Act 2 / Interlude 1 - Alot of Words (November 16, 2014)

Starday, 19 Gozran, 4711

In the wee hours of the morning, the companions gathered in the common room of the Inn of the Wise Piper. Talia, her family, and the inn’s two other guests were unable to sleep due to the night’s terrifying events, so she brewed tea while the others kept peering through the courtyard windows, where the constabulary were busy ushering away curious and frightened villagers from the corpses of the two slain bat-things.

Sheriff Benhovy stormed in moments later to interrogate the party. What were those things? Demons loosed from Hunclay Manor? Had the companions encountered such things previously? What did the companions think they were doing in town... what were they after? Why did they target the courtyard of the inn, of all places? It’s as if they knew the companions were in the inn... which led the Sheriff to believe that either the bat-things were after them, or after something they might have in their possession... something they found in the wizard’s manor?

The heroes denied knowing what the bat-things were, or having encountered or heard of such creatures before. They had made no demands, and the companions had no idea why they caused the commotion they did at the inn, or what they might be looking for, if they were in fact searching for something.

The sheriff then focused his questioning on Iacobus... What happened to him? Why did he come screaming like a little girl toward the inn in the middle of the night, practically naked and all bloodied... where had he come from? The wizard’s manor? What was he doing there by himself in the middle of the night? Did those... black demons... attack there as well? Did any other threats still lurk in the manor?

Sheriff Benhovy and...

… Iacobus Tancredi, not the best of friends.

Iacobus was hard-headed vis-à-vis the sheriff, either refusing to answer his questions, or deflecting them with vague answers or even insulting remarks. The magus did not feel he owed the sheriff any explanations, as Lady Devy had hired the companions to perform a task that the constabulary was deemed inadequate to perform, and he would answer to the baroness and the baroness alone. Sir Benhovy took Iacobus’s evasive replies as confirmation that he too had been attacked by the bat-things at Hunclay Manor, and/or that other threats still lurked in the manor. The sheriff insisted that despite their contract with Lady Devy, the companions still had a duty to cooperate with the law and answer his questions, as he remained responsible for the safety of Belhaim... and those “things” that had attacked in the night posed a threat to the town. He could have the companions arrested for obstruction of justice, and Iacobus dared him to do so.   

The tête-à-tête continued for several tense moments, but the sheriff stopped short of arresting Iacobus. He announced that it was fortunate that no villagers had been hurt. Xemne was a little shaken after one creature forced its way into her shop and tore her shelves down, but she would get over it. The whole town, however, was now in a panic... the events of this night were even worse than when the kobolds destroyed the Witch Tower. Sir Benhovy suggested that the companions had sure brought dark times with them to Belhaim... and that they had unleashed something admittedly bigger than his constables could handle.

The sheriff then went on to enquire about Mathezic’s whereabouts. Where was he? Did he know what the bat-things were? The companions did not know.

As the frustrated lawman prepared to leave, he asked whether the party would have any need for the bodies and strange weapons of the dead things? Was it safe for the constabulary to touch them and take them away from prying eyes? He intended to hold the bodies at the garrison until morning, in case Lady Devy wanted to see them. Then, he would burn them. The heroes stepped outside to take another look at the corpses and weapons, which Iacobus had not yet seen. The constabulary had successfully dispersed most of the onlookers by then.

Iacobus was as baffled about the nature and origins of the creatures as his companions had been. They had not vanished or dissolved after being slain, so he concluded that they were not fiends of extra-planar origin. And the apparently non-magical, yet incredibly hard transparent glass-like weapons were made of no material the magus was familiar with. As he touched one of the blades, he felt a fleeting jolt in his mind. In the end, it seemed there was little more to learn from the corpses, so the companions consented to their removal. The sheriff grumbled that he hoped there would be no further trouble.

Finally, everyone turned in for the night. Akiro was intent on having his lamb sleep with him in the relative safety of his room, and although Talia initially gave the animal a disapproving look, she did not have the heart to part the sensitive Tian warrior from the traumatized beast.

***

Dawn came all too quickly, and with it a commotion in front of the inn. The exhausted companions, in their respective rooms, tried to ignore the noise. Iacobus and Shalora eventually peeked through their windows, and saw a group of angry locals assembled in front of the inn. The two dressed and went to the front door with Talia Orem. About a score of villagers--mostly folk the companions had never met or had any significant interactions with--were angrily protesting against the party, claiming that they had brought a curse on Belhaim and demanding their immediate departure. Jiri joined Shalora and Iacobus, and the trio attempted to be heard above the mob. Gradually, the number of villagers in the green before the inn grew, but now there were others--Eudomas Biton, Nilos Genser, Selia Woldenar, Theon Sensina, Emarthine Willoway, Big Bull Baccus, Caspar Tymek, Xemne, Isadorer and Bophre Malak, not to mention Talia herself, among others--who took the side of the outsiders. The supporters countered that foul deeds had been occurring since long before the arrival of the companions (such as the disappearance of the Kells and Bophre Malak, Hunclay’s involvement in dark sorcery and devilry, raids by monstrous wolves), but had been getting worse since the wizard’s death... evil had broken free from the wizard’s manor and the Witch Tower since his death. They argued that the companions had nothing to do with the collapse of the tower, and had been helping the town fight off the evils that had arisen since. If nothing else, they had saved Bophre Malak from the kobolds.

Tempers continued to rise. Iacobus and Jiri argued above the din that the tower collapsed before they arrived in Belhaim, so they could not be held responsible for the evils that now plagued the town... then Shalora gently whispered, and the protestors aggressively responded, that in fact, the Witch Tower collapsed the day after the companions came to town (“with that criminal and traitorous salt merchant,” specified some in the mob). Indeed, Iacobus and Jiri were in the wrong, which further inflamed the protestors, who now claimed that the companions “were in on the whole thing with the kobolds”... and they probably were in cahoots with the night demons... and the wizard Hunclay probably wasn’t dead -- had anyone actually seen his body??? This was all just a money-making scheme hatched by the outsiders! Hang them!

