In the Kennels
Peribus and his hounds study the ground closely. It's difficult to find anything in such a well trod area. However, his two hounds seem to focus on one set of tracks, that they sniff at and bark at to direct Peribus to them. They look ordinary, but something about the scent must be annoying the dogs somehow. Peribus tracks it just to the door of the Kennel... and then the tracks just stop. As if whoever had left them vanished into thin air. His dogs whine with annoyance at the lost trail.
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In the Cellar
Dailung's blade dances through the air, ripping away wisps of smoke as the magic in the steel bites at the thing, pulling it apart if only a little. It reaches out to try and strangle his nimble foe as she dances away, only to be caught by two arrows which hiss like hot steel in water, sticking in the air as they burrow into the formless thing.
Braxus and Bulgo are not as lucky. They strike at the thing, their magic weapons ripping away soft drifts of smoke from the things body, but not killing it.
THE BOLD MAY ACT!
Braxus
Dialung
Bulgo
Kargen
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Freya
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Wraith 1 [-38]
Wraith 2 [-17]
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Peribras quietly signals Darkpaw and Ben to stay put, then sneaks into the stable and begins quietly, cautiously, exploring for any sign of the intruder. He is slow, thorough, and methodical.
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Peribras quietly signals Darkpaw and Ben to stay put, then sneaks into the stable and begins quietly, cautiously, exploring for any sign of the intruder. He is slow, thorough, and methodical.
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Seven stablehands are busy trying to keep several horses and a Axebeak away from each other. Peribas's sharp eyes scan the room, but see nothing that would arouse his suspicions. There are also no more of the footprints that match the ones in the kennels.
--------------------------------------------------------In the Cellar
The first wraith howls in anger, floating foward through the wall to try and grab Dailung.
Luckily, She is as nimble, grace, and swift as she looks, and dodges at the last moment to let the smoking hand float through the air past her, and she brings up her sword in a blow lopping off the misty head of the creature. It seems to try to reform, but the arrows that had lodged in before keep it from reconnecting, and instead it dissapaits in a howl of fury.
The other strikes again at Braxus, determined it seems to lay hands on the healthy and full of vigor warrior. The Heavy warrior tries to move away, but the thing passes right through his armor, sickly energy running through his body. Luckily, a lifetime of worshiping Cayden has imbued him with the fortitude of an elephant, and he shrugs off the sickly energy, dissapating around him like a puff of sparkling ash. A small burn on his arm that doesn't even really hurt is the only testimate to the thing's deadly touch.
THE BOLD MAY ACT!
Braxus
Dialung
Bulgo
Kargen
Freyax2
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Wraith 1 [-Redead]
Wraith 2 [-17]
The creature howls in anger as it is struck by hammer, sword, arrow, dagger, and even witch magic. The assault is to much for the dark creature to hold together at all, and it is disbursed into a cloud of foul smoke that soon dissipates.
COMBAT ENDS! PATHFINDERS ARE VICTORIOUS!
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At the Kennels
Peribus follows the trail, and it's clear that the tracks simply appear and disappear at the entrance to the kennels, as if whoever it was simply vanished.
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Peribras heads back to the manor, looking for the party. Having heard their plans, he checks the kitchen first, then the cellar.
"I checked the grounds and found several disturbing things." he shares quietly. "First of all, there were two fresh human jawbones bring feasted on in the dog kennels." He paused for just a moment, "Second of all, Darkpaw and Ben picked up on a scent they distinctly did not like. The scent was coming from a woman wearing shoes like the servants. Her trail appeared out of nowhere coming out of the stable and over to the kennels, then disappeared a few steps after turning away from the kennels back to the stables. I see no evidence that she flew away, but I wonder if perhaps she was carrying something that picked her up and flew away with her."
"Did you find anything interesting down here?"
"I think we have time to investigate a bit more before reporting in."
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"Interesting, yes. A couple of shadow creatures and some bodies." Kargen goes to inspect the bodies. He looks to see if they are missing their jawbones, and how they are dressed.
