Chapter 5: Blood and Fire

[Darren]

Thanks, Josh!

"If I may, Mistress Inquisitive," Kal says, leaning forward slightly, "Gurend was attacked on the rail platform, before we ever boarded the lightning rail. We did not see his attacker, but he was attacked just the same. We made the decision to carry him onto the rail car. I do not believe that the explosion of the lightning rail was meant just to stop Gurend. If it was, why also attack him on the platform? I think there was something, or someone, else there that day that was the intended target.

Kal begins to lean back, then leans forward again. "Regarding Lady Korvine d'Deneith," he says, "she was somewhat intent on having her involvement in this investigation kept less than official. I would ask that you respect her wishes, for now."

[Josh]

"True, Kalarian, true. We arrived in Passage at midday on Wir. At the station I received a message from a client that insinuated that our mutual enemy was behind the rail attack, and that we should seek out Ralsor," he says, with a nod to the captain. "We also learned that the Silver Flame follower who saved us two days prior was Arrun Entarro, a friend of this client.

"Taymra—who is indeed a dragonmarked member of House Orien— then took us first to meet Phorem, a relative of hers and a powerful wizard who helped us learn about this much-saught-after book. At his tower in Passage we were able to learn that the book was linked with the... plane of Shavarath, I believe" He looks to the others, "I am inherently bad at the specifics of all things non-Material.

"Of course, there could be no doubt that the book was linked to the Battleground, as while Phorem was inspecting the book he underestimated its power and called forth several inhabitants of that infernal realm. With great effort these beasts were destroyed. Phorem couldn't tell us too much more about the book, but his colleague Matheu was able to help us with another item... a scrap of paper that we found inside the book.

"The scrap was a map... that rhymes!" He takes another large swig of his refilled drink.

"Well, not a map, but a plan of a building in the Whisper Wood.

"Though we were not sure exactly why Andronvius asked us to seek our Captain Ralsor... don't get me wrong, I'm certain glad we did! But the message echoed a message of foreboding initially spoken by Fenwolt... that whatever our enemy wished to enact, it would begin in Fairhaven. We thought we would find him first, then decide what to do next.

"We had mere minutes to become acquainted with the good captain before the docking tower was attacked. I'm sure any number of stories have been told about this event, but the truth is the attack was sudden, and much like the others we have endured, the attackers were bent on taking back the book."

[Ken]

Aug 28, 2009 21:29:32 GMT -4 Josh said:

"The scrap was a map... that rhymes!" He takes another large swig of his refilled drink.

"Huzzah!" chimes Belarin, momentarily shaken from his rapt attention to the tale.

__________
Nicely done, Josh.

[Darren]

Aug 28, 2009 21:29:32 GMT -4 Josh said:

"Of course, there could be no doubt that the book was linked to the Battleground, as while Phorem was inspecting the book he underestimated its power and called forth several inhabitants of that infernal realm. With great effort these beasts were destroyed. Phorem couldn't tell us too much more about the book, but his colleague Matheu was able to help us with another item... a scrap of paper that we found inside the book.

"I was not present for this confrontation," Kal interjects. "I had gone with Taymra to visit the Deneith enclave in Passage. While there, I discovered a Sentinel Marshal by the name of Velhan who claimed to know of an Emerald Claw hideout in the city. Deciding haste was more important than caution, I struck out with the Marshal to try to find out more about what they were up to. It turns out it was a trap, of course, and that the Marshal's family were being held so that he would work for them against us. We fought, and it was there that I once again faced a man by the name of Davin, one of the Emerald Claw soldiers who attacked us after the incident on the lightning rail." Kal leans forward and looks intently at the inquisitive. "A man who I had killed that day," he adds. "You see the depths the Emerald Claw sinks to in their attemps to catch us," he says, again leaning back. "During that fight, fire was again thrown at us from a vial, but I believe it was the natural red kind of fire that ignited." Kal stops to think. "Yes, I believe that was it. I must have misspoke earlier. My apologies," he says with a low nod of his head. "Anyway, we defeated those soldiers and rescued Velhan's family. And in the process, we discovered that a meeting was to take place that night at the docking tower. It was our intent to place one of our own people at that meeting to find out what was going on, but we were discovered and attacked, as Grafth has said, and I believe that is why you are here, Mistress Inquisitive." Kal takes a drink. "You can check with Marshal Velhan. He was witness to everything that occurred in the Brewery and can confirm that our intention on the platform in Passage that night was to intercept a meeting of Emerald Claw agents and those who hired them."

