The field of extraordinary zoology is not always as straightforward as we wish it to be. Those who consider us simple monster hunters ignore the deeper quandaries we must face in our research. For instance, what do you do when you discover an extraordinary creature that is going to cause a person harm, but that person is themselves a harmful entity? What, in short, do you do if you agree with a creature’s motivations, if not their actions? For a specific case study, I’d like to bring your attention to the events that recently transpired in the Llaelese village of Inverglaes…

—Professor Viktor Pendrake, Department of Extraordinary Zoology, Corvis University

Renowned expert in all matters of unusual beasts, there are few individuals who have seen as much of Immoren as Professor Viktor Pendrake—the High Chancellor of Corvis University’s Department of Extraordinary Zoology—and fewer still who survived the experience and chronicled the tale. His foundational work, the Monsternomicon, gives a detailed account of the many unusual encounters he has faced in his journeys across the Iron Kingdoms and beyond. To get the most out of these encounters, you will need a copy of Iron Kingdoms: Requiem and the Monsternomicon.

Background

Following recent events in the elven homeland of Ios, which the expatriate populations of elves call “the Sundering” in conspiratorial whispers, the former inhabitants of the nation have settled as refugees among the human populations of the Iron Kingdoms in great numbers. Many of these displaced people wound up among Ios’ closest neighbors: the dwarven kingdom of Rhul and human-dominated Llael.

Such is the case in the Llaelese town of Inverglaes, a modest community on the road between Greywind Tower and Merywyn among the northernmost reaches of the Glimmerwood. Several years ago, dozens of Iosan and Nyss families fled the armies of the Skorne Empire that had spread throughout Ios. Within months, the elves had resolved to start new lives in the human kingdom. Their choice was cemented by reports of those who tried to return to Ios being turned away at the border by legions of soulless warriors garbed in the armor of the Houseguard.

The elves had fled one peril but soon discovered another. The magistrate of Inverglaes, Armel di Gygot (LE male Ryn noble), wasted little time in take advantage of his town’s newest inhabitants. Levying exploitative taxes against the elves and instituting unjust policies, di Gygot wrought every bit of coin and labor he could from them while preventing them from leaving Inverglaes. Those who tried to rise against him were systematically rounded up and sent to punishment detail in work camps. He was distant enough from the seat of power in Llael and clever enough in his corruption that he avoided the scrutiny of anyone who could bring him to justice.

At least, so he thought.

Marked for Murder

Due to the exploitation of the refugees in his town, Armel di Gygot has been marked by the grymkin of the Wicked Harvest. A flock of Murder Crows, grymkin that punish those who abuse their authority over others, have started to appear around the town. Visible only to di Gygot, the Murder Crows stand as silent onlookers on rooftops and perched on lamp posts, tracking his movements with their masked faces.

As a result of his marking, di Gygot has the following effects:

• Disadvantage on checks made to resist the frightened condition.
• Resistance to bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing damage made by nonmagical attacks that are not caused by Murder Crows. The crows have chosen him as one of their own and mystically protect him from harm they do not inflict.

Encounter Start

There are numerous ways to get the characters involved in this encounter. Suggested options include:

• Characters with ties to either Iosan or Nyss NPCs heard of an associate who settled in the town of Inverglaes. After several months of no contact, the character strikes out for the town to see how their associate fares.
• Rumors begin circulating in the urban centers of Llael about a sudden uptick in production from the town of Inverglaes. To ensure nothing out of the ordinary is transpiring there, authorities in the region have sent the characters to investigate the town and report their findings.
• One of the expatriates from Ios has secretly put out a call for assistance at no small risk should they be discovered as being responsible. The message alludes to the cruel conditions in Inverglaes and begs for anyone who is able to provide assistance to make their way to Inverglaes.
• An Iosan or Nyss NPC known to the characters traveled to Inverglaes to check up on relatives who settled in the town. However, the NPC was caught up in di Gygot’s cruel mistreatment and has not returned. Now the characters travel to the town to investigate the disappearance of their companion.

The encounter begins when the characters arrive in Inverglaes. As they enter the modest township in rural Llael, the citizens of Inverglaes are taking in an unusual spectacle: the red-faced and panicked di Gygot is running through the streets. Read or paraphrase the following:

On the cobbled main street of the small Llaelese town, a dozen onlookers stand in the doorways of their shops and homes to take in the spectacle. A man dressed in expensive clothing dashes like a terrified rabbit, grabbing at the townsfolk. His broad red face shines with sweat, and his wild eyes bore into everyone he manages to grab. As you get closer his screeched words become clear.

“Don’t pretend you can’t see them, too! Right on top of your roof! I’m your damned magistrate! It’s your responsibility to protect me!”

The person this screaming figure accosted looks up to a gathering of crows perched on the eve of the building. “A’yup, di Gygot. I see ’em.”

If the characters approach, the panicking di Gygot looks at them with horror before turning and dashing up the main street, a few scraps of paper fluttering from the pockets of his expensive great coat as he flees. The croaking of crows on the city streets follows after the man, almost as if the birds are laughing at his ungainly flight.

“I See You’ve Met the Mayor.”

