How to paint a Raven Silver (Hell's Rebels)

Game Master Jesper Roland Sørensen

Lena makes it to the top of the stairs when she hears that Logan has fallen. She turns and starts back down the stairs. "I've got him. Heaven help us. We aren't a subtle group are we."

Double Move to get down the stairs and out to Logan.

"Ummm. We need to hide the body. We have been seen here. It will come back on us."

The kukri is clearly magical, Logan you feel an evil sentience from the blade as it some spirit makes it, it's home. It might be able to controll those of a weak will.

A tian woman approaches Logan as he scans the streets, she looks well equipped for doing investigative work. "Quite a mess you have made here, perhaps you need a bit of help explaining this to the authorities?" she says looking over the body of Varl. "I was kind of on the trail of him also, but it seems some birds of a certain precious metal, has beaten me to him."

Sense motive: 1d20 ⇒ 101d20 ⇒ 21d6 ⇒ 31d6 ⇒ 3 +8 =21

Bicks look the investigator over trying to get a read on if she truly intends to help.

"We could use some help ensuring that our service to the city here is understood in the proper light or ideally is understood as a good deed by anonymous helpers. Like a donation to people's health and well being."

Bicks thinks that the investigator seems friendly enough.

"Well most people would probably applaud you well enough, but Thrune and the Dottari might think otherwise about you. At least if you go to the dottari with this you might be forced to share part of the blame surrounding this man, however I could bring the remains in without to much of a hassel." she says looking over the corpse and the weapon Logan kicked away. "You better find someway to deal with the blade, it seems to emanate an evil aura."

Logan's initial reaction was suspicion especially when she referenced birds of a precious metal. He made a noncommittal, "Hmmm..."

Later when she suggested dealing with the blade he nodded adding, "It appears to contain a malicious sentience which could likely dominate a weak minded fool. We shouldn't touch it, let's wrap it up in a cloak and figure out how to destroy it."

Mirabella wrinkles her brow at Logan’s words about the evil weapon. She pulls a small sack from her backpack.

We had better handle it with care, then. Best not to take any chances. Here, hold this open. She hands the sack to Logan and uses her magic to handle the kukri.

Mage hand to place the weapon in the sack.

aww man good thoughts folk, keep evil weapons away from silly gunslingers! "P

With the dangerous weapon secured, Mirabella regards their new companion. Not attracting more attention sounds like a very sensible idea.

We should depart as soon as possible. Let’s take a quick look around Varl’s apartment to see if we can learn more about his crimes, then leave. Introductions of new aquaintances can wait until we’re in a more private location. I get a feeling our new friend here values keeping a low profile as much as we do.

Mage hands doesn't work on magical objects.

Her eyes goes a little wide at Logan's words. "Perhaps this blade also controlled the original slasher." she muses for a moment before continueing. "If this blade hold's such an evil aura, the churches of Abadar and Shelyn has probably issued a bounty for any weapon like this."

"Do you know trustworthy contacts in either group. Maybe people known for discretion?"

Well, I’ll be...I never noticed that part of the spell description before. Guess we’ll have to do it manually.

A bit puzzled her spell did not work, Mirabella resorts to looping her whip around the hilt of the red kukri, so she can drag it into the sack without touching it.

"Not sure what you mean, they are members of the church, it's not like it's the temple of Asmodeus you are walking into." She responds to Bicks.

Jack catches the last few words from the stranger as he jogs up after exiting the tenement.

"Thanks for the advice, friend. So...who are you?"

"Name's Tayacet Tiora, private investigator, I doesn't bring my own agenda to any job I'm taking, unless paid to." she says, taking Jack's hand and shaking it enthusiasticly and her many bottles and flasks clanging together.

Jack shakes the woman's hand and flashes a friendly smile.

"If you're allowed to tell, who hired your services to investigate the murders? It'd be nice if the dottari did their duty in such matters, but it seems they have other agendas to follow these days."

Mirabella stands by watching nervously as Jack and Tayacet begin their conversation.

"Of course, we could also NOT do a quick search of the villain's apartment and do introductions NOW, while we wait patiently for someone to alert the dottari or Thrune's henchmen," she says with a substantial amount of snark before motioning for everyone to get clear of Vex's battered body.

"Just because someone is devoted to the church does not mean they will not give you up for money. I will evaluate their trustworthiness myself but I thought you might have some insights. When people start showing up with dangerous weapons word gets around. That is what I am trying to avoid. I too would like to know a little more about you and your business. We may want to employ your services in the future."

