Roscoe cracks the accounting books of Fort Inevitable, both the real ones and those kept on the side and abandoned by Thorne since his disappearance. In the latter he discovers a letter. It is clearly coded.
He spends a few hours trying to break the code before he realizes that this letter is written in a similar code he used to employ with Thorne when they were both younger, back at the farm in Novensia.
Roscoe is pretty sure that Rose is Thorne, and Demon is Duke Mosley. But who is Lotus? Roscoe wonders aloud about why Mosley's death would create civil war among the Hellknights.
Roscoe continues to peruse the books, and he also discovers the following amounts that are not accounted for, even though there are "receipts" that prove the expenditures:
- 34,000 crowns have been paid for bonuses for the out of town workers that helped rebuild Fort Inevitable.
- 47,000 crowns have been paid for various repairs to the town wall and other Hellknight structures around Fort Inevitable, but upon investigation only minor work was performed, and certainly nowhere near the price the Hellknights paid.
- Finally, there are 120,000 crowns that have been paid in miscellaneous expenses, including 13,000 listed as incentive pay for Roscoe. Roscoe never received any of this money.
As if this was not enough, Doliver Reedbank arrives at the Citadel and he hands Roscoe a list of Thorne associates, as promised during their last meeting:
- Roger Silverfish, employee of Drurn's Tannery, who helped Thorne hoard and move food during the famine.
- Nolan Crueleye, Nethan Scarletlance, and Ivan Browndog, mercenaries from the Salamander Company provides muscle.
- Daman Blackelk, who ran the racketeering racket in the tent city during the winter.
- Selif Redlyon, who works at the Poldmar stables and who is responsible for smuggling merchandise in and out of Fort Inevitable through horse equipment.
- Ossian, who sold water from his private well at inflated prices.
- Dwayne Saucyeye, who works at the Ironworks, melted precious metals into mundane items so it could be smuggled out.
- Regan Redeve, who works for the stonemason Zoldor Maril, has built various structures throughout the area, and indicates 3 specific locations.
That night, Roscoe, Omok and the sisters are in the Commander's office. Roscoe sends a messenger to the Juliver Gate and requests that Maralictor Wirt report to his office. When she arrives, he asks her about the Duke. She informs him that Mosley is the bastard child of Queen Abrogail II of the Thrice-Damned House of Thrune, ruler of Cheliax, and he has spent his youth at Court. It is rumored that he headed out with a large army to the Worldwound to burnish his military credentials. When asked about the reference to the Hellknights fighting each other, Wirt reports that the situation in Cheliax is tense. Not everyone agrees with the diabolical pacts that have bound Abrogail II's authority over the state. Despite marshaling forces and effort, the Queen has been unable to eliminate all opposition. As the possibility of a civil war increase, Mosley has built a base of supporters throughout all Hellknight orders and clearly plans to take control of the organization and use it. Roscoe questions Wirt which side Mosley would support, and she answers that she's not sure, but he owes allegiance to his mother. The fact that there is doubt, however, means that his support is clearly not unwavering. Daryle asks Wirt where Audara Drovust, the former Lady Commander, fits in this picture.
Wirt replies that Audara also grew up at court, the third daughter of a minor noble at the same time as Mosley. It is believed that Mosley forced himself on her, and she has developed a hatred for the man. Upon her return to Cheliax, she purchased a barony and remained there over the last four months, developing her estate. The discussion then moves to the Hellknights and their Orders and organization. How could Mosley, who is from the Order of the Nail, be able to infiltrate and control the other Orders? Wirt speculates that he has been implementing sleeper agents for at least a decade in the other Orders, ready and awaiting his signals to throw them in complete chaos or even directly eliminate their leadership.
After Wirt departs, the Coopers decide that the financial crisis threatening the Fort must be resolve. They decide to head back to Mosswater and retrieve more money from the treasury in the ghost city.
On her way home, Darelle stops by Dr. Mordel's house. When he comes downstairs to meet her, she asks him if he could investigate her blue powder so that it could be replicated. He tells her he will do his best.
