In the courtyard of Dagger Valley, Lynn and Finn sat together, analyzing the information regarding several nearby bandit factions. Inside the house, Ganda lay sleeping soundly—this time not due to intoxication, but because Finn, unable to tolerate his incessant chatter, had requested Lynn to cast a deep sleep spell on him.
This allowed them the opportunity to discuss serious matters.
A noise broke the silence as Howard, standing at the doorway, first peeked through the crack before opening the door. The elegant golden elf entered the courtyard and shook herself, shedding her disguise.
Imori, in her guise as a white drow, did not possess the dark magic typical of ordinary drow, but was gifted with the ability to shapeshift once a day. Whenever reconnaissance was required, she would change her appearance, a practice to which they had all become accustomed.
"I have good news and bad news. Which would you like to hear first?"
Imori's manner towards Lynn and Finn was often brusque, a reflection of her considerable abilities, which they chose to overlook for the moment. Upon hearing her words, Lynn furrowed his brow and replied, "The good news must be the location of the warehouse, and the bad news... if I am not mistaken, the defenses must be quite formidable?"
"It is no longer merely a question of fortification; rather, we stand virtually no chance," Imori replied as she took a seat. Despite the gravity of the situation, she exuded a calm demeanor. "I have gathered specific intelligence, but with our current numbers, it is virtually impossible to seize the warehouse."
"Why is that?" Finn inquired, maintaining his composure.
"Simply put, the warehouses here are nestled within the rocky gorges of the Desert Mouth Mountains. The terrain is notoriously complex, akin to a labyrinth, making navigation exceedingly difficult. An unfamiliar person would expend considerable effort merely locating their objective."
Dagger Valley lies adjacent to the Desert Mouth Mountains, where numerous fractured rocky gorges indeed provide an ideal setting for concealing goods. Lynn had long suspected this, and now his conjecture was confirmed.
"It sounds rather troublesome, yet it is not insurmountable."
"That is not the primary issue. The main concern is that these rocky gorges are already inhabited: many years ago, a clan of vampires took up residence there. They frequently descend upon the town to plunder its inhabitants, maintaining a standoff with the residents for years."
"I am aware of this; the vampires of Dagger Valley have long been a persistent problem," Finn expressed, unfazed. "Are they connected to the warehouse?"
"When the smugglers arrived here, they chose to collaborate with them. Strictly speaking, the smugglers do not possess their own warehouses; they have rented the vampires' lairs for storage. Their goods are kept within the vampires' stronghold, and the vampires collect a fee from them, assuming the responsibility of security."
The notion that lairs could be rented surprised even Lynn. He could not help but admire the audacity of these smugglers, unperturbed by the potential of vampire treachery.
"There are approximately seven or eight vampires within the gorges—not many, but their strength should not be underestimated. Among them are multiple spellcasters, and it is said that their strongest member possesses the ability to cast sixth-level spells... this disparity in strength is quite significant."
A sixth-level spellcaster... Lynn and Finn exchanged glances, both recognizing the gravity of the situation: sixth-level spells are formidable, and a being capable of wielding such might is undoubtedly a master, a figure of considerable renown. It is difficult to fathom that a powerful vampire capable of casting sixth-level spells would choose to guard such a rundown town, content to act as a warehouse overseer for smugglers.
What could they possibly be thinking?
"If we confront them head-on, we will surely falter. They already possess the advantage of terrain, not to mention their formidable mage, making the situation quite challenging," Lynn quickly assessed. "However, if the adversaries are vampires, perhaps we can exploit that. No matter how powerful undead creatures may be, they inherently possess vulnerabilities. We can identify points of weakness..."
Just then, the courtyard door was knocked upon once more. Howard silently opened the door, and Marti entered, glancing back to ensure the door was securely closed before hurriedly approaching.
"I have uncovered some troubling developments: there are indeed acolytes of the Dawnbringer present here!"
This time, Finn's expression darkened. Accusations against the followers of Roshandar were one matter, but the presence of genuine acolytes was another entirely. As a priest of Bane, his impulse to cleanse the heretics was immediately ignited.
"Speak in detail; what transpired?"
Finn's expression grew serious, prompting Marti, slightly intimidated, to continue.
"Dagger Valley previously served as a hub for the Kingdom of Thesayama's trade in dwarven weaponry, thus there has been significant dwarf activity here. Numerous eagle-nest altars have been established on the nearby hills—where they have long worshipped their deities, and these ruins persist to this day."
"I am well-acquainted with matters of the divine. But what do these have to do with the Dawnbringer?"
"When the Kingdom of Thesayama fell, the dwarves clashed with the beholders. They were ultimately unable to defeat the beholders; however, because it was a righteous struggle, the Dawnbringer's church dispatched reinforcements to assist the dwarves. Of course, they ultimately lost, and some perished on the mountain while covering the dwarves' retreat."
Finn's lips curled upward; the part of the tale involving the fallen acolytes of Roshandar brought him considerable delight.
"It is said that before their demise, the acolytes of the Dawnbringer concealed some of their possessions within the eagle-nest altars in the mountains. While many of these items are of little consequence, one artifact is reputed to be a lesser holy relic of the Dawnbringer, holding immense significance, and to this day, they seek to recover it."
"The artifact of the Dawnbringer?" Finn grasped the implications, "So, the followers of the Dawnbringer are here to retrieve their relic?"
"Moreover, there are the dwarves... the Kingdom of Thesayama established a government-in-exile in Komir, and the dwarves of the Yao family maintain deep ties with the Dawnbringer's church. This matter has arisen because of the dwarves, who have also dispatched personnel to assist in searching for the lost relic."
"If it is a party in search of a relic, their capabilities should not be underestimated." Lynn glanced at Marti, but this time, Marti could not articulate a response: he dared not approach the Dawnbringer's treasure-hunting detail and was unaware of their strength.
"It seems we are faced with multiple troubles: these individuals have truly arrived, and determining how to frame them is a dilemma. If mishandled, they may readily assume the blame for the nefarious actions of the Evil School in killing the townsfolk of Santir."
"Perhaps we can resolve both predicaments simultaneously," Lynn proposed, offering a different perspective. "Since they are here in search of the relic, and the vampires have oddly lingered here for many years—could it not be reasonable to surmise that the vampires have obtained the relic for their own study, and thus refuse to leave?"