Saturday, 2 August, 2008
Session XXXI
7th day, Center rule, State of Dominance, 127 FHR
Day of Humility

It's early morning. There is a light haze covering the city.

Lini was found murdered this morning, outside the Ascention drinking hall. A hard-head patrol is there now. Aurelius tells the Prioress and the other priestesses the news. It seems there's a confrontation between the Godsmen and the garrison as to who has jurisdiction. The drinking hall is a guild hall to the Godsmen, and Lini died on their territory.

Women arrive at the Athenium for morning service. They must have overhead some of Aurelius's news. Ismene is at a loss. She sends Aurelius to the scene to wait for us, then asks Chryseis to look into it. She moves quickly to provide comfort to the locals. Chryseis meets up with us at the well. Ludvik knows the Ascension as a huge Godsmen bar. We gear up and go.

Just before leaving, we pray to Athena for clarity and victory. The Ascension is in the Foundry distinct in Grey Steam Path (just off Ash Row). It's located behind the Foundry. The Harmonium is limiting foot traffic into the area. Chryseis is recognized by the present hard heads, as the people guarding the site are the night watch from the local garrison.

Corvo and the Githyanki bar owners are arguing jurisdiction. Lini's body is still on the ground, covered with a blanket. It lies half hidden behind a water barrel at the entrance to an alleyway running along the outer wall of the Ascension. It's easy to believe no one noticed her for a while, especially if it happened during hte night.

The Githyanki is named Jullius. He doesn't want hard heads in his bar.

Corvis shows us Lini's body. Her face is frozen in panic and fear. She's been cleaved in two with a deep slashing weapon across her right breast. The second slash is from her left rip to the right hip (which is exposed and broken open). The third slash cuts deeply into her left thigh. She died from shock and blood loss. Indeed, the alleyway is sticky with her blood.

There are no signs that she fought back. She's lying on her spears. Her knife is still on her belt and her hands and arms bear no wounds. The magical strands around her have been cleaved. Something fairly strong happened here. The ground is covered in blood from the body. There are spatters around the water barrel where the altercation seems to have started.

Corvis continues. The first harmonium guard on the scene found the body. The altercation started in the street and finished in the alleyway. People heard the screams but the hard heads have found no witnesses to the murder. He found burn marks on her forearms. These are inconsistent with burning, but resembles the burns caused by electrical discharges.

Ludvik wanders into the spectators to try and pick up the chant.

The Alley was is swept relatively clean, so there's not much junk to go through. There are two sets of prints in the alleyway; one smaller (Lini's) and the other is larger. I find 3 mostly intact (cracked and dried out) nut shells. Touching them seems to make them disintegrate into dust. Chryseis thinks they might have been material components, but it's odd that there would be anything left of a material component after the spell has been cast.

The Hag's eye believes the nut shells are used to create some sort of glamour effect that causes confusion.

Ludvik finds a wolfhound that looks familiar. The dog is standing at the edge of the crowd, as if waiting for him. Ludvik follows and the wolfhound leads him around the corner of a nearby tenement building. There, Ludvik meets CryFalcon, a friend of Melissa's. He knows a lot about Ludvik's adventures. He calls the dog Shuck. Cry Falcon is a human man, in his mid 40s with only a graying fringe of hair around a bald cap. He has silvery eyes and a wound on the left-side of his jaw that healed into a ragged scar. CryFalcon tells Kudvik to pass the word that Narcovi should come and look at this murder.

The Lawshredder is back. The person responsible for 7 murders a few years ago, just up and disappeared without ever being caught. CryFalcon believes Lini was the third Lawshredder murder of this set. Last time the first murder was a chaotic victim - this time it was Sodd Dirk. The smith makes the weapon and then is run through with it. Each victim after the 1st dies with one more slash than the last. The LawShredder's pattern is that all who die will be lawful faction members.

Ludvik returns and tells us the dark of it. A small figure gets my attention. I meet him in the alleyway across the road. It's a human (about 8-9 years of age, standing a head shorter than Eki). He's a street urchin of my acquaintance named Erchand. He saw the killing. He saw Lini struggling with someone big. The attacker was a big man with crazy hair, human eyes all bugged out. He had a big sword and he cut her down. Then, after she fell, he took her sword. He thinks the big man rifled through her pockets.

After he cut her down there was a red light that went out of her body. It danced along his blade and up his arm.

The Hag's eye also finds a small piece of paper, pinned to Lini's cloak. The message is scrawled in blood, and reads: "Chaos is the only law. Washed clean of the blood of order". Chryseis collects the note and keeps the pin.

