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realsorienOkay, I got it done. Just hit 14 pages, which makes it the longest writeup to date. :)
Last time Our Heroes set two separate plans in motion, triggered by the less-then-auspicious meeting that Illyana had with a countryman. According to that ‘worthy’ individual, there is a general in town who is serving in the campaign of Montaigne against Ussura. His desire was that Illyana embarrass said general. Illyana wants nothing to do with this, not knowing who this strange Ussuran is, nor having any real idea what the general is like himself! Unfortunately for her, Erik thinks that this is a WONDERFUL idea, and he sets to planning his mischief.
His plan is to rent a catapult and pepper the unsuspecting General with manure, whereafter he and his commanders will be pelted with eggs by street-urchins! Illyana doesn’t know much of this, however, only knowing that it is NOT something that she wishes to be part of. However... She looks into the general via information brokers, and learns that he is neither nice nor honorable, thus sinking her thought of trying to convince him to follow a different path. Instead, she comes up with a mad plan of her own- eliminate the payroll of the army and it will disband, thus removing them as a threat to her homeland!
Her plan unfolds at midnight, and we start several hours before...
Everyone is at the Manor house. Erik heads upstairs, only to run into his new ‘chief of security’, the old woman from the courthouse! She confronts him, and says something to him with a snap of command: “Get your translator!” He doesn’t understand of course, but does get the gist, calling Zora upstairs. “I need 70 guilders,” is the growled request that Zora translates. “Why?” He asks in return. “I need dogs.” He nods and grants the request, at which point the woman totters down the stairs and out. Bemused by this, Erik goes back to what he was originally aiming to do- packing his belongings in preparation for a possible rapid exit, in case things go VERY wrong on the morrow! When she asks, Erik explains this to Zora, who also prepares for the likelihood.
Beyond this, Djiel and Zora have little to do. Neither has possessions to the scale of their Vestin host. Djiel ends up sitting with a cat in his lap, until the cat leaps off and goes upstairs! Curious as to this he follows, and once upstairs it sits down in front of Illyana’s door with a strange ‘mrowl’. Now concerned that someone might have gotten in via Illyana’s window, he opens the door. Within is an empty room. He makes a noncommittal grunt at the cat, and just as he’s about to shut the door Illyana, in the form of an owl, swoops in! She shifts back to human upon landing. “Is something wrong?” She asks, despite the language barrier; in his own language he grumbles something back about “white witch” and goes back downstairs.
By her arrival, Its about 2 AM. Her plan seems to have gone out without a hitch, but time will tell. The rats chewed the ropes, the tents collapsed and she heard talk of the payroll being gone... So the tale will hopefully be told in its fullest with the coming day.
At about 5 AM Armand wakes Erik. “Sir? A ship has arrived. You wished to be notified?” Erik stretches. “Ah. Yes. Thank you. Send a runner to them; tell them that they should await my call.” Armand bows and goes to fetch the runner.
Over the next few hours the rest of the household awakens. Zora going out to distribute eggs to the urchins for the chaos later in the morning, the rest coming down in their own time for breakfast. While they eat, Erik takes Armand aside. “We may be leaving rather suddenly. Take this. (He hands over the receipt for the rental of the catapult.) Use this as operational funds for the house until our return.” Armand seems almost heartbroken. “But you’re the only ones to have ever come back and cared enough to repair the manor!” Erik reassures him that they WILL be coming back, IF they leave, eventually. He also passes on 100 guilder to retain a lawyer if that is necessary. Armand isn’t fully reassured, but takes the money. Erik returns to the others as Armand returns to his duties.
As he reaches the table the doorbell chimes, causing nearly everyone to wince. At the door is another Barrister, attempting to collect on a mortgage. Erik says, “I’ll get his down payment.” The look on his face is not so much grim as it is anticipatory of mayhem. He goes upstairs, coming back down rather more quickly bearing his axe! Faced with an angry Vestin and a glowering black spearman, the man is quickly running for his life down the street! Erik is horribly torn- he knows he really oughtn’t kill the man, but Djiel is so desperate for action. In the end, the lawyer escapes his fate for the moment at least.
Zora arrives a very short time after this brief chase. She sees Djiel at the front gate, tensed and ready for a fight; she decides that perhaps the back gate is a better way in. Once inside, she finds Erik. “What did you do to Djiel?” He looks at her. “Oh, he was going to kill a lawyer.” Zora blinks. “And you didn’t let him?” Erik suddenly recalls that murder isn’t illegal in Freiburg!
With that, Erik and Zora gather what is needful for their own plans. With Djiel they make their way to the central keep and thence to the catapult. Once there, Zora calls a guard over, and requests instruction in how the device works. Its pretty simple- crank the wheel to apply tension to the firing arm, lock it with the pinion gear, load and fire. Targeting is by turning the entire contraption and changing the firing tension for range. At first, the guard is shocked that they might be lobbing fireworks, but when they explain its ‘confetti’ he calms.
However, Erik wants to get the range of the weapon just right. To this end he decides to make a ranging shot with a bale of hay. He gets it perfect on the first try, the bale impacting just where he wanted... And nearly killing a pedestrian in the process! He notes the man still lives, and is satisfied that they’re ready. Djiel, watching all of this is bored out of his mind. He has no idea what exactly is going on, and wishes that White Devil (Erik) would give him an enemy, or at least something to do.
WIth her friends off on the matter of their own deviltry, Illyana goes out to fulfill her own obligations from the acts of the previous night. She takes her bag of grain, 50# rather than the promised 20#, making her way to the river as close to ‘stinky rock’ as she can get. She shifts to sealform, and drags the grain to the drop-point. Once this is accomplished, she goes back to human form and heads for the parade route. However... Something isn’t right. Even in a city like Freiburg you’d expect preparations for a parade, and the route isn’t being cleared. In fact, it seems like business as usual all around. This is noticed by both Illyana on the street and her compatriots on the wall, leaving them all wondering just what’s happened.
Illyana asks a few people if they know what happened with the parade; however, none even are aware that there was one scheduled! So, realizing that she’ll find out nothing further through this tack, she makes her way to the keep and the information booth therein. Zora sees her enter, and hails her. “What are you doing here?” Illyana looks up and says, “Getting information.” Paying the man at the counter, she learns that the parade had been cancelled due to lack of funding! This cheers here, as it means that her plan was at least partly successful; it also means that Erik’s plan is a wash without her actually having to interfere! She makes her way back out to perform the next of her chores, totally forgetting to let her friends on the wall know what has occurred.
After Illyana has left without a word, the remaining adventurers are still on the wall, wondering what has occurred. Finally Erik sends Zora down to the information booth to try and find out. Using innuendo and sex-appeal more than finance she gets a slightly different story- the parade WAS cancelled, but there is a fair possibility that it will take place later in the week. Such changes of plan aren’t unusual in Freiburg.
Back upon the wall, Zora relays this to Erik. He’s not happy at the news, and is angry that Illyana didn’t see fit to pass it on to them before she left! Partly out of frustration and spite, he fires off the load of manure anyway, pelting the throng of citizenry in the target area with clods of ordure! With this small measure of satisfaction the trio make their way back to the Manor.
From there, Erik asks Zora to fetch his men from the ship. Djiel, thoroughly frustrated goes and works in the mead hall, the carpenter now on site. Erik simply sits in the Manor and fumes until at last Illyana arrives home. Her last chore, getting the haunch of meat for the badger and showing him how to find the manor is complete. Erik meets her as she enters, glowering. “Dovsidanya,” She says, seeing the dangerous expression on his face. “Hello,” He replies. So... Did you get information from the booth?
