Freeday 14th of Planting, 643
Cabells at Beechburton
My two new companions, Tooms and Grun, and I have arrived at Beechburton. We have heard of a family in trouble and have come to offer assistance, hopefully for a large reward! Beechburton is small, almost not here. There can’t be more than a hundred people living here.
At the local tavern, Doyle's Inn we meet the owner, a stocky man called Doyle, who tells us of the Cabell Family. They have lived in the manor house outside of Beechburton for hundreds of years, and have always been lucky in business. But they have not been heard from recently, apart from a note sent to Doyle asking for any passing adventurers to be directed to the house.
When we arrived at Cabell Manor, we noticed that the ground floor windows are shuttered and the gates in the tall iron fence lie on the ground, seemingly torn from their hinges. Our knocking was met by Athon Cabell who invited us in and introduced us to his wife, Katrin, and Berry Staypell their housekeeper. Katrin was carrying Henry, their infant child.
He told us about a visitor they had a week ago who claimed that they had made a deal with Athon’s ancestors. This deal guaranteed the families success, in return for one member of the family every 100 years. Athon turned them away and every night since the manor has been besieged by a ferocious hell hound. They promise payment if we help them.
Dusk is now coming and Athon has gone to the study with Henry. Katrin is going to help with a crossbow from an upper floor window. The rest of us have taken up positions in the grounds of the manor: Tooms is in the large tree close to the house, I am crouched by the gates and Grun has turned himself into a cow and waits in the field across the road. We will see what comes tonight.
