Mara considered how to transport everything. "There's a cart in the lobby; let's use that to transport the body, plus whatever books we fit in.", she suggested.
As the party moves the card through town you get a few odd looks but no one stops you, whether that's because they don't notice the corpse from the books piled on top of it or because they generally give you deference when you're transporting corpses, you can't tell.
Winter upon seeing the mummified man exclaims, "I hope not another revenant?!"
Mara explained, "No, not a revenant. We found him in a cell behind a bricked up wall in the basement of Fort Hailcourse; I presume he starved to death. We met his ghost first; he initially called out 'Nemira is that you?' I understand that's the name of Count Lowls' mother, who died under mysterious circumstances, and is buried at Iris Hill. The ghost attacked us, but we managed to defeat it, for now.
"Theo detected a strong aura of transmutation magic from inside the torso. We thought it best to ask your opinion before cutting the corpse open. I'm presuming that we need to bury the body properly to put his spirit to rest."
After unloading the body, she added, "We went in to the fort with the intention trying not to harm the guards, but it turned out they were already dead! They were zombies disguised to look like they were still alive."
"And two different kinds of shapechangers," adds Dervak. "The mirror-person, and the ooze-creature that took the form of a skum. Oh yeah, there were also real skum."
Winter takes the story in stone faced, "It at least explains why the constable was so unwilling to help. To think she was replace by a shapechanger and the fort taken without anyone really noticing. I take it you found no evidence of what happened to Accuser Omari? I'm going to operate under the assumption that she was killed at the fort."
When the conversation turns to the body and undead, "I see Pharasma has sent you here for a reason. Hopefully this is the last of the undead in town. I will certainly properly bury the body which, as you say, will let the man's spirit rest. As far as the magic emanating from within the body, I can't condone removing it without the consent of the man's family. Do you know who he was other than he had some history with the count's mother?"
Winter continues, "It sounds like Iris Hill is the next place you should go. I fear that more horrors await at the Count's residence and he is the root of our problems. Hopefully you'd at least be able to find where he has gone to."
Mara replied to Winter, "We found a bunch of records in the fort,but we haven't had time to properly look through them yet. Maybe we will find something concerning Omari in them."
About the body, she answered, "We don't know who he was; perhaps the records hold some clue. We're going to take them to the Sleepless building and go through them all."
Theophilus looks around suddenly.
Have We misplaced the colorful fella?
Mara explained, "We ran into a creature that we first met in the asylum: a brightly colored, long necked amphibian that calls itself 'Voonith'. It claims to be lost; I think it comes from another plane or something. It seems to be friendly enough."
She added, "We also found a teenage boy called Holissa, who said he had been kidnapped by the cultists and held captive. He ran away when we met the ghost; we should see if we can track him down."
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No one's quite sure when they lost Voonith but everyone agrees they last saw him inside the fort reciting a poem in his nauseous language,
And her friend a human shaped crew man
Pulled a corpse from a wall
Aged well and not too small
It will taste better with fresh cumin!
Winter thinks for a moment, "I think Holissa was the name of one of the missing people from town. When you return to the Sleepless building one of the agents might know where to find him. As far as the strange creature you found I have no idea what it is or where it could be from. If it is an outsider you should be careful. Let me know if you find anything out about the man."
"That would certainly simplify things," Mara commented.
She re-secured the books and records on the chart and said to the party members, "Let's get this stuff to the Sleepless building, where we can go over it at our leisure."
"How long do we think the ghost was dead? Might help us narrow down our search for who he was."
As soon as Dervak asks the question he answers it himself in his own mind, Mara also knows. The body has been dead for at least 10 years but its a little hard to pin down since its decay was slowed by the conditions in the cell.
Theo shrugs.
I suppose that he shall make another appearance.
The gentleman smiles widely.
Doubtful the writers make such a colorful creature for only the one encounter.
When the party arrives at the Sleepless building they're greeted by Meg, the agent you met when you first arrived here a few days ago. She is flanked by a young woman wearing fisherman's clothing and carrying a spotless mithral shield bearing Ustalav's crest. Meg says smiling, "Don't take this the wrong way, but I hope you never get your memories back. You've done Thrushmoor a good turn."
The woman she says, "I'm Sholn, Holissa says that you folks released him. I can't thank you enough, would you please accept our grandpa's shield?"
Theophilus blushes.
"Thank you. I have... I have tried to be better than I was. Can you help us identify a man who went missing, at least ten years ago, had a connection to Lowls' mother Nemira? Was probably interested in occult things?"
Sholn says, "Excuse me, I know you're very busy. Thanks again."
Meg shakes her head, "Sorry but I'm originally from Caliphas and I'm not too familiar with things before I arrived a few years ago."
Mara graciously accepted the shield, replying, "I'm glad we could help."
She told Meg, "We encountered a ghost in the fort basement. When we dismantled a section of masonary, we found a locked cell in behind the wall, holding a desiccated corpse; it looked like it had been there for a good ten years. We took the body to the New Chapel and handed it over to Winter Klaczka for proper burial."
Indicating the cart full of books and papers, she said, "We brought some records from the fort with us. I'm hoping that we might find some answers in there.
"The guards in the fort turned out to be zombies dressed up to look like they were alive, and there were also aquatic humanoids known as skum there too. There is much evil afoot, it would seem!"
Theophilus exclaims, There seems to be a shortage of facts about the past in this town.
Meg gasps, "How horrible! We have a reading room that I can open up for you."
She turns to Theo, "If it involves the count then he would have covered his tracks and have the power to do so. I hope you find what you're looking for."
Looking for clues to the dead man you find, after an hour of searching, A memo which summarizes the proceedings of the trial for high treason against a certain Dr. Clymes Prett, accused of having poisoned Count Haserton III, and sentenced to “die in his cell.”
