Drink With Me

[Brian]

"Knive wounds -- very precise.  The first two died like they didn't even know they were being attacked.  A single thrust through the heart.  The other two at least appear to try to have defended themselves -- cuts on their hands, and then their throats slit.  No evidence of whoever did this," Kevin says.  Blinking he adds, "Oh, this is Gatemaster Eske, and Wardmaster Mattias."

Mattias is the relatively young looking salt-and-pepper-haired gentleman, and Eske looks a fair bit older, with long white hair, but a clean-shaven face.  He's leaning on a gnarled wooden staff wearily.  Both nod when introduced.

[Dracos]

"Glad to see you two made it through alright.  An assassin this far in the keep though...  We can't let this get out among the troops.  There'd be a panic if they had to worry about watching their backs here on top of the dreadmarch out there."

Dracos

[Bjorn]

Bjorn's brow furrows.  "An assassin," he says thoughtfully.  "I wonder.  Obviously, their goal was these swords -- and they thought them important enough to reveal that they had such capable killers.  Yet they didn't use those killers to eliminate any of the commanders.  Why not?"

[Brian]

"No, I can't think an assasin would freely slaughter the troops," Kevin says, frowning.  "Too much risk of getting caught, or seen.  They'd go for strategic targets.  Breke's swords, though...."  He sighs.

Ekim rumbles thoughtfully, and says, "It is an ill thing, I think, to have ones own turn on them ... but it is a problem I have, too.  Is this why guards followed me from the forge?"

"Er, for protection," Kevin says, somewhat lamely.

Ekim nods doubtfully.  "Of course."

[Bjorn]

Bjorn hesitates, and then speaks.  "Sir Breke's swords are a strategic target," he says, quietly.  "They were gifts to him of Hamar Himself.  As formidable as Sir Breke was in his own right, the swords made him greater yet."

[Dracos]

"The question then is what targets next?  And what type of knives?  If we can figure out if it's straight blades or something fancier... it might help for keeping an eye out for anyone with a fancy blade."

Dracos

[Brian]

"How would we know?" Kevin asks, furrowing his brow.  "And, anyway, you'll be hard pressed to find a single grown man who doesn't carry at least one knife."

[Dracos]

"True that.  And by the cuts.  But I guess that's not that important.  Hmm.  Was anything left?  Any clues?"

Dracos

[Brian]

"Nothing.  And no witnesses, of course," Kevin sighs.  "They must have been disguised as an Interer to avoid notice.  But it was done."  He grimaces again, like a man who's had enough bad news for a while.  "An assasin is dangerous ... I've ordered all the kitchen guard doubled, as well as the food stores.  But Lammermore is ordered to rest, and won't be well again until tomorrow -- though I'm carrying the Sword of Seven Shadows myself."  Kevin rubs his chin, clenching his other hand into a fist in front of him.  "An ill thing," he says quietly.

[Bjorn]

"But not unexpected," Bjorn says, quietly.  "This was the logical progression of what we already knew -- that the enemy is among us."

Tilting his head as if to study the ceiling, Bjorn ponders out loud.  "There wouldn't have been much time to arrange this.  If they disguised themselves as Interers, then they likely must have planned in advance to use such a ruse upon Sir Breke's death.  And given the conditions of the deaths, then that seems the most likely alternative.  Not a crime of opportunity, this.  As always, their efforts were bent on eliminating our best.  Once Sir Breke fell, then they needed to make sure none would take up his swords again.

"And they did their best to make sure he did fall," Bjorn adds, his gaze dropping.  "All of us fighting the general were struck by arrows -- arrows, I note, which disappeared by the time we returned to the keep."  He shakes his head.  "The arrow that pierced Sir Lammermore's leg, at least, was no Dreadmarch weapon.  It was well-made, with a silvered tip.   Nor were they random shots.  They hit us, and never came near the General."  He sighs.  "It would take height, I think, to be able to survey the battlefield and aim so well.  Height that the Keep provides, and the Dreadmarch would not have had."

[Brian]

Radagast frowns at this.  "We might have a traitor among the Lorekeepers, and now the archers, as well?  Hmm.  Very well.  How to find out more?"

"We can interrogate the archers," Kevin suggests, one hand going to the sword at his side.  He blinks, and scowls.  "Damned thing should be locked away when not in use," he mutters.  "No, no," he adds, before anyone else can speak.  "That would only let them know we suspected a traitor in their midst, which would cause panic we don't need."

[Dracos]

"Hmm...So there's been an event of treachery by magic, by dagger, and by archery?"

Dracos

[Bjorn]

"The arrows were almost certainly magic," Bjorn points out, temporarily ignoring Philip's statement.  "They pierced the shield, which was still strong enough to hold all else at bay, and disappeared later.  Is there any way to detect if any still possess such arrows?"

[Brian]

Kevin drums his fingers across the tabletop thoughtfully.  "Possibly.  It could also simply be a single skilled traitor -- many of the Lorekeepers position themselves in the tower top, and an Interer's costume could be concealed beneath their robes.  Moreover, who would expect a Lorekeeper to rely on a simple, anonymous weapon, instead of their much more ... tracable abilities?"

Radagast looks upset by this idea, but nods slowly.  Eske and Mattias look thunderstruck.

Recovering himself slightly, Mattias says, "I can ... look.  There is a problem, though.  I can search for such weapons, but Stormwall keep is a small bastion of powers and energies -- certain places, like Radgast's tower, and the wall, and some of the areas beneath the keep ... they resonate so strongly, it's like searching for a bird against the sun.  Something so subtle and small can't be seen in such a place.

"I can find them, but only if our assasin and traitor doesn't know to hide them ... if they are left still.  I will begin searching, but it will take me an hour, at least."

[Dracos]

"Then time is of the essence.  Additionally, hmmm...  Radagast, where were each of the lorekeepers and loremasters during the whole affair?  Certainly we know you, Eske, and Mattias are clearly innocent, so if it is a loremaster it must be one of the remaining ones here....unless of course, someone snuck in and has been masquerading as something else?" Dracos glances at Lord Kevin.   "That too could be a possibility.  No one would suspect a loremaster would pretend to be one of the peasantry or a soldier?  Would we be able to detect that if they were?" Dracos turns to Radagast.

Dracos