These people are sharp. Intelligent. Whomever he is...was...this Grimdawn fellow has chosen this group well. Baerlon strides confidently along with the group, listening and alert, making mental notes on the skills and talents his newfound companions revealed, filing them away to contemplate for whatever tactical advantages they might avail the group in this endeavor.
Taking Pelipe's offered arm, Nara proceeds down the stars and out the front door of the tavern. As luck would have it, the rain has ceased, and the evening air carries a hint of the approaching summer months. She walks slowly, not awkwardly so, but her focus is on the many questions you ask. "Umm, gee, a family? I don't recall Aden ever mentioning any family in all my time working under him. Oh, when we were in Waterdeep last year, he said something about going there as a child with his father. Where did he say he came from…. Silverymoon, I think?”
She pauses for several moments in the street, shaking her head. ”Oh, I am so sorry! I wish I knew more. I guess it just never came up. As for enemies, Master Grimdawn didn’t have any, I think? He was a scholar, not some champion of battle or nefarious merchant lord. Some years ago he did have a bit of a writer’s conflict with that hack Volo, but that was well before I came into Master Grimdawn’s tutelage. Beyond that, it’s mostly theoretical work, pouring over old manuscripts, academic research.” She then continues on toward your destination.
At Delgar’s unique question, Nara seems a bit puzzled. ”I mean, I went in there, but I don’t think anyone else has since whatever occurred. I was there this afternoon, shortly past lunch, when he sent me out to run some errands. As I said, I was hurrying back to ensure he arrived on time, or at least not too late, for his meeting with all of you. He was truly excited for it, truly. This is all so strange.”
Nara is caught off guard by Irving’s biting words. After a moment of shock, she begins to sob, ”I… I meant... no insult. Master Grimda - Grimdawn, he is a talented practitioner of the arcane. If someone cou - could take him, they’d have to be dangerous people.” Sobbing more heavily, ”The Proskur Guard do well to - to keep the peace, but this is not Waterdeep, with it’s many thousands of Watch, Guard, and eli - elite forces. and, the peo - people he usually hires fo - for field research, they are highly ca - capable. So yes, I trus - trusted his judgment and came - to you.” Overcome by the sobbing, Nara buries her face in Palipe’s shoulder.
Irving launches into the second part of his thoughts, though Nara is completely oblivious to his words, overcome by the emotion of the situation and compounded by his brusque manner. As you each exchange words and try to smooth over the conflict of the moment, you realize you are standing before a curious building, set back from a small square. The two story residence has ivy growing up much of it’s stone and wood exterior, while the slate shingle roof still shows a slick of moisture in the rising moonlight. A peculiar sign hanging to the left of the front door, bearing the symbol of a rising sun, but painted grey with a cloud above it. Underneath is scrawled “Grimdawn’s Arcane Emporium”, with a subtext in smaller lettering ”thieves not welcome”.
Taking a quick analysis of the entryway and front windows, the door is currently secure, showing no signs of damage. Likewise the windows are all shuttered, suggesting that whomever took Aden, they gained access without the typical thug-like bashing in of the door.
"So...we're goin' in there?" Bharaz was getting suspicious. The employer wasn't there, because he had been kidnapped...only without any ransom to speak of. And when out to find him, instead of the authorities, they were being taken to a building that gave him all of the wrong feelings. If anything, it felt like they were the ones walking into a trap.
Rather than voice his suspicions, the dwarf smiled to himself. With his axe resting on his shoulder, he thought to himself that if anyone was dumb enough to try then he'd be having himself some fun. And the best part of that kind of fun was that the corpses usually had enough coin in their pockets to buy more than a few drinks.
"Yes, it seems this is the one whose content I've read in the past."
Although the quiet youthful woman went with them, Pelipe was worried that she was concealing her emotions. She didn't look like the type to have seen much action and such an event would have been traumatizing for Pelipe if she was not who she truly was. As some of the group's words bite at Nara's proficiency at handling the case so far, she sees her cry.
"Oh shush...It's alright. there there," she comforts the girl.
As they finally arrive, she pays less attention to the girl and more attention to what is before them. Being an engineering specialist and enjoying the architecture, she nods approvingly at the building, but would also look for signs of entry. More importantly, she observes the scene of the crime. To answer Bharaz, she nods and heads on in.
She looks in particular to the walls and the various objects within to see if anything is missing or out of place. A secret door perhaps?
Irving has very little such caution, as he has no reason to believe the woman is concealing anything from him.
He throws open the door and has a look around.
"Did you close the door on your way out?" Dalgar asks as he sees Irving throwing open the door.
"Or was it open already when you discovered your master gone."
He looks into the interior and begins thinking which of the wooden items in there would be best to start from.
Rajiv frowned at the building. His frown deepened as his eyes darted about, taking in details.
"No sign of forced entry. Nara... is it possible that he knew whoever came to take him? That would certainly be a help to freeing him - we'd have some people to check."
He stepped inside, continuing his catalogue of clues.
+5 vs traps
Or at least, that had been his intent... but he'd always had a soft spot for distressed ladies, and Nara's crying distracted him.
"You believe this kidnapping to be based on some sort of personal vendetta, rather than a professional dispute?" Irving asks Rajiv, a bit of respect tinging his voice. "Admittedly, I hadn't even considered that angle yet, but it's certainly an open possibility. Still, best not to make assumptions until we know more."
Dalgar walks in as well and proceeds to looks around with his own eyes as he seeks out potential clues and of course all wooden implements.
"Do you think Aden was taken from his favorite chair or something like that during the break in?" he asks all the while scanning the room.
Casting spell after spell, he uses their revealing qualities to see if he could find any further traces.
Rajiv nodded to the doctor. "It could well be. That familiarity - a hidden grievance - would explain how so powerful a man could be taken from his own home with no sign of anyone breaking in. But you're right - best to gather what knowledge we can before coming to any conclusions." He nodded towards Dalgar. "Let's see what the furniture tells us."
Baerodan half smiles at Rajiv's comment, about to chuckle, then realizes he's serious. He pauses, pursing his lips, and then asks Nara, "Is there any warding we should be wary of as we investigate?"