Seeing that no one else seems to be drinking, Lore at least takes a small sip, then sets her cup down as well. Oh yes, let's do tour the place. What's wrong with the children here? I hear some sniffling and coughing from upstairs... is it all just colds and the like or are there worse afflictions among them? I am a healer, so perhaps I could help if any are hurt in any way. I wonder how many of them are just allergic to cats... Lore pauses a moment, to give Auntie a chance to answer her questions before she starts asking more...
"The children come with all sorts of maladies. MOst of the time it is just the common cold. A little pinch of this medicine and that, and some love and a good pirate story or two, and they are right as rain!"
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Smiling at the two men, Shilyn turns to Lore and says, "Shall we go help Auntie with the children. I'm sure the two gentlemen will be happy to keep an eye on things while we're gone."
Throwing a quick wink over her shoulder at her two companions, Shi picks up her tea in her left hand and offers her right arm to Auntie. "Lead the way. Lore and I will help you tend the children. I've heard of your pirate stories and I am so interested in hearing one."
"Well, good to know they aren't seriously ill, but let's take that tour and see the children. We'll take care not to disturb them or do anything to make their illnesses worse."
That would be much appreciated. Most here are on the mend, or fully recovered so that shouldn't be too much trouble.
Smiling at the two men, Shilyn turns to Lore and says, "Shall we go help Auntie with the children. I'm sure the two gentlemen will be happy to keep an eye on things while we're gone."
Throwing a quick wink over her shoulder at her two companions, Shi picks up her tea in her left hand and offers her right arm to Auntie. "Lead the way. Lore and I will help you tend the children. I've heard of your pirate stories and I am so interested in hearing one."
I don't need any help "tending" the children, and I have no intention of leaving the children alone, even less with a giant half orc! Either we ALL go, or we ALL stay here. I don't trust strangers, especially those of your strange mix! You can take my generous offer, or you can leave my house! Or, we can bring in the authorities!
Bluff - She doesn't seem keen to call the police, but she does happen to be very nervous, and doesn't intend on letting you all split off to question the children.
She seems pretty tense, and is reaching "fight or flight" mode.
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Auntie, Auntie. You misunderstand our intentions. It just so happens that Shilyn and Lore are excellent with children and enjoy their company; I daresay their offer to help you tend to them was more for their benefit than for yours!
As for the rest of us...I'm sure you wouldn't have called for aid from an organization you did not trust. However this is your home, and if you'd prefer we not stay behind then we'll be happy to accompany you on the tour.
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"What's wrong, Auntie. I don't think you really want to summon the authorities here... so why don't you be honest with us. Something isn't quite right here and it's best you be straight with us or this could be your last shipment of medicine. Now no one wants to see these children lose their Auntie or their haven here. If there's some trouble here, best tell us the truth now."
Bander has sat quietly through the last few minutes of back and forth dialogue as his fellow pathfinders have tried to wheedle their way into the old woman’s confidence. Finally he decides he has heard enough and lets a loud snort of annoyance. “Listen lady, I don’t think you grasp the reality of your situation here. I’m a man that likes plain speakin’ and so I’m goin’ lay it out for you straight. We came here from the Pathfinder Society with a free gift of medicine. We have also been tasked with askin’ questions of you and your patients, seein’ your whole establishment and to report back whether or not, in opinions, you and establishment here are deservin’ of further aid.” Bander pauses and gives Auntie a good solid stare. “Now I’m all for helpin’ the kids and so I’d dearly like to give you a good recommendation, but I can’t be doin’ that if I ain’t getting’ the answers I need and seein’ the place from top to bottom. Seems to me we got two choices in front of us. One,” Bander raise one thick finger into the air, “all of us here pathfinders can simply get up, walk out your door, and tell our masters that you don’t deserve further aid since you wouldn’t cooperate to the fullest. Or two,” Bander slowly raises a second finger into the air, “you answer our questions as best you can, let us talk to a few of your patients and then we can give your nice home here a good looking over and we go back and report that you are a very nice woman helpin’ the kids who needs all the aid we can give you. Seems simple to me and it’s your choice.” At this Bander simply sits back and for all the world looks as if he could care very little which way Auntie decides to proceed.
+
Option two is the one I *want* to take. I have said nothing of not letting you speak to the children. I do not want to leave other people's children unsupervised in the presence of strangers.
Those that do not wish to accompany us, would be so kind as to wait outside. I have every intention of showing you all of the house, and letting you talk to as many children as you would like to, but under my supervision of course. Would you think me a good steward if I let strangers run around the house not knowing who they are? Of course not. These are my terms. Anyone that wishes to observe the house may do so with me, in the "tour" as you call it. You may ask me any questions that you like.
Which of you accepts, and which of you would like to wait outside?
Bander nods and a satisfied smile momentarily creeps over his face and then is gone once Auntie makes her choice. "I can respect wantin' to be a good steward and bein' careful of the duty you have taken up. Unless my friends have questions for you now I know I'd perfer to start the tour and we can ask our questions as we go."
