Heading back to the Imperial Arms, Joren gets to work. Familiar as he is with the locker-room talk of off-duty soldiers, and already having friends behind the bar, Joren manages to slide into pleasant conversations with a handful of guards enjoying some recreational time. Eager to boast about the grisly details of their job, Joren learns from them pretty quickly that there are concerns of a serial killer operating in the Rows and down by the docks. Several dead bodies of sailors have turned up, all with their throats slit. From the description of the wounds, Joren surmises that it does sound like the result of a wicked weapon, perhaps the curved daggers used by the cultists.
He also gets a chance to inquire about the Arena. It sounds like there are regular matches throughout the day where 2 or more combatants fight until submission. Fighters must register at least one day in advance, and there are modest cash payouts to the victors. Then, once a month, there is a larger tournament which rewards a score of treasure to the grand winner. Scattered between the bouts of the tournament are rounds of bloodsport against exotic beasts and monsters. Fights to the death to serve as a palate cleanser and get people riled up. The next tournament is a week from today.
Meanwhile, back at the shop, Vilus and Samir set up a workspace to start delving into the mystery of the ribbon. (each of you make an arcana check)
Ashley gives a little bow to Fenear as they depart, "A delight to meet with you, as always."
Following her friends out and ignoring Joren's little jeer about parchment, she heads back to the stop with the others. Getting antsy as they start the painstaking process of looking at the document, Ash responds to Malachi, "It would be good for us to know who is on the list. In case we run into one of them, we'll know immediately not to trust them and maybe even follow them. Just because we have the name Marigold, we don't know the reaches of this list."
"I'm going to head out for a bit, I'll be back in a couple of hours." Heading out the door, she follows her nose to some new scents, wanting to find some more delicious food like they found the fish in Tensmith. Heading in that direction, she keeps her eyes peeled. She wants to learn all she can about the city, especially the area they were going to call home for a bit. The thought made her smile. Home. With friends she loved. Never thought she would be in this situation. She wanted to do something for them.. maybe find a shop that could supply them beds.. maybe a kitchenette or something along those lines? They needed to furnish the place to live, beyond selling the trinkets and such Samir and Malachi were talking about. She felt she now had a mission. That and to fully quench the rumble in her stomach.
Once the party departs from town hall, Joren immediately apologizes for his boorish behavior and comments in Fenear's presence, explaining what they probably already know. That he was trying to provide a plausible distraction for the others to make their exit to supplement Ashley and Malachi's magic. Joren is well aware that it is not much of a stretch for strangers (or perhaps even friends) to see him as a dumb, uncouth brute of a soldier.
He hams it up with the off duty guards at the Imperial Arms, but as soon as time permits, perhaps during a trip to use the facilities, Joren relays the information via Sending Stone to the others, particularly Vilus and Malachi. Serial killer slitting sailors' throats in Rows neighborhood. Wounds sounding like cultist daggers. Cultists thinning opposition or killing those who know too much? Or distraction?
He does try to casually prod the guards on whether the "serial killer" has a pattern. Is it sailors from certain ships or crews, or ones who have journeyed west perhaps? Acting as if it is casual, morbid interest as some have (including apparently these guards) in serial killers. However, he leaves it to Vilus or the others to do any further real investigation of the matter if they choose.
Returning from his escapades, he does spend time back at the shop, trying to stay out of the way of Samir's research, but listening in with his usual layman's fascination with the artificer's discoveries and insights. Assisting if basic manual labor is needed, of course.
As for the Arena, Joren signs up for as much of it as he can. The daily submission bouts (starting tomorrow), the grand tournament, even the blood sport fights against beasts and monsters. I must be winning enough to upgrade my gear so I can be protecting my friends!
Now back in his usual Goliath form, Vilus adjusts some goggles over his eyes, and after a short while trying to figure out what exactly he is looking at he 'reads' the inscriptions as Samir gently lifts the ribbon. Giving a nod, the document is laid back on the table, flat, "ok I'm picking up two spells on this thing, the one toward this end of the ribbon is an alarm spell, that'll alert whoever placed it that the document is being messed with... This second one makes you forget, disorients and such, I think the main effect there is that you'll forget what the list is and why it is important..." Vilus also turns to Malachi as he continues, lifting the glasses back off and putting them away, "...and it is important, not only to see who is on the list but how far up it goes, in the council here but also in towns and cities all over this continent. I need to know if anyone in my organisation is also on here, knowing who we can't trust is a massive help. Speaking of, how's the head, since the rune was removed have you had any sensations, or connections? Have you noticed anything out of the ordinary?"
