Madness, Blood and Thunder in Ravens Bluff Thread 2

[Jeff the Green]

Mirielle's Apartment

Mirielle reads Aldar's letter and slumps down at her kitchen table. Tears well up in her eyes, and begin falling down her cheeks like beads, then course down in rivulets as she bawls openly. Dammit, Aldar. Why did I have to involve you? If I'd have stayed away he'd never have thought to target you. And maybe if I'd have been to see you again I'd have had a chance to protect you, or at least you could have told me this in person. Dammit, dammit, dammit. Damn you, Cybrarvain.

Kelemvor, I beg of you, help me find this son of a bitch and let me deliver his soul to you, and may you spit in the face of his god and thrust his soul into the Wall and may he be taken and tortured by all the demons in all they layers of the Abyss!

Mirielle convulses with rage and grief and helplessness for several minutes until her silver face is tear-stained and pale. She takes a minute to collect herself, and then, with clenched jaw, sets herself to the task of finding the damned elf that killed her family, her colleagues, her friends. What did you know, Alaister?

[Frog Dragon]

The Coliseum
"He had spent some of it," Jorran says. He takes the sending stone, casually inspecting it before dropping it into a belt pouch. "I'm no stranger to that status. I know how to cover myself," he says. Waiting for a second to see if Barristan has anything more to say, Jorran turns away, starting his walk back to Gowntown.

[rypt]

Ravendark Castle

With Liara's description of Sigil seeming to beg more questions than it provides answers, Cael struggles to keep his mind focused on their more immediate concerns. "Yes, but before you can rescue me, I have to rescue you, and I'm becoming less and less certain that I will be able to do that by myself. I've found some work, and I should be paid for it soon, but it's going to take a couple of days at the very least. In the meantime, is there anything more you can tell me about this cataclysm? Something I could use to convince a skeptical mind that the threat is real?" The simple truth is that he could use some more convincing himself, though he hopes to avoid mentioning his discussion with Nalia Terlon for fear of that Liara might misinterpret his reasons for visiting the planar expert in the first place.

[TheFallenOne]

The Coliseum

Barristan says nothing more and walks off in another direction.

Ravendark Castle

"I... tried." Her eyes become filled with sadness. "This has happened before, to another world. I've seen some memories from it in the Sensorium. Standing atop a massive wall of ice stretching from horizon to horizon, as you look into the distance beyond the edges of the known world. It's so aweinspiring it could make a Clueless go barmies. A city at the edge of the sea, spread over hundreds of interconnected islands. Dragons soaring in the sky, burning a castle built for giants. It was a beautiful place, and now it is all gone."
She pauses for a while, the coin dropping when her concentration falters. "There is a memory, the final moments of the dying world, recorded by someone who fled in the last seconds. But it is restricted, the price is too high. I'm sorry Cael, I couldn't pay the music."

Mirielle's Apartment

Alaister's journal reveals that he met Cybrarvain in Ylraphon, where the assassin made use of Alaister's talent at collecting information. The first job Alaister already revealed at their meeting in the Raven's Glory. From his notes he is clearly confused why the assassin was first interested in the seemingly unimportant maidservant and only wanted information on her noble lover as well after Alaister told him about the relationship.
The second assignment was a carpenter who lost both his sons at a young age; he was obsessed with his workshop where he spent every day making more of the toys his kids had loved so much. It burned down with him inside.
For his third assignment, Alaister arrived early at their meeting place. When he knocked, he heard a panicked, deep voice say something, but inside he only found Cybrarvain who from that moment on seemed very suspicious of him and soon after tried to have him removed.

On another page he tried to decipher the name Cybrarvain, trying different spellings and splitting it into syllables to find the meaning of it in different languages, with little success. 'Cy' could mean Onyx in Elven , 'Waere' cave in Draconic, but he concludes the name originates in neither language, if there is a history or meaning behind it at all.

The last parts concern what he learned since he met the rest of the group. He was clearly surprised how they took it for granted he always uses fire when from his own experiences he just assumed the one time was a matter of convenience. A quite fresh update after Aldar's death reveals he does now believe fire has a special relevance for one reason or the other, but he has no explanation for why the other murder lacked it.

[rypt]

Ravendark Castle

Cael slides down off the edge of the bed to join his sister on the floor. "It's alright," he says, softly, wrapping an arm around her shoulder and pulling her close. "You don't have to apologize to me." For a few moments, he simply sits there with her, holding her tighly, and all the while hoping that his presence alone is enough to ease the troubles of her mind. More than once, he opens his mouth as if to say something more, but he can never find the right words. How do you comfort someone when do you not understand the source of their pain?

