He writes them down and hands them to you.
The fragment is indeed magical, with a moderate aura.
At the mention of Guards and Wards, Laya looks up from her sketching. She frowns noticeably. "You might want to rethink how good your security is. Irefoot Hall used Guards and Wards as well, and that building still got knocked down and the fragment stolen. Five minutes is quite a bit of time when you think about it." She looks back down at her sketch and quickly finishes it.
"You didn't answer my other question though. Have you seen a tattooed Shoanti man in or near here?"
At the mention of Guards and Wards, Laya looks up from her sketching. She frowns noticeably. "You might want to rethink how good your security is. Irefoot Hall used Guards and Wards as well, and that building still got knocked down and the fragment stolen. Five minutes is quite a bit of time when you think about it." She looks back down at her sketch and quickly finishes it.
"You didn't answer my other question though. Have you seen a tattooed Shoanti man in or near here?"
"Well, what do you suggest? I can't start pulling merchandise from my shelves because somebody might steal it - I might as well just close up shop. I live under threat of theft every day!"
"We just needed to warn you, Mr. Rimblesnuffin. If this fellow does come around, please don't sell it to him, however your own safety is most important. Once he leaves, let us know. In addition, I'll be checking in on you from time to time for the remainder of the investigation."
"You mentioned there was a bidding war, but only for one of them? Do you remember if it was the first or second piece, and who was doing the bidding?"
"We're looking for two individuals, one a lady half-elf, possibly Varisian, who's description we lack; the other a bald Shoanti covered in tribal tattoos. Either of those sound familiar?"
"Their response time will not keep your shop from being destroyed."
Laya nods. "Awgin is exactly right. Yes, checking in on you from time to time isn't any better, but you seem reluctant to do anything else, so it's the best we can offer. However, if you would like to take extra measures, then perhaps we can help more. You say you live under constant threat of theft. This is true for any shop. However, right now is quite different. It's not just theft that threatens you. It's the loss of your entire shop, which could result in the destruction of many of your items."
She begins to pace about as she speaks. "I'm not suggesting you close up shop. Instead, I suggest you remove only the enjoiner. It needs to be put somewhere safe and hidden. If the enjoiner is not here, our culprit has no reason to knock down your store."
She stops pacing and turns to face Rimblesnuffin with narrowed eyes. "Oh, and I wouldn't put any faith in Guards and Wards if I were you. They're doing nothing but swindling you out of your money."
** spoiler omitted **
Nazard:
Heward has no intention of letting Bannock leave until he's gotten some answers.
The two thugs take Heward in hand and, unless Heward is prepared to fight these guys, Bannock slips out past them.
"You sound like you have something in mind."
"He'll probably wait until after you've closed for the night and the city is sleeping. That will give us time to report in and make some small preparations." Awgin says with a conspiratorial smirk.
Laya looks intrigued by Awgin's question, but also a bit confused. "Maybe," she says. "I'm not entirely sure what you're asking me to do."
Nazard:
"No trouble here, boys. I'll wait peaceably. We can have a nice talk while Mar fetches someone with real authority."
Lord Stafford is a man of middle age with streaks of gray at his temples, dressed in fine velvets and beringed with many fine gemstones. He holds himself up high with a regal bearing, peering down his nose at everything. His accent is cultured, if clipped and brisk, though his movements are languid and stately.
Lord Stafford snaps his fingers, waving the two toughs out. They quickly oblige without a second thought.
"So," Lord Stafford says, "one of Pellerin's new pet Watchmen, come to pay me a call. I suppose I should have expected some harassment like this, though not nearly as inane or clumsy. I suppose I can at least take pleasure in seeing my predictions of the complete [b]waste of money[/bigger] that this whole unit is and will turn out to be. No, don't talk. Just listen! I suppose you're just some fool he's sent to rub in my face, I don't care. You were rude to Mr. Bannock, and I don't tolerate rudeness. I will answer the questions you asked him, and then you will leave, and if you don't, it will be in irons, Watchman or no. No, we've had nothing unusual happen, no tattooed-Shoanti hanging on the bell, nobody asking about my enjoiner fragment, which is still here and safe. Now, you will turn around, offer your apologies to my chamberlain for your disgraceful behaviour, and leave. If these three things are not immediately carried out, you will be arrested at my leisure, and I will make sure that your whole pathetic gathering of little MSI freaks is assigned to muck the Lord Mayor's stables for the next decade!" His voice rises at the end of his tirade.
