Events+of+Zarantyr+4-Zarantyr+6+998+YK

Events of 4-6 Zarantyr, 998 YK
The small caravan had camped for the night at a cleared rest area set up by House Orien for the purpose. Heavy cloud cover and near-freezing drizzle kept most inside the earthsled when they weren't on watch. Just past midnight on Zarantyr 4, the group was awakened by the sound of approaching hoofbeats. Turns out it was a Half-Orc wearing leathers and a jaunty bowler hat, riding a skeletal horse. Between his childish insults of Faye and his reminder that he would "find the Slayer of Cyre's Children first!", it was clear that this was Tanar d'Tharashk, a self-described inquisitive and bounty hunter Faye had seen in Diamond Gulch. Kebbo, one of the homesteaders who had served in Karrnath, recognized the mount as a Karrn creation, similar to the undead soldiers that nation had sent to the battlefiled during hte Last War.

The rest of the trip to New Cyre passed uneventfully, save for a bit of tomfoolery !ranek and Faye did to the master of a southbound salt caravan coming from New Cyre. The value of the cargo was such that several members of a House Deneith Blademarks company had been hired as guards.

Arriving in New Cyre on the evening of 5 Zarantyr, the group went their separate ways. Argent went to the Silver Flame temple, which abuts the town's main square; Coldren and Athos d'Orien went to the Orien enclave, where Coldren dropped off his sacks of post; Kebbo and Del took their families to meet friends who were expecting their arrival; and the rests attempted to find lodging. The local Golden Dragon Inn was full, so they were forced to stay at the Gem, a far seedier establishment with girls and gambling in plain view.

Coldren rejoined the group jusst in time for them to engage in a friendly game of Three Dragon Ante...with Tanar d'Tharashk. !ranek and Tanar were the big winners, Faye about broke even, the others lost money (and Corwin lost big). Tanar revealed two things: 1) his Least Mark of Finding, and 2) that a fourth Cyran had been murdered, this time in Diamond Gulch. He either couldn't or wouldn't divulge whether this victim was found with words carved into him, like the others.

On the morning of 6 Zarantyr, the group met with Athos at the House Kundarak branch, where the letter of credit was cashed and the proceeds split as agreed. !ranek went missing, but a noble from the Eldeen Reaches called "Von Eldeenstein" ably took his place and tried to get the team looking presentable for their audience with Prince Oargev. Right down to the matching tabards depicting his "noble" coat of arms. Coldren, an Aundairian, was suspicious, but didn't raise a fuss. The two rangers loved the look.

At the Town Hall, on the main square, the party found lines at two separate entrances. The front was for teams planning excursions into the Mournland; the second, off to the side, was for those seeking the bounty for stopping the Slayer of Cyre's Children. In that second line was their rival Tanar, but before they could start arguing, a Warforged trotted up to the group. In his flat tones, he said "//The dead-gray mist rose and killed my village//."