Twisted Web
Twisted Web is the story where James and Sandre with thier Grogs John and Ugly Bill hunt down the sanctum of Jonas of Wells.
In a letter to Fredigesa, James recalls the events in Wells, which he will also recount to his peers.
I have no love for the scum with whom Jonas made his bed. Arriving in Wells cold and wet, we headed straight for the tavern where the Redcap delivered his letters. The quality of men there are more dog than man, huddled around the bone, barking and biting, fighting for a piece to earn a bitch's favor. The innkeeper was no better a rude and evasive brute, so I bribed a whore and learned that Jonas did live near-by. Our grogs spied a boy eavesdropping on our conversation and they tried to nab him but he was too quick and only by luck did we run into him again. This greasy boy was talking familiarly with a Norman knight and his squire as they walked down the market way. I demanded that he answer for his servant's behavior. He smugly dismissed the boy as not his own and allowed him to escape. I challenged his honor and fought him on the spot. To his good grace he beat me as I had to resort to magic to defend myself, and lowly I admit I ended the fight by again resorting to magic to scare him off. Defeated I retired to the local monastery with my companions to take my evening rest.
Sandre had arranged a meeting with the bishop so we broke fast with his eminence. The man is curiously enthusiastic about wizards and magic. We discussed various niceties until Sandre sent me off with a fat pallid priest to look at an unfinished cathedral. It did amaze me what faith and hard work can accomplish and from the tour I gained a greater respect for the work of masons. I digress. As agreed Sandre made his grace aware of our mission and the bishop rushed us off to be blessed. It was well after noon when we finally returned to our hunt.
Sandre's grog Billy displayed excellent sense when he suggested we ask the butcher. He had heard of 'Jonas the Magician' and had his boy bring us to where he abided. It was of course in the building across the street from the tavern we first visited. There we found a crude lab, scrawled notes, Vis, and a chest. It was obvious that the place was searched and an empty folder indicated that someone had taken some of the notes. From a quick glance of the notes, it seems Jonas had made a very poor living selling magic items to nobility. Sandre using his magic detected strong evil in the chest and warned me not to open it. Satisfied that we have the evidence of the Infernal dealings of Jonas locked up in the chest, we took the valuables and made haste for Bath.
Again our grogs noticed the greasy boy watching from the tavern window safe among his fellow dogs. We decided to ignore him and head out of town. This is when things got intriguing. Down the street walked Hubert de Barbes arm in arm with the Norman knight who had bested me the day before. As you know Hubert is an enthusiastic daemon hunter and meeting him while carrying a chest full of evil is not something one wants to do, so I quickly ducked down the alley and hid. Sandre bravely walked on and engaged his senior within earshot. Hubert offered to aid Sandre find Jonas' sanctum which was politely refused as it was already found. Discussion then turned to the greasy boy who was spying on them. The knight discretely pointed out in French to Hubert that the 'greasy boy' in question was his grog Finch, at which point Hubert deliberetly tried to mislead Sandre by impling that the boy is likely an infernal spy. Fearing discovery, I escaped down the alley with my grog to meet up at the north gate. There we compared notes and decided it was best to avoid Hubert and head straight for Bath.
We arrived tired but unhurt and summoned Iudicium who with proper precautions opened the chest and discovered a black robe tainted with evil. I burned the robe and then retired to discuss things further with Iudicium. He listened attentively and offered us his council. First off he advised us not to challenge Hubert. Lying is not a crime and neither is mundane spying. He did point out that stealing from another magus is a low crime and that if it can be proven he took the notes, he would have to return them and pay a modest fine. Short of magically integegating his grogs, which I would not do, it is not likely that we will find proof of his misdeeds if any.
More on my mind is my failed challenge with the knight Gilbert de Clare. I wish to seek this knight out at the next tourney and best him without resorting to my Arts. This is a challenge I deem necessary to restore my honor.