You have consented to kill the royal emissary, Merith, in cooperation with Varun, the Shadow, the Vorghol crime lord of old Camars. He has lodged you in comfortable apartments underneath the Shadow's Ward, beds free of lice, with real sheets, good wine and well-prepared food.
In the corner of the chamber, Khom-Bei rests quietly on a bed, dozing, recovering his strength, while Kane and Verraine sit at a table, drinking wine and talking quietly by the light of a single tallow candle.
Verraine says to Kane, "Kane, tell me something..."
Kane looks up from the table and says. "If I can."
The girl stares intently at him, candlelight flickering in her eyes. "You don't mean to go through with this, do you?"
Kane says, "You mean to kill the King's consort? Yes I do."
Verraine hisses, "I mean to help Varun..."
Kane says, "I've been thinking about that. I guess it helps one Vorghol and hurts another. It is a queer sort of thing. I try to think if it will help our cause more to help or not to help."
The young woman draws her dagger from her boot sheath and toys with it. She calls to Khom-Bei, waking him from light slumber. "Khom-Bei, you must see the sense of this, surely."
Khom-Bei sits up and wipes his eyes, looking at Verraine curiously. "The sense of what?"
Kane says to Verraine, "Right now I'm inclined to do this thing for our cause. Tell me why you think not helping Varun will be better."
Verraine spins the dagger on her finger. "Our job is to warn the Council of all we have learned. Not help the Vorghol in their little games."
Khom-Bei nods in Kane's direction. "I agree with Kane, Verraine. The enemy of my enemy is my friend. And the Council would certainly agree that we shouldn't pass up a chance to take out the King's Consort."
Verraine rises. "Would you be so quick to help Varun if this wasn't Merith we were killing?"
Kane says, "I am a hunter. Like the wolf, I stalk my prey when and where it is available. But in part, you are correct. Perhaps it is best this time I hunt alone and you two go and warn the council.""
Khom-Bei says, "You're not going without me, Kane. If it creates trouble within the Vorghol court, I am the first to vote 'aye'."
Kane says, "It is true I have long wished to bring the final mercy to Merith. But it is will have other far reaching effects as well."
Verraine leans in over the candle. "And what of Thragga and Brion? Aren't they still out in the city, seeking an escape for us all?"
Kane says, "Like I said. You should go and warn the council. Take Brion and Thragga with you."
She looks from Kane to Khom-Bei. "And you stand with him?"
Kane says, "The real question here is if and how Varun plans to double cross us. We will serve no purpose to him once the task is done."
Khom-Bei grins a toothy grin. "I can't let him go alone, he'll get into trouble."
Verraine shakes her head at you both. "He wouldn't do it unless he had a motive."
Khom-Bei says, "Varun? I'm certain that he has several motives."
Kane says, "I will take at most one other but no more. This will need to be done quietly. Quick in and out. I hope not to rely on Varun's planning as well if it can be helped."
Verraine says, "This is madness." She looks off into the darkness for a time.
Kane says, "And isn't it madness that we dedicate our lives to over throw these bloodsucking villians when we face such poor odds? I tell you my madness is deep and burns slowly."
Verraine finishes her wine, then sheathes her dagger. She seems to have made up her mind to take up Kane on his offer. "Thragga won't go quietly with me. Unless I tell him you're dead."
Khom-Bei says, "He won't believe it even then. He'll want to see the body."
Kane says, "That would be worse, believe me. Tell him... we thought it best to split up for awhile. Tell him we will meet up at the council place. Do not speak of what we have planned. However this turns out, one of the answers you give him will the right one."
Verraine says, "I'll think of something." She rises, then moves to embrace Kane, and then Khom-Bei. "Be careful. My father will be watching over you both." She wipes at her eye.
Kane says, "Just get out of here safely and make sure the other two do as well."
Khom-Bei says, "Go in peace, Verraine. Tell the Council what you know and we will meet again soon."
Verraine says quietly, "Be at the council place near the Westwall in a week." Then she slips off into the darkness. "And thank you for saving me." is the last you hear of her. In the darkness, the door opens, then closes behind her.
Khom-Bei looks at Kane and takes a deep breath. "We might as well get on with it."
Kane removes a collection of stakes from within his cloak and lays them out on the table to inspect them. He runs his fingers over the points and ensures that each is sharp and the wood intact. Then when he is satisfied he returns them to their hiding place and says "Now we hunt my friend, may it be a good hunt."
Some hours later, rested, fit, ready, weapons sharpened, Varun and some of his underlings lead you to a broad, paved alley behind a row of taverns. A cart stands before you, with several massive wine casks standing in back. Varun is chuckling and rapping on each of the casks.
Kane says, "So we are to be delivered as wine to the party."
As Kane speaks, a skinny minion with ratlike features shambles into the alleyway. Although still alive, he has the mark of the Vorghol on him, a living man utterly dominated by the bloodsuckers.
Varun raps a cask. One makes a thump sound as if full of liquid. The next does the same. The third makes a hollow sound.
Varun smirks. "You are going to a party, you should look more festive, hm?"
Kane says, "Lets get on with it shall we?"
The minion takes his place as the driver of the cart. Varun explains, "It took some time here to get Arrok here into the staff of the Old Keep. He is now trusted, isn't that right, Arrok?" Arrok nods his rodentlike head. "He will guide you within and into the kitchens. From there, the feast hall is just upstairs. I am sure you will not need me to proceed from there."
Kane says, "We have already accepted the price of this suicide mission to free our friend. Just get us inside and we will do the rest."
