After a while the head priest comes down.
"Greetings Miss Anvanory, I'm afraid there has not been any new developments in your case so far." he says
"I suspected as much so I went ahead and hired these specialist to help resolve the issue" says Naila.
He seems surprised by the news and carefully eyes each of you assessing you.
"I assure you I can resolve this without outside assistance but I cannot stop you I supposes. I simply hope these men will not interfere with our investigation." he replies.
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"The Gray Lady, through her herald Ceyanan, charged me to aid in this investigation," Devyhn replies in a firm, but respectful tone. "She is angered by the theft of this soul, and demands justice. Be assured, interference is not our intention. I have been instructed to lend my abilities, and my friends, who are each quite extraordinary, have consented to give aid as well."
"Is that so...Well we just finished regenerating the head on the body why don't you join me when I try to question the deceased?"
"Well, it'd practically take a goddess of prophecy to time something that perfectly." Lyall raises an eyebrow.
"ooooh" escapes from Lyaro lips when he hears of the regeneration and question time
Erik follows quietly a few steps behind Devyhn.
You follow the head priest down to the catacombs were the body is being kept.
The body is placed on a stone slab and seems in good condition and is properly dressed. The priest have repaired the body after all without a functional jaw the spell couldn't be cast.
Khoyar walks up to the body and intones "Arise, shell of Faldus. Wake and tell us of the memory of life, that we may honor you with justice."
For a moment there was nothing, and then a rattle began deep in the corpse’s chest, becoming a sigh that rasped through dusty lips.
"I hear you" replies the corpse
"Father!" cries out Neila and she starts to move forward but the priest raises a hand and gives her a stern look. "Not your father, just his corpse. Do not confuse the two. His spirit is still gone child." he speaks in a soft voice.
Naila nods staying back.
"Welcome shell of Faldus. We have questions for you."
"Speak" replies the corpse
"What do you know of your attacker?" says the priest
"Nothing" replies the corpse
the priest sighs and continues
"Whom do you suspect of having ordered your killing?" he asks next
"The Harlot or the Jackal" replies the corpse
the priest frowns and looks to Naila who says "I know of who he speaks, my father's primary competitors for the bid on the elixir"
"Aside from them who else would want you dead?" says the priest
"Everyone" replies the corpses
The priest seems confused and finally turns to you.
"Three more questions...Ask what you will." he says
"I can't help but feel that question will be useless, but, I hope to be surprised."
"I might suggest the question, 'Who knew about your contingency plans to be resurrected?', thoughts, gentlemen? I think we might figure the answer out to that one just by asking around, but, if we've got nothing better to ask." Lyall's tone gives the suggestion that he said gentlemen because he wanted to sound fancy, not out of respect.
"What about this question ...Which of your enemies is capable of kidnapping a soul from Pharasmas realm before it is judged?"
Says Lyaro in almost a whisper trying not to setoff a question for the corpse.
"A very good question, Lyaro - ask it."
"Why would everyone want you dead?" Devyhn asks
"They are jealous" replies the corpse
"What about this question ...Which of your enemies is capable of kidnapping a soul from Pharasmas realm before it is judged?"
"I do not know" replies the corpse
Last question which one?
Naila steps forward and asks "What should I do now father?"
"Live on" replies the corpse and it goes limp.
"Well that was not as informative as I had hoped" says the high priest.
"Well, now I'll ask my question again. Do we know who knew about the plans to be resurrected?"
"Apologies it seems I wasted your last question"
"Also is there anyone that is especially jealous of him for a specific reason, other than standard?
"The harlot is my father's nickname for Madam Jade. She runs a series of brothels and exotic dance clubs all around the country. Her girls would sometimes ride on my father's ships to visit clients in other countries."
"The Jackal is a notorious crime lord. He deals mostly in smuggling but has been known for being a loan shark and running some gambling halls as well. I was not aware my father had any dealings with him."
"Both of them bid against my father for the final vial of the elixir and lost."
