April 5, 1042 - Evening

Teller and Mostill escape back to the forest, where they are met by Felosial's lieutenants, a pair of twins. They are extremely unhappy of the outcome of the "reconnassance mission" which has cost the life of their leader. Teller manages to charm them into agreeing to return to rescue the party and attempt to recover Felosial, if possible. The elves agree to return to the fort in the morning, and everyone gets sleep.

Tammoh is transferred from the infirmary to the prison, where he is healed by Arterich. Tammoh, Arterich, and Blayne then attempt to get sleep. Arterich, by his instructions from Loki, sets aside his paladin powers.

April 6, 1042

Tammoh and Blayne have a poor night's sleep, and thus, are not able to concentrate in the morning to prepare spells. Blayne wakes up and goes into convulsions. Tammoh reasons that the enchantment aura he saw on Blayne several weeks back was likely a Geas spell, which renders its target significantly ill if they are unable or unwilling to continue the quest; in this case, deliver payment to the wizard in Ekfansel for the spell to free Teller several weeks back.

Tammoh, Arterich, and Blayne plot a strategy for escaping, which consists of Tammoh casting Burning Hands (one of the few spells he still has remaining) when the doors to the prison are next opened. When the doors are finally opened, Tammoh misses his chance, and breakfast is thrown in, covering Tammoh. The 20-some other emaciated prisoners rush up to Tammoh and begin eating the food lying on the ground around him.

Attempts to extract information from the prisoners are difficult, as the prisoners all refuse to speak. Eventually, it is learned that the prisoners are used as weapons on raids.

Arterich suffers a minor bout of insanity and spends most of mid-day killing rats and making tools and weapons out of them. Tammoh has Arterich make him a few pouches out of rat skins to keep Arterich busy, while Tammoh meditates.

While the three prisoners are waiting, Teller, Mostill, and the two twin Elves lead an assault on the fort to recover the party and Felosial's body. Teller uses a spell to create the appearance of a small army advancing on the fortress, while the other three advance from the other side of the fort. Elves in the forest provide cover fire.

After several hours, out of nowhere, Arterich, Blayne, and Tammoh hear Cane Teller's voice - he is using Ventriloquism to try and locate the Party. The three shout loudly, and he hears them. Teller then runs around to the other side of the fort where the main force is, and alerts them that the party is alive. By the time he arrives, Mostill had retrieved Felosial's weapon, Tammoh's spellbook, wands of Burning Hands and Web, and some other tools. The Elves are satisfied with what they have and are ready to leave. When questioned as to whether Felosial is still alive, Teller lies and manages to convince the elves to help retrieve his friends. They accept.

A short while later, Mostill and Teller eventually free Tammoh, Arterich, and Blayne. The elves question the presence of human prisoners, as the Party was trying to argue that humans were not behind the raids on Elven territory. Blayne argues that the humans are in no condition to do anything but what their captors wish, and could possibly be willingly assisting the Orcs. The Elves agree, and let several of the humans free, but detain three as "evidence." The Party is prohibited from leaving until they find Felosial, however.

As the party escapes from the prison, they are surrounded by officers on mounts. The party attacks. Tammoh kills one officer and gravely wounds another before he is struck down. The rest of the party routes the remaining officers. Arterich stablizes Tammoh, and Teller rides him off to saftey. The elf twins begin a search for Felosial with Arterich's assistance, and find her, dead. Arterich They recover her body, and Arterich picks up some healing herbs. The three then ride off.

Outside the fort, Blayne is assisting a wounded prisoner in escaping, when she is shot by an arrow from the fort, and falls unconcious. Arterich recovers her and, upon reaching the forest, uses the healing herbs to stabalize her. She regains conciousness. Amazed at the power of the herbs, he tries to use them on Tammoh, but he remains stable, but unconcious. As Mostill and the elf twins retreat, an orc general rides out into the clearing. He is shot by three archers in the trees, and turns back. Mosill, however, looses a poisioned arrow at the general, and kills him. The elves take the Party back to see the Elf King.

The orc fortress has now lost one of its three generals (another is missing an arm and both legs), and five more officers.

April 7, 1042

The King is quite displeased at the loss of Felosial - his nephew. Blayne argues on behalf of the party: showing the unwilling prisoners and the magical artifacts as proof that the humans are not behind the raids. The King argues that the party's foolishness has cost the life of his nephew. Blayne argues that Felosial's loss was not in vain: in the process, the party managed to nearly completely destroy the orc's fortress, and thus hinder any further raiding parties. She argues that life will now be spared, as the orcs will be too weak to mount future raids. The King grudgingly agrees, and gives his troops to help Bremon. However, he demands that the party owe him a favor, to be collected at some point in the future. Mostill, however, refuses to have any part in this, and leaves the room.

