I'm Vrilli. Well met. Vrilli says to the newcomers absently.
if you could take a look at this... Vrilli turns to Zazaria and reveals one of hi wounds...
Rufus shakes off any ill effects of the axe, at least for the time being, though he feels the lingering anger sitting in the back of his mind like a vile, diseased seed of evil.
After tying off the rope and ensuring the safety...or relative safety, given the current environment, of the excursion, Leeoli shimmies down the rope with practiced ease. At the base lie several things of interest, among about thirty feet of frayed old rope, which must have broken off and send the Lopper tumbling to his hobbling and slow death by starvation, thirst, or maybe smoke inhalation.
A decapitated skull tops a pile of gear and other treasures no doubt looted from the fallen guards that suffered in the fire. The pile consists of 120 gold pieces, a well made heavy crossbow that may be in disrepair, a well made longsword, a heavy mace, a strange stone with a glyph marked upon it, and a ring of keys.
Leeoli hauls the items up the glowing rope. Anyone skilled in detection of magic?
Leeoli studies the item for telltale signs of magic
Neither the crossbow nor the longsword show any magical properties, though both are obviously well made
The mace glows with magic, but Leeoli cannot pinpoint what it is.
The stone is a stone of alarm.
The keys show no magical aura, but if they're the general maintenance keys that they look to be, then they could prove invaluable.
Rufus lies on his belly, his arms extended down the pit to retrieve the items as Leeoli passes them up to him. He tries his best to ignore the feeling of seething anger coiled in his brain, poised to strike or...
He'd mention it later to Zazaria if it continued, but surely it's only adrenaline, or perhaps an unanticipated effect of his mutagen. Probably a misapplication of alchemical procedure. He's still so clumsy with the whole process, afterall. Nothing to worry about...
"I wonder who these belonged to, guards of the prison? If only there were to identify them, we might seek to return them to the families of the dead. Alas, there're no identifying marks."
He lifts the mace and gives it a few solid swings, the hammerhead coming unnecessarily close to the others.
"Sorry," he says quickly, "I seem a bit high-strung. Perhaps we should return to town and recuperate?"
Henrik nods as the group begins to agree to go back to town. if nothing else, it'll give us all a chance to get caught up, share what we know, and actually meet each other proper."
Rufus nods at Henrik. "Indeed. I'm always eager to meet friends of the Professor, especially the living sort. He kept such interesting company."
He turns to the others. "Shall we?"
Leeoli pauses.
Rufus, my dear friend. I fear that when you wielded that cursed axe in our defense, you took on a dire burden...a burden that may not easily be discarded.
Leeoli carefully removes the axe, careful to not touch the handle, and wraps it tightly in a bundle of a canvas sack. Taking a bit of the rope, that still glowed, Leeoli splices off a section, and binds the canvas covered axe with the rope. Then, removing the strange looking stone with engraved ruins. This is a stone of warning. We are fortunate indeed to find it here, I think, at this time.
Leeoli affixes the stone, and speaks a gutteral command. After a small glow confirms the spell's initialization, Leeoli returns the wrapped axe to his bags.
If any touch it besides me, a warning will sound.
Leeoli places a gentle hand on Rufus's shoulder. Just in case there is an evil that has rooted in you from this evil artifact, we'd like a chance to keep our heads. Leeoli grins.
You shake the thought away as you focus on your friend's words.
The group pulls up the ropes as they travel back up to the main floor, then out through the open door and into a dark and cloudy mid-afternoon devoid of any cheer. The prison offers no more to bar the way out, perhaps happy to get rid of this group that has defeated some of its fell champions.
The trek back to Ravengro is a bit different in the group than when Dura and Henrik had made the trip up to the hill. The citizens of Ravengro seem to see Leeoli and the original group as their saviors - indeed perhaps their only hope. They nod and wave, and even offer a hot meal or place to rest, should it be needed.
Arriving at the Lorrimor home, you are greeted by Kendra, who appears to have not slept in days. She's worried herself sick since Dura and Henrik had appeared earlier in the day, no doubt the burden of having even more friends to worry for has taken quite the toll on the young woman.
You're hurt! Please come in, quickly!
Mr Maleye, I may be able to tell you what the mace does
Rufus, my dear friend. I fear that when you wielded that cursed axe in our defense, you took on a dire burden...a burden that may not easily be discarded.
