Post by Dead Greyhawk on Aug 29, 2007 20:08:31 GMT -5
The Battle of Longspear is ended, but not with the clear victory so hoped for by the Company. While the Company and their allies have survived the battle hale and healthy, the Keoish forces as a whole have been mauled. Richard Coldheart's men, thrown into the middle of every fight, have been decimated, their horses cut out from under them, their squires slain. The Longspear militia is in equally poor condition, ravenous ghouls having feasted upon them.
The Company gathers themselves in the ruins of the villa. Everything is in chaos, but Raven's forces provide both a screen and the ability to define the place of battle. Loading the corpses of the dead up onto the horses, the Company begins to make their way through the retreating orcs, back towards Longspear. None of the orcs wish to face the Company, and even the occasional ogre or giant knows better than to tarry in their path. With surprising ease, the Company clears the battlefield and arrives within sight of the battered city.
The battle has taken place literally at the foot of the city, and fires burn throughout Longspear. Medics and priests roam the field, healing those that still live, while their militia attendants, those with the least aptitude for the martial arts, help drag the wounded back into the city. Maximilian nearly weeps at the horror of it all and rushes off to aid his fellow Pelorites, collecting several militia attendants in the process. Hugh and Adrienne are more torn between protecting the Company and treating those around them. Their tension increases as a band of armored, blood-soaked men and woman ride up towards them.
"Raven! What foul trickery they have played on us. Given time we would have slain them all," shouts the skull-clad priest leading the band. Cathmandius, bloodied and stained, rides proudly before his henchmen and followers. "I see the city is ours, as well as the field! All praise Hextor!"
"Hextor!" shout his men, shaking their bloodied weapons overhead.
"Adrienne, Hugh, tend to the wounded. Diego, Jasper, go with them. Winthrop, Dell, Otto, Pfiffwin, and I will escort my ally into the city," says Raven quietly. Raven quells the others with a glance and leads them and Cathmandius's men up through the wounded into the city. Many of the militiamen cheer the Company and their allies, perhaps remembering how Cathmandius saved the city of Longspear from the strange midnight beast preying upon the unwary. An almost equal number appear disgusted by the priest, either their taste of unbridled war turning their stomachs or their sense of honor and civic duty besmirched by the callous allies needed to save their cause. Raven searches for someone, anyone, in authority so he can discharge his duty to Cathmandius and relieve the Company of the burden of their alliance. Much to his dismay, the city itself, like the battlefield outside its walls, is in the throws of chaos. Gentlefolk search for their loved ones among the wounded. The men and boys of the city who were spared on the battlefield fight the city’s worst fear, fire, as it spreads from building to building. Steeling himself, Raven turns to those men that have followed him through the battle and now into the city. "Dismount and do what you can to help these folk. We board at the Wheat Field. Meet us there when you can," commands Raven, waving around him.
As Raven's men dismount, Cathmandius eyes him and the other members of the Company, his mind clearly calculating. "You heard the man!" bellows Cathmandius. "Dismount and aid these poor folk in the name of Hextor! Extend our helping hand after victory has been won in Hextor's name. Watch over the health of our allies. Regroup at the Wheat Field, which I presume is comfortable enough for us all, where I will provide council! All praise Hextor!"
"Hextor!" shout his men, most dismounting and handing the reins of their horses to an apoplectic Otto. As the Hextorites busy themselves fighting fires, digging out collapsed buildings, and providing succor to the wounded, Otto turns purpler and purpler. He clearly loathes the position he has found himself in, side by side with worshipers of an evil god, but can not, in good conscience, criticize the actions of Raven's allies. With a great grinding of teeth, Otto strides off, leading the others forward into the city.
The Wheat Field has weathered the battle with little damage, being far enough from the Holy Wedge to avoid the stray projectile. The Company and the Hextorites file in and begin to set up shop. Raven has a quiet conversation with the proprietor, discussing how the Wheat Field will be holding many armed men soon and that it is imperative that space be found. As this uncomfortable conversation takes place, Dell, Otto, and Winthrop start dropping corpses onto the tables in the common room. The sight of the bloodied and burnt bodies adorning the common room is enough to convince the proprietor that now is not the time to disagree with the disgruntled Company members. "Cathmandius," coughs Raven. "You've got three rooms at the top of the stairs to do with what you'd like. Frank's men will be in the stables with the horses. We have the other rooms at the top of the stairs. The common room will be open for business, once we're done with the messy stuff, say in two days." Cathmandius looks stone-faced at Raven, engaging in something of a staring contest with him before grunting his assent. Raven turns back to the proprietor and hands him a hefty sack. "We'll need lots of food and fodder. Tell me when this runs out."
