Peri opens the doors to the Council Hall and barges past the clerk. "Excuse me, sir..." she begins, fruitlessly.

The council chambers upstairs are empty, save for one dapper older gentleman with a neatly trimmed beard and a fancy wardrobe, whom you recognize as Gellan Primwater, a Council member. He looks up from a thick account book.

"Oh, goodness!" he replies to Peri. "What have I done now?"

Peri:

Of course! Peri thinks. He'd hoped to find the whole Council, minus Farbern, so he could have it out with them all at once. If there was only going to be one member he'd have preferred Oweland, who seemed like she'd give you a straight answer, like it or not. Or Solmar, with that slimy Wavechaser -- they still had a reckoning coming as the top suspects for selling out the Soul of Winter. But he was stuck with this useless fop. 

Seething, Peri leaps up onto the table so he can look down on the old man. He slams his spear point into the tabletop near the account book. "First off, we are NOT," he emphasizes his point by jabbing two fingers into the man's chest, "Lord Feldren's servants! But I would expect no different from a perfumed horse's ass! You really thought 'granting us' property we already have was a reward?! Even worthless bean-counters know better than that!"

He leans down, inches from the man's fancy beard, and his words come out in a cold, quiet growl. "But what I want to know is, who wrote that line about 'humble properties' being a 'fitting reward'?" He holds there, eyes locked on Primwater's, and some trick of the light seems to make the shadows dance behind him, and his eyes to burn with an eerie purple light.

((Peri unwittingly manifests his Fey Presence. DC 13 WIS save or be frightened or charmed for 1 minute. This is not under Peri's conscious control, so I'll let the DM decide which effect it takes if he fails. Could be terrified of this little menace, or he could be intimidated so that the Charmed condition applies.))

Gerrard:

Sighing as Peri races in, Gerrard stays just inside the door and says to the clerk, “My apologies.  A few…uh…errors in this letter of appreciation from the council have upset my overly tired friend.”  

Stifling a yawn himself, he adds, “It has been a long few days and nights, and I just spent the last half hour trying to kill the local vampire and then convince a distraught mother to not chase it into the night…”

Glancing up the stairs, Gerrard says to his friends, “I am going on to the tower to make a report to the Constable and request horses for the morning, then I am going to the Wicker Goat, renting a room, and sleeping until dawn.  We have already agreed to meet at the tower with whomever wishes to try and save the good matron’s children in the morning, and I will be there.”

Ducking back out of the building and heading to the Hoolwatch tower to talk with Constable Farbern, Gerrard’s mind is more on a quick hot meal and bed than anything else, but he remains committed to doing right by both the people of Saltmarsh and his companions—not that it seems particularly possible this night.

Kei 

Boko's approach during the walk gives Kei a chance to subdue his laughter. His right hand goes instinctively to his new finger ornament. He twists and spins it as he replies. "Bela, oh, he merely asked for help. Those blasted jackals had tore up his leg but he managed to sneak below the rubble to evade them". An air of admiration can be heard in his voice as he continues "Seems like a nice man what with inviting me to his soiree. Not sure what he meant about the menu, but I'm very tempted to take him up on his offer. Fabulous dresser too. Did you see the finery of his shoes?" His voice tails off as Peri throws open the doors to the council hall. "This should be....entertaining" he reiterates his thoughts from earlier.

"He was a vampire ya dolt." Qivys says to Kei as he passes him.
Qivys moves forward to the Council Hall. He doesn't do anything to stop Peri, suspecting the halfling needs to vent but he is sure the constable will be along soon to arrest everyone. 

"Oh which nincompoop said what? Let me guess. Farbern. Or Copperlocks. Which one? Come on down now, my small friend, and tell me what happened," says Primwater, gently trying to coax Peri off the table. "Bring me up to speed so I can help you. Too many cooks burning too many stews for me to keep track." 
Primwater WIS Save: 9

Gerrard leaves the sweating, glowering clerk and heads toward the Tower.

charmed or frightened by you (your choice) until the end of your next turn

He appears to be a little of both.

While Peri browbeats Primwater, Gerrard heads to the tower, and Qivys takes Gerrard's place in the lobby with the alarmed clerk. Kei remains outside. Where is Boko headed?

Peri:

Seeing the sweat beading on the smarmy merchant's forehead, Peri feels like this is his moment to get answers. He needs to use this moment of wrong-footedness for real answers; his petty beef with the Council can wait. He taps his Astral connection, using the extra sharpness it gives his senses to focus on the man. He leans even closer, so that the breath of his words can be felt. "Answer me honestly: which of you was working with the smugglers we cleaned out? And most important, which of you betrayed us to that follower of Iuz? Which of you has the blood of the Soul of Winter on their hands?" His breath feels like the blistering cold of deepest winter on Primwater's face, carrying the scent of ash.

((Ki point to use the Visage of the Astral Self to get advantage on Insight: 15. I hope the Charm would compel Primwater to tell the truth, but Peri can't really know so he wants every advantage to reeling in this slippery fish.))

"Smugglers?" replies Primwater nervously, "Oh I assure you, my friend, we make it a point to keep a clean business here." He chuckles dryly. Peri can tell he's likely lying. 

