Bacon looks innocent, not at all being involved with the mysterious vanishing of meat products and his popularity with the local dogs.
Janis looks at Andraste then to Cleo. Very well. He sits down and helps himself. [b]However we do need to plan our approach to tonight. Keeping quiet might be the best for all of you. The less you talk the less I have to cover up your mistakes. We might also want to get you gear more common to the lower classes to help you fit in as a gang of cutthroats and professionals.
"Be nice, Janis." Ameiko calls out from around the corner. The last batch of waffles are done. These ones have hazelnuts.
"Are you planning to storm the place once everyone's inside? Or are you just looking for information? I'm wondering because having everyone there might look a little... suspicious.
D'you think the Guard is done investigating the murders of... you know. I'd like to see them properly buried."
Cleo nods in thanks to the man's acceptance.
"I will keep quiet... the best that I can." is as best a promise as the good-hearted halfling can promise. Aggah just grins with a wide mouth full of sharp teeth. "Wouldn't a gang of professionals be well equipped?" she asks genuinely curious. "But I think I can look shabby, Mom always said I had a knack for it."
Cleo finishes her waffles "So we have until this evening." wiping off her hands on a napkin. "I'd like to check in on our friends funeral" looking at Furnok "And check to see if there is anything more they've learned."
Works for me, I'll suit up
Yes, but you're not geared like professionals of my profession. You look like warriors when I've insinuated that we're thieves. Bunch of heavy weapons, metal armor etc.
I'm the head cracker when the talking is over.
Janis nods at Furnok's point. And one head cracker is fine. An entire group of them is suspicious. I identified myself as a thief, not as a bandit. We need to be outfitted as though we're a gang of thieves. I can easily identify you as our lookout and problem solver. Cleo, Andraste, Wabbit, what are your skills that I might be able to work them into the story should they ask?
Cleo thinks, tapping her chin as she does so "I'm a cleric of Erastil, but family is probably not high on their list of cherised values... and I can't cast healing spells without my holy symbol." she shakes her ginger head "I'm okay at talking, but you want me to not talk... Cooking? Probably not the right choice. I can skin an animal and tan the hides due to having an educational background... My bow or dagger?" the halfling frowns "I could just stay here?"
If it comes to a fight you would be most useful. I guess I could just call you my protege if they ask.
Wabbit, what are your skills that I might be able to work them into the story should they ask?[/b]
I guess I could be the designated second story man.. I'm pretty good climbing up walls roofs etc...
Wabbit would like to stop off at the Desnan temple and pick up the improved Tinkerbell
Play up the knife work. You are the escaped Thrune slave who knows how to go for the kidneys with your blade. Make a few comments about turning people's livers into dinner to scare them. I can talk about how being a pig farmer is my cover and I feed people to Bacon to hide the evidence.
Bacon oinks and looks mean.
"I spent much of my youth copying text for one of my teachers. I learned how to make my writing look exactly like his. My services in this regard were utilized by other professors who wished to make it appear as if their works were more prolific. I'm decent with a dagger as well." she clears her throat. "And if I forget years of training, I can prolly slip back into a Old Dock accent, yah? Drop all the fancies and speak plain. Also, I can dirty up yous' skin with prop inksign."
Janis heads out to collect clothing and other items to help disguise his comrades, while Cleo and Furnok make their way to the temple of Pharasma.
The temple is a fairly small and humble building located in Keystone, though its steep and spiky rooftop reflects the architecture common to the faith. The church itself is surrounded by graveyard, and several acolytes are already working hard to dig new graves. After asking around, the group is led into the church and introduced to Father Annamentus Jivorus. He's responsible for everything regarding the faith of Pharasma within Magnimar, which includes tending to the graveyards and catacombs of the Cenotaph, training nurses and midwives, and providing medicine, spellcasting, and counselling services.
