As newly minted Agents of the Agency, you are in its HQ doing the final paperwork and collecting your things. It's just past midnight and you're getting ready for bed/sleep/trance when the action bell is rung and a shout goes up.
"ALL AGENTS NOT ALLOCATED MISSIONS REPORT TO Eleonora Silverleaf AT ONCE, lecture room 2 for Brafing"
In the large block of buildings that act as the Agency's HQ, there are laps, private rooms, workshop rooms, officers, training areas, even a Bar and refractory. At the moment most Agents are on missions and even Fenrol is away. So Silverleaf is in charge. You know where her office is, but if you are being called as agents, you will need to head to the lecture rooms and find her.
I want players to introduce themselves, describe PCs and what they are carrying, and say where they are when the call comes. Then head to lecture room 2 and greet each other before the briefing.
This is going to be your 1st mission and you have no idea who will be coming with you until you get there or what you will be sent to investigate.
A small ratman clambers up from where he was sleeping. Yawns and grabs most of his gear. He is aware that his uniform is askance and unkempt but what would ou expect I slept in the damn thing all night ...well atleast the last 20 hrs
His revolver is stuck in his pack out of way and out of mind..Never did like those things, make to much noise to be useful. Give me slab work up close and quiet that's how to do it. He thinks to himself running through his mind as to what he has on him. He closes his sleeping quarters, a huge trunk, locking his not carried gear inside.
Strapping on his bandolier and making sure his extracts are in place, he heads to the lecture room. I did it! I finally can start paying of my brother's mistakes and earn my freedom back. This will be the first of many such tasks I am sure. his thoughts begin to spiral at this notion fantasizing about what the task may be.
Upon arrival, he takes a seat with his back to the door on the furthest wall. I will watch and guess as to whom my companions will be. Hopefully it is someone that I can work well with but then again if it isn't it wont change how I work.
Sitting soon becomes boring so a few vials and some concoctions he has been working on come out. He mixes a bit from several of the pouches and watches them fizz, dissolve, or become tinctures.That one looks like its got potential.He thinks after watching a green and sickly yellow one for a few minutes. He pulls out his formulae book and flips to a page in the very back and deftly scribbles some notations of ingredients and observations. These writings are some of many that are covering the last few pages in the back.
Jixxe is the 1st into lecture room 2
The next one into the lecture hall was a barrel chested dwarf. He wore a wide-brimmed hat upon his head and held an unlit cigar. He found having one to be calming, even if unlit. He only did so as a treat to himself, after having accomplished something of import. Or if he really, really wanted one, something which he tried to avoid. On his left arm was a thick vambrace. His right was free, for that was where his revolver was. He had modified it, turning the firearm into an axe as well. The improvised weapon was certainly out of the ordinary.
He plopped down into a seat and sat back. He disliked the lecture hall. He knew that he wasn't anywhere close to the smartest person here. The agency was crawling with self-proclaimed geniuses, who could deduce the answer to a mystery from the barest of clues. Khardon, though, was not like that. He had been a watchman before, and believed in following his gut when talking to others. It had rarely led him wrong, and the few times it did a few shots from a pistol had cleared everything up. He glanced over at Jixxe, and noticing the vials decided that he was sitting a bit too close. The last thing he wanted was for an accident to turn his beard purple.
"Hello everyone!"
The door is thrown open by a tall thin man. The others had passed him on their way to the lecture hall, he had been passed out on a chair, with several bottles strewn about him. Interestingly, none of the labels had indicated that they were alcoholic in the slightest. His previously immobile frame moves with an almost uncontrollable enthusiasm, his every movement almost comedic in its exaggeration.
His gun is tucked into his belt, but his clothing... today Warlock Bones wears a teal suit, complete with a matching swashbuckling hat. He leans heavily on the cane that he carries as he enters the room, surveying the people that were already there. Pouches adorn his belt, but they appear to be empty.
Noticing Jixxe, and his vials and notes, he breezes over, giving a brief wave to dour Khardon. Looking over Jixxe's shoulder he says, "Hm. Yes. Very good. Non-lethal. Well, you're not going to get any results by just observing it in your tubes and glasses!" Warlock Bones takes a quick swig from a vial, and sits down next to Jixxe. "Now you can make observations on it's effects on living creatures, helpful, no?"
