Sigefrid leans against the wall of a building as he watches the scene unfolding in the town square. He watches the interaction between all of the players, trying to determine if his and his brother's intervention will be necessary or not.
Celebeth nods to Azen, then straightens and says in a fairly loud voice, "I heard there was a charter from Brevoy for folks to come down here and settle these lands, and that part of that charter involved dealing with the local banditry. Including this Stag Lord we heard about who was a pretty fierce guy, setting up his own kingdom here! But I guess that was no work at all."
She passes by a few of the townspeople with a knowing nod and says, "Because nothing makes setting up a new farm and a new life easier that having to deal with bandits every day, of course."
"And I heard there was a whole problem with monsters and even making maps of the area so that people could get here and of course the stories about faeries and maybe some undead," she continues as she walks up to the blustering man and circles him briefly. She pats him in the shoulder in a friendly fashion and says, "But I just got here, so what would I know? Surely someone who just got here wouldn't be as well-informed as the people who've already been here for months. You've... been here for months, right? Everybody knows you?"
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Azen waits until the man responds to Celebeth about how long he has been here, and then steps up onto a stump to get a little height. Now that Celebeth had placed the seed of doubt about the competition, it was up to her to give the audience an alternative.
Azen begins loudly, grabbing people's attention, but then softens a little, encouraging them to come closer and to listen to her story.
Celebeth makes a fine point. I just got here this morning, and to me it looks like they're doing a fine job, and providing a place for us all to start anew and build something of our own. I've never been more excited. It's a new beginning.
She smiles knowingly.
No matter where you go there are going to be concerns though. Despite my excitement, I know it probably isn't perfect. Maybe supplies aren't coming in often enough. Maybe it would be nicer if there were a bakery and a swimming hole. But the exciting part is that we can make this place into whatever we want it to be. We can start up shops, import goods, fill needed professions and roles for each other, and working together, become a great community.
She goes into the home stretch, building the last part of the speech from close and interpersonal to inspiring with a call to action, just like telling the story of a great king.
If we have concerns along the way, I'm sure we can solve them together. In fact, why don't you all tell me your concerns, and I'll write them down, and then we'll post them so everyone can think about how to tackle them. Maybe someone here will come up with a great idea, and know how to solve each of them. If not, we'll find someone who can... because that's why we came out here, right? To build something new and to be part of something great!
She finishes with two raised hands, glancing over at Celebeth, hoping she knows by now when to start the applause.
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On cue, Celebeth starts clappling, a bit slowly at a first, but she nods sagely and says, "Yeah, solving problems instead of starting them! That's the way to do things."
Garathane will do his part with the clapping. "Well said, Azen!"
"I think it would be best if I did this next part alone. It isn't going to be a pleasant experience..." Tove sighs.
Once she is alone in the chamber, she will move to the Baron's body and begin casting the Speak with Dead ritual.
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Baldur looks at his brother and nods towards the large man on the make-shift stage, and forges his way through the crowd.
"Come on sir." He says, his ulfen accent making the words sound strange, but not unintelligable. "Time for you to leave the good people to their verk."
Kalaman bows and backs out of the room before heading to find the rest of the councilors to explain the new information
The large man begins to protest, but quickly sees that the crowd has turned on him. Stepping down from his pulpit, he slinks off toward the edge of town.
Completing the ritual, now for Bassius as she did for Razarak not so long ago, Tove watches as the distant voice of the fallen Baron fills the room.
"Pain..." the voice says. "So much pain..."
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With the large rabble-rouser making a hasty retreat, Celebeth turns to regard the recently-cleaned Garethane.
"I take it you're one of the leaders here?" she says, looking up at him fearlessly. "We just arrived, so we don't know the regulars here! Is that guy a regular? Is he always complaining like that?"
Baldur lingers, curious about the answers to the questions that the attractive woman with hair that reminds him of home is asking.
