Iliskra was nearly finished, looking over the last of the four letters and scribbling away on her own parchment. The final letter was the longest but Iliskra was a fast reader, a quaint skill she perfected over years of being with a guild of thieves. The snowfall outside was beginning to thin visibly and the feint glow of the late morning sun was creeping across the floor in the laboratory. Even if they found nothing of value in the safe the four needed to leave the estate when they were done in here.

There was a telltale click from behind Iliskra. Firoz had managed to pick open “his” lock and as he had done with the padlock on the door caught it in hand before it fell onto the desk. Sensing the urgency Willory began hurriedly wriggling his wrists and twisting his fingers. With a shake of his head Firoz said to his companion, “Patience, do it correctly.”

“We don’t… have… Ah!… There…” Willory said with a relieved inhale as the lock opened and slipped from its’ mooring. Unlike Firoz, Willory did not catch the lock in hand and it bounced off the top of the desk with a metallic clank and then rattled onto the floor.

“Willory!” Firoz hissed as the halfling winced, putting away his pick.

“Sorry…”

“Just open the safe.” Iliskra said through gritted teeth as she refocused on capturing the last of the details of the letters. Willory hopped down from the table and Firoz began prying away at the latch that kept the safe door secured. With a few final scratches of her quill Iliskra had finished transcribing down what she needed from the letters and then stuffed them into Leon’s hands - instructing him to take them back to Jadarl’s room and make everything as it was before.

“I wonder if this feller has some well-aged cider or wine in there.” Willory said rubbing his pudgy palms together.

“If he does,” Firoz grunted as he cranked at the latch, “we’re selling it for a high price and not… pouring it down your gullet…”

Lord of Shadows save my poor heart from the mistakes of others, Leon thought to himself as he winced at the sound of a lock hitting the floor. His ear strained, listening outside of the room as he tried his best to ignore the three as they whispered back and forth. He was almost grateful when Iliskra handed him the letters and bade him return to the other room. They could discuss at length what they found later he assumed, he just hoped this was worth all this effort.

Returning the items was the easy part and fortunately Mask saw fit to bless his servants with the power to repair damage to object of a nonmagical nature, restoring them to their previous condition. It wasn't a particularly favorite spell since his agents typically preferred to break things instead of repairing them, but it was far too useful to ignore when it came to covering one's tracks. A few minor surges of divine power and the desk looked like it had never been touched. He paused to do the same to the door to Jadarl's bedroom before carefully closing the door.

Before returning to the laboratory, Leon paused outside to listen carefully. Jadarl's seeming lack of presence made everything about him, his guards, and his servants a virtual unknown and he hated unknowns. If Jadarl had been alerted of trouble, sure he would be able to hear something by now of that trouble coming.

Finally, with a low thunk, the safe opened - Firoz eagerly pulling the metal door open.

“Well, I’ll be damned…” Willory said as he climbed back up on top of the desk.

“What?” Iliskra asked as she crammed assorted roots, blossoms, and herbs from a nearby table into her bag of holding.

“Empty!” Willory spat, stamping one foot on the top of the desk.

“What?” Iliskra asked again in a sharper more distressed tone, this time turning around to face the safe. Firoz pulled the safe door all the way open against the wall revealing the safe to be bare. Iliskra’s shoulders slumped at seeing the empty safe interior. While this invasion of Jadarl’s estate had not been a waste of time considering what Iliskra had copied from the letters - not to mention the mixtures and alchemical ingredients they had taken - not coming away from here with pocketfuls of coin or jewelry was nothing short of disappointing.

“Hey… what’s this?” Willory asked suddenly, reaching a meaty little hand inside the safe. The halfling made a pinching motion with his index finger and thumb and held up what looked to be a polished pebble of sorts that was resting inside the safe. By now Iliskra had overcome her momentary disappointment and realized that the safe was just bait. A trap for thieves. But before she could shout at Willory to warn him not to touch the small stone it was too late. A high pitched squeal suddenly tore through the air that made everyone cry out and cover the sides of their head, Willory dropping the stone which bounced down onto the floor. The stone continued to emit the shrill keen which carried out the door and down the hallway.

