Sol Povos: Old Man Kaz

Old man Kaz lives in a manasion a few miles west of fanax. It sits atop a hill, surrounded by tangled, leprous vine and old farmlands. The gravel hill leads up past a five-foot stone wall. The house is a single story, with a steep roof and many windows; the place is wooden, but well-cared for, and lit by lamps along the path. On the left is a smaller building, probably for servants. There is a family graveyard off to the right, filled with eerie red mist.

Ahead of us a short, stout guy with dirty blond hair; the other is tall and skinny with a spindly beard and no hair, and only sort barely properly dressed; he immediately starts waving.

"HAIL, GOOD FELLOWS!" Tavros is happy to see a friendly face.

Tug starts to come over but Lug grabs him and motions for him to get back to work.

Tavros: "Have we reached the house of Old Man Kaz?"

Lug: "Yes. Knock on the door."

The door is answered by an austere, Middle-aged lady who appears to be some sort of servant -- name Aelith. Running up behind her is a young, pretty blonde who is probably also a servant. She invites us inside: "Master Kaz welcomes all guests."

Marshall: "This is a mighty find place y'all have here, but goodness am I tired... and thirsty..."

Aelith: "Yes, please follow me."

We enter a dining hall. Old Man Kaz is at one end of the hall; another old woman named Beatrix scows as a very pretty young woman named Katarina welcomes us.

Marshall: "My friends have come with questions; but I, as wandering priest, could offer you my blessing in exchange for libations."

Master Kaz calls to Alice and asks if the harvest has come in.

Katarina stays here by the grace of Master Kaz; Beatrix is Kaz's wife. Katarina makes introductions; Tavros  introduces himself, and Katarina looks at Alexej. "Will you be staying for dinner?"

Alexej: "Of course."

Marshall: "I am Marshall Mercy, a travelin' priest. Perhaps I might bless your crops and offer some tidings for the harvest."

Kaz: "Oh yes, it's almost time for the harvest! I must speak to Mark. Does he have the crew ready for the harvest?"

Katarina: "Mark left years ago, master. The vines stopped when the rains began. But perhaps Mr. Mercy could lend a hand to our garden." She bats her eyes at him.

Leira says hello and then sits down.

Alice comes sweeping back in and starts passing wine around; another man comes in and starts setting appetizers around. "That's Joseph; he helps Brom in the kitchen."

The food is actually very fancy. Tavros digs in; it's as good as the food at the King's table.

Beatrix tells that Brom has been with the family for years; Beatrix sends Alice to the kitchen to extend our compliments to him.

Katarina: "So tell me: Marshall, you 're a priest. The rest of you?"

Tavros: "We have questions about history, before the rains began."

Kaz: "Where is Gale?"

Katarina: "Gale left years ago."

Kaz: "You should stay with us! Ayleth! Have rooms readied!"

Ayleth: "Of course!"

Tavros: "Lady Beatrix, we came to speak with Kaz; but it occurs to me that you may remember many of the same things that he does."

Beatrix, who is old and sports some sort of sores on her skin: "I remember FAR MORE than he ever does. Come and speak to me afgter dinner."

Marshall: "Lady, I see you have some  conditions. I could perhaps offer healing."

Beatrix: "Nice to have a *respectful* young man in the house."

Katarina: "So Alexej, clearly you're the brawn of this operation."

Beatrix is flattered by Marshall's attention. "Tell me, are *you* married?"

Marshall: "Vow of chastity, but I do keep an out for a Mrs. Hiss."

Joseph comes in with the next course.

Katarina turns to Leira: "You must be the daughter of one of these fine men."

Leira points at Tavros, the half-dragon: "Adopted!"

Beatrix: "So Marshall, do you have any family at home?"

Marshall: "The only family I have is here," and he pulls out one of his snakes. "I am a friend of nature."

Beatrix is a bit taken aback by this, but: "It's just that you're so handsome..." She touches his knee under the table. "You have any more snakes in there?"

Marshall: "You know as well as I do that a good snake charmer does not kiss and tell."

Kaz: "Well, I just want to welcome you as my guests. You'll stay the night, right? Come and join us for dinner."

Kaz asks after King Baldrik; apparently he was quite a fan. "My grandfather, of course, knew him very well. He was the High Commander of his army!"

Marshall: "Word is that someone is trying to get rid of all this rain."

Beatrix and Katarina both focus on that revelation. Ayleth tells us to see her in the foyer about our rooms.

Marshall: "Lady Beatrix, what is your role in this household."

Lady Beatrix: "I'm his wife!"

