The Mystery of Redwater Bend IC

[Kellus]

The service was short, but meaningful. Damien Hospitaler, the most learned man in the village, led the ceremony. Visitors had been pouring in for a week previously, the likes of which the villagers had never seen before. Hooded magicians, holy warriors shimmering in a halo of golden light, an angel from Celestia, even something that looked like a cross between an elasmosaurus and an aranea.

After the funeral was over, they started streaming out almost immediately. Some teleported, some conjured up enormous silver carriages, some rode out of the only road on their enormous tyrannosaur mounts, muttering to themselves about what a shame it was for such a great man to be laid to rest in a place like this.

[hr]
You’re standing in the middle of the village, near the windmill. The day is warm and breezy, and nearby the Redwater River is rushing crimson against the blue sky.

David Settler, the governor of Redwater Bend, is a heavyset man with greying hair. After the service he found the four of you and asked you to step aside for a moment. You find yourselves ushered off to the side of a field, under the roof of a nearby thatched roof.

“My... friends. All of–” He stops suddenly, glancing to the side. “Excuse me for a moment. There’s something I need to sort out, but I’ll be right back. Please, just stay here a moment. I’ll be back shortly.” He rushes off, frowning.

[DragoonWraith]

Paul

Paul eyes each in turn, just a brief glance, and then stares, maybe glares, at Ash for a moment or two before nodding briefly.

Paul positions himself, habitually, so that the others should be just out of range of the whispers.

[Annalia]

Ian Woon

Among the four David Settler had gathered was a tall and slim man wearing used brown pants and a white shirt, on top of which he'd be a light black vest. His hair was short and black, his eyes a dull brown. Truth was, he didn't look like anything particularly interesting and, although he did carry a rapier at his side, it was clear he was no fighter - a man who lived by his blade would not let the scabbard rust the way Ian Woon had.

Ian watched Mister Settler rush off with a frown. He sighed, glanced at his current companions and the smile returned. "Good day, gentlemen. I trust you were here to pay homage to Mister Tallius too?"

[thewamp]

Illyria

There might have been someone standing off to the side during the ceremony, but amid all this otherworldly visitation, she didn't attract much attention. She stood silently, listening to the speaker.

Now she stands more at ease, nodding at Ian's words, but saying only "yes." Do I look like a gentleman? she muses, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear and letting her gaze wander over the other three.

[DragoonWraith]

Paul

Glancing at Ilyria, and back at Ian, Paul says, "I am here to hunt."

[Annalia]

Ian Woon

"Hunt?" he repeated doubtfully before glancing at the surrounding town. "Would you be interested in the tales of dinosaurs we hear from the surrounding wilderness, then? I don't normally leave the civilised area much..."

[DragoonWraith]

Paul Lukische

Paul stares at Ian, eyebrow raised.

"No."

Turning to Ash,

"Ash. So Ulyaoth of Ehn'gha is not our only mutual acquaintance?"

[Annalia]

Ian Woon

"Right..." Ian let out with a slight frown. He turned to Illyria, visibly concluding he wouldn't get much out of Paul. "I am Ian Woon. It is a pleasure to meet you, although the day is doubtlessly a tragic one."

[Kellus]

David Settler bustles up again, and draws you closer into the shadow of the nearby house."Ah. My apologies for that, these things... well. My... my friends. It's so good of you all to come here, especially on such short notice. I know Redwater Bend isn't... the most glamorous of villages, but it has a certain... ah, charm."

He lowers his voice. "Now. To business. You may have heard, ah, rumours of things going on in Redwater Bend. I'll level with you– I'm at my wit's end. Five murders inside of a month! I have no idea what to do about it! All of you, I know you were fond of the late professor. Please, for the affection you bore him, I beg you to help me catch this killer before this goes any further!"

He frowns slightly as he gets closer to Paul. "I say, do you hear something?"

[thewamp]

Illyria

Turning to meet Ian's gaze, the slightest of smiles played across Illyria's lips before it disappeared. "It's a sad day, to be sure, but I am pleased to meet you." Turning her gaze, she continued, "I'm curious though, Paul, what you think you're hunting."

