Blackburn's Crossing Chapter 4: Snake Eater

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Bernard nods, "It's alright. This is very useful. Do you recognize this sword?" He pulled the enchanted blade out, carefully showing it to her. "What happened after you left? Did you see anyone else heading towards the shop? Anything suspicious?" Bernard placed the blade safely back into his pack.
 
Constabulary:

"No I don't recognize it the hilt is wrong for what the Falkovnian had. Whose is that?" she asks looking at the blade curiously but keeping her distance from it. "I don't recall anyone heading that way. Most people were off the streets by then, I think I would have noticed anyone who went in right away. There might have been a few people on the streets going around. I remember seeing Grimdosh carrying two pigs from the butchers to the Manor. He walks very fast," says Heather thinking back. "I don' think I saw anything suspicious... Jonathan took me back to the Manor afterwards and we said good night to each other after a little bit of talk. Before leaving he asked me an odd question."

Smiles sadly at this. "He asked me what I would do if I knew I only had maybe a year left to live," says Heather who seems to be turning a bit pink at this admission. "Sounded like something someone might say out of my books, but then, I don't know he withdrew into himself. He smiled at my answer but he wasn't.... there."
 
Arissa felt Heather’s words like blades in her heart. Talking to her is getting us nowhere but further dead ends. Jonathan’s condition is worsening, and it sounds as if I can not even do this for him... Arissa turned to Heather and forced a smile. “Well, Heather, I believe you have been very helpful. Thank you for your... notes. I am certain that the brighter minds than my own can divine some greater meaning to it all.”

Arissa turns to Bernard, still attempting to keep up her cheerful demeanor, but it dropped for just a moment when she met his eyes. “Bernard... I pray that you can survive without me for a while. Please, carry on with the investigation. I just recalled a task that I had to make certain was completed.”

Arissa then looks over to Simon and curtsies. “Landrechter. Good luck with continuing the investigation. I see I do in fact have little to offer in the means of assistance. If you need me, I am hardly a challenge to find. Do not hesitate to ask.” Arissa quickly made her exit from the constabulary, walking to the Einhorn home as fast as she could. She knocked on the door, barely managing to keep up the facade.
 
Bernard smiled at Arissa as she left, "I'll catch up with you later." Then he turned his attention back to Heather, "You really have been quite helpful. If you remember anything else, please let Simon know if you remember anything you think might be useful to the investigation. I'm sure we'll get to the bottom of this." He stands and bows slightly, "That's a lovely ring by the way, does it match your necklace?" He smiles at her before collecting his own pack and hefting it over his shoulder and turning back to Simon, "I'll get these items identified and return them to you as soon as I am able." He nods to Simon, holding the door open for Heather.
 
Léone looks curiously at Lord Balfour, raising an eyebrow. "A... club? Er, if you say so." She waves goodbye at the old man with a confused look, wondering just what he meant as he walked away. "Impress who...?" She turns to James as he comments on it and shrugs. "I wish I knew what he meant, though I guess he's being cryptic like usual. Guess we'll have to wait and see."

As he asks about what she wanted to do, she mulls it over for a bit. "Hmm... it just feels like there's so many other things to do, honestly. Starting up research, figuring out family records, checking up on people, heck even dealing with the Great Serpent at some point. On top of all that, now we also have to figure out what's up with that strange catalyst the Darkonese scientist wanted," she continues, just blurting things out as they came to mind. "And you wanted to see Jonathan at some point as well, I believe? And we should probably check up on the interrogation as well..."

She pauses for a moment, then relaxes her stance and sighs. "Of course, I'd be a hypocrite if I said I couldn't relax myself. Maybe we should take a break." She glances over in James's direction, flashing a weak smile. "Want to sit down somewhere? Chat? I'm sure there's quite a few things we can start on, given... recent events." She leans back against a wall, trying to think over everything that had happened over the past few days. Only now that she had time to think back did it all seem so... disorienting.
 
