With the man chained upstairs before Summer and Torbin, the two look at each other then close the door after promising to come back for the man. Getting on all fours again, Summer walks ahead of Torbin toward the stairs as the maid comes into view to retrieve Baron Vargas. The three all stop at the sight of the other, Torbin attempting to pretend to be taking his 'dog' back downstairs. As Summer steps closer to the maid, she screams and Summer bolts for the stairs.
The door to the Barons study opens, Vargas looking unpleased with the weird dog thing still being nearby. With a single word, he commands his dog to get Summer. With the mastiffs bounding after her, Summer races down the stairs with the dogs barely keeping pace with her!
Downstairs in the lounge, Abe and Slate examine the space they find themselves waiting in when Francesco arrives. He'd seen them walking past the tavern toward the Barons and followed after them once he let Ireena know what he was doing. Tariel remains seated, just tired of walking around the town all day and decides to get Francesco up to speed on what they learned from the Wacthers household.
Abe notices a large Heavy Crossbow inside a cabinet with bolts caked in dried blood, A note is tied to one bolt reading 'with this bolt, I killed Dolt'.
Fiddling with the lock on the desks drawers, Slate pops one open and finds an unopened letter addressed to Vasili Von Holts. The man they found fishing by the river the day the party helped the farmer drown himself? Cracking the wax seal of a windmill, Slate opens the letter and sees a familiar name at the bottom.
Seeing that he cannot repair the wax seal, Slate decides to burn the envelope and slipping the note into his pocket as Abe pokes his head out the door of the room when he hears voices outside. Seeing Lady Vargas in the hall, he asks if she had seen a child with a strange dog with him. They were supposed to stay nearby. The Lady says she hasn't and she would ask the other girls, opening the door to the room she was in earlier.
Slate reads another note: one that looks like a receipt for the services of one Zolder Gaia Valkavich, the hunter Slate recalled meeting at the tavern. Looks like Baron Vargas paid them 10 gold for something.
Abe overhears the girls mentioning effigies before he is distracted by the sounds of barking from upstairs. Summer skids into the hallway and sees Abe with the door open, slipping between the young Rangers legs and hiding under a sofa in the room when the Mastiffs reach the bottom of the stairs and race out the open front door in search of their prey.
Torbin is escorted down the stairs by Baron Varas, being scolded by the massive man for Torbin letting his weird dog loose like he did. He guides Torbin to the door to watch the mastiffs looking for Summer before turning to his lounge where the rest of the party await his arrival.
Entering the room, he demands to know why the party is here. He didn't have any appointments for this time! Slate explains that the group are the ones that entered the city the night before.
Varovich recalls the news that a member of Barovias Burgomasters family had entered the city with a group of adventurers that night. He agrees to talk with them briefly as he had other matters to attend to in his upstairs study.
Slate asks about the rules the Baron had in place, Vargas states that they are the only things keeping the Devil out of Valiki. Only happiness can keep them safe.
Abe changes the topic to the Wacther family, asking about the incident between his son Victor and Stella Wacther. Vargas laughs and tells the party that the Wacthers are all old money, the only thing keeping them somewhat relevant in his town. As for Stella, she came to his home and became a raving idiot overnight. He shakes his head, stating that 'if' the girl could be cured, he'd be happy to have Victor and Stella wed and bring both families together.
Fran brings up if it would be worth wedding Victor with the Barovian Burgomasters sister, not mentioning Ireena by name. Abe shoots Fran a dirty glare as Vargas thinks it would be interesting but he still believes Stella would be the best available option .
Fran suggests letting Tariel hold the ceremony, she is a Paladin of the Morninglord after all! That intrigues Vargas, stating that his wife is a devotee to the Morninglord and that the two should meet.
Standing once more, Vargas asks that the one from Barovia that helped the party into the city should come join him for dinner tonight. But right now, he has to return to passing judgement on a blacksmith that dared to break his rules.
Fran asks if the party could help, as they happen to have a renowned interrogator with them: Abe!
Vargas doesn't seem opposed, declaring the deputies while they operate within the walls of his city.
He beckons for Abe to follow him, exiting the room and giving a sharp whistle. His two mastiffs join his side and follow their master up the stairs with Abe in tow.
Seeing Abe with Vargas, Torbin starts to follow until he sees Slate and Fran exit the room as well, turning to join them. Tariel helps Summer out from under the sofa before joining the party in the hall.
The Lady of the House, Sybil Vargas, sees Tariels crest and begins to fawn over the Paladin, the rest of the girls swarming around her and leading her into the room they were making preparations for the upcoming festival. Realizing that the girls weren't interested in them, Slate and Fran grab Torbin and Summer so they can head upstairs and look around while Abe is...
Abe is led into the upstairs study, standing before a battered man chained to a chair in the center. Abe asks about the crime. Apparently he called Vargas and his rules 'stupid'. The balls on this man! Vargas kicks the bound man. Abe beats the man a little before turning to Vargas and asking him if they could speak privately. Vargas gestures to the hallway.
As the two men step into the hall, a door further down the hall closes as Slate, Fran, Summer and Torbin begin rummaging through a bedroom. Seeing some of the books on the shelf, Slate gathers that the room belongs to a kid. Fran confirms this, finding a journal in the bedside drawer with the name 'Victor' scribbled across it.
Out in the hall, Abe asks Vargas for more information regarding his captor. Vargas suspects that the blacksmith tied up in the study could be part of some revolution in the town. Abe ponders for a moment before asking if he and his party could potentially pretend to start a revolution to weed out those who could try to oppose Vargas. Thinking that this could work, Vargas agrees.
Abe suggests letting him and his party take the man to the 'reformation house' so they can begin this plan, Vargas agreeing and suggesting they get the paperwork in order.
With Vargas and Abe entering back into the office, the party exits Victors room and Slate picks the lock on the door to the next room. The walls of the room have dolls lined on the shelves, the party recognizing the dolls resemblance to Ireena.
Is this Izaks room?! The Captain of the Guards room?
Slate opens an ajar chest at the end of the bed, finding some ragged clothes and battered shortsword. Leaving the room and locking the door behind them, the party quickly head back downstairs to the foyer before Abe and Vargas exit the office with the prisoner bound up behind the young Ranger.
Meeting with the rest of the party downstairs, Vargas gives them directions to the reformation house and sends them on their way.
With the prisoner in tow, the party exit the Barons manor...
