Café de Nuit

ewancummins wrote:FIVE DAYS LATER

CRANSTEL

"But at least the weird spoiling of foodstuffs and beer seems to have stopped, so that is good. It does seem to me that this also hints that The Crone was responsible, thought it could be coincidental. What about you? Who have you come along since yesterday?"

"I have made great progress," Cranstel says, drinking his cup of coffee eagerly. The dark circles under his eyes betray the hours he's been working in the laboratory, "I have about six doses of antidote, and I'm working to determine how best to scale up the synthesis. Perhaps we should speak to someone in charge about this, deliver the antidote to the authorities in case anyone else is poisoned? Perhaps we could even share the results of our research suggesting a demonic origin of the poison."

Adam wrote:Cormac gives the men a wry look. "He didnae do it on purpose," he grumbles.

Turning back to the child, he gives the kid a smile and gestures towards the big monster. "He's a silly one, isn't he? Ye ever seen a cat hack up a hairball? Pretend he's just like a big cat."

He discreetly navigates her away from the beast. "An' besides, he helped us find you. So he can't be all bad, yeah?"

"Your kitty smells really bad."
The little girl holds her nose.
She shrugs.
"Are Perry and Gael going toe be okay? The Markeez locked them up."

alhoon wrote:

ewancummins wrote:FIVE DAYS LATER

FILBERT
SAFANA
TERMELAN

Termelan seeks Filbert to give him a report. He politely greets his diminutive patron and takes him to a somewhat secluded spot where they can talk without too much risk to be overheard.
"Good afternoon lord Filbert. I've inquired the common folk about the person we're looking to visit. The bad news is that I got conflicting information about him and his background. The good news is that everyone seems to have an opinion about him and only the most outrageously defaming opinions were whispered. As such, I believe this person doesn't get around much, but also doesn't terrorize the people. Hence, I believe we will be safe enough to talk with him, without too much risk to our wellbeing.
Since he sounds as a reclusive fellow though, you have to find something to pick his interest. I'm not sure he plays much at politics from what I've heard, although I may be wrong, so for him to set aside his own projects to help allies ... there must be something for him to gain. "

Termelan makes a small pause, makes sure nobody overhears and adds. "You know Lord Filbert, the word "necromancer" did come up though. And there have been those rumors in Caer Haes about hordes of undead under his control. Something to keep in mind while we take the optimistic view that he's a recluse."

Filbert thinks for a moment before saying:
"Good job, keep asking around till we get the appointment. I will do it as well. Maybe we get some last minute information. Even if I think you are right, we might get conflicting information since not many people seem to know him well. As about necromancy, well I do hope that it's just a rumor because if it isn't I don't know which side he will decide to help...Since His Grace trust him as an ally I believe he is not evil so he will not get the undead under his control and turn against us, but caution is always important. Better not mention the zombies just in case. Just stick at the fact that the Manslayer may attack Tuornen and we might need his help to defend the land. He will have more benefit if we keep it and not Manslayer that's for sure and this is what will be for him, plus money of course. We may let him have access to our libraries if he wants but for more I will need to speak with His Grace. Anyway we are here to test the water, strengthen the alliance and be sure that he will do his best to protect Tuornen."

Filbert makes a small pause and adds:

"As about his gift, well I think he may prefer something rare or important, a component or a book perhaps. Something he cannot get easily. Even if I doubt there is something like that in Endier that he can't get. Anyway, if we cannot get that well at least we can get him something really beautiful or handmade as a necklace, a sword, a hat. Something that only he will have. I don't think he will appreciate common gifts. But better find out anyway. I will look for crafters and blacksmiths and also if there is a library that we can get a book from, one that is rare of course. You are welcome to come with me or keep doing your thing, you have done an excellent job so far."

ewancummins wrote:FUNGAL GARDEN OF THE OROGS


Sir Boarhort makes a sign against evil.
"Bloodtheft!"

Nevil also makes the sign.

Sevett and Gatt exchange suspicious looks. Sevett mutters something about "Lynwerd."

"Make all the wards against evil you want, but I did what was necessary to end the Marquis." She says, seeming a bit offended. "Besides with his death, the Orogs will fight among each other; giving us the time to rescue the little ones. Not to mention, this is probably a considerable blow to the Manslayer and what ever his plans were for this place."

RocEter wrote:

ewancummins wrote:FUNGAL GARDEN OF THE OROGS


Sir Boarhort makes a sign against evil.
"Bloodtheft!"

Nevil also makes the sign.

Sevett and Gatt exchange suspicious looks. Sevett mutters something about "Lynwerd."

"Make all the wards against evil you want, but I did what was necessary to end the Marquis." She says, seeming a bit offended. "Besides with his death, the Orogs will fight among each other; giving us the time to rescue the little ones. Not to mention, this is probably a considerable blow to the Manslayer and what ever his plans were for this place."

