Deus Est Machina: Dragoncat's New Iron Gods (Inactive)

Game Master Dragoncat

"You were alone with Garmen for a while. Then you were very drunk. Did he give you anything?" Edynn asks.

"I suspect he gave you several glasses of alcohol." Sarona nods.

Sialea considered the question and said, "He gave me two glasses of wine is all." She looked at the others questioningly, "Is that a lot?"

"Not... really." Inlé says after a blink before his eyes drift up to Sialea's antenna. "Have you had wine, or any alcohol at all, before?"

Without hesitation Sia replied, "Nope." She thought for a moment and then said, "Maybe my kind can't handle such drinks well. Maybe it's biology?"

”It’s possible.”

"Perhaps he didn't know this. If not perhaps he doesn't need to be hurt for it. He did bring you back to us" Edynn says.

Inlé grumbles before sighing and nodding his head.

So, where to next? Back under the Hill? Or perhaps investigating around town?

Just a reminder to Sialea--she DID overhear a conversation that seemed to indicate Garmen was involved in something suspicious at the Marrymaid...

With her drunkenness gone Sia looked at her friends and said, "We have two places to go I think. We haven't finished exploring the area beneath the lake and I hear, at least I think I heard, something about Garmen being involved in something suspicious at the Merrymaid."

"As important as getting Torch relit is, the Merrymaid is right over there." Inlé suggests.

The Merrymaid is doing a brisk business today, despite whatever ill rumours may be circulating around the place. Its circular foyer is lavishly decorated, in contrast to the one-story building's unassuming stony exterior: red velvet carpets stretch across the immaculately-polished marble floor, and oil paintings of men and women of many different races indulging in passionate foreplay decorate the walls. The sounds of laughter & conversation fill the air. Curtained rooms encircle the foyer, with the smell of exotic incense lingering around each of them.

Seated on a large, violet divan in the centre of the room is a blonde, svelte half-elven woman, garbed in what appears to be a very loose, flowing black dress. Perhaps it's the lighting in the room, but it appears that she's wearing almost nothing underneath it--something that her conversation partner, a sweaty, swarthy-looking man in well-polished leathers, has taken acute notice of. His eyes consistently fail to meet her soft hazel ones, instead lingering on her smooth chest.

The lady glances up at the party as they step in. "Ah--welcome, ladies and gentlemen." She rises from the divan and approaches the party, to the displeasure of the leather-clad man. Her dress swirls like water as she walks over to them, each step deliberately placed to show glimpses of the skin beneath. "You've made the right decision coming here today--our boys and girls are always eager to coax away the worries and woes of life. My name is Wrennie Dalrorn, and I must know--what will your pleasure be today?" Her voice is smooth and inviting, much like the carpet beneath the party's feet, offering the right blend of affability and teasing amusement.

”We’re here to talk about an incident that occurred here recently.... and possibly offer assistance.” Inlé responds to the pretty woman.

Wrennie pauses for a moment, blinks, then glances back at the man on the couch.

With a little nod of her head, the man gets up and leaves the room through a maple door in the western wall.

"Hmm... I'm a bit surprised that you'd be so interested in my affairs. There IS the little matter of our town's torch--I had thought that would be of paramount importance." The half-elven woman tilts her head at Inlé. "What incident do you speak of?"

In case anyone's forgotten, here's the post I was referring to for Sialea.

When they entered the Marrymaid Sia felt the emotions of the place strongly, so much so that she almost felt a little drunk again. She looked Wrennie Dalrorn up and down almost hungrily as the feel of the place seeped into her. She took a deep breath to collect herself while Inle spoke to her.

”One of the woman working here was murdered, was she not?”

Wrennie stiffens, then nods. Her hand clenches into a fist before smoothing out a wrinkle in her dress. "...follow me to my office, please. We can speak more there."
-------------
The office in question is through a door on the eastern wall. It's no less well-decorated than the foyer, but the paintings in this room are considerably more lewd in their content. The sun shines through an open window in the corner.

"Yes, one of the women who work for me was murdered in the night. And I suspect I know why..."

”Oh?” Inlé let’s out, curious if there was an ulterior motive for the murder than what he originally thought.

"See, you overhear quite a few salacious bits and pieces of gossip when you run a business like this. Pillow talk, and all that." Wrennie takes a seat behind a neatly-organized oaken desk. "Most of the time, my clients don't really have anything genuinely interesting to speak of--worries about paying rent, concerns about their spouses finding out about their visits, and so forth."

"Of course, that makes the occasions where my client lets something dire slip that much more noteworthy." Wrennie folds her hands on the desk. "Recently, Rinna--my--" She sniffs and rubs her eye with a delicate finger. "--my newest worker... she took a client for the night that I had my concerns about."

