Asuriel was quite disturbed by Pavanna's diagnosis of Katrine and even more so by her assumption of the undead horde that likely was to come. She offers the healing to the wounded woman, knowing that the warmth of the Dawnflower would likely not cure her physical ailments, but hopefully ease some of her pain and lift her spirits.
When they set about looking for information she chooses to accompany Horatio and Pavanna to Scarnetti manor. Having been a resident in Sandpoint for awhile now, she knew The Scarnetti name had power but didn't really know much more than that.
"The Heroes of Sandpoint have important matters to discuss with him."
The oracle frowns at their boastful introduction. She puts her hands on her hips and when the servant disappears she whispers, "Do we really need to set ourselves on such a high pedestal? I mean, it's one thing for the town to call us that but to call introduce ourselves as The Saviors?"
well, I can't say he doesn't deserve this. still....
Noro goes to Jubrayl and grabs him by his hair and slams his head into the table.
she grabs a somewhat untouched bottle and heads out.
lets go, he's useless. she says to olives
Olivius follows her out, hoping his words and Noro's assault make his point well enough for his men to help out, even if he won't.
Jubrayl screams curses at the both of you as you walk out, followed by a few of Jubrayl's old crew.
"Oh, um I-I can go ask if he has a moment to speak with you, b-b-b-but he doesn't normally see people here unless they have an appointment," The young maid says nervously.
"Well, why don't you go check for us?" the bard asks, trying to hold the smile. "And if he doesn't have time for us, perhaps you can make an appointment for us."
Pavanna glances at Horatio and adds, evenly and pleasantly, “And please, tell Mister Scarnetti that we’re here on behalf of Sheriff Hemlock. Tell him there’s been an... unfortunate incident, and we’d just like to clear up a few things before anyone jumps to any unfortunate conclusions.” Butter melt in my mouth? Perish the thought!
But that should prompt him to make a hole in his busy schedule....
"O-okay, I'll go-- I'll go ask Master Scarnetti," the young, nervous maid says before closing the door. Several minutes later, an older woman answers the door and simply commands of you to follow her. The manor is just as richly decorated on the inside as one would expect. After being lead to a parlor, she ushers you inside and closes the door.
"The master will see you as soon as he is able," she states, "please, don't leave this room or touch anything."
She gives a suspicious look to Pavanna before closing the door behind her.
Horatio takes a seat in one of the luxurious chairs, starting slightly when he sinks into it. As the group waits, he rubs his fingertips on the coarse linen of his collar, trying to figure out what to say. Eventually, he shakes his head with a sigh, leaning forward, elbows on his knees, and addressing the others in a low tone.
"We need to handle this delicately, and while I'm often skilled in such manners, I'm afraid I haven't dealt with nobility all that much. How do we go about getting what we need here?"
Olivius pokes around and finds out where the others went, then follows.
About twenty minutes later, a rather exasperated head maid returns leading Noro and Olivius to the room and hustles along after giving a glare to all of you, possibly because of the smudge on a silver and gold vase that wasn't there the last time she was in. It's another dull ten minutes before you are lead to a rather annoyed looking Titus Scarnetti.
"So, why has Belor sent the 'Heroes of Sandpoint' to question me, hmm," the man asks, his voice dripping in sarcasm.
"Why, it's quite simple, Sir," Horatio declares, making sure to maintain eye contact and not allow his smile to grow too wide. "Sheriff Hemlock believes that a man of your particular status and insight may have come across information that could be useful to him and us regarding recent events, and we only request a modicum of your time to discuss such."
Olivius is unsure how far his status as a Chelaxian lordling (disowned or not) has spread so he keeps quiet and gauges the situation. He hasn't been spreading it around, but there's no telling how much such a rumor has spread itself around.
Scarnetti leans back, relaxing his scowl a bit before replying.
"Perhaps," he says, "what is it that he believes I know?"
Noro keeps eyeing the valuables in the manor as she is escorted from place to place.
nudging Olives as she goes, and whispering to him you think they will miss anything?
eventually they reach the person they apparently needed to question. his general attitude garners a typical Noro reaction but she refrains from making him a toothless lord.
but she remains silent as her method of diplomacy usually involves blood and one dismemberment.
On the way in, Olivius smiles at Noro's comments. He probably wouldn't, but the servants definitely would. he points out.
Listen. We're trying to keep this quaint little hamlet together. So please drop the pretense and just tell us.
Coughing in an attempt to cover the back end of Olivius' outburst, Horatio grins again, spreading his hands wide and relaxing his expression. "It seems there has been some rather unpleasant business about town of late, and we suspect someone may be trying to wrongly implicate you in such matters. Is there anyone you think would have reason to do so? Perhaps someone who may have fallen from your good graces recently?"
Pavanna sighs, pinches the bridge of her nose for a moment, then — as Horatio keeps leading the genteel interrogation — steps within reach of Olivius and firmly slaps him upside the back of his head with her free hand. Olivius, you’re a dear friend and a doughty fighter, but for Heaven’s sake let us do the talking, would you!? “My apologies, Signior Scarnetti. We’ve only just returned to Sandpoint, and between the travel and having to deal with such Unpleasantness so soon after arriving, tempers have become a little frayed.”
She lays a certain emphasis on ‘Unpleasantness’, hoping the word’s local meaning will get a reaction from Scarnetti.
