# Adventures Across Khorvaire - Chapter 1: Reflections



## Mista Collins (Mar 9, 2008)

*Adventure Across Khorvaire*
_Chapter 1: Reflections_
*In-Character Thread: *http://www.enworld.org/showthread.php?t=221177
*Out-of-Character Thread: *http://www.enworld.org/showthread.php?t=219775&page=1
*Rogues Gallery: *http://www.enworld.org/showthread.php?t=220488


_Aryth, Mol 13th_ - As the wind sweeps in from the west, a lady tightens her cloak to protect her from the late autumn chill. She hands over her coin to the merchant and continues on her way. The first signs of winter are starting to arrive and the lands to the north will soon be covered in snow. Though it usually doesn't accumulate in this area of Breland, the air does gets chilly and the occasional flurries do happen. The wind continues to sweep through the streets, through the cracks of shop doors, and across Morgrave University. Nothing could ruin a day like today.

It doesn’t happen often on the Wroat campus of Morgrave University, but it is always an exciting day when you get the opportunity to sit in on and listen to a Thunder Guide speak, and this afternoon is no different. Sir Montlero ir”Grithop, a Thunder Guide who has traveled across Khorvaire, will be speaking about the intricacies and difficulties of dealing with the Sahuagin during his various excursions to Xen’Drik. 

In the cramped corridors of Grea Tower, six individuals are gathered in the dormitories before heading to the lecture. The virtual catacomb of chambers inhabiting the lower levels of the tower protect them from the chilly winds outside. 

Making their way past the numerous private rooms of the dorms, the group can't help but get excited about the lecture. As they move down the corridor, it seems the autumn wind has caused one of the doors to remain slightly open, revealing a body hunched in corner on the far end of the room.

Se'ket is the first to notice it, but the others quickly spot it also before she gets the chance to point it out. It seems that the "nothing" is just about to ruin their day...


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## Starman (Mar 9, 2008)

"Who's that?" Drigg exclaims, shoving open the door and darting into the room.


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## Isida Kep'Tukari (Mar 9, 2008)

*Se'ket, female humad druid*

Se'ket cocks her head to the side in an inquiring manner, her short black hair swinging against her neck as she regards the body.  After a second she pushes the door open further, stands in the doorway and watches the scene around the fallen form.  

"Sleeping?  Or gone to the earth?" she asks of no one in particular.  "Dead, I think."  With that she enters the room and steps lightly towards the body, wanting to know how it died.


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## pathfinderq1 (Mar 9, 2008)

"Nah, he's probably just sleeping off a drunk, too far gone ta even lock his door," Sven said quietly taking no more than a quick peek through the doorway.  He had seen enough students like that before- most of the time when he was doing his job as a custodian, and he ended up being responsible for the clean-up afterwards.  "Let's just let the poor guy rest his aching head- we don't want to miss the start of that lecture."  Mostly, though, Sven knew he didn't want to get roped into helping clean this kind of mess up- not today, one of his rare days off.


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## Shayuri (Mar 10, 2008)

Tome follows the others in, his joints squeaking and moving a bit stiffly from the cold air.

"Even if he's only passed out he may require medical attention," the warforged points out. "We should check to see if he's alive, then one of us should seek a faculty member."


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## nick012000 (Mar 10, 2008)

Isida Kep'Tukari said:
			
		

> Se'ket cocks her head to the side in an inquiring manner, her short black hair swinging against her neck as she regards the body.  After a second she pushes the door open further, stands in the doorway and watches the scene around the fallen form.
> 
> "Sleeping?  Or gone to the earth?" she asks of no one in particular.  "Dead, I think."  With that she enters the room and steps lightly towards the body, wanting to know how it died.




"Is that pessimism or optimism I hear in your voice there, Se'ket?" asks Kamarna'darak, with a slight smirk.

Turning to the others, he gets a bit more serious, and states, "I don't know much about medicine and whatnot, so I'll just stand here and watch. Sven should probably be the one to go for the guards, if neccessary, as being one of them, he should know the fastest way to get to the closest station, right?"


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## Velmont (Mar 10, 2008)

Saellin was looking over the shoulder of Sven. "I don't know him" replies Saellin to Drigg. "You think he might be dead? He look just like death drunk."


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## Mista Collins (Mar 10, 2008)

The door hinges creak as Drigg pushes them forward and moves into the room. Beyond the door many bottles, adventuring equipment, and garbage litter the cell. The room is a mess from all the equipment that appears to have been tossed about. A solitary figure; shriveled, male, most likely human, with dark but graying hair, and as still as dead crouches in the far side of the room, face in the corner.

Se'ket moves across the room to examine the body. She carefully moves the body out of the corner and is shocked at what she sees. The eye's of the corpse are open wide, and his facial muscles are locked in a visage of agony and fright. He clenches a dagger stiffly in his right hand, the hilt made of bone with portions of strange writing barely visible under the rigamortis grip. It is something completely different that catches Se'ket's interest.

The front of the figures shirt is torn open, and carved into the skin and muscle of his chest are the words _"Aryth in Tiamat they come."_ Sven, Kamarna'darak, and Tome believe this must reference the current cosmic conjunction. The Eberron moon Aryth is currently in the house of the constellation Tiamat, with the conjunction reaching its zenith either tonight or tomorrow depending on how one measures the zenith of constellations.

Given the dried blood on the blade of the dagger, and the angles of the writing, it's obvious that he carved them into his own skin. With her experience of dead bodies, it is obvious the cuts are too shallow to be the cause of death.

Further looking for the cause, Se'ket examines the rest of the body and finds other wounds giving evidence that he was in scuffle within the last 24 hours. There is a puncture wound on his left thigh, a slash wound on his lower back, and strange bite marks on his right calf. Again, these wounds aren't enough to be the cause of his death.

As the druid is examines the body, Saellin is surprised to find out that he does indeed recognize the man. The distorted face belongs to that of Delvron Gaunt, an older student and aid to one of the professors here on campus. He's been living in Grea Tower for a little over a month now and is known for his vicious temper. Many believe his temper stems from him being a veteran of the Last War or from his homeland of Cyre being destroyed.

As the others stand just inside the doorway watching Se'Ket examine the body, they notice that a few other students have noticed also. Slowly a small crowd starts to gather, no doubt the word already starting to spread.


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## pathfinderq1 (Mar 10, 2008)

Sven hung his head in dismay as soon as he realized the man was quite thoroughly dead- what a mess this was going to be...  "All right, then," he said after a bit, rather reluctantly trying to put soem order to things.  "Let's get everybody out of there, and close up the room until somebody official takes charge- we don't want to get blamed for any of this bloomin' disaster."  He turned to the gathering clot of curious students, looking for anyone he recognized.  "You there, Terfel!  Go get one of the dorm proctors and we'll start wrapping this up.  Looks like we're gonna miss that lecture after all, gang..."


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## Starman (Mar 11, 2008)

Drigg shakes his head sadly, running a hand through his thick, blond hair. _Why is there always so much death?_ "I think we were meant to find this person. I think we need to find out what happened and secure justice for this man."


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## Velmont (Mar 11, 2008)

Saellin looks at the corpse. He stares a moment as Se'ket inspect it. "Delvron Gaunt, a new student, aid of some teacher, a bit of a jerk, but it must be a lasting effect of being a veteran of the Last War. Why would someone do that to himself?"

As he hears Drigg, he turns with surprise. "I didn't remember we were part of the security of this university. I must have been drunk during the night we get promoted. Why not let the authorities do there work and help them by not getting in there way?"


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## pathfinderq1 (Mar 11, 2008)

Even as Drigg spoke, Sven heard a voice deep within himself shouting out in agreement- but he had heard that voice before, and he exerted his will to squelch it, before any hint of enthusiasm registered on his face.  Instead, he kept his normal worried, hangdog sort of look, and raised one hand in placation.  "I ain't saying that ain't so, but we still need to hand this off, at least for now.  If we don't let the University take charge, at least on the surface, they'll be sending the Inquisitives after us."  He looked back down the corridor, and at the crowd of other witnesses.  "Now even if that kid I sent goes right quick, it'll be a bit before somebody actually shows up..."  He dropped his voice to a whisper, so only his compatriots could easily hear.  "Now why don't a few of you sharp-eyed types see what clues there are- but don't touch nothing, or take anything important that could point to any of us later.  That way, they can do their looking, and we can do ours, without getting in each others way."  With that said, he turned to the growing crowd.  "So did anybody out here see anything weird going on- or see anybody else going in here, or leaving in a hurry?"  He hated being at the front of the group, being the center of attention, but the inquiry might let his friends have a few moments to investigate without interference- he _really_ wished he had some kind of uniform or insignia to make this look official....


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## Starman (Mar 11, 2008)

"You don't have to help if you don't want to, Saellin, but I cannot just stand by. I've seen far too many crimes like this go unpunished because everyone waited for someone else to do something about it." 

The paladin shakes his head again. "No, I do intend to look into this. To do otherwise would be to..." Drigg opens and closes his mouth, searching for the right words. "...to betray myself."

He shrugs and looks at Sven. "I'm not saying I'm going to bowl over local authorities, but I am going to do what I can."


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## Shayuri (Mar 11, 2008)

"The message he left is curious," Tome points out. "It's not what I'd expect from a suicide note. Assuming this is suicide, of course. I could check the library and see if there is a body of lore regarding this particular conjunction. That might establish a motive."


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## nick012000 (Mar 11, 2008)

Kamarna nods in agreement.

"Indeed. It's obviously something to do with the heavens and constellations. I wonder if it has anything to do with the Draconic Prophecy? I think it usually involves celestial events. The only problem, I think, would be finding the section of the prophecy we need; the dragons tend to be fairly secretive about this sort of stuff."

As he does this, he approaches the scene and examines it for signs of magic.


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## Isida Kep'Tukari (Mar 11, 2008)

*Se'ket, female human druid*

Se'ket listens to the others with half an ear as she examines the body, and waits until a lull in conversation to voice her thoughts in a quiet tone.

