She wrinkles her brow. "It's...hard. There was something wrong. Something I was going to mention when he was awake. I..." She closed her eyes. "I walked in the room. I had a key, and the door was locked, but he often locked it when he was working. I saw him in bed and was worried, so I put my coat on his desk to get it out my hands." She opened her eyes, now wet with tears. "Did you find the lockbox on the desk? It wasn't there when I...was."
Karlea, an infamous Cleric who resides on the Arch providing alms and aid to the poor might be able to help.
"I agree--my own expertise is, sadly, inadequate for this task." Triel sighs. "However, we should also look into the Stalker's Oil on the fingertips. That sort of oil is generally not employed by those in... respectable professions."
"Perhaps one of the others will know someone with experience with such things?"
"I don't think so...I will check with my colleagues...do you know what was in the lockbox?"
"Stalker's Oil and whatever has burnt his mouth will certainly need to be looked into...I know a...cleric who might be persuaded to have a look who knows various unrespectable things and may be able to let us know where best to look..." Lavi said with a shrug. Much of this was quite beyond Lavi's typical experiences as well but her years in the city - and possibly her natural disposition - had helped her know plenty of other interesting people...
"Shall we head for now?"
"Yes. Let's."
Fecklin closes her eyes for a moment, and feels a gentle surge through her reach out and touch Lekoa’s ragged form in a fluid, simple motion, as if she were flipping a switch in the man’s heart. Just a gentle tweak. Nothing to get upset about.
”M-Mistah Lekoa? You all right? Your room is more a mess’n usual today, I reckon! C’n I ‘elp you get it sorted?” She’s approaching him now, slowly.
"It is possible...do you know if he had any rivals?"
Lavi almost sighed in relief while moving out of Central towards the Arch. She was far more comfortable among the people in the shacks than those of cold bureaucracy.
Lavi joined the line and looked around the area from where she stood. Her eyes flitted around at all the people. Considering for a few moments, she turned towards Triel, "Waiting will take a while but likely mean we see her soon, or we can try leaving a message..." Lavi said, unsure how reliable the latter will be. Lavi was happy to wait though, knowing herself, she'd probably start talking with the crowd and end up involved in far more than she arrived with...
Lohn flies down and behind Lekoa, pulling forth their enchanted cold iron leafblade and attempting to jab it into the 'hungry' fellow. His words seem to indicate that negotiation is no longer an option, so best to handle the situation quickly.
I'm sorry, bub. Hopefully we can subdue you, but I'm fresh out of subduing weapons.
Fecklin heaves a long, irritated sigh. "I was rather hoping this would be a chat, but so be it." Her walking stick swishes in her hand, and she lunges forward with it.
Fecklin withdraws her blade from Lekoa’s chest, and nudges his fallen form with her patchy boot.
”I rather hoped to keep him alive,” she mumbles. ”Although we may have been too late to do so regardless of our actions.”
Cassandra makes a note...it could have been a rival shoe maker...have tO talk to his boss and co-workers...
"So whO was doing the enchantment for him?"
"That is a odd talent...was it natural or did he have a mentor?"
The gnome stoops over Lekoa’s fallen form, looking him over and paying special attention to his mouth.
”A vampire lord has absconded with his mortality, I believe. I think not that this could have ended well for him... but perhaps, should my blade have slid between a lower pair of ribs, he may have been able to tell us who his master was. But that does explain the missing blood.”
She looks askance at the man’s form. ”The authorities must be informed, of course... and, perhaps, warned. A loose vampire left unchecked may have a city beneath her thumb... and then the difficulty of their removal grows exponentially. I shall perform this task—you may follow if you’d like, or go ahead to our office. I would not be surprised if some of our partners are back yet, and I hesitate to move forward with the investigation without a full force.”
"I am patient. I think we can afford to wait for the good doctor, no?"
"I'm here to be your shadow and support. If I don't go with you and someone is watching this location, then you will be in a serious amount of danger, particularly if the opponent is powerful.
...speaking of, when you head back to the office, don't go straight back. Take some time to smell the flowers and maybe go attend a religious service or two. Never know what people of faith might be able to help bring to the table -- clearly for hypothetical reasons, of course, right?"
Lohn will do one last sweep of the area and the body before going back to overwatch for 'Fecklin'.
Fecklin nods. "True enough."
She looks over the room and finds a likely-looking piece of broken wood from his furniture. Thankfully, she's already punctured the poor man, so she has an entry point she can reuse. She sets it up, then stomps it in with her boot.
Sighing, she wipes the blood from her sword (and any that might have found its way to her gloves) off on Lekoa's clothing and leaves the building. She does her best to find a private location before removing her cap...
...and heading for the office of the police.
Lavi nodded in agreement with a smile before her eyes turned to look around. Lavi could be quite patient...but was quite distractable and there were so many interesting people around...
Heading to the main barracks of the city guard, Vulpina finds it be an impressive looking building, tall and thick walled. The doors stand open, but two officers in gilded full plate stand on each side, watching everything from the visor of there helmet.
