And a pile of s$+* isn't one of the better toppings for a fruit bowl. Jominda thinks. "Wasn't this supposed to be talking over food? Maybe that helps with my frustration." Jominda states, grabs a pair of dried saussages and gives the count a glare. Then she turns her attention to eating.
"So, you cast out Thomas, and while he was away, we saved him from an unjust execution. While he invited us over here, you were assaulted by the Whispering way and a mage named Vrood, who locked you in your castle. Thomas, in the meantime, hasn't shown up back here, you say." Kendra summarises.
"And the complete freakshow we found in some of those buildings higher up the mountain have to do with your quest to create a child for you and your wife, which ended up with Thomas. And then a quest to bring your wife back to life. Am I correct so far?" Kendra asks.
Herm moves to say something but holds his tongue
"Yes." the Count answers. It's easy to see that he doesn't agree fully, but wants to see where Kendra is going with that before deciding on correcting minor details.
[b]"SO we have to find this Vrood, do you know where he was heading?"[b] Herm asks
"Or really, what would you suggest we do now? And where do you think Thomas is?"
"They talked about going to the Shudderwood next. I guess they will visit Ascanar Lodge. It's the only place in that wood." Caromarc speculates.
Right then someone hammers at the large iron door of the manse.
"I'll get it." Jominda tells and jumps up from her chair. She runs through the arrow corridor to the door and opens the eyeslit.
"Sorry. Me knocked too hard." Thomas tells shyly.
Jominda opens the door. "There you are. We were worried as we didn't find you here. Come in." she invites him and leads him to the dinner room.
"See who is here!"
"Hello Thomas, did something or someone waylay you?" Herm asks clearing some furniture so that Thomas does not destroy it.
Thomas sits down on the floor, as the chairs are all not his size. "These large green people with their green guard dogs wouldn't let me in. But now they gone."
Jominda ponders telling Thomas that these were bad green people but decides otherwise. She offers him one of the dried saussages. "You want one? They're tasty"
"No. Me never hungry." Thomas rejects the offer.
"Thomas! How good to see you." Kendra smiles. "We got rid of the big green men for you. They were a bit naughty."
Kendra watches the count to see his reaction on Thomas.
The Count is visibly uncomfortable. He is used to see the Beast as a tool. Something to steer around when needed and abandoned when not. To have it sit here with a name and being treated like an individual shatters his world view in which he deemed himself the good guy. And he is not willing to give that up yet.
"Please, count, have something to drink. Kendra says as she offers him some more fresh water and the plate of sausages. She looks at him as if to prompt him to talk some more.
Caromarc takes something from the offered food and drink. "I'd like to thank you again. For saving my life and also for taking care of the... Thomas. I'd like to show my gratitude by compensating you for your efforts and the pain the work of the Whispering way - and my creations that should originally protect me - have caused you in my castle."
"If you'd come with me to Lepidstadt tomorrow I'd get you the money at the temple of Abadar. Of course you can't weigh a life in coins, but I offer you 250 platinum each. And if you go after this Vrood to end this evil man once and for all I'll double that."
"What are you going to do with Thomas?" Herm asks
"I guess the best choice would be to give him a room here. Caromarc replies, unsure what room that should be.
Thomas gets a wide grin on his crooked face.
"Maybe we should ask Thomas what he wants to do. He could probably come with us if he wanted."
"I don't think what we go through to follow these evil cultists is not what we should expose Thomas to." Jominda objects.
"I think we shouldn't decide for Thomas what he wants to be exposed to." Kendra says.
She turns to Thomas. "We'll be going after some bad men, soon, and you're welcome to join us." she says. She minds Thomas' wide grin from earlier as she gives him another option.
"I would of course completely understand if you wish to stay with your father here, and perhaps help him rebuild his castle. I think he can do with your protection at the moment as well." Kendra says.
"Or, of course, something else entirely. The choice is up to you."
"Thomas may attract some unwanted attention, Not that I don't want you with us Thomas but at times people as you know are not always accepting of something they don't understand." Herm Says while walking around
"Me take room in Schloss!" Thomas answers.
Kendra smiles warmly at Thomas. "That is wonderful."
She stands up and gives Thomas' left arm a hug.
For the Count this is a disconcerting act. But he tries not to show it.
