Bethany does a quick flyby of the scene and then settles on an overhang to look down upon the scene, taking in the surroundings but still within earshot of the others.
Perception Check. (1d20=6)
She is too intent on listening to what the others are saying to concentrate on what's going on around her.
Swift grins playfully and inhales the scent of the flowers once more with a purr.
"An admirer" She replies with a hint of mischief in her tone as she lightly scratches Mercutio under the chin.
Merle nods already having a fair idea of who the admirer is before heading back to the main room to wait for the other group to return. Its hard not to notice that she seems a bit twitchy and nervous when talking to Swift and once back in the main area begins to pace a lot.
Swift scampers off and puts the flowers in her room, practically dancing the whole way there before putting them somnewhere where they'll get the most light and look pretiest. She's not gone long before she returns, grinning at the little faerie dragon before spotting Merle's pacing and finally coming down off of her little happy cloud.
"Merle? Are you okay?"
The Gatehouse team scans the alley, but there seems to be nothing magical or particularly hostile in the immediate area. Drazek and Bethany don't spot anything in the sky or on the rooftops. Justin's magical lights illuminate the alley, but show nothing more than a few rats and some Xaos graffitti on the slime-slicked bricks of the surrounding tenements.
Justin examines the cooling corpse in the fetid muck. There is no sign of blood or a wound, but the berk ain't breathing, and he's turning that particular shade of grey that deaders do. Other than that he looks as if he's sleeping off a drunk.
"There's nothing hostile currently present. What are we supposed to do now? Something killed him, and it terrified him while it was happening. There are ways to frighten someone to death. Is it possible that's what happened here?"
She holds herself alert as she speaks, not cowering at all. She's taller than most people realize since she is usually trying so hard to make herself look small. Her amber eyes continue to scan the area carefully, monitoring for hostility. Her voice is calm and her words are firm and clear, not whispered or stuttering.
Justin glances at Neridre when she speaks, raising an eyebrow at the difference in the young woman. But continues his examination of the body.
"No obvious wounds. Not even signs of strangulation. Unusual in that even the most subtle of spells leave at least tell-tale marks. As do life-draining undead."
Justin looks up with his customary smirk, but a thoughtfully furrowed brow.
"I've heard of people being frightened to death. But I've never actually seen it. I imagine it's actually very hard to do. And I've seen some things that scared the ,... well, they were scary." Justin finishes with a self-conscious cough. He pats the man's clothes, looking for items he might be carrying.
"Though I have heard of one or two spells that might be able to do it. But they're very powerful. Not something a street thug or even a casual caster would be able to control."
Justin stands up from the body and takes another glance around. It's hard to tell if he's nervous, or frustrated.
"I'm guessing that being found over a corpse isn't usually a good thing? Even in this neighborhood? We should probably beat feet before the guards arrive. Assuming they Do arrive in this district. But if you think we can afford to wait just a bit, I'd like to try and see if there is residual magic on the body. I'll need about a minute. Can we risk it?" He asks Karrin.
;)
Swift scampers off and puts the flowers in her room, practically dancing the whole way there before putting them somnewhere where they'll get the most light and look pretiest. She's not gone long before she returns, grinning at the little faerie dragon before spotting Merle's pacing and finally coming down off of her little happy cloud.
"Merle? Are you okay?"
Merle looks up at Swift
"I'm worried about Seph I didn't think the other group would be so far away that I wouldn't be able to feel him through the mind link. Now that I cant it feels like there is a huge gaping hole in my thoughts where he normally is."
"He wasn't always there Merle, I'm sure you'll be fine if you stop dwelling" swift replies with a lazy stretch "besides, I'm sure they'll all be back soon and Karrin would never let anything bad happen to a cute kitty" She adds with a grin.
"Maybe your right" Sounding less than sure as she says this she sits herself down and try's to keep her self from fidgeting. "It just feels so strange not having his presence in my mind after so long."
Frowning slightly Swift sits herself beside Merle and briefly and gently strokes behind the other young woman's ears. Quietly she speaks in a series of meowing sounds.
Feline;
"If we can spare the time, we should let Justin make sure if it was magic. Even if it wasn't magic, it would be helpful to eliminate a possibility."
Justin nods and chants a few words softly. His eyes begin to shine faintly with a silvery radiance, hiding the iris. He holds out his hand, as if not sure of his depth perception.
