"Looks like the best move is to tell the guard what we've learned, let them clean up the scene and find next of kin, and try to find the remaining Peace Circus members before the next attack."
"And after that a nice long nap." Frank suggests before yawning.
Broulnindre gives a resigned pout in response.
"Hmmm... what do we have for long-distance communication and travel?" Brennus asks, thoughtfully. "We may need to keep a discreet watch on the remaining members of the Circus for the murderer, but they're likely to be dangerous, so we'll want to converge when we see them."
"If by 'long distance' you mean a hundred feet, then B and I can share telepathy. Or if we only need to separate for a few minutes, I can extend that distance." Frank explains.
"Hmm. I have some ideas, but I'll need to go back to my workshop."
"I likewise could probably manage something given some time. The question is, will the murderer wait until tomorrow to strike again?" Brennus seems to consider this question as much as an academic question as anything else.
Second Day of Vult in the Year 998 YK - Sharn - Oakbridge District - Borgo's Apartment
Nodding easily, Gauntlet agrees with Ratchet.
"We need to report this and get the remaining possible victims somewhere they can be safer."
"I suppose we could ask if the Guard have any means of distance communication," Brennus muses. "But yes, it seems there's nothing more for us here. We might as well go back."
"Yeah, maybe they can help with communications as well as guarding the remaining circus alumni." Frank adds with a yawn.
"I look forward to what Ratchet is going to try."
Third Day of Vult in the Year 998 YK - Sharn - Oakbridge District
The Party returns to their respective residences, be they what they may, and return to Mickey P's the Blue Bird Inn in the morning, a sensible spot as it's within the District of interest and has plenty of space plus the added benefit of food and drink.
The mood of the staff is somber, Borgo was well liked and the owner and staff are preparing a celebration in his honor this evening.
Ratchet looks a bit tired as he was burning the midnight oil to assist in creating some useful communications system. Gauntlet gives the group the bad/good news that the Sending Stones can be made available, but Sergeant Viduk needs to fill out paperwork to requisition them and that may take one to two days...
Viduk is also present at breakfast, though he is of course not eating, "Your theories on the motives seem sound and you appeared to have been quite close to catching this perpetrator just last night. Looks like you all were indeed the proper team of Inquisitives to solve this problem.
Now that you have solid leads and a second murder has taken place, I want to place myself at your disposal.
While I like your idea of protective custody Frank, I am not certain that the Watch has the resources to guard these four citizens day and night or perhaps better put, they are of of sufficient rank to merit such security. If the motive is vengeance, we may delay but not stop such vengeance from taking place, at some point that custody would need to cease. Plus, while in such custody, no doubt the villain would lay low and how else can they be found if we don't try and catch them in the act.
Better that we create a perimeter and try to catch the villain in the act of murdering the next person. Morbid and callous I know but probably, a necessity. Is it possible to keep us all in communications in such a manner my new friends?"
"Ratchet and I can help us stick together while keeping an eye on at least two of the remaining four..." Frank volunteers. He trails off with a grim expression.
"Communication *is* the sticking point. We have ways to communicate but they only work to a range of a couple hundred feet for the most part," Brennus responds. "We should think about the locations of the remaining four probable targets. How far apart are they from one another? Is there any way we can keep watch on multiple at once? One thing that occurs to me is the alarm spell. If we don't have any other way to access it, a simple scroll would be enough for me to learn it. Though given our murderer's skill it might not be outside their capabilities to detect and disarm such."
"Mine's even shorter range than that. I can rout it through my portals, but I can only have one pair up at a time. We're not going to be able to effectively cover more than two locations."
Gauntlet points out the obvious.
”Unless we just split up and each of us take one of the potential victims. Communication would be useful, but not technically necessary to foil this villain’s plan. Perhaps simple magical alchemical flares would suffice? Single shot devices that can be fired in the air and therefore send off a warning to the others?”
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"Yeah, I have those," Ratchet said, pulling a handful of slim metal tubes out of one of his many pouches.
He took one in his hand and held it up so everyone could see it clearly. "Hold in the middle, aim up, pull string hard. It'll launch a flare that will go a few hundred feet up and last about a minute. The shell will heat up fast, so drop it after you fire."
He passed one out to everyone. "I only have ten right now. I'll make more tomorrow morning."
”Then we have a plan? Let us break into 4 teams, and each team watches over a possible target. Anything suspicious happens, fire a flare into the air. Try to avoid setting an accidental fire in the process… If you catch a glimpse of the assailant, fire a second flare? That sounds appropriate.”
He takes a couple of flares.
”We may only get a single chance at this. So keep your wits about you and stay alert. Join me Brennus? We make a good team I think.”
