Guinevere "Gwen" Duchamp |
I guess we have perhaps a couple of hours before Vankaskerkin and his men begin to wonder about the missing ex-guards. I think - as a player and in character - that it would be better to get as much details as we can before confronting the Boss. After all, we can't be sure that Kroft's informations about the number of guards that have followed Verik are correct or that he hasn't recruited other men, and also we're not sure the butcher's shop is indeed Verik's hiding. We have a source of information, let's use it to our advantage if we can.
Borden Read |
we can wait an hour - showing earlier would be suspicious any earlier than that. Also who's basil?
Borden positions one where he can see the bloody bodies of his friends, wakes one up and refrains from giving him a good kicking.
Look here mate - you're in red hot trouble here because I'm in danger of losing control and castratin' you afore I'm seein' ya into Pharasmas arms! Crooked guards make me sick! Luckily fer me I get paid fer ya - dead or alive thanks to all this chaos... So talk an' tell us about Vankerkasin and what's in that slaughter house... And any thing else ya think will make me want ta keep ya alive.
Intimidate: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (4) + 6 = 10
Rojerick Alandsson |
I thought Basil was our oracle. Maybe I'm mistaken, though?
"Now, look here, man. My friend here seems to want to kick your teeth in, and you're going to be in some trouble with the Guard no matter what happens next. Make it easy on yourself and confirm a couple of things for me, and I'll put in a good word with Kroft. Is your leader, Verik Vancaskerkin, at the butcher shop you came from? We counted four here, we think there were five of you originally, so he must be alone, right? Answer my questions and I'll keep my friend off of you, and perhaps you'll get off easier with Kroft. If not, we can almost certainly roll up your operation without your cooperation. Answer quickly, I'm getting tired of waiting."
Diplomacy: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (6) + 6 = 12
not much better than Borden's roll...
Guinevere "Gwen" Duchamp |
How much time would Gwen need to go to the Citadel, fetch the guards and lead them to the ghost's place to take the deserters in custody?
Borden Read |
Borden boots him in the head, hopefully knocking him back to unconsciousness and moves to the next one, waking him and proceeding to re -interrogate that one.
Basil Kettering |
Basil sighs.
"Roj? Why don't you step outside, and make sure that there aren't any more of these guys hiding out there, whilst we keep interrogating them."
I am just trying to give our paladin plausible deniability ;-)
Rojerick Alandsson |
Haha, thanks, Bas.
"Very well, I'll check outside, then perhaps I'll go see my daughter for a few moments, just to let her know we're safe so far. Try not to let Borden hurt them too much..."
Basil Kettering |
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"That sounds like an excellent idea."
Once Basil is confident that Roj is well out of earshot, he takes a crack at the next poor sod in line for interrogation, beginning conversationally:
"Now look, I won't lie to you - things are bad. The Guard doesn't take kindly to deserters, especially in times of significant social upheaval. Your career is in tatters, and you will almost certainly get jail time, if not the death penalty. However, you are just small fry; the only person that we were instructed should (preferably) be retrieved alive was Verik - no stipulation was made as to your vital status, and there are so many states between living and fully functional, and dead. I leave it to you to decide just how much in either direction we should place you..."
To accentuate his point, Basil pulls out a whetstone, and meaningfully begins to sharpen the edge of one of the former-guard's longswords, whilst looking pointedly at the man's fingers and toes.
After all, it wouldn't be a good idea if a 'forensic' team was able to link one of our weapons with what may (or may not, of course) be about to happen...
Rojerick Alandsson |
Just keep in mind that if Roj finds out you tortured them, he'll have no choice but to leave the group. I'd be find with rerolling in that case, but conspiring with torturers would definitely go against Sarenrae's teachings. Still, do what you must.
Basil Kettering |
*whistles innocently* who said anything about actually laying a finger on anyone? The important thing is to make them *believe* that you would ;-)
Trying his luck on the three remaining guys (individually):
Intimidate: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (6) + 7 = 13.
Intimidate: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (7) + 7 = 14.
Intimidate: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (13) + 7 = 20.
Borden Read |
Aid another1d20 + 7 ⇒ (17) + 7 = 24
Aid another1d20 + 7 ⇒ (13) + 7 = 20
Aid another1d20 + 7 ⇒ (6) + 7 = 13
Nevynxxx |
Two remaining guys, there were four, you killed one, and have tried one already.
