Age of Ruin IC: When all your friends are dead

[GryffonDurime]

Rhebin

"It can't take that long to find an undertaker," Rhebin wonders aloud, then turns to the wizards, "Can it? I don't know this city...hope Livina's not lost."

[Lycar]

Akim keeps a quiet vigil about the bodies of his fallen companions, but when Kizima and the guild mage talk, he gestures to the cleric to come closer.

"May i have a word with you for a moment ? You said it is your peoples custom to cremate your dead. Well, these men were davethran nobles. As a fellow noble it would be my solemn duty to see that they get a proper burial. Alas, i am afraid it will be much easier for me to bring their ashes and personal effect back to their families in an urn then in a coffin."

Akim hopes that Krashnix gets a bit closer before continuing in a low voice "You also mentioned the possibility of some powerful priests to bring them back to life ? I must confess, i am nearly strapped of all my gold, yet, as a davethran noble i.. do posess a magic ring that may be accepted as payment maybe ? Oh excuse my manners, allow me to introduce myself. I am Akim Kar'zad, of clan Kar'zad. These men are.. were Khorik Nulliop and Sumner Kesh, former knights in the imperial army."

Akim sighs before continuing "Truth be told, i would be rather grateful if there was a way to bring them back. These are troubled times we are living in and even though i only had the pleasure of their company for a short time, i came to know them as honourable people. The kind of people who could make a true difference for the better for this world. So if you see any way to give them a chance to continue their struggle for the good of this stricken world, i will do whatever is within my power to help them. So please, tell me, is there something, anything i can do ?"


Lycar

[Brickwall]

Kizima

"I think he is a spy because he is deceitful, untrustworthy, and skilled at being both. Besides that, I know he is from that other world, and that he has some Davethran blood."

[Regwon]

Krashnix

When Akim gestures to him he walk over.

I will not lie to you. The cost of raising people from the dead is huge. You may be able to negotiate a reduction for the cost of the service but the materials required alone will cost thousands of gold. However, you say you have a ring that you would sell, and i have seen the small woman and the Mokai woman picking items off the bodies of your friends. You may be able to accumulate enough gold from the sale of those items to afford the materials or you may be able to trade them with the priests at my temple. I will vouch for the character of these men to help you get a reduction in price. if you do wish them raised we should hurry to the temple. There is a limit on how much time can pass before they can be raised, although it may be extended, and if it turns out you still do not have enough finances then you will need to earn more. You should decide quickly what you will do.

[Lycar]

Akim nods "Thank you, you are giving me hope again. Yes, i shall see to it that their bodies will be transportet to the temple you mentioned. A cart and horse should do. As for the money, as i said i am willing to sell my ring. If any of the two feel like reimbursing me later i won't mind, but i will not steal from their corpses."

Akim turns to the assembled people.

"Excuse me, did anyone think of summoning a cart or something to move the bodies of the dead someplace more dignified already ?"

Lycar

[Ozzy_G]

The wizards nod at Kizima's words, and look up at the obviously Davethran Akim.
Indeed...

When Akim calls down to them, the younger of the two sends a soldier to get a cart.
He suddenly startles. Oh! I got a message. A butcher saw a man who matches this Orin's description walk into an alley about 5 minutes walk from here. And the baker whose stall faces the other side didn't come out. We better go and have a look. Would you people mind coming with us? It's unlikely he's still there, he probably left invisible, but if he is we'll need you to confirm it's the right man.

[Brickwall]

Kizima

Another chance to get this bastard under lock and key? How can I refuse?

"Alright, sure." Kizima finishes hopping down from the rubble and follows the enforcers.

[Lycar]

Akim answers the mage "But of course."

Turning to Krashnix again he asks "May i ask yet another favour of you ? Will you stand vigil over the bodies of these two and ensure they are prepared for transport to that temple you mentioned ?"

Lycar

[Regwon]

Krashnix

To Akim

I had assumed that one of these wizards and their soldiers will look after the bodies. I'm comming with you to see if we can find Orin, it was me that broke his manacles after all and if he represents a threat to Qusa i would like to deal with it personally. Krashnix turns to the nearest wizard Im sure the bodies will be taken care of, wont they?

[Lycar]

"I suppose" answers Akim with a worried look "As long as they don't do anything that would interfere with a possible resurrection...."

"Very well then, lead the way."

Akim follows Krashnix and the mages.

Lycar

[Ozzy_G]

The older wizard stays with the guards to direct their rescue efforts (which have so far borne no fruit) while the younger leads Kizima, Akim and Krashnix through the streets. After walking for about 5 minutes, you near a butcher. Here we are. He points to an alley on the opposite side of the street to the butchers. You walk up it and find the normal alley paraphernalia: a smelly dog, back doors to buildings, human waste that's been dumped, moulding boxes, and so on.
Right, says the wizard, this is where he disappeared. He probably just became invisible, but it's worth looking for clues just in case.

[Lycar]

Akim, davethran scholar in expensive robes

Akim makes a face at the stench coming from the alley.

"Ugh. This is nothing someone of noble standing ough to have anything to do with. But i suppose i can lend a hand."

