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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Cypherblade" data-source="post: 9785610" data-attributes="member: 7048389">it's getting busy at the RHC[spoiler]<h2>Morning at the Festival</h2>We’re expected back at the festival in the morning.We’re supposed to check in with Sergeant Sarah Lockheart, but she’s not there — she’s investigating a theft at the museum.A while later, she arrives — and she’s clearly furious. Ayleen tries to cheer her up with some trinket, but Sarah’s in no mood. Apparently, Professor Hans Weber only wants to discuss the theft with the RHC, not the local police. In his eyes it's a matter of 'National Importance'.(We learn that Hans Weber is from Drakr.)At the Natural History MuseumThe museum holds many ancient relics, including artifacts dating back to the Age of the Ancients.Mr. Weber explains that several newly unearthed artifacts from the High Bayou (southeast of Bole, in southern Risur) were stolen.Professor Xambria Meredith had brought three magical items:<ul> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">A medallion (crafted of gold, decorated with fine filigree)</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">A sword (a golden, serrated longsword or bastard sword)</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">A staff (six feet tall, wooden, forked at the top)</li> </ul>The scholars aren’t even sure whether these were forged by the Ancients themselves, or by an even older civilization.The expedition had been funded by Caius Bergeron of Danor — a tiefling, and apparently connected to Lya Jierre according to the newspaper.Ayleen examines the display case under Kane’s guidance. She finds that two medium-quality locks were expertly picked, and the gold-thread seals around the case were stretched and torn. The threads had been woven with anti-magic properties.Further investigation shows a window at the back of the museum was forced open. In the bushes outside, Ayleen finds footprints from a woman’s boots (size 38). The prints clearly show someone approached, forced the window, then left the same way.The latch was broken from the outside with a crowbar — but the handle itself could only be opened from the inside. Likely done with Mage Hand.When we ask to speak with Professor Xambria, Sarïa notices Weber seems particularly worried about her. He also lets slip that Caius Bergeron is a generous patron, known for funding expeditions and donating to museums.At Hans Weber’s HomeProfessor Xambria Meredith looks pale, shaken, and confused. Felix and Sarïa question her gently.She used to work for another university, but just before this expedition, she transferred to Flint University. She’d received a tip from Caius about a ziggurat in the High Bayou and led a ten-person expedition there.They discovered the ziggurat in spring and immediately reported it to Caius, who was very interested in a “golden seal” — a kind of disc said to detect magical phenomena.But when Xambria briefly returned to Bole to gather supplies, she came back to find everyone dead.She suffers from blackouts and fragmented memories, but recalls tieflings being present — and one of them mentioned Caius by name.Meanwhile, Ayleen searches the house. Xambria’s shoe size is much larger than the prints at the museum, and there are no thieves’ tools or suspicious items in sight. Instead, Ayleen finds notes on theoretical research about the Ancients, but nothing about the expedition itself.The scholars think these items were gifts from another culture, because their is no clear evidence the ancients knew the art of goldsmithing.Felix tries to calm her with Suggestion, but it has no effect. Kane’s Guidance spell, however, works fine. We decide to cast Remove Curse on her tomorrow.Hans Weber accidentally lets a few details slip about the theft (which he didn't yet tell Professor Meredith), so we quietly take our leave.We begin to wonder: what’s Caius Bergeron’s real role in all this? He’s certainly suspicious — but if he wanted the relics, why not steal them at the ziggurat itself, three weeks ago?Back at the RHCWe ask Stover which task takes priority: protecting the expo or investigating the ziggurat near Bole.We decide to stay in Flint for the evening and attend the Kaybeau Arms Expo, and head to Bole tomorrow.[HR][/HR]Back at the Expo of New WeaponsAyleen spots the dwarf Kvarti Gorbatiy and smacks him upside the head. They argue — Kvarti denies any involvment, he just had a debt to pay and did so bu teaching Ayleen. He claims Lorcan Kell merely “sees Ayleen as an investment.”Kane notices someone at the firing range using a staff that fires Magic Missiles. But as the staff is fired, its color shifts to gold, and a trident-shaped symbol glows at its tip.Suddenly, a massive floating creature appears — a nightmare of eyes and tentacles hovering above the crowd. Panic erupts.Ayleen fires, but misses. Staf hits with one shot, doing little damage. The man wielding the staff steps forward and fires three Magic Missiles into the beast — but again, barely a scratch. Then, the creature grabs a dwarf and swallows him whole. Strangely, the dwarf emerges alive later, mostly unharmed — just missing a bit of ear. But at that moment, the monster becomes solid.Kane makes the wisest decision possible: he handcuffs the man with the staff.A good call — each time the man used the staff, a new creature appeared.Rock Rackus joins the chaos, firing his golden bullets at the monsters. One shot misses, killing a bystander, but still manages to blast the largest creature apart in spectacular fashion.Ayleen fires one precise shot after another, felling several smaller horrors. Staf bravely tries to gouge the eyes of the colossal one, but it has no effect.Eventually, we win the fight. Kane freezes the man with the staff and shackles him, handing the staff to Felix. Ayleen slaps cuffs on Rock Rackus. “Everything you say can and will be used against you,” she warns.The staff reverts from gold back to wood, carved with ancient spiral runes representing Water, Earth, Fire, and Air.(We know there are also elements for Time, Space, Life, and Death.)We take both Rock Rackus and the wizard into custody.Back at the RHC HeadquartersWe interrogate the wizard, Simon.He claims he bought the staff earlier that morning for a few hundred gold from a local Risuri woman — dressed in blue, with long black hair and green eyes. The deal was arranged through “Big Benny,” a middleman who operates out of the tavern The Tin Pot — Kell Guild territory.It’s odd that the three stolen artifacts were sold so cheaply.Could someone be deliberately planting them in the city to cause chaos?Suddenly, commotion breaks out in the RHC building.An elderly gray-haired man arrives — Lord Nigel Price-Hill — with retinue and announces an audit.Everyone is ordered to vacate their desks immediately as inspectors from RHC headquarters in Slate flood the offices.[/spoiler]</blockquote>

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