"Fine, fine." he says, glowering at Kyra. He opens the door all of the way to allow her entry. He lets her in to a small receptionists' room. In the room stands a desk that's empty save for a little bell and a sign that says "Ring for service".
Mr. Habe leads you though a large common room bedecked with tables covered in dirty plates and sewing equipment, and to the other end of the room where a staircase sits. There's one staircase going down, to a basement level, and one staircase going up.
He leads you up the stairs, two stories, to the third floor of the building.
Soft moans emanate from the entrance to the second floor, but Habe doesn't hesitate in moving. Anyone who stops is pushed forward by the tiefling guard. When he reaches the third floor, he throws the door open. Three out of four of the cells here are empty, but the fourth has a closed and locked iron door, and Habe points to this one. "Mr. Sevilla is in there." He pulls a key ring off of his belt, unhooking a key from it. "This is the key. Feel free to talk to him as you wish, but don't harm him. He's a very useful research subject."
When they are alone, Rhanloi pulls the group together and says, "There is a strong odor of undeath coming from the basement. Did anyone else smell it? And that comment about research...There is more to this place than Habe may want us to know. Khalbar and I should check out the basement while you question the guard..."
Pick wrinkles his nose at Ran-loy's words but merely shrugs. He smells nothing. But he dislikes the man who disrespects Hammer so. He glares at the man's retreating back.
Kyra shakes her head. "I don't smell anything, but I'll take your word on it." She thinks for a second and then nods. "Go ahead. And watch yourselves. I don't trust Habe."
Narrowing her eyes at the cell, she takes a second to gather her thoughts, waiting for Khalbar and Rhanloi to leave. Once they've gone out of sight, she looks at Pick."Something here doesn't feel right." She mutters.
A few moments of silence pass while she seems to be making up her mind about something. "This man," she begins, "Has been through a trauma. Something I imagine you understand. Better than most, maybe."
"I would prefer," she continues, fondling the key in her hand, "Not to have to make him relive it, or to have that be merely a fleeting memory when compared to this. But make no mistake, Pick, there are many lives at risk, and one bodyguard who failed in his duty does not, and cannot, outweigh those. Do I make myself clear?"
Pick has an odd hallucination of Hammer telling him many things that seem to not be the case.
He is his usual taciturn self, but a frown settles deeper on his face as the Habe-man talks.
"...what 'research'?" he asks in his guttural voice after a small, processing silence.
Regardless of the answer, he sticks dutifully close to Kyra's side: it is a great honor to be bodyguard to Hammer. If needed, he will throw himself between the elder and any threats that happen when she opens the door.
With Habe hovering over the group, Rhanloi wondered how he and Khalbar could investigate the odd odor of death he had learned to notice from their time in the land of Geb. He leans in and whispers to his friend, "We need to follow a lead - did you notice the smell coming from the basement? Follow my lead - and be ready if this ploy fails..."
Rhanloi starts chatting up the caretaker, using his hands to animate points - although they seem to almost be doing something else. Rhanloi talks about the wonders of discovery and experiments, and how valuable the observation of human behavior is to understanding the true nature of things. All the while he is actually casting charm person on the man...
If it works, Rhanloi will ask Habe to show him some of his research in the basement because his friends are awfully dull and not worth watching. In fact, Habe should leave his tiefling assistant with the woman and dwarf - he clearly doesn't understand the delicate nature and intracacies of the human condition...
Khalbar stiffens as he smells the scent of Geb, land of death, once again. His eyes narrow but he waits for others to notice it also. When Rhanloi makes a note of it, the big man rumbles agreement.
"Something is not right in this place. It smells of the dead who walk." As Rhanloi begins casting on the owner of the place, Khalbar moves to the guard, ready to strike should the man make an aggressive action.
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"he's nae a research subject, d'ye nae ken? he's a witness tae murder. You'll do nae research on him 'til we're finished wi' him, d'ye ken?"
Flibble turns at Khalbars words and looks as though he is about to comment, but then stops, looking thoughtful.
"Pick lad. this is just like Magnimar, eh?" he says, all the while his fingers are dancing with a different message.
Reposition behind bodyguard. Be ready.
