Rise of The Runelords - David Drake's Saga

by Raulfur

This is the Rise of the Runelords series as told by of David Drake, an American pagan who got tricked into the adventure. This series shows how he comes to understand the world and his journeys through it. The first three posts detail his companions, Faunra: a time displaced elven Magus, Dame Rebekah: a child of crusaders, and Jonathan: a skinwalker monk/kineticist. Still ongoing.

44. Day 40 or Interview with the Paralictor

Day 40: Sunday the 28th, Lamashan, 4707

Up in the morning with the rising sun. Or at least that is how I remember it used to go, back when I was in Boot Camp. When I woke up this morning, it was to a thunderous knock on the Villa door. I looked out the window and a detachment of Devil bedecked knights in plate mail were being led by a The Order of the Nail had been led here by the Dame Rebekah and another Cleric, this one decidedly more holy looking. I guessed that this was the Cleric in charge of the Iomedean Temple. I was certain that Dame Rebekah had instructed them to arrive here as early in the morning as possible to ruin my sleep. I woke Savah up and helped her get dressed. We both went downstairs to see that the Order of the Nail was already in the foyer with Dame Rebekah and the Iomedean Cleric.

The order of halberd wielding, fiend decorated armored knights were standing at alert when Savah and I walked down the stairs. Dame Rebekah beckoned us both to come down to the foyer, and not wanting to cause an issue we both went. Dame Rebekah introduced both of us to the leader of the Order of the Nail, Paralictor Darean Halst, a man with numerous scars and a shock of grey hair among the normal black, and Chaplain Tira Ronnova, the leader of the church of Iomedae here in Magnimar. I greeted both of them, and asked if they would be most comfortable with me being under a truth-telling spell for this.

Paralictor Halst seemed a bit taken aback by my immediate jump to offering this and asked if I had any plans on lying. I told him that I had absolutely no intention of perfidy, but that if certain questions are asked, he might want the comfort of me being under one, to ensure that what I am saying is the truth. Chaplain Tira (not much for formality) offered to cast a Zone of Truth Spell, but the Paralictor noted that there was no indication that I wouldn't just avoid the spell. I offered that I could talk to Proctor Jyronn Imikar to try to get one of his acolytes to cast their touch of truth-telling spell, as that offered a visual representation of the person being under the effects of the spell.

Dame Rebekah spoke up and noted that in all of the time she had known me, I had never lied if I wasn't lying to myself at the same time. I smiled when she said that. Paralictor Halst said that he would take that into consideration. I offered that I might have some further visual evidence if that is required for his viewing, if questions related to the evidence I might have are asked. Paralictor told me that he would take that into account as well, if they come up. I shrugged and asked if we could all just sit down. Paralictor told us that he would just as well stand. I shrugged and said fine, that I was available for him to answer any questions that he had, as long as they did not violate any previous oaths that I would have made before this event.

Paralictor Halst gruffly relented to that and started his questioning. His first question was if I had killed the Justice during combat. I told him flatly that I did not. Chaplain Tira looked a little upset with that answer while Paralictor Halst smiled. He asked me if I could describe the events that led up to Justice Ironbriar's murder. I smiled and noticed what he was doing with framing the situation like this. I made a mental note of it as I asked how far back he would want me to go. Paralictor Halst said that I should go as far back as I felt that I needed to completely tell my story. I cleared my throat and started with the fact that I am not from this world, and as such am not as used to its social norms as others. I pointed out that I am not using this as an excuse, just framing the context for everything.

I started out with my arrival at Windsong Abbey, and how I was guided to head to Sandpoint by the Masked Abbess. I continued with telling the Paralictor that I travelled with in a group of four people, including Dame Rebekah, from Windsong Abbey to the town of Sandpoint, to arrive in time for a festival celebrating the opening of the new Cathedral. While at the festival, we were attacked by goblins. Researching into the reasons for the goblin attack we found that the town had been targeted by an evil goddess for annihilation, and took measures to stop the machinations that had been put into motion.

I asked if he had any questions so far, and he asked me what the name was of the goddess who had made those moves. I told him that I would not name her specifically, but that if he wanted, he could offer up a name and I would tell him if he was right. Chaplain Tira asked why, and Dame Rebekah told her that we had been informed that gods and goddesses all possess the ability to turn their attention to any place where one of their titles is spoken, no matter the mortal protections. Both the Chaplain and the Paralictor blanched at that. Paralictor asked if it was a goddess that was universally reviled, and I said that there were legends of a demoness that was similar to her even where I was from, and that she might be known by her proclivity to lie with anything and everything. Paralictor nodded with a look of distaste and bade me to continue.

I started up again, mentioning how we had been in town a very short period of time after we stopped the attempt to destroy the town before we started smelling the scent of decay and rot around the places where we slept. Eventually, there was a gruesome double murder in Sandpoint where the assailant tortured one victim and easily overpowered the second one. We tracked down clues showing more and more murders, all the while, the assailant was leaving that stench of befouled grave and causing the non-tortured individuals to rise again as ghouls. Paralictor looked to Dame Rebekah and she nodded.