Kallisto thought for a moment, "Hm ... Aluc said the serpent spoke to a woman somewhere in the swamps, a woman in a hollow tree, 'on an island, in a lake that flows from many lakes'. I ... have not traveled much, so I don't really know where that might be, but maybe the woman is tied to it somehow...?"

Listening to Yelcan ask how to permanently kill the Naga, Kallisto rested one hand on the great axe strapped to her back. "I ... have a method for dealing with that, but it's not guaranteed to work depending how the battle goes. From speaking back and forth, and what Van Richten," she bowed her head towards him in his seat, "has said, I feel we have a better idea what we might be dealing with. I've heard this serpent has been in the area for a long time ... and from the sounds of it has probably been killed many times. It might have been trying to guard its territory at first, for its respective people, but ... while they may have died out, it ... can't. It may still be trying to defend a group that doesn't exist anymore, and has, as was suggested, slowly become corrupted. Dying only to return to a purpose that's no longer there ..." she shook her head, "Even if it originally began with good intentions, they can easily be warped over time."

She ran a clawed hand through her hair, "The ... woman in the hollow tree worries me, but I have no idea who or what she might be." Rubbing underneath Aluc's beak, "After Aluc is awakened, perhaps I can ask her to fly towards where the nest and the tree are, to let me see where those things even are compared to Blackburn's Crossing. The ... 'Children of Snakes' as Aluc referred to them, concern me as well ..." she gave Van Richten a faint smile, "I ... think I may have seen them already as well, but I do not have a drawing of them. Human shaped ... their skin smooth like a snake's, a green tint ..." She shuddered slightly at the memory of her nightmare. "Unfortunately that is the best I have to offer with regards to trying to figure out what they could be."
 
Constabulary:

"You offered quiet a bit of suggestions Arissa, do not sell yourself short. I'm sure we'll get to the bottom of this together," said Simon as he turned to Bernard. "I'm going to go ahead and sent Dmitri out like we discussed earlier, hopefully he gets ahead of whatever will be after him."

When Bernard asked about her, Heather reflexively puts a hand to her chest when he mentions her necklace before dropping it to her side. "Uh... no actually. It doesn't go very well with most of my dresses." She watches Arissa leave wondering at the abrupt departure. "Thank you for noticing...?" She says that as a more of a question. As she walks out through the door she looks at Bernard for one last moment seemingly curious before she begins to walk away writing in her journal.
 
Bernard left the constabulary making the trek to the manor once more. Travel was slower without Durendal, but he didn't mind traveling without his armor kept him light on his feet. Still he felt somewhat haggard by his early morning and atypical exertion. As he rubbed his hand some more, the redness began to die down, he thought of Jeremiah teaching him of divine gifts: "Remember Bernard, for every request you make of the gods there is a cost. No spell cast without exacting a price. You must be willing to sacrifice if you're going to save lives." He didn't understand then, but he'd learned and lately his power had grown and he knew the stronger the spell, the more pain it caused. He looked at his hands as he walked, the marks were never permanent, the pain always subsided, but he learned early on that his sacrifice was to endure the pain and he could speed the 'healing' process by inflicting it faster. He rubbed his hand a little more as it returned to normal and the pain subsided.

As Bernard approached the manor, he was glad to see Leone and James standing in the door. Everything is fine, they're your friends, live your oath and practice forgiveness, Bernard. You've known James since he was wetting the bed, and Leone has become fast friends. Last night was complicated, tempers ran hot and Leone wouldn't intentionally have put Merris in danger. Surely if she grasped the situation it would have given her pause. And James, he's got a lot more to adjust to. He was gone longer and missed more, and he's suffered loss too or he would not be back in the Crossing at all. He put on a smile and waved. "Well, this makes things simple. Just the couple I needed to see.!" He shouted as he walked up, giving Leone a hug, "Good morning... Mrs. Blackburn" He jested before turning to shake James' hand. "Congratulations, James and good morning. I come with lots of news, it's been a busy day already. Lets find an unoccupied study." Bernard smiled and shifted the weight of his pack around, thrown off by his hug.
 
