The Council Meeting

They carry on heading up the staircase until they reach the turn off to the 2nd level. Winnacer leads the way from the staircase towards the Cathedral of Zelezny. As they walk up the aisle together, the priest that helped Winnacer when he paid a visit a few hours earlier immediately spots the young Lord and walks up to him:

"Back already?" he asks.

Winnacer nods:

"Yes, I'd like to speak to the Artificer again, if it's possible."

"Sure," the priest replies. "Follow me."

With that the dwarven priest leads them all through the back of the Cathedral and into the office of the Artificer.

Artificer ArcWelder immediately turns round as he sees them enter and comes to speak to Winnacer:

"Lord Stradheim," he says. "It is a surprise to see you here so shortly after your last visit."

The dwarf then notices the dead bard slumped over Winnacer's shoulder:

"Oh dear," the dwarf says. "Whatever happened to this chap?"

Winnacer shakes his head:

"I'm afraid that the Evils and Injustices of Opava have taken another innocent victim," he replies sadly. "I don't really know what to do with the corpse, as it needs to be buried. I wondered if you could be of assistance here?"

The Artificer whistles through his teeth and then replies:

"Well, that's not really something that we do at the Cathedral. Normally we only cremate members of our congregation, not visitors. That would normally be handled by the Mortuary of Smurt, what with death being their specialty."

"Mind you," he adds, "I don't blame you for not wanting anything to do with that lot. I know that they always claim to simply be providing a vital service to the community, but I've never been so sure."

"Anyway," he finishes, "I suppose that we can take care of the corpse just this once after the kindness you have shown to our faith. Just leave the body with me."

Winnacer is nodding:

"Well it appears as if your concerns regarding the Church of Smurt are not without foundation," the young Lord replies. "We have just received information that the Nemotz priests were seen entering the Mortuary a few days ago and have not been seen to leave. As a result it looks as if they are receiving sanctuary there."

The Artificer looks furious at this:

"Those bastards," he says, shaking his head. "I suppose that it all fits into place. Having the population of this city turned into living dead would serve their purposes well and it also provides the Nemotz with allies for their agenda."

He shakes his head:

"This is going to make the task of dealing with them a great deal more difficult than were it just three Bohavians to combat."

"I wondered whether you could provide any assistance in helping us deal with this threat?" the young Lord asks.

Artificer ArcWelder shakes his head yet again:

"I can't provide any direct assistance," he replies, sadly. "If one Church was to take direct action against another, then such a situation would quickly escalate and, although the Church of Zelezny is stronger than that of Smurt in Opava, the situation across the country as a whole is reversed. I could not be responsible for bringing the two Churches into conflict as the Church of Zelezny already has enough problems at the moment with the economic situation being as it is."

"I understand," Winnacer replies. "I wasn't asking for any direct action, but it is imperative that, now we know exactly where the Nemotz priests are, we don't lose track of them. I wonder whether you could arrange for some members of your congregation to keep a watch upon the Mortuary?"

"I can try," the dwarf replies. "There are certainly enough unemployed smiths in this city. Hopefully they will be up to the task. I just worry that they might have problems with the Crips down on the 3rd where the Mortuary is located. I also worry that the smiths might be seen keeping watch upon the Mortuary. They are simple folk and have no training in the ways of spying."

Artificer ArcWelder looks up at Winnacer:

"But if you wish it, then I shall arrange for it to be done."

"One of our companions is a Priestess of Zlodey," Winnacer replies, his dark eyes showing the Artificer what he really thinks about that. "Hopefully, she can arrange for some spies to case out the Temple. All we probably will need is a stop-gap measure until we can arrange for those more practiced to take over."

Dranthor nods:

"If it is only for a few hours or so, then I doubt it will be a problem," he replies. "I think that it would be a good idea if your 'companion' with the links to Zlodey were to arrange more professional observation before nighttime."

"I shall ask one of the priests to choose two members of the congregation to perform the task."

Winnacer nods and then continues:

"There are some other things that you can assist us with, if it pleases you. My knowledge of Smurtian religion is poor. Perhaps you may know more about how they worship, whether they are more active during the day or at night, what kind of reception hall they typically keep, and so forth. Such details may prove important if we are forced to invade their sanctum."

