Murder in Gramshill IC Group 1

[RaggedAngel]

You awaken early in the morning, your first morning in the city of Gramshill. You may be staying in an inn, or be sleeping in the streets. Gramshill is a clean city, famously so, and you aren't too worried about the dangers found in most large cities. After waking up and preparing yourself for the day, you notice a small scroll on your person. It reads: "Hello. This is a message from Gram, the mayor. I need your help in regards to some recent murders. I would like you to come to the Church of Pelor at noon if you wish to learn more. There will be compensation. -Gram, Head Cleric of Pelor, Mayor of Gramshill."

You’ve heard of Gram, and you respect or fear him enough to listen to what he says. Everyone who’s been in the area for more than a night has heard the tales about him and his two comrades, a strong fighter and a beautiful wizard. They have slain dragons together, and they have been the protectors and governors of Gramshill for thirty years, just as Gram’s father did, and his grandfather, and so on back two hundred and fifty years. He is an army, a hospital, and a senate, all in one man, if the stories are to be believed.

You arrive at the Church of Pelor at the center of town at noon. There are a few people waiting outside; they look tough, or at least more so than an average person on the streets. You wait for a bit, and a few more arrive. Then the doors of the church open, and a man steps out. He is tall, clean-shaven, and handsome. He wears gleaming plate armor, polished so perfectly that it seems to emit light. With a closer glance you see that he does, in fact, emit light. He looks over the assembled group with a warm smile and says, “Shall we take this party inside?” He holds the door open with one arm and gestures with the other.

[Trenchfoot]

Egger

Egger moves silently into the building, morningstar at his hip. By the look of things, the others here were likewise outsiders. He recognized a few of them from the tavern he had been staying in. He couldn't deny a sensation of mistrust in this meeting, but he couldn't quite place it. This famously clean town was getting a little dirty. People were getting rubbed out, though the letter was the first Egger had heard of it. The man responsible for Gramshill was gathering strangers... He wanted people unfamiliar with Gramshill to investigate the murders.

Too many variables. Too many unknowns. Will have to listen to the task as it is presented.

[Chaelos]

Sargon

Sargon isn't sure what to make of the group that surrounds him. He'd considered not heeding the summons at all; he is, after all, innocent of any wrongdoing in connection with the murder, and knows nothing about it at all. Nevertheless, he has little else to do in the new town just yet, and the scroll--unexpected though it may have been--might provide some highly useful contacts in his future endeavors. If nothing else, it should prove an interesting diversion for the time being, he muses silently.

The others all seemed to share his restlessness, his uncertainty; yet they also seemed to share his resolve, or something like it anyway. At least, so he imagined based on their general appearance. It was entirely possible that he was, in fact, entirely wrong.

Party? Sargon glances about. Interesting...

He then proceeds inside, wordless.

[Jukebox Hero]

Calwort (Cal)

Cal strides boldly up the steps of the church. The most powerful man in the region was going to ask for his help. Interesting. Gram couldn't know about any deeds he had committed in the past, and if worst came to worst, he could always rely on the time-tested method of running...with the help of magic items.

[Zerkai]

Inside the church there was already someone there. A fair-skinned and petite young elven woman with chin-length red hair and blue eyes. She was wearing a dark red leather skirt, a black button up shirt, and a dark red jacket over it, and currently had her gloved hands shackled together loosely. The Elven girl had been tapping her boots together impatiently, as if waiting on something, and upon spotting the people walking into the church, smiled wide.

"Took you all long enough to show up, my wrists are getting chafed." She chuckled, crossing one leg over the other as her eyes scanned each of them as they entered the church.

"You think they'll be up to the task Gram?" The elf raised her bound hands, sticking her chest out a little as she stretched, turning her gaze away from the newcomers and to the Head Cleric

[Chaelos]

Sargon

"The task, eh?" The young wizard arched his eyebrow.

"Now, I'm merely a traveler in these parts, Mayor Gram, but the people around here seem convinced that you're capable of moving heaven and earth, if the need arises. I couldn't get two words out before being informed as much this last night; it is for this reason that I do not question the 'hows' of your awareness of my existence. Yet it is the 'whys' that concern me as, I admit, I am at a loss to explain your interest in either me or these other fine fellows--who, like myself, I must assume to be innocent of any wrongdoing."

Sargon smiled easily. "So, for what purpose have you requested our presence?"

[FlamingScales]

Scarabina

Walking into the temple, I felt incredibly out of place among the relatively high fashion of the people around me. I was still in my wilderness clothes, which were cut and torn in a lot of places. I looked around and listened carefully as the conversation carried on, hesitant to join in myself.

[RaggedAngel]

Gram gestures for you to sit upon one of the several comforable chairs in his fairly spacious office. It is sparcely decorated, and there are stacks of paper and parchement lying on his desk. The walls have several bookshelves, and they are packed with books. They look like they could be simply decorative, except that every spine is bent, and the pages look worn.

"Ahem. So, then, I'm going to be blunt with you. I have three orders of business. First of all, I need to apologize." He then moves his hands in a simple gesture and chants a few simple words. His eyes glow like the morning sun, and he looks at each of you in turn. He sighs. "Well, beggars can't be choosers, I suppose. Perhaps I've become too picky in my middle age anyway. I'm not terribly proud of your general morality, but I've also been wrong about people before. Either way, you do not have to help me for alturistic purposes. Now then, onto the second order of business."