I continued with telling him that we tracked down the murderer, who by this time had been responsible for at least eight direct murders and three cases of purposefully inflicting ghoul fever upon others and ordering them to sow chaos, to their ancestral manor. We found that this person had killed their wife, and during the fight with him, I almost died before blowing his brains out. After the fight, we found that he doing all of this to pay off for the debt that he owed to the Brotherhood of the Seven. I believe that this debt was for the historic Manor his family had constructed. At the end, money was not enough, and the Brotherhood required some service of him. That Service included turning him into a ghast and sending him off to do all of the killings in Sandpoint. This individual had gained something of an infatuation with some of my group and this was why it was lurking around our areas when it wasn't killing.

We left Sandpoint on the first clear day after dispatching the ghast and headed here to Magnimar, as this was where all of the clues lead us. We got directed to his familial townhouse and when we arrived there we were confronted by two shapeshifters that had been created by Alghollthu and that they had been directed to take the shape of the former lord and his dead wife and kill those who were investigating. We disposed of them, and discovered a note that lead us to the Seven's Sawmill. We immediately left to go investigate the Sawmill, contrary to Dame Rebekah's assertion on the matter.

When we arrived at the Sawmill, we confronted the workers, who snuck up around me and nearly killed me again, before we managed to take them out. We made our way up the floors of the Sawmill until we reached the top of the Sawmill, expecting to find this Xanesha who had directed Aldern to torture and sacrifice those people. I opened up the double doors to be stabbed in the neck, again, almost brought to the point of death, by Judge Ironbriar. My comrades in arms stepped in and started attacking him. Before I could react again, the Justice did something where negative energy flowed all around us and brought me closer to death.

In response, I shot him. This brought him to death's door, but he was saved by the quick action of another of our group, Jonathan. It was then that we looked around his room and noticed all of the framed, preserved, skinned faces. Jonathan's familiar, a large wasp, seemed to notice one face in particular, and flew off of where it had been attached to him and landed on Justice Ironbriar. It started stabbing him repeatedly and was trying to kill him. We stopped the wasp momentarily and had a discussion, where it was revealed that the wasp was a former victim of the Justice from before he had been starting to sacrifice people in the way that he had instructed Aldern to do, and was claiming vengeance.

We discussed it as a party, with Faunra neutral towards the idea, Jonathan was for it as befits the vengeance aspect of his goddess, Calistria, and Dame Rebekah against it. Before I made my decision, I asked Jonathan to translate to the wasp to ask if it was going to continue to make attacks against Ironbriar even if we asked it not to. Jonathan translated that Cytheria, his familiar had said that it would indeed do so, and this caused Dame Rebekah some distress. I went through it in my mind, and realized that I didn't need Jonathan to be seen in a negative light by his goddess, and Dame Rebekah didn't need to be seen in a negative light by her goddess, and that I worried that a system that was corrupt enough to allow a serial killer to not only walk free, but be a city justice in charge of dispensing punishment for crimes committed. All the while planning the torture and murder of nobles and officials in the town itself, probably couldn't be trusted to adequately punish the serial killer justice itself. Especially when he would probably bring to bear the full force of the Magnimarian justice system against us for stopping his schemes.

So, I took the only action I thought could be reasonable. Jonathan's deity, Calistria, could not be upset if someone committed the act of vengeance before he got the chance to by being wily. Dame Rebekah's goddess Iomedae couldn't be upset that she didn't get the chance to offer reform to a cleric of an evil deity if someone killed the person before she could make the offer. Faunra didn't care, and I don't mind having killed a serial killer, any more than killing goblins. I also didn't feel it was just that Cytheria, the Wasp familiar, would just sting him repeatedly until he dies, as that felt to me too much like torture. So, I stabbed him in the neck with a sword that constantly drips my own blood. It was later confirmed to Faunra and myself when we reached the Dome of the Savored Sting that I had avenged the torture of Cytheria by the high priestess of Calistria, so on moral grounds, I feel completely justified.

Paralictor Halst was clearly paying attention, as he asked why I could now say the name Calistria, when I couldn't before. I told him that the deity who's name I would not say was not Calistria, but a different deity whose name starts with a "L". A look of recognition crossed his face again, and he almost blurted out her name before stopping himself. Paralictor then asked if it was common for me to "almost get killed" in these fights. Dame Rebekah noted that I did seem to bear a lot of the brunt of attacks when they did get through our armor. Chaplain Tira requested to ask a question and was given clearance by the Paralictor.

The Chaplain asked me if the fact that my living quarters had been shadowed by the previous serial killer might have caused me to be more direct with my attempt to permanently solve the issue with Justice Ironbriar. I told the Chaplain that I definitely was swayed by the fact that for a long time, my nights were haunted by the thoughts that someone might send an undead monstrosity to come and kill me and my fiancée while we slept. I added that it wasn't even paranoia, as the fact that they were having those shapeshifting saboteurs pose as the dead couple means that they were looking at doing this for a much longer period of time and that they would just continue to do so.

The Paralictor was thinking while the Chaplain got their answer and asked me what visual evidence I had, aside from the scars, which he could see, that could help my case. I asked if I could send Savah to get something, and he agreed. I asked Savah to go get both my phone and my tablet. She nodded and went to get both. I told the Paralictor that I would be showing him two recordings. One was taken last night, during the sawmill investigation. The other was of a common thing that was witnessed where I was from. I hoped this would seal the deal.