Rhanloi casts a spell on Mr. Habe, and he components of the spell give him away even as Habe shakes aside the spell as easily as a duck shaking off water. His expression of interest quickly turns to one of fear, and of anger, and he shouts to his bodyguard, "Quick, subdue them! They're trying to enchant me!"
Initiative:
Kyra - 22
Pick - 22
Khalbar - 21
Tiefling - 19
Erin Habe - 17
Flibble - 9
Rhanloi - 7
Cramped into close quarters, Khalbar eschews his greataxe and goes to grapple the demon-spawn guard instead, trying to subdue him, rather than out-right slay him.
Pick gives the tiniest of nods to Flibble to show he understands the orders, but before he has a chance to try and wriggle back near the bodyguard, things are Happening.
He is closer to Habe. He tries to twist through the bodies, pushing Ran-loy back out of the way to get next to Habe and drive a solid fist into his kidneys.
As much as Kyra wants to bury Habe for such indiscretions, it occurs to her that she needs to be more responsible than that, and if he is indeed hiding something, she might need him for questioning. "I want him alive, for now." She says through gritted teeth, swinging her fists at Habe almost as soon as trouble started.
Kyra and Pick react quickly to Habe's cry for violence, moving into opposite positions and swinging their fists in powerful blows. Kyra and Pick both connect with his stomach, and he staggers in pain, hitting the ground unconscious when Kyra flattens him with a kick straight to the jaw. You hear the jawbone crack from the force of the kick.
Khalbar would normally be correct about the unsuspecting man, but his quick reflexes allow the guard to law into Khalbar with his fist as Khalbar lunges in for a grapple.
Unfortunately, Khalbar is more heavily armored than the tiefling suspects, and his fist impacts upon Khalbar's nice armor. Fortunately for him, the force of his punch still kept Khalbar back enough that the tiefling avoided a grapple. He tries to punch Khalbar again.
Unfortunately, his strong hook misses Khalbar entirely and impacts on the wall, forming a little dent and bruising the tiefling's hand.
Initiative:
Kyra - 22
Pick - 22
Khalbar - 21
Tiefling - 19
Erin Habe - 17
Flibble - 9
Rhanloi - 7
Rhanloi launches his quarterstaff at the tiefling with his hand of the apprentice skill, launching the wooden staff before it returns automatically to his hand.
Rhanloi launches his quarterstaff across the room. Even though the bodyguard is in melee combat with his barbarian companion, he manages to hit the guard and injure him, but only barely. His quarterstaff returns to his hand.
Unconscious on the ground, Habe is hit by two of Flibble's magic missiles. He grunts in pain, but remains on the ground.
Initiative:
Kyra - 22
Pick - 22
Khalbar - 21
Tiefling - 19
Erin Habe - 17
Flibble - 9
Rhanloi - 7
Kyra pauses to give Flibble a look that says 'Really?' before turning her attention (and her fists) towards the Tiefling.
Seeing that Habe is down, Pick turns his attention to the tiefling as well.
Kyra and Pick react quickly to Habe's cry for violence, moving into opposite positions and swinging their fists in powerful blows. Kyra and Pick both connect with his stomach, and he staggers in pain, hitting the ground unconscious when Kyra flattens him with a kick straight to the jaw. You hear the jawbone crack from the force of the kick.
Khalbar still tries to grapple the man, rather than trying to swing his axe in close quarters. He bear hugs the fellow (taking an AoO in the process) trying to squeeze him into submission.
"Your master is down, devil-man. Give up before you get hurt bad."
The tiefling punches Khalbar when the barbarian goes in for a second grapple, this time successfully injuring Khalbar, if only bruisingly. Khalbar successfully wraps his arms around the bodyguard, though, constricting him in a grip.
Finding himself unable to escape down the stairs, the bodyguard bellows downwards, "Caizarlu! Quick! They've attacked Mr. Habe! I need your help!" Then, he just tries to punch Khalbar while being grappled.
Unfortunately, he can't unlimber himself enough to get a good punch in.
