The Ballad of Bloodmarch Hill

Game Master Joana

(Banny is actually hoping TO include the Graths in it; her intention was that as it has personal meaning for the Graths, they may want to hear it in private, not shouted in front of the gate. Can't speak for the rest of the party, of course.)

"Padre," she addresses Marikel as she turns back toward town, "do you think your priestess would mind if we used a room in the mission for a trice?"

"Miss Varvatos would be honoured to receive you."

Halgra lets Marikel take the lead toward Sanctuary, then follows with the Graths and the rest of the party, leaving the trussed troll under the guard of the remainder of the Patrol.

Marikel ushers the group into the church, where the sudden influx of a handful of people makes enough of a stir to draw the attention of the priestess from another room.

"Marikel!" she greets him, before noting the distinguished personages in his company. "Ma'am," she bows her head with respect to Halgra Blackblade, "and Captain Grath, please accept our sympathy for your loss." Her condoling gaze includes Rodrick in the greeting.

Jagrin Grath mutters an unintelligble acknowledgment.

"Good day to you, Miss Varvatos," Halgra replies. "I hope we're not intruding. Might we trouble you to use a private room for a few moments? I'd have gone to the Ramblehouse, but it seems what needs to be said might be better not spread all over town by the time we get back to the Upper Quarter."

"Of course, ma'am," Tyari responds promptly, showing the party to a plain but serviceable room containing a long table set about with wooden chairs.

Halgra eyes the decorative sacred longsword on the wall behind her with amusement before seating herself at the head of the table and waiting for everyone else to take a place around it.

Banny shifts her weight from foot to foot, feeling a little awkward in Blackblade's presence. It's not often she's got a reason to be around the woman who runs the town; Banny sort of wishes she'd taken a bath sometime in the last several days, but, well, nothing for it.

She sinks down into a chair, looking to the others who have better ways with words to speak, but clears her throat and decides to just focus on Rodrick and not anybody else. She'd not been as close to Rodrick as to Kerst, but brothers is brothers; between him, Jagrin, and Halgra, he's the one she'd be most comfortable talking to.

"Kerst didn't kill himself," she blurts. "That damned troll's been lurkin' about beneath the town, right under our feet, and there's some half-orc that was with her too, she said his name's Daktani. Vhailor speaks troll," she says, giving the gnome a nod. "We fought her an' took her down an' Vhailor axed her questions after. She said that Kerst found 'em, and they shut him up-- permanent, like."

The words come out in a rush, no grace to their telling. Banny just wants the truth known: her friend didn't kill himself. Kerst died doin' his job, holdin' the wall so to speak: nothing to be shamed of, in that.

Vhailor gives a small smile as he's singled out, but leaves it to Banny and Marikel to speak to the truth of the matters at hand... he can't stop himself being a little too smiley as it's proved right to Halgra that it was murder though.

I'm in an area with minimal net connect with a keyboard, so please assume that Vhailor happily translates all that needs to be done so in both directions.

Jagrin Grath reacts visibly to the name Daktani, looking startled and shooting a glance at the Chief Defender.

"Now, wait just a minute," he puts in when Banny has finished her revelation, "if there was a tussle with a flood troll on the cliff behind the Longhouse, Inger Redhill would have seen it. She said it was one figure, who jumped."

"Didn't happen there," Banny mutters. "Down beneath the town, like I said. That fella jumpin' off the cliff was to fool the guards, I reckon. There's a path about ten feet down offa that cliff, where a body could land if he knew what he was doin'-- I can show it to you, walked it m'self this morning. An' that path leads right into more caves, where your jumper coulda disappeared into. Whole damn hill is riddled with holes. We found that first, but didn't get time to find where that one led before we started dealin' with Miss Green an' Ugly."

Alicia gives Jagrin a curious look at his reaction to Daktani's name. She intentionally fades into the background (i.e. standing inobtrusively with the rest of the group, not attempting to hide), quietly observing the conversation.

"Aye, Jagrin," Halgra puts in delicately, "the healer had a look at Kerst when they brought him in and didn't think it looked like he fell. Didn't seem any point to bringing it up unless something else came of it ... which it seems to have done." She turns her attention back to the party. "What is it Kerst found them doing that they killed him for? And who leapt off the cliff behind the Longhouse?"

