"Seems we got company..." hearing the noise coming from the stairs, Orgirdor turns to the man again,
"Are you hurt? Tell us what happened, we can help you" says with a calmly voice trying to inspire confidence in the man.
"Its a ... gods damn if I know." Erwarth comes to the conclusion.
Erwarth simply rolls his eyes at Orgirdor's overly saccharine words, and reaches over to the other man to pull him to his feet.
"Snap out of it, guards are coming and you might as well tell them just what happened with this thing to stay out of trouble. You know, your friend has been acting odd and suddenly tries to kill you before turning into that thing as you defended yourself bit type deal. Then you can have your little break down after you talk with us about what is going on."
"Where is Katya anyways, didn't she follow us up here? I think we are going to need her way with words..."
"Just trying to calm him down...may as well slap him a few times, that will help him"
Orgirdor will look around the room to see if there is something of importance.
Jietin watches the window with anticipation, then gives a nod and comes inside.
"Huh, doppleganger. They can read minds, nice trick." He nudges the body with his toe. "What happened?"
"What an interesting creature..." Abid muses. "I've never seen one like this before. Hrm, I need to take a look at it's bone structure. "
He pauses for a second and continues in a quieter voice to the others "Yes, if you want I could take the head for later. I cannot identify it for now, but I could communicate with it. Or I could take the body. Not sure if it would be of any use. You know, this one time I found....*ahem*. What!?"
He snaps out of his thoughts when Jietin pronounces it a doppleganger. "Are you sure? I've never seen one, but if it can read minds... then I should definitely acquire the skull. Who knows what excellent information it could give us."
Jietin takes out his machete-sized dagger. "Any objections to Abid having the head?"
"So that is what a doppelganger looks like," mutters Erwarth under his breath before catching Abid's comments.
"Ummm ... objection? Maybe wait until after the guards, or I think they are guards, are gone to decide on such a thing? If they don't leave with the corpse, I say let Abid take the whole thing."
A group of Guards led by a Captain climb the stairs, the captain is a rather large, burly man with a bleached mustache with facial stubble. He meets katya first at the head of the stairs
Guard Captain
"Ma'am step aside please. We need to be sure"
He pushes past katya and proceeds into the room as he absorbs the sight unfolded in front of him
"Damn, this will be quite a bit of paperwork. Hmm..a doppelganger haven't seen one of them in a long long time. Alright then, I need stories we'll start with you"
He motions for the party to give their account. He holds parchment ready
"Heard noises, came up to see this. 'Bout all there is to it."
Abid clears his throat and responds to the guard.
"I was downstairs when I heard shouting and curses. When I came up here with these other folks we found the body like this."
The Captain shifts suddenly inspecting the body closer.
Captain
"Hmm a knife wound to the heart. I imagine this traumatized fellow slayed this creature? Tell us your story son."
Scared Man
"Well you see, me and this thing that I thought was Roy were walking away from the Drunken Scalemaid and we were talking and suddenly something came over him, he clutched his eyes and I thought he was cursing but instead it was some strange language. I led him up here into the Inn to lie down a bit, when he changed. It stared at me suddenly and took the form of me, it drew a knife and attacked me. I managed to wrestle the blade from its grasp and it lies buried in its chest"
Captain
"Don't fret my friend, you are not going to be arrested for killing a menace to society. Unfortunately, we have to find a place to dispose of it far out of town"
He groans, and motions for men to come inside and help him with the corpse
Jietin moves forward, scooping up the body with one hand and throwing it over his shoulder, looking at the captain to see where he wants it.
Erwarth stays near the window of the room, rather bored and pointing towards parts of the blood-stained floor and muttering a word causing the floor to turn clean. It slowly takes the form of a spiral, before it too is consumed by the cleaning.
"If you wanted to lessen the paperwork, you could always pay us a small amount to take care of the corpse and try to find the man's missing friend. Probably won't be much to tell, but the 'Adventurers Happened' paperwork should be less then trying to fill out the official ones for missing persons, attempted murder, disposal of a corpse, et cetera, et cetera. We could even move it after nightfall so it doesn't cause a panic. There doesn't seem to be much else for us to do in this town for work anyways."
Erwarth simply explains an alternative to the heaps of paperwork for the Guard Captain, hoping a few coins would be passed their way and Katya could sell it to the man if it comes to that point.
Getting the tasks would just make things easier for them. Getting paid would just sweeten things more.
Captain to Katya and Erwarth
"Yes, I am quite a man of importance. I'm sure you travelers and this pretty little vixen are more than capable of handling such a mess. Here is even a few coins to clear your memories a bit"
The Captain grins and leads his group out of the inn, leaving the party of adventurers, a dead doppelganger, and an frightened man
The man sits huddled in a corner, still staring blankly at the wall. Muttering things inaudible to the rest of you.
Counting his coins, Erwarth grins at the easy money as Katya starts laying into the still unnamed man. Best to stay back and listen for now during the performance.
