"Aye, that's exactly what it sounded like. What's the tongue?"
Perception: 1d20+11=17
"Infernal."
Drazek looks at Bethany's drenched form with an expression that blends amusement and carnal appreciation.
"More's the pity darlin'"
The Gatehouse group heads towards the Inprocessing office. They wait in line until a Bleaker approaches them and asks their business. Upon asking to see Grendyll, they are led to a small office where a large female scribbles on several parchment sheets. She looks to have an ogre or hill giant parent. She tops out at seven feet six inches and has two tusks jutting from her mouth. A large iron-shod staff leans up against a wall nearby. She looks up as the group is announced.
"Wot can I help yeh with cutters?" She asks in a gravelly basso voice
The market group stands in Lot's Lane contemplating their next move. The rain soaks them as the leaden sky darkens a bit
"The Hivers beat us to the punch, Bethany. Not a scrap left of clothes, chivs or jink. Hells, if the hair on those berks' heads was worth a green they'd take that too."
He frowns for a second.
"Y'know, Bethany... if you need jink for clothes I can loan you some. The laundress gave me her sister's (or some other relation's) address for tailoring, said she was top-shelf. And if there's a tailor anywhere on the Planes that can make clothes for someone like you, you'll find 'em in Sigil."
"Anyways, let's quit coolin' our heels. Still work to do."
"Anyways, let's quit coolin' our heels. Still work to do."
The group sets off down Lot's Lane, eager to put the scene of the attack behind them. No Hardheads show, not a real surprise, and after the excitement, the crowd disperses, some with a little more jink in their pockets than when they started the day. The rain continues on unabated, washing the red bloodstains down the mucky street.
The group passes a dilapidated kip with the sign: Cranium rat bounty paid here, live animals only please, 2 Stingers per. The group sees a withered Githzeri inside with several ugly rats in cages.
As they finally near the end of Lot's Lane a tout runs up to them and shoves a cheap handbill in Issac's hands.
"Best fresh meats and pets in the Hive ser! " The young tout shouts as he runs off to distribute more handbills.
Turning onto Stump Street, the group passes dozens of cheap ale houses, theaters, burlesques and bordellos. Even in the early Afterpeak, these places are doing a bang-on business. They pass a tavern called Shrinkers with a sign with a large rat fighting a small man.
Stump Street eventually teists and turns into Tea Street, and the Hive is left behind. The party heads into the Clerk's Ward, passing the Tea Street Transit yard, where dozens of pony cabs await renting.
Taking the side streets to Sandstone row from Tea Street, the group passes a tavern called the Crooked Sword.
The Gatehouse group heads towards the Inprocessing office. They wait in line until a Bleaker approaches them and asks their business. Upon asking to see Grendyll, they are led to a small office where a large female scribbles on several parchment sheets. She looks to have an ogre or hill giant parent. She tops out at seven feet six inches and has two tusks jutting from her mouth. A large iron-shod staff leans up against a wall nearby. She looks up as the group is announced.
"Wot can I help yeh with cutters?" She asks in a gravelly basso voice
4,
3,
2,
"Hello I'm Karrin Kind and these are my associates," Karrin says as she points to her companions, pausing long enough for them to introduce themselves, "and we're hunting a . . . hmmm, maybe I better not start with that, you see we're part of a mercenary company, The Silver Rose actually, and yesterday we were given the task to hunt down a wizard or scribe by the name of Eliath. He went missing a couple of days ago you see, more then a week ago anyways, and his current employer wants us to find him and bring him back. Anyways the guy was last seen in the wards, acting kinda loopy, sort of Barny like, and so we came here to try to find him . . . but, and this is where the story starts to get interesting and where it should start to become of interest to you, anyways we find out that Eliath is already dead, or so some Collector says, and when we ask to see the body she says it's already been destroyed. Kinda strange huh? Anyways, or meanwhile I should say like they do in the story books, so meanwhile our group catches wind of report of some murder going around and killing Barnies, oh I should also say that we were split up at the time, I guess I forgot to say that and you might be wondering how we move around so fast! We can cover more ground working in smaller strike squads. It's a tactical decision that our boss made and he's been at this job so much longer then I am so who am I to argue? Anyways we get told about this murder running around and guess when the killings start? Well before you guess the same time I have to tell you we're not quite that lucky, dates it seems are hard to pin down because this killer isn't messy, the bodies don't have a scratch on them in fact, which is doubly interesting because I understand that's how Eliath was found, or so the collector claims, and so, without a mark on them, one might think that these poor sods died of natural causes or something, but people did figure out that all these barnies weren't dieing of naturally, and so they did figure out there was a murderer on the loose, and they're close enough that Eliath could have been one of the first victims!