Shortly after di Gygot flees, most of the locals go back about their business. One, a gobber named “Bert” Bertrenlokelekobalt, lingers nearby, tossing the characters a conspiratorial smile.

The spectacle seeming to be over, the townsfolk go back about their business. A gobber leaning against the wall of a provisioner grins in your direction.

“I expect that wasn’t the sort of welcome you were hoping to receive. That was di Gygot, magistrate of these parts. Welcome to Inverglaes.”

Bert (CN male gobber commoner) is one of Inverglaes’ many merchants. He’s a shrewd gobber who can spot adventuring types a mile off, and he is eager to make friends with anyone who might have goods they’re looking to offload. He takes offense to anyone who calls him a “fence,” but the term is close to the truth.

Bert strikes up a conversation with the characters. He wants to get on their good side as fast as possible and figures that providing information is a sure-fire way to do so.

Bert can share the following information with the characters.

• Di Gygot wasn’t always like this. He was, in the gobber’s words, “a bit of a bastard but not a mad”
• Things started to turn after the Iosans and Nyss arrived in town. There were rumors that the magistrate was raising taxes on the elves—and only on them—as well as some darker stories about arrests and forced labor in the Glimmerwood lumber camps. The gobber adds that they’re difficult to verify, though: the elves are tight-lipped and insular.
• Di Gygot’s condition has gotten progressively worse in the past few weeks. The magistrate has become withdrawn when he isn’t screaming in the faces of the citizens. He’s barred his family in the mayoral estate at the north end of town and has begun neglecting his duties. When he isn’t flapping scraps of parchment at people and accusing them of leaving the notes on his desk, he’s out at night drunkenly firing his pistol at the rooftops of Inverglaes.
• If the characters want to know more, Bert suggests they get it “from the gorax’s mouth” and points them to di Gygot’s home (see “Di Gygot’s Estate”).

Scraps of Evidence

The tattered bits of parchment that di Gygot dropped flutter on the street. A character who wishes to grab them before the breeze carries them off must make a DC 10 Dexterity check. On a successful check, roll 1d4 and consult the Note Fragment table to determine which piece a character finds. Each piece can be acquired only once. After 1 minute, the wind carries the scraps away and they can no longer be located.

Note Fragment

d4           Fragment Discovered

1              Top left

2              Top right

3              Bottom left

4              Bottom right

Di Gygot’s Estate

The magistrate’s home is at the end of the main road in Inverglaes. When the characters approach the building, read or paraphrase:

The magistrate’s home is a large, boxy structure. Along its face, tall many-paned windows would allow bright southern light into the interior, but each one has been shut off by heavy drapes. As you draw near, one of those drapes twitches as if someone is watching you from within.

Standing on either side of the heavy oaken door, a pair of scarred and rough-looking mercenary types watch you approach with appraising glowers.

The men guarding the door are Pulin and Yves (NE male Rynnish mercenary veterans). Di Gygot has paid them to keep watch and protect his household in the event of an attack.

Pulin and Yves are gruff and demand to know why the characters are at the mayor’s home. The standoffish pair may seem like they’re ready to turn away any visitors, but they are, in fact, just holding out for a bribe. Unless a character convinces them with a successful DC 13 Charisma (Intimidation or Persuasion) check or offers them at least a 5 gp bribe, they stonewall attempts to speak to di Gygot.

The Manservant. If the characters convince the guards to let them through, Pulin bangs rudely on the door to summon the magistrate’s manservant Aber, who leads them inside.

Otherwise, if the characters fail (or refuse) to convince or bribe Pulin and Yves, before they are turned away the door to the estate cracks open. Read or paraphrase:

Groaning under its weight, the heavy door cracks open to reveal the face of a sharp-eyed man wearing a servant’s uniform. Looking beyond the guards, he addresses the group.

“You are the newcomers,” he says. His tone makes it clear that it is not a question. “My employer has informed me to bring you to his office upon your arrival. Please, follow me.”

Aber then turns and walks into the estate, expecting to be followed.

Estate Interior

The once-refined interior of di Gygot’s home has become a dark, stuffy place. Despite the expensive furniture and ornate wall hangings that dominate every space, what little light the gas lamps provide have stifled the air. As the characters follow di Gygot’s manservant to his study, a character with a passive Wisdom (Perception) of 14 or higher notices that most of the first-floor doors and windows have been barred and boarded over.

A fine drift of shredded paper litters the wooden floors and mounds of it cover almost every surface. If the characters failed to locate one of the scraps the man left on the street, they can find a missing piece by sifting through one of the many piles and succeeding on a DC 12 Wisdom (Investigation) check.

Meeting with the Mayor

Di Gygot’s manservant escorts the characters into the mayor’s study. The man himself sits behind a large desk covered with even more scraps of parchment. In the brick fireplace on the wall, ashes of similar papers are built up in a huge pile. While the characters enter the room, di Gygot mindlessly shreds pieces of paper into a fine drift that he sprinkles onto the desk.

Di Gygot’s manservant announces the characters to his employer and excuses himself. Before he can leave, the mayor tugs at the man’s sleeve.