Sarenith 14, 4712
The Coopers head out in the middle of the night on their horse. They arrive mid-morning. Their first order of business is to ensure that the Food to Dye For remains a viable shelter. Their thorough inspection reveals that it indeed is. Roscoe is impressed at the quantity of bones that litter the roads. The Coopers then proceed carefully to the lighthouse. After searching the lighthouse, they find no disturbances that would indicate that someone has been in the building. Climbing to the top, they verify that the light has not been tampered with since the last time they were here. Daryle and Darelle carefully remove a section of the lense, and glance inside. Gold still glitters.
Thus, over the course of the day, Roscoe, Omok and the Coopers manage to retrieve approximately 100,000 crowns. They place the money in old chests found in various houses around the city, then park the wagon in the warehouse behind the restaurant. While working, Roscoe wonders aloud if there was an astrologist or an oracle who might have predicted this disaster. The others do not know. Whatever happened here, Roscoe rhetorically asks.
As the sun begins to drop, Darelle and Daryle return to Food to Dye For with the money. They carefully barricade themselves in the old restaurant. Omok and Roscoe remain in the lighthouse, curious to see what types of creatures come out at night. At sunset, Omok blasts the horn of Ovtik to summon whatever creatures dwell in the water to come to him. The creatures come out of the water, and soon the lighthouse is surrounded by some kind of undead ogres, pushing ahead of them undead orcs. They all try to climb the tower but can't. More fearsome are six-legged beasts that look like undead rhinos. They begin to meander the town, leaving the ogres and orcs behind. Roscoe and Omok debate the wisdom of attacking the undead, and eventually agree that they make great guards for their treasure, and that eliminating or greatly reducing their numbers would be to Coopers' detriment. They decide to wait.
Unfortunately, the monsters' constant wail is grating. Omok, being deaf thanks to the horn of Ovtik, can't hear, but Roscoe begins to suffer under the noise. During the night Omok helps himself to the treasure inside the light.
Sarenith 15, 4712
Just before dawn monsters leave. Roscoe is completely wiped since he couldn't sleep at all during the night. The Coopers reunite in the lighthouse over breakfast. With so many chests, they decide that it would be safer to travel by cloud. Darelle summons her jar of cloud and the Coopers head back to Fort Inevitable. Roscoe deposit the money in the treasury. That should be more than enough to pay upcoming expenses and retire any debt Fort Inevitable accumulated under Thorne's trouble leadership in the treasury.
Darelle brings back a barrel of Mosswater Dye and leaves it at the Hunters' Lodge, planning to study it and extract the recipe to replicate it in the future. Shim informs the Coopers about the progress of the trainees over the last day. He thinks that they should be ready to lead in about a month, though more time training would provide them with better odds of surviving an attack.
Returning to the Fort, Darelle talks to Mordel about what might have triggered so many demons. He doesn't know for sure, but he suspects that an expedition by the Hellknigths about two years ago might have hastened their arrival. He also provides her with a recipe to recreate the blue pegasus. Now all she will need is to gather the ingredients. Thankfully there is a laboratory she can use at the Hunters' Lodge.
Roscoe asks Wirt about the status of Thorne's associates. She replies that there have not been any unusual activities. With the quarterly muster and trials coming up soon, Roscoe decide it's time to round them up. They may be more talkative under arrest, and if nothing else they will provide a good spectacle for the crowd as they are executed. Warrants are issued, and Hellknights are dispatched to seize them.
Sarenith 16, 4712
Roscoe decides it's time to mint new Hellknights. Accompanied by Omok, they head out to the Hunters' Lodge. There, Roscoe leads Omok and three of the trainees down in the mine, where they confront the demon behind the crystal. Omok breaks the barrier after some effort, and in the fight everyone is bloodied but the demon is dispatched, and the hobgoblin and his three companions are immediately officially appointed as Hellknights by the Lord Commander himself.
Taking a look through the gaps in the broken crystal, Darelle sees shadow dimension beyond. How can they prevent other creatures from stepping through? Daryle suggests that they consult Abernard. The sisters trek back to Fort Inevitable and meet with the old man at his house. Abernard welcomes them, and he tells them they just missed their brother Gerald. Darelle inquires as to whether Abernard noticed anything weird or different about Gerald, and reports her beliefs that an impostor is running around. Abernard states that in fact Gerald has not been his whinny self lately, and no calamity has befallen the town.
After hearing the sisters' plea for help in sealing the gap in the crystal, Abernard travels to the Hunters' Lodge and takes care of the problem.
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