Thieves Unseen Part 1

General Summary

After getting assurances from Sahnar that they won't be pulled into another of his memories, the party is finally manages to get some sleep. Sahnar stands watch while the memories of his beloved wife and daughter replay through his mind.
While eating a quick breakfast, Korith suddenly has a realization. "Jorg, how are the folks in this region going to react when they see an Elven mummy wander into town?"
Jorg pauses and drinks the last of his morning coffee, "That is a damn fine question. Oy, Sahnar, do you think you can stay out of towns when we need to get supplies? Or, maybe you'd like to get into this here magic sack and we can carry you with us?"
"Bbbbaagggg." Sahnar reaches for the magic sack Jorg somehow retained after the shared dream. Jorg hands it over and Sahnar holds onto the edges and steps into the sack as if putting on a pair of pants. As he pulls the magic sack up, suddenly his body drops, arms flailing wildly. The magic sack falls to the ground.
Running over, Jorge picks up the sack and peers into it. He sees Sahnar, as if through a telescope, slowly picking himself up. "Sahnar, you alright?" Sahnar cocks his head to the side as if listening and then looks up. He raises his arm in recognition and nods.
"Guess the fella's alright then." Jorg shrugs and then ties the sack to his belt as the rest of the party finishes breaking camp as they prepare to trek south to Lonelywood.
After several hours heading in a southerly direction, Chalmir says, "Where is this damn town? I need ale! We should've been there by now." Hollow Phoenix looks around, "We should definitely have seen the town by now. Hey, Korith, can you climb that tall tree and see if you can figure out what's going on?" Korith, nodding, shimmies up the tree like a squirrel.
Korith pauses as the brisk breeze blows across his face. So much better than the stifling cold air in the forest. Glancing around, he quickly sees that they they have too far east and not enough south. The eastern edge of the forest is only half a mile away. Scrambling back down to the group, Korith points east, "We are almost to the eastern edge. Somehow, we got turned around. By my reckoning, it would be closer to go the Dwarven Valley. We can rest up there and collect the bounty on Sephek Kaltro. It's a win-win." Chalmir nods, "I like this plan. They have really good ale there."
After thirty minutes, they leave Lonelywood behind and start off across the snowy tundra. The sky is overcast as always, spitting snowflakes at random. About halfway to Dwarven Valley, Bruce Leroy's ears go erect and starts a low growl in the back of his throat. As Hollow Phoenix crests a low hill, he can see a Crag cat and two smaller kittens playing in the snow. Before anyone can stop him, Bruce Leroy bounds over to the other cats and starts to pace back and forth, tail erect, while purring in a loud low rumble. The other Crag cat hesitates for a second and then charges at Bruce Leroy letting out a ferocious yowl and swiping a paw at Bruce's face. Then she and the kittens turn around and bound off over the hill and disappear. Bruce slinks back to Hollow Phoenix's side looking dejected. Hollow pats him on the head, "it's alright, my man. There's plenty of fish in the sea."
Finally arriving at the dwarven fortress, the group enters the inn. Chalmir spots Hlin Trollbane at the bar, but there are a lot of dwarves drinking and talking. Jorg and Korith go find a free table while Chalmir and Hollow Phoenix head to the bar. Chalmir slaps some coins down, "Two of your finest ales, my good man!" As the barkeep slides two pints across to Chalmir, he growls at Hollow Phoenix, "What can I do you for?"
"Just a water."
The barkeep squints his eyes and muttering curses under his breath gets a mug of water and plops it down sloshing some over the sides. "Here's your water." He then moves down to the other end where real customers are drinking.
As Chalmir and Hollow head to the table. Jorg, seeing that Hlin is finally free motions her to joins them. As she sits down, Chalmir slides her an ale. Hlin grabs it and sniffs suspiciously at it. "Thanks, stranger."
Chalmir sits back, "You don't remember us?"
"Should I?"
Korith pulls out a dagger made of ice and puts it on the table. "Does this jog your memory?"
"You didn't get that from who I think you did, did you?"
Chalmir, after taking a long pull from the pint, "You hired us to find Sephek Kaltro!"
"I hired a cat man, not you lot!"
"We're his associates. He had business in Bryn Shander. We've come to collect the bounty owed."
Hlin, looking at Korith, says, "Did you do this yourself? Is he still alive?"
"He's not going to be a problem to anyone. The killings should've stopped."
"Hmmmm, well if you have that dagger, then it must be true. How much did we agree on?"
"I believe it was 80 gold pieces."
"You must be out of your mind. I'd never agree to that price. It must have been 70 gold pieces."
"80, unless you want to learn what the dagger feels like!"
