S03 The Knock of Adventure

Again, Ronaldos was the first to speak, "I suppose I'll go first if no one minds." He took a sip of his whiskey, letting the anticipation build for a moment before continuing, "As you know I'm not from around these parts. Where I'm from, there are all manner of dark creatures and monstrous beasts that besiege our towns and cities. I was trained to hunt them down and eradicate their plague."

"After decades of fighting, my home country has mostly been cleansed of the vermin. Now, the order of hunters I belong to seeks to push our efforts beyond our borders. In this way, we can not only help other lands become clean, but also keep our skills sharp in case the problem ever returns to our own," Ronaldos explained.

"And so you believe that the corruption of Westcrown has to do with this plague?" asked Arpentus, his brow furrowed in thought.

"Not exactly," Ronaldos responded, "my order was contacted by the Pathfinder Society. Apparently they are not allowed to operate here, by order of the government. Their lodge here in Westcrown lies abandoned and under guard; inside, however, lies a wealth of knowledge and resources they are eager to reacquire."

"But, why wouldn't they just as soon do it themselves?" inquired Keemes. "Doesn't the society have an entire organization dedicated to such things?"

"Normally, yes, they do. But the Pathfinders typically operate within the bounds of the law. If they were caught trying to break into the lodge, it would cause a scandal that would be detrimental to their reputation. So, they've hired us to do it for them," Ronaldos answered matter-of-factly.

"Ah, I see," said Janiven, "so you are a treasure hunter, then?"

"Yes and no," Ronaldos replied, "I am on the hunt, and treasure is the prize-"

"But why your order of hunters?" interrupted Arpentus, "why not just any guild of rogues who could just as easily break into the lodge and steal the trinkets?"

"Bingo," Ronaldos said with a grin, "you're a smart one, there Worshal. That's exactly the question we had. As it turns out, the 'monstrous shadows that prowl your streets' are very real, and they are under the control of this city's corrupt government."

"I knew it!" Janiven exclaimed, "Everyone thinks it's just rumors, or scary stories told to keep children from being out past curfew. But I sensed there was something more to it. Too many people have gone missing, never to be seen or heard from again."

"Right you are, there miss," Ronaldos said, "and my order has been tasked to deal with this scourge. The Pathfinders are using it as a cover for their recovery operation, but it's real work that needs to be done nonetheless."

"Well, I for one am glad to hear that," Janiven said, "but I'm still not sure why you are so eager to help me with my own goals. Surely you could just recover the lodge's treasures and be on your way, right? With the way that you move so quietly, I bet you could sneak in and out without anyone even noticing."

"Ah, but that's where you're wrong," Ronaldos replied, "the lodge is heavily guarded, and I really am here to exterminate the shadow beasts. Our order wouldn't have accepted the job if it were just a simple burglary."

"I wasn't expecting you to track me down and ask me to join your rebellion," Ronaldos continued, "but I am glad that you did. I'm in Westcrown alone as the forward scout. I'm to relay information back to my order about what I find regarding the lodge, and what I can gather about the shadow beasts."

"Okay, I think I understand now," Janiven said with surety, "so you are here to help the rebellion because it is in your best interest to do so. If the people of Westcrown fight back against the government, and eradicate the shadow beasts on our own, then your order will have an easier time recovering the lodge's valuables, and won't have to expend as many resources to do so."

"I don't think I would have put it so bluntly," Ronaldos said with a chuckle, "but yes, that is the gist of it. But don't think that I don't care about the people of this city. The order might not send anyone else to help, but that's because I'll be sure to provide your rebels with everything they need to succeed in the coming fight. I may not be from here, but my home city was once in a similar situation, and it was because there were people like you who stood up against the evil that plagued us that we were able to overcome it."

Janiven, who had become more tense as Ronaldos spoke, finally relaxed and smiled. "Thank you, Ronaldos."

"Hear hear!" Arpentus said, raising his glass in a toast.

After they all finished the last of their drinks and set their glasses down, Arpentus spoke up, "I suppose it's my turn to be frightfully honest with you all."

"Please do," Keemes said.

"Right, and I'll go grab us another round of drinks," Ronaldos said, standing up. "Don't worry, I know what you all like by now."

"Actually, could I request a brandy instead?" Arpentus asked, "Now that I know I'm clearly in good company, I think I can afford to indulge a little."

"Sure thing," Ronaldos said, "Any other requests?"

"Just the same for me," piped Keemes, "more of this fine wine would be fantastic."