"He did it to himself.  And he was in a struggle.  See the wounds here?  The slash, the puncture, the bite?  Yet all together not enough to cause death.  But he is shriveled...  Something odd is afoot," she murmurs, and leans in to take a closer look at the bite mark, as well as the other wounds.  Is it the bite from an animal or other living creature she might recognize?  Do the other wounds seem to be made with something manufactured, like a knife, or something that was picked up hastily in the room or elsewhere?

"He fought, that was clear.  And he had a message to give.  Curious.  Perhaps something in the room may shed light upon his death note."


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## Velmont (Mar 11, 2008)

"I don't want to get kick out of the University because I disturbed a crime site..." but Saellin looks at the others a moment. "... but some of you seems so clumsy that you'll risk to do so. Don't get in there all at the same time. Leave Se'ket looking at the body and Karmana at any sign of magic. I'll do the inspection of the room. You can't imagine how Gourthan can be annoyed when I disturbed his things, I'm use to leave things at there place."

Saellin decides to enter the room and starts to inspect the room, cautiously and systematically.

OOC: Taking 20 if possible on a search roll, looking at Gaunt's room. Search +7


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## Starman (Mar 11, 2008)

Drigg looks around a moment, unsure what he can do at this point. _There's plenty of eyes in this room. Sven is talking to people in the hall. Hmm...I've got it._

"Hey, I'm going to ask the people in the rooms nearby if they have seen or heard anything strange," the paladin announces. He goes out into the hall and moves to one of the adjacent rooms to see if anyone knows anything.


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## Mista Collins (Mar 12, 2008)

As soon Sven tells Terfel to go fetch the Matron, the young half-elf heads down the hallway. As Sven stands in front of the door he is given a barrage of questions. _"What happened? Is Delvron alright? What did you guys do? Is he just drunk again?"_ These seemed to be echoed throughout the crowd as others want to be the first to spread the gossip.

The one thing that Kamarna can't get over is Delvron's body itself. He is positive that the posturing of the body and the facial expressions are something he has seen before in his studies of the magical arts. Even with the assistance of the warforged wizard, the exact reference he is trying to recall escapes him.

Tome does notice that the door has not been forced open, and though the room is a mess, there is only sign of a very slight struggle. The room's window is nothing more than an arrow slit with a shutter that is closed and barred from the inside.

As Se'ket focuses on the wounds a little more it is obvious that the wound on the man's lower back is probably from a shortsword or something similar. She can't seem to determine what has caused the puncture on his thigh, but she is certain that both these wounds have come from a smaller creature. When she starts to examine the bite mark on his calf, she notices that there is a small shard of metal embedded into it. Pulling it out to examine it further she can determine that it is not from a manufactured weapon, but something entirely different.

The Silver Flame paladin starts to make his rounds to see if anyone knows something that might help. With a few simple questions he is able to determine that the body they have found is indeed Delvron Gaunt. He'd come home from the Gold Star Over Cyre, one of his favorite drinking holes drunk. He had a drinking problem that probably contributed to his ugly temper. Lately he has been suffering from nightmares and bouts of sleep walking. He has been showing an increasingly amount of interest in the subject of planar convergences, which many think is due to his work with an unknown Morgrave University professor. Delvron was very secretive about it and Drigg cannot seem to gather anything further.

As the others are taking care of what they can, Saellin uses the opportunity to examine the room. The experienced rogue is maticulate with his searching, careful not to disturb anything unless he feels necessary. Scattered about the room are the man's chain shirt, longsword, buckler, light crossbow, some twenty-odd bolts, a coil of rope with a grappling hook, his ID papers, and a pouch probably containing some gold. It is when Saellin gets to the small desk that he finds anything significant. On the wooden desk lays a pouch on its side with some of the contents poured out, revealing some reflective stones. When he picks these up he is surprised; instead of the hardness he was expecting, they have a more soft and spongy feeling. It reminds him of flesh. Next to the pouch is a piece of parchment with a simple address on it: "5a King's Circle on Seccuran."


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## Starman (Mar 12, 2008)

The tall paladin comes striding back into Delvron's room. "How's it looking in here? Some of the students around here said he's been acting strangely - nightmares...sleepwalking. He's also been doing some very secretive work with some unknown professor. I wonder if this could be related to that. If there was a rival..."


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## Shayuri (Mar 12, 2008)

"Kamarana thinks there's something familiar about his posture," Tome reports, dusting his peculiar three-fingered hands against each other. "I didn't see it though. There's no sign of forced entry, not much evidence of struggling or fighting, and the only window is that arrow slit. That doesn't rule out teleportation or similar magicks though."

He pauses, registering the paladin's words.

"Work on what topic, if I may?"


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## Starman (Mar 12, 2008)

"Uh, planar convergences, I believe," Drigg says. "You know anything about that kind of stuff, Tome?"


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## Shayuri (Mar 12, 2008)

"Not directly," he admits. "Not as such. Not yet. Certain basic facts about the planes are part of any magical coursework, but in depth knowledge...we'd need to ask another student or faculty member. Or use the library."


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## nick012000 (Mar 12, 2008)

Karmarna blinks at that.

"Huh. The writing on his arm was about a celestial convergence, and those are often linked to planar convergences as well. Hey, Tome, could you help me go through this guy's notes? We might find something helpful in them."

With that, Karmarna begins examining the desk for notes.

"We should probably get one of my more distant relatives to examine these stones, as well, if possible; I am a member of House Tharashk, after all, if a minor one."

_Heh. Dad's going to get a kick out of this once he hears about it._


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## Isida Kep'Tukari (Mar 12, 2008)

"It seems as if something metal bit this man on the calf.  Take a look at this shard, it's peculiar.  Perhaps a trap... or something else with metal teeth.  The slash wound is from a long blade, probably a sword, but the puncture wound could be from a creature.  Perhaps someone with a sword accompanied by a besitial companion?  With a penchant for trapmaking or other tinkering?  That should help narrow down the list a bit," Se'ket says calmly, her voice as calm as if she were delievering a lecture.


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## Velmont (Mar 12, 2008)

Saellin takes one of the stones and take a closer look. "So you are not familiar with those... things. I doubt it is a stone. It's feels like flesh." He put the sample he has taken in his pocket. "5a King's Circle on Seccuran, someone knows where it is?"


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## nick012000 (Mar 13, 2008)

"Perhaps a metal monster of some sort? Maybe even a dragon; it would fit with the planar and celectial conjunctions."


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## Starman (Mar 13, 2008)

Drigg snorts. "I doubt any dragon gives a 'saur tail what some student is researching at the university. As for that address, I haven't been around long enough to know where much is at. I'm sure we can get directions, though."

Leaning against a wall, the paladin gets another thought. "Do we know if he has any family. Someone needs to inform them."


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## pathfinderq1 (Mar 13, 2008)

Sven had been mostly staying out of the room, both dealing with the other students in  the hall and keeping an eye out for any official response- but he poked his head inside the chamber for a minute to see how things were going.  "Even if we're going to be looking into this mess, we can leave dealing with his relatives to the University- they'll have the records for any contacts, and they're used to handling things like this.  You wouldn't believe how many student researchers don't come back from some dig or another..."


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## Mista Collins (Mar 13, 2008)

Saellin looks at the stones a bit closer. He swears that if it weren't for the texture of them reminding him of flesh, he would put money on it coming from a mirror. He has never seen anything like this.

Holding out the metal shard she found in the leg of Delvron, the small druid presents it to the others to examine it further. No one has any clue what that shard might belong to, except for Tome. It appears it might be a fragment of a metal tooth, and given the size and location of the bite mark, she is certain it probably came from the maw of an iron defender; a specialized dog-like homunculus designed for combat.

As Kamarna starts looking for any notes that might help determine what point Delvron was trying to get across by carving _"Aryth in Tiamat they come"_ into his own flesh, the group suddenly hears a voice come from down the hallway.

"Move aside! Move aside!" A woman's voice resonates with authority and irritation, as she pushes through the crowd. As the students part for the woman, Sven is the first to notice who it is, and would rather see The Keeper himself. Matron Marta is a large and formidable woman who is as humorless as she is strict, and as wound tight as the blond bun at the back of her head. She is known for her stern discipline, impatience and her tendency to use spells to impose her will or keep order within the dormitories. 

As the woman in charge of all the domestic affairs of this portion of Grea Tower, Sven has dealt with her on numerous occasions as she has supervised some of his custodial duties. Annoyed, the stout woman moves past Sven and into the room. She looks sternly at the body, and then to adventurers, while straightening her deep green robes with white-knuckled fists. "What in Xoriat is going on in here?"


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## Starman (Mar 13, 2008)

Drigg steps forward putting a hand on the symbol of the Silver Flame hanging around his neck. "Ma'am, we discovered Delvron's body here and were attempting to discover what had happened to him. It appears that foul play may have been involved. We are not trying to step on your authority by any means, merely offering what assistance we may."

[sblock=OOC]Diplomacy +5[/sblock]


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## Isida Kep'Tukari (Mar 13, 2008)

"This man died of means yet undetermined, though it seems someone, perhaps with assistance, did him some small harm before death.  He felt it important enough to leave behind a final message," Se'ket says cooly, stepping aside to let the Matron get closer to the body, if she so desired.  Watching Tome's unreadable face as he examined the metal tooth, she hoped a creature of metal could provide some insight as to its origin.


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## nick012000 (Mar 13, 2008)

"Yep. That's right. Heck, the only payment I'll want for my help is access to his research; it's quite possible it's quite valuable, and it seems to be at least partly related to the motive of his murder. The House would be pissed at me for investigating for free."


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## Shayuri (Mar 13, 2008)

Tome, apparently oblivious for the moment to the Matron's presence, looks up from the metal in his hands. Though he can't show it on his face, his voice is rather excited.

"The wound was...yes, it was low enough. And the curve here is right... Yes, it must be. Fellows, this fragment is from the tooth of a construct I am familiar with. One of the more common and simpler constructs to create and imbue; it resembles a large dog made entirely of metal and is called colloquially an Iron Defender. The wound this was in would have been a bite. Interestingly, though such devices can be used to attack...as their name suggests they are far more often used as autonomous guards."

The warforged pauses then, becoming aware of a new presence in the room. "Oh, hello."


