Giantslayer: Battle of Bloodmarch Hill [IC]

[lostsole31]

"I'm sorry, I have no idea," answers Sara.

Cici says, "Well, we could go to my cottage while I try to find out what is going on with the blood."

[BuckGodot]

"I guess I'm fine with that... Seems a bit like a waste of resources but maybe you'll find something that will be able to put us on a new track." Aasgar says.

[lostsole31]

"Tell you what, then," she offers. "I will go to my cottage and do this, and how about we all try to meet together at The Killin' Ground at sunset? I should have an answer by then."

[BuckGodot]

"I'm agreeable to that. I could use a bite to eat anyway. Let's break up until then. And be careful everyone..." Aasgar says.

[lostsole31]

Cici departs for now.

Where do you want to go now?

[BuckGodot]

"Well, lets see... We know that he was most likely poisoned... Would there be someone in town that could provide that sort of... service?"Aasgar reasons...

[lostsole31]

"Well," Abenor smiles, "the one who would know just walked off."

"But," cuts in Imrijka, "in a place as honorable as Trunau? I doubt it, at least not openly. I think looking for the possible source of poison is a dead end since anyone could bring it in from outside."

[BuckGodot]

Aasgar looks at her and smiles... "I'll try not to be skeptical... But every place has its dark underbelly... And speaking of bellies, I was serious about eating... I feel like I'm missing something. Maybe if I distract my mind, it will occur to me." and he looks around hoping to find a plethora of food establishments before remembering where he is and turns towards the Ramblehouse.

[lostsole31]

Okay, what do you do back at the Ramblehouse?

[BuckGodot]

Aasgar enters the Ramblehouse and takes a seat after requesting the special of the day. When it's served he digs in and looks thoughtful...

"Have we accounted for Rodriks whereabouts between the Hopeknofe ceremony and his demise? I feel like I'm still missing part of it." he says to no one in particular.

[lostsole31]

"No," says Imrijka. "But would it matter? Cici laid out a good rationale for why the whole 'scene d'affaire' wouldn't have made any sense originating outside his room."

[BuckGodot]

"I agree. We know the location of the finale, but what were the scenes leading up to it? Maybe he met with someone beforehand that may lend some hint as to what happened and who caused his death. We know he was investigating something. Was that motive? To stop his investigation? The note kind of throws a wrench into that. Maybe the two aren't related and we're trying to force them to be? Perhaps we should try to find out what he was investigating. His journal would surely be helpful in that sense..." Aasgar relpies.

[lostsole31]

"And where is Rodrik's journal now?" asks Abenor.

[BuckGodot]

"Exactly!" nods Aasgar. "I feel like that is the best avenue for solving this... But we've searched his room... I don't know where else we could begin looking..."

[lostsole31]

"My friend, you misunderstand me," says Abenor, more coolly than Aasgar likely seems to be. "Where is Rodrik's journal now?"

[BuckGodot]

Aasgar looks back at Abenor."Well, we don't know... Absconded or destroyed?"

[lostsole31]

Abenor does a sort of shrugging and shake of the head. "The point is, there is a journal somewhere, but we don't know where it is. And wide-open searches won't avail us. So, for our purposes right now, there is no journal. It is not a clue, but noise until or if it shows.

"Okay, what else do we have that seems unpursued or open-ended?"

[BuckGodot]

Looking down, Aasgar thinks..."Well, the missing people. If located, they could offer clues. It was out of character for the half-orc to just disappear. The woman who worked at the smithy might be harder because she appears to have been new to the area. This person, Melira, the note was meant for as well. No one seems to recognise the name."

[lostsole31]

"It was out of character for which half-orc to disappear?" asks Imrijka.

[BuckGodot]

Aasgar looks at her and responds "Katreza... Tyari also said she didn't believe he could have gone far due to his condition. We need to find him. Perhaps we should head back to the sanctuary and see if we can get an idea about where he disappeared..."

[lostsole31]

"How would we do that?" asks Imrijka. "I think they were sincere when they said they didn't know. And I am pretty sure we won't be allowed to go snooping around inside the Sanctuary because we think we are entitled to."

[BuckGodot]

"I never suggested we do that. However, I sensed that she was reasonable, and if we explained that we were trying to resolve this and in the process ensure Katrezas well being we might be allowed to at least ask questions that could potentially help. Are you or Cici any good at tracking? It seems with a crippling condition, he may have left distinctive footprints." suggests Aasgar.

[lostsole31]

Imrijka and Abenor (who you know to be a good tracker) both drop their jaws, and luckily it is not your bestie that asks the question of common sense.

"Track .... him," Imrijka asks slowly. "A couple days after he left the Sanctuary .... in a well-trod town. That kind of tracking?"

Abenor drops his head so Aasgar can't see that he is totally on the half-orc's side with this, but Aasgar still knows Abenor enough to sense that his friend is trying not to provoke him.

[BuckGodot]

"Okay look... I already said I'd rather be smashing things with my axe than doing this... I'm out of my league, okay? Is that what you want to hear? No one here has offered any alternative suggestions... So... What have you got?" says Aasgar jumping up and pounding the table with his fist.

[lostsole31]

"What are out hot leads right now. Not just things which give us information, but nothing useful to work on at this time?" asks Abenor.

[BuckGodot]

"Well, we haven't spoken to Omast Frum. And it might be worth speaking to Rodriks father. I think we should pay Frum a visit." says Aasgar as he remembers the overlooked suggestion.

[lostsole31]

As it turns out, Abenor and Imrijka look at each other, surprised. They both totally forgot about the name Omast Frum.

The trio head out, asking around for Omast Frum. It is not out of clannishness - for Aasgar does a great job engaging with the locals - but just with a guy that is not at his home it takes four hours to find him! Enough time is going by, that Imrijka peels off politely to go meet with Cici so the latter doesn't feel stood up and knows what is happening.

Finally, Aasgar and Abenor track down Patrol Sergeant Omast Frum. You find him at the South Tower of Trunau’s inner wall (area E), dangling from the tower’s battlements by a rope tied to his belt. His futile attempts to wash away the graffiti that recently appeared there are creating quite the spectacle.

[BuckGodot]

Aasgar approaches and yells up to the man, "Excuse me! Patrol Sergeant? I see you're at the end of your rope at the moment... Is there a convenient time we could have a word with you?"

Aasgar will also try to see if the graffiti on the wall is similar to the markings left in the rooms at the Ramblehouse.

[lostsole31]

Omast looks down at Aasgar with tear-streaked, puffy eyes and a red nose and slurs horrifically to the point of being hard to understand. "Enna ma rope? I gotsh ... I gotsh more right here," he says while shaking the ropes that are connected to a pulley for lifting him up and down.

[BuckGodot]

Aasgar notes the similarities of the graffiti and the white sword, which pings a memory of something said at the sanctuary, then looks at the others... "Great... Well... Let's help him down and see if we can sober him up..."

He then looks for a way to get the man down.