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Kingsday, 11^th of Toil, 721IA

 

            Kadmus opened the door before Menon and me, just as meticulous at several hours past midnight as if he was ready for a ball. He lead us to the chamber where we always see Lord Zaver and Lady Rill and we were both surprised to see that the golden statue of Lord Kadmus was still there and unmoving. “We will wait for the others, ladies,” said Lord Zaver after the short formalities and seeing us eyeing the statue he said: “This is part of reason we called you here at such an unusual hour.”

 

            About half an hour later everybody was there, and Eric was given coffee to help him wake up (by the way he was drinking it, it was his first time). Lord Zavere spoke: “Thank you for coming at this hour,” he started, “as you can see we have still not found a way to release Lord Abercombe, but there has been a development of sort. Shilukar has contacted us,” he said with a certainty that we would know who he was speaking of, “and said that he has a way to release our friend but only in exchange for our protection.” The name was familiar and took me some moments to remember where I saw it: a wanted poster at the Ghostly Minstrel. Shilukar is a Drow, a dark elf, wanted for theft.

 

            “Protection from whom? The authorities?” we asked when we finally remembered who Shilukar was.

 

            “Of course.”

 

            “That is a bit problematic…” started Eric.

 

            “Be assured, I have no wish of harboring that thief or protect him for the authorities. But he gave us an ultimatum: either we accept his conditions or he eliminates the object that will save Lord Abercombe, and we have now less than 44 hours.”

 

“What exactly is it that you want us to do?” Sebastian asked shrewdly.

 

             “Oh I can’t possibly ask you to do anything…” he started acting the ‘uncomfortable speaker’ pose, “but if perhaps, by chance, you might get to him before the expiration time,” he paused to clear his throat dryly, “perhaps you might find whatever it is he promised us. If you ask around in the right places, you might also learn that he is rumored to have gnoll bodyguards,” Lord Zavere trailed off.

 

            “What more can you tell us about him?” we asked.

 

            “Not much more I’m afraid. He’s been stealing mainly from nobles houses right here… house Abanar was hit if I remember correctly.”

 

            “How much will you pay us?” asked my dear, ever economically conscious, sister.

 

            “You will have the gratitude of Castle Shard, fear not.” Lord Zaver seemed a bit bothered by this question and I could see that the answer wasn’t enough for her but she let it go. So we thanked them and left the castle.

 

            Aretha decided to start immediately and see what she can find about gnoll sightings recently in Ptolus; Sebastian would sniff around the Noble’s Quarter first thing in the morning and try to reveal more clues about Shilukar; both Eric and Tuur said they would check their own contacts, and Menon and I said will get to the Abanar Estate first thing in the morning and see what they know.

 

            We met in front of the library, and to cut a long story short, the only one to bring us any lead was Aretha with gnoll sighting in the Guildsman District. Good enough lead as it turned out. Sebastian went with Aretha this time and we met them a couple of hours later in front of the Skull & Sword (an “unhealthy” establishment by all repute) in the Guildsman District. Again they did not disappoint. They’ve found an old Halfling in the Hungry Halfling who claimed to have seen a gnoll with a hood walking near an empty lot on Brandywine Street, and also that her “little bit nutty” nephew claimed to have seen a blue gnoll. That was an even better lead than before, so we went ahead to scout the place out.

 

            The lot was squeezed between some factories and filled with old junk and pieces of metal, also, there was a small shack in the middle. While Menon and I tried to find out if someone amongst the neighbors has seen anything strange, Eric and Tuur were already in the lot searching the junk and checking the lock on the house. And since by then all notions of doing things discreetly where out the window, Menon went ahead and opened the rusty lock. Any chance of a quite entry went out the door when the moment the door opened a piece of metal fell to the floor with a large bang! But at least we were in the right place, and we could tell from the trapdoor on the floor.

 

            We went down the ladder and Aretha, this time, brought Maxim with her, and later you’ll understand why I’m writing this down. The first door we opened we were immediately confronted by four howling gnolls, and even though Sebastian received a wound, they were dispatched with a quick efficiency. There was an interesting device in the room: It was a metal tube going up to the ceiling with to handles and an eye-piece. Cautiously Sebastian looked into it and was amazed, asking if we think it magical. I looked in the eye-piece next and found my self looking (as if through a dirt window) at the empty lot! This is a very cool contraption, magical or not!

 

            Next door opened to an intersection and another gnoll, and as he was being dealt with, several more appeared from a side door; it was here that Maxim (the dog) showed his not-to-be-underestimated fighting prowess. Aretha would shout an attack command and Maxim would rush the gnoll. We were all rather impressed by this change of tactic. Perhaps she’s been training him…

 

            Next we came upon a room where the gnolls almost didn’t hear us from their banging on the walls, apparently expanding their lair, they too were dealt with.

