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Cody watches the bride's reaction trying to understand what her emotions are beyond just irritated. The hunter mumbles to he companions "So what happens now since there has been an objection? Do they have a duel to settle the matter? Really it is should be the bride's decision since it affects her life the most."
Lucien's timely intervention softens the mood a bit, especially when the message is given by a bird. A few members of the audience giggle a bit, but fall silent when they realize that nobody else is laughing. Alexander himself opens his mouth to speak again, then breathes in heavily, shakes his head and remains silent.
The crowd falls silent, waiting for a cue to understand how they should behave now. Vroclaw looks around, and after getting a sign from Hamaria, continues with the ceremony. "The objection has been duly noted. Is there anyone else who would like to object to this marriage? A few crowd members laugh, but nobody speaks again. Alexander's face reddens, but he does nothing.
Vroclaw eventually continues and marries the bride and groom. The celebrations begin as guards escort the guests back to the pavilion for another reception.
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Dusklord speaks up.
"Perhaps someday everyone will laugh about this. Certainly we can move past it and continue with the nuptials if both the bride and groom agree. The only time this keeps a wedding from going on is if the bride is in love with the objector, which hardly seems the case here," the wizard adds with an attempt at jest.
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Dusklord suddenly notices a tiny pair of hands on the railing beside him as a very familiar face with a much-too-large-toothy-maw-with-an-unsettling-grin clambers over the side, landing in a small heap beside him. Almost as soon as he lands, the gnome stands, looks back over the side, and a small ball of fire appears in his hand. Serak mutters darkly
I'll show you "tiny little freak" you jacked up, no teeth, poor ass fisherman with a busted boat...
He takes aim, one oversized eye squinted and his tongue poking out in concentration while chatting in a happy voice to the way-too-serious necromancer.
Hey Duskie! Valsin kept me back for some kind of "mental assessment" but I think he just gave up after a while. What'd I miss?
He rears his tiny hand back, ready to lob his ball of fire at the poor fisherman's boat that he arrived on.
Aww come on! Stop paddling away! You're making it harder to aim!
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Dusklord's head whips around to the side as he sees Serak.
In a harsh whisper, he says to the gnome,"We are at a wedding, you tiny little pyromaniac freak! Put that fire away at once! The higher-ups had assured me we would not have both you and Aeleth on the same mission! First, they take away the competence of the dwarf, then they send you back! Put your fire away, and then I will see if we can salvage this wedding!"
A few mercenaries grunt at Serak's magic tricks and place their hands on their swords. Their leader clears his throat, and once Dusklord - who had apparently visited the waterfront - explains the entire situation they shake their head but allow Serak to join the others, who are just in the middle of the reception.
A gong cuts the conversations, a loud female voice is heard. "Good guests. We are so grateful to have you here with us on this most happy day. Our programme is still full of surprises and the first of these is the lunch we've prepared for you! Please be seated." A group of mercenaries and serving girls nudge people towards the tables, where places are marked by name. Your table includes lady Gloriana Morilla, Trade Prince Aaqir al’Hakam, and a group of their aides who seem very happy to be able to feast as much as possible.
Shortly after you sit down, the head table arrives - with Hamaria, Michellia and Damian. A plethora of speeches and congratulations soon begin from the head table. Hamaria starts off by extolling her daughter’s excellent pedigree and the respect shown to her family by Damian Kastner. Others at the head table give similar speeches, expanding on their love for Michellia and their acceptance of Damian into the extended Blakros family. Eventually, Michellia stands to make her own proclamation. Although quiet in tone, she speaks with a force that all can hear.
"I wish to thank you all for coming. While the Hellknights of the Order of the Scourge have lost a loyal and noble soldier, the Blakroses have gained a new member of our esteemed clan—my husband, Damian Kastner. As a symbol of this union, I offer you, Damian, the Blakros name, so that you will ever be known as a member of our elite, illustrious family. Let it be known forever more that your name shall be Damian Blakros, should you accept the honor."
Damian then stands and speaks, raising his glass first towards his new family, then towards the audience. "I, of course, accept this honor, and am proud to know my children shall bear the name as well. I am not good with words, however, so I shall keep this brief. There are few gifts I could give in response that would parallel the honor I have just received. Even so, I shall offer something that my new family will hopefully find valuable. To my wife, Michellia Blakros, I offer my family’s long-held manor of Ostergarde."
