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Gillian nods as she swallows a bite of biscuit. "Right. And the more you can help us, the more likely it is that we'll be able to clear your name and reputation as well as our own."
"Phinick and Trin, huh? We'd already planned to talk to them anyway but it's still good information to have. And you don't know of any reason why anyone would've want Bort dead, do you? Sure doesn't seem like he had any enemies or a shady past, but there's got to be some motive..."
As she moves to spread some honey on another biscuit, another thought occurs to Gillian and she stops.
Unless whoever did this got the wrong person. But then that'd mean there's someone *else* still in danger.
Gillian forces herself to continue with her biscuit prep as she waits to hear what else Amora might have to say. This new thought was one she wanted to share with her fellow 'investigators', but in private.
Dark heavens, I *hope* I'm wrong about that. Sorry, Bort.
"Yes any assistance you can provide us will go a long way in clearing your name," Ed nods in agreement as he helps himself to a second helping of biscuits and honey, blissfully unaware of the conspiracy brewing about him. "We will certainly appreciate any insight you may provide as to who may have been behind this."
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Scratch takes his time prepping his biscuits and honey, sniffing both for signs of the odd smells he witnessed on both the body and the bowl back at the Feed Mill. Ain't nobody gonna poison Scratch but Scratch! He listens on to see if this slippery Lady is just trying to lull them into a false sense of security.
If the coast is clear, Scratch makes quick work of the biscuits, then makes it obvious he's going to pocket a few for the road, stuffing them into his pack. "Told ya that blasted greenskin had somethin' ta do with this! Weren't hide no hair of 'em in the stables last night... suspicious? YUP."
As the talk turns towards clearing the woman's name and reputation, Scratch stands up and starts looking around the place as he speaks "If ya want us helpin' clear yer name, we gotta be SURE you ain't part of the 'spiracy here..." He gestures a grubby hand around the room, making it painfully obvious he wants to take a CLOSE look around... including her backroom.
"Well? What's it gonna be?"
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"Nope," Amora flatly replies. "I can't imagine that anyone at the Feedmill would have any ill will towards Bort, truly."
"Sorry I don't know much mor - Hey!" Amora stands, and at nearly 6 feet tall, she towers above Scratch. "Mind my privacy, will you? My recipes are generations-old, and I can't have anyone finding them." She walks into the backroom, which is mere steps away given the size of the shack, and comes back with a tattered old recipe book seconds later. "I have nothing to hide except for this."
Celvi laughs at Scratch's bluntness. "Don't mind Scratch. He wouldn't know subtlety if it stung him in the bum."
"We promise to clean up after ourselves," Ed reassures her, "And your recipe secrets are safe with us!"
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"Fine. Look through my things... It's not as if I have much!" Amora sighs heavily as you pass her and enter the backroom. The small square of a room has one rickety, drafty window that opens out to the orchard. A bed obviously too small for Amora sits in one corner as does a set of bunks, caked in dust, opposite them. A dresser contains clothes and another beesuit. Scratch also finds what looks like lyrics scribbled on a set of sheets tucked into one corner of the cabinet.
Gillian mouths a silent 'Sorry' to Amora as the group troops into the back room to have a look around. When they fail to turn up anything that seems incriminating or suspicious, she shoots Scratch a look.
"Look, I wanna find out who did this as much as anyone but we're not going to win many friends going about it like this!"
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Scratch looks around out back and finds what he thinks COULD be something... what exactly he isn't 100% sure. "Hey take a look at this.." He shows it to Ed and Celvi first, seeing how Gillian is giving him the stink eye for some reason.
"Copy it down maybe Eddy? Could be some weird code or something!" He makes some weird witchy/voodoo motions with his hands before checking out the dusty bunks.
Once the search is complete he gets an ear full from Gillian, he responds to her as well as Amora "I'm sorry if I ruffled any feathers, but ya gotta know you being the COOK when someone got poisoned by your food has ya as one of the suspects. That sheriff would do the same thing. We're just tryin' ta help get this cleared up so we can get the heck outta this turnip trap." He's starting to get worked up but takes a breath to calm back down.
"I said if everything looked good then we'd do our best n help ya get the town back on yer side at the Feed Mill. Get yer rep back. Well, how 'bout once they let ya back in the kitchen I'll spend some time foragin' up some better ingredients fer meals than them dang turd-nips. Gotta be some game, herbs, and shrooms 'round here. Maybe givin' 'em a good meal fer once will set things right." It may not be what you'd expect for an apology, but its a legit olive branch at least.
Ed walks over and looks over the parchments Scratch pointed out. "These look like...lyrics to me Scratch." Still he does give his due diligence here.