Father Jivorus is a tall and portly, middle-aged Chelish man. He's completely clean shaven, and has short, grey hair. He wears a black robe, tied with a silver coloured sash. On his person are vials of holy water, a ceremonial dagger, and a common coin pouch. He seems to have a calm demeanor to him as he walks slowly and gracefully, but his eyes have an intense gaze and curiosity to them.
"Goodmorning. How may I help you?"
---------------
Janis travels around Lowcleft, the Dockway, and Beacon's Point. He's well aware of which gang runs which areas, and stays calm and cordial as he travels these shadier districts. On occasion a commoner will bow or say "Goodmorning, my Lord". Obvious (to Janis) gang members keep watch, but never get in his way.
As I had no relation to the mourned, I will travel with Janis. At +17 each, I believe I cannot fail to aid on each of those checks. Andreste will follow Janis's lead, if for no other reason than to build a basis for trust to bloom eventually.
"As the others are occupied with personal matters, Lord Scarnetti, I will, with your permission, accompany you on the acquirement expedition."
Wabbit accompanies Janis eager for an insiders tour of the cities underbelly... Cleo is going to the temples with Furnok and should be safe. Janis however is someone that attracts trouble and so the day has more potential to turn interesting.
Andreste please allow me to chaperone you. This Rogue a term of endearment from Wabbit has a propensity to get himself in trouble Wabbit feels comfortable with that assessment despite their short time together
At +17 each, I believe I cannot fail to aid on each of those checks.
Local
Appraise
Ok, thanks.
Janis looks at Wabbit with a deadpan stare. Oh, and what makes you think that? Anyways, I have a lot of the equipment we need. A second story man needs climbing gear, I've got it. If we pass Cleo off as my apprentice, I have some gear I can lend her. What do you need Andraste to be our forger?
Andreste finds Janis to be extremely frustrating to shop with. Not only is he getting turned around on the streets, but he's completely oblivious to the etiquette of bartering. Andreste tries her best to guide him through the process, but he's acting particularly headstrong. When it comes time to secure more illicit items, such as a forger's kit, Janis manages to use the wrong name of the fence. Andreste had already told him who it was, and she even knew about the entire gang, but Janis gets distracted and fumbles. Wabbit spends the entire time trying to smooth everything over. After what feels like an eternity, the group of 3 finally leave the shadier parts of town, mainly because the thugs had "strongly encouraged" them to leave.
"Good morning Father" Cleo greets the priest with a respectful smile. "Two days ago some of our friend's were found murdered at their wagon. Two young men, a young woman, and a wallaby." her smile faltered as soon as she started talking about them, a pit in her stomach reaching out to pull her end in its place. "We're..." deep breath "We're here to see to their funerals, and to see if anything was found that might lead to the killers capture. Oh we have papers showing we are working with the guard." she starts to look "Oh!! -----" Cleo holds in a curse so bad it hurts her "My cousin has them." she gets a hold of herself and asks again "If you could tell us what you can, we'd appreciated it, with us understanding if that isn't all. Until I can get the proper papers with me."
Father Jivorus notices a certain goblin out of the corner of his eye who's interested in the donation box. He says "Not to worry, Cleo. I was told Aggah wouldn't bite. Please follow me where we can discuss in more privacy."
He leads Cleo, Furnok, and their companions into a smaller room. The room has several chairs, an old and worn bench, a table, and a large window with stained glass. He gives Bacon a good pat on the head as everyone enters, checks to see if Aggah came in or if she's still making mischief, then closes the door.
"Thank you for meeting with me. I had the privilege to examine the deceased last night alongside the Honour Guard. They should be receiving my letter sometime today, which will contain the same information I'll give you. For the sake of sensitivity, I'll keep it fairly brief."
He sits down at the table and sighs as he recalls the experience. He tries to be sensitive about the information, but it is naturally graphic and difficult to take. Most of it has already been known by the group.
Vandra suffered eleven wounds. Eight of them were cuts from a bladed weapon, and three were stab wounds. His cause of death was blood loss, which would have taken up to a half hour, although he would have been unconscious for most of it. His head was removed post-mortem, and is the only body part missing. The removal was done with a sharp slicing weapon, used in a circular rotation.
