"Well, let's be on with it, then, before more people die."
Glornug adjusts his cloak and sets off after the guards who have taken the young man.
Xanver's stay st the station isn't long. They ask some questions and a couple of mages come along to determine whether or not you could possess any magic yourself that would allow you to murder in such a brutal fashion. Determining that you could not they let you go not a little begrudgingly.
This is all while Emmet gives everyone hell for taking what he percieves is his case. Though the truth is no one had even been assigned yet. But, it's just the kind of thing one does when they want a case bad enough and with a series of eye rolls and sarcastic assurances Emmet gets his assignment as Xanver is escorted out of the back and into the lobby where he's free to go.
The station itself is not a particularly large place. Rustic, made of imported mortar and brick, capable of surviving a small riot thanks to some competent design. With black dragon motif everywhere, a constant reminder and testament to who the boss is and what ego they possess.
Brianne finds out quickly there are at least one gang of kids that like to hang out by the fountain at night. Led by an older drakeling boy by the name of Tom the Green. He counts mostly rebellious young kobolds in his crew no doubt pissing off their parents by hanging out in human neighborhoods and shirking their duties.
Xanver is both relieved and nervous when he was kicked out of the police station.
They even gave me all my stuff back, thought the oracle.The young human is torn by the desire to find the wizard that stranded him in this place, and the need to find justice for that poor woman.
Tired, Xanver looks for the nearby hotel the policemen recommended.
Brianne decides that's enough snooping on her own for the moment, knowing that she'd feel a lot safer with someone else around when talking to a big drakeling. She scurries off to find the old guardsman, the frog-thing, and the lost man.
"Well, that took less time than I thought!" grumbles Emmett, with caustic irony. "We should go see the girl's family straight away. They likely haven't heard the terrible news, so I'll do the talking at first, hmm? Well then, let's hurry!"
And with that he starts as fast as his stiff legs allow.
"So, I don't think I caught your names, or I forgot!" he asks eventually.
"Glornug is my name. My tribe name is Rrurblung, but just Glornug will do. I am a hunter and tracker, passing through the area. And you are Emmett, as I recall? But I did not catch the names of the others, either.", Glornug says as they set off.
"Oh," he adds with a small croaking sound, "I am happy to let you talk to the girl's family. I have never been fond of delivering that kind of news."
As he walks along, Glornug checks his equipment, making sure that everything is ready and in place. Once he is satisfied, he glances at his companions to see what kinds of gear they have and guess at what their strengths might be.
After a quick nap, Xanver sits outside the hotel, and watches the officer and the others who were there at the murder scene walk past.
"Hello", waves the oracle in a hesitant way.
"Yes. I am Emmett. Thanks for your help Glornug!" He turns to the suspect and says: "And you are 'Hello', is that it?" says Emmett, in no laughing mood.
Standing up under the townguard's intense gaze, the oracle speaks. "Um, no. My name is Xanver Gamwich. My name is probably on a dozen reports in your precinct." Having Emmett's gaze be too much for him, Xanver looks away muttering, "Just saying.."
It is around this time that Brianne returns from her search, and she steps on up to Emmett and tugs at his pants leg. "There's a drakeling called Tom the Green. He's got a group of kids he's the boss of that hangs out around the fountain at night." The tiefling child pauses, then adds just to make clearer, "The fountain where that lady was found dead." She seems to decide that's information enough and goes quiet.
Standing up under the townguard's intense gaze, the oracle speaks. "Um, no. My name is Xanver Gamwich. My name is probably on a dozen reports in your precinct." Having Emmett's gaze be too much for him, Xanver looks away muttering, "Just saying.."
Emmett keeps looking straight, but replies: "Right. I know that. But they don't."
It is around this time that Brianne returns from her search, and she steps on up to Emmett and tugs at his pants leg. "There's a drakeling called Tom the Green. He's got a group of kids he's the boss of that hangs out around the fountain at night." The tiefling child pauses, then adds just to make clearer, "The fountain where that lady was found dead." She seems to decide that's information enough and goes quiet.
