Sunday Noon, Fireseek 2, 591 Common Year

When Rain wakes up she heads over to the parade ground for the drill, but on the way one of the ladies-in-waiting approach her. Or at least that’s what she seems to be. At last, this one will either tell me that spices are to be delivered, or she’ll hand me the spices for the gumbo. Either way it’s my signal to check the drop point. Maybe I’ll have time to do it before the drill starts.

Contrary to Rain’s expectation however, the maiden says, “Rain? Hi, I’m Lassi. A mutual friend sent me to find you, and I’m to take you to her. It’s this way.” She is fair skinned, with light blue eyes and golden hair; she is pretty though a little on the plump side, but in a way that many men would find pleasing. She heads over to one of the servant’s entrances to the palace.

Rain stops her and asks in a low voice, “Lassi, can you be a little more specific. Who have you been asked to take me to?”

Lassi looks around quickly, and then says, in Lady Sedara’s voice, “Your caution is commendable Rain. It is I, Sedara. As I said before, it is best if we are not seen together anymore, so I have used this simple glamour. Come, we’ll go to the empty wing of the palace where I trained you. We can talk there.” Then she reverts back to the voice of the young maid she appears to be, “It’s this way, if you remember.”

Rain follows, but cautiously. Lassi leads her through the kitchens and from there into the empty wing of the palace just as she had said she would. The chambers here are musty, sparsely furnished, and dimly lit. Lassi waves a hand in front of her face, and when she turns Rain sees that it is indeed Lady Sedara facing her with a smile. “Greetings, Rain. Your message said you discovered something of great importance. That may be, but first we must discuss it privately. Let’s keep others out of this for now. Your friend Aramek may or may not be trustworthy, but for now our arrangement must be kept between us and those in the palace, like Sir Bodwyn, who need to know. So what have you discovered?”

Rain decides on the spot to tell Lady Sedara everything she knows, which momentarily surprises her, as information is currency and often a bargaining tool, never to be fully given away freely. “My friend, Aramek, assists the alchemist Master Parwyn and lives in his loft. Parwyn has, or maybe had, not really sure, a son, Reece, who left a journal which Aramek found and read. Reece’s journal is mostly about herbs and such, but it also talks about his experiences during the Brotherhood occupation: various disappearances, brutalities, and losing his fiancé. It also talks about how a friend of his named Relikez had escaped during the surrender of Westkeep and then snuck back in after. Apparently he had spent some time in the Hool Marshes and found some things out there, like an outpost or shrine. He thought there might be some lost hidden city or something. So they both went back out to the marshes to find some power to destroy the Brotherhood! There wasn’t anything else in the journal about that, but Aramek found something else too. He found a small statue wrapped in parchment in the same place where the journal was. It was of a skeletal being in a cloak with a scythe! Aramek said it looked like somebody called Naral, god of death or something. Anyways, the parchment had writing on it too which looked like Reece’s. It said something like: ‘Thanatos god of Thracia, is this the power I seek? Can he still be called upon from within his ancient shrine?’”

Rain begins to calm down a bit after realizing that she was getting more excited with the volume of her voice rising the more she explained. “So Aramek wants to go out into the marshes to look around and see if we can find any trace of Reece, Relikez or what he found. He says we could mask it as a trip looking for herbs out in the marshes for Master Parwyn. I don’t think we will find old Krozar or anything, but it’s worth looking into. What do you think?”

Lady Sedara laughs in wonder and says, “My, but you have come upon something worthy of pondering. Let me tell you a couple of things first before your enthusiasm get the better of you. That statue sounds like it might be Nerull, an ancient Flan god of death. Only the most depraved would seek out the favor of he who is known as the Hater of Life, the Bringer of Darkness, and the Foe of All Good. If this Reece and his friend Relikez went out to find the help of the Foe of All Good, then that does not bode well for Westkeep or any of these lands. The name Thanatos I have not ever heard of, but it might be just another guise of Nerull, or some other dark power. Unfortunately there are several gods who command the powers of death and destruction. Also, you mentioned trying to find old Krozar – that is the last thing you should want to do. In fact, if you did stumble upon him it is likely that it would be the last thing you ever did. The monks of the Scarlet Brotherhood are not to be trifled with.

“Finally, I wouldn’t worry about going into the marshes with Aramek. You and your squad will be going there soon enough on a mission of some importance. That will be your chance to look around. For right now, put Aramek off until the squadron is given its assignment. And don’t tell him anything for now. Just observe him and let him help you. For that he doesn’t need to be in on our secrets.

“Now I have several questions for you. Have you seen this journal or this statue for yourself? If not, where are they? Are they in the possession of this Aramek? Also, you mentioned that Relikaz escaped from the city and then snuck back in again during the occupation of the Scarlet Brotherhood. That means there must indeed be some secret way into and out of the city, assuming they didn’t just go over the walls. We have long wondered how Krozar and the Amedi warriors who were still with him escaped from here without being spotted by our scouts or rangers. If that secret way is still open then we are all in danger until we find it. See if you can find any clue as to the whereabouts of this secret entrance.”

“Oh!” Rain exclaims, “I assumed you knew about those old tunnels under the Locksmith Guild. They lead out to a manor outside the city. I can show you if you want; and I haven’t seen the journal or statue myself. Aramek just told me about them. I would bet he put them back where he found them. He is kind of like that.”

“The Locksmith Guild? There is no Locksmith Guild in Westkeep,” Lady Sedara muses. “Or would you be referring to the charred ruins just a couple blocks south of the main gate of this keep? Ha! It makes sense that the Scarlet Brotherhood would want to smoke them out and then use their tunnels for their own purposes. No, Rain, I think I know where they are. It would be better if you avoid them for now. Heironeous only knows what may be down there. I’ll make sure they are kept under surveillance until I can arrange for a team to go in and clear it out.

“Now, as to this journal and statue, I think I will need to take a look at them myself. I’ll arrange that, but I want you to be in the clear.” She takes a moment to think. “Ah, that will do. Tonight, I want you to make sure that you are assigned to patrol with Aramek. It doesn’t matter who else is with you, just make sure that Aramek and you are together when you are making your rounds. I’ll see to it that the rest is taken care of. Better that you don’t know any more than this. Now, you’d better get back to your squad before you are late for drill.

“Oh, and Rain, you’ve done well. You are fast earning my trust and my confidence. Heironeous has indeed blessed me by sending you to be my eyes and ears in the city. I thank Heironeous and I thank you. Now get going. I’ll follow later.”

“Thanks Lady Sedara. You are right. I should hurry so I’m not late.” Rain turns and runs off, careful once she exits the unused parts of the palace to walk normally so as to be inconspicuous. She makes her way to drill. I have done good. Heh, but don’t let it go to yer head. You still need to watch yer back regardless of who is standing behind ya. So says Rain’s more cautious side. “Yah, I know”, Rain mutters to herself and affords a wry grin at the warring sides of inner thoughts.

Rain figures that later she will do what she can to be assigned patrol with Aramek. Not like that would be anything out of the norm, as she seems to be doing that more and more anyways these days. Now what is Sedara gonna do? She gonna have those things stolen from that sage? I sure hope Aramek doesn’t think I had anything to do with it. Rain ponders these things during drill, as often happens.