Quest Screams In The Dark [OPEN]

[Astator]

Screams In the Dark Kelmar Hedos 3rd of Spring 513AV verging onto the 4th of Spring 513AV It was just before the midnight bell, when a knock on Kelmar Hedo' front door, it was loud enough to wake the agent, but not loud enough to disturb another soul in the vicinity. The oddest part of this action was the knocker was no where in sight when the agent came to his door, there was no sign of a being having been there, and if the agent tried to locate the person who woke him at search a late hour of the night he would find that his attempt would run dead rather quickly. The agent would, however, open his door to find sitting perched against a small river rock that was dried and polished a rolled piece of parchment, a singe red glob of wax sealed it close. No symbol marked the seal, so there was no telling who it came from. It was an intriguing little clue and written within was thus: Dearest Agent: Your work I admire. You skill I adore. I ask of you to keep tabs on the attending agents of a particularly gruelling case that is going to emerge in just a few bells. I ask that you do not mention this request or this parchment to another soul, for your life will be ended shortly and I will be sadly disappointed. I suggest burning this once you have finished reading it... There are two criterias you must follow: 1) Your acceptance of what I ask will be in your action to burn this invoice immediately; 2) You are to have one other confident aid you, but they must never hear of this. I will know if you accept this offer properly, for I will be watching you. In acceptance of this offering you will be rewarded a generous amount of gold. I will be sending you more as the day goes on. Yours in Blood. D The words seemed odd to read in a single reading, but they were simple enough: read this, tell no one, accept by burning... Get gold. Couldn't be easier... When Kel got to the signed 'D' he would find adhered to the parchment a wooden coin about an inch and a half in diameter with a carved sun facing up. The back was blank. Imass/Garron 4th of Spring 513 AV, three chimes after the body was found A pair of guards paused at the door of the tavern that the Knight was currently in, they knew of his temper, his drinking, and his skill. So they came prepared, one with a club the other with a crossbow. With a nod from one to the other they rammed in the establishment's door and stormed in, "Akalak, Ebonstryfe is requiring your presence in the Market District immediately, you are to come with us." The one with the crossbow was obviously a new guard as he was visibly trembling. Neither guards trusted the knight and they had already casted the mysterious death as his doing. The murder of a Ravokian citizen, or the property of a wealthy citizen, didn't bode well with the public, especially not the people of the market district. They didn't expect the man to agree to come with them, even if he did, the one without the crossbow held up a pair of rusty shackles, their use was obvious as was their age and lack of care. "We have been commanded that you would following our orders. For our safety, and others, we ask that you place this upon your wrists." the man tossed them onto the bar before the blue warrior. Everyone else 4th of Spring 513AV, 7th bell The Ebonstryfe had sent out runners to all parts other city that could be reached easily by land masses and bridges, boatmen were sent to the majority of the city, all were carrying the same message to be repeated as often as possible, "Any able body individuals willing to put an end to a heinous crime report to the Market District in one bell." They repeated this over and over again. Several dozen people shudded at the idea of a heinous crime, others just tuned it out, well even more slammed their shutters shut on their windows, closing out the darkness the seemed to seep up from the underbelly of the city of Ravok. --- Everyone It would be another bell and a half before anyone showed up to the Market District when they did show up there already stood a small crowd of gawkers, staring at the mutiliated body with no identification. It was obvious to anyone with half a braincell that the body was not hacked apart at the crime scene, meaning that it was done elsewhere. The lack of a bloodpool, splatter pattern from a weapon, and the skin surrounding the shredded muscle masses and bones that made up the body's starting points for the four extremeties that were removed were the most obvious points for such a point. The gashs across the victim's face and torso were made post-mortem, there was very little bleeding and it was obvious that who ever did it processed a large amount of strength to do both the multiple gashes and the severing of four limbs. Off to the side, several yards from the deceased was a pair of guards flanking the old lady they currently had in custody, their only suspect... This lady was currently blabbering nonsense as she couldn't make heads or tails of what was going on. --- Okay everyone, I want to thank you all for joining in my thread! ^.^ This is my first ever quest on Mizahar that I am posting and I want everyone to enjoy it! So feedback is recommended and encouraged. Also, this is still an open thread for anyone that wants to join in! The sign up can be found here: link. The current situation is this: Kelmar gets a mysterious note from someone that goes by the letter 'D' -- He is asked to watch people and he will get paid handsomely for it. Imass is being forced into the investigation, the guards that came for him suspect him already. Everyone else is summoned by the Ebonstryfe via boatmen and runners carrying the summons. The body shows signs of being mutliated elsewhere, but no clue as to where. There still resides someone lodged in the vic's mouth. Whoever killed the victim was rather strong -- the gashes and the removal of arms and legs point to this The only suspect the guards currently have is the unlikely old lady that found the body early morning.

