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Val chuckles. "I don't mind. I'm your friend. If you need something to stay sane, then I'm more than willing to help out. Markus can always patch me up later if you get a little overzealous."
She leans back. "Granddaughter technically." A small grin crosses her face. "It's a story I don't really mind telling. Mainly because it makes my family look bad. You know how I'm pretty old right? Well, my grandfather was a noble back when House Thrune was still working on getting all of Cheliax under their control. They were winning the war pretty thoroughly because they'd made a pact with Hell itself, but the nobles opposing them were still putting up a hell of a fight. Nasty civil war. Well, my grandfather was from one of the houses fighting them. And when he became head of the family, he fell in with a group that figure that if the Thrunes were going to use devils to fight for them, why not bring in fiends on their side too." She shakes her head and sighs. "So they managed to get in contact with a demon worshipping cult. Started making all kinds of offerings to win the Abyss's support against the Thrunes. During one summoning ritual, they called up a pack of succubi and well... things kind of devolved into an orgy. Granddad woke up from being enthralled a while later with a baby in his arms and a note from dear old grandma to take care of him or else. I don't think dad actual knew he was a half-fiend. Maybe he wouldn't have hated me if he knew. I found out when I ran into a cult that had summoned up a succubus that recognized my bloodline."
"Tlo kuitaebout taeqob it guad klaek g'uo bodar, Orug" says someone close to him.
Orug frowns. "I know who killed my wife. I recognized her. It's not my problem you'd rather believe that vampire over me. We'll see who the mayor believes in the end, though."
You get the overall sense he is worried about something, though. You see the image of a woman in his mind - his thoughts constantly turn to her - but it is not Rione.
Orug starts to recount the tale - "Well, I was asleep, y'see, and then I heard a scream..." He frowns as he watches Markus cast a spell. "Hmph. Sorcery. What are you trying to do to my mind, Southerner?"
"Hm? Nothing to your mind, certainly." he says. "I'm just verifying your words."
"You can't blame me for not trusting you exactly at your word, truly."
Hinagiku nods to Ary, taking not of the green light given to her by her "superior". On their way to the store, she smiles and bows to Edgar, trying to reassure him that it is their pleasure to guard him.
Once in the store, Hinagiku spends a few minutes listening to the conversation. However, it quickly becomes apparent to her that she won't be useful to anyone here. Stopping by Ehren's side, she whispers in his ear:
"I will be right outside, trying to find inquisitor Corum. Please tell Ary when she is less busy."
Trying her best to be inconspicuous, Hinagiku leaves the room. Outside, she approaches the first person who walks back. Her gait is completely lacking any type of agressivity, and she bows low in front of the person.
"Please, forgive me for bothering you. My name is Hinagiku, I am looking for inquisitor Corum, would you happen to have seen her in the past ten minutes?" Hinagiku asks, following her demand with a description of the woman.
Val chuckles. "I don't mind. I'm your friend. If you need something to stay sane, then I'm more than willing to help out. Markus can always patch me up later if you get a little overzealous."
Annabelle winces at the thought. She remembers how Markus' wrist looked after she was finished. His gasp of pain. "Ah. I was just joking. I'm okay."
"I'm just trying to make light of things. I really, really didn't like it," she lies. "But I um. I appreciate the offer."
She listens to Valaria's story with interest.
"Wow, that's insane! Taldane politics are really boring compared to that craziness." She scratches her head. "Your dad couldn't tell he was a half-fiend? Weird. I guess sometimes tieflings look mostly normal, so that makes sense..."
"So you didn't even know until some random succubus told you? How do you know she's telling the truth?"
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Val eyes her for a moment. The way she tenses up as she speaks makes it obvious to the trained eye that she's not comfortable. "If you're sure," she says, knowing that pushing her isn't going to help right now. "If anything feels off, you can tell me though."
She laughs. "Yeah, Chelaxian politics are... complicated. They only got worse when diabolism became a central part of the government." Val just shrugs at Annabelle's question. "Dad looks completely human. He had a little magic talent that he never really learned how to use, but he never looked anything other than human. I can believe his mother was a demon though."
She says nothing for a long moment. "I'm sure. The succubus... she was summoned using my blood. When I ran into the cult that summoned her... let's just say that I had to make a deal to get out of that alive. They needed fiendish blood for a summoning ritual and my blood called up something that knew my grandmother."
"The Sarkorians are very distrustful of arcane magic, Markus," Isilme relays to him, though she suspects he realizes that now given Orug's reaction.
