"Space, I need space! Back up!" in the heat of battle what little social grace the Shoanti possessed quickly dissipated. Seeing there is no where for him back to so that he could wield his glaive-guisarme, he shifts his grip to hold it tightly in on hand, while stabbing out with his klar.
With a satisfied sound, Honani hears bone crunch. Swinging the weapon leaves him exposed to the skeleton's attack. Weighing his options, he decided to stay put to protect his race-sister and the Marissia teacher.
Blunt weapons? That's bad... Tamiko decides to take a risk and try to zap the skeleton in front of her, but she can't concentrate and the spell fizzles out.
Realizing that her sword is less effective on the skeletons than her morning star, Trinity opted to drop her blade and revert to using the heavier weapon.
Morgana stands carefully and steps sideways. "Space on your right Honani." She calls.
Marissia's gesture and accompanying missile shatters the rib cage of a skeleton. It remains standing, but only just - its spine the only thing keeping it upright. That changes when Honani's klar strikes the spine, snapping it clean in two and returning the skeleton to its (un)lifeless state.
The blue skeleton, unperturbed, claws at Trinity. One claw glances from her armour but the other one goes wide and neither do any lasting harm.
After adjusting her position, Trinity carefully observed the skeleton's chaotic attacks. Once an opening presented itself, she brought her morning-star into a heavy side swing. Do to over gauging the skeleton's distance, the morning star completely missed its mark, which sent trinity stumbling off balance.
"Ive no other spells to help against skeletons!" Marissia exclaims.
She draws her dagger and moves forward, raking her blade against the skeletons ribcage in an effort to distract it.
Unfortunately, she stabs a bone, causing her wrist to jar painfully. The skeleton doesn't seem bothered.
Seeing the city-folk respond to the threat once again, Honani smiles inwardly that he has found such a capable group of companions. Undaunted by the animated, ambling bones in front of him, he steps into the vacated space of Morgana and attacks the skeleton hoping that Marissia's attack momentarily distracted the undead.
His glaive-guisarme shatters the skeleton's femur, causing it to list to one side like a boat about to sink.
Remembering his Sklar-Quah warrior brothers and sisters, he straightens up. "Leave it to city-folk to even get burying the dead wrong. Is there really nothing you all do right?"
"I'd like to point out that this isn't typical behaviour for our dead!" Marissia replies as she watches the skeleton wobble.
Seeing as everything she's tried offensively hasn't worked so far, Tamiko opts to guard herself, preparing herself should the remaining skeleton strike her way.
Honani, shattering the skeleton's femur, manages to end the chaos and quiet falls around you.
The vault is open before you and you the footprints you were once studying are now distorted after your own have taken their place.
The small tomb is a 20t square stone structure, that clearly used to be a house from its architecture.
In the corner of the room is an unremarkable discarded robe.
Disturbingly, the sarcophagus containing Ezakien's body has been opened and there are no remains left in the tomb.
"Why, in the name of Pharasma, would someone wreck a place of burial?" exlaims Sheriff Hemlock.
Marissia sheathes her dagger and lets out a sigh of relief. She looks at her companions to see if anyone is wounded.
"Is everyone alright?" she asks.
Then she turns her attention to the crushed and crumpled skeletons.
"Who were you, I wonder," she asks them.
---
Once she's sure everyone is fine, Marissia steps inside the tomb and looks around.
She picks up a piece of discarded fabric in the corner and holds it up. "There's a robe here..."
---
Trinity took a deep breath as the last of the animated dead crumbled under the impact of Honani's weapon. After taking a moment to insure that no other threats where present, the inquisitor secured her Morningstar back in it proper place and then retrieved the sword that had been dropped earlier in the fight.
The animations where crude, but effective. The pain in her left shoulder was testimony to the undead's ability to claw through armor. Most of the inquisitor's upper torso had begun to darken with the blood emanating from the deep wound left by the things bony appendage. Although the pain was immense, she knew that Morgana’s situation couldn’t be any better than her own. After making her way over to the cavalier, she confirmed her speculation after a brief examination of the woman’s wounds.
“Morgana, if you are ok with it, I will attempt to use magic to heal our wounds.” Trinity stated while placing a hand on the wooden symbol that hung loosely around her neck. While closing her eyes, the inquisitor began to offer a small prayer to Iomedae just before summoning the healing energy that could only be gifted by one of true faith.
