"I think it's safe to assume this is some sort of a set up, yes. None of us appears to be here by chance, and now we are, apparently the only people left alive int he place?"
"The question is, Who's test is it, and what does it involve?"
Colvare takes a good look at the other exits, looking for signs that appear unusual.
"So, do we try to chase whoever just locked us in? Assuming we can get out?"
Not really - it is getting dark, anyway, so it is hard to be sure.
Through a window, Colvare catches a glace of the last of the setting suns rays, and watches longingly.
"Is there anything on this guy to indicate why he might have been killed?"
Spot and Search (1d20+3, 1d20+1=[13, 3], [13, 1]) Whichever you think is more apropriate Aubry.
"Damn. Closed. In for the night, in for the blame."
Urthona looks around in the main hall and for any movement beyond, with Benedetto standing next to him.
"Damn. Closed. In for the night, in for the blame."
"I;m not so worried about the blame. We all alibi each other, and there are ways of checkin' t' see if we're tellin' the truth.
"I'm worried about somethin' killin' a feller that quick, and still hangin' around.
"Let's see what we can do 'bout sparing tomorrow's paper any grusesome headlines 'bout a museum mass-murderer who kills nine people. First off, let's get back to the others."
Benedetto shuts up for a half-minute. "Unless you heard somethin'."
"I know some little about death, though more so for my kind." Hamathin observes. "Mirra, is it? what have you found?"
Mirra looks around the body and examines the railing he is next to, "See these marks it looks like this man was down there and something pulled him up and over the railing. I think the lamp might confirm that because if it fell from here it would probably have more damage."
Mirra rolls the body over to get a better look at the man's mortal wound.
"What ever pulled him up here was pretty strong so keep your eyes open because I think it is still in the room." she says as she takes a quick look at the shadows above her.
Hamathin crouches next to Mirra, if she'll allow the help, but the human anatomy confounds his efforts to assist.
Joining the others in scanning the ceiling, in this case with Darkvision.
Benedetto walks back in, notices everybody looking at the ceiling, and decides to follow their lead.
"What're we lookin' at, folks?"
"What're we lookin' at, folks?"
"Well, we think this guy was pulled up here by something......If he was pulled, where the hell is whatever pulled him?"
"Well, we think this guy was pulled up here by something......If he was pulled, where the hell is whatever pulled him?"
Benedetto looks around and makes a mental note to himself: when entering a room, look up. Better yet, when entering a room, make sure someone else goes in first, and let him look up.
He looks back up at the ceiling. Why not?
"Has Raine yelled out into the shadows yet?"
A thought occurs. "Does it seem strange to anyone that onthe night this attack happened, there were eight unusually competent folks in the museum? That can't happen all that often. At least three of us were intendin' to meet a potential employer here tonight, and we call came armed and armored, and ready for a fight.
"Either our mysterious murderer is the unluckiest killer in Khovaire, or else we're the real targets."
"Well, we think this guy was pulled up here by something......If he was pulled, where the hell is whatever pulled him?"Benedetto looks around and makes a mental note to himself: when entering a room, look up. Better yet, when entering a room, make sure someone else goes in first, and let him look up.
He looks back up at the ceiling. Why not?
"Has Raine yelled out into the shadows yet?"
A thought occurs. "Does it seem strange to anyone that onthe night this attack hapened, there were eight unusually competent folks in the museum? That can't happen all that often. At least three of us were intendin' to meet a potential employer here tonight, and we call came armed and armored, and ready for a fight.
"Either our mysterious murderer is the unluckiest killer in Khovaire, or else we're the real targets."
"Rain, not recently, no."
"Or perhaps whoever was going to hire us let something slip that they shouldn't have, and our hire just disappeard in a poof of smoke?"
"Who are you hear to see? If you don't mind me asking?"
"Who are you hear to see? If you don't mind me asking?"
"It aint no secret. Word was that Morgrave was hiring for an trip down to Xendrik, and the coin was purty good. But m' contact, some gal by the name of Krone, who's in charge for security and hiring muscle, was supposed to be here half-an-hour past.
"You?"
"...some gal by the name of Krone..."
Rayne's ears perked up at the name.
"Heh, funny that. You and I were here to meet the same woman, Ben. She must be planning something pretty big to call us in at the same time."
"Heh, funny that. You and I were here to meet the same woman, Ben. She must be planning something pretty big to call us in at the same time."
Mirra looks up from the body, "I was also here to meet her so I don't think this is a coincidence." She looks over Andrei, "Who was this lady you were meeting, the same one?"
Hamathin is clearly startled. "Four -- five? more? -- of you were here to meet someone for a job? Was I the only one here because it's a museum? That would explain why I'm the unarmed one. There must have been some mistake."
"Yes, myself and Andrei are here to meet the lady you know as Krone, we were close friends, once, but she has been in Xendrik for years as far as I know."
"I am not sure what she wanted, but I know that to call on both me and Andrei, she must be in serious trouble."
"That she is not here yet is worrying, very, very worrying to me."
"If she is harmed, it will be worrying to whoever did the harming beofre long too."
Colvare starts he speak in a resigned manner, but obviously thinking through the implications as he speaks, by the end of this little speach, his eyes are aflame with a cold fury.
Hamathin is clearly startled. "Four -- five? more? -- of you were here to meet someone for a job? Was I the only one here because it's a museum? That would explain why I'm the unarmed one. There must have been some mistake."