She watches Orug start over, recounting from the beginning for Markus. Once he starts, she starts looking around the room nonchalantly, trying to find the location where the sword had been embedded, and any signs of the fight that might have taken place.
Ehren grimaces a bit at the exchange between Markus and Orug, wishing he had warned the necromancer sooner.
With a sigh Ehren closes off his spirit sense for the time being, allowing him to better focus on the task at hand. He nods at Hinagiku when she tells him her reason for leaving, wondering what she might be planning. It would be useful to know the angle Corum was investigating things from, at any rate.
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Hinagiku heads outside, seeking out Inquisitor Corum. Unfortunately, she fails to find anyone who knows where she is, or rather, she fails to find anyone helpful enough that they are willing to give her the time of day.
One irritated woman says – ”You’re the second person today to ask me about her! Another stranger, some woman with long black hair wouldn’t stop pestering me about it. Now leave me alone, I have linens to scrub.”
- - - - - -
Valaria spends the day guarding Annabelle in her jail cell, telling stories about her ancestry.
Annabelle listens to Valaria’s story – glad for the distraction from her recent problems, though she starts to fidget during the long pause.
”Hmmm. You got caught by a cult? And you lived? Your grandma must be really scary then,” she jokes. ”If they just let you go like that.”
She grins. ”But really, jokes aside, how did you get out of that one?”
- - - - -
Meanwhile, Markus, Ary, Isilme, and Ehren are at Orug’s General Store.
Orug frowns at Markus, but he glances at the other crusaders – Ary and Isilme – and decides that he should just comply with his request.
”Fine. But I want you southerners outta my store afterwards.,” the short kellid grunts.
”Well, anyway, it was late last night. And I was asleep, in bed upstairs. I don’t know when Rione got up, she probably just had to go to the outhouse, at some point and that’s when she got her!”
”Anyway, I woke up when I heard her scream, I jumped up n’ grabbed my axe here,” He pats the hatchet next to him. ”And I rushed down the stairs – and there I saw her – the vampire – a tall, thin, pale woman with golden hair and glowing red eyes! She was standing over my wife, covered in blood – it was dripping down her front. When she saw me, she hissed, like a wild animal, and drew a sword. Cold iron – I knew then she was a crusader. She lunged at me, but I got out of the way in the nick of time – and by Gorum she was strong! Struck the sword right into the wall over there… it got stuck, and when she moved to pull it back out I swung my axe at her! She was damn fast though, ran right out the open back door from the kitchen.”
”I knelt down and held Rione in my arms as she died from blood loss. She had bit her, right in the neck. It was horrible.”
”Went straight to the Mayor, woke him up, told him a vampire crusader killed my wife. Now she’s in jail, and if everything goes well, soon she’ll be dead. And Rione will be avenged.” Several people in the store cheer at his words.
He narrows his eyes at Markus. ”Satisfied? Now get out.”
Meanwhile, Edgar stands silently next to Ehren, listening to Orug’s tale. He’s frowning – the man’s story was convincing, to him at least.
He turns to Ehren, and murmurs softly, ”Wlaek ba vai kl'rx?”
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Markus listens to Orug talk, frowning. He wasn't really sure that he trusted this man at all, but he doubted that Orug was lying outright. Not with truth-seeking, brutal Crusader spellcasters around.
Markus really hopes it's not Annabelle.
"I suppose I have to say I am." says Markus. "When's the funeral, Orug? For your wife. You have my condolences and I'd be pleased to attend."
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"Got caught. More like walked into it like a novice..." Val hangs her head and sighs. "This is the part where I start looking bad again. I've been around a long time so I've done some... questionable things. I've stolen for a living more than once before. I usually get away with it too. Well, I was down in... I think it was Cassomir. It's been a while and I'd rather forget that night if I can help it."
She leans back, clearly lost in thought for a moment, her brows furrowing and her eyes closed. "I was robbing this nobleman's house and I forgot something important. When you're both rich and eccentric, you can indulge your weirdness. You see, this guy had some obsession with fresh food. So he had converted his garden into a miniature farm, even though he was living in the city. Had these huge vegetable gardens and some livestock hanging around. Thing is, livestock includes chickens. And when I was trying to leave over the back wall with a sack full of his best silver, I woke up one of his roosters. The town guard were on me like lightning. I spent the better part of the night dodging guards hunting me."