"This lost world," he asks, if and when she seems to have calmed down, "did it have a name?"

[Jeff the Green]

Mirielle's Apartment

By the time Mirielle has finished reading and analyzing Alaister's diary the sun has dipped below the horizon and the clouds outside her window have set ablaze. She sets aside her notes and the diary and kneels, facing west. She empties her mind and begins her prayers. They start with a litany, then a recitation of the names of dead saints, and then to personal supplications: for spells, for safe passage of Aldar, Alaister, and Larshon and her Loviatans to the Crystal Spire, for guidance in the coming days.

She remains kneeling for some time after finishing her prayers, trying to empty her mind. There is too much happening, too much for her to do. She is about to do something which, while inoffensive to her church, is thoroughly illegal under the laws of man. Cybrarvain is still alive and hunting. Amazairyl is out there, just beyond the horizon, it seems. And of course, there is always the infernal politics of the city, those who, out of ignorance or affiliation, protected Loviatans while they inflicted their obscene rites on the city's forgotten.

Soon the door knocks and Mirielle rises. She wordlessly invites Alhruar in and sits at the table with the list of questions for Misti. "So we don't forget anything," she says, "let's write down what you can think of to ask Black Sorrow and Larshon. Don't worry; I can hide the writing after we're done."

[TheFallenOne]

Ravendark Castle

Liara doesn't even seem to recognize Cael's touch, eyes never straying from her drawing. "I don't think it did. It was a world with little magic, st least as we know it. They had no awareness of the other worlds out there, so they never thought to name theirs like they did for their cities, continents and people. But I know little for sure about them. The Sensorium shows feelings and impressions of but a fleeting moment, not true understanding.""

[rypt]

Loviatan Gravesite

"We need to leave, and we need to leave now," Cael says, staring into the empty ditch. He speaks quickly, and there is hint of alarm in his voice. "With such a shallow grave, whoever found the bodies might have been expecting us to return. They could be watching us as we speak."

Ravendark Castle

Cael presses his eyes shut as Liara speaks, praying that the sister he once knew is still in there somewhere. "The cities and continents then, can you recall any of their names? Perhaps the survivor's name, or what his people collectively called themselves?"

[TheFallenOne]

Ravendark Castle

"I said images and feelings leatherhead. Experiences, not knowledge. The wall is called just that - The Wall. The giant castle was named The Hall of Harren, but I only know that by the inscription on the pedestal of the sensory stone. I'm not sure there are any survivors. The memory is supposedly from a mage investigating after the doors to that world disappeared."

[rypt]

Ravendark Castle

Cael shrugs off his sister's chiding remarks with a sigh. "So that's the connection then -- the doors? Before this nameless world was lost, the doors connecting it to Sigil were closed. Now the doors connecting this world to Sigil are closing as well?"

[TheFallenOne]

Ravendark Castle

"That's the dark of it." She casually knocks against Cael's forehead twice with her knuckles. "So how about we give whatever nasty is about to happen the laugh while we can?"

[rypt]

Ravendark Castle

"Alright," Cael nods, managing a weak smile, but a smile none the less. "I think I can work with this."

"Before I go, have the guards said anything about how long they're planning to hold you here? Any discussion of a trial or a hearing or anything else that would give us a specific time frame?"

[Jeff the Green]

Loviatan Gravesite

"Agreed," Mirielle says with fear tinging her voice. She murmurs a prayer as she tears back through the forest and to the city.

Mirielle's Apartment -> Halls of Mystery

At home, Mirielle tries to sleep, but her mind races far too much. The bodies' disappearance is the most immediately disturbing topic, but Cybrarvain and memories of Aldar torture her as well. She touches her cheek where Larshon's scourge burned her and recalls the terror the fire and the priestess inspired in her.

She eventually rises and throws the bedclothes off of her. She dresses quickly and collects her notes, and then heads to the Halls of Mystery where she continues her search for information on Amazairyl.

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Do the forced march rules apply to mental tasks? I know they don't by RAW, but I've heard of people using them that way. It seems appropriate for Mirielle to literally work herself into unconsciousness right now.

Knowledge (history): (1d20+6)[26]

[TheFallenOne]

Ravendark Castle

"Dunno. Didn't really listen. After a while they stopped bothering me."

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Do the forced march rules apply to mental tasks? I know they don't by RAW, but I've heard of people using them that way. It seems appropriate for Mirielle to literally work herself into unconsciousness right now.

