Valerian lingers in his room for a short while, taking a final few notes on the golem drawing and on his discoveries over the last few days, then prepares his spells for the day and comes downstairs.
He walks downstairs to greet the rest and once everyone has arrived he says "Last night I did a little wandering around New Cyre to... hear what I could hear. The only thing I was able to find out about our benefactor is that a man of that description has been seen entering and leaving the Prince's home.
"Not surprising. He is obviously not a simple junior minister, no matter what he may have been at one time."
I would like the opportunity to try to hunt these thing(s) down for a few days if we encounter them seeming as we are not under a tight schedule.
This will also give us a chance to see how we will all work together - our abilities and how best to complement each other's arts so as to make the journey to the Demon Wastes a little safer and more productive for everyone."
Valerian shakes his head. "I don't see how that involves us at all. I certainly won't dictate your decisions to you, but unless whatever or whoever it is attempts to attack us, I plan to stay with the mission. Still, information is always worth having, and we can at least keep our eyes out for it now."
OOC: Knowledge: Planes +12, Arcana +10, or Dungeoneering +10 for Ethereal Filchers and Ethereal Marauders.
I re-checked the spell description, and Amanuensisonly copies text. Le suck. I'm changing his spell list for today as a result.
As for marching order, Valerian would prefer to stay on/in a wagon if possible (more time for note taking/reading). If not, he'd be somewhere in the middle to the end of the group.
Shaking out the dew, Irthos nimbly climbs down the tree and walks back to town so as not to attract attention. It eats its rations before returning, eschewing any proffered food. As the others talk about their plans, it says nothing. There was no need. It waited.
OOC: Irthos will try to stay on a high place (top of a coach, etc.) in order to use his mobility if needbe. Middle front.
Oliver awakens with a start, the room was light now unlike last night. He looks down at Yatrax, still dozing, steps off the bed and begins to dress. Oh Paimon, you are always so much fun. His movement awaken Yatrax. Oliver smiles, "Not too early for you is it? We'd best get up and get ready for the road ahead," he says gently stroking her long dark hair. "Would you be a dear and go fetch us some breakfast? I didn't really have time to clean my weapons and armor last night, I'll start on that then."
If Yatrax leaves without trouble, I lock the door behind her, then begin to summon and bind Paimon once more. I ignore the door if she tries to come in, making a suitable bluff, "hold on, my mail is tighter than I remember."If she doesn't, I'll then volunteer to go downstairs. Once I am in the clear, I jump inside an unlocked empty room, bind Paimon and go get us breakfast. If she questions I attempt a bluff, something along the lines of "they had to make more, Arrgha'n eats a lot." Bluff +8/Diplomacy +10
The young artificer hadn't slept well, and it showed. Of course, he hadn't slept well in quite some time. At least he got the scroll done, but he wondered if a single one would do any real good...
With some of the others talking about hunting down some creatures on the way, Kurst was even more ill at ease. The last thing he wanted to do was go looking for extra trouble. However, primary on his mind was getting out of the city. Uncomfortable with the group as he already was, he was less than ken to raise his voice on the matter, opting instead to move his horse as near the center of the caravan as he could.
OOC: Kurst will try to stay as near to the middle of the group as possible, the less visible the spot, the better in his mind.
Kurst, noting that some of the others were already congregating towards the middle of the caravan, pulled back some, seeking to stay in the shadow of one of the wagons further back.
Oliver awakens with a start, the room was light now unlike last night. He looks down at Yatrax, still dozing, steps off the bed and begins to dress. Oh Paimon, you are always so much fun. His movement awaken Yatrax. Oliver smiles, "Not too early for you is it? We'd best get up and get ready for the road ahead," he says gently stroking her long dark hair. "Would you be a dear and go fetch us some breakfast? I didn't really have time to clean my weapons and armor last night, I'll start on that then."
When you wake Yatrax up, she simply sits up and pulls on her clothes and leaves, ignoring your comment. Not ignoring in the "How dare you speak to me, peasant!" kind of way, nor the, "How drunk was I last night that I ended up in bed with you?" but more along the lines of she didn't even acknowledge your existance.
Strange.
You take a moment to use the rest of the ink Yatrax left behind (you'll have to pick up some chalk or something if you keep binding indoors) to mark out Paimon's symbol on the floor, after shoving all the furniture out of the way. Paimon appears as you entreat for his presence, whirling on his bladed limbs, speaking his garbled voice, as you ask for his power in exchange for the experience in the real world.
Paimon gives a very crooked grin as he agrees, and you feel your face twisting slightly, once side of your mouth becoming bigger than the other. You feel Paimon lodge in your soul, and you know that today, Paimon has the better of you.
OOC: You only get an 11 on your binding check, so poor pact today I'm afraid
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
As the party slowly comes together and discusses their options, a burly and weathered man in neat traveling clothes comes up to speak to you, at the head of a dozen wagons. He bears the badge of the Transportation Guild prominently embroidered in fine threads on the breast of his tunic, so chances are he is the caravan master, something that's borne out a moment later.
"I understand you're our passengers," he says without preamble. "I'm Caravan Master Vorj Toppe... He trails off a little when Irthos and Maavnod come into view. Irthos literally by chosing the highest wagon in the caravan and perching.
