A Dangerous Gift

Then, just as Adran has finishing placing the order and the barmaid has left for the kitchen, the front door bangs open. A wild and rain-drenched older human man without a cloak staggers in; his scholarly robes are sopping wet but he does not stop by the fire. Instead he stumbles over to the party's table, eyes locked on Elysia's. Desperately he slips a leather scroll case to her from under his arm and says in a strained whisper only just audible to Elowin and the other four members of the party at the table: They're after me...they must not have it!" With these words, each of you recognizes the voice from the clockwork frog: this is Tykus himself! His wild eyes seek out each of yours in turn. "Find it, find it if you can! All the realm may depend on it!" With that, Tykus leaps past the table in a staggering lope, dodging through the archway into the kitchen and out the back door.

Not a moment later, the front door slams open again, and four Grayhaven guards stomp in, their cloaks dripping from the rain. They are followed by two Royal guards, and then behind them a nobleman in his late middle-age follows, wearing the uniform and insignia of the Royal Regent and the Duchy of Grayhaven.

It is the Duke of Grayhaven himself, Dain Draymore! He is followed by a proud half-orc in full plate armor engraved with the royal insignia, who has to duck and turn slightly to fit through the door. The Duke scans the room coldly, registering all the shocked faces, and orders: "Search everywhere. Question everyone."

The guards split up, moving to each table, the kitchen, and the guest wing.

What do you each do?

The two Royal Guards stand on either side of the Duke at the front door, watching the scattered guests in the room warily. The Duke gives a curt nod, and the guard captain in plate armor ducks back outside. The other four - regular Grayhaven guards - split up, one going into the guest wing, the other going into the kitchen, and the other two going to different tables in the common room to address the diners.

Elysia deftly tucks the scroll case out of view just as a guard leaves the adjacent table and comes to the party's table. "Good evening!" he smiles, revealing that he's lost some teeth in the past. "Have any of you seen the man in robes who just entered the inn, and did you see him carrying anything?"

---

Meanwhile, Morik just saw the innkeeper open a door for Findal. As soon as the door opened, Peppercorn the speckled magpie flapped out of the room (even though they are yards away, Jeffery recoiled a little) and landed on the gnome's shoulder with a glad "Quee-dee-zee!" as if it's trying to say "Fin-dazz-le!" Findal scolded "How did you get out of your cage, you naughty bird?" but he's certainly pleased, and proceeded into the room. Then Morik hears the noise of the front door and the conversation in the common room die. He turns and sees a Grayhaven guard enter the guest wing and start opening and closing doors. The innkeeper hustles forward to see what the issue is.

---

Elowin leaps up in her bare feet as Adran kneels and proffers the mahogany box carved with the Ducal seal. His curiosity piqued, the other Grayhaven guard leaves what he's doing and comes over to the table, too. "They've got a box with your seal on it, your Grace." he calls out as Elowin finishes her mildly-indignant explanation. The Duke frowns. "Very well, take the box; we'll get to the bottom of this after we find the fugitive." The guard nods, shifts his spear to the crook of his elbow, and moves to squeeze past Elowin to take the box from Adran. Meanwhile, confident that his companion is taking care of this unexpected development, the first guard taps the butt of his spear on the floor to get everyone's attention and asks again: "Well? Did you see the robed man enter? Did you see him carrying anything?"