Inside the building is quiet, with only subdued murmuring to be heard. A massive oaken desk in a horseshoe shape manned by a half dozen receptionists dominates the ground floor, although balconies on the next two levels can be seen around the hall.
A few minutes passed, and an armoured hulk of a being approached. Nearly seven feet tall and carrying two tower shields with a face in profile on each, the figure stared at you both for a moment. "You don't seem the usual sort. Trouble makers? Possible sponsors? Aid seekers? Why have you come?" The crowd moves a little further away.
"Can you think of anything odd...no matter how small...that might help the investigation?"
Vulpina enters the building with a smile; it's good to be walking tall again, and speaking with dignity once more. She crosses the room to a receptionist.
"Pardon me, sir; how would one go about reporting an incident here?" she asks. While she's happy to go into details with the receptionist if that is the way of it, she'd prefer to keep matters in the proper channels.
Lavi smiled up at the far bigger person, "I've been around here for years, don't say you don't recognize me? I've been told I'm quite distinctive...oh well, we're not here for any trouble, just want to ask Karlea if she would be so kind as to share her expertise to help us put to rights someone who attacked and murdered a young man, cobbler's apprentice, for a good fee of course, I don't think we can get the city interested without her knowledge helping us go through the evidence we've found. Might discuss sponsorship with her too...that I might be persuaded on, might be helpful alongside the inn and doing this..." said, obviously interested and slightly distracted by the idea...
"Been told to forget? That is...very odd..."
Vulpina nods. "Very well! Then, if you're prepared?" If the receptionist must make ready any paperwork, she waits.
"I have come directly from the domicile of a man named Lekoa," she begins, giving the address as well, "and it is imperative that I report that I have slain him in self-defense. The man has-- I must assume quite recently-- become the spawn of a vampire, and as he lost control of himself and attacked me mere seconds after seeing me, I have reason to believe that he was involved in the death of Mister Kadle Kelmra, either as the murderer himself or as a secondary victim in his recent murder at the hands of his new master."
She waits patiently for him to jot down the necessary details, then: "If possible, I'd like to speak with someone about making quite certain that the city guard is briefed to be on the lookout for signs of vampires, and is carrying wooden stakes with them at all times. My company, Prismatic Investigators, will be searching for the vampire who is likely behind the entirety of this sordid affair, but I will not begrudge the matter should these proud executors of the law find and bring him to justice prior to our own encounter with him."
Lavi shook her head, paused a moment - she hadn't really considered either option - before she shook her head again, "That's not our plan, I'm hoping to pay for her expertise in odd injuries and rarer techniques to help us prove the poor young man was murdered so the bureaucrats might start caring a bit and we can get him and his family what justice can be gotten here..." she said, getting more passionate as she continued to talk.
Once the forms are complete - including names, addresses and other personal details, as they mostly seem to involve getting in contact with you later if needed - you are escorted to a small office. Despite it's size it's well appointed, with a comfortable pair of seats on the guest's side. "Seargent Hargraves," the bear like man hunched behind the desk boomed, "Officer in charge of Undead Affairs."
Following, the knight led you through the entrance into the followed out building - the vast shell now a sea of huts and narrow corridors, climbing the walls and being built up into a honeycomb of rooms and passages - and thankfully into a side room, away from the noise.
A figure in blue and white robes with the open palm of Irori sits, glancing up curiously from the plate of breads, cheese and cold meats they were consuming.
Lavi was not sure if this would be short and simple but did not point that out and followed quietly, taking in those around her as she did so. So many people...
As she approached Karlea in the side room she gave a small nod-bow before speaking, "Thank you for seeing us - I hope not to disturb you long, Karlea, I would like to pay for your time and expertise. This would likely, unfortunately, involve coming up to Central and looking at the injuries on the remains of a young man. I do not want to go into too much detail while you are eating but... we're hoping to prove he was murdered and help give his family some peace, but we need more information on his rather unusual wounds to do so..."
Vulpina's handwriting is quick and neat, and it isn't long before she's taken a seat in front of Hargraves.
"Pleased to make your acquaintance, Sergeant," she says with a friendly smile, "although of course the circumstances are a bit grim for my liking. I am Lady Vulpina of Prismatic Investigations. Have you been briefed on the basics of my situation?" she asks.
If not, she repeats herself almost word-for-word from before.
Having been quiet and letting Lavi take the lead in negotiating for a change, Triel speaks up once they reach the good doctor.
"My colleague is correct--we have several questions that we believe someone of your expertise could answer for us."
"It sounds like you may have been effected by magic..." Cassandra looks her over closely to see if there is anything off about her...
Lavi nodded, "I'm happy with that fee." she replied with no hesitation, "Though it is multiple wounds and oddities with the young man's body that we'd like to know the likely causes and, if possible, likely users or sellers of substances found on the body and that which has been removed from him..." Lavi said in her attempt to be clear, fair and upfront - something important to her as an individual and businesswoman even more than being charming...
