Act 1 / Interlude 4 - Seven Days in Gozran, Part 2 (July 16, 2014)

Sunday, 13th of Gozran

Shalora and Jiri at the Shrine of the Seven Roses: Sunday is a day of rest and worship for many religions in Taldor, including for worshippers of Abadar and Shelyn. While Iacobus spent the day in his room at the inn and Akiro wandered the outskirts of town with Speckles, Jiri and Shalora spent the warm, sunny morning attending a religious service in the gardens behind the Shrine of the Seven Roses. 

The Shrine of the Seven Roses

They recognized some friendly faces in the congregation that numbered perhaps two dozen or so worshippers on this day, including innkeeper Talia Orem and her family, apothecary Xemne of Demgazi, and the old gnome Bassy. The priest, Nilos Genser, introduced their guest brothers and sisters, Jiri and Shalora, to the congregation, and acknowledged their deeds in solving the mystery of the fallen Witch Tower, rescuing the prisoners held by the neighbouring kobold tribe, and restoring peace between the kobolds and Belhaim... even though sadly, the lives of foes had to be taken and to accomplish the latter two ends, thereby taking away their potential for redemption and for contributing beauty to the world. Nilos explained that given the circumstances, Shalora, Jiri and their companions resorted to violence as an absolute last resort--as Shelyn herself did, when she stood her ground against her twisted brother, the Midnight Lord, whose name would not be spoken. The presence of songbirds in the surrounding trees, as usual, suggested that the Eternal Rose looked favourably upon the deeds of the dwarf and the elf.

Nilos Genser, dedicated servant of Shelyn

Nilos performed some new compositions as well as better known (and generally upbeat) songs during the service, and the congregation sang with him, some even dancing. They prayed for those looking for love, or trying to mend broken hearts, or looking for artistic inspiration, to find what they were looking for. They prayed for long lasting peace with the kobolds.

The presence of a dwarf at a Shelynite service was obviously a new and previously unknown sight to much of the congregation, and they were delighted when Bassy proposed, with Jiri’s consent, that they “dress” Jiri’s great beard as part of the ceremony.   The dwarf agreed with some stipulations (no excessive trimming of the beard!), and a work of living art was fashioned with great love…

Jiri Faldrum - A living work of art 

(depicted with beard style, before and after Sunday service)?

At the end of the service, the congregants hugged one another and wished each other love and peace before going their separate ways, many smiling and waving at Shalora “work of art Jiri” as they left. Brother Nilos stayed with the pair a while longer, thanking them for attending the service and complimenting Jiri on his new look and Shalora for her breathtaking beauty and style. He then became a bit more serious, asking the pair whether they thought kobolds had any concept of love and beauty... and whether they might be amenable to conversion to the path of the Eternal Rose? Shalora and Jiri thought the dragonfolk might have their own notions of love and especially beauty, but were non-committal as to whether they could be converted... Nilos evidently hoped that the pair might volunteer to play a lead role in such efforts...

Jiri then went on to spend the rest of his afternoon with Kroc and Rhuben, while Shalora... did whatever Shalora did.

Moonday, 14th of Gozran

The return of Sheriff Benhovy and his deputies, and the arrival of the Imperial Tax Collector: A heavy rain fell through the night, and brought with it the next morning Sheriff Benhovy and the deputies that had accompanied him on his trip to deliver Silas Gribb to the River Guard nearly a week ago. With them came the Imperial Tax Collector and her mounted retinue, who fortunately were not going to stay at the Inn of the Wise Piper.

Ol’ Prake Abrassus’s wolf troubles: Talia Orem had recently confirmed that, as Isadorer Malak had indicated, Ol’ Prake Abrassus had placed a bounty on the monstrous wolf that was preying on his sheep. Iacobus was initially dismissive of the whole affair... after all, the party were not in the business of hunting and trapping... but he quickly reconsidered when informed of the amount of the bounty--800 gold coins! The companions were surprised by the size of the bounty--demand for wool must be high in these parts for a sheep ranch to have that kind of money on hand! The party went and paid Ol’ Prake a visit in the afternoon, as the rain petered off, and were amused to find that his ranch was located on Wolf Hill Road. Ol’ Prake was pessimistic, and feared that the giant wolf (“As big as a horse! I saw it take one of my sheep as dog would snatch a bone!”) would decimate his entire herd. Wolves were fairly common in these parts, but his family had generally been able to keep them away from the herd, with only few losses over the years. But this wolf that he saw leading the pack that attacked his herd just a week ago was far larger than any he had seen before. Ol’ Prake affirmed that he had seen the attack with his own eyes, and that it took place at dusk (and no, there was no full moon that night). With the Kells absent, he felt that he had no choice but to put a bounty on the pack leader -- he was offering 800 gold coins to whoever would bring him the beast’s head. Eudomas Biton, a local hunter, was trying to find the beast.  