[Sevris]

There was something amiss in the city of Ravok. A place where a fortress of power resided in, was being challenged openly by either a brave rebel, or a doomed fool. By committing such a open crime in the heart of this righteous city, it has now attracted the eyes of all the citizens, including the Black Sun and Ebonstryfe. For its inhabitants looked to the higher power for protection when they feel their safety is at risk. That's why Sevris Lazarin was on post that very day. He was one of the guards sent to secure the area, and the incoherent lady as well. He and few other guards flanked the lady and took her into custody. Sevris could not understand what she was trying to say, "Quiet women! We cannot understand what you are saying!" He tried to say over her babbling. She only gave him feeble attempts at noticing what he said. Despite her condition, she would still be questioned as she was the one that found the body. He tried to interrogate her further but it was out of his hand. He backed off and scowled at the women, they would deal with her later. With Ebonstryfe on the scene, this demanded their attention. Who would be so bold? Questions... And no better in getting answers was the Stryfe. Sevris took a better a look at the body. There was so much more to this mystery.

[Floh]

Floh had been brought to this place because of the calamity the guards were creating. Something had some real balls to shred a citizen on there watch.

She was interested in what could have done something of that magnatude, the Dhani smiled a bit coming to the conclusion that she was indeed strong enough to rip something apart limb from limb the only difference was she needed no tools.

The serpent just hovered over the crime scene.

The cold blooded reptile pondered, thinking about a fight to the death. Something fanciful, like a bloody fist bludgeoning a wicked foe so hard his teeth would be reeling into the back of his imaginary throat. Floh was just starry eyed now filled with contemplation, how she would fight this adversary and become an Ebonstryfe soldier.

She would prove her self worth with strength.

Armed with only a yellow gi and a black belt, her brutality would not fail her.

[Inoadar]

He wished he would have kept his mouth shut. Was it really that remarkable that he'd mentioned dogs to track scents and the oddity that there was no apparent blood trail? The runner had made some mention of the fact that the body had been moved to its current destination. Then mentioned the additional fact that it was missing its limbs. There should have been a massive blood spill. He'd been fool enough to step out from the crowd and make this observation. As well as make mention of a few places where blood spill would be common enough to go unnoticed. A slaughterhouse, a butcher, a surgeon, The Pit.

Attention had been turned his way and he'd realized his mistake. He'd drawn attention to himself. It had never worked out well in the past, and it was obviously going to blow up in his face now. He'd been all but shackled and dragged to the scene in the Market District as some kind of adviser or investigator.

'So be it.' he grumbled to himself, 'Serves me right for playing the 'dutiful citizen'. Then again, it may be for the best. A chance to impress upon the authorities that very notion...'Nolan Parnell', dutiful citizen, rather than 'Inoadar', hunted Nykan murderer with stolen papers.'

He'd been able to press for a moment's diversion while he got his "gear", a selection of items from his poison crafters kit. He already had his papers, stolen from a victim of the Rising Dawn riot last Fall. They were legitimate, and matched his description quite closely. What's more, the back-up documents for the identity of the real 'Nolan Parnell' had been destroyed in the burning of the CEB at that same time.