Illyana hesitates a moment, then, looking down, bows formally to the Vestin with a sigh. “I do apologize. I did not think.” “You did not think of our being up there waiting for hours?” She doesn’t respond, and doesn’t meet his eyes. Erik isn’t mollified by this, but at least his anger has been blunted, if slightly. A short time passes in silence, at which point Erik says, “I’m going out to the mead hall now.” As he goes, Illyana starts to tell him of the badger and her arrangements, but thinks better of it and lets it pass. She remains, sitting in her chair with a glass of akavit.
She broods a time, and realizes that she needs to tell at least SOMEONE about the badger. She finds the old woman Erik has hired. “I need to tell you of something,” She begins, the woman impatiently waiting for her to continue. “There will be badger. It will be here because of me.” The woman looks at Illyana like she’s a bit mad. “I’ll not have any rats in here!” Illyana stops for a moment at that, then continues. “Is not rat. Is... Additional protection. About this (she gestures, hands apart) large.” The woman thinks about it for a moment. “Then it can stay in the shed.” “Da. That will be fine.”
Out in the mead hall, Erik is as happy as someone trying not to be happy can be. The hall is finished, and is a wonder to behold, and is designed to deal with the likely damage to come, being as it will be occupied by a rowdy crew of Vestin warriors! In the finishing stages of the work, Djiel has demonstrated a tremendous skill with carpentry, especially in the driving of nails- he’s developed the talent of tossing a nail into the air and, while it is still in the air, SLAMMING it with the hammer and driving it home! Both an impressive and somewhat unsettling act to witness.
With this matter no longer pressing, Erik decides that it is time that the so-called ‘haunted house’ of the artifact-thief be dealt with. He gathers Zora and Djiel with this purpose in mind, and grudgingly invites Illyana along as well- he’s still mad at her, and seriously considers leaving her behind.
They make their way to the estate. In some ways its more impressive even than their own property- three stories tall, with ample grounds surrounded by an iron-gated eight-foot stone wall. The Adventurer’s Guild watchers are not in sight, but this is hardly a concern- they know that the watchers are under orders to let them pass within. The building is odd in other ways- each of the three floors have doors leading out, those on the upper floors opening to naught but air. Seeing this, Illyana comments, “What madman created this place?”
Erik pushes the (unlocked) gate open, and they make their way to the main doors. Once there, Djiel shows his frustration and impatience by kicking the door open! It flies off its hinges into the house, smashing a china hutch in the process. When the crash echoing crash has faded, they hear a strange buzzing hum reverberating through the entire place; the light within is multicolored, with no real source for the strangely shifting colors. On guard, the quartet move within.
Other than the sounds and strange lighting, the place seems to be a relatively normal, nicely appointed home for someone moderately well-off. “I do not like this place,” Comments Illyana, unnerved by the bizarre light and sound. They follow the hum upstairs to a door, which Djiel prepares to smash open. Zora stops him, trying to convey through gestures that she can open it without violence. He’s disappointed, but steps back so that she can proceed. In short order she has the door open... And as she is standing full in the open doorway a blinding beam of power flashes with a hideous electrical SNAP! She’s struck in the chest and thrown across the hall!
She’s still conscious, but she might as well not be- there is a horrid burn in her chest, and she’s barely able to move. Erik rushes to her side, and Illyana peeks carefully within- she sees an apparently normal sitting room with a carpeted floor, and across the room from the door is a small round table. Upon this stands a... Device. It seems related in appearance to the ‘toy’ that Djiel had brought back from the undersea chamber, if only barely. It is roughly cylindrical in shape, with silvery metal making up much of its structure; at its core is a rod of pearlescent black, stony-seeming material, and pointed at the door is a forklike projection. The entire thing glows with power, electrical sparks crackling about the projection.
Erik binds Zora’s wound as best he can, taking instruction from her in what to do. While he does this Illyana describes what she sees within the room. “I do not think we must concern ourselves with thief anymore,” She comments, seeing the cold, manlike silhouette of ash on the floor, reaching for the device. Once Zora is as comfortable as he can make her, Erik goes downstairs. He’s after two things- first, a cane for Zora to use, and second, the door. He plans to use it as a shield to charge into the room!
It doesn’t take long for him to secure his burdens, and shortly he drops the cane by Zora. He then proceeds to start his charge, positioning the door to shield him from the devilish device. As he crosses the threshold of the room, the thing flashes again, the door being struck and disintegrating utterly! Illyana takes the chance and makes an axe-throw, chipping the thing but not managing to dislodge it from the table.
While this goes on, Zora has hobbled her way to the room next to the sitting room; it turns out to be a bedroom, comfortably appointed with a four-poster canopy bed and shelves laden with books along the walls. She investigates, and finds a pair of bookends apparently made of solid amber- but deep inside each is a strange glowing red light. She stashes them away for later.
Back in the sitting room, the device is now sparking a more erratically. It fires again at Erik, catching him in the lower chest. He falls, still within the room! He calls upon the power of his axe and heals at least some of the injury. He is still sorely wounded, but is capable of action. As Djiel rushes to rescue Erik, Illyana throws again, this time striking the infernal device squarely, knocking it off the table and behind a potbellied stove in the corner of the room. The bizarre humming, which had altered in timbre with her first strike, is now far more uneven, warbling strangely up and down in scale. Erik pulls loose of Djiel and, thinking fast, shoves the thing into the stove, slamming the grate closed and covering it as well. The hum then slowly but surely winds down, and stops.
The silence is stunning in the absence of the weird sound, and the lighting is now that of the dim Eisen daylight coming from the window. Illyana thinking that the owner of the place might have a cart or similar device to move his acquisitions, lights some of the lamps within the room then goes to find a cart. Erik rips the stove from its moorings... Or rather he tries- it doesn’t budge. Djiel then tries, and manages to hurt himself in the attempt. This infuriates the young warrior, and with an enraged snarl and a mighty heave, he tears it bodily from the floor!
Erik is impressed with this act, and is about to congratulate his spearman on the tremendous act of strength, but then he hears the artifact starting to hum once again; he notices that the chimney hole is open! he covers it rapidly with the curtains, and the sound winds back down to silence. Illyana returns shortly after this, and they take the time to bundle the stove thoroughly so that NO light reaches it whatsoever. They load it onto the cart, work it down the stairs and out the door.
At which point they’re met by the Adventurer’s Guild guards. They approached the house after the weird lights went out, dispatching some of their number to notify the guild of the events. Erik and Illyana accompany them to the guild house with the artifact in its prisoning stove, while Djiel and Zora remain at the house to keep an eye on things... And to loot the hell out of it.
They make their way across town, and Illyana realizes that the guild house is located in the Vendel marketplace. She tells Erik this. “Will you be alright?” She asks, more concerned for what he might do in the marketplace rather than for him in this instance. “I’ll be fine,” He replies, and unlimbers his axe- this does little to reassure Illyana.
The house is reached with no incidents, though there are some looks from the local Vendel merchants at Erik. Madame Dubiset isn’t there at the moment, off on business of her own. They tell the Guild representative about the device, and how it seemed to function. “It is damaged,” Illyana tells them. “Damaged? How?” “By axe throw.” The man is scandalized! “What kind of scientist ARE you? He asks. Erik lurches to his feet, pulling the bandages away from the burn on his chest. “THIS kind of Scientist!” He snarls. The man blanches. “Ah, yes. We have far too many of that kind these days.” Leaving the thing in the care of the Guild, the pair make their way back to the house, to assist in the cleaning-out of any valuables.
