"Sad, that in these trying times, there are those who cannot find peace in fair sermons," Havelyn says. He sighs and claps Thurmond's hand in his own. "Well met, and good day to you, Brother. I'm certain we shall see more of one another before our time here is through."
Once the Mitran departs, the aging knight turns his attention back to the other man the apparent manager of the establishment. "The rest of us will need baths as well, ere we take our leave. And I would ask that you keep us in mind for potential rooms, should we have need this evening. Our meeting with the Baron is not until tomorrow, so should the barracks not host us, I've a mind to return to this fine boarding." He smiles and taps his thigh as if in sudden memory. "Know you the way to the Baron's estate? I fear I'm not familiar with your fair city, and while I know I've audience, I was not furnished with directions. If you know aught of the barracks, or a tailor, I would be very grateful, as well."
Frowning at the long walk and feeling her fingers twist into tight fists at the return to a more familiar area. So many circles! What a tangled web! Please don't. You are not helping.
Smiling at the guards and resisting the urge to ask Jack to get Grumbly with everything in sight. Smiling at the innkeeper, "We are going up to visit a friend. Is that somehow an issue?"
"He is working for me," Jack said with a look to the innkeep that clearly said to keep out of the way.
Farholde -
"But Sir Knight, this man is a Drowingtown cutpurse! Not to be trusted are you aware of that?"
"Yeah, I know. And he knows I know," Jack said pointedly.
Farholde -
The Innkeep nods, "Good enough Sir, if he reaches suddenly I'd not hesitate to draw naked steel on him!"
Davey gives the man a withering look and heads up the stairs to the third floor. He walks to the far end of the hall and tries the door. "It's locked, let me get my key". He turns his back to you as he unlocks the door you hear jiggling and he laughs nervously, "Wrong key".
Finally the door is opened and he pushes it in, "Step in Sir, Madame. As you'll see this is his room, one more shiny coin and I believe we're done here. Once of course you search the room".
The room is a bit of a mess though it does have some items that would lead you to believe that an elf was in residence, clothing, a musical instrument favored by the elves. On the table is a map of the northern wilderness with some sort of cipher written on it.
Sighing at the time it takes for him to open the door but making no comment on his methods. Moving into the room and looking around while glancing back at Jack occasionally.
Glaring at the map as if it had spit on her.
Jack handed the cutpurse two gold coins. "Downstairs. I have another job for you."
He left Morana to her investigation and went back downstairs, ushering Davey ahead of him with no uncertainty that their business was done. Once he was back on the ground floor, he waved down the Innkeep. "We'll take the room the elf left, and the two on either side of it. How much?"
Farholde -
The Innkeep places his hand upon his chin and considers, "Well, the elf owed me 25 gold still. If you believe he'll not come back I'll cut 5 gold off the price for you Sir Knight. The second and third room I'll rent to you for 5 silver per night. There is someone in one of them but I can relocate for you. Let Mitra not say that I do not make my own sacrifices eh?"
"Fine." Sir Jack said, starting to count out coins. When he was done he turned back to Davey.
"I want to know everything about the elf who was staying here. Who he talked to, where he went. Anything. You find out, you tell me, you get money."
Tell the others where we are, he thought to his invisible companion.
Right away, oh feculent leader, Raaven replied respectfully, slithering invisibly away.
Farholde -
Lord Havelyn is in his bath awaiting the return of Grumble and Morana when Raaven enters his chambers.
Raaven considers meeting with Alice and Nate but with Nate's mental state, the daemon is not entirely sure that he won't break the humans mind. Soren has been far too quiet as of late. That leaves only the new member of the Knot to contact.
Menas
In the morning, all is silent from Nate's room. Even when it's well into breakfast time, not a sound is heard.
The mental whisper of Grumblejack's infernal servant slithered into Lord Havelyn's mind.
Against all reasonable odds, Grumblejack has managed to both find the last location of the missing Seventh Knot, and procure accommodations for the group, all without bloodshed. My surprise is only surpassed by my amazement.