"Very good questions, Miss Blackblade, and ones to which we do not yet have a definitive answer. Possibly digging for something under Trunau and possibly this Daktani person, who seems to be somewhat known."
He glances to Jagrin and Alicia.
"What we know is that Kerst made his way to a cave halfway up the cliff and left his Hopeknife outside it, probably as a marker, which we found."
Marikel nods for the blade to be produced. "We should probably return it to Miss Kelver."
Marikel releases a small sigh before continuing.
"We're not sure what Kerst knew but there's plenty of supplies in that cave for mining... including black powder. And a lot of blood. It was there that Kerst was killed. I can't prove that the blood was his yet but there was plenty in the cave and precious little where his body was found. We may have someone who could match the blood."
He looks to Tyari, but continues on.
"His murderers obviously knew he'd be missed and tried to make it look like suicide. His body was dragged to the foot of the cliff but they couldn't find his Hopeknife. It must have been a rushed plan. While the troll hid in the abandoned church, the half orc came into the village, stole a Hopeknife which he planted behind the longhouse, and then made sure he was seen jumping from the cliff."
Marikel's voice quavers as he finishes the sentence.
"Banny found the trail just under the cliff but before we followed it we checked down the base of the cliff where Kerst's body was placed. There's precious few places to hide so we checked the old church on our way back. It was more divine guidance than design that the troll was there. It confessed after we captured it and we knew you had to be told at once."
Marikel's gaze slides from Tyari back to Halgra and a brief silence hangs in the air.

Rodrick subtly flinches at Marikel's mention of Brinya Kelver's name.

"Miss Kelver?" Jagrin frowns. "What does the schoolmarm have to do with this?"

"You say they stole a Hopeknife?" Halgra asks. "Whose? From where?"

Alicia scowls, breaking her silence only to say, "They managed to sneak it away from Ruby."

Banny rubs at her face when Marikel spills the beans about the schoolmistress and Kerst-- in front of Kerst's father, no less-- but tries to keep the conversation away from further probing into that.

"Yeah," she says in agreement with Alicia's words. "Anyway, ain't those tunnels 'neath town a whole bigger deal? My notion'd be they're tryin' to tunnel up an' sabotage our defenses. Oh, hang on--"

She rummages in various pockets until she comes up with the scrap of paper they'd found, with the dates and orc runes. "Maybe 's some sorta clue...."

Rodrick lays a hand on his father's arm. "Dad. I'll explain later. Let's focus on the threat to the town right now."

"A flood troll...," Halgra turns toward the Patrol Captain. "Could be they're looking for the source of the Hopespring? If they could divert that so it doesn't come out inside the palisade anymore, the prospect of a siege becomes a lot more troubling."

Jagrin runs a hand over his face wearily. "That's a lot more work and forethought than I'd expect from the local orc tribes."

The Chief Defender responds with a barely-perceptible shrug. "I don't disagree. But Trunau hasn't survived as long as it has by underestimating its enemies."

Marikel nods thoughtfully.
"I'd not thought of a siege. Iomedae can provide water if needs be, but you're right: they don't have to dig tunnels and launch a full scale attack from within like I was thinking. Even a small band of enemies amongst us could cause enough damage to strategic locations and key resources to tip an attack against Trunau. What's more, we believe there may be a traitor in our midst helping them. There's precious little proof, but something big is afoot. Something so big they had to risk killing a well loved and respected high profile figure. I fear the subtle part of their plans may have just come to an end."

"Daktani." Jagrin Grath's fingers curl into a fist as he speaks the name. "His record speaks against him ... but I'll not condemn a man on the word of a troll."

Halgra nods mildly. "Aye, that's not the Trunau way. He has the right to defend himself against such allegations. The sooner he tells his side of the story, the quicker we have an idea where we stand." She looks back to the party. "I presume you took the troll alive so she could be further questioned."

"Yes'm," Banny says, swinging her feet a little, out-of-sight, beneath the table. "Ain't no troll smart enough for none of this, but still, the town might get more words outta her than we could manage."

"Good thinking," Halgra nods. "Jagrin, would you...?"

"I'll get right on it, ma'am," Jagrin interrupts, pushing back his chair and getting halfway to his feet.

"Would you" she interrupts in turn, "appoint a team to supervise the interrogation? You're too close to this," she explains. "If what these people say is true, the flood troll killed Kerst. Ordinarily, I'd say to pass it off to the Sergeant, but...." Her gaze travels to Rodrick at his side. "I'm going to ask former Patrol Captain Omast Frum to take charge of the questioning."

"But, ma'am...," he begins to argue.

"I'm not backing down on this, Jagrin," she replies firmly. "I told you this morning to take the day off, you and Rodrick, and the day's not over yet." She turns back to the rest of the party. "Anything else you think we should know?"