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## Velmont (Mar 13, 2008)

"I don't think a dragon, more something like a gargoyle, but in metal would make more..." Saellin interrupt as he hears the Matron coming. He pocket the piece he finished to inspect and look at the doroway. The Matron appears and he felt silent.


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## pathfinderq1 (Mar 13, 2008)

Sven tried to hide any dismay he might have felt- it could have been worse, he thought to himself, though he wasn't sure how much worse...  As the Matron moved in, he kept his mouth shut, letting the more well-spoken people do the talking while he did his part to help keep the gathering crowd under control and away from the door.


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## Mista Collins (Mar 14, 2008)

The matron stands there with her arms crossed across her deep-green robes and taps her foot impatiently as Tome comments on the tooth. Once the warforged is finished, she turns to Drigg.

"Offering what assistance you may?" The stout with says with the stern look on her face. "How about you start by telling me what you've been able to figure out? And no need to repeat me the info about the tooth."

Marta continues to stand there as Se'ket informs her about the body. "It wasn't the wounds that did him in. By the looks of his face and the problems Mr. Gaunt has been having lately, I'd predict the means of death is from a spell known as _nightmare_. It is a vicious and rather powerful illusion that is a favorite of those who like to torment or kill from a distance. Only the strongest casters and some creatures have the ability to command such a spell."

"What else can you tell me about what has occurred or what you've found?" The woman says as she stands there waiting for more information.

[sblock=Drigg's diplomacy]Drigg Diplomacy (1d20+5=13)[/sblock]


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## Starman (Mar 15, 2008)

"Well," says Drigg putting on a charming smile, "it seems that Galvron, uh, Delvron has been doing some secretive research on planar convergences with an unknown professor. He's been drinking a lot and has been suffering from nightmares and sleepwalking."


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## nick012000 (Mar 15, 2008)

Kamarna nods.

"Additionally, the message he carved into his arms references a celestial convergence of one of the moons and a constellation. Such convergences are often related to planar conjunctions, as well as the Draconic Prophecy. It seems likely that whatever he was researching was the motive for his murder."


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## Shayuri (Mar 18, 2008)

Tome nods, satisfied with the account given by his friends.

"With respect, may we be of assistance in this matter? I'm sure we could aid the investigation greatly in any number of capacities."


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## Isida Kep'Tukari (Mar 18, 2008)

"A man killed by a powerful spell, with an enemy strong enough to send an iron defender against him, on the eve of a conjuction, that gave him the impetus to carve a message into his own flesh is rather unprecedented in a school.  There was someone who wished Gaunt dead, and when his first attack with sword and iron defender failed, sent a coward's fear magic from afar to slay him.  There is a desperate and powerful person at large here.  It is possible that others at this university could come to harm from this, if it is suspected that they knew what Gaunt knew.

"Since we six have already marked ourselves for death for interfering with Gaunt's body, it seems the fates have already decreed us to be the ones to find his killer," Se'ket says, her beetle-black eyes shiny as she regards the Matron with a precise tilt to her head.


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## Velmont (Mar 18, 2008)

"Death for interference... great!" whispers to himself Saellin who listen to the others and would wish to be out of that room actually. The last thing he wanted is to have all the eyes on him, or at least the one of the Matron, which is even worst for him.


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## Mista Collins (Mar 18, 2008)

"Excellent. It seems that you have this well in hand, so I shall task you to find how and by what Delvron Gaunt found his end." Matron Marta says as her posture changes slightly. Her hands are no longer white knuckles from her clenched fists. If it weren't for her voice remaining stern and commanding, one would guess she might be slightly satisfied. "I also task you to assume any assignment or assignments that Gaunt was currently working on. Go to the Chamber of Messengers, and find out what those may be from Patron Helcondate. I believe he was the patron overseeing Delvron's assignments. I'll make sure to go through what records we have on file for Mr. Gaunt and contact his family. I'll also have the body properly taken care of."

Before the adventurer's have a chance to protest the work they have just been given, Matron Marta storms out of the room and can already be heard barking orders and commands at anyone who encounters her. This leaves the group alone to decide how they want to do this or if they even want to put forth the effort.


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## Starman (Mar 18, 2008)

Drigg shrugs and grins. "Well, that takes care of that." Looking back at Delvron's body, though, sobers him. _This is why I became a paladin, to help those who could not help themselves._

"I'll go see this Patron Helcondate if someone who knows more about 'planar convergences' wants to come with me," he says.


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## nick012000 (Mar 19, 2008)

"Maybe we want to wait until after the lecture though; if we hurry, we won't be that late!" Kamarna remarks, as he heads to the door. "I really wanted to hear this guy's talk."


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## Starman (Mar 19, 2008)

"I was looking forward to the lecture, too," Drigg says, "but I think this is more important."


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## nick012000 (Mar 19, 2008)

Kamarna sighs.

"Why? It's not like deadie's going anwhere. I suppose whoever killed him might have gone after his research, though, so I suppose we should check to make sure it hasn't been ransacked."


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## Starman (Mar 19, 2008)

A flash of anger passes across the paladin's face. "He's not a 'deadie.' His name is Delvron Gaunt and he was _murdered_. If you don't want to help bring his killer to justice, fine. No one is making you do anything."


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## nick012000 (Mar 19, 2008)

"Okay, okay. I get it. I'm not leaving; I was just being flippant. Mostly. I think it'd be more accurate to say his name _was_ Delvron Gaunt, though."


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## Velmont (Mar 19, 2008)

"Great! Just as I had not enough work..." Saellin walks outside the room, but turn around. "Tome, you might want to find what creature have a mirror like skin and some metal like teeth. For my part, I'll try to see what the people in this campus know about Gaunt." Saellin stare a moment at the others to see if they have something interesting to tell. "We might meet later today, at a fixed time and place."

OOC: Seallin Gather Information is +8. He will be searching for Gaunt lives, reputation and last known activities.


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## Shayuri (Mar 19, 2008)

"An Iron Defender, for the teeth," Tome replies promptly, with a curious tilt of his head.

"As previously indicated."

He pauses, then adds, "Speaking for myself, I think the chance to participate in an investigation like this outstrips a lecture in terms of interest factor. I suggest that someone with a quill and parchment handy begin writing down the salient observations of body and crime scene, as they will be cleaned up shortly. I can then either accompany Sir Drigg, or conduct research in the library on these scales and the convergence."

He waits to see how the others react.


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## nick012000 (Mar 19, 2008)

Kamarna nods. "Good idea; keeping note might help us remember a vital clue later on."

With that, he whips his backpack of his shoulders, and begins rummaging through it, pulling out the book he had intended to use for the lecture, and taking down notes on what they've found out so far, as well as sketches of the crime scene.


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## Isida Kep'Tukari (Mar 19, 2008)

Se'ket will lean over Kamarna's notes and point out details of the wounds on the body, once he gets to that part, describing them in precise detail.  The scene itself she'll assist in examining, if anyone asks, but her first interest is in the body.  As he sketches the rest of the room, she'll go back to Gaunt.

"It occurs to me that few people would have this iron defender, particularly in a school.  Such a creature is expensive, is it not Tome?  This attacker is perhaps a man of sustance, with skill both magical and with weapons...  Perhaps a veteran of the War?  Are such individuals registered at the school?  Or perhaps there have been other deaths nearby, in association with this conjunction or another.  As much as the student body gossips, I think another recent death would have reached our ears, but perhaps others?  Inquire of the students if other deaths have occured on campus.

"Perhaps other deaths have occured nearby, not on campus.  I shall go and seek the Guard to ask.  However, I shall have to have the appropriate papers of authority from the Matron, because I have no desire to break into their records," Se'ket comments, waiting to see if anyone is interested in going with her.

OOC: Was there a knife or something near Gaunt's body that he used to carve the message into his flesh?


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## Velmont (Mar 19, 2008)

"If veterans of the Last war are the most likely to have an Iron Defender, we might not find that easy to find the owner. As I said, gaunt is a veteran, so he must know a lot of them, having fought side by side with them. As far as we know actually, he could have recieved these wounds outside the campus, trying to get something from someone, and that guy get angry at Gaunt and cast a Nightmare spell on him.

I think knowing what Gaunt have been to in the last days or week might help a lot, but we still start to search inside the campus as it is here it is the most likely we will find something interesting.

And Tome, you can still take a look at the library about that mirror like flesh. Something is bugging me with that. What was he doing with that?"


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## Starman (Mar 19, 2008)

Kamarna said:
			
		

> "Okay, okay. I get it. I'm not leaving; I was just being flippant. Mostly. I think it'd be more accurate to say his name _was_ Delvron Gaunt, though."




Drigg takes a deep breath. "I didn't mean to get angry. I just, well...I just feel a personal connection. I've seen too many dead bodies and not enough justice." _I know I can't save everyone, but I'm going to try._

"Okay, I'm going to talk to Matron Helcondate. Saellin is going to talk to people around the campus. Tome is going to the library. Se'ket is going to talk to the campus guard. Sven and Kamarna, what are you going to do?"


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## pathfinderq1 (Mar 19, 2008)

"Mostly, I'm going to hope I still have a job here tomorrow," Sven said quietly, his head drooping at the thoughts trying to pound through his brain.  "I'm not much good at talking secrets out of folks, or prying them out of books.  I guess I'm in this though, so I ought to get crackin'.  Anybody think they'll need an extra set of hands for their task- or worried enough they want a watcher along for the hunt..."


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## Starman (Mar 19, 2008)

Drigg smiles and puts a hand on Sven's shoulder. "You're doing the right thing even if you do lose your job. Why don't you accompany Saellin. If he's out asking a bunch of questions, he might ask the wrong person. You can watch his back, hm?"


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## Velmont (Mar 19, 2008)

Saellin look a moment at Sven. "Might be, but people are more willing to speak when they speak to only one person. Maybe you'll find it more interesting to be with Se'ket, your martial background might be an edge to speak with the guards."


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## nick012000 (Mar 19, 2008)

Kamarna smiles at Se'ket when she comes over, and proceeds to write down her observations.

When the topic of what they're doing next, Kamarna says, "I think I'll go to that tower the matron mentioned, and have a look at his research. Someone should also investigate the address mentioned on that paper Saellin found."


