"Yes, yes of course.I can draft something. In theory Sherif Anders will recognise it's authority should it come to that. I say in theory because he is one of the Vizier;s followers but if you find evidence of wrong-doing there then you can expose it to the whole town."
"Is there someplace private we can operate from?" Vermundr suggests. "We can't live on Croon's floor for days."
Vala deflates a little as the scope of their task here continues to grow as they talk. ”I don’t need privacy or some secluded, secretive room. Besides, I think Zed or Vermundr simply frowning at anyone in the inn would give us whatever space we could hope to find here. Now, I’m more ready for a fight with swamp giants or horrors from the deep than I am for playing detective, but I can scry as often as we like or reach out beyond the veil for leads, though that course does bear some risk.”
"I'm also not opposed to some good old-fashioned skulking and sneaking. A clandestine look at the temple might not go amiss."
"A stakeout at night. Yeah. Sounds like fun." Zed says, practically the physical embodiment of somebody made for staking out at night.
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Constantin replaces his hat as the team leaves the mayor's office.
He stays quiet and contemplative, thinking to himself, casting his mind toward what if... what if? over and over again.
What if we try to sneak in and investigate the Cult under cover of night?
You cast your mind forward into the misty depths of the future.
It is dark there, and shapes are formless and faceless but you are used to this by now. You wade out as a man might wade out into the sea and let your head go under the waves of what is, what was and what might be.
The weight of it is crushing and you suddenly feel yourself gasping for air where there is none. Panic sets in and your lungs are suddenly afire as you breathe nothing but cold water.
And yet it is not drowning that terrifies you. It is something that begins as formless but suddenly takes on a visage of something altogether unseen but terrible still - a great darkness carried on wings of evil fills your vision and yet..... yet something else.... something even worse dwells in the darkness where not even the light of divinity can penetrate.
"I could disguise myself as a local. It typically works better with magic, but I've had to hide my heritage occasionally."
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"Worth trying. I have a feeling that some of this cult's important functions are underwater."
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”If we’re truly intent on looking into the church, then I’m afraid disguises will be more of a liability than an aid to us. Why don’t we keep eyes on it for a day and the more deft among us can try their hands at sneaking. Zelda and Pyth might be able to help a good deal in that regard at least.”
Kazamir will pass through town several times during the day, attempting to keep an eye on the church without looking like he's keeping an eye on the church.
Kaz keeps an eye on the church but there are no unusual comings or goings that he can see. Several dozen parishoners make their way in and, after a couple of hours, out again for morning prayers and this is repeated late in the evening.
He does see around half a dozen gaudily-dressed priests in flowing green robes enter and exit at varying times of the day.
Vala tries to call forth an image of the Vizier, but she cannot penetrate the mists and the spell fails.
From the Legend Lore, you learn that Vizier Albor Voltiaro is a High Priest within the Church of the Recondite Order of the Indomnitable Sea. However, the Church is not all that it appears and it's connection to the sea may be more sinister than the worship of Gozreh.
AS afternoon winds toward evening, Kaz turns to his friends, "I'm afraid that I have no further ideas until nightfall. My own abilities do not include much to augment stealth, but does anyone else have access to such? Invisibility, for instance?
In any case, I think Zed and I - more Zed, really - are best suited to do the actual sneaking, but hopefully we can select a spot for the rest of us to be close by. After Pyth and Zelda scout, of course,", he adds, nodding gratefully to those companions.
"I'm always happy to help", Zelda responds in her buzzing sultry tone. "Perhaps I should put on something more appropriate for the occasion."
The large wasp lands on the ground. Her form rapidly melts away leaving an average-sized gray rat in its place.
Zelda scuttles in through the main doors, following quickly after one of the priests.
This open, colonnaded portico faces the dark waters of Lake Encarthan. A stone statue of a mermaid with long, flowing green hair holding a trident and a conch shell stands in the middle of the portico, also looking out to sea.
An open archway to the east leads inside and she takes it.
Two leaded stained-glass windows to the north and south display images of the same mermaid depicted by the statue outside. Two doors and an open archway lead to the east.
This room is empty save for several pairs of shoes, obviously removed by the parishoners. Unable to open a door, she heads through the open archway.
Warped wooden pews stand within this central meeting hall, decorated with a decidedly nautical theme. A wooden statue of the same mermaid depicted elsewhere in the temple stands at the front of the hall, though she holds a strange octopoid creature in one hand rather than a conch shell.
Zelda notices that the flowing locks of hair on this statue look almost like writhing tentacles, and her face has a decidedly more fish-like appearance.
Four men stand in the hall, apparently meditating before the statue. Three parishoners pray in silence behind them.
They don't appear to notice Zelda, but with closed doors leading away from this central chamber, where does she go from here?
Zelda studies the unusual statues briefly.
Hoping someone comes through the closed doors, she finds someplace secure to hide out for a while.
While the depiction of Gozreh is strange, Zelda cannot think of any explanation for it.
Zelda wait patiently, but similar to when Zed and Hazel went inside, the service continues in near silent solemnity for the next hour and shows no sign of abating.
Then, the citizens finally stand and make their way out but the priests remain in prayer.
She comes back and reports what she has seen.
"That's strange iconography for Gozreh. Hmmm." Vala ponders over Zelda's description, thinking back to old texts she'd studied back in Leipstadt.
Kazamir ponders the findings as well.
"Very odd. Some kind of co-opting cult perhaps?" says Constantin.
"In any case, it sounds like we're going to have to get in there in person if we want to know what's behind those doors. Zed, are you still on board to try sneaking in after hours? Of those of us with hands, you have the best chance of getting in and out unseen to gather information."
Zed nods, staring at the building and contemplating his path.
Zelda is able to describe the depiction in great detail and to Kaz' dismay, it sounds very much like the Demon Lord of the Sea, Dagon!
"Demon lords aren't in my contract. I'll only suicidal throw myself against overwhelming odds if they're undead."
"And, one wonders how much the laity knows about what they are worshipping. Do we have a cadre of priests slowly corrupting them, or is it a town full of demon-cultists? Either way, once we are free of here, the Count should be made aware. But that is not for tonight. Zed, do you want me to come along, or will I slow you down?"