"Well, today's activity begs the question of just how good of a leader I am, but as Marshall, I do have the responsibility to help keep the peace." Noticing that he has been the beneficiary of magical cleaning, he says "Thanks for cleaning off the stag's blood. I'm not sure how effective that tatic was, but I'd rather not wear that prop for longer than necessary."
Looking at the retreating man, Garathane is silent for a moment. His eyes briefly show a deep yellow color, before taking a deep breath and again pausing as if in contemplation. "As for that rabble rouser, I have no idea who he is, but I don't think he just randomly wandered in here to start manipulating our town folk with magic and angry words. I have his scent now, and I think I will just have to find out a bit more about him."
"Begging your pardon," Sigefrid says as he steps forward to where Celebeth and Garethane are speaking. "My brother and I are only recently arrived in this place, but we are eager to learn more about it and get in the good graces of those in charge. If you need help in learning about the man with the hateful words, we would volunteer our services. I am Sigefrid, and my brother is Baldur." The burly Ulfen man gestures to his companion.
Azen half-listens to the conversation as she is talking to people about their concerns. She pulls out her journal and a pen so that she can make a list and post it as promised.
"Well met, Sigefrid and Baldur." Garathane sketches a courtly bow "Welcome to Fort Redemption. Judging by your accents, you have a thing that is common with most of the folks present: None of us are from here. What do you two do?
As for our retreating friend over there, technically he has broken no laws, mostly because we haven't formalized them. But he needs to have an eye kept on him, and perhaps a nose."
"Ve are... vere... Vitchguard." Baldur says, his accent more pronounced than his brother's. "Trained to defend the Vitches of Irrisen. But I hav magick, magick that men should not hav. So ve fled, vith our sister. There vas a fey, but it trapped Freya and left us..." Baldur breaks off and looks around. "Vhere?"
“I am sorry friend. I promise you, this pain will not last long,” Tove speaks slowly, once she has regained her composure and can speak at all. “What was done to you, this wicked atrocity... I swear to you, we will bring those responsible to justice. Can... can you tell me what you remember, from the moments before you passed?”
"Well, friend, I can't say that I know much about Irrisen or its vitches, but I am thinking you came from a long ways away.
As for where you find yourself, Fort Redemption is the Capital of Elkmark. It's a newly founded land in the Stolen Lands, south of Brevoy."
So how is it that a Fae trapped your sister? And what do you mean magic that a man should not have?
Baldur grins. He is wearing very few clothes already, just trousers and a light shirt under a crisscrossing baldric of leather straps despite the chill in the air. Suddenly the air around him begins to swirl, freezing cold and ice creeps over his skin, forming into a shield over his left hand and all the way up his arm - giving him the appearance of a partly finished golem.
In his other hand a sword of ice materialises, pure white and glowing in the sun.
"Ice and snoo." He explains. "I can do much of vhat the vitches do, and that is forbidden, vrong, in a man." The ice fades, revealing his mutilated hand. "The fey did this also."
Celebeth winces as she sees the fresh wounds. "That just happened! Oh! This man needs a healer!" she says.
"Also the ice stuff is very cool," she says, but her face is squinched in concern. "But really, we need to get those fingers looked at by someone with the skill to help."
"... no pun intended," she adds after a few moments' thought.
"Yes, my brother needs a healer," Sigefrid confirms. "Which is what I told the stubborn man several times on the way here."
Unlike his brother, the ranger wears a metal breastplate. A longsword and spiked shield are strapped to his back.
"We were fleeing the witches' vengeance when we made a bargain with the fey to escape. Baldur and I fell through a portal and arrived here, but the treacherous faerie closed the gate before our sister could come through. I pray to Erastil that she was able to find some other means of getting to safety and did not fall prey to the fey's cruel whims."
Hearing that someone needs healing, Azen extricates herself from the crowd, handing the list off to one of the women in the group to continue, and comes closer, taking a close look at the hand.
That is a grievous wound. I'm sorry I can do nothing to bring back your fingers, but I can heal the damage to what is left.
She lays her hand on Baldur's, and casts a spell.