"I'm glad you like it, it's from Irrisen, where the grapes are grown in the icy cold they call a summer," Janiven pointed out, "I think I'll have some of it as well."

"Alright, I'll be right back," Ronaldos said, and he walked off to the bar.

Arpentus took a deep breath, then began, "So, as you know, I am a scholar. It has always been my passion, and obtaining knowledge is my life's goal. Well, in the beginning, I had no way of getting access to the necessary books and manuscripts to further my studies. The institutions which stand to call themselves libraries in Cheliax are sorely lacking in the resources I needed, and so I had to find other means to obtain them."

"At first, I tried to find a patron who would be willing to fund my research, but I was turned away by every noble I approached. They all said that my research was too esoteric, and that I would never find a way to make it profitable," Arpentus explained, "until finally I met a less affluent man from Egorian, who was a noble in his own right, but not one of the city's elite, if you will. He was a self-proclaimed scholar, and he was willing to help me obtain the books I needed, in exchange for my help in his own research."

Keemes chimed in, "So far this is sounding like a good deal, but I have a feeling that you wouldn't be telling us this story if it ended there."

"Precisely," Arpentus said, "I was young and naive, and I thought that I could trust this 'scholar' to help me. And he did, on his part. He paid for whatever I so desired to read, and I was even given quarters in his home in the better part of Egorian to study. But, eventually he began to suggest tomes for me to read that were not considered, shall we say, 'academic.' They were books on the occult, and on the dark arts. Necromancy, demonology, and summoning were all topics that he wanted me to study, and I was too eager to keep my benefactor happy to refuse him."

From behind the bar, Ronaldos called out, "Pal, I think I'm gonna bring you a second glass of that brandy, from the sound of where this story is going."

Fidgeting with the toggles of his robe, Arpentus continued, "Yes, I would appreciate that, thank you. So, eventually, as I read more and more of these tomes, I began to learn things that I regretted ever knowing. I learned some of the darkest, most forbidden, and vile secrets that the world has to offer. But I couldn't stop. I was afraid that if I refused to read them, I would be cut off from my support, and I would go back to being a penniless scholar with no way to continue my research."

"Eventually, the worst that I feared happened. This noble, whose name I have sworn–on threat of death–never to speak, asked me to perform a ritual that would summon a demon." Arpentus paused, looking around the table at their reactions.

Keemes looked wide-eyed, and Janiven's face was pale. Ronaldos, however, was still behind the bar, pouring drinks, and so Arpentus could not see the look on his face. Arpentus continued, "I was terrified. This ritual, involved murder. Sacrifice is what they called it, but that's only a justification made by evil people to grease the wheels of their villainy. I considered denying the request, but was told that to do so would mean being stripped of all I had been given. Wealth, access, status. Not to mention a threat to my very life."

"So what did you do?" asked Janiven with a trepidation in her voice, as though she wasn't sure she was ready for the answer.

"I fled," Arpentus said ashamedly. "I escaped during the night, avoiding the guards on his property. Oh… I don't think I mentioned that he had henchmen. Yes, it's imperative that you know his threats were always delivered to me by a few of the goons in his employ. I only managed to get away from them by putting them to sleep."

Relieved, Janiven let out a sigh, and felt herself gain quite a bit of respect for Arpentus. She understood that it wasn't an easy decision to take such a risk as what he had described.

"Alright," said Keemes, "I think I understand now why you are so eager to stand up against the corruption in Westcrown. But what I still don't get is why you tell this story like it's a confession that you did something wrong."

Arpentus bowed his head. "Because I did. I was a coward. I ran away from my problems. Out of fear, I never reported the noble to the authorities, and I can only assume that he is still pursuing his dark ambitions, if he hasn't achieved them already. Someone has or will die because of my inaction, and I will never be free of that guilt. I am here to atone for my cowardice."

Just then, Ronaldos returned with a tray of drinks, and set them down on the table. "Here, I think this'll help you feel better," he said, sliding the brandy over to Arpentus. He passed the wine to Janiven and Keemes, then took his own seat with a fresh glass of whiskey.

Everyone was silent for a moment, each lost in their own thoughts. Finally, Janiven spoke up, "First of all, I want you to know that I don't judge you for what you did. No one of us can understand the pressure that you were under at the time, and I think that you made the right choice in leaving. What I don't understand though, is why he didn't just send his goons after you to bring you back, or worse, to silence you permanently."

