I guess I should make some roles as well:
Action 1
Stunned for a moment, Alua was on the verge of apologizing again when she caught the glint in Phin's eye. She had a sudden, vivid memory of sleepovers at Chandra's house - often they had to spend the next morning restuffing downy feathers back into the pillows.
Grinning, she caught the pillow, then spun and walloped the elf with it as she came around. The next few minutes devolved into a wild battle, which saw both of them leaping over furniture, diving under the table, and pillows slowly disintegrating as they beat each other into hysteria.
Finally, laughing too hard to defend herself, Alua resorted to casting Sanctuary on herself, huddling on the ground, hiccuping with laughter as Phin tried to beat through her spell with the remains of the pillow.
****
Alua caught Sebastian's glance and nodded. She wasn't sure why he often wanted her to do the talking, but she was happy to. It was a good way to distract her from the spirits trailing them.
Tucking her chin-length wispy blond hair behind her ear (a useless gesture, as the ever-present breeze just tugged it loose again), Alua smiled at the young Watchman. "It's not usually anything so exciting. Lots of talking to people, reading through notes and files, the occasional chase. I'll bet you get a lot more excitement on the Watch. And danger! Why did you decide to join the Watch? Have you been a Watchman a long time?"
Once at the crime scene, he once more turned to Alua. her skills at healing would surely come in handy here. "Well, can you make anything from the blood?"
Alua crouched down beside the remains of the stain, examining it to see if she could determine anything about how the poor art dealer had landed.
He stepped over to Sebastian, pulled out various small tools and started handing them over. There was no question the younger man was far more skilled at investigation, but Erix had assisted enough lieutenants to know how to be helpful, and had calipers and vial at the ready. More importantly he knew when to ask questions, and when to shut up.
Sebastian's gaze was as cryptic as the scene itself. If the ir'Brock House Head saw something, it eluded Erix. Still, he knew enough to ask the right leading questions - and provide an audience for Sebastian to perform for, even if the true audience was Roole. "Do you see something , ir'Brock?"
Erix let the blow hit, carefully not dodging. Phin'd been hitting him on the back of the head for years now, so he wasn't caught by surprise, despite her speed. Trust was hard earned, but Phin'd earned enough over the years he trusted her with his life - literally, given he knew just how well she could hide a blade and let her make contact with his head.
"Don't we all" he muttered.
"So - been a watchman long?" Erix asked carefully. "Seen this sort of thing before?" Some recruits, he remembered, saw a body for the first time and tried to keep the emotions bottled in, tough it out. Eventually the bottle broke, usually at the worst time. Hopefully the watch looked after each other, but years of habit had him feel out the younger man.
As the others spread out Daen looked to the stained pavement that Roole had been gesturing to. He pivoted, moving his gaze to the balcony from which the fall had started. He found that things often sorted themselves out without enough thought. The problem was getting time for that thought.
When they arrived at the bridge and Roole pointed out the point of impact, she asked, "How did the body land? Face first, on their back, something else?"
Phin was asking some great questions. Let me guess, Daen said, he hit the pavement on his…
(trying to get an idea of the likely path/fall of someone jumping from the balcony and falling this distance]
He asked Daen to join in, "What about you? Anything? Do we need to take a sample for further testing or something?"
Not much here to gather, Daen said, returning to the spot where the blood had discolored the pavement. Squatting down and pulling out a leather wrap, he removed some tools. But it doesn’t hurt to try. After scrapping some of the debris off the pavement and into a test tube, Daen slipped the material into his jacket and pulled out another device. This tool simply consisted of a couple gears and short pulley. Lining the tool up against his eye, he turned the gears and scanned back to the balcony. Likely all he would pick up is the normal magic of Sharn, but he wouldn’t feel right leaving without checking.
Action 2
"You interested in joining the guild, Watchman...?" Erix left a gap for the watchman to fill him in.
”Roole,” the young man said, accepting the weapon/trophy/logging implement with a somewhat suspicious look. ”And I think I shall pass, thank you – the Watch is a full-time work. Less dangerous, too… at least, most of the time.”