"Iuz? You mean Xendros? Oh dear, I heard there was a lively dust-up there. We all do business with her, legitimate business I assure you," he waves his hands in the air. "The fish merchants much more than I, but nevertheless – but I know nothing of any betrayal. That sounds quite underhanded." He seems to be telling the truth, as far as Peri can glean. "I deal in textiles and fine lumber, mostly, not fish. Xendros may be a dark character, but her business has been important to the town, and she has broken no laws that I know of. Of course, I don't know about this recent business with her. Perhaps you could be so kind as to fill me in."

"But first, tell me more about this property business. It sounds like you have been stung with a poor deal, and you blame the Council. I'm sorry, I confess I know nothing – please tell me about it so I can make it right. I work alongside a few uncivilized folks, I confess." He pulls out a hefty sack of platinum from his purse.

Gerrard and Boko head to the tower. The usual assortment of old men mill about the outside; one looks deep in the bag from whatever he's sipping from his flask. Inside you find Commander Clay. "Yes?" she grumbles, with all the affect of a tired civil servant who is not looking forward to a long night shift. "Farbern's gone home." There is no sign of the teenage guard who took Gerrard's coin.

Gerrard:

”Upon our return to Saltmarsh, Constable Farbern engaged us to investigate the murder of a child and the kidnapping of two others in Crabbers Cove.  The deed appears to have been done by a vampire calling himself Bela and bearing a resemblance to a noble named Lord Xolec the Death Mage who lived about 100 years ago.  He claimed to have been helped by a one legged man and he flew off in bat form before we could slay him, though I did put a handful of arrows into him as he fled.  He had mentioned the other two kidnapped children are being taken to his place for a macabre feast, so we are planning to ride out in the morning to the old Xolec castle if we can find it and try to rescue them,” says Gerrard to Commander Clay when it appears she is ready.

“For right now, though, we have been up two days straight doing our previous mission, so we must rest.  I’ll stop by the stables to make sure Erik (my horse) is ready, but if you see fit to have some other horses available for my companions in the morning, that could speed out progress in hopefully rescuing these children.  I tried to talk one of their mother’s into waiting for the morning, but I fear she has set out tonight to try and track the vampire,” he adds.

Peri:

He's tied up with the smugglers, sure enough. He can't be too happy with us then. Tough luck. His question about smugglers answered, he zeroes in on the most important question. He ignores the sack of coin -- That's the wealthy for you: Lie, cheat, and steal, and if it goes wrong just throw some coin at it -- along with his attempt to change the subject. He extends the ghostly astral appendages, so that they are poised to either side of Primwater's face like a pair of nearly translucent and faintly shimmering serpents coiled to strike. "Listen closely, and answer truthfully. I catch you lyin' again or holdin' back, and they'll still be findin' pieces of you a year from now. When we went to retrieve Aubrek's goods from the Emperor of the Waves, we got ambushed by a wizard, a follower of Iuz called Kheshm. Liked to call himself the "Harvester of Souls' and 'World Bridge' and such. Now, there's no way he finds us out there, at just the moment we're most vulnerable, without bein' tipped off. And the only folks who coulda tipped him were in that Council meeting. WHO? Who sold us out?"

((I'm hoping that the Frightened/Charmed condition, coupled with the threat of imminent violence, will make him answer honestly.))

Clay stares at Gerrard with a flat expression. "Horses we can do. Guards, weapons, I can't spare. I'll have horses to lend in the morning. Don't kill 'em. Treat 'em well."

~~

Primwater, dropping his fancy facade and now gripped by pure terror, lets out a small squeak. "I don't know anything," he says very, very quietly. "That's the gods' honest truth. I don't know any wizard like that. I know Aubreck, sure. I don't know any Kheshms. I didn't tell anyone anything. Please don't hurt me. Want some coin?" 

Gerrard:

”Right, then.  We’ll return in the morning, ready to ride.  Thanks for the help,” replies Gerrard.  Looking to Boko, Gerrard says, “Anything to add, Mistress Boko?  Or shall we just head over to the inn for some hot food after I duck in quickly to check on my horse?”

After waiting for Boko to add to the conversation as she wishes, Gerrard plans to go by the stables and settle up if needed for Erik’s upkeep (making sure he has been treated well) and inform the stable hands he intends to return early in the morning ready to ride.  Unless Boko has other business, he walks with her to the inn to get some hot food and prepare to retire for the night.

Peri:

Peri senses no deception. He stands up straight, so that he's no longer looming over Primwater, and smiles warmly. He withdraws the astral arms so that they are no longer visible. "Good to know! No no, keep your coin; this wasn't some kinda shakedown. Just needed some answers. You didn't have anything to do with Kheshm, so we've no blood feud with you. I don't really care that much about the smugglin', but you should know it was Solmar's man, Wavechaser, that paid us to clear out that mansion."

