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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Cypherblade" data-source="post: 9726012" data-attributes="member: 7048389">I really had to push them in the right direction, they still didn't put the puzzle together <img src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/joypixels/assets/8.0/png/unicode/64/1f641.png" class="smilie smilie--emoji" loading="lazy" width="64" height="64" alt=":(" title="Frown    :("  data-smilie="3"data-shortname=":(" /> [spoiler]We identify ourselves as RHC agents. The doctor begins stitching up Staf’s wound. We say we’re investigating the murder of Nilasa and ask him what happened that day. The doctor explains he wanted a visa for Ber to study humanoid races there and search for similarities.On the day of Nilasa’s death, the doctor saw the young woman fly out of the window. Then shots were fired, from inside. When she was impaled on the fence, a second shot followed. The doctor wanted to help her, but she simply handed him some papers and told him to keep them safe. When we ask for those documents, he hesitates. Staf loses his temper and puts the man in shackles. The papers contain secrets of national importance—we absolutely need them.Von Recklinghausen is on the run from an agent and sought help from people in the underworld after leaving the Blue Bird in a rush. The shooter who killed Nilasa had been chasing him, and the doctor had injured him, allowing him to escape. His rapier is made of specially treated material, a Danoran specialty. It looks dark, doesn’t shine, and isn’t magical. It’s highly effective against anything not of this world.Staf grows even angrier with the doctor and then steps out into the central chamber to cool off. As he walks around, he hears what seems to be hammering. Suddenly, in the dark, he’s stabbed in the back. He collapses, unconscious. We hear a thud as his body hits the ground. When I step into the hall and shine my light, it suddenly goes out.A fight breaks out in the main chamber: Agent X—slightly more manifested—along with two henchmen. X tries to get to the doctor, but we drive him back. The two henchmen go down quickly, and X flees. The exit suddenly closes with iron bars, but X shadow-steps through them.Outside stands a man in a purple cape, beside him a floating tray with a glass of wine. There are three carts outside, loaded with iron bars and barrels. Several rough-looking men linger nearby. One of the bars floats in the air, aimed at the entrance. From behind the bars, Sarïa fires a starry whisp at X, but the caped man introduces himself as Leone Quitall. He speaks with a Crisillyiri accent. There’s no need for more bloodshed—he only wants the doctor and the documents, and then everyone can leave in peace. He gives us one hour to think it over, sipping from his glass.Staf tries to pull the bars apart. At that moment, the floating bar shoots him, and he goes down again. I heal him a bit, and we retreat to discuss our options. In the back of the cave, there’s a small passage to a shrine hidden behind a curtain. Natural light filters down from above. Against the wall is another depiction of Urian. One of his eyes seems to glow. I examine it—it’s a button. We quickly retrieve the doctor’s papers from a hiding place in the ceiling, then I press the button. A small compartment pops open. Inside is something white and gold—a priestly vestment with a sun motif, still in perfect condition. I put it on.Felix, temporarily levitating from his wild magic, flies up through the shrine’s opening and emerges on top of the hill. He throws down a rope for us, and we climb up.We head away from our enemies, toward the Cloudwood. Felix says he’s seen Agent X in his current form somewhere before but can’t place it. Behind us, we hear an explosion. Felix sends a message to Gale, asking her to meet us at the late Nevard’s camp.During the walk, I attune to the vestments—Vestments of Blazing Mercy—which allow me, once per long rest, to cast sanctuary, grant me resistance to necrotic damage, and potentially blind any undead that hits me. When I cast a spell to heal a single creature, they gain temporary hit points equal to my cleric level (Wisdom modifier times per day). I cast aid on Sarïa, Staf, and myself.We keep thinking about where we’ve seen X before and eventually realize he’s MacBannin’s butler.We arrive at the camp in the Cloudwood. Gale isn’t there yet. We study the papers Nilasa had stolen—many are in the same handwriting. It’s a list of factories with figures on purchases and sales, plus notes on how many vials of black oil were found. At least two, possibly three, of the recent factory owners have been in prison, suggesting they’re likely straw men. All the factories we’ve visited in recent days where social unrest was brewing are on the list. Serious money must be backing this, as these aren’t cheap operations. There’s also an inventory of stolen goods and some official documents that could easily be forged by changing the names.After a while, Gale arrives. We update her. When we say MacBannin’s butler was X, she replies that the lights she saw in the Bleak Gate also moved toward the Nettles. Staf also tells her about the red dragonborn who started the factory fires—they’re for hire, and we could lure them into an ambush through a contact. We openly offer to help her with this so she can clear her name.We head back to the RHC with Von Recklinghausen. It’s about seven o’clock when we arrive. We place the documents in the vault, and Felix and I write up a report. After the others left, Felix and I store the papers in a second vault, leaving ordinary documents from Felix’s desk in the first vault. I place one of my gray hairs on that stack of paper.[/spoiler]</blockquote>

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