Reaching into another pocket, Eldan produces the reciept and passes it to Morninghawk.
Sara examines the receipt, then goes over to a counter where she retrieves a thick ledger.
After examining it for a minute, she says, "Here it is. Rodrik ordered a knife 9 days ago. Details like you said, and on the receipt. I did the preliminary work on the blade, then gave it to Urnsul to complete. Not sure why that clumsy oaf didn't finish it before she quit, and no idea how it came into your hands."
Eldan raises an eyebrow, "The smith who was working on this quit? When did she quit and how would this leave the smithy without it being finished? How long did she work here before quitting? Did she give a reason for quitting? Do you know where we might find her? Also, does the name Melira mean anything to you?"
While the high priestess is distracted with Zigil, Slei sidles away to look for any place Rodrik's journal could be concealed.
"I'm sure nobody'll mind me doing a li'l detective-work of me own..."
Slei goes exploring through the back rooms of the temple. There are a couple of occupied rooms which look like they're used for ceremonies, a kitchen area, a large common sleeping room for the lesser priests, and four small bedrooms. The paladin is in one of them, so Slei avoids it. Another is probably Zigil's room. Slei gets the impression that there may be magical alarms on the priestess' room.
The last room is interesting. There is very little furniture in the room. The bed is neatly made, and there is no sign of a struggle. Some simple clothing hangs in a wardrobe. Yet for some reason, Slei still thinks the occupant left suddenly.
There is no sign of a journal anywhere.
--------------------------
Sara replies...
"Yes. She only worked worked here for a couple of months. I took pity on her when she showed up in town, said she was escaping her orc kin. But she was a terrible worker. I probably would have fired her soon, but she just stopped coming in a few days ago. I guess she must've taken the knife, tho I can't think why she would just take that. More valuable things in here. She's not at the place she was living at any more."
"Never heard that name."
"Is there any way we might see Katrezra's room. Where did Katrezra spend his time here? Did he have any recent visions? Is there anyone else he might have talked to before he left? Sergeant Frum seemed to think that he had an influence on Rodrik."
"Also, did Katrezra ever comment on the graffiti?"
"He didn't mention any recent visions to me. I often saw Rodrik and Katrezra talking, and overheard some references to ghosts, white swords, half-orcs, and hopeknives, but never any full sentences. And I didn't ask about their private conversations."
"As you know, Katrezra was in constant pain, and unable to do much physically. However, he aided us in whatever way he could, and was a good listener for many of the faithful."
Sara Morninghawk pauses and gives an appraising look at Eldan and Giles.
"Follow me. There's somebody you should talk to."
She leads the group to a back room, where an elderly half-orc covered in weeping sores awaits.
Ziggy will make small talk with Tyari until Slei returns. Then:
"Tyari, please let us know if you hear anything about Katrezra. He might be the key to all of this."
And head back to meet up with the others.
"Humph and who would you be, old chap?"
"I, good Aegidius, am Katrezra. I believe we met at the Harvest festival."
| 1 person marked this as a favorite. |
"How bout you start by telling us what you know bout poor Rodricks death, and all this other mysterious business. If you've know somethin it's best for all if you help us find out what happened."
Eldan looks at Katrezra and asks, "You appear injured, is there anything we can do to help? I admit that I'm not a heal, that domain belongs to my companion, Master-iss Zigil, who is currently at Sanctuary." Eldan stops for a second and then continues, "Actually, I think Zigil was looking for you there, so why are you here? Wait, are you in some sort of danger due to the confidences shared by Rodrik? Perhaps we can help. Wait, my apologies, do you need help? Healing perhaps?"
The half-orc takes a deep, wheezing breath and begins a lengthy explanation.
"Unfortunately, the debilitation which the fumes of the volcano afflicted me with are beyond even Mistress Varvatos' healing abilities. And those same fumes cursed me with the visions which plague me."
“Rodrik originally approached me to ask for advice while courting Brinya Kelver. I couldn’t help him with his relationship, but we gradually became close friends. I’d been experiencing vivid hallucinations of white swords or crosses, and dreams of the Plague House outside town. When I told him of them, he seemed to think my dreams might help with his investigation. I told him about my visions as best I could, but the muse of my nightmares is as abstruse as she is unkind.”
