Tol-in-Gaurhoth Threefold and Six: The Night Guard

[Legate of Amon Lanc]

"Well well well," with a jovial smile, the village broker strode amidst the gathered folk, then he stopped, carefully listening to what's been said. After a while, he drew a pipe out of his pocket. Then, he retrieved a purse of pipeweed and started filling his pipe. Lastly, he lit his pipe with a match and watched the blue smoke rising into the sky.

"Chetwood Stout?" he turned suddenly to Inziladun. "It has to be good, I am sure, but that makes me think... have I ever told you about the ale they serve in the "Badger & Bridgeman" Inn near Tharbad? A really good that one, they are using some spice from the South, but I know the innkeeper well and he told me what it is, so if you wished to widen your repertoire a bit more, I could arrange a supply of that spice for you as well... Maybe a good way to please our local innkeeper, isn't it?" With a wink, he let out another cluster of smoke rings out of his pipe.

"And oh my good Nilp," he said, turning to the local fool. "Are you sure you feel safe here? Don't you want to assure that you have a proper funeral after this is over? I know that you don't have too much money on your own, but say, wouldn't it be better to be on the safe side? I know some people who would sell you a nice (although used) coffin with a discount..."

He turned to discussing Mnemosyne and Wilwa. There, he frowned.

"I would not really be so hasty," he interfered, knocking the trunk of a nearby tree, "with all this talk about revelations. It is a good idea by itself, but it all depends just on good luck. Even if all worked well, if the Seer catches no Wolf in some three consequent days (see below), he or she may as well die without being of much of a real use.

And anyway, the main issue would be this: Simply put, for the plan to come into action, we would need the Seer coming out and the Ranger coming out. First, of course counter-claims will start to rain on us at that very moment, and before we decide whom to trust, both of our Gifteds may be as good as dead. Or at least the Ranger, most likely. In that case, we could buy the Seer one Night at maximum with our Night Guard. And even if it's all okay and we have a clear Seer and a clear Ranger, the most likely course of events would be, that the Ranger protects the Seer one Night, while we protect the Ranger (of course), but the next Night, while the guards are guarding the Seer, the Wolves attack the Ranger and kill him, and on the next Night, they go for the Seer, and that's it. Not really that different from a normal situation with one Ranger, don't you think."

"And as for Seer-revealed innocents, if the Wolves still have the double kill by then, they can be as well all wiped out over a couple of nights."

"That's for the contribution to such ideas. I think the best choice would be as usual, for the Seer to wait until he or she has something to offer, and then we can protect him or her for a few Nights. But it's all upon the Seer. I just think we should proceed with a bit more care and not let ourselves succumb to profitable-looking offers, which seem to be given ourselves by the Mayor's laws." And he smiled, like a man who is well-acquainted with profitable-looking offers of all kinds.