"Let's go there, and maybe we will find some answers."
He marches into the building...
A quick knock and the door opens; a young Tian woman wearing a thick wool coat opens it. "Can I help you?"
Behind you you see an odd sight; a room of maybe eight men and women, all bleary-eyed. All are busying themselves with various activities; knitting, calligraphy, arranging blocks into shapes. Most seem poorly fed, though recently cleaned.
"Good day. We are new to town, visiting get the places and looking at the sights, and find somewhat intriguing the state of your city quarter. If you have the time to tell us what happened, maybe me and my friends can help you."
She hesitates, a little perplexed, but nods and gestures you in. She whispers a word to a short man with dark black hair who nods and pours tea from a steaming canteen into a small fired clay cup. "Well... welcome. I'm sorry I can't offer you more, but... donors for our healing house are difficult to find." One of the men drops his paintbrush to the parchment and closes his eyes; he starts to slump over. The woman hurries over and wakes him, and he takes up his brush. She returns. "My name is Lin Lo. Are you... familiar with the dreaming nectar?"
"I've never heard of it. Is it some sort of drug? Where are my manners, I am Daniel Beatty. This is Ganorok, and this Kenja." Daniel then gives her a slight bow.
She nods. "A narcotic; it bestows endless dreams of strange sights and places. Many have become addicted to it... many of the most addicted are suspected dead; they haven't been seen for weeks." She gestures around her. "For those who try to wean themselves off of the drug... staying awake for at least a day is crucial to break the pull. It... takes some effort." She bows at Ganorok and Kenja.
"How long has this drug been here? Are they doing anything to stop it getting here?"
"Where does this drug comes from? Who sells it? It is legal?"
Kenjakana wonders if there is a creature in her arsenal capable of healing the disease of addiction en masse; two immediately come to mind: her Devas.
"My full name is Kenjakana. I might be able to help with treatment," the Sage Sorceress remarks. "I can summon two varieties of Angel for a couple of minutes per casting. They can cast Remove Disease at will, and the stronger species can cast Heal once per day. The former spell isn't a guarantee when cast, but I'd say the odds are good that it works well enough to help multiple people over those couple of moments. Meanwhile, Heal can cure almost anything guaranteed short of extreme life drain and death."
She nods her head toward Daniel.
"He raises a good point, though. Anything I could do might be nullified if this drunk is still being peddled in such force."
"A few months."
"Sveinn banned dangerous narcotics decades ago, but we've had poor luck getting the city to pay attention and make changes. It's sold in a few dark alleys around here; nasty people... some say Black Tom is the gang leader most involved."
The woman looks up, her eyes suddenly hopeful. "T-truly? Our quarter is small, we've been unable to afford or attract charity enough to pay for such magics..."
Kenjakana smiles kindly and answers, "Truly. I know spellcasting usually costs an arm and a leg, but I never charge for it. If my friends are up for it, we'll go have a word with this Black Tom character. In the meantime, let's see what I can do right now."
Kenjakana promptly summons a Movanic Deva via Summon Good Monster VII. After receiving some quick instructions from the Sage Sorceress, the angel sets to work treating the addiction. If necessary, she summons another to finish the job.
"That should buy you some relief, Lin," says Kenjakana with a light smile. She turns toward Daniel and Mouse and asks, "...Want to go speak with Black Tom? Or should we see if we can throw our... employer's weight around to get the authorities to actually honor King Blood-Eagle and enforce his laws? I'm fine with either approach."
Kenja's words summon a man in a white toga with a stern face, bright glue eyes and the wings of a falcon. Listening to his orders, he bows and steps over to the sick; some weep at his beauty. In turn he presses his hand against their cheek, whispering "Be healed."
As he disappeared, the patrons blink and suddenly seem far more alert and aware. A few approach Kenja and whisper thanks to her, taking her hand if polite.
Lin smiles gratefully. "...this will do a great deal for them, and for others who will feel encouraged; thank you very much."
Ganorok seems "uncomfortable" at the fact Kenjakana won't get paid for "rendered services". But he don't say anything, and let the angelic being do its work.
"Where can we find this Black Tom? Maybe we can strike a deal with him."
