[Pathfinder] Return of the Runelords, part 7: Lair of the Horned Fangs

 

With the cambion dead, Hunter, Zinovia, and Fox joined Lonn and I in the chamber where Alden had found Lady Corstela. She seemed entirely unaware of what had gone on downstairs, or even the fighting in the hallway and other rooms outside where she sat. Alden seemed to fear that she had somehow been affected by it, but after a few moments he appeared to become less anxious. We introduced ourselves to her, as she seemed unaware of who we are even though she had invited us. She did admit she had issues the invitation. 

Lady Corstela

Alden

After Hunter took the lead and began to explain what had been happening downstairs, Lady Corstela exclaimed that the party hadn't begun yet, taking all of us by surprise. Hunter questioned her and soon revealed that something must have happened to her to render her unconscious or perhaps like the servants and staff in the kitchen who had been unaware of their surroundings. Not until she was encouraged to look out a window did she believe that it was much later than the early evening she believed the hour to be. 

We narrated the details of the evening to her, assisted by Alden so that she would take our tale more seriously. When Fox mentioned the cambion she stated that he was her assistant, much to our surprise. Zinovia even dragged the cambion's corpse to the door of the room to prove what we said. We still don't know how or why the demon turned against her and disguised himself as Alden, though perhaps we shouldn't be surprised as he was a demon after all. 

Cambion

After we told her of the sinspawn that had been disguised as her, she became angry and blamed the whole affair on the Horned Fangs, the group that was meant to be helping the laborers of Roderic's Cove get better wages. According to her they've become a gang no better than the Roadkeepers, demanding protection money from the local merchants. When she compared them to the Roadkeepers Fox proudly told her we'd slain them all, which caused a bit of consternation as there had been an earlier statement about having killed her guards when they attacked us. Zinovia was surprisingly annoyed by his words. We passed over that brief distraction and went on to discuss how we'd found her spy among the Roadkeepers, Dolland, and what had become of him. The affairs of this town are becoming more and more complicated. Lady Corstela appeared dismayed and a bit irritated that Dolland had cooperated with us. Lonn commented later that he thought she was annoyed at having her operative make any kind of bargain with another.

Dolland

Fox asked Lady Corstela if she had trapped Sir Roderic's ghost in the study downstairs where we'd encountered him. She admitted that the Peacocks had used magic to prevent the ghost from appearing in his own home as it was a nuisance to them, but she suspected he'd appeared in the marketplace because the Horned Fangs had associated themselves with the Runelord of Wrath. Sir Roderic had the Sword of Wrath, and this had affected him. Someone new had recently come to town and taken charge of the Horned Fangs, giving them the symbols of Wrath that they'd begun to wear as badges, and this seemed to have aroused the ghost's anger. Lady Corstela didn't know this new leader and couldn't advise us how to find them, but she suspected this new leader might have come into possession of the missing Sword of Wrath. 

Sword of Wrath

Lady Corstela also expressed surprise when she was shown the false Sword of Pride we'd taken from the sinspawn imposter. She revealed that she herself had possessed the actual Sword of Pride since childhood, gifted it by her parents, and she had never unsheathed it in the presence of anyone else so there was no way that anyone could have copied it in such detail. When it wasn't with her it was locked in a case. She believed the sinspawn had all died out with the Runelords during Earthfall. She didn't believe that our mentors had actually fought a living Runelord. This was when we told her we had all been sent to Roderic's Cove by the invidividuals who have come to be known as the Sihedron Heroes. She mentioned that she'd written to Hunter's mentor and the only response she'd received was a command to give her sword to Hunter. 

Sword of Pride

This part of the conversation led us to realize that if there were Runelords who had survived Earthfall then some sinspawn might have been able to survive also, and perhaps the copy of the Sword of Pride had been made by someone who had personally seen the real sword. That thought still chills me.

Lady Corstela handed over the sword, explaining that its proximity had gradually begun to affect her. She seemed dismissive when we suggested that the influence of the sword had led her to murder several people. She wasn't concerned that she'd been seen committing the murders. They had been members of the Horned Fangs and had refused to answer her questions, and though she acknowledged that they didn't deserve to die for refusing her, she showed little remorse. The sword may have made her too proud to admit any fault.