“A stone of alarm!” Firoz shouted the obvious, though no one heard him as they all desperately covered their ears against the piercing noise. Iliskra felt feint vibrations against her soles from the floorboards. The low, rapid pattering of running feet. The guards were on their way and Iliskra and Leon needed to get out of this place now.

Leon had always hated loud noises. It was the opposite of the silence that he had been trained in for so many years. Rooms so quiet that if you stressed yourself out you could hear your own heartbeat hammering in your ears and had to train yourself to move silently through such spaces. The piercing shriek of the stone hit him like a knife in his ear and he almost called upon Mask's power just to destroy it. He knew it was too late though. It was now time to escape with their loot and their lives.

Willory and Firoz both ran to the window, crashing through the frame and glass and landing hard on the balcony below. Iliskra needed no further prompting, Leon hot on her heels and he tucked his sword and shield away and put his mask on, an illusory red robe covering his clothes now. If the guards saw anything, maybe they might blame the theft on the Red Wizards or some wannabe imitator. He muttered a prayer to his god as he vaulted onto the balcony below, his hand slapping against the remaining frame of the window and causing Mask's shadows to thickly envelop the entire space. The orb of darkness stuck out nearly ten feet past the window, so even if the guards managed to find it in the dark, they still would not be able to see the thieves slipping away in the night.

The run was still stressful, Leon expecting at almost any moment to feel the strike of a crossbow bolt or hells forbid... a magical spell on the shield on his back. He tried to stay close to Iliskra in case he needed to shield his compatriot but she was swifter by far and they both knew there would be no blame if she escaped on her own.

Mask it seemed still had games for his priest to play though, as all four of them dropped down to the cobblestone pathways and disappeared into the remaining mists without incident. They remained together for a few blocks, then split up as both pairs went to their seperate destinations.

---

---

---

---

Leon and Iliskra made their way back to The Dragon’s Tail tavern from Jadarl’s estate, keeping to the alleyways and narrow side streets. As fortune would have it with the snowstorm clearing away the city had become more active making it easier for the two to move unnoticed. The beggars, drunkards, and other wretches that were bundled up in the walkways between buildings were easy to get lost among. Iliskra, not wanting to take any chances, insisted on making circles and doubling back several times in the more crowded areas in an attempt to lose any possible pursuit that had followed them into the heart of the city. When the two finally arrived at the Dragon’s Tail, Iliskra was pleased to see that it was crowded. Horses were tied up all around the establishment and handfuls of patrons had taken to standing around outside to avoid the crowd on the inside despite the cold. She and Leon squeezed through the front door and into the tavern.

The Dragon’s Tail was more crowded than ever this afternoon, mostly by beached sailors and commoners though Iliskra could see a number of Shagarm’s soldiers that had stopped in for a drink. She and Leon were careful to avoid them and made their way up to Leon and Ibdur’s room. Ibdur was waiting inside, the dwarf looking sullen as ever as he opened the door when Iliskra gently knocked.

“Well…?” Ibdur asked in a single grumbled, questioning word as he closed the door back behind his companions once they were inside.

“Well,” Iliskra replied in a weary tone, “our ‘scouting’ of Jadarl’s mansion turned into a heist as it were.”

Ibdur raised one eyebrow and crossed his arms over his barrel of a chest. “In the first of the day? What happened? And where are the Talon thieves?”

Iliskra dropped down with a thump onto Leon’s bed. There was so much to tell and she sighed thinking back to it all. She looked at Leon with an expression of obvious irritation that said “you start”.

Leon sat down on the edge of the bed, not seeming to mind that Iliskra had sprawled herself over it. He just wanted enough room to plant himself for this conversation and there was not much furniture in the room to spare. He removed his weapon and shield, laying them against the wall for the moment as he seemed to consider where to start the tale.

"Scouting the estate went well enough. Aside from the usual guards they had a golem of sorts protecting the lower levels. We elected to make a top floor entry via window and split into pairs. Willory and Firoz taking the middle floor while we searched the top," Leon began, sighing a bit, "I'll try to spare you the boring bits but it really was just a heist for us. We hit what we believe to be Jadarl's bedroom and laboratory, making off with a belt full of potions, reagents, a possibly magical ring... and the contents of some letters."