"Rodrik had run afoul of a f lood troll in the Plague House not long ago, and the poor fellow was convinced it was not just an isolated incident. He came to me seeking guidance, and his curiosity was piqued by my visions. I told him that flood trolls are native to Belkzen, but they rarely roam this far south of the Flood Road. Since learning of his investigation, though, I have had nightmares unlike any before, and I fear that some greater evil may be at play within Trunau’s walls.”
“Rodrik had plans to go back to the Plague House, but because of the unease I felt from my visions, I suggested he leave his journal with me, which he did. The night of his death, my visions were even more terrible, though still indecipherable. When news of Rodrik’s death reached me in the morning, I knew it must have been foul play, so I fled the Sanctuary, fearful that whoever targeted Rodrik would come after me as well. His death grieves me to no end, but at least my efforts bought me enough time to share this information with you.”
Eldann listens thoughtfully and when Katrezra finishes says, "These visions, are they triggered by holding items? If so, I have a few things I would like you to see." Eldan produces the knife, the receipt, and the letter addressed to Melira. "This is the knife that was found with his body and this letter was found in the room of someone we think has knowledge certainly, or possibly was the murderer. The receipt we found was Rodrik's and is tied to the knife."
"Can we see the journal?"
| 2 people marked this as a favorite. |
Slei goes back to Ziggy empty-handed.
"Arr, miss? Mister?" She flounders, before settling on "Hey you- let's rejoin the others, maybe they've had more luck."
"Sounds like that journal could be the key to cracking it. And we might need to poke around this plague house."
On the way back to join the others, "I hope Katrezra is okay. But I don't think we're ever going to find the journal now. " heavy sigh of disappointment.
Katrezra replies, "My visions usually come when I sleep, but are unpredictable. Certainly I will see if anything is triggered by the items."
He holds the knife,letter, and receipt for a few minutes, closing his eyes, then shakes his head sadly and returns them.
"Of course you may have the journal. Far better that you capable souls also have access to the information, in case something unfortunate happens to me."
The journal contains poetry, sketches, and personal reflections. The only parts which seem to pertain to the investigation are on the last two pages.
How I wish I could divulge my fears and hopes to my beloved Brinya. The risk is too great, of course — I would hate to implicate her in the dire scheme I’ve only just started to unravel. Not to mention how much I fear her ire over my loss of the hopeknife she gifted me. What a fool I have been these past few weeks.
I still haven’t found the hopeknife, and whoever’s making the replacement at Clamor is certainly taking her time. Katrezra was oddly quiet when I met with him today. When I asked for his thoughts, he told me to leave him be, and to give up my foolish investigation altogether. He was so supportive of my mission until now — what could have changed his heart so?
Katrezra’s visions of the Plague House have been getting more frequent as the days go on. He claims “something wicked lurks beneath the ashes of the past.” I’m fearful of what his strange dreams portend, but I must investigate the Plague House ruins once again. Tonight is Ruby’s hopeknife ceremony; tomorrow I will search the ashes once more. Katrezra has recommended he hold onto my journal for safekeeping, and while I am hesitant to part with my writings for even a moment, I know his logic is sound.
| 2 people marked this as a favorite. |
Katrezra's revelations leave Zepfina, Tarakona, Giles, and Eldan so stunned that they stand there gobsmacked until Slei and Zigil arrive and are escorted in to join them.
"OHMYGODDESS! Katrezra, you're okay! I was so worried!"
"Is that the journal? Is it okay if I look at it? Tyari's worried about you too! At least I think she is. She didn't really say. But if I was her, I'd be worried."
After looking at the journal and being filled in: "I wonder if the person who was making Rodrik's replacement knife turned it over to the murderer. What was the person's name? What did they look like?"
After a quick recap to the party who were not present at the start of the conversation, Eldan continues, "Mistress Morninghawk has advised that Urnsul quit and if we look into it I have no doubt that she will have left Trunau, the same as our miysterious brown-haired human. From what Katrezra has told us, it seems there is a force who is infiltrating our community with blackness in their hearts. The dagger was definitely provided by Urnsul, maybe even stole the original in order to get Rodrik in to request a new one. We need to visit the Plague House and then return to Kurst. I think there is enough here that Kurst should be informed."