Hlin slowly reaches for the ice dagger. Korith puts his hand on the hilt of his dagger, "I'd pull my hand back, unless you want to lose it."
Keeping her hand outstretched, "I need to touch the dagger. Feel it to know if it is the real thing."
Korith looks over at Chalmir with a question in his eyes. Chalmir nods.
Hlin picks up the dagger. It feels like pure ice in her hand. "That is definitely one of his. I'll give you 75 gold pieces."
Chalmir slams his empty mug on the table, "This isn't a negotiation. 80 gold pieces!"
Hlin, looking around at all the other dwarves, doesn't look very intimidated. "Fine. You ended the bastard and I guess it is worth it to have him gone." She slowly counts out the gold pieces. "There's rumor of something going on at Caer Konig. It's not near as dangerous as Sephek, but if you're interested, I could pay you 20 gold pieces each if you would investigate."
"What is happening at Caer Konig?"
"Things are going missing. Valuables, livestock and other things. The people there are grumbling that dwarves are the ones doing it. We can't have bad blood between communities right now."
"Fine, but the price might go up if this turns out to be more dangerous than you are letting on."
Jorg chimes in, "Come on, lass. Couldn't you sweeten the deal a little for a fellow dwarf?"
Hlin strokes her beard, "I'll also pay for the best room in the fortress when you get back. But that's all I'm willing to do."
"Fine, lass. We have a deal."
Korith grabs the ice dagger back from the table. Hlin laughs, "My adventuring days are long over. That is surely yours to keep."
Hlin gets up and heads back to the group of dwarves at the end of the bar. Meanwhile Hollow goes up to the barkeep and drops 20 gold pieces down. "Thanks for the water. It was delicious. How much for a room?"
"That'll be 2 gold pieces, if'n you want a room that will hold all of you."
Hollow counts out another 2 gold pieces and takes the key.
After dropping off their equipment. Each member wanders off to do a little restocking. Hollow Phoenix is able to locate a healer's kit to replace the items he used. Korith buys a hand axe. Chalmir purchases a crossbow. Jorg, knowing that they might need divine help to identify something, spends his precious gold on a large pearl and an owl feather. Meeting back at their room in the inn, they finally get a solid nights rest before waking up bright and early.
Caer Konig is only four hours away on a good day, but today was not that. The wind had picked up overnight and it was snowing steadily.
Hollow, eager to see something new, says, "Come on. It's always snowing here. It makes no difference if we leave now or tomorrow. Let's get this over with."
As they trudge through the snow, after about four hours, Bruce's ears go flat against his head and he starts to growl. Hollow, in the lead, notices the same Crag cat and the kittens from before. They look up and take one look at Bruce and bound away out of sight.
Finally, after six hours of steady trudging, the group arrives at Caer Konig. As they enter the town, the people walk around bundled from head to toe, barely glancing at the party. As they near a snowdrift on the side of a building, it starts to ripple and rise up. A large silver Dragonborn shakes the snow off of his cloak. "Halt! Who goes there? Are you thieves?" He follows with a mighty belch, an empty wine bottle held in his right hand as he gestures at the party.
Chalmir steps up towards the Dragonborn. "No, good sir, we are not thieves. We have only just arrived at this fine town. Who might you be?"
"I'm Trovus, the town speaker (hic)"
Hollow, trying to suppress a smirk, says, "Well met, Sir Trovus"
Chalmir eyes the bottle with thirsty eyes. "Would you care to share your wine with a tired and thirsty traveller?"
Trovus looks at Chalmir, slightly weaving and eyes not exactly in focus and hands the empty wine bottle to Chalmir, upside down. "What brings you to town?"
Chalmir pretends to take a polite sip and hands the bottle back. Hollow quickly follows up, "We are here seeking work. But we've had a long journey and would like a bite to eat and drink and perhaps a good place to rest for the night. Do you know where we can find such an establishment?"
"The Northern Light is just such a place. It's lantern was the talk of the Ten Towns, before some thieving dwarves stole it!", Trovus says while giving Jorg a long stare. "Not saying it was you now. No offense meant."
Hollow elbows Jorg and then invites Trovus to accompany them to the inn and buy him a drink for his help in guiding them there.
"You are too kind. Very generous. How can I say no? Did I ever tell you about the time I convinced a bunch of kobolds that I was a dragon? No? Well, it wasn't a very good story anyway. Let's see about that drink you promised."
Trovus leads them to the inn, The Northern Light. Only losing his way once. As they walk, Chalmir asks, "How do you know it was dwarves that did the thieving?"
"The tracks looked dwarven." Trovus says as he shrugs his shoulders.