---

Nodding at David's words, Illyria responds. "I admit, I didn't know him as well as some, but I'll do my best to find your killer." She looks at the other three, waiting.

[DragoonWraith]

Paul Lukische

(before Settler arrives? In response to Ilyria)

"I hunt evil. I hunt fiends and worse. I hunt the darkness itself. That is my prey in this village."

(after Settler's bit)

"Yes, I do. I hear It, and feel It, and I bind It. Ignore Its taunts; that is all It has.

The murderer will be caught, or I will die trying. Of this, you can be certain."

Turning back to Ilyria,

"Now you know what I hunt."

[Revy]

(OOC - sorry! I'm always late)

Ash

"Ash. So Ulyaoth of Ehn'gha is not our only mutual acquaintance?"

Ash smirked at the demon kid. "Guess not," he said, "Didn't expect to see you here. Thinking about it though, I can't say I'm surprised you knew him. You're right up his street. And mine."

The governor returned and explained the situation, causing his expression to darken. "So, it is true, there's some kind of killer on the loose."

Ash listened to the others declare their intents, and tilted his head to one side. "Guess I'll stick around as well. The Professor and I go way back, I owe it to him to find those responsible. Don't suppose you could get us up to speed on recent events? You said others had been killed as well?"

[Annalia]

Ian Woon

"I intended to remain in Redwater Bend after the ceremony," Ian said in a calm voice. "One mystery to solve is as good as another and it would be an honour to help out."

[Kellus]

Settler nods gravely, fumbling with the neck of his funeral garb as he starts to sweat. "That's right. First it was Ben Forester, his neck was, ah, cut while in the bathhouse. And then Edward Bridgeburner– I think we were all glad to be rid of him, but not like that!" He shudders slightly, apparently at an image too gruesome to relate. "Then there was David Miller, in the privy... And it's thrown the Millers into such a state, let me tell you! Alex owns the mill now, and he's hardly a man! I don't know what to do about this, don't know at all... And lastly, just two weeks ago, Lyla Mapper was found dead in her bedroom! And... And now... The professor is dead too, and he only just arrived here!"

He looks helplessly at each of you, as if imploring you to lift his burden. "This is... really unheard of in Redwater Bend, not the normal way of things at all, oh no. I don't want you to get the wrong impression. We're good gods-fearing people here in Redwater, and I want this... situation... resolved as quickly as possible."

He glances about conspiratorially, and pulls a small bundle out of a pocket on his threadbare coat. "Now. Only a few others knows this, because I don't want to scare off the killer by letting rumours fly. But there was one lead that you might be able to use. At each of the killings, there was one of these sachets tied around the... the victim's neck." He fishes a folded red handkerchief out and hands it to Illyria. It rattles slightly as he handles it, and the governor winces at the sound. "That's teeth in there, I think from some kind of dinosaur. We eat them here in Redwater; incredible beasts, but the meat's all kinds of tough. There was one of those sachets around the professor's neck too, so I'm sure there's something behind it. Michael Tamer might be able to tell you a bit more about it, he's in charge of keeping the tame dinosaurs over on the west side of the river."

He wipes a bead of sweat off his forehead and glances at you from under thick eyebrows. "I can't tell you how grateful I am for this. I just want this all to go away and to get back to our normal way of life here... but as long as that murderer's on the loose, how is anybody supposed to pretend that everything's normal? I've already spoken to the heads of the first families, and they've consented to speak with you privately. You're also free to talk to the villagers, but I'd rather you didn't interrogate them too much unless absolutely neccessary. After all, I want this all to proceed as smoothly as possible."

He frowns a moment, and pulls another item out of his coat, a folded-up piece of parchment.

Spoiler

Show

"It's not a very good map, but it'll do to get your bearings. As you can see, Redwater Bend sits in the middle of a fork in the river as it comes out of the Foothills to the north. The Tamers have the land to the west for their beasts, and the Planters and Tooths are on the east– they do the farming. Nothing to the south but road and wood, and the Foresters stay down there for the most part– keep us safe and all. That's Val Thæora up in the mountains, but I doubt you'll want to go up there. It's just the Keepers and the Readers that stay in that musty fort. And Sir Tenhold and his boys, but I'm sure they don't know anything. Ah... There's more to the village, obviously, but I really don't have time right now... arrangements to be made. If you need to know more about where you can find things in the village, talk to Patrick, Patrick Mapper. He can give you directions better than me."

