Act 2 / Episode 1 - The Wizard's Estate, Part 2 - Saved by Mischief! (August 27, 2014)

The companions stopped in their tracks on the threshold between the manor’s main floor west wing and the grand hall as they observed the bluish white mist creeping down the iron staircase from above, coating the stairs, walls, floor, furniture and upholstery -- everything it touched -- under sheets of frost and ice. The mist eventually engulfed the southern half of the grand hall, completely cutting off the companions from the front door.

As the adventurers observed this unfamiliar magical phenomenon, which Iacobus determined was some sort of moderately powerful conjuration, a voice from upstairs called out: “I don’t know who you are... but step into the fog and may you may die... I wish you no harm. I’m sorry I have to do this, but... I have no choice.”

Akiro was fascinated by the mists, and poked the end of his glaive into its tendrils. The frost spread across the blade and along its shaft, but Akiro withdrew his weapon before the frost could cover his hands. Still, he felt the bitter cold in his finger tips.

The companions were puzzled by the voice, and Shalora and Jiri replied, asking the caller who he was, what he was doing, adding that they had been instructed to investigate the manor by the baroness. They did not get much in the way of a reply, but heard repeated loud thumps through the ceiling above, and the caller grumbling and cursing in frustration. It sounded as though he was looking for something, but not finding it. 

After a few moments’ hesitation, Jiri proclaimed that the caller was obstructing the task of a servant of Shelyn. The judgement gave the dwarf supernatural resistance to the decidedly unnatural freezing mist. He gritted his teeth and made straight for the staircase, slipping and falling hard on his back after walking a few feet along the slick floor. Jiri got up again and resumed his approach to the stairs, more cautiously this time. Despite the resistance provided by his judgement, the freezing mist quickly coated the dwarf from head to toe. His skin burned from the intense cold, his beard and brows froze white and solid. Still, he persevered, climbing the icy stairs to the second floor, where he stumbled into a fog-shrouded library.

While the fog on that floor obscured Jiri’s vision, it did not have the bluish shade of the mist in the grand hall. The air was much warmer upstairs; the frostburn afflicting the dwarf was subsiding, and there were no signs of ice or frost on the walls, floor, or bookshelves of the library. The entire room, however, radiated of feint conjuration magic; a door near the top of the stairs radiated a combination of evocation and abjuration magic; and toward the north end of the obscured library, the inquisitor sensed a variety of conflicting auras. More books thumped onto the floor; the frustrated man was close, but as yet still unseen. Jiri tried to reassure him that he was not there to harm him... perhaps they could talk things out, and perhaps the companions could help him find what he was looking for? The man laughed bitterly, replying that he regretfully could not  accept the dwarf’s offer. Jiri slowly made his way through the mist, the frost melting from his flesh, beard, clothes, and gear. He tried to track the man by the trail of fallen and falling books... but the mists played tricks on the dwarf, and books had been pulled off virtually all of the shelves, making it difficult to establish an obvious pattern or trail. He then heard the man murmuring some incantation...

On the lower floor, the freezing mist had finally dissipated and the ice was turning to slush, allowing Akiro, Iacobus, Shalora and Mischief to finally follow their companion up the stairs. The adventurers searched in vain through the mists for the burglar... but it appeared as though he had vanished into thin air. After a long while, the obscuring mists finally dispersed, allowing the companions to take better stock of the library’s contents. The lushly furnished library featured three tall bookcases running north to south down the centre of the chamber, with another iron bookcase set in the northeast corner. A stuffed grizzly bear towered in the northwest corner, its claws and fangs bared aggressively. The east wall featured sixteen paintings of various planets in gilt frames. A ladder in the west side of the ceiling led up to a trap door. Scores of books now littered the floor, with hundreds more still upon the wooden bookshelves. The vast majority seemed to cover subjects related to astronomy, though others focused on history, engineering, and occult subjects. Shalora flipped through the pages of a few volumes, but was unimpressed by the lack of pretty pictures therein.

