Kaven's Fate

“Kaven's Fate”
Rise of the Runelords episode
Episode no.	Episode 53
Date	2009
Game Master	Abbe
Characters	Gloriana Honeypot Nell Velicia
Episode chronology ← Previous Next → "Lucretia" "The Flood"
Rise of the Runelords chapter list

In this chapter the heroes discuss what to do with Kaven Windstrike and return to Turtleback Ferry.

Kaven's Fate

When all invaders were defeated Honeypot and I tried to solve the problem with the infighting rangers. As Kaven was accused we took him to a room alone and talked to him while Gloriana and Velicia searched through every room of the keep and Dorothea kept guard outside. Kaven Windstrike was born in Turtleback Ferry and had gotten in a fight over a woman with a local goat herder with connections. He had been sentenced to serve with the rangers. All the rangers had been convicted to serve at the fort. Anyway. Kaven had visited Paradise's Gate and at first he had been magically charmed by Lucretia. She had then persuaded him to tell her about the patrol and then blackmailed him to tell her which way it would take. She never told him of her plans.

I told Kaven about our earlier encounters with the seven pointed star in the murders and that there had been a snake-woman behind those too. Probably some magic made so an old powerful mage could benefit from their deaths. Honeypot confirmed that the tattoos she had seen was actually the result of a magical ritual and that it was connected to greed. We told him that all customers and employees of Paradise's Gate had been marked by the ritual and probably the whole barge had been there only to mark people and kill them.

When Gloriana and Velicia searched through the rooms they found sonnets written by someone called Lamatar. It turned out to be the commander of the rangers. The love sonnets were written to someone called Myriana. No one knew who that was, but Vale told us that Lamatar sometimes left the fort to walk the wilds for a few days. They also found three maps and some swamp boots. When they were finished we all talked about Kaven's fate. Velicia wanted to punish him hard and Jakardros wanted to hang him. I thought that was totally wrong. We had to come up with something else. Honeypot and Velicia went to take care of the wounded rangers. I helped some but I don't know anything about healing people. Soon I left and took a walk in the keep. I avoided the rooms with the worst gory stuff. I noted that the house we set on fire had burned down and the flames died down in the rain.

The next day the others planned to continue caring for the wounded rangers. I felt useless so I decided that we needed to send word about what had happened to Fort Rannick. I readied Creampuff for the travel back to Turtleback Ferry. Luckily I had brought enough food to last on the way back too. I told Kaven to get ready. If he stayed there he would probably be killed by the other rangers as soon they could stand up. I understood that Jakardros would hate him as he had thought it was his fault and now he could blame Kaven instead, but I didn't think he deserved to die, so I brought him with me. It was still raining as we set out. That was a change from how it had been so far. It hadn't been raining until after lunch and then it used to keep raining the whole evening but end at night. The journey to Turtleback Ferry was uneventful.

We got rooms at the inn again and then we went to see Maelin Shreed. I told him that Fort Rannick had fallen into the hands of ogres, but that we had taken it back, but most of the rangers were dead. We only saved a few. I also told him of what Lucretia said and of what Kaven had admitted to. He said "So Kaven, you're in trouble again." He paused for a while but then he told me that he didn't want to pass judgment. He would send him to Magnimar for judging. I thought of Justice Ironbriar and of the corrupt mayor. I didn't think he would get any better justice there than I got, a long time ago. I said that I would take responsibility for him. I didn't know how that would ever work, a street thief taking responsibility for a suspected traitor, but Maelin asked if it was true that I was of noble birth from Magnimar. I admitted that I was. Then he agreed to it. At first I felt like jumping around and hugging Kaven, but I realized that that would probably make him change his mind, so I just nodded with a serious look on my face. Then the mayor said that to get the resources to get the fort repaired and to get replacements he would suggest to the mayor of Magnimar that I was made baroness of the area in the report he would write. Thinking of the dead rangers that hung in the council room and the awful mess the ogres had made there I was hesitant. It wasn't the place of my dreams, but my dreams just a few months ago used to be for any roof over my head. I didn't know what to say and before I could respond he said, "Good. Then that's decided."

When we had left the mayor I asked Kaven what he thought of his future. He didn't care much. When I asked what he wanted to do he answered:
"I just want to run away, but I've tried it once. It didn't work. They found me."
"I think it's time you tried to find your way. You shouldn't run away your whole life." I lectured him and continued "I've tried that too, and your past have a way of catching up to you. If you let me, I can try to give you a chance to start a new life."
"Why not?" he answered me sullenly.
"What's your specialty?" I asked.
"At Fort Rannick, I was the best at cooking, but we didn't have any real chef."
"Really! I'm looking for a cook. Let's see how good you are."

Kaven cooking.

We hired the kitchen of the inn and he got enough money to buy any foodstuff he could find in Turtleback Ferry. After quite some time he was finished and brought me a wonderful dinner. He definitely did pass that test. I just wondered if he would pass any loyalty test. It's strange but I think that was one of the hardest things I had done yet. Killing monsters and getting wounded and almost dieing is somehow easy as you don't have to think. It's much harder to think. Should I give Kaven a second chance? Would he let me down? Would it be so terrible if he did? Nathaniel hired Orik who had willingly been hired by an evil, demon worshiper. Kaven had been tricked. Even if Orik wasn't that happy to work for Nualia, Lyrie hadn't been that regretful and we let her go too. I'm sorry to say that my gut feeling may have been influenced by the dessert I just had eaten, but I would try to straighten him up. But to make this work I couldn't sleep with him anymore.

Late evening the next day the others returned to Turtleback Ferry with all the rangers that was left. They were still weak and were placed in the cottage hospital where Maelin lived. Velicia wasn't happy with what had been said about Kaven, but she still agreed to start on creating some magical items.