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?"
Ruby shrugs. "All the excitement, I think ... about Kerst Grath's suicide, I mean. She couldn't keep the kids from whispering about it. I think she was distracted herself. She kept looking out the windows and forgetting what she had been saying. So she just sent us home."
He also pulls out the jeweled cover that once held scripture and slant-headed proffers it. "Found this too... empty now though."
The priestess takes the book cover and turns it over in her hands. "The true treasure was the scripture inside," she tells him with a wry smile. "Keep it with my blessings."
She turns her attention to the vials, flasks, and scrolls. "These aren't magical," she informs the two, referring to the two glass vials. She uncorks one, sniffs it, and cautiously tastes it. "I believe ... yes, they're holy water."
She is able to identify the potions and scrolls.
Vhailor can't help but let out a slight squeak of glee as the book cover is rendered unto them for disposition, which likely draws a glance from Marikel to match the feline disdain with which Carbonel marks the gnome...
As Vhailor considers the book cover, his eyes slowly begin to bulge near halfway out of their sockets before he coughs and splutters.
"Thank you, Ma'am. Iomedae provides."
Marikle nods and looks around.
"I think that's all. If the others have anything else I'll send them on."
Marikle mutters as he moves off, "Where's that girl got to? I mean, Miss Alicia."
Vhailor shrugs and stammers "Don't know... she didn't say... went that way though." clearly somewhat distracted as he gingerly and carefully puts away the empty book of wisdom. Recovering as he pushes his lensless glasses back up the bridge of his nose "Should we go looksee for her then?"
Marikel is relieved to note that the direction Vhailor indicates is not out into the streets and possibly further trouble but deeper into the mission. It seems likely that she has gone to the room she shares with Ruby.
Vhailor shrugs and stammers "Don't know... she didn't say... went that way though." clearly somewhat distracted as he gingerly and carefully puts away the empty book of wisdom. Recovering as he pushes his lensless glasses back up the bridge of his nose "Should we go looksee for her then?"
"Let's."
Marikel makes his way to Ruby and Alicia's room and knocks politley before opening the door."Is everything..." He pauses when he sees Ruby as well.
"Is everything all right?" he addresses both of them, worry furrowing his brow once again.
"Miz Kelver let us out of class early," Ruby explains quickly, clearly not wanting the priest to think she is playing truant, "honest. Because of Kerst Grath jumping off the cliff."
Alicia silently ponders Ruby, until the door opens. She glances at Marikel. "Yeah," she says simply.
Marikel looks about, then steps into the room and pulls the door closed.
"Yes, Ruby, Miss Kelver was very upset about Mister Kerst's death. But we don't think it's true that he jumped. Miss Alicia and I are doing some investigations. We can't tell you much now but please hold onto your hopeknife for us. And be very good for Miss Varvatos and Miss Kelver."
He nods then turns to Alicia.
"Miss Varvatos is available if you'd like any of those things we found looked at. Vhailor and I can meet you outside when you're ready."
Marikel glances to Ruby then says to Alicia, "There's no rush."
Even through the closed door, the sound of someone entering the narthex with a heavy tread and calling out can be heard: "Hello? I'm looking for the Chief Defender! They said she was here!"
Vhailor tilts his head to the side and shrugs slightly. Unless Marikel immediately goes for the door, the gnome sees it opened and trudges out to where the voice could be heard emanating from.
In the entry hall of the mission, Vhailor sees Omast Frum, looking around with a mixture of trepidation and open curiosity that advertises that he has never darkened the door of an Iomedaean church before. At his shoulder is an unfamiliar halfling.
The Halfling who walked alongside the veteran Dwarf was at his shoulder in not only a metaphorical sense but also a physical one. He was young, but not especially so, more akin to a man in his mid-twenties than a teenager. Far closer to four foot than three, the Halfling was handsome, exceptionally tall and muscular for his race. Garbed as a lightly armoured warrior, the man was smoothly groomed and walked with an air of confident grace, immediately reminding one of a duellist; an impression only reinforced by the basket hilted rapier sheathed upon his belt. To anyone catching his eye, he smiled warmly in greeting but did not speak, clearly measuring his actions against Omast Frum's and deferring to the older Dwarf's lead.
The dwarf spies Vhailor in the corridor and addresses him, "Is the Chief Defender here? Got a message she wanted to see me."