Jeaux's spine was broken just below the neck, which would have made her unable to fight. The bruises have some similarities to a boot print, so she was probably kicked or stood on. Stab wound in her heart was the cause of death, which was inflicted by a thin and sharp weapon, but with a different design to the stab wounds Vandra received. The weapon in question wasn't designed for stabbing, but was only sharp on one side. An immense amount of strength would have been necessary to force the weapon all the way into the heart.
Shayliss likely had the quickest death. A slit throat takes very little time to lose consciousness. Some of her hair was missing, and bruises were revealed underneath. Her hair was grabbed and pulled with a significant amount of strength.
Ali had two stab wounds, which came from the same weapon used against Vandra. He also suffered a broken nose. However, his cause of death was strangulation from the person's left hand. There is also evidence that he ejaculated shortly before his death. Post-mortem, his genitals were cut off.
Attempts to contact the souls of the departed were met with resistance. Vandra didn't have a head to speak with, and Jeaux is invalid as a target. However, Ali and Shayliss should have been able to speak. Unfortunately, all attempts not only failed, but were resisted.
Furnok is furious. Just what sort of depraved creature does this?
Cleo manages not to wince, even when his descriptions force the images of her friend's back in her mind. She looks to Furnok as he asks his question, but she doesn't have any answer for him.
Her own question comes after, "The souls are resisting? What could cause that?"
She'll think as well
--
As they talk to the priest she suddenly wonders something "Furnok, should we ask him about... You?" she'll whisper, cognizant that it is rude to do so, but not wanting to bring up the subject if Furnok wants to keep it quiet.
Andreste finds Janis to be extremely frustrating to shop with. Not only is he getting turned around on the streets, but he's completely oblivious to the etiquette of bartering. Andreste tries her best to guide him through the process, but he's acting particularly headstrong. When it comes time to secure more illicit items, such as a forger's kit, Janis manages to use the wrong name of the fence. Andreste had already told him who it was, and she even knew about the entire gang, but Janis gets distracted and fumbles. Wabbit spends the entire time trying to smooth everything over. After what feels like an eternity, the group of 3 finally leave the shadier parts of town, mainly because the thugs had "strongly encouraged" them to leave.
WELL that was less fun than I imagined. Unless either of you have plans I'd like to stop by the Desnan temple and speak with the priestess. Shouldn't take long
Furnok ponders and then shakes his head no.
Cleo nods an okay and then keeps quiet about it.
"Sounds like a fine plan, Wabbit." Andreste says, rubbing her temples.
Cleo knows only that a soul cannot be communed with if it has not passed into the afterlife. This usually means that their soul has become undead, but there are other means of restricting a soul from passing on. One of them is to devour the soul, which is an act of evil. Another is to hold onto the soul. There are artifacts that can do this, as well as some very complicated magical rituals. More information does exist regarding this topic, but are considered forbidden knowledge for many faiths.
Father Jivorus replies "I've never seen anything like it before. I have attempted to dispel any curse that may be on them, but without any obvious success. I have seen some very grisly deaths in my time, but nothing so... brutal as this. Whoever was responsible for this must be deranged beyond redemption."
"But that is not the only thing I have to speak to you about. I have also looked at the two bodies of supposed Lord and Lady Foxglove. I discovered something that you and the Honour Guard must know about. They were not human."
-----------------------------
Wabbit (and anyone else) travels into the Keystone district to meet with the Priestess of Desna, Bevaluu Zimantiu. It takes a moment before she's ready to speak, for she has only just woken up. The acolytes explain that the Priestess worships in the night while gazing at the stars, so she sleeps in the morning.
