Liar's Bargain: A Novel

by Tim Pratt

  Rodrick stepped to one side, putting Prinn between himself and the edge of the roof. He pointed Hrym and said, “Freeze him solid!”

  The sword unleashed a miniature blizzard on the totenmaske, and still the monster pushed forward, head lowered, feet braced, taking one step after another, reaching out with its claws. One touch from those talons, Rodrick knew, would be the end of him—he would drop Hrym, have his memories and mind sucked out, and the totenmaske would become him.

  Everything in Rodrick told him to run away.

  Instead, he ran forward, right between Prinn’s outstretched arms, and plunged Hrym into the monster’s chest. Prinn howled, and Rodrick ducked, leaving the sword embedded in the totenmaske, avoiding its claws as he rolled aside.

  Hrym knew what to do. His blade radiated a ferocious cold that turned the night air to winter. That cold bit into Rodrick’s flesh, now that he was no longer holding onto the sword’s hilt, protected from the magic. He shivered as the totenmaske lurched forward two steps, then went still, its vast mouth suddenly exhaling frosty vapor.

  “Drink … you …” Prinn croaked.

  Then the totenmaske’s open mouth filled with ice as Hrym froze the monster from the inside out. Within moments, the totenmaske was a frozen statue of itself, vapor rising from its form.

  Rodrick stepped forward, teeth chattering, and closed his hand on Hrym’s hilt. The terrible cold stopped afflicting him immediately. “Ready to come out?” Rodrick said.

  “Please,” Hrym replied. “It smells terrible in here.”

  Rodrick drew the sword from the bloodless hole in Prinn’s chest, and stood regarding the totenmaske. “Huh,” he said. “Do you think the crusaders will put it on display somewhere? Maybe in the middle of a fountain? I’m not sure I’ve ever seen an uglier statue.”

  Prinn’s eyes moved in their frozen sockets. The totenmaske’s jaws creaked, and bits of magical ice cracked as it attempted to close its jaws.

  “No, no, not happening,” Rodrick said. He put his shoulder against the monster’s chest, braced his feet, and shoved. The totenmaske slid across the roof a few inches, and Rodrick pushed harder, until the back of Prinn’s legs hit the low wall. He leaned back, took a breath, and then slammed his shoulder into Prinn.

  The totenmaske was top-heavy—its huge mouth was filled with ice, after all—so it tumbled quite easily over the parapet. Rodrick looked over the wall at the falling creature. He had some fear Prinn would survive the fall, leap to its feet, and race off into the darkness

  That fear was unwarranted. When the frozen totenmaske struck the stones, it shattered like a crystal vase thrown at a fireplace.

  “Did we save the world again?” Hrym said.

  “A small corner of it, maybe,” Rodrick said.

  “We have to stop doing that.”

  “Agreed. But the important thing is, we saved ourselves.”

  Just then the crusaders succeeded in bashing open the door, and a number of armed men and women flooded onto the roof, most screaming some variation on “Put down the sword or die!”

  Rodrick sighed. If he hadn’t seen what the fall did to Prinn, he would have been tempted to jump himself.

  * * *

  Fortunately, Bannerman got to the roof before Hrym got annoyed and froze all the crusaders. By virtue of being loud and seeming to know what was going on, Bannerman managed to seize some initiative. He sent someone to make sure the shattered thing on the ground was a monster, and wasn’t actually Rodrick, which made sense—you couldn’t be too careful when dealing with a creature that stole faces. Once they’d determined Rodrick wasn’t an undead imposter, things calmed down a bit, and he and Hrym were escorted to the Bastion as something between prisoners and guests. None of the crusaders tried to take Hrym away from Rodrick, thus sparing themselves a considerable diminishment in their ranks. Neither one of them was willing to be parted from the other again, even for a moment.

  Rodrick was installed in the suite where he’d lived with the Volunteers, which seemed terribly sad and empty now, as opposed to terribly sad and crowded. He and Hrym were left alone, with Bannerman promising to return soon with news.

  Rodrick slept for a while, and then he woke up, and then he sat on the couch. He bickered good-naturedly with Hrym, who wanted to blast a hole in the door and get out of Lastwall forever. Rodrick convinced him there might be a reward coming, though, which settled the sword down. Rodrick got so bored at one point that he tried to read some of Zumani’s poetry, which was worse than boredom, so he stopped.