During her wanderings through the cramped stalls of the Rows, Ashley finds her senses assaulted. The aromas of greasy meat, spices, and perfumes all waft over her from different sides, while the sounds of people with wildly varying accents and dialects loudly hawking their wares fill her ears. She sees foods that she's never encountered before, including one man with a flame-heated grill stacking layers of vegetables and patties of ground meat between two slices of bread. So much is packed between the buns that it constantly seems like ingredients are trying to slip out of of every side to escape the weight of what's on top. She chuckles as she notes that these "burgers" remind her of many of the buildings in this part of town. Tall stacks of rough wooden architecture with rooms and balconies seemingly leaking out the sides haphazardly.
Between two of these buildings, she sees a small stone archway that leads into a covered alley. She slips through to find another, quieter street on the other side. One of the businesses here, she notes, appears to be a carpenter shop just called "Chuck's Wood." Through the shop window, she sees a few half finished pieces of furniture covered in sawdust. It looks like the owner takes commissions.
Not far from here, Ashley finds herself emerging from the tight confines of the rows onto a large paved road on a gentle incline. She ducks and weaves past large horse-drawn carts as she crosses to the other side where she finds... A railing. And beyond that, just leagues and leagues of ocean. To her left, the supply road continues to descend down to see level where there is a large harbour filled with docked ships. To her right, the drop down to the ocean gets higher and steeper as the road ascends toward where the council hall sits, perched imperiously on the edge of the cliff.
Samir is bent over the letter, occasionally adjusting his glasses as he examines the en-runed ribbon. Only distantly does he note the comments that the others are making, save Vilus as the goliath is working as his partner for the time being. An odd enough situation given their interaction during the debacle at that inn. But despite his misgivings about the other man's methods of problem solving and moral compass, Samir cannot help but appreciate Vilus' insight into arcane matters and the city in which they find themselves.
Malachi leans back against the counter, watching Vilus and Samir work. As Vilus asks about his head, his hand moves absently to rub the mark on his temple. “I feel fine, no weird sensations, no connections. The fact that we could follow Stenwick without being noticed is a good sign.” Still, Malachi did not feel comfortable enough to venture out in the city on his own like the others. Instead, he explored the upstairs area of the shop while Samir and Vilus worked. He also made a point to let Joren know that he would accompany him to the arena over the next few days. Anywhere money changed hands was a good place to find information and collect a few coins of his own.
Vilus gives Mal a nod "I'm glad its our and not effecting you any more, but that does mean that you won't be needed when meeting the cell, unless of course you still want to come, I'll be heading out after dark."
Turning back to the envelope and assisting Samir, Vilus continues, "what's the plan here, can we disrupt the runes enough to render them useless? I can hold the thing still with a mage hand, that way I won't be bodily in the way for the intricate work." Vilus generally attempts to make himself useful in the disassembly of the ribbon, trying to provide ideas, but mainly doing what Samir tells him.
The view of the ocean stuns her. In some ways it was like the sands, endless. And yet, completely and beautifully different. She stood there a long time at the railing taking it all in. She looks down to the dock, trying to make note of the ships that are docked there. Eventually the thoughts of Razmus and his minions coming from this direction finally weaseled their way into her mind and she sighs.
Turning away from the view, she heads back to the shop called "Chuck's Wood" and heads inside, wondering what all she can find out.
The difficulty Samir faces is larger with the positioning of the runes on the ribbon. They are written on the inside, and tugging on the ribbon to gain some slack risks tearing it. Carefully using his mage hand, Vilus does his best to gently turn over parts of the ribbon just enough for Samir to inspect. Samir starts to get a few ideas for where he could try to add a few lines to sabotage the magic, assuming he could write with sufficient force and accuracy at such an awkward angle.
How did they do it? He wonders to himself. Then the answer occurs to him. At his behest, Vilus continues to twist small sections at a time while he looks carefully at the runes. Then he spots it. Two of the runes have a slightly longer gap between them. With his sensitive fingers highly accustomed to handling delicate machinery components, sometimes blindly, he feels that area of the ribbon. There is a seam. Barely perceptible to the eye or to the touch. They must have written the runes on the ribbon when it was lying flat, and then used a fine adhesive to connect the beginning of the spell to the end, forming a tight loop.
Samir delves into his satchel and procures a few vials. He dips a metal pick from his tool kit into a black, inky liquid, and then carefully taps out a single drop of a clear acrid-smelling fluid onto a small slip of paper. He carefully rolls the coated tip of the pick in the fluid on the paper and then slowly, slowly, dabs the seam of the ribbon with the mixture. There is no sound, or smoke, or sound. But then, 20 seconds later, the concealed end of the ribbon lifts slightly. With the adhesive dissolved, Samir peels the two ends apart, and nothing happens.
With the file freed, Samir carefully sets the ribbon to the side so they can decide to do with it later.
