THE FALLEN PASS INCIDENT (Dainger)

Everyone Escaped Except the Tank

An Official Investigation into Selective Evacuation, Magical Negligence, and the Suspicious Survival of One Horse

Filed by Chief Investigator Thaddeus Grimledger
Office of Investigations & Questionable Affairs
The Wayfarer’s Gazette

Case Number: FP-048
Location: Fallen Pass
Complainant: Dainger
Person of Interest: Altimer, Wizard
Additional Person of Interest: One Unidentified Horse
Case Status: Open, Pending Further Testimony

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THE FORMAL COMPLAINT

There are few things in this world that irritate me more than adventurers who create their own disasters and then demand that someone else explain them.

One of those things is arriving at my office to discover an angry, red-bearded adventurer sitting behind my desk.

Such was the beginning of Case FP-048.

The complainant, an adventurer by the name of Dainger Frostreaver, appeared before this office demanding an immediate investigation into what he described as a deliberate abandonment by his traveling companions.

When asked to explain the circumstances, Dainger informed me that he had been serving as the designated tank during an expedition into Fallen Pass.

For those unfamiliar with adventuring terminology, the tank is the individual expected to stand between the party and whatever unpleasant creature currently wishes to disassemble them.

It is a demanding occupation with limited opportunities for advancement and an unusually high likelihood of premature death.

Dainger maintained that during a particularly dangerous encounter, the wizard Altimer attempted to evacuate the party through magical means.

The evacuation succeeded.

For everyone except Dainger.

I requested clarification.

Dainger repeated himself, considerably louder.

I informed him that shouting would not improve the quality of his testimony.

He informed me that neither had Altimer’s spellcasting.

A fair observation.

I opened a case file.

THE EVENTS AT FALLEN PASS

According to the accounts provided, the party had been engaged in combat with a formidable adversary known as Jokan’Daru.

The creature was successfully defeated, but the victory came at a considerable cost to the party’s magical reserves.

Several spellcasters were reportedly running dangerously low on mana, while others had exhausted their reserves entirely.

Under ordinary circumstances, this would have been an excellent opportunity to rest, recover, and congratulate one another on surviving.

Unfortunately, Fallen Pass apparently had other plans.

Before the party could properly recover, a Skri’Var taskmaster entered the engagement.

The arrival of this additional adversary presented a serious threat to a group whose spellcasters were already struggling to produce enough magical energy to illuminate a candle.

With their resources depleted and the situation deteriorating, Altimer was told by Dainger to cast an evacuation spell.

I consider this decision reasonable.

A controlled withdrawal is generally preferable to allowing one’s companions to be systematically beaten into the ground.

The difficulty arose during the execution.

Altimer’s spell reportedly suffered a critical failure.

Nevertheless, the magic successfully transported the party to safety.

All of them.

Except Dainger.

The tank remained behind in Fallen Pass, where he was subsequently killed.

I have encountered failed spells before. Most have the decency to fail consistently.

This one appears to have developed preferences.

THE QUESTION OF SELECTIVE EVACUATION

I have spent considerable time examining the circumstances surrounding Altimer’s spellcasting.

The available accounts establish that the wizard attempted to remove the party from danger and that the spell experienced a critical failure.

They also establish that nearly everyone benefited from the evacuation.

The sole exception was Dainger.

This raises several questions.

Was the spell’s failure entirely random?

Did Dainger’s position or circumstances somehow interfere with the magic?

Was Altimer aware that one member of the party had not been transported?

And, perhaps most troubling of all, why did the horse survive?

Yes.

The horse.

According to testimony, a horse that had previously been obstructing the group’s activities also escaped the incident.

I have been informed that this animal was exceptionally fast.

I have also been informed that it possessed a remarkable talent for standing precisely where adventurers did not want it to stand.

Yet when the evacuation occurred, the horse survived while the party’s designated defender did not.

I do not suggest that this constitutes proof of wrongdoing.