"I think, as guests in this fair city we should at least try and go through the government first. If that doesn't work we can always take care of the issue ourselves. I wouldn't want to reflect poorly on the Queen."
Kenjakana nods toward Daniel and says, "I agree. I say we try the government first. I can't think of a reason not to at least make the effort."
The new few hours pass in a blur. The Kalsgard bureaucracy proves no match for Daniel's wiles, Kenja's silver tongue, Ganorok's cunning fingers. By the end, you've a pale-faced bureaucrat leaning back defensively as you lay written evidence and spoken accounts of his link in the chain resulting in dreaming nectar spreading through the city.
"Look, I... I made the notices, warned the bodies- the guards, the taxmen, the import department. They were stymied at every turn; forms filled out supposedly by me that I never touched, requests unanswered and the fact of my asking them destroyed."
"I even went beyond my duty, I asked at the palace- I had a friend pass a message along directly. It... it was rejected. My friend... he said it was Thorbjorn himself; the King's eldest. If this was how high it went, what was I to do but stay silent?"
Ganorok smiles.
"You have done what you can. Now we will do what we can."
He turns towards the others.
"So, ready to give Black Tom a visit?"
A young man in city livery appears to you when you leave the building. "Excuse me; are you sirs Ganorok, Haldern, Daniel and lady Kenjakana? Lady Senna sent me with a message."
"Lady Senna has word of a public announcement in front of the palace imminently; she suggests you attend."
"...It probably wouldn't be a bad idea to speak with Black Tom, but I get the feeling that this mess goes much higher than him, Ganorok. We should get Sir Haldern. I know his 'authority' here is somewhat ceremonial, but I trust his sense of judgement."
If there are no objections, Kenjakana locates the Shining Knight and explains the entire situation to him; before she can propose any actions, the messenger interrupts them.
"...As much as I hate to leave this whole drug fiasco hanging, if Senna thinks that it's important, we should go see what that announcement is about."
Leaving the Jade Quarter, you follow your way through the inner walls to the front of the palace quarter; an immense series of concentric stone rings with a great wooden fort inside, carved figures on the roof of dragons, linnorms and great animals adding rare personality to the building.
A hefty training ground in front of the palace has been transformed into a crude plaza; an old well is surrounded by stone benches, and people throng its clear white stones. As you take your place among the crowd, it seems charged with anticipation. At the front of the plaza, six men in hefty iron armor daubed with sigils of Gorum stand, arms crossed and weapons sheathed. Behind them stands a fearsome figure of a man, clad in a short vest of thick white fur, a golden belt around his waist and thick silver rings on his fingers. His face is covered by a fearsome mask of bone, carved to form a terrifying animal skull. His bare arms are thick with ritualistic scarring and burning.
The murmurs of the crowd are enough to identify him; Sveinn's eldest, Thorbjorn of the Flesh.
Discreetly pushing his way through the crowd, Haldern comes close enough to focus his holy gaze on Thorbjorn. He fails to detect any aura of evil, but he detects the flickers of one- the buds of an evil aura possibly about to bloom.
A door opens, and the line of men parts to reveal a man with thick black armor and blood-red paint streaking from his eyes; his skin and ears mark him as a half-orc. He raises a clenched fist to the crowd.
"Silence!"
The crowd quietens.
"Here, in the sight of Gorum and all holies and unholies, I declare myself Talhzorg, High Priest of Gorum in Kalsgard!"
"Here, in the sight of heroes and ancestors, I declare a linnorm sighted, and claimants ready!"
"Step forward."
Thorbjorn steps forward with a confident swagger. He slaps his chest and raises a hand to the crowd, eliciting a few cheers. "Thorbjorn of the Flesh!"
From the side, a woman steps forward; short, with bright blue eyes, wearing chainmail and wolfskin. A heavy silver belt is wrapped around her waist as she focuses a calculating gaze on Thorbjorn. "Hela Arnesdottir!"
"Do you swear, in the sight of the dead and the living, to pursue your quarry with solely your own strengths?" They so swear. Talhzorg raises his fist again. "Then the claims are brought. Tomorrow at dawn, leave this city to seek linnorm-blood, and the blessing of fate."
