Chapter 30. Bad Blood
General Summary
Ichabod’s Journal. Day 10.
We are back in Vallaki. More punishments are being read out - oh no, one is the guard we borrowed the armour from. This can't be good. The Burgomaster is reading out the punishment for Lars - yes - that is why that man is here. Mislaying his armour. This seems a drastic recourse.
We keep ourselves to ourselves until the procession has finished. I approach Vargas to update him on the wine situation. "The… the wine? Oh yes, you have brought the shipment, very well, we shall once more have wine to celebrate the festival!" I explain that the reason behind the delay was grave attacks on the Wizard of Wines, and that we have captured one of those responsible (supporters of the Devil) for him to punish as fits the law of the land, or gain information from. He seems pleased. Until Lars shouts out when he sees us. It seems he told Vargas we tricked him, stole the armour from him. I do my best to tell Vargas the truth - it was a deal, we were borrowing it in return for a bottle or two of wine, which we have upheld - it was in the cart. Vargas seems to be of the opinion that we have broken his rules, "wearing my insignia! Unlawfully!" he says. He didn't seem like he much wanted to hear my argument that we didn't break any such rules, and that we struck a deal fair and square with his own law keeper. This seems to make him uncomfortable. He looks at his guards while I say this. Perhaps he feels undermined. I suggest that he makes a suggestion - that we are allowed, whilst in his employ, that we use non-inscribed armour on loan from him. He will think about it (I think). He does seem pleased with the prisoner though. I return the armour to his guards, making sure no one sees the bag I take it out of… magic items seem rare in these parts, and it seems best not to draw attention to oneself in this town.
He tells us he has an update for us, and speaks in a hushed voice. He leads us to his house, and to his office. It seems another servant has gone missing. That makes two? Three? He still suspects the Lady Wachter. This time it's a kitchen maid. The others were a lady in waiting and a butler. He doesn't think these three people have any sort of link to each other outside of work. HE doesn't seem to have much to offer on this point, so I decide it best to ask around. The staff must know something.
Know something they do. Telling it though? Now that seems to be a different story. The butler I speak to I asked about when the kitchen maid was last seen. He gave a generic answer. I asked again, and it makes him nervous. I ask why he's nervous. This seems to have the opposite effect, and he shuts down and leaves, making some excuse. I would have thought that the staff would want to stop what’s going on. He didn't seem a suspect, he seemed like perhaps admitting what he knew would get him into more trouble. We will have to follow that up later.
Thinking the Lady of the house may have information, we enter. She is sitting in the same spot as before. Sipping tea from a teacu… no, wait. It's empty. Something isn't right with this woman. She seems to think that nothing is wrong with the staff. She seems them as "her children" yet doesn't seem to know three are missing. She then mentions her son Victor. He's upstairs. She thinks highly of him. Funny, we haven't seen this Victor. She offers tea, I decline, as does Alyric, I think he also feels we have outstayed our welcome. Esper accepts, and tells us not to wait up. I shrug and leave the room, going to meet Vass who is waiting outside.
Esper’s diary:
Half-way through a conversation with our host’s mother… I try to charm her, as I have done to folk countless times before, to try and find out more information. But she doesn’t take kindly to this. So, sensing trouble, I vanish into thin air. For the briefest of moments I find it amusing, and then slip off away from alarmed woman who was by now making a hysterically rising amount of noise. “She was here and then she just disappeared!”
I was always good at disappearing. Slipping off before people realised. It was too easy really. The others were deep in chat, happy to be back in Vallaki. Happy to be following through on their plans. But my mind wanders. I’m restless. Curious. Opportunistic. Always have been. Always will be. Plus we’ve been told there’s something upstairs. This is the chance to check it out. Padding up as lightly as possible I was looking for what I always look for: shiny things, sharp things, and magical things. As I passed upstairs I knew where not to go (our host was inside the first door I passed). Into a bedroom, I saw a trapdoor in the ceiling. Bingo. Gently lowering the door, I cast illusions to check for traps. I climb up the ladder and pull the hatch behind me as quietly as I can. I cross across a furniture-filled room, with a path carved through it. I approach a door with a skull engraved on it. “All is not well” is carved into a sign hanging on the door. I put it in my bag, evidence for later. I try to pass inside the room, but am hit by a charge of vicious electrical energy from a warding glyph I fail to spot. As my mage hand opened the door I hear a voice, speaking arcane spells, and heard it stop… Still invisible, I pass further inside the room. There are skeletal cats walking the floor, and a group of static children huddled in the corner, facing the wall. I find a spell scroll, I open the desk, and as I find a spell book I hear a voice say “put it down”.
