The boy responds
"Thank you so much. I thought I was dead. I was just trying to visit my new friend in town. My name is Milandru.
Please can you just take me back to my mama...she is at the circus. I am so afraid these people will hurt me."
The crowd disperses. The boy leads you back to his tent. His mother is shocked at the sight of her son and begins to cry, first in terror then in gratitude that he was saved.
"Good sirs, thank you for rescuing my son. Please accept this magical scarf as a token of my appreciation.
It is a family heirloom and my most prized possession but is nothing compared to him. Please take it!"
She hands you a magical Scarf of Suggestive Dance. Not finding a female in the group, she hands it to one of the men.
of a flame and tasseled in tiny beads. When
wrapped around the hips, it grants the wearer
a +5 competence bonus on Perform (dance)
checks. The scarf adds +1 to the saving throw
DC of the wearer’s fascinate and suggestion
bardic performances
You head back to town to your inn as the night is late and the Sheriff's quarantine is in effect.
Back in town and asking around the locals, Morvius and Holman
are able to find a bit more about the murdered priestess.
Many people in Ilsurian knew Sister Esrelda planned to
speak to the sphinx directly this afternoon. She was very
public about this after the news of Walder’s murder.
Esrelda was half-Varisian, a strong defender of both her
heritages, and a respected leader in the community.
Everyone expects a few purses to be cut at a town
carnival, but the carnival’s first day of business saw
nothing out of the ordinary. Shortly before Esrelda was
discovered, pickpockets seemed to have come out in
droves. Once one individual noticed it, an alarm was
raised from the crowds and many people discovered
they’d been “pinched.” This precipitated the fight on
the parade grounds.
Collecting the information takes you well into the night, at the cost of a few drinks.
The next morning, a constable shows up at your inn, beating on the door.
"Sheriff Feldane needs to see you right away. Another murder has occurred that she thinks you need to see."
Assuming you follow the guard, to the discovery of another victim.
The sheriff greets you with a grim look on her face.
She points to a body is hung from a tree in town.
"This one is a local...Filton Legg’s his name.
Filton Legg was a beggar and reprobate. I have no choice but to
arrest someone, and the evidence is pretty compelling."
Filton’s corpse is suspended
by the neck from a dirty and torn Varisian scarf. His eyes
have been gouged out, his mouth has been stuffed with
rags, and his left hand has been severed at the wrist
and is missing.
A sheet of paper has been
pinned to the body’s shirt and is stained
with blood, emblazoned with the
Varisian words “We take care of our own.”
A simple check of the body discovers a harrow card
of The Desert, depicting an androsphinx,
stuck just inside the body’s vest,
and a dingy, heavily creased, note
appearing to be a few days old
in the trouser pocket.
The note is signed “Arhaneem Braeton,” but bears
no personal seal.
It is an easy matter to find that
Arhaneem Braeton is a wealthy river merchant who owns a small fleet of ships that traverse Lake Syrantula and the Skull River. Braeton has a large manor in town.
Kath also uncovers some additional details...The practice of severing the left hand was a practice popular among gangs and thieves’ guilds in Korvosa some 10 to 20 years ago. It was a reprisal done to someone who sought relief from an illegal debt by going to the authorities. The idea was the victims retained their right hands so they could still make good on their obligations.
The sheriff travels to the Umbra Carnival to order Jherizhana to surrender, and when no one forces the “sphinx” to appear or comply, Feldane arrests Almara Delisen in lieu of Jherizhana. For her part, Almara surrenders herself to custody willingly. She pleads for you to find the real killers as you know the circus is innocent.
The note explains the bearer has been hired to “work on one of the Skull River boat crews, and is on probation. The description of Arhaneem Braeton as a wealthy river merchant, did not match the peasants that were responsible for beating the boy.
Mainly that skulks don’t live well in large communities, making their long-term association with the circus unlikely.
And Filton was addicted to a substance known as shiver. Some people suspect the drug is produced locally, but sold in other towns and communities so that the drug’s manufacture is not traced directly back to the source. Filton seemed to have an inside connection.
Besides the card and note, the body was definitely murdered and mutilated.
More checking around you find out a bit more on the note.
Arhaneem Braeton was a self-made man and early entrepreneur in the area, his small fleet ferrying goods all the way from Magnimar to Kaer Maga and Janderhoff. As one of Ilsurian’s wealthiest citizens and merchants, Braeton commands no small authority on the town’s docks.
One of the constables points out that Braeton owns a manor at the edge of town. Following up on the lead from the note found in the victim's pocket, you arrive at the address and the large manor.
Approaching the front door, you see that it is slightly ajar.
Holman enters the front door.
This large, spacious foyer has high ceilings and is richly
appointed. North of the door sits a large planter where an
indoor tree is bathed in light from the skylight above. A massive
staircase gradually ascends to a second floor above. Two sets
of double doors on the east and west wall lead farther into the
house. Another set of double doors stands behind the stairway.
Leather padded chairs are interspaced throughout the room.
Holman moves deeper into the foyer, to the western doors to listen.
The rest of the party waits on the front steps.
Leather sofas dominate this sitting room. Large windows
with curtains drawn are set in the wall behind them.
Holman quietly proceeds to the next set of doors while the others watch and wait.
with enough chairs for a large family meal.
[ooc]Shall I assume you are working your way around to the north and back to the east? Or something else?[/b]
Holman works his way around the lower floor opening the doors to the north and the eastern doors.
When he pokes open the eastern door, a human thug jumps is standing there waiting to attack.
"Stupid foreigners! They ruined our plan! Have at em boys!"
====Initiative====
=== Surprise Round ===
11-Western Thugs
10-Holman
8- Eastern Thugs
The western doors swing open and a pair of thugs enter the hallway.
Holman has a surprise round action before his opponent goes.
After Holman, a thug steps out from around the front building corner and throws something over a bush, directly at the party on the front steps.
"Take that!"
=== Round 1====
21+Boalo blind?
21-Morvius
11+West Thugs
11-Nguyen An blind?
10+Holman
10+Kath blind?
8-Other Thugs
6-August blind?
Holman reacts quickly and the thug drops his short sword, steps back 5' and grabs his wound trying to stop the bleeding.
The thug behind the bushes throws flash powder as indicated.
|
An shakes off the dazzling effects of the flash and moves forward to attack one of the thugs coming out of the door on his left (C2).
He makes a huge swipe with his Nodachi, hoping to strike both thugs in his attack (using Power Attack (-1 to hit, +2 Damage) and Cleave, -2 to AC if successful)
Attack-Melee:
Damage:
Cleave Attack:
Damage:
Bo'alo delays after the flash of light, trying to determine if he can see.
| 1 person marked this as a favorite. |
Boalo is able to fight off the flash blindness and draws his firearm and shoots...the ceiling.
Morvius draws mace and moves to support Holman.
"Gets the one in the door Rocko. I will stick this bloke somethin' good!"
The two thugs move to engage the party. One intercepts Nguyen An at the door while the other moves to attack Movius.
"You got it Slim!"
Thug 1 for on Nguyen An
Thug 2 for on Morvius
11-Nguyen An
10+Holman
10+Kath
Nguyen An chops the thug in the doorway and the man drops dead before he his the floor.
Holman ignores the staggered man and stabs the thug behind him.
Kath opens the door to see the bloodied body on the floor.