The meeting over, Duster slips out of Deprimer’s office and up the stairs. He believes that Strazni’s room, still ringing from Ireena’s screams of horror at the dolls, will provide a modicum of privacy. Using the looking glass over the dresser, Duster applies his skills to disguise himself as a more than passable Deprimer, while far shorter than the actual Burgomaster, he is very convincing.
The disguised kenku plucks a piece of chalk from his pocket, and from memory sketches a teleportation circle on the rough wooden floor. Several hundred eyes of the Ireena dolls watch as he works.
Duster, kneeling, leans back. Unable to say exactly what, something about the magic sigils is not quite right. He will try again.
⚔
Before leaving for the Blue Water Inn, a pale Ireena invites Sheriff to the Burgomaster’s sitting room, pouring two fingers of amber liquid into a cut crystal snifter. She hands one to the accountant, and toasts him wanly, “My thanks for your kindness.”
Sheriff takes the glass and sips. Fire whiskey. He regards the steaming liquid as Ireena asks him, “You would do well to work for Deprimer. I believe his heart is in the right place. You could do worse. You are not from Vallaki, Mr Sheriff?”
“No,” says Sheriff. “I’ve been here three years, but I was born elsewhere. There, I was a monk and then a soldier. Here I am an accountant. I do wish to I work for Burgomaster Deprimer.”
After finishing their drinks, Ireena says, When you go in to speak to the Burgomaster, please tell him that I have left for the Blue Water Inn.”
⚔
Back in the Burgomaster’s office, Krelldutt settles into a leather chair across from Deprimer, who looks attentively at the tortle, who begins without preface. “As Burgomaster, Deprimer, can you use your influence to get Komzin to pay us? He still owes us the money he promised us before we came to Barovia.”
Deprimer sighs, pushing back in his chair. “I understand your wish to be paid, Krelldutt. I fear, however, it is not my priority. I don’t want to risk a direct conflict with Komzin until we have a stable force who can protect our government, when there are more guards backing us.”
Frustrated, Komzin says, “It’s not our priority, I get that. But we do need to be paid.” The tortle blows out a deep breath. “Even with more guards, I doubt we could force Komzin to pay us if he didn’t wish to.”
”I promise that I will follow up at a more opportune time, Krelldutt, when we won’t try Komzin’s patience.”
⚔
Later, to Conwan, Deprimer begins, “First, I wish to speak with you about payment. You are, of course, aware that are coffers are in a poor state. That said, I do wish to acknowledge your value in performing some of the less savory aspects of governance.”
He pauses, watching the assassin, who looks back at him, inscrutably.
“Second,” Deprimer continues, “I wish to ask you for a service. I wish to get Ireena to Strahd, but I don’t want the city nor Ireena herself to know I am ordering it. Please make a plan with my colleagues to smuggle Ireena out of Vallaki. You might do this at the Blue Water Inn. I will order my guards to avoid this place tonight. Once you complete this and return, I can promise you 20 gold pieces a month for your….services…until such a time that you no longer wish to work for me. After that, you can count on a 5gp monthly pension.”
Conwan, eyes glittering, says briefly, “I want 25 gp a month.”
Eyes widening slightly, Deprimer responds, “Stability is more important than the gold. And some months you may need work very little.”
Conwan remains firm, “Twenty five.”
Sighing yet again, Deprimer says, “Very well. Gather Duster, Komzin and Rakthe and travel to Ravenloft to deliver Ireena. I wish Krelldutt to remain here.”
In the hallway outside of the Burgomaster’s office, Sheriff’s eyes grow wide at what he is able to hear through the thin walls.
⚔
Walking in the cemetery, Rakthe is confronted by Father Lucien, who demands, “What business do you have in this place?”
The dragonborn glowers, but the priest is far too angry to be intimidated by the barbarian, who begins to stride off.
“Wait,” calls out Father Lucien, “You are friends with Burgomaster Deprimer? Are you of the Goth faith?”
”Yes and no,” responds Rakthe. “I am an associate of Deprimer’s, but I don’t know them well. But I am not a Goth.”
”Will you have tea with me? I have much to ask,” enquires the priest.
“No,” retorts Rakthe, who strides away back to the center of Vallaki, leaving the priest to stare unhappily after them.
⚔
In the the entry lobby of the Burgomaster’s mansion, Conwan requests a private conversation with Komzin. The knight nods, following the smaller man up the stairs. “You are not a native Barovian?” Komzin asks this of Conwan’s back as they reach the second floor landing of the stairs.
”No.” The halfling says nothing further. The pair walk along an upstairs corridor in silence, Conwan approaches the room that had been Izek Strazni’s, the one filled with dolls. He opens the door and abruptly stops.
Kneeling upon the floor, Burgomaster Deprimer holds a stick of chalk above some arcane writing in a circle on the floor. Loudly, Deprimer’s voice demands, “This is private! Can you please leave?”
Confused as to how Deprimer might have gotten upstairs before himself and Komzin, Conwan backs out to find another place to speak with him. In the bedroom of the dead Burgomaster’s dead son, Conwan explains to Komzin, “I have a plan, one of my own devising, to take Ireena to Strahd.”
Without blinking, Komzin responds, “I think that would be best. You are not a native Barovian. All of us here wish more than anything to leave. I will help.”
⚔
Down the hall, Duster as the counterfeit Deprimer is glad to have the privacy returned to Izek Strazni’s old room. He returns to working to refine his teleportation circle.