"I think I better tell you that we need to find out about Eliath, I mean that's our job and our responsibility, but we might have to track down this killer and put it down . . . to find out if there's any connection of course . . . because we need to do our jobs, if you know what I'm saying. Anyways we were told by people that you're the one we should see and that you might know who to send us to talk too."
Karrin pauses at this point to take a deep breath, perhaps seeming to those in the room that she might launch into another long tangent (much to their horror), but what she follows up with is short and sweet:
"So can you help us?"
long rant
Grendyll looks a bit glazed as the words tumble out of Karrin's mouth, but she perks up a bit when mention is made about barmies getting scragged.
"As a matter of fact, I know someone who is from our faction who is working on that matter. I think she's out in the Hive, but if you want to wait she should be back by Before Antipeak. Her name is Derioch."
Perception roll in Clerk's Ward:
DC 20:
One cutter seated inside catches your eye. He is sitting with two obvious Takers towards the back of the common room, and he is wearing a Taken faction symbol as well. He is tall, skinny, and has ginger coloring and long kinky red hair, now tied severely in a ponytail. The berk is the spitting image of the barmy that you saw scragged in the Hive, the one who spouted all those demon lord names. He looks anything but barmy now, and he is relaxing and chatting with the other two Takers. His brown waistcoat has been replaced by a rough but clean tunic and a good black wool cloak.
long rantGrendyll looks a bit glazed as the words tumble out of Karrin's mouth, but she perks up a bit when mention is made about barmies getting scragged.
"As a matter of fact, I know someone who is from our faction who is working on that matter. I think she's out in the Hive, but if you want to wait she should be back by Before Antipeak. Her name is Derioch."
"We've already spoken to Derioch," Nari says quietly. "We were trying to find anyone who knew or had seen Eli while he was still alive, to try and backtrack from there. But once the subject of murders comes up nobody remembers those sorts of details."
Isaac passes by the Crooked Sword for a few paces, does a double take and backpedals. As casually as he can manage, he indicates the diners to Justin, who seems to have noticed as well.
"I didn't know the deadbook had a page for temporary lodgers."
"We've already spoken to Derioch," Nari says quietly. "We were trying to find anyone who knew or had seen Eli while he was still alive, to try and backtrack from there. But once the subject of murders comes up nobody remembers those sorts of details."
Grendyll frowns, a fearsome aspect with her tusks
"I don't know what else I can tell yeh cutter. We have so many folks come through here, one barmy or another isn't going to make a lot of difference. Derioch has been skirting the marches, looking for clues, she'd be the one to talk to. If you've talked to her already, I don't know what else to tell yeh."
Grendyll frowns, a fearsome aspect with her tusks"I don't know what else I can tell yeh cutter. We have so many folks come through here, one barmy or another isn't going to make a lot of difference. Derioch has been skirting the marches, looking for clues, she'd be the one to talk to. If you've talked to her already, I don't know what else to tell yeh."
"I understand. Thank you for your time. We'll just have to keep looking." To Karrin and Merle, "I think it's probably time for us to go and see if we can't find any more clues ourselves. Er, if you don't mind I'd like a few minutes before we go. There's someone I'd like to see."
Isaac passes by the Crooked Sword for a few paces, does a double take and backpedals. As casually as he can manage, he indicates the diners to Justin, who seems to have noticed as well.
"I didn't know the deadbook had a page for temporary lodgers."
"How 'bout we ask 'im how the visit was? Gettin' anything Justin?"
"I understand. Thank you for your time. We'll just have to keep looking." To Karrin and Merle, "I think it's probably time for us to go and see if we can't find any more clues ourselves. Er, if you don't mind I'd like a few minutes before we go. There's someone I'd like to see."
"Well actually we know less then nothing about this killer, even though we nearly stumbled across it yesterday . . ."
Karrin almost waits for the inevitable interruption.
With Drazek's suggestion, Isaac walks toward the now un-deadbooked, unbarmy "Taker"'s table. His walk becomes more of a shamble, his face twitches seemingly at random and his shoulders slump.
"H-hey!",he calls to the man with red hair,"Do you, do you remember me? Betcha couldnna forget, hey? It's me, Phil! Phil from the warehouse, with the pains in his head? Hav-haven't seen you in a while! Wow, why's it so bright in here, hey?"
He blinks and scrunches up his face.
"So what happened? I heard you were a deader. Just left for lu-lunch one day and never came back."