Damian’s announcement causes an immediate commotion from the crowd. Audible whispers and speech drown the pavilion, as assembled guests show mixes of horror and satisfaction at the proclamation made by the former Hellknight.
The crowd eventually quiets down, but Gloriana Morilla still seems surprised, muttering to herself, "Ostergarde Manor. I wouldn't believe this would be the price of this wedding..."
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Serak yawns through the speeches, very loudly stuffing his oversized maw with meat, in between bouts of muttering how it's undercooked, and then finally attempting to use his own fire to "heat it up".
After, presumedly being stopped by Dusklord, he turns to the trade prince and casually strikes up a conversation, a strip of charred ham hanging from his teeth.
So... You look smart. What's so important about this damn house?
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Cody also shrugs at the mention of Ostergard Manor, [b]"What ever it is, I hope all parties find the deal to their satisfaction. As his companion pathfinders make small talk with the other table guest, Cody nods and listens to the conversation as he tries to remember which of the five forks and three knives are used for buttering the fancy dinner rolls.
Brother Max hidden within his robe eats the fruit that Cody passes him.
Gloriana nods at Dusklord, "Ostergarde Manor, in the Chelish mountains, has been abandoned for some time now. Rumors - true rumors - mark the place as where some ancient cults used to conduct secret rituals. This is an important place for the Blakros family, who'll be able to plunder some the artifacts that must have remained there. Together with friends, I'd wondered what would make the Blakroses so eager about this marriage. This is the answer." She then looks around as Serak and Stephani are speaking to the Trade Prince, who seems to be enjoying the conversation very much. Coughing up, she interrupts Serak's question and points to the other guests. "Leave Aaqir alone, gnome. There isn't much time left for the festivities and the Society's time is better spent on guests who are not its allies yet. The gods know there are still many of those here."
Woo yawns and explains that he can make more money in the slave trade. Getting those artifacts would be a high risk endeavor, and he prefers the comfortable life of luxury knowing that his business is steady. Alexander Bedard tears up a bit and begins to tell Lucien much of his life story, eyeing Aeleth every once in a while as if not understanding why the man carrying the bird isn't saying anything.
A few moments later, Damian Blakros approaches you as a group. He asks you all to step aside with him for a moment, looks around for a second then confides, "I don't really know how to say this, but I'm worried about Michellia. She seems to have disappeared. I'm sure this is nothing to worry about, but I would like someone to go check after her. I think she left towards her old summer home. It's that direction, just follow the path," he gestures towards the path leading to the southwest. "I've informed the mercenaries to let you pass. Please make sure everything is okay with her and report back to me."
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Serak gives Aeleth a little sideways look and a slight grin, and then exclaims
Oh thank Pete! I thought there wouldn't be anything interesting going on here, but this will at least get me out of this ridiculous pissing match...
He starts to follow Stephanie, and then turns to the rest of the group.
Who wants to bet on whether or not I find someone to set on fire?
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Cody is more than ready to take a walk around and look see, "I'm sure there's nothing to worry about. Come Brother Max." the hunter sets off after Stephani and Serak.
Quietly to the others "5 gold on the Gnome catching something on fire."
Max hidden within the robes jumps up and waddles after Cody and the others.
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Serak ignores the conversations behind him as he hurries along, trying to keep up with Dusklord's human sized legs. He chats up the necromancer in between huffing breaths.
Hey Duskie, I've been thinking of something that would be awesome! How about I murder something with fire, and then you reaninate while it's still burning! Wouldn't a flaming zombie be the [redacted for small children]?!
The guards point you towards the old summer home, puzzled as to why you would pass on the celebrations and food for a windy rock. "You know, it's all ruined," one of them comments as you pass nearby.
The short hike to the summer home is uneventful. You do see tracks, but can't really say who made them. The home - clearly an understatement since it's large enough to be a mansion - has burned down some time ago. Its charred and crumbled outer walls still stand, framing the bare, scorched earth and collapsed tiled roof within. The ruin overlooks the sea from atop a steep granite cliff. As you finish the climb, you discover that the ruins themselves are empty.
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Dusklord gets a far-away look in his eye at Serak's suggestion of raising a flaming corpse. "There is necromancy to do just such a thing," the wizard says. "Perhaps at some point necessity will force my hand, and I will be required by circumstances beyond my control to cast just such a spell," he says wistfully to Serak.
