Rholf shrugs, and motions Castiel towards the door.
I'll assume Castiel tries the handle; it's unlocked.
The door opens.
The room is as it was, but there's nobody in it.
The bottle of Cheliaxian kettleberry wine is left there, as well as three glasses, two of which are completely empty.
There's an envelope with "My dearest Rholf" written on it.
Rholf recognizes the hand.....
Rholf:
I gotta bail now; I can write out the "loveletter from beyond the grave" at a later juncture, if Rholf so chooses to read it....
and,.....I'll be back I guess after about 6 hours. Gotta go to lunch with the family and do stuff.
Rholf picks up the letter, slipping it into one of the pockets of his cloak. He also takes the two empty glasses, wrapping them carefully. "We may be able to find someone with the magical means to scry on, or perhaps locate, these two..."
Rholf:
The letter;
Dearest Rholfy,
The only regret I have about my short life, is it didn't end after spending a long life as your wife, and mother to your children.
I know we will be reunited though.......we'll have an eternity then.
Your love,
XXXXXXXXX(dungeonmaster doesn't know her name).....
Larissa sighs. "When you got back, I was telling Kendra how much I appreciated not being treated like a child. And then he, he, he comes back and tells everyone but me what he saw!"
She closes her eyes for a moment, does a zen-like exhale, and begins setting up another game for Alinya. "It's not too hard. Mostly it's about fooling who you play with - sometimes you want them to think you have what you need, sometimes you want them to think you don't. Let me show you..."
heh heh...
Rholf doesn't open the letter, and speaks very little on the trip back to the Lorimor household, which he takes at a brisk pace. If pressed, he simply says "I didn't expect them to be there this evening, and I half expect that they anticipated this reaction, thus luring us away from Miss Lorimor's estate. We shouldn't tarry."
Right on;
Castiel is itchin for action; however, nothing transpires.
You just run into the sheriff, who says "he must have vanished. He did not walk out of that place. I set my watch and warrant on that."
Alabama Shakes;
holy s!## they're good!!!
Edwin walks into the empty room slowly, glancing briefly at the table and glasses, (and noting Rholf's pocketing of the letter addressed to him) but otherwise looking everywhere in the room EXCEPT the table.
Once he has walked around the room twice, he drifts towards the table. He observes the glasses, and picks up the full one, sniffing it, then swirling it around in the glass lightly.
"An adequate vintage. If a trifle tart for my own tastes. It's been breathing a decent bit, but not unpalatable yet. That means that they were here until fairly recently. Yet I have found no obvious signs of how they made their egress, unless they used the front door."
Edwin glances pointedly at Rholf's pocket. Then he gives a small smile.
"I'm certain that if it pertained to the case at hand, you would share any pertinent information?" He asks politely. He waves off Rholf's startled attempt at a response.
"Have no fear my good padre'. I have seen you in action and feel that I am a competent judge of character. That letter is obviously personal in nature. I will respect you privacy. And while I confess to a certain understandable curiosity regarding it's contents and how it came to be here, I am perfectly capable of controlling my curiosity. All I ask is that you do not withhold any, important, information. Even if personal. This person you met with,... I have a feeling we have not heard the last of him, or his female counterpart. And one thing I do not like is to be uninformed. Or unprepared."
Edwin:
On one of the glasses, there's a smudge of lipstick.
Alinya picks up the rules quickly, and plays a surprisingly ruthless game for someone so young. She seems to play the probabilities, and sometimes seems surprised by Larissa's intuitive leaps.
"Three wands," she says, laying lacquered cards down with a click. "More tea, or something stronger?"
Castiel is disapointed but not entirely surprised to find the room empty. He watches Rholf pocket the letter with some suspicion, but nods curtly at Edwin's words, then hurries back to the house with the others.
Larissa is obviously enjoying the game though she's hard-pressed to beat Alinya. "Are you sure you haven't played this before?"
Regarding the offering of a beverage, she says, "I'll get it. I think I'd better stay with the tea. I've seen people drink stronger - I think it would make me silly."
heh heh heh!
rolls
minutes......
Upon returning to the house, Rholf knocks on the door and waits for it to be unlocked. As he waits, he addresses Castiel and Edwin. "I appreciate your concern gentlemen, as well as your trust. Rest assured that, if anything pertinent lies within this letter, I shall share it with everyone immediately."
The night passes uneventfully, as well as the next few days, besides feasting, goofing off, and generally nothing even remotely adventuresome happening.
huzzzah!
Castiel’s mood lightens over the next few days; he’s still rarely seen outdoors without his sword at his hip, and he makes daily (or nightly) patrols of the town, focusing on the graveyard and the inn where the Whispering Way agents were apparently seen, as well as heading up to Harrowstone a time or two.
Apart from that he spends his days in prayer, or in easy conversation or entertainment with his companions and Kendra, in more serious conversations with Grimburrow, Hearthmount and the Sheriff, or enjoying the accolades of the local people.
Once they're let back in, Rholf approaches the table. "My apologies for interrupting yet again. Miss Brightfoot, may I have a brief word, please?"
