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Chapter 9: A Touch of Evil.

Posted by RaddekFor group 0
Raddek
GM, 230 posts
Sat 15 Apr 2017
at 17:00
  • msg #1

Chapter 9: A Touch of Evil

January 14th
2005 A.D.
Azer Cathedral


Judoc idles lazily in his pew, his head searching out the familiar faces all around him.  Several seats down, Indrid Colt, his roomate and a self-important blowhard, has completely lost his attention and instead he is doodling on a scrap of paper that he has conjured to keep him entertained.  Across the aisle, Alevius Cleppo and Andros Wilmer sit together, the latter upright and attentive with an air of smug self-satisfaction.  Andros was the perpetual example of a student who would make it as a future Templar: handsome, talented, rich, noble... he had all the characteristics that the staff were looking for when making their selections.  Alevius exhibited several of these also, though for some reason he had not earned the status of golden child and the constant effort without recognition seemed to be getting to him.  He sat slightly slumped in his seat with the beginnings of hazy purple exhaustion developing under each eye.  A few pews in front of them sat Wayne Irons, a student for whom Judoc had much more respect.  Reserved, talented, and humble, Wayne represented for Judoc the one student who was constantly deserving praise and yet never received it, though he never once let on that the lack of attention disturbed him in the least.  Even now, the lad set dutifully, his full attention on the cleric conducting the mass.  Made somewhat aware of his own distracted attention by Wayne's example, Judoc refocuses to the front of the room, putting his attention back on the pulpit and the curate conducting the service.  The young man was droning at best, condecending and judgemental at worst - he had made the better part of his argument in the sermon suggesting that true evil was all around them.  Even the bishop seemed to be bobbing in and out of sleep as the man started in on his second quarter of an hour.

"As Mark says in our gospel, 'Do not be wise in your own eyes, fear the Lord and shun evil.'  We are told to fear the Lord... to shun evil.  But our gospel does not warn us of the dangers of intentional sin, rather the danger of 'being wise in our own eyes'.  It warns us that self indulgence, that overconfidence, that complacency will blind us to the evils that are assailing us each and every day.  I am reminded of Ezekiel twenty five, verse seventeen.  'The path of the righteous man is beset on all sides by the inequities of the selfish and the tyranny of evil men.'  Each and every one of us must walk our own path, we are beset by our own evils, but how will we defend ourselves against that evil if we cannot even recognize it as evil?  How do you fight that which you do not know exists?

In his mind, Judoc screams his frustration, impatience, and boredom.  He had come here to the Cathedral for services this morning on more of a lark than anything...  It was well known that to join the Templars, one must show his faith throughout the course of schooling and though Judoc was by no means the most devout of his peers, he was just beginning to get the impression, the vaguest possibility, that if he wanted it he could join the Templars when he left this school.  He presses his thumb into the back of his ring, straightening it with the help of his pinky, something that he had been doing subconsciously since he had recieved the gift from the provost.

He had panicked at first, when he had returned from 'finishing' his last exam.  He had wiped his staff clean and told no one of the exchange or even taken the time to construct a story that would corroborate the fire in the city and the presumed death of Thresher.  He had been terrified that he would be asked, that he would be investigated, that his mind would be probed in an effort to extract the truth... but to his great relief that event had not come to pass and instead he had walked in on a substancial gift and a short note from the provost himself.

Congratulations on your successful exam.
I expect great things out of you.
You'll find here a small reminder of the
needed qualities to become a Templar,
steel for the strength of character
and ruby for the fire that must burn
inside you and drive your every task.

B.G.


The note had come enclosed with the ring he was wearing now, and though he suspected the band was rather made of silver than steel, it was the gesture itself that had kindled the fire of greater accomplishment.

"Let us pray."  The curate says from the pulpit, signaling a near end to his ministrations.

With reluctance, Judoc lowers his head and clasps his hands together mimicking the same motions of nearly everyone in the service.

"Dear Lord, give us the vision to detect the evil around us, the strength to stand together against it, and the true faith to banish evil with your omnipotent love.  Amen."



Judoc did not leave the cathedral immediately after the service but instead wandered the nave, looking at all the stained glass and sculptures that dominate all around him.  He could say without hesitation that this church was beautiful, perhaps more so than any he had seen before, though he had not seen many.  Judoc stops a moment to nod at the curate, father Thomas, he had learned his name through the course of the service.  Thomas smiles and nods back, walking the side aisle through the nave where he turns into the transcept.  Here and there a few parishoners still mill about, though most have made their way out of the cathedral by now, likely standing in line to be recieved and blessed by the bishop as he does at the end of every sunday service.  Judoc wonders just how long he will have to wait to avoid that process without being obvious... for while he was interested in the benefits of seeming pious, he was not entirely sure he was ready for a total immersion just yet.

