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...