A breeze brings raindrops, which drizzle down on you. The rain slowly begins to beat down harder.
Varun chortles. "Ah, the young, they are so impetuous." He smirks. "You know, Kane, you would make a fine Vorghol."
Kane says, "May the Powers protect me from that curse."
Khom-Bei steps forward and looks directly into the ratlike eyes of the cart driver. "Be warned: if you betray us, you will die. Painfully."
Arrok shies away from eye contact with the Northerling.
Kane says, "Never mind with him my friend. He is dead already. Anything we do to him at this point will be a mercy."
Two of the Vorghol open the lids of two wine casks, one for each of you.
Khom-Bei moves inside his chosen cask quickly and settles himself for the ride.
Kane follows Khom-Bei's lead.
The Vorghol don't laugh at Kane's wish, but Varun does. Uproariously. As you climb in, and the Vorghol nail the lids on, the fat Vorghol is still laughing. You can still hear him laughing as the cart slowly moves off down the alley.Inside his cask, Khom-bei pulls a small glowstone from his belt pouch and softly prays for guidance and protection as the cart rumbles through the cobblestone streets.
The casks smell of old wine, but outside the casks you can hear the creak and rumble of the cart on the pavestones of the walled city. The storm is in full-throated roar now, rain and thunder drowning out any sounds of speech from outside. Whatever Arrok says to get inside the Old Keep is lost... and it is some time before you feel your casks being offloaded from the cart. Then, all is still.
After listening for a bit to make sure all stays quiet, Kane chances a quick look out of the lid of the cask.
As the casks come to a rest, Khom-bei pockets his glowstone and readies himself for what is to come.
The kitchens are smoky and reeking of roasted meats for the human guests. A huge Ukk-ra has his back to Kane, and he bears a massive cleaver. He is working at some game on the table before him, hacking at the meat with loud thunks of his cleaver. The Ukk-ra bellows at a servant nearby in his guttural tongue.
The Ukk-ra moves back to his butchery. He dresses the game, hacking the bones into smaller pieces, then spitting each one with his massive hands. But he doesn't put them on to roast.
The Ukk-ra takes a swig from a stein he has nearby. He drains it then notices it's empty. He upends it and shakes a drop onto the table, sadly.
The kitchen is a low-ceilinged room, probably underground, with a marble floor. Meats roast on spits about the room, filling it with smoke and aromatic vapors. Across the room, behind the spits, stands a broad doorway, ajar, with a staircase leading up beyond it. Your casks are on the edge of the room, near some other casks. Three servants enter the chamber, lifting one of the full wine casks at the end of your row and trundling it out the door.
The Ukk-ra looks back as the servants leave, then reaches down to pry the lid off Khom-Bei's cask. He pulls out the nails in the lid with his thick, sausage-like fingers. One, two, three...
Hearing the nails squeal, Khom-bei grasps his hammer tightly and prepares to face the worst.
The last nail sticks. The Ukk-ra curses. "Motherless son of a whore..." he rumbles, fumbling at it.
Kane readies his sword from within his cask.
Finally, the Ukk-ra wiggles the nail free and removes the lid, stein in hand to dip into the wine he expects.
The eight-foot tall Ukk-ra looks down into the Northerling's upturned face. The yellow eyes in the great rugged Ukk-ra face go very wide.
Khom-Bei pops up and says "Boo!" as he swings his hammer at the Ukk-ra.
Kane waits to hear Khom-Bei make his move, then he too pops out of his cask to confront the Ukk-ra. He rams his sword into the Ukk-ra's throat for a quick and quiet kill.
The Ukk-ra topples without a sound, headfirst, into the cask Kane just leapt from. He's very still, with just his feet sticking out.
The kitchen is empty aside from you two, but those servants will be back for more wine soon.
Khom-Bei grabs the lid to the cask and shoves the Ukk-ra down with it.
Kane quickly replaces the lid and motions to Khom-Bei towards the stairway.
The dead Ukk-ra is crammed into the wine cask.
Khom-Bei follows Kane toward the stairs.
Kane peers up the stair and listens tgo make sure he can hear no foot steps.The large oaken door is slightly ajar. Beyond is a short corridor, with some storage pantries adjoining it. A staircase leads up from the end of the short corridor. You can hear music coming from the top of the stairs.
Kane whispers to Khom-Bei, "How risky would it be to make us invisible like you did the other day?"
Khom-Bei says, "It only works for undead. All the servants would still see us."The three servants appear at the top of the stairs, three young Reith that look like minions. They don't chatter among themselves as they begin to come back down the stairs.
Kane says, "We'll keep it in reserve for now."
The minions march down the steps and towards the door you lurk behind.Kane steps out into the stair way where the three can see him and says, "You three hurry up with this wine, Lord Valkris' guests are getting thirsty."
The minions look up, surprised. "Who...who're you?" one asks.
Khom-Bei steps forward and speaks to Kane. "Milord, the cook seems to have taken leave of his post."
The minions look about the chamber. "Sutig was just here!" one protests. "He must have gone off drunk again."
Kane says in his most regal Tol Nedran voice, "You dare look me in the eye you insolent troggle? Do as I say quickly or I will have the lot of you whipped."
Once upon a time, in his ancestral palace, Kane spoke this way all the time to underlings.The minions know their place. They nod, bow, and hurry to grab one of the casks, luckily, that is filled with wine, bearing it up the stairs.
Kane turns to his friend and says, "Come Lord Khom-Bei, we have a feast to attend."
Khom-Bei smiles briefly. "Aye, milord."