Imara, moved to the desk, looking it over and moving through it. Finding A journal with prose and plays written by Roderick within. His most recent the story of Hommel and Brekka, a Shoanti Barbarian overcoming prejudices and differences to win the heart of a Chelish Noble.
carefully searching she discovers the desk holds a false bottom, though within there is nothing of note. It is just interesting that the false bottom existed....
Imara glances through the journal, suddenly remembering that she forgot to write in her own journal the previous night. She's filled with a deep sadness and sense of loss over Roderick's death. I never really knew him. I mean, I did, but...he wrote poems and plays? About love? Maybe the playhouse would put on one of his plays...
She refocuses herself on the desk and notices a slightly too large gap between the side of the drawer and the bottom. She searches for some kind of latch or release and cries out in surprise and triumph as she is able to pop the false bottom. Her excitement quickly fades to puzzlement as she sees there is nothing there.
"Hmm. Rydell? Come look at this. Does your room have one of these? It can't be standard, can it? Maybe he had something in here that was taken? We can't even be sure if he knew about it, though!" She frowns with frustration. How can we possibly figure out what happened? There is too much we don't know.
Ovril furrows his brow and weighs Imara's question to Rydell. "If it was standard, wouldn't that take away the whole point of it being a secret compartment?"
Ovril furrows his brow and weighs Imara's question to Rydell. "If it was standard, wouldn't that take away the whole point of it being a secret compartment?"
Imara purses her lips in thought, feeling slightly embarrassed that she didn't think of that. "Yes, that's true. But it's odd. Did he just happen to get the room with the secret compartment? Did he add it? Did he even know it was here?" She lifts her head and begins to call out something to Cham, before noticing that Rory seems to be having a private conversation with her. Turning back to Ovril, she says, "I wonder how long he's had this room. Does anyone know?"
She also looks at the hopeknife that Rory places on the desk. "That's strange. Do we know if Rydell's knife had an engraving? Brinya would know...maybe Kurst or Jagrin?"
Imara looks over the play...and knows if theres one book...there has to be others...anyone who journals or writes doesnt just have 1 work.
Out in the hall Rory whispers to Cham...She looks at him. Why...why...would you think that? ummm There isnt anything that would matter to the investigation. no nothing at all she stammered.
Rydell looks at the false back.
I don't think so Imara, if it does, I didn't know about it... Lets go talk to Sara, she might remember something about the hopeknife. I don't think anything else is here to find.
Cham wrings her hands and says Rory. I dont know what youre talking about!. Its nothing. Theres nothing..
Shel and Ovril had been standing in the hall. during this. And now Rydell and Imara turned to exit too.
Shel was lost in thought, but Phoenix's keen avian ears heard the conversation between the two halflings. Not relevant to the investigation!? That's not how it works, not how it works at all. He chirps.
Shel's thoughts on other matters are interrupted by a flood of suspicious feelings from Phoenix, suspicion directed towards the red-headed halfling. She walks away from the room without entering it and approaches the two halflings. She leans forward to put herself closer to the halflings height and asks softly "Cham, dear, is there somewhere we can talk in private?."
Cham says Wh wh why . I already told Rory I dont know anything.
”You may think you told us everything, but often times details you think are irrelevant are, in fact, very much relevant. I’d like to ask you more questions in detail about the events of the night, and a more comfortable room will be better than this hallway. It could take a while.” Shel says.
N n no I don't know any..anything. why do you insist on p p pushing this. It can only hurt me.
Imara exits the room just behind Rydell and listens in on the conversation for a few minutes before deciding to break in. "It can only hurt you? What can only hurt you? Your statement suggests that you do know something. Are you in danger, Cham? Anyone that would threaten you in an attempt to keep you quiet cannot be trusted. We can protect you, but only if you are honest with us. Or if you feel you made a mistake, now is your chance to redeem yourself. Roderick is dead. Brinya and Daktani are missing. I know you think what you know might not be helpful, but that is really for us to decide. It may not seem important until we fit it with other information that you may not have. Do you want to risk Brinya and Daktani? That would be a horrible thing to carry with you for the rest of your life. I know it's scary, but this is your chance to be the hero."
none of you understand. You just don't. I loved Roderick. hes gone. I can't change that. No. I know nothing that will help.
Rydell comes out of the room and lays his hand on Imara's shoulder. He stares daggers at Cham as he kneels down to be level with her, but when he speaks his voice is calm.
Cham, I know you know anything that goes on around this town if it is worth knowing. I trust you, but I want you to think long and hard about keeping something from us. You clearly got worked up about it. So it clearly has some sort of possible connection. If this... wasn't, suicide, and there is a killer in town think of others. Think of my sister. I'm grateful for everything you've done for us, but keeping something from us can endanger more lives. Lives I don't intend to lose. I don't want to tell Halgra and the others that you know something you won't tell. It may have no connection, but that is for us to decide, and I'm not willing to take that chance with my sister here. We can't bring him back, but we can make sure that others don't meet a similar fate if it was a murder.
