Kidnappers?

 "We need to find out what those Merrow were eating.  Let's head to the street to see if they have cleaned up yet," Armania suggested.

"Surely they were feasting on the humans in town," answered Gavril with a smirk on his face.

"Now, now, let's not assume anything," Ciprian answered.  "We just need to go check it out."

So the party returned to the scene of the fight with the Saltwater Merrow and the Will-o-Wisp.  The townfolk were washing the street down with buckets of water as they approached.

"What have you done with the carcasses?" queried Armania.

"We done dump them in the bay, fish food ya know," one of the men responded.

"Did you notice what the Merrow had been eating?" Armania continued.

"Looked like fish and maybe some Kelpie, nothing unusual for sea creatures," the same man replied.

"Was there any evidence of human remains, clothing scraps or anything related to humans?" Ciprian added.

"Why no!  Why would you think that could be," another man said with trepidation.

"Just wondering if these were related to the town disappearances," Ciprian answered calmly.

After a little more discussion the party was convinced that this was not related to the disappearances or so called kidnappings.  They then proceeded with their nightly rounds heading for the central part of Thrushmoor which they had missed on last night's rounds.

The group made its way through the streets warily, they had seen many strange goings on in this town of Thrushmoor.  None of them could still recall their past, all was blocked somewhere.  They had certainly gained knowledge and skills since awakening in Briarstone Asylum.  They also knew more about their relationship to Count Haserton Lowls IV not necessarily to their liking.  As the group moved down an narrow street, Gavril noticed a sooty, smoky scene begin to appear on a wall just to the south of Erevel.

"Look out ..." he yelled just as four red robed humans strode out from the wall and attacked with saps.

Ciprian identified the attackers as rogues and started his performance.  Armania cast a flame strike on the closest attacker to her.  Paullus fired his bow at another attacker while Ursina attacked with her Holy Book.  

Gavril and Erevel both attacked but found themselves flanked by the rogues who were inflicting non-lethal damage with their saps.  Gavril called for help in flanking one of the sap bearers and Ursina responded looking to use her death knell as soon as she could.  The flame strike followed the enemy that it had already harmed and Armania's Acid Dart failed.  Paullus continued firing arrows.

Suddenly behind the party three more red robed figures stepped out of another wall.  They moved into position and fired arrows at Armania, Paullus and Ciprian.  Erevel and Gavril kept up their attacks and one of the rogues fell unconscious.  Ursina attempted death knell but it fizzled so she moved up to the next enemy. 

Surrounded the crew redeployed as Ciprian let loose a Blistering Invective which shook four of the rogues and started three of them on fire.  Armania cast magic missiles while still moving her flame strike to another attacker.  Paullus dropped his crossbow and sliced away with his was razor imbued with Bleeding Strike.

Seeing the battle start to go against them, the rogues dropped their saps and attacked with their rapiers.  Erevel eliminated another while sliding to put her back against the wall with the sooty mural on it!  Two of the bowmen dropped their bows and attacked with rapiers while also stopping the fire from continued burning.  The last bowman dropped his bow and attacked while still taking fire and bleed damage.

Gavril and Ursina finished off the attacker between them and this time Ursina's death knell succeeded.  More attacks were made from both sides as Erevel finished off her attacker.  Paullus' war razor plus fire and bleed downed another.  Armania suggested that they try to keep one of the attackers alive to question.  Ciprian and Ursina finished off another, to leave one standing alone.  Gavril gleefully struck this remaining enemy who then pulled out a potion but fell to Gavril's attack of opportunity, dropping the flask which broke on the stones.

Finally able to catch their breath the party explored in many separate areas.  Ursina found magic upon each of the now dead rogues.  It seems that they all had potions and oils.  Ciprian looked for magic in the wall pictures.  He felt a faint glimmer of magic in the background, unclear what type, but the walls held no magic presently.  Gavril related that he saw the attackers just kind of step out of the wall, not through it, but out of it.  The gloomy empty city-scape pictures did not just wipe away they seemed more permanent.

All told the group recovered four saps, seven rapiers, three composite shortbows with arrows and seven chain shirts.  The supposed kidnappers had no insignia or special markings other than their red hooded robes.

