[center] [b] 9:30pm, Last Seed 16 Evermore Castle [/b] [indent] [indent] [hr] [/indent] [/indent] [/center] [indent] The aftermath was pure carnage. Bodies strewn across the castle, furniture and structures in shambles, people crying and panicking. Dozens were dead, over a hundred were hurt. The magic users among the guests eventually cleared the mass frenzy. The vampires, around fifteen in total, had been put down, leaving behind not much more than their dust. One or two of them might have fled, and due to the fear of such possibility, castle guards did not let anyone leave until an hour later. After the guards scanned everyone for spell residues, several individuals were detained. Some of them were suspected vampire accomplices, while others caused excessive damage during chaos (whether they were under the influence of frenzy or not). One such person was Niernen; her frenzy-induced inferno reduced at least five innocent guests to dust, and caused serious burn injuries to a dozen others. Half of the dining hall (originally furnished with exquisite wood) was a smoldering ruin, which contrasted starkly to parts that remined frozen by Sylette's spells. Sagax and Wylendriel were also detained for killing innocent people. They were later released with other mercenaries' vouching. However, the slaughter below was low priority for the master of the castle. Guards, previously rushing down to the dining room, rushed back up when they heard the duchess and other royalties were in danger. The first group of guards came just in time to hear the grand chandelier collapsing, and then witness Daixanos split the vampire lord's skull open. They swiftly placed Dax and Dar'Jzo under arrest. Thankfully, the second group of guards arrived with Gustav among them. Having abruptly parted ways with Relyssa earlier, Gustav went on to make his own little heroic moment. He confronted a vampire with a large fork and a kebab skewer. Turned out those two dining utensils were sharp enough (and Gustav drove them hard enough) to pin the vampire against a flower wall. The guards finished the job, and Gustav, rearmed with a heavy wooden ladle, led them to reinforce other mercenaries. They encountered Cilo inside and were given the bloody trail of Marcel Gawain. Many nobles were still recovering, but Duchess Emmeria didn't need much convincing to see who saved her life. She thanked Ariane and Piper (probably because they're human), and at Gustav's urging, ordered Dax and Dar'Jzo's release. Of course, next came the tricky question: who were these "heroes"? Ariane was reluctant to say "mercenary", but Gustav saw no benefit in hiding the truth. He told the nobles about how General Cassia of the reserve legion hired his company to "monitor" the banquet. Instantly, the mood in the room soured. But before the duchess could object, two others spoke up. They were the king of Daggerfall and the sovereign prince of Camlorn. They applauded the mercenaries' audacity (and agreeing with each other for the first time this evening), then offered the company jobs for their respective sides. Duchess Emmeria cut them off; how dare they jockey for hirelings when a massacre just happened below!? The mercenaries were told to wait with the guards, while the nobles tried to bring a closure to their meeting. However, Gustav was having none of it. The mercs just saved those pompous noble asses, and the least they deserved was to see the result of their efforts. So a compromise was made to have Gustav, Ariane and Piper witness the negotiations. Unsurprisingly, the nobles went on to argue like nothing had happened. Actually, they did acknowledge the vampire attacks, only to blame each other for it. It was so infuriating that Gustav went out of his way to remind them how pointless their bickering was. In the end, Gustav and Duchess Emmeria made other nobles agree on a week-long armistice. And so the most important people of High Rock retired for the evening, happy to have accomplished practically nothing. It was only then did they notice the incapacitated bodies of Marcel and the old hunter Diarmid stirring beneath the bookshelves. The duo were taken to the healers, and as the second agreement reached that night, were given the title "champions of High Rock". As they were leaving, the guard captain reported the list of "agitators" to Duchess Emmeria; Niernen was among them, while Relyssa and Alim were the prime suspects for a missing exhibition piece. "Execute them, and set bounties for those on the loose." The duchess proclaimed. "Opportunists who consort with vampires already have their lives forfeited." If it were up to Gustav, he'd just leave Niernen behind. But Ariane convinced him to save Niernen not only for her destructive talents, but also to preserve what little [i]esprit de corps[/i], as the Bretons called it, the company had left. Alim was too much value to let go. Relyssa was also worth keeping around, Gustav decided. Not only would she be a lucrative business partner, but the kind of heist she just pulled off suggested many more tricks up her sleeve. As per standard, Gustav bargained for Alim and Relyssa's innocence, and Niernen's life, with bribes. He offered up Used Sundries to the crown as repair payment. The duchess agreed, on one condition: the mercenaries (other than Marcel) must leave as soon as possible, preferably tonight. It was for the mercenaries' own safety too, because when the people of Evermore wake up tomorrow, finger-pointing would consume the city. Evermore had a particular tendency for lynching outsiders. [/indent] [center] [indent] [indent] [hr] [/indent] [/indent] [b] 4:00am, Last Seed 17 Outskirts of Evermore [/b] [indent] [indent] [hr] [/indent] [/indent] [/center] [indent] On the wee hours of Last Seed 17, the mercenary company packed up and left Evermore in the earliest carriages. Dough-Boy was sent to Jehanna to collect their payment. Gustav and Ariane both agreed on one destination for the company. Gustav had spoken to Gherken gra-Umar (or Grumar), the messenger between him and his prophet, when he first arrived at Evermore. Grumar said the prophet wished to communicate through rings. Unfortunately, Gustav had not used his ring in years, and it had been sold to the Corsairs. For Ariane, she needed to find Maj, for she believed Maj didn't deserve to die. The journey to Wayrest would take nearly five days, three days before the armistice expires. Not every member of the company chose to continue. Gustav respected their choices; he even paid them for work up until that point. Gustav and Ariane also made sure to send Tsleeixth's remains, along with his salaries, to his parents in Riften (as specified in his contract). To offset the company's losses, they recruited fresh personnel with unique skill sets, and new perspectives on evolving challenges. [/indent]