A lone figure stands upon the edge of Agency Manor. His dark silhouette almost blends into the darkness above. Golden eyes widen to take in the gloom. Two pointed ears jut out from it's head, reaching for the midnight sky.
"ALL AGENTS NOT ALLOCATED MISSIONS REPORT TO Eleonora Silverleaf AT ONCE, lecture room 2 for Briefing"
The drow's head turns toward the announcement that seemed to follow him up from the roof access door.
"So. My career begins."The dark elf known only as Lazastrahd quickly steps downstairs and into the third story hallway. As the drow walks at a brisk pace toward Lecture Room 2, Lazastrahd makes a mental list things he might need for his first mission. The drow's first instinct is to run to his room and gather his spellbook, but figures there will be time later. Around several corners and enters the slightly open door.
Lazastrahd quickly surveys the room, allowing his deductive mind to take it all details. The drow is almost never out of Agency uniform, walking with a focused grace as Lazastrahd makes his way to the front of the hall, momentarily nodding over to Khardon, pleased to see the seasoned dwarf in attendance. Instead of sitting, the drow investigator stands facing the lecture podium, his arms behind his back like always.
No others come in and you hear the door being bolted from the outside, then by the podium, a door opens, and Eleonora Silverleaf comes in.
Even middle-aged for an elf, she is stunningly beautiful. But it does not just look, she has an astoundingly keen mind. Specking some 30 odd languages and very well-read. They say she is over 600 years old not that is just a rummer, like the one that she and Fenrol are lovers. Whether true or not, you know better than to pray.
She walks and stops at the lectern, looking over the five of you. Her eyes rest on Agent Warlock Bones.
"Agent Bones, I see you're again out of uniform, if you want to be on this mission I suggest you use your magic trinket to at least make a semblance of what we expect to wear while working for us. Do I make myself clear"
It is not a question, they say she has physic powers, and more than once a cadet agent found themselves thinking they were a frog or a young child.
Then she looks at the rest of you.
"You five are the only Agents I have to hand that can investigate an event that happened earlier tonight at The Grand-Traders Mance. This request comes from the highest ranks of the keep. So I do not have to tell you what is talked about in the room stays in this room."
She turns and waves a hand. Behind her, an image comes into being in front of the blackboard.
"The Grand-Traders Mance, Part home, offices, trading center, and stock house, this building is now locked down and guarded by the city watch. After and Event. It seems some of them went in never came out again. The Inquisitor knights have been informed and are mustering men to go in at dawn."
She takes out a pocket watch and checks the time.
"Which gives you just under 8 hours to get there and investigate before the blad-footed Bafoons stop any kind of evidence and start pocking the staff with hot irons. Grab what you need, and get yourselves there as fast as you can. A charge is waiting out front, should not take you more than 1/2 hour. I want you back here by Dawn. Now get going."
She turns and goes before you can ask her anything, other things needed to be tended to this night.
Khardon nodded back to Laz. It was odd, to be sure. Here he was sitting in a room with comrades who were a drow and an orc. He fought the urge to smirk at what his father would think if he could see this. Two of his people's ancestral enemies, and he considered one to be a close friend. Then again, he was still, at his heart, a watchman. He didn't really care what someone's race or nationality was. What mattered to them was whether they were a law abiding citizen. In this case, Laz and Seljak were not raised in their native cultures. Sure, Laz had a dark side to him, and Seljak was a huge raging bundle of muscles, rage and shotgun shells. But what did that matter? It was like blaming him for enjoying a cold ale. When all was said and done, he judged people on their actions. Because what else was admissible in court?
His gaze idly swept over towards Jixxe and Bones, just in time to see Bones down a potion. This time he could not restrain the smirk as he leaned forward to observe the reaction...
----------
...which of course had to wait when Silverleaf came in. He gave her his full attention as she talked, though he winced at the 'blad-footed Bafoons' comment. From his time in the Watch he knew all about the Inquisitors. He hated their methods, as it always struck them that they came in with an answer and were just looking for evidence to support it, rather than the other way around.
