Episode 09: You Can't Handle the Tooth

[fraz]

Episode 09
You Can't Handle the Tooth
[Saturday 21 Jan 06]

Cast of characters:
Dale: Blackspear
Kit: Dray
Laren: Matt C.
Jarmok: Johan
Maal Brengain: fraz
Ragnar: Rob C.
Sayer: Phin

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Sythus [Spring]
Valley Year 237
Duthash Zinnyas Aryor [12 May]

The party meets for breakfast in common room at the Thornhedge Inn.
Julius speaks with them about the upcoming interrogation and they plan their questions.

The party heads over to the jail.
Dale enters the cell first and casts his Charm Person spell on the prisoner. [prisoner makes save?]
He interrogates the prisoner, but gets an attitude and limited answers.
Ragnar and Laren join Dale in the cell.
Jarmok remains out of sight outside of the cell.
Maal Brengain stands silently just outside of the door.
Sayer keeps written account during entire interrogation.

"Why did you attack last night?" asks Dale.
"To dominate," answers the prisoner.

When Dale asks what the prisoner's interest is, the prisoner replies that his self interest is secondary to the cause of the Empire of Shadows.

The man describes himself as a Disciple of the Shadow.

Dale finishes and exits the cell.
He indicates that Maal should go next.

Sayer enters first though, to talk to the prisoner first [playing good "cop" to Maal's bad "cop"].
Sayer suggests that if he knows what's good for him he should answer Maal's questions...
"What's in it for me?  Will I be set free?" the prisoner asks.
Sayer answers vaguely, not making any promises.

Just berfore Maal enters the cell, Julius hands her a corpse-eater tooth, telling her to show it to the prisoner and that he'll know what it means.
Maal enters and begins her extended interrogation [Intimidate skill check = nat 20+4].
Maal fingers the tooth as she asks questions.
She implies that they may free him if he cooperates.

She then crouches before the prisoner and traces his face with the tooth.
He shrinks back and answers questions.

His troop uses an abandoned ruined stronghold as their base.
There were about 20 men stationed in the ancient nearby ruins.
There are about 150 men in several troops around the area surrounding Threshold overseen by a dragon-man named Vervishkuk.
Vervishkuk answers to the winged serpents.
The winged serpents can shapeshift to humanoid form.
The prisoner is a simple soldier and does not seem to know much about the extended plans or purpose of the Empire... just that they attack to dominate.

Maal threatens the man with the corpse-eater tooth more than once, causing him to cringe back and sweat...
He refuses to lead them to his camp in the ruined stronghold though, even when threatened with the tooth.
He explains that if his betrayal were discovered, his punishment would be the same, implying that his superiors would also threaten him with a corpse-eater tooth.

Meanwhile:
Kit has awakened at Ashe's house.
She is feeling considerably better and leaves, heading back into town.
After checking around she finds the entire Protectorate with Julius at the jailhouse.
She arrives during Maal's questioning.

Maal paces slowly around the cell during her interrogation and actually exits the room a couple of times to confer with the others in semi-private.

Ragnar remains in the room during the entire interrogation.
He tortures the prisoner a bit, asking his own questions and cutting both the man's cheeks with a blade.
Ragnar displays the symbols on the back of his hands and the man responds condescendingly by referring to Ragnar as a slave.
At one point, Ragnar is about to cause serious harm to the prisoner (by cutting off some of the man's fingers), but Sayer and Dale intervene.

Maal finally finishes her interrogation.
Julius comes close to her as she exits the cell and whispers: "When you are done with him, use the tooth..."

Kit enters the cell and closes the door.
She uses her psi power of Attraction to get more answers...

He knows where one other camp is...
The larger stronghold is further east into the mountains.

The 1st stronghold is 1/2 day SE from town along river and the bigger one is one day further.

He also reveals that Vervishkuk can spit fire.

Kit asks if there are spies in the town, but he replies that there are none that he knows of.

Finally, as the long interrogation nears an end, Jarmok decides to show himself.
He peeks in through the door.
The man recognizes Jarmok's race and refers to him as a slave.
Jarmok is perplexed by this.
He has no memory or information of where his people come from or who they are, but he does not consider himself a slave.

Kit finally ends the Attraction - the questioning is done.
The man abruptly awakens from his charmed daze - shaking it off and looking about in confusion.

Everyone exits the cell (except Ragnar).
Julius reminds Maal about the tooth - He wants, and expects, her to use it.

Maal Brengain enters and threatens the prisoner with the corpse-eater tooth, trying to wrest any last secrets from him, but he reveals nothing more. He cringes back from the tooth. Maal Brengain glares at him... she knows nothing of this man's life before coming here as part of an attacking force and she cares nothing for him. She imagines his face as one who betrayed her not long ago... It is very easy for her to hate him as the pain of that betrayal returns. With a sneer she viciously drives the tooth into his shoulder. The nameless prisoner screams in agony.

Maal and Ragnar step out of the room and close the gate and door.
They watch through the small window to witness the horrible event.
His screams can be heard throughout the town for a few minutes.

Ragnar and Maal continue to watch as the corpse-eater grows inside the man and eventually eats it's way out of him from inside.
Maal watches with morbid curiosity.

Meanwhile:
Sayer has gone with Julius to the Council House.
It is there that he learns that three of Threshold's wayward Council Members have just returned from their travels.
However, they also learn that three others, along with three priests, were expected to have already arrived and are now missing in action.

The rest of the party has gone to the Thornhedge Inn to discuss their plans.
The group decides to scout out the smaller stronghold today.
They will need to leave immediately.

Kit asks Keltan for some traveling rations.
She leaves with Keltan to help retreive the needed provisions from Annalee's shop.
When they arrive at Annalee's they find the front of the shop to be very crowded, but keltan leads her in through the back and they are able to secure the provisions without much fuss.

Jarmok returns to the jailhouse to get Maal and Ragnar.
As they exit they meet Julius and Sayer emerging from the Council House.
Information is exchanged.
Maal is concerned about the corpse-eater in the jail cell, but Julius assures her that it shall not escape.

It is then that Severen approaches.
He heard the screaming and came to investigate.
Maal explains that they dispatched a Xanthacos captive from the attack on the town.

The group reassembles and leaves town headed south.
They soon cross the Overspan.
Jarmok climbs up the cliff to the east and throws down a rope for the others.
They all climb up and follow Jarmok east along the gorge/river.

Late Afternoon:
Spot the stronghold on the other side of the gorge.
The party moves well away from the gorge and camps for the night (with no fire).

Night:
After dark, Jarmok flies off in the form of an owl to scout the area.
He spies on the keep from above.
There are several men moving about on the ruins.
There is also a dragon-man (Vervishkuk) there.

The party sleeps.
Alternating watches are kept during night.
The night passes uneventfully.

Duthash Dracum Voldyn [13 May]
Pre-Dawn:
Discuss plans:
The group agrees that they should spy on the stronghold for a while.
Sayer throws his bones: North side of the river is favorable.
He throws them again: South side is not as favorable.

Group approaches the bridge just before dawn.
Jarmok finds tracks on the south side of the bridge.
There are six pairs of booted tracks... perhaps they belong to the missing Council Members and priests!

Jarmok crosses the bridge unseen.
The others follow cautiously.
They remain in the woods spying on the ruins.
There are guards silouetted on the surrounding walls of the ruins...