He and Miss Soto are in the Newchurch district, at an Inn called the Wandering Friar. I think it would be prudent to relocate there as soon as possible. This string of incredible fortune becomes increasingly more likely to run out the longer our favorite Ogre is left to his own devices.
Havelyn is relaxing in the bath when Raaven arrives. He's not unused to such luxuries, but in recent years he hadn't taken great care of himself--and the escape from the slaughter hadn't left much time for such niceties. River water did little to relax and cleanse the body, so now he has the chance to partake in the warm waters... well, even vengeful knights need their rest when they can take it.
The whisper surprises him, and he starts, reaching for the sword leaning against the bath's edge for just such easy drawing. Once he realizes the message, though, he relaxes back, although still tense, his eyes more alert. Unsure of how the messaging works, he whispers aloud. "I'll tell the others as soon as I've finished here. The Wandering Friar, Newchurch. We won't be long."
True to his word, Havelyn hastens through the rest of his cleansing, and redresses and rearms quickly before moving to meet the others and relay the news. To the staff of the Crisp Morning, he smiles and bows. "My deepest thanks for your hospitality. I shall be sure to recommend you highly to my fellows, and seek you out should we indeed require more services in our time here. Mitra smiles upon thee."
Farholde -
Havelyn manages to assist Alice in getting Nate to rouse from the bath. Soren waits by the bar brooding as accompanies the companions out from the Crisp Morning into the dim light of dusk as night is approaching.
Being in the same district makes the trip quite short indeed and soon enough the Injustice Gang is back together once more. Nate collapses into his bed in a heap while the others reassemble in the middle room.
Soren speaks, "Well done my friends, has the elf left any clues behind?"
Jack just shrugged, and jerked a thick thumb toward Morana. "Dunno. Ask her."
Sighing, "Well we have his room if anyone wants to go digging though it. "
Pulling out the map she took, "And I found this. It has a cipher on it and I cannot quite figure it out. If I spend a little more time working on it I am sure I could figure it out."
Alice looks over the map. "I have NO clue..."
Jack looked over Alice's shoulder at the map.
He blinked and shook his head like a cat with something on it's nose. He could only barely read the tongue of men, but those other symbols.... he knew them. He could practically hear them whispering in his mind.
"What's an Abaddon?" he asked, jabbing a thick finger at the paper.
Farholde -
With Grumble's assistance, Morana takes a second look and realizes that the cipher once decoded, is giving directions to the Horn of Abaddon!
Sitting and staring at the map with the stupid, the rage inducing cipher, until all the symbols start dancing around. Singing a song of her failing.
Then a hand jumps into her eye line. Twitching and letting a little yelp before looking back at the cipher, "Are you sure?"
A wide smile erupts across her lips, "Then this is what we needed. This is how we can find the Horn of Abaddon!"
Alice looks impressed. "I have no clue how you did that!"
More serously, she looks at the others. "I have no idea what is wront with Nate, but its pretty serious. He's helpless as a baby and most likely delerious? If I hadnt stayed with him, he would have drowned in his bath."
"So?" Jack asked, not really sure why letting Nate drown himself in a bath would be a bad thing. "If he can't take care of himself, why should..." he trailed off, stopping himself to think. "Oh. The contract thingy. Right."
He grumbled his annoyance and rolled his eyes. "Fine. Raaven, help Nate."
You can't be serious? You... the invisible Daemon reappeared, floating nearby in the form of an indignant looking serpent. Then it turned itself inside out and inflated into it's true, round, horrible form. All five of it's eyes were half-lidded and staring balefully at it's master.
You tremendous coccydynia. You really think... fine The little daemon took a deep, calming breath and turned to face Nate.
Well, I suppose the numerous fragilities of the human psyche was a common enough conversation topic around the blood fountains back in Stygia. This is just another way of exploiting them. Give me a moment."
It's multi-hinged mouth split open wide until it's body was the shape of a hanging pentagram made of teeth and meat. It's five eyes glowed red at the inner points of the pentagram. It's split tongue writhed in it's gullet as it made hideous gurgling and gargling noises.
"Cocky-what?" Jack asked, looking down at the front of his armored codpiece.
Is Nate's madness natural?
