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Etzel

Heroica RPG - Quest #49: The Light That Reveals Everything

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"Most interesting, Sir Helmer. Do you know what sort of training the initiates go through when they first join?"

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"It depends on at which stage of your life you are at when entering the Order, but everyone starts with a test to get an idea of where they stand in question of power, ether and knowledge. After that you go to a convent to study if you are still a child, or to one of the lower battalions if you are old enough to fight. Some also go direct to one of our temples as priest apprentices but then you need a lot of previous experience. The lower battalions, mainly the Fourth and Fifth, is responsible for most of the guarding duties in the Order and doesn't do much actual fighting, which leaves much time for practice. The convents, as you might have seen, offer a great variety of studying for the novices. They learn of both the spiritual and militarily sides of the Order, plus of course to read and count."

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"That's right. Our novices gets a very broad education and can choose from many different careers when it's time for them to leave our convent. Some go on to the battalions, some as clerics, some as paladins, some continue studying the deeper aspects of Ennoc and the Light to become priests and of course, there are options outside the Order as well as scribes, administrators and bureaucrats for governments and wealthy families. Unfortunately it costs quite a lot to educate a child during all those years and few families can afford to send their child to a convent. We only have four novices at the moment here at the House of Ennoc's Children."

Mandrea points at the novices table in the dining hall:

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Haldor took a deep swig of his mug, and leant accross the table to face the Order's cleric.

"Hail, Jorke. I am terribly sorry that we got off on the wrong foot earlier, I don't know what on earth came over me then. I'd hate to have offended you, sir, you do good work for the people here and in the surrounding area. Me? I'm just a bitter man growing old and not being able to do anything about it. My apologies again for my apalling behaviour in your study, Jorke."

With that off his chest, Haldor continued the conversation.

"So, how did you come to join the order, and wind up a cleric in this lovely old place? You must have seen many great sights and been on a number of adventures in your time with the Paladins,"

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"Apology accepted, Haldor. I'm happy that we can leave that intermezzo in the study behind us.

I was recruited by the Order while I was serving in the Bonaparte navy. I never did much fighting myself, but I developed my medical skills thanks to all those pirate attacks we suffered. One day a lieutenant in the 2nd Battalion of Light and Justice visited me and offered me a job as a cleric in the Order. Much better pay and I didn't had to be stuck on a worm-eaten piece of wood in the middle of the Crystalline sea. I spent some years in the 2nd Battalion but then settled here about 9 years ago, I grew tired of healing wounds and dodging arrows."

That sounds like very evil witch, Ansar. Has witch been, um, taken care of or does the witch still need bashing?

Cronk is glad that Mr. Ansar is at peace.

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"Oh no, I'm eternally grateful to that witch! I never wanted those magical abilities and I was so happy when I finally found someone who could help me get rid of them."

The chef, Fat Mats, comes out from the kitchen to clear the table.

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"I'll just get these plates, don't mind me. I know the food was probably awful, it always is. If it isn't burnt it's tasteless, or too spicy, or too dry, or not salty enough. You need a lot of beer to wash it down. Who wants a refill?"

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"You seem to have their training down. I also notice they're all females, is that usual?"

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"No, we've had novices of both sex here at the convent, but recently the boys seem to have favored another institution, the Justice of Ennoc. It's located closer to Eubric, about half a days travel on the west road."

Ansar did such a thing willingly?! Cronk understands wanting to live simple life but why not just ignore ether? What did witch gain from it?

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"I couldn't simply ignore it. I never wanted it and I never felt like the ether was a part of me. I just wanted to live as a normal being without magic."

The chatting continues as the time goes on and it's getting later in the evening. The novices are leaving the dining hall to return to their sleeping quarters.

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"I've prepared beds for you in the entry. You can sleep there tonight. Do you have any more questions about our institution? It's always fun to talk to people that are interested in our work here."

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OoC: Sorry for the hold up. I was at a LUG event this weekend and didn't get much time to post.