"Lyrics?" Celvi turns to Amora. "Are you a poet? Ever think of songwritting? I'm more into plays. And puppetry."
Celvi grabs some of the spoons, stands them up on a plate, and gives them knives to represent a swordfight. Lefty thrusts, Righty parries! They teeter to the edge of the plate. And then they lose their balance and tumble to their deaths off the table!
Celvi has a good laugh. "That one can be a tragedy. Or a comedy. Depends on the lyrics."
She lets everyone else search the room while she works on buttering up Amora. May as well make some allies while she's here.
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The home looks like it's lived in, but that no one has slept in the bunks for some time. This lines up with what Amora mentioned about the orchard belonging to a family that moved away.
Amora rushes over nervously to nab the sheets of lyrics back from Ed just as he realizes they really aren't magical or special in any way. "Ugh, when I'm not cooking, I like to try to write songs. I know I'm not very good at it, not even close to as good as I am at cooking, but... it's something I always wanted to do."
It's pretty awkward that you'd search her home in such a way, but when Scratch mentions helping out with foraging fresh ingredients, Amora's mood quickly shifts. "Wait, you'd do that for me!? I offer the finest cooking in all of Etran's Folly, and offer no substitutions in my recipes, but fresh herbs, perhaps some even rare, means new dishes! Oh, how perfect that would be! After we solve what happened at the Feedmill, I can have a grand reopening in the kitchen!" She seems thrilled, even in spite of having found her private song lyrics. Celvi's intriguing performance really helps smooth over the I'm going to search through your personal belongings in front of you vibe.
Having questioned the cook and searched through her home, it seems you've done all you could here. Amora told you that both Phinick and Trin had helped serve or plate that night. There are also several others who were at the bar, including Kolnral (another server) and Farmer Eallom (who started the brawl).
Once they leave Amora's cottage, Celvi relaxes considerably. "Bah, how is she going to improve her play writing if she doesn't publish it?"
"What next, then? We have four more suspects, at least. Seems like we should talk to the server and the plater then. They would have a chance to add something fishy. Phinick first?"
Well, I thought her lyrics were quite good actually...
Ed nods in reply to Celvi, "Yes let's see if we can track that shifty goblin down. While the goblin race professes to have embraced our civilized society, I am sure there are some who have difficulty letting go their baser impulses."
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Scratch nods to the woman, he meant what he said, and he said it twice. "Ayup. So long as you keep that biscuit supply comin'. Maybe hunt us up some more honey too with that suit of yers."
He heads off with the others, in a pretty solidly good mood, at least until they mention Phinick. "We shoulda found that rat first! He won't spill the beans easy either, greenskins like him need a bitta 'motivation'." He pounds his fist into his hand and starts walking back to town with extra purpose.
"Let's be optimistic and hope for the best first, alright?" Gillian remarks as they bid Amora goodbye and start heading back towards the town proper. As though anticipating another swift rebuttal, she holds her hands up in a placating gesture.
"Now I'm not saying that we can't be forceful if we need to be! Especially if he actually acts like he's got something to hide or like he's not telling us everything he might know. Just that...well, you ever heard the saying about flies and honey? Something to keep in mind, is all."
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Back in town proper, you start asking around about Phinick. Where could the goblin be? You ask several locals if they've seen him on your way through, and near all of them tell you they haven't a clue where he is.
Soon enough, you happen upon a small home. On the porch, a very, very old man sits in a makeshift wheelchair built from a modified pushcart. Delma is here, feeding the old timer turnip gruel from a bowl. "Damn it, Delma, I dun need yer help! Can't an old man just eat his 'nips in peace!" He protests, pushing away the spoon.
Delma turns as you approach. "Oh, you're back! I was hoping I'd bump into you," Delma says, setting down the bowl. "I, um, need to talk about your bill. As much as I'd love to let you stay at the Feedmill for free, we are a business, and I need the money, especially to repair some broken furniture after last night."
The old man clears his throat, and Delma pauses. "This is my father, Targen. He's also the mayor of Etran's Folly. His eyesight's failing, and he hasn't been able to walk for years." She looks down at the porch. "I know it seems like an odd request in the middle of trying to help solve Bort's murder, but, um, could you take him out to get some fresh air? I have to get back to work. I'll only charge you two silver per day instead of five at the Feedmill if you can help me. And he knows a lot of history about this place. Might as well get a sense of town if you're going to be here a few days, right?" She looks up at you sheepishly.
Ed stares at Delma a tad bit too long as the words finally register his brain.
