You stand in front of a large, heavy wooden door with metal reinforcements, secured shut with a thick iron bolt. The door itself is worn with scuffs yet clearly sturdy, giving it an imposing and formidable appearance. It’s best to keep this locked until you’re able to figure out who murdered Auberon and Tua’la. To the right, a large bookcase stands tall against the wall. To the left, a barred window looks out onto the street. The dark elf assassin, Zyn, is leaning against the wall, stoically watching the room.
You gaze upon the towering bookcase and your eyes light up with excitement. The shelves are brimming with ancient tomes, grimoires, and spellbooks that seem to pulse with magical energy. You can sense the knowledge and power contained within each one. Some titles on the middle shelf catch your eye:
Peering out the window you see the street outside the Dread Dragon Inn cloaked in a blanket of darkness. The only light comes from the occasional flickering of a streetlamp, casting eerie shadows across the cobbled street.
In the distance, you can barely make out the silhouette of a lone figure walking down the deserted street, their steps echoing in the stillness of the night. Your eyes scan the shadows, looking for any signs of danger or trouble, but all appears quiet and still.
You turn to Zyn and startle to find them already watching you with strange glowing blue eyes. As you draw close, you start to notice a subtle energy radiating off of them. Magic? It’s hard to focus on the sensation with them staring so blatantly. The sense of it slips away from your awareness like smoke.
“Ah, mageling, back with more questions to unravel the dark threads of tonight’s events? This does change things, doesn’t it? Auberon is truly dead, and young mistress Tua’la as well. This opens the door for some interesting suspects.
Normally, I’d require a contract and payment before doling out intel, but to honor Auberon Greatstag and young Tua’la, I’ll give you these for free. It seems two of my old companions have been hiding an interesting talent all these years. Just after the murder, I used one of the tricks of the trade, a simple but handy eavesdropping spell that allowed my hearing to catch things I otherwise would not. What did my heightened hearing catch the sound of? None other than High Sorceress Charity chanting under her breath in some foreign tongue that not even I recognized. Even more interesting, however, I noticed Master Finnian react, as if he actually understood the strange words.
Oh, and keep in mind, next time it will take gold in hand for me to share any other secrets.”