OOC:  This thread is for Judoc.  Sorry for the long winded and oddly ending post.  I had to put in quite a bit of information getting us from the last thread to here and I wanted to give you a chance to play your actual character reactions before we started going too far down this path.  Essentially I don't want to take too much for granted with how you would act/react.  I assure you something will happen soon.  Also, the ring you are wearing (the gift from the provost) is a 1 carat ruby mounted on silver which you managed to fit perfectly on your right hand ring finger.  It also doubles as a 5 point powerstone and is worth about $500.  Feel free to get me a quick PM if you want to use your money to buy any gear prior to this thread (we can do it during too).  Let me know if you have any questions.  Below is a diagram as to what the cathedral looks like, you are currently standing in the nave (where all the pews are and where the congregation observes mass).  There are a handful of people still in the cathedral, likely waiting for confession or for family members to disrobe (choir members or such) before they head home.

Cathedral
This message was last edited by the GM at 03:40, Sun 26 May 2019.
Judoc the Merciful
player, 120 posts
Sun 16 Apr 2017
at 15:47
  • msg #2

A Touch of Evil

As Judoc sits in mass, only half paying attention, his eyes drift to the students sitting in the front of the chapel, Alevius, Andros, Wayne.  Of the three, Judoc would rather have Wayne on his side in a fight.  The other two would be too busy trying to save their own skins to be much help.

Up ahead of him is Indrid Colt.  It seems like so long ago now, those first few months.  Judoc had thought that he had found a group to belong to.  That was before Elliot burned Mariana alive.  Giles had left the school in disgrace after the badly funked shared spell.  Grobbik had been busy with classwork, and Judoc never saw him.  Indrid, of course, was Indrid.  His roommate is the closest thing Judoc has to a friend in this place.  Well, Grobbik, too, he supposes, but Judoc hardly ever talks to either person.

He turns his attention back to the sermon.  He tries not to smirk as the curate admonishes them not to view themselves as wise.  A message for every student in the College of Battle Magic, no doubt.  Shun evil, eh?  Does evil include murder in its definition?    He has seen evil, or what is generally described as its physical manifestation, in that imp that he and Elliot had banished.  But the curate's definition seems rather overbroad.  Could he recognize evil?  Is there even such a thing, or is there merely acts men label as evil for their own purposes?  Is it all about control, the Church's control, the Templars', perhaps even the Empire?  Judoc is willing to play the game, but surely these people don't actually believe this stuff.

He idly twists his new ring, a beautiful ruby set in what he thinks is silver.  Even better, the ring is a powerstone, that coveted tool of mages everywhere, and a much better one than the powerstone Judoc wears around his neck.  The only bad thing about powerstones is that they can't be near each other to recharge.  Judoc is considering selling his old one, or finding a place to store it.  Perhaps he could trade it for something, a knife, perhaps.

The ring had been a surprise.  What would Graves say if he knew Thresher was alive and well?  Six months.  Not nearly long enough.  Well, people escape from burning buildings all the time.  Judoc is sure he'll think of something to explain Thresher's reappearance.

He bows his head as the curate delivers his benediction.  Vision to detect evil.  Strength to stand against it.  True faith to banish evil.  Almost sounds like a list of spells.  Which, perhaps, might explain what religious faith is all about.  Maybe Jesus and Mary and all the saints had just been mages of various sorts, working their "miracles" and passing them off as acts of God.  Judoc could use some protection against evil, and strength to stand against his enemies.  Yes, he can see the appeal of all of this if there were true power available.

He waits for a little while as the parishioners make their way out of the sanctuary.  So they line up there on their way out, and the bishop blesses them, is that it?  Well, might as well get this over with.  He goes to join the line of people exiting the cathedral.
Raddek
GM, 234 posts
Sun 16 Apr 2017
at 18:05
  • msg #3

A Touch of Evil

Judoc breathes out a heavy sigh and gives in, making his way towards the back of the nave to exit out into the open air.  Another Sunday... he had started classes already and already the pace had grown to near exhausting.  Though exams were over for another year and a half, it seemed that his instructors expected that he stay in a state of constant preparation.  The queue has mostly filed out as he gets to the Narthex but he waits in line nevertheless as the late goers carry on in conversation with Deacon Samuel and Bishop Abram, seeming to think that because they are near last in line that there is no one waiting behind them.  Ahead, Judoc can hear the bishop blessing another man in line.

"The lord bless you and keep you always.  Am.."

Then, from back in the church an ear piercing scream tears through the silence!  Wrenching his head to the side, his eyes going wide, Judoc listens intently before he acts.  The scream sounds again, the high shrill cry of a child in horror.

"Deacon!"  Abram is abruptly cut off from his prayer, his eyes traveling back towards the doorway.  "Go see what that is.  I'll not have such disturbances in the house of God!"
Judoc the Merciful
player, 122 posts
Mon 17 Apr 2017
at 15:06
  • msg #4

A Touch of Evil

Judoc waits in line, a bit impatient.  The wait seems interminable.  Did any of these people take this pomp and circumstance seriously?  He muses that there must be some true believers among the flock here.  And then, a scream!  Is that a child's voice?

"I'll go as well, ah, Bishop Abram," Judoc says, and he hurries off in the direction of the cry of alarm.  What could be causing such a disturbance on a Sunday?  Was the gift shop out of candy communion wafers again?  Was there even a gift shop here?

