"Have you read the journal?"
"No, I didn't think it was proper to do so without Rodrick's explicit consent."
"Why did you suggest Rodrick give you the journal?"
"I figured it would be less likely for someone to seek me for it."
"Why did you want him to end his investigation?"
"I never said I wanted him to end his investigation."
"Why did you refer to the investigation as foolish?"
"I never said that either."
""What scheme was he investigating?"
"As I just said, I'm not sure that even Rodrick knew exactly what he was looking for."
"How is Brinya involved?"
Only in that it was originally because of her that Rodrick came to talk with me. The investigation came up later."
"It seems this Plague House is key. And, if I remember correctly, didn't Kilien see Rodrick there the day she arrived here?"
"Yes, I think we should investigate it as soon as we can," Kílien says, still watching carefully to make sure they are not ambushed again.
Sylvar looks a little disappointed he wasn't able to get more useful information from the half-orc. "Ok. Thank you for your help," he says before turning to the others. "It does seem we need to go to the plague house. Maybe we can discover more there. We also should talk to Omast to see what he knows. Let's talk to him first," he suggests.
You find Patrol Sergeant Omast Frum at the South Tower of Trunau’s inner wall, dangling from the tower’s battlements by a rope tied to his belt. His futile attempts to wash away the graffiti that recently appeared there are creating quite the spectacle.
You also realize that he is quite drunk, this is especially disconcerting to Agustu because he knows that Omast has been successfully sober for over a year now.
The graffitti is in the form of white swords painted on the wall, and no amount of scrubbing seems to be able to get it clean. These are the same markings you saw in the room at the Ramblehouse Inn.
Sylvar looks at the others in the group, hoping someone from town would speak. Seeing no one step up, he clears his throat to get Omast's attention.
"Hello there, can we speak with you for a moment? We are investigating Rodrick's murder and have a few questions," he says and waits for the man to lower himself from the wall.
"We found a similar substance as the graffiti in a room at the inn. Do you have any idea what the symbols mean or who put them there?"
"Did Rodrick ever talk to you about anything he was investigating?"
Lialda was glad they were making at least some headway in their investigation but she knew they had a ways to go still. With nothing further, other than the old temple, they found Omast scrubbing, drunkenly, at the markings. It didn't seem that he was making much headway on them and it got Lialda to thinking. What kind of substance would be so resistant to scrubbing as this? What would it take to get rid of it?
While Sylvar began questioning Omast, Lialda turned her attention to the marking. She began to investigate it, first casting a spell to see magic and looking them over that way and then changing to trying to determine what alchemical substance might be used to do this.
Agatsu approached silently the sergeant. He never, in his lifetime, imagined the situation would inverse like that - but ever since the murder, he hasn't drank, and his friend, sober for an year, is now on this situation.
The large man looked at Omast with understanding, and not condescending. He let their eyes cross and stare, before sitting on the ground with his back against the wall.
As my companions said... We're trying to get to the root of it all. - he finally broke the silence, now not looking directly at Omast anymore - Your help would be appreciated.
Omast is very talkative, but mostly rambles. You find it hard to keep him on track. It's obvious he is very drunk and very hurt over Rodrik's death. Frum has always seen himself as a protector and mentor of the Grath boys. When Rodrik and Kurst came of age and joined Trunau’s militia, Patrol Leader Jagrin Grath asked Omast to make sure his sons were safe, whether out on patrol or within the town walls. The humble sergeant took this task very seriously, and in the wake of Rodrik’s mysterious death, Omast is faring poorly.
He knows Rodrik shared a friendship with the half-orc Katrezra, and his jealousy is palpable (he describes the oracle as “a crippled oaf who lounges in the Sanctuary’s beds spouting curses and lies of prophetic dreams”), but Omast is unaware of Rodrik’s relationship with the halforc Brinya Kelver.
Unless you take the time to sober him up, he is practically useless as a source of information right now.
