Froggy Tea Party Presents: Dragon of Icespire Peak

SESSION 10: The Devil's in the Details.

The adventurers prepared Adabra's belongings and were readying to split into two groups; one to escort Adabra to Butterskull ranch and the other to depart for Neverwinter. Adabra had adapted to the idea that helping out the ranch with a fellow potion brewer, the rancher and his son, and mercenaries protect. But as the party was readying to leave, the door to the inn swung open, and in it stood the mess of a man, Harbin Wester. The light pouring in from outside almost made his shadow look ominous.

"Oh, good. I'm so glad that I found you. And I see that Adabra is here. All right, great. So, I have some place that might be of interest to her for a place to live. However, let's just say it's not in the best condition. I have in my possession the deed to a one Tresendar Manor, and I would like that you adventurers to go up there and check it out. It's been kind of a contested place," he said hurriedly.

"What do you mean by contested? Elaborate," Coco snipped at him.

"Well, it has a long history of...well...let's see. Some five hundred years ago, it was invaded. There were orcs at one point. You know, just the run-of-the-mill things that happen to rich people."

"Getting invaded by orcs is run of the mill?" Coco questioned, astonished.

"I mean, when we live close to orc territory, yes," Harbin replied.

"Okay..."

"Are there still orcs up there?" Perseus inquired.

"Oh, no, no, no, no. They killed the lord of the manor some many, many years ago. There have been no orcs nearby this area for some time."

"Pour one out for the homie," Coco said.

"Well, I don't suppose there be anything else you might know about this manor that ye might be keeping from us," Alexander chimed in.

"Well, I don't go up there...I don't go up there, often. Actually, never. I've never been up there. But that's mainly because I've quarantined it off after several people went missing," Harbin told them.

Coco squinted at him.

"My question is, I know that we're not your favorite people. Why are you so hasty in giving away this deed to a manor?"

"Also, are you asking us to do it or are you telling us to do it?" Perseus added.

"Oh, I would never presume that you would do it for free, but I also never offered the deed to the manor. I just offered for Adabra to stay there because I own it."

"What's in it for us?" Coco demanded.

"I will give you some coin from the town coffers."

"I don't know. It sounds to me that you're not particularly fond of this place. We could relieve you of the burden, of course," Alexander said with a hint of conniving undertone.

"Well, no. See, the fact is it's currently in a rundown state and just kind of broken, but it sits on a very nice hill. I could see it being worth something in the future. Call it an investment property. I came into possession of the deed, and I'm not willing to let it go. However, I am willing to rent it out."

"Well, then how about this, Mr. Mayor. We get to keep whatever we may find inside as part of your investment," Alexander negotiated. "You said people have gone missing. There might be some wee trinkets that we could find. It'll serve as a bonus."

"I think that is an amenable agreement. I think we can do that. Yes, yes. I like that. So as for the content, let's say...five percent of the contents of whatever you find?" Harbin countered.

"I don't know, I think you better keep your eyes to your own house. As you say, orcs invading is a common thing for rich folk like yourself, is it not?" Coco smirked.