Cathmandius, his leman, and aides retire to their rooms, to determine whatever evil priests determine, leaving a man at the top of the stairs to watch the common room. Raven and the others sit and plan, the corpses slowly dripping. First, on their somewhat mercenary minds, is to determine what, if any, of the items taken from the battlefield are enchanted. Then any information or intelligence found in the items the Company recovered need to be digested and turned over to Sir Highrider. "Talk to the dead," adds Winthrop.
"They have no souls," points out Raven. "All the clerics we've tried to speak with in the past have been unreachable."
Winthrop nods. "Very true," he adds. "This one though, he's a warrior. Crushed Otto's skull in, though I suppose he doesn't quite remember that." Otto looks pole-axed by the news and pushes the dead man's body off the table into a pile on the floor. "We should be able to get something from him," continues Winthrop blithely.
Over the next few hours, the Company strips items off of the bodies and sorts them, while the rest trickle slowly back in. Frank and his men learn of their new sleeping arrangements and take it with poor grace. Raven tries to pull Frank aside and explain, but Frank cuts to the chase and says the Colnets' will find space for the men. Diego, Jasper, Hugh, and Adrienne all wander in over time, as do Cathmandius's men. Cathmandius is a strong leader, accepting no disorder from his men. They are quickly separated and billeted, taking the space in the stables that Frank's men refused.
Adrienne gazes upon the bric-a-brac, armor, weapons, staves, and jewelry that have been stripped from the corpses, her inner vision revealing a series of enchantments placed on some, but not all. She easily separates out the golden and silver scale mails, two staves, the military pick, a shield, two sets of chainmail, a pair of rings, a whip, and a helm, as well a scroll and a flask of yellow liquid. The Company is pleased that so much of their opponents equipment survived the battle, since the Company's methods of combat are so destructive to them.
Once the enchanted items are drawn out and placed in a separate pile, Winthrop, Raven, and Dell begin sorting through various piles of items searching for things of interest. The worshipers of the Dead God all carried a variety of coinage, but the vast majority of it comes from Sterich. It seems that none of the priests bore a holy, or unholy, symbol dedicated to the Dead God, even though its symbol of the inverted double ziggurat is now well known to the Company. Dell does find, attached to one of the priestly garments, a large gold brooch of a screaming face, possibly an unholy symbol to Erythnul, the Howling God, now kept for its material value rather than its sanctity.
Winthrop and Dell collect the papers found in the pouches of the various men, finding many scraps, some burnt, that shed no particular light on things. Two of the documents are wonderful finds though. One appears to be a map of some sorts with Longspear marked on it and a long train of location and marks leading up along the Javan and Davish rivers. The other is a letter, but not in a language known to any in the Company.
"Give me a little bit of time," says Dell. "I still have some mana since my recovery from the snail's flailing." Dell pulls out his plate-covered box, opens it, and pulls forth a large book. Within minutes, Dell is curled up on a chair studying arcana. Raven leaves Diego and Oaklock to watch the common room, and then he and the others refresh themselves. By the time they get back, Dell is already reading the letter, but before he says anything, he discreetly jerks a thumb over his shoulder. At the door of the Wheat Field are two of Cathmandius's men. They do not exactly block the entryway, but it is clear anyone who wishes to enter must pass by them. "Anything we don't want known?" whispers Dell.
"Better to just let them overhear than to have them trying more dangerous tricks," says Raven. Otto frowns, but doesn't disagree.
Dell takes a deep breath and commences reading the letter.
“Thaag Caladon,
Mind these words well. The undead ride towards you under the command of Kay-Tarn. Klim has demanded Kay-Tarn assist him rather than you, and it seems likely that the Great Lord will accede. Klim has a long history that I do not understand, nor would I place in such a note as this. Suffice it to say, you must plan to take Longspear without additional aid from the Great Lord.
We have pacified Sterich and plans, as my priest informs me, go ahead apace in the south, north, and east. The forces of weal are too disorganized to meet us and we continue to grow in strength. Oytkeep still resists, but access to Geoff is complete. Once I hear back from Grugnir, we, and our ally to the north, will close off Geoff from all aid.
As promised to the tribes, land in Sterich is being given freely and already the human lands are being colonized. Only a few years are necessary for our hold to be so strong that no one will be able to break us free.