Marikel quickly masks his surprise at the sight of the dwarf and steps past Vhailor.
"Mister Omast. Greetings. Sorry for the wait. Miss Varvatos is through this way."
Marikel sweeps an arm and turns to lead the two back to Tyari. He looks back briefly to the halfing and nods.
"Greetings. I'm Marikel Selentin, cleric of Iomedae (may her blessings be upon you) and I am pleased to make your acquaintance." While his voice is soft and amiable, pleasure does not appear to be reflected in its tone.
Alicia exchanges glances with Ruby, then pushes herself off of the desk she had been leaning against. She silently follows in Marikel's wake.
Vhailor looks initially nonplussed before Marikel comes in both literally and figuratively over his head to answer the question. The gnome instead smiles and when catching the eye of the halfling that accompanies the dwarf... smiles again at the returned smile he receives.
"Mister Omast. Greetings. Sorry for the wait. Miss Varvatos is through this way."
Marikel sweeps an arm and turns to lead the two back to Tyari.
"Nay, nay, not the priestess," Omast demurs hastily. "I'm looking for Halgra, the Chief Defender. They said she had a job for me to do. Oh, and this is a young friend of mine, newly arrived from Janderhoff. Kaleb Merriett," he performs the introduction.
"Of course."
Marikel turns back to the room he recently left containing Halgra.
"Miss Blackblade was through here."
Marikel makes a slight bow to the halfling.
"Mister Merriett. What brings you to our humble town? How are you finding the local hospitality?"
Kaleb outstretched a hand to the man before him, seeking a handshake. When he spoke, it was a slower and more rumbling tone than most Halfling's spoke with, more akin to a Dwarf.
"Well met, Marikel Selentin. Kaleb Merriett, Trunau-born, Janderhoff-raised, warrior. Am thinking of re-settling, actually. Haven't been back long enough to judge the local hospitality; only seen Auntie Cham and Master Frum. Seems I haven't made my homecoming at a pleasant moment, but I recall such times are rare in these parts."
Alicia's face darkens momentarily at the mention of Cham. "What in the Starry Expanse would cause you to consider resettling here?" she asks sourly.
Cocking his head slightly and grinning at Alicia's sour words Vhailor counters "I don't know Alicia, it is exciting..." extending a hand towards the fresh arrived halfling "Gelbvhailorin Betorenfalk... though most just settle for Vhailor or hey gnome, but still. I've just recently arrived myself, just long enough for my master to disappear and I inherited his cat..." furrowing his brow and countering himself "Or maybe the cat inherited me... confusing either way."
The group is rejoined by Omast and Halgra entering the hall. "A flood troll!" the dwarf is saying with relish. "Haven't seen one in years. And this is the lot that captured it?" His gaze travels over the priest, the teenager, and the gnome a bit skeptically.
Vhailor matches the speculation with pointed fingers at the others "They did most of the capturing... I just talked to it."
Alicia's face darkens momentarily at the mention of Cham. "What in the Starry Expanse would cause you to consider resettling here?" she asks sourly.
An amused glance in the young woman's direction accompanied by a wry smile accompanied the Halfling's response.
"Perhaps I have been away for so long that nostalgia and wishful thinking replaced what little good sense Master Frum seems to believe I possess."
Cocking his head slightly and grinning at Alicia's sour words Vhailor counters "I don't know Alicia, it is exciting..." extending a hand towards the fresh arrived halfling "Gelbvhailorin Betorenfalk... though most just settle for Vhailor or hey gnome, but still. I've just recently arrived myself, just long enough for my master to disappear and I inherited his cat..." furrowing his brow and countering himself "Or maybe the cat inherited me... confusing either way."
The smooth-talking warrior looked a little lost for words at the Gnome's story but shook his hand in a friendly manner as he stumbled for an appropriate response.
"Um... In Janderhoff pets become vital parts of the family or clan too, especially those that can be trained to be useful on patrol. His cat must be important to you both."
The group is rejoined by Omast and Halgra entering the hall. "A flood troll!" the dwarf is saying with relish. "Haven't seen one in years. And this is the lot that captured it?" His gaze travels over the priest, the teenager, and the gnome a bit skeptically.
Kaleb listened with interest, having never encountered any kind of Troll in Janderhoff at all.