The contents of the iron bookcase, however, had been undisturbed. A lock on its barred doors radiated abjuration magic. Three of of the sixteen tomes within also radiated moderate to strong magical auras: Ye Booke of Enhanced Fiendish Servitude by Crowe Leister projected a strong green aura (conjuration); It’s Alive! Crafting Life from Flesh, by Salazar Vess, projected a moderately strong dark, blurry muddle of colours--pink, black and purple (enchantment, necromancy and transmutation); and The Art of War, by Sirius Altadore and Grimund the Bold, also had a moderate pink (enchantment) aura. Akiro kept a close watch on the stuffed grizzly bear while Iacobus attempted to pick the lock that would open the barred doors of the bookcase. Iacobus used the silver charm found in the bird cage to deactivate whatever abjuration magic was on the lock... but he failed to disarm a trap hidden within the lock. As he used his tools to pick the lock, a small needle pricked him in the thumb. The magus felt his thumb tingle, and saw the skin slowly turning a sickly purple. He knew the needle was poisoned and tried to remain calm... and luckily for him, Abadar smiled upon him and kept him safe. As time passed, it seemed increasingly certain that he would suffer little more than a discoloration of his hand, rather than anything more lethal.

Rare and valuable tomes pertaining to astronomy

After Shalora had marked the three magical tomes with a piece of chalk for the benefit of the auctioneer’s clerks, Iacobus took a moment to inspect the various volumes in the bookcase. Thirteen of them he deemed were extraordinarily rare books on subjects related to astronomy (some of which he estimated could sell for as much as 500 gold a volume!). Although the other three volumes radiated magic, Iacobus was unable to identify their exact properties. Ye Booke of Enhanced Fiendish Servitude was a leather-bound book inscribed with occult symbols; the cover of It’s Alive! Crafting Life from Flesh, appeared to have been stitched together from strips of different hides (humanoid skin?) that varied in colouration; and The Art of War was an especially heavy tome bound in bloodstained leather and scarred like the flesh of a seasoned warrior. 

Ye Booke of Enhanced Fiendish Servitude, by Crowe Leister

It’s Alive! Crafting Life from Flesh, by Salazar Vess

The Art of War, by Sirius Altadore and Grimund the Bold

While Iacobus was inspecting the tomes in the iron bookcase, Shalora complained about the lack of pretty pictures in the books in the main library, and Akiro remained fixated on the stuffed bear, Jiri had walked into what appeared to be the wizard Hunclay’s bedchamber. It was richly appointed, with three armoires and three tall wardrobes, a canopied bed with a large locked chest at its foot and nightstand, a writing desk and chair, elaborate marble tub, fireplace, and thick bearskin rug. Oddly, the door was ajar, practically inviting someone to walk in. The room radiated moderate conjuration magic, and a scrap of paper on the nightstand radiated feint transmutation magic (purple). 

As Jiri inspected the magical piece of paper, which, to his puzzlement, contained several bawdy limericks--he heard a low growl behind him. 

Turning around, he saw a swirling vortex of shadow and flame materialize above the bear rug, from which emerged a massive brown bear that smelled of brimstone, with glowing red eyes and matted fur broken in places by wicked, bony growths. The fiendish dire bear towered over Jiri, and though it gazed straight at him, its momentary disorientation gave the dwarf the split second he needed to escape back into the library, screaming “BEAR!!!” and slamming the door to the bedchamber shut behind him.  

The others thought he was joking, until they heard the beast bellow and try to smash through the stout oak door... again, and again. The companions readied for battle. Akiro stood with glaive ready 10’ north of the trembling door, Shalora provided her allies with Shelyn’s guidance, and, against Jiri’s will, Iacobus cast a spell that enlarged the dwarf into a hulk as large as the fiendish bear; the magus then imbued his falcata with arcane energy.      

Eventually, the bear smashed down the door and squeezed through the entryway between the bedchamber and library. Its roar was deafening. It advanced threateningly toward dire bear-sized Jiri, but the enlarged dwarf, Iacobus and Akiro all struck their foe in rapid sequence with deadly accuracy. The fiend roared in pain, and before it could lash out at the companions, the fiery black portal suddenly gaped open again, this time in the library, and sucked the bear back in.

After taking a moment to recover from the adrenaline rush, Jiri shrank back to his normal size and the heroes resumed their investigations. Jiri returned to the wizard’s bedchamber, which no longer radiated conjuration magic. The only thing that still had a feint aura of transmutation magic was the scrap of paper with the bawdy limericks on the nightstand. Meanwhile, Iacobus and the others inspected the door leading east from the library, which radiated both abjuration and evocation magic... the silver charm once again dispelled the abjuration magic on the lock, but the magus feared that the remaining evocation aura indicated the presence of another trap. 

