While Lucky tossed things around upstairs in search of any more valuables information he might recover that could help with the group's location of the stolen amulet, Zanoth, Goraquell, Mills and Drax tied Vivi to a chair and worked as a team to keep her talking. It became apparent rather quickly that Vivi was newly recruited to the worship of Kraiula, and that her conversion to the same happened because she felt a lack of power over her life to change things for the better. The Disciples of Kraiula, were, as Drax well knew, and had no problem telling his new friends, a sect of religious zealoats within the Dragonborn's army who wielded heavy political influence. Vivi was all too happy to share as much as she remembered about the Dragonborn she'd had dealings with, those that came to take the amulet by force of the distraction of their undead minions. The five were lead by Amris, a female with black scales who Vivi understood to be a powerful arcane magic user. Amris had two apprentices. She called them Valdre and Talteth. Valdre was black scaled, and Talteth red, like Drax. Accompanying them were two fighters in resplendent Dragonborn forged platemail, Druas the green scaled, and Nyel the blue.

Amris had not revealed much to Vivi about their current quest, only that Feorac's amulet was actually an heirloom forged by their allies, a long forgotten army that the elves had blinded themselves to over the millenia of their absence from the surface world. Many captains of an ancient blood war were gifted the magical jewelry when they attained high rank. Vivi had gleaned from her conversations with Amris that the amulets were some kind of key to either locating, or opening, or both, some magically concealed fortresses that had been abandoned long ago, but that Amris, and others, believed still held valuable lore and artifacts that could help them to achieve their ultimate goal. Vivi admitted with some anger that Amris had said no nuhrdokaal was worthy of even hearing the glory of their plans, so she didn't know what Amris' ultimate mission was, only that being able to find and plunder the ancient dragonforts was an important part of bring it to fruition. Drax laughed at that part, but didn't tell Vivi why. Nuhrdokaal was the derogatory term dragons used for all the other two-legged races. The literal translation was "ugly humanoid," but the understood meaning was much more crass.

It took a bit of squeezing for Vivi to tattle on her accomplices, but ultimately she did. They were her fellow widows that lived with her in the house paid for by the charity of all those in Hyssop Ridge, all except the two who had most recently joined, though Vivi thought they would have joined their faith soon as well, had they had more time to discuss it. Amris had promised that when Kraiula's children achieved their ultimate goal, all of her faithful followers, nuhrdokaal or not, would be rewarded for faithful service; they would seize control of all lands and peoples in the name of and by the power of their goddess, the queen of dragons.

<Smiling behind the back of Vivi, Zanoth wink’s to the others.>

”So.. we roll that die you found now ? Odd’s and we rip her throat out and leave her corpse to rot in the street, evens and she can go free.”

<Leaving it a few seconds to see if there is any reaction, he then laughs…. >

“Luckily for you I am not as cruel as my brethren, I care not about who you follow or what you believe. I thank you for the knowledge you have given “freely”, and for your sake pray it is true… for when we return from our task we can re-judge the situation then… but for the others in my team, some may not be as forgiving, I leave you in their hands, I have to prepare, others are more worthy of my wrath”. 

@tem let me know if I go too far no movie references this time 

Lucky haveing not spent much time in massage houses is quite taken aback on some of the things he finds but a true professional he trashes the place for valuables information none the less.

Finishing up he joins the others down stairs.

There was a guy chained up stairs who seeming happy to be there..  And one of these women is a big fan of you know what never mind.... weird anyways she talk yet?

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Mills nods. "She's a 'ccomplice to the murderers. Time to get her to the mayor and let the townsfolk figure what to do 'bout the rest o' th'widows." 

So no direction on a meeting place or where to find them etc? No connection to the folks who left town earlier?

Quote from nschrock >>

So no direction on a meeting place or where to find them etc? No connection to the folks who left town earlier?

 (OOC: No. Vivi was not privy to any of their specific plans, only the vague plan to locate and plunder these so called Dragonforts. Likewise, she knew nothing about the four people that checked out of Aaris' Silver Feather, seemingly in pursuit of something further into the frontier. That, by itself, should provide a bit of a clue about their possible motives.)

Having squeezed every ounce of truth juice that they could out of the leader of the local Widows' Circle, and apparently the newest chapter of the temple of Kraiula, as well as Lucky having plundered the assorted rooms for everything he could find of value [17 cp, a vial of ink (10 gp); 11 sp, a small clockwork device of unknown use, a necklace of animal teeth, a vial of perfume (5 gp); 20 cp, a pair of dice; 18 cp, a pouch of white powder, a vial of red ink (10gp), some hardtack; 17 sp, a flask of water, a pouch of multi-colored chalk (1 sp)], the group dragged the bound and now gagged Vivi out into town to find Mayor Bercha. Many of the Winter's Feast revelers traipsing about town were taken aback by the sight of Vivi being dragged, bound and gagged around town. That was, of course, because none of them were any the wiser about her nefarious dealings with the dragonborn disciples of Kraiula who had perpetrated the skeletal attack to hide their thievery. It didn't take long for the word to spread, and mayor Bercha came charging out from the alley between two houses and bristled with indignation. "What in the name of all the sacred Light is going on here?!" His eyes are locked on Zanoth's firm grip on the ropes binding Vivi.

“Mayor Bercha, whilst I myself am unconcerned at the goings on in your town, beyond the “task” given me, we have during our investigations apprehended this woman who was involved in the recent skeleton rampage and other shenanigans, and the rest of my group suggest that you may also be interested… even though this is beyond our purview of our agreed task I would note.

