"Fascinating.." Madeline mumbles as she continues to take notes.
Valen smiles at the Beast's response and nudges Vaghn. "Sounds like you've made a new friend, Professor."
Alexa stands back as she watches the interaction between the Beast and Vaghn.
Yes, we shall resolve this. We have seen much evil done and frequently it has used unwitting servants. We shall see to it that the truth of this matter is uncovered and the unnatural evil that is assuredly behind this is revealed.
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After leaving the jail, Vaghn easily directs you to the University. After a few minutes of asking around, you are directed to Dr. Montagnie Crowl,Professor of Antiquities at the university. You instantly realize he's an an eccentric but likable man. As he walks toward your group, you cannot help but notice that his workshop is a complete mess. Broken bottles, torn books, and soiled scrolls line the floors. You also notice a broken window.
"Ah, Herr Vaghn, how are you? It is sooooooo good to see you again! How was your adventure? I'm sure it was fantastic and I fully expect you'll tell me all about it when I'm done cleaning up here. How was your dear Kendra, anyway? I know you still have a soft spot for that lass and you no doubt found it hard to..... oh forgive me, I've run off at the mouth haven't I?"
At work.
Madeline looks around.
"What happened here?"
Vaghn blushes furiously at Dr. Crowl's words. He latches on to Madeline's question as a way to change the subject. "Er, yes, whatever has happened here, Dr. Crowl? I don't think I've ever seen your department in quite such disarray..."
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"You didn't hear? This is where they caught the Beast! It broke through my window and trashed the place! Look at this mess! Can you believe it? We're lucky the guards showed up when they did. It might have done so much more damage! It made a mess, I tell you. That thing is a menace."
Professor Cowl throws his arms up in the air in disgust.
At work.
Madeline looks at the window, then around at the room.
At work.
Seeing his Mistress' interest, Smith does his best to help.
Alexa looks about the room trying to determine whether there is any sign of the Beast actually entering. Is the broken window large enough to allow the beast to enter? Is there a sign of anything else other than the Beast?
Perception:
Alexa will also use her Spirit Sense to see whether there is an sign of undead being in the area.
Valen let's a small smile at Dr. Crowl's commentary about Vaghn, but then proceeds to also examine the room as he listens to Dr. Crowl talk about the Beast's capture.
"It seems everything I hear about the Beast is that it keeps to shadows and hinterlands - why would it come to such a public place as the University? Was anyone here that was injured in his assault?"
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Dr. Crowl replies to Valen,"When the guards arrived - about half a minute after it set off the magical alarm protecting this room - all they saw was the Beast ripping the place apart, banging on things and breaking other things. They didn't dare engage it directly, but used nets and hooks to eventually bring it down. When they had it securely bound, they led it directly to the jail. Sadly, the guards didn't find the missing effigy."
Valen will move towards that area - anything special about it? Items or books that might indicate its exception to the destruction.
Valen cocks his head as he looks around and listens to Dr. Crowl's explanation. He adds with some empathy: "Sounds like it was quite a row then - you said something about a missing effigy?
He also asks casually: "Was there anything in here that might have given off strong odors - like candles or beeswax?"
As Alexa looks around the room, she begins to frown.
How would the golem have gotten in here? There is no way it fit in through that window. Also, what is that green cloth on the window? In addition, does anyone else smell beeswax? Finally, does anyone know why there is a small bell on the door handle? Or what that broken silver wire is beneath the bell?
Madeline glances up from the item that' captured her interest.
"Hmm? What?" She blinks, then quickly consults with Smith about what was said by the others -even as she scribes more notes into her small pocket book.
"Hmmm....broken window. Glass on the inside. Door showing signs of entrance. Smell of Bee's wax. Scrap of cloth on remnants of glass in window frame...." She mumbles over her notes looking to her companions for confirmation, while herself beginning to move about the room trying to look at things in a new light.
At Alexa's question of beeswax, Valen nods in acknowledgement. "I smell it too - aside from maybe a burning candle, what would smell of beeswax?"
"Well...beeswax would smell like beeswax." Madeline points out, then begins to search for the source of the smell.
