The woman looks from Enora to Amiri and holds out her hand.
"Do you mean to rob a Gralton noble? Now return my weapon before I call the guards!"
She turns to Kyra to "right things" and then takes a step back and stands on her toes, glancing over the fence and down the hill as if she would consider calling the guards at any moment.
|
"Galton noble? Does that make you a Sarvio or Tullivor?" Enora asks. "I only ask because we have it on good authority that those two noble houses are at odds, and I would bet that if you are one, our friendly corpse over there is the other. So, I would encourage you to summon the guards. It has been ages since I was at a summary execution."
"Why... I am Lady Rhiannon Sarvio, and as for that corpse there, I can only assume that was Northis Tullivor."
Lady Rhiannon shifts her stance slightly, her hand is still outstretched and awaiting Amiri's return of her shortsword, but then she seems to reconsider and returns her arm to her side, gesturing while she talks.
"And why not call the guards. Let's get the constable up here. Ol' Chalmsey would surely like to hear what the lot of you are doing up here at the Tullivor's with all these weapons and gear... including my own sword! And, threatening the daughter of one of his dearest friends!"
She arches an eyebrow, focusing her attention at Kyra and Shardra.
"... or perhaps you might want to be forthcoming with your intentions here. I can assure you, should we find a mutual interest, the Sarvios always pay their debts."
The boy died from a wound made by a small blade. Just like this one. Amiri looks at Rhiannon's shortsword. I am sure you are very dear to the Tullivor family and they would never believe that you just killed their heir. Amiri drops the sword on the ground at her feet and steps back. Ok, lets find some commom ground.
|
The dwarven woman lets out a slow sigh. This was easily the most hair-triggered group of people she's encountered since leaving home...
"We're checking into some rumors of artifacts of historical importance on behalf of the Society. One of those rumors pointed us in this direction and we've found this disturbing situation. You find it disturbing too, I hope? So many 'convenient' things happening with so many different things to muddy the waters and let those present get stuck paying the bill? It's almost like someone expected us to come to this very situation and be at one another's throats. I'd rather not be a pawn to that sort of game, and I don't think you want to, either."
She certainly seems like she's considering the full group of you for something...
Lady Rhiannon glances at her sword on the ground and makes no move to retrieve it.
"Historical importance is it? Perhaps you suspect these artifacts are hidden with Lord Tullivor's mausoleum? Perhaps I also seek an item of importance within the mausoleum, myself?"
Lady Rhiannon takes a few steps and gestures at the structure.
"Lord Tullivor stole a chalice from my family - a sentimental item passed down through generations of Sarvios. You will know it by sight as our family name and motto are emblazoned upon it in a dozen places."
She nods to the Tullivor mausoleum and holds out her hand.
"Now, what say we form a partnership. I don't say a word to the guards about anything else that may go missing or whatever I may have heard or seen regarding poor Northis's final moments... and my family's chalice is returned to whom it properly belongs to?"
The sun begins the last leg of its descent towards the horizon, not that it matters around Lord Laban's mausoleum, for the towering spire atop Lord Sarvio's prevents the sun's rays from reaching the area.
|
|
The halfling sticks to her gut feeling. "Fair enough, possibly. Just so you know, the word was SUN, I believe, S-U-N. not SON S-O-N. Lets find out if I am right, if I am, I do hope you take a moment to shed a tear for the young man you needlessly murdered." Enora adds, "Let us see if Sarenrae agrees with me. That is common ground, is it not, Kyra?"
|
|
"I do not believe she is honest, but I believe in your ability to solve this little mystery. You may do as you please, Kyra, and I will remove my somewhat toxic presence from the mix. I will check the door."
Enora chooses to leave the noblewoman be, and focus on the sun's position relative to the bust upon which the party discovered the corpse. Just before the shadows caused by the setting sun are about to descend on the bust, Enora will attempt to open the door.
Please let it mean sun, not son. Please? Enora pulls on the door.
Enora realizes the setting sun's light will not and cannot reach Lord Tullivor's mausoleum as the spire atop Lord Sarvio's blocks the rays of light. If she wishes to allow the sun's last light to reach the mausoleum, that spire must come down.
