Auntie says, "You are welcome to talk to the children, but you must understand that I don't know you personally, and I can't let you go off on your own. If you wish to speak to some kids I can summon them here, or we can take a tour of the facility... Let me go grab that tea!"
She comes back with the tea in a few short seconds, actually, and gives you all a cup.
She seems to slip something into hers, but not very well. sleight of hand
You see her pour some liquid out of a little flask into her tea, and she sits down, putting the flask in her pocket.
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Dagbur looks frustrated as no kids are immediately forthcoming, and again as he tries to figure out how to hold the hot teacup. He seems to be on quite the roll, maybe he feels the situation calls for it, "But Dagbur want to explore!" He continues to call out for the missing kids, in a grating sing-song way, "Here, kidsies! Where.... be.... you....?" He's tapping the side of his leg and peering under furniture, certain they must be somewhere nearby.
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Lauranna raised an eyebrow at the flask, but said nothing for the moment. "A tour would actually be quite nice. See the conditions of the place, meet the children, and maybe get more details about the good work you are doing here." She looked over at Dagbur and smiled. "And maybe Dagbur can play Jack-the-Nonce with the children. He gets so little time to just play. He's a kindhearted soul, but he's usually busy being...well, let's just say that it's probably not an appropriate topic in a children's ward."
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Perception
Wibeke plops down in a chair, taking in the room around her and sniffing disdainfully. "It smells like... orphans in here." She looks to Auntie and waves a dismissing hand. "Look, Auntie, we're not here to trade witty banter and sip prissy little cups of tea. The paladin lady is worried about the orphans, so here's what's going to happen. You're going to sit in the corner in a chair while we talk to the kiddos. You're going to keep your mouth and hands still. No talking, no gestures, no facial expressions while we're chatting with the orphans, got it? You'll be in the room, but I'm going to be standing in front of you so that the kids can't see you. We're going to get straight answers out of them and I don't want you communicating anything." Wibeke lets the bottom of her fauchard hit the floor with a thump and leans forward. "Got it?"
Intimidate
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Sensing the fighters attitude, and much more familiar with the visceral aspect of intimidation than chatting over tea, Dagbur stops looking for orphans and stands up straight for perhaps the first time you've seen him. He brings air into his already-thick chest, and rolls his now-wide shoulders back, head rising to an upward angle, eyes now looking down at the woman. Brows lowering in a scowl, he reaches down into his dart pouch, pulling one out. Staring down at Auntie in the chair he begins to clean his fingernails with the needle sharp projectile. Hearing the menace in Wibeke's words, the barbarian does his best to mimic it, and aid her efforts to cow the woman before them,"Having it?"
Perception 1d20
Wibeke plops down in a chair, taking in the room around her and sniffing disdainfully. "It smells like... orphans in here." She looks to Auntie and waves a dismissing hand. "Look, Auntie, we're not here to trade witty banter and sip prissy little cups of tea. The paladin lady is worried about the orphans, so here's what's going to happen. You're going to sit in the corner in a chair while we talk to the kiddos. You're going to keep your mouth and hands still. No talking, no gestures, no facial expressions while we're chatting with the orphans, got it? You'll be in the room, but I'm going to be standing in front of you so that the kids can't see you. We're going to get straight answers out of them and I don't want you communicating anything." Wibeke lets the bottom of her fauchard hit the floor with a thump and leans forward. "Got it?"
Intimidate 1d20+6
She seems intimidated for a partial second, and then she almost gets a resolve in her mind. She chests up to the fighter and does a little bump back. What? Are you going to hit an old lady? Well hit me then! C'mon tough lady, I've taken down my share of hooligans like you in my day! I could probably do it now! You want some of this! YOU WANT SOME OF THIS!!!
At Darbur's ferocity she does the same thing, seems a little frightened at first, but before it takes hold, she is up in his face too.
WHAT! You think you are so tough! Huh big man!!! You want to take a swing! Go on and take one! She chest bumps into him too.
She begins pacing around the room in a circle... taunting you. C'mon! Hit me right here! she points to her chin...Too scared to get your asses kicked by a little old lady? Yeah, that's right! Anyone else want some!?!?!
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Dagbur is surprised at the ladies angry reaction, evident by his widening eyes. He relaxes his menacing stance a bit, considering the old woman pacing around the room like a loon. A small grin lifts the corner of his cheek as she paces, ranting and raving, reminding him of a yapping dog. At her request to hit her in the face, his face becomes a tad more pensive, honestly considering. He looks out the corner of his eye at Wibeke and hefts a large fist, raising his eyebrows in a questioning and hopeful manner.
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Lauranna cocked an eyebrow at Wibeke and Dagbur's actions. "Ah, so I see we are going for the subtle route this time. Very well then." She leaned back in the chair to watch the action, sipping her tea and grimacing at the taste. The woman had scorched the leaves. No wonder she had such a manic attitude.
