CH. 5: The Sending is Coming from Inside the House

[HorizonsDream]

Jocelyn laughs lightly at how Brock describes her friends. "Well, that actually helps a lot. Thank you," she says as she turns her attention to Maronna's body. Taking a deep breath, she prays for a moment, blessing Maronna in Octhanus' name.

[Jenara]

"Would it be ok if we joined our friend?" Arei asks the Acolyte politely, nodding as he shows them the way down.

"Excuse us." She says tapping lightly on the wall, "Could I talk to you?" She asks the Kohen, "I understand this is a difficult time for you." She bows to Brock, "You have my sympathy at this time of loss."

"Oura?" She motions subtly to the body with her eyebrows.

[JadedDM]

"You again?" Dalaim says, remembering Areilon all too well (and evidently not too fondly, at that). "What is it you want?"

Ouragana approaches the body, but patiently waits for Jocelyn to finish her prayers before touching it.

[Jenara]

"I am sorry, I know we parted on bad terms, but... I am trying to do something here, I want to help." She motions to the body of the Dwarf.

"Did, have you seen many of the bodies of the victims?" She asks, "Please."

[Nuke]

Val follows, but does not approach the body. She stands back quietly observing.

[HorizonsDream]

Once done, Jocelyn backs away from the body. "Thank you," she says to the Kohen and Brock. She turns and heads back for the exit while shaking her head at Arelion and Ouragana. "I'm heading back to the inn," she says to Val on her way back up.

[JadedDM]

"I...better get going," Brock says. "Arrangements to make." He nods to the kohen, then to the girls, and heads back upstairs.

The kohen frowns. "The murder victims? Some, but not all. The first victim was not a follower of Gonto, so her body was sent elsewhere. I examined the second and third, and of course, I just finished the most recent. I was only able to interrogate the second, however. The family of the third forbade it, and by the time we returned to Narin, Maronna had been dead too long, I'm afraid."

When Jocelyn is finished, Ouragana pulls back the sheet and examines the corpse of Maronna.

[Breila]

What does Ouragana see? Is the way she was killed visible on her body?

When the kohen mentions talking to the second murder victim, Ouragana looks up and discreetly covers Maronna's body again. "You have been able to speak to a victim? What could she tell you?" she asks.

[JadedDM]

The body has been cleaned up, but the cause of death is still readily apparent. Someone or something sliced into her chest and removed her heart.

The kohen seems even less happy to speak to Ouragana as he did Areilon, but he answers her question nonetheless. "Nonsense, is what. Gibberish. I asked her if she saw who killed her, and she said she did. But when I asked her to describe it, none of it made sense. She said, 'iron skin, eyes of diamond, and many blades.' Even the Wardens couldn't make heads or tails out of that."

[Breila]

"You are right, that makes very little sense" Ouragana answers with a nod of concession. She slightly lays a hand on where Maronna's arm lies below the blanket and softly mouthes "Rest in Peace" before leaving the crypt. Outside, she waits for the other women to join her on the way back to the Paragon Inn.

[Jenara]

"Thank you." Arei says with a bow, "We will leave you now." With that she heads out, wrapping her arm around Val and walking back to the Inn.

[Breila]

When Val and Arei join her, Ouragana looks at them. "Iron skin, diamond eyes, and many blades" she repeats. "What do you make of this? I don't think that's nonsense at all."

[Jenara]

"I agree completely, that may just be the clue we need... Whatever killed these women was something unnatural.. The Romantic connection may either be a dead end, or the way our creature gets close to the women."

[Breila]

"Oh, that was not what I meant, though it might be true" Ouragana answers. "The iron skin may simply be armour. Can you think of something that makes eyes shine? Maybe a high helmet with a lamp in it? And I've heard of a fairy tale where a man had armoured gloves that had a blade on each of the finger pieces."

[Jenara]

"That is possible, either way, whoever did this, probably knew the people they killed." She comments as she walks back. "I hope our young friend has a clue."