The Raid on Walnut Manor

Report in Atyari by Dominic Newman dated Clayday, Deathweek, Earthseason, 607

As per my previous reports of Clayday and Godsday, Disorderweek, and Fireday, Harmonyweek, Earthseason 607, I and some non-civil service personnel had fallen foul of a Klutie coven operating out of a circus run by Harvey Goldsmith. Intelligence from Lüneport and further afield suggested they were the reality behind the ‘Al-Kluteia’ legends of a wandering Klutie coven controlling the local covens. We believed we had eliminated the Circus coven and retrieved several dolls used in blackmail. However, our investigations pointed to the presence of a local coven based in an abandoned manor to the south of Freetown and we knew a good many dolls were still outstanding.

Silversmith’s Circus: the Aftermath - Moonday, Harmonyweek, Earthseason 607

My supervisor, Ingrid Lunt, complimented me on my work in breaking the Circus coven and had a particularly kind word regarding my recent draft of the Tourist information leaflet for Freiburg. With my Klutie doll now in my possession (consigned to the Luciferans for safekeeping for a season, whereupon it should lose any mystical significance and can be disposed of safely), I was feeling remarkably perky and cheerful, despite having to face the difficulty of neutralising Smoky Graalhist’s coven believed to be based at Walnut Manor. Feeling I should ride this tide of fortune, I handed in my application for the post of secretary to the Nuncio.

The early post delivered an expected invitation from Fiscal Mackenzie to attend a mid-morning discussion of the Klutie situation at the Bridewell. I arrived to find Lady Rosaline, High Priestess ‘Mad Hetty’, Roxanna, Sidney, Fiscal with deputies Clinton Westwood and Regal Aquilla and a new face, a clerk by the name of Peter Zeno (whom I immediately suspected, and later became sure, was a fellow cultist, though I’m uncertainl of his subcult affiliations and of course made no attempt to probe him or divulge my own connections). Fiscal was now wearing a well-earned long-service badge.

We agreed to pursue loose ends in Freetown before moving on Walnut Manor – we didn’t want any nasty surprises (and I suspect everyone wanted to put it off as long as possible).

Fiscal and I retrieved Vernitz’s diary and took it to the Dragonnewts for translation. I wasn’t at all happy about it but Fiscal wanted it translated quickly and I could see no way to thwart him; better to acquiesce willingly. A dragonpriest advised that they would copy the text and offer a translation by Godsday Deathweek.

I suggested Regal recall the spirit of Cadaver, bind and question him. Regal agreed but refused to approach the Circus without an escort – this vacillation possibly cost us dear.

We interrogated Wheatfield. Fiscal would not permit Moonguard interrogation techniques so instead we opted for plea-bargaining; we offered to drop the assault charges and waive extradition or prosecution on anything revealed. He claimed little knowledge of Cadaver and the Circus but was a go-between for Smoky Graalhist and his interests in Freetown. Wheatfield claimed there is a separate coven operating here (that would make three! Unsettling!) He said he was tortured at first and then offered incentives to join the coven in return for political and professional advancement. Graalhist is a witchpriest (hardly news) and ‘very hard’. His coven is composed of mainly smoky Broo, perhaps as many as two dozen, plus Wheatfield and Kent Fallowfield.

I don’t trust Wheatfield, he’s a slippery customer, always holding something back and I don’t like the way he may escape all charges for his crimes.

Peter Zeno here confessed that he too was being blackmailed by Kluties and had an assignation with his blackmailer tomorrow. So this is why Fiscal included him?

So we move on to Fallowfield: he offers one extra name, Moira Hennessy, a ‘dodgy’ pickpocket (is there any other kind?) Fallowfield was used as a courier, droping letters and parcels at several addresses in Freetown. Graalhist recently gave him a parcel to leave at an address in Cherry Tree Lane, a large house belonging to a merchant. Fallowfield claims he delegated the job to Jans Strübel for delivery only last week.

