Infiltrating The Mortuary

[*Taurus Daggerknight]

The next day, after learning of Zadara's demise, Dace requested a re-assignment to investigate the death of the Justicar. With the blessings of Factor Charae and Justice Leona (his reporting officer), he set out for the Mortuary.

Once there, he identified himself as a Mercykiller to the Dustmen, asking about the preliminary findings surrounding the Justicar's death. He would also ask for permission to examine the body and any items found with her, as well as the exact location where the body was found. Additionally, he'd ask who else came by to look into the matter.

[*Madnobody629]

Along the way, Dace would note Roza falling into step besides him.

" Dead Justicars" she'd say, by way of a greeting. " This just gets trickier and trickier doesn't it? Almost makes a person think someones trying to clean things up, if that person were cynical."

She'd give him a sideways glance.

" Be careful. If they're willing to kill off a Justicar then think about what they'd be willing to try with a couple of namers poking around. At least we can figure someones worried. "

She'd join him at the Mortuary.

[*Cadence]

Dace was able to come across a publicly released investigation file:

Harmonium Murder Files
The Murder of Zadara


Eyewitness Report per Harmonium Investigation:

Eyewitness 1

Name: REDACTED

Occupation: REDACTED

What was witnessed:

"A woman in heavy armor - identifying her as a Mercykiller - dropped her axe and started running for about fifty steps before falling to the ground motionless. Aside from me watching, there was no one else on the street that I saw."




Eyewitness 2

Name: REDACTED

Occupation: REDACTED

What was witnessed:

"Saw th' sod runnin' real panicked, I did! First though' chit wuz chasin' aftah someone but when sh' passed roight by me, I figahed tha' she be running FROM someone. Nevah saw who it wuz."

Harmonium report generated from compiled witness reports in the area at the time of the murder:

Zadara – a female human affiliated with the Mercykillers- expired approximately at antipeak in an alleyway in the Lady's Ward. Cause of death is yet to be determined.

From piecing together eyewitness reports as well as evidence from the crime scene, the believed sequence of events is as follows:

An unknown entity caused a great degree of fear and anxiety within Zadara, causing her to drop her axe and start running. She traveled for a distance of about 50 steps before collapsing to the ground and expiring. At this point it is unclear whether she died before or after hitting the ground. Her facial expression was contorted into a scream, frozen as she died. Notably, none of the witnesses or even non-witnesses in proximity recall hearing a scream. Due to the mysterious nature of her demise and the striking similarities between her death and two previous ones, it there is suspicion that the murders are related and committed in the manner of serial killings.

Suspected Cause of Death: Murder

Suspects: None

Recommendations:
1) Coordinate with S94IT.

Author: Harmonium Measure IV Kristopher Narel

NOTE: The body has been sent to the Coroner in the Mortuary for autopsy.

[*Cadence]

Headquarters of the Dustmen, the Mortuary sits in one of The HiveÂ’s dreariest sections, a neighborhood of empty streets and abandoned shops. The building's a cluster of windowless vaults arranged around a black dome. Now and then, the Dustmen mount skulls on sticks and post them around the Mortuary to make a fence. Where do they get the skulls? From trespassers, of course. The adjacent streets are crowded with decaying taverns and gloomy boarding houses; the long shadows of the Mortuary provide plenty of cover for sods who don't want to be noticed.

Black spines radiate from the center of the Mortuary, giving the building the appearance of an immense insect. Inside its walls are interment chambers paved with black flagstones, a memorial hall where bodies of noteworthies lie in state, and a vast network of catacombs containing countless portals. How to get inside the Mortuary? Resourceful berks might try to sneak in or play dead. The best bet, of course, is to be dead.

As Dace and Roza approached, one of the gate-guards - a musclebound half orc in dirty leather armor, he held out his hand and listened to Dace identify himself.

"Don' hav' th' chant on yer scribed Justicar, but Madame Bondalpatti mentioned ye'd be arrivin'. I jest need t' see yer badges."

[*Taurus Daggerknight]

Dace complied, showing his badge to the guard.

[*Cadence]

"Not th' badge I woz askin' fer...."

The Half-Orc cryptically shook his head.

[*Madnobody629]

She would sigh.
" it will be neither pretty nor fun...and I'll be putting one hell of a lot of trust in you,Giorgio. Screw me on this and I WILL find a way back from the great beyond just to make your life miserable.

You will hold my kit. Then I pierce my heart with something that can be broken off, in order to hide the source...glass, of a sliver of wood. The Dustmen come, because you find a way to tip them off that won't make them think of the Mercy Killers who came by with the wrong sort of badge...and they take me back to be processed.
Then, and this is the important part, you slip in, shapechanged,or however you do it and remove the shard. I'll be fine afterwards, and we'll be inside and free to try and figure out whats going on in there.
If you don't feel up to that we'll figure something else out, but that's the most direct way for me to get inside,at least. Most of my other tricks as likely old hat for the Morticians in THIS city."

[*Taurus Daggerknight]

Dace listens to Rozalina's plan, grimacing by the end of it.

"That's a pretty complicated ride....and it doesn't factor in how you're getting out of there. My exit's pretty simple if I can stay invisible and get wings. What about you?"

[*Madnobody629]

" I can slip out easily..it's slipping in like that that concerns me."

[*Taurus Daggerknight]

"All right, well...I don't like this much, but if it gets us in..."

With that he follows Rozalina's lead on this, going according to the plan outlined while being careful not to let any Dustmen see his face. Once they come for Rozalina, he discreetly uses a scroll to shape shift into an insect. With this guise and while under an invisibility invocation, he hitches a ride into the Mortuary.

Once in, and at the soonest available moment (being when no one is near), he resumes his normal form, still maintaining his invisibility invocation, and proceeds to dig out the shard from Roz, using his ability to channel negative energy to expedite the regeneration process.