Hawaii:Sessions:19901208:Dangerous Dinner

Things were quiet up until about 8 PM. All the team, except Dr. Ill, were prepared and came down to dinner.

Throughout dinner discussion about what to do continued. During the discussion Taren's (the international advisor) reaction to several comments made Tanisha suspicious of him, so she cast the mind reading spell on him. This confirmed it. He was definitely of the Dark Circle. He was very upset when he heard of the destruction of the underground chamber. While Tormac was monopolizing the conversation, Tanisha sub-vocalized this information to the rest of the team and told Dr. Ill to search Taren's room for incriminating items.

Dr. Ill climbed the outside wall to Taren's window, just missing being detected by the external royal guards. He then broke into the room and searched Taren's possessions. He found normal weapons, a dark robe, and a fist-sized crystal. The robe (and pouches with it) and the weapons were thrown underneath the bed. He kept the crystal. Dr. Ill then got on top of the wardrobe and hunkered down to wait. Just as the dinner below was ending, a merc guard materialized in the middle of Taren's room. Dr. Ill recognized him as the man who got the shells from the kid that morning. Dr. Ill passed on this information and decided to enliven the situation when the man took up an at-ease waiting position. Dr. Ill threw two M-16 clips into the fireplace and got out of the way.

Meanwhile the meal had ended and all guards had left to go back to the barracks. The King also dismissed the team, explaining that he wished to talk in private with his advisors. The team had gone outside the banquet room and were waiting for the King to come out when the clips went off. Kristi rushed up to Taren's room. Tanisha, Two-Leaf, Tormac, Whitetop, and Cartwright rushed back into the banquet room. Tanisha levitated herself and the King and started away. As she left she cast a sleep spell on Taren, which put him out at his position. Tanisha opened the door and continued west.

At the sound of the clips going off, the man (Braden) teleported out to the edge of the clearing in front of the manor. Once he saw (through the window) Taren down and several people around him, he teleported into the room right beside Taren and struck out at Cartwright. Tormac drew his sword and hit him, to no effect. Tormac chopped down at Taren then. Before Braden could throw himself on Taren to protect him, Cartwright tackled Braden, knocking him into Bartan, putting all three of them on the ground. Since Taren himself had not attacked, Tormac's magic weapon turned in his hand so it hit Taren's neck with the flat, still doing massive damage, and a loud crack was heard. Braden got up and, thinking Taren dead, teleported back to the edge of the clearing. Whitetop dashed to the outside and saw Braden rise and start flying off to the east.

Meanwhile, Kristi finished putting out the fire in Taren's room and started back down. Cartwright then came over, made a comment about 'making sure', and cut Taren's throat. Whitetop transformed into an eagle and followed Braden. Braden flew east until he linked up with a force of about fifty men. Whitetop heard him say he would follow the man's orders for twenty-four hours. He also heard a briefing where Braden referred to guns while he started briefing them. Whitetop returned to the manor and informed the rest that a party of fifty men was about two hours away. The team informed Bartan of this and he also began preparations. Dr. Ill searched the possessions of Taren. This time he noted a headband with ten jewels set into it. This was brought down to the banquet hall, and Tormac asked Alon to check the items out. They both were magic. Alon tried the stone and began to establish contact with someone in a room, but he cut it off and reported what had happened. The Black Hole was taken downstairs and placed in the main entryway.

While this was going on, Tanisha had set the King down and set up her Black Hole and convinced the King he should stay with her. She told him that Taren was a member of the Dark Circle. Rogar did not believe it and asked how she knew. When she said it was by mind reading, he said 'prove it'. Tanisha did so. Tanisha left the King there and timed it so she would be back at the manor by the time the attack force arrived. She barely made it.

Next - Go To THE ATTACK and AFTERMATH

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