The dwarf ponders the matter and then replies:

"The Church of Smurt is a fairly secret one. Ostensibly, they are an essential part of the Bohavian Pantheon. With death being such a major concern among the living and something the effects us all sooner or later, the Church is an important part of Bohavian society, or any other."

"A lot of the Smurtian priests that I have met in the past have been perfectly acceptable and reasonable people. They tend to be a bit on the morbid side though. Not the type of people that you really would like to invite to a dinner party."

"There are some within the Church, however, that embrace the concept of Death a little too readily, however, and seem to go out of their way in order to try and promote it as much as possible. This is as much as I know, as the Church of Smurt doesn't like to discuss their internal politics with outsiders and value their secrecy."

"It is because of this fact that my knowledge of the Church of Smurt is very limited. I know that they tend to keep to the same kind of hours as any other Church in Opava, which means that they are quieter at night than during the day, as their congregation obviously keeps to regular work hours."

"As for the layout of the Mortuary, I'm afraid that I have no idea," the Artificer continues, shaking his head. "As is usual with most places of worship, there is a large area to which worshippers are freely admitted. There are obviously some private areas too, but I'm afraid that I don't know whether the majority of them are above the main public area, below, or behind them."

"Thank you for the information," Winnacer responds.

"While I know you cannot officially sanction any direct action," he continues, "perhaps you may know of certain priests in your temple that would wish to join us in our unsanctioned undertaking. We could use all the able bodies we can muster for this exercise. In lieu of that, I would appreciate it if your staff perhaps made ready to aid us in the immediate aftermath. With your Cathedral situated on the level above the Smurt mortuary, it is likely we may fall upon you for succor. I hope this would not be too presumptuous."

"We will appreciate any help you can give."

Artificer ArcWelder thinks for a moment and then replies:

"As I have said, I cannot give too much manifest assistance to you on such an endeavor, as it would risk starting an incident between the two Churches. However, I believe that one priest of Zelezny could accompany you on such a mission. If anything were to go wrong, then it would be possible for us to deny all knowledge of his or her involvement and thus any potential complications would be eliminated. Two or more would look very suspicious. I will speak to the priesthood and choose from those who would be interested in such a task. I do not think that there will be a shortage of volunteers."

"As for your coming here after finishing your mission," he continues, "this should not be a problem providing that you are not seen doing so. If you were to be seen coming here, then it would undoubtedly cause problems."

"Is my offer acceptable to you?"

They all give their agreements.

Porter offers:

"Just a thought. One possible way in would be to save the minstrel's body until tomorrow. We could use delivering the body as a front to get in the front door if we don't come up with something better in the meantime."

The Artificer thinks about it and then begins to nod:

"That is certainly an idea worth considering. It would certainly give you a valid reason to be inside the church."

The dwarf looks around:

"Now is there anything else that I can help you with, or will that be all?"

"I think that will be all," Winnacer replies, looking round at the others to see if they have any thing to add.

"Very well then," the Artificer agrees. "Please stop by here before you embark upon your mission to the Mortuary and I will provide the priest that I promised you."

"I will arrange for two of the congregation to start watching the Mortuary immediately."

With that, they all get up, shake the Artificer by the hand and head out of the Cathedral. As they start to head up the staircase towards the upper level, Porter speaks:

"I don't think that I'm going to be a lot of use to you with the Earth Priest. I think it's best if I go and take a look at the Mortuary briefly. I can't hang around too long, as I'll stick out like a sore thumb, but I should be able to get the general idea."

"It shouldn't take me too long. How about we meet back up at the 'Boar's Head' before we go off to the Council meeting?"

"That sounds like a good idea," replies Winnacer. "We shall see you there. I doubt whether it will be an hour before we're back ourselves."

With that, Porter heads down the stairs towards the 3rd level, while the others continue upwards to the 1st.

Winnacer, Yaz, Faewen'il and Milan get to the 1st level and head towards the Cathedral of Zemnye. Upon their arrival, they are quickly spotted by one of the brown clad priests who shows them through to the CornerStone's office.