[Josh]

"Ah yes, I'd forgotten about all that," the shifter says somewhat sleepily. "The return of Davin, the wall of ice and Pel's infiltration... I remember that those orchestrating the meeting were trying to summon someone to their location at the docking tower... ostensibly this person was the one who ordered the attacks against us, for he rode a dragonhawk, and we had seen the flying beast on several occasions over the previous two days...

"These men called the dragonhawk rider 'Malov', but if was one of his possessions, not the man in truth. He was controlling the actions of the hapless body from afar, which we have come to understand as his primary methodology.

"Dragonhawk and rider alike created their fare share of havoc that night, killing at least one of the very men that called Malov master."

[Jeff]

"If I may, Mistress Inquisitive,"

"No need for such formalities, Lord Kalarian," Lamara says. "'Lady' will do. I consider myself no one's 'mistress.'"

"Regarding Lady Korvine d'Deneith," he says, "she was somewhat intent on having her involvement in this investigation kept less than official. I would ask that you respect her wishes, for now."

Lamara nods. "I do understand. But in my experience, those who request such things have other motives. You must always ask why, my lord. I may wish to speak with Lady Korvine, but we'll try to keep it quiet for now." She looks to Dassek again, who represents Aundairian authorities. He nods hesitantly.

"At his tower in Passage we were able to learn that the book was linked with the... plane of Shavarath, I believe"

"Shavarath?" Lamara repeats, eyebrows raised. "That is...unsettling."

"Though we were not sure exactly why Andronvius asked us to seek our Captain Ralsor... don't get me wrong, I'm certain glad we did!"

"Aldronivus..." she says, meeting Grafth's eye. "And this was the client of yours? He sounds like a man to talk to, who knows much more about all of this."

Charis frowns. She says nothing, but seems not to like the idea of involving Aldronivus with either the inquisitive or the royal court.

"These men called the dragonhawk rider 'Malov', but if was one of his possessions, not the man in truth. He was controlling the actions of the hapless body from afar, which we have come to understand as his primary methodology."

Lord Dassek's face darkens. "I know of nearly every dragonhawk tamed or retained by the Aundairian court. If one went missing, I would have known about it. It seems Malov, or his imposter, have tamed their own, then.

Lamara says, "Have you spoken with any of these 'possessed' bodies? Spoken with the one claiming to be Malov himself? Or has he been simply trying to kill you with every encounter?"

[Darren]

"That was no ordinary dragonhawk," Kal says, looking between Grafth and Dassek. "At least, not like the ones I've seen the riders using here. It was...bigger. It was as though the dragonhawk itself were also possessed."

Kal takes a long drink. "As for speaking with the possessed, yes, we have spoken with them many times. Malov uses them to speak with us. He used Pel in the very same manner. Mostly he tosses idle threats in our direction," he says with a wave of his hand, "and when he's done with these hosts, he generally discards them." He again takes a long drink, thinking of Pellorien and how Malov used her. Kal slams his cup down on the table, not seeming to realize that he used so much force.

[Josh]

"That is.... yes. At least once..."

OOC: I can go on up to the point of the Manor investigation, but it would be better if someone else took over for that portion. I'll post more this evening leading up to that point.

[Joe]

Streko clears his throat, wanting desperately NOT to speak of this, but knowing its importance.

"Lady, I spoke with Malov, after once saving his life it would seem. I did not, at the time, know who Malov was. He was simply attacked, along with my sister, here in Fairhaven (a lovely city, by the way). I had come here looking for Varnaleen and actually did so. She left, but asked to meet later.

