Solinthas's page

"Very well, priestess. I will be here, as always, keeping the Flame alight. May it guide your path, in every endeavour."

Solinthas' stern exterior softens a little.

"Well then, Mr. Benex. Know this: We were not following the movements of Jaarisan, for before Delphis' murder we didn't even know he existed. We were indeed, keeping an eye and an ear on Delphis. We kept a watch on him ever since he first revealed he had found this amulet.

Regarding the divine power to speak with the dead, there are a number of things to take into consideration. First, the magic of that particular ritual animates the corpse, giving it a semblance of intelligence and articulation. It does not touch the soul of the creature, but instead relies on a bodily knowledge. The interrogation of the corpse can only reveal things the person would have already known; it can't work with new information. Furthermore, since the spell animates the body in order to communicate, the body must be intact. Or mostly intact. Suffice to say that the manner in which Delphis left this world did not leave us with enough...pieces to work with.

However, we do still have Jaarisan's body. I have interrogated it myself, and will do so again when the time permits. The corpse can sometimes resist being called to answer, so it is a delicate process that I can not repeat very often.

Don't mistake my brevity on the matters of the cult as me purposefully withholding information. I appreciate your fervour and interest in wanting to get to the bottom of the matter; my only concern is dragging you in over your heads. As it stands right now, the cult, in whatever form it is in, does not know you have anything to do with this whole affair. I'd like to keep it that way, personally. In fact, the retrieval of the amulet should be done in such a way that nobody knows of your involvement. You should be like a whisper, in all ways.

Regardless, I can give you directions to Delphis' home in Passage, if you so desire. My utmost preference, however, is that you do not enter or investigate it in any manner, until the amulet is safely retrieved. Searching his home may be a dangerous business, as they could have any number of individuals on the lookout. My advice is to not mention Delphis at all. To anyone. Including Rurin, your contact in Passage. He should not know of Delphis' death.

That will prove to be an important component of the secrecy of the affair. House Kundarak would never openly admit that they were robbed, unless the owner of the item made a big affair out of it; but we all know Delphis is in no position to ever report it stolen. That is a point of light for you. House Kundarak will likely not move against you any more than they have to; they would never openly advertise their failures.

"Very well, Irirangi. Take as long as you need to assemble your team, but do not go throwing around Church secrets at passersby; only contact other individuals that you know, and trust, for this affair.

Of course the Church will support you; I can give some of the reward upfront for your potential expenses, and I can arrange transportation in any manner you prefer, at no fee to you.

Trust, Iri, that your next assignment was to be assisting the Church in investigating this cult. Ever vigilant, you are. I suppose it does not hurt to share what little information we have now. This is a new cult. Or perhaps a revival of a very old one; that's usually how these things go. They seem scattered and disorganized, as a whole, but they also appear to be focusing all their energies toward obtaining this amulet. Why? Who knows.

Perhaps they are a bunch of wealthy and bored nobles, who somehow heard about Tyrankalis' imprisonment in the amulet, and blew all of their savings on divinations to find the object, seeking to free the Rakshasa for some mysterious purpose? Or, perhaps they are only a minor sliver of a bigger threat, being directed with more purpose by a larger cult?
Either way, the last thing we should do is underestimate their resources, devotion, or resolve.

I would like to know, myself, what we are up against, but now is not the time. I understand your concerns, Mr. Benex, but you should have no altercation with the cult in Aundair. They shouldn't even know that you were there; they will have no reason to be.....pissed with you. If they go to retrieve the amulet after you have already taken it, they will certainly have a lot of explaining to do to the Kundarak guards."

Solinthas takes a deep breath and continues again, focusing on Starlan.

"Speaking of those guards, I'm afraid that I don't know very much about the inner workings of the bank; I probably wouldn't have got into so much trouble if I knew the protocol better.

That knowledge should be invaluable to you, which is why I have arranged for a contact to meet with you in Passage, whenever you can manage to get there. He approached me, shortly after my blustered failure at retrieving the amulet. He offered to help me get into the compound after dark, for a nominal fee, of course. He works there, and by the professional manner in which he conducted himself, I can tell that he has done this before.

