[Under special seal]

My Lord,

I have now taken up temporary residence in an inn called The Gilded Scabbard, whose owner has reached some sort of agreement with the Viscount Halloravant, our small company's leader. I can be contacted there and in the usual meeting places.

I write this report because our company has just learned news that I believe you will find of the utmost importance, particularly, your grace, in light of my previous report concerning the conference of awnsheglien in the Khinasi lands.

Four days ago the dwarf Bjork Fainwright reported to our company that orogs had been sighted in Avanil, just six hours from Daulton. The orogs had attacked Mr. Fainwright's mentor and kidnapped a young relative of Lady Galliard. Viscount Halloravant promptly ordered Mr. Fainwright and myself to accompany him and the Lady Galliard to the scene. Although I should have preferred to avoid returning to Avanil, the viscount's manservant is still recovering from wounds taken in Ariya, and for the time being I have appointed myself his replacement. This arrangement, although convenient for a variety of reasons, made it impossible for me to avoid accompanying the viscount.

Upon reaching the scene of the previous attack in Avanil, we investigated and made camp. That night we were attacked at night by eight orogs wearing banded mail and carrying sophisticated weaponry, including crossbows, halberds, and axes. I am pleased to report that we were able to dispatch them with few injuries and no casualties to our own ranks. The next day I scouted ahead and located their probable hideout. When I returned to report, the company spent some time debating the merits of entering the cavern complex ourselves. The group's decision, based upon a desire to save the young man if he were still alive, was to report this orog invasion to the authorities in Daulton. Much against my better judgment, we rode into the city, and Lady Galliard made her report. Because the viscount had reason to avoid being recognized, he and I (as his servant) kept our presence low-key, and avoided speaking to anybody of high rank within the city.

Captain Burkhardt, whom I had seen but never met during the time I lived in Daulton, gathered twenty infantrymen and Arlean, a paladin of Cuiraécen, to accompany us. We rode through the night and reached the orogs' hideout by dawn.

The terrain was as follows: Two hills, one north and one south, were divided by a narrow river valley. The river, in this season shallow enough to ford with ease, was crossed by a small stone bridge. The orogs' two cavern entrances were at the base of the northern hill, facing the stone bridge. We approached over the southern hill as the sun began to rise, trusting the orogs' dislike for sunlight to keep us safe despite the lack of cover. Although some sort of darkness spell obscured the entrances to their hideout, nothing attacked us, and while I scouted for back entrances, the spell vanished. I found no other entrances within any reasonable distance, and returned to report. The company prepared fire arrows and began its approach, choosing to ford the river rather than trust the bridge.

Upon this approach, the viscount searched for magic in the area and discovered a third door at the base of the southern hill, the very hill we had descended. This gave the enemy access to both sides of the narrow river valley, and could conceivably have put our small company into an uncomfortable bind. However, the viscount warned the company and sent the paladin and five men to break down the magical door. In the meantime, the rest of the company, under command of Captain Burkhardt, went around to the westernmost of the northern-hill doors and entered. There, I learned later, they encountered a number of trolls, orogs, and other beasts, which they fought. Mr. Fainwright and his mentor entered the easternmost of the northern-hill doors, where I understand they fought and killed two orogs.

As the rest of the company did that, a combination of the viscount's and the paladin's magicks succeeded in shattering the magically protected door, revealing three men whom the paladin immediately identified as priests of Azrai. The paladin and I attacked, while the viscount used his magic to ferry a soldier behind them. Our attacks failed, and the three priests vanished.

We entered the cavern complex and found a worked temple area with several doors. We eventually broke down the central double doors and entered a large temple, where four acolytes and the three priests encountered earlier were waiting for us. A man was chained to an altar in the rear of the room.

I ran inside to attack the priests while another guard charged two of the acolytes. No sooner had I entered the room then the priests cast a spell of darkness that blinded us but left them unaffected. I cannot say with any precision what happened then, although I do know that the guard was quickly overcome and the paladin knocked unconscious by some sort of black magic. The viscount's attempt to dispel the darkness was futile, and he remained outside the darkness. Inside the room, the three priests concentrated their attacks on me, but Eloéle was with me, and I dispatched two of my attackers before they could do me any serious harm. The third priest, apparently the leader, fled, taking the darkness with him. I freed the sacrifice -- who was not the young man we were looking for -- as the others fought the acolytes.

We were about to search the apparently abandoned temple when a monstrous dragon-winged demon carrying a huge greatsword and surrounded by a ring of flames entered the chamber through a secret door behind the altar. We had only the briefest of moments to gaze at it in shock before it struck down the fleeing sacrifice. I retreated, seeking the viscount in order to ask for magical help against this new foe. As I left, the room was plunged into darkness again, heralding the return of the high priest.

