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Beginning of spring, year 1369 DR.
By the end of the cold season the commerce blossoms and the city receive a large amount of of visitors, and with them, a lot of problems.
List of jobs:
1. A group of Foreign wizards/merchants has an embassy in the coin district. Recently, one of their merchant caravans was ambushed right before entering the embassy. The wizards want to recover their stuff.
Reward: 200 gp + Permanent 10% discount on all 2000 gp (or cheaper) items they sell.
2. Investigate the desecration of tombs: The church of the judge of the dead is offering a bounty to discover and punish the responsible of the recent desecration of some tombs.
Reward: Two sets of +1 armor (the +1 don't need to be the flat +1, it can be any other +1 enhacenment)
3. Poisoning?: An elderly member of a merchant family thinks somebody is trying to kill him. His family think he is just senile. He is offering 1500 gp to anyone that save his life.
Cesarina sits in her small office in the city guard headquarters poring over a number of reports.
Spring was always a busy season, and she always looked for ways to make the increased workflow more manageable.
She sighs, and tucks a lock of her hair behind her long, pointed ears.
Not that anyone else cares. They think everything I do is a waste of time.
Three reports have been shoved onto her desk as high priority cases. She looks at the first and immediately discards it; bandits and petty thieves aren't her problem. The regular guard can handle it.
The other two are more intriguing. Desecrated tombs could lead to all manner of heinous acts; better to stop a budding necromancer in his tracks than allow him to grow to a city-wide problem.
Likewise, a potential assassination attempt was an interesting mystery, and perhaps the most time sensitive. Either would be tasks worthy of her skills...
Amber leaned on a desk in the Administrative building where they post these bounties for people like her, She asked for something more exciting, hunting down debtor bums was easy, but sort of dull. She had been given three high priority postings to look at.
Finding the thieves was right up her alley, But she did ask for something new and hunting more thieves was hardly that. The reward was probably her favorite of the three though.
"Could get good mileage out of that discount, I'll have to think about that one."
Hunting a Necromancer though, no one could say that didn't sound exciting, But undead... She tossed that one aside.
"When hell freezes over."
A potential senile old man thinks someone is after his life. Stopping an assassin was a new one for her, seemed like something she might be more fit for... She contemplated for a second and nodded.
"Probably this one, But I don't know...What do you think?"
She asked, looking down at the Wolf laying at her feet, The one she had been talking to this whole time, when it didn't answer she shrugged and put the documents back on the desk, she would need to think these all over.
John Tanneth hangs briefly by his fingertips before dropping down a hidden hatch into the next designated meeting place. The sequence of locations were about as random as you could get and the only reason he had any clue where to go next was because it had literally been beaten into him with a switch. Though he always endeavored to be first to arrive and leave before any of the others showed up, a woman with red eyes behind thick rimmed glasses nodded at his arrival behind steepled fingers.
Niadra was his cell's patron. By day, she was an affluent moneylender in the Gem District and by night she was his contact for the Thieves' Guild. John didn't particularly like the woman, but her ability to grease palms and squirrel a man out from legal trouble was not to be ignored. She took a draft from a smoking pipe and gestured for him to take a look at the jobs listed.
"Someone robbed some Tippies without a tithe to the Guild? Could be lucrative. Havin' the ear of a supplier will make lots of patrons happy." John mutters to himself before glancing to the next.
Only a few words in, John was already grimacing. Seeing his reaction, Niadra laughed.
"Thieves and Undead don't mix well I know. But before you knock it off darling, it might be a good thing to consider to get out of those drab leathers you've worn for years." John blinked and grunted an agreement.
I've worn this set half to nothing. Magic leather'll go far and stop a shank too.
"..." John stares hard at the last request. It hits a bit close to home, but he commits all the details to memory for each of the jobs before leaving from a different exit than the one he came in through.
Vik goes somewhere and does something...
@ John
Before you leave,
Niadra: The mage bounty is important. We can't tolerate any meddling into our business. Go and find who stole the wizards, convince them to join the Shades or kill them - She proceeds to acomodate her glasses in a way that is unique to her.
@ Cesarina
Stefano, a fellow detective approaches you and drops a file into your desk.
The lieutenant want's you to investigate this - He says with a smile. He dislikes you, and he is happy that you get a risky task. THe file is titled "File 027461: The wizards case"
@ Amber
@ Viktor
You go somewhere and do something that let you know that recent theft to the foreign wizards.
After some thought she decided to take the bounty put up by the Wizards, that discount is too nice to pas up. She'll start as she always does, go find out what she can, first she needs to find out if any of the local guilds are claiming this heist and find out what they might know, If this was a big guild job she'll most likely abandon it. Usually the guilds can grease enough palms to keep their boys off the board, but it never hurts to check.