  Sometime late on the morning after the feast, Bannerman returned—with General Andraste, who looked haggard, as if she hadn’t slept in days.

  “You’re alive!” Rodrick said.

  The general looked at Bannerman. “Does he always state the obvious?”

  “I think he’s expressing happiness at an unexpected surprise,” Bannerman said, in a generous interpretation.

  The woman grunted. “Rodrick of Andoran, and Hrym of Shory, in recognition of your services to our great nation, I hereby pardon you of all crimes committed against and within the borders of Lastwall. Please accept this token of our appreciation.” She made a tired gesture, and Bannerman tossed a coin purse.

  Rodrick caught it, and, even though it was the height of rudeness, opened it up and looked inside. Gold coins, and lots of them. Not quite the chest full of treasure he’d fantasized about, but more than he’d hoped for. “More than a token would be nice, but I accept.”

  “Tell him the bad news, Bannerman,” she said. “I’m going back to bed.” The general plodded out of the room.

  “Oh, good,” Rodrick said. “Bad news.”

  “There’s lots of bad.” Bannerman sat in an armchair. He was in better shape than Andraste, but not by much. “Temple didn’t survive Prinn’s attack. I don’t know if he meant to kill her, but he did. We found her corpse shoved in a closet in her rooms. Andraste was locked in a closet, too, but we found her still alive, if only just barely. I didn’t tell her you stole her necklace and discovered her … indiscretions … by the way. That discretion is why you got a coin purse and exile instead of prosecution for the myriad crimes you committed without our permission.”

  “I appreciate the kindness,” Rodrick said. “Can I go now?”

  “Oh, yes. In fact, you have to go now. That’s the other bad news: your pardon is dependent on you leaving Lastwall and never, ever coming back. It’s less a pardon and more punishment in the form of exile, except you’re not from here, so calling it exile seemed inaccurate.”

  Rodrick tried to look crestfallen, though really, as long as no one from Lastwall was chasing him, he was happy to leave. Hrym didn’t bother with the pretense. “That’s fine,” the sword said. “We hate this place. We’ve been exiled from places we’d actually like to go again, and those hurt, but having to leave this place forever? Feh.”

  “We’ll miss you too, Hrym. We’ve got all your gear waiting for you. I even convinced the general to let you have back your cloak of the devilfish. I told her you might need it, since you annoy people so much you’re likely to be thrown overboard on your voyage. I can escort you to the border now.”

  “So ends the brave saga of the Lastwall Volunteers, eh?” Rodrick said.

  “Oh, I don’t know.” Bannerman gave him a disconcertingly wide grin. “I’m taking over Temple’s old position as head of, let’s say, ‘special projects,’ and I plan to put another team together. Which reminds me: if you ever want to ignore that order of exile and stray over the border into Lastwall again, please feel free. I’d be happy to force you into servitude again.”

  “I enjoyed working with you, too, Bannerman.”

  * * *

  Rodrick spent a large quantity of his newfound coin to rent the nicest private room available on a ship heading away from Vellumis, and lay on the narrow bed, looking upward, reveling in the recently all-too-unfamiliar sensation of freedom.

  “Where are we going after this?” Hrym said from his sca
ttered bed of coins.

  “This ship is bound for Druma.”

  “Hmm. Lots of money in Druma. Are we planning to stay there?”

  “Oh, maybe for a little while. Then, I don’t know … I was thinking of going back to Almas. It’s been a while, and I have fond memories of a particular tavern there.”

  “Oh?”

  “Yes. It’s called the Golden Eagle.”

  “I approve of the first half of its name,” Hrym said. “Never had much use for eagles, though. What fond memories are you talking about exactly?”

  “I’m not sure,” Rodrick said, closing his eyes and letting his imagination fly free. “I haven’t made them yet.”

  ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

  Books are written mostly by sitting alone in a room for a long time, but it takes a lot of people to make that sitting alone possible. Thanks first to my wife, Heather Shaw, who supports and indulges me, and to my son, River, who is now old enough to play tabletop games, and will enjoy reading these books before too long, I hope. Thanks to my editor James Sutter for being enthusiastic about my ideas, and to my agent Ginger Clark for making things run smoothly. I dedicated this one to my good gamer friends Jeffrey Martin and Katrina Storey, pirate and sorcerer, who always remind me of the things I love about roleplaying.

  GLOSSARY

  All Pathfinder Tales novels are set in the rich and vibrant world of the Pathfinder campaign setting. Below are explanations of several key terms used in this book. For more information on the world of Golarion and the strange monsters, people, and deities that make it their home, see The Inner Sea World Guide, or dive into the game and begin playing your own adventures with the Pathfinder Roleplaying Game Core Rulebook or the Pathfinder Roleplaying Game Beginner Box, all available at paizo.com.

  Absalom: Largest city in the Inner Sea region, located on an island.

  Abyss: Plane of evil and chaos ruled by demons, where many evil souls go after they die.

  Adamantine: One of the more commonly discovered and used skymetals, known for its incredible strength.

  Alchemists: Spellcasters whose magic takes the form of potions, explosives, and strange mutagens that modify their physiology.

  Almas: Capital city of Andoran.

  Andoran: Democratic and freedom-loving nation.

  Andoren: Of or pertaining to Andoran; someone from Andoran.

  Aroden: The god of humanity, who died mysteriously a hundred years ago.

  Bastion of Justice: Key government stronghold for Lastwall, located in the city of Vellumis.

  Belkzen: A region populated primarily by savage orc tribes.

  Cayden Cailean: God of freedom, ale, wine, and bravery. Was once mortal, but ascended to godhood by passing the Test of the Starstone in Absalom.

  Cheliax: Powerful devil-worshiping nation.

  Clerics: Religious spellcasters whose magical powers are granted by their gods.

  Conservatory of Jalmeray: Famed school on an island controlled by Jalmeray, officially instructing entertainers and courtesans, but widely reputed to be a training center for spies.

  Demon Lord: A particularly powerful demon capable of granting magical powers to its followers. One of the rulers of the Abyss.

  Demons: Evil denizens of the plane of the afterlife called the Abyss, who seek only to maim, ruin, and feed on mortal souls.

  Deskari: The principle demon lord responsible for the demonic invasion through the Worldwound. Also known as the Lord of the Locust Host.

  Devils: Fiendish occupants of Hell who seek to corrupt mortals in order to claim their souls.

  Devilfish: Semi-intelligent, seven-armed octopus-like creature with hook-lined tentacles.

  Devilkin: Someone with fiendish blood, such as from ancestral interbreeding with devils. Often displayed by horns, hooves, or other devilish features. Rarely popular in civilized society.

  Doppelgangers: Humanoid creatures able to take on the physical likeness of other humanoid creatures.

  Druma: Shortened name for the Kalistocracy of Druma, a nation built on the tenets of the Prophecies of Kalistrade, a pseudo-religion in which individuals view the accumulation of wealth as the highest possible goal.

  Dryads: Fey who bond with trees.

  Elementals: Beings of pure elemental energy, such as air, earth, fire, or water.

  Elves: Long-lived, beautiful humanoids identifiable by pointed ears, lithe bodies, and pupils so large their eyes appear to be one color.

  Erastil: Stag-headed god of farming, hunting, trade, and family.

  Fangwood: A large forest that covers much of Nirmathas and Lastwall.

  Fey: Creatures deeply tied to the natural world, such as dryads or pixies.

  Freedom War: War of independence fought between the nation of Molthune and rebel forces that eventually became the nation of Nirmathas.

  Gnomes: Small humanoids with strange mindsets, big eyes, and often wildly colored hair.

  Hungry Mountains: Sinister mountain range in southern Ustalav, just north of Lastwall.

  Impossible Kingdoms: Another name for Vudra.

  Inner Sea: The vast inland sea whose northern continent, Avistan, and southern continent, Garund, as well as the seas and nearby lands, are the primary focus of the Pathfinder campaign setting.

  Interdicted Library: Secret caches of dangerous knowledge maintained by the crusaders of Lastwall.

