Episode 14

• John & Flo arrive
• sit!
• dead dog biting
• another dead dog
• Walf chases a skellington
  • ... and calls to Aravin
• Aravin & Xagoth turn off the runes
• Dexter searches Ninaren
  • suspicious wording
  • returning the letter

Walf gently roused the recumbent elf, and as she stirred he hefted her aloft in his left hand, holding the point of his sword at her face. Xagoth demanded to know if she worked for Kalarel, which she confirmed proudly. Walf then demanded to know how to get into the keep. "You already know the way to the keep," she snarled, "but you still won't get in without the password." Xagoth asked her what the password was, to which she replied, "[from the ground...]" Walf glanced around at Dexter and Xagoth, who shook their heads. "What is the real password?" he demanded. Despite her greivous injuries and precarious situation, a sudden surety filled her and a boldness strengthened her voice as she replied, "I will never tell you! Orcus will protect me!" Suddenly John lashed out with his shield and struck her in the knee. A sickening crack rang out and the elf screamed weakly. Walf was aghast, but realised that he had to maintain his bluff if Ninaren were to be intimidated into revealing the true password. "What is the password?" Xagoth asked menacingly. "And life fails in the dark" she whispered, before passing out in Walf's grasp. Immediately the big fighter turned to John and said, "if you ever try something like that again I will strike you down where you stand." He turned to Flo and asked her to aid him in healing their prisoner, and she agreed, still shocked by John's apparent remorseless cruelty. Dexter merely nodded at John and winked.

Healed but still faint, Walf cradled the diminutive figure of Ninaren in his arms, her head resting on his shoulder, as the party made their way back to town. Lord Padraig welcomed them heartily on hearing that the graveyard had been cleansed and Kalarel's spy in Winterhaven captured. Walf said that he would surrender Ninaren to Padraig on the condition that she be well-treated. "I promise you she will be treated to a swift and just.. uh.. trial," the town's Lord reassured his wayward peer, and Walf — apparently hearing what he wanted to hear rather than what was actually said — handed her over and was thus released from the burden of caring for yet another adopted charge.

• back to the keep
• Dexter hears voices
• Xagoth hears whinging
• Aravin and Xagoth build a plan
• Walf & Dexter leap to attack
• Aravin burns Walf
• Xagoth grips a hobgoblin to death
• feeding the rats

At the head of the stairs, Walf suddenly turned from the group, pushed aside a section of wall, vanished inside, and closed the wall up behind him. Curious, Xagoth pushed at the same section of wall and discovered a hidden room beyond, ten feet across, fifteen feet deep, and completely devoid of any 6'8" fighters. Puzzled, he closed the wall again. Shortly thereafter the wall slid aside again and Walf emerged, his battered armour replaced with a gleaming suit of jet black scale. "Tallyho chaps" he exulted jauntily, and headed for the stairs.