CornerStone Rockrender looks delighted but a little surprised at seeing their arrival:

"To what do I owe this unexpected pleasure?" he asks. "We shall be meeting again at the Council meeting in a couple of hours."

"We have a little more information now and wanted to share it with you before the Meeting," Winnacer replies.

"Good," Durian replies, "and what would that be?"

Winnacer explains all that they have learned from the DWA and the additional information and offer of help that they have been given by the Artificer.

The CornerStone looks angry as he hears of the Church of Smurt's involvement:

"Those bastards," he says, shaking his head. "Ever since the new Necromaster was appointed five years ago, I've had my thoughts that those bastards were up to no good. I still find it hard to believe that they would sink so low as to assist the Nemotz' foul plans."

He pauses:

"At least I am glad to hear that you have managed to gain the support of the Church of Zelezny," he continues. "I thought that the Artificer would be supportive to your needs. He's a very pleasant fellow."

"With the support of both the Churches of Zelezny and Zemnye behind you, I would imagine that will give you a little under half of the city who are willing to fight against the ratmen invasion. Discounting women, children and the infirm, I believe that you will have around 500 dwarves who are willing to take up the challenge when the time comes."

"But is there anything that we can do to help before then?" he asks.

"I think there is," Winnacer replies. "We need to determine in advance as to which tunnels the ratmen will be coming through and your worshippers seem to be the dwarves with the right skills to check which tunnels they will be. I wonder if you could provide us with such dwarves."

"That should not be a problem," the CornerStone replies. "However, to check out the tunnels will mean their having to go down to the bottom levels of the city and, as I am sure you have now discovered for yourselves, it is little better than a battleground down there."

"Yes," Winnacer agrees, "everything that we saw down there tells us that this is the case. However, we have managed to negotiate an undertaking with one of the most important Blood gangleaders that he will assure the safety of your followers."

It is obvious that the CornerStone doesn't know whether to look surprised or impressed at this:

"Really?" he questions. "You're sure of this?"

"As much as anyone can be sure that they will stand by their word," the young Lord replies. "We provided services to them in return for getting this agreement and so we will have to hope that it will be sufficient."

The CornerStone nods:

"Well, it seems as if you have made rapid progress during your stay in the city. Let us hope that it continues."

He pauses once again:

"Now is there any other way that we can be of assistance or can the other matters wait until the Council Meeting?"

They continue to chat with the CornerStone for a while until he finally brings the meeting to a close:

"I think that will have to be all for the moment. I need to prepare for the Council Meeting. If you will excuse me now, then we will see each other later."

They say their farewells and take their leave of the Cathedral, heading down the boulevard towards the gate. As they leave the city proper, they can see that it is already dark outside and Yaz was right when he said that it was snowing, although not heavily. As they get outside the gates, the freezing cold winds almost cut them in two and they hurry back to the 'Boar's Head'.

They find Porter waiting for them in the bar, drinking something warm.

"So how did you get on?" asks Winnacer.

"I'm not so sure," Porter replies. "I wasn't able to tell that much. It's in a pretty quiet part of the city and so I couldn't loiter around. The Mortuary is at the northern end of the level and is built into the side of the wall. The door is kept open by the look of it. I had a quick look inside, but couldn't see that much. There were a few priests in black robes in there, but it was pretty dark inside. I could see that there was some kind of large fireplace at the far end."

"As far as I could see, there is no other way in and out of the place other than through the main doors. It could very well go back into the rock. There's no way of telling from the front."

"Just as I was leaving, what looked like the two blacksmiths that the Artificer sent showed up."

Porter shakes his head:

"And I thought I stuck out like a sore thumb. They were hopeless. The sooner that they get replaced the better it's going to be for everyone."

Having half an hour to kill before the Council Meeting, they order a quick round of mulled wine to try and combat the cold and then, leaving Milan at the hotel, the four of them set off towards the Council Meeting. They start traipsing through the snow in order to get to the warehouse that serves as the Council's meeting room and reach their destination after some ten minutes. They look around to make sure that they are not seen by anyone and then knock upon the door. It is answered a couple of minutes later by Zosia who welcomes them inside and then closes the door behind them.

"If you could just wait here for a moment," Zosia says, "I will call you in when we are ready for you."