"Achren has a good point, though a harlot might have other, friendlier, ways of gaining access... "
"Even if they did not perpetrate the crime, interviewing the Jackal or the Harlot would be excellent sources of information on who could have done this"
"Well the harlot is said to be capable of charming people to do her bidding and I know she is a half-elf bard of some talent. Whether she uses magic to charm folk or is just a capable negotiator I cannot say for sure. The Jackal I do not know his talents exactly I don't think anyone does. I do know he employs several wizards however."
"Do you want me to arrange a meeting? Or would you prefer an unannounced visit?"
"Let us start off by being courteous. If that doesn't work we can always try our normal approach."
"Very well, I will arrange a meeting with the Jackal. says Naila
"I will leave that matter to you and begin a new series of divination spells to see if I can learn more." says the high priest Khoyar
Since nobody has anything else to add you leave the temple and Naila sets up the meeting.
You return to the Anvanory manor were Naila has rooms prepared for you.
Early the next morning you are served a lavish breakfast and carriages are prepared. "The meeting I prepared is for me and my guards." explains Naila as you ride back into town. The jackal is very well informed however he will likely know something of your identities by time we arrive.
There could be no mistaking the Jackal's estate. Long, brown walls six feet high extended the length of a city block, topped with shocking greenery that hung out over the street as if trying to escape. A gate of iron bars stood in the wall directly across from the street, and beyond it you could see the shining gold-painted roof of a house rising above the trees, capped by a dome fit for a capital building.
Naila approaches the gate as you follow her and speaks to the guard "I wish to speak to Akhom Qali" she says
"Of course you do...You are expected" replies the guard
The gates open and a large bald man approaches.
"Follow me" the chamberlain says and walks back towards the estate.
You follow him in and he leads you down a stone path that crosses the large garden towards the estate. You enter a door and go down a long hallway, your footsteps echoing against the stones. Bright windows light the passageway at intervals, and brought with them a cool breeze that seemed to follow you down the hall. At last you come to another set of the big double doors, and the servant stood next to them at attention, silently indicating that you should enter.
You had expected a study or sitting room, perhaps a dining chamber. Even a great hall or throne room, if Akhom Qali was the arrogant sort. Yet inside was another garden. Beyond the doors, several steps descended into a square, recessed courtyard that was half patio and half jungle. Trees and bushes, both potted and growing out of recessed ports in the flagstones, were everywhere, turning the stone of the courtyard into innumerable little whirling paths. Roofs to all four sides made it clear that they were not merely in a walled garden, but rather somewhere in the middle of Qali’s grand house itself. Above, a square swatch of sky was blue and completely unobstructed, even the great dome rendered invisible by the recessed well of the courtyard.
"Don’t just stand there. Come, come!" says the man.
Akhom Qali was a short man, almost as round as he was tall, yet his fat was the sort that seems to shine with health, like a plump baby. His hair was white, and a full beard extended halfway down his pudgy chest, matching his loose white blouse and pants embroidered heavily with crimson. He half-reclined in an iron-and fabric chair in the center of the cortile. A second chair sat opposite him. He motioned toward it for Naila and to several large cushions for the rest of you.
"My dear I offer my sympathies. I will not say that your father was a friend. but he was affable, chasing after the elixir with the simple enthusiasm of a dog chasing after a stick. I rather liked him for that."
"What exactly was the relation between you and my father?"
"Business nothing more. He has ships, those ships go places. I have goods, those goods need to go places. We made a deal for my goods to go to those places on his ships." he says in a matter that made it seem like he was explaining it to a small child.
"Smuggling? My father would never..." says Naila growing angry
"Nothing illegal I assure you." says Qali cutting her off.
"Now I will be direct. I did not have your father killed. You are wasting your time here. I am a career criminal girl. If I wanted your father dead...Well perhaps a demonstration." Qali picks up an orange and says "This orange offends me"
A dagger thrown from out of the shadows splits the orange perfectly in two a second after. You see no trace of the person who threw it.