"One corpse for Abid. Some gold for us all. No trouble with the guard. And finally time to have a talk."
Looking over at Orgirdor, Erwarth holds up a hand that starts to spark with electricity.
"Orgirdor, you still think a couple good slaps could help him recover from that fright he had just now?"
"Yeah we just heard the fighting and came upstairs to find the same view as you, trying to help this scared fellow"
@Now
"Yeah, a couple of and he will come to his senses" he answers,
"You should spill the beans because Erwarth hits hard" Orgirdor says remembering one time he was drunk and Erwarth made him come to his senses with a good smack, at least it wasn't Jietin or he would have lost his head.
"So Abid wants the head or the whole body?"
Abid examines the corpse for a moment, "Just the head. I'll clean it in the morning and we can get some answers. Something doesn't sit quite right about this." He turns to the man sitting in the room. "Now, look here fellow, who is going to die if you don't get some eggs?"
You catch him muttering
"Ella...lil' john..Targan..kill..eggs
..no no no..don't kill the eggs..Targan..Targan..family"
The man looks straight at Abid
The Man
"My family...Targan..eggs"
The man falls to the ground his form shaking violently. He remains still afterward, his breathing is heavy
Shaking off the ostentatious electrical sparks from his hand, Erwarth sighs grumbling, "Well that didn't work and its no fun to hit him in this condition. Let me try a bit of standard magical healing to see if it brings him around, but if it doesn't work what spell did you have in mind?"
With that, Erwarth kneels next to the man and makes sure he is on his side so he doesn't drown in his own fluids. 'Eh, it works on drunkards, so it probably works here,' is the thought crossing his mind.
Absentmindedly, Erwarth takes a calming breath and tries to heal the man hoping it will speed up the process. He is no healer, but the healing hex is rarely a wrong answer ... well unless around Abid.
Jietin grunts. "Do whatever you do Katya." He decapitates the corpse, wrapping the head in a towel and handing it to Abid.
"I think the man could use a drink" He removes the dirk from the chest of the creature and pulls a sheet around the body.
He is brought into consciousness by Erwath's spell. He opens his eyes rubs them, and glances at the party bewildered. Seeing the head removed, he gulps.
The Man
"I think i'd rather you..What would you like to know?"
"Personally? I'm interested in the potential wealth of these Dragon Eggs that were mentioned, the situation around them, and most importantly how to profit from them myself."
Abid ignores the man, letting the others do the talking. He mutters to himself I shall have to prepare that spell... Hrm. Yes that will do. I wonder what information this creature had gathered. . After pausing a moment he turns his attention back to the conversation.
Man to Erwath
"Well actually, they only have any value with one man. But I will tell you why I was searching for them"
"About two winters ago, my wife and son were kidnapped by a sorcerer named Targan. I had come home that evening from the lumber mill, yet no one was home. I started to panic, but then I found a note. It read 'Bring me the Eggs of the Nursery in Dragon's peak, then we shall trade what we hold dear'
since then I had met Roy and Roger. I had hired them with the money I could spare, to help me get the eggs. Roger was an expert thief and could pinch almost anything however, he hasn't returned in almost 4 weeks. Roy was the only one I hired besides Roger, who knew the location of the Nursery. I guess I can assume he's been dead as well, seeing I was deceived by this DoppelGanger."
He looks up suddenly
"Wait a minute, a door closes and a window of opportunity appears. You look like a group of able-bodied adventurers, could you retrieve the eggs and save my family? Please kind Lady! I will pay you with what I have left.."
"It seems like you payed a thief to run with your money and a doppelganger to kill you..." he says as he scratch his head,
"So the missing and probably dead Roy was the only one who knew the extact location of the Nursery?"
Abid pats the head thoughtfully.. "And who else have you made enemies of that you have a shapechanger walking around with you? That being said, Dragon eggs could have some interesting applications for magical rituals or creating powerful servants. "
Targan was exiled from Dragon's Peak on charges of Necromancy. He disappeared from record until years later, when he was stumbling around completely insane muttering something about eggs in a Nursery
Man
"I doubt Roy was the only one who knew, there is likely many who know..just sane enough to not wander near it"
"I will pay with anything! everything I have left! The clothes on my back! The roof over my head! Anything!..But I cannot do it alone"
Man to Katya
"Sadly, I cannot. Had I known where he dwells, I would have hired assassins. In addition to finding the eggs it seems I must find him as well. However, I have become of the victim of deception lately"He motions to the head Abid carries
"He did though, leave in the note where he would be waiting for the eggs. I have traveled there before, however the aura around it seems strange. Almost as if the area was a giant keyhole..."
Man to Group
"So will you help me? As for the eggs, if you get the eggs and make the exchange. If you can manage to kill the Sorcerer after the deal is made, you can keep them. They are not of much value in currency, however I have heard many legends of Dragon Eggs power."