They hang around in the reception area waiting for Zosia to invite them into the meeting room. After a couple of minutes, Rowan comes down the stairs, not looking entirely happy. He nods lukewarm greetings to them all and then speaks:

"Well I found my cousin," he says, "she's safe and well and staying at the Temple of Zlodey."

Rowan looks over at Winnacer:

"She wasn't at all impressed with your barging into the Temple at all yesterday," he continues. "It was a major embarrassment to her. She's decided to stay at the Temple for the moment."

"As for me, I don't think that I'm going to be terribly useful to you down in the city. Zosia and I have ... errm ... 'hit it off' shall we say and, as it seems as if she is very much in need of protection right now, I have agreed to stay here with her as her ... errm .. . bodyguard."

"Until the mystery assassin has been apprehended, that is."

"Perhaps you can do us a small favor while Zosia is in our care during the meeting," Winnacer replies. "If you could ask your cousin to see if she can arrange a watch on the Temple of Smurt with the followers of Zlodey, we would appreciate it. It seems that their Mortuary is where the Nemotz are holing up."

"And if you could apologize to your cousin for me, I would appreciate that as well. I was expecting her to still be there and did not intend to shame her."

Rowan considers the matter for a few moments and then nods in agreement:

"Let me see if she will agree to your request," he replies. "I would imagine that Zosia should be safe as long as you and the Council Members are here."

"I'm not sure how long it will take me to convince her. You might have gone by the time I get back from that godforsaken place. I shall leave a message for you at the 'Boar's Head' telling you what her answer is regarding the request."

With that, Rowan gets his cloak, wraps it around him tightly and heads off into the cold streets of Tall Town, heading for the Temple of Zlodey.

The others spend another five minutes talking among themselves until the door to the meeting room opens and Zosia puts her head around the door:

"You can come in now," she says, opening the door wider.

They walk into the large room and see the seven dwarves are already sat around the table. All of them are dressed similarly, with their clothes covered by bulky nondescript cloaks. Each of them is wearing black gauze over their faces and so their appearances are masked to the party members and each other.

"Please, take a seat," Zosia says, pointing to some Bohavian-sized chairs that have been brought in for the party members and set up at the far end of the table.

Zosia waits until the party members have made ythemselves comfortable and then starts to speak:

"The Council has been informed of all that you have learned regarding the threat from firstly the Nemotz priests and secondly the ratmen. 'Holy' has also given us the additional information that you were able to give to him earlier this afternoon and so all of the Council Members have been fully briefed as to the current situation."

"All of them have vowed to do all that is within their powers to stop these dual-threats."

She pauses and then continues:

"I think that 'Holy' has informed you as to the membership of the Council. The seven dwarves around this table are some of the most powerful citizens of Opava, at least the ones that may be trusted. Because of the threat from the Nyemetz, it is essential that their identities be kept secret, which is why all members of the Council are masked and are referred to only by code names."

"Together, however, they have a large proportion of this city's assets at their disposal."

Zosia looks at each one of the party members in turn:

"I need a list of your requests from you. Hopefully, one or more of the Council Members will be able to provide all of the resources that you may require."

"The safety of Opava should always be a first priority," Winnacer starts. "If we are unable to stop the Nemotz directly, it would be best to have a back up plan. If we could arrange for the various access points to the wells to be guarded come St Vaclav's Day, it may make all the difference. If we can also devise a way to purify the wells once contaminated, it would be rather prudent."

Winnacer pauses and the dwarves start to chatter among themselves in dwarven. Faewen'il can understand that they are considering the problem carefully and each of them trying to see what they can add to the solution. After a few minutes of discussions, one of the masked dwarves speaks up:

"This should not be a problem," the masked dwarf says with a voice that sounds incredibly like that of CornerStone Rockrender. "Three wells on eight levels means that there are 24 access points that need to be guarded. I am able to provide two men for each of these access points and one of my colleagues is able to provide another two for each. These will be normal citizens and so cannot be expected to fight off the Nemotz should they use force against them."

"One of our other members will be able to provide a well-trained and experienced warrior to bolster the well-guards on 20 of the access points, which will hopefully slow the Nemotz down so that one of the others can sound the alarm. For the four access points that we do not have warriors for, another of our members is able to provide priestly back up for the guards."

