Treasurefox's Rise of the Runelords (Inactive)

Game Master TreasureFox

Furnok, having beating people with a long hammer for quite some time now knows he can beat it even better.

Just beat it, beat it, I don't want to be defeated...

facepalm As much as I like Michael Jackson, I'm tempted to stick a knife in your side for that one.

Cause you're bad, you're bad.

Helgarr does not say a word, but she follows Cleo and Maria.

When Maria arrives at the mill she starts looking for points of entry, whether there are guards still posted outside, and signs of people inside. perception: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (20) + 5 = 25

Furnok follows along.

Helgarr remains away from the structure, not wanting to give their presence away.

Time for Vandra to take the back seat for a bit.

A feeling of worry came through Jeaux's mind as she and Vandra watched the other girls head off. With a look from Vandra as they left the house, Jeaux took off after the others still working the night away. When she caught up with them, she looked up at Cleo with a puzzled expression on her face.

As the wallaby wades in closer, Helgarr nods in appreciation for having the more than capable combatant at their side - almost without realizing, she actually speaks to her - "Thank you for coming Jeaux - I don't expect we are looking for trouble, but it may find us anyway"

Jeaux gave a small smile at the large woman and shrugged her shoulders. Crouching down on the ground, she wrote out, "Wanted to watch over the young ones. What is Maria looking for?"

Cleo will explain it all softly away from the building as Maria does her thing. She's just trying to see their accounting books to see if there is evidence of wrong doing. To save the town from being fleeced. The mayor asked us to look into it, but probably not this way. she smiles warily. If Maria runs into trouble we'll need to figure out a way to get her out without hurting anyone. she can't help looking at Furnok's hammer and remembering that sound.

assuming you all know what the mayor asked us to do, I'm not repeating it all.lazy today I think.

Nope, got no idea what she said lol

Jeaux nodded at the halfling's words, keeping her eyes peeled for any guard's, whether city or not.

Perception: 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (14) + 3 = 17

Pardon me, I've had a very long day.

As Maria searches around the mill for points of entry, guards, and the like, she sees a very dim flicker of light coming from inside the mill. Other than that, there is no foot traffic around the area (minus the small entourage following). There are two main points of entry: The front door, or the back door (that's the one you swam across the river to get in).

quick summary, all the other mills in the region have mysteriously burned down. This is the last one, and it jacked up prices, doubled. The mill is run by a manager but seems upset about the hike in prices. It's owned by one of the noble families, one with a bad reputation. He was there arguing with the manager when we were here earlier. The mayor wants us to investigate and see if the noble family had anything to do with the other mills going under... did I get it mostly right Treasure? Hope your night is better than your day.

That's exactly it, Cleo. The noble family in question are called the Scarnettis. Not to be confused with the Sczarni. And thank you Cleo, it's been a good day, just very very very long.

Maria moves up to the door and puts her key into the lock hoping for the best. D.device : 1d20 + 10 ⇒ (7) + 10 = 17

It takes several minutes of work, but thankfully no one seems to be patrolling the area. Eventually, Maria hears the *click* she's been hoping for.

Maria breathes deeply and carefully opens the door attempting to minimize sound. Stealth: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (10) + 8 = 18

Why several minutes? It's a key. It works or it doesn't

DC is 20, I decided to let you take 10, which would work. Is that alright?

Not the way keys are supposed to work but you're GM, rule zero/word of god inthese matters

Ohhhh! I've never used one before. Well for this time: It worked. Next time... maybe not =P

You aren't picking the lock? I missed something I think

I have a skeleton key, it gives even someone without the skill the chance to open a door with disable device +10, once it's used though it either works on the lock or doesn't, I now more or less can come or go at my leisure within this mill, at least through these doors

As Maria carefully opens the door, she hears a shop bell ring from the top right corner of the door frame. If ever asked, Cleo did not encounter a bell here.

Perception: 1d20 + 1 - 10 ⇒ (14) + 1 - 10 = 5

Although a snoring man in the office grumbles and turns, the bell does not seem to wake him. The only light comes from a lantern in the office, the door has been left wide open, and the floors have been swept clean. The floor is likely a bit creaky.

Maria hides herself in the shadows waiting, making sure no one else is within who might have heard the bell. Stealth: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (9) + 8 = 17

Nothing else seems to be moving. You hear heavy snoring in the office.

Maria sneaks out and cases the mill room first, not expecting to find anything but checking the whole mill room by room for anything of interest or out of the ordinary before heading to the office. perception: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (18) + 5 = 23

Furnok stays outside, not wanting to get in the way of Maria's sneaking, but ready to lend aid if needed.

Maria spots in the lower room with the back door another shiny shop bell. Someone has installed these from earlier today.

In the office lies a heavily built half orc with light grey skin, bulging muscles, and prominent tusks. Clad in a studded leather armor, the sound asleep man carries a coin pouch and a dagger, both strapped to his hip. Strewn across the table are basic playing cards, a hooded lantern, and the half orc's scimitar. The half orc smells of ale, and on the floor Maria can see an empty waterskin.