Banny hesitates, looking to the others to see if they want to bring it up, but she nods a little. "Yeah... see, we borrowed Jess Meeson's hound this mornin', to try an' figger if that hopeknife that was found with Kerst-- not really Kerst's-- mighta had a scent on it still from whoever put it there, see? Well, the dog did pick up a scent... followed it right through town-- took us to the Boardin'house where it led us to a room with a prospector who booked under a fake name. I dunno if that was Daktani, ma'am, but it seems like 's possible. Cham might tell a proper guard the truth of it. Anyway trail kept goin' an' wound up on th' nice side-a town."

Banny clears her throat, scratching at one ear uncomfortably. Another little hesitation before she plunges on. "Includin' near the Sawyer house. Now hang up, I know you're liable to say that a dog's nose is an awful thin thing to be accusin' upright folk over, an' you're right, it is. But just-- hear this notion out, a second--"

Briefly, Banny recounts her tentative theory about the ledge from beneath the guard tower possibly connecting to the Sawyer basement where that iron vein was found.

(I can't recall off the top of my head if Alicia had shared seeing a half-orc and Sawyer talking with the group, and my searching of the thread didn't turn it up, so I'll refrain from Banny mentioning that potential connection.)

"...anyway, it ain't proof. But it's worth seein' where that tunnel leads at least, ain't it, ma'am? But.... quietly?"

She mentioned it a few times to Banny and Marikel.

"Councilor Sawyer may be involved. I saw him chatting in an alley with a suspicious-looking half-orc last night, after the festivities of the Hopeknife Ceremony," Alicia says. "The dog followed a scent trail up near the Sawyer house, too."

Ahkay then. Missed it on my hunt-through, but that's why I asked. :P

"Of course, we believe this event needs further investigation, especially as you requested proof this morning. We could point the guard to the cave we found but we believe it to be a priority to check this hidden path that we believe Daktani has taken and find where it leads. If he was trying to get away with murder, the accomplice would have just fled. He's still here for some reason and I fear we need to find out what that is. I understand you don't want bad news like this flooding the town so, if you'll trust us, we're prepared to continue this investigation."

"I'll request that you not throw around pubic accusations based on a member of the Council of Defenders speaking with an unidentified half-orc or having a dog track a person past his house," Halgra advises a bit sourly. "Councilor Sawyer's family has been here since Trunau was founded. I'll have Frum interrogate the flood troll, we need to locate Daktani, and you intend to follow this trail?"

"Ma'am, with your permission, I can take charge of finding Daktani," Jagrin tries again.

"No, Captain," Halgra insists. "If Daktani is involved, he may have had something to do with Kerst's death as well. Besides, you've a history with him: if he sees you coming, he may go into hiding even if he's innocent ... in this instance. You've trained the Patrol; let a team of them locate him."

Marikel has gone a little pale.
"I... we... I mean, Banny intends to follow the trail. I'm happy to... help, if required. We weren't making accusations. We'd need proof of course. But Banny's theory that Daktani jumped down to the ledge makes a lot of sense. It may be a dead end. He may be hiding there until night to get out. It's best she... we... check."
Marikel swallows hard.

"Just giving you fair warning," Ali replies to Halgra nonchalantly. "I wouldn't expect you to take my word on it. If he is involved, though, it's probably better he doesn't know about the direction of the investigation."

Diplomacy: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (15) + 4 = 19

"I'll request that you not throw around pubic accusations..."

(In which I snigger like the five-year-old I am)

Banny sits in silence up until Marikel volunteers them to keep investigating. She blinks then shrugs. "Aye, we're happy to keep lookin', I guess. An' thass why I said I knew it wasn't proof, ma'am, just a possibility. Like Alicia says... if it's true, then jes' have it be quiet for a bit; if it ain't true, no harm's done by keepin' it quiet a bit."

"All right," the Chief Defender replies. "You lot check out this trail and report back what you find. I'll contact Omast to question the troll and dispatch some Patrolmen to locate Daktani. Jagrin," her tone softens a bit, "you see to your son's funeral arrangements. It looks like he died in the line of duty after all, which is what I'd expect of a Grath."

Who has the Hopeknife? Are you going to give it to Jagrin or Rodrick or take it to Brinya? Or something else entirely?

"Thank you, Miss Blackblade."
Marikel rises to his feet, then turns to Tyari.
"Ma'am. Apart from the murderer we also found some oversized vermin in the old church, giant rats and giant spiders, some of which escaped. We also found some old church items, including this."
Marikel draws the masterwork longsword and offers the hilt to Tyari.
"It was being held by a likeness of the Inheritor but she served us well in our time of need. We also found some items that could date back to before the fall of Aroden."

