"Shouldn't we be worried about that thing going on a rampage outside?" Faerveren asks.
"We should check. Not that it comes back!" Persephone comments. "And we need to check on Zokar. But we have no cold iron weapon, how important is that?"
"You can still wound that thing. You only need to hit it harder. Or find a priest to send it back to the abyss. Your best bet is probably a group of strong warriors who club it to death."
Faerveren walks outside and listens into the night to hear if there is some screaming heard.
The only noise is from the inside. Closing the door and walking a few steps away brings the joy of fresh air. And even deeper silence. A dog barks somewhere in the distance and a watch patrol walks past on the next crossing. The house of flame looks most impressive at this time. The tallest building on the highest place in old town it stands out. With the magic torches dousing the white front in the light of licking flames it's like a beacon at night.
Faerveren sticks her head back in. "It seems to be gone for good. I'm off to Zokar." With that she leaves.
Persephone pours the spoiled ale into the sewer - there still is a large enough opening into it right in front of the tavern. She puts the buckets inside and proclaims "Okay, time to check on Zokar."
With everyone interested to join in she hurries after Faerveren to the general store.
At the store you find a distraught Zokar and some bruised guards. The shop looks like a whirlwind went through it.
"Those whirlwinds appeared inside the shop and through everything off the shelves! And then they attacked the guards! And after a minute they vanished!"
"Now looks at this mess! That'll take hours to clean up!"
"We obviously have a caster on our hands. How to locate a caster? We need a plan."
"A plan to defend against that, or a plan to catch that caster?"
"Are you going to the city watch tomorrow telling them?"
"Catch a caster. I see no reason to change out city guard plans at this time. It has escalated, so we may get more of their attention."
"Well, if that caster isn't as incompetent as we were today with our attempt to hide our identity that will be hard. Because that mage can show up any time, in any disguise, check if someone is around to catch him and if not, send another one of those magical minions."
"True. Summoning does not break invisibility. I can cast see invisibility and it will last 40 minutes."
"And there is invisibility alarm. Same duration."
"That means with all of your spells you can hide away and detect that mage making another attempt for how long?"
"And we can only be in one place. And the dude - or gal - could just come along as a dirt farmer in rags."
"How about we rough up some of those thugs to get some first hand information." Persephone suggests, a mean smirk flaring up on her face. "Well, they'd tell us that Gorm is their boss. That wouldn't help any. Or do you think it is him?"
"I think Gorm reports to the Marinelli family. I would like to get the source, not the symptoms. Let's see how the city guard reacts."
"Then let's call it a day. But before we have to help fix that mess."
Persephone heals the two guards and orders them to help Zokar to clean up the shop. She helps too.
After this mess is cleaned up too, and Zokar hands over the coin to pay the guards, everyone goes home to sleep. Hopefully there will be no more assaults this night.
The next morning starts like so many before with the sound of the bell echoing through town.
The weather is uncomfortable. It is chill, with high fog hiding the sun. The wet cold creeps into everyone's bones. The smoke from the many chimneys is held down by the weather, making the whole city smell of it.
Menan makes his way to the city guard. "Good morning, Carl. Does the captain have a morning drink she prefers? If so, i would like to purchase one for her. Can I get it here?"
"The only thing you get to drink here is watered down wine. And they water it thoroughly. She's back there on the training yard assigning the tasks for the day."
"Thank you, Carl." Menan makes his way to the training yard but does not enter. He waits for her to finish her duties.
Kasadei comes from the training yard to enter the building again. Seeing Menan she comes over. "Good morning. What happened, to bring you here again?"
"Well, it is a long complicated story I have for you. I am interested in your position on a matter like this. Several establishments have been paying extremely high prices for wine they do not want in order to not become the victims of the thugs selling it. The citizens signed a formal complaint and request for your intervention. Before I could deliver it to you, there were at least two attacks on the owners' establishments last night. A demon of some sort and an elemental whirlwind. There were injuries but none serious."
Kasadei invited Menan into her office. There she asks for the letter. After the details about what happened are exchanged she offers "I can tell the guards of the night shift to have an eye on those shops. That it happens the same day and at all of the shops makes it clear that this is no random event. But also it is hard to pin that on anyone specific."
"The thugs doing the deliveries and taking the money are not the true problem. It is who they are working for that should be dealt with. I will let the merchants know that you will have a presence. They are ready to take matters into their own hands and I do not see that going well for anyone. They have hired private guards and stopped paying, hence the attacks."
"Hiring guards is a valid response. But 'taking things in their own hands' can lead to them being on my bad side. I don't know what exactly you mean with that phrase, but if they consider kicking in doors and beating up people, tell them to not do that. Anyone you catch red handed calling demons though..."
