A Hint of Malice

## **Synopsis**

In Chapter 70: A Hint of Malice, the party capped off an exhausting day of riding by arriving at the Inn at Na-Garwas, where in true small-town fashion there were no private rooms available – but rather a bunkhouse that required us to share a night's sleep with some of the local residents.  It wasn't ideal, but it was too late to seek out alternative lodging – so we handed over the coin to the innkeeper, who already had his hands full with a rowdy group of laborers sharing a drink.

A bit of socializing got us acquainted with some of the local politics – apparently Khlyff Ironcloud, trusted northern spokesperson and leader of a company called "The Advocates", had struck a deal with the Mollefaires… a move that garnered a mixed reception among the citizens of Navika-Pura.

Still, the laborers here were happy for the work; part of the arrangement stipulated that the Mollefaires fund a Steederway between the townships – a tunnel system for quick travel on the backs of giant, domesticated spiders.  Construction had hit a snag, however, when it seemed that someone (or something) was turning off or sabotaging the tanks of Malice poison used to keep the spiders docile – and in the morning the miners planned to reach out to the Broken Crown to post an official contract for investigating the problem.

Rather than let the BC take their cut, Erland volunteered us to have a look – believing there to be a multitude of benefits.  Besides the money, having the Steederway active would make travel between the townships easier for our seemingly never-ending list of errands – and it might even grant us an audience with some of the most influential families of the north such as the Ironclouds or the Mollefaires.

With plans to speak further in the morning, we finally got some rest – careful to set watches as there was nowhere to stable our horses.  The sun rose and it was time to get down to business – though we immediately butted heads over what to prioritize and whether to split up to do so.  Orba's urgent need to reach the wizard Selas in Na-Upa was difficult to quell, but Erland and Safira weren't sure if the Steederway inspection was a two-man job.  Not only that, Graven wasn't keen to let Orba travel alone – so we tried to find a compromise.

While the elves spoke to the foreman near the center of town, Orba and Beezaura hung with Graven as he sought out Donovan Ainsley – cleric of Gromlegail and father of the talented healer we met in Urin-Chupa.  Graven's visit was brief as it was difficult to express his true intentions – and add to that the uncertainty of whether the cleric of another god would even want to help him if they could.

Perhaps he would return another time after some soul-searching, but it was at that moment that Erland and Safira rejoined us and spelled out the details of the Steederway contact.  Given that the tunnels were directly under Na-Garwas, it was a job that could probably be completed in an hour or two – provided that the entire group was willing to make the detour.  Once again Orba stressed her timely need to travel west, but we rallied the call for one last group adventure before going our separate ways.

Once underground, we noted the locations of the Malice tanks and investigated them for signs of tampering – but other than being turned off they seemed perfectly functional.  By stationing individuals at points where the pipes led into the Steederway,  we were able to keep tabs on which ones were working as intended once the valves were opened – but after Graven briefly abandoned his post, his tank mysteriously shut off… forcing Erland and Orba to backtrack into the dark.

Working their way back to Graven's Malice tank, a spectral figure emerged from the wall and attempted what we believed to be some kind of possession – though Erland focused his mind and was able to resist.  It was the first sign of what could very well be the culprit we were looking for.

## Trivia

* Natural one count: two natural ones were rolled in this Chapter. 1 each by Anthony and John.