Initiative:
Kyra - 22
Pick - 22
Khalbar - 21
Tiefling - 19
Erin Habe - 17
Flibble - 9
Rhanloi - 7
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Kyra and Pick react quickly to Habe's cry for violence, moving into opposite positions and swinging their fists in powerful blows. Kyra and Pick both connect with his stomach, and he staggers in pain, hitting the ground unconscious when Kyra flattens him with a kick straight to the jaw. You hear the jawbone crack from the force of the kick.
seeing Habe unconscious, Flibble turns to the bodyguard and fires off another couple of magic missiles at him.
Rhanloi waits to see what Khalbar does with the tiefling, and what may be coming up the stairs...
Pick starts trying to twist past the bodies on the stairwell. Whoever Caizarlu is, Pick wagers he will need a punch to the jaw.
Flibble fires a trio of magic missiles at the bodyguard, striking him strongly and unerringly. He grunts in pain, but continues to struggle. Rhanloi waits a moment, and while he waits Kyra and Pick both take a running leap over Khalbar and the bodyguard, striking him in the head and shoulder with their fists and feet. He looks right about to topple, but continues to try and struggle.
Initiative:
Kyra - 22
Pick - 22
Khalbar - 21
Tiefling - 19
Erin Habe - 17
Flibble - 9
Rhanloi - 7
Holding the bodyguard tight, Khalbar then throws a gutpunch at the guy, trying to knock him out.
Khalbar, squeezing the man tightly, punches him right in the face. The tiefling bodyguard slumps unconscious to the ground.
Cracking his knuckles loudly, Khalbar sighs, "I have been missing this kind of thing. Being with the Hammer leads to many fights. I like that." He gives a wise-guy grin, and then picks up the unconscious duo.
"I will watch them while you speak to witness, yeah?"
Kyra smiles back at Khalbar. "Never a dull moment."
Cocking her head, she glances at the bodies. "Maybe drop them into one of these cells for the moment. If you two still smell something unnatural, I'd like you to investigate it. Just, you know, watch for any more guards."
Rhanloi nods at Kyra - and smiles at Pick's nickname for her that seems to have stuck...
"Come on, my giant friend. Let's follow my nose and make sure we don't have visitors from Geb in the basement..." Rhanloi calls out to Khalbar as he starts down the stairs. He is also keeping a wary eye out for whatever the tiefling may have called.
o.0
Rhanloi and Khalbar head down the stairs back down to the ground level while Flibble and Pick help Kyra load the two unconscious folk into one of the cellblocks. Habe has a keyring with all of the keys, so locking them into one of the cells only requires a minute of fumbling with keys. Habe even has some manacles on his person that you can use to lock him and his bodyguard up with.
The rest of the building is quiet - it seems that the tiefling's cries for help went unanswered. Other than the patients in the other cells, everything is empty, requiring a trip into the basement level.
The ground floor is quite dirty-looking, with roughly-worked stone walls and floor. Two doors lead into other rooms from a larger main room. The smell of death is obviously coming from here, though no undead are clearly evident. What is evident, though, is an elderly human man, glasses and a robe on. He leans over a desk on the back wall, writing something in a tiny notebook.
The rest of this basement level is filled with several tables bearing cargo covered by drapes, as well as other tools such as shovels and dissection implements. Rhanloi recognizes this area as a necromancer's wizardly lab.
The man turns as Rhanloi and Khalbar enter, clears his throat, and stands up. "And what are you doing here, exactly?" His hand goes to a wand on his belt.
With Habe and the Tiefling taken care of, Kyra pauses for a moment, and speaks to Pick about their intentions when questioning the bodyguard. Once she is satisfied that they are on the same page, she will approach and open the man's cell.
The cell door opens easily with Habe's key, and Kyra swings it open on creaking hinges. Inside, on the floor, lays a human man bound in an old straitjacket. His skin is pale and slick with sweat, and he looks thinner than is healthy.
As soon as Kyra comes into view, the man's body jerks and he sits up with his abs of steel. His eyes bulge when they fall upon you, and he says, "He said. He told me you would visit me. His Lordship said. The one that unmade me so. He has a place for you. A precious place. I'm so jealous. He has a message for you. He made me remember it. I hope I haven't forgotten. The master wouldn't approve if I forgot. Let me see...." His head falls as if in contemplation, and then jerks back up to meet Kyra's gaze. "He said that if you came to his Misgivings, that if you joined his Pack, he would end his harvest in your honor."
