Bleyz readies for desert travel.
You make your way out to the manor and while the trip is hot and uncomfortable to those not used to the scorching desert heat it is uneventful.
You see a a stone wall and beyond the wall you can see trees forming a large garden.
Six guards stand before the gate and watch you warily as you approach.
"Halt! State your name and intent" says one of the guards once you are close enough to hear him clearly.
"Miss Anvanory is still grieving the loss of her father and has asked not to be disturbed. Unless you have important business I'm going to have to ask you to leave." replies the guard
"How about the fact that we are a group of people uniquely prepared to help make him UN-deceased?" Lyall glares at the guard for several moments, his voice seething with distaste.
"... I am not a necromancer. If that last statement left you a bit iffy." Lyall adds as an addendum.
"How so then? They already tried to resurrect him and that failed." he replies.
"We are investigating what is stopping him being resurrected, so we can remedy the situation and allow him to be resurrected."
"Alright we will lead you to the manor so you can speak to the mistress but if you try anything...." the guard says and he gives the signal to open the doors.
Beyond is a large garden and it is a good 10 minute walk to get to the manor from the gate. Inside everything is lush and green it almost feels like you stepped into a tropical jungle even the air feels different.
Bleyz just keeps his mouth shut during all the negotiations, knowing is more likely to cause problems than resolve them if he speaks... He keeps his head down and his face hidden behind veils so as not to frighten the guards.
Erik follows quietly behind Devyhn.
You march along towards the mansion and stop just short of the door were and elderly butler awaits you. The guard explains the situation to the butler who examines you.
He steps forward and says "The church of Pharasma sent you?"
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"Not exactly, though we do wish to get the families permission to examine the body for clues, and one of our members is a cleric of Pharasma. We represent a party interested in preventing the sun orchid elixir getting into the wrong hands. That means ensuring your Master is resurrected. To that end, we seek permission to examine the ransom scroll and the body for clues, and to examine the scenes of the crimes."
The butler is considering what you said when I young woman comes out of the mansion.
"The local church as well as many mercenaries and agents are already working on the task. You believe you can succeed were they have so far failed?"
She is young at about twenty years of age and very attractive yet her hands are covered in dirt and her clothing while fashionable is also easy to move in. The butler defers to her when she arrives leading you to think this must be Naila Anvanory the daughter of the dead merchant.
She pauses then finally replies.
"Fine, under one condition I will accompany you while you investigate. In exchange you will have access to my resources and I can open doors that would otherwise be closed to you."
The butler eyes almost pop out of his head.
"My lady you can be serious! We know nothing of these strangers they could be working with the assassins!" he says
"No. I do not believe them to be enemies and I am tired of staying here and doing nothing." she replies to the butler.
"We're pathfinders who infiltrated a city of gold without a man down. You're safer in our company than here."
"If you agree to my terms I can begin by showing you the room were my father was found."
"I'm pretty sure we all agree to your terms my lady, please lead on"
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"Declining your offer will make our mission impossible. You are welcome to accompany us, my Lady. I should warn you, our party has found itself in many dire circumstances. We have already lost companions, and I myself am standing here only because Pharasma demanded I return to the land of the living. Are you certain that this is what you wish to do?"
"Of course, none of that happened once I joined." Lyall gives a loreal hair fwoosh of self confidence.
Naila smiles and turns to her butler. "Prepare the carriages and a small escort we will be travelling to the Temple of Pharasma shortly...And bring me my sword." she says
Turning to you she says "While that is prepared I can show you the study were my father was killed."
assuming you agree she takes you to the study and opens the doors but she remains outside and avoids looking into the room.
"He was found sitting at his desk with his head crushed. Nothing has been moved since. A Sarenite paladin came trought and looked around as well as an investigator from the church but nobody else was allowed inside since it happened. " she says
She does her best to seem calm and composed but it's not hard to tell she is just barely suppressing her emotions.
Erik has remained quiet during the introductions, allowing the others to do the talking. He studies Naila carefully as she talks.
As Naila opens the door Erik nods. "Thank you ma'am."
He begins a careful search for clues or anything out of place.
The room was lit by sun pouring in through an enormous, arched window that stretched across one wall from the floor to the ceiling fifteen feet above. In front of it sat a wide wooden desk, facing not the amazing view of the oasis but rather the door to the study. Bookshelves lined the walls, holding both leather-bound tomes and an assortment of curious items, from expensive trinkets and carvings in the local style to bottled Taldan warships and racks of fine fencing swords. The floor carpet was a midnight blue as dark as the sea but heavily stained with blood. Smaller bloodstains can be seen almost everywhere in the room almost as if his head exploded.