He jestures at the handcuffs on the elven woman and speaks a sharp syllable. The handcuffs fall off with a clatter. "Remember, if you try to run off, or if you try to hurt these people, there will be reprocussions. I give second chances, but after that it's simply prison. You don't have to do the right thing for the right reasons, but you do have to do the right thing, at least until you've made up for you actions."

Gram repositions himself in his large chair, and his face loses a bit of its humor. He takes a breath, and then begins. "Well, then, I'll be blunt. There have been several murders and robberies in the local area over the past fortnight. This is odd in itself, as Gramshill has always had an exceptionally low crime rate. However, there have been no witnesses, which is also very odd, as there is usually activity at all times of the day. The robberies were brutal, too; the outdoor market area was the place hit the most, and several stalls were destroyed. Anyone who could have witnessed the crimes was killed." He gets up and leans over his desk, imperious. "I need you to discover and kill whoever is commiting these crimes. The murder is not usually a capital offense, but this is too much for me. I am not an investigator, and me and my companions are simply to busy to give this task the attention that it deserves. You are the most powerful individuals in the area, after us. Will you help me?"

[Trenchfoot]

Egger

Egger finds his seat, plopping himself down to listen to the potent mayor. With a few spells, he passed judgment over their demeanors and beliefs, and then delivered some command to the woman in cuffs. After that, he gave his request.

"I'll help." Egger states flatly. "With some conditions." He pauses then, not wanting to say more until the others made their own decisions.

[Jukebox Hero]

Gram was obviously too powerful to be fooled, and his divinations would probably reveal any wrongdoings in Cal's past...so he drops the politeness.

Let's talk payment.

[Zerkai]

The Elven woman rubbed her wrists once the shackles came loose, then stood up. "Even if I run I'd still be wanted, this is the best way out for me so I'll investigate it Gram. My word is my bond." She told him in an off-hand manner as she dusted off her skirt.

Turning her attention away from the Head Cleric and looked back to the people he had gathered. Smirking once again when she heard some of their responses "How very mercenary. You all can call me Bennie."

[Chaelos]

Sargon

"I have no objection to assisting in the investigation, Mayor Gram, but I, too, am curious about the reciprocity of the arrangement. That said, I have every confidence that you will offer fair and equitable terms of employment."

Turning to Bennie, the young wizard smirked "Everyone's a mercenary in some way, you know." His eyes narrowed. "Even if they don't acknowledge it out loud."

He offered a mocking half-bow to the Elven woman. "I'm called Sargon."

[FlamingScales]

Scarabina

Listening on the terms of the assignment, I listened as the other people in the "party" seemed to expect money out of the case. Normally, I would probably have asked for payment first as well, but it would be too much of a driving point if every party member asked for considerable payment.

Guys, cut him a little slack. This might not even be difficult enough to warrant some money. I vote we take the case and talk pay later.

[Trenchfoot]

Egger

The cleric looks to the half-elf, understanding her concerns.

"The Mayor of Gramshill, as you might remember, was the first to bring up compensation in the letter that he gave to each of us. We are simply reminding him of this."

He looks back to the mayor of Gramshill. If he is willing to pass judgment on my character based on the mere casting of a spell, he knows that I am not bound to help him based on some trivial moral obligation. He is offering a job, and jobs come with paychecks."

His head swivels back over to the half-elf. His movements are so mechanical, one could almost hear the gears turning. "I'm sure you can volunteer to forfeit your own payment, if you so desire."

[FlamingScales]

Egger

The cleric looks to the half-elf, understanding her concerns.

"The Mayor of Gramshill, as you might remember, was the first to bring up compensation in the letter that he gave to each of us. We are simply reminding him of this."

Ah. Fair enough. In all honesty I just looked at the 'invitation' part of the letter. Seemed more important at the time.

"I'm sure you can volunteer to forfeit your own payment, if you so desire."[/QUOTE]

Psh. I didn't say I didn't want pay, just that we probably should hear the terms so we don't overcharge the good man here.

[RaggedAngel]

Gram sighs. "You needn't bicker about money; Gramshill has always been prosperous. If you are able to find and stop whoever is leading and enacting this attacks and murders, you will each recieve compensation of around two thousand five hundred gold. Any expenses will be subtracted from that amount." He looks around. "Is a small fortune good enough for you?"

[Trenchfoot]

Egger

The cleric brings a hand up to rub his chin. The payment was low, almost laughably so, considering the alleged seriousness of the crimes. Granted, with 2,500 gold pieces, a man could come close to buying his own 50-foot boat, but that wasn't the point. Split up among four people (if the one in manacles wasn't being paid) that was 10,000 gold pieces... Egger files this away with his growing pile of details.

"There are a few other issues. I'm sure you already have details about the murders and robberies prepared, perhaps in a document or something. There are some other things we will need from you directly. I need to know who else you have hired to conduct this investigation; even people you attempted to hire, and who refused or failed for whatever reason. We will need official sanction, from you, in a written form or in the form of some kind of signed symbol, that we are conducting an investigation on your behalf. I think it would be best if there were no public announcement of our duties whatsoever, and instead we just have a paper or badge that we can present as necessary."

"In addition to the details on the murders, we'll need access to your own bureaucratic records in your offices, at any time that we need them. Paperwork on businesses, people, the economy, immigration and so on. As strangers to your city, we need to understand it if we are going to investigate a string of murders, and who better understands this city than its mayor."

He pauses for a moment, as if considering a few other things to request, but doesn't.

[Chaelos]

Sargon

The wizard ponders the offer. It sounds quite reasonable to him--highly tempting, after all--but a wizard must always consider these things.