As I arrived, I saw the attack on them, although I cannot say who it was that was attacking Malov and Varna. Whoever it was, hurt the red-haired man with my sister, who claimed to BE Malov. I healed him, as I would anyone attempting to help my blood.. In any respect, my more intimate conversation with him occured whilehe possessed a dear friend of ours, Pelorian, a Changeling. Her name has been mentioned previously in my good friend's accurate account of our travels."

He turns to his Shifter friend. "I can only hope to be even half was accurate or perceptive, good Grafth! Well said!

He returned his gaze back to the Inquisitive. "Malov attempted to recruit me, but not that first time we met. It wasn't until we were onboard Captain Ralsor's ship and Pel had become possessed, or infected by him, that he attempted to get me to work for him, or provide intelligence. He threatened my sister with harm if I did not comply. I believe he has a very powerful interest in Dragonmarked Houses. As a dragonmarked heir of House Jorasco myself, I believe he is attempting to and has succeeded in either recruiting or killing various other dragonmarked heirs. I also believe he is holding my sister hostage in order to get to me. Unfortunately, for perhaps all of us, I refused to assist him and there has been no further contact, with either him or my sister. He refused to give me his location and I refused to allow him to possess me. I suppose it does come down to that. Although I am unsure as to how he could have taken control of me, unless it was through Pel. We shall never know, I suppose, nor would I particularly want to, in all honesty. I spent time alone with Pel, attempting to heal her wounds. That was when he, Malov, spoke to me, through her. It was unsettling, disturbing and I believe the possessed individual has at least some form of awareness of what is occuring while they are possessed. Truly, Malov is nothing short of pure evil. He MUST be stopped before the whole of Eberron is consumed by Shavarath."

[Josh]

"Yes, we've seen that the stronger of those possessed might try to fight his control, but it seems that he is strong enough to brush the opposition aside.

"So, where was I? Yes, as the dragonhawk rider attacked, we ended up aboard The Thunderhead, and knowing that staying at the docking tower meant the loss of valuable time, and probable accusations, we moved on toward the Whisper Woods.

"And it was a good thing that we did just that, as Charis and Belarin can attest."

[Jeff]

Gradually Lord Dassek has been drawn into your tale. Lamara nods, paying very close to every detail. When Streko says:

"I believe he has a very powerful interest in Dragonmarked Houses. As a dragonmarked heir of House Jorasco myself, I believe he is attempting to and has succeeded in either recruiting or killing various other dragonmarked heirs."

For a moment she looks self-conscious, one brief moment when she looks...vulnerable and uncertain. She looks away, and it's quite obvious she's reacting to the fact that she herself has a dragonmark—the Mark of Detection—plain upon her face.

Then she looks back, with hard eyes. "This Taymra...she was dragonmarked as well. It seems you've met with many in all this time."

She indicates Ralsor, who seems to be trying to pay attention but his eyes are blurry. "The Mark of Storm."

She indicates Kal. "The Mark of Sentinel."

She indicates Streko. "The Mark of Healing."

"In any of your discussions with Malov, or his imposter, have you learned why he's so interested in enlisting, or forcing, the aid of the dragonmarked?"

"So, where was I? Yes, as the dragonhawk rider attacked, we ended up aboard The Thunderhead, and knowing that staying at the docking tower meant the loss of valuable time, and probable accusations, we moved on toward the Whisper Woods.

Here Lord Dassek speaks. "But you came to Windshire first, where I met you—or more specifically, Streko. I was aware of the crimes attached to you, at least from the events in Passage, and was ordered to investigate the town since the Thunderhead was seen flying north out of Passage." He looks to Streko. "I do apologize, Lord Streko, for my treatment of you there."

[Darren]

"Unfortunately, my dear," Kal says, grinning, having dropped his previous honorific for Lamara, "we know little of Malov's actual plans beyond his interest in that book, his apparently desire to gather back together his Dark Echelon, his interest in the dragonmarked houses, and the fact that he intends to strike first right here in Fairhaven. We are told that we disrupted his plans enough to stop him from striking simultaneously in all five kingdoms, but we don't know the truth of that statement." Kalarian stares intently into Lamara's eyes. "But I feel like perhaps there is information that you already possess that you are not telling us..."

