Rajan nods, "We shall see. I would advise that all of you travel together while you are on the grounds. Father recommends at least two, but I'm more inclined to parties of no less than three."

The Dragonborn leads the group across the lawn and around the gardens to a well appointed guest cabin containing four beds, additional pull out mats, a small table, and a large cupboard. To Wendell's delight, the room also has a small fireplace and brass brazier specifically designed for the summoning of familiars. Rajan chuckles as the human makes a beeline for the equipment.

"High Hills owes its mages much, and we get our fair share here at the estate on business. Our mother, Lady Thava, insisted that we make them feel welcome as best we could. Feel free to use whatever you find, and don't hesitate to let me know if you need something. Dire circumstances or no, you are our honored guests. I take my leave, gentlemen. I'll be back once I see to things at the manor."

With that, Rajan departs and allows everyone to settle in. About fifteen minutes later, he returns.

"Good news Bal, it looks like father has continued to ignore my request to turn your room into a sparring chamber, so everything should be as you left it. If you'll follow me, I'd like to have a conversation with our healer."

Rajan leads the party across the lawn and into the gardens to a circular building topped with a bronze-shod dome. Following him inside and down a set of stairs, the group finds themselves in what appears to have at one time been a bath house, though the bookshelves, scrolls, and medical implements lining the walls between the raised marble slabs and statues speak to a different function. The bath and fountain still appear to be operational though, and the room is lit with a soft blue green light that flows along with the water from the face-shaped fountainhead. Looking around, Rajan calls out.

"Lisette? I've returned. Do you have a minute?"

Stepping from around a corner to the right of the group, a figure, wrapped from head to toe in dark robes, comes forward, its tread nearly silent. Its hooded head is turned downward, bowed low over a silver tray it caries with two gloved hands. The tray is topped with an assortment of beakers and flasks full of variously colored liquids, some stoppered, some bubbling out tiny puffs of steam or smoke. Pausing only briefly when it nears the party, the figure slowly turns and attempts to walk around the group without so much as a word or even an upward glance, barely seeming to register their presence. 

Skoth is startled by the sudden appearance of the hooded figure and calls out, "What is that person doing there!"

Perception: 23

Skoth notices something odd about the figure, unable to place it at first. The limbs beneath the obscuring robe seem unusually thin, the step unusually light; lighter, he considers, even than Elaric's elvish tread. Yet, for all that lightness there is a mechanical quality to the movements and a strange clacking to each of its steps. Peering under the hood, Skoth sees the shine of bone reflecting the blue-green bath house light... and the hollow of empty eye sockets.

The figure pauses briefly as Skoth peers at it, its face turning ever so slightly toward the druid. A low, faint hiss seems to issue from... somewhere... within the hood, almost as if it were trying to whisper softly across a great distance.

Skoth attempts to determine if he can remember if hen has learned anything from his past instruction that would fit the description of this strange creature. 

Knowledge: 19

Lessons in healing, in the burial practices of his circle, and of anatomical drawings come to Skoth's aid then. He is quite sure that he has glimpsed a human skull under the cowl. This example seems to be remarkably well preserved though, as if it had been oiled and even polished. So well is it cared for that for a moment Skoth believes he is looking at some sort of macabre mask... until he remembers the thing's thinness and the airiness of its motion, grace that no creature of such a stature could accomplish if weighed down by organs and muscle. Skoth is quite convinced this is an undead thing, though one in exceptional condition.

In the moment it takes Skoth to search his memories, the creature has resumed its steady walk past the group. From around a corner to the left, in the direction the figure seems to be heading, a surprisingly bubbly female voice calls out, "Did you find it, my little darling?" Though, the odd accent of the voice made it sound more like "Deed you find eet, my leetle dar-ling?"

Once again, the hooded figure makes  the same low hissing noise, though this time at a volume easily audible to all.

The bubbly voice calls out in apparent reply, "Ah, excellent! The mixture is almost ready for the reagents and we have but -" Here, the hooded figure, though having just turned out of sight  around the corner, again makes its odd noise, interrupting the bubbly voice. As it finishes, the voice resumes, "Oh? But this is wonderful!" With the faint clatter of glass on metal, hurried footsteps precede a new figure as it rounds the corner to face the group.

Clad in fine robes of an almost shimmering midnight black, the figure is revealed to be a young woman. Golden blonde and waist-length, her hair nearly glows in the room's flickering lights, framing a fine-featured alabaster face. Twinkling blue eyes regard the party with a frieghtening intensity, offset by the wide and genuine smile lighting her features.

