Estovion grits his teeth, looking back and forth between you all like a cornered rat.
He slams a hand into the wall next to him in frustration...and disappears.
From inside his office comes a thumping sound.
" Sledge get the door down while he is still in there... He chose to try and run he's hiding something. "
"Jones, you see any traps on it?"
Assuming he doesn't, Sledge will start kicking down the door.
Pummeling
Total: 74 damage
Sledge busts the door down. Inside, he sees Estovion just getting finished gathering an armful of books and papers scattered on his desk.
Darius Moves up and grapples the man. " No you dont! " He also banes humans.
Darius' arms side right off the man, though the move does have the unintended consequence of knocking the books out of Estovion's hands, preventing him from throwing any evidence in the fireplace.
"You'll pay for this." he promises, looking at you all with an expression of pure hatred.
He moves back from Darius, pulls a scroll out of his vest, reads it, and vanishes from sight once more. Not even Samuel's honed senses perceive an individual in the room besides Darius.
"I try to play nice and this is what happens. Next time I'm just going to start charring flesh from bone, that gets actual results."
-Posted with Wayfinder
Darius was clearly frustrated, so much so that he couldnt disagree with Z " Next time that will be the case.. Sarenrae only gives Mercy, ONCE. Time to see what he was hiding. "
Darius begins to go through the man's research.
There are a number of incriminating papers here.
The Halo of Dreams book is on his desk. As stated before, it is a text about the Desnan faith, and its spreadfrom Varisia throughout Avistan. The book contains, among other things, references to a sacred Desnan relic known as the Dusk Moth, a sacred Desnan relic hidden in the stonework of an ancient temple called the Stairs of the Moon. Legends speak of priests transporting the relic to the temple, but all knowledge of it was lost when the Whispering Tyrant conquered Ustalav and the temple was abandoned.
Page 322 reads:
"The origin of the Dusk Moth can be traced back to pre-Thassilonian Varisia, though the role it played in those ancient times has been lost to history. During the Age of Enthronement, Desna’s priests recovered the relic from the ruins of Thassilon, and carried it into the Shudderwood during the founding of Ustalav. There the priests constructed a temple to the goddess of dreams and disassembled the Dusk Moth, incorporating its parts into a great observatory atop the temple, which they dubbed the Stairs of the Moon. High atop the observatory, during the twilight hour, the faithful enacted a sacred ritual of communion to activate the power of the Dusk Moth, placing them in a heightened dream-state in which they could commune directly with the Song of the Spheres."
You are able to save Estovion's private journal from the fireplace mostly intact. The most recent entries read thus:
5 Gozran, 4715 AR:
It appears that my past has come back to haunt me, in the form of unexpected visitors who arrived last night. Ostensibly nobles from Courtaud, they bore invitations from Adivion Adrissant in Caliphas, and Belik admitted them to see me. Their leader, a disturbing man named Auren Vrood who carried a sinister-looking, twisted homunculus on his shoulder, confided to me that they were agents of the Whispering Way, come to finally collect the debt I owe them for helping me with the spirit I discovered at the Stairs so long ago.
Vrood “requested” that I arrange a meeting between him and one of the werewolves of the wood. Though I would prefer to have nothing more to do with them (for my youthful indiscretions were just that), I saw no choice but to acquiesce to their demands, lest they reveal my secrets to the Palatine Council. Mathus is my sole ally among the packs, I will speak to him and arrange a meeting, and hopefully I can wash my hands of this whole sordid affair.
10 Gozran, 4715 AR
Vrood and his fellows have returned. Though I made my office available to them, they declined and requested a meeting with Madame Ivanja instead. Mathus arrived shortly after and went straight to Ivanja’s tower as well. I was somewhat surprised by their choice of location, but I suppose even necromancers and werewolves have their needs. I spoke briefly with Mathus after the meeting, but he was unusually withdrawn and gave no hint of what was said at the meeting.
22 Gozran, 4715 AR
A grave threat has befallen the Shudderwood, and I fear its origins lie at Ascanor. Unknown forces, almost certainly agents of Vrood and the Whispering Way, have attacked the Stairs, butchered Kvalca Sain, and stolen her heart for some dark purpose. Although their motives remain a mystery, this single act has thrown the entire hierarchy of the Shudderwood’s packs into disarray and violence.
I know that it is customary when a packlord dies for her successor to consume the fallen packlord’s heart. With Sain’s heart gone, the position of packlord shall fall to whoever can claim the title, either by recovering the lost heart, or more likely through force, by slaying the leaders of the four rival tribes and adopting the surviving wolves into his own pack.
Mathus has spoken with me before of his desire to become packlord, and I now wonder if his secret meeting with Vrood was the impetus behind these events. Without Sain’s heart, however, I doubt the other tribes will accept Mathus as their leader. He might find allies with the Sczarni or the Broken Ones, but the Vollensag and Jezeldans will never bow to his rule.
Mathus’s concerns doubtlessly lie with his pack, not with me, however, and I worry my alliance with the Mordrinacht shall soon be forfeit. I fear greatly for the safety of the lodge, for if Mathus moves to take Highthrone without Sain’s heart, or if it becomes known that his ascendance is due to the Whispering Way’s interference, civil war will soon erupt among the packs of the wood, with Ascanor caught in the middle.
