In this part, the groups has an amazingly frustrating encounter and meets their questgiver.
Magister Wippflügler
The next morning, Prähnwart is sufficiently rested to walk to the tanners' quarter. To be on the safe side, the group goes with him anyway. As they walk through the market, they see a curious sight: about 20 goblins form a choir and, led by a man, they give a concert.
- We don't have time to stand and listen, says Irinja with some regret in her voice.
- They have been practising for some time, Mulziber says, something about integration and next year's elections. But I don't see Maraskans joining in yet, he adds.
Accompanied by a dragged-out melody, the heroes walk on. As they walk into the tanners' quarter, where most goblins live, they pass a leather merchant's shop. Suddenly, from there, they see a Norbard boy running away with a bundle of leather under his arm.
- Hold the thief! shouts the merchant, My leather! Hold the thief!
Elkwin catches up with the boy with a few firm steps and grabs him in his collar.
- I have done nothing, squeaks the boy, I just wanted to sell that leather. I am innocent.
- Then why did you just run away?
- He didn't want to pay a fair price.
- Guard! Guard! Arrest that boy!
A group of guards approaches, clearly not amused at having to deal with yet another situation here.
- What is going on here? Who is that boy? Speak up! What's your name?
- I-I am called Wassiliy Gotowitsch, stammered the boy. I'm innocent!
- He wanted to steal my leather! After all, I paid for it!
- Is that true?
- No. He did not pay. He didn't want to give more than three batzes. Auntie told me not to go for less….
- Shut up! Where is your burger letter?
- I don't have one. I am not from the city.
- How old are you?
- Fourteen.
- Then we'll have to cut off your hand. That'll teach you not to steal.
- But I'm innocent.
Irinja can't bear to look at it anymore.
- Ifirn in greeting. Wassiliy, if what you say is true, will you take an oath in the name of Ifirn to speak the truth and nothing but the truth for a year?
- It is true. I swear by Ifirn. I will speak the truth for a year. I am innocent. (The oath is one of the 12 blessings that Blessed Ones can invoke from their Deity. It is the karmic equivalent of a cantrip)
- Norbards are all liars, oath or not! The goblin merchant stamps his feet furiously.
- Ifirn in greeting…
- … Suulfried, Suulfried Siedemann.
- Ifirn in greeting Suulfried. The oath is spoken in the name of Ifirn. She sees to it that the oath-taker does not break it.
- But my leather? I'll get ruined like this.
- Do you have a burger letter? asks the sergeant.
- Yes, look here. Suulfried shows his burger letter.
- And do you have proof?
- I paid him! And he picks up the leather again and runs away.
- Proof? asks the sergeant again.
- How should I have proof of that? I am an honourable citizen. Here is my burger letter.
- I am innocent.
The sergeant has had enough.
- Along to the station. It has gone on long enough now. We've all seen you running. (I probably took a test somewhere to see if Irinja's blessing impressed and it failed. However nothing written down)
- But surely that doesn't prove anything either, Mulzber says, anyone would run if he was called a thief. And after all, he took an oath!
Elkwin, who had already half-moved to hand the boy over to the sergeant, holds his arm back. (trial persuasion by Mulziber: failed)
- We don't have to listen to Maraskans, the sergeant bit back at him.
- But to me you do, says Elkwin ( trial intimidation: failed)
- Sir, with all due respect, these are matters for the guard. (nobility has no special privilege in the city, translator's note)
- Suulfried, would you perhaps take the same oath? To speak only the truth for a year?
- Reverend, we follow our own gods and customs. We don't take oaths on your gods.
- Sergeant, we are already losing too much time like this. Let it be good now, otherwise I will ask Wippflügler to have a word with the commander. (trial charm: failed)
- Indeed, too much time.
The guard soldiers seize Wassiliy and carry him off.
- I am innocent, the heroes hear.
The goblin picks up the bundle of leather that had been left lying around.
- Can't we do anything at all then? grumbles Rowena. The boy might lose his hand.
- But we can't go against direct orders from the guard, can we? We did what we could. (Another trial. Not quite sure on what talent and from whom but: failed)
Rowena, meanwhile, is so angry that she addresses the goblin in great rage.
- You will not sleep until you have gone to the guard to undo this injustice! (Curse: Deprive of sleep. Eased by +2 because of anger, nevertheless: failed).
The heroes have to give up and continue defeated to Mantka where they are going to drop Prähnwart.
