[Mortus, Julian, Max, Ragni]
Neralon grins and raises his cup in response to Julian's remark about drinking.
When Julian talks about the necromancers in Middenheim, Max supplies some additional information. "The three were called Cassilda, Camilla and Aralldor. They were working together with human criminals and cultists, but they were also pursuing their own schemes. The most serious of these was to contact the spirit of an ancient necromancer known as the 'Doomlord of Middenheim.' I'm not sure if you've heard of him, but he raised a massive undead army over a thousand years ago. Um, this plan was very nearly successful - Cassilda was in the process of making a bargain with the Doomlord when she was slain." Max pauses. "As Sir Julian says, all of this was proved to the satisfaction of the Graf of Middenheim and his court, but we had no evidence that could have been brought to Marienburg besides witness testimony." Neralon listens attentively, replying only with a slight nod of his head.
Julian hands Neralon the ring. The elf holds it in his fist, closing his eyes and concentrating. Mortus recognises that Neralon has at least some degree of magical skill and is using it to sense the item's properties.
"A ring that protects against the hazards of the open seas," he says. "Old work. An heirloom item. I believe that such a ring is among the attributes of the Lord of the Silver Isles... and, coincidentally-" he says this with an amused inflection in his voice "-the current lord has not been seen since around the time of your zombie encounter. Perhaps - for want of his ring - he ended up on the sea bottom."
He returns the ring to Julian. "As I said, the Silver Isles are lands belonging to Clan Lianllach. They are on the far western side of Ulthuan, and thus closer to the lands of the exiles. It is an open secret that there is trade between them. If the exiles were to infiltrate anywhere, that would be a good place to begin.
"But trade is one thing. The Silver Isles are remote and wild. There may have been times in the past when they were forced to trade with outposts of the exiles in order to survive. Such a relationship would naturally continue in better times. However, to directly collude with the exile's schemes... that I cannot believe. These incidents - the zombie attack, and the attempt to burn part of the fleet - do nothing to support Lianllach commercial aims. They work against them. There is already ill-will between the city and the elves. News of this would only make things worse.
"The explosive device you describe could be elven in origin. But anything we can make, the exiles can make also." Neralon sets down his empty cup with a thud. "Sir Julian, I am convinced that Lianllach have been infiltrated by the exiles, and I will say as much to my clan and to any of the others who will listen. But what we need now is irrefutable proof. And quickly, before the exiles make their next move."