On the way, Erik has Illyana talk to a carter to rent the man’s cart and horse. With Erik’s vastly generous offer of five guilders to use the cart for the day, the man accepts! Illyana talks to the animal, asking how it’s treated; it gives a noncommittal response, and she considers perhaps purchasing the animal later.
They arrive, and over the next few hours three full cartloads of loot are stripped from the house and brought to the Manor, being stowed for the moment in the cellar. During the search Illyana goes to wolf-form, to try and sniff out anything unusual. She finds no evidence of what she’s actually looking for, namely concealed doors and passages, but does key to a strange metal hat worn by a statue of a goblin in the sitting room. With everything else this is taken.
Once the last load is on its way home, Djiel goes off to fetch the doctor... Without telling anyone. Some things have changed since they started their excursion- Erik’s men have arrived, as have two well-trained and mean-looking guard dogs! Erik carries Zora up to her room, then heads down to help unload the final cartload. It is then that he realizes that Djiel is gone. “Where is Djiel?” He asks Illyana. She doesn’t know, so he goes out to look for him while she finishes the unloading.
It doesn’t take him long to find the errant spearman- he’s accompanied by the doctor, and has made it most of the way back when Erik meets them. The trio arrive back at the manor just as Illyana gets the last of the loot off the cart.
Erik takes the doctor up to Zora’s room, where she is asleep. “Good. That will make it easier,” The doctor comments, and commences to take out a wicked-looking syringe- he injects her with it, and though she wakes with the sting, she is soon deeply unconscious once again. He gets to work, the procedure of cleaning, treating and stitching the wound taking about half an hour. With that, it’s Erik’s turn.
However, before he can start Erik herds him out of Zora’s room to his own. The doctor takes a syringe out again, but Erik refuses it. With a sigh, the doctor hands Erik a piece of wood to bite down on, and gets to work on the stoic Vestin. It takes about the same amount of time, but Erik is in agony during the procedure. To cap it off, the doctor splashes a disinfectant on the wound afterwards, which BURNS.
Erik heads downstairs, as does the doctor. Seeing Illyana, he approaches her. “Madame? I have a matter that should be discussed.” She raises an eyebrow. “Go ahead.” “This time I’m afraid I must charge. The costs of the materials are starting to build.” “It is not problem. How much?” He tells her it will be 50 guilders per person, or 100 total. She blanches a bit, but nods. He bows and makes his exit.
While all of this goes on, Djiel has gone out to the mead hall. Within, Erik’s kinsmen are carrying on, drinking and celebrating their new environs. When Djiel walks in the entire place goes dead silent. They stare at the strange, black skinned man framing the doorway for a time, then several laugh. Deciding that Djiel is a servant of Erik’s, they try ot load him with empty tankards and platters! This does NOT go over well, and Djiel swats the dishes away with a curse in his native tongue. The brawl begins with this, and Djiel gives better than he gets.
Illyana, having finished stuffing loot into the cellar hears the noise of the melee, and decides to go watch; she knows a ‘friendly’ brawl when she hears one. The fight carries on until at last Erik reaches the mead hall- many of his kinsman are down, but Djiel still stands! Erik is suitably impressed. “Who is this, Erik?” One of the men asks. “This is Djiel. He is the best warrior I have ever seen!” They grin and laugh, and more mead is handed about, Illyana having to point out the untouched barrel in the mess. Things get straightened out as the mead flows, and Djiel gets to repairing the bit of damage done to the interior panelling, using his nail-trick; this gathers him even more admiration.
Soon, Armand comes out to the mead hall. “Sir? There is a caller at the door.” It turns out to be Madame Dubiset! Erik sits down to talk with her inside the house. “Thank you for your recovering that device for us. I hadn’t known that it would be so dangerous- I do apologize for that.” Erik shakes his head slowly. “We knew what we were getting into.” Illyana and Zora join them, and Erik is given medals for himself and his three companions, representing membership in the Guild. “You should keep these on your persons at all times.” Erik nods. “So that we will be known as members.”
“So, what else did you find?” Erik and the others grin. “Well, we took whatever we could.” She blinks. “You cleaned it out?” Erik nods, still grinning. “May I see what you’ve recovered?” With this request she is led down to the cellar, where the piles of loot are located. She seems stunned with the volume. “May I go through this to see what artifacts may have been recovered?” Erik nods, now seeming rather wobbly from his injuries and the alcohol he’s been freely imbibing. “Go ahead, take your time.”
As Madame Dubiset begins, the strange hat is pointed out to her. Illyana has already identified it as Dracheneisen, but none of them have any idea what it does, or what it’s for. With some searching, Madame Dubiset finds a button, and confirms that it is, indeed an artifact. “Please do not push button?” Illyana requests. “Of course not!” Is the reply, and Madame Dubiset begins jotting down notes. Illyana goes back upstairs, followed by Erik who is after more mead. Zora remains, showing Madeline (Madame Dubiset) the strange blinking bookends. They are confirmed to be artifacts (as if this was in doubt), and some experimentation shows that the light within seems to indicate the direction leading to any book placed between them. While the two talk Erik returns, and Zora decides not to conceal the devices further. More, she decides that while they ARE pretty, she’ll let Madeline take them. There will be more things to find soon enough, that may be more useful and portable.
Erik talks with them for a while, but the strain on his system from his injuries and the alcohol soon tells, and he passes out, seated on the stairs. He remains thus until Illyana calls down to announce dinner. “Meat! That’s what I’m talking about...” He says, and he reels his way upstairs. Dinner is held in the mead hall, Madeline abstaining, and thereafter the night passes uneventfully.
Morning arrives, Djiel and Zora waking first. Armand serves them breakfast, Zora planning out some errands for the day. While they eat, the door chime rings- Armand brings the card to Zora, and its yet another lawyer. She sighs and makes her way to the door. Once again, the man is there after a 20,000 guilder debt, but seems reasonable and willing to discuss methods of repayment. She arranges for talks in the future to determine how repayment will take place, with no contracts or permanent agreements made. The man leaves, and she returns to her meal.
Shortly after this, Illyana comes down. She’d heard the discussion vaguely, and asks what the caller was there for. Zora tells her, and Illyana replies with, “I begin to agree with Erik’s plan...” And of course the bell rings AGAIN. “Illyana glares towards the door. “I will get this.” Zora looks at the nightgown that is Illyana’s only current garment. “But you’re not dressed!” “I do not care.” Is the growled response.
At the door is another solicitor. She is a severe-looking, angry woman, who stiffly extends her arm with a card. Illyana takes it, her own anger rising. “What do you want?” It turns out that she ALSO is seeking 20,000 guilder for a mortgage; this one is two years old. Zora comes up behind Illyana. “But I just made arrangements for a 20,000 guilder mortgage that was SEVEN years old- so who gets paid first?” In the end the woman leaves, the situation unresolved save that she will be contacting the lawyers Armand has arranged.
Erik awakes. He’s at his seat in the mead hall and is a bit cramped from his passing out in the chair the previous night. He pulls himself up, feeling better despite the cotton in his head. He goes to the rainbarrel and performs his morning head dunk, from there heading into the house. As he eats breakfast, Zora and Illyana explain about the morning’s two callers; he listens without comment, his thoughts on the matter already known. Illyana also tells him of the doctor’s need to charge for the treatments; he winces but agrees that it will be dealt with.
