As so many times before you head to Gorion's chambers at the fifth floor of the library keep to knock on his door. It is odd but you find the door not only open but slightly ajar. The chambers are large and as soon as you enter the antechamber you can feel that something is wrong. At first you cannot place it but after a short while it comes through the faint odor of sewer that followed you up: the metallic scent of blood. When you look into the sleeping chamber you find your foster father on the floor, quite dead with his throat slit and fresh blood pooling on the floor. There is no one else in the room.

There are signs that indicate that Gorion was packing: an open backpack, half-packed supplies and clothes are scattered around the room.

In your foster fathers hand is a letter.

"I wonder who E might be?"  Clay was pensive as he read the note. "From context I think they know and they know that E warned G, which puts them on the list with us.  Before we go, let's search this room for clues about who did this, where they went and more importantly who WE are. Which might give us a clue about the why of it?"

"Do not disturb Gorion and mind the blood I'd say. Let's search quickly, then we'll have to get to Reevor quickly and inform him of all of this, show him the two letters, collect our money, and head for the Friendly Arms to see these two people. We'll need money too. Get Gorion's purse, he has no use of it any more. This is very bad! We also need to stay together!"

"What of Imoen? Should we see her and at the very least say goodbye? Or take her along?"
This message was last edited by the player at 11:14, Thu 28 Mar.

"Well this is a grim sight indeed. We best not tarry, lest someone appear and accuse us of this heinous crime. Take what might prove useful, but leave anything that is a personal belonging of our foster father, may he rest in peace."

Xalten returns to the doorway to watch for anyone coming.

Clay considers and answers Max's question.  "I'm not sure about Imoen.  She isn't on the list and perhaps that means we should, at the very least, avoid her as if she were carrying some fell plague out of the depths of the Underdark."  His expression may or may not hint at what he means by 'at the very least'.

"Then we should leave a letter for her saying goodbye then. It would be cruel to just disappear." Max replies in reference to their 'little sister'.

NIall was visibly upset with the revelations. On top of that, there was obviously a plot that involved themselves and Gorion. I agree, we should leave her out of this. No sense in getting her involved if she is not mentioned and is not a possible target. We should hasten to leave however, I am not sure leaving a note is a good idea. We don't want to leave anything that could tie her to us, or make her an eventual target. I know a letter doesn't seem like that, but if she were to share it, people might want to ask her what she knew, and when she knew it, and then she becomes ensnared.

"Perhaps you are right. When we see Reevor, we can have him say goodbye for us, then there is no connection. When we gather our gear, we need to go in pairs at the least, we can not do anything alone while we are still here. Or everyone travels to each room, just in case there is a waiting assassin. We need to hurry, the enemy is already here. Wait! Where's Benedict?"


In our search, did we find anything else?
This message was last edited by the player at 15:09, Thu 28 Mar.

The magic-user had been unusually pensive since they had left the sewer, his thoughts drifting to this and that as he tried to decipher the days events. When they reached Gorion’s chambers, and the grisly sight within, he moved to stand beside the older man. Malus was not a religious man, he believed far more in himself than the gods- for they were as mercurial, cruel, and uncaring in his experience as any of mankind. But seeing his foster father there, he sent a quick prayer to whoever Gorion had believed in to honor the man in the afterlife. He had been fair, honest, and a good teacher and had encouraged Malus in his studies of the arcane.

His attention slowly turned back to what his ‘siblings’ spoke of and he listened thoughtfully before speaking. “I concur with your latter thought, Max. I think we should all travel wherever it is we need to go together, as a group. Between the assassins in the sewer, and now poor Gorion, the fewer we are in number the bigger targets we become.”

Clay considers and then nods.  "So we find Reevor, ask him to say our goodbyes for us and then we disappear as a group.  We decide where and how after we have left him."

"Agreed, after we leave the Friendly Arms Inn, we decide what to do next. We done searching? Let's collect our traveling gear and then find Reevor."


Time to let the others catch up and post their thoughts.

 Enigma had to swallow bile when Gorion was found on the ground.  "Son of a...!"