Iacobus called out that anyone willing could venture beneath the tower ruins to see the wizard’s corpse half-buried under rubble, but the protesters insisted that the companions should be responsible for bringing proof before the villagers. Shalora discretely reminded Iacobus that he had sold to Arnholde Devy (in a less than amicable deal) the Canteclure family crest that would permit safe passage beyond the metallic guardian to the area where Hunclay’s corpse lay... so there was no way the companions or villagers could safely return to that area. Oops.

After observing the face-off for a few moments from the garrison, across the green from the inn, Sheriff Benhovy eventually took action. He marched across the green with a smirk, and ordered his constables to break up the mob. Some of the protestors were slow to acquiesce and renewed their demands for the companions to depart, but finally did as they were told when Lady Devy, Arnholde, and their escort arrived on the scene. As he was turning to leave, Theon informed Shalora with a beaming smile that Mischief’s “fox barding” was ready.

The companions then had tea and breakfast with Lady Devy and Arnholde in the common room of the inn. The baroness had come to learn about the events of the previous night. Then, the Devys and the companions went to the garrison to inspect and discuss the corpses of the man-bats, in the presence of Sheriff Benhovy. The baroness could not hide her revulsion.

“Are these the same devils that Shalora had spoken of when she reported to me yesterday afternoon and said there were devils still bound in the cellars of Hunclay Manor?” asked Lady Devy. The reply was negative. 

The baroness then asked a number of other questions. “I understand that at least one more of these things remains on the loose?” This time, an affirmative reply.     

“What did the creatures want?” The companions did not know.

“Did you not mention to me at one point that an old kobold told you something about Lord Aeteperax having bats that were... how did you phrase it... harbingers of doom?” The heroes had forgotten old Jakkol’s warning and references to “bats” in the busy week since they had raided the Blood Vow lair. Yet the more they thought on it, they acknowledged that the baroness was correct, that Jakkol had indeed said something along those lines to them. 

“And now they have manifested and threatened the town directly...”

The companions asked whether Belhaim had ever been threatened by such creatures, or others for that matter. Lady Devy denied having ever heard of such creatures attacking Belhaim, certainly not in her time as baroness, but it might be worth asking Bassy if she knew of other instances. Lady Devy added that during her reign, Belhaim had never faced threats of the magnitude of those that had arisen over the past weeks. Wild animals typically were the most dangerous creatures the residents might encounter on occasion... and then nothing as big as the dire wolf the heroes had just slain. 

“What of these different devils bound in the cellars of Hunclay Manor... do they remain there?” she asked. Negative. Lady Devy’s head hung low at that point, and she put a hand over her mouth in disbelief. The baroness turned pale, her eyes watered. She looked completely defeated. 

After a few moments, Lady Devy regained her composure. She thanked the party again for delivering to her the chest of moneys and books they retrieved from Hunclay’s secret cave, and also for slaying the monster that had been preying on Prake Abrassus’s sheep. She then asked for more information regarding the state of the wizard’s manor. The companions informed her that they still had a few tasks to complete, but would send her a message when they were done and ready to take her on a tour of the premises, likely on the morrow. Though still perturbed by the recent developments, Lady Devy nodded her consent, adding that she would bring other experts in the community on the tour with her to assess damages. She then gave Sheriff Benhovy permission to burn the man-bat bodies, then departed the garrison with her son and entourage. “We are counting on you,” said Lord Arnholde on his way out, fixing his stern, yet hopeful gaze on Shalora as he uttered those words.

An uncomfortable silence then loomed between the sheriff and the heroes. The latter left the garrison and decided to sleep the remainder of the morning before doing anything else.

***

The companions spent the remainder of the afternoon conducting various errands and visiting various acquaintances to see if they could learn more about their mysterious assailants.

Shalora purchased Mischief’s leather “fox barding” from Theon Sensina, which was a perfect fit for her happy familiar. Theon’s missus, however, did not seem happy about the way her husband was flirting with the radiant elf maiden.

The companions paid Nighttail and the Blood Vow tribe a visit. Nighttail had made herself comfortable in Chief Roaghaz’s hall, but lamented that Hak could not join her down there. The newly appointed kobold chieftain assumed imperious and pretentious airs with her subordinates, as well as with her “big foots,” “ears and bows,” and “beards” allies. Nighttail’s liberators asked her about the man-bats, and whether she knew where to find Lord Aeteperax. She said that she knew no more than what Jakkol had told the companions concerning the bats. Lord Aeteperax’s lair was somewhere in Dragonfen, but she had never travelled there, so did not know exactly where it was. Only Jakkol, Chief Roaghaz and their personal escort had ever gone to visit the dragon, but all who knew of the lair’s location were either dead, or were still away in service of the dragon and had not returned since Nighttail had become the great chief. With the aid of magic, Shalora asked Nighttail’s entourage in their own language whether any of them knew the location of Lord Aeteperax’s lair. One kobold replied that his brother had left to serve the dragon but had not returned; he or she (Shalora was not sure of the speaker’s gender) had never been given any specifics regarding location. As they exited the lair, Shalora mused that maybe the party should make it a priority to help the kobolds build a lift for Hak, in order to secure the longer term cooperation of the kobolds. The others did not seem convinced that constructing lifts for large reptiles would constitute productive use of their time.

The party then went to Hunclay’s cave to check up on Maffei. No demons or devils had come to harass her since she was released, and she had no knowledge of the bat-things the companions described to her. Aside from that, she reiterated that she still felt very weak, drained, as though a part of her being were missing.