Once breakfast is finished, Zora heads out for her errands; Erik directs Djiel to go with her, not trusting the town to be safe given their activities against the local gangs. Her first stop is at the doctor’s. She is looking to find a way to lessen the scarring from the wounds she’s received. He confirms for her what she’d been told, that cocoa butter will help. Next on her list is a visit to the hall of records. The place seems empty but for one lone, obviously bored-to-tears guard. He’s amazed that there is someone actually wanting to use the records, and lets her in. She begins to search for records on the Drachenheim property and its debts, but makes little headway until she finds help- in the form of Herr Trague’s scribe! In short order he finds what’s needed... But while it explains a lot, it hurts as well- there are a total of five liens on the property, each worth $20,000 guilders!
The earliest of these dates back years. The most recent dates from the last owner. There are no records as to what these were for, only that the loans were granted. As the property isn’t worth more than $20,000 or so, still a vast sum, the issuers of the loans were either great fools or had reason to believe they’d be repaid. The former seems far more likley given the history of the Manor.
This has taken several hours. From the hall of records she makes her way with Djiel to a beauty parlor, obtaining the cocoa butter; Djiel catches a whiff of the substance, expressing his approval in his own, incomprehensible tongue. He then tastes it, thinking it’s food! From his expression and spitting, is certainly isn’t.
At the manor during this Erik takes Armand aside for a talk. “Take the things we have in the cellar and sell them; we need to build up a fund for maintaining the property. We will be going out soon, hopefully to gain the funds we need.” Armand is understandably nervous. “I will do it, sir.” “I promise you, Armand, that we will do what we need to restore the luster of the Drachenheim estate.”
Around noon, Madame Dubiset comes out of the basement, looking exhausted- nobody realized that she had still been working down there! “I have finished the inventory (she gives the ledger to Erik), and I have the artifacts. I should head back to the Guild house now.” Erik, seeing her obvious exhaustion, goes and rousts his men, gathering five ‘volunteers’ to escort her safely there. The troupe leaves, and shortly thereafter Illyana also heads away from the manor, returning the horse and cart to the man they rented it from. On her way back, she changes to owlform. She swoops gracefully over the city, heading north to see if the army encampment is still there. It is... Which is possibly good as well as bad.
Upon her return, she finds that Zora has beaten her back, and is deep in conversation with Erik. She lands and shifts human, neither of the pair apparently noticing her arrival or change. She gathers a bit of what is being discussed, namely the debt that is casting a pall over their lives, but doesn’t hear the totality; she makes the suggestion that perhaps she could present the matter to Wilhelmina Probst, using the ‘free pass’ to get in quickly, or contriwise they could talk to Herr Trague... But both ideas are for the moment not being considered.
While this conversation goes on, Armand comes out. He hears the amount, 100,000 guilders total, and nearly collapses from shock! He pulls himself together, but is definitely shellshocked by this. Time passes, with Erik’s men finally arriving back from their escort duty.
Of course the calm that exists can only last for so long. A few hours later Armand runs to Erik, looking terrified! “Sir, there’s a problem in the basement!” Erik (and his three companions for that matter) follow Armand into the house and down the stairs, only to find a goodly amount of water flowing in from one wall! Thinking fast, Erik organizes the removal of the materials stored in the cellar. But more is to come- when everyone is back upstairs there is a distant wet slumping sound! Armand reappears, obviously about to break down. “Sir... The cellar wall collapsed!”
Once again there is a rush to the cellar, and sure enough, the wall facing the river has partly disintegrated, with more water coming in! Erik has Armand send for a mason, and organizes his men to start digging a diversion trench along the outside of the building. Illyana and Djiel are also in the growing trench by the time the mason arrives, and it turns out to be the carpenter! She heads down to see the problem, then pops up to indicate which way the trench should run, and how it should slope. Thereafter, she starts to work shoring things up inside.
Armand, after these newest blows is near to tears. He’s watching his home and livelihood come apart at the seams, and despite his varied talents there is very little he can do. Erik tries to support him, and does tell him that they won’t abandon him or the manor. This does help some, but the poor man is at his wits end.
Hours pass. The trench is completed and is successfully diverting most of the water away from the house. It turns out that the source is NOT the river, but rather a spring that has welled up beneath the wall. “It must have been eating away at the foundations for some time,” The carpenter states. “I’ve got things shored up for now, but it badly needs repairs. It should hold for a few days at least. I’ll get a crew assembled. Oh, and it looks like the wall was repaired once before.” Illyana, recalling that she’d seen a discontinuity in the wall when they’d first explored the manor, raises an eyebrow. “Show me.”
The pair head down to the cellar once again. The wall section that collapsed has been cleared away and now there is a frame of heavy timbers, like you’d find in a mineshaft, holding the structure firmly. Things are still quite muddy, and it will be some time before it is a usable space once again. The carpenter points to the adjoining section that didn’t collapse. “See this?” Illyana can see that the stone is a different color and texture... Almost flaky? “Hmm...” She brushes at the stone. It flakes off in damp bits, and beneath... Is metal! “Can you clear this without more collapse?” The carpenter nods. “Yes... Should I?” Illyana nods. “Da. I will fetch Erik.”
Illyana grabs Erik, getting Armand, Djiel and Zora in the train as well. By the time they get back downstairs, something huge is being revealed- a largish door is set into the wall... And it seems to be part of a safe! What’s more... The metal is Dracheneisen! The assembled group stare at this impossibility for a while, until Illyana says, “By Theah, we could buy the CITY...” Erik replies, “I don’t care. All I want is our problems here settled. If our debtors want it, they can HAVE it. As long as they cancel our debts.”
“It is not so simple,” Illyana replies. “In Eisen, it is illegal for non-Eisen to own Dracheneisen- it is tantamount to death sentence.” Before she can continue, Erik cuts in. “I don’t CARE. They can have it so long as they cancel our debts!” “You do not understand! We CAN’T just give it to them! They would kill us!” The argument goes on for some time, with no real resolution. By the time it winds down, the face of the door is fully clear to view. It’s about 6’ high and 3’ wide, and has what seems to be two keyholes, one above the other by more than a foot. Also on the door is a heraldric device- a fox leaping over a sleeping hound.
Illyana vaguely recognizes the symbol, and Armand says that is seems familiar as well. Thinking about it, Illyana realizes that she saw that symbol in the library. She runs upstairs, and shortly locates a book with the same fox-and-hound symbol embossed on the cover- it turns out to be a ledger. She brings it back downstairs.
In the meantime, Erik asks Armand if he has any keys that he didn’t have a use for. Unfortunately, the answer is no, with a verbal cataloging of the keys that he DOES have. Erik looks to Zora. “Can you open it?” She looks it over. “I can try.” She takes out several long oddly-shaped wires and goes to work, trying the lower lock first with no success, then the upper. “It’s not something I can open,” She says after a goodly while. “Maybe both must turn at once?” Suggests Illyana, and Zora nods to this.
The discussion begins again about what to do with the safe. Several ideas are tossed out, but in the end it comes down to dealing with Herr Trague. He is a legitimate power in Eisen, seems to like Erik and his entourage, and could likely provide the guilders that the safe is worth... Or at least arrange for the elimination of their debts in trade for the thing! “I do not care what he does with the safe. But whatever is inside... That is MINE.” Finishes Erik.
And thus the second set of the 7th Sea adventures ends. Next we pick up the Horror Campaign, with the return of the long-absent Cameron Dane! Stay tuned!