"This is an orange. A man is a much bigger target, and the desert has no shortage of places for shallow graves, nor of men willing to keep a prisoner alive to prevent resurrection. Stealing a soul is too much work when there are much easier methods of getting the job done. I am a criminal, it's true but an honest one and first and foremost I am a businessman. If I had wished Faldus removed from the equation I could have done so at any point before the auction and been virtually assured of winning the auction. If I lost and decided I was unhappy with the results I could have sent any number of thieves into your house to have both of you killed before the elixir could be delivered so that it would be auctioned again. As it is I played a dangerous game of low-bid and I lost.. I will accept the next five years as a lesson and bid again and win next time." explains Qali
Why are you telling me all this?" says Naila confused.
"Because I am a busy man and I would prefer that you and your pathfinder lodge hounds go sniffing elsewhere. And because I am confident that you are not working with the local authorities and that even if you were you would die of old age before you ever find any proof beyond this conversation." replies Qali
Naila not knowing what to say anymore turns to you.
Lyaro starts looking around attempting to find the hidden, he's a bit of a study of the subtle arts so he's curious.
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"You having given a fair demonstration of your power, and those of your unseen henchmen," Devyhn says. "And you have also gone to great lengths to explain why we should rule you out as a suspect. So tell us, who do you suspect committed this crime? You are obviously well-connected, and have eyes and ears everywhere. Are your agents worth the coin you pay? What have they seen and heard?"
Lyaro sees no sign of the person who threw the dagger.
"Someone new, I think. Very powerful yet shy. However this is they want the elixir very badly but more than that they don't want anyone to know that they want it. What you have to ask yourself is why? If you find the answer you will likely know your culprit." says Qali.
"Because if we don't have any better suspects, us Pathfinder hounds will have nothing better to do than howl outside your window at the moon." Lyall commented with a snarky smile.
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"So, you are aware that there is some new player in the game who's, how did you put it, 'powerful yet shy?' and yet you know nothing about them? Seems strange, since based on your story, this player would have killed you if you had won the auction. You don't strike me as the type of person to leave such an obvious blind spot."
"Would it be wrong to mention that there is the suspicion that the Cult of Razmir is most likely involved, do you know anything of their machinations"
Qali's words sound plausible, but Erik studies him as he speaks looking for signs that he might have other motives.
Bleyz tries to spot where the dagger came from and who threw it, but that doesn't concern him nearly so much as the veracity of their affable host. If it's not him, then there is another player who needs interviewing.
You do not sense any lies from the man, he is being brutally honest even.
Bleyz manages to catch a glimpse of a dark skinned man silently moving around the group in the bushes. He also notices a dozen men with crossbows hiding behind murder holes on both sides of the room.
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"Devhyn is right. If there is a new player, that should concern you. It may upset balances and long standing agreements, and you would be wise to neutralise such a player. Thankfully, you have a bunch of 'pathfinder hounds' who are eager to follow their trail - all you need do is point them in the right direction."
"I am not interested in getting involved. They have decided to focus their efforts in getting this years elixir and I suspect they will leave when they have what they want. I will simply wait to purchase next years elixir. However lets say you were a man pretending to be a god to thousands of loyal followers. You wouldn't want to be caught purchasing an elixir of youth now would you? After all what would an immortal god need such a thing for?"
"Oh, boy, so you're just going to tell us what we already know. Fine. I suppose we'll sweep the streets yelling, 'Boy, I really looove Razmir, it'd be great if someone let me know where I could find other people who love Razmir.'"
"Even with their desire to remain hidden I find it hard to believe our quarry wouldn't have scouted all the buyers. Otherwise they would have needed a way to be sure who would win."
"Did you have any unusual visitors before the contest or breaches of security?"
Qali chuckles "No I have not, and I have said all that I will. I was not involved in the murder of Faldus and I do not intent to anger those who did. You may leave now and for your own sakes go bark up another tree."