Why do I have to be Correct!

What have I gotten myself into......
 
The battle for the warehouse over, we start to take stock of our surroundings . 1 captive, a bag of holding, and an opportunity to glean some useful information. The bag of holding contained a pair of gauntlets. Kemurial has a similar pair and we determine they grant Ogre strength.
 
Kemurial suggests I interrogate the captive. I agree, but only if he leaves. My methods may create an issue with his ethos. I am pretty successful at extracting necessary information from males. After a very loud scream, Kemurial returns, "What is going on here!" Seeing the situation, he immediately stops my interrogation of the prisoner, and uses Charm magic to gain his trust. Too bad, I was beginning to enjoy myself.....
 
We learn that there are sleeper cells throughout the city. They await the main assault to attack from within. The food poisoning is a magical ritual, not an administered substance. We were successful in interrupting the one at this location, but I have to wonder about the others. We also learn that one of the fallen mages in this assault has a letter with vital information.
 
Searching the bodies, we find the letter. It is magically sealed. We open the letter using a Knock spell, but the page is blank. Speaking the name of one of the Chaos Lords apparently activates the letter. We speak the names, cycling through the 4 Chaos Lords and Slaanesh. A Magic Mouth appears and speaks.
 
"Give the assassins my approval. We will strike tonight!"
 
Calanthia suggests we get this back to Ulrich as soon as possible. Upon arrival, Max and Felix are present as well. The information is grave. The attempts will occur tonight, and we need some rest. We head back to our rooms and get some much needed rest and healing. The time of rest allows time for contemplation.
 
When I joined this group, they thought I was just a cute gnome. A little girl with some remarkable abilities. But my skills at seeing the big picture seems to be paying off in time.
 
In our first meeting with the Duke, I relayed 3 items.
 
1: Food sources were being contaminated.
2: There was a mole on the Council
3: There is something of power beneath the city that the Chaos Forces seem to be looking for.
 
The Duke had us investigate the contamination of the Food. I was correct. I hope I am not correct about the other items........
 
As night falls, we rush to the Citadel to warn the Duke of the impending assassinations. Upon arrival, the Duke is overdue at his antechamber. Kemurial and I lock eyes, crap, are we too late!!!! We are told the location of the Duke and his brother Villem. My fears are not assuaged. I suspect Villem is the mole. How many times in Royal lines have siblings betrayed the older sibling, to gain the power of being next in line. We hurry in the direction of the brothers. As we approach, we hear them talking. I stop to see if I can get some information. The conversation appears to be reminiscing about when they were younger with their father. Could I be wrong about Villem? I hope so.
 
Kemurial does not wait and enters the hallway where the two are located. As he is talking with the Duke, relaying the information about the assassination plot and replaying the letters recording, I see that the Duke is standing directly inline with a window. These assassins almost wiped this party once. They are skilled and that is a shot that can be made. I rush in and plead that the Duke move to a more concealed location. As the plans are being relayed, I stress my eyes and ears. How many times have I just snuck in, take the shot and run without being seen. If these assassins are on my level, they are here already. Straining for any clue, I hear the very soft foot falls down the hall. Alarms going off in my head!!! As I am about to tell everyone, Villem grabs his side and call out in pain.
 
Out of nowhere, Villem yells NO!!!!!!!!!!!! Villem shoves his brother out of the way and two arrows strike Villem in the chest. Villem stepped in front of his brother, taking the arrows, saving his life. The only way Villem could have known was if he was the Mole, the traitor to Praag, as I suspected. DAMN!!! I am two for two. Using my skills sets, I hide around a corner and I take a shot and hit an assassin, but they are retreating and crash through the glass of a window. We decide not to pursue.
 
Kemurial catches Villem, Rory and Freya escort the Duke to his antechamber. Do we have any potions, I ask. Kemurial says, No, and begins to treat Villems needs. Pouring radiant magic into Villem, numerous spells, trying frantically to save his life. Some seem to help, but the poison is just to virulent.
 