She needs help here...how can I refuse her? I mean, she would not ask this if she did not truly need help here?
"I would be more than willing to assist you with your financial difficulties," Ed says somewhat shyly, "While I do not have that much money I believe we can come to a working agreement. As for your father," here he smiles though it is a bit forced, "it would be my pleasure to escort him about the town."
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Scratch nods at Gillian as she rebutt's his statement "Ya ya, lots 'a flies around greenskins already. Don't need the honey, honey." He holds up his mug, filled to the brim with more honey comb after they left Amora's place (and a couple biscuits stashed in his pockets too!).
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Scratch's mood brightens a bit at the sight of Delma feeding her old man. His family was in charge of keeping an eye on the local cemetary and mausoleum. He'd spent decades speaking and helping the old folks come and visit relatives. Worked up quite the fondness towards them.. even more so now that he's knocking on the doorstep of being one himself!
"Eh Targen is it? Names Scratch! Scratch Steeltoe. Lemme drive ya 'round ok? Hold on, it could get bumpy!" Off he goes, bringing the man down the path a bit before stopping. "Hold on there, forgot somethin'." He hustles back to Delma.
"Far as I remember there, ole Bort promised dinner n drinks on him fer bailin' him outta that scrape with the horses and wolves, talk to his team about that debt. As far as a room.. well, I never used mine so don't worry about that charge either. My pocket is pretty dang dry as it is, n well, 2s a day will dang near bleed it ta death." He frowns, making a show of pulling out an empty pocket on his tunic.
"But 'm happy ta take yer old man 'round fer a tour here and there. Keep an eye on the old duffer, maybe shoot the s~*@ a bit while we're at it. Feel free ta rent out mah room, I'll find a place ta crash easy enough." He smiles and hustles back to Targen, not even waiting for a response. 5s a day? Fer that dump filled with busted chairs? HA!
"Where to Targen? Any idea where that greenskin Phinnick holes up?"
"Well...I don't have enough silver to cover the month or so that I expect we'll have to stay here in town but I can pay you what I have, which would be enough for a week or so, and then maybe we can work something out for the rest of it," Gillian replies with a rather rueful smile. "I know a few things about patching folks up and if all else fails, maybe I can help wash dishes or muck out the stables or something."
She doesn't get much chance to even introduce herself to Targen before Scratch is off with him and she sighs, shaking her head.
"Um, Scratch is...pretty excitable but don't worry, we'll bring your papa back home in one piece, okay?"
With that, she hurries to catch up to the pair. "Wait, Scratch, wait! How the hell do you move so fast with those stumpy dwarf legs!?"
Celvi shrugs. "I'm tired of sleeping under the stars. Not like I can sleep anywhere else out here. You've got me by the hat!" Celvi tugs on her top hat and frowns. "Let's see your old man."
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"Oh, that's right. Bort did say he was going to cover your dinner and drinks, and he did. Well, I guess you could just help me out at the 'Mill if it comes to it," Delma slowly nods, considering Gillian's proposal. "Guess I can't expect ya to both try to solve the mystery and pay to stay here. I mean, you could sooner just leave town anyway, right? Alri -"
"Shaddap already, Delma," Targen shifts in the puschart. "the dwarf wants ta take me and I don't intend on stopping him! LET'S GO!"
"Uh, okay, drive safely!" She calls as Scratch speeds off.
...
The cart continues down the path. "Phinick, huh? Skittish kid from the kitchen? No idea where he's been. Don't really care to find out!"
"Anyway, here's our first stop. The Feedmill is pretty much the town's only major business. Well, I opened her 'bout 50 years ago, before the Goblinblood Wars broke out." The old timer hesitates a moment. "My brother died in that conflict, well, actually, ya know, most of my family died there. But with some luck, Etran's Folly here avoided the worst of the conflict. Mostly happened to the west. Heh. It's also why 'em goblins aren't entirely," he clears his throat, "Accepted here. Matter of fact, I'll tell ya somethin'." Targen leans in close to Scratch. "I don't like 'em goblins. Not. One. Bit."
After pausing outside the Feedmill, Targen urges you on. "Come on, dwarf, keep pushin'!"
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Ed walks along the side of Targen silently glad he did not have to push the wheelchair along. That contraption looked HEAVY! Still the talk about the Goblinblood Wars kindled his own recalled studies on the subject. Knowing his next words would not be received well, he clears his throat here. "I...ahhh...just wanted to add here that while Mister Phinick has certainly not acquitted himself with his actions here, I must remind you we do not have any conclusive proof the goblin was indeed behind the murder. While it would be easy to jump to that conclusion, I have no doubt the true murderer, if indeed he or she is not the suspected goblin, would use Phinick as a red herring, I believe the term is, to throw the trail off of him or herself."
