Final words...

[Kaodi]

" Get a hold of yourself, Zook, " says Veyk, annoyed by the gnomish scholar's sudden outburst. " We've got to take it one step at a time. For instance, assuming those goons employer already knew about the hunk of metal, then why did they need to reference his journal, instead of, say, destroying it? "

Veyk continues to flip through the pages, looking for names of comrades, commanders or suspects that can be investigated or interrogated, especially for any that might reside in Sharn. And of course, he looks for references to the Black Scrolls...

 

[Moggthegob]

Zook says " True... hmm I wonder if my experience in a library will help in this instance.
After Veyk is done with it, zook looks through the book for the most worn pages aside from those already referenced. Also, he looks for who was in charge of these meetings and who ,in particular, was proposing or in charge of "casualty conversion" and looks to see if later on they mention what they did with all the undead later.

Finally. Zook also looks to see if any of the names on the board sound Karrnathi and if these guys mention any sort of outside payment or alliance to the Order of the Emerald claw even in passing. For fun, he deciphers script in case any of it is in code Decipher Script check (1d20+9=23)

 

[JRYoung]

"By the Flame! Kae, look at this..." Rethlin shows the newspaper to Kae and summarizes the story in a wisper. "I am fairly certain I had nothing to do with this, what form of deception could this be?"

Maintaining his good name is something Rethlin takes very seriously, he is outraged. Such slander will reflect negatively on the Church, he knows he must resolve this quickly.

 

[Autumn]

Kae, having by this time recovered from her noodles, takes the paper and scans it with interest. "This... uhhh..." she looks up at him with consternation, and then breaks into a grin which she tries with limited success to constrain. Woah. Quite some story. But if I was you, I wouldn't be worried quite so much about how it happened... worry more about the next person who buys one of these papers and sees you standing around on the street in broad daylight."

Her grin has only widened. She seems to be rather enjoying this. "I'd say you've got two options. Turn yourself in and try to prove your innocence - bearing in mind that whoever set this up isn't likely to make it easy for you. Or else get off the streets and disguise yourself, leaving you free to clear your name without getting caught up in a lot of rules and regulations that are likely to be twisted and bent against you."

Kae is leaning idly against the wall as she says all this, twirling a lock of hair between her fingers. All in all she's a perfect picture of nonchalant disinterest. She might as well be talking about the weather. "Whatever you decide to do, though... I would make it quick, hmmm?" She casts a relaxed eye over the crowd of passersby, any of whom might have happened to read the article and any of whom might subsequently notice Rethlin and put two and two together.

 

[ajanders]

Zook in the Library

Zook's investigations take a while.
One thing he notes is that these meetings are old enough to have been declassified under the Brelish equivalent of FOIA: the committe meetings all occurred between 125 and 130 years ago.

These meetings were senior strategic military staff: all of them are native Brelish.
Veyk is aware people at this level of authority would have been carefully vetted by people like him or senior to him: if there was any concern about their loyalties, they would not be in those meetings.

The plan was marked as a contingency plan only, to be invoked only if a major Brelish city -- like Sharn -- was taken in battle. There is no indication the plan was executed, only prepared, so there are no undead to be taken care of.
The plan appears to have been headed by a half-elf named Tharglir Ezhin, who would have been the wizard responsible for creating a set of scrolls necessary to execute the plan -- these would have presumably been of Create Undead, Create Greater Undead, or both. He seems to have gotten the plan by default: nobody, including him, really sounds happy about the idea.

There are lots of notes scribbled in someone's rough cipher in the margins: Zook recognizes them as a pigpen cipher. He can translate them, but it will take another two or three hours. Getting this far has taken all the afternoon: it's about dinnertime now.
The rest of the party might be getting antsy...

 

[ajanders]

Kae and Rethlin

Nobody appears to have made the connection between the fiery infidel-and-sinner-smiting zealot and Rethlin. Yet.
But it's likely Kae has a valid point.

 

[JRYoung]

"I'll get out of sight, bring the others when they return please m'lady" Rethlin says to Kae and proceeds into the nearest alleyway. Out of sight he dawns his cloak to conceal the Silver Flame emblem on his surcoat and shield. He then proceeds to keep watch on the plaza as best he can, staying alert.

 

[Moggthegob]

Zook stretches and smiles. This stuff is right up my alley. Lots of ntoes written in pigpen cipher. I say we borrow this book so I can finish translating it later. Kae and Rethlin are expecting us and we have other leads to follow up on and I could use a good cup of tal and leg of lamb right about now. Zook getsup and collects his thing.

 

[Kaodi]

" Not a bad idea, I suppose. I'd certainly like to go back to one of my more familiar guises, " says Veyk. " Let's go. "

 

[ajanders]

It's been a long afternoon.
Rethlin hides in the alley and frets.
Kae sits by the packs, occasionally being flirted with by wizard-apprentice geeks and bard-apprentice BMOC's.
The Sharn Watch passes by regularly, but not with any particular attention.

Zook and Veyk check their book out of the library without too much trouble: the professional courtesy due Zook and the smooth social graces of Veyk ease bureaucratic sticking points and bend rules.
But the book is due back in a week and Morgrave University will be very disappointed in Zook if it gets overdue.

Zook and Veyk emerge into the evening to find Kae sitting on a bench.
Dinner and an exciting evening of deciphering stretch in front of Zook.