So we turn to Jans, only to discover that he’s illiterate! Unable to read the address, he left the parcel at the first house he came to, 1 Cherry Tree Lane. It turns out that this is inhabited by an old seadog with the unlikely name of Salty Beefeater. Also illiterate but, certain the parcel wasn’t for him, he passed it on to #2.

At 2 Cherry Tree Lane we find one Asa Spades, a burly bearded drummer for a local group of evening entertainers. He at least can read and passed the parcel on to the addressee, Solveld Mannessman’s Trading Co, operating out of Mannessman House opposite.

After asking at the front door (and various colleagues peering vainly through windows) a maid directs us to the main gate, which is in turn answered by a man who objects to Mad Hetty’s jurisdiction (I didn’t know she had any) until she refers to Regal, upon which we are shown in to the ‘office’.

Peter starts going through the books but the clerk finds no record of the parcel. However, the gate-guard recalls that Asa Spades left it in the office. Regal believes we need a warrant for a thorough search so we leave the building under surveillance (by Roxanna, Seleste, Peter, Lady Rosaline’s owl and Mad Hetty’s dove) and head back to the Moderator’s Office.

About ten minutes later Hetty confides that three riders have left Mannessman House, her dove following them out of the town via Southgate. When we return an hour later with the warrant, the office clerk tells us the three horsemen were Manessman and two cronies. We go through the paperwork, Regal curbing Hetty’s more extreme tendencies. (With her blond hair and blue eyes, she can be something of a Lightbringer extremist.)

Lady Rosaline, Mad Hetty and I secure the officer paperwork while the others search the house. We find nothing but in the study they find a book that I identify as evidence of fencing stolen goods. They also find a safe. Regretfully, Seleste manages to break her picklock in the lock so Roxanne runs off to fetch a locksmith. The only other thing in the office of any interest is a parcel of stolen jewellery, to be returned to owner once no longer needed as evidence.

The locksmith arrives at dusk and opens the safe to reveal cash boxes full of money which (since the safe is no longer secure) we remove under receipt and bank with the Mercer temple.

Meanwhile further searches uncover a hidden a trap door to a cellar in one of the stalls of the stables. Remarkably, the stairs down are lit, indicating it must have been in use shortly before we arrived.

The intrepid Moonlady Rosaline leads me, Sidney, Peter, Hetty, Seleste, Regal and Roxanna. We hear the sound of rolling barrels up ahead but Rosaline claims to hear screams of pain as well.

As she steps in to the room, she’s assaulted by a hidden guard. Believing Rosaline more than capable of dealing with him, I move to the right to cover the archway opposite. However, hit by a crossbow bolt, a trap and the guard’s chaotic fear gaze, she collapses. For a moment things look bad but the guard abruptly surrenders to Sidney, next in line, when he realises the odds against him.

Hetty examines Rosaline, declaring her wound infected with mange! Evidently we are facing Engariel disease spreaders – Engariel is ever Klute’s handmaiden. Hetty administers to Rosaline but we cannot wait for her to recover so we leave Regal to guard her and Peter leads me, Sidney, Hetty, Seleste and Roxanna onward.

As Peter opens the next door he’s hit by a dart that ricochets off his shield, thanks to a spell from Regal. At a subsequent crossroads Peter leads us left but a Broo bursts from the door ahead. I Befuddle it to prevent it using an offensive Chaos spell and, in a short but vicious fight, Peter takes it down in exchange for only a minor wound.

As Hetty heals Peter, we hear someone lock and bolt the door to the left but Sidney negotiates the surrender of someone who turns out to be a gaoler/torturer, Samuel Baxter, and the release of his two victims. Both the man and woman have been sexually abused, as is the way with this cult. We lock Baxter in his own manacles and hand the victims to Regal’s care.

The last door leads to a Klutie shrine. A door in the far left corner opens in to a small room with vestments, 2 dolls (Harvey Silversmith and Lady Rosaline) and an archway sporting the curse, ‘Be accursed he who steals the blessed treasures of Klute’! Through the arch can be seen six chests, three bound in bronze and chained to the wall.