"If you'll excuse me, I need to find some cream and honey for this tea. Might make it palatable." She stood and walked to the kitchen area that the woman had just come from. "Don't leave any visible marks on her. I am sure the guards will be here soon." as she said this, she gave a slight shake of the head to Dagbur and Wibeke, indicating (hopefully) that roughing up an old lady was not the best course of action.
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Haraldir was flabbergasted for a second or two, the old lady was clearly loosing it, but Wibeke's reaction was waaaaay over the top.
Turning to Wibeke, his eyes wide, he mumbled in disbelief: "You...smacked her!? You..."
At a loss of words, he just shook his head, shrugged his shoulders and raised his arms in a silent capitulation. Approaching the old lady laying on the ground, he adds - "Well, dont't just stand there - since she is not with us, so to say, use the time to look around, while I try to take care of her, make sure she's OK."
Upon taking the blow, she staggers for a second, her nose appears to be broken, and the flesh around the eye is raw, and appears to be sagging. She staggers into a display case of china, trying to cling to it, and knocking it over in the attempt.
A shockingly loud BOOOOOOM shakes the whole house, and dishes break inside the display case.
Kids start screaming in all corners of the house, and some of the older ones come from the toy room to see what the loud noise was. I'be beeb attacked, she tells them, staggering out into the hall and clutching her nose. Rub and geb helb! These bisitors are trying to kill be!
Suddenly, a cat hisses angrily and jumps for Wibeke's face.
it does one point of nonlethal damage
Also, Wibeke needs to make a Will save.
The kids run out screaming, and a few of the visitors who were peeking out of their houses to see what the loud boom was see the children, and rush over to them.
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The barbarian scratches his head as pandemonium erupts in the house, children screaming and cats hissing, not to mention the china shelf falling over. Seeming to come to a decision the barbarian moves to the china case, and lifts it off the ground. Holding it high over his head, he gives a meaningful look at the others in the room, and drops it on his own head, letting it take him to the floor with a crash. He lies there under the cabinet, eyes closed and apparently unconcious, as the chaos continues unchecked.
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Leaning on the alley wall Rutilus hears a boom. Maybe it's nothing. A moment later a second crash and thump come from the house. His eyes go cross in contemplation as he can't bring himself to figure out what just happened. He rounds the corner bounding up the to the front of the building and looks in a window.
Upon seeing a new face helping to heal the old lady crumpled on the ground there is a large mound that looks suspiciously like Dagbur underneath a china cabinet that seems to be well removed from where it once was.
"What?!?"
"I guess the better question is why?"
He pries himself away from the window to see if anyone is watching him invade the privacy.
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In the kitchen, Lauranna take s quick look around before returning to the parlor. "Calm down, children, calm down. Mistress Baltwin will be fine and no one is in any danger here. Perhaps someone can take care of the cat? A dish of milk maybe?" Lauranna continues on in this vein, attempting to calm the children while she surveyed the room.
"It really is a shame that Wibeke forgot she had her gauntlets on for a social call. Apparently she thought your hysterics required a light slap to bring you back to your senses. Alas, we all get forgetful now and then."
"Dagbur, be a dear and pick that china case back up. You are so dreadfully clumsy. I can't imagine how you managed to knock it over the first time, and the drop it again while trying to right it. It's a good thing you're better with a sword than you are with moving furniture."
diplomacy
diplomacy
diplomacy
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"I DON'T CARE IF YOU'RE AN OLD WOMAN! IT IS NEVER OKAY TO HIT SOMEONE JUST BECAUSE YOU DON'T LIKE THEM! I'M SORRY I HURT YOU, BUT YOU GAVE ME NO CHOICE!" Wibeke bends down and whispers to Auntie. "Everyone knows you're a lush, old woman. You were drunk and attacked me when I questioned your ability to care for the children. I just defended myself." She smiles a nasty smile. "We also know you send the orphans to get goodies for you in town. That's how you afford your drink. I would hate for the watch and the church to have to investigate your little operation. "
Intimidate
Will save
Dagbur, take weight damage (halving it because you intentionally put it on yourself - a minus 2 results in one point of nonlethal/subdual), and slashing dagage for all the broken glass that finds your skin as you throw the chest on yourself.
The children seem to calm down a little as Lauranna engages them, by playing with them in the toyroom, but they still frequently ask why "Dear Auntie" was bleeding from her nose, and why does someone want to kill her.
Auntie staggers out to the neighbors and converses with them. A handful of neighbors come and approach the house, and a few of the ladies start to help her. She is crying as they take her away, eyes shooting daggers into the house.
"But the children... she sobs. "They aren't safe in there with those MANIACS!"
Don't you worry about them, Auntie, we'll take care of the children. Let's go boys...
7 men, all strong looking, some older, some just entering manhood approach the house.