"But we also very much overstayed our welcome. Willory and Firoz broke into a safe and accidentally set off a trap that gave a loud alarm call to the rest of the house. After that it was a quick escape out the windows, a bit of darkness and mist to hide us and some streetwork courtesy of Iliskra here before we made our return to this temporary home," Leon finished, "sorry friend, no tales worthy of Tempus on this trip. Just some shadows drifting through a house that doesn't belong to us."

"That also means we failed to locate and harm or otherwise remove Jadarl from the board of play. While raiding his personal room, I received a vision... though Mask has not yet made it's meaning clear to me. What I saw was fragmented, but I saw someone I believe to be Jadarl among a small group of his fellows, likely other wizards. He was wearing these strangely ornate red and black robes that I did not recognize. I also saw what I believe to be Jadarl's... introduction to this new guild he works for. He must have cut a deal with them though I realize that takes no great leap in logic," Leon said, his voice going a little distant as the images of the vision passed again through his mind.

He pulled the iron ring out of his pocket, showing the open palm hand to Ibdur and Iliskra.

"I'll have it identified after we rest," Leon stated.

Iliskra sat upright on the bed, looking at the ring in Leon’s hand and saying, “Let me see that.” Before Leon could respond Iliskra swiped the ring with a swift motion and brought it up close to her face, intensely looking over the strange item. The ring was made of pleasantly smooth, polished iron and the open palm atop it was quite detailed - all the way down to the lines on the hand. “I have never seen anything like this before.” Iliskra squinted her eyes as she inspected the ring.

“That open hand atop it,” Ibdur grumbled, leaning in close, “it reminds me of the Church of Ilmater.”

“I do not suspect that this Jadarl is a priest of Ilmater.” Iliskra immediately said, handing the ring back to Leon.

“I merely said it reminded me of the Church of Ilmater.” Ibdur huffed, crossing the room and sitting down his own bed. Iliskra rolled her eyes. Despite his sour expression the dwarf said with genuineness, “So, you also made off with some potions and some alchemical ingredients. If nothing else I am sure you two could pawn them off for some coin. What was that about notes?”

Iliskra began pawing around inside her bag of holding, reaching for the notes she made from Jadarl’s letters. While Iliskra did this Ibdur looked to Leon and asked, “Where did those thieves get off to? - The Talons. I suppose they went running to their nearest rathole?”

"It is possible," Leon admitted, examining the ring himself a bit more, "I agree Jadarl does not strike me as the priestly type, least of all of the God of compassion, but the ring being found on his personal desk may either be a former connection, or perhaps he stole it in order to falsify something. If the Talons continue to prove... adequate, perhaps they have a diviner or fence that can identify this item and it's possible uses."

Leon looked sideways at the door as though he were considering something before answering Ibdur's question. "Indeed. Once we broke from the estate they divided from us to split the focus of our enemies and both escape. Not that they seemed to be able to give us much of a chase."

"I still do not like that we saw neither hide nor hair of Jadarl there. His defenses were adequate to stop a mediocre thief, but if he is seeking to eliminate the Talons... they he is woefully unprepared. A sturdy pair of lockpicks and a quiet set of boots and they could put an assassin in his bedroom on almost any night they pleased," Leon said, leaning against the wall. And they still did not know what Elthel was up to the entire time of the raid. Was she meeting with Jadarl in secret to betray them all? It seemed foolish for Jadarl to allow himself to be robbed, but perhaps Elthel was counting on that. At best, she gains an alliance. At worst, she can sell whatever share of the loot the other two brought back... and keep Leon and Iliskra in need of their services.

"Perhaps the letters will reveal more, though if any of you have skills at breaking codes, I can't imagine Jadarl will simply write out his plans for conquering the city in their entirety," Leon said.

“Well,” Iliskra said as she pulled her notes free from the depths of her bag, then tying it back, “these are hardly plans for seizing a city. And as for the defenses of Jadarl’s estate… I admit that the place was… well… easy.”

“Perhaps this Jadarl does not consider the Talons a threat anymore.” Ibdur said, “If Breck and his men, outsiders to the goings on in this city, learned that the Talons were gasping their final breaths surely Jadarl knows that they are. What I mean… is perhaps he thought there was no need for elaborate defense against thieves.” The dwarf immediately frowned and looked down at the floor, clearly not believing his own poor theory.