When she is ready, the old Varisian woman welcomes Wabbit, Janis, and Andreste. "I'm so glad to see that the stars have guided each of you to this mission. How are things going? I continue to divine for your aid, and I have been contacted by an eldritch being residing in the Astral. He says that he is a friend."
our progress is slow but meaningful. Since arriving in the city a short time ago we've been deputized by the guard, found leads worth pursuing Justice Ironbriar and the sawmill workers and last but certainly not least have made your acquaintence my lady Wabbit says this last part honestly, endeavoring to be charming without being a kiss-ass
one can never have too many friends. Although I don't know which of my friends would have moved to the Astral... No one left a forwarding address
"Ali, one of the victims, had a spirt with him. I never truly understood the hows or whts, but he was a kind of a protector of the boy. Azerienzal was his name. And I believe Ali mentioned he was an Agathion. Planes and outsiders and the like are outside my keen of understanding. Do you know if there is a way to contact him? If he is still alive that is?"
Priestess Zimantiu smiles at Wabbit's remark. "You sweet dear. I'm also glad to have met you, and that you're making good progress."
When referring to the eldritch being, she replies
"I could only ask him a few questions, but he told me that he's an Aeon who's a friend. He said he can help solve the murders, and that he'll wait for someone to contact him again. I wish I could have asked more, but the spell is very limited, and dangerous. I won't be able to speak with him again for at least a week. I hope it helps, if nothing more than to comfort you that there are others watching, and wanting to help you. Divination rarely reveals the answers we're looking for in the way we've intended."
------------------------------------
Father Jivorus furrows his brow. Cleo can see the cogs turning in his mind. "That's very strange, and potentially very dangerous. Outsiders are always attempting to garner new souls, both from those who appear to be good, and those who show more sinister natures. I would advise caution, Cleo. There are ways to contact such a creature, summon them, or call them to this plane. If it was an Agathion, then it would likely have come from Nirvana. Agathions are animal-like creatures, and Nirvana is a place of... very utopian solitude."
"Thank you sir. If Azeri was there, as he was all the other times I was around Ali, then he can tell us more about this killer than any other. It is worth my own personal risk plenty to end these murders." after a slight pause she'll add "But I will cautious just the same. Thank you. If you have any recommendations on who we could talk to on this matter, it would be much appreciated."
Once they get past, she'll then ask "How much will funeral arrangements cost?"
"Well, I see that you're a worshipper of Erastil, which means you would be connected to the outsiders of Heaven." Father Jivorus explains. "It would be easiest to contact an Agathion from a worshipper of Shelyn, or Sarenrae. Some of the Empyreal Lords have ties to Nirvana as well. The worshipper would need to be a priest or priestess capable of casting fairly sophisticated magic. Binding an outsider is more complex, but any outsider could potentially be called to this plane if the priest is powerful enough. Alternatively, there are wizards and sorcerers capable of such things, although I am concerned about if they realize the moral implications of their actions. Many outsiders try to groom the summoner's soul to travel to their realm, sometimes even bypassing the Lady's judgement. I really do emphasize caution, Cleo. It's more than a matter of life or death, but a soul's eternal fate."
"Funeral rites do depend on a few things, such as where they are to rest, what kinds of ways they are protected from undeath, and so forth. I don't suppose the three have family, do you know? For a proper burial, we're looking at somewhere between 200 and 2000 gold pieces. If money is too tight, the church of Sarenrae does do cremations for a cheaper price."
"But that is not the only thing I have to speak to you about. I have also looked at the two bodies of supposed Lord and Lady Foxglove. I discovered something that you and the Honour Guard must know about. They were not human. In fact, they were not even humanoids."
"I... not humanoid? I thought you were telling me..." she shakes her head "I'm sorry. What were they?"
"Aberrations." Father Jivorus says. "I know very little on the subject, but these creatures only look like humans on the outside. From the inside, they are an entirely different beast."
"Aberrations? Shapechangers? Or just different all the time and one form?" this has clearly worried Cleo.
When referring to the eldritch being, she replies
"I could only ask him a few questions, but he told me that he's an Aeon who's a friend. He said he can help solve the murders, and that he'll wait for someone to contact him again. I wish I could have asked more, but the spell is very limited, and dangerous. I won't be able to speak with him again for at least a week. I hope it helps, if nothing more than to comfort you that there are others watching, and wanting to help you. Divination rarely reveals the answers we're looking for in the way we've intended."
