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His musical mishap forgotten (at least by him), Pim's eyes go wide as Zephyr shows off the beautiful jeweled diadem that's his current work in progress. "You made that? That's amazing!" the halfling exclaims. "It's so beatiful, but it must have taken a lot of work, and it's not even done yet," he continues, his enthusiasm diminishing a little as he considers the painstaking labor that must have gone into its creation.
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Kavor Doan begins talking to Havaroc.
"I've heard they do quality work at the Golemworks. I respect honest labor. We are trying to do our own job here, by investigating what has happened to the monument. Whoever is tampering with the monuments could have a plan that means trouble for the whole city. Is there anything more you can tell me?"
"Oh, give me a break with the nice stuff." Havaroc ignores most of Kavor's praise.
Havaroc (Kavor)
Kysu (1/3 clues) (Pimwrick, Zephyr)
Ysandre
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"I can understand why you'd want to stay out of the way," Zephyr says gently to Kysu. "You did the right thing, and rendered us a helping hand."
The half-elf turns to Pim. "Thank you. A fair bit of work, yes; I should finish within a few weeks. Its worth should be much more than what was put in. I'd conjure an image of the finished product, but it wouldn't do justice." He shifts the diadem from hand to hand. "Though many would never give up their gods, or even certain food, the Prophecies have their allure. I should make peace with the possibility of having to sell this trinket away. Not my preference, but the value would not just be in gold, but influence."
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Brak, worried that he used up all of Desna's amusement on his drinking song, does his best to work the scene. He approaches Kysu
"Here. Lemme take those." Brak helps him with his groceries after the harmonica performance. "Look I'm sorry about all this.
We'll get you out of here as soon as we can. The faster we learn all that we can, the faster you're out. Now, what else have you got?
What else can you remember?"
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Kord approaches the golem-worker. "So, they tell me you're Havaroc Tharvius. Congratulations. You win today's prize. What have you won? ME. I'm yer new best friend. I'm goin' ta follow you everywhere. Work? home? The tavern? I'll be there. Can you imagine? A paladin asking your boss, family, workmates uncomfortable and VERY personal questions. All about you. I wonder what they'll think about that. You got a girl? I'm gonna meet her too. I'm going to ask them all kinds of things about you, Havaroc. Intimate things. By the time I'm done, I'll know when you stopped wetting the bed and which nostril you prefer to pick. EVERYWHERE you go, I will be there. EVERYONE you talk to, I'm gonna meet." The paladin pauses to let all of this information sink in. He lays a heavy hand on Havaroc's shoulder. "Or...you can tell me everything you saw right now, like the upstanding person I know you are, and you can get back to your life...a life without me in it. So, what's it gonna be, 'Tharv'? We gonna be 'best friends'?"
"Here. Lemme take those." Brak helps him with his groceries after the harmonica performance.
"Oh, thank you." Kysu feels a bit more relieved as Brak takes his groceries. But he's still on edge.
"By the time I'm done, I'll know when you stopped wetting the bed and which nostril you prefer to pick. EVERYWHERE you go, I will be there. EVERYONE you talk to, I'm gonna meet."
Kord figured out one place Havaroc wet already. "Jeez! Theodorus, I'd rather talk to you-" Kord quickly side steps to block Havaroc's view of the inspector. "Fine, I hear you loud and clear. I'll tell you everything I know and then, I'm going home."
"So I work an overnight shift at the Golemworks twice a week. I was on my way to work when I saw the crime. Strange people wearing heavy cloaks and some sort of glowing necklaces."
"I called out to the shady group. Hey! What are you doing loitering in a place like the Ordellia’s Townhouse? Someone—the leader, I gess— responded angrily, speaking Common but with an accent I'm not familiar with."
"Then the leader mumbled something about finding someone named Looney Vire.” He shrugs.
"Okay? You-you stay away from my boss. And my girl... I-I gotta go." Havaroc scrambles away in a hustle.
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"Havaroc didn't hear that name quite right," Zephyr says. "Probably distracted both then and now. You, friend Kord, are as employable as terrifying."