"Your position is understood and expected. I will relay that as well. On another note I would like to clarify what was done about the ghost in the castle. There is some concern that it was not eradicated and the area is simply posted as dangerous. Can you give me the details on what was done there?"
"Exactly that. They investigated the area and the house. Then they advised to fence off the area and put up 'beware of the ghost' signs basically."
"The explanation went along the lines of: You can't destroy a shost, only have it cease to exist once its unfinished business is concluded. And it might as well be an eternal grudge that cries for retribution in blood, then that is not an option."
"You being the first in the decades anyone remembers let's that look like a reasonable solution."
Menan politely excuses himself and thanks the captain for her time and service to the community. He heads to the market and locates Arawyn.
Persephone gets up. She doesn't like it. So she walk upstairs to find some company for her misery. In the bedroom she greets Faerveren. "Hey, why don't you go to work?"
Faerveren still in bed and properly tucked in makes a displeased noise and turns away from the gadfly. "Because I don't have to." she answers curtly.
"How about you get up and make me breakfast before I have to go to work." Persephone 'suggests'.
"No." Faerveren pulls the blanket over her head.
Persephone gives up. She grabs two apples and leaves the house towards the docks. One apple she eats on her way, one she saves for later.
At the office of the Marinelli Inc. she opens the door and walks in.
"Good morning." she greets Gorm, but it doesn't sound very persuasive. "What is there to do for today?"
Arawyn has made a breakfast the way she learned from Faerveren. She motions Menan over and offers him the tasty cheese and fruits she gathered. "How was the meeting with the guard?"
"More informative than productive. They are going to increase their presence around those establishments. That is about it. I believe push will meet shove soon enough and the guard will not be there. How would you like to spend your day?"
"Let's take the animals for a ride in the woods." Menan agrees with a smile.
After a vigorous ride and nice lunch at the market Menan indicates he needs to do some research on the old castle at the temple. Arawyn indicates she will spend the rest of the day with the animals.
When Menan enters the temple he knows the routine and drops coin in the offering plate. He indicates he is looking for information on the old castle and its occupants.
Menan finds that some decades ago this was the home of Fallon, Duke of Seacrest, ruler of the area. He finds this information in a handwritten book about the rise of Abadon fron the ruins of Seacrest.
It is a glorified version of history. It describes how the backwater village of Seacrest grows to it's great state of civilization under the lead of Abadar - through his clergy. As an introduction there are just two pages describing the situation in Secrest to start with.
Seacrest was basically the old town plus the castle yard on the eastern hills where now only the haunted house is left plus the harbor. The duke died without a heir and from that the city was founded anew as Abadon, with the newly built temple of Abadar at it's center.
Menan believes he is headed in the proper direction but needs to do more research on this duke and his family another day. He heads over to Arawyn and the two make their way to The Pig's Whistle to see what is going on over there.
At the Marinelli Inc. office.
"You know how to talk. You'll be my personal assistant today. There is a man named Vanderbuilt who will come in today. You'll sit on my desk here. When that man comes he'll ask to see someone. You bring him to me. You'll address me by Sir only. No names. I'll ask you to bring the contract then. You find it here in this drawer." Gorm pulls open the drawer to show it.
"You come back and hand it to me with a nice phrase and then you leave and close the door behind you. Is that clear? Repeat it to me."
"Welcome, how can I help you? Guy introduces himself and asks for you. Please follow me. Bring him into the office. Sir, your visitor Mr. Vanderbuilt. You ask for the contract. I fetch it and hand it to you. Here are the papers. I leave, close the door and continue to look busy at your desk." Persephone repeats in a monotonous voice.
"Good. I'll be in the other room." Gorm states and leaves his desk. He unlocks the door and enters his new management office, closing the door behind him.
Persephone takes a seat. She checks on the envelope only to find it glued shut. Damn
She busies herself with reading a ledger from the shelf, she usually works with.
About an hour later a well dressed man appears in the office, with a quizzical look. "Good morning. I'm looking for Mr. Marinelli."
Looks the part, but looking for Marinelli? "Good morning. And you are?"
"Vanderbuilt is my name."
"Ah, yes. You have been expected. Please follow me." Persephone gets up and leads Mr. Vanderbuilt into the office where Gorm is.
"Sir, Mr. Vanderbuilt is here for you."
"Greetings Mr. Vanderbuilt. Please take a seat." The room has a heavy desk made from exotic wood. Two matching leather armchairs. The whole wall of this room is clad in this wood up to five feet. A oil portrait hangs on the right wall. It is not obvious who that should be. Behind the desk are two narrow windows, high on the wall.
"Miss Percy, bring me the contract."