Cavalrix's Keep! Saliq shuddered at the name, as memories of the Horned One and his horrid minions danced through his mind.

'I... I'm afraid I know the place you speak of. I was part of the party of adventurers that defeated a great evil there but it is not impossible some new menace has taken its lair then.'

The illusionist clutched his mug of tea and frowned. It was very easy to see 'Chip' leading an adventuring party, and as concerned as he was for the boy Saliq felt a tiny spark of admiration that the young man had something of that spirit. 'Your son, did he have any other friends who might have traveled with him?'

"Of course.  I will travel there as soon as I can to check things and let the residents know that they can call me if they have a need."

Inas pauses for a moment, then changes the subject.

"Has anything of note occurred while I was gone?"

Claude Builder, Darius' father, looks concerned.

"That would make you, Saliq?  Chip spoke very highly of you, it is an honor you have taken such an interest in him.  Chip was always confident, and made friends easily, but none who were really close.  I doubt any of the friends he grew up with would be willing to strike out on one of his whims, if no one at the guild went with him, he probably went alone.  You say he left school some weeks ago?".

The Lord Ranger laughs, "Much happens, all over the world, we each must be vigilant to keep down the threat of evil.  As to here, in Stormhaven, all the reports sent to me have been rather mundane.  After the fall of Syrix's army of the Tooth, the remnants fled, some into the open sea, but some into the Wildelands to join with the Tribe of Five Stones.  I have been there ever since, tracking them down, and eliminating that particular threat as best I can."

ooc: the Tribe he mentions is a well known colony of Stone Giants rumored to be nomadic but more cohesive than most giant tribes.

Unaffected by his reputation, she glanced at the mate and said, "Define private, Gorrtam. I'll not go skulking through the city with you. But if you wish to retire to a private booth, I'm all ears."

'Yes, though I fear I was away at the time,' Saliq explained. The illusionist stood up, expression resolute. 'Well sir, I will rectify that mistake. I shall go personally to the keep and return with your son.'

Gorrtam nods and heads over to a private booth in the back.  Once seated he wastes no time.

"Much as I ne're poke around where I'm not wanted, Cap'ns code makes me warn you.  Last night sum of those scurvy wharf rats were pokin' around askin questions about a dragoon ship.  They had gold coins to spend fer anyone wit' information.  Tha' coins were foreign, naught sure from where but someone is lookin' around, and has money ta' spend.  Course I held mah tongue."

"If, uh, you are interested, ah could make that boat disappear right quick, and give ya' a good price fer it ta boot?"

'Yes, though I fear I was away at the time,' Saliq explained. The illusionist stood up, expression resolute. 'Well sir, I will rectify that mistake. I shall go personally to the keep and return with your son.'

Claude is so surprised he almost tries to stand, "I could never ask..." but his eyes drift to the closed door, and then to his own leg, and he takes a deep breath, "We are both most grateful for your offer, thank you"

Nightgees stands and dries his feet before donning his boots again,

"Ranger Inas,  one word of warning to you.  There are rumors that an Ogre Mage has it in for your friends, and probably you to.  He's gaining a near supernatural mystique around him, that he is far above the powers of his kind and growing, gathering strange alliances.  It's well, all so far fetched, it may just be bogeyman stories.  If I get anything real on him, I'll pass it along to you straight."

Rose does add one more word on the subject,

"As long as you aren't one of those CPP clerics...I do not like them.".

Inas does not ask Lord Nightgees for more information; he knows that if the Ranger Lord had more information he would have shared it unbidden.  "Thank you," he says.  "For meeting with the me and for the warning.  I'll let my friends know.  In the meantime, I will check in on the Witchlight Swamp as soon as I am able."

Once the meeting concludes, Inas heads to find Rath . . . and starts by looking in the Rose and Cricket, figuring there's a high likelihood that he'll find his friend there.  And if not . . . well, there's something else that has piqued Inas's curiosity, and the tavern is as good a place as any to make an inquiry or two.

Rath took the kiss, but he was distracted. "That says more about them men you've met than it does about me," he muttered with a smirk. The smirk went away. "True, you're no goddess, Rosey. You ... you're flesh. Flesh and blood. " He leaned in and kissed her back.  His heart was hammering in his chest, but not because of the kiss. What did Rose know that Rath didn't? Or, worse, what did she know that Rath wouldn't admit to knowing?



He leaned back, brow furrowed. "Uh. What?" he said, astute as ever.

Saliq nods and shakes Claude's hand. He speaks quietly but confidently. 'Don't mention it good sir. I shall return.'

Taking his leave of the family home Saliq returns to the Guild wrapped up in thought. He has a journey ahead of him and has to make preparations.

