Lord Ulrich broods in silence for a while until he is directly addressed by Thokk. "Oh, yes ... the reward ... of course. The message I sent offered a 2000 gp reward for slaying the beast plaguing our village. The gold will be yours if you are willing to help us now."

"The orcs believe that the hydra sleeps during the day. If you are able to track the monster to its lair while it is resting, perhaps you can catch it unawares. To kill the beast, you will have to chop off its heads, but beware - it will grow new heads if its wounds are not cauterized with fire!"

After the impromptu meal, small crystal vials are brought out and given to those of you injured in the fight with the cryohydra. "These draughts will restore your energy and warm your bones. Drink them and sleep well!"

Lord Ulrich rises and takes his leave. Servants (human, not orc) stand by, ready to lead you to your rooms, when you are ready to leave the table.

[hr]
As Callos slips back to the stables, he finds Lissa and Fizahn deep in conversation with the lizardman. They are trying to explain what happened to Sheyra while he was lost in the Underdark. Callos isn't very familiar with lizardfolk body language, but from the knotted tension in the lizardman's posture and by the way his claws are digging into a wooden post, he suspects that the lizardman is not pleased.

Once the story is complete, a sad silence falls over the stable. Unexpectedly, Trinark coughs.