Undoing Cruelty [LE1]

[Akh Uur Hoon]

LE1. Hive Roll: 1d100 49

Akh Uur Hood was directing her steps to the registers. If Dhall was around, she would ask for the Kadyx-mutilated body of the rescuee's beloved. If not, she could find it herself in the records. This matter lingered on her mind and she needed to address it as soon as possible, also because something may happen with the body if she tarried.

[Flession]

Finding the body is easy enough; it takes little effort to find those killed under the Kadyx. Dhall will easily point you in the right direction once more with as little fanfare as he normally offers.

Sure enough, it was slowly being prepared for cremation, the "hat" left by the demon had since been removed to give whatever dignity could befall him, though the staples of the effects can still be found on his skull.

[Akh Uur Hoon]

Akh wanted to investigate the body for traces of non-obvious practices, magical or mundane, performed upon it before collection, or any residues. Digging into memory was last resort. This trauma might challenge her stoicism.

But before any scholarly practices she just stared at it, allowing her stream of thought bring insights, if any.

[Makeshift]

It's the way the face of the decapitated head is peaceful that makes the most impact. The face of someone gazing at a loved one, knowing all is safe and whole in the world. The face of a man who doesn't have anything lingering. It would suggest the decapitation had been quick, painless, but the wounds on the neck don't match that. It's ragged and red, and looks as if it was made by someone hacking away with a rusty saw. So did the Kadyx pose the man and his expression? If so it would have required much patience and much care.

[Akh Uur Hoon]

The serenity... disturbed her. It would suggest the man had departed in peace, and perhaps achieved True Death. But a contrivance was also a possibility, or emotional manipulation. She decided to use her knowledge of the arcane to perhaps determine whether any magic was involved.

[Makeshift]

(Go ahead and roll me Arcana)

[Akh Uur Hoon]

LE1. Arcana.: 1d20+11 26

[Makeshift]

There's a faint whiff of sulphur and negative energy about the head, suggesting an infernal connection, but that tracks with what is known about the Kadyx. It seems that no actual magic was made of use with the killing though. Just muscle and sinew.

[Akh Uur Hoon]

She reviewed the head once more, looking for any detail she might have initially missed. Like residues of substances typical of Baator, or illusory scripts to which she was immune due to her glyphic resonance. But if nothing of this kind could be determined, the time would come for a reluctant bite and a leap into the man's last memories.

[Makeshift]

No residue beyond the first acrid whiff of the infernal. But as you raise the head to inspect it, or to bite into it, something does fall out of it's mouth. It clinks on the floor, sounding like a piece of ceramic. It appears to be a piece of bone, shaped into a perfect disk. A large toothy grin has been carved into it with some skill. Nothing else can be gleaned from a surface appraisal of the coin.

As you take a bite out of the head, visions and impressions flood out into your mind's eye. Euphoria of intoxication, a grim chuckle from darkness, fear and apprehension. A horrible pain, the sound of flesh tearing. A gleaming smile in the dark.