"Now Katrezra, are you sure you will be safe here?"
"Mistress Morninghawk, do you have the time or resources to keep Katrezra safe here? Also, be wary of any newcomers looking for work or lingering around outside."
Katrezra replies, "I feel that danger is coming to us all, but this is as safe a place for me as any."
Sara Morninghawk nods in reply.
"Well let's get on wit it then. Nuff of the chatty chatty. Off to this Plague House to get ourselves killed no doubt."
Yes.
| 2 people marked this as a favorite. |
Yeah, Kurst later. We need to get to the church on time...
The six companions make their way out of Trunau, and circle the vast plateau of Bloodmarch Hill. Making their way past the Barterstones, they eventually arrive at the Plague House shortly after noon.
The Plague House, also known as the Burned Church, was Trunau’s original church of Iomedae. When orc raiders burned the building down and killed the priests within, the church of Iomedae decided to build a new chapel inside the city walls. The ruined church became known as the Plague House following a tragedy 50 years ago, when Trunau was afflicted with a plague. The town’s authorities hastily rebuilt the structure and used it to quarantine the plague victims, but a mysterious fire consumed the building a few days later, killing everyone inside and leaving the infamous site once again in ruins. None have attempted to rebuild it since.
The Plague House’s front doors sit three feet above the ground. Charred wooden beams and ash are all that remains of a small porch and stairs that once led to the entrance. The small windows flanking either side of the doorframe are broken, but a large stained glass window dominating the face of the building to the right remains in fine shape, and shows a varicolored image of Iomedae holding her sword aloft.
The wall is partly collapsed to the left of the main entrance, which may allow another means of access, and as the group approached they could see that there is another large collapse at the rear of the building.
I propose we circle to the collapsed wall to the left.
"I agree with Master de Hammo," states Eldan, "and in case there is no light within the ruins I will provide us with some." Then saything something odd and releasing a firefly he touches his hat making the surrounding area a tiny bit brighter, "Well, that will have greater effect once we are inside. Shall we?"
Eldan waits expectantly.
"Sounds good. Zepfina and I can go in first."
Looking through the collapsed wall, the group sees a room in shambles. Eldan's light dimly illuminates a staircase at the far end of the room, which leads up to a wooden loft overlooking the area below. The area immediately below the loft is filled with fallen beams and other debris.
As Zigil and Zepfina pick their way through the rubble and enter the room, Garm growls, and the duo spots a pair of enormous centipedes leaving the debris to attack!
Zepfina swings her longaxe at one of the centipedes scuttling towards her.
Its shell cracks and oozes, and the centipede withdraws into the rubble to await easier prey.
Garm looks at Giles and cocks his head.
"Don't just stand there boy, attack!"
Zigil glances at Aegidius in confusion, then realizes he was talking to Garm.
Zigil will swing her sword at the other centipede: , .. "Oh fiddlesticks. I'm swinging like a gnome."
Ziggy looks at Garm. "Don't judge me. Just attack."
Garm rushes in beside the remaining centipede.
The centipede bites at Garm, venom dripping from its mandibles.
Garm yelps as pincers close on his leg.
Zepfina's axe swings towards the remaining centipede, but misses.
Tarakona launches a firebolt at the centipede. "Burn it with fire!"
Unfortunately, the bolt flies past the bug and sizzles out in the debris.
Garm snaps at his multi-legged foe, but his fangs cannot pierce its shell.
Eldan moves up behind Zigil and uses Force Bolt.
There is an audible "pop" as Eldan's missile strikes.
,
, extra damage
Zigil's sword bites deep into the centipede, sending ichor flying everywhere. The bug falls to the ground, oozing.
Garm moves forward and rolls in the goo. He then returns to Giles, hopping on three legs in an exaggerated fashion.
"Is everyone okay? Master-iss Zigil, this may be out of the realm of your expertise, but is there anything you can do to help Garm? He is a rather stallwart companion deserving of the same respect as any of us, and once that is done, we should proceed with caution into the ruins. I have provided us with some light in case it is dark within."