You three, watch the sides and the back, make sure no one escapes. If you see anyone, give a whistle. We'll stay here at the entrance and wait for the guard, and see if these thugs will let the children come out.
"Hey, you stupid, old woman abusing, bastards! Are you going to come out here and talk, or do I need to go in and drag you out by whatever pieces they can find of you after I'm done tearing whatever little you have left of a heart from your chest?
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"Wibeke, Jec, look around quickly and see if there is anything you can spot that might gain us something from your rash decision. And pray to whatever god you hold dear that these gentlemen outside will see reason."
With that said, Lauranna grabs her Baridiche and walks outside, head down and trailing behind her to show that she meant no threat by it. She set the weapon on the ground and raised her open palms to the leader of the men. "Please, by all means go and get the guards. I'd like for 'Auntie' there to explain to them how a drunk old woman who bursts into hysterical fits at strangers asking reasonable questions about the children under her care is fit to run a hospice. You can smell the liquor on her. Go on, I'll wait."
"Did no one else hear her shouting at us? One of my companions tried to slap some sense back into her - she was raving like a loon - and forgot she was wearing metal gauntlets. An unfortunate accident, to be sure, but if the guard were to search her place very carefully, they'd no doubt find plenty of evidence to support my story. Isn't that right, Auntie? They'd find plenty of evidence. We can provide a little healing to mend her wounds, and apologies from both sides should mend the hurt feelings."
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As Lauranna speaks Dagbur opens his eyes, and pushes the case up and off of himself. Sitting on the floor for a moment to collect his thoughts, he takes a look at the damage he managed to do to himself. As he does so a small smile crosses his features before his face resumes the downcast look he'd carried when you first saw him at the Lodge. With a sigh he stands to his feet, cocking his head to one side as the men outside shout threats. Raising a hand to his chest, and other sliced skin he rubs the blood around, getting it nice and spread. Looking to the others he shrugs and says, "Little truth now?" and walks through the door towards the locals outside, shoulders once again slumped and slouching as before, not looking anyone in the eye. He waits as Lauranna says her piece and then continues out himself.
Slouched, slumped, bloody slashes, bruised , avoiding eye contact and probably looking more pitiful than you'd have thought possible with the shards of glass and partially shredded clothes on him, the barbarian approaches the men slowly, stopping about ten feet away. He staggers a little and goes to his knees in the dirt, maybe due to being cut half to death, and looks at the angry faces of the gathered men and others before dropping his eyes downward once more.
Tapping himself on this blood-smeared chest the man states, his hand coming away bloody, "Dagbur." He takes a moment to rest before continuing, "Medicine we bring, for Auntie, for childs that sick." He then sweeps his hand weakly at some nearby houses, "Others say things about Auntie, about childs, make us scared for childs." The hand which tapped his chest points towards the old woman being bundled away, his hand quavering slightly, "We say to Auntie, 'Tell us truth! No lie! and no scare kids!' Dagbur pauses a moment, panting slightly, face red, and a little cut up. He widens his eyes in surprise, clearly remembering the experience, "Auntie get angry! Angry Auntie Push" and Dagbur throws out his chest violently, arms back and chest forward, "poor Wibeke." He gestures back at the fighter.
He slouches again, still on his knees, and a confused look comes over his face, and he brings up a hand to scratch his head, "Then angry Auntie say to Wibeke, 'Punch me! Punch me here!" and puts his finger to his chin, mimicking Aunties earlier action. Now he stands, slowly, putting one hand down to assist himself rising. "Then Auntie push me!", and this time is standing as he throws out his chest violently, a barbarian version of Aunties actual chest bump. The large man pretends he just received a chest bump of barbarian magnitude, and an extremely alarmed look comes over his face. He begins to topple backwards, or acting like he is, in slow motion, but stops in mid-fall and suddenly points again at Wibeke. "Poor Wibeke! She think Dagbur in trouble, and help defends her friends she did! Maybe too, think Auntie want to be hit, here" and points to his chin again.
He then throws an awkward pretend-punch with his left hand, his off hand, at about a quarter the velocity Wibeke actually hit Auntie. "Poor Wibeke hit Auntie, like Auntie ask, and Auntie go outside." Dagbur then stumbles about, doing an awful rendition of Aunties 'escape' from the house. "Dagbur falls," and now he's back to imitating himself finishing his tripping and falling to the ground after Aunties 'ferocious' chest bump, "...and case falls on Dagbur." He imitates raising his arms to ward off a falling china case, with a terrified face to match, and pretends to be knocked unconscious as something heavy falls on him.
He remains there for several seconds with an imaginary case on top of his now prone form, letting the men and any others watching get a good look at him, blood-covered and unconscious in the dirt. He opens his eyes, and raises himself onto his elbows, "Those things all happen, Dagbur is sure." He then sits up, and wraps his arms around his knees, and bows his head in pain.