<Draconic>"What do you think, Lenore?"</Draconic> he asks softly, patting his pet raven gently on the head.

Appraise check, unless you'd like to make it in secret, in which case ignore this roll:

[roll0]

Note: Regardless of the result, Sargon will accept--if it's fair, then it's fair; if it's not, then he's gauged a measure of Gram's character.

"Your payment offer is most acceptable to me, Mayor Gram, though I concur with my potential colleague-to-be here: access to your records and details regarding the murders would be most helpful."

The wizard paused, rubbing his chin.

"Has anyone tried speaking with the spirits of the victims? Not my field of expertise, but any clue they might have regarding their killer's identity would be most helpful."

[RaggedAngel]

Gram frowns darkly. "You can have access to any records you believe would be helpful, and I will be giving each of you a small badge that bears my insignia. However, as for the question of speaking to the spirits of the departed, there has been a problem. I have tried to both raise them from the afterlife and to simply speak with them, and nothing has worked. The diamonds, however, were not consumed, meaning that something is preventing thier souls from returning. This is part of the reason behind my urgency; I am concerned about what is being done with thier souls." He opens a drawer and takes out a small leather oval with a golden medal attached to the front, shaped like a sheild with Pelor's holy symbol emblazoned across it. "This should aid you when seeking information in town. However, if you act rudely or cruelly to any townsperson and show them this badge, they will know to speak with me about your behavior."

[Chaelos]

Sargon

Sargon accepts the badge, nodding.

"Additionally, would you consider covering any reasonable expenses we might incur over the course of this investigation, Mayor Gram? I am willing to provide a full invoice. If so, I am prepared to bind myself contractually to this case."

Sargon extends a hand.

His face, however, is grave. This may have been out of the realm of his experience, but even novice wizards knew that soul-magic is among the most potent of all the Arcane arts.

He ponders the matter as he waits for Gram to take his hand.


I'll roll Knowledge (Arcana), (Religion), and a Spellcraft check in order to consult Sargon's knowledge of such matters. Use whichever you deem most appropriate.

Knowledge (Arcana): [roll0]
Knowledge (Religion): [roll1]
Spellcraft: [roll2]

[FlamingScales]

Scarabina

Thinking over the terms, she thinks about the problem of the souls of those lost. If we are dealing with undead, that'll be messy business... I hate undead.

I accept these terms as well. However, I have no costs to present, though I have an idea which may help us begin our search. If we are dealing with undead, doesn't that require quite a material of some kind? I'm not a formal spellcaster, but a lot of spells use some kind of materials, don't they? If there is such a material, would it make sense to see if there are any records of someone obtaining mass quantities of said material?

[Zerkai]

Bennie

The Elf watched the group discuss their job, payment, and leads as she took a seat again with her arms folded. Her real payment would be her release and a pardon for her crimes, and she wasn't in the position to haggle.

She finally did speak up though when Gram mentioned the souls. "I'll need the rest of my gear and weapons if we're gonna be looking around the crime scenes. I have some gear that'll help me spot anything unusual."

[Trenchfoot]

Egger

The cleric, not wanting the half-elf's question to be ignored, says nothing. Whoever she was, they would need her equipped.

Egger waits until Gram has answered the others' questions, and fires off yet another of his own. "We'll need an official letter sent to the nearest Magical orders or academies, describing what you have encountered with the dead. They can look at the aftereffects of the spell or item being used, and perhaps identify it for us, giving us a better idea of what to look for. They might also be able to identify whatever component or focus is used for such a spell."

[RaggedAngel]

Gram nods, gets up, and goes through the office door. He comes back a moment later with a bag and some other various items, and hands them to the elf. He looks at the elf for a moment, somber. "Please don't make me regret that decision. I want to trust you. You can do good in the world."

He sits back down. "As for the magical schools in the area... well, there are none. The closest schools are in Nomenestra, and..." He gets up, and shuts the blinds in his window. Magical lighting springs to life. He casts a small spell.

"Forgive my paranoia, but in this case I feel that it's justified. You see, I do not really wish for any enemy nations listening in to hear what I am about to say. You see, there is a problem with the defensive power base in Gramshill. There always has been, going back to my ancestor, the first Gram. He and his two boon companions, a mage of great skill and a powerful warrior, were the leaders and protectors of the town. Our families have always fulfilled those roles. However, we can only do so much. If one of the three of us ever leaves the town, the other nations; Nomenestra, the nation of mages, to the west; Kordan, the martial city-states; or Casperos, the costal empire, would have a prime chance to attack us and control the hub of trade. Similarly, if they learn that we are weakened, or if we display signs of weakness, they would attack anyway, hopeing for an easier than expected victory. I and my comrades are powerful, but we could not hold against an army."

"This is why I need your help. I need you to solve this problem quickly, efficiently, and without drawing attention to yourselves. I will help you as best as I can, but you cannot rely upon outside aid." He looks around.

"Any more questions? I'd like to think that you could get started before nightfall."

[Trenchfoot]

Egger

Egger considers the mans' words for a moment, then nods.

"They'd perceive weakness if they got word of some foul soul-sealing necromancy running wild in the city. Hrmm... Not paranoid, justifiably concerned about information leaks."

He shifts in his seat again, placing one leg up on the other.

"Am willing to start immediately, preferably at the location of the last murder. Will need to inspect bodies, residual magical aura to help identify spell or item being used to bind the souls. Much to consider, too much, and cannot be done from here."