Tamiko also sheathes her sword and proceeds into the crypt, with a feeling of dread building in her. Then she sees the broken coffin and missing body. There were two skeletons and only one body disturbed - whoever did this must have brought the skeletons in. After thinking a bit, she blurts out: "Ezakien - they took him". She has no idea why they would do this, or who they even were, but it's clear they were up to no good. In an almost pleading voice, she asks the rest of the group: "Those footsteps outside...can anyone see where they went?"
"Thank you Trinity." Morgana relaxes as Trinity's magic washes away her pain. Her rigid posture unbends and she takes a moment to breathe deeply before peering around the tomb's doorway to see what investigations the rest are getting up to.
"The footprints are a horrible mess, but at least now we know why the raid happened. What could they want with the body of a dead priest though?" Morgana wonders aloud.
Trinity began to regain her strength as the healing magic coursed through her. Soon after the magic had run its course, the inquisitor refocused on the situation at hand. After carefully inspecting the entrance to the vault, she began searching the general area for clues.
“Yes there are footsteps close to the entrance, but they are quickly becoming mixed with our own. As for the priest’s body being stolen, that is a jump to an easy conclusion. Someone might have taken the body, assuming there was even a corps present to begin with. The vault has been disturbed. That much is evident. It is safe to say that necromancy is in play, do to the presence of the skeletons. Necromancy and a missing corps sounds like bad news to me.”
Curious about the strength of the magic used to animate the skeletons, Trinity decided to conjure up an inner magic that allowed her detect magical auras. With her new enhanced perception, the inquisitor began to slowly make her way through the vault.
Relaxing from his combat crouch, Honani moves over to the skeletons. Sure that they are unable to reanimate at this time, he holsters his polearm. "There is little honor in killing what is dead, but there is much honor defending the living." he contemplates a moment before removing a finger joint from each of the skeletons that fell before his glaive-guisarme.
"Morgana, my race-sister, and Trinity, are you both well enough to fight?" Confident that the inquisitor has both women back to fighting condition, Honani moves with the others into the tomb.
"Sacrilege. This is the act by the dishonorable, and I see little reason for goblins to raid for bones. The other tracks much have been the bone thief.
"As I am new to your city, and know little and less of your history, can someone explain to me who this person's tomb is, and why it would hold importance to a necromancer?"
Honani leans up against the wall, trying to think about what potential clue they are missing. "What city-folk reside in these other tombs, his relatives or loved ones? Should we check to see if their remains were disturbed too, or is that dishonorable in your eyes?" Unsure of what to do next, or misspeaking, Honani listens to the others talk.
The town's priest was very important to Sandpoint and his remains were very important symbols to many. Perhaps his remains were stolen as part of a grand plan when attacking the city, as local goblin raids do not usually consist of such unusual thefts.
Marissia holds up the robe, giving it a slight shaketo straighten it out. The robe appears unremarkable and definitely old, made for a medium sized creature. It is a basic brown linen with its stitching fraying at the edges.
This is a robe of bones however all its patches have been consumed and it is now of little use.
The Sheriff walks over to Tamiko with a sympathetic smile and rests a hand on her shoulder. "My dear, it is much too late to see where they went I am afraid."
"Mr Honani, there is a lot of history to Sandpoint and I am certainly no student of history, however I can say that the other tombs in this area are inhabited by a variety of Sandpoint families, but they do not appear to be disturbed." The sheriff looks towards the other tombs in sight and gestures at the undisturbed ground around their doors.
He calls inside:"Have you found anything of note to aid us?"
Marissia shakes her head sadly. "The man who was buried here was a priest who cared for the church before Father Zantus. His name was Ezakien Tobyn, and he was a beloved citizen of Sandpoint until his death. His remains are important symbols to many." She explains.
"The theft of these bones in particular are no coincidence, and certainly not something a group of goblins would do without guidance. Whoever did this knew this man meant something to our town. That means they know Sandpoint, and have for some time..."
"What is of interest to me, is whether the goblins attacked and then the body thief used their distraction to snatch Father Tobyns body, or if the body thief orchestrated the goblins attack in order to steal Father Tobyns body... Both are worrisome.... But it's the latter I fear most... What could their end game be?"
Marissia, noticing Trinity casting detect magic, holds the robe up for inspection towards her. She seems lost in thought...
"A grudge against the church? Against Father Tobyn? Against Sandpoint? ...What could motivate someone to do this?"
Finally turning her attention back to the robe in her hands, Marissia describes it to the others. "Medium sized, old, brown linen, frayed stitching..."
She looks to Trinity and asks, "Magical aura?"
