Duke Eltan was extremely pleased to receive Thaldorn into his safe keeping at the Flaming Fist compound. Members of the Flaming Fist received Thaldorn and locked him up in the brig below. We shared what we had learned in the meantime from our letters.
"It is unfortunate you couldn't get more hard evidence. But I believe a confession from one of the leaders of the Iron Throne should suffice," Duke Eltan said with a smile. "Since we are going this course, we may as well get the other two leaders, Rieltar and Brunos. Since you know where they are, I can help supply a book of great value to allow you entry into Candlekeep. Without it, the Keeper of the Portal won't allow you entrance into the library."
We told the Duke that we should rest first before leaving for Candlekeep.
---
Over at the Elfsong, Neera drank a Potion of Genius and Mind focusing, allowing her to safely scribe Minor Sequencer, Remove Magic and Vocalise.
Minor Sequencer allows a mage to prepare two spells to be released at the same time, each spell being of up to level 2. The Minor Sequencer lasts until used or replaced, so it was a nice way of loading up additional casts of spells in a day. One can load it with two defensive spells, such as Mirror Image and Blur, or load it with two AoE disable spells such as Web, Glitterdust or Horror. Glitterdust and Horror is a nice combination that doesn't have friendly fire issues, but I have access to two Rings of Free Action and Branwen's Free Action spells so I was leaning to Web and Horror instead.
Vocalise allows a mage to cast spells in spite of being silenced. I don't think there were any priests who cast Silence in BG1, but I had her scribe it just in case.
---
Before going back to Duke Eltan, I and the party paid Haspur the fortune teller a visit. Unfortunately, there was a closed sign outside his tent.
"He did say he was going to be too tired to answer questions today after the last one," Branwen reminded us. "Personally I think that last answer was a dud. I'm certain there is no halfling goddess that goes by Dallah whatever."
I bit my lip. I have half a heart to delay our trip until we could get some answers about what Sarevok is doing. Or Rieltar. Ugh, I don't know what to ask actually.
But waiting at this point carried its own risk. What if the meeting at Candlekeep completed if I took too long? Events would wait for the main character in the game, but I shouldn't push it too much.
In the end, I made the decision to get back to Duke Eltan and Scar.
---
Duke Eltan paid us for our work at the Iron Throne, and both he and Scar bid us godspeed on our travel to Candlekeep.
Well, I should try to set some things in motion to help our allies first.
"Before we go, I'd like to advise caution for both of you while we are away," I told them. "Both of you are aware of the presence of doppelgangers by now, yes? First with the Seven Suns, the Merchant's League, then Emissary Tar?"
In the original game, Scar was going to die. I actually remember HOW he dies, because in the game I pay someone who witnessed his death to tell me about it. After that, Duke Eltan will be attacked and left for dead, then kept alive by another doppelganger posing as his healer, Rashad.
"The thing is, my informers tell me that there are three more people targeted by the doppelgangers. Two of them are the two of you," I told them. I pointed at Scar. "First, a doppelganger will pose as a cutpurse, and lure you into an alley by stealing your coinpouch. There it will murder you while you are alone, and assume your form."
There was no fear in Commander Scar's eyes, even as he listened to the news of plans to murder him. Only fierce determination.
I pointed at Duke Eltan next. "Posing as your most trusted commander, the doppelganger will seriously injure you, but not kill you. Your healer, Rashad, will be or has already been replaced by another doppelganger, I do not know which. The plan is to keep you helpless under its care until you have served your purpose."
"And what purpose would that be?" Duke Eltan asked. If he was concerned, he wasn't showing it yet.
At this point, I wasn't actually certain if these events were going to occur again as it did in the game and as to what purpose. But I was going to say it anyway. "Hold. Perhaps the third target will make the answer to that question clearer. The third target is Grand Duke Entar Silvershield. With Entar Silvershield dead, there will be a power vacuum. One space in the Council of Four will need filling. If you were to die as well, then there would be two spaces that need filling. The one man who had arranged for Entar Silvershield's demise in order to take his place on the council will not want another to also take your place on the council. So you must not die. Yet the man believes you would have not approve of his promotion. So you would need to be incapacitated so that the remaining Dukes, Liia Jannath and Belt, will approve of his promotion to Grand Duke while you are ill-disposed."
The slight hint of a scowl across Duke Eltan's brow. Was it because I got something wrong, or because he knew who the man was?
"I noticed you neglected to mention the name of the man who ordered the murder of Duke Entar Silvershield and Commander Scar, as well as the assault on my person," Duke Eltan noted.
"I have my own suspicions, but alas, there were limits to my informants' details. I thought you would have wanted the tip-off from my informants in its pure form without my own biases clouding it," I replied. "But I suspect you already know who the culprit is. A possible candidate to replace a Grand Duke is not easy to come by."
The subtle scowl across Duke Eltan's face was now not quite so subtle.
Jackpot. You DO know who it is. That means that man has somehow wormed his way into a deal with the Dukes, with or without the Iron Throne.
Crap.
"Ah! One more thing!" "Someone named Angelo in the Flaming Fist is working hand-in-hand with the man in question. Well, or so my informants tell me."
It was Scar's turn to scowl something fierce. "Are your informants trustworthy? Credible?"
After Duke Eltan and Scar, Angelo Dosan is next in the line of command. So mention of his direct underling working for his murderer could not be easy to hear for Commander Scar. On a side note, Angelo is also the father of Shar Teel, one of the possible companions in the game we had bypassed earlier.
I chuckled. "Trustworthy? Not at all. Credible? Absolutely. Unfortunately, like how the good Duke Eltan is not at liberty to disclose more of the inner workings of the Council of Four, I cannot in good conscience reveal the names of my sources. I had decided such pertinent information concerning your safety and well-being was too important not to share with you both, but it is up to you to decide if the information is genuine, or enemy misinformation intended to misdirect."
Commander Scar sat back. "Not trustworthy, but credible? Even if you don't tell me who they are directly, I can guess who they are based on your allegiances and activities around town."
I had purposely worded my tip-off to make it sound like I was receiving information from the Thieves Guild. Scar was quick enough to guess what I was getting at.
"Alleged allegiances and activities which cannot be proved," I said with a sly smile. "Unfortunately, that's all I have for you both. When I come back, I hope to see you both alive," I said while looking at Scar, then to Duke Eltan. "-and well."
That was really it. I had done what I can to throw a spanner into the plans of my enemy. Right now, Candlekeep awaits.