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Jarek and Darius take over. A troop of orcs (perhaps orcs? probably 15 of them) is spotted vaguely at the end of the valley as they march past it but they don't enter the narrow valley itself. It is around 9pm when finally the leather pouch is empty no more. Jarek takes out the precisely folded parchment, lightly smelling of lavender. As he carefully opens it, words become evident in an exquisitely precise hand and he reads:

“Hello.

Not sure who C is but I'm sure I'm glad he's 'free'. I'm fairly sure that B is that old fool C'yrk, though. Not actually there with my present, then, hmmm?

Oh well. He'll realise soon enough. This is the grown-ups game, you can tell him.

I do hope you have fun with your 'temple' and 'Ghull': sorry I can't be there, really, but I have some study to do on what this item you mention might be - I have a number of ideas. If it has anything to do with my son's death and that Sword, then I'm afraid I'll probably have to kill you all. Sorry about that.

But that's for the future after all.

Do have fun freeing those souls - although I feel obliged to warn you that you'll need daylight on your side as well as Ceredophilus' teeth - there: that was lovely of me wasn't it?

Toodle-oo”

The parchment is (unreadably) signed and has 7 rubies as a synbol below the name. Jax begins to growl and leaps at the parchment; almost as he strikes it there's a stupidly gentle pop as it bursts into flames and is no more. The rest of the party is woken because events are clearly not as they might seem.

Jax, meanwhile, lies twitching, barely alive, his face badly burned – Darius is almost paralysed with concern and Suva helps Darius by healing his canine companion, even as he contains his own annoyance at this turn-up in events. Morin is equally jarred and broods for a little while before allowing the problems on his mind to be shared and the truth of what the bag Beryn had given him was for.

“Beryn gave me the pouch, not Suva, and he told me that it would conceal an item from detection, that item was the third stone of the scabbard [obained secretly in the vampire’s crypt with the elemental gems]. Sorry, but with all of the deceptions going on, I felt it best to only hand over two of them. The third stone was different, and through discussion with Beryn, it was decided that I keep hold of it. Unfortunately, someone or thing else now has that item, and knows of the Sword. As Beryn is our benefactor, and the only being of power that we have contact with, then I feel we must make tracks to get to him - he needs to know about this.”

He also reminds the party of the seven red stones on the parchment – very like the ring Jiriki cut from the vampire’s hand. Jiriki supports this:

“Cal-wotsit said the 7 stones are a symbol showing allegiance to the Magrothir, he found a brooch that proved their part in other “events”. They're a group of mages and assassins apparently - nice combination.”

Clearly this information and the brooch were the things Calrhuvianne had to get to the mayor of Galent. The vampire’s involvement is less certain – although when the vampire was first met in the crypt, a mage was dead at his feet; it seems likely that this was the ‘son’ referred to and that the vampire had taken the ring from that mage.

Suddenly, the party feel the weight of being invovled in something rather bigger and more complicated than they realised. Suva offers a prayer and a promise to return to free the trapped souls and then the party decide they must head back to Beryn to confer.

They head back with their concerns and small amounts of treasure in tow, the broken starlight and glimpses of moon giving enough light to move by. The initial leg of the journey is necessarily slow as care is taken to look and listen for any patrols or bog serpents. There are none, however. It's remarkably quiet and there is no sign of the griffons that Beryn warned dwell in this area, which makes the desire for a horse even greater, particularly as the ground is so muddy.

In fact, the more it is examined, the more it's quite evident that a lot of the ground has been heavily cut up as if there has been movement of sizeable numbers today in the stronghold's valley.

Escape from the area is made without a hitch, there is an uncomfortable feeling that somebody is following - nobody is seen or heard, though. By early afternoon the next day, the party are heading confidently back to Beryn's farm, outside Galent.

19th Kanos

Tired and muddy the characters arrive to find an old dwarven woman waiting at the gate.

"Come along," she says in a kindly but matronly tone, "there's hot toddies all round to wake you up - have a wash and get yourselves tidied: Beryn's left me in charge and the mayor's invited you all to dinner, if you get back in time.

