Session 17 - A Study in Ashes

10/05/5-10

The groups headed separately back to their accommodation. There Valeyo shared his thoughts on what had happened and expressed his dissatisfaction with how it had gone. He had hoped to meet someone more reasonable and open to the idea of a non-violent change. Either way they would keep the Sky Stone out of the ICM's hands. With everyone soon went to bed.

In the middle of the night, Otto and Sapphira were awoken by some strange vibration coming from their windows. After a few moments, it had stopped, but both of them were curious about the source. Sapphira peered outside, but couldn't make out anything suspicious. Shiek had also been awake and left his room, just in time to run into Otto and Sapphira. After mentioning they all felt the vibrations, the three of them went outside. Sapphira climbed up to the roof of the barn and had a look around. Up towards the keep to the north, along the walls of the fort, were spotlights, shining down on the roads. Deciding that something big might be going on, the three of them woke the others up.

Valeyo was unsure that it would be worthwhile, but pointed out that it is better to stay together and so the group headed towards the fort. As they approached the fort, they saw the spotlights scan the nearby area, eventually landing on the group before moving off. Closer to the fort, it could be seen that the bridge was blocked, by 30 or so guards, not letting anyone pass. On the way to the square, group of guards were spilling out of the fort's main gate, looking tired, but wary. Sapphira, Valeyo and Milivoj approached the bridge and as the got closer a spotlight fell on them. The guard told them, to turn around as the bridge was closed. Valeyo said that his bed is on the other side and asked if they needed to worry. The guard urged to remain calm, but Valeyo pressed asking why the guards were chasing people, to which the man said there was a criminal on the loose. Valeyo suggested it could be the one-horned one and the guard seemed taken aback, not having considered it. With that Valeyo stepped back and returned to the rest of the group.

Everyone discussed what to do and decide to wander around some of the back alleys in order to run into a group of guards, they ask. Soon they found a group of guards, who asked them to identify themselves, most giving false names, but Sapphira, Otto and Cassini giving real ones. The guards revealed that there has been a disturbance at the university and they were looking for the culprit. On the way back, Cassini finally mentioned that he had recognized the ICM contact, as a professor in the university. They decided to leave it for tomorrow and headed to bed.

11/05/5-10

The morning sun was rising, as the party woke up on a new day. While having breakfast, Shiek said that he would head to the Conclave Library, while the others went to the university. Valeyo suggested that Otto could try locating his helmet to check for Simona, while Cassini could look for the lightning flask that Professor Berkinsail had the night before. The town was gossiping about that happened, talking about the university being attacked, or there being a mage battle in the middle of the road. Something clearly happened near the university, but whether it was targeted or a coincidence was unknown. Otto didn't get a ping for his helmet throughout his spell and neither did Cassini.

Upon the approach to the University building, it seemed mostly fine, but one of the alleyways near it, had all windows on the houses shattered, while those on the university were untouched. Looking at the windows, the appeared to have been blown in from the outside. There was a heavy guard presence along this street and one of turning the corner, one of the university walls had damage to its stonework. One house in particular was surrounded by Sila as its windows, door and some of the wall were blow outwards into the street, seemingly being the epicenter. A few Boyar, bearing gold regalia were gathered around the building. A guard stopped the group on their approach. Valeyo asked what happened, saying that a wizard battle really happened here. The guard denied it before, being elbowed by his colleague. He then said that he couldn't comment. Valeyo headed into the university.

At the Conclave, Shiek heard some of the members talking about the accident and feeling quite uneasy. One said the damage resembled the effects of weapons developed by an Arcanist by the name of Saxel.

After knocking at the university doors, the half-orc receptionist opened and looked at the group before him. He locked eyes with Cassini and felt a moment of panic, but disguised it well. He welcomed the party in and they entered. He closed the door behind them and put a wooden bar across the door. He then asked why they were here and Cassini explained that he simply wanted to get back into the university, but also what happened. The half-orc nervously approached the desk and said he would be back soon, but Valeyo interrupted with a question and the man looked nervous as the sound of running could be heard down the hallway.

From around the corner came multiple professors, amongst them Krissa wielding spiked gauntlets on her hands, a human none of us had seen wearing a heavy crossbow and a water genasi woman with a spear. The were moving so fast, they slipped around the corner towards the door. The half-orc lifted a tubular device and pointed it at the group. Valeyo recognized the device as a gun, a weapon used by the Giff. The dean soon arrived blaming Cassini for killing a professor after stealing a book. Valeyo asked who was dead and they explained that we blew up professor Theodor Berkinsail's house. Valeyo asked why they think that and they said the they were the last to see him alive. They seemed aware of professor Berkinsail's "extracurricular" activities.