Intimidate roll:
Lord Millis' anger seems to get in the way of his Intimidation, but I think that's still good enough to leave Heward shaken for a couple "rounds". NPCs can't use Intimidate to dictate PC actions, so it's up to you in character whether or not his threats are enough to keep Heward "in line" with His Lordship's "requests".
His Lordship's tirade drives the carefully prepared speech from Heward's mind. His jaw hangs loose for just a moment while the threat to the Watch and his unit crystallizes in his mind before he stammers,
"Sir, I'm very sorry to have -- that is, ahhh. I meant no disrespect or harassment of you, sir. I merely meant to ask my questions and warn you of a possible threat."
The big Watchman gathers his helmet under his arm and halberd into his hand and turns to leave. Stopping in front of Bannock, he even pulls off the leather skullcap he wears under the helm. Holding the cap disguises the fact that his fist is clenched. "I am sorry, Mar Bannock. If you had -- I apologize for being rude to you. " You craven turd.
At the doorway he pauses to resume his skullcap and helmet, "Sir, even if you think the MSI unit is a waste of money, consider that we may be right about the Enjoiner. Protect yourself, please."
He marches out with shoulders square. But inside he feels lessened that Millis should hold the Watch in such little regard. And his thoughts pour over Bannock. Smug little prick. Doesn't deserve his post. No true regard for his master's well-being. And he was rude first! I'd like to push his face to the wall and ... Various thoughts of violent revenge course briefly through his mind before he shakes his head and thinks ruefully on what Halfman would say. Anger solves nothing.
"Well, won't a spell caster show up to magic sight?" Awgin displays his lack of familiarity with magic. "And while you're looking about with it, won't you have trouble seeing in the real world? I just figured I could hold your hand to keep you safe while we were walking and you were looking for him magically."
"Well, won't a spell caster show up to magic sight?" Awgin displays his lack of familiarity with magic. "And while you're looking about with it, won't you have trouble seeing in the real world? I just figured I could hold your hand to keep you safe while we were walking and you were looking for him magically."
Laya smiles in understanding. "Actually," she says, "he'll only show up if he has a spell active or a magical item on his person. And even if I do detect someone that way, it doesn't necessarily mean it's the person we're looking for. Most people don't go around wearing magic items, but in a city this big, you're bound to stumble across a few here and there. I can also only do it for about a minute at a time. It requires a lot of concentration. After every minute or so, I'll have to rest and recast the spell."
As far as Markiv knows, that area should be southern Rag's End.
The two of you easily flag down a coach and make your way to the address. The road gets remarkably bumpy as you pass from the paved streets of the Summit to the cobbles of the Shore, and then the rutted dirt of Rag's End. The coach makes its way to the River itself before the driver stops. He leans over. "Are you sure you got this address right?" he asks. "Cause if you did, the place you want is about fifty feet into the river, and my coach ain't exactly equipped to go there!"
A quick check on your own confirms the cabby's assertion. If this address existed, it would be in the middle of the Yondabakari.
So, is Laya using detect magic to look for the culprit?
However, she is in favour of setting up a watch on the shop.
"You're right about asking around though. This is the part of town we might just get some answers."
** spoiler omitted **
Back to HQ?
So, is Laya using detect magic to look for the culprit?However, she is in favour of setting up a watch on the shop.
So back to HQ, then?
Back to HQ to share info.
Exhausted from the fruitless search Markiv returns with Auriel to the headquarters.
So back to HQ, then?So, is Laya using detect magic to look for the culprit?However, she is in favour of setting up a watch on the shop.
Heward returns, dejectedly, to HQ. Upon seeing his face, Mrs. Brigglespan leaps up from behind her desk and rushes over. "My goodness, Heward dear. You look like you've been through the ringer. What happened?"
Heward leans his halberd against the wall and slowly lowers his helmet until he is holding it against his thigh like a water jug. "Nothing good, Mrs. Brigglespan, " he sighs. "Lord Stafford Millis was no help and seemed to think I was harassing him. Is there bad blood between him and the Cap'n?"
