Esvaris

When Demoiselle describes the attacker, does it the description sound familiar?

Korlan 

I hand over the coin purse. I pull out the box with the broken item inside. I show it to Brother Annan. “Have you ever seen anything like this before? It seems to be broken and hoping someone knows how to fix it.”

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Quill:  Sister Naphtali thanks you for your hard work and asks you to sweep the rectory kitchen in preparation for the evening meal.  "The cooks have been working since before sunup today to get all the foods prepared for the novice initiate celebration feast this evening.  You probably saw the chaos when you dropped off the dishes earlier."  She says that's all the assistance she'll need from you today.  (If you sweep, roll a perception check)

Esvaris: Demoiselle didn't see the attacker when the guard fell because she was too far away and the attacker was hidden by a market stall.

Korlan: Taking the figure carefully from you, Brother Annan looks it over, turning it in his hands.  "Made by gnomes, I would think."  Handing it back to you he says, "Have you any skill with Tinker's Tools?  Friar Bernard keeps quite a collection of tools in the salle for repairing weapons and armor and such. I'm sure he wouldn't mind if you used them."  The dinner bells ring at about that time and he walks to the door.  Pausing, he turns back and adds, "It may be a spell focus.  You'd need to cast Detect Magic to be sure, but I believe it may be for storing spells and releasing them at a short distance."  Then he continues out the door.

Quill sweeps the kitchen absentmindedly while the main cook orders all the cleric helpers around in preparation for the feast.  Some of them are being sent to set up tables in the atrium of the basilica.  Others are basting a large spitted roast pig in the huge fireplace and still more are racing back and forth carrying pies and fancy dishes, many displayed to look like sun patterns. He's still sweeping a good twenty minutes past the ringing of the dinner bells.  The cook yells at a server "Set that big silver tray on the main table. Yes, with the serving lid on! You want the Dawnlord to find flies swimming in his gravy?"  Every time Quill gets an area swept, some one spills something else.  It's obvious his help is needed just to prevent servers from slipping and sliding across the floor in all the mess and chaos.  The sweaty faced head cook mops her brow, her kerchief seems to be no use.  "No, no, no! We are not bringing that cake out until after the novice initiate ceremony is over!"  She finally has all the servers line up to bring out the last course.  "Where is the other one? The one that brought out the Dawnlord's dish?" One of the younger clerics pipes up, "That was that new initiate, the fourth one, that arrived this afternoon." He looks around and then shrugs. "Probably getting ready for the ceremony now." The head cook sighs, sends them out, and tells the rest of you that you can go ahead and join the feast now.

Korlan 

I’ll head to the table and take my seat for dinner. I assume we still get the meeting room. I’ll keep the dragon with me and attempt to work on it at the table after I eat quickly. I have my tinker tools from my belt. 

I want to cast detect magic on it and an investigation check before I begin working on it. 

Investigation: 10 

Korlan, upon entering the common room, finds that dinner is not being served there tonight due to the novice initiate feast and ceremony.  Servers are rushing food out to the basilica atrium.  As the kitchen door swings open and shut a few times, you notice Quill inside sweeping, and a tall sweaty faced woman waving a large spoon and yelling out orders.

After sitting down in the meeting room alone and casting Detect Magic the dragon immediately glows.  So do a few other items stacked in the room around you.  A wooden mug, a quill pen, and something buried among the jackets, hooded cloaks and bags and such from High Lord Emeritus' coat closet.  Investigating the dragon and it's parts, it seems like it may need one part to be entirely refabricated using a piece from the good side as a mold.  The dragon appears to be designed to move on its own volition, and the eyes are the focus for its spell storage ability.  It does not currently hold any spells within it.  If fixed, it could hold two.

Korlan 

Before I leave the room, I want to dig through the jacket and cloaks to find whatever is hidden, but emanates magic. Also before I leave, I think I’ll “borrow” the quill, just in case I have to try to scribe again  

I’ll pack up the dragon into the box and head off to the ceremony. Probably shouldn’t miss it. I’ll go with Friar Bernard tomorrow. Maybe he can help me rebuild a leg with his tools. 

Korlan finds a strange bag:

 Also, with a little practice later, Korlan discovers that the quill has the same properties as an Illusory Script spell, but can only be used in this way once per day.  Otherwise it is a normal quill.

Esvaris

At dinner time, I go to the rectory, looking for Friar Bernard, as he invited me to (let me know how this goes). Then I head to the ceremony.

Quill tidies up and heads in for dinner. He looks for a seat by the others.

