[Game Thread] Chapter 1: Something Wicked

[mad_gondsman]

In reply to Koralask and Nalus, Fraela says "Perhaps we should ask the man in charge first. We don't want to compromise the crime scene by stomping all over his evidence." Waving to the man wearing the badge of rank, she introduces herself. "Fraela of Clan Valderen... Tharashk Inquisitive by trade. These are my companions, Nalus, Koralask, and Aliandrah... in case word of our coming did not include names."

"If you've heard of us, you are no doubt familiar with our objective. Perhaps we can observe the investigation?" she asks with all due respect to present company and the abilities of their magewright. "I'd love to have a look once you are done, with your permission. I don't wish to intrude upon your operation but I've been told that I have an eye for detail..." she says with a friendly smile.

She doesn't really buy that this was a breaking and entering case gone wrong, but she doesn't want to step on any toes here. It will be much easier to get the information that they need with the full Diplomacy

Dice Roll:

1d20+8

(4)+8

Total = 12

cooperation of this man and his crew...

She bows her head reverently to the man in the priestly garb, out of respect for his station as well as respect for the deceased.

[Saidande]

Minharath walks up to his fellow Kalishtar and hands her the note.

"From the man at the door" He says, wrapping his cloak around himself.

"I took the opportunity to read and examine it...safety first" He added, leaning against a nearby wall as the others discussed things. He was here as escort and barricade. He would leave the investigation to the others.

[Cidolfas]

The dwarf listened intently to the conversation, trying to remember everything the lady said to them. Something in the story confused him mightily, though. “Bit ‘er through the chest, you say? Never ‘eard o’ such a thing. Who from the Servants was it that you brought the body to?” “This is not what I signed up for,” the dwarf thought to himself. He looked anxiously towards Aymeric to see if he was finished with his questions for the lady.

[ShadowcatX]

Peter172, Oogoa, IrishKatt, mad_gondsman, Saidande The detective's eyes drift from one member of the party to the next. "I don't suppose it'll cause any harm to let you all have a look around, still, don't touch anything, as I said, our magewright is on the way." He motions at the back door, where you notice one of the hinges has been ripped from the wall, and the other nearly so, the lock is also broken. Clearly whoever did this was strong, or used a very heavy blunt object, or both. "The intruder gained access through the door. We believe Aaron and the intruder scuffled." A broad wave of his hand indicates the weapons scattered on the floor and the knocked over tables. "Aaron was a strong man, have to be to work the forge, but he was over powered and beaten to death, I believe by the creature's bare fists. The only thing that doesn't fit with the a typical break-in is that Aaron's coin pouch was left on the body. He only had a couple of gold, but usually that's the first thing someone would take in a situation like this. Instead the only thing we've found missing are the weapons he's forged from silver he purchased recently. He was doing quite a lot of them for a client, though he never said who the client was, Aaron could be quite tight lipped when he wanted to, so long as he wasn't sharing an ale with you. Whoever the client though, they paid enough up front for him to purchase a large amount of silver and were going to pay dearly for his work when the weapons were turned over which would have been today, according to his ledger books. There are a total of 30 weapons missing, ranging from a simple dagger to a great sword." Anyone who wishes can look around in the store, or can go around the back and check for foot prints. Roll perception checks for the store or survival checks (dc 15) for the foot prints. Everyone can make one roll or the other.

Cherubaddon, Cidoflas "Yup, punctured right through the poor woman's breastplate like it wasn't even there. Damnedest sight I'd ever seen, could near hold her up and see through where he heart should be, the punctures were so deep and large. 'Course, I didn't take it to the Flamers m'self, I turned it over to the city guard with the information that I believed she had been killed by a werewolf and the city guard took it to the Silver Flame. Still, doesn't take much figuren to tell you they took it to Father Durn, he's the head priest of the temple, a bit old, not unlike myself, but set in his ways and not so friendly. Still, the thought of a werewolf killing someone in these parts got his blood riled up right quick it did. He sent a letter to Flamekeep he did, right quick. Course I suspect you know all 'bout that, bein as your here an all."

