IUDEIMUS TENEMENT (29 Gozran)
Arani notices nothing out of the ordinary.
Dom's casual glance doesn't catch anything vital.
Once they had entered Wex's flat and began to look around Falina did what she could to help. Unfortunately she didn't find anything of any particular interest either. "I am starting to think this was a waste of time. Maybe he isn't our killer after all?"
IUDEIMUS TENEMENT (29 Gozran)
Davina makes a sharp-eyed discovery: There are a couple of tiny drops of what appears to be dried blood between the two doors to the north. Once the doors are opened, a bedroom is revealed to the northwest, while the northeast room is a washroom. Some more investigation reveals more drops of blood near the bedroom window and in the northeast corner of the washroom. Other than the drops of blood, nothing else seems out-of-place.
"I am starting to think this was a waste of time. Maybe he isn't our killer after all?"
Dom sees Davina's gaze fix on a spot on the floor, and he follows her stare to a few drops of blood. "I'm not so sure about that, Falina," he says as he walks into the apartment, pointing out the blood in the main room, plus any other spots he sees. "Blood by itself isn't a sign of guilt, I know, but when you're looking for someone making as big a mess as we are, it doesn't look good."
Arani crouches to study the blood droplets, looking for signs of a continuous trail.
IUDEIMUS TENEMENT (29 Gozran)
As Dom and Arani lead the investigation, Viroleth offers to stand watch in the hallway, just in case Wex or anyone else happens by. As Arani examines the blood evidence, she finds a couple more smudges; it seems someone tried to wipe away the blood but missed a few spots.
Dom looks around, first at the drops in the main room, then finding the ones in the bedroom. After noting Arani's discovery, he steps back out into the hall, noting the alcove with the little sitting area, and the wall to its left.
"That area," he points, "Should be inside, da? It's not a, what'd you tell me it was, a 'load-bearing' area of the building, is it, Sudarynya?"
Dom walks back into the bathroom, tapping the wall with his crowbar. "Arani, there's got to be something here, don't you think?"
Arani pays meticulous attention to the area.
IUDEIMUS TENEMENT (29 Gozran)
Dom seems to make a good point about that section of the tenement being strange for a load-bearing area, but Arani's unable to find any secret door. Dom's crowbar-tapping brings a strange, possibly hollow sound. Is the area indeed hollow? Is a secret entrance located somewhere else? Is the door simply so well-constructed that Arani hasn't found it? Or, if there's indeed a hollow area behind the wall, could it be something mundane, like a trash chute?
Davina takes a moment to look for a possible secret door. She taps on the wall in the corner carefully looking for a button, a switch, or a crack in the wall.
IUDEIMUS TENEMENT (29 Gozran)
Davina takes a crack at finding a secret door in the wall. She's about to give up when a tiny section of the washroom wall depresses slightly when she presses it. It takes some time and experimentation, but the investigator comes through: By pushing a second point simultaneously, a 4'x4' section of the wall disengages, revealing a small room apparently carved into the tenement's thick support pillar.
The crawlspace is just under 4 feet tall, the room a square about 7 feet wide. A fine throw rug of Qadiran manufacture adorns the floor along with a few cushions. Heaps of books and papers are stacked around the rug, while sitting on a small stand opposite the secret door is an ornate-looking kukri with a bloodstained ivory handle and a blade faintly glowing red.
1st Round: There is magic present in the small room.
2nd Round: There is one aura, categorized as 'moderate.'
3rd Round: The kukri radiates the moderate magic.
The kukri radiates moderate necromantic magic.
You identify the item to be a unique +1 kukri with a taste for blood. It causes 2 points of bleed damage on each successful strike, and that damage is converted to temporary hit points for the wielder.
Falina made her way to where Davina found the secret room and entered carefully. "Well isn't this interesting? I think we have something magical down here if the red glow is anything to go by. Someone might want to come and examine it."
IUDEIMUS TENEMENT (29 Gozran)
Viroleth clanks into the room, casts an orison, and peers into the room. "Yeah...the glowing kukri radiates moderate magic. I don't know what type."
Although he's feeling vindicated, Dom is a little disappointed he didn't get to use the prybar. "Someday," he says, slightly dejected.
In response to Falina, Dom says "I know from knives, but the magic part might be a bit out of my wheelhouse," as he eyes the blade. "You think it's safe?"
Domitius steps closer, eyeing the weapon, making sure it's not booby trapped.
