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Re: Murder Betwixt the Towers [Eberron 3.5 Noir] IC
Khlorsec laughed nervously at the man's tirade. "Did he? My mistake, I'm sure. You can understand this whole business has me jumping at shadows. If you will direct me to the way out, I won't waste any more of your time. This conversation has been most enlightening."
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Re: Murder Betwixt the Towers [Eberron 3.5 Noir] IC
"Could you annotate which of the words corresponds to which house on the diagram?" Allanon was fairly certain that he didn't say apothecary, but he wasn't quite ready to press the issue.
Predicting the next murder was a bit more pressing.
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Re: Murder Betwixt the Towers [Eberron 3.5 Noir] IC
House wasn't the right word, Felix realizes. Dragonmark would be far more appropriate. At least, if "deathless" meant what he thought it did. Old stories told of a lost dragonmark, whose bearers could control the undead and destroy life at will. There was only room for thirteen items. With the inclusion of both Phiarlan and Thuranni, all of the current houses were accounted for. But he was almost sure "deathless" didn't refer to a house. If the words referred to the dragonmarks, then all of them, including the Dragonmark of Death, would be a part of this message.
Another thing. The scholar knew more about the message to begin with than he was telling them. As they seemed to be on their way out, Felix decides to keep his thoughts between himself and his companions.
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Re: Murder Betwixt the Towers [Eberron 3.5 Noir] IC
Quote:
Originally Posted by
dextercorvia
Khlorsec laughed nervously at the man's tirade. "Did he? My mistake, I'm sure. You can understand this whole business has me jumping at shadows. If you will direct me to the way out, I won't waste any more of your time. This conversation has been most enlightening."
The scholarly elf sighs slightly, and his severe countenance lessens some. "Yes, yes, I suppose such things are enough to make anyone twitchy. Do feel free to fix yourself a cup of tea before you get back on the beat. The mahogany door behind you is the preferential form of egress...and return, once you're ready to publish this," he says.
Quote:
Originally Posted by
Leonardo
"Could you annotate which of the words corresponds to which house on the diagram?" Allanon was fairly certain that he didn't say apothecary, but he wasn't quite ready to press the issue.
"Hmm?" he asks before answering himself. "Oh, yes, certainly." He dabs his quill back into the ink and jots a few quick notes. "Here you are," he says, "do try to be careful."
OOC: This information was posted previously in the OOC thread. Just open the spoiler, then the sub-spoiler titled "The Houses."
Quote:
Originally Posted by
Leonardo
Predicting the next murder was a bit more pressing.
Indeed it was. One thing was for certain; there was a killer on the loose within city limits. From the ritual nature of the crime scene, it looked like he had plans to kill again. If all of the investigators' research had told them anything, it was that this killer was either a religious zealot or scholar with information that some of the most powerful people in the world are chomping at the bit to obtain. Left unchecked, the Last War seemed like a minor skirmish in comparison to what could happen. The important question is where to go from here.
According to Kolare, investigating within House Thuranni could unveil more about the workings of the House and possible motive for killing Esmerelda. He had also mentioned a mutual connection within House Cannith that could prove fruitful as a foot in the door to another one of the houses. The brave at heart could also return to speak to the librarian; she may be marked of House Sivis, and even if she wasn't she held the keys to a wealth of knowledge within the University's library.
Even if our group of gumshoes decides not to pursue one of these leads, the Unsleeping City of Sharn is alive and at their fingertips. The metropolis is constantly abuzz with all types of business, and each of the Dragonmarked houses has at least one enclave in town. Fortune sometimes favors those who forge their own paths.
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Re: Murder Betwixt the Towers [Eberron 3.5 Noir] IC
Khlorsec politely declined the tea, and waited for the others near the door.
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Re: Murder Betwixt the Towers [Eberron 3.5 Noir] IC
Allanon thanks the scholar and leaves. Before exiting the library, he checks out some books on the Prophecy (theories about it, relation to dragonmarks, etc.), a book about the different forms of telepathy and their properties, and the works on the Day of Mourning in 8973C.
He also indicates they should return to Talon's or somewhere to conference.
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Re: Murder Betwixt the Towers [Eberron 3.5 Noir] IC
When they leave the university, Felix speaks to the others in a hushed tone. "Did you notice it too? The scholar was keeping something from us. About who wrote our message. I know we have our hands full, but Reglas might be worth looking into. At least, the company he keeps."
