Circle of Stone: First Appearance: Game 25

General Summary

The Company of the Furies: Eumenides investigated the murder of Tathik Glodreddi (the town's chief tax collecto), discovering that Greeke (a priest of Moradin and member of the Circle of Stone) charmed Quila Stoneshield (the town guard record keeper and accounting officer as well as the daughter of the Lord Commander Tenkar Stoneshield) to assit him in Tathik's murder. The Company ambushed Gerrke outside of Hammerfast, slaying the priest, his two acolytes, and capturing his hired scout Tharn Swiftriver.

by Turner Mohan

Thora Longhammer

Investigations

The Company first investigated and interrogated the Sua Hill Dwarf refugees. The Company was firm yet friendly with their leaders and discovered information that implicating Quila Stoneshield. The Company worked with and talked to the Sua Hill dwarves Dannis Lawguardian, Henduhra Lawspeaker and Thanhilla Farsight. A Lawguardian is a hill dwarf officer who primarily has policing and investigatory powers. In the Suan Hill diaspora, annihilation of their nobility and ruling class, and judiical murder of their king, the Lawguardians judicial and leadership roles have expanded in fact if not in law. A Lawspeaker is the repository of the laws and judicial cases. Unlike a traditional judge, they do not resolve legal conflicts, but instead prounce what the law is for public and private disputes. Resolution of disputes was left to the king or queen and their delegates, or private entities like guilds. In Hammerfast, Beldrin Longbeard, has merged the role of Lawguardian and a traditional judge, in part because their is no real nobility or king and because the judicial powers in the town are very diffused to the various guilds, temples and ward leaders. The Company also questioned and gained valuable information about the time of Quila's return into the main city from the competent Westgate Sergeant Thora Longhammer, who was on duty the night of the murder. The Company debated a number of options, including arresting Quila and reporting her to her father, but ultimately decided to interrogate her at the Hall of Justice. The basic information was revealed in that Tathhik, in addition to being a member of the Katheroi faith was previously a member of the Circle of Stone. He allowed Circle of Stone members to smuggle items into the town, but eventually he gained reservations and decided to stop smuggling. He then got into an argument with Gerrek, and Gerrke and Quila Stoneskin went to talk some sense into him and they ended up killing him. Qulia feels bad about it, but she was still in love with Gerrke because of the charm person cast on her. Quila slashed and stabbed Tathnik, but Gerrke delivered the killing blow. As Gerrke is (was) a priest of Moradin, the Company requested Grond Silverstar come to the Hall of Justice, and they revealed what they had learned. Grond, in his typical laconic fashion, directed the Company to follow him to the The Temple of Moradin: Hammerfast, where he ordered one of Gerrke’s acolytes to reveal where Gerrke was. The acolyte revealed that Gerrke had a secret hideout in Hammerfast (the priests of Moradin all should reside only in the Temple), and Gerrke went to his hideout to take some of his possessions and was fleeing in the direction of Carthain’s camp. The acolyte revealed that Gerrke and two other assistants should be well on their way to the camp of the smugglers and prospectors.

Purple Worm and the Circle of Stone Followers

The Company did not investigate the secrete hideout, but followed Grekke and his two assistants Belmun and Melnum out of Hammerfast and in the direction of Carthain’s camp. Tharn Swiftriver, the halfling scout and explorer, was trailing behind everyone. Despite their strong (but not necessarily best) efforts to keep Grekke alive, Grekke was slain along with his two assistant, which were turned into strange undead like monsters and a summoned giant purple worm. Tharn Swiftriver was captured and interrogated. The Company concluded that Tharn believed he was protecting a legitimate priest of Moradin from Grekke, whom he semi-regularly worked in a legal manner.