 

Menon was fiddling with a locked door for several minutes before she managed to crack it open. I didn’t really see what was happening there as I was in the rear with Aretha, checking that no one will attack us from behind, but suddenly Menon took a step back and the guys rushed into the room shouting for us to circle to a door on the other side, and a mad howling came from inside. Aretha and I ran to the other side, and since the door was locked Aretha pulled out her Dragon Pistol and shot the lock right out the door. The shot penetrated the lock and the door, and we heard a cry of pain from inside. Aretha pushed the door open and we saw a large gnoll in full plate laying dead on the door, and Sebastian standing frozen in shock, his back bleeding and full of splinters. He slowly turned towards us looking through glazed eyes at Aretha: “What? You want to break up?” I can’t believe he’s joking now!

 

Aretha smiled and cured him with the wand, “Of course not dear, I’m sorry about that.” Go figure other peoples relations.

 

I was looking at the room in the meantime: erotically obscene painting on the walls, bones and skulls hanging from the ceiling, and strange writings on the floor. We couldn’t figure out what was going on over there so we just left the room and reached another intersection, this one larger with a small pool of water in the middle. One of the doors led back to the sewers so we closed and locked it again. It was the large door that proved to be problematic at first. It opened up to reveal a large chamber that was mostly empty apart for a small statue at the far side of it and two huge blue gnolls.

 

Apparently the nephew wasn’t all that crazy.

 

We didn’t dare step into the room, and a quick plan was formed to let them come at us and form a bottle neck by the door. The huge greataxe wielding blue gnoll rushed us and almost dropped Sebastian in one blow. In a desperate attempt, Sebastian slashed at it before backing away. Eric and Tuur were on both sides of it and hacking down with their swords (though after a blow or two, Tuur noticed that his sword wasn’t dealing damage as he thought it should and he switched to the enchanted axe he acquired several days ago), Aretha managed a shot that didn’t do much either, and I tried to get the thing to fall (that ability has turned battles before), as well as my encouraging note. I saw the second blue gnoll, a female, at the back end of the room moving her mouth as if saying something and I understood that she was casting spells. Things could get dangerous very quickly… and they did.

 

The big axe wielding gnoll trued to attack again but fell to his knees and the guys where on him like a pack of hungry wolves. Menon kept shooting arrows, and Aretha was sounding her gun (as well as setting Maxim at the gnoll’s knee. I decided to try the same trick against the female in the back, but it didn’t seems to work, so I raised my pitiful (yet sometimes useful) missile wand and fired at her a red blast of energy, and while I know it hit here, it didn’t really faze her. It was when the killing blow to the gnoll next to us came, when I saw just in the corner of my eye a movement. A dark elf was suddenly stepping from some door somewhere down the corridor some 50 feet from us, and before I could even raise a warning he raised his hand. It was like in a slow motion yet everything was happening so fast… I saw with horror (I can’t explain how I knew, I just knew it was dangerous) a pulsating red bead racing towards us and stopping right between Eric and Tuur. For a moment it seemed to do nothing, though probably actually not even a blink of an eye, and suddenly it blossomed into a horrifying ball of searing flame.

 

I have no idea how I managed to get out of it with barely a singed shirt, but that how it was. In the air was a smell of burned flesh and hair, and I immediately saw Maxim laying on the floor but I had no time to see if he was breathing or not. The other’s were still standing, but not in any great shape. Eric rushed to the side of the dark mage Shilukar (how could it be anyone else?) and Sebastian was right behind him, hoping that their proximity will deter him from casting another such horror. I couldn’t decide on where to look, and then saw the blue female gnoll march up to us, she looked angry as hell and that huge flail in her hand was not comforting at all.

 

Menon missed her, and I couldn’t seem to affect her with my notes. Every time I tried one it felt like I was swimming against the current. The gnoll swung that flail at Tuur and hurt him badly and in an instant Aretha was there with the ever useful (and overly used) healing wand we purchased and tried to put some life force back into Tuur. I turned a quick look towards Eric, Sebastiand and Shilukar only to see Shilukar wink out of sight. Eric cursed and seeing our plight and call for help rushed back to our side. Sebastian didn’t give up and slashed his sword at the area where he though he saw Shilukar last but apparently cut only air.  Menon again tried to shoot the she-gnoll but missed again.