Either would be affected. The entire area is cast in shadow due to that massive, garrish spire.
(Enora realizes if it weren't then the Tullivor mausoleum door and riddle would be solved every day as the sun set. It makes sense that Lord Tullivor would set up his puzzle to be solved this way, as it would cause the destruction of the spire atop his rival's mausoleum - and why he promises his "thanks" when the sun's last light finally can hit this location)
Somewhere in between.
Strength checks or damage needed to do the deed.
Zadim stays in the shadows, wondering if the woman is guilty of something. Yeah, she looks like these nobles ready to murder for their own good. Well, I don't know what to do...
|
|
"It's okay, just keep trying! I know, it's big and scary! You can do this!"
Amiri takes a deep breath before climbing the spire and putting every muscle of her body into toppling it.
|
|
With Amiri taking her time to climb the structure, Kolo gets the idea and scrambles up the building and starts to push at the spire! When it becomes obvious that the tuatara can't do it very well by itself, it waits for Amiri adopting a So Very Patient Like the Earth Itself sort of stance, and then starts pushing at it with her!
"Good job!!" Yeah, that was all Amiri there, it would seem.
As Amiri begins her ascent to the dome, Lady Rhiannon takes a few steps forward and clenches her fists.
"What do you think you're doing?? That is a holy edifice with Sarvios within! What you are doing amounts to wanton destruction!!"
As Amiri crests the mausoleum and puts her back into toppling the spire, cracks form like spiderwebs, rippling across the stone and a large CRACK can be heard.
|
|
Shardra pauses in her cheering of her spirit animal to glance to Rhiannon.
"Right now, we're saving everyone the hassle of a murder trial. Accidents happen sometimes, right? Aside from which, this would appear to be the way to open the door -- if it isn't, we can sort that out afterwards? If need be, I'll pay the repair price out of my own pockets." No, Shardra doesn't look like she has that much money, but she's being honest. She WILL pay the repair bill if things come to that.
|
|
Enora tries to be diplomatic to aid Sharda, but the gods seem to favor her original tact. "We are trying to get the S-U-N to the mausoleum," the Halfling explains, gesturing to the sky with overly dramatic flair, in the manner of one trying to explain the concept of the sun to a blind two year old. "We find that buildings can be repaired much easier than your noblemen can be brought back to life. Out of curiosity, did you try anything else before you killed this young man?"
|
Kyra, who remained on the ground to talk and negotiate with the noble scion, attempts to pacify her.
-Posted with Wayfinder
Zadim comes out of the shadow and begins to try and pacify the situation, showing good will. Unfortunately, he doesn't seem to find the proper arguments to do so.
Lady Rhiannon's face takes on a steely demeanor as Amiri puts her back into toppling the spire atop her family's monument.
As cracks begin to form in the structure, it finally splits from the mausoleum before falling to the ground with a massive THUD.
Sun washes over the Tullivor mausoleum and bust, which quickly animates once the sun reaches its face.
"You have my thaaaaank..."
With a pop, the lock on the heavy stone doors of the mausoleum opens itself by some sort of magic and falls to the ground as the doors swing open.
Lady Rhiannon betrays the slightest of smiles as she whistles and leaps on her horse.
"Well you did it. But I'm afraid whatever parternship we had has died."
She regards you all with a cool demeanor and moves to swing around a crossbow.
A hawk comes swooping in from the gloom as Lady Rhiannon works to ready her crossbow. Amiri dusts off her hands, looks down from atop the mausoleum and sure enough realizes Lady Rhiannon is turning on them.
Round 1
20 Enora :
17 Zadim :
15 Shardra :
6 Amiri :
5 Rhiannon :
4 Kyra :
Now Up: Enora, Zadim, Shardra, Amiri
Zadim comes closer and strikes hard at the noble woman.
for
for
Lady and horse once again collapse among the radiant display of lights as Zadim buries a kukri deep into her chest.
|
|
"Silly murderess, do you never learn?" Enora asks, believing the woman to be merely stunned and thus capable of understanding the halfling's words. "All we wanted was to complete a simple mission, and now you are making my companions slay you for no good cause at all. Could you not simply admit your crime and throw yourself on the mercy of the local magistrate? Were there no better options than suicide with my companions as the instruments of your death?"