While Chryseis is talking to Corvus, a small contingent of Godsmen approach. Chryseis sends Corvus off with a quick note written to Narcovi. The Godsman's factol comes to review the scene. Chryseis tells him that she believes the Law Shredder has returned and gives him a good summary of events, thereby gaining his support. He asks for updates on the case as it unfolds. He gives her a token so that she can speak with him again.

After he leaves, Chryseis speaks with the Innkeeper. From him she learns that Lini closed up the place with the Innkeep. There are only a few people in the bar then. It was a regular night. Chryseis speaks to the remaining three who are still here. One who was deep in conversation with Lini before she left, had left early, but the conversation was not remembered as cold or unusual, rather she was catching up with him. The three present readily vouch for the other three who left. The bar is well appointed and clean. The Innkeeper believes Lini left at 4 or 5 in the morning.

Back at the garrison, Chryseis checks but she finds no local records of murder in the district. She looks up Sod Dirk's murder. The reports say that his body was found by an assistant in the morning. He was killed the night before. He was run through once. No signs of the sword, but there was an empty scabbard on the floor near the body. The murder was investigated by Ismene.

Ludvik spreads the chant in little Bytopia. Learns that there's a private group who are buying rights to the entire spikeward edge. They want to build a steam funicular around the edge of the city.

While Chryseis is doing paperwork, she learns that Ismine thought Sod Dirk's murder was related to burglary and nothing more. Chryseis finds one other murder that sets off alarm bells in her metal head. She makes copies of the various reports. She sends out request for information about similar murders.

I run into Eliath and go looking for information.

Chryseis receives notice that Narcovi received Chryseis's note. Narcovi is on her way to the local garrison. The HW garrison had found records of a murder of an Athar. The body was discovered in an Athar Bunkhouse of Powers row. It was a Borear female, 25 years of age, named Vienna of the Athar. She was found with a terrified expression on her face and 2 deep cuts to her flanks. There was a note pinned to her hide with the same message as we found on Lini. There were two others in the bunkhouse that night. Kuari found the body. There was a deposition from Monrot, but Monrot stank of alcohol; so the office did not include the deposition.

Ludvik went looking for the bunkhouse and ran into Eliath and I. He talked in sway into the bunk house in question and convinced an amicable 1/2 ling to show us the murder site. The 1/2ling claims Vienna's attacker had big hair and turned into a mephit.

Game date: Friday, July 23, 2032
Real date: May 23/07
Location: Starksville, Mississippi

Upon waking, Shannon goes off to find Robert. She's wearing only a t-shirt. She tells him that she had a visitor last night--an elderly oriental gentleman. Her dream also included the original founder of the church (he was very interested in her); "Charles" was a very charming speaker. It looked like she was in the church, but there were no windows. He stepped out of a beam of white light from the alter.

Charles asked her name and she gave it. The entire time her necklace was getting hotter and hotter. When she reached to shake his hand the necklace got really hot and he recoiled a bit. He found that "interesting" and said they'd talk again.

She thought she woke up, but I wasn't there. She rose and opened the door and there was an elderly oriental man standing there. She's never seen him a lot, but he acted a lot like Mr Shufolue. He was helpful, but secretive. He was sent by cub. He warned her that the necklace is protective. When she tries to take it off she feels ill at ease afterwards. He says we're in danger and should leave as soon as we can. The old man's specialty is dream walking. He gave no name and didn't really answer anything. He told her to not take off the necklace, and not to worry about the church as it will be dealt with eventually.

After reporting, she and Robert went down to breakfast. After breakfast Robert returned to his office to report. We go off to pack. When we next see Robert (around 10:30AM) he's shaken and quite pale.

We visit the jail and say good bye to the sheriff and David. Robert gives him his business card and tells him to tell his lawyer to contact Robert or, at least, the local FBI office as they may have information relating to the case. We leave soon after and Robert takes the opportunity to nap.


Game date: Friday, July 23, 2032 - Wednesday, July 28, 2032

Nothing much to report. It's hot, buggy and humid. We pass through a few small towns and find the folk to be as hostile as any we've ever met on average. We get odd looks and the cold shoulder unless we address someone directly.

We cross into Arkansas and this place isn't much friendlier. The population's temperament is a bit worse and ... rather odd. Isolationism I guess; we do meet a few friendly travelers - and they stand out like diamonds amidst salt.

We did run into money problems. In one small town we didn't want to take American money, preferring gold. I ended up trading a few hours of dentistry for what we wanted and we moved on.

The further south we went, the warmer and dryer it got. We take more effort and care in where we sleep due to scorpions, spiders, and snakes. I'm not too worried, but I am also taking every bit of advice the drivers are giving us to heart.