Jiri found a ring of keys in the wizard’s top desk drawer, and discretely emptied the contents of the chest--gemstones and gold ring inlaid with a fat black pearl--into his pack. He then rejoined his companions at the east door, presenting them with the ring of keys and reading the limericks on the magical scrap of paper... which left everyone equally amused and puzzled. Did the limericks have some deeper significance? Why the magic aura?

The companions were relieved to find that one of the keys Jiri had found in the master bedchamber fit the lock on the east door. As Iacobus unlocked the door, the aura of evocation faded. Inside the room, the adventurers found two long tables of stained oak lining the east wall of the room, cluttered with alchemical supplies. Atop the desk on the west wall were writing implements, ink, sheets of vellum, and several scrolls. A large chest secured by a prominent lock sat just north of the desk.

The four scrolls on the desk and five flasks radiated feint magic of a variety of schools; a variety of auras glowed from within the chest, the lock on which again revealed feint abjuration and evocation magic. The silver charm and another key on the ring found in the wizard’s bedroom desk enabled Iacobus to bypass all of the chest’s magical wards. The magus’s eyes nearly popped out of their sockets when he saw the contents of that chest, for it contained the wizard Hunclay’s spell books -- six of them!

The companions took some time to identify what magical items they could in the study. The four scrolls on the desk were inscribed with the following spells: campfire wall, magic circle against chaos, and two others that Iacobus was not able to identify on the spot. 

Five flasks contained magical substances: two vials contained oil of keen edge, and the remaining flasks held potions of undetectable alignment, protection from acid, and protection from fire. 

 As Iacobus thumbed through one of the spellbooks, he found some notes written in the common tongue in the margin of a secret page spell -- a spell that alterns the contents of a page so that it appears to be something entirely different. Speaking a special word would reveal the page’s contents. Four words had been inscribed in the margin of the spell -- “Eox,” “Aucturn,” “Carcosa,” and “Dominion.” The former three words--which Iacobus knew were the names of planets--had been crossed out. Iacobus was not quite certain what “Dominion” referred to, but when he spoke the word aloud, the limericks on the scrap of paper Jiri had found in the wizard’s bedroom began to writhe and shift, rearranging themselves into a to-do list with the following items:

• Conjure accuser devil re disguising text of Secrets of the Dreaming Dark
• Animate Domain remains as guardian for cave
• Repair hinges on secret door in clockwork lab
• Attempt second contact with Dominion via book’s ritual before loan to A.
• Confirm demolition date with A’s kobolds.

Three of the items had been stricken through, and with a smirk, Iacobus crossed off the fifth item. Who was “A”, wondered the companions... the Dread Lord Aeteperax mentioned by the dying kobold seer when the adventurers raided the Blood Vow lair? And what did “Dominion” refer to?The party decided to carry on their persons what magic items they had found thus far in the library and study, if only for temporary safe keeping... and in case they might prove useful as a last resort against other guardians that might still be lurking in the manor. 

From here, the companions went up the stairs and through the trap door in the ceiling of the library, which opened up into a wondrous, glass-domed observatory. Within, an enormous device that Iacobus identified as a telescope sat upon a platform over a veritable sea of metal gears. An angled metal chair was inclined below the device, within reach of a cluster of pedals and levers that enabled its occupant to perform adjustments to the telescope’s orientation. Tables covered in books and charts occupied the southeast corner. The view of the surrounding skies, village and countryside afforded by the glass dome was breathtaking in its expanse.

Akiro kept watch over the trapdoor while the others fanned out around the observatory. Iacobus could not resist the temptation to sit down in the chair and peer through the telescope... but as he did so, a powerful jolt of lightning surged through the chair, electrocuting him. The magus leapt out of the chair with a scream of both surprise and pain. He recovered quickly and walked around the device, looking for the source of the bolt... and was the first to notice the diminutive, winged creature sitting on the dome’s ledge beyond the far side of the telescope. It looked like an obese infant, but with leathery skin mottled with spots of grime, four small wings, curling ram’s horns, sharp blackened teeth, and black eyes with no pupils. It held a small wand in hand, and pantomimed exaggerated laughter at Iacobus. The magus suspected the creature was a homunculus -- a miniature servant created from a spellcaster’s own blood. Iacobus did not like the way it grinned at him? Did the creature inflict the shock he had recently withstood? He advanced toward it slowly, trying to convince it that it did not want to use its wand on him... but its expression instantly changed from mirth to a wide-eyed, evil grin as it unleashed a bolt of lightning from its wand at the magus. Iacobus managed to dodge the worst of the bolt, but was still lightly singed. The bolt shattered part of the glass dome. 