"So, in the case of each of the access points, we should be able to ensure that there is one dwarf with offensive capabilities and another four to keep a lookout. Hopefully this will be sufficient to ensure that the Nemotz cannot poison the wells without our knowledge. They will take up position tomorrow evening and stand guard until the threat has been negated."

Winnacer nods:

"This sounds as if it should be ample protection. However, it is essential that those guarding the access-points be on their guard for ANYONE approaching the wells. It doesn't necessarily have to be Bohavians carrying out their evil plans. We know that they have the ability of charming people into performing their bidding and so any dwarf has the potential of being able to poison the wells."

Zosia looks around at the assembled Council Members:

"Lord Stradheim makes a good point. Please ensure that all those undertaking this duty are informed of the potential of charmed individuals being used for this."

All of the assembled dwarves nod their understanding.

Winnacer then continues:

"We have also need to devise a way to inform the populace to use the well we have paid to have repaired in the case of the Nemotz succeeding."

Once again there is some discussion among the dwarves, although this time it does not last nearly as long before another of the dwarves speaks on behalf of the Council:

"It would obviously be unwise to let the populace know about this information in advance of a possible tragedy happening," the dwarf says in a slow, cracked voice that tells that the dwarf who is speaking is obviously of a venerable age.

"If we diffuse this information throughout Opava, then obviously the Nemotz themselves will come to learn of the fact. It will tell them that their presence in Opava is known together with their agenda, which would surely make them even more cautious and, if they were informed about the fourth well, then it would obviously be very easy for them to poison that one as well."

The dwarf shakes his head:

"However, this is an easy problem to solve, I believe," he continues. "Should, gods forbid, the Nemotz be successful in their actions, then those that are on guard at all of the access points shall simply stop any of the citizens from taking water from that point and tell them to use the back up well instead."

"Any information about the Temple of Smurt would be appreciated as well," the young Lord continues. "It seems that the next battle for Justice will be fought within the halls of the Mortuary. A loan on any equipment that would aid us in our upcoming assault would also be appreciated. It may be that we need to slay every last one of them, so we can use any advantage you can offer. "

The dwarves huddle together and discuss the matter intently. Their discussions last quite a bit longer than for the previous questions until the masked CornerStone finally speaks for the Council:

"It appears that none of us have any detailed information regarding the layout of the Mortuary. From what we know, we believe that the majority of the Mortuary would be to the north of the city limits, as this would give them the space that would be necessary to excavate as much as they require. We believe that this is more likely than their having much additional space either above or below the public areas as their position on the 3rd level would make the chance of cave-ins too likely were they to have any major excavations. If you wished to approach by stealth, then I believe that tunneling in diagonally at the corner of the Mortuary that goes into the north wall would be the best way of gaining access."

Porter interjects:

"Well, since we're asking, I might as well ask if you've got some people who can do the tunneling for us? They don't have to go in, just get us in. I gave the place the once-over myself, and I don't see any way in but the front door, so the tunneling might be a good option, if you all can arrange it for us."

Winnacer nods appreciatively with Porter's suggestion. He then goes off on his own tangent:

"An assault will place my comrades and I at great bodily peril, and if we were to falter, all of Opava may feel the repercussions. We also will have no opportunity to regroup if things turn sour on us. I was hoping that perhaps some of the Council members have access to portable healing magicks, to help keep us on our feet during the upcoming fight."

The dwarves discuss the request amongst themselves for a short while and then the CornerStone replies:

"I think that I can provide the services of one individual that will be able to assist with the tunneling and to provide some healing spells should you require them, but I can provide only one. Hopefully one will be enough."

One other masked dwarf who has not spoken directly to you yet speaks up after the CornerStone. To say that his voice appears to be grizzled would be a bit of an understatement:

"Healing's all well and good, but you'll need someone with you that knows how to kick some ass. From the look of the four of you, it looks as if you could do with a bit of muscle. I know just the dwarf for the job. Just tell me where and when you want him and he'll be there."

Winnacer ponders the advice for the moment and then continues:

"We also need to organize an effective resistance against the ratmen, scheduled to break through into the mines around New Year's Eve. Whatever resources the Council can provide will be appreciated."