Arpentus looked down into his glass, swirling the brandy around as he searched to find the right words. His face looked worn from the recounting of his past.

"Ah… yes, well, that's the thing," he said. "You see, for a long time, the answer was simple: he couldn't find me. I left the city and moved from town to town, never staying in one place for too long."

He took a sip of his drink, then continued, choosing his words carefully, "Arpentus Worshal is not my real name. I took it when I came to Westcrown. Before that, I made up a new name for myself every time I moved. I also used every scrap of knowledge I had learned in my time there to hide my tracks. I used wards against scrying, and illusions to change my appearance. Eventually, I felt safe enough to settle down, and I chose Westcrown because it was large and chaotic enough to hide someone with a past."

He paused for a moment to take off his glasses and rub his eyes. When he began again, his voice was quieter, "In order to pay my way, I had taken up alchemy, something I had previously dabbled in, but never seriously. I certainly wasn't known for it. So to answer your question, I believe that the anonymity I had created for myself has been the reason that he has not found me yet. But I fear that my luck is thinning, and it is only a matter of time before he does."

The silence that followed was heavy, and each of them took a moment to consider the weight of Arpentus' words. Finally, Ronaldos broke the tension, "Well, I'll be damned if I expected you to turn out to be a fugitive. You sir, have earned my respect."

The feeling of compassion in the air was palpable, and Janiven nodded in agreement with Ronaldos' words. Keemes leaned forward, however, and placed a hand on Arpentus' shoulder and said, "It appears that we have more in common than I thought. I only hope that my own story will help lift the weight of yours from your mind."

Removing his hands and crossing two of his arms, Keemes used another to take a long draught from his flagon of wine. He set it down with a satisfied sigh, then began to tell his tale.

"I was only fourteen years of age when I conscripted myself into the Tselian Army. It was a way for me to escape the poverty of my home, and to obtain an education in discipline. I took to the life of a soldier naturally, and it wasn't long before I was promoted to the rank of sergeant. I was proud to serve my country, and I obeyed every order given to me without question."

Nobody moved. They all sat in rapt attention, listening to Keemes' story.

"That is until well into my tenth year of service, when I was stationed at a fort in a neighboring country in the midst of a civil war. Tselia was allied with their government, and we were there to help them squash an uprising," Keemes explained.

"We were told that we were fighting organized bandits: a coalition of criminal gangs that had banded together to overthrow the government. And at first, it did seem that way. The skirmishes we fought were against well-armed men with fighting experience. But as the war dragged on, we started to notice that among the dead were not just bandits, but farmers armed with pitchforks."

At the mention of this, Janiven's eyes widened, and she shifted uncomfortably in her seat. Keemes continued, "I began to question the reason we were fighting, but my training had taught me to ignore my doubts, and to follow orders."

"But then, one day, I was ordered to lead a raid on a village that had been suspected of harboring enemy combatants. But what we found there were only families. Women and children among the sons and fathers. I tried to relay this information to my superiors, but they told me there was no mistake: the entire village was to be put to the sword."

Janiven let out a small gasp, while Ronaldos only nodded as he looked into the depths of his whiskey glass. Arpentus, however, looked on with a grim expression. For now, they were all able to let his tale unfold without interruption.

"I wish I could say that I refused immediately, but so strong was my conditioning that I went so far as to round up the villagers, with my men, into the town square where the executions were to take place," said Keemes, his voice trembling as he recited the events. "As I stood there, sword raised above my head, I looked out at the faces of the people we were about to slaughter. I saw the fear in their eyes, and I felt a knot in my stomach. I knew in that moment that I could not go through with the order. I threw down my sword and commanded my men to do the same."

The sudden drop in tension was palpable. Arpentus let out a long breath before saying, "My goodness, Keemes. You certainly have a way of telling a story." The others nodded in agreement, and Keemes offered a small smile.

"Thank you, but it's not over yet," he said. "My superior officers were furious, and commanded my men to arrest me, and to continue with the execution. That is when I truly changed. Before my men could lay a hand on me, I drew my second sword and yelled for the villagers to run. I then fought the same men whom I had trained and served alongside for years. I was outnumbered, though, and eventually I was overwhelmed into submission. I could not bring myself to take the lives of my brothers in arms."

"So, how did you escape?" Janiven asked, her voice barely above a whisper.

"Let me guess," Ronaldos interjected, "you're a fugitive as well?"