Based on the chatter Joren picks up, the only pattern he can discern with the victims is that they tend to be rough types. Large. Muscular. Scars. The kind of men who have perhaps slit a throat or two of their own at some point. That's part of the reason there isn't more official concern. Maybe they are just getting what's coming to them.
Ashley looks out at the docks below where there is a bustle of sailors loading and unloading supplies and wares. One ship is anchored further out into the harbour, waiting for an open space to dock, while another is slowly drifting off toward a large gap in the jutting stones and reefs that circle the far end of the harbour, nearly on the horizon. Looking closer at the docked ships, Ashley immediately notices, despite her lack of familiarity with such vessels, that not one of them seems like it is designed for transporting a large number of people in comfort. True to what she's heard, it seems not many people are entering or leaving Cambria, save for the sailors spending a night in port before setting off for distant shores once more. Just in case, Ashley commits what details she can to memory about the ships she can see.
With the sun on its way to the horizon, Ashley makes her way back to Chuck's wood. A bell jingles when she opens the door, and the smell of sawdust and pine sap hits her nose. A set of chairs sit by the door, stacked and sporting a fresh finish. Past that, she sees a wooden rocking horse lying on its side, looking like it still needs to be sanded. Other projects, half finished, lie around the shop. From around a corner in the back, Ashley hears a grunt and then a wooden creak. "I'm in the back!" A rough voice calls out. Then comes the sound of hammering, oddly muted. Ashley walks around the corner to find a sweaty human man with his shirt off. He is using a wooden mallet and an equally wooden black to hammer an ornately carved table leg into the bottom of an upside-down table. There are no nails or screws in sight, but when the leg is fully nested in the tight hole carved out for it, there is absolutely no give to it as the man tests it with a firm shake. He wipes the sweat from his brow and blows out a deep breathe. Then he turns around to greet his company. He wipes a hand on his grubby pants and reaches out to shake Ashley's hand. "Hey there. Name's Huck. What can I do for you?"
With Vilus' help, Samir is finally able to separate the two ends of the ribbon and set it aside carefully. He sits back with a quiet exhalation, his eyes flickering over to the other man, soon followed by a quiet nod of thanks.
"I will attempt to copy those runes into my notebook, I think, for study later. If they do what we believe them to do, there could be some potential benefit to it." He sets about cleaning, reorganizing, and putting away his tools and materials, taking a moment to slide the envelope closer to Vilus. "Take a look, perhaps you'll recognize some names or something."
As he goes through his calisthenics routine and moves slowly through his greatsword forms with his echo, Joren reports back his findings to Malachi and Vilus, not wishing to disturb Samir whose painstaking work Joren is beginning to hold in reverence.
"Serial killings in the rows, the ones looking like they may have been done with cultist daggers, all seeming to be of victims who were stronger, possibly violent types." Joren goes on as if he himself is not such a 'type' himself. "Perhaps thinning out those who might be putting up civilian resistance to the invasion? Or being something more sinister where they will be controlling an army of burly zombies..."
Having reached the extent of his investigative capabilities, Joren continues to prepare for his arena match (tomorrow?).
Malachi takes in Joren’s news with interest, both about the upcoming fights in the arena and about the murders along the docks. “These cultists steal people’s faces. Is it possible they are killing these people and taking their identity? But then why would they leave the bodies to be found?”
Despite his earlier doubts and questions about the roster, Malachi leans in and tries to look over Vilus’ shoulder as Samir disables the runes and opens the document. He whispers to Vilus “See anyone you recognize? And you are going to see the cell tonight? Aren’t we also going to take this to Jean Lou tonight? We should make a copy first, just in case.” Malachi pulls out his ink and parchments to make a duplicate of the list, attempting to mimic the writing style and pattern of the original.
As he works, he answers Joren without looking up "Ashley left shortly after you did. Said something about heading out for a bit and being back in a few hours."
Ashley smiles at the sound of the little bell as she opens the door and hearing the call from the back, she slowly makes her way through the half finished projects towards it. She runs her hand over the rocking chair, a small wonder of children tickling her mind.
She pauses a moment as she finds the sweaty human man working the table leg into place. She wonders if magic is being used since nothing mechanical appears to be holding the leg together. As he greets her, she smiles broadly and takes his hand. "My name is Ashley Moon. How, how does that leg stay in? Did you use magic?"
"I love the smell of this place and my friends and I are in need of some furniture. You see, we are new to town and have a place, but it is unfurnished. We aren't looking for anything extravagant, in fact we don't have a lot of cash. But I would like to get off the floor when I sleep and maybe a few chairs? Ooh... I forgot to ask, are you looking for more work or are you busy?"
