007.2 Shamal and Berlioz

[Corwin]

[21:17] <Kotono> ---
[21:20] <Kotono> The noon hour gets two fresh eyed, healed cadets. Berlioz feels better after a day of sleep and being tended to, while Shamal feels as good as ever. Commander Oberuth meets them in the same quiet, wooden room as always. But he looks tired, a meaty hand holding back a large yawn. "Feeling better?" Oberuth asks right off, as they sit down.
[21:22] <Berlioz> "Definitely", Berlioz nods.
[21:24] <Kotono> "Now then, to matters at hand. You two have been out of circulation the last few days, so...two nights ago, strange blood splatters were found over the city. Last night, on patrols, walking corpses were encountered. Rumors of a vampire or necromancer run rampant."
[21:26] <Shamal> "We've heard the rumours," Shamal frowns a bit. "But undead really are in the city, then?"
[21:27] * Berlioz shakes his head. "The lunatic we meet that day was right, then."
[21:28] <Kotono> "..yes. Big silver greatsword?" At this, the Commander sighs and rubs his temple. "Guards reported seeing him roaming the streets most of the night, fervently looking for 'undeath and vampires' But yes, we recovered three defeated bodies last night."
[21:30] <Shamal> "I hope said bodies had been deceased before meeting our friend, there..." Shamal notes unhappily.
[21:31] <Kotono> "They were. Lyselle and SEira defeated two, and another man defeated a third." Again rubbing his temple, "One via a mace to the head, one via arrows and mace, and the third we can't figure out what. Each had a gold chain on them."
[21:32] <Shamal> "Magic?" the witch asks expectantly.
[21:32] <Kotono> "No. Just chains." Rising, he takes a golden chain from his pocket. "The writing's Celestial, from what I understand. Here."
[21:33] * Berlioz picks it up before Shamal, curiosity rising. "Hm."
[21:33] * Shamal can't read Celestial anyway, so makes no move to collect it.
[21:34] * Berlioz looks for the inscribed writings in the chain. "Maybe I can recognize this."
[21:35] <Kotono> The inscription reads:  'May those of the light watch over the soul as it leaves this mortal vessel.'
[21:37] * Berlioz scratches his head, squinting his eyes. "... either this is a rather silly double-entendre or the maker of these chains got his intentions horribly misshapen. Why would a revenant...", he pauses, scoffing a bit.
[21:38] <Shamal> "What's it say?" Shamal asks curiously.
[21:39] <Berlioz> "'May those of the light watch over the soul as it leaves this mortal vessel'. Sounds quite different from somebody turning into a zombie and shopping for live flesh in the middle of the night", Berlioz remarks.
[21:41] <Kotono> "It sounds churchy," Commander Oberuth observes.
[21:42] <Shamal> "Perhaps the chains were placed there as a simple blessing for the deceased - it could be a clue as to where our necromancer is getting the bodies from," Shamal posits. "We could ask Al-Lamar if the blessing is familiar to him."
[21:47] <Kotono> "I can summon him - he helped the guards last night, but he should be risen and refreshed now," The commander offers.
[21:48] <Shamal> "The input of a priest is always useful where the undead are concerned," Shamal affirms with a smile.
[21:49] <Kotono> "Then..." Oberuth gets up, exiting out for a few minutes...
[21:54] <Kotono> Soon the Commander returns. REturning with him is a man with dark skin, as if burnished in the flames of war. He wears a breastplate and chainmail connected to greaves, face still clean and young. While his eyes are bloodshot, his posture and bearing are rigid and true. "Sirs," he bows respectfully to each as he enters. "I heard your group came to much success last night. May Tempus continue to watch over you."
[21:55] <Shamal> "Sadly we were not involved," Shamal demurs, "Berlioz and Rin were sick and I was watching over them. But we have heard about Seira and Lyselle's exploits."
[21:56] <Kotono> "They are blessed, then," His eyes widen while he smiles, a grim little thing. "I did not have the fortune to encounter one of the creatures myself."
[21:59] * Berlioz raises up his hand and reveals the chain hidden in-between his fingers. "Excuse me, sir. Do you know about this strange little trinket?"
[21:59] <Kotono> Al-Lamar goes to it, looking it over. "Hmm..."
[21:59] <Kotono> roll 1d20+7
[21:59] * Hatbot --> "Kotono rolls 1d20+7 and gets 17."12 [1d20=10]
[22:00] <Kotono> "A burial chain?" He frowns a moment, "Yes, I've seen them. The church of Helm in this town uses them."
[22:01] * Shamal claps her hands together, smiling widely. "Then we have our lead - all of the undead seen last night were wearing these chains. It stands to reason that this is where the Necromancer is performing his vile acts," she summarises for the viewers at home.
[22:04] <Kotono> "Then we go stomp it out!" Al-Lamar says with quick conviction.
[22:05] <Kotono> At this, the Commander raises his hand up, pacifying. "If that is, yes, we will deal with this on a slow, careful basis. If we can pin them down, intelligent action will win the day."
[22:07] <Shamal> "We can start simply by asking the clergy at the temple if anything unusual has occured around there recently," Shamal posits. "It gives us something to work from beyond just waiting for the undead to shamble onto the streets."
[22:07] <Kotono> "Do that. Al-Lamar, go to the second detachment of guards and begin preparations, just in case. Berlioz and and SHamal, meet back up with Lyselle and Seira and investigate."
[22:09] * Berlioz nods blankly. "Certainly, commander."