The Mokers reacted to the knocking at the southern door by sending Ke-tant and Obur out of the eastern door and heading down to see who was there. Another group of temple staff were seeking admittance. The Mokers told them to come singly to the corner of the temple and then towards the entrance. Though they did not follow this instruction exactly, at least some order was put on these attendants approach. The person in the lead managed to throw a detonation amongst those by the door, injuring some, but Ke-Tant managed to slam the door shut so that no one got inside.
The next noises were heard by the western door and the Mokers decided that they could not sit and be attacked by their enemies any longer. They all left through the eastern door leaving a password with those inside, so they would be trusted on their return. When they got around to the other side of the temple, they could see a cultist running away. Although, they did manage to fire arrows and sling bullets on him as he fled, none landed a telling blow.
Meanwhile, the cultists must have managed to overhear the password, or trick the temple staff in some way, for when the Mokers returned to the eastern door, they found it open and those inside beset by enemies. The Mokers leapt to action, helping the temple rune priests defeat their disguised foes. Once they all had fallen and no new attacks seemed to be originating from outside, Thuron took the Mokers, along with Brother Egil, down to the temple tombs. There he had a confession to make, he was not Thuron, but rather Jaralin a mojh from the Free Cities of the South. He opened a tomb to show them the peaceful, dead form of Thuron.
Jaralin went on to explain that he dreamed a great dream about a group of mojh who had uncovered a great magical force and were going to use it in some great act. He had discerned their location as Khorl, but when he met with one of their number in secret and Milos had tried to recruit him into the cult, he realised that they were cruel and ruthless. Instead of letting them act freely, he went to the temple of Vekik the Runegod to see how deeply the conspiracy had spread. There he had discovered the dead Thuron, apparently the victim of a simple heart-attack. Then he made a fateful choice. "Perhaps not a wise one, or even a brave one, but one that made the most sense. I took Thuron痴 place and devoted myself to the study of the scrolls to see what I could discover about this cult. When I learned of your adventures with the Brotherhood, I should have abandoned my charade. But I was too greedy for knowledge. Now I will render you the only service I can庸ar too little, far too late. This document promises great danger for Khorl預nd for the world. It is a public speech, an explanation of tonight痴 events. I will translate it without remarking upon the obvious擁t is all lies."
The Speech:
This evening, after the death of Councilor Verlaine, the clergy of the Vekik the Runegod have been slain. Their murderers are the adventurers who of late discovered the caverns beneath our town: Obur Tilsen; Mezezar the Mojh; Ke-Tant Faerblay and Mera Reerance.
After an investigation by the Speaker痴 Council and the City Watch, we have pieced together the truth. Chief Councilor Verlaine, that great servant to the city of Khorl, heard rumors about town of unwholesome activities at the temple to the Vekik the Runegod. He hired the wandering mercenaries to investigate. They made a tremendous discovery: The temple and its priesthood were a cover for the Brotherhood of the Yellow Sign, a grotesque cult of mad mojh. The mercenaries joined the temple to gain its secrets, but they proved treacherous to both masters. They revealed the caves beneath the city and threatened to expose even more secrets unless the Brotherhood paid them a fortune in gold.
The Brotherhood agreed to their demands, on condition that the mercenaries accept one final task for their masters預ssassinating their erstwhile employer, Councilor Verlaine. The double-crossers carried out the grim job, but they quickly found themselves double-crossed. The Brotherhood refused to pay them their blood money. The mercenaries went mad with rage and slaughtered the cultists, but were killed themselves in the battle.
We mourn the loss of Councilor Verlaine, but his efforts brought this menace to light預nd rooted it out of town, once and for all.
Jaralin looked up from the note, concern etched in his face. "It is the next part of the document that troubles me the most. For the note is addressed to Speaker Drac. And his name is marked with the Yellow Sign."