He'd also grabbed his "cane", thinking quickly to adapt a slight limp. He'd slipped on his Nettle Cloak to go with his blade boots. He'd strapped his leather bracer on his arm, under his clothes. It had a selection of poisoned darts to go with his "cane". It was too late to prepare a disguise, but not too late to pocket his sighting lens, garrotte and knuckleduster. He felt it was likely that the perpetrator would be nearby to observe who might become a problem, who might need to be the next victim. He was determined it should not be him.

[Imass]

Garonn was sitting alone, still completely smashed from the night before. Everything was hazy and dark as he sat sprawled out on a table near the front door. He was on the verge of passing out, but he resisted sleep with all his might. When the two guards walked in the Knight just laughed and pointed. His sensed were dulled beyond reason and he had even blacked out earlier. His responses to the guards were anything but well-thought out,

"Petch off! If they Ebon wanted me they would have sent two lackies gods damn it, not you fools!" The look of the scared guard was the last thing Garonn remembered before drawing his sword in a drunken fury, "If you want me alive come get me! If you want me dead shot me already!" He stared the crossbowman in the eyes and had cruel, hateful thoughts trying to intimidate him into putting the bow gun down, "I thought you wanted me dead? If so shot me with that crossbow boy and make sure it does the job or else your going to petching PAY FOR IT!!!"

Garonn was hammered and mad.

[Noaru]

The bells and constant movement within the city drew the attention of one particular spirit. Noaru invisible to all but the spiritually gifted spiritist and the magically attuned auristic-mage, observed the crowd in front of him quietly, he was interested by the gathering of humans around him. The moment in which he would be informed by the situation did not pass him and from what he heard: a murderer has occurred--one that was interestingly brutal and grotesque in nature.

The spirit could feel the tension around him, see the fear and anxiety within the eyes of the people around him. A few were seemingly enraged by the incident and he saw this as a opportunity to act and give a hand to the fragile mortals around him but would remain quiet for now and simply watch from a distance. He would do this in order to grasp a better understanding of the things that were going on around him, he didn't want to jump in completely blind.

Noaru disappeared from behind the crowd and reappeared inside it--only to disappear again and appear standing in front of the crowd of people. The spirit looked upon the body or the remains of one and saw no act of humanity, he couldn't possibly see a human doing such a thing barehanded. The individual would have had to posses claws or fangs and possibly some sort of weapon, he saw how rather ironic this was: a spirit coming to investigate the body of a victim.

“ This surely will escalate into something more; if these souls can find the being responsible and take its life. I will personally be there to observe and witness it all for my self... nothing this interesting will lose my attention. ”

[Kelmar Hedos]

