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I attempt to explain that I merely wished to speak with the Man with Gold (I shall henceforth refer to him as Gold Man) about where he acquired such a large quantity of gold. I offer my apologies for my outburst and offer to surrender my weapon as a sign of my good intentions to the half-elf. However, I notice that the mob in the tavern is growing louder and sounds of conflict can be heard from inside. I inquire to the mage if he knows any mass sleeping spells to halt the fighting without further bloodshed.
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I approach the group and say "Everyone calm down! That gold was enchanted to instill rage in anyone nearby." Once the half-elf finishes healing him, I ask the man "Where did you get that gold? Were you the one who enchanted it?" In response to the soldier's question, I say "There is something I can try, but I'm not sure that it will affect everyone." I direct a spell of cleansing at the tavern, attempting to clear away the negative emotions and clam the patrons.
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@TheDarkOne
Sancireph, you carefully remove the shards of glass and use the MAGIC OF YOUR PEOPLE to staunch the bleeding, but it is clear the injuries are quite severe: he appears to be bleeding internally. The SOLDIER offers you his sword in apology for the situation and proceeds to kneel down next to the man, hovering his hands over the wounds. A beacon of light spans the gap between them and before your very eyes the injured man recovers. It seems your combined efforts have repaired all of the damage from the glass. The soldier asks the MAGE if anything can be done to calm the bar, and the mage explains that there was a wicked hex on the gold that triggered this whole mess.
Both the soldier and mage appear to be more calm than when they were in the bar, and they are making dedicated efforts to help the situation. Do you trust them enough to share what you know, about the BARTENDER AND THAT BEVERAGE and its relation to the MAN ON THE HILL?
@mrz84
Zataka, the HALF-ELF ADVENTURER takes your sword temporarily as a sign of good faith, and you proceed to assist in the recovery of the man with the gold. Once he is healed, you turn your attention to the bar and, seeing the brawl escalate, you ask the MAGE if there is any way to disable the crowd to prevent further catastrophe. The mage explains that he sensed some manner of wicked hex applied to the gold, which appears to be the source of the riot. He proceeds to trace out runes on the doorway with his finger, perhaps to cancel the bad magic.
The adventurer and the mage both appear to be doing their best to prevent further escalation of the situation. Do you trust them enough to share what you learned from the patrons, about the INCONSISTENT STORIES of the MAN ON THE HILL?
@Xyvol
Malichor, you attempt to mediate the impending argument between the HALF-ELF ADVENTURER and the HEAVILY ARMORED SOLDIER, but your suspicions about the magic's effect are soon confirmed: it seems proximity is the worst factor and once removed from the gold the effects dissipate quickly. The two work quickly to mend the lacerated MAN WHO FORMERLY HAD GOLD, and you demand to know where he got the gold. He does not reply; you suspect you will need to apply some manner of COERCION to get the answers you seek. But the soldier has asked if you can deal with the bar brawl, so you approach the tavern door and, using your finger, you scribe ERASE in magic runes on the door, hoping to counteract at least the PSIONIC spell with your application of PAPER MAGIC. Something's wrong, though. Your spell should have been able to handle a psionic enchantment like this, but it doesn't seem to be having any effect on the brawl. You take out a piece of paper, scribe the same ERASER RUNE upon it, fold it into a plane and launch it at the pile of gold. While more effective than the first attempt, something seems to be severely interfering with your attempts to counter this spell. Squinting, you notice that the spell has actually bonded with some AIRBORNE POLLEN that is emitting from the pile of gold. Could this be the cause of the interference?
The adventurer and the soldier seem to be calm enough. Do you risk ENTERING the contaminated area again to lead other patrons away from the poisonous magic?
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While hesitant at first, I decide to divulge what I've learned from the patrons about the Man on the Hill, whom I express my belief may or may not have a connection with the current problem. I turn to the Gold Man and attempt to inquire about anything he knows about the Man on the Hill, going as far to offer my entire coin purse in exchange for any and all information he knows leaving out no details.
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I tell the soldier that I attempted to question the bartender about the man on the hill, but got no response. The bartender simply walked away when I asked the question. I do not mention the bitter drink, but I do tell him that the bartender mentioned getting herbs from him. I then ask him and the mage what they know about the man on the hill.