Savah came back down with both, and I noted that I would need to charge both on the way back. I unlocked my phone and loaded up the video of Seven's Sawmill. I showed it to both him and Chaplain Tira simultaneously. They were amazed that everything was almost exactly as I had remembered it. There were some minor discrepancies, but they were minimal. The Paralictor asked Dame Rebekah if she stood by this recording. Dame Rebekah agreed with the recording that it happened exactly as the recording declared. Chaplain Tira was a bit amazed that we had access to something like this. I loaded up a section of the movie Freddy vs Jason to show how someone can be thought to be dead but then pop right back up.

Paralictor was amazed at this, and asked if there were more representation of this where I was from. I told him that there were hundreds of recordings like this back where I was from, and no magic with which to fight these things. He was aghast at that. The Paralictor then took all of this in, and said that he would have preferred to have taken the Justice alive, but noted that spellcaster are notoriously difficult to contain. Chaplain Tira added that she had cast speak with dead on the corpse, but it refused to answer, indicating that the Justice was likely evil in its life.

The Paralictor told us that he would like to confer with the Chaplain and his second on this. I nodded and asked if I could be seated and wait here in the room. Paralictor Halst nodded and Dame Rebekah came over to sit with me. She asked me if I knew the stakes. I didn't and told her as such. She told me that killing a member of the justice system here was a death sentence. I blanched a little. I told her that didn't even think of that. I added that he had attacked me, and that I figured that I was just saving future people from being tortured by him. That got me sweating. It was a full half an hour of back and forth discussions between two people who likely wanted me dead, and a third who almost definitely wanted to see me punished in some way.

Just before they were about to announce their verdict, Faunra came running downstairs. She looked like she had not even tranced last night. She was yelling that she cracked it. Cracked what, I asked. Faunra responded that she had cracked the code for Ironbriar's journal. It was written in Draconic, Elvish, and Infernal. It would take maybe three more days, but that she would be able to trace exactly how far back Ironbriar had been a priest of Norgorber and had been sacrificing and murdering people in his name, and that he had been getting people out of jail to further his god's goals. Paralictor straightened up at the sound of that god's name and what else was said, and told us all that he needed to discuss this more with the other two.

I thanked Faunra for coming down. She nodded and whispered to me that Savah hold told her what was happening. It took a few minutes more before a disgruntled Paralictor Halst and Chaplain Tira came back and asked me to stand for the verdict. The Paralictor announced that there would be no formal recorded judgement for this case, as it could only be measured as someone fearing for their own life, as they had routinely been harassed by agents of the individual. He added that he cautioned us from killing any further people in town and that if we could be on our way, it would be for the best. I asked him what qualifies as a person, and he growled a little before stating that abominations, constructs, monstrous humanoids, and undead were not considered persons in Magnimar. Other things we should caution our best judgement on.

Paralictor Halst and the Order of the Nail Hellknights turned and left as a group. Very disciplined and very coordinated. Chaplain Tira waited for a few minutes until the last Hellknight was out of the villa before asking how much of what I had said about Sandpoint was true. I looked to Dame Rebekah and told Chaplain Tira that it was all true, and that the poor guard members of Sandpoint were having to go out on patrol with apprentice clerics from the cathedral to try to stamp down the ghoul infestation that was popping up in the Hinterlands. Chaplain Tira told us that she would get more Paladins to head down towards Sandpoint to help with the guard.

Savah spoke up and said that we were currently arming every member of the town guard with these armors, pointing to Dame Rebekah, at cost, and that if the paladins deemed fit to join the guard, they could be added to the list of suits that will be made. Chaplain Tira noted that she would keep that in mind, and I asked her if I could possibly ask for one thing more. Dame Rebekah grumbled as Chaplain Tira consented to the question. I asked her if she could be present for the Crystalhue ceremony this solstice, as a member of her faith was being betrothed and I was asking as many of the high priests of the faiths of those who were getting betrothed to be there for them. Chaplain Tira asked who was getting betrothed and I looked at Dame Rebekah while smiling. Chaplain Tira noted that she would love to be there. I thanked her greatly and she left to go tend to her church.

Dame Rebekah glared at me for a minute before Faunra told her that we had already secured Desna's high priestess and Calistria's. Dame Rebekah asked how I had managed that, and I told her that we had stopped by the Temple of Desna to get the tank for my bike topped off and the Calistrian temple on a lark since it wasn't too far off the path back here. Jonathan came downstairs at that and his wasp was flitting around him happily. I guess since we accomplished its mission, it might be more desiring of being around us. Jonathan got a quick meal prepped for us and brought it out. Dame Rebekah asked him how he felt about his priestess being present at the ceremony. Jonathan shrugged and said that he didn't care too much, but that she might have some good things to say as a warning to all of us. Dame Rebekah's jaw dropped and she stormed off in a huff.

Faunra, Jonathan, and Savah all laughed. I asked Jonathan if he thought that it would be best to drop by the Shadow Tower at night or during the day. Jonathan noted that it would be dark no matter when we went, so it would just be a matter of when we felt that we were most prepared. I told him that I would need to be careful from here on out in Magnimar, as I had been warned to not kill other people in town. Jonathan nodded and said that he could kill most of the people if needed. Savah said that she would head out and get the things that we said that we might need while we go to the Tower, that way we can ditch town quicker if we needed. I thanked her and said that I hoped that we could get this done without any further issues with the law.

