The party's escort does his best to answer Tyrien's inquiries, though it's clear he's focused on getting them to their destination as quickly as possible:
"The Kopec has it's share of adventurers, like I suppose anyplace else does, though they've all been scarce since ... well, since. The birds, though, I ... I hadn't noticed, really. Hells, I suppose even they're spooked by all this. If the people could fly, they'd probably be joining them, but most of them are bolted up in their houses from ... well, I should let the mayor tell you."
He seems to slump a bit as Tyrien mentions plague.
"Tourists," he mutters, then recovers and puts on a more cheerful face, clearly trying to avoid offending the prospective heroes: "It's true disease has it's place in Heth, but it's not all rotting plague towns, I promise. Kostry Kopec might be a bit smelly at times, but it's been ages since I saw someone covered in pustules." The last he says with an oddly casual tone, a bit like you'd imagine someone might say "it's been ages since I saw someone flying a kite."
Around this time, the party arrive at the manor for their exchanges with the guard.
The guards look at the magical cleaning with obvious envy, but none of them choose to comment verbally. One of the guards at the door starts to tend to the horses as the other keeps his post, and your original escort leads the way into the manor.
Torches flicker in the gloom along the entry corridor, giving the dim portraits the illusion of motion. The heavy, wet footsteps of the guard and the drier ones of the party echo through the space until your escort throws open a pair of thick double doors.
The great hall of the manor sports crudely-crafted stained glass, but with the rainstorm outside, it does little but cast the gloom in odd jewel tones. More torches flicker, filling the room with an ashy scent. It's unclear if the large rug is meant to be muddy colors, or if it's some combination of the odd light and rain-muck foot traffic. The multiple Crows standing guard about the mayor certainly don't look to be the type who wipe their feet at the door, in any event.
The mayor is a middle-aged human, hair and goatee streaked with gray and face painted with worry. A flicker of hope appears as he sees adventurers accompanying his man. he straightens up and says, “At least we’ve got a few backbones still upright in this place,” then gestures for you all to be seated in the mustard-colored chairs before his desk, clears his throat, and continues.
“I thank you for attending in our hour of need—Kostry Kopec has a long history of battle, yet always before its enemies have attacked from outside our walls. We are fortified to defend against such attacks, but now we face an entirely different threat. Our enemy is already here, dwelling in the tunnels and catacombs below and surfacing to strike without warning.
“Have you told them anything?" he asks of the guard. When the man shakes his head, the Mayor nods.
"The first of these attacks occurred early this very morning, when something huge came up from below in a part of the tangles called Sandal Market. It partially destroyed a building and killed a half dozen locals before retreating into the ruined structure. The Crows were swift to reply, led by our own Commander Syrianna, but when they arrived, they were slaughtered to the last.
“Since then, the thing has moved on, surfacing at least two other times in different parts of the city, crushing buildings from below and slaying anyone it finds inside. I’ve got the entire force of the city watch in reserve, and with each new event they respond quickly, but the damage is always done by the time they arrive. Already there is talk of war and invasion, but I still believe that what we face is a single horror. If we can only figure out what it is, we might be able to defeat it.
"And this is where your group comes in—-the horror has moved on from its initial point of entrance, but if you can explore the ruins in Sandal Market, perhaps you can find some sort of clue to tell us what it is we face. I cannot spare any of my Crows to aid you, for they are needed in keeping order in the streets, but if indeed you can find something… anything… about this monster from below, I will pay you handsomely: 1,000 gold for solid information, and twice again that amount for aiding in defeating the horror.”
The mayor, and in fact all the Crows in the room, all look expectantly to the gathered adventurers.