Horror Campaign

[borninbones]

The dim lights of the inn seem almost as if they themselves were hiding. The walls splattered with heroic images who seem so pathetic as the paint has worn away so badly, you can barely remember some of the stories they tell. The waitress, a once gorgeous beauty, drops a plate of random colored mire which barely passes for urine, let alone mead. Outside the rain splashes against the windows, it has rained for the past 3 days. It is not a hard rain just a constant relatively depressing rain. Despite its outside torrent its affects are felt in the room. A bard is up on a portable stage trying to earn a room for the night. "Shallow shores! Shallow?! You won't be calling it that for long! Haha! Haha?! Heh?" It does not seem as if anyone is paying attention to him.

It is hard to tell what hour it is as you sit down with the constable, a fat man whose wealth obviously goes well beyond his pay. He is accompanied by a large human (part orc or maybe lizardman) who wears no shirt and constantly flexes his muscles, a skulk who stays to the back constantly and a human who hobbles along with a staff. The constable eases into the chair as if expecting it to break. His brightly colored uniform outmatches that of the bard. His blond hair is pulled back into a silver and jeweled hairband.

"Grumble Grumble. It has come to pass that we need two prisoners to be escorted back here from Dartmyth Keep. We need them alive and here in one month's time. Fail and I will have you hunted down and you will take their place." He idly plays with a ring on his left hand. The skulk moves forward and drops a stack of papers on the table before moving back into the shadows.


Ichi'ackee the Gnome Cannibal
Detained for: Murder 27 counts, Cannibalism 23 counts, Violation of the Rights of the Dead 3 counts
Sentence: Death after 21 years of detention
Note: Subject must wear mouthguard at all times

Cordrethar the Vile (elf)
Detained for: Attempted annihilation of everything 1 count, Murder 12 counts, Violation of the Laws of Magic 200 counts (approx), Attempting to Achieve Lichdom 3 counts, Kidnapping 3 counts,
Sentence: Death after 100 years of detention
Note: Subject must wear Bands Of Disjoining AT ALL TIMES

Watching officers to accompany:
Luke the Sword
Mary of the 3 Ice

Reward for safe delivery 3000 gold for both, 200 gold for just one.

The fat man leaves as quickly as he came.

The inn has 3 people working, a maid, a cook and the innkeeper. The cook is a young man who works silently, the innkeeper is an elderly man who is idly flipping through the pages of a book.

The inn has 4 separate groups of patrons. There is the young human bard trying desparately to earn something. A middle aged woman holds a child in her lap while sobbing quietly, the child is just staring at nothing. A group of farmers surround the fire smoking pipes. A young half elf who has several decorative sticks laid out in front of him which he is staring VERY intently at.

OOC (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?p=8674612#post8674612)
Dice Rolls (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=155713)

[Savannah]

Sir Garrik Lorunn

Garrik, a tall dwarf with black hair and beard, considers the papers for a moment. Seems reasonable, although he would very much like to know why the prisoners were coming here.

He turns and glances around the tavern, and his eye is caught by the crying woman. Approaching her, he says with concern, "Pardon me, ma'am, but I couldn't help noticing that you are in distress. Is there anything I could do to help?"

[Shadowleaf]

David
David sits in one of the chairs. He is a young man of roughly 20 years of age, with long blonde hair and crystal blue eyes. He looks average in height and weight, though his studded leather armor bulks him out a bit. He has a signet ring on one finger, probably making him a low noble - a Knight maybe, several belt pouches hang from his belt, and around his neck is a symbol of the Sun God Pelor.
The young man says nothing, but instead simply nods.

[Salbazier]

Grey Salazar


Grey Salazar just sits there in silence, staring at the paper. Grey, that name may be really his name, or perhaps just a nickname. Nobody here knows and he doesn't bother to tell. The man looks like he is about forty or so, but his completely grey hair and his expression makes him looks far older. His eyes show no spirit and his face looks sad or tired, as if life has burdened him so much. He wears a worn green robe. A simple staff rest on the wall near him.

What a crime list. He let out a low sigh. Well, this cannot be much worse than the past jobs

I will speak in Purple. Italics is for my thought.