This Justice of Ennoc, is that where Mandrea's brother resides? Cronk guesses that it focus more on battle. Is Cronk right?

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"No, I'm in the 2nd Battalion of Light and Justice. We are much smaller than the 1st Battalion and usually stay here on Uland to protect the Order's holdings here. We travel so much so I hardy has a place to call "home", but I don't mind. I like the soldier life."

"Ah I see, how is that different from what you teach here?"

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"Not much different, all novices goes through the same basic training. But yes, some of the boys do spend more time at the training grounds than in the study. And, the Justice of Ennoc has a stable where many of the paladin's horses are kept, and we all know how much boys loves horses, right?"

The chef, Fat Mats, makes some grumpy noises from the kitchen and priestess Mandrea shows with a nod to the heroes and the staff that it's time to leave the dining hall. They walk together through the corridor to the Sanctuary.

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"I think it's time for me to retire for the night. I've got some work to do to night as well. If you are tired you can return to the entry, or if you want to stay up a bit longer I'm sure someone from the staff will be happy to keep you company. I'll see you tomorrow."

The heroes have some different opinion on what to do now so they will experience the evening and the night a bit different. PM's to each of you will be sent out soon. Please don't post in this topic until I give sign.

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The morning starts with Haldor and Cronk running behind priestess Mandrea from the entry into the Sanctuary where they are met with this sight:

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Priestess Mandrea starts to cry again at the sight of her dead brother sir Mandric. Right then is Alexis coming into the Sanctuary from the corridor leading to the kitchen and joins the other heroes.

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"Please help me! You must find the murderer who did this to my dear brother!"

The heroes look at each other and understands that they now have a new mission to take care of. Find the murderer who killed Sir Mandric Melifano right in the middle of the Sanctuary of Ennoc.

Play on!

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"Oh bloody hell. Such a terrible thing to have happened, and in the sanctuary itself. Oh hello Alexis, just where the hell have you been?" Haldor shook his head at his collegue, before looking around the room. The nord leant in close to look at the body. "This knife here, Priestess, could you tell us who it might belong to?

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Cronk is sorry for Priestess's loss. Mandric was good man. Cronk is sad that Cronk did not know Mandric better. Cronk has a few questions.

Priestess, Cronk left Mandric in Priestess's care last night. What happened after Cronk left?

Also Mandric mentioned last night that there was a novice that Mandric enjoyed conversing with. Does Priestess know which novice that could be?

Friend Alexis, perhaps magnifying glass would be of use here.

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"Where was I, I had to go visit Jorke."

"Oh good idea Cronk." Alexis gets out her magnifying glass and examines the body.

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"Well, can we look around his room?" If the heroes can, Alexis leads them there.

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"He stayed at my office over at the north-west part of the convent. I can take you there if you want to."

"Oh bloody hell. Such a terrible thing to have happened, and in the sanctuary itself. Oh hello Alexis, just where the hell have you been?" Haldor shook his head at his collegue, before looking around the room. The nord leant in close to look at the body. "This knife here, Priestess, could you tell us who it might belong to?

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"Oh, that his his own knife! I recognize it because it was I who gave it to him as a gift when he had finished his Paladin training."

Cronk is sorry for Priestess's loss. Mandric was good man. Cronk is sad that Cronk did not know Mandric better. Cronk has a few questions.

Priestess, Cronk left Mandric in Priestess's care last night. What happened after Cronk left?

Also Mandric mentioned last night that there was a novice that Mandric enjoyed conversing with. Does Priestess know which novice that could be?

Friend Alexis, perhaps magnifying glass would be of use here.

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"I took him to my office so he could get sober and sleep it off. But after he had fallen asleep I went to my own sleeping quarter and didn't notice when he left.

A novice? Ehm, yeah, uhm, I guess so... he talked a bit with Sira. But I don't know anything about it really."

"Where was I, I had to go visit Jorke."

"Oh good idea Cronk." Alexis gets out her magnifying glass and examines the body.