That should work

[Jeff the Green]

The Halls of Mystery -> Mirielle's Apartment -> About town

Mirielle rouses from her unconsciousness at midmorning, her last notes smudged slightly by her cheek. She glances at the stone in her pack and gathers her things. After finding a washroom to clean the ink off her face, she heads home.

She tiredly shucks off her clothes and falls into bed, where she sleeps an utterly dreamless sleep.

It is nearly dusk when she awakes, so she fixes a small breakfast (dinner?) and uses the divine power she wasted on spells to interrogate the Loviatans' corpses to heal the hurts she'd acquired in the fight, and then attends to her prayers. This time she makes preparations for the spell she will cast to try to absorb the memories from Black Sorrow's brain.

With vespers complete, Mirielle rises and writes out two notes, the first to Misti:

My source didn't come through, though I'm still making inquiries. I'll let you know if anything comes up.

-M.

and the second to Alhruar:

If you can come by my apartment in the morning, we can attempt the inquiries we previously discussed.
-Mirielle

With any luck, these are less... melodramatic than my first contact with Alaister. The name brings back flashes of grief, rage, disgust; other emotions too, of shades too numerous and subtle for her to describe.

Mirielle sits down hard on the floor. She crosses her legs and begins chanting a prayer under her breath, willing her heart to stop pounding and the welter of emotions to subside. In a few minutes it does, and she leaves her apartment for the night.

She finds a messenger to send her letters to Alhruar and Misti, then concentrates for a moment. With a mnemonic spell she tries to remember all she'd heard of murders while she was in Ylraphon, if she might have heard of Cybrarvain's one odd assassination. Then she begins making her inquiries for the night.

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Whew. Okay.

2 CSW + 3 CMW + 5 CLW = 17d8+50 HP, more than enough to bring her to full health.

Lore of the gods for a +5 bonus to my Knowledge (local) check: (1d20+13)[14]. It'll also apply to any follow ups I think of and I get one reroll.

Gather Information (with divine insight): (1d20+15)[25] Same topic, unless I get a good result with Knowledge. Otherwise about the fire outside the city. (And only about the fire; no mentioning anything else.)

[Frog Dragon]

Out and About --> Mirielle's ---> Loviatan Gravesite
After finding the graves empty, Jorran follows his companions to watch and possibly help in Mirielle's spells, but the process starts to become too disgusting even for him. He decides that he can be of more help elsewhere, and leaves back for the gravesite, returning mere hours after he last left it.

Trying to stay inconspicuous and hidden in the woods and trying to sense if anyone lingers nearby, Jorran attempts to pick up the scent of the bodies, at the very least hoping to find which direction they had been taken to.

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Doubling back to the gravesite, and using Hunter's Sense.
Spot:(1d20)[13]
Listen: (1d20+5)[20]
Hide: (1d20+9)[28]
Move Silently: (1d20+9)[25]
Survival: (1d20)[13] (Hoping to do some rudimentary tracking via scent, hopefully this is possible featless)

[rypt]

Ravendark Castle

Cael exhales a patient breath, a breath only an older brother can breathe. "Well, should they bother you again, do me the favor of paying attention to what they have to say. You're likely to get more information out of them than I am."

Before rising to his feet and moving towards the door, he pulls Liara close one last time and kisses her on the forehead. "And hang in there, alright?"

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I'm ready to wrap this scene up.

Loviatan Grave -> Lucky Coin Inn

Cael returns to Silverscales along a decidedly meandering and indirect route, hoping to lose anyone or anything that might have followed him from the woods. Once he is back inside his room at the Lucky Coin, he sits down on his bed, lays his sword across his lap, and waits. He waits for a knock on the door, or for someone to simply knock the door down; he waits for a first hour, and then a second, and only once the third has passed does he finally allow himself to drift off into a restless reverie.

The next morning finds Cael's mind still ill at peace, and as he picks at his breakfast, he cannot help but to continually replay the events of the night at the barn, thinking of all the things they might have done differently to avoid having the bodies be discovered so soon. What if we had split up when they fled from the fire? What if we had covered our tracks or dug a deeper grave? What if we had just left Stavra's body at the barn? Technically speaking, the cleric had killed herself...

For all the benefit of hindsight, he knows that there is little he can do about it now other than to try and maintain a low profile. He also knows that he must keep himself busy lest the stress lead to more mistakes than have already been made, and so he sets himself to more agreeable work and heads out to learn what he can about the Longbottle family.

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I'd like to keep the first roll here, if that's possible, as Cael's first GI check of the six day period. I plan to talk Misti about the historian instead of using a GI check on that.