IUDEIMUS TENEMENT (29 Gozran)
Dom examines the stand and sees no telltale signs of a boobytrap, but given the high quality of Wex's secret door to this murder closet, he's not certain that he might not have missed something.
Dom looks around at his friends, then at the knife.
"What do you think, folks?" He motions toward the knife as if he's going to pick it up.
Falina considered the question and then said, "I have no idea, this is a secret murderhole. I'm guessing nothing good can come of it."
"Never assume it's safe."
T'chazzar pulls out the cleaning rag that he uses for his swords.
"If you want, I'll pick it up, but I don't have any way to know what it is."
"I'm not seeing anything that indicates a trap either, but you never know with someone this sick. Arani says quietly
Taking the rag from T'chazzar (assuming he's okay with me using it), Dom says, "No that's okay, I've got this. Got a bag or something? And what're we gonna do, take this to Hetamon? Still have to deal with the actual guy..."
"Just wrap it up and stow it for now so we can have someone with more magical knowledge investigate it later," suggests T'chazzar.
"OK, what about the guy though? What're we looking to do, turn him over to the dottari or something? Deal with him ourselves?" Dom asks T'chazzar as he picks up the weapon in the cloth.
"These stacks of books and papers—anything cultic? While I would normally expect the dottari just to happily add someone like this to their ranks, if they show evidence of allegiance to a non-sanctioned deity, the dottari would have to do something about it."
"I wouldn't count on them doing much otherwise. Turning someone in to the 'authorities' doesn't solve the problem. If he's the one behind the killings he needs to be put down...for good." Arani says in an unmistakable tone.
Falina considered the situation and what to do about the killer, and finally said, "I agree with Arrani, the Dottari won't do anything, not in this part of the city at least." She noticed Domitus picking up the dagger and braced herself, she didn't like what might happen if the thing was capable of controlling him.
IUDEIMUS TENEMENT (29 Gozran)
Dom's face goes intent and then vaguely angry for an instant after he picks up the kukri. Meanwhile, T'chazzar and some of the others begin to examine the books and papers present.
*****************************************
The books in the secret chamber include an assortment of medical journals on anatomy, philosophy regarding blood in symbolism and rituals, and musings on the origin and ultimate fate of mortal beings’ souls. Some are rare histories of the reign of terror a hundred years back of Mangvhune, the Temple Hill Slasher. Many are notes, apparently written by Varl Wex himself, detailing his own thoughts and theories on the above-mentioned subjects. Wex believes the Slasher’s spirit lives on inside the blade. He goes on to theorize that Mangvhune may have been manipulated to kill by beings or spirits from beyond the mortal plane, and that his spirit lingers in Kintargo due to some unnamed eldritch anomaly in the region. What the strings of murders are/were supposed to ultimately accomplish…Wex hasn’t yet discovered.
There are also copious notes regarding the glowing kukri, which Wex names Balgorrah. It was apparently created for murderous adherents to Norgorber’s ‘Father Skinsaw’ persona, but passed to Mangvhune’s hands, where it reached its true bloody potential. Wex bought it at the Newt Market months ago (not even guessing at its history or power) and has come to believe that he has been chosen by Norgorber to carry on the Temple Hill Slasher’s twisted legacy. The point behind the bloodshed, he reasons, will become clear to him in time.
*****************************************
Dom staggers backwards, wide eyes locked on something not in the room, his face a grimace of discomfort. A long moment later, he finally regains his composure as he drops the weapon, panting slightly and a little the worse for wear.
”We’ve gotta destroy that weapon,” he gasps as he gathers himself. ”I’d say just toss it in the river but musor like that has a bad way of getting un-lost. We talk to Hetamon, and to Chuko, and to anyone else we know that might have an idea how to break that damned thing for good.”
Dom opens his backpack, sets it on the floor, and kicks the kukri into it.
"Yep. Ceremonial cultic weapon of Norgorber. That thing must be destroyed before it influences anyone else," says T'chazzar.
"The temple of Shelyn sounds like it should be our next stop. We don't want that blade falling into the wrong hands. I for one don't want it in our hands either. They can hopefully deal with it." Davina scoops up books and notes, and starts tucking them away as "proof" of who the murderer is.
Dom nods at Davina's suggestion, with an unusual seriousness in his eyes. "Believe me, Sudarynya, none of us want that thing. If that settles the matter of the weapon, then the only question remaining would then be, what to do about it's wielder? Do we stake out the apartment, wait for him to come back, then it's the barrels for him?"
