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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Cerebral Paladin" data-source="post: 1842892" data-attributes="member: 3448">Meanwhile, Lhovrik, Ginara, and Melania have been meeting with Master Verifax, Lhovrik's instructor.  Even at the special rate that he offers to the cath Kalissar family, it would cost several hundred gold to have him identify all of their finds.  Lhovrik decides to simply have Master Verifax teach him the spell to identify magic.  Master Verifax also agrees to attempt to identify the potions they recovered through mundane means.They spend a while talking, wondering what has been delaying Aurora and Dove.  Eventually, Dove and Aurora arrive and bring their friends up to speed.  They quickly agree on dividing up further investigation.  They worry that the kidnapping may be motivated by some of their enemies.  Vergdunians?  Or maybe Sildra, the thief and fence from whom they recovered the Galerian statuette.  Melania thinks that Sildra might be acting for revenge, but that it is unlikely because there's no way for her to profit from it.  Still, they need to chase the leads they have.  Lhovrik asks the butler whether his mother is available, but finds out that she is enchanting an item and cannot be disturbed to perform a scrying.Lhovrik travels to the Inquisitor's building and asks to speak with Inquisitor Telan, because he has become aware of another kidnapping.  He is sent into an office with no windows, where an Inquisitor-- it could be Telan, but how can he tell with the hood and face mask in place-- greets him and refers to a file.  Lhovrik can see that the file has to do with the Vergdunians.  He presses both on the question of any recent kidnappings, but also prods about whether the Inquisitors have arrested Talin Crelith, at which point the Inquisitor stops talking.  Lhovrik is finally shown out.Aurora, Dove, Melania, and Ginara head to speak with Marna's mother at her employer's place.  Marna's mother is very dismayed to hear that there is a problem with Marna.  Marna was always a good child.  Marna started working a little later than would have been ideal for the family, but after her older brother started working she needed to take care of her younger siblings.  Marna's mother works long hours, so the oldest child needs to take care of the younger children.  It was also difficult for Marna to find work; the competition is fierce, and of course, there's always competition from people who buy help.  "Not that there's anything wrong with that-- I got my start with this family as a debt-slave, before I worked my way to freedom."Sister Aurora asks the difficult questions.  "Did Marna have a boyfriend or other close friends?""There were lads who she would see sometiems.  No one particularly special.""What about her older brother?  Maybe he's seen her more recently.""I don't know.  We don't see him very much." She seems upset to be talking about her son."Who does he work for?""Hedron Minor cath Veda.  He's an officer.  My husband used to work for his father." No one recognizes the noble's name, but at least it's a further lead.  They head off to speak with the brother."What do you suppose the oddness about her son was?" Dove asks."Her son's a slave!  That's what she was embarrassed about." Sister Aurora explains authoritatively."I'm not sure about that," Melania responds.  "Most officers don't use slaves for servants.  In a dangerous situation, they want someone they can trust."They travel to meet Hedron Minor cath Veda.  Hedron is a young officer, and meets them with Marna's brother.  He refuses to allow them to speak to Marna's brother without him.  They ask Marna's brothers a series of questions about Marna but fail to find out anything useful.  Hedron Minor wishes them success.  He cares about Marna's brother.  "I was surprised when he asked me if I needed a servant.  Of course I said yes.""Why were you surprised?" asks Sister Aurora."Because his father was working for my father when they were killed.  My father was an officer in the Kobold War.  They often attacked the officers.  The fireball killed his father as well."Dove meets with Vannser, who shows her the letter.  He asks her to bring in her sister and the cath Kalissars.  When they meet up, Melania is there as well, to Vannser's chagrin.  Sister Aurora and Dove are suprised to find out that the kidnapping was about Vannser, not about them.  They examine the letter, but find out little.  Ginara can tell that whoever wrote it is fully literate, but not a scribe or someone else with a particularly practiced hand.  Lhovrik detects magic, but the note comes up clean.  Lady cath Kalissar has finished her tasks for the day, so Lhovrik asks her to scry on the owners of the two items.  She agrees, and takes him into her lab, where she moves back the lead barrier with a gesture and then activates her crystal ball.  Even with her ability, she is unable to produce an image for either of them.  "I'm sorry, dear.  They must be shielded," Lhovrik's mother gestures at the lead barriers she maintains to prevent scrying on her house.  "Assuming the best, of course."</blockquote>

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