Flandrion replies, "The one who chased us out of the village we were in this morning."
"Oh. I hope we can make things difficult for him!"
"It's tempting to throw him to the crows, I'd say! What shall we do with him, then?"
Flandrion says, "As for the guy we've got now, we turn him over to the law. As for the evil wizard that our prisoner is working for, we're going to have to find him first. Unless he comes to us trying to free our prisoner."
The rest of the journey passes uneventfully and the party reaches Silvam just before dark.
For those that haven't there before, Silvam is a small village that has an inn/ tavern, a blacksmith's shop and a church along with a few houses. The Baron lives about 1km north of the village in a fortified manor.
Flandrion says, "Sounds good to me. The sooner we get the prisoner off our hands and safely locked away in a dungeon the better."
Of course. Assuming he'll see us. It's not dark enough yet that he'll have locked up, and turning over the incompetent's apprentice before his master can concoct something more meaningful than birds is probably for the best.
Bendalis looks north along the road to the manor, judging the shadows fall.
With all in agreement you press on to the Baron's manor house. The gate is answered by his servant Josep. "Greetings once again, I see you have gained and lost some companions, hopefully all is still well with you. Did you find what you sought?"
Pointing with a thumb to the prisoner, Draalûsh says to the guard: "My friend here is right. This one's a nasty piece of work!
Bendalis keeps quiet, allowing the familiar faces to take the lead with the human guards and attendant.
I wonder if they would be so welcoming if we were here alone? At least we've arrived with good companions, and this wretch deserves a trial. Murder in pursuit of magic, ugh. What do they teach these barbarians? This land is full of strangeness.
Flandrion too keeps quiet, largely because the only thing he can personally testify to is what happened in the village.
"The baron is currently taking dinner with his cousin, I am sure if you wait in the study he will join there later. There are drinks in there and am sure the kitchen can whip up something for you."
Josep takes you back to the house, lets you inside and immediately brings you into a room. From your brief look down the hallway, you can see a staircase leading up to the second floor and several paintings, statues and trinkets down the hall. The room he brings you to is a decent size, it can easily hold the entire party, without feeling cramped. There are seats for 8 people in the room with side tables where people could put drinks or food. There is a larger table with about a dozen glasses and some kind of alcohol in a stoppered glass container.
The one wall is dominated by a huge painting of a battle scene, it shows a grand charge by knights against a horde of orcs. Above the table with the alcohol is a mirror. The exterior wall has several windows looking out onto the grounds. The other short wall has three portraits.
Flandrion wanders around the room a bit looking at the paintings, then finds a spot to sit down.
Looking at the painting, Draalûsh just comments: "That sort of scene looks almost familiar. But much more dramatic."
Ah, gardens. I had wondered. Perhaps the baron will allow us to view the grounds in the morning, when the light is better.
Bendalis smiles fondly out the window, then glances at the table and setting.
Still, for now the intricate dances are indoors.
She pauses a moment beside her chair, then seats herself.
Draalûsh follows Bendalis' lead and sits in one of the chairs. His chair groans slightly. Since he's much heavier than the taller Elf.
"Nice furniture. But it seems to be made for people taller and thinner than me!"
He just looks around the room, taking in all he sees.
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Hailey removes the scroll of Ray of Enfeeblement and has it at the ready. Then she looks at the rest of the party and grins.
"Relax, I'm not going to hex anyone with this scroll. I just think a scroll of magic the baron would consider black at best, penned by this loser's own hand, would make great evidence, but I'm not about to give up the spellbook. So, I'll part with this scroll. I know the spell and can make a scroll of it myself if I should wish to."
Hailey then decides to tell these newcomers the entire story of their journey from the moment she first arrived in the inn, with the exception of the few posts before she came into the inn for she would have no way of knowing those, and of the events that took place when the party split to save the priest, for she wouldn't know what happened on the quest to save him, either.
