Chapter 3: The Enemy Within

[Jeff]

As Goran heads belowdecks, Ralsor moves to the rail of the ship, to look down. If voices are raised, conversations can occur between those aboard and those below. He watches.

Because of Lever's work, the rope ladder is easily to descend, and Goran makes it to the ground below quickly.

Streko finds the man indicated as the Emerald Claw captain to be stable already, although he's in bad shape. A spell of some kind—energy-draining, perhaps?—has rendered him unconscious. Healing can revive him, but a spell or two might be required to do so quickly. Otherwise, rest would be able to rouse him in time.

A casual glance at the other Emerald Claw soldiers shows that they are dead, slain by the captain's own sword.

The other grey-cloaked spellcaster, who was dead when the party arrived, is a woman. She, too, looks middle-aged, and there is nothing amiss about her appearance except that she had worn bulky garments, presumably to conceal much of her flesh. She, too, was slain by the Emerald Claw captain.

The green-cloaked man watches Streko's examination of the captain with interest. "My thanks," he says, "to all of you. Captain Relith here is no friend of mine, but neither was he a friend to these." He nudges the decapitated head of the grey-cloaked spellcaster. He crouches down and, like a child with a new toy, stares keenly at the head, touching the spot where the horns had been.

He growls angrily, "No peace for you in death, Grey Cloak, slain by a dwarven backhand stroke." He glances over at the blackened circle where the fireball struck, then stares back at the head. He mutters, "Necromancy...? Transmutation...? Hmph."

He straightens up and seems to appraise those around him. He doesn't seem at all fazed by the presence of the pseudodragon, who watches him with keen eyes.

Then the man smiles. "A colorful assemblage, and a well-timed arrival! Hmm, a precious small dragon, no appearance of the militia ... excellent!" He bows slightly toward the group and first addresses Kal:

"My name is Belarin ... Belarin Malizia. And I am indeed grateful. I will be pleased to tell you everything that happened, but perhaps we shall do so away from bloodied grass and charred flesh."

He looks up at the Thunderhead, catching the eye of Ralsor. "Raeshara's breasts," he says softly. "That's a beautiful craft...!"

That's one I've not heard, Matheu remarks to all but this stranger, Belarin.

__________________________

Streko heals Torhak 9 points.

[Joe]

"Goran, get whatever you need around here. If you can assist me once we're aboard ship, I would greatly appreciate it. I think I'm going to be quite busy, I fear. And, as always, my thanks!"

[Jeremy]

Goran nods and smiles at Streko. "Of course, just let me know."

--Jeff, any arrows?--

The half-elf looks at the carnage before getting back on board, and also raises an eyebrow at the strangeness of the situation. He approaches Kal and Ralsor, and Matheu.

"Indeed, I think Matheu is right. Something does stink here, beyond the reek of death. The stink of plotting and betrayal, methinks. There is worse in store if we stay, I deem. It is my counsel that we be on our way as soon as can be contrived."

Happy birthday to me. I'm old.

[Jeff]

To Goran's delight, all but one of his arrows is perfectly recoverable. Of course, he'd rather most of them had hit their target...

The black-haired sorcerer, Belarin, looks at Goran for a moment. Their eyes meet, and the man's eyes flick momentarily at Goran's bow and even to his feet. There is something about the human that the half-elf finds familiar. Not so much that he knows him personally—he does not—but perhaps a strange sense of... Of what? Not kinship. Something else.

[Darren]

Kalarian moves towards Goran, placing a hand on his shoulder and putting his mouth closer to the ranger's ear. "Have a look at Skyfang. Just to be sure," he whispers.

He then makes a quick survey of the battlefield, checking the slain for anything of use or any clues that they might possess. When his inspection is done, he returns near the ship, looking up at Ralsor. "Captain, can we bring these two aboard?"

_____________
So, what do the dead have for us?

[Jeff]

"We need to get the ship out of sight, soon," Ralsor calls down. "Bring aboard whoever you dare, I suppose. Mist?"

"Yes, Captain Ralsor?" the warforged replies, looking up.

"You're my security officer, remember? So you keep an eye on any newcomers."