Marhsall: "Yes, but the lady of every house has her pursuits and her interests..."

Lady Beatrix: "Oh, I see. I am into a bit of gardening."

Marshall: "What sort of gardening? I once knew a woman who raised the most beautiful garden of the most poisonous plants..."

Lady Beatrix: "How terrifying. You might have seen the hedge maze out back; in the middle is a beautiful garden that I myself tend. If you find your way to the center, I will show you my flowers."

Marshall: "Shall I see you there tomorrow."

Tavros: "Katarina, may I ask your role in this household?"

Katarina: "I'm just a humble guest." She puts a hand on Kaz's arm. "It was love at first sight, though."

Tavros: "It's... so... good to see an old man so very well cared for."

Katarina rubs Kaz's arm, and Kaz gets this *grin*... Beatrix, meanwhile, is glaring daggers at both of them.

Kaz looks at Leira: "You're a pretty little girl. Why don't you talk to Joseph? He's a fine young man."

(Joseph *is* quite good-looking.)

Tavros: "I would have to think very hard before allowing my daughter to wed at such a young age."

Joseph and Alice return and begin sitting out the main course, a very fine pork dish with nuts. Katarina scoots closer to old man Kaz as the dinner winds down; Beatrix eventually gets up and leaves.

Tavros leans over to consult with Marshall, who will talk to Beatrix; Leira intends to visit the library. Tavros well, perforce, talk to old man Kaz.

Leira and Marshall speak to Ayleth, who offers to take them to their rooms. She leads them down the hallway. Marshall follows, and she shows them to a room with bunk beds.  There are some spider webs in the corners. She does advise against poking our noses around; apparently we shouldn't visit the east wing. "There are other visitors who Mr. Kaz wouldn't want to have disturbed."

Ayleth and Alice have rooms in the west wing; there might be snacks in the kitchen. Leira asks after the library, and Ayleth denies that such a thing exists. She does keep some ledgers, but nothing interesting...

Leira: "And what wing is that in, so I know not to got here?"

Ayleth: "Good question. That's in the west wing; please avoid it. The master suite is down the hall past Alice's and my rooms."

Alexej does some wandering and finds Alice, Joseph, and Brom in the kitchen. Joseph and Alice are planning a party in the shack; Alexej is in favor of this. The others are fine with this. Apparently the servants sing and dance when they're off work. Joseph's ready to invite all of us; Alexej is awkward but goes along with it. Also, there's a lot of leftover food in here; Alexej is prepared to eat it.

Brom is an advocate of styrian hens, from the north part of the island; ordinary chickens aren't nearly as good. Ayleth says many of the supplies are hard to get and too expensive.

Joseph is saving up for his own place. He wants to start a restaurant in Fanax.

Alexej wishes him good luck and great happiness. Joseph loads him up with a giant plate of food and turns him loose again. Alice offers to show him to his rooms, and Alexej accepts. She tells him about the mysterious other guests, but when he asks she says they're not really supposed to talk about them.

Meanwhile, Tavros draws Kaz out about his father. He's offended at the implication that the original Kaz was anything less than a loyal servant of the throne. He doesn't have any memory of the archmage or the war.

Kaz invites Tavros to look around anywhere; Katarina corrects that Tavros is welcome to look around the grounds. Tavros answers that he's more interested in memoires of the general. She indicates two tapestries.

Kaz: "Oh yeah, I almost forgot! My grandfather was the high commander; a close friend of the king. He often dined at Sandorn castle." ...That was the Archmagister/dark one's castle.

Kaz goes off on the battles. We hear about general Kaz's sword. The only thing left after he was gone. It was returned to his father's safekeeping. His father's grave is in the family graveyard.

We wind up at this point; Katarina leads old man kaz off to bed. They leave Tavros in the foyer, where he wanders around looking at art and whatnot.

Marshall, meanwhile, sets out to find Beatrix and runs into Tavros instead. Tavros brings him up to speed on what he learned from Kaz; then, before he does anything else, he uses his paladin Detect Evil ability to just scan the house.

In the Southwest quadrant, he senses Evil - a little ways down the hall, maybe the third door down. Southeast, he does not sense evil. To the Northeast, there's some evil off int he distance -- probably the graveyard. But also there are four evil auras, all stong, across from what turns out to be out guest room. North of that, there are four more moderate auras. He tries the northwest quadrant next, and sense two evil auras: one strong, and one overwhelming.

Ayleth *really* doesn't want us to look around; she would like us to "have a safe stay" instead.

