e figured we’d visit a few places – specifically the Office of Sanction and the Office of Portals. So the group divided into two and just before 2 we went on our missions.
At the Office of Sanctions we had the chance to talk to Inquisitor #11, an undead woman named Manenna. She had been briefed on us and was happy to help us out and answer questions if need be. We had learned earlier the names of Bundus’ original 2 prospecting partners from 4 plus years ago and learned they were Bethen and Tennet. According to the hall of records – both men had passed away recently.
Ok. So we asked Manenna about the death of both men and she pulled up the file. Bethen died 2 and a half months ago outside of the Horse and Hound Tavern on the west side of Vitalia. According to the death record, he had stumbled out of the door near the alley to the Privies at a fast rate and fell into the street where a passing cart happened to run over his neck and killed him.
As for Tennet, he had died a month and a half ago where he fell down a set of stairs at his tenement home, clipped the couch at the landing, and fell all the way to the bottom where the now falling couch crushed his neck.
Really?
We asked about the Office of Sanction and their checking of these two deaths. Both of them were caught during a period of unauthorized sanctioning. We learned that there are 12 Inquisitors and each works an 8 hour shift. At all times, 1 must remain in the office which means at best, 3 inquisitors can be out. If there is a time of too many inquisitors being wrapped up in other issues, the local Constabulary takes care of the initial investigation and submits it.
And that’s what happened here.
Bethen was reported by a Constable Clamence. He happened to be very close to the Horse and Hound at the time of the accident and took care of the body and report by the time the local Inquisitor was able to arrive.
And for Tennet, that was the day of the accident at the reservoir. 3 people had been playing along the edge of the water body and one by one, had fallen in and drowned in a half hour period. Tennet had his accident right around then. And as for the sanction report? It too was filled out by a Constable Clamence. Hmmm – very peculiar. We thanked her for her time and decided we would need to go to the3 Constable’s Office at some point soon.
At the Office of Portals, things were a bit different. The two mages were overwhelmed on arrival there. Seems the office is built right on a Ley Line, an exposed root of Yggrassil close to the surface. The amount of untamed Chaos was enough to have both Connal and Godrick have to fight their way in and master themselves, but it worked out.
We talked to Moud, the Director of the Office, an animate of some obvious magical skill. We discussed spell books and the copying of them, the number of magisters currently working at the Office, and the parameters of the Portal stones and how they work. A portal stone must be signed out and has to be used within 30 days of assignment. Each is numbered uniquely and normally, the common man cannot afford to use one and needs to put up collateral – or if none is available- the promise of their soul.
A portal can be opened, it is a 10’ diameter circle, and will open unerringly from Anywhere in Grymeria to anywhere else on the planet that a person has been to. It will remain open for a maximum of 1 hour at which time the person who opened it must step through the portal, subsequently closing it – or the portal will warp and wend, and suck the opener through at the expiration of the hour. It is mentioned that this hurts. Then, within the 30 day period, the original opener reactivates the portal from where it originally let out (or within 25’ feet of that spot) and it will bring them back to where the portal originally opened in Grymeria. The only constant MUST be the original operator of the portal – the number or types of people going through after the fact can change.
There is a way to double the size of a portal, but it is not recommended. A second portal is opened at the location of the first and the portal opens to 20’ diameter – but the window of time is reduced to 10 minutes.
We thanked Moud for the information and the group all met up again. We discussed what we had learned and as it was a bit after 4 now, wanted to go to the Constabulary – Clamence's name seems to come up a lot – as he was also the Constable that originally reported the burglary to Goliene.
At the Constabulary, we made sure not to ask for or mention Clamence at first, and were set up with Captain Ariassant. The Captain was happy to meet with us and we gave him the broad strokes of our investigation after getting comfortable that he was a man of integrity. He was dismayed to hear our concerns about Clamence who had been an exemplary officer for a number of years. Plus we learned that Clamence was at one point a member of the Arcane Academy but opted not to pursue his test and instead shifted his career path to law enforcement. Great – he’s a wizard too.
We looked over a number of records and incident reports and although they were in order, it still seemed shady. We asked then about the 2 dead men, Bethen and Tennet. Their wills both indicated that neither man wished to be animated so after a few days, their remains were auctioned off to various parties that would buy the remains for medical needs or the creation of low order animates. And it turns out that Lord Gatraise purchased both bodies after they died. The first one for 20 odd crowns, the 2nd one? For over 140 – turns out there was a bidding war with another local banker/lord Named Mergonius. We thanked Captain Ariassant and promised to come to him with more information once we uncover it.
We then went to Goliene and talked to him about his needs and how things were going. The Basketweaver was very concerned as there were only 4 days remaining and we said we were doing our best.
It was about 6 PM and the party wanted to go to the Horse and Hound to look around; the site of Bethen’s death. There was also Tennet’s home and partner – a half ogre woman named Brannade and how she seemed to have disappeared. Word was she moved shortly after Tennet’s death and managed to pay off all her debts before doing so. We wanted to find out where she went. And someone was going to have to talk to Mergonius, the other Lord who seemed to have a knowledge of whatever Lord Gatraise now knows. Lots to do tomorrow.