Action 4
"So - been a watchman long?" Erix asked carefully. "Seen this sort of thing before?"
”Not long enough to get used to this sort of thing,” the young Watchman said, a slightly haunted look in his eyes as he likely recalled the crowning glory of his last evening’s patrol. ”We do get our fair share of brawls, and there was quite the ruckus after last year’s Eight Winds since some people lost badly in the betting. And of course accidents do happen, but with that fall, the way his face was all…” Roole shook his head, abandoning that trail of thought, or at least made a spirited attempt to.
Tucking her chin-length wispy blond hair behind her ear (a useless gesture, as the ever-present breeze just tugged it loose again), Alua smiled at the young Watchman. "It's not usually anything so exciting. Lots of talking to people, reading through notes and files, the occasional chase. I'll bet you get a lot more excitement on the Watch. And danger! Why did you decide to join the Watch? Have you been a Watchman a long time?"
”It’s a honest trade,” Roole said, slightly defensively, apparently aware that not everyone in the Watch or outside it would share his view. ”The pay isn’t bad, either, and I thought it’d keep me safe from the recruiters, before the war ended. And… umm, you know. The uniform, you know what they say about uniforms,” he stammered, coloring slightly.
***
When they arrived at the bridge and Roole pointed out the point of impact, she asked, "How did the body land? Face first, on their back, something else?"
”Face first, the witness said, but they had turned him on his back by the time I got here,” Roole said. ”Easier to see whether he was still breathing, I guess, and who knows, perhaps they were just curious if it was someone they knew personally.”
Sebastian then carefully looked at scene to see if there was anything that could be construed as clue...
Daryl slowly scanned the area looking at each of buildings and businesses. He followed the line of the building up toward the balcony.
There was little to be seen where Roole reported the body had fallen, except a little blood by the railing, where last night’s rain hadn’t managed to wash it away. Little could be said of it except that it was indeed blood, and had been lying on the stones for more than several hours. Sebastian’s persistent efforts did reveal a couple of while fragments between the paving stones that you determined were pieces from broken teeth.
Daen’s magical scrutiny didn’t reveal anything out of ordinary, merely the familiar whispers of the spells to harden the City’s towers and the glow from the Everbright lanterns lighting up parts of the bridge. And while Daryl caught sight of any number of people who were paying attention to the group, there seemed only curiosity to their glances, not malevolence.
Nor did he see any businesses with convenient facades facing the scene – the bridge the body had landed on passed through one of the district’s main towers and arched towards the next some 200’ distant, and while there had almost certainly been people passing through the area when the art dealer met his end, as Viduk had said, only one had stuck around long enough to report what he had seen to the Watch officers. The balcony the body had fallen off from was directly above the bridge and the great arc of the tunnel through the tower.
About detect magic… that spell won’t show lingering auras unless they are extremely fresh...
Which you didn’t, Daen ;^)
Anyone spot anything interesting, Daen asked, wiping his hands on a dirty handkerchief. He turned to where the others were spread out across the bridge.
[tag]
If we are done here, let's check out the apartment. I've spotted nothing too out of the ordinary. Maybe there would be something up above that would shed some light onto the situation.
Anyone spot anything interesting, Daen asked, wiping his hands on a dirty handkerchief. He turned to where the others were spread out across the bridge.
Sebastian continued to look but shook his head, "Teeth or parts of teeth it seems. It corroborates the 'he fell face first eye-witness story'."
He commented, "Although, I find it hard to believe that someone would fall 200' and fall face first. I mean we are not cats to twist in mid-air but you would at least put your hands in front of you or tuck your head, right?"
He concluded, "I think he may have been dead before he was thrown..."
If we are done here, let's check out the apartment. I've spotted nothing too out of the ordinary. Maybe there would be something up above that would shed some light onto the situation.
Sebastian nodded, "Agree. Let's check out the place and then go to see the body. I would hate it if someone makes a mistake and exhumes the body before we get a chance to see it."
He turned to Alua, "Are you keeping notes? Remember we talked about how good documentation is not only important to solve he case but also as evidence in a court of law."