I hear Turrosh Mak contemplates joining us, influenced by his shamen and witch-doctors. The lands west of the Nyr Dyv may be ours sooner than expected.
I have detailed the Spriggan with this letter, knowing full well they can gain access to the city more easily than others. Use them well brother and may the Lord of All suck the light from your eyes.
Impale!
Krukshank”
"Well, isn't that interesting," muses Raven. The Company debates the letter, trying to get the most information that they can from it. Diego, oddly the most fluent in orcish of all of the Company, pipes up to say that he's heard the word Thaag used as a war title, similar to General. The Company debates heavily who this Kay-Tarn might be, but have no easy answers.
The sound of arguing comes from the doorway, where the Hextorites seem to be preventing someone from entering. Loud voices are raised, and Alouicious's voice rides over the top of the argument. "I don't care if it is your sick grandmother dying of ague in there, get out of our way or I will make you see eye to eye with me," he roars.
"I'd step aside, unless you really want to meet your god today," says Otto loudly. The Hextorites turn to see the Company, armed and with bare weapons, and seem to reconsider their position. They clear the door and retreat to the bottom of the stairs, looking upwards, hoping for Cathmandius's return. "Wise. Very wise," grunts Otto, sheathing his sword.
Al and a small group of dwarves enter the Wheat Field. They, like the Company, are oddly hale and healthy, especially considering that they are infantry, forced to carve their way through the opposing forces rather than ride past them like Raven and Cathmandius. "You'll never guess what happened to us," begins Al excitedly. "We were singing our final death dirge and cutting the orcs down like green trees while our brethren dropped around us and then ..."
"Golden-furred, flying miniature elephants blowing healing snot on you," interrupts Dell. "Been there. Done that." Al closes his mouth with a snap and deflates. "It was a pretty amazing coincidence," agrees Dell, taking pity on Al's crestfallen form.
Al introduces the dwarves to the Company and the Company to the dwarves. The dwarves, as far as a nondwarf can understand, are somehow related to him through a chain of marriages on his mother's side, but the details quickly get beyond them. Al explains that after he left Raven, he worked his way south to his clan in the Little Hills. Dain Ironmelder was willing to listen to him, having heard of the influx of hated humanoids to the north. Either the messengers from Longspear had been intercepted or not been sent from Sir Highrider because Dain Ironmelder and the rest of the clan's warriors were merely patrolling the boundaries of the clan's territory. They, being proper dwarves, were waiting for an invitation to join in the battle, and, not having heard from Longspear, assumed that the city was well-equipped to defeat the invaders.
Dain Ironmelder and Al planned strategy and then assembled the men. Forced marching brought themto the battlefield in proper dwarven manner, on time and in formation, in time to do their share of dying. While they slew many orcs and many giants, their position, unsupported on the flank facing the city, was increasingly untenable. Worse, foul magics were in play on their other flank, with vile demons flapping and rending at forms mere yards from their position. It was just a matter of time before the stalwart dwarves were divided and defeated in detail.
"Devils, they were devils," mutters Raven, barely audible to the average man.
"Then, these things, these golden lights came and saved us," says Al, like a dwarf who has seen a miracle. "They healed us, and saved my cousin Dagobert here. His entrails were sprawled all out of him, and he'd already started to go cold. Then he was standing and staring at us again, good as new!" Dagobert grins sickly at the rest of the Company while his cousin discusses how his entrails sprawled out of him. "Well, after that, the orcs broke, and we drove for the city," continues Al. Al met up with the Keepers of the Peace and had introduced Dain Ironmelder to Killain Anvilsplitter. Now that he knows the Company has made it through the battle safely, Al declares that he and his cousins will head back out to help keep the peace. The Company bids them farewell, for now.
With the Hextorites in the Wheat Field with them, the Company is unable to simply relax and go about their business. Instead, they travel in pairs, leaving guards to watch their rooms and their accumulated treasures. The next few days are marked by an alarming lack of rest for everyone. Between watching their goods, their horses, and the other tasks that are laid upon them, sleep is a rare luxury.
The priests of the Company huddle together over the corpses brought in from the battlefield. Soon they should be turned over to Sir Highrider, but before then, the Company has some questions to ask. Both Adrienne and Hugh are able to interrogate the souls of the slain, but are quite limited in what they might ask. With the assistance of some acolytes, their powers might be combined, but the Company has discovered that power of each deity can only be put a soul once. Bringing in acolytes of another deity might prevent the High Priest from querying the soul later. Hugh is willing to risk that with respect to High Priest Arthurus, but High Priest Abernathy Wernack is a different matter altogether. No priests of Pelor will be welcome.