Around the table are three chairs and a short trunk. The trunk is closed and locked with a padlock.

I should point out the actual wording is lock, not door. Maria makes her way to the trunk and inserts her key turning it carefully to minimize noise.[dice=1d20+10[/dice]

You didn't roll your dice =P

D.device: 1d20 + 10 ⇒ (9) + 10 = 19 Sorry

No worries, I'm just glad I'm not the only one =P

Alas, the key does not work for this trunk.

Maria pulls out her new lock picks andgets to work. She takes ten for a total twenty thanks to her new tools.

Perception: 1d20 + 1 - 10 ⇒ (5) + 1 - 10 = -4

The half orc remains completely knocked out as Maria works her lockpicking skills. Unfortunately, this lock seems to be a slight cut above the first door. Maria feels like she's close to unlocking it, but not quite there.

You can make a regular check if you would like, or even take 20. Though if you do take 20, I'll be rolling more perception checks. However, the odds are pretty good, eh?

Maria gives a soft growl and goes back to work. D.Device: 1d20 + 10 ⇒ (9) + 10 = 19
D.Device: 1d20 + 10 ⇒ (10) + 10 = 20
D.Device: 1d20 + 10 ⇒ (18) + 10 = 28
Yeah, I'm very tempted to rob him blind of his scimitar, gold, the lantern, dagger etc, I'm definitely taking the water skin just as a f@+@ you to him.

*Click!* after much effort, Maria finally opens the lock. Inside the trunk lies 9 bags of coins, various writing tools (such as vials of ink, quills, etc), some stray notes and blank parchment, and the business ledger. Maria gets the feeling that something is off about this trunk, however.

Maria pulls the items out of the trunk to examine it in detail, she gives the sides slight taps listening for hollow spots, runs her fingers across the insides and outside looking for depressions or unevenness that might signal a hidden drawer. Perception: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (18) + 5 = 23

Perception: 1d20 + 1 - 10 ⇒ (11) + 1 - 10 = 2

*Snort* goes the half orc. As Maria examines the trunk, she notices not only some unevenness, but that the wood of the bottom part of the inner trunk is different from the sides. Maria can deduce that this signals a makeshift hidden compartment, hiding probably no more than half an inch of space.

She digs her fingers into the side and pulls the false bottom out.

What Maria finds underneath the false bottom is a single piece of parchment. It is a simple to-do list detailed in terrible (but still legible) hand writing. It reads as follows.

- Protecksion money from courrin
- Burn Cougar Creek
- Money from Scarnetees
- Plow Pixy's Kitten
- Pay off Gresle

Maria looks to the scattered papers and inks, she quickly jots down the information (unsure of her ability to copy the handwriting and replace it with a believable copy) then replaces it and the false bottom. She places the items back in the chest as they were, minus a bag of coins then opens the ledge to examine it.

At first glance, everything in the ledger seems to be in order. Maria will probably need to make a closer inspection (Linguistics) to really notice anything sketchy or out of the ordinary. Such an action may take a several minutes.

Maria thinks for a moment knowing examining this book is beyond her. She returns the book and coins to the chest intending to come back another night. She locks the chest again with a soft click. She pulls her dagger and moves to the man sleeping and carefully cuts the strings holding his coin pouch to his belt. Stealth: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (13) + 8 = 21 A little close for comfort, but thank god even a nat twenty isn't an auto success, or is it in this?

Nat20 is usually an auto-success. In this case it would be.

Perception: 1d20 + 1 - 10 ⇒ (15) + 1 - 10 = 6

Still fast asleep, the half orc probably won't stir unless a piano falls.

Not in skill checks, at least according to the rules, but it is probably the most commonly used house rule in the d20 system. Maria takes a moment to think about her next action and rethink her previous ones. Would it be more beneficial to steal the rest of the coin bags and make it seem like a common thief came through here, or simply take the book and paper and hope someone could make sense enough of them as evidence. Though several of the notes made plenty of sense. Seriously looking for GM opinion here.

Well from how I see it, you have a few options:
- Grab the money and the book. You'll probably be able to find/convince someone to look into it for you, but everyone connected to the mill will know that someone robbed the place.

- Grab just the money. You won't be able to find out the possible secrets of the ledger, but at least you'll have some ill-gotten goods. You could come back at a later time when you're more familiar with linguistics, or have another way. Plus it could look like some petty theft.

- Take nothing at all. Everything goes on as normal and no one's the wiser. Though you won't get any loot.

At least you've copied down the list. Being hidden must mean that it's important.

Maria gathers the cards, the water skin and the Scimitar before going back downstairs and stealing the bells as a final farewell before leaving and locking up. Stealth: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (4) + 8 = 12

Perception one last time: 1d20 + 1 - 10 ⇒ (10) + 1 - 10 = 1

The half orc... well you know the story.

Maria exits the mill without incident, and all of Sandpoint seems still and sleepy.

Inside the coin pouch that Maria cut off Sleeping Beauty, she finds 13 sails (Varisian gold pieces)