Fire In The Clerks Ward

[*DarkArc]

Charae blinked with surprise at Hasclaan's words. She then looked at Chari. "Hasclaan is correct. If you barge in on them now, it would be bad. A much larger conflict would inevitably occur. And as Mauric is a member of the Armory, this would only further the Doomguard's cause if they are involved."

The dark elf looked at the necromancer, then back to the Measure. "I found the fiend that Mauric has been summoning. We can use it to locate him. I also learned that Mauric recently attacked the Hive and toppled a structure that buried a squad of your men in the rubble. I have a diviner keeping watch of the balor, waiting to scry it the moment Mauric attempts to summon it again."

[*LiquidDreamer]

Chari snaps off her helmet, trying to hide some frustration but fails when her lips are pressed into a rare grimace. "Fine then, Sir Hasclaan. What do you think is best, considering you think this is a disastrous under taking. What is your plan?"

[*Selebius]

Hasclaan clasps his hands behind his back, his Court Robes rather dirty from all the spelunking and running through the streets- but he seems not to be bothered much.

"First please scry past the door to verify that this tunnel leads to the temple.
Next we need Mauric as a witness- he saw the assassin, he can probably identify it.
We also still have Nethary... I hope our bait is well guarded as it would be a pity to have her die without the assassin getting trapped or at least seen.

As soon as we know who is responsible we can arrest that one responsible... without alienating the rest of the Temple. Indeed if we play our cards right we might find temporary assistance in rivaling Cults, making our work easier... and giving us some insight on the inner workings of the temple."

[*Midnight]

As Hasclaan speaks the squad turns and looks from him to the Measure. There faces are masked by their helms, and they are all far too lawful and professional to question an order but their frustration is palpable as they await the next command.

[*LiquidDreamer]

" You have your duties and I have mine. Finding out why there is a secret passage to our fort ," she adds tartly, "Is one of mine. Alienating the Temple of the Abyss is not a Harmonium concern. "

She looks to the mages as she straps on her helmet. "Dissolve those wards and we can scry what lies behind them. We do not have to arrest you are correct. But we will find out."

She steps back to the front of the line, "Rein in your need for violence soldiers. At least till we see what lies beyond."

[*Midnight]

As one the squad stand down and Lakin, the mage Chari has had the most contact with takes a small glass eye from his bag of spell components. Removing his helm he holds it up and peers through it. As he casts his spell his own eyes roll into the back of his head, and the glass one in his hand blinks and moves of its own accord. He speaks as the spell is cast.

"I see a long room measure, filled with benches people sit along them, fifty or sixty at a guess. They just look like normal people of the street. At the front of the room in an altar, and next to it a font. Two men and a woman stand there. One of the men holds a baby. It has something drawn in oil on its forehead. The man holding it seems to be washing it with water from the font. They are saying something but the spell lets me see or hear but not both.


I recognize one of the men. He is the tiefling who we spoke to here last time. The priest. The woman is Factor Azure of the Society of Sensation. My wife is a sensate, so I know the Factor had a child recently at a guess I would say that it is the baby there."


The Harmonium stand the ram raised and weapons gripped but they wait for Chari.

[*Selebius]

((Lore to ID the ritual: Roll 18, mod 52=70))

[*Midnight]

Hasclaan would recognize this as more of ceremony than anything magical. Asking one of the abyssal powers to bless the new born.

Lakin turns to Chari.


"The wards are down Ma'am."


One of the Notaries knocks on the door. It opens and the congregation inside seem to jump as one as they are confronted with the fully armed Harmonium strike team. Two of the temple's guards advance but with a gesture from Noshrano at the front of the room they stop.


"Measure Chari. A pleasure to see you again I had not realized you were invited."


He seems almost jovial as he hands the child back to his mother. The look of incandescent rage on the faces of the couple next to him suggests they do not share his good humour.

[*Selebius]

Hasclaan rubs the bridge of his nose, whispers to Chari:

"Please Measure...it would be wise to pay your respects to both the child and the parents as an Abyssal Baptism is not against Sigil's laws.

Seeing who is involved I suggest to not make any more enemies... regardless about your personal feelings about their faith."

He then bows to the priest and more deeply to the children's parents.

"Please excuse this interruption.

We were exploring the tunnel for security reasons. It seems this door should be really walled up... to prevent interruptions like this one again."

He then adds a small blessing for the child in abyssal, a blessing he once learned long, long ago, a blessing used by the citizens of a cold, dead city, long forgotten by most:

"May you overpower all that oppose you, find pleasures and riches to still the hunger in your soul and noone shall match your ambitions."

((Diplomacy: Roll 15, Modifier of 8 for a total of 23 ))

[*DarkArc]

The dark elf also bowed respectfully. The Abyss was home to her Queen. The priestess in her would not permit disrespect. She cautiously eyed the crowd, wondering if there were illythiiri among the guests, though she doubted it. This was not a ritual that her kind would normally be part of.

"Yes, it is too late now," she whispered. "Pay our respects and be on our way."