The Flayed Man part 7

It's about time to check in with each other and see how things are going. You've been told that a member of the Frostmantles has returned from their expedition into dragonier alongside his companions and would be able to speak with you, should you want to, while recuperating at the Soldier's Defense from a brush with wights.

Thus, you're all meeting up out front of it.

Iskandar nods to the others. But he seems troubled and unusually somber. "I've seen a vision," he blurts soon after making his initial greetings. Then after a bit he explains. "I thought I saw our new friend, the Flayed Man."

Ezil makes a wrinkled face, rubbing at his left shoulder as Iskandar talks of his experience. "Well out with it. I saw him too, but I don't think mine was a vision." his words a bit ruffled, but the Tsuran seems more tired than angry. Waiting on the others to talk or arrive, his hand is dropped, trying to stretch his arm and the joint that seems to be stiff.

Olek shows up late, just a bit, and his eyes have dark circles under them. If he slept, he slept poorly, and he grumbles a bit more than usual as he sees the others. "Let's get this business done," he complains. "We definitely need to set this aright, or I'll never sleep a wink again. Blood everywhere." He shudders. "You people better have some answers," he grumbles.

Seldan looks little better than the others, when he finally appears, although he does appear to have at least gotten some sleep. "It was no vision," he begins, his Myrrish accent rather thicker than usual. "He knows us, I think, and awaits us to set this right. Let us speak with the Frostmantles."

Iskandar nods slowly. "Yes. I fear we may be moving too slowly as it is, if we are getting such visits." He quickly glances over th entrance. "But this would seem to be our greatest chance."

"Then let's not squander this opportunity. Whatever it did to my shoulder has put a kink in it." Ezil's words coming with another huff as he looks to the Soldier's Defense, and then back to Seldan. "I will let you take the lead, Padaryn."

In you go to the SOldier's Defense, which is always busy. Especially busy with all the plague-news lately, but you know, that's been going on for a while. Once you've made yourselves known, a sister of Althea leads you to a room deep within the hospital complex, where a pale man rests in a bed. He might once have been an impressive physical speciment ,but it's clear his time in Dragonier too kits toll.

Your arrival is noted s he sits up weakly in bed, coughing several times.

"OI. I was told I had visitors," he adds, thick Stormgarrdian accent obvious, "What brings you to me?" More coughing.

Olek will follow along, still grumbling, but if we can solve this, he's all ears. He looks at the fellow we're sent to meet, and he bows his head. "Who're you?" he asks. All class.

Iskandar glances at the others. "We were sent to you, because we need to speak with a member of the Frostmantles. It is about the Frostmantles." He pauses and then quirks an eyebrow at the man. "Are you well enough to answer a few of iur questions?"

"I suppose. Beats staring at the walls. I'm Crigic, by the way." He blinks his eyes at the lot of you.

Ezil follows the small troop, looking between Iskandar and Olek. As Crigic coughs, he looks at the room they've been led too, and what it contains. Any personal effects, or anything seemingly out of the ordinary. He lets the others talk, but every time that man coughs his eyes roam back to him. With his good hand/arm he makes a sigil with his fingers behind his back, keeping a bit of distance from the others.

Olek nods to the fellow, now introduced. "Crigic of the Frostmantles? Good. We're trying to figure out why a member of your company was flayed," he explains. "We'd like to get him laid to rest properly, of course. That will ease his spirit. And then again, it is important that the villains that did it are brought to justice as well. Any information you can provide will help us."

"I'm sorry. Did you say 'flayed'?" is his response to Olek. He's staring.

Seldan enters, leading the way if others let him and want him to. Once the man speaks, and seems friendly enough, he settles down, either in a chair by the man's bedside, or else on the foot of the bed if allowed. "I am Seldan Padaryn of Eluna's Silver Guard." He leaves that for a moment as Olek speaks, and nods. "He speaks truly, I am sorry to say. Is the name _Morv Blayton_ known to you, Crigic?"

Ezil excuses himself for a moment, stepping into the hallway to attend some business while Seldan asks his questions. It seems while these three attend to the suspect, he has decided to do something else.

"...can't say I recognize the name, but most of us don't go by our real names, to be honest," he replies in answer to Seldan's question. He rubs the back of his head. "What happened? What flays a man?" He clearly thinks some sort of monster did it.

He's probably not entirely wrong.

Olek looks around at his team, and then back to the fellow. "Yes. I take it you were unaware of this?" He's not the right fellow to be talking, but no one else had said anything. He looks relieved as Seldan speaks up, and he nods. "Yeah, we're trying to figure out what happened to him," he explains. "We were hoping you knew some evil cultists or something in your company. That'd be like a clue, sort of thing."

GAME: Ezil rolls diplomacy: (9)+10: 19

Iskandar stirs slightly. He gives Olek a sideways glance. Then he produces a piece of paper. Were they not supposed to take it out of the Adventurer's Guild records vault? Oh well. Consider it loot, aquired at great risk just like any adventure. They had the paper cuts to prove it. Ahem. "This speaks of a contract. In the town nearest to where the poor fellow's body was found. It mentions that -" his voice takes a stiff, slightly droning tone as he reads - "...the Frostmantles have sub-contracted the job and a single name: Clarvon."

Ezil quietly slips back in the room with a small smirk, though he still doesn't speak. He wasn't gone long, but at hearing Iskander's words, and seeing that piece of paper... his focus is now intently on the patient.

