"I see. Of course, please come inside," Nabeeka says. She leads them into the shop. The shop itself shows signs of a struggle: jars of ingredients lie smashed on the floor and a large quantity of blood remains uncleaned and splattered about. "My employer was a a kind and generous mistress. Vitusa hated Dhalavei. She told customers that banning the worship of Dhalavei was the best thing the thakur ever did. I guess that's why all this happened..." Nabeeka trails off.
Drake will begin to search the room carefully.
Annurian thanks with a smile, and after a short number of seconds meditating, he entered with his colleagues.
Harsk enters with a lingering eye but finds himself distracted by the conversation, No one should pay such a heavy price for denouncing evil.
Drake manages to spot a a distinctive copper earring under a cabinet, covered by spilt incense and blood. Nabeeka says, "Oh, that belonged to Vitusa."
Well, we can't check for the marks in a headless body. - says Annurian, almost thinking out loud - Who is Vitusa? - concluded, about the name he didn't think he heard before.
"As I said, she was my mistress. Is there anything else I can do for you?"
-Posted with Wayfinder
Pravezak resides in the thakur’s palace, providing spiritual guidance to Kharswan and his family. He’s thin, with wild, frizzy hair, and dresses in simple orange robes. As a religious expert he is able to inform them more about cults of Dhalevei in general. He tells them that stories describe Dhalavei as a shapely, three-headed womanwith ebon-black skin and unbound blueblack hair. Each of her two arms branches at the elbow into six forearms, in which she holds a temple sword, a noose, a black glass orb, and a sealed scroll. One hand shows a
symmetric symbol on the palm, while her last hand is outstretched in a
mystic gesture. As all colors vanish in shadow and darkness, so do all forms and things vanish in Dhalavei’s shadow.
Her faithful claim that she holds the hidden comprehension of the unmaking of all things, and that she awaits the time when her cult is perfectly positioned to unleash her final destruction. She relishes well-planned espionage that leads to the devastation of enemies, the sowing of discord that breaks families, and secret political corruption that topples empires.
Frequently outlawed, Dhalavei’s cultists work in clandestine groups and sacrifice their enemies and other intelligent beings to their dark goddess. The new moon is a propitious time for sacrifices to Dhalavei, as her cult claims that she then actively strips the light from the night sky. Eclipses are especially sacred events to Dhalavei’s faithful.
Concluding that Prevezak knows little of practical use, the group heads to the last person on their list. They can find Varunasi, a high-caste merchant, at her clothing shop in the Commerce District at most times of the day. She’s a mature woman of conservative but stylish dress, and gladly chats over tea and a meal once she reads Raheem’s letter. She explains briefly how the Jalmeri government functions.
“The thakur is a figurehead with little real power. The true influence rests with the temple mystics, the monastic masters, and the nobles of the highest castes who make up the Maurya-Rahm. Yet even as a figurehead, when the thakur cried out against his cousin’s murder, the Maurya-Rahm and those with influence agreed that attacking the thakur equates to attacking Jalmeray itself. The common people are scared for the thakur, and killing him would greatly destabilize the nation despite the true administration of Jalmeray falling to the Maurya-Rahm."
Annurian heard the explanation and, silently, eyeballed his companions. He was confused, and curious with all the intricate political game going on. If the cult was really recruiting from high ranks, as the noble said, then maybe they'd be infiltrated on the Maurya-Rahm itself, the ones in true control.
Drake has managed to avoid the politics of the area and the details of the nobles. He's not sure how this would help them.
Lord Raheem listens to the group's report closely. "I see. Not much to work with, but something I suppose. I will arrange for a locate object spell to be cast on the earring. Perhaps we can find its mate."
The group is treated to more refreshments as the spellcaster is summoned. The wizard casts her spell and concentrates for a moment. She then notates a location on a map of the city. "The earring's mate is here. In some kind of cesspit..." She gives the map to the group. It appears to mark a spot somewhere in the Surakport Quarter.
Annurian thanks the spellcaster in a reserved way, bowing timidly. He then speaks with Nalina and his companions.
I agree. Finally it seems we have a good lead! Maybe we should depart with haste, while the jewel and its owner are still there.
