With Captain Garro's lead, it takes a shorter time for you to return back to Erdelun. You think it is about a couple of hours before midnight when you reach Faete's Grove. Captain Garro stops at the edge of the treeline and motions you to move without him and his squad.
The wizard raises his hand as the group enters Faete's Grove. He casts a spell and he disappears along with his two friends. Each of you feels a tap on your shoulder accompanied by the wizard's voice. "Don't mind the spell," he says. "It's just in case the boss is watching."
Eremoz, when you feel the tap on your shoulder, you can feel the weight of a hand there. The weight does not disappear and remains there on your shoulder.
As you travel toward the Ranger's Conclave, you can see that it is still quite bustling with activity. A couple of the volunteers are still milling around. They easily catch your approach from the slight light the riders' horses emit.
"What in perdition is that?" One of the rangers guarding the front door asks, pointing at the glowing horses. They turn toward their guard partner and say, "Call the First Ranger. The last group and Ranger Leander have returned."
After a bit of commotion, the First Ranger Yntar comes out accompanied by the large body of the Master of Arms and a couple of the volunteers that still remain.
"I should have known," Yntar says. "Nightmare. A corrupted pegasus. This problem just becomes more complicated than a simple kidnapping. Come inside and tell me everything you discovered on the trail."
Eremoz looks to the invisible hand on his shoulder. “Keep quiet until we tell you.”
He nods his head. “First Ranger, the children have been taken by a criminal organization and are likely being moved by their captors. We encountered a few of their hired goons. After a short fight, they told us about the kids.”
"Yes, only an organization has the resource to create or commission nightmares," Yntar says. "Did you get anything else from these people you fought? The name of the organization would be useful in tracking them. Perhaps the location of the children? We believe they were taken west. The group that followed the trail east circled back around Erdelun to the northern coast before the trail continued into the Eveningshade Forest, after which the group had to abandon the trail. Not even rangers dared to step into the forest for more than a mile without risking never returning home."
"They're here with us now," Cob says, gesturing behind them. "The lead we have is that they may have been taken to Saikan. We're ready to head there now."
"We do have a name linked to this organisation, Warhawk", Drexon adds.
"Apparently he is known within the organisation as the liaison with Erdelun. He is thin and pale with bright blond hair, almost white. Very distinct blue eyes. Does this ring a bell with you?", he continues discreetly allowing only Yntar and the Master of Arms to hear, not the other volunteers.
The rangers in the room tense when Cob said the people you fought are in the room.
"We come in peace," the wizard says, slowly appearing with his two companions with their hands raised.
"This is the people who kidnapped the children?" Yntar asks. "Why are they unbound?"
"We're here to tell you everything," the wizard says. "However, we don't want to be arrested for something we didn't do. We're here as informants and possibly new recruits for your conclave. Let's just say our boss, Warhawk, is not as generous with failure and we are seeking protection in exchange for information."
Yntar is quiet for a moment before turning to the Master of Arms. "Halaster, book them in as probatio but put them in the cells for now. We can discuss the details later in the morning."
Halaster and a couple of rangers clamp manacles on the three riders before escorting them to the cells.
Yntar turns to the rest of you and says, "We'll take them in our custody as a sign of good faith to you. Otherwise, we would have executed them for aiding and abetting kidnappers. You've brought a lot of information that we otherwise won't have in just one expedition. Saikan is the closest port town for long-range sailing ships. Do you know if they will still be there if you start your journey there early in the morning? There's no telling where they will be transported to if you miss them even by a few hours. If you are amenable, I would like to commission your service further to find these children. You will be paid this time. You will be acting as a branch of the conclave and will have some support from the conclave. Meanwhile, we will deal with the liaison this organization placed in Erdelun. I know exactly who he is. Thinking back, a lot of strange things started to happen since his placement here."
It distastes me to say it, it really does, but how long ago were the first children abducted? Will another day matter to them? The last abduction was not long ago and for their plan to succeed it might not have been the last. One other thing is unclear to: Why do they abduct children here and bring them to Saikan instead of kidnaping locals?
"The first child went missing roughly 30 days ago, give or take a couple of days," Yntar says. "The one who reported the case to us had been arrested for neglect due to this. He's a drunkard and didn't even realize his own child had gone missing until his neighbor pointed it out."
"I was hoping you can give me the reason these people are taking children from Erdelun as you spent quite some time with our new friends in the cell. What caused you to meet in the first place? Were they chasing you or something?"
"While we have lost hope about the first three children, the last two were taken seven and five days ago respectively. There is a high chance that the two still can be saved. It is an 8 days travel from Erdelun to Saikan on foot or by horse. Children can add another 2 to 3 days to that. If we can intercept them, we have a chance to at least return the last two kidnapped children back home."
