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[Thrax]

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"This special session of guildmasters, leaders, and concerned parties to discuss the plague that has stricken Papua is hereby called to order," Kerry, the current Healer guildmaster, barked as he stood before a gathering of about twenty community leaders and two others, dressed in black robes. The spacious front room of the Papua bank was well-lit. Each participant was seated at a table. The window shutters were closed and the doors were locked and bolted.

"Where is Wayland?" a mage asked, somewhat alarmed. "He was in town just this morning."

"He is away on vacation, or so he told me. He is spending time with his kinsfolk in Britain," Kerry replied, a little too quickly. No one accepted the story as fact. He observed the frowns of their disbelief and then sat down, as if on cue.

One of the black-robed attendees stood up. She nodded slightly to the group as a sign of respect. Her hands moved fluidly, though naturally, as she spoke. "Noble leaders, I have been invited here by the mages to speak at this most critical time. I learned that there has been a disease of sorts within this community that is exactly like what I have seen before. You may not wish to hear this, but it is true and must be said and confronted nonetheless: your water supply has been poisoned!" She paused to observe their response. A few gasps were heard, but most did not seem too surprised at the news. She continued. "My associate here, Skurj, by name, witnessed two men pouring some kind of powdery substance into the river water... once a few days ago, and then just today. He has identified them both to me, and now I to you. One is a dark elf, who is known to have done this sort of thing before, having similarly poisoned my Lord Thrax and Duke Kotare II. His name is Dharzhal T'Ar and is a devoted servant of the wretched and vile Spider Queen, Lloth. He evidently hired an accomplice, a fellow named Eric, a beggar and vagabond who is a citizen of your fair town."

Angry threats of dire punishments filled the air. The woman raised her hand to silence them. "The worst is yet to come! The toxin cannot be cured by normal means, and it will progress into even greater stages of pain, agony, and debilitation to those afflicted as it causes muscle tissues to slowly waste away. Death, and any subsequent resurrection, is no cure for it; this is confirmed. There is no antidote... yet. Since our own experience with it, Lord Thrax himself has hired the best and most able herbalists, alchemists, and healers in the realms to find one. When it is found, and it will be, the citizens of Papua will be free of this epidemic, as it is so-called."

"Is it contagious? Already Delucia has quarantined us and our goods. Who knows if other towns will not follow suit. Give us a word of hope... please!" one of the noblemen interjected.

The woman, Alicia, shrugged. "Once it is in the blood, it remains until cleared out. But if it may be carried on the wind, or passed to others by mere touch, or a kiss, I honestly do not know."

Skurj, masked, smiled to himself as he watched the faces of the crowd. The ones he knew were in on the plan forced occasional frowns and words of indignation, most unconvincingly, he thought. They were the guildmasters, one and all, except Wayland, whose weighted corpse with its punctured lungs rolled about on the bottom of the Shallow Sea. He had been one of the few dissenters. Between the threats and the payoffs, he, Alicia, and Ivan, had little trouble bringing the others around to seeing things their way. Over half the townsfolk had been "infected" by the toxin, so it was no longer necessary to continue adding it to the river water, but the threat of it helped keep the guildmasters in line. All was going according to plan, and the second part would soon begin, he mused.

"What can we do in the meantime?" a guildmaster inquired. "We must *do* something!"

"You can help us find and arrest at least one of the criminals who did this: the beggar, Eric. Leave the dark elf to us. We know how to handle him, and he is far too dangerous for you. We will place a bounty on the head of Eric, and have him brought in for questioning, though his guilt is not in doubt. Then we will learn if others are involved in their nefarious plotting," Alicia replied. "That much, we *can* do!"

The attendants were pleased with her counsel and were all in agreement with it. The meeting adjourned soon after and they all exited the room, except Alica and Skurj. Alicia turned to face him. "Well, what do you think?" she asked, smiling, quite happy with this night's performance.

"Well done, m'lady. Father will be pleased...very pleased."