To Ysandre, he chips in, "I was never a terrific dancer. Magical augmentation only takes one so far, at least in a field I wasn't so devoted to. Your natural talent is to be treasured. We're deeply apologetic for the time you've lost, but if you could help us out...?"
Ysandre taps her foot as Zephyr approaches but he notices she is tapping in a rhythm unknown to everyone but her. Zephyr catches her attention. "Huh? Well, I'd rather help you out than Theodorus. Every time we speak he's muttering something under his breath."
"After my last performance at the Rose and Rake, I spotted a group in dark cloaks headed west away from the Mistress of Angels. There was a faint smell of decay in the air as they passed, like rotting vegetation. Out of curiosity I took a look, only to find it marred with some sort of strange graffiti that reminded me of the Thassilonian runes that have been appearing in museums over the past decade. I think, I never really experienced Thassilonian lore." She chuckles.
Zephyr is able to get some information from her, but maybe his allies can get more...
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Kavor Doan tries to persuade Ysandre to offer a bit more.
"I assure you, my colleagues and I have the greatest of respect for Varisians and their culture. Desna in particular is very common among my colleagues in the Society - and a good friend to my own god Cayden Cailean. We hope to be of service to Magnimar if you will assist us with what you know."
Ysandre thinks for a bit. "Whatever the runes did, they seemed to have reversed the monument’s blessings. Instead of invigorating the heart, they now seem to fill it with doubt and indecision." Just a little more coaxing and maybe she will recall everything.
Kysu (1/3 clues, took his groceries) (Pimwrick, Zephyr, Kysu)
Ysandre (2/3 clues) (Kord, Kavor, Zephyr)
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Pimwrick can't help but note how very, very effective Kord is in dealing with Havaroc, and says quietly under his breath, "Okay, I thought that approach wouldn't get you anywhere, but...nice work."
Having had such limited success with the others, Pim turns his attention to the dancer, saying "I'm sure you dance beautifully, and I'd love to see you perform some day. In fact, I'd play some music for you to dance to right now - though I know you're busy - but my harmonica seems to have taken sick at the moment. In any case, if you could just take a moment to tell us about anything you've seen here, we'll get you on your way without delay. And Brak will come and take a dance class from you, like he said!"
"Well, you've got a point, Pimwrick. Dwarves are slow, but they are steady. Maybe he can maintain his balance for long enough." She chuckles. "Maybe later this week Brak here could sit down for a lesson or two. Let me think if I remember anything else... oh, I know!"
"Last night, I saw the ghostly visage of Ordellia Whilwren appear before her at the theatre. The ghost is an uncommon sight around the city, but she seemed distant, terrified, and desperate for help. Ordellia left abruptly without saying anything—an unusual occurrence." She shrugs.
"That's all I can remember." She smiles. "I've got to get going, so..."
Kysu tries to be helpful as Pau and Brak talk to him, but his nerves are still shot. They aren't able to get much from him.
Here are the descriptions and checks.
Kysu (1/3 clues)
Kavor is able to calm Kysu down. "Oh wait. I recognize the butterfly man’s appearance. I once saw a tapestry that depicts three people who look like him dancing in a swamp along a riverbank."
Kysu shrugs. "That's all I know. Can I... go now?"
With all of the people interrogated, they bid you a good day. The Inspector is barely able to hide his contempt. "Congratulations... Pathfinders. I'll let you continue from here." He takes his leave.
Davorge laughs once he is gone. "Oh, Theo is a ray of sunshine, isn't he? Come on, let me show you the Mistress of Angels." You find the monument depicting the founder Ordellia Whilwren. It’s time to investigate. Davorge stands by, ready to help investigate the statue. ”It’s quite beautiful, isn’t it? Almost serene...” He admires the statue. ”I’ll help you out.”
With your help, and Davorge's assistance, you understand much about what happened at the Mistress of Angels:
A strange, chalky substance coats the ground around the monument even after several weeks. Markings resembling runes are scrawled upon the ground.
