Realms of Dread, Chapter Five

[ewancummins]

"Yes I think that would be a good idea . Let me get some of the members of the special squad that I think be would be good at extracting information from them or at least for intimidation value alone . " With that Threan leaves to fetch some useful party members for interrogating the prisoners .

Ironheart will volunteer.

Rask says-


''Alright, Ironheart, see what you can do...try not to make a mess.''

Rask motions towards the holding area.

The prisoners are all stripped, bound, and gagged, laying in the back of a wagon under heavy guard.

[Ken of Ghastria]

Blaise enters the catacombs as well, calling upon his innate talents to see through the darkness and sense arcane traces.

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OOC: Blaise is using his at-will detect magic ability and his see the unseen invocation.

[ewancummins]

Blaise enters the catacombs as well, calling upon his innate talents to see through the darkness and sense arcane traces.

__________
OOC: Blaise is using his at-will detect magic ability and his see the unseen invocation.

There are no catacombs to be found- only heaps of smoldering timber. There are no signs of hidden underground chambers.


Instead of hidden rooms, the search party discovers something even more unusual beneath the blackened pile of wood and plaster:

the shattered wreck of a long rock crystal box- big enough to have held a person.

[kintire]

"Interesting... I wonder if this is, or was, her transformation device? We'd better show Ino. Actually, or Glim. He's an artificier, right?"

Shana will seek advice from one of these two, or preferably both.

[ewancummins]

Glim is not hard to find, and it's no work at all to convince him to take a look at the crystal box. The gnome spends a a little while carefully examining the broken casket before announcing:


''Hmmm...this thing was a magical receptacle of some kind. It was once holy to the forces of Light. Not all this damage is from the fire and the collapse of the building, I think. It seems that someone destroyed this object on purpose- and whoever did it used dark magic to curse and defile the box, first!''

[VAN]

Inovidil examines the box as well.

[Ken of Ghastria]

"Interesting... I wonder if this is, or was, her transformation device? We'd better show Ino. Actually, or Glim. He's an artificier, right?"

Blaise says, "I'm fairly well versed in these matters as well, Shana." He studies the box alongside Glim and Inovidil. "I see traces of abjuration magic, but they're fading and ... oddly corrupted. There's also a layer of necromancy clinging to it, which isn't a surprise to any of us. As Glim said, dark magic was used to wreck it.

"The abjuration part is what's most disturbing here. That's typically defensive or protective magic, as though whatever -- or whoever -- was in this casket was meant to be protected or left alone. If a person or corpse was in the casket, what has Rardi done with that corpse?"

After a brief conversation with them, Blaise runs off to catch up with the militiamen escorting the survivors.

[kintire]

Shana looks concerned, and follows Blaise.

[VAN]

"Totally agree with you Blaise. I think Rardi used this box to protect herself and then tried to destroy it. But I might be wrong and someone else was in there."

Inovidil follows Blaise and Shana.

[BigBadQDaddy]

The singing had long since stopped by the time Alain lifted his head to see the result of the carnage before him. He had surmised from the voices around him that Breana had yet to be identified as being among the dead. He wanted to be done with this, but the possibility of her remaining alive would not allow that. He cast a sorrowful look in the direction of Rask before returning his gaze back to what remained of the fane. He then set out to meet the others.

Approaching the others, he sees the crystalline casket everyone seems to be looking over. He listens to the theories, unable to postulate his own due to his state of shock. He blindly follows the others when they leave.

[ewancummins]

A group of about a dozen mounted Purple Dragons rides out of the fog. They do not dismount. One of them calls out-

''Where is Lieutenant Guischard? Where is the special team?''

[BigBadQDaddy]

At the sound of his own name, Alain seems to come out of his fog for a moment.
"I am here, sir knight." His usual melodic voice, now a dull monotone.

[ewancummins]

At the sound of his own name, Alain seems to come out of his fog for a moment.
"I am here, sir knight." His usual melodic voice, now a dull monotone.

The Purple Dragon knight looks down from his horse and says simply-

''Assemble your team, sir.''

[kintire]

Shana drifts gently away from the others, keeping an eye on developments with the Purple Dragons, and goes over to the Dawnbringer.

[Lord Skybolt]

Threan follows Ironheart in to help in interrogating the prisoners .