"I assure you, everything is here that was in the manor. But, if we must. We will go speak to the baroness." Rowane says disinterested.
Clausyre calms down enough to take his seat.
Nezos plays up the role of stoic hired muscle for a change. He still ooks over the many items with interest, though.
Machi-e arches a brow and sits next to Nezos and Rowane. "Nothing like a little preliminary drama to raise the stakes," he says.
There are no further disturbances, and after the Baroness welcomes the attendees Chosk begins the auction.
The first lot up are the exotic birds from the entry hall. None of the visitors bid, and the birds go for the minimum bid to Sir Pelle Benhovy, a local noble.
The next lot consists of the expensive tableware from Hunclay's kitchen. Mr. Pickets gets into a bidding war with Melanchtha Adras, another wealthy local, which ends in victory for the half-orc.
The parlor contents are up after that--paintings, a globe of Golarion, and various astronomical and navigational tools. The Baroness herself bids on this, which is doubtless why none of the other locals participate. Instead, the still-surly visitor Clausyre makes a couple of cursory bids, but soon drops out and leaves the field to Baroness Devy.
Mr. Pickets and M. Adras have a rematch over the next lot, the ornate dining table and the paintings from the dining room. This time the local carries the day.
Clausyre opens the bidding on the next lot, the books from the library (except for the three magical books). However, he soon has to drop out when the Mercantile Consortium and Bassy, a local gnome sage, start running up the bidding. The deep pockets of the Mercantile Consortium prove too much for the gnome as well.
For some reason, the stuffed grizzly bear is in a lot by itself, and the only bidder is the tavernkeep, Swerlo Grayhands. After he gets the bear, he pays and leaves.
Machi-e shifts in his seat. "Those books should be kept under lock and key; I'm not one for this rampant arcane adventurism." He sighs.
Next up is the book of extended summoning, and the Kalistocrats place their first bid of the auction unopposed
The Mercantile Consortium is unopposed in their bidding for the flesh golem manual
The third magical book, the manual of war, is only of interest to the Kalistocrats.
Bassy picks up the next two lots: the potions and the scrolls.
The next lot up consists of Hunclay's spellbooks. The Mercantile Consortium opens with a bid of 4000 gp, and the Kalistocrats immediately raise.
Machi-e raises a slender hand. "Six thousand," he says calmly, with a resonant voice.
The Kalistocrats and the Mercantile Consortium seem like they have a lot of experience at this sort of thing, and the Kalistocrats raise to 10,000 gold.
Rowane attempts to speak on the parties behalf. "11,000"
Unsure about the vast numbers being bandied about, Nezos stays silent so as not to upset anything.
Machi-e tries to remain stony, but 15,000 gold or whatever the Kalistocrats are planning is far too much for his tastes.
Rowane is able to bluff the Consortium, but the Kalistocrat representative holds up a hand to indicate a bid. "12,000."
Rowane remains silent.
The Kalistocrats walk away with the spellbooks.
After that, the auctioneer moves on to the various nonmagical items found in the bedroom, the observatory, the food storage area, and the clockwork lab. The Kalistocrats come away with most of the goods.
Machi-e declines to bid on the summoning book. "It's a one-use type thing," he murmurs to Nezos. "Let them waste their pieces of gold."
"I'm sure Kalistocrats have some use for it. They might be well-monied, but not wasteful," Nezos replies. "But they can take it. Even if I could use it I couldn't justify that expense."
Cora nods. "We have what we need from it. Let's see how much they'll spend."
Machi-e crosses his arms. "Materialism is paramount for those oddlings, and I wouldn't put it past them to be profligate and gaudy with their purchases. At least they don't deny the gods, the way Rahadoum does."
Clausyre once again opens the bidding for the journal. There's some back and forth between him, the Kalistocrats, and the Consortium; once again, the Kalistocrats' deep pockets allow them to come away with the item.
As money changes hands, Clausyre stands up (with some theatricality) and loudly declaims, "Very well! I must deliver this news to my employer immediately. I bid you all good day!" He then storms out of the amphitheater, an awkward silence in his wake.
After a pause, Bassy says, "I suspect he didn't mean that last bit." Scattered laughter greets the gnome's bon mot, and the tension is broken.
The final item up for auction is the manor itself, and the land it's on. By this time it's nearing dusk, so before the bidding starts Chosk has servants quickly light lanterns throughout the amphitheater.
Machi-e is focused on the bidding whenCora happens to glance up to see a dark shape flying across the sky over the arena.
Then a quartet of strange creatures land on the stage. They are roughly human-sized lanky bat-winged humanoids with four eyes and long tails.
Machi-e casts Mage Armor on himself and tries to identify the creatures.
The arcanist recognizes the creatures as grioths, monstrous humanoids from a distant world. They are immune to cold, but have sensitivity to light. They also possess some peculiar mental abilities.
"Rowane, Cora, hit them with light spells, and not cold, and 'ware your minds. Nezos--smash!"
Round 1 (ongoing):
Initiative order
Grioths-acted
Nezos
Cora
Machi-e
Rowane
The grioths wade into the crowd, claws flailing, but inflict only superficial wounds.
Nezos gladly complies, making an awkward leap over his seat to run closer. When he falls short, his sword launches forward to distract. "Over here, slime!"
Nezos' blade inflicts a terrible wound on the first grioth.
Machi-e pulls out a scroll of Protection from Evil and casts it on Cora. "Citizens! Flee and hide!" he shouts to the crowd. "Cora, beware their mental attacks!"
The crowd is already starting to flee, and with Nezos' attack the grioths are definitely beginning to turn their attention to the party.