OOC:  Walk quickly in the direction of the scream.
Raddek
GM, 235 posts
Tue 18 Apr 2017
at 03:19
  • msg #5

A Touch of Evil

"Yes your grace."  Deacon Samuel nods, hurrying towards the doors of the cathedral.  Judoc makes a quick response as well before starting off behind Samuel, catching just a glimpse of a scowl on the bishop's young features as he rushes off.

Samuel walks swiftly though he does not openly run and Judoc has several moments to start absorbing details as he keeps himself just behind the clergyman.  There are now a handful of people standing here and there... a man and woman standing together in a pew, an elderly gentleman looking up from the vicinity of the choir, a middle aged man rushing across the church in the direction of the north Transept.

"Holly! what..."

"Aggggghhhhh!"  The speaker is cut off by yet another shriek as the Deacon quickens his pace to furious strides.

"My child!"  The deacon rushes around the corner, kneeling down beside a young girl, perhaps only ten years in age.  On her other side is an older woman, likely her mother, who's eyes are wide and has one hand behind her head and the other one holding hands with the girl.  An older man, the same as the one who just ran across the church looks into each of the various shrines and altars before rushing across to the stairwell in the corner of the building, looking up though he does not ascend.

The girl herself has dark brown hair though skin of a shocked pale white.  She is lying on her back with her head slightly propped up and her eyes bulging as she kicks her heels off the carpeted floor in an effort to push herself back.  One hand is clasped in her mother's while her other hand points across the space...  Clearly, it seems to Judoc anyway, towards the confessional which sits near the shrine of Saint James the Great.

Seeing the girl is already taken care of, Judoc moves forward towards the confessional booth, a large wooden box seven feet tall and several feet across made of sturdy ash.  It has two doors, one on the left which stands closed, the door of the priest.  The other door stands slightly ajar and as Judoc cranes his head around he can tell that no one is sitting within.

OOC:  You are all standing in the north Transept.  There are three altars and shrines off to your right of various saints including James, Honorius, and Cuthbert.  The confessional booth is in the middle of the north wall with the left door closed and the right door slightly ajar, although it does not seem like there is anyone in it that you can tell.  The woman, girl and deacon are all lying/kneeling in the southern portion where the transept meets the aisle and the man is in the northwest corner looking up the stairs.  You are about five yards from the confessional booth.  It is now officially your show.
This message was last edited by the GM at 12:23, Wed 19 Apr 2017.
Judoc the Merciful
player, 123 posts
Wed 19 Apr 2017
at 04:06
  • msg #6

A Touch of Evil

Ignoring the bishop's displeasure for the present, Judoc quickly follows Deacon Samuel as the latter heads back to the choir section of the cathedral.  He scans the crowd, noting the different people present - a man and a woman, an elderly man, a middle-aged man - where is he going?

Judoc's eyes go back to the deacon, who is kneeling beside a child lying on her back.  He follows her raised hand toward the confessional.  Curious.  He walks quickly toward the confessional booth and examines it carefully.  One door is open, but the booth itself seems empty.

He goes back to the girl and kneels beside her.  "What did you see, Holly?" he asks in what he hopes is a kind, gentle tone.  "What frightened you?"

OOC:  Find out what Holly can tell Judoc.
Raddek
GM, 236 posts
Thu 20 Apr 2017
at 03:16
  • msg #7

A Touch of Evil

A few feet away from the confessional yet, Judoc makes the few quick strides over to the wooden box to give it a more thorough investigation.

"Please, my girl, breath deeply now and tell us what has happened."  The Deacon speaks to the girl behind Judoc, getting to the root of the same question that Judoc has in his own mind.

"I... I... I..."  The monosyllabic repetition is punctured by feverish hyperventilation, and Judoc wonders in his own mind how soon this Holly will be able to say anything of usefulness.  He can already hear her breaking down into sobs.

"He...  He..."

"Yes!  Who is he?"  The deacon interrupts, thinking he has struck upon the very crux of her problem.

Still a few feet ahead, Judoc leans the door of the confessional wide open, looking upon the inside with his first clear view.  It seems unremarkable.  The inside is constructed much like without, with a sturdy wood bench style seat built into the frame.  Each of the four walls is of solid construction up to about six feet or so in height where it changes from the solid wood to a weaved material to let light within the structure.  A small bar is built into the door to serve as a locking device for privacy.  As Judoc pushes his head in he can see a small bible propped in a small holder on the outside wall.

"Father Thomas!"  Holly's voice is now an outright wail as she breaks down into sobs.

"Our priest?"  Deacon Samuel's tone is utterly bewildered.

"He...  He..."  Holly struggles with the words, but they simply will not come between her ragged breaths.

Judoc notices now, the small screened window that separates the two sides of the confessional has been torn on two sides, and the material has been pushed through somewhat to the other side.  He leans in somewhat closer to get a better look.  Indeed, as he looks closer, he can see the mesh seemingly snapped cleanly along the two sides, letting the screen fold down to the other side, at the broken edges, the wood seems somewhat deformed with little nicks along where the mesh would have been.  Being so close now, Judoc can see slightly through the window and at first it seems the other box is empty, for there is no one in the seat, but a flicker of black fabric makes Judoc reposition his head to get a better look.