Draalûsh listens carefully to Hailey's account of the goings on.
"It does sound like Ustalav is …. Often dangerous, of course. But interesting all the same."
Truly.
Bendalis listens with a smile on her lips.
As Hailey winds down, she comments.
Now all we need is our host.
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After staying quiet through Haileys accounting of the troupe, Garekk speaks up. "I am quite concerned about this myself. Not only that, but if he had the power to project his voice and to kill those crows, how did we make it here safely? And are we safe even here? The sooner we can find a lead to this creature and dispose of him, the better."
Flandrion says, "It may have been that using those crows to scare people was all Mr. Devil could do on relatively short notice. If it worked he would have got the townspeople to do his work for him with what could have been small effort on his part. If it failed, at the very least he made people fearful of him for a while."
"I can think of several ways Mr. Devil could have tracked his assistant. Or he may have simply guessed as to where you would be. In the long run the specifics may not matter. We are arguably going to have to put an end to him regardless."
Josep returns about 5 minutes after he left with a tray of bread, cheese and sausage. He leaves again after depositing it on one of the tables.
About 15 minutes later the Baron enters. The baron is a rather average looking man wearing good quality clothes as befits a noble. He is followed in by another man, this one is dressed in more outlandish clothes and has an air of daring to go with his thin mustache and pale skin.
I was not expecting you back for several weeks, it is a long journey to where you were headed last I spoke to you. Trouble on the road? I see you have found some new friends and lost some old ones. But where are my manners, may I present to you Count Micael Tepes, recently returned from a journey to the lands south of the Inner Sea."
Draalûsh stands up and bows awkwardly to the Baron and Count. Hello! I am Draalûsh. From the small Human town of Trunau in Belkzen. I was a weapon-smith and made many weapons to fight against Orcs. In Trunau and Lastwall. I am now trying to put my newfound fire magic talents to use. I only recently arrived in Ustalav and joined my new friends here on the road."
Draalûsh clearly lacks social refinement. But shows a surprising amount of charm for a squat and sturdy Half-Orc.
Flandrion rises and then bows to the Baron and the Count. Flandrion says, "My name is Flandrion. I have only recently arrived in Ustalav from Kyonin. Things that happened the other day required that I join forces with these other fine people here to deal with a serious problem. I will let them tell the tale as what I can actually speak to is only a small part of what needs to be said."
Flandrion then sits back down.
Bendalis inclines her head tactfully.
Charmed. I admit I do not recognize your house sir, but I am myself newly come to Ustalav. I would hear of your travels, and perhaps more of yourself Sir Count. Although I admit we bring grave tidings and a man for the Baron's justice.
She shrugs apologetically.
Duty before entertainment, I fear. Our companions have caught a murderer.
"Yes, as my other companions have mentioned, we bring to you yet another man, guilty of crimes against the people of Ustalav."
He gives both men a small bow, as if forgetting. He then turns to the window and stares out for a moment before turning back to the group.
"I do have one misgiving, however. This man's master has made it clear he does not like our meddling. I fear that leaving him here in your possession likely endangers your lives as well as all those under you. Yet, this man deserves to be imprisoned and tried for his crimes."
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Garekk bows to the newcomer after the introductions, and stays quiet through the rest of the conversation. After Swift speaks of his misgivings, Garekk steps forward. "My lord, there is also another problem. The village in which we sheltered also turned on us with the help of the local captain of your guard. I know that these villagers were frightened, but it should also come to your attention that they behaved this way knowing that we were doing your work and associated with you."
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"We should also point out that this man is a murderer and a misuser of the magic arts. I have proof, again." She offers the baron the scroll of Ray of Enfeeblement. "This particular spell was found among his belongings, along with several others which should be turned in to my church. That particular spell hexes the strength of the person it is cast upon. I know that because it's my business to know it. I also know that this man's power level is insufficient to be the mastermind we're seeking. At least I know what he is, a wizard, but one who is roughly on par or at best only slightly stronger than the priest of Pharasma is.
