Still outraged Oberstein sneers
"NO! What the hell sort of a name is that?! Do I look like I consort with someone with a nonsensical name?! Albaras! Was it one of them that ran off with the pendant?! I'll have you know it was given to my mother by a HERO of the Imperium and if you have my golden aquila pendant I'll have your hands sewn to your asses!"
Quill calmly steps in front of Oberstein (and it does not go unnoticed by the Baron that as he is still in the middle of the door he would be a 'meat shield' for the trio inside the room if it came to gun-play).
Quill : You'll not find your trinket here, friend. I suggest that the thief went past this room.
Jasmine doesn't see guns drawn and hears words being spoken, unsure of how it might go she moves closer to the door but remains out of view to those inside.
Emerik did the same, guns in holster but ready to be drawn at a pinch. Apparently he was playing bodyguard, as so he did so. Although who would use such an obvious fake name as Nonesuch?
Quill : Do you sir, see the pendant in question in this room ?
Quill: My patience is at an end: point out the thief or let us go our way.
Emerik nodded towards the book that Vymer was carrying.
Quill : Really? And where and when did this crime take place?
So the rest of you are now in sight of Albaras and Sister Jasmine, crowding around a narrow side-door.
Binerith: From your 'high-jacked' servitor's captured feed, you see that there is some kind of commotion in the Entrance Hall, a crowd has gathered near Haarlock's tomb.
Binerith whispers to Fadil, and shows him his data pad. There is some kind of disturbance in the Entrance Hall. Shall we go investigate?
Baron Oberstein points his finger at the mourner
"If I find out you took it I'm sewing your ass to your face!"
to Quill he says "A silver aquila with a ruby eye and an inscription on the back addressed to Vyhemina Oberstein, I'd appreciate if you'd let me know if you see it"
Nodding to Albaras "Lets go, maybe he didn't go this way"
The Mourner, slips quickly away.
Quill : Very well then.
He and Vhymer (who appears to be livid, and is apparently only barely keeping his rage in check) calmly follow the Mourner out.
Come, let us make haste to the entrance hall, the commotion is sure to prove more valuable than this distraction. she says quietly once the strangers have exited, taking her escort by the arm and resuming her cover grudgingly.
To Binerith 's whispered suggestion, Fadil replies "Yes probably, but let us wait just a second to see if we are needed here, but see if you can get a better image of what is going on."
As the situation in front of them diffuses, Fadil inquires. "Is there anything the matter? If you are done, then we may have found something worth looking at."
Nodding, Emerik followed. He added, "Do we have anyone who can analysise these samples when we have time?"
Scotus walks up to the others, hands clasped behind his back , as if he was on a nice evening stroll.
"Anything of import discovered on your little jaunt, gentlemen...m'lady?" he asks diffidently, still maintaining the facade, though no observers seemed likely.
Binerith begins to tinker with the data-pad, in hopes of making the quality of the image increase.
"Yes, lets head to the commotion while Binerith tries to get a better picture"
Binerith : You see Lanus Cisten's servant, Whent, sprawled on the floor of the great hall, convulsing. In the image here is a kind of dark haze superimposed over his figure; as Binerith watches the haze seems to draw off, towards a figure in the nondescript garb of a patrician. The haze rolls towards this figure, then recoils, and flings itself away.
You hurriedly make your way back to the Great Hall. The crowd has largely dispensed, and Cisten is shepherding his servant back to the private chambers.
There is no sign of either the 'shadowy cloud' or the watcher in gray.
The Baron imperiously asks what a Mourner, flitting along one of their inscrutable missions, what had just transpired, and he can only say that one of the 'visitors' had a fit.
Binerith : As your the group rushes back down to the great hall, do you want to try to send some directions to your 'servitor'?
Binerith enters some more commands into his dataslate. He tries to make the servitor follow Cisten and his Servent.
.
The servitor moves off into the labyrinth of corridors beyond the Entrance Hall, where it busies itself with dusting funerary busts.
.
I would like to view the garden of the saints when we have time, I've heard they are amazing and these catacombs are so gloomy... How about some fresher air.
"that seems quite acceptable to me"
Emerik shrugged. He wanted to get the samples analysed, but wasn't sure if they had the facilities to do so here. Fresh air sounded good, but likely expensive - he doubted the air on this planet was better that most hive worlds, and the smoke this place pumped out...well, they would more likely be breathing dead people.