The heroes were hesitant to check in with Bassy, for fear that they would be roped into listening to neverending stories... and neverending lectures on Belhaim’s legal and economic context. In the end, they did pay her a visit, and were received graciously, as always. She had never heard of creatures fitting the description of the man-bats previously manifesting around Belhaim, or elsewhere for that matter. When asked if she might like to lead the companions to Lady Belhaim’s crypt, she wondered why they were interested in going there... and ultimately said that her short stature and old age would make it impractical for her to venture into the fen with them... She recommended that they take Eudomas Biton as a guide, and that they please come back and tell her what they see out there -- it could inspire a new story! She then proposed to read to them an excerpt from her latest work. “In a hole in the ground, there lived a hobbit…”

The companions found Eudomas at his lodge. Welcoming them in, he eagerly recited another one of his jests. 

“How do you get a rugmuncher to climb a wall?”   

The companions looked at each other, uncertain. Akiro and Shalora were not even sure what a “rugmuncher” was.

“You show her the crack in the ceiling!” He guffawed and slapped his knee, eliciting little more than groans from Jiri and Iacobus.

The hunter was less than eager to venture into Dragonfen. He had travelled there and knew where Lady Tula’s crypt was, but it was a rather unpleasant and dangerous trip, and he preferred to hunt and fish in the forest and on the outskirts of the fen, where there weren’t as many insects and blood-sucking stirges, the ground was firm, and the prey more familiar. On one trip, he had even come upon huge hairy men who howled like wolves and stood nearly ten feet tall! Yet acknowledging again the generosity that the companions had shown his family, he agreed to guide them to the crypt on Moonday at dawn.

Before withdrawing for the evening, the companions sent word that they would be ready to take Lady Devy on an inspection tour of Hunclay Manor after noon on the morrow. 

***

Sunday, 20 Gozran, 4711

On this quiet, sunny morning, Jiri and Shalora attended morning service at the Shrine of the Seven Roses. They found someone unexpected attending worship that morning -- Bophre Malak, whose family they knew were members of the Green Faith. Nilos Genser’s outdoor service was warm and inspiring, filled with song, dance, and poetry, interspersed with prayers on behalf of individuals seeking the fulfillment of love and beauty in their lives. 

At the closing of the service, Bophre approached Shalora and Jiri. Bophre shyly asked Shalora if she could ask her some questions regarding... Akiro. Why had her silent prince not invited her to go on walks, when she had made it clear that she was available and interested in going with him? Did he not like her? Did he not find her pretty? Did he not like girls? She and her mom had even brought him two jugs of fresh milk recently, but still nothing. All the men in town seemed to be falling for Shalora... could the elf give her some advice on how to make Akiro take notice of her? If necessary, she would be willing to pledge herself to the Eternal Rose.

Shalora and Jiri assured Bophre that there was nothing wrong with her, and that they would talk to Akiro... who was very shy and often had his head in the clouds, and certainly meant her no harm. Bophre was overjoyed with the reassurance, and hoped that Shalora and Jiri’s “talk” would soon bring about the results she desired. The lass left the Shrine of the Seven Roses with a spring in her step. Jiri mumbled to Shalora that he would have to take the boy aside to teach him about the birds and the bees.

***

After a last sweep of Hunclay Manor, the companions were ready to lead Lady Devy on a tour of the estate. Although it was Sunday and normally a day of rest for all in the community, she deemed the matter of “closing” the wizard’s manor urgent enough that she called on other community members to accompany her on the tour, including her son Arnholde, barrister Jakoba Kivris, carpenter Selia Woldenar, moneychanger Chosk Grellen, leatherworker Theon Sensina, stonemason Gregol Lenton, tinker Phedra Delbin, and even Abadaran Banker Eupaphenia Hardglow. These community members would assess damages to the wizard’s property and assets, in their respective areas of expertise. As an Abadaran knowledgeable in matters arcane, Master Iacobus Tancredi would also be invited to provide his own observations into the final report.

As the companions led the group, Eupaphenia Hardglow took a few moments to sanctify each room they walked into, sprinkling holy water around while praying that Abadar protect the residents of Belhaim and banish any entities on the manor premises that would seek to disrupt order, toil and lawful commerce in the community, and that might seek to claim the manor as the staging ground for their chaotic and destructive activities. 

Lady Devy and her entourage were disturbed by the corpses of the homunculus and charred kobold near the main entrance, and by the sinister cellars and stories of what they had only recently contained.      

Taking the companions aside and out of earshot of the other community members save for her son and Jakoba Kivris at the end of the tour, Lady Devy explained that once the report on damages, appraisal of property and assets, and proposed auction lots was completed and sent to Yanmass (along with monetary treasures recovered that had belonged to the wizard, she would regrettably have to await the response from Hunclay’s cousin before releasing any funds to the party... which could take several weeks. The baroness quickly added that she was of the opinion that, despite the damages and losses noted in certain rooms (the grand hall and observatory in particular, along with the two missing tomes), she was of the opinion that the party should be entitled to the full amount agreed to in the contract and would stress that point with Hunclay’s cousin. 

 First page of the original contract.

 Second page.

Third page.

Lady Devy then mentioned that over the next few days, all of Hunclay’s assets would need to be inventoried (including the properties and estimated value of any and all arcane items he possessed) before placing the most valuable and transportable of them in the vaults of the House of Abadar for safekeeping. She asked whether the companions would be willing to stay on site to keep the labourers and assessors safe from demon bats and other threats over the next few days -- and also whether they would agree to remain on guard at night in the manor and keep the premises secure until the time of the auction, in order to keep watch over the manor itself, as well as furnishings, works of art and books of lesser value that cannot be relocated easily to the vaults of the House of Abadar. The party agreed to do so starting on the coming Toilday. Iacobus insisted that either the current contract be amended to incorporate the new assignment and terms, or that a new one be drawn up. Lady Devy agreed that a new contract would be drawn up by Jakoba Kivris on the morrow, and that it would be ready for the companions to sign on Toilday; the companions had previously decided amongst themselves that they would travel into Dragonfen on Moonday to see the Crypt of Tula. 

