The Dark Fellowship
The Company of the Black Moon
Chapter One
Peering through arrow slits, the four looked upon the host before them. A column of mailed knights in front of the gap that no longer held the gates to what was formerly known as Steelward Keep. A company of archers flanked both sides of the knights, behind them were the trumpeters who had announced the army's arrival. In front of the knights, also on horseback were two figures; a well-dressed (and very well-fed) man wearing a crown and holding a sceptre, and a woman in dark robes with a staff in her hand.
Shoutanei looked grim as he spoke, "Many soldiers- and at least one wizard I can see. Not promising odds."
"Bloody Hells," Kezreck, his ally and the one who 'owned' the keep snarled, "After all the things we fought to take this place we're just to hand it over to a bunch of fat lazy humans?"
"Maybe not," Garadon, the thief who wore the face of a human when the four needed to interact with the so-called goodly races answered, "Look."
Sure enough, instead of charging the knights backed away from the keep, though the archers stayed put. The wizard and man wearing the crown did not go with the knights; instead with hands raised they spurred their horses forward, though at a slow pace, stopping a short distance inside the keep's outer wall.
Shoutanei turned to Kezreck, "It looks as though they came to talk. If you're willing to listen, Garadon and I can cover you from here."
Kezreck wore a brief expression of bewilderment, but then shrugged and looked to Path-Chak, "All right bug-man, let's hear what they got to say."
The humans on horseback failed to wholly hide their surprise at seeing a brutish bugbear and a six-foot insectoid emerge from the keep, though they did manage to keep some composure.
The fat man spoke first, "I am Alsadar IV, rightful king of these lands; beside me is the court wizardess Mora. To whom am I speaking?"
"Name's Kezreck," the bugbear gestured to the insect at his side, "This is Path-Chak," then when a toothy smile added, "And this here's MY keep. Even got it on paper," though he kept one hand close to the spiked mace hanging from his belt, with the other he held out the deed that had materialized in his hand that day when he picked that fateful card from an enchanted tarot deck.
The king's eyes bulged at that last statement; tentatively plucking the parchment from Kezreck's hand he read it over, surprised to see the goblinoid's name, then passed it to Mora who read it and showed equal astonishment, "We were told it was a human who had made inquiries about this place," she said coldly as she handed the deed back to the one whose name it bore.
"Yeah, that's my buddy," Kezreck deliberately chose not to correct her about Garadon being a doppelganger, "He helps when someone's got to go places folks like you would stick me on sight. By the way, he and another friend are watching us now; if you're thinking to take this place you're going to need to call those knights back-"
"We've not come to challenge your claim on the keep," Alsadar interrupted, "As your *friend* was likely told its strategic value faded long ago. We came upon reports of those skilled enough to roust it from the beasts who had settled within including- according to Mora's divinations, a spirit naga- and to learn if those skills could be employed in the service of the realm."
Now it was Kezreck who failed to hide his shock; looking to Path-Chak he asked, "Did he just say he wants to hire us?" the thri-kreen nodded, "Oh I just got to hear this," at that, he waved the two humans forward in invitation.
If the king and magus were unnerved by the sight of a bugbear and bipedal insect taking up residence in the keep, seeing a dark elf and (what looked like a) human willing to associate with such company unsettled them even more. When Garadon brought forth a bottle of wine he had acquired from the nearest village, the humans seemed afraid to drink from it at first.
Finally the monarch got down to business, "Are any of you familiar with the Company of the Black Moon?" Four silent stares were all the answer he needed, "Thought not. They were a company of mercenaries who once served the crown well. They defeated many enemies from without its borders and within, the last being a pack of werewolves they slew when it attacked one of our villages.
"We believe at least one of the company was wounded and unknowingly infected in that battle, unaware of it until too late and passed the condition onto the rest. What is known as that now these once heroes now prey on citizens of the realm from the forests, having become the evil they once fought."
Those words hung in the air for a moment, until Kezreck asked, "So what, you want us to find these werewolves and kill them?"
"If no other option is available," Alsadar answered, cutting off Mora before she was about to speak in anger, "However I am willing to pay more if the curse upon them is undone without ending their lives."
Kezreck looked to Shoutanei, "Can you do that?"
"It should be possible," Shoutanei answered, "However, removing curses like what this king has described falls more into a priest's area of expertise." They and Garadon looked to Path-Chak, the cleric among them; after a moment of silence the thri-kreen nodded.
The king gave out a sigh of relief, "We had hoped as much, the crown is- reluctant to send warriors and clerics needed elsewhere into their domain."
"Yes, why risk your own people when you can send outsiders, after all?" Shoutanei spat sarcastically, "That's the real reason you've come to us with this mission, is it not? You see us as expendable."
The humans' silence, as well as the shameful expressions they now wore were enough to confirm the drow's suspicions; yet as they started to rise Shoutanei held out a hand then asked, "Hold on- did I say we weren't interested?"
"I didn't hear him say that," Garadon pointed out.
"Neither did I," Kezreck quipped.
Path-Chak just shook his head.
Garadon looked to the visitors, "Just what are you offering for this task?"
"Two hundred and fifty gold pieces for each set of identifiable remains," Alsadar started, "An additional fifty for each alive with the curse lifted."
"Three hundred for each set of remains," Shoutanei countered, yet at the same time thinking it would not do to get too greedy, "Twenty more for each having the curse removed without killing them."
"Done," the king assented, before handing over a scroll case, "The writings in this should tell you everything you need to know about the company, their numbers, skills and arms they are known to possess and the woods they are believed to seek shelter within and from where they launch their attacks."
The business concluded, both Alsadar and Mora showed themselves out.
Garadon went back up to see through an arrow slit; once the king's host had departed and were out of sight he came back down and the four discussed the monarch's offer. Kezreck looked to Garadon, "you can tell what people are thinking- these humans, they're going to cheat us even if we do the job, right?"
"The wizard might, if she thought she could fool us," the doppelganger answered, "The king is another matter, while many humans pay lip service to notions of honouring agreements he actually believes in them," seeing the bugbear's eyes bulge he added, "True, they are a rarity, but they do exist."
"Even so, I'm worried how quickly the king caved to our demands," Shoutanei pointed out, "To me that suggests desperation."
Through his telepathy Path-Chak asked the others if they would take the mission; in answer Shoutanei opened the scroll case that held the information on the Company of the Black Moon and doled out the parchments within.
The day passed into evening; from inside Skyward Castle, the fortification from which Alsadar IV ruled, Mora hunched over a plain-looking bowl in her quarters. Performing the right spell, the water that half-filled the bowl changed from showing her reflection to the face of a female wood elf garbed as a simple druid.
"Hello, Thornstaff," Mora spoke, "You should know the king has hired a party to do something about your werewolf situation. A motley bunch too- a human who keeps company with a drow, bugbear and some giant insect that walks on two legs. So it might actually be a bad idea to attack them on sight."
Thornstaff nodded, "Gratitude for informing me of this development," when Mora ended the spell that allowed them to commune, she could not hear the druid muse out loud, "The werewolves should recognize these meddlers easily enough, once I warn them what to expect…