Triel pulls out five platinum pieces and puts them in the doctor's hand.
"Done. Shall we be off?"
Vulpina sits back in her chair, rapping her knuckles upon the arm. "My colleagues and I have been inquiring into the untimely ruination of a young man named Kadle Kelmra. As I understand it, he was an apprentice shoemaker in life, working on his masterpiece. I find my suspicion to be that Kadle was killed by his, ah, 'drinking buddy,' Lekoa-- although I do not suspect that Lekoa would have done so without the taint of vampirism. We found precious little blood at the scene-- if it ended up feeding a vampire, that would of course account for it."
She ponders a bit; what would a vampire want with a young shoemaker, unless he feared getting kicked to death by mithral and darkleaf? "We were not acquaintances with Mister Kelmra; if any item was missing from his room, we would not know it. It is possible he was in possession of something a vampire would kill for, or perhaps he came across information he should not have held. My colleagues are out inspecting the body and asking questions of those that knew him. I believed I would be too, in fact," she says, with a somewhat flippant chuckle, "but one's path is never as straightforward as it seems."
He considered for a second. "Of course, depending on your contract, you might have already completed it. If this Lekoa is the one who killed Kelmra, and you've brought him to justice, then the contract could be argued to be complete. If you were the sort to do so. Going after a true undead could be quite...challenging." Hargreaves looked at Vulpina curiously.
Back at the mortuary, Karlea turns the young man's hand slowly, from one side to the other. "I wish I didn't know what this was. It's a vampire's bite gone wrong. See here? How one end is neat, circular? But the rest is a jagged rip? The tear comes from a vampire draining someone, then yanking. Rips through the flesh. Either a young one who was spooked...or an old one with a taste for more violence than even they usually use." She sighed. "Given I've seen this before, I'm guessing the latter."
Wiping her hands, she added, "I don't think he'll rise as a spawn or a vampire, but if he is infected it's the magic here stopping it. Make sure he's treated before he's buried."
Lavi nodded as Karlea talked. Lavi then said in curiosity, "That would explain why there was so little blood in his room, though not why a small amount was drained into his chamber pot... he does seem to have been heavily supplied with liquor and something stronger that burnt his mouth which I had assumed was to sedate him, is that typical for vampire bites around here? would that affect his killer? Mostly, I'm not still sure how the city could claim any of this looks like suicide..." as her distracted thoughts bounced around out of her mouth...
Vulpina favors him with a chuckle. "We have not found the killer, but at best, the murder weapon-- and, I daresay, a secondary victim. No, I would say that the true killer is still at large. Do you happen to have any information that could assist in my search?" she asks; it doesn't seem unlikely that Hargraves might have some leads and suspects, after all.
"Failing that, of course, would you favor a girl with a wooden stake to carry on her way back home? I hardly thought I would need one when I set out today... but it's not entirely unlikely that I have made myself the target of a vampire lord this afternoon."
Triel drinks in the cleric's words, her quill scratching furiously as she explains Kadle's cause of death.
"...We noticed there were traces of Stalker's Oil on the victim's fingertips. Do you happen to know of anyone who would sell such a product?"
"Ether of some kind. If it's too strong it can leave burns marks like that." Checking the fingers, she nodded. "Stalker's Oil? New vampire, then. The old ones are creepy buggers. I think there's a couple of stalls in the Markets that sell it. Too expensive for the Arch."
"I think it might be best if you come with me. My colleagues maybe able to help with this."
Vulpina nods. "Understandable. Regrettably, Lekoa was meant to be the 'someone he knew' for Kadle." She smiles, rising from her chair. "Thank you for your time. I thought it better to inform the authorities of his death rather than be found snooping through his belongings whilst holding a bloodied blade," she chuckles, meaning no offense, "I shall see what I might find at his abode. I trust you will be sending someone this evening to investigate as well-- or, at the very least, remove the body?"
Should no particularly interesting topics arise, Vulpina will collect a stake and bid the Sergeant a fair evening, returning the long way around to Lekoa's home.
Lavi nodded, then sighed, "If we're looking at a wealthy reckless new vampire using alcohol, ether, stalker's oil, and quite possibly other things to murder... it adds another issue if the people here are turning a blind eye to someone so likely to harm again. Even with things as they are now, I can only imagine whoever must have some connections to have this be ruled a suicide, even for an apprentice boy from the Steps." said, clearly less than pleased with how that seemed to fit the situation. It seemed difficult to believe the experts here would just happen to miss what they and Karlea had seen so easily. Lavi knew tearing someone a new one about these oversights would not help anything, but it was sure tempting at this moment as she considered who she knew locally who might have information on someone fitting the description...
"I think it might be best to not tell him...no need to worry him. We should sneak out. Your brother seems...overly protective."
Vulpina smiles, thanking him for his time.
Upon returning to Lekoa's home, she performs a full investigation, assuming that she is not assaulted.