"What about your investigation at the Magisterium? Did you find anything there?"
“Remember what we were told, Karm”, Drexon replies.
”There is more we learned”, he continues turning back to Yntar. “We believe the children will be moved on the 14th and need to be kept alive, for now. From what we know, 7 children are required but also 7 elders. Have we missed some disappearances?”, he asks Yntar.
”The purpose for them is as part of a ritual, but for the ritual to be needed they needed an item that those others were sent to acquire and failed”, he motions after the wizard, knight and hunter.
”I fear if they find out of the failure, the children might be…disposed of”, he says with a frown.
”We need to move quickly perhaps? Oh, the Magisterium is nothing to do with this. From what we can tell they are being set up by the very person we now know as Warhawk”.
"Not from Erdelun, no," Yntar replies. "I will have to inquire with the next town over, but so far we haven't heard about adults or elders disappearing. If what you are saying is true, then this problem will have to be resolved quickly and discretely. Get some rest. You can sleep in the barrack if you want. We will have to keep our new probatio's involvement quiet. I will arrange your ticket for the train early in the morning so we can get ahead of these kidnappers."
"Warhawk," Yntar scoffs. "What a ridiculous name. However, I suppose that man would have the flair for the dramatic." He turns to Halaster and says, "Contact the city guards and gather some rangers. We have to keep this quiet if we want to get him. Get Leander to contact Keeper Elbaf Tyr so we can do this without bloodshed. He will know the extent of his librarian's ability and trap him for us."
If it's already evening, Cob will go along with what Drexon suggests, but if they still have time before needing to get a long rest in, Cob would suggest that it might be interesting to see the Rangers in action and see what Warhawk is all about.
“That would be fine with me.” Eremoz turns to Yntar, “Do you have a metalworker in the camp here? I have a small project that I would like to speak to someone about.”
{{Time-wise, it is currently about two to one hour before midnight.}}
"We had a blacksmith under contract with the conclave, but he died a couple of years ago," Yntar says. "We haven't found a good replacement yet, so we have been commissioning our gears from Lionshard. It's in the city near the Mayor's Office. You can't miss it. It's a blue building with an oversized 'Lionshard Miscellaneous' logo perched on the roof. Unfortunately, they close at nine and that's about an hour ago. Will this help your search? If so, I can get one of the rangers to accompany you there. This will fall under an emergency conclave commission and they are required to help as per our contract."
"If we've got an early start, I'm all for getting some sleep before catching that train," Cob says. "As much as I'd like to see what a Warhawk look like, tomorrow could be busy and I need some rest."
With your agreement, you are escorted to an empty room. It is a smaller one, consisting of only eight beds compared to the twelve or fifteen in other rooms. None of the eight beds are occupied for the moment.
"Leander used to stay here," Yntar says, "but he prefers to camp outside and this room hasn't seen much use since he moved out. We also haven't really advertised a recruitment drive yet with this kidnapping, so this room remains empty. One of the rangers will wake you at 4 or 4.30. The train will leave early, about 5.30. Have a good rest, gentlemen. You've done good work today."
Yntar leaves you to rest as he barks commands to the other rangers to mobilize.
{{Drexon, as you take your Long Rest, check the spoiler.}}
Drexon, as you sleep, your mind reviews the events of the day. It casts its hook deep into your mind, associating and dissociating with things that you may know or miss. One thing rings true: you recognize the symbol that the wizard rider was carrying -- the symbol of this cobalt sovereign. You feel that you have seen it before, have touched it. There is a sense of familiarity when you remember the image of a tree with many grasping branches cradling people and cities. You jolt awake as one of the branches touches you.
Your sleep goes undisturbed apart from a muffled scuffle sometime during the night. A knock on the door to your room awakens you from your slumber.
"Gentlemen, it's time," Halaster says from behind the door. "The First Ranger wishes to meet you before you depart. There is a matter of utmost importance that will have to be discussed before you leave for Saikhan."
Drexon sits bolt upright as he wakes with a start. His mind now racing, he struggles to regain the sleep he had found so deeply before. He is already dressed when the knock comes at the door.
He whispers some words in deep speech, focussing his mind as the person enters.
"Very well, but first I would talk to one of the riders in the cells. Could you take me to them?", he asks urgently.
Persuasion (with Guidance): 14+6+2=22
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Dvark give his friends a small small and pats Karm on the shoulder "thanks for the rescue. Sorry it had to happen. But thanks all the same."
As the depart Dvark walks in the middle of the group smirks at the Knight
"Lead the way," the wizard says.
With Captain Garro's lead, it takes a shorter time for you to return back to Erdelun. You think it is about a couple of hours before midnight when you reach Faete's Grove. Captain Garro stops at the edge of the treeline and motions you to move without him and his squad.