Vilus looks over the list, his eyes darting back and forth quickly through the names "Jon Shep here, see... Oh Marigold's first name is Orianne. Hmmm... Yeah good idea, get it all copied down and yeah I'll be seeing the cell soon, is there any particular task you all want them set up with? Maybe getting a couple to look into these killings?" Vilus gives a nod to Joren with that last bit.
Vilus roots around in his satchel for a little while preparing to leave, before exclaiming a profanity and bringing a small leather bound notebook to Samir's desk, "here, I'd forgotten all about this, I picked it up when I was on my way out of the place where I was held and tortured... It's a reference book of sorts, for all of the runes that the cult habe been tattooing, it was with a needle set and some ink, both of which I have too if you want them. Mal! You might be interested to look too, if you'd like? Just don't ket it out of your sight Samir eh? I don't want anyone getting wind that we have this..."
Huck leans on the table leg as Ashley talks. "Oh this?" he says, tapping the table leg. "It's mostly just really precise joint work. You cut the pieces just right, you can get them to lock together with friction alone." He hefts the hammer in his hands. "Though if you can keep a secret, there may be just a bit of magic in this hammer of mine." He winks. "Now, I think I could fit in time for a few extra pieces. Business is good, but it can always be better, you know? Haha. For a basic chair, it'd cost you 5 gold and 5 silver a piece. If you want it upholstered, I'll need to get one of my brothers involved, and it would go for 12 Gold. A bed frame, I could do for 19 Gold"
Malachi finishes copying the list and steps back to admire his handiwork, hoping for a reasonable copy of the original. “Now we have a copy of Jean Lou and a copy for ourselves, just in case. Do you recognize any other names from the list? Anyone from your organization?” he asks Vilus. He looks over Samir’s shoulder at the book of runes Vilus provided, but leaves their study to the scholar of the group. Malachi didn’t have the attention span to focus on the book and studying did seem like a lot of work.
He turns back to Vilus “I would be happy to go with you to meet the cell, but are we still going to Jean Lou’s tonight to deliver the list?”
“In any case, I am going to check upstairs while we wait for Ashley to return. Anyone want to come along? We should have looked at it the first time we were here” Malachi will move up the staircase to investigate the second floor to see if there was anything worth saving leftover from the looters.
"I'll leave the decision of what to do with the copy, in your capable hands, perhaps Joren would like to deliver it? We have Jean Lou's address right?" Vilus responds to Mal whilst adjusting the strap keeping his fake leg in place. "And of course you can come, I might need someone to watch my back as I climb ladders" he chuckles but the smile doesn't really reach his eyes, as Vilus appears distracted by something.
As requested, Joren is willing to take the copy of the list for Jean-Lou back to the council-members house at the early evening hour that the goliath had requested. Though he does remember that Jean-Lou had suggested a disguise, and Joren is no good at that, the half-dwarf having a distinctive look.
"Happy to be doing it, but should it be me? Being... conspicuous as I am. Can you disguise me as you are often doing with yourself, Vilus? Or do you have some other magical trick that might help me avoid notice from watchers, Malachi or Samir?"
If he does go, on his way, he takes his time, making sure to get a feel for the town, its layout, its landmarks. And watching for anyone tailing him of course.
"Well, that is very impressive work." she smiles as the man winks about his hammer's magic. "Well, let me chat with my friends to make sure this is what they want and I'll be back. It's quite the shop you have here!"
Heading out, she retraces her steps back to their new home and checks in on the progress her friends are making.
"How's the list coming along? And anything happen while I was away? I checked out the dock and it looks like it is just cargo boats, nothing that really transports people, but busy there nonetheless. I also stopped by a furniture shop, was thinking we might need beds? And chairs to go around this table? Especially if we're going to be staying awhile? Also...there is sooo many good smells out there, and something called a burger? Let's go grab some food!"
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Heading back to the Imperial Arms, Joren gets to work. Familiar as he is with the locker-room talk of off-duty soldiers, and already having friends behind the bar, Joren manages to slide into pleasant conversations with a handful of guards enjoying some recreational time. Eager to boast about the grisly details of their job, Joren learns from them pretty quickly that there are concerns of a serial killer operating in the Rows and down by the docks. Several dead bodies of sailors have turned up, all with their throats slit. From the description of the wounds, Joren surmises that it does sound like the result of a wicked weapon, perhaps the curved daggers used by the cultists.
He also gets a chance to inquire about the Arena. It sounds like there are regular matches throughout the day where 2 or more combatants fight until submission. Fighters must register at least one day in advance, and there are modest cash payouts to the victors. Then, once a month, there is a larger tournament which rewards a score of treasure to the grand winner. Scattered between the bouts of the tournament are rounds of bloodsport against exotic beasts and monsters. Fights to the death to serve as a palate cleanser and get people riled up. The next tournament is a week from today.
