Chapter 11: Negotiation, a Strategy and a Disguise

From The Chronicles of Brother Jacques.

29/5 Late night:
I agreed a little strategy with myself:

§ Come to a rough agreement with Keruna, that we both want the Dagger destroyed. This has already been taken care of.
§ Contain the Dagger.
§ Gather local information:
Speak with the Spirits of the dead, especially Artim.
Interrogate the surviving mercenaries (and others).
The Magician is alive as well, but unconscious, so he'll have to wait.
I don't know if we can get anything from Salagon.
Other things, places and people in Ravens Bluff; spell books / notes, Artim's rooms and the Inn, other agents, etc.
Ideally Soro should do a lot of this intelligence gathering, and we can negotiate from strength (well, nearer to equality).
§ Negotiate a more defined agreement with Keruna.
§ Clear up witnesses, etc.

Sir J-M / Erenion recruited the mercenaries, which is useful, and over the next few minutes, hours, days, he asked lots of questions (they didn't actually know much about Artim's objectives).
I told them to obey Sir Zacharias in military matters.
Keruna sent for a containment box.

Soro SPOKE with Artim's Spirit. His spell ran out, but Keruna resumed the interrogation (her SPEAK WITH DEAD had COMPULSION as well).
Artim was supposed to bring the Dagger to his mansion in Samu on Long Isle.
Kiellevain would arrive on the evening after (in 2 days).
Kiellevain had been looking for the Dagger for some time, mostly in the North. It had been found fairly recently. Kiellevain's agent had been bringing it South, but it was intercepted by Salagon (who was not trusted, although in the end he didn't try to doublecross Kiellevain). Artim was receiving the Dagger from Salagon, when we interrupted.
Artim had sacrificed his wife and children, and received some sort of UNAGING spell (that required yearly boosters), and a cure for syphilis.

The thin Magician, Turgis, had suffered a severe spell backfire (which just goes how spiritually risky the dark arts can be).
Later, Soro used DEEP ESP to read his mind, and discovered how to communicate with Kiellevain (an unclean Voodoo link with another of Kiellevain's minions), and various other protocols.

Artim's Secretary is a scared, socially inept man, who is only good with figures... and only figures.

Salagon was alive, but mentally fried (I'd guess that his Soul was POSSESSED by an agent of Set). His memories may have been intact, but Soro didn't investigate (a pity, as he knew a lot, and his will had been destroyed).
We have to assume that Keruna learned rather more from him.

The containment box arrived, and Keruna compelled Salagon to place the Knife inside. He resisted, until Sir J-M / E cut his hand off. Keruna nudged it in with the butt of her mace (which is sometimes huge, sometimes dainty).
The Knife itself appears different from different angles. I think that it exists in 2 worlds.

We retired to our quarters within the castle.

We started negotiating.
Keruna and I share 2 objectives:

§ Destroy the Dagger, the only certain way being with dragonfire. A religious ritual might work, but Keruna and I do not trust one another.
§ Destroy the conspiracy to use the Dagger. This means to kill Kiellevain, at least.

The ideal plan would be to destroy the Dagger, then use a fake to lure Kiellevain into a trap.
As we couldn't destroy it anything like fast enough, we decided to take it with us, but still use a fake.
We would arrange and go to the rendezvous at Samu - I would play the rôle of Sir Artim (as we have a similar build).
We booked passage aboard the ship Mayflower, bound for Samu.

Also, took stuff from the Inn, cleared up, bribed witnesses, etc.

30/5 Sir Zacharias, Sir J-M / E, Marcello, Olivier, Soro and Darianne went as themselves; foreign knights and their entourage.
I came with them, ready to take on the rôle of Sir Artim Argonside, with the mercenaries and secretary (Turgis and Salagon smuggled aboad in boxes).
We took the Knights' (including Sir Artim's) Destriers.
Keruna came with us, appearing as Lady Carmine (who is blonde, non-political and unattached).
10 of Keruna's Guards came, and Digoril her Captain, disguised as various merchants.

(I knew that Carmine was really Keruna, and assumed that Sir Zacharias did as well.
Actually he didn't, and was fairly familiar with her.)
I needed to rest (as I anticipate that the next night will be sleepless), so I allowed Sir Zacharias and Carmine / Keruna to guard the box.
Unfortunately they seduced one another, and Sir Zacharias was so sexually naive that he could not disinguish which woman he was with. He fell asleep clutching the box and Carmine / Keruna.
He dreamt of being subject to a spell, awoke, and called out.)
I arrived, and the box still contained the real knife. It could have been SEEK AND DESTROY.

Soro, using the Voodoo doll, Turgis, and some Weed, reported to Kiellevain, who would pick up the Dagger.
He also learned that Kiellevain can change his appearance / shape (presumably as his Demon half has this ability).
Kiellevain can use the Dagger to open a permanent tear into Hell, which is actually what he wants to do.
Salagon knows / knew the name of the Dagger Demon (Soro really has to DEEP ESP Salagon). Soro did not tell this last bit to Keruna, but it is possible that Keruna has done all this, and knows everything that Salagon did.

30/5 Evening. After favourable winds we arrived in Samu.
I become Sir Artim (with help from GOD and cosmetics... and I have the ash to which Artim's Spirit is bound; I think that Keruna and I can agree that he has to go to Hell in exchange for the Souls of his wife and children).
Some of Artim's retainers came to greet us.
We went to his mansion (including Turgis). Sir Zacharias andJ-M / E went to ride around the area, challenging other knights, etc.
I'm not sure what happened to Keruna's men, but I assume that they spread out around the mansion at a discrete distance. Digoril came with the rest of us.

I noticed a woman watching us from a house.

Our plan:

§ Should Kiellevain show up, Keruna and Soro (and possibly myself, should I get a chance) will engage / follow him. Kiellevain, Keruna and Soro can all TELEPORT, and probably SHAPESHIFT as well.
§ Sir Zacharias and Digoril guard the real Dagger (the box of truffles).
§ Everybody else is backup, taking whatever action is appropriate (I'll probably end up in this group).

We entered the mansion and I ordered maximum security (I reviewed the plans, with Keruna near enough to evesdrop; I hope that she can interpret this information and pass it on to the military types).
There were tokens, arranged questions and replies. Carmine / Keruna could enter the study which contains the fake Dagger, but other guests require my personal permission.

I prayed in an abandoned chapel, and obtained a DELAYED UNTIL NEEDED SEE SPIRITS.

Some time in the middle of the night, after Carmine / Keruna checked up on Turgis, a servant gave me poisoned (I assume) wine. Keruna saved me with studied clumsiness.
Carmine / Keruna, J-M / E and Soro looked around, and discovered that at least 2 of the house guards had been quietly murdered.
They went, with Sir Zacharias to the kitchen. Sir Z killed the cook, and the servant.

I suspect that Kiellevain is making his move. I don't know if this is his standard operating proceedure, or what he suspects.