3rd of Spring, 513AV Kelmar's eyes snapped open as the sharp knock reached his ears. Instantly he was up and heading towards the window, the cape of his cloak following close behind. Paranoia led to light sleeping, and it was something like this that he had trained his mind for. His walk was hurried but calm, the man confident in his movement and sure in his ability. Yet when he looked out the window at the entrance to his home, there was no one there. Even by the pale light of the moon, he was able to see the walkway beside the canal quite well, and there was no person in sight who could have caused the knock. There was, however, something at his door. Stepping quickly down to his door, Kelmar opened it and picked up the letter that he had spotted perched just outaide the frame, inspecting it for a quick moment to see if he could guess anything as to the person who sent it. The parchment was crisp, meanin that it was wel kept or recently purchased, either one an indication of someone of status or wealth - or both. The rich red gob of wax that adorned it only further indicated that whoever it was from was well off indeed. Once he broke the seal and opened the letter, the handwriting also hinted at a noble aristocratic gentleman or lady. The content hinted anything but. Despite himself, Kelmar was fascinated by what the letter said. He had never been threatened before, though he didn't take the threat too seriously. Without even needing a moment, he knew that he would be performing the task, rereading the letter just to make sure that he had not misinterpreted anything. That someone not only knew of him but also found it worth asking him personally was nearly unprecedented. It had only happened once before, and even then in a manner much more open than this. As for the request, that would be simple enough. Gold didn't even cross his mind as he wondered just who had contacted him. Peeling off the wooden memento, he placed that in his pocket as a reminder. That night, when Kelmar fell asleep again, the letter was nothing but ash. --- 4th of Spring, 513AV A crowd was gathering around the crime scene by the time Kelmar got to it. The runners earlier had been crying for anyone with any related expertise to help. Of course, many went just to gawk and stare, as appeared Kelmar's case as he joined the crowd, pushing his way near the front yet never actually leaving the mass of onlookers. By the time he hd arrived someone had already stepped up, two people actually, one shouting at the wreck of a witness and the other deductinglogically facts from the corpse. The latter was more intelligent, and afforded the searchers more progress. For a moment, the snoop considered throwing up a smokescreen, but refrained. His job was to observe and keep tabs, not intervene. Sweeping his gaze around the crowd, he hoped to see a certain Konti, or maybe a dark-haired dark-eyed and pale-skinned woman. Neither seemed to be present, which was a shame, but it did not affect the immediate task. His attentn returned to the crime scene, keeping his eyes and ears open for developments.

[Acarnatia]

Trychu sighed as he finished putting the last of his belongings into his bag and strapped it across his waist. He had been here for weeks and had still found no vocation or employment he was interested in-in fact, a great many of the jobs available here outright cruel. Now he had spent nearly all of his money and no longer had enough to stay in the inn any longer. I'll look around for another day or two, then, if I still haven't found something, I'll get on the road again.
He walked out the door of the inn, waiving farewell to the barkeeper, into the cool, very early morning. It best to get an early start. Trychu walked over to edge of the walkway and looked down into the dark water. He gazed into it, pondering, until a gentle music drifted across the water. He looked up and watched a group of officials walk through a square across several channels.
"Any able body individuals willing to put an end to a heinous crime report to the Market District in one bell."
That was a start; at least, it was something to consider. On that, he turned and made his way there, occasionally stopping to ask a stray person for directions.
By the time Trychu arrived, there was large crowd already gathered, though the majority seemed to be there only to gawk and gossip. He asked a tall, dark-haired man what had happened.
"That poor bastard was found dead a little while ago. Torn to bits. He's a bloody mess, but there's no mess around here, and the way it was done... I don't think a human can do that. The authorities are questioning the only witness over there," he said, pointing.
Trychu followed his finger to the group of police talking to an old woman. He thought for a moment, wondering. That certainly wasn't much information to go on. He would probably need to wait for the interrogation to be done before he could find out any more. He decided to study the corpse from within the crowd while he waited. While he looked, he noticed something stuck in the mouth-something odd that he couldn't make out. He glanced around, and began to think. If only he was capable of making an anchor...
In the meantime, he went over to a guard only busy keeping the people back, and once he had a free moment, asked him, "Has anyone looked to see what that object in the corpse's mouth is?"

[Amelia Cross]

Amelia would have loved to spend the working or studying, but her father insisted that the girl would see what the whole fuss is about. She did have to admit, she was curios herself. The crime in Ravok was usually dry and taken care of fast by the protective rays of the sun and ebonstryfe. Above all, the city was to be kept as perfect as it could be. She just couldn’t imagine something big enough happening, to actually be worth disturbing the whole city. Except for maybe another attack to the temple, but she refused to believe someone would attack the people’s fate once more.

As she slowly, without any rush at all walked to the rumored crime scene, she couldn’t help but enjoy the beautiful warm time and the sun. It was all too god to imagine someone being as monstrous as to actually attack at such a lovely day. Then again, she had to admit that anyone wishing to do evil won’t be the type to enjoy sun on their skin.