The butterfly emblem in the statue’s hand is a holy symbol of Desna. However, in place of the typical images of stars within the symbol’s wings, there are leering skulls.
A spot of dried blood is splashed on the side of the monument, indicating that something violent occurred here recently. Based on the blood’s location, it stands to reason that there was once more blood here, but it was cleaned up in a hurry.
Davorge nods as you finish taking notes. ”What a mess. I have a suggestion: Let us sanctify this monument. I want to summon Ordellia, and she should see her monument as clean as the morning daylight. The sanctification will fail if there are too few participants.”
”Ordellia is a guardian of this town, and she may know what’s happening here.” He looks at you all. ”I’ll help you here and show the basic ritual. Now come. Calm your mind, and focus...”
He pulls out a symbol of a woman dancing about a moon and places it around his neck.
Then he draws a circle across the ground and spreads blue flower petals across it. He stands in the center and begins to sing an old Desnan lullaby while dancing.
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Pimwrick has never been a master of focus, and it feels a bit odd to venerate anyone but Erastil, but he manages to overcome these sensations and take an active part in the ritual.
To add to the moment, he tries to play along with the Desnan lullaby on his harmonica, but whatever has bedeviled the instrument is still having its effect, and he quickly stashes the thing back in its special belt pouch.
The blue petals rise into the air and clump together in groups of four, creating the likeness of a dozen butterflies that flit about before resting on the ground in calm silence. Moments later, a spectral visage of a Chelaxian woman with black hair and plain clothes appears in a nearby alleyway, clutching a silver butterfly in one hand and a starknife in the other. She stares off into the distance, terrified, and mutters a single word: “Help!”
“Monument corruption siphoning my essence. Cannot manifest properly. Please, sanctify the Cenotaph and the Founder’s Flame. You must hurry. A life depends on your haste!” The woman mutters.
Davorge’s smile fades as he sees the apparition. ”C-calm down. Please.” The apparition is clearly distraught, unable to say or do much more. ”I must- I must try to calm her down. Maybe you can sanctify the other monuments?” He muses. ”See what you can do at the Centopath and the Founder’s Flame, then talk to me.” He stays near the apparition.
"Wait, before you go." Davorge breaks his attention long enough to speak to you. "Now that the Mistress of Angels is purified, you might want to get her blessing first. Good luck."
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Pimwrick's eyes widen at the images before him, flowers turning into butterflies, then a ghostly woman appearing and speaking to them! When Davorge calls upon them to help, and suggests getting the Mistress' blessing first, Pim looks to Zephyr, saying urgently, "I don't know about this stuff, how do we get her blessing?"
The Centopath is one of the tallest buildings in Magnimar. Over 10 stories tall, the cylinder towers over Mourner’s plaza. According to Theodore’s reports, people saw spirits manifesting around the temple 4 days ago.
Red light engulfs the Cenotaph, emanating from the grand, cylindrical monument’s core as ghostly murmurs echoes from within. Ghostly apparitions occasionally flicker into sight, confused and distorted, before fading back into the stone.
Pharasmin clerics are guarding the entrance. ”I’m sorry, no citizens are allowed here. We are currently handling a sensitive event here.” You present the writ to them and they calm down. The apparent leader, a female half orc reads the write. ”Finally, the city listened to our requests… and they sent you, huh?” She shrugs. ”Fine.”
”Most of the disturbed spirits were drawn out into the Mushfens about five, maybe four days ago. We’ve been trying to calm the remaining ones down but they are stubborn.” She looks around. ”I tell you what. Go to the inner sanctum, calm the spirits down inside and maybe you can purge the monument’s corruption. Artho! Xelvia!” A human and a halfling decked in armor emerge. ”Guide these Pathfinders to the sanctum.”
You travel inwards, and notice several Glyphs of the Open Road inscribed on the sarcophagi inside. Some of you see familiar names, or names of famous Pathfinders who sacrificed their lives fighting the good fight. ”The Heidmarches come here frequently to maintain the Pathfinder memorial. Sheila paid for its construction, I guess.” Xelvia speaks up.