[TheFallenOne]

Ravendark Castle

"Hm hm." Liara has already drifted away, no longer registering Cael's words or touch.

Lucky Coin Inn

Cael is about to finally lay down and fall asleep when a sudden movement in the corner of his eye catches his attention. Turning his head, he sees the outline of a humanoid figure in the shadows, then from behind him appears a flicker of light, first dim then gradually brightening until it illuminates the room.

The bald, eyebrow-less man has a neatly maintained black circle-beard around his mouth, the hint of a grin on his lips. His arms are folded behind his back and he wears an open, black military coat reaching down to his ankles, cut in a style Cael recognizes as Zhentarim make from the shoulder straps for rank insignia. The red robes he wears beneath the coat speak a different language though; they are the garment of the Red Wizards. "Greetings. I apologize for the unannounced intrusion. My name is Darius Nerei, and I'd like to have a short and as I hope mutually beneficial talk about a certain event outside the confines of the city I believe you would know about."

[rypt]

Lucky Coin Inn

Cael's jaw tightens, anger flushing his cheeks and disappointment churning in his stomach the moment he is able to discern the color of the stranger's robes. He can feel his heart pounding in his ears as he rises slowly to his feet, the tip of his sword bobbing once and again as he alternately tightens and loosens his grip on its hilt. As the Red Wizard speaks, Cael seems to stare through him as much as at him, every second seeming interminable in his mind as he races through dozens of questions he cannot realistically hope to answer. There is one question in particular that stands out among the others -- does he know who I am? -- but such a question tells as much in its asking as it does in its answer.

"And what make's you believe that?" he replies in a deadened, almost procedural tone.

[TheFallenOne]

Lucky Coin Inn

"Truth to be told my evidence is purely circumstantial. Mere speculation from who my deceased associate was investigating and other, non-conclusive clues", Darius admits. "Regretably, I have not yet had the opportunity to talk to the one attendee the attackers failed to kill. I am sure she will be able to shed much light on the identity of her would-be murderers. Are you willing to talk business now? You are new to this group, surely you have priorities exceeding the desire to cover for them, or their allies."

[Jeff the Green]

Mirielle's Apartment

As it grows late and Mirielle finishes her investigations, she makes her way back home. Her stomach is still churning from the fear and the guilt and the sheer horror, but she's a little better able to think. At home she finally is able to sleep normally for the first time since the fight.

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I'm fried right now, so I'm going to think about what to do the next day for a little while before I do it. Probably by tomorrow. In the mean time, followup questions with lore of the gods:
Knowledge (local) for the reputation of the young noble's family: (1d20+13)[15]
Lore for ditto: (1d20+7)[12]
Knowledge (nobility) for ditto, untrained: (1d20+6)[26]
Knowledge (local) for anything about the girl's family: (1d20+13)[33]
Knowledge (local) for anything about the girl's friends/suitors: (1d20+13)[14]
Knowledge (local) for anything about proposed marriages with the young noble: (1d20+13)[25]
Lore for ditto: (1d20+7)[14]
Knowledge (nobility) for ditto, untrained: (1d20+6)[21]

Faugh. Note to self: just take 10 from now on.

[rypt]

Lucky Coin Inn

Cael's shoulders slump slightly at the news of a survivor, a brief downward glance marking a subtle, yet unmistakable acknowledgement of Darius' suspicion. Over the past few hours, the elf had mostly resigned himself to the inevitability of a moment like this, but to be confronted by a Red Wizard -- rather than some other cultist or member of the cult's host family -- is yet a bitter pill to swallow.

With a sigh, he turns away from the Thayan and paces towards the opposite wall. "What do you want, Zhent?" Cael asks, looking back. He very nearly makes a comment about Black Sorrow, knowing the monk to have been the hairless man's 'associate,' but he opts not to, deciding to outwardly focus his attention on Darius' Zhentarim associations instead of his allegiance to the Zulkirs. In so doing, he hopes to learn if Darius knows of Cael, or only of Alhruar.

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Found some time in the hotel's business center.

[TheFallenOne]

Lucky Coin Inn

A slight smirk crosses Darius's lips when Cael adresses him. "Despite the setback you brought me I care little about you and your companions. I want the Shadow Guardians. A group of greycloaked, elusive targets who make a habit of interfering in our business. Your new friends have been working with them. My 'associate' was never after one of you, it was always about the greycloaks." He casually paces through the short length of the room. "Bring me information on them and I leave you and yours in peace. Help me destroy them and I have many ressources to offer. Your interest in Liara Idhien has been noted. I don't care what you want with her - free her, kill her, acquire a piece of information she holds or something more sinister. We do not judge."

