Chapter 5: Blood and Fire

[Jeff's backup]

"And what is to become of me?" Condign asks Lord Dassek. "I agreed to come willingly to Fairhaven. I have committed no crime and risked my life trying to save you and your ship. Unless every visitor to this town is required to relinquish his weapon, I will not part with mine."

[Jeff]

"I am well aware," Lord Dassek replies at Condign's words. "And have acknowledged myself. You will retain your weapons; they know of you. But if you are posed any questions, please answer them."

[Ken]

Belarin's eyebrows arch as he hears about the Inquisitive. "Oh, never met one of those before," he says. "That'll be a novel experience." Looking directly at Dassek, he continues, "Thank you. And I know I have some identification papers around here...." Despite his banter, there's a look of concern on Belarin's face, and he stares at the sheathed dagger he received from the Wood Mistress. He seems reluctant to part with it, but he shrugs and says nothing more for the moment.

[Josh]

"Let's be done with it, then. The faster I find a good meal, the better." Grafth removes his identification papers from his bag, and prepares to hand over this axe and daggers to Dassek when prompted.

[Jeff]

A short while later, three men of varying ages wearing well-tailored court uniforms arrive. The youngest carries a staff of wood and carved as if it had grown in a spiraling pattern from an unusual tree. The next, a man of middling years and a neatly trimmed beard, carries a wand of ivory. The third, and clearly the oldest, holds in one hand a shiny black orb that looks like it would be all too easy to drop.

All three men regard your party, settling their eyes on Condign last. Lord Dassek points first to Kal, Amal, Belarin, Charis, Streko, and Grafth, then to Ralsor and Lever.

The staff and wand wielders draw forth a series of clear vials and begin an incantation, while the orb—you're certain he's the senior wizard among them—stands in front of them. He says nothing, merely keeps an eye on everyone, all business.

Nearly ten mnutes later, two softly glowing blue disks shimmer into existence in front of the staff and wand wizards. Each is slightly concave and hovers four feet above the ground.

While most of you have seen this magical device once or twice before, only Belarin and Condign really knows what it is from their experiences and past education. It's a plane of force conjured for a temporary period of time and is known quite sensibly as a floating disk, a ritual first created by an antiquated wizard named Tenser. Mages have been using this ritual for centuries to transport equipment or heavy objects with very little physical effort. Kal has seen these disks used sometimes to transport chests of gold in mercenary transactions, but he was never involved in that sort of work.

With a wave of their hands, the staff and wand wizards direct the two disks to glide foward, one stopping to your left of your party, the other to your right.

"Please," the orb wizard says in a professional monotone, "Place your weapons—all of them, I'm sure I don't need to remind you—on this disk." He indicates the disk to your right. "And place your other personal effects upon this one." He indicates the disk to your left. "Once they have been examined, your personal effects will be returned to you presently. Your weapons will remain in our custody until we are ordered to return them."

The orb wizard seems to reconsider something. "Identification papers give directly to me." He holds out his right hand expectantly, the other still grasping the shiny black sphere.

"Where's the chronicler?" Lord Dassek says suddenly, irritation in his voice, only just now noticing—like the rest of you—that Fherina still hasn't come back from belowdecks. He heads down to find the nervous gnome.

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Arcana checks: Belarin (1d20+11=24), Charis (1d20+3=13), Condign (1d20+4=24), Grafth (1d20+3=8), Kal (1d20+8=10), Streko (1d20+7=8).

Hey, Ken. I think to help maintain balance, that otherwordly whispers will only apply whenever Belarin prompts it. That's more in keeping in with an encounter power anyway.

[Darren]

Kalarian does not smile as he places his identification papers into the man's hands. He then removes his sword belt and places it onto the floating disk. Next, he begins removing daggers from the straps around his leg, the pile on the disk growing larger than it seems should have been possible for Kal to have on him. Finally, he places his sharrash on the disk, and scowls at the man standing in front of it. He removes his pack and places it on the other disk, eyeing it for a moment. Whether he forgot or whether it was intentional, his ring remains on his finger.

With all of this done, Kal grins as he looks down at his canine friend. "Shall I place my Tangat upon the weapons disk, as well?" he says to the man, barely suppressing a laugh at his own sarcastic wit.

________________
Cause, see, Kal named Tangat after a Halfling weapon....

[Joe]

Streko reaches into his haversack and pulls out his identification papers without looking, then places the haversack onto the disc at the right. He doesn't bother removing his weapons from the sack. If they want them badly enough, they can get them themselves. He simply wants everything to remain in one place, where he knows how to get to them.