Ol' Prake Abrassus… worried for his sheep...

The companions then went to the Biton Lodge at the junction of Wolf Hill and Devy Roads, looking for Eudomas. Iacobus’s jaw dropped when he saw that three of his hired hands--whose names he could not be bothered to learn--were Eudomas’s elder children. For a moment, he thought that his uncourteous treatment of them may have earned him a bad name at the lodge, but Marina, Sisto and Jorge remained courteous to the party. They informed the party that Eudomas was away on a hunting trip and was not expected back for a few days. They would not say exactly where he went or whether he was tracking the giant wolf that was plaguing the Abrassus ranch, and the party concluded that trying to track the hunter would be a waste of time. Marina told the party that she would tell her father upon his return that the companions were looking for him. The heroes decided to not take further action on the wolf hunting front until they had had a chance to speak with Eudomas.

Shalora goes dress shopping:  As this was the eve of Taxfest and the House of Abadar would be throwing a large outdoor celebration on the morrow for that occasion, Shelyn wanted to look good for the occasion. She spent some time trying on pretty dresses at Kandos Weavers (most of which were a bit on the short side), but eventually found one that would do with the assistance of a stern, yet still friendly Lorna Kandos... who she recognized as one of the congregants in attendance at Sunday’s service at the Shrine of the Seven Roses.

Lorna Kandos, seamstress

Toilday, 15th of Gozran -- Taxfest

Greetings from the Imperial Tax Collector:  As the companions broke their fast in the common room of the inn on the morning of the 15th, Sheriff Benhovy entered the premises, followed by Banker Eupaphenia Targas and the Imperial Tax Collector and her retinue of (for the most part) well-armed and armoured guards, all wearing tabards over their armour with lion and golden crown over a field divided into blue and green emblazoned on it. At least one member of the retinue appeared to have spell-casting abilities. The Imperial Tax Collector herself was a severe-looking woman with short black hair, cold green eyes, and a prominent scar running down her right cheek. She wore no armour on this day, but had the imperial sigil stitched on the breast of her regal navy and gold-trimmed gown and Abadar’s golden keys hanging from a gold chain around her neck. 

Talia Orem welcomed the visiting officials, curtseying and asking if they wished to be seated and to take refreshments. They declined, and the innkeeper curtseyed again and darted back into her kitchen.

Talia Orem

Sheriff Benhovy eyed the companions coldly. “So... it seems you did not take my advice to leave Belhaim... and you have been providing services to the town during my absence... How kind of you... I am sure that you are pleased to find yourselves in Belhaim for Taxfest...” He grinned smugly as he uttered the last phrase. The companions explained that the Baroness had retained their services to explore the ruins of the Witch Tower and to “neutralize” the kobolds in the old quarry, and that she indicated that she would have further need for them. 

Back in town: the ever pleasant Sheriff 

Pelle Benhovy (a distant cousin of 

Father Zanthus in Sandpoint?)

Eupaphenia Targas interrupted the chilly exchange, presenting the Imperial Tax Collector, Lady Zora Almaty. “You will no doubt be honoured to contribute your just share of the taxes that go toward the betterment of the community, and to the maintenance of the empire’s infrastructure, military protection, and other services deemed essential for the greater good of mighty Taldor by the Grand Prince, long may he reign, and in accordance with Abadar’s teachings,” continued Eupaphenia. Given the poor state of the empire’s roads, canals and public buildings--especially the further one was from Oppara, the party wondered what proportion of the tax revenue actually went to maintaing Taldor’s infrastructure, and what the other services “deemed essential by the Grand Prince” might be, but none dared voice such questions aloud in front of Lady Almaty. “And of course, you all are welcome to attend the Taxfest celebrations which will be held on the grounds behind the House of Abadar this evening! The whole community will be there.”

The equally charming Imperial Tax Collector, 

Lady Zora Almaty

Lady Almaty seated herself at the companions’ table with a sniff, and called Talia back to order rose tea, which was served without delay. She explained that Lady Devy had informed her of the great deeds the party had recently performed to ensure the safety of Belhaim, and that Grand Prince Stavian--blessed be His name--looked favourably upon such service, and she commended them on His Majesty’s behalf. Lady Almaty sniffed again. She then asked the companions a series of questions that they considered highly personal and intrusive, staring at them with a gaze that was as penetrating as Jiri’s when he set himself to interrogating people. Where did the companions come from, the Lady asked? Where were they born? How long had they lived in Taldor? Could it be considered their primary residence during the past years? What did they do for a living before they came to Belhaim? Had they been paid by their previous employer, Silas Gribb? Notwithstanding Lady Devy, had they been in the service of some bearded lord or noble lady in the previous year? How much income had they earned during the previous year? 

