As the sounds of the approaching inhabitant close, Blossom once more begins her incantation of slumber.
Saphren shoots Blossom a hurt look as he shakes of the effects of the spell and prepares to coup de gras the creature, broadcasting his intentions to the group in case someone objects to ending the killer babion for some crazy reason. Y
Trig gestures at Saphren to hold off, figuring the human was less likely to cooperate if they killed it.
"Saphren, no! We want information, and now we have a hostage if its this guy's pet," hisses Reva. "Our goal is to find out what happened to Larur, not to murder... things."
Baboon Attack - Round 2 - continued
Taking advantage of the darkness, Trig takes a hiding place just to the side of the archway, while Blossom begins another sleep enchantment for the man descending.
The man hustles to the bottom of the stairs, not seeing the hidden Trig as he bursts into the room shouting:"Who are you? What have you done with Otsk?" The man is sweaty, smelly man with a patchy beard and an expensive cigar tucked in the corner of his mouth. He carries a lantern in one hand, and a finely crafted scimitar in the other. He is clearly concerned about the fallen baboon, and opens the eye on his lantern to let more light in.
As the light fills the room, his face shows dawning recognition. "Wait I know you! You're Saulie V's new pals. The enforcers at the Gold Goblin! What are you doing breakin' into my house? Saulie's gonna owe me double for sendin' his thugs to my place!"
"Is not murder." he says, sullenly, gripping Larur's cloak ever-tighter. "Is..." he stops, turning his sunken eyes on the loan-shark. He points a stubby finger, letting out a deep, vengeful dwarven curse. "Migulgl zol er vern in a henglayhter, by tog zol er hengen, un bay nakht zol er brenen. Eyn imglik iz far im veynik." he growls, spitting at the man's feet and presenting the bloodied cloak. "Ve are finding zis behind your house. Vot heff you done with my kinsman? SPEAK! BEFORE VE BREAK YOU INTO PIECES AND FEED YOU TO YOUR BEAST!"
The gods should make of you a chandelier, to hang by day and to burn by night. One misfortune is too few for you.
Yout pet sleeps at the moment. Quickly answer our questions and it will continue to sleep. We has found out friends bloody cloak in your rubage bin. Either you have him or someone wants us to think so. Saphren stands ready to end the animal.
Trig stays in the shadows, ready to blast the man with color spray if he makes a threatening move.
Blossom cut's short her incantation as the man seems willing to converse, at least initially.
"What do you mean, 'Saulie's gonna owe me double'? Did you not receive your payment?" She adds to the other's questions.
Reva lets the others speak and keeps a watchful eye on Lymas, not having made any threatening move - yet.
"Wait a second, what?" cries Smeed, clearly not understanding. "You think I...wait, you think...NO! I never got any payment, and I didn't hurt any of your friends either. What is this?". He looks around at you flabbergasted. "And you..." he says pointing the blade of his scimitar at Magnus, "You had better keep a civil tongue in your head, or I'll be happy to cut it out for you."
His eyes cast around, and his face flushes and he yells at the group:"Now, all of you, get out of my house! Now!" He makes a threatening move into the room brandishing his weapon menacingly.
Magnus, breath ragged, falls silent as Smeed speaks. However, the man's threat reignites his fury. Glowering, he takes a step into the man's blade, the tip coming to rest on the tempered steel of his breastplate. "Just try it, cur. See vhat happens."
Reva stares intently at him before shaking her head.
"I think he's telling the truth." She stalks forwards. "Is there anybody who knew about the drop?"
Trig stands back and shoots the color spray at Smeed as soon as he makes his threatening move.
Flat on Rat Street II - Round 1
23 Saphren
20 Trig
19 Reva
18 Magnus
9 Smeed
8 Blossom
Saphren delays.
Flat on Rat Street II - round 1 - continued
As Saphren sits back, Trig unleashes her a mist of sparkling lights and dazzling colors. Smeed cries out in astonishment for a moment, but his utterance is cut short, as his eyes cross, then roll-up and falls to the floor unconscious.
End of Combat
Reva staggers backwards as the bust of colours fly from Trig's hand and knock Smeed right out. She snarls at him.
"Foul cretin! Ugh." She turns to Magnus, holding out a hand. "Someone tie that wretch up. Magnus, look. If we want justice for your kinsman we have to think, Magnus. Why would Smeed kill Larur? He was getting his money anyways - he has no motive! But if you want to question him, we can tie him until he awakens."
