The captured dwarf was severely injured, but Bangor and Andrion healed him at Vass’ behest. He was still unconscious however which gave the companions time to gather their horses as well as the corpses of their attackers. The dwarves were bald and their skin was ashen. Bangor identified them as members of the Howling Jackal Clan.
“…These bastards,” he explained, “turned stag on the rest of us ages ago. We banished them from the community because their ancestor spirits starting acting in direct opposition to the Spirit Way. As a result, our dwarven Totem Clan Spirits abandoned them. Their spirits have since been tainted by the Warp, and as a result the entire clan is now unclean and steeped in darkness.”
“What are they after?” Vass asked.
“Generally speaking, the ruination of the Totem Spirits,” Bangor replied. “But aside from that, who knows? They’re insane.”
“They appear to be covered in strange tattoos,” Rasvahn noted. “Know what they mean?”
“No, they don’t ring any bells,” the dwarf replied. “But I make it a habit of not dealing with the unclean symbology of these rotten bastards,” he added and spat on the ground.
“Orecius might know,” Vass added and waved for the wizard to approach.
The Chronomancer was keeping himself busy with little Isabella. His primary concern was calming her down as no doubt such carnage would have frightened her to no end. To his horror, the girl was rather calm and explained to him that her life with Sophia Renauld was not devoid of brutal spectacles.
By the gods, Orecius thought, what horrors has this girl been witness to, to retain her calmness in such times.
Heeding Vass’ summons, the wizard left Isabella for now and approached the pile of corpses. After studying the strange tattoos, he was ready to deliver his findings.
“Yes, I think I can understand something regarding these symbols,” he said. “I cannot be certain, but the lines, their strange angles and overall symbology, suggest that these tattoos signify one who belongs to a cult devoted to the Great Old Ones.”
“You speak in riddles, Wise Old Man,” Kang said.
“He means that they’re Devout,” Vass said and spat on the ground. “Can’t say I am surprised, in all honesty.”
“It would be naïve of us to assume that the Blood Moon would not attract their attention,” the wizard said.
“It would be naïve of us to assume that they are not responsible for the Blood Moon,” Vass added.
“Indeed,” the wizard confirmed. “This whole situation reeks of the Devout.”
“Orecius,” the knight said turning to him. “Get the girl a certain distance away from here.”
“She can’t see us from where I left her,” the mage told him.
“I’m also concerned about what she’ll hear,” Vass said and looked at the unconscious Jackal dwarf.
Orecius felt his stomach go into a knot. He understood what Vass was talking about. “Very well,” he said and left.
Vass grabbed the tied Devout and placed him in a sitting position on the wagon. “Wake up,” he said slapping the dwarf.
The dwarf soon regained consciousness. He growled when he saw his adversaries over him.
“Good morning,” Vass told him.
“Fuck your mother!” the dwarf told him in his native tongue. Vass looked at Bangor quizzically.
“You don’t want to know,” the shaman responded.
“Well,” Vass went on, “as I was about to say, I am going to ask you a few questions. It behooves you to reply. Honestly.”
“Fuck you and your horse,” the dwarf told him in Havnorian common; the King’s Tongue.
“See, that’s precisely the kind of attitude you should avoid from now on,” Vass went on unfazed.
“Stick your flashy sword up your ass, Repulsive Knight,” the Devout continued laughing.
“Taint the Repulsar name like that again, and you will have serious survival problems. Now, first question: what are you doing here?”
“Loitering, jerkweed.”
At that point Vass punched the dwarf at his testicles. A chilling howl escaped the Devout’s lips.
“In case it wasn’t made clear to you,” the knight said, “if you do not answer my questions, I can and will make this extremely unpleasant for you.”
The dwarf opened his mouth to voice another insult but he still couldn’t speak from the paladin’s strike.
“Again, why are you here?”
The dwarf spoke again in his native tongue.
“More insults,” Bangor said.
Vass sighed. “Predictable as always,” he muttered to himself and drew a dagger from his belt. He raised it to the Devout’s face.
“What are you doing?” Andrion asked the knight. Vass did not reply. Instead he continued talking to the dwarf.
“Why are you here?”
“Foolish man, you think I’ll talk?” the Devout asked him.
“Yes, I do,” Vass replied.
“Or what? You’re going to kill me? I piss on your mother and father! Kill me, you think I fear death?”
“It’s not death you should be afraid of,” Vass responded and stabbed the dwarf on his left knee.
The dwarf howled again, his scream sending shivers to Orecius as he struggled to keep Isabella’s ears closed.
“What are you doing, stop this!” Andrion demanded. Vass continued to ignore him.
“WHY ARE YOU HERE?” The knight demanded.
“We knew Repulsars would be coming. We were going to kill you,” the Devout said between gasps.
“Who’s ‘we’?”
The Devout began to mouth dwarven obscenities at the Repulsar. As a response Vass repeated the question and when he got no response he twisted the knife. The dwarf screamed yet again and at that point Andrion got up and pushed Vass aside.
“What the hell do you think you’re doing?” Andrion asked.
“Extracting information, what do you think you’re doing?” Vass asked annoyed.
