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Iluq gives agrippo a simple nod and tightens his hold on his hammers, muttering a prayer under his breath.

Tumbler looks around the throne and searches for and hidden traps or levers.

Robert proceeds to see if the scribe is real or some sort of trick or spell. "What pray tell are you inscribing anyways sir Scribe?"

Date: Nouluna 4, 1221
Time: 6:15 PM
Weather: Thunderstorm
Moon: Full
Location: Castle Ravenloft, Audience Chamber & Environs
**************************************

Vorkath can’t quite believe what he sees. He shuts his eyes and shakes his head. When he reopens his eyes, the figure is still sitting there with a bemused look on his face. Vorkath shrugs and brings the book over as requested. “Here’s is your book, scribe,” he says. Then he stands and stares at the figure for a full minute, trying to sense whether the old man projects an aura of evil.

As Vorkath concentrates, the figure squints at this shining knight who had started out with an old-fashioned double-take and is now standing in front of him, just staring. The man turns to Robert. “What’s the matter with your friend here? Is he touched?”

The druid shrugs. "Umm, why, hello scribe?” he says tentatively. “Where has your Lord gone to this evening?"

“How would I know?” says the figure. “The great and mighty Lord Strahd is not in the habit of reporting his comings and goings to me! He won’t even tell me of all of his treasure,” he adds. “How can I track His Lordship’s wealth if he won’t let me know where it is! I can’t, that’s how! Harumph!”

“What pray tell are you inscribing anyways sir Scribe?" asks Robert.

“Accounts, of course! It’s not easy tracking this much wealth—even the small portion His Lordship tells me about. And the expenses! Ach! You think a castle this big pays for itself? Hah!”

The sword of the One True emerges from his concentration having sensed no strong evil about the man. “We are in search of the library, can you direct us there?”

“You can find books in the study.” He points to the door behind him on the east wall. “Take this upstairs and through the dining room into the study. Can’t miss it.”
---

Meanwhile, Agrippo remains at the double doors. As Iluq stands by with hammers in hand, the Legionnare calls out to the figures, “Come into the light so you can be seen clearly!” Silence is his only answer. The figures do not move.

---

Tumbler searches the throne for hidden traps or levers. He finds nothing.

Status: Agrippo: 46/52, Vokath: 40/40, Ireena: ??/??, Tibbius: 22/22, Randolph: 4/4, Iluq: 39/39, Tumbler: 24/39, Robert: 37/37
Spells: Polymorph Self (Tibbius): 2.5 turns; Log of Everburning (Robert): 30.5 turns

"Alright well thank you for the information and directions sir Scribe, and yes I too often wounder the same about my friend and being touched in the head at times." Robert gives a smile and a court nod as he departs and leaves the scribe to his work.

Tibbius lumbers into the counting room and assumes the form of a Gandalf. "Have you budgeted for repair or full replacement of an antique pipe organ?" he inquires. "Or should we take an invoice for our comrade, whose sense of duty I am sure will lead him to pay?" He glances sidelong at the gleaming but sooty paladin.

Randolph sniffs about the book piles.

Vorkath remains calm at his comrades cavalier attitudes toward the threats and evil facing them. The True God tests us in mysterious ways, he thinks. Perhaps they have fallen under a malign influence, for they were not known for such impertinance in past adventures.

"Always your charming self, Robert," says Vorkath. "Perhaps you could show such to the good scribe here."

"You have a sharp, organized mind to be handling Master Strahd's treasury. Doubtless not appreciated as much as you should be, fulfilling this vital role. Where is your Master Strahd?" the paladin then asks the counter-scribe, hoping his charisma may move the employee to share information.

"True I could if he were my type Vorkath." Robert says with a wink.

"So scribe, I don't suppose you know if anyone else is around the castle other than you and the Lord? Would somebody be able to show us around the castle?" Robert asks attempting to not need the use of his spells to garner information from the Scribe.

