting" said Gaius while examining the documents and leaving the scrolls on the table.

"This thing?" Saris said to Amadea while taking the pistol out of her pack. "I don't even know how to use it..."

"I'm sure I ran into a shopkeeper in the market who had a similiar device. Maybe he can help." said Amadea. He then turned to Gaius, "What do those documents say?"

Meanwhile, Urien was attempting to break the lock of the large chest with the butt of the handle of one of his swords.

"Maybe" Saris said, saving the pistol in her pack again. She then watched Urien trying to break the lock. Maybe that would work.

Wolf just sighed from behind everyone, bored from, in his words, doing nothing. There had to be a task for him to do.

"Perhaps a few of us should go scout around?" Eirian suggested, sympathising with Wolf.

"It is all the evidence we needed" he replied, packing several documents on a pouch he kept. "And an order for several hundred pounds of dooner meat" he said with an expression of disconcert as he gave the last letter to Amadea.

After several attempts at the lock it finally broke off, falling loudly to the ground next to Urien.

Urien quickly lifted open the chest, wondering what would have been kept locked up.

"Any gold?" Wolfgang asked from behind Urien, trying to get a look of what was in the chest.

"Hmmm," said Amadea observing the order. "That could feed an army. Question is, who's? What do the other documents say?"

The chest was, in fact, filled with gold, up to the very top, probably around 2 or 3 thousand gold pieces, this money were the taxes Verholm had unjustly taken from the citizens of the Osvik region during the last 6 months.

Gaius handed some of the letters to Amadea and added a "read it for yourself"



Lochmore, Osvik, 10/06/1216 (Ravillan Count)

Order and specifications for the fortifying of Ollefdalen Manor.

(series of orders for weapons, armors and materials, amongs which one can find skarradian ore and stone)

Enclosed there is report of our spies in Caerham, they have been succesfully disrupting trade along the Black Road, (series of foul deeds done by Barenzo's spies throughout the land) our next move will be to poison the water supply of the Moonwater glade near Deepwood city, one the city guard based in Moonwater is diminished we will strike Deepwood and set a foothold in Rysallis, with any luck this will distract the Sentinels and allow us to transport the (word has been smudged, probably something very important which must be kept secret) along the black road so we can ship it to Anbrand.

"It just goes on like that", continued Gaius rather disturbed. "They also seem to be amassing a militia army north of here, under a commander named Gunang"

Urien frowned. "First of all, nobody touches the gold in this chest unless they want their hands taken off! Secondly, we need to get rid of Verholm before he has enough power to take all of Lochmore."

Saris had been about to pick a coin from the chest before Urien spoke, and withdrew her hand fast. "What are we going to do with the money?" she asked.

Wolf's jaw had droped when he saw the gold. It was most likely the most he'd seen in a long time. Everyone else nearby seemed to just be shadows to Wolf as he looked at the chest of gold. Must....fight.....urge......gold.....need gold! he thought ti himself.

Urien slammed shut the chest. "This gold belongs to the citizens of this land, not us. None of us may claim it," he said firmly.

Wolf looked down quickly and said in a small voice, "Damn." He'd do the right thing in the end, but so much gold so close to him, Wolf felt as though he had to have it.

Urien picked up the gold and took it to the cells, placing it in the corner of one and draping a blanket over it before locking the cell door and taking the gaelor's keys. "Now nobody can get at it."

Amadea looked up from reading the letters. "Gaius, we must find some way of getting word to our superiors of this." He looked puzzled for a second. "There's just one thing I don't understand. Why would this evidence, which Skelle didn't really need to know, and this much gold be left in the guardhouse instead of the mansion?"

Saris resigned to watch the chest with the gold while Urien took it away and sighed. She turned then to Amadea. "That's actually a good question. Maybe the gold was about to be carried to the mansion? Or somewhere else... and the letter... maybe it wasn't for Skelle"

Eirian shifted her feet uneasily. She was not terribly concerned with the matters of this land, however, it seemed that they would take precendance over her recovering her charge, Misae.

Gaius turned to Eirian halfway guessing her discomfort. "I know how you feel Miss Eirian. Very well then, we have enough prove to move against Verholm's manor now without any regrets, let's get moving, after we are done with this i have a promise to Miss Eirian which i must keep, we will be heading to Rysallis Amadea, perhaphs you would like to come with us, see your homeland again?" he then grabbed the letters and put them away. "Urien, i know i can trust you to give the money back to its rightful owners, you, Saris and Wolfgang have been of great help, after we have dealt with Verholm i would be delighted if you decide to come with us, but i would also understand if you choose to take another path, ours is far too dangerous to take lightly, as this letter has proven" he said this last part taking the letter he had just handed Amadea.

"A little bit of danger doesn't scare me" Saris said, placing her hands on her hips. "I'm going with you" she turned to look at the Wolf and Urien.

Eirian bows her head slightly at Gaius and gives him a grateful smile.

Wolf smiled and gave Gaius a thumbs up, "I'll go if you just call me Wolf," he said.

"Sounds like a plan to me, Gaius," said Amadea.

Urien grinned. "Of course I'll help you after this, my friend! I am bound to aid the Empress forever now!"

Saris grinned. "So, are we going for Verholm now?" she asked and headed outside, thinking there was nothing else to see at the quarters.

"Yes, let's get out of here"
replied Gaius as he walked out of the Guards Quarters and towards the city gate.

Urien followed, looking forward to liberating the fine city of evil.

Eirian shrugged to herself and set off after them.

Amadea walked toward the city gate, keeping his eyes open for ambushes.

Wolf sighed from the wasted gold that he might have been able to get, though reluctently followed.

---

Back to [Party Nº1]