[Ken]

Belarin nods with respect at the orb wizard's apparent power, and he places the pact dagger and his mundane dagger on the indicated disk, then he places the rest of his items - including the belt pouch with the still-unidentified rings - on the second disk. Then he takes his identification papers* and hands them to the orb wizard. As he does so, he smiles, indicates the orb with a casual jerk of his head, and says, "Say, when this business is over, I'd like to talk to you about how that thing works. Fascinating, really, and I ... oh, wrong time. Later."

*The real ones.

[Josh]

Grafth readily hands over this pack, then places his axe and a handful of daggers onto the other disk. He looks away from the floating platforms with some hesitation (they obviously interest him) then proceeds to hand his identification papers over to the wizard.

[Jeff]

The orb-wielding wizard accepts the papers from Kal. He flips over the case and scans through it as Kal piles his weapons atop the weapon disk. He ignores Kal's joke, but looks up only briefly to see that the Mark of Sentinel can be seen upon Kal's right arm, as suggested by the "notable features" entry of the identification papers. Satisfied, he flips the case closed and tucks it under his arm.

The wizard accepts Streko's papers next. Reading the halfling's description, he says, "Your mark is upon your chest, I trust." It's not really a question, and he moves along without further comment.

The staff-holding wizard approaches the equipment disk and immediately unbuckles Kal's pack for perusal. Neatly he removes each item—small steel mirror, inkpen, tindertwigs, and so on—and places it upon the surface of the disk. Among the items are Goran's identification papers, a crystalline wand (from Alvek), and Alvek's ritual book. Flipping open Goran's poorly-maintained identification papers, the staff wizard says quietly, "Who is Goran Ys-Il? Was he among the wounded?"

Streko places his haversack upon the disk, and the staff wizard nods his head in acknowledgment but clearly wishes to address Kal's belongings before examining Streko's. The same is true of Belarin's pack.

The wand-holding wizard, standing at the weapons disk, watches Belarin place his weapons without interest. He turns to look at Streko, realizing the halfling didn't produce any weapons. But he says nothing.

"Say, when this business is over, I'd like to talk to you about how that thing works. Fascinating, really, and I ... oh, wrong time. Later."

The orb wizard stares at Belarin, unamused. The older man's eyes are intense, and for a moment Belarin feels certain he sees a tiny flicker of light. He wizard then flips open Belarin's papers and reads. "Brelish," he says softly. "What is your trade?" He accepts Grafth's papers, but does not open them yet.

Ralsor and Lever have not yet been prompted yet, so they stand back and wait.

[Jeff's backup]

Condign silently watches the exchange between his new companions and the wizards, his right hand resting loosely on the hilt of his longsword. The encounter is so quiet that you can hear the rustle of his chainmail shirt as the airship sways slightly in the air currents above Fairhaven.

[Darren]

It's his right. Right arm has the dragonmark, right leg has the straps.

Kal's face darkens with anger, frustration and sadness at the mention of Goran. "He was a companion of ours. He fell to posession at the hands of ir'Turian. He is no longer with us."

[Ken]

Belarin opens his mouth to respond to the wizard's question, but nothing comes out for a moment. Finally, he says simply, "Scribe, sir."

He nods grimly as Kal explains Goran's fate.

[Jeff]

"Scribe, sir."

"You are well armed for a scribe," the orb wizard says at this, indicating the two daggers Belarin placed on the weapons disk. "One of those is enchanted. " Yet he presses the matter no further.

He tucks Belarin's papers under his arm and flips open Grafth's. Eyeing the shifter for a moment, he quickly scans the document, then places it with the rest.

"He was a companion of ours. He fell to possession at the hands of ir'Turian. He is no longer with us."

"Ir'Turian," the staff wizard repeats, his tone neutral. "All right." He places Goran's papers down with the rest of Kal's gear. Next he indicates the lead case. "What is in here?"

Meanwhile, the orb wizard looks to Charis. "Your papers, miss," he says.

"Mine were taken from me by the servants of Malov ir'Turian." She says the name with emphasis, defiance on her face. "So I have none. But I can tell you what they would say. I am Charis ir'Vanatar of Flamekeep, in Thrane. My affiliations are with the estates of my family and with the Church of the Silver Flame. I came to Fairhaven on a simple errand but was kidnapped by the people we're here to fight. If you have a problem with any of this, kindly send a message to the ir'Vanatar household in Flamekeep."