Peter enters the arch protected by Countermagic and passes the unchained chests out before turning to those chained. Apparently he laughs at locksmiths.

By now it’s dark. We arrest all employees and lock them in the stables save for the gaoler, who goes to the Bridewell. His victims are stretchered to the hospital.

Rosaline’s owl has replaced Hetty’s dove and reports that Mannesman and Co have camped for the night.

Hetty hacks open the first chest and finds an illustrated scroll on how to fashion manikins and ten vials. She identifies one as a Healing potion, another as Xenohealing, a third as some virulent poison and a fourth as an antidote, presumably to the poison. The remaining six vials are all alike but she doesn’t recognise them.

I spot a suspicious nozzle on the next chest but Lady Rosaline brashly shatters the hinges and gets sprayed with an acid that corrodes her vambrace. Inside the chest are two pouches of gems which are later valued at 200 and 500 shillings each, and a single gem worth 1000s.

The third chest is also guarded by a trap, a spray of fire that fails to hurt Sidney, who it seems is mysteriously immune to that element. In this chest are four pouches with 96 pennies, 708s, 222 moons and 24 wheels, a total value of 3360s.

The fourth chest is chained and magically protected. This time Roxanna receives an acid spray in the stomach but at least the spell fails to harm her. Inside is a single ring of unknown metal. Roxanna puts on the ring and immediately starts growing. She finds she cannot remove it and claims it will make her keep growing. Perhaps she is destined to become a giantess?

The fifth chest projects a stream of vile chaos slime in Sidney’s mouth. His skin starts to melt as he turns to gorp but a call to Lucifer saves him. Inside is a bone bracelet. Sidney announces this is probably a Wraithe artefact and gingerly removes it as reeking of undead. This doubtless dates from the First Age, before the Lunar crusaders obliterated the Azraeli state, originally founded to counter Transylvania but later subverted by the necromancer cult.

It’s my turn to tackle the sixth chest. I can’t pick the lock so I smash the hinges, narrowly avoiding a poison dart but a vile spell ages me five years. Inside I find a rabbit’s foot. As I touch it, I know that it brings incredible good luck but sooner or later I will lose it and then I will be cursed with equally bad luck. I resolve to sell it for cash before this.

We return to the Bridewell to consult with Fiscal. He says things may be much worse than we feared. I voice my fear that Wheatfield was lying and there is in fact but a single coven ruling the entire area, including the town as it seems Mannersman has fled south and seems about to join Graalhist. When he does, Graalhist will be alerted that we are hard on the trail of his coven.

We break for dinner before meeting the Moderators, eating at the End of the Road. We hear considerable gossip of the doings at Cherry Tree Lane.

We meet moderators Oosnor Blackrock and Joseph Wood to tell them of our investigations; they are appalled. Joseph has investigated Walnut Manor: it was abandoned some twenty years ago after a troll raid convinced its owner that it was too exposed. I insists Regal binds and interrogates Cadaver’s spirit and a perusal of Mannersman’s ledgers may reveal his illegal commercial dealings. We plan to apprehend Mannersman and Co but there’s much discussion as to how. Rosaline suggests a peasant rabble. Fiscal would accept Selenite knights (subject to vetting). Tomorrow we shall escort Regal to the Circus to bind and interrogate Cadaver’s spirit and then cover Peter’s meeting with his blackmailers.

Godsday, Harmonyweek, Earthseason 607

Worried about my ‘lucky’ rabbit’s foot, I take professional advice: Wizard Mustrum reveals the curse would be activated by selling it! It seems it must be destroyed by a ritual. I decide to exercise my rusty academic skills on a visit to the library. It seems I haven’t lost my touch even five years after graduation and light upon the very ritual in the first book I can find on artefact lore.

It must be destroyed in a Klutie holy place that is also a graveyard on Moon-night by the light of the Moon. Peter, knowledgeable on Death Lore, believes we cannot turn the Klutie shrine at Mannersman’s in to a graveyard but records state that there is a graveyard at Walnut Manor…

Hetty and Rosaline reveal that the three fugitives separated in the night and their familiars lost all three – Hetty’s dove cannot see in the dark and Rosaline’s owl cannot fly in the rain. Foiled by a shower, of all things!

