AMIA ARCHIVE • View topic

The below notice is posted in several places throughout Wharftown

It is with a heavy heart that I'm forced to make public a tragedy which occurred in our normally peaceful town. Yesterday five children were lured to the cliffs by large man claiming to be an adventurer new to the area. The details of what exactly transpired are unknown, but when the Militia arrived on scene they discovered the bodies of the children. They appeared to have been ritualistically sacrificed and drained of their blood. Attempts to resurrect them by the Selunite clergy have sadly been unsuccessful.

Our citizens have again been victimized by a monstrous villain. We ask that anyone with any information regarding this most heinous crime come forward so the evildoer responsible can be put to justice. Our militiamen got only a brief look at the suspect, and he is described only as a human male of average build who wore dark plate armor. We understand there is little to go on, but we beseech the righteous inhabitants of Amia to aid us in bringing closure to the victims families.

-Mayor Garth Arnemen

Nevaeh pales when she reads the notice tacked on the outside of a building, and the with an overwhelming look of worry, dashes off the find a certain child.

Presuming this is made public across island, Warrick snarls and seeks out certain colleagues of his in the government, quietly showing them the notice.

"A very tragic day, do you gentlemen think that there is anything the Commonwealth can offer to them?" he asks, knowing that there may be an answer.

Grymia wrote:

"A very tragic day, do you gentlemen think that there is anything the Commonwealth can offer to them?" he asks, knowing that there may be an answer.

It is unfortunate that other townships must learn, as the Commonwealth has, that adventurers are a threat with this loss of innocents. They play with the lives of common people as though we were toys.

Joseph Maximillian, surrounded and protected by his Law Knights in the Commonwealth Center, nods to Christophan.

Unfortunately, they are a sovereign township. We currently have no legal justification for lending them the use of a higher trained, higher calibre city guard to protect them from murderous adventurers...

"Currently, sir. However, I cannot see what harm seeking any whom can be trusted to aid Wharftown on a mutually acceptable basis could have. If nothing else, by your leave I may well seek permission to offer my own personal condolences and see if there's any non-military assistance I might render." he would reply, sighing and bowing his head in thought.

*a letter has been sent to the Mayor*

Mayor Arnemen,

The Holy City of Kohlingen can provide information about the persone who murdered mentioned children. I'll seek you out as soon as possible.

Sir Yaston Sylgerand
First Knight of the Triadic Knights

A quick note is given to the mayor as he goes about his normal routine.

"I'll help in any way I can.

- Yurioji"

*A letter is sent to the mayor Via speedy's delivery service*

Mayor.

I fear that a broad man that i met could be guilty for this horrible deed. I met him outside Nes'ek, wearing the same armour as you now describe. He asked me for directions in the town, obviously he was searcing for a man dressed in red. Day later I found out that this very man, dressed in red had been brutally slain and ritualistically sacrificed, with the word: "Moloch" carved on his very forehead...

* A beautifull woman dressed in Black, and Gold leaves her rather comfortable house near the docks, and seeks out the mayor. Seeing that he is indeed quite busy, she leaves him a note*

Mayor Arnenmen, I have lived here, in wharftown for over a year now. I've spent many moons looking out at the stars over the sea, and never have I heard of such heinous crimes taking place here, at least not to children. Hells, thats why I moved here in the first place, to get away from all the damned hustle and bustle. In fact, when I first arrived, I cleared that cave by the seashore of about three cyrists whom were performing sacrifices in it. Since then, all has been quiet, until now I suppose. I would therefore like to offer you my wisdom, and my might, in defending our fair town. So, if you have any new information as to who this villian is, please let me know. The more I know, the faster I can bring him to justice. On a side note, I would like to donate the sum of one hundred thousand gold pieces to the families whom have suffered the loss.

*signed in gold*
Humbly yours,

Sera Faluvious

*after dropping off the note, she can be seen discussing defenses with some militia members, and offering them enchantments*

Lyle's patrol stops in Wharftown increase.

A very loudmouthed pale skinned man talks with Garth for a few minutes over dinner. "Talks" is probably not very appropriate. He yells, exuberantly and expressively, and Garth with varying degrees of success tries to calm him down, finally placing a 3rd plate of food in front of the man, who eats quietly after that, and obviously angrily.

"Yer gonna give yerself an attack if you keep it up, Torin. Relax."

"Bloody murderers, and then she thinks she can waltz in and offer help? I know a frame job when I see one, Garth."

"Don' do anything you'll regret, lad."