He starts to tick off names on his fingers. " Let's see... you'll want to talk to the Settlers, of course– that's me; I'm head of the Settlers, and I'd be happy to help in any way I can, but today is simply too busy. The Bridgers, naturally, Leo Bridger can help you... Michael Tamer and Patrick Mapper, I mentioned them... You can talk to Alex Miller, for what it's worth, but the poor boy is in over his head already, I'm sure he doesn't know anything. Gods, I miss David! Lucas Trout is head of the Trouts, naturally... they do the fishing. Henry Planter, I don't even think he came to the funeral. Overworked man, he'll be in the fields even today, no doubt. Frank Spicer's in town right now as well, although he's usually off on some trading deal. And Jack Forester, to be sure. He's just over there by the riverbank. Those are the heads of the first families, although there are of course the newer ones as well. Go ahead and ask around, I'm sure you'll be able to get directions to whatever or whoever you want to find."

He buttons up his coat and nods briskly as he turns around to walk off. The he stops and spins around again. "Oh yes, I, ah, spoke to Eric Spicer about long-term arrangements if you'll be staying with us. He manages the only goodhouse here, we don't normally get many visitors. I'm sure you'll find him easily enough, just ask for Drunk Eric. I didn't know how many of you to account for, but if all four of you will be able to stay... well. I'm grateful, don't get me wrong. That's excellent. Splendid. Well, then. I'll, ah, be off now. Please, let me know what you find. But not today. I'd be, ah, glad to receive you... perhaps tomorrow morning? For breakfast? Yes, that would be, ah, excellent. The Settler family home is the northmost building in the village proper, and certainly the most splendid. You should have no trouble finding it. Do let me know what you find out." The man is almost in tears by the end of it, but he hurries off to attend to some detail or another.

It's about half past four in the afternoon. You're surrounded by a crowd of people, although they're making their way back to their home after the funeral.

[Revy]

Ash

Ash listened to Settler, his mind filing all the details away for later reference. From the sound of things there was a lot of ground to cover, and he had a nagging suspicion that the longer it took for them to solve this mystery, the more victims would turn up dead.

"Hey lady," he said abruptly, turning to face Illyria, "Mind if I have that?" he nodded at the strange bundle Settler had given her. "I figure I'll take it to this Tamer guy and see if he knows anything about it. 'Course if anyone wants to tag along, that's fine by me. If not, that's fine too," he extended an open hand towards her.

[Annalia]

Ian Woon

Ian carefully listened to Settler and reached up for the map. True, it was not a great one, but it would help them nonetheless.

Perhaps you should not leave so quickly," he told Ash as the man asked for the dinosaurs' teeth. "We should coordinates our efforts properly and at least set a time and place to meet back at later."

[Revy]

Ash

He glanced at the half-elf and shrugged, lowering his arm. "Yeah, maybe. Hey," he turned to Settler and jabbed a finger at him, "Just a couple of things - you forgot to say where that Bridgeburner guy died. And Tallius. Where did he buy it?"

[Kellus]

Unfortunately, Settler hurried off to speak with another man as soon as he was done speaking; he hardly let you get a word in edgewise. Would you like to follow him in order to question him, or remain here with the others?

[Revy]

Ash

"Oh shoot, he's gone," he gave another of his casual shrugs. "Ehh, I can always ask someone else. Small town, others are bound to know."

[DragoonWraith]

Paul Lukische

Paul would. As soon as he tries to leave, he immediately turns and stops him.

"Wait. You never mentioned where or how Bridgeburner died, nor did you let us know where the Professor was when he was found. Both of these things are crucial details.

Also, the map indicates no way to cross the river to the Tamer houses. How does one get there?"

Paul glares into Settler's eyes, and stands quite close so both Settler and his companion can hear It quite clearly.