Wondering why the others have stopped, Bethany begins to ask when she sees Isaac and Drazek head into the Bar next to them. Curious, she follows, but hangs back a little in case something is up.
Drazek acts as amused as everyone else by the crazy stranger.
Justin does his own double-take almost as Isaac does. His eyebrow threatens to hide itself in his hairline.
"Yeah, Those undertakers do great work here. He looks better than he did the last time I saw him. Cleans up real good too."
He frowns as he looks at who he is sitting and talking with, doing his best to remember what he has learned about all of the different factions in Sigil.
;P
He thinks to himself, 'I have to get Skyy to give me a refresher course on the factions in this insane asylum. Course, last night she wasn't interested in talking, as such,...' He smirks for a moment before realizing that Isaac and Drazek are waiting for him to respond.
"Um, Sure, yeah, let's go ask him how he liked it. I hear it's very relaxing. Be an interesting story I'm sure." He follows the others in, and when Isaac goes into his act, Justin catches on and heads past everyone else to the bar.
Justin does his own double-take almost as Isaac does. His eyebrow threatens to hide itself in his hairline.
"Yeah, Those undertakers do great work here. He looks better than he did the last time I saw him. Cleans up real good too."
He frowns as he looks at who he is sitting and talking with, doing his best to remember what he has learned about all of the different factions in Sigil.
;P
He thinks to himself, 'I have to get Skyy to give me a refresher course on the factions in this insane asylum. Course, last night she wasn't interested in talking, as such,...' He smirks for a moment before realizing that Isaac and Drazek are waiting for him to respond.
"Um, Sure, yeah, let's go ask him how he liked it. I hear it's very relaxing. Be an interesting story I'm sure." He follows the others in, and when Isaac goes into his act, Justin catches on and heads past everyone else to the bar.
The three Takers look up, the red-haired ex-barmy looks at you oddly
"Um, Phil? I think you might have me confused with someone else. I just got to Sigil, and I haven't really met many folks except for my new friends here in my new faction, the Fated."
The two Takers seated with him nod.
"They was just giving me the um ..'chant' .. on what I'll be doing as a namer. You might have me confused with someone else.."
Karrin almost waits for the inevitable interruption.
Grendyll jerks
"Yeh almost got the berk? Well, what happened? Yeh should definitely talk to Derioch now!"
"Phil" reels a bit, blinking, his mouth opening and closing.
"C-c-couldda swore it was you, eh? Yah used to b-bring cranium, cranium rat stew to work every day. Mmmm."
He licks his lips and rubs his stomach for a second, thinking of how delicious a pot of cranium rats could be. He's interrupted by another spasm though and blinks rapidly to clear the pains in his head.
"All, alright. Enjoy your mah-meal, whoever you are."
Isaac stumbles back outside, continuing down the street for a few paces before slipping into an alley to drop the charade.
Issac (and anyone else who gets a 15 or higher):
Bethany watches Isaac's act from off to one side, appearing to look at the table behind "Red". She listens to him give his excuse, but is positive it's the dead man from the alley.
Sense Motive Check. (1d20=11)
She watches Isaac leave, but stays behind to catch the man's reaction to his encounter with "Phil".
Perception Check. (1d20=10)
She watches Isaac leave, but stays behind to catch the man's reaction to his encounter with "Phil".
Perception Check. (1d20=10)
Bethany:
Seeing "Red"'s reaction, Bethany heads outside to meet up with Isaac and report her assessment of the situation.
"Isaac I am certain that is the dead Barmy we found yesterday. He seemed a bit flustered by your conversation, but calmed down soon after."
She c o c k s her head to the side. "How do you think he is back? Some kind of ressurection magic? But to what end?"
DING! DING! Goes the alarm in Justin mind as he turns from the bar to observe the interaction between Isaac and the guy formerly-known-as-dead.
'Riiiight, And I'm the queen of Sheba.' He muses as he looks around the bar as if looking for someone, actually looking to see if anyone ELSE is taking an interest in Isaac's conversation.
BLUFF to look as if I'm just looking for a friend: 1d20+1=15
PER to see if anyone else is taking an interest in Isaac & Mr. Red head: 1d20+5=17
Seeing "Red"'s reaction, Bethany heads outside to meet up with Isaac and report her assessment of the situation.
"Isaac I am certain that is the dead Barmy we found yesterday. He seemed a bit flustered by your conversation, but calmed down soon after."
She c o c k s her head to the side. "How do you think he is back? Some kind of ressurection magic? But to what end?"
Isaac starts to lean against the wall, takes a look at it and reconsiders.