@ Lialda: The graffitti is white swords or crosses. They are not magical, but your Alchemy check identifies them as a special alchemical marker dye (something that is rather expensive, thus probably not the work of hooligans). The dye will wear off eventually, but trying to clean it short of stripping the surface or using magic will be fruitless for at least a month.
"Well, Agatsu, he's your friend, in this state he is not very helpful. Perhaps you should convince him to sober up. It's a little late in the day to start our investigation of the Plague House, perhaps we can help your friend instead?"
Lialda realized just what these markings were made of and new that Omast would never manage to get rid of them with what he was currently doing. She gestured for Agatsu to come with her for a moment so she could explain just how cruel what they were doing to Omast was, knowingly or not.
Pulling Allistaire and the others towards Lialda and further from the sergeant's ears, the brawler first answers him.
Yes, it's a fine idea... As much as I would want to have some alcohol in my system right now. Omast is a good man, and he was clean for almost an year. I fear this lapse will... Like any little lapse would... Pull him right back. - and he gestures with both arms in a pulling motion.
He then turns to the witch.
I see your point. - he says, turning his head to Omast, then back to her - And maybe whoever assigned him to do it, also sees it. Yet, I don't see any new bottles on him. I myself find that some hard work for long hours without replenishing my mugs is one way to sober up.
Finally, Agatsu scratches his chin.
Unless, of course, we have something to control the... Poison... In his system, of at least a very cold bucket of water. Regardless, if we are to get him sober to make more sense, then we might have to stay here and wait for it to run its course.
Yoo spend several hours nursing the depressed guard sergeant back to sobriety. As he becomes more coherent, you learn more about his relationship with Rodrik. Omast blames himself for Rodrik's death, he thinks he should have been there for him after Rodrik's fight with his father.
Omast can also verify several things you have found so far. First, it is evident that Omast is highly suspicious of half-orcs. He especially does not trust Katrezra, who he blames for filling Rodrik's head with nonsense. You also realize that Omast knows nothing about Brinya and Rodrik being together. When Omast sees the Hopeknife, he immediately tells you that it is odd because it is nowhere near the standards of quality to be expected from Sara Morninghawk's shop.
Finally, about the graffiti. First, he can tell you the locations of where the graffiti has been placed. There are a few locations, but the one that is most baffling is the one at the South tower. This cross, unlike the others is quite large, easily visible even from outside of the walls of Trunau. How someone painted a white cross that is 30 feet tall and 10 feet wide on a garrisoned tower without being noticed is beyond comprehension. The South tower, btw, is very near the Plague House, which is located just outside of the walls.
Afterwards, Omast thanks you profusely. He seems ashamed of his lapse, especially in front of Agatsu.
Agatsu taps Omast shoulder friendly, as if reassuring him that anyone could have a lapse, especially in such circumstances. Finally, though, the brawler approaches his other companions.
Well, it seems we confirmed our suspicions about the hopeknife. - he pauses - I find the tower graffiti the most odd, like him, but in a world where undead walk among the living and lizards breath flames, I guess we could always expect something arcane to bring the unexpected.
He then approaches the window.
Unless you have any other point, it seems it's time for us to visit the Plague House. Please, get ready, and let's see the road.
Kílien perks up, having been somewhat uncomfortable with the company of the drunken guard, fearing that her influence would not be positive. But it seems they are finally able to proceed, and she is unusually enthusiastic. "Ready!" she smiles shyly.
After leaving Omast, you have an uneventful night. The next morning you head outside the walls to the Plague House. As you approach, you can see the large white cross (or maybe a sword) painted on the south tower.
The Plague House, also known as the Burned Church, was Trunau’s original church of Iomedae. When orc raiders burned the building down and killed the priests within, the church of Iomedae decided to build a new chapel inside the city walls. The ruined church became known as the Plague House following a tragedy 50 years ago, when Trunau was afflicted with a plague. The town’s authorities hastily rebuilt the structure and used it to quarantine the plague victims, but a mysterious fire consumed the building a few days later, killing everyone inside—patients and healers— and leaving the infamous site once again in ruins. None have attempted to rebuild it since.
