You aren't sure who exactly knows who in Trunau, but it's a small town so you figure the chances of two half-orcs knowing each other is fairly decent.
Returning to the Clamor Sara stops her work again-You know if you keep coming back here to talk, I'm going to have to ask you to buy something. What's up?
“Katrezra has left Sanctuary and we are trying to find him since he was speaking with Rodrik before his death. Have you seen him about lately?”
I'm sure quite a few folks had conversations with Rodrik before he died. What makes Katrezra so special?
“Tyari mentioned them meeting many times in the last few weeks. And now Rodrik is dead and Katrezra has disappeared.”
Katrezra has disappeared? I had no idea he was a magician. He said he was an oracle of some sort. Why would you think he had anything to do with Rodrik's suicide?
"Rodrik didn't commit suicide Sara, he was murdered. Maybe something he and Katrezra were talking about will yield a clue as to who and why."
Sara opens her mouth again, looking like she is going to put you off when a gravely voice speaks from a doorway leading to a storeroom; it's Katrezra! Enough Sara. I should have known it would be you Engwarth that tracked me down. You always have been relentless. Ask your questions. I will answer them.
“Why did you leave sanctuary? What were you talking about with Rodrik? What do white swords mean?”
It is no great secret that I was cursed with preternatural visions many years ago, during my time with the Empty Hand. Since I left those savages, many have sought my counsel into matters ranging from the mundane to the dire, but I’m afraid the omens that assault my dreams are nigh indecipherable, even to me, and I have no means of directing them.
Rodrik originally approached me to ask for advice while courting Brinya Kelver. The love-struck fool—bless his soul—thought I might have some special insights into the traditions of her people or visions of the couple’s everlasting happiness... but come now, do I look like the
romantic type? He smiles wryly, then shakes his head and moves on. I couldn’t help him with his relationship, but we gradually became close friends. I’d been experiencing vivid hallucinations of white swords or crosses, and dreams of the Plague House outside town. When I told him of them, he seemed to think my dreams might help with his investigation. I told him about my visions as best I could, but the muse of my nightmares is as abstruse as she is unkind.
Rodrik had plans to go back to the Plague House, but because of the unease I felt from my visions, I suggested he leave his journal with me, which he did. The night of his death, my visions were even more terrible, though still indecipherable. When news of Rodrik’s death reached me in the morning, I knew it must have been foul play, so I fled the Sanctuary, fearful that whoever targeted Rodrik would come after me as well. His death grieves me to no end, but at least my efforts bought me enough time to share this information with you.
“What is the Plague House? Can we have his journal?”
Before the fall of the Hordeline, this was a small church of Iomedae
serving the local farming communities. When Lastwall’s forces retreated and Trunau decided to stand and fight, the priests of Iomedae joined them—yet unlike the other residents, head priest Arthuris Bain and his two assistants refused to retreat within the fortified walls, confident that Iomedae’s wrath would strike down any raiders who dared to come for them. Though the priests fought valiantly, the church was burned to the ground almost immediately by the rampaging orcs, and all three of its residents were slain.
The church stood as a burned-out husk for decades, then 50 years ago was hastily reconstructed as a place to hold those aff licted by a plague sweeping the town. Though removing the sick from inside the town walls doubtlessly saved many, the plague house burned down in a mysterious fire only a few nights after its completion,taking with it a score of patients and healers. Whether the fire was an accident or the work of an arsonist attempting to stop the plague for good, no one knows, but no one ever proposed building on the site again.
Today, the site—known as both the Burned Church and the Plague House—is left alone, save for the occasional children’s dare to stand in the center of the blackened beams at sunset. However, lights have recently been seen moving about in the church at night, but even the best trackers unable to find any evidence of tracks there the following morning. The whole town buzzes with wild speculation after each new sighting.
If I give you the journal, what are your intentions?
"Plague house is burned church outside walls. Strange lights visit there at night."
"We will use it to try to find his killer and bring him to justice."