"I can always cut it short if we have too. But I really want to know what killed him. Hang on a minute,..." He mutters, already staring at the corpse by his feet.
Frowning slightly Swift sits herself beside Merle and briefly and gently strokes behind the other young woman's ears. Quietly she speaks in a series of meowing sounds.
Feline; ** spoiler omitted **
Merle simply nods
Feline
"There ain't no magic on the rooftops or in the alley," Drazek says turning so that they can see the glow behind his eyes. "Might be a witness though, Bethany cover me will ya doll?"
He walks towards the side of one of the alley's buildings, and to everyone's surprise walks up along it's side without breaking stride, looking for open windows or any other indication of an onlooker.
Karrin looks to the body and then too her team mates.
"Do whatever you need to do Justin," Karrin says, "but let's make it quick. I don't want the hardheads finding us picking over the body. I'm going to keep watch, if I see a hardhead I'll have to wave him down, but I'll keep anyone else out."
Karrin quickly runs to the mouth of the alleyway and scans the streets.
"I heard him mention the Winged Lord. I know that he is wont to strike down those he deems unworthy, but to do so to a mu... landbound being is almost unheard of."
"Bethany cover me will ya doll?"
Bethany nods and reaches behind her head, pulling a large strangely cut bow from inside of the obviously too small quiver at her back. The bow itself is made from a polished, dark purplish brown wood and appears to have two additional larger grips on either side of the smaller normal grip. She then proceeds to pull an arrow from the same, apparently not so empty, quiver and nock it. She uses this to cover Drazek's ascent up the building.
"There ain't no magic on the rooftops or in the alley," Drazek says turning so that they can see the glow behind his eyes. "Might be a witness though, Bethany cover me will ya doll?"
He walks towards the side of one of the alley's buildings, and to everyone's surprise walks up along it's side without breaking stride, looking for open windows or any other indication of an onlooker.
"Showoff." Justin mutters, still staring at the body.
But his smirk belies the harshness of the word.
Isaac eats his dinner (the vegetarian option, or just the special without meat) quietly, leaving Renkar and Hanali to continue their conversation. If it isn't considered bad manners to smoke in the Cauldron, he turns on his chair so he isn't blowing smoke at his employers and chain smokes until the other team returns, lost in his reverie. The sight of the undead at the Mortuary brought on some rotten memories and even more rotten reminders: mortality. Worms crawling through your dead husk when life leaves it ain't a pleasant thought, but at least those worms have that tiny spark of potential and the Divine. Nothing Divine about being the tethered pet of a Dustman by an invisible leash of negative energy, though.
Seph sticks close to Karrin looking down either end of the street and generally just trying to be as helpful as possible.
Karrin quickly runs to the mouth of the alleyway and scans the streets.
Karrin sees a group of Xaos gangers heading down the street. These aren't your garden-variety Hive kids out on a lark. These all look like hard men, well armed and with a motley collection of boiled leather and metal armor. They will be passing your way momentarily
He walks towards the side of one of the alley's buildings, and to everyone's surprise walks up along it's side without breaking stride, looking for open windows or any other indication of an onlooker.
Drazek walks up the crazy-quilt wall surface of the tenement, looking for open windows and onlookers. There are few windows facing the alley, and they mostly have greyish wood louvers that are snapped shut. If anything went on, the tenement dwellers have shut themselves in, fearing it will happen to them
Karrin sees a group of Xaos gangers heading down the street. These aren't your garden-variety Hive kids out on a lark. These all look like hard men, well armed and with a motley collection of boiled leather and metal armor. They will be passing your way momentarily
Karrin quickly runs to the mouth of the alleyway and scans the streets.
Karrin eyes the punks. As they draw closer she readies her axe:
"Evening boys," she snarls, the blue glow of her axe highlights the sharp features of her face, particularly her teeth, "you seen any hardheads around here?"
Swift looks back and forth between Merle and Isaac before giving a little sigh, looking a little bored. "Why all the quiet moody contemplation? Could we not do something fun whilst we wait?"
Karrin eyes the punks. As they draw closer she readies her axe:"Evening boys," she snarls, the blue glow of her axe highlights the sharp features of her face, particularly her teeth, "you seen any hardheads around here?"
The group halts and stares at Karrin. One, dressed in better armor and carrying a Greatsword strapped to his wide back steps forward. This cutter is a bruiser, might have a dash of ogre or something equally brawny in his lineage. He's certainly ugly enough.