Once again, the dwarves continue their discussions, barking amongst themselves in dwarven for what seems like it is an eternity. The party members can see that things get a little agitated as the dwarves continue to discuss the matter and Zosia has to bang on the table a couple of times in order to get them back on the point. They continue to debate the matter for 20 minutes, during which time Faewen'il can tell that not all of the Council members are being as forthcoming with their resources as Zosia would like. Eventually the debate dies down and Zosia brings them all to order and speaks on their behalf:

"So, we have finally agreed that all of the Council Members will contribute all of the resources at their disposal."

"Putting everything together, this is what the Council Members are able to provide in order to counter the ratmen threat. First of all, we are able to directly influence a little over 40% of the population of Opava in terms of dwarf-power, giving something like 500 dwarves who will be willing and able to fight for the city's survival. Hopefully, with such a large proportion of the city's population willing to take up arms to defend their homes, much of the remainder will also follow suit."

"These are normal citizens who have a little ability with hammers and picks, but are not trained warriors. One of our members has a company of 20 experienced mercenaries at his disposal that he is willing to contribute to the cause. Another of our members is able to provide a significant amount of Holy Powder of Ohen. Another is able to provide a certain amount of gold if it would be required for essential purchases. Finally, one of our members is also able to conjure up illusions with no little ability."

Zosia looks at the party members:

"So this is what the Council Members are able to provide you in order to help with the defense of the city. They are open to ideas as to how these resources may best be used."

Winnacer looks over at Porter briefly, his eyes perhaps dipping to the bounty hunter's oft-maligned purse:

"My comrades and I are not as well equipped for this assault as we probably should be. If the Council would be so kind to perhaps humor us for some requests for pertinent equipment, it would be well appreciated if those items could be gathered for us while we made other preparations."

Winnacer looks at the others:

"So, what sorts of things do we need?"

Yaz is the first to speak. He whispers to you all out of earshot of all those in the Council:

"I dunno what else we need. I got everything I need. It looks as if Rowan and Joy aren't gonna be part of this thing, so that's just me, Winn, Maire' and Porter. But if we've got one of those blacksmith priests, another rock priest and this kick-ass dwarf with us, then that makes seven of us in total."

The druid looks at all of them:

"Seven of us should be enough, shouldn't it? We can't take any more of us in there or it would be like taking an army. Seven should be enough for us to go in and still have some chance of surprise. With four spellcasters altogether, we should be able to give those dirty bastards a good hiding."

He looks around again:

"But if you guys need some more stuff, then you ask them."

Winnacer can't help but let a smile sneak out with Yaz' enthusiasm:

"Yes....seven should be enough to make them pay. And pay they will."

"We should figure out when we plan on doing this thing before we leave. The night would be the best cover, but to wait for tomorrow night may be cutting it a bit close. We could push for tonight, but some of our number may need time to prepare. We also could try to manage it during the day, but making our escape without prying eyes may be difficult in 'Crips' country."

"So what do you guys think?"

Once again, Yaz is the first to reply. It's quite obvious that he just wants to get this job over with and get out of the city as soon as possible:

"Well now we know what the gig is and when it's gonna be, I'd rather get myself fixed up with the best set of Prirodna's blessings that I can ask for, so it's gotta be tomorrow rather than tonight. So the choices look like it's either tomorrow morning right after I've asked Prirodna for her prayers, or tomorrow night."

"I know that tomorrow night's cutting it a bit tight, but I'm worried about going in early morning. All the priests that I know are pretty early risers and the last thing we want to do is run into the whole bunch of those bastards while they are in the middle of their early morning prayers."

"I vote for going in late evening tomorrow, even though it means we'll only have one chance of taking them out."

Zosia waits until they have finished speaking between themselves and then answers Winnacer's request regarding extra equipment:

"I am sure that we shall be able to take care of any requests for vital equipment in addition to the personal that the Council Members are able to provide. Please let us know what you require and we should be able to give you an immediate answer."

"I was thinking that it's likely we'll be again be coming to blows with the dead," Winnacer replies. "A supply of holy water and Greek fire may come a long way to ensuring our victory. We may also need something to get the locks of the building open with haste. The loan of a device called a skeleton key may have great value to our mission, and perhaps this Council could arrange for us to get our hands on one for a limited time."