The group is rejoined by Omast and Halgra entering the hall. "A flood troll!" the dwarf is saying with relish. "Haven't seen one in years. And this is the lot that captured it?" His gaze travels over the priest, the teenager, and the gnome a bit skeptically.
Marikel stands a little straighter and nods.
"Banny refused to believe that her friend would have killed himself. We helped her to prove otherwise. The creature was hiding in the old church outside the town. Once we established that Kerst had been killed outside there aren't really that many places to hide."He goes to add something else but glances to Halgra and doesn't elaborate.
"The Plague House?" Frum replies, aghast. "That's an evil place. Played a grisly part in two of the harshest challenges Trunau's faced in her time. And it's haunted."
"Well, I didn't hear tell that they saw any ghosts," Halgra puts in with a tolerant smile at the party. "Are you on your way out to check out that trail? Or is there something else you wanted to tell me?"
"We were just on our way out, Miss Blackblade, when Mr Frum and Mister Merriett arrived to see you. We'll be on our way."
Marikel gives a half bow and heads off.
"Won't be nothing to interest you at the interrogation, lad," Frum says, turning to Kaleb, "unless you've learned to speak the Giant tongue. I'll meet up with you for dinner later on, hey?"
The three plus Kaleb depart Sanctuary, heading past That 'n' Such, the Ramblehouse, and Clamor before the road turns back on itself and starts to climb up Bloodmarch Hill through the Inner Quarter. As they pass the Hopespring, the trio can't help but ponder Halgra's speculation that their enemies may be seeking to divert the water source to shorten a potential siege. The Hopespring was the main reason the original defenders of Trunau chose to stand their ground on Bloodmarch Hill; without it, the town would be significantly weakened. After two centuries, what could have prompted the orcs to consider such a devious plan? And is it orcs or some more dangerous enemy?
"Won't be nothing to interest you at the interrogation, lad," Frum says, turning to Kaleb, "unless you've learned to speak the Giant tongue. I'll meet up with you for dinner later on, hey?"
"Very well, Master Frum." Kaleb concurs. He heads back to the town with the others, walking near them but not especially close.
"Madam, I think in the chaos of that gathering, we were not properly introduced. You are also a local of Trunau ma'am?" Kaleb asks Alicia.
Alicia smiles sardonically at Kaleb. "Of late," she says. "I'm Alicia, though some people call me Ali."
As Alicia answers Kaleb, the party is passing through the Inner Quarter, past the Killin' Ground.
Marikel looks around as they pass through the streets.
"Where did Banny get to?"
He looks to Alicia. "You're going to need someone to help you check out this cliffside trail. I can't send you alone."
Marikel makes no mention of Vhailor despite the gnome's presence.
The party passes through another gate as they climb to the Upper Quarter and skirt the Commons on their way to the Longhouse and the precipice behind it.
Alicia shrugs. "The halfling could come with me," she says. "Kaleb?"
Kaleb bows with a flourish.
"It would be my pleasure. Lead on, madam."
There is a still a guard set on the narrow point of land behind the Longhouse, but he seems to have been forewarned to give the party access. The rope ladder provided by Marian Morris this morning is still dangling over the edge of the cliff, allowing access to the ledge to which the half-orc jumped, and the piton to which Banny secured her belt-rope is still in place.
Vhailor follows blithely along behind Marikel, absent noticing the larger being's indifference to his own presence. Carbonel forsakes the gnome's shoulder upon the walk - preferring to be held in the crook of one arm - where his eyelids show signs of slipping into slumber.
Marikel stays away from the edge.
"Look, I'll just stay here... in case you need anything. But if you do find something... anything... shout and I'll be down in a flash."
He attempts to smile confidently as a bead of sweat trickles down the side of his face.
Ali can't help but roll her eyes at Marikel. "We'll be fine, dad," she says, sarcasm dripping from the last word.
Kaleb sees (Alicia already knows) that the rope ladder dangling over the edge of the cliff leads to a small ledge something less than ten feet down, just large enough for one to stand on comfortably or two to squeeze on uncomfortably.
Alicia nimbly hops down to the ledge, then looks up at Kaleb. Wordlessly, she hugs the cliff-face as she slowly makes her way down the trail.
Seeing a chance in Alicia's stance and following her lead, Kaleb mirrors her stealth, his light armour clearly not disrupting his movement in any way.