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## Mista Collins (Mar 19, 2008)

Mista Collins said:
			
		

> *snip* He clenches a dagger stiffly in his right hand, the hilt made of bone with portions of strange writing barely visible under the rigamortis grip. *snip*
> 
> *snip*Given the dried blood on the blade of the dagger, and the angles of the writing, it's obvious that he carved them into his own skin. With her experience of dead bodies, it is obvious the cuts are too shallow to be the cause of death.*snip*



ooc: yes, there was a dagger.


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## pathfinderq1 (Mar 20, 2008)

nick012000 said:
			
		

> Kamarna smiles at Se'ket when she comes over, and proceeds to write down her observations.
> 
> When the topic of what they're doing next, Kamarna says, "I think I'll go to that tower the matron mentioned, and have a look at his research. Someone should also investigate the address mentioned on that paper Saellin found."




Sven nodded.  "I guess if Saellin wants to work alone, I can see about trying to find that address.  We're gonna be kind of spread out- how about we meet back up around dinner time, see what everybody found out- if everybody makes it back, that is."


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## Shayuri (Mar 22, 2008)

"I don't anticipate any trouble," Tome reports. "The library is quiet place. Anyone who wishes to join me is welcome though!"

With that, the warforged stiffly turns and makes his way out towards the campus library.


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## Mista Collins (Mar 24, 2008)

Se’ket, absorbed by the wounds on the man’s body, almost completely forgot about the dagger in Gaunt's hand. Prying it lose from his grip, she tosses it to Sven as she can’t seem to make heads or tails of the design or meaning.

As Sven turns the dagger over in his hand, examining it further, he can tell that it is that of traditional goblin design. It has a bone hilt etched with strange writings that the man recognizes as religious symbols venerating the Dragon Below. These are not arranged in a coherent message and are only a group of jumbled symbols. This is very typical of goblin design.

As everyone is satisfied with there search of the room, they decide to split up and carry out individual tasks, setting a time and place to meet up later.

[sblock=SAELLIN]
As Saellin makes his way out the door and into the hall, he has noticed that many of the students have already dispersed. He wouldn’t be surprised if it was due to Matron Marta showing up.

Spending sometime on campus asking questions and trying to gather as much information as possible, Saellin is able to find a few facts that might prove useful. Delvron Gaunt had been spending time working on a project for an unknown professor. He obviously made an effort to keep the details of this a secret. But the young elf is able to find out that whomever Delvron was working with, he was introduced to this unknown professor by Patron Helcondate, a gnome from Zilargo.

Other than working on this mysterious project and spending time in classes, Delvron Gaunt could have been found at the Gold Star Over Cyre, a dive bar favored by the refugees of that land. He would usually spend the evenings there; always bringing a bottle home with him. It is rumored he spent time there with a woman.

Saellin's Gather Info check (1d20+8=25)[/sblock]
[sblock=SE’KET]
As Se’ket closes the Matron’s door behind her, she lets out a soft sigh. She looks down at the paper in hand that gives her the person to ask around about any other deaths that may have occurred.

After a little over an hour of asking the guards of any other deaths on campus, Se’ket is able to find out that the Morgrave guards found the body of one of the University’s professors this morning. The body belonged to that of Professor Kelmini, the chair of the Antiquities Department. 

Following this lead, the young asks around a bit, and after about three hours finds out that there is no tie to the death she was tasked with investigating. It appears Kelmini was having an affair with a young student, who happened to be the daughter of a minor member of the Karnathi embassy. The girl’s father approached Kelmini last night as the professor’s home and after a bitter argument, killed the professor for spoiling the chastity of his daughter.[/sblock]
[sblock=SVEN]
Following the trail of the address, it takes Sven quite sometime to locate the place. It is obvious he hasn’t spent enough time in the city proper and has been spending too much time on campus working.

After a few hours and many more questions, he is able to track down that the address on the piece of paper is located in the Castleview District, just south of Brokenblade Castle. The district is home to many royal and parliamentary bureaucracies and their bureaucrats. Feeling a little out of place, able to locate the home he is searching.

A simple but nice brownstone stands in front of him. This two-story home is crammed among similar houses, which stretch down King’s Circle in both directions. Its small front yard is crammed with flowers and tacky garden statues. Lace curtains grace each clean and sparkling window. Not far from Hawker Market, it is obvious affluent members of the royal bureaucracy favor this neighborhood.

Sven Gather Info (1d20+0=17)[/sblock]
[sblock=TOME]
It doesn’t take long before Tome is sitting at a table in the library with a group of books stacked high next to him. For the next few hours, the warforged thumbs through texts, manuscripts, and other writings in hopes to find as much information on planar convergence and mirrors that might explain the reflective stones or the phrase carved into Gaunt’s chest: "Aryth in Tiamat they come."

After a few hours of searching through the books, Tome doesn’t find much in regards to the reflective stones. There are no writings, references, or diagrams depicting or describing reflective stones that have a texture similar to flesh.

His luck in regards to the phrase "Aryth in Tiamat they come", is no better. He does come across a reference to a professor who challenged the established order of the universe back in 845 KY. It is said the man, Belental Heirm, a troubled genius and master of planar research, made a name for himself due to his complete and utter understanding of the thirteen planar paths and their cryptic movements. In his life’s work, Deviant Celestia, Heirm advanced the theory that Eberron’s planes’ sometimes-erratic movement could only be adequately explained by the existence of numerous rogue planes lying just outside the paths of the main thirteen in a place he called the Deeper Astral.

Tome knowledge arcana (1d20+7=25) [/sblock]
[sblock=DRIGG & KARMANA]
Beyond an archway, crowned with the words “Mind the Rule of the Chamber”, lies the Chamber of Messengers.

The place is a small sea of enclosed wooden booths, similar to the confessionals featured in some of the churches, only much larger. The circular chamber’s ornate domed ceiling is awash with bold and colorful mosaics detailing the accomplishments of the University, crowned with its centerpiece, the creation of the campus in Sharn. A single pillar encrusted with lapis lazuli supports the hall’s ceiling. At the tope of the pillar, facing in the four cardinal directions, are carved heads of Aureon, the Soveirgn Host god of law and knowledge, as the majestic blue dragon. Each of the eight eyes glow with arcane fire.

The entrance to the hall is separated from the rest of the hall by a glowing semicircle on the floor. Within the semi-circle at the entrance of the hall are almost two-dozen intricately carved Xen’drik bird stands. On a number of these, expeditious messenger homunculi perch and wait patiently. Others fly into or out of the chamber by way of a small opening in the far ceiling, disguised in the mosaic as a porthole of a House Lyrandar Airship. The rest fly to and from the various booths around the room.

Hanging from each stand is a wooden nameplate. It doesn’t take long to find Helcondate’s stand, unfortunately his homunculus is absent from it.

Even though both Drigg and Karmana haven’t spent much time in this chamber, they have been at Grea Tower long enough to know the rules of the Chamber of Messengers. A student can call upon a patron by way of their messenger. If the messenger is absent, they must wait at the entrance for it to return or try and reach the patron later. All students are forbidden from entering the main hall until the patron gives them permission – by way of their messenger – to pass the glowing semi-circle.[/sblock]


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## Velmont (Mar 25, 2008)

[SBLOCK=Mista Collins]Does Saellin have more time ahead of him before the meeting? And how much time? Dpending on how much time he has and much roleplay the other players have ahead of them, Saellin would either look for the woman or find more infomration about Patron Helcondate and the people he has relation with.[/SBLOCK]


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## Mista Collins (Mar 25, 2008)

[sblock=Velmont]You have a few hours before you meet back with everyone. This should give you enough time to go to the Gold Star Over Cyre and try and find more information[/sblock]


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## Starman (Mar 25, 2008)

_This room never ceases to amaze me_, Drigg thinks as he walks in. "Damn," he says to Kamarna, "it's missing. Let's wait a bit to see if it comes back soon, hm?"


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## nick012000 (Mar 25, 2008)

"Sounds good. Tell me if it gets back, eh? I'm going to see what I can tell about the glowing semi-circle while we wait. It'd be good practice for expeditions to ruins and whatnot."

With that Karmarna begins examining the glowing semi-circle while he waits.

[sblock]Artificer Knowledge to determine whether or not it's some sort of magical item; Knowledge (Arcana) to determine if he's heard about such a thing before, and Spellcraft to identify either an ongoing spell or a unique magical effect, as appropriate.[/sblock]


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## Velmont (Mar 25, 2008)

[SBLOCK=Mista Collins]Saellin decides to take advantage of the time ahead of him to visit the Gold Star Over Cyre. He thinks what the best way to get the information he want. The word should not have spread yet of Gaunt's death, and if someone want to kill him, it might be dangerous to pass as him, but it might be his best way to get information.

Saellin decides to quickly go to his room where he take his disguise kit, to hide his elven facial feature and transform himself as Gaunt. He then head out of the school, trying to get out of sight of the University population and then head to the Gold Star Over Cyre.

OOC: Disguise: +8 (with disguise kit). As he enters the Gold Star Over Cyre, he will use his mark, giving him +18 for 10 minutes.[/SBLOCK]


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## Starman (Mar 26, 2008)

Karmarna said:
			
		

> "Sounds good. Tell me if it gets back, eh? I'm going to see what I can tell about the glowing semi-circle while we wait. It'd be good practice for expeditions to ruins and whatnot."
> 
> With that Karmarna begins examining the glowing semi-circle while he waits.




"That thing is interesting, but, uh, I'm not sure you should mess with it," Drigg says looking around a little nervously.


