"I'll help as I can... I hate the idea that your circus is being accused without any read definitive evidence of your involvement. INvestigating all this is, as Ella said, exactly the kind of thing we should and will do."
"I am in agreement," Lunevi agrees with the others. So long as they were able to properly investigate all parties, she thought they would likely determine the actual guilty party.
"Not only are we outsiders, we are Varisian, and there has always been a distrust of Varisians in these parts. “ don’t believe Sheriff Feldane is an unjust woman, but I think she’s under greater pressure to keep the peace than to find the guilty. After all, my people aren’t her first concern. My belief is a thirdparty investigation stands a better chance of clearing our good name than the local constabulary."
"So long as you understand that we would have to be impartial. Should the evidence return here, we will be forced to act within the bounds of the law."
"That is understood, although I'm already certain that it will lead you elsewhere. I might suggest that you start your investigation by speaking with the sheriff."
Kyra Feldane, the town sherriff can easily be found at the town jail. She seems to have a no-nonsense personality, which quickly comes across when she speaks. When you announce yourselves, she's a bit surprises that outsiders would be representing the Varisians in the investation, but when a boy delivers a note to the sheriff and runs off, she seems to accept it with a nod. "I suppose I'll let you investigate the crime scene, but I warn you that you will be seen as representatives of the circus, and any trouble you stir up will reflect on the carnival as well. I'll vouch for you being legitimate, but keep your noses clean."
"As for the murder, the victim was Archivin Walder, the town moneylender and sometimes pawnbroker who owns a local business called the Locked Box. Walder was found mauled while walking to his home after the circus last night. Walder’s wife, who went looking for her husband when he never came home, discovered the body. Agnes Walder begged her husband’s four full-time guards who lived at the Locked Box for help. Three of them left their post to search, and one guard stayed behind to secure the office. Thieves, presumably in league with the creature
that killed Walder, burst into the Locked Box, killed the remaining guard, and stole many easily carried valuables, mostly gems and jewelry. The robbery was interrupted when the guards brought Walder’s body to the office instead of his home, and they glimpsed two humanoid figures fleeing in the night. Upon finding the guard dead and the building burglarized, the three remaining guards secured the building until I was be notified."
"So basically, we have two murders and a robbery. A rather busy night. The mood in town is sour. There are stories all over the place about a great four-legged beast flying over town last night after the circus closed down, silhouetted across the moon. Of course, I’ll be damned if I can find a single eyewitness who actually saw the sphinx. Now poor Walder is left dead in some bushes. It’d be one thing if these deaths were accidental, but the robbery angle has people thinkin’ of a Sczarni heist. I’m not proud to say it, but this stirs a lot of unworthy opinions about Varisians."
"We have assured the circus that our investigation shall seek the truth, no matter where that path may take us. With your permission, may we speak to the widow and look around the 'Locked Box'?"
"You are free to speak to both the widow, and the guards at the locked box to see if they will allow you to look around. As I said, I'll vouch to them for your legitimacy in this investigation, which should help."
Male Ifrit Slayer 2 | AC 15/12/13 | HP 20/20 | F+4,R+5,W+1 | CMD 15 | Init.+2, Perc.+6 | Darkvision 60'
”I say we elook around the scene of the crime at the Lock Box to start, and speak with the widow afterwards. To see if her story checks out. I don’t know who to believe in this town...”
"Urah has a good point... about not knowing who we could or should believe in this case... and I agree... checking out the crime scene first before asking questions... so we know what to ask when the time comes... is a good idea as well."
"Thank you very much for your time," Lunevi says, aware that it's not exactly normal for people to vouch for strangers. Still, with Feldane being the sheriff and all, perhaps it was necessary to trust others now and again.
To her friends, she adds, "Okay, then -- let's take a look at the two scenes and then ask everyone what happened. We'll probably get a better understanding of what questions must be asked once we're there."
The Locked Box is sturdy and solid, with 12-foot-highceilings, heavy wooden doors and no windows. Lamps illuminate the interior, even though it is mid-morning. You arrive to find three people are here. Two are presumably guards, and you guess the third is the grieving widow, Agnes Walder, whos red teary eyes, and running nose indicate she has probably spent half of the night crying.
Lamps illuminate this large showroom you first enter. Glass display cases, broken in a few places, line the walls, while two additional cases sit like islands in the center of the room. The cases contain an eclectic mix of valuables such as unusual tools, masterwork weapons, jewelry, fine china, antiques, and artwork. A set of merchant’s scales rests on top of one of the display cases.
