"Yes, sir." Vaclav straightens up. It's so like the army, and Vaclav's read on the Cardinal is that he's a good officer. He can't help but fall into old habits, old ways of speech.
"We came to town following a lead we found in Sandpoint, and then we heard what's been going on in Magnimar. We've been to the Pharasmin. The markings on the victims are the same.
"I've a letter from Bishop Padana. We hope you'd use your influence with the Magnimar Watch to give us a free hand and official status while we explore that lead. I won't lie to you, sir. This could get very messy indeed.
"Ghouls were behind it in Sandpoint. Our lead is a letter to the Father Ghoul, a minor Magnimar noble named Aldern Foxglove. Apparently a spell caster of some sort in Magnimar forced the change to Foxglove that started the slayings in Sandpoint. Our plan is to search his house, find any evidence of associates and track them down.
"Magnimar is a much bigger arena. There are more places to hide; more potential victims. We need to move fast. If news of Foxglove's true death reaches the wrong ears they will try to cover their tracks."
So why are we here, instead of at Foxglove's? We should have gone straight there.
The Cardinal takes the letter and scans it.
"Padana's a good man, and I trust his judgement. If you are correct, there's no time to lose."
He rummages in the desk and finds a sheaf of papers, takes one and writes rapidly. He glances up at the rest of the party.
"What're your names, lads and lass?"
Supplied with these he fills them in on what is apparently a letter of authority.
"Here," he hands it to Vaclav. "I'm deputizing you on my authority to investigate the killings here as an extension to the activities you have already begun out in the country. This letter grants you the authority of the church on those matters only - if you have trouble with the Guard or Hellknights, ask for Justice Ironbriar, he's the magistrate in charge of the investigations into the killings. I'll also send him a message that I've granted you authority separately. Of course officially the church of Iomedae has nothing to do with the guard, but unofficially we support them strongly and they know it."
Aylmora respectfully nods her thanks to the Cardinal.
Vaclav taks the letter. "Thank you, sir. We'll do our best to vindicate your confidence."
He places the letter in his belt pouch and,if no one has other business, takes leave of the Cardinal.
****
It takes some time to isolate where Foxgloves house is in Grand Arch District, but once you have the general area of Starsilver Plaza it's relatively easy to realise that the house with the boarded up door and windows facing a small courtyard fountain must be the one that hasn't been inhabited for a few months...
Gornak prepares for trouble by manifesting a 5 pp Metaphysical Weapon on his hammer and a 4 pp Thicken Skin on himself, as well as putting on his weird, woody astral skin.
Vaclav stares at the house from the corner. Calling upon Erastil, he searches the door and windows for magic.
Indeed you do. The front door is not boarded over, my bad.
Thanadros circles the house to see if there are any other exits. If it is possible to look through a window he does so. Using his darkvision power if needed to see.
Vaclav stakes out the front while Thanadros reconnoiters.
The house is flanked by narrow alleyways that seperate it from it's neighbours. The back extends into a walled garden, and when Thanadros tests the gate it opens to show the garden overgrown by several months, the windows boarded up, and the back door also.
"Follow me, guys!" Gornak says with forced cheerfulness as he opens the front door with the key.
The door swings open easily onto a small entrance hall. A flight of steps leads up to the next floor, and a door sits to the right. There is old, dried mud on the floor.
Vaclav grips his mace and holy symbol and follows right on Gornak's heels, muttering prayerful encouragement.
Spam guidance as we go in.
Perception
Thanadros listens for any movement or noise in the house.
"Clear this floor first?"
"Yes. Someone keep an eye on the stairs."
Gornak also keeps an ear open for any movement.
The sole door opens to a room with a marble floor and wood-panelled walls. The north and south walls here once featured shelves of hunting trophies—primarily elk, boars, and bears. All have been ripped from the walls and lie scattered on the floor. There is a fine layer of dust on the floor, with humanoid footprints on a to-and-fro pattern across them. They have been retrodden many times, and nothing more can be gleaned from them.
"Looks like someone's been in here searching. " Vaclav comments.
Aylmora follows her companions into the townhouse, loaded crossbow in-hand as she listens carefully and warily glances about for any signs of an ambush.
Perception
Gornak suggests: "Let's start with the top and work our way down."
He starts climbing the stairs, keeping an eye out for traps.
The stairs creak under Gornak's heavy tread.
Vaclav follows Gornak while speaking encouraging words.
The steps rise a short distance to a broad, L-shaped landing, from which three doors and another flight of steps emerge. Pictures have been knocked from the walls and left here for some time, and the grate of the fire is cold.
Thanadros listens at the doors.
Perception
Vaclav eyes the new set of stairs. He mutters, "Foxglove loved his stairways, and they all lead to no good."
Thanadros hears nothing from the doors. Is everybody heading up the stairs?
"We found Iesha in Aldern's attic at the manor." Aylmora muses softly, touching the beautiful scarf wrapped around her waist. "Maybe we should see if he's got any similar secrets hidden in his attic here," she suggests, pointing toward the stairs leading up.
"Yup, let's start at the top and work our way down!" Gornak says as he continues up the stairs, checking for surprises along the way.
Thanadros follows the big guy, trying to keep a perceptive eye open and to cover him if trouble strikes.
You climb the steps to the first floor. Everything looks unused for some time.
Gornak keeps climbing stairs until he thinks he has reached the top floor.
Foxglove's personal chambers are likely to be higher. GOing up makes sense.
Vaclav follows Gornak up the stairs muttering prayers to Erastil.
Aylmora follows her companions, crossbow loaded and ready to fire at the first sign of trouble.
The stair tread squeaks softly under Vaclav's foot and he freezes for a moment, his prayer interrupted for a breath, before continuing after Gornak.
The stairs rise to open into a large bedroom that has clearly been ransacked. The footlocker to the bed is cast open and the clothing - fine and not-so-fine - scattered around. There is a single door to the south.
Vaclav states the obvious, "Someone's been here looking for something before us. Thandros, Aylmora, you're pretty sharp-eyed. Mybe you can find something they missed."
Vaclav himself also looks around.
Percpetion to Aid another
Aylmora searches carefully through the room.
This room has been thoroughly searched - if there was anything at all, it's gone now leaving no trace.
Vaclav nudges Gornak and points at the door. He begins another short litany for Erastil's grace.
Gornak listens at the door and then opens it.
Gornak listens at the door and then opens it.
The door opens to what looks like a large and luxurious study, with a zebraskin rug on the floor and a fireplace mantel carved with lion's heads' at either end. Like everything else it looks like it has been ransacked. The bed and chair are torn apart, and the desk and footlocker have been looted; books from the empty book-case are scattered on the floor.
As expected. This room has been searched too.
"Let's secure the rest of the house as quickly as possible. Then we can search all the rooms at our leisure."
As Vaclav descends the stairs he hears other footsteps rising up from below.
A moment later he is confronted by a well-dressed man and a woman. The man lays a hand aggressively on the hilt of a rapier as he glares at you all.
"Just who in the nine hells are you, and what are you doing ransacking our house?" he demands furiously.
It's not his words that draw you up, but his appearance - those who have not seen him have probably seen his picture, and you have all seen the portrait of the woman next to him: they are Aldern and Iesha Foxglove.
"Lord Foxglove!? We thought you were dead."
"Well clearly I am as alive as you, whoever you are," he replies. "I have been away on business. I return to find my windows boarded up, my servants gone, and my house ransacked by burglars - and a pack of them still here."
"I don't believe what I'm seeing!" Gornak blurts out. He rubs his eyes, hoping the odd image will go away.