After a few minutes of us eating, Dame Rebekah came back and said that she was sorry for storming out. I told her that I wasn't upset with her, that she was perfectly okay with heading out. In fact, if she was really upset, I'd be glad to go tell the Chaplain that I was wrong in asking her without asking you, Dame Rebekah first. Dame Rebekah shook her head and said that it just means that it will be a grander event. I smiled and said we were not even to the month of Neth yet, who knows who else I might get to invite. Dame Rebekah seemed a bit miffed, but laughed it off.

I asked her if she would be ready right now for the investigation of the Shadow Tower. Dame Rebekah noted that she had prayed for a combat assortment of spells to help us in fights strike true, strike harder, and generally be ready for anything. She noted that she also prepared a spell to fill up our bikes if needed. I thanked her for that. I looked to Faunra and she told me that she was ready. She had overplayed what she already knew from the Journal, and that it would take only three days of work, so if this only took one day, she could be ready in the four she had quoted.

I looked to Jonathan and he said that he was almost always ready, so that left me. I told everyone that I would get dressed and we could head out. I went upstairs and got dressed. I tried to get myself as prepared as I could for any circumstance. I gave myself a minute to reflect on how I had gotten to the point where I could callously kill people, and it dawned on me that I needed to talk to Savah and the rest individually when this was over. It was really a large change for me in the past few months. This place was bringing out the more lethal aspects of my personality. I headed back downstairs and everyone else was equipped and ready to go.

We left the house and walked to the stables. Dame Rebekah got on her horse, Jonathan did some stretches. I got my bike ready and checked the water tank. It was still full and ready to go. I wheeled the bike around and Faunra jumped on behind me. I noted that if I had a few days, I might be able to make a side car for either of these bikes and she could ride in that. Faunra said that she didn't mind this. I shrugged and said that it would still increase the carry capacity.

Jonathan headed to the gate and unlocked it for us. Dame Rebekah and I both drove/rode out of the Villa walls. We waited as he locked up the stables and the wall's gate. With everything settled, we headed out through Naos until we got to the Osprey Club. It had much less Faerie Fire around it at this point, and I figured that this was because most everyone who would have partaken in the club was not conscious right now. We crossed over into the Capital District for a short period of time, passing the massive marble statue of the fight between the paladin and the two headed sea serpent.

Jonathan noted that we were being followed, and I laughed asking how they were keeping up with our rate of speed. Jonathan noted that it was a bird, that was doing all it could to keep up with us. I asked him to ask Dame Rebekah if she thought it would be better to lose it or just let it follow. Jonathan nodded and put the question to her quietly. Jonathan got back to me saying that she said that it was best to just let it follow.

We rolled on down to the Dockway District and picked our way through the narrow streets to make our way past the Shrine to Sarenrae until we got to the Shadow Clock. The tower was over two hundred feet tall, with a statue of an Angel at the top. There was a wide pair of double doors at the base. Not knowing what to expect, Dame Rebekah and Faunra recommended that we load up on some defensive spells. Faunra mentioned that it might be likely that whatever we come across might be invisible, so I loaded up the program on my cellphone. Jonathan's shape shimmered for a second, but remained the same, mostly. Faunra cast a spell that caused five duplicates of her to appear around her! Dame Rebekah invoked the name of her goddess and declared that we would all be protected from the touch of evil.

Jonathan pulled out a pair of our potions, and handed me one. I went to drink it as he drank his, and he shook his head, pointing to my rifle. I poured the potion down the barrel of my air rifle and he nodded. Faunra invoked some kind of spell that increased her maneuverability while Dame Rebekah called down another blessing from her goddess to protect us from fear and guide our strikes better. Then Jonathan did his super Saiyan impression with having all kinds of things float up around him. Faunra tossed me a potion and told me to drink. I felt more protected as I felt my skin thicken. She then did the same. Rebekah cast another spell and her divinely blessed longsword looked even more impressive.

I figured that we were all as ready as we could be, so I wheeled in to the stable area at the base of the tower. It was obvious that this was a place to pull in wagons when the tower was used for its original purpose. Also as obvious was the large man shaped thing trying to hide in a corner. I recognized that what initially looked to be three carved pumpkins were actually jaundiced severed heads. I popped up my Gamo and fired off a shot.

I'm not sure why, but the pellet seemed to smolder in midair as it rocked into the evil thing. Maybe it was the oil I poured down the barrel? I struck it right in the forehead, almost causing it to stumble back. As soon as I had identified the enemy Jonathan let loose with a massive blast, causing the thing to slam into the wall behind it. This angered the thing and it ran straight for Jonathan, hitting him with the thing's massive scythe and even burning through some of Jonathan's force dampening field to cut into him. It looked like a Syfy channel version of a scarecrow horror movie.

Faunra said that this thing needed to be dropped quickly, and tried to shoot it with two of her specialty arrows. She missed with one. Noticing this, she followed it up with a blast of arctic frost that chilled the thing's face, annoying it slightly. Dame Rebekah tried to come charging in, but took a vicious hit from the scythe. It didn't deter her though, and she powered through, hacking the thing. The scarecrow was on its last legs, so I stepped up next to it and slashed it across the ribs in a weak point. I must have gotten some stitches or something, because its guts poured out onto the floor in front of me as it fell.

