"I think I need to stay with the baby*. Maybe Rauno and Rowena could go?"
*
"Very well, but I'll slay the owlcub myself if the trapper is a bad man. I'll stay here with it."
Trevor finds a place in the shade and sits, happy to get the terrible weight of the armour off its feet and shoulders.
I gotta ask Kelkzar to show me how to strap this beast!
Lessien agrees to stay too
The rest can go to Allustan.
Kelkzar spots Trevor having trouble with his armor again and goes over to help, "Stand up just a second Trevor and we'll get your armor adjusted." He fiddles with it for a few minutes. "You've got to watch it here and here." he says pointing to a couple of the buckles. "Then you should be good to go."
Whoever goes to see Allustan:
You relate the information to Allustan and he thinks about it for a moment and says, "Garavin Vesst died a couple years back after going backrupt and losing his mine and workers to Smenk. I've heard a group of them hang out at "The Feral Dog" here in town after work is done. The leader, Kullen, has quite the reputation, as do they all, so I would be careful with them. It may have come to the point where you can no longer avoid the attention of certain elements in town."
Allustan has not met the man or heard of him, but Allustan doesn't go out into the town much and if the man didn't come to see him or cause major issues in town, he wouldn't know of him.
In tracking down the remains, "It sounds like at least one of their group was there at the farmhouse so its likely one or more of the rest of them would know something"
"But they aren't going to just open up to us and tell us why they were taking bodies out of graves. Either we'll need to figure out a way to persuade them to talk, or follow them on another grave-robbing mission to see where they take the remains."
While waiting for Rauno and Rowena to return, Kelkzar muses, "I wonder what Allustan might know about this mine owner and whether the Dourstone Mine is his. Any of you happen to take a closer looks at things when we went by there before going to the cairn? I remember a stockade and guards. Didn't look like it would be very easy to get in."
"The mine managers do not trust each other, and for good reason. That mine is owned by Ragnolin Dourstone, a dwarf from the east. He's probably the second most powerful mine owner, next to Smenk. Its an iron mine, and been providing the area with iron for centuries."
I assume you hang around for a bit at the inn for Fester to come. As he comes back in from hunting he is indeed interested in the animal and agrees to meet you outside of town. He meets you outside of town and says that he could indeed get about 3,000 gold from Magnimar, but that he requires 25% of that for doing the selling. He thinks in about a week or so he could have it sold and return with the money.
Quintus is willing to give him the commission to sell it.
When Festus comes to see the rest of the group, Kelkzar greets him, "Hello Festus. It's good to see you again. This was quite a surprise, but I think you'd know what to do with this guy more than we. A 25% commission sounds quite reasonable for the sale. Good luck with him!"
Once the trapper has left, Kelkzar asks, "So, what did you learn about West and his mine?"
"Well, it would seem we have a few choices. We could go to the mine and either go straight in or see if we can find a back way in. We could also go to The Feral Dog and either talk to some of the men or try to waylay one of them and scare more information out of him. Last, we could try to get one or more of us hired at the mine and see if we can get in that way. I vote for trying to scare it out of one of the men at the tavern." he says with a toothy grin.
"Y-yes, of course you do. I'd rather try talking to one of them first, and I think I know what to say--at least, if those arm brands are easy to see. We tell this guy we found the arm in the house after we killed the owlbear, and is he interested in giving the body parts a decent burial. Then take it into why the dead guy was up there in the first place.
"See, Allustan's right. We can't dodge what's going on in town and in the mines, but we don't know who's dangerous. Until we know, let's be nice to everyone. I figure that killing the owlbear without losing--" He stops. "Trevor, are you still wounded?" Once that's resolved, he goes on. "Killing the owlbear without anyone dying will stand on its own."
Kelkzar looks thoughtful for a moment. "Hey, that sounds like a pretty good plan Quintus. Do you think we approach them with all of us or split up somehow? Maybe we go in two groups. Trevor's pretty good with words. Maybe we have Trevor, you and Rauno talk to them, while Rowena and I go in like we're just there for a drink."
"I think that people who dig up graves for human remains aren't likely the type of people who place a great deal of value on seeing a friend's remains properly disposed of. Showing our hand over a friendly drink is just going to throw away our only advantage: surprise. What are you going to tell these thugs about why we were at that house in the first place?"
He stops. "Trevor, are you still wounded?"
1d8 + 2
"Am I? I mean yes, of course. The thing mistook me for a chew toy! Thank you Quintus, that helped a little."
Kelkzar looks thoughtful for a moment. "Hey, that sounds like a pretty good plan Quintus. Do you think we approach them with all of us or split up somehow? Maybe we go in two groups. Trevor's pretty good with words. Maybe we have Trevor, you and Rauno talk to them, while Rowena and I go in like we're just there for a drink."
"You think I could do it?" Trevor looks down, unsure about his own strength. "I'll give it my best! But I'll mostly stay silent."