Scarnetti barely has time to turn a glare to Olivius before both Horatio and Pavanna redirect his attention to them.
He flinches ever so slightly at the word, unpleasantness, though it's difficult to tell why he did so.
"It certainly is a trying time. The goblin attack, the discovery that Nuala Tobyn was a priestess of Lamashtu, and this heinous murder have all worn on us all heavily. I'm afraid that I don't know who would wish to attack me in this manner. Most of those that would do something against me or the Scarnetti family would come with daggers, not falsified evidence."
After a moment, he absently strokes his moustache and leans back in his chair.
What makes you think they wish to falsely implicate me, though? Banny Harker was a fine man and dutiful employee. I'd have no reason to have him killed."
Noro remains quiet trying to not create a scene. but she tries to recall any connections of the various murders as well as any underworld connections that this family may be trying to hide.
While Scarnetti isn't involved in anything overtly illegal, he's had some pretty shady dealings with the Sczarni and other lowlifes when it has suited him and tends to turn a blind eye to people using his property for illegal things so long as he's given a cut of the take, such as when he allowed one of his little used warehouses to be used as a fighting arena.
Noro grabs Olives by the arm, and she motions for him to follow her.
guiding him out of earshot of their host
I can't be certain, but the Scarnetti's have had dealings with the Sczarni. nothing overtly illegal, but shady enough to arouse suspicion if looked into. someone maybe looking to go to the authorities, or even take a cut of profits would warrant a possible death.
she thinks for a moment, I wonder if this Banny had any connection to the Sczarni that were killed?
The only thing I cannot figure out are the notes.
In other words, this guy may be under some pressure from a source a lot scarier than us. Do you think we could beat a connection to him out of the Sczarni or no?
Asuriel considers trying to recover from Olivius's blunt words but Horatio and Pavanna seem to do the job nicely. The oracle then tries to read the facial expression and meaning behind the Lord's words but can't seem to come to a solid conclusion about anything he is saying. She fiddles with her beautiful holy symbol while tossing around possibilities in her mind.
Frustrated by the lack of doing anything useful she issues a quick sigh and steps forward to add in, "What can you tell us about Banny besides behind a fine employee? Were there any, uhm, reasons someone would be approaching him you are aware of? Perhaps it is an attack on you through him? Did he have any secrets you are aware of that may help us in pursuing this cause?"
Having said her piece she steps back behind Horation and Pavanna.
Saroune stayed in the background of the conversation, unsure of what to say or do. She was a scholar, not a detective; and besides, Scarnetti was a Sczarni. When other peoples stereotyped Varisians as thieves, murderers, and cheats, they were really talking about the Sczarni. The thought made her insides twist in anger. She steps past the retreating Asuriel and pulls the Sihedron medallion out from under her shirt.
"Does this mean anything to you? It was carved into your 'dutiful employees'." She puts extra emphasis on the last words because she doubted anybody working for the Sczarni could be virtuous.
"Not that I'm aware of," Scarnetti says in answer to Asuriel's questions before turning to address Saroune, "and no, I have no clue what that symbol means, nor do I know why it was carved on poor Banny. Now, if you're finished, I am a busy man, and you have wasted enough of my time."
The man is cheliaxian not varisian. He is rumored to have ties to the Sczarni, but he would be last person to join them.
Taking a slow, deep breath through his nose, Horatio nods, glancing once more around the room. "Thank you for your time, Mr Scarnetti," he says, extending one hand to shake. "We'll let you get back to work."
Back outside, he looks around at the others and sighs, shoulders slumping. "That was less useful than I'd hoped," he admits. "Shall we check one of the other crime scenes, or back to the mill? Maybe there's something outside we missed."
Olivius shrugs. Anywhere but here was good. This feels a little too much like home right now. Let's check the other scenes. We're more likely to find something there.
The other crimes had occurred in alleys near the docks. Though the scenes had already been investigated and cleaned up, there was always a possibility of finding something. The closest to the southern gate is barely a few dozen feet from the eastern most docks.
As the others come out and prepare to move on, Noro clams up about her suspicions a little embarrassed that she might sound a little loony for even suggesting her theories.
well at least I know the docks well enough. Noro comments as they make thier way to the next scene.
You see no sign of the seven pointed star symbol.
You do manage to find some nearly imperceptible claw marks on the side of one of the buildings that flank the alley. The marks lead you to find a crushed, almost unidentifiable flower.
Noro decided to join Olives to check the docks. making use of her knowledge of the area to find areas that are old "haunts" of her old employer.
she is looking into areas that she knows to be "out of the way" as she used to make use of those alleyways in her past.
considering one of those notes was directed at her, maybe the murderer knows about places in her past.
she looks for anything that just probably does not belong.
Olivius follows a series of nearly imperceptible scratch marks and picks something up off the ground. I got something guys. A flower. Though I can't tell what kind.
Other than the signs that Olivius has found and the recently scrubbed cobble there really isn't much that looks out of place.
While you can't find anything more than Olivius and Noro have, you do identify the flower as foxglove, more specifically a variety that you saw in Magnimar and were told grew along the Foxglove River.
"What sort of flower?" Saroune asks, frowning. She failed to see the relevance.
"It's a species of foxglove," Horatio murmurs, rubbing a crushed petal between his fingers and sniffing the residue. "I saw them when I was in Magnimar; apparently, they grow along the Foxglove River. Perhaps that's where our mystery attacker came from?"