The man rises, his plate mail sliding quietly. He wasn't a particularly large man, but he looked comfortable being weighted down in all that solid metal. He looks toward his comrades; the human Sargon, who had spoken to his raven earlier in Draconic; the elven woman Bennie, who appeared to be some sort of criminal; a capable-looking half-elven woodswoman who had yet to give her name, and a rather dashing halfling.

"I am Egger Stiffwind, a cleric. Pleased to learn that we will be working together to solve this mystery."

[Jukebox Hero]

Indeed. Cal had not expected Gram to so readily offer such a large sum...but perhaps he could sell his assistance to a rival nation for even more.

Cal bows deeply, sweeping his hat off his head as he does so, "Thank you for your generosity sir. I assure you, I will do everything in my power to find the perpetrator of these crimes. But I am running low on supplies, and a little money to get started would be much appreciated. However, I am curious, how do you propose we walk out of this building carrying huge, bulging sacks of gold without getting robbed?"

[Chaelos]

Sargon

Those last words seem to jolt Sargon out of his ruminations.

"Those who lack the common sense not to flaunt their wealth deserve to have it made off with," he observes dryly. "And, in any case, we have better things to do at the moment than debate the ideal gold transportation receptacles and methods. I'm sure volumes have been written on such, yet they mean nothing to us until we actually have completed our task."

The wizard turns back to Gram. "Where was the last murder? I'd like to begin investigating immediately."

[Jukebox Hero]

Your lack of common sense amuses me. Two thousand, five hundred individual pieces of gold can not be concealed easily. Even if I don't flaunt it, it would be painfully obvious that I have so much gold that I have no idea what to do with it. Such an amount may take several full sacks, weighing more than many could carry. But perhaps you have a solution to this, tell me, do you just happen to have some extra-dimensional sack lying around?

[RaggedAngel]

Gram addresses the halfling first. "You may find platinum and magic objects easier to carry than simple gold."

He then turns to the wizard. "The last murder was out on the edge of the open-air markets, on the edge of town nearest the mountains. Just take the street that points North, and follow it until you reach the last stall. They should still be repairing; the murder was two nights ago."

[Chaelos]

Sargon

"Then I, at least, shall be on my way to the scene of the crime," the wizard smiles. "The logistics of payment can be calculated when such payment is actually due. Even such, you wouldn't find such a sum to weigh more than..."

He retrieves a coin from his belt and a small scale from his pack, studies the device, and ticks off a few numbers to himself before returning both coin and device to their previous locations. "Fifty pounds or so, I'd wager. Certainly not enough to draw the kind of attention you seem to expect. Now, if you'd like to set about actually earning any of that, I suggest we all move along."

"Farewell for now, Mayor Gram," the wizard says, giving a polite bow of his head.

Sargon heads out of the temple and proceeds north down the street.

[Trenchfoot]

Egger

Egger follows Sargon mechanically. Along the way, he lays some long-term protections on the party, and keeps his mace in his hands as they walk.

Using all of my Turn Undead attempts for today to cast Persistent Bless on all members of the party, as well as Persistent Bull's Strength on myself. Everybody make sure to put that +1 on their sheets.

[FlamingScales]

Scarabina

Bidding farewell as is due, the ranger runs gracefully after Sargon. Easily catching up with the wizard, she finally introduces herself.

My name is Scarabina. If it pleases you, I would like to follow you on this investigation. Perhaps I can find a trail or some other minute hint when we are there.

[Jukebox Hero]

I'm small...I can't carry much...Cal grumbles to himself. Stupid human He did not like this "Sargon;" but the mention of magic items took the words out of his mouth, Cal had always enjoyed little trinkets and items which would allow him to pull off supernatural stunts. But this Sargon would have to be put into his place. Someday, he would have to know who was superior. Still, Cal would have to be patient, and so, he sulks along, muttering to himself as he does so.

[Zerkai]

Bennie

She took her gear and bow, nodding her head to the high Cleric before rummaging through her things, picking out a pair of goggles with blue lenses and pulling them over her eyes. "There. Much better." Bennie proceeded to don a traveling cloak and pick up her weapons, a composite longbow strapped to her back and a rapier at her side before following the group out.

"If there's something left at the crime scene, I should be able to find it. Then again, it's been two days..." She folded her arms as they walked towards the markets, now wondering if there'd be anything to find there. While she did, she spared the rest of the group a glance, aside from the wizard and half-elf, she didn't catch the rest of their names.

"Anyone else care to introduce yourselves. This mission sounds fairly dangerous, and I'd like to at least know the names of the people I'll be shedding blood with."

[Trenchfoot]

Egger

"Egger stiffwind." he answers. He can't help looking twice at the strange blue discs she had placed over her eyes. He had never seen something like that before... Perhaps she spent a great deal of time in the far north, or in deserts?

"And we will be shedding blood together... Won't we? Mayor Gram was pretty insistent about 'find and kill, and not once said 'find and bring to justice'. Although he wants it all solved, he didn't seem to have much interest in speaking with whoever committing the crimes. Didn't tell us to report back to him once we knew the perpetrator..." He rubs his chin, finally able to tear his eyes away from the odd blue discs on the elf's face. "He just told us to kill them."

He shakes his head briefly. "My first instinct would be to call this sabotage; one of the enemy nations has sent in an agent to test Gramshill's weaknesses. Hit some soft targets, steal some food stores and so on, and see how Gramshill reacts. See how much they can get away with. Gram himself doesn't seem to suspect outside influence though... He was more worried about enemy nations finding out, rather than actually being responsible for the attacks."

He pauses, wondering if any of the others might be following this train of thought as they walked.

