After Camilla, Nalos, and Cassyt returned from hunting down the zombies, the group slept for the night in the chamber the Red Wizard and his forces stayed in after tending to their injuries. Even though they believed that most of the undead had been destroyed, they kept a watch rotation throughout the night in case they were wrong and some of the undead did escape. At the very least, they were able to drive back the Red Wizard responsible for raising the undead and Cassyt was optimistic that the Kelemvorites would be able to deal with the remaining undead.
It was impossible to tell when it was morning while underground since they were unable to see the sun, but after some time went by, the group made their way through the catacombs towards the collapsed stairs. At first, they weren't able to find a way up into the upper portion of the catacomb but they didn't have to wait for too long for Nordak to arrive with a coil of rope. The cleric was able to help the adventurers climb back up so that they could leave the catacombs. Arannis told Nordak of what they encountered and the dwarf frowned at the mention of a Red Wizard being responsible for the undead.
"The Doomguide is going to want to hear this," Nordak said. "I can take you to him now. He was quite worried about you when he spotted Hana and I leaving the cemetery."
"Where is Hana?" Arannis asked. "We need her to translate some documents we found."
"I figured we would meet back at the Laughing Goblin," Nordak answered. "Those ghouls from last night shook her up. I'm working on helping her through her fear but it'll take some time."
"We'll head that way after we meet with Yovir," Arannis said and took out the documents. "Nalos, I want you to go to the Laughing Goblin ahead of us and give these to Hana. I want to have an idea of what they say by the time we get back with our payment."
"Sure thing," Nalos grabbed the documents with a quick nod. "I'll see you all at the Laughing Goblin."
Once everyone made their way out of the catacombs, Nalos split off from the group, dashing toward the Laughing Goblin. Pallas nodded in approval while Arannis put on his brimmed hat, glad to see that the druid was eager to keep working instead of worrying about collecting his payment. Even though it had only been weeks since Pallas had first met him, he could tell that Nalos had come a long way from chasing stories of hidden treasure and ghost pirates. The monk could see Camilla glance in Nalos' direction as he went off to let Hana know but couldn't tell if she was interested in him showing he was a hard worker or wondering what information the documents held.
Given the long night, Pallas and Arannis had yet to approach Camilla about continuing to work with the group. Truth be told, Pallas wasn't sure if she would want to work with them. While there was something going on in the Moonsea between the Cult of the Dragon and the Red Wizards of Thay, Camilla had been far from friendly with the group. If she did agree to work with them, he doubted that her attitude would improve, but they would be able to make certain concessions for her membership, such as allowing Nalos to see Jerica. As a paladin, Camilla would likely want to help protect Phlan and would be willing to compromise with the only others working for that.
The group met with Doomguide Yovir while he was getting ready to tend to some of the graves in the Valhingen Cemetery with a pair of shears . Arannis and Camilla reported what they found in the lower catacombs and the Kelemvorite became distressed by what he heard. The idea that there was a Red Wizard operating out of Phlan was terrible news to hear and the fact the Red Wizard was able to escape made the news worse. Yovir set his shears down by the tombstone and sighed, shaking his head. It was only when Arannis offered the map of the catacombs that Yovir's eyes went wide.
"I don't understand the words written but I can recognize the direction they were digging the tunnel," Yovir told the group. "Had the Red Wizard finished the tunnel, he would have had direct access to Valjevo Keep."
Camilla gasped. "That the Lord Regent's seat of power! What would the Red Wizard have done if we hadn't stopped him?"
"I may have an idea but you needn't worry about it," Yovir said. "I will have to arrange a meeting with the Lord Regent and the Lord Sage about what happened as well as the clergy to seal the tunnel."
"Aye," Nordak nodded in agreement. "I'll see to it that the necropolis is cleared of any remaining undead."
"If you need our help, we'd be willing to help finish the task," Arannis said with Pallas nodding in agreement behind the dark elf.
"You've done enough as it is," Yovir assured the group and reached for a large pouch he kept. "Your payment as promised."
"All in a day's work, huh?" Pallas chuckled and took the pouch from Yovir. "I'll divide the gold up among ourselves."
"And I'll be sure to double check your math," Camilla told Pallas and crossed her arms.
"Aren't you already rich?" Pallas pointed out.
"Be that as it may, I'm not going to risk having you cut your friends out."
Yovir chuckled. "Cassyt, I know you weren't included as part of the payment but you've done well last night. I believe it is time for you to join the Most Solemn Order of the Silent Shroud?"