No... we can't bring him back yet.
She stammers and stutters for a few seconds. Then with a sigh of resignation, Her shoulders slump and a few sobs come out. I broke one of my cardinal rules last night. I let a person stay here...a stranger...who came in late in the evening. Paid lots of gold to keep his name off the books. Said he was being hunted by bounty hunters and would be gone before dawn. Just st needed a few hours of rest...I know what that's like. So I rented him a room and didn't put his name in the register. To think I may have contributed to this... her shoulders shook with sobs. And she added and once word gets out...I'll be ruined. The livelihoods of all the people who depend on me...all for some extra coin.
how did I end up with this... I'm surprised that I didn't make it worse. I've got no real idea what to say... she better not be more involved, or I'll likely do something I regret for putting my sister in danger. Keep it cool... she answered you.
I doubt that this will ruin you, you had good intentions as long as that is the length of your involvement. Lets just try not to make it a habit okay? Can you take us to the room this person stayed in?
His eyes show a tinge of anger. But with the sobbing, it mostly fades away.
The poor girl breaking down catches Ovril by surprise and he can't help but feel horrible for Cham. Sometimes the road to Asmodeus's domain truly seems paved with good intentions. Could he in all truth and honestly tell her that she wouldn't be ruined if this comes out? No, but giving shelter to a refuge is what Trunau is all about, and she acted in the spirit of this place ...
And so, the Varisian sighs. It seems the list of casualties is still growing. He speaks with the voice of his fortune-teller alter ego, and not his own, "You did what most of us would've done. You gave a stranger a moment of respite, probably because you empathized. Don't drown what makes you you, because someone abused your trust. The onus is on that other person, and perhaps once you manage to find your breath and voice again, you can tell us about him?"
"Are you kidding? You knew that was pertinent, Cham. And you let us stand here and waste our time talking you into telling the truth." She looks like she wants to say more, but at the understanding words from Rydell and Ovril, she stops herself and glowers at Cham instead, waiting for her to show them to the man's room.
As everyone asks about the room and Rory starts to lead her away from Rodericks room. she stops him with a hand on his chest. and in a small voice she said He took the room right across from Roderick's...He chose it. Looked at the open room register,and chose it. said because of how easy it would be to get out in the morning....oh why didnt I think. she leads them to the room and pushes it open. The maid hasnt gotten to cleaning it yet with all the excitement.
then she straightned herself up, smoothing her shirt and said business like...Varisian. average height. average weight. brown eyes. two days growth beard wise. shoulder length hair. dressed in neutral colors. carried a dagger. small pack. clinked when he walked...like glass was in it. Noone I recognized. Had a strange accent though. not Varisian. More like ...a Northman. Ulfen I think. Noone I recognized. Too many strangers coming and going these days. Too Many. She sobbed.
The room opens to a room much like Rodericks except the bed doesnt even look slept in. It is made up perfectly. The only thing out of place is the chair isnt pushed into the desk.
”It’s common for people in your situation to feel guilt, Cham, but it wasn’t your fault. You can run your business as you see fit; you didn’t break any laws. Thank you for telling us.” She squeezes the halflings shoulder and follows her across the hall to the strangers room.
Shel casts light on the Hope Knife around her neck and approaches the desk in the new room. She thought it highly unlikely this suspect, guilty or not, would have left anything useful to them behind. By Cham's description, he knew what he was doing.
Phoenix hops into the drawer when Shel pulls it open, pecking at various spots on the wood. Yes, yes. This desk is highly suspect.
Knowing the Desk in Rodericks room had a false bottom, Shel, with Phoenix's help...discovers this had the same... The Chicken hopped in the drawer and managed to pull up the false bottom revealing a letter within.
Picking it up and looking at it reveals this:
Its written in very precise writing
Melira,
I shouldn’t be away for much
longer. We still haven’t found
what we’re looking for, but
it’s only a matter of time,
and the other preparations
are proceeding as planned. A
meddling militia sergeant
has been poking around, but I
don’t foresee him being a threat
for much longer. Once our work is
done, it won’t matter anyway,
and I can return to you. I
marvel that I found you in the
midst of all this, and think of
you constantly. Soon, my beloved.
The party, lead by Rory, perform a thorough search of the empty room producing no other clues.
Imara watches Shel discover the false bottom and pull out the letter. "HUH. Do they all have false bottoms, Cham?" she asks with mild curiosity.
However, her attention is soon drawn away by the letter. "That's strange. That sounds very suspicious, but why would he leave it here? Does anyone know a "Melira"? Then, as an afterthought, "We should show this to Halgra. This seems like" - she lowers her voice - a(nother) sign of an upcoming attack."
