The man in green faced Lilvari. She could see the pain in his face, but it didn’t seem as if he was about to let up. So neither did she. She lunged forward, staff in hand. Again, it glowed with a dark magic. The first hit caught him across the chest. Before he could recover, she followed up with a second that brought him to the ground.

Nazzeth, still lying prone on the roof, used the opportunity to cast Toll the Dead. The man in green moved out of the way just in time. Where his head had lain a moment before, a plume of dust rose from the ground. Dare, watching the action from the edge of the roof, jumped down with Talon raised. His magic boots easily helped him cover the distance. In one hard cleave, he nearly severed the man’s head from his body. The fight was over, but there’d be no respite. Footsteps could be heard coming from the south. And quickly.

Team Ramrod had been worn down from the fight. The last thing they needed was another.

But if there’s no choice, Lilvari thought, at least we can have some extra help. She closed her eyes and focused on the man lying dead at her feet. She felt his life force still stirring within his body. She called to it, and from behind her eyelids she could see a flickering, blue glow.

“What the hell is that?” Dare said.

“Our new friend,” she replied, opening her eyes.

Standing before her was a misty, blue specter. It’s shape resembled that of the man in green. She gave it a wicked smile.

“Halt! Nobody move!” came a loud, croaking voice. More footsteps could be heard coming from the same direction. They were hurried… and getting closer.

“Just in time, too,” Nazzeth said quietly to Lilvari.

Four guards — members of the Order of the Guilded Eye from the look of them — rushed forward, weapons drawn. One was dressed in purple robes, signifying a higher rank perhaps. He’s the one who reached Team Ramrod first. He looked to them and then the body.

“Aust,” he said, kneeling down.

So, the guards knew the man in green. Interesting.

He pulled a scroll from some hidden pocket and began uttering something under his breath. A soft blue glow surrounded the body, and at the same time, Lilvari’s ‘new friend’ winked out of existence.

Aust’s eyes opened wide. For a single moment, everyone’s attention was on him, watching him cough and sputter and fight for air.

“Aust,” said the guard, “what happened?”

Before he could answer, a foul black energy burst from his midsection and then his head. The guard in purple robes, who was kneeling next to him, stumbled back and landed on his ass. All eyes looked to the source of the magic: Lilvari. Her arms were out, wisps of shadowy smoke still emanating from her fingertips.

“How dare you–” began the lead guard.

“He deserves to be dead,” Lilvari interrupted. “He just murdered someone.”

There was silence. The lead guard stood and brushed himself off. He had slicked-back black hair and an incredulous look on his face. “Who was murdered? The only death I see is this one before me. Twice!”

“This one,” called Mercarri. She was walking towards them, just coming from a narrow walkway between two ramshackle cottages. Leaning heavily on her was Tana, the drow waitress. The front of her cloak was soaked through with blood. Smears of blood covered her face and neck, along with splotches of the inky-black poison that had helped end her life just minutes ago.

“I was able to resurrect her in time,” said Mercarri. “Still, she’s very hurt.”

“Help that woman,” said the lead guard. One of his men rushed over and touched the drow’s shoulder. A soft warm glow emitted from her chest, spreading outward. The relief she felt was immediately visible on her face. But the guard wasn’t the only one casting magic.

A glimmer of blue light appeared next to Lilvari and slowly formed into the shape of the dead assassin once again. She wouldn’t be denied her own personal specter. Nazzeth helped to make sure it was permanent this time. He faced Aust’s body, opened his mouth and unleashed a blast of necrotic energy at it. The corpse withered into a black, gnarled form. The guards nearby shouted in alarm and raised their weapons.

“No more violence!” shouted the lead guard. “I will have order! Is that understood?”

Team Ramrod nodded. The rest of the guards also nodded, though reluctantly. The lead guard turned back to the drow and asked her what happened.

“I was just here to meet my… my friends,” she replied nervously. Her eyes darted from the lead guard to Team Ramrod. There they stayed, urging the group to go along with her story.

“Tell me,” said the guard, “why would you meet these so-called friends here? This isn’t exactly a nice part of town.”

“I uh… I know. That’s why they’re here. I work nearby. They came to escort me home.” Her hand reached up to her neck. Where the wound was was now perfectly smooth. If not for the blood staining her neck, there’d be no indication that she’d been injured at all. The movement caused her cloak to slide up her arm, betraying a view of her chain tattoo. It had disappeared the moment she died. Now it was back.

“Is that the way of it?” the guard asked Team Ramrod.

They agreed that it was.

The guard sighed and slicked back his hair. “We need to bring this to the Holy Watcher’s attention,” he said, thinking aloud. Then to the others. “Let’s go. You all are coming with us.”