Oh and also I like the version of this where when people aid, the one who rolls highest is the base score, the others help. It's annoying when the person who says they are doing rolls a one and the aids are then useless despite being good enough to have succeeded on their own....
The man looks at Basil, then an Bordan's brooding presence, and splutters into words "W-we are all there are. D-don't tell Vankaskerkin! He doesn't know we've got this racket going on. You don't have to take up back to the guard do you?"
Borden Read |
Borden asks about a rough map of the butchers and any renagades or criminals left as well as any possible passwords in exchange for telling the guards that the snitch surrendered peaceably and with remorse, and that the others bullied him into misdeeds.
Nevynxxx |
About an hour after she left, Gwen turns up again at the door.
In answer to Bordan's questions: "There wont be anyone else there now. We closed up for the night before we came over. Verik will be alone upstairs in the offices. He's been keeping to himself. Can you let us go now?"
Guinevere "Gwen" Duchamp |
Gwen briefly takes Borden in another room:
"It seems we'll need to take care of them by ourselves. No guards can be spared at the Citadel right now, so we'll have to find a way to take them there, on our own. I suggest we leave them here for the time being, tied and gagged, while we go and take Verik in custody as well."
Basil Kettering |
Basil shrugs.
"That does not seem unreasonable."
...and then once everyone is ready, he coshes the conscious brigand back into unconsciousness.
Nevynxxx |
Before Bodran knocks him ut, the second man sketches a quick map of All the Worlds Meat.
North is up, where do you want to enter, how?
Rojerick Alandsson |
Roj regroups with the group and (assuming you thought to fill him in on what's going on) thinks for a moment. " Hmmm. If he's upstairs, we should enter as close to the staircase as possible. I think the front door into the, hmmm...slaughter room, near what appears to be a wagon, would be best for our purposes. With luck, we can convince him to give up quickly."
Rojerick Alandsson |
I'm actually about three weeks from running this part in the COTCT I'm running. It's making it really really hard not to metagame, but I'm just making the obvious decision and relying on my paladin-ness to not let me cheat. Also, when I draw maps, that's pretty close to what I use for a wagon too.
Borden Read |
Whats wrong with me calling him out while Gwen sneaks in? True, he doesn't know about his men's side racket but it gives us excuse to firstly see who else if any be there, gives the leader something he may expect to see and finally ? Makes a distraction for Gwen.
Is the shop open, him watching over it in case of poor people asking for meat or is it locked up and shut? If so do they have keys?
Nevynxxx |
Pick lock DC 20 will get you into the building.
Stealth checks etc would be good going forward.
Do you want to check over each room as you go through, or just make directly for the Verik? Either way, some perception rolls would be good.
Basil Kettering |
I would recommend checking as we go along - I don't want to leave anything behind us.
Stealth: 1d20 - 1 ⇒ (20) - 1 = 19.
Perception: 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (13) + 2 = 15.
Guinevere "Gwen" Duchamp |
Perception: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (15) + 8 = 23
Stealth: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (8) + 5 = 13
disable device: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (10) + 6 = 16
initiative: 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (19) + 2 = 21
Nevynxxx |
After a few minutes working on it, the lock clicks into place, and the door swings open.
The floor of this grim chamber is strewn with blood-stained straw, and the reek of slaughter is almost overpowering. The room itself is a killing floor. A metal track affixed to the ceiling dangles meat hooks here and there, allowing the hooks and their gory loads to be moved easily from the northwest where a large hammer sits on the floor amid a permanent bloodstain. To the south, a bloodstained grill covers a wide hole in the floor. Just north of the grill sit two large vats of water; one boiling and one cold. Two large butcher blocks stand to the east next to barrels of salt, and in the southeast corner sits a reeking vat of cast-off meat and bones.
The room is partially lit by a gas burner keeping one of the vats boiling, and some illumination through the dirty windows from outside. It's pretty dark though.
Rojerick Alandsson |
Perception: 1d20 ⇒ 18
Stealth: 1d20 - 1 ⇒ (8) - 1 = 7
""Well, that's quite pleasant..." Rojerick makes his way into the room, armor clinking softly despite his best efforts. He slowly steps forward, looking around for anything out of the ordinary.
Nevynxxx |
There are three sets of double doors to the North. Pick one. The most easterly are iron doors, very heavy looking, the other two are fairly normal.
Apart from the obvious dangers of of butcher's shop, in the dim light you don't notice anything "alarming".