[dice=Perception, take 10 (heroism)]10+12+2
The jaws and tongues of the poor victims have indeed been ripped out, their faces have been clawed into ruin and their hair has been removed along with their scalps. They have also been undressed, though they still wear their underthings. Shoes, socks, and dress have been removed from the bodies.
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Peribras also inspects the bodies. He shakes his head. "I wish I could say this is the most gruesome scene I've laid eyes on, but I saw worse before I even joined the society." People can be monsters, too.
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Peribras also inspects the bodies. He shakes his head. "I wish I could say this is the most gruesome scene I've laid eyes on, but I saw worse before I even joined the society." People can be monsters, too.
[dice=heal]10+5
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Other than the obvious, he can't really determine anything about the bodies.
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Braxus looks over the two women's bodies and shakes his head with a solemn look.
"Whatever thing did this, we'll find it and make it pay. Bloody and broken. Simple as that."
His rage still cooling, the big man turns, earthbreaker resting on his shoulder, and leaves the wine cellar, but not before grabbing a nearby bottle on the way out...
A man needs to keep his head at times like these.
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[dice=heal]1d20+1
Braxus looks over the two women's bodies and shakes his head with a solemn look.
"Whatever thing did this, we'll find it and make it pay. Bloody and broken. Simple as that."
His rage still cooling, the big man turns, earthbreaker resting on his shoulder, and leaves the wine cellar, but not before grabbing a nearby bottle on the way out...
A man needs to keep his head at times like these.
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When Braxus steps out of the cellar, he looks around and sees all the kitchen servants as well as the head chef looking at him, a little pale and nervous. The head Chef turns and glares at his staff.
WELL? DO YOU ZEE ANY MONZTERS? I DO NOT! IZ NOT OUR PROBLEM, ZE ZECURITY TEAM IZ HANDLING ZIS! GET BACK TO WORK! IF YOU OVER COOK MY TART I WILL BAKE YOU AZ A REPLAZMENT!
The staff jumps back to cooking and preparing various little tasty delicates, though the atmosphere has changed since they went down in the cellars... apparently, sounds of battle had been audible upstairs.
On the bright side, the wine is a beautiful vintage and tastes wonderful.
Peribras studies the bodies, and while he's not able to learn much new, he is able to exclude some possibilities. The Wraiths are not created from the bodies of the particular slain, the circumstances aren't right for them to turn into wraiths. Nor where they slain by the wraiths, as this was done physically, and the claw marks don't match any undead he's familiar with, nor do what on closer inspection is the teeth marks.
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"Why would they remove the jaw bones? It's not like the bodies were going to jump up and start telling us who killed them. "
Bulgo looks over his shoulder to where the wraiths were.
"Although their spirits may well have been trying to communicate. I guess we could look at the servants to see if any have blood on their clothes. Or not fit their clothes quite right."
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"We should inspect all the servants; the only question is whether to inform the Major first... One of you got a list of all of them, right?"
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"Why would they remove the jaw bones? It's not like the bodies were going to jump up and start telling us who killed them. "
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"Speak with Dead. It's a countermeasure against that spell. I myself can use it against foes I kill. They didn't want their servants to tell their last moments. And it appears that whoever did this is now masquerading as one of them." He pauses for a moment to think.
"We need to show this to Tespern and get him to identify these two. It's likely that the killer is either using their faces or using their duties to move around the manor. Maybe he's spotted a servant with a bit of blood on their uniform too."
know Nature 1d20+15
Know Arcane 1d20+15
While her knowledge of the nature is expansive, all that Freya is able to do is confirm that no natural beast has claws like the ones that rent the poor servant's faces.
Her knowledge of the arcane, however, reveals a rapidly fading dim aura of a spell that was used. Studying it for a moment, she can tell that the magic cast was an enchantment. By her guess though, the aura will fade to nothing in mere seconds.
Spellcraft 1d20+16
Sadly, without being able to see the spell cast, and since it's just a fading aura and not a magical item, she is unable to determine what spell exactly was used.
