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<blockquote data-quote="Cerebral Paladin" data-source="post: 792959" data-attributes="member: 3448">Session 3 (cont'd):2/10/752Ev©+†ne seeks out training the next day.&nbsp; Lhovrik spends most of the day in class with a few other enchanters studying under Master Verifax.&nbsp; Ginara spends some time in the fencing studio where she practices sword play.&nbsp; Dove has a mix of guard duty and sparring on the practice fields.&nbsp; Melania seeks out one of her parents' friends, and begins studying with him, mostly by playing accompaniment for his performances.&nbsp; Sister Aurora spends her day in prayer and study.In the late morning, after a conversation about the morality of concealing her identity, Sister Aurora sends a note by courier to Melor cath Nortis.&nbsp; The note is short: &quot;Your butler, Tendros, is not trustworthy.&nbsp; I cannot tell you how I know this.&nbsp;&nbsp; --Sister Aurora.&quot; She gives the messenger strict instructions to deliver the message only to Melor cath Nortis personally.About an hour later, Sister Aurora is attending to minor duties in the sanctuary of the temple, under the great dome.&nbsp; Father Daybreak enters and walks over to her, appearing somewhat agitated.&nbsp; &quot;Sister Aurora.&nbsp; Would you join me in my office?&quot;Aurora follows her mentor back to his office.&nbsp; As she enters, she sees a man standing in the small room.&nbsp; The man has a long black cloak on over dark robes.&nbsp; His hands are covered by black leather gloves.&nbsp; His face is completely shrouded by featureless black cloth that completely envelopes his head under his hood.&nbsp; Sister Aurora immediately recognizes him as an Inquisitor.The Inquisitor lays a small piece of reused parchment on the table.&nbsp; &quot;Did you send this note?&quot;Aurora looks at the note.&nbsp; &quot;Yes.&quot;&quot;How do you know the cath Nortis butler is untrustworthy?&quot;&quot;I cannot say.&nbsp; I promised that I wouldn't say.&quot;&quot;But you know that he is?&quot;&quot;Yes.&quot;&quot;You must tell me everything that you know about this.&quot;Father Daybreak interrupts forcefully.&nbsp; &quot;Did you gain this information through a sacramental rite?&quot;&quot;No, Father.&nbsp; But I promised that I would not tell.&quot;Father Daybreak gently addresses Aurora.&nbsp; &quot;Are you sure that it's best that you keep your promise to not tell how you know?&nbsp; It's very important that you help the Inquisitor.&quot;&quot;How can I know whether I should break a promise?&nbsp; I was entrusted with knowledge because I promised I would only record that knowledge in the permanent, secret records.&quot;&quot;Sister Aurora, you must weigh that for your self.&nbsp; And perhaps you should think about this the next time you promise to not reveal information.&nbsp; But you must decide whether the Inquisitor's important work outweighs your promise.&quot;&quot;Yes, Father.&nbsp; I think it does.&quot;The Inquisitor cuts in.&nbsp; &quot;Father Daybreak, would you excuse us.&nbsp; I would like to speak to Sister Aurora alone.&quot;&quot;No.&quot; Father Daybreak's response is calm, moderate, and implacably firm.The frustration in the Inquisitor's voice is obvious.&nbsp; &quot;Very well.&quot; He pauses a moment.&nbsp; &quot;You've been to the cath Nortis household recently?&quot;&quot;Yes, I was there two days ago.&nbsp; Melor cath Nortis is a liar.&nbsp; He lies about his military service and his family's accomplishments.&quot;&quot;Really?&nbsp; Did he not fight in the war against the kobolds?&quot;&quot;He probably did, but the main battle he fought in was almost nothing like what he described.&nbsp; And his grandfather couldn't possibly have fought in the Second Battle of Calimdras forty years ago; the Second Battle of Calimdras was 46 years ago.&quot;&quot;Enough,&quot; the Inquisitor waves this line of discussion to silence.&nbsp; &quot;You realize that this is a murder investigation?&quot;&quot;Murder?&nbsp; Who died?&quot;The Inquisitor gives no response.&quot;Who died?&quot;&quot;So you understand why your cooperation is important.&quot;&quot;I can't break my promise.&nbsp; But who died?&quot;The Inquisitor still does not answer.&nbsp; &quot;Sister Aurora, would you get a cup of wine for Father Daybreak and myself?&quot;Sister Aurora leaves the room, badly shaken.&nbsp; As she goes to fetch the wine, she sees Lhovrik, who has come to the church to purchase some potions of healing and asked to see her while he was there.&nbsp; He greets her.&quot;It's terrible Lhovrik.&nbsp; Someone was murdered in the cath Nortis household!&quot;Lhovrik is nearly as badly shaken by the news as Aurora.&nbsp; While she returns with the wine, he promises to investigate.&nbsp; Lhovrik rushes to Ginara's fencing hall.&quot;Someone was murdered in the cath Nortis house.&quot;&quot;Who?&nbsp; I hope it wasn't Calia...&quot;&quot;Aurora doesn't know.&nbsp; She's with the Inquisitor investigating it.&quot; He thinks for a moment.&nbsp; &quot;I know who it was.&nbsp; Sildra must have figured out that Tendros betrayed her and killed him for it.&quot;The two agree to meet after their afternoon lessons to investigate further.The Inquisitor and Father Daybreak have put on their outer coats by the time Sister Aurora returns.