The winter day on the beach shows the rough waves crashing into the ocean. The brillant hues of orange, red and yellow decorate the horizon showing the sun is sinking underneath the ocean. While the snow is light on this portion of the beach, and shows the traffic of those that have gone back and forth after the fall. The chill is bitter but perhaps that doesn't deter a few brave souls from venturing into nature.

Stormwall is in the far north and Clara spent most of her life there and so it is perhaps for that reason that she isn't deterred from talking a run down the beach in the middle of winter. She's clad in her armor, as she frequently is, and has her axe with her as she always does. Her long hair has been tied back today and her little fluffy friends run at her side, getting in a nice jog with their master.

Clara checked perception + survival at difficulty 15, rolling 26 higher.


Scout Rowenova often laments being cooped up behind the city walls, and so she often goes on these training jogs with Shaman Clara, doing so in her warming leathers as well as always armed, just in case. Smiling over to her dear friend, Rowenova does not say much but greatly enjoys the natural setting with their animal companions.


Rowenova checked perception + survival at difficulty 15, rolling 32 higher.

The smell of burnt sulfur drifts down the beach, bringing an unsettling feeling to those who are within it's scent. A metallic smell is layered underneath, almost rancid in it's nature. Those with sharp eyes will notice something in the distance, over there by the statue. A smear of something black on the statue of Mangata.

Asher checked perception + survival at difficulty 15, rolling 11 higher.

Clara slows her run as the putrid smell hits her and she begins to search for its source, one hand trying to block the smell from her nose while the other idles ready to grab her axe. "It smells like death..." She notes with a crinkle of her nose, white eyes finally falling onto the Statue of Mangata where the smear of black is. "By the Spirits..." She slowly walks over to statue and, from a reasonable distance, begins to examine the substance.

Rowenova also slows, and she carefully unsheathes her serrated ebon steel sword from a right scabbard into her left hand. She nods firmly, "Aye, that it do... What the..." She trails off as she finally spots the black smear, "So rude!" Following along after Clara, Rowenova glances around at the surrounding scene, watching out in case there are hostiles nearby.

Asher had gone for a stroll, and had seen Clara off in the distance. Hard to miss your Patron, after all. He manages to catch up, but by the time he arrives - it was a rather long jog - he's halfway out of breath. "Ah, there, finally caught up with you. Thought I'd get a walk outside the city, aye? And then-" Oh, there's the smell. That rotten smell. "Oh, damn it all." He covers both his nose and his mouth, and makes sure that he's close by the pair of ladies, looking around furtively. "Similar smell as before. I were retching for a day after taking a trip to the Lodge, aye? Well, were a spirit what had gone mad. Dispersing the poor thing with diamondplate, then this smell. Best you don't breathe too much in." But that doesn't stop him from eyeing the smear to see what's going on.

When the heroes approach the statue of Mangata, those of the Faithful will be horrified to see that the eyes of the statue have been covered in black, retched tar-like substance that is coarse and sticky, matted with black feathers. Smeared across the chest of Mangata is 'BLIND' written by someone's crude finger painting. At the foot of the statue are footprints that are layed over one another, making it hard to tell how many are present. They disappear into the vicious waves of the ocean.

Asher checked intellect + alchemy at difficulty 15, rolling 24 higher.

Clara checked intellect + alchemy at difficulty 15, rolling 30 higher.

Rowenova steps back after Asher's warning, "Good to see you again." says she before picking up on those ocean-bound footprints. She slinks after those, peering down one way and then back the other way along the sandy shore.

With one hand over her nose still, Clara steps in to get a closer look at the substance. She pulls out a silver coin and slips it into the black ichor so that her and Asher can get a closer look without touching it. After a time she says... "Pitch? Vandalism then." She offers the coin over to Asher so he can see it better as well. Then she goes to pluck a feather from the mess and begins to examine it too.

Rowenova checked perception + survival at difficulty 15, rolling 39 higher.

Clara checked dexterity + investigation at difficulty 15, rolling 16 higher.