[thewamp]

Illyria

(Earlier, to Paul)

Illyria smiled as he spoke. He took himself very seriously, plainly. She nodded and left it at that. But really, I wonder how difficult it is for him, to hunt the darkness.

(Listening to David Settler)

As they get down to business, Illyria again becomes more still, moving only to accept the bundle from David. Even when Ash speaks, she doesn't move at first. Eventually, she looks up. "Just one second." Quickly scanning the contents, she nods, finally passing him the strange package.

"Fine, you do that. I'd like to talk to the Miller... Alex. Alex Miller." Looking up, she continues. "Does anyone mind splitting up?"

[Kellus]

Settler looks slightly alarmed at being grabbed by Paul. "Ah. Yes, well. I, ah, what is that noise? Right, sorry. I must be hearing things. Bridgeburner, was... It's very... disturbing, actually. He was, ah, dismembered. I'm sorry, I really don't have the stomach for this. Please, if you have to ask somebody about it, Damien Hospitaler identified the body. That's him over near the casket, and I'm sure he'd be, ah, happy to answer any questions you have about it. It was... there was a lot of... ah, blood. Everywhere."

He coughs slightly. "Yes, well, the professor, he was found in the archives at Val Thæora. Dead of poisoning, although who knows what kind it might have been or how long it might have taken to act? He'd just arrived there, so he could easily have been poisoned before he left town. I really don't know any more than that."

He frowns at the last question. "Is there no... No, I see that Patrick did a very bad job with this map indeed. No, there's no bridge to the Tamer lands, but the Polers live by the river as well. They run the rafts and take the Trouts out to fish. Those are their two houses, on either side of the west fork. Talk to Jack, Jack Poler, I'm sure he'd be happy to ferry you across to the paddocks."

He glances at Paul nervously, as if frightened the man will rip his head off. "I, ah, I really do need to get going. Lucas needs to talk to me about the meal we're hosting for the guests that are staying a little longer. And for you as well, to be sure. The dinner. At eight o'clock tonight, the same place we had the ceremony. So, ah, if there's nothing else? As I said, feel free to stop by my house tomorrow morning, but today is very busy for me indeed. Not the normal way of things at all, oh no." With that he hurries away.

[DragoonWraith]

Paul Lukische

Returning to the group, "I do not trust him. He is hiding something.

Splitting up is acceptable; we need information now, we will likely get it faster that way.

I may... interfere with the investigation here. My presence may foster animosity that will hinder us. I'll go with Ash to the Tamers', then." Paul makes it clear that others' reactions to his curse are of little concern to him beyond the practicality of getting information from them.

"There is a ferry to cross the river, here." Pointing to the spot on the map.

"Also, Bridgeburner was dismembered, and though Tallius died in Val Thæora from the poisoning, it is unknown if he actually was poisoned there or earlier. If any of us knows anything about poisons, this would be a very good fact to determine."

[Annalia]

Ian Woon

"Well, it seems we have just been given a meet-up location," Ian Woon commented. At the dinner, 8 o' clock. I intended to talk to the diceased's families. If it is no bother to you, Illyria, I would tag along."

[thewamp]

Illyria

Illyria nods in agreement. "I think you may be right about him. We might want to check up on him before the dinner, if there's time." When Paul mentions the interference, she nods. "The sounds, yeah. That's fine then, but you might want to see if anything funny has been happening with the dinosaurs, while you're over at the Tamer's. And then we can meet up again at the dinner."

Nodding, when Ian asks to tag along, Illyria heads towards the cluster of buildings.

[Revy]

Ash

He took the bundle of teeth handed to him by Illyria and stowed it away in one of his pockets, nodding to her. From the conversation that followed, it looked like the group was splitting into pairs, with the lady and the half-elf going off together to talk to Alex Miller, while Paul was joining him to enquire about the dinosaur teeth.

"C'mon kid," Ash gestured before striding off. He stopped suddenly and changed direction, heading towards the casket, where Damien Hospitaler stood. He waved his hand at the man as he approached and called out to him.

"Damien, right? Wonder if I can ask you a quick question. About Edward Bridgeburner ..."

[DragoonWraith]

Paul Lukische

"C'mon kid,"

Paul glowers at Ash and follows without a word.