Day 106 - More musings with a First Sword

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**Days 106 (29th May)**

**DM Note: You took over the lease on the house on the 17th May, it expires on the 31st. Bazin and Umar’s bless has reduced to +2/+2, you don’t know how long this will last (2nd day).**

The discussions with Bez Drock continue…..

Garaf: “Does you know what happened to Beldame or where Beldame was / what **s**he was

doing when **s**he, presumably died, making BD First Sword?”

Bez Drock: “Well most of that is above your pay grade I am afraid, but Beldame is very much alive I can assure you of that. Remember the blessing of the First Sword can be surrendered, I did it once….and am still alive!”

Garaf: “Does you have more info on the Dalzon merchants that Onwen met up with?”

Bez Drock: “Well the merchant house no longer exists as far as I am aware, it was called the Seven Sails trading company, run by a real jezebel of a woman…..sharp tongued and all mannered, but scrupulously fair. Of course, when Eliezure and the Elves moved in, all of the local businesses were wiped out.”

Garaf: “We have heard descriptions of a ‘twitchy’ giant in the area, does this character ring any bells with you?”

Bez Drock: “I you are thinking Saratak…. Then think again, if you ever meet Saratak you will see what I mean, but lets just say that for all his insane schemes, I would never play cards against Saratak.”

Garaf: “Did you know Phinon, one of the local celebrities? He was tortured and murderered a day or so back, and we had contact with him.”

Bez Drock: “Well he is extremely well known in White Beach, so yes of course I knew him. Have even seen him perform a few times….. he was a very skilled bard. Like all bards he was always looking for new tales to spin into songs or stories so had a very wide ranging set of interests. He would have happily talked to you folks and gathered as much new material as he could.”

Garaf: “Phinon can't be raised/spoken to. Do you know any way this could be

done?”

Bez Drock: “Hmm, physically tortured you say. Well of course there are agents of Ghoulagabba that have the means of draining a victims soul, but they would not normally resort to physical torture, preferring to use magic. This is more likely Solaran work, they operate small death squads and normally the leader is equipped with a soul draining dagger purely as a means of covering up behind them. If that is the case then in at most 10 days, Phinons soul will be free again – since the daggers will decay once used. The Solaran death squads specialise in not using magic and honing their abilities to resist and circumvent it.”

Garaf: “But why leave did they leave Phinon's body anyway - as a warning/threat?”

Bez Drock: “No idea, I assume that either they were disturbed, or that they do not envisage being in the area for much longer.”

Umar: “Do you know the name Morac, in Torgan? He may be linked to the Wild?”

Bez Drock: “I know of Morac, one of the Giant nobility and by all accounts a supporter of Grih and the alliance with Alvera.”

Francis: “Talking about the King, more specifically the new treaty with the Elves…”

Bez Drock: “Well I haven’t seen the treaty myself, but I gather from Sorlor that it is….in her words…. ‘an overly restrictive arrangement that we have been forced into by unforeseen circumstances’. There seems to be significant overlap between the deal I hammered out with her as regards the Empires treatment of sentient races and the deal that the Empire has with Alvera. Although I would not expect Alvera to have included Orcs within any restrictions for instance.”

Bez Drock: “Certainly the Elven/Alveran treaty is a short term fix, but I cannot see it being a strategic move for Alvera…… how can he hope to unify the kingdom under his banner whilst the Empire holds the capital?”

Francis: “Indeed….nor all of the citizens currently held in Thralldom.”

Bez Drock: “Well Sorlor has an interesting view on that….. as she puts it Serf or Slave? The only difference is in the spelling.”

Francis: “Who handled the purchase of this building for Wyldwood? We haven’t yet been contacted about handover.”

Bez Drock: “No idea to be honest, as to not being contacted….. that is the term of the lease that was set up. Onwen and I didn’t want to be pestered by the agent checking that everything was ok every few weeks…..so the agent will only be able to start handover process on the afternoon of the final day.”

Francis: “Any areas around here that we should be investigating do you think? We have this note from Lieutenant Gohde ordering us back to Northlake, but are somewhat suspicious of it and also do not want to leave this area if there are other unexplored avenues so to speak.”

Bez Drock: “Well if you are looking for trouble, simply wander around outside of the city patrol areas. But I would suggest that if the Solarans are operating in White Beach and have an even tangential interest in your activities – you might want to leave by the tunnel. I would definitely advise against heading East though…..”

Bez Drock: “Why are you suspicious of your orders?”

The party explains the provenance of the note, along with what they know of the Gohde’s character. They then let Bez Drock examine the note, and also a copy of the writ engaging them as irregulars in the Pathfinders.

Bez Drock (laughing): “OK, the same person wrote these orders as drafted the writ. However the style of writing on the orders is totally different, far too unspecific to be a set of military orders. This Gohde is obviously a very clever operator.”

Bez Drock: “If I had to guess, I would say that one of Gohde’s superiors has found out about his somewhat irregular engagement of your services. Gohde has been told to order you back to the nearest Alveran military HQ….and that he has done.”

Bez Drock: “Why address it to Garaf and Twoo? The only mages in your group? He is basically asking you to use your intelligence.”

Bez Drock: “Look I am going to have to go soon…..any last questions?”

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