The Company gathers themselves in the ruins of the villa. Everything is in chaos, but Raven's forces provide both a screen and the ability to define the place of battle. Loading the corpses of the dead up onto the horses, the Company begins to make their way through the retreating orcs, back towards Longspear. None of the orcs wish to face the Company, and even the occasional ogre or giant knows better than to tarry in their path. With surprising ease, the Company clears the battlefield and arrives within sight of the battered city.
The battle has taken place literally at the foot of the city, and fires burn throughout Longspear. Medics and priests roam the field, healing those that still live, while their militia attendants, those with the least aptitude for the martial arts, help drag the wounded back into the city. Maximilian nearly weeps at the horror of it all and rushes off to aid his fellow Pelorites, collecting several militia attendants in the process. Hugh and Adrienne are more torn between protecting the Company and treating those around them. Their tension increases as a band of armored, blood-soaked men and woman ride up towards them.
"Raven! What foul trickery they have played on us. Given time we would have slain them all," shouts the skull-clad priest leading the band. Cathmandius, bloodied and stained, rides proudly before his henchmen and followers. "I see the city is ours, as well as the field! All praise Hextor!"
"Hextor!" shout his men, shaking their bloodied weapons overhead.
"Adrienne, Hugh, tend to the wounded. Diego, Jasper, go with them. Winthrop, Dell, Otto, Pfiffwin, and I will escort my ally into the city," says Raven quietly. Raven quells the others with a glance and leads them and Cathmandius's men up through the wounded into the city. Many of the militiamen cheer the Company and their allies, perhaps remembering how Cathmandius saved the city of Longspear from the strange midnight beast preying upon the unwary. An almost equal number appear disgusted by the priest, either their taste of unbridled war turning their stomachs or their sense of honor and civic duty besmirched by the callous allies needed to save their cause. Raven searches for someone, anyone, in authority so he can discharge his duty to Cathmandius and relieve the Company of the burden of their alliance. Much to his dismay, the city itself, like the battlefield outside its walls, is in the throws of chaos. Gentlefolk search for their loved ones among the wounded. The men and boys of the city who were spared on the battlefield fight the city’s worst fear, fire, as it spreads from building to building. Steeling himself, Raven turns to those men that have followed him through the battle and now into the city. "Dismount and do what you can to help these folk. We board at the Wheat Field. Meet us there when you can," commands Raven, waving around him.
As Raven's men dismount, Cathmandius eyes him and the other members of the Company, his mind clearly calculating. "You heard the man!" bellows Cathmandius. "Dismount and aid these poor folk in the name of Hextor! Extend our helping hand after victory has been won in Hextor's name. Watch over the health of our allies. Regroup at the Wheat Field, which I presume is comfortable enough for us all, where I will provide council! All praise Hextor!"
"Hextor!" shout his men, most dismounting and handing the reins of their horses to an apoplectic Otto. As the Hextorites busy themselves fighting fires, digging out collapsed buildings, and providing succor to the wounded, Otto turns purpler and purpler. He clearly loathes the position he has found himself in, side by side with worshipers of an evil god, but can not, in good conscience, criticize the actions of Raven's allies. With a great grinding of teeth, Otto strides off, leading the others forward into the city.
The Wheat Field has weathered the battle with little damage, being far enough from the Holy Wedge to avoid the stray projectile. The Company and the Hextorites file in and begin to set up shop. Raven has a quiet conversation with the proprietor, discussing how the Wheat Field will be holding many armed men soon and that it is imperative that space be found. As this uncomfortable conversation takes place, Dell, Otto, and Winthrop start dropping corpses onto the tables in the common room. The sight of the bloodied and burnt bodies adorning the common room is enough to convince the proprietor that now is not the time to disagree with the disgruntled Company members. "Cathmandius," coughs Raven. "You've got three rooms at the top of the stairs to do with what you'd like. Frank's men will be in the stables with the horses. We have the other rooms at the top of the stairs. The common room will be open for business, once we're done with the messy stuff, say in two days." Cathmandius looks stone-faced at Raven, engaging in something of a staring contest with him before grunting his assent. Raven turns back to the proprietor and hands him a hefty sack. "We'll need lots of food and fodder. Tell me when this runs out."