&nbsp; They ignore the wine completely.&nbsp; The Inquisitor speaks to Sister Aurora.&nbsp; &quot;I would like you to accompany me.&nbsp; I want you to look at the body.&quot;&quot;Who died?&quot; Sister Aurora says again, plaintively.Neither answers.&nbsp; Sister Aurora gathers her outdoor clothes, and the three head out of the temple.&nbsp; After a few minutes walk, they arrive at the Inquisitorial base for the quarter of town that includes the cath Nortis household.&nbsp; The Inquisitor leads Sister Aurora and Father Daybreak into a back room.Large stone tables dominate the windowless, well-lit room.&nbsp; On one of the tables a body lies shrouded in coarse white cloth.&nbsp; The Inquisitor pulls back the sheet, revealing a slender, nondescript man, with short cropped hair and a few scars from prior wounds.&nbsp; &quot;Do you know who this man is?&quot;Aurora stares at the corpse.&nbsp; &quot;I've never seen him before.&nbsp; Who is he?&quot;&quot;He is the person who died at the cath Nortis household.&quot;Sister Aurora looks at the body a little more.&nbsp; The body has no obvious wounds, but there is dried blood around both ears.&nbsp; &quot;How did he die?&quot;&quot;We are not entirely sure.&nbsp; There was a break-in.&nbsp; Several burglers entered.&nbsp; He was the only one who did not leave.&nbsp; The intruders stole a statue of Galerius; according to Melor cath Nortis, it was extremely valuable.&nbsp; During the break-in, there was a tremendous noise.&nbsp; It woke everyone in the house and people in several neighboring houses.&nbsp; When the family and servants emerged from the wounds, they found this body in front of the family shrine, where the statue was.&quot;Father Daybreak nods.&nbsp; &quot;The blood from the ears is similar to the injuries from people who have been affected by the holy spell of Soundburst.&nbsp; That would also explain the loud noise.&nbsp; It's a strange effect for a religious item to produce spontaneously, but perhaps one of cath Nortis's ancestors had it warded.&quot;The Inquisitor turns towards Sister Aurora.&nbsp; &quot;Can you tell us anything further?&quot;&quot;I don't know who he was; I've never seen him before.&nbsp; I saw Melor cath Nortis handle the statue without any bad effects.&nbsp; I can't say anything further.&quot;Convinced at last that he will not be able to get any useful information from Sister Aurora, the Inquisitor allows her to leave.All five young heroes gather to discuss what has happened.&nbsp; Sister Aurora shares what she found out and theorizes that Kinric placed a magical trap on the statue that he substituted.&nbsp; After some discussion, the group dispatches Ginara to inform Kinric.Kinric welcomes Ginara and listens attentively to her description of the news.&quot;Thank you for telling me.&nbsp; I'll handle this.&nbsp; The Inquisitors will not bother your friends or you about this further.&nbsp; Don't investigate the theft further.&nbsp; The operation is complete, and I don't want to provide any indication that we know more about the situation.&nbsp; It could also be dangerous for you.&nbsp; Thank you for your help in this matter.&quot;End of Session 3</blockquote>

[QUOTE="Cerebral Paladin, post: 792959, member: 3448"] Session 3 (cont'd): 2/10/752 Ev©+†ne seeks out training the next day. Lhovrik spends most of the day in class with a few other enchanters studying under Master Verifax. Ginara spends some time in the fencing studio where she practices sword play. Dove has a mix of guard duty and sparring on the practice fields. Melania seeks out one of her parents' friends, and begins studying with him, mostly by playing accompaniment for his performances. Sister Aurora spends her day in prayer and study. In the late morning, after a conversation about the morality of concealing her identity, Sister Aurora sends a note by courier to Melor cath Nortis. The note is short: "Your butler, Tendros, is not trustworthy. I cannot tell you how I know this. --Sister Aurora." She gives the messenger strict instructions to deliver the message only to Melor cath Nortis personally. About an hour later, Sister Aurora is attending to minor duties in the sanctuary of the temple, under the great dome. Father Daybreak enters and walks over to her, appearing somewhat agitated. "Sister Aurora. Would you join me in my office?" Aurora follows her mentor back to his office. As she enters, she sees a man standing in the small room. The man has a long black cloak on over dark robes. His hands are covered by black leather gloves. His face is completely shrouded by featureless black cloth that completely envelopes his head under his hood. Sister Aurora immediately recognizes him as an Inquisitor. The Inquisitor lays a small piece of reused parchment on the table. "Did you send this note?" Aurora looks at the note. "Yes." "How do you know the cath Nortis butler is untrustworthy?" "I cannot say. I promised that I wouldn't say." "But you know that he is?" "Yes." "You must tell me everything that you know about this." Father Daybreak interrupts forcefully. "Did you gain this information through a sacramental rite?" "No, Father. But I promised that I would not tell." Father Daybreak gently addresses Aurora. "Are you sure that it's best that you keep your promise to not tell how you know? It's very important that you help the Inquisitor." "How can