"Really?" Cassyt said in awe. "Thank you, Doomguide. Thank you so much."
"You've earned it, Cassyt," Arannis told the acolyte with a faint smile.
"It was fun tagging along with you all," Cassyt told the adventurers, smiling widely. "If you ever need someone to guide you through the catacombs, you know who to go to."
"Let's head to the chapel to discuss your induction ceremony," Yovir told Cassyt and turned to Nordak. "I shall leave you with your companions. You can have the rest of the day off from your work."
Yovir bowed to the adventurers before turning around, leading the way back to the chapel. Cassyt turned to follow the Doomguide for a few steps before she looked over her shoulder to wave at the group. Pallas wasn't sure what the Most Solemn Order of the Silent Shroud was but he was glad to see that she was able to join it. She didn't help much in a fight but she knew the catacombs well enough to help the group get by. Cassyt was certainly more pleasant to have around than the grim Nordak.
"I suppose this is where we'll part ways," Camilla said and turned to look at the adventurers. "Once I receive my cut…"
"Actually," Arannis interrupted Camilla and held up his hand. "We were thinking that this didn't have to be the last time we worked together."
"Is that so?" Camilla asked, raising an eyebrow in surprise.
"Phlan's in danger and we're one of the few that knows what we're dealing with," Arannis explained, bringing his hand back to his side. "We've stopped the Red Wizard's plot but he's still alive and the Cult of the Dragon could still be active in the region."
"We could use the help, Arannis, but are you sure this is a wise idea?" Nordak asked and glanced toward Pallas. "I wasn't down in the catacombs with everyone for long but I have concerns from what little I did see."
Pallas shrugged. "Look, Camilla, we might not get along, but I think we can both agree that the enemy we're dealing with is bigger than our feud. So, how about we let bygones be bygones?"
"Perhaps," Camilla said and crossed her arms. "I can't say I was too impressed by what I've seen. How were you able to get by as adventurers for as long as you have?"
"Mostly luck," Pallas admitted. "Nordak does a lot to keep us breathing."
"I suppose working together would give me a better chance of defeating Phlan's enemies than if I were to fight by myself," Camilla nodded. "Are you sure Hana and Nalos will agree to having me around?"
"Hana's reasonable enough," Nordak answered. "She won't object."
"Nalos might unless you let him see Jerica," Pallas pointed out. "I think we all know what you have to do."
"Of course," Camilla sighed. "I'll inform Jerica that I won't stop her from seeing Nalos, even though I think that the relationship is foolish and destined to fail. I'm surprised they went this long given this all happened when they were enjoying the night too much."
"Kids make mistakes," Pallas waved his hand dismissively. "Nalos has heart."
"Of that much, I can agree," Camilla said. "Now, I've had enough of the dead. Let's leave the cemetery. I'm sure we have a lot to discuss."
Nalos and Hana were waiting for the others at the Laughing Goblin, which was mostly empty given that it was still morning. They were initially surprised when Arannis pulled up an extra chair for Camilla to join them, but after he explained that she would be joining them, they quickly came to agree to the idea. Hana, interested in reading through the documents from the catacombs, nodded without complaint. As for Nalos, he agreed when Camilla informed him that she wouldn't stay in the way of his relationship with Jerica. Without anyone objecting, Arannis officially welcomed Camilla as part of their adventuring group.
With Hana still reading the documents for important information, the group decided to wait by splitting up the gold between themselves. Camilla looked over Pallas' shoulder as he counted out the gold, making sure that it was fairly split amongst the adventurers. Even if he thought he could get away with taking part of someone's cut, Pallas saw that there wasn't a lot of gold to divide among the group. It was decided that the hundred gold would be split five ways with everyone but Hana receiving twenty gold. With Camilla deciding she didn't need the magical goggles, Hana agreed to take the item instead of payment. Twenty gold wasn't much by Pallas' standards and he knew that he would need to cut down on his carousing until the group could find more work.
"I might have something," Hana announced, not looking up from the documents. "It says here that someone by the name of Rath Modar ordered our mysterious Red Wizard to dig a tunnel beneath the catacombs, searching for the Pool of Radiance, which is believed to be under Valjevo Keep."
"Pool of Radiance?" Nalos questioned. "I haven't heard of that before."
"I think I might have seen it mentioned in one of Phlan's history books but I can't remember what it was," Camilla said with a frown.