"Diving through a cesspit will be less uncomfortable than dealing with all these blue-bloods. Let's go."
Harsk thanks the wizard and Lord Raheem and departs with the others....
The divination leads them to an abandoned cesspit under a derelict warehouse in the Surakport Quarter. The acolytes find a Vudrani woman's head in the rotting garbage. Its soft tissue has all been burned and melted away, leaving grotesque bubbled flesh behind in the eye sockets and mouth. One of its ears still wears the mate to the earring the group found in Vitusa's shop.
There are pieces of other partially eaten humanoid remains here, but not enough to identify them.
Annurian tries to look with attention, but can't avoid to become fascinated by the burning marks. The scene is grotesque, he knows, but fire purifies. He just hopes his companions can be more focused.
He'll lift the weapon out telekinetically. A shake will get off some of the muck, but he'll ask Nalina, "Perhaps you could rinse it off so that we can examine it more closely."
Harsk eyes narrow at the weapon, A falchion. I think I see a maker's mark. If you clean it off we might be able to tell who made it. Perhaps then another lead to follow...
Harsk bends down and looks at the area much closer, Clawed footprints. I can't tell from where very easily but something or someone was here recently.
"I think I've seen a similar mark before." He shrugs, "It's another person to talk to."
The group takes the broken falchion, and heads to the markets to seek out the maker. After asking around for a while, they are directed to a smith named Lohakar. He keeps records and still has the bill of sale. He remembers selling the blade to Lankesh, a high-caste merchant, who also brought it back for sharpening.
Harsk will ask the maker if the blade's need for repair was consistent with normal "use".
Harsk will ask the maker if the blade's need for repair was consistent with normal "use".
“No, it wasn’t...that’s one reason I remember sharpening it. The blade was brought back very quickly. Whoever broke it like this must have terrible strength, and be swinging at hard targets, stone or the like.”
Harsk files away the information and offers another statement of gratitude. Once away from the merchant Harks looks to the others, TO this Lankesh then?
He seems annoyed by all of the running around, "That would be the obvious next step."
By asking around, the group is able to obtain directions to Lankesh's house. He lives in a modest house in the Commerce District. Asking around the the neighborhood a bit reveals that he lives here alone, and sticks mostly to himself.
"I'm the obvious choice for sneaking in the back. Am I just a contingency, or can you distract him long enough for me to check out the place? If we wait for him to leave, or get him out then we can all search the place."
"Speak for yourself," he says with a smirk. "If he is involved with the killing, then a polite chat over tea won't get us much information. It will let him know who is investigating him."
Harsk considers the situation his gravely voice rumbling as he thinks out loud, He most likely already knows who is investigating him. Information seems easy to get if you are of the right caste or place. I think it is prudent to send Drake to wait. Let us see if he races from his home. If he is unresponsive or we detect some falsehood then we can determine our next step?
Agreed... - Annurian completes - Let's knock the front door, but keep Drake on the back one, in case he decides to run.
Drake will slip around the side. As he moves, he focuses on one of the more recent techniques he's mastered. He wraps Aether around himself in a twisted web. This web could bend even light, so one would not see him even in front of your eyes. He finds a good spot to hide and observe. As he waits, he will place a couple marbles near the door. As if left by children. He holds couple more in his hand, separated to avoid them clinking together.
With Drake hiding nearby, the others approach the house and knock on the door. A well-built Vudrani male with a beaklike nose, thick eyebrows, and a shaven head answers the door. He is dressed in the fine silks of a high caste merchant. "Hello. How may I help you?" he asks the group as he checks out Nalina without much subtlety.
Harsk bows, My companions and eye are part of an official investigation into a murder that has drawn the attention of Lord Raheem. May you spare some time to speak with us?
Annurian has his arms crossed on his back. He doesn't make a movement towards the door, as if indicating they may speak outside for some moments.
The man looks taken aback. "Why, of course. Please, come inside, I will make us some tea and we may speak." He steps out of the way of the door, and motions for the group to enter.
Harsk bows again and then follows the man into his house, We understand it can be a pain to deal with such issues but we are grateful for your courtesy.
He seats them in a relatively plain sitting room, and begins brewing some chai for them. "What do you need to know, honored ones?"