[Peter172]

"Do you mean to say that the smith kept no records of his clients and told no one who they were? That seems highly suspicious in and of itself. I think I'll take a quick look, don't worry I shall not disturb a thing." Nalus carefully went around

Dice Perception:

D20+8

(6)+8

Total = 14

looking for somewhere that would make a likely hiding place.

[Cherubaddon]

A hundred gold... a steal, given the circumstances. Perhaps I should bring it up later with the others. Aymeric puts the belladonna back on the shelf, listening with a half-ear as he scours the shelves for something else. "Bitten through the chest?" he asks over his shoulder, sniffing at a jar he picked up and immediately grimacing at the acrid odour emanating from it. "That must have been a mighty maw indeed." How do you fit a plated woman's breast into your mouth? "Excuse me," he suddenly interjects, as though cutting himself off, "you don't happen to have any Q'barran Swamproot, do you?" He pauses, something obviously having come to his mind. "A letter to Flamekeep... hmm..." The young noble shoots a quick glance at his dwarf companion. "I am assuming that is what made Brother Talesin act." Though saying it as a statement, it is clearly a question. He for one cannot remember mention of a letter or any other sign of higher-echelon knowledge among the church. Odd. But perhaps not in front of her. He turns around, clapping his hands together. "Well, many thanks, madam. Is that all, Ugren?"

OOC Unless Ugren has any further questions, I'm done (once I get my swamproot, of course).

[oogoa]

Taking this as permission, Koralask stalks out the door, eyes flicking across the ground. He slowly cirlces the cabin, looking for tracks, particularly those of a non humanoid.

Warning: rolls have been deleted from this post.

[Cidolfas]

The dwarf nods when Aymeric asked if that was all, and follows him out of the store after the man receives the swamproot he had asked for. Stopping as the door closed behind them Ugren looks up at his taller companion. He shifts his equipment nervously and spits as if there was a foul taste in his mouth. “Something not be right here, mate. I don’t like the way this feels at all. It may just be because I ain’t spent much time in civilized places lately, but me old merchant’s instincts are flaring up. Don’t it seem like everyone got something to hide?” His hand once again drifts near his crossbow as he looks up and down the road at any passersby.

[mad_gondsman]

Fraela bows her head in thanks for the investigator allowing her to examine the scene. She listens intently to his speech as she steps gingerly about the crime scene...

Pulling on a set of silk gloves, she removes a small journal and a lens, which she twirls across her knuckles before getting to work, from her bandoleer... she begins a methodical search, much like a tracker in the wild, paying excruciating detail to every surface within the shop for any clue whatsoever as she moves in circles, narrowing her sweep with each pass. She pauses from time to time, jotting down portions of the investigator's report as she searches. His mention that the smith's purse was not taken confirmed her suspicions that this was more than a breaking and entering case gone awry...

"Peculiar." she says to the investigator's tale as she crouches down and sweeps the floor, the lens magnifying the azure lines about her eye...

"Is it possible that I may see the victim, Investigator?"

[ShadowcatX]

Peter172, Oogoa, IrishKatt, mad_gondsman, Saidande As Fraela begins looking through the scene of the murder it becomes quickly evident that the dwarf did not die without a fight. A knife, laying along side other weapons on the floor beside an over turned table has been recently cleaned where the weapons it lays beside have a couple of days dust laying over them, more over it fits the sheathe on the dwarf's belt. Furthermore, with the aid of your investigative kit you notice that there is a bit of dried blood and a very small bit of skin on the door itself, the creature apparently broke down the door with its fist, skinning its knuckles in the process. It doesn't appear to be one of the more common races blood or skin types. Nalus looks through the dwarf's ledger, it has a record of all his various transactions. Dated a day after the murder was discovered and verified a customer, noted only as "client" ordered a substantial amount of silver weapons. A fair sum was paid for up front. As the two search inside Korlask is able to find a set of slightly clawed foot prints leading in and out of the back door. The footprints are slightly obscured, as if the being wore a robe that dragged on the ground, but a couple are clear enough to make out On the way out it has a push cart weighted down with something heavy, most likely the silver weapons. It also seems to be slightly limping, favoring its right side. Unfortunately on the road the tracks get lost. They appear to have turned left, which is the direction of the city gate. As you look down the road in the direction that the cart went you notice your two companions leaving the apothecary shop, talking quietly amongst themselves and looking on edge.