Last time Our Heroes set two separate plans in motion, triggered by the less-then-auspicious meeting that Illyana had with a countryman. According to that ‘worthy’ individual, there is a general in town who is serving in the campaign of Montaigne against Ussura. His desire was that Illyana embarrass said general. Illyana wants nothing to do with this, not knowing who this strange Ussuran is, nor having any real idea what the general is like himself! Unfortunately for her, Erik thinks that this is a WONDERFUL idea, and he sets to planning his mischief.
His plan is to rent a catapult and pepper the unsuspecting General with manure, whereafter he and his commanders will be pelted with eggs by street-urchins! Illyana doesn’t know much of this, however, only knowing that it is NOT something that she wishes to be part of. However... She looks into the general via information brokers, and learns that he is neither nice nor honorable, thus sinking her thought of trying to convince him to follow a different path. Instead, she comes up with a mad plan of her own- eliminate the payroll of the army and it will disband, thus removing them as a threat to her homeland!
Her plan unfolds at midnight, and we start several hours before...
Everyone is at the Manor house. Erik heads upstairs, only to run into his new ‘chief of security’, the old woman from the courthouse! She confronts him, and says something to him with a snap of command: “Get your translator!” He doesn’t understand of course, but does get the gist, calling Zora upstairs. “I need 70 guilders,” is the growled request that Zora translates. “Why?” He asks in return. “I need dogs.” He nods and grants the request, at which point the woman totters down the stairs and out. Bemused by this, Erik goes back to what he was originally aiming to do- packing his belongings in preparation for a possible rapid exit, in case things go VERY wrong on the morrow! When she asks, Erik explains this to Zora, who also prepares for the likelihood.
Beyond this, Djiel and Zora have little to do. Neither has possessions to the scale of their Vestin host. Djiel ends up sitting with a cat in his lap, until the cat leaps off and goes upstairs! Curious as to this he follows, and once upstairs it sits down in front of Illyana’s door with a strange ‘mrowl’. Now concerned that someone might have gotten in via Illyana’s window, he opens the door. Within is an empty room. He makes a noncommittal grunt at the cat, and just as he’s about to shut the door Illyana, in the form of an owl, swoops in! She shifts back to human upon landing. “Is something wrong?” She asks, despite the language barrier; in his own language he grumbles something back about “white witch” and goes back downstairs.
By her arrival, Its about 2 AM. Her plan seems to have gone out without a hitch, but time will tell. The rats chewed the ropes, the tents collapsed and she heard talk of the payroll being gone... So the tale will hopefully be told in its fullest with the coming day.
At about 5 AM Armand wakes Erik. “Sir? A ship has arrived. You wished to be notified?” Erik stretches. “Ah. Yes. Thank you. Send a runner to them; tell them that they should await my call.” Armand bows and goes to fetch the runner.
Over the next few hours the rest of the household awakens. Zora going out to distribute eggs to the urchins for the chaos later in the morning, the rest coming down in their own time for breakfast. While they eat, Erik takes Armand aside. “We may be leaving rather suddenly. Take this. (He hands over the receipt for the rental of the catapult.) Use this as operational funds for the house until our return.” Armand seems almost heartbroken. “But you’re the only ones to have ever come back and cared enough to repair the manor!” Erik reassures him that they WILL be coming back, IF they leave, eventually. He also passes on 100 guilder to retain a lawyer if that is necessary. Armand isn’t fully reassured, but takes the money. Erik returns to the others as Armand returns to his duties.
As he reaches the table the doorbell chimes, causing nearly everyone to wince. At the door is another Barrister, attempting to collect on a mortgage. Erik says, “I’ll get his down payment.” The look on his face is not so much grim as it is anticipatory of mayhem. He goes upstairs, coming back down rather more quickly bearing his axe! Faced with an angry Vestin and a glowering black spearman, the man is quickly running for his life down the street! Erik is horribly torn- he knows he really oughtn’t kill the man, but Djiel is so desperate for action. In the end, the lawyer escapes his fate for the moment at least.
Zora arrives a very short time after this brief chase. She sees Djiel at the front gate, tensed and ready for a fight; she decides that perhaps the back gate is a better way in. Once inside, she finds Erik. “What did you do to Djiel?” He looks at her. “Oh, he was going to kill a lawyer.” Zora blinks. “And you didn’t let him?” Erik suddenly recalls that murder isn’t illegal in Freiburg!
With that, Erik and Zora gather what is needful for their own plans. With Djiel they make their way to the central keep and thence to the catapult. Once there, Zora calls a guard over, and requests instruction in how the device works. Its pretty simple- crank the wheel to apply tension to the firing arm, lock it with the pinion gear, load and fire. Targeting is by turning the entire contraption and changing the firing tension for range. At first, the guard is shocked that they might be lobbing fireworks, but when they explain its ‘confetti’ he calms.
However, Erik wants to get the range of the weapon just right. To this end he decides to make a ranging shot with a bale of hay. He gets it perfect on the first try, the bale impacting just where he wanted... And nearly killing a pedestrian in the process! He notes the man still lives, and is satisfied that they’re ready. Djiel, watching all of this is bored out of his mind. He has no idea what exactly is going on, and wishes that White Devil (Erik) would give him an enemy, or at least something to do.
WIth her friends off on the matter of their own deviltry, Illyana goes out to fulfill her own obligations from the acts of the previous night. She takes her bag of grain, 50# rather than the promised 20#, making her way to the river as close to ‘stinky rock’ as she can get. She shifts to sealform, and drags the grain to the drop-point. Once this is accomplished, she goes back to human form and heads for the parade route. However... Something isn’t right. Even in a city like Freiburg you’d expect preparations for a parade, and the route isn’t being cleared. In fact, it seems like business as usual all around. This is noticed by both Illyana on the street and her compatriots on the wall, leaving them all wondering just what’s happened.
Illyana asks a few people if they know what happened with the parade; however, none even are aware that there was one scheduled! So, realizing that she’ll find out nothing further through this tack, she makes her way to the keep and the information booth therein. Zora sees her enter, and hails her. “What are you doing here?” Illyana looks up and says, “Getting information.” Paying the man at the counter, she learns that the parade had been cancelled due to lack of funding! This cheers here, as it means that her plan was at least partly successful; it also means that Erik’s plan is a wash without her actually having to interfere! She makes her way back out to perform the next of her chores, totally forgetting to let her friends on the wall know what has occurred.
After Illyana has left without a word, the remaining adventurers are still on the wall, wondering what has occurred. Finally Erik sends Zora down to the information booth to try and find out. Using innuendo and sex-appeal more than finance she gets a slightly different story- the parade WAS cancelled, but there is a fair possibility that it will take place later in the week. Such changes of plan aren’t unusual in Freiburg.
Back upon the wall, Zora relays this to Erik. He’s not happy at the news, and is angry that Illyana didn’t see fit to pass it on to them before she left! Partly out of frustration and spite, he fires off the load of manure anyway, pelting the throng of citizenry in the target area with clods of ordure! With this small measure of satisfaction the trio make their way back to the Manor.
From there, Erik asks Zora to fetch his men from the ship. Djiel, thoroughly frustrated goes and works in the mead hall, the carpenter now on site. Erik simply sits in the Manor and fumes until at last Illyana arrives home. Her last chore, getting the haunch of meat for the badger and showing him how to find the manor is complete. Erik meets her as she enters, glowering. “Dovsidanya,” She says, seeing the dangerous expression on his face. “Hello,” He replies. So... Did you get information from the booth?
