IK:Waiting to Kill Alexia
Attendance: Randy, Ryan, James, Herman, and Joe
XP: 750
Break into Alexia's Room
Caitlyn was given a note with a key, alluding to searching Alexia's quarters from Father Dumas. Caitlyn and Tolmek used the key, entered the room, and frantically but methodically searched for some evidence that she was up to no good. Finally, under the unmade bed some evidence was found—three missing volumes on the History of the Morrow Church in Corvis. Caitlyn and Tolmek proceeded to mass, late as usual.
Funeral for Rufio Gertens
Discovered while talking to Father Dumas after the mass, the church was hosting a funeral mass for Rufio Gertens. Rufio was one of thugs who the party may or may not have killed in a large street fight. This concerned Dook greatly, thinking that it may be the individual who literally lost his head in the street fight—by one of Dooks shots.
Downtime back in the room
Once back to the room, Caitlyn asked Dook to procure some candles. He most likely stole them, but it was of little concern to Caitlyn. After several failed attempts—Caitlyn hadn't done this sort of thing on the farm but had read about it in crime tales—she was able to make a wax mold of the key in case a copy was ever needed to be made.
While Caitlyn worked on her wax mold, Tirotin did what he does best—read. Tirotin began scanning the books, looking for relevant entries to what has been transpiring. One of the pages was dog-eared, and it had a very relevant passage. It seems that 400 years ago there was a plague in Corvis and a crypt was built to store bodies on the land where the church dormintory stands now. With the way that the city sinks in the swamps, the crypt would now reside underground.
Being late in the day already, and no one having the desire to try to find an underground crypt after the sun has set, everyone agrees to check it out in the morning. Caitlyn continues her chores, including scribing a few scrolls for backup. Tirotin continues reading the found books, occassionally making conversation at anyone who got to close. Tolmek practices his singing, which Caitlyn finds soothing and moving. Dook, obsessed with his still new firearm, continues to play with it as were it a toy.
Jameson nearly meets Nancy Gertens
Jameson, however, is recruited to help carry groceries for the church. While out in the city he saw a strong and charismatic woman dressed in fine black outfit with a masterwork (or better!) rapier. She was particularly noticable, as people veered out of her path. Jamison discovers that this is IK:Lady Nancy Riordan-Gertens. She is the highest ranking member of the Gertens family seen in public and is married to the Don, who is bedridden.
The Funeral Mass
The following morning's mass also doubles as the funeral mass for Rufio Gertens and the pews are stock full of the Gertens family, who have come to mourn their loss. Very few seats are left when the party arrives, and the whole party actually arrives on time. Seeing that there are empty seats, Caitlyn decides that she would like to sit next to Alexia and catfight with her during mass. Tirotin decides to sit on the other side of Alexia and begins to talk with her. Caitlyn isn't sure if he was also trying to be rude to her or if he was trying to being polite, they both seem to come out the same with him. Tirotin is very smart, but needs some motherly guidance in the area of manners. Hopefully some of Caitlyn's downhome charm will help him realize that.
The funeral was a very big deal, and more opulent than any that Caitlyn had ever been too. Should she have bought a new dress for it? Caitlyn refects on how different city life is to farm life, until Nancy Gertens begins her eulogy. She tells an uplifting tale of how his life was blah, blah, blah. Caitlyn wasn't listening so much as noticing that Nancy had some very peculiar accessories with her outfit—a firearm. And now that Caitlyn noticed that, she also noticed that she had a rare suit of chainmail on under her funeral garments. Slightly alarmed she looked to Tolmek for reassurance that she was safe and saw him in the pew across the aisle asleep. At this point Nancy's eulogy was wrapping up and Father Dumas declared that the mass is ended, "go in peace". Caitlyn woke Tolmek and they left quickly.
Dook's perspective.
