Black Mask
It's not the sort of place that anyone wants to be. The docks are cold and the wind only makes things worse, carrying the scent of fresh meat through the air. There are little white cloths strewn in strategic places on the ground. They take the shape like some kind of explosion with the center being one larger white cloth. You stand off to the side, the scent of blood thick in the air.
Balderdan stands with you, a guardsman with a few commendations pinned to his chest in the guardsman's fashion. He looks pale, a cloth lifted to his lips now and again. He doesn't look at the cloths, but rather stares at you fixedly. "The boy was last seen with the deceased earlier today. They were spotted by several witnesses in the market district but were never seen leaving it. There was no cause for alarm until... this."
Ga'Elian asks, "What boy, pray tell?"
"Oh. Good. This sounds like it's going to be fun." The occasional job for Sandy is a distraction from other pressing things, really, and here she is! Ready to do... something. She scowls.
Durrankar is there and...while the scent of blood is heavy in the air....the Sith-makar is still sniffing. "Of course not." he says as Elian asks the obvious question. "Lady Sandiel....do you have a spell that....replays the last moments of this person's life?"
"His son." Balderdan looks confused for a moment. "Did they not mention in the call for assistance that the man's son is missing?" He's starting to look a bit green now. Balderdan that is.
"...nnnnno?" says Sandy. "I don't. That would typically be more of a province for the clerics." She shrugs her shoulders.
Ga'Elian raises his eyebrows. "I see. So where is this mask, then?"
Durrankar says, "That is why I asked, Lady Sandiel. I do not know your power." he then looks to Balderan....and fetches him a bin. "Use this. The sight of blood is unsettling.""
Balderdan looks positively sick now but he motions his free hand toward the largest cloth. "It was found with the ah... body. We haven't moved anything hoping that the clerics would have a little more insight." He takes the bin from Durrankar with a soft thanks. "You're welcome to though... though I don't suggest it."
Durrankar takes a deep breath, but not through his nose. "We need to find the child. If we had a cleric with us, we could see this person's last moments, and they I could scry on them. But we don't."
Ga'Elian takes pity on everybody present, but especially Balderdan. He leans in to examine the remains, but starts by casting a spell.
GAME: Ga'Elian casts Negate Aroma. Caster Level: 20 DC: 14
"UGh. None of my magic is particularly good at finding anyoine. Most I could do is summon something to help us out, but I'm not sure that that's a really good option. They don't typically last long enough." She wrinkles her nose.
GAME: Sandy rolls fort: (4)+15: 19 GAME: Ga'Elian rolls fortitude: (8)+20: 28 GAME: Durrankar rolls fortitude: (4)+18: 22
The body is revealed, and it's presence is best left undescribed. It's enough to make Balderdan finally give in, running away from the scene to throw up in the little pail that he'd been given. The mask is hanging from what looks like the man's hand coming forth from his chest long and clawed. The mask is placed there very delicately off one finger bone. From the remains you know that he was sith-makar in life... and nearly nothing else.
With the body revealed, Sandy takes a moment to, you know, step aside and throw up. Hey, it's stomach turning and she's been out of the game.
Durrankar looks about and just......lets out a trail of smoke. "Well....It almost looks like someone just went off on pure rage......or sadism."
Ga'Elian says, "The self-styled 'Masks of Vardama' strike again, eh?"
"Masks of who now?" says Sandy, turning to eye Ga'elian.
Slowly Balderdan returns, without the pail in hand, eyes stoically meeting your eyes, but not looking at the body. His question echo's Sandy's. "Masks of Vadama?"
Durrankar says, "them again?" He says before looking to Sandy. "A cult, it seems. A group that seem to worship the Death Singing Dragon, but they act more like those that follow Thul, rather than Vardama."
Durrankar says, "Recently they kidnapped a musician, and rather than let him be...they killed him. In the name of Vardama.""
Ga'Elian nods agreement adding, "The mask is the dead giveaway."
Durrankar holds out his hand. "Let me see it, Elian."
Ga'Elian reaches for it and passes it to the shaman.
"Never heard of them," says Sandy, shrugging.
"Welp. Sounds like a bunch of people who need to eat some lightning, oi?" She holds a hand up, lightning sparking between her fingers.
Durrankar takes a deep breath as he watches this. "You're going to have a lot of people to electrocute, Sandy. They're going to sacrifice the boy....and it looks like he’s Sith-makar."
"Good," is Sandy's simple answer. "Can you see where they are?" She's definitely ready to electrocute some jerks.
GAME: Durrankar rolls knowledge/local: (5)+5: 10
Ga'Elian was about to ask the sane question, then doesn't.