“Lieutenant Bisher,” called one of the guards. “Aren’t we supposed to bring incidents like this to the Lawmaster’s s attention first?”

The lead guard, Lieutenant Bisher, seemed to give it some thought before relenting.

“Do you think you can heal me a bit first, asked Lilvari? This asshole did a number on me.”

One of the guards came forward and handed Lilvari a potion of healing. Instead of drinking it, she put it in the haversack. “Thanks.”

“Let’s go,” said Lieutanant Bisher. “Jarvis, tell the Holy Watcher what happened. He will want to know.”

Team Ramrod and Tana were brought to Town Hall. The accursed specter, still linked to Lilvari, floated beside them. Once there, everything was explained to Lawmaster Kolpepper — starting with why there was an apparition floating beside Lilvari. The Lawmaster could only shake her head in amazement.

Chief Speaker Wanderfoot had arrived during the telling. “Maybe we can question the specter,” she said. “Does it speak?”

“No,” said Lilvari, “but he understands what we say. Should be fine if we just ask yes or no questions. I have a big one I’m dying to know.”

“Proceed,” said the Chief Speaker.

“Was that your owl?”

The specter’s gaze was full of hatred, but it could not disobey its owner. It nodded.

“Oh good,” said Lilvari. “I’d feel bad if that was just some random owl.”

Just then, the door slammed open. Everyone turned to see a human, middle-aged man wearing fine silken turquoise robes — the same color as the clergy Team Ramrod had seen at Helms Cathedral. Only this man also wore a gold sash. He had shoulder length platinum hair that was tied back into a ponytail. With him were two figures dressed in darker robes. A man and a woman. Both were covered in intricate silvery tattoos. The guards all bowed slightly.

“Holy Watcher Cithreth,” Chief Speaker Wanderfoot said with a sigh. “I expected it was only a matter of time before you showed up.”

“Indeed,” he said. His bright blue eyes flashed in the specter’s direction. There was recognition there, but not anything else readable. He turned back to the Chief Speaker. “I heard there was an incident regarding one of my Salezzo.”

“Aust Goltorah,” said Lieutenant Bisher. “These ones killed him. They said they only did that after he murdered one of their friends.” Lieutenant Bisher nodded in Tana’s direction. She visibly shuddered as the Holy Watcher’s eyes landed on her.

“Is that so?”

“I’m afraid it is,” said Chief Speaker Wanderfoot. “Luckily these heroes here were able to resurrect her with magic. So why would one of your most trusted men do such a thing, Taman?”

“I have no idea, but we’ll get to the bottom of it.”

“Aye,” said Lawmaster Kolpepper. “And we’ll do the same. Maybe compare notes.”

“I don’t think that will be necessary,” he replied. “Bisher. Gather your men. We need to discuss this at once.”

The guards looked at each other. “What about–“

“Now!”

“Yes, Holy Watcher.”

The guards followed the Holy Watcher and his entourage out.

“If you hadn’t guessed,” Lawmaster Kolpepper said once they were gone, “that’s the Holy Watcher Taman Cithreth. He seemed a little pissed, didn’t he?”

The Chief Speaker sighed. “Yeah. Let’s get on with the questioning.”

They asked the specter several questions, first about what had transpired at Fishbarrel. Nazzeth, using telepathy, was able to tell everyone what the specter was thinking. The specter confessed to firing the arrow that killed the drow and also the barrage of arrows that were fired at the wagon outside of town. According to the specter, Grista Corg was in that wagon.

When Team Ramrod asked him if he had anything to do with carrying out the poisoning in Phandalin, he nodded. Now, the big question.

“Did Halia Thorton have you do it?”

The specter nodded.

Finally. Team Ramrod had their answer. “Is there any proof?”

The specter focused on Lilvari, staring through her with cold hatred. Nazzeth closed his eyes and translated its thoughts to the group.

“He said he keeps a journal of transactions hidden in his private quarters.”

“Aust has an estate in the North side of town,” Chief Speaker Wanderfoot said. “I think it’d be a good idea for you to go there. Not only might you find the proof you’re looking for, but maybe we can find out more about the Salezzo and if there’s anything else going on that we should know about.”

“Won’t Taman flip his shit about that?” Kolpepper asked. “You having these folks snooping around the estate of a Salezzo?”

The Chief Speaker shrugged. “After what happened tonight, there’s no way we can be denied entry by Taman or anyone. An investigation must be done. A thorough investigation. Here.” She quickly scribbled something down on a piece of parchment. “This will get you into Aust’s Estate.” She offered it to Team Ramrod. Dare put it in his satchel.

“What it is?”