Zinovia had the gauntlets that would protect the bearer from the sword's influence, and she took it when Corstela relinquished it. When it was explained that the sword would try to influence the people around it even when it wasn't being carried, she complained that she'd have to sleep in the gauntlets. 

Runemarked gauntlets

After all this discussion was over and we'd given our apologies for having killed most of her guards, we left and went back to the inn. Zinovia admonished Fox for being so proud of killing the Roadkeepers. We'll have to remember that Fox had a very peculiar upbringing, raised as a slave to a mage who used him as a kind of circus performer, so he doesn't understand all the nuances of social behavior. 

The inn

We all felt very tired and a bit confused after everything that had happened at the manor. It seems that the territories of Pride and Wrath must come right up against each other in very close proximity to this town, which has led to so much of the strife here. We still don't know who killed Sir Roderic, only who killed his family that came to claim his estate. I wonder if that has anything to do with the Peacocks not wanting to give up their meeting place. Surely they couldn't be so petty, but with a demon as a servant who can say? Lady Corstela also gave us the surprising information that former mayor Cassias, who we had been told by the current mayor was responsible for the death of Sir Roderic, had left Roderic's Cove six months prior to his demise. 

In any case we've decided that our next step is to seek out the Horned Fangs and see if we'll have any more good fortune in questioning them than Lady Corstela did.

As we have done since we first met him, we breakfasted with young Kynae. He claims to have no knowledge of who the members of the Horned Fangs are, so we left him in charge of Grumble the peculiar goblin and went in search of people wearing the rune of Wrath on their shoulders. Fox has discovered a new spell in whatever way sorcerers do, and cast it on us all so we could communicate with him and he could relay our words if we became separated.

It didn't take long for us to catch a glimpse of man wearing the Horned Fang badge. To our misfortune he spied us, but we managed to follow him. Curiously he led us right back to the inn, disappearing around the side of the building that's opposite the stables. It was Hunter who noticed the well-disguised ladder leading into a cellar beneath the inn. Prepared with spells and drawn weapons, we descended the ladder and entered the underground space. 

Streets of Roderic's Cove

Inn exterior

The cellar was simply dug into the earth and was being used as storage. But when Fox employed a spell designed to detect concealed doorways, he found an exit leading out of the cellar. This opened into an area of worked stone that appeared to be much older than the inn. On the walls of this area were murals of a furious battle raging. There was no one else present. The space was fitted with display cases holding pages that had clearly been removed from books. Upon examination, these pages proved to be written in Thassilonian script and were texts describing how the Runelord of Wrath had constructed the structure in which we stood and crafted her sword. The pages were very old and worn. Hunter observed that there was some minor protective magic cast upon the bookcases. 

Cellar entrance

Storeroom

There were three exits from this chamber. We chose one to open, which Zinovia listened at and heard nothing before Hunter swung it open. It revealed an armory containing a significant stockpile of weaponry, which was rather frightening to be truthful. What were the Horned Fangs intending to do with all these armaments?

Armory

Fox found two more concealed doors here. The first led into a short hallway that appeared to end in stone. Lonn examined the end of this passage and found yet another secret door, which he was able to determine how to open after a few moments of examining the mechanism. The other hidden door opened into what was either a small closet or a very short and narrow passage. We decided to go through the door at the end of the passageway first. 

This door opened into a room containing several tables and chairs - and three women who immediately leapt up and moved to attack when they saw us. Zinovia attempted to dissuade them from fighting but they either didn't understand her words or didn't care. While Fox cast spells from the entrance and Lonn, Hunter and Zinovia moved into the room to engage them, I took a chance on slipping inside and casting spells from the opposite end of the room from where they were grouped. I completely forgot Zinovia's advice to always keep my staff or dagger in my hand. These women proved to be fierce fighters and entirely unwilling to yield. Zinovia leaped up on top of one of the tables at one point. I eventually worked myself a bit closer to the combatants, but because I'd foolishly failed to arm myself I couldn't lend my compatriots any aid other than with my magic, which the women as often as not shrugged off. 