I cast firebolt in the direction of the voice, and suddenly everything happens very fast. A voice tries to penetrate my mind, I shake it off and bolt for the door. Invisible, upstairs, alone. Alone. ALONE! I. Must. Escape. The creeping horror of the creatures in the other room, skeletal cats, unmoving children, necrotic energies: a terrible fate worse than death fills my soul with fear. I rush through the furniture filled room from before - but am hit from behind by a searing pain. At full speed, I fall headfirst over a sofa, crashing through clocks and other bric-a-brac… and everything fades to black.
It was Spring, at the village where I grew up. Surrounded by urchins. A large Dragonborn suddenly shifted her weight, and before I knew what was going on I’d been slammed to the ground. Again. That bitch. Always throwing her weight around. Always assuming the worst in me. So what if I did go through her stuff. I’d show her. My head was ringing. Around the edges of my sight small diamonds danced a merry jig. “If you touch my stuff again, you’ll be sorry” she roared, putting her full weight on me. Pushing my head into the dirt, she got up, dusted herself off, and turned on her heel.
Fuck this. That’s the last time I do something for Anders. I tasted an unfamiliar taste amidst the fresh dust between my teeth. It was hot and metallic. I spat, and I could see the ground was covered in a red spittle. I’d split my lip. Fucking bitch! It hurt and was bleeding badly. And for what? If only I’d actually stolen something from her, it would make it all worth it. At least Anders would pay me then.
From that moment I vowed to only ever do things that I wanted, and only then whole-heartedly, and fuck the result. Life was too short to be running bullshit errands for people she didn’t trust. If others disagreed with her way of life, well that was their burden to bear. There is no meaning to this life. Every time we go outside we can die. Every time I live another day – that’s one in the eye of death. Was there a life after death? Did the gods judge? Was this all a gambit? Who really cared? I’d decided life was for living. I’d try to be happy before it was all gone. I’d live her life as if I had a lot of money (beg, borrow and steal as I did it), act as if I knew what I was doing, be confident in who I was. The shops are going to shut in an hour, so fuck it, crash around, spend spend spend, live live live like it’s your last hour on earth.
It was all going so well until I ended up here. Here…upstairs. The attic. The cats. The attacker. I feel myself fading…
Ichabod’s journal: (Outside the manor…)
Vass and I are starting to get worried about Esper. Perhaps she did head straight back to the inn? If so, Alyric will send word. We hear something from the house, some sort of bump or thump. Vass looks at me - he is thinking the same thing. We walk around the side of the building and see a round glass window. A few seconds later, a purple flash of light. Must have been from Esper…or possibly to Esper… Vass starts to say something, some sort of plan. I can only think of one thing - I need to go to her aid. To hell with who sees. I climb. I feel self-conscious, but I climb. The window gives way with a knock of my staff. Inside is a confusing site. A tussle has happened here recently, I can smell brimstone. And everywhere there are…. Skeleton cats? Esper though - where is Esper - Aha, and open door. I can hear muttering and panting.
Esper’s diary: (Back in the attic…)
Holding on takes effort. I summon everything I have. Blinking through the darkness, heavy lids pushing down with all their might, I see a face, staring right at me - with a raspy voice, not happy I am here “DO YOU YIELD!?” Through gritted teeth I say I do. The figure asks for my hands. I extend them, and give my last energy for one last firebolt. Fuck you buddy.
Flashing images surround me. Now I am acting on instinct alone. Reacting, not thinking. Fire. Flashes. Crashes. Hot Blood. Fight. Bite. Lash out. Must. Escape. A figure with a kind face. Ichabod! It can’t be. How would they have found me? The noise? I must be dreaming… I need him… It is hard to see in the half-darkness, blood is everywhere, so I close my eyes. A warmth begins to spread across my body. I have the feeling that he and I are one body, one person, even there, if Ichabod suddenly disappeared, it would be as if I lost half of myself. Anyone less cerebral and self-absorbed than I would have realised it was a kind of love. That as much as I fight against them, they could be unexpected friends. The path through the darkness. A kin like I have never had before. But at the time, I didn’t realise this. I thought it was a bad dream.
Ichabod’s journal: A silhouette of a man. I leap atop a box, equipping my last cannon and call out to him to stop. He grabs Esper, bleeding from the mouth and nose, and holds a wand to her neck, telling me to back down. She wriggles free, and he scampers backwards. I approach, checking Esper is OK - she is not, but will survive. The man has gone into a side room - ah a trapdoor. He is trying to open it, but I am on him. "Step back from the latch, drop the wand…. Then we can talk" I say, as reasonably as I can muster with the adrenaline running through my veins. He turns, this dishevelled youth. "How dare you…."