Something was definitely out of place with all that had happened earlier. Elthel’s sudden disappearance, the admittedly lackluster defenses - even considering the golem and the guards - the trick safe… Was it bait? Iliskra wondered as she ruffled the parchment in her hands. A trap that did not work out as it was meant to? She doubted this. Jadarl was supposedly in the close employ of the elusive Shagarm who was set on taking over Scardale Town. A clumsily laid trap meant for the likes of the Ashaba Talons did not fit the image of this would-be conqueror or any “right hand” of theirs.

Iliskra’s eyes wandered over the parchment in her hands. “Well,” Ibdur demanded, his burly arms crossed, “what do you have there?”

Iliskra blinked and stammered for a moment, “Uhm… m-most of what was in the letters was… logistical.”

“Logistical?”

“A report about a rise in recruit numbers… weapon shipments due in coming days… reports on Red Wizard encroachments… but…”

“But what?” Ibdur asked.

It was clear that Iliskra was distracted. The half-elf’s eyes shifting about as she looked up from the papers in her hand. “But they are sparse in detail. As if rushed or…” Iliskra trailed off again and the annoyance on Ibdur’s face was becoming more apparent. Elthel disappearing… the mediocre defenses… the safe… and now the vague letters… and that ring…

“Tempus damned it, elf,” Ibdur barked, spreading his arms in impatience, “if you have something brewing in that skull of yours then spit it out!”

Iliskra’s head snapped up, her eyes instantly locking with Ibdur’s causing the dwarf to recoil slightly as the notes she had taken all suddenly slipped from her grasp and scattered across the floor. Iliskra then looked and Leon and said without hesitation, “We need to leave here right now. And discard everything we took from that mansion.”

“Hold… what?” Ibdur demanded, raising both hands up indicating he wanted an explanation from Iliskra.

Iliskra stood up from Leon’s bed and scurried past him and Ibdur over to the door, as she reached for the knob she looked over her shoulder at Leon - her eyes filled with intent. “Leon, that ring was meant to be found. It was too easy to break in and make off the way we did! The safe with the stone of alarm was probably even just a ruse to sell the trap! Leave everything you took here in your room and meet me in the hall. Then we must leave.”
Iliskra hoped Leon understood her implication, stepping out into the hallway and shutting the door to his and Ibdur’s room without another word or a second look.

“What in the nine Hells is she raving about?” Ibdur asked Leon, eyes wide.

Leon knew better than to question that look on Iliskra's face. If she had reason to believe it was time to burn everything and go. He would burn everything and go. He walked calmly over to the window and opened it up, casting the ring out into the night air and aiming for an alleyway. Maybe some careless thug would pick it up and lead someone on a merry chase. He unslung his bandolier of potions, not trusting himself to remember which ones came from Jadarl and which ones he had brought along himself.

"It means we've been fucked," Leon said, casting the potions in the opposite direction and aiming for a rooftop.

"Think about it Ibdur, if you knew skulkers and thieves were after you. You knew the time and the night they would break into your home... well, you might not personally do this since you'd probably fight them, but try to imagine what a coward would do. A coward with tracking magic. Why not put up just enough of a fight to make them think they were having a lucky streak, leave out a valuable or two... and place tracking magic on it."

What Leon didn't understand was Elthel's role in all this. Could the Talons be trying to strike a deal with Shagarm by handing over a trio of nobodies? There were easier ways to get the three of them killed... And if Elthel was acting on her own, why had she been so firm about killing the half-orc and keeping her leader alive. Surely Jadarl if not Shagarm would insist on the Talon's leaders execution. Was Elthel just using them as a disposable warning against Shagarm? Threaten one of his lieutenants by getting agents into his very bedroom and then sell them out for peace?

"Get your gear and get ready for a fight, if I were Jadarl I'd have men around the building already, and someone strong enough to handle three strangers handy with knives and divine magic," Leon muttered, sliding his mask onto his face and muttering a prayer to Mask. His shield was strapped across his back, but he walked to the door with his sword bared. His shadow warped and climbed up from the floor, wrapping him in it's embrace as a kind of second armor as he called on his faith to shield him from the enemy.

Leon opened the door and stepped into the hallway, immediately moving for Iliskra's door in a smooth motion. He raised his hand to knock when the hairs on the back of his neck stood up. Death was casting it's own shadow over him, and his God had sent a warning a moment too late.