The homunculus

Shalora cast Shelyn’s guidance on Jiri as he moved toward the homunculus, which was about to unleash another bolt at Iacobus... but unexpectedly, Mischief leapt to the rescue, snatching the wand from the creature’s hands. Its four wings carried it up near the top of the dome, out of reach of the companions’ melee weapons, where it gestured in mute wrath that it would strangle the fox... The homunculus dove at Mischief and tried to wrest the wand from his jaws, unsuccessfully. Iacobus and Jiri landed some blows on the surprisingly hardy construct, which then stabbed the magus with its tail stinger. Iacobus passed out instantly, and the creature flew out of reach yet again.

Akiro attempted a daring feat of acrobatics by leaping onto the telescope and then again up from there with his glaive to attack their foe... but lost his balance before he could strike, fortunately landing on his feet. The homunculus dove again for Mischief, but suffered a fatal thrust from Akiro’s glaive. For a few moments, it pantomimed its agonizing demise... than finally fell to the ground, motionless. Akiro (?) tossed its corpse through the hole in the dome. Eventually, Shalora succeeded in neutralizing the poison coursing through Iacobus’s body, and the magus awakened. 

In addition to 50 rare star charts that focused on strange empty-looking swaths of the night sky, lying on the tables were an exquisite platinum astrolabe, six rare astronomy tomes of aged Taldan pedigree, and two expensive handheld telescopes. Iacobus claimed the homunculus’s wand of lightning bolt (with only four charges remaining) from Mischief, the hero of the hour.

Mischief, the hero of the hour

The magus decided to give the telescope another try, sat in the chair... and was singed by another bolt that surged through the chair! The first charge he had suffered had not been inflicted by the homunculus‘ wand after all... the chair was trapped! Indeed, Jiri confirmed subsequently that the gears underneath the chair radiated evocation magic, and the dwarf then disabled the mechanical components of the trap. Iacobus did not bother sitting in the chair again... he reasoned that he would not be able to see anything during the day, and would return later at night.

From here, the party descended into the manor’s dark cellar...  

Act 2 / Episode 1 - The Wizard's Estate, Part 1 (July 16, 2014)

When the companions arrived at the front door to the late wizard Hunclay’s estate, they found the charred, contorted remains of the dead kobold they had spotted when the Witch Tower first collapsed still lying on the manor’s doorstep. The edifice was unwelcoming and foreboding, made of thick limestone walls and without any windows at all, save for the strange glass dome that crowned the manor three stories up. The clearcut land around the hilltop where it was perched (and nearby ruins of the Witch Tower) made the place seem all the more desolate. Clearly, the wizard had been unconcerned with the views of either the Shelynites or the Green Faith.

As the heroes prepared to check the entryway for traps, a pale-faced old woman shuffled up the path behind them, and asked in a dull monotone whether she could finally dispose of the kobold’s corpse. The companions were puzzled by the request, and asked the woman who she was, and why she wanted to take the remains. She introduced herself, still in the same dull tone, as Calladastina Honas, the undertaker, and declared that she lived at the Sunset House by the cemetery that one passes when going to Devy Manor. She had been instructed to leave the body until further notice, and wondered whether the party had any further need for it... it was rather unsightly and should be disposed of without delay. The party asked Calladastina to leave it until they had completed their investigation of the wizard’s manor, and the old woman just shrugged and shuffled despondently back the way she came.

Calladastina Honas, the despondent undertaker

Iacobus and Jiri inspected the double doors and entryway very closely, and found no activation mechanism for the trap that had burned the kobold alive. They suspected that  after it had been triggered, the trap had not been reset. Holding their breaths and hoping for the best, Jiri unlocked the door with one of the keys found on the wizard’s body, and was relieved to find that the door opened easily... with no unpleasant consequences. 