After listening to Colvare's explanation Mirra looks back to the elf, "I know that she was a person to come talk to about mercenary work in Xen'drik but I don't think this has anything to do with that. I for one was not here to meet her about a job."
for Aubrey
Benedetto looks around the room. "All right. We were, most of us, invited here by the same woman. She wanted us all, well, most of us, here. She never showed up, the docent is dead --can somebody check to make sure he's not gonna rise all zombie-like?-- and we're locked in here, probably with the killer.
"I figger we need to find out what's goin' on, and we need to get out. And preferably in that order, 'cause once we open the doors, the killer's gonna be long gone.
"First things first. I think we ought to take a tour around the place and make sure there ain't something huge and pseudo-natural lurkin' in the next room over.
"Should we all go widdershins round the first floor, which would let a clever killer just shuffle along behind us; or should we split into two teams o' four, which would weaken any group that might come across him?"
A thought occurs. "Does it seem strange to anyone that onthe night this attack happened, there were eight unusually competent folks in the museum? That can't happen all that often.
"Like the elf Hamathin, I am here by chance. I came to see the artifacts, and I must say I've seen nothing here worth killing a man over. Well, very few things..." Shagraat flashes a toothy grin at the half-elf Mirra.
"Without knowing what it is that we face, the plan to split up carries its own perils. If we are splitting, we should have a high group and a low group. It will leave unexplored halls to our backs, but that can't be helped without splitting into three."
"For myself - I am armed," he holds one hand up in a fist, "though I could wish for a javelin or something if our foe is on the ceiling."
"How shall we split?"
--can somebody check to make sure he's not gonna rise all zombie-like?--
Hamathin, still looking at the body, answers as best he can. When he looks up, he notes the footprint. "Mirra -- did you see that?" he asks, pointing it out.
Hamathin, still looking at the body, answers as best he can. When he looks up, he notes the footprint. "Mirra -- did you see that?" he asks, pointing it out.[/ooc]
Mirra looks over at the foot print, "No I didn't, good eye."
She walks over and squats down to examine it, "Does anyone know how to track? I can try but I am not skilled at it."
Having remained quiet for a few moments, Andrei listens to the suggestions and ideas being thrown around. "I would be loath to separate the group." The Knight said finally. "Tactically speaking, I do not feel it would be very wise."
Thinking for a moment, Andrei spoke again. "Perhaps it would be wise to attempt to send one of our number outside to alert the watch." He said, looking at the shifter. "You seem fast on your feet. If we could find a way to get you out, do you think you could alert the watch?" Andrei asked, not even sure if they could get someone out.
"I agree that we are all here, but not by chance. It is within us to solve this mystery. What may I do to assist?" Andrei regretted that in a situation like this, Andrei was next to useless - there was nothing to fight.
bold.
"I guess the watch should be called."
"Of course, this group might be more capable of handling the problem than anything the watch sends. We certainly have a diverse set of skills. And I will confess a curiosity to seek the culprit."
Having heard nothing in the great hall, Urthona returns to the others, just in time to hear Andrei speak about him. "It's Urthona. Sure, watch needs note. Wanted to speak with Krone about Xendrik journey. How'd the guy got killed? Other corpses? Things stolen?"
Being message boy's better than knowing no church representative at all. This is m'first chance. If it doesn't work out, Ah'll charge m'normal fee.
"It's Urthona. Sure, watch needs note. Wanted to speak with Krone about Xendrik journey. How'd the guy got killed? Other corpses? Things stolen?"
Benedetto looks at Andrei with a cryptic expression on his face.
Sense Motive 10"Yep, we'll want to see if there are any other corpses -- Krone's springs immediately to mind as a possibility -- or anything stolen. That'll be a walkin tour of the museum, then.
"Andrei, you want us all to stick together? That's fine. When we're walkin', we'll want to watch our backs as well as our ceilings.
"Shagraat, Hamathin, your chore is to take careful note of the stuff on exhibit, and notice if anything seems out of place. Andrei, your job is to, well, whack at any huge pseudo-natural critter that's within arm's reach."
Shagraat complies with the request, looking around this gallery and the items displayed.
"I can move quietly at need, and the darkness does not impede my vision. If we're scouting this place out, perhaps I should stay on the periphery of the group - either ahead or behind, where your light does not disturb this advantage."
Turning to Hamathin, "This footprint you've found. Is it humanoid? Does it point away from the corpse, and if so, in which direction. Let's start this hunt."
"I will be sticking with you Andrei. I will stick to the center of the group so that my light will illuminate for us all."
Seeing the group begin to plan a search pattern to maximize their efficiency, Rayne nervously glances around the room.
"Well, er... I'll just... stick around until we're clear. Heh," his eyes darted to the shadowy regions of the room. "I'll... do what I can to help, which isn't much."
He raised his leather-gloved right hand, revealing a row of vicious spikes across the knuckles.
"Well, er... I'll just... stick around until we're clear. Heh," his eyes darted to the shadowy regions of the room. "I'll... do what I can to help, which isn't much."
"Rayne, what are your strong suits? It's better to figger out our positions on the team before we meet the opposition.
"Particularly when the other team has the home field advantage."
Damn bad time to leave my bow at home.
Mirra loosens her rapier, "I have got a sword and dagger so I am limited on range. I also got a couple tricks I can throw out if I need to."
Colvare casually loads a non-glowing bolt into his crossbow...
"I have the range covered, either with Bessie here, or a few tricks."
"Just point me to the danger. Then it's slice'n'dice."
"Just point me where the danger is. Then it's slice and dice."
Benedetto resists the urge to point at Raine.
"F'r myself, I'm kinda a self-taught mentalist. I can tell when people are lyin', or I can protect folks from damage if I'm right close by.
"As I said, I'm a guardsman."