Behind him six cutters stand, muttering, hands on weapons. One steps up to the leader's side, an odd-looking cutter with a weird rusty iron mask on his face and long rusty claw gloves on his hands.
The leader growls out in Xaos slang at Karrin:
"Doing here are berks what you? Turf is Xaos this. Trespass don't berks what like we."
His lieutenant with the iron mask hisses
"Mordrigaarz says I 'em we cuts ."
He flourishes the long steel nails of his gloves
Swift looks back and forth between Merle and Isaac before giving a little sigh, looking a little bored. "Why all the quiet moody contemplation? Could we not do something fun whilst we wait?"
"Have anything in mind?"
Swift gives a small shrug at Merle's enquiry. "Not really but anything would be better than this right?"
"Ah." Justin says. More of a sigh actually. "There you are,..." He mutters. He peers at the body with renewed interest.
Justin winces as the new arrivals speak, as though in pain.
'It's bad enough that no one in this entire stinkin' dimension can speak basic common. But then they have to go and mutilate what little they DO speak. It's enough to make a grown mage cry.
Nari moves towards Karrin, making sure to keep between Justin and the end of the alleyway, so he doesn't get rudely interrupted before he can finish his investigation.
The group halts and stares at Karrin. One, dressed in better armor and carrying a Greatsword strapped to his wide back steps forward. This cutter is a bruiser, might have a dash of ogre or something equally brawny in his lineage. He's certainly ugly enough.Behind him six cutters stand, muttering, hands on weapons. One steps up to the leader's side, an odd-looking cutter with a weird rusty iron mask on his face and long rusty claw gloves on his hands.
The leader growls out in Xaos slang at Karrin:
"Doing here are berks what you? Turf is Xaos this. Trespass don't berks what like we."
His lieutenant with the iron mask hisses
"Mordrigaarz says I 'em we cuts ."
He flourishes the long steel nails of his gloves
"Oh that's precious," Karrin laughs, "I suppose that gets local Yokels quaking in there boots but save it for the ladies, I know what's the most dangerous thing in this alley and I'm not in the mood to humor ya. I'm a mercenary. I hurt and kill people for a living, I ain't some hobbyist, but lucky for you I don't like killing without any jink. That's not to say I won't, don't get me wrong, I love my job, I mean that's why I called you over, watching this alley is boring, but I ain't moving till my team's finished looking over that body back there. Now we can play this posing game, you can make a move, or maybe we can do something constructive: you say this is your terf? Maybe you boys know something useful. You know anything about the dead barnies or this shadow killer? I mean someone's hunting crazies on your terf. Me and my team are looking for this cutter."
Now we can play this posing game, you can make a move, or maybe we can do something constructive: you say this is your terf? Maybe you boys know something useful. You know anything about the dead barnies or this shadow killer? I mean someone's hunting crazies on your terf. Me and my team are looking for this cutter."
The leader pauses, taking in Karrin's horns, teeth, and big axe. He addresses her in slightly more comprehensible speech.
"We knows someone is hunting barmies. We're here to teach them a lesson about poaching on our turf. Who's to say you're not the one putting them in the dead book? I want to see the deader, all you berks just back off."
His clawed lieutenent hisses
"Trick it's Mordrigaarz a! Laugh you giving they're the !"
Arcana: 1d20+11=31, Spellcraft (Concentration): 1d20+11=13
Justin leans forward eagerly, tracing the faint aura he's located, but blinks and growls at hearing the group harangue Karrin.
Justin leans forward eagerly, tracing the faint aura he's located, but blinks and growls at hearing the group harangue Karrin.
Justin:
Karrin activates her belt of Giant Growth (pg 73 MIC ) and bellows at the clawed goon:
"You think I'm fooling you Bert!" She roars as she towers over the gang, she easily lifts her now giant axe over her head with one hand and points with her spiked gauntlet, "Just make a move chuckles so Ferissirion can consume your soul!!"
Supposing the lieutenant backs down, Karrin turns and replies to the gang leader:
"You can peep after my boy is finished looking him over," Karrin says using a more conciliatory voice, "someone magic-ed him up good, no marks, no nothing. But we got a couple spell slingers and they're using their stuff to have a look, and that takes time. It's dark magic I'll guess. powerful stuff. I think it's necromancy or maybe the work of some dark cult. Not much kills without leaving a mark. You know anything we'd appreciate it. You don't want something hunting on your grounds and we need this thing taken down for favors. We work together and we cover more ground. We got no reason to make any claims on the kill either, far as I'm concerned this can be all your work."