Battle with the brawlers

To my misfortune one of these women decided to turn her attention to me and found myself desperately trying to escape her by scrambling around the chairs and tables. If I hadn't cast a spell of false life on myself before we entered I might have come closer to dying. Lonn entered the room and not only plied his rapier, something he's been reluctant to do previously, but also was able to treat my wounds and bring me back to consciousness. Fox came to help him using the wand he carries.

Post battle

Zinovia was of course furious with me again when the three Horned Fangs were finally sent to whatever afterlife they believed in. I made sure to carry my staff in my hand after that. The others searched the womens' bodies and found some healing potions we could use, as well as magical potions that may be very helpful. Hunter also removed a ring he was wearing and gave it to Zinovia to grant her some magical protection as we expected that we'd meet more Horned Fangs.

Lonn found yet another hidden door leading into a small passage out of the room where the three women had been. Fox then went back out to the second concealed door he'd discovered before we entered that room and learned that it was a very short pass-through, leading out into another space. We decided to use this door to enter this other space, while Lonn went out through the door he'd found. 

The tiny passage let into a much larger room, equipped with tables and chairs as though it was meant to be a meeting space for many people. Hunter crept out, attempting to be stealthy, and observed that there were two Horned Fang members and two strange creatures in the meeting area. At that moment Lonn opened the other door and one of the Horned Fangs looked both at him and in Hunter's direction. Hunter made an attempt to persuade them to talk with us, but like the women they didn't seen interested in conversation. The two small creatures rushed at Lonn. I had decided to run around to join Lonn and managed to peek out through the narrow doorway to see these things. They were fleshdregs, another of the Runelords' awful creations. I at once recited to my companions every detail I could recall about fleshdregs. The danger seemed to heighten my ability to remember.

Fleshdreg

The fleshdregs had already bitten Lonn. He shut the door and swallowed a healing potion. I couldn't see what was happening in the large meeting room so I ran back around to the tiny passage. Hunter had cast a spray of colors at the two Horned Fang thugs and one of the fleshdregs, which caused one of the people to be immobilized but the fleshdregs were immune to the spell's effect. Zinovia cleaved the body of the fallen gangster but the tiny and agile fleshdreg darted out of reach of her blade. But she finally eliminated the fleshdregs, and then began to ask the surviving Horned Fang questions. He refused to answer even when she threatened him, so she punched him and left him unconscious. 

Battle with the fleshdregs

I had realized by this time that when the fleshdregs bit Lonn they had imparted their sin scent to him, but even your researches haven't discovered a way to remove that, Master Taeral. We'll have to take care that it doesn't attract more sinspawn or fleshdregs to us.

There was a curtained area across the meeting room, and Hunter pushed aside the curtain to find an empty room. Lonn listened at another door and told us he heard a sound like heavy breathing, but no movement. We decided first to look into another doorway on the side of the meeting room opposite the curtained area. 

Curtained room

This door wasn't concealed or locked. It opened into a large room that appeared to be a sort of tavern, occupied by four people, and shockingly a sinspawn standing behind the bar!

The sinspawn rushed at us first,  encountering Zinovia. She dodged it and with a single slash eliminated one of the gang members. While Hunter faced the sinspawn, Lonn entered from another side door and crept up behind it to stab it, which led to him being attacked from behind by one of the other gangsters. I ran around through the entrance we'd used to access the meeting room intending to enter the bar through the same side door Lonn had used, but by the time I reached the passage Lonn had retreated into it and shut the door to the bar area. He was pressing against the door to prevent it being opened from the other side, and the passage was too narrow for me to squeeze past him even had he been willing to open the door for me.

