The PCs should all have connections to Lord Iphios of Klymeus. Lord Iphios is a minor Mestean noble who is responsible for the security of the city of Klymeus (but not the port or the government buildings which are under separate authorities). Iphios has no skill at astrology or at any other sort of magic, but his family has a long history of connections to the Royal Observatory and is engaged in the export of timber and furs. The PCs can be directly employed by Iphios, can be connected to him through either his family history of magic or trade, or have some other connection to him. They should be the sort of people that Iphios would as for help with a difficult problem. Iphios is about 50, stout, and fond of the easy life he has as Protector of Klymeus.

1. Background

At the beginning of the first session, Iphios will summon the PCs to an old cemetery. It is a cold, foggy morning and a light rain is falling. He will reveal to them that over night the tomb of an old and revered astrologer, Eleus the Elder, has been broken into and the astrologer's bones taken. This is not the first such incident. In fact, a half dozen tombs have been burglarized in the past year or so. Iphios had men guarding this cemetery and others, but the two men stationed nearby claim not to have seen anything. Iphios needs to figure out what is happening quickly and put a stop to it. Rumors have started to spread throughout a city that is already on edge due to the failing health of King Acateon. Some Lords of the city have begun to make noises about replacing Iphios as Protector of Klymeus if the problem isn't cleared up quickly.

The bones of the astrologers are being stolen by Sennesh Haburta, a necromancer from Thule who is in Klymeus masquerading as a scholar from Hyperborea. Sennesh Haburta aims to gain control of the throne of Mestea and then of all Atlantis. To do this, he has enlisted the aid of a formerly minor astrologer named Theus the Tall. Theus does not understand Shennesh’s entire plan but he has begun to suspect. However, he now feels he is in too deep to do anything about it.

The king of Mestea is near death and a new king will soon be selected. Mestean law decrees that the new king be a Mestean astrologer of unsurpassed skill. Until recently, it has been assumed that the next king would be Eurymon of Epimeus. Eurymon has been the leading astrologer of Mestea for at least a decade. However, in the past year, Theus has emerged as a major rival to Eurymon's skills. In reality, Sennesh has been digging up the bones of long dead astrologers and using their bones to gain information to give to Theus. Theus is still only a mediocre astrologer.

Sennesh has several henchmen to further his goals. He employs a few Druas to rob the tombs. The Druas live in his manor house and rarely venture outside its walls except on a mission from Sennesh. He also hires occasional street thugs for less important tasks. In addition to his manor house, where Theus also now lives, Sennesh maintains a tower far from the city in which he can carry out experiments that require a high degree of privacy. A bog giant guards the tower.

The two Druas employed by Sennesh named Pirawon and Namron. They are superb at sneaking around and are very good fighers. They are each a bit under six feet tall. Their skin is black and they favor dark clothes, but they have long white hair. Each has some minor magical skills. Pirawon has basic detection spells while Namron has some illusory spells.


Sennesh Haburta has two partners in his effort to put Theus on the throne of Mestea:

Lord Demios is Lord Protector of the Port and a politically ambitious man. He has a large number of children whom he is constantly trying to place in positions of political importance. His eldest son, Pitopio, is currently at the court in Atlantis but he is due to return soon. Demios would like Pitopio to be appointed Lord Protector of Klymeus on his return. Sennesh has promised Demios that he will have a major role in the court if he supports Theus as the new king.

Ermond of the Red is a dwarf fire mage who is well known in the community of non-astrologer mages in Mestea. He is also a dwarf nationalist who wants to see a reunited dwarven kingdom in the Atlas Mountains of Atlantis. Sennesh has promised that to him in exchange for his support. Ermond has been talking up the astrological powers of Theus among his contacts in the dwarven and magic communities of Klymeus.

 

 

Current rumors in Klymeus:

1. The king is gravely ill and some astrologers have forcast his
impending death. (True.)

2. The City Guard has been watching cemeteries at night. (True.)

3. A vampire has been preying on people in the working class
neighborhoods of the city. Some say that it is a cursed astrologer.
(False.)

4. Lord Iphios is going to be replaced as Protector of Klymeus due to the
rising crime rate. (False, but some nobles are unhappy with his work.)

5. Some of the ancient noble families plan to seize power when the king
dies rather than risk having the throne pass to an astrologer who does not
posess an appropriate lineage. (False, but there is concern about the
rise of the astrologer Theus who comes from a merchant family.


