S04E07

## Lunch with the Boss

Hamza was away (fighting in the war in the Disputed Lands), as was Arrokko (traveling to Qarth on a private matter), when Zholos na Zholos summoned House Gaz to her estate on Falcon Hill.

They had a large and quiet luncheon of expensive delicacies. Zholos Rha fed mango pudding to Katryna Glenbain. The girl was still catatonic, the pudding dripping from her chin like an infant. The group asked about Braena Hill, a young woman who had approached them looking for Katryna Glenbain. Braena had also claimed to be the bastard daughter of Jojen Glenbain, a man thought dead for these thirty years. Zholos na Zholos confirmed that Braena had come to the estate and they had shown her Katryna. The woman had asked them very few questions and then promptly left.

## Meet Lozodos

When all had finished eating, the conversation turned to business.

"I don't believe in slavery," Zholos na Zholos said, "All of my servants are on the road to emancipation. But taking a master's slave is still theft. I want you to investigate this deluge of runaway slaves in Volantis."

A tall, severe-looking man entered the chamber. He wore elaborate chainmail armor and carried a whip and hammer at his side.

"This is Lozodos," said Zholos na Zholos. "He is a master slave-hunter. He will accompany you on your investigation. Last night, a slave driver was murdered in his hovel. Begin there. And also remember, we know you Westerosi sympathize with slaves. None of you are above suspicion until this runaway problem is solved."

## Investigating an Escape

The slave driver's hovel was little more than a hut sitting within the walls of House Zalaxis. Beside the hut was a hitching post for slaves, an iron rail to chain them and a tiny thatched roof to sleep under. But the slaves had all been unchained and fled. The group discovered marks where someone had come over the property's wall with a ladder, and another place where people (presumably the slaves) had climbed the wall on the other side.

In the hovel, the group discovered the slave driver's body on the floor and a spray of blood on the wall. They quickly discerned that the blood had splashed from the slave driver's whip - he must've been whipping at someone multiple times to create the splash. Fiyona discovered an ornate silver hairbrush stashed in his clothes. Examining the body, they discovered that the slave driver had died of anaphylactic shock from bee sting - no violence had been done against him, even though he had been whipping someone.

And then a woman wearing a simple brown robe and with her hair cut short approached the hovel. She eyed the group nervously as they demanded to know who she was and why she was there.

She stammered, saying, "Um, I'm... Danna. I lent this man an important object about a week ago. Please let me search the hovel for it."

When they pressed her on what the item was, she admitted it was the silver hairbrush. Intimidating her further, she revealed that the brush had a map engraved in it, a map that led to the secret headquarters of the Cult of the Hooded Wayfarer, deep in the catacombs underneath the Temple of Trios. There they would find the High One, the cult's leader and the woman responsible for freeing all of the slaves.

## Beneath the Temple of Trios

The group wanted to be stealthy and it was still daylight out, so Rook reconnoitered the Temple of Trios while the others waited for nightfall. The entrance to the catacombs was a steel grating set into the side of the hill that the Temple of Trios stood upon. It was in a shady spot on a rarely used street, but was still open to view to anyone who was watching it intentionally. Rook spotted a few brown-robed people move in an out.

When night came, the group joined Rook and they went to the grating. They picked the gate's lock and entered.

## Dungeon Puzzles

Just as the brush indicated, there was a tunnel that led down for sometime and then opened into a larger room. Across from them stood a heavy stone door, impossible to open except by some mechanical device. On one side of this room were three levers, marked 'water,' 'wine' and 'blood.' And on the other side of the room was Ancient Valyrian writing. The group was unable to read in Ancient Valyrian, but speaking Modern Valyrian, they were able to decipher a few words: "I give the first \*\*\*\* friend. I give \*\*\*\*\* my child. I give the third \*\*\*\* dead."

Fiyona said, "I have it. I give water to my friend, I give my blood to my child, and I give wine to the dead."

She pulled the levers in the order water, blood, wine and felt a surge of energy pulse into her arm, injuring her. She had gotten it wrong.

Alon said, "Certainly you give blood to your child. So then, why would you give water to the dead?"

"Tears!" Lazodos realized. He pulled the levers wine, blood and water and the stone door opened.

As they moved down the tunnels, they came to an old tool room and quickly discovered a hidden switch disguised as a hammer. And going further, they came to a chasm that Rook easily crossed using his grappling hook.

## The Headquarters of the Hooded Wayfarer

The tunnels opened into a large cavern. There there were about a dozen cultists working away on maps, documents and plans to free more slaves. Managing them was the High One, a tall dark-skinned woman in simple brown robes with her hair cut short. The group approached her.

"Are you responsible for the runaway slaves?" Lozodos boomed.

"Yes," the High One admitted.

Meanwhile, Rook snuck away from the group, trying to look inconspicuous.

One of the cultists recognized him and said, "Oh, Rook. You shouldn't be here. We're only supposed to meet at gatherings of The Network.'

Lozodos took out his manacles to arrest the High One and bring her away for certain execution. Rook muttered a curse and drew his knives. He crept toward Lozodos, looking for a quick kill.

But Lozodos was observant enough to see Rook coming. In an instant, Lozodos was fighting Rook, Fiyona and Alon. The pacifist cultist stood back and watched with shock and horror. Fiyona stepped forward bravely and stabbed Lozodos with her stiletto. The blade found it's way around Lozodos's armour and wounded him. Alon stood back and used his powers of persuasion to confuse and distract the slave-hunter. Lozodos cracked Rook with his hammer, severely injuring him. Rook stepped back, fearful of a fatal blow.

## The End of Lozodos

Lozodos turned his attention to the High One. It gave Rook the opportunity to throw a knife into the slave-hunter's back. Lozodos collapsed in pain and fell into a pool of water. Rook raced over and held Lozodo's head under the water.

"No, you must'nt kill him!" the High One shouted. She ran to Lozodo's side and tried to pull him from the water. It was an intense struggle, but Rook overpowered her. Soon, Lozodos's was stone dead, his lungs filled with water.

"We must leave this place," the High One cried. "Take all the documents you can and run!"

"You," Rook said to the cultist who had recognized him. "You're helping me sink this body in the pond."

The cultist nervously agreed and soon the cavern was abandoned.

## Lying to the Lady

The group returned to Zholos na Zholos. They concocted a lie to satisfy her. They said that Lozodos had unwittingly led them into a trap. He had died and their search had been fruitless. Zholos na Zholos took the story skeptically, but allowed them to leave.

When they arrived home at Saffron House, there was a message waiting for them. It was Hamza on the front. He demanded that the entire group and the House military units join him in the war effort.

## Experience

Each character gained 3XP

The group gained 4 Glory which was left unspent.

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