BOUNTY NOTICE:

I hereby offer a monetary bounty of no less than one million gold pieces to anyone who can
deliver to me an alive and mostly healthy/sane captive Leader of the scales of the Red Talon.

We need information and magic has seemingly failed to yield that which we need. Hence, more direct methods must be persued.

I reserve the right to judge the validity of any captives for this reward, but no reasonable submission will be refused or go unpaid.

On my oath, and in service to the Vale and to Nektaria,

~Crideas Bane

Upon our return to the realm, Master Bane, the Beuttlerian Militia will be more than willing to undertake your contract.

And finally, we discover a use for the Rust Monster:

The Red Talon leader was damn near impossible to petrify and was immune to mind effects from his equipment. Once the Beuttlerians finally petrified him, Crideas was able to capture and dominate some rust monsters who ate the Leader's gear... which made him vulnerable to Domination... and Interrogation.

Per 's response in private, here are the results of the interrogation:

After a great deal of interrogation (which should involve domination magic or something else to bend the leader's will...he's very mentally disciplined), the characters can gain the following information:

- There is a plan in the works to fully return the dragon Talon to Aenea.

-
There will be a ritual performed to bring Talon back to life (but the
captured person doesn't know any details about it, such as when, where,
or what's involved).

- The Warriors of the Red Talon have been
searching for red dragon bones, dragon blood, red dragon scales,
resurrection magic, and fire magic. When such an item is found, they
immediately bring it into one of several forests and place it inside a
hollow stump, and it instantly vanishes.

Before revealing
anything more, the captured enemy suddenly spasms and drops dead. A
faint draconic chuckle is heard in the air.

Beuttleria delivers yet again.

**One the surface of Sharlo, Aenea's Silver Moon, an unconscious Archmage lies in a coma in his Sanctum. Protected by the Warriors of Beuttleria, his brave and stealthy allies Angelica and Ruby Wainwright successfully planted a magical scrying crystal on one of the Red Talon's kills, he tracked it back to their base with his magic... only to fall victim to a viscious psychic assault that nearly slew him. Blood trails from his nose and he breathes in shallow spurts... as his familair and summoned guardians bear witness to his final act before losing consciousness. A short message scrawled in his own blood.... "Mist.... Ruins".**