"He's...  Dead!"  Holly wails, her words now stuttered with great sucking breaths.

What?"  The Deacon's tone is bewildered and Judoc can already hear his walking in this direction.

His head now higher and to the right, Judoc can see a body, crumpled in the small space between the bench seat and the door, his head lolling against the outer wall, his eyes and mouth gaping open and his left hand fallen down on his robes just at the inside of his left knee.

"Father!"  The deacon rattles the door, attempting to pull it open, though Judoc can tell the locking mechanism is pulled closed.  "Father, are you in there?"
Judoc the Merciful
player, 124 posts
Thu 20 Apr 2017
at 04:47
  • msg #8

A Touch of Evil

"My god . . ."  Judoc mutters under his breath.  Louder, he says, "I see a body inside.  Do you have a key?"  He steps back and scans the area around the confessional booth.  Mentally, he tries to construct what must have happened here.  Someone was in this box, confessing.  They cut through the wire, killed the priest, and then made their escape.  Was it via magical means?  Did they teleport away?  Or make themselves invisible?  Or was it more mundane?  Did the person simply walk away and join the throng leaving the cathedral?

He walks back to the girl and kneels down beside her.  "Holly, how do you know he was dead?" he asks gently.  "Did you see anyone leave the confessional booth?"
Raddek
GM, 240 posts
Fri 21 Apr 2017
at 22:08
  • msg #9

A Touch of Evil

"What!"  The Deacon responds at once to Judoc's first comment, his voice growing ever less steady with each passing moment.  "What do you mean a body?  Is it Father Thomas?  A key?"  The deacon is aghast at the question.  "It's a confessional.  You can't lock it unless you are inside, and you can't get out unless you unbar it first!  It is supposed to be foolproof!"  The deacon rattles the door more, perhaps thinking that one more good tug would do the trick...

Judoc takes the moment to walk back over to Holly, thinking that she would be the key, the one with the most important information.

At Judoc's question the girl looks down and closes her eyes.  The girl's tears have swelled into thick tracks running down her cheeks and her breathing has mostly calmed, only disturbed by now by infrequent bouts of sputtering gasps of hyperventilation.  "I saw the booth was standing partly open, I... I... hadn't confessed this month and I went in.  I closed the door.  I said ' forgive me father for I have sinned.' and there was nothing..."

Holly opens her eyes, her lip trembling slightly as she tries to continue.  "I was sure I had seen him go in there, so I said it again, and when there was still no answer I stood up on the seat and looked in.  That's when I saw him."  Holly snaps here eyes shut again and shakes her head violently.  "Look at his face!  It's awful..."

Realizing after a moment, that she hasn't answered Judoc's question Holly looks up again, the whites of her eyes streaked with red.  "I hadn't seen anyone sir, not go in or come out anyway."

"Fuck!"  The deacon swears, giving the door one last rattle before he shoves it roughly back in doing little besides satisfying his frustration.  "What do I do?"
Judoc the Merciful
player, 127 posts
Sat 22 Apr 2017
at 05:35
  • msg #10

A Touch of Evil

Nodding solemnly, Judoc says, "That must have been frightful.  I'm sorry you had to see that, Holly," he says.  "We'll find out who killed Father Thomas."  What would a kid have to confess, he wonders.  And who would have wanted to kill the priest?  Standing, he walks back over to the confessional.

"Brother Samuel, your language," Judoc says mildly.  "You're in a church, and there are children present."  Fucking priests, he thinks to himself.  It's like he's never seen a dead body before.

He takes a moment to consider the locking mechanism.  What he needs is a good Lockmaster spell, but he hasn't been exploring that area of the Movement college.  Perhaps Apportation will do in a pinch.

OOC:  See if he can spot the bar that locks and unlocks the confessional.  If so, cast Apportation to move it and try to unlock the confessional.
Raddek
GM, 245 posts
Sat 22 Apr 2017
at 17:42
  • msg #11

A Touch of Evil

Holly nods at Judoc, her eyes still welled with tears although she manages to force a trace of a smile onto her lips.

In another moment he is standing by the confessional again, chastising the deacon for his foul use of language, in a house of God and in front of children no less.  "Of course you are right."  Samuel stands back, his hands shaking.  "I will get the bishop, I'm not sure I can help here just now and I'm sure he'll want to know as soon as possible."  Samuel starts off towards the back of the cathedral, leaving Judoc to his devices.

Unsure exactly how to best work the mechanism that latches the door, Judoc first investigates the open one, looking at the design and where the bar falls on the sturdy door.  However, it still seems hard to envision the thing without seeing it, so Judoc gets back into the booth again, standing on the seat like Holly had described, and angling himself until he has a view of the device.  With a few whispered words, Judoc manages to take hold of the bar by channeling his power, and sliding it back with one smooth motion.

As the lock is moved to its open position, the door bursts open from the weight the father's body is putting on it, and his torso falls out of the box, landing on the floor below with a small thunk and a muffled shriek from Holly outside.

Stepping down from the seat, Judoc walks back outside, getting his first good view of the body.

