Elric's changed action:
Pavo! Everything ok down there? What's causing all the commotion? Elric pulls out one of his manacles. I'm tossing a set down now, get ready to catch!
Orne, Orlin, think you guys can wedge something into the trap door to prevent it from closing?
"First things first!"
Orlin glances down into the pit, looking at poor Aliana, and speaks three quiet syllables that echo unnaturally in the cramped quarters.
Then he steps into the room, looking for something to wedge the trap with, or the safety mechanism.
Orne looks concerned for the fallen girl. But, she is speaking less...
There's nothing to be done until she brought up. We'll... Desna help her.
He removes his mace and wedges it as suggested.
As the holy energy from Orlin and Orne reaches her, Aliana stirs and opens her eyes. First she looks straight up, to see the sheer walls of the pit and the concerned faces of the half-orc and lumberjack looking down at her. Then she turns her head to the side a bit and sees Fish, with his trident laying haphazardly on the ground next to her and his net tangled around a skulk standing in the deep pit with them. Wh...what happened?
She collects her wits and grabs the quarterstaff from her back, using it to help push herself to her feet.
Alex walks to the edge of the pit and casts a spell upon the skulk. You shall not harm her! he states as the spell is cast.
Pavo places the manacles on the skulk and then removes the net from the skulk. He will sheath his kukri and retrieve his trident once he feels that the skulk is secure. He would question the skulk, but he would not believe any answers given.
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You all turn to help Aliana and Pavo, when a hand, carrying a dagger, appears on Orlin throat.
A Skulk female, with an scared voice, demands:
"Let us go out I shiv your friend!"
Seeing his spell fizzle out Alex attempts diplomacy. As long as you don't harm us we are willing to work with you. We do however seek information.
They are all blind constable.
Hearing the new arrival's threat and Alexite's appeal, Aliana looks up from the pit, but can see nothing but a segment of the ceiling above the deep pit. Still attempting to piece together the events of the last few moments, she says nothing, but moves back a bit from the entangled skulk and attempts to look as non-threatening as possible while Alexite attempts to talk the newcomer down. Okay, fill me in, Mr. Krupt. What happened?
Bank robberies rarely involve one individual. It would appear the other got the drop on our friends. Do you have any tricks on you?
And please, call me Pavo, or Fish. When you're on a boat or in a fight, ain't got no time for "Mr.".
When I nod my head twice, you're going to hit the wall with your quarter staff as hard as you can and scream loudly. I don't care what, anything really. Maybe something like lookout Fish, he's going for his knife, ok? While you're doing that, I' going to pummel this skulk into unconsciousness so that he can't climb or run. Even if his friend gets him out, he'll have to carry him, ok?
"I hope you're right Ali. I hope Alexite can talk the other one down."
Eric turns to the skulk. Now, now; it doesn't have to be like this, Elric says calmly, Put the knife down and surrender and things will go much more smoothly.
Elric then proceeds to cast Grease on the knife. DC 14.
Then he steps in closer.
Orlin stops looking around at the ice cold feeling at his neck, and starts leaning more heavily on his staff in startled surprise.
As Alex starts to engage her in conversation, Orlin stiffens his spine, and begins to assist, perhaps enough that she lets go, or perhaps enough that she's distracted enough so that the Constable can take action.
Orlin listens to the fear in her voice, and feels the shaking on her hand, and the tension in her arm and body.
"If you kill me, I go to Desna's arms, where I will walk again amongst the Stars... And your friend will die, and you will die, and your friends and family, having been implicated in three murders, and an armed robbery will be hunted down and exterminated.
Our options are limited, and I fear that no matter what we do, you are not in an envious position. There is a dead guard upstairs, by your fear, I think you know this. By your fear I do not think you did the deed.
Please, drop the knife, and tell us what you know, and only the weight that has been earned will be weighed out."
Orne tries to think of some cultural Skulk custom or tradition that would assist in negotiation. Something she'd respond to.
After quickly observing the others actions and overhearing what Aliana and Pavo were discussing, Alex reaches in the direction of his whip just in case the need arises. He responds to his friends in varisian
She's talking again...
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Alexite show his hands to the female skulk, and seems very reasonable in trying to defuse the situation.
The female Skulk talk, voice shaking.
"I just want us to get out of here... please, let us go and I'll tell you everything I know."
On tthe pit, the male skulk seems not to understand Varisian, but stay still with his hands up, still entangled.
The Orlin talks...
"Please, drop the knife, and tell us what you know, and only the weight that has been earned will be weighed out.""
The The female Skulk lets a sob out, and drops her knife.
Orne asks simply, Did you kill the humans?
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The female skulk seems afraid, shaking.
"I got trapped here... My friend fell into a trap! We just... Please let us go! We won't return, ever!"
A quick search wll find knifes in both of them, with dried blood residue (is not like you carry blood caked knifes around) and a bag of jewels and coins each.
Are...are you all right? Aliana softly says to the skulk in the pit, trembling in the tangle of net. You look ill...
Orne let's things ride. He thinks he knows how things went down, but waits on the constable.
If Elric doesn't come to the same conclusion, Orne'll speak to him and the group on the Skulks' behalf. He'll also ask after the monstrous humanoid that made the tracks.
Orlin will take 10 aid another on Heal for Aliana on her Take 10 of 18, bringing her to 20.
"Who suggested breaking into the Locked box? How did you get the key?"
Just at the edge of her range of hearing, Aliana hears some of Orlin's muttered observations of the skulk in the vault. Suddenly, something clicks in her mind, and she turns to the skulk next to her in the pit. It's Shiver, isn't it? You're needing a fix - that's what's got you guys so worked up.