2. Session One

The session begins in an old cemetery in an old and seedy section of Klymeus. It is a cold and foggy morning in the early fall and a light rain is falling. Iphios is bundled up in a fur-lined cloak and standing in front of a tomb.

The cemetery is on the side of a hill overlooking the harbor. It is not large, just a few acres in size, but it was one of the older cemeteries in the city and tombs for some of the great astrologers of the past can be found here among the pine trees. The tombs tend to be small, stone structures covered with moss. The area has a park-like feel to it. In fact, in nice weather, local residents do use it as a part.

The neighborhood is home to many who work as porters, stevedores, and similar occupations. There are also taverns, an open air market, and other business serving the residents. The street that runs along the downhill side of the cemetery is called Cemetery Road and it is the major street for the neighborhood.

Iphios will thank the PCs for coming and explain that is faced with a difficult problem that the PCs may be able to help with. Of course, he is prepared to offer fair compensation for the time and efforts. After making his opening remarks, he will step aside and reveal that the tomb behind him as broken into the previous night.

This is the tomb of Eleus the Elder, a revered astrologer who lived in the early days of the city. The tomb had contained the remains of Eleus, his wife Damia, and their daughter Dauphine who died as a child. Each body was in a stone sarcophagus. While Damia and Dauphine appear to be undisturbed, the lid has been removed from the sarcophagus of Eleus and his bones are missing. Iphios will quietly tell the PCs that this is not the first such incident. In fact, a half dozen tombs have been burglarized in the past year or so. Iphios had men guarding this cemetery and others, but the two men who were stationed nearby claim not to have seen anything. Iphios needs to figure out what is happening quickly and put a stop to it. Rumors have started to spread throughout a city that is already on edge due to the failing health of King Acateon. Some Lords of the city have begun to make noises about replacing Iphios as Protector of Klymeus if the problem isn't cleared up quickly.

The two men guarding this cemetery are Cleon and Pello. If asked, Iphios will allow the PCs to talk to them. If they are spoken to together, Cleon will defer to Pello. If spoken to separately, their stories will be slightly different.

Cleon is a gangly and nervous young man who only recently came to Klymeus from a farming community a bit inland from the capital city. Cleon’s mother is from a family with ties to the Royal Observatory and those connections got him into the City Guard. Iphios does not care for Cleon because Cleon lacks confidence, but Cleon is an honest young man (though that may not be apparent initially). As a new member of the Guard, Cleon lives in a barracks.

In his awkward, stumbling way Cleon will tell anyone who asks that he and Pello were walking around the perimeter of the cemetery. At about 2:00 AM, Pello thought he heard a noise, someone walking quietly perhaps, from within the cemetery. Shortly before that, they had chased some teenagers out of the cemetery and Cleon thought that maybe they had come back. In search of the source of the noise, they spent some time looking around a group of tombs belonging to the family of Polytus the Prolific but were unable to locate the source of the noise. They resumed their patrol and about an hour later found the tomb broken into. The Polytus tombs are about as far from the tomb of Eleus as one can get.

Pello is the senior member of the pair. He has a family and lives in an apartment with his wife and two sons. He has been in the City Guard for twenty years. He is comfortable telling his story about what had happened which is basically the same as Cleon’s except that Pello will say that Cleon heard the noise. Pello will add that although he didn’t hear the noise, he had thought that Cleon’s younger ears might have been more alert. He will express disappointment in Cleon’s lack of perception and in his own failure to be more assertive.

Pello was actually the one who suggested that there was a noise, but he did it by hinting rather than stating outright that there was a noise. Pello is a gambler who owes a significant amount of money to a loanshark. The loanshark recently contacted Pello and told him that he could reduce his debt by doing some favors for someone. That someone is Sennesh Haburta and the first favor was to keep the guards away from Eleus’ tomb.

At some point during the cemetery scene, an ornate carriage will pull into the cemetery. This by itself is fairly unusual, as the carriage obviously does not belong in the working class neighborhood around the cemetery. A liveried servant drives the carriage and another servant is sitting on the back of the carriage. The servant on the back will hope down and open the door from which will emerge a stooped and very old man dressed in a purple cloak. The elderly man is Eleus the Tenth, a descendent in a direct line from Eleus the Elder. Eleus the Tenth will grab whichever PC is closest and start to berate them about the desecration of the tomb of one of the greatest astrologers in the history of Mestea.