When the companions inquired about the reasons for those questions, Lady Almaty responded stiffly that they were necessary to ascertain exactly how much each citizen owed the Crown in taxes. As vagabonds working on their own account, beholden to no lesser lords (and therefore not remitting taxes, she sniffed), the companions therefore owed taxes directly to the Crown; the “vagabonds” answered the questions, reluctantly. Lady Almaty determined that each one of the heroes was required to remit twenty percent of the earnings they had been paid by Lady Devy as a service tax, which she assessed at 45 gold coins each. In addition to that, they owed the 5 gold poll tax assessed on every subject of the Crown, rich or poor, for a total of 50 gold coins. She indicated that normally, adventurers would also be assessed a sixty percent treasure finder’s tax on the value of all treasure recovered during expeditions, but that in this case, the companions were fortunate and the tax would be waived, because Lady Devy had made arrangements to pay the Crown an agreed-upon amount on behalf of the companions. 

Jiri, Akiro and Shalora looked questioningly at Iacobus, wondering silently if the magus had any knowledge whether the assessment was fair and accurate? Although Iacobus was no legal or tax expert, he was familiar with the crushing taxes that had been levied on his father’s locksmithing business, and he did not dispute Lady Almaty’s assessment. Each of the companions paid the “requested” amount on the spot.

Before she left the inn, Lady Almaty put an offer before the companions. She indicated that she was aware that there were many tax evaders living in the surrounding woods that the prefecture did not have the resources to pursue. She also thought that the pacified kobolds should be turned into tax-paying subjects of the Crown, but again, limited resources prevented her from taking action against them... yet if the companions were able to collect outstanding taxes from the kobolds and cheats and remit that money to Lady Devy--a deed that would earn them favour in the eyes of both higher Taldan authorities and holy Abadar--then the party would be entitled to retain a portion of the revenues collected.   

Once Lady Almaty, Eupaphenia Targas, and Sheriff Benhovy had exited the premises (the latter with a smirk and a “see you at the celebrations tonight?”) with the Tax Collector’s retinue, Talia Orem emerged again from the kitchen sighing with relief. She was sorry for the ordeal the companions had to go through, and glad that she remitted her taxes directly to Lady Devy instead! The heroes grumbled that the celebration would be put on at their expense... and that they definitely would attend, if only to recoup a meal and drinks!

Jiri then went off to spend the rest of his morning and afternoon continuing his falconry training.

The Taxfest Celebrations: The festivities were lively, full of laughter, bonfires, music (all performed by Shelynites, Jiri and Shalora noted), dancing and great food, and was attended by several hundred people; the weather was perfect. Succulent wild boar and lamb were roasted on spits, and fresh fish fried, all seasoned with local herbs and served in bread trenchers, with spinach, mushroom, wild onion and sun-dried tomato salad, and watered down ale, wine and cider. The companions ate and drank their fill, and Mischief snatched more than his share of morsels from unguarded trenchers.   

  Taxfest celebrations in full swing

Lady Almaty and her retinue were present, but did not join in the dancing. She spent most of her time speaking with Lady Devy. Sheriff Benhovy and his deputies mingled with the crowd and watched for people who might be getting out of hand.

Early in the evening, Lady Devy publicly acknowledged the companions’ deeds over the past days, to great applause from all present. Lord Arnholde then introduced them personally to the village stonemason, Gregol Lenton, suggesting that Gregol had knowledge that might be useful to them if and when the Baroness authorized the party to explore the Manor. The stonemason explained that he and carpenter Selia Woldenar (mother of the first lad to whom Iacobus had offered employment retrieving the remaining treasure from the ruins of the Witch Tower) had overseen the construction of the main floor and upper stories of the Manor some seven years ago, but that they knew nothing of the cellars; the wizard had employed outside labourers for their creation. He could, however, provide a rough sketch of the manor’s main and upper floor plans from memory, if they came by the Masons’ Guildhall (a very short distance from the Inn of the Wise Piper on Canteclure Road).  

