9e. Marbic’s Cell

Getting closer to this cell, a voice calls you. "Hey, I hope you didn’t plan on leaving me here!" says a man, jokingly while he holds the bars of his cell. Smiling at you, he winks, pointing at the door’s lock. This man is Marbic, a merchant captured by the Barklings three days ago on the Northern Road, not too far north of Péripont (see Missing Cargo in Introduction). Marbic is a tall young man, with short red hair and a beardless visage. He often smiles despite the rough life he lives as a small time merchant. Marbic Krami: AC 11, #At 1 weapon, Dam by weapon +1, Mv 40', Sv F1, ML 8 Marbic is a 1st level Fighter. STR 14 (+1), INT 10, WIS 12, DEX 12, CON 13 (+1), CHA 11 HP When found, Marbic will have no equipment and will be wearing nothing but dirty clothes. If freed from his cell, the man will know he owes the PCs and will be more than happy to stay and help them. When the time to leave the Black Paws Lair comes however he will request the PCs to help him bring back at least some of the goods that were stolen from him to Péripont. This task is impractical given the rugged terrain and the lack of transportation, but he will nevertheless insist that he must deliver those goods to Giztor Blez (see The Broken Anvil in The Hamlet of Péripont). If the PCs help him do this, they will be rewarded by Marbic once they get to Péripont. Completing his delivery is however a secondary goal. His first objective will be to seek revenge against his former colleagues that left him to die when they got ambushed by the barklings. Marbic also holds Nozar and Endil (see The Split Moon Inn in The Hamlet of Péripont) responsible for the death of Basil. Indeed, the version given by the two scoundrels is nothing but lies. As he recounts, Marbic and Basil stayed around the cart to defend it when they were ambushed while Nozar and Endil ran away, laughing and wishing them good luck. What Marbic does not know is that the two men heard of recent raids on the road and secretly insured the shipment in Douman. Their goal is to go back and split the insurance claim in two rather than in four. Marbic will be animated by a furious sentiment of vengeance and will seek to kill them both to make them pay for the death of Basil and the hardship he endured at the hands of the barklings. Will the PCs be able to reason with him or will they let him quench his thirst for vengeance?