20' feet up, not 200' - 200 was the approximate length of the bridge to the next tower. And yes, the balcony is directly above, and the body didn't fall so far from the wall that it'd have to be hurled from over the rail by a giant... that's about as far as Daen's trajectory analysis can take it, without some experimentation.
"Day you do get used to it, quit." Erix advised grimly "That feeling - that's not weakness. That's basic human decency. Seeing people as people, not as animated objects. You learn to push past it, but it should always bother you." Erix stared off into the distance for a moment "Too much of it and you'll end up breaking; not able to function, or the sort of person Watchmen end up tracking down, or both. Talking to people - the right people - can help. Best advice I've had is that when you see something truly terrible - and only then - immediately get blackout drunk. Not really an option for Watchmen though, I guess. Wasn't for soldiers either."
Erix trails off, and it is not until Alua starts talking that he snaps out of his funk.
"It's a bloody lie!" Erix swears, smiling. "Same lie gets half the boys and girls in." He nods confidentially to Alua "They're not comfortable at all!"
Sebastian nodded, "Agree. Let's check out the place and then go to see the body. I would hate it if someone makes a mistake and exhumes the body before we get a chance to see it."
"You need me to run over and stand guard?" Erix asked "Or just that we need to hurry up and start climbing?"
"It's a bloody lie!" Erix swears, smiling. "Same lie gets half the boys and girls in." He nods confidentially to Alua "They're not comfortable at all!"
Cocking her head to the side, Alua said, "I thought that it was about how uniforms can get you laid? I know that was certainly true when I was in the army." Turning to the Watchman, she said, "You were smart to stay here, to not enlist. The war was terrible." She shuddered involuntarily.
He turned to Alua, "Are you keeping notes? Remember we talked about how good documentation is not only important to solve he case but also as evidence in a court of law."
Not finding anything of interest on the pavement, Alua nodded. "Right, boss." She took out her notebook again, and made a quick sketch of the area. She noted the height of the balcony, and the location of the bloodstain.
- Body face down
- Teeth fragments
- Uniforms not comfortable
- Dead before he fell?
Sebastian’s awesome roll would have found any relevant items around the immediate area… as to alleys… the map of Sharn is a bit weird… rather, the lower and middle wards make sense to me, but many of the upper wards seem to suddenly have buildings that are apparently built on thin air, since they don’t properly align with buildings below them… still, the way I see it, the “crime scene” is pretty much in the open. Sure, there are other towers all around that rise several hundreds of meters higher than the Oakbridge level, and there are some platforms up above that create shadows down here. Still, there is plenty of daylight and nothing much to block line of sight on the bridge you stand now. When the bridge enters the main tower, that’s when things change… more shade and shadows inside, even though there’s supposed to be daylight shafts inside as well, and magical lighting, and at least some towers are open to the sky (unless there’s a platform with stuff built on it on the upper district above.
Nothing immediately interesting or threatening, however.
He concluded, "I think he may have been dead before he was thrown..."]
"Or tossed out head first. Though, one would suppose he would scream on the way down if this was against his will." Daryl paused, staring back up at the balcony. "If one were to jump willingly, one would jump feet first. Face first either suggests very diliberate and quite aggressive suicide, or a helping hand." Darly's cloak hood fell back, revealing more of his armored head with the glowing purple eyes. "It shall be interesting to see what the witness has to say."
Caught in a workshop for today and tomorrow... I doubt I have time to wrap things up and move you to the apartment before Friday, my time.
Hope it goes well!
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Finding little of interest in the street, Phin was ready to move on. She turned to Roole and said, "Sergeant Viduk said that you'd provide us with access to the victim's apartment so lead the way. I'd rather do that than scale the building."
Finding little of interest in the street, Phin was ready to move on. She turned to Roole and said, "Sergeant Viduk said that you'd provide us with access to the victim's apartment so lead the way. I'd rather do that than scale the building."
<b>Really, you could climb that, </b> Daen asked. Looking up at the building, he added, <b>I could probably cook up something that would help with that.</b>
<tag Phin and/or others>
Sorry for the delay, here it is, finally.
“I’ll let you get on with it, then,” Roole said, taking a position by the door, so
he could be close enough to see and hear what was going on but not get in the
specialists’ way.