His clawed lieutenent hisses
"Trick it's Mordigaarz a! Laugh you giving they're the !"
Justin growls and raises his gaze to the sky in frustration.
"Sunuvamurglak. Would it Kill them to speak common?!?" He mutters as he rises from over the body.
"And they're making enough racket to wake the dead. And we have quite enough of those around already!" He complains louder as he stalks towards the alley mouth and the source of his irritation. His spheres of light turn a more reddish color in response to his temper as he draws up behind Karrin and the quiet elvish lass.
"What's up Karrin? You find me some more volunteers for my toad-transformation spell?" He asks sweetly, staring daggers at mister rusty-claws.
Justin's spheres of light drift in behind him. With the light behind them, and in the eyes of the newcomers, the (visible) team becomes blurry, shadowy figures. The stare he gives mr rusty is flat and emotionless.
Swift gives a small shrug at Merle's enquiry. "Not really but anything would be better than this right?"
"I suppose." Merle seems to ponder for a minute on something to.
Feline
... classic stuff ...
Upon seeing Karrin enlarge and bellow at them, the Xaos boys are a lot less aggressive. The masked lieutenant hisses and scuttles back to the others. The leader approaches, hands out in a peaceful gesture.
"Right. You're a hende lot of bloods. No worries. We're looking, just like you. We don't like leatherheads what think they can bash our barmies for sport. Now you want to look at the deader, go ahead. Could I take a look? No crosstrading, Lady's Honor."
He comes a bit closer after gesturing the others to stay back
"I'm Mordrigaarz. I keep an eye out for my faction in this area, when I feels like it."
He puts a big paw out for Karrin to shake
With all current threats seemingly over, Nari sort of folds in on herself, losing the aura of confidence and competence and once more appearing to be just a frightened little mouse. She continues to monitor the area alertly.
Naridre:
Seph lets out a large "Mreeeowww" as he finds himself suddenly a good 10 feet off the ground whilst still perched on Karrins shoulder.
Upon seeing Karrin enlarge and bellow at them, the Xaos boys are a lot less aggressive. The masked lieutenant hisses and scuttles back to the others. The leader approaches, hands out in a peaceful gesture.
"Right. You're a hende lot of bloods. No worries. We're looking, just like you. We don't like leatherheads what think they can bash our barmies for sport. Now you want to look at the deader, go ahead. Could I take a look? No crosstrading, Lady's Honor."
He comes a bit closer after gesturing the others to stay back
"I'm . I keep an eye out for my faction in this area, when I feels like it."
He puts a big paw out for Karrin to shake
Karrin keeps her massive size but switches her axe over to her mitt hand and rests her axe on her shoulder
"Karrin Kind," Karrin says extending her own hand, Karrin uses a strong grip to show she's not faking her incredible strength, "We want this leatherhead taken down Mordrigaarz, call it charity, and for what it's worth my group's not going to contest your authority here. For one thing you got lots of toughs, we respect that, second we ain't been paid and their no sense fighting and dieing for nothing, you gots honour to protect but we mercenary need money ta fight. You seem a sharp cutter. Someone we can work with. Go on though, but I'm watching your boys here, no offense but I don't trust them enough yet not to do something needlessly violent and stupid. I think the teams done looking it over."
Nari keeps a close eye on the xaosmen, especially the one with the claws. She makes sure never to lose line of sight.
... Go on though, but I'm watching your boys here, no offense but I don't trust them enough yet not to do something needlessly violent and stupid. I think the teams done looking it over."
Mordrigaarz gives back pretty good on the shake. He's just shy of seven feet himself, and build like a brick shipyard. He flexes his hand when Karrin releases it and nods in appreciation
"You say true an' I say thankya, Karrin. I'll go in by meself, an' if these pack of jackals don't watch their manners you have my permission to flatten them."
Mordrigaarz goes into the alley and briefly inspects the body. He emerges and addresses Karrin again.
"You folks see any leatherheads scarpering from the scene? This be the sixth unmarked deader we've found in two weeks around our kip here."
Mordrigaarz looks a bit annoyed.