Once they have eaten are ready to go, Khutulun turnsback to Kiwa.
"Did the items have any significant?"
" They were all artifacts of our ancestors that had made their way out of the ruins in one way or the other...Father may have had some idea of their provenance. I...I didn't pay much attention to them really."
(Not going to roll history for Krikoris, he's not local and wouldn't really know.)
Krikoris frowns as he thinks, "I'm still thinking about the identities of the intruders. I suppose Seto's men could have been that well trained, but based on what we encountered, I'd assume mercenaries or soldiers would be more likely. And why would they hide their identities from you unless you might recognize them, so I'd lean more towards soldiers, unless you or your household have much interaction with mercenaries. Does that make sense?"
Mal suddenly remembers that scroll he took from beneath Seto's place. He pulls it out, and reads it to the group.
"The scroll records the torture of a Gurunam laborer who was thought to have conspired to steal the High Archakas Serpentine Kapala. While the labourer was subjected to flensing, hot irons, and brass claws during the interrogation, the interrogator seems to consider the prospect of being a subject of the Kapala’s power after death to be the most horrid torment, a fate against which the labourer vainly begged for mercy."
"Do you think the kapala that was stolen may have been this Serpentine Kapala from the scroll? If so, we need to find that before real harm is done with it."
(Not going to roll history for Krikoris, he's not local and wouldn't really know.)
Krikoris frowns as he thinks, "I'm still thinking about the identities of the intruders. I suppose Seto's men could have been that well trained, but based on what we encountered, I'd assume mercenaries or soldiers would be more likely. And why would they hide their identities from you unless you might recognize them, so I'd lean more towards soldiers, unless you or your household have much interaction with mercenaries. Does that make sense?"
" True, so they are likely still in the city then or else they would have had no need for disguises. A few of the rich merchants on the hill use mercenaries as guards, and there are those guards at the temple....I think that Isow has used mercenaries to supplement his men in the past during festivals.", Kiwa said with a concerned expression.
Mal suddenly remembers that scroll he took from beneath Seto's place. He pulls it out, and reads it to the group.
"The scroll records the torture of a Gurunam laborer who was thought to have conspired to steal the High Archakas Serpentine Kapala. While the labourer was subjected to flensing, hot irons, and brass claws during the interrogation, the interrogator seems to consider the prospect of being a subject of the Kapala’s power after death to be the most horrid torment, a fate against which the labourer vainly begged for mercy."
"This might be important, yes?"
" Very. I had no idea my fathers collection could contain such a thing."
"Do you think the kapala that was stolen may have been this Serpentine Kapala from the scroll? If so, we need to find that before real harm is done with it."
" Well they are both made of serpentine....its not particularly common around here. If it is then it would be very powerful, the High Archaka was the head priest and ruler of the old city-temple....there are many legends and tales of their power."
"Yes," Mal agrees. "I can talk to my brothers and sisters and see if there's any word on the street about this."
Mal intends to hit up the street network, ask around with the beggars he knows, some of the other kids who hang around the area, see if they saw anything. He'll spread around a little coin if he needs to.
This post has potentially manipulated dice roll results.
Krikoris heads out with Mal, but feels a little useless, so he spends a lot of his time telling stories of the dragons of his homeland, using control flames and a torch to create visual images of dragons flying through the sky and burning their enemies.
"Maybe we should look around and see if anyone has seen groups of mercenaries coming and going from either the merchants on the hill or the temple?"
Khutulun headed out and spoke with those she knew in the city asking about the comings and goings of mercenaries in the town.
After a few hours her investigations reveal that the temple mercenaries are not well liked by the majority of the locals of any stripe due to their aggresive demeanours and superior attitudes, an old woman also relates to her that a number of the mercenaries that work for the carpenters guild are habitual drunkards and trouble makers.
When asked directly about any mercenary groups venturing out under darkness none of those she speaks with have any knowledge of such.
"Yes," Mal agrees. "I can talk to my brothers and sisters and see if there's any word on the street about this."
Mal intends to hit up the street network, ask around with the beggars he knows, some of the other kids who hang around the area, see if they saw anything. He'll spread around a little coin if he needs to.