Frustrated at having my plan thwarted, I ran back out and made my way back around to the bar entrance from the largest room, where Fox still stood firing his flames at the Horned Fangs inside the barroom. Lonn had come out of the passage by this time and was attempting to aid Zinovia and Hunter against their foes. Everything I could see inside the bar was only a glimpse through the narrow doorway. I don't know why there were so many concealed entrances in that place, or why all the doorways were so narrow that even a human of any bulk would have difficulty fitting through them. 

Barroom brawl

There was a flash of flame from within the room as Lonn hurled a flask at one of the Hooked Fang members. In response the gangster attacked him with a club in each hand. The sinspawn collapsed as Zinovia dealt it a final blow. Then Fox sent another blast of fire into the barroom and the last of the Hooked Fangs slumped over in a scorched heap. 

Happy hour is over

The fallen Hooked Fangs were swiftly stripped of their armor, weapons, and valuables as their fellows had been. There was yet another doorway leading out of the bar area, but instead of a concealed door taking us back into the room where we'd fought the three women, it was a small private meeting room. We had yet to investigate the other side of the largest room, as we had reason to believe there were more rooms beyond it based on the heavy breathing Lonn had heard when he listened at one of the doors.

[Pathfinder] Return of the Runelords, part 6: A Disturbance at the Manor

After we examined the creature that Lady Corstela transformed into, Hunter commented on how glad he was that he'd paid an armorer more gold to re-size the small mithril breastplate to fit him in time for the party. Zinovia then told us about the man she'd gone upstairs with and how he'd ensorceled her and afterward turned into a red-skinned horned being. We found a wand, which Hunter asked to have as he can use its magic to power his own. 

Sinspawn

The creature had been holding a sword we thought might be the Sword of Pride while it was in the form of Corstela Rostrata, but when it collapsed the sword proved to be as false as the person, revealing itself as a broken rapier. 

Most of the nobles who'd gone into a frenzy when the statue was revealed were only unconscious, not dead. It was a long fight to defeat all the bald women. They were very skilled at avoiding blows and spells. Zinovia and Hunter fought them fiercely, Zinovia at one point nearly slicing one woman in two, but she took many wounds from them and was sorely hurt herself. Fox and Hunter expended many charges from their wands to help her recover her health, and Lonn also used his knowledge of healing to benefit her. Zinovia is an amazingly strong warrior. After she was knocked down by the woman, she drew out her warhammer and dealt one of them a fearsome blow without rising from the ground.

Zinovia

The hairless women proved to have many talismans on their persons and those we took. When all of the women in the ballroom had been dealt with we decided it would be wise to search the rest of the manor. We crossed the entry hall and found our way to the kitchen, where several cooks in livery were busily preparing food. They seemed unaware of what had happened in the ballroom, though there was no indication of the magic that had silenced sounds from downstairs when I went up to the second floor. The cooks didn't react when Hunter entered the kitchen and didn't respond when he spoke to them, but when he tried touching one of them the cook he touched tried to cut him with a cleaver. Lonn realized they were under an enchantment. We left them behind, intending to return later to see if we could free them.

Beyond the kitchen lay a dining hall, where an assortment of commoners and workmen were dining with a few nobles, oddly. We realized they too were enchanted when we heard them repeating the same conversation over and over. Hunter encountered a trace of Sir Roderic's ghost in an empty study, which he thought indicated that the spirit was somehow confined there. We left them as well and crossed back to the wing where the ballroom lay to investigate the rooms that let off the ballroom. 

Kitchen, dining hall & study

Hunter overheard more voices coming from one of those rooms. When he opened the door he found several guards and more of the oddly dressed women inside. The guards seemed surprised by the intrusion. Lonn had already observed that the guards we had seen outside the manor when we arrived were nowhere to be seen. It seemed they must have come inside. When Hunter tried to tell them about what had happened in the ballroom they immediately became combative and another fight ensued. 

While Hunter, Zinovia, and Fox fought with the women and guards, Lonn ran outside to open a window to gain access to the room another way. I followed him, firing my spell through the window at women who seemed entirely too agile for me to touch them. One of the guards took the opportunity to climb out the window after me. Fearing for my life, I drew my recently acquired wand out of the sheath on my wrist and directed the bead of fiery energy into the room. I wasn't aware that at that moment Zinovia was lying on the floor inside that room, badly injured. 