"Aye and a pitiless bastard, too: he didn't even ask about the pains in my head! You know a guy for years (or, in my case, meet him for the very first time) you expect a little sympathy for an old friend with pains in his brainbox!"
He rifles for a second for his tobacco pouch, then thinks better of it and pushes it aside.
"I think resurrection's too expensive (and from what I hear, draining) to waste on a barmy berk. And besides, the Dusties are against it, mostly. What I think, someone convinced him he was in the deadbook, Collectors picked him up thinking he was a few greens in their palm and then someone undoes the spell and sends him on his way as a Taker. That's a quick turn-around: he was cold when your lot found 'im last antipeak, right?"
"Barmies aren't missed. Even the Bleakers can barely keep track of 'em and there're always more. So what Toranna has (and I'm as sure as I can be without hard proof that she's mixed up here) is a free, anonymous army of spies she can send into the other factions. That's the only way I can imagine this being profitable enough to go through all of this: darks from the inside. And our lad Eliath is probably out there somewhere, pretending not to be Eliath or convinced that he never was. I got an idea to crack our friend in there, but I'll wait until Justin and your man Drazek get out of there to explain it."
. That's a quick turn-around: he was cold when your lot found 'im last antipeak, right?"
Extra special Meta-gamey DM spoiler for everybody:
Drazek:
BLUFF to look as if I'm just looking for a friend: 1d20+1=15PER to see if anyone else is taking an interest in Isaac & Mr. Red head: 1d20+5=17
Justin is a pro at fading into the background. The three Takers don't even look at him. There's even an open table near them if he wanted to sit down.
No one in the bar seems to be paying especial interest in Issac or Red and his two faction pals. Most folks are eating a late lunch, or getting an early bub on after a rough day of collecting taxes.
Bethany raises a feathered eyebrow at the 'Your Man Drazek' comment, but lets it slide.
"That sounds like a plausible theory. So what exactly is keeping them from just leaving once they're away from that Mortuary place? Unless he truly didn't know about his former life and just got flustered because he was embarrased about his amnesia."
She thinks for a second. "So what you're saying is that Toranna makes them appear dead so they get taken in to the Mortuary, then revives them and wipes their memory. She then gives them a story and sends them off to spy on other Factions for her."
Grendyll jerks"Yeh almost got the berk? Well, what happened? Yeh should definitely talk to Derioch now!"
"Well as I was saying we sort of stumbled across the attack, well more accurately we heard the attack, and although we got there as fast as could we were already too late. All we found was the body. Our spell slingers might have found something with their magic, and there were things the poor barny was shouting, but as of right now we can't make heads or tails of it."
Karrin scratches her head, "I really feel like we're missing something at this point. Maybe some silly clue will start pulling things together. I don't know. I'm not that sort of problem solver."
Karrin pats her axe to illustrate her point.
Bethany raises a feathered eyebrow at the 'Your Man Drazek' comment, but lets it slide.
"That sounds like a plausible theory. So what exactly is keeping them from just leaving once they're away from that Mortuary place? Unless he truly didn't know about his former life and just got flustered because he was embarrased about his amnesia."
She thinks for a second. "So what you're saying is that Toranna makes them appear dead so they get taken in to the Mortuary, then revives them and wipes their memory. She then gives them a story and sends them off to spy on other Factions for her."
"Aye, that'd be about the shape of it. She's the only one I could think of that would have access to the unclaimed deaders without anyone looking over her shoulder. And it would explain deaders found without marks on 'em."
Grendyll nods her warty tusked brain box
"Still, yeh should palaver with Derioch. Mayhap she can help yeh put the pieces together."
As if summoned by magic, the plain raw-boned face of Derioch appears in the doorway of Grendyll's office. She nods to the group, the scar on her face looking red against her pale tired features.
"Ah! I had heard yeh lot were back in the Gatehouse! I was thinking on getting in touch with yeh, I think I might have found a lead on yer lad Eliath."
Nari had been about to wander off on her own for a few minutes, to go and check on her teacher, but she stopped when she saw Derioch. She kept to the background, letting the others do the talking, and rarely glancing up. She spent a lot of time studying feet thanks to her shyness.
OK, Justin is going to cast 'Message' to eavesdrop on Red, and maybe mess with him later, we'll see. Now the spell description says that it sends whispered messages, not everything spoken. So it might not work if you translate it literally that way. But they are alsdo trying to have a private conversation, so they will not be shouting, and this doesn't seem like a noisy bar. So if I cast it on Red, I should be able to hear what he whispers, even if not the others. I COULD cast it on all of them, but when they start hearing their whispers in their own ears, that would give it away.