She chuckles. "So after my little screw up, I ran into a prostitute in a back alley. I figured she'd be willing to point me toward a place to hide if I tossed her some coins. She offered me somewhere that a group of friends of hers liked to hideout. Figured she was talking thieves, maybe members of a local thieves' guild. So I went with her. Turns out, 'friends' meant fellow cultists of Nocticula. They had a hideout in the bad part of town. I guess they were recruiting the poor. I've seen cults pull that. Promising power and a better life in service to fiends. They'd been looking for someone like me, someone they could get a bit of fiend's blood from to preform some kind of summoning. And I didn't realize it until I was in their sanctuary and surrounded."
Val smacks her head against the wall. "Stupid. I was so desperate to get away from the law that I walked into something worse. At that point it was do what they wanted or die and let them take what they wanted anyway. So the priest did some magic and called up a succubus. And she recognized me. She took the priest off and they talked a bit, then he came back and said they were letting me go. The demon... she talked to me a bit. Told me she knew my grandmother. That my grandmother had a reason for wanting me alive. So I ran. I ran and didn't look back. I still don't know what that reason is."
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Isilme doesn't listen too intently to his words this time, but it's clear from his tone that there's something missing. His voice is hardly distraught at all, it sounds more like a story told by someone who had fought a creature and found some random person dead more than of a husband who'd found his wife murdered.
” Wlor I aed boaeb. Cuv gau do ae r'kkro, tl'rx ag do tadok'dot, bik rak kaa dikl. Tl'rx ag do rav aerb aesae'r... At I vaet 'r r'go. Ak tado dadorkt 'k't vroaetaerk ka uokaerr bik rak gau rars. Loaeqo do 'r voaeko. Arb I tlaerr roaeqo vai 'r voaeko. Arb vl'ro vai r'qo - lok vaiu klaislkt do v'kl klo r'q'rs,” Isilme recites to Orug in a quite melodic interpretation of Hallit.
"I had always believed that it was traditional to mourn longer than hours for your lost ones, especially a wife. It's clear you've taken this poem to heart though, for I see you've cried little, and thought not too much of Rione," she says immediately afterwards, looking at Orug to judge his reaction.
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H't tkauv 't dor'oqaedro," Ehren whispers back to Edgar with a frown, "Bik lo baot rak tairb r'xo ae daer 'r daiur'rs. Wlaek 't lo ba'rs, uosaer'rs oqouvaro r'xo ae korrou ag kaerot, vlor l't v'go laet rak oqor door rae'b ka uotk?"
Some of the kellids turn and murmur amongst themselves – they didn’t expect the strange elf woman to speak their language, much less recite a traditional burial prayer. Some of them bow their heads, placing a hand on their heart.
Orug flinches at the accusation and goes cold. ”What? How dare you. Rione was my life until that monster took her from me!”
A Mendevian woman in front tugs on Orugs arm. He yanks it away. ”Come now, Orug. You don’t believe that the crusaders were truly sheltering a vampire do you? That’s ridiculous.”
Another man agrees. ”Yeah, I heard when Kenabres fell, half of the survivors got possessed by demons! That poor girl most certainly killed Rione, but perhaps it’s not really her fault?’
Orug looks frustrated. "I know what I saw."
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SPEAK WITH DEAD
School necromancy [language-dependent]; Level cleric 3
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Annabelle grins. ”Cassomir? No way, that’s where I’m from!”
She purses her lips, listening to Valaria's story. ”Oh wow, that sounds totally scary.” She tilts her head. ”At least some good came from it – you lived, right? Maybe your grandma got herself killed. I wouldn’t worry too much about it.”
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"Clearly I have misunderstood then, my sincerest apologies," Isilme says with a polite bow, "I had simply thought a man who had lost the light of his life would be less interested in telling tales of his miraculous victory over a vampire than in trying to put the pieces of his life back together. Perhaps there's some way we might make this up to you." She seems to think for a moment, as if pondering what might help Orug have peace.
"I know!" she says, smiling brightly. "Perhaps we can convey a message to Rione with the aid of one of the crusader clerics. You would get to send her a proper goodbye, and we would be able to ask her about the circumstances of her death."
Edgar glances at Ehren, and shakes his head. He whispers in his ear -
Val chuckles. "I've been a lot of places. I don't think I've been to Cassomir in a long time. I'm kind of jumpy around there ever since that day."
She shakes her head. "I guess so. And I... I don't think that she's dead. If she's a powerful as that succubus implied... I have a feeling that she's still around." She sighs. "No point in dwelling on it I guess. It's not like she's going to come swooping through that door."
Orug frowns. ”Crusaders have seers?” He hesitates. ”Very well. I should say goodbye to my Rione.”
He sighs and strides over, waving his arms around. ” Arr u'slk, aerr u'slk. Ig vai aeuor'k div'rs aervkl'rs, sok aik ag louo. Move along.”