The flames rid us of all of our foes, but very nearly took Zinovia with them. After my comrades had used all the healing skills and magic at their disposal to restore her, she came outside and began shouting at me angrily for having used the wand. When I objected that I had no other offensive options at my disposal in that time, she began telling me that I should at least be able to use a dagger or a staff as a weapon. I kept trying to interject that I had left my staff at the inn because I didn't think I would need it at a party, she shouted me down. I felt humiliated, and also ashamed that I hadn't prepared better for this occasion. I had selected spells with no thought to any danger, assuming that we were only going to a party where we would talk to the Peacocks, not fight them. I walked over to the front entry steps of the manor and sat down, feeling rather full of self-pity. 

While I was sitting on the steps, more of the women appeared and Zinovia went back inside to face them. After a few more moments of reflection I realized that I couldn't just sit there and let my friends face them without helping. Master Taeral, I hope you can forgive me for failing to use the skills you taught me in a better fashion. I ran back up to the open window, and managed to hit two of the women with my frost. When the woman were done, Lonn went into another smaller room and emerged with a pearl that radiated a fairly strong aura. I realized it was a pearl of power, capable of restoring cast spells. The others encouraged me to take it. I hope I can use it well to aid them.

Pearl of Power

We then went up the stairs to search for the real Lady Corstela, but she wasn't in that wing. In the room that Zinovia had entered with the man, Hunter found an elven man bound and gagged in a closet. Zinovia identified him as the man she'd gone upstairs with, but he claimed that a red-skinned man with horns had put him in the closet. This fit the description of what the elf man had turned into after casting a spell on her. This man from the closet proclaimed himself Alden Tilaresk, one of the Peacocks as exemplified by the showy cape of peacock plumage he wore. Upon being questioned Alden stated that the Peacocks had existed in Roderic's Cove for years, and Sir Roderic had even been a member. They had always met at his manor during his lifetime. He claimed to know nothing of what had happened downstairs. He told us he is a sorcerer, and very proud of his magic he is, too. But he gave us a wand that can cast mage armor as a reward for rescuing him. Fox has taken charge of that wand.

Master Alden Tilaresk

We took Alden downstairs, intended to cross to the other wing to check the upstairs rooms there. To do so we would have to go outside the manor and ascend by an exterior staircase. First we took Alden to the ballroom and showed him what had happened. He was quite appalled to see the other Peacocks. He told us the women had served the Peacocks for many years and always obeyed Lady Corstela. He didn't understand why they would have tried to keep us from leaving the ballroom. It was Alden who recognized the creature that had been disguised as Corstela as a sinspawn of wrath. He also sensed the magic coming from the statue of Alaznist, though he resisted it, and he didn't understand why that statue would be in the manor as the Peacocks are admirers of the Runelord of Pride, not of Wrath.

Alaznist, Runelord of Wrath

We made our way outside and climbed up to the second floor of the other wing, Alden accompanying us. Hunter carefully opened the first door at the top of the staircase, immediately sensing that the room was unusually cold. Two of the warrior women waited within, both moving toward him threateningly as soon as they saw him. I had managed to be just behind him on the stair, but I hung back to use the pearl to restore my spells. Alden ran into the room and began trying to dissuade the women from starting a fight but they paid him no heed. Zinovia stepped in and swung her sword mightily at one woman while Fox sent a ray of flame at the other. 

From another room down a short hall I glimpsed another person appear. I couldn't see him well but I did observe that he had bright red skin. Both Fox and Lonn saw him better and warned us that he was a cambion demon. Hunter and Lonn added to this, advising that cambions are immune or resistant to many types of energy and are capable of casting quite powerful spells. Alden exclaimed angrily that it was the cambion who had rendered him unconscious and presumably bound him and put him in the closet as well. When Hunter headed toward the demon he took cover in a room and Hunter called out that the cambion had shielded himself. 