[Josh]

"But you came to Windshire first, where I met you—or more specifically, Streko.

"Yes, of course... I suppose I would have mentioned it if anything of import had occurred there with regard to our mission. Unfortunately, we were quickly run out of Windshire before we could even gather proper supplies. It was a very short visit."

[Jeff's backup]

Condign gestures to draw everyone's attention. Sitting apart from the others at the end of the table, a barely-touched glass of ale nearby, he leans forward slightly and says: "If I may make an observation, my Lady? I was not part of this group when these events transpired. However, as I hear the retelling of what has happened, I have noticed a pattern. Malov, whether it is the real one or an impostor, intends to strike against some or all of the Five Nations. His wanton disregard for life, and his desperate efforts to secure that vile book that Lord Kalarian holds, suggests he will stop at nothing to fulfill his plans and that those plans are indeed evil. To this point, everyone seems to agree."

The tiefling pauses and notes nods of agreement from just about everyone. "Now," he continues, "Malov has tried several times to recruit, coerce or destroy all of the individuals you are questioning. As they relate to his plans against the Five Nations, he must see them as potential invaluable allies or as dire threats to his plans. I believe none have joined him, willingly or not. No one has made an attempt at taking the book and escaping, and it is far too dear to him for an ally or agent to simply sit within their midst and watch. The multiple attacks against them also bear truth to his concern that they can hinder his efforts. What I witnessed today on the airship was not an effort to secure that book. Malov risked--and lost--expensive assets in an effort to kill the entire party."

Condign pauses again, taking a small sip of the ale. "We have a saying in my land: the enemy of your enemy is your friend. My Lady, I do not presume to tell you your job, but I have seen and fought evil for many years, and these people are not evil."

[Ken]

Belarin smiles and says, "Thank you, Condign. I appreciate that. But as for securing that book not being a goal, I'll politely disagree.

"From what I've seen, that book might be able to survive a hefty amount of punishment, even the destruction of Captain Ralsor's airship. Killing us all was probably seen by Malov as the easiest way to repossess his possession tome. It avoids that complicated talking stuff. Good Streko's extraordinarily brave rebuff of his vile offer likely convinced him that the time for discussion was past."

[Jeff]

"We are told that we disrupted his plans enough to stop him from striking simultaneously in all five kingdoms, but we don't know the truth of that statement."

"That certainly would be a bold statement. Everything known about Malov suggests his antagonism toward Aundair specifically."

"...we know little of Malov's actual plans beyond his interest in that book, his apparently desire to gather back together his Dark Echelon, his interest in the dragonmarked houses...

Lamara nods. "If this is the real Malov, then it's obvious to me that he would wish to reform the Dark Echelon. They were a shadow group even during the Last War. But they were also far more subtle than any of your enemy's actions. That is one strong inconsistency. Your enemy sounds...sloppier than Malov's."

"We have a saying in my land: the enemy of your enemy is your friend. My Lady, I do not presume to tell you your job, but I have seen and fought evil for many years, and these people are not evil."

Lamara looks at Condign with a strange expression, as if she's not sure what to think of him being part of this conversation, or what she should say to his words. Then she says, "I will tell you all right now that all the evidence I've seen—at the lightning rail wreckage, the Ferenthoron residence, aboard the Thunderhead—suggests the work, and magic, of an agency more powerful than your own. I have documented as much of it as possible, and I believe that alone exonerates you of all these crimes. But until I have presented this fully to the court, I cannot speak too freely of what I know.

"But I will say this: That you have survived each encounter with your enemy is probably his greatest frustration. You have gathered much about him, disjointed though it is. And here you are, speaking with me, and with a relative to the Queen herself." She looks to Dassek. "I think Malov, or his imposter, would be most displeased with this."

Lord Dassek casts his eyes down. "I generally do not wish to make plain that fact, my lady."

