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Professor Masaendri narrows her eyes at the fully open dresser drawers. Hmmm... Where are you hiding? She gestures for the group to file into the room, cautiously making her way toward the bed, alert for any signs of danger along the way.
First, she leans down to check under the bed while still out of arm's reach of anyone hiding under there. Second, she intends to determine how warm or cold the remains of the candle on the nightstand is. Third, she plans to throw back the blankets on the bed to see if anyone is hiding under them. Unless he's a large man, it is conceivable that three thick blankets could hide his body reasonably well.
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Piotr checks the windows to see if any are open.
"Hopefully he didn't escape through a window."
Piotr grips his blade tightly, keeping a close eye on the professor as she searches the bed chamber while occasionally checking the windows—ready to make an arrest if Halmont is hiding somewhere in the room.
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While the Professor can see no sign of Halmont, she deduces from the open drawers that he must’ve been in a hurry to leave…
…and when Piotr goes to check the windows, which he finds them all closed, the Professor’s keen Elven senses prove their worth again…
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A sly gleam flashes through Professor Masaendri's eyes, flicking toward the northwest corner of the room. Aha! Got you. She straightens briskly from her inspection of the bedclothes, announcing: "Nothing here," as she marches toward the center of the room. She catches Piotr's eye and gives him a meaningful look, indicating the corner of the room with the table and chairs.
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After checking the western set of double windows, Piotr moves to the next but suddenly notices The Professor casting strange glances at him and winking, nodding to the northwest corner of the room.
He gives the professor a puzzled look.
"Is she flirting with me? I don't think that's very alluring. Is she using her lower teeth to seductively bite her upper lip? And why is she winking that hard? Makes her look like a crazed piranha... Something's not right..."
"Oh, wait!"
He suddenly gets what she's trying to convey.
He gives a slight nod, hustles near the northwest corner, then attempts to grab the invisible Halmont with his free hand...
"C'mon out, Halmont." he growls. "You're under arrest!”
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With the Professor guiding Piotr, the war priest rushes to the corner, making a grab attempt on an invisible Halmont…being at a disadvantage since the unseen dude can still see him, Piotr’s hand only grabs air ()…but he has the satisfaction of flushing the man out as all can perceive Halmont is moving east, slightly bumping the chair which you can see…
Gnagnatsu’s senses can perceive footsteps approaching and perceives he’s heading for the door…
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Hearing Halmont stomping down the stairs as he makes a run for it, Piotr is hot in pursuit.
"Halt, Halmont! You can't get far. We've barricaded all of the exits! Come peacefully, or we'll need to use lethal force!"
Piotr accidentally smacks himself in the mouth with the table as he throws it aside when making a dash to rush after Halmont.
"Ouch!... Halth, Halmonth! You can'th geth far. We've barricaded all of the exiths! Come peathfully, or we'll need to yooth lethal forth!"
"Dammit. I think I lotht a toof."
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Hearing Halmont run down the stairs, Hellebore casts her spell and followed by Piotr, seemingly inflicted by a sudden speech impediment, and a little further behind by a more gracious and less expedititious Professor…
She doesn’t immediately see Halmont as he must’ve turned the corner, but you all hear him swearing about the barricaded doors…when Hellebore does clear the stairs, she sees the back of him as he runs into the dining room…
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While Piotr can hear Halmont slide into something in the kitchen, he still cannot see the rogue and nor can the Professor who is close behind her teammate…
However, Hellebore is a bit ahead of them, can see into the kitchen. She sees their target in the NW corner of the kitchen, underneath a heavy duty prepping table, moving a rug aside to get to a trapdoor…another moment and he’ll have it open!
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Hellebore blinks as their target slumps to the floor. Huh. I never get this to work so often!
"We should take a look around in case we missed something while we were looking for Halmont. Especially the cellar or whatever is down that door Halmont so generously showed us."
"Piotr and Gnagnatsu, do you want to talk to him about his poor life choices while we figure out what else is here?"
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Hellebore blinks as their target slumps to the floor. Huh. I never get this to work so often!
"We should take a look around in case we missed something while we were looking for Halmont. Especially the cellar or whatever is down that door Halmont so generously showed us."
"Piotr and Gnagnatsu, do you want to talk to him about his poor life choices while we figure out what else is here?"
"Good idea. Don't forget about that safe upstairs, too. There could be some evidence in there that Maldris might want."
After the invisibilty wears off, Piotr lightly slaps the bound Halmont awake.
"Good afternoon, Sir Halmont. It would seem that Captain Maldris would like a few words with you," he snarls with a wry grin.
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With Piotr expertly hog tying Halmont, Gnagnatsu heads back to the upstairs office and tries the safe after observing there are no traps; on her second attempt, she succeeds. She sees several documents and looks over them…
Meanwhile, Piotr ‘gently’ awakes Halmont…he awakes with a frightened whelp, his eyes going wide at Piotr’s words. ”Maldris…NO! Set me free, please, I’ve got money, I’ll split it with you!”
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"Sorry, Halmont. We work for the Pathfinder Society—you can’t bribe us. Our adventures pay more than enough," Piotr says, crossing his arms. After a brief pause, he leans in, his tone shifting. "However… if you cooperate—and perhaps lend a hand to the Society in the future—Princess Eutropia of Taldor might be persuaded to secure an early release for you, even offer you asylum. I’ll put in a good word and see what strings I can pull."
With that, Piotr pulls a stack of forms from his attaché case, then slips a pen between Halmont’s teeth. "Go ahead and sign."
Halmont shakes his head, and spits the pen out.
"I'd rather take my chances with whatever Captain Maldris has planned for me," he says, refusing to sign the papers.
"Fine, then. Your loss, Halmont." he says with a shrug.
Piotr looks over at Lanel.
"Hey, noodle arms, help me carry this poor sod."
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With three Pathfinder agents watching and lightly interrogating a hog-tied Halmont, the Professor joins Gnagnatsu upstairs. "A key, hmm? If we can't find its lock up here, perhaps it is in the cellar that he so helpfully showed us." She begins checking behind picture frames, wiggling books, and lifting rugs in each of the upstairs areas in the hopes of finding a secret compartment somewhere. If there is nothing, she thoroughly inspects each inch of the stairway on her way down to the main level.
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In a panic, Halmont resorts to groveling and whining. ”Maldris has just got it in for me; he imagines I’m some arch villain…I’m actually just a regular guy like you folk! Please let me go…I can give you much more money than the Pathfinder Society….PLEEEEEAAAASE!”
Gnagnatsu finds no other evidence in the study and neither does the Professor, there or on the way back down…she feels reasonably confident there’llbeevudence in the cellar…