"Thank you, Miss." Baldur says with an appreciative smile. "I am Baldur. Once they called me Svift Hand, but Halfhand seems more correct now..." He gives a self-deprecating shrug, "I can still fight at least."
He steps back a little and offers both ladies what appears to be a well practised bow. "Are you ladies also noo to Elkmaark?"
Yes, we are. Garethane here is not though.
She turns to the elf.
Garethane, do you know of any powerful fey in the area that might be able to help with the plight of their sister?
Bassius's ghostly, haunted voice responds, "Sleeping...then dark robes, ungodly pain. I do not know where I am now, just that it is not the Vault of Abadar...nor have I been judged by the Lady of Graves...Help me..."
Kalaman arrives in the town square with garethane and the rest of the new arrivals, garethane, a word, if you will, about the situation we discussed earlier, when out of earshot of the new arrivals, "my investigation turned up some interesting pieces of information, it appears that the assailant, either before, after, or both, used a spell called dimension door, a short range teleportation spell to help him get into bassius' room. There's a rather short range on the spell, some 400 feet, a little longer the more powerful the mage, but still rather short compared to other teleportation spells. It is completely 8nside the realm of possibility that the murderer cast it to get in, and then again to get out, and thusly noone in the near vicinity of his chambers saw the person or persons responsible, as the caster may bring additional people with him depending on how powerful a mage he is. I have relayed this information to tove, and she is currently casting the spell to speak with bassius from beyond the grave to see if she can glean any additional information to be able to catch the perpetrator.
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"I will, I swear it. I will find a way to save your soul, to set it on the right path." Tove's voice trembles slightly, enraged by the perversion of death's natural course.
"Is... is there any more you can give me to go on. This robed figure, did you catch anything about them that might stand out, something that could help us to locate the people who did this to you?"
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"Lady Azen, the Stolen lands are the home to many Fae. Although I don't know which one might have both the power and disposition to help, we have friendly relations with a few to at least ask questions about those who might. We'll just need to make sure we bring the right gifts to barter for the information."
Upon hearing the situation from Kalaman, Garathane's face takes on a grim cast. He turns to the newcomers and says, "If you're looking to earn your place in the kingdom, you have an opportunity. There is a been an exceedingly foul murder. I'm going to find the scent of the person that did it. I suspect that I will need a hunting party to bring them to justice. Are you in? He looks each of them in the eye for a brief moment before turning and striding towards the keep."
Azen instantly goes serious.
Of course, yes, we're in she says, not hesitating to speak for the others--just assuming that everyone wants to help and that this is now the most important thing.
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”Justice must be served. Baldur and I will lend our aid,” Sigefrid says solemnly.
"Where my sister goes, I go," says Celebeth solemnly. "But, um, if there's been a murder, then shouldn't new arrivals be suspects? ... unless... there was something very distinctive about it, so that you can eliminate us immediately."
"How vas he killed?" Baldur asks. "Ve have been valking for a long time. The tracks vould show that. But Sigefrid is right. Ve vill help."
the murderer appeared to be a cultist of some sort, and a powerful mage, to boot, casting dimension door to gain access, and potentially flee, it has a range of several hundred feet, so a trail, assuming they aren't in hiding in the town, would be at most that far away. Azen, you said you are fairly good with magic during our first meeting, if you would help me, we can investigate the scene for more magic remnants. Once we have focused in on some locations of interest, we can investigate that area as well to see if we can find more traces of magic and see if the location or locations are tied to those who committed the crime. kalaman says to the group. we also should start canvassing, keeping our eyes out for those who act suspiciously, running away if we so much as cast an eye in their direction, not having a decent alibi, or seeming fidgety or jumpy for no reason if spoken to about there whereabouts. This may lend a hand in singling out some suspects as well.
Not stopping his forceful strides, Garathane turns his head to say, "Celebeth, perhaps if the new arrivals had been trying to avoid notice, they would make better suspects. But unless we have a pair of extremely cold-cold blooded masterminds, walking up to the Warden and Magister and introducing yourselves shortly after such a murder would be... unwise. Plus, I think I can use my nose to clear you fairly quickly. That being said, please hang back from the murder scene until I can do so."