Sir Boarhort shrugs.
" Maybe. But you have forgotten the way the Orogs and Elves were fighting in the mines. It may be you just killed an enemy of the Manslayer. Still, he must have been a villain, or else why would he rule over Orogs? And the children..."

Searchers

"Mind you, Sir Boarhort, he did try to run me through with that fancy spear of his," Roald says. "Just because he may have been our enemy's enemy does not make him our friend. As for the children, we should find where this Marque kept them."

Varrus the Ethical wrote:Searchers

"Mind you, Sir Boarhort, he did try to run me through with that fancy spear of his," Roald says. "Just because he may have been our enemy's enemy does not make him our friend. As for the children, we should find where this Marque kept them."

" Oh, don't mistake my meaning, sir. The Manslayers' savages, these piggy demons, we are well rid of any of either lot we kill. As for the children, the girls said something about a locked closet, no?"

He turns towards Anna.

"Girl, do you know the way to your friends?"

She looks about in the torchlight, scanning the spaces between huge mushrooms.
"I can't see it. But his house is on top of a big, high rock."

Searchers

"Hard to miss then." Roald nods in direction Anna pointed out. "So, head over there before the locals get their act together?"

Boarhort cocks his hammer over his shoulder.
"Let's go get those children and then leave this pit."

Safana approaches the gate to the tower, inspecting the overt magic on the outside of it with professional appreciation. Approaching the tower she inspects it for some sign of a way to make her presence known to those within, and employs it. Failing that, she will simply knock on the door.

kintire wrote:Safana approaches the gate to the tower, inspecting the overt magic on the outside of it with professional appreciation. Approaching the tower she inspects it for some sign of a way to make her presence known to those within, and employs it. Failing that, she will simply knock on the door.

SAFANA
Has arrived at FALCON'S ROOST near nightfall, well ahead of FILBERT and TERMELAN, accompanied by a single page and a guard.

The tower stands forty feet high, rising from a body strip of land at the forest verge. Night has already begun seeping up in the eastern skies beyond Falcon's Roost, an early darkness that seems to come up from the woods.
She has heard that a deadly monster lives in that forest, the Awnshegh called The Spider.


The page tends to the party's skittish mounts, maybe fifteen yards distant in the open ground to the west.

The guard from CAER HAES goes with SAFANA.

A weird light plays over the tower's single obvious door as SAFANA and the guard approach, but it vanishes before they reach the door.

SAFANA uses the heavy brass knocker on the door.

After a brief wait, the door opens inward.
A waxy faced man in gray robes stands in deep gloom beyond the portal.
He makes no sound, nor sign of welcome. He does not even blink.
He only stares at SAFANA with lidless black eyes and a curious lack of expression on his face.

Safana drops a curtsey and addresses the figure ahead of her.

"Good sir, I am in the entourage of Lord Filbert, an emissary of the Duke of Tuornen. He wishes to make an appointment to see the Lord of Falcon's Roost to consult with him regarding some acts of dark magic that have plagued the duchy of late, that seem to be associated with a local mage known as the Manslayer. Would it be convenient to receive him soon? He would be most grateful for the wisdom and guidance of the lord in these matters."

Having delivered her request she pauses for a reply...

kintire wrote:Safana drops a curtsey and addresses the figure ahead of her.

"Good sir, I am in the entourage of Lord Filbert, an emissary of the Duke of Tuornen. He wishes to make an appointment to see the Lord of Falcon's Roost to consult with him regarding some acts of dark magic that have plagued the duchy of late, that seem to be associated with a local mage known as the Manslayer. Would it be convenient to receive him soon? He would be most grateful for the wisdom and guidance of the lord in these matters."

Having delivered her request she pauses for a reply...

The waxen faced man stands in complete silence.
Then he stretches out his right hand, palm open and facing up.

The guard leans close to SAFANA. He hisses in her ear, "What does he want from us?"

DOMENICA

Early afternoon on a cold and windy day



At the graveyard beyond the city walls in the western fields...


DOMENICA searches for tracks in the moist loam. She finds the ruts left by the gravedigger's cart, the deeper holes left by his horse's hooves, and two sets of footprints. The larger set might belong to the gravedigger. But the smaller set?

An open grave yawns where the digger had said it would be; but the bodies of the beggar twins are not in it.

And the ruts of the wagon and the hoof prints continue from the spot where the man abandoned his animal and vehicle in his panicked flight from the scene.
(They passed in sight of the roadhouse/pub on the way here)

Domenica follows the ruts to the road, but she loses the trail of mud at the nearby crossroads. The wagon may have gone west or south. Or off the road, and DOMENICA has just missed the trail in the fields.
She cannot tell.

Sir Rory remains standing, dismounted near the graveyard's unguarded gate with his men and the party's horses, so as not to spoil any tracks.