Additionally, the baroness asked whether, once all assessments had been completed and valuables placed in safekeeping, would the party be interested in ensuring the ongoing safety of the villagers and guests coming to attend the auction by hunting down devils, demons and other threats known to be on the loose in the area. She wanted the destruction of anything that was not human and that had been conjured by the wizard or that otherwise was in his service. If possible, the heroes should find the lair of the demon bats and destroy them, and also retrieve any items lost or stolen.

Finally, she requested that the companions provide extra security at the auction, which would be scheduled to be held in three to four weeks time after the property and asset valuation report and proposed auction lots have been approved by Hunclay’s cousin. The event likely would attract attention, both good and bad, as well as wealthy bidders from far away, who would have to be kept safe. 

The party agreed to undertake all of the assignments, Iacobus insisting again that everything be drawn up in a formal written contract, and subject to a mutually agreeable fee. At this latter stipulation, Lady Devy blushed with embarrassment. She admitted that she could not pay much beyond the 5,000 gold coins agreed to in the previous contract for the securing of Hunclay Manor -- and even then she had already paid more than she could afford, as Devy Manor was in deep debt to... a variety of parties. The baroness did not want to burden the companions with details, and requested that they keep that information to themselves. The 5,000 gold coins already promised were largely going to be paid through funds provided by Hunclay’s cousin... but she did have a longterm plan for reviving the prosperity of Belhaim that she might share with the heroes at a later time.

Iacobus did not like what he heard. The baroness replied defensively that greed is not a quality befitting a devout Abadaran, who would not take advantage of a community in need. The magus agreed, but also made it clear that his life is not worth nothing, and that it therefore is not unreasonable to expect fair compensation in exchange for the undertaking of tasks potentially hazardous to one’s life and limbs. Lady Devy acknowledged the reasonableness of Iacobus’s position, and resolved that either she could help the party bid on certain items that belonged to Hunclay and that will be up for auction (up to a maximum of 7,500 gold coins coming from Devy Manor’s commission on all auction proceeds; the companions would be responsible for their own bidding, as she will not do it on their behalf)... or she could give them the equivalent sum after the auction is complete and all guests have left Belhaim safely. She would also make arrangements with Talia Orem to pay all room and board owed by the party to the Inn of the Wise Piper since the time of their arrival, and she had previously paid to the Imperial Tax Collector the treasure finder’s tax owed by the party to the Crown, which she had no obligation to do. 

Both parties agreed that the terms were mutually acceptable, and would be drawn up in a formal written contract to be signed by the companions by the coming Toilday.

***

As the companions returned to the inn later that afternoon, Jiri went off to visit Kroc in the vicinity of the Old Fishing Holes, to see if he might recruit the woodsman for their expedition to the Dragonfen.

The dwarf caught up with the far-southerner as he was starting to cook some “freshwater shrimp on the barby” outside his shack. It had been a few days since Jiri had last attended a falconry lesson. When he asked Kroc to journey into Dragonfen with the party on the morrow, Kroc was reluctant to accept the invitation. “Why would I go trampin‘ around through knee-deep muck in a mozzy-infested swamp for? I had more than my fill o’that while I was down in Mwangi. Not my idea of a good time. Why do you think I’m up here now and not down under? I agreed to teach you how to handle a falcon, and nothin‘ else. You’d be better off askin‘ Eudomas Biton, the hunter…”

Jiri countered that the far-southerner had also agreed to accompany him on his travels until he had become a competent falconer. The party already secured Eudomas as a guide, but they wanted another bow with them on their journey to Tula’s crypt, “just in case...”

Kroc was not enthused. He complained that he hated Eudomas, that the hunter was boorish company and a pain in the arse, that he never shut up. And if they had Eudomas, they surely did not need him.

Jiri did not relent, but in the end, Kroc did. “For fuck’s sake, Jiri, you stupid dwarf... Fine, fine, I’ll come along... But if I die out there, it’s your fault...”

Dragonfen awaited...        

Act 2 / Episode 3 - Night Terrors (October 9, 2014)

Late in the night, Jiri and Mischief both heard strange cries coming from the inn stables, as though an animal were alarmed or suffering. It sounded like... Akiro’s baby lamb? Was someone harming the party’s beasts? Mischief promptly licked and nuzzled Shalora awake, and when she finally rose and opened the door to her room, the fox darted to the far side of the inn to scratch at Akiro’s door.

Bleary-eyed, the three companions each grabbed a weapon and stumbled to the back door of the inn, and stepped out beyond its threshold. The lamb had ceased to bleat, but the ponies were spooked and restless in their stalls. Jiri spotted a winged figure across the yard, a few feet inside the entrance to the stables. Fearful for his lamb, Akiro ran across the moonlit yard with katana in hand to confront the creature. In mid-stride, he felt an explosion of dark thoughts surging through his mind, but nevertheless maintained his focus. Sparkles the pony reared and kicked at the intruder.

The paladin engaged the winged humanoid, which fought back with a serrated, glass-like blade. Jiri moved to aid Akiro, but found himself fighting off the same mental assault that the Tian had instinctively shrugged off moments before... and the dwarf then turned in time to see another of the winged horrors swooping down towards him out of the darkness. Both companions were unarmoured and sustained minor wounds from the serrated glass blades, which channelled brief but violent shocks to their minds, but both managed to slay their respective foes with successive thrusts of their blades--the one hovering above Jiri hitting the ground with a heavy thud. 

Akiro rushed to the side of the fallen lamb, the throat of which had been cut. It was bleeding profusely, its white coat stained crimson. With tears in his eyes, the Tian warrior layed his hands upon the gash, became a divine conduit and closed the wound. The lamb opened its eyes and bleated feebly... but Akiro felt relief wash over him knowing that the gentle, innocent creature would live. Knowing how much the lamb meant to her fragile companion, Shalora had also established a life link with it. The Orem family and the two other overnighting patrons gathered at the windows of the common room, looking with alarm on the drama unfolding in the back yard.