The wizard raises his hand as the group enters Faete's Grove. He casts a spell and he disappears along with his two friends. Each of you feels a tap on your shoulder accompanied by the wizard's voice. "Don't mind the spell," he says. "It's just in case the boss is watching."
Eremoz, when you feel the tap on your shoulder, you can feel the weight of a hand there. The weight does not disappear and remains there on your shoulder.
As you travel toward the Ranger's Conclave, you can see that it is still quite bustling with activity. A couple of the volunteers are still milling around. They easily catch your approach from the slight light the riders' horses emit.
"What in perdition is that?" One of the rangers guarding the front door asks, pointing at the glowing horses. They turn toward their guard partner and say, "Call the First Ranger. The last group and Ranger Leander have returned."
After a bit of commotion, the First Ranger Yntar comes out accompanied by the large body of the Master of Arms and a couple of the volunteers that still remain.
"I should have known," Yntar says. "Nightmare. A corrupted pegasus. This problem just becomes more complicated than a simple kidnapping. Come inside and tell me everything you discovered on the trail."
Eremoz looks to the invisible hand on his shoulder. “Keep quiet until we tell you.”
He nods his head. “First Ranger, the children have been taken by a criminal organization and are likely being moved by their captors. We encountered a few of their hired goons. After a short fight, they told us about the kids.”
"Yes, only an organization has the resource to create or commission nightmares," Yntar says. "Did you get anything else from these people you fought? The name of the organization would be useful in tracking them. Perhaps the location of the children? We believe they were taken west. The group that followed the trail east circled back around Erdelun to the northern coast before the trail continued into the Eveningshade Forest, after which the group had to abandon the trail. Not even rangers dared to step into the forest for more than a mile without risking never returning home."
Cob looks around.
"They're here with us now," Cob says, gesturing behind them. "The lead we have is that they may have been taken to Saikan. We're ready to head there now."
"We do have a name linked to this organisation, Warhawk", Drexon adds.
"Apparently he is known within the organisation as the liaison with Erdelun. He is thin and pale with bright blond hair, almost white. Very distinct blue eyes. Does this ring a bell with you?", he continues discreetly allowing only Yntar and the Master of Arms to hear, not the other volunteers.
The rangers in the room tense when Cob said the people you fought are in the room.
"We come in peace," the wizard says, slowly appearing with his two companions with their hands raised.
"This is the people who kidnapped the children?" Yntar asks. "Why are they unbound?"
"We're here to tell you everything," the wizard says. "However, we don't want to be arrested for something we didn't do. We're here as informants and possibly new recruits for your conclave. Let's just say our boss, Warhawk, is not as generous with failure and we are seeking protection in exchange for information."
Yntar is quiet for a moment before turning to the Master of Arms. "Halaster, book them in as probatio but put them in the cells for now. We can discuss the details later in the morning."
Halaster and a couple of rangers clamp manacles on the three riders before escorting them to the cells.
Yntar turns to the rest of you and says, "We'll take them in our custody as a sign of good faith to you. Otherwise, we would have executed them for aiding and abetting kidnappers. You've brought a lot of information that we otherwise won't have in just one expedition. Saikan is the closest port town for long-range sailing ships. Do you know if they will still be there if you start your journey there early in the morning? There's no telling where they will be transported to if you miss them even by a few hours. If you are amenable, I would like to commission your service further to find these children. You will be paid this time. You will be acting as a branch of the conclave and will have some support from the conclave. Meanwhile, we will deal with the liaison this organization placed in Erdelun. I know exactly who he is. Thinking back, a lot of strange things started to happen since his placement here."
It distastes me to say it, it really does, but how long ago were the first children abducted? Will another day matter to them? The last abduction was not long ago and for their plan to succeed it might not have been the last. One other thing is unclear to: Why do they abduct children here and bring them to Saikan instead of kidnaping locals?
Olloray Dim - Limbo's Pit
Gunther Korroden - Nightmares in the Mist
"The first child went missing roughly 30 days ago, give or take a couple of days," Yntar says. "The one who reported the case to us had been arrested for neglect due to this. He's a drunkard and didn't even realize his own child had gone missing until his neighbor pointed it out."
"I was hoping you can give me the reason these people are taking children from Erdelun as you spent quite some time with our new friends in the cell. What caused you to meet in the first place? Were they chasing you or something?"
"While we have lost hope about the first three children, the last two were taken seven and five days ago respectively. There is a high chance that the two still can be saved. It is an 8 days travel from Erdelun to Saikan on foot or by horse. Children can add another 2 to 3 days to that. If we can intercept them, we have a chance to at least return the last two kidnapped children back home."