[Critical]

Nire Bernan
Nire is a quite tall, young gnome in leather armor and a traveler's outfit. He's wearing a leather cap, from which his black, spiky hair can be seen. You can see various tools on his belt, like metal tongs and various pouches, a sling and a dagger. He's constantly holding a pipe in his mouth ,even though, he wasn't smoking it at the moment and he's constantly playing with a silver piece.
Nire attentively observed the list of crimes. Nice... I like these guys. Pity I'll have to get them into my trap. - he thought, getting out some tobacco, putting it into the pipe and lighting it from the nearest place of fire. He took a deep inhale and released the smoke on his fellow team-members. "Shall we start?" - he said from behind the smoke.

[CJTMW]

Mirik of the King's School

Mirik is a slightly overweight, shorter-than average man--foreign in dress and accent. He awkwardly wears an oversized scale shirt, and is loaded down with enough books and equipment that he can barely move. As he pulls himself into the inn, he mumbles,

Oh, what is this? Hmm... bad people bad people... Dartmyth... Well, it is on my way... Oh, hello innkeep! Is that a good book?

[borninbones]

@ Sir Garrik - The girl sitting in the woman's lap snaps out of her stare and grabs your arm, so fast you don't even see her move. You stand paralyzed as she looks deep into your eyes. Her dark hair and strange yellow eyes dance in front of you as she gets impossibly close to you. You can feel her breath just as she - you snap out of the trance and turn to the door as it opens. When you look back, you see only the woman staring at you. The girl has dissappeared. "You saw her." The sad woman shakes her head, "You will see them all. It will not be me that needs help, it will be you." She gets up and shuffles towards the stairs. You absently rub your arm and look down to see the fading imprint of the hand in your arm.

Anyone listening to the old lady hears her whisper something along the lines of "finally I can get some sleep. Poor young man. Poor poor man."

@Mirik - The innkeeper pries himself from his book. He rubs his eyes as if all he has seen for some time has been the printed word. "Oh only the most recent hero story from Nebas the Poet. Some saga about a man who crosses half the planet in search of his love. A true epic to top his last book. I hear Nebas will be headed to Nexundelo (nesh oon dello). Thats about halfway between here and Dartmyth. Maybe you will see him there."

@Everyone else - the door bursts open as another farmer comes in and sits with the rest. The bard finally gives up and plops down in a chair nearby the group. He leans over to the group. "You all mind if I tag along? Sounds far more adventurous then what I have planned."

[Salbazier]

Grey Salazar

Grey looks up to the bard. "It will be adventurous, yes, in many ways. Chance you may regret coming, but I myself do not mind"

[Critical]

Nire Bernan

"Do we really need a singer in our team? Bah, whatever, you may. Just try to sing better than you did, alright?" - Nire replied.

[Shadowleaf]

David
"Why would we want a musician? I know you can be inspiring and all, but, this is not a walk in the park."

[CJTMW]

Mirik

Hmmm... stories of heroics. They generally fade too quickly for my taste.

Mirik glances over. That horrid droning finally stopped? Huzzah.

[borninbones]

The bard- "Thank you very much for your consideration."

@Sir Garrik - A hand taps you on the shoulder and you turn to see the waitress. "She give you a fright? She nods to the old lady headed up the stairs. "Don't let her bother you. She does that to just about anyone who comes in." She sighs and shakes her head. "What people will do for a laugh these days. I mean imagine spending your days and gold on just waiting for someone to ask if you are 'ok' and spring an illusion on them." She chuckles. "Come'on, I will buy you a drink and you can ask me if I'm ok." She holds out her hand to you.

[Salbazier]

Grey Salazar

"Do you have a name or should we just called you 'bard'? As for me, you can call me Grey or Salazar or something else. I don't care much"


He turns to others "So, anyone have idea how to look for an elf lich wannabe and a gnome cannibal?"

[Critical]

Nire Bernan

"Nire. Just Nire." - the gnome tells to the bard, and immediately began brainstorming about the two criminals. - "Well, the elf lich wannabe, is going to, obviously, be somewhere he can become a lich. The cannibal... Pretty much anywhere, unless, he ate strictly gnomes." For some reason, Nire was talking about the cannibal of his own species with a straight face.

[borninbones]

At the bottom of the pile of papers, you notice two official looking papers. The are both stamped with the sheriff's personal seal. The brown papers are release papers. As you read through them, you see that they are releasing the two prisoners from Dartmyth, where they are located, into your custody. All you need do is present the paper to the warden to secure their release. There are 6 releases, 3 for each prisoner.

