Leoric enters the Cathedral

[nick]

Following the festivities, Leoric enters the Cathedral. He takes some time to pray to Kharach and Sidhe, before looking around for someone to assist him, ideally a Kharachian.

[clydesdaleNPC]

A short, balding man with long black robes is sitting praying beside the shrine. He seems deep in thought and occasionally consults a small leather bound notebook.

Eventually he looks up and sees Sir Leoric and nods to him in greeting.

[nick]

Leoric approaches the man, sits beside him and speaks in hushed tones.

"Greetings. My name is Leoric, and I have need of information to identify a certain variant of undead I have encountered. The nature of the encounter could be sensitive amongst the nobility, and as such I require discretion. Can you, or anyone here, help me?"

[clydesdaleNPC]

Then man nods. "I would be willing to hear what you have to say, whether I can help you very much depends on the question. I can always find another if I'm unable to answer it for you. My name is William, and if you'd rather talk privately I could open one of the side offices?"

He stands, pointing to one of several small nondescript doors branching off from the shrine. "If you please?"

[nick]

Leoric follows the man into the next room. Once the door is shut, he turns to the man and speaks.

"I have encountered an undead creature within the city, apparently brought into existence via torture. Whatever it was, it could make itself invisible, possess people, including myself, and speak through us. I was able to see it a handful of times, and it presented itself as simply a nondescript, black, shadowy figure with no discernible features. I know it to be the spirit of someone help under guard at the palace, and upon laying said person's remains to rest, the soul was able to find peace and seek forgiveness. Do you have any information that could help me?"

[clydesdaleNPC]

The man frowns, stroking his chin for a few moments.

"I have heard of something similar though I have never experienced it. Give me a moment." He draws out a small black book from his robes and flicks through the pages. "This was written by a High Father before my time, I believe I read of a creature who inhabits the shadow."

He reads for a few moments and opens the book at a page, laying it flat on the table to show Leoric. "Is this the sort of shadowy figure you saw?" On the page is a figure made of darkness with a very faded outline, standing amongst some trees with sunlight streaming down upon it. "It says here that evil creatures who have died in traumatic or brutal events may become these. Does that sound correct? There are a number of other undead that I can do some research on if not. For example, was it able to strike people down, or cause you to choke? Perhaps it was a wraith of sorts?"

[nick]

Leoric narrows his eyes, looking at the book.

"The creature didn't strike anyone down, it did cause us wounds t othe head as it finished possessing us however. The circumstances do indeed seem right. Is it necessary to intentionally torture someone and aim to create one of these creatures to create one? What sort of level of trauma are we talking about here, because I would rather not accuse the Earl's employees, and by extension the Earl, lightly, of torture of this nature, but this is what I witnessed."