It was a dark and spooky night...

April 14th, continued...
 
We talked about a plan over lunch. If there was only one or two of the robbers, we would stay and fight. If there were more than we could handle, Auren carrying Ladigo would run into town and fetch the guards. We decide to spar for a little and I decide to start carrying the wooden sword around, just for the practice. But then we spend the rest of the afternoon resting up for our late night adventure.
 
We eat dinner and wait for around nine o'clock before we set out and head down the south east roads, we turn back north at the edge of some farms and come to the cemetery through the forest as sneakily as we can. We decide to spread out around the central mausoleum so that we can watch all sides of the cemetery around us. I won't lie, it was a little spooky, but I just focused on the quiet night sounds of birds and insects around me. Luna was almost at half, so there was light to see by once our eyes adjusted. The clouds didn't help the spooky effect.
 
After midnight, I noticed a figure come up to the front of the Guentaro mausoleum, the last that was intact. I gave, what I thought, was a soft bird call to get the others attention, but in the quiet the noise must have carried because the person moved around behind the crypt. After just a moment, we see a ghoulish figure heading our direction. I'm still thinking the person put on a costume, and take a shot at it with an arrow which goes wide. Then I move up ready to face the undead, since there was only one, I thought the plan was to attack. As I draw closer, I can't help but notice how realistic the ghoul seems. Auren and Ladigo begin to run to get the guards. The others move forward to fight with me. I hit the ghoul with my wooden sword, a good hit, or at least it should have been. But the blade goes right through the monster. I call out, "Its an illusion!" for surely it must be.
 
Mogi runs past me and the ghoul to see who is behind the mausoleum and I hear him say, "What are you doing here?" So it has to be someone from town he recognizes. It turns out to be Galen, a wizard who was at the tavern last night and tried to join Luthian Steel, but was turned down. The ghoul disappears as Galen has his concentration broken as Sinjin and Selia head that direction as well. I move forward, but don't make it to him before Galen tries to run and stops at the wall, preparing to jump it and run. Mogi charges him, but stumbles over an bit of rock or some uneven footing. He manages not to fall and be standing next to Galen, but it threw off his balance enough he can't do much else for a moment.
 
Sinjin moves up and tries to grab him, but is unable to hold the wizard. Auren runs and leaps the wall like a deer and is ready to pursue Galen if he gets to the other side. Galen grabs a bit of something from his belt pouch and steps back and starts to cast a spell, but while he is concentrating on the magic, Sinjin is able to hit him with a punch square on the jaw and the wizard crumples in a heap. We search his things and find a spellbook a backpack that had a sack with older looking fine jewelry in it. Necklaces, rings, and a bracelet. We're guessing this is what was taken from the other crypts. We also find some wool in his component pouch. I begin to tie him up, before I wake him up.
 
He admits to robbing the other crypts, but says that we don't understand how hard it is to be a new wizard looking for a group, and everything being so expensive. We tell him that that isn't the way to go about getting the money. We unbind his feet and walk him into town, meeting some city guards at the north east roadway. We tell them everything honestly and they escort us to the City Guard Headquarters, where he is checked in and processed. Auren browses through his spell book as we walk, fascinated with all the writings there. Galen admits to the thefts, and to sheering Farmer Oxfell's sheep in Greenstone Village. Walker is the watchman who takes our statements and then process Galen. He thanks us and we head back to the Home Away from Home and toast our first successful adventure. After a breif debate, we decide to keep Haymin's Heroes as our name for now and let our permanent come from our adventures. We head to bed a little more confident in ourselves.
 
April 15th
 
Today we decide to take it easy and after a quick breakfast, we stop by the City Guard and speak with Captain Brice. He tells us we were lucky and to stay out of trouble. I tell him we'll let him know what we hear. Then we head out to teach Auren how to swim and a few of us do some fishing. We head back to the Home Away from Home after having spent a leisurely morning, and I turn in the fish we caught to Olo, the head cook. I pass by Jenivar and give her a smile and a cheerful, "Good morning!" and continue over to our lunch table. I can see on her face she has heard of our escapade and she follows me over to the table and simply says, "One day? One day!" She just sighs heavily and tells us that we are wanted at the Triumvirate Council when we finish lunch. During lunch we talk about who is the group leader and I simply say that I am, half-jokingly. But if someone else wants the title, they're going to have to step up. I think everyone else was preparing to flee until I ran into the fray last night.
 
After our meal we head to the Council building, which is just down the road a short distance. We are greeted by the clerk, Holister Numenarin. Eventually the meeting ahead of ours concludes and we are announced. Tollin Balladar comes to greet us and we make introductions. He shows us into the council room and we meet Iram Kender and Avoline Huliss, the other council persons that help to govern Karavale. They thank us and reward us with fifty crowns! I beam proudly. The owner of the Stag Fine Inn and Tavern, Bozian Guentarro wants to thank us personally as well and we thank the council for the reward and head to the Stag next.
 
Bozian greets us warmly and tells us that if we ever need rooms or meals to come see him. He was thankful we defended his family's mausoleum from being invaded, for it was the last one left intact. He invites us to dinner at six o'clock tonight and we accept. The Stag is luxurious in its features and I'm sure the food is lovely as well.
 
After leaving the stag, we decide to talk to the apothecary to follow up with our last lead, the burglaries and the Shadow figure trying to start a thieves guild here. The apothecary is named Quelkin Braize, and we end up speaking to him pretty casually about magic and how to cast, and spell books, and scrolls and things for quite some time. He is a wizard, and remembers selling some of the rainbow sand to Galen. He also shows us his spell book, and Auren may have found a mentor if he's thinking about wizarding, which I believe he is.
 
Ladigo asks if he ever needs components from the forest and what not, and it turns out that he will pay well to have some things harvested from about a day out. He says that most people are afraid to go near the High Hills and tells us of a particularly ill-tempered owlbear named Bloodbeak that prowls the High Hills. He assures us that where we'd be going we'd be out of his territory. But this could turn out to be profitable. Good job, Ladigo for mentioning it!
 
As our conversation appears to be wrapping up on the mystic arts, I then tell him about the Grey Wolves, and how they tried to shakedown the Home Away from Home, and to be careful. I can tell by his expression that they've been by and press him on the matter, saying that we can help. But he says that he can't afford the fires or accidents that have happened to those who have refused. He also tells us to leave it well enough alone and that we're playing over our heads. Clearly he doesn't know us, or me at all. But I'm determined to help him regardless of whether he wants it or not. He says he'll let us know about the components, but it may not be for a month or two. We leave having made a new friend.
 
Now to go get ready for dinner, but I don't think I have anything fancy to wear... really I'm wearing the only thing I have to wear, but maybe I can give it a quick once over. The Home Away from Home is more my comfort level, but the Stag Fine Inn did look very nice and I am looking forward to a nice dinner.