Oh, and the spell description says NO save throw, and NO spell resistance, so theoretically, I could cast this on him and he would never know it???
What do you say o Monkey Master? :)
Justin orders a beer, takes it, and sips. He looks around the bar again, idly toying with a short piece of copper wire,...
Drazek watches Justin's actions and prepares to cover him in the event of a necessarily hasty exit.
Justin:
You can whisper messages and receive whispered replies with little chance of being overheard. You point your finger at each creature you want to receive the message. When you whisper, the whispered message is audible to all targeted creatures within range. Magical silence, 1 foot of stone, 1 inch of common metal (or a thin sheet of lead), or 3 feet of wood or dirt blocks the spell. The message does not have to travel in a straight line. It can circumvent a barrier if there is an open path between you and the subject, and the path’s entire length lies within the spell’s range. The creatures that receive the message can whisper a reply that you hear. The spell transmits sound, not meaning. It doesn’t transcend language barriers.
Note: To speak a message, you must mouth the words and whisper, possibly allowing observers the opportunity to read your lips.
With a sigh of exasperation Justin tucks the little coil of wire back into his pocket, snags his beer, and moves to the empty table with his back to Red and his friends. He slumps into his chair as if resigned to a long wait, and looks only from his beer to the doorway and back, as if expecting someone.
Justin:
"We'll get you settled into a flat nearby, an' Grevis here will be your squad leader. Your job is gonna be working the streets with him in the Guildhall Ward collectin' taxes. You'll be more for show, but keep those bonebox holes open and watch what he does with yer peepers. Yeh might be takin' his job over some day once he gets to be factotum."
The other Taker, presumably Grevis, starts in
"Now I know yeh is fresh out the portal, still with a bit of Prime dust on yer boots, but yeh seemed to have adjusted to the Cage right well. I'm taking a big risk getting you on foot patrol this early in yer faction membership, but I likes a strong hand and a bold spirit. When you signed up this morning, I said to meself, Grevis ol' son, that there is a cutter wots gonna make a name for hisself. An' I'm sure you'll help me make mine as well, me foine blood!"
The two go on in this vein for a while, then they finish up their meal.
"Right, so now we heads for the Sparkling Jewel Inn. We've got yeh a spot on the third floor, with a window, mind. Nothing but the best for our newest team member, eh Jerlin?"
The other Taker pipes up, looking at Red
"Aye, yeh'll feel right at home there Tylaric, you'll see."
Red smiles and looks up
"I'm sure I will. You've both been good... err... bloods to me. I'll work extra hard to help you both with our missions."
With that the three get up, and leave their table, headed for the door.
Drazek:
Grendyll nods her warty tusked brain box
"Still, yeh should palaver with Derioch. Mayhap she can help yeh put the pieces together."
As if summoned by magic, the plain raw-boned face of Derioch appears in the doorway of Grendyll's office. She nods to the group, the scar on her face looking red against her pale tired features.
"Ah! I had heard yeh lot were back in the Gatehouse! I was thinking on getting in touch with yeh, I think I might have found a lead on yer lad Eliath."
"Hello Derioch," Karrin says when she realities that her companions aren't going to say anything, "we're still investigating and we're looking for new leads, one of our theories is that these things two cases might be closely related."
"Hello Derioch," Karrin says when she realities that her companions aren't going to say anything, "we're still investigating and we're looking for new leads, one of our theories is that these things two cases might be closely related."
Derioch nods
"Greetings Karrin. I've been busy this past Peak in the Hive tracking down a few leads meself. A bubber of me acquiaintence lanned me a bit of chant about yer missing barmy Eliath. He says he was cadging drinks down Smith Street in the Lower Ward yesterpeak an' he saw yer cutter dressed like a Doomguard going into the Black Sail Tavern. Now, he might have been spewing barkle or bubber mush, but he swears by the Lady that it was Eliath. He knew him as he and Eliath came ta blows in the Madhouse District over summat right before he came up missing."
Derioch looks at the group
"Have yeh found anything yerselfs?"
Naridre's mind was racing. Eliath definitely wasn't dead. She wasn't really surprised. But what about the man that they had seen attacked? Was he really dead? Or was the magic on him supposed to be concealing that he was really alive? Why would someone want to fake the deaths of 'barmies'? Also, the arrival of the Xaosmen had rather conveniently interrupted their examination of the body. Was it a coincidence, or had they been working with whomever was stealing these people? And for what purpose were these people being taken? Toranna had definitely lied. Was she being paid to lie? Or was she actually pulling the strings? So many questions, so few answers...