Logan was also worried. "Whatever we do here needs to be fast, the dottori are almost certainly on their way. I say if Tayacet is willing to dispose of the body we should let her. After any search we should drop the blade off at one for destruction at one of those churches."

Lena nods to the investigator and moves away to listen for footsteps or someone calling for the dottari.

Perception: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (9) + 6 = 15

Satisfied everyone are moving, Mirabella scurries up to examine Vex’s apartment, focusing on the secret cubby Jack found. She’s especially looking for journals or trophies that might identify other victims.

"Well I was on another case when the murders started piling up and with no one doing anything about it, I started to do it of my own accord. Besides the other job wasn't really worth it." She responds to Jack turning to answer Bicks "Well if you want some one to handle your coin well, Abadar is probably the right choice to go for, Shelyn might be more on the opposite side of Asmodeus. But both of them should have the means to destroy such an evil weapon."

Lena doesn't hear anything, luckily enough Vex landed in a side ally.

"I'm not really disposing of the body, I'm going to hand it in to the Dottari claiming to have stopped him myself. I can do that and you won't have to answer alot of questions from the guards since you are all, more or less civilians."

Jack looks at the others before nodding at the stranger. "Fair enough. Our job is done--ridding the city of a serial killer. I don't mind someone else taking the credit...so long as you're not planning to have the creep resurrected."

Jack gives a chuckle but tries to get a read on the woman as he plants that thought in her head.

Sense Motive (Tayocet; human): 1d20 + 3 + 4 ⇒ (13) + 3 + 4 = 20

"You people are wierder than I learnt about you earliere. You do alot of good things but seem very suspicous of other people, not the best way to earn new friends. I'll give it a pass this time, since we just met and under most unuseal cercumstances." Tayacet says shaking her head at Jack's words.

Jack you get the feeling that you have offended the investigator quite gravely with that last remark.

Anything on the search of the rooms?

Earliere post: Jack finds a secret room carved out from the stone not more then a few feet high, not high enough for a normal human to be standing upright. The room is furnished with a fine quality rug and larges pillows for sitting, there are heeps of books around and some kind of pedistal meant for holding something.
I don't see any new perception rolls.

That’s the room Mirabella want to examine closer.

Mirabella looks over the books in the secret room and searches for further clues.

Perception: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (2) + 6 = 8

"You are right we should be more trusting but you can understand an error in trust could our end. I thank you for your help."

Bicks is going to double check the body for secret pockets, note and the like.

Perception : 1d20 + 12 ⇒ (11) + 12 = 23

Before running back up to help collect all the books.

"Let's take it all and sort through it later."

Dectect magic in the secret room.

The crawlspace within the room itself is just under 4 feet tall, and a fine throw rug of Qadiran manufacture adorns the floor along with a few cushions.

The majority of the books and notes are, like the strangely off-topic books in the front room, concerned with medical and alchemical notes.

Reminder none of you checked Varl's body for loot before you left him alone with the investigator.

So far, it seems most of the group is still in the alley with the body. Only Mirabella has talked about going up to the apartment again.

Finding little of interest, Mirabella leaves the dwelling and joins the others, ready to depart.

Logan didn't join Mirabella.

Logan tried to placate Tayacet, "Hey I'm sorry I don't think he meant it in a bad way. That's the thing though isn't it? Folks that should be friendly are suspicious, it's what they have done to this darned town. Anyway I'm more than happy for you to claim the credit, but lets just make sure he didn't die with any surprises on him..."

Untrained diplomacy?: 1d20 ⇒ 12

Logan wants to check for loot, he'll cast detect magic on the body and see if there was anything else.

Bicks is going to doublecheck the body for secret pockets, note, and the like.

[dice=Perception ] 1d20 +12

Bick checked the body. I assume he would take other useful things while search. Though I could have been more explicit.

"My apologies if I offended you," Jack says with a slight bow of his head, "but we've been on Wex's trail only a short time; we have no idea if he killed alone or might've had accomplices."

Leaving the search and looting of the killer to the others, Jack jogs after Mirabella to make sure she doesn't get into trouble. Back in Wex's room, he also takes a look in the secret room, removing the rug first in case the killer carved any secret cubbyholes in the floor as well.

Perception Check: 1d20 + 13 ⇒ (1) + 13 = 14

Jeez. Maybe that can be used to Aid Another; just noticed Bicks is also back searching the room.

