As previous chapter ended in saving the damsel in distress, our heroes had an option to escort her to Scornubel, caravan city in west, behind the woods. This would provide them with a breath of freedom, as the city was independent and opposed Darnon's tyranny. Hunters warned them from a legendary trixster called Peter The Scammer, as he often cheated and robbed the careless travellers.
Journey begun, and according to Melkor, Scornubel would be a day ahead, but their pace was hindered by uneven and foresty terrain, as they decided to stay away from the marked path. The road could prove fatal to travel as it's patrolled by Kings men and hostile mercenaries. Choosing the wilderness turned to be a great choice, until they met the creep that the hunters were talking about. Peter The Scammer, disguised as a poor elven traveller, tested their nerves with unending questions and requests, and continued this annoyance so far that our merry band almost ended slaughtering his puny soul. It turned out that the Scammer was an imp or other devilish creature, which in exchange for it's existence told our heroes its True name, Petreskobal, and how to summon it every 13th day to answer for a question or two.
Finally the got out of the forest, only to be paused by a streaming river. A ferryboat was at the crossing, but bad luck followed as they noticed the ferry was just seized by a band of bandits. This evil-doers indentified themself as the Toughest Gang of the Western World. After a quick negotiation with sword and projectiles, there were none left from the band to tell how tough they really were.
After the river one could almost see the low stonewalls of Scornubel. After reporting to the Red Shields, local army and guard, they headed for a tavern, and found a suitable table from one called Jumping Jugs. There Irene thanked our heroes and wished them well, hoping for meeting 'em again in the future. Next morning the fellowship ventrued to a bazaar known as Vineyard where they soon learned that the city was monopolized by faction called U.M, United Merchants. But many corners and posts were covered with pamflets and notes telling to put end on corruption, Red Shields to shape up and the UM for the final judgement. Not long did they shop in the bazaar when man called Mordiggian met them and asked the travellers a favor in the name of the UM.
Blink of an eye later our candid heroes were riding north, couple of hours on horseback away from the city, ready to slay a wicked mephistophelian once known as Algorthon hiding in the old ruins of the Pedestritian Monastery, which once lied at the riverbank. Soon they reached their destination and begun to purge the once holy site from it's demonic inhabitants. Little did they know that they were the ones who almost got purged. In the upper chambers of half-collapsed ruins they met a creature later identified as a runehound. This vile aberration almost delivered death for our merry band, but by wits and dexterity they managed to fend off the beast. Ventruing futher inside, they plundered upon a hatch down to the basement, and finally found the evil warlock from the old coal chamber of the monastery. Algorthon proved to be a skinny old monk called Alvar, who was responsible of all the fliers and posters in the city mocking the UM. Alvar managed to negotiate with our heroes so that the heroes would slew couple of ghouls haunting futher down in the monastery catacombs, and bring one of those as the corpse of Alvar back to Mordiggian, and later return to the monastery and blow it to bits, as the runehound no longer guards the groundfloor chambers.
Our heroes agreed with the crazed monk, and returned to Scornubel, carrying the mangled corpse of a ghoul with them, to meet Mordiggian at the Riverbank of the Desperate. Old crook took the bait and "promised" that they would not be harmed as long as they would stay in Scornubel. Without granting any futher reward, the adventurers were furious but followed 
Alvars plan, and bought a keg-of-fire magic from man called Mahmut Al-Zabred at the bazaar. Later that day they blew the Pedestritian monastery to crumbles, and Melkor was convinced from the kegs that the calimshite-caravaneer had sold them. Alvar was everpleased and promised to keep fighting against the UM, United Murderers as he told what the shortening really ment. The monk also preached of a reward, but while gazing the smoldering ruins, Melkor had doubts that would they ever gather any decent loot...
Alvars plan, and bought a keg-of-fire magic from man called Mahmut Al-Zabred at the bazaar. Later that day they blew the Pedestritian monastery to crumbles, and Melkor was convinced from the kegs that the calimshite-caravaneer had sold them. Alvar was everpleased and promised to keep fighting against the UM, United Murderers as he told what the shortening really ment. The monk also preached of a reward, but while gazing the smoldering ruins, Melkor had doubts that would they ever gather any decent loot...
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