Leeoli places a gentle hand on Rufus's shoulder. Just in case there is an evil that has rooted in you from this evil artifact, we'd like a chance to keep our heads. Leeoli grins.
Rufus glares at Leeoli. "Don't be preposterous!" He bites, uncharacteristically firm. "I think the paranoia is seeping deeper into that brain of yours, Maleye. There is no problem, save the dankness of this oversized crypt. Evil rooted in me, I--"
He blinks.
"Keep it hidden," he rasps harshly, his eyes growing wide. "Keep it away from me, my friend. Zazaria, I fear I may be in need of a priest."
He wouldn't have thought in a hundred years that those words would pass his lips.
----------------
Rufus passes the townsfolk with barely a glance, preoccupied as he is. At the house, Rufus is still shaken by the possibility he is cursed. It is simply so good to be someplace warm. And safe. He accepts a hot cup of tea "How much does Kendra know?" he whispers to the others, out of her earshot.
Any attempt to coax him out of his bloody surcoat is dismissed, as he tugs again at the hem to ensure it remains high on his neck and covering his wrists. "Fine! I'm fine!" he insists stubbornly.
Leeoli looks sideways at Zazaria with concern. Sure Rufus. Let's stoke the fire some.
Campus pulls Kendra aside. We should try to destroy this axe, as well as these other cursed items we found
Dura moves to help the cleric heal those who still need it.
Then she turns her attention to Kendra.
"Sit down, dear. We've all been through a lot, you included. You need to make sure you're taking care of yourself, too." Daniel comes over and rubs his face against Kendra's leg.
Though she doubts Kendra will stop fussing over everyone, acting as hostess and such, hopefully, she will at least calm down a little.
"Now that we have a moment, I wanted to introduce myself a bit more formally. I'm Dura. I've been a friend of Kendra and her father's for years. I'm sorry that these are the circumstances under which we must meet." She reaches down and ruffles the tiger's head. "And this big teddy bear over here is Daniel. He's pretty friendly over all once he gets to know you. Just don't try to scare him or anything while he's sleeping." She smiles, but it's hard to know from her quirky smile if that was a joke or not.
After people are seated, resting, etc., she asks Leeoli, "Now then, let's hear what horrors have been found so far in that jail and which one's still need to be put down." She will also fill the larger group in on the activities of the possessed townsfolk that she and Henrik have been attending to.
As the evening wears on through tales of heroics, warnings, and fears, through reminisces of their shared friend, and friendships, Leeoli finally brings out the canvas bag containing cursed items uncovered in a cache at the castle.
These are artifacts of the notorious prisoners. That bundle Leeoli points at the canvas wrapped axe, was the Lopper's very own axe, which we used against his spectre this evening. Leeoli glances at Rufus, who huddled by the hearth like old ash.
This is an evil pile. It offers use powerful tools against our enemies here, but I fear their temptation. I fear that their use will destroy and consume us. I'd prefer to destroy or remove their curse as soon as we may.
Kendra looks at Rufus, concerned, before nodding to Leeoli. Indeed; perhaps you can leave it with me and I'll take it to Father Grimburrow. Surely, if stored at the temple, we should be safe, right?
The young daughter of your late friend does indeed fuss a bit, particularly after seeing the state of which those from the prison had returned. She seemed to have a motherly nature that had arisen from having to take care of many of the simple things which her father just didn't seem to feel the need to take care of - like eating right or cleaning the house.
Still, one person can only go through so much, and Kendra had seen her world flip upside down over the past few weeks. She falls into a chair with a sigh, and idly scratches behind Daniel's ears as she listens to the horrors - both seen and expected in the prison. She nods to Dura and Henrik after.
And, these two have...we hope...taken care of the problem with the statue. I'd guess we'll see in the morning, but they think they've caught the man who was causing the vandalism...and his accomplices. None other than your good old friend Gibs Hephenus.
Maybe Kendra. I am not sure. I fear...I fear.
Rufus sits near the fire, wringing his hands anxiously. He looks from Kendra to Dura. "So, not another spirit to blame at all, but only a vexed citizen. What was his motive, exactly?"