Marissa examines her drink for a long moment. Knowing Gorrtam's reputation, she had no doubt that he meant what he said.

Looking up, she studies him. "Subtlety is in order, lad," she said at last. "I think I'd like to have a look-see at these scurvy wharf rats. But I'll not go alone - would you be willing to guard my port-side as I make some inquiries? I think I know exactly where to start."

Her eyes shine a bit, and she offers a Captain's grin to the half-orc.

"Ye with me, mate, at least for the nonce?"

Gortrm almost smiles, not a pretty thing.

"Ya' as bold as they say Missus.  Sure, I'll squeeze a few wharf rats, always a pain in my side...".

Rose just rolls her eyes, and laughs.

"Those clerics, or whatever from the Church of Peace.  Their symbols is a C with a P above and below.  They creep me out.  Some of what they say sounds pretty appealing, but my gut tells me its a scam."

"Guess I've noticed them," Rath said, accepting the diversion from the previous topic. "You got sense, Rose. A priest tells you something appealing, you know you're not getting the full story." His half-smirk told Rose that he was only half-kidding. "They've got that big new church under construction. Wouldn't take much to figure out where the money's coming from." He said that as if he would know. Well, he knew people who would know, at least.

Rath made a point, later, of walking by the new Church of Peace in Oldtown, and the next time he spied any of those priests, he'd approach them to find out just what they were selling.

"When do the critters gather," she asked. "Mornin' or eve...or both?"

Saliq left word at the Wizard's Guild for his companions should he not return within a few days, packed food and water and then hired two horses for the journey to the Keep; one to ride himself and the other to bring back Darius. He might not have been born in the saddle but he could ride and had traversed the terrain before.

It doesn't take much to find a few of the young men and women who swear allegiance to the Wharf Rats, they are scrawny, dirty, and pitiful looking creatures, children of the street scrapping out the best living they can make. The two they find is an older girl with perhaps a younger brother, no more than 10 and 7, she calls herself digdug, and the boy, twink.

As Saliq has no needs to stop at towns, and his horses are of the finest quality, it takes him only three days to make a straight path to the Keep.  Riding up upon it brings back dark memories, the darkest and a cold seems to creep into his bones at the sight of the ruins. All is quiet from the distance.

Rath makes a casual walk by the new church and is amazed at how much construction has taken place in the month they were gone.  From what he can see, this will be both the biggest and nicest church in the city when completed.  There are half a dozen robed figures at the entrance that check everyone coming and going into the construction area.

Later on, on another night, he spots one of the light robed figures with a CPP stitched into the fabric out on his own, if he wishes to approach.

Saliq tethered his steed some distance from the keep itself. Whispering eerie and spidering words the illusionist makes strange gestures with his long and supple fingers. In a moment he fades from view, his journey to the keep marked solely by the sounds of soft and cautious footsteps.

---

OOC: Saliq casts Improved Invisibility.

Saliq moves through the tall grass quiet as a breeze, only the tall grass moving to betray that anyone has passed at all.

As he nears the keep, images of the battle with the terrible demons conjures up in his mind, the black vultures all claws and darkness, and then the Horned One himself.  Almost to the entrance, there a patch in the grass that has been cleared, and at its center, a large stone carved like an axe sits amongst dozens of real axes, laid about it in a pile.

Moving to the an opening in the ruins between the four towers, Saliq takes in the interior.  Still hanging are the chains, now rusted, that once held both hooks, and meats, and blood, and even Ben Scistos for a time.  Taking the empty tower, for a moment, he thinks maybe he has guessed wrong about young Chip.  But then he sees a wisp of smoke coming from a window in the highest intact tower, and looking closer, sees half a dozen very large spiders clinging to the outside of the tower, as if in waiting.

Within a day of his discussion with Lord Nightgees, Inas manages to track Rath down in the Rose and Cricket.  He takes a seat at his table.

"I've gotten word that we've gained yet another enemy.  Some Ogre Mage.  Seems he has a bit of a . . . mystical quality about him.  He's gathered allies, or maybe followers.  I dunno . . . sounds like a cult to me, but I don't know that it matters that much what ya call 'em -- a magic-usin' ogre with friends of any kind is likely nothin' but trouble." 

Inas takes a drink.

"Anyhow, we're advised to keep on the our guard.  Could be nothing, but still . . . until we hear otherwise, that advice is good."


Inas looks around as if to see if anyone is listening.

"I haven't gotten word to everyone else, but I'm wonderin' if you can if you're staying in Stormhaven for a bit.  I have to head to Withclight Swamp.  Been charged with keepin' an eye out for 'em, and bein' available if they need help.  Thought I'd stop by an' let 'em know I'm their 'champion.'  Unless you want to go the swamp too, in which case I'll try to find Saliq and Mariss before goin."