Celvi is busy trying to keep up. Lousy longshanks and their long.... shanks!
"The only business in town? It must be... *pant* busy in there!"
"That's a good point Ed," Gillian remarks as she strolls along behind Scratch and Targen. "Not to mention, um...most goblins aren't exactly known for their smarts. Seems like an awful lot had to happen to get Bort's poisoning just right and I don't know if many goblins are capable of that much planning."
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"Ya think them Goblin Blood Wars were bad, try fightin' them greasy greenskins fer thousands of years like the Steeltoe's! At least I've only been at it fer about 250." His fists tighten up on the grips of the wheelchair "There's no forgivin' 'em fer all the hurt they caused you and me families. He may notta poisoned Bort, but he's no good either way, none of 'em are."
With the urge to move Scratch doesn't disappoint. Dwarves are good at quite a few things (at least in his opinion), but one in particular is lower body strength and stamina. Scratch keeps that wheel chair rockin' and rollin at a steady 2 1/4 MPH. (Or 3.65 KPH for your hosers).
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"The Steeltoes? Well why didn't ya say so!" Targen hangs on to the sides of the cart as Scratch wheels the old timer down the path. " Stop 'er here!"
Targen stops you in front of the Plaguestone. "Okay, this here's the plaguestone. Once used it to give food and aid to those sufferin' from the plague. Ah.. the plague. You heard about it yet?" Targen looks back at Ed. "Well, if ya haven't, I'll tell ya. Everyone suspected a local witch called Silwyth started it, and after she caught it herself, she cursed the town's only priest before she died."
The old man strokes his chin. "Come to think of it, Silwyth had a daughter named Vilree, who stuck around her mother's home a few years, but that was it. Think she died or ran off. ... C'mon, let's keep goin'."
Assuming you continue on, you pass through a set of older homes and farms. Many of the homes are in disrepair. "Most of the plague victims lived here, on the north side of town. Anyone with coin lives towards the south."
Not far ahead, just as the road turns southwest, you notice.. a man frantically running clockwise around a farmhouse. A moment later, you see exactly why he's scared: a gigantic boar lunges forward at his heels, grunting and slobbering madly. "Well look 'at that. You feel like boar for dinner? 'Cuz if ya don't do somethin', poor Marny and Trin in there might be the ones gettin' eaten!" Targen urges.
"Pfft. I've heard that story before." Celvi grumbles when Targen talks about witches and plagues. "As soon as somethin' goes wrong: Blame the weird one. She must have started it!" Celvi throws her hands up, frustrated. "I bet no one investigated her home for proof, either."
The sound of a boar gets her attention. "Yeah, yeah. Let's go boar huntin'. Maybe if we bring a free dinner back we won't look like creepy foreigners."
Ed is about to ask Celvi a question here, when the commotion ahead draws his attention. "That boar looks to be extremely aggressive to me." Turning to his fellow compatriots he asks, "Does anyone here know the best way to...handle such a wild beast?"
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"Yep, that's a boar all right. People think pigs n boars mostly just eat roots and veggies.. well lemme tell ya, they eat meat just as quick as turnips. Especially if that meat tastes, smells, n looks like turnips!" He chuckles a bit as he sizes up their prospects, reaching for his weapons.
Hunt Prey: Single Action: When you focus your attention on a single foe, you become unstoppable in your pursuit. You gain the Hunt Prey action. Source Core Rulebook pg. 168. You designate a single creature as your prey and focus your attacks against that creature. You must be able to see or hear the prey, or you must be tracking the prey during exploration. You gain a +2 circumstance bonus to Perception checks when you Seek your prey and a +2 circumstance bonus to Survival checks when you Track your prey. You also ignore the penalty for making ranged attacks within your second range increment against the prey you’re hunting. You can have only one creature designated as your prey at a time. If you use Hunt Prey against a creature when you already have a creature designated, the prior creature loses the designation and the new prey gains the designation. Your designation lasts until your next daily preparations.
Monster Hunter Feat 1: Source Core Rulebook pg. 171
You swiftly assess your prey and apply what you know. As part of the action used to Hunt your Prey, you can attempt a check to Recall Knowledge about your prey. When you critically succeed at identifying your hunted prey with Recall Knowledge, you note a weakness in the creature’s defenses. You and allies you tell gain a +1 circumstance bonus to your next attack roll against that prey. You can give bonuses from Monster Hunter only once per day against a particular creature.