Pain blossomed in the back of his head a moment before the shadows took him into their embrace.

---

“Awaken.”

Iliskra’s consciousness slowly returned to her, her first sensations being the impulsive twitching of the flesh around her eyes and the throbbing pain that filled her skull. Iliskra grimaced and took a slow, deep breath. She carefully wiggled her fingers feeling the recognizable texture of wood against her hands which were lying palms down. She was sitting in a chair, a chair with wooden arms and a cushioned back and seat. Iliskra tried to open her eyes only to squeeze them back shut as the flickering glow of a dull orange light made her head pound harder. A sharp crackling sound indicated that the light was from a fireplace.

Where are we? Iliskra tried to think amid the lingering headache. She remembered stepping into her room at the tavern and closing the door behind her. She, Leon, and Ibdur had needed to leave the tavern - maybe even the city. Jadarl’s estate had been a trap and the three of them were in danger. Iliksra had reached for something on an end table, some stray belonging that she needed not leave behind. She had heard a creaking sound behind her and started to turn around only to be bashed in the back of the head with something hard - something metal. The half-elf lay her head back against the chair and winced feeling a large swollen bump where she had been struck.

“It is very impolite to ignore your host.”

Iliskra felt a jolt in her chest. She had heard the words “wake up” but assumed it was Leon, Ibdur, or a figment of her imagination. It was a man’s voice that she did not recognize, low and oily. Iliskra tried to stand only to realize she could not move. A few futile jerks of her arms and legs revealed her wrists, ankles, and upper calves were bound to the chair.

“Do not bother struggling. Even if you could free yourselves you are in a well-guarded room and unarmed.” The voice had a hint of amusement this time. Iliskra forced her eyes open grunting in discomfort as the light from the fireplace assailed her sight. She looked down in front of herself, she was at a table. Before her was a smooth empty dinner plate with the appropriate silverware neatly aligned on each side and a clear glass absent of any liquid. Iliskra gingerly looked to her right noticing movement in the corner of her eye. Leon sat right next to her, tied in a chair as she was and slumped forward though he seemed to be awake.

Iliskra blinked several times, clearing the haze from her vision. She and Leon were being held prisoner in a dining hall, a rather nice one from what Iliksra could see. A chandelier with lit candles hung just overhead, a clean white cloth graced the long table they shared, and the walls were hung with fine paintings and accented by marble pillars. Despite the roaring fire and candles the place seemed gloomy and Iliksra could see through a window nearby that it was night outside.

“Can neither of you speak?”

Iliksra felt another jolt and gasped lowly as she realized that the voice was coming from right across she and Leon. A shadowy figure clad in black robes with red trim and decorative red sequins around the shoulders and chest was slouched forward in a chair in front of the two. How did I not see him? Iliskra blinked a few times and tried to catch a glimpse of the face of their captor but his hood hung low and shrouded his identity.

Leon had been here before.

Not literally in this place, but Maskarran training included capture and interrogation scenarios. When he first began to wake he kept his breathing slowed, lightly flexing each of his muscles in sequence to check for damage. His wrists were bound quite well, but that was standard fare. He could feel his armor on his skin, but the comforting weight of his weapons were gone. What's more, his mask was missing. Irritating, but not impossible to overcome.

He was still alive. That meant his captors wanted him alive. Already there was something he could use. He went through a mental mantra of prayer and found his thoughts unhindered. No poison. No charm effects that he could detect. They wanted his mind clear as well. He was bound. They were afraid of what he might be able to do. Good.

He tried to remember what happened. He had stepped into the hall. The warning from Mask. Pain...

He had been struck from behind.

He finally opened his eyes and looked across the table to the slouched figure. He saw Iliskra moving as well out of the corner of his eye.

"Jadarl," Leon said, his voice cracking slightly. How much time had passed? Hours... he felt hungry, but not starving. Perhaps half a day or so? He took in as much of the surroundings as he could. He had not seen this place in their raid on Jadarl's compound. Had the entire mission been a fake?

"We aren't dead... any chance we can skip the 'I'm so much better than you' part of the speech and get to what you want," Leon asked, purposefully trying to divert attention towards himself. Iliskra did her best work when she was being ignored after all.