Mal does much as Khutulun leaning on his contacts but something or someone has put a great fear in the street folk, all he gets is dire warnings about getting involved in important peoples business....and hushed glares when he asks about mercenaries. Even the kids are fearful as if they can sense something coming and want no part of it.
Uce nods. "I can question folks if they've seen anyone."
Uce will just start questioning random people if they've seen any merecnaries.
Uce querys a few of the sailors, stallholders and others that he passes about mercenaries and recieves little in the way of useful answers though a number of people do go out of their way to complain about various individuals among the the different companies, he gets the impression that the temple mercenaries are particularly prickly with the locals.
Krikoris heads out with Mal, but feels a little useless, so he spends a lot of his time telling stories of the dragons of his homeland, using control flames and a torch to create visual images of dragons flying through the sky and burning their enemies.
Performance: 19
Leaving Mal to roam Krikoris sets up on a street corner and begins his performance.....over the time the expressions fade from wonder and shock to deep sadness and though he is clapped at the end of his performance many of the audience members shake their heads sadly and pat him on the back as they press ingots and other small items into his hands.
" You must be glad to be here now."
" What a blasted wasteland this West Land must be....I am happy you are safe now."
" You poor man, may the spirits watch over you and deliver you from nightmares."
As the crowd dispersed and he prepared to go find Mal a hooded figure with a slightly familiar voice called to him softly from the shadows of an alleyway, " Please....come here. It is urgent. We must speak."
( Performance yields 20 copper, 3 cowrie shells, 4 mangosteen and a small wooden carving of a seabird.)
Krikoris graciously accepts the gifts, though the shells confuse him, and takes a cautious bite of one of the mangosteen and moves over to the alley, not entering, but leaning against a building at the entrance, "Must we?"
Krikoris graciously accepts the gifts, though the shells confuse him, and takes a cautious bite of one of the mangosteen and moves over to the alley, not entering, but leaning against a building at the entrance, "Must we?"
As Krikoris follows the figure into the shadows he peeks beneath the hood and is surprised to see the young priest, Yano, from The Shrine of the Maw. The young man looked deeply troubled.
" Hello again, I know your group have taken an interest in recent activities in the town and I was hoping you could assist me with a troubling matter."
" Some months ago, Guru Jujur undertook to expand the storerooms beneath the shrine. He worked alongside the Lokanan labourers he hired; the Garunam, of course, would have nothing to do with the work, for it was too close to the old tunnels that are forbidden to them."
" Their caution was justified, perhaps, for the digging broke into an old stretch of tunnels. Both myself and the Guru were initially delighted at this turn of events, for the old workings would make excellent storerooms once they were cleaned out, secured and shored up properly."
" Shortly afterwards, however, the Guru dismissed all the workers and strictly forbade myself and the other priests from entering the tunnels. A few weeks later, he hired a dozen burly mercenaries to “help with the cleaning”. They live down in the catacombs now and permit no priest to pass save for the Guru, and my master will say nothing of what he has found down there."
" The Maw is strong and we do not hold to the superstitions of the Garunam about their ancestors.....but in truth I was concerned but not overly so."
" But last night. Bad digestion kept me up past midnight, and I stepped outside to the ritual ground to get some fresh air. From behind a memorial stone, I overheard Guru Jujur speaking strange words and appealing to spirits I did not know. I peered around the stone and saw him standing in the middle of the ritual ground, gesturing with one hand and holding a tattered scroll in the other, reading from it by the light of the full moon."
" It...........it did not feel....right.....I felt...unclean just witnessing it. The Guru has always been stern but I am worried for him."
" I am convinced that he found something horrible in the tunnels, and the mercenaries are there to keep myself and the other priests away while he contemplates them and their purpose."
" I can lure the guards away from the catacomb entrance with wine if your people agree to go in and find out what’s really in those tunnels. I can give you 200 ingots of silver from the shrine’s treasury if you can head down and see what is happening down there, but it must be done quickly- there is no telling what the old man may have gotten himself in to".
" Now, I must go...I can't be seen speaking with you if this is going to work."
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" They were all artifacts of our ancestors that had made their way out of the ruins in one way or the other...Father may have had some idea of their provenance. I...I didn't pay much attention to them really."