As Shalora moved toward Akiro and Jiri, she too felt some uncomfortable presence trying to overcome her mind, but she resisted. A third night demon launched at her from the inn’s roof, but she successfully dodged its attack.  This last creature then spent a considerable amount of time apparently toying with the companions, trying unsuccessfully to weaken them with psychic attacks, flying out of melee weapon range from the inn’s roof to the stable roof. Then, while Jiri knelt to take a closer look at one of their dead assailants, Akiro unexpectedly took the opportunity to make a daring acrobatic leap onto the stable roof, using Jiri’s back as a stepping stone. The paladin landed on the edge of the roof. The night demon hissed at him, then took the air, flying out of sight beyond the roof of the inn just as Sheriff Benhovy and his constables entered the courtyard to investigate the commotion.

The night demons did not resemble anything the companions had encountered or heard about previously. They were lanky and bat-like, with long tails, four narrow eyes, and wolflike paws... was it one of these things that had left its prints on the roof of Emarthine Willoway’s home? As the Sheriff started asking questions, a loud crash -- as if something were breaking through the door or windows of a home or shop -- followed by a shrill scream, came from nearby. The Sheriff, constables, and trio of heroes raced to the scene, witnessing the third bat-thing emerge from Xemne’s Tonics to take to the sky again, flying further into town and leading its pursuers on a frantic chase...

***

Meanwhile, at Hunclay Manor, Iacobus was sound asleep after having had a nice hot bath prepared for him by Mathezic. The butler had been reluctant to return to the manor, but a few coins from the magus (and an intimidating gaze) -- as well as an assurance that the estate was now free of malevolent entities -- eventually resulted in his compliance. The magus was perhaps the most content he had been in a while -- not only was he sleeping in the bed of a powerful wizard with a wealth of arcane and astronomical tools at his disposal, but come morning he would be studying potent spells and magic items without distraction.

Late in the night, Iacobus awoke to the annoying sound of flies buzzing about the room... he also felt the insects crawling all over him. He cast a spell to dispel the gloom, and found to his horror that hundreds of flies were flitting about the room, with still more coming down the chimney. Something undeniably was wrong. And he blew some flies out of his nostrils, wiped others out of his eyes and leaped out of bed, grasping his falcata as he made his way for the door in his underwear. Opening it, he called out to Mathezic, but got a far more sinister reply from the dimly lit library.

“No, I’m afraid not. Did you miss us?” crowed a familiar, yet unseen voice on the left, followed by a high-pitched falsetto laugh to his right. And then, appearing from out of nowhere, “Zorg,” the imp from the dungeons beneath the Witch Tower and Chirit, the bloated infant-fly accuser devil were upon him. Iacobus dodged the imp’s tail stinger, but Chirit wrapped his long slimy tongue around the magus‘ right wrist and bit sharply into it. As Iacobus turned to fend off another attack from the imp, Chirit summoned a swarm of rats that crawled up the warrior-mage’s legs and gnawed at him viciously. 

Overwhelmed by flies, rats, and a pair of devils, and not dressed for combat, Iacobus began to genuinely fear for his life. He ran across the library and down the stairwell to the grand hall, sustaining two other painful bites from the giggling accuser devil that pursued him. Barely conscious by the time he reached the lever that would deactivate the magic pit trap that he had reset prior to going to bed -- Iacobus turned and in desperation swung his falcata at Chirit and discharged his last shocking grasp spell as he struck the fiend. The devil shrieked in pain and then vanished. Iacobus did not see its corpse drop to the ground, but dared not linger in the manor any longer to determine whether or not he had actually destroyed the little horror. 

***

After leading Akiro, Jiri, Shalora, Mischief and the constabulary on a destructive and not-so-merry chase around town, the third bat-thing eventually fled into the night. A short time after they returned to the backyard of the inn, the companions heard someone pleading for help... and then, a bloodied Iacobus clad only in his underwear, bearing nothing else but his falcata, hobbled into the yard, just barely conscious. His skin was broken by dozens of nasty bites and stings. Shalora channeled Shelyn’s love, instantly closing the worst of her companions’ wounds. Party members then briefed each other on what had just happened at the inn, in town, and at the manor, and elected to return to the manor to determine whether the devils were still there... as well as the arcane items retrieved from both the manor and Hunclay’s cave. Shalora lent Iacobus some clothes, while she and her other companions donned their armour and adventuring gear.

***

When the party returned to Hunclay Manor, they encountered what appeared to be a hooded man with a flaming blade awaiting them in the wizard’s bed chamber, now devoid of flies and rats, not to mention devils. His voice was identical to that of the unseen being who had been ransacking the library when the companions performed their initial sweep of the manor a few days ago. He assured the heroes that he had no intention to harm them, and could easily have ambushed them had he wished to do so. Iacobus (?) countered that he had tried to kill them previously with the ice fog he had conjured, but the man maintained that he had warned the companions that they could die if they stepped into the spell’s area of effect, and some of them had chosen to ignore his warning... the fault therefore was theirs.

The man wasted no time getting to the point of his visit. He knew the companions had found a hidden cache wherein had been chests that he presumed had belonged to the wizard Hunclay. He asked whether the party had found an arcane tome called Secrets of the Dreaming Dark, whether in Hunclay manor or in the secret cache. They denied it repeatedly (and arguably truthfully, as they had not yet been able to confirm that the black, tattered tome they had found that they suspected was Secrets of the Dreaming Dark, was in fact that book). The man declared that it was essential that the party entrust the book to him without delay if they found it, for there would be dire consequences for all in Belhaim if they failed to do so. 