Meanwhile, back at the shop, Vilus and Samir set up a workspace to start delving into the mystery of the ribbon. (each of you make an arcana check)
Ashley gives a little bow to Fenear as they depart, "A delight to meet with you, as always."
Following her friends out and ignoring Joren's little jeer about parchment, she heads back to the stop with the others. Getting antsy as they start the painstaking process of looking at the document, Ash responds to Malachi, "It would be good for us to know who is on the list. In case we run into one of them, we'll know immediately not to trust them and maybe even follow them. Just because we have the name Marigold, we don't know the reaches of this list."
"I'm going to head out for a bit, I'll be back in a couple of hours." Heading out the door, she follows her nose to some new scents, wanting to find some more delicious food like they found the fish in Tensmith. Heading in that direction, she keeps her eyes peeled. She wants to learn all she can about the city, especially the area they were going to call home for a bit. The thought made her smile. Home. With friends she loved. Never thought she would be in this situation. She wanted to do something for them.. maybe find a shop that could supply them beds.. maybe a kitchenette or something along those lines? They needed to furnish the place to live, beyond selling the trinkets and such Samir and Malachi were talking about. She felt she now had a mission. That and to fully quench the rumble in her stomach.
Once the party departs from town hall, Joren immediately apologizes for his boorish behavior and comments in Fenear's presence, explaining what they probably already know. That he was trying to provide a plausible distraction for the others to make their exit to supplement Ashley and Malachi's magic. Joren is well aware that it is not much of a stretch for strangers (or perhaps even friends) to see him as a dumb, uncouth brute of a soldier.
He hams it up with the off duty guards at the Imperial Arms, but as soon as time permits, perhaps during a trip to use the facilities, Joren relays the information via Sending Stone to the others, particularly Vilus and Malachi. Serial killer slitting sailors' throats in Rows neighborhood. Wounds sounding like cultist daggers. Cultists thinning opposition or killing those who know too much? Or distraction?
He does try to casually prod the guards on whether the "serial killer" has a pattern. Is it sailors from certain ships or crews, or ones who have journeyed west perhaps? Acting as if it is casual, morbid interest as some have (including apparently these guards) in serial killers. However, he leaves it to Vilus or the others to do any further real investigation of the matter if they choose.
Returning from his escapades, he does spend time back at the shop, trying to stay out of the way of Samir's research, but listening in with his usual layman's fascination with the artificer's discoveries and insights. Assisting if basic manual labor is needed, of course.
As for the Arena, Joren signs up for as much of it as he can. The daily submission bouts (starting tomorrow), the grand tournament, even the blood sport fights against beasts and monsters. I must be winning enough to upgrade my gear so I can be protecting my friends!
Tanis(Ranger1): Shiverquill's Tempest City | Xarian(Fighter2): NioNSwiper's Tyranny of Dragons
Dyson/Eleo(TwilightCleric4): Vos' Beyond the Veil | Soren(ShepherdDruid5): Bartjeebus' Ravenloft | Ophelia(WildMagicSorcerer4): Ashen_Age's Risen from the Sands
Joren(EchoKnightFighter6): NotDrizzt's Simple Request | Sabetha(MercyMonk3): Bedlymn's Murder Court | Seri(NatureCleric3/DivineSoulSorcerer1): Bartjeebus' Greyhawk
Now back in his usual Goliath form, Vilus adjusts some goggles over his eyes, and after a short while trying to figure out what exactly he is looking at he 'reads' the inscriptions as Samir gently lifts the ribbon. Giving a nod, the document is laid back on the table, flat, "ok I'm picking up two spells on this thing, the one toward this end of the ribbon is an alarm spell, that'll alert whoever placed it that the document is being messed with... This second one makes you forget, disorients and such, I think the main effect there is that you'll forget what the list is and why it is important..." Vilus also turns to Malachi as he continues, lifting the glasses back off and putting them away, "...and it is important, not only to see who is on the list but how far up it goes, in the council here but also in towns and cities all over this continent. I need to know if anyone in my organisation is also on here, knowing who we can't trust is a massive help. Speaking of, how's the head, since the rune was removed have you had any sensations, or connections? Have you noticed anything out of the ordinary?"
During her wanderings through the cramped stalls of the Rows, Ashley finds her senses assaulted. The aromas of greasy meat, spices, and perfumes all waft over her from different sides, while the sounds of people with wildly varying accents and dialects loudly hawking their wares fill her ears. She sees foods that she's never encountered before, including one man with a flame-heated grill stacking layers of vegetables and patties of ground meat between two slices of bread. So much is packed between the buns that it constantly seems like ingredients are trying to slip out of of every side to escape the weight of what's on top. She chuckles as she notes that these "burgers" remind her of many of the buildings in this part of town. Tall stacks of rough wooden architecture with rooms and balconies seemingly leaking out the sides haphazardly.
