<div class="floatright">(https://i.pinimg.com/originals/40/db/a4/40dba4d8c129634587812a7ad7fd047f.png)</div>As Levena made appearance, Arissa smiled and said; "Welcome Levena, my apologies for my handmaidens, their not yet educated on how care of your kind nor our house build in lamias in mind. I hope the quick fix on stairs made experience crossing them more pleasant?" Arissa was openly warm to Levena, view Levena as close friend or such. So far as others in house knew she had been a house guest but now in meeting....things are changing as Arissa confirms it; "You will be working with Levena now as well and her clan. As I said before, a big oppoturnity and gamble is showing up. Aergrim, secure the chamber now." Aergrim smiles and says; "As you wish matron mother." Aergrim chants and secures the chamber against divinations, then another spell go through entire chamber block incorporeal entities leaving or entering, then anti-teleport measures and followed by clearing wave which insected nobody was hiding in chamber invisible or another plane. Then simple magic just arcane lock all doors, so nobody leaves or enters during lockdown.<br/><br/>Then Arissa speaks; "The oppoturnity is nothing like taking down one the eight but rather undermine the greatest house influence and control of the ghetto. Force them give us more control than before it works, if it fails, then greatest house may become a troublesome neighbhor live with. Now this is top secret information from the council, so any word about it outside this chamber will give me just excuse kill you as a foreign spy." Once everyone's attention was on her, she continues; "Now, embassy from another drow city, Urq'azzt, is arriving to Erelhei-Cinlu. But key reason for secrecy is that embassy is led by Lililth Darkmane, empress-priestess of Urq'azzt and she is approaching our city with context of seeking aid. Not otherwise specified but she will bring gifts as is custom for foreign envoys approaching to meet council and request something. Council so far is undecided until they hear details<em>what</em>aid she seeks from us."<br/><br/><div class="spoiler_container"><div class="spoiler_header" onclick="hideSecond (this);" role="button">K:History check DC 15 reveals</div><div class="spoiler_body">Urq'azzt means "distant home" in drow language, suitably so that entire settlement resides inside a moon in the sky. Moon lifeless on surface but underdark in moon is thriving. Ancient portals lead into and out of the moon, significant kuo-toa, drow and illithids live in there. Urq'azzt is famed for agriculture, which is sheer neccesity considering entire planet is lifeless plus rumors of some strange/exotic magic not heard anywhere else. empress-priestess has been one and same for centuries since city founding. Oddly there is no other noble houses in the city, as empress rules all singularly as monarch.</div></div><br/><br/>Arissa then smiles and says; "And here comes oppoturnity; as I have heard by reliable sources that Lililth Darkmane is very fond of specific gemstone which is exceedingly rare in underdark. Plan is send some of you seek it so our jewelcrafters can work on it and make something great as gift. As lesser house I intend give welcoming gift, albeit customs indicate greater houses should do it but not always, but I know rest houses do not even consider follow this custom and thus highlight our house in eyes of empress-priestess. The gemstone is called<em>Luranium</em>, it's pure white gemstone which appears have green, blue purple fires dancing inside of it. I have divined location of nearest gemstone to be in ruined city of Arkdeep, a duergar city which got run over by drows, then illithids, then brood of black dragons, then balor warlord and then whatever else slipped in. It's general city of monsters and demons now so ideally less ruckus is better and small team than army which could provoke new locals. No idea exact location of the gemstone thanks city intervenes on all divination regarding location of entities or items. Duergar lingering design on cavern."<br/><br/>Arissa then continues; "Then another reason is the gamble; in the city is a serial killer on loose, a religious killer who is practicing faith of Nerull in murdering and animating killed bodies as undead to cause further havoc. Now why greater house even bothered about it cause it has spread outside ghetto of foreigns and as you know even if all faiths are allowed in city but when you start disturp business and order and more so kill drow commoners, your calling trouble. Now, across city drow commoners have complained the situation to house Tormtor exclusively cause their house has guards on walls and city gates and ones trying keep order with troops loaned from house Despana. But with upcoming visit Tormtor has increased security patrols outside city as well, so their pretty tight on the troops or skilled individuals to investigate the matter.<br/><br/>So, if we solve the case Tormtor may consider loaning from us as well troops and that gives bit further influence to us and earn good will common folk which I seriously plan advertise<em>who</em>solved the case. I send Aergrim earlier to do some divinations and I questioned the bodies as well, sadly none bodies could give anything useful but Aergrim did find something."<br/><br/>Aergrim smiles, bows (while still floating/levitating) and says; "Yes I have, now I cast one murder ritual sites a potent divination spell which allowed me spy into past and this is what I managed to find. Replay it with illusion." Aergrim replays the scene, displaying a simple weavers shop where enters a shadowy cloaked blurred figure, Aergrim adds; "The killer wore magic which conceals his identity against all divinations. So what we can only see what the killer did only as clue." The killer turns door locked to store and sign turned, with gesture curtains are covered and shopkeep approaches the killer...but then screams or tries to, as silence fell upon her and killer used a conjured large scythe decapitate her. Then drawing with female drow commoner's blood symbol on floor but smear it all on clothing as well. Then doing lenghty ritual which then turns all clothes animated, breaking out in storm of clothing out of the store and go outside strangle or force themselves be worn and possess people's bodies outside. The killer with glimmer, simple glamor, disappear out of sight.<br/><br/>Once mirage conjured is over Aergrim says; "I suspect killer is hexblade, based on way he or she conjured the scythe and his or she protection is provided by magic item likely or is very powerful hexblade to know such magic. However animating entire store clothing is far beyond what even most powerful hexblades should able to do. So my guess reason is potent magic item or artifact of sort. But did you detect what I noticed as well?"<br/><br/><div class="spoiler_container"><div class="spoiler_header" onclick="hideSecond (this);" role="button">Sense Motive DC 20</div><div class="spoiler_body">The killer was too efficient for religious zealot. He killed shopkeep far too quickly for servant of evil deity which sponsors 'evil for sake evil'. Would made more sense man cripple the shopkeep first, torture/rape her and then kill her.</div></div>