Blackburn Manor:

"And if we could create the amount of spell transference into the device we might be able to produce a better spell to healing ratio," says James before Bernard walks up giving Leone a hug, and offering a hand to James. James smiled at Bernard's infectious mood shaking his hand. "Hello Bernard, it is nice to see you as well. I assume you've done some investigating this morning? I've unfortunately been stuck seeing off guests but I haven't minded the company I've kept."

James briefly looks over to Leone before turning his attention back to Bernard. "Could we walk and talk Bernard? I'll have Grimdosh get your bag," says James, and almost as if he had teleported around the corner Grimdosh comes from around the corner.
 
Einhorn Haus:

It is a moment before someone answers the door, Derek his face red and eyes dark as if he hadn't slept all night. He gives a slight sniff and clears his throat before speaking. "Ah, here to see Jonathan? He's in the back, I think Archi will be done with him soon," says Derek as he leaves the door open and goes back to the main room. He seems to be laying out weapons and then bundling them up into piles wrapped in cloth. He seems to pay you no mind beyond letting Arissa in.
 
Marsh House:

Van Richten nodded a long listening to the conversation but seemingly deep in though for a moment. "It sounds like you need a map of the area. I'd check any library's or even with Mr. Blackburn to see if his family had ever explored the wider area of the swamps. I've heard much of it is still unexplored. Maybe if you can find this woman in the 'Lake of Lakes' as you're friend put it she might be able to tell you more."

Van Richten stood up from his seated position grabbing his cane and giving everyone a gentle smile.
"My time unfortunately here is drawing to a close, I think you have a good direction. Remember to learn all you can, and I would be weary if this Naga has children as the name implies. It may be converting it's victims into something else. Be careful with this, I've not heard of such an ability but it is not beyond the question. I've known monsters in the past that have done similar," says Van Richten walking over to the front of the house. "It was a pleasant visit with you all. Stay safe."
 
Arissa took a moment to eye Derek over to try to determine if he seemed to be a man who could kill his own wife, but was unable to focus due to her own emotional turmoil. She forced a smile and nodded to Derek. “I had hoped he had been doing better, seeing that he wound up attending the ball... unfortunately it sounds as if that is not the case.”

Arissa walked over to Jonathan’s bedroom where they had spoken the day before and resigned herself to wait. Her patience wore out over the span of half a minute, however, and she knocked on the door, somewhat more aggressively than she intended. “Hello, Jonathan? It is Arissa. I have heard about your worsening condition... do you mind if I were to enter?”
 
Einhorn Haus:

Through the door a conversation is heard. "You should avoid needless exertion for a time. I've never seen anything like this but whatever it is... it is not healable by my hands. I don't even think Tara could heal whatever is going on, I would suggest potentially traveling to the Great Cathedral of Levkarest where there might be someone skilled enough there," said Archibald.

"No, If I die I'm going to die where I was born, not in some foreign land hoping and begging for a cure," says Jonathan his voice sounds strained. Arissa's knock comes at the door as well as her speaking.

"Well at the very least it's not affecting your magnetism of women, maybe try not to drive this one off now that you're mothers dead?" says Archibald his voice sounding like it came through a smile. Jonathan's reply was equally amused. "Maybe I'll just send them all you're way Archi, You could probably use the help unless you plan to marry Ezra one of these days."

"Who knows, I might get lucky," is his final reply as he walks to the door and opens the door. Jonathan is sitting up at the edge of the bed and wears a wry grin.
"See ya later Arch, and you still owe me for the Ball."

Archibald shakes his head after nodding his head to Arissa. "It is good to see you Arissa. I hope Jonathan's manners have improved, I'd hate to have to heal him again for having offended the wrong woman." With that Archibald takes his leave, Jonathan watching him leave before turning his full attention to Arissa.

"Good news or bad news?" he says taking a moment to read Arissa's features. "Alright, bad news it is."
 