Growing up in Ustalav, he's heard his share of wolves howling in the night, but he's never seen a tiger. "The creature is remarkable," he nods appreciatively, but keeps his distance. From everyone. "It appears you are a woman of unique talent. It is a pleasure to meet you. I am Rufus van Hildegoath, of House van Hildegoath of Lepidstadt, son of Cornelius van Hildegoath, though he rest in peace, and his ladywife, my mother, Winifred van Hildegoath. I have known Kendra, Leeoli, and Professor Lorrimor through connections at the University of Lepidstat. I, like you, am come at the bequest of Kendra, on behalf of the Professor, and the, er--unusual circumstances surrounding his recent passing."
"And Henrik, what is your relationship to the Professor?"
"On the morrow, we will return to the Harrowstone, then, to quell these restless spirits and get to the bottom of this madness."
Assuming, of course, we make it through the night.
"Kendra, an odd request, but might we lock me inside a bedroom, or the basement?
Kendra gulps visibly and searches Rufus's eyes for some sign of a jest. Finding none, she nods. Yes, of course. The cellar has a sturdy wooden door and a double sided lock...Father always complained about the thing, as he had locked himself inside the roof once accidentally.
I am glad you are willing to go with these precautions, friend.
Leeoli looks over their meager supplies. We will need to stock up in the morning.
"Is it possible to burn the cursed items you spoke of?", Dura asks Leeoli. "If the earthly tethers are destroyed, perhaps the spirits would be put to rest."
I was thinking of taking them to the forge on the morrow to melt them down, but I'm unsure of whether these would be resistant to normal heat
"And Henrik, what is your relationship to the Professor?"
Henrik pauses, then manifests his mind blade, the shimmering Claw protruding from his hand rather unnatural. "We, one way or another, saved each other, when I wasn't much more than a boy. He helped me to quell the beast, so to speak, " he says, taking a moment to drag his claw along the palm of his other hand, a meager stream of blood leaking from the thin slit. "The curse doesn't come without it's perks, however..." he says, his flesh stitching itself together even as he speaks, the flow of blood soon coming to a halt and drying up.
I'm not so sure it was merely a vexed citizen. He certainly seemed to think there was something unnatural in his head once we'd stopped him..."
Rufus raises an eyebrow. Now that is a skill worth having.
I'm not so sure it was merely a vexed citizen. He certainly seemed to think there was something unnatural in his head once we'd stopped him..."
He falls wearily into one of Kendra's highbacked parlor chairs "Yes, I fear I know the feeling."
All right then Rufus,get yourself to thy basement, I need sleep. Leeoli says heavily. In the morning we will see about resupplying ourselves, taking care of these cursed items...and with a laugh perhaps we can take a ladder with us in the morning.
Zazaria's shine - perhaps a little hysterically - beneath drooping eyelids. We lived another day. O Lady of graves, I need to sleep!
She falls asleep swiftly in her own chair.
Leeoli, thinking about restocking supplies, or upgrading his weapons, looks over the loot they encountered in the prison and tried to judge their worth. We should sell these in the morning, keep what we want. [ooc]See discussion for loot list[/b]
We could use more holy water.
In the morning, Leeoli once again takes a look at the mace that showed a magical aura the day before. He'd often find something he had missed the next day.
Appraise Bronze ware medallion apparently from the shining crusade: 35 GP
Appraise unframed Taldan painting of Stavian I: 110 GP
Appraise set of fine silver hair clips: 35 GP
Appraise well-made punching dagger: 302 GP (cost to make)
Appraise pouch containing a dozen shurikens: 210 GP (cost to make)
Masterwork Heavy Crossbow: 350 GP
Masterwork Longsword: 240 GP
Kendra identifies the mace as a +1 heavy mace.
The next morning dawns as many so recently have - dark and filled with despair in a town that had seen too many evils...in a land of even more darkness. Kendra does her best to provide a lightness to the morning, offering a simple but filling breakfast and an attempt at lighter conversation.
There are of course a few places at which you could sell your treasures - The Unfurling Scroll, old Alendru's magic store, The Silk Purse, if you want to go through having to deal with bankers, Jominda's Apothecary for the smaller items, and the Ravengro Forge for weapons or Armor.
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Rufus had barely slept. It wasn't the dank coolness of the cellar, nor was it for want of comfortable bedding. Kendra had secured a partially collapsed featherbed from storage and had offered him several blankets, and even a strong beverage. But the bottle of spirits sat unopened, Rufus pacing nervously through the gloom below the house. He had tried to sleep, for a while, but every time he closed his eyes he had remembered what it felt like to hold the ax, how it drew him to dark places, places that surely must not exist within his own mind.