The man and his flaming blade then dissolved into mist and drifted up the chimney. But before he fled, Jiri had been able to determine that the man did not radiate an aura of evil... at least no evil strong enough that he could detect it. 

Looking through the assorted items that Iacobus had left in the wizard’s room when he fled the manor, the companions noted to their dismay that two had gone missing: the tome they suspected was in fact Secrets of the Dreaming Dark, as well as Ye Booke of Enhanced Fiendish Servitude. Iacobus was especially relieved that none of Hunclay’s spell books had been stolen. Given the conversation the party had just had, the enigmatic man clearly had not taken the missing books, which meant that the devils probably were the culprits... and the companions deduced that the devils and the man (if man he was) could not be working together. It looked like more than coincidence, though, that the bat-things had manifested at the inn around the same time that the devils had attacked Iacobus at Hunclay Manor... and their other rival must have arrived only a short time after the fiends attacked the magus. Were the bat-things allied with either the man or the devils? And why had they first targeted the animals in the inn stables?

***

The party conducted another careful sweep of Hunclay Manor and determined the following:

. no evil auras were detected anywhere in the estate, suggesting that the fiends had left the premises;

. the trap door to the observatory was open (there was no lock on it), so the imp likely entered the premises via the hole left in the glass dome;

. the door to Mathezic’s room was open, and he was nowhere to be found;

. the gate to Chirit’s prison was unlocked, and tools from the clockwork lab had been used to break the conjuring circle that had held the accuser devil;

. Maffei was still in her cell beyond the wall of light, and was not aware of anything that had transpired this night.

Jiri tossed a handful of the enhanced dust of darkness into the wall of light. The darkness and light swirled around one another, like intertwining serpents locked in mortal combat, until the light faded and magical darkness dissipated. Only the spell Iacobus had cast on Akiro’s hat now illuminated the room. 

The dwarf released the grateful shae from her cell, who reiterated how weak she felt from prior direct contact with the wall of light, how she felt as though the wizard had destroyed part of her body and soul forever. The companions asked questions again about Hunclay’s theories and why the shae was so dismissive of them. She replied that, while she was no scholar, the posited link between the Plane of Shadow and the Dark Tapestry seemed preposterous to her because the shadows of her home plane depend, to an extent, on the presence of light to cast those shadows; the Dark Tapestry, conversely, and as she understood it, was part of the material world, and was a darkness that existed independently of light. In hindsight, perhaps the darkness of the Dark Tapestry had seeped out from the realms of the Hinterlands of the Midnight Lord at the outer limits of the Plane of Shadow, to which she had never ventured, but she remained skeptical that even this was the case. After all, to her knowledge, the Hinterlands remained shadow, and not absolute darkness. She also wondered whether the void of the Dark Tapestry did not predate the emergence of the Plane of Shadow? How could one know? While the whole conversation went over the heads of Shalora and Akiro, Jiri and Iacobus deemed that the shae’s assumptions seemed reasonable.

The dusky and largely featureless woman who did not seem to have a completely material body donned her armour which, although of a unique but leather-like substance unfamiliar to the companions, definitely was material and decidedly feminine in form. The silver-blue armour--which looked more like half-plate than leather--combined with her elegant scimitar and short sword, gave the shae a bearing that was simultaneously graceful, deadly, and awe-inspiring in her otherworldly majesty. Maffei reaffirmed her willingness to accompany and aid her liberators in their upcoming battles. Yet until such day had come, she hoped to be able to hide in a place where she would not have to interact with the people of this world, who were so unfamiliar to her... and to whom she undoubtedly would be just as frightening. 

Maffei the shae

After some debate, the companions concluded that the most appropriate place for Maffei to find refuge would be, ironically, Hunclay’s cave. Jiri led her there just before the break of dawn, while the others gathered up the wizard’s magical books and items once again and returned to the inn. Shalora mused aloud on the way back that, given how the current assignment was essentially done save for the identification of arcane items that Iacobus still needed to perform, and given that the party currently had no other assignment, she would like to travel to Lady Tula's crypt. She was tired of spending time in dark, dank caves and cellars and looked forward to a journey in the open air. 

Her companions were too tired to discuss the elf's suggestion; and wherever the party chose to rest, security now seemed like little more than an illusion...  

Act 2 / Episode 2 -- Hunclay's Cave, Part 3 -- Shepherd's Bounty, Shalora's Report, and Hunter's Humour (October 5, 2014)

Having slain the dire wolf that had been preying on the sheep at the Abrassus Ranch and having discovered Hunclay’s secret cave and its hidden treasures, the companions decided that they would perform the grisly and unpleasant task of severing the wolf’s head and then bring it to ol’ Prake Abrassus to claim the bounty, before returning to the cave with their ponies, Speckles and Sparkles, in order to haul back the heavy chests.

As the companions turned on Wolf Hill Road an hour or so later heading toward Abrassus Ranch, Shalora saw the awed and then sad looks on the faces of some of Eudomas Biton’s children, whose hunting lodge was at the junction of Devy and Wolf Hill Roads. Eudomas had a large family to support with very limited means, but the children now knew that their father would not claim the bounty on the wolf -- as a matter of fact, he was still out in the woods searching for the beast. 