"We came here to question the guard you took in the other night about the murders. But you see, my friend and I spent several months in Geb, and the odor of undeath became known to us there. So when we could not help but notice that stench coming from the basement of this establishment, we had to investigate. And here we find you in a necromancer's laboratory. SO - you are hereby summoned to appear before Kyra the Hammer, mayor of Sandpoint and goblinslayer, the protector of the innocent and righter of wrongs, for questioning concerning the wrongful deaths of several members of our town. You will come quietly and without struggle. You are not accused yet of these murders and so retain your rights as a citizen of Sandpoint. Do you understand?"
Rhanloi is rather impressed with his legal speech and hopes the man does not put up a fight. But, in case he does, he embraces the inner fire always burning in his mind, preparing to cast the Thassilonian scorching ray spell imprinted upon his psyche...
Pick nods somberly, once, at Hammer's words, to show he has understood. Inside, he studies the man with his squinting gaze.
Pick frowns, head tipping to one side. He sniffs the air, briefly, then his fingers sketch a short message... before he remembers Hammer does not know the silent tongue. Hrnh.
He tugs on Kyra's sleeve and goes up on tiptoe to try and whisper into her ear. "This man is dying. Three days, maybe."
The man is instantly stressed by Rhanloi's words, and his eyes dart between the door to his left and the pair of adventurers. His body appears tense, and his eyes narrow. "I believe that you are here on the authority of Sandpoint's new Mayor." he says, his voice crackly and deep.
He flicks a hand out towards the door he's been looking at and it opens. The smell of undeath flows out, overpoweringly, from the small storage room beyond as four zombies stagger out. "But I don't believe I could come out unscathed, regardless of my innocence." he finishes, dropping into a combat stance.
Quick to react, Rhanloi points a finger and shoots a powerful ray of fire. The ray flashes right by the old man's head, singing a couple of his beard hairs but leaving him unharmed.
Initiative:
Rhanloi - 20
Caizarlu - 6
Khalbar - 3
Khalbar is a bit stunned at the behavior of the usually cool and collected Rhanloi.
But seeing that the man in the basement would like to fight, Khal steps up to oblige him. Grabbing for his axe, he takes on the undead master as best he can.
Rhanloi begins another arcane ritual, and as he finishes a small earth elemental rises out of the basement's rough floor!
Pick walks closer to the raving man, eyes narrowed. This one reminds him of.... of the silent ones, back in Mag Ni Mar. This one has plenty of words, but there is something in his eyes... it is the mark of one who has true purpose, such as Pick used to have, among the People.
He misses that purpose, though he does not miss the Sleeper. Sometimes he thinks he hears a voice saying he can have a purpose again, at nights. To have something you will bleed for, and die for, willingly... service to Hammer is good, but Hammer is only flesh and blood. The voice he hears at nights is more than that: it sounds like an old woman, harsh and stern. He finds it very reassuring.
For now, he crouches before the other one, mulling over his words. "You say.... un-made. How? What did... the Lord Ship... do?"
Kyra nods silently at Pick's whisper as to the man's health. She couldn't say for sure if he was right or not, but she could say with certainty that the man looked bad. She keeps her eyes locked on him as he talks about his Lordship. "I'm not who you think I am." She mutters. "Whoever it was for, it's not me." Whether she's trying to convince him or herself, her voice has an adamant edge to it.
Pausing she takes a deep breath, and let's it out. She crouches down to get closer to him, though still keeping a safe distance between the two of them. "Who was it that did this? Who is his Lordship?"
The man collapses in frustration, growling and mumbling. "The GRAY one!" he mumbles. "Too many teeth, and knives...all for YOU. He said he wanted YOU!" From his prone position, he rips a hand free from the old straitjacket that restrains him and points at Kyra. He begins a low moan. Over a few seconds, it accelerates into a high-pitched shriek, and as he shrieks, he rips his other hand free and stands up. He wavers from side to side, but clenches his fists tightly while glowering at Kyra. "The Master's gifts can't be for you! You don't deserve them! Get out of my way!" he shouts at Pick, before leveling a strong punch at him.
Despite being sick, Grayst is still a strong fighter, and he punches Pick with pretty good force.
Initiative:
Kyra - 18
Grayst - 13
Flibble - 7
Pick - 6