Reva looks around the area pensively.
"We also have our boss' debtor at our mercy. Maybe there's something incriminating here. We can deliver Smeed to the gendarmes and Vancaskerkin's debt will no longer be an issue. Either way, let's search the area for evidence of Larur. Maybe I was wrong and he's tied up somewhere."
With that, Reva produces rope from her pack and works on restraining Smeed, and then the baboon.
Magnus looks almost dissapointed as the man is subdued. Letting his warhammer fall to the floor with a thud, Magnus grips the unconscious debtor by the shoulders, spittle flying into his face as he shakes him roughly, shouting curses. " A brokh tsu dir! Oyskrenkn zol er dus mame’s milakh. Trinkn zoln im piavkes. Zol... Zol..." he lets the man drop limply to the ground, disgusted.
He turns to Reva, chest heaving and face flushed, he grasps her outstretched hand, squeezing it roughly as he opens his mouth to argue. "...ha... ha... You..." he begins, his glare meeting hers. "You are starting to make sense. Stones on your bones." he grumbles, turning the man over with his boot and holding his wrists in place so that Reva may bind them together.
A curse upon you! May you get so sick as to cough up your mothers milk, and may leeches drink you dry. May... May...
As Reva searches the room, Magnus stands in the corner, arms folded and glowering at the fallen loan shark. "...stop your smirking, leetle gnome." he mutters, sourly. He raises an eyebrow at Reva's suggestion. "Zat is surprisingly cutthroat." he says, tacit approval in his voice. His whiskers curl into a rare smile. "Still, I am liking ze way you think. I know visdom when I am hearingk."
"Bíodh modh na fírinne breá láidir uaidh agat?" Blossom whispers to Reva. "Toisc más rud é nach bhfuil tú ar eolas cheana, is féidir liom a insint duit go bhfuil an t-aon bhealach a bheidh tú aon faisnéis a fháil anois uaidh." She continues, shaking her head ruefully. "Bhris muid isteach ina theach, faoi bhagairt dó & a peataí agus nuair a chosain sé é féin, mar a bheadh duine ar bith a dhéanamh, thugamar cuairt ar fhoréigean níos mó orthu."
"Ní bheidh sé tú a moladh le do bandia & ceart sin sula freagraí sé ceist ar bith. " Shrugging her shoulders, Blossom makes her way back outside.
"Because if you haven't already guessed, I can tell you that is the only way you will now acquire any information from him."
"We broke into his home, threatened him & his pet and when he defended himself, as anyone would do, we visited more violence upon them."
"He will curse you to your Goddess & rightly so before he answers any questions."
"Smirking? Me?"
Trig can't understand what Blossom is telling Reva, but she says, "Let's look for anything incriminating, but do so quietly, while some of us talk to him. He's a businessman. We'll make it clear we're here for our friend only, and see what we can work out. If we have to, we can threaten him with anything we find in here, if there is anything. We'll have to hurry, though! Blossom, maybe the two of us can use our feminine wiles to convince him to cooperate with us?"
Reva shares a ghost of a smile with Magnus before she tilts her head to listen to Blossom. She chooses to respond in common.
"I cannot compel truth; I'm just well-trained. Let's search the house, evidence tells better truths than men do. Also, if we can put a foul usurer away and free our boss of debt, all the better. I also want to look in the alley some more. Perhaps I can find out if Larur was attacked outside the house. Perhaps there are bloody footprints, or no blood at all."
Allowing her head to fall between her shoulders, Blossom chuckles low under her breath. Turning once more, she points with her chin at the unconscious inhabitants of the tenement. "Are they bound?"
"Securely?" Looking directly at Saphren.
Not a week ago, she questioned whether Vancaskerkin was even worthy of support. she takes his side against a man simply because she doesn't like his profession...
Well, because we found a cloak that is Larur's shredded in the alley.
She said herself she didn't believe he was responsible but then allowed the Dwarf & the Gnome's blood-lust to command as well...
And they call flighty & tempestuous.
"Search it, by all means. But be aware that if he has a 'boss', individual will not look kindly upon this."
Having said her piece, Blossom makes her way back to Smeed's unconscious form, making certain the stay on the other side of him from his 'pet's' somnolent body. "How long is he likely to remain like this?" Nudging Smeed with her foot as she looks at Trig.