Armania identified the magic items as seven oils of magic weapon, seven potions of cure light wounds and six potions of vanish.  The group divided up the loot, collected a couple of the bodies and headed for the Sleepless Agency to inform Cesadia of their good fortune.  At last a clue to the disappearances/kidnappings.  They had no idea how the movement through buildings was effected, nor where the attackers came from but at least this pointed to a certain red robed group.

Cesadia met with the group as quickly as she was able, anxious to hear the new news.  The party related their new found information and Cesadia, while not pleased about the method, at least was glad to hear of the findings.  She didn't have any way to protect the townsfolk since apparently the attackers could appear anywhere, but at least there was a new clue.

Now trusting the party more than she ever thought was possible given their pasts, she related to them her fears about Fort Hailcourse. 

"Magistrate Padgett has been missing for several more days now.  Constable Cesyll has not been heard from, other than Ciprian's attempt to enter the Fort several days ago now.  No one had been in or out of the fort, no runs for food, nothing, no communication at all.  The fort does have some supply but you would think we would see someone even if all the mercenaries have left since Count Lowls wasn't paying them.  I think it is time to investigate what is happening at the Fort.  Can you do that?" Cesadia requested.

Not thinking too hard, Armania and Ursina were ready to remedy the wrongs at the Fort.  Ciprian wasn't sure how they would get in, the building was made of stone.  Erevel and Paullus were willing to follow the lead of the party.  Gavril reluctantly agreed to go along, maybe he could find some more cash.

"We should rest again to be completely refreshed to attack the fort," Armania suggested.  "I can cast fly on one person if we need to get to the battlements."

"Climbing up the side of the Fort could be dangerous," admitted Ciprian.

"Barnabas can fly around but he really can't tell me anything directly," added Paullus.

So it was off to sleep at the chapel once again where the party all had a restful night.  After memorizing spells and having a filling breakfast the group headed to the Fort.  Halfway to the fort a small teenaged young woman stepped out of an ally and appealed to the group.

"My name is Holissa please help me!  Can you find my older brother, Sholn, he was a victim of the recent spate of kidnappings."

Their suspicion aroused the group was intent on determining the truth of her statements.  Ursina even activated Discern Lies.  Shortly it became obvious that the young woman was speaking the truth and had no underlying motive.  She was sorely concerned for her brother.

"When was he kidnapped and what was he doing at the time," inquired Armania.

"It was three days ago, earlier in the morning.  I believe it was still dark and he was headed to the Fish Market to get an early lead on the catch," Holissa responded.  "She can even accompany the you, we rely on Sholn for our food."

"While we appreciate your offer to come with us, it is probably better to let us find Sholn ourselves," replied Armania.

"Thank You, Thank You," Holissa responded gratefully.

As the group approached the Fort they kept a wary eye on the battlements looking for a sentry patrolling the heights.  They did not see anyone in the time it took them to walk to the front doors.  No one was seen on the top of the towers that rose forty feet into the air.

The only entrance to the fort was a set of 10-foot-high double door located on the south side of the large stone building.  Tarnished brass door knockers carved into the shapes of perching birds hung on the doors, and the hatch for the spyhole remained shuttered.  Along side each door was an arrow slit.

Gavril moved to the west and found another arrow slit which he peered through.  There was no light inside and Gavril could only see a single bed next to the arrow slit.

"Ursina, it is dark inside the fort over here.  Can you look into the the other arrow slits?" Gavril asked.

"Maybe we should make a circuit looking in all the arrow slits," Ciprian added.

Ursina moved to the slit west of the double doors.  She saw a portion of a dark room with a humanoid standing in armor about 5 feet from the slit.  Behind the body were double doors leading north.  Moving to the eastern slit she saw a cart right in front of the slit with another similar humanoid behind it.  In a corner stood an attractive standing mirror.

Moving east Ursina came to a slit that looked in on a room with a long table and a dozen chairs.  At the far end was door leading north.  Lounging in chairs were some hunchbacked, green-skinned humanoids with a wide frog-like head.

Moving to the next slit Ursina peered in and saw one of the green-skinned figures immediately inside.  The creatures started hopping around and pointing.  Ursina quickly retreated to the bushes and the rest of the party looked up at the battlements to see if they would be ambushed.

DM's Notes: The party earned 500 XP for the night and now are at 5th level.