Paren runs over to Jonathan and lays a hand on him. "Lugh give me strength. Bring him back." He tries the only thing he can think of in the moment, muttering "leigheas lotan." cure wounds ((2nd level)) 13

Paren channels his magic and he can feel the healing enter Jonathan's body but it is quickly consumed by the blight.

[Roll a CHA Save]

Charisma save: 13

Falaine will drop her spell. "Paren, it's no use, he is beyond aide."

Tanni stares at Jonathan's body, at the stone jutting from his chest, at the wound and the tendrils spreading from it. The electricity and the red shade of rage clears from her eyes, but it is replaced by blurriness as small tears begin to form. She lifts her gaze and finally seems to notice Candice. Tanni's eyes lock on the purple on her hands and a dark anger begins to form on the gnome's face. She marches to the crying woman, not even glancing at anyone else, grabs her by the front of her shirt and pulls her close. "What. Happened," Tanni growls through clenched teeth.

Paren feels the energy draw from his spell and then normally where the spell stops, it continues pulling at him. He can feel his god's magic being drained from his hands as he struggles to draw his hands away from the body! The transfer strains Paren as it leaches his own life away and into the stone fragment at the center of Jonathan's chest. 

Paren,

 Candise shutters for a moment as the pull draws her from her own self worries. She looks into the eyes of Tanni with remorse and confusion. "The guards heard the cries for help so we came. I... They searched the rooms looking for something to explain the death outside. I tried to stop them as they can't just go through your things!" 

Candise seems to anger at the procedure the guards took with it all. "I tried to make them put it back." She looks at her hands. "They were insistent so I took it. After that..." She pauses looking at her hands. "I don't know what happened. I remember a great light and then being thrown back against this wall." The half-orc is visibly shaking from the stress. 

The other guards as slowly rising to their feet with confusion on the faces. One says, "We must find who killed the guard and what they were up to! There's already enough worry that enemies have infiltrated the castle and are planning something  once the fleet departs." 

One of the female tabaxi guards is bending over Jonathan's body examining the wound and the stone. "What is this thing?," she asks with concern. "Has it been in the castle the entire time?"

Paren collapse back to the floor, the weight of his injuries and the pull of the magic taking most of the strength he had left. "Shamara, Shamara did this. Or one of the other new gods. When I touched him the shard drew the healing from me, and with it the part of Mervielle that remained in me." 

He rolls himself over onto his hands and knees, attempting to stand and failing to find the strength. He simply leans his head down to the floor defeated and begins muttering outloud in elvish, trying for a language he no longer knows.

"You took the stone... and Jonathan died." Tanni's eyes grow cold and her grip tightens. "It was Shamara. She talked to you. You stabbed Jonathan with that cursed stone and tried to corrupt him, but she stopped the corruption. You and your cursed god!" Tanni slams Candise against the wall. "You will both pay."

"It was the daughter... It has to be, the protector." Falaine looks blankly at the corpse of Jonathan. "This is my fault... The shard was my burden and I neglected it."

Paren picks his bloodied head up from the floor and uses his yklwa to lever himself back to standing. "My guess is it may have been both. The voice said something about getting a shield back. When Mervielle's crypt was raided Gunthar took items which the new gods gave to Lugh in exchange for him leaving them alone. Aiden has his own dagger now, my guess is Shamara has her necklace as well as the other two's items." 

Falaine puts a hand on Tanni's shoulder. "You know this but to be her fault. This shard has power over people. Please friend, take a moment."

Paren turns to the guards. "Get a stretcher so that we can move the body. No one should touch it, the stone in his chest will drain the life from those who do. He is a noble, he deserves a better resting place than on the floor of the guest quarters." 

Tanni slowly loosens her grip and finally releases Candise. "I'm not done with you," she growls and walks to Jonathan's corpse. She crouches next to him and the tears begin to flow once more. "I'll make them pay, Jonathan. You'll see." she whispers, doing her best to not look at the stone jutting from his chest.

Paren reaches out and puts a hand on Tanni's shoulder, as both a means of comfort and healing. 

((Lay on hands, up to 15 points.))

