Realms of Dread, Chapter Four

[ewancummins]

"That sounds like a great idea. Dawnbringer, how long will the ritual last? Will we have time to adjust our questions?"

''It will last maybe nine or ten minutes- I will use a candle to time it, you see- it's part of the ritual as we practice it. You will have time.''

The party soon reaches the pub and enters. A couple of deputies are carrying the body. Following Harmond's instructions, they place it on a table in the backroom, then exit to stand guard outside the door.


''Come, let us begin.''

[Ken of Ghastria]

Blaise says, "Yes, let's see what the answers to the first two questions are. And I'd like to know if the person who killed Thumast Alfane was involved in this attack, too -- and if that person was the one who stabbed our masked corpse in the back."

[ewancummins]

The dead man is laid out on a table in the taproom of the little tavern. The only light in the room comes from a big candle on the table next to the corpse. Dawnbringer Harmond chants sotto voce as he circles around the table, holding the burning candle.

When he has circled three times, he clasps the candle in both hands and raises it over the head of the masked cadaver. Dripping a little wax onto the body he says-

‘’Let the sun’s light enter this cold frame and grant it the power of speech, that I may question it. While yet this candle burns, let only true answers be given. By Lathander’s holy might and will, may it be so!’’

The chest of the dead man rises and he may be heard to inhale, and then to exhale. His eyes flick open but remain unfocused, staring at the ceiling.

‘’Who are you?’’

‘’Vakros.’’

''Who stabbed you in the back and left you to perish in the fire?''

‘’Rrr…rrraaaar…
Rardi Silverhelm.’’

At this, Dawnbringer Harmond stops. He looks about in confusion. In a flash, the priest turns as pale a freshly washed linen sheet. The man is so shaken that he must hold on to the edge of the table for support. He nearly drops the candle in his hand.

‘’Oh, holy Lathander…no…no…no…’’

[Ken of Ghastria]

Blaise's face pales. He looks at Shana, then at Jamethon, Alain, and Inovidil. "The earlier attack on the temple..." he says in a voice barely above a whisper. "That, too?" He thinks about his earlier private conversation with his companions, trying to piece together the information. The he looks to the priest and says, "Can you... can you ask, 'With what name does Rardi move about now?'"

[ewancummins]

Blaise's face pales. He looks at Shana, then at Jamethon, Alain, and Inovidil. "The earlier attack on the temple..." he says in a voice barely above a whisper. "That, too?" He thinks about his earlier private conversation with his companions, trying to piece together the information. The he looks to the priest and says, "Can you... can you ask, 'With what name does Rardi move about now?'"

Dawnbringer Harmond gasps out-

''Yes! I'll ask..''

Raising the canlde over his head once more, he asks the dead man-

''What name does Rardi Silverhlem now use?''


''Narisa Jihb''

Harmond looks over at Shana and says-

''So, it was she! Shana, you were right to suspect Narisa Jihb! She must have escaped arrest, I can see that much. Ah, I had hoped that once we penetrated her disguise with the scrying ritual you would have had an easy time of catching her. After all, you said that she was with your friend Blaise, here. ''

[BigBadQDaddy]

Alain startles as the corpse 'Awakens'. Though he had seen much of the undead in his adventures, seeing such a sight come to be gave him quite a shock. Taking a step back he bumps into one of the others and catches himself. If that person had not been there, he might have felt compelled to run away.

The corpse answers the Dawnbringer's questions. When the body utter's Rardi's name, he feels as though his stomach has dropped through the floor boards. Perhaps Threan was right earlier when he made accusations towards Rardi. Of course the corpse only proved one thing, that Rardi was there and had stabbed this man in the back. She could be running her own investigation on her own. Or maybe Alain was just making up excuses for her. After all, she fit the profile for the prime suspect exactly, at least as far as Rask's notes had determined. She was a former priestess of Lathander, She was known to Militia...but she was in a new body...

''What name does Rardi Silverhlem now use?''


