Episode 1: The Salvaged Job

Even as he speaks, Maenor sees movement out of the corner of his eye. Down the eastern hallway, the cleric can see the bodies of several jackalweres standing up. Roused by the lamia's roar, they seem aware that there was battle, and bark and yip excitedly as if to warn others.

However, the two creatures closest to Maenor stare silently at the crumpled corpse of the lamia. Having witnessed the fatal blow, they look to Maenor and the bloody blade and seem hesitant to make any move.

The nearest jackalwere snarls, baring its teeth. It looks as Kalis joins Maenor. "You. Let us go?" it barks. The other jackalweres approach from the far chambers, some with scimitars drawn.

The first jackalwere flinches as the sparks crack, and the second takes a step back.

A third jackalwere approaches from the far room. "They are two. We are six. We kill, eat." This seems to bolster the creatures, but not enough to actively step closer to you.

"And think, mutts," comes another voice, as the cook you've met previously makes an appearance at the far end of the rooms, "all those men out on patrol now are free from The Master's grip. Maybe they're coming back, and do you think they'll be happy?"

The jackalweres looks to each other, mutterings and growls indicating a rough conversation. Finally, one of the jackalweres turns back to you and yips, "We go. You no follow, no kill." The humanoid canids step carefully past you, keeping their distance, as they make their way into the larger chamber and down the west tunnel.

When the last jackalwere has left, the man leans against the wall and clutches his head, evidently suffering some kind of headache. The smoke that fills the rooms leaves a haze, but the air is not suffocating. A quick glance into the once-luxuriant chamber shows that most of the fabric has burned away, leaving little fuel for the fire to spread.

The man shakes his head, either in response to Coda's question or to clear mental cobwebs. "I remember fine," he says. "Thank you. That monster had me enthralled to serve him and his minions in the kitchen. I was forced to prepare non-poisonous food at specific times, or I would suffer intense pain.

"There were others with me, and some that have been here before. What I said was true; those men went out into the desert to patrol the monster's territory, or to scout for caravans to raid. I don't know if they're actually coming back, though."

The man coughs, waving away some of the smoke that wafts through the room. "I'm not much of a warrior. I drove wagons for a caravan. I thought the beast would eat me, but I was fortunate it saw other uses for me."

"I guess I'll see if there's any horses or anything," says the man. "Otherwise I'll have to walk back to Frysor."

The man blinks. "What? No. I only drive, I don't sell. Master Sinik would have been responsible for that, but he died in the attack. I don't remember loading any baskets, though."