The bard nods, "you can I suppose but if you'd like to use my name, its Chuck. The fastest way to Dartmyth would be to go through Thornblood Forest to the Fields of Evabert. And then up the eastern shore to where the ferryman awaits." The bard sighs. "Of course if you don't want to brave nearly any peril at all, we could take the road that goes north out of here to Northern Folktown. It would take almost as much time as you have to complete the job. And only if we have horses."

[CJTMW]

Mirik

Mirik glances through the papers. They're going to be released into our custody. Hopefully no problems arise.

[Salbazier]

Grey Salazar

Grey smiles grimly Oh, I am very sure it will "No choice but the Thornblood forest route then. Can you tell us more about it, Chuck?"

[Savannah]

Sir Garrik Lorunn

Garrik smiles at the waitress. "And are you alright, miss? Who was that woman?"

[borninbones]

Waitress to Garrik - The woman blushes and smiles. "Yes, I am fine. Thank you for asking. Its so rare to get treated like a lady should be. As for the crazy old crone, she is just that. Crazy as they come. Aparently she was married once until her daughter died and she kept recreating her image through illusion magic until it finally drove her insane." She sighs. "Very sad really and the worst part about it was that she died almost 50 years ago. She uses illusion magic to keep her looking young. I once saw her without the illusion. Let me tell you, me without a little rouge and you can tell. Her without her illusions and you can't tell if it is the same person." The waitress shakes her head. "Power corrupts is what they say, I guess. But enough about her. Lets talk about you. Where is a big strong dwarf with deep brown eyes like yours headed?"

Chuck to the rest of the party - "Well, as per my sources, the Thornblood forest is your standard deep dark woods with a sordid past of missing persons, illicit bands of theives, and not to mention the well known presence of a Hag. The Crone as my sources call her. She spins thread out of gold which she gives to children she finds in the forest. These in turn cause people to go in search of her, who she quickly devours instead. My sources tell me that so far there has been 2 survivors of an attack by her. Neither ever fully recovered, one is now blind and the other has use of only one leg. They are both waiting for Pelor's Chariot to come and take them at the nearby House of Dying." He waves his hand dismissively. "Anyway, the hag is unpleasent to those who search for her but allegedly not those just passing through. The thing we need to worry, according to my sources, about is the Plaguelord. An awoken dire rat sorcerer who is bent on destroying all of humanity. Apparently there may be more then one because the guard have killed the Plaguelord 6 or 7 times and yet he comes back at least once a year with something new. This year, about 3 months ago it was a Gray Render. That was not fun as I am told by all my sources."

Location- House of Dying - The House of Dying is a well known and avoided place. No one ever goes there without a reason to. Everyone graduating from kingdom's medical college must spend at least one year of service at a house of dying. It is basically a house where people go to die.

Faith thing- Pelor's Chariot - Pelor's chariot is part of the Pelor faith that he sends a chariot of fire so bright it darks all lights around it making it seem like a light at the end of tunnel. Many people who follow the faith of Pelor feel this is how Pelor takes his chosen back to his version of Heaven.

[Savannah]

Sir Garrik Lorunn

Garrik shakes his head sadly. "A terrible thing, to see one so overcome by grief. As for me, I came here seeking to be a knight. I'm a bit low on cash at the moment, however, so I believe I've found a job escorting some prisoners."

[Salbazier]

Grey Salazar

Grey turn his face to watch the ever pouring rain outside. His mind thinking on the chances. "What a perilous route," bad luck, like always "but there is no better route. Let us see if the rain stops tomorrow before going. This journey will be bad enough without the trouble of traveling under the rain"

[borninbones]

@Garrik - "Oh headed to Dartmyth? I hear it's a scary place. Ghosts for guards or something like that. You will have to share your story when you come back and tell me what it is really like there. By the way, I'm not sure I would trust that musician that your friends seem to be associating with. He has left here several times with different groups of adventurers and none have ever returned. Of course, not many adventurers repeat business anyway. It being a... dangerous profession and what have you." She peers out the window, looking at the rain. "I would hope that it would as well if you are going to be traveling. You might as well stay the night here... At the inn." She blushes and hurries over to the innkeeper. After a moment or so, she returns. "I have managed to convince the innkeeper that you could stay for free, but you have to pay for your own food and drink." She smiles.