"The question is 'What has caused the smell of beeswax...'."
While she searches the room, Madeline will also ask about the source of the green bottle, its contents etc. As well as for more information about the item which is missing....
"Oh my, that all must have been rather distressing. I am glad no one was hurt, though we just came from meeting the Beast and it seemed, somehow... gentle. I dare say, doctor, that there is more to this mystery than meets the eye!"
"Er... beeswax?" Vaghn sniffs tentatively.
He latches onto the one answer that he can provide: "The bell and wire, at least, are easy; they are components to a simple spell of alarm."
"Oh, yes, in all the talk about the excitement, I completely forgot! Doctor, we have brought some tomes back to you that had been lent out to the late Professor Lorrimor..."
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Dr. Crowl takes the tomes from Vaghn and smiles widely! "Ah, yes, thank you. I was saddened to hear of Dr. Lorrimor's passing, but I am equally grateful for your effort to return these tomes."
Then, Crowl walks over to a shelf and carefully places the books on it.
As the conversation turns to beeswax, he says, "Ah.... we use beeswax here to polish the bannisters. As for the bell, Herr Vaghn is correct - we had an alarm on the door, which the Beast set off, alerting the guards who broke down the door to get in. As for the missing, effigy, Herr Valen, well, I don't think it was very important. It was an odd, ancient item that I couldn't quite place. It certainly didn't have ties to any of the gods I know of. It was a murky, green stone
effigy we called the Seasage Effigy."
The missing, effigy, Herr Valen, well, I don't think it was very important. It was an odd, ancient item that I couldn't quite place. It certainly didn't have ties to any of the gods I know of. It was a murky, green stone effigy we called the Seasage Effigy."
After hearing Dr. Crowl's explanation, Valen turns towards the undamaged area he is examining, and asks: "Was the effigy located in this area over here, Dr. Crowl?"
"The Beast smashes through your whole workshop; damaging equipment; and rampaging through the room. And yet, when it reached this area - where the Seasage Effigy was kept - it suddenly takes care to remove the object and not damage anything else in this display. That strikes me as odd and not in character with everything I've heard about the creature."
Valen cocks his head looking at the empty spot where the Effigy must have sat. "Could someone else have been following or helping the Beast? If the Beast was incapable of it, maybe another more delicate hand took the Effigy so as not to disturb the display. Might also explain why it is still missing if the creature was captured in this room."
Alexa nods at Valen's comment.
Yes, where would the effigy be if the Beast did not take it? If must have been taken by someone else. Perhaps it was taken before the beast ever arrived. Perhaps some magic was used to ward this part of the room to keep the beast from attacking it which is why it is undisturbed while the rest of the room was destroyed.
Valen looks at the others with an expressive look before adding at the Doctor's question/comment. "I would say that there is something more at work in this theft than just a rampaging attack. Whether the Beast is the planner or the puppet is what I think we are trying to find out."
Madeline looks around, trying to gauge how the monster actually got in...
"If the guards had to break through the door..." She muses quietly to herself...moving to stand under the broken window, looking u at it thoughtfully...
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Dr. Crowl walks over to the window beside Madeline and says, "Well, I'm no invesigator and just assumed it broke the window here.." He points to the single hole in the middle of the window. "Then he opened the latch and forced it past the safety and climbed through. Of course, that doesn't explain the missing effigy, though."
Madeline looks at the window....and thinks about the size of the creature.
She nods and offers a smile in thanks at the good Doctor's words.
Thinking of something else she goes looking for any brass which has been recently polished within the room.
"Hmm... yes, polish, that would make sense. And what is this green cloth you mentioned, Alexa? Oh, and Dr. Crowl, would you mind telling me anything else you might know about the stolen effigy? What did it resemble? Who was it that found the Beast here? Are you absolutely certain it entered through the window? Are there any other entrances to the room? (Yes, I know I'm familiar with the University grounds, just humor me)." Vaghn shoots off his questions rapidly as he paces around the room, peering at everything, ending up at the window which he eyes suspiciously.
Alexa looks at Dr. Crowl:
What clothing, if any, was the beast wearing when it was caught? Specifically, what color clothing?