Cherubaddon, Cidoflas "I'm afraid I don't have any swamp root, I only keep herbs that I grow myself normally, the Belladonna's an exception, cause of the werewolf an all. I suspect I can get some, next time I go to the city if you like." The lady waves as you leave. "Come back soon." Outside you notice Korlask looking in your direction from the building next door, a look of concentration on his face.

[mad_gondsman]

Fraela removes a set of tweezers, picking the bits of skin and dried blood out of the shattered door before holding it up to examine it through her lens. She stares at it for some time before stepping back into the shop.

Removing a tiny corked glass vial from her belt, she places the specimen inside before removing her gloves and putting her things away. She says very little as she flips open her small journal and jots several lines of tiny script down.

"Detective, there is something behind that table that you may find of interest." she says once she is done, gesturing towards the wall without looking. She stands quietly, turning the vial over in her hand as she stares at it... lost in thought.

Some might say that she appears troubled.

[Peter172]

"What is it Fraela". Nalus says as he watches the woman's troubled expression with interest. He suspected she had figured something out, and that it probably wouldn't be good news, judging by her worried expression.

The tracks had proved to be a disappointment, for they quickly faded as they went away from the shop. It seemed to Nalus that they had run out of leads. He hoped that the others had come up with something.

[Cherubaddon]

Aymeric nods absent-mindedly, seeming to already have forgotten about his swamproot request. "You know," he says slowly and to nobody in particular, "I think the redhead was right. About Talesin." Noticing he is standing in the middle of the street, the Q'barran shoots a quick glance at Ugren to ascertain where the dwarf intends to go next, and falls in step beside him. "He is requesting help on the werewolf problem... and the church itself is. Independently of each other. I always thought the Silver Flame was running one of the most efficient bureaucracies of Khorvaire." He shrugs as he continues, "But the lady seemed honest enough. Perhaps we can come back later with more questions, if we manage to piece some bits together. Oh, and we should notify the others of the availability of belladonna." The young noble seems present again, flexing his left hand as he looks around the small village. "Looks like we got some time left? What do you think, where to next?"

[Cidolfas]

"I've no idea, friend." Scratching his beard idly, the dwarf thinks for a bit before shaking his head. "This ain't my specialty. I just want to hunt and catch the filthy beast. Mayhap that fella over there might have an idea." Ugren walks over to Korlask, giving him a slight wave as they approach. "Hail there, mate. 'ave you found anything of interest?" He tries t pick up what the other man was searching for, but can't figure it out.

[ShadowcatX]

Peter172, mad_gondsman Acting on Fraela's information, the guards quickly begin clearing the table and weapons out of the way. Minutes later they've revealed a small safe set into the wall at floor height. Taking keys from the corpse the inspector opens it and pulls out a bag of coins, and an ornate silver dagger with the emblam of House Vidalis emblazened on the handle. Spilling a few of the coins into his hand the inspector whistles, platinum. "I would have to count it to be sure, but I suspect when I do, this will prove to be a fair payment for 30 silver weapons of high quality. And I do believe we have our purchaser. Looking up from the note handed her by Minharath, Aliandrah looks to the rest of the group. "I've got a lead I'm going to follow up. We'll meet up with you all back at the tavern." The two Kalashtar leave together.

Cherubaddon, Cidoflas Koralask looks up at his two friends and nods in greeting. "It would seem who, or what, ever stole the weapons put them in a push cart and wheeled them down this road. Unfortunately, I'm unable to tell more, the tracks get lost in the day's other traffic." As he's talking your two other associate Kalashtar walk out of the scene of the crime. Without a word, he nods to you and turns and leaves with them, heading deeper into the town.