Svartalfheim

Hragg has a bad feeling about this ritual... "Forgive my ignorance; I've never been the sharpest lance in the tourney. What effect will the completion of this ritual have? And, pray tell me, what measures ensure such a thing will not come to fruition?"

"How should I know?! Do I look like a consort of Hextor?! I've no idea what the ritual will do, but surely you must understand that anything to do with an evil god such as Hextor cannot be good?"

He pauses for a second before continuing.

"Truth be told... I believe the Merchants Guild is under the sway of Hextor. Perhaps knowingly, perhaps not. But in either case, they are being manipulated by The Herald of Hell himself."

He looks to Hragg. "The only way I know to stop a ritual such as this is to cut the head off the snake so-to-speak. Find, and eliminate Arnen and the other cultists."

He now turns to Arlette. "If it's payment you want, more than the adequate amount you already have been awarded, then pay you the church can. I... I don't have direct access to funds that I believe you would ask... but I can... forgive me, Pelor... I can guide you in securing payment from the church through more unscrupulous means. By which I mean I will help you rob the church... more gold than you can carry. I believe it to be illgotten anyway, so you may as well have it."

"A thieving pastor, how delicious." She grins, cheekily, before continuing in a more serious tone, "I take pause with your tone, brother, if you are not to risk your life and kill these cult members and take on the Merchants Guild apparently under the sway of Hextor, they who are you to say what is adequate? And I don't remember asking for gold and am offended that you take me for such skinflint! All I asked for was motivation to risk my, I mean, our lives..."

"However, if we're talking about payment of some kind, I believe we could come to some arrangement, say you provide protection and information whenever it is required, no questions asked for the rest of our natural lives?"

Kull thinks for a bit: uhh more gold than i can carry sounds good but wont they want their money back. also how can we kill someone who has enough gold to buy a small army?
He looks at the others in hope someone has awnswers for his questions

"I will assure that my order will provide you with protection and information for as long as my order exists. We are few, and outsiders to the main church, but we will help you when we can."

Everyone are there any other questions or anything else you want to try and get from Brother Trey and his order before proceeding onward to Kalindar?

"Well im satisfied" Elec slings his bow over his shoulder and stands up and turns to Kull "I believe that speed and stealth is the key to this mission. We catch this 'Amen' before he can mount any serious defense and finish him. His wealth won't matter much"

You set out at first light the next morning. You still have Landowes wagon and horses, and the road is good. The group makes the journey toward the capital, along the way is a small town named "Castlemouth". It's more of a fort than a town really, nestled in the space between two mountain ranges that form a natural doorway into the Kalindar Valley. The river flows out from under a high, stone wall that spans the gap between the two ranges.

As the group arrives, the road begins to fill with people and wagons. There seems to be something holding up the passage into and out from the town. It seems like the wait here might be significant, and you know that you haven't got time to spare if you're all going to stop the ritual. People seem to be passing by a lot faster on foot.

Kull scratches his head and looks at the others: whit this speed we will get nowhere. maybe we sould leave the cart behind and take the horses.
he then continues to stare at the masses of people and wait to get thorugh the traffic

A cart coming from the wall passes by, you all recognise the Gnomish merchant who Kull knows, the one that watched your wagon while your entered the dwarven barrow.

"Oh well then; you've quite the job in front of you, Kull. I trust I'm in good hands!"

"You won't get far here," she calls. The road is blocked, it appears that someone has disabled the portcullis on the gate, no wagons are getting through. They've got the smaller one open, but it'll be some time before the engineers figure out how to get the big one up. People and whatever can be carried is all that's getting through today."

Kull looks at her, he seems to first want to respond but then procceds to think for some time before turning to her again and makes her a offer: We are in a hurry and with a cart it will take too long. but you have time, so i offer you this cart for 2 horses. diplomacy roll (for trading ) (1d20-3)
if she does not agree he will offer next to the cart some gold