The Unseen Servant forums

Gertrude is stunned that Arduin's approach resulted in success, although she is baffled by the joy the magus shows in the clover. These events do nothing but reinforce the idea that magi are odd folk, but she does concede (to herself only) that she may have underestimated his diplomatic skills. Slightly.

She is about to ask about the priest when Arduin does so. But first she adds "Amis, your bravery and loyal service to Simon is a credit to your family. May your line continue."

Grognardsw wrote: ↑Fri Apr 26, 2024 2:02 am “What makes you think demons roam? Have you felt, seen or heard things?”

What did Amis say to this?

He would have made some kind of comment to suggest that the evidence makes it very clear that it's a demonic infestation of some kind, without a clear argument.

Yup, evidence enough for a superstitious 13th century peasant.

Keehnelf wrote: ↑Fri Apr 26, 2024 11:42 am Simon frowns. “….much depends on what you believe. There are many stories going about, ...”

“Perhaps we can hear these stories over dinner tonight,” replied Arduin.

Gertrude can field questions to Hubert.

Not sure when Alebelly may check in, so…

“Hubert, as Sir Simon’s manservant, when did you first see the unnatural growth around the cottage?

Have you seen, heard or felt any supernatural or demonic forces?

When was the last time you were inside the cottage? Did anything appear unusual?

Do you know of any local legends that may account for the disturbances?

Does Sit Simon have any enemies who have occult powers?”

Hubert looks toward Simon at regular intervals as he speaks, sometimes appearing to begin to answer a question, then hesitating as though looking for a response from Simon before continuing. Occasionally, in response, Simon will nod, or frown, but generally he remains impassive in the face of these hesitancies and eventually turns back to face the window and simply listen. Arduin is struck through this that Hubert seems to be considering whether his answers might be controversial and is seeking in his own way to protect his master somehow.

In response to the line of questioning, Hubert offers this:

-Hubert first noticed the growth when Amis called it to his attention, the same day it appeared.

-Hubert most certainly has felt the presence of unnatural, certainly infernal, forces--especially in the weeks just before the growth appeared. This is the line of response that elicited the most hesitation from Hubert.

-Hubert rarely had cause to go into the cottage, and the last time he can remember for certain is about two years ago when he delivered the last of Sir Simon's unusual acquisitions to his collection, a papier-maché mask of some fearsome entity.

-Old legend says of a devil that lives at the bottom of the well in the churchyard. Occasionally it will creep out, take over the body of a passing villager, and commit unspeakable acts. This is almost certainly a fabrication of Hubert's, but he utters it boldly.

-Sir Simon is a man of God and has never demonstrated any tendency toward the unnatural. His interests are eccentric and perhaps dangerous, but not heretical.

Arduin noted Hubert’s hesitation. He wished he had questioned the manservant privately.

The magus puffed on his pipe.

A presence before the growth! thought Arduin. This changes things. And an unusual acquisition, a papier-maché mask of a fearsome entity.

The magus wondered about Simon’s “eccentric and perhaps dangerous” interests. Arduin would not be surprised if the noble’s supernatural situation was his own fault.

“How intriguing! Where were you when you first felt this presence before the growth occurred?

“When you say the ‘last item of his unusual collection,’ - the mask. Tell me about the rest of that said collection.” Arduin shifted his body subtly to Simon, glancing at the noble expectedly as he finished the question: “What items preceded the mask, where or who had they come from, and what was their prior provenance?”

Hubert begins with the last question first. "I don't know much about the contents, really. The mask is the only one for a long time that I've seen with my own eyes. Not to be too squeamish about it, but I don't want any kind of taint from it to infect me, if you understand my meaning, sir. Definitely there were books, a number of those. I saw them on the shelves in the private library. But other things too that I didn't understand, sculptures and wooden carvings and such." He shrugs. "Where they come from, I don't know. Sir Simon has agents travelling all around on occasion looking for them."

As for the question of the presence, Hubert hesitates again, a long time, avoiding looking in Simon's direction, before he answers. "Well, probably the first time was in the churchyard down in the village. I was walking under one of the arbors and I felt...like a presence, looking at me. I look around, and nothing's there, but I felt all queasy inside, like I'd drunk old milk. It probably about a week later that I heard sounds coming from the cottage, unearthly wailing kinds of sounds. Most like a possession of devils, sir. Mayhap they followed me home that day." There's a lot about this telling that doesn't ring true to Arduin's ears--he struggles with each new detail, as if finding it difficult to identify it--perhaps making it up whole cloth, but he also seems to be trying to piece together something that makes sense out of material he doesn't quite understand.

Gertrude is impressed with Arduin's interrogation. She listens intently, hoping not to overwhelm the subjects of the questions. Being accustomed to the ignorance and superstition of the commoners, she is able to keep a straight face at some of the sillier statements they make.

Finally, she speaks. "Tell me, dear Humbert. This devil that lives at the bottom of the well. Do you think it has possessed anyone recently? Is it out and about now, to your reckoning? And if so, whom do you think it has possessed?"

Hubert gives a single sidelong glance in Simon's direction, though Simon is no longer looking that way, and clears his throat once before answering. "Yes, your Ladyship. It has possessed the priest of the village, who is to be executed in the morning. And rightfully so."

He casts his eyes to the ground.

"Thank you, Humbert. So the priest is being executed for his deeds, not possession, is this correct?" but she doesn't wait for an answer. "Have you sufficient experience with this well-dwelling demon to know what will happen after the deserving priest is executed? Will the demon return to the well, or possess another?"

Hubert, an experienced servant and used to the disregard of his betters, does not respond to the mangling of his name (if that's not intentional, please ignore), sighing in thought before he makes his response, never once raising his eyes from the floor.

"I...believe it will end the trouble, Your Ladyship. Though I have no real experience of the thing first-hand."

Arduin was intrigued with Hobart’s account, trying to parse the manservant’s perceived truths from superstitions.

Arduin surmised that Sir Simon must know more about his collection than he was letting on. Sculptures, carvings, and books of a particular type do not just come together by happenstance. The magus would ask Simon about this in private.

The magus drew from his pipe as Humbold described the well-demon to Gertrude. Arduin wondered what real trouble led the priest to the gallows.

As Gertrude questioned Herbert, Arduin opened his journal and tore out a page.

“Hubert, could you draw the mask?” Arduin gave him the paper and a piece of chalk.

“The unearthly wailing sounds from the cottage that you say you heard. How long after that did the unnatural growth start?”

Hubert attempts to draw the object, but lacks any practice in creative arts and it is, at best, a childish rendition of the thing. It looks roughly rectangular with what Hubert indicates to be something like antlers coming from the upper corners.

"The sounds..." he begins. "Yes, they--they happened on Michaelmas evening, just after dusk." He looks like he would say more, but thinks better of it.

Arduin glanced at the crude drawing. The antlers seemed more fey than the characteristic horns of an infernal. That was promising.

The magus noted the alleged timeline established by Hubert and Amis: 1) the presence (“demonic” or otherwise) was felt before the unnatural growth, but seemingly originated at the church; 2) Amis the gardener said the unnatural growth happened shortly before Michaelmas; 3) the wailing sounds around the cottage happened on Michaelmas evening; 4) regrowth happened in the hour after midnight.

Arduin didn’t have complete faith in the timing of things, but the gist of it was useful.

“Unless Gertrude has any other questions, I think we are ready for the cook.”