"Ah, you aren't expected to fight if there's trouble, we have our own defenders for that," he continues after a second, gesturing at the men and women that are mounted at the sides of the wagons, all of them bearing the yellow and green badges of the Blademark's Guild. "But I wouldn't say no if you happen to pitch in against any bandits or beasts we encounter. We'll be making major stops at Starilaskur, Hatheril, and Xandrar before we get out of Breland, then Niern and Greenheart in the Reaches. After that, you'll be on your own, unless you want to strike out before then. It'll take us a couple of months to complete our rounds."
His expression is somewhat tight and drawn, a little closed and impassive. Both Irthos and Valerian get the impression
that he's rather reluctant to have you along, but has been forced into the situation. Probably this man owes Andoran a favor, and this is how he's repaying it.
The timeframe for the carvan isn't outrageous. It's a trading caravan, after all, and stops in each village to unload goods and pick up others. This isn't the fastest way to get from place to place certainly, but perhaps Andoran couldn't spring for the lightning rail. For one reason or another.
As the group loads their luggage and mounts up, Master Vorj begins the caravan, knowing it'll take a while to get it going. Thosing chosing to ride on wagons can find space in the kitchen wagon, and the group can string themselves out as they see fit. The apprentice caravaners and merchants, servants and guards generally all look at you strangely, but no one seems to want to talk to you. At all.
Oliver notices something when Yatrax rejoins the party. She seems pleased to see him even with his mouth all skewed and slanted, perhaps even more so than last night.
"I'm glad to see I didn't scare you," is her only comment.
The caravan moves out under the warm Brelish sky, heading westward. The day is overcast and the weather is slightly rainy, and most people plod along under their raincapes with the typical resignation of people who travel for a living.
Outside of New Cyre, farms and small villages dot the landscape, plants already growing profusely in the wet weather. There are still scars of war in some places, as evidenced by fenced-in graveyards of prodigous size, the occasional place where obviously some battle spell took affect, and the fact that the population of some of the towns is more dominated by the old and the young than those of fighting age.
The caravan stops at several small villages to deliver crates of various goods, picking up fresh foods and other agrarian products. Though you keep your ears peeled, so far no hints of the mysterious locked-room murders. Not until the end of the week anyway. You're within a day of Starilaskur, and the travel on the road has gotten thicker and thicker with other caravans, travelers, soldiers, and farmers. The large village of Ulman was to be your final stop before the large city, and when you had arrived, Master Vorj had conducted his business like normal, trading his set goods and then bedding the caravan down for the night. In the morning, the caravan was to finish up a transaction with one of the Guildmasters and then continue onward.
Instead you're awaked by shrieking in the dim light of dawn.
"Host's mercy! Host's mercy on all of us!" someone howls. The screaming is enough to wake everyone, and Vorj (and any of the party who so desire) go to find out the source of the wracket. A young man is backing away from the door of the Tanner's Guildhouse, keys in one hand and the other pressed to his face. The open door shows blood spatter on the inside, and those crowding around can see the mauled body of Master Tanner lying in the middle of the floor, clawed as if by some beast.
The young man's shrieks have roused much of the town, and it won't be long before the guards arrive.
Master Vorj stares at the body with a combination of shock and faint anger.
"Keeper's breath, it only needed that to make my trip complete!"
OOC: Valerian, while Arrgha'n's description certainly could be the work of an ethereal filcher and/or maurader, why they'd suddenly pop in and kill and rob with no reason or rhyme is odd. It would be more likely that someone is tempting or inducing them to come, or might be in league with them.
"Host's mercy! Host's mercy on all of us!" someone howls. The screaming is enough to wake everyone, and Vorj (and any of the party who so desire) go to find out the source of the wracket.
Valerian sighs with exasperation, but goes with Master Vorj to investigate. He was already up and prepared for the day, and there would obviously be no getting the caravan moving until the excitable peasant was calmed down and trade could take place.
Master Vorj stares at the body with a combination of shock and faint anger.
"Keeper's breath, it only needed that to make my trip complete!"
Well, it seems Arrgha'n's ethereal bugaboos have found him anyway. I suppose there'll be no stopping him now.
Valerian moves quickly about, first checking to make sure the corpse was actually a corpse, then checking to see if the wounds were consistent with Ethereal Filchers or Ethereal Marauders. After this cursory examination of the body, Valerian will cast Detect Magic and search the room the Master Tanner was found in for any clues, physical or arcane.
[sblock=Valerian chants, in Draconic (spellcasting)]"Great Ones, guide my eyes to visions of your glory."[/sblock]
OOC: Heal +2 (taking 10 for a total of 12), Search +6. Knowledges as appropriate to any clues that might surface (mostly +10; K: The Planes is +12).
If the Master Tanner is still alive, Valerian will cast a Cure Minor Wounds on him to stabilize him before searching the room.
[sblock=Valerian chants, in Elven (spellcasting) (only if Master Tanner is alive)]"May the grace of the Undying fill you for the slightest moment."[/sblock]
Arrgha'n strides through the gathering crowd to the crime scene, nods to Valerian, and takes a close look at the wounds on the body. He will look closely around to try to get a good idea as to which type of Spawn may have done this, and will search for any clues as to what they were looking for or what exactly may have transpired here. Perhaps for the tracks or evidence as to how many and what breeds were involved.
[OOC: Survival +7/9/11; Know (Dung) +7; Search +7
I really need the Investigate feat. Uggghhh! ]