Agrippo will remain by the doorway trying to discern the figures more closely, if they approach he will bellow 'contact' and attack the nearest one. Agrippo will whisper to Iluq, "Floating figures in old gothic castles, all to eerie, either mother-in-laws or undead. Not sure which is worse when you have fourteen of them harassing you. Perhaps your clerical blessings can hold them at bay?"

Date: Nouluna 4, 1221
Time: 6:20 PM
Weather: Thunderstorm
Moon: Full
Location: Castle Ravenloft, Audience Chamber & Environs
**************************************

Robert thanks the man for his information and directions. “I too often wonder the same about my friend and being touched in the head at times,” he adds.

“Always your charming self, Robert," says Vorkath, showing cleverness if not subtlety. "Perhaps you could show such to the good scribe here." He turns back to the figure. The charismatic paladin pours on some charm of his own. "You have a sharp, organized mind to be handling Master Strahd's treasury. Doubtless not appreciated as much as you should be, fulfilling this vital role. Where is your Master Strahd?"

“Have you not been listening?” the man replies. “I already said I have no idea where Lord Strahd might be! I am his accountant, not his chaperone."

Tibbius the magic-user takes the form of a wizard. He now looks like a human with grey robes, a long grey beard, and a tall grey pointy hat. "Have you budgeted for repair or full replacement of an antique pipe organ?" he inquires. "Or should we take an invoice for our comrade, whose sense of duty I am sure will lead him to pay?" He glances sidelong at the gleaming but sooty paladin.

“That’s what that ruckus was downstairs?” responds the scribe. He sighs and shoots an exasperated look at Vorkath. “No, I did not budget for replacement of the organ. Lord Strahd will be quite irked. He does so love playing that thing. At least it was fully depreciated.”

Robert, not wanting to use a spell, asks follow-up questions. “I don't suppose you know if anyone else is around the castle other than you and the lord?” he asks. “Would somebody be able to show us around the castle?”

“Sorry, son, I’m too busy with my work. And somebody,” he says with another sharp glance at Vorkath, “just put us over budget on maintenance of fixtures comma musical. Can’t think of anyone else to play tour guide. We’re far understaffed for a castle this size. I tell Lord Strahd that he can just charm himself some slaves to help out around the place. But he gets hungry and his stomach does the thinking for him.” He looks around the room quickly. “But never mind that.”

Randolph pokes around among the books. He emerges batting a gold coin around the floor like a toy.

---

Agrippo continues investigating the short hallway and the figures therein. Iluq stands by his side. The skeletal figures seem to float in the air. More than that he cannot tell from the doorway. The figures remain silent and motionless.


Status: Agrippo: 46/52, Vokath: 40/40, Ireena: ??/??, Tibbius: 22/22, Randolph: 4/4, Iluq: 39/39, Tumbler: 24/39, Robert: 37/37
Spells: Polymorph Self (Tibbius): 2 turns; Log of Everburning (Robert): 30 turns

Robert decides he has wasted enough time and goes down to the hallway and looks at the ghosts/spirits and decides to walk out into the hallway and look for doors and stairs. "Why how do you do, pleasure to meet you." he greets the ghosts/spirits as he walks by giving a slight bow.

Tibbius looks for a seat, and if one can't be found, he parks his berobéd rear onto a convenient stack of books. "Your liege's relationship with his subjects - and with us- is quite unique," he says. "I wonder, as his scribe, did you happen to pen us a letter a few weeks back, for delivery by a herald clad in motley? Does the Lord indeed have such an herald?... I have ways to know if you tell me true!" He gestures for Randolph to menace the scribe; the cat obligingly leaps atop the man's desk and begins to bathe himself just next to the inkwell, tail wrapping round it as if poised to dump it onto the papers-in-progress.

Robert is still wandering the hall and trading pleasantries with the ghost like beings.

Vorkath shakes his head in disgust. He is about to say something, but waits for the scribe counter to answer Tibby's question.