What a time for two guardsmen to be patrolling the beaches. Austen seems to be leading another guardsmen around on a tour of the land, pointing out various landmarks. At the smell of sulfur, however, the knight stops, sniffing the air and frowning. "Be on your guard," he tells the other guardsman, his head twisting this way and that until he sees something down at the statue. One hand on the hilt of his sword, he makes his way closer. His expression changes to one of horror as he sees what's been done to the statue. "Halt!" he calls to the three at its base. "In the name of the Iron Guard, stay where you are!"

Marian GM Roll checked composure(2) + etiquette(2) at difficulty 15, rolling 8 higher.

"Raise your hands and lower yourself to your knees," The guard accompanying Austen calls out, pulling his sword, in his hand when he looks to where Austen is pointing, managing to school his face to hide his horror at the sight of the statue of Mangata in being vandalized.

Rowenova pivots around to directly face the Iron Guard despite the halt command, but she does not otherwise move from her shoreline position in a lateral way. Apparently, she had already unsheathed the serrated ebon steel sword before, thus might seem like a potential threat, except it stays lowered for now.

"Not quite pitch, I expect. Or, well. There's something else about this. Maybe some spirit is pissed off. Same as what happened at the Lodge. Well, not quite AT the Lodge, but..." And there's Sir Austen, calling them to stop. "Oh, of course. Because we needed to be suspects." He turns about, and looks to Austen, and the other guard, and rolls his eyes. Of course he raises one hand, but the other still covers his mouth. "Might want to cover your mouth too, aye? Bit of the sulfur here, too. I've a damn bad luck it seems. Or good luck, if you count uncovering someone pissing off the Gods."

Clara's eerie white eyes turn to look at the Iron Guard's men approaching when the word "Halt!" is shouted at them. "Aye, this must look bad fer us." She looks at Asher and Nova and then the tiny 5'2" 100lb woman turns her attention back to the Guard. "Do I look like I'm tall enough ta have done this?" She raises her very 'clean' gloved hands but stands defiantly. She is wearing high quality leather armor marked as being from the Duchy of Crovane and she has a fancy diamondplate battle axe on her back. "Do we really have ta get down inta the snowy sand? We just happened upon this mess and were tryin' ta figure out what was goin' on when ya showed up."

Clara checked charm + diplomacy at difficulty 15, rolling 12 lower.

Rowenova checked charm + diplomacy at difficulty 15, rolling 7 lower.

Asher checked charm + diplomacy at difficulty 15, rolling 10 higher.

The guard seems to ease around Asher, as if he believes his story, but the two Redrain ladies gets a suspicious eye from the guard, "Sir Austen...those two...I think they're lying." He looks as if he wants to confront from his posturing, motioning with his sword, "Drop your weapons and get on your knees with your hands up!"

Austen spots the sword in Rowenova's hand, the knight drawing his own in turn. "Sheathe your sword," he calls to her, frowning, eyes flicking between the statue and the three of them, expression worried now. He pauses as he spots Asher. "Goodman Asher," he says, visibly hesitating. "Would you like to tell me what's going on here?" he asks, eyeing the battleaxe on Clara's back. "This does not look good, though from the smell..." he frowns. "Please do not tell me a boar did this to the statue."

Rowenova never spake a single word to the Iron Guard. She brow furrows with narrowed cobalt blue eyes, somewhat shaded from the setting sun by wolf pelt over top her blonde noggin. She finally speaks, "While we are wasting time, something washed up down yonder, and we do not have any vandal paraphanalia." Finally now, she slow sheathes the serrated sword but still stands for now.

The guard glances over at where Rowenova is pointing and then looks back to Austen. It's clear that he doesn't want to jog over to retrieve it and leave Sir Austen at the mercy of these three. His expression makes it clear that he doesn't trust the two women present, "Sir Austen?" He looks for guidance.

"Are ya daft?" Clara asks the guard who demands she drop her weapon. "Droppin' me weapon means takin' it off me back. Do ya really want me ta take it out?" Rolling her white eyes with no little amount of annoyance, Clara makes her way to her knees. "I really think ya need ta go back ta trainin'. I know a guy, member of The King's Own, who leads trainin' in the mornin's sometimes. Nice guy, I could introduce ya if ya need help with thinkin' with some amoung of logic when in these situations." Then Austen tels Nova to sheathe her sword and she nods her head towards him. "He's got the right idea." She crinkles her nose as the cold of the snow starts to penetrate her armor. "Look... Besides bein' in the wrong place at the wrong time ya ain't got nothin' on us. We don' have a bucket of the stuff, no dead birds fer the source of the feathers, and we don't have any other related artifect to the crime here." She wiggles her 'clean' fingers again. "There is one silver coin that I used ta scrape some of it off ta examine the stuff. Looks like pitch or somethin' close."

