After Quillary knocks, there is movement inside, then the door unlocking and opening. "I'm Marigold Butterleaf. Welcome, first time customers, to the House of Gentle Necromancy. Were you thinking about getting a family pet animated, or getting some more hands to help around the farm?"

Marigold Butterleaf is a rotund female human with a sallow complexion. Her voice is still chipper and she exudes a palpable positivity. She is wearing deep robes, with subtle arcane symbols on them. (With Hildigrim's recent arcane studies, he recognizes a few of the symbols on her robes and hat, enough to see that she has considerable wizardry skills.)

Hildigrim is once again struck dumb as his mind begins racing through the implications of what was just offered.

Pascal is hiding behind Hildi, making a variety of religious symbols. There is a low hiss coming from his throat.

Now, I know what you’re thinking? ‘Pascal, you fought a religious necromancer and you’re friends with a ghost, what’s the big deal?’ To which, I say, Pascal has no issue with that stuff. ITS ARCANE VOODOO HE AINT LIKING!

The giant, red-scaled lizard is "hiding behind" the shorter-than-average halfling?

OOC > I enjoy the image. And wish I was even a half-decent illustrator.

Quillary’s spores writhe a little bit, but she decides to take charge of the situation. Because she’s good with people.

”We understand you met with the elven bard, Rooster, earlier today. He says after meeting with you, he felt a chill, perhaps a necromantic chill, and later was possessed by an undead creature, and forced to ensorcel an entire tavern of common folk.”

She lets all that exposition hang in the air a moment.

”What did you do to him at your meeting with him?” she says confrontationally.

OOC > No need to roll Persuasion or Intimidation, she’s not trying any of that. She’s using her 17 Passive Insight to read the woman, and just in case here’s an actual Insight roll: 13

Quote from DirtyDogP >>

The giant, red-scaled lizard is "hiding behind" the shorter-than-average halfling?

 Such is the humor of the scene.

To Hildigrim and Pascal: "I've seen that look before. People hear the word "necromancy", and they think of angry wizards who don't have enough fiber in their diet, and run around trying to hurt people. I work to show people the positive qualities of necromancy. When I resurrect beloved family pets and place preservation spells on them, the children do not have to be parted from their trusted friends and protectors."

Quillary can tell that Marigold's positivity is part of her normal personality. If she wasn't being confronted, she would probably go out of her way to be helpful. Also, that she is a high level mage that shouldn't be provoked without good reason.

(Thinking for a moment after Quillary's actions.) "I don't talk about my other customers to complete strangers, especially rude ones. I gave my name. Polite people give theirs in return. They also explain why they should be answered when they walk into someone's shop late at night.

"You all seem stressed. Maybe you would like to have a seat. I will brew some tea for your group, and after you've calmed down, we can start this conversation over."

Quillary cocks her head at the woman's response. "Apologies, I am as you suggest, hurried. Let me begin again. My name is Quillary." She sits where offered. "We have been asked to examine the appearance of several spirits in Amphail tonight, some which have possessed the living and done considerable harm. One of those was this Rooster, this entertainer. He said he had met with you, and two others, this morning, and felt chilled after. We thought it a detail worth pursuing. What... um, can you tell us about this meeting?"

She will take the tea when brought. "You have a peculiar business, shuffling souls to one side or the other of the veil." She clearly is not judging it, and complements this comment with a curious look around the place from her seat.

Jorin hovers near the door and sniffs at the tea when offered.  When Quillary remarks on the peculiarity of the business, Jorin nods in agreement, "Death is a part of life.  Undeath, I would say, cheapens the experience of living."

With that, he passes for a moment, lost in thought, before adding, "I did have a wolf pup as a boy, she grew sick and died suddenly.  I would have liked another moment to run my fingers through her fur before letting her go for good."

(OOC: There are paragraphs of possible responses. This is just to get you started.)

Marigold is pleased that the meeting has turned friendlier. "I'm glad that the misunderstanding has been corrected. And my friends call me Mari."

(About Rooster): "Oh yes, I know him. He stopped by today so that we could discuss my sponsorship of his next tour." (She then proceeds to discuss at-length the benefits of ‘gentle necromancy’ and its positive cultural impacts.)