The orb wizard's face darkens, then he shrugs. "You can explain all this to the inquisitive. It will be noted that your identification papers were stolen from you."

The wand wizard, standing at the weapons disk, regards the pile of weapons places so far. When Grafth puts his down, the man says with a slight smile, "That is a very excellent axe. Is it a weapon of your people?" He pauses, then says, "Should that...umm, device be placed on the other disk?" He indicates the flat cast iron bar that Grafth wears around his neck.

Lord Dassek returns to the upper deck then, the irritation on his face having graduated to quiet fury. "The gnome is gone," he announces to no one in particular. "I doubt we'll find her hiding in a crate somewhere...but when the inquisitive comes, we'll know for sure. What was her name again? She worked for the Chronicle, didn't she? Wonderful."

[Josh]

"That is a very excellent axe. Is it a weapon of your people?"

"Crafted by my brother; the finest I have ever held, of course"

He pauses, then says, "Should that...umm, device be placed on the other disk?" He indicates the flat cast iron bar that Grafth wears around his neck.

"This," he says, indicating the black bar hanging from a thick rawhide cord "is a symbol of my village, and must remain on my neck until I return. You are free and welcome to inspect it—you will see it is a mundane object—but I would prefer that this custom is respected."

[Darren]

Kal is about to answer the man when Dassek comes upstairs. "I'm not surprised that she's gone," he says. "She seemed like trouble, and now I'd imagine all of Fairhaven will know our business. Her name was Fherina, and yes, she worked for the Chronicle. Or so she told us. If you find her, feel free to..." Kal smiles. "Well, do whatever you want with her."

Kalarian turns his attention back to the wizard and the lead box. "That," he says, pointing at the box but not touching it, "is something that Malov ir'Turian would very much like to get his hands on. I would not recommend opening the box, though. The lead is keeping Malov from utilizing the scrying spell placed upon the contents."

[Jeff]

"You are free and welcome to inspect it—you will see it is a mundane object—but I would prefer that this custom is respected."

"Yes, I..." the wand wizard begins.

The orb wizard waves his head dismissively at the younger wizard. "That is fine. It has no magical properties."

"That...is something that Malov ir'Turian would very much like to get his hands on. I would not recommend opening the box, though. The lead is keeping Malov from utilizing the scrying spell placed upon the contents."

The wizard's brows come together and he frowns. He opens the lead case with one hand—the other still uncannily clinging to that orb—and looks askance at the book without removing it. "If that is so, spells can be used to negate scrying without the case at all. I will leave this for the inquisitive, but will offer our services to conceal it."

[Darren]

Kal reaches out a hand and gently closes the lid of the box. "That is well," he says calmly, "but we used the materials we had available to us at the time. As I said, for now, I would not want ir'Turian to know it is here. Having the scrying active may be...of use...to us later on." Kal removes his hand from the box once the lid is closed and holds both of them up in front of him as he takes a step back, showing the man he clearly meant no harm or offense.

[Jeff]

As the wizards continue their examination of your party's equipment, Grafth, Streko, and Charis are the first to notice...

Near to the far side of the city, a point of yellow-orange light appears to flicker. When Grafth, Streko, and Charis look at it for more than a few moments, they see that it not merely one of the city's many illustrious lights, but a very large fire.

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Passive* Perception: Belarin (11), Charis (18), Condign (11), Grafth (20), Kal (11), Streko (17).

* From the Player's Handbook: "When you’re not actively using a skill, you’re assumed to be taking 10 for any opposed checks using that skill. Passive checks are most commonly used for Perception checks and Insight checks, but the DM might also use your passive check result with skills such as Arcana or Dungeoneering to decide how much to tell you about a monster at the start of an encounter."

And "taking 10" is as if you rolled the d20 and got a 10. It's an average roll.

[Josh]

Grafth's brow furrows as he takes notice of the fire, but he says nothing.

[Joe]

Streko clears his throat and addresses the newcomers from Fairhaven.

"Gentlemen, I fear something large is burning in your fair city, if size and distance are of any import."

He points to the flicker of light he sees in the distance. "I'm sure it is nothing. On the other hand, Malov ir'Turien is known to dabble in items concerning Shavarath and other such destructive considerations. Perhaps it would be a good idea for you to get word to your people. Some might already be injured. As always, House Jorasco stands ready to assist you, should a request for our aid be presented to one of our representatives."