OCC: History 5
Yevna Galanodel - Wood Elf | Level 8 | Druid/Circle of Spores 6 - Ranger 2 - Ravnica
Nyx - Satyr | Level 9 | Rouge/Swashbuckler 5 - Bard/Collage of Lore 4 - Lost Mine of Phandelver/Storm King's Thunder
History for Mal: 17
History Check: 9
Whistler - Lost Mines of Phandelver [Lvl 8 Barbarian] | Cinta Yuliani Lestari - My Island Home [Lvl 3 Fighter] | Shalana - Allansia Wildlands [Lvl 4 Monk] | Roger Durant - Storm King's Thunder [Lvl 8 Monster Hunter] | Rotthran - The Waterdeep Heist [Lvl 5 Thief]
Something Kiwa said about the stolen objects triggers a memory in Mal...
Post #519 Behind the Spoiler.
(Not going to roll history for Krikoris, he's not local and wouldn't really know.)
Krikoris frowns as he thinks, "I'm still thinking about the identities of the intruders. I suppose Seto's men could have been that well trained, but based on what we encountered, I'd assume mercenaries or soldiers would be more likely. And why would they hide their identities from you unless you might recognize them, so I'd lean more towards soldiers, unless you or your household have much interaction with mercenaries. Does that make sense?"
Mal suddenly remembers that scroll he took from beneath Seto's place. He pulls it out, and reads it to the group.
"The scroll records the torture of a Gurunam laborer who was thought to have conspired to steal the High Archakas Serpentine Kapala. While the labourer was subjected to flensing, hot irons, and brass claws during the interrogation, the interrogator seems to consider the prospect of being a subject of the Kapala’s power after death to be the most horrid torment, a fate against which the labourer vainly begged for mercy."
"This might be important, yes?"
"I wonder if this had anything to do with the undead we encountered, as they had roamed a lot further from the ruins than was usual."
Yevna Galanodel - Wood Elf | Level 8 | Druid/Circle of Spores 6 - Ranger 2 - Ravnica
Nyx - Satyr | Level 9 | Rouge/Swashbuckler 5 - Bard/Collage of Lore 4 - Lost Mine of Phandelver/Storm King's Thunder
"Do you think the kapala that was stolen may have been this Serpentine Kapala from the scroll? If so, we need to find that before real harm is done with it."
Krikoris is now slightly lost, but understands that whatever is happening can't be good, so he continues to listen closely.
" True, so they are likely still in the city then or else they would have had no need for disguises. A few of the rich merchants on the hill use mercenaries as guards, and there are those guards at the temple....I think that Isow has used mercenaries to supplement his men in the past during festivals.", Kiwa said with a concerned expression.
" Very. I had no idea my fathers collection could contain such a thing."
" Undead? As well as spirits? You have had a busy couple of days."
" Well they are both made of serpentine....its not particularly common around here. If it is then it would be very powerful, the High Archaka was the head priest and ruler of the old city-temple....there are many legends and tales of their power."
"Maybe we should look around and see if anyone has seen groups of mercenaries coming and going from either the merchants on the hill or the temple?"
Yevna Galanodel - Wood Elf | Level 8 | Druid/Circle of Spores 6 - Ranger 2 - Ravnica
Nyx - Satyr | Level 9 | Rouge/Swashbuckler 5 - Bard/Collage of Lore 4 - Lost Mine of Phandelver/Storm King's Thunder
"Yes," Mal agrees. "I can talk to my brothers and sisters and see if there's any word on the street about this."
Mal intends to hit up the street network, ask around with the beggars he knows, some of the other kids who hang around the area, see if they saw anything. He'll spread around a little coin if he needs to.
Uce nods. "I can question folks if they've seen anyone."
Uce will just start questioning random people if they've seen any merecnaries.
I have an intelligence of six, I know what I'm doing.
Krikoris heads out with Mal, but feels a little useless, so he spends a lot of his time telling stories of the dragons of his homeland, using control flames and a torch to create visual images of dragons flying through the sky and burning their enemies.
Performance: 17
"I am going to sit in the shade and fix myself," Cinta motions to her arm.
Whistler - Lost Mines of Phandelver [Lvl 8 Barbarian] | Cinta Yuliani Lestari - My Island Home [Lvl 3 Fighter] | Shalana - Allansia Wildlands [Lvl 4 Monk] | Roger Durant - Storm King's Thunder [Lvl 8 Monster Hunter] | Rotthran - The Waterdeep Heist [Lvl 5 Thief]
Khutulun headed out and spoke with those she knew in the city asking about the comings and goings of mercenaries in the town.
