@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.
================================
@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.
================================
@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.
