Alzarius examines the mask. Despite his initial incredulity, he confirms that it appears to be authentic, down to the subtle smiths marking on the back of the mask. "The material of a mask denotes a specific rank and step along the path to Razmir, but I can't tell which specific priest this one might have belonged to. It would be far from the first time that such articles were stolen, however. There was an infiltration and attack that happened in Tamran many years ago.
"Another indicator that we might be dealing with impostors is the way that some of the attackers embraced death instead of surrender. Suicide is against the will of Razmir," he say, his tone suggesting that he is revolted by the idea.
"Can you think of anyone who might be working against Razmir? Agents of the Whispering Tyrant seems the obvious answer, but I'm not familiar with the politics of your kingdom." Raneshi questions. "The attackers were trying to disrupt the alliance, but also specifically place the blame on you."
Alzarius shrugs. "Razmiran is not without its enemies, unfortunately. I don't know who might be so bold as to enact such an audacious plan as this, though."
Idari absently begins to fiddle with his curve blade as they question the Ramiran. The tall Ilverani Elf doesn't seem to have any questions for the Delegate.
Most likely an opponent of the Treaty. Too many possibilities.
It's times like this thatthe Barbarian is quite open to becoming a Wizard....
"I believe you!" Takarias declares, feeling certain that the Razmiran priest is being honest and sincere. After all, men of faith almost always are, unless they follow gods who condone lying and deception. Which doesn't sound like what he knows about Razmir at all.
"Maybe we should go talk to the corpses?" he suggests.
Once you have finished questioning Alzarius, you head to where the bodies are being stored. Each body lies on a stone slab under a thin sheet, while all of their gear and clothing are in tidy piles in the back of the room. Commander Nuandiall explains that other than sorting out their belongings, nothing has been done yet to the bodies.
In all, a total of 16 bodies lie in wait here, most of which were found in the council chambers. Of the nine men and seven women, 12 are human, two are orcs, one is aiuvarin, and one is a goblin. Their bodies show all the signs of the wounds they received during the fight, in addition to a variety of older scars and wounds, marking them clearly as people who have seen a good deal of combat before. One of these bodies (a male human) has been set aside—this was the sorcerous leader of the attack you faced.
There’s not much additional information to learn from a quick examination of the dead bodies—if you want to examine them more closely, you need to perform an autopsy. Commander Nuandiall allows (and even expects) this, and provides a mortician’s toolkit to do so.
Of the sets of gear, 15 are identical sets of items, and one set is the gear once carried by the leader. Commander Nuandiall informs you that once the investigation here is over, you're free to claim all of this gear as salvage. The magic weapons are all well made but unremarkable, as is their armor. The robes are dirty and rough spun, while their boots are cheap but new. The leader carried an iron key. The key is simple-looking and attached to a leather fob stamped with a pattern that looks like a walkway between two hedgerows, between which is the number 6.
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When the group proceeds to the corpses Alkabah takes tine to study each one listening intently to some incomprehensible nothingness in the air.
The conrasu cleric pointed out one of the assassins, the aiuvarin. "Please have this one brought into another room so that I may speak with the departed."
Once in the other room Alkabah turns to it's companions. "Reaching through the grand tapestry of the cosmos to throw wide the gates of the boneyard, thus pulling forth a sliver of a being's immortal self past the breach is an arduous and risky task. It may not work at all, the grave keepers may not let such a soul go even for a moment as is their duty and their wont. If I am successful however we will have a limited time to garner the presence with only a few questions."
One of Alkabah's hands lift indicating three, "Three questions, which it is likely to try and be coy about, as such I would request that those best at deciphering the intricacies of mortal lies remain present as I have little in way of ability to determine such."
With a clap of many wooden palms Alkabah turns to the corpse, "Now.. let us begin."
The conrasu first decorates the corpse with several small trinkets pulled from it's woven branches, placing a single coin upon it's forehead instead of the traditional two over the eyes and steps back to begin scrawling a large intricate rune circle around the body. The entire time a low droning hum in aeonic prayer ushers forth from the priestly fellow.
The ritual continues for nearly ten minutes at the end of which a gaping maw opens above the corpse and a silvery echo of the soul that once inhavited the body pours forth. A sickly umbilical tethering it to the maw as the spirit lowers down into the body. Beyond the gateway vague figures, no doubt psychopomps watching over the procession quick to retrieve any fleeing souls, as well as the faintest outlines of more souls drifting within waiting for an opportunity to escape unto the material once more can be seen.
"Wherever they are from, they stayed in Greengold," Raneshi points to the key. "That is from the Hedgerow Holloway, if I'm not mistaken."
She accompanies Alkbah to witness the questioning.
"We should ask who sent them!" Takarias says. "And why!"
Takarias's experience on the battlefield translates well to the morgue, as he's familiar with all sorts of injuries. "This is so exciting!" he says, to no one in particular. "I've never cut up a body that wasn't moving and trying to kill me!"
Idari absently nods at Raneshi as the Runesmith confirms the origins of the key.
The Ilverani Elf seems a bit ...conflicted about risking the Speaking with Dead ritual, although the Barbarian does trust his Cleric's expertise.
Once in the ritual chamber, Idari is seen holding his elven curve blade in hands....
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Alkabah's chant remains consistent but somehow the conrasu manages to speak it's questions at the same time.
"Who sent you to Greengold assassin? What does your master hope to gain by disrupting the peace talks?"
With each question asked and answered the silver thread connecting the soul to the boneyard tightens like a fisher's line cast into the ether about to be set.
"The Hedgerow Holloway..." Blooms in Darkness muses. "They will know more of these assassins then. Their numbers are too great to hide all traces of association and villainy. Now, Commander Nuandiall, why is it you expect an 'autopsy' to unveil their secrets?"
"Our commander did not share the identity of the one who hired us," the dead assassin says. "We were promised great rewards for the job, but I do not know the purpose behind it."
***
Nuandiall shrugs. "I expected you to want to perform an autopsy. I don't necessarily think you'll learn anything from it, but if you do, it will help us with the investigation."
"From Razmiran," the corpse says. Then, it groans as the magic expires and becomes inert once more.
***
Takarias performs an autopsy on the body. After a couple of hours, he is able to discover evidence in the body that suggests the assassin was poisoned by something similar to deathcap powder. Those who died suddenly after being captured likely perished from this poison.
"Interesting results. Alkabah, do you have enough power to question the leader?" Raneshi frowns. "Their origin inside Razmiran interferes with my theory that the Whispering Tyrant is directly behind this."