Silverfall/When a Good Man Loses His Head

When a Good Man Loses His Head is a novella by Ed Greenwood first published in the 1999 anthology Silverfall.
==Summary==
==Index==
Alustriel Silverhand is informed by Taern Hornblade that Garthin Murthree, Tradelord from Neverwinter, has been murdered, torn to shreds by what seems like a great beast. After inspecting the crime scene, she learns that Garthin met with a number of people including the merchant Draevin Flarwood and Auvrarn Labraster. Laeral mentally contacts Alustriel, filling her in on Auvrarn’s connection to Mrilla Malsander and the drow conspiracy. Alustriel questions the suspects, learning that Draevin never met with Murthree and concluding it must have been someone disguised as him. Auvrarn denies the crime but mentions how dismembered the body was, a detail he shouldn't have known, so Alustriel confronts him in his chambers. He triggers some sort of teleportation magic, replacing himself with an umber hulk that Alustriel realizes was responsible for Murthree’s death. The teleportation continues to cycle, as Alustriel defeats each opponent only for them to be vanished and replaced with another. After the umber hulk, Azmyrandyr, a Red Wizards of Thay, appears. Once he is defeated, he is replaced by Roeblen, who is in turn replaced by Thaltar, both also Red Wizards. When all three have been defeated, Auvrarn reappears, but Alustriel has been badly wounded in the battle, and he is able to grapple with her. She plants a small object on him before he triggers a teleportation ring and escapes.
==Appendix==
===References===
Category:Works by Ed Greenwood
Category:Novellas
Category:Published in 1999
Category:Published in 2005
Category:Published in 2012