"That does not change the fact that this man kidnapped a woman and a child, and slit their throats to use both blood and body for a purpose that, trust me, you'd probably rather I not explain. Let me just say it would disgust you and panic the village. And was probably responsible for the ghoul that killed the woman's husband and nearly killed a village priest.
"The point is, this man took orders from something that spoke Infernal, the tongue of outsiders who revel in evil but rely on the letter of the law to protect and guide them, in a twisted way. Something even I did not actually see, but certainly powerful enough to seize crows and speak through them, then kill them casually. So you've got some very serious trouble around here. It's all related to some new variation, some cult called the dark path."
At this point, Hailey realizes that she should probably stop speaking before she digs herself into a hole.
"So the question really is, what do we do with the captured necromancer and his employer? And weren't you headed far to the north of Ustalav to visit some ruins of an old castle? I am guessing you never made it there."
"I am a newcomer to Ustalav and have not yet made it that castle myself." Draalûsh says sincerely.
He looks expectantly at Hailey for a moment for a much better explanation, and whispers to her; "Castle? What castle?"
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"Instead of a full castle, we certainly found a stronghold after going through a portal that led us to the most delightful place . . . In fact, it's where we found him. Oh. But you don't know about that yet. Very well. After we left you . . ."
Hailey then explains to the baron the entire story of everything that happened after they last parted company with him, stopping only when the crows brought a message to the village, and leaving out only that she's become a wizard herself.
Draalûsh nods gravely to emphasize anything Hailey seems to get excited about in her story.
Swift will listen intently, arms folded and grim faced, to Hailey's recounting of the past events, only interrupting to fill in or add to her tale when needed.
"My question still stands, what do you recommend we do with this necromancer and his employer?"
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Garekk bows to the baron and his brother"My lords, where I come from, one such as him would be put to death, and quickly. He shows no remorse for his actions and revels in the evil he has done. He is responsible for not only several deaths, but the desecration of their bodies. To my people, this is unforgivable."
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To my people he would be tried for the abuse of magic. If the claims of his accusers could be proven and he showed remorse he would be stripped of his power and exiled. We feel the life of atonement he might live would help redeem some of the evil he has caused. If instead he was without reason or remorse we would execute him to spare him suffering, as we would hunt a rabid bear or purge a demon. Dangers without conscience are not worth preserving simply because they wear the shape of a man, and no man should be forced to be a demon.
Bendalis smiles sadly.
I cannot say how much my input offers, for he is not one of my people, and his life flickers out even now in what seems a small time to me. You must choose your own fates, and I suspect his as well.
"I agree with Garekk. This Necromancer is one nasty piece of work! Good riddance to him! His boss probably needs to be purged too. I could provide some flames to help the others for that."
Draalûsh is sincere, but oblivious to his lack of social refinement.
Flandrion comments, "I haven't been saying much because I wasn't there when the necromancer was captured. While Bendalis has given the official answer in regards to how elves normally deal with such people, the more likely outcome would have been that he simply would have been killed on the spot."
Swift listens pensively to the other party members opinions before interjecting his own.
"Be as it may, my beliefs lay more on the compassionate side. As much as my Ustalavian blood wants this man head to pass through the noose, my time sequestered from "normal" society has tempered my outlook. Yes, this man show pay for his crimes. With his life, perhaps not, if I can be so bold as to suggest."
He pauses, looking to each member in the eye and then back at the Baron.
"But I'm a simple man, long ago stripped of any standing amongst nobles. My words are just that, words, when compared to the might you wield, Baron. I shall respect your judgement, whatever it may be..."
He gives the Baron a deep, respectful bow.
"Very well, if he admits his crimes and begs forgiveness his life will be spared. His tongue will be exercised and he will receive the brand. Is this acceptable to you?"
Flandrion nods in agreement.