"Not a damn clue if it's the same, sir. We all just got here." Asher juts a thumb towards Clara. "Lady Clara Crovane, my patron." And another thumb towards Rowenova. "And she's 'Nova, another of Lady Clara's proteges. We all just got here, and it's a damn shame, too. I'd have liked to beat some sense into whoever did this." A look back to the statue. "How are you going to tar and feather Mangata's eyes, callin' her blind like that?" A look over his shoulders. "Bet you a tall glass of whatever they're serving at the Murder that someone's goin' round trying to piss off the Gods. Petrichor, Mangata. Sets a theme, doesn't it?"

Giuseppe, a kindly old man arrives, following Luca.

Austen considers the words from all three of them, considering the group for a tense moment before he nods, stepping closer. "Aye, there is nothing about you that would suggest that you were responsible, other than your proximity," he agrees. He shakes his head to the guard accompanying him. "It is safe, Guardsman. Why don't you go check on whatever that is on the beach?" he suggests. "As they have said, they are carrying nothing that could be used to have done this, and pitch gets everywhere. They would have some on their clothes if they were guilty," he remarks, sheathing his sword. "And perhaps, Goodman Asher. Perhaps."

The guard seems uncertain still but he follows his orders and jogs off down the beach after sheathing his sword to go retrieve whatever washed up further down the shore. His movements are hurried as if the young man wants to get whatever Rowenova pointed out before it gets washed back into the ocean.

Marian GM Roll checked dexterity(2) + athletics(2) at difficulty 15, rolling 16 higher.

Rowenova promptly turns and jogs off after the Iron Guards. She hopefully wins the chase race because she would like to check out any non-guard tracks!

Rowenova checked dexterity + athletics at difficulty 15, rolling 1 higher.

Rowenova says, "If there are tracks you are mucking them up!"

Marian GM Roll checked dexterity(2) + investigation(2) at difficulty 15, rolling 5 lower.

There is a small, unseen war happening. On one side of it is Luca's absolute lack of desire to be outside in the cold weather. On the other side is whatever mysterious force guides the man toward problematic situations that arise, ensuring he steps right into the middle of them. But while it's below a civilized temperature right now, he's here, so it isn't hard to tell which side won. He comes meandering down the beach, his coat wrapped around him like it were the last bastion of hope against the winter's chill. There's people gathered, and nobody gathers on the beach during this time of year unless there's trouble or there's alcohol. Either one is enough to grab the Fox-Prince's attention, so he wanders over. "I didn't realize it was already time to desecrate the Mangata statue this years..", he mentions with a forced cheer.

Clara pushes herself out of the snow and sand and brushes the snow off her tiny body before she looks to Austen with a thankful expression. She gives him a respectful nod and then watches after Nova as she rushes off after the guard. "Oh dear..." She looks to Asher. "What kind of bird feathers are these? Are they black because of the pitch or black because they come from a black bird?" She motions to the feathers stuck to Mangata. "An' is it really someone defacin' it or is it a warnin' of some sort? Are they sayin' Mangata is blind or is it more symbolic? Like they are sayin' members of The Faith are blind? Or perhaps the notables of Arvum? What is it that who is blind too and... NOVA! DON'T GO TOO FAR! ARIK WILL KILL ME IF YA GET YERSELF HURT!"

Clara, looks over at Luca with her white eyes and nods her head to him. "Long time, Highness. How are ya an' Princess Ribbons doin?"

Asher looks over to Clara, eyebrow raised. Of course he still has his mouth covered. "Keep that coin tucked separate, aye? Best check on the substance later. Whether it's symbolic or no, about the Faith or no, it's an insult to the Pantheon. Not subtle." It might be a bit difficult to hear what is being said, to others. But he turns back to Austen, smiling eyes. He wasn't hiding his voice, he's just cold and covering his mouth from the smell. There's a small wave to Luca, though. Might as well be polite. To Austen, he notes, "Part of me wants to clean the statue, but there's some manner o' crime happening here, aye? What say we take a look about, do some thinking, and then someone fetches a bucket and a scrub and I'll climb m'self up there and un-blind dear Mangata, aye?"

