Lady in the Glass Box

**Lady in the Glass Box** is the second episode of *A Change In Gold*, an *Another Bad Side Quest* mini series. *Foragers & Forestry* go to the *Brand* guard station and interrogate a suspect in connection to the recent disappearances of explorers in the *Golden Crawl*.

## Lady in the Glass Box

### **Summary**

Foragers & Forestry enter the *Brand* jailhouse and find a large open area that goes up two floors. Looking up, they find the glass box with a lone figure inside. There are sets of stairs to get up to eye level with the box, with catwalks that fit around it to allow for interrogations and constant viewing. The woman inside is disheveled, her hair unwashed and no longer wearing shoes, her clothes once well maintained adventuring type gear no worn for wear. Taryn asks the captain for her name and learns it is Valianza Siega, worked for the Ruin Society with her husband and was one of the ones to go with Balthazar into the *Golden Crawl* three weeks ago.

Cotton offers to speak with the woman and is closely followed by Ciaradh who keeps a pace behind like a shadow. Gillie remains with Taryn and the captain, plopping down to sit criss-cross and review the maps as she had been instructed to. Cotton and Ciaradh make their way up the steps and out onto the catwalk to find the glass box is a 10 foot cube with small holes along the top to allow for air flow. Cotton begins by saying she heard the woman and her husband went out into the forest with some friends but some of them stayed behind. Cotton says she likes stories of the forest and ruin excavators are very interesting and after a moment of hesitation, the woman asks if Cotton really wants to hear everything she has told the guard. Cotton agrees as the woman sits up and begins her tale.

Valianza tells them that she and the Ruin Society paid Balthazar to take them to a place they suspected would have ruins and when they found they were right they paid him again to take them back. The trip wasn’t too difficult but when they took a closer look they noticed the ruins had very little markings and so they decided to head inside. They found a basement and an area even further down but after that it got fuzzy and suddenly she found herself back in town. Ciaradh uses *Detect Thoughts* and finds Valianza frustrated with having to repeat herself to so many people but it would appear she is telling the truth. Ciaradh reaches out in Cotton’s mind, apologizing as they figure Cotton would not like this very much but explains that Valianza appears to be telling the truth and might appreciate some empathy.

Cotton sympathizes with Valianza missing her husband, and asks if there was anything else odd about these particular ruins. Valianza says the world went very quiet and it felt dead around it. Cotton apologizes for the issues Valianza is having with her memories but promises she and the others are going to go looking for the rest of her group. Cotton asks one last question - how long the trip to and from the ruins the first time took and Valianza tells her it was only two days and mentions that one of the other Society members, Kane, marked trees with yellow arrows and Cotton thanks her for the help. Cotton and Ciaradh return to the others on the main floor and Taryn proudly looks to the captain, happy to prove how good her team is. Just then, Gillie proudly announces that she used her compass tool as Taryn showed her how to use to find where she died in the forest. Cotton confirms that they won’t be going there and Gillie assures her nowhere within 5 miles because “wood hags are bitches”.

Cotton remembers a question she meant to ask and shouts up to Valianza to ask what directions they had first traveled in and is told the northeast. The captain of the guard requests a recounting of what Valianza told them to insure it was the same story and confirms that it is what he was told as well. Cotton wonders if Valianza was somehow wandering through the forest all that time or perhaps caught in the ruins before making it back to *Brand*. When the captain says an arcane specialist even confirmed that Valianza’s memory was truly blank, Ciaradh asks why she is in the glass box. The captain says that they have to assume the other three are dead and that they can’t assume it wasn’t her.

Gillie and Taryn recognize the description of silent, dead feeling places in the forest as places that were usually avoided. Gillie says nature is clearly telling them to stay out but Taryn thinks it is too important to find her friends. Gillie suggests the group talk to her druid circle about it then but balks at Taryn saying she should ask her mom for permission to come along as well. Gillie argues that they are technically an adult but Taryn says it would just to let her know where Gillie was going. The captain cuts in to ask if Taryn has updated any maps recently, paying Taryn 5 gold for her most recent work and complimenting how well made it is. The captain asks that they complete this job sooner rather than later, not liking having to keep Valianza locked up any longer than he has to and hoping for closure on whatever might have happened to the others. Taryn agrees that it sounds like they will do a little information gathering before heading out, suggesting a trip to see Roller, the owner of the most popular bar in the area, *The Flat Spot*.