Stonemason Gregol Lenton

Shalora was in high demand throughout the evening, with many men casting longing glances her way. She spent a great deal of time dancing with Lord Arnholde, who complimented her once again on her beauty, as well as on her ravishing new dress. Lord Arnholde’s eyes were barely above Shalora’s chest, and she reminded him to look up as they danced. At one point, he asked a question that evidently troubled him, one he had not dared ask in front of his mother when the companions had given her their last report; had they found any sign of his father below the Witch Tower? No, she replied sadly. Arnholde looked disappointed. Theon Sensina and dreamy Nilos Genser took turns cutting in to dance with Shalora, and in doing so obviously irritated Lord Devy... he glared at them, but always “graciously” bowed aside.  

Jiri audaciously invited Lady Devy to dance with him. The Lady was taken aback by the request, apparently unaccustomed to dancing with unbearded, yet heavily bearded vagabond dwarves. But then with a shrug and a smile, she accepted the invitation, to loud cheers from the other revelers, and laughed aloud as the shorter dwarf awkwardly sought to swing and twirl her around the dance circle. For a moment, she seemed like a carefree and unpretentious young lass. Lady Almaty raised a disapproving eyebrow. 

Bophre Malak, in her best yet still very modest grey woolen dress, held onto Akiro the entire evening, beaming with joy. It had been a few days since Akiro had been at the Malak farm for supper, and he still had not invited her for a walk alone... did he still intend to do so, she asked hopefully? The absent-minded warrior realized that he had forgotten his promise, and nodded “yes”…

Bophre Malak… not giving up on Akiro.

Iacobus had little interest in dancing, but spoke for a while with Eupaphenia Targas, mostly about financial matters... he kept wondering if there were other things he should be doing to help him and his family regain Abadar’s favour. 

As the celebration drew to a close late in the night, Arnholde escorted Shalora back to the inn, and asked whether she would grant him the honour of going for a walk in the woods in the near future. The elf hesitated a moment, then shrugged and accepted the invitation, considering it the friendly and polite thing to do, even though she was not particularly enthusiastic about spending time alone with the lord.

Wealday, 16th of Gozran

Departure of the Imperial Tax Collector: The companions saw Lady Almaty and her retinue leave town as they broke their fast in the common room of the Inn of the Wise Piper. 

A raven from Yanmass: That same morning, the companions were summoned by Lady Devy’s bailiff, Master Pellicciotta, to appear before the Baroness. Upon their arrival, Lady Devy informed the heroes that a raven had returned from Yanmass with instructions from Hunclay’s cousin. Hunclay’s cousin did not seem at all distressed by his death and had no interest in coming to Belhaim to claim his estate and belongings. Instead, she requested that the Baroness auction off all of Hunclay’s property and possessions so that the proceeds, minus expenses, could be sent to her. This left Lady Devy with a daunting task -- cataloguing the contents of Hunclay’s manor home means entering the place and exploring its interior, an enterprise that could entail considerable danger. Hunclay was a foul-tempered recluse, and word around town is that his manor was warded by magical traps and guarded by monsters. The heroes recalled that innkeeper Talia Orem herself had told them a week ago, after they had investigated the collapsed Witch Tower, that she had always been spooked by the wizard, whom she had heard worshipped devils and collected evil books. The fate of the kobold who burned to death on the manor’s front porch only added to the locals’ fears. The party reconfirmed their willingness to explore the manor, to neutralize any threats found therein, and to identify any magical items they might come across for cataloguing by the auctioneer. The heroes would not be permitted to loot the manor, but Hunclay’s cousin had granted the Baroness the authority to pay the companions a total of 5,000 gold coins on her behalf to complete the task. Given that a third party was involved, a formal contract would be drafted up, which the companions would be required to sign at Belhaim’s Record Hall, next to the garrison at the junction of Kingfisher Road and Tula’s Walk, on the following Oathday morning.

Floor plans of Hunclay Manor: The companions briefly stopped by the Masons‘ Guildhall, and as promised the night before, Gregol Lenton provided them with a floor plan of Hunclay Manor’s main and upper floors, drawn from memory. He stated that the plans did not include any secret or concealed doors on those floors, and he had no knowledge of any traps that might have been installed once construction was complete.   

Jiri and the smiths: During their tour of the village with Arnholde a few days prior, the party found it surprising that such a small and isolated community would support two blacksmiths. Jiri was interested in obtaining a suit of banded mail, and went first to the Chance Smithy near the junction of Belhaim and Devy Roads. Marcus Chance was a brutish older man who charged outrageously high prices for the armour he crafted (more than twenty five percent higher than prices typically found in Oppara due, he argued, to the costs of shipping raw materials to isolated Belhaim), and who refused to budge on his prices. He obviously did not care what Jiri and his companions had done for the town, and the dwarf wondered how such a disagreeable man could maintain a business. When Jiri suggested that he would take his business to the other smith in town, Chance became even more agitated and argumentative, declaring that his goods were of far better to quality than those of his competitor, and that for Jiri to do business with a stinking, bastard half-orc would constitute a betrayal of dwarfkind.    