Turning his head to address Kalaman, "It may be coincidence or a red herring, but I'm extremely suspicious about that guy rabble rousing earlier. A poorly timed distraction? Or an exceedingly well timed distraction?"
Azen nods at Kalaman
Happy to help.
She casts Detect Magic to see if there is any magical residue around right now, especially around where the guy preaching rebellion had been.
She keeps concentrating on the spell, moving around the area, and wherever else Kalaman wants her to check.
Azen's check of the area around where the rabble-rouser stands reveals the faint traces of enchantment magic.
"A chain around her neck...bearing a a gem that looked like a wicked, bloodshot eye." Bassius's corpse gasps, before falling silent again.
Just as Tove's spell expires, the priestess turns to see Garethane and Kalaman at the door, apparently in the company of four newcomers.
Garethane strides into the chambers and uses his accute senses as best he can to discern anything about the killer. After a few moments, he catches an unfamiliar scent, definitely a woman, but none of the women currenly present.
There is no sign of any tracks or trail. It is very likely than Kalaman's theory of conjuration magic similar to dimension door is correct.
"Our friend, the late Baron, was ambushed here as he slept. He woke to a woman in dark robes, bearing the unholy symbol of the Angry Hag, Gyronna on a chain around her neck." Tove frowns. "The rest of what transpired here is apparent. The most troubling news he had to share is that his soul has not yet reached the Lady of Graves..."
Garethane is as angry as any of the others has ever seen him "He's not been able to pass on? Was murder insufficient? Does this follower of Gyronna wish do declare war so openly and so early? I can't see any response but a violent and thorough one.
The elf takes a moment to pull in a few calming breaths. "The good news, as much as there is, is that I can smell the presence of a strange woman in Bassius's chambers. And it's not the scent of any of our newcomers."
He turns to the newly arrived sisters. Please, use your ability to detect magic and begin searching around the keep. With any luck, you will be able to come upon the residue of Kalaman's theorized dimension door. I will be looking for other residues. And with that, Garethane's eyes shift to the deep amber of a wolf on a hunt.
Celebeth seems a bit taken aback at the pure gory horror of the murder scene. It takes her a little while to regain her composure.
In a low, serious voice she finally says, "The cult of Gyronna has been in the Stolen Lands for a while, haven't they? Perhaps they think you declared war on them first. Clearly... they are taking this very seriously."
She looks up at her sister and says, "Do you want to stick together for this, or split up so that we can cover the village more quickly?"
Sigefrid lets those who are more magically inclined take the lead, staying close to his brother.
Azen looks back at Celebeth, nodding thoughtfully.
I think splitting up is a good idea to cover more ground, but no one should go alone with a murderer out there. Perhaps... these good brothers will accompany us?
She looks over at Sigefrid
Would you two mind splitting up temporarily to watch our backs while we search?
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Sigefrid returns Azen's gaze, giving her an appraising look. He nods. "Very well. I will follow you. Baldur shall stay with your sister."
Baldur nods in turns and turns to Celebeth. "Vhich vay shall ve go?" Before parting the brothers clasp forearms in what appears to be a ritual gesture of some sort.
garethane, are you able to track the scent? Or does it dissappear, cut off suddenly? I will accompany you in your spiral search, if we are going to maintain these pairs, Lady tove, what will you do?it is unwise to remain alone until these perpetrators are brought to justice, as we have already seen they have the means and motivation to take any of us out." kalaman says to garethane and tove.
Seemingly out of nowhere, Ivo says, "I'll stay with Tove. I've already questioned several people but I've had no luck. The perpetrator presumably made a getaway plan. See what you can find, I'll keep thinking about this."
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"Tove and Ivo, can you start spreading the word through the rest of the leadership while we are out running around?
"Of course," Tove says solemnly.