Listen check if you are listening in on Garrik and the Waitress.

[Critical]

Nire Bernan

Nire took note of what the bard said, but preferred to hurry everyone up. He took an another inhale of smoke, and said, while exhaling: "Yeah, whatever. How about we go on already?" After the smoke disappeared he observed the group members again for a second and continued to smoke. It was kind of surprising how all that smoke could've been consumed by the gnome.

[CJTMW]

Mirik

I am inclined to agree with the gnome. I am anxious to reach our destination. Hopefully before the prisoners are prepared.

[Savannah]

Sir Garrik Lorunn

Garrik smiles again. "Oh, I'm sure he's not as bad as all that. Thank you kindly for the room; it will surely help. I'd best get back to my companions, thank you again. I'll be sure to come see you again when I return from my journey."

Assuming that she does not say anything more, he heads back to the table of his companions.

[Salbazier]

Grey Salazar

"You sure you want to go in this weather? Traveling through a forest in the rain is hard enough, having prisoners in tow that must be under watch all time will make it a lot worse. Let us wait till tomorrow. If the rain do not stop, well, we'll do what we must do."

[Savannah]

Sir Garrik Lorunn

Garrik takes his seat again at the table of his new companions. "Waiting for this rain to end sounds like an excellent idea to me."

He looks around the table, "I'm not sure we've had proper introductions. I'm Sir Garrik, Knight of the Lorunn clan. Please call me Garrik, though." He extends his hand for someone to shake.

[borninbones]

@cjtmw and salbazier -

As they were not trying very hard to hide their conversation, you hear most of everything said.


She nods and wanders off to get more ale for the farmers sitting by the fire. The room is warmer now with more wood being added to the fire. It is about 10 pm as a few very wet patrons (2 humans and a half orc) enter, you would guess loggers from their garb. Several of the old men sitting by the fire wave to them when they come in. They sit off to the side and start talking in loud tones about some incident that happened up on the hill when, from what you can understand, the half orc dropped a tree branch onto a large boar that then charged the tree. They are all finding this very amusing. It seems just another night at the inn.

[CJTMW]

Mirik

Mirik shakes Sir Garrik's hand. His hands are soft--the hands of one who has never done much menial labor.

Pleasure to meet you, Sir Garrik. I am Mirik of the King's College, scholar of Pre-Peloran religious practices specializing in the evolution of funeral ceremony.

[Salbazier]

Grey Salazar

Grey Salazar, just a wandering wizard in need of some gold, no more.

[Critical]

Nire Bernan

"Nire Bernan, genius and a trap-maker extrordinaire..." - Nire said, smoking and looking at his fingernails. - "So, we're going or what? Or are you afraid of the dark? Darkness is your friend - you can hide in it." With the last phrase, he released another puff of smoke and smiled.

[Salbazier]

Grey Salazar

"Yes, darkness is good to hide, very very good, but not just for you. If you are so idiotically stubborn in going anyway, very well, let us go and brave the storm like silly heroes from some folk song. I know this job will be far from pleasant or safe, but it seems even trying to reduce the danger is futile."

[Savannah]

Sir Garrik Lorunn

"Why must we leave now, though? The prisoners are not going anywhere without us. Yes, darkness is good for hiding, but it is also when the predators come out. And tonight is especially nasty.

"We had might as well wait until morning, when the rain may have stopped. If you insist on hiding - and you should be careful of who you accuse of cowardice if you do - the overcast skies left over from this storm will provide you plenty of shadows."

[borninbones]

As you finally decide to leave now, in the dark and in the rain instead of waiting to see if it will break. When you turn to see if Chuck is ready to go, he turns and says. "Sorry companions, but I uh... I will not be going with you, you see. Sorry. Something has uh... come up, according to my sources. Good luck though. I had a map obtained for you by one of my sources, a very comprehensive map in my opinion." He shoves the map into whoever's hands are closest and dissappears out whatever door is nearest.

Kelgar's Map

The bard was not kidding when he said it was comprehensive. It is incredibly detailed. The map when unfurled measures about three feet by two feet and is in pristine condition. According to the date in the lower left, it was made about a year ago. It shows that it will take you about a week there and a week back, even with the weather.

