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Message: <blockquote data-quote="A2Z" data-source="post: 114031" data-attributes="member: 244">The Longest Night - Act OneThe InvestigationThe next morning finds Vallan rising early and, after grabbing some breakfast he decides to get an early start on the investigation on his own. Ethradan and Lincon are both nowhere to be found this morning. Seeking out Father Dumas he finds him in his study. In order to facilitate his search Dumas suggests a guide. Taking Vallan to the library he introduces Mericus, a scribe in the employ of the church. Mericus has been in Corvis a few months now and knows the city more than well enough to guide the dwarf in his investigation. After being given a talisman marking them as being on church business, and filling Mericus in on the robberies the two decide to set off for the Northern Graveyard, the closest of the sites.Vallan manages to find Ethradan in the church courtyard and after introducing their new comrade the three set off for the graveyard.The Northern GraveyardThe trip through the city is uneventful. Arriving at the graveyard they find it pretty quite. Wandering around a bit they come to a small stone building. Nocking on the door they are greeted by the graveyard caretaker, Gum Brocker. They proceed to question him about the robberies. Unfortunately he knows very little, he can tell them only that he found the graves the next morning dug open and missing bodies. He left them the way they were until someone finally came to investigate. That was a week ago. Mericus decides to take a closer look at the graves and finds that the caskets where forced open, whether by someone on the inside or outside is hard to determine.Asking if anyone else might have seen anything they find out that the only other person working today is a young man named Dordris who is apparently worked on the east end of the graveyard. After looking over both graves, and finding discouragingly little, they decide to talk to Dordris.As they are walking over to the other end of the graveyard they spot a man in the armor of a city guardsman standing over a grave. Deciding to speak with him they go over and introduce themselves. It turns out he is none other that the captain of the city guard himself, Julian Helstrom. The grave is his wife's who died three years ago. Introducing themselves as agents of Father Dumas, they ask him if the watch has any information about the robberies. Unfortunately, not having the man power to spare with the coming festival, the watch hasn't done any investigating and have nothing to help the heroes. Wishing them luck the captain makes his goodbyes and leaves the group.Finally making their way to the other end of the graveyard they find Dordris (what else?) digging a grave. After a short series of questions they find out that Dordris didn't even find out about the robberies until later the next day when he came in for work. As far as he knows Gum Broker didn't do anything to disturb the site. Finding the man less than a wealth of knowledge the party decides to move on.On the way out they pass Gum Broker, sitting on a bench with his lunch and a bottle of… something. Making comments along the lines of "tying one on a little early isn't he?" they chat with him a few minutes before leaving the graveyard.Standing in the street they go over their somewhat meager findings and decide to head to the bone yard, outside the eastern gate of the city.The Eastern Bone YardMaking their way out of the city and through the small collection of homes and establishments belonging to the poorer folk who cannot afford to live in the city, the group travels a mile down the road to the bone yard. They find the place a muddy collection of randomly placed graves and markers with no attendant in sight.The bone yard is where the poorest element of Corvis bury their dead. Unable to afford fancy markers and caskets the bodies are simply wrapped in shrouds and buried in a shallow grave with whatever can be found to mark the site. Searching this site is time consuming task but after a half hour the party comes upon a muddy hole in the ground. A small stone marker reads: Ham Hopliss. They've been lucky enough to find one of the graves they were looking for. That's as far as their luck takes them though. Apart from the hole in the ground there's not much else in there besides some scraps of cloth that must have once been a burial shroud. Deciding that the bone yard is a dead end the group chooses to head back to the church and see if they can find any information on the families of the stolen bodies.A little ways down the road they notice a man near the path. Coming up to him they see a dirty old man, one who has certainly seen better days. Mericus calls him over, hoping he may know something useful. Reluctant at first he eventually comes to them when Mericus flashes a silver coin. Attempting to get information from him proves difficult though. The man is obviously mad and he responds to their questions with answers that are far more likely fabrications then truth. Apparently he'll say anything if it means he'll be given some coin.Frustrated with the man Ethradan grabs him by the collar and attempts to threaten him. Screaming and kicking he manages to break free. Chasing him a short distance Ethradan tackles him to the ground. Covered in mud now he pulls up the man and drags him back to the group. Both Vallan and Mericus advocate realeasing him. "Obviously he knows nothing." they argue. Ethradan's not convinced and, adopting his most terrifying demeanor attempts to intimidate the little man. Apparently the sight of a white haired elven man with a two bladed sword strapped to his back yelling at him is a little much for the old man. Screaming in terror and trying to pull free the man loses all control of his…  shall we say, faculties. Disgusted, Ethradan finally lets him go. The crazy man wastes no time getting out of there.Not smelling very good at this point Ethradan is surprised when Mericus uses a minor spell to clean him up. Both Vallan and him were unaware that Mericus was anything more than a church scribe. As the dirt and muck fall away from Ethradan's clothing the group discuses their next stop. With the sun starting to set they decide to head back to the church and see if Father Dumas has any records on the families affected by the robberies.Back at the church they find Father Dumas in his study again. Asked if the church would have any records on the families Father Dumas tells the group that he'll set one of the initiates to look in to it tomorrow. Tired after the long, and somewhat fruitless day, Vallan and Ethradan decide to head to bed. Mericus decides to do some research in the library. Searching through the library's tomes he tries to find out if the coming festival of the Longest Night (a lunar eclipse) might have any bearing on the grave robberies. After a few hours work he is forced to conclude that there is really nothing to support his theory. Feeling tired, he heads to bed.(To be continued)</blockquote>

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