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## Shayuri (Mar 26, 2008)

[sblock]A bit discouraged at the oh so limited results, Tome decides to check the library to see if this eccentric mage's work is actually on hand. If so, he'll take a look in the book itself to see if it can shed any light on the matter. If not, he'll try to think of professors or other sources of information that might relate to planar and/or lunar alignments.[/sblock]


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## Isida Kep'Tukari (Mar 26, 2008)

MistaCollins said:
			
		

> [sblock=SE'KET]As Se’ket closes the Matron’s door behind her, she lets out a soft sigh. She looks down at the paper in hand that gives her the person to ask around about any other deaths that may have occurred.
> 
> After a little over an hour of asking the guards of any other deaths on campus, Se’ket is able to find out that the Morgrave guards found the body of one of the University’s professors this morning. The body belonged to that of Professor Kelmini, the chair of the Antiquities Department.
> 
> Following this lead, the young asks around a bit, and after about three hours finds out that there is no tie to the death she was tasked with investigating. It appears Kelmini was having an affair with a young student, who happened to be the daughter of a minor member of the Karnathi embassy. The girl’s father approached Kelmini last night as the professor’s home and after a bitter argument, killed the professor for spoiling the chastity of his daughter. [/sblock]



  [sblock=MistaCollins]Se'ket sighs a little when she turns from the last witness' room.  She was not precisely frustrated; though she had come no farther to finding Gaunt's killer, she had at least determined the manner of death of another being.  And that the death was not related to their own.  It would have been too easy to jump to conclusions, to see connections where there were none, if one did not keep a clear mind.  Tangentially satisfied, she returned to the Matron's office.

"It seems Professor Kelmini suffered from requited lust, a state far more dangerous than unrequited lust it seems.  The Karnathi saw him dead for his daughter's 'dishonor,'" Se'ket explains with a shrug.  Why such fuss over a state of being?  It was a natural function, why be so hung up on who and when it was first done?  Some people were so very strange.

"Matron, I believe widening the range of our search could be valuable.  I would like to question the City Watch about recent murders in town, but obviously they will not open their records for a university student.  Is there a way that I could openly ask them about such things?" Se'ket asks.[/sblock]


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## pathfinderq1 (Mar 26, 2008)

[sblock= GM]Sven knew he was out of place in such a fancy neighborhood, and he wasn't terribly inclined to linger.  He kept having to fight down the urge to comb his hair and straighten his coat- in fact, he really wished that he had thought to wear his university uniform tabard, which looked at least kind of official.  The fact that the search had taken no small amount of time didn't help- but at least it meant he had a reason for not lurking about.  He walked slowly past the house one last time, then headed back towards his planned meeting with the others- maybe he could spot some kind of sign about whose house this was...

OOC: Not going to linger, as he is out of place, and not a good enough conversationalist to spoof the local guards.  If he can see any hint about whose house this is, then bonus- otherwise he'll just remember the locale and route, and let the more socially adept have that info..."[/sblock]


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## Mista Collins (Mar 26, 2008)

[sblock=Saellin]After he is satisfied with his disguise, Saellin has no problem finding the location of the bar from the information he gathered earlier. Finding the entrance to the basement tavern under the unused warehouse near the Howling River, Saellin opens the door and walks in.

Splinters of light stab through the cracks of shuttered windows and then on through the smoky gloom of this basement tavern. A greasy, fat hobgoblin serves drinks behind the bar. He hardly acknowledges newcomers. A raised lip and a bit of yellow fang are all one gets. Patrons retreat into the shadowy corners of the place, trying hard not to be noticed.

Saellin makes his way up to the bar, and the hobgoblin acknowledges him more. “You’re ugly mug’s lookin’ better than it was last night. Seems ya recover’d from your wounds pretty well.”  The barkeep says as he turns his back and grabs a bottle of the shelf behind him and putting it on the counter infront of Saellin. “Here’s the usual for ya. Shyva’s not here right now, but…….”  

The hobgoblin trails off and stares at the disguised elf a second and then gets an angry look on his face. “Wait a minute here! You’re not Gaunt.!”


Saellin disguise (-2 for different race) vs. innkeeper's Spot (+6 for familiarity with Gaunt) (1d20+16=20, 1d20+7=21)[/sblock][sblock=SVEN]
Walking by the house once more, Sven searches for anything that might give him a hint of who lives here, but is unavailable to find anything other than a wood plaque with the address 5a King’s Circle on Seccuran elaborately carved into it. The same address that is on the note he holds in his hand. If it weren’t for the address itself, nothing about this house would make it stand out compared to the other ones in the neighborhood.

Unsatisfied, Sven makes his way back to the meeting spot. It doesn’t take him nearly as much time to get back as it did to find the home in the first place.[/sblock][sblock=Se'ket]
‘‘Word of the affairs of our professors with students seem travel faster than anything else around here.” Matra says with a voice of frustration as she is looking over some papers on her desk.

“I guess you could tell them you are working on a paper for the university or some such matter. They won’t care much about the murder of Gaunt as we tend to police or own business on campus.” She says as she sets down the paper was scrutinizing and looks to Se’ket.. “That’s why I tasked the group of you to do it. They might help if you trade some information.”

She turns back to the pile of papers on her desk and grabs another one, crinkling the paper as her frustration is becoming evident. “Now go, I have other business to attend to. It seems you have this matter in hand.”[/sblock][sblock=Tome]
A search for a copy of any work of Belental Heirm’s, almost turns up nothing, but all is not lost. The warforged is able to come across a reference to Belental Heirm’s work in a book entitled, _“Tarnished Words; Works from Those Ridiculed”._

The book is a collection of passages from various authors across Khorvaire who have been labeled crazy, controversial, insane, or utterly discredited. Tome is able to find a complete chapter to Heirm’s _Deviant Celestia_, entitled _“Conjunctions to Coterminiousness”._

Reading through the chapter, Tome finds that the writing insists there are more than 13 planes, and that conjunctions of celestial items are harbingers to times when these rogue planes become coterminous with Eberron. One particular paragraph stands out more than the others:

_“Such coterminous states with these rogue planes are rare and wonderful events. If my calculations are correct, the next one will occur hundreds of years in the future. What such an event heralds is anyone’s guess, as we have absolutely know idea of what ilk of creature could inhabit the rogue planes. I will say this: Aryth in Tiamat they come. Then we will know for certain if I am correct in my calculations.”_​[/sblock][sblock=Drigg & Karmana]Drigg patiently waits for Patron Helcondate or his homunculus to return. Karmana, meanwhile, uses this time as an excuse to further examine the semi-circle on the floor. 

Kneeling down, the artificer is shocked. The auras surrounding this semi-circle are similar to auras he has examined before in his classes, but those auras were all individual. The ones surrounding this semi-circle seem to have been bonded together so that their effects are layered.

He has heard rumors that passing this semi-circle without the proper permission would result in the disintegration of those who were so bold to give it a try, and always credited those rumors to collegiate myth or exaggeration. But with the strength and number of these auras, he realizes there might be more truth to those rumors than he is willing to test.

Three hours go by and it is getting closer to the time they are to meet back up with the others. There is still no sign of when Patron Helcondate will return and none of the other patrons and professors passing by are able to help. They have their own matters to tend to.[/sblock]


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## nick012000 (Mar 27, 2008)

Mista Collins said:
			
		

> [sblock=Drigg & Karmana]Drigg patiently waits for Patron Helcondate or his homunculus to return. Karmana, meanwhile, uses this time as an excuse to further examine the semi-circle on the floor.
> 
> Kneeling down, the artificer is shocked. The auras surrounding this semi-circle are similar to auras he has examined before in his classes, but those auras were all individual. The ones surrounding this semi-circle seem to have been bonded together so that their effects are layered.
> 
> ...




"Huh. That circle must be pretty old; not many people can perform disintegration magics anymore. The Last War  killed off most of the powerful magic-users. Wait here a moment, okay? I want to test something."

Going outside, Kamarna grabs a rock, and snaps a small branch off of a tree, with a few green leaves attached.

"Okay, now, let's see..."

He then tosses them both over the semi-circle.

[sblock=OOC]What does he think might happen were the circle to be broken?[/sblock]


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## Starman (Mar 27, 2008)

_What is he doing?_ the paladin wonders watching Karmana step outside. When he sees what the artificer is up to, he groans. "I'm not sure that's a good idea..." Drigg says as the rock and branch start to fly through the air.


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## Mista Collins (Mar 27, 2008)

As Karmana tosses both the rock and branch across the semi-circle, he draws a few looks from the professors and other faculty in the area. Both land on the other side of the semi-circle with no ill effects.

"I wouldn't do that if I were you," a student near one of the many stands for the homunculus says as she gives Karmana a smirk. “My grandfather once toyed with this same ward when he was in his first year. He thought it just a ploy and decided to cross uninvited. He was stuck down by Aureon himself and nothing but ash remained.”

Both Drigg and Karmana get the feeling that there is some truth to this woman's tale and aren't sure if they want to test it further.

Sense Motive for Drigg and Karmana (1d20+4=5, 1d20-1=8)


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## Shayuri (Mar 27, 2008)

Tome taps the passage with a thick digit, and slips a ribbon in before shutting the book to mark the page. He then carries the book to the front desk to check it out before rejoining the others.

(unless this is not a "you can borrow" sort of library so much as a "a big collection of books" sort of library...in which case he merely reproduces the passage in question, complete with notation of author, original work cited, title, and page number...and then rejoins the others. )


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## Isida Kep'Tukari (Mar 27, 2008)

*Se'ket, female human druid*



			
				Mista Collins said:
			
		

> [sblock=Se'ket]
> ‘‘Word of the affairs of our professors with students seem travel faster than anything else around here.” Matra says with a voice of frustration as she is looking over some papers on her desk.
> 
> “I guess you could tell them you are working on a paper for the university or some such matter. They won’t care much about the murder of Gaunt as we tend to police or own business on campus.” She says as she sets down the paper was scrutinizing and looks to Se’ket.. “That’s why I tasked the group of you to do it. They might help if you trade some information.”
> ...



  With a nod of her head, Se'ket removes herself from the Matron's office.  She strides off towards the Natural Sciences department, trying to find Thevis or Cradok, two students in her department she knew were going to be at that lecture she had unfortunetly missed.  She wanted to make a copy of their notes...  And if she managed that, then she should have timed it just right to be arriving for dinner with the others of her group.  Perhaps they had found something more directly related to Gaunt's death than she.

OOC: Se'ket's ready to meet up with the others when they are.  I think it's getting a little late in the day to go pester the City Watch today.  If not, she'll head into town, but I thought it was getting relatively late.