The Forest
The forest is divided almost in half by the path that runs through it. To the northern part of the woods there is a drawing of a house made out of candy with a witch standing near it. Etched into the map to the south is a cave with a rat clothed in shrouds standing on its hindlegs.

It should take 3 days to cross the forest on the path.

The town of Hathbert is nestled between Evabert and Thornblood. The town is simply marked with rough population estimate of about 200.


The Fields of Evabert.
There are many stories about this field, none of them nice and not many of them could even pass as pleasent. The general rule is that it is haunted, but by what and by who, well there is the point of conjecture. Everyone seems to know someone who has been out there and seen whatever it is and made it back (i.e. My cousins best friend saw a woman in white wandering out there and so forth and so on). And aside from the fact that almost everyone has seen something out there, it is still rumored (laughably so) that if you go there, you will never return. What actually happened there, no one really seems to remember. (kno history, trained only). It will take about 3 days to cross the expanse of Evabert. Dartmyth itself rests where the fields meet the shores. There is a skeleton beckoning herds of people to him drawn near the fort. He has a shephard's hook and seems to be welcoming them into his arms.

[Salbazier]

Grey Salazar

Grey takes the map from the bard and after watching the man leaves begin to examine it. "Well, we only lose someone to play funeral tune. Not that he will make a good job of it, but I'm sure his style will be very fitting" he says in sarcastic tone "At least the map is goodly drawn" the accuracy will be a different matter "Now, let us go and pick those accursed prisoner. Hopefully they and the promised officers doesn't disappear as fast as that bard" I wonder if i just jinxed us? Nah, likely this whole thing is jinxed enough already, even without my presence

[Critical]

Nire Bernan

"Idiotically stubborn? Definitely not, did you pay attention to me when I was saying I'm a genius? I was testing you, morons, to see who would go. It appears you all have some brains in your heads, which is very good. Cowardice? I don't like the word cowardice. I prefer... "tactical retreat". Let us get a room for the night and get going at the morning." Again, he took another inhale of smoke and exhaled it smiling, until the tobacco in the pipe has been finished. The gnome tucked all what was there at the ashtray and continued to hold it in his mouth.

[Salbazier]

Grey Salazar

Grey raised an eyebrow on Nire's words "Yes,... you did claim you are a genious"

"Well then, if we are all agree to stay, Sir Garrik, I heard the woman offered you rooms before, would you mind telling her and the innkeeper that we accept it?"

[Savannah]

Sir Garrik Lorunn

"Certainly, Grey. I'll be back in a moment."

Garrik finds the waitress, "Pardon me, miss, but would it be possible for my friends to share that room you offered so kindly before? It seems we will be waiting for morning before we set out.

"Oh, and do you think it is likely to stop raining by then? You surely know the weather around here better than I do."

[borninbones]

The waitress curtseys when she sees you approach. "I figured you might change your mind, what with the rain and all. I'm not too good with weather, but hold on and I will check for you though." The waitress toddles off to the farmers by the fire. There is a brief discussion with some head shaking and head nodding, finally one of them points out the window and you hear the word 'cousin' and nothing more. The group seem to agree with the geezer who is pointing out the window. The woman curtsys again and returns to you. "I don't know but the old farmers say that tomorrow is likely to be rain but it will not be nearly as bad if at all. Some of the ole'codgers have been round these parts for too many turns of the hour glass, if you get my meaning." She winks and goes over to the hails that she was recieving from the lumberjacks.

The rooms are more detailed then standard. They have beds, a desk, a vanity with a polished steel mirror and a bathtub. What makes them special in a homey sort of way, is the details. There is vinework wood carvings intricately covering the bedrails, headboard, and footboard of the bed. The vinework is duplicated around the top of the wooden walls of the room with different kinds of flowers. The basin of the bathtub and the basin on top of the vanity with matching pitcher have blossoming peach trees covering the sides with a the picture of a single peach glazed into the bottom of each. The bureau is a little out of place seeing as it is entirely uncarved, but its uniformity somehow makes the rest of it stick out that much more.

Do you set up watches?
If so who and when?

[Savannah]

Sir Garrik

"Oh, this is lovely! Thank you ever so much, miss!" Garrik sits down on the bed and begins removing his boots.