"Handle? No, we're gonna have to put it down I'd bet anything!" Gillian cries, hand going for her longspear as she moves to help...
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Scratch knows boars probably better than he knows his own mother. First, he recalls that a boar’s carcass typically provides enough meat for 100 meals or more. He's also encountered enough that he knows of the soft fleshy spot between their tusks that can be exploited to cause more damage to them.
Gillian knows that boars are quite resilient in their ability to take wounds, and will get up again and again just after you think you've killed one...
The terrified farmer rounds the corner. "Help! Help! It's gonna kill me!"
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Gillian (2 actions)
Scratch (2 actions)
Boar
Celvi
Ed
Gillian is quick to put some distance between herself and the rest of the group, angling towards the north so as to have a better shot at the boar as it - hopefully - comes running past.
"Right! Watch out, I'll see if I can slow it up once she's clear!"
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The farmer looks over at Scratch and changes his footing, running right for the dwarf leaping onto the ground behind him. "T-thank you! I was just tending to the fields when that thing came out of the woods!"
The slobbering boar narrows its eyes on Scratch, and darts across the farm, its tusks aimed squarely for his leg!
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Gillian
Scratch (-11)
Boar
Celvi
Ed
Monster Hunter (+1 to next Attack roll, all)
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"Sonova honey covered biscuit!" Hollers Scratch as the thing crashes head first into his leg. The tusk pierces the tanned hide flaps that hang down over his thigh, blood spurts out.
"Strike hard n fast before this thing takes a bite!" With a flash of quickness Scratch swings his light hammer at the center of the boar's skull three times.
"By the Gods that boar moves fast!" Ed exclaims as he hastily stumbles away from the melee, casting a defensive spell and praying that it would not turn its attention to him....
"Hold on, I'm gonna try to slow it down!" Celvi calls upon her magic to Daze the boar.
Then she draws her crossbow.
"Me too!" Gillian cries. In a flash she's got a concoction whipped up from supplies in her bag and then heaves the small, tarry-looking mass at the boar!
And then she too draws a weapon; her longspear.
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After he recovers from the shock of the boar's tusk through his leg, Scratch plays whack-a-boar with the foe, slamming its skull with his hammer. Celvi gives the boar the evil eye, causing it grunt and slobber as its head is filled with pain.
While Ed protects himself, Celvi concocts a tanglefoot bag and lobs it at the boar... but the creature shifts to the side, and the bag flies into the turnip fields instead.
The boar continues its onslaught on Scratch, rearing back and skewering him with its tusks.
.. And the dwarf is left quite bloodied by the time the boar is through!
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Gillian
Scratch (-22)
Boar (-22)
Celvi
Ed
Monster Hunter (+1 to next Attack roll, everyone but Scratch)
Celvi loads her crossbow. "Alright, I'll try again to stun this thing." she tries to Daze the boar again.
"Oh My..." Ed exclaims as he sees the boar tear into the dwarf. "Hang on there Scratch!"
I hope this does the trick... He prays as he sends his most powerful spell right into the boar's backside!
"Okay, okay, hold on!"
Gillian steps over next to Scratch and furiously attempts to bandage him up as best as she can...
...but can't manage it what with all the bleeding and flailing and swearing.
"Damn! Hold on, let me...just..."
She pulls out another pair of vials and quickly mixes the two liquids together and then holds out the vial to Scratch.
"Take it, hurry!"
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Celvi's second attempt to get into the mind of the crazed animal fails, and as Scratch gurgles on blood, his focus is thrown off, and he hammers a nice shallow hole into the ground.
Gillian takes out some bandages and leans in to quickly stem Scratch's bleeding, but the dwarf just won't hold still.
Ed blows three holes in the boar's backside, and the angry creature turns to face the wizard, kicking its hind legs back and then taking off in a full sprint.
Ed leaps over the charging boar, but the second tusk attack impales his foot!
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Gillian
Scratch (-22)
Boar (-30, wounded 1)
Celvi
Ed (-12)
Monster Hunter (+1 to next Attack roll, everyone but Scratch)
"Alright! Alright!" Celvi steps to the side and tries to stun the boar again.
Ed reflexively brings up his magical shield to help absorb some of the blow before he staggers back summoning a flame spell to hopefully create some bacon for Scratch's enjoyment!
Gillian's jaw drops as Scratch ignores her outstretched offering and as she watches, the ingredients within go inert.
"Great! A waste of reagents that was!" she fumes angrily, flinging the useless vial to the ground. With Ed having moved away from her immediate reach all Gillian can do is shuffle around behind the boar and attempt to skewer it with her longspear.
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