"Here she is. You can see just up there where those bastard thieves stole the lantern. Anyway, about that ale?"
Trovus opens the door and leads the party inside. The inn appears to be mostly empty. A young woman looks up as you enter, gives Trovus a chastising smile, and says, "Did you fall asleep outside again? I'm telling you, Trovus, one day you're going to have to stop relying on the kindness of strangers."
The woman then opens a door into what looks like a kitchen and calls out, "Heat up something for Trovus. He's been out 'patrolling' again."
As the barmaid approaches the table they've settled at, Trovus says, "Now, Allie, you don't need to worry about me. You know I don't feel the cold."
Before Allie can answer, Hollow Phoenx asks, "What is this about a stolen lantern?"
Allie looks at him with a hint of suspicion. "Why do you care, stranger?"
"We've been hired to find the ones who did this and stop it."
"Well, it's no matter anyway. I don't know who took the damn thing. But there were heavy boot prints in the snow. They definitely looked dwarven to me."
"Well, ma'am, we will do our best to find the culprits."
As the two are talking, Chalmir overhears one of the other patrons lamenting over how thieves stole his mothers pearls. Sensing another possible avenue of investigation, he goes over to the table. "Hi there. I couldn't help but overhear that thieves have hit you dear mother. We just happen to be looking into this matter. If you'd be so kind as to show us where this happened, I'll buy a round for you and the others."
The man stands up, "If you can hunt those no good, thieving bastards down, then I'm happy to show you. Follow me."
Chalmir calls over to the others, "We have a fresh lead over here. The bastards stole his mother's pearls and the tracks might still be fresh. Let's go!"
Hollow Phoenix looks over at Allie, "Excuse us, ma'am. I think we might have a lead on the thefts. We'll keep an eye out for the lantern too."
They get up to follow the guy to a house on the west side of town. Trovus tags along, walking a little unsteady after the latest ale. As they get there, they see woman outside. She's placed some poles in the ground with blanket stretched between them to keep the snow off. As she sees Trovus, you can hear her snort, "The bastards drunk again, isn't he?"
Trovus scowls, "Now Hattie, that is uncalled for."
Hollow Phoenix steps up and asks politely, "Mind if we take a look? We've been asked to investigate the thefts." Hattie looks to Trovus and then steps aside, "Be my guest."
Jorg holds his foot above the print, "Definitely bigger than a dwarf boot, that's for sure."
Korith, noticing that the prints lead off towards the center of town, pokes Hollow Phoenxi, "Do you see that?" 
"They definitely lead into town. Let me hold a mug in my hand with some coins in it and I'll act like a beggar. Maybe the thief or thieves will show up. The rest of you should spread out in town but keep an eye on me."
Trovus wishes them luck and heads back to The Northern Light and his promised hot meal.
As the trap is being set up, Jorg suddenly remembers they had left Sahnar in the magic sack. As he opens the sack, Chalmir comes over and yells down, "Hey, Sahnar, would you like an ale?"
"Meeaaatttt!!!!"
Chalmir tosses some jerky into the bag, but Sahnar isn't having it. "Ffressshhh meeaattt!!!"
Jorg heads over to the Hook, Line and Sinker hoping it serves food, but unfortunately finds out it is just a local watering hole. He orders an ale and sips it while keeping an eye on Hollow Phoenix.
Korith has blended into the shadows between two buildings. Jorg sets off to try to find fresh meat. Chalmir walks over to Hollow Phoenix and starts to loudly taunt him, "What do we have here? Some sort of filthy beggar?"
He then whispers, "I'm just playacting trying to draw the thieves attention. Just roll with it."
Then even louder, "Take your stink and your stupid cup out of here!" Chalmir takes a swipe at the cup, but he's already had one too many ales, and overreaches stumbling past Hollow Phoenix and slamming his forehead into the building wall.
Hollow Phoenix whispers back, "Hey, Chalmir, maybe take it easy a bit. Go see if you can help Jorg find some meat for Sahnar."
Rubbing his forehead, Chalmir nods and staggers off mumbling, "A town like this should have some rats. Yeah, rats."
After a few ratless hours, Hollow Phoenix is starting to shiver. As he pulls his cloak tighter, he sees footsteps appearing in the snow. Not wanting to give himself away, he starts jiggling the coins in the cup hoping someone will take notice.
Chalmir, sobered up from the cold and time, hears the sound and looking over sees the footprints come to a halt at the noise. Whispering arcane words under his breath, he tries to detect if there's any magic active. Gaining a vague sense that there's magic involved, but no concrete idea as to what, he thunders out some new words and a rope of lightning lashes out towards the footprints. They wrap around something unseen and yank it back towards him.