"This event." Khardon said, taking his unlit cigar out of his mouth. "What do we know of it? Also, do we know who came in without coming out, and did anyone make it out?"
"The Grand-Traders Mance, Part home, offices, trading center, and stock house, this building is now locked down and guarded by the city watch. After and Event. It seems some of them went in never came out again. The Inquisitor knights have been informed and are mustering men to go in at dawn."
She takes out a pocket watch and checks the time.
"Which gives you just under 8 hours to get there and investigate before the blad-footed Bafoons stop any kind of evidence and start pocking the staff with hot irons. Grab what you need, and get yourselves there as fast as you can. A charge is waiting out front, should not take you more than 1/2 hour. I want you back here by Dawn. Now get going."
She turns and goes before you can ask her anything, other things needed to be tended to this night.
Lazastrahd gives a small smile to see the street-savvy dwarf trying to get additional questions answered by the retreating Eleonora. The drow quickly turns to the others. "Well, gentlemen. See you out front."
At that, Lazastrahd bolts from the front of the room and out the lecture hall door.The drow takes a corner too quickly and slams into it, only to recover quickly and enter his darkened bedroom. Lazastrahd quickly goes around the room, gathering his gear. The spellbook kept quietly in his nightstand. The prized hand-crafted rapier behind the door. His professionally-made backpack containing his Agency gear. In less than a minute, a fully-geared Lazastrahd exits his bedroom and hurries to the front entrance.
Just as the door closed you hear her day.
"If I know that I would not be sending you. Now F...."
If the f was an expletive it was cut off as the door closed.
Khardon chuckled as he walked off. He waved his hand at the closed door while he walked away, shaking his head as he went.
Outside is a large Horse-drawn Meat Wagon, you're going to have to ride in the back. It can easily take you all.
Khardon climbed in, finding a spot as comfortable as possible. He was already tired from a long day, and he had the feeling that when they arrived any rest or relaxation would be impossible.
Lazastrahd sees the paddy wagon pull up and let's out a little laugh.
"Just the image we want to portrait, Eleonora. Competent non-human investigators, going to a likely human party to sort out the truth, only to arrive as the criminals."
The drow enters the wagon after the dwarf. "Khardon. How are you?"
Hiccuping only slightly from the concoction that he had Drunk, Warlock Bones shifts his outfit to be more in line with the regular agency clothing. He keeps the hat though.
"Alons-y my gentle compatriots! Here Jixxe, let me help you gather your things, so that we may be off at a pace that meets Ms. Silverleaf exacting standards."
As Laz scrambles to escape the room, Warlock calls after him, "Lazastrahd! Would you mind grabbing the broken compass on my nightstand, while you gather your things? We might need it for the investigation."
As Laz scrambles to escape the room, Warlock calls after him, "Lazastrahd! Would you mind grabbing the broken compass on my nightstand, while you gather your things? We might need it for the investigation."
Once Bones made it in the wagon, the drow gave the broken compass to the human without fanfare.
Waiting is not his strong, Jixxe quickly yanks the vial from Bonesie and replaces it with another concoction. I know this one will cause gastrointestinal discomfort for atleast an hour.He thinks with a wry chuckle. He snaps to attention as the "instructor" briefs them. Great got to do something that will probably make me regret things in the morning. The ratman winces at the thought of doubt and then a pang of disloyalty. Oh well here goes nothing, I guess. he thinks as he quickly and quietly follows the rest of the crew out the front, pouring his vials back and forth and observing them more than where he is going.
He nearly crashes into several walls due to his lack of attentive walking.
Dodging the collisions, ever so minutely, he continues on this time paying more attention. He almost drops several vials but manages to store them safely about the time they arrive at the meat wagon.
Meat wagon..lambs to the slaughter this should be fun! Jixxe states dryly. He reaches inside his overcoat and hands Bonesie another concoction..Try this one.He chuckles this time handing another flatulating mixture to his "tester" this one has a bit more kick.I think
Then the Waggon pulls off and your away, it takes half an hour to get to the merchant keep.
You get to the The Grand-Traders Mance
It's dark but there are a few street lights, as you pull up two city guardsmen walk up to the waggon.