“Putting an end to this madness,” Andrion exclaimed.
The paladin narrowed his eyes. “I should remind you, your Highborn, that you are not in Stregonia anymore. This is the Firstborn Empire. You nearly sprouted tentacles a few hours ago and your continued survival is entirely founded on the fact that we don’t know what to make of you.”
“They attacked us first, White Face,” Kang cut in.
“I don’t care,” Andrion replied. “And you, Draracle, you’re a paladin, you can’t go around torturing prisoners.”
“As I said to your father yesterday, I’m not that sort of paladin. Now stand down.”
“No, you stand down,” Andrion was adamant. Next to him, the Devout started laughing.
“This isn’t a debate,” Vass said. “Out here I’m in command and you either fall in line or you can go back to Black Tower. You have no authority or jurisdiction here, Baron Von Montarius.”
“I can’t let this go on. There must be another way.”
“What do you think this man is?” Vass started yelling. “You think you can reason with Devout!? This isn’t a prisoner of war or a bandit. This is a cultist wholly devoted—body and soul—to dark forces that are poised to consume our world. He is not expecting any reward. His soul will be consumed by whatever monstrosity he worships whether he succeeds or fails and he knows it. You can’t talk him into giving you information, or threaten him with death. The only leverage you’ve got against a Devout is pain or trickery. And since I’m not that good with trickery, I’ll use the only other means available to me. Now get out my way,” the knight concluded and pushed Andrion aside.
“Back in my village,” Kang said, “pain accomplishes lots of things.”
“Who’s ‘we’?” Vass demanded again of the dwarf.
Meanwhile Orecius had heard the conflict between Andrion and Vass, and the latter’s words had given him an idea.
“Isabella,” he said to the little girl. “I want you to keep your ears closed and stay here.”
“That’s all right, gran’pa. I’ve seen and heard much worse back home. Mistress was talking about discovering the limits of the human body. So, I’ve seen decapitations, flaying, mutilations and other things I don’t know how to describe. I’m used to it.”
Orecius just couldn’t find words to respond to this. This poor girl, he thought, had been through so much. He left Isabella and sneaked around the wagon. His companions could see him but his main concern was not be seen by the captive.
“Jackal,” Bangor spoke up, “you should do well to respond to the knight.”
“You filth,” the Devout said in dwarven, “I do not listen to the likes of you, totem-slave!”
“My servant,” a hollow voice was heard and its origin seemed to be the Devout. Up in the wagon, the adventurers could see that Orecius was performing some sort of magic. “Fear not these maggots, servant. Tell them everything! Tell them of the Architect of their destruction!”
It was plain to the adventurers that Orecius was trying to trick the Devout.
Bangor took advantage of the bluff and pushed for more answers. “Who do you serve?”
The dwarf did not reply and Vass pushed the dagger with is boot. The dwarf grunted and Orecius kept goading the prisoner.
“Have them wallow in terror of the one who will rule their doom!”
“My master,” the Devout responded in dwarven, “is beyond your puny reach. The Blood Moon hails his return, and all you will be consumed!”
“Helgore?” Vass asked as Kang kept translating.
The Devout nodded.
“What of Sophia Renauld?” the Repulsar asked.
The Jackal dwarf did not reply. Bangor repeated the question.
“Weak totem-slave, the end of you and your accursed spirits is coming!” the Devout replied defiant.
Bangor called forth his spirit companion. The ghostly wolf appeared next to the prisoner and he in turn hissed in fear and surprise.
“What of Sophia Renauld?” Bangor asked again and mentally commanded his companion to approach the Devout.
The Jackal dwarf yelled in fear and turned his face away from the wolf. “Take that thing away from me!”
Vass pushed the dagger with his boot once more. “Answer the question!”
The dwarf finally broke. “Renauld,” he said, “she thinks she’s in charge. Let her. She’s nothing more than a servant as well. But she’ll have her fame back, oh yes, she will.”
“Is she in Black Tower?” Bangor asked. The prisoner’s reply was affirmative.
“What is Carcosa?” Vass asked.
“Soon, you’ll find it. You’ll find it south.”
“How did you get here?” Bangor asked.
“There are secret paths, we used those,” the Devout explained with effort.
They kept asking him questions, Orecius kept goading him, and Bangor kept using his wolf to unsettle him.
The Dwarf did not answer. Instead he went into a tirade of boasting. It soon became apparent to the companions that they got everything they could out of him.
“Whatever you do, you will fail!” the dwarf yelled. “You will not stop HIM.”
“Who’s gonna stop us?” Kang asked.
“I’m but the weakest of us. We will crush you.”
“You certainly are the weakest,” Vass boasted. “You were nothing but dirt under my boot, just like all Devout.”
“Keep laughing, Repulsar,” the captive said. “I will go to my masters now and assure them of victory. This world is theirs.”
“Then let your masters know something else about this world,” the paladin said. “It. Is. Defended! We’re done here. Kang.”
The jiax pulled his fullblade and brought it down with one swift motion, decapitating the dwarf.
“Dammit, Kang,” Vass protested. “I didn’t mean kill him inside the wagon…”
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