I looked panicked, but Faunra noted that it was a construct, and as such not considered a person by the Hellknights or Magnimar. Jonathan focused his power on healing Dame Rebekah and Dame Rebekah invoked her goddess to heal a little bit more. Faunra took out two potions, handed me one and we both poured them in Jonathan's waiting mouth. Everyone looked to be in passable condition as we looked at the rickety stairs. Jonathan said "Oh Hell No" as he focused his power on a stable door, burning his power to lift it up and put it on the floor for us to all get on. We all piled on and started our ascent in the center of the stairwell.

As we reached the halfway point, Faunra activated some power of her bow to cause it to get really cold and arcing with electricity. Dame Rebekah prayed for guidance from Iomedae as I watched our approach. I noticed somethings surrounding one of the bells that was up above the area and called out warning. A massive bronze bell came falling down towards us and hit all of us. Outraged, I fired my air rifle back at one of the shapes, and I heard a curse as the pellet found its way home. Jonathan rushed us up the rest of the way and we were assaulted by three of the Ugothols. Two of them got on either side of Dame Rebekah and tried to take her out. I wonder if there is something about her that these unliving and unnatural things do not like. Maybe they can sense her holiness or maybe something related to her deity?

Faunra, from her relative safety on the other side of the door fired off a round of three arrows at one of the ones attacking Dame Rebekah. It didn't drop, but it looked fairly wounded. For her troubles, she got a swing at her from the last Ugothol, the one that I had shot. One of its arms were not working that well, so I guess my attack struck a nerve, literally. Dame Rebekah must have been REALLY pissed, because she dropped one with an immediate slash to the neck. It dropped and fell off the door, landing below on the ground. Inspired by her, I whipped out my machete and slashed at the one that had attacked Faunra. I took its head clear off. Jonathan, finally having the door stabilized enough to attack, struck out with his cestus to flurry at the one that was still standing, dropping it.

Faunra whipped out another two potions, tossed one to me, and poured the other in Dame Rebekah's wound, causing them to close up, while Dame Rebekah channeled her healing energy, causing me and the others to feel much better. I chose to use the one that had been tossed to me for Faunra, as she seemed to be in a really bad way from the bell. Jonathan used his healing powers on Dame Rebekah and she looked to be in really good condition now. We only saw one way for this to go, and headed up the tower through a section of gears. Faunra reactivated her bow's powers while Dame Rebekah prayed for Iomedae's might to fill her. I slung my rifle back and pulled out my pistol. I had my cellphone already up and was getting ready to burst through the door. Faunra used a power of her amulet to give her a bit more life energy. Jonathan powered up and Dame Rebekah opened the last door.

I didn't see anything immediately so I looked at my phone. There was an invisible serpent woman with a massive spear in a corner. I took a shot at where I had detected her and heard her curse. Success, I would wager. Faunra targeted an area near where I shot, and the room in that area exploded in glittering golden dust. Unfortunately, now there was a whole bunch of copies of the snake woman in the same area, just like Faunra. Jonathan stepped up to her and swung his aetheric cestus, striking her once, but taking away two of the figments around her with the second and third strikes. She DID NOT LIKE that.

Xanesha (I found out later) tried to jab Jonathan three times with her spear. Some waves of despair flew out from the Lamia Matriarch (also found out later). The rest of the group seemed okay with it, but I definitely didn't feel like success was imminent. Especially after Faunra only managed to strike away the rest of the figments around Xanesha. Maybe it was intentional? Faunra didn't even hit Xanesha with her ray of frost trick that she had managed to hit the golem before with. Dame Rebekah charged in again, much to the displeasure of Xanesha. Xanesha stabbed her with her spear twice but Dame Rebekah just powered through the hit to slash the Lamia with her divine sword.

Not knowing what else to do, and not having a clear shot, I distracted the Lamia by making a feint at her to make her ignore Jonathan. I might have also asked her if her mother or father was some kind of degenerate Herpetophile scalie. I'm not 100% sure she knew what I was implying, but she didn't like the sound of the words. Jonathan used the distraction to his advantage, striking with an empowered aetheric cestus twice, the second time knocking her golden masked head clean off. Just like a snake, her tail whipped around for a second before stopping. We looked around as the blood pooled around her. I didn't notice anything else invisible so we lowered our guard and healed up as much as we could before Jonathan started casing the place for valuables.

I don't know that I care that much about this anymore. I mean, we were doing things that the authorities would not deal with, even though there was evidence. I looked in a corner and found a shredded up and crumpled up letter. I smoothed it out magically and tried to mend it, but there was a sliver missing. I did what I could to read it before snapping a picture of it. The fact that what remained even mentioned the Lord Mayor would give him cause to pause. Maybe saving his life can lead to us getting out of the inevitable murder charge I'm going to get for working with the group.

When Jonathan, Faunra and Dame Rebekah were done going through everything and loading up various items, we went back to the central shaft. Jonathan levitated the body of the Lamia along with us, to act as proof if we needed it, and also to remove the body from someone else doing unsavory things to it. I was worried about the generous offer that the letter spoke of. It was possible that these things had the resources to bring their dead back. I would have to look into means of permanent disposal in the future. I wouldn't want something evil to come back just after I destroyed it.

We collected up the bodies of the Ugothols and loaded everything onto the stable door before Jonathan lifted it up to lower us all down. When we were half way down, we saw a whole platoon of Hellknights with heavy crossbows aimed at us. I raised my hands above my head and suggested that the others do the same. Jonathan lowered us down slowly without making any fast moves. We landed and Paralictor Halst was there with the rest of the platoon. On his left, a wizard with a hawk familiar on his shoulder. That hawk looked a little winded. I'm pretty sure it was the bird that was following us.

