–==Official Submission==–
FROM: General Debinani Rahl
RE: Chapter Fourteen – The Search for Justice

Reports from the Front – The Search for Justice

The following are excerpts from reports concerning the raid
on Castle British to produce evidence that would clear the
charge of treason from my name. I think the three reports
below outline the events that unfolded rather well.

-Rahl

Sometimes I wonder if I really am back from the dead, or if
I’ve wound up in some hell. Maybe my curse has just taken
on a different form? It would’t surprise me. If I’m not,
then the
whole world has gone mad. That’s about the only sane
explanation.

Last night was the latest chapter in this madness. With
Soltain Grishnac dead, we had to hope that he left some
record of the actions that he took to set up Rahl. As per
Rahl’s instructions, the Black Roses gathered at the Winery
in Yew. Few were able to make it, unfortunately.
Shadowspawn was there, as were Paul, Talgar, Galanon,
Silent, Draven and Stryke.
When the Royal Army is hunting you, it becomes difficult to
get around, so I assume the others were delayed. I called
upon a few others to aid us. Among these was Myca Vodyanoy,
Master of the Covenant of Blood. Many wonder why the old
vampire would aid the Black Roses. That is for the Annals
to explain, not me. Jas Lightstryder and Sithas also came
to our aid.

The mission was simple. Go into Castle British and search
Grishnac’s room. If we were lucky, he left something behind
that would show that Rahl had been convinced that it was
British’s wish that Yew be independent. With that, we could
show that Rahl had not knowingly betrayed British.
Unfortunately, nothing is ever simple. Jas scouted the
castle and found
the presence of the Royal Army along with a large force
from the Emerald Empire. It seemed that someone had sent
word to them of what we were planning. At this point, Myca
left us to see what
he can do. It turned out that he could do a great deal. I
never really thought about it, but I guess a vampire has
all the abilities to enter and get around unseen.
Especially one as
powerful as Myca is.

Myca contacted me through some form of telepathy (which I
found rather unnerving) to let me know that he had found a
locked box in Grishnac’s room. He made his way out of the
castle, and we travelled by gate to the Bard’s College in
Britain, where we met him. A few of the men went ahead to
the castle to see what kind of opposition we might have to
face, should the box
not contain anything useful. As it turns out, the box
contained a report from Grishnac that was exactly what we
needed. I can’t really say what it really said, as I only
skimmed it, then
travelled with all haste back to Yew to put it in Rahl’s
hands. When I arrived at the Winery, I found out that some
of the men that went to check out the castle had been
ambushed and
captured. I think that may have been when things started to
go wrong.

Rahl took the report and read over it. It was exactly what
we needed. While we were congratulating ourselves, Talgar
and the others that had been captured arrived. Their
captors
had released them. Why? Well, as it turns out, it was done
so they could follow them and find where Rahl had been
hiding. And this is where things went from bad to much,
much worse.

Jas and Sithas got word to me within moments of each other
saying that the Emerald Empire had just arrived, in force,
and was heading for the Winery. We had enough time to ready
ourselves for battle before they burst in. By this time, we
had been joined by Kamir Sang and by Sandoval. Both sides
just stood there, looking at each other. Finally, Rahl
started to
explain. Judas did most of the talking for the EE. Rahl
showed him the evidence. Judas looked over it, then did
something that I still don’t understand. He observed that,
without the document, Rahl’s innocence couldn’t be proven.
He then took the document and ran out of the Winery with
it. We were facing a sizable force, so pursuit was not an
option. He returned a few moments later, and told Rahl to
surrender. When Rahl didn’t right away, one of the archers
with the EE began to fire upon Rahl. That’s when the battle
started.

I saw Rahl escape. Other than that, I couldn’t keep track
of too much. Battles are funny things. They take on a life
of their own after a while. I engaged the archer that
attacked Rahl, and we fought back and forth for a while.
Someone started taking swings at me with a halberd, too. I
noticed Ashley healing me. She was about the only person
that I did look for. Even in the heat of battle, I worry
about her.

At some point the battle swept the archer away from me, and
I faced the halberd. I don’t even remember what the wielder
of it looked like. I was just trying to stay alive and
bring down my opponent. I finally did after some time. I
then found the archer again. Unfortunately, several of
their archers had targeted me by then. I went down fast.
Before everything went black, I saw Ashley pull out a sword
and defend herself. I later learned that she had escaped.

My spirit wandered to a healer, who promptly restored me to
life. I don’t know what ended up happening. All I know is,
we no longer have the evidence. Judas either destroyed it,
or he has it. Why he did this, I don’t know. I do, however,
intend to find out, and to recover it again if he hasn’t
destroyed it.

I just wish I knew how I was going to do this.

Lt. Lazarus Shade, BRS

————————————————————
——————–

– A continuation by Sgt. Sandoval, Commander, 21st
Outriders, BRS…

When Lt. Shade fell, my mind flashed back to the final
battle in the Yew war, when the battle turned after the
orcs and undead pulled him from his horse. I thought it was
over, that we were going to be slaughtered to the man.

We fought on. Men and women on both sides dropped as the
healers tried desparately to keep us alive. Had it not been
for Jas’ Outriders and the Covenant of blood, we would have
all died that day. With their help, we managed to push the
Emerald Empire back out of the winery.

The next few minutes saw us attacking any who came through
the door, only to have them healed by Empire healers. No
one was able to gain a decisive victory at this point. The
best we were able to hope for was to hold the stalemate.
The forces of the Empire were preparing to rush the door. I
had no idea of their remaining numbers, but ours totalled
only 8. So under my orders, Galanon opened a gate to
Moonglow and I sounded the retreat. We may not have had a
decisive vitory, but we were still alive. Then again, we
may have. I was unable to see the surviving numbers of the
Emerald Empire.