Ghûn holds up his weapon:
"Justice right here."
sometimes that is the best kind, Ghun
Justice. That sounds like what Rodrik would want most.
He hands over the journal.
#1-How I wish I could divulge my fears and hopes to my beloved Brinya. The risk is too great, of course—I would hate to implicate her in the dire scheme I’ve only just started to unravel. Not to mention how much I fear her ire over my loss of the hopeknife she gifted me. What a fool I have been these past few weeks.
#2-I still haven’t found the hopeknife, and whoever’s making the replacement at Clamor is certainly taking her time. Katrezra was oddly quiet when I met with him today. When I asked for his thoughts, he told me to leave him be, and to give up my foolish investigation altogether. He was so supportive of my mission until now—what could have changed his heart so?
#3-Katrezra’s visions of the Plague House have been getting more frequent as the days go on. He claims “something wicked lurks beneath the ashes of the past.” I’m fearful of what his strange dreams portend, but I b must investigate the Plague House ruins once again. Tonight is Ruby’s hopeknife ceremony; tomorrow I will search the ashes once more. Katrezra has recommended he hold onto my journal for safekeeping, and while I am hesitant to part with my writings for even a moment, I know his logic is sound.
“Katrezra, why did you tell Rodrik to give up the investigation?”
My visions were so deadly and violent, I was afraid that if Rodrik pursued his investigation it would end ugly for him. Sadly, it appears that I was correct. Most people enjoy being right; for me it's a curse as much as a blessing.
“Anyone else have any questions? I think we should see what we can find at the Plague House next.”
plague house, ugh. That does sound like where we need to go.
I heard 'play house' for a second there. Sounded a bit nicer.
The party returns to Sanctuary to rest and prepare to explore the Plague House the following day.
That night....
Daardra and Orett are awoken at almost the same time and can make out four sneaking figures in the darkness creeping towards where the party's cots are.
Daardra back pedals and shouts Ghun! Engwarth! Beware!
Cast Mage Armor on herself.
Orett strikes at the nearest opponent.
Activate Flurry of Blows
-don't forget, his AC is only 16 until Mage Armor is cast on him-
Four figures break from their failed attempt at stealth and attack the semi-slumbering party. One is crushed to death by Orett's rocky fists before he can attack!
The other three empty the contents of palm-sized metal tubes with a quick flick of their wrists, causing a bubbling transparent liquid within to solidify into jagged crystalline blades!
Two attack Orett and one cuts at Daardra:
DC 14 save or take 4 points of DEX damage
Cast Evil Eye Hex on figure that attacked me
DC 15 or -2 to hit
Unarmored Ghun and Engwaith are up.
"What is going on???!!!"
Cast CLW on Orett.
The once stealthy foes find the advantage of surprise elusive as Orett rips a jawbone loose, killing a man, and uses it to club one of the other two wounding him badly. Guhn's massive flail crushes ribs and collapses a lung; the third man collapses to the ground, blood bubbling from his mouth.
The lone survivor stabs desperately at Orett!
Cast Evil Eye hex on remaining bad guy, -2 to hit.
Orett's fist smashes the last man's nose, driving the bone back into his brain, killing him.
"Good fight Orett! Next time leave more for me."
Search the dead bodies.
"I can't believe this is coincidence, whoever killed Rodrik must want us dead to."
I will try Ghun
Each foe had-leather armor, light crossbow, short sword, 60 GP. The bodies are covered in a number of tattoos and decorative scarring.
Divide the loot, back to sleep, then off to the Plague House.
The Plague House awaits, but FIRST....welcome to level 2!
The next day, fully rested, the party makes its way down the hill of Trunau, through the front gates and around the Easter side of the hill the town is nestled on.
Along the outskirts of the far SE side of town lies the burnt out ruins of the Plague House. There appear to be multiple ways into the ruined building-through the front doors, a collapsed wall, and a large dark hole that look like it leads into a basement.
"Should we try the front door first?"
+1 for traps
[/b]Is there a bell to ring?[/b]
Ooh, a bell. I like the sound of that