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## nick012000 (Mar 27, 2008)

Mista Collins said:
			
		

> As Karmana tosses both the rock and branch across the semi-circle, he draws a few looks from the professors and other faculty in the area. Both land on the other side of the semi-circle with no ill effects.
> 
> "I wouldn't do that if I were you," a student near one of the many stands for the homunculus says as she gives Karmana a smirk. “My grandfather once toyed with this same ward when he was in his first year. He thought it just a ploy and decided to cross uninvited. He was stuck down by Aureon himself and nothing but ash remained.”
> 
> ...




"I know that there's some sort of disintegration effect going on there, though I doubt that there's any sort of godly intervention going on; just powerful magic. I'm an artificer who specializes in magical traps and locks and stuff like that. I was just trying to figure out how exactly it works, to learn how to disarm it. If it weren't for the fact I'm busy investigating a murder, which is why I'm here in the first place, I'd be tempted to go down to the market and buy myself a few hens to toss over, as well, to determine how much of a creature needs to cross over before it's triggered. I'm rambling, aren't I? I'm Karmarna'darak, of House Tharashk. Nice to meet you. I'd offer to shake your hand, but, well..."

With that, Kamarna gestures at the disintegration circle.


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## Starman (Mar 27, 2008)

"Glad to see someone else with some sense around here," Drigg mutters. 

Speaking up to the student, he says, "Hey, you wouldn't happen to know where Matron Helcondate is, would you? It's important."


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## Mista Collins (Mar 27, 2008)

The woman smiles as Karmana explains the experiment he has planned in his mind before turning to Drigg. "He is not the first with this curiosity. Other students have tried to examine the protective circle in the same manner before campus guards tell them to stop. I think it lends to the ambiguity of what would truly happen if one were so inclined to test it."

"As for Patron Helcondate, he might be meeting with some of his contacts. Part of his work day is spent with his contacts. It helps him facilitate matching students with work both within the university and outside. He is usually back after supper," she says before continuing out of the chamber and through the halls of the university.

With all of their time patiently waiting, it is about time for them to meet up with the others.

=============================

Making her way to the Natural Science department, Se'ket is quick to locate the half-orc twins, Thevis and Cradok. "You should have been there!" Thevis says with excitement in his voice. "Sir Montlero ir”Grithop told some of the most intriguing tales of his travels to Xen'drik! Did you know that the Sahuagin have a strict social code? One of their core beliefs is that the survival of their race depends on eradicating anything that isn't sahaugin?"

And before Se'ket can answer the question put forth, Cradok continues where his brother left off; something he has been known to do quite often. "And luckily Sir Montlero has knowledge of the sahaugin and experience dealing with them! He has negotiated passage for over ten ships through Shargon's Teeth."

Once the half-orcs are finished talking, Se'ket is able to get the notes from the lecture from them and make it to the meeting point, noticing that everyone but Saellin is already waiting.


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## nick012000 (Mar 28, 2008)

"How have you guys done with your investigations? All ours turned up is that there's a disintegration ward up in the Chamber of Messengers, and that Patron Helcondate spends most of his day liasing with contacts in the city."


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## Isida Kep'Tukari (Mar 28, 2008)

"I have eliminated two suspects.  Professor Kelmini, due to the fact that he is dead as of this morning.  And a member of an embassy that I may not name, due to the fact that he killed the Professor for copulating with his daughter.  Neither had connection with Gaunt.  I have gotten a plausible amount of authority to examin the records of the City Watch for other murders, and I shall go there tomorrow," Se'ket says succinctly.


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## Starman (Mar 28, 2008)

Drigg shakes his head listening to Se'ket's story. _Copulating with his daughter?_ He shivers. _I don't want to think about that._ 

"I think after we meet and have dinner, I am going to try to contact Helcondate again. He's got to know _something_ about what happened to Delvron."


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## Shayuri (Mar 28, 2008)

(OOC - hee...I think it's that the professor was copulating with the guy from the embassy's daughter.  Just in case there was foncusion)

Tome clomps in and announces, "I've located the phrase our murder victim bore on him. The source is of...questionable validity, but the implications, if true, are worrisome."


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## nick012000 (Mar 28, 2008)

Karmarna gestures with his hand, encouraging Tome to continue.

"Those being?"


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## Shayuri (Mar 28, 2008)

"The original author had a theory that there were many more planes than just the thirteen known. He conjectured..."

Tome brings out a dusty manuscript with a ribbon marking a page in it and puts it on the table with slam.

"...that these planes could, on rare occasions, touch Eberron much as the known planes do. The phrase 'Aryth in Tiamat they come' is from a chapter of his work _Deviant Celestia_ I found reprinted in this book. Although he expresses joy in contemplating a rogue plane becoming coterminous with our own, the history of extraplanar incursions in Eberron does not seem to encourage such anticipation."

He pauses, then adds, "I should point out though, that the library did not have a copy of _Deviant Celestia_ to examine fully, so my command of Belental Heirm’s theories are remedial at best. Also, Belental is considered...as his appearance in this book, _The Greatest Crackpots of All Time_ suggests...to be a thoroughly discredited theorist."

"I should probably have made that clear sooner. I hope I didn't cause alarm."


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## Starman (Mar 28, 2008)

[sblock=OOC]Oh, there was confusion, but on the character's part, not the player's. Confusion and miscommunication always make things more interesting.  [/sblock]


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## pathfinderq1 (Mar 28, 2008)

"I don't know as I'd rule out some connection with Kelmini's killing just yet," Sven said after a few moments' thought.  "That address we got is in a pretty fancy part of town- fancy enough I didn't want to poke around too much, but it could be somebody's embassy, I guess.  And if it isn't, it was certainly somebody with some serious resources..."


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## Velmont (Mar 31, 2008)

[SBLOCK=Mista Collins]"Calm down!" whispers Saellin. "Nice to see you're not a fool, but you'll learn soon Gaunt is dead and not from a natural death. That might mean Shyva is in danger, she need to warned. If you want to be around while I speak to her, not problem, I understand you would not trust me like that. But I don't think you want to see one of your girl to dissapear. It's always bad for business."[/SBLOCK]


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## Mista Collins (Apr 1, 2008)

[sblock=Velmont]The hobgoblin gives a quick laugh that resonates deeply. "Shyva's not one of my girl! She much like Gaunt and always in here. She's been using one of the room for a few months now.  Hires herself out as a merc or a bodyguard sometimes. When she gets in here you can talk to her, but watch how you do talk to her. She'll rip your lungs out given half a reason. She has privacy issues. Must be a shifter thing." 

One of the other patrons, a large man with huge arms and a cut on his right cheek, overhears part of the conversation as he orders a drink from the barkeep and decides to give the disguised elf his own two since. "I don't know what she saw in the man. He was a pretty miserable fellow with a huge chip on his shoulder. But he was steady. He was in here at least once a day, and always took a bottle with him. Maybe they were still together. It's hard to tell because all they did was fight."

"You want anything to drink while you wait?" The barkeep says in Saellin's direction as he hands the man his drink.  "So you a cousin or brother of his? You look like you could have been related to him."[/sblock]


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## Starman (Apr 1, 2008)

Drigg gestures at the book. "The guy may be a crackpot, but obviously somebody is taking him seriously. We should look into who else may have read this book and who may be investigating some of these theories."


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## Shayuri (Apr 1, 2008)

Tome manages to imitate a passably recognizable coughing noise.

"I was going to suggest we start by trying to locate an actual copy of the original book. This is merely a reprinted chapter. Generally Morgraves would have it, unless it was a rare volume. In that case, there are collectors of unusual and uncommon books that we might consult. Even some of the professors, especially those involved in cosmology, might at least know of the work."


----------



## Isida Kep'Tukari (Apr 1, 2008)

"So we have multiple paths to explore.  Excellent.  The far-ranging ants always find the most food.  My path will take me outside the university grounds.  Who else needs to go in that direction?  It may be that multiple errands could be completed in a single trip," Se'ket inquires.  "It may be that this book could be found in the hands of a private collector, perhaps.  And explain to me more of this disintegration circle."


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## Starman (Apr 1, 2008)

"Well, I want to try to contact Helcondate again," the paladin says, "so, I guess, unless something more pressing comes up, that's what I'm going to do this evening."


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## Mista Collins (Apr 4, 2008)

As the others discuss what they've discovered and their plans on what to do next, a young boy no older than sixteen comes up to the group. He looks at Drigg and Karmana before giving a them both a wide smile that reveals a few missing teeth. "I was sent to find a follower of The Flame and his friend. With the descriptions I was given, it must be you too. I was told to inform you that Patron Helcondate is back and seeing students now." 

The boy stands there as if waiting for something. "I do have the correct people right?"


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## Starman (Apr 4, 2008)

Drigg nods. "Yes, you do. You coming, Karmana? Or are you bored with your exploration of that circle?" The paladin gestures for the boy to lead on and follows him to Helcondate's office. _It seems a little strange that he would send for us, but this could be our lucky break._


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## Shayuri (Apr 4, 2008)

"If you don't mind, I'd like to come too," Tome says quickly. "It's possible the Professor might know of _Deviant Celestia_ and be able to share insights."

He pauses, then adds, "What circle?"


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## Starman (Apr 4, 2008)

"Sure, Tome." Drigg gesures for Tome to follow. "There is some sort of magical ward that keeps students out of the patron's sanctuaries. Karmana was, uhm, examining it." He leans toward the warforged as he gets closer and whispers, "Truth is, the guy seems to be a bit reckless. I'm glad you're coming 'cause it might take two of us to keep him and us out of trouble."


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## Velmont (Apr 4, 2008)

[SBLOCK=Mista Collins]"Yeah, you are not the first to tell. I'm his brother-in-arms. We have fought together, but we have no more relation than having been in the same company. I have not much time ahead of me, in how many time do you expect her? If she will take too much time, I rather just give you a message to transmit and meet her at a later time to fill her with the details and asks her some questions."[/SBLOCK]


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## Mista Collins (Apr 8, 2008)

[sblock=Velmont]"Though Gaunt was a miserable man, any brother of his is a brother of mine. With his patronage alone I could have come close to providing for my family." The hobgoblin says with a smirk that reveals his yellow-stained teeth. This is the first smile you've seen the barkeep give. "As for Shyva, who knows when she will return. There are days she will never leave this place or her room here and there are days she won't get back until near closing time."

