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-----Thalog turns to Sol and says, "Thank you Sol. You are very generous to do so, but if I go first then I can sleep though the night." Thalog turns to Sarah, "When you are settled, come see me. I have some questions for you."
-----Thalog picks up his staff in his right hand and uses it to walk calmly towards the stairs leading to the roof.
-----Raven looks at Amythiel, "Let Sarah explain." Raven turns to Sarah, "No harm done. I don't hold any hard feeling towards you. You're right, it has been a long day. We'll talk tomorrow about the crystal ball thing."
-----Raven gets up, "I'm going to stop by and see how Rinda is doing. Night all." With that Raven leaves the room.
-----Everyone can see that Raven is now in a foul mood.
-----Sol watches Thalog leave with a resigned look on his face. Then he sees Raven leaving. Without changing expression, he gives Amythiel and Sarah a shrug and a weary half smile before returning to his seat.
-----Rand turns to Amythiel, "Perhaps I can explain what has taken place. Two nights ago, Thalog, a paladin named Arliss Vanderbrook and myself rode to this very keep to deliver a message from the Sun Lord to Broactor. It was to inform Broactor that the madness that had affected the animals in the area was the result of a curse. This was also where we met Raven.
-----"Yesterday morn, the four of us rode forth to look for anything that would lead us to the cause of this curse. In the course of our journey, we came across a farmhouse that had been burned to the ground. The unfortunate family that lived there was mercilessly slaughtered. Raven was able to track the guilty ones to the ruins of an old Gorian village. Therein we found the murderers to be no less than a group of marauding orcs."
-----"We had the chance to question the orcs and found out that a group of humans had ‘hired’ them to raid in the area. In the course of that encounter, Arliss was badly wounded and was, in fact, poisoned. He chose to return to Hearthorn with one of the orcs as his prisoner. On the way to the town, he met Sol and sent him to join us."
-----"This very morn, we found a group of humans hiding in an ancient Lathanian ruin. We found out from them that they were bandits stealing from the good people in the countryside. They would then send the stolen items to their leader, who was hidden in a cave in the Wesgol Forest. While in the ruins, we also met Zentil. He has joined our cause."
-----"From there, we journeyed north to the forest, where we met a druid of Terrena named Trist. He showed us the way to the cave where the leader of the bandits had his hideaway. There we fought them and won. These men," he says pointing to the six men who are tied up, "were some of the bandits we captured from there. It looks like I will be escorting them back to Hearthorn tomorrow."
-----"Some of these men have told us that the stolen goods they received would be sent to a cave of ‘witches’ to the east in the forest. Our forest friend, Trist, has also told us of ones he calls bone-men. I believe Raven thinks they are undead and I am inclined to agree with him. So it is that we are presently here and we had planned to return to the forest tomorrow."
-----He turns to the rest of the people in the keep. "Is there anything anyone would like to add?"
-----The man named Jon speaks up, "On the next level, we have three rooms and a large ‘common’ area. In one of the rooms is one of our own who is very sick. The women," and here he nods at Sarah and Amythiel, "can have one of the other chambers. The majority of the men can ‘bunk’ out in the common area as most of you will be helping with the watch at different times tonight."
-----A loud feline scream tears through the night. Jon acknowledges it and continues, "For those of you that are visiting for the first time, our comforts are meager here, but you are welcome to make yourself at home. With the noises of the animals, it may seem like a long night, but remember Broactor’s words. Do not venture outside the keep tonight." He then turns toward the guards that accompanied Sarah and Amythiel. "If any of you men would like to help out on the watch tonight, see me up top." With that, he takes up the stairs and shows everyone where they will bed down for the night.
-----Sol bids everyone a good night, before heading off to see Jon to report for a watch shift.
-----Sarah gets settled into her room upstairs, that Jon shows her, and then goes to talk to Thalog during his watch.
-----The time spent at the Temple of Thales seems to pass slowly for everyone. Those posted atop the keep notice the evening star brightly shining in the western sky. An hour later, a waning gibbous moon gives forth its dull light rising in the east above the woods. As the night progresses, the temperature steadily drops until the air feels freezing. Past the midnight hour, the ones on watch lose sight of the stars and the moon.
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