GAME: Ga'Elian rolls Knowledge/local: (1)+2: 3 (EPIC FAIL)
Ga'Elian offers, "Well, I suppose I should look to see if I can find the killer's or the boy's tracks." He searches.
GAME: Durrankar rolls survival: (20)+28: 48 GAME: Ga'Elian rolls Track+Urban: aliased to Survival+4+10+5+2: (14)+31+4+10+5+2: 66
It's the scent of the boy's fear you find first, something only barely noticeable past the scent of blood. You follow it outwards from your crime scene. There you find more solid evidence of your abductors, signs of a struggle, signs of traffic. You follow it down until you come to a sewer grate. Though anyone would be loath to go in, you do. Following the trail.
Inside the sewers are surprisingly clean save where you find the now easy-to-follow tracks through the sewer. It leads upwards and that's where you find a door. A metal door built into this particular passageway of the sewer.
There is a lengthy sigh.
"....of /course/." Sandy puts a hand over her face.
"You wanted to electrocute people, Sandy. This is your chance." Durrankar then lets out a bit more steam. "No matter what happens, the young sith-makar lives. The rest shall die."
Ga'Elian tries the hatch.
It is locked.
GAME: Ga'Elian rolls Disable Device: (14)+20: 34
The door pops open with a little whine and you find yourself following another long path down to the large room that Durrankar scryed. It seems much larger in person, but it's size is not what you notice first or second. What you notice immediately is the five individuals arrayed around one struggling sith-makar boy who has been tied down to a table. For some of you it is almost too familiar a scene. There stands one with a knife ready to kill, the other four are making sure the boy can not be freed of his bonds. They all notice you right away.
GAME: Durrankar casts Greater Scrying. Caster Level: 16 DC: 24 GAME: Sandy casts Maze. Caster Level: 20 DC: 31 GAME: Aftershock rolls 1d20+16: (17)+16: 33 GAME: Aftershock rolls 1d20+27: (11)+27: 38 GAME: Aftershock rolls 1d20+27: (10)+27: 37 GAME: Aftershock rolls 1d4+7: (3)+7: 10 GAME: Aftershock rolls 1d4+7: (3)+7: 10
Two of the masked individuals draw knives, driving them into the flesh of the young sith tied to the table, binding him there with more than rope. The other two draw daggers of their own, throwing them at Sandy and tagging her with them. The last stands there staring off into space unreadable with that last dagger still raised above the boy's chest.
GAME: Aftershock rolls 1d20+27: (4)+27: 31 GAME: Aftershock rolls 1d20+27: (8)+27: 35 GAME: Aftershock rolls 1d4+7: (1)+7: 8 GAME: Aftershock rolls 1d4+7: (4)+7: 11
GAME: Sandy casts Dimension Door. Caster Level: 20 DC: 27
"Motherf-..>"
Sandy darts forward, taking twin knife blows as she comes in range and with a weave of her hands, she -- and the table and the boy on it -- reappear near the hatch they came through. It's a bit awkwardly fit, but it'll make her next move that much easier.
GAME: Ga'Elian rolls acrobatics: (12)+25: 37 GAME: Ga'Elian rolls CMB+1: (14)+33+1: 48
Ga'Elian races in Sandy's footsteps to grab the dazed cultist in a blur of magical speed and grapples his target.
GAME: Durrankar casts Wall of Stone. Caster Level: 16 DC: 24
"Good thinking Sandy." Durrankar says as Sandy drags the table through the dimensional door. Almost immediately, Durrankar erects walls around the table to protect the victim from further harm.
GAME: Aftershock rolls 1d20+27: (17)+27: 44 GAME: Aftershock rolls 1d20+27: (16)+27: 43 GAME: Aftershock rolls 1d20+27: (10)+27: 37 GAME: Aftershock rolls 1d20+27: (6)+27: 33 GAME: Aftershock rolls 1d20+43: (5)+43: 48 GAME: Aftershock rolls 1d4+7: (4)+7: 11 GAME: Aftershock rolls 1d4+7: (3)+7: 10
With a roar of rage the two closest cultists race for Sandy, attacking her with their daggers and the other two attack Ga'Elian, hoping to free the last one who wiggles futily in the elf's arms. "He must die!"
GAME: Sandy rolls 20d8: (78): 78 GAME: Aftershock rolls 1d20+13: (3)+13: 16 GAME: Aftershock rolls 1d20+13: (20)+13: 33
So, Sandy is... angry to say the least.
She holds her hands out and electricity dances between them before exploding outwards from her in a pulse that washes over Ga'elian and Durrankar, leaving them untouched while it travels to the cultists, for whom screaming becomes their primary reaction.