Cathmandius, his leman, and aides retire to their rooms, to determine whatever evil priests determine, leaving a man at the top of the stairs to watch the common room. Raven and the others sit and plan, the corpses slowly dripping. First, on their somewhat mercenary minds, is to determine what, if any, of the items taken from the battlefield are enchanted. Then any information or intelligence found in the items the Company recovered need to be digested and turned over to Sir Highrider. "Talk to the dead," adds Winthrop.
"They have no souls," points out Raven. "All the clerics we've tried to speak with in the past have been unreachable."
Winthrop nods. "Very true," he adds. "This one though, he's a warrior. Crushed Otto's skull in, though I suppose he doesn't quite remember that." Otto looks pole-axed by the news and pushes the dead man's body off the table into a pile on the floor. "We should be able to get something from him," continues Winthrop blithely.
Over the next few hours, the Company strips items off of the bodies and sorts them, while the rest trickle slowly back in. Frank and his men learn of their new sleeping arrangements and take it with poor grace. Raven tries to pull Frank aside and explain, but Frank cuts to the chase and says the Colnets' will find space for the men. Diego, Jasper, Hugh, and Adrienne all wander in over time, as do Cathmandius's men. Cathmandius is a strong leader, accepting no disorder from his men. They are quickly separated and billeted, taking the space in the stables that Frank's men refused.
Adrienne gazes upon the bric-a-brac, armor, weapons, staves, and jewelry that have been stripped from the corpses, her inner vision revealing a series of enchantments placed on some, but not all. She easily separates out the golden and silver scale mails, two staves, the military pick, a shield, two sets of chainmail, a pair of rings, a whip, and a helm, as well a scroll and a flask of yellow liquid. The Company is pleased that so much of their opponents equipment survived the battle, since the Company's methods of combat are so destructive to them.
Once the enchanted items are drawn out and placed in a separate pile, Winthrop, Raven, and Dell begin sorting through various piles of items searching for things of interest. The worshipers of the Dead God all carried a variety of coinage, but the vast majority of it comes from Sterich. It seems that none of the priests bore a holy, or unholy, symbol dedicated to the Dead God, even though its symbol of the inverted double ziggurat is now well known to the Company. Dell does find, attached to one of the priestly garments, a large gold brooch of a screaming face, possibly an unholy symbol to Erythnul, the Howling God, now kept for its material value rather than its sanctity.
Winthrop and Dell collect the papers found in the pouches of the various men, finding many scraps, some burnt, that shed no particular light on things. Two of the documents are wonderful finds though. One appears to be a map of some sorts with Longspear marked on it and a long train of location and marks leading up along the Javan and Davish rivers. The other is a letter, but not in a language known to any in the Company.
"Give me a little bit of time," says Dell. "I still have some mana since my recovery from the snail's flailing." Dell pulls out his plate-covered box, opens it, and pulls forth a large book. Within minutes, Dell is curled up on a chair studying arcana. Raven leaves Diego and Oaklock to watch the common room, and then he and the others refresh themselves. By the time they get back, Dell is already reading the letter, but before he says anything, he discreetly jerks a thumb over his shoulder. At the door of the Wheat Field are two of Cathmandius's men. They do not exactly block the entryway, but it is clear anyone who wishes to enter must pass by them. "Anything we don't want known?" whispers Dell.
"Better to just let them overhear than to have them trying more dangerous tricks," says Raven. Otto frowns, but doesn't disagree.
Dell takes a deep breath and commences reading the letter.
“Thaag Caladon,
Mind these words well. The undead ride towards you under the command of Kay-Tarn. Klim has demanded Kay-Tarn assist him rather than you, and it seems likely that the Great Lord will accede. Klim has a long history that I do not understand, nor would I place in such a note as this. Suffice it to say, you must plan to take Longspear without additional aid from the Great Lord.
We have pacified Sterich and plans, as my priest informs me, go ahead apace in the south, north, and east. The forces of weal are too disorganized to meet us and we continue to grow in strength. Oytkeep still resists, but access to Geoff is complete. Once I hear back from Grugnir, we, and our ally to the north, will close off Geoff from all aid.
As promised to the tribes, land in Sterich is being given freely and already the human lands are being colonized. Only a few years are necessary for our hold to be so strong that no one will be able to break us free.
I hear Turrosh Mak contemplates joining us, influenced by his shamen and witch-doctors. The lands west of the Nyr Dyv may be ours sooner than expected.
