"That be strange actually; no one's been there for 'bout a year. The last family there, the Markins, left here a while ago."
"Beats me. I don't go that part of town, and the gossip lately's been more 'bout that murderin' stuff."
At this point, some of the townsfolk realize who Orug is talking to. One mother grabs her kids by their arms and yanks them out of the store while a couple of older men give grizzled scowls as they walk out.
"Eh, don't mind them. Either you guys're innocent and they'll feel stupid 'bout it later, or you guys are the murderers an' you'll be hung, too. Though I'm rootin for the former, better for business that way, longer term!", the half-orc giving a toothy smile while Tessa silently facepalms behind him.
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"Okay, that's all we needed to know. We're going to report this to the sheriff." Benson takes the note back and begins to head for the door.
"I'd be telling folks to lock themselves in their houses until the sheriff gives the all clear. This note said the murderer was about the strike again. Check on Tessa and watch out for that tall stranger you said was looking for me. I think he's behind this in some way."
With that Benson exits and heads at a run for the sheriff's house.
"Uh... wha? That's REAL?!", Orug exclaims before his green face gets a bit paler. "Tessa, honey, get the crossbow loaded and stay in th' backroom!"
The party heads to see Sheriff Luin. Raffelo is just leaving the Mayor's house and waves at you. "Hey fellas. Talked to the Sheriff for ya; nice guy, though his tea's a lil strong for my taste.", the slight flush of inebriation evident on the half-elf's face.
The sound of clanging dishes can be heard as you make your way in. A pair of 'guards' immediately try to stop your entrance. "Whoa, there, where you think you're going guys?". Tobias immediately turns around and see you all after running in straight from the beer garden. "Huh, what's the matter fellas?"
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Benson hands the sheriff the note, along with the letter that lured the Pathfinders to Dawnton, while he catches his breath. Pointing at the note given to Wyeth, he says, "Someone had a child deliver this to Wyeth." Benson glances as Wyeth, and continues, "The other letter was sent to the Pathfinders in Nerosyan about a week ago by the fellow Raffelo described to you. The handwritings are identical. I suspect they also match the note Ekira said she was given identifying the Pathfinders as the murderers. Thought you should know. We're willing to go to the house to see if we can find anyone in the attic, but the note said the murderer was about to strike again!"
Benson finally pauses to breath properly.
"Whoa whoa whoa! Slow down there!", as Benson rambles on. The Sheriff then listens intently, a stern look on his face the entire time.
"Hmmm, that is indeed evidence for the Pathfinders below if this is true! I'm no handwriting expert, but they do look damn similar."
Upon Benson's request to go to the house, the halfling mayor nods once more. "I'd appreciate that. I'm going to round up the men and get them on patrol immediately, then meet up with you at the residence."
Leaving one of the guards behind, Tobias immediately steps outside to rouse the defenses.
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"Let's go!" Benson exclaims with bravado. Time to show this town we are ANTI-murder hobos!
As an afterthought, he calls after the sheriff, "Be sure to tell your people we're helping. Some of them still think we're the cause of all this trouble."
"Let's try to bring him in alive," Benson adds to the group. "These Pathfinders are still on death-row for the first murders. If we catch the real murderer, we'll need him alive to spill the beans, unless those clerics have another talk with the dead scroll handy."
@Wyeth: Give me a Stealth check if you wish to cover the rear.
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"Ah, i would like to object to that word, mister Benson.
I take the example of the hero and anti-hero. Both can work towards the same goal of betterment, albeit with or without the traits that make one heroic.
Murder-hobos however, are in for killing to start with. Anti-murder hobos would be even more delighted in killing. We are, as far as i know, not those sort of people. Now if you were to state you were against murder hobos, i'd whole heartedly agree."
The party makes way to the abandoned house. Near the edge of the town, the feeling of danger is already high. Hoping for the best, the party approaches the establishment.
The white house is two stories. All the windows that you can see, in the upper and lower floors, are open about a foot. The front door is closed.
@Wyeth: You see the back door to the home is also closed. There appears to be no one there.
@Benson: If you wish to climb, the wooden side shingles make it a DC 15 Climb check. I'll need two successful checks to get upstairs, or a single one to get in through an open first floor window.
@Benson: The DC 5 is for knotted rope, but if you take the time to do that, then you'll get that and with your Climb skill, you can't fail.
Benson will move up close to the house, kneel down and tie the knots in the rope and the rope to the grappling arrow.
He listens for sounds from in the house as he ties the ropes.
If he hears nothing, he'll shoot the arrow up at the rafters of the house so the rope will dangle down near a window, but will not present him in front of any window as he climbs up the rope.
Then he will climb up the rope, peering in any windows he goes past.