Still clothed in his robes from the service, father Thomas has very little exposed other than his hands and face, however his appearance is quite changed.  His pallor is pale and slightly blued, his lips almost purple in color.  His whole expression seems swollen almost as if he had been stung in a thousand places by tiny bees although there is no redness, abrasion, or marks of any sort.  His mouth and eyes still hang open as if he is still attempting to take his final breath.

OOC:  Yeah, I didn't do a great job explaining the 'lock'.  It isn't a deadbolt but a simple crossbar that is fixed from rotation in two places so that it only slides back and forth along its rail.  So when the door is closed it can be slid into place and preventing the door from being opened.  Aportation worked just fine in getting it open once you could see what you were actually moving.  You are down 1 fatigue point from the spell.
Judoc the Merciful
player, 128 posts
Sun 23 Apr 2017
at 11:43
  • msg #12

A Touch of Evil

Not one to spend much time in confession (though perhaps he could always start, he muses), Judoc isn't very familiar with the inner workings of the booth, but he's able to figure it out easily enough.  With a subtle manipulation of mana, he turns the crossbar, and then he hurries around the confessional booth to see if the deceased person truly is Father Thomas.  Once on the other side, he recognizes the man from his sermon earlier.  Looks like evil caught up to you, Father he muses wryly.  An evil so far hidden.

Turning back to Holly and her mother, he says softly, "Don't let her see him like this.  Can you take her somewhere safe?  The Bishop may want to talk with her, so perhaps you shouldn't leave the cathedral."  He turns back to the body.  Judoc is not trained in the forensic arts, and he's not sure what he should be looking for.  The pale, blue face; the purple lips - had the man been strangled?  Why was the man's face so swollen?

Peering into the priest's side of the box, Judoc looks to see if he can spot anything.  Waving his fingers in the air, he conjures up a floating ball of light to see if he can pick up further clues.

OOC:  Cast Light and move it around the inside of the booth, looking for further clues.  I'd like to make an IQ roll to see if Judoc knows anything about what might have caused these symptoms.
Raddek
GM, 248 posts
Sun 23 Apr 2017
at 17:26
  • msg #13

A Touch of Evil

Nodding her agreement, Holly's mother takes helps her up from the ground and shuffles her out of sight.

The other man, the one who had been searching the area as Judoc approaches kneels down beside him and looks at the father with a seriousness about him.  "He doesn't look good."  The man states the obvious succinctly.  "But he doesn't look like he has a scratch on him.  No marks of any sort, bruises or blood.  It's like he just died."

Though Judoc can't help but agree on some of the points, it seems plain to him that the father did not just die.  Though indeed he does not see any sign of physical harm the hue of his skin and the bloating make it seem, to him at least, to point to something other than an entirely natural death.

Moving on from the body, Judoc conjures a small ball of light and moves it towards the confessional booth, searching for clues.  He starts at the small window, where the screen has been punched through.  It seems to be much the same on this side, a clean tear on two sides, leaving a flap of material that has folded inwards toward this side.

Judoc moves his view to the rest of the booth and while at first he sees little of interest he eventually finds something that stands out.  There is a small imprint, just at head high on the outside wall of the booth where his light reflects differently.  Judoc moves his light closer and finds that indeed there is a small impression, a circle just an inch or two around that is imprinted in the wood.

As he turns around, one more thing stands out as he looks closely, just at where the bar lock would rest on the wood, there are small straight indents as well just the right size across to conclude that the bar had been pushed hard into the outside wall.  Judoc looks at the bar as well and at first does not see anything unusual until he looks just below, where he sees a small crack on the inside of the door, spreading parallel to the ground just below where the bar sits.

"What is this?"  Judoc can hear the voice of the bishop approaching from without.

OOC:  The indent you found is about head high and is on the opposite wall from the screen that is pushed through.  The door frame and door seem to have fatigue marks from being pushed outward (the way the door swings) when the bar was closed.
Judoc the Merciful
player, 129 posts
Tue 25 Apr 2017
at 09:24
  • msg #14

A Touch of Evil

Frowning, Judoc considers the other man's points and then begins searching the booth carefully.  "I'm Judoc, a student at the College," he says to the man helping him search.  "Are you affiliated with the College as well? What did you see?"

His floating globe of light helps illuminate the inside of the confessional booth.  The window's screen seems to be where whatever it was that killed the priest had entered.  A clean tear - so a knife, perhaps?  How had this happened without Father Thomas making some noise of some kind?  Unless he had been silenced ahead of time.  Judoc recalls the spell Graves had used to soundproof the study room where he had been given the assignment to kill Thresher.  Something similar could have happened here.

Curious.  Something had punched a small circle into the wall of the booth.  He looks closer to see if he can see any kind of pattern in the cirle.  And why had the bar been pushed so hard?  Perhaps to keep others from coming in?  Or had Father Thomas been in a state of nervous apprehension right before he had been killed?  Perhaps the sermon had been a plea for help.  Perhaps he had known something about the danger he was in, either some intimation or by more direct means - possibly a threat?

As the bishop approaches, Judoc extracts himself from the confessional and steps back to allow the bishop to see for himself.  "Your Grace," he says, hoping that's the right title one uses when speaking to a bishop.  "I'm Judoc, a student at the College of Battle Magic.  Father Thomas has apparently been murdered."