Just filling in time, please don't delay bringing us to the next scene on account of this discussion. We can talk and look at evidence at the same time, if that's what's up next for us.

[Chaelos]

Sargon

"I believe he said find and stop the perpetrators," the wizard says offhandedly as they walk through the streets. "The methods are up to us, of course, as efficiency or convenience dictates."

He frowns.

"The inability to contact the spirits of the dead is more troubling to me, though. To bind a soul... that takes power--real power, more than any of us has probably ever seen. And it also makes me suspect that, whatever's going on here, it's likely beyond the realm of simple political probing. After all, a dead spirit couldn't very well identify a murderer to Gram who had competently concealed his own identity--say, through a mask or a simple disguise--so if this was a simple test of strength, there would be no need to invoke the level of power necessary to prevent the dead from rising."

Sargon's face abruptly breaks into a grin.

"I do love mysteries so. And I'm pleased to be working with such folk as you on this one."

[Jukebox Hero]

Cal: Halfling Swashbuckler/Wizard

"O, believe me, the pleasure is all mine."

[RaggedAngel]

You pass throught the large, open northern gates out of Gramshill, and enter the open-air market outside of the city. The market encircles the city, and in fact there was often talk of building another ring of walls and making the market part of the city proper. It is about an hour after noon, and the market is very busy and bustling. You see the people all around you milling about and buying things, though if you pay closer attention you see that the typical chatter is a bit subdued. You head out towards the edge of the market and you find a busted, shattered stall. A large man, in his middle years, is working to raise some wooden beams to get the front of the stall back into place. The ground is stained dark in a patch right in front of the stall.

[FlamingScales]

Scarabina

I'll see if I can find anything out of the ordinary. However, for the record I would like to state that I think we will probably be shooting first and asking later if this is really so dangerous. Perhaps after that we can find something out from the locals. They seem more upset than Gram was.


Search: [roll0]
Spot: [roll1]
Survival (Track) [if applicable]: [roll2]

[Jukebox Hero]

I scramble forwards and join the bystanders. "O my! What happened here? Is this another one of those horrible murders? I gotta learn how to use this thing better!" Cal grabs the hilt of his rapier, "Who was the victim? And who do you think did it? The butcher certainly has the capabilities. And shouldn't someone help that poor man with his stall?"

OOC:
Bluff (to pretend to be a townsperson): [roll0]

EDIT: Thank you dice gods.

[Trenchfoot]

Egger

The cleric nods to Scarabina, who had already begun searching for tracks and signs around the area. The halfling, likewise, went to talk to the people in his own, unusual way. He continues his discussion with Sargon as he looks over the stall, noting its proximity to the nearby mountains.

"Trust me, he deliberately said 'discover and kill'. I am in complete agreement about the potency of soul-binding. Though it guarantees complete anonymity on the part of the killer, why go to such lengths to conceal your identity if you're not recognizable by the people you're killing? You're right, it couldn't be an enemy nation, at least not for the reasons we knew now."

His eyes scan the outdoor markets, seeing a wide manner of goods and items available for purchase. It was practically a storehouse, just out in the open and covered with people.

"There is a Method, and there is a Purpose. The Method is how; a spell, a magic item's effect, or a creature's natural ability. Aside from divine intervention, those are the primary ways in which a soul can be taken or otherwise sealed away from its original body. The Purpose:... For anonymity, or to prevent souls from talking, as we already discussed. Perhaps our murderer is taking and collecting them for some dark ritual. Or it may be an unintentional side effect. This monster or weapon drains souls as a normal part of its functioning, not because of a conscious act."

Egger grumbles for a bit, and says no more, watching their ranger friend have great success with skillfully following the tracks around the market area, and beyond it.

[FlamingScales]

Scarabina

Hey guys! I found some tracks headed north. Looks like a few people came through this way. I can't tell who or what it was though.

She investigates the trail before it goes too far. The trial was too old to really find out much about whoever left them, which was particularly irksome. However, Gramshill was the crossroads of trade in the area. It might have just been a raiding party on some of the closest stalls. Not too uncommon.

It might just be me, but this seems like it just happens to be a raid on the stalls around here. I'm inclined to think that whatever made the attack just happened to seal the souls. Or maybe the spiritual effects aren't related to the robbery? It could be some strange kind of spiritual grave robbing ... right?

The question is aimed at Egger and Sargon, who seem to have the most magic-related knowledge out of the entire party. However, she leaves the point hanging in the air before turning to the locals, asking each one various questions to try and find out if there are any settlements to the north of Gramshill, who inhabits them, and how relations are between them.

EDIT: Neverming, rolled a natural 20 anyways. :smallsmile:

[roll0]

[Trenchfoot]

Egger

The cleric nods along with Scarabina's assessments.

"Unintentional side effect, perhaps, a good thought. We might be dealing with a simple group of raiders and thieves, one of whom has an item or power he might not understand. Nice catch on finding those tracks, Scarabina. If they were sloppy enough to leave physical footprints, that puts doubt on the idea that the soul-stealing is intended to conceal their identities. Additionally, if the other areas hit are also close to the mountains, then we might just have our base of operations."

He also looks to Sargon, motivated by the fact that both of them had been coming to similar deductions thus far. One idea held by one man was weak; one idea held by two had power.

[Chaelos]

Sargon

The wizard nods.

"It is possible that this is a simple group of raiders, possessed of a power they do not understand." He sighs.

"But if that is the case, then it represents the best case scenario, even if they DO kill everyone who could possibly have seen them and manage to flee completely undetected after every single murder." the wizard says.

