Careful not to look directly at the mirror, Tiron speaks. "Medusa!" he says. Suddenly the images reflected in the mirror change, and shortly transform into a view into a room, filled with treasure! The room is circular, 50 feet across, its walls sloping gently overhead to a high ceiling. Blaine, Brau'ni, Delf, Fugnus, Tiron, and Raphael carefully step through the portal, leaving Cel, Raven, and Rolonda behind in the master bedroom.
The floor of the room is covered with all types of coins, their depth varying anywhere from just a couple of inches to nearly a foot. Several chests sit atop the coins, filled with bags of coins and gems. Seven suits of ceremonial armor have been propped against the walls. A pile of armor and weapons lays just to the left of the door. As the party starts to inventory the treasure, Brau'ni happens to glance at the vaulted ceiling. He sees a lone raven, swooping downward in a gentle spiral until it lands on the coin-covered floor, just in front of the party. The raven lets out a squawk, then suddenly transforms into a man!
"I am Erebus!" the darkly-dressed man bellows. To the party's horror, he tells a terrible story.
"I am the one who drove Regine to madness! I am the one responsible for her family's murder and her suicide! I was able to gain her confidence and trick her to make sure she didn't tell anyone else in her family about me. You see, I, too, had heard of the legends of the Mistmoor treasure and was determined to find it. Eventually, I learned of its secret, and then slowly drove her mad in payment for her kindness. After she killed her family and then herself, I came in this room, at first elated and then horrified as I found at the room has an entrance, but not an exit."
"He never got the exit word!" Tiron thinks.
"I tried to teleport myself to another plane to escape," Erebus continues, "but the spell backfired, and transformed me..." Suddenly Erebus changes into a shadow-like creature, barely visible. "...into this." Transforming back to a man, Erebus snarls, "Since I may never leave here, then neither shall you!" Gesturing, Erebus summons sixteen Skeletons and six Shadows from underneath the coins covering the floor!
Raphael quickly casts Color Spray, knocking out four of the skeletons and temporarily blinding Erebus. The party quickly presses its advantage. The Skeletons are relatively easy to take out, the Shadows much more difficult. The Shadows are very hard to see, cam only be damaged by magical weapons, and drain their victims' strength upon a successful attack. Tiron destroys several skeletons and eventually manages to turn four of the Shadows. Fugnus, attacked by two Skeletons and a Shadow, starts to weaken. Brau'ni finally destroys the Shadow attacking Fugnus as Delf destroys the other remaining Shadow. The party mounts a multi-pronged attack on Erebus, damaging him severely. A well-placed swing from Delf finally kills the Ether Shadow.
The party spends the rest of the night inventorying the treasure in the vault. The pile of weapons and armor by the door Blaine recognizes as belonging to one of the parties sent to the manor previously. The party takes a potion, ring, phylactery, and a two-handed sword from the pile. Blaine agrees to pay the party 3500 gold pieces in exchange for him keeping all of the ceremonial suits of armor, and also pays them the 5000 gold pieces he and they had agreed upon before journeying to the castle.
The next morning, everyone heads back to the Channelwood Inn. Glancing at its message post, they read the following:
22nd of Tarsakh"Hmph!" Cel notes. "That post is nearly a month old!"Yet another riot has erupted in Mulmaster. Some damage was done to the House Built of Gold, the scene of the previous riot not quite a tenday ago. In an unprecedented move, a large force of Cloaks overran the crowd of about 40 and killed them all. The next day, a new proclamation was announced ordering martial law in an attempt to quiet the situation. Anyone inciting a riot or disturbance of any kind will be executed by burning at the stake. All non-Cloak mages of 4th level and higher are ordered to leave the city. Any found within the city practicing any form of magic will be imprisoned or executed. The very next day, possibly as proof of their intent (as if proof were needed) 14 adventures and cityfolk, including 2 mages, were executed. As the fires seared the flesh of one of the victims, she was heard yelling in defiance, "Death to Thayvians! Death to our oppressors."
Word on the street has it that the latest disturbance was in response to the High Blade's announcement of the reopening of the House of Gold as a shrine to Thayvian gods. The High Imperceptor is not pleased with this development and there is rumored to be dissension within the halls of the Towers of the Blade.
The Temple of Oghma in Deepingdale sadly announces the death of Rangsart Ellingman, a temple scribe, who was apparently murdered outside Highmoon, along the East Way, just north of the Archwood. His journal, found in his saddle bag, contained recent writings indicating that large quantities of wood pulp and raw materials for the manufacture of inks have been exported to the Moonsea region.
After a restful day, the party beds down for the night, still not knowing if the nightmares that plagued them the last couple of nights would return.
The next morning the party sets out for Ashabenford, well rested, their sleep undisturbed.
Arriving in Ashabenford a few days later, the party finds the town about the same as when they left awhile back, except, of course, that it is warmer. As summer is near, the flowers are in full bloom and the forests rich in green. As our heroes enter town, they have the feeling that nothing can go wrong today. The adventure at Mistmoor Manor went very well. The cart Blaine gave them is nearly full of various treasure items, armor and weapons. But happiness wanes to confusion and bewilderment as the party reads the message post just inside the town's boundary. Top on the list is a drawing of a young woman, who looks somewhat like Cel. And then the awful news is read below the drawing:
Delf exclaims, "This can't be, she was obviously framed!"
- WANTED:
- Celindil Sunrose, daughter of Lyra Sunrose, for the murder of Lady Shrae, of the Bounty of the Goddess, Temple of Chauntea in Voonlar. 500 gold piece reward for information leading to the capture of this person. Contact Haresk Malorn, High Councillor of the Council of Six, Ashabenford.
Brau'ni, stunned, stammers, "They must have meant "alleged" murderer, although we all know she was framed... but by who?"
"Well I agree!" Cel answers. "But how are we to prove it? What do you think we should do, Delf?"
While this sudden news weighs heavily on the party, the remainder of the message post is read:
Additional hostilities have broken out between the temple guards of the temple of Chauntea and followers of the Dark God, Cyric. Six people were killed in street fighting just outside the Bounty of the Goddess.Raven says that she should be able to disguise Cel somewhat by altering her hair color, eye make-up, and clothing. The party decides to check around and see who in Voonlar has accused her. Raven finds out that the local courthouse in Ashabenford has information about the wanted poster. The accuser is not mentioned, but there is evidence and an eye witness. The evidence is a uniquely designed dagger which the authorities in Voonlar are sure can be traced. Cel searches for her "special dagger" but, after a frantic search, cannot find it! The eye witness was a novice priestess of Chauntea who apparently saw Cel leaving Lady Shrae's office. When she returned later that day to speak with Lady Shrae, she found the priestess slumped over her desk with the aforementioned dagger in her back.There are rumors that a major confrontation between Sembia and Cormyr is imminent as one side blames the other for the attempt on the life of King Azoun and the murder of Elduth Yarmmaster, Overmaster of Sembia. Some say war is unavoidable, as tensions between the two regions has been growing over the past decade.
The party decides to check around to see if anyone from Cel's group of freedom fighters from the Dales is in town. Finding no one, the party sends a letter to them via a well-paid trusted courier. The letter states that Cel is a friend of Lady Shrae and could not possibly be connected to her death except by some imposter. The letter goes on to ask them if they know who is behind the accusations and if they know how to clear Cel's name. The information Raven gathered in also in the letter. The party ponders its next actions.