When we mentioned that he could have blown himself up with the lightning in a bottle he had, the dean perked up. She looked at professor Krissa and asked where he got it. Krissa ran off, before returning shortly after with a report. In it were sketches of what looked like the lightning in a bottle. She said that if what we are saying is true then this is dangerous. A student some years ago was theorizing on this, he died messing around with it - Vincent Atanasoff. He was one of their brightest and the results of the explosion look similar to the one that killed him. This happened about a decade ago, but he had left the university 5 years prior.

Valeyo asked if they were sure Professor Berkinsail was dead, if a body was found. On the upper floor, amongst the shattered glass, they had setup a telescope to look into his window. They beckoned the party to look at the corpses and Otto did. Otto quickly identified the ignition point, in the middle of a dark circle on the floor. A few feet away from it were two piles of ash pushed in a streak along the floor, as if two people were turned to ash and then their remains spread by the explosion. Valeyo asked if they knew he was with the ICM and they confirmed, they knew he hung around with them. He wasn't fond of the Crown, but was a fine lecturer who donated well and wasn't doing anything crazy. He had hid it for years, before the others found out.

The party wondered what to do and one of the professors suggested something, making one of the group the executor of his will. While he went to set it up, Valeyo asked more about Vincent. Krissa said that as far as she knows, he lived in Stendolin with his grandfather who was a notable smith who took a pilgrimage to Moratop and came back with a weird material, they had just started gathering. From there him and Vincent theorized about what it could be used for and Vincent became obsessed with it. He focused on lightning and magical energies, but that was more of a side project nothing concrete.

Soon the professor of Law returned with the document and Valeyo signed it. He asked if he could trust the faculty's discursion and they confirmed that all they cared for is that their friend's murderer was found. Valeyo expressed his condolences and the party headed to the house of professor Berkinsail, where after they documents were confirmed, they were allowed in the house.

In the house it was a mess. The table and the chairs were scorched by lightning. In center of the room was the scorched epicenter. The windows and some of the walls were damaged. Otto investigated the front door, which now stood in the middle of the street. Interestingly, the damage on the door indicated that it was forced in first, before the explosion, as if someone broke their way in. Shiek mentioned that someone named Saxel had done something similar ages past. Valeyo explained the Saxel is the worst of the worst of the Concalve, but she is long dead. He then brought up what they were all thinking - Vincent is the ICM's engineer and it was Sky Stone that his grandfather had brought back from Moratop. Shiek began his investigation of the crime scene and saw that there was a struggle with people running around the table. Near the epicentre he found a fine powder, which tasted of iron. It was gathered in piles around and to Shiek it appeared that they were pools of blood, that had been vaporized, but there was a fight before the explosion.

In the bookcases, Valeyo noticed that name of them were burnt, except one bound in brass, which when being pulled revealed a secret door and one leading around the back of the house. Between the books were some weirdly placed papers, which could contain cyphers. After Shiek pointed out the blood, Otto realized that something doesn't make sense. Both of the smears of ash, were away from where the blood had been. If there had been a fight that caused the detonation, it would make sense they would be closer to the blood. Cassini went upstairs into the bedroom and deduced that whatever took place, was before Theodore had gone to bed. From there he headed to the study with Shiek and Otto.

There were no hidden doors in the study that Otto could find. Cassini found 3 letters, yet to be sent in the study and Shiek pointed out a locked chest in the corner. Shiek looked through the letters.

1. A letter of thanks, prepared for the Grand Library in Skalenvru. Prepared to be sent, when a particular book arrives in Dragomir.
2. Letter for a student from Otusta, who had been accepted into the university on scholarship for the next academic year - Stefan Pokorski.
3. A request for specific iron nails, from Rekasev bearing a specific design, like the ones ordered last year.

As they discussed the chest, it was weird that there were no keys around, Valeyo cast Knock on the chest and it opened. Inside were a few things.

1. A crystalline glass jug of black smoke. As Valeyo shook it a pair of animalistic red eyes appeared in the smoke.
2. About 1 kg of Sky Stone.
3. Two empty jars, one made of what looks like glass, and another from a crystal. They were similarly shaped, and resembled the shape of the lightning in a bottle.

It seemed as if the professor was trying to recreate the lightning in a bottle. Having looked through all of the property, the party went on their way.