"That seems workable. Perhaps we should take a location where the likely target is higher up, given I can fly?"
Sorry. I've slept since then...
Third Day of Vult in the Year 998 YK - Sharn - Oakbridge District
Viduk nods to Gauntlet and speaks, "Perhaps Gauntlet and Brennus would recon Volin's Penthouse.
Frank and B can keep an eye on Roctar.
Erix did an excellent job in following Corlina and as she seems rather willing to move about, someone who moves quickly seems the best choice to watch her.
I can watch Drummer.
Perhaps Ratchet, you and your wondrous Proto could sit at a spot within the nexus of the three locations and come to the aid of any one of us if we identify trouble? I would say one Portal to Roctar and Corlina and your other Portal to Volin's penthouse.
As a member of the Watch I'll take responsibility for safeguarding my fellow 'Forged Drummer".
Broulnindre pouts.
"Roctar iz next? Hy vanna fight." she explains unhelpfully.
"We can watch Roctar's place. Maybe the window outside this time. I feel like the portals can be close to everyone that doesn't move from their apartment, though I feel like we'll have to leave at least one person a minute away from help when seconds count." Frank says.
"Drummer is in the basement anyway, right? No windows. We can probably do Roctar's and Volin's places."
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Brennus ruffles his feathers slightly as he tilts his head in thought. "That seems workable. With how close the penthouse and the tavern are, those of us in either location can support the others easily enough. I might ask for a short trip to somewhere magical scrolls can be purchased earlier in the day, at after which I should be capable of aiding in communications somewhat."
He croaks a laugh. "It is ever the lament of the worker of arcana that there is not enough time for all the spells one wishes to learn."
"Works for me," Ratchet said with a shrug. "There's a hole in that plan though. If Drummer ends up being the target, one of our stakeout groups is probably going to be left out of the action."
"Hopefully making a big show of adding extra protection to Drummer will steer the killer our way."
"With your portal and me on aerial overwatch, it shouldn't be hard for us to get to any of the three locations fairly quickly. I can send a message myself, in addition to your communicators, and any signal from those at the tavern would be quite visible and audible to me."
"Works for me," Ratchet said with a shrug. "There's a hole in that plan though. If Drummer ends up being the target, one of our stakeout groups is probably going to be left out of the action."
"Hopefully making a big show of adding extra protection to Drummer will steer the killer our way."
"It will help that Drummer is warforged. We are tougher and harder to kill than most creatures by design. Therefore less likely a direct target...initially anyway."
Erix arrives a little late to the group's meet up, but still manages to be there for most of the conversation. "Sorry for being late, I was reaching out to my contacts in some of the other Dragonmarked Houses. House Sivis could provide some aid in our communication issues, but we would have to do our best to keep them safe. Which, might put the people we're attempting to protect in danger. House Tharashk could use magicks to possibly hunt down our murderer, but they would require having seem them or have something that belonged to them. Or they could assist us in the mundane tracking, which is probably something we should hire them for, should we be unable to stop another murder, or at least fail in apprehending the killer. Finally, House Deneith will provide up to four Marshals to aid in protection. " He pauses, considering all their options, and those they need to protect.
"I think our best option is to hire the Deneith Marshals to protect Volin. He's the wealthiest member of the Circus, and therefore the most likely to be able to afford such guards. We should bring him in on this plan, so he doesn't balk at the sudden appearance of bodyguards. It might also make sense to try and convince him to sequester himself here, at the Blue Bird. Not only is this a public space, and therefore much harder to commit murder in, but it's where Drummer resides. Meaning we might not even need to provide additional security for him. Or, if we do, not as much as the others."
"Hmmmm... one thing to consider with that plan, if this *is* a changeling we're dealing with, they might well be skulking about scouting without our knowing. If we are seen obviously providing security like that, it might ruin our chance to catch them. It might be better to hire the security and just have them observe unobtrusively and not try to convince Volin of anything, just in case."
Third Day of Vult in the Year 998 YK - Sharn - Oakbridge District
Ratchet produces his communicators. Ratchet, B, Viduk, and Erix each get one.
With the Deneith Marshals protecting Volin, it is easier to track the last three targets.
Drummer appears to never do much except perform at the Inn and then return to his room so if he is targeted and Viduk is guarding him, it makes sense for the Sharn Watch to have a communicator.
The rest of the Party can focus on Corlina and Roctar. Gauntlet, Frank and B can stay on the roof with Brennus while Erix and Ratchet (with Proto) can stay on the ground in case either one leaves their apartment. This way if either one does peel off there are two of you to follow them. Brennus or B can follow by air. Brennus has his spell and B has a communicator to gather the rest of the group to a rally point or either one can back up the ground team if the killer does attack!