Daryl followed the line of the man's arm as he pointed to the art room. The apartment was certainly large, and very much filled to the brim with art. But the best pieces would be in the display room.
Sebastian noted Daryl looking at the art pieces and nodded, "Yeah, I think you have the right idea. Figure out if any of the artwork is worth a lot of gold and maybe we can start speculating why it wasn't stolen."
Meanwhile Sebastian was looking in the lounge and the balcony. He wanted to ascertain if there had been a struggle. So the inquisitive looked for any sign of a fight such as furniture moved, anything dropped, etc.
He nudged the others along, "Try not to move things too much. See if there's a suicide note or something like that. Also any indication of a large debt may give us a clue as well."
"Not really my thing." Erix shrugs an apology. "if you want someone to throw a dummy carcass of a building though, I'm your man."
Action 2:
“Really, you could climb that,” Daen asked. Looking up at the building, he
added, “I could probably cook up something that would help with that.”
Phin patted her backpack and grinned, "With the right equipment you can do almost anything. As they say, where's there a will, there's a way. Although if you can make something to help with climbing in general, I may just have to place an order with you for some of that. Maybe when we have some downtime?"
Action 3:
“We found the door closed but unlocked when we arrived,”
"So, no apparent forced entry," Phin murmured to herself as she focused on the door as the others spread out within the apartment. "If it was murder then he either knew the killer and let them in, or they were able to get in undetected without needing brute force."
She squatted in front of the lock on the front door and looked for any sign that the lock may have been picked - minute scratches, dents, etching, anything out of the ordinary.
As she analyzed the lock, she quietly hummed to herself.
Once she was finished with the door, she moved into the space and took an overall view of the place. "I find it interesting that there's a lock on the display room. Obviously he wanted to protect something there. Maybe just the art, maybe something more."
She walked the space looking for any possible ways that someone may have gotten in.
Eventually, Phin joined Daryl in the display room. While he took a close look at the art, she was loocking for hidden compartments or doors.
Action 1
"The Cyrian front" she said, her voice becoming strangely toneless and flat. The hard look that came into her eyes spoke volumes about what she witnessed there, and it became easier to believe this waif-like person had actually been involved.
Action 3
Alua didn't really know what to look for; this wasn't her particular forte. She did, however, know that her mere presence was somehow helpful to the others. She moved quietly from room to room, touching the others on the arm or shoulder, murmuring encouraging words.
As she moved through the apartment, she sketched it out in her notebook, asking Daryl for information about the artwork as she did so.
Got myself an influenza... 39C fever is no joke. Can't trust my brain to think today so I won't be posting. If you need to advance turns in Fabian's game, please autopilot Palisade for a moment.
Got myself an influenza... 39C fever is no joke. Can't trust my brain to think today so I won't be posting. If you need to advance turns in Fabian's game, please autopilot Palisade for a moment.
Feel better man. Flu sucks.
Got myself an influenza... 39C fever is no joke. Can't trust my brain to think today so I won't be posting. If you need to advance turns in Fabian's game, please autopilot Palisade for a moment.
Take care;we'll be here for when you're well.
Game on!
Phin patted her backpack and grinned, "With the right equipment you can do almost anything. As they say, where's there a will, there's a way. Although if you can make something to help with climbing in general, I may just have to place an order with you for some of that. Maybe when we have some downtime?"
Daen smiled. Not in his eyes, but his lips did move. "Down time," he said, "not a lot of that these days with the interest on bond. But hopefully this is the case that changes all of that. But, indeed, let me know what you need and I should be able to provide it at cost."
Daen scanned the room as was visible from the doorway. While art was eclectic, he was trying to see beyond it. Was there a larger pattern laid out in this room? <He didn't think so./ Surprised, he turned to draw the other's attention to his discovery.>
Daen headed to the kitchen while Daryl checked out the art and the others spread out. Something Sebastian had said had gotten Daen thinking. Unfortunately he still wasn't sure what he was thinking about. It would come to him eventually, but for now he would see what the kitchen held. On his way he pulled out scrying device and began pulling on the pulley cable, sending the gears spinning.