Marian GM Roll checked stamina(2) at difficulty 15, rolling 3 higher.

Rowenova barks back just like a true Northerner should do with mighty lungs for yelling use, "I will be okay! I will stay with the guard!" She lags behind, but the intrepid scout continually chases them down the sandy beach!

The guard sees Rowenova trailing him on the beach and rushes to grab the object out of the ocean that was brought back in by the waves. He picks up the bucket in a hurry but in his haste to beat the Redrain lady, he doesn't take the proper precautions and ends up dumping pitch down the front of his armor sending a sudden noxious smell. He gags for a moment but manages not to lose his lunch on the beach.

Austen sighs as Rowenova runs off after the other Guard, the knight just shaking his head. He dips his head back to Clara and moves closer to the statue, looking up at it. "It is unclear to me what message is being sent here," he admits, shaking his head. "Perhaps one for the Inquisition," he remarks. "Good evening, Prince Luca," he offers with a bow before he turns back to consider the statue. As he does so he spots the guard tipping pitch down himself and Austen's hand comes up to clap himself on the forehead. "Oh dear."

Rowenova slows down, having been more concerned with beach tracks than the immediate snatching of any particular item. "Oh geeze. Get in the water!"

Marian GM Roll checked dexterity(2) + athletics(2) at difficulty 15, rolling 1 higher.

Luca offers a smile to Clara, "Oh, you know. We're fine. None greater than Grayson at relationships.", he assures, giving the woman a dip of his head since he's unwilling to release the grip he has on his coat, to keep it pulled that much more tight around him. There's a glimmer of recognition in the man's dark gaze when Asher greets him, and another nod for him, before the Lycene is looking over to Austen, "I'd say it's unclear what the message is because it's not a very good message, even if it's about as heavy-handed as a northman with a grudge to settle. Why don't these troublemakers just write out their full complaint? There's no need to be artsy about it.", he says, a touch of amusement crossing his dusky-hued features, briefly.

Clara checked intellect + alchemy at difficulty 15, rolling 32 higher.

Asher checked intellect + alchemy at difficulty 15, rolling 18 higher.

Clara twists one of the feathers between her fingers, much pitch getting on them as a result. She bends down to the snow covered ground and begins to use the snow and her body heat to create a slushy water to get some the pitch off the feather. Once some of it revealed it appears to have been white under it. She studies it for a moment longer and then drops it into the snow, claiming a handful to try and clean some of the pitch off her fingers. "Chickens." She tells them. "Too common a bird in such a big city but it is as good a place as any ta start, I think. Could be someone from a farm or who works a kitchen. Then again... could be anyone who bought a chicken too." She smiles at Luca. "So yer ready ta kill one another? Sounds about like married couples ought ta be." She chuckles softly and starts circling the statue for a moment to see if there is anything left to find. She shakes her head then. "No good in leavin' it this way." She tells them all. "Will stain it ferever if we don' get it off now. Might already be too late."

The guard swears under his breath and hands off the bucket to Rowenova as he tries to get into the waves to get this tar off his armor, but the water doesn't seem to do a thing as he frantically tries to get it off him. If anything his actions seem to be making it worse.

Rowenova swiftly accepts then sets aside the yucky bucket before moving closer to potentially assist him with his armor straps, but not unless agreed upon, "Let's get your armor off, then, and you can have my cloak, mkay?"

Rowenova further clarifies, "for a limited time, but so you do not freeze."

"Tch." Asher seems a bit upset about the tar, and Clara's right - but he's not about to let that happen. "Daresay we need more than a scrub and saltwater to work it." He looks about. "...Don't suppose anyone has some scouring powder from their moonlighting as a scullery maid, aye?" He grumbles to himself, looking back to the statue. "Think the message here is pretty clear - someone thinks that Mangata has either forsaken them, or... Is ignoring them. This here, it diminishes her in the eyes of the people." Of course he ignores the clumsy guard with the pitch, off and away. "But of course, it's easy to figure out where to start looking. This here pitch, it's used in the Lowers some. Roofing material, aye? Keeps out the rain. Easy to obtain, but... Well, who simply carries that on hand? Be a good idea to check on someone buying more than usual."