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As the third day draws down into night, the Party watches and listens for any movement by Roctar or Corlina. Their apartment is close enough to the roof and their window open on this cool night. Perhaps unsurprisingly, there is another argument that takes place. This time both leave the apartment and go out for a stroll.
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Perception
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Perception DC 15
Erix is able to easily keep pace with Corlina, blending into the shadows as he follows her. She seems to be going back to Volin's place once more. As last time, he reaches out with his inner darkness, claiming her.
He won't prevent her from going up to the penthouse, but will race up the stairs ahead of her, and hide in the alcove again.
Dark Claim (Su): Starting at 1st level, a harbinger gains the ability to reach out with her sorcerous malice, marking foes as her own. As a swift action, the harbinger may Claim an opponent that she can see (including with special senses such as blindsense or tremorsense) within close range (25 feet + 5 feet per 2 harbinger levels) for a number of rounds equal to 1/2 her class level (minimum 1 round). A harbinger can have a maximum number of creatures Claimed equal to her harbinger initiation modifier (minimum 1), and may not Claim a creature she has already Claimed until or unless the Claim expires. Claimed creatures using the Withdraw action to leave a square threatened by the harbinger provoke attacks of opportunity from her.
In addition, the harbinger automatically knows the position of creatures she has Claimed. Any opponent the harbinger cannot see still has total concealment (50% miss chance) against her, and the harbinger still suffers the normal miss chance when attacking creatures that have concealment. The harbinger is still denied her Dexterity bonus to her AC against attacks from Claimed creatures she cannot see.
When it's time to start following Erix and Ratchet, Broulnindre flies after Ratchet and shoos Brennus away if he does too.
Gauntlet waits patiently for one of the more mobile group members to alert him to a probable target and a place to move to.
Ratchet was excited at the beginning of their stakeout, but quickly became bored. He told Proto to "activate watchdog protocals" and kept himself busy tinkering with his new communicator and testing to make sure they were working through his portal.
When their marks went for walks he was simultaneously irritated and excited. Finally there was something to do, but now there was a fifty percent chance their whole plan was going to fall apart. If the killer struck the mark Rachet wasn't following, the other half off the group would never reach them in time to help.
There was nothing he could do about that though. He focused on stealthy pursuit. Instead of dealing with the street and the crowds, he took to the rooftops, riding Proto like a racing jockey. Proto wasn't just fast. Proto could climb. Proto could leap incredible distances. Proto could glide. Some kind of chameleon-like field made them extremely difficult to spot as they moved, and entirely invisible when they stopped.
If anything happened, Ratchet was going to be right on top of it.
Third Day of Vult in the Year 998 YK - Sharn - Oakbridge District
Erix follows and then gets ahead of Corlina with ease. Brennus follows, perching on top of the Inn giving him a view of the entrance to the Inn as well as an eye on Volin's Penthouse.
Corlina expresses her concern that now two of their fellow Peace Circus members have died two nights in a row. Volin tries to convince her that it's a mere coincidence. She doesn't seem entirely convinced. Volin presses her to share more if she knows more but she laughs off the suggestion and they proceed with their horizontal endeavors.
Ratchet meanwhile follows Roctar who heads in an all together different direction. He ends up at an apartment on the far side of the District away from the Inn. Broulnindre follows above.
B remains on the roof with Proto as Ratchet heads inside.
He is visiting with a man he refers to as Lucian.
The two exchange "war"stories. Lucian's are quite literal as he is a veteran of the Last War and is quite proud of his kill list. Roctar's stories are of feats of strength and of bar brawls where he's bested more than one man at a time.
They drink and laugh.
Frank and Gauntlet wait patiently near Corlina and Roctar's apartment... unfortunately, you have no idea where any of your Party members went.
A short time after Roctar leaves, Frank winces.
Eventually, at about the same time Roctar arrives, Frank shares where Roctar went.
"I'll ask B to circle around instead of following Proto too closely. We still don't know how the killer got the previous two victims, but we know that one was killed on the balcony and the other around an open window. Especially the second one didn't seem to have come in by the door." Frank explains.
Broulnindre circles the building rather than heading in, looking for open windows, open balconies, and the best place to sit to watch the highest number of such fenestrations.
Once he'd established Rocoar's location and it seemed like he was going to stay in once place for a while, Ratchet used the communicator to help his crew zero in on where their unsuspecting ward had gone.
HES VISITING A FRIEND. BUILDING XX. ROOM NUMBER XX.
Then he made sure the door was unlocked.
Placing his hands on the wall, he activated his magic gloves.
As soon as he was sure the people inside weren't paying attention to the door, he opened it and slipped inside, shutting it and locking it behind him.