Lamara hesitates. "My apologies, Lord Dassek." She looks to the rest of you. "Despite the crimes your enemy may be hoping to frame you with, he would clearly rather see you dead, since the dead do not talk—most of the time. We are in a position to challenge him now. If we know his game—an attack against a city, if not many more—then we will not be caught by surprise."

Streko detects a subtle tone in Lamara's voice whenever she mentions Malov. He can't be sure, it almost sounds like she's got some sort of personal interest in him.

[Jeff's backup]

Condign smiles and nods to Belarin. "Yes, my lord, you are correct. I should have been more clear. I meant that obtaining the book was not the sole purpose of attacking the airship. But I see you are correct."

[Darren]

"It's hard to say, Condign," Kal says, his eyes straying towards Dassek. Finally, he settles them back on Lamara. "Several times I have threatened Malov with destroying the book, and he claimed not to care. I held it before his nephew, Alvek, and threatened it with destruction, and was again told that it no longer mattered to their plans. Perhaps it's importance has been overestimated. I only know that the book is where our involvement began, and I know that it is a tool we can use to let Malov know exactly where we are, when it suits us to do so. Those two factors alone are the only reasons I've bothered to carry it around."

Again, Kal's eyes stray to Dassek, assessing the man, wondering at his usefulness to Kal, both now and in the future.

[Joe]

Streko detects a subtle tone in Lamara's voice whenever she mentions Malov. He can't be sure, it almost sounds like she's got some sort of personal interest in him.

Streko makes a mental note of this and will discuss his observations with Kal at a more opportune moment.

[Ken]

Aug 31, 2009 9:52:31 GMT -4 Jeff's backup said:

Condign smiles and nods to Belarin. "Yes, my lord, you are correct. I should have been more clear."

Belarin turns his head to look behind, as though searching for another person. He looks back to Condign and says, "Who, me? Ha! No, my fascinating friend, I am far from a lord."

He listens to Lamara's reflections on what she's heard. He asks, "Why do you raise the possibility of Malov being an imposter? Because of a change in his usual tactics? It's possible that his contact with Shavarath played havoc with his alread-twisted mind, making him more savage and prone to recklessness, much like the inhabitants of that plane. He's gained a good deal of power, and he certainly seems arrogant enough to think that the use of subtlety would be ... weak. "

[Jeff]

"Why do you raise the possibility of Malov being an imposter? Because of a change in his usual tactics?"

"If a man calling himself King Jarot* stormed into the halls of Fairhold and demanded the throne, would your first assumption be that he's really King Jarot? Not only do changelings pull things like this all the time, but according to all your accounts, you haven't yet seen Malov himself. Do you even know what he looks like? It's easy to hide behind an identity when you use other people."

Lamara shrugs. "That said, we don't know any of this for certain. Malov was believed to have died, but his body was never found. And you know that always leaves room for doubt."

_____________________________

* The king of Galifar, whose death in 894 YK led to a dispute of succession among his children (the rulers of the Five Nations) which in turn sparked the Last War.

[Josh]

"If one of my compatriots will tell you more about their run-in with Alvek ir'Turien... perhaps it will shed some light on whether we are dealing with the real Malov?"

[Jeff]

"Alvek?" Lamara says. "Malov's favorite cousin." She pauses, noting your expressions. "I do know a fair amount about Malov, yes. It is the reason I asked to be involved in this case, because I, too, believe he may be the one behind all of this."

"Yes, please do tell me about this 'run-in.'"

[Ken]

"Ah yes, that," Belarin says. He gives Grafth a wry look. "My friends here mentioned a map earlier. That led them to the Whisper Woods, specifically to an ominous-looking obelisk. Not so coincidentally, that's where I happened to be -- part of an encampment of greedy yet talented malcontents under the 'care' of the Emerald Claw."