OOC:  Is the circle on the interior or exterior of the outside wall?
Raddek
GM, 255 posts
Wed 26 Apr 2017
at 00:01
  • msg #15

A Touch of Evil

The man shakes his head as Judoc asks if he is a part of the Templar College.  "William Hammersmith."  He extends a hand for Judoc to shake.  "I'm Holly's father, I didn't see much to be honest, I was just coming in from the other side when I heard her screaming.  I thought there might have been someone pulling some sort of prank, or else attacked her...  I don't know what I think, but I ran to look all over on this side and I didn't see anything.  I didn't go all the way up those stairs, but I didn't hear anything as I was listening.  The person who did this can't have gone far though can they?"

As the Bishop approaches, his face contorts wildly upon seeing the body on the floor.  His jawline hardens and his eyes narrow.  "Murder?"  The word is spoken like a curse rather than a question.  "This is a house of God!  I should think not, there's not a spot of blood on him, where is your proof?  Deacon, perform the last rights and call a healer to ensure there is nothing to be done.  I shall see if our groundskeeper is still here.  It can't hurt to get ahead of this."

And with that, the young bishop whisks off, mitre still donned on his head and crook in hand, stepping quickly towards the back of the church.

Without speaking, Samuel looks at Judoc, a pleading expression plain on his face.

OOC:  The small circular indent is on the interior of the outside wall.  Sorry if that was confusing.  I missed even thinking that you would want to investigate the exterior, but on doing so you find nothing of significance.
Judoc the Merciful
player, 130 posts
Wed 26 Apr 2017
at 15:16
  • msg #16

A Touch of Evil

"Good to meet you, William," Judoc says, and shakes the man's hand.  "I agree, they can't have gone far, not without magic, anyway."  With magic, it would be child's play to escape.  A teleportation spell, for instance, or rendering themselves invisible.  Judoc bets this is what has happened.  However, they cannot rule out mundane methods, either.

When the bishop asserts that it's not murder because the priest isn't bleeding and that, bizarrely, this is a house of God, Judoc only gives the briefest of nods.  "As you say, your Grace."  He's not really up on his Biblical lore, but it seems like he's heard some stories about murders in the sacred places.  Pretty brutal stuff, really.  Still, the bishop's words do cast doubt in Judoc's mind.  Maybe the priest simply died suddenly.  A bad heart, perhaps, or something like that.

The bishop moves quickly away.  Did you do it, you bastard?  Judoc wonders.  Did you have Father Thomas murdered?  If so, why?  What was in it for the bishop?

"I'm training to be a battle mage," Judoc says.  "So I'm skilled in healing.  If anyone can heal Father Thomas now, it's me."  He kneels down beside the priest again, traces a pattern with the fingers on his right hand, and touches the priest's body.

OOC:  Right, I figured that's what you meant.  Cast Minor Healing for 1 FP.

Once this is done, Judoc will start searching the cathedral, staring at the confessional booth and going outward in expanding circles.  He doesn't know what he's looking for, but he'll look for anything that seems out of place or like it doesn't belong.

Raddek
GM, 258 posts
Thu 27 Apr 2017
at 03:20
  • msg #17

A Touch of Evil

Judoc relays to let Samuel that he is as an accomplished healer as any but the man simply shakes his head, "I'm sure you are, but you don't know how he is...  I'll be back."

Judoc kneels down by the priest, thinking to see what help he can give the man though he knows in his heart this man is dead.  Still, he makes the motions and channels the mana through Father Thomas's body.  Though he knows the spell has succeeded, it has made no difference... the man is certainly dead.

Though as Judoc casts he sees an odd fold in the priests robes.  He looks further he realizes that it is a pocket sewn into the robes, difficult to notice with all the black material.  Reaching in, Judoc feels a small, coin like object that he removes.  The small circular object seems to be the pendant of a necklace.  It is pained on the outside with a pattern and has a small circular hole punched in the top large enough for a small string or chain to slip through.

Quickly searching the rest of the corpse, Judoc finds little more.  Just the man's crucifix which hangs around his neck.

Walking back over to the confessional, Judoc looks yet again, searching for any further clues.  He stays for a moment on the thin screen and realizes now that while most of the tear seems like a clean cut, the material has been warped slightly near the corner where the fabric has torn away with four small circular dots spaced in a line.  Furthermore, there seems to be some tearing that goes down the left side of the window as well, though the fibers there seem stretched more than anything and the break in the few threads at the top actually happened within the wall where they rested.

Judoc searches for anything further, but only finds a bible on the seat (one in each of the booths) which do not seem to be tampered with or abnormal in any way.

Making small circles from the booth, Judoc slowly and incrementally makes his way outward looking for anything further in the main church, though he finds nothing.

It is nearly a half an hour later when Samuel returns with another man, presumably the healer, and only a few more minutes later as Abram himself returns into the Nave.

"Ah, good Seamus."  Abram says, plodding his crook onto the ground with each step.  "Take a look at the father and tell us what you think..."