He grabs a rag from behind the bar and begins wiping up a small spot of ale that has been there since the moment you came in. "If you got things to do, I can relay your message. But you are more than welcome to wait, I might need the extra patronage with Gaunt gone."[/sblock]


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## Mista Collins (Apr 8, 2008)

The young boy looks at Drigg with a questioningly look before leading those who follow to the Chamber of Messengers. 

Within the semi-circle at the entrance of the hall are almost two-dozen intricately carved Xen’drik bird stands. On a number of these, expeditious messenger homunculi perch and wait patiently. One one of the stands that has a name plaque bears Patron Helcondate's name sits a homunculi, waiting to relay a message to his master that a student wishes to see him.


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## Starman (Apr 8, 2008)

The paladin approaches the homonculus. "Master messenger, would you kindly relay a message to Patron Helcondate that there are a few of us who wish to meet with him?"


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## pathfinderq1 (Apr 10, 2008)

As the group split up once more, Sven spent a moment or two dithering over what he out to do- it seemed apparent that this kind of thoughtful investigation wasn't really his strong suit.  Finally he stepped over in Se'ket's direction.  "Hey, if you're headed off campus, I'll tag along- just in case.  If, you know, you don't mind..."   For a moment it looked as if he might continue, but after a bit he closed his mouth and shook his head- whatever he had been about to say, it couldn't have been important.


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## Velmont (Apr 10, 2008)

[SBLOCK=Mista Collins]"I don't have time to wait that much. Tell her the bad news, and tell her I'll be back here tomorrow night to give her the details. And tells her to take acre of herself. If I can't come myself, I'll send a close friend..." Saellin pays for the barman twice the amount asked. "And one drink for him." Saellin asks, offering a drink for the patron who had joined to the converstaion. "You told me all they did was fight. The fought over what? Have you heard what they were speaking about?"[/SBLOCK]


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## Isida Kep'Tukari (Apr 11, 2008)

pathfinderq1 said:
			
		

> As the group split up once more, Sven spent a moment or two dithering over what he out to do- it seemed apparent that this kind of thoughtful investigation wasn't really his strong suit.  Finally he stepped over in Se'ket's direction.  "Hey, if you're headed off campus, I'll tag along- just in case.  If, you know, you don't mind..."   For a moment it looked as if he might continue, but after a bit he closed his mouth and shook his head- whatever he had been about to say, it couldn't have been important.



  "Very well Sven.  An additional set of eyes and thoughts could be useful.  Speak to me, what else did you uncover in your morning examinations?  The methods of others are often insightful to study," Se'ket says, a hint of interest showing in her still face.  As she talks, she keeps walking out of the university and toward the city, eyes occasionally darting to follow the progress of a butterfly, her head ducking a spider's web, her feet carefully skipping over a line of marching ants.


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## pathfinderq1 (Apr 12, 2008)

Isida Kep'Tukari said:
			
		

> "Very well Sven.  An additional set of eyes and thoughts could be useful.  Speak to me, what else did you uncover in your morning examinations?  The methods of others are often insightful to study," Se'ket says, a hint of interest showing in her still face.  As she talks, she keeps walking out of the university and toward the city, eyes occasionally darting to follow the progress of a butterfly, her head ducking a spider's web, her feet carefully skipping over a line of marching ants.




"Ain't so much to tell, really.  Spent mosta my time just figuring out where the blasted place was, and the rest tromping all the way there and back.  I could tell it was an awful fancy part of town, though- I kept expecting to have somebody official-like ask what I was doing thereabouts."  Sven shook his head ruefully- but his explanation was still as long a speech as any of the group had heard him utter at one time.


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## Mista Collins (Apr 16, 2008)

*Drigg, Karmana & Tome*



			
				Starman said:
			
		

> The paladin approaches the homonculus. "Master messenger, would you kindly relay a message to Patron Helcondate that there are a few of us who wish to meet with him?"



The expeditious messenger, which resembles a mix between a tiny dragon and a winged lemur, begins to move it's mouth and a voice not belonging to the homunculus comes from it. "You may come and see me. I am the seventh booth on your left."

Passing the various booths, sounds of hushed conversation can be heard from within each. Coming from one booth, the sound is much different. It is heated and loud. It seems a student is complaining about the marks he had received on an exam.

As Drigg counts in his head the seventh booth, he sees that the door is slightly ajar. "Come on in," Patron Helcondate says from inside as Drigg quietly knocks on the door. He opens it up and sees an older gnome behind a desk looking over some paper work. Lucky for the group, Patron Helcondate is a gnome and all the furnishings are fit for a gnome except for a pair of chairs across from his desk."You can go ahead and close the door behind you."

Helcondate seems to be in his later years but has a spry step as he stands and makes his way around the small desk in order to properly greet the group. "Nice to meet you, I am Patron Helcondate, but I assume you already know that since you seek me. How can I help you?"


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## Mista Collins (Apr 16, 2008)

*Sven & Se'ket*

Sven and Se'ket make their way off of campus towards the nearest guard outpost in the city figuring that may be the best place to start. The air has gotten chillier as it is slightly after supper and getting later in the day. The weather seems to be affecting Sven more than Se'ket, as the young druidess seems to embrace the cold a bit.

They eventually make their way to the outpost, which is only a few minutes walk from the edge of the Morgrave campus. In front of the stairs leading up to the door to the outpost stand two guardsmen wearing the colors of Breland and the proper heraldry marking them members of the Wroat Watch. They are having idle conversation as a few people walk in and out of the iron bound doors of the outpost to continue on whatever business they had.

Se'ket and Sven make their way up the stairs and the two guardsmen hardly notice as they continue to trade drinking stories from the past week. Upon entering the outpost, the two adventurers see various citizens talking with guards. One guardsmen sits at a desk, parchment in front of him and pen quill in hand, ready to deal with whatever crime that needs to be reported.

"What needs to be reported?" The man says as the two approach, with a voice that shows obvious frustration with either the two of them, or his job.


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## Starman (Apr 16, 2008)

Drigg smiles warmly and bows in greeting to the gnome. _I wish I were here on less unsavory business. I bet he could tell some interesting stories._ "Thank you for meeting with us. My name is Drigg." He gestures at his two cohorts. "My companions are Tome and Kamarna." He waves at the chairs. "I'll stand," the paladin says.

Turning back to Helcondate, he continues, "We are here about Delvron Gaunt. Sadly, he was murdered. We have taken it upon ourselves to investigate the matter and were hoping you could be of assistance. Could you tell us what Delvron was studying? What his habits were? Did he have enemies? Rivals? Any assistance you render would be much appreciated."


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## Mista Collins (Apr 17, 2008)

"Delvron Gaunt? Delvron Gaunt?" The gnome says outloud as he rests his index finger on the side of his nose. "Ah yes! The older student from Cyre!"

As the others take a seat, Helcondate moves back around the desk and sits himself. "Murdered you say? That is sad news. I didn't know him personally. Part of my job here at Morgrave University is to find work for students who seek it in between studies. I set him up with Professor Kelmini, the chair of the Department of Antiquities, awhile back. The nature of the work was between the professor and Gaunt, but I believe it had to do with the retrieval of a dragonshard or particular historical importance."

As Drigg listens on intently, Tome and Karmana get the feeling that Patron Helcondate seems nervous when delivering this information. Is it due to the slight shaking of his hands or because he never made eye contact with the group as he spoke? Something seems amiss.

[sblock=rolls]Helcondate bluff.
Drigg Sense motive
Karmana Sense motive
Tome Sense motive 
(1d20-3=9, 1d20+4, 1d20-1, 1d20=[1+4=5], [18-1=17], [12=12])

Apparently commas don't work as well as semicolons   [/sblock]


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## Mista Collins (Apr 17, 2008)

[sblock=VELMONT]







			
				Velmont said:
			
		

> [SBLOCK=Mista Collins]"I don't have time to wait that much. Tell her the bad news, and tell her I'll be back here tomorrow night to give her the details. And tells her to take acre of herself. If I can't come myself, I'll send a close friend..." Saellin pays for the barman twice the amount asked. "And one drink for him." Saellin asks, offering a drink for the patron who had joined to the converstaion. "You told me all they did was fight. The fought over what? Have you heard what they were speaking about?"[/SBLOCK]



"Thanks!" The patron says as the barkeep brings him the drink Saellin ordered for him. "I didn't much attention to what they fought over. Seemed more like a lover's quarrel than anything else. I think she was upset that he wasn't more open with her, but compared to her... he seemed like an open book."

The man takes a few more sips from the mug before continuing. "She seemed even more upset at him last night. He came in here all beat up, bought his usual bottle from Nurguk here," he motions to the barkeep, "and went to Shyva's room. Soon after they were yellin' and screamin'. He left shortly there after."
[/sblock]


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## Shayuri (Apr 17, 2008)

Tome takes a clattering step forward. He's not sure how to diplomatically inform a professor that he's displaying cues that he's learned to associate with dishonesty in humanoids (thanks to a few friendly games of chance in the off hours). Thus, for the moment, he decides to overlook it.

"I do have another question, about an issue only tangentially related to the death," he reports. "Are you aware of a book titled, _Deviant Celestia_? If so, could you suggest a location we might find a full copy of the text?"


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## Velmont (Apr 17, 2008)

[SBLOCK=Mista Collins]Seallin finish his drink. "Too bad for her to have such conversation the last time you see someone. But veteran have a tendency to find difficult women in time of peace. It seems if they can't fight an enemy, they need to fight against something else.

I've never seen Shyva and Gaunt never really talk about her. How does she looks like?"[/SBLOCK]


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## Isida Kep'Tukari (Apr 17, 2008)

*Se'ket, female human druid*



			
				Mista Collins said:
			
		

> "What needs to be reported?" The man says as the two approach, with a voice that shows obvious frustration with either the two of them, or his job.



  "The opposite actually.  Or both.  My name is Se'ket and this is Sven; we are students at Morgrave and have been charged with investigating the murder of one Devon Gaunt, also a student.  We have been given authority by the Matron."  Here Se'ket produced the papers given to her.  "And we wish to inquire as to what other murders may have happened in the past three days, particularly those last evening, as we are seeking connections."


