Only a scant few days after the party delivered the electric mechanisms to Halfdan the Black's tower, strange arching lightning was seen exiting the window on a dark and storm night. The next day, a beautiful woman, full of figure and black of hair, was seen in the village buying "supplies." She claimed, in a halting accent, to be Halfdan's daughter.
Word has reached the village that Baltzer the Bold has begun a wave of punitive taxes on behalf of Bishop Notker to punish the "pagans" for the killing of Lord Arn. During the Harvest Moon celebration Baltzer is said to have taken all of the food from the banquet held within the walls of Blackleg. This has sparked a rebellion in the city, the third since Yim Yimsley appeared in 1388.
A group of Badder's Boys, commanded by none other than Badder himself, has entered Nightwick Village. They claim it is in response to the rebellion and that they wish to send raiding parties South to restore the Law to the area. They claim it is in response to the rebellion, but neither Kozel nor Roderick - the most literate men in the village - can work out how they could've heard about the rebellion, mustered troops, and deployed them so swiftly. Even Abraham, who is super-numerate, is baffled.
Badder has with him a summons from Bishop Notker the Unshaven for "Sheriff Blackbird, Brother Kozel, Brother Stavros, and the Howling Kommandos" to appear in Lychgate before His Holiness "before the Halloween Muster." Badder informs the party that they will be given some time to attend to things in the village but from the day they enter until the day the party returns from Lychgate Badder has been placed in control of the village.