OOC: Garrik is a trusting sort of guy, so he's not going to suggest watches.

[Critical]

Just locking up the door, duh.

[borninbones]

You lock the door and turn in for the night. The beds are suprisingly comfortable.

Garrik

You wake up during the night and go to the window. The room has gotten a little stuffy from all the humidity from the rain and you open the window to a clear night. The night air is cool on your face. With the clouds gone and the full moon, you can see a tower in the distance. The roughly 3 story tower seems to rise out of the town like a lone sentinel watching to protect all that it sees. Something about the tower does not seem right, though but you shake it off and head back to bed, leaving the window open. In the flash of an instant, just before you completely nod off, in that space between asleep and awake, you see a prison cell covered in blood. A man is screaming in pain and agony from considerable amounts of torture. You look down and realize, it is you that is the torturer and his blood is on your hands.


Nire

You sleep relatively well that night. Waking up, you are in a clearing in the forest. The new moon provides you almost complete cover as you approach the tower. The roughly three story tower is shrouded in darkness as the guards are changing their shift right as you make it to the back door. You quickly drop open the thieves kit that you brought with you and pick the lock with absolute deftness, as if you could do it in your sleep. You climb up the side of the tower with stealth you did not think you were capable of and slip through the secret passage that you know is there. The room you slip into is not the right one though, it's the daughter's room. The old man must have switched her and the library around. Before you can curse your luck, the woman in the bed sits up and strains to see in the dark. "Dad? S'That you?" She inquires. Straining your voice and knowing that this will never work. You mimic a raspy old man's voice. "Sorry to wake, erm darling." You cringe at your horrible imitation. "I just needed something I left in here." You continue to try. "Go back to sleep." The lady shrugs and goes back to sleep. You slip back through the passageway and further up the stairs. You make it to where the library now resides. After oiling the lock, you slide the door open quietly. Three orbs reside across the room. One red, One green and one blue, all of spheres are about a foot in diameter and hover above a three foot pedastal. "Three?" Thinking back, the fence had only told you about one of them but never mentioned a color. Shrugging and not wanting to waste time, you carefully slip a bag over each and take all three. You slip back down the stairs and out the door just after the guards goes by.

Blessing your luck, you slowly fall asleep in your hiding place. Just as you are nodding off, in that space between awake and asleep. You see a gallows, three men with their faces covered fall a short drop to a sudden stop, dead. You realize as you look down, that you are the executioner.


Gray

The tome you wake up on, is undamaged from you drooling on the pictures. You shake yourself awake and look around your library. The half moon providing less light then the summoning circle. You go back to the tome and prepare the difficult series of spells. The huge summoning circle in your lab glows and hums as you approach. Reaching outward, you throw yourself to the winds of the arcane and begin uttering the words. The circle glows with blue fire and erupts as the spell completes. Rising from the ground and bound in the chains of the protection from evil spell, the Balor rises from the ground. "Kallenestraz, at your limited service." The immense demon wraps its impressive wingspan around itself like a cloak. "I am -" The demon cuts off your introduction with a wave of his hand. "I know who you are Gray, the Conjurer of Worlds. Ask, and within reason, it will be done." You utter your wish and the demon takes on a look of shock and laughs suprisingly. "Wow, that is evil, even for me, as you wish." The Gate spell finishes and the demon dissappears, shaking his head.
You go back to your tome and just as you nod off, you see in the flash of an instant, in the place between asleep and awake, you see yourself waving goodbye to an elf and a gnome as they walk away.


You each wake up as the sun breaks, with little or no ill effect.

[Salbazier]

Grey Salazar

"Gate, huh" whispers Gray as he raise from bed. Too dream about something like that now... I wonder if there's still time for me. More than 20 years of my life is wasted already.

In silence, the mage begin to prepare for today's travel, but first he goes to the window to check the weather.

[Savannah]

Sir Garrik Lorunn

Garrik awakes, looking rather disturbed. After getting dressed and washing up - any observer may note that he's washing rather more vigorously than might be expected - he looks out his window, checking the weather. Is that tower really there, or did I dream it?

[Critical]

Nire Bernan

Nire woke up rubbing his eyes. "Now that was one hell of a ride. - he said after a long yawn." Wonder if it means anything... Though, I don't usually believe that kind of stuff. He looked at his companions, nothing seemed different to him, at least, yet. Nire got dressed and washed up, and immediately started smoking his pipe, as he usually did.

