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["When in doubt look for the oldest allies. The clan Foirbeiseach was apparently a stalwart friend to the ruling clan in their civil war and one of the more influential houses. I think they would benefit most from ruining the MacArtains and would be most likely to assist us."]

     "When in doubt look for the oldest allies. The clan Foirbeiseach was apparently a stalwart friend to the ruling clan in their civil war and one of the more influential houses. I think they would benefit most from ruining the MacArtains and would be most likely to assist us."

["Well first we will need to report that we were successful in our quest. We will do so in front of the court but omit any mention of the MacArtain clan. If we chalk the incident up to the machinations of some cult we were unable to identify it will hopefully throw off any suspicions of what we truly uncovered. After that we will need to follow up on that name the villager mentioned and find this Peadaran the cultists were supposed to report to while we rally support at court."]

     "Well first we will need to report that we were successful in our quest. We will do so in front of the court but omit any mention of the MacArtain clan. If we chalk the incident up to the machinations of some cult we were unable to identify it will hopefully throw off any suspicions of what we truly uncovered. After that we will need to follow up on that name the villager mentioned and find this Peadaran the cultists were supposed to report to while we rally support at court."

["About that..."]

     "About that..." Thedrin said as he looked around the apartment granted to them by the Righ and going over to open the curtains and look out the window to the street below on the off chance some cunning rogue was clinging to the wall. "As a bunch of commoners, I doubt you would understand the complexity of our situation." He said, after closing the window and blinds and pulling back towards the interior of the room.  "Supposedly these MacArtains are a quite powerful house and we don't quite know who might swear to them in court. If enough of the court is allied to them, a mere signet ring will easily be explained off as either stolen or forged without its bearer available for interrogation and in the worst case we might be imperiled with counter-accusations of trying to sully their clan name. Unfortunately the word of an honorable knight seems of limited use in this backwater so my pedigree will not aid us here. We need to keep what evidence we do have as secret as possible until we can strike a decisive blow..."  He said as he held up the signet ring.
     "We need to figure out where loyalties lie and who we can trust before we expose the MacArtains at court."  He continued as he returned the signet ring to a secure inner pocket of his doublet. "I'm not sure that going straight to the Righ, even in privacy would be wise. He's too powerful a figure to not have a housemaid or dozen employed as spies that would note our arrival and possibly surveil our meeting. I think we should continue our investigation of the MacArtains and build a support base at court, letting the Righ in on our endeavors only once everything is in place."

["I see... well then let us continue on our way. We have business in the town. You can come with us as long as you wish."]

     "I see... well then let us continue on our way. We have business in the town. You can come with us as long as you wish." Said Thedrin as he drove the horses.

["Then I suppose we're headed the same way after all."]

     Thedrin took one last appraising look before taking his hand off the pommel of his sword. "Then I suppose we're headed the same way after all." He said as he turned to get back into the cart. As he got up to the driver's bench he was struck with a thought. "Tell me... what did you see if the cultists? Did you manage to catch anything that might have identified them? A banner or mention of their leader perhaps."

     "Hmmm..." The barkeep puts a thumb to her chin and here eyes narrow as she looks to be thinking. "Maaaybeee... What's in it for ol' Roxy?"

["Other survivors..."]

     "Other survivors..." Repeated Thedrin as he tried to take a gauge of the supposed villagers. "Children, do you recognize any of these people?" He asked, not turning his back on the other party.

[info]Sense motive to try and gauge the truthfulness of the villager's story [blockquote]Rolled 1d20+4 : 6 + 4, total 10[/blockquote][/info]

["We are on an important mission for the Righ. And where we go is none of your concern."]

     "We are on an important mission for the Righ. And where we go is none of your concern." Replied Thedrin, giving the group a good looking over. "Who are you? And why are you following us?"