I know whether I should break a promise? I was entrusted with knowledge because I promised I would only record that knowledge in the permanent, secret records." "Sister Aurora, you must weigh that for your self. And perhaps you should think about this the next time you promise to not reveal information. But you must decide whether the Inquisitor's important work outweighs your promise." "Yes, Father. I think it does." The Inquisitor cuts in. "Father Daybreak, would you excuse us. I would like to speak to Sister Aurora alone." "No." Father Daybreak's response is calm, moderate, and implacably firm. The frustration in the Inquisitor's voice is obvious. "Very well." He pauses a moment. "You've been to the cath Nortis household recently?" "Yes, I was there two days ago. Melor cath Nortis is a liar. He lies about his military service and his family's accomplishments." "Really? Did he not fight in the war against the kobolds?" "He probably did, but the main battle he fought in was almost nothing like what he described. And his grandfather couldn't possibly have fought in the Second Battle of Calimdras forty years ago; the Second Battle of Calimdras was 46 years ago." "Enough," the Inquisitor waves this line of discussion to silence. "You realize that this is a murder investigation?" "Murder? Who died?" The Inquisitor gives no response. "Who died?" "So you understand why your cooperation is important." "I can't break my promise. But who died?" The Inquisitor still does not answer. "Sister Aurora, would you get a cup of wine for Father Daybreak and myself?" Sister Aurora leaves the room, badly shaken. As she goes to fetch the wine, she sees Lhovrik, who has come to the church to purchase some potions of healing and asked to see her while he was there. He greets her. "It's terrible Lhovrik. Someone was murdered in the cath Nortis household!" Lhovrik is nearly as badly shaken by the news as Aurora. While she returns with the wine, he promises to investigate. Lhovrik rushes to Ginara's fencing hall. "Someone was murdered in the cath Nortis house." "Who? I hope it wasn't Calia..." "Aurora doesn't know. She's with the Inquisitor investigating it." He thinks for a moment. "I know who it was. Sildra must have figured out that Tendros betrayed her and killed him for it." The two agree to meet after their afternoon lessons to investigate further. The Inquisitor and Father Daybreak have put on their outer coats by the time Sister Aurora returns. They ignore the wine completely. The Inquisitor speaks to Sister Aurora. "I would like you to accompany me. I want you to look at the body." "Who died?" Sister Aurora says again, plaintively. Neither answers. Sister Aurora gathers her outdoor clothes, and the three head out of the temple. After a few minutes walk, they arrive at the Inquisitorial base for the quarter of town that includes the cath Nortis household. The Inquisitor leads Sister Aurora and Father Daybreak into a back room. Large stone tables dominate the windowless, well-lit room. On one of the tables a body lies shrouded in coarse white cloth. The Inquisitor pulls back the sheet, revealing a slender, nondescript man, with short cropped hair and a few scars from prior wounds. "Do you know who this man is?" Aurora stares at the corpse. "I've never seen him before. Who is he?" "He is the person who died at the cath Nortis household." Sister Aurora looks at the body a little more. The body has no obvious wounds, but there is dried blood around both ears. "How did he die?" "We are not entirely sure. There was a break-in. Several burglers entered. He was the only one who did not leave. The intruders stole a statue of Galerius; according to Melor cath Nortis, it was extremely valuable. During the break-in, there was a tremendous noise. It woke everyone in the house and people in several neighboring houses. When the family and servants emerged from the wounds, they found this body in front of the family shrine, where the statue was." Father Daybreak nods. "The blood from the ears is similar to the injuries from people who have been affected by the holy spell of Soundburst. That would also explain the loud noise. It's a strange effect for a religious item to produce spontaneously, but perhaps one of cath Nortis's ancestors had it warded." The Inquisitor turns towards Sister Aurora. "Can you tell us anything further?" "I don't know who he was; I've never seen him before. I saw Melor cath Nortis handle the statue without any bad effects. I can't say anything further." Convinced at last that he will not be able to get any useful information from Sister Aurora, the Inquisitor allows her to leave. All five young heroes gather to discuss what has happened. Sister Aurora shares what she found out and theorizes that Kinric placed a magical trap on the statue that he substituted. After some discussion, the group dispatches Ginara to inform Kinric. Kinric welcomes Ginara and listens attentively to her description of the news. "Thank you for telling me. I'll handle this. The Inquisitors will not bother your friends or you about this further. Don't investigate the theft further. The operation is complete, and I don't want to provide any indication that we know more about the situation. It could also be dangerous for you. Thank you for your help in this matter." End of Session 3 [/QUOTE]

Verification