Behind Danial, the bruised runner remains hidden among the poles. Far below, the sealed cellar holds Rhon, Mattheas, Hattori, and the living keeper, while river mist thickens around the shed.
the hidden accomplice
That key opens the ferrymen's last lock. But the record must witness it, or the covenant will reject whoever carries it away.
The brass-bound custody record warms in Danial's grasp. Beneath its cover, three names press upward, and the wrapped tome answers with three measured pulses.
the bruised runner
They are coming. I heard Salvek's men at the river stairs. If they find the record open, they will burn every name before dawn.
A pale reflection moves across the shed wall, though no lantern passes outside. The record's clasp clicks free, revealing a salt-stained page marked with the split oar and a fourth, newly written name.
the hidden accomplice
There. That is the patron behind Salvek. The covenant has forced the truth into the open, but it will protect the name only if the tome remains near it.
Footsteps strike the river stairs below, measured and numerous. The hidden figure grips the brass key, the runner holds his breath, and the exposed record waits before Danial.
“Is the fourth name Salvek's hidden patron?”
YES, BUT (VeryLikely, rolled 81)
The fourth name is unmistakable: Salvek's hidden patron, written beneath the split-oar mark in a hand that bleeds faintly into the salt-stained page.
the hidden accomplice
Yes. That is the hand behind him. The covenant has named the patron, and the record cannot be denied now.
The tome's three pulses answer with a fourth, then its oilcloth binding splits at one corner. A thin thread of blackened dust spills onto the boards.
the bruised runner
The book is damaged. Not opened, but damaged. The men below heard that crack.
The footsteps halt beneath the shed. For one breath, the river stairs hold silence, then a voice orders the doors searched and the record seized.
the hidden accomplice
The truth is secured, but our quiet escape is gone. Take the key and record. I will draw them toward the water.
Behind the shed wall, a bell answers from the sealed passage below, signaling Rhon and the others. The patron's name remains visible as the river mist closes over the boards.
“I send the bruised runner to warn Rhon”
SUCCESS (Good Agility, rolled +0)
Danial catches the bruised runner's eye and points toward the concealed stair, then down toward the sealed cellar. The warning is clear: Rhon must know now.
the bruised runner
I understand. I will reach Rhon before Salvek's men breach the shed.
The runner slips from the poles and darts through the rear gap between the sheds. His hurried step dislodges a ferry hook, which clatters across the boards.
the hidden accomplice
That bought them our direction, but not our lives. The cellar bell will have warned Rhon before they arrive.
Below, voices rise, then stop as the sealed cellar answers with Mattheas's shouted challenge. The runner's warning reaches Rhon, and the doors are barred in time.
Rhon the Rose
I have the warning. Hold the record, protect the key, and leave the river to those who profit from it.
The hidden accomplice gives Danial the brass key. By dawn, the record, tome, and exposed patron's name are secured, while Salvek's raid collapses against sealed doors and empty trails.
+ New Item Acquired
Brass key
The river stairs thundered below, but the rear gap swallowed the bruised runner, and the hidden accomplice pressed the brass key into Danial’s palm.
the hidden accomplice
The record has spoken. Take it, and let the water carry the rest of our silence.
Danial Tienad
The patron had a name now, and the covenant had its proof.
Far off, the warning bell rang. Behind barred doors, Rhon and the others held fast as Salvek’s raid broke against the sealed cellar.
Danial Tienad escaped with the brass key, the salt-stained custody record, and the blackened tome, its marked name still guarded. Salvek’s patron stood exposed, while the hidden accomplice vanished toward the water and the bruised runner carried the warning to safety. The raid ended in noise and ruin, but the evidence endured, leaving only the covenant’s next demand to be faced.