The man in blue clothing downs the glass of milk and storms out of the Shanty, heading for a particular woman's house.

*Sera can be seen on most days sitting on the side of her house, sharpening the spikes on her morningstar. Most nights she roams the streets, nodding to the guards as she does so. Most mornings she watches the sunrise from the docks, then goes home for a nap, before starting all over again. If anyone was looking for her, she wouldn't be hard to find*

*As the knowledge of the murderous incident gradually spreads among commoners and adventurers alike, and finally reaches the ears of Darthion, anyone who might frequently visit Bendir Dale could very well have overheard Darthion Illys as he reflected on the matter whilst walking from Amia Forest towards the Frontier, alongside another members of the Banite Church.*

"Who would this daring imposing villain be? Sounds as if he's trying to impersonate my past works of art.

Should he be friend or foe? One that foolishly challenges my terror and tyranny, or one I should seek mutual benefits with?

Either way, out of principle, ridding this island of spoiled infidel little brats is a very admirable feat to accomplish..."

Armin, a frequent occupant of Wharftown, is not seen, but rather heard in the days following the massacre. He growls his frustration through his breakfast and scowls during his excursions into the nearby area in a fruitless attempt to discover remote clues that might have been left behind and left unnoticed by others. Though his tracking may be inept or a step behind someone else's far better and more skilled detection, he refuses to give up his vigil and strives to patrol the areas surrounding Wharftown against future events. He does recognize, though, that he cannot be everywhere, and most certainly cannot guard against every threat alone...

Katherine, another quiet resident of Wharftown, does not leave her home for several days after the news. Five candles burn on her window sill each of those nights, and only one other person bares witness to the grief of the expectant mother while she keeps herself locked out from the rest of the world.

Her steps waiver as she passes the tavern on the day she finally leaves the isolation of her room. It is only a split second thought, but the urge from years prior to wash away her care, to drown out these ever-recurring tragedies resurfaces in that moment. Katherine jerks her gaze from the building, sucking in an unsteady breath as she continues to the Temple of Selûne.

An hour and some is spent there, sitting a pew as the evening darkens into a star-speckled night, numbly staring at generally nothing and wandering with her thoughts.

"Five children," breaks her silence, though the tightness in her throat constricts the words to a hoarse whisper.

She remains there, listening to the wind rustle through the trees and grass with a song not unlike the sea surf. She listens to the seagulls going about their scavenging and calling. She dwells on it, contemplates the way these aspects of nature are entirely unaffected by the events, by the lives lost. They neither noticed nor cared by the time it was over. All part of the cycle, life and death, the survivors and the slain. Time would carry on, and eventually this would be forgotten by people as well...

"Five children."

Katherine slams her balled fist down beside her and stands, muttering an apology to the clergy as she hastens from the temple with tears freely streaking her face. She seeks out the mayor in person, having no inclination for the impersonality and passivity of scripted words, to find the mothers and fathers of the children and offer them what support she could offer.

A bitter, acrid squeeze takes her throat and stride as a thought surfaces, unbidden; she hoped that she did not know any of the parents, that the children she knew were still safe and that she would be seeing them again.

The thought catches her off guard like a winding strike, and Katherine stands in the road where she stopped, reconciling and composing herself. After several minutes, she wipes her eyes with the heel of her palms and lets out a breath, steeling herself before continuing on to speak with Garth.

Another notice is posted in the city of Wharftown

Residents and Friends,

I'd like to express my gratitude to everyone who has helped thus far. At this time, the Triadic Knights, and Sir Yaston in particular, have the most promising lead in tracking down the suspect. They've confirmed that he's at least partially human, and may have chromatic dragon blood running through his veins. We're hopeful that soon they will be able to bring this man to justice. We'll continue to provide details as they're made available to us.

-Mayor Garth Arnemen

//I won't be back on Amia until the 25th, at which point I'll be able to have Garth react to any new developments.

Haylee stays close to home, and is unusually subdued as she hears of the death of some of her friends.

// oops, 5 days late? oh well. >.>

Sera looks up at Garth from here plate, "Did you hear? They say it was a chromatic dragonkin..." She looks at her food, her appitite suddenly gone as she recalls other dragonkins, and the trouble they caused. "I hope someone catches that son of a Rothe before I do, else there won't be anything left of him" she says as she pushes her plate away.