I posted a few things Bicks was to keep things moving, but it complicates timelines a little. If the gm tells me where I would be in the process of searching the body then going up to look at the books. I will chime in if I am still in earshot."

Bicks Velin wrote:

Bicks is going to doublecheck the body for secret pockets, note, and the like.

[dice=Perception ] 1d20 +12

Bick checked the body. I assume he would take other useful things while search. Though I could have been more explicit.

I took that as you searched the room, guess I read it over a little to fast. I have noted that Mirabella and Bicks went up first while the others still talked with Tayacet and Jack joins you as you have searched the secret room.

Jack your search doesn't reveal anything the others have missed, the books might contain something but it would require time to read through them.

Logan's detect magic reveals that Vex's boots and leather armor are magical. I'm making a loot liste and post it later.

Tayacet replies to Logan. "That might be true but suggesting I would resurrect is quite a grave accusation and a sin against the pharasmin teachings of life and death. But as I said I'll overlook it this time as we didn't have the best meet up."

Jack gathers up as many of the books as he can carry before again leaving the tenement. He takes the time to use his thieves' tools to lock Varl's front door after leaving, in case the Silver Ravens need to return to check the place in more detail later.

Disable Device Check (take 10): 10 + 12 = 22

Hopefully, that gets the job done.

Jack locks the door without to much of a hassel.

Logan finds on Vex a magical studded leather, magical buckler, dagger, magical slippers, masterwork thieves' tools and 112 gp.

Logan quickly examines the magical auras of the items he found on Vex.

Spellcraft: studded leather: 1d20 + 11 ⇒ (18) + 11 = 29
Spellcraft: buckler: 1d20 + 11 ⇒ (8) + 11 = 19
Spellcraft: slippers: 1d20 + 11 ⇒ (3) + 11 = 14

The armor and buckler are both +1, you'll have to try identifying the boots again after a nights rest.

Mirabella gives identifying the slippers a shot.

Spellcraft: 1d20 + 9 ⇒ (15) + 9 = 24

Bicks lets everyone finish up what they are doing. Once the group walks away he will go back to the investigation.

"Of course she wouldn't resurrect someone. That's against all the good churches teachings. I can tell she's a fine person, and I'll be she could be a good friend in the future. You mentioned another case. While we wait for my friends to finish up, would you like to tell me about it?"

Diplomacy: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (6) + 8 = 14

Mirabella looks the slippers over and identify them as Slipers of Spider Climb.

"As I said private investigator, I don't share my cases with anyone, except for very rare occasions where I need help my skills and alchemy can't handle. Most of my work is just find this or that, and it's kinda limited with the martial law in place. Now if there is nothing els, I will bring this creep to the Dottari, and get about my business. Untill the next time."

"Oh hey guys... who is this? The creep have any good gear. Glad we got him."

The dhampier lass finally made an appearance just as the investigator was leaving. She did catch her mention Alchemy.

"Oh man! You are an alchemist too? We should have tea sometime, compare recipes you know?"

She began with her third best smile. Everyone seemed friendly ish with her so she wasnt a bad guy. Jack was pretty good judge ... well most of the time.

diplomacy: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (6) + 6 = 12

"Do we have that wicked looking dagger? I bet its magical it hurt so bad when he stabbed me."

She added sort of holding her hand out for it so she could check it out.

"Hmm not really an alchemist per say, but I do dabble in it so perhaps, but I think my recipe book is rather short. If you expect bomb recipes you have certainly come to the wrong person." she says as a final note before drinking an extract and lifting Vex's body as if he didn't weigh anything.

"I think we should get moving and get rid of this dagger."

Logan gives Canache a sharp look but he speaks softly, "Trust me that would be a mistake Canacha, the same kind of mistake this fool Vex possibly made. The dagger has a mind of it's own you see. Anyway Bicks is right it's time to go."

She scrunched her nose up and huffed. They were probably right, but she was a lot smarter than that Vex fool she bet. In fact she pulled out her abacus to math it out just in case once more sort of losing herself to the math of things.

The temples for Abadar and Shelyn are located in Temple Hill which circles around the large Temple of Asmodeus.

House of Golden Veils, are the temple for Abadar, which also serves as Kintargo's larges bank and moneylender.

Songbird Hall is the temple of Shelyn, it's a museum for different kind of art and written word.

I have been to the temple of Shelyn many times to worship. We can go there and I’ll keep an eye out for someone trustworthy to hand the cursed kukri over to.