"I'll show you around later, what rooms there are. Maybe I need to reconfigure something, to fit your size." the Count tells and changes the topic.
"Would you mind to borrow me some alchemical ingredients? Mine got all destroyed, and I'd like to create some extracts to get me back to full health."
66/66 HP
Atk +14/9 Dmg 2d6+10
Pwr atk +12/7 (2d6+16)
Smite +14/9 (2d6+22/28 if evil or undead)
Smite 3/3
LoH 5/5 (3d6)
Wand CLW 50/50
Potion of CLW 1
Potion of CMW 5
Channel 2/2 (4d6)
Divine Bond (angelic) 1/1
Inheritor's gauntlet 1/1
Bless Equipment - 1 use of Channel for 4 rounds
Herm Lays another hand on the count, holy energy filling the man
"Thanks a lot - " the Count tells Herm "but I believe I suffered some more severe effects I need restoration from. It's no big deal, with a few ingredients I can fix that in an hour or so." he adds turning to the two obvious alchemists at the table.
Jominda checks her pouch and pulls out a tiny envelope with some symbol drawn on it and shoves it over the table.
The count accepts it with a nod. He downs his drink and pours the content of the envelope into the glass. Adding some water, he stirs it for a while and works his magic on the solution.
"DO you know where this Vrood has headed too and anything about him?" Herm asks the count
"They mentioned going into the Shudderwood. I'd guess they are visiting Ascanor Lodge, as it is the only thing in the whole area." Caromarc replies.
"About Vrood I know nothing specific."
"Can you direct us there? We should stop at Lepidstadt first and get some provisions and mounts to head there." Herm says taking stock of his items.
"Of cause I can. And I'd write you an invitation as my guests for the Lodge." Caromarc replies. "The path there is the one running past the Schloss. But preparing in Lepidstadt first would be advisable."
"What is the lodge?" Kendra asks, hoping the count could add to her own knowledge of the place.
"It is a posh hunting lodge. An exclusive one. It is by invitation or reservation only. But being a Count is still worth something around here. So as a member of Ustalav’s hereditary nobility, I can write you a letter of introduction to the lodge’s warden, Estovion Lozarov." Caromarc explains.
"What are you hunting there? And why the secluded place?" Jominda asks suspicious.
"You can hunt whatever you want. Some game lives in the woods, even very special ones. And if you have the money, you can even have more special game brought there." Caromarc tells.
"You'll see. There is a room, where the most interesting trophies are on display."
"I believe we've seen some of that." Kendra admits.
"You've been there?" the count asks puzzled. But after a moment, he recognizes his error. "Oh, you mean my 'trophy' room. No, I'm no hunter, I'm a collector. But the resulting collection is indeed similar. Only that I put the curious up front, where in the lodge you'd find the most dangerous in the prominent place."
"Maybe you should invite some of those hunters to your schloss then. Because there are a lot of your collections running freely now. And we took only care of those being directly in our way." Jominda suggests.
"Indeed." Caromarc sighs and downs the extract he was creating.
"I'm sure Thomas would love to help too," Kendra comments as she looks at the Golem, which to her looks tobe positively beaming.
Helping is in the preferred line of work for Thomas, his crooked smile getting even wider.
"Thomas could help you rebuild your home back up to what it was I would think. Teach him how and he can do great things." Herm says.
"I would like to enhance some of my things, My hammer did well but I believe it can be better altered to do even better."
The evening passes with some more chatter about the Schloss, the Count and who the people who saved him are. As that topic is done too and the weather not being that interesting to talk about the conversation moves to common interests - alchemy. An interest for explosions on Jominda's side and some really bad experiences with explosions on the Count's side lead to an interesting argument. And you get to know that an attempt of concentrating alchemists fire under pressure led to the loos of the wall in that once building.
The Count gives a tour through the manse, explaining how he got which exhibits and why. Finally all retreat to go to sleep. With the count back, Jominda no longer gets to sleep in the large bedroom.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Next morning.
After another one of Kendra's delicious breakfasts the group leaves the Schloss. The count is really uncomfortable with that. Even more so, as the coach is broken for firewood and the horses eaten. Which means walking. Thomas is left to guard the Schloss until all return.
After a days walk you reach Lepidstadt, and the count - true to his word - hands each of you 500pp at the local temple of Abadar.