"I did not attempt to run away," Keemes said, raising his head, "In Tselia, we have an alternative to imprisonment for crimes that are not a threat to society. Instead of being locked away, we are branded with a mark that exemplifies our crime. It is a mark of shame, to let everyone know how much we are to be trusted. I was branded a traitor, and I was forced to leave the army. I also chose to leave Tselia entirely, and I have been on the move ever since."

Janiven looked at Keemes with a mixture of admiration and pity. "I can't imagine what that must have been like for you," she said softly. "But I understand now why you are so eager to help me."

"Yes," said Arpentus, "it makes perfect sense that you would like to have another chance to do the right thing. But what I don't understand is why you took up the cloth. Surely in that moment of clarity you didn't ascribe it to divine intervention, did you?"

Keemes chuckled, "No, no, not at all. That came much later. As I've traveled, I've had many chances to earn coin by using the only skills that were available to me. But without the ready medical attention of the army medics, I needed a way to patch myself up. I found that I could afford the divine magic of priests at the chapels I visited. Eventually I realized it would be a lot cheaper to learn the ways of the gods myself."

"So you became a cleric without any faith?" Janiven asked, her brow raised.

"Only at first," Keemes replied, "but as I learned more about the gods, I began to feel a connection to them. In particular, I found myself drawn to the principles of Iomedae, the goddess of honor and justice. I realized all the discipline to obey orders that I had learned in the army was not the same as the discipline to do what is right."

"But then why remain a mercenary?" Janiven asked, "surely the church is wealthy enough to support you, and you could live a life of comfort and ease."

Keemes shook his head, "I might pray to Iomedae and preach her word, but I won't be a pawn of any organization ever again. That includes the church, for that matter. The problem is, people won't pay for what they already receive by paying alms to the church. And I have to eat. So, earning coin as a sellsword is the only other thing I know how to do. Only now, I do it with a clear conscience, by only accepting jobs that I believe are just."

Janiven sat for a beat, then said, "Then I am grateful that you believe that our cause is just. I understand the sentiment of not wanting to be locked into an obligation where you have no recourse to refuse an unlawful or immoral request. You should find that this rebellion, while it does have a sense of rank for the disemination of tasks and responsibilities, it is not a rigid hierarchy. We are all equals here in our pursuit of freedom, and we do expect everyone to do their part to speak out against a plan of action that they feel may do more harm than good."

As if on cue, Ronaldos and Arpentus raised their glasses in a quiet toast, "To freedom."

The mood in the room, though thick with the weight of the stories they had shared, was considerably upbeat. Janiven felt a strong connection to these three men, more than to any previous table of recruits she had spoken with over the past few weeks. She saw that while they were all here for different reasons, they shared a common goal: to find meaning and purpose through the enactment of justice.

She looked nervously at the time before stating, "Alright, well, please don't think that I am trying to rush you out the door. On the contrary, you are more than welcome to continue to stay and drink, and I will be happy to put you up for the night if you would like. But the hour is getting late, and soon the streets will be too dark to safely make your way home. Especially now that we have learned from Ronaldos that the shadow beasts are real."

Arpentus looked around the table, then said, "I'm certainly happy to stay. This has been a most rare and enlightening evening for me, to spend it with good company, and to share good conversation."

Keemes nodded in agreement, "I wouldn't mind staying either."

Ronaldos, however, looked at his watch and said, "Fellas, I would love to stay, but seeing as how the night is the only time these shadow beasts come out, I have to use every opportunity I can to track down their lairs."

"You don't intend to go out and have a skirmish with them, do you?" asked Arpentus, his eyes wide with concern.

"Not at all," Ronaldos replied. "I only plan to do some scouting. Since I've been to Westcrown, I've only been able to find a few of their nests. But it's clear that the infestation is quite large, and I need to find a way where we can strike at them all at once. Otherwise this will be a longstanding battle of attrition."

Janiven looked at Ronaldos, keeping the worry from her voice as she said, "Then I thank you again for coming here tonight, Ronaldos. I recall that you don't believe in luck, so I shall wish you good hunting. Though, I suppose I should ask how I am to contact you again when the time comes."

"Oh, that's easy," Ronaldos said, "I'll-"

Just then, a series of loud, excited shouts erupted outside, accompanied with a hurried knocking at the door. Janiven moved quickly to the small window, peering outside to see who was making such a ruckus. Immediately recognizing the person outside, she swiftly unlocked the door. Opening it let a young, out-of-breath teenager stumble into the room.

With a frightened look on his face, he explained as soon as he caught his breath, "Miss Janiven! They've got Arael!"