HotDk 25: “Her Name Was Jamna Gleamsilver”

The argument between Malice and the female cultist continues; she’s convinced Malilce was responsible for murdering her lover. You all know it was really Jamna but no one wants to blow her cover, or your own by saying so. She finally draws her sword to attack but Malice casts a Fire Bolt in her first and causes her attack to miss, slicing his coat instead of his skin.

Bog and Ardred position themselves to prevent interference from anyone else as best they can, but they don’t see Brehana standing in the shadows who secretly casts Dissonant Whispers causing the woman to suddenly and unexpectedly run away, thus ending the conflict. The crowd disperses, but not without some grumbling and mumbling among the cultists.

In your room Brehana once again says something to Jamna about her past actions and how they almost got them all killed. Jamna argues that if she hadn’t killed that man he would’ve exposed them all. But whatever, you all have bigger things to deal with now. Gathering all you know so far, Jamna leaves the room on a mission to try to steal Bog Luck’s keys so you can get into the locked storage area you know the cultists loot crates are stored.

Awhile later you hear a commotion outside and Bog yelling for Wump, the stable boy. Pubert steps outside onto the catwalk overlooking the courtyard and sees Bog dragging the very limp and apparently bloody body of Jamna across the compound. He means to hang her body from the gates as a warning to other would be thieves as he evidently caught her trying to break into his room.

Again, knowing the importance of maintaining your cover, you choose not to act immediately but continue with the plans to get int to the locked room, hoping that perhaps (if she is dead) you might at least find the diamonds needed for Rargir to cast Revivify if it isn’t too late. Malice uses his Invisibility spell on Rargir and Brehana who proceed to the locked room while he and Pubert visit the tavern which is above the storage area.

Brehana manages to pick the lock and sure enough, among the more valuable of actual building supplies are also crates you recognize as having come from the Greenfields as they have (faded or poorly attempted to be scratched off) the seal of the city of Greenest on some of them. What is also obvious is that the crates and chests belonging to the cultists have all been marked with large red X’s.

Brehana and Rargir also discover an empty crate that is nailed to the floor. This reveals that the boards it is nailed to are actually a door leading to a ladder going down and to a secret tunnel leading away from the roadhouse compound.

Rargir finds a few diamonds but not enough for his spell to work but goes to the gate to at least try to determine if Jamna can be helped. He casts a spell on what he hopes is Jamna since all he can see is a rope tied to one of the spikes at the top of the 15’ high, closed, gate that is hanging down on the other side of it. Unfortunately, the divine light he normally feels when casting such a spell is not felt this time.

Realizing there’s nothing you can do now for Jamna except try to finish the mission you all shared, Malice again uses his Invisibility spell and you all head for the tunnel Brehana found.

It emerges in a spot nearby that’s screened by trees and brush from the work camp. As you approach through the tunnel, you hear bestial voices ahead, growling and murmuring indistinctly in Draconic. From there, a trail leads into the Mere of Dead Men...