The healer, Seamus, steps towards Father Thomas and leans over to examine.  "Certainly dead."  He murmurs.  "Signs of asphyxia, burst blood vessels in the eyes, bluing in the lips...  Bloating is odd though...  No sign of trauma to the face, neck or chest.  Yes, I think it's fairly certain that he choked to death on something."

"Ah yes."  Bishop Abram nods soberly.  "As you see Samuel, the good lord giveth, and the good lord taketh away.  This is a tragic accident.  I have already talked to Remus and he is putting together a pine box.  We should move him from the sanctuary for now, so gruesome..."

The symbol in Father Thomas's pocket
This message was last edited by the GM at 04:39, Tue 06 June 2017.
Judoc the Merciful
player, 131 posts
Thu 27 Apr 2017
at 15:23
  • msg #18

A Touch of Evil

"It's fine, it's fine.  Yes, go fetch the healer."  The priest is obviously dead.  Although healing magic is but one of the areas in which Judoc has shown great promise, it is by no means his main focus.  He has spent more time in learning how to destroy his adversaries instead of healing his fellow soldiers, but he is an apt pupil, and the spell comes easily.  But the priest is deader than the polished wood of the confessional booth, and the mana Judoc channels cannot restore life  where it has vacated its former dwelling place.

But wait - what is this?  Some hidden compartment, hidden within the folds of the robes?  Judoc reaches in and extracts something, a coin or something similar.  Whatever could this be?  Quietly, without really knowing why, he tucks it inside his own robe.

His attempts at reigniting Father Thomas' extinguished spark complete, he once again combs the booth, looking for any other clews he can uncover.  He picks up both Bibles and flips through the covers, looking for a note or scrap of paper that might have been left behind by the killer.  If there really was a killer.  Judoc admits the possibility that the priest might simply have given up the ghost.  Still, his instincts tell him that something is afoot here although he finds no fresh evidence.

He returns to listen to the healer's pronouncement.  He nods his head gravely as Seamus notes the different indications.  Bloating.  OK.  No sign of trauma.  The priest choked to death on something?  Very odd.

Judoc lingers behind to see if he can observe anything else, but for now, he doesn't intrude.

OOC: Stick around, see if he can learn anything else.  Ask Seamus what was odd about the bloating if he gets a chance.
Raddek
GM, 264 posts
Wed 3 May 2017
at 14:32
  • msg #19

A Touch of Evil

"It's just not normal for choking."  Seamus answers to Judoc's question.  "You'd normally see the discoloration, often marks on the neck if strangulation was the cause, but the bloating just doesn't normally happen.  It almost looks like they just fished him out of a river."

Seamus stands, wiping his hands off on his knees, and picks back up his medical bag.

The bishop proves to be a man of schedules and with the pronouncement and lack of evidence for any crime, he directs Samuel to move the body out of the Sanctuary before he walks back to the front of the cathedral.  With the help of Erdrick Bode, the groundskeeper, Samuel sets off to move the body, with himself at the shoulders and Edrick at the feet.  Making slow steps the two remove the body from the Sanctuary off to the south to some out of the way place.

"Well."  Seamus says, perking his eyebrows up and giving Judoc a thin smile.  "There is more work to be done I suppose and I can't stay here all day.  Wish I could have been more help."

OOC:  Seamus is about to leave, the Deacon and groundskeeper have departed for the moment with the body.  Near the sanctuary itself (the raised dias towards the back of the church) a few older women have walked out, seemingly members of the altar guild who are there to polish the brass after the service.  Let me know where you want to go from here.
Judoc the Merciful
player, 134 posts
Mon 15 May 2017
at 05:36
  • msg #20

A Touch of Evil

Fished him out of the river.  Judoc can't help but think back to his first experience with Loke, the choking sensation, the feeling of drowning alive.  A similar spell could have been used here, he surmises.  Perhaps one of Loke's students?  But why kill the priest?  Did he have any enemies?  Who would have wanted to see him dead?  It's a good thing Judoc is present.  These clergymen seen either wholly oblivious or suspiciously incurious.  If anyone can get to the bottom of this mystery, Judoc can.

Still, he knows that he's jumping to conclusions here.  This could have been just a natural death.  Other than the strangeness of the death, right after a mass when the priest had denounced hidden evil, and the oddness of how the man had died, there isn't very much evidence that Brother Thomas actually had been murdered.  But the young student hopes it is so.  The prospect of investigating this mystery makes him eager to discover what might have occurred.  He can almost feel himself salivating at the thought of running to ground the real killer, not out of a sense of justice, but for the thrill of the investigation.

Thoughtfully, Judoc watches as the women leave.  Could one of them have done the deed?  And how?  He watches them for several seconds, half-hoping one will grin mockingly at him and give herself away as the murderer.

As the healer turns to leave, Judoc says quickly, "Before you go, Brother Seamus, do you think there would be anyone who would be glad Brother Thomas had died?  Would anyone stand to gain anything from his untimely demise?"

OOC:  After Samuel's answer, Judoc will stay to search the cathedral for any more clues he can find.  He'll take as long as he can, unless people get impatient for him to leave.
Raddek
GM, 274 posts
Tue 16 May 2017
at 03:56
  • msg #21

A Touch of Evil

Judoc is electrified by the possibility of investigation and even as the others in the room move to leave he is compelled to stay, eyeing the women of the altar guild as they slowly work their way around the rails of the sanctuary.