We are back in Vallaki. More punishments are being read out - oh no, one is the guard we borrowed the armour from. This can't be good. The Burgomaster is reading out the punishment for Lars - yes - that is why that man is here. Mislaying his armour. This seems a drastic recourse.
We keep ourselves to ourselves until the procession has finished. I approach Vargas to update him on the wine situation. "The… the wine? Oh yes, you have brought the shipment, very well, we shall once more have wine to celebrate the festival!" I explain that the reason behind the delay was grave attacks on the Wizard of Wines, and that we have captured one of those responsible (supporters of the Devil) for him to punish as fits the law of the land, or gain information from. He seems pleased. Until Lars shouts out when he sees us. It seems he told Vargas we tricked him, stole the armour from him. I do my best to tell Vargas the truth - it was a deal, we were borrowing it in return for a bottle or two of wine, which we have upheld - it was in the cart. Vargas seems to be of the opinion that we have broken his rules, "wearing my insignia! Unlawfully!" he says. He didn't seem like he much wanted to hear my argument that we didn't break any such rules, and that we struck a deal fair and square with his own law keeper. This seems to make him uncomfortable. He looks at his guards while I say this. Perhaps he feels undermined. I suggest that he makes a suggestion - that we are allowed, whilst in his employ, that we use non-inscribed armour on loan from him. He will think about it (I think). He does seem pleased with the prisoner though. I return the armour to his guards, making sure no one sees the bag I take it out of… magic items seem rare in these parts, and it seems best not to draw attention to oneself in this town.
He tells us he has an update for us, and speaks in a hushed voice. He leads us to his house, and to his office. It seems another servant has gone missing. That makes two? Three? He still suspects the Lady Wachter. This time it's a kitchen maid. The others were a lady in waiting and a butler. He doesn't think these three people have any sort of link to each other outside of work. HE doesn't seem to have much to offer on this point, so I decide it best to ask around. The staff must know something.
Know something they do. Telling it though? Now that seems to be a different story. The butler I speak to I asked about when the kitchen maid was last seen. He gave a generic answer. I asked again, and it makes him nervous. I ask why he's nervous. This seems to have the opposite effect, and he shuts down and leaves, making some excuse. I would have thought that the staff would want to stop what’s going on. He didn't seem a suspect, he seemed like perhaps admitting what he knew would get him into more trouble. We will have to follow that up later.
Thinking the Lady of the house may have information, we enter. She is sitting in the same spot as before. Sipping tea from a teacu… no, wait. It's empty. Something isn't right with this woman. She seems to think that nothing is wrong with the staff. She seems them as "her children" yet doesn't seem to know three are missing. She then mentions her son Victor. He's upstairs. She thinks highly of him. Funny, we haven't seen this Victor. She offers tea, I decline, as does Alyric, I think he also feels we have outstayed our welcome. Esper accepts, and tells us not to wait up. I shrug and leave the room, going to meet Vass who is waiting outside.
Esper’s diary:
Half-way through a conversation with our host’s mother… I try to charm her, as I have done to folk countless times before, to try and find out more information. But she doesn’t take kindly to this. So, sensing trouble, I vanish into thin air. For the briefest of moments I find it amusing, and then slip off away from alarmed woman who was by now making a hysterically rising amount of noise. “She was here and then she just disappeared!”
I was always good at disappearing. Slipping off before people realised. It was too easy really. The others were deep in chat, happy to be back in Vallaki. Happy to be following through on their plans. But my mind wanders. I’m restless. Curious. Opportunistic. Always have been. Always will be. Plus we’ve been told there’s something upstairs. This is the chance to check it out. Padding up as lightly as possible I was looking for what I always look for: shiny things, sharp things, and magical things. As I passed upstairs I knew where not to go (our host was inside the first door I passed). Into a bedroom, I saw a trapdoor in the ceiling. Bingo. Gently lowering the door, I cast illusions to check for traps. I climb up the ladder and pull the hatch behind me as quietly as I can. I cross across a furniture-filled room, with a path carved through it. I approach a door with a skull engraved on it. “All is not well” is carved into a sign hanging on the door. I put it in my bag, evidence for later. I try to pass inside the room, but am hit by a charge of vicious electrical energy from a warding glyph I fail to spot. As my mage hand opened the door I hear a voice, speaking arcane spells, and heard it stop… Still invisible, I pass further inside the room. There are skeletal cats walking the floor, and a group of static children huddled in the corner, facing the wall. I find a spell scroll, I open the desk, and as I find a spell book I hear a voice say “put it down”.
