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On the edge of the Abyss!
#9
As they were warned about an attack to the very heart of Blackmoor and they have to let the leaves of the Jheera tree dry naturally, the characters decide to go back to the Royal Palace.
The characters pass through abandoned lands: pioneers' hamlets, farmers' villages, rich cultivated lands, the estates of the wealthy nobles of Blackmoor, the walls of Vestfold (and they breath a sight of relief, as the city is still untouched by the plague) until they see thee welcoming sight of the gleaming Palace up ahead.
The Palace Guards are the only soldiers left in the city: 'State your business, peasants' one of them grunts, 'we have no need of kitchen hands'
The characters dtate that they are on a vital mission sent out by Lady Desideria personally and the Guards raise their eyebrows and look them up and down. One of them disappears inside the palace while the other still bars their way. After some while the first one reappears: 'They're too busy with the Lady Desideria's funeral arrangements to sec you today. You'll have to come back tomorrow, 1 suggest you have a bath, if you want to be allowed in.'

The characters panic at the news and decide that they need to enter the Palace ASAP, so they bribe their way in (dearly).
The guards chuckle with glee and pocket the money. One of them leads the characters through the gates and into a small antechamber. I'll fetch someone who can help,'
After several minutes, the slight form of Brangaine of Maus breezes into the chamber, accompanied by six hulking bodyguards and a shifty, travel-stained individual named Luthaur, one of the irther heroes who stayed behind to protect Vestland. 'What is it you want?' she snaps abruptly at the characters.

They explain to her what you have discovered during your journey, and the rogue notices as they do so a smirk appear on the face of the hero. When finish, Brangaine turns to him. Is this true?' she asks- *Mo, my !.ady,' he replies. 'As you know, I myself have just returned from scouting those very lands, and 1 saw no invading horde. It was jusl a wild story spread by some irresponsible rumour-
monger: the superstitious villagers had merely abandoned their villages and hidden in the forests. Does this wastrel think to impress you with these ridiculous claims?' Brangaine turns back to the characters and frowns. 'T am too busy with the arrangements for
Lady Desideria's funeral to listen to your bickering. I will use mv own methods to ascertain the truth. Meanwhile you will spend the night in the palace.'

The characters follow off to the servants' quarters where are given a hard pallet to sleep on, but, as darkness falls, they lie awake on their pallets, waiting for all the servants to fall asleep. Straining their senses, two of them make out a faint, familiar buzzing. The enemy is within the Palace!
They sneak out to the inner courtyard and, looking across at the keep, they see a black shadow rise from it and disappear into the
night sky. The keep is the dwelling-place of Blackmoor's nobility: its central tower contains Lady Desideria's private suite and audience-chamber. The winged creature flew not from the lower itself but from one of the windows of the keep from which the tower springs.

While the (clumsier) warriors stay in the yard, ready to help with their weapons, the rogue sneaks on.
The main door into the keep is expected be with no doubt well guarded. However, by climbing a flight of steirs in the palace walls and slipping along the walkway that runs along their lop, the rogue plans toto reach its roof. Glancing niund the courtyard, he notices a coil of rope hanging from ahook outside the stables, so he wrap this round himself and make way way up the stairs- His companions keep an eye open forany sign of the guards who occasionally patrol the walkway, ready to whistle the verse of an owl.
The rogue creeps along the walkway until he reaches the point where it meets the keep. From here it is only a short drop on to the slightly sloping roof of the keep of the Royal Palace. Above, rises the keep's tower; but target is the keep below. The winged creature came from one of the windows below, bul he can't knowwhich one. The keep has four walls looking into the courtryard, and each
has a small casement window. Around the edge of the keep runs a row of ornamenlal spikes, round which it is possible to loop the rope. It is possible to peer in at each of the windows.
He's a real Nowhere man, sitting in his Nowhere land,
making all his Nowhere plans for Nobody.
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