Back on the surface the party follow up their queries about the
Sword of Erin by talking to Marglin, the Dwarven mastersmith
who made the two copies. Marglin says that he dealt directly with the old King and that the King rewarded him
handsomely for his work. He got the impression the King did not trust his eldest son,
Burdred.
The party's next mission concerns a secret meeting that has been arranged in
Brimmingstone
where a courier from
Sankhar is due to pass important documents to a representative of Lord Fairchild.
Unfortunately the
Red Asps have got wind of the meeting and the party's job will be to make sure
the Asps do not get the documents.
The party arrive at the inn where the exchange is taking place early and Nameless, the Bard talks her way into
providing some entertainment. When the courier and Lord Fairchild's representative, Brin the ranger, arrive
the party note that two strangers followed them in and take up positions at the bar. Meantime another person
attempts to rush off but is beguiled by the Bard's music. A fourth man enters the inn a few minutes later and
moves towards the courier with a posioned dagger drawn. Despite the intervention of the two men at the bar the
assassin dies under a hail of blows from the party as do the other two Asps. The fourth man involved turns
out to be a relatively innocent local.
The Bards beguiling music and the parties illusions then make the other customers in the inn believe they had just
witnessed and artfully contrived performance.
On their return the party are briefed by Elwin personally on their next mission. A child has been abducted and
taken north to The Waste. The abductor turns out to be the child's uncle
who is a 'ne'er do well' according to the child's father, a wealthy merchant, or 'reckless but he's got a good
heart' according to the child's mother.
The Party journey several days to the Wall and then make for
Maven's Folly. As they journey along the bleak road they notice about a
quarter a mile to the east a man running towards them pursued by what looks to be a small fire breathing
dragon. On closer inspection the beast appears to have three heads. The man is not entirely helpless
and every time the dragon breathes fire (which he mainly expertly dodges) he retaliates with a blast
from a wand he is holding.
The party hurry to join the fray, and although the dragon (actually a chimera) swoops out of range, manage
to slay it when it next dives in to breaths fire (but not before the unfortunate Bard is toasted).
The huntsman Pinac is grateful for the help and offers to share the profit from butchering a number of
body parts from the corpse.
Pinac warns, however, that a gang from Maven's Folly having been robbing hunters bringing in their kills
recently and sure enough five miles out from the town five men bar their way.
The party kill two and the Bard's mind affecting magic causes the other three to run away.
Arriving in Maven's Folly the party quickly find that the child's uncle has left to hunt in the Waste
and raised some money by selling off the boy as an indentured servant.
The party trace the boy and pay off his master and then set off back to
Pell's Hold with the child.