''Narisa Jihb''

Harmond looks over at Shana and says-

''So, it was she! Shana, you were right to suspect Narisa Jihb! She must have escaped arrest, I can see that much. Ah, I had hoped that once we penetrated her disguise with the scrying ritual you would have had an easy time of catching her. After all, you said that she was with your friend Blaise, here. ''

"Perhaps we could find out what organization this man worked for. They came here in numbers and if we have a name of a group to follow up on, we could drop the hammer on them in no time."

[ewancummins]

''It remembers only what it knew it life. It cannot lie, though perhaps the man Vakros was somehow mistaken about some details.''

[ewancummins]

Harmond asks-

''Whom do you serve?''

The dead man answers

''Myrkul!''


Jamethon frowns and looks over at Alain-

''What the hell is he on about- scrying ritual? Shana never said anything about a scrying ritual...''

[BigBadQDaddy]

Jamethon frowns and looks over at Alain-

''What the hell is he on about- scrying ritual? Shana never said anything about a scrying ritual...''

"I was given a note from Captain Rask about the attacks on Morningmist hall that through divination that Narissa Jihb was suspected in the murders of Thumast Alfane and the young accolyte. It was also in the notes that she had gone missing and had not been heard from since the attacks against Thumast Alfane and the young acolyte." Alain feels all the weight in his body drop, he leans on a nearby chair for support. With his free hand he withdraws the packet from the inside of his coat. "I have been so busy with the orphanage case I..." He swallows what feels like an apple in his throat. Without looking up at the others he says in a weak voice, "Could this have been averted had I distributed this information?"

[ewancummins]

Jamethon replies-


''More information is always good. I am interested to learn about this scrying ritual. Shana, what's this about Narisa using a disguise, and her being with Blaise?''

[kintire]

"No. Things have moved on since then. Distributing the information would have done more harm than good. I never guessed she was capable of this... I just didn't consider anything like this possible. I was worried she might flee. I should have... ahh but then innocents would almost certainly have died in the crossfire."

Shana looks weary.

"I'm sorry Dawnbringer. She was in the middle of a crowd of innocents, and a perfect opportunity was just hours away. I was thinking of her as a fugitive... I just didn't imagine she was capable of harming the temple when it was on alert... and she was unlikely to harm anyone else, given the disguise she chose".

[ewancummins]

Jamethon steps towards Shana and asks

''Worried who might flee? What are you talking about?''

[kintire]

"Narissa Jihb of course. Or Rardi it seems... if this man isn't deluded. Or Breana, if you prefer the latest version. You know, your dear friend and subordinate. Watch Captain Rask's latest recruit"

[ewancummins]

"Narissa Jihb of course. Or Rardi it seems... if this man isn't deluded. Or Breana, if you prefer the latest version. You know, your dear friend and subordinate. Watch Captain Rask's latest recruit"

''You are telling me that you let a murder suspect inflitrate our team, spy on us all, and then JUST ...WALK...AWAY? How long were you planning on waiting before telling us who Breana really is? Do you even realize what you have done?''

[kintire]

"I was proposing to tell YOU in about six hours, right after we... apprehended her. I have told some other people already. In any case, she charged off before your team went out on your mission, so she wasn't with you to do any damage. I was proposing to ambush and... arrest her about ten seconds after she next showed up to the team, so she wouldn't have had any chance to do damage. As for realising what I've done..."

Shana lets the mask of cool slip slowly away to reveal a calm, cold icy rage

"You DARE to ask me that? How about what YOU have done, you and your Captain? You have recruited a priest of the Black Lord into your group. You have given her legal enforcement powers, and free reign in your city. You have allied yourself with the most vile deity to haunt this world, and YOU DARE TO ASK ME IF I KNOW WHAT I'VE DONE?! Do you know what YOU'VE done? Look out there! Look at the dead! Look at those good men and women, fallen in battle! LOOK AT THEM!"

She glares from Moorkroft to Rask.

"That is what YOU have done. You have tolerated necromancers in your city. You have turned to the Dark God and given his followers power and freedom. And THIS is the result! And what have I done? I have examined your actions and your words, and I decided that you were NOT to be trusted with this information. And I yet see no reason to change my mind!"