as far as what the sheriff can tell you not much about the dagger, only its name "brightflame" and that it is a murder weapon.
As far as the sincerity of the 3 black banners, you can sense that 2 are unconcious, and the 3rd one means well and has no hard feelings.
You all go to your inn as it is getting dark.
List of witnesses include Sara, Doctor Phineus Krane, Jobe Flint, and Tab
They Sheriff will let anyone who is not a suspect view the crimescene.
Klujjen will just go have a good snooze at the inn. Been a long day!
Klujjen will ask quesitons:
He'll want to find out what he call about Huckaby Trent, Lorkyhay Ganderhoddle, and Estle Winterbloom. And if the witnesses are Xildhal could be one of the suspects. I should think he kind of sticks out like a sore thumb in a village of humans; especially with Zxill accompanying him.
And he'll view the crime scene too:
Line goes to the inn and simply finds a spot to sit down. He will spend the night just quietly sitting.
Line will leave questioning the various witnesses to the other characters, at least initially. He will look over the crime scene though.
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Xildhal and zxill will go up the a room
Xildhal said with much anger at the causation
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Dana yawns and heads for the inn, her trip has exhausted her and she had work to do in the morning.
Dana will help question the townsfolk.
Next, Dana will help investigate.
After finding out what there is to find out, she will go to the others and tell them what she has found.
Seeing that the sheriff does not look like he is going to give them any reward, Orgril will go to bed.
He will help look around the next morning.
"Looks like the dagger would have been better off with us after all. This looks more like an inside job to me. Xildhal is not even good with daggers."
you all find out that
Huckaby Trent is a CG Male Human Ranger 1 is a farmer.
Lorkyhay Ganderhoddle is a CN male gnome rogue 2/sorcerer 2.
Estle Winterbloom is a CG female human witch 3.
oh and Grelm Hammerlock, the one in charge of the black banners is a suspect.
They suspect Xildhal because he was the last on in the inn, he showed up to the inn 5 minutes after the PCs did and while that might not seem like much, the Bar, the inn and the sheriffs office are all within walking distance. The inn is 2 blocks west of the bar, and the sheriffs office is 2 blocks west of the inn, making only 4 blocks between the sheriffs office and the inn, making it possible for Xildhal to have made a run for it someone points out.
Sara a Neutral Ranger 1 is one of the inn's serving girls. She claimes she saw both Huckaby and Grelm in the hall outside the sheriffs room at different times last night as she made the round checking the locks and windows. Grelm however tries to go against Sara's argument and tries to tell you all he was nowhere near there. Huckaby claims he was drunk and looking for a privy, which a dried, odorus stain in the corner near the sheriff's door supports.
Doctor Phineus Krane, a cleric 2 says he saw a figure that looked like Xildhal out last night the sheriffs office. But he does know for a fact that Xildhal was the last out the door of the bar getting his stuff ready, he was out the door like only about 30 seconds after everyone else and showed up about 5 minutes to the inn after everyone else, but Krane is still suspicious of even those minor time delays. He knows but Krane went out the door with Xildhal and he saw Xildhal walk into the inn as he was waiting in the main hallway for someone.
Jobe Flint a Human Fighter 1/Barbarian 1 LN, claims he caught the innkeeper hiding in the storeroom next to the sheriff's room Merinwaite hotly denies hiding and states he was stocking clean linens. Jobe however isn't entirely sure of himself though.
Tab a CG human male Druid 1 is one of the stable boys, Tab states he saw the gnome tinder, Lorkyhay Ganderhoddle, creeping about beneath the sheriff's windows during the night while Tab made his rounds of the stables. Ganderhobble claimes he was merely taking a late night constitutional.
The Sheriff suspects Estle Winterbloom just because she is a witch.
As you all get to the sheriffs office and examine the evidence.
You all find tiny dark marks made up of short straight lines cover the sheriff's bed near his pillows. These marks are slightly tacky to the touch and appear in pairs and groups of three.
"There's no shortage of suspects for who nicked our prize!" Klujjen thinks.
He will talk with the four he thinks could have nicked the dagger and see if he can get a sense of their sincerity:
He will also check out those marks by the sheriff's bed to see if he knows what might have caused them.
"Argh! Just on the tip of my tongue!" he fumes.