"No one heard a cry or any unusual noise and nobody saw anything out of the ordinary that night. It wasn't until it had gotten quite late that I came to check on him. The door was closed. I knocked, but...It was too late. He was slumped facedown on the desk. There was blood everywhere. I screamed, and servants came running. They summoned the guard, and I sent a runner to notify the church. We knew there was danger, but we hadn't...we hadn't really thought..."
Checking the room Erik notices something strange. The floor in front of the desk is uneven. A large area is a little lower than the rest but you cant see it because of the carpet. Peeling away the carpet he finds the floor is damaged and cracked. Something very heavy was on this spot and the floor partially caved in under the tremendous weight. The damage is however limited to a 10 foot circle in the center of the room and nowhere else.
"Perhaps a summon? That would explain why only this area caved in."
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"Possibly, as he wouldn't have time to struggle. He died sitting in his chair, nothing appears disturbed or out of place. Was he in the habit of sleeping there, perhaps? or perhaps the summoner got lucky. If it is a summons, the summoner would have to be standing outside the window or in the room."
Achren moves over to the window and looks outside it for clues.
None of the typical summons Devyhn can think of has such an ability although a truly powerful summoner might be able to make a pact with something that could do it.
Bleyz looks around, but not being an experienced investigator, he doesn't quite know what he's looking for, so instead looks for anything and everything. He had the same thought about some kind of summoned creature... a very heavy one... but has no idea what it might be.
"Wasn't the theft from the Boneyard? Meaning he was killed and then the thieves travelled to the Boneyard to entrap his soul there"
Lyaro wracks his brains trying to dredge up what he knows on the subjects of planar travel and the possibilities.
Though there are a few entities—hags, daemons and the like—that might dare to raid the River of Souls and steal a soul that is on its way to Pharasma’s Boneyard, the beings who shepherd souls once they arrived in Death’s realm were nothing if not precise and they are not to be trifled with. To steal a soul from the boneyard should be impossible. It has as far as you know never been done before.
Lyaro shares his knowledge with the party
"That's what I know of that, if there is a church of Pharasma nearby we may want to contact them as I am sure they will wish to find out how this was done as well. Assuming that Devyhns valuable aid is not all the resources available
Looking out the window revealed no real clues there are many trees out there but nothing that stands out.
"If you are finished looking around we can go to the temple." says Naila
With your investigation of the crime scene done you head to the carriage that takes you back into town to go visit the temple of Pharasma. The carriage stops in front of the enormous building with three towering spires. One for death, another for birth and another for prophecy.
The central tower witch carries the symbol for death is quite taller than the other two you notice.
Bleyz accompanies Devyhn, but without the knowledge the inquisitor has of the faith, he simply walks at his side, curious as to his soft chant.
Lyaro also accompanies them, a spring in his step and his head moving from side to side as he observes all around and especially the temple.
"Hmph." Lyall maintains an air of being unimpressed, walking in with his nose well and high.
Erik follows at the back of group, studying the surroundings for any sign are being watched.
You enter the temple and a young lad in a brown robe comes up to you.
"Blessings" the boy says politely, inclining his head. "How may the church be of service?"
"We are here to see the hight priest" says Naila
The boy seems to recognises her and bows again.
"Of course miss right this way"
He leads you across the temple.
Inside, the temple’s receiving chamber was vast, stretching perhaps fifty feet or more to an arched ceiling and stained-glass windows showing scenes of judgment and redemption. Pillars of gray marble rose up at strategic points around the room, and the matching tile of the floor was spotless, ringing with the sound of footsteps. Acolytes and priests in cassocks identical to that of the boy at the door moved quietly and purposefully around the room, conferring with each other or efficiently carrying out the business of the church.
You leave the public area at the entrance and enter the dormitories they are quite vast and have many chambers. By the traffic you see you can estimate that at least fifty priest and acolytes must reside here with room for many more.
You finally reach the tower of death the tallest of the three towers and begin climbing it. Once near the top the boy tells you to wait in a lounge of sorts while he goes to the office on the top floor to meet the high priest and tell him of your arrival.
The room was made up as a tastefully wealthy reception chamber, with a few low couches and freestanding sculptures representing the Boneyard and the Lady of Graves seated on her throne. It was a small room, perhaps half the width of the tower, and a doorway hung with a beaded curtain likely led to another small chamber in the other half.
Lyaro follows cues from Devyhn
Bleyz remains quiet... not for fear of committing blasphemy so much as it is just his nature, and he knows he isn't very pleasant to be around for most people... he watches and listens.
Lyall rolls his eyes, obviously not respectful of this church, but he is also smart enough to remain silent.
Lyaro is too interested in Pharasma and death and stuff to remain quiet for long but he does remain quiet until an opportunity presents itself where he may gain answers
Erik positions himself in the room. He watches fully, but lets Devyhn do the talking.