+
Ahzrin says: "It is clear that my presence in this house disturbs you. I shall wait outside for my companions to determine your worthiness."
Perchance I can be of some good away from the group he thinks.
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Thaddaeus nods to Ahzrin. I think I may wait with my friend outside. Thadd raises and lowers his hand in front of him to draw attention to his armor. Oftentimes children are fascinated by my armor and weapons...but sometimes it can scare them.
I'm glad we met Auntie. Thank you for your service to the community. He offers Auntie a deep bow before leaving the house. When he's confident he's out of earshot he speaks softly to Ahzrin.
Maybe we'll have better luck gathering information about Auntie from her neighbors.
So "Auntie" takes group 1 through a tour to the kitchen.
This is the kitchen. We keep the food locked up so that the children don't get to it and fill their little tummies, she says pointing to the cabinets.
Is that a trickle of sweat that she just wiped away when mentioning the cabinets being locked. Maybe her hand trembled a little bit too...
Bluff
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Lore looks at Auntie curiously and asks "Why wouldn't you want the children to fill their tummies? They are growing children. Let's open them up and take a look right now at least. No children here to worry about." She walks over to a random cabinet and motions for Auntie to unlock it with a gentle smile on her face the entire time.
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Shilyn gives a warm smile and says, "Why Lore, maybe Auntie doesn't want the children to sneak in and eat between meals so that there wouldn't be enough for the others." Tapping her finger against her lip, she continues, "While that may be a good thing in the long run, locked doors do tend to draw rats and such. We should check methinks. Just to be on the safe side eh?"
Giving a wink to the smaller woman, "After all.. I've heard said that rats spread sickness.. don't they? Since the door is locked, your mousers can't keep them away.. right?"
Sense Motive:
Bander follows along behind the women with his arms crossed over his chest and a definitely firm look in his one good eye. While the ladies attempt to be friendly yet firm with Auntie, the ex-soldier simply goes for unyielding with a bit of judgment mixed in.
Eli also follows along weaving in and out of the legs of all these humans, his black and grey stripped flanks regularly brushing them. His nose and ears are alert for anything out of the ordinary and also the chance for a quick romp with a female feline friend.
At Auntie's seeming nervousness Bander's right eyebrow rises up and the firm look in his eye hards even more.
+
Thaddaeus scans the area for any neighbors on the street or any nearby businesses.
Perception: 1d20+2
They are there, you are in a neighborhood, essentially.
She unlocks one... food.
The other... food.
The other... food.
Well now, if you are satisfied, we can move on...
There is a top cabinet that remains unlocked...
bluff
She moves on, continuing down the hallway...
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"Wait, Auntie, you missed one." Lore hangs back pointing up at the cabinet she can't reach. "Is there some reason you don't want to open this one for us?" Now her gnomish curiosity is getting the better of her, rather than suspicion. She looks about for a stepstool or ladder she can climb to get up there. Well, that's a silly idea, girl, it's locked and Auntie has the key, what good will getting up there do you?
If you insist, she says shaking her head.
She unlocks it, and you see an entire cabinet of liqours and wine.
"I keep it under lock and key, so the children don't get in. There's no harm in a little at night when all the kids are in bed... It helps me deal with all the stresses of the children and get a good nights rest"she says with a little smile and wink.
Bluff
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"Ah, no harm there, I agree. As long as you keep it from the children, of course. You're wise to keep that one locked for sure. Thank you for obliging my curiosity. Shall we continue with the tour?" Lore smiles back at Auntie as warmly as she can, though a tiny little frown marks the spot between her eyes.
That's an awful lot of liquor for one little old lady. I hope she's not using the stuff as a soporific to keep the children docile.
You get the impression that she is underplaying this quite a bit... In fact, now that you watch her shuffle away, the "not so careful" placement of her feet, and minor swaying might not just be attributed to old age, as you previously had thought it...
Bander's one good eye widens a bit at the sight of the numerous bottles of booze. While I can understand needing a few drinks to fall asleep, heck some nights I need more than a few myself. It's a bit disturbing for a woman in charge of all these kids to be tying one on but to each her own.
"Well auntie it seems like nothin' more than a well provisioned larder. Perhaps we should continue on with our little guided tour."
+
You went to 2 locales together, and talked to Miltivis, and Travost and Tirelle Anthos.
Miltivis, who runs a nearby market, claims he’s
served Auntie Baltwin for over 30 years, and while a good
customer, she is quite demanding and often rude to the
other customers. He says she’s kept his supplier of fine
whiskeys in business for decades.
Gilga Baltwin’s neighbors Travost and Tirelle
Anthos are frankly tired of the noises the children make
and the retinue of cats—though they do appreciate the
latter’s mousing skills. They admit to being happy when
Auntie Baltwin sends the children “off into the town”
during the day, as it gives them a few hours of peace and
quiet before they return in the evening.