He looks around, pulling his spear out of the table with a slightly sheepish look. He hops down and begins walking to the door. "Sorry I had to come on so strong, but we've been gettin' jerked around quite a bit lately. And you did send us that snarky little thank-you note. But no harm, no foul. We should probably just steer clear of each other, except for Council meetings and such. As long as you don't threaten me and mine," and here his breezy voice changes back to that icy, commanding voice, eyes flashing and astral arms just visible above him, "I won't have to visit you this way again."

Olive branch and threat properly delivered, he ducks out the door and heads downstairs. He sees Qivys waiting for him and gives a bright smile. "That's all sorted then, at least so far as Mr. Primwater is concerned. Shall we get some sleep before we head off on our next hare-brained adventure?" As the three of them walk to the Wicker Goat he relates the story, laughing as he describes Primwater's face. "So nothin's really resolved, but I do feel much better. Let's get a meal and a bunk!"

Kei 

"You didn't take any coins?" Kei gasps as Peri recounts his short journey towards the dark side. If it weren't for his bone aching tiredness he could've almost slapped Peri across the back of the head. Instead he makes a mental note Shakedown possible on Primwater. Check. 

When the Wicker Goat comes into view he realises just how little he's eaten in the past 48 hours. His stomach starts to gurgle and groan the closer they get to the Goat. "This may not be a fancy banquet like Bela offered, but at least it's right here. I'm so hungry even that hard tack you seem to like sounds good" he says to Peri. Then in a more whimsical tone "I wonder what Bela is doing now." He opens the door to the inn subconsciously, paying little attention to his colleagues. 

Qivys shakes his head as the halfling comes out with a triumphant look on his face.

"All taken care of are ya?" he asks as he, Kei and Peri walk out the door. "Stirred up tha hornets nest enough have ya?"
Qivys walks with the two but his thoughts are elsewhere.
"Ya understand with all yer bluster and fit throwin' ya put a bigger target on us?" he asks. "Don't ya? That an' ya bullied a council member. This ain't gonna pass without somethin' comin' of it."

Qivys walks ahead letting the two walk by themselves. Once he gets to the Goat Qivys gets a bunk and gets some sleep.

Peri:

Peri meets up with the others in the common room of the Goat. He shrugs as Qivys stomps off to bed, but he's running on fumes himself, so he gets it. He guides the group to a corner table, away from eavesdroppers, and orders some food. Then he summarizes his meeting with Gellan Primwater. "I was hopin' to settle things with the whole Council, but they'd all gone home but Primwater. So I asked him a few questions." He tells them about the questioning, and gives his conclusions. "He was probably mixed up with the smugglers we cleared out. I figured it wasn't Solmar, since he put us onto them, and not Copperlocks either, since we recovered her stolen equipment in their hold. I don't think Farbern is involved, though certainly some of his guards were. So it had to be Oweland or him, and I'd hoped it wasn't Oweland. But that's kinda old news, so do with that what you will."

"He also didn't set that Kheshm on us. Again, I'd rule out Farbern, which leaves the other three Council members, plus Xondros, who we've already questioned. He didn't know who sold us out, but my money's still on that greasy Wavechaser. If I get him alone, things'll likely go a different way. But all that has to wait too."

After discussing the interrogation, he brings up tasks to do before heading out into the Dreadwood. He wants to talk to the druid, Ferrin Catilar. "He said somethin' about that vampire, or a casket maybe? And he knows more about what comes outta the Dreadwood than anyone else I can think of." He also pitches getting some holy water from the Procanites, offering to reimburse anyone who wants to get it. And he suggests extra horses. "Remounts to move fast on the way there; then to carry out the kids." If we find 'em and they're not dead or worse, he doesn't say.

When the discussion winds down, before he goes to bed (presumably in Kei's room, as there will be a dire wolf in his?) he scratches out a postscript to his letter home, returns it to the chest, and once again asks Lankus to deliver it if he's not back in two weeks.

Fed, warm, and safe at the Wicker Goat, your energy rapidly fades, replaced with utter exhaustion. You retreat to your room. Lankus charges you for neither bed nor board.

~ ~ ~

You awaken to a relatively bright winter day. It is later than you intended to arise. At least ten inches of snow lay on the ground.

Lankus has made a whirlwind of preparations during your long rest. Horses (Erik among them) are tied up outside, fully packed with supplies and provisions. He has acquired a pair of silvered daggers, three flasks of holy water, strings of garlic, the jawbone of a blind man (a locally traditional charm for seeking), and a tall bottle of Winter Turnip (a fermented turnip liquor said to ward off vampires.) 

He has also prepared a feast of a hot breakfast in the warm tavern. His own horse has been prepared as well, as he intends to join you.

The guard has left a crude and limited map of the interior, with little information about Xolec or his family home beyond promises to research further and one detail: it was said that trees and plants would not grow near the old manor site after it was burned to the ground at the end of his reign.

Gerrard:

After a hot meal, a cold ale (or three), and an efficient bath, Gerrard heads to bed, making sure to ask to be woken up at dawn...

...but arising later than intended seems to have worked out in his favor, as Lankus has been busy.  Feeling rested and rejuvenated, he looks at the map with some disappointment and says, "Hmm...We seem to be lacking a location.  Any news from the citizens who volunteered to track last night?"

(Roughly where is the ogre cave on the map above?)