But regardless of the number of survivors, there was no
winner in this battle. Our former friends and allies had
taken up arms against us. At first their actions were
understandable, merely defending the realm against an
accused traitor (even though there was always the glint of
gold in their eyes at the reward money). But the evidence
was found and ignored, then hidden or destroyed.

Later, after we returned from Moonglow, the reason for the
attack became clear:

A member of the Emerald Empire was using the life of an
innocent man as a bargaining chip because of his lust for
another man’s wife.

-==Sgt. Sandoval==-
Commander, 21st Outriders
The Black Rose Society

————————————————————
——————–

Recorded this day by Mstr. Sgt, Myca Vodyanoy, Commander,
1st Warders, Alpha Company, Rtr.

Yew, town of blood and death, it comes to me now that mine
fate in hell vill be to fight in this town for all
eternity.

Last eve was too alike so many memories, the blood, the
shouting, the fallen all around.

But I get ahead of mineself.

It started late in the eve, I had jest left Yew having
finished soem business with a merchant for the purchase of
some crates of earth vhen a rider came upon me at great
speed, he bore but a simple message: Lt. Shade vas in need
and the honor of all the Black Rose vas at stake. Gather at
the Vinery, call to arms, Call to Arms!

I folded the shadows about me and vas soon outside the
Vinerey, upon entry all vas made clear and quick, that pup
Rahl vas in the mix again, I vould have taken time to
chuckle and recall a ceratin incident vith an apple barrel
from his youth, but the matter vas too fell.

I looked over the men gathered and heard the plan, too few,
too few and to take the castle of the King no less, the
tale of fate vas vashed in blood, I knew something had to
be done afore too many men died and for naught.

Vith but a nod to Shade I wrapped the shadows about me
again and moved to Britan, coming out in the bedroom of an
old man, tossing in his sleep with troubled dreams of
fluttering wings. I left him in peace to dream of sveeter
things and made mine vay to the castle.

The entry vas easy, I had feared I vould have to use mine
powers, but mine old training served me vell enough, I
moved like a shade past the guards and the massed Emeralds
and Royal Army; fools, the training of the Ancient Black
Roses made their pathetic attempts at vatchposting useless.
In no time I vas at the site and had gathered the goods, a
Royal Army man broke in on me but afore he could even draw
his svord I wrapped mineself in shadow and vas gone.
I reached to the mind of Shade and alerted him. It vas then
that mine Childe Konrad found me, called to me by the deep
bond of the Covenant. A fit a dought fighter he is trained
under Kamir and mineself in the old vay, It vas good to
have him at mine back. Soon enough the box vas vith Shade,
opened and the goods taken. Ve all made haste to Yew and
handed the evidence over to Rahl.

Then, then the Maddness began. I have never liked the
Vinery, Kamir and I pulled back there during the first
battle of Yew, the gore, the dead, I hate that place.

Yet here I vas thre again and tvice in von eve, must
history alvays repeat.

That question vas answered soon enough. While Rahl looked
over the goods the Emeralds and their allys svarmed us, I
bid Konrad to leave at vonce, I have lost too many I cared
for in that damned hall afore. Konrad left but jest skirted
the position, ahhh if I had only had that von in the old
days.

Then the talking began, useless of course, any soldier
could see vhat the
Emeralds ver there for, and it vasnt a plesant chat. In the
midst of the parley the obvious happened, the enemy grew
tired and some young pup shot, that vas the spark that set
the tinder.
I looked over and saw Kamir come racing in… Kamir, Kamir
why must ve live that day again.
Then time grew slow, it vas the first Battle al over again,
mine svord cutting though foes like a scythe through vheat,
Kamir’s bow singing its fell song, Rahl somevhere in the
back fighting as best as he could for his father, Black
rose armor glistening vith blood and bile and all around us
Death holding svay.

Ve cut them down, down to the ground and took the door jest
as ve had so long ago, varriors to the left and right
archers to the back the last mage holding in the reins of
his arcane art. The Doorvay became a portal to hell for any
foolish enough to draw to close.

The bodies piled up, and then I heard it, the call I could
naught make so long ago, the option ve didnt have that day,
Sand screamed out: Open the portal!

As Konrad and I cut into an archer I saw it open, the
portal I had prayed for so long ago, the portal that could
have saved mine men’s lives….

I heard mine own voice, no longer in mine control, Giving
the order I had vaited almost 400 years to give: Black
Roses Ve Are Leaving!!!!

ve hit the shimmering force head on, Sandoval, Galanon,
Konrad, Kamir, Private Stryke and the half elven Jas, ohh
how battle makes strange bed fellows, but his aim vas quick
and his honor fine, all of us out and avay.

But I’ll tell you this and you can amrk it true.. afore I
hit the Portal, I looked back at the door to see vhy the
Emeralds hadn’t svarmed in after us and thre in the doorvay
stood rank upon rank of the Black Rose, all fine and fit in
their ancient armor, the men, mine men, I nodded at my old
friends and then hit the Portal.

Master Sgt.
Myca Vodyanoy
Commander First Warders, Alpha Company,
Ret.

Post scriptum: It is the recomdation of Mst. Sgt Myca
Vodyanoy rtr. that commedation be given to the following
men for service above and beyond the call of duty

Master Sgt. Sandoval,
Corporal Galanon,
Private Stryke

and that the following men recieve the Black Rose medal of
honor:

Heart of Stark, Jas Lightstryder
Wisdom of Stark, Bakara Gynn