 She shakes away the horror, and says to her 'kin', "Y-yeah... That sounds like a good idea.  Maybe there's magic in the area..." As she speaks, she focuses...  "Better to be thorough.  The more we know now, the more they can prevent later."

Detect magic!

Through the windows Enigma can see the familiar aura of magic surrounding the keep, like a faint cloud enveloping it's outer walls. You've all heard that the keep is warded from scrying, teleportation and magical attacks. As Enigma looks around the room she can see one item starting to glow, a ring lying in plain sight on top of the sturdy desk.

Other than the ring it seems Gorion had only mundane items and a quick search reveal nothing but a small selection of travelling gear, rations and the like. Your foster fathers sturdy staff, while beautifully carved, seem to be mundane.

---

Great, so you're going to see Reevor? It'd help me if you explitically state your actions rather than imply them through conversation. It'll be less chance of misunderstandings that way.

Clay makes me last search for hidden compartments, particularly in the desk where papers might be hidden. Only them does he.nod and pack up, making sure he's ready and then, if nobody objects before leading the group to Reevor.

"I think we should all go together, room to room, to each of our rooms, and gather our gear for adventuring. We should start by going to collect Benedict since he chose not to go into the storerooms and sewers with us. What do you think everyone? Let's take his staff and ring." He adds to his 'family'.

 Enigma licks her lips.  "There's a ring... Enchanted, or so it seems." She retrieves it.  "But, at least we can say for almost certain that the killers didn't... ensorcel him and then kill him." She clicks her tongue.

 She nods to Maximillian.  "Yeah, let's." She absconds to her room, doing her best to NOT look like she is trying to keep abreast of anyone trying to kill her next.

Going to my room!  ...to retrieve supplies, not because I'm in trouble.

"We stay together Enigma! If we're alone, someone might be waiting for us. We stick together. We can start with you, but next we HAVE to get Benedict, he doesn't know what is happening and needs warned!" He tells her and the others.

Clay nods and hauls the hood of his cloak over his head, he watches out, ready to ambush any would-be ambushers

As suggested, let's just go room to room and gather everyone's stuff, then move on he said. It was wise to stay together.

Max leads the way to Enigma's room so she could collect her gear for the road. He kept his sword sheathed, with his hand on the hilt. He didn't wish to alarm the staff of the library, but had to be ready. "Last out, lock the door for Reevor so no one wanders in and gives the alarm."

You wander the library and attract very curious looks from the librarians. Even though it is late evening the library is never completely empty. You go from room to room collecting everyones things until you finally run in to Tethoril, the friendly castellan, in a corridor on the ground floor. He looks like he's been awakened. "Are you well, children?" He asks. "I have been told you sneak around the ke..." he pauses when he casts an eye on Max and Nialls hastily bandaged injuries. "Whatever happened to you?"

Clay moved as quietly as he could to see Tethoril from behind.  He looked down upon Tethoril's hand before saying, "Is Benedict okay?  We were attacked but he wasn't with us so we're not sure what happened to him."

Xalten said nothing, though he was uninjured. He did not want to draw any attention and rather hoped the conversation ended quickly.
This message was last edited by the player at 18:18, Sun 31 Mar.

"Where is Reevor? Have you seen him? Get us to him quick if you can." Max says in a calm low voice to keep from drawing more attention.

Tethoril scratches his beard and his forehead creases in worry. "Actually I wanted to ask you the same about Benedict. I haven't seen him all day and he was supposed to read with one of the lecturers today. No one has seen him since yesterday. Attacked you say? By whom? And why?"

He blinks at Max's question. "Reevor? I think he's on the wall, you may find him there I'm sure."

"Thank you Tethoril. We must leave, we hope to see you someday soon old friend. Take care, we will leave details with Reevor, he'll tell you what happened. Good bye. Let's find him on the wall friends, we must hurry. If you see Benedict, tell him to meet us at the Friendly Arm Inn. If he doesn't find us there, we're sorry, but he'll be left behind." He sets off for the wall when the others are ready.