Though barely shoulder high to the Dragonborn and likely less than half his weight, the woman glides forward with remarkable speed and, with a cry of, "Ah! Bal!", she crushes Balasar in a hug. Standing on tiptoe, she enthusiastically kisses both of the barbarian's cheeks. "Oh, but you have grown!" She immediately begins feeling about Balasar's neck and jaw, tilts his head down as if to examine his horns, uses two fingers to hold open an eyelid while peering closely at the associated eye, and finally pushes back one of his lips to inspect a fang.

Diagnostic medicine check: 23

"And many of your more serious older injuries have healed perfectly! Very good!" She pats his cheek affectonately and, in a conspiratorial whisper, adds, "I have concocted several fresh batches of the spiced sauce you love. I even found a way to preseve it that you might take it on your travels." With a wink and a grin, she turns to the regard the rest of the party. "And these must be the allies you indicated." With a friendly smile, she touches her hands together before her chest and bows gently toward the group. In warms tones, she announces, "I am Lisette Le'Lanoria, herbalist and healer in the House Delmirev. I welcome you to my laboratory."

Balasar's face lights up with a warm smile. Lisette! So good to see you again; you seem to be doing well. We came as soon as we heard. This is Wendell, Gong, and Skoth, Balasar says, indicating each of the party members in turn.

I wish our reunion were under better circumstances, but we will have to find time to catch up while I'm in town. And I'm intrigued about the possibility of preserving that sauce for travel. What can you tell us about what happened to Thaan? Thus far I've heard only what was in your message, along with a few additional details from Rajan. It sounds like it's a case of barbaric butchery?

"Ah, the famous Heroes of Adaern, if I'm not mistaken. It will be a true pleasure to become acquainted with you as time permits."

Turning back to Balasar with a look of deep sadness, Lisette replies, "As to Thaan, I examined his body shortly after the killer struck. His body was discovered by Karash splayed out on the foyer floor. As near as I am able to discern, the killer struck at Thaan in Soh’s study."

With a quick glance to the party, she adds, "Soh is Thaan's father. His study is located on the third floor near the stairs and a balcanoy overlooking the foyer."

Her gaze shifting back to Balasar, she rssumes, "The killer was either careful or lucky enough to have struck while Thaan stood where the killing could not be seen. He - or she - cut Thaan’s throat with a sharp object and gouged out his eyes; the order of these attacks is conjecture, but seems sound - the other way around should have prompted a cry that someone could have heard and none of the servants report hearing anything. Once Thaan was dead, the killer dragged, carried, or otherwise moved Thaan’s body to the balcony and threw it over, apparently wanting to make a scene. A cleric was summoned to attempt a Speak With Dead spell, but the magic failed to take hold. Inder the circumstances, the cleric and I believe this was due to someone casting the spell before we found the body. As it happens, your timing is fortuitous as the spell can be cast again after ten days, which means we can try again today - the cleric is due here in my lab any moment now to perform the ritual. My assistant and I were just preparing the process when you arrived. It told me-"

Here, the young woman breaks off suddenly with a faint blush. "Oh, but you perhaps saw my assistant when you came down here? Your father has advised me to keep him out of sight as the spectacle of an animated skeleton creeping about the lab seems to disconcert some of the household."

Her voice speeds up as she quickly defends her assistant, "But, I assure you, it is perfectly safe and friendly... as long as I invoke the animating ritual each morning. And it's far more useful about the lab than the neighbor's cat - wherever the boney little fiend scampered off to this time..."

From the shadows atop a tall bookshelf comes a rattling MMMMRRROOOOWWWW of protest. Two pinpricks of emerald green light stare down reproachfully, their eery glow illuminating the hollow sockets of a cat's skull. Glaring up, Lisette hisses at the apparition, baring a pair surprising long and sharp looking canine teeth.

Having reappeared from around the corner, the hooded figure rasps out a hiss that sounds oddly like a question. Arching one fine brow but not taking her eyes from the cat's, Lisette growls out, "No, I am not overreacting; that little beastie knows what he did!"

When the hooded figure replies with another unintelligible hiss, Lisette turns to remark, "Well of course you didn't mind - you don't have a nose to be bothered by the stench his 'little accident' caused. I swear to Lliira my robes still smell of pickled snake and stomach bile..."

Shifting her gaze back to the undead cat, Lisette admonishes, "My reagents are NOT for eating, do you hear? Not for eating and most assuredly not for reguritating! If you're hungry, I'll animate a few mice corpses for you to chase down."

While Gong does nothing to upset the hospitality of his hosts, he does glower at the casual use of necromancy in the household.

