Fwurg

[Dragonmaster352]

T'Sal jumps around and Nalan runs after her.

Suddenly T'Sal jumps into something and falls down. Despite this she manages to land skilfully. When she looks up to see what blocked her path, Nalan catches up to her.

The sight they see is quite horrifying. A human male is hanging from a noose around his neck. His arms and legs each had a cut, deep enough to reach the bone, running allong it's entire length. His skin was pale and his eyes frozen wide in terror.

There was no doubt, this man was dead.

[T'Sal]

T’sal looks to Nalan and point upwards.

“I think I found him.

He could not have hanged himself. I will check up there while you look around down here. ”

T’sal jumps up again and takes a closer look at the man and the noose. Getting a grown man up here is not an easy task so that would leave some tracks.

((Check: 8 = 5 Force Level + 3 Vision -- Investigating crime scene))

((OOC: I cannot remember having bad eye sight. Although it is cinematic, Jedi are not easily surprised due to their connection to the Force))

[Dragonmaster352]

T'Sal looks around.

She sees some blood spatter on the tree the man is hanging from. Something is carved into the trunk of the tree.

Examining the carving closer she reads the words: 'Return the stone'

Some blood in the carving indicates the same thing used to cut the victim was used to carve the words out.

Nalan seems frozen from the horrific sight.

One more look around and T'Sal sees that while the drag marks have stopped the blood trail continues deeper into the forest, while the peace of cloth still pulls in the direction they came from.

((OOC: It was for shock value. I believe I made up for it when I made her land instead of fall, which would be a much more likely thing to happen when you hit something mid-jump.))

[T'Sal]

It is not a pretty side but they have now some a clues.

“Nalan it seems the raiders are after a stone. They want is back very badly.”

T’sal looks backwards to where the cloth is points. Maybe the cloth points towards the stone? She then looks forward to where the blood trail goes.

“Shall we follow the killer or do you can to go back following the cloth?”

[Nalan Passik]

Nalan has not anything so gruesome. Whoever did this clearly had a clear message to bring across. This stone must be quite important.

"It seems we cannot really do anything anymore for this one. We must make a note of this and pick him up to properly bury him. In the meantime we need to find this stone and see who is after it. I don't think following this trail will do that or this message would of been useless. Let's follow the cloth and see what the other direction brings us"

[Dragonmaster352]

As the two jedi talked about what they should do next a strange wind blew through the forest.

The wind carried a bone chilling whisper. "Return the stone."

[T'Sal]

T'sal cuts the rope of the dead man and uses her telekinetic powers to bring him down. As they need to continue their investigation T'sal covers the body quickly with some leaves and twigs.

Then comes the whispering of the woods. Some strange things are going on her and T'sal wants to find out what it is. She concentrate on the cloth and the force and follows it to wherever it leads.

[Nalan Passik]

Nalan help T'sal to lay the victim to rest. And quickly follows her to where the cloth leads them.

[Dragonmaster352]

The two follow the piece of cloth deeper into the forest.

After walking for some time they come across a pile of clothes. With a closer look they look like a set of robes, similar to those some jedi wear.

The Force in the surrounding area feels strange, sad yet strangely peaceful.

Around the two padawans lay several objects, a scroll, a medallion, a small wooden statue and other things. All lay in a perfect circle.

As they walked around it became clear the cloth pulled to the centre of the circle.

[Dragonmaster352]

A gust of wind blows past the two padawans.

"Return the Stone"

They could hear the telepathic words clearly, but where it came from or who sent it was completely unknown.

[T'Sal]

Upon seeing the pile of cloths T’sal comes to a halt. She takes a good look around to see if there is anything else in sight. Then she looks at the circle and moves towards the object first and carefully inspects them without toughing them as not to break the circle.

((Check: 8 = 5 Force Level + 3 Vision -- Looking around the scene and then inspect the objects.))

[Dragonmaster352]

T'Sal looks around and inspects the objects. She notices the care with which the objects where placed at their positions. She feels a very subtle Force signature emanating from the objects, a subtle attraction.

A person less versed in the ways of the Force would probably feel the attraction of the objects but wouldn't know where it came from or be able to resist it, like T'Sal and Nalan could.

Carefully examining each object, T'Sal notices a gap where an object should be but wasn't there. The feeling she got from the spot was the same as the one she felt inside the monastery.

[T'Sal]

T'sal does not touch the objects and steps over them. She wants to investigate the robes carefully.
After she has done that she looks at the cloth and where it is pointing to.

((Check: 10 = 5 Force Level + 5 Intuition -- Investigate robes with using the force.))

[Nalan Passik]

Nalan looked over the carfully laid objects and pondered.

"It seems someone went out of his or her the way to put it like this. I wonder what the points is. It almost gives me the idea of a ritual really".

Nalan kneeled down near the items. and softly touched some to see if the items held anything special. She concentrated on the force and the objects to see if she could get anything.