Noting the likely effect that has on Lamara, Belarin continues, "I came into this affair from a very different direction. Allies of mine -- I'll get to that later -- had been slain or captured, in some cases by Claw soldiers, apparently acting under someone else's order. Using contacts that an upstanding citizen like you or Lord Dassek might not possess, I tagged along on a Claw mission here in Fairhaven, hoping to find out who was pulling their strings. That resulted in a mysterious trip to the Whisper Woods. The talented malcontents I spoke of -- oh fine, they were forgers and thieves -- were then betrayed by monstrously warped spellcasters and their warforged minions, sent by the ir'Turiens presumably to silence any witnesses to the Claw's activities here. The Claw captain, Relith, is an honorable soldier; he protested vigorously to the slaughter and tried to stop it. Please keep that in mind when you speak with him. Anyway, that's when Captain Ralsor's ship made an impressive entrance." He gives a teasing salute to Ralsor.

"After endearing myself to these gentle folks here, we backtracked the trail made by the bizarre spellcasters. This brought us first to the rescue of the charming and lovely Lady Charis, who had herself stumbled across Malov's plans. Something involving the organization called the Dark Daggers, yes, my lady?" He looks to Charis and gives her a moment to speak before resuming.

"We continued on to Shadowcrest Manor, home of the ir'Turiens. We had by this point acquired clear evidence that innocents of various races had been captured and taken back to Shadowcrest for some sort of vile experimentation. I had also acquired clear evidence of a bunion on my right foot from all the walking, but that's not important right now. As soon as we entered Shadowcrest, we were under assault from creatures either undead or extraplanar or both -- and I do not use the word 'extraplanar' lightly. We also found people who had been ... transformed in some way, twisted by the ir'Turiens' 'mirrors' -- stones somehow brought back from Shavarath itself by Malov, at least that’s what Alvek indicated. It's these 'mirrors' that somehow prepare a body from possession by Malov or one of his fiendish allies." He looks to his companions to see whether he's misremembering any of the details so far. "Our friend Goran succumbed to one of these stones.

"Charis did find an unfinished letter from Alvek ir'Turien to a lady friend Korla, talking about 'reanimation' by 'the Old Man' and how Malov's plans for Flamekeep and Korth had been foiled by his loss of the book, but how he still had plans for Fairhaven. The romantic bastard! I would’ve written poems to my love, not plans for chaos and conquest. I guess that's why I'm not betrothed yet. You’re not married, are you? In any event, the letter definitely mentions Malov in the present tense. If it is an imposter, then he clearly fooled his nephew Alvek.

“Within the cellars, we found, well, scores of undead, those thrice-damned ‘mirrors,’ a summoning circle, and Alvek and his sister, both of whom possessed no small amount of arcane talent. Lady ir’Turien, in particular, seemed quite sure of her contacts within the royal court here. Alvek tried to open a gate to Shavarath and bring a huge and extremely rude fiend to this world. A rather fantastic battle ensued, if I say so myself. We won, the ir’Turiens lost. However, the mysterious ‘Old Man’ of the letter – whom we never got a glimpse of – escaped, along with a pack of zombies. Is a group of zombies a pack? A shuffle? A grunting? Hmmm. Kalarian here did a thorough job of questioning Alvek about his uncle’s activities, but as the letter had indicated, Malov had largely ignored and probably disdained Alvek, willing to let his nephew know only enough to carry out his experiments without telling him the full scope of his plans.”

He sighs. “And to conclude this part of the tale, I must elaborate on the ‘allies’ that I mentioned earlier. I am a friend of the Court of Dusk. The ir’Turiens’ foul web of experimentation has entangled fey and human alike, and Thelanis has taken notice. They’re concerned that the re-formation of the Dark Echelon could eventually threaten other worlds beyond this one. When we left Shadowcrest, the ir’Turiens were taken from us by representatives of the Court of Dusk – for interrogation and probably severe punishment. Weakened after nearly a full day of fighting, we were not in a position to object, my lady. Not that I would have....”

[Josh]

Grafth's fist falls on the table, half as punctuation, half in error. "See, I toldya it would be, erm... it would shed some light!" He pushes himself up, "If you all won't excuse me fer a moment... I gotta shed something as well. Don' worry, I'll be back."

The shifter looks unsure of where his business might be conducted, but wanders off in the direction of the barkeep.

[Darren]

Kal gets a self-satisfied look on his face as Belarin describes the fight with Alvek. He leans further back in his chair, his arms folded in front of him, and props his feet up on the table. "That's pretty much our story, Lady Inquisitive," he says. "Questions?"