A look of genuine concern crosses the face of the glassy-eyed mayor. “Have the children eaten?” di Gygot asks in a soft voice. His manservant lays a white-gloved hand on the mayor’s shoulder and responds in a gentle voice, “They have, sir. Master Bren is seeing to his studies. Mistress Emile is helping her mother.”

A bit of the tension goes out of di Gygot’s face before he turns his attention back to you.

Di Gygot is more composed than when the characters first saw him, but the man is still on edge.

What is with the torn paper? “A trickster has decided to make me the subject of his fun. He’s been stuffing these forgeries under my door, sprinkling them down my chimney, and placing them in my coat pockets while I’m out on the street. I arrested the likely culprits, but it seems they have…accomplices.”

Why did you want to see us? “Providence. I see it as providence that you arrived today, so close to the…ultimatum that my trickster has recently announced. I am offering you a chance to prove your talents, protect the leadership of this town, and earn some coins in the process.”

What ultimatum? “This one.” Di Gygot passes a single sheet of crumpled parchment with scratchy lettering at its center (see “The Ultimatum”). “It arrived this morning, under my breakfast tea. Dear Aber says that it wasn’t there when he was preparing the meal, so whatever miscreant is doing this was in my house.”

A DC 14 Wisdom (Insight) check made while talking with di Gygot reveals that the man is withholding something. He can be convinced to say what with a DC 14 Charisma (Persuasion) check.

“There is, of course, one more thing. The stress must have been getting to me. Yes. Stress. I’ve started seeing…figures. Standing on the rooftops. Waiting and watching me. No one else claims to be able to see them. Not my wife, children, Aber. No one. But I do.”

Di Gygot describes the figures as lanky, masked men and women wearing tattered clothes with crude blades strapped to their arms. A DC 15 Intelligence (Arcana or Religion) check recognizes the creatures’ description as Murder Crows, a type of grymkin fabled to visit punishment on corrupt bureaucrats.

Di Gygot then makes his offer: he doesn’t trust his hirelings to hold the line in the event of an attack on his home, and he is willing to pay 50 gp a head to anyone who will protect him—and his family. The threatening ultimatum says the attack will come “when the clock strikes doom,” which di Gygot believes is a fanciful way of saying midnight.

Should the characters accept, they have until midnight to prepare for the assault. Allow them to purchase supplies from Bert, construct fortifications, or pursue any other plans they can cook up.

The Ultimatum

You have been warned and given a chance to do what you know you must.

We have waited but you chose to hide.

The woman and children now sit at our feast.

Tonight, when the clock strikes doom, you join the murder.

A Murder of Crows

When the sun sets on Inverglaes, flocks of crows settle on the rooftops and perch on the gas lamps all across the town. Their collective cawing fills the town, prompting the townsfolk to shutter their windows and lock their doors. The people of Inverglaes don’t know what is about to happen, but they can feel the dread portent in the air.

To determine the number of Murder Crows that appear at midnight, consult the Murder Crows Flock table below.

Murder Crows Flock

PC Level               Flock Composition

1–2         1 Murder Crow, 1 swarm of ravens

3–4         2 Murder Crows, 3 swarms of ravens

5              4 Murder Crows, 4 swarms of ravens

The Murder Crows and their raven companions gather atop buildings outside the di Gygot estate when the town clock chimes the midnight hour. The grymkin are not initially interested in the characters or di Gygot’s hired thugs, but they viciously fight anyone who tries to stand between them and their quarry.

Pulin and Yves. The pair of mercenaries are tough when it comes to normal, mortal troubles, but in the face of otherworldly grymkin, their resolve crumbles almost immediately. Unless convinced to stand their ground with a DC 14 Charisma (Persuasion) or (Intimidation) check, the pair run off at the sight of the grymkin.

Fate of the Magistrate. The fate of the di Gygot family is in the characters’ hands. If they manage to defeat all of the grymkin, the family lives for another day. If they fail to (or refuse to), then the murder crows break into the estate, lay waste to the magistrate’s family with their blades, and drag him into the street where, in a frenzy of pecking crows and slashing blades, they reduce him to a bloody ruin in moments.

Conclusion

After the night of the attack, events in Inverglaes can unfold in a number of ways.

Dead Man Walking

If the characters managed to save the di Gygot family, Armel isn’t out of the woods. The grymkin will continue to harass and stalk him until he either sacrifices himself or they harvest him. Despite having changed for the experience, the Wicked Harvest will have its due. In order to protect himself and his family, the magistrate will go looking for esoteric means of breaking his curse, and offers to pay anyone willing to help him.

Something Wicked

Despite their good intentions, if the characters interfere with the work of the Wicked Harvest the grymkin will be annoyed. The characters will begin to experience more frequent and escalating encounters with grymkin who seek to punish them for their meddling.

Hey, About those Elves…

The Iosans and Nyss living in Inverglaes still need someone to champion them and liberate the wrongfully imprisoned laborers working in the Glimmerwood. If he is saved, di Gygot will seek to free them as well, but the boss of the camp might not appreciate losing a sizeable crew of free laborers. Conflict between the boss and the characters can lead to a large-scale jailbreak set in the Glimmerwood.

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