It was only a figment of your imagination. Some dark sorcery. You were not yourself. But every time he told himself this, he could only think of the tender flesh on the necks of Leeoli, Zazaria, Vrilli, and Anyi, and how the blade's edge seemed a perfect fit. He had stopped trying to sleep then, for fear of what his dreams might show him.
Instead, He undressed himself in the darkness, knowing that now he was beyond the eyes of the others. Beneath his dark, floor-length coat and surcoat, a complex series of overlapping metal plates formed a somewhat flexible armor. Each plate was ribbed with hide to mitigate its abrasion on his skin, and a series of brass buckles, buttons, and joints rigged the entire contraption together in a way that generally conformed to his lithe frame. It was his father's invention, truth be told, but he knew the moment he'd found it hidden beneath the floorboards in his father's lab that he must keep it secret. If his mother had known of it, she'd have sold it, and it was much too precious a treasure. There were other trinkets as well, discarded alembics and crucibles, worn but useable. Many such items he had used in his own experiments. But he had been forced to sell some items along his journey south, to fund the purchase of his supplies and weapons.
He had unbuckled, unbuttoned, and disjointed his armor, letting it fall heavily to the floor. Then he had discarded his formal garments, the faded long-sleeved shirt with frayed seams that covered him nearly to his neck, and the dark woolen pants that had tucked into his boots. Then he stood naked in the darkness, running his hands over the flesh of his arms and chest, tracing the smooth, hard veins that had become so prevalent within the ravages of his skin. They must never know what the white essence had done to him. Not Kendra or Leeoli, especially. They might question his unusual strength, but that was easily explainable by the chemicals, desirable even, for it proved to the world the validity of his father's work. But the side-effects, both physical and mental... Well, greatness had come at a cost.
Perhaps I am truly following in father's footsteps. I am going mad, and will one day hang myself in a garden house.
That thought scared him more than any other. And so he had methodically unpacked every article of provisions he had brought with him from Lepidstat, laying them out neatly along the floor. First he arranged them by size, starting with the larger items like his armor, sword, and hammer. Then he had rearranged them alphabetically, both forward and in reverse. Then he had resorted to creating shapes on the floor, spiraling the items out from the center of the room to take the holy symbol of Pharasma.
All the while he had repeated aloud, over and over, his whispers growing ever more urgent. "My name is Rufus van Hildegoath of the Lepidstadt van Hildegoaths. My father was Cornelius van Hildegoath. My mother is Winifred. My brother was Edgar. I am not mad, I am not mad, I am not mad."
___________________
Morning comes, and Rufus finds himself lying on the featherbed. He must have found his way there, though he cannot remember it. All he can remember are his nightmares, and his equipment scattered across the cellar only makes them more real. He gathers himself quickly, redressing and reclaiming his armor before Kendra should happen upon him. Then he makes his way upstairs for tea.
"I slept well, thank you," he lies to the others. "The night was uneventful." He doesn't say much more, simply brooding over his cup as Kendra and the others sort through the items they have uncovered. When he sees the oracle board, his silence breaks. "What is that?" he asks, setting his teacup aside and standing near the brass board.
"Leeoli's suggestion to obtain holy water is a good one. Is there a place , a church or temple, at which we might procure it? While we're at it, we may inquire about the ax. Though we should make our purchases first. We don't want to scare the septon unnecessarily."
Leeoli slept well, despite his worries. He had placed the ax, wrapped tightly by cord and rough canvas and alarmed with a magical stone, between himself and a sleeping tiger. He had never before allowed himself to fall asleep helpless so near a predator of this power, but surprisingly, he found the beast's presence a comfort. Its flesh and blood of the living sort. And indeed, I am glad to have Henrik and Dura here. We have need of capable friends right now. Anyi, who had seemed shaken ever since the fight with the spiders, had mentioned her intention to stay with Kendra through the next few days. He had agreed. Kendra needed companionship right now, and Henrik and Dura seemed quite capable companions.
