Thinking that a ship might have landed on the coast, we left to search. Outside we found Dahlia waiting.  Seeing that she was calm, I knew that she had not heard the news. When I told her about Vos and what he said, “treasure being worth more than gold.”  She became angry. “That is the type of humor I’d expect from a pirate.  No matter, did you get a description of the lady?”  Looking at my notes, I tried to decide what part of the description would help us the most. My lady, the lady in question, was fair and had a slight limp in the right leg. The innkeeper did say she did not have golden hair.” It could be Elise. We know she has used disguise in the past.” Lady Dahila frowned as she thought about what we knew of the lady.

“Is there any thing else I should know? Agaris mentioned a man named Tarian in passing.”   Quickly I told her of the orc attack and how they targeted Tarian before us.

 

Since it seemed that Tolivar had told Tarian not to stop for us, I pointed out that Tolivar was probably who hired the orcs. Dahlia shook her head as she thought about what I had just told her. “You and the King will not like my thoughts about this. I do hope I am wrong, but I think Elise has lead us on a merry chase.”   Dahlia continued, ” I think Captain Elise, tricked some of her own Pirates into attacking her…I think she did it on purpose, so that we would hold the parlay. I don’t think her own pirates know what she looks like. It seems she has been pushing us to kill Tolivar Fence. She is also willing to kill her own men. No wonder she is feared by the pirates.”

 

 

Hum… “Did Merrick say anything would help?” I asked. “He was finally willing to talk, but he wouldn’t say too much. He eventually told me that he wasn’t longer sure there was an Ancient treasure. Instead he was beginning to think is was a trap. He began rambling about the time he was serving on Whitebeard’s ship. There he had meet a beautiful but sad young woman. He asked her to run away with her, but she told him that she was trapped and  only so often able to escape.”

Thinking to myself,  ah, that would explain much if she was the treasure and that Merrick was in love with her. I turned my attention back to Dahlia. She told us that Whitebeard had grown tired of looking for the treasure deciding it was only a myth. Not long after, Merrick met Tolivar. After he found a coin that seem magical Tolivar began to believe him. It seemed he had told her that the many locations we had been to weren’t parts of the treasure, but instead of the original spell.

That caught my attention. A spell, had it been casted by the same person who had cast the ritual at the Brit crossroad. I would have to speak to the King’s Mages to see what they might know. They should know if another door had been opened to another dimension. Wrinkling my head in thought, I remembered the door we could not open. It might be a good time to revisit it. I couldn’t help but thing Merrick was behind the trouble. Tolivar must have something he needs. And Merrick is willing to bury him, if he doesn’t give it to him.

 

 

When I began to listen to Dahlia again.  I heard that the conversation had turned to the connection between Tolivar and Elise. She was telling us that it was very possible that Elise was Tolivar’s granddaughter. I thought back to the story that Merrick had told us. About the man he knew once, who died, or likely “almost” died. And then the noble woman who was killed, and the girl who was lost, and the girl’s father drinking himself to death. While Merrick didn’t confirm it, it was the first time he flinched. We had shoved her towards danger. That would explain why Tolivar thought of us as enemies. Tolivar is pretty much willing to kill any of us, to protect Elise… But why would he just not stop her.    Dahlia frowned while thinking. ” I think he tried kidnapping her and failed. It’s likely where this whole, “Threat on her life” originated.   I thought that would explain the books we found yesterday.

As usual, Merrick knows more about Tolivar than he is letting on. There is something else though, that Merrick isn’t saying. That much of it we agree on . I have no idea what it is though.  Merrick is… *sighs* Merrick is Merrick. He’s willing to burn Tolivar’s whole world down, to keep us out of  the crossfire.

When the conversation turned to Dahlia’s family, I tied to connect the information about Elias to the treasure. I saw that Merrick and Tolivar’s relationship had changed. Was Merrick using Elias to force Tolivar’s hand. Merrick had become obsessed  with the Treasure. If it was indeed a woman he loved, that would explain it. We were running out of clues. I hoped that the scrap of paper Sherry had found, would be the other clues.

Others had the same thought and asked about the paper. Dahlia gladly informed us that half of it had been decoded. Our ideas about the colors had been correct. However the mages and scribes were still trying to find the color needed for the second half. They knew it was something in the purple spectrum. She began laughing thinking of the workshop. I saw the workshop, they’ve somehow churned out three hundred and twelve didn’t hues… It’s… frightening. When the light comes in the window, it’s like you’re standing in this strange world.

I suggested that the gems we found, might be the colors we need. But I was reminded that we hadn’t found a red gem yet. Dahlia suggested that I review my notes and see what colors the Vesper jeweler had made. Whoever designed it, would have made a good spy.  We’ve been making a lot of glass…

 

 

 

 

Tired, Dahlia started to leave. Stopping she asked me to take a message to Governor Rowan. We’ve got a lead, another Skara citizen was killed. The only clue was the sword that had been found. She was hoping that perhaps the governor would be able to identify the owner. I assured her that I would take both the message and the sword immediately  to her.