Location: Starkville, Mississippi
Real date: April 25, 2007

The ogre is ranting that all this (?) has got to stop. If no one was going to do anything a bout this then they will. The population is starting to panic, a few folk look like they know what he's talking about, but I sure don't. Someone shouts out to David (the ogre) to let her go; but he doesn't. The sheriff of the town steps forward (late 20s, lanky, male, sword on hip with an oddly attractive walk). The ogre calls him Michael.

Robert tries to negotiate with David (the ogre) and the man standing near him (Nellee - a mage). But combat quickly ensues as one of David's friends gets twitchy. David drops the girl when Peter puts his sword through the muscles of his forearm; David's friends try to attack us, but we either subdue and arrest or knock them out. Robert turned the ground to mud, quickly trapping most of them.

Robert then takes the sheriff aside to talk. We call for the cart and load and bind all the prisonners and take them to the Sheriff's office.

Shannon talks to the victim. The folk surrounding the girl are bakers of the incredible smelling bread. They are all dressed similarly and are all members of the same religious movement. They were perturbed by Shannon's healing as they try not to deal with magic much. They were not offended. The group claimed to have no knowledge of the cause of the incident. They are all members of the Church of the fallen man. The man who speaks for the group is named Christian, the victim is named Essence.

Matt steps forward and thanks Shannon. He offers us bread for our assistance. Our questions are politely deflected as Matt is worried about Essence. They start packing up. They are mildly concerned and perplexed, but far calmer than the situation warrants. Matt also didn't ogle Shannon.

Eventually we learn from Nellee that people who join the Church of the Fallen Man change in subtle ways. David and his friends think the church is somehow controlling them; and they want it stopped.

The team meets back up outside of the Sheriff's office and organizes. We get the supplies (our original intent for stopping here) to the Inn and meet back at the hotel for dinner. Ray takes first watch at the sheriff's office while the rest of us head down to the church.

Shannon doesn't see much magic on the way there. There's some minor magic in the field; but she's not sure what's causing it. The church is in a nice area; it's a two-story building with glass int he windows. It's solid but not particularly ornate. There's a cross on the steeple and a small bell.

Inside are a fair number of folk. The room is lit by torches along the side and candles in the middle. Matt meets us. The place smells strongly of freshly baked bread. There are lots of images of Christ on the cross in the main room. A group os socializing at hte raised dias near the pews. We get bread for free from them.

Shannon starts to feel odd - her necklace is bothering her. I'm also uncomfortable as I'm surrounded by very calm and accommodating people who keep trying to engage me in small-talk. We talk to them for about 45 minutes and get a tour of the kitchens and common rooms. Robert "felt" something coming from downstairs but the tour did not include the "private sleeping areas" and we saw nothing that would give us reason to investigate further. Mike says there's something wrong with these people; considering that he doesn't see the same way we do -- it's made me curious, but he can't explain it further.

We learn that Matt founded this branch of the church. He's considered the smartest in his family. He brought in a speaker during one visit and it was founded shortly after. No one lives in the church, but three people take turns staying here. All the members are locals of Starksville.

Later, after the sun's gone down and most of the team is in the hotel, Shannon, Markus and I take a walk around town. Shannon detects nothing about the church but Markus can hear a hymn being sung by a female voice.

Starkville
Thursday, July 22, 2032
Real date: March 28, 2007

Starkville is a relatively small town. There's some outlying farms on the way in and a fair number of inhabited but very poor looking shacks. The population sign claims there's 520 people here. The center of town looks to be a town hall. There's a couple of variety stores, and some merchants selling produce from stalls in the street.

Our group of 14 people attracts a fair amount of attention. Markus and Mike go to the local inn to see if they have room for us. They have 10 rooms (2 of which have double beds). Markus starts negotiating a price for room and board for the night.

Shannon and Ray head out to buy sausages. Robert goes to the bread stall (they have bread that smells absolutely amazing), Sam and the handlers go to buy feed and produce.

Amidst our shopping we hear a loud booming voice say; "We've had enough of you! Enough!". The voice is followed by a couple of screams. Going out to check on the noise we see an Ogre is holding a woman up off the ground by the throat. She's struggling to breath and clawing at the Ogre's arms, but he seems oblivious to her actions.

Robert is the first to reach the Ogre and he tries talking to him. The Ogre's response (Talk? You can't talk to a Snake) just poses even more questions. The woman is dressed in some kind of uniform that looks vaguely catholic. There are six others similarly dressed standing nearby. Shannon says all of them have some kind of magic.

Closer to the Ogre stands four people dressed casually. One man wields a sword, one a rapier, one a short sword and one a cross bow. Shannon says the Rapier guy is also powered. These guys all look upset, angry, determined, and the cross bow wielding guy looks scared. The Ogre is just ticked.