"Come Gray, We're going to the Gem district."
Rina looks at Stefano incredulously.
"Seriously? Can't some beat cops handle this? Looks like a routine smash and grab job on a caravan, why does the LT need me to look into it?"
John looks back to Niadra, slightly surprised for her to push the job more than usual. He nods to the dhampir in agreement before slipping into the alleys.
The man makes his way down to the Bridge District and begins checking around to see if any fences were offered magic items, ingredients or consumables in strange quantities.
Somebody ought to have seen em. A haul like that can't disappear without someone knowing.
@ Cesarina
Stefano:No idea, and it's not my problem, enjoy it
@ Amber
Taking 10 in gather info you discover the local guild is not involved, and actually the culprits to be punished, in a gruesome bloody way if possible.
@John
Nobody has tried to sell anything of that sort, at least not that you can find (BEcause 16 is low roll, get help). But the ambush to the caravan was in the Bridge district just before leaving to the central district.
=====================================================
Sooner or later your investigation makes you visit the wizard enclave. The enclave (or Embassy) is located in the Central district, near the promenade.
You all arrive more or less at the same time, though obviously other bounty hunters have been there earlier and some other will arrive later.
So, Cesarina, John, Viktor, Amber and Kularg enters the enclave, and immediately the feel in another land. The place is completely different than the rest of the city. The architecture, the people, the tongue spoken, it all feels more "Oriental" (but not asian-like oriental, more like east European).
The wizards don't give an interview, they have a person designated for that.
A middle aged, tan, tall and slim man. With a shaved head and beard. He speaks with a marked accent (imagine Russian). He explains the following:
My masters are certain the stolen goods are in the Bridge district, but the exact location escapes them. They are underground for sure.
"Can you tell us anything about the robbers?"
"Can you tell us anything about the robbers?"
The survivors of the caravan told me that the first thing they did was to magically darken the area where the caravan was, every time the darkness was dispelled with a light spell they resumed the darkness again. They were like 15 people involved, more or less 10 dwarves.
"Can you tell us what kind of weapons and magic, if any, did they use?"
They're in the g&*&#$n sewers aren't they?
John nods slowly.
"Thanks for the tip. I'll see if I can find them." John looks at some of the others gathered there.
"We ought to team up and split the dough five ways. We'll get it done faster."
Knocking some bandits around could be fun. Kularg thinks to himself, as he joins the group heading toward the enclave.
========================================
He nods at John's suggestion. "Good idea. I ain't much for sneakin', but I could be a nice loud distraction." he chuckles.
"10 or 15, And they used magic? this looks a little more complicated than some opportunistic thieves, A Teamup would be for the best I feel."
"Why would these people go to such a great effort to loot this caravan? What was in it? Was there anything that would make such an attack worth angering wizards over?"
Amber asks the representative.
"Can you tell us what kind of weapons and magic, if any, did they use?"
There where a variety of melee and ranged combatant without an uinfying combat style. The magic, however, seems to had been purely of divine origin
"Why would these people go to such a great effort to loot this caravan? What was in it? Was there anything that would make such an attack worth angering wizards over?"
It was a minor shipment, but it's still worth more than what most people see in their entire life.
Amber doubts this, but either way she's does not pry further.
Rina drags her feet getting to the scene, but orders are orders.
Even as she sighs and thinks it's a waste of her time, she scans the scene as she passes by before entering the embassy.
Whatever she happens to find, she doesn't stay long, and arrives at the meeting fashionably late.
She's surprised when other people are there, but decides to make use of it, simply listening in on their conversation and making herself as unnoticeable as possible within the confines of the space. The more she can observe instead of directly interact with people, the better.
Things quickly become clearer as the others ask their questions and chat among themselves.
Ah, bounty hunters. That explains a lot. Not sure if this makes my job easier or harder.
As they speak and ask questions, Rina compiles a list of her own, and asks them in sequence, flashing her badge as she does so..
1.) "How could you tell it was divine magic? And could you narrow down the source deity or alignment of the spells?"
2.) "What was stolen, in more detail? Magical items, reagents, valuable treasures? A full inventory would make finding and returning your items easier, though I understand you like to keep your secrets, even to the detriment of those trying to help you."
3.) "May I speak with one of the survivors directly? Any specific details they can impart will aid the investigation. Even minor clues or distinguishing features can mean the difference between hours of fruitless search and easy success."
John rolls his eyes.
Great...the Guard is here. That'll make this a mess.