There are also a number of books written by Estovion himself speaking for the "benefits of the continued existence of the aristocracy" and that "The Palatinate has no right to assume de facto control of this country by abolishing its rightful rulers".
"Well, how's that for a wealth of evidence?"
"We'd best go tell some of the guests what happened."
"What? Why would we do that? Get panicked guests pouring out of the lodge and INTO the Werewolf infested forest?"
"What?"
"We don't tell them a thing. They carry on their happy little noble lives in ignorance and we'll handle the situation. The less they know the safer they'll be."
"What we DO need to do, is pay little miss Madam a visit."
-Posted with Wayfinder
Darius read the information... and it was clear his frustrated position escalated into intense hate upon his face. " This coward deemed to try and protect the very people who cowed him before and clearly are our enemies.. instead of assisting us. For once.. I believe I agree with Zin. We need to speak with the Madam and find out a little more information. As well as locate this Mathus and the Stairs. Then take the fight to the corruption plaguing the Werewolf hierarchy. The people here would just panic though I need to interact with the man before about his preparations for his fallen comrade.. I rather there not be MORE issue with the occupants. "
Darius went to the door of the office and opened it. " I doubt Estovion will go quiet, the traitor. "
Jones poofs back into existence and rubs his chin.
"The situation is much more dire than we anticipated."
" The Whispering Way has had their hand in many a thing, that was to be expected. In this case it involved Werewolves. I think it is just the fact we have to rip the claw away forcefully and apply it's grip elsewhere. I will warn.. I myself have thinning patience. "
"So let's go speak to the Madam."
You make your way to Madame Ivanja's tower.
"I've been expecting you." she says with a smile.
" And what could you mean by that.. Madam Ivanja? "
"Just that everyone comes to see me eventually. I was beginning to feel quite put out that you'd waited this long."
" I garuntee it would have stayed that way if I did not have to visit you now. Do you have somewhere we can have a chat? "
"Of course, come on in." she leads you into her room, where several comfortable couches and chairs lay arrayed around the room, vaguely assembled to be around a small round table.
"Make yourselves comfortable."
Darius stays standing and gets straight to the point. " You've coerced with the Whispering Way and Werewolves.. and that has caused an issue that will put everyone here in danger. What was it that Mathus and the Agents were talking about? "
"I'm not sure what you mean. I vaguely recall the name Mathus...something to do with one of the werewolf tribes? But I've never met someone from this 'Whispering Way'...or at least I don't think I have."
"When was it I supposedly conversed with them?"
"Exactly two weeks ago, on the 10th of Gozran."
Ivanja thinks for a moment.
"Was that the scary looking guy with the creepy pet? Niama tended to him and his friends."
"Then we would like to have a word with Niama."
Darius narrows his eyes at the woman, " Yes, then could you grab this Niama... "
"I would be happy to give you some time with Niama, for the normal fee of course." she says apologetically.
"I am running a business, after all. I can throw in a free Harrow reading for you, if you wish."
" I understand.. what is the fee? The Harrow reading will come afterward.. we might not have to much time. " Darius looks to the group and keeps a wary eye on Zin.
" You are a successful businesswoman I suppose, you understand urgency. "
"Of course. Let's make it an open offer, then, if you don't have time."
"The fee is 250 gold marks. Call it a special group rate, since you may only look and speak, but not touch."
" I had never intended to touch from the beginning.. unless something or someone decided to touch me instead. Quite a high price but no worse than some establishments and fair for the number of person. I assume our meeting will be as high quality as the act of touching would have been? "
"I will ensure that Niama is informed to answer any questions you have to the best of her ability."
Z looks as if she's trying to restrain herself, her fists balling up.
-Posted with Wayfinder
Darius places a hand over one of Z's and shakes his head as if to indicate this was not the time. When Madam Ivanja is leaving he detects evil.
No evil.
"Are you coming?" Ivanja calls back.
Assuming you follow, she leads you to a private room, where Niama is waiting.
"Niama, these people want to ask you some questions about that group who came in a couple of weeks ago. I want you to answer their questions honestly, understand?"
Niama, for her part, sits up on her pile of pillows and finishes drawing from a "glass water pipe" filled with a "sweet scented substance", blows the smoke out, and looks at you with glazed eyes.
Darius looks at Ivanja eventually content she was overall legitimate. Once they walked along with the woman to one of her, 'disciples' he was less than impressed. The smoke and glazed expression did not arise any feelings of lust he had expected.
" Well then.. let's start with an easy question, What went on the day of the 10th of Gozran. What did they require of you? "
"Describe them to me. I remember people, not dates."
Darius was growing frustrated, " A Mathus and a Vrood.. and perhaps a few more.. one might have been a bit bestial the others dodgy perhaps cold to the touch? "
"The 'dodgy' one might have had a small demon-like creature with him."
Niama rubs her eyes.
"Oh, them. Yeah, I remember."
"They said they were nobles from Cortaud. They stayed around for a while, but just wanted me to dance for them. After a while some bearded, woodsman looking guy came in, and they asked me to leave, so I did."