A New Barovia: Chapter Two

[steveflam]

Khalfani and Marilee make it to an Inn close to the scene of the ambush last night. The gnome leads Marilee in and soon, both of you are in the dining room. Khalfani spies a familiar face and heads for her table.

[Ail]

Robert comes down the rooftop and approaches the group.
"Someone climbed the roof and was there, there are clear footprints. He or she (I do think it was a she) was wounded, there are blood drops. But no signs of climbing down. I'm thinking we have a spellcaster here... or a shapechanger. Someone who can fly away..."

his voice trails down as he says this.

[BigBadQDaddy]

"Interesting. Does the trail end in the direction of a nearby rooftop?"

[Rock of the Fraternity]

To say Khalfani sees a familiar face is, perhaps, a bit deceptive. Sitting alone at a corner table is a slender figure in black robes. Her face is covered by a veil and she wears a worn traveler's hat with a wide, slightly floppy brim.

From time to time, she picks up a mug of ale and puts it under her veil to drink. She holds the mug with one gloved hand; the other, equally shod hand is on a rather dashing cane lying on the tabletop in front of her, a beautiful thing of ebony, silver and ivory.

The lonely drinker looks up when Khalfani approaches, her aspect shifting from disgruntled to hostile in one instant. "Gnome," she says, her voice musical but unwelcoming. The veiled eyes swivel to Marilee, and the figure makes a rude noise. "And you bring a friend. Is this to be a mugging?"

[Ken of Ghastria]

"Valanth," Khalfani replies with a cold smile, "that would suggest that you were attractive ... to potential thieves." Without looking away, he addresses both Marilee and Valanth: "Marilee, this is Valanth Darkheart. Feel free to call her Valanth. She loathes both formality and its close relation, manners. Valanth, this is my friend Marilee -- and, coincidentally, I was telling her and other associates about you just a few minutes ago. In complimentary words that shone like the sun -- the searing, blazing sun of Har'Akir."

The customary salvos now fired, he sits down. "Since you have remained in Barovia despite the opportunity to leave, I'd like to tell you about a mystery -- one that may only be solvable with the aid of a master arcanist."

[kintire]

Marilee looks amused at the repartee as she seats herself, but her eyes are considering the figure carefully

"formality and manners can slow things down its true. Ignoring manners is much faster. But go too fast, and you'll crash."

She signals for a drink as she sits down, considering the figure in front of her carefully

[Rock of the Fraternity]

"Leave Barovia?" Valanth says in response to Khalfani's words, and she audibly scoffs. Her voice takes on a slight accent even as it sounds more annoyed than before. "When it iss home to sso many fasscinating sstenchess I have not yet ssampled? Bah! I will ssee whether it remainss ssafe to cross the border. Hasste makess for wasste of life."

The veiled woman again samples her beer and makes a disgusted noise. "Finesst ale in the Core, my boot. Sso you have a mysstery for a masster arcanisst? A fine masster I make, drinking cheap sswill in a fetid hovel. Sspeak your mysstery before I faint from the tasste."

Marilee's words make the veiled Valanth scoff again, but the accent disappears. "It does not surprise me that there are deeper places to fall than Barovia. It does surprise me to hear such philosophy" - the word fairly drips with sarcasm - "from a random stranger in an inn's common room."

[Ken of Ghastria]

Khalfani continues to smile, but the expression seems slightly more genuine now. Calling for a drink himself, he leans forward and speaks in a lowered voice. "Several women have been murdered in Krezk lately. Violently. Limbs ripped off. We were asked to investigate these crimes to by good Captain Vassili Ivonavich, whose sister was the most recent victim. We believe that the killer is a type of lycanthrope -- a werebadger, to be precise. And since most of the evidence disappeared before our investigation could even begin, we also believe that the killer is a member of the militia, or -- possibly even someone of higher authority in Krezk.

"Last night, the killer attempted to -- what is the word, ah, yes, 'amboosh' us. He was aided by large badgers at his command and by a female spellcaster. With aid that is, sadly, no longer available to us, we were able to avoid the attack. But now we are in a situation where the killer is still out there, with his arcane ally, and we are left with the task of stopping him. We are attempting to gather weapons made from brass -- not easy to do -- and we cannot trust most members of the militia.

"You possess many talents, Valanth -- talents that could pierce the veil of the mystery." It's unsure whether Khalfani is making an intentional reference to Valanth's own veiled face. "Would you assist us, please? I can assure you that it would be more of a challenge than enduring the taste of the beer before you."

[Rock of the Fraternity]

"I little care for putting myself in harm's way, Gnome," Valanth grumbles, lowering her voice in response. She swirls her ale and seems to be considering the motion of the foam. "Then again, I find I care less for someone ripping apart live people with impunity. Tseh. What do you need, other than a suggestion that the Vistani usually carry everything a person might need -- provided the price is right? Bronze weapons should not be a problem. And if Vistani are unavailable -- usually the finest bells are made of such. Might you not petition the Morninglord's clergy to make a donation to this cause?"

[Ken of Ghastria]

"The Vistani?" says Khalfani. "No, I do not believe they are a resource for us. A temple of the Morninglord, though..." He scratches his stubbly chin. "Yes, that might be an option. In the meantime, we have another friend who has agreed to fashion brass weapons for us, but it will take a while.

"Right now, though, Marilee and I were going to examine the area of last night's ambush. In what remain of our daylight, perhaps we can find something that escaped notice in the confusion and darkness of the night. It is not my intention to put you in harm's way, Valanth -- embarrassment, perhaps, but never harm. I would ... welcome your insight as we search for clues."

[Ail]

"No, Thomas, not particularly close. There were no signs of the person running either. I'm just guessing she flew away, as I guess wouldn't be too far-fetched now" he shrugs.

[BigBadQDaddy]

Scene of Delsenora's murder - Rooftop and below

Thomas shrugs to no one in particular. "It was worth ruling out. I would hate to spend days, or worse, weeks preparing for a confrontation with a spellcaster when all that was required was profiling individuals particularly skilled in leaping."
He then turns to face his companions. "We are beginning to spread thin. Though it pains me greatly to say this, I do not believe this is in anyway related to our current case. I say that I am torn. Between seeing justice brought to two great allies and personal friends of my family and..." His voice noticeable rises as he trails off. Turning his gaze aside he takes in a breath clears his throat and continues, his mellow tone having returned, "...and the duty we have taken upon ourselves. What are your thoughts?"

[VAN]

Adam thinks for a moment and says:

"Well if you help me go on the roof Robert I can search for lingering magical aura. Maybe the attacker has casted a teleportation or flying spell as the woman we saw by Deselnora's body. Why that person hasn't used magic before I don't know. Maybe the woman appeared on the roof and got that person as well with her and disappeared again together I don't know. But I think I might find something if I get on the roof. As about what to do with the 2 appearing different cases, well since we are in 5 I think we should split. Khalfani and Marlene are already a group so we 3 can be the other one, or tomorrow we can change group. But for now I think the best thing to do is I go upstairs and check to roof and then go to Jacob's house."

[Ail]

"Well, it's settled then, at least for now. We have to do two things at once, so it's best not to worry how we are going to split tasks among them when we can do one at once. Yes, Adam, I'll help you up. Let me just climb and get a rope down."

Robert climbs the roof again, looks for a sturdy spot to tie a knot near the edge so that he can fasten his rope to help Adam climb.

[steveflam]

Adam climbs up with the help of Robert. Once Adam is up top it takes him a moment to cast his Detection of magic auras. The young man does detect a faint aura of Conjuration. As well there is a slight aura of Transmutation and Illusion there. Apart from that, there are no other schools of magic present.