Upon a knock from at the basement door, his old friend emerges. Rufus appears energized by the night's sleep and imemdiately sets to work planning for the day ahead. Leeoli looks carefully at Rufus's sunken eyes Perhaps not refreshed, but daylight does bring hope.
Agreed. Holy water first, then we'll see about this cursed ax, and any hold it may have on Rufus. The way he looks at my neck when he thinks I'm not looking is uh, well. Hrm.. Yes. So, Then.. We should go to market sell our goods.
As Rufus awakens, his body feels odd...as if not his own. He stands, his bones feeling as if they use skin not his own.
Kendra smiles at Rufus as he enters, though the smile is grim. She stands and looks ready to come to his physical aid, should he need it. Noting his upright condition, or perhaps remembering his noble and proud bearing, she sits back down.
With narrowed eyes, she examines the target of Rufus's inquiry. A spirit planchette...my father had studied them quite a bit. One of these is supposed to allow one to speak to someone on the other side - someone no longer with us. She winces, then shrugs. No doubt until this week, most in this town thought they were just for children's games.
She nods at the last. Yes, the temple of Pharasma will be more than willing to help, particularly with the town's having hired you to clear out the prison. I'm sure that Father Grimburrow will fill whatever you give him that's empty.
Dura's sleep is troubled. She finds herself awoken several times by nightmares, mostly of townsfolk attacking her and her new companions. Daniel's reassuring presence, and snore, go a long way to helping her get back to sleep each time.
After a light breakfast, she joins the discussion about items needed to continue their assault on the prison. "If we need to split up for speed, I can go to the temple for holy water if someone else wants to go to the market." It's evident that she wants to return as soon as possible, before anything else bad happens in town.
A chill seemed to pass through the room, but Leeoli shrugs it off. Let us leave to the temple then.
The Temple of Pharasma has certainly changed quite a bit from its earlier attitude, and the young acolytes jump to do your bidding. They now eye you with respect, perhaps with a bit of fear. It's obvious that the happenings in town have everyone revising their opinions of who to trust and who not to trust.
We should get plenty, and we should get glass vials so that they will splash when we throw them.
Let us talk to the father. We are in urgent need of him about a potential curse afflicting one of our party by an evil from the prison.
What is it Rufus? Leeoli had watched as his friend's eye's crossed into and out of focus, then glaze over in pain.
"A family evil.." Rufus moans, clutching at his hair. "An iciness, a sinking, a sickening of the heart." He feels a morbid acuteness of the senses, hears peculiar sounds, and even the odors of the flowers are oppressive. "A curse, a madness, or both."
Leeoli is unable to diagnose Rufus's condition, though it most certainly seems to be a curse. It seems to be more potent than a curse from a normal spell, which Leeoli feels he could identify.
One of the acolytes rushes off to bring Father Grimburrow, and everyone is ushered inside to wait within the vestibule. The Father comes out only moments later, his think old legs showing a good bit of quickness for his age.
A curse, is it? Tell me how this happened. Though urgent, he's not without decorum, and leads everyone within, to sit along one of the old wooden pews in the main temple.
Where is the Father! Leeoli stares determinedly at the young acolyte.
"Tell me how this happened."
Where should Rufus begin? At the prison? No, the story is much older than that. "Meeting Kendra--" No, earlier. "Lorrimor. He said I should read further, dig deeper. Leeoli, he--"
Earlier.
"..my father's journal.."
Before.
"..he took his own life.."
Go back.
"...they both took their lives..."
And he is a young man again. No, a boy, but a pallbearer, first for his father, and then for his brother. The days were different, weren't they, but they might as well have been the same. His mother's mad cries, the torrential rain, the mud, the weight of the coffins, of the bodies he bears. And his mother's words. What is it she wails behind her veil of mourning?
"It is my fault!" Rufus laments, nearly incoherent.
Leeoli, clearly disturbed by Rufus, steps in. Rufus may have regrets from his past, but the danger comes from the present.
Leeoli grimaces but continues. At the prison, we found an ax, an ax we suspect was the weapon with which the Lopper killed his victims these years ago. The ax radiated magic, and we determined that it could be a powerful weapon, but also that there was a darkness to that magic.
Leeoli was unsure why he did not mention the other artifacts, but he supposed that he still did not completely trust Father Grimburrow, if only because his name was so grim. Leeoli glances over to Zazaria, but continues.