Keeping the gears spinning, Daen left the kitchen and entered the lounge. Maybe something in here would tell him more about what was happening.
Daryl followed the line of the man's arm as he pointed to the art room. The apartment was certainly large, and very much filled to the brim with art. But the best pieces would be in the display room.
The 'forged was having a time of his life cataloguing the collection. He would have loved to spend several hours going through each item with the care to detail they deserved, but much could be learned even from a quick look at the various pieces. The overall quality of the artwork was impressive, but no single piece was the work of a recognized master of the arts. Indeed, the artist whose signatures he recognized were either citizens of Sharn or Breland. New and upcoming artists, clearly showing potential but who hadn't yet made it big in the market.
One large painting quickly drew Daryl's interest, however, for it had been covered with a sheet unlike any of the others. Curious as to why, the 'forged shifted the fabric aside... and was answered. The oil painting was a true work of art, the artist clearly a master of the perception, the use of colors, their brushstrokes forceful but precise. The canvas on the other hand was cheap, creating and effect of a masterpiece having been painted on a bed-sheet.
But the reason the painting had been covered had to be the powerful image it portrayed. A scene of battle, from the War. Whether true rendition or fictional impossible to tell. The artist had frozen a moment of heated battle in time, an image of trench warfare at its bloodiest, and had seen no reason to hide the horror of war from the viewer. Quite the opposite, the image seemed to revel in the slipped blood and entrails, the light of life fading from the eyes of the dying, as if the artist had tried to take war and make of it something almost holy... and had come close to succeeding. All in all, the scene was vividly disturbing to anyone who had experienced the reality of bloody conflict, and would make even such a great piece or an artist's labors a tough sell in a society trying to recover from generations of conflict.
The piece was signed, but the signature was merely a tiny scrawl in one corner of the vast canvas, completely unreadable as if drawn only as an after thought, when the artist's attention had already moved past the completed work.
Meanwhile Sebastian was looking in the lounge and the balcony. He wanted to ascertain if there had been a struggle. So the inquisitive looked for any sign of a fight such as furniture moved, anything dropped, etc.
The room was in good order, although it was impossible to tell if a struggle had taken place and the perpetrator had made a good job at cleaning up after themselves. At least there were no telltale patterns of dust on the floor that suggested that the floor had been swept around the furniture but some piece was no longer at the place it had used to rest. But then again, the constant breeze from the balcony would ensure dust had little time to settle.
She squatted in front of the lock on the front door and looked for any sign that the lock may have been picked - minute scratches, dents, etching, anything out of the ordinary.
There was no sign of forced entry on the lock - indeed, the lock itself looked like it had been rarely used, judging by how stiff the lock's pins felt to Phin's careful attempts to manipulate them. Perhaps the owner really was of the trusting sort and often left his door unlocked.
Eventually, Phin joined Daryl in the display room. While he took a close look at the art, she was looking for hidden compartments or doors.
The various pieces of art concealed nothing, but some of them had neat little notes attached, listing names and prices and dates - perhaps these pieces had already been sold and waited for delivery, for all the dates were set in the next couple of weeks.
Daen scanned the room as was visible from the doorway. While art was eclectic, he was trying to see beyond it. Was there a larger pattern laid out in this room?
If there was a patten to see, it proved to be esoteric beyond Daen's skills to decipher - more likely, the placement spoke only of the particular preferences of the collection's former owner.
Daen headed to the kitchen while Daryl checked out the art and the others spread out. Something Sebastian had said had gotten Daen thinking. Unfortunately he still wasn't sure what he was thinking about. It would come to him eventually, but for now he would see what the kitchen held. On his way he pulled out scrying device and began pulling on the pulley cable, sending the gears spinning.
There were no signs of malicious enchantments in the kitchen - if anything, the little room was remarkably bare. Clearly, the owner wasn't much of a cook but a great believer in eating out.
OOC: Yes, I have also found this to be a problem. If there are enough rolls )i.e., players) then one of them is bound to be high. :)
Consider using one roll (highest bonus of those actively searching) with an additional 'bonus' to simulate the 'help'.
Game on!