"Sounds like the next people we speak with... What is your name again?" replies Emmett, wondering what kind of possey they make.
The child grows an uncomfortable look. She glances at the old man's watchman garb, but decides to answer "Bri" in a quiet tone.
Glornug's mouth widens in a smile. "Bri and Xanver, it is nice to meet you both. I am Glornug, in case you did not hear. And I agree with Emmett, it sounds like a most promising lead."
"Well, I'd like to help if I can", Xanver states.
"So what do we do next?" Xanver questions.
"I have some skill in stalking, and in using a bow. I am happy to try to approach the area without being seen and watch over the rest of you, in the event that they are not keen to converse. Unless someone has a better plan. That was just my first thought." says Glornug
"I'll be close enough to join in with my sword, should it come to that, but hopefully it will not." he adds, with a slight frown.
As the group talk to one another Emmet first heads to the girls home deciding that informing her family is the prioroty.
Annabelle's home is a simple house not far from the fountain where she was found. Roughly two stories tall and made of the same brick and mortar most of the homes here are made from. As Emmet goes to knock he notices the door is slightly ajar and small sounds of movement are heard within.
"I, uh... I do magic," the child decides to add to Glornug's explanation. She does a lot more than that, but she decides not to mention any of it.
Emmett has the rest of the group standing just out view, but within a few pace. The ajar door sends a cold shiver down his spine. Motioning to keep quiet, he waves the others to gather behind him, getting his weapon ready. He points to the obvious, the door ajar and the noise, then cautiously pushes the door further open.
Glornug readies his bow and nocks an arrow, prepared to cover Emmett as needed.
The oracle clutches his sickle close to his body, ready to use it if he has to.
Brianne comes up behind the other three, trying to be as small and unnoticeable as possible. The rabbit pokes its head of her backpack again and sniffs at the air.
Emmet pushes the door open as quietly as possible with the point of his sword revealing a wrecked home within. Several rats scatter to their respective hiding places clearly not being the type that would attack a grown man.
The inside living area is a total wreck of torn up dried herbs and plants, knocked over furniture and ripped books and papers. It doesn't take a genius investigator to tell you the rats certainly didn't do this, though some chewed up food seems to implicate that they had at least some minor hand in this.
Taking a quick look around shows that the family is not here.
Glornug slips inside quietly, bow still ready to draw, in case who or whatever did this is still nearby.
This looks bad. I hope the occupants are alright.
Brianne mutters a spell (detect magic) and follows after the frog-like man, staying low and being cautious. She begins a long and thorough search of the room.
As his companions pass him without a sound, Emmett realizes youth is better suited for this. Just the noise of his knees would warn any marauder.
For at least a few heartbeats, he remains in the door frame, listening to the house, letting the others slip in stealthily.
Xanver follows the others in. Speaking in a low voice, the oracle says, "This looks like it used to be a nice home once."
Glornug murmurs, "Yes, it does. It will be good to find out what happened here, and hunt the guilty ones."
Stepping quietly through the debris the group sets about digging through the mess.
Helping the others dig through the debrisw, Xanver can't help but recognize something.
"Hey", chimed the oracle, "it looks like they were looking for something specific."
Brianne nods as Xanver speaks, muttering some magic under her breath. She takes another glance about the room, then starts for the nearest door leading into another room of the house.
Glornug looks around, bow still at the ready.
"I agree. Someone was searching for something here."
Emmet stays outside, near the door, keeping an eye out, and asks: "Can you tell whether they found it?"
After a little bit of extra digging...
Not begin professional trained, the oracle doesn't find anything else of note.
Glornug gets the diary and shows it to the others. "It looks like there was something here that someone didn't want seen."
"Neat", exclaims the oracle. "Let's show the officer!"