Further bad news: someone has dealt with Cadaver’s spirit and it is no longer available for binding.

So we stake out Peter’s meeting in Appletree Lane, Rosaline directing us in an ambush, but no one shows, no doubt having fled yesterday.

In need of some good news, we call on Harvey: he’s recovering nicely and very grateful that we’ve found his dolly. He’s now sure he recalls a third party present when he overheard Graalhist meeting Cadaver, breaks in the conversation indicated a silent partner, possibly using sign language – an occasional resort by some members of my own cult.

Finally we visit Monty’s Cassino, where I bet 100s on 13 red and it comes up – there’s a use for this ‘lucky’ rabbit’s foot after all. I make 3500s and now have enough for that fourth point of Cheeseslice – does Doomlordhood beckon? My colleagues bet with me and also make a killing. Poor Monty!

Tomorrow we ride for Walnut Manor.

Freezeday and Waterday, Deathweek, Earthseason 607

We ride south, setting up camp a few hours from Walnut Manor. The next day we shift to within a mile and Lady Rosaline and Mad Hetty send in their familiars. Hetty produces a good sketch map and her divination discovers that there are two temples, one in the manor house itself and one in an outbuilding close by. There are also eleven tents scattered about.

Mad Jim Wheeler advises an approach through a large wood to the southeast. As we make our approach we stumble in to a Broo encampment. Hetty sleeps five of them and the six falls under a hail of missiles. Hetty ties up her captives while asleep but we will need to deal with them more permanently before they awake or their prayers to Klute will take them out of our hands.

We leave the horses in the wood and move to take outbuildings. Peter climbs the wall of a barn and peers through a ventilation grill. He sees two horses and what looks like a Matari shrine. This is evidently not the temple we’re looking for.

We have to cross to the manor house but for some reason Roxanna exposes herself and the enemy are alerted. I am reminded of our inept stumbling in the cave when we rescued Harvey Silversmith. Stealth definitely seems to be our weak spot.

With the enemy alerted we opt to storm the house by the back door. Roxanna smashes the door open, falling flat on her face. (What is it with that girl?) We see a dozen Broo; Hetty sleeps five but the other seven charge over their pentagram chalked on the floor. I shoot wide with my crossbow but other missiles hit and then we’re in the thick, fighting hand-to-hand. It’s short, sharp and brutal but one Broo divints away, another surrenders and two others die, one losing to Rosaline in spirit combat.

We can hear footsteps approaching from the rear so Sidney, the Selenite soldiers and I cover the rear while Roxanna and Rosaline smash open the door at the far end.

Then a bunch of peasants assault the back door and all hell breaks loose. Mad Jim and his Selenites break and run leaving Sidney and I to hold the door. While we’re desperately fending off the peasants, the Selenites assault Roxanna. She Befuddles one and Mad Jim kills the other – it seems he’s a coward but not a traitor?

As my Darkwall covers the back door the peasants break, apparently on seeing the dead Broo in the room. At the same time Peter and Seleste call out that they’ve found all the dolls and we can leave.

Everything falls quiet; the sound of fleeing peasants fading in to the distance. Mad Jim says he’s going to reconnoitre outside. He ducks through the Darkwall and that’s the last we see of him.

Everyone leaves, Pete, Sid and Roxanna staying with me to check the graveyard. Once Hetty is out of sight Roxanna slits the Broo’s throats. The graveyard is a graveyard, fifty yards from the house but does it count for the ritual? Peter reckons ‘yes’ but I’ll only know for sure when I return on Moon-night in five days.

Evidently the two Selenite soldiers were Klute cultists from the Circus coven but Mad Jim’s behaviour seems inexplicable. He killed Cadaver and one of the Selenites but broke our defences and deserted after the fight. My guess is that he deliberately sacrificed his own man to put us off our guard regarding him, just so he’d have the opportunity to make a break for it.

