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Slyph looks about studying the layout of the alley, trying to imagine how it looked the night of the attack.
"Do we know how dark it was here? Any torches or lights from any windows, or do the Sarenrites grope around in the dark for their pilgrimage?"
He smells the dank air and wishes he were back in the sunlight.
This city is bad enough but under here is a special kind of horrible. What possessed that crazy sun worshiper to try and build a presence here?
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Unwilling to immediately end his limited shape change the druid, now in eagle form attempts to communicate with the group through a combination of scratching letters on the ground, 20 questions, and charades.
It takes a while, but eventually he communicates the information in the spoiler about what he found if he flies.
Some large claw marks - relatively fresh - score some of the roofs and high ledges near the murder sites... related? Hard to say - could well be. The size is impressive, the span of a large mans hand or maybe a bit larger...
Scent wise, with the height and wind currents being what they are, the scents seem to be similar (including the smell of blood at one site) but again, difficult to place.
Valeros suddenly becomes more interested as they discuss a possible monster. "If it can kill as silently as that, I suspect some use of magic. A killer with Silence and Invisibility on it, perhaps?"
Kasadei, who has sauntered up as you chat looks both confused and worried.
Sooooo... its a flying... spell caster?
I'm not sure we're prepared for this. Let me know when you are finished and if you need to see anyone else. I can walk you through our plans then.
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"Bait? How?" Myrielle frowned and crossed her arms, staring down at the dwarf. "I mean, I could see the possibility of one of us dressing as a Sarenrae. It's obvious and simple, I will give you that. However," she made a flourishing sweep of the roads. "Whoever this assailant is could be expecting such an event as well."
She then paused for a moment before letting out a disgusted sigh. "However, I am unable to come up with an alternative plan. I wish I had proper time to research the cult, but..."
"May we speak to this brave guard? Perhaps we can prepare him for this better."
"I can stay in a nearby building. I'll get some peasant's clothes. We should give whoever is the bait a signal whistle or some other way of alerting if something is happening."
Hmmmm... the clothes and such? easily. The protocols and that sort of thing? Guardsman Trald can try to pass on what he knows...
You look over and see a youngish and perhaps overenthusiastic guard practice muttering, from all indications, something that is half learned, half improvised on the spot and held together with gibberish.
She sighs.
Or we can track down a Sarenite priest... but they've largely gone to ground in light of current events - again, your experience in ferreting out information, coupled with the fact that you aren't Guardsmen may help dig a few of them up.
Not a lot comes to light with Garen's efforts to find Sarenites.
Between Garen and Slyph you have enough religious lore between you to teach Myrielle to be more convincing than the guardsman.
The guards all convene near one of the street that they have 'prepared' (mostly by telling the locals to head off elsewhere for the night or to stay indoors) where they set their stake out. They explain that they will wait here, about a minute or so away (though getting organised may increase the travel time you think) from where Myrielle will 'walk as bait'.
If you want to hide within 60-100 feet of her (on the ambush street) then I'll need a stealth roll.
Shaking his head, Valeros says, "I don't think I can be in the street without being seen." He looks around the surrounding buildings, hoping for a place to hide out of view.
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Slyph will try to shadow Myrielle as well. Taking a few minutes to prepare some extracts and drinks one now. He and all that he carries takes on the color of the street and walls of the buildings. He looks about trying to find any better natural cover as well.
Duration 10 minutes/level (60min)
You draw upon your elven link to the wilderness to change the coloration of yourself and your equipment to match that of your surroundings. This grants you a +4 circumstance bonus on Stealth checks and allows you to make Stealth checks without cover or concealment, but only while you move no more than half your base speed or less. If you move more than half your base speed on your turn, you gain no benefit from this spell until the start of your next turn. If you make an attack, this spell ends (as invisibility).
Myrielle does her best to appear holy, on occassion praying and singing hymns (quite moving actually) but there is no attack... at least on her.
Around dawn there is the pounding of feet and one of the guard who is not on stake out detail runs into the house where the guard are hiding.
Its happened again! Another victim!, the runner pants.
Pox and buggeration!, swears the sergeant. You'd think the bloody sun worshippers would have sense enough to stay inside - for all we know, it may have distracted the damned attacker from our site. We need to have a word in their ears.
He has a whispered consultation with the messenger then looks around at everyone in the room.
Right you lot, on yer feet and follow Watchman Tardel here - I'll be along with our investigators in a bit.
The guardsmen file out in quick order leaving yourself, the sergeant and Kasadei who requests Valeros fetch the others.
When gathered up you move to a place about a mile distant, lined with two and three story tenement buildings and somewhat shielded from your position.
Valeros curses at the news of a new death. "Maybe they saw through our charade. Or maybe we're just unlucky." He shakes his head. "Let's go see this new death."