The dwarves mutter amongst themselves for a while discussing their requirements. Eventually Zosia speaks for them all:

"The holy water and Greek fire should not be a problem to obtain in time," she says. "The 'skeleton key' is going to be a problem, however. As I have stated, only the most trustworthy citizens are invited onto the council and so none of us have any links with the underworld. I'm afraid that other methods will have to be used in order to get past any doors in your way."

Winnacer nods and turns to the others:

"Anybody else have some ideas?"

Winnacer, Porter, Faewen'il and Yaz all look at each other for a moment, but it appears that no one has any more suggestions.

Fae then speaks up:

"I be runnin short on a few thins that I be needin for tha job. Parhaps ye illusionist might be helpin tae supply some o the thins."

One of the masked dwarves that has not yet spoken speaks up:

"Let me know what you want and I'll see what I can do," he replies.

"I'll write ye a list," the magess replies and then gets out parchment and quill and starts to make a list which she then hands to the dwarf.

Winnacer turns back to the Council:

"It seems as if these are all the requests that we have for you."

Zosia nods:

"Very well," she replies. "So let me summarize what the Council has agreed to provide you with."

"The Council members will provide you with the services of someone who will be able to tunnel into the Temple and also heal wounds and another individual with some military skills. In addition, we shall also make available a quantity of Holy Water and Greek fire for your use. We shall also provide the magess with her items."

"All we need to know is where and when you would need us to make the individuals and materials available to you."

Winnacer looks to the others, but no one seems to have any suggestions:

"Shall we say 7.00pm tomorrow at the Cathedral of Zelezny?" he replies.

Zosia nods her head:

"I believe that shouldn't be a problem," she replies. "Consider the matter taken care of."

She pauses and then continues:

"That should be everything for the Nemotz priests threat. I believe that we should all meet back here again in 72 hours' time, on the day after St. Vaclav's Day in order to discuss the ratmen problem in more detail."

Zosia looks around to see if anyone has any other business. Upon seeing that they do not, she speaks again:

"This meeting is adjourned."

With that, the dwarves rise from the table and shake each other and Zosia by the hand. They then come over to the party members and shake each of them by the hand also, with each of the dwarves wishing the party members the best of luck with their mission. They then start to file out of the building.

They shake Zosia by the hand also and then start to head out of the building also and head back through the freezing streets back to the 'Boar's Head'. Upon entering the inn, the innkeeper approaches them:

"I've got a message for Lord Stradheim," he says, handing a folded sheet of paper to the LawBringer.

Winnacer reads the contents and then speaks to the others:

"It's from Rowan," he says. "Joy has agreed to ask the Temple to put some of their members to watch over the Mortuary."

He folds the paper back up and puts it inside his pouch:

"I need to go and tell the blacksmiths that the Artificer put upon the task that they are relieved," he continues. "I suggest that we all meet up again tomorrow in order to make our plans for the day. It's going to be a tough one and so it's probably not a bad idea if we all get some rest."

The others head up to their room while Winnacer heads off back into the city. He takes Milan with him for company and the two of them walk through the gates once again, heading for the Mortuary. It takes a little over 20 minutes to reach the building that is built into the side of the northern wall of the 3rd level, just as Porter had described it. He sees the blacksmiths immediately. As Porter said, they are truly hopeless at the task, simply sitting in front of the Mortuary staring at it while looking very nervous. As Winnacer approaches them, they look even more nervous and are about to bolt before Winnacer manages to make them understand that he knows the Artificer and that the dwarves may stand down. The dwarves seem to be very relieved at being let off and soon disappear into the darkness of the level.

Winnacer looks around to see if the Temple of Zlodey has been good to their word in providing some members to keep watch. He doesn't see them at first but then realizes that the shady looking characters that he sees in the shadows talking to each other casually are probably the ones.

Reassured that the matter is in hand, Winnacer has a look at the Mortuary from a distance to familiarize himself with the outside of the building and then he and Milan head back up through the city and return to the 'Boar's Head'. The pair of them have a quick drink together and then head off for their beds.