"I think she is the killer. He probably took the amulet and she found him around the carts and killed him." Waylon says as he thinks the amulet is proof.
Jotun nods at Waylon's words. "That could well be. But where did the second amulet come from? Maybe she had an extra, or maybe they both had one to begin with? We need more information before we mark her as the guilty party. Tomorrow might reveal much, especially if we meet with her at the appointed place. It will also tell us if she is acting alone or if there are others in the caravan with the same agenda."
Love it. Okay, back at the camp. Anything you want to do before Day 3?
Jotun spends the day trailing the caravan and watching the woman carefully. She is surely alerted to something, but does her alertness seem to be shared by all? Or is she alone in her increased vigilance?
vs TN 15 (Woman 1) = Success!
Isn't this Day 3?
Who says it isn't? :-p
Isn't this Day 3?Who says it isn't? :-p
:)
Báin considers what he has gleaned from the reports made by his sneakier companions. "The best lead to date, does seem to be the woman. Mayhap she and the Ranger were, shall we say acquainted?"
The next day, with the woman being investigated by others, Waylon will focus on one of the dwarves to see if there is anything suspicious they had missed.
Belle will use her art of disappearing and see if any of the males of the caravan are interested in the woman.
Since the woman is already being investigated, Belle wants to know if she had an accomplice (or is even really the guilty one).
Tilly watched as Belle disappeared to investigate the woman who Waylon believed was the killer they were seeking. As Jotun and Waylon made their way to investigate some of the others, Tilly thought it best to see what the Edoric, the guide, was up to and if he was doing or saying anything to help them with discovering the murderer of Deadeye. She moved silently to follow/watch/hear Edoric.
You realize that Narvi is purposefully trying to get Hirlinon drunk each night. Also, Narvi is remarkably stealthy for a Dwarf; he can step as lightly as a cat when he wants to. Narvi is a burglar!
You realize that the woman, Berelas by name, has some sort of bond with Edoric the caravan captain. Certainly, she spends a lot of time talking to him, and he smiles when she sings. She’s a talented healer, much more so than Hirlinon the Southerner. Anything of actual potency that he sells from his wagon of cure-alls was made by her.
You realize that Edoric is an honest man, and is close with Berelas (the woman), riding close to her and smiling when she sings. You think that Edoric would be a dangerous opponent to fight, but if approached, might listen to reason. You very much doubt he would have been part of Dead-Eye’s murder.
“I have been watching the young dwarf Narvi and I doubt he is behind the death. He seems the type to have taken anything of value he might have found. Which means the necklace we found would not have remained. He does seem to want to keep the southener drunk out of his wits for some reason though.” Waylon informs the others when he returns.
Returning to her companions, she informed them of her findings and reckonings, "The guide, Edoric, is an honest man and I doubt he had any part in murdering Dead-Eye. Don't get me wrong, I believe he'd be dangerous in a fight. He's close to the woman, Berelas. He rides beside her and smiles when she sings."
Belle says, “Noted the singing and smiling. But… the woman is a talented healer. Healer’s tend not to be murderous. Usually the opposite, right?”
"At least we are narrowing down the possibilities."
Jotun nods at Belle's words. "I couldn't get a read on her, but I trust your judgement, little one. If she is a healer, and presuming that Deadeye wasn't a bad fellow, they might have been a team for the forces of good rather than evil. Whoever killed Deadeye might be targeting her next - though you wouldn't know it from her demeanor today. In any case, I suggest we keep our appointment with her this evening."
”I can stand by to alert you in case she is followed.”
"Whoever meets her should be a good speaker. I will wait in hiding and watch to see that they are safe." Waylon says.
Jotun grins at Waylon. "I've been told I can be quite charming - or quite the boor, for that matter. Either way, I don't this is going to be a typical conversation what with the threatening letter and all. Still, I'll do my best. With you all hiding nearby, if things go badly at least I know you'll have my back."
Fixing Belle with his gaze, he asks the hobbit. "How are you at hooting like an owl? Or some other kind of nature call? If she's got company, a subtle warning would be a fine thing."