Jiri (?) and Akiro (?) took a few steps beyond the threshold, into a grand hall illuminated by magical globes set at regular intervals along the walls. The floor of the well-appointed hall were adorned with two expensive Qadiran rugs and decorated with several overstuffed leather sofas. Two dozen paintings with gilded frames hung on the walls, portraits and landscapes and images of colourful globes against starry backgrounds (one of which supposedly represented Golarion?), all of exquisite artistry. A large bird cage sat at the very far end of the room, to the north. Wooden doors opened to the east and west, and an elaborate spiral staircase of iron both ascended and descended in the southeast corner.

A small selection of paintings found in the grand hall

As Jiri and Akiro scanned the room, Shalora (Jiri?) murmured a few words in order to become attuned to any magical auras present in the room... and found that in addition to the feint red aura coming from the light globes (indicating evocation magic), a feint orange aura radiated from the bird cage (abjuration magic)... and a green aura (conjuration magic) in a ten-foot square area where Jiri and Akiro stood! Before they could be warned, a gaping pit thirty feet deep opened over the section of carpet upon which they stood, but both managed to leap off the edges to safety, as the edges dropped inward. After a minute or so, the pit closed and vanished. A thorough search of the room revealed a lever hidden behind one of the paintings deemed to be the mechanism for activating and deactivating the magical pit trap, and a small silver charm (the source of the abjuration aura) attached by a string to one of the dead songbirds found in the cage at the north end of the room (and which presumably died of starvation or thirst). 

The companions then made a quick but thorough investigation of the east wing of the main floor, searching the kitchen and a well-stocked larder, neither of which contained anything of value beyond expensive silverware and dinnerware. They also found a nook behind a curtain in the kitchen, which housed a pair of cots and two chests with cheap locks, within which Iacobus found humble and worthless possessions that probably belonged to servants... which made the companions wonder, where were the servants?

Beside the pantry, the companions expended a great deal of effort pushing open a door that was blocked on the other side by a heavy wooden armoire. The small room beyond looked like a combination of bedroom and linen closet. The companions almost did not notice the man who lay unconscious under the bed. The heroes helped the severely dehydrated man regain consciousness and Shalora provided him with water. The man, whose name was Mathezic, was terrified. He said he was the wizard Hunclay’s valet, and that he panicked, barricaded himself in the room and hid under the bed shortly after the Witch Tower collapsed. Mathezic was originally from Faldamont, where Hunclay hired him on his way to Belhaim years ago. He was afraid of his master, but was also desperate for employment.  Yet he also feared that his master had died in the collapse, as the latter had had been employing kobolds to undermine the foundations of the tower and had gone underground with them shortly before the collapse occurred. Afterwards, a lone kobold crept to the door and tried picking the lock, but was burned to death by one of the master’s traps. It’s at that point that he barricaded himself in his room and hid under the bed. Mathezic kept hearing strange sounds coming from elsewhere in the manor, and he feared to leave his room. He tearfully reported that Hunclay had contact with many other unsavoury and supernatural parties for his research, which he believed “had something to do with the stars.” He did not know what exactly those entities were, as he and the other servants were forbidden from accessing certain parts of the manor... nor had they the desire to. The valet had lost track of time and eventually passed out under the bed. Mathezic confirmed that Hunclay had two other servants--Linus and Saba Ekele, but he did not know what became of them. Now that outsiders had made it into the manor, he did not want to spend a moment longer in it.

Mathezic, the wizard Hunclay's fearful servant

The party agreed that it would be best for them to briefly halt their investigation, so that Mathezic could be escorted to the constabulary, where they could take a statement. Iacobus led him there, explained to Sheriff Benhovy the circumstances under which they had found the man, and asked if the constabulary would look after him and take a statement from him. Iacobus added that he was in a hurry to get back to his companions so that they could continue the task of securing the wizard’s estate, which the Baroness hired them to do, since no one else in town was capable of doing the job. The Sheriff took in Mathezic, but glowered wordlessly at Iacobus.

A search of the west wing of the main floor (dining room and parlor) revealed no threats and little of interest, aside from a huge globe of Golarion cradled in a polished mahogany stand (did the crazy wizard seriously belive the world was a globe?), astrolabes, and paintings of landscapes on the walls--some of vast deserts (dining room), others of unearthly places (parlor). 

Paintings found in the dining room

Paintings found in the parlour

As the party made their way back to the grand hall, they became concerned when they saw a bluish white mist starting to swirl down the spiral staircase from the second floor... 

              

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…