She takes you through a large playroom, which doesn't seem amiss. In fact, it seems quite clean.
Then she takes you over to her room, and opens the door, you can walk inside it if you want.
It is a clean, simple room with a closet in the corner.
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Lore pokes around a little bit in the playroom to make sure all is as it seems on the surface. She does ask Auntie, "Where are all the children? the healthy ones, you know? Why isn't the playroom in use?"
She does the same in Auntie's room (poke around a little), though she doesn't dig TOO deep, that would seem rude. Just gnomish curiosity. She does open the closet though.
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Good day to you friend! May I have half a moment of you time? I'm here on behalf if the Silver Crusade and I'm hoping to learn more about Auntie Baldwin in the hopes that we may provide her some aid for the children. Can you speak to her character one way or the other?
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Shilyn pauses a moment in the playroom, noticing how clean and seemingly unused it appears. Letting her eyes wander around the room, she makes a mental note of what she's seeing before moving on to Auntie's room.
Perception:
Standing in the doorway of the room Auntie says is hers, she once again plays her eyes over everything. Walking around the room in an apparently casual manner, she lets her fingertips slide lightly over the closet door. "Nice room you have Auntie. Seems pretty quiet and you've kept it up very well," she says with a smile.
Maybe Ahz could try it out?
Lore pokes around a little bit in the playroom to make sure all is as it seems on the surface. She does ask Auntie, "Where are all the children? the healthy ones, you know? Why isn't the playroom in use?"
She does the same in Auntie's room (poke around a little), though she doesn't dig TOO deep, that would seem rude. Just gnomish curiosity. She does open the closet though.
Some of them are doing chores. When they get healthy we make them pitch in a little, to help the place stay clean.
You open the closet and find a big safe. She says that is where she keeps the medicine.
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Diplomacy
Well, he is nice enough, but you can tell that he needs to get back to hanging the gutter outside of his house. So you can either give him a hand, or leave him to it.
There doesn't seem to be anyone else around that you could ask about the house.
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"You keep the medicine in a safe in your room? Perhaps we should put this package in there now while we're here?" Lore asks. Then looks at Auntie for her reaction. I suppose keeping the medicine in a safe place is important, but requiring an actual safe seems a little bit of overkill. I wonder if she's had thieves try to steal her medicine before.
Lore waits by the safe for Auntie and looks over at Shi and Bander with a little shrug before looking back to Auntie, waiting for her.
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Looking at Lore, Shilyn grins. "Why I think that's a splendid idea Lore. After all, we wouldn't want the children to get into the medicine without Auntie's supervision."
Reaching up, she brushes loose hair away from her eyes and tucks it back behind her ear and throws a quick wink at Lore. "I'm sure the Society would like to know we observed the medicine being tucked away safely for use later. You do keep the key with you don't you, Auntie?"
"You keep the medicine in a safe in your room? Perhaps we should put this package in there now while we're here?" Lore asks. Then looks at Auntie for her reaction. I suppose keeping the medicine in a safe place is important, but requiring an actual safe seems a little bit of overkill. I wonder if she's had thieves try to steal her medicine before.
Lore waits by the safe for Auntie and looks over at Shi and Bander with a little shrug before looking back to Auntie, waiting for her.
She opens up the safe watching you VERY closely. There are shelves of medicines. Quite a big stash, and a huge bottom drawer has a large drawer of gold.
Save, save save she mentions when you look a little closer.
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Glancing at the huge assortment of medicines, Shilyn lets out a soft whistle. "Quite a stock pile you have Auntie," she says amazed, trying very hard to keep her eyes off the wealth in the drawer.
"Looks like you have something for all occasions." She spends a moment looking at all the jars and vials, careful not to touch anything.
perception:
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Lore does look closely at the stockpile of medicines... For someone who needs these medicines so badly for the children, why does she have so much saved up here... what is she giving the kids? Lore looks at the medicines with a little sigh of surprise and hands the package over to Auntie to place in with the rest. We weren't told to withhold the medicine, just to deliver, observe, evaluate and report.
She looks at Shi and Bander again with another shrug... and looks at Auntie, to see what her response to Shi's remarks is. For such a philanthropist, she has quite a stockpile of medicines she is supposedly using, and quite a bit of gold.. wonder where she gets it all... she could be selling children when they get well. Lore has to fight to keep the look of horror off her face as this thought runs through her mind.
Glancing at the huge assortment of medicines, Shilyn lets out a soft whistle. "Quite a stock pile you have Auntie," she says amazed, trying very hard to keep her eyes off the wealth in the drawer.
"Looks like you have something for all occasions." She spends a moment looking at all the jars and vials, careful not to touch anything.
perception: 1d20 + 10
Well there seems to be a new illness everyday now. Got to be prepared. We have been blessed by a lot of supporters, and it *is* a worthy cause... you know?