"Detective Cesarina Villa. Head of Forensics."
And only employee, but they don't need to know that...
"I'll ask around a few of the dwarven watering holes, And see if Gray can sniff anything out."
"Foren-what? Whatever, don't get stabbed lady before you get to the Bridge." John takes off and heads down to the Bridge district.
"Anybody see anyone new 'round here?"
@ Cesarina
There are plenty of mages and clerics that sell their services in the city (In fact, you can find almost anything as long as you have the money for it). Particularly, there is one that always has been helpful. His name is Paolo Viscari, he sometimes does some spellcasting for the Wave district precinct , though you know where he lives in case you want it to be extraofficial.
In any case,
- Who are you?- Gertrude the Nutscrusher
- What are you?- Female, Human, gladiator (as in, I earn money figthing other people)
- How was your blood shed?- It was a fight, she was trying to steal some wares and a guard hit her with a sword.
-When was your blood shed?- You already know this.
@ Amber
There is a tavern where a lot of dwarves of the city go regularly. It is located in the Coin district and it's called the "cracked anvil". Its architecture is quite unique in the city. It's basically a mound. If it not were for a door, an inattentive peasant would tell it from a natural occurrence.
The place is quite reputable though, but dwarves of all social classes meet there.
@ John
@ John
A lot of people come and go in the bridge district, since there is no other land connection between the south and the north parts of the city. But if you are asking for new residents, it's basically no. No new people.
As Rina goes to rejoin the group, first seeking out the dwarf with the wolf, she attempts to construct a mental profile of this "Gertrude Nutcracker".
Simultaneously, upon finding Amber she shares her clue.
"I have these bloody clothes, belonging to a one 'Gertrude the Nutcracker" who was at the scene. Can your wolf track her?"
Kularg looks for gladiatorial fans who might be familiar with Gertrude the Nutscrusher, and asks if she was ever seen with any suspicious people.
"Good idea...uhh Big Guy, I bet there is an underground betting ring she's part of." John tries to recall the half-orc's name but realizes he never gave it.
Asks around, Is trying to see if anyone unsavory has come into a lot of money recently or if anyone in their drinks has been bragging about a big job or heist they just pulled off as well as try to overhear any gossip that might be relevant from the people. When she asks the Barkeep she makes a point to buy a good drink and pay a little extra, Just cause it never hurts.
When Cesarina find her she's still at the bar.
"We can give it a shot, let's go outside for this."
Goes outside with the officer and Gray and has him sniff the Necklace. And then begins to walk the district with him in hopes he'll pick up a scent.
"Good idea...uhh Big Guy, I bet there is an underground betting ring she's part of." John tries to recall the half-orc's name but realizes he never gave it.
"Name's Kularg." he grumbles.
@ Cesarina
You need more clues.
@ Amber
Nobody has "talked" about anything like that, but there was this dwarf that made a quite presumptuous display of wealth last night. He is a lowly individual, and other dwarves mocked him, but he surprised them yesterday. His name is Krum Stonefist.
@ Jonh and Kurlag
Your inquiries in the underworld reveal that there are several clandestine fighting pits in the River district and a couple in the bridge district.
The name of Gertrude Nutcrusher is known. She was a promising talent some years ago, but she stagnated along the way. Her last fight was against a much younger opponent that moped the floor with her. That was two months ago.
"Sounds like Gertrude couldn't make enough gold from fightin' anymore, so she turned to theivin'. What's this city comin' to, when ya can't even make an honest livin' in underground blood sports?"
"And where can I find Krum? I have a few questions I need to ask him."
"And where can I find Krum? I have a few questions I need to ask him."
Bartender: Somewhere in the River district?, I don't really know. I think to remember that he liked to frequent some kind of fight club, that or her wife was to strong for him because he always had bruises in his face
"Even when it's your own blood to spill, you still end up with the short end of the stick. Let's swing by a few rings an' see if we can spot em. New money likes to gamble."
"Fight club in the River district? I might of been to that one before..."
Amber tries to recall if she had ever been to this fight club in the river district or at least if she knows about it.
Oh yeah, Once all this is resolved Amber goes outside with the wolf and the pig and has ol'Gray sniff the bit of rag.
Amber can confirm that a dwarf named Krum used to participate in pit fights. He stopped going some weeks ago, but he was seen yesterday presuming some gold. He said he would return soon with more money.
===========================================
From the spot of the robbery, Gray detects and follows a scent through narrow alleys and for several city blocks until he stops at a sewer.