Villem reaches up and grabs Kemurials shoulder, through bloodied mouth and bleeding eyes, with his last breath. "There's an attack planed for the Western Gate tonight. There will be significant Arcane assaults". His last exhalation is a wheeze. His dying breath was a wish to save those he betrayed. Upon examination of the body, Chaos magic had begun transforming Villem. He had hidden the corruption from everyone.
 
Kemurial and I return to the Duke and inform him his brother has died. The Dukes sorrow is heavy. He calls in an aid and directs him to perform the same interrogation of Villem's body, and we did once with a prisoner a week ago.
 
We carry Villem to the same room, and the same Paladin arrives. Speak with dead is a spell that gives the living one last chance to get information. Its reliability is questionable. The Paladin casts the spell and stands back as Kemurial interrogates Villems body
 
Kemurial: How do we defeat the Chaos Forces?
 
Villem: Cut off the head of the Snake
 
Kemurial: Where is the Item being sought?
 
Villem: The body of Arianka lies in stasis somewhere beneath the city.
 
Kemurial: Who are your allies in high ranking positions?
 
Villem: I'm the only one of any stature
 
Kemurial: Do you have any final words for your brother the Duke?
 
Villem: Strategy is not a sin.
 
Calanthia crosses her arms and looks out the door. The final piece, the item of power under the city is a God in stasis. I'm 3 out of 3, dammit!
 
We hurry to the Duke with the information. The Duke sitting in his chair, one hand holding a glass of wine, and his chin in the other. His demeanor is one of total defeat. Kemurial starts sharing our information, but the Duke just isn't responding. I climb up onto to the table. Being 3 foot tall I have to just to look the Duke in his eyes. I stomp to the end and place my hand on my knees and speak forcibly to the Duke.
 
Your highness, your brother may have been the mole I had spoke of, but his final actions were out of love for you and the city. He saved your life!!! In our interrogation, we asked him if he had any final words for you and he said "Strategy is not a Sin". He is counseling you in death to save you, the people and Praag itself. There will be time to mourn when this is done, and a time when you can show the city of Praag the true hero Villem was, NOW GET OUT OF THAT CHAIR AND SAVE THIS CITY!!!!!!!!
 
The Duke raises his eyes towards me and Keumurial. Looking back we see contemplation, concern for his people, the emotional sting of loss. The a glimmer...
 
The Duke shares with us a prophecy: And in Praag's darkest hour the goddess Arianka shall rise from the dead, and she shall smite the hordes of Chaos and drive them from this land for ever... There shall come a champion -- a man of Chaos, yet not of Chaos. Dark his deeds, but darker his doom! And he shall seek out the Crystal Keys and wrest them from the clutch of evil... ...And the Doomed One shall ride out from Praag, across the gushing Lynsk and thence into Norsca. And there, the forces of Chaos will close around him..
 
The Duke then draws his ancestral sword passed down to him from generations of family leadership, and begins to toy with the hilt. After some, what appears to be combination lock, manipulation, the Duke brings forth a Crystal Key. The key seems to signal that the prophecy is upon us.
 
Kemurial asks the Duke, how many keys? He responds he doesn't know. 2, maybe 4, one for each Chaos Lord. He suspects the Ice Princess may have one, but they haven't spoken in some time.
 
Calanthia sets herself down on the table. Just one clue after another. Things are coming to a boil, and we have to find, 1-3 more keys, and the God in stasis below the city, release her, and who is this Doomed One.
 
What have I gotten myself into? What started as what I thought was an easy exit from Praag about to enter a way, has placed my right in the middle of everything, with thousands of innocent people's lives in my hands!!!!!
 
I wanted to turn over a new leaf, fight for those who cannot fight, and now, thousands may die, including myself, if we are not successful....... Am I emotionally strong enough for this.......