Illyana hesitates a moment, then, looking down, bows formally to the Vestin with a sigh. “I do apologize. I did not think.” “You did not think of our being up there waiting for hours?” She doesn’t respond, and doesn’t meet his eyes. Erik isn’t mollified by this, but at least his anger has been blunted, if slightly. A short time passes in silence, at which point Erik says, “I’m going out to the mead hall now.” As he goes, Illyana starts to tell him of the badger and her arrangements, but thinks better of it and lets it pass. She remains, sitting in her chair with a glass of akavit.
She broods a time, and realizes that she needs to tell at least SOMEONE about the badger. She finds the old woman Erik has hired. “I need to tell you of something,” She begins, the woman impatiently waiting for her to continue. “There will be badger. It will be here because of me.” The woman looks at Illyana like she’s a bit mad. “I’ll not have any rats in here!” Illyana stops for a moment at that, then continues. “Is not rat. Is... Additional protection. About this (she gestures, hands apart) large.” The woman thinks about it for a moment. “Then it can stay in the shed.” “Da. That will be fine.”
Out in the mead hall, Erik is as happy as someone trying not to be happy can be. The hall is finished, and is a wonder to behold, and is designed to deal with the likely damage to come, being as it will be occupied by a rowdy crew of Vestin warriors! In the finishing stages of the work, Djiel has demonstrated a tremendous skill with carpentry, especially in the driving of nails- he’s developed the talent of tossing a nail into the air and, while it is still in the air, SLAMMING it with the hammer and driving it home! Both an impressive and somewhat unsettling act to witness.
With this matter no longer pressing, Erik decides that it is time that the so-called ‘haunted house’ of the artifact-thief be dealt with. He gathers Zora and Djiel with this purpose in mind, and grudgingly invites Illyana along as well- he’s still mad at her, and seriously considers leaving her behind.
They make their way to the estate. In some ways its more impressive even than their own property- three stories tall, with ample grounds surrounded by an iron-gated eight-foot stone wall. The Adventurer’s Guild watchers are not in sight, but this is hardly a concern- they know that the watchers are under orders to let them pass within. The building is odd in other ways- each of the three floors have doors leading out, those on the upper floors opening to naught but air. Seeing this, Illyana comments, “What madman created this place?”
Erik pushes the (unlocked) gate open, and they make their way to the main doors. Once there, Djiel shows his frustration and impatience by kicking the door open! It flies off its hinges into the house, smashing a china hutch in the process. When the crash echoing crash has faded, they hear a strange buzzing hum reverberating through the entire place; the light within is multicolored, with no real source for the strangely shifting colors. On guard, the quartet move within.
Other than the sounds and strange lighting, the place seems to be a relatively normal, nicely appointed home for someone moderately well-off. “I do not like this place,” Comments Illyana, unnerved by the bizarre light and sound. They follow the hum upstairs to a door, which Djiel prepares to smash open. Zora stops him, trying to convey through gestures that she can open it without violence. He’s disappointed, but steps back so that she can proceed. In short order she has the door open... And as she is standing full in the open doorway a blinding beam of power flashes with a hideous electrical SNAP! She’s struck in the chest and thrown across the hall!
She’s still conscious, but she might as well not be- there is a horrid burn in her chest, and she’s barely able to move. Erik rushes to her side, and Illyana peeks carefully within- she sees an apparently normal sitting room with a carpeted floor, and across the room from the door is a small round table. Upon this stands a... Device. It seems related in appearance to the ‘toy’ that Djiel had brought back from the undersea chamber, if only barely. It is roughly cylindrical in shape, with silvery metal making up much of its structure; at its core is a rod of pearlescent black, stony-seeming material, and pointed at the door is a forklike projection. The entire thing glows with power, electrical sparks crackling about the projection.
Erik binds Zora’s wound as best he can, taking instruction from her in what to do. While he does this Illyana describes what she sees within the room. “I do not think we must concern ourselves with thief anymore,” She comments, seeing the cold, manlike silhouette of ash on the floor, reaching for the device. Once Zora is as comfortable as he can make her, Erik goes downstairs. He’s after two things- first, a cane for Zora to use, and second, the door. He plans to use it as a shield to charge into the room!
It doesn’t take long for him to secure his burdens, and shortly he drops the cane by Zora. He then proceeds to start his charge, positioning the door to shield him from the devilish device. As he crosses the threshold of the room, the thing flashes again, the door being struck and disintegrating utterly! Illyana takes the chance and makes an axe-throw, chipping the thing but not managing to dislodge it from the table.
While this goes on, Zora has hobbled her way to the room next to the sitting room; it turns out to be a bedroom, comfortably appointed with a four-poster canopy bed and shelves laden with books along the walls. She investigates, and finds a pair of bookends apparently made of solid amber- but deep inside each is a strange glowing red light. She stashes them away for later.
Back in the sitting room, the device is now sparking a more erratically. It fires again at Erik, catching him in the lower chest. He falls, still within the room! He calls upon the power of his axe and heals at least some of the injury. He is still sorely wounded, but is capable of action. As Djiel rushes to rescue Erik, Illyana throws again, this time striking the infernal device squarely, knocking it off the table and behind a potbellied stove in the corner of the room. The bizarre humming, which had altered in timbre with her first strike, is now far more uneven, warbling strangely up and down in scale. Erik pulls loose of Djiel and, thinking fast, shoves the thing into the stove, slamming the grate closed and covering it as well. The hum then slowly but surely winds down, and stops.
The silence is stunning in the absence of the weird sound, and the lighting is now that of the dim Eisen daylight coming from the window. Illyana thinking that the owner of the place might have a cart or similar device to move his acquisitions, lights some of the lamps within the room then goes to find a cart. Erik rips the stove from its moorings... Or rather he tries- it doesn’t budge. Djiel then tries, and manages to hurt himself in the attempt. This infuriates the young warrior, and with an enraged snarl and a mighty heave, he tears it bodily from the floor!
Erik is impressed with this act, and is about to congratulate his spearman on the tremendous act of strength, but then he hears the artifact starting to hum once again; he notices that the chimney hole is open! he covers it rapidly with the curtains, and the sound winds back down to silence. Illyana returns shortly after this, and they take the time to bundle the stove thoroughly so that NO light reaches it whatsoever. They load it onto the cart, work it down the stairs and out the door.
At which point they’re met by the Adventurer’s Guild guards. They approached the house after the weird lights went out, dispatching some of their number to notify the guild of the events. Erik and Illyana accompany them to the guild house with the artifact in its prisoning stove, while Djiel and Zora remain at the house to keep an eye on things... And to loot the hell out of it.
They make their way across town, and Illyana realizes that the guild house is located in the Vendel marketplace. She tells Erik this. “Will you be alright?” She asks, more concerned for what he might do in the marketplace rather than for him in this instance. “I’ll be fine,” He replies, and unlimbers his axe- this does little to reassure Illyana.
The house is reached with no incidents, though there are some looks from the local Vendel merchants at Erik. Madame Dubiset isn’t there at the moment, off on business of her own. They tell the Guild representative about the device, and how it seemed to function. “It is damaged,” Illyana tells them. “Damaged? How?” “By axe throw.” The man is scandalized! “What kind of scientist ARE you? He asks. Erik lurches to his feet, pulling the bandages away from the burn on his chest. “THIS kind of Scientist!” He snarls. The man blanches. “Ah, yes. We have far too many of that kind these days.” Leaving the thing in the care of the Guild, the pair make their way back to the house, to assist in the cleaning-out of any valuables.
