"Have you located anything else you think might be helpful to our investigation? We discovered some marks in the debris that looked like something had been dragged through it, did you find anything like that here?" Simza thought it unlikely that they'd find anything meaningful after three days, so it seemed better to talk with someone who had been here before the site was quite picked over.
Barin nods:"Yeah, I was searching for him but then you started checking the foundations and I hought you could use a little help from a dwarf on those matters... But back at this Merryfoot fellow: where in the nine hells is he hiding?"
"He's over there, Barin. Let's go speak with him."
Rasil led Barin and Koraq to the halfling, who was out amongst the wreckage with a small pile of dusty and beaten times beside him, currently tugging away at a trapped volume.
"Mr. Merryfoot? We're special investigators. We'd like to ask you a few questions if you don't mind."
"Drag marks? No, nothing like that. But I wasn't really looking at the debris. Sorry."
Merryfoot straightens from his work. "Of course, I'd be happy to help. My, you look like a strong fellow," he adds, looking at Koraq. "Be a chap and haul this book out for me, would you?"
Simza nods in understanding. "Well, thank you for your help and patience Mrs. Rumblemountain. If you could let us know of your findings at Irefoot Hall after you've examined the site, then the MSI would be very grateful." she glanced at Issceran to see if he had anything else to ask the Building Inspector.
"What am I? Your servant?", Koraq barks back, keeping his arms folded across his chest and staring the halfling down. "We're just here to see if ya saw anything that might help figure who did this to your shop.
"Mrs. Rumblemountain, I'd like to set up an interview with your clerk regarding the misplaced files." With that he politely excused himself, nodding to Simza so that she may set up the appropriate time and date.
Issceran began to investigate the site, striking out on his own and carefully climbing through the rubble as he looked out for anything unusual. While his team began to get involved with the people present, he wanted to find anything that as overlooked by the looters and shop owners. There had to be something hidden under all the rubble and with a stone plucked from the ground, he cast a light spell and moved slowly. He combed the rubble, inside and outside of the site and as he did so he would cast detect magic occasionally. The elf wasn't sure what he was looking for, however.
Barin looks at the halfling, trying to get the measure of him:"Good day, Mr Merryfoot: I am Inspector Orcbane, from the SMI division of Magnimar police, and these are Inspector Silverclaw and Inspector Bathbone. We'd like to ask you some questions about what happened here. First thing: where were you at the moment of the collapse?"
"Um, home in bed, of course," he replies as if that were the stupidest question ever. "It happened at some wee hour of the morning. Some of us thought we had shops to open in three or four hours."
Koraq eventually relents and grabs the book from the rubble, trying to look at the title without looking snoopy.
Ugh... here ya go. I expect you to spill some beans, now. See anyone suspicious hangin' 'round the shops here?
"Thank you, and no. Not a one."
And any of ya neighbor's have enemies? I imagine the lawyers weren't too popular.
"I wouldn't know. You could ask them, I suppose."
Simza trailed after Issceran, helping him in his efforts to locate anything that might have been missed, though her hopes weren't high.
"So Issceran, what did you think of that block? Did it look like it could have been caused by the snake Tiberius saw?"
"I see. I merely wanted to confirm if you were in the vicinity of the building. Now tell me: what do you know about summoners? Did you have books on the subject in your shop? And if so, have you been able to confirm they are still here?"
"We need to figure out how large this snake is," Issceran murmured, picking through the rubble slowly. "That may require research on animals and if we're dealing with some sort of summoner, I need to research the relationship between a summoner and their summon -- in this instance, a snake." He nodded as he kicked a rock over, frowning as he found little of note. He knew he had to gain access to an arcane library to expand his knowledge.
"Books on summoners? I had a few books on magic and wizards in general. I think they're all accounted for. You think somebody did this just to steal one of my books?"
He suddenly looks very nervous and glances over at one area of rubble.
Koraq suspiciously eyes the halfling, trying to determine what he may be hiding.
He looks like he wants to rush of and check out a specific book to see if it's still there, but doesn't want to be seen doing it.