"Hm. Actually... if you don't mind. Where is Ibdur?," Leon continued to ask. The dwarf was conspicuously absent, which means he had either turned traitor... in which case all the information Leona and Iliskra had was worthless to their host... or they had failed to capture the dwarf. Of the two, Leon was currently betting coin that it was the former. After all, the strike had come from behind and had been sure enough to drop him despite his defenses.

Why though?

“You are certainly a glib one.” the hooded man immediately replied to Leon, his tone one of slight amusement. The man leaned in, crossing his arms over the table as he looked Leon straight in the face. Within the shrouded blackness of the hood Iliskra could see a pair of gleaming eyes and the tip of a pallid nose. “I take it since you know my name your god revealed me to you.”

His god? Iliskra impulsively looked sideways at Leon and then back at their captor.

“Mask.” The hooded man raised his right arm and then reached under the table. Iliskra felt the hairs at the top of her neck bristle. The man’s gloved hand came back up slowly, now holding something that shined in the light. With a soft clink of metal he lay it down on the table. Iliskra quickly recognized it as Leon’s mask that he wore.

How could we have been so stupid? Iliskra thought woefully. Something that Leon, she, and the others had taken from Jadarl’s estate - most likely that accursed ring - had been infused with a tracking spell. A spell that lead Jadarl’s lackeys to the Dragon’s Tail where they then set up an ambush.
But where is Ibdur? Surely he did not… betray us. Did he? A dreadful feeling swelled within Iliksra’s gut at the thought. If Ibdur had betrayed she and Leon and joined with Jadarl gods only knew what all the man was aware of by now. Never mind the Ashaba Talons, Breck and the rest of Lord Hastlon’s expedition could have been revealed to Jadarl and by extent Shagarm. But before Iliskra could sink further into despair at these thoughts she and Leon’s “host” said something that immediately brought a surge of relief to the half-elf.

“You asked about your dwarven companion. He is… confined elsewhere. He was captured as you were and brought here. Actually he was the first to awaken. I… tried reasoning with him but I could not get a word in over all his bellowing and death threats. Something about ‘feeling all the wrath of Tempus’. It was clear there was no talking with him so I had him locked in a cage as I do with all wild animals.”

“Where is he?” Iliskra demanded.

Jadarl turned his head, acknowledging the half-blood woman for the first time.
“Here. Within this structure. That is all you will know regarding him. For now.”

"So that's a no on skipping the 'I'm better than you' speech? Seems like Ibdur got to skip out on it. Shit if bellowing and death threats is all it takes, consider me an obstinate son of a bitch," Leon said, yet despite his confidence his eyes were glued to the holy mask he had carried. Having an enemy handle it made him feel like part of his own soul was tainted. Mask took a dim view of clerics who's secrets were given up to their enemies. He'd have to pay a personal price to bring the symbol back to his god's favor again.

Leon was getting a feel for Jadarl, establishing just where he could poke and prod at the man during conversation before he took certain reactions. He was wise to reveal that Ibdur had been less than cooperative, it matched exactly what Leon and Iliskra had come to expect of the dwarf but he overstepped at revealing the dwarf was within the same... structure was the word he had used. It was growing more likely they were not in Jadarl's house, which means this could be his real base of operations. Maybe even a base of Shagarm's Guild itself.

And he had taken no offensive actions toward Leon or Iliskra. His ability to hold the mask made Leon inclined to believe they were talking to a real person. The fact they were tied up at a table could mean he was attempting to treat them as... unwilling guests rather than true prisoners. If so, why not just come out and say his peace?

Leon chose to try and force the issue. "You had a chance to kill us anytime between here and the inn. So why are we here? You seem like a man too smart to care what his enemies think of him... unless they're fellow wizards anyways," Leon let the words hang in the air for a moment, part of the vision Mask had sent him flashing in his mind, "and I'm sure you've figured out none of us fit that particular description."

"So what's the game here Jadarl? Hold our buddy hostage so we'll kill somebody for you? Or is it that you need something snatched from someone you can't afford to use your own allies on?," Leon asked, "I'd be flattered, but I doubt you're keeping us alive for my charming wit."

“So many questions you have,” Jadarl mused, “all valid, of course.”