Kal picks across the field of battle. The fallen Emerald Claw soldiers were well-equipped. Each carried a longsword, a heavy wooden shield, a crossbow, a quiver of bolts, a sunrod, a pouch of coins, travel rations, and the customary green tabard and cape of their Order.

The only noteworthy object among them is the Emerald Claw captain's own longsword, an elegant weapon that Kal recognizes as a Rekkenmark blade. The hilt is ornately carved with an R in filigree, and the pommel is sculpted to resemble a wolf's head.

The other dead, and nearly everything they carried with them, are charred beyond salvaging. Food, papers, all of it destroyed. Coins might be recoverable, provided one is willing to pick carefully through their blackened corpses.

Matheu remains distracted, staring into the darkness to the north.

[Darren]

Adding the coins to his own and holding the Rekkenmark blade in his other hand, Kalarian motions to the remaining weapons and items. "We should grab whatever we can and add it to Ralsor's stocks." Then he moves to Belarin and Relith. "You heard the captain. I'm trusting you not to cause trouble. Head on board and meet us up on the top deck so we can talk." Kal then moves to the ladder and begins climbing.

[Josh]

"Once everyone's on board, we'll leave it up to you to hide us, captain," says Grafth. Seeing the party move toward the ship, heads below-deck to help anyone up as they ascend the ladder.

[Jeremy]

Goran will help get the bodies on board.

"We should pool any coins we find, and let Streko carry them. Unless I'm mistaken most of us are beginning to run short on money!"

Goran takes one more look at Belarin, a bit confused why he should look...or feel...familiar. He scratches his chin thoughtfully, then gets back to his work.

[Jeff]

Belarin pauses to examine Mist for a moment. Then he smiles and says, "You're very interesting. Much more so than him." With a smirk, he nods his chin in the direction of Matheu.

To Goran he says, intensely, "You...I could feel your eyes drawing a target on my head." There is a threat in his voice. Then he laughs. "Ha! It's good to see a fellow Reacher, especially here in the green." He extends his hand in greeting. "I've had city-stink on me for weeks. What is your name?"

To Kal he says, "Oh, and if it's money you need, the captain's sword is enchanted," he continues matter-of-factly as though he's discussing the weather. Then he looks to the rope ladder leading up to the ship, eagerness in his eyes.

______________________________

Which bodies are we talking about bringing aboard, specifically?

[Joe]

"I am under the impression that we don't have much time, therefore searching the bodies is, perhaps, ill advised while we are here. Kalarian, a quick word?"

To Kal, Streko whispers, in halfling, "Isn't this where we are supposed to be? If not and I am mistaken, we had best leave immediately, per Ralsor's suggestion. However, I thought this...standing stone here...was the x to the spot, as my Talenta brethren are fond of saying."

[Jeff]

Now that he looks at the standing stone, under the light of the airship's lanterns and elemental ring, with its strange, half-sculpted and twisted look, Streko can't help but think it does look somewhat like the symbol of the Shadow—one of the Dark Six—if it were a bit more squat and less angular:

I think you will be needed, Streko, Matheu says suddenly, launching into the air and flapping his wings...disappearing into the night due north.

[Joe]

"Olladra, bless me, but THAT can't be good..." He watches Matheu's flight as long as he can...then back at the stone.

"Shadow's Black Heart!" he whispers. He looks up at Kal and shakes his head. "We had better get on board ship...NOW!"

[Jeremy]

Goran studies Belarin a bit, returning a quizzical grin.

"Well, I shouldn't worry too much about being a target. Did you see my shooting just now? And that was with help!"

He laughs a bit.

"A Reacher, eh? I'll be curious to know why it is you call yourself so, but let it wait until we get on board. This place has a sense of foreboding that makes me want to hasten. If I'm not mistaken, you feel it too."

[Darren]

Kalarian answers in Halfling, "Indeed, it is so, Streko. We don't intend to run, just stay in the air until morning. Then we're coming back."

"Everyone get on board the ship. Take whatever of the weapons we can carry. Amal, Grafth...help get Relith on board. I want to be in the sky in five minutes."

___________
Just to be clear, Kal took the Rekkenmark sword, and any of the coins he found. We'll deal with splitting up the coins later.

[Jeff]

Kal now has the coinpurses of the Emerald Claw soldiers and carries the Rekkenmark longsword.

