Rollo, I have a report about a slaughter at Barak-Tor. I have some questions and wish for you to let me know if there is anything you can add to this report.

I have witnessed this dark what I only thought possible in my worst nightmares. Thane Rollo asked to meet a watchman at the Watchhouse, I met him there and he immediately took me to Barak Tor, where I saw the remains of a few dozen citizens. Shortly after arriving, flying Chosen began circling above our heads and one dropped and proclaimed to Rollo that this slaughter was on the heads of the dwarves for their digging on the blocked stairwell in Barak Tor. After several words back and forth the chosen flew off, throwing a few more rocks on the pile as it left. Rollo preceeded to show me the rest of the bodies as well as a note left on the side of their building. It was written in blood and it read:

LEt ThAt wHiCh LiEs BeNEath REst... OR FaCE tHe CONseQUenCes Of YoUR FoOLiSh CUriOsiTy

After questioning Rollo further, he said that earlier that dark a few of his clan along with an unnamed Spellguard agent removed the boulders from the stairwell. They made it to a bridge where several of the chosen where flying above their heads, by Rollo's words they were not ready for a war so they were forced to retreat. Apparently the Chosen used this destrution as a warning to not enter their lair again.

I am also sad to report that a female citizen running around madly looking for her daughter was informed of her daughters fate, I say this to show that it touched everyone not only the dwarves.

Private Rollek Klenson

I especially desire to know the following:

1) How did these citizens find their way into Barak-Tor?

2) What do you suspect was beneath those rocks?

3) What Agent aided you in moving them?

I also ask that you cease immediately any further attempts to uncover those stairs. Whatever is down there is not worth the lives of our citizens.

Lieutenant Fawkes

Lieutentant,

I am saddened to report the deaths of these citizens of Sanctuary. In recent weeks, it has seemed that the Chosen Warriors we have battled have become more powerful. Each is equipped with a powerful potion of healing, more potent than I or any healer I have ever met has been able to create.

This clearly indicates intelligent leadership, and a hierarchy consisting of powerful individuals. The recent developments have proven beyond doubt that these adversaries are both malevolent and lethal, worthy of a greater initiative to eliminate them from the depths below Barak-Tor and the area surrounding it.

Just one dark before the slaughter, a Spellguard agent who indicated that he was in a hurry and did not name himself, used a potent wand to destroy several boulders and the rubble blocking the stairs that extend below. We sent a squad of Stouts below, and encountered a large, sturdy door. Several of the strongest warriors of the Clan smote the door with many blows, and after many minutes it was sundered, revealing a walkway with several boulders obviously placed to hinder the way of non-flying creatures.

These boulders were solid granite, but also were demolished by the hammers and axes applied to fracture points known to those with knowledge of stone. At this point, several flying Chosen mages began to mock us, and dropped boulders clenched between their hind claws upon my Stouthearts, while a troupe of warriors landed amongst us and attacked.

We slew many of the Chosen, but realized that we were not prepared nor equipped to probe further, and retreated back to Barak-Tor. We were making plans to sally out in force to probe deeper, but upon emerging from our Clanhome we saw that more boulders had been dropped by the Werebeasts to block the stairway once more.

Later the next dark while most of the Stouts were away from Barak-Tor, I awoke to see the carnage and the warning posted presumably by the Chosen. I then immediately requested the presence of yourself or any available member of the Watch. Private Rollek answered my summons, and I escorted him to the scene. I suspect that these Chosen used invisibility provided by their arcane casters and slipped past the vigilant Private Thoras to snatch their victims and bring them back to Barak-Tor. We will abide by your wishes to leave the stairs downward alone, but would request to be authorized to mount an expedition soon to defend the honor of the Clan and exact revenge on the foul things that perpetrated this horror.

We would like to notify you that we were merely investigating the nature and composition of the Chosen below, and had no prior indication that they might be capable of commiting such an atrocity.

The Stoutheart Clan has worked tirelessly to provide several patrols a week, sometimes even several in a single day to check this swarm of adversaries. We have eliminated scores of them yet their numbers seem to have no end. It is our opinion that a sortie should be conducted as soon as possible to remove this frightening threat to the citizens of Sanctuary.

I have underlined those points that you specifically requested that I provide you information about.

Perhaps if the Spellguard were to place a permanent invisiblity dispelling ward at the bottom and top of the stairs to prevent the Chosen from employing this tactic in the future? This simple act could allow Private Thoras or the Stoutheart Clan to intercept and save the lives of the Chosen's future victims.

Stoutheart Clan Council of Elders Thane Rollo Stoneshield

The Chosen have more than one route into Sanctuary, such wards I expect would do little to slow them down. They also can fly Rollo, which means they have more routes into Barak-Tor than the single route available to yourself. Feel free to discuss it with the Spellguard however and see if they can handle this.

As important as the honor of your clan is, I do not want a strike force to stir up the Chosen again unless you can be confident that doing so will not simply launch a second retaliatory strike that claims the lives of yet more citizens. If you can demonstrate a working plan to ensure this does not occur, I'd give you my personal blessing and aid for such a mission.

Lieutenant Fawkes

*another note arrives from Barak-Tor for Lt. Fawkes, written in a now-familiar simple, yet neat script and sealed with the emblem of two silver rings*

Lieutenant Fawkes,

The situation with the Chosen's abduction and murdering of Sanctuarians has created a cloudy interpretation of our contract from our point of view.

One of the principal tenants of our agreement was to patrol the area regularly to keep the norogh there in check, and to prevent them from issuing forth and endangering the citizens of Sanctuary. We have done this thoroughly and reported our efforts monthly as required.

The contract also states that we are to "investigate the creatures known to the area." By fullfulling our contractual duties to discover this situation and attempting to reconnoiter the depths below Barak-Tor, we seem to have provoked these enhanced werebeasts to retaliate as a warning and in fact, a consequence of our actions.

Further, we must take care to stay away from the blocked stairs downwards, as the Chosen have taken to posting guards that aggressively attack any who venture towards them in the slightest.

So I would like clarification from the Watch as to whether refraining from continuing to "investigate the creatures" as per your direct order is in fact not in direct conflict with the terms of our contract. As Councilor Runehammer informed me that you were instrumental in creating a much more efficient way of organizing and handling the Watch's filing system, I am sure you should be able to find a copy of our original contract.

However, if need be, I can copy selected sections or the entire contract by hand if you give me a few hours to do so. This will be send it to the Watch House to be examined at your leisure.

Further, we would like the honor of journeying downward to crush this threat and to eliminate this more powerful and enhanced variety of Chosen that seem to only be found in the depths of Barak-Tor. It is our belief that this type of beast is a side-branch of the greater population, perhaps a mutant variety, or even warped by some powerful force. The fact that they have shown that they can murder citizens at will, at their whim, makes them a dangerous threat at this time.

We would be happy to include any members of the Watch or the Spellguard willing to help ensure the complete removal of this threat if we are indeed given the go-ahead to perform this assault.

Lieutenant Fawkes, you have my thanks in taking some of your valuable time to address the above issues.

Thane Rollo Stoneshield Council of Elders Stoutheart Clan

Your first duty is to keep the creatures in the area from killing citizens not to explore. You are currently clearly unable to protect the citizens while exploring. No one could expect you to comprehend the nature of the Chosen response to your explorations, but there is every reason to suspect a continued excavation will provoke identical responses without any clear plan to prevent this.

When you present a detailed plan to prevent a recurrence of the deaths that have already happened; then you may return to excavating and exploring these stairs.

Lieutenant Fawkes