  Iomedae: Goddess of valor, rulership, justice, and honor, who in life helped lead the Shining Crusade against the Whispering Tyrant before passing the Test of the Starstone and attaining godhood.

  Jalmeray: Island nation in the Obari Ocean, heavily influenced by the customs and cultures of distant Vudra.

  Kholerus: Nascent demon lord imprisoned in the Lake of Mists and Veils in Brevoy.

  Kyonin: Elven forest-kingdom largely off-limits to non-elven travelers.

  Lake Encarthan: Enormous body of freshwater with many nations sharing borders along its shorelines, including Lastwall, Nirmathas, and Molthune.

  Lake of Mists and Veils: Vast lake far northeast of Lastwall.

  Lastwall: Nation dedicated to keeping the Whispering Tyrant locked away beneath Gallowspire, as well as keeping the orcs of Belkzen and the monsters of Ustalav in check.

  Liches: Spellcasters who manage to extend their existence by magically transforming themselves into powerful undead creatures.

  Linnorms: Immense, snakelike dragons with two forward legs and rudimentary wings.

  Mendev: Cold, northern crusader nation that provides the primary force defending the rest of the Inner Sea region from the demonic infestation of the Worldwound.

  Molthune: Young, militant, and ambitious nation along the shores of Lake Encarthan.

  Molthuni: Of or related to Molthune; someone from Molthune.

  Mwangi Expanse: A sweltering jungle region south of the Inner Sea.

  Negative Energy: An opposing force to life energy, used in the creation and sustaining of undead creatures, and able to cause harm to living creatures.

  Nereids: Aquatic fey that appear as beautiful women, often attempting to lure people to a watery death.

  Nex: Nation in Garund formerly ruled by a powerful wizard of the same name.

  Nirmathas: Fledgling forest nation constantly at war with its former rulers in Molthune.

  Nirmathi: Of or pertaining to Nirmathas; someone from Nirmathas.

  Niswan: Jalmeray’s capital city and largest port.

  Noqual: One of the rarer skymetals, with magic-resistant properties.

  Numeria: Land of barbarians and strange alien technology harvested from a crashed starship near the nation’s capital.

  Ogres: Hulking, brutal, and half-witted humanoid monsters with violent tendencies, repulsive lusts, and an enormous capacity for cruelty.

  Oracles: Spellcasters who draw their power from mysterious divine sources.

  Orcs: Race of humanoids with green or gray skin, protruding tusks, and warlike tendencies. Generally hated due to their habit of raiding other races.
<
br />   Paladins: Holy warriors in the service of good and lawful gods. Ruled by a strict code of conduct and granted special magical powers by their deities.

  Precentors Martial: Top government officials in Lastwall, who rule under the oversight of the Watcher-Lord.

  Rakshasa: Evil spirits capable of disguising themselves as humanoids in order to sow chaos and destruction. In their natural forms, they appear as animal-headed humanoids with backward-facing hands.

  Rangers: Outdoor experts specialized in surviving in a particular terrain; often employed as scouts, guides, hunters, and skirmishers.

  Serpentfolk: Ancient race of reptilian humanoids with heads and tails like snakes, who once claimed a vast empire but are now extremely rare.

  Shory Empire: Ancient empire, long since fallen to obscurity, which was most famed for its flying cities.

  Skymetal: Metal that falls to Golarion as meteorites and has exceptional (and sometimes magical) qualities.

  Sodden Lands: A land of constant storms and flooding, where only a few pockets of civilization survive.

  Sorcerers: People who casts spells through natural ability rather than faith or study.

  Sun Orchid Elixir: An extremely rare potion produced only in Thuvia, capable of partially undoing the effects of age and prolonging one’s life.

  Taldor: A formerly glorious nation that has lost many of its holdings in recent years to neglect and decadence.

  Tamran: The capital city of Nirmathas.

  Thakur: Title for the ruler of Jalmeray.

  Three Pines Ford: A large town settled alongside the Tourondel River in Lastwall.

  Tian Xia: Continent on the opposite side of the world from the Inner Sea region.

  Totenmaskes: Dangerous undead creatures capable of stealing the faces of living creatures and shaping flesh like clay.

  Undead: Once-living beings who have been reanimated by spiritual or supernatural forces, most often the application of negative energy.