Consider using one roll (highest bonus of those actively searching) with an additional 'bonus' to simulate the 'help'.
Yeah, will likely do this... first one to get there makes the actual rolls, those who are slower end up rolling for aid another actions, unless it makes more sense for the story to give more attempts or for someone, anyone, to make THE roll ;^)
The piece was signed, but the signature was merely a tiny scrawl in one corner of the vast canvas, completely unreadable as if drawn only as an after thought, when the artist's attention had already moved past the completed work.
Daen paused, sucked into the painting. There was something disturbing about it. He started to turn the gears on his scrying device, but stopped. There were some questions better left unanswered.
"Daryl," Daen asked, "have you seen anything like this before? I don't recognize the artist, but then again, I'm only exposed to a small cross section of art in Sharn."
*****
Daen proceeded to the apartment's restroom to continue his investigation. The unease that he felt from examining the war painting suggested that he might be doing more than investigating in there.
(Kirsdrake - let me know if you want me to put together a few lines describing it - I didn't know what you already had)
Daen proceeded to the apartment's restroom to continue his investigation. The unease that he felt from examining the war painting suggested that he might be doing more than investigating in there.
(Kirsdrake - let me know if you want me to put together a few lines describing it - I didn't know what you already had)
Phin, there is not even a door to the balcony - the lounge simply opens onto the balcony, which is wide enough to extend the whole width of the room. There are some movable screens in one of the balcony's corners that can be put up to keep the weather out, but the balcony's on the mainland side of the tower, so the prevailing winds would keep the rain away from the lounge.
Not having much luck in the places where she had been looking, Phin moved to take a look at the balcony. She looked for signs of someone having climbed in from the outside or if someone had dragged something out from the apartment.
She peered over the edge to look down at the street to see where the body had landed. She then took a closer look at the railing to see if there were any scratches or markings from any sort of a struggle.
Well, they don't hand them out for the common flue for someone who's basically healthy otherwise, but if you have the capital-letter-I variety with high fever or if you have some other basic problems and have just a rough regular flue that in your case can be dangerous, your average health center doc can write you a prescription. Assuming you get there early enough, since apparently they won't do much good unless you start the treatment very soon after the first symptoms raise their ugly little heads.
Talking about the miracle of Scandinavian health care... called for an appointment. Had to turn down the first few ones since I couldn't possibly get there in mere 15 minutes from the call. Settled on something reasonable a hour and a half in the future. Got in on time. Got sent to the lab for some blood tests and to the x-ray since the doc wasn't happy with how my lungs sounded like. 30 minutes later was back at the doc, with the results, got the prescription and a week of sick leave. Pharmacy next door, got the pills in under 5 minutes, went back home. The visit to the doc and all the tests didn't cost me a single cent, the anti-virals for the week totaled something around 10€ after the Social Insurance institution discounts for all prescription meds.
Well, I have come to value Fabian's aversion to spamming spammable spells all the time, but I think it's Ok here for a) there's absolutely nothing preventing you from doing so and b) the Orison only gives a +1 bonus, not the +2 you could get from Aid Another. And going around the apartment, constantly casting the spell on someone pretty much ties up your own actions for the duration.
The climate is near-tropical year-round, so keeping cool is more of an issue than warming the place up. And if the person living here wasn't worried enough to lock his door, why would be worry about a burglar who'd have to climb quite some distance along the magically hardened outer surface of the tower (that is relatively smooth as it has resisted erosion by the elements) in full view of anyone using one of the district's main streets? The street lights don't really reach up the the balcony, but anyone climbing up the wall would be well lit for most of the way up.
She peered over the edge to look down at the street to see where the body had landed. She then took a closer look at the railing to see if there were any scratches or markings from any sort of a struggle.
The balcony - larger than some of the apartments the rogue had lived in - offered quite a lovely view over the district, even if it was relatively low to the street level. It held a pair of comfortable-looking divan chairs, a small side table, a four small ornamental trees in stone planters that might be placed to cast some shade over the divans. The railing was a little on the low side, barely reaching past Phin's waist, but then again, Sharn was not the place to live in if one was worried about heights.