Cambion

But the women had no such magical wards and I used my missiles to lay one of them out on the floor. Alden ran into a room to the other side of the hall, followed by Lonn, and I went after them, to find that Lady Corstela sat in that room conversing with them. Zinovia meanwhile pursued the demon and her sword dealt with him just as it had dealt with almost everything else it met. I'm relieved that she is not my enemy, but I'm not sure I want her to try to teach me fighting skills either. 

Lady Corstela Rostrata

Next: part 7, Lair of the Horned Fangs

[Pathfinder] Return of the Runelords, part 5: An Unexpected Party

 

I had never attended a masked ball before last night, and I certainly hope the ball I attended at Sir Roderic's manor wasn't an example of a typical one.

But perhaps I should begin earlier in our story. My new comrades and I were on our way back to Roderic's Cove after dealing with the Roadkeepers and goblins. On the road we suddenly came upon a group of bodies! Several of us immediately recognized one of them as the child, Kynae, who had given us information about the brigands and the mysterious woman who had killed several people. Kynae was still alive, and so was an unknown woman, though both of them were badly injured. With them was the old woman we had spoken to at the stone building above the Roadkeepers' underground lair. She was dead, her body gruesomely cut open. 

The old woman

Lonn went at once to attend to Kynae. Both the boy and the strange woman had been bound. While he was about that, Zinovia and Fox looked around to try to discover what had happened. Something bit Fox badly in the leg. He spied a tiny fey creature, a gimple, which scampered off into a nearby tree, but not before Lonn was able to determine what it was and warn the rest of us to beware its ability to spew something vile over what would be quite a considerable distance for a creature the size of a cat. Hunter went after the gimple.

Mister Retch

Lonn revived the strange woman, whose large sword hadn't been removed from her. As soon as she was free and able to regain her feet she snatched the sword up and flew into a fury, running off in pursuit of the gimple. Her fury reminded me of Zinovia, but she seemed less rational. Meanwhile Kynae revealed to Lonn that he knew the gimple, who he called Mister Retch, and he explained that this gimple lived in Roderic's Cove and conducted some illicit business there. How Mister Retch happened to be there he didn't know. He had followed the old woman after she offered him sweets, and they'd been attacked by Retch on the way. He didn't know who the angry woman was, either, but he did know there was a bounty in town for Retch.

Kynae

Amiri

I didn't know any of that until later. I had been following behind the rest of the group, and while they ran forward to examine the bodies in the road I had hung back a bit as my involvement didn't seem to be required. When I saw the gimple fly into an oak tree I retreated to the other side of the road to get out of range of its spew should it decide to use that. Hunter was already after it, and both Zinovia and the other woman began to hew at the tree trunk with their swords. Then Hunter turned his sword into a sort of whip and wrapped it around the gimple, pulling it out of the tree and sending it plunging to the ground. It got back on its feet, but before it could do anything else Zinovia cut it in half with a swift swipe of her blade.

The other woman, whose name was Amiri, told us that she'd just been walking along the road when she'd been attacked by Mister Retch. Once he was dealt with she went on her way to the East toward the Stolen Lands.

We took anything of use or value from the old woman's body and dragged her off the road, though that was as much attention as we gave her. We took Retch's remains with us. The old woman had several magical talismans on her and a dagger that would have been effective against Retch if only he'd gone within reach of it. Kynae said that Retch had killed her because he'd wanted information from her about us and she'd refused to tell him anything. That is troubling, though Kynae also said that Retch didn't work with anyone else so perhaps he was simply annoyed by our efforts to eliminate some of the criminals from the town.

The following morning we went to see Mayor Thort again to tell her about everything we'd learned and claim the bounties for the Roadkeepers and Retch. I've now got quite a substantial quantity of gold in my possession. I hope someone in town can sell me a good wand or some scrolls. 

Mayor Thort

Mayor Thort told us that since we'd provided proof Sir Roderic's family had all been slain, control of his manor fell to the nobles of the town. She had received approval from the nobles to allow us to visit the manor and look around inside, but only for one evening. She had found out about the Peacocks herself just before we returned, and she told us that the nobles would dictate what time we could visit the manor. They had set the time as the following evening - which would also be the eve of a ball the Order of the Peacock would be holding there.