Esvaris: As you help Emungo load the guard's body into the cart, you recognize the guard.  It's Tristan.  Later, when you go to the rectory, looking for Friar Bernard, the kitchen helpers tell you that he is eating with the other teachers and leaders at the feast in the atrium.  There, you see him wave you over as soon as you arrive.  It's already getting close to time for the ceremony.  A novice initiate brings you a plate as soon as you sit down.  Friar Bernard tells  an engaging story of your back-to-back fight this morning and the other teachers are impressed, especially Sister Delayna.  Seated next to the enormous goliath, the serene halfling seems even smaller in comparison.  She turns her eyes, outlined in coal makeup, to you.  "Thank you for protecting my husband so well, young novice.  I would not want him to begin his trip injured tomorrow."  Bernard gives her a soft look that she returns with merely an arched eyebrow.

Demoiselle: 

Demoiselle silently helped Esvaris and Emungo load the guard into the cart. When they got to the Basillica she skipped out of dinner, needing to blow off steam, grabbed her daggers and went off to see if the weapons training room was empty.

Esvaris

"Oh, where are you going tomorrow?" I ask Friar Bernard.

Korlan 

I’ll place the boxed dragon and the Quill into the bag then head off toward the ceremony. 

Esvaris:  The goliath spreads his hands, "Being a Friar, by nature, means that I am an itinerant cleric.  It is my duty to travel to small shrines and to smaller towns that do not have a temple. For they, too, need the guidance and blessings of Usoara.  I perform any ceremony needed and bring light to the darkness."  He pats Sister Delayna on the hand, his enormous palm swallowing her small hand.  "But tomorrow I do not travel far, just overnight to a local ancient shrine.  It is as old as the basilica itself.  The Broken Sun Shrine, it is called."  Tilting his head quizzically he offers, "Would you like to join me, perhaps?"

Demoiselle finds the salle empty.

Quill and Korlan share a table with Safara and a couple of other clerics.  As dinner winds down the three novice initiates; Warrel and two young women all in grey, stand before the square fountain in the center of the atrium.  The statue of Usoara, arms raised to the west, is in the center with the stone gazebo roof above her.  The setting sun casts it rays full upon the statue, adding a glowing unearthly beauty to it, and making her almost look alive.  The gathered faithful begin to sing a familiar song of warmth, growth, and life.  Full-throated voices rise to a crescendo when suddenly a light breaks forth from the statue, almost as if it were absorbing the sunlight and giving it back.  The two female initiates throw out their arms in imitation of the statue of Usoara, their entire bodies bathed in light, faces joyful.  But Warrel seems to be wrapped in unnatural shadow.  His expression goes from faint hope, to bitter anger.  Misty darkness forms and swirls around his legs.  The singers falter to a stop.  Warrel looks around at all of you, the clerics and gathered believers, with a twisted sneer on his lips.

"You think you are so holy because the sun casts its light on you? Hah!" Even his laugh is twisted. "Does it not shine upon the righteous and the unrighteous?  Blinded by the light, that's what you are!" Then he turns a sickly grin on the two female initiates. "If you desire to feel real power, come and taste the darkness." Raising his hand he curves two fingers towards the women.  A bell tolls, but it is not the bells of the basilica.  Both girls clutch at their throats and black necrotic lines radiate across their skin.  They fall, collapsing over the edge of the fountain in unnatural poses.  Warrel runs to the open gates as teachers and members of the Wickham council jump to their feet and some move towards him.  Suddenly, magical darkness fills the space between the gates, hiding Warrel within.

(everyone make a perception check before whatever else you do)

Demoiselle took the opportunity of having the room all to herself to work through a few twin dagger katas, the balletic movements when applied with proper force and speed would translate into deadly attack chains. Then she struck out at the practice dummies: leaping in, striking and leaping back away. Dinner was almost over before Demoiselle felt better and she silently cursed that she would not have time for a bath before evening service. She hoped she would not smell too ripe for her fellows and went to her appointed place.

Until it was interrupted the service was of great comfort to the former assassin. Demoiselle peered suspiciously as Warrel, apparently corrupted by the darkness, turned murderous. There was something most unnatural about the event. Was Warrel being controlled somehow? Demoiselle watched what happened to decide where she might serve best.

Perception: 12

Perception: 8

Perception: 23

Korlan: 

 (continue on)

Friar Bernard leaps over the table, quarterstaff in hand, and runs directly towards the magical darkness at the gate.  Dawnlord Menges attempts to calm the crowd.