Bernard nodded, "Lead the way, though not everything is conversation for the hallway." Bernard handed the bag to Grimdosh as he followed James down the hall. Bernard began, "I spoke with Dmitri this morning. He knew very little about the device he tried to steal. We got a name, the 'Helle Welle', and we know who commissioned your parents to make it, the Wizard King: Azalin Rex. He didn't know exactly what it was or how it worked but was sure it would be used in Il Alluk. He was also sure that he would be killed for his betrayal of Darkon. Simon is releasing him as we speak to flee back to Flakovnia, no one deserves to die in a cell and we have no way to protect him. I recommended asylum in exchange for service, figured you could use another mind to set to work, but he worried it would bring too much danger to you and your house and declined to even consider it. He also believes that the one who commissioned the device will send someone to collect or steal it soon and warned that anyone who stands in the way will be in grave danger. He warned of the Kargatane." Bernard shrugged, unsure of what to make of all of it. "Oh, and Dmitri said Jon took a card from the vault. He didn't get a good look but maybe it's a category that you can use to find what's missing."
 
Blackburn Manor:

"Il Aluc? I could send the device to perhaps the University there if it places us in that much danger it might be best to just send it away. Or I could write a letter to their King mentioning my Father and Mother seemed to have completed his project..." he says thinking it through. He seems rather uncertain what to do. "How did my Mother and Father get mixed up with someone as important at the King of a foreign nation?"

As they walked down the hallway James stopped when Bernard mentioned a card was taken from the vault. "He what?" said James for a moment then looked around lowering his voice as if people might be listening. "This is something I wanted to talk to the Vistani about at the Ball but they seemed to have disappeared before I could ask." James motioned them to follow and they proceeded over the skybridge eventually going into a room which he closed the door shut behind him.

The room held swords upon the wall, with the four different house's heraldry upon the walls, along with decorative swords and one full suit of armor. "I think I know what Jonathan took but why?" asked James seemingly hurt by the knowledge.
"It was a card like the Vistani use named the Fiend. It had what I believe Papa Legba to look like on the card, and it was in a sort of.... shrine within the Vault."
 
Arissa looks to the man who had been attempting to heal Jonathan. “Thank you for trying...” His comment made Arissa think of waking up next to Jonathan, a blade lodged in his chest, and she turned away to hide the guilt from creeping in to her expression.

Arissa closed the door silently, and sat down next to Jonathan, her gaze cast downward for a long moment before speaking up. “I do not believe it was the Falkovnians. Unless your mother had prior business with a man named Vlakovich involving the Adaptive Weapon... there is nothing at all to implicate their involvement. I am sorry, Jonathan. I could not even do this for you.” Tears drop to the ground at her admittance at her own failure. “And now it seems as if my involvement last night has verslechterd your deteriorating health... curse or no curse, my presence brings little but suffering. I am not your avenger, Jonathan. It is niet op de kaarten.
 
Einhorn Haus:

"You and your fancy words, Arissa," says Jonathan chuckling as he side hugs her. His embrace is weak, but there. "There's nothing to apologize for. I'm still here for however long I'm here. Looks like Annabelle was right, I do make every girl I meet cry."

He laughs lightly at this his usual grin creeping across his face. "I've been thinking there's one last way to find out," says Jonathan looking over to Arissa and dropping his arm from his side hug.
"I don't really have much left to bargain with though, but it might be enough to find out."
 
"Interesting. Could use some work." Léone listens carefully to James's theories, before glancing up and waving to Bernard as he arrives. "Oh hey there," she starts, before suddenly being hugged by the paladin. "Good morning to you too...?" She smiles awkwardly, surprised at the physical contact before it finally breaks. Shrugging it off she nods to the both of them and begins to follow along as they walk and talk.