Balasar's brow furrows as Lisette describes the crime, and brief flicker of amusement crosses his face during the conversation with the cat. Karash was the one who discovered the crime? He must be in a state. Do you have any indication of how long Thaan had been dead when his body was discovered? Did anybody hear him hit the floor, or was his body only found after he had been there for some period of time? 

The killer displayed a worrying combination of stealth and showiness, and I will be very interested in witnessing the cleric's work. Your theory about the spell having already been cast would indicate the involvement of a cleric in the crime, but was it because the perpetrator sought information, or was it merely designed to delay our investigation?

Have you been able to discern any motive to the crime thus far, or any indications of the identity of the killer? Was anything missing? Was there any sign of a struggle, or any sign of an attempt to clean up any of the blood that must have accompanied that kind of attack? 

With a morose grimace, Lisette nods solemnly. "That he is, the poor Dragon. He attempted to use his healing magics to save Thaan, but it was too late. When he came to find me for aid, he was in a state of shock. Not surprising, given how he found the body - I understand he was in the foyer, noticed a spot of blood on the floor, and looked up just in time to see the body fall."

Sighing sadly, the healer takes a deep breath and seems to shift mental gears as her manner becomes far more clinical, detached, and professional. "As near as I was able to determine, Thaan had not been dead for very long by the time I arrived. There was no sign that the killer made any attempt to hide or clean the scene of the crime, though a bearskin rug on the floor of Soh's study did absorb much of Thaan's blood. With regard to your other questions, I have little more than conjecture and further questions. In fact..." She glides over to a nearby table and sorts through a pile of loose parchment pieces before collecting several and returning to the group.

Handing the sheets over, she continues, "I have created a brief synopsis of what I have learned, my current working theory of events, and a list of questions yet to be answered. As you indicted you would bring allies, Bal, I took the liberty of making several copies for your investigation. Perhaps you will find I useful."

[OOG: I will post a word doc to the FB group with the discovered details, working theory, and remain questions. Please note that these are not official "You Must Answers These To Win The Game" questions - these represent Lisette's questions based on her personality and what she knows. They may or may not be accurate, relevant, or complete.]

After the party has had its turn examining Lisette's notes, Rajan requests them and pores over the parchment. He looks quizzically at Lisette, "And since the attack, there have been no threats, demands, or further action against us?"

Shaking her head Lisette responds, "Not as far as I know, though I am no formal investigator and so may not be privy to such things. It's quite probable  that, if such has been recieved, Lord Kriv will be the most knowledgeable party from whom to learn the details."

Rajan nods, "Very well. I'll speak with him once this unpleasant ritual is completed."

The group waits for a few minutes before they hear footsteps coming down the stairs. A middle aged man with a bald head and a thin grey mustache comes down and bows to the group. As he does so, a pendant slips free from his rather plain clothes to reveal a small pendant; a small scroll of plain parchment wound about a golden rod.

His voice is reedy as he introduces himself, "Good afternoon, sirs and madame. I- for those of you who do not know- am Varaster Clayhollow. I am here at Lisette's request to, eh, conduct an interview with the deceased. Have you given some thought to what you wish to ask the, eh, body? The spell will permit, eh, five questions to be asked before the magic is spent."

With a faint smile of friendly greeting, Lisette bows to the man and quietly remarks, "It is good to see you again, Namer Varaster."

Turning to Balasar and Rajan, she continues in a more normal volume, "As family of the deceased, you two are perhaps the most entitled to decide on this matter. That said," her gaze shifts to take in the rest of the party, "if your allies posess any experience in the investigation of crimes, it may be well to solicite their advice."

Has any thought been given to the use of a Raise Dead spell? His wounds are grievous, but surely not beyond the range of healing magic of sufficient power?

Varaster sighs sadly, "So often, I am asked that... Alas, such eh, miracles are rare. Clerics, you see Master Delmirev, are, eh, not like arcanists. We do not ourselves have any power. Instead, our gods work their, eh, wonders through us. It is a precious gift, the resurrective power, and even more rarely used save in times of great need, for it is the doom of all living things to die. Few clerics have even witnessed it, let alone performed it. Certainly, I know of no one in this city who could. Even if it is cast, fewer souls than you think would willingly leave their reward for a just life so readily. Time, rarity, and desire have all conspired against us. Expense, I suspect, not so much in this case."

He clears his throat, "As to healing magics, our killer was quite thorough. I am lead to understand that the victim's brother attempted just that to no effect."

Balasar nods as he listens to the cleric's explanation. Yes, I suppose that is so. Thank you.

Are there any parameters we should be aware of as we consider the questions we would like to ask? Something tells me this process won't resemble an ordinary conversation.