Tethoril frowns. "Friendly arm inn? You are leaving the keep? Hold a moment children, let us go see Gorion and clear this up". The old man turn toward the stairs and motions for you to follow him.

Max shakes his head and looks down, "No Tethoril, that won't be happening. We must see Reevor immediately, he will let you know what is going on, we do not want any issues here until after we are gone, please say our goodbyes to Imoen and tell her we love her." He looks to the others, "Should we do it this way, or tell Tetheril a bit quickly." he asks the others quietly, not wishing any others over hear them.

"I think we will have to tell Tethoril now, right now, rather than he find out...the other way. But we have no time to waste."

Clearly, Xalten regards leaving Tethoril to find Gorion's body without any warning to be tantamount to admitting that they killed him.

Max gives the two notes to Tetheril to read, as he is reading, Max informs him of the bad news. "Gorion was making haste to leave when they found him packing in his room. They murdered him on the spot. We were lucky we were together when the three assassins found us and we killed them, they are in the store room in the cellars. They had opened a hole in the wall between the cellars and the sewer. We locked Gorion's door, but you can secure it until you are ready to take care of what you need to. Perhaps, as Castellan, you can let Reevor know and everything, after all, you are the one actually in charge. When you see Benedict, warn him and send him after us. Otherwise, keep our destination to yourself, it will make it harder for the assassins to follow us."

Tethoril gasps. "Gorion dead? I... assassins?" The old man clutches at his chest in worry. "Very well, if you say so, I will speak to the gatewarden and Reevor but I must also warn you. Once you go you cannot come back. Gorion has always sheltered you but if he is indeed gone Ulraunt will not have you. He will have you pay the entry fee as everyone else."

He looks around as if there are assassins everywhere but follows you to the lobby and makes his farewells.

Clay hugs Tethoril and is ready to go. He looks for omens in which he has no belief but he has no dice so such randomness will gift them with unpredictability.  He suggests a random path that weaves its way to Reevor by a circuitous and unpredictable route.  Then as soon as Tethoril is out of earshot, he changes it, and then again.

Max hugs Tetheril and shakes his hand, "Fare well old friend, we must make haste. If you run into Benedict, tell him to make haste as well!" Max reminds the old Castellan.

You make your way outside into the garden, move past the lush vegetation and fountains through a large archway in the inner walls. As you come to the outer courtyard there are torches sconced all around illuminating the area with flickering light. You also see torchlight on the battlement and there is a wide stairway up from this side. You see no one outside beside the silhouettes of the guardsmen on the wall, clearly outlined as dark shapes against the early night sky. One of the shapes are shorter and stouter than the others and you recognize Reevor. He comes down the stairs to meet you with a grin but stops short. "Well you look like you've been fightn' larger critters than rats. What happened to ye?"

 "We were. We cleared the cellar, but someone had opened a hole in the wall of the cellar to the sewer. We went through and killed the rats and were attacked by 3 assassins that we dispatched. You'll find them in the cellar laid out. We found this letter on them, saying someone had put a 200gp reward on our heads for an unknown reason. When we went to tell Gorion what was going on, we found that he was caught in the middle of packing as he had been warned, lying dead in a pool of his own blood, with this letter of warning. Tetheril is securing the room at the moment. We go to keep Gorion's meeting. Fare well friend Reevor. Do you have our pay for the rats? We'll need some funds." Max let Reevor read the letters quickly while he reported, took the letters back and clasped his hand in farewell.

"If you see Benedict, tell him to flee as quickly as possible to the Friendly Arm. From there, we'll be gone quickly, so if he cares to be with us, he needs to hurry, or he's on his own."

Were we able to find funds in Gorion's room?
This message was last edited by the player at 12:33, Fri 05 Apr.

 Enigma furrows her brow out of concern for Tethtoril, and puts a hand on his shoulder, giving him a gentle squeeze and a pat, before a hug.  Thanks are given for all manner of kindnesses, and then she parts with, "I will never forget you.  Thank you."  After a pause, she adds, "Please, give Firebead my gratitude, too, if you should see him..." She thanks him again before focusing on her companions.

