18: Heroes of Diamond Lake, Part 3

While the entire group of adventurers were buying food for the long trip to the ruins on the edge of the Mist Marsh, a man approached Morgrim as he was loading his wagon. "Hey, do you know where I can find Azrael?" Morgrim sized up the man, thin, early 20's, goatee, pocked skin from chicken pox, pale skin, slicked back hair, leather armor, bow and sword and recognized him as Gerek. One of the survivors from the Dead hole mine, a member of Thurbiss' gang who gave the group information in return the group vouched for him with Tolliver Trask, Commander of the Greyhawk Garrison.
Morgrim directed Gerek to Azrael. Gerek informed Azrael that he had observed Durgstra, the dwarven body guard of Ragnoln Dourstone exiting Balabar Smenk's compound and re-entering it a few hours later with some bottles of wine. When the Ebon Triad was busted Ragnolin and Durgstra disappeared. Smenk claimed they headed out of town, but sold the claim to the Dourstone mine to Smenk before he left. If anyone knows where Ragnolin Dourstone is located it would be Durgstra.
Azrael paid him solm gold for his time, and the group conferred. They decided to bust into or trick their way into the compound and find Durgstra the following morning.
Standing at the front gate of the Smenk compound stood Stigand, the rest of the adventurers were lining the wall to left and right. Stigand didn't exactly look inconspicous - a muscular bald headed man in full plate armor carrying a myriad of weapons. He spoke with a guard, telling the man they were sent to carry news of a workers riot at the Osgood mine. The guard said "I'll tell Bask." After 5 minutes a balding man in his 30's with a bushy black beard stood behind the window in the gate. Stigand claimed to be from the heroes who killed the Ebon Triad cult, and told the man to hurry. The window closed and some of the adventurers started casting defensive spells.
The Gate opened a bit later and a guard stood in the doorway. He say the 7 other adventurers lined up to either side and yelled back. "You're right Bask, they're up to something." Bornir then held him with a hold person spell.
The group rushed into the compound. Bask, expecting trouble retreated to the manor telling the guards "Let the Apes handle them." For all of the guards and Bask were drenched in a nasty musk which kept the Apes at bay. No such luck for the adventurers.
The Dire Apes and a summoned giant scorpion kept the group at bay. The only thing that kept the guards from closing and barring the manor doors was Azrael. He had flown into the courtyard, and blocked the threshold at the price of repeated blows for a crucial period. The group quickly killed the 3 Dire Apes, and healing as they rushed in, they overwhelmed the defenders. Two fled into the interior, Bask amongst them. The rest were captured and their wounds were tended.
The group then scoured the manor, quickly finding the fighter who had retreated, another summoned scorpion, and a dwarf fighter in full plate fitting the description of Durgstra. The dwarf had skin like bark, and bushy coal black beard. The fighter wielded a Guisarme and had proven skilled in it's use.
Aarth told Durgstra to surrender. Durgstra told him to "Come and git me elf!" As the group rushed into the room Stigand got to close to the pole arm wielding fighter. He was pulled off his feet and suffered a nasty gash to his fore arm. Morgrim, who had been enlarged in the previous fight raged into the room and struck Durgstra a mighty blow with his axe. The dwarf toppled overhaving lost most of his right leg and intestines. Life faded from Durgstra's eyes, and the room grew quiet since the adventurers wanted Durgstra for questioning.
The fighter was quickly subdued and so was Bask after he tried to color spray Lath and Morgrim. Bask was questioned when he came to, Stigand stood in the background. Stigand found when he spit acid at people's feet it tended to intimidate them. Crude but effective.
Bask spilled his guts about Smenk's operations. It seems Smenk had paid off Durgstra to betray Dourstone, capturing him and bringing him to the compound. He faked the deed transfer, and Durgstra had been here ever since. Amongst Smenk's yearly ledger were payments that could be conscrued as being to Durgstra, and a much larger payment to Feldan, the leader of the Black Talons, who were paid to kill the heroes.
Bask also described a passage to a warren below which only Smenk enters or leaves, and he dragged Dourstone down there after his capture. When the group asked when Smenk would return from Greyhawk, Bask told them Smenk's departure was a ruse, he had faked his departure to give himself an alibi. Indeed Smenk was down in his dungeon even now.
Some of the group searched the rest of the house but found nothing of great note. Aargal found a root cellar and a secret doow on a side wall. He opened it while the group was still tying up Bask and company, and saw a lit 20'x20' room with a metal man made of brass armor, wielding two rapiers also made of brass. Aardgal slammed the door shut before the thing could get to him.