He and his other priests turn and walk off into the streets; Thorbjorn and Hela eye eachother, then Thorbjorn makes to leave for the palace, and Hela off into the city.
Daniel looks to the others, "I don't like her chances, though I worry more about the competition than the linnorm. Should we try and talk with her?"
"I'd like to talk to both of them. Is there some form of party tonight before the claimants go out in the morning? Even the Church of Ioemedae, an organization NOT famous for its parties, would have a celebration for somebody setting out on a quest"
"And we need to deal with the drugs issue."
"We can probably tackle both, though it would be on a tight schedule. Given her current position, Hela shouldn't be too hard to track down. As for the other issues, we could 'talk' with Black Tom for confirmation about the information we have, but I'm not sure what we could do with him afterward. I don't we can persuade him to stop. We turn him over to the authorities, and he's probably back out on the streets by tomorrow. I'm not opposed to a little vigilante justice, but... that seems a bit cutthroat, and I don't think everyone present would agree with such methods."
Kenjakana briefly glances at Sir Haldern before continuing.
"I could use Limited Wish to Commune with Iomedae (or someone like her) for confirmation about Thorbjorn's role in this drug nightmare. It'd be a little expensive (or cost me a pint of blood), but it'd be a tad... nicer. Any other ideas?"
"We can talk with Black Tom, hear what he tell us, and then provide that information to the authorities, together with Black Tom if that is the case."
"I think Black Tom can wait a bit. We should talk to Hela while we can and see what kind of person she is. I've got a bad feeling about this hunt."
Asking a few in the crowd is enough to discover that Hela is hosting a large party at one of the city's tavern's; she paid for drinks for anyone who comes with an immense diamond-studded tooth of ivory she claims was retrieved from the tomb of a beast-king at the Crown of the World. Thorbjorn will be celebrating privately with friends and dignitaries.
Following directions from a few passer-bys, beneath an ebon sky you cross through Kalsgard's streets and find yourself in front of a squad wooden building with a large slab or ash over the top- BLOODOAK'S BREWERY
Entering, the place is thronging with life. An old brewery converted to a bar and fighting pits in enormous barrels to the west, citizenry of Kaslgard drink, swear, sing and dance to twenty songs and two hundred ales and wines. In one of the enormous barrels, a sweaty Hela clumsily boxes with a wiry Tian man wearing thick gloves; despite her inexperienced blows, she lands with enough force to shatter rock.
Ganorok turns towards Kenjakana.
"Can I fetch you a drink?"
He moves between the people, eyes and ears open while he fetch the drinks.
Before the group enters the establishment, Kenjakana casts Heroism.
"...Sure thing," says Kenjakana to Ganorok after a moment of consideration.
Haldern learns that she is regarded as honorable, stubborn and down-to-earth. She is a powerful fighter with her chosen weapon, a mighty greatsword of adamantium. He detects no evil auras.
Aside from the personality discovered by Haldern, Kenja discovers that the town is cautiously enthusiastic about her. She's a stranger, but she's arrived and bought many drinks and promises to commit herself honorably tomorrow; she could be a fine leader, the leader Sveinn was looking for.
To Ganorok's experienced ears, the crowd is generally celebrating Hela, or at least doing so for a few drinks. He spots more or less equal amounts of genuine revellers, and those just here for drinks or here to try and size up the potential king. Your band gets a few strange looks, but with you being generally unknown and not having declared your intention to fight a linnorm, less than usual. The revellers are eagerly discussing tomorrow's hunt, and the ensuing bout between Hela and Thorbjorn, curiously speculating on who the victor might be.
Kalsgard taverns are not known for their cheese stocks.
Ganorok returns with some dark beer for all the team, starting with Kenjakana.
"Nice crowd, Hela is doing her best to like them, and they are doing their best to like her. I hope I never have to face her one-on-one."
His whiskers fill with foam from his beer.
With a final punch, Hela downs her partner to a great cheer. Retrieving a wineskin, she drinks deeply as someone wanders over and pokes her opponent with a wand until he's back on his feet; the two grip hands before they part, and Hela wanders into a section of the crowd to celebrate, retrieving a greatsword leaning against the barrel wall.