Barin nods slowly:"It's just one of our possible lines of investigation to determine the motive behind this cave in. It has come to our attention that a magician of some kind could be involved. Let's just say it would be very useful if you could give us a list of books you have in your possession dealing with the subjects I mentioned previously... and your help would be duly noted, of course..."
Bet one of 'em is 'round here, 'eh?, as Koraq starts kicking through the rubble where the halfling was eying.
Rasil looks intently at the spot that the halfling glanced at (that Koraq headed toward to start kicking the rubble).
"Well, I do have some measurements from the autopsy... I don't know how long it was, but I have it's girth and the distance between it's fangs. If it's some eldritch creature it's not necessarily going to match up to real snakes though." she admitted as they walked through the rubble. "Still it would be good to know more about summoners."
"Hey! Stop that! I still have merchandise to recover. Some of these volumes are worth more than your year's wages, and I'll see that you lose those wages in court if you bring any further harm to my books."
Rasil headed toward were Koraq was.
Rubble and books, that's all.
"Now, Mr. Merryfoot, you wouldn't want to interfere with an official investigation, would you?" Rasil said, stroking his mustache and tapping lightly on the rubble with his walking stick.
"However, I can promise you that anything you tell us will be kept in confidentiality--but it is vital that we have all the facts, or we won't be able to stop these criminals!"
"I am not interfering with anything! I simply do not want my lively hood further impacted by some lout with too few brains and too much feet!"
Merryfoot starts sifting through rubble, quite frantic. "Some volumes I possess are for more discriminating clients, that more closed-minded people might draw wrong conclusions about. Ah, here we go."
He pulls a volume bound in a pale leather studded with wrought iron. Written in red ink is the title The Asmodean Disciplines. After making sure it's okay, he grabs a sack and quickly wraps it up.
Hmm... The Asmodean Disciplines. I'll have to remember that, thought the gnome.
"Now, now, Mr. Merryfoot," Rasil said soothingly. Leaning in closer, he spoke quietly to the halfling, "I understand not being understood. It's just that the criminals we're after have already killed someone in their search for something."
Rasil leaned back out and added, "You see, Naos Market was only the first. Irefoot Hall has also been destroyed by the thieves."
"I heard about that. You think they're related? Say, don't let on you heard from me, but I'm pretty sure that Rav Kinman has the only other copy of human-bound Disciplines in Varisia. He threatened to put his up for auction to kill mine's price if I didn't agree to sell mine to him at a slightly lower price than I'd like. But I got him back pretty quick! Oh, not like that. I didn't destroy his building, just sicced a local fortune-teller nutbag on him, harassing him and cursing him, so that nobody would buy his copy. Isn't it strange that there are so many people willing to by a human-leather bound book about the archdevil written in blood, but lay on a few Varisian curses as well, and nobody wants it?"
Merryfoot chuckles to himself.
Rav Kinmin, the owner of the Cherished Chelish. Figures, thought Rasil with disgust.
He turned to Barin and Koraq. "Well, we may finally have something."
Drawing his dwarven and half-orc companion out of earshot from the halfling, Rasil said, "If our snake-summoning thief is really after that book, we should see if we can find some way to protect it and Mr. Merryfoot." Glancing at the halfling, he added, "If we can convince him of the necessity."
Barin moves near Merryfoot with a determined stride:"Now listen, and listen well: someone is KILLING people and collapsing whole buildings, possibly because he wants a copy of that book you hide there. You can keep it until we get a mandate and risk whoever did this decides to take it from you or you can hand it over now with the understanding that, no matter how disgusting that thing is, if it doesn't break any laws for you to possess it we'll give it back once this killer is aprheneded."
Intimidation check:
After this tirade Barin continues:"And as for the local fortune-teller nutbag we would appreciate if you would divulge his or her credentials and adress. All to show your good faith, of course"
"And you better not lead us in a wild goose chase; it'll take more than a few Varisian curses to keep us away if you're messin with us, shrimp. And we got our own gy...Simza here to give ya some bad ju-ju if that's what it takes.
So Koraq's 23 plus 2 from Barin, plus 4 from being bigger...
