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Thanodel is all for following the retreating force but the party as a whole is in bad shape and decide to rest the next days are spent stripping the enemy bodies and burning them. Gathering information from the rescued prisoners and searching the ruins is next on the bill. Braylec and Shaylea tour the surrounding countryside offering assistance to the orc ravaged farmsteads.
Garguth has been busy training the only worg left in the stables and it now knows fear … it knows Garguth.
Jutiapa and Vildar search the keep. Vildar futilely strives to find potions while Jutiapa calls for Thanodel’s assistance in opening a chest. Thanodel has no thief’s tools to work with as Sireen cannot be found and suggests that Jutiapa uses the knock spell. The lock clicks open and Thanodel finds that it is trapped so goes about disabling it as best he can. The last thing they see is a gas cloud enveloping them as they are blinded. Jutiapa not wanting to share the contents of the chest gives Thanodel a potion to “cure” the traps effects but it doesn’t help. The next potion that Jutiapa tries also doesn’t cure her so she feels about the chest while Thanodel tries on his white glove to see if it helps at all with an “it can’t get any worse” attitude. Vildar passed them and ropes them together and leads them back to the barracks.
A rider approaches the castle and is greeted by Braylec. He introduces himself as Mordo and has been sent from Darokin to congratulate them on gaining the keep. He offers Braylec the Barony of Cathamaxos Keep and all for only a 10% tithe. He says that Command Kraten from Fort Fletcher will be along in the next few days with the deeds for the keep. In the morning Mordo leaves on his rounds.
Jutiapa and Thanodel can now see but welts are springing up un their skin and they seem to think that everything is hilarious. Shaylea tries to cure the disease but it is resistant to her prayers.
The group then remember the prisoners still in the dungeon Vildar releases the kobold and attempts to train it but Garguth doesn’t have the patience to watch so crushes it’s skull as it is raking Vildar’s face. Garguth then releases the orc who turns out to be Rampshush of the Crushed Skull tribe. Garguth puts him to work as gofer and guard of the temple that is now Garguth’s living quarters.
Shaylea prays again to remove Jutiapa and Thanodel’s curse and they are themselves again mid cackle.
On the wall Garguth sees a rider approaching so sends Lothlindel to fetch the others. As the get closer they can see that it is obviously Kraten and his guard. Over a meal he gives Braylec the signet ring announcing him as baron.
Now in a greater position of responsibility Braylec invites his friends to aid him in restoring the keep. Garguth heads off after being polymorphed by Jutiapa in human form. Thanodel still not trusting the orc follows him around the nearby farms as Garguth heralds the new baron. Jutiapa uncharacteristically continues to help by sacrificing all her usual offensive spells in place of mending and set about repairing much of the keeps defences.