After a few hours her investigations reveal that the temple mercenaries are not well liked by the majority of the locals of any stripe due to their aggresive demeanours and superior attitudes, an old woman also relates to her that a number of the mercenaries that work for the carpenters guild are habitual drunkards and trouble makers.
When asked directly about any mercenary groups venturing out under darkness none of those she speaks with have any knowledge of such.
Mal does much as Khutulun leaning on his contacts but something or someone has put a great fear in the street folk, all he gets is dire warnings about getting involved in important peoples business....and hushed glares when he asks about mercenaries. Even the kids are fearful as if they can sense something coming and want no part of it.
Uce querys a few of the sailors, stallholders and others that he passes about mercenaries and recieves little in the way of useful answers though a number of people do go out of their way to complain about various individuals among the the different companies, he gets the impression that the temple mercenaries are particularly prickly with the locals.
Leaving Mal to roam Krikoris sets up on a street corner and begins his performance.....over the time the expressions fade from wonder and shock to deep sadness and though he is clapped at the end of his performance many of the audience members shake their heads sadly and pat him on the back as they press ingots and other small items into his hands.
" You must be glad to be here now."
" What a blasted wasteland this West Land must be....I am happy you are safe now."
" You poor man, may the spirits watch over you and deliver you from nightmares."
As the crowd dispersed and he prepared to go find Mal a hooded figure with a slightly familiar voice called to him softly from the shadows of an alleyway, " Please....come here. It is urgent. We must speak."
( Performance yields 20 copper, 3 cowrie shells, 4 mangosteen and a small wooden carving of a seabird.)
Kiwa sits with Cinta to pass the time speaking as much or as little as the Orang Bunian wishes.
Krikoris graciously accepts the gifts, though the shells confuse him, and takes a cautious bite of one of the mangosteen and moves over to the alley, not entering, but leaning against a building at the entrance, "Must we?"
As Krikoris follows the figure into the shadows he peeks beneath the hood and is surprised to see the young priest, Yano, from The Shrine of the Maw. The young man looked deeply troubled.
" Hello again, I know your group have taken an interest in recent activities in the town and I was hoping you could assist me with a troubling matter."
" Some months ago, Guru Jujur undertook to expand the storerooms beneath the shrine. He worked alongside the Lokanan labourers he hired; the Garunam, of course, would have nothing to do with the work, for it was too close to the old tunnels that are forbidden to them."
" Their caution was justified, perhaps, for the digging broke into an old stretch of tunnels. Both myself and the Guru were initially delighted at this turn of events, for the old workings
would make excellent storerooms once they were cleaned out, secured and shored up properly."
" Shortly afterwards, however, the Guru dismissed all the workers and strictly forbade myself and the other priests from entering the tunnels. A few weeks later, he hired a dozen burly
mercenaries to “help with the cleaning”. They live down in the catacombs now and permit no priest to pass save for the Guru, and my master will say nothing of what he has
found down there."
" The Maw is strong and we do not hold to the superstitions of the Garunam about their ancestors.....but in truth I was concerned but not overly so."
" But last night. Bad digestion kept me up past midnight, and I stepped outside to the ritual ground to get some fresh air. From behind a memorial stone, I overheard Guru Jujur speaking strange words and appealing to spirits I did not know. I peered around the stone and saw him standing in the middle of the ritual ground, gesturing with one hand and holding a tattered scroll in the other, reading from it by the light of the full moon."
" It...........it did not feel....right.....I felt...unclean just witnessing it. The Guru has always been stern but I am worried for him."
" I am convinced that he found something horrible in the tunnels, and the mercenaries are there to keep myself and the other priests away while he contemplates them and their purpose."
" I can lure the guards away from the catacomb entrance with wine if your people agree to go in and find out what’s really in those tunnels. I can give you 200 ingots of silver from the shrine’s treasury if you can head down and see what is happening down there, but it must be done quickly- there is no telling what the old man may have gotten himself in to".
" Now, I must go...I can't be seen speaking with you if this is going to work."