I spoke up for the group and, with my arms still raised, greeted the Paralictor and asked if destroying uncontrolled golems, aberrations, or Lamias were against the city's rules. Paralictor shook his head and asked if we had any intention of getting into combat right now. I shrugged and looked to the rest of the group. They all shook their head and I looked back at the Paralictor and told him that I thought that we had been in enough battles in Magnimar for this trip. He growled a bit and asked us what led us to this den of filth and villainy. I snickered a little and told him that Jonathan's familiar Cytheria had followed a messenger raven that was released from our previous encounter with evil in this city. The raven had flown here.

The wasp peeked up from behind Jonathan's back and waved a leg before ducking back down. I smiled to Cytheria and thanked her as she ducked back. Paralictor Halst asked us if this was the Xanesha that we were looking for. I told him that we had found evidence that she was the one directing the cult that we had taken out, and that we were heading to Pediment Building to reveal what we have discovered during our deputization by the Sandpoint Sheriff. Paralictor Halst grimaced a bit by this. I had not told him specifically that we had been deputized when I talked to him earlier. He asked me why I had not done so.

I told Paralictor Halst that he was investigating me for murder, and that no one was above the law, not for murder and not for obstruction. I told him that I didn't want him to treat me any differently than he would any other person in those circumstances. He growled that this would not have been an issue at all if we had told him about our investiture. I smiled and told him that this would have impeded his investigation, stopping him from pursuing the facts of the crime that he was investigating.

I think he finally understood what I was getting at, because he made the call to tell everyone to stand down. I asked him if he would be taking care of the bodies of Xanesha, the Ugothols, and the Scarecrow. He begrudgingly noted that his group had methods to make sure that they didn't come back. His men went to collect the remains and we headed over to our mounts and vehicles. I smiled as I put my ballistic glasses back on, and thanked him greatly for his assistance. We all headed out and made our way out of the Underbridge to the Dockway District. We headed right up the ramp to the Capital District and made our way to the Giant Paladin/Two Headed Snake Fight Monument. The Pediment Building was right across the courtyard.

We rolled up and found the stables for Pediment Building. We paid a gold each for the stabling, a rip off if every I heard of one, but it was sufficient to know that our shit wouldn't be messed with. Savah was there, checking up on paying some taxes or what not, so I asked everyone if it would be a good idea for her to come along with us. The group all agreed and we all headed up to go see the Lord Mayor. We were stopped when we arrived by a clerk that asked us who we were going to see. Savah told them that we were deputies from Sandpoint that was sent to deliver a report to the Lord Mayor. The clerk nodded and pointed us in the right direction.

We went through the byzantine halls, going past court rooms with court in session. I overheard one clerk ask another if they knew why Justice Ironbriar wasn't there yet. They replied back that they didn't know, but that it wasn't like him to miss a day with a possible capital punishment case. We went on quickly and were not bothered much by anyone. We got to the Lord Mayor's office and another clerk was outside. The clerk addressed us and introduced himself as Valanni Krinst, the clerk and personal assistant to the Lord-Mayor. He asked us what our business was and I responded that we were the Sandpoint Saviors, an adventuring group out of Sandpoint, a vassal town of Magnimar, that had been deputized by the Sheriff and Town Council of Sandpoint to look into a ghastly event and were here to report to him how Magnimar was linked to the event.

Valanni looked a little impressed by how I just laid everything out there, and noted that the Lord-Mayor would be free in half an hour, and that we could wait just here in the solar. I thanked him and looked to everyone else. Even Savah seemed impressed that we were getting in there fairly quickly. While we waited, Savah updated us on everything that she had gotten for us from the wish lists that we had made. Dame Rebekah pointed out that we had even more things for her to sell and more things to buy. Savah smiled and then looked to me. I told her that the only thing that I had killed was an aberration, another Ugothol. She asked if I was wounded at all, and I told her that other than a bell falling on me, I was fine.

She hugged me and said that we were going to have to do something to make her feel safer about me going out like this. I told her that I was planning on increasing the armor that we were wearing when we got back to Sandpoint. She nodded and said that she wanted a little more comfort than that, but that this would help. Dame Rebekah was smiling and I asked her if she thought that I was just going to let her armor stay like it was, now that other things were getting past it? I told Faunra that the same went for her.

Shortly thereafter, a pair of magi came out of the Lord Mayor's Council Chamber. It was Master Leis Nivlandis and another one. Master Leis smiled as he saw me and told the other mage that this must be serendipity, as I was the one that he was asking permission for. I was confused and the other mage asked what kind of magic I had that I could teach. Master Leis told this other mage that I came from a world of science, not magic, and that this could even help mages if they studied it.

I looked at Master Leis like he was giving away treasured secrets, but he gave me a look that says just wait. The other mage introduced himself as Toth Bhreacher, the magi in charge of the Golemworks. I nodded with a recognition of someone who had only just heard of the place in passing. He seemed a bit nonplused that I wasn't as impressed by the name as I should have been. Master Leis asked me if I could give a demonstration of some of the things from my old world and Savah politely noted that we were expected in the Lord Mayor's office, and it wouldn't be wise to keep him waiting.