Of course, it pains me to have to resort to deal with such characters, but he is the only one that can give you the proper details regarding layout, guard structure, passwords, and all that nonsense. He mentioned something about bears as well. You would do well to meet with him; I will contact him whenever you decide you are ready to go.

While this is an important matter, we still hold the keycharm for the strongbox. I do not anticipate Jaarisan's associates to try anything, without first mustering some force."

Solinthas turns again to Starlan, trying to answer a few more of his questions. "In regards to Delphis' murder...No, it did not happen in Sharn, and no, members of the Church of the Silver Flame were not present. Mr. Benex, I surely hope you are not insinuating what your tone suggests. We are holy men and women, and we are trying to correct a terrible wrong that was committed. The task at hand, when completed successfully, will ensure that no more innocent people are harmed over this thing. Is that clear enough?"

Solinthas closes his eyes and takes a deep breath before continuing.

"Excellent questions, all. I will do my best to answer them. You will soon see that your enquiries are more interconnected than they may first appear.

As for who owns the amulet now? Well. Delphis owns the amulet. Legally and fully. He has no heir, and they do not even know that he is dead. Nor would they care, or believe us. The amulet will never be claimed, legitimately. Which leads me to my second point.

Jaarisan did have associates. We do not know their strength, or their number, but we do know that they are more in the dark about this whole affair than we are. Jaariasan's capture and execution set their group back, for sure, but their type rarely stays still.

As for your question, Mr. Benex, about Jaarisan's activities during the interim; we are fairly certain that he did try to retrieve the contents of the storage box. We know that he was unsuccessful, so chances are that he simply tried to waltz in there, as I did. It would also explain the curious looks I got when I, myself, tried to access the strongbox, later. And it would explain why I was chased out of there so thoroughly. Dwarves are a few things, but they are not forgetful.

As for how we know about Delphis..., suffice to say that we try to keep an eye on all matters such as this. The Flame seeks to burn away corruption wherever it may hide. The murder of Delphis, however, was unexpected and escalated the matter in our reviews of it. We could no longer let it sit quietly in the Kundarak bank, if it was clear that some sinister force was moving to collect it as well."

He closes his eyes, trying to find the words, as the next part seems almost painful to him. He puts one hand over his heart, and the other over a small flickering candle on his desk.

"Priestess, know fully from my heart, that all of this clandestine activity does not sit well with me. Know that we are in no legal position to demand or request the amulet from House Kundarak. They are a neutral entity, and as such do not conform to any laws but their own.

Simply walking up to them, even if we explain everything, and even if they do believe us fully, will not open the vaults to us. That would undermine the very thing that makes Kundarak the impenetrable vault that it is.

Know, then, that we must act as the same. We must rise above the legality of the affair here. With the knowledge that some cult is moving against us, we must take action, or else we end up undermining ourselves as defenders and destroyers of corruption.

Solinthas takes a deep breath, and puts his hands back flat against the table.

I could wave this offer of gold at pretty much any thief and cut-throat in the city. Some would be successful, some wouldn't. I have no way of knowing. My heart tells me however, that convincing them to bring the amulet back here would be a task in itself. I needed someone that I could trust.

Trust is a theme." Solinthas now turns to Starlan, and makes a strong eye connection. Without moving his eyes from the Halfling, he continues;

"There are a number of concerns to be taken into account here, and you may need to gather a number of individuals to meet them. What is the phrase, Mr. Benex? Oh. A crass one. There is more than one way to skin a cat. There are a number of ways to retrieve the amulet. If you manage to retrieve the password, then using the key in combination with it should be enough; even if they suspect that you are not Delphis, they will still be obliged to open the strongbox. Getting the password is a feat altogether in itself.

There are other ways, however. Certainly there are more secretive ways, but you would need someone who knew how to move quietly, and disable any trapping or locking mechanisms. And someone to watch your back in case you encountered any...physical, resistance.

Do you have any individuals in mind? Where do your talents lie, Mr. Benex?"

I've moved my thoughts on the Sending Stone to the Discussion thread

"The bank....your talents...it will all become clear in time. The flame lights our way, but a roaring blaze always starts as a spark. Let me start at the beginning."