Trinity’s vision slowly reverted from its former fare away stair, to a more focused expression. “I have examined the area with a divine form of magic detection. As Marissia has already guessed, the robe she is holding up radiates with a moderate amount of necromancy magic. Unfortunately my skill in such matters ends there. I am able to tell that the robe has an aura, but I am unable to discern its properties or how it functions. I recommend caution when handling the garment. We don’t know much about it, and I don’t trust most things that are tied to the school of necromancy.”
After listening carefully to Marissia’s insight, Trinity begins to speculate about the situation. “I agree with everything Marissia has said. I personally think that her second opinion is the most likely, seeing that I don’t believe goblins would have attacked the city without some sort of external motivation. The risk is too high for failure. We may be able to gain more information about the situation by tracking down some of goblins that participated in the event and question them.”
Marissia takes a moment to cast a spell herself, holding her hands out at the cloak.
"Revelloso!"
She scoffs. "It's a robe of bones." After a moment she realizes no one knows what she's talking about and continues, "Oh! A magical cloak that contains patches which can be torn off to create undead. This cloak is all out of patches, though, and can no longer produce such magic." she smiles.
"This means that we're likely not dealing with a true necromancer. The robe made the skeletons, not the body thief's own magic."
Trinity raises an eyebrow and then glances towards the old robe. "Perhaps. I still think it is too coincidental that a corps is missing in conjunction with the use of necromancy. That being said, I hope you are right Marissia. It would be bad if a recognized historical figure showed up as an undead."
Marissia pales at the thought. "Oh, dear... Yes, that... That would be terrible."
As Tamiko stares at the broken coffin, pondering the revelations, she feels her memory jogged and attention drawn - suddenly, as if by some outside force - to events of the past. The burning of the chapel...the rumors..."Nualia". She whispers the last out loud unexpectedly, with a venom that surprises even herself as it rings in the vault. But that doesn't make sense at all...
"Isn't she dead?" Morgana asks. The incident in question happened before she came to Sandpoint, but Kendra had regretted it often enough that she knew the outline. "She was betrayed by a young man and then they somehow got trapped in the old church and burned to death? I thought that was what happened?"
"She did burn to death." Marissia points out. "It's a matter of public record. Poor girl."
Marissia seems to be thinking.
"Her old lover, perhaps? ...I wonder if Father Tobyn had any enemies. Competitors for his position, or people who felt misled by advice he had given them... Father Zantus might know more about that."
Still whispering, Tamiko says to nobody in particular, "No...nothing...just more old ghosts coming back to haunt me". She tries her best to hide it, but it's clear to anyone who pays attention that she's bothered by the sudden memories and thoughts. She clearly knows more than the others, having been involved in the whole situation five years ago, but she stays silent for now, simply shaking her head if anyone asks about it. Idle speculation based on nothing but her dreams and suspect memories would do nothing to help here.
Trying his best to follow the conversation, Honani is bewildered by the amount of information these city-dwellers know of past events. Remembering back to the initial celebrations, Honani searches his memory for anything that might be out of place in recent events. "Before my race-sister and I showed these weak city-folk what real men and women can do, I remember hearing that Lonjuki Kaijitsu could not attend the events as a speaker due to some illness. Probably had a runny nose." Honani looks to the others to see if he is speaking out of turn.
"Sheriff, do you think it prudent to find the whereabouts of people during the goblin attack? Would it be appropriate to check in with him to see how he feels?" Honani looks to the others for guidance.
The sheriff looks conflicted at this difficult position he has found himself in.
"I suppose that someone could find out about his whereabouts, but it would certainly not be appropriate for the Sheriff's department to question him. The man is one of Sandpoint's four nobles for goodness sake; we simply don't have the authority to question him about something like this without serious evidence."
He ponders for a moment.
"No, it would be better if we can try to piece together exactly what happened through investigations around the town. If you can find any other pieces of evidence, then I might have enough to compel Lonjiku to speak to me. Not that I suspect it is him at any rate, he is much too old for the athletics this would require."
Trinity considers the situation for a short time and then reaffirms her opinion. "I am still thinking that the goblins are tied to this. I think we should locate some of them and interrogate them. They may lead us to who’s behind this.”
Marissia nods, then tries to organize the group.
"I won't be any good at tracking the goblin's trail, I'm afraid. Perhaps Trinity and Honani could try together."
She turns to Morgana. "You are neighbours with the Kaijitsu's. If anyone will be able to pay them a visit to enquire after their health it will be you. Would you care to try?"
