I wrote the letter addressing them respectfully.  Death is a natural part of life, but I stress the word natural.  The people of Fellhaven have enough death without the help of the Shadar-kai.  Fine warriors, I called them, and said that for people who take no measures to preserve their own life, it was impressive that they had come so far as fighters.  There are greater battles to be fought in the empire than the pointless slaughter of townspeople.

“What is it you want?” I ask them.

The Raven Queen has her place.  Killing and death are not just for the good people of Fellhaven.  They can please their queen and feed her the deaths of the hordes that seek to destroy the empire and dominate the world, whose numbers are many and whose deaths will earn them a greater respect and acclaim.  As followers of the Raven Queen, they must also see the importance of balance and understand that the more thriving a society becomes, the more deaths they can give her in the future.  Seating an evil god in power ensures a sudden flow of death followed by a void.  There are things worse than death that the evil gods may turn on the Shadar-kai.  they will control them and in that time, the Shadar-kai will not only welcome death, but pray for it and it will not come.

I spoke of the man who paid them to cause trouble in Fellhaven.  An enemy of the future of the empire, he will be killed in time anyway.  They would not get their payment if we reach him first, but they would get their share of the larger part of his assets if they help to remove him.  They would also have the help of a small army to counter those in his immediate charge.

I ran my letter by the group in the morning and we decided to go forward with the plan, but we would need to find a courier for the message that would not be slain on sight by the Shadar-kai.  Cherry did some investigating and found a man who was willing to set up a meeting with the Shadar-kai.  He requested to meet us back at the tavern in a few days, after he spoke with their leader personally.

About this time, I remembered Cherry’s birthday would be coming up.  I wanted to do something fun to suprise her.  I brainstormed with Iceborn and Kriv and we determined that it would be most fun to throw her a party disguised as an ambush where the bandits are really strippers.  My idea was to have us attacked someplace out of town, but that was dangerous and it would be hard to sneak the presents and foods to the location without her knowing.  The guys thought it would be best to place the party at the tavern.  Everything would be kept behind the bar and the strippers would be rowdy patrons.

It was the day of the meeting with the shady messenger.  We went to the tavern to discuss the plans.  He told us that he could take us to speak with them the following day.  As soon as he left, a man approached the table calling us out.  Mocking us and demanding some sort of proof that our band of misfits had actually killed a dragon.  Cherry, not one for taking this sort of talk, jumped right in with a challenge of his manhood, to which a few of his buddies responded by coming to his side in aggressive stances.  They looked as though they were going to draw weapons in the middle of the tavern, as was Cherry.  She paused for a moment and suggested they take this fight outside.  At this point the minstrel changed his tune to a lively party ballad and the men tore their shirts off and started to dance for Cherry.  The look on her face was sheer confusion as the men got progressively less clothing on them, but when the pie and sticky buns were brought out and presents were placed on the table, she blushed and laughed until she cried.  It was a great party.  Gorgeous men, good food, good music; it was this sort of thing that brought gnomes and halflings closer together (quiet with the “short” jokes!)

Among the presents, I had prepared a new dagger for Cherry from the tooth of the white dragon.  I had given it a dangerous bite to scaled flesh, which she immediately tested out on Kriv, who reflexively knocked her across the table.  I laid my face in my hand and shook my head.  I expected nothing else, nor did I expect less than Lomweg popping up to enjoy the entertainment and a few sticky buns.