He looks directly at the orb-wielding wizard. "Shall I show you my chest now, my lord, as further proof of my heritage? Perhaps we shall stand here and discuss the matter while more innocents die needlessly. Maybe we shall simply sit around and await your inquisitive's verdict on something he knows nothing about, and of which, should Fairhaven be saved from ir'Turien's malevolance, we have little time to discuss?"

Contrary to his words, Streko smiles and bows respectfully to the wizard.

"In any event, I am at your service, my lords."

It is all the halfling can do to keep from frowning, suspecting, as he does, what has already begun to occur in this city.

[Darren]

Kal smiles, but then calms his features and places a hand on Streko's shoulder. "Be easy, Streko," he says. "We do not know for a fact if that is ir'Turian's work, anyway," he adds in the Halfling tongue. Looking at the mages, he says, "His concern is not for us, but for the city. All of us are concerned for what Malov might be attempting here in Fairhaven. That is why we are cooperating with you. That is why Streko seeks expediency."

[Jeff]

When the others—the wizards as well as the crossbowmen who still stand on the docking platform—turn to see the distant fire, there is a murmur among them. The orb wizard clears his throat, drawing their attention back to the business at hand. "It will be handled," is all he says.

Lord Dassek seems more concerned about the distant fire. "We've had a rash of arson lately," he says. "Probably unrelated, though." He turns to Condign, changing the subject. "The message Marshal Marin d'Deneith said you were asking to bear. To whom did you hope to relay it?"

Streko:

"Maybe we shall simply sit around and await your inquisitive's verdict on something he knows nothing about, and of which, should Fairhaven be saved from ir'Turien's malevolence, we have little time to discuss?"

The orb wizard looks impassively at Streko. The only indication of his irritation is when he walks over to the equipment disk himself and opens Streko's haversack. He seems surprised when it becomes evident that Streko's haversack is magical, containing an extradimensional space within. From its largest pocket he begins to draw forth its contents, some of which can barely fit through the opening itself...

An everbright lantern, a waterskin, a rolled up fishing net, a small mirror, an entire shovel, a pair of thunderstones, some small vials, a sunrod, ink, a healer's kit, a ritual book, some ritual components, a sickle, dagger, and several darts.

The orb wizard's eyebrows are raised. "A fine pack," he concludes, leaving Streko's equipment—like everyone else's—in an orderly pile for easy examination. Streko's weapons he carries over to the weapons disk.

The staff wizard next goes through Belarin's pack. He examines more closely the rings Belarin acquired from the ir'Turian sorceress, but ultimately leaves them where they are. At last, he holds up a bonelike scroll capped with silver—the one entrusted to him by the Emissary in the Whisper Woods.

"What's in here?" the staff wizard asks Belarin. The orb wielder takes it from his inferior and holds up to the light. "There is something of power in here. A ritual?"

[Jeff's backup]

Lord Dassek seems more concerned about the distant fire. "We've had a rash of arson lately," he says. "Probably unrelated, though." He turns to Condign, changing the subject. "The message Marshal Marin d'Deneith said you were asking to bear. To whom did you hope to relay it?"

Condign turns his gaze from the distant fire to look at Lord Dassek. The Aundairian's manner--his more alert stance, his frequent glances at the distant fire--belies his casual dismissal of the fire as coincidence. The tiefling blinks once, slowly, before answering: "Lord Marin d'Deneith bade me speak to officials at House Deneith. He believed that the information I bear may be useful to the Five Nations. And from those discussions, I may learn information that would aid me with my mission. However, given the circumstances'' he glances at the fire "that may not be prudent."

Condign pauses momentarily, considering his next words. "The message I bear," he continues, "is more a warning of danger. Danger to the Five Nations. It may or may not have something to do with that fire." Condign stands straighter, the tone of his voice becoming more formal. "I am but a stanger in a strange land. To whom do you believe I should relay my message?"

[Ken]

Aug 17, 2009 10:11:43 GMT -4 Jeff said:

The staff wizard next goes through Belarin's pack. He examines more closely the rings Belarin acquired from the ir'Turian sorceress, but ultimately leaves them where they are. At last, he holds up a bonelike scroll capped with silver—the one entrusted to him by the Emissary in the Whisper Woods.

"What's in here?" the staff wizard asks Belarin. The orb wielder takes it from his inferior and holds up to the light. "There is something of power in here. A ritual?"

"I suppose it is," says Belarin. "It's to facilitate communication between myself and another individual. Something I've acquired in my travels but have yet to use, sir."

[Jeff]

Condign:

"I am but a stanger in a strange land. To whom do you believe I should relay my message?"