(About ghosts being around Amphail): "Yes, indeed! Those spirits are just looking for a little home to escape to. With the Doomguides gone – you know, the clerics of Kelemvore – they’re just so lost. I help where I can, but I can’t catch them all."

(To Jorin's general comment about the undead and zombie pets): "Well, there are more zombies lurking around but the city guard have eliminated most of them. Zombies just need some guidance, they’re only as evil and misguided as their creators. I feel especially bad for the ones that fell into the Dessarin River and can’t get out – they’ll probably be there forever at this rate."

Hildigrim, his face full of confusion, follows the group in. He sits and listens, ignoring the cup of tea put in front of him as he listens.

"I must admit," the halfling finally offers during a lull, "that, while I have read much on the arcane, I have steered away from necromancy. It is most likely due to some ingrained prejudice. Ignorance, if you will. But the way you speak of it is fascinating." He shakes his head a little. "Apologies, Mari, but I am Hildigrim Goodbody of Waterdeep." He doesn't so much smile as look more intently at the necromancer. "You speak of spirits and even zombies like friends. I have had only the slightest experience with ghosts, and they didn't act like friends. The ones we encountered this evening were violent and malicious. And I don't believe I've ever heard of a friendly zombie. Please enlighten us on how you can feel so differently."

"As I said to your axe friend, zombies are only as evil and misguided as their creators. Making zombies only to hurt others is the work of lazy necromancers, and they give us all a bad name... Did the zombie hurt you?"

"It gave Jorin a good beating," Quillary interjects with a smile, before going back to her somber demeanor.

"Quillary said, "...some which have possessed the living and done considerable harm. One of those was this Rooster, this entertainer." So you are close friends of Rooster, seeking to get revenge for the harm done to him? Was he taken to the healer?

"I am also surprised that a simple zombie could give Jorin a "good beating"."

"There were three others," Hildigrim explains. "Well, four if you count the one possessing Rooster. I admit I still don't know exactly what happened. The bard was playing, and then my memory is a little fuzzy until I was slapped by Pascal. At that time, I realized Quillary, Jorin and Pascal were engaging these three adventurers we had met very recently. They were attacking other patrons. The ones not being attacked were transfixed, along with Drusk, by Rooster the bard. Apparently, I had also just been transfixed myself. I engaged Rooster, kicked him in the shin, and that caused the spirit inhabiting him to leave him. Once Rooster stopped playing, the rest of the patrons awoke. But the adventurers continued fighting until they had all been knocked unconscious. Only then did the ghosts possessing them leave. The zombie entered during the scuffle, so it was a separate, additional problem."

(I'll let someone else explain about the zombie.)

Drusk will explain about the zombie being abnormally strong, somewhat resembling Amphail (except for the pot belly, troll features mixed in, and armor in bad shape). Also that the zombie fell apart into table scraps and watered-down liquor when struck down by Jorin.

Marigold is upset. "Vile! Vile abominations! Important members of the community should never be raised in shabby armor!"

After she regains her composure: "Some say that the spirit of Amphail lurks near his monument, and bemoans the state of his beloved town. He only comes out at night, and only a few people have seen him. He has not been aggressive. Or at least, not until tonight. And he has never shown up as a zombie before.

"As for that zombie, it certainly sounds like there is an enchantment upon him. Why him specifically, I cannot say – but that is not normal behavior for one of the shambling dead. Whomever animated the poor server’s remains should have at least had the decency to let him be properly defeated. That must be frustrating for everyone. My condolences."

Jorin chokes on a sip of his tea at Quillary's jest, "If by 'good beating' you mean beating his face against my axe, then yes, he did." and lets loose a hearty laugh.

"When we visited his monument just a little while ago, there was a spirit there, a woman in despair. She wailed and then vanished," Quillary says. "Does that mean anything to you?"

Quote from Mingofaust >>

"When we visited his monument just a little while ago, there was a spirit there, a woman in despair. She wailed and then vanished," Quillary says. "Does that mean anything to you?"

Drusk: "I remember a blob-ish ghost, but I wasn't sure if it was male or female. If that was the ghost of Amphail that Mari talked about, then it would be a man."