When we returned to our rooms at the inn, we found that apparel and masks appropriate for the ball had been delivered for us. This quite upset Zinovia, as she didn't like that someone had been in our rooms in our absence, and the innkeeper professed to know nothing about it. 

These garments proved all to be under some spells, though they didn't appear to be anything disturbing. The masks were marked with a Thassilonian rune for 'guest', which could be seen when looked at through another such mask. The clothing was enhanced to keep it clean. Fox decided to exchange masks with Zinovia as they'd left identical masks for her and myself, and three other identical masks for Fox, Hunter, and Lonn.

That evening a coach came to fetch us and carry us to the manor. All was dark as we approached, but as we passed a point we could see the lights. A magical effect, I think, to impress visitors. There was a great deal of that within the manor. It was quiet outside and in the vestibule, but as soon as we entered the large ballroom where the other guests congregated we hard music playing without any evidence of minstrels present. The woman who led the Peacocks, Lady Corstela Rostrata, stood on a small platform in one corner of the ballroom in front of a drapery. There were a number of people about wearing no masks but dressed in unusual clothing that left their legs and arms exposed, and their heads were shaved. 

Lady Corstela Rostrata

Party muscle

I hung back while Hunter and Lonn mingled with the other guests, most of whom were nobles of the town, owners of various businesses such as shipping and armories. There was another person on the platform with Lady Corstela, and Zinovia went to talk to him. She had been very displeased with the ornate gown she'd been sent to wear and had contrived to hang her sword on her back as we hadn't been told to leave our weapons behind. After chatting with this gentleman, who wore no mask, Zinovia accompanied him up the curving staircase that led from the ballroom. Hunter was occupied chatting with one of the nobles and didn't seem to mind.

Mystery man 

Fox, however, though it very odd that Zinovia had gone off with another man and followed her. Finding the ballroom not to my liking, I went up after him. I found him in a hallway lined with doors, opening them one by one to see if Zinovia and her companion were within. After a moment I stepped back to see if anything had changed downstairs, and I realized that when we left the ballroom the music was no longer heard. When I stepped back out to the head of the staircase I could hear it again - and I could also hear people screaming and shouting below. I hurried to tell Fox that something was happening.

Upstairs in the manor

Fox decided to let Zinovia be, assuming she could take care of herself, and we both ran back downstairs to find that the other guests had begun attacking one another and our friends. Corstela stood in front of a statue that looked very like the broken statue of the Runelord of we'd found underground, laughing like a madwoman. The shaven-headed women were all surrounding Hunter below the staircase and hemming him in so that he couldn't move away from them. I on the stairs and attempted to cast spells at them to aid him. I could smell smoke somewhere in the room.

Lady Corstela

Runelord Alaznist

The party gets hot

Zinovia came out of the upstairs room and ran down to join the fighting. Hunter had his sword in his hand. Lonn ran around the edge of the room shouting advice to everyone. He had realized that there was someone invisible and directed Fox to use a wand he'd acquired recently that could produce glitterdust to reveal the invisible and also blind the strangely enraged townsfolk. 

There was so much going on in the room that I couldn't see due to all the people milling about. I kept my attention on trying to get rid of one of Hunter's opponents from among the strangely attired women. After a short while I came down from the stairs and used the wand we had taken from the Roadkeepers' lair to hurl a ball of flame into the crowd. Fortunately I was able to use that Thassilonian trick of using wands without expending a charge that you taught me, Master Taeral, as that wand doesn't have much left in it. I blasted Lady Corstela with it as well though I couldn't save the charge on the second use. To avoid using it all up I used my own magic to fire two missiles at her as well, but to my disappointment she had a shield spell active. Still, other attacks had been directed at her before I arrived and it wasn't long before she slumped over on the floor. As soon as she fell, her body transformed from a human woman into a frightful monster. 

Next: part 6, A Disturbance at the Manor