The Assassins Trail

In Bolden the party was approached by a mysterious figure named Thalwyn. He offered to hire the party to help him seek a dark elf assassin called Nivin. Nivin was alleged to be responsible for the death of a very important person connected to the Church — some rumors indicate that it might be the Patriarch himself. This assassin is to be brought, “bruised but not broken” to Bolden to answer for his crimes. The party consented to help Thalwyn and set out for Brambleton – the assassin’s supposed base of operations.



Enroute to Brambleton, the party decided to stop over in Lundinium. Some of them feel that the reward they refused might be bargained for now. At the very least, the town should provide the party with a safe haven from the road for the evening. Once in Lundinium they heard that the town elder they knew has taken ill and died suddenly, leaving his spoiled and effete son (the party’s rival) in charge.

Suspecting foul play, the party went to confront the son, only to find that he was indisposed and entertaining a “strange elf” in his chambers. When the son emerged at long last, he was accused and confessed. He states further that he hired an able assassin, a dark elf, to avenge his mistreatment at the hand of Beleg the Dwarf. The son was tried before an ad hoc tribunal, found guilty of his father’s death, and summarily executed. The party’s priest was not present for this frontier justice, having retired to the local church in order to provide many of the rites the community has missed.

After the son was slain, the party entered his chambers only to discover that the room was recently vacated and an outside window was left ajar. While some might have been content to let him go, Mourning Elk the ranger, tracked the visitor to the town wall and beyond. Assuming the coincidence was too strong and that this dark elf must be the same they seek, the party decided to move in pursuit.

For two full days, the group tracked the elf away from civilization and toward the Menean Mountains. They came upon a tribe of Wemic and bargained for safe passage. The Wemic informed the party that their quarry travels often along the high trail and goes to and from the Human town of Eastwich.

On the second day along the road to Eastwich, the party began to gain on the trail of their prey, who spent some time resting from his flight. Apparently, their prey employed some subterfuge to throw them off his trail and doubled back toward Bolden to seek out Beleg (his intended target). On the way back, the dark elf encountered a party straggler and had enough time to carve his initial on the straggler’s forehead, before being overtaken by the party. A brief, but intense unarmed battle occured and the dark elf was subdued. He was dragged off to Bolden, trussed and bruised, to answer for his crimes.

Once again in Bolden, Father Thomas, discovered that employer Thalwyn was working for the Prefecture and has enjoyed some special affiliation with the church in the past. The Prefect himself then commended Thalwyn and the priest to one another. So that they might look into the disappearance of several clergy.

But that is another tale…

Quote of the Day: “Hey, what’s that symbol carved in your forehead?”