Jadarl pushed Leon’s mask slightly to the side with his right hand and leaned forward, resting his arms on the table. “Well, firstly, I did not kill the three of you for several reasons. I would very much like to know who sent you here, and I think it easiest to learn that from you directly.”

Iliskra blinked and looked sideways at Leon and then back to Jadarl, keeping her expression as plain as possible. The hooded man’s eyes twinkled, “I know you are not from this city. Our enemies across the river regularly employ mercenaries in their struggle to claim Scardale Town. And the locals questioned at the Dragontail Inn say that the three of you only recently began spending the nights there.”

Jadarl had not hinted at the Ashaba Talons. It seemed he believed that either the holdouts of the city watch or the Red Wizards had hired Iliskra, Leon, and Ibdur. Or Jadarl may have excluded any remark on the cities’ thieves guild to try and subtly coax some look of relief to the surface of his captives. The half-elf’s visage remained stony and her mind as clear as she could manage as Jadarl continued.

“I very much need to know who sent the three of you. If you are in fact mercenaries hired by one of our adversaries here in Scardale Town or if one of our foes… outside the Dales has sent you.”

“Shagarm has many enemies I take it.” Iliskra barbed.

“Yes,” Jadarl replied without hesitation, “but not nearly as many as I do.”

Maskarrans were trained for interrogations, both giving and receiving. One did not attain even the first rank of the priesthood without proving they could hold onto a secret despite the torturers bite. Leon was no exception to this rule and as soon as it became clear that Jadarl was asking a question his face became completely empty. Even his thoughts became a grey line. Mind reading magics and truth potions were common enough in Faerun, if one wanted to keep a secret, one had to build defenses ahead of time.

Of course, that didn't help him determine -why- Jadarl wanted to know. It was possible he was being honest, that he was afraid of someone or something out there that could be such a threat to him he needed to know if he should jump ship.. but what?

And why did Jadarl say there were three of them... when there were four involved in the raid on his house. Five technically. And Ibdur hadn't even been a part of it.

"That's easy enough. We are simply a band of... reasonably talented individuals that required some work. With our skill set that does tend to drift towards skullduggery as a preferred method of coin. As you can imagine working for or against the Red Wizards sounds like a terribly good way to end up either undead or just plain dead dead. So that leaves your little slice of heaven down here. We make our way to the bar... we have a good time... we put out our usual feelers for work and well... this halfling man comes up to us and says he happens to know the location of a house that belongs to a somewhat wealthy alchemist. The raw coin potential ain't much, but gods damn the opportunity to filch some real magical potions? So it was nothing personal, unless you've pissed off a woefully inept halfling burgler recently," Leon related, purposefully stretching out his words and the story, carefully weaving truth into his lie. It was possible he was selling out Willory, but any wizard worth a divination spell would have already known about the other thieves.

Still, he really hoped Iliskra was able to take some kind of advantage from him running his mouth.

"So I'm afraid we're simply caught up in the middle of a job gone wrong where it seems we were left holding the bag. If you're looking for a conspiracy to hunt you down, I'm afraid you would have to ask that halfling... Tiny Tom I think was his handle, has a thing for elven womenm" Leon said, the last bit a deliberate lie to test for any obvious truth detecting magic.

Jadarl sneered under his hood.
“I had expected a cleric of Mask to be far better at hastily forming lies.”
Iliskra gulped slightly as their captor leaned back into his seat, his arms now against the rests of the chair. “You arrived in the city very recently, within the last few days. And in the past few days an associate of mine and his men have gone missing and my estate was raided.”

Jadarl paused looking between the two. In reality he knew there was no point in trying to gauge any reaction from his two prisoners, his eyes seemed to betray that. It seemed to Iliksra that he was trying to coerce a confession from she and Leon. This sent a tingle up her spine as Jadarl would not try such a tactic unless he was confident in what he knew. “An associate”, he had said. Iliksra knew without a doubt he was referring to the half-orc, Gunalar.

How exactly does he know that we have been here for just a few days? Iliskra thought to herself. She doubted there was a traitor among the mercenaries that Lord Halston had hired else there would already be a small army sent out into the wilderness in search of Breck’s encampment. Something that would not go unnoticed by any of the other “competing powers” in the area. Was it that Elthel had betrayed them all? She had after all disappeared amid the intrusion into Jadarl’s mansion.