"I could speak with Father Zantus about his time with Father Tobyn. Perhaps he might have some ideas about who could have had a grudge against the good Father... There's also the grave digger. He might have seen something. And the citizens themselves. Someone might have spotted a figure in the graveyard."
She looks to Trinity. "Your home is a hotspot for gossip and people of all walks of life. Perhaps you could ask around there. Or Ameiko might have heard something... What do you think?"
Lastly she turns to Gudada. "I hear you've a keen ear and a silver tongue. Perhaps if you ask around you'll get lucky?"
Trinity considers Marissia’s suggestion for a moment. By the look on her face, it becomes evident that the inquisitor isn’t overly comfortable with the idea of heading back to Magnimar and asking around. “I doubt anyone in Magnimar would know much about what has happened locally. I suppose talking with Father Zantus is not a bad idea. He might have some insight that would be useful. We could also ask around and see if there is anyone in Sandpoint that might have more information about the local goblin tribes.” (Hopefully changing the subject will eliminate the idea of heading back to Magnimar.)
Trinity turns to Morgana. "With your family being in charge of Sandpoint, maybe they may be able to suggest someone familiar with the local area." (There, that should provide a distraction.)
"I apologize, Trinity. I assumed from your comment you were an adept tracker. If you need the help of a guide there's a few people in town who have vast knowledge of the area. I could arrange a meeting for you with one, if you like."
"I could ask Ameiko if she's got wind of any new rumors. I'm not much of a gossiper myself, though". Tamiko shakes her head, clearing out the bad thoughts.
Trinity smiles at Marissia’s comment. “I have been taught some rudimentary tracking skills, but I am fare from adept at it. Besides tracking wasn’t quite what I had in mind when I suggested someone familiar with the area. I was thinking more inline with someone who might know something about the local goblin tribes. Maybe someone who could identify which tribe attacked the city and possible where their tribe could be located.”
"Well there's Shalelu of course, but she's never in town. I doubt she's around now. Daverin Hosk runs the Goblin Squash Stables. He takes a great interest in the goblins of the region and pays for each ear delivered to him. Hmmm..."
Listening to the others talk about the various palaces in Sandpoint, Honani can contribute little. He begins to squirm restlessly as the others formulate plans. A man of action, he understood the need for careful planning, but he was never very good at the anticipation before a great battle.
"There is much wisdom here, and you are wise city-folk to carefully plan. I will defer to your expertise, but there is no reason we cannot do all that you have suggested. Can we continue to talk as we head off to a destination, be it rumor-house, goblin jail, or other uninviting place?" Honani tries to keep a level tone, not letting his irritability show through to his new friends. "It would be nice if someone could find a path that is not lit on fire by goblins, or through the animated remains of a graveyard. Perhaps you can take me on one of your cobbled streets so an earth elemental can try to rip off my head. I do so enjoy city-folk hospitality." he laughs at his own joke.
Realizing Honani feels out of place, Marissia turns to the poor impatient Shoanti. "Oh, dear, Honani! I apologize. Of course. We can walk and talk at the same time." she laughs at his joke obligingly. "Let us speak with the Sheriff before we find more dangers to toss you in the middle of."
Sheriff Hemlock speaks up, having listened carefully to all the group's plans: "I am not sure that rushing off without further information is the... wisest... option at this stage. My plan of action is to continue to keep my ear to the ground to find out more information about what has happened since the attack and unfortunately, after this discovery, subtly trying to find the whereabouts of all townspeople at the time. We do have a goblin incarcerated, and perhaps we can also find out more from him, but none of us can speak his crude language."
"It is vital that we do not let this information or even our suspicions leak, even to the towns guard; it would certainly cause a mass panic."
"I would very kindly ask you to all keep your ears to the ground also, listening for any suspicious information and ...."
The sheriff is cut off in mid-sentence by a tearful woman clutching a young baby to her chest and clinging to the back of a young boy's shirt in the other.
"Sheriff! Sheriff! Please, help me!
The woman and young boy both look exhausted with dark circles underneath their eyes.
"I have been trying to find you all morning and was told I would find you here. Petal, Aeren's dog is dead and Aldergast is back in the house on his own! I don't know what to do, I can't go back to check, but he hasn't come back out!" During this she barely takes a breath from sheer panic.
The sheriff interjects with his authoritative tone:
"Amele, tell me exactly what has happened and I will certainly help."
Wrinkling her forehead, she continues in her stream:
"Last night, Aeryn saw some horifying sights and we thought he was having nightmares as every time we went in to comfort him there was nothing wrong. He insisted there was a monster in his closet, but there was never anything there! This happened all the way through the night until this morning, we heard him screaming again and Petal barking but we didn't go and check, I promise that we thought it was nothing, but as we already had multiple times in the night we didn't think there was anything there! You have to believe me!