"Considering he willingly knew what it was, and glories in its purpose, we definitely need to take him out before he finds the blade gone and goes to ground." Arani answers, her sharp dark eyes studying Dom.
IUDEIMUS TENEMENT (29 Gozran)
You've heard of magical weapons that have an intelligence, alignment, or special purpose that gives them a semblance of life. You're guessing that's what you face here, and whatever unseen interaction it had with Dom was like oil mixing with water. Since Dom's not exactly the sneaky kind or particularly capable of being deceptive, you think he survived the contact with the kukri with nothing more than a slight scare to show for it.
"The blood trail indicates he used the window recently, though he may use that as his entrance when he's finished his nightly kill spree, which he won't do without coming home to get the weapon first." Arani points out after a few moments of contemplation. It's a matter of if we wait for him here and take him when he comes home, or watch the place from outside."[/b]
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"If we leave now and he returns and finds the weapon gone, we'll tip our hand. He'll know that he's being hunted and he'll flee. Best to ambush him here, now, before he knows we're on to him."
Falina considered their situation and what they should do. It seemed easy to choose to her. If they left and he came back he would run and they would have to hunt him down later. That would mean that she had to focus on this sick bastard instead of enjoying herself.
Falina's choice was ultimately an easy one and she said, "We should wait for him. It will be easier to deal with him now than chase him down later."
"Alright, we should choose the best locations to hide that gives us the ideal chance of taking home down as he enters. We'll want to hit hard and fast." Arani says, setting about scouting the apartment for the best ambush locations.
IUDEIMUS TENEMENT (29 Gozran)
The group plans a surprise welcome for Varl Wex when he returns to his apartment. Unless you've all missed something, it seems there are only three ways he can enter his apartment: through the door or one of the two windows.
The apartment doesn't have a lot of good hiding places for folks to await Wex's return. Viroleth, in his heavy, clanky armor, doesn't look forward to crouching down to hide while awaiting the killer's return. He comes up with a different plan: He offers to return to the Silver Stein, get Rexus and Sabrina, and set up a lookout a block from the entrance. That way, the party will have eyes inside and outside Wex's apartment. He hopes that Rexus or Sabrina will have some way of magically alerting the party of Wex's arrival; if not, they'll enter afterwards, hoping to catch the killer in a pincer move or at least provide the main party with some back-up.
Davina puts herself up against the wall next to the window in the northern bedroom. She drinks her extract of Shield, and draws her rapier.
I don't think he'll go quietly, and who would we take him to? The dottari don't care about what's happening in the Nursery."
"Anyone have any minor illusion magic that we could use to conceal our position? If not, we might as well close up the front, but then make the inside look like it's been tossed already, so that we can hide behind rubble or under sheets or whatnot. We'd need someone hiding outside in case our quarry bolts immediately, of course."
Falina nodded and said, "Yes T'chzazzar, I can cast an illusion that might help if he doesn't look too closely at least." She moved to the far corner of the room and leaned against the wall as she focused her mind and Falina said, "Get into whatever positions you want to be in and be prepared to stay still." Falina looked up at them and said, "Just tell me when you are ready."
Nodding, Arani moves back against a wall, drawing her cloak around her and fading into the shadows of the living area, away from any light filtering through the windows.
Dom readies himself, pulling a small vial form his belt.
IUDEIMUS TENEMENT (29 Gozran)
The party waits patiently for about two hours. Suddenly, they hear a vaguely-familiar female voice cry out in pain followed by shouts out in the hallway.
Sabrina Sarini sits on the stairs in a puddle of her own blood; Viroleth is treating a wound in her side. Rexus, looking a bit paler than usual, reports "Wex came in a minute ago, so we followed him. I don't know if he made us or somehow knew you folks were in his apartment, but he ambushed us and stabbed Lady Sarini before fleeing back down the stairs!"
Falina recognized the voice that screamed. She'd heard that voice scream before on several occasions but they had always been good screams, not like this. Falina dropped her illusion of the room and tore out the door to find out what had happened to Sabrina in a near panic.
As she heard what had happened Falina felt furious with Rexus for letting this happen but she knew who the real fault lie with...Wex. Wex would pay severely for what he had now done. Falina looked at Rex and asked, "Which...Way...Did...He...Go," in a very cold voice.