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Dr Crowl looks at Alexa first and says, "Just some muddy, torn brown breeches... or so I'm told. I wasn't with the guards when they caught the creature, so I only know what they told me."
Then, Dr. Crowl looks at Herr Vaghn and says, "The only way into this room is the skylight, the windows, and the door that the guards broke down to get in. Personally, I don't now why they didn't just use their keys, but they aren't the smartest folks, either, and maybe they thought breaking it down would be faster. I don't know. As for the effigy, well, it was small, green, and looked like a strange, crouching Cephalopoda."
Alexa walks over and carefully examines the green fabric on the window.
Perception: <-- specifically trying to determine what type of fabric it is to possibly ascertain the source of the fabric (a particular taylor, seamstress, or store - perhaps some religious group or something similar)
She then turns to Dr. Crowl.
Unless someone took off a green shirt, I am afraid that someone other than the beast broke and opened this window. The beast was not wearing any green shirt or pants to the best of my knowledge and clearly whoever opened this window left some green fabric behind, most likely from their sleeve.
Do you know of anyone in the University who prefers such green clothing?
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Dr. Crowl stops, sits, and rests his chin thoughtfully in the palm of his hand. "Hmmmm... I can't think of anyone here in the university that favors green over any other color, but I suppose some folks do wear it. I don't think, however, we'd be able to comb the whole university for just folks who wear green. Still, it does suggest others might have had a hand in this. You mentioned you visited the Beast before coming here - were you investigating the creature? Do you have other information that might uncover these potential culprits?"
"We are indeed investigating the matter. Something does not seem right here. The Beast may be sentient now, but it is a flesh golem, which means that someone crafted it and enchanted it with life, perhaps intelligence as well. If it is out commiting crime, seemingly without memory of doing so, its creator and master might be behind it. Unfortunately, we have no real information yet; we are leaving for Morast as soon as we purchase some horses, in order to search for clues."
<-- unskilled, but perhaps I know something about this particular fabric for some reason
-->gotta love it, that is like 5 nat-20s in the last week on skill checks. Yet, I have not gotten one in any campaign in combat.
Valen gives quizzical look to the others. "When Doctor Crowl said something about the Beast orchestrating a larger plot, I started to wonder. I don't know how involved the Beast really is, but could this have something to do with the Whispering Way? It strikes me that someone helped the Beast; and they have an interest in relics."
He shrugs his shoulders at the suggestion - leaving it open for discussing as they prepare to leave for Morast.
Alexa moves over and carefully examines the green fabric on the window. She then turns and looks at the Doctor:
Doctor, are there any professors or others at the university that come from far to the south? Perhaps Osirion? Sargava? Or even Qadira?
Or anyone else about the city you have seen who might be from that part of the world?
Alexa carefully watches the Doctor's reaction as he answers this inquiry.
"Well...we know the golem is just a construct...Even if it does seem to posses some striking qualities... So, it would be a good bet that the fiends of the Whispering Way might be behind the whole endeavor here..." Madeline says...though she continues to look thoughtful.
"Of course, this leads back to what nefarious ends might said group want with an obscure effigy...." She glances around at every one else, "This doesn't help with our current, primary, investigations into the charges laid against the golem." She sighs.
Alexa thinks for a moment then points at the fabric on the window.
You are sure that the Beast was not wearing an expensive green silk robe when he broke in here? Correct?
Because if I am not mistaken, the green fabric on the window is silk, most likely Qadiran, not something that one sees in Ustalav every day. Thus, either the Beast was wearing exotic fabric when he decided to break in here, or someone, or something, else was wearing green silk and is the person who should be sought out.
Madeline frowns,
"Who...having some control over the Beast and having been involved in a reasonably high profile assault on the University will probably be quite deep in hiding..." She taps her lips with the end of her pencil as she continues to slowly pace around the room (Carefully) thinking and observing...
"Where might such a person have been that they would stand out? Who might be the best to ask about such a person arriving in town?" Madeline asks.
Alexa shrugs:
I have no skills in this area, but I understand that some diviners can locate people with a piece of clothing or hair or something like that.