*staring out over the docks in somewhat a shocked daze she breaths in the air having seen the notice and spoken to Sera on the atrocious crime she agrees with Sera that they will do everything in there power to make there little peace of heaven safe once again...not long after she begins a patrol of the area leaving a notice for Garth with his secretary*

Mayor Arnemen,

It is with a heavy heart that I write this upon hearing of the horrible thing that happened right here in our fair town, as you know Sera and myself have been living here for some time. Not only as citizens of Wharftown but as two people that draw the line at children being put through such an ordeal and then murdered we both find this unacceptable. I've talked with General Andras on the matter, he wishes to speak with Yaston concerning having the Horsemen aid in the hunt for this monster. We will not sit idly by as children -anywhere- are just taken from the street like, animals that are hunted. So not only Sera and myself but all the Horsemen offer our power and might in bringing this poor excuse for an existance to justice. I will immediately begin trying to reach Yaston to communicate our intent, however if you come in contact with him before the Horsemen can set up a meeting please relay this message for us, if you would please, if at all possible. As well if it pleases you Mayor the Horsemen will extend our patrols to Wharftown until this culprit is hunted down and brought to justice and death, albeit he or it deserves worse.

Captain Rose Dal'lorn

At various points in Wharftown, letters have appeared etched into stone or trees. Horizontally in stone, vertically in trees. All say the same.

Shaji

At the same time, the notes could be found in town. One tacked to the fence in the temple wall, another under a pile of wooden logs, a third hanging around a dog's neck in a noose.

Bring me your yong and innocent, and I will spare them from the horrors I put the last gathering through.

In the cave, however, is the most saying message. As with the trees and rocks, Shaji has been etched into the ground, in much greater size, and a red liquid has been poured over it. A quick bit of research tells that it is dragon's blood.

(Edited due to forgetfulness -.-)

Given that Wharftown is a small town and the number of places he did it in as well as the painfully obvious move of placing it around a dog's neck, every single person in Wharftown now knows exactly what Eir Shaji looks like, personally.

Including th militia, who, contrary to popular belief, are not so stupid as to let this happen, repeatedly, all over, including harsssment of citizens.

Last edited by Dakotaen on Tue, Oct 20 2009, 19:34 PM, edited 1 time in total.

Deleted.

A young tiefling, walking through the town on her way to the Forest of Despair, seeing the name placed everywhere, Nelene can only stare in shock and horror. She scrambles out of the town and runs back to the Triumvir, to find Ein....

Given the failure in Wharftown, Eir would've last been seen fleeing Wharftown covered in spellwork and white robes. He soon lost whatever people may have been tracking him, however, as he wasn't seen again after.

I was walking past Bendir Dale and around the Skull Crags when I got lost. It's been years since I'd been up the crags so I thought I'd take a look around. After fending off some onerous trolls, I made it to the top of the hill over the troll layer where there is a plateau.

To my surprise I found a man praying at the altar, totally engrossed in some ritual service. He prayed to Moloch then emptied two viles of what appeared to be blood onto himself. I believe he said the blood of Shaji. He repeated the name Moloch and when I approached withdrew from the altar. He cast some spell and disappeared. I didn't hear anything so investigated the altar and two tents he had set up up there.

Inside the first tent I found a child's shoe and various religious paraphenalia.

I was mistaken that he had fled. He screamed something as attacked me as I checked the second tent and knocked me unconscious. I wasn't out very long apparently as 5 people stood around me. They had heard the commotion and investigated. They said they saw a man in black platemail hovering over my body, but he fled as they arrived on the hill.

If you have questions for me about this encounter, please feel free to contact me via messenger at Kohlingen, or the temples of Lathander in N'sek or Cordor.

Jelance Steelrose
Dawnguard and Dawnlord-elect of Lathander

*Mayor Arnemen reads the report from Jelance Steelrose, and decides to make the information public.*

Friends and Allies,

Our best intelligence suggests that the man we are looking for is a Blackguard or other deviant in service of a demon. Any who are knowledgeable in demonic rituals or have information about a being called 'Moloch' is urged to contact me immediately. It's possible the villain who did this is also a chromatic dragon and servant of Tiamat. Either way we know many dark forces were at work in this crime, and will take a combined effort from the forces of good to stop the man responsible.

Again I express my thanks to all who have offered their assistance. Anyone with specific information about where the man performing the ritual Mr Steelrose described is hiding is urged to contact me as soon as possible. It is my hope that this 'Shaji' character is nothing more than a common miscreant, but any who can offer evidence to the contrary is also encouraged to seek me out. Through vigilence and determination we will track down this monster and put an end to his crimes.

-Mayor Garth Arnemen

*Briefly examining the note while in Wharftown, Warrick bows his head and clenches his fist tight before moving on*

The Children of Wharftown

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