She sobs and looks wide eyed, yet continues:
"This time, Aeren wasn't just having nightmares, as soon as we heard a yelp from Petal and shrill yells from Aeren we rushed in and found a goblin biting off Aeren's arm and Petal lying in a pool of blood. Look, Aeren, show him your arms."
Without stopping, she pulls back her son's sleeves and you can see his arms covered in dried blood and bite marks.
Aldergast attacked the Goblin and chased it back into the closet. My husband flew into a rage and started going through the closet with his bare hands, ripping it to peices and I panicked grabbed the boys and ran! This was around 2 hours ago and he hasn't come out but Im too scared to go see, and I need to protect the boys...."
She pauses for a second and whimpers with a pleading look in her eyes. "Please....help us."
"Of course, Sheriff Hemlock. Your discretion is understandable."
Seeing Amele tearfully give her accounting to the Sheriff, Marissia looks very worried.
"Oh, my!" she exclaims.
(This is definitely something that we should look into.) Trinity thinks as she waits patiently for the sheriff to respond.
With a concerned look on her face, she turns to the woman and examines the boys arm.
"You have my sympathy mam. This couldn't have been an easy thing to have experienced." Trinity states as she looks back over to the sheriff.
"Of course we will help you Amele." Morgana replies, wincing internally at the thought of another potential battle without her armour. "Sheriff? We'd best move quickly."
As they travel Morgana calls over to Honani, "Do you have any smaller weapons? Your glaive will be too big for use inside a house."
Marissia looks surprised. "Oh, dear. I-" she looks at the Sheriff.
"I apologize for overstepping our bounds, Sheriff. We don't mean to imply you're incapable, but we're here. And could help if you like. We want to help."
Tamiko nods along as the Sheriff speaks, then grimly as Amele approaches and tells them of the happenings at her home. With a fire in her eyes, she says simply, "Yes, let's go."
Taking the sherriff's admonishment in stride, Honani quickly forgets about investigations as the woman tells her horrible tale. He removes his guisarme and bangs it on his klar. "Sheriff, would you like us to handle this? We cannot allow these monsters to attack your young warriors." Honani waits eagerly for the sheriff's approval.
The sheriff seems slightly surprised by the avalanche of ideas, information and requests. "You'll be able to get there much quicker than the militia. Yes - go! You've proved that you can be trusted. I'll round up a few of my men and bring them along."
Trinity casts her professional gaze over the boy and can find nothing wrong with him apart from superficial cuts - no worse than if he'd fallen out of a tree.
Amele leads you back along the streets before halting in front of a neatly kept house. "Aldergast is in there. Please, help him!" She opens the door for you all but then pulls back, tugging Aeren with her. He looks up at Honani with wide, pleading eyes. "Please sir, will you save Petal? She's a really good dog!"
Nodding at the sheriff, Honani and the others hustle to Amele's house. His face set in grim determination, Honani has his klar at the ready, guisarme wedged under his arm, set to kill or be killed. Before he could advance in, he hears the small voice of a child.
"Please sir, will you save Petal? She's a really good dog!"
Not wanting to hear something so emotional as that, he can't help but react. It breaks his concentration before battle. Honani inwardly sighs but keeps his face stoic. Pivoting the guisarme back upright, resting the butt on the hard packed earth, Honani turns and kneels on one knee so that he is eye level with the boy. Softening his face, he replies, "Aeren. You may see yourself as a boy, but I see you as a man. A man protects what he loves, fights for what he loves, but try as a man might, he cannot save everyone. I swear this to you, I will do all that I can to save Aldergast, and Petal. But your mother needs you right now. Can you take care of her, protect her like a strong warrior would, while we try to save the ones you love?"
Unsheathing a hunting knife, Honani offers the small boy the knife hilt first. "Be brave young warrior."
Honani turns and advances into the house. He turns to his race-sister in the threshold, "I know you city-folk fight differently than the Shoanti of the plains, but you might want to try and stand up for this one."
Oh! Okay!" Marisa exclaims in surprise. Since when does the Sheriff send school teachers to do his job? Oh, it doesn't matter! Aeren's father's in trouble!
Marissia hurries after Honani with worry.
Morgana shoots Honani a thoroughly evil look, but makes no comment - simply drawing her sword and following the shoanti into the house. "If we can't slay this beast with steel we should have you tell it jokes instead Honani..."