He perks up slightly at the mention of a full inventory, but keeps the interest from reaching his face.
"I think I have an idea where we can look for clues, but if the Guard wants to ask questions...the clock is ticking." John pulls out a shabby pipe and stuffs it before lighting it. He inhales deep before exhaling and taps his foot.
About the crime Scene: - Cesarina find rest of bloody dark clothes that could have been used by the thieves.
- There is a mix of strange odors, but your nose without the scent ability can't say much about it.
About the questions:
1)The casters where heavy armored and they seems to have used holy symbols of the mistress of secrets* as a focus. Though I know it could be a farce to hide their true sorcery.
2) Wands, scrolls and other minor magical trinkets.
3)The survivors have been harshly punished for their failure. I don't think they can speak much at the moment, but if you wish you can meet them indeed.
No lies so far.
*I'll update the info of the deities later.
Viktor rolls his eyes.
"If they can't speak, they can't speak..." he grunts. "No point in wasting time with them. The culprits are sure to deliver the goods to their buyer or employer as soon as they can, if they haven't already."
"Can't, or won't?"
Kularg scoffs. "Mages. Can't be associatin' with us rowdy types, eh? Might get their robes and books dirty."
"Can't, or won't?"
The representative, let's call him Azzan Zim, show the way, to anyone that want to go, to some small cells where a couple of men and women can be found. They have been heavily lashed and odds are that they have been without food for a couple of days. OF course, they are weak as a kitten.
Amber rolls her eyes at this distasteful sight.
"Ever consider just hiring more guards?"
She said sarcastically, shaking her head.
"Did anyone quit their job recently or not show up to work since the robbery?"
Azzan zin seem intrigued by Amber sarcasm, but doesn't reply. He does answer to John
We work only with people from the motherland. Anyone here knows the excruciating revenge that will, sooner of later, fall upon them for betrayal. So, no, there isn't any missing member of the enclave staff.
John shrugs.
"I know you guys are a touchy sort about your people, but did anyone not show up like laborers or maybe someone has been ill for a couple of days?" John pushes a little harder.
Certainly not. That was the first thing we investigated, of course.
Rina frowns at the poor condition of the employees.
"How does this serve your interests? Beyond the moral concerns, they're of no use to anyone like this." she sighs.
Nevertheless, she tries to question them.
"I know it must be difficult to speak, but can you give me anything on what happened? Any detail could help."
"Aye, it jist seems loch it'll make it harder tae gie mair workers, ye gang torturin' Th' ones ye got An' hardly fur anythin' 'at seems tae be their faut... But since ye went froo th' trooble, Ye learn anythin' worth knowin' frae'em?"
"Apologies, miss, I don't think anyone else here speaks Dwarven. Can you repeat yourself in Common?"
"She said its not his fault. And beating your guys ain't likely to have people lining up to work for you." John translates.
"Any of the thieves happen to have any weird features? Tattoos, emblems...scars?" He mentally files away the enclave as trash to get rid of after the Scepternians.
Azzan Zin Shrugs again and walks outside to smoke a bit.
One of the beaten males, with the same marked foreign accent, says
Most of them were dwarves, but there were other with them. Humans, or maybe half-elves, it's hard to say because they kept darkening the battlefield. One the human, a middle aged man, had white eyes. You know, as if he were blind. There was also a middle aged chubby woman, who was very good with her fists.I can't give details of the other human.
"A blind man? Or white eyes, at least. That's certainly something we can go on."
"Depending on where we find her, a woman like that might stick out like a sore thumb in the poorer districts. Most folk can't afford the fat. I think we have enough details to get started at least."
To summarize
- The thieves took advantage of the dwarven darkvision to spam darkness spell.
- The stolen wares are underground in the bridge district.
- The magic used is believed to be of divine origin.
- You have a vague description of two of the human or half-elf perpetrators.
- The perpetrators seem to have used the holy symbol of the mistress of secrets as a divine focus for spells.
So, what do you do now?
"Let's get down to the Bridge District and ask around."
"Yeah lets go."
"Well. Consider all yourselves officially deputized by the city guard for the purposes of this investigation then."
That should be a nice revenge for the lieutenant sending me on this chase; this bunch running around claiming to be affiliated with us.
"I'll meet the rest of you in the Bridge District later. I have another lead I need to follow first."
"'Zat mean we can arrest people?" Kularg asks, visibly excited.
"Yes, and take them to the precinct when you do. Stefano should be able to help you."
"On whose jurisdiction? Name's John by the by."
Guard handing their authority out like candy, should have grabbed this lot and split. I wonder how many will just run off and start "requisitioning" from people.