Its time to look around outside.
Lets go and take a look around the town. See if anyone has seen anyone new. Rory, can your wolf get a scent from the note?
To say Ovril is perturbed by the letter would be an understatement. Imara's ponderings tug at his mind and help him to return to here and now, pushing Ovril to wonder who this Melira might be. Is she from Trunau? That would explain why he'd leave the note here. He eyes Cham for the briefest of moments, but discards the notion it might be the halfling. So who is Melira? Arilem? Meilra? Rialme? Perhaps it isn't an anagram, but I don't think I've ever met a Melira before.
"Not that it is a pressing matter for now, but Merriman asked me to relay a message to his son, Othden. Othden did not come home last night ... and since the letter states 'our work' in a way that implies the plural does not include Melira, and they're actively killing those who somehow become privy to their plot, I'm inclined to take anyone's disappearance very, very serious right now. Othden was going to meet up with Ruby yesterday, that's all I know."
Cham listened to the others giving Shel a look that said thank you. Then she answered Imara I think most do. I had the desks made and told the carpenter to put the hidden compartments in to protect small things residents left behind . They aren't easy to spot. [B] then she started to say something when Rydell mentioned new people but Ovril brought up Othden and her voice caught again. [B]you mean there might be another death on my conscience?noooo. she sobbed for a few seconds as Rory took the note and started to talk to thistle. Before the group headed downstairs she said matter of factly with a tough voice. alright enough of this crying it won't help. Look you said something that struck a memory Rydell. You mentioned new people. A week ago about a dozen newcomers all rather brutish ...coming from the bad side of the tracks came into town with a caravan from Freedom Town. Stayed a couple nights and left with the caravan going back to Freedom Town. Made a real mess of the room. Left graffiti all over the room. In symbols and a language I don't understand. We've tried to clean it off. Won't come off. It's white glows in the dark. I thought that was just a coincidence...until now. I'm sure you want to see it before you leave.
Yes, please. Maybe we can learn something, even if it is not related to... Rodrick. Is the graffiti of the same color and make of the painted swords around town? he pauses for a few moments.
wait...
Imara, do you remember exactly where the white swords were painted around the town? I know you looked into it more.
Imara shakes her head once and says, "It's not a suicide. Cham, I know you are upset about your decision last night. You did the right thing by telling us about this other group that came in. Do you have their names? Also, I think it would be helpful if we could place a militia member here. If this mystery person left this note - maybe he thought Melira was going to come pick it up? If anyone comes requesting that specific room, she - or he - should be detained. If you can help us with that, you will start to redeem yourself." She says this matter-of-factly, without malice.
"Oh. Um...I didn't end up having a chance to look into it...but if I remember correctly, they were by the Hopespring, on the Sanctuary, on the East Tower between the Lower and Inner quarter and on the north wall. I never did check to see if there were more. Maybe we should spread the word to look for them and report back any sightings. Do we need to set up an, er, office...or headquarters of some kind? Or they can just report to the longhouse? We need some way for people to get us information. And I think we should look at the room with the markings before we go.
"I need to examine the body before blood starts to settle and create false bruises." Shel says rolling up the note and setting it on the desk. And before those oaf militia do any more damage to it. "I think the rest of you should focus on the missing villagers. Check Brinya's room; there should be plenty of things for Thistle to scent off of. Not that half the village stampeding around will make that an easy task. We need a list of which guards where watching which gates and when and question them. Someone had to see something, especially if multiple people were leaving in the middle of the night."
Phoenix picks up the note in his beak. I will be handling all evidence for this investigation as my honor as a water spirit is unbesmirchable.
Shel takes the note from the spirit animal's beak and hands it to Rory. "I can send Phoenix with you. He can call me if you need me, provided you don't stray too far from town, and he has keen eyes."
Phoenix squawks in indignation.
Rydell glances to Rory. I speak orc as well, its useful to understand an enemy. That aside, how about me and you Rory see if thistle can find us anything we can track ourselves. I'd like to stop by the room, but we can let the others give it a closer inspection if need be.
He turns to Imara
I'm worried what it could mean if the material used to put the marking in the room are the same as the white swords. I would love to know everywhere a white sword showed up, and if it can be washed out... if they are the same, and they can't be washed easily... I don't like it.
”Yes, let’s look at the writing first.” Shel says.
At the mention of being distracting, Phoenix ruffles his feathers, beak held high and proud, tail feathers erect. I have that effect on people.
quick discussion confirms Mirela isnt someone living in Trunau that anyone knows. Cham leads the group up to a larger room near the peak of the Ramblehouse. Its the Common room. where any number of hammocks can be used for larger groups. Frequently for caravans.
White graffiti has been written all over the room. in a language that may be recognizable to some.
”Typical graffiti.” Shel says. ”This line says ‘for Grenseldek.’ I don’t make anything useful out of it.”