It seems the wolf might keep tracking down below, but it would not be a pleasant experience.
Amber has had to trudge through the sewers before, and has made it a point of her career to avoid crawling through the sewers as much as possible since.
They probouly fled through the sewers, You really want to go back in there?
She said looking at Gray... And then sighed.
"Might be good to see where they popped up at."
Amber goes into the sewer to keep following the trail.
"Great... All that questioning and we still end up going into the sewers..."
Kularg follows Amber into the sewer.
"It ain't that bad if ya don't breathe through yer nose too much."
"But then you'll just taste it. I hardly think that's any better." Rina says, before wrinkling her nose and descending into the dank sewers.
"I also don't enjoy the idea of unfiltered sewer air entering my lungs..."
"At least you folk are tall, You have to cross water sometimes down here."
"F!#~ing called it. Every thug with a score always thinks of hiding out in the sewers." John lightly hops down into the sewer, his knees bend and he ends in almost a complete crouch to absorb the shock of the fall. He then fixes a smooth featureless black mask over his face.
Sewers are as disgusting as you might expect, though for sure they can be much worse in some places.
Amber discovers that the high of the tunnels is just fine for her, while her companion have to walk half-crouched.
It's harder to follow any track down there, but Gray seems confident in his nose. He directs you to lower tunnels. The tunnels are low, narrow and filthy.
You then approach an open room. Gray start a low growling. In the open room there is a particularly big Otyugh eating some garbage. Your presence might or might not alarm it depending on what means are you using to see down there.
Amber takes lead with her Wolf, if anyone attempted to start a light or a torch she would of hissed at them to turn it off.
"Just stay in arms reach of me, I can see fine in the dark, don't want to draw unwanted attention and well... You ever seen manure catch fire? It's like the same thing, I've heard tales of people starting torches down here only to have the whole chamber they're in to burst into flames, Don't know if it's true, It can't be right?"
Not using lights make the oytugh to not notice your presence, or not caring enough to do something about it, unless you try to do something menacing or try to steal his junk/food. He seems to be accustomed to humanoid presence down there.
The fetid stench of the Otyugh nest is too overwhelming for Grays's sensible nose. The wolf lost the trail.
In a gurgling and bubbling voice the Otyugh say, apparently talking to Amber
Dwarf...food...me...hungry...more...more
"You like jerky?"
Holding her nose as best she can, Rina searches for non-olfactory trails to follow.
Cesarina can indeed detect signs of humanoids passing by the Otyugh's room. There are both fresh and old footprints among the garbage covered floor.
I guess Cesarina uses some sort of light since she doesn't have darkvision. The creature seems to not like that and says
Otyugh:Dark!...dark!
========
The Otyugh Don't seem to understand what Kurlag said, but he will accept any kind of food you can think about.
"Hey big guy, here's some food." John throws a hunk of bread to one side of the room so we can pass.
Kularg tosses some jerky the same way.
"He'll be chewin' on that for a while. You should either get outta here or snuff that light, Detective Lady."
The Otyugh slowly goes to eat that bread and jerky. It's clear that he is accustomed to be fed and that he rather prefer total darkness.
So, the Otyugh's lair has several exits. From one of those exits, You hear coming steps and some voices, a conversation. It's a small tunnel (a bit more than 5 ft tall). Amber recognize some Dwarvish words.
There is a turn in that tunnel that prevent block vision, so you can't see anyone and they can't see you, for now.
Listens in on their words, quietly trying to overhear their conversation.
There are some complaints about being their turn for feeding the Otyugh mixed with some debate about their next "job", but the conversation will not have time to be finished before they reach the room you are in.
Cesarina's wish to avoid being spotted wars with her even more fervent wish to not submerge herself in sewer sludge. The latter wins out.
"There is no way out but through. We should prepare ourselves to dispatch them quickly." she says firmly, hoping nobody calls her on it.
If you want to ambush them, then turn off any light source and roll stealth, otherwise it's innitiative roll.
John shuffles up against the wall and aims his crossbow for the corner.
Vik grows lizard-like claws on his fingers and sharp fangs on his newly-formed snout.
Then he grins...
About time this job got interesting...
Kularg draws his falchion and does his best to stay hidden.
Rina puts her Ioun Torch inside of her jacket pocket and finds a shady place to crouch in wait.
"well feck me, Quiet boy!"
Amber pulls out her war-hammer and grabs gray by the scruff of his neck with her other hand, pinning up against the wall and remaining as quiet as she can