Realms of Dread [IC] Chapter Three

[VAN]

Inovidil sighs as remembers when she found the bodies.

"I found them after the mind flyer has taken Delthrin and Archedius with him. I have searched his laboratory and found them. Two beheaded bodies, one male and one female."

She makes a small pause feeling very awkward. She looks at the paper one more time. Sighing again she signs it. Feeling already remorse and guilt she adds in an instant try to help the dwarf:

"Master Delthrin might have help some people, I don't deny this but believe me what me and my companions found in his house was beyond any imagination. Someone who has a kyton free in his house, undead ghouls and zombies and make experiments to people will not be considered a good man for me. Of course his fate was terrible and nobody deserved that. I repeat that my friend Rardi has exaggerated in her words and acts but she didn't know what would have happened to him. She is a cleric, a good cleric that was tricked by a an illithid. I wish at least one of us would have known what was this creature beforehand. Please sir, try to be clement with her and try to get her a cleric that can verify that Rardi hasn't intentionally given Delthrin to the mindflyer.

As about my spellbook, was the worst thing has ever happened to me and believe me I have been through a lot of things! I'd be happy if someone can repair it. I had very useful and important spells in there. If you can also have a cleric to heal me will be good too, because I have some wounds from the guards. Thank you very much sir."

[Ken of Ghastria]

''No, they are keeping her incommunicado, Blaise. These men work for the Baron- he owns the island, as you must know.''

Blaise's right eyebrow arches. "Really?" he says with enthusiasm. "And that doesn't pose any conflict of interest? The baron would clearly want to conceal the existence of any dark activities. Call me mad -- many people do -- but ghoul feasting, brain sucking, and demon summoning have a tendency to upset the taxpayers. "

A lovely blonde sweeps into the room, accompanied by three armed men and a scribe. She's obviously not one of the bailiff's crew- not dressed as she is in a green silk gown and wearing a necklace of miniature coins. She smiles faintly when she spots Rask.

.....

The woman gives that faint smile again, looking up from a minute examination of Delthrin's [?] headless body.

''Well, the bailiff is still taking statements, but he has sent his clerk along. We can begin now. I trust that you two would like to be here as witnesses.''

Rask nods emphatically.

''Just so, Mistress Gyrglass.''

Blaise turns on his warmest smile at the newcomer's arrival. "Blaise Redman, at your service," he offers with a slight bow. Then comprehension dawns as to what is about to transpire. "You're going to speak with the spirits? Fascinating. I've never seen this before ... well, back in my home, such rituals could be, um, tricky.... How long will you be able to question them? Will the answers be truthful? Forgive me for the questions; I'm naturally curious... and frankly, I hope that the answers will exonerate a friend."

[ewancummins]

Ino

The bailiff adds a note about the bodies.

''After! So you had no evidence at all when you decided to...well, that's for the courts.''

He takes the paper as soon as Ino has signed it and places it inside a brown leather envelope.

''You have done the right thing, Mistress Inovidil. Do not worry- justice shall prevail in the end, no matter what. If your friend Rardi is innocent, then she will go free.

Now, then, I will see about that cleric for you, and fixing your book. ''

The bailiff now addresses his men.

''Make certain that she is treated well, and do not replace her gag unless she tries magic. If she does try anything- spellcasting, escape, etc - knock her out but try not to kill her. At the very least, she deserves a fair trial....which is more than Delthrin was given.''

The bailiff then departs, leaving Ino with her guards.

[ewancummins]

Shana


''Foolish woman! What is not given to me freely, I shall take.''

Shana feels the sheets tighten across her body, squeezing the breath of of her chest.

Delthrin is still speaking, perhaps, but Shana can hear nothing but her own heart pounding and the feeble gasps she makes as she tries in vain to draw breath. Blackness overtakes her....


And then she's sitting bolt upright amid the tangle of sheets in Alain's bed, breathing rapidly. Looking out the window, she see's that the sunlight has faded to gloaming- dusk has arrived.

[ewancummins]

Blaise-

Blaise's right eyebrow arches. "Really?" he says with enthusiasm. "And that doesn't pose any conflict of interest? The baron would clearly want to conceal the existence of any dark activities. Call me mad -- many people do -- but ghoul feasting, brain sucking, and demon summoning have a tendency to upset the taxpayers. "

W-C Rask seizes Blaise by the elbow and whispers, harshly, into his ear:


''Blaise, keep quiet about that sort of thing - someone might mistakenly think you were accusing his Lordship of wrongdoing- an excellent way to make us both vanish.''

Blaise turns on his warmest smile at the newcomer's arrival. "Blaise Redman, at your service," he offers with a slight bow. Then comprehension dawns as to what is about to transpire. "You're going to speak with the spirits? Fascinating. I've never seen this before ... well, back in my home, such rituals could be, um, tricky.... How long will you be able to question them? Will the answers be truthful? Forgive me for the questions; I'm naturally curious... and frankly, I hope that the answers will exonerate a friend."