"However...there are always whispers of dark and secret rites offered to darker, secret-er gods, of terrible, ancient relics that can steal a soul with but a touch, of words so terrible and forgotten as to drive a casual listener mad from but a syllable. Until we know more, these must also remain possibilities, however grim they are."

Sargon kneels in the dirt beside the stain, producing a vial and a small knife from his pack. Gingerly, he scrapes several ounces of stained-dirt into the vial.

"I'll test this later. There's a blood-detecting solution I want to try making, but a proper alchemical test may yield some other interesting results as well."

He closes his eyes and rises.

"We may be able to rule out a spell now, though..."

Sargon lifts a hand lightly in the air, as if summoning power directly from the ether, then, spreading his index and middle fingers into a V-shape, he lightly presses them into his eyelids. Faint currents of power--almost imperceptible, if they even existed at all--flow into the wizard's eyes, and when he opens them, they crackle and dance with blue energy.

The wizard turns his gaze on the stall, the ground, and the surrounding city as a whole.


Sargon casts Detect Magic, and will concentrate until the 3 minute duration is up. If he sees any magic auras or, especially, lingering auras, he's going to spend the necessary time required to identify them. Since I don't know how many there are or even if they exist, RaggedAngel, would you make the necessary spellcraft rolls when you respond to this? Sargon rocks a +10 to spellcraft.

[Trenchfoot]

Egger

Egger breathes a heavy sigh of relief. The spell theory implied an incredibly powerful spellcasting individual. With that out of the way, it felt like the bogeyman had been flushed out of the bedroom closet.

"Blood detecting solution? You could just taste it." he jokes. "In all seriousness, that is a fine idea. Do you think there might be some kind of residue in the blood of those whose souls have been stolen?"

He asks his question quietly, not wanting to disturb Sargon's magic, or the investigations of the other team members. He didn't know the first thing about alchemy, and held a high respect for those who did... As long as he held that respect from a good distance. Usually the same distance of your typical explosion.

[Zerkai]

She watched the rest of the group go about their separate ways to collect information while some speculated a great length about what or who might have done it or complain about the High Cleric. Bennie shook her head with a sigh, adjusting her goggles as she approached the wrecked stall with the large man.

"I'm helping with the investigation on the attack's." She show the man one of the badges Gram had given them before quickly looking over the damaged area for clues


Goggles of Minute Seeing grant a +5 bonus to find concealed or hidden objects.
Search Check: [roll0]

[Chaelos]

Sargon

"Magic was done here," Sargon points at a space just above the bloodstain. "Some kind of necromancy, though that's not my specialty and I know very little of it. It's faint, but it feels..."

The wizard thinks for a moment, searching for the word.

"Wrong. It feels wrong in a way I have never encountered. It's not the sort of thing I'm used to at all; I'm not even sure if it's true arcane magic, even." His eyes return to their usual color, and he wipes a bead of sweat from his brow. "There are no other spell auras in effect nearby, save for some minor trinkets carried by the various passersby."

Sargon sighs.

"There may be some residue in the blood, yes. I'd like to perfect a formula I've been tinkering with, to reveal whether blood is present on a material. And there is a method at my disposal to determine if poison was used as well."

The wizard mutters another word of power, repeating the same gesture as before. His eyes glow faintly greenish-yellow, the color of bile, as he examines the ground.


Cast Detect Poison on the blood-stained area.

Take 10 on the Craft (Alchemy) check to determine the poison, if any was used, for a result of 22.

Spell List

Level 0: Detect Poison, Detect Magic, Detect Magic, Acid Orb x3
Level 1: Mage Armor, Grease, Grease, Summon Monster I, Summon Monster I, Alarm
Level 2: Glitterdust, Glitterdust, Glitterdust, BLANK


After his eyes return to their normal color, but while he's still determining the poison, he offhandedly says, "You know, we really ought to examine the bodies. We should also find out if the victims had anything in common, as well."

[Trenchfoot]

Egger

The cleric nods. Their next stop could be the morgue, or wherever dead bodies were prepared for burial in Gramshill. He wanted to give the wizard a chance to further analyze the evidence, perhaps at a laboratory of sorts, but if the leads to the mountains were too promising, they might begin a trip to the north immediately instead. It all depended on what the people had to say.

[Chaelos]

Sargon

"No poison," the wizard says offhandedly. He looks around, waiting on the results of the others' investigations.

[Zerkai]

Bennie

"I found a few things you might find interesting..." The elf called them over as she ran a gloved hand carefully over the wood of the smashed stall, eyes darting across it under the lens of her goggles, then to the blood stain and some mud near the stall.

"The way the wood was crushed... a man was thrown back into the stall, by force from the looks of it. There's human blood speckled here and there. We should see if the victim they found was a man or woman, just to be sure. And then there's this"

Bennie reached out, plucking a long wooden splinter from the mud, pointing to a dark substance on it. "First, this isn't the same wood that the stall is made of. Second, this is blood, I know that, but it's too dark to be human blood. Now I think it's safe for us to start speculating, what has dark blood like this?"

[Jukebox Hero]

Ugh, townsfolk. They'd been softened up by years of easy living. Unlike those in other cities, these people were tight-lipped, unwilling to talk of crimes. Boring. He was already getting tired of this investigation...but the money, it was calling to him. Cal sighs, he'd have to stick around for at least a little bit longer.