Wabbit knows very little about any of this stuff and is happy to leave talk of divinations and outsiders up to Cleo and the priestess...but he very much appreciates any help they get, even if it's over his head
thanks for all the info. I'll pass it along to the rest of the group when we meet up later today. And I hope it's ok if we come back next week to see if you've gained any new information from our mysterious outsider friend. not wanting to impose on the priestess too much. and one more thing. How's my girl Tinkerbell coming along? No rush if you haven't had time for her yet I'm sure Divinations and consulting outer planes is time-consuming stuff?
I know Shayliss has family back at Sandpoint but nothing of the other's clan.
Father Jivorus says
"Alright, then we'll send a message to Sandpoint for her family. Do you two have any specific desires for how Ali, Vandra, and Jeaux are taken care of? Since you're not of kin, you don't have to be responsible for their care."
"I think they're capable of shifting into different forms. They sort of contort their bodies into a humanoid shape. I wish I could tell you more, but it's far beyond my area of expertise. I only understand some of what is happening in their body. I understand most humanoid anatomy, some animal anatomy, but almost nothing beyond that."
-------------------------------------------
"Ah yes!" Priestess Zimantiu exclaims. "I finished working with Tinkerbell last evening. Just a moment, please."
When the priestess returns, the ioun torch gleams a bright, inextinguishable light. "May it be a light for you in dark places, when all other lights go out."
"They were my family." Cleo says firmly. "I have..." Cleo gets out her purse "900 gold, 300 each. Will that be enough?"
this is a fortune she thinks, but why would Erastil provide if not for her family.
Father Jivorus' eyes show utmost compassion. He's well aware that this is a fortune, and an act of charity.
"Yes, they can rest in the boneyard around this church. They'll receive the best care from our morticians as possible. We'll build them proper coffins, sturdy though nothing fancy. And they'll be protected here, for as long as this church stands and the Lady blesses this land."
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I can pony up more so they rest easy. Say another 900 gold?
"With 1600 gold, which is incredibly generous, there are a few possibilities." Father Jivorus says, with a gentle nod.
"We could bury them in the eastern boneyard, which is routinely guarded by the church of Iomedae, on our behalf. They check for signs of undeath, and are capable of dispelling it without disturbing the remains. That portion of the boneyard is still hallowed by our Lady of Graves."
"Alternatively, we can inter them in our catacombs. They would have a special grave-niche, and visitors can come to see them. We can choose either to extend their preservation or quickly go through the decomposition process, for the same price either way. We can't monitor undeath at the same rate as the Iomedeans, we simply don't have enough priests, but they are still in hallow ground."
"With 1800 gold, which is incredibly generous, there are a few possibilities." Father Jivorus says, with a gentle nod.
"We could bury them in the eastern boneyard, which is routinely guarded by the church of Iomedae, on our behalf. They check for signs of undeath, and are capable of dispelling it without disturbing the remains. That portion of the boneyard is still hallowed by our Lady of Graves. We can also request a priest from Magnimar of your choosing to perform rites according to their customs. That would include a single spellcasting, usually to prevent undeath or to preserve the body for a short time."
"Alternatively, we can inter them in our catacombs. They would have a special grave-niche, and visitors can come to see them. We can choose either to extend their preservation or quickly go through the decomposition process, for the same price either way. We can't monitor undeath at the same rate as the Iomedeans, we simply don't have enough priests, but they are still in hallow ground. We would be able to organize visitation events, where we bring them to a very nice part of the catacombs which we call the viewing room. It has an altar, candles, chairs, and more. We could do that at a rate of once per year."
Cleo had miscounted and seemed beside herself as she was coming up short 200, and then Furnok comes to the rescue and more. She beams her gratitude. "1600 is what we have sir, and the boneyard sounds like an excellent choice unless you disagree." Cleo looks up to the ranger in question.