Date: Nouluna 4, 1221
Time: 6:22 PM
Weather: Thunderstorm
Moon: Full
Location: Castle Ravenloft, Audience Chamber & Environs
**************************************

Tibbius plops his butt on a pile of books as Randolph climbs onto the desk. "Your liege's relationship with his subjects—and with us—is quite unique," he says. "I wonder, as his scribe, did you happen to pen us a letter a few weeks back, for delivery by a herald clad in motley? Does the Lord indeed have such an herald?”

“Strahd is capable of doing his own reading and writing,” the man replies. “I cannot say what letters he might have written to you, but I have written none. As for ‘a herald clad in motley,’ the Vistani often act as messengers for Lord Strahd. And for themselves.”

He looks down at his figures, then back at each of you. “Is there anything else I can do for you?” he asks. “I do need to return to my work, and I’m sure you have matters you want to attend to.”

---

Robert, having found the conversation in the accountant’s office tedious, wanders over to the hallway with Agrippo and Iluq. He boldly steps into the corridor to looks for doors and stairs. The only doors he sees is the set of double doors immediately across those of the audience chamber. He sees no stairs.

The druid gives the skeletal figures a slight bow. They remain silent and still.


Status: Agrippo: 46/52, Vokath: 40/40, Ireena: ??/??, Tibbius: 22/22, Randolph: 4/4, Iluq: 39/39, Tumbler: 24/39, Robert: 37/37
Spells: Polymorph Self (Tibbius): 1.8 turns; Log of Everburning (Robert): 29.8 turns

Robert "Iluq and Agrippo you'd be pleased to know there are no more doors or stairs in this hall also the ghostly figures appear not to care to harm or talk to us." he says with a smile.

Tibbius coughs once. Randolph stretches across the scribe's paperwork, exposing all of his claws and teeth in a massive yawn. Then he rolls onto his back and wriggles shamelessly atop the very page the scribe had been studying. Zhym, feel free to roll his claw/claw/bite should the scribe opt to remove him. "My chief business," the elven wizard says, "is to learn at whose behest we came here, what is the character of our host, and whether we should slay or mollify him. Some of us lean strongly toward slay. I am unsure."

Vorkath, paladin

"You serve a monster, sir counter. Evil incarnate who kills for sport and sustenance.  Who is the one touched in the head?"

"You speak of 'budgets.' What is the cost for all the human lives Strahd has taken?  For the economy he has broken in this region? For ruining the home and family of this woman Ireena? Can all of this be 'depreciated?'"

"You disgust me. You support and enable horrendous villainy. You are lucky I don't gut you where you stand. My life purpose is to destroy Strahd and bring ruin to his castle, as he has done to Barovia."

Vorkath flips over the desk the scribe is working at. "Leave the castle now and don't come back," he says icily. "The next time I see you I won't be so friendly."

The holy warrior leaves the room the way he came and addresses the Spartan and others at the other doorway. "Agrippo, there may be a library beyond the counter's room. Let us investigate together, for the library was said to possibly hold insight on the vampyre."

Iluq looks towards Robert and then again watches the floating apparitions, "Hmm, yes. It does seem like they do not care about us. all the same lets regroup with the others before trying those doors, who knows what they may do if someone tries to enter that room." Iluq then walks into the room that the others were in and stares at the mess they made, then noticing that there is a random person sitting in a chair next to a toppled desk, with a cat flailing under it. "I should ask what is going on here but... Do I really want to know?"

Grognardsw wrote:

A paladin cannot suffer a vampire to live, period. Others may need more reason, though Vorkath feels that luring us here, trapping a populace, trying to kill us on multiple occasions with his wolves, is all reason to forego conversation, mollification or concern over his property. Vorkath assumes Strahd is watching us. Stealth doesn't seem so important, though it may bring wandering monsters. Vorkath is intent on finding those items that will help us defeat Strahd, per the gypsy prophecy.

Randolph springs from the toppling desk into Tibbius' chest, knocking his companion backward off the avalanching stack of books. There is general catastrophe across that part of the room as bibliographic towers topple, dust arising from their tumbled pages. "Damn it, Vorky!"