Chapter 36 - Echoes of the Past, Gleamings of the Future
General Summary
While Franz is away, his companions attend to the bodies of the bandits, though there are no tools about with which to bury them. Nit asks Carrot whether he can find anything in the haystack. The donkey dutifully roots around, and locates a glass bottle with a clear liquid in it. It isn't a shovel, but Nit investigates, and takes a drink. A feeling of power and intoxication rushes to her head, and she begins to try to clean up the barn in order to turn it into a theatre. Dietmar then inspects the bottle, and finds its contents to be both magical and poisonous. Erich and Johann catch on quickly what the contents must be, and start pestering Nit to let them have a drink to make the work of burial go by faster. Nit tells them to find some tools first, and help dispose of the bodies. In any event, they should wait for Franz to get back to have a party. Dejected, the two guards wander away. Dmitrei and Ingrid manage to find a shovel and a few other tools that can be used to dig, and together with Dietmar, they lay the bodies to rest in a common grave in the woods, while Nit reorganizes the barn. Since neither Franz nor his erstwhile Watch comrades have returned, all four then go off in search of Erich and Johann.
Franz, meanwhile, has been busy in Wunschau. After leaving his parents' house, he goes to the Zwerghof, and finds that the watch at the gate has been beefed up. He then wanders over to the section of the compound abutting the city wall, finds an open window close to the wall, and invoking his magical power, flies in. Inside, he changes his appearance to look like Alviss, and finds his way into the courtyard. A dwarf is astounded to see him, but the disguised Franz, who speaks the dwarf tongue, asks to see Brimir. He is led into the elder's study, and initially, Brimir reacts in the same way, saying that he never expected to see Alviss again. Franz then reveals his true nature, and says that he has come to help the dwarfs in their time of plight. Brimir relates his people's experiences since the coming of the Flagellants - the dwarfs are no longer free to leave the compound, even in daytime, without special permission of the Rat, and some people, like Alviss, have been taken away on trumped-up charges. Franz asks why the dwarfs don't just flee, and Brimir replies that they have nowhere to go. They have young and infirm people among them, and traveling is difficult, and while they have relatives in other towns, they don't want to impose on them. In their experience, episodes such as this always pass, and he is inclined to wait it out this time - the Flagellants cannot remain in power forever. Franz offers that he is also here to see if his armor is complete and to see if dwarf smiths might fashion some silver weapons for him. Brimir replies that he will give him the armor at no extra charge, as well as the weapons he seeks, if he brings back a gem called blue from an underground dwarf realm called Fellsmar, located over a day's travel away in the Düst Mountains. If he and his companions return from King Schweigder with the gem, Brimir would consider that a worthwhile trade. When Franz wonders why Brimir would want a gem brought into a community under siege, Brimir just tells him to fulfill his part of the bargain.
Franz then returns to the farmstead, and encounters Erich and Johann, sulking. They complain about Nit keeping them from tasting the wonderful elixir Carrot found, and Franz, excited, rushes back to the barn. Eventually, the entire party is reunited, and the bottle is passed around. With only a little convincing, everyone except Dmitrei and Carrot partakes of the drink. Soon, Franz and Johann lie motionless on the barn floor, while Nit and Ingrid are quite inebriated. Dietmar, seemingly protected by God, is unaffected. The drunks are laid down to sleep it off. Dmitrei remains on watch, and is almost taken unawares when the barn door opens, and several shapes enter. It is difficult to see them in the dark building, but Dmitrei manages to wake up all the companions who have not passed out. Dietmar summons a divine light, and soon, it is clear that the shapes are risen corpses of the bandits slain yesterday. Ingrid and Dmitrei swing into action as best they can, but once roused, Dietmar envelops all three in divine light, and their charred frames fall upon the ground, smoking. The charred corpses are then burned further, to prevent any possible return, and the rest of the night passes uneventfully.
The next morning, after Franz staggers to his feet, he relates what he learned on his trip into town, and says he wants the group to undertake Brimir's mission. As the discussion ensues about whether this is a good idea, Dmitrei asks Franz whether he has any more poppies in his bag, and while the Wachtmeister struggles to produce them, a black chess pawn falls out of his bag. Dmitrei, himself a chess player, wanders what Franz is doing with the piece, and his companion replies that it was given to him by a dark-robed Flagellant who was following him about town. Ingrid, intrigued, focuses on the piece, and gets a very bad feeling from it. She presses Franz about its meaning, and Dietmar asks the rest of the group if they know anything about the Sensenmann.
Franz then tells Dietmar that he wants the friar to accompany him into Wunschau, to cure his mother of what afflicts her. He has a way for the two of them to enter the town unseen. Skeptical, Dietmar eventually agrees, and follows Franz into town. Once inside the gates, they move past several large bonfires burning in plazas, where the people, at the behest of the Flagellants, are tossing in fine clothes, paintings, and other vanities. After coming to the house of Franz's family, Dietmar attends to Adele. He quickly concludes that her heart has little strength remaining in it, and tells her to worry about the fate of her soul. Franz is taken aback by the friar's lack of sympathy, but Dietmar says that he is powerless to help his mother's body, and her spiritual needs are in any even more important. Turning to Reinhardt, Franz promises that he will soon return, with a cure.
Rewards Granted
- A bottle of magical, poisonous liquor (drunk in one night)
Character(s) interacted with
- Brimir
- dwarf assistants at the Wunschau Zwerghof
- Franz Schwarzhoffen family
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