"Speaking of which, something has been bothering me about the, ah, translation. Thirteen spaces. Now, that's enough for each House, but also enough for each dragonmark. I'm not quite confident "Deathless" refers to Deneith when there is a more suitable candidate in an extinct line." He gives his companions a quick summary of the legend. "What do you think?"
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Re: Murder Betwixt the Towers [Eberron 3.5 Noir] IC
It wasn't a long trip to Khlorsec's flat -- a modest apartment in Ivy Towers. The investigator delayed answering until the trio arrived there. Once the door was closed, he blurted, "Dragon Below, did Allanon mention the apothecary first! Yes, I noticed he was keeping something back about the author. He avoided my question about traveling to Argonessan as well. Having calmed his rage somewhat, he continued, "I'm reasonably certain that Deneith is correct -- it looks like the Mark of Sentinel. However, I would bet platinum that the translation refers to what you speak of. I think that the words are just some sort of prophetic puns, where the content of the prophecy was carefully constructed using homeographs connecting the prophecy to the houses."
Spoiler
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Homeographs is totally a made up word, but the prefix means similar, and of course graph means writing or word.
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Re: Murder Betwixt the Towers [Eberron 3.5 Noir] IC
Quote:
It wasn't a long trip to Khlorsec's flat -- a modest apartment in Ivy Towers. The investigator delayed answering until the trio arrived there. Once the door was closed, he blurted, "Dragon Below, did Allanon mention the apothecary first! Yes, I noticed he was keeping something back about the author. He avoided my question about traveling to Argonessan as well. Having calmed his rage somewhat, he continued, "I'm reasonably certain that Deneith is correct -- it looks like the Mark of Sentinel. However, I would bet platinum that the translation refers to what you speak of. I think that the words are just some sort of prophetic puns, where the content of the prophecy was carefully constructed using homeographs connecting the prophecy to the houses."
"I did not mention it first, you were correct.
I can answer your question about traveling to Argonessan. No one from this continent has ever journeyed into Argonessan proper and returned. The elves under the Undying Court have fought multiple wars with the dragons in the past. They glimpsed the interior, no more. On the islands around Argonessan and the beaches are primitive tribes that worship the dragons. They don't let people get past them."
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When they leave the university, Felix speaks to the others in a hushed tone. "Did you notice it too? The scholar was keeping something from us. About who wrote our message. I know we have our hands full, but Reglas might be worth looking into. At least, the company he keeps."
"Speaking of which, something has been bothering me about the, ah, translation. Thirteen spaces. Now, that's enough for each House, but also enough for each dragonmark. I'm not quite confident "Deathless" refers to Deneith when there is a more suitable candidate in an extinct line." He gives his companions a quick summary of the legend. "What do you think?"
"I too have been thinking about the Lost Mark. I would not expect him to catch it if it was there, but I don't think he missed Deneith. I do have ways to be certain whether or not the Lost Mark is present, but I would prefer to wait until we have exhausted some other possibilities.
As to your point about the Marks or the Houses, I think the fact that Shadow is in two places means that it is about the houses . . . THE SPLIT!" Allanon exclaims suddenely, "That is the key! The split of the House of Shadow into two houses occured relatively recently. But what we found dated back much earlier. Clearly, this wasn't its main purpose, but it predicited the spliting of the House into two. If it did that, it could also have predicted the destruction of the Lost Mark and . . . maybe it was even a factor in its destruction, since it was partially caused by dragons. If that is so, we are dealing with a pattern of killings that goes back over three thousand years!"
Pause. "I have a theory, to confirm it we need more information on the victims of the past killings. Do either of you have enough connections with the Watch to get us that information?
I think to proceed, we need more information about what this ... Design is causing on the smaller scale that brought it to our attention.
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Re: Murder Betwixt the Towers [Eberron 3.5 Noir] IC
I have no decent connection to the Guard, but I do have a contact there that occasionally passes me information. I do have some knowledge of one of the previous crimes. I was hired originally by Adalia Nailo's family. She is the one that was found in Morgrave Library. The cases are remarkably dissimilar, except for the gender of the victims, and the method in which they were killed. She had no obvious connection to the prophecy, and nothing like this was found near the body. My working assumption so far, is that the strangler is a contract killer, with a signature method.