She listens carefully to Bernard's explanations, raising an eyebrow at his mention of Darkon's entities. "The Wizard-King? He's the one that wanted it?" She frowns at his mention of the Kargatane, thinking back to the shadowing rumors she had heard once upon a time. "Azalin Rex is extraordinarily powerful, it would be a death sentence to oppose him, considering how much influence he has around... "

She pauses for a second until they enter the room and close the door behind them. She glances at the both of them with a serious look, before speaking up again in a hushed voice. "... Officially, the Kargatane don't exist. But I've heard rumors of them being a sort of... secret force working under Azalin, making people or even families disappear overnight. They have agents all over the Core, supposedly, and some of them might even be immortal... but no one's ever seen one and lived to tell the tale."

She sighs, shaking her head. "I have no idea how your parents were involved in something like this but I don't think any good will come of it if we keep it to ourselves. It might be beyond our scope of understanding anyway."

At the mention of the shrine she turns to James and raises an eyebrow. "A shrine... to Papa Legba? You're not saying... they worshiped him or something?" She frowns again. "I guess you might not know either. As for the matter at hand, was there anything special about the card itself?"
 
Arissa hesitantly looks up to Jonathan. “Jonathan... you more than anyone else know the dangers of dealing with the fiend. It is not my place to tell you what you should or should not do in regards to finding your mother’s killer... but I would recommend avoiding Legba until all other options are exhausted.”

A thought pops into Arissa’s head. She looks at him nervously. “Jonathan... I believe I may have an idea. Not a pleasant one mind you... but a potentially useful one. You recall when Bernard had spoken of Master Godefroy previously, ja? He approached Bernard and I several days back after an unfortunate... misunderstanding between them. It seemed to me as if Godefroy had a vested interest in keeping the noble families of the Crossing alive and well... I believe the murder and impending death of the last of the Einhorns would be a cause of concern for him.”

Arissa looks at Jonathan uncertainly. “I do not believe that Godefroy is any less dangerous than Legba... but he may be more inclined to help. Legba would only hope to further entrap us in bargains in order to keep us in his debt.”
 
Bernard looked back and forth between the two. "James, your parents did have a reputation for their skill. It's possible word reached this Wizard King and he requested they build something for him. Dmitri pointed out that it's odd you attended school at Il Alluk rather than Dementlieu. I don't know that I recommend sending it off to him, but it seems we should at least not mess with it or try to hide it away. Though if you wanted to hide it away, Dmitri recommended dropping it to the bottom of the ocean." He approached the machine and Darkon with a slight nonchalance, it was so far away and there was so little they could do other than keeping themselves safe in the Crossing.

When the card became the focus he got more serious. "The card is likely gone, irretrievable. Legba's presence hung around the ball like a stench all night, no doubt he collected it from Jonathan soon after it was retrieved. We should likely not dwell on it. Instead we should focus on Jonathan. He is not doing well, Derek came by the church and Archibald has been at the Einhorn house healing him all morning, but I don't expect much to come of it if it is caused by his deal with the shadowman." Bernard seemed concerned. "Maybe we can help by finding his mother's killer, but the only lead I have is the sword in my pack and some very convenient involvement of Violette in a very inconvenient death."
 
Blackburn Manor:

James listened to Bernard about both subjects and a bit of Leone's knowledge. "I was in Darkon, I'm well aware of how powerful King Azalin Rex is. As it happens I was at one of the social gatherings he held. Much larger than what was held here, and a few people were last seen at that party never to be seen again. The Kargatane within Darkon are believed to be a sort of boogieman it's true but I think there is something to those stories. I've also heard equally frightening tales about the King himself," says James thinking back to his time within Darkon. "If he knows my parents made it and is expecting it... than I don't think it suddenly going missing is going to please him very much. I'm leaning more towards sending him the thing directly, it should dissuade him I think from sending anything here to the crossing would be my hope."

"What's wrong with Jonathan?" asked James concerned. "He made a deal with Legba? Is that why he stole it from my families' vault?" James looks to Leone for a moment. "It's why you asked me about Jonathan isn't it...? What did he deal for? Why... and he's sick enough that no healer has been able to help him?"

