The group went forward to defend the Reachmen (and hopefully gain their favor). Tibeldorf and Orianna took the colors and emblem of the Kidells as they ran towards the destructive white wyrm.
In the heat of battle, the group reunited with Francine, the Cleric of Sina, who had brought along a noble dragonborn, Ash, as well as a local reachman, Thovin Clay, who demonstrated his prowess with the bow. Heavy damage was dealt to both Ash and Francine, but the group was able to slay the beast, and make it known that the Keep was there to help.
The group needed to stop one last night before meeting with Maritine the next day. Kidell had made arrangements to be boarded at a local outpost. At first, the group was greeted by someone posing as a noble (due to Orianna's charm spell, revealed to be the brother and partner of the earlier assassin) who had murdered Kidell's contact at the outpost.
For the night, the group spoke with the guards about the situation in the Reach, and made some friends. Thovin made his way to the guard tower, and bonded with his fellow archers. As the night wore on, the caught a follower of Loma attempting to sneak into the outpost.
Tibeldorf and Calaban decided it would be best for the evening to hole up with Kidell, using alarm spells and extra precautions to ensure his safety.
Fortunately, the group was able to sniff out the assassin who had dressed as a guard, and put the outpost on the alert. Orianna found (using the eyes of a hawk) a fire similar to the ones they had seen previously when the followers of Loma were about.
Francine, Thovin, and Orianna went to deal with the threat. Ash decided to guard the Duke's hallway.
Though Orianna had seen four followers, there were less found in the remains of the fire (Francine had been kind enough to provide a fireball to deal with the threat).
In the hall, Ash attacked a guard leading a Loma follower in shackles (rightly) believing it to be a ploy. The returning party met with Ash and the two assassins on a staircase, and ultimately won a standoff.
Through torture, they were able to find out that the voice of Loma in Trestin's Keep's bottoms, Osaril, had been contracted by Sefton to end the Duke's life.
(Next Session)
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The next day the group bid ado to Thovin, who had offered to help the outpost increase security. Making it to the Mercy Tide, the group made preparations to deal with Maritine. There were many interesting characters in the town, including a group of Soldasi legionnaires who greeted the Duke. Orianna divined a verse that would help the group with the danger they would face, though she was unable to communicate it to the group.
Approaching Maritine's longhouse, Ash was able to use magic to discover the presence of a trap. There was dead silence among the many inhabitants of the Reach in the area as they entered the longhouse.
Maritine was insulted by a challenge to fight a Torval of the Forever Tree in the upcoming tournament, and noted the others, Pasco Lionmane (head of the Judges), and Olrek Stoneman (Champion of the Breakers) would likely not show.
The group was diplomatic, and put Maritine at ease (though, there were some issues regarding magic and faith with the superstitious leader of the Reach).
At one point Kidell began writing furiously with a quilled pen, and was unwilling to let it go, even to eat or drink. Orianna discovered one of those waiting on them was in disguise. Discovering the pen was cursed, Tibeldorf wrestled it away from the Duke, and Orianna disenchanted it.
Clearly a plan b, a firebomb was thrown in from outside, setting the longhouse on fire, and a Drow hit squad began firing crossbow bolts into the longhouse.
Ash transformed into a bear and rammed the front door, unlocking it as Maritine and the others went out the back, fighting drow on their way out. Calaban had the presence of mind to restrain a severely injured, but alive, drow that Francine roasted with a fireball targeting the Drow raining down crossbow fire on Maritine's people.
At the front, Ash mauled many drow and noted that the people of the Mercy Tide had withdrawn from the longhouse.
At the end of the battle, both Maritine and Kidell were alive, and for the most part, well. Maritine revealed that the reason the Reachmen had withdrawn must be because they believed this to be a challenge to her power, and that someone must be working from inside the Reach, and had this plan in place for some time. Kidell racked his brain upon the party's prompting, but could not think who would stand to benefit (though it was agreed it was meant to look like the Reach, and specifically Kidell's fault).
The group left with Maritine's (still somewhat grudging) blessing, and the mission was complete.
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