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Re: Murder Betwixt the Towers [Eberron 3.5 Noir] IC
"You must..." Felix leaves the phrase unsaid. The man was obviously not joking. Speaking the truth, on the other hand, was a different matter entirely. Yet, there had been more than one murder. "That is...quite a claim." One that would take some effort on their part to prove, no doubt. And they would have to, if they wanted any chance at learning the reason behind these murders. "You might want to ask your contact about any similar murders, then." He narrows his eyes in thought. "I think I can make some inquiries at the Inquisitive. Perhaps get a look at their archives. If a rash of killings like this has happened in the past, the newspaper might have reported on them."
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Re: Murder Betwixt the Towers [Eberron 3.5 Noir] IC
As you discuss the case in the safety of Khlorsec's flat, night begins to fall on Sharn. Though his apartment falls outside the seedier parts of the city, Sharn at night is a horse of an entirely different color than it is by day. Even though darkness falls on the city, the magical street lamps keep the town lit so well that some don't even notice the change.
If any of you want to meet up with your contacts, it will most likely have to wait for tomorrow, as they are either starting to hit the town or retire for the night. However, there are also a few leads you could still investigate. There's always someone manning the front desk at House Thuranni's enclave in Upper Menthis. If you wanted to speak with the younger Merrix d'Cannith about his connection to Esmerelda, he shouldn't be too hard to track down; the young party boy plays as hard as he works, and is sure to make a scene wherever he goes.
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Re: Murder Betwixt the Towers [Eberron 3.5 Noir] IC
"But if a contract killer, why does he only kill women? This aspect would seem to denote a more ritualistic approach, which would fit with our Design. The Design was drawn in chalk, so if there was someone interested in keeping it from being discovered, they could easily have done do; but of course, we have no leads on such a person existing. What I really want to know is if the other victims had any connection to the Houses or Dragonmarks. Do either of you know how we could find that out?"
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Re: Murder Betwixt the Towers [Eberron 3.5 Noir] IC
If I had all the details worked out, I wouldn't be calling it a working theory. We can try catching my informant on his way to work tomorrow. Other than that, the houses themselves should know whether any of their members were involve. I would expect Thuranni to have the most accurate information, but they may be less than forthcoming. Perhaps we should track down Merrix instead.
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Re: Murder Betwixt the Towers [Eberron 3.5 Noir] IC
"Perhaps the pattern in the victims is intended to deceive anyone investigating these murders. As unlikely the odds of anyone figuring out the real reason behind these killings are, the culprits could be cautious. If they chose to murder only women, people might believe there was another sort of serial killer at work." Felix explains.
"I'm only speculating, of course. I think we should contact Merrix. House Cannith would have the resources we need to look into this further."
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Re: Murder Betwixt the Towers [Eberron 3.5 Noir] IC
"Hmm." A deep frown appears on the elf's face. "I am not sure about that. I think we can expect to find out little from Merrix that is accurate, but we would give away our presence investigating the murders, and that could very well cause us problems. However, I cannot suggest much of an alternative."
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The Gilded Lily--Silvergate, Upper Tavick's Landing (Late at Night)
As the party warily agrees on tracking down the young d'Cannith, Khlorsec sets to work keeping an ear to the ground for any news of his whereabouts. Luckily, Merrix the younger is enough of a celebrity (and makes a big enough splash) that one doesn't have to search very hard to see the ripples he leaves in his wake. After hopping up and down levels of the city from one pub to another, the group is finally able to track him down, though it's taken [roll0] hours and is now the dead of night. Luckily or unluckily as the case may be, that is the time when Merrix (and Sharn as a whole) is at his most lively.
The group finds him in The Gilded Lily, one of Silvergate's finest high-end bars. The whole shopping district of Upper Tavick's Landing drips opulence, but in a manner far too hip for the artsy University District or the other more staid and conservative districts of the upper levels. Tavick's is where the city's young movers and shakers do most of their moving and their most lascivious shaking. Merrix and his entourage are in the center of the bar, ordering high-shelf drinks one after the other. As the group tries to approach him, they are blocked by a gigantic metal arm coming down from each side. Given their size, they may as well have been tiny walls. Tracing the arms back to their sources, you find two hulking warforged flanking the area where Master d'Cannith is currently pouring alcohol straight from a bottle into the open mouth of a young kalashtar woman who is prone on the bar.