"Less than a minute. He'll probably be coming out of it any second now."
Saphren struggles with trying to tie up a baboon. Stupid moral dilemmas... Easier just ta put um down. he mumbles under his breath, but its clear he is not really bothered about having his hand stayed and may even like the group think conscience in place.
When he hears both dwarves and elven again he curses in Orcish.
Why the @#!% can't you guys speak common!
Reva sighs.
"I understand we're not exactly heroes right now, but Larur's cloak is outside and we're going to search the house now because that's what we need to do. I think Smeed is innocent, I don't know he's innocent. And frankly, he's a loan shark in a bad part of town and the sanctity of his home does not concern me. If we can find a way to land him in jail our life will be much easier. And if he has a boss who comes after us, so be it. More scum to clear out of Riddleport."
With that, Reva takes off and begins searching the house.
"Let's not loot his things by the way. My moral high ground is tenuous at best."
Damn Blossom. I know I'm rationalizing. She doesn't have to remind me.
At Reva's initial words Saphren nods. And if not jail, then kill um?. Hey, joking. And when Reva says no looting Saphren responds. Ah, now you're joking. as he joins the search for clues.
You bind the unconscious man, and chain up his ape, and begin searching the house for signs of your missing friend, Larur Feldin or other incriminating items (and/or loot).
Downstairs, the back room, is really just a kennel for Smeed's rather large pet. There seems to be little of interest here.
The room through the archway looks like where business is conducted with the clients who come seeking risky, high-interest loans. There is a ledger in the desk drawer showing quite a volume of lending and collections. Actually, given the shabby state of the apartment, it is surprising the amount of cash exchanged according to the books. It is quite obvious that Smeed has a "money" backer for his loans.
Rickety stairs lead up to the living apartment which is quite dirty and disheveled and smells of sweat and cigars. Bits of food and trash litter the floor of the kitchen and bedroom, little of value is found here.
A storeroom in the back has a locked strongbox as well as suit of fine leather armor, and a fine crossbow as well as 10 bolts.
Smeed had on his person a MW scimitar and a gold case filled with five expensive Qadiran cigars. He also has a small metal key in his pocket, which appears to fit the strongbox.
Reva scowls as she rifles through the papers.
"Well, he's working for someone with deep pockets." Reva takes a moment to see if she can find the paper with Vancaskerkin's debt on it to check for notes on the size of his debt, and any information Smeed may have on him.
Rejoining the others, Reva scowls and shakes her head. "Smeed is getting his cash from someone, there's a lot of money that changes hands here. But nothing to send him to the gendarmes with. That said, we can make some gain here. I'm going to have a chat with him."
With that, Reva crouches by Smeed and waits for him to awaken while the others finish "investigating". She toys with a dagger as she speaks. She briefly chants a prayer to the Inheritor for guidance.
Inheritor forgive me. I must earn my employer's trust to finish my mission. I must believe I am here for a reason.
"Mr. Lymas Smeed. I have good news and bad news. The good news is you and your wretched monkey are going to live. Good news for you, bad news for the rest of the world."
Reva lets out a dramatic sigh and leans in very close, her voice still polite, but deadly cold.
"The bad news that we have lost faith in your operation. Our employer was trying to pay off his debt and somebody attacked not only his right hand man, but one of his closest friends. Perhaps you sent someone after our man so you could pick up a double payment. Perhaps you are so sloppy that some information leaked. The point is that our employer can no longer trust his arrangement with you. It will cease."
She holds the dagger in front of his face.
"You a foul usurer and I hate you. Our dealings with you are over. If you demand further payment from our employer, the only delivery you will receive is your utter ruin. Forget us, forget this, and you can live on as a fattened parasite. Take action, and it will be your end. Do I make myself clear?"
Saphren looks on not totally happy with the idea of leaving this man alive, but unable to connect him with the disappearance of their dwarves friend. Its in our mutual benefit to find the people responsible for the disappearance of our friend. Whoever is responsible obviously wanted us to come after you. You find out what really happened and we will go after them. That is payback for you.
"And if you are responsible for the death of our friend... We'll let Magnus have you." She turns her head back and smiles sweetly at the dwarf, imagining the fury he could have at the man if it were true. I'd rather like to see him get all vengeful on this fellow... would be kinda sexy.