Binerith groans as he realizes his hold on the servitor would never last forever. Perhaps he should have prayed to the machine-spirit more?
Binerith simply says I shall like to learn more about this place
Binerith : Well, you were able to capture the sequence of Whent's 'fit', and save it to your memory archives.
The Garden of Lost Saints takes up a large portion of the upper part of the House's huge central dome. It a huge, open gallery, with several spacious side-rooms.
There are many statues of dour Imperial heroes and saints; including a sardonic looking Haarlock, glowering beneath the dome, which is painted with an archaic looking star-map.
From the Mourners carefully setting up tables among the statues and relief scultptures you gather that the formal reception will be held here.
Oberstein will take a close look at the star map
In the Garden, Binerith leans over and whispers to Fadil.
When Cisten's servant had a fit, did you notice some sort of haze superimposed over him?
"I didn't, but then we arrived a bit late, can you tell me more about it? Or perhaps show me if you have a record of it?"
Once Binerith describes or shows the incident, Fadil thinks hard.
4dof
simple fail
1dos
"Hmm, I don't think I ... Oh wait, yes I have heard of something like this before, yes. I would like a chance to examine the servant's aura, that patrician and possibly to revisit the site, there might be some traces of it"
The garden seems a place of wonder to Fadil, as his mind clings to his implanted cultural identity, however Binerith's whisper snaps him back to his duty. Taking Binerith with him he goes to study the statue of Haarlock.
2dos
Binerith accesses his memory archives using the datapad, and shows it to Fadil. He then follows him towards Haarlocks statue
Jasmine looks for any Saints and tries to read any inscriptions of note that she sees. While doing so she keeps her ears open to try and catch something of interest being said aloud.
Awareness (47) vs
Baron Pretty...
Fadil Hmmm. It appears that Whent was atacked by some no-corporeal entity, perhaps the same thing you saw hovering around the ceiling when you began this jaunt. The way the thing surges towards the man in gray, and then rushes rapidly back, reminds you of a cur; making an insincere show of intimidation before a larger, fiercer dog.
Sister Jasmine Haarlock's statue is posed before a slab-like section of wall that, you realize, is meant to model one side of his crypt. There is the same mysterious inscription: "Death is but a Door."
Scotus, to the annoyance of the Servitors preparing the tables, is already raiding the delicacies laid out there; when he sees the Eldar Seeress, an ethereal shadow, appear on the gallery. She glances at him, with a gaze distant and unreadable, and the settles gracefully upon a marble bench.
The odious Abbott Shale, accompanied by two of his pilgrims, has come shambling up to the table. He sneers at the Seeress, who placidly looks on, and then begins campaigning against the food laid out on the table.
Sister Jasmine remains with the others and attempts to control her feelings towards the Eldar. The mission must come first.
After browsing the gardens she returns to her role and takes her place by her escort.
Things look to be moving along, we should find our places.
"Yes, Binerith it would appear that is some sort of non-coporeal entity and it was scared off by that man in grey. Either we have some strong psykers here or possibly even sorcerer, neither is likely to be good."
Psykers, psykers, psykers. My 86th legion had to fight some rogue psykers once.... not an easy foe to fight
Having just plucked a canape of some sort, salty and meaty, Scotus notices the Eldar Seeress. He does not shrink away from her quick regard, returning her look with frank admiration.
As she sits, he continues to look at her for a moment, still chewing the tasty tidbit.
Then he turns towards Fadil and Bin, having noticed thier hushed discussion.
He sidles up, grabbing a piece of bread, taking a bite before asking, "What are you two gabbing about? What's this about psykers?"
Two new-comers arrive, separately. A bland-faced man all in gray, and a lean, scarred man.
Scotus notes that the Seeress visibly recoils at the sight of the man in gray.
Baron Oberstein puts up a the old traditional mock geniality of the noble and looks towards the man in grey and the seeress.
"I don't believe I've had the pleasure of your acquaintances, I am Baron Reinhard of the Oberstein family. Who do I have the pleasure of addressing?"
Sister Jasmine keeps quiet, if she did have something to say, it probably wouldn't be very dignified considering the xenos guests. She just looks pretty, but ready to strike at a moments notice given cause.
Emerik watched the abbot destroy food with mild amazement. "Tainted psykers die just like everyone else, if you shoot them in the back of the head," the ex-Guardsman murmured into his commbead.
Binerith turns to Scotus, and shows him the grey haze on his data-pad. Apparently, this non-corporeal objects shows that there are powerful psykers nearby