Jotun heads toward the site he had appointed for the meeting. He has both necklaces (the one he took from her, and the one from Deadeye) as well as a fine bottle of mead from the box he carries. Hopefully it will be enough, along with his words, to smooth things over and maybe glean some information. Is she a potential ally? Or a deadly enemy? The answer would soon be evident.
He trusts the others to have his back. He knows Bain will for certain, but he doesn't know the others well enough yet. In any case, the die is cast...
Before Jotun moved away to go to the other camp, Tilly instructed him politely, "Don't forget your manners, Jotun. Best to greet these folk nicely before trying to persuade them with your charming nature. If you need my help with being all courteous like and convincing, I'd be willing to join you, but only if we're companions and not some story about being beloveds." Tilly smiled, a little embarrassed since his last suggestion of pretending to be sweethearts when it came to speaking to the Breelander Eoin in the other caravan.
Belle is relieved Tilly is here. She could never play the pretend-sweetheart role. I’d flinch at even a platonic shoulder-touch and totally blow our cover story!
“I can pull my famous disappearing act,” she offers. “Or maybe it isn’t famous. No one’s ever seen it.”
Jotun grins at Tilly as he bows low. "I am the very soul of courtesy, m'lady." He considers her offer and his tone loses its banter and turns serious. "If you wish to join me - in a purely platonic role - I would be glad for the company. However, my actions in stealing her amulet might have caused her such anger that no amount of pretty words will suffice to quell. If such is the case, I would caution that you would be a target for her wrath alongside myself. That said, seeing two of us might give her pause and make her more willing to listen to our story. I leave that decision to you."
"I will join you at the meeting, Jotun. Hopefully we can quell any rancor." Tilly readied herself and joined Jotun's side. "Having Belle work her disappearing act and be close will give me further peace of mind," giving the Hobbit a smile.
Our Heroes walk to the quiet glade which Jotun had appointed for a meeting with the healer, Berelas. At the appointed hour, there is a rustling in the leaves as Berelas arrives. With her are the men Edoric the guide, Eoin the Bree-Lander and Hirlinon the southerner. Eoin and Hirlinon are empty-handed but Edoric has come caparisoned for war. He wears a hauberk of leather and bears a round wooden shield. In his hand is a stout ash spear, its sharp point glittering in the moonlight.
"You," says Berelas in an unfriendly voice. "I saw you at the inn. So you are ruffians as I supposed."
"Why are we here?" asks Edoric, clearly ready for a fight.
Báin is unobtrusively to the rear of the group. The others have a plan, and are more familiar with these people after observing them for days, so Báin is in a support role. As for what he is carrying, only his haughty dwarven demeanor.
Jotun is out front alongside Tilly, with a bottle of good mead in hand. His weapons are present, but sheathed - his shield strapped to his back. He glances at Tilly when Berelas speaks...
With Jotun beside her, Tilly heard the woman healer's unfriendly accusation and noted Jotun's glance before she placed a gentle smile on her face and began to speak in a cordial fashion, keeping a peaceful stance.
"Greetings, friends. I'm Tilly Appledore from Bree and beside me is Jotun, my travelling companion. Mister Eoin knows of my family in town and he can swear to the truth of it." Tilly gave a friendly nod in greeting to Eoin before continuing. "With respect, we're no ruffians, Miss Berelas, and we mean no harm. We're travellers and seekers. Can we sit together and engage in pleasant and honest talk? We'll be able to clear up any misunderstandings, if you'll permit?"
====
Berelas seems wary but not frightened, and remains standing with her arms folded across her stomach. Edoric doesn't relax, though he doesn't attack, either. Eoin nods when Tilly introduces herself. Hirlinon peers about at shadows in the bushes as though expecting an attack.
"You snuck into my wagon," says Berelas, coldly. "If you aren't ruffians you are sneaks at any rate. What do you want, padding about in my things?"
"And what honest person demands a meeting in the woods alone with a woman, then comes in force?" demands Edoric.