"We should let Yovir know if he hadn't found out already," Arannis said, glancing toward Nordak. "We may not know what it is but I would think it is in our best interests to keep the Pool of Radiance away from the Red Wizards."
"Aye," Nordak nodded in agreement. "I'll let him know."
"So there isn't much to follow on that end yet," Pallas said, sighing. "Wonderful."
"After everything we went through last night, I could use a break," Arannis said. "Hana, have you found anything out from the tomes we recovered from the island?"
"I have although what I've learned isn't much," Hana admitted and looked up from the parchment she was reading. "The tomes I discovered were destroyed but there was mention of Dragon Masks."
"Dragon Masks?" Pallas raised an eyebrow. "What are they?"
"That is something I do not know but I can assume that they're related to chromatic dragons since there are different colored masks," Hana explained. "The tome said that the Green Dragon Mask was located in Kryptgarden Forest."
"The Cult of the Dragon may be interested in recovering the masks," Arannis nodded along. "Kryptgarden Forest isn't in the Moonsea though, or at least, I've never heard of it."
"It's outside of Waterdeep," Nordak told the group. "I passed by it once. We'll need to get word out that there's something the Cult of the Dragon wants there."
"I'll do what I can," Arannis said.
"This might be a crazy idea but could one of the Dragon Masks be in Phlan?" Nalos asked. "Would the Cult of the Dragon devote so much of their resources to find these tomes or is there more going on."
"The tomes weren't clear," Hana told Nalos. "Still, I wouldn't rule that out."
"Once again, there isn't much of a lead," Arannis said, clasping his hands on the table. "For now, all we can do is wait for our next opportunity. That'll be it for this meeting. Camilla, we're glad to have you with us."
"Let's hope we don't have to wait too long," Camilla said and stood up from her seat. "You know where to find me if something comes up."
Camilla and Nordak were the first to leave. Nordak had to report to Yovir of what the group discovered and Camilla likely had some responsibilities of her own to attend to. Hana was next to leave, gathering up her documents to store somewhere safe. Arannis invited Nalos to stay around for breakfast but the druid decided to check in with Jerica and let her know about his latest adventure. Pallas stuck around with Arannis after the dark elf agreed to pay for breakfast.
After the group's last few adventures, Pallas couldn't help but wonder about the conspiracies they kept stumbling into. There was something going on in the Moonsea and he had a feeling that a lot of people were going to get hurt unless they could stop the various cults threatening the area. Pallas wanted to do more, but for now, all they could do was wait. Knowing his luck, it would only be a matter of time before he and his companions took up another job that led them to another mystery.
When Fat Mar arrived at the table to take their orders, Arannis ordered bread, cheese, and milk. Pallas, still caught in his thoughts, ordered the same thing as his companion. It was only after the waiter left that Pallas caught Arannis looking at him in a strange manner.
"What?" Pallas asked.
"Nothing," Arannis shrugged. "I thought that after everything we went through last night, you would have ordered something stronger than milk."
Pallas chuckled. "It must have slipped my mind. I guess it's too early for ale anyways."
"That hasn't stopped you before," Arannis pointed out with a smirk.
"I guess it hasn't," Pallas nodded along. "Still, I didn't make a lot of gold from clearing out the catacombs. I'll need to think about what I should pay for and what I can live without."
Arannis let the matter drop with Pallas glad that he didn't mention he was paying for the monk's breakfast. He could still feel a lingering pull for a strong drink, but for now, he knew he should try not drinking as much. At the very least, it would get some of his companions to stop trying to get him to change his behavior.
A/N: And with this chapter as a wrap-up, Dues for the Dead has been finished. It's a shorter story compared to some of the other adventures in the Moonsea but I've come around to see how important it is to the plot.
In terms of stats, Dues for the Dead doesn't stand out too much. 21,000 words and 56 pages is shorter than what I'm used to writing but I think with what I had to work with it's a good length. I am glad for the 55 views that I've gotten for this story at time of writing. I was worried there wouldn't be much attention with how long of a hiatus I've been on with the Moonsea cast but this shows there are people still interested.
I'd like to give a shoutout to Sunday0716 for following and favoriting Dues for the Dead. Your support means a lot.
As for what's next, I intend to start one more story taking place in the Moonsea and will get to writing that tomorrow. I think I might have said I was aiming for three stories over the course of July, but with how busy I was while traveling, I'm going to settle for two. Still, I'm excited for the next adventure these characters will go on.
Until next time!