Between two of these buildings, she sees a small stone archway that leads into a covered alley. She slips through to find another, quieter street on the other side. One of the businesses here, she notes, appears to be a carpenter shop just called "Chuck's Wood." Through the shop window, she sees a few half finished pieces of furniture covered in sawdust. It looks like the owner takes commissions.
Not far from here, Ashley finds herself emerging from the tight confines of the rows onto a large paved road on a gentle incline. She ducks and weaves past large horse-drawn carts as she crosses to the other side where she finds... A railing. And beyond that, just leagues and leagues of ocean. To her left, the supply road continues to descend down to see level where there is a large harbour filled with docked ships. To her right, the drop down to the ocean gets higher and steeper as the road ascends toward where the council hall sits, perched imperiously on the edge of the cliff.
Samir is bent over the letter, occasionally adjusting his glasses as he examines the en-runed ribbon. Only distantly does he note the comments that the others are making, save Vilus as the goliath is working as his partner for the time being. An odd enough situation given their interaction during the debacle at that inn. But despite his misgivings about the other man's methods of problem solving and moral compass, Samir cannot help but appreciate Vilus' insight into arcane matters and the city in which they find themselves.
Malachi leans back against the counter, watching Vilus and Samir work. As Vilus asks about his head, his hand moves absently to rub the mark on his temple. “I feel fine, no weird sensations, no connections. The fact that we could follow Stenwick without being noticed is a good sign.” Still, Malachi did not feel comfortable enough to venture out in the city on his own like the others. Instead, he explored the upstairs area of the shop while Samir and Vilus worked. He also made a point to let Joren know that he would accompany him to the arena over the next few days. Anywhere money changed hands was a good place to find information and collect a few coins of his own.
Vilus gives Mal a nod "I'm glad its our and not effecting you any more, but that does mean that you won't be needed when meeting the cell, unless of course you still want to come, I'll be heading out after dark."
Turning back to the envelope and assisting Samir, Vilus continues, "what's the plan here, can we disrupt the runes enough to render them useless? I can hold the thing still with a mage hand, that way I won't be bodily in the way for the intricate work." Vilus generally attempts to make himself useful in the disassembly of the ribbon, trying to provide ideas, but mainly doing what Samir tells him.
The view of the ocean stuns her. In some ways it was like the sands, endless. And yet, completely and beautifully different. She stood there a long time at the railing taking it all in. She looks down to the dock, trying to make note of the ships that are docked there. Eventually the thoughts of Razmus and his minions coming from this direction finally weaseled their way into her mind and she sighs.
Turning away from the view, she heads back to the shop called "Chuck's Wood" and heads inside, wondering what all she can find out.
The difficulty Samir faces is larger with the positioning of the runes on the ribbon. They are written on the inside, and tugging on the ribbon to gain some slack risks tearing it. Carefully using his mage hand, Vilus does his best to gently turn over parts of the ribbon just enough for Samir to inspect. Samir starts to get a few ideas for where he could try to add a few lines to sabotage the magic, assuming he could write with sufficient force and accuracy at such an awkward angle.
How did they do it? He wonders to himself. Then the answer occurs to him. At his behest, Vilus continues to twist small sections at a time while he looks carefully at the runes. Then he spots it. Two of the runes have a slightly longer gap between them. With his sensitive fingers highly accustomed to handling delicate machinery components, sometimes blindly, he feels that area of the ribbon. There is a seam. Barely perceptible to the eye or to the touch. They must have written the runes on the ribbon when it was lying flat, and then used a fine adhesive to connect the beginning of the spell to the end, forming a tight loop.
Samir delves into his satchel and procures a few vials. He dips a metal pick from his tool kit into a black, inky liquid, and then carefully taps out a single drop of a clear acrid-smelling fluid onto a small slip of paper. He carefully rolls the coated tip of the pick in the fluid on the paper and then slowly, slowly, dabs the seam of the ribbon with the mixture. There is no sound, or smoke, or sound. But then, 20 seconds later, the concealed end of the ribbon lifts slightly. With the adhesive dissolved, Samir peels the two ends apart, and nothing happens.
With the file freed, Samir carefully sets the ribbon to the side so they can decide to do with it later.
Based on the chatter Joren picks up, the only pattern he can discern with the victims is that they tend to be rough types. Large. Muscular. Scars. The kind of men who have perhaps slit a throat or two of their own at some point. That's part of the reason there isn't more official concern. Maybe they are just getting what's coming to them.