No*
Would Aurex know what is wrong with Nate?
Yes
Without treatment, is Nate's condition permanent?
Yes**
Alice shoots Raaven a glance.
"Show off."
Farholde -
Soren grimaces and speaks as Raaven opens his connection to the lower planes, "This certainly could be a significant challenge. We cannot rely on Nate in this state if we are seeking to enter as dangerous a place as we know this Horn to be.
Perhaps we can have this Baron look after him as we explore the Horn? I am not sure what other use the Barn would have for us at this time other than perhaps supplies".
No, it was forced upon him at a young age through mundane means
Would Aurex know what is wrong with Nate?
Yes
Without treatment, is Nate's condition permanent?
Yes, but his behavior often fluctuates
Havelyn frowns and nods. "I have little understanding of what affliction affects the man. I must admit I believed you were more familiar with his behavior, and that it was not far from the ordinary." He glances at Nate and sighs. "It is true that he seems ill fit to venture with us, at present. Alas, our audience with the Baron is not until the morrow, I believe. For the time being, he may need rest here." The knight folds his arms. "Which to my mind necessitates a guardian."
Is his condition magically induced?
No
Did something recently experienced trigger this episode?
Yes
Will the episode end on it's own?
No
Raaven's disgusting reverie ended. His mouth closed and his eyes went back to their usual glossy black.
"He is insane," the little monster said simply.
"He was tortured to the point that his mind broke. It is common human weakness, as I mentioned. Most of the time he is able to manage his condition, but something recently experienced was a memory trigger. Unfortunately, the condition itself is permanent without rare treatments. The episodes are temporary, but there is no way to predict their length. We should expect a change to his condition by tomorrow morning, though what that will mean I do not know."
"My advice is to kill him. Our mission is too important to suffer the unpredictabilities of a madman in our midst."
Farholde -
The group collectively decides that the Pact will not allow them to slay Nate even if it is the wisest course of action for the mission. The group lays low, waiting for Grumble's newest agent to locate the house of the Baron for the evening's meting.
Afternoon turns to night which turns to the next morning and Nate wakes up last among the group who are collectively in the middle room eating breakfast and studying the map of the northern woods.
In the morning, all is silent from Nate's room. Even when it's well into breakfast time, not a sound is heard.
"So it's a... big rock?" Jack asked, looking quizzically at the map.
Farholde -
Soren points to the "rock" labeled Hamarhall, "I believe that is the Garrison for the city that protects the city form the north.
The Horn is within the woods, if we fllow the trail left by the elf, we will find it though it's not clear how many days that will take.
Let us rest the remainder of the day and then meet with this Baron come evening time. We will make him provide us with supplies and perhaps not two days hence we can make our way to our target destination".
"Guess I'll stay with Nate while you meet this Baron guy. I ain't much good at all the puttin' on air and high classy stuff," Jack said.
"It is not too late so simply kill him," Raaven said. "Sooner than later would be good. He is awake again, and his thoughts are... loud."
"I could also stay and watch Nate. I can do some sweet words, but I cant lie to save my life." Alice shrugs.
"I'm going to check on him now."
Alice will go to Nate's room, to check if he is all right.
Nate is lying in his bed on his back and it looks like he hasn't gotten up yet. He is taking a dagger and slowly carving away the skin on the middle finger of his left hand in very thin layers. After a moment the finger starts to bleed, and he stares at it blankly, then moves the dagger to his pointer finger. His pinky and ring finger are already bleeding.
He doesn't react to Alice opening the door or entering.
Farholde -
Soren nods to Alice and Grumble, "Very well. Then Havelyn, Morana, and myself shall attend to the Baron".
---
Baron Vandermir’s Manse -
There are only six manors in this neighborhood and Grumble's contact informed the group that arguably the most impressive and opulent of them is where their contact lives. The front door is secured by two guards wearing armor and livery. The guards are polite but firmly insistent that weapons are collected, “While invited guests you may be, no stranger may go before the Baron so armed.”
Alice emediatalely snatches the dagger away from nate. In a tone only a big sister can muster: "Nate, what do you think you are doing?"