Chapter 15: An Altar, a Trail to Follow and Some Questions

From the Chronicles of Brother Jacques.

1/6 In Han. The large altar / ceremonial ground outside had been switched off / (de)secrated by my efforts. We turned out attention to the lesser altar within the building. The corpse of a bald, corpulent, affluent (?) man, with ink smudges on his right hand sprawled across it. His purse thongs had been cut and his purse missing. He had been killed in some sort of a struggle, apparently trying to escape, rather than as part of a ritual.
Keruna used some sort of SPEAK WITH DEAD spell (as my spiritual resources were depleted): The man was the Mayor of Han, who had been kept alive because he could open the magically sealed trapdoor leading down. He was killed by a Zombie (possibly as it had been instructed to do so under these circumstances).
There had been 2 protagonists, never seen together: an Old Elf who had brought the Undead, and a horrible Frog Thing that had brought the Imps. The GOD had killed the Frog Thing. Both could have been aspects of Kiellevain, or maybe not. Possibly we have to kill his Elven aspect (although I believe that the GOD would have done this).

Sir Jean-Marc / Erenion had found weird, mineralised turds outside (from the Imps?).

Sir Zacharias trashed the lesser altar. I sent various souls on their way.
Most of the population of Han had fled. Some might return, with officials, soldiers and such, fairly soon.

Keruna opened and entered the trapdoor, using the hand and soul of the Mayor.
I worked a minor BLESSING.
JM / E entered first, but the upshot was: natural caves that had been enlarged, with no other exits (at least not any large ones that we found). No one inside, but some stores. Chests containing unrefined silver (concentrated ore; the taxes in kind from the mine) had been stolen.
10 horsemen (or at least, horses) had left Han soon before we arrived.
We followed.

Their trail led to an old watch tower, some way to the North.

Unfortunately they used a small bird (RIDER WITHIN, FAMILIAR or SHAPESHIFT) to see us coming, and abandoned the tower before we reached it. There were inactivated Zombies inside (thanks to Keruna), but nothing else of interest. We pursued, slowed by having ridden our horses already, and having to deal with caltrops and potential traps and ambush.
The trail continued into the forest to the North, then East.
It split 10 ways.
Darianne found traces of a rope by the lakeside, so at least 1 (and likely all) of the horses had been taken onto some sort of barge.
We couldn't achieve any more, so we slept (after suitable ceremonies and WARDINGS).

2/6 Keruna had slept up a tree, but had possibly SHAPESHIFTED (or contacted her agents) during the night.
The lake had several exits, but the most logical was via the town of Apuco.
We made as good time as we were able, Eastwards, along the North shore of the lake. The beach was mostly good going.

3/6 We arrived at Apuco in the early afternoon.
Marcello visited a brothel.
I prayed at a little Buddha figure by the roadside, which is a sort of generic shrine.
Sir Zacharias, armed with suitable social skills and bribes, visited the local militia; a sailing barge with 10 horses had sailed through last night. A local sailing barge had been vandalised at the same time (so we could not hire it to follow).
We stayed at a good inn, but the coq au vin Sir Z ordered was sans vin.

Notes / Questions:

These are from my perspective, and to some extent Sir Zacharias'.
They are subject to revision.

§ What is our purpose?
Well, to investigate Keruna and the new Queen (we know more than we did, but need to do more; we have no idea of Keruna's agenda), to investigate / negate the Demonic threat (we are making progress, so much so that I can almost write mission accomplished), and to investigate / negate Necromancy (I still need to make connections here).
§ What to do now?
Follow these 10 people, capture them and interrogate them if possible, but at least identify them and find out where they are going.
Destroy the Dagger.
Discover the Necromantic connection, and investigate the Temple of Death, and it's relationships (including with Keruna).
Stay with Keruna, and find out more about her.
Survive long enough to report to my order.
§ Where is Soro, and what has he observed and inferred.
§ What did Darianne see?