After what feels like an eternity, are you startled by the west wing door swinging open. Out walks Zygfrek, and she looks joyful.
"He will see you now!" she says. "Come in!"
"The Abbot?" you ask, eyes wide.
"Yes, yes. Oh, he loves visitors! I don't think he is angry with you, no, no... He may be angry with me, though..."
You pull yourself to your feet, groaning in pain. She told you he is "not mad at you" - whatever that implies. Nonetheless, you are in no shape to meet a potentially dangerous stranger. Not only that, but didn't Zygfrek agreed you could meet him outside so you wouldn't have to actually enter the Abbey?
...
The thick fog that fills this courtyard swirls, as if eager to escape. The courtyard is surrounded by a fifteen-foot-high curtain wall on which stand several guards with their backs to you - or so it seemed at first. It's clear from within that these guards are merely scarecrows.
Wooden doors to the north and east lead to the abbey's two wings. In the center of the courtyard is a stone well fitted with an iron winch, to which a rope and bucket are attached. Along the perimeter, tucked under the overhanging wall, are several stone sheds with padlocked wooden doors, as well as three shallow alcoves that contain wooden troughs. Two wooden posts pounded into the rocky earth have iron rings bolted to them, and chained securely to one of them is a short humanoid with bat wings and spider mandibles - a creature who you've kept a distance from while you were waiting.
You are startled, again, by inhuman screeches coming from the sheds... a noise that happens at alarming frequency, yet somehow continues to catch you by surprise. You turn your attention back to Zygfrek, and...
<span class="mu-i">Note for new players: This quest relies greatly on write-ins. Not every possible interaction will be listed in the preset options, and knowledge provided by dialogue, context, and descriptions of Aranuel's surroundings frequently hides interesting paths with great rewards. In other cases, simply following Aranuel's instinct and selecting one of the preset options may be the best decision to avoid tragedy and continue the action.</span>
>Say, "Okay, let me in." (Enter the Abbey)>Press that you agreed to meet the Abbot in the courtyard. Refuse to enter. (Persuasion)>Enter, but only to the door frame. Confront this "Abbot" directly without cornering yourself. (Charisma)>Do something else. (specify)>Cast a spell or use an item (list: https://pastebin.com/chuTtwgW) 