Finally she had reached the named spot of the docks. There were people crowding, but most left as soon as they came. She decided to approach slowly, as she was looking around she saw countless faces that she had encountered in the past. Some were just pure work, but some she would have rather avoid, so for pure purposes of avoiding eyes she pulled her hood over her face. Even if she knew that her appearance was usually eye-catching, she hopped that it would help her avoid too much attention, after all, she was here to just find out what the deal was.

Eventually she stepped closer, and closer…but what she saw, she couldn’t really handle. Instantly she gasped in horror as her eyes landed on the body, her palm covering the mouth to avoid any screams of unwanted words. With almost shaking legs she stepped back into the crowd, keeping open ears, but having her eyes land elsewhere. She heard questions and already was there suspects, but everything seemed to be guesses. Above all, the visual image of the body didn’t leave her head, preventing the woman from thinking straight.

[Inoadar]

Inoadar arrived with his Ebonstryfe runner to find the market increasingly crowded as they approached the crime scene. Though everyone spoke in hushed tones, the number of observers made the din quite heavy. The guards set to reestablishing a cordon to give investigators room to gather what clues may have been spared the trampling of so many boots.

Inoadar took this time to scan beyond the obvious gawkers to see into second story windows and atop shaded roofs for any noticeably odd scenes or behavior. He had his sighting lens to magnify distant locations, but he was hesitant to display it under these circumstances. It was a fairly costly item and he still wanted to avoid standing out. He would wait until he could ease himself back into the fringes of the crowd before he'd use it.

This tactic was stymied by a sudden grip on his arm. "Okay, Doc, you're on." his Ebonstryfe escort growled, getting aggravated by the continual press of the crowd.

"W-What?" he stammered, as much from genuine surprise as from the tugging force pulling him into the cleared center. He took an unimpeded look at the ravaged remains and made a quick decision to act shocked and horrified. "God's Teeth!" he croaked, "I never said I was a doctor. And what good is a doctor here? There isn't enough left to bury, let alone heal."

An angry hand grabbed his shoulder and spun him around to bring him face-to-face with a squad commander. "Mr...Parnell? Is that right?" The officer looked to one of the men, who nodded confirmation. "Yes, Mr. Parnell. I am told you voiced some useful suggestions and made mention of chemicals you could bring that may aid this investigation. Is this correct?"

By the time the man was finished with his question, he was already staring at the satchel Inoadar held. "I...um...well, I didn't exactly say I uh...that I could...um...prove...anything." Inoadar knew exactly what he believed he could confirm, but he wanted there to be no expectations. Anything he discovered he wanted to be looked on as surprising.

"Just do your best, Sir. Any tips, however unlikely or unsubstantiated, may lead to new clues. At least you HAVE stepped forward!" The officer barked this last comment at the crowd, hoping to provoke other onlookers into being more forthcoming.

Looking at the savaged stubs where limbs used to be, and the riven flesh of the torso, Inoadar decided to establish whether it had been some the work of some machine or the claws and teeth of some monstrous beast that had worked over the hapless victim. He removed a few vials from his bag and explained how some of the enzymes he used, in his work to discover antidotes to various toxins, would react to the fluids of different bodily systems. Others were solvents and compounds used in industry.

He sprayed, sprinkled and dripped multiple combinations of chemicals at many savaged points, explaining that since several of the wounds looked as if they were inflicted in identical fashion, he was able to try several different triggers for each type of wound. If there was saliva, it would react this way, if there was lake water, it would react differently. Sweat, salt, oil, grease, ink, blood, human and non, rust, animal dander, wax, both organic and processed, even nail fungus. All would be accounted for.

He stood and stretched, his body kinked from the long crouch. "It's going to take a chime or two, officer. Now we wait." He thought about asking if he would be reimbursed for the cost of a bag's worth of chemicals and drugs, but decided not to press his luck. He had a pretty good relationship with the owner of Black Tar's Alchemical Services. He could replenish most of it there. 'Who knows', he mused silently, 'if I get marks as a 'good citizen' I may be able to establish a contact at 'The Healing Hand'.