“It’s an official note, claiming you have the authority to search the premises by my order. There will be guards there. Make sure to show it to them.”

“Will there be any more of those…” Dare stopped to think. He scratched his head in comedic fashion. “Shitzlettzo there?”

“Salezzo,” Chief Speaker Wanderfoot replied.

“Yeah. Them.”

“There shouldn’t be. For the most part, they are residents of Helm’s Cathedral, and when they’re not there, they each have a home they go to — given to them by the church.”

“Always in the nicer part of town,” Lawmaster Kolpepper added.

“What are the Salezzo anyway?” Mystic asked.

Lawmaster Kolpepper explained that the Salezzo are a sort of secret police that report directly to the Holy Watcher. “They do his bidding. Secret stuff.”

“Like remember when I said that he has visions of evil that has not yet transpired?” Chief Speaker Wanderfoot said. “Well, he sends the Salezzo to take care of it for him.”

“Sounds like a group of hitmen,” Mercarri said.

“You’re not far off. Anyway, I think you should head there and find out what you can. It’d be much appreciated. And as for you.” She pointed at Tana. “I think you should be put under our protection, at least until this whole thing blows over.”

Tana looked petrified. “No… I… I can’t.”

The Chief Speaker eyed her curiously. “Are you sure? Until we know exactly what’s going on, you may still be in danger.”

“Thanks, but… I can’t.”

Chief Speaker Wanderfoot shrugged. “Well, alright. Let me know if you change your mind. The rest of you should head out. I don’t know how long it’ll be before the Holy Watcher decides to interfere.”

Team Ramrod left at once. The estate of Aust Goltorah wasn’t far from the home of Lillian Wester and her parents. And it wasn’t hard to find at all. A tall stone fence wrapped around a very large rectangle of land. It was high enough that even Nazzeth couldn’t see over, but the second and third floor of the house itself towered above them.

“It’s good to be a Salezzo,” Nazzeth said.

“Not so good for this one,” Lilvari replied. “He ended up dead.”

She had a point.

Team Ramrod found the iron gate into the estate. It was partly opened. The mansion-like home was centered on a beautifully manicured lawn. Tucked against the back of the property was a separate two-story stable. Dare whistled. Several guards who were chatting near the entrance to the house looked over. Stealthy he was not.

Lilvari gave him a nudge.

“We’re here by order of Chief Speaker Wanderfoot,” Dare said, heading over. He handed one of them the note. “We’re supposed to search the premises.”

The guard looked at the note, then to the party… and then from the party to the ghostly form of Aust. The guard’s eyes widened.

“Don’t ask,” Dare said. “It’s a long story.”

The guard stepped aside. Team Ramrod entered the house.

“Lead the way,” Lilvari told the specter.

The specter floated through the foyer and into a large, wide hallway. It was leading them towards the stairs. An older man was pacing across the middle of the room. He wore a fancy black suit and bowtie. When he saw the group, he stopped cold. When he caught sight of the specter, he nearly collapsed. After a moment, once he calmed down, he introduced himself as the butler. Team Ramrod didn’t waste time with introductions. They simply told him that they won’t be long, that they were here at the request of the Chief Speaker for an investigation. He let them pass.

They continued upstairs. At the top of the landing, a door to the right suddenly opened and closed. They could hear another door somewhere behind that one do the same. The specter seemed to be heading in the same direction.

“Hey specter!” Lilvari yelled. The specter stopped and slowly turned. “Are their any traps guarding your journal?”

It shook its head before continuing into the next room. This next room was an expansive dressing room fitted with a laundry table, and a very nice desk with a mirror attached. There were also several chests along the far wall. Nazzeth looked through them but only found worthless items — shoes and clothes mostly. He decided to cast Detect Magic. While nothing in this room glowed, he did find that several items did in other rooms — one to the North and the other to the South. He told everyone, and they decided to split up. Dare and Mystic headed to the southern room while the rest of the party went through to the room to the North. It was the same direction the specter was heading.

This room was a bedroom — a very large bedroom with a fireplace, king-sized bed and a lavish green and red rug measuring at least eight feet long. There was also a chest in one corner of the room, but Nazzeth didn’t notice. He was too busy staring at the rug.

“It’s the rug,” he said. “It’s what’s glowing with magic.”

“You guys can search for loot and magic and whatever,” Lilvari said, “but first I want the evidence.” She looked to the specter. “Where’s the journal?”

The specter pointed at the rug.

“I’ll check,” Mercarri said. She knelt down and pulled the rug aside. Beneath was a loose floorboard. Just as she began to lift it, a loud snapping sound filled the room. She dove out of the way just in time and quickly got to her feet.

In front of them, coiled like an eight-foot-tall snake ready to strike, was the rug.