Solinthas moves behind his large oak desk and pulls out three large glasses. He sets one in front of each of them, and makes a small hand motion over his own. His lips barely seem to move, but the glass steadily fills with water. He takes a large mouthful, and begins his story.

"Almost 40,000 years ago, a powerful Rakshasa named Tyrankalis offered to assist the giants of Xen'drik in fighting the Quori invaders. In exchange, he asked the giants to construct a magic talisman that would open the seals imprisoning another Rakshasa, the great Rajahs. Suspecting that the giants intended to betray him, Tyrankalis stole the talisman as soon as it was complete, only to discover that the giants had indeed tricked him; the talisman carried a trap the soul spell, and Tyrankalis was bound into it instantly. The giants then locked the amulet in a vault below one of their great temples, so that no one could free the fiend."

Solinthas reaches again for his water, taking a large sip.

"Thirty years ago, a Wayfinder Foundation expedition uncovered an unusual amulet in an anceint ruin in Xen'drik. They brought the amulet back to Khorvaire and auctioned it off, after which it changed hands several time before eventually coming to rest with a wizard named Delphis. After careful testing, Delphis discovered the amulet's true nature, and realized that he was in over his head. He decided to put it in the safest place he knew: a strongbox in a House Kundarak bank.

Four months ago, a cultist named Jaarisan seeking to free Tyrankalis tracked the amulet to Delphis. Under excruciating torture, Delphis revealed the amulet's location, but managed to hold back one important secret--he himself had put a trap on the keycharm needed to open the strongbox. When Jaarisan picked it up, it exploded, injuring him severely and killing Delphis.

Two weeks ago, one of our holy warriors tracked down and defeated the madman, Jaarisan. Through our investigations, both mundane and magical, we learned of his intentions to release this powerful, but presently contained, fiend. The amulet must be recovered, and taken to Flamekeep. It's the only way to ensure it's safe holding.

The amulet is currently being held in a strongbox in the heavily fortified House Kundarak bank, in the Aundarian town of Passage. I myself tried to access the strongbox, but I did not know there was an additional password attached to unlocking the item. Delphis was a paranoid man, but for good reason. I managed to bluster my way out of there without causing too much of a scene, and I did pocket the keycharm again before they could confiscate it. Those Dwarves warned me that they would be on the lookout if I ever came back. I went as an envoy of the Silver Flame, and that didn't work.

So, naturally, I need someone that I can still trust, but is not immediately associated with the Flame. You are a junior priestess, but your skills and your ability to serve the Church are worthy. In addition, you won't be instantly recognizable as a member of the Church.

Do you have any questions? You may speak freely. I need to know all of your concerns, fully and honestly."

Solinthas takes this opportunity to drink the rest of his water.

"Then, I shall trust him too. Follow me, please. We must speak in privacy."

Solinthas leads you through the quiet halls of the Cathedral, before stopping again in front of his own quarters. An elaborate archway opening up in front of them. Solinthas pushes the door open with a sweep of his hand; "Please go in. I need you to rob a bank."

Yes, you can have thoughts that are to yourself, you just can't speak to one particular individual in the loop, is all. I think maybe thoughts could be in Italic?

The aged priest barely bows toward Starlan. "Ah, noble courier. Pleased to meet you."

With a turn of his head, he looks squarely at Irirangi. Making no effort to hide the questioning, he asks her: "Do you trust him?"

"Please. Please follow me. We can speak in my chamber, and I'll fill you in on any details you may need." Solinthas bows to Ythana, and leads Iri out of the room.

The doors open to reveal Starlan standing patiently on the other side, wishing there was a chair or bench to sit on.

"Priestess Biasharan. Who is this......halfling?"

I'll confess I'm not familiar with these Sivis Sending stones. I know they'll cast sending for 250gp. Tell me more, please, but bring it to the discussion thread.

I...we...have asked you to come, because there is a delicate matter we need you to help with. The Flame calls us all, to do what we can, and this particular endeavour is very suited to your...talents.

I'm afraid, the matter is sensitive enough that I cannot divulge it completely, until you agree to undertake it. I can tell you that it will require some travel, and some discretion. You may also need to establish a team or group of individuals you can trust, as the affair has proven to require more than one set of hands. The church is also prepared to offer a reward of to 20,000gp for your assistance.

Will you help?"