The elf's sharp eyes scanned the railing and the walls at the edges of the balcony for telltale scratch marks but found nothing. The balcony itself, however, had something to offer. She noted an open bottle of wine in a metal bucket set where it might have been shaded from late evening sunlight, the ice now melted to water. A book laid face down on one of the divans - a treaties about the ancient druidic sects and their history, judging by the title. A single glass of wine on the side table, overturned, perhaps half a glassful of the crimson liquid spilled on the table and down on the floor below.
The stain almost caused her eyes to miss it, but something made her return, kneel down on the floor. Yes. A few red drops beyond the spilled wine, a step closer to the railing. The color almost matching, but not now that her attention had been drawn to it. Blood. It had to be. Pleased by her discovery, she stood up, about to reveal her crucial finding... and almost failed to spot something else that didn't belong. A pinch of some white powder by one of the arches leading from the balcony back into the living room.
Ohm just to make clear... there's not enough blood for even a small someone to have bled to death on the balcony, but too much for a paper cut or something trivial like that.
Well, they don't hand them out for the common flue for someone who's basically healthy otherwise, but if you have the capital-letter-I variety with high fever or if you have some other basic problems and have just a rough regular flue that in your case can be dangerous, your average health center doc can write you a prescription. Assuming you get there early enough, since apparently they won't do much good unless you start the treatment very soon after the first symptoms raise their ugly little heads.
Talking about the miracle of Scandinavian health care... called for an appointment. Had to turn down the first few ones since I couldn't possibly get there in mere 15 minutes from the call. Settled on something reasonable a hour and a half in the future. Got in on time. Got sent to the lab for some blood tests and to the x-ray since the doc wasn't happy with how my lungs sounded like. 30 minutes later was back at the doc, with the results, got the prescription and a week of sick leave. Pharmacy next door, got the pills in under 5 minutes, went back home. The visit to the doc and all the tests didn't cost me a single cent, the anti-virals for the week totaled something around 10€ after the Social Insurance institution discounts for all prescription meds.
[sarcasm alert]Yeah that all 'seems' good, but I bet the doctors aren't millionaires in your country![/sarcasm alert]
Blood was blood but the white powder was way more interesting.
He nodded at Phin and quipped, "Thank you. Now please step aside and let the experts take over." Working on a case improved Sebastian's mood dramatically.
The inquisitive took a closer look at the residue and called Daen over, "Hey Daen, help me out here. See if we can figure out what sort of magic might need the use of this powder."
----------
Taking about field CSI-ing clues in general, I think Craft Alchemy would be about the best single answer for any analytic need, but because it's a bit generic the DC would be higher, unless one was talking about some substance that was heavily processed or manufactured, since that'd have likely been done using that very same skill.
Craft Herbalism would be better fr strictly natural products, but pretty much useless for anything else. Heal could be used to recognize some drug that was part of your average healer's kit, but not really intended for this kind of purpose... Heal is the go-to skill to autopsy bodies, or course, to determine causes of death.
Knowledge skills could be used, but I'd have those rolled a higher DCs since, again, they are more general and less practical applications of knowledge.
Is it medicine? Is that the roll?
I won't be spamming always, but it does seem like the perfect/only way that Alua can help in this situation.
Have fun RPing an attempt, but it's still not the right way to go. Mind you, knowing exactly what you are doing with the mystery powder when you try to figure out what it is can be illuminating, even if the skill you decide to use is absolutely useless for the job.
OOC: Which is why I called Daen over. Our alchemist expert! :)
Jussi: a word of caution here. There's a fine line between making the knowledge and craft skills too general and having too many subdivisions.
Knowledge
Knowledge Arcana
Knowledge Arcana Summoning
Knowledge Arcana Summoning from a Particular Plane, etc.
It sounds like you will have to make this type of call in this campaign.
Good luck! :)
As Alua approached Daryl, her hand out to support is efforts in searching, her eyes fell on the war painting. And she froze.
Immediately, she was back in the trenches. Leliana was shouting into her face, but Alua's ears were ringing from the last explosion, and she could hear nothing but a deep, droning hum. Then a spear-point burst from Leliana's left eye, and the girl dropped, her body slipping from the spear into the red sticky mud.
