From him to her and back again
I was sitting at a table, laid with a huge feast. A group of shadows sat at the other seats, all watching my every move. They seemed to be talking and gesturing among themselves, with my every move generating more discussion. As I eat I felt that I was being watched, like an animal in a cage. Finally they stopped talking, and one of their number stood and approached. It's features started to take shape and slowly formed into the face of Lord Dorvin. 'Damn fine job you're doing, young one. But we could do with a few less visits. You may want to check out the virtues of this invention called armour.' The ghosts laughed and raised their goblets for a toast. As the goblets came to their lips the scene started to dissolve. Colours flowed and a room slowly took shape. Bernard leaned over. 'Glad to have you back, Tyro.'
I was lying on a table in what I later learned to be Inspector Logan's office. Apparently we had won the battle with the shape changing doctor Arcturus. We never let any set back dispel out illusions; Peotr was having to calm down everyone who came within a mile of his dog/wolf/horse (the beast must have been 700 pounds!), Kelios was arguing with Logan about poisoning the doctor and Bernard was simply eying his surroundings. I can not remember if it was Bernard or I who spied the cloak first, but we both realized that it was missing a small bat-sized piece. Had Logan found the killer's cloak and not told us? He must have. The alternative was too depressing to contemplate. With a quick search we were also able to discover an amulet of the 4th paladin, something that few people would have...and few still would abandon. As Logan entered the office, Bernard handed him back the amulet and made some quick explanations as we shuffled out of the door. His hands work wonders, but the stiffness remains. We gathered in the front room and quietly discussed our findings. It seemed impossible, but signs were begining to point to Logan as the prime suspect for the killer. Suddenly Peotr gave a shout, a cloaked figure had run from the building. As I ran to Logan's office, our fears were confirmed; he was gone, wearing the cloak. Our greatest ally had become the villain that we must slay! I quickly scooped up the amulet and rushed into the night. The light of Ezra shone through Bernard that night. He led us about the city, down darken streets, always chasing the killer. As is our curse, we lost him in the darkness. We found only exhaustion and a crossbow bolt lodged in Kelios's arm that she refused to talk about. As we stop to rest, we all notice that we have not heard the clock chime the hour. It has been silent for far too long. However, as Bernard rightly pointed out, 'The clock will be there in the morning. The killer might not'. We resume the search, now hoping that we do not find another victim lying in the streets. Our prayers were not answered.
We saw a figure stumbling through the night and quickly recognized it as Coth, our landlord. He was sobbing about his missing wife. We assigned 2 guards to help him in his search and sent them off. Not soon afterwards we heard a commotion at the twin sons pub. As we arrived it was again Coth, this time screaming that someone had cut off hi wife's hands. He tried to rush off into the night and I had to subdue him, for his own sake. We took him back to the inn a quick search revealed that his wife and the boys were gone. Many of the inhabitants had heard shouting, but had been too lazy or scared to investigate. We hoped that the boys did not find the killer. For their sake.
After putting Coth to bed, we set out to inspect the body of Muriel. We found her not far from the inn, with 3 watchmen already on guard. Coth must have been more distraught than I thought, for his wife's hands were still attached to her body. Curious. I made a dash off to the inn to recover a sheet, so that we might transport the body to the mortician. As I was coming back I heard the sounds of battle and rushed in, only to find that my companions had finished off a small squad of dog men. I had been too trusting. The guards were more shape changers. Once I had left they revealed their true selves and leapt upon my companions. Only their great skill was able to keep them alive. As we moved the bodies off to the guard house it is noticed that they are the leaders of one of the more notorious gangs of street thugs. I quickly nominate my companions for the reward that was offered for riding the city of these thieves. The mortician was quite jovial until we informed him as to the nature of these men. Then he produced a variety of knives made from different materials and started the grisly job of staking and dissecting the bodies. We found the real body of Muriel, Coth's wife at this point. She had been taken to the mortician much earlier and the shape changers had used our lack of knowledge to trick us.
It was a fit-full night, but the morning gave new hope. We had had a stern talking to the guards man who had stopped the clock. he thought that without the clock the killer would be unable to strike. It seems that he had only succeeded in hurting those he meant to help. A more through search of Logan's room revealed his note pad. It seems that he had been replaced by a doppleganger days earlier and playing us for a fool all this time. I will have to pay more attention to those that travel with me.