He frowns at the heroes. ”You too.”
The crowd starts to disperse – some linger around and others go out the doors, presumably headed to the festival grounds.
”You should all be ashamed of yourselves!” a passing woman says to Isilme. ”Why are you defending a murderer?”
Annabelle grins at Valaria. "Well, if she ever does come swooping down on you, she's gotta go through me." She winks. "I never sleep, so I can watch your back!"
Her grin falters. "So, who was it that helped you with your dreams? Do you think they could help me, too?"
She leans back, looking contemplative.
Val laughs. "I guess she does. She'll never know what hit her."
She smiles fondly. "It's... well you might not believe me. I guess she might be able to help you. About twenty years ago or so, I was... visited by someone special. Lady Desna... for some reason she came to pay me a personal visit. Her mark helps filter out the nightmares. I'm not sure if she could help or not. Or how to even ask aside from praying and hoping for the best."
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Isilme turns to the woman, pondering how best to answer her. "I will answer your question with a question. If your brother or sister were accused of a murder and claimed innocence, would you stand idle as they were taken to the gallows? Would your response be different if they had been horribly maimed, or had suffered from a terrible disease and were then accused?"
"It may be difficult to understand, but the trials we have faced together forged bonds neither weaker nor less important than that of siblings. Is it truly so difficult to believe that we would do our utmost to clear her name?"
"So soon?" Ehren says to Edgar as they leave the store, looking back at Orug.
The villager frowns at Isilme. "If what you say is true, pray to your gods, because no one is going to believe her."
She turns and leaves.
Edgar waits until they are farther from the store before responding, "Helha arko karb do klaek Rione klaislk klaek lo vaet irgae'klgir ka klo'u daeuu'aeso. Slo laeb 'rkorbob ka klaerrorso l'd ar 'k tadobaev, dik tlo vaet tikl ae tdaerr vadaer.."
Annabelle's eyes widen. "Wow, really? You had a divine vision? That's amazing. I mean, I figured you were Desnan, but I never thought...." she trails off.
She sighs. "I've never prayed to Desna before. But I guess its worth a shot."
She thinks for awhile.
"What did she look like? Did you actually see her? Or was it like, a voice?"
"You could try your own goddess too, if you think she might listen. You follow Shelyn, right? Desna is goddess of dreams but..." Val shrugs. "I really don't know anything about divine politics. Another god might be able to help too. And I can offer a prayer too and see if it helps."
She chuckles softly, but doesn't respond for a long moment. "I didn't even realize I was being visited. I just met a woman traveling one day. I mean, she looked Desnan. You know all the colorful clothing and the traveler's gear and that kind of thing, but she didn't look like a goddess. We traveled together for a couple hours, then she just... started talking. She knew things. Like she could see right through me. She left this mark on me when she left."
"Ah," Ehren simply replies at first, his gait briefly slowing. Wise as he was, his age showed when it came to intimate relationships. But when it came to those, even he knew some of the important things. Faithfulness, for one. The druid frowns, contemplating the implications of this information. Rione's suspicions, if true, would explain Orug's odd behavior. But where did that leave them? "Sa kl't vaet titk... karqor'ork ka l'd?"
"Should we go to Otto's farm?" he suggests to the others, before looking to Ary, "Hinagiku is out searching for the inquisitor."
To the group, Edgar suggests, "Best go before it is dark. Otto is... lav ba vai taev, 'rkaz'kaekob?" he turns to Ehren, confused. "Rkaz'kaekob. At dark. "
Edgar replies, "Ah, raro ag kl't vairb laevvorob 'g Rione vaet gae'klgir ka klo orb-waevt aerb laeb klaerrorsob lou litdaerb't larau. Rione vaet r'tkor'rs ka klo vaubt ag klaek Ekira vadaer - tlo vuoaeklot klo vaubt ag klo taiklour sabbott. I dor'oqo tlo 'rkorbt ka di'rb ae kodvro 'r Dawnton."
He sighs. "Oiu vaevt aeuo klo vaetk aerb klo'u vaevt klo gikiuo, 'k toodt."
"Our ways are the past and their ways are the future, it seems."
When Hinagiku sees the others leave the store she heads in their direction. Joining them, she politely starts speaking to the group.
"Please forgive me for my absence. I thought I might be more useful in town. Did the discussion go well?"
" Also, everyone, I spent a few minutes speaking with some of the villagers, and none of them knows where the inquisitor is. I would not expect this in such a small settlement. I also did not see her anywhere. Would you want me to keep investigating Ary?" she finally asks, following the group to the next location of their investigation.