“You see, I have an inkling as to who has employed you. But I also cannot help but wonder what other allegiances you may have. Something that has not yet been considered by me that you might divulge. But… perhaps your god, Mask, will see fit to share what you will not.” Jadarl made piercing eye contact with Leon as he said these finals words.

Leon laughed out loud. He couldn't help it, the words were genuinely funny to him and he was already halfway to accepting that he wasn't getting out of here without some kind of torture. After all who would come to rescue them? Ibdur? The talons? One was supposedly a captive himself and the others either didn't know or didn't care about their situation.

"I'm sorry, that was unprofessional of me," Leon said as soon as he calmed down, "part of the joke is that you seem to think I'm some kind of priest because I have a fancy mask." Another pointless lie, but a maskarran would always deny their truth to an enemy even if the enemy already knew it. Secrets are to be kept, not confirmed.

"The other part of the joke is that you believe a god of thieves and trickery would tell you the truth. By all means, invoke the shadows, which would make you more of a priest than me by the way, and see what half truths a god dabbles in to their delight," Leon said, his tone even and empty of any mockery. It was a challenge, a gesture that if Jadarl honestly believed he could compel truth from a god, he should do so.

There was a small possibility, a trickle of unease that Jadarl could be or perhaps had access to another maskarran. That was often the trouble with secretive religions. It would not be the first time maskarrans had offered their gods aid to both sides of a conflict and Mask delighted in the chaos that unfolded.

"Truth and lies are a funny thing Jadarl. There exists only two possibilities: either I am a liar, in which case you would do well to trust only what your spies have told you," Leon said, rolling his neck as though it was getting stuff, "or your spies have lied to you, in which case... What could they possibly be doing right now while you are here playing 'whos got a secret' with the unluckiest man this side of the moonsea."

“It seems I should make clear to you just how much I do in fact know, and hopefully you will realize it is not in your best interest to continue with this impish evasiveness of yours.” Jadarl retorted. The man kept his voice level and he made no sudden movements that indicated agitation or aggression but his choice of words showed that he had his fill of this back and forth with Leon.

Jadarl pointed his right index finger at Leon, “You are a clergyman of Mask. Blackheart, the Lord of Shadows. You came from Chandlerscross with this elf-blood and your dwarven companion. You crossed the river by raft and then entered the city through the crumbled southern wall.”

Jadarl leaned forward, clasping his hands together against the top of the table. “My god showed me this. And my god and Mask are close, very close. Tell me, did Mask show you me as my I was shown you?”

Leon did feel a small surge of pride at forcing Jadarl to tip at least some of his hand. If these were wild guesses... they were far too accurate to be wild guesses. The gods of course could give him this information but if they had why did they now also choose to reveal Leon and Iliskra's real employers. As with all information gathering, it was the information that was missing that most interested Leon.

He knew they were from Chandlerscross, something they had mentioned to only one person since their arrival. It was possible he could have learned of it from Ibdur, but then why bother asking them about the rest if Ibdur had broken? Jadarl did not mentioned the meeting at the manse. Nor did he mention the mercenary camp or the ambush they had fought off on the way there. Curious details to be absent. And damning ones.

Leon's face went stone cold and he met Jadarl's gaze with an empty look on his face. His finger tapped the arm of the chair, trying to draw Iliskra's attention to his hand where he used basic sign language to spell out Elthel's name.

"My companions have names, Jadarl. Kindly use them if you want this conversation to go anywhere. If you use the word elfblood to describe her again you'll be very impressed at the lies I can convince myself of purely out of spite for you," Leon said, a bit of irritation at the insulting word used towards someone he had fought and killed alongside.

"Chandlerscross. Interesting you should mention that," Leon said, "though it makes me wonder exactly what games are being played here."

"But you've shown some truth to me, so I will show some to you," Leon offered, "Your description of our route is accurate enough. And Lord Shadow did send me a glimpse of you, two in fact. One in which you were surrounded by some rather welcoming types in red and black robes. You mention your god being rather close to Blackheart... there are only two that can claim that particular tie. Since you're not slitting my throat in the dark like a proper shadow, I have to wonder how a servant of the Mad One managed to convince a group like Shagarm to permit him entry."