Castle Amber: A D&D Adventure

BMR · Post by **BMR** » Thu May 21, 2015 4:51 am

"Very well, if the rest of you are intent on letting them go free rather than taking them prisoner, I will reluctantly have to abide by the choice of the party."

Kalar grows more serious and then says:

"Consider though, you saw how ruthless their leader was and how readily he broke his word. Are you certain that these poor sods who failed him will be allowed to live after we show them mercy? Think about it. Foot soldiers who could have been killed by 'evil sorcerers' are instead healed and then released by those same wicked foes. And all that after these same two tried to kill those sorcerers. Hardly the kindness and mercy they would expect from us. That is certain to plant a seed of doubt in these two at least. A seed that could grow and spread through the ranks. Do you really think Azderac will allow these two to get back to their families alive?"

Gizmog · Post by **Gizmog** » Thu May 21, 2015 6:00 am

"Where do you suppose they'd go anyway? If they report back to their group, is there any way we could turn that to our advantage? ..and maybe Kalar's right. That's what they'd be expecting. No way he'd just let them live. At best they're incompetent and at worst they've made a deal with sorcerors. Maybe we can find someplace to dump 'em and tell 'em to lay low. Are they a liability to us, can they be tracked? What about the manticore? Do you think we're too far south to track him now? At any rate, we can't stay here. " Maybe this stuff makes more sense if you're a wizard.

Voulton troubles himself with more sensible issues, like rounding up food and water from the dead to give to the prisoners, taking some parchment, a quill and hopefully some ink for himself. "People are going to wonder about this... should we leave a note?"

BMR · Post by **BMR** » Thu May 21, 2015 8:15 am

"I agree that we should get moving at least. If you wish to leave a note, by all means do so. But I am fairly certain a note would blow away fairly quickly. Perhaps engrave or carve something into that iron tree? However, if you really want to send a message, then the symbolic is usually the more effective. I have a shovel and some digging tools in the wagon, we can give these men proper graves if you desire."

Kalar leaves out the fact that he originally purchased said tools to take things out of graves, rather than put them in.

"As for Bill or maybe Nathaire, let me check."

Kalar holds out his hand and materializes his sword. He focuses on it and attempts to discern the location of the special saddle he put together for Bill.

Spoonweaver · Post by **Spoonweaver** » Thu May 21, 2015 12:30 pm

After casting the speak with dead spell, the destroyed body of the man in the hat took a while to reform before answering Kalar's first question with, "You were to be put on trial then hung for your crimes." To the second question the dead man whose hat had been taken replied, "Nathaire and Azedarac are master to Moriamis and Gaspard."

Meanwhile, Kalar's sword told him the saddle was no longer in range.

BMR · Post by **BMR** » Thu May 21, 2015 1:10 pm

Masters? Most intriguing...

Kalar asks his final question:

"In what way do Moriamis and Nathaire serve their masters Nathaire and Azedarac?"

Post by **Bob the Hamster** » Thu May 21, 2015 2:46 pm

Rob curses under his breath when he hears that Gaspard is serving Azedarc or Nathaire... Azedarc and Nathaire?

"It was certainly strange how he phrased that... Are Azedarc and Nathaire working together directly? It would certainly explain some things... for example, why Azedarc didn't send any help whatsoever to defend Vyones from Nathaire's collosus..."

Rob thinks some more "And Gaspard! He used to be very close to Nathaire in the old days when Nathaire was the leader of Vyones. But if he is still serving Nathaire, why did he organize our defences of the city? And I knew that Gaspard was too much of a coward to stand up to Azedarc, but I had never considered that he might be working for Azedarc."

"I am not sure if we can trust my old friend at all" Rob says sadly.

Rob looks at the prisoners, and in the kindest tone he can muster, says "Well, do you boys have anything to say for yourselves before we turn you loose?"

Spoonweaver · Post by **Spoonweaver** » Thu May 21, 2015 3:08 pm

The corpse answer, "They serve them no longer."
The prisoners remained asleep.

BMR · Post by **BMR** » Thu May 21, 2015 3:16 pm

Interesting. Might be a good idea to speak to those two once the chance presents itself.

"I have finished questioning this one, and I won't be able to question of the inquisitors any further until tomorrow. However, I doubt we have enough time to wait for that. I suggest we gather what horses we can that are still arrive and get out of here. If we lack horses, I might be able to animate some of the fallen horses if anyone happens to have any onyxes.

"Further, it seems that Bill is no longer within range of the sword, so chances are Nathaire, or whoever's controlling him, has managed to reach his stronghold.

"The way I see it, we have two choices. Continue north to find and destroy Nathaire, or return to Vyones and confront Gaspard. What say the party?"

Post by **Bob the Hamster** » Thu May 21, 2015 3:23 pm

"Confronting Gaspard does have some appeal... but what was that last thing the dead man said? He talks in riddles."

Rob scowls at the prisoners. Their eyes are closed and they are limp.

"Nothing to say? Playing possum?" he says angrily them, assuming that they were so terrified by the grisly spectacle of what Voulton did to their allies that they have decided to play dead.

Feenicks · Post by **Feenicks** » Thu May 21, 2015 7:54 pm

Hearing the true plans of the inquisitors had grossly unnerved Rachelle, and hearing where Gaspard's allegiances lay hadn't made things better. Still, though, what could have caused those two former underlings to rebel?

"I'd rather not be anywhere the Inquisitors could potentially have a foothold right now," she replied, "and unless there is no place along the way that we could stock back up on supplies, I feel that at the very least scouting out Nathaire's stronghold is the best move we could make right now."

...although that would make finding a place to part with the prisoners someone difficult. Maybe they should just be left to the side of the path?

Post by **Bob the Hamster** » Thu May 21, 2015 8:03 pm

"Lets leave just leave them on the side of the road, on foot, and with only enough food and water to make it back to Vyones. That way they will tell their story there first, rather than going directly all the way back to Ximes."

He eyes the immobile men suspiciously. This laying limp act has gone on longer than it needs to. What are they playing at?

BMR · Post by **BMR** » Fri May 22, 2015 12:30 am

"Very well, north it is then. Tomorrow, I shall prepare a spell that will allow me to contact Gaspard. That way, we'll be able to tell him that we were attacked, rather than the likely story these two will be telling. Let's get these horses hitched up. The sooner we do, the sooner we can leave."

Kalar proceeds to round up what horses remain. Hrulgin helps out with this as well.

When he's done with that, Kalar will heal the two prisoners.

Post by **Bob the Hamster** » Fri May 22, 2015 3:05 am

Stumpy watches Kalar and Hrulgin rounding up horses. Then he cautiously inches up to Voulton.

"WHAT IS IN THE INSIDE OF HORSES?" He asks.

Gizmog · Post by **Gizmog** » Fri May 22, 2015 3:22 am

Voulton just pats Stumpy on the head. He doesn't have a good answer for that.

Spoonweaver · Post by **Spoonweaver** » Sat May 23, 2015 5:39 am

And so, the party left the battle field, having cleaned it up as much as they cared to. They brought with them two sleeping inquisitors that they hoped would wake soon.
The day went on and the party were soon out of sight of the grizzly area. They were heading north in hopes that Kalar could pin point his saddle's location and thus Nathaire's location with any luck. One of the inquisitors woke up a few hours into their trip. He seemed struck with terror once he realized where he was. He didn't say a word, but simply looked around frantically.