 

It was strange to see this big creature move so quickly and managing to parry or dodge almost every attack against her, yet landing blow after blow upon my companions. Seeing that I was useless here, I rushed to Sebastian’s aid; at least I hoped to aid him. As I made my way to where he was I saw him rush around a corner and heard him strike at Shilukar, and as I rounded that same corner I saw them standing at the entrance to a room and I tried to make him fall, but he kept standing. My sister suddenly rushed passed me and was also trying to get into the room. I could hear the clanging of metal on metal, the angry snarling, and cursing and grunts of a fight behind me… but I was focused on the green ball that just landed at my feet.

 

It seemed as if it hum a soft and calming melody and I felt as if all the tension was melting away from me. As if I was submerged in a big, hot, rose-scented bath. I felt as if in a pleasant dream. I saw Sebastian and Menon trying to encircle the dark elf but couldn’t seem to care about it. I stood aimlessly for a second in place and then, as if remembering something, went to that small pool and sat beside it playing with my fingers along the surface of the water. I’m told I had a serene smile on my face and moved my head from side to side as if I was listening to some music only I could hear. I could see Eric and Tuur encircling the big gnoll and Aretha shoot at her, and finally, after some blows she fell. I waved at them as they rushed passed down the corridor where my sister and Sebastian were, and for some reason I felt the tension that I felt constantly from my sister this past minute drain away as if she was sleeping. Strange.

 

But the water was cool to the touch on my fingertips and my eyes where on the water till I noticed a reflection in it. I looked up and saw the big blue she-gnoll stand next to me. I think I smiled up at her and did not even flinch when the flail crushed into my chest.

 

The darkness was lifted from my eyes and I could breath easily again. Aretha was kneeling besides me, and I almost panicked when I saw the she-gnoll still standing above me. But everybody was there and the she-gnoll fell to axe and sword. Menon rushed to my side to see that I was alright, and I smiled at her, holding to her, and nodded to Aretha thankfully.

 

I was later told that Shilukar has managed to somehow charm Sebastian and make Menon fall asleep. As Eric, Tuur, and Aretha went to see what was going on over there, Shilukar threatened to slit Menon’s throat. It was at that moment that Sebastian managed to break free from the charm, and jumped at him trying to wrestle him to the floor. He failed, and Shilukar’s knife dug into Menon’s throat. At that moment Menon shrugged off her induced slumber and managed to trip the drow. From then on he was easily dispatched, and as to make sure that he was dead, Tuur cut off his head.

 

I can say with definite certainty that these three where the most dangerous foes we have faced so far. Not just because I had nearly lost my life. Shilukar was extremely clever and ready for us. He probably expected Castle Shard to send people to find him.

 

We did two more things in the damn place before leaving with everything we could take from Shilukar’s room (we had no idea what it was that Castle Shard needed for Lord Abercomb): Tuur went into the room where the gnolls were and after one look at the statue smashed it to pieces; another room was sort of a laboratory. The laboratory had some big green vats with strange creatures inside of them and in one corner a table with surgeons tools. Could this be the Surgeon in the Shadows? I don’t know. I’ll have to check out how long that legend is about, and how long Shilukar has been active. At any rate, there was no female dwarf in any of the vats. Aretha for some reason took a sample of the liquid and we then set the place to fire.

 

I was glad to finally leave the place.

 

They were surprised to see us so soon in Castle Shard. We told them how it went, and spread before them all we found on Shilukar and in his room. They had no idea which object was needed either. So we left it all with them, and I offered my help in trying to identify the needed object. It will take us some time, but apart from helping them with it I had my debut performance at the Ghostly Minstrel tomorrow.

 

 

 

Airday, 12^th of Toil, 721IA

 

It was very exciting for me to sing at the Ghostly. It was here that I first met Delwin who took me under his wing, and it felt as if I was completing a circle. Things will not be the same from now on. I could feel it. The performance itself was excellent, not as memorable as the first one at the Griffon, but still very good.

 

 

Waterday, 13^th of Toil, 721IA

 

The day after the show at the Ghostly we were still resting. Just past noon we received a note to come to the Castle: we found what we need.

 

Kadmus admitted us to a chamber where the Lord and Lady where waiting for us. Besides them stood the golden Lord Abercombe, only he was moving and smiling. He didn’t look at all different from his former state; he was indeed a walking golden statue.

 

Ptolus will never seize to amaze me.

 

He thanked us profusely and told us how he was surprised by Shilukar in the Dungeons and was turned to statue. Why? Only Shilukar probably knew that. Several of my companions offered him their help should he need it and he accepted it graciously. Just before leaving Lady Rill and Lord Zavere invited us to a party they were throwing in honor of Lord Abercombe, all of us except for Menon and Sebastian. Apparently my sister and Sebastian have offended the Lord and Lady with their brashness and not very tactful mannerism. They both took it as a personal insult (which it was), but I think that deep inside they know that they could have been a bit more polite…

 

Though of course, I might be wrong.