Master Leis wouldn't let it go, and asked if I was going to be using some of my technology to give evidence to the Lord Mayor, and Dame Rebekah spoke up saying that yes, we would be showing the Lord Mayor some of what we had encountered. Master Leis turned to Toth Bhreacher and said that they could observe and notice what my technology could provide. Toth seemed happy to prove the diviner wrong, and so agreed, provided that the Lord Mayor would be okay with them sitting in.

As it turned out, the Lord Mayor was more than happy to have two of the city's most preeminent mages in the meeting, if only to add to his massive arsenal of defense. An arsenal that already included the personal assistant, who I could tell had some training in fighting by the way that they were vigilant of the right areas, a few lightly armed and dexterous bodyguards being led by a chief bodyguard that was apparently vexingly singularly named Khonderian. Oh yeah, and there was a massive clockwork animatronic defender. Clearly the last was made by someone with no understanding of the conservation of energy. I must have snickered or something when I saw the last thing, because Toth Bhreacher asked me what was funny about the clockwork golem. A part of my primal brain must have realized the error that I had made, because I tried to say that it was nothing.

Lord-Mayor Haldmeer Grobaras demanded I explain what I found funny about the golem. I looked to the party and they all shrugged. I started out with saying that it was wonderfully enchanted, no doubt, but that it used the energy inefficiently. I pointed out that by just have gears move to move the gears for looks, they you were wasting the rotational energy. I added that you could approach the manner in two different ways, either by reducing the amount of wasted kinetic energy by having the gears engage only when needed, or by turning the constant rotational force into something that produces work, i.e. a generator that allows the golem to also have a shocking punch or something similar.

The Lord-Mayor thought for a minute and asked Toth if it would be possible for the golem to have a shocking punch in addition to everything else. Toth said that he could enchant it to have such, but that there was no way for it to be done without a further enchantment. The Lord-Mayor looked to me, and I shrugged and said that I didn't know if actual physics would interfere with the magic animating the thing, but that if I had access to the proper resources, I could modify the golem there to do the job, but it might take a day or two. Toth demanded that I show him that it could be done, and the Lord Mayor said that he would want to see it done as well. Master Leis spoke for me when he told them that I would be glad to do this after the group delivered the report that we were here to deliver.

The Lord-Mayor announced that he would hear the report from Sandpoint now. I looked to the others and started our story. It was not my best work, but it definitely was not my worst. I pulled out my tablet and showed various videos of events as they happened. Both Master Leis and Toth cast spells to detect magic while I was using my tablet to show the events or the pictures of the documents, which were provided in physical copy by Dame Rebekah.

When we got to the bit about Aldern Foxglove, Valanni perked up a bit. I stopped to ask him what was the issue. He told us that Aldern had recently amended his will through the Justices and had named a Dame Rebekah Destrier as the legal heir after noting that his wife had run off to Absalom, as witnessed by Justice Ironbriar. Dame Rebekah was a bit taken aback by this, but Valanni called for another clerk to bring the paperwork. He told me to continue with our report while we waited for the barrister to return.

I continued on with telling them all about the events with the Misgivings and the fact that I was almost killed by Aldern after he turned into a ghast. I presented the further information that we had received about how the Foxglove debt was paid in full, which should mean that the Manor was free and clear of any other claims on it, such as those by the Brotherhood of the Seven. The Lord-Mayor nodded as I wove that in. I continued with telling them all how we arrived in Magnimar and went to investigate the Foxglove Manor, where two Ugothol were lurking.

Faunra explained the background of the Ugothol and who created them. This worried the Lord-Mayor for a minute until I added that we terminated them with extreme prejudice. That calmed him down for the moment. I then showed the deed to Foxglove Manor and the townhouse, and the ledger that pointed us to the Seven's Sawmill. Just then the lawyer showed up and Valanni welcomed him in. He introduced him as Litigator Nicholas Rekieta, and that he was the one who had written up the addendum to the will, noting that his townhouse would go to his sisters, but that the Manor and all of the grounds associated with it would go to Dame Rebekah Destrier of Iomedae. I looked at her and told her that I guess that she just scored a creepy mansion that was about to fall down in rot. Lord-Mayor Grobaras nodded, and took the deed for the manor, scratching out the bit about the Brotherhood of the Seven, and putting Dame Rebekah as the owner.

The Litigator backed out with the paperwork, saying that he would get an official copy done up and asked where to have it delivered. Savah noted that we were staying at the Kaijitsu Villa. Nicholas nodded and left. I continued where I left off with us heading out from the Villa only to be assaulted by a great earthquake and a horde of Shriezyx. I told the Lord-Mayor that we stopped our investigation to take out this threat to the populace. He nodded and one of his bodyguards whispered something to him. Lord-Mayor Grobaras asked if we encountered a Watch Captain Panam after this event. Jonathan told him that we indeed did, and that he detained us for a period of time before we could head out to the Sawmill, almost causing us to miss some of the cultists. The Lord-Mayor nodded and bade us to continue.

I told them how we arrived at the Sawmill, and showed them the video. The Lord-Mayor was a bit distraught at the violence, but could see that it was being perpetrated by the cultists. The Lord-Mayor asked us which deity this cult was dedicated to and Master Leis told him that this cult was dedicated to the Skin-saw Man personae of Norgorber. The Lord-Mayor nodded and I continued the video right up to when Justice Ironbriar was brought down. I decided to go for broke. I stopped the video and mentioned that I was of half a mind to press a claim for damages against myself by a member of the city. The Lord-Mayor was set back by this. It was obvious that I had been assaulted by Justice of the city while I was operating under the jurisdiction of the Sandpoint Guard, itself a detachment of the Magnimarian watch.