Merryfoot clutches the book covered in human skin to his chest as a protective shield. "Fine! Fine! Whatever! But this book is totally legal, and I want a written receipt for it from you....if that's okay."
He also gives you the name of Madame Pietra and the address of her shop.
Rasil stepped up, wincing at the strong arm tactics his co-workers used on the halfling. "Of course, of course, Mr. Merryfoot! Your safety is important. Just come with me and will get that sorted."
Rasil ushered the halfling off toward one of the City Watch, sure that someone could help them with a receipt.
The Watchmen look at Rasil like he grew another head. If he wants to confiscate something for evidence, he needs to write his own receipt, and we aren't your bloddy secretary.
Sighing, Rasil headed for Issceran, knowing that the wizard would have the supplies necessary to write a receipt.
That's really all the receipt is, a written statement that you have taken possession of this book for the purposes of investigation, and that you agree to return it when the investigation is complete. The purpose of the receipt is so that you can't steal and sell the book yourselves, or so that the Watch is responsible if the book is damaged while in your custody. The regular Watchmen aren't going to sign such a thing because then it would be their heads if the book were lost or destroyed. Issceran probably has the supplies; it seems like an Issceran-like thing.
After Rasil takes Merryfoot away to work on the receipt, Koraq gives an approving nod to Barin. "Heh, that's more like it. Probably took everything that lil twit had to not piss himself right there! Wonder if Simz and Issy have anyone we need to talk to?", his Grinch-like smile appearing in his face with that last line.
"There you go, Mr. Merryfoot, one receipt indicating that you'll get your book back at the end of our investigation. Thank you."
About ten pounds! :D
Barin struggles to keep a straight face as Rasil comes and goes searching for the means to write down a recepit for a book made of human leather. After some seconds he aswers Koraq with a grin on his face:"Yeah, agreed. Let's make sure that book isn't actually something that could be used to summon some devil. I'd hate to have to deal with that besides having some killer who apparently likes to call on giant snakes as allies... I think we should check on this Madame Pietra, and the others could interrogate the remaining shop owners. What's critical is to understand if something is missing and what it can be. And we need to check on this Kinman fellow as soon as possible, of course. I'd love to know if he's still in possession of his copy of that book..."
"Well, you an' I shouldn't leave the softies completely alone. One of us should stick with the gnome and follow him to either the gypsy or the other bookworm. The other should keep an eye on them two in case they walk off somewhere.", pointing his thumb back at Issceran and Simza.
"And don't worry 'bout snakes; as wide as ya are, it couldn't swallow you if it wanted to."
Upon realizing just how heavy the monstrous tome weighs, Rasil looked to Barin and Koraq. "Um, would one of you mind carrying this book around? It weighs something like ten pounds!"
"Barin, as for Rav Kinman, we'll have to head back to Irefoot Hall and see if he's still there. He was the unpleasant Chelaxian that owned the Cherished Chelish."
"I'll take the book, maybe Issy will want to give it a looksie."
As Koraq takes the book, he overhears Rasil's statement.
"Guess I get to babysit the elf and Simz after all...", as he walks over to the two.
"Thank you Koraq!" Rasil said with a smile.
He turned to Barin to see if he wanted to return to Irefoot Hall to see if they could find Rav Kinman.
Barin shakes his head:"Before going back to Irefoot Hall we need to check on this Madame Pietra. I don't like to leave any possible trails unchecked. We've got the book, Kinman can wait, this Madame might know something if she was actively harnessing Kinman... or maybe she's really a nutjob and went a little too far with her "harrasment"... We'll see."
Rasil beamed at Barin. "Sounds like an excellent idea! Besides, I'm not too keen on speaking with Kinman again. He was rude."
"Let's go tell the others what we're doing, and leave them to their tasks here." After that was accomplished, they set about learning Madam Pietra's whereabouts.
Baring chuckles:"Rude? I'll show him rude when we meet him. I dislike people who keep books about devil summoning hidden away. And we need to confirm if that constitutes a breach of the law..."
"Definitely," agreed Rasil.