The elf was holding up a piece of wood with some blood on it. Probably from an orc. Orcs fit the bill too; strong enough to throw a man into a stall hard enough to crush it. Yup, probably an orc. "It's orc blood."

[Chaelos]

Sargon

The wizard stares at the splinter, wordless, running through the possibilities in his mind. Orc blood certainly sounded a reasonable enough possibility, but any further information they could get would still aid them significantly.

Additionally, he wonders why, if the victim was thrown against the stall, the murderer had felt the need to subsequently stab him or her. A blow that powerful could kill plenty of people on its own; the bloodletting must have been either a secondary wound, or part of the ritual used to steal the decedent's soul.

Sargon rubs his chin.


Rolling Knowledge (Nature) and Appraise to identify the type of wood and another Nature check for the blood.

Knowledge (Nature) [Wood]: [roll0]
Appraise [Wood]: [roll1]

Knowledge (Nature) [Blood]: [roll2]

[Jukebox Hero]

But...who'd ever heard of an orc assassin? Orcs are naturally raiders, and don't sneak around stabbing people to death. Someone is orchestrating these plans, but why? It would be far easier to have quick raids, seeing as how Gramshill lacks an army to send out. Something wasn't right.

[Trenchfoot]

Egger

The cleric, though he didn't know it, was coming to similar conclusions as his comrades.

"I'd bet that Cal is right, and it is orc blood, but as I'm sure we're all thinking, they're not smart enough to use whatever powers might be locking down the souls of these innocents. Someone intelligent is accompanying these orcs on their raids, and gathering their souls with an item or weapon for some dark purpose."

He stands from his kneeling position and squints toward the inner city.

"Let's away to where the bodies are delivered and prepared for funereal services. If we're nice enough, whoever runs it might allow Sargon to use their equipment." He looks to the wizard. "Perhaps you'll be able to conduct your blood tests there?"

[Jukebox Hero]

Cal steps forward, "Excuse me, sir? It was your brother that was killed, correct?" he's addressing the man trying to fix the stall. "You have my pity. Let me buy you a drink; do you know a good inn?"

[RaggedAngel]

The man starts when he's addressed. "Oh, hi there sir. Sorry about that, I was lost in thought. My brother, you see. Anyway, I'd love to speak with you; getting things off my chest and all, but I need to fix my stall. Business is good here, but not good enough that I can just take several days off. Plus I'll need to restock and all..." He trails off, looking at the fallen timbers and boards. "I'm sorry that I can't spare much time. You are very welcome to come back in just a day or so, sir, once I've finished. It's hard, you see, with my back and all." He sighs, and begins to lift a heavy timber into place.

[Jukebox Hero]

"Look, your stall's broken, your brother just died, and now you'll have to work the stall by yourself. Quite frankly, your life is terrible. If I were you, I'd just want to drown my sorrows with a couple mugs of ale. Look, the timber isn't going to go anywhere, and it'll be here when you get back. Let me treat you to a drink, and tell you what, when we get back, I'll help you rebuild your stall."

Diplomacy: [roll0]

[Chaelos]

Sargon

"Well, it's not exactly my specialty, but it certainly looks like Orc blood to me," the wizard says, his tone betraying a hint of uncertainty. "But, yes, when we head to the place bodies are prepared, I'll run some further tests there to be sure. The wood, from what I can tell, originates from the mountains; I've seen it before in the hafts of spears and other such items."

Sargon glances at the conversation Cal is having with the stranger, smiling. "We should proceed to examine the bodies, I think. Have you any medical training, Egger? Or anyone else, for that matter," he asks, raising his tone so the others can hear.

[Trenchfoot]

Egger

The man rolls his shoulders, finding similar uncertainty to Sargon.

"No medical training. Never had to bother. Still, no time to learn like the present."

[Zerkai]

Bennie

"Hm... strange that the only orc blood I found was on that splinter. Orc Raiders... it's too smart, too careful. An Orc was wounded here, but just a speck of blood on a splinter is the only evidence an Orc was here are all. Something about this doesn't sit right with me..."

Bennie sighed, folded her arms as she thought on it some more "Right... check the bodies. Hopefully we'll find some more clues."

[Jukebox Hero]

Cal turns to the rest of the group, "Stop saying, 'Let's check the bodies!' and actually check the bodies."

[Trenchfoot]

Egger

As they make their way back to the church, new evidence burning in their minds, Egger considers Bennie's assessment.

"Do you think the orc blood might have been planted deliberately? Perhaps framing an as yet undiscovered orc tribe to the north? I agree in thinking it strange. Perhaps we're meant to suspect the orcs. An easy scapegoat, a believable one, and one I'd use if I were conducting some kind of sabotage or terrorism on Gramshill."

He also decides to ask another question that may or may not have been burning in the minds of the others.

"Your business is your own to keep, Bennie, but I do feel that I ought to ask. Why is it that you were shackled by the Mayor, a few days ago? I don't want you to think that we didn't care, and again, your business is your own, but I can't help wondering about it. Clearly it has nothing to do with these incidents, yes?"

[Zerkai]

Bennie

"No, I had nothing to do with these murders. I was arrested for a few charges before the murders started happening. Mugging, burglary, battery. When I wasn't doing for for the thieves guild and I needed quickly money it was rather easy to get it. Just need a disguise, and you'd be surprised how many would-be adventurers fall for a damsel in distress act" the Elf chuckled, folding her arms with a pleased look on her face as they made their way back to the church.