As the lure pulls back towards him, a duergar appears out of thin air. Chalmir urges the wind and floats back away from the dark dwarf.
Seeing that he's been found out, the duergar takes one look around and then bolts for an escape. As he nears the corner of a building, Korith steps out trying to tackle him to the ground. Utilizing some halfling jiu jitsu, he tangles himself up in the duergar's legs, tripping him and stunning him as he lands face first in the snow.
Holding the ice dagger to the duergar's throat, he asks, "Are you the thieving bastard stealing around here?"
"I didn't do nothing Nildar Sunblight didn't ask me to do!" the duergar snarls.
Korith stabs him in the arm. Gritting through the pain, the duergar says, "He'll kill me anyway."
Hollow Phoenix comes up and asks, "Do you know anything about the lantern?"
"You mean the one that changes colors?"
Hollow Phoenix kicks him in the ribs, "You know the one!"
"Aye, that lantern. Yeah, I have it. Didn't find what we are looking for anyway. It's in the sack at my waist."
Hollow Phoenix takes the sack and checks its contents. He finds the lantern alongside some pearls and some other odds and ends. Korith pulls out some rope and ties the duergar up.
Jorg steps in speaking in Dwarvish, "Come on lad. Dwarf to dwarf, you help me out here and maybe I can have some pull with the group here, yeah?"
The duergar pauses for a few seconds considering, "Fine, I don't owe that bastard, Nildar, anything anyway. Never did find the chardalyn nowhow."
"What's this chardalyn?"
"No idea, the boss wants it. It's a black rock looking thing. That's all I know. I swear!"
"Where's this boss, Milfar was it? located?"
When he hesitates too long in answering, Chalmir asks Korith, "Can I borrow that shiny new hand axe of yours?"
"Sure"
Korith hands over the hand axe to Chalmir. The duergar begins to look nervously at the Chalmir. Licking his lips he says, "Wait, wait! No need for all that! I'll tell you where to find him. Nildar is somewhat northeast of Kelvin's Cairn! I can show you! I don't want to die!"
Chalmir, thanking the duergar, winds up and chops his right hand off. The duergar lets out a bloodcurdling scream, rocking violently back and forth. Korith quickly uses the ice dagger to freeze the stump and stops the flow of blood.
Chalmir picks up the severed hand. "Thieves still have to pay the price. Hey, Jorg, I found some fresh meat for Sahnar." as he tosses the hand to Jorg. Jorg grabs the bloody hand out of the air and drops it into the magic sack. He sees Sahnar, looking completely feral now, grab the hand and start tearing into it. As he does so, he starts to heal and seems to regain at least some intelligence.
Jorg hollers down, "Hey, we'll get you more soon!". He then closes the sack and put it back on his belt.
After some furious back and forth over the fate of the now unconscious duergar, the group finally decides to haul him back and let the town speaker deal with him. As the group arrives back at The Northern Light, Allie asks, "Did you find any of those bastards?" 
Hollow Phoenix nods and points at the dark dwarf. He hands over the lantern, "Here's your lantern ma'am."
"Looks like we have a new volunteer to sacrifice to the Ice Queen." as she takes the lantern back.
"I have a request, if you don't mind? Do you have any raw meat back in the kitchen? It's uh for my cat, Bruce."
"Well, since you did recover the lantern, it's on the house." She then yells back to her sister to bring out a platter of meat.
Trovus stirs awake in the corner. Swaying slightly as he stands, "Is that the thieving bastard? Mind if my men take him? Men! Arrest that bastard!" He blinks slowly and looking around starts to mutter, "Where's all my men? They were here a minute ago."
Allie then says, "The town guard can deal with the dwarf." 
"Duergar, not exactly a dwarf." mutters Jorg.
"Whatever. He looks like a dwarf to me." She then sends her son to fetch the town guard.
Korith chimes in, "What is this about sacrifices to an Ice Queen?"
"All of the towns have their own ways of trying to appease Auril, the Ice Queen. Most sacrifice food, but some sacrifice people. People chosen via a rigged and corrupt lottery in some of the towns. Now we have this dwarf. So someone in town is having a good month."
"This isn't a dwarf from the valley. This is a duergar. A dark dwarf. Says he is working for some Nildar Sunblight north of Kelvin's Cairn."
Allie looks at Korith with an open expression of doubt on her face. "I don't think your lying, but I'm not entirely buying it. Anyway, we don't have much coin here, but your welcome to stay the night. On the house, of course. The ale for tonight is also free."
With that, the party eats and drink in comfort and then heads to the room to sleep and prepare for the trek north in the morning.

Dramatis Personae

• Jorg Ancrath
• Chalmir the Galvimancer
• Korith
• Hollow Phoenix
• Bruce Leroy

Report Date

28 Feb 2021

Caer Konig

Caer Konig

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Trovus

Nildar Sunblight