After rummaging around in his component pouch for a moment, Akim concentrates and voices a simple incantation.

"There. No need to actually touch this disgusting stuff to see what's under it...."

Akim gestures and after a few seconds, an invisible force starts to move around some of the refuse, to see if anything is hidden behind or under it.


Lycar

[Brickwall]

Kizima

"Why of course! Having rich parents absolutely qualifies one as being above using their best capabilities to find an enemy of the world, simply because the evidence is smelly," Kizima says in a most sickeningly sweet sarcastic tone.

"Now move your little spell aside, and let somebody competent do the searching." Kizima shifts to an angry tone as she marches forward and begins going through the refuse herself.

[Ozzy_G]

With both the Unseen Servant and Kizima searching, you discover marks on the ground as if something had been dragged from the middle of the road to a cellar door at the side of the alley.

[Ozzy_G]

Suddenly, you hear a woman's scream from behind the door, and a muffled shout.

[Brickwall]

Kizima

Oh fun...

Kizima leaps quickly, pulling at the door (and pushing if that seems to not work) with all her might, right hand at the rapier on her side.

[Ozzy_G]

Kizima charges in to the room, to find Livina, naked and hanging, tied-up from the ceiling and screaming her lungs out. The room is obviously a cellar of some sort, wine bottles sit in crates. There is door on the other side of the room, closed.

[The Great Skenardo]

Livina
The Mokai woman looks far worse for wear; her now grimy brown hair hangs down like sludgy curtains, and rivulets of sticky red-black blood can be seen flowing down her left leg, around the cruelly-tight ropes.
Almost hysterically, she cries out
"He's still here! He's invisible!"

[Brickwall]

Kizima

What is she, bait or something? He's crazier than I thought.

"What do you hope to accomplish from this, Stillwater? Kizima cries out to the air, "Are you trying to prove something? Are you trying to lure us all into a trap? Do you seriously think that you can get rid of all of us? Even one? If you had stayed and been cooperative, you could have been home by now. Those wizards could have sent you there when they were done with you. But now, you've already cast yourself into far worse punishment. If you push it, you know it will only end in your horrible, utterly painful death." Kizima says this from the doorway, with one foot carefully placed back across the threshhold.

[Lycar]

Akim quirks an eyebrow, alarmed.

"What's with all that yelling, what is going on ? Someone invisible ? Well, someone cast Detect Magic already then."

Akim looks between the accomanying mages expectantly.


Lycar

[Ozzy_G]

The wizard nods. I'll find you, Stillwater. He starts to cast a spell.
And then stops. As he has a knife sticking out of his throat. He falls gurgling on the ground, the knife slipping out of his throat with a wet sound. A tall, stocky, and horribly scarred Qusan man stands over him.

[Brickwall]

Kizima

It never ends. It just never ends.

Impatiently, Kizima flicks a feather from her belt and tosses it at the newcomer. It transforms into a leather whip and begins lashing at the attacker.

That was my last one...I am making these people find me a magic shop when we're done here.

That done, she turns her attention back to the empty room, rapier held in front of her. She listens intently for any sign of invisible attackers.

[Lycar]

Akim looks shocked as the mage slumps to the ground, slain.

(... that could have been me ...)

"Er... did i mention that i am a scholar and by no means a combatant ?" he asks while digging in his spell pouch for .. ah, there it is. Akim gestures and quickly chants a few arcane syllabies.

Lycar

[Ozzy_G]

The whip slashes across the man's forehead, and then wraps around him, holding him on the ground. He struggles, but doesn't seem to be able to escape... for now.

Kizima listens intently, but cannot hear footsteps or anything like that. Considering the man yelling on the ground, it wouldn't be easy to hear something like that.

[Brickwall]

Kizima

"Okay, Mr. Scholar, why don't you find our erstwhile depraved otherwordly spy, since he doesn't seem to be responding well to diplomacy of any sort."

[Ozzy_G]

Livina starts to wriggle, and try and loosen her bonds. It isn't too hard for someone as lithe as her, but it'll take a while.

[Lycar]

(Hrm.... okay, i know that doing anything hostile while under the effect of invisibility breaks the feeble strands of illusory magic. I wonder if casting Detect Magic to find someone who doesn't want to be found counts as acting hostile towards them. Oh well, live and learn..)

Some quick chanting comes from some place in the room.


Lycar

[Regwon]

Krashnix

Krashnix is shocked by what he sees in the room in front of him, and even more surprised when the wizard meets his untimely end. Shock quickly turns to anger however as he prays to Isana

Orlagar tirmynfiirdor Arcron Elos Dar

Orin what can you hope to accomplish with this? You cannot hope to escape unscathed. Even if you do you just killed a Guild wizard. The whole of Qusa will be on your tail.

[Ozzy_G]

Wriggling madly, the man on the ground manages to slip out of the whip's embrace, and run towards the door... and Kizima who's standing with one leg in the doorway.
The two guards outside in the alley are shouting Sir? What's going on? They run up behind Kizima, and seeing the scarred man running for them draw their weapons.

[Brickwall]

Kizima

"Dammit!" Kizima yells at she tries to stop the man and misses. "After him! He murdered that wizard! There's a kidnapper inside!"