Orgril will stay with Xildhal and ensure that nothing happens to him.
Line will try questioning Lorkyhay, asking him: "What were you really doing by the Sheriff's office?"
you can sense the following
You cannot make out whether or not Grelm is telling the truth or if he is hiding something, you have trouble reading him. Just that he is a little upset from yesterday but will try to get over it.
You can sense that Huckaby likes his alcohol and was telling the truth.
You can sense that Estle does not like being discriminated against for being a witch.
You believe that Huckaby is being honest or is trying to be as honest as he possibly can. You sense motive does tell you that the stable is entirely sure that Huckaby was up to something, so you still not sure.
As line intimidates Lorkyhay he begins to st-udder and cannot tell you or does not want to tell you. He then adds Okay, fine I was there in the Sheriffs office, but the Sheriff was in his office the entire time I was there. Please explain to me how I would be able to steal a dagger out of the Sheriffs office with the Sheriff in the office? And if I really was seen in the office, the answer isn't I was invisible. As he says more and more nervously. Besides, wouldn't the Sheriff had noticed it missing soon after I had left and, wouldn't he have made me the prime suspect? he says trying to get heat off of him.
Line says to Lorkyhay, "You're a sorcerer. You can probably do all kinds of things most people would neither suspect nor notice. Besides, I never said you were in the office, you did. So why were you by your own admission hanging out invisibly in the Sheriff's office?"
okay, so Lorkhay confesses that he stole the dagger. Okay, fine, I casted sleep on the Sheriff and it was a piece of cake as he hands over the dagger.
The Sheriff then adds You can have the dagger if you help me with the murder and if you say yes, he directs you to the place where the murder took place. You have to go further into Arthfell Forest. You can even have one blackbanner come with you if you want, or leave them all behind. What do you all do?
Orgril wants nothing to do with the Blackbanners and makes it as obvious as he can without being directly rude or aggressive.
"I would like to inspect this dagger further before we continue. I also would be willing to protect it from further theft during our investigation."
He would first look over the dagger for any maker's marks or other indentifying features.
Then, he would see if he can remember any arcane knowledge pertaining to the dagger.
Orgril would finally, take a minute to prepare a potion of identify and use it on the dagger. (He is seeing if they missed anything upon their first inspection)
Upon concluding his investigation, which only takes a few minutes, he is ready to go to the crime scene. If the sheriff allows him to transport the dagger, he will hide it on his person.
Orgril finds that it is a priceless dagger, that no shopkeeper will accept it for money, nor will anyone give you money for it, but a few people would want to possess it for themselves by stealing if they knew the power it brings.
it is the magic in the dagger that makes people want it ever so slightly. The very weak minded/magical people have a hard time controlling the dagger or the desire to possess it.
and upon learning about the daggers full extend, Ogril is just barely able to say no to stealing the dagger, even though he would have enough skill to steal in and get away with it, his mind tells him it is wrong.
Klujjen is willing to investigate. "This dagger is a bit of a bother, apparently. I'd like to see where the murder took place and see if we can find anything more helpful. One of the Black Banners can come with us, I figure, to show we've got not bad intentions."
Speaking to the Sherrif: "Who was the murder victim? I doubt it was the mauled Hobgoblin we found with that dagger. I can't imagine anyone missing him. And he had just been recently killed when we did find him."
Klujjen will also have another look at that dagger, now that it's apparent it makes people want to steal it:
"Well, it is nice, but not nice. Should I hold on to it for the time being? Its "steal me" lure doesn't seem to affect me as much as some. Sounds like it's kind of useless as booty or a prize anyway."
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Xildhal walks past the group and out the door once outside he calls out
"well are we going?!"
Xildhal is still clearly very angry of being a suspect at all
I still can't believe that disrespectful halfling would think I Me! Would do that...theft the idea of it...xildhal tough to himself once out side
"let's move..."
He turns and pets zxill
"you know I would never do such a thing right girl?"
Zxill gives a hiss as if she answered him back
"ya that's right you know me..."
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Line says, "I am ready to leave when you all are. With or without a Black Banner makes no difference to me."
Dana nods. "I'm good to go." she steps forward and suddenly stumbles, as if tripped. She curses under her breath and follows the others out the door.
