Finally, a light seeped into the end of the tunnel from under a wooden panel blocking the party’s further progress. Orophor snuck up, taking care to look for traps, to inspect the panel. He chiseled a hole in the wood, and peeked inside to find what looked like cloth and fur beyond the panel. Sven tired of the investigation, and busted straight through the wood, falling through what turned out to be an armoire, and into a decadent bedroom.
In the bed, Bastard Nigel slept. Or, had been sleeping. Now, with a dragonborn busted through his armoire, he was decidedly awake.
After calming the Bastard, who preferred just to be called Nigel, he invited them to eat and drink and rest after the voyage to find him. He brought them down a series of halls, through which, faint screams could be heard. Orophor pealed off from the group to investigate.
Meanwhile, the rest of the party reached a feasting hall, where the most interesting decoration was a gilded cage hanging from the ceiling, containing a withered vampire. They all sat, a bit uncomfortable, to feast.
Bastard Nigel conveyed that he had invited them to speak with him because he half suspected them of working with the vampires and Reed Rhergin, while the other half hoped they worked against the vampires. Tenli asked why he hated Reed Rhergin so, and he relayed his tragic story.
Orophor found somebody in the dungeons getting worked on by dental tools, and skipped on out of there. Zain also shimmied up to the vampire, maybe thinking about doing something, but the vampire tried to bite him.
A decade past, his betrothed, Crystal Methy, had been stolen out from under him by Reed. Not only did he love Crystal, but her family’s holdings and wealth were enough that if the marriage passed, Nigel’s father, King Thadd, would have legitimized him, making him the true heir to the throne.
The party plied Nigel for more information, but found that they seemed to know more than he did. They told him their conspiracy about the Death Head reemerging in Bergot, and managing Dellin through their vampires in order to ship Ice Stone. At least, I think they told him that.
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Nigel also gave them a description of his father’s assassin, information found out from the late king’s serving maid. The party searched their memories for anybody fitting that description, and came up with nothing… Until their memory was jogged, and they recalled a certain bookkeeper in the desert who fit that description and had some pretty intense political ideas.
He said he’d like some more proof, but Tenli really charmed his pants off, so he offered them money and supplies to continue on their quest to thwart the Death Head, so long as they killed Reed Rhergin first. They made promises of that variety. So, he supplied them with 1,000 gold, horses, and a boat to take them to Durbin, where they’d find Reed Rhergin. And from there, they could use the same boat to go up the Denbue river to Ysig, or wherever they wished to go.
Nigel also gave them brooches to put on their cloaks to show Dellin that they operated under his authority. In much of the country, that would wipe out their status as wanted criminals. AND the guy sent for some prisoners to be loaded onto their boat, so Fey had plenty of food to eat.
He also gave them leave to go on a shopping spree in Videl, on his coin. And they really took advantage of that. Orophor was interested in some magical items, and heard tell that Fred the Magic Item Man had some trinkets. Sven went to go check that out, and asked Fred how much his Key of Wave-Be-Gone cost. When quoted 3,000 gold, Sven struck the man in the face, throwing him through a wall and potentially killing him.
Hearing the ruckus, a guard peeked in to see what happened. Upon seeing it was just Fred, dead, he moved right along. Sven then pocketed the Key of Wave-Be-Gone and the Chain of Good Weather. Beorn joined him and took the Stone of Fertility and Potion of Hair Regrowth.
Meanwhile, Fey picked up some weapons at the blacksmith. Tenli and Zain shopped rings at the goldsmith. And, they found out an actual magical item dealer operated out of a secret basement under the local tavern.
The party regrouped at the tavern, and asked the bartender about scoring some magical items. The bartender dismissed all the patrons of the tavern, then opened up a trapdoor and led the group down to his emporium.
They found a range of delicious items. A Ring of Protection, a Weapon of Warning, a Gray Bag of Tricks, a Ring of Alertness, and a Staff of Power. They spent basically all their money, but what else is money for, after all?
And so, they stumbled out of the tavern, drunk on new stuff, ready to take on whatever happened next.