Mirielle

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The girl was from an orphanage, no relatives known. The noble was from a mostly unremarkable and unpopular family dealing with loans and debt collecting.

[Frog Dragon]

Gowntown --> Reverend Road

Returning back to his house, Jorran tries to make himself look slightly different again. The Loviatan gravesite had been a waste of time, but there was still one lead they hadn't looked at, and with Larshon and Black Sorrow dead, he doubted there would be better times to go check it out. When he finally starts to look suitably not-Jorran, he puts aside his disguise kits and packs up, hoping to use the late evening to pass mostly unnoticed without seeming too suspicious if someone does see him.

Going to the Reverend Road a scant one or two hours before midnight, Jorran tries to scout out any entrances into the cellar owned by the flagellant, as well as if there might be anyone guarding, or anyone inside.

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Can I take 10 on disguise?
Hide, both to stay somewhat hidden and to blend in so potential observers don't realize Jorran might be a burglar.
Hide: (1d20+9)[21]
Move Silently: (1d20+9)[27]
Hunter's Sense stance, trying to smell who's nearby.
Spot: (1d20)[10] (Entrances and observers)
Listen: (1d20+5)[21]

[rypt]

Lucky Coin Inn

Cael eyes Darius with contempt to match the Thayan's smugness. "No one's ever mentioned Shadow Guardians or greycloaks," he says shaking his head. "If you hadn't just mentioned them, I wouldn't even have known that they existed. What do they have to do with what happened in the barn?"

[Jeff the Green]

22nd of Marpenoth
Mirielle's Apartment -> Misti Marva's

Mirielle wakes only shortly before Alhruar arrives and so answers the door still with great bags under her eyes, her hair in disarray, and marks from her pillow pressed into her left cheek. She invites him in and speaks with him for a while, but demurs on ritual cannibalism; she still wasn't exactly sure how the spell worked, and if it was unrepeatable she'd prefer to have more questions at hand.

After she sees Alhruar off, she heads to Silverscales and Misti Marva's Moonlight Pawnshop.

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Four(?) days until Mirielle receives Jorran's armor.

I'm going to guess it's best if we wait until rypt catches up to do Mirielle's zone of truth/Cybrarvain, etc. rigmarole. Assuming Cael doesn't know anything about Cybrarvain it won't affect what Mirielle does the rest of the day, while what happens on the 21st might change what Cael says.

[TheFallenOne]

Lucky Coin Inn

"They're the reason you attacked them. The Netherese vainly tried to gain information on the greycloaks from your Luskanite compatriot, and some time later you struck at the monk and his fellows in faith." He pauses for a moment, looking out the window. "I'm surprised your associates in murder didn't see fit to inform you of them yet; they foiled a powerful man on their behalf on the very day they arrived in this city. Well, their lack of trust might make it harder for you to do what I ask for, but also easier on your conscience so we will call it an even trade. Have you reached a decision yet or should I give it another day?"

Misti Marva's Moonlight Pawnshop

Misti greets Mirielle with a lazy wave and a yawn. "Hello there. How are things?"

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I assume you remember to wait until noon to visit her. It came up often enough before.

Jorran

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Yes you can. There is no cellar entrance on the outside and you don't notice anybody inside.

[Jeff the Green]

Misti's

"Ah, better than they could be, worse than I wish," Mirielle says. "Nobody's come to kill or arrest me, which I suppose counts as a win this week.

"I have a question I'm hoping you could find an answer to. Do you have contacts in Ylraphon? Before I came to Ravens Bluff I was there for a little while, and there was an orphaned maidservant who was having an affair with a young nobleman. Officially, she killed him and then herself. Unofficially, it was Cybrarvain. I'm afraid I don't have names. Is there any chance you could find something on them?"

[TheFallenOne]

Misti Marva's Moonlight Pawnshop

"I have a few", she answers noncommitically. "Such happenings certainly cause a good amount of gossip, so I should be able to learn some things. How much and how soon is rather dependant on how much you are willing to invest in this..."

[Frog Dragon]

Reverend Road

Picking the most secluded door to the building (if there is more than one) and checking that no-one is watching, and testing that it isn't already open just in case, Jorran shoulder checks the door. If it fails to budge, he moves to a window off to the side and breaks it before jumping through.

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Take 10 on the strength check to break the door, for a result of 14. If fail, go through a window instead. Might make more noise, but Jorran certainly doesn't want to linger here too long. Pretty sure that someone with a greatsword and a strength of 19 can bust a window in one round.