GAME: Ga'Elian rolls 5d6: (18): 18 GAME: Ga'Elian rolls 5d6: (16): 16 GAME: Ga'Elian rolls 5d6: (24): 24 GAME: Ga'Elian used a Egalrin Thunderstrikers. GAME: Ga'Elian used a Egalrin Thunderstrikers. GAME: Ga'Elian used a Egalrin Thunderstrikers. GAME: Aftershock rolls 1d20+23: (16)+23: 39 GAME: Aftershock rolls 1d20+23: (19)+23: 42 GAME: Aftershock rolls 1d20+23: (17)+23: 40
Ga'Elian releases his grip on the one and tosses javelins at him and two others. He smirks in sadistic delight.
GAME: Durrankar casts Earthquake. Caster Level: 16 DC: 25
"Keep them occupied." Durrankar says before he begins to chant......
GAME: Aftershock rolls 1d20+27: (16)+27: 43 GAME: Aftershock rolls 1d20+22: (10)+22: 32 GAME: Aftershock rolls 1d20+17: (7)+17: 24 GAME: Aftershock rolls 1d20+12: (6)+12: 18 GAME: Aftershock rolls 1d4+7: (2)+7: 9 GAME: Ga'Elian rolls Fortitude: (15)+20: 35
Most of the cultists are too much in pain to act, but one of them furiously attacks Ga'Elian, drawing a bit of blood.
GAME: Sandy casts Veil. Caster Level: 20 DC: 28 GAME: Sandy rolls Bluff: (17)+28: 45 GAME: Aftershock rolls 1d20+40: (8)+40: 48
Sandy gathers up energy into herself before it pulses all around them. Her form changes, as does the others, transforming them into black winged angels wearing basalt armor, plate of course. It's all illusory, but if you can see through it, it's more like having a serious case of double vision.
With harp in hand, Sandy straightens.
"You must surrender yourselves unto our mercies now. FOR JUDGMENT."
GAME: Ga'Elian rolls Acrobatics: (13)+25: 38 GAME: Durrankar rolls 1d4+1: (3)+1: 4 GAME: Durrankar rolls 1d20+18: (5)+18: 23 GAME: Durrankar rolls 1d20+20: (18)+20: 38 GAME: Durrankar rolls 1d20+20: (6)+20: 26 GAME: Durrankar rolls 1d20+20: (9)+20: 29
One of the cultist's looks each of you dead in the eye, and in unison they intone. "That boy means death. Vardama speaks through the Mask and Mask speaks to us." And then they all fall down dead. Killed by their own hands.
Durrankar says, "You are all idiots."
Durrankar says, "I want that to be the last thing on your feeble little minds as you meet the death singing dragon."
Ga'Elian says, "Well, that's interesting. Vardama speaks through the Mask. If I had to guess, and I can do little else, I gather that the rather taller fellow with the obsidian version of these masks; the one that carried Ascal from his house, is this 'Mask.' If only we knew where /he/ was."
Durrankar looks over the bodies. "Make sure they don't stand back up.
Durrankar says, "We'll figure it out. When we do....he shall die." He says before he lowers the stone walls. "Glad you thought of teleporting him out of their reach." He says starting to remove the knives from his hands.
"Hardly 'Vardama'," says Sandy, firmly, seeming to doubt the Goddess has much of anything to do with these fellows.
Durrankar says, "They act more like they follow Thul. He has more death cults than anyone realizes."
Ga'Elian looks at Sandy and says, "Of course you're right. Now, what have this boy and his late father in common with Ascal Liasandoral, apart from the obvious, that is?"
The boy cries, particularly through the part where knives are removed from his hands, but sits up nonetheless looking over you all gratefully. He turns his eyes on Durrankar though. "Thank you for rescuing me."
Durrankar heals the boy's hands and hrfs. "You will join us in Mictlan. We shall bring your father to rest there as well... where we will make his body whole again, by giving it to the flame....then cast his ashes into the central flame."
Sandy just stands nearby, allowing Durrankar to do his thing. No rainbows for anyone!
Ga'Elian walks closer, as he had just distanced himself. He says, "I wish you peace, but know that for it to be complete the rest of this mystery must be solved. Know, young master, that we will not let this cult get away with their murders and blasphemies. Your father will be avenged! May the fire of his heart burn hot in your own." He then asks. "Do you know anything that might help us?" <draconic>
The boy's face scrunches up a little at Ga'Elian's words and he rubs his hands as though to be sure that they're not damaged. "Only that he is a dick!" He says this loudly and then seems suddenly to realize what he said and lowers his head. "I guess he was. I don't know why they'd want him dead though. Or me. I didn't do anything wrong." <draconic>
Durrankar snerks. "You speak truly. Come. Let us leave this place." he then looks to Elian. "Cut off their heads. Make sure they don't come back as undead. if you must, set them on fire."
-End-