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Klujjen steps up with the others. "I'm ready. I had to make sure I have all my fashionable travel accessories, such as this one …" indicating his rather well-made Bardiche " … let's be off, shall we?"
"That Dawn is a looker," Klujjen thinks, "but she seems to be a klutz every time she talks. Strange. Then again, I guess each of us are strange in our own way."
alright you offer the Black Banners to go with you, but they all refuse, the officer said you could, but they said no. Hell no, whatever is out there will kill you too, and it wants that dagger.
Okay, so who here is in front, who is in back, who is in the middle?
Traveling speed: normal, takes 7 hours, perception is treated as a 10 or the higher of a roll. You will need 1 trail ration, which you can buy
Traveling speed fast: takes 3 hours, perception is bases off of rolls only. Trail rations not needed.
Traveling speed slow: takes 13 hours with no rest or 22 hours if you rest, perception is take 20 on traps, and take 10 on everything else or a roll. You will need 1 trail ration.
Line will either take point, or more likely the position behind point with a scout type on point. Line won't need a trail ration, but will suggest taking slow speed and resting when needed.
With a shrug to the Black Banners, Klujjen will just say "Suite yourself."
The slow (and sure) method sounds fine, since we don't have to have anyone good at disarming traps if found. He can travel up front with Line, since his bardiche will give him some good reach with AoO, if needed. Klujjen will grab a day's rations too; could need it.
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Orgril is not a front line, but he can spot traps. He would prefer to let Line lead and follow behind.
I should have said; Klujjen will use his bardiche as a bit of a "trap sweeper" on anything that looks like it might be trapped. It's got the reach, so he can poke and prod things and move it about out front to find tripwires, etcetera, etcetera.
along the trail you spot a snare trap and a wolf, a hungry wolf, though you are all far away yet and it won't bother you right now, though you can hear it growling and it coming closer to you by the second very very slowly. Though if you feed it, it might go away, or not bother you.
Line rigs his shield for battle and readies a chakram.
"One wolf is hardly worth the bother, Line. If we make much noise now, we might attract something nastier than one hungry wolf." says Klujjen. And with that he chucks out some of his meatier rations for the wolf.
"Besides, this is supposed to be a magical forest by all accounts. No point in taking needless risks, on the off chance it's not just any old wolf. There's no glory to be had fighting one hungry wolf anyway."
"Wolf is stringy and bitter anyway. If we ever get low on rations, I can show you how to forage for berries and other food."
wolf is now close enough as the people talk and hesitate.
new map up
round 1 start
for those who want to use ranged attack, the wolf has partial cover, from trees and grass and whatnot, +2 ac
"I don't the wolf is worth the bother, let's just keep going and let it have the rations I just tossed into the bush for it."
I've marked "grub" where Klujjen scattered some rations to keep the wolf busy.
Line will move 10 feet east, passing by Dana and ending up between Klujjen and Xildhal. Line will put the chakram away and draw his waraxe.
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Xildhal and zxill will dubbel move 60 feet foward..keeping an eye in the wolf if it tries to attack...
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Orgril will also keep going and leave the wolf alone.
Assuming Klujjen moves with the group, Line will also. Taking a rear guard position until the wolf is out of sight.
Dana continues walking, but is wary of the weary wolf.
okay so wolf take the food 70% it takes the food and leaves you alone, 71 and above means it grabs the food but will not leave.
Just barely, the wolf thinks about it for a second, but takes the food and then leaves.
later heroes reach the Druids Grove, it is getting dark, but not dark dark, as those without lowlight take a perception penalty
and odd plant
if you spotted it and ided, it is an assassin vine, it cannot move, but is very dangerous and needs to be taken out as there are clues near it, stand back at a min of 15 feet and destroy it safely.
Having more or less reached the spot they were heading for, Line stops and waits to see what everybody else wants to do.
Upon Entering the Grove:
Entering the grove, something catches Klujjen's eye. He points at a plant in the twilight: "This is an odd-looking plant. Does anyone know what it might be good, or bad, for? I don't recognize it myself."
Line suspects that slashing weapons might be better against a plant than piercing weapons. So he throws a chakram at it.
yeah it is still alive after xildhal hit it, though a quite a few of the vines where cut down and the plant was just about split in half.
The other 3 are up, then round 2 again.