"Private party," they grumble in a synchronized monotone.
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Re: Murder Betwixt the Towers [Eberron 3.5 Noir] IC
Khlorsec
"Yes, of course. Didn't see you there." Khlorsec motioned his companions to a small table which had just opened up. He stepped quickly to grab the place, hoping the others were behind him. Once seated, he cast a quick cantrip, pointing as unobtrusively as possible at his fellow detectives and Merrix.
Spoiler
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Casting Message
As Berthalt whispered, he obscured the lower half of his face with the wine list. "She's pretty, but I suppose you are no stranger to pretty girls. A mutual acquaintance from Middle Menthis asked us find out who one of your pretty friends spent the night with last night. If you can't talk now, set the bottle down, and kiss the pretty girl on the hand. She won't mind."
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Re: Murder Betwixt the Towers [Eberron 3.5 Noir] IC
The younger d'Cannith smiles at the kalashtar woman, sets the bottle down next to her, and gestures for her to give him a moment. He saunters over toward the group, his twin warforged in tow. "I'll beg your pardon, strangers," he says with a coy smile, "but there's a large difference between a playboy and a pimp. If a woman doesn't spend the night with me, I don't know where she goes. Now, speaking of women spending the night with me..." he says with a lusty look towards the kalashtar, "...I'll have to beg your pardon unless this is a matter of life and death. I mean, have any of you ever been with a telepath? A woman who can actually read your mind? Bananas!" And with that, the young man turns to leave, directing his warforged to make an about face with two whirling motions of his index fingers.
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Re: Murder Betwixt the Towers [Eberron 3.5 Noir] IC
Khlorsec sighed. Getting information out of higher profile individuals was such a boor. Lying came naturally to everyone, but those in power had honed it to a science. "I wouldn't be caught dead in a place like this if it weren't life and death. Well, technically just death. As I'm sure you are aware, the friend I was talking about was found this morning. The apothecary had some interesting ideas about who might be responsible, and who might have tipped off the interested parties to her whereabouts. I'm sure you would much rather talk about this somewhere else.
If you'd rather stay and play with the girl with a banana, then I'm certain I can find someone else willing to talk with me."
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Re: Murder Betwixt the Towers [Eberron 3.5 Noir] IC
The d'Cannith baron's face is blank as Khlorsec begins to whisper, but at the mention of an apothecary a faint glimmer of recognition creeps over his face. "Kolare?" he asks aloud. As Khlorsec continues, Merrix pieces together what he's saying, and his look moves quickly from recognition to confusion and, finally, concern. Merrix flicks a finger, and one of his hulking mechanical bodyguards draws near. The young man presses a button on the warforged's breastplate, and the sounds of the club are quickly shut out with a soft hiss. The Gilded Lily still continues to hustle and bustle around the group, but it is silenced. "Don't worry," Merrix says to assuage your fears before you can express any, "sound is cancelled outside a 5-foot radius, and vision's obscured just enough to make reading our lips impossible. Now, if you're talking about apothecaries and pretty friends of mine--" at this his look of concern changes to one of fear and loss "tell me, has something happened to Esme?" He looks first to Khlorsec, but he scans the group. His eyes plead with each of you to tell him he's crazy, to give him good news that none of you have.
Sense Motive DC 25 to open:
Spoiler
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He's not hiding anything--this dude seems genuinely concerned for his friend.
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Re: Murder Betwixt the Towers [Eberron 3.5 Noir] IC
Felix clearly didn't know what they would be getting into when he suggested a meeting with the Cannith leader. At least, he didn't foresee finding himself in the middle of a bacchanalia in progress, judging by Merrix's companions. Inwardly, Felix shrugged. He had been out of his depth since the apothecary.
Any feelings of awkwardness faded when the baron brought up Esmeralda. As a courier, he had been required to deliver bad news before. It was never easy. "I'm sorry to be the one to tell you this. She was found murdered in Kolare's apothecary."
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Re: Murder Betwixt the Towers [Eberron 3.5 Noir] IC
Khlorsec was floored. It hadn't even occurred to him that Merrix might be in the dark. He had started to take the man's cavalier attitude as a sign of uncaring, but now we wasn't so sure. "You hadn't heard? But, I assumed it would have been all over the papers by now. I was sure that a man of your connections would have been apprised. I'm sorry to have been so indelicate."