At Olek's comment, Seldan smiles. "I doubt that they simply politely introduced themselves, Olek. Indeed, perhaps _what_ is the better term for one that would flay a man yet living, though in our case, we fear that it is a _who_. The Vardamen were of aid to us, and we were able to learn that he names his killers "Toes", "Blar", and "Dunes." This happened ... Quintoos of 2018. I was wondering, would you know of any who were in Alexandros around that time?"

Olek shrugs to Seldan. "You don't know until you ask." But Seldan's questions -are- more to the point. "Those guys, yeah," he agrees. "If you know where the company is now, it'd help also," he points out. "Unless the three mustered out in the meantime?"

He wets his lips, considering for a moment. "THat sounds like a Frostmantles group. Most of us go by nicknames when we're together. People don't like to talk much about who they were, but if you're an Arvek, for example, that might get you called 'Blar'. Or maybe if you're LIKE one. Overly officious and kind of an orderly asshole? That might get you named Blar too. I dunno," he admits, "I don't recognize the names myself but its a big group. Possible they might've been cycled into another area, and mgiht even be going by different names by now. Dunno why they'd call someone 'Toes', but maybe he was missing some? They klike their ironic nicknames. It's a tradition." He shrugs his shoulders, cvoughs a bit more.

"But, Gods above, flayed a man? I don't understand. Why would that happen? And if this was years ago.." He pinches the bridge of his nose, looking sick to his stomach.

"That is what we seek to understand," Seldan says, keeping his tone as gentle as he can. "His ghost now walks Alexandria, and it seems, seeks justice." He listens to what the man has to say. "It is then common for people to rotate in and out of an area? Who, do you think, might be able to speak of contracts among you?"

Olek says to the fellow, "If you don't know, can you tell us where we might find an officer, or someone who would know? I mean, they've got to have names so you can pay them, right? Someone's got to know how much to give to Toes every month, I expect? An officer or paymaster?"

"We just need something to help this Frostmantle rest. I don't know how you consider one of your own, but eternity roaming is a terrible fate for anyone." Ezil adds to the conversation, leaning against the wall near the door. He's letting the others handle most of this, but seemed to feel that another emotional push might be needed. "Telmentar doesn't want to see her children lost, and alone."

"...yeah, it's very common. We don't tend to stay assigned ot one area for long. That's just mercenary life for most of us. WE don't all get the cushy local jobs all the time." He lets out a wheezing laugh at this. "The name you gave doesn't sound familiar to me, but the quartermasters might know more. Can't say I expect him to talk to you, but..." He does nod towards Ezil, agreeing. "I wish I knew what to tell you. I wish I knew how to help --- but there's not a lot I can offer. I don't know the name, but it it was before my time. I only joined last year."

GAME: Ezil rolls sense motive: (10)+2: 12

Olek ahhhs as the fellow explains he's recently joined. "If you can tell us how to find a quartermaster, that'd be perfect. Then they can tell us what we need to know. I'm sure they'd be horrified to find out that Frostmantles did such a thing, and they'd help us bring the villains to justice." Or else Olek will hang around with them and be their friend. That usually breaks people before too long.

GAME: Iskandar rolls sense motive+2: (8)+12+2: 22

Iskandar listens as well. The mercenary life doesn't sound much like the life of an adventurer after all. "You have helped us," he says, voice practically a drawl. "You've explained that the names we knew, were most likely war names." He shakes his head slightly. "I don't know why we didn't think of that. Perhaps an Arvek, or someone like an Arvek. Someone who may be missing a few toes. And I suppose 'Dunes' may be someone from the desert." He glances at the others briefly to see if they have anything to add - or to debate.

"Merc names, anyway. They called me Blankets," he says, laughing. "You're not accedpted until you've got a name, so that at least tells you they've been part of it for long enough. Beyond that..." He shurgs his shoulders. "I wish I knew more. But you know, I'm going to need to go get my pay through the quartermaster when he's in town next. I can take you with me?"

Ezil nods his head, smiling to the Frostmantle. He seems satisfied as he pulls himself from the wall. "Thank you. We appreciate your help in this. It might not be much of a hope, but that will help us greatly if you mean it." looking about the room with a soft sigh. "Is there anything we can get you until you're released? Some better food, or some new clothes?"

Olek nods to the fellow about taking us to the quartermaster, but says, "If he's not coming to town pretty soon, we ought to go find him. We shouldn't leave this unresolved until a quartermaster happens by."

"Well, I mean, you can try?" he admits, "Should be pretty soon, though. Our contract with the guild went through and my friends in town all wanna get paid. So do I, for that matter." He puts his hands together behind his head.

"Dragonier was a shit show."

Olek ohs, nods. "If it's soon, though, that's probably OK. This is a problem, obviously, and your man is wandering just outside a town with no skin on, so it's kind of a problem. Hopefully you recover soon," he says.

"I... don't lnow what to say to that," he says, staring.

"Best not to say anything, lad." Iskandar murmurs with a nod for encouragement. Then louder, he says, "I suppose we have learned all we can expect to for now...but I will also accompany you when you go to meet your quartermaster," he says to Crigic.

Ezil shakes his head. "It's not your problem." offering a smile. "We will see it righted. You shouldn't dwell on something from before your time, but it's something we can't ignore. " Ezil notes, looking to the other two. "I am sure his offer will help, but we shall see." moving towards the door, speaking once more to the Frostmantle. "We appreciate your offer, we're just wanting this resolved, and.... what my friend here said." motioning to Iskandar. "We'll find a way to leave your name out of it to your quartermaster."

Olek ohs, "One more question: Do you know a Frostmantle commander named Davont?"

"...the name rings a bell but..." He shakes his head.