The party contracted to defend a religious community of healers in the hills south of the Brastor Holding and the South Lending. The community had angered Polam Wesved, a powerful and unscrupulous merchant, by offering shelter to Rayesta, a beautiful Horse Nomad warrior that Wesved had tried to abduct and enslave. She beat off the kidnappers, but was severely injured; fleeing into the southern hills, she stumbled into Blackstone Chapel, a small religious community, where she was taken in and healed. Wesved told the community to return her to him, and when they refused gave them three weeks to change their minds, threatening violence if they did not.

Since they were basically pacifistic and did not have the skills to defend their community and Rayesta from Wesved's thugs, the Chapel sent one of their most trusted men, Tychel, to complain to the authorities in the South Lending. These, however, told him it was out of their jurisdiction, since the Chapel was beyond the borders of the Brastor Holding (perhaps acting under the influence of Polam Wesved). Desperate, Tychel sought out a group of adventurers, on his own, to bring them back to protect the community. On the way to Blackstone Chapel they were ambushed, but most survived, and even the fatalities were resurrected.^[13]

After a furious debate, the community decided that it was morally permissible for them to hire the adventurers to defend the community. There were several attacks, which were beaten off at the cost of several party members (including at least Gim and Cormac). However, the party members were resurrected by the grateful community's deity, and eventually gave up this approach to regaining Rayesta.

When they returned to the South Lending, the party was arrested since they had been accused by Polam Wesved of stealing a valuable slave (Rayesta) and killing his henchmen who were (he claimed) in lawful pursuit of her. Unfortunately for Wesved, the judge whose compliance he had bought was replaced at the last minute by the new Laird of the South Lending, and the final decision was against him.