Chapter Four: The Manifest of the Harikan Squall

Visually, Shamush, who has has multiple cuts and stab wounds, but it's more difficult to assess the internal damage from the magical injuries Vad received. Zora doesn't look to be seriously wounded.

Vhezyen identifies the origin of the Gorham reference as a woman wrapped in furs, speaking to a man Vhezyen recognizes as the majordomo of the House of Ibetbal. The majordomo explains that he had overheard the name mentioned as being one of the individuals possibly involved in the attack on the House of Gahmez, and was asking the woman -- who introduces herself only as a "friend" of Alicarc Ibetbal -- if she knew the name.

The cloth Zora holds is black, larger than a kerchief, smaller than a shirt. The way she's gripping it, it's hard to tell what it is.

"And now a devilkin shows up," the captain observes. "This whole mess gets stranger with every passing moment."

Vad takes Mordred lightly by the arm and tells the officials that Mordred and the others who rounded the corner with him are friends of theirs, and asks if he can take them aside and tell them what happened.

"Stay where I can see you," the captain commands.

"I want to go with them," Zora says quietly.

"Then hand over the hood, girl. It's not up to us if you can keep it." The captain holds out his hand, and after a moment of hesitation, Zora gives him the black cloth. Vad beckons all of you to follow him a few yards down the wall, giving you personal space but not exactly privacy. Shamush remains seated where he is.

There, Vad tells you what happened after you left to investigate the Shrine of Culsu. Zora interjects occasionally to clarify some of the events Vad wasn't privy to, but she seems largely reluctant to speak.

After nightfall, about twenty men armed men in black clothing made their way into the grounds of the estate, not through any gate, but passing by the walls in some mysterious -- probably magical -- fashion. They killed the guards and servants they came across and set fire to the outbuildings before attempting to gain entry to the main house. At this time, Shamush went out with Rolon to fight them off, and Vad stayed upstairs with Zora and Martjan.

While everyone was distracted by the fighting outside, two individuals landed on the roof of the house, then gained entry to the room Zora and Martjan were staying in through the window. One was a human, dressed in a long black cloak and a pointed hood, the other was a creature Vad had never before seen, a white-scaled dragonborn. Vad tried to fight them off as best he could, but he was out-magicked by both of them, struck down unconscious after a brief exchange of sorceries.

The rest of what happened, he heard from Zora, and tries to recount it for her. The black-hooded man tried to use some word of power against Zora, but the spell failed, and she threw herself upon him, and pulled off his hood before the dragonborn grabbed her by the neck and lifted her effortlessly off him. At that point Martjan put a knife to her own throat and told them that she alone knew where the Sphere was, that Zora did not know, that they would never find the Sphere without her help, and that she would do so only on the condition that they leave Zora here, unharmed. And the first words out of Martjan's mouth to him were: Gavrel Gorham, I should have known you'd be involved in something like this, and she made a point of saying his name several times again when she spoke to him.

At this time the lower levels of the house had started to burn and they could feel the head rising up through the floorboards. Gavrel Gorham told Martjan he was amenable to her offer, but that he'd need some kind of surety, and the dragonborn threw Zora face-down on the bed and etched the symbol of the Six-Pronged Crown on the back of her neck with his taloned finger, and Gorham said well now, that will keep things honest between the three of us, and the dragonborn picked up Martjan, and flew out the window with her, and Gorham said to Zora, now you hold your mother's life in your hands, and she yours, do you understand? and then he flew out the window as well, and by that time smoke was filling the room, and Zora poured a pitcher of watered wine on Vad's face to wake him up, and they were able to get down to a lower floor and safely jump out one of the windows there, though Vad remembers none of this.

"All right then," the captain calls over. "You have the story, then. The Prefect will have more questions for the girl and we won't want her head all filled with confusion before the scribes get here. We've sent for a healer as well, she'll be in good hands." He starts to walk over to collect her.

Zora coughs, twice, covering her mouth as she does, then grasps Mordred's hand and squeezes it. "Thank you for coming back," she says. "I was worried about you."

Mordred keeps his hand closed as she walks away with the captain, feeling in his palm the wet, stringy object she placed there.

Zangua watches for a moment. Lots of people here are showing a keen interest in what's going on...but many of those people are friends and neighbors of the Gahmez family, whose fears and fascination at what took place here are entirely understandable.

The guards carry three bodies out to a waiting cart. The first two are men dressed all in black, no doubt the attackers Vad spoke of. The third is a slim young man in gray, missing his right arm.

Yes, it's Makis Meti.

Mordred examines the thing in his hand.

It's a short length of string with several knots in it.

Shamush is not much for talking.

Once the scribes and more lawmen arrive, the blaze dies down to a smoke and embers, and dawn begins to lighten the sky to the east, the assembled guards decide it's time to disperse the crowd, shooing people away from the gate and urging them to return home. The Gahmez family and their body servants are escorted to the estate of Nastrono Cron, along with Zora. Vad, too, is met by a healer from Semla's church, and a guard, and asked to join them.

Zangua notices a young woman in a smart brown outfit and cap walking alongside Chorcarz, and exchanging words with him. The conversation seems to heat up rather quickly, but the guards escorting them pointedly ignore the altercation. Chorcarz raises his voice loud enough that you can hear his final outburst: "...I have lost my home! And a grandson! And he is probably glad of it! Leave me, you parasite!"

The woman bows her head and stops, allowing the procession to continue on to the House of Cron without her.