James rocked back a few steps his hands going to his head and pulling at some hair. "You stupid son of a bitch," says James exasperated. "There's got to be a way to... reverse it."

He paces for a few seconds before looking up to Bernard.
"Do you think you could kill him?"
 
Einhorn Haus:

"Don't know anything about this Godefroy, except that he wrote me a letter for some reason..." he says vaguely trying to puzzle out why it was so hard to recall before shrugging. "If he's anything like Legba then I'd rather deal with the Devil I know than the Devil I don't. I don't think knowing who killed my mother would cost me much more than I already have to loose since that is growing less by the day."

He's quiet for a time thinking before he looks to Arissa. "I'd rather at least know, I don't know how long I have left, and I'd rather not die before I found out, so if my life can be used to find my mother's killer than I'm alright with that in my book," says Jonathan.
 
Léone looks to Bernard and nods, matching his serious glance. "Alright, I won't dwell on it any further." She frowns again. "He can't be healed? That sounds terrible.... but I suppose if it's connected to the deal, then it might be out of our hands. I'd be glad to help however I can with the investigation, though. We'll get to the bottom of this."

She listens carefully to James's suggestion to send the thing away, then sighs in resignation. "Yeah... I think I have to agree, as much as I hate to say it. It bothers me that he seems to be amassing power and resources..." She pauses briefly as her mind flashes back to the Toben encounter, then shakes her head. "...But I suppose he'd get his hands on it one way or another. The last thing we need is boogiemen showing up on our doorstep on top of everything else."

Her eyes widen suddenly makes his request of Bernard. "Kill? What the fuck are you thinking of doing?" She stares at him incredulously. Just what had gotten into him? "James... come on. I know you care, but we don't need to jump to any rash decisions here. Let's take a step back and think about this."
 
Bernard was surprised by James' question. As Leone responded Bernard thought on a response. After a moment he decided on the appropriate response. His voice is grave as he gives an answer, "If Jonathan is suffering and he asked me to do it, I would. But only if he asks, no one else, not you James, not Arissa. If you meant can Legba be killed - I have to believe the answer is yes. I've never met a beast that can't die, but what is the cost? What deals unravel when he ceases to exist? Does Brian Wescott die? Does Kallisto find herself a lycanthrope again? I've made my poor choices, banished the guardians and seen the results of action without thought."

Bernard looked James in the eyes as if he was staring into his very soul trying to take measure of the man. His senses expanding as he searched for Legba's stench. His name has been invoked, is he watching? After a moment Bernard continued, "If you want to save your friend I'm sure another deal could make it happen, but that's how this works isn't it? Just one more deal. Just one more trade. What are you willing to sacrifice? What will you give to make the impossible possible? An endless cycle of deals. Running back to The Fiend like one addicted to a drug. I've done my best to save one from that fate, I'm not entirely sure I've succeeded - I'll always be fighting. I don't think I could do it for another as well." Bernard sighed, and for the first time in his many lectures didn't seem angry or judgemental but concerned.
 
Blackburn Manor:

James looks at Leone dropping his hand from his head and looks at her initially confused before Bernard speaks up. He then realizes what Leone had thought he meant as Bernard spells it out, and then the alternative he had been thinking. "Yes, I had meant kill Papa Legba. I did not know his influence was so wide spread...." says James as he looked down at the ground thinking. "I don't know what would happen Bernard, is it worth letting an infection spread through our town rather than cutting off the offending limb and dealing with those consequences instead of letting a limb fester and slowly kill the body? I don't know, I don't have an answer for that. I'm apparently not aware of a lot of things, this conversation has made that abundantly clear."

"I had originally brought you here to talk about the snake you were hunting. I figured since this suit of plate armor was sitting around collecting dust that you might take it to help keep you save, and Leone could take the gauntlet with her for some extra help. I know better than to try and forbid her from helping you all," says James looking briefly over to Leone with a bit of concern.
 
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