[info]Perception check to try and get a count of the enemies numbers and any threats they might be trying to conceal.[blockquote]Rolled 1d20+2 : 11 + 2, total 13[/blockquote][/info]

["Don't remember where you're at eh? Barely past noon and you're already blotted. Bit early for that don't you think? C'mon, out you go."]

     "Don't remember where you're at eh? Barely past noon and you're already blotted. Bit early for that don't you think? C'mon, out you go." Says the half-orc as she picks up a broom and begins to use it to expertly herd you you of the basement as if she has done something similar a thousand times before. Next thing you know you've all ascended the stairs out of the basement and through the door to find yourselves in the main room of what looks to be a tavern. The various patrons eating lunch look back at you for a moment before returning back to their meals. "Alright, I catch you down there again and it's out the door on your arse." Says the half-orc as she turns to head back down the stairs.

     The barkeep, an older human woman with a permanently stern expression, looks up from their work to see your party with the half-orc heading back downstairs. "How..." Her expression changes to one of recognition as she gets a better look at you. "Hey, you're the heroes! What... How did you sneak past me into the basement? Aren't you supposed to be out at the old castle?" Getting a better look at your surroundings, you catch a glimpse of the tavern sign out the front windows and recognize it as one that you passed on your way out of Breachill, the Pickled Ear if you recall correctly. It would appear the tunnel has circled around and returned you back to town.

["Then they will fall before us. We can prepare for their attack. I'm sure the wizard has some spell that can disable enough of them to turn the tide in our favor. If they're from the MacArtain clan we might be able to capture another prisoner, hopefully one that isn't enchanted like the last one. Physical evidence is quite useful but a cunning aristocrat will have prepared some alibi to account for this. A live prisoner would do much more to prove our accusations."]

     "Then they will fall before us. We can prepare for their attack. I'm sure the wizard has some spell that can disable enough of them to turn the tide in our favor. If they're from the MacArtain clan we might be able to capture another prisoner, hopefully one that isn't enchanted like the last one. Physical evidence is quite useful but a cunning aristocrat will have prepared some alibi to account for this. A live prisoner would do much more to prove our accusations."  Replied Thedrin.

["Mere bandits? Or perhaps allies of the cultists we killed? Regardless, I'm sure they're up to no good. I say we confront them. If they have any sense they will surrender to us or die by our righteous judgement."]

     Thedrin looked back at the pursuers. "Mere bandits? Or perhaps allies of the cultists we killed? Regardless, I'm sure they're up to no good. I say we confront them. If they have any sense they will surrender to us or die by our righteous judgement." He said as he tried, mostly in vain, to try and get a solid count of the other party.

[info] Perception [blockquote]Rolled 1d20+2 : 1 + 2, total 3[/blockquote][/info]

["The cultists and their ogre are dead."]

     "The cultists and their ogre are dead." Replied Thedrin. "Now come along children. There's nothing left in this town for you but the dead. We'll find you some form of guardianship back in the capitol." He said with a snap of his fingers

["I supposed so. We can probably find an orphanage or something for them back in the capitol."]

     "I supposed so. We can probably find an orphanage or something for them back in the capitol." Replied Thedrin a he looked at the bodies littering the fields outside the mine. "We best hurry before the zombies start to decay now that no foul magics are preserving them. This whole town is about to smell like a butcher's offal pile"

["Hey, what are you doing here? No customers allowed down here."]

     Alak nodded and pushed open the trap door. a dim light sneaks through the crack and Alak ascends the ladder. Following him up the ladder, you all find yourselves in what looks like a well stocked larder of some kind. Barrels of vegetables, sacks of flower and grains, and kegs of beer are neatly organized around you lit by a dim oil lamp hanging in the middle of the ceiling. The faint smell of vinegar and brine suffuses the air and before you get a chance to take a better look around you hear a door open up a the top of stairs at the other end of the room and the heavy footfalls of someone descending. A half-orc walks down the stairs and heads for one of the barrels before noticing you all. "Hey, what are you doing here? No customers allowed down here."