"If he's dead, that is. So if you know where he is, better tell us."
The filthy man cowers in the corner. He nods readily as Reva dictates terms. "Sure lady, sure. Just let me alone. If Saulie don't want to pay no more, it's fine with me, but who's gonna square it with Boss Croat? I mean, I don't want that guy on MY case over this. You're gonna make a pretty powerful enemy this way, mark my words... You sure you trust that little pipsqueak enough to take on the Boss?"
He looks around carefully at all your faces making sure you understand what he's telling you.
"An' another thing. I don't nothing about any payment. If Saulie's little dwarf flunky came around here, I sure didn't see him. Like as not, he just absconded with the cash. I'm not your man fer that caper."
Trig isn't sure whether this guy is telling the truth. She turns to Reva, hoping the Iomedean will have more insight.
Blossom says nothing, remaining in the background as the others interrogate & confuse Smeed. Her expression remains inscrutable.
Reva looks at the others and shrugs. "We'll let our employer know about the risks. I have nothing more to say here."
Saphren listens to the man before showing him the bloody cloak again. Not sure how you explain this then. You sayin he bloodied his own cloak and dropped it in your rubbish?
"Who knew he'd be coming today?!"
-Posted with Wayfinder
The sniveling man appears to be weak and a coward, and filthy to boot, but he does not appear to be lying. When asked by Saphren about the bloody cloak, Smeed exclaims:"I ain't seen it before, an' I sure didn't just throw it in the trash in me alleyway for anyone to find. Someone is settin' me up."
He speaks with a plaintive whine in his voice that you find particularly grating.
"We'll see. I'm done here." With that, Reva turns to stalk outside, particularly avoiding Blossom's gaze.
Once outside of the building, she takes a moment to review the area where they found the cloak. In particular she looks for any other signs of blood, struggle, bloody footprints or anything that would indicate violence took place here, casting a guidance spell as she investigates.
Despite a thorough search of they alley and rubbish bins, Reva sees know signs of a struggle or any blood trail leading either to or from the refuse area.
There are the scratchings and dried droppings of a baboon that she sees if she looks really closely, but she's nothing else unusual for an alley way in Riddleport.
Unsure of where to look next Saphren asks Where to next?
"We could check his house, or we could try to follow up with Boss Croat, or we could look for someone who might have seen him on his way here?"
Reva folds her arms as she looks around the alley.
"We don't have a trail to follow, which is a problem. This cloak was planted here. There is absolutely no sign of a struggle here or blood on the ground. My first instinct is that Clegg did it. We obviously have a target on our backs after taking out the Pauper. Have us take out Saulie's creditor and thus spark a fight with Smeed's employer."
She sighs miserably.
"Or it was Vancaskerkin. He plants the cloak, we take out his creditor, he's absolved of debt. But why would he want to take out Larur? He was loyal! Part of the reason I told Smeed we don't way to pay any more is to see how Vancaskerkin plays it out."
Then back to the goblin?
At mention of confronting Boss Croat, Blossom's eye's develop a highly unsettling anticipatory gleam. A gleam which fades as it becomes apparent that no such confrontation is imminent.
Reva sighs miserably.
"The last place we knew Larur to be was the Goblin, so let's return there, start investigating, and deal with the fallout from this. If anyone else has a better idea I'm willing to listen. That said, lemme make sure Smeed doesn't die or something."
With that, Reva ducks back into Smeed's place and she smiles at the man. "Last time you'll see me if all goes well." She pulls out a dagger and saws halfway through his bonds. "You can figure the rest out."
She emerges from the house, sheathing her dagger. Without waiting for argument, she takes off for the Goblin.
Saphren moves to release Smeed. You are unhurt and un-robbed. Had you been willing to talk from the outset we might have avoided some of this. Our friend is missing and maybe dead. I ask that you forgive our intrusion and help us find who set you up. Either way we are leaving you no worse for the experience. We do not need another enemy, and I doubt you do either. Agreed?
Grumbling, the man agrees with you. "I am innocent in all this. I don't want any more trouble. Just free me and I'll not bother you or Saulie again. I'll square his debt, no problem."
He lies still even after you free him, until you are well and truly gone.
Later, when you return to the Goblin, the staff is in an emotional state without Larur Feldin there. The missing dwarf seemed to make the place work somehow and his absence is felt across the building.
The front greeter tells you Saul wants to see you in his office.