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Re: Murder Betwixt the Towers [Eberron 3.5 Noir] IC
The young playboy's facade cracks, and he has to grab onto a nearby table to support himself as his knees start to buckle. You can hear faint sobbing sounds, but by the time he raises his head, Merrix has regained his composure. "Anything I can do to help," he says with a nod, "just nail the bastard that did this. How can I help?"
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Re: Murder Betwixt the Towers [Eberron 3.5 Noir] IC
"What was your relationship to the deceased?"
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Re: Murder Betwixt the Towers [Eberron 3.5 Noir] IC
"I am concerned that the way things were set up, it implicates two of the major houses. Can you think of anyone with the wherewithal to pull this off, who has something against both your house, and Thuranni?"
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Re: Murder Betwixt the Towers [Eberron 3.5 Noir] IC
Merrix chuckles slightly at Khlorsec's question, a sight made all the more awkward by the fact that he is still sobbing. "Are you serious? About half the other houses!" He raises a hand to his chin and thinks for a moment. "I suppose House Phiarlan is the first suspect whenever their rival Mark of Shadow is involved. Makes sense, too...they were both vying for us to sign a contract with each of them to build something or other last month. Probably would have helped if I paid attention in those board meetings.
As for your question," he says to Allanon, "Esme and I were kindred spirits--both limelight babies from infancy, but I suppose that's what happens when you're born into the Houses. I just can't believe all the attention on her would culminate in..." He stops speaking as a thought strikes him and looks around with eyes wider than a doe's. With a snap of his fingers, his twin warforged draw in closer and raise hands to their weapons. "You don't think the same madman is after me, do you?"
Sense Motive DC 20 to open:
Spoiler
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Again, Merrix is not hiding anything. Instead, he is genuinely concerned that he is the next target.
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Re: Murder Betwixt the Towers [Eberron 3.5 Noir] IC
"I am not sure, but I doubt it based on my current theories. Korelar said that you acted as a go between for he and Esmeralda. Is that the case?
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Re: Murder Betwixt the Towers [Eberron 3.5 Noir] IC
Merrix nods and, suddenly, a thought overtakes him. "Yes, yes, I may actually have one of their little love notes, if you will. Join me back at my parent's chateau, will you?" With a snap of his fingers, Merrix's twin warforged lock in step behind him as he heads for the door. Outside, he hails a cab and the half-elf driver hovers next to the nearby walkway. The air elemental bound to the craft roars as a small vortex keeps the craft aloft.
Flanked by his bodyguards, Merrix climbs into the middle row of the craft and nods for the rest of you to join him in the back row. The cabbie doesn't even need to ask for an address; he pulls a lever and the vehicle begins a vertical ascent. "Any of you ever been to Skyway?" he asks you, his mood seemingly lightened.
As the carriage approaches The City Above the City, it is readily apparent that this private neighborhood is populated by only the wealthiest members of the upper class. Though it is the middle of the night through all of Breland, a warm and gentle light shines on Skyway. The cab comes to a soft landing on a perfectly paved street, and Merrix hands a stack of cash to the driver. In exchange, the driver smiles brightly and thanks the young man profusely. The carriage departs, descending over the horizon to dive back into the Unsleeping City, and Merrix leads you to his childhood home. Marble walls rise up for five stories, with beautiful stained glass windows depicting various scenes glorifying House Cannith. Behind the image of the first Forge that created the warforged, a bright light flickers as if burning in a fireplace.
As you approach the house, Merrix pauses for an uneasy moment. "The door..." he mutters. As you look, you see that the front door of the home is not only unlocked, but also slightly ajar. "Father always locks up," Merrix says.
Spot and Listen checks, please.
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Re: Murder Betwixt the Towers [Eberron 3.5 Noir] IC
Felix can't help but forget the task at hand for a moment. It was all simply amazing. The view, the district of Sharn he had only seen pictures of. He didn't know what to say. Except perhaps ask Merrix what it was like. Though, really, Felix had some faint idea of how the Dragonmarked elite lived, from back in his early childhood, before his family's effective exile. It had been long ago. Long enough for this sight to inspire the expected amazement, rather than nostalgia.
Then Felix spots the open door (in a mansion, no less) and the only thing he feels is suspicion. "Better let us go first." If someone hostile was inside, the heir was sure to be a target.
OOC
Spoiler
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Listen: [roll0]
Spot: [roll1]