E04

Pasquier carries Marten who's still unable to walk. Cerridwen thinks she can lead us to a safe place where we could rest. There seems to be something troubling the water of the lake nearby, and more of the huge insects in the forest. She guides us deep into the forest and it seems that the stench of the drowners' blood on us keeps the monsters away.

Cerridwen hears a baby ghoul trapped whining near a tunnel entry. Marten who woke up slits it throat so it does not attract unwanted attention. We crawl into the entrance and start resting after clearing the bones from other dead monsters.

We take turns to watch and distract more ghouls coming after us during the night. In the morning we decide to walk back toward Bosco Rosso, hoping to catch Fazil in a fight with the owl when he'd be weakened. We try to avoid being seen by the villagers. As we get close to monsters, Amelia uses some concoction she made from the drowner's blood to scare them.

Around dusk, we get near the city of Bosco Rosso and remember some things about the owl symbols which changes a bit our plans. We bath quickly in the river to get presentable, we want to approach lady Alice and get allied with the barony against Fazil.

The guards at the doors of the city have the symbols of Niflgaard (golden sun) and golden feathers on their helmet. They ask us a few questions and let us in. When we reach the garrison the sun is completely set and the full moon starts rising. When we reach Olivier's office, we hear voices shouting (the major, Jean-Felix feels left out of what happened recently). Olivier also explains he now has to report to the new guards from Toussaint. He feels being observed but agrees to help us and we give him both a false location and the real one (for Robin's camp). He tells us to meet at the church at midnight.

Marten sneaks towards Alice's house leaving Cerridwen and Pasquier at the public fountain. Marten climbs the vines at the back of the house under the sight of a regular owl. He then climbs to the master's bedroom and open the stain-glass window of a party room nearby. It has lots of couches and taxidermy animals. Alice is staying at the other side of the room. It's smelling wine. He establishes psychic contact and starts a conversation, convincing her to meet with Cerridwen. She's followed by a few guards and starts questioning her.

Unfortunately Alice says she has no clue about the giant owl. And the guards confirm that Anne-Laure has left the city unharmed. And that she brought threatening messages from her country (Nazair). The light starts getting brighter and bluer as Alice gets paler.

Meanwhile Pasquier sees a bird in the sky but time is frozen and he can't move. A hand lands on his shoulder and he hears a manly voice.

It's a night you'll die. He's close and one of his swords is for you. You'll watch your friends die. I'd help you if you'd accept to part with a part of your soul.

Then Marten who joined him wakes him up. Pasquier and Cerridwen start suffering a horrible headache.

Hey ! You're not from here ! You can't stay under the moonlight.

A man comes to Cerridwen. Alice and her guards passed out. Cerridwen tries to carry her towards him but she's a bit heavier than she looks and we give them a hand. The man leads us to an old basement, closes the hatch behind us. We feel something heavy landing on the floor outside in a strange, dark mist. The man's name is Marcus and he's from Nazair. He also said that the owl killed a bunch of witchers over the past century. He was woking with Eduardo, Alice's grandson, trying to override her. For that, he still needs the sword.

We leave Alice with her guards (passed out) and get to the church (without Marcus who's not a fighter). There's thick, cold fog sticking to our legs. A giant, human-body owl is looking at us from a roof.

A monk welcomes us in the house of the gods and introduces us to Olivier. We follow him to the top of the church. He doesn't see the owl when Pasquier tries to show him. After a long conversation, we leave in direction of the mayor's house (Pasquier) and the bank (Cerridwen and Marten). Olivier finally passes out when he gets outside.

Tempted by the challenge, Marten opens the hardest lock he ever found on the door of the bank. There seems to be someone (the mayor) inside with a small light. Meanwhile Pasquier hears a noise inside the house of the mayor. He also recognises a whistling sound which is Fazil's tune. Just before getting into the wall from an explosion ! And on the other side we recognise the mayor holding a large object and under a spell.