The team comes back to the hall just as the speech from Genedair's speech concludes. The guests are mingling and talking to each other as the team looks for the Lady or the Major. Soon enough, the team finds the Major speaking in a corner with the senator. He seems to just be finishing up a pitch to the senator as the team draws closer to overhear the conversation.
In summary, our country's network of Eagle Knights and Grey Corsairs could do much to sway the tide of battle by expediting resources to the area safely and quickly, as well as our spec ops teams for rescuing captured crusaders.
The Senator nods along while chewing on a sweet of some sort.
Assistance from the eagle knights could be a boon to the crusade. But these things must be, of course, voted through the small council, then the large council, then the tally vote... it could take some time before a proper response could be arranged. The war might be over by then.
Those who are aligned with the liberty edge faction know that was a most decidedly Non-answer from the senator. The Major raises an eyebrow and coughs, trying to figure out how to address it without being insulting.
Indeed... I do not remember so many... steps required for an action in the Andoran constitution. By the way, tell me, how is the home country fairing? I rarely get to visit.
The Senator smiles and chows down on another tidbit.
Ah, we are experiencing such the economic boom! Why, my holdings have increased 5 fold since I became senator. The coffers are absolutely overflowing with the gold being brought in by the trade boom we are experiencing!
A flash of suspicion flits over the Major's face as he nods.
That so? Do tell.
The Senator chuckles and waves a hand expansively.
Truly! Why, Senator Gustarian was able to purchase a new manor at thrice the size, and Senator Ducrast has the most splendid boat that he travels in now.
The suspicion on the Major's face hardens as he speaks.
Gustarian? Ducrast? If I remember correctly, they should have finished their elected terms several months ago.
Liberty edge faction team members know that Andoran has strict term limits to prevent consolidation of power in the fledgling country to prevent coups. The Senator smiles in a sickeningly sweet manner.
To true, to true Major. however, you must acknowledge that some people are born to wield power, and are fit to keep it.... For the good of all Andoren citizens of course.
He laughs, a bit like a braying donkey, and the Major clasps his fists. Only the iron willed fortitude of the Andoran Major keeps him from decking the politician right then and there. He grits his teeth and smiles, speaking through his clenched teeth.
Please excuse me Senator, I believe my team needs to speak to me.
He excuses himself and walks over to the team, glancing over his shoulder at the Senator, who is leading his wife over to talk to Lady Dyrianna.
I should wring his neck... Andoran will lose it's freedom to that scummy fat little rat and his friends over my dead body! But... that is a task for another day. Team, what did you find?
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Checking to be sure they won't be overheard, Braxus says in a low voice, "A gruesome sight, to be sure. Two serving ladies, dead, and torn in away to keep their spirits from talking afterward or us from figuring who they were by sight, if you follow me."
He offers the Major a knowing look. "Old Bulgo thinks he's got a way to figure out who is trying to pass off as them, cause their clothes were taken too. Looks like you noticed right Major, and someone isn't who they should be."
Then, almost as an afterthought, "Who did you notice by the way? You never said."
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"Nothing good, I'm afraid. It seems that two of the servant women were murdered. Their faces were mutilated, their scalps were taken, and their jaws were removed and thrown to the dogs in the kennels. I was able to find the tracks of whomever threw the jaws to the dogs. It was a woman, wearing shoes like one of the servants. The odd bit is that the tracks only exist between the stables and the kennels; as if the walker materialized out of thin air outside the stables, walked to the kennel, turned around and began to walk away, then vanished into thin air again. I found no evidence of flight motions, either takeoff or landing. My wolf did not like the scent of the tracks at all; she seemed to think there was something wrong in the scent."
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Bulgo nods to reinforce the others statements, but has little to add himself.
"The best I could think of was asking one of the servants how another one was. Those who are not genuine might not realise the person mentioned was not on the roster for today."
"Alternatively, I could slip quietly into the kitchen and keep watch there in case someone is trying to poison the food."