We debated trying to destroy the ax then and there, but that is not an easy thing to accomplish, and there was much to contemplate. We continued down, deep into the belly of the prison. In a lonely hole, we encountered the dire shade of the Lopper himself. The battle was grim, and being incorporeal, we had few weapons that were of use. In desperation, Rufus took up that ax and with it struck down the Lopper.
Leeoli shrugs off his pack. Rufus has ever since acted strangely, sometimes giving looks as if he wished to see blood flow from our necks, or suddenly giving expressions of great pain. We fear that the ax has cursed him. The ax, I have right here, in this bundle of canvas.
Father Grimburrow chews on this as he eyes Rufus with clear calculation - perhaps weighing his odds of survival, or wondering whether he should be neutralized before he could do anyone harm. He glances at the canvas, but makes no move to reach for it.
I've often feared the spirits that dwell within that foul place. The end of the prison was just that - an end, but the stories of those burnt within its confines seems to be much older still. After your recent discoveries, I'd done some research on my own and, while I no doubt found only as much as you now know, what I've read about those doomed souls kept in Harrowstone makes me pray all the harder for the Lady's divine justice in their ends.
While my prayers would allow me to remove the curse from Rufus, I fear it goes much deeper than that. If I don't sever this link he has with the axe, then it will manifest again. I think that the axe will have to be destroyed, most probably in a certain way, so that it can't do just that.
He eyes Rufus again, this time with a frown. I fear that, while I research the solution, it may be best to keep your friend in the Ravengro Jail, for the safety of himself as well as us.
Dura's amiable nature and sense of people proves to be invaluable in the trip about town. She gets straight, honest information right away, and easily finds the right places at which to sell the gathered loot for maximum gains.
First, you discover that the old councilman Gharen Muricar is a collector of historical fine art from Ustalav's past. He offers 160 GP for the bronze medallion and the unframed painting of Stavian I.
Another councilwoman, the quite attractive Shanda Faravan, was more than happy to offer up 45 GP for the fine silver hair clips - a gift for her young daughter, no doubt the future crusher of more than one young man's hearts.
Then, it's to the Ravengro Forge, where a female dwarf named Jorfa plies her trade. She's a smith by trade, and is quite happy to show her wares. She offers out an even 200 GP for the shuriken, the used leather armor, and the punching dagger.
Jes' not much a use for this fancy stuff 'round here. I can use the leather for patchwork, and the punchin' dagger may be good for a sale, but the shuriken I'll have to take up to Lepistadt to sell, no doubt.
Accepted, Jorfa. Leeoli counts the gold into a pouch.
You may be right Father Grimburrow, but I am reluctant to leave Rufus confined.
Yes, good! Lock me up, where I can't hurt anyone, Rufus thinks. But if it is the ax to blame, who's to say there aren't other dangers lurking within the prison?
"Father," he manages, finding his tongue for the moment, "If the prison is as cursed as you say, the evil within needs be quelled. As we have already discovered, the dangers lurking therein are quite powerful. My friends will need all the help they can get in overcoming it. If I am with them inside the prison, I will not be a danger to the village."
Only to my friends. He thinks to himself.
"What's more, If I...If I am already cursed by the ax, then I am already tainted. Should there appear to be more such items hidden in the ruins, I can handle them in the stead of my allies, knowing that I am already possessed by a foul magic."
He adds hopefully: "At least, until you can destroy the ax."
Leeoli is clearly uncomfortable with the idea. He does not know this Father Grimburrow very well. He examines the man's face intently, trying once again to guage his character.
Leeoli holds his examination past polite comfort, but finally nods, his decision made.
The town is afraid. These attacks by zombies, the fiery spectres that attacked the town hall, and black hand that choked the councilor in her home. This is a terrible and mysterious evil the town faces. The people need hope. He pauses emphatically [/b]Right now, for good or ill, we are the symbol of that hope.[/b]
Leeoli grips Rufus's shoulder. If it becomes known that one of those heroes is now tainted by that evil, that he has had to be confined..Well, the town, they may just lose all hope. Leeoli straightens. No, it is better that those heroes care for their own, and provide an untarnished vision to the town. We will monitor him, and if necessary, confine him, discreetly, within Kendra's basement. However, please do continue your research on the matter as to how to destroy the ax and its link to Rufus.
...and I may have an idea how to find that out for ourselves