The party congrgated at the root cellar and then threw open the door. The metal construct waded into battle, skewering Aardgal and Stigand. Felnar threw a magic missile at it, but it was immune to his magic. Finally Stigand managed to trip the thing, and as it rose to attack a rain of blows battered it until it stopped moving.
Next the door behind the construct led to a dark hallway, with a torch lit 20'x20 room. Down the hallway could be heard a woman sobbing quietly. In the center of the room a 10'x10' cage made of bars and wooden beams. Inside the cage sat the sobbing woman, concealed in a torn and ragged cloak.
As the group advanced Morgrim told her "Don't worry ma'am, we'll help you." As the reptilian snake haired medusa turned her face to Morgrim she responded "But who will help you?" Morgrim and Stigand barely resisted being petrified. The medusa turned her wrath on Stigand for he spat acid at her. Aarth threw a smoke stick into the cell, and helped to conceal her. Then cast True Strike and nocked an arrow. He put it in the medusa's back and she screamed and rushed Aarth. He was bit by a snake, but Stigands protective acid aura was her undoing and she crumpled to the ground.
Next the group tried the two doors. One was a complex lock with a Glyph of Warding which hurt Bornir. He advanced into a treasure room and Balabar Smenk stepped from hiding and tried to skewer him. "No one takes my treasure without a fight!" Smenk yelled.
Bornir faded back and Morgrim stepped up. He struck a lucky blow which hurt Smenk badly. The corpulent mine owner stepped back from the doughty dwarven fighter and screamed "I'll kill you for what you've done!" With a wave of his cloak he disappeared from sight, dimension dooring away to safety.
In the next room they founf Ragnolin Dourstone dying of thirst and hunder shackled to the wall. The older dwarf was clearly not in his right mind, and the group gently removed him from his restraints.
Figuring Smenk had escaped, a few people went upstairs to check on the captives, while the rest rifled Smenk's treasury and few water and bread to Dourstone. Amongst Smenk's money was a sealed letter saying: 'In the event of my death' The letter was a complete and detailed description of Smenks actions helping and later black mailing Mayor Lanod Neff. 5 years ago Mayor Neff had become enamoured of a beautiful sorceress named Mere. Mere lived miles from Diamond Lake, and Neff's advances were spurned. He became obsessed with having her. Smenk offered Neff a way to spite her and have her forever. So persuasive were his words that Neff agreed. Smenk's people captured Mere, and she was petrified by his captive Medusa. Her statue was then given to Mayor Neff to adorn his garden forever. Neff's secret kept by Smenk so long as he did Smenk's will. Smenk still bank rolled Mayor Neff and Sheriff Cubbin to keep them as powerful pawns.
The enormity of Smenk and Neff's crime was appalling. But what to do. Finally the group hit on a plan to take Bask, Dourstone and the letter before Ellival Moonmeadow. Aardgal kept the letter secret from Ellival and asked his counsil. Ellival thought and said the best response would be for the group to take Bask and Dourstone before Commander Trask, the head of the Greyhawk Garrison as proof of Smenk's crimes. Even then there was a chance Smenk would just skulk around town or in the area until he could discredit or kill his accusers.
The group took Ellival's advice but showed Commander Trask the letter found in Smenk's treasury. The Commander scowled when the heroes told how they assaulted Smenk's compound, but the fact almost no one was killed, and the only death was on Durgstra, Dourstone's betrayer was acceptable to Commander Trask.
Finally when the letter was produced, Commander Trask muttered something about 'vigilantes' and stopped cold. He then wrote an order for thearrest of Balabar Smenk and Lannod Neff. He marshalled his troopers and they marched to the Mayors estate. The group came along to watch.
The troops ringed the estate and Commander Trask and his two lieutenants went inside to arrest Mayor Neff in person. He was brought out in chains, and marched onto a wagon to be taken to their jail.
Within the day rumor of Neff's arrest spread through the town. Commander Trask personally informed Sheriff Cubbin and Deputy Jamis the were immediately removed from their positionaand given 48 hours to exit Diamond Lake. They took less time than that, since there are any number of folk looking to settle scores now that they're not in power. They headed out east towards the Dutchy of Urnst as fast as they could.
Commander Trask finally turned to the heroes saying "You've done a good job boys." "Aarth and Bornir asked in unison "So what's our reward?" Trask thought for a moment and asked "If we check out Smenk's treasury I suppose we won't find much in his treasure vault. Hmmm? Consider that yours and maybe a bit more once we've sorted out this mess. Damn but there's going to be a lot of paperwork." He smiled wryly as he grumbled and walked back into the hill fort.