On the way, Erik has Illyana talk to a carter to rent the man’s cart and horse. With Erik’s vastly generous offer of five guilders to use the cart for the day, the man accepts! Illyana talks to the animal, asking how it’s treated; it gives a noncommittal response, and she considers perhaps purchasing the animal later.
They arrive, and over the next few hours three full cartloads of loot are stripped from the house and brought to the Manor, being stowed for the moment in the cellar. During the search Illyana goes to wolf-form, to try and sniff out anything unusual. She finds no evidence of what she’s actually looking for, namely concealed doors and passages, but does key to a strange metal hat worn by a statue of a goblin in the sitting room. With everything else this is taken.
Once the last load is on its way home, Djiel goes off to fetch the doctor... Without telling anyone. Some things have changed since they started their excursion- Erik’s men have arrived, as have two well-trained and mean-looking guard dogs! Erik carries Zora up to her room, then heads down to help unload the final cartload. It is then that he realizes that Djiel is gone. “Where is Djiel?” He asks Illyana. She doesn’t know, so he goes out to look for him while she finishes the unloading.
It doesn’t take him long to find the errant spearman- he’s accompanied by the doctor, and has made it most of the way back when Erik meets them. The trio arrive back at the manor just as Illyana gets the last of the loot off the cart.
Erik takes the doctor up to Zora’s room, where she is asleep. “Good. That will make it easier,” The doctor comments, and commences to take out a wicked-looking syringe- he injects her with it, and though she wakes with the sting, she is soon deeply unconscious once again. He gets to work, the procedure of cleaning, treating and stitching the wound taking about half an hour. With that, it’s Erik’s turn.
However, before he can start Erik herds him out of Zora’s room to his own. The doctor takes a syringe out again, but Erik refuses it. With a sigh, the doctor hands Erik a piece of wood to bite down on, and gets to work on the stoic Vestin. It takes about the same amount of time, but Erik is in agony during the procedure. To cap it off, the doctor splashes a disinfectant on the wound afterwards, which BURNS.
Erik heads downstairs, as does the doctor. Seeing Illyana, he approaches her. “Madame? I have a matter that should be discussed.” She raises an eyebrow. “Go ahead.” “This time I’m afraid I must charge. The costs of the materials are starting to build.” “It is not problem. How much?” He tells her it will be 50 guilders per person, or 100 total. She blanches a bit, but nods. He bows and makes his exit.
While all of this goes on, Djiel has gone out to the mead hall. Within, Erik’s kinsmen are carrying on, drinking and celebrating their new environs. When Djiel walks in the entire place goes dead silent. They stare at the strange, black skinned man framing the doorway for a time, then several laugh. Deciding that Djiel is a servant of Erik’s, they try ot load him with empty tankards and platters! This does NOT go over well, and Djiel swats the dishes away with a curse in his native tongue. The brawl begins with this, and Djiel gives better than he gets.
Illyana, having finished stuffing loot into the cellar hears the noise of the melee, and decides to go watch; she knows a ‘friendly’ brawl when she hears one. The fight carries on until at last Erik reaches the mead hall- many of his kinsman are down, but Djiel still stands! Erik is suitably impressed. “Who is this, Erik?” One of the men asks. “This is Djiel. He is the best warrior I have ever seen!” They grin and laugh, and more mead is handed about, Illyana having to point out the untouched barrel in the mess. Things get straightened out as the mead flows, and Djiel gets to repairing the bit of damage done to the interior panelling, using his nail-trick; this gathers him even more admiration.
Soon, Armand comes out to the mead hall. “Sir? There is a caller at the door.” It turns out to be Madame Dubiset! Erik sits down to talk with her inside the house. “Thank you for your recovering that device for us. I hadn’t known that it would be so dangerous- I do apologize for that.” Erik shakes his head slowly. “We knew what we were getting into.” Illyana and Zora join them, and Erik is given medals for himself and his three companions, representing membership in the Guild. “You should keep these on your persons at all times.” Erik nods. “So that we will be known as members.”
“So, what else did you find?” Erik and the others grin. “Well, we took whatever we could.” She blinks. “You cleaned it out?” Erik nods, still grinning. “May I see what you’ve recovered?” With this request she is led down to the cellar, where the piles of loot are located. She seems stunned with the volume. “May I go through this to see what artifacts may have been recovered?” Erik nods, now seeming rather wobbly from his injuries and the alcohol he’s been freely imbibing. “Go ahead, take your time.”
As Madame Dubiset begins, the strange hat is pointed out to her. Illyana has already identified it as Dracheneisen, but none of them have any idea what it does, or what it’s for. With some searching, Madame Dubiset finds a button, and confirms that it is, indeed an artifact. “Please do not push button?” Illyana requests. “Of course not!” Is the reply, and Madame Dubiset begins jotting down notes. Illyana goes back upstairs, followed by Erik who is after more mead. Zora remains, showing Madeline (Madame Dubiset) the strange blinking bookends. They are confirmed to be artifacts (as if this was in doubt), and some experimentation shows that the light within seems to indicate the direction leading to any book placed between them. While the two talk Erik returns, and Zora decides not to conceal the devices further. More, she decides that while they ARE pretty, she’ll let Madeline take them. There will be more things to find soon enough, that may be more useful and portable.
Erik talks with them for a while, but the strain on his system from his injuries and the alcohol soon tells, and he passes out, seated on the stairs. He remains thus until Illyana calls down to announce dinner. “Meat! That’s what I’m talking about...” He says, and he reels his way upstairs. Dinner is held in the mead hall, Madeline abstaining, and thereafter the night passes uneventfully.
Morning arrives, Djiel and Zora waking first. Armand serves them breakfast, Zora planning out some errands for the day. While they eat, the door chime rings- Armand brings the card to Zora, and its yet another lawyer. She sighs and makes her way to the door. Once again, the man is there after a 20,000 guilder debt, but seems reasonable and willing to discuss methods of repayment. She arranges for talks in the future to determine how repayment will take place, with no contracts or permanent agreements made. The man leaves, and she returns to her meal.
Shortly after this, Illyana comes down. She’d heard the discussion vaguely, and asks what the caller was there for. Zora tells her, and Illyana replies with, “I begin to agree with Erik’s plan...” And of course the bell rings AGAIN. “Illyana glares towards the door. “I will get this.” Zora looks at the nightgown that is Illyana’s only current garment. “But you’re not dressed!” “I do not care.” Is the growled response.
At the door is another solicitor. She is a severe-looking, angry woman, who stiffly extends her arm with a card. Illyana takes it, her own anger rising. “What do you want?” It turns out that she ALSO is seeking 20,000 guilder for a mortgage; this one is two years old. Zora comes up behind Illyana. “But I just made arrangements for a 20,000 guilder mortgage that was SEVEN years old- so who gets paid first?” In the end the woman leaves, the situation unresolved save that she will be contacting the lawyers Armand has arranged.
Erik awakes. He’s at his seat in the mead hall and is a bit cramped from his passing out in the chair the previous night. He pulls himself up, feeling better despite the cotton in his head. He goes to the rainbarrel and performs his morning head dunk, from there heading into the house. As he eats breakfast, Zora and Illyana explain about the morning’s two callers; he listens without comment, his thoughts on the matter already known. Illyana also tells him of the doctor’s need to charge for the treatments; he winces but agrees that it will be dealt with.