Working together you've combed through about a quarter of the records.
when she read the memo, Mara said, "This could well be him. It would explain why he said that the count should be dead. Later, he said that he didn't do it, though, so I'm not sure what to think."
She went to see if she could find Cesadia around, and ask her about Dr. Prett, and whether he had any family in town.
A soft snoring sound buzzes underneath a pile of papers. The White Rabbit (sporting some sexy specs) is seen reading next to it.
Cesadia sees you in her office and after hearing the story, "A ghost in a basement, that brings me back." After a moment of reverie, "That was right around the time I opened up the Sleepless Agency. And Count Haserton Lowls III was your count's father. He was twice as mean and just as secretive, at least he knew how to run a county. I'd say this Dr. Prett is your corpse but no one in town has that last name. I'll have one of my agents do some digging and see if they can turn up a relative."
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"This Clymes was accused of poisoning Lowls' father, and his ghost spoke the name of Lowls' mother? I have a guess about what was going on there."
Dervak is torn. On the one hand, he did defeat the ghost in battle, which should mean he's entitled to the ghost's stuff. But on the other hand he'd have to mutilate the dead to get the stuff. He will wait for Mara and Winter and Cesadia to resolve this.
"To Iris Hill in the morning?"
Mara replied to Cesadia, "OK, thanks."
After taking a break for a few minutes, she returned to the records. "I'm hoping there's something in here about Iris Hill that will help us. I want to go in prepared."
With a sigh, Dervak takes a stack of papers, sits down, and begins reading. His lips move for the first few minutes, before he seems to remember how this "reading" thing is supposed to go.
Rowan pulls up to a piece of wall with a small pile of papers.
Ellery pulls up a stool and begins to assist in slogging through the paperwork, he does his best to also keep an eye out for any documents that have been forged or altered from their original.
While the Mad Hatter mumbles in his sleep, the White Rabbit enjoys eating scrolls.
Numerous documents contains records of a lawsuit presented against Count Lowls by a bookseller from Thornstep, who lamented not being paid for an occult book titled “The Revelations of Hali.” Lowls lost the case, and was ordered to pay the price of the book. A later note indicates that months passed before the payment was actually issued.
A document shows the record of arrest of one Rowan Dorn after starting a brawl at the Silver Wagon. The arrest resulted in Rowan spending the night in a cell below Fort Hailcourse and Lowls having to pay a fine of 50 gp to avoid any further inconvenience.
A letter of formal protest from Magistrate Padgett when Lowls insisted that Ellery Turner and Lowls’ personal bodyguard Dervak deliver taxes due to the crown three months ago. The shipment was reported lost to brigands a week later and the shipment nor the brigands were found.
Ellery finds no document that he can detect as a forgery.
All of the documents have been scoured and the day has been spent. Outside its dark and foggy.
Waking up with a loud embarrassing snort, Theophilus looks outside.
A fine evening without any sickening yellow fog.
The Witch tips his hat to his friends.
I shall spend this night communing with my Patron. I feel some changes coming on.
He winks.
Mara said to the others, "We'll have to keep in mind that the royal authorities may try to go after Dervak and Ellery for the tax money. Not that there are any around here, as far as I know, but we may run into them later."
She prepared to turn in for the night. "We should try to sell some of the captured equipment tomorrow, and do some shopping", she suggested.
Ellery shrugs and makes some hand signs.
"I think Lowls probably kept the money and just made up the story about the bandits. The Crown can take his manor at Iris Hill if they want, that should cover the cost."
Supporting Dervak's reasoning Magistrate Padgett clearly carried out his duties scrupulously doing both his job and the counts.
Before turning in, Mara prepared herbal remedies for Dervak and Rowan.
As the party prepares to go to sleep for the night outside there is a high-pitched scream and the sound of a slamming door. If you look out the window you see the translucent form of a woman in her late 40s wearing a mourning dress. This is all an afterthought as the woman’s face is wrong, half of it is rubbery flesh folded and pulsating oddly, her left eye is yellow and unblinking with a pupil shaped like a W, finally two tentacles poke out of her side through tears in her black dress.
Mara looked out the window at the ghostly woman. "Oh my!"
Seeing Mara already heading for the door, Ellery follows as well making some hand signs.
Dervak jumps up and follows Mara, drawing his sword.
At seeing the horrific being, there is a revolting feeling of familiarity. This must be another creature either from Beyond or tainted by contact with such places.
He grits his teeth and then speaks in a language he thinks the creature might understand.
Mara went outside with the others and tried to talk with the apparition, "Hello, my dear, my name is Mara. What brings you out on such a foggy night?"
No one knows what kind of creature she is or even can begin to speculate, other than she is incorporeal, and very much not a ghost.
As the party exits the Sleepless building the woman-in-mourning turns to Dervak and says with an air of authority, ”The sounds you make are beautiful ork, but that is no way to address your countess.” She turns to Mara, ”That’s a little better but you presume much.” Finally she spies Theo and shrieks, ”Roderick! You put me living in my tomb!”
Ellery ever paranoid about danger and Theophilus picking up on subtle clues the woman gives off realize she's about to attack.
Ellery glances at Theo and makes some hand signs then moves to engage the angry lady...
Theophilus looks disapproving of her rash actions.
Red Destiny is pushed away from the woman-in-mourning by some unseen force.
Theo’s disapproval sticks and she shrieks moving away from Ellery as if he wasn’t even there.
She then casts a spell.
Dervak knows it’s vampiric touch.
Mara took out her Sarenrite wand and blessed her comrades.
She addressed the strange woman again, "Forgive me, m'lady. Where is your tomb? Perhaps I can be of some assistance."
Theo Cackles.