Magical transportation to far off lands

Wednesday 22nd December 356 AC

On rising this morning we each found another present under our pillows, placed with professional stealth during the night. I found a scroll written in unfamiliar script under my own and while I investigated it an explosion was heard from Sir Dominic's room, along with some words I didn't think he knew.
After breakfast had been cleared two Officers of the Watch, Rutledge and Massey, joined us to inform us that John and Mary Keenan were dead.
Saddened as we were by the news, we had a more important job to do so we made our way to the Mage Shop. After allowing a little time for the wizard of the party to stock up on supplies we braced ourselves for transportation by magical means...

...when next we opened our eyes we found ourselves in a new location entirely. The rain was the first change anyone noticed, the cold soon bit and we were slowly aware that we stood outside the tall wooden palisade wall of the small town of Slupsk.
Sir Dominic provided Holy Light that we might find the gate and I proceeded to make our presence known. There followed a brief, tense discourse with the guards before a fleeting glance at the crest on my shield gained our entry.
On passing through the gate our eyes were greeted with the sight of a broken town. Buildings were in disrepair, many appeared uninhabited while others were frankly uninhabitable. Almost all the individuals we saw were knights but what civilians there were subdued and demoralised. The guard eventually guided us to what had been the town hall, now headquarters for the local operation, for conference with with Sir Hassan. Fierce shouting could be heard as our guide knocked and entered the main chamber. Within were Sir Hassan and a furious young man dressed entirely in black, who stormed from the room upon our arrival.
I handed Sir Hassan our orders which caused him to ask the simple question "Where are the rest of you?". Evidently the situation here had become far more serious than the Knight's Council, I explained to my honoured colleague that sadly our group comprised the entirety of the reinforcements.

With a sigh, Sir Hassan brought us to the map room for briefing. We were informed that while the main body of the Knights' army assaulted a stronghold to the north a small number of enemy combatants had broken free and fled in this direction. Sir Hassan had been dispatched with a small force due to the belief that the escaping party included some war criminals (potentially Roark) and other persons of interest. Capture of these individuals was the highest priority. The only pass through the mountains to the south is Rybnik Pass, and this is believed to be their immediate destination. Thus far the pursuit has been hampered by the firing of every town the enemy passed through, forcing the Knights to stop and aid the local population. Some prisoners have been captured, human and goblinoid in nature, but as yet they have not given up any useful intelligence (indeed they have been more of a hindrance up to this point).

The first order of business is to interrogate the prisoners ourselves. The Knights here have neither mage nor cleric so there may be things we can discover that they could not. I first ensured Sir Dominic was made busy aiding the Knights before inviting Brother Ithariel, Lady Azshauna and Starsong to join me for the interrogation. It should be noted that long experience has shown, interrogations go much more smoothly if paladins are kept away. Lady Azshauna was able to detect some kind of magic on the prisoners and Brother Ithariel dispelled it from one human. The prisoner, now able to talk, was eager to enlighten us on any subject. It seems he had been in Torun, where he became injured and was left behind to die. The Knights have been trailing him along for the past week. The band he was part of is known as the Hellwagon Train, comprising of forty or so soldiers. He was able to confirm Rybnik Pass as their destination and, as was our belief, certain important persons were travelling with the group. We now know the names of our quarry; Olmos, the group's draconian leader (wanted for war crimes); Penikett, a cleric of Chemosh; Rekha, a cleric of Morgion; Trucco, another cleric of Chemosh; and Scranti, a Mage of the Black Robes wanted by the Tower of High Sorcery.

With some positive intelligence to follow we left the prisoners and found rooms for the night, each taking a turn on watch to give the beleaguered guards some reprieve.