However I am sure you would agree that here, in the street is not the best place to address this, and suggest we proceed to somewhere private?”

Lucky will address the gathering towns people trying to mimic the guards from Tradecity Bay.

Back to your drinks and entertainment, she done my friend dirty, the Mayor will handel it.

Nothing to see here, move along, move along.

Persuasion: 19

Lucky will start escorting people back to the party

Unbelievably, Lucky's confident shooing people away from the situation actually works pretty well, and only a few people remain, all of them seem to be very concerned with why Vivi is bound and gagged. None more than Mayor Bercha himself. "I don't know how things work where you all are from, but around here we don't just go dragging people out of their homes in the middle of the night without the say so of our Eorls or their representatives, which in this case is me!" Bercha's face is starting to turn three different shades of red, and it becomes all too clear that his anger is about to get the better of him. Seeing the few people remaining, and knowing that Zanoth's suggestion to take this out of the public eye is definitely best, Bercha quickly instructs the group to follow him to the town meeting hall, taking off at quick strides to get there. After unlocking the door to the vacant hall's main chamber, a building that looks much like a temple, except with a large courtly dais and walled platform similar to the judge's benches in the Republic. The room is lined with austere wooden benches for seating, but there is also an iron cage at the front, obviously for temporarily housing accused criminals. Bercha opens the cage, and allows Vivi to be put inside it, with the gag on for the time being.

After Vivi is placed in the iron cage, the mayor takes a seat at the nearest bench and says, "Okay, now, you're going to have to provide me quite a bit more information about what makes you think Vivi was involved in the skeleton rampage and other 'shenanigans' as you put it. If the town is going to let Vivi be subject to justice, they're going to require a lot more evidence than just the word of a bunch of foreigners."

Gor steps forward "Why it was her own words, which she will recount for you"

Indeed, as Gor says, ‘in her own words’.

As we are neither lawmen nor does she have a bounty on her head, we simply deliver her to you. She states she is an “acolyte” of some faction called the “Disciples of Kraiula”, and aided and abetted those who caused the skeletons to appear and steal the amulet.

You can do your own questioning, or let her go.. or if you wish us to be deputized (/winks at Lucky) or paid for this additional work we could help more… else I guess we get back to retrieving the Amulet ?

The emotions on Lucky's face quickly flashes from disgust at the deputized to delight at the thought of all the shake downs he would do.

Mills gestures to Lucky. 

"The writing you found. The mayor will believe that even if she changes her tune."

"Mr Mayor, I know this ain't real regular, but this attack weren't real regular neither. The widow and the EN-TIRE house o' widows have been 'thralled by a buncha' dragon folks worshipping that there Kraiula. She is not the mastermind, but she might be gettin' strung up just the same for her part." 

Drax adds in, “my kind can be….. very persuasive. Though it was, in the end, her own decision to join the worship of kraiula.”

 He pauses, then says, with reluctance, “and, I may be mistaken, but it would be in our best interest to retro e the amulet from those that stole it. Who knows what could be released if Amris is to use the amulet.”

Lucky hands the paper to the Mayor.

Taking in everything everyone is saying, and then reading the letter that Lucky handed him, everyone watches the Mayor's countenance droop to dreadful frustration. He reads the missive and looks at the bound and gagged Vivi in her iron cage, as though at a daughter who has drastically disappointed him. His eyes say, "how could you do this?" Then his mouth says it as well. "Vivi, why?!" Though it's obviously a rhetorical question because he makes no move to remove her gag so she can answer. He then turns back to Zanoth and the group and says, "I'll need to keep these," he indicates the letter and the Kraiulan necklace, "the citizens will need to see proof of her crimes." He pauses a moment then, and though his expression never changes, it's clear his words are full of sincerity, "I'm grateful you found the corruption in our midst. I'll have Rivu question her under magical compulsion to tell the truth, if needs be, but we'll make sure she reveals all those in town that worked with her, and they'll be brought to justice as well. Yet, it is as your dragonborn friend says, finding Feorac's amulet seems all the more important now, and that should be your focus. Your efforts are greatly appreciated, and I will send a request to my Eorl to see if more funds can be sent to us, to recompense you for your work."

It's clear by the Mayor walking away toward and then out the door, that he now considers this matter concluded, and expects that you do as well. Which means that the night awaits the groups' decision, ride off into the night on their four purchased horses to try and find the group that left Aaris' inn in such a hurry early in the morning? Or spend the night in town, and take off in the morning. Or perhaps some other option entirely? Perhaps trying to scare up some knowledge of where these dragonforts might be, would be the best use of their collective time and energy?

Well now what? Hit the party, head out in the morning? I don't see so well at night and I think we can push the horses harder by light? What do you think Mills...elf? Yall seem to be the best on the subject?

Oh anyone want a necklace made of bear teeth. 

Lucky holds up bag of his finding. Got ink and coin too.

Lucky hands out everyone's share.

Gor looks at Lucky "Goraqull...My name is Goraqull. and yes we cannot push horses at night unless roads are well constructed and lit, which, to my knowledge, in these lands they are neither. If you don't mind I would like to look at the necklace of bear teeth. Is an adornment like this customary in your lands?"

Thats nice.... um ya here you go.

Lucky hands over the necklace. I'm from the city never seen a bear till after I linked up with Zanoth. I'm not even sure those teeth are bear, I won't lie I guessed.

Lucky looks at Zanoth 

Hey don't look surprised I don't always lie... ok that would be a lie.