Eleus the Tenth is a cranky old man who has dedicated his older years to preserving the memory of his ancestors. Eleus never married and has no children of his own. He has no living close relatives. Dissolute ancestors have frittered much of the family fortune away, but Eleus has prospered in the emerging amber trade. He maintains the crumbling family home, not far from the Royal Observatory, which still holds the extensive family library. If Eleus can be convinced that his ancestor’s memory or remains are being misused, he can be a useful (but demanding) ally.

Three ways the PCs might begin their investigation:

1. By investigating the guardsman Pello and finding out that he is a
gambler and in debt to the loanshark Uncas. Further investigation can
reveal that Uncas recently forgave part of Pello's debt.

2. By talking to a contact who will pass along the rumor that the
astrologer Theus has been taking an interest in the great astrologers of
the past.

3. By tracking down some teenagers who were chased out of the cemetery by
the guards. When leaving the cemetery, the kids saw two dark figures with
flowing white hair.


Three things that might hinder the investigation:

1. If the PCs lean too hard on Uncas, he can call in some favors to get
the message to them that they are to lay off.

2. Sennesh Haburta has an aide, Xanton, who handles street-level kinds of
issues. Xanton might try to find out what the PCs know by following them
or he might use a gang of thugs to try and frighten them, but he is
unlikely to confront them directly. He works best from the shadows.

3. Sennesh Haburta employs two Druas who actually steal the bones. They
are dangerous and will be employed against the PCs if they get too close.
(A graveyard fight with the Druas would be a great scene.)

Three of the four PCs (Damos, Gorgos, and Megamen) are in a waterfront tavern called "The Far Traveller" where they have been told that Leus is a regular patron. The PCs have secured a private room in the back and Damos has made a hole in the curtain to see through into the main room. Meanwhile, Cyrus has just left his meeting with the scholar Agarato and isn’t sure what to do.

Leus is, as he has been described, a profoundly ugly man. He is short, stocky, and bowlegged. His nose is bulbous and pushed to one side as a result of many bar fights. Leus has spent his life working at the fringes of the underworld of Klymeus until Xanton picked him to handle the work of spreading discontent among the population. Most recently, Leus has been informing the servants of the upper class when a tomb has been broken into and he has been spreading rumors of vampires in the waterfront taverns. He spreads these rumors both directly and through a network of contacts he has built up over the years. Leus comes into The Far Traveller regularly to drink and spread rumors.

Leus is a Great knife fighter and he always has a couple of knives on him. He also has Great street knowledge skills and will not walk into a trap easily. When he walks into the tavern, Leus will begin greeting the other patrons. The innkeeper will tell him rather quickly that there is a party waiting for him in the private room, but the PCs should have some time to act before Leus actually speaks with the innkeeper. Leus will not simply walk into the back room. He is not stupid and knows that no one who owes him money will be throwing a party. On the other hand, Leus will want to know what is going on and will not want to appear cowardly in front of the patrons of the tavern. His preferred strategy will be to invite everyone in the place into his private party counting on his friends in the crowd to back him up if things get ugly.

Leus does not know about the plans of Sennesh to put Theus on the throne. What he does know, from his own investigation, is that Xanton is working for a scholar from Hyperborea (what Sennesh is claiming to be his background). Leus does not know the goal of actions in spreading stories about vampires and telling Lords that their ancestor’s bones have been stolen, but he suspects it has to do with destabilizing the government.

Things the PCs could do with Leus:

1. He can be flipped. Given enough push and pull, credible threats combined with tangible rewards, he could be persuaded to switch sides. However, Leus is not stupid and will not switch without a clear sense that he is better off switching. Which is not say that he won’t promise a change in allegiance if he thinks that is in his best interests at the moment.
2. He can be watched. If Leus gets away from the tavern, he will go to Xanton and tell him that someone may be onto them. Finding Xanton could lead the PCs to Sennesh. Leus is Very Good at sneaking around, though.
3. He can be eliminated which would force Xanton to take a more visible role in the conspiracy but which would also alert Sennesh that he has enemies.

Xanton can be found at The Dancing Fish, an inn that caters to sailors. He keeps a private room there as well as having other hideouts in the city. He has cultivated a sense of loyalty from the sailors who stay at the tavern. Calia is quite taken with Xanton and has been trying, without success, to attract his interest via various charms.

If Xanton becomes aware of the PCs actions, he could do several things:

1. If he isn’t too worried about them, he might just follow them to see what they are doing.
2. If he is a little worried, he might have a street gang attack them to try and scare them off.
3. If he is a lot worried, he will inform Sennesh who will set the two Druas after them.