Blacksmith Marcus Chance… even more

 of an ass than Sheriff Benhovy?

Jiri found five half-orcs hard at work at the Baccus Smithy near the Inn of the Wise Piper on Canteclure Road, and spoke with the owner of the smithy, the intimidating one villagers called “Big Bull.” Compared to Marcus Chance, “Big Bull” Baccus was much more even-tempered, friendly even. He and Jiri negotiated on a price for a suit of banded mail, which the half-orc eventually agreed to sell at 10 percent over the typical price in Oppara. Like Chance, he cited the high cost of obtaining materials and limited market for heavy armour in the Belhaim area, and the need for him to make a small profit... but he did want to show gratitude to Jiri for what he and his companions had done for the town, and for the dwarf’s willingness to overlook his orcish heritage by choosing to do business with him. The two agreed on price, “Big Bull” adjusted the armour to fit the dwarf, and was paid his 275 gold coins. Then, off went Jiri for falconry training…    

"Big Bull" Baccus… 

the more civil of the two smiths in town.

Mystery of the “flying wolf” at the Willoway Orchard:  Shalora went for a walk around the Willoway Orchard, where she eventually met the proprietor as she walked around the grounds--Belhaim’s only elven resident, Emarthine Willoway. Emarthine was quite a bit older than Shalora, and she exuded a motherly warmth and compassion. She sensed what few humans could, that there was a sadness beneath Shalora’s carefree exterior--a sadness not uncommon among elves who are raised in communities dominated by shorter-lived races. They made small talk as Emarthine showed Shalora around the orchard, which was filled with pretty songbirds. The woman bonded very easily and on a deeper level than most folk with Mischief, even yipping in a manner that was clearly understood by the spirit fox. Emarthine eventually invited Shalora into her quaint cottage for tea, where they spoke a while longer. She too followed Shelyn. The subject of conversation eventually turned to the large wolf preying on Ol‘ Prake’s sheep. Emarthine brought Shalora outside again, set a wooden ladder against the outside wall of the cottage, and invited Shalora to come up and take a look with her. Emarthine showed her wolf-like prints in her turf roof, which she had inspected just a week ago. Going back down the ladder, she pointed out a similar set of wolf-like prints elsewhere in the orchard, which seemed to appear from out of nowhere, went on for several yards, then ended abruptly. Emarthine had a strong connection with nature, and she knew that no mere wolf could possibly have made such prints. She had shown the strange prints to her next door neighbour, the hunter, Eudomas Biton, who was just as puzzled as she was. At the end of the visit, Emarthine made a gift of a small barrel of cider to Shalora in appreciation for the party's good deeds. 

Belhaim's sole elven inhabitant and 

keeper of the orchard, Emarthine Willoway

Shalora returned later that afternoon with all of her companions. The prints on Emarthine’s property appeared similar, though not identical, to the normal sized wolf prints found around the Abrassus ranch. No one knew with any certainty what had made the vanishing prints and those on Emarthine’s roof, but the party began to suspect that a shapeshifter was responsible…       

Eudomas Biton - return of the hunter: That evening, the youthful Eudomas Biton came to see the companions at the Inn of the Wise Piper. They asked whether he had made any progress in tracking down the giant wolf that had preyed on Ol’ Prake’s sheep, and whether he had any idea what made the strange tracks at the Willoway Orchard. The hunter was reluctant to give away too much information, probably intent on claiming Ol’ Prake’s full bounty for himself. He eventually admitted that he had lost the spoor in some rocky hill country, but he hadn’t given up. The companions suggested they work together to kill the beast, sharing the bounty equally between the five of them. Given the size of the creature, it was too dangerous for one person to take their chances on their own, and the party had skills and proven combat experience that could complement Eudomas’s hunting skills. The hunter said he would mull over the offer and get back to them.

Eudomas Biton, youthful but guarded hunter

 Oathday, 17th of Gozran

 Signing of the contract at the Belhaim Record Hall: First thing in the morning, the companions met Lady Devy and pedantic barrister Jacoba Kivris at the Belhaim Record Hall, where they signed a detailed four-page contract pertaining covering their rights, obligations, timelines, and liabilities associated with the task of exploring and eliminating all threats, magical and mundane, present in Hunclay’s manor. 

Belhaim's pedantic barrister, Jacoba Kivris

Then, Lady Devy gave the party the two keys they had retrieved from Balthus Hunclay's body, and, without delay, they headed for the wizard's estate and began their latest assignment…