As the captain walks away, Gillie asks where to next and is instantly annoyed by Taryn’s suggestion of her druid circle first. The party discusses and decides to instead head to *The Flat Spot* and then out to the druid circle since Roller’s bar is along the way out of town. Taryn asks if the party needs to grab anything before they head out but Cotton takes all her things with her everywhere (including a small travel pack and her viole case), Ciaradh has their things in a rented room at *The Flat Spot* and Gillie says they have stashes all over town that they can pick up from along the way. Taryn asks if Gillie has everything they would need for a long trip and Gillie remembers they may need some extra Black Pixie and asks Taryn if she has a spare dose on her.

Ciaradh looks at the flower Taryn hands over and recognizes the flowers are particularly poisonous to consume. Ciaradh warns Gillie against eating it but Gillie explains they are more likely to die if they don’t eat it though they are already technically dead so it may be a moot point. Ciaradh worries for a moment of their ability to turn away undead creatures and asks if Gillie is particularly resilient in the mind and Gillie says her mom calls it being stubborn if that’s what they mean. Gillie asks if they can grab lunch with Roller, already feeling a little shaky without their next dose. Taryn says they can before realizing that if what Valianza said was true, the trip taking a total of four days to get there and back, then Taryn would miss her weekly dinner with Roller at her and her wife’s farm.

After gathering a few things from the *Foragers & Forestry* office, the party heads for Taryn’s farmhouse. The farm is large and her home cozy, Taryn gathering the things she will need for an extended trip and making sure things are in place for Rayn while she is away. In the presence of Rayn, Gillie attempts to casually hold her scythe behind her back as Rayn says hello to everyone and is introduced to Ciaradh. Snacks are offered and the topic of a bakery is brought up but Rayn interjects that though Taryn does a lot of house-wife things, most of her work life involves killing. This appears as news to Ciaradh and Gillie though Gillie finds this information fascinating. Taryn waves Rayn off sweetly and hurries off to her bedroom to collect a few things before they leave. Ciaradh takes the moment to sit, though looks very stiff and uncomfortable while they wait. So much so that Cotton notes that Gillie has been dead eight years and looks more alive than they do. Ciaradh notes that she does appear to have more energy and wonders if Cotton considered that perhaps Gillie is happier than they are. Cotton wonders if Ciaradh sleeps well, they say occasionally and asks as much back but Cotton says it should be obvious how she looks that she does not.

Rayn comes back from where she had gone to the kitchen for snacks and returns with lemon tarts, water and Cotton’s requested pie crust without the filling. Gillie takes a tart and sprinkles dried Black Pixie on it before eating, much to Rayn’s concern. Rayn asks why she would eat something so poisonous and Gillie suddenly appears much older, almost haunted as she says she is a cleric of Gondata and her worship requires standing at the gate of life and death. Taryn returns from her room in much darker attire, including nice leather armor and a fur pelt around her shoulders as well as a very intense looking bow strung over her shoulder. She wonders why everyone looks so serious and Gillie brightly explains she was telling Rayn about how she poisons herself every day and Cotton adds she told Ciaradh they act dead. Ciaradh sighs heavily, saying they just love people commenting on their personality and Gillie says she likes it, and thinks they're a gem and Taryn thinks they are funny in a dry way.

Taryn tells Rayn that they are now headed to *The Flat Spot* to collect Ciaradh’s things and explain the need to cancel their weekly dinner together, though Taryn is very saddened by the thought. Rayn reassures her that she is only doing her job and everyone understands. Taryn agrees, letting Rayn know that she can go on without her because Taryn doesn’t want to stop them from having their fun. After a brief interlude of discussing the next few days' tasks around the farm, Taryn explains why the party is leaving and that they will be going into the *Crawl* in search of Balthazar.

The party leaves soon after and heads for a large plateau of rock where a bar sits, *The Flat Spot*. Taryn and Ciaradh head in first and are greeted warmly by the barkeep, Roller. *The Flat Spot* is a popular and bustling bar and lunch spot, the tables filled with people, the windows and wide bar door open to allow a breeze. Taryn and Roller go back and forth a bit in friendly jest and gossip before Taryn gets down to business and mentions that Balthazar is missing. Roller hurries the group to their back office to talk.