I merely observe that the party appears to have demonstrated a greater capacity for preserving troublesome livestock than its own tank.

This office considers that discrepancy worthy of examination.

STATEMENT OF THE COMPLAINANT: DAINGER

Dainger was asked to provide his account of the incident.

“We killed Jokan’Daru. We were already running low on mana when that taskmaster showed up. Altimer cast evac, everybody disappeared, and I was left standing there!”

When asked whether he believed Altimer had deliberately excluded him, Dainger leaned forward.

“Everybody got out. EVERYBODY. Except me!”

I asked whether he had any evidence of intentional wrongdoing.

He pointed to a visual record of the incident.

“LOOK AT IT!”

I examined the image.

Several adventurers were surrounded by magical energy. A Skri’Var taskmaster remained nearby. Beside the campfire lay Dainger’s body.

I informed the complainant that the image supported his account of the disastrous outcome but did not establish the wizard’s intentions.

Dainger appeared dissatisfied with this distinction.

He demanded that Altimer be charged with abandonment.

I explained that the investigation had not yet established a criminal act.

He demanded that the horse be charged as an accomplice.

I informed him that I would consider the matter.

This appeared to satisfy him temporarily.

He then demanded to know when he could expect a verdict.

I informed him that investigations require time.

He informed me that he had already spent enough time waiting in Fallen Pass.

I could find no reasonable response to this.

STATEMENT ATTRIBUTED TO WIZARD ALTIMER

At the time of this preliminary report, no verified statement from Altimer has been entered into the record.

However, this office has prepared several questions for the wizard’s consideration.

First, what circumstances contributed to the critical failure of the evacuation spell?

Second, was Altimer aware that Dainger had not been transported?

Third, did the wizard make any attempt to verify that every party member had successfully escaped?

Fourth, can Altimer explain why the spell appeared to function adequately for the remainder of the group?

And finally, does Altimer have any professional or personal relationship with the horse?

I anticipate that the wizard will object to the final question.

I anticipate asking it anyway.

Until Altimer provides his account, I shall refrain from determining whether his actions constituted negligence, unfortunate magical circumstances, or an extraordinary display of selective incompetence.

I am not, however, prepared to rule out any of these possibilities.

EXAMINATION OF EVIDENCE

Two visual exhibits have been submitted to this office.

EXHIBIT A: THE FORMAL DEMAND FOR JUSTICE

The first image depicts Dainger seated behind MY substantial wooden desk, apparently awaiting the arrival of someone authorized to investigate his complaint.

The complainant’s expression suggests considerable dissatisfaction.

I recognize the expression.

I have worn it myself during most interviews with adventurers.

Although the image does not establish the circumstances of the Fallen Pass incident, it does demonstrate the complainant’s determination to obtain an official inquiry.

I have requested that Dainger refrain from occupying my office furniture during future proceedings.

EXHIBIT B: THE EVACUATION SCENE

The second image is considerably more relevant to the investigation.

It depicts the party’s position in Fallen Pass during the evacuation incident.

Several adventurers appear surrounded by the distinctive visual effects of magical transportation.

A Skri’Var taskmaster is visible near the party’s position.

A campfire remains burning nearby.

And beside that campfire lies Dainger.

The image corroborates the presence of the taskmaster and the circumstances surrounding the evacuation attempt.

It also provides visual confirmation of Dainger’s fallen position.

It does not, by itself, establish the precise mechanics of the spell failure or whether Altimer intended to exclude anyone.

I consider this an important distinction.

Dainger considers it an unnecessary technicality.

The horse has offered no opinion.

INVESTIGATION OF THE HORSE

Ordinarily, I do not devote substantial investigative resources to questioning livestock.

However, this particular animal has attracted sufficient attention that I consider a preliminary inquiry warranted.

The horse was reportedly present during the events surrounding the evacuation and was among those who survived.