---

She says nothing when Maximillian recounts things to Reevor, but does offer nods of affirmation, as if to verify things.  And, hopefully the condition that the childhood friends are in, and the looks in their eyes, will say anything else that needs said!

Clay squats as they talk to Reevor and he counts the torches.  His suggestion for the next move depends very much on the number.

How many torches did he count?

Tethoril hugs Enigma back before he leaves you, eyes glittering with tears.

There is nothing remarkable about the amount of torches, neither the ten torches in sconces around the courtyard or the five held by patrolling watchmen up on the battlements. Reevor studies the letters and sighs heavily before handing them back. "That is dire tidings indeed and I feel sorry for you. I understand why you feel you must go but are you sure? Ulraunt will not let you back in without Gorions presence with less than that you pay the full price." He digs out ten pieces of gold for you each and when he understand that you really mean to leave he follows you to the door in the large gate and opens it for you.

He looks up at the clear night sky. "Be careful out there and don't stray too far from the Coast Way tonight, the woods are full of gibberlings and wolves but shouldn't come too close to the roads."

---

There were no coin in Gorions room.

"Thank you Reevor, live long and live well. We hope to come back and pay to come back in someday. You are all our family and have done so much for us. Give our love to all, especially Imoen!" Max says to him, as he gives him a strong hand shake and a hug.
This message was last edited by the player at 19:27, Fri 05 Apr.

Clay too hugs Reevor but he says nothing and waits until they reach the next turn to the right, before saying. "Let's go this way and then see where the omens take us." He grins and points upwards, "Or we could always try that way.'

Venturing a suggestion, Malus asked, “Have we considered exiting the keep through the sewer, by way of the path the assassins created? It stands to reason if they are watching the keep’s entrances and exits they may not think to watch their means of ingress.”

Max stops in his tracks at Malus' suggestion. "I wish you had said that much earlier Malus. Don't hold back good ideas like that on us. We know they'll probably be waiting for us this way, and, at the very least, follow us, if not ambush us. Sorry Reevor, we won't be going through the gate after all." He turns on his heels and heads back inside, leading the way to the cellars.

Reevor calls out. "Hold on. Sewers? Those won't take ye outside, lad. They've been sealed fer years and don't lead anywhere. If'n the assassins were down there they've been hiding well fer sure but they wouldn't have gotten anywhere."

"Are you sure they are still sealed? Why would they take out a wall to get INTO the sewers if they go no where?" He asked Reevor.

"It's locked, as far as I know but it doesn' matter. The sewers just don't lead anywhere, they're small and extend just under the keep, no further." Reevor says.

"They must come out somewhere. We'll look for ourselves. If we don't come back, you know there IS an exit!"" He tells Reevor.

Reevor grunts. "Very well lad, yer as stubborn as ever I see. Have at ye."

"If we are truly in a hurry to leave, then I suggest we leave by the most direct avenue - the front gate. We could spend an age trying to find a means of egress from the sewers when the gate is right here. Yes there may be dangers ahead, but putting distance between ourselves and Candlekeep will only help us, and likely lead to less death here."

Xalten makes no move from the gate, urging everyone to reconsider.

Max stops again, Xalten was right too! He slowly turned around and headed back to the gate, You're right too Xman, through the gate is now, not in 5 hours. Reevor, send someone through to check for an exit just in case when you collect the bodies of the assassins, someone may have come in from the outside, like the cellar wall was broken in."

He walks out the gate and doesn't look back to see if the others follow or not.

 Enigma sniffs, taking in the outdoor air.  Then, as which exit ought to be taken is discussed, chimes in: "Perhaps... oh, gods, what were their names..." She pauses, and then "snaps to".  "Perhaps Deder could be of assistance in that.  The search in the sewers."

 Then, she follows Maximillian, her staff in hand.  She gives one last look to Candlekeep, and the direction of her room, before she keeps her eyes straight ahead.

Continued here: link to a message in this game