"Hold, this place has been... O its you"
Sergeant Lars, looks at Khardon in the waggon with a sneer.
"Well for once your where you should be, why are you here Dourstone?"
Khardon’s hand involuntarily fell towards his gun, but he kept it away. Instead he responded with a smile:
”Aye. And ye yours.” Then, louder he continued ”Here for duty! To investigate why people went in and didn’t come out. A fate that I’m sure ye’d be happy for me to share. We’ll be here for a few hours, most likely. Ye’ll stand ask, aye? Or, perhaps ye’d prefer to talk to me associates?”
He’d done the good cop/bad cop routine with Bones enough for the man to know his cue. But truth be told, each and every one of his companions was more than able to step forward if they wanted. Laz and Bones both knew of Sergeant Lars, as they had worked together enough to get to know one another. The man had once been Lieutenant Lars, until Khardon had exposed the man’s corruption. The fact that he was here did not bode well.
The watchmen with Sergeant Lars as even larger than Seljak. He had a monobrow, sunken eyes and you could swear if he lent just a little more forward his knuckles would scrape on the floor.
He has some giant in him somewhere
His name is Grub and they say he is part giant somewhere.
As Seljak moves closer this massive lump of a man stands in his way. In front of the door.
"Now then what makes you think we have to let you in."
He pulls out a whistle and blows it, you hear footsteps and 4 other Guardsmen come running. Khardon you know all of them, part of Sergeant Lars, squad. To a man cut-throats criminals and thugs, but also hard men who know how to fight. They come and stand around you.
Khardon you, note two of his squad are missing, Lumpton a pickpocket come Guardsmen now and Kats a suspected burglar that Lars hired into the watch.
"Run along citizens this here is official business and nothing to do with you. Get back in your wagon and beat it, by order of the Guard."
They have weapons out and gouding you to fight.
Lars is hiding something, he is worried and does not want prying eyes around, could this be linked too his missing men?.
Khardon eyed the men. He knew them, and hated them all the more for it. It was people like them that made him leave the watch in disgust. ”Well, sergeant. Ye’re obviously hiding something and there be missing men from your squad.” He took out a match and lit his cigar. He wanted to say more, but figured that he wasn’t the best messenger. He hoped that one of the others could use the information to cool things down before it came down to shot and axe.
Lazastrahd stands next to his dwarven compatriot, holding his Agency badge.
"Sargent Lars, Khardon and his team were tasked to come here tonight to The Grand-Traders Mance immediately under the orders of Watch-Captain himself. Your immediate supervisor. As The Agency is tasked to investigate the events inside, it wouldn't look good for you and your team to appear to be blocking our team's progress."
"And, Sargent Lars, to be frank, your career would not benefit from more scrutiny than it's already under."
Warlock Bones exits the meat wagon. He's not the most graceful on the team, but something about the way that he moves draws attention to him. His movements are jerky, and he walks leaning forward, hands behind his back.
Moving up to Lars, Bones says in a confidential manner,"Pardon me my good man, but I seem to have come down with some... gastrointestinal distress if you get my drift." A rank bit of flatulence wafts from Warlock Bones. "By all means, leave my companions out here until the sun bleaches their bones. Send one of your rather strapping companions in to guard me if you must. But if you don't let me in as soon as possible, well it's going to be rather unpleasant for all of us. No?" To punctuate, Warlock Bones' stomach makes a horrific gurgling sound. "Oh that sounds like it's going to be putrid."
Jixxe doesn't say much watching from the back of the wagon. When he sees the guards opposing the group, he steps to the other side of the wagon and casts a spell shrinking himself to tiny size. Once he has completed the spell, he walks quietly to the front of the wagon and takes a look at what is around. He is specifically looking for an alley way or something to duck behind.
"Day-call me Grub, cus I likes to eat a lot"
Sargent Lars naps at him.
"DONT TELL THEM YOUR NAME!, you idiot"
Then he looks back, then and an evil smile crosses his face.
"Well if the Watch-Captain himself says you can go in, I ant going to stop.."
"BUT Lars.."
again Lars barks.