With that, Enora lets out a long sigh and looks away.
Round 1
20 Enora : Color sprays Rhiannon and her mount
17 Zadim : Stabs Rhiannon
15 Shardra :
6 Amiri :
5 Rhiannon :
4 Kyra :
Round 2
20 Enora :
17 Zadim :
15 Shardra :
6 Amiri :
Amiri climbs down from the mausoleum and closes in the noble.
|
|
Kyra is flabbergasted by the turn of events. As Rhiannon goes down, she shakes her head.
"So you did kill him and turned your back in the face of a chance of redemption. Very well, you then deserves your fate."
Turning to Enora, the priestess bows humbly. "I must apologize, Enora. Even though your actions appeared rash at the time, you saw clearly through her veil of lies when I could not. I am sorry for doubting you."
"I think she still lives. Does anyone have a rope to tie her? I really don't know what's good to do in these situations. Shall we kill her, since she showed no will of redemption, or shall we still bring her to the justice? Either solutions seem good to me."
The hawk dives down at the party, but quickly darts away again and begins circling high above in the sky.
The Pathfinders quickly set to work in their brief window, hog-tying Lady Rhiannon with rope they find on her steed and binding her to the Tullivor bust.
They then take a peek into the mausoleum that has opened.
The area within is tight, perhaps 10 x 15 feet, and contains five sarcophagi each bearing the full name of the Tulliver emtombed within.
Above Laban’s casket, a gleaming tapestry depicts the Tullivor crest and the family motto: “Never in Shadow.”
Beyond the tapestry, there is nothing else of value within - the chalice having been nicked by Ulisha long ago.
Lady Rhiannon struggles from her bindings, attempting to shout something at you all from behind her gag, her eyes wild in hysteria.
|
|
"Let us leave a note for the local constable, and see if we cannot locate the next clue, as Ulisha's chalice is here, but she is not."
As she exits the mausoleum, Enora explains to Rhiannon, "I could knock you unconscious until morning if you like, or let your gut wound fester and spoil. You probable showed no mercy to the fallen Tullivor over yonder. Instead, I will ask our Cleric to heal you so that you may yet live to repent."
" I should be the one apologizing, Kyra. I saw a dead man; and, the one person who present had a long history family history of hating the dead man's family. I immediately put two and two together as that was the simplest solution. In hindsight, she could have easily been a noblewoman paying her respects to her deceased family. I heard hoof-beats and though of a horse is all. I never hesitated to consider any other truth. Your god would be most displeased if you had done the same."
|
|
"This is the problem with lasting connections. Everyone thinks of families, everyone thinks of the good times. They don't think of the feuding anger that families can have for one another. I just hope Lady Rhiannon actually does realize the tragic mistake she made, and that someday can make amends for it?"
Shardra's tone is somber and thoughtful as the group wraps this up.
Lets just leave this place. You southerners think too much. Amiri shrugs.
And talk too much too.
Lady Rhiannon's eyes bulge wide as you tip your hats and depart with the treasure from with her rival's tomb. You drink, eat and find merriment within Gralton's pubs and begin to pour over the next clue left by Ulisha, knowing justice will be served to Lady Rhiannon in due time.
Based on this note in Ulisha's journal, you believe your second destination to be within Ustalav as you search for a magical lantern.
Ulisha's note does suggest obtaining the aid of the locals to hunt down its hiding spot, somewhere known as Cannibal's Grove.
After about a week traveling, you clear the forest and come upon an old, weathered building.
This crumbling, moss-choked inn stands alone at the road’s end. Looming over its squat frame, a dense curtain of foliage marks the border of the Forest of Veils. The sign above the door reads “The Restless Bear,” and it seems to refer to a stuffed bear’s head that lolls upon a flagpole near the eaves.