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Rather than go into the tavern and risk casting a deadly spell in anger, I attempt to lure them outside instead. I take out a new piece of paper, scribe an illusion spell on it, and crumple it up in my hand. I wave it in front of me and shout through the door, "Hey! They're giving away gems now! Everyone come outside!"
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@mrz84
Zataka, you explain to the two other adventurers that the villager COULD NOT MAKE UP THEIR MINDS about the man on the hill. Some of them recognized him as a powerful HEDGE WIZARD. Others claimed he was the mayor. Still more were confused by the question and said that there was NO MANSION on the hill at all. The half-elf ADVENTURER tells you that the BARTENDER appears to have been in some sort of contractual employ of the mansion's owner, feeding details about TRAVELERS passing through the area. The MAGE is distracted dealing with the bar brawl.
You ask the GOLD MAN what his connection to the MAN ON THE HILL is, going so far as to bribe him with your coins. He takes the money and divulges what he knows:
Apparently, he raided the MANSION ON THE HILL and that's where he acquired the riches he was flaunting at the bar. He used an OUBLIETTE in disrepair on the mansion grounds to gain entry, so he avoided direct contact with the owner. From what he saw within, he is certain that the mansion's owner is a WIZARD, one of the highest caliber. He refused to go into more specifics, claiming he needed to maintain some trade secrets so that he might recoup his losses from tonight. He refunds you a portion of your coins for withholding this information... after a bit of coercion of course.
It looks like if you want to get to the bottom of this mystery, you'll have to GO TO THE SOURCE.
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@TheDarkOne
Sancireph, the SOLDIER tells you that he couldn't get a straight answer about the MAN ON THE HILL. Some of the patrons called him the MAYOR, while others recognized him as some kind of WIZARD and still more had never heard of him or the mansion. You explain that the bartender seems to be in business with the man on the hill, being a frequent consumer of some MAGIC HERB. When you ask what else the SOLDIER and the MAGE knows, the soldier explains that all he learned was the inconsistent stories. The MAGE is too distracted taking care of the bar brawl to participate in the conversation.
The soldier pays the GOLD MAN to find out what he knows about the MAN ON THE HILL, and he explains that he ROBBED THE MANSION to acquire the riches, and the property was plagued with MAGICAL TRAPS. You sense that he is telling the truth.
If you want to know more, you're going to have to ASK THE MAN ON THE HILL yourself.
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@Xyvol
Malichor, with the inscription you crumple the paper as you curl your fingers into a fist, and when you open your hand again you are holding a DIAMOND... or at least something that looks sufficiently like a diamond from a distance. You show this to the patrons and they are instantly compelled by the greed that has taken hold of them, charging out of the tavern en masse. Once they are a safe distance from the toxic magic, you explain the situation and tell them it is not safe to return to the tavern. Congratulations, you have successfully ceased the RIOT.
But... looking back into the door, you see the BARTENDER carefully collecting each scattered coin. You try to SCRY magical influences on him, but the gold is generating too much interference. What is going on here!?
You overhear the two other adventurers speaking with the man who had the gold in the first place, and you hear mention of a powerful HEDGE WIZARD. It looks like you'll need to find this wizard to find the answers you seek.
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I turn to the solider and say that I am going to go find this man on the hill to get some answers, and that if he wishes to join me, his company would be welcome. I then ask the mage what he plans to do know that he has ceased the riot.
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I offer my blade and services to the cause, always willing to help those in need. After all, the powerful wizard may know something of my own personal quest, though I am in doubt.
As for gaining entry to the mansion, the entrance the Man with Gold used would be the safest possible way in, though we should still use caution as the wizard may have set up traps there after the previous theft. I advice that we get anything we may need before heading to the mansion.
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The mention of hedge wizard catches my attention. I enter the conversation saying that a hedge wizard is the most likely culprit, given the pollen emanating from the gold. "The bartender may be in on it, or even the wizard himself. He was suspiciously unaffected by the spell on the gold." (I do not know of the man on the hill, or the strange drink) I pull my hood back and introduce myself as Malichor the sorcerer.