"It sounds like you have the right idea Ehren. Let us go investigate Otto's farm. We should also follow up on Ogur's infidelity when we get a chance. Perhaps keeping a watch on his place tonight to see if he has any visitors?" She says as they start off towards Otto's.
When Hinagiku rejoins them, Isilme gives her a smile. "Welcome back Hinagiku." She listen's to Hinagiku's explanation that she'd been unable to find any evidence of the inquisitor investigating things about town, looking slightly confused at the revelation. "You are certainly right. If the inquisitor was in town searching for clues, it's unlikely the townsfolk wouldn't know her whereabouts. Given she was adamant about 'uncovering the truth', it might be essential to understand what she is up to. Perhaps she knows something we don't?"
Ary waits for the others to file out, then moves into the building instead of out.
"I was actually hoping to buy some paper and writing utensils. Chalk is better, especially if you have any colored chalk. I was also curious about something. Why does one keep a woodcutting axe beside their bed? Back on my farm, we kept such things out near a big stump where we'd use it to split the logs."
From closer, and without the crowd in the way, she looked to the mark that had been made by the sword... and compared the height to the Orug. Where the strike was would tell a lot about the intentions of the attacker.
"I don't trust an inquisitor that doesn't do her job. She's ignoring her duties repeatedly to go on this witch hunt." She says, shaking her head. "If we find her, great. But I don't feel that trying to hunt her down is worthwhile. That doesn't mean 'don't'. I trust each of you to do what you feel is best. Keeping tabs on her would definitely be useful, but..." She shakes her head.
Hinagiku smiles at Isilme's welcoming words before nodding to Ary's view on the situation.
"Of course, I will stay with you. Ohhh, I almost forgot, I was also told that a lady with long dark hair had also been looking for the inquisitor today. Clearly someone whom the villagers do not know."
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"These are her duties," Ehren says, shaking his head, "That she's bothering to investigate at all is perhaps a good sign. But strange that nobody in town knows where she is. And who might have been looking for her?"
Looking back to Edgar, Ehren asks, "Rione tvaxo ka lou? Adaik Orug?"
Annabelle shrugs. ”I don’t, either. My mom worshipped Shelyn. I don’t remember her very well. When I was little, I remember her taking me to the Temple of the Upheld and Golden Rose in Oppara. Have you been there?”
She listens thoughtfully to Valaria. ”That’s really amazing. And you know, I would have told you you were bullshitting me if it wasn’t for all the stuff we’ve seen these past few days.” She grins.
”Did Desna tell you to come here? To uh, Mendev, I mean.”
Orug groans at Ary. ”Fine. If that’s what it takes to get you crusaders out of my business, then so be it.” Orug sells her colored chalk and parchment – though he inflates the price to three times what Ary would have expected to pay in Kenabres.
Unfortunately, the fight occurred inside of Orug’s private residence. Unless Ary intends to barge her way into Orug’s home, she is certainly not welcome there.
Ary thanks him, and then heads outside. "I vote one of us relieve Val. Ehren and I still need to recharge, though I think it's better that he does... and besides." she holds up the few pieces of chalk, and parchment, "Who better to deliver some pretty rocks? If you want me to swap out with her, I definitely wouldn't mind... I always feel wrong when I don't pray."
Val just shakes her head. "I've been to Oppara once or twice, but I've never been to the temple of Shelyn there. And I tend to stay away now and days. I may have pissed off the Brotherhood of Silence once or twice and I really don't want to get knifed while I'm sleeping."
She laughs softly. "Most people wouldn't believe me either. That's why I don't usually talk about. I think the last week or so has been weird enough that people might buy it though."
"Honestly, I'm not sure. I started having dreams again a few weeks ago. A lot of nightmares about demons on a rampage. I guess that's what would have happened if the plan to use the wardstone had succeeded. So maybe I was sent here."
"Ah, for Annabelle?" Ehren says, taking the chalk and parchment from Ary. After considering her request for a moment he nods in agreement. "I can go. I have a feeling I am going to need all of my power once we get to the bottom of this."
"Very well Ehren. You should have Val meet us at Otto's then."
"Oqo o kaqaers uok kors gaeh Ehren? O oqo goqirqo lu virqo gaeh air aslk o koqot, raig oqot gou go gour vlaeqo lu kor ok o uok o bit ot taqorra kaesok kag saqorov lu Rione ol Helha," she says to Edgar as Ehren prepares to leave.
"Let us make haste to Otto's farm before he finds himself too intoxicated to be cooperative," she tells the others.