Journal of Rollo Lavius 1

Entry #16 - Enter the Lotus Dragon

(G16 11/07/08 KT)(fri)

One more thing happened today. Last thing at night, in the main room, Raz played his flute and summoned the ghost bard again. This time she manifested completely and looked as solid as me or anyone else. She could communicate with us in common tongue.

She had once been a harem girl in Calimshan, but now she was linked to the flute in much the same way a genie is to its bottle.

Raz seemed happy, but I am not so sure. From what I have read, genies are usually pretty tricky customers and while appearing to be helpful will do something bad out of spite or mischief. Also, well, she is a spirit, one that should have moved on from this mortal coil. I dubbed her the 'Banshee' for the moment, time will tell if she can be trusted or not.

DAY 19

In the small hours of the morning, myself and Eriss smuggled Shifty over the city wall, with a Spider Climb spell from me and an Invisibility spell from Eriss.

Then back to bed for a bit of rest!

In the morning Shifty came back, he had found another entrance to the Dragon Lotus' lair! We then planned a 'ruse' to confuse them and draw them away from our true motives.

In the early evening, myself, Raz and Nobby went to the burnt out Taxidermist's Guild and started to cast a 'spell'. It was pure humbug of course, we drew a pentagram, then moved from point to point, chanting in strange languages, lighting candles and ripping up scrolls (just scrap papers with nonsense runes on them). We did this for several hours and then, after congratulating ourselves on a job well done we left for the Gull's Nest. We had drawn quiet a crowd, but Dek and Hulog kept order.

I have no doubt the eyes of the Lotus Dragon were on us when we arrived at the Nest, but that was our intention. We went to a private room with a few of our friends from there and made as much noise as we could, as if having a wild celebration.

After a while, Eriss disguised me and Nobby as a local woman and her errant child. It was a bit of a blow to have to shave off my moustache, but I suppose it will grow back.

Eriss also dyed my hair jet black, to look more local. She then disguised Nobby as my child!

We then left into the dark evening, me scolding Nobby every so often to stay in character.

I kept my scimitar and bow hidden under my cloak, but Raz took my shield, and Nobby's, and was then made invisible by Erris. He is a quick lad so he simply ran as fast as he could, while invisible, to the rendezvous point (the house were Shifty had found the entrance).

Myself and Nobby took longer to get there, but I am lead to believe that Shifty was ambushed at the house but when Raz arrived, between the two of them they killed the pair of thieves that had attacked them.

Nobby and I went past the Scalded Cat, a tavern close to the house we were headed for. We made to go inside the tavern, but Eriss was waiting (she had gone on ahead) and cast her Invisibility spell on us so that we could enter the house unseen.

Eriss then nodded to the two sisters, Dek and Hulog to come in also. We hoped that the Lotus Dragons had not seen these four yet, but in the end it didn't matter because as they approached the house Dek and Hulog revealed themselves as traitors and stabbed the sisters in the back!

Poor Ayesha was killed but Mashai survived and rushed to the house to give the alarm.