To the Dragon Gates & then to the North

[Skrye [AC3; 48/48HP]]

- Looking at Quila - "As you told us before we arrived that the body was found a little ago, I'd like to spend a few minutes with him" - referring to Ako's body - "I don't mind if any others remain here, but I'd like you to mindlink me, so you'll see what I see"- placing no resistance to Quila's psionic to mindlink with her.

Looking then at everyone - "I may need a few moments of clarity, yet nothing is going to happen to his body. I hope it works.. Hopefully if this happened not long ago.." - referring 'this' as the fatal event.

Skrye bends her knees to reach nearby him, pronouncing a lethany chant, bringing a small piece of shattered mirror found through her scavengings in Celik in her right paw, touching Ako's forehead before using the whole of her left palm resting on his eyes, undamaging them, closing her own at the same time.

[OOC: Death Recall (2nd Level, CTime 1rnd, AoE 1 corpse, SThrow No, It only works if the time between his death and the casting is 24hrs or less; Complete Wizard's Handbook, p. 97).

SPELLS: 1stLvl(1/5), 2ndLvl(3/5), 3rdLvl(4/4), 4thLvl(3/3)]

[DM Bob]

Skrye bends her knees to reach nearby him, pronouncing a lethany chant, bringing a small piece of shattered mirror found through her scavenging's in Celik in her right paw, touching Ako's forehead before using the whole of her left palm resting on his eyes, undamaging them, closing her own at the same time. She begins to relive the last ten minutes of Akos' life as Quila investigates.

"Can you remember anything else that might be relevant, anything from the period Oronis and the Lancers were away? Any threats made, any problems up at Fort Protector, any alarms set off in the mountain ranges, anything at all?"

Kinnan replies with a negative. "Nothing happened here outside of the goals that our leader required mentally as we attacked the threat to the northwest." Ulali nods in agreement. No lie is detected.

From the body walking to the window, Quila will also invoke Footsteps of the Quarry (lvl 2) by saying a short prayer to Oronis. This way she will find the tracks of the murderer and see how he got in here and possibly how they left if not by flight or levitation. Clues are what she is looking for.

Bloody smears trace steps to the open window. No steps line the sides, but it seems that the spell picks up more tracks on the ground heading away from the tower far down upon the ground.

They nod in agreement to you casting Sacred Guardian.

Is there any carafe or decanter or body of water in the room? If there is, Quila will determine whether from it's vantage point the water could have sensed anything, and decide whether using a Speak with Water (lvl 2) is worth the effort. Not in this room specifically. A side pantry and dining area contains a sealed barrel, several closed glass bottles and simple ceramic glasses.

Skrye relives last ten minutes of Akos life as this happens. The brown elf gets up from meditation after a few minutes, perhaps having just gotten off the mental chat with Quila. He stretches, removes his robe and makes to go to another room. Grabbing a candle, he turns only to see a dark figure looming over his shoulder. It wears a district medallion over it's hooded robes. You figure it to be elf height, yet still a tad taller than it's prey. The knife slashes out, gashing your throat. You attempt to gurgle a reply but it goes dark as the murderer turns away. Fade to black.

[Skrye [AC3; 48/48HP]]

- Skrye opens her eyes all of the sudden, gasping for air like if the vivid image of Akos was herself. A few seconds passed - "A sinister figure, embossed face of a humanoid as tall as an elf, yet only a medallion is seen.." - her calm eyes looking at everyone of the members of the City which are not Niachi, Quila, Umbris and the rest of the party before continuing, looking for an odd or unusual reaction, like that of a traitor within the presents, unexpectedly feeling the knot around their neck..

[OOC:
SPELLS: 1stLvl(1/5), 2ndLvl(3/5), 3rdLvl(4/4), 4thLvl(3/3)]

[Quila Oris (John M.)]

"My divination shows the tracks of the murderer. I can see tracks down upon the ground too. I need a patrol to accompany me, let's find the one who did this." Quila speaks to the Tribunal members. She hopes they'll react and provide backup, otherwise she'll go and track alone for now.

Obviously Quila will have cast Sacred Guardian on both before doing so.

Looking at her friend Skrye do her thing, Quila tries linking up with her to co-experience the mental imagery. She only manages to catch a flash of the medallion due to her other activities in the room. She tries to jog her memory to see if she recognized it from any of the tales she has absorbed over the years.