"Which you have."

She pauses whilst you all look at her, slightly confused.

"Come along, come along, not everybody gets this honour, you know!"

As the dwarven woman busies herself, cleaning, checking whether her guests want some more of the relaxing hot toddy that's on offer and generally bustling about in Beryn's fairly spartan abode, each member of the party takes the chance to stretch, ease out some fatigue and wash up.

Whilst there's some slight thoughts in the direction of muddied attire, this is soon hushed as a herald arrives from Galent, a portly dwarf, introducing himself as Homberg. He has a horse-drawn cart outside so that the party may arrive comfortably in Galent before it gets too dark and he adds, as tactfully as he can manage, that a change of clothes will also be available for honoured guests of the mayor and your rooms are prepared and waiting.

A second, old dwarf arrives behind Homberg: he looks weary but smiles and quietly approaches Morth to lead him away; he will look after the stricken dwarf, evidently.

Dinner will be at 8pm sharp and one of you will be called upon to recount your courageous tale of the rescue of Calrhuvianne

Galent may be a small city by Wesland or Karubian standards, but it can, it appears, still do things properly.

The city is walled and has a number of gates, each defended by towers and the gate you now enter is no exception. Archers stand ready, but relaxed as you enter. At ground level, two armed dwarves stand to either side of the door to allow passage and, just to one side, almost hidden is another character - his curious eyes give him away to a few of the party: this is a Yuan-Ti, the part-snake people. There is a sudden flash of memory of two such, encountered early on the journey into the vampire catacombs, one of whom had a bull's head tattoo beneath his armour on his neck as well as scales, the other of which had a tail instead of legs.

Within the walls of the city, there are a number of people leaning out of shop doorways and windows to see what's going on as you are driven along the main road from the wall, to a junction which marks the centre of the small city. The city hall stands here with river to its back and you are led inside by an entourage of decorated dwarven guardsmen. Once within, the city hall seems quite palatial and you are made comfortable and offered sack (a dry white wine). Homberg informs you, itching to get away to other duties, that a change of clothes will be brought to you and there is an adjoining room where you can change - but you should be back in the main hall in 20 minutes so that you can be led in as guests of honour.

The mayor, it seems, is in unusually high spirits and has sorted the party out with rooms in the main inn near the city hall and wishes to honour them for rescuing his cousin. There will be food and drink a-plenty tonight and tomorrow you will be allowed the run of the city to restock yourselves and the mayor himself will pick up the tab before you head out on a boat in the afternoon.

Some of this catches you by surprise and, although you feel somewhat caught up in events, it is good to be treated well and you can't help but feel a smile creep as various dwarven dignitaries gather and point excitedly at the party.

A high archway leads you in to a vast dining room with tables set and candles alight already. Almost 200 people are gathered here - most of them dwarves - and you are politely ushered to a main table just forward of the head table, which is curved slightly and raised above others in the room. Calrhuvianne is already sat there - and waves a hello - and five other seats are also taken by characters you don't know. Only the main seat is left, a broad high throne, much bigger than any other seat.

As you take your seats, three trumpets are sounded at the main door and quiet descends thereafter. Smells of cooked meat and spices waft through the air and then a large, looming figure approaches from the back of the room and clasps his hands on the back of the main seat, his feet clattering noise out across the room as he approaches it. He smiles at Calrhuvianne and, with a booming voice, announces:

"Today we have honoured guests to mark the founding day of Galent. They have rescued my cousin who brings us news of problems with our brethren in Rin Duras. But more of that another time! There are no worries today.

"There is much to say and honour but I will let our new friends speak first and tell us of their tale: it is good to hear adventure before the feast begins!"

He laughs boldly and loudly and takes his seat at the head of the table. Soundlessly, two very large guards appear behind him a few feet.

The crowd awaits expectantly but the party has paused for a moment in mute shock.

Nobody saw fit to tell them that the mayor of Galent is a huge minotaur.