The king sends for troops, and several mages, who will accompany the troops to ensure success. Before dismissing the party, the King tells them that Mostill will die within a week. Blayne tries to convince Mostill to change his mind, but he refuses, even when given this news. Tammoh is revived, and a mage teleports Arterich, Blayne, Teller, Tammoh, and Mostill into the Bremon courtroom.

Astonished to see six people appear mysteriously in the center of the courtroom, the Kingston castle guards prepare for an attack and aim weapons at the party. Teller holds up his signet ring given to him by Queen Guarana, declares that they are friends of the Queen, and wishes to seek her audience. The head guard growls at the party for appearing directly inside the castle, rather than outside, and sends for the Queen.

Queen Guarana and Brith arrive. Brith admonishes the party for taking so long - five weeks - and tells them that due to their delay, the armies of Drala Fe have managed to successfully raid the southern border outposts and are currently fighting in the streets of Kingston. Blayne apologizes for the delay, and hints that there is a long tale behind it. The Queen thanks the party, however, for managing to bring troops, and suggests that they will have to tell her all that has happened later.

Mostill interrupts, and demands payment for his services, as agreed. Guarana sends Brith off to retrieve his payment. He returns with an exquisitely crafted longsword, which has a slight bluish glow to it. He presents it to Mostill, who examines it, applies poison (as is his usual custom), and without warning, strikes at Queen Guarana, killing her.

Brith yells "Protect the Queen!" and swings at Mostill, but misses. Arterich and Teller each charge Mostill, dealing significant damage, while Blayne rushes to the Queen to try and heal her. Brith swings at Blayne, assuming she is going to attack the queen, and misses. Tammoh finally stops Mostill with a Flaming Sphere. Blayne yells out to not kill Mostill, so he can be held for questioning, however Brith ignores her, and lunges at Mostill for a coup-de-grace. He nearly flies into the flaming sphere before Tammoh extinguishes it, and kills Mostill. The Elf mage casts a protective shield around Guarana to protect her body.

Brith calls for a cleric, and orders the party bound at the legs so the truth can be known. The cleric casts a Zone of Truth, and Brith begins asking questions of the party. They disavow any knowledge of Mostill's plan, and say that he acted alone in killing the Queen. When asked of their delay, they recount, briefly, their ordeal to convince the Elf King to provide assitance.

Satisfied with their answers, Brith releases the party. Because they took so long to render assistance, and so many lives have been lost, he is deeply angered. As he is now the King of Bremon, he orders the party banished from the town of Kingston. However, he is an honorable man, and he orders the party to be rewarded as promised. They are rewarded handsomly: they receive the sword that had been given to Mostill, as well as a Quarterstaff +2, a full plate armor +1 with moderate fortifications, a necklace of prayer beads, and several wands, potions, and scrolls.

Before the party leaves, they insist on taking Guarana's body with them; Brith has indicated that she is still the Queen, and that if she were brought back to life - however unlikely that occurance - she would be in charge. However the elven mage refuses. Guarana is an elf, and he insists that, although her religious beliefs of the Caffiene Church may have allowed for her revival, she has been excommunicated from said church, and her racial ties supercede religious wishes. He insists that he will take her body back to be buried in an Elven place. Teller insists, however, that the signet ring he was given be buried along with her. The Elf objects, saying she already has one, however, Blayne argues that Guarana was a close and dear friend to the party, the ring was a gift from her to them, and that it is only fitting that it be returned to her. The elf grudgingly agrees.

Although victorious in their quest, the party prepares to leave Kingston - Teller and Arterich's hometown - sad and dejected. They have lost a close friend. Arterich, especially, is lost in remorse: when he saw Mostill poisioning the sword, he knew what was going to happen, but did not know how to act, out of fear of possibly calling into question the orders of the one who had sent Mostill to join the party. Guarana's death could likely have been avoided, if only he had acted.

The party has a great deal of unfinshed business. Arterich has lost, or is ignoring, his powers at the behest of Loki. Blayne is bound by a geas to deliver payment to a wizard. Such payment lies in the orc fortress with her hat of change self. Tammoh, angry at himself for losing Ahlostaf, also wishes to return to the orc fortress to retrieve his staff. He blames himself for not being able to do more for his friends, and declares that he does not wish to leave the task of completely destroying the Orc fortress unfinished when they are so close to victory.

What happens next? Only time will tell...

End Act 1