Ol’ Prake, usually a dour pessimist, was overjoyed when the heroes turned up an hour or so later at his ranch with the bloody and singed wolf head pierced by a wooden stake carried by Jiri and Iacobus (?). The old man said he would waste no time mounting it in a prominent location overlooking his lands as a warning to other lupine thieves, and as a trophy for the whole community to see. He was endlessly thankful for the companions, and paid them the advertised sum of 800 gold coins -- an astonishingly generous bounty, given that it was paid by a shepherd! -- which constituted most of the savings Prake and his family had accumulated over generations (he explained that the ranch had been in this location for centuries, and that the name of the road leading to it, and hill behind it, had changed as a result of wolf packs migrating into the area in recent years; relocating would be both impractical and likely would not have changed the situation much, anyway). But the bounty was worth every copper he paid out, he said, for his livelihood was now more secure. Shalora immediately provided her full share of the bounty to the Biton children, whose spirits immediately lifted... her gift could support the whole family for a long time to come! Jiri and Akiro both donated 50 gold coins each back to Ol’ Prake, feeling that he needed the money more than they did. Tears welled in his eyes at the companions’ generosity, and he promised to give Akiro a lamb for a pet, wool blankets for the entire party, and meat with which Talia Orem could make a meal, once they returned to the inn in the evening. Iacobus was satisfied that he had fulfilled his end of the agreement and had done a great service to the shepherd, and therefore felt no need to return or redistribute his share of the reward.

The 18th of Gozran was a Fireday -- market day in Belhaim. Like the previous weeks, vendors had set up stalls on the green across from the inn. The most prominent goods for sale included fish and beautiful pottery (Belhaim’s primary industries and exports), but also included, among other things, game meat, seasonal vegetables, wool garments, leather goods, knives and tools, fresh and dried herbs, liquor, cheese, and bread and flour. Quite a few folks -- mostly humans and rainbow-haired gnomes -- had apparently come out of the woods or on river barges to attend the market, but Kroc was not around on this day. The companions had a nice leisurely lunch at the inn before heading back to Hunclay’s Cave.

Once the companions loaded the chests onto the ponies and prepared to make the return journey to Belhaim, Eudomas Biton emerged from the forest and saw the wolf carcasses on the side of the road. The man was crushed -- he felt that as the local hunter, he had the best shot at finding and slaying the dire wolf -- but the pack had eluded him by traveling over rocky highlands where their spoor had been harder to follow. He eventually found it again... but too late... He, too, was astonished by the size of the pack leader -- he had never seen so big a wolf in these parts before. Clearly, the companions’ hunting skills were better than he had expected. The companions pointed out that had Eudomas been alone, the pack probably would have killed him. The man reluctantly admitted to Shalora that the income from the bounty would have made it significantly easier to support his family. His wife had passed away some years earlier, and he had many mouths to feed. When Shalora informed him that she had given her share of the bounty to his children, he showed a mix of gratitude and wounded pride... The father would have wanted to be the one to provide for his family rather than having to rely on the charity of strangers, and the hunter wanted to be the talk of the town. Still, he acknowledged that the heroes had been kind to his family -- Iacobus had payed some of his older children to help him haul out treasure from the ruins of the Witch Tower, and now the party had made their lives significantly easier with this latest, very generous gift. Eudomas told the party he would buy them drinks at the inn that night... in the meantime, he salvaged what he could of the wolf hides (the dire wolf hide was of no value, singed as it was) while the companions traveled back to town.

Iacobus returned to the inn alone to take stock of the magical items that the party had recovered from both Hunclay’s estate and cave, while Shalora, Akiro and Jiri brought the chests filled with coin and non-magical tomes to Lady Devy. Shalora took the opportunity to provide the baroness with a flighty, rambling update regarding progress on the group’s latest assignment: “Investigations are ongoing... Iacobus is assessing some dangerous books... The mansion is mostly ready but we need to do one more sweep... There were demons and devils inside (still are)... And this huge, ugly scary monster in the cave -- oh my god you should have seen it! -- but Akiro chop-chopped it dead!... But we’ll have the manor sorted out soon...” Jiri could not help but add: “We probably did a lot better than your men would have done.”

Lady Devy and Arnholde seemed worried upon getting confirmation that there were demons and devils in Hunclay Manor, and another horror that defied description in a nearby cave. Arnholde was quick to acknowledge that the constabulary certainly would have been outmatched by such a task, and that Shalora (“and the others, of course”) had once again her exceptional skill and bravery... he reaffirmed his awe and admiration for her. The unsettled baroness thanked the companions for their report, and for their honesty in returning the chest and money from the cave, which would be sent to Hunclay’s cousin in Yanmass... and she hoped that the demons and devils in the manor would be destroyed soon.

A carefree Shalora left Devy Manor with an absent-minded Akiro and thirsty Jiri, leaving behind an alarmed baroness and her son. The trio returned to the inn, sat down for a satisfying supper of mutton stews with Iacobus, and were soon joined by Ol’ Prake and some of his family and neighbours, and also by Eudomas Biton, who ordered the companions drinks throughout the evening. Ol’ Prake brought the companions heavy, warm, good quality sheep’s wool blankets as promised, and he also brought Akiro his promised lamb. The paladin was in heaven. Isadorer and Bophre Malak also came to the inn that evening, bringing two jugs of milk for the companions (but placing them in front of Akiro), Bophre smiling shyly at the confused Tian warrior with star-crossed eyes.

Shalora improvised a song about the party’s battle with the wolf, accompanied by Akiro on the flute. The performance was... uneven... but the audience clapped and cheered politely, glad to be supporting the heroes that had slain the beast. Ol’ Prake interrupted the performance at one point to publicly acknowledge the party’s good deeds, and to invite townsfolk to drop by his ranch to see the unbelievably huge wolf head: “He won’t be bothering my flock no more!” he said to wide applause. “I hope he doesn’t have a big brother who’ll take his place,” he then muttered.

Eudomas looked a little down throughout the evening, but at one point asked Iacobus whether the magus was “together” with Shalora. When the magus denied any romantic involvement with the elf, Eudomas made some crude remarks to the effect that she must be hot in the sack and that he would love to bed her... after all, an elf that followed Shelyn... she must be into free love and all that, right? Would Iacobus mind if he gave it a shot? Iacobus gave Eudomas a cold stare and bluntly stated that he would listen to not another word on the subject... and promptly left the table, annoyed with the noise, crowd, and crass and inane conversations he was having with the local bumpkins.  