"But it would never be for power, might, or dominion over others...but to advance a--a 'righteous' cause," he adds awkwardly."[/b] "When that moment occurs, I assure you that you may participate."
Once they arrive at the burned-out manor, he looks around, at a loss.
"What in the world would the bride want here?" he wonders.
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At Dusklord's question, Aeleth begins raising his hand and waving it in the air. Lucien sighs.
"I suppose I've kept you shut up long enough, and I doubt anyone other than us are within earshot... what do you have to say, Aeleth?"
"I just wanted to say that I counted to forty-twelve, but I forgot what I was counting for," Aeleth replies cheerfully.
Lucien face-wings himself.
"I also wanted to say that maybe the bride came out here for a swim! Or do some rock-climbing!" Aeleth adds.
"And thank you to the peanut-gallery," Lucien sighs. "Aeleth, good job on counting to... forty-twelve, was it? Your next milestone is sixty-eleven. As for the rest of you, do me a favour and keep this guy out of trouble, will you? I'm going to do a fly-by overhead and see if I spot anything amiss."
Cody quickly spots what seems like the tracks left by a humanoid woman dragging another body. The tracks lead down a hidden path to a private beach. You follow the tracks as quickly as possible, until you reach the beach. An unexpected scene appears. Michellia, still wearing her wedding dress, is arranging her hair next to a beached longboat - which doesn't seem like it belongs to any of the wedding guests. Four men stand next to Michellia, apparently in the middle of talking to her. One of them picks up a body from the ground and carries it on board. You are all about 75 feet away, loud enough for shouting, although neither the men nor Michellia seem to have noticed you coming out of the bushes near the shore.
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Dusklord uses a wand to cast mage armor before striding forward behind the others. He says to the others "We should get as close as we can before we make them aware of our presence."
Rather than shouting from far away, he walks with the party until they are as close as they can be without being noticed. Once Stephani starts talking, he chimes in.
"Did you not think you would be missed?" he asks.
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Seeing the tracks of a body being dragged, Code would have removed the peace bond on his weapon as the group followed the tracks.
Suspecting something is seriously wrong here, both Cody and Max advanced with with the group as he whispers to his companions "Wonder is the body husband, boyfriend or other?" Cody watches Michellia carefully trying to guess her intent and if she is not herself via being under some influence.
The men frown at Serak's words and look at Michellia, but remain silent. Michellia sighs and explains, "'The body' is my misguided sister Eleanir - I guess nobody told you about her - attacked me once I reached the summer home up there. I thought to have some time for myself amid all these celebrations, and spending time with my sister, which I haven't seen for years, seemed like a good idea. Only the intervention of these fine men here - especially Olaf," she gestures toward the large man with a great axe who must be their leader, "saved me. I've made the arrangements - they'll take Eleanir with them, and I'll return with you to the wedding. My apologies for you having to come all the way down here. Fortunately, everything is under control now."
Michellia raises her voice, speaking assertively, "Of course not! Eleanir was away for months. She never got along with the family and while I'd hoped things would change - events today proved they hadn't." She ignores Serak's suggestion and glares at Dusklord instead, "Do you really think I killed my own sister? I am just avoiding the major debacle that would happen if she would ruin the wedding - which she planned on doing. You can look for yourself - she's asleep, but unharmed. Now if you would be so kind as to escort me back to the tents, we could let Olaf and his men leave." The men next to Michellia look unrestful and exchange looks between themselves in response to Serak's comment that suggested that Michellia would, actually, be responsible for her sister's murder by allowing Olaf to behead her.
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"As you insist, I'll check her" Cody followed by Max approaches the boat to verify that the body looks like her sister and that she is unharmed and merely asleep.
The Hunter also keeps an eye on Olaf and the guards to see if they are hiding something.
Also, are Olaf and the guards wearing any house insignia?
Olaf and the guards wear no insignia.
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Serak shrugs and starts heading toward the bundled body.
Well, if you're trying to cart your sister off, then you're doing it all wrong! You need to disguise her with magic so she looks like a sack of potatoes or something! Wait, maybe you already did...
The gnome stops short and casts detect magic, aiming for the boat and all the people.
Hold on, don't tell me if you did or not, I wanna figure it out for myself...