[Jeff]

Both Lamara and Lord Dassek are drawn in further to the tale.

Using contacts that an upstanding citizen like you or Lord Dassek might not possess, I tagged along on a Claw mission here in Fairhaven, hoping to find out who was pulling their strings.

Dassek frowns at this but says nothing. Lamara, however, smiles and nods approvingly. When Belarin pauses to take a breath, she says, "Like it or not, that's how things get done sometimes."

"Something involving the organization called the Dark Daggers, yes, my lady?"

Both inquisitive and colonel look to Charis with interest. Lord Dassek says, "The Dark Daggers are the largest, most organized criminal gang in Fairhaven. That doesn't bode well. Anyone with illegal dealings in this city would come in contact with the Dark Daggers. We would not want Malov working with them. But from what you've said so far, it doesn't seem like Malov would bow to the orchestrations of another."

"No," Charis says simply. "From what I heard, the rogues of the Daggers didn't like the sound of Malov, either. No doubt there's some coercion, or violence, in the ranks. Malov would probably force Kreelo and his organization into service."

"Not easily done," Dassek says. "The Dark Daggers are elusive. We've been trying to get rid of them for years. But for all their influence, they're contained in this city. Malov, it seems, works far beyond."

"But," Lamara adds, "that means his efforts are probably spread thin. He'll need the Dark Daggers' help if he's trying to pull something off in Fairhaven. They know the city better than any criminal."

Lost for a moment in thought, they allow Belarin to continue. When he finally mentions the fey and the court of Dusk, their reactions vary. Lord Dassek looks uneasy, as talk of fey seems beyond his realm of experience. Lamara looks a bit doubtful, but listens with interest.

"It'sh all true," Ralsor says, nodding, eyes blurry. The group falls silent for a short while, each lost in thought.

Grafth wanders off in search of some privacy, and though he doesn't really remember it later, members of the Blue Unicorn's staff seem to have steered him to the proper place.

"That's pretty much our story, Lady Inquisitive," he says. "Questions?"

"First," Lamara replies, "Let's talk about that book. It's obviously important, and you've been running and hiding it for several days now. Malov or his imposter has been hounding you for it. It's in the possession of the court now, so I defer to your judgment, Lord Dassek. I can't imagine a place more safe from Malov's hands right now. But, if I may, there may still be a use for it."

The half-elf pauses, as if debating whether to speak her idea now or not. "Clearly destroying it should be a viable choice. But now that it's in Fairhaven—and if Fairhaven is where Malov intends to somehow strike—perhaps it can be used to lure him out. If you remove it from its lead casing, he can scry upon it, correct?"

[Joe]

"Clearly destroying it should be a viable choice. But now that it's in Fairhaven—and if Fairhaven is where Malov intends to somehow strike—perhaps it can be used to lure him out. If you remove it from its lead casing, he can scry upon it, correct?"

That is correct, M'Lady. However, Malov has proven adept at sending large numbers of fiends at us, including the undead, as well as warforged and members of the Emerald Claw. Do you, that is to say, we, have enough resources...and time...to fight his minions, which he will certainly send before he himself deigns to show himself, while he continues preparing for the-Dark-Six-knows what?"

[Darren]

"Yes, indeed," Kal says, "that is one of the reasons that I mentioned why we have kept the book. I've figured that when the time comes that we WANT Malov to know where we are, the book will provide us with the means of doing it." One of Kal's eyebrows raises. "What do you have in mind, Inquisitive?"

[Josh]

"Somehow I doubt he will have any problem finding us," the shifter says matter-of-factly. His time away seems to have renewed his clarity somewhat. "We haven't proven to be the most subtle group in the world thus far."

Grabbing up a scrap of bread that remains from the satisfying meal, he scrutinizes the inquisitive. "Have those currently in possession of the book been informed that Malov, or his old compatriots, might be involved in this situation?

"And is there anything you can tell us about the fires that we have seen in the city? It seems that they have not abated since we were here last."