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Message: <blockquote data-quote="sheelba" data-source="post: 448860" data-attributes="member: 7794">The heroes spend the day relaxing. They make a few changes in the house and Marius amuses Elahnor by not knowing how to set a fire.  Night falls and Marius retires to his room. As he finishes his prayers, the door opens and an attractive, exquisitely dressed young woman walks in.  Completely ignoring Marius, the stranger walked over to a bare wall and appeared to mime taking a book off a bookshelf. Marius stepped forward and tried to take her arm.  His hand passed through the apparition’s arm. Gasping, Marius stands aghast as the woman leaves.  After a moment’s hesitation, Marius follows her, only to find the hall empty.As soon as Elahnor has been roused, Marius insists that she help him change bedrooms.  The heroes return to their beds and the night passes uneventfully.  However, on waking, Marius again discovers a page missing from the rat-thing’s diary.   Discussing the situation over breakfast, the PC’s decide to visit the Temple of Hermes and, if one can be found, a temple to Hades. Marius in particular is concerned at the idea of a ghost stalking their home. The Temple of Hermes is easy to find, being just off the forum, next to the merchant’s Guild House.  Surrounded by a subtle garden and fronted by a classical portico, the Temple is the brightest sight the two had yet seen. Inside they meet a junior Pontiff, sitting at a table in the foyer.  Brief introductions are made, and the PC’s ask to speak to a senior Pontiff. Hermeticus, (as the young priest is named), informs them that the senior Pontiffs are performing a service and cannot be disturbed. Unable to enlist the help they were seeking, they spend the rest of the morning in supplication to Hermes.  As Hermes has been a patron of Marius’ for years, he instructs the uncivilised shaman in the proper ways to sacrifice.  Before they leave, they find out from Hermeticus, that their house has a reputation as being haunted.  It hasn’t had a tenant who stayed more than a month in twenty years.  They also get directions to the only chapel to Hades in the city.The walk to the graveyard takes them back through the near deserted forum.  Marius has a sudden idea and heads into the law courts, followed by a puzzled shaman. Bluffing his way in, Marius spends some time looking up documents relating to the house. One M. Hortentio Vigarius sold it to Cassiodurus seventeen years ago.  Periodically Cassiodurus has put the house up for sale, but to no avail.  Further digging reveals that the house was sold just before Hortentio’s marriage.  In addition, the name appears on so many Merchant Guild documents that Marius surmises that Hortentio is the Guild Treasurer.  It was early evening when the PC’s finally arrived at the Cemetery of Equites.  Narrow lanes passing through grim, if elaborate mausoleums form the roads. At the centre of this creepy landscape, an overly large tomb squats. It is the only building to have an open door. Calling loudly as they approached, Marius and Elahnor spotted a middle aged, black robed, soot encrusted man peering at them from inside the “chapel”.  They entered at the Pontiff’s offer and found themselves in a large room, empty apart from a small altar and a sleeping mat in one corner.  All round the room human skulls on rickety shelves stared at the PC’s.  Feeling somewhat vulnerable, Marius and Elahnor explain why they have come. The Pontiff explains that they must find the ghosts mortal remains and bring them to the graveyard.  Taking their leave from the Pontiff, they return to their ghost infested home.</blockquote>

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