23. Blood and Gold

* As a result of killing Derrick, the party have to go to a trail in Bisquay.
** They must pay a weregild of 5000 gold pieces by Winter's End, a time limit of a little under six weeks. If they default on the payment, Bisquay severs its ties with the Eight Finger Pirates. 
** In light of the town's relationship with Driscoll and their recent struggles without their goliath mercenary protectors, the aldermen also ask the party to look into the fey disturbances around town. If they should do this until the Scars of Mir come back from their winter Frost Hunts when the Strait thaws - in roughly two weeks' time - they will build good will with the town. 
* Their investigations led them to Powlie, the halfling potion aficionado, and Grizwald Goodman, the gnomish owner of the Mud Skip pub.
** The pair had both studied in herbal healing and botany. Their relationship was now somewhat estranged.
** The party decided Powlie wasn't their guy. 
** They questioned Goodman and he deflected their inquiries. He also refused to let them enter his home since he recognised some of the group as the people who burned down his inn and killed some of his patrons.
* Half the group left to fetch a guard so that Goodman would agree to let them enter his home. While they were gone, Goodman burst out his home on the back of a redcap, with three others in tow. 
** The party gave chase and managed to kill three of the redcaps. 
** Grizwald Goodman and the redcap he was riding escaped into Bisquay's fey crossing. 
* The group searched Grizwald's house. 
** They found more redcap mushrooms growing
** In Grizwald's diary, they found evidence that he had been growing and using the redcaps in a plan to kill off his rival business owners. 
** The party figure out that Clark killed an innocent man in the bar and the first redcaps grew from his spilled blood, hence Clark being 'the Maker'.
* The group retired to the accomodation that had been provided for them, rooms in a little inn called the Naughty Seal. 
** In the night, they are awoken by someone smashing down doors. Derrick's corpse stood in a doorway, glaring at Cormorant. Though his body was dead, his eyes were very much alive, and full of hate.
Category:Part Three