"It was a human man, one Georg Ryfell--a member of the Ropefists criminal gang."

"I wasn't inclined to tell him to leave at first. Everyone has needs, after all... but I overheard something interesting the night Rinna serviced him." Her voice is starting to shake a bit. "Georg said something about a machine his boss was recently charged with guarding."

Having managed to collect herself, at least a little, Sia followed as Wrennie led them to her office. She looked around as she went, curiosity getting the better of her, and was rather shocked. The pictures on the walls of Wrennie's office seemed to radiate desire, lust, and sensuality. Sia stood, self consciously, near the door and fidgeted a little. When the other woman said she thought she knew why the employee was killed one of Sia's brows rose and her antennae twitched as was about to ask the very question that Inle did. She listened to the response with interest and noticed the twitch as the woman spoke of Rinna. The revelation of a machine that was being guarded was very intriguing and Sia asked, "Which Warehouse?"

Sense Motive: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (12) + 5 = 17
trying to determine if Rhinna was something more to Wrennie than just her newest employee.

"I'm not sure. All I was able to glean was that it was on the northern edge of the warehouse district." She sighs. "That was when Georg realized he said too much."

"He cut her throat and fled into the night in a panic. Garmen came knocking on my door within the hour." Her features harden into a vicious glare. "He threatened to have more of my girls killed if I didn't cover up the incident as best I could."

"He's never been this bold before..."

”I knew we should have killed that f!@&er.” Inlé grumbles.

Wrennie sniffs, then stands up from her desk. "Here's what I wish of you. I want you to find this warehouse Garmen's machine is stored in, and find out why he was so interested in keeping all knowledge of it secret that he threatened my boys and girls over it. If he or his cronies interfere... well..."

She gives the party a conspiratorial shrug. The noises coming from beyond her office door seem to quiet down for a bit.

"It seems we have our next destination then. I imagine it won't help us to go back into the ruins without whatever that machine is." She looked at her friends, "Do we have any other questions?'

”What’s Georg look like?”

"Georg--a brown-haired man with a mohawk, a sunburned face, and a bristly goatee & moustache. Tends to dress in leathers and always has his knuckles wrapped in ropes."

Inlé gives Wrennie a nod, now having a mental image to go with the name.

Sense motive: 1d20 - 5 ⇒ (10) - 5 = 5

Her curiosity and intrigue completely taken with the place, Edynn studies the paintings and decorations, taking in the sounds and sights of the place, savoring them all. Intimate interactions was one of the aspects of existence she had yet to truly understand, often she missed little nuances that others understood.

As Wrennie tells her story though, the android frowns, the idea that Rinna was murdered through no fault of her own, simply because her killer was careless with his mouth, inspired the feeling she'd come to think of as anger.

"When we encounter this man, Georg...is there any message you would like to be the last he hears?" she asks as calmly as if a tavern maid taking a drink order.

Inlé smiles underneath his mask at Edynn’s question.

Wrennie pauses for a moment. "Tell him Rinna sends her regards." Her voice is even, but cold.

Inlé nods.

"I will. I promise." Edynn says sincerely.

Wrennie sits back down in her seat with a sigh. "I had no idea how I was going to deal with this before you all came here. I'm counting on you to sort this out."

"Now, if there's nothing else...?"

Sia looked to her friends questioningly at the ladies words and, when she figured they had nothing else, shook her head and said, "No, I don't think there are any more questions." She waited a moment for the others to confirm or deny her words.

Mentally to party:
Go ahead, I'll catch up in a few minutes. I want to speak with her privately about something.

At Sialea’s mental probe Inlé nods. ”We’ll do our best.” he says before turning and leaving.

”Don’t drink anything.”

He felt awkward in his skin the whole time they were there, even more so when they well.... working girl or not, no one deserved such a calous end but still. He wondered what his wife would say if she found out he was here, helping the madam get revenge. He wouldnt dream asking her, though a very small part of him felt she would probably be the first to poke fun at how stiff and standoffish he was being. The more base places about town always made him feel.... strange. Probably had something to do with his celestial heritage, though he never bothered to delve to deeply into it.

knowledge local on this georg: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (6) + 6 = 12

doubt that was high enough to know anything about this Georg

Just waiting to see if Edynn has anything to add or if Wrennie should address Sia's questions now.

Mentally

Edynn nods as the group prepares to leave.

Alright, but be careful. Don't drink anything if anyone gives you, and call for help.' Edynn sends in response. While the place was fascinating and she would definitely be interested in exploring it at sometime, she was definitely concerned about them leaving Sia alone again.

Sia rose when her friends left and wentw with them to the door, closing it behind them as she stayed in the room with Wrennie.