Witnesses have described it as fast, obstructive, and prone to interfering with the party’s movements.

I therefore requested that the animal be made available for questioning.

My initial inquiry produced the following results.

Investigator: “State your name for the record.”

Horse: “…”

Investigator: “Where were you when the evacuation spell was cast?”

Horse: “…”

Investigator: “Did Altimer provide you with any preferential treatment?”

Horse: “…”

At this point, the animal turned away and began eating.

I have encountered this behavior from suspects before.

Usually they are rogues.

The horse’s refusal to cooperate has been entered into the record.

No charges have been recommended at this time.

INVESTIGATOR’S FINDINGS

After reviewing the available accounts and photographic evidence, I have established the following:

1. The party successfully defeated Jokan’Daru during an expedition into Fallen Pass.
2. The encounter left several spellcasters with dangerously low or exhausted mana reserves.
3. A Skri’Var taskmaster subsequently entered the engagement.
4. The wizard Altimer attempted to evacuate the party from danger.
5. The evacuation spell reportedly suffered a critical failure.
6. Despite this failure, the spell transported every party member except Dainger to safety.
7. Dainger remained behind and was killed.
8. A horse associated with the party also survived the incident.
9. Dainger has formally demanded an investigation.
10. The horse has declined to provide a useful statement.

The evidence establishes an unfortunate and potentially avoidable loss.

It does not establish that Altimer deliberately abandoned Dainger.

Nor does it establish that the horse participated in any conspiracy, despite the complainant’s insistence that the animal’s survival is inherently suspicious.

I must also acknowledge that the party was operating under dangerous conditions, with depleted magical resources and an additional hostile creature entering the fight.

Such circumstances may contribute to errors in judgment and spellcasting.

They do not, however, explain why the evacuation worked for everyone except the tank.

That question remains unanswered.

OFFICIAL DETERMINATION

At present, I find insufficient evidence to support charges of attempted murder, deliberate abandonment, or conspiracy between the wizard Altimer and the horse.

I do, however, find substantial grounds for further examination of the following possible offenses:

Gross Magical Negligence: For conducting an evacuation that resulted in the abandonment of a party member.

Selective Transportation of Personnel: For the apparent failure to include the designated tank in an otherwise successful evacuation.

Failure to Account for Essential Party Members: For an evacuation outcome in which the individual responsible for absorbing enemy attacks was the only person left behind.

Suspicious Preservation of Livestock: Pending clarification of the horse’s precise involvement.

The first three allegations remain subject to Altimer’s testimony and further examination of the spell failure.

The fourth is currently being maintained primarily because Dainger refuses to let the matter go.

No formal charges have been filed.

The investigation remains open.

INVESTIGATOR’S FINAL NOTE

Over the course of my career, I have examined many unfortunate incidents involving adventurers.

I have investigated warriors who charged into battle without weapons, rogues who accidentally stole from their own companions, and spellcasters whose magical experiments resulted in the destruction of perfectly respectable buildings.

Yet I cannot recall another incident in which an evacuation spell managed to rescue an entire party while leaving behind the one individual specifically employed to prevent everyone else from dying.

Wizard Altimer may be entirely innocent.

The critical failure may have been unavoidable.

The horse may simply have been fortunate.

But until I receive a satisfactory explanation, I shall continue to regard this matter with considerable suspicion.

In conclusion, I find no conclusive evidence of attempted murder.

I do, however, find overwhelming evidence that the horse has a better evacuation plan than the tank.

The facts have been recorded. The excuses have been noted. The truth, regrettably, remains under investigation.

Filed and submitted,
Thaddeus Grimledger
Chief Investigator
Office of Investigations & Questionable Affairs
The Wayfarer’s Gazette

Case FP-048: Open, Pending Testimony from Altimer

The Office of Investigations & Questionable Affairs reminds all adventurers that successful evacuation procedures should ideally include everyone. Particularly the individual standing between the party and certain death.