Out in the hall, Rholf's moodiness isn't apparent, though it's clear that he's concerned about something. "I hope you didn't mind me not including you in the discussion and subsequent foolishness tonight after we returned from the prison. You were keeping Miss Lorimor well occupied, and I did not want to add yet another layer of ominous news to the weight already on her shoulders. I fear that my mood this evening diminished hers anyway, though. Anyway, I expected there could possibly be some mischief while we ran off in search of trouble, and could think of no more capable hands to leave Miss Lorimor's safety in." Rholf concludes with a smile and a friendly pat on her shoulder before heading for his room. "I need a bath."
Right on; I gotta go out to eat, then I reckon I can get the journey to Lepidstadt going.
Anybody want to do anything specific before going?
Or, if you guys are having fun roleplaying, I can chill and let you all do your thing too; it's all good.
Not too long after everyone retires the night after their return from the prison, Rholf leaves his room, trying not to disturb anyone as he makes his way down the hall (though he's not attempting to be particularly stealthy)...
"Ahh, wife of mine..." he sighs. "Seven years now. Seven years since you, Marcus, and Killian were taken from me." Taking a sip, he continues. "Seven times I've poured your favorite wine into a wooden cup, just the way you liked. I always thought it was ridiculous that you inisisted on wooden cups, but I'd have fought an army of orcs for two wooden cups for your wine. I miss you and the boys so much. Not a day goes by that I..." He chokes up a little "By Sarenrae's light, I wish that I'd been there that morning. I could've at least made those b@$t@rds pay a price for what they did... Carrying on without you is so hard some days... Especially the days leading up to this one. I try to push through them cheerily, but all too often I see things that remind me of you and our boys so intensely that all I can do is push all my feelings aside and focus on the task at hand. I'm afraid my predicament has caused my companions no small amount of consternation, even as much as I've tried to downplay it... Look after our boys well, my love. I eagerly await the day we are reunited." He sits quietly for a while.
Once they're let back in, Rholf approaches the table. "My apologies for interrupting yet again. Miss Brightfoot, may I have a brief word, please?"
"Of course, Father."
Out in the hall, Rholf's moodiness isn't apparent, though it's clear that he's concerned about something. "I hope you didn't mind me not including you in the discussion and subsequent foolishness tonight after we returned from the prison. You were keeping Miss Lorimor well occupied, and I did not want to add yet another layer of ominous news to the weight already on her shoulders. I fear that my mood this evening diminished hers anyway, though. Anyway, I expected there could possibly be some mischief while we ran off in search of trouble, and could think of no more capable hands to leave Miss Lorimor's safety in." Rholf concludes with a smile and a friendly pat on her shoulder before heading for his room. "I need a bath."
Shaking her head vigorously, the girl says, "Oh, no! It was fine. We had a lovely time."
Anybody but Rholf:
You walk in on him; he's just staring at a flower in a vase. He doesn't seem to notice you're there.
He often starts to eat a meal, and just wanders off, withdrawing from events going on about him.....
Larissa:
She finds him, asleep on the couch, with a pillow over his forehead;
"HELP ME!!" and he gasps, and continues his "restful napping."
Castiel;
You think he catches you one time; you're not sure. But you never do detect evil on him.
He storms past you one time, another time he's just sitting on the stairs with his head cradled in his arms, either sobbing or laughing; he's bothered by something, that much is for certain.
Rholf:
Heal
Sense Motive
Larissa:
Rholf:
She looks nervous; kinda......tries to play it off like nothing's amiss and go on about her business.
After a couple of days of odd and depressive behaviour from Rholf, Castiel approaches the flame-haired cleric.
“Father Kastigarr – Rholf ... it appears that something is troubling you. I know that you would tell us if you felt there was any danger or other issue that may affect other people, so I assume it may be some personal matter. I can’t help but wonder though, if it has something to do with that letter from the inn, several days ago ... or earlier, something to do with the dungeon of Harrowstone. At any rate, the others and myself – I think perhaps especially Miss Brightfoot – are concerned for you. If there is anything you would like to talk about, or anything we can do to help ... well, we are here.”
The paladin claps the other man on the shoulder, and waits a moment to see if Rholf wishes to talk.
"Actually, Castiel, I was going to ask an audience with all of you this day." Rholf's gaze is steady, and there is strength of conviction in his words and voice. "I do not believe there is such urgency as to call the meeting now. We can do it over the evening meal."
Rholf:
"I don't......I don't know what you're talking about, Mr. Kastigarr. I was just.....you cried out in your sleep.
Mahap, a nightmare.....
Rholf:
Rholf:
Rholf:
Edwin opens his door, the book he was reading from the library below still in his hand. One look at Rholf and he calmly places a piece of paper in the book to mark his place, and tosses it on his bed.
"I presume this has something to do with your, shall we say 'eccentric' behavior the last few days?" Edwin asks casually. There is no cynicism or accusation in his tone.
"I hope so. I must confess that my self-restraint was reaching the breaking point. AT least as far as my curiosity is concerned." He adds with a small smirk. He glances at Rholf's face, then gives a quick glance at his clothing and general appearance.
After giving Rholf a quick up and down , he humphs once. "Hm. I shall assist you in gathering the others. The library would best for a meeting I think. And not a moment too soon.
Rholf;
Everybody hears a knock at their door; it's Rholf....