"I think that people who dig up graves for human remains aren't likely the type of people who place a great deal of value on seeing a friend's remains properly disposed of. Showing our hand over a friendly drink is just going to throw away our only advantage: surprise. What are you going to tell these thugs about why we were at that house in the first place?"
Good point...
"I don't think confronting all of them at once is a good idea. They'll work each other up, and we'll end up having them all act like the least cooperative one. But if we can get one by himself, we've got a small chance of catching one with a better nature to appeal to." Quintus shrugs his shoulders. "And if we get a bad one, he'll still be alone and we can try it Kelkzar's way. I don't have a lot of sympathy for body thieves."
"I don't mind the cudgel in a dark alley approach if it's for a good cause. Actually, I'm pretty good at it..."
She does not explain further.
If trying to waylay one of the is the plan I will update in the morning unless it changes before then. The city is full of dangers so this kind of thing happens frequently.
Trevor listens and nods. He can't come up with a better plan to find the necromancer...
"Dark alley it is then. If the guy we pick doesn't have much information, we can always learn from him, who we might need to track down."
"Probably best if we just have Rowena and I perform the ambush, unless Rauno has a way to stun him."
"That's fine. I can wait nearby and help with the discussion." He grins again, somehow making the tusks look ever more menacing this time.
You head into the Feral Dog. A little after 8pm, four people come in that meet the description. They all look like they have been wounded recently. You sit and watch them for awhile.
Kullen, the "leader" of the group is an albino half-orc with the brand clearly displayed on his forehead.
Rastophan, a wiry goon with long clumpy black hair who has a sullen look and rarely speaks.
Todrik, Short brown hair cut in a flat top with an angry red scar that goes from the tip of his chin to his forehead on the left side of his sneering face.
Merovinn Bask, Clearly a wizard and from watching him a little is clearly rude and ill tempered.
During the night plenty of fights erupt, particularly over a constant game of dagger tossing. A sleek, self-assured elven woman wins almost every game as the night goes on. They don't usually fight with her but with each other on who gets to go up against her next. Apparently its a big deal.
There is a fight between miners at about 10pm. One of the almost falls into the dog pit where the dog fighting occurs, but luckily he is grabbed by another man and tossed back into the fight. Both are soon tossed out to fight in the street.
After midnight at some point the wizard gets up to leave and Rastophan also gets up at the same time to leave with him. Kullen and Todrik mock them for a bit but decide to stay at the Feral Dog longer.
Rowena leans in to whisper to Lessien. "We should wait. The thug looks too stupid to know anything useful, and wizards are tricksy."
Rowena will keep a low profile. Although if any of the men folk think to bother her or Lessien, she might end up actually tossing one of them into the dog pit herself!
Ki throw attempt (in case needed):
You two definitely get some attention during the night, usually after losing to elf in the dagger toss competition and not having any more money to challenge her.
Well, Rowena won't cause the man to "flip out", unless he's aggressively rude and disrespectful to a couple of women.
Then he gets tossed.
The men here are definitely crude and crass but not too stupid or drunk yet to be overly disrespectful to you two who look like they can handle themselves. Other than the elf woman, you, and Lessien there are no other women in the Feral Dog.
Trevor's eyes are wide with fear and amazement; he's never seen such a lively scene where he's from! He does his miserable best to apply what little he earned of his lacking upbringing, namely not to stare.
As the girl get more attention, he gets very uncomfortable and displeased. He tries to place himself in a way that makes it harder for people to have access to them.
OK, so about 3am or so things are winding down, people are leaving. The elf girl left about 2am so the competition in knife throwing is over. Seems like besides money, she also bets them that if they beat her they can sleep with her. She hasn't lost to any one of the miners yet.
Kullen and Rastophan finally have had enough and stumble outside. They head down The Vein, Kullen laughing at something and soon turn down one of the darker streets.
Perception Kullen
Perception Rastophan
Stealth Other
Stealth Rastophan
"Let's follow the next one to leave, and bag him."
Lessien keeps an extract of shield ready to use when the time comes, as well as her dex mutagen.
Quintus makes sure his ankh is put away. He buys an ale, tips well but not excessively, then nurses the ale and glowers at anyone who comes too close. He's mostly keeping an eye on Trevor. "Look here--I know this is new to you, but try not to act like it. Don't worry about Rowena and Lessien. They can take care of themselves."
Stealth:
Rowena quietly follows Kullen, figuring that if he's the leader of the group, he's the one most likely to know what's going on. She motions for Lessien to move in behind her, but to give her some space.
"Hey there, sexy," she calls out to Kullen softly once he's far down the dark side street and alone. "Know where a couple of girls can find a real man around here?"
Assuming he at least pauses, Rowena tries to "willow" her way past the thug to cut off his escape and flank with Lessien.
Bluff or Diplomacy (whichever is appropriate):
Perception:
Lessien follows silently, keeping to the shadows. After drinking her mutagen and shield, she slips out her hanbo, studying the target for the best area to strike.
My AC is currently 24/15/19, otherwise my stats are accurate under mutagen.
When Rowena engages Kullen, Lessien steps behind him and attempts to knock him out.