There goes Gerald again!

Nehn 17, 4711

Having been tasked for asset recovery by the Hellknights, the Coopers successfully retrieved the Mosswater treasury and turned over a third of it back to Fort Inevitable. Daryle hid the remainder throughout Shadowborn Manor. But the missing money, which disappeared during the goblin assault on Fort Inevitable, still bothers the siblings. Where could the money have gone, and, more importantly, who stole it? The Coopers decide to investigate.

Darelle is the first to bring the subject up to Dr. Mordel. She informs him about the events that transpired during the last few months, leading to the Hellknight treasury disappearing. Dr. Mordel does not appear surprised, but confesses he had not heard this state of affairs. The Hellknights, he told her, have done a very good job keeping this information to their upper echelons. He tells her that residents of the Fort have noticed the Coopers' activities on behalf of the occupiers, and that they are earning a reputation as Hellknight lackeys. She replied not to worry, she and her brothers and sister were doing no one's bidding but their own. He told her he personally didn't care, he knew she was a good person, but this was a needle they needed to thread very carefully, otherwise they might get pricked.

Noah, meanwhile, enters Fort Inevitable and secures lodgings at the Juliver Arms, in the room across from Roscoe. He decides to spread the rumor that the Hellknights' bank was broken into and the money has disappeared. Noah tells Tom Braddon that hundreds of thousands of crowns have disappeared from the bank, and that there will be delays in making payroll. He further adds that several officers have questioned whether they would deposit money in the bank in the future. Quickly, this rumor reaches every corner of town, and many people present themselves at the bank to make withdrawals. The bank is able to meet all of its obligations, and the rumor is quelled. Unfortunately for the Coopers, the fact that they turned in a large amount of gold has enabled the Hellknights to meet their financial obligations, and it would take several large withdrawals from rich inhabitants to really shake the bank, something the Coopers are unable to engineer.

Later on in the afternoon, Darelle and Daryle wander the sewers, and discover that they look much the same. The Hellknights have fortified the main sewer leading past the citadel with a complex set of gates and heavy iron bars, but they have made no efforts to close the exit out by the field.

Daryle decides to head back home and explore the iron mine by entering through the well. The recent rains have filled up the well enough to make that path difficult to access. Daryle decides to not attempt the crawl and instead returns home.

Darelle concludes her day by buying two potions of invisibility before returning home for the night.


Nehn 19, 4711

In the morning, Daryle and Darelle head out to the Emerald Spire. Since they haven't discovered where the gold has gone, they decide to see if Greenhide was involved in the theft. The Spire has clearly suffered the full effect of the Helknights' assault during the green storm. The goblin defenses have been obliterated, the makeshift gates forced, and no signs of a goblin presence.

The sisters enter through the 3rd level access tunnel, hoping to gain access to the upper levels without being noticed. Unfortunately, they discover that all of the hallways on this level have been sealed. The Coopers can easily access the lower levels of the Spire, but they cannot climb up. Frustrated, they head back out again, and decide that they will attempt to sneak in through the secret passages on the ground level.

Coming out of the tunnel, they notice a large homemade flag flying from one of the Spire's tower. That flag was not there before they went down the tunnel. Upon closer inspection, the flag displays a crude obscene rendering and both sisters look at each other. Gerald is at it again.

Indeed. While the sisters were down on the 3rd level, Gerald, who had followed them, had decided to plant his flag as a juvenile prank. Unfortunately for him, he was challenged by two goblins after he had placed the flag, and following a short battle in which he was attacked both by a swarm of wasps, slipped on the icy ground and fell thirty feet, he quickly found himself unconscious and once again an unwilling guest of Greenhide.

Darelle and Daryle explored the area near the flag, and discovered several incinerated wasps, signs of a struggle, and marks where a body had fallen before goblins picked it up and dragged it inside. Once again, it is up to them to save Gerald from himself.

The Coopers breach the secret doors, and discover that the ground level has been badly damaged by the Hellknights. The goblins have tried to put it back together, but it lacks some of the fineries that were present there before. They encounter several groups of goblins, and successfully dispatch all of them. But as more and more goblins seem to be joining the fight, the sisters decide it is time to accomplish a strategic retreat lest they suffer Gerald's fate. They return to Fort Inevitable.

When Gerald awakens from his enforced nap, he finds himself shackled to a chair at the head of a long table. At the other end he sees Greenhide, who welcomes him back to the land of the conscious, if only for a short moment. The goblin chief then offers him a bowl of turtle soup...