Kalan accused of Murder

Things were on the up for the crew and the captain, however Kalan’s world was about to be ripped to pieces. After a particularly successful raid the tired crew returned at dusk to the tower of clan Kobra. As the Despair came in to the final approach the top of the tower the crew noticed it was busier than usual for this time. A Lloth priestess and several House Guards were waiting for the Despair to land and the crew to disembark - they were the Justicars of the Lloth Temple.

The story they had heard before leaving that day was that a young Lloth priestess had been killed and a scarf of hers had been taken. Kalan’s heart sank as soon as his foot hit the solid ground of the tower. The eyes of the Guard and the priestess had remained fixed on him – a ladies scarf was being held by the priestess. He knew that he was innocent but someone had set him up. He scanned the crew around him – could it be one of the Rievers? Who would be so jealous or see him as an enemy? The original gunner? Captain Bâleed? Gul? Birz? He had only a few seconds as the priestess pointed at him and commanded “You Kalan Kobra relinquish your arms and fall in. You have to be questioned and tried for the murder of priestess Shirz”.  With a heavy heart he handed over his treasured weapons and pack to the only Drow he felt he could trust the most, or would gain the least from his possessions was Gul. The other treasures he kept hidden on himself he only hoped he would return with intact – if he survived the questioning that is.

As he handed his weapons and pack, he was relieved to see Gul was just as surprised and confused as he was. Not one of the crew stood up for him as that is not the Drow way - the Drow form of questioning used powerful sorcery as the brain was scanned and the truth burned out of you. Then another fear caused his stomach to snap shut. He didn’t kill the priestess but he was only pretending to be a follower of Lloth. Should they accidentally find out he was a follower of Astralla he could be as good as dead anyway.  The crew of the Malice were lounging about and they jeered and laughed at Kalan’s predicament.

The next three days and four nights went as a blur of pain and blood as the coven of priestesses went about literally wringing the truth out of Kalan’s brain. They finally conceded that Kalan was not the killer they sought but removed all the gold in his pockets and a flask of the water from the Well of Life he had been keeping. His other hidden treasures and magical items were amazingly still intact – as well as his secret. The priestess then unceremoniously had him dragged by two of the House Guards and returned him to his Captain and the Rievers. She announced “Kalan Kobra has been found not guilty” turned on her heal and left. Kalan sagged against the wall and sat with his back to the cold stone with his arms draped over his raised knees. His head was still spinning. It felt as though his brain had been squashed to the size of a pea during the questioning was now beginning to take up the proper size in his head. He was barely aware of Gul returning with his possessions and some of the crew brining him some water and food – the first he had taken since he had left the Despair. He had made it through the questioning and lived!! He also had a dangerous enemy close to him he would need to be more careful in future.