The woman in green responds to Blaise:

''No, Master Redman, I am not going to speak with their spirits. Their spirits have long since departed to Myrkul's realm. You see- ''

She walks over to Archedius' body and places a slim hand on the chest of the dead man.


''-our bodies record our lives, and even in death, something of what we have experienced and done yet remains...an echo in the bones, as Delthrin might have called it.
As for answers, I do hope you won't be too disappointed, but we may not get much from Lieutenant Targaris, with his damaged condition, and we will get nothing at all from Delthrin.''

She smiles that faint smile once again.

''He has no mouth to speak to me.''


With that, the ritual begins. Mistress Gyrglass places four candles around Archedius, one at each corner of the slab on which he lies, then lights each one while chanting a monotone spell in a language unknown to Blaise.

The guards hang back, watching with tense, drawn faces.

Now, the strange woman has opened Archedius' mouth. She bends down and kisses him, blowing air into the dead man's lungs as she does so. Then she steps back and says-


''Answer me, dead man. Tell me your name.''


The corpse's eyes flick open and his mouth works slowly, the jaw opening and closing convulsively, twice, before it speaks in a hollow voice-

''Archhhhh......unnhhhhhh.''

[ewancummins]

Threan


The bailiff greets Threan and Glimzine in the hall outside Ino's cell.

''Ah, Master Threan, Master Glimzine, how can I help you?''

[kintire]

Shana half falls out of bed, then pulls herself together, trying to relax. Then, with a determined look, she dresses, prepares herself, and heads down to the common room to pick up some news.

[ewancummins]

Shana-


Down in the common room, Shana finds a crowd.
Nothing unusual about that, as the Shell usually fills up in the evening, Widow Callum is making soup in the kitchen, Shana can see through the open doorway. Nelly is bussing tables. Callum's big son, Luther, is chatting with a plump girl who sist at the bar. Over by the fireplace [which is unlit, as the air is still warm inside, from the lingering heat of the day] sits the old blind minstrel, Gondegal, tuning his harp.

[Ken of Ghastria]

In response to the Watch-Captain's harshly whispered warning, Blaise says nothing else for the moment.

She smiles that faint smile once again.

''He has no mouth to speak to me.''

Blaise has the oddest urge to laugh at that moment, but he suppresses it. He simply watches with fascination as the ritual begins. Once he's certain that everyone's attention is focused on the woman, he focuses his gaze to search for magical aura. Then he lets his own attention shift, calling upon the mysterious voices that are never far from his consciousness, trying to understand as much as he can about this ritual.

___________________________
Blaise is using his at-will detect magic again, and he's calling upon the otherworldly whispers to help him comprehend what's going on.
Religion knowledge check (1d20+12=28 ). If it's a Knowledge (arcana) check instead, then the total is 27.

[ewancummins]

Blaise-

Blaise can see a hazy indigo aura, certainly magical, around the ritual area; covering Archedius' remains, the Gyrglass woman, and the ritual objects.

The small voices in his mind tell him:


necromancy....not wizard's work, but priestcraft...the dead man's flesh holds an impression of what is past, her ritual draws it forth as speech...

[ewancummins]

Balzar



After perhaps twenty minutes' of drifting down the canal, Moorkroft signals the botman to stop at a landing in the Docks District.
''This is the spot, Come on Balzar, get onto the boards. We'll walk the rest of the way. Boatman, here is your payment, thank you.''

Handing the boatman his coins, Jamethon waits for Balzar to disembark. [/i]

[steveflam]

The dwarf doesn't say much during the boat ride. All things considered, it went pretty well. When Jamethon disembarks, so does Balzar but not before turning to the boatman "Thanks fer making me first trip on a boat pleasant enough, matey. See you around." He salutes the man before turning to Moorkroft.

"So I'm followin you, Jamethon. Let's go, lad."

[ewancummins]

Jamethon pauses in his long strides and turns to face Balzar. The man wears a distinctly annoyed look on his face.

''I'm not a 'lad', Balzar. ''

[steveflam]

The dwarf shrugs. "Sorry to have offended ye, but admit I am quite a bit older than you. I'm not trying to put you down, tis merely a habit. I'll refrain from saying it from now on. No worries. I am so used to being amongst my kind I sometimes forget who I am with at times. No offense intended, Jamethon."

[ewancummins]

Balzar-

Jamethon's face softens a bit, and he says-

''Ah...no, you must forgive me, Balzar. My temper has grown short, but that is hardly your fault. I'm just very worried about Inovidil and the others. Their lives are in great danger, I fear.''