"Back to the matter at hand... The Orc blood could be planted, or someone's trying to hide a fact that an orc was here at all. There should've been more Orc blood at the scene, but this was a very thorough cleaning for Orc Raiders." Bennie commented as she walked up the steps of the church, opening the door and peering inside

[RaggedAngel]

Gram is suprised to see you back so soon, but he leads you all down underneath the church proper, into a large, cold stone room. Layed out on raised stone slabs are the bodies of all the people that have been killed; you notice that there are a suprisingly large number of the slabs, over thirty. The wall also seem to be built with storage space for bodies. All the the bodies look injured and cut, but there is no stench, nor is their any decomposition. "The lack of decay is my doing, by the way." Gram says as he leads you around. "It isn't necessary to ressurect them, but I couldn't just let them rot. They're my people. You may spend as long here as you need too, and I only request that you don't defile the bodies in any way. I also have some alchemical and magical components, if you need to run any tests."

[Trenchfoot]

Egger

In response to Bennie's words, Egger chuckles. "I'll be sure not to make the same mistake as those would-be adventurers then." He says no more about her arrest; she was already working to clear it up, and hell, at least she worked for a guild. Organized thievery tended to be a bit safer for all involved than disorganized thievery... The latter usually ended in corpses.

At the mention of alchemical and magical components, Egger nods to Sargon, knowing the man had some plans to run blood tests. He moves to the bodies himself, understanding that he didn't have the best knowledge to study the wounds, but he tries anyway.

As he moves about, Egger puts some questions to Gram. "What's Gramshill's relationship with any neighboring orcish tribes? Has there ever been any trouble, or attacks, even on caravans or traveling groups? We're beginning to suspect their involvement in this... Though as Bennie suggested, we may be meant to think that."

To speed things along, I'll take 20 on a Heal check to analyze the various wounds on one body. We've all been suspecting a weapon or item as the culprit for sealing the souls, rather than a spell or special ability. If it's a weapon, there should be one unifying type of injury among all the bodies. If it's an item, then there might be a burn mark, acid stain, or whatnot. I won't bother using Detect Magic on the bodies, as I'm sure Gram would've noticed any major latent magical auras.

A 20 on my Heal check is a 22 total.

[RaggedAngel]

Gram frowns. "Neighboring orcs... the orcs are mostly seperated form here by lake Loganis, and that lake borders the mountains, which is filled with dwarves." He takes on a bit of humor for a moment. "For whatever reason, the orcs don't seem to enjoy passing through the mountains." His grin fades. "That said, I suppose they could have come around the lake if they followed the shores. Why do you suspect them?"

[Trenchfoot]

Egger

The cleric shakes his head. He wasn't ready to offer any of their half-formed theories to the mayor just yet. "We don't... Not entirely. We're going to need the most accurate map of that area. I think it's where we'll be heading next." He steps away from the bodies, addressing the group once more. "These wounds are caused by one weapon, or multiple copies of the same type of weapon. Our One-Weapon-Soul-Stealing theory now has a bit more weight. We also know, thanks to Scarabina's excellent tracking skills, that the perpetrators came from the North, in the area of this 'Lake Loganis'. Someone brought this weapon down from that area, and happened to leave what we think is orcish blood at the scene of the crime."

He gives a respectful nod to Bennie, as her sharp thinking brought him to this next point. "There's something else. This was a very thorough clearing for orc raiders, but if a powerful weapon is involved, we need to consider Posession. A weapon strong enough to seal souls could also be strong enough to possess, or at least guide, a weak-willed wielder, such as an orc. It's a wild shot in the dark, but it would explain the cleanliness of the attacks and the soul-thievery all in one blow. The main enemy, guided by the weapon, brings down his fellows, raids the stalls, and lets his brethren haul the goods away."

He turns to mayor Gram, yet again needing to probe his mind for knowledge. "What is Gramshill's relationship with the dwarves of the mountains?"

[FlamingScales]

Scarabina

Relating what information she knew, she chimed in to supply what she knew, having processed what information she gained from the townspeople.

The dwarves have a solid empire in the mountains, a raiding party hardly would suit their needs. Besides, given how dwarves hate orcs and the like, it would hardly make sense for them to manipulate a bunch of orcs for their own ends. Unless there's been major political climate changes lately, I wouldn't consider the dwarves to be a threat.

That's just what I think though. Unless Gramshill has some strange resource the dwarves crave so much that they would enlist orcish help, I doubt they would use such force to their ends.

Gram, has there been any major political change in any nearby areas that you could have been involved in?

Gather Information: [roll0]

[Zerkai]

Bennie

"Based on the evidence we have, it's either a subtle, and very cleanly Orc, there someone that cleaned up after him, There was no orc there... or..."

Bennie trailed off, looking at the preserved bodies. "Who was the latest victim, the one that died at the market?"

[RaggedAngel]

Gram addresses each questioner in turn.

"We have a strong trade partnership with the dwarves, and we have for years. We maintain a steadily good relationship with all of our neighbors, since we are relatively small and surrounded." He thinks for a moment. "No, I just can't see the dwarves attacking us like this. If they decided to attack, there would be an army, not hit-and-run assults in the night."

"Likewise, I have not detected any shift in the political climate. The human nations are in a time of relative peace, and the elves and dwarves are withdrawn as always."

He walks over to the body of a man who bears a strong resemblence to the shopkeeper you had just spoken with. "Here he is. He died of those same slashing wounds, as you can see."

[Trenchfoot]

Egger

"Let's find ourselves a decent map, then, and head up into the north."

Egger moves out, leading the group if they come with him, and seeks to purchase a decent map of the lake Loganis region, preferably one that includes the mountains.