Ashley looks out at the docks below where there is a bustle of sailors loading and unloading supplies and wares. One ship is anchored further out into the harbour, waiting for an open space to dock, while another is slowly drifting off toward a large gap in the jutting stones and reefs that circle the far end of the harbour, nearly on the horizon. Looking closer at the docked ships, Ashley immediately notices, despite her lack of familiarity with such vessels, that not one of them seems like it is designed for transporting a large number of people in comfort. True to what she's heard, it seems not many people are entering or leaving Cambria, save for the sailors spending a night in port before setting off for distant shores once more. Just in case, Ashley commits what details she can to memory about the ships she can see.
With the sun on its way to the horizon, Ashley makes her way back to Chuck's wood. A bell jingles when she opens the door, and the smell of sawdust and pine sap hits her nose. A set of chairs sit by the door, stacked and sporting a fresh finish. Past that, she sees a wooden rocking horse lying on its side, looking like it still needs to be sanded. Other projects, half finished, lie around the shop. From around a corner in the back, Ashley hears a grunt and then a wooden creak. "I'm in the back!" A rough voice calls out. Then comes the sound of hammering, oddly muted. Ashley walks around the corner to find a sweaty human man with his shirt off. He is using a wooden mallet and an equally wooden black to hammer an ornately carved table leg into the bottom of an upside-down table. There are no nails or screws in sight, but when the leg is fully nested in the tight hole carved out for it, there is absolutely no give to it as the man tests it with a firm shake. He wipes the sweat from his brow and blows out a deep breathe. Then he turns around to greet his company. He wipes a hand on his grubby pants and reaches out to shake Ashley's hand. "Hey there. Name's Huck. What can I do for you?"
With Vilus' help, Samir is finally able to separate the two ends of the ribbon and set it aside carefully. He sits back with a quiet exhalation, his eyes flickering over to the other man, soon followed by a quiet nod of thanks.
"I will attempt to copy those runes into my notebook, I think, for study later. If they do what we believe them to do, there could be some potential benefit to it." He sets about cleaning, reorganizing, and putting away his tools and materials, taking a moment to slide the envelope closer to Vilus. "Take a look, perhaps you'll recognize some names or something."
As he goes through his calisthenics routine and moves slowly through his greatsword forms with his echo, Joren reports back his findings to Malachi and Vilus, not wishing to disturb Samir whose painstaking work Joren is beginning to hold in reverence.
"Serial killings in the rows, the ones looking like they may have been done with cultist daggers, all seeming to be of victims who were stronger, possibly violent types." Joren goes on as if he himself is not such a 'type' himself. "Perhaps thinning out those who might be putting up civilian resistance to the invasion? Or being something more sinister where they will be controlling an army of burly zombies..."
Having reached the extent of his investigative capabilities, Joren continues to prepare for his arena match (tomorrow?).
"Anyone seeing Ashley?"
Tanis(Ranger1): Shiverquill's Tempest City | Xarian(Fighter2): NioNSwiper's Tyranny of Dragons
Dyson/Eleo(TwilightCleric4): Vos' Beyond the Veil | Soren(ShepherdDruid5): Bartjeebus' Ravenloft | Ophelia(WildMagicSorcerer4): Ashen_Age's Risen from the Sands
Joren(EchoKnightFighter6): NotDrizzt's Simple Request | Sabetha(MercyMonk3): Bedlymn's Murder Court | Seri(NatureCleric3/DivineSoulSorcerer1): Bartjeebus' Greyhawk
Malachi takes in Joren’s news with interest, both about the upcoming fights in the arena and about the murders along the docks. “These cultists steal people’s faces. Is it possible they are killing these people and taking their identity? But then why would they leave the bodies to be found?”
Despite his earlier doubts and questions about the roster, Malachi leans in and tries to look over Vilus’ shoulder as Samir disables the runes and opens the document. He whispers to Vilus “See anyone you recognize? And you are going to see the cell tonight? Aren’t we also going to take this to Jean Lou tonight? We should make a copy first, just in case.” Malachi pulls out his ink and parchments to make a duplicate of the list, attempting to mimic the writing style and pattern of the original.
As he works, he answers Joren without looking up "Ashley left shortly after you did. Said something about heading out for a bit and being back in a few hours."
Ashley smiles at the sound of the little bell as she opens the door and hearing the call from the back, she slowly makes her way through the half finished projects towards it. She runs her hand over the rocking chair, a small wonder of children tickling her mind.
She pauses a moment as she finds the sweaty human man working the table leg into place. She wonders if magic is being used since nothing mechanical appears to be holding the leg together. As he greets her, she smiles broadly and takes his hand. "My name is Ashley Moon. How, how does that leg stay in? Did you use magic?"