Austen gives Luca a shake of his head. "Quite, your highness," he says agreeably, eyes on the junior guard now trying to clean pitch off himself. The knight seems half amused, half desparing at his antics. "I mean, why not write it in the whites like everyone else?" he asks, shaking his head. "It does spread rather well," he adds to Asher. "It might not have required all that much to do that."

The guard gives a grimace, clearly debating on whether or not to accept the woman's help. However, pride loses to that smell and he starts to take off the chest piece and cloak that has pitch on it, setting them aside, "I think the Inquistion can look over my things..." He looks to Austen with a grimace, "I'd hate for that to set on the statue." He gets the cloak that is offered and covers himself, "And no...I don't have any such powder." He looks to Austen to see if he wants him to run back into the city to get some.

"He needs ta go get dry and get some..." Clara motions at Asher. "Aye, scourin' powder. I'm less worried about his clothes an' armor though an' more worried about him catchin' his death. That water might start freezen his things an' bein' wet in the cold wind is just gonna make him ill." She clicks her tongue at Asher for a moment. "Aye, someone may even have seen some strange person walkin' down ta the statue with a bucket of pitch an' chicken feathers. Not very subtle really..."

"Well, obviously someone thinks Mangata has forsaken them, or isn't seeing them, or just doesn't care to notice..", Luca tells Asher, with a small shrug of one shoulder, "But is it too much to ask that they leave a letter or something with a more detailed version of their crying?", he asks, though his dark gaze does drift over to the guard who seems to be having some substance problems, before he looks back between Austen and Clara, "The beach isn't the most popular place to be in the winter. So whoever did it probably stole down here under the cover of night. But I think Asher's right. If the stuff is used in the Lowers, that's likely the best place to start digging around. For uh.. you know, the digging sort of people."

Apparently Northern, Rowenova does not even shiver despite her decloaked status. If/when the Iron Guard ever departs, then she will totally chase him. Again.

A bit of laughter from Asher, at Luca. "Aye, we do tend to be a dirty, muddy lot, don't we?" There's a silly grin from him. He's only teasing, he knows Luca isn't being insulting. Or if he is, Asher isn't insulted. "Either they came here under cover of night, or they were seen by someone, or..." A small pause, thinking. "Well, could have been someone else, come in by boat. After all, we're on the beach." A wide, sweeping stretch of his arms. "And if the boat were small enough, possibly not noticed, the sand likely washed flat again." He shakes his head. "Better to clean Mangata. I'll fetch the scrub and powder, then, shall I?" He's already off to take a few slow steps towards the city - intent on leaving, unless someone is going to stop him.

"Or... they are tryin' ta warn us that we're being blind. Maybe they see somethin' we aren't seein'." Clara notes again and then looks over at the guard. "Okay, I'm with the Physicians and I just can't stand here and watch ya freeze ta death because yer wet an' cold. Ya won' be guardin' no one if yer fingers and nose fall off." That look that women get when they are being maternal and doctors get when they are giving orders... that crosses her features. "Go on, home with ya. We'll take care of the statue."

Clara checked charm + medicine at difficulty 15, rolling 23 higher.

Austen glances between the guardsman and the statue and nods. "Aye, how about you head back to the barracks and send the trainees down to help clean up. You take the rest of the patrol off, I'm going to go write the report," he says with a shake of his head. "Hold up, Goodsman, the trainees can take care of it. Better they do that then get into trouble elsewhere," he calls to Asher. "I'll let the Inquisition know."

Asher laughs to himself, a bit at Austen. "Aye, let them clean it. But then what does ol' Asher do, aye? Ne'er let someone else do what you should be doing yourself. I've got hands, and I'm a light-footed sort. I'll be back and if there's aught left to clean when they get here, they can take over." He waves, and calls out to Clara to not be too harsh on the poor pitch-covered guard, laughing as he takes off at a quick pace towards the city.