Jietin laughs hard, doubling over at Orgirdor's comment. "I'm sorry, I know it's nothing to...haha...laugh about but the thought is amusing."
Jietin looks at the others with a hungry look in his eyes. His sense of adventure and greed is getting to him, he wants to go out on this quest.
Abid ponders for a moment. "It seems we've stumbled across many things here today that I am unfamiliar with. To aleviate that problem I think I shall need extra... specimens for examination. Living dragon eggs might not fetch coin, but think of the power they could hold! I am willing in help in this endeavour."
Man to Katya/Group
"Alright then, I suppose you'll help me?
We will leave tomorrow at first light. I will take you to the one place Targan gave me direction to. I suggest for now we all get some rest."
He looks at Katya for a moment
"Suppose I can leave to The Drunken Scalemaid ? or must I endure further questioning?"
He chuckles
"Dragon eggs sounds good business, and if we get that wizard, maybe he will have some more expensive stuff."
He pokes the body of the doppelganger "What are we going to do with the body?"
To Katya:
"Just a blank here. If we want to know more, I guess we need to hit either a library for hours of droll boredom or find the right person who has an idea of the name."
To Orgirdor:
"Dismember further, change its color, and find a pig farm again? I still have no complaints about the last time we did that, just less said about the last attempt of ditching a body the better."
Erwarth seems to be imitating weighing scales with his hands as he mumbles to himself. "Unknown wealth, potential power of eggs, ... Bah."
"Enduring the questions longer, as I still want to know more. One, what legends of Dragon Eggs power as I haven't made much attempts of following those? Two, where did you meet or find these Roy and Roger fellows, or better yet where did they stay? Lastly and probably the one I've been pondering since you mentioned your plight, Why would this Targan target you?"
Erwarth's words seem curious and pondering at first, but that last question turns sharply serious as he catches and stares waiting for an answer.
|
Man to Katya/Group
"Alright then, I suppose you'll help me?
We will leave tomorrow at first light. I will take you to the one place Targan gave me direction to. I suggest for now we all get some rest."He looks at Katya for a moment
"Suppose I can leave to The Drunken Scalemaid ? or must I endure further questioning?"
He chuckles
Suppose ve can go back to our inn for the night. You vill answer questions until ve are done asking them She mocks his chuckling. Now, vut iz your name? and how much are you going to pay us?
Jietin mulls about with the complacent air that others will handle the specifics of the mission. He hated meeting too many new faces at once.
Man to Katya
"My name is Samsun, and I guess to be more specific on the reward..."
He thinks for a moment gathering, pondering what he has remaining
"The deed to my farm, and directions to a family chest, which should contain years of saved wealth. Also you can keep the eggs if you wish and anything else you find. Just make sure to bring back my wife and son alive and well from Targan."
He emphasizes the last part very clearly
Samsun to Erwarth
"I have heard many but not all of them, seeing as this isn't my home. But they are known to extend the life and vigor of the one who consumes it, giving you the strength of a Dragon and its lifetime. I had met Roy and Roger in the Drunken Scalemaid. Oh, I almost forgot something. When my father died, he gave me this key and confessed he had made a deal with a Draconic Power. He said the key was given to him by the Dragon. Apparently the only way inside to the Nursery, is with this key. I had asked a traveling wizard about it. He it was 'binded' to my soul and my lineage. But whatever happens, this key still comes back no matter what I do to it.
He holds the key up for all to see. Then chucks it out the window. Waiting a few moments, he digs in his pocket and retrieves the same small, almost scale-like brown key
|
|
Man to Katya
"My name is Samsun, and I guess to be more specific on the reward..."
He thinks for a moment gathering, pondering what he has remaining
"The deed to my farm, and directions to a family chest, which should contain years of saved wealth. Also you can keep the eggs if you wish and anything else you find. Just make sure to bring back my wife and son alive and well from Targan."
He emphasizes the last part very clearly
Vell gentlemen, shall ve retire and check our new friends Samsuns story in ze morning
She leans in close to samsun grasping him by the collar and whispers.
Zince you have no funds, you vill spend ze night with me and start earning your keep
+2 if he could be sexually attracted to her
"We aren't' going to take your home and livelihood. We will keep the eggs and anything else that isn't yours." His tone doesn't suggest that this is up for debate.
"Well, that does explain why you are targeted," admits the magus, whose seems to simply collapse back into a more lethargic state.
Hopes dashed as barbarian puts his foot down again, Erwarth grumbles low in Draconic to Jietin, "At least let us get the directions to that chest he mentioned. I could care less about farmland."
"Well anyways, anyone want to help me try to find if anyone in this inn has info on this Roy and Roger and see if we can pick up the treasure they got? Might not pan out, but we could get lucky and they left it in their rooms in this inn with their corpse still inside." Erwarth ponders thinking about another source of easy gold potentially still up for grabs.