Lord-Mayor Grobaras asked what it would take to make this go away quietly, and I looked to Savah. Savah said that we'd like permission to start up a school in Sandpoint, far enough away from other magical schools that we need not interfere with their teachings, but close enough that Magnimarians could benefit from it if they desired. Valanni already had a writ made by the time that the Lord-Mayor had asked for it, signing absentmindedly. I thanked him for the prompt redress for the wounds I suffered from the city official. He grumbled for me to go on. I told them that we had found evidence linking Justice Ironbriar to the cult of Norgorber, himself being a priest of said deity, and to another entity named Xanesha. We found out how they corresponded, so we let one of their messenger ravens go and Jonathan's familiar Cytheria followed it at a safe distance.

Lord-Mayor Grobaras asked what happened to Justice Ironbriar and Dame Rebekah noted that he was disposed of by the Order of the Nail. The Lord-Mayor shook his head and said that there was nothing else for it, that it would have had to go down that way anyway. I noted to him that we were investigated by the Order of the Nail and cleared of any wrongdoings. He nodded and I continued with telling him that we went to where Jonathan's familiar had tracked the raven and we raided the Shadow Tower. I told him that we had killed a scarecrow looking golem.

Toth asked for some details about the Golem and Faunra filled him in on everything. He noted that this golem has been a thorn in the side of the City of Magnimar for decades and asked what was done with the body. I noted that the Order of the Nail had taken custody of it. I added that we dealt with three more Ugothol as well that the Order of the Nail had taken possession of. I then finished up with our encounter of the Lamia, Xanesha. Toth asked how I could have sensed the presence of the invisible Lamia without magic and I opened up the app. It was still running, so I asked if anyone could turn invisible.

Toth volunteered and cast a spell to vanish. He walked around the room and I tracked him with the phone. Toth looked a bit upset but dealt with it well. I continued my story and finished with how I had discovered a note that I thought that only the Lord-Mayor should read. He took the two halves from me and started reading. He got down to the point where it mentioned sacrificing him and he fainted. His personal assistant Valanni thanked all of us for our time and escorted us of the room. Toth and Master Leis both came outside with us and Toth walked off, saying that he would expect me to get the shocking punch thing done in two days.

Valanni came back out after a minute with a pack of five sacks of coins, handing one to each of us. He noted that we were invited to a party that would be happening three nights hence, on the last day of Lamashan. Jonathan asked if the invitation was mandatory and Valanni said that it would be wise, as a budding tavern owner would not want to upset the Lord-Mayor. Jonathan gulped and nodded. Dame Rebekah noted that we could use a little time in Magnimar getting things done. I asked if we should get a message back to Sandpoint to get Chelger, Shalelu and Shayliss here for the party.

Everyone thought for a minute and realized that it would probably be for the best that we did. We wouldn't want them to not be here for this, and then be upset afterwards. We headed back down to the stables and picked up all our steeds. Faunra got on the back of Dame Rebekah's mount and Savah got on the back of my bike. We all headed back to Kaijitsu Manor and went back inside and locked up behind us. We spread out all of the ill-gotten gains in front of us on the main table and tried to decide what all we might want. We made lists and Savah started to pick everything that was going to be sold.

I was going to be busy for the next few days, as I was going to have to update the Lord-Mayor's golem to have shocking fists. I mean, I could make some capacitors and maybe some transformers, along with the rudimentary motor fabrication. The problem is that retrofitting is a lot more difficult than including it in the original design. I gave the rough list to Savah of what I might need to make what I needed for the golem when she went off. Faunra might have come through and asked my permission to get my various equipment to try to update their magical properties. I think I just told her okay and brushed her off.

I think a few hours had passed and I had designed what I could before Jonathan dropped by with a sandwich for me. I thanked him and apologized for being absorbed in this project. Jonathan said that they all understood that I had gotten roped into this by my new inability to lie with a smile. He said that they had gotten a sending sent back to Sandpoint, and the Shayliss, Shalelu, and Chelger were all rushing to get here. Jonathan noted that they should be here in two days. I thanked him for the update and he said that he was certain that I could do the job before leaving.

Savah dropped by a little later and asked me how it was going. I noted that I really needed to keep my mouth shut around engineers, as they can be really picky. She asked me what I meant, and I told her that on my old world there were people like Toth Bhreacher that we called engineers. They designed things for a living and just could not accept it when the things they designed just had a flaw when they were confronted with the way things really worked. Savah asked if I was an engineer, and I laughed, saying that people had more than once asked if I was an engineer, but that I never went to the schools that taught to be an engineer, but my thought process was structured like one.

Savah smiled and gave me a hug. She noted that it was getting late, and that she was going to head to bed. I told her that I would finish up my notes for today and then head to bed. It was really getting my gruff for this retrofit, then everything just clicked. I looked at the picture I had snagged of the clockwork golem and realized exactly where I needed to place everything and how to run the cabling. I even realized what I could do to insulate them correctly.

I saved all the pictures of my notes and decided that this was enough for tonight. I looked at the time on my tablet and it was after ten pm. It will be a shit day tomorrow.