At the question, Seamus shakes his head.  "No, I don't believe there is anyone who would have meant harm to father Thomas."  The answer is quick to come, but the man thinks on the idea for a moment longer before continuing.  "He was well liked enough, though I fear his sermoning left something to be desired.  But he was a deep thinker and was better man to man than he was against the whole congregation.  Better listener than a talker I suppose."

Across the room, the Deacon Samuel walks back into the Nave and noticing Judoc, William and Seamus he makes his way back over to the small group.

"Well, I'm off."  Seamus nods at the others before making his way out to the back of the church.
.
"This all seems most odd."  William remarks.  "I think I'm quite with you, it's hard to swallow that this is any sort of accident or natural death."

Just making his way up to the conversation, Samuel grits his teeth and shakes his head vigorously, as if shooing away a fly.  "I don't think anyone believes this is totally natural, even if it wasn't murder.  That's just the bishop."  Samuel lowers his voice and leans in toward the two men.  "He's fiercely ambitious, I'm sure he wanted this whole thing cleaned up immediately so as not to put a black mark on his record.  Really, a suspicious death in his own cathedral?  The father could have probably had a dagger in his chest and His Grace"  The words are said with some distaste.  "Would have said it was a slip that did him in..."

William suppresses a smile and a chuckle under his breath.  "Yes, he does seem rather aloof doesn't he?"

Samuel shakes his head again, this time s slow, deliberate motion with his eyes rolled over to one side, looking towards the ground.  "Man thinks he is going to be one of the curia or something.  Writing the archbishop as oft he can, pressing the governor for as much money as the city can give, treating the college like it is his own success story...  I don't care if this was an accident, I would still like to know what happened."

"Wish I could help."  William sighs.  "I should probably get along to Holly, I can't imagine this has been easy for her.  Father Thomas was one of her favorite people."

Samuel turns his gaze to Judoc, frustration and exhaustion written across his face.  "And what of you Judoc?  Can you assist me?  I doubt it will be taken well if I look too hard for further answers and besides."  Samuel wrings his hands has he exhales a single, hollow, laugh, "I've just inherited double the workload."

Taken in by the intrigue of the whole situation, Judoc agrees instantly.  "Thank you."  Samuel exhales with a slight smile.  "I'm going to disrobe for now.  I'll be back by to see if you need anything of me."  And the man walks off.  William bids goodbye as well as he makes his way towards the back of the church.

Judoc and starts off his investigation with a renewed search of the nave and transepts.  He combs lightly through each of the altars to the saints near the confessional, renews his search of the boxes themselves and even combs through each of the pews searching for additional information but for all his effort he only discovers a pew with a short leg, so that it rocks alternatingly between three of them, and a kneeler that is fraying its cloth covering into a long strand of excess yarn.

As he looks up to the front of the sanctuary, Judoc sees that the two women have finally finished in their cleaning and are headed back again towards the back of the church, one of them eyeing Judoc for a moment with what seems like distrust.

OOC:   Couple of notes.  You mentioned Seamus in character (the healer) and Samuel (the deacon) in your OOC comment.  That being said you can assume they would have both been there and said about the same thing.  He's a good guy and they wouldn't know anyone who would want to hurt him.  Also, I didn't phrase it well, but the women actually came in to the Sanctuary to clean it in the last post (not leaving it).  So they are still there about 20 yards away from you doing the cleaning.  They were not present when you first ran back into the nave/transept.
Judoc the Merciful
player, 137 posts
Sat 20 May 2017
at 14:02
  • msg #22

A Touch of Evil

Nodding his head, Judoc takes in what the healer has to say of the priest.  It seemed to fit what Judoc had observed of Father Thomas.  That sermon, railing against the presence of evil.  So, a good man.  Had he been naive, or had he been speaking of something specific?  Had he been attempting to warn a soul away from the path of evil and gotten killed for his efforts?

As the deacon approaches, Judoc turns to face Brother Samuel, listening to what the man says.  Curious.  Deep currents run through this cathedral.  Samuel mentions the bishop's ambition, and Judoc knows where that might take a man.

When asked if he'll help, he responds immediately, nodding his head and saying, "Certainly.  I'll get to the bottom of this."  And he means it, too.

As his investigation of the area around the confessional yields no new clues, however, his initial enthusiasm begins to wane.  He checks the pew's short leg, imagining a hidden weapon concealed within.  He looks at the kneeler as well.  Perhaps the priest had been choked to death with a piece of yarn?  Almost certainly not.

He watches as the two cleaners leave this section, and he smiles at them.  He wonders if they know anything.  No telling what they've seen here.  Maybe they're just not happy to have him poking around the cathedral.  He decides to walk over and strike up a conversation.

"Afternoon, my good women.  What a shocking tragedy today, isn't it?"

OOC:  Go over and talk to the women.  Get their reaction to the news of Father Thomas' death.  Ask if they've seen anything suspicious recently.  Ask what they thought of Father Thomas.
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