Eudomas still managed to share some of his fine humour with Jiri while Akiro and Shalora kept entertaining the locals with their fine music:

“A father has three daughters that are all getting married on the same day. He asks his oldest daughter, ‘Who do you wish to marry?’ She says, “Father, I wish to marry the man with three dragons on his chest.’ He walks over to his second daughter and asks her the same question. She replies, ‘Father, I wish to marry the man with two dragons on his chest.’ He then goes to his youngest daughter and asks her the same thing: ‘Who do you wish to marry?’ She replies, ‘I wish to marry the man with one draggin’ on the floor!”

The hunter slapped the table, and laughed and laughed at his own joke. Jiri rolled his eyes and responded in kind:

"What do you call nuts on the wall?" asked the dwarf. The drunken hunter thought about it for a few moments, but came up blank.

"Walnuts! What do you call nuts on your chest?"

"I got it, I got it -- chestnuts!"

"What do you call nuts on your chin?"

"Uh… ummm… uh…" stammered Eudomas.

"A mouth full of cock!"

The hunter burst out laughing… but was left wondering whether he was deemed to be the one with the mouth full of cock? That would not be so funny.

In the meantime, Iacobus packed up all the magical tomes and items that he had stored in his room, left the stupidity and noise (including the awful musical performances of his companions) of the packed inn, went and fetched Mathezic, and decided that he would get some true rest by having the servant pour him a hot bath before sleeping in the comfort of a powerful (if dead) wizard’s bed, close to all his books, magical items and astronomical instruments. When refreshed in the morning, the magus would memorize the spells he required to review the contents of Hunclay’s spellbooks and start the task of identifying all the arcane items they had come across in the quiet of the manor. 

But darker powers had other things in mind for the magus...

Act 2 / Episode 2 -- Hunclay's Cave, Part 2 -- The Secret Cache (October 5, 2014)

The adventurers waded through calf-deep water (Mischief astride Shalora’s shoulders) past a side chamber wherein they found the bubbling source of the spring, squeezing along a narrow, damp, curving passage that eventually opened into a large, high-ceiling and surprisingly warm and dry cavern. 

Peering past Akiro, Jiri could just make out a strange silhouette hugging the wall at the very end of the cavern... the thing shuffled, then launched itself through the air, gliding with preternatual silence at the party. The thing was a horror like none the companions had ever encountered, or could ever have conceived in their worst nightmares. The crab-like abomination had a lamprey mouth, twitching eyes on its sickly green legs, a pair of limp pincers, and several faded red, translucent blisters on its back that held what looked like human brains. It reeked of rotting flesh. 

The horror landed immediately before Akiro at the entrance to the dry cave, but the paladin braced himself with his glaive and managed to strike first, burying the point of his weapon into its gelatinous, putrid flesh. It was a difficult to tell just how much harm he cad caused the thing, which gurgled and then stumbled sluggishly forward, pressing its razor-filled maw onto the Tian man, biting through his armour and deep into his flesh. The young warrior would have screamed in agony, had he been able to. Jiri tried to lure the monster away from Akiro; the thing managed to inflict more wounds on both the dwarf and the paladin before they were finally able to destroy it for good. Fortunately, Shalora was able to channel healing energy that closed the worst of her companions’ wounds as they were inflicted and kept them strong enough to win the battle. 

Not even Iacobus had any clue what the horror might have been, though it was in all probability an undead version of its former self. Never had he heard of a demon, devil, or other outsider that remotely resembled this abomination. What was this Dominion of the Black with which Hunclay was so eager to make contact, and to what end, if this was one of its representatives? 

The heroes found four locked iron chests resting on the east side of the cave, three relatively small, with the fourth twice as large as the others. All four chests radiated feint orange auras (abjuration), with the fourth one also radiating strong green (conjuration), silver (universal) and feint red (evocation) auras coming from within. The entire chamber had a purple aura (transmutation) -- presumably radiated by Hunclay’s “climate control” magic. The silver charm and the ring of keys recovered from Hunclay’s bedchamber opened the smaller chests, while the black key found on Hunclay’s body beneath the rubble of the Witch Tower opened the largest one.

The three small chests contained a total of 11,300 copper coins, 7,200 silver coins, 1,800 gold coins, and 60 platinum coins, all in small cloth pouches of 100 coins each (save for the platinum). Sitting atop an exquisite darkwood case inside the largest chest was an exquisite, narrow-necked gold and green glass vial containing a black dust, with three additional packets containing the same substance, which Iacobus identified as an enhanced Dust of Darkness. The shimmering black dust radiated an aura of feint evocation magic, and according to the magus, its application causes one creature to be coated in a layer of darkness for a short period of time, granting the creature partial concealment in normal light, and total concealment in dim light; it also dispels and counter the outlining effects (but not the blinding effects) of Glitterdust. Its enhanced properties, guessed the companions, might dispel the magical wall of light that kept Maffei prisoner in Hunclay’s cellar?

A scroll contained inside a mithral tube produced the strong silver (universal) aura, and one of five antique tomes inside the darkwood case radiated the strong green (conjuration) aura detected by Iacobus. All five tomes were written in languages unfamiliar to the companions -- the first four apparently in the same language. The fifth tome, with the strong aura of conjuration magic, was a massive, tattered and apparently very old volume, several hundred pages long (but also evidently missing pages, if not entire sections) and bound in black leather. The pages were scribed in cramped handwriting and included complex star charts and maps of strange, distant worlds. It also contained numerous illustrations of eerie monsters, including drawings of the guardian that the companions had just destroyed. Even though they were unable to read a single word of the text, the heroes deduced that this dark tome must be The Secrets of the Dreaming Dark, entries regarding which, in Hunclay’s journal, indicated that the wizard had been desperate to hide the text from Mr. Barlau/Aeteperax. 

The magical tome in the darkwood case was

 more tattered than this illustration would suggest