–==Official Submission==–
FROM: Lieutenant Anubis
RE: The Quest of the Ring

A rider came late one night carrying a scroll addressed to
the Society at large. Captain Shade posted the letter for
all to read:

“Men and women of The Black Rose Society,

My name is Sage Absalom, and we have crossed paths before. I
am in need of your assistance.

One of the artifacts in my collection has been stolen. It is
an ancient ring of great power. You of all people know what
happens when powerful rings fall into the wrong hands, so I
ask your help in recovering it.

Recovery of this ring and its return to me shall be rewarded
to all those involved. Please meet me at Kent’s Last Pint.”

-Sage Absalom Daak

We mustered the men at the Pint on time. Those present
where.
Captain Shade
Lieutenant Argos
Master Sergeant Draven
Staff Sergeant Stryke
Sergeant Duncan O’Rourke
Lance Corporal Swiftwind
And myself.

We sat at the Pint for but a few brief moments catching up
with the Captain, when the door to the back room clambered
open. Colonel Sandoval stammered out with a horrific look of
anguish upon his visage. He spun around the room once and
before anyone could react…he fell to the floor dead.

Draven and the Captain dashed to the body. Draven stood up
with a look of sorrow on his face. There was nothing he
could do for him.

We began an investigation of the scene. Sergeant O’Rourke
searched the backroom from top to bottom turning out
nothing. Captain Shade and Master Sergeant Draven examined
the body. They noted no visible wounds save for a burn upon
his ring finger. A journal was found stuffed in his pack.
Hoping this might give us a clue as to what had befallen the
Colonel we reviewed it.

This information lead us to a ring, perhaps the very ring we
were hired to find for the sage. But where was the sage?
Well the journal indicated we might find more information
either in Britain or Nujel’m.

We split up into two teams to search the cities. Argos,
Draven, and Stryke went to Brit and the rest of us went to
Nujel’m. Captain Shade decided we best begin our search at
the inn’s and taverns. Not a popular place Nujel’m, few
among us knew our way around. I wished for a moment that
Veryn were still with us to lead us to all the pubs in town.
We ended up paying a Nujel’mian boy two gold to act as our
guide.

After searching a few taverns and Duncan’s rants on how the
Whitecloaks were somehow masterminding this whole event. We
came upon one Pedron Niall at our third stop. Duncan was
beaming with pride that his hunch had panned out.

Captain Shade had done as well as can be expected in trying
to get information from a Whitecloak. Niall tired of our
questioning rather quickly. We did attain he did not have
the ring on his person and that it was in his “infinitely
wise” opinion not magical. He would tell us no more and as
usual a fight infused itself into the questioning.

The second team had arrived to the Captains crystal call and
we dropped Niall after he fired upon one of our own. We
searched his corpse and came upon yet another book. It was a
message from his cousin stating he had the ring and was on
his way to Trinsic to attempt to sell it. At that, for some
reason the party gated to Northwood in an attempt to head
him off.

Duncan and I missed the gate and traveled on to Trinsic to
meet up with the rest at the Keg and Anchor.
By the time we arrived the party was already there and
questioning one Raven Gustare and her companion. Raven
stormed out of the room after a time and her companion was
fairly tight lipped about the ring. “The ring.” being how
she referred to it. Meaning more than just a ring. She knew
something we just need to know the price of that knowledge.

And that price was five orc helms. Why I do not know. I do
not really think any of us did. But that was the price of.
Fortunately I knew where I could find some and made haste to
retrieve them while the Captain and the others kept her
busy.

I returned shortly thereafter and made the payment. The
woman told us that Raven did in fact have the ring on her
and that she was in their camp as we spoke. So off we went
once more marching to the thieves camp North of Trinsic.
Between Swift and Stryke we finally found the place.

Raven was not all that willing to part with the ring, a
simple payment of orc helms was not going to do it this
time. She demanded 10,000 gold or one of us could face her
in a duel for it. We opted for combat.
There was some discussion on who would battle her. The
Captain stated he would not expect his men to do anything he
was not willing to attempt. We all knew that of course.
Still I felt we needed the Captain to stay on his feet that
he could lead the rest on. So I jumped from my mount and
accepted the challenge.

The battle started well for me, my scimitar was taking quite
a bit out of her. But as I brought it down for the killing
blow Raven rolled and managed to tie off a critical wound.
From there I was on the run. Her deadly kryss passed through
my armor like a bolt through parchment. She knew exactly
where the weaknesses were. We traded blows for quite some
time. I refrained from using my spells against her. I would
fight as I was being attacked. This no doubt cost me. I
tried every weapon I had. She was just too fast by foot,
blade and wrap to bring any considerable damage. I had
exhausted my magical energies healing myself and lost more
blood from her kryss than I should have. While murmuring my
last incantation she brought the hilt of her blade down upon
my helm. When Draven brought me to I learned Raven had
declared that I proved us worth opponents and gave us the
ring. I was overjoyed at the time, but as of this writing
the painful lump on my head tells a different story.

Back at the Keg and Anchor we recalled Ravens companion
mentioning something of a man who had been there earlier
seeking out the ring. She had given us a brief recant of the
conversation stating, he did not have the helms she demanded
for payment. She had also mentioned the mans boots and robes
were covered in mud. We guessed swamp mud as she attempted
to explain the smell. This led us to the swamps East of
Winterfell Tower.

Upon our arrival we found the tower under siege by rouge
vampire of the SS. We answered the call for help from a Sir
Evin Ghlade of Winterfell. With our aid the vampire were
easily dispatched save one that ran into the swamps. We
fired many shots off at him, but the elusive blood sucker
assumed bat form and flew off before we could finish him.

Ironically we lost sight of the vampire and found ourselves
standing in front of the home on one Sage Absalom Daak. The
Sage must have heard the commotion and was out on his steps.
He greeted us warmly and invited us in. He asked of our
journey. We told him the tale and that we had found a ring.
I gave it to him and he examined it to ensure it was the
lost ring. It was.

After he had paid us our reward. The Captain declined the
sages offer for a feast and asked him of the Colonel’s
condition. The Sage said all would be well and gave us a
yellowish potion with bright green sparkles. He said it
would cure Sandoval and that we should not worry.

None the less we made haste for Kents in hopes of reviving
the Colonel sooner than later. It came to be that the potion
did indeed work its magics and Sandoval’s health had been
restored. With the ring safely in the possession of the Sage
and the Colonel back on his feet again we were dismissed and
made our ways home.

Anubis
Lieutenant, BRS

Submitted to the annals by direction
of Lazarus Shade, Capt, BRS