______________________

So then just one body—Captain Relith's?

[mike]

Torhak heads to the ship, helping to lug the body of Captain Relith aboard.

[Joe]

Streko has a thought.

"Kalarian, I think that, being that these are Emerald Claw soldiers, we should consider burning these bodies immediately. Do we really want more Claw agents coming and resurrecting them? Khyber's Kiss!! If I had known we'd be dealing with the Claw this soon, I would have prepared myself a bit better. It won't take me too long to set fire to these things if I can get someone to perhaps cover me!"

Streko goes to the body of the captain first and, reaching back into his haversack for tindertwings, flint and steel, he places a few of them beneath each body and lights them, watching to ensure they all catch and beging to get consumed.

[Jeff]

Hmm. There seems to be some confusion concerning the Emerald Claw soldiers. Two of them are dead. One of them, the one Belarin calls Captain Relith, is still alive but deeply unconscious. I assume Streko isn't planning on burning the captain, then?

[Jeff]

Even as Torhak and Amal begin to lift the body of the Emerald Claw captain around the rope ladder....

A sudden burst of illumination—a light spell, in fact—shines from the dark off to the north, in the direction Matheu had flown only moments before, as if an everbright lantern had be unshuttered by someone standing in the dark. The light is reddish in hue, and illuminates the shape of some sort of wagon standing alone in the grassy field.

You can just make out the shape of the pseudodragon wheeling around the light like a bat.

[Darren]

One hand holding the rung of the rope ladder, Kalarian looks down at Streko. "Do as you like, Master Streko. I will not stand in your way."

Seeing the light on the horizon, Kalarian adds, "Whatever you do, do it quickly. We're moving from here in five minutes."

[Jeff]

Mathe soars back into view, under the lights of the Thunderhead. To everyone there (including Belarin), he says almost casually, It may interested you to know that there is a young woman over there in that cage—he indicates the pool of red light in the darkness—who may require your assistance

[Jeremy]

Goran heeds Matheu's advice.

"Where? Who will help me?" He says, eyeing the spellcaster.

[Joe]

"I will assist you as soon as I have ensured that the bodies that are littering this field are beyond reviving."
_____________________________________________

If the dead bodies have already started burning, Streko will immediately join Goran in attmepting to assist the girl in the cage.

[Jeff]

Ralsor frowns at the pseudodragons words. "All right, we've already been seen anyway. I'd rather not end the night with more unresolved things going on down here. Shall I fly us over there?" He points to the patch of red light and the wagon-shaped cage.

Setting the bodies up to burn properly without risk of spreading the fire will actually take quite a few minutes. Streko needs to decide whether he's staying alone for the task or coming back to it.

[Ken]

"Can you get us over there quickly?" says Belarin eagerly, who seemed ready to jump back to the ground and run toward the light before Ralsor made his offer. "The Grey Cloaks tried to burn me alive, but as their lives dimmed, my hopes revive!" He continues with a steely tone. "She may have been a prisoner, with information to share. If good Captain Relith cannot speak just yet, then perhaps she can."

[Darren]

"With all due respect," Kalarian says calmly, "why is she our responsibility? Doesn't this seem like a trap to anyone else? Malov's been pretty good about knowing where we're going. Running head-first into this seems like a bad idea. Let's get on the ship and circle around that area, first." Kalarian gives a look to Belarin. "Besides, we don't even know who he is, yet."

[Jeremy]

Goran looks at Kal.

"It probably is a trap, my paranoid friend. But it's not in my nature to let someone suffer like that if I can help them. If I've got to go alone then I will, but I'd rather have the help. You can decide for yourself, of course."

[Josh]

I'm confused... who is where, who is talking to whom, etc. Grafth went below deck to help others ascend... so can even see any of what is going on?

[Joe]

Rather than wait and listen to everyone argue as to what to do and where to go, Streko has been taking the time to burn the cursed bodies before they can be used against them later. If no one will help him, then so be it, but he is going to dispose of the dead as quickly as his little legs will allow him to do so.

Maybe, just maybe, his action (and call for assistance) will not be ignored, but if it is, he will continue to do his duty and put the dead at peace before they can be made to rise against him and his friends.