She calls out to the others from the bottom of the pit. They're both Shiver addicts, and they're withdrawing, hard. That's why they're so nervous and shaky. And it may be a reason they're here, if they're looking for something to cover their next hit. She pauses for a second. Does anyone have any rope or anything? I'd like to be out of here, and I'm sure Pavo shares the sentiment. The skulks may need some medical attention, too. Shiver withdrawal can be nasty.
At Aliana's reminder, Orlin thunks his hand into his forehead.
"Where are my manners?!"
And promptly lowers a length of rope (50', silk) into the pit, and then goes and looks for something sturdy to anchor it to.
As the rope drops, Aliana turns to the skulk next to her. Are you strong enough to climb up the rope on your own, or do you need us to tie the rope to the net and pull you up?
She turns to Pavo and says, in Varisian, If he needs us to pull him up, do you mind if I climb first? I think you'll be more able to handle any tricks he may pull, if he wins free from the net. I don't think he'll try anything, but just in case...
Seeing them surrender, he stops his casting of the Grease spell.
Elric pulls his second set of manacles out and attempts to put them on the other skulk.
Come on, we'll have to have the rest of this conversation at the sheriff's station, he says to the female skulk. To Pavo and Aliana, down in the pit, he says, Keep him manacled, please. We'll have to figure out another way to bring him up. The manacles do not come off until we get to the sheriff's station. Maybe we can use the net to bring him up.
"Aliana, climb up the rope first. I will secure this skulk in the manacles and the net. Once I climb up, I will pull him up. If they cause no more problems, and they relinquish their knives to me, then I will place them in the Constable's hands. I am not the law here, just the shield."
Aliana nods at Pavo, then calls up to the Constable at the top. The net was our thought too. Pavo will secure it while I climb up. Aliana makes her way up the rope, bracing herself against the wall of the pit.
Pavo will carefully remove his trident from the skulk without trying to do any additional harm. He will secure the net around the skulk and tie the rope to ensure that with the manacles on, entangled in the net, and tied up with a little rope that he shouldn't be able to get away.
Pavo will then climb up the rope and once at the top, pull the skulk up carefully.
Once up, he should be able to lift the skulk with no problem, probably easier than pulling in some of the full fishing nets he's had reel in while out fishing.
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Aliana waits at the top of the pit and offers Pavo a hand as he emerges to help him over the edge. Then, while Pavo hauls up the net and its cargo, Aliana moves to where Constable Huntington, Orlin, and Orne are conversing with the female skulk.
She roots around in a satchel on her hip for a moment, then withdraws a capped vial filled with a strange liquid; swirls of several colors seem to lazily undulate of their own accord as she holds the vial in her hand. Here, drink this. It will help with the withdrawal. She offers the curious bottle to the female skulk.
I can have some for your friend, too. Just give me another moment. She pulls out another vial, this one filled with a translucent white liquid that seems to give off a faint golden glow. Taking a deep breath, she closes her eyes and intones a single word in Varisian. Return. The glow seems to fade from the vial with her chant, and she shivers slightly.
Seeming satisfied, she puts the vial of white liquid back into her satchel and withdraws an empty beaker, filling it with fluid from a larger flask and adding pinches of several different powders and herbs. After several seconds of swirling the beaker around, counting out each swirl, she takes another deep breath. Go, and stay, she chants in Varisian, and as she exhales, the contents of the beaker seem to come alive, the swirling colors marking this as clearly the same as the contents of the vial she gave to the female skulk.
She waits next to the Constable as Pavo disentangles the male skulk from the net. This will help with the shaking, she tells him as she presses the beaker into his hand. Drink.
"Who suggested breaking into the Locked box? How did you get the key?"
"Who supplied you Shiver? Do you know who supplies it to THEM?"
Orne seems open minded, if not sympathetic to the two Skulks' plight.
Then again, any who know him, know him know him to be open minded regarding just about everything.
In assisting, he focuses on the leader and if they were for hire. If so, hired by whom?
He tends to their wounds and Aliana's if any and treats them civilly.
After doing what she can for their withdrawal symptoms, Aliana retreats to the back of the group and lets others take the lead on the interrogations, watching and listening, trying to gauge their reactions.
Adding to Orlin's and Orne's questions, Elric asks, What did your group take from the locked box and why?
After hearing the term shiver passed around, Alex passes them off as junkies trying to get their next fix. While they should be handled he looses interstate and imedeatly begins checking to ensure his belongings are safe.
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Alex confirms everything is safe on the vault. The Skulk was trapped inside, and nothing was stolen from inside it. Only things in the "storefront" were looted.
You constraint the Skulk couple and march them out of the Lock box, just as half a dozen town guards are arriving, lead by Adam, and a group townsfolk (mostly Truth Advocates) lead by Genthus Duggern march towards the place too.
Genthus Duggern is the first to speak, rallying the crowd.
"I told you the Varisian would bring crime and murder into our town! I told you they would corrupt our town, infecting us with their lack of values and loose morals! Now you see Archivin Walder murdered, and the Locked box robbed! Tomorrow you will see our daughters raped, our mothers scammed, our children joining their... circus! This has to stop now! The Verisians should leave immediately."
The truth advocates, his unconditionals, start shouting slurs against the Umbra Carnival and Varisians in general.
Genthus Duggern signals them to stop.
"But I see their captured some of the criminals! Alexite, my friend! I am glad you are here to put things in order. Have they confessed? Let's hang them! Then we march against the Carnival, and make them leave at once!"
The screams of "Out!" and "Make them leave" rise again.
A couple of the Thuth advocated show a rope, already made into a noose.
Adam seems unsure what to do, and approach Elric.
"What do we do sir?"