I have detailed the Spriggan with this letter, knowing full well they can gain access to the city more easily than others. Use them well brother and may the Lord of All suck the light from your eyes.
Impale!
Krukshank”
"Well, isn't that interesting," muses Raven. The Company debates the letter, trying to get the most information that they can from it. Diego, oddly the most fluent in orcish of all of the Company, pipes up to say that he's heard the word Thaag used as a war title, similar to General. The Company debates heavily who this Kay-Tarn might be, but have no easy answers.
The sound of arguing comes from the doorway, where the Hextorites seem to be preventing someone from entering. Loud voices are raised, and Alouicious's voice rides over the top of the argument. "I don't care if it is your sick grandmother dying of ague in there, get out of our way or I will make you see eye to eye with me," he roars.
"I'd step aside, unless you really want to meet your god today," says Otto loudly. The Hextorites turn to see the Company, armed and with bare weapons, and seem to reconsider their position. They clear the door and retreat to the bottom of the stairs, looking upwards, hoping for Cathmandius's return. "Wise. Very wise," grunts Otto, sheathing his sword.
Al and a small group of dwarves enter the Wheat Field. They, like the Company, are oddly hale and healthy, especially considering that they are infantry, forced to carve their way through the opposing forces rather than ride past them like Raven and Cathmandius. "You'll never guess what happened to us," begins Al excitedly. "We were singing our final death dirge and cutting the orcs down like green trees while our brethren dropped around us and then ..."
"Golden-furred, flying miniature elephants blowing healing snot on you," interrupts Dell. "Been there. Done that." Al closes his mouth with a snap and deflates. "It was a pretty amazing coincidence," agrees Dell, taking pity on Al's crestfallen form.
Al introduces the dwarves to the Company and the Company to the dwarves. The dwarves, as far as a nondwarf can understand, are somehow related to him through a chain of marriages on his mother's side, but the details quickly get beyond them. Al explains that after he left Raven, he worked his way south to his clan in the Little Hills. Dain Ironmelder was willing to listen to him, having heard of the influx of hated humanoids to the north. Either the messengers from Longspear had been intercepted or not been sent from Sir Highrider because Dain Ironmelder and the rest of the clan's warriors were merely patrolling the boundaries of the clan's territory. They, being proper dwarves, were waiting for an invitation to join in the battle, and, not having heard from Longspear, assumed that the city was well-equipped to defeat the invaders.
Dain Ironmelder and Al planned strategy and then assembled the men. Forced marching brought themto the battlefield in proper dwarven manner, on time and in formation, in time to do their share of dying. While they slew many orcs and many giants, their position, unsupported on the flank facing the city, was increasingly untenable. Worse, foul magics were in play on their other flank, with vile demons flapping and rending at forms mere yards from their position. It was just a matter of time before the stalwart dwarves were divided and defeated in detail.
"Devils, they were devils," mutters Raven, barely audible to the average man.
"Then, these things, these golden lights came and saved us," says Al, like a dwarf who has seen a miracle. "They healed us, and saved my cousin Dagobert here. His entrails were sprawled all out of him, and he'd already started to go cold. Then he was standing and staring at us again, good as new!" Dagobert grins sickly at the rest of the Company while his cousin discusses how his entrails sprawled out of him. "Well, after that, the orcs broke, and we drove for the city," continues Al. Al met up with the Keepers of the Peace and had introduced Dain Ironmelder to Killain Anvilsplitter. Now that he knows the Company has made it through the battle safely, Al declares that he and his cousins will head back out to help keep the peace. The Company bids them farewell, for now.
With the Hextorites in the Wheat Field with them, the Company is unable to simply relax and go about their business. Instead, they travel in pairs, leaving guards to watch their rooms and their accumulated treasures. The next few days are marked by an alarming lack of rest for everyone. Between watching their goods, their horses, and the other tasks that are laid upon them, sleep is a rare luxury.
The priests of the Company huddle together over the corpses brought in from the battlefield. Soon they should be turned over to Sir Highrider, but before then, the Company has some questions to ask. Both Adrienne and Hugh are able to interrogate the souls of the slain, but are quite limited in what they might ask. With the assistance of some acolytes, their powers might be combined, but the Company has discovered that power of each deity can only be put a soul once. Bringing in acolytes of another deity might prevent the High Priest from querying the soul later. Hugh is willing to risk that with respect to High Priest Arthurus, but High Priest Abernathy Wernack is a different matter altogether. No priests of Pelor will be welcome.