There are multiple ways of entering the ruined building: through the front doors, the collapsed wall in the ruined sitting room, and the open wall or the back door in the collapsed stairwell. Unless otherwise noted, the doors on the Plague House’s ground level are of good wooden construction, while those in the basement are iron. Ceilings within the Plague House are generally 10 feet high and all rooms are dark, though those areas with exterior windows have normal light during the day.
"I say let's just use the front entrance and work our way back."
Sylvar scans the building. "Seems as good a choice as any," he says before going up to the door and searching it for traps.
Very well. Let's go for it, then. - says Agatsu, also inspecting the building before going for the front doors.
"Right behind you!" murmurs Kílien, her bow drawn and loaded.
Lialda nodded in agreement and said, "That makes sense to me."
The Plague House’s front doors sit three feet above the ground. Charred wooden beams and ash are all that remains of a small porch and stairs that once led to the entrance. The small windows flanking either side of the doorframe are broken, but a large stained glass window dominating the face of the building to the right remains in fine shape, and shows a varicolored image of Iomedae holding her sword aloft.
Agatsu approaches and tries to look inside from the broken windows by the side of the doorframe. He signs to the others to hold.
Those windows are about 8' above the ground.
It is something of a climb to get to the doors, but, despite their appearance, they open with ease. Inside you see a corridor 10' wide and about 40' long that appears to open up into a bigger area. The only light comes from your open doors. At the end of the corridor, on the left, is a small door. Immediately to your right is a set of double doors.
Kílien steps forward with a solemn gesture, raising her hand as if to say Follow me. She waits to make sure they are all moving together, and then proceeds to listen at the double doors.
Sylvar... Will you inspect the way for us? Maybe these closer doors first? - says the brawler towards the rogue, stepping inside the place and doing a brief scan of his own.
"Let's check these doors that are closest to us first."
Alistaire lends action to words as he tries to open them.
"Yes, of course. Let me check these double doors for traps before we open them. If someone could watch down the hall to make sure nothing comes from that direction while I do this," Sylvar says as he approaches the doors.
"Do you want me to see what's at the end of the hall next or should we see what's behind these doors first?" he asks his companions.
Kílien is surprised by Agatsu's reaction to her stepping forward and suggesting a course of action, and self-consciously bites her tongue in silence. In response to Sylvar's question, she shrugs.
Pyros finds no traps on the doors. Opening them you see a large room. Two rows of scorched, wrought-iron bedframes take up most of the space in this soaring chamber, resting between a fire blackened altar to the southwest and double doors to the northeast. A second set of double doors leads to the northwest (the ones you just opened), and a single iron door exits the chamber to the southeast. Brightly colored holy figures stare down from the stained-glass windows built into the blackened stone walls, their visages noticeably less damaged than the rest of the room.
When they reached the old chapel Lialda looked over the place out of curiosity. Lialda was quiet as the entered the place, letting those with better skills at sneaking and finding traps lead the way. She did keep a spell up to see magical auras just in case and kept a close eye out for any magic in the area besides their own.
Sylvar searches the room even though he doesn't expect to find much given the condition of it.
He then searches the doors for traps while the group decides where to go next.
Darren
Alistaire
Sylvar
Agatsu
Lialda
Kilien
As you begin exploring the room, only Sylvar gets any warning as he suddenly detects the smell of burning flesh.
Sylvar
Suddenly, in the room, the burnt corpses of plague victims appear on the bedframes, sitting straight up and screaming, their mouths full of fire and ashes.
Darren
"It looks like the spirits of the dead still haunt this place. I don't have a way to apply positive energy to stop them though. Let's go back out into the hall, Sylvar says quickly trying to user the others back the way they came in.