(Banny has the hopeknife)

Banny briefly claps the priest on the shoulder at his green-faced look at the prospect of the tunnel. "You'll do fine, padre," she rumbles into his ear with a grin.

"If'n there's nothin' else, then, ma'am..." she says to Halgra's words, and then sidles for the door. She whispers softly to the others, " 'm gonna take th' knife to Brinya. Kerst woulda wanted that. Just don't go remindin' cap'n Jagrin about it an' it'll prolly be fine."

Unless stopped, Banny leaves the meeting, heading towards the schoolhouse. Her heart is.... less than happy, but it's restin' peaceful, after a fashion. All she could do for Kerst was find the truth of his dyin', and that's been managed; trying to make things right with his lady, pass on this last token, settles it to the best of her ability. Whatever's brewing, whatever mess Sawyer or Daktani are mixed in, Banny figures that's for the smarter an' higher up folk of the village to sort out.

All she intends to do, after seeing the hopeknife delivered, is to go have herself a drink.

"We also found some old church items, including this."

Marikel draws the masterwork longsword and offers the hilt to Tyari.
"It was being held by a likeness of the Inheritor but she served us well in our time of need. We also found some items that could date back to before the fall of Aroden."

Tyari takes the sword with interest. "Held by a statue of the Inheritor? Was it wielded or sheathed?" Given a quick description of the statue, she nods. "You'll see such likenesses in older churches in Lastwall. Iomedae offers a peaceful welcome to all who seek sanctuary in good will but stands ever-ready to draw her sword against the Whispering Tyrant if he arises once more. In her stead, of course, anyone present willing to strike a blow against evil had a blade at hand as well." She smiles. "Did you use it against the vermin in the old church?"

"I did. It has excellent balance and a fine edge. It may be blessed. We found some other holy articles as well. Scrolls and water."
Marikel shifts a bit, uncomfortably.
"We also had to use one of your potions. We... I got into trouble. We were attacked by a clear square of ooze. It trapped Vhailor and I managed to lure the thing away from him but couldn't escape myself. Banny saved me. Saved us all."

After the meeting is over, Alicia goes to find Ruby in her room.

Ruby is half-heartedly doing homework. When she hears the door open, thinking it might be Tyari, she sits up straighter and stares at the pages of her book with more alacrity until she realizes that it's just Alicia. Relaxing, she slumps down in her chair and pushes the book away.

"Miz Kelver let us out of class early," she reports, "but she gave us extra homework to make up for it."

"I did. It has excellent balance and a fine edge. It may be blessed."

"Let me see." She intones a prayer and examines the sword as she holds it before her eyes. "It's not enchanted," she replies, "but that doesn't mean it's not blessed. A sword from the hands of Iomedae just when you needed it?" She hands it back to him with a smile. "Keep it. Use it in her service."

"We found some other holy articles as well. Scrolls and water."

"I can have a look at those as well," she offers, "and see if we can identify them."

Marikel shifts a bit, uncomfortably.

"We also had to use one of your potions. We... I got into trouble. We were attacked by a clear square of ooze. It trapped Vhailor and I managed to lure the thing away from him but couldn't escape myself. Banny saved me. Saved us all."

She nods calmly. "That's what they were for: people in need, particularly people putting themselves in harm's way for the sake of good." She smiles. "Banny may not have turned out exactly as we'd hoped, but it sounds like we can be proud of her."

"Thank you, ma'am. I'll endeavour to find the others. Vhailor found one or two items which he believed magical."
Marikel attempts to find the others again.

Ruby is half-heartedly doing homework. When she hears the door open, thinking it might be Tyari, she sits up straighter and stares at the pages of her book with more alacrity until she realizes that it's just Alicia. Relaxing, she slumps down in her chair and pushes the book away.

"Miz Kelver let us out of class early," she reports, "but she gave us extra homework to make up for it."

"Yeah? Nice of her," Ali notes, only half-sarcastic. She would have happily had a half-day from more boring lessons, even if it meant more homework--she could always just not do the homework. The young blonde walks over toward the edge of Ruby's desk and sit-leans against it. "What'd she let you out early for?"

Marikel finds Vhailor standing beside himself and Tyari with somewhat glassy eyes that blink furiously as though he were awakening from a fugue or distant thought. Smiling he ferrets out the scrolls and objects arcane that he wasn't able to identify, holding them forward in a haphazard jumble to be inspected. He clarifies "Could do it myself later... I think... but if you're willing then I'll not say no." pausing before adding "I don't think they're Iomedic... more of the finger waggling variety by my reckoning."

He also pulls out the jeweled cover that once held scripture and slant-headed proffers it. "Found this too... empty now though."