I cast firebolt in the direction of the voice, and suddenly everything happens very fast. A voice tries to penetrate my mind, I shake it off and bolt for the door. Invisible, upstairs, alone. Alone. ALONE! I. Must. Escape. The creeping horror of the creatures in the other room, skeletal cats, unmoving children, necrotic energies: a terrible fate worse than death fills my soul with fear. I rush through the furniture filled room from before - but am hit from behind by a searing pain. At full speed, I fall headfirst over a sofa, crashing through clocks and other bric-a-brac… and everything fades to black.
It was Spring, at the village where I grew up. Surrounded by urchins. A large Dragonborn suddenly shifted her weight, and before I knew what was going on I’d been slammed to the ground. Again. That bitch. Always throwing her weight around. Always assuming the worst in me. So what if I did go through her stuff. I’d show her. My head was ringing. Around the edges of my sight small diamonds danced a merry jig. “If you touch my stuff again, you’ll be sorry” she roared, putting her full weight on me. Pushing my head into the dirt, she got up, dusted herself off, and turned on her heel.
Fuck this. That’s the last time I do something for Anders. I tasted an unfamiliar taste amidst the fresh dust between my teeth. It was hot and metallic. I spat, and I could see the ground was covered in a red spittle. I’d split my lip. Fucking bitch! It hurt and was bleeding badly. And for what? If only I’d actually stolen something from her, it would make it all worth it. At least Anders would pay me then.
From that moment I vowed to only ever do things that I wanted, and only then whole-heartedly, and fuck the result. Life was too short to be running bullshit errands for people she didn’t trust. If others disagreed with her way of life, well that was their burden to bear. There is no meaning to this life. Every time we go outside we can die. Every time I live another day – that’s one in the eye of death. Was there a life after death? Did the gods judge? Was this all a gambit? Who really cared? I’d decided life was for living. I’d try to be happy before it was all gone. I’d live her life as if I had a lot of money (beg, borrow and steal as I did it), act as if I knew what I was doing, be confident in who I was. The shops are going to shut in an hour, so fuck it, crash around, spend spend spend, live live live like it’s your last hour on earth.
It was all going so well until I ended up here. Here…upstairs. The attic. The cats. The attacker. I feel myself fading…
Ichabod’s journal: (Outside the manor…)
Vass and I are starting to get worried about Esper. Perhaps she did head straight back to the inn? If so, Alyric will send word. We hear something from the house, some sort of bump or thump. Vass looks at me - he is thinking the same thing. We walk around the side of the building and see a round glass window. A few seconds later, a purple flash of light. Must have been from Esper…or possibly to Esper… Vass starts to say something, some sort of plan. I can only think of one thing - I need to go to her aid. To hell with who sees. I climb. I feel self-conscious, but I climb. The window gives way with a knock of my staff. Inside is a confusing site. A tussle has happened here recently, I can smell brimstone. And everywhere there are…. Skeleton cats? Esper though - where is Esper - Aha, and open door. I can hear muttering and panting.
Esper’s diary: (Back in the attic…)
Holding on takes effort. I summon everything I have. Blinking through the darkness, heavy lids pushing down with all their might, I see a face, staring right at me - with a raspy voice, not happy I am here “DO YOU YIELD!?” Through gritted teeth I say I do. The figure asks for my hands. I extend them, and give my last energy for one last firebolt. Fuck you buddy.
Flashing images surround me. Now I am acting on instinct alone. Reacting, not thinking. Fire. Flashes. Crashes. Hot Blood. Fight. Bite. Lash out. Must. Escape. A figure with a kind face. Ichabod! It can’t be. How would they have found me? The noise? I must be dreaming… I need him… It is hard to see in the half-darkness, blood is everywhere, so I close my eyes. A warmth begins to spread across my body. I have the feeling that he and I are one body, one person, even there, if Ichabod suddenly disappeared, it would be as if I lost half of myself. Anyone less cerebral and self-absorbed than I would have realised it was a kind of love. That as much as I fight against them, they could be unexpected friends. The path through the darkness. A kin like I have never had before. But at the time, I didn’t realise this. I thought it was a bad dream.
Ichabod’s journal: A silhouette of a man. I leap atop a box, equipping my last cannon and call out to him to stop. He grabs Esper, bleeding from the mouth and nose, and holds a wand to her neck, telling me to back down. She wriggles free, and he scampers backwards. I approach, checking Esper is OK - she is not, but will survive. The man has gone into a side room - ah a trapdoor. He is trying to open it, but I am on him. "Step back from the latch, drop the wand…. Then we can talk" I say, as reasonably as I can muster with the adrenaline running through my veins. He turns, this dishevelled youth. "How dare you…."
Report Date
04 Oct 2024
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