Jotun speaks then, hoping to explain their side of the issue. "My humble apologies, good lady. As you said, we were present at the inn the other night, hoping to meet with fellow that we were told could give us some much needed information. A Ranger named Deadeye." He lets that name drop into the still night, mostly to see what sort of a reaction it gets.
"Unfortunately, we learned on the following morning, shortly after your caravan left, that our contact was dead. His body dropped down a well after being stabbed with a dagger as cold as ice. Hoping to glean some information as to his murder, we found this amulet in his pack." He reveals the one taken from Deadeye before speaking on.
"Your caravan was our only lead in figuring out what happened to Deadeye. Perhaps you saw something? Heard something that night?" He does not speak of the identical amulet that he took from Berelas, nor does he make any accusations - at least not yet. Jotun figures she can probably put two and two together and realize that the amulet carried by Deadeye matches the one he took from her. The implications can go either way obviously, and if she is trying to keep her own identity a secret from those she travels with, he figures he hasn't given anything away at this point. If her intentions are in line with their own, hopefully he has convinced her to speak with them in a more private setting, away from the others of the caravan who may have been responsible for the murder. Unless, of course, it was Berelas herself...
Waylon stays in the woods to one side in case things grow dangerous.
"A dagger cold as ice?" asks Edoric. "What does that mean?"
"It means they have fertile imaginations," says Hirlinon. "Berelas is no sorcerer, and she did not kill anyone. Your ranger probably angered one of the thugs at the Forsaken Inn and got himself killed."
Belle is watching from a safe distance…
…and as usual, she pulled off her disappearing act!
She moves in closer without giving away her position…
Jotun's eyes betray nothing of what he saw pass between Hirlinon and Berelas. "No accusations have been made, friend. As I said, we're looking into the murder and other than ourselves, we only saw your group at the inn. Could be that Deadeye got himself into trouble with highwaymen or the like, though the fact his body was tossed into the the well just out back means that they would have been within shouting distance. None of you saw or heard anything? Or know what this amulet might mean?" He looks directly at Berelas when he asks that last question.
"I've never seen it before. What is it?" says Hirlinon. He clearly nudges Berelas.
Berelas, who seems uncertain, takes a step back, but is blocked by Hirlinon. "Do it now," he hisses.
With a look of anguish, Berelas holds up her hand, revealing a bejeweled ring. "Come," she says. "I need you."
You hear a shrieking sound on the wind. Certainly something is coming!
Edoric and Eoin seem as astonished as you.
THE BATTLE BEGINS!
Forward: Báin and Jotun.
Open: Belle and Tilly
Defensive:
Rearward: Waylon
___________________________________
Now everyone choose your targets from among Edoric, Eoin, Berelas and Hirlinon. Whatever is coming isn't an option yet.
Technically, this should be done in Stance order, with Forward attacking first, but that will take too long in a PBP format. So just go and roll your attacks.
You may each use one main action (likely attacking) and one secondary action (likely drawing a weapon).
As a reminder (pp. 65 and 98 of your rulebooks) the difficult of all attack rolls is bsed on a Player-hero's Strength TN, modified by the Parry rating of the targeted enemy. Edoric has a Parry rating of 2, Hirlinon has a Parry rating of 1. Eoin and Berelas have 0.
Jotun is unsure of the relationship between Hirlinon and Berelas - though it is clear that she must have some sort of magic of a fell sort at her command. Still, the former seems to be the one pushing her to take action (and striking an unarmed woman seems terribly wrong to him), and so the barding squares off against that one. He calls out to Edoric and Eoin. "These two are the ones that killed the ranger! Do you not hear? They have called forth something evil from the dark!"
Though he is near certain in that belief, he truly only hopes to make the other two hesitate in joining combat, as they don't strike him as bad men. Drawing his longsword, Jotun aims a strike at Hirlinon!
vs ST TN 15 + 1 (Parry) = 16 Total
Damage 5; Injury 18/20
The men and dwarves of the North had learned to support and work with one another over the years. Báin also understood Jotun's reluctance to fight women, a concern he did not share. Thus, he was not surprised as Jotun moved towards Hirlinon, leaving Berelas for himself to handle.
Drawing his axe, Báin swung it at the human female...