“Now I must go talk to Evidias. She might know what Merrick is not telling us. I’ll also see what she thinks about the door. Sighing, she turned and left. I looked carefully at the sword. It was finely crafted. Hopefully Governor Rowan would recognize it. Only one way to find out and I casted a gate to Skara Brae.

 

 

Having overslept, I hurried to met with Agaris. When I arrived at the meeting hall all I found a message and a moongate. “Step through the gate to meet with Tolivar.” Vos Stepping through the gate, I found myself in Orc valley. Immediately I was on the run for my life. Foolishly I sought safety in the cave. Death came quickly.  Finding a healer, I returned to the battle.

 

 

Before long it was over and Agaris gated us back to the hall. “Well that was quite a greeting and no sign of Tolivar. ” he said frowning. “Could we have been to late.” Thinking to myself could Vos been lying. It wouldn’t be the first time he lead us astray. Perhaps Agaris was right and we had arrived to late. Turning my attention back to what he was saying, I heard him direct us to find a mage by the name of Tarian Lokweaver. He was suppose to be in Minoc. When we found him we where to detain him until Agaris could rejoin us. Agaris then stepped back through his gate to Orc Valley. He hoped he would find a clue to Tolivar’s hidding place.

 

Arriving in Minoc, the party divided up to find Tarian. He was no where to be found. Lord Neptune called to us.  He had started toward the gypsy camp. On the way he had found Tarian Lockweaver. Looking around at our party, Tarian demanded to be released. When that didn’t work he tried to buy us with gold.

 

Finding that we were determined to take him to Argaris, he looked around slyly and began to laugh. Turning we saw a band of orcs running towards us.

 

To his and our surprised, at first they ignored us and attacked Tarian. Joining the battle to save him was to no avail. Lying on the ground, his dying words, “Tolivar, I didn’t tell.” When Agaris arrived, I explained what had happened. He too was puzzled by who had hired the orcs. From what Merrick told him, Tolivar was loyal to those who worked with him. So if the orcs had not been hired by Tolivar, who had.

It was decided that our next step was to visit Vos. He had sent us to the Orc cave and told us that the mage, Tarian Lokweaver, would help us find Tolivar. It was strangely quiet at Yew Prison. Where were the guards. Surely they wouldn’t desert their posts, they knew how important Vos was. As the others looked for them, I went ahead to talk to Vos. By the King’s orders, he wanted to me to question Vos without the others present.

Arriving at the cells, I found Vos’s guard sitting against a wall, in only his underwear, his head bleeding. I had a bad feeling that Vos was up to something. His cell was empty! I hurried back to the guard and asked him if he knew who had hit him. He told me that a very pretty girl from the Abbey Inn, had brought him dinner. The food smelled so delicious. “I sat down at the table to eat and drink the wine she had brought. Next thing I know, I woke up naked and with a big knot on my head.”

 

 

I asked if he knew the girl’s name. He shook his head no, then grabbed it. As I was searching for clues the rest arrived. Since there was no sign of Vos or who helped him, it was decided to speak to, Terrick, the one guard they had found. While he hadn’t recognized her, he told us that she had been sent by the innkeeper. He Confirmed what the first guard had told us. When we told him of Vos’s escape, he became worried. “That can’t be, a guard was escorting her. He told me that he was going to thank the innkeeper and escort the girl back to keep her safe.” When asked he told us he had seen the girl at the inn a couple of times. He couldn’t remember her name, but remembered it was unusual.

 

 

We were greeted by the innkeeper, who told us that while there were few rooms, we could have them. I explained that we here not here for rooms, rather information. I told her about the prisoner’s escape and how the girl came from the inn. She thought for a monument and shaking her head, told me that she had not sent food to the Yew Prison. She did remember that a guard escorting a lovely lady had come into the inn. Turning to the others, we agreed that the guard had to been Vos. While we debated our next move, the innkeeper interrupted. She told us that the lady hadn’t left with the guard, but instead a man in a long hood. She added that she never did see the guard leave. When asked if the lady had golden hair, she shook her head saying no but she was very faired skin. When we asked to see the name she had used to rent the room, the innkeeper blushed. It seemed that she hadn’t given a name. I looked in surprise at her. Drawing herself up, she defended the lack of a name. They had paid in gold more than the room cost. The lady had joked with the guard saying while it was gold, it wasn’t like a treasure. Now that was important information. I asked if she knew which direction they had gone. She answered in a puzzled voice, “They went Out of the city, toward the North, but there is nothing North of here.” As we started to leave, the innkeeper remembered one piece of important information. The lady had a slight limp, her right leg. Also when she walked, trying to keep herself poised, like an important lady might.