"I love the smell of this place and my friends and I are in need of some furniture. You see, we are new to town and have a place, but it is unfurnished. We aren't looking for anything extravagant, in fact we don't have a lot of cash. But I would like to get off the floor when I sleep and maybe a few chairs? Ooh... I forgot to ask, are you looking for more work or are you busy?"
Vilus looks over the list, his eyes darting back and forth quickly through the names "Jon Shep here, see... Oh Marigold's first name is Orianne. Hmmm... Yeah good idea, get it all copied down and yeah I'll be seeing the cell soon, is there any particular task you all want them set up with? Maybe getting a couple to look into these killings?" Vilus gives a nod to Joren with that last bit.
Vilus roots around in his satchel for a little while preparing to leave, before exclaiming a profanity and bringing a small leather bound notebook to Samir's desk, "here, I'd forgotten all about this, I picked it up when I was on my way out of the place where I was held and tortured... It's a reference book of sorts, for all of the runes that the cult habe been tattooing, it was with a needle set and some ink, both of which I have too if you want them. Mal! You might be interested to look too, if you'd like? Just don't ket it out of your sight Samir eh? I don't want anyone getting wind that we have this..."
Huck leans on the table leg as Ashley talks. "Oh this?" he says, tapping the table leg. "It's mostly just really precise joint work. You cut the pieces just right, you can get them to lock together with friction alone." He hefts the hammer in his hands. "Though if you can keep a secret, there may be just a bit of magic in this hammer of mine." He winks. "Now, I think I could fit in time for a few extra pieces. Business is good, but it can always be better, you know? Haha. For a basic chair, it'd cost you 5 gold and 5 silver a piece. If you want it upholstered, I'll need to get one of my brothers involved, and it would go for 12 Gold. A bed frame, I could do for 19 Gold"
Malachi finishes copying the list and steps back to admire his handiwork, hoping for a reasonable copy of the original. “Now we have a copy of Jean Lou and a copy for ourselves, just in case. Do you recognize any other names from the list? Anyone from your organization?” he asks Vilus. He looks over Samir’s shoulder at the book of runes Vilus provided, but leaves their study to the scholar of the group. Malachi didn’t have the attention span to focus on the book and studying did seem like a lot of work.
He turns back to Vilus “I would be happy to go with you to meet the cell, but are we still going to Jean Lou’s tonight to deliver the list?”
“In any case, I am going to check upstairs while we wait for Ashley to return. Anyone want to come along? We should have looked at it the first time we were here” Malachi will move up the staircase to investigate the second floor to see if there was anything worth saving leftover from the looters.
"I'll leave the decision of what to do with the copy, in your capable hands, perhaps Joren would like to deliver it? We have Jean Lou's address right?" Vilus responds to Mal whilst adjusting the strap keeping his fake leg in place. "And of course you can come, I might need someone to watch my back as I climb ladders" he chuckles but the smile doesn't really reach his eyes, as Vilus appears distracted by something.
As requested, Joren is willing to take the copy of the list for Jean-Lou back to the council-members house at the early evening hour that the goliath had requested. Though he does remember that Jean-Lou had suggested a disguise, and Joren is no good at that, the half-dwarf having a distinctive look.
"Happy to be doing it, but should it be me? Being... conspicuous as I am. Can you disguise me as you are often doing with yourself, Vilus? Or do you have some other magical trick that might help me avoid notice from watchers, Malachi or Samir?"
If he does go, on his way, he takes his time, making sure to get a feel for the town, its layout, its landmarks. And watching for anyone tailing him of course.
Tanis(Ranger1): Shiverquill's Tempest City | Xarian(Fighter2): NioNSwiper's Tyranny of Dragons
Dyson/Eleo(TwilightCleric4): Vos' Beyond the Veil | Soren(ShepherdDruid5): Bartjeebus' Ravenloft | Ophelia(WildMagicSorcerer4): Ashen_Age's Risen from the Sands
Joren(EchoKnightFighter6): NotDrizzt's Simple Request | Sabetha(MercyMonk3): Bedlymn's Murder Court | Seri(NatureCleric3/DivineSoulSorcerer1): Bartjeebus' Greyhawk
"Well, that is very impressive work." she smiles as the man winks about his hammer's magic. "Well, let me chat with my friends to make sure this is what they want and I'll be back. It's quite the shop you have here!"
Heading out, she retraces her steps back to their new home and checks in on the progress her friends are making.
"How's the list coming along? And anything happen while I was away? I checked out the dock and it looks like it is just cargo boats, nothing that really transports people, but busy there nonetheless. I also stopped by a furniture shop, was thinking we might need beds? And chairs to go around this table? Especially if we're going to be staying awhile? Also...there is sooo many good smells out there, and something called a burger? Let's go grab some food!"