#rakha holmes of baker street reporting for duty

[blackjackkent]

Well, all of that definitely turned out to be a very odd night for Rakha. And what's the best thing to do with a Bhaalspawn who's had a weird night and is full of confusion and self-loathing?

That's right! Murder scene investigation!

The whole Open Hand Temple Murder Investigation subplot has come at an interesting time, since it's ended up being a microcosm of Rakha's overall internal struggle of Good Deeds Vs Bloodlust. For Wyll and Jaheira, she wants to investigate who killed Lorgan and see them brought to justice, and the refugee scapegoat's name cleared.

But the beast in her head is also deeply excited about seeing where all the blood was spilled to the glory of Bhaal the Murderlord.

The basement, unfortunately, certainly delivers on the blood aspect. There's a long trail of it from the ladder to the kitchens all the way back to what appears to be a small chapel of some sort beneath the main temple.

This, it seems, might have been the murder location, as the blood is most heavily pooled here.

There's also a few documents to contribute to Rakha's increasing understanding of Ilmater doctrine:

(A/N: NGL I kind of like this as a description for depression. "Dulls but does not pang... [a] miring net... dampening all errant thoughts and feelings in its wake." I also like that they're basically describing therapy here. "The weary soul knows itself better than you can."

I'm not entirely sure a devout of Ilmater would be the most comforting therapist in the world, but at least they're trying. XD

Also I'm fairly sure there's a minor bug in this quest. Hector found the tunnels by accident via a side room, but you're supposed to be able to open the main passageway from here by interacting with the Heraldic Signs on both sides of the far wall. I'm fairly sure that they used to pop a perception check when you got near them, but they don't seem to do that anymore, so there's no real obvious way to figure out that they're interactable unless you happen to run your mouse over them by accident. Anyway, for our purposes we'll pretend there was a perception check, because Rakha is observant. XD )

Rakha remembers that both Lorgan's corpse and Brilgor's mentioned something about Lorgan hiding refugees in tunnels down here. This room, in and of itself, is definitely not a tunnel - though she suspects it might have served as a place of worship for those Brilgor was helping - so there must be an entry point to the tunnels in question somewhere nearby.

She examines the bloodsoaked altar. (Flashes of images in her head - blasphemous rituals in Bhaal's name, a victim sprawled on another altar with her dagger in its heart...) Keen of eye and good at extrapolation as always, she realizes that one spatter is set off from the rest, up against the room's back wall, a seemingly blank stretch of stonework.

Her eyes track from the stain up along the wall, looking for loose bricks, any sign of an opening - and light upon the metal plates on the wall, loose from their moorings. Shoving one upwards--

Progress.

The room beyond is much more tunnel-like -- a cavernous passageway smelling of saltwater from a river rolling below, and blood from the progression of stains leading away from the chapel. And further along the path, they hear something unexpected: voices.

Refugees Lorgan hid, Rakha assumes at first, but it only takes a moment to realize that's not the case:

"Keep an eye out, brethren. It must be here somewhere." "We never get the fun jobs, Zomm." "Be patient, child. Soon..."

"Why does Dolor get all the finest weapons?" "You are a weapon, my sweet." "A sharper one than Dolor. He spends too much time with his prey. He's going to get us caught." "Dolor is an artist. You'd do well to think on that."

"Well, what now, sir? We go check his place?" "Perhaps. We'll take one more look here, then move on to the Flophouse."

Low, cruel voices. Voices in search of something. Rakha takes a step forward, just enough to bring her into the light - and is given no choice to decide whether to indulge the beast's automatic urge for murder, because the three men standing among the blood pools attack first.

"Brethren in blood! Kill them!" one of them howls, and something in Rakha's head screeches in answer as she rains down fire on the whole cave.