Leus has been let go by the PCs and will act immediately. He knows the following:

• Xanton works for Sannesh Haburta who claims to be a scholar from Hyperboria.
• Xanton is in the care of the sisters at the Temple of Poseidon.
• The party that accosted him contained a guardsman but did not seem to be composed entirely of guardsmen which suggests some political infighting is going on.
• Sennesh Haburta may be working with Lord Demios, Protector of the Port, which further suggests political infighting.
• He is not sure what to make of the presence of a non-dwarf fire mage in the group, but he is wondering if there is a plot to overthrow the rule of the astrologers when the present king dies.
• Megamen has requested that prove the quality of his intelligence service by finding out information about the other members of the group.

With those things in mind, Leus will go to the home of Sennesh Haburta and present him with this information and his pledge of loyalty. He is still ready to flip if circumstances change but right now he feels safer on the side of Sennesh since he knows so little about the opponents. Leus will withhold some details of his conversation with Megamen. He will only say that the fire mage trusts him more than the others.

Sennesh will be concerned that Xanton is injured and possibly compromised. He will send the Druas to the temple with instructions to either bring Xanton back or kill him. When the Druas get to the Xanton’s room and are trying to free him, they will be interrupted by Sister Chloe. The Druas will kill Chloe but not without making enough noise to wake the others on the floor. With their cover blown, they will then kill Xanton and flee the temple.

One sailor, Hector, caught a glimpse of the Druas and if questioned he will be eager to talk. He will also try to get leads for jobs as his drinking as cost him any chance for a job with any decent captain. Hector is a short, pale man whose nose is covered with gin blossoms. He will describe the Druas as looking like twins. He will say they were slim, black as pitch, with white hair, and a look that chilled him to the bone. He thinks they have the ability to cast the evil eye, but he is not worried because he is convinced that he was already cursed by a Naga. Perhaps the two curses will counteract each other.

If the PCs come back to the temple during the night, they could interrupt the Druas at their work.

After sending the Druas to do their work, Sennesh will tell Leus to find out more about the men that accosted him. This will fit in perfectly with the conversation Leus had with Megamen, so he will willingly leave to find out what he can about the PCs. Things he can find out in the order in which he finds them out:

• Gorgos is a guardsman who has had a child with Iara, the barmaid at The Dancing Fish. Rumor has it that Gorgos is not too bright but loyal. Leus will consider how he can use Iara to get to Gorgos.
• Cyrus is a gambler who is deeply in debt to Uncas. Leus doesn’t know any details about Pello’s involvement, he just knows that Xanton had a member of the guard involved, but he will consider ways he can make use of the fact that Cyrus needs money.
• Megamen is disliked intensly by the dwarven fire mage Ermond of the Red. Leus does not know of Ermond’s involvement with Sennesh, but he files this away as potentially useful information.
• Leus is least able to find information and Damos.

A new NPC that could surface this session is Lameles. He is a thief who sometimes does work for Uncas. Lameles is short, dark-haired, and wiry. He carries no weapons and is superb in his thief skills, but he also has an addiciton to the black lotus. Almost a year ago, Lameles aided Uncas in the theft of ancient book from The Second Temple of Heru. Heru is not widely worshipped in Atlantis, but because of the Mestean mastery of astrology, priests from far off Qaddan established the original temple centuries ago. Heru is the Qaddani god of the heavens and of astrology. Many generations ago, the first Temple of Heru had an annual ceremony where a prominent astrologer would come and record their predictions for the coming year in a special book. That temple was eventually destroyed in an earthquake, as predicted, and a new temple was built. The old ceremony fell out of favor but the book remained in the collection of the new temple. It was that book that Lemeles stole for Uncas. Sennesh wanted the book because it contained pages that were actually handled by the ancient astrologers.

People whom the PCs could talk to about Sennesh:

1. Agarato: he knows that Sennesh claims to be a scholar from Hyperborea and he knows that Sennesh has been researching the ancient astrologers of Mestea. Agarato is convinced, however, that Sennesh is not as he seems. He has found out about Sennesh’s relationship with Theus and suspects that Sennesh is using the bones of the old astrologers to gain power for Theus. Agarato has sensed a air of malevolence around Sennesh and he is afraid to say anything. He will need to be either convinced or threatened.
2. Lemeles: he knows that Uncas wanted to steal the book for a scholar from Hyperborea named Sennesh. He doesn’t know why Sennesh wanted the book but he knows where Sennesh lives.
3. Kallista: a mid-class prostitute, and spy for Azae from Damos's old network. She is educated and can talk philosophy with the men so she can charge a higher price. Kallista is brassy and likes to argue with Damos over the possibility of the ultimate goodness of people. They're friends: to recruit her, back when he was in favor, he freed her from an abusive pimp. Now that he's fallen from grace, they are more equals,
   and she rather likes that. He knows she wouldn't betray him to Azae unless her life was on the line. They haven't slept together; Kallista sees sex entirely as a commercial transaction, and Damos would rather sleep alone than pay for it. Kallista won’t recognize the name Sennesh at first, but with a little prompting she will recall her old client Theus as mentioning him. She’s a little worried about Theus as he seemed to be very worried about something when she last saw him a few months ago.