We get back safely the next day. Apparently Kofolov encountered Mad Jim Wheeler at the Circus later that night and demanded to know where were the two Selenite soldiers and everyone else (ie us); Mad Jim apparently shadowported away.

Kofolov & co searched Jim's caravan and found many dolls for Mannessman, Graalhist, Hetty, Rosaline & others (all active) plus others not yet enchanted. It seems Mad Jim was the mastermind behind it all.

The non-magical dolls are destroyed immediately while the others are conveyed to their owners or the Luciferans. I suggest that the dolls for Mannessman & Graalhist and other identifiable criminals are extradited to Moonguard (to be presented to a suitable fellow-cultist with a Broo head) but Mad Hetty insisted all such dolls are conveyed to the Luciferan temple until inactive

Harvey Silversmith is discharged but decides to dissolve this version of the circus. It will be reformed later. I seems Roxanna is now unemployed!

On behalf of the town council, Joseph Wood & Oosnor Blackrock present each of us with 100s and the option for free citizenship if any do not hold it already. Regretfully my supervisor insisted I decline.

I do not lose the rabbit’s foot in the first week. I must return to Walnut Manor Moonday to destroy it – unless I can find another graveyard in proximity to a Klutie shrine. It worries me that I must return to the place while Mad Jim and Smoky Graalhist are still at large. I don’t think we’ve heard the last of them.

Character Profiles

During the course of our activities, I have had opportunity to examine my colleagues and sundry other persons closely and submit the following observations for addition to their files:

Lady Rosaline: possesses fair intelligence but wanting in intellect. Her education betrays her Gypsy origins. However, her personality makes her a superb specimen of minor nobility. I have received intimations that her head may be wanted for reaping. In my humble opinion, this would be a mistake as Lady Rosaline's head is much more useful on her shoulders than off. She confesses she knows Azraeli Sever Spirit but this would hardly be a large gain for us, nor would any non-reusable Selenite runemagics.

Mad Hetty: my opinion of this woman is a matter of record; all I can add is that her behaviour remains outré. To take her head would have too many repercussions but she can probably be lured in to Moonguard jurisdiction and there committed to the Asylum as she is undoubtedly a danger to herself and others.

Sidney Jones: has shown himself in a good light throughout our investigations. He possesses resourcefulness and intelligence, neither is he afraid to stand in front of danger. His inquiring mind has led him to join Demosthenes and he has an experimental nature. His main flaw is his apparently unswerving loyalty to Hetty. If he can be cured of this, I feel he may be marked for high office.

Humphrey Cresco: a melange of opposites; I found Cresco's performance at times to be more than satisfactory. He showed initiative and asked pithy questions, occasionally showing real insight. However, he seems under the thumb of his mother and inclined to work to office hours rather than as the task requires. Unless he is a truly superb actor and already a Thanatari, I cannot recommend he be given a higher security classification. For the moment at least, I think his head as worthless.

Roxanna: an enigmatic woman; she was assigned to us by the Circus security. An exotic dancer by trade, it was surprising how quickly she made herself an accepted member of our group. I have little further information but I think she bears watching.

Mad Jim Wheeler: not present on our first visit, he later showed himself very competent – when it came to killing Cadaver, perhaps too competent. He may be what he says, a Selenite Runelord, or he may be something else, one of us, perhaps? All I can say is that he showed no particular interest in addressing Lady Rosaline.

Elena Seward: claims to be of little interest, but has a small collection of Chaos rats, which none of us saw (she deliberately hid them) and several of our contacts described her in terms greatly contradictory to what my colleagues observed. She bears watching.

Herbert Smith: would seem to be a minor criminal from Luneport. His skills may prove useful but otherwise he should be discouraged from making his new residence in the Moonguard area.

Sanjay Armitraj; a superb cook of exotic dishes; undoubtedly should be encouraged to set up shop in Moonguard.

Oosnor Blackrock: Question marks remain over this man, though he does not seem directly implicated in the Klutie conspiracy.

Jurgen Harpenden: remains the most likely source of leakage to the criminal fraternity from the Moderator's office.