After a few minutes, a large group of healers arrive and begin tending to those that need it. The wounded and confused guards are led out of the crowded gathering area between the chambers. The tabaxi guard that originally greeted you on your arrival to the castle makes his way through the group. He looks down to see the body of Jonathan and sorrow spreads across the rather stern man's face.

"My men didn't stand a chance down in the cellar. Whatever came through made quick work of them with a precision I've not seen in years. We're going to have to seal that cellar off to prohibit it's use forward. We can't have foes that powerful able to just show up in the castle and then disappear."

He bends down and says a short prayer over Jonathan. "As the right of a noble, he will be transported back to his family for burial. If anyone has any words they wish to say in his memory before he's put to rest, say them now."

Candise, who seems to still be in shock, trembles as she stands. "I'm so sorry. I couldn't stop it," she says in remorse. 

She's bound by several guards that quickly move to her. "She'll stand trial within the hour. I would appreciate if you all could be there as you and the other guards are the only witnesses and they seem to have mostly forgotten everything that happened."

Paren waves off any healers that try and get near him. He looks at Candise, a sad smile on his face. "Whatever my person feelings are right now, give her the benefit of the doubt at her trial. A friend of ours described a similar takeover of his body when he was near a shard so touching one would make things worse I expect. Plus I do not think your servant here knows spells to protect a body against healing like there is on Jonathan now. My guess is that she has become another unwilling participant in Shamara's war." 

He begins to walk back to Jonathan's room to pack his things for the journey back to his family, before stopping at the door. "Before you seal off the circle, what do you know about it? Has it ever been used before we arrived here?" 

Tanni pats once Paren's hand and stands up, still staring at Jonathan. "Thanks." While people are talking, Tanni just nods along. "Sure, we'll take part in her trial. I... I'll be in my room. I need to change."

[All may roll an insight check] for when Paren mentions Shamara.

The healers seem to stay rather clear of Jonathan. They look at the wound and quickly see that there's nothing they can do for it. You spot several casting glaces back to it as they tend to the others with a bit of medical wonder and a hint of unease. 

The guard shakes his head. "We hadn't know of its existence before you came. I've checked our records and there is no mention of it. The wizards researching it would be the ones most knowledgeable in that area and they've been slain by the intruder. Perhaps they chronicled their research as they went. I wasn't planning on dealing with dead bodies today. We have preparations we need to make for the voyage and providing His Grace with the security he needs. We can't have additional threats here in the castle while we're away."

The guard seems to be experiencing a lot of stress at the moment as he tries to figure out how best to protect the castle as well as protect the fleet.

Those that look through Jonathan's possessions would find...

• • Very fine Waltyr's Wrap cloak
  • Fine clothes fitted to Jonathan's exact measurements
  • Various weapons: Dagger, Javelin, and a fine quality Rapier.
  • Torch and tinderbox
  • On Jonathan's finger is a signet ring bearing the symbol of his family. 
  • In his pack is also a scroll of pedigree that details his family name, where he was born, and a listing of benefits someone of his stature are afforded. 

  The strangest thing you find among his things are a pair of silver spheres about 1 inch in diameter each. They are moderately magnetic, attracted to one another and make a pleasant chime when they hit against one another, but flicking one on its own makes it sound as though it were hollow. It is not something that has much apparent value outside of its material, but you're able to tell they had quite the importance to Jonathan

   

When Tanni returns to her room, she sees that it has been tossed as if someone was looking for something. In fact, all would find their rooms in similar states. Nothing seems to be missing from anyone's room except for the shard. Had the intruder been trying to find the shard? Did the intruder cause all of this or was it just the guards searching for clues?

Is there any plant life in the chambers? If so Falaine will do a thing.

Insight: 17

Falaine will turn to Paren. "We should look to see what the wizards discovered before their demise. I have a sketch of the most recent runes, perhaps there is someone with the skill to create a circle to take us where the assailants came from."

Falaine will druidcraft peony blossoms in a circle around Jonathan. She'll then kneel near his head say.

"Rest well friend, may the next life treat you better than this."

She'll then recite a prayer in druidic.