Alexis examines the body closely with her magnifying glass:

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She can see that the knife, which has an inscription with the letters M.M. on the hilt, is stuck deep in sir Mandric's throat, and comes to the conclusion that he must've died quickly. He also has some bruises on the left wrist, like someone had grabbed a tight hold on it. The body smells heavily of alcohol and blood, but the amount of blood on the floor is surprisingly small and when Alexis looks closer she can see that a lot of it trickled down between the mosaic plates of the floor. There seems to be much space underneath.

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"Hmmm," Alexis thinks. "Do you mind if I try to pry up the floor?" If she agrees, Alexis tries to move the tiles one-by-one.

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"Hmmm," Alexis thinks. "Do you mind if I try to pry up the floor?"

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"Yes, very much! This is a Sanctuary of Ennoc! Let's not defile it more than it has already been by this horrible murder!"

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Would priestess mind Cronk asking if there is anything like a tomb or hidden room beneath floor? Has anything like this happened in the past here?

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"I don't know, I've never seen any hidden rooms or anything like that. Oh wait, I remember now that I heard priest Arbun talk about catacombs back in my apprentice days, maybe he meant we had some here at the House of Ennoc's children?

And I've never experienced anything like this before. This is the worst that has happened to the convent since Halina Bright committed suicide."

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Where did Halina commit suicide?

If catacombs exist does priestess have any idea where entrance would be?

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"At her parents home in Eubric during a break in the studies. I really don't think it has anything to do with what we have at hands now.

I don't know about any entrances to any catacombs, sorry."

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"Hmm. So we know that this is Sir Mandric's knife, so I guess that he could have been involved with some sort of fight here in the sanctuary, and the killer managed to wrestle control of the blade during the scuffle. Priestess, do you know anyone here in the convent or in any other establishment the your brother visited who might have wanted to hurt him? I know this is hard for you, Priestess, but this is the only way that we can come close to catching the bastard that did this."

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Alexis steps aside and gestures for her two fellow quest mates to join her. "Alright I think I may know who it is. Ansar and the chef are running a underground tavern out the backdoor of this place. Mandrea turns a blind eye, but Mandric wanted 3/4 of their profits. So I think it's one of those two."

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"Hmm. So we know that this is Sir Mandric's knife, so I guess that he could have been involved with some sort of fight here in the sanctuary, and the killer managed to wrestle control of the blade during the scuffle. Priestess, do you know anyone here in the convent or in any other establishment the your brother visited who might have wanted to hurt him? I know this is hard for you, Priestess, but this is the only way that we can come close to catching the bastard that did this."

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"Yes, Mandric was very outspoken and didn't hide his opinions, that way he added more and more enemies during his career in the Order. Especially his pro-orc opinions made him stand out amongst the officers of the Battalions. But here at the convent we usually don't discuss politics and I've never seen any friction between my brother and anyone in my staff."

How often did Mandric visit here?

If priestess doesn't mind Cronk asking, did Mandric have anything to do with message friends delivered?

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"He visited about twice a year, often when the 2nd battalion had been up north on Uland and they were on their way back to Eubric.

The letter? Eh...uhm...the letter is still none of your business. And not interesting either, just forget about it."

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Alexis steps aside and gestures for her two fellow quest mates to join her. "Alright I think I may know who it is. Ansar and the chef are running a underground tavern out the backdoor of this place. Mandrea turns a blind eye, but Mandric wanted 3/4 of their profits. So I think it's one of those two."

Cronk whispers to friends: Mandric told Cronk about Chef and Ansar as well. But Mandric also had fight with Sir Helmer last night. And Mandric may have had a special relationship with a novice.

It is possible that Chef and Ansar are responsible but it would be irresponsible of friends to not keep open mind. Cronk hopes clues will lead friends to find killer.

Cronk can't help but feel ill-at-ease about letter friends delivered. Seems like big coincidence that Mandric was killed shortly after letter was delivered. It may be nothing, but Cronk thinks more may be going on than murder.

Cronk talks to Priestess. Priestess, Mandric's views clashed directly with those of Helmer's. Has Priestess never seen two men fighting?

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