The viscount had fallen, and while I checked to make sure he still lived, I heard the young Rjurik dragonslayer, Ms. Nika Kolin, asking for a tactical update. Unfortunately, my reply caught the attention of the high priest, who attacked me with a magical spell that left me dazed. Afraid that I was endangering the unconscious viscount by my very presence, I decided to take the fight to the priest, and re-entered the darkened room while Ms. Nika Kolin attacked the demon. She is, your grace, a fire-using mage as well as a fighter of great skill, and although the demon was still too powerful for her to overcome, she was able to keep it occupied while the rest of our forces rallied. She was wounded in the ensuing battle, but her effort was integral to our eventual success. I, again, commend her to you should you seek a warrior of note to add to your forces.

The priest fled, again taking the darkness with him, toward the secret door, and I gave chase. The demon, attracted by its master's danger, pursued me. To avoid being attacked from behind, I leaped over the altar, past the priest and landed inside the hallway beyond the secret door. Turning, I struck the priest in the chest. Unfortunately, I didn't kill him. He backed away, allowing the demon to engulf me in flames, and I fell unconscious.

When I recovered, I found Ms. Nika Kolin being battered back by the demon. The viscount had revived and called an air elemental into the room to batter the demon, and the rest of our companions -- as well as the surviving Avanil infantry -- had rallied to attack the demon with bowfire. The high priest lay unconscious on the ground. I worked my way around to him and slew him, believing that his death would banish the demon. Unfortunately, the demon did not leave, leading me to believe at the time that there was yet another priest in the area. I have since learned that my understanding of the nature of summoned creatures is flawed, and that merely killing the summoner is insufficient to banish the summoned. It is a pity that I hadn't learned this earlier, because I would have left the priest alive for later questioning.

The demon was eventually overcome by the concentrated magic and fire from the company. We searched the temple area and found a number of books and disturbing items indicating that the religion of Azrai is active in Anuire. According to one letter that we found, Lady Galliard's cousin had been sent north to "The Master," of whom we know little, save that his initials appear to be J. L. Why the youth was sent there instead of sacrificed in the temple, we are not certain, but the letter did command the priest to keep the sacrifices coming. We learned little else about the priests, save that they use pulverized human ash as part of their magical rites.

Two acolytes lived, but I found that they were accustomed to physical torture, which seems to be part of the religion observances of Azrai. Since mundane interrogation was useless -- especially given the limits set by having a paladin present -- we decided to turn them over to those capable of magical questioning. One captured acolyte was sent to Daulton, and the other returned with us to the Imperial City, where the viscount turned him over to the authorities. I would not be surprised to learn that this matter has caught the attention of Chamberlain Dosiere. I can only hope that his means of drawing information from the acolyte will meet with more success than my own.

I fear, your grace, that the discovery of this temple indicates that Azrai did not perish on Mt. Diesmaar, which had always been my understanding. If Azrai had been destroyed along with the Old Gods, those three priests should not have been able to cast the spells that they did. Perhaps this will come as no surprise to you; the paladin Arlean did recognize the symbol of Azrai, and I will be the first to admit that I know very little about religious matters. Nevertheless, I am greatly disturbed, and I hope that the viscount will learn more. If he does, I will, in turn, pass the information on to you. I fear that the discovery of priests of Azrai so deep in Anuire's Heartlands can only mean that the awnshegliens' plans to divide and conquer our lands are moving apace much faster than I would have imagined possible.

I beg that you will step up all patrols and seek for signs of clandestine orog or cultist presence in your lands. The orog hideout that we uncovered in Avanil was cleverly hidden, and it was mere luck that it came to our attention. Perhaps the Mage Innis will be able to sense the creatures' presence within Boeruine's borders. I am certain that as this comes to the attention of the Prince of Avanil and Chamberlain Dosiere, they will initiate their own investigations. I despair for Anuire if the awnsheglien manage to divide the Heartlands, separating the Western and Southern coasts as they have managed to divide and isolate so much of Brechtur.

I have written this hastily in order to send it off to you as soon as possible, and I apologize for my poor handwriting and inelegant account. As soon as I have more to report, I will send further news. If I can be of any assistance, you know I will hasten back at your call; I have some small experience fighting the supernatural, and seek only to serve you and the interests of Boeruine.

I am, my lord, your loyal servant, and I pray now and always for the day that you shall in your magnanimity and kindness recall me from this duty and reinstate me in my former post, where I can best serve you as have my fathers before me.

I remain Your Grace's most obedient servant,

R.

Post Scriptum: The Viscount Halloravant has said aloud that he would be pleased to fight Rhuobhe Manslayer. In my professional opinion, this company is not capable of a sustained foray into Rhuobhe's lands; but it could possibly succeed at a small raid or series of raids, should such prove useful to you. The viscount is a vain and relatively inexperienced young man, but he is an idealist. I believe that flattery, some amount of money, and emphasis on the righteousness of such a mission would be enough to convince him to serve you in such a capacity. He would be inclined to serve you regardless, in the role of a noble of Talinie, our ally.