We split up for most of the day. Peotr was trying to find someway of hiding his beast while Kelios seemed to learn much about the ways of fighting the shape changers. Hopefully she will remember it all. Bernard and I searched for the second tapman that he had spied at the vigilance committee meeting last night. We did not find him, but we did manage to find a train of blood. It led from his bed into the sewers. Hopefully that is not our next destination.
I was lying on a table in what I later learned to be Inspector Logan's office. Apparently we had won the battle with the shape changing doctor Arcturus. We never let any set back dispel out illusions; Peotr was having to calm down everyone who came within a mile of his dog/wolf/horse (the beast must have been 700 pounds!), Kelios was arguing with Logan about poisoning the doctor and Bernard was simply eying his surroundings. I can not remember if it was Bernard or I who spied the cloak first, but we both realized that it was missing a small bat-sized piece. Had Logan found the killer's cloak and not told us? He must have. The alternative was too depressing to contemplate. With a quick search we were also able to discover an amulet of the 4th paladin, something that few people would have...and few still would abandon. As Logan entered the office, Bernard handed him back the amulet and made some quick explanations as we shuffled out of the door. His hands work wonders, but the stiffness remains. We gathered in the front room and quietly discussed our findings. It seemed impossible, but signs were begining to point to Logan as the prime suspect for the killer. Suddenly Peotr gave a shout, a cloaked figure had run from the building. As I ran to Logan's office, our fears were confirmed; he was gone, wearing the cloak. Our greatest ally had become the villain that we must slay! I quickly scooped up the amulet and rushed into the night. The light of Ezra shone through Bernard that night. He led us about the city, down darken streets, always chasing the killer. As is our curse, we lost him in the darkness. We found only exhaustion and a crossbow bolt lodged in Kelios's arm that she refused to talk about. As we stop to rest, we all notice that we have not heard the clock chime the hour. It has been silent for far too long. However, as Bernard rightly pointed out, 'The clock will be there in the morning. The killer might not'. We resume the search, now hoping that we do not find another victim lying in the streets. Our prayers were not answered.
We saw a figure stumbling through the night and quickly recognized it as Coth, our landlord. He was sobbing about his missing wife. We assigned 2 guards to help him in his search and sent them off. Not soon afterwards we heard a commotion at the twin sons pub. As we arrived it was again Coth, this time screaming that someone had cut off hi wife's hands. He tried to rush off into the night and I had to subdue him, for his own sake. We took him back to the inn a quick search revealed that his wife and the boys were gone. Many of the inhabitants had heard shouting, but had been too lazy or scared to investigate. We hoped that the boys did not find the killer. For their sake.
After putting Coth to bed, we set out to inspect the body of Muriel. We found her not far from the inn, with 3 watchmen already on guard. Coth must have been more distraught than I thought, for his wife's hands were still attached to her body. Curious. I made a dash off to the inn to recover a sheet, so that we might transport the body to the mortician. As I was coming back I heard the sounds of battle and rushed in, only to find that my companions had finished off a small squad of dog men. I had been too trusting. The guards were more shape changers. Once I had left they revealed their true selves and leapt upon my companions. Only their great skill was able to keep them alive. As we moved the bodies off to the guard house it is noticed that they are the leaders of one of the more notorious gangs of street thugs. I quickly nominate my companions for the reward that was offered for riding the city of these thieves. The mortician was quite jovial until we informed him as to the nature of these men. Then he produced a variety of knives made from different materials and started the grisly job of staking and dissecting the bodies. We found the real body of Muriel, Coth's wife at this point. She had been taken to the mortician much earlier and the shape changers had used our lack of knowledge to trick us.
It was a fit-full night, but the morning gave new hope. We had had a stern talking to the guards man who had stopped the clock. he thought that without the clock the killer would be unable to strike. It seems that he had only succeeded in hurting those he meant to help. A more through search of Logan's room revealed his note pad. It seems that he had been replaced by a doppleganger days earlier and playing us for a fool all this time. I will have to pay more attention to those that travel with me.
We split up for most of the day. Peotr was trying to find someway of hiding his beast while Kelios seemed to learn much about the ways of fighting the shape changers. Hopefully she will remember it all. Bernard and I searched for the second tapman that he had spied at the vigilance committee meeting last night. We did not find him, but we did manage to find a train of blood. It led from his bed into the sewers. Hopefully that is not our next destination.
posted by groodude at 3:21 p.m.
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