Some places the PCs could go:

1. Agarato’s apartment: Agarato lives with several other scholars in a stone building on the grounds of the Royal Academy. There are a cluster of four buildings around a central courtyard; Agarato’s apartment is in the northern building. A pair of guards (Aegampo and Idarast) employed by the Royal Academy patrols the area. The buildings are each three stories tall with four apartments on each floor except for the first which has two apartments plus a large common area. The apartments are each two rooms in size: a living area and a smaller bedroom. Agarato’s apartment is on the second floor in the southeast corner. The walls are thick. At night, Agarato can be found sleeping in his bedroom.
2. The Second Temple of Heru: The temple is in the Observatory district. Outside the building, colorful flags fly on a dozen flagpoles. The flags are changed at regular intervals according to some rituals only known by the priests. The temple itself consists of a long, high central hall with pillars supporting the roof. The massive pillars give the hall a claustrophobic feel. The walls are covered with frescoes and small shrines. To each side of the central hall, there is a low-roofed extension with small rooms. These rooms include a library, storage, and housing for the priests. The priests wear white robes and their heads are shaved. Their names are Atenmest, Nayaari, and Ururath.

At the beginning of the session, flags of mourning will be seen flying from the palace walls and rumors will circulate that the king has died.

Important developments from the perspective of the PCs:

1. Xanton was murdered during the night by two Druas assassins.
2. Pello stormed off from the Guard after Anto assigned him to the night desk in order to keep an eye on him. Later in the evening, Pello met with Leus.
3. Megamen met with Leus in the morning. Leus passed on some information about the other PCs and promised more by evening.
4. Cyrus indicated to Uncas that he would be interested in working with the client that Uncas mentioned, but Uncas has postponed their meeting.
5. Damos, with his contact Kallista, have discovered that the astrologer Theus is no longer living in his apartment near the Royal Observatory.
6. Cyrus and Megamen have met with the scholar Agarato and learned that Sennesh Haburta is probably from Thule, an almost mythical land of powerful magic. Agarato believes Sennesh Haburta aims to rule Mestea through his puppet Theus.
7. Gorgos received a lock of hair and a note, which he has not yet read.

Important developments from the NPCs perspectives:

1. Leus went to the home of Sennesh Haburta and reported on the developments. Haburta dispatched the Druas with orders to either bring Xanton back or kill him.
2. Leus then spent some time gathering information on the PCs. When he learned about Gorgos’ child, he ordered Pello to bring the child to the city.
3. Pello is close to breaking. The stress of betraying the Guard and the debt to Uncas hanging over his head is getting to be too much for him.
4. Because of Cyrus’ question about the name Sennesh Haburta, Uncas is suspicious of him and that caused him to postpone their morning meeting.
5. Theus is living in the home of Sennesh Haburta, a prisoner in a gilded cage.

What Gorgos might do:

1. Go to Tireus, the innkeeper at The Goat Tower. Tireus is a big, beefy man who smacks his hands together when he talks. The note says, "Do nothing until tonight. Speak of this to no one. Be at the Royal Observatory at midnight."
2. Seek out the other PCs. At the start of the session, Damos will be in his shop, Cyrus at his boarding house, and Megamen at his home. Gorgos will know where Damos has his shop.

What Uncas is doing:

1. Uncas is suspicious of Cyrus and wants more information before arranging a contact with Sennesh Haburta or Leus. To gather information, Uncas has assigned Lemeles to follow Cyrus throughout the day. On a Superb roll against his streetwise skill, Cyrus will notice the tail. There should be a couple of chances to roll.
2. Because things seem to be coming to a head, Uncas will be travelling with two bodyguards who are Very Good fighters.
3. Uncas does not know about the kidnapping of Gorgos’ child Calia. He would not approve of that and Leus will not tell him.