Once breakfast is finished, Zora heads out for her errands; Erik directs Djiel to go with her, not trusting the town to be safe given their activities against the local gangs. Her first stop is at the doctor’s. She is looking to find a way to lessen the scarring from the wounds she’s received. He confirms for her what she’d been told, that cocoa butter will help. Next on her list is a visit to the hall of records. The place seems empty but for one lone, obviously bored-to-tears guard. He’s amazed that there is someone actually wanting to use the records, and lets her in. She begins to search for records on the Drachenheim property and its debts, but makes little headway until she finds help- in the form of Herr Trague’s scribe! In short order he finds what’s needed... But while it explains a lot, it hurts as well- there are a total of five liens on the property, each worth $20,000 guilders!
The earliest of these dates back years. The most recent dates from the last owner. There are no records as to what these were for, only that the loans were granted. As the property isn’t worth more than $20,000 or so, still a vast sum, the issuers of the loans were either great fools or had reason to believe they’d be repaid. The former seems far more likley given the history of the Manor.
This has taken several hours. From the hall of records she makes her way with Djiel to a beauty parlor, obtaining the cocoa butter; Djiel catches a whiff of the substance, expressing his approval in his own, incomprehensible tongue. He then tastes it, thinking it’s food! From his expression and spitting, is certainly isn’t.
At the manor during this Erik takes Armand aside for a talk. “Take the things we have in the cellar and sell them; we need to build up a fund for maintaining the property. We will be going out soon, hopefully to gain the funds we need.” Armand is understandably nervous. “I will do it, sir.” “I promise you, Armand, that we will do what we need to restore the luster of the Drachenheim estate.”
Around noon, Madame Dubiset comes out of the basement, looking exhausted- nobody realized that she had still been working down there! “I have finished the inventory (she gives the ledger to Erik), and I have the artifacts. I should head back to the Guild house now.” Erik, seeing her obvious exhaustion, goes and rousts his men, gathering five ‘volunteers’ to escort her safely there. The troupe leaves, and shortly thereafter Illyana also heads away from the manor, returning the horse and cart to the man they rented it from. On her way back, she changes to owlform. She swoops gracefully over the city, heading north to see if the army encampment is still there. It is... Which is possibly good as well as bad.
Upon her return, she finds that Zora has beaten her back, and is deep in conversation with Erik. She lands and shifts human, neither of the pair apparently noticing her arrival or change. She gathers a bit of what is being discussed, namely the debt that is casting a pall over their lives, but doesn’t hear the totality; she makes the suggestion that perhaps she could present the matter to Wilhelmina Probst, using the ‘free pass’ to get in quickly, or contriwise they could talk to Herr Trague... But both ideas are for the moment not being considered.
While this conversation goes on, Armand comes out. He hears the amount, 100,000 guilders total, and nearly collapses from shock! He pulls himself together, but is definitely shellshocked by this. Time passes, with Erik’s men finally arriving back from their escort duty.
Of course the calm that exists can only last for so long. A few hours later Armand runs to Erik, looking terrified! “Sir, there’s a problem in the basement!” Erik (and his three companions for that matter) follow Armand into the house and down the stairs, only to find a goodly amount of water flowing in from one wall! Thinking fast, Erik organizes the removal of the materials stored in the cellar. But more is to come- when everyone is back upstairs there is a distant wet slumping sound! Armand reappears, obviously about to break down. “Sir... The cellar wall collapsed!”
Once again there is a rush to the cellar, and sure enough, the wall facing the river has partly disintegrated, with more water coming in! Erik has Armand send for a mason, and organizes his men to start digging a diversion trench along the outside of the building. Illyana and Djiel are also in the growing trench by the time the mason arrives, and it turns out to be the carpenter! She heads down to see the problem, then pops up to indicate which way the trench should run, and how it should slope. Thereafter, she starts to work shoring things up inside.
Armand, after these newest blows is near to tears. He’s watching his home and livelihood come apart at the seams, and despite his varied talents there is very little he can do. Erik tries to support him, and does tell him that they won’t abandon him or the manor. This does help some, but the poor man is at his wits end.
Hours pass. The trench is completed and is successfully diverting most of the water away from the house. It turns out that the source is NOT the river, but rather a spring that has welled up beneath the wall. “It must have been eating away at the foundations for some time,” The carpenter states. “I’ve got things shored up for now, but it badly needs repairs. It should hold for a few days at least. I’ll get a crew assembled. Oh, and it looks like the wall was repaired once before.” Illyana, recalling that she’d seen a discontinuity in the wall when they’d first explored the manor, raises an eyebrow. “Show me.”
The pair head down to the cellar once again. The wall section that collapsed has been cleared away and now there is a frame of heavy timbers, like you’d find in a mineshaft, holding the structure firmly. Things are still quite muddy, and it will be some time before it is a usable space once again. The carpenter points to the adjoining section that didn’t collapse. “See this?” Illyana can see that the stone is a different color and texture... Almost flaky? “Hmm...” She brushes at the stone. It flakes off in damp bits, and beneath... Is metal! “Can you clear this without more collapse?” The carpenter nods. “Yes... Should I?” Illyana nods. “Da. I will fetch Erik.”
Illyana grabs Erik, getting Armand, Djiel and Zora in the train as well. By the time they get back downstairs, something huge is being revealed- a largish door is set into the wall... And it seems to be part of a safe! What’s more... The metal is Dracheneisen! The assembled group stare at this impossibility for a while, until Illyana says, “By Theah, we could buy the CITY...” Erik replies, “I don’t care. All I want is our problems here settled. If our debtors want it, they can HAVE it. As long as they cancel our debts.”
“It is not so simple,” Illyana replies. “In Eisen, it is illegal for non-Eisen to own Dracheneisen- it is tantamount to death sentence.” Before she can continue, Erik cuts in. “I don’t CARE. They can have it so long as they cancel our debts!” “You do not understand! We CAN’T just give it to them! They would kill us!” The argument goes on for some time, with no real resolution. By the time it winds down, the face of the door is fully clear to view. It’s about 6’ high and 3’ wide, and has what seems to be two keyholes, one above the other by more than a foot. Also on the door is a heraldric device- a fox leaping over a sleeping hound.
Illyana vaguely recognizes the symbol, and Armand says that is seems familiar as well. Thinking about it, Illyana realizes that she saw that symbol in the library. She runs upstairs, and shortly locates a book with the same fox-and-hound symbol embossed on the cover- it turns out to be a ledger. She brings it back downstairs.
In the meantime, Erik asks Armand if he has any keys that he didn’t have a use for. Unfortunately, the answer is no, with a verbal cataloging of the keys that he DOES have. Erik looks to Zora. “Can you open it?” She looks it over. “I can try.” She takes out several long oddly-shaped wires and goes to work, trying the lower lock first with no success, then the upper. “It’s not something I can open,” She says after a goodly while. “Maybe both must turn at once?” Suggests Illyana, and Zora nods to this.
The discussion begins again about what to do with the safe. Several ideas are tossed out, but in the end it comes down to dealing with Herr Trague. He is a legitimate power in Eisen, seems to like Erik and his entourage, and could likely provide the guilders that the safe is worth... Or at least arrange for the elimination of their debts in trade for the thing! “I do not care what he does with the safe. But whatever is inside... That is MINE.” Finishes Erik.
And thus the second set of the 7th Sea adventures ends. Next we pick up the Horror Campaign, with the return of the long-absent Cameron Dane! Stay tuned!
