Pandora's Lair

Shaw is going to handle the assassins. Benedict Ames seems innocent enough. That leaves the Defias, who were stumbling over themselves to give the party information once Sookie started breaking things. But their information wasn't that useful, and they're still scared. Taking note of her companion's attitude, Sookie approaches Kaliera. "Na, na. Got a question."

The Defias camp isn't hard to spot from the air. Most people would have to look up, through the thick canopy of trees characteristic of Elwynn Forest, to notice the few campfire plumes rising beyond the defile. Sookie need only look down.

As the Audacious cruises over Elwynn Forest, it is intercepted by a flight of mounted gryphon riders. They bear a message: although the Covenant is welcome in Stormwind, their flying fortress is not. It will have to put down out of cannonshot of the city walls, perhaps near Northshire or Goldshire, and its inhabitants approach on foot or mount.

The last wall of dressed stone explodes in a burst of stone and water, and the Covenant emerges in the Keep's dungeons, the only light coming from a handful of guttering torches at the entry door. A half dozen orcs are crouched behind overturned barrels and bales of hay, aiming crossbows and arrows at the door. At the sound of crashing stone, they whirl round in blank-eyed astonishment.

Having seen their black dragon champion defeated and put to flight before their eyes, the captured orcs are in little mood to resist interrogation. Troteman quickly obtains some crucial intelligence; he hardly even needs to threaten them openly.

After giving the situation some thought, Alec comes up with a likely profile. Men who know each other, who've had dealings, and who will travel together when they won't risk being sighted - or travel separately to avoid raising suspicion. Men with a purpose, and a schedule, who came and left deliberately. There will be many marks on the ground, but he hopes that few will satisfy those criteria.