First thing is first the "leader" says. He is the man you questioned from across the road.
"I don't want to hear any of these lies. You mean to tell me that a... who knows how old woman, was a threat to any of you, walking around with your armor, and swords and she can't walk with a cane? That's a mouthful of horse crap that is."
"Second thing is second. You say that you felt threatened, and so you slapped her, and forgot you had iron gauntlets on. Well, let's see these iron gauntlets."
"Have the one that did the "slapping" come forth, I want to see these gloves."
So you wait another minute while the watch gets there. Do you want to do anything before then?
If not, the watch comes and gets out of their buggy. Four, extremely tough, no nonsense guys step out and approach the house, and stride toward the man from across the road, in front of the house.
She's not drunk, but we'll let the watch determine that. They have tests for those kinds of things. I'll bring her out once they are here and she won't be exposed to you thugs, without them here.
(Nice roll zen, you almost got it...)
He seems pretty hostile, and is looking at you all like you are the scum of the earth.
Send the children out, in the meantime. I don't want them in there with you. If you don't send them out, we WILL go and get them, and leave anyone in between us in pieces. DO YOU HEAR ME?
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"Who said anything about iron gauntlets?" Wibeke steps on to the front porch, firmly holding her fauchard. Her hands bear leather gauntlets, but no metal sheathes them.
"We were sent to make sure that the children were safe and sound. We asked politely. In response, this "Auntie" started shrieking and capering about like a lunatic. She was waving her arms about and threatening to assault us. I couldn't tell if she was drunk or just senile, but either way she was a danger to herself and others. If anyone is to blame for this, it is the old woman who decided that physical violence was an appropriate response to a polite inquiry."
"Who said anything about iron gauntlets?" Wibeke steps on to the front porch, firmly holding her fauchard. Her hands bear leather gauntlets, but no metal sheathes them.
"We were sent to make sure that the children were safe and sound. We asked politely. In response, this "Auntie" started shrieking and capering about like a lunatic. She was waving her arms about and threatening to assault us. I couldn't tell if she was drunk or just senile, but either way she was a danger to herself and others. If anyone is to blame for this, it is the old woman who decided that physical violence was an appropriate response to a polite inquiry."
You mean to tell me that a "little slap on the face" with leather gloves broke her nose, possibly in two places, and caused the saggy flesh around her eye start to tear?
I wonder if they would do the same, were I to slap you with them? Bring them here, honorable beater of those that walk with canes and spend their days healing sick children. I would like to see if they work the same with you he says, tightening his grip on the hammer he was putting the new roofing on his house with, and smiling.
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To anyone paying close enough attention, the bloody barbarian's swaying has become much less obvious, and it is now only a slight shifting of weight from leg to leg. And though his head is still downcast, and his shoulders are slumped, as the man begins to call out Wibeke, those slumped shoulders begin to tense up ever-so-slightly. And his head has turned slightly to an angle he can watch the spokesman with the hammer through the corner of his eye.
If the punch inside was any indication, this conversation was headed south in a hurry. Sighing to himself and lifting his should in a slight and barely perceptible shrug, Dagbur continues to watch quietly. A subvocal mumble his only sound, "Not nicely."
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Feeling very much confused and even more ashamed, Haraldir was still wandering in the room where all that craziness started only moments ago. It was not that he really believed that "poor old lady" was a saint, but no matter what, this was not the way to treat her. Not sure if anyone even saw hime entering inside, he kept replaying in his head what happened, constantly wandering if he could have prevented it somehow. Well, let me try to make at least something out of all this disaster...
Trying very hard to avoid pieces of broken china on the floor, as to not raise additional sounds, he tried to search for any "incriminating" evidence within the room, hoping that the guards do not arrive soon. He had a story ready for them, and to "cover" his story he started to remove shards from the floor very carefully, hoping that they will believe that he is just trying to clean up the mess.
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I would like to see if they work the same with you he says, tightening his grip on the hammer he was putting the new roofing on his house with, and smiling.
Wibeke shoulders her fauchard and smiles back. "I would, but I would hate to have to explain to your husband why you're late getting home tonight."
The watch pulls up and 4 very well armed, very able looking people stride over and talk with Auntie and with the man from across the road, in the yard. He nods quite a bit, and looks over shockingly at you all, then after a few minutes he strides over to you all.
I would like a delegate to speak for the party to come forward, also the lady that hit this old lady to come as well. The rest of you can listen, and pitch in details here and there if you want... but I don't want all of you talking at once.
Step forward, and explain yourselves. I don't have time for sitting around all day getting truths and lies, mind you, so one of you step forward and tell me straight what is going on.
He orders the men to go in and get the children, and to be on guard.
Upon entering they announce that anyone in the building make themselves known, or face the consequences of not doing so.