"Okay," Fong says, taking a step back. "Who are you, and what happened here?" He gestures back at the pile of bodies, but doesn't take his eyes off the man. "And is whatever caused that still a danger to us?"

Conituning to stand there Lin does nothing, but watch until something happens.

"Snakes," groans the figure, rolling up to his knees. "By the Shen," he says, and his voice begins to grow slightly familiar. "This is worse than an oppressive ruler. Curse Yun Juman bing Yao to a thousand deaths!" The man pulls from his face his cowl.

Exposed is a man each of you has seen before. It is innkeeper Tu. He looks very different robed and cowled, which concealed much of his girth. "Beware the Snakemen." He spits, "They made me drink a foul potion. I feel, strange. I hardly remember ..."

"Tu," Fong says with bitterness in his voice. He seems as if he wants to say more, but checks himself and instead asks, "Where are they now? Are they in the mines? Are they threatening the village? Tell me!" The magistrate grabs the innkeeper by the shoulders and pulls him up a few inches from the ground.

Shing Lin is a master scholar, or is attempting to be one. She runs through all the leassons she learned, attemping to filter out anything about snakes, or snake men that might give men potions.

Tu's chubby face grunts, "They are in the mines." He coughs and then lurches forward, dry heaving as if he might vomit. He does so for several moments, pulling away from the magistrate if Fong allows it. Either way, he looks up, "I do not know what they want. They poisoned the water supply here. Look at all these dead miners." He points to the bakemono, "Others, by the Shen, they made them drink what I drank ... they turned into some sort of monsters! They are in the mine ... yes ... in there past the bodies. But if you go in there, Magistrate, you will die."

Fong does his best to keep Tu pinned to the ground. As he does so, the magistrate swaps his dagger for his sword.

"Tu," he says to the innkeeper. "I fear that in drinking the water you have sealed your fate. Whether I would show mercy or not, the snakemen clearly have not. But there is yet one way you can serve the Empire - or if that does not motivate you, one way yet you can exact your revenge on those who poisoned you. Let us restrain you while this change occurs. I swear if you do so, I will make the end as quick as I can."

"Wan, Lin," he shouts over his shoulder. "Tu is undergoing a mystical transformation - and not into something pleasant. Come here and help me restrain him. And should he change, be ready to kill him as quickly as possible."

Lin steps up, "Yuan-ti." She speaks a single word, "These Snakemen are bi-pedal half snake half men rumored to live in the far south of the empire and in the lands beyond that is known as the barbarian Mahasarpa. If he is chaning, we should watch for signs he is changing into one of them." She gazes down at the Inn Keeper. "What was he doing here in the first place?" Not trusting the man, she keeps her crossbow pointed on him.

Wan keeps his bow trained on the leader lurching about and vomiting. "It may be best if we kill him now, before the poison takes effect. If the general plans to parade the body to show the Emperors strength it would be better if it didn't look like we used poison." He does not loose though, waiting for the magistrates answer.

"If these yuan-ti have taken over the mine," Fong says, "then the general has bigger problems than some restless bakemono. In that case, it is our duty to warn him and give him what proof we can."

"But your words are not without wisdom," Fong adds. "It should be enough to kill him before the transformation is complete. That will still provide us the evidence we need. Strike at the first sign of change."

Tu yells out, "Wait!" He does not struggle against Fong, but looks frightened, certainly. "I am not going to 'transform'! Those that were given the drink transform within minutes." The takes a deep breath, shaking his head, "When I did not turn the creatures threw me out of the mine. Their foul poison did not work on me!"

"Then what was the drink given to you?" Fong asks, keeping his sword raised. "And if it was the same as was given to the others, why did you not change?"

The magistrate pauses for a moment. "Were they all bakemono and you the only human?"

Tu stammers, "Yes, I believe so." He coughs, nodding, "The rest were bakemono." The man seems to be willing to talk, "I do not know why I did not change. Perhaps humans are immune to its effects?" the fat man ponders, under Fong's blade.

"Perhaps you're right," Fong replies. "Or perhaps it just takes longer for it to change humans. Lin, have you any thoughts?"

"But regardless," he adds after the shugenja has spoken. "You place us in a difficult position. You may be a threat to us and the town. But you also may have some information that would be useful to us. The safest thing to do would be to kill you." He shakes his head.

"I'd like to avoid that if I can," the magistrate adds. "But I'd need to justify the risk. I could do that if you were willing to give me information - starting with what your original plans were, and moving on to what happened when the snake men arrived."

"I can't imagine that your original plans seem at all viable now. And the might of the Empire is the only thing that could help the village at this point."

"Unfortunately, we have little time," Fong concludes. "We need an answer now. If you're agreeable, we can retreat somewhere safer to talk. If not," he pauses, "well, I guess we'll just have to try and get our answers elsewhere."

Lin considers, "It is highly possible that one posion used on different species coudl have different effects. Viper venom acts very different if given to a man or a mongoose. It is possible the Inn keepers natural resistances have protected him some how." She awaits further answers from the man.