SKT: Session 3.5

Meanwhile, as the party adventured through the dripping caves during Session 3, Cei had been left to keep an eye on the bandits that had seized the town. As the party left through the gates, Xolkin turned to Cei with an almost charming smile, offering to send two of his men to fix up the best room in the inn for his "honoured guests". Thinking this was suspicious, Cei rejects the notion, knowing she was more than capable of fixing up the room herself.

“Well, have it your way I suppose… I was hoping you’d be able to show me around the keep, but it’s fine I’ll make my own way there” At which point Xolkin made his way towards the keep, with all six of his men in tow and Nella close to his side. Cei actually noticed something about the two... Xolkin never seemed to give orders to or bark commands at Nella like he did the rest of his men... he almost seemed smitten by her.

As the seven snakes approached the keep, Cei decided to look through her camp, finding an assortment of spare weapons and armor amongst the smaller tests, but upon coming to the largest tent there was a pop-up table with some ink and quills, with a letter addressed to Xolkin stamped with a red wax seal depicting a flying snake as its emblem. Cei decided to leave the letter as it was, not wishing to obviously break the seal and leave evidence of her tampering.

She proceeded to the Inn, looking around to find the 'nicest' room before stumbling upon the emperor's suite, where she set to work patching up holes as best she can and drawing an angry looking mushroom on the wall in order to make it all look just a bit more homely.

After doing all this, she proceeded out of the Inn to find four of the seven snakes standing guard over a makeshift bridge replacing the broken one.

"Why are you all just standing around?" asked Cei

“Well, keeping guard of course!”

"What, do you think you're going to be attacked?" Cei inquired, almost humorously

"Maybe, I’m just following orders… guessing you’re here to see the boss? He should be in the grand hall"

Cei left the group of bandits to join Xolkin standing with Nella, watching over the other snakes fruitlessly attempting to clear the debris from the hall. He turned to her as she entered.

"Ah, the honoured guest, and to what do I owe the pleasure of your presence?"

"Just wondering what you lot were all up to"

“Ah well, having ownership of this town requires a suitable base of operations, and what better base of operations than this keep? especially once our other guests arrive”, As if on cue as he finished saying this Cei could hear the faint sound of hooves cantering along in the distance, “Well, speak of the devils, it seems they’ve arrived”

“May I ask who is now arriving?” inquired Cei

"Well, why don't we go and find out" He replied, a sly smile spreading across his face

As Cei stepped out into the courtyard and walked across the bridge, she saw around twenty to thirty people, having all arrived and dismounted their horses. One of them wearing finer clothes than the rest approaches and Xolkin bowed to him, “It’s a pleasure to see you sir, welcome to the newest base of operations for the Zhentarim”

The man to whom Xolkin bowed, looked at Cei “And who might you be? You’re definitely weren’t a member of the Seven Snakes”

“My name is Cei and I came to find this village before the Snakes arrived. I have been helping them protect and search the village since their arrival. May I ask who you might be?”

“Alexandar Windforge, at your service. After news came of the fall of Nightstone, the Zhentarim inner circle appointed me as the new leader of this headquarters. We mean no harm to the villagers, in fact, it is in our interest to keep them alive, after all how can we profit from the place when there is no business to be done… No, you can fear not… we mean to protect the villagers and… invest in the future of Nightstone” He smiles, “but you, you seem like a capable woman, it would be an honour to be your sponsor if you wish to join the Network”

“Thank you for the offer, I will think more on it. I am very concerned as to what you wish the villagers to do in terms of this ‘business’ and why you want to invest in this village’s future?”

"Very well! We in the Zhentarim are concerned with only one thing, that you are the best at whatever you do, this will become more just a farming village, it will become a trade hub, we will need to train up merchants, guards and soldiers from the population… only those who wish to of course, any who wish to continue farming, baking or innkeeping are welcome to, in fact I encourage that those who are skilled in their craft continue, as long as they’re able to pay their way, No different to the taxes and tithes they are forced to pay already”

“I still feel the villagers should have a say in this”

“Oh I agree, their decision is they can either bend the knee and live in comfort protected by the Zhentarim, or they can leave. They have no Lady, they have no money and their village is in ruins, I don’t really think they have much of a choice in the matter. They can starve with their crops ruined or allow us to bring them food”

“But what of your ethics? They might not agree to them”

“Again, they are more than welcome to leave and find somewhere else to go. There are always people that could use a home, it’s not like we won’t find people to replace them”

“You’re either pushing them into something they might not want or pushing them away from their homes.”

“I’m not forcing them into anything, anyone who doesn’t want to learn or join the Zhentarim can enjoy the same life they always did, with a lot of the benefits and protection that we offer, if we didn’t show up, their alternative would be living in a destroyed town with no crops, no leadership and no money to repair anything or get themselves through the winter”

“I’m not sure I will be persuaded that this is right. I will just have to see what the villagers have to say about it.”

“I always planned to talk to them, but the fact remains that regardless of what they say, this village is ours now… you’re strong, and from letters from Xolkin I understand that your companions are well accomplished as well, but we outnumber you 5 - to - 1, and even if we were to fall, Peregast would not just let our deaths go unavenged”

“I don’t plan on fighting with you. You are not my enemy. Who is Peregast?”

“Good! and I don’t wish to fight you or your friends either… and because you ask, Peregast is the leader of the Zhentarim”

“Good! and I don’t wish to fight you or your friends either… and because you ask, Peregast is the leader of the Zhentarim”

At this point one of the Zhentarim soliders approaches

“Sir, we see the villagers approaching, slowly spilling out of the forest to the north”

“Very good… Cei was it? Please go to your friends and the villagers, let them know we wish them no harm and that whoever their self-styled leader is, I wish to talk to them in the Keep... and if you ever come to a conclusion about my offer, you know where to find me”

"Very well...", and at this, Cei left the gates and approached the villagers to reunite with the party.