"SHUT IT NIX!, if these fine gents want to enter well lets let em."
Ne nods at Grub steps aside from the main door.
What you can see into the house is throw windows.
"Thank you, Sargent Lars." Lazastrahd says politely. "Your cooperation is noted."
Walking up to the main door, the half-giant is still slightly in the way.
"Pardon us, Grub."
The drow walks through the door.
Jixxe will stay hidden behind a barrel next to the house. He will listen as the squad goes in.
Khardon tipped his hat to the sergeant as he walked on past and towards the house. From there, he went to his fellow investigators. "Let's begin by seeing if there be any magic around. We can work together to scan the place, ensuring that we don't waste time by duplicating work. Then we can search the outside for clues, looking for anything out of the ordinary. Again, let's work as a team in this. I want to know as much as we can about this before we go in. We only have a few hours, so let's not waste time."
Khardon tipped his hat to the sergeant as he walked on past and towards the house. From there, he went to his fellow investigators. "Let's begin by seeing if there be any magic around. We can work together to scan the place, ensuring that we don't waste time by duplicating work. Then we can search the outside for clues, looking for anything out of the ordinary. Again, let's work as a team in this. I want to know as much as we can about this before we go in. We only have a few hours, so let's not waste time."
Lazastrahd nods and casts detect magic in the immediate area.
"I really wasn't kidding when I said I needed to use the bathroom. Give me a minute."
Warlock Bones excuses himself for a minute, and rids himself of the lingering effects of Jixxe's potions.
"Anything interesting Khardon?" he says when he returns, expressing a genuine interest.
As you enter you find a hallway, a door opposite that is closed.
[ooc]Lazastrahd Perception roll, The hallway goes left and right. Left leads to two small rooms, they seem to be an office of some kind. If you keep going a Privit, then around more into the building.
And this is where you find your 1st body. IMAGE
Your smell death, your pension rolls show there is no blood, and the body has been robbod.
”Just this friendly guy.” Khardon replied, taking a puff of his cigar to keep calm. Finding bodies was part of the job, but it was still a difficult part of it. ”Never was part of the forensics. Anyone here have experience in that?”
"Not me personally, though the damage to the corpse seems extensive."
Jixxe will stay hidden behind a barrel next to the house. He will listen as the squad goes in. [dice=perception to hear watchmen]d20+3
"But sergeant what about the boys"
"Is there problem, what have I told ya, you look after ya self in this life. They wanted to rob the place so, it's up to them to get out. Anyway, we sent up in after the Officer did we not."
"But we heard him scream, the...sounds..it was bad scream Sarg real bad"
"He could have just fallen over, stop your old-woman-whining and get around back. If the lads do come out ya best take the gear they took and get it to Murrys pronto"
"Yes sergeant"
One of the young Guardsmen runs off
Detect Magic, 1st time you get a hit.
you get some now over the body, its very low but its transformation magic and fading.
The house is dark and silent, there should be more staff around but nothing. And all the wall lights that should be magic are dead.
All magic has gone from them.
"Too bad Beatty isn't here." Lazastrahd remarked. "I believe he had some forensic training."
The body is part wax, it may have been a person transformed to wax or wax transformed into a person no way to tell.
In a shocking twist, Warlock Bones seems to get down to brass tacks. Gone is the laissez faire demeanor, and the exaggerated movements as he checks the body himself.
"I am trained in several forms of forensic investigation, as well as more mundane forms of healing. If anyone can find something belonging to the perpetrator of this waxification, and bring it to me, I may be able to provide some additional insight." Now he moves precisely, not a wasted bit of energy.
He takes a sample of the wax, and puts it gently into a pouch.
The goofy, lopsided grin returns to his face. "Maybe we should be investigating the candlestick maker?"
While Bones went about being useful, Khardon tried to do the same. While the others looked at the body, he looked at the crime scene. How did the body get there? Was there any signs of a struggle? Were there any tracks which indicated multiple people? Multiple assailants? These were the questions on his mind as he invested the scene.
"It would appear the corpse is also partially wax. It is difficult to tell if the body was transformed into wax, or a wax dummy was transformed into living matter," Lazastrahd speculates.