*** When the others return Heward reports ***
"My trip to Lord Millis' Manor was unproductive. Maybe even counter-productive. I got on the wrong side of his chamberlain and that put me on the wrong side of His Worship. He took my visit as harassment instigated by the Captain. Threatened to try to shut down team." He shakes his head.
"Anyway I learned that Millis still has his piece of the Enjoiner. They claim nothing odd or suspicious has happened, although I thought the Chamberlain acted oddly. They're confident their own house guards are adequate protection and would probably take an offer of additional protection from us badly. And they're throwing a party two nights from now, probably a pretty big affair. If someone wanted to sneak into the house, that might be a good opportunity."
"How did you guys make out?"
"Oh dear. You went to see Lord Millis...yes, I'm sure that didn't go well. Why don't you go in to the conference room, and I'll have Gaston bring you in some tea with brandy?" Mrs. Brigglespan ushers Heward through the door behind the counter and seats him in the conference room. Gaston arrives with tea.
Half an hour later, there's a knock on the door. Captain Percival sticks his head in. Seeing Heward alone, he comes in all the way and shuts the door behind him.
"I understand that you had it out with Lord Millis," he says, shaking his head. "This was poorly done, poorly done. Not by you, I mean, I mean by me. I'm sorry, my boy, I definitely should have warned you, but I never dreamed this case would take you in that direction. It's probably best that, until you really get into this scene and start knowing who the players are, that you let myself or Mrs. Brigglespan know if you have to question anybody with a 'Lord' or 'Councillor' in front of their name, especially if they have both."
"Lord Stafford Millis, in addition to being a top tier bully and arrogant noble prick, is a lordly pain-in-the-a!%@ h~~@. He was one of the Councillors who adamantly opposed creating this unit, among a few others in response to 4707, such as the Mayor's Watch, his new personal bodyguard unit. It was really only by tying those two units together that we got Grobaras on board, and he pressured enough Councillors to vote yea. Millis was not pleased; I don't think he really cares about the expenditure from the city coffers, he just hates losing."
"I will head out to Millis Manor and try to clean up some of this mess. My mess, for not giving you the heads up. He doesn't like me at all, but he knows I have enough friends in the Marble District that he can't be too rude. I think that galls him the most. If you have to deal with him again, be polite to a fault. Even minor nobles don't have to work very hard to prove to a magistrate that commoners have been harrassing them, and I don't think, as a Watchman, you'd appreciate the thirty days in a cell for that."
"You know what's weird?" Auriel asks Heward and the others. "Why did Lord Millis have to buy his fragment? According to the story, his family had one of the pieces in the first place. How did they lose it?" She shakes her head. "Anyway, Baldy apparently has three pieces of the Enjoiner already, and we know where the other two are. It ought to be simple to just keep an eye on the Millis place and this Rimbesnuffin's until he makes an appearance."
"With Lord Millis not friendly to us, I think Rimblesnuffin is the way to go. Actually, Mr. Rimblesnuffin has offered to have us keep watch at his place. I plan to be there tonight and over the next few nights just to make sure."
"Hmm, sitting up all night in an alleyway, or crashing a stuffed-shirt's fancy party?" Auriel muses. "I know which one I'll be doing in two nights, if we haven't located Baldy before then."
Markiv speaks between sips of tea, "Given Millis' warm reception, I think we should focus on the shop. If there's no sign of the suspect by the time the party arrives Auriel may have the right idea. We know that Veristan has layouts of both locations and I wouldn't be surprised if he knows that the shop is protected by the same company as the others..."
"The weather is not kind to me, but with a little celestial aid I'll have no trouble joining the stakeout tonight," he begins to chuckle, "That reminds me, Auriel has not had the pleasure of meeting Kavna."
It's actually quite late, a quarter after nine by the time the six of you have regrouped. I gather the plan is for the whole group to head to Rimblesnuffin's and have a stake-out?
We just have a bit of Heward rp to wrap up, which we can do as Heward-only flashbacks so that we can keep the group momentum going. When I have enough people confirm that the stake out is on, I'll move us to that scene.
"Where is this shop?" Auriel asks Laya and Heward. "Might bring along my bag, just in case it's needed. And can we get the chef to pack us some kind of snacks? If I'm expected to stay up all night, I'll need snacks."