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## Mista Collins (Apr 22, 2008)

Shayuri said:
			
		

> "I do have another question, about an issue only tangentially related to the death," he reports. "Are you aware of a book titled, _Deviant Celestia_? If so, could you suggest a location we might find a full copy of the text?"




As Tome asks about the book, Drigg gets the sense of pride from Patron Helcondate when the titled is mentioned.

"I've never heard of the book," Helcondate says, the blatant lie clear across his face. It is obvious to the three adventures that the gnome is hiding something. "You might be able to find something in the library. It sounds obscure."

[sblock=rolls]Helcondate bluff. Drigg, Karmana, Tome, Sense Motive. (1d20-3=0,  1d20+4=23,  1d20+3=18,  1d20+4=10)


+4 for Tome and Karmana as they already sense he isn't being truthful.[/sblock]


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## Mista Collins (Apr 22, 2008)

Isida Kep'Tukari said:
			
		

> "The opposite actually.  Or both.  My name is Se'ket and this is Sven; we are students at Morgrave and have been charged with investigating the murder of one Devon Gaunt, also a student.  We have been given authority by the Matron."  Here Se'ket produced the papers given to her.  "And we wish to inquire as to what other murders may have happened in the past three days, particularly those last evening, as we are seeking connections."




Looking at the papers, he hands them back to Se'ket and begins to flip through the book in front of him. "Murders? To be honest there haven't been too many murders lately." He says flipping through the pages of his log, obviously trying to find something. "I have a few murders here, tied to muggings. It seems some of the victims didn't survive the attacks. Would that help?"

Not waiting for the answer he continues to flip through some of the pages. "Not many murders reported. Do have some strange things in here though, but only a few murders."


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## Mista Collins (Apr 22, 2008)

[sblock=Velmont]







			
				Velmont said:
			
		

> [SBLOCK=Mista Collins]Seallin finish his drink. "Too bad for her to have such conversation the last time you see someone. But veteran have a tendency to find difficult women in time of peace. It seems if they can't fight an enemy, they need to fight against something else.
> 
> I've never seen Shyva and Gaunt never really talk about her. How does she looks like?"[/SBLOCK]




"Ain't that the truth," the barkeep and other patron say in unison in response to Velmont's assessment of war veterans.

"She likes like any other bestial shifter I've ever seen. Wide, flat nose, large eyes and heavy eyebrows, pointed ears, a mane of hair. She seemed to have tough skin. The first thing you'd notice about her is the temper. She has the look of someone mad at the world."

The barkeep grabs a few empty glasses from one of the barmaids and sets them underneath the bar. "I'll give her your message when she returns. Is there somewhere she can find you?"[/sblock]


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## Starman (Apr 22, 2008)

Drigg leans in toward the gnome, "Come now, Patron Helcondate, surely you must know _something_ more than you are telling us. Delvron was murdered. Surely you want to see the bastard who did this brought to justice?"


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## Velmont (Apr 22, 2008)

[SBLOCK=Mista Collins]"I'll be around a lot, but if she need to contact me, she can go at the University and asks for Drigg, he is a friend of mine who work there. My name is Reynold." on that, Saellin leaves the bar, nodding at the barman. He then tries to find his teammate at the University[/SBLOCK]


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## Isida Kep'Tukari (Apr 22, 2008)

*Se'ket, female human druid*



			
				Mista Collins said:
			
		

> Looking at the papers, he hands them back to Se'ket and begins to flip through the book in front of him. "Murders? To be honest there haven't been too many murders lately." He says flipping through the pages of his log, obviously trying to find something. "I have a few murders here, tied to muggings. It seems some of the victims didn't survive the attacks. Would that help?"
> 
> Not waiting for the answer he continues to flip through some of the pages. "Not many murders reported. Do have some strange things in here though, but only a few murders."



  Se'ket's furrows her brow briefly at the man's words.

"Strange things?  What things?  The murder we are investigating had several unusual components.  And possibly the muggings could be tied to our case, at this point we can rule little out," she says in open inquiry.  She raises an eyebrow to Sven to see if he has anything further too add.  "I prefer to be thorough.  It may be that those others that died last night have no connection to Gaunt, but..."


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## Mista Collins (Apr 25, 2008)

Isida Kep'Tukari said:
			
		

> Se'ket's furrows her brow briefly at the man's words.
> 
> "Strange things?  What things?  The murder we are investigating had several unusual components.  And possibly the muggings could be tied to our case, at this point we can rule little out," she says in open inquiry.  She raises an eyebrow to Sven to see if he has anything further too add.  "I prefer to be thorough.  It may be that those others that died last night have no connection to Gaunt, but..."




"Lately we've been having some people come in claiming they were seeing things in mirrors and reflective materials," The guardsman says as he flips his log book a few pages and moves his fingers down the pages, stopping at a name. "Here it is. Earlier today a dwarven mirrorwright came in here claiming things were appearing in the mirror he was working on."


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## Mista Collins (Apr 25, 2008)

Starman said:
			
		

> Drigg leans in toward the gnome, "Come now, Patron Helcondate, surely you must know _something_ more than you are telling us. Delvron was murdered. Surely you want to see the bastard who did this brought to justice?"




"Honestly, I don't know anything you about Belental Heirm's book," Helcondate says as drops of sweat start to bead on his forward. Even with the obvious signs of a man hiding the truth, the gnome gives of a small hint of pride, even though the group never mentioned the author's name. "If I did know something, I would gladly help bring justice to those involved."

The gnome fiddles with some papers on his desk, obviously nervous before making eye contact with the group. "If you'd like, if I hear anything I will relay it to you. But I must get back to work as I have lots to do and little time to do it."


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## Shayuri (Apr 25, 2008)

"Professor," Tome notes, no longer able to justify silence, even to himself, "I did not mention the author's name. That you are able to remember it without any effort shows considerable familiarity with a book as rare and difficult to find as this."

He pauses, then adds, "There is no need to be concerned that we would want to take the book. We not wish to borrow it...merely to examine the origins and meaning of a single passage. It would aid an official investigation."


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## Starman (Apr 25, 2008)

_Some sort of professional rivalry?_ Drigg wondered. "Patron, it seems you are hiding something. Do you feel threatened? Could whatever happened to Delvron happen to you, too, if you assist us? Be assured that we will do everything we can to protect you if you need it, but you _must_ help us solve Delvron's murder."


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## pathfinderq1 (Apr 25, 2008)

Mista Collins said:
			
		

> "Lately we've been having some people come in claiming they were seeing things in mirrors and reflective materials," The guardsman says as he flips his log book a few pages and moves his fingers down the pages, stopping at a name. "Here it is. Earlier today a dwarven mirrorwright came in here claiming things were appearing in the mirror he was working on."




While Sven was more than content to let Se'ket handle the talking part of the investigation, he was still listening along- and when that tidbit about mirrors came up, he couldn't hide his interest.  He gave Se'ket a nod, then addressed the guardsman.  "That might be connected, strange as it sounds.  Do you have the name of that dwarven mirror-makin' fella?"


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## Mista Collins (Apr 28, 2008)

pathfinderq1 said:
			
		

> While Sven was more than content to let Se'ket handle the talking part of the investigation, he was still listening along- and when that tidbit about mirrors came up, he couldn't hide his interest.  He gave Se'ket a nod, then addressed the guardsman.  "That might be connected, strange as it sounds.  Do you have the name of that dwarven mirror-makin' fella?"




"Sure do. According to my records here, his name is Gevgol and his shop isn't too far from here." The guard gives Sven some brief directions that should work well enough. "Anything else?"


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## Mista Collins (Apr 28, 2008)

As it becomes obvious to Patron Helcondate that the group has seen through his poor attempt at lying, he tries to save face. It is clear to the adventurer's that the gnome lacks a backbone. 

He starts to talk, his speech fast and nervous as he sputters and squeals a bit. "Honestly, I know nothing of Gaunt's death. Neither my master, nor myself had anything to do with it. We were just as surprised as anyone else to hear of his death. My master sent him on errands yesterday. Why he died is anyone's guess!"


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## pathfinderq1 (Apr 29, 2008)

Mista Collins said:
			
		

> "Sure do. According to my records here, his name is Gevgol and his shop isn't too far from here." The guard gives Sven some brief directions that should work well enough. "Anything else?"




"Not so much from me," Sven said, shaking his head as he mulled over the directions.  "How 'bout you, Se'ket- you want ta ask anythin' else, or shall we go find the dwarf?"


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## Shayuri (Apr 29, 2008)

Tome glances at his companion, though his lenses can't change shape to indicate his surprise.

"You have a master? A professor? What was the errand he was sent on? And who is your master? We may need to ask him or her questions as well, to ensure a thorough investigation."


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## Starman (Apr 29, 2008)

_I wonder if he's still hiding something_, Drigg thinks. _Tome seems to have the questioning under control. I wonder if there is anything around here that may offer a clue as to what he could be trying to conceal._

The paladin begins to walk around the room, his blue eyes carefully examining everything occasionally picking something up to examine it more closely, though he is careful not to damage anything.

[sblock=OOC]Search +1[/sblock]


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## Mista Collins (Apr 29, 2008)

As the gnome is confronted by the barrage of question from the warforged, he keeps an eye on Drigg as he paces the room. "Yes, my master is a professor here. Professor Mers Vevel, master of the Society of the Deeper Astral."

Helcondate is obviously displeased with Drigg as he roams the room, but doesn't say anything and continues to answer Tome's questions. "I don't know what errand. I met with Delvron Gaunt yesterday and instructed him to visit Professor Vevel. I help Professor Vevel whenever I can."


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## Shayuri (May 1, 2008)

"Excellent. Thank you. I'm sure the Professor will be able to clear up those details... And the book?" Tome presses. "It is relevant to the case in question. You seem familiar with it...do you happen to have a copy, or know where one can be obtained?"


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## Isida Kep'Tukari (May 8, 2008)

pathfinderq1 said:
			
		

> "Not so much from me," Sven said, shaking his head as he mulled over the directions.  "How 'bout you, Se'ket- you want ta ask anythin' else, or shall we go find the dwarf?"



  "Nothing at present," Se'ket says, and then nods at the guardsman in thanks.  "Let us go find the mirrormaster then."


----------