Alexej, meanwhile, has alerted Leira and Marshall to the party, and has claimed a lower bunk to sit on and eat his plate of food. He flops down, and feels something digging into his back.

There's a book under sheets.

It looks like a spellbook. He tosses it to Leira; it's definitely a spellbook, but she's a sorceress and most of it is lost on her. Still, she's pretty sure that no wizard would willingly leave behind their spellbook. Alexej naps while he waits for his party.

Leira casts Invisibility and goes to the west wing. On the way, Tavros tells here about the Evils. Leira continues on, invisible. She stops to listen at a doorway... but after a couple of minutes, she doesn't hear anything. She tries the door...  it is not locked. She goes through it and comes into a little office. The main desk is covered with ledgers and books Leira starts looking through them. It looks like it's all Ayleth's work, and the overall accounting of his finances is down to 3,000 GP - which is low. Note: "If I can negotiate a bulk price on the oil, I can finally order those truffles that Brom wanted.

She searches the desk, finding little of interest; but the change in purchases indicates that Katarina arrived about two years ago. There's an old parchment on the back "Although my lord is shamed in his death by a false king, I know that his soul remains unblemished and whole." It's signed by Destrian, the personal priest of the general, and talks about bringing his sword back ("stained with the blood of Vecna") to be interred for all eternity.

She also overhears Katarina talking to Old Man Kaz in the north room.

Leira heads back to our room.

Marhsall is concerned by Tavros' warning; they're still talking when Brom and Joseph and Alice come out and invite us along. Marshall goes with them; Alexej follows.

The "shack" that is the servants' quarters is actually very well provisioned; the servants have been smuggling food and drink over her. Joseph is very excited to have people here; he fetches out the bagpipes and the drum. When the dancing starts, Tug comes out and starts dancing wildly; but nobody makes fun of him. Marshall thinks Tug is touched in the head.

Tavros and Leira, meanwhile, head around to explore the east wing. Tavros opens the door to something that appears to be a sauna for... demons. Or something.

Tavros: "Oh, excuse me. This isn't our room." He closes the door again, draws his sword, and backs away.

Marshall and Alexej areat the party, and Marshall keeps turning the wine into water and stays sober; Alexej witnesses this and starts trying to keep up by drinking the same amount of wine. Alexej finally figures out that Alice and Joseph are An Item.

Joseph is *really* smitten, and sits down next to Marshall to swoon over her a bit.

Marshall: "Are you courting this fine lady?"

Joseph: "She so wonderful. She could be with anybody -- she could marry someone with money."

Marshall gives him a pep talk, points out that he's going to start his own restaurant.

Joseph confirms that Kaz and his estate are sliding into insolvency.

Marshall: "You mind if I ask you about Katarina?"

Joseph: "Oh. She showed up a couple of years ago, with some traveling merchant."

Marshall: "Was that about the point when Kaz was starting to lose his wits."

Joseph: "Round about. Though she's not as faithful as you'd think. You saw her making eyes at Alexej, right? You should have seen her with Gusalin, about a month ago. She was leading him out into the garden and all over the place. I don't even know what happened to them; I think the four of them just left in the night or something."

Joseph also knows about "creepy creatures" in the east wing -- the same things Tavros just found.

Marshall: "I've never heard of anything like that, but it sounds terrifying. What about Ms. Beatrix's garden?"

Joseph: "The hedge maze? It's creepy. I went in a little ways, kind of went up the left side, and I found this statue and then centipedes starts pouring out of it. I ran all the way back out, and I swear they were chasing me."

Marshall calls out one of his snakes. "I don't usually worry about  bugs."

Joseph: "There were more of them than that one snake could eat, though."

Marshall: "Well in that case, I'll need to be-- erm, get a bigger snake."

There's not too much coming and going; every so often somebody will go into the back room, or step outside to take a leak. Marshall does so, and take a moment to look around outside... and look into the windows from the outside.

Alice, meanwhile, is sitting by Alexej: "It's so much fun to have guests. We haven't had guests in a while. Not since Gosalin, and that Salivar guy... Gosalin was head over heels for Katarina. And she was totally cheating on the master."

Alexej: "Was the master always so... coco-bananas?"

Alice: "I mean, maybe not always, but..." She looks around. "So, have you been talking to Joseph? Do you think he likes me?"

Alexej: "Yes. I think you jump on that bronco."

Alice tells Alexej a bit more about the previous adventurers; she thinks they just sort of disappeared one night, too. Does she know why those adventurers were here? No. On the way to see the lizard-men, she thinks. There isn't much of anything else in this area.