"What about your investigation at the Magisterium? Did you find anything there?"
“Remember what we were told, Karm”, Drexon replies.
”There is more we learned”, he continues turning back to Yntar. “We believe the children will be moved on the 14th and need to be kept alive, for now. From what we know, 7 children are required but also 7 elders. Have we missed some disappearances?”, he asks Yntar.
”The purpose for them is as part of a ritual, but for the ritual to be needed they needed an item that those others were sent to acquire and failed”, he motions after the wizard, knight and hunter.
”I fear if they find out of the failure, the children might be…disposed of”, he says with a frown.
”We need to move quickly perhaps? Oh, the Magisterium is nothing to do with this. From what we can tell they are being set up by the very person we now know as Warhawk”.
"Not from Erdelun, no," Yntar replies. "I will have to inquire with the next town over, but so far we haven't heard about adults or elders disappearing. If what you are saying is true, then this problem will have to be resolved quickly and discretely. Get some rest. You can sleep in the barrack if you want. We will have to keep our new probatio's involvement quiet. I will arrange your ticket for the train early in the morning so we can get ahead of these kidnappers."
"Warhawk," Yntar scoffs. "What a ridiculous name. However, I suppose that man would have the flair for the dramatic." He turns to Halaster and says, "Contact the city guards and gather some rangers. We have to keep this quiet if we want to get him. Get Leander to contact Keeper Elbaf Tyr so we can do this without bloodshed. He will know the extent of his librarian's ability and trap him for us."
Drexon smiles as Yntar ridicules the Warhawk's name.
"I am happy to stay in the barracks and let that have authority deal with this Warhawk fellow. What do you all think?", he says addressing the others.
If it's already evening, Cob will go along with what Drexon suggests, but if they still have time before needing to get a long rest in, Cob would suggest that it might be interesting to see the Rangers in action and see what Warhawk is all about.
“That would be fine with me.” Eremoz turns to Yntar, “Do you have a metalworker in the camp here? I have a small project that I would like to speak to someone about.”
{{Time-wise, it is currently about two to one hour before midnight.}}
"We had a blacksmith under contract with the conclave, but he died a couple of years ago," Yntar says. "We haven't found a good replacement yet, so we have been commissioning our gears from Lionshard. It's in the city near the Mayor's Office. You can't miss it. It's a blue building with an oversized 'Lionshard Miscellaneous' logo perched on the roof. Unfortunately, they close at nine and that's about an hour ago. Will this help your search? If so, I can get one of the rangers to accompany you there. This will fall under an emergency conclave commission and they are required to help as per our contract."
Dvark taps Eremos on the shoulder "if there's time I can work on it."
"I think taking some rest would do me good haha. These bones don't come back from a fight quite like they used too."
Cob yawns and stretches.
"If we've got an early start, I'm all for getting some sleep before catching that train," Cob says. "As much as I'd like to see what a Warhawk look like, tomorrow could be busy and I need some rest."
{{You can take a Long Rest if all agrees.}}
With your agreement, you are escorted to an empty room. It is a smaller one, consisting of only eight beds compared to the twelve or fifteen in other rooms. None of the eight beds are occupied for the moment.
"Leander used to stay here," Yntar says, "but he prefers to camp outside and this room hasn't seen much use since he moved out. We also haven't really advertised a recruitment drive yet with this kidnapping, so this room remains empty. One of the rangers will wake you at 4 or 4.30. The train will leave early, about 5.30. Have a good rest, gentlemen. You've done good work today."
Yntar leaves you to rest as he barks commands to the other rangers to mobilize.
{{Drexon, as you take your Long Rest, check the spoiler.}}
Drexon, as you sleep, your mind reviews the events of the day. It casts its hook deep into your mind, associating and dissociating with things that you may know or miss. One thing rings true: you recognize the symbol that the wizard rider was carrying -- the symbol of this cobalt sovereign. You feel that you have seen it before, have touched it. There is a sense of familiarity when you remember the image of a tree with many grasping branches cradling people and cities. You jolt awake as one of the branches touches you.
Your sleep goes undisturbed apart from a muffled scuffle sometime during the night. A knock on the door to your room awakens you from your slumber.
"Gentlemen, it's time," Halaster says from behind the door. "The First Ranger wishes to meet you before you depart. There is a matter of utmost importance that will have to be discussed before you leave for Saikhan."
Drexon sits bolt upright as he wakes with a start. His mind now racing, he struggles to regain the sleep he had found so deeply before. He is already dressed when the knock comes at the door.
He whispers some words in deep speech, focussing his mind as the person enters.
"Very well, but first I would talk to one of the riders in the cells. Could you take me to them?", he asks urgently.
Persuasion (with Guidance): 14+6+2=22