"When we are finished here," Lord Dassek replies, "I can take you to the Deneith enclave. But what you have to say may be relevant to the Queen's court as well. I would ask that you speak with her representatives first, along with them." He indicates Kal and his party. "Perhaps they correlate, perhaps not. It would be a favor to me, as I prefer to remain with them to expedite their interrogation. As always, you will remain with me. You are not a suspect in their case."

He inclines his head towards Kal. "And I know once they have been processed, Lord Kalarian intends to go to the Deneith enclave, anyway. It would be easiest to do this together."

Belarin:

"I suppose it is," says Belarin. "It's to facilitate communication between myself and another individual. Something I've acquired in my travels but have yet to use, sir."

"Very well," the wizard replies, setting it down. "The inquisitive may desire to see it."

The wizards finish their brief inspection of your party's weapons and equipment. When they have finished, the orb wizard addresses your party again. "Leave your effects where they are. When the inquisitive has examined them, you can collect them again. Your weapons will remain in our care, close at hand, until you are released."

Next they assess Ralsor's gear: a rapier, a dagger, some minor items, and—what the half-elf says with a smile—"some pocket lint, but the inquisitive may want to make sure about that." He specifically points out the removable Siberys dragonshard that's currently affixed to the wheel of the ship, saying that it belongs with Grafth, is extremely valuable, and better not go missing. When Lever is asked to produce his personal effects, he places an appalling number of tiny prods and artificer's tools from the harness he always wears, placing them loosely upon the equipment disk. He hands over his identification papers as well, at which the orb wizard grunts and says, "We may need to check with the Canniths on this one."

A short while later, there is a stir among the crossbowman and wizards as the much-referenced inquisitive arrives.

It is a woman, not a man—a fact which seems to surprise Lord Dassek. She is tall, slender as most half-elves are, with light brown hair flowing out from under a brimmed grey hat. She wears a matching grey longcoat, opened at the waist, with leather armor showing beneath. You see no obvious weapons, but can guess she has an assortment of wands or daggers tucked away out of sight. She looks, quite simply, like what you'd picture an inquisitive from Sharn to look like: a bit of style, a bit of utilitarianism. On the left side of her face you see the Mark of Detection, resembling an artistic tattoo of violets and blues, like most dragonmarks. Her skin is smooth, her eyes bright and alert; she looks to be at least Ralsor's age.

She immediately withdraws her own identification papers from her coat—a slim metal case—and hands them over to the orb wizard. Lord Dassek walks over to see them as well.

"I am Lamara d'Medani, inquisitive and sometime retainer of the Warning Guild. I have been asked to investigate the Thunderhead and the suspects associated."

Lord Dassek and the wizards greet her, but you feel a certain amount of tension here, an echo of some ongoing jurisdiction war.

Lamara turns her eyes on your group, studying each of you quickly, but with clinical appraisal. When she looks at Condign, her eyes linger for a moment with professional interest.

"You're innocent of all charges, I assume?" she says to your party with the hint of a smile. "And the clues will no doubt confirm it?"

[Ken]

"Yes!" says Belarin brightly. "I had heard spectacular things about the Inquisitives' knack for determining the truth, but this...! Marvelous."

Chuckling, yet shaking his head as though chastising himself, he takes a step forward and bows his head for a moment. "Belarin Malizia, at your service, madam. And in all honesty -- an appropriate word today -- we sincerely hope that you DO determine the truth quickly. The less time spent here, the more time there will be for you to alert the authorities to a grave threat."

[Josh]

Grafth regards the inquisitive with relative interest. He stands still and attempts to remain impassive, but when she refers to 'clues', he can't help but roll his eyes.

[Joe]

Streko is, despite himself, interested. "The sooner you begin your investigation, Master Inquisitive, the sooner we can assist the Five Nations in defeating the ir'Turian threat."

[Darren]

Aug 18, 2009 11:48:06 GMT -4 Jeff said:

Next they assess Ralsor's gear: a rapier, a dagger, some minor items, and—what the half-elf says with a smile—"some pocket lint, but the inquisitive may want to make sure about that."

Kalarian cannot stop himself and laughs out loud at Ralsor's comments.

As the Inquisitive approaches, he eyes her with interest. Listening to her speak and his friend's responses, he takes a step forward, ahead of his friends and closer to the Inquisitive. "Innocence is rarely the issue. It is motive that matters." He stops and holds up his hands. "We have no interest in playing games with you. Tell us what you seek and how we can help and we will comply."