They weren't kidding when they said this place was a wreck, Lunevi thinks, taking in the ruined building. Quietly, she asks her friends, "Divide and conquer? Or should we do this all at once?"
Seeing as she's never tried to do any detective work before, Lunevi isn't entirely sure what the protocol is.
Male Ifrit Slayer 2 | AC 15/12/13 | HP 20/20 | F+4,R+5,W+1 | CMD 15 | Init.+2, Perc.+6 | Darkvision 60'
”You lot! Are you the guards? Sheriff Feldane sent us to investigate this awful crime. We need you to show us the scene of the incident so we can figure out what happened.”
One of the guards speaks up, "The sheriff sent word ahead that you'd be coming. They mostly made a mess up here. The valuable stuff is below in the vault. We've left the vault sealed while waiting on the proper authorities to come. Mr. Walder had a key, and from what the sheriff has said, it was not found on his body."
"We haven't yet assessed the state of the vault, but we know they broke in, and we assume things were stolen from within. We wanted to have authorities here when we opened it."
The guard opens double doors at the north end of the building. Just in side, a set of stairs lead down to a basement level. "Lead the way. We'll follow along to make sure everything is on the up and up."
Lunevi follows without incident, also having a claim to dark vision. She shivered at the slight shift in temperature that usually came from things underground. Cellars and basements were always a tad bit cooler than the dirt upon which everyone usually trod.
She wants to ask if there's something they should be looking for, but figures it's best to see what they'll be looking at first.
Fate will cast Guidance on everyone before going down the stairs for that awesome +1 on Perception rolls for a whole minute!
Fate follows his friends, after taking a moment to pull out his clay. The shaman works the material into something that moves like an open flame in shades of earthen-brown, chocolate fire. He holds this flame over his mace, dark embers dripping down. He pours the seemingly molten mixture around the head. As this happen, it slowly glows with light.
You head through the double doors to the stairs down to the basement.
This bare corridor leads to the double doors of the vault. A hook for a hanging lantern is mounted on the western wall at the base of the stairs, and underneath it is a single chair.
Lunevi grimaces at the lack of lighting in the room. The hanging lantern is barely enough to get the corners of the room and... why was there a chair? Since Fate was helping them to see the world in color, she figured it wouldn't be a bad idea to add to the lighting. She send dancing lights to each of the corners and looked for anything that seemed off.
Just got through a big freeze here with power outages and no internet during most of it. Schools back open after 6 days off.
The steel doors loom in front of you at the end of the hall. One of the guards waits on the stairs (presumably to make sure you don't steal anything while investigating, while the other one waits upstairs with the widow.
Male Ifrit Slayer 2 | AC 15/12/13 | HP 20/20 | F+4,R+5,W+1 | CMD 15 | Init.+2, Perc.+6 | Darkvision 60'
Urah calls out to the guards standing up top. ”Come on down too, if you want. We aren’t going to nab anything. The sheriff would never forgive us if we did,” he yelled as he waited on the door to be open, long spear in hand.
"I've never actually seen the inside of the vault. I'll wait back here if you don't mind."
Ella finds the door locked, but after a brief delay, the guard calls up and gets the key from the old woman, who was too distraught to even think about it. The guard tosses the keys, still wary of moving farther than the stairwell. The doors obviously have a mechanical component, as they open together when Ella begins to pull one.
Beyond the heavy steel door, this darkened chamber is lined with shelves, including freestanding shelving in the center. There is ample room in the vault, but labeled boxes, bags, weapons, and armor are spread throughout.
Just after the doors open, hairless female humanoid with skin matching the pattern of the stone walls, tries to make a break for the stairs from the vault, but runs directly into Urah (who may make an attack of opportunity if he wishes).
knowledge local DC 11:
The creature is a skulk, a very sneaky humanoid with chameleon-like powers to blend in with environments.
SUPRISE
Urah (option to make AoO as the NPC tried to move through square and failed)
Urah manages to stab the creature, giving it a serious wound, but not taking it off of it's feet. Fate' throws his glowing powder, making the creature glow, rendering it's stonelike coloring and skin patterns useless.
Lunevi stepped forward to help block the hall and attempted to add her quarterstaff to the melee.
Quarterstaff:1d20 ⇒ 1 Damage:1d6 ⇒ 6Wow, those opposite rolls. @_@