((Check: 9 = 5 Force Level + 4 Reason -- To get any extra information from the objects))

[Dragonmaster352]

When Nalan touched one of the objects she was overwhelmed by a wave of the Force. Her five senses where overwhelmed with inconsistent images, feelings, sounds, tastes and most of all smells. It stopped the moment she pulled her hand back. She felt out of breath.

Mean while T'Sal investigated the robes, but the only thing she could find out about them apart from the fact they where old and made to last, was the fact that someone with a strong connection to the Force had once worn them.

Suddenly both Jedi Padawans felt a presence. A cloaked figure stepped from behind a nearby tree.

"It's probably a good idea not to touch those totems again, young Jedi." The figure said to Nalan with a masculine voice. "Unless, of course, you wish to drown in the memories of this grave."

[T'Sal]

T'sal stands up and turn around to see who is it. When the person mentioned touching the objects she looks to Nalan. When he mentions that it is a grave T'sal carefully steps outside the ring again.

"Sorry dear sir, we did not mean to be disrespectful. We are just investigating what happened here for the Jedi Order.
You seem to know more sir, could you enlighten us?"

[Dragonmaster352]

"Yes, I know why you are here." The man said.

"This is the grave of a head monk from the nearby monastery. One of the totems was tainted by the dark-side. The monks took the totem to purify it, but it seems one of them could not resist the allure of the totem."

The cloaked man started walking in a seemingly random direction.

"Come, the totem is this way. It must be retrieved in order to put the grave to rest."

[T'Sal]

"Mmh, that stone must be quite powerful to make a killer from a pacifist."

T'sal looks to the man to see his reaction. She studies him (how tall is he, race, build etc.). She reaches out with the Force to get a better idea of what this man is.

((Check: 8 = 5 Force Level + 3 Vision -- Studying the strange man, how he looks physique etc.))
((Check: 10 = 5 Force Level + 5 Intuition -- Using the force to feel out the man.))

Before T'sal could ask more question he walks away. She follows him. She looks at the cloth to see where it is point to.

[Dragonmaster352]

"Who said they where pacifists?"

The man says as the two jedi follow him.

T'Sal tries to study the man but without success. His cloak hides nearly al his features, his height is average for human like races. When she reaches out with the Force, it doesn't help her either. It's like he is there yet he isn't. The only thing T'Sal can clearly feel is that the man has no ill intentions.

"I understand I seem suspicious to you, young jedi, but could you stop that?"

The man seemed to be aware that T'Sal was trying to use the Force on him.

The cloth had stopped pulling and had gone limp, it probably wouldn't be of use any more.

((OOC: You can't see past a cloak that's it's whole point. Also good job on concluding the stone was the totem.:)))

[T'Sal]

"Master said that the group of force-user that live in temple are pacifist. I assume he is telling the truth, but he could be misinformed. Do you have prove to counter that?

I will stop it if you tell me who you are?"

((OOC: Is this now becoming a solo mission? Nalan are you coming along?))

[Evermourne]

((OOC: I had personal things and vakation time for my absence. Though i am starting this up again I feel i have slacked too much to really be present in this mission. So if you two feel the same way I suppose T'sal can claim this as a solo mission for now. so i can focus on my own story to conclude.))

[Dragonmaster352]

((OOC: After careful consideration I have decided I will allow you to continue, but ONLY if you post AT LEAST ONCE A WEEK.

I'm also giving you a penalty on the mission reward. If you can't meet the posting quota say so NOW and I will remove your character and you will not get a reward.

You are free to have vacation time and such but the least you can do is notify people your away or won't be posting for a while. The fact that you failed to do this is not very beneficial for you.

I would also like to say that things like this spoil the fun for me as a Storyteller and make it difficult for me to continue.))

[Nalan Passik]

Nalan was taken aback from the huge burt of force leaving her zoned out for a little while. As she snapped back into reality see heared the cloaked human like figure speak to her and T'sal. It seems T'sal already engaged in words with this stranger and follows him. She quikcly stood up and followed them as well after tumbling a little bit.

After T'sal asked her question one more time on who he was Nalan added to the interrogation.

"And if someone took this "totum", how do you know where the totum is? "

((OOC: I realise these kind of things can be quite anoying when you have no idea what is going on. The penalty sounds more then reasonable. I will certainly try to keep the posting frequency up from now on.))

[Dragonmaster352]

"Who I am is not important, lets just say I have a personal interest in this matter."

The man suddenly stopped.

Then he ran into an area with thick foliage with unnatural speed. It would probably be a good idea to go after him.

((OOC: Very good. :)))

[T'Sal]

T'sal looks to Nalan. She is not pleased with this mysterious man not answering either of their questions. She sights and she gives up on using the Force on him.

"Let's see where he is up to. He is now our only lead."

T'sal starts running after him and makes sure not to lose sight of him.