Alua dove to her friend, but it was clear there was no healing to be had here. Leli's spirit was already rising, like steam from fresh bread, her arm pointed behind Alua. The oracle spun, her morningstar smashing the spear aside, her left hand driving hard up and over the hastily-raised shield. Her dagger took the Cyrian under the jaw, and came out his cheek. Not a killing blow, but enough to make him drop his spear and jerk himself backwards.
Cursing the loss of her dagger, Alua stepped forward to retrieve it, but slipped and fell. Her foot was tangled in a pile of intestines, pieces of hard cheese and sausage spilling over her boots, testaments to the dead man's last meal. No, not dead. The Cyrian girl was trying to stuff her guts back into her abdomen, a look of horror on her face as she raised her eyes to meet Alua's.
Alua moaned as she rocked back and forth on the art dealer's floor, unaware of her surroundings, caught in the horror of battle.
Brought back to reality, Alua averted her gaze from the painting. "Cover it up," she asked, her voice hoarse and thick with tears. "Why would anybody paint that? Who would want it?"
***
On the balcony...
Drawn by the excitement, Alua joined the others on the balcony. She looked at the white powder, trying to determine if it looked like anything she had in her healer's kit.
Jussi: a word of caution here. There's a fine line between making the knowledge and craft skills too general and having too many subdivisions.
Knowledge
Knowledge Arcana
Knowledge Arcana Summoning
Knowledge Arcana Summoning from a Particular Plane, etc.It sounds like you will have to make this type of call in this campaign.
I actually used to take suck knowledge skills on my own characters... not Knowledge History but Knowledge History of Elves of Western Faerun continent ;^)
In here, this time, it's more the case of Craft and Profession skills being hands-on, and Knowledge skills being book-learned. So with Knowledge, you can look at the powder, consider if it resembles something known to you (within the skill's field - Arcana rolls wouldn't tell you anything useful if it was crumbled mortar), gives you some ideas how to test it to see if it is/is not X, but not necessarily the skills to perform said testing.
And thus far, you have just looked at it. It looks white. Pretty uniform in color and texture. And powdery. ;^)
Erix's uncertainty vanished as he heard Alua moan. Reflexes honed from decades of conflict had him in the doorway, assessing the scene in moments. His eyes scanned, looking for the threat and...
"Oh." It took effort to drag his eyes away from the painting. Memories started to surface and were ruthlessly fought down only by adrenaline. A further look, carefully avoiding the direction of the painting, was enough to ensure there was no immediate threat, and he stepped over to Alua.
"Good plan." he commended Alua, and reached for the sheet. He didn't look as he re-covered the painting, but he didn't need to. With the sheet hung he paused. 'Just looked like him. Wasn't him.' he repeated silently to himself. 'No need to look. Move it on.'
"I could use a drink" Erix muttered, turning to Alua. The sympathy in his eyes didn't make it to his voice, and he fell back on training. "Get a hold of yourself, soldier!" He barked. "Here. Now. Attention."
Erix's training in alchemy was elementary, but the first thing Tyros where taught was how to be useful. As Daen stood over the sample Erix pulled a few small pieces from his kit. "Would you like me to take notes, or handle the burner? We might want to do this out in the corridor, or use the screens - less light to cause interference when you're checking for colours in the flame."
Phin couldn't help but picture herself lounging on the balcony as she moved through the space. How nice it would be to be able to lay out here with this view and wine. Although she would not be reading a book as boring as that. Who was she kidding, she probably wouldn't be reading but she would gladly drink the wine. She wondered if there was anything against taking the rest of the bottle of wine. Such a shame that some of the wine had been spilled...wait...that wasn't wine. And then there was the powder.
She poked her head into the lounge, "I got blood out here and some strange powder."
"Thank you. Now please step aside and let the experts take over."
The rogue mock curtsied, "Gladly. I'll be in the bedroom."
Phin left the others to analyze the powder and blood. She much preferred to try to uncover whatever secrets she could in the bedroom. If there was something he wanted to keep hidden but also keep close, it would be in the bedroom.