So here's your average city Gobber, trying to avoid drawing attention to himself at a funeral for a man whose head he turned into muscilage. (One can only assume it was closed casket) When Nancy, who struck him as both someone to be admired, and someone to be terrified of, piqued his Gobber curiosity by offering him work. Well, offering him dinner. She said, "Good shot," which he took to mean one of two things, one, he'd proven that he could in fact handle himself in a fight and could be useful, or two, he'd proven that he was a threat. Crime lords tend to be pragmatic, and in the event of case one, he could find himself well endowed (Financially, not literally, he is a gobber) replacing the lad he killed. After all Nancy didn't seem the type of woman to be too attached to the dead, and part of running a crime family is sometimes seeing to it an employee is retired. On the other hand, Mafiosa tend to care about family or pretend to, and in case two the dinner invitation was pretty much just a way of murdering, or at least threatening Dook. Still Dook's a gambling Gobber, and if the Alexia stuff hadn't come up he would have gone to dinner if only to know whether he had foes or financial friends in the clan.
Underground Crypt
While everyone is talking and trying to decide how to break into, or rather under, the church dormitory, Caitlyn discovered three coppers in the nearby fountain. She quickly pocketed them, only to think hours later that the coins may have been someone's wish coin that they had tossed into the fountain. Perhaps destiny had seen to it that Caitlyn was to get those coins because she would fulfill those wishes. More likely, she thought, the coins were just there to help her purchase special inks for more scrolls. If only they have been gold coins, then they would go into Caitlyn's evening gown fund.
Entrance Found
After a long and throughout search of the alley, a passageway down was found in the center of the alley. Upon closer inspection, the stones covering it seem to have been moved recently.
In the smelly, damp, spider-webbed crypt, a room was found that had a magic circle made of an unknown red dust (Tirotin doesn't know everything) in the language of Tegelsh, followers of Thamar. Also found were two vials, a grease spell liquid and another that Caitlyn and Tirotin couldn't recognize.
What a bitch, locking us in here!
Before we know it, Alexia shows up behind us and throws up a Wall of Force. Then she goes on a self righteous rant about how she hates the city, and her mom died, and she's going to get revenge but everyone doesn't understand. Blah, blah, blah. If she'd grown up on a farm, she would have the character to deal with the problems that life presents. Instead, she was born in the city, full of agnst and magical dragon blood and plans to poison everyone or something. Caitlyn wishes that she had brought some of the apple muffins that she had made earlier that day. Alexia and her could have had tea and muffins, and talked about Alexia's problems girl to girl. Alas.
Fortunately there was a bed of cushions in the room Caitlyn was stuck, and as she sat down she noticed papers everywhere. There were lists with the names of the missing bodies and the executioner's name had question marks. It also listed Borlach's friend of the lightning eye. Another page listed the execution sword... as an ancient relic. Another said simply, Witchfire? Forged before Ogroth. How old? Drains, stores essence. Key to restoration. Who was executioner? Another paper had the beginnings of a letter to Dumas. "I wish I could make you understand..."
There was parchment under bed with Talgesh gylphs and a scroll tube. Unfortunately, Caitlyn didn't memorize read magic today. Maybe she should add that to the list of backup scrolls she wanted to make. Hrm.
Back to the Church
Once the duration on the Wall of Force went down, everyone raced back to the church to find Father Dumas. Tirotin tries to tell him what happened, but everyone interjects so the story could finish quickly. Dumas gives us four vials of holy water each and then goes back into the church to look for more stuff. Hours later he returns with a suit of plate mail,a heavy shield, and a heavey mace - all decorated in hommage to Morrow - for Tirotin to use against Alexia. That's just great, thinks Caitlyn, give armor to the bookworm. Her brave Tolmek should have been given the armor, though it wouldn't fit. Perhaps Jamison could fit into it?
The tomb of Alexia's mother is on church ground and has a plaque with name and executed for being a witch. We assume that she'll be entering the tomb on The Longest Night festival, tomorrow night. Most likely midnight.
Getting some wine
Caitlyn takes her information to Captain Hellstrom about Alexia. He says that there isn't much he can do for her, as he isn't well liked in the Watch. He does suggest going to Fort Rhyker, there was a battle there not long ago. Bodies are everywhere. Just the sort of place an evil goth teenager with magical dragon blood would go. He loans us supplies: horses, a cart, and a 20 pounder and a 5 pounder. They are explosives. He calls them "wine".
Caitlyn can't wait to see Alexia sip on her "wine".