@Benson: You spend a couple of minutes preparing your rope and attaching it to a grapple. You can't detect any noise from inside during this process.
With a well placed arrow, your rope is secured and you quietly make your ascent up the wall. Quietly stepping as you make your way up, you see that the open window you're adjacent is for a small, simply adorned bedroom. A candle is lit on a small dresser next to a bed that appears unused. To slip into the window, it'll be a DC 10 Acrobatics check to make it inside. Failing that means a DC 10 Reflex to catch onto the lip of the window or fall down the 20 feet! If you make it inside and still wish to be stealthy, I'll need a new Stealth check.
@Raevin: You are now below Benson, half way up the rope. Once he gets inside, I'll just need one more Climb check to get in. Plus side, since it's knotted, you can't fall down (at least until you get entering the window part).
@Wyeth: Hearing nothing, you open the door, exposing an empty storeroom. A couple of crates are all that remain, but they are open and devoid of any useful goods.
@Kintampo: You hear nothing through the door. Nodding to Marduk, you open the double doors. The foyer ahead leads off into several directions, including a pair of stairways going up that flank the entrance.
@Kintampo: You step inside from the entrance. Making your wait to the left, you open into an empty bar room with light coming from behind a heavy curtain to west.
Wyeth steps in cautiously. Approaching the dividing curtain, he peeks around it and spots Kintampo walking in. The two men notice each other.
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With Marduk behind Kintampo he nods at Wyeth.
"Why, 't is a small world, where we run into one another."
What he lacks in half-orc aggressiveness, he fills with an occasional joke......his last having been somewhere in a ruin, involving a hunter, an animal companion, a warpriest and a canal of sludge.
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With a well placed arrow, your rope is secured and you quietly make your ascent up the wall. Quietly stepping as you make your way up, you see that the open window you're adjacent is for a small, simply adorned bedroom. A candle is lit on a small dresser next to a bed that appears unused.
To slip into the window, it'll be a DC 10 Acrobatics check to make it inside. Failing that means a DC 10 Reflex to catch onto the lip of the window or fall down the 20 feet! If you make it inside and still wish to be stealthy, I'll need a new Stealth check.
A bit less graceful than he had intended, Benson gets a foot on the window sill and shifts his weight from the rope to the window and slides into the room. After ascertaining that the room is empty of people and animals, he looks back out the window, first to check on Raevin's progress and to give him a thumbs up, then a scan of the area to see if anyone appears to be watching the break-in.
Then he turns his attention to the room, first noting how burned down the candle is to gauge how long ago it may have been lit and then seeing what there may be to indicate the recent events in the room. If there are drawers unopened, he'll pull them open before checking under the bed, glancing up at the ceiling, and then moving to the next room or hallway.
You easily get into the room and make your way in. The candle appears to have been lit for... an hour perhaps? You are certain that there is nothing in the room and the drawers and bed (above and below) are devoid of anything except for some dust. You notify Raevin of this with your positive hand gesture.
The partially open door creaks as you make your way into the hallway, but you immediately hold the door still to stop prevent any more noise. The lit passage has two more rooms on the same side of the hallway and a stairway to your left that descends to the ground floor. On the opposite side of the hallway is another partially opened door that exposes what appears to be an upstairs family room. Light can be seen flickering inside.
You hear a creak followed by movement of a single set of footsteps... followed by the sound of something making a quick step.
You hear a creak upstairs.
Ready for your second Climb check! If successful, you can give me your Acrobatics and potential other checks if that goes well or not :)
You hear a creak followed by movement of a single set of footsteps.
@Benson: Your quick peek doesn't find anyone or anything of note. You do see that the room has another partially opened door that looks like takes you to another hallway. The sound of steps comes from behind you, turning, you see Kintampo, staff in hand, approaching you.
@Raevin: You're successfully in the room! Benson, with weapon drawn, can be seen in the hallway.
@Kintampo: You see Benson right ahead of you.
@Benson: Before you can move into the room, an imposing figure moves from behind the door; a tall man with a vial in one hand a wicked, curved blade in the other grins with malice as his dagger aims for your heart!
Caught unawares, the blade manages to barely pierce the Andoran's armor!
Init Order (bold = up!)
Raevin
Kintampo
Wyeth
Benson (10 damage)
Marduk
Unknown man
RPG Superstar 2015 Top 16
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@Raevin: You try to tumble past the man... but his reflexes are just enough to not only stop you cold but stab you in the process!
Although you fail to get past him, your reflexes are great enough to step back and avoid his incoming swipe!
Init Order (bold = up!)
Raevin (standard action only)
Kintampo
Wyeth
Benson (10 damage)
Marduk
Unknown man