What Leus is doing:

1. The kidnapping of Calia was done without the knowledge of Sennesh Haburta. Leus was trying to show his initiative. Calia is stashed in a room over The Far Traveller with Pello keeping a (somewhat drunken) watch over her.
2. Leus has arranged to meet Megamen at the tomb of Eleus the Elder after sundown. Leus believes he can flip Megemen and he will be spending time trying to find the right lever. He will be concentrating on investigating Damos and will be watching Damos’ shop. Leus has informed Sennesh of his contacts with Megamen.
3. Leus’ plan for Gorgos is to make him sweat for the day and then force him to tell everything he knows at midnight.

Sennesh Haburta is concerned about the investigation and will be putting his own plans into action:

1. He will summon the dwarven fire mage Ermond of the Red to his home and warn him that Megamen seeks to thwart their plans. Ermond will be informed that Megamen will be at the tomb of Eleus the Elder after sundown. At this point, Leus is expendable so Sennesh doesn’t care what happens to him.
2. The Druas assassins will be dispatched to seek out Damos as Sennesh believes, based on the reports of Leus, that Damos is the leader of the group. The Druas operate best at night, but Sennesh does not believe he has the luxury of waiting.
3. With the king dead, Sennesh will take Theus to the palace to begin to make his case that Theus should be the next king.

The major developments in the previous session were the death of the king, the capture of Sennesh Haburta, and the kidnapping of Gorgos' daughter Calia.

What Ermond is doing:

1. Ermond met with Sennesh Haburta in the morning to discuss how they would deal with the PCs. Ermond left when the trumpets and bells announced the death of the king.
2. Ermond met with members of the small dwarven community of Klymeus to prepare for the ascension of Theus to the throne.
3. When word was brought to him of the arrest of Sannesh Haburta, Ermond realized the plot would unravel. He grabbed what belongings he could, and found a ship bound for Mnesea.

What Leus is doing:

1. Leus began the day gathering information on the PCs and particularly on Damos.
2. When word came that the king had died, Leus first headed for The Far Traveller to check on Pello. After spending some time pacifying Pello and ensuring he wasn't too drunk to watch the girl, he went off to check in with various contacts.
3. When he hears of the arrest of Sannesh Haburta, Leus will realize that the plot is undone. He will attempt to contact the PCs with an offer: a pouch of gold in exchange for information on where Celia is being held. He will, of course, deny any involvement in the kidnapping and instead claim that it is his many contacts on the street that brought him this information. Leus will seek to avoid direct contact with the PCs. He will communicate through notes delivered by street urchins. His first choice to contact will be Cyrus. Gorgos is too unpredictable, he doesn't know enough about Damos, and he no longer has any leverage with Megamen.
4. If he gets the gold, Leus will give word on Celia's whereabouts and abandon Pello.

What Uncas is doing:

1. Uncas began the day going about his rounds accompanied by two bodyguards. When he learned of the king's death, he headed back to the inn that he owns a piece of.
2. When he learned of the arrest of Sennesh Haburta, Uncas began to move to protect his interests. One of his first acts is to send word to Anto that the guard Pello had been doing some work for Haburta. Uncas will claim to know nothing about what Pello was doing.
3. As soon as possible, Uncas will leave the city for his farm near the village where Celia lives. His public excuse will be that he has gone to meditate and pray for the future of Mestea under her new king.
4. If approached about the kidnapping, Uncas will provide whatever assistance he can. He does not approve of kidnapping children and he will hope to gain a favor from the PCs by helping.

What Pello is doing:

1. Pello is close to breaking. He will spend the day in the room watching Calia with occasional trips downstairs for another tankard of ale.
2. If the PCs arrive at some point during the day or that night, he will grab Calia and hold a knife to her throat.
3. If no one has come by morning, Pello will leave to go search for Leus.

Places the PCs might go:

1. The Far Traveller. The first thing the PCs will notice when approaching The Far Traveller is the smell of baking bread. Xeneus, the baker who formerly worked for Lord Myndas and who was left here by the PCs, has discovered that he likes waterfront tavern life. He now works here as a baker and lives upstairs.
2. The Royal Observatory. The observatory is a large, flat area which overlooks the city. Below the observatory are elegant homes and temples. The immediate area of the observatory is kept dark. It will be a clear night after the death of the king and astrologers will be at the observatory doing their work, but the space is so large and so dark, that it is possible to meet privately without being interrupted. If he is unable to resolve issues before nightfall, Leus will be here to negotiate.