(OOC: Do the medallion symbols ring a bell? Have I seen anything resembling this last year, for example in the Buried City or Giustenal? Do my teachings of the Green Age (nwp ancient history) or the history of the Tablelands (nwp local history) tell me anything? Heck, if it's any form of an ancient language my Chronicler kit might give me a chance to read it (56%).)

[DM Bob]

You recall Hurk wearing a similar medallion upon his chest.

[Attilius]

Oct 20, 2024 14:46:43 GMT -12 DM Bob said:

You recall Hurk wearing a similar medallion upon his chest.

youtu.be/cphNpqKpKc4?si=-5iBA0Ud-hGcQaBv

[Quila Oris (John M.)]

”We have seen one such medallion before. HurK had one of these. I believe it had some psionic powers, levitation if I remember correctly. Now what did he call it, Hefty Psi, Pso, Psu something. And he got it off of some vanquished foe.”

Quila thinks for a second, then says, ”Let me try to find this medallion the killer wore. Maybe I can find out more about their identity. Hold on.”

Quila concentrates and taps into her nexus, then pictures this instance of medallion, letting her mind wander in the aether trying to home in on the medallion the killer wore.

(OOC: using Environment to get an AV reading, rolling a 19 on 19, powercheck result. Now I get a full minute of 360 av full sensory from the medallion.)

[DM Bob]

The medallion is facing a strange creature that Quila has never encountered before. Worm-like, circular toothed maw, odd hands... it sounds like something Hurk and Coden have muttered about the campfire. It sits somewhere inside, perhaps a large wagon or caravan room. Behind it are the pale blue flags of House Azeth. As you pan your vision, you feel certain that you're sitting in a caravan master's room.

Then the medallion wearer turns from the hideous creature and exits the room, walking out into the beginnings of sunrise facing east. The terrain about the wagon, crewed by a pair of mekillots and a waking human (and demihuman, no other worm-people) crew. To the north, mountains that look to be those north of Kurn. The area the argosy camps is wedged between some rock formations, making the terrain to the west and south impossible to make out. You can guess that this is one of Kurn's hidden watering holes outside of the city, as the lizards are drinking from a dark source to the north end of your vision.

End scene.

[Quila Oris (John M.)]

"Hmmm. It would appear the murderer is far away already by some magical assistance speeding them up. I saw mountains but could not pinpoint anything." Quila says.

She sighs, clears her mind, and thinks of her friends who should be approaching by foot anytime now, and keeps that thought at the top of her mind.

"Let us wait on the rest of the group. I am going downstairs to wait for them outside."

[DM Bob]

Ten minutes pass and the runners make it to the Tribunal's hall. They are directed to the tower and find Quila at the very least standing below. The sun is now peeking from the east. The wind is gentle, yet dry. Very few thin clouds dot the olive green sky.

[AthasianLaborer]

Muiko runs straight to Quila with barely a pause for directions.  "What did you learn while we ran?  Is there a plan?"

[Quila Oris (John M.)]

If Quila is sure that they are alone as a group and she does not feel watched she spills the beans.

About being able to trace the footsteps, about the medallion, and about the creature in a caravan master room of a House Azeth transport.

[Attilius]

The elven ex-giant catches his breath and shakes out his legs. He marvels at how he should be much more exhausted right now while the others talk.

Oct 21, 2024 10:25:18 GMT -12 Quila Oris (John M.) said:

...and about the creature in a caravan master room of a House Azeth transport.

"Less go kill 'em. For Akos."
He states flatly, lacking any emotion

[Quila Oris (John M.)]

“We will. But we would be wise to first Nap and recharge. I have almost no blessings left and feel depleted. One hour will not make a difference.”

Quila will cast a Nap after everyone is together and ready to do so.
They will find a secure place first where they can lie down under the watchful eyes of fellow templars or Black Lancers.

[AthasianLaborer]

"We can Nap at my place, follow me"  I imagine it isn't a huge space but enough for 7 medium/small bipeds and 2 familiars.  Notable possessions: Shuttered Bookshelf, trough garden, A0 Portrait of his parents

All doors/windows and the Bookshelf are Wizard Locked.