With the inn now burned down, the villagers begin to approach a bit closer. The headsman calls to the gathered group, "Keep it controlled. Don't want it spreading.  Damned shame."  The townsfolks, still in nightdresses and hastily thrown on clothing, begin to work. Some glare at the Delvers with fury, some stare with want or shock, but there's no question that everyone in the town will be speaking of them tomorrow.<br/><br/>One of the highlights of the talk will be a soaking wet, pantsless Nin face first in Mazz's chest. Some of the younger townsfolk begin to gather around them, "helping out" by moving chunks of wood away from the two women, though truthfully they're clearly just trying to get a better view. When Nin begins to strip down further, several of them move from trying not to stare to just looking without concern. Vague answers come from the lot, "Turned to monsters, I suppose. Could have been the Diralisk place?" But for what little good they do, Nin's pack at least is mostly dry and hopefully the rest will dry by morning.<br/><br/>Across the field, Scarlet tempts the innocence of the townsfolks in an even more direct way. As her magic works through the young lady, a gasp comes from her, the woman's back arching and desperately a gasp coming out, "You. And Tem. Tem since I was young, I always thought we might- But... I don't know how and you-"  The fire of Scarlet's eyes seem to reflect in hers as her hand traces up Tem's leg, "I want you to show me."  The three escape first into the woods then into each other's arms.<br/><br/>The Delvers, minus Scarlet, are given a place to sleep in the old church, pews set up for them. Mirwen's candle burns late into the night as she researches, hunting through old books and spells and knowledge. The witch should have been dead several hundred years ago, that the villagers know of her alive is alone a shock. But if she were alive only ten years ago, surely she still could be. The witch must have found a method to prolong life, though those are few and far between. They usually require a sacrifice, perhaps something related to her monsters...<br/><br/>As Mirwen thinks of the monsters, she sets up her alarm spell, casting her magic in a web around the church. Coldness comes in from the night, ice forming along the outside of the building, along the aisle, on the pulpit. Wild magic, but no matter. When she returns to her books for more information, she sees that they are frozen practically into a block of ice. There won't be any reading those until she can get some time to work very delicately with them to unfreeze them.  No more research for tonight.<br/><br/><div class="floatright">(https://i.pinimg.com/564x/89/2a/01/892a01131a852cec9218a0685f8aae1a.jpg)</div>The next day they reconvene, gather the resources promised from the town, and head over to Diralisk's manor. Even in the daytime, the building seems dark, hunched forward like a cruel beast crouched in between twisted trees. The building looks fully abandoned as they come down the stone trail flanked by thorny bushes, though as they approach, there's signs of recent habitation; bare footprints in the dirt, live plants snapped back, curtains still blocking the broken windows. The townsfolk begin to drop off with hasty apologies as the Delvers come closer to the entrance, making their way back to the relatively safety of their town. By the time the Delvers walk up the steps to the heavy black door, they are alone.<br/><br/>From the first footfall on the stairs, the door swings open with a crack, a firm bout of wind or some hidden mechanics slamming it fully open. The room inside is dark, the heavy grey curtains blocking out enough light that the only source is the open door. Inside, the manor is decorated with dark red rugs that have seen better days, hanging paintings of people with dour faces, and dozens of mirrors; standing, hanging, of all kinds. The air has a musty scent to it, perhaps from the books scattered around the floor and thrown haphazardly over surfaces. Off the front foyer are an open room at either side (a sitting room and small dining room) as well as a set of stairs leading up with more mirrors lining the walls.<br/><br/>Looking back over their shoulders the Delvers would see, partially obscured by brambles, the town some distance away, far enough that any scream won't reach their ears.<br/><br/><strong>Delvers, what do you do?</strong>