Chapter Eleven: Loose Ends (the drow are coming!)

Crescent City, June 29 - July 8

On the morning of June 29 all of the tower bells in Crescent City are ringing and criers are calling out the news of the day: King Titus has announced a full alliance with the drow who will assist in the war against Ghael! The drow have asked only that they be allowed to live and worship freely within the bounds of Caldraza. In exchange they will provide military assistance in the war against Ghael.

The people of Crescent City are of two minds on this issue, each diametrically opposed to the other. Some who most despise the people of Ghael and will not forgive them for the murder of Prince Rufus call this alliance a great thing. It is long past time that Caldraza found real allies . . . the elves have never been of any use to anyone and the dwarves of Underdell have refused to help in the battles against Ghael. The drow are ready and willing to throw in against Ghael.

Others who have a bit more memory of the history of Ashfar mutter darkly that no good can come of this alliance. The drow are a dark and evil race that seek only to subjugate others. How King Titus could turn his back on the dwarves of Underdell and take sides with such an evil race is unfathomable, but it is what it is . . .

Over the next few days the elves of the city quietly pack their belongings and leave Caldraza for other more pleasant climes. The swamp elves stay behind . . . they are slaves, but all others flee the lands. They cannot stay in a country that allies with their greatest enemies. One notable exception is Ruthven Calamus, the propritor of the Crescent City Central Bank. He's going no where, but has spent some time and effort fortifying his place.

Neil and Rygorh finish up some additional magical item crafting while the rest of the Starborn investigate the face thief murderer . . .

After all is said and done the heroes determine that the murderer is actually a ghost who possesses random passersby and uses their bodies to commit the murders. Jocelyn Turvey has killed dozens of people over the last several months . . . but it all began with her husband. The heroes learn that a couple of weeks before his death, Segmund Turvey, the landlord of the Laughing Lord tavern, lost his wife. She left the city to live with her mother. Two weeks later Segmund was the first victim of the face thief.

The heroes venture into the Laughing Lord tavern and get permission to search the residential floor. There they find the body of Jocelyn Turvey with massive acid burns on her face. She has been folded in half and stuck into a small box. Rygorh uses speak with dead to determine that her husband killed her in a fit of jealous rage. She wants to be buried her family's plot in the town of Carroll which is north of Crescent City.

The Starborn take the body to the Church of Marius, tell poor Jocelyn's story and see to it that Elizabeth Saunders is set free. The Church agrees to see to Jocelyn's proper burial.

While Neil finishes up creating some magical items the heroes debate their future plans. Having heard additional rumors about the goings on in Beacon City they begin to doubt that the king is still alive:

• Princess Romilly refused to convert to Marianism when the rest of the court did. She worships Firinna, the goddess of battles. She has expressed contempt for all men and has said that she will never marry, no matter what her father wants.
• It is said that she used to sneak out of the palace at night to a secret pagan chapel, though nobody knows how she did so without being detected, or where this chapel was located.
• King Titus has ghastly body odour. It is said that he never bathes, as an act of mourning for his dead son.
• A person who has seen the King up close claims that he looks slightly different, but he cannot put his finger on exactly what is wrong.
• King Titus’ body odour has mysteriously gone over the last couple of days.
• Word from the fort at Pengallin is that Princess Romilly has gone missing in the Forest of Meere – if she is not found quickly, there will be no hope for the royal line of Caldraza.

The heroes determine to set out south by ship to Delta City at the mouth of the River Meere. Crescent City has become distinctly uncomfortable . . . there are a few dozen drow soldiers operating as night patrols in the city. Governor Malthus has sworn his support for king and country and for the alliance with the drow. The Church of Marius has no official position on the treaty, but will support whatever brings stability to the land. Alev learns from Archbishop Vigilance that there are some great misgivings about the situation within the chruch, but that the church will not act in an overt way in the politcal arena . . . thus they are neutral. The heroes plan to take passage by boat from Delta City to Pengallin where they can find Princess Romilly and then work things out from there.

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