[Salbazier]

Grey Salazar

After he finished the morning rituals and spell preparions for today, Grey adresses the others "Well, the sun is visible for today at least. So, shall we go now?"

[Savannah]

Sir Garrik Lorunn

"Yes, let's take advantage of the sun. But first, breakfast!"

Garrik goes and finds the waitress (if she's working this morning) and asks about the price of a meal.

[borninbones]

As you look out the window, the morning light has brought clear skies. Everything is still sopping wet, though and the beginning part of the day will be muddy. This fact is not lost on the children who are running in the street throwing mudballs at each other.

The tower, still obviously under construction, rises from the middle of the town. Now at the moment, about 2 stories tall.

As you head downstairs, there is a different feel to the inn. There is town guard stationed at the door. The sheriff is sitting in the corner, the furthest away from the stairs. The waitress is sitting on the opposite corner crying. The innkeeper is trying to discuss something with another man, dressed in drab dark clothes, he has gold rimmed glasses and is nodding, a lot.

The waitress, seeing you, makes room for you to sit next to her. There is also an open chair across the sheriff.

Which do you choose or do you do something different?

[Savannah]

Sir Garrik Lorunn

Garrik hurries over to the waitress' side, "Are you alright, miss? What has happened?" he says, sounding concerned.

[Critical]

Nire Bernan
"Well well well." - Nire says, observing the situation, and then adresses everyone in general. - "Obviously, a murder. Who, how and when?"

[borninbones]

Garrik- The waitress, between the sobs, manages to get a few words out. "The old hag from last night, she- she's dead. I found her, just so much blood. And and and ecchh" She shudders. "I had never seen anything like it." She breaks out into new sobs and is almost wailing when two men come down from upstairs carrying a coffin.

Nire- The man with gold rimmed glasses waves a hand at the innkeeper and then walks over to you. "Not necessarily and sometime during the night. We think it may have been supernatural causes given the nature, and inhumanity of the crime. Also taking into account the Late Miss Estes' preference for delving into the arcane." He writes a few things down on his pad, his hand moving at very precise angles and very quickly. "Tell me, there was something written in the wall, 'The death of many comes from one and the death of one is the start of many' which of course was the mark and saying of Cordrethar." At this point, the sheriff slides back on his chair making a considerable amount of noise under his girth. He crosses the room and whispers something to the investigator. The investigator nods and the sheriff leaves. "Aparently, we will be traveling partners; as I have just been told. I am one of the escorts for Cordrethar. Call me Miles."

At this point two men enter carrying mops and buckets. The investigator directs them upstairs to the room.

[Savannah]

Sir Garrik Lorunn

Garrik immeadiately puts his arm around the waitress, trying to comfort her. As he does so, however, he looks around the room, trying to see or hear anything that might be useful.

If needed:
Spot [roll0]
Listen [roll1]

[borninbones]

The woman graps Garrik's leg or arm, whichever is closest. It is at that point, Garrik sees just how traumatized the woman is. Her hand tightens and just before the room suddenly goes dark, she whispers "I'm sorry."

Garrik is walking up the stairs, carrying a tray. He has done this for years for this evil woman and just wishes she would leave or die. Expertly palming the tray in one arm while holding some new flowers for the vase, and the key in the other hand, he unlocks the door and slides it open. Garrik drops the tray and almost screams. There is blood, almost literally, everywhere. Things are written on the wall in a language best not understood (note that the letters are dwarven scrit when read however, they make no sense. Ert Nagh Bleen directly translated). The stench is horrendous as if she had died days ago. There is a seared but unmistakable summoning circle on the opposite wall. Garrik gets the feeling as if he know what happened here.

Suddenly the inn is back, she pulls her hand back and whispers, "I'm sorry but I had to share with someone. I'm a wilder. I got it from my mom. Just like my brother got his gift from our dad. When you get to the keep, pass the message along that I love him. He is umm stationed there. Good luck on your journey. Thank you for your help." She has stopped crying and seems to be smiling slightly.

[Savannah]

Garrik is shaken, but he manages to respond, "I would be happy to pass the message along, miss, but I'm afraid that I don't know your name, or your brother's."