"I seem to be doing a lot of this," Amunyet mutters. She strides forward, and taps the snoring man on the top of the head with the flat of her scimitar .
Search Posts
"Zindit, could you perhaps investigate to make sure there wasn't any ... surprises left for us here? Another unpleasant thought has occurred to me: that perhaps WE are the ones being set up to be eliminated, as well. An closed, but unlocked, door is a bit suspicious to me."
"Saul seemed a bit anxious for us to check Larur's place, as well. Perhaps that should be our next stop, even if it's a 'staged' scene?"
Amunyet hesitates a moment. "I of course will heal your wounds, Kelne. But I will leave the baboon as it is. I am afraid that if it regains consciousness, it will merely attack again. It will live, but it will remain as it is and recover on its own." Amunyet reaches out to Kelne, and casts cure light wounds.
"So willing to die, over just a little gold? You are not worried about someone wanting you dead? At least you have the right person here; I can of course smooth your transition into my Lady's realm. Unless you have any other information to tell us?"
"Because I want none to be even tempted to do something foolish" Tessirda interjected before Amunyet had a chance to wake Smeed. "Look, we're on very thin ice here, we basicly mugged him in his home. He's rightfully scared and if we hold him at swordpoint he might just decide we'd kill him anyway and try something tragic. Let's secure him, and give him a little time." Initially bristling a bit, Amunyet relaxes after a moment. "He already did do something foolish - attempt to attack our entire group, despite our trying to talk. But no matter, we can tie him up instead. Does anyone have rope? I'm not certain how long Zavos' enchantment will last." She keeps her scimitar at his neck, though, in the vent that Smeed wakes before they can secure him.
In the first room there is a chain attached to the wall with a collar at the other end, presumably for restraining the baboon. "Oh, why bother restraining him? A few blades at his throat while he lay prone on the ground should be sufficient restraint, I think." Amunyet draws her scimitar, and holds it at Smeed's throat. She'll wait a moment, for someone else to do the same with their own weapon. Once a few more are covering him, she'll give Smeed a quick kick to the jaw. "Time to wake up. Your appointment with the gray lady will need to wait. How long it waits is entirely up to you."
Amunyet will wait for both Smeed and the baboon to be secured. She'll then use her rebuke death ability on the monkey.
Amunyet yells to Smeed, "Hold! We do not wish to fight you! Someone wishes you dead, and hopes for us to take care of it. We believe we are all being manipulated. Stay your hand so we can discuss this!"
Seeing Smeed begin to descend the stairs, Amunyet points a finger at him, and commands him to "Fall!"
Just as she had her scimitar out and ready to slice open the baboon, Zavos' blow drops the thing. Hearing Smeed charge, however, Amunyet turns and readies herself to face him.
"Well, that certainly worked."
"I don't suppose there are any less fatal options?" Kelne asks, "Killing beloved pets is the kind of thing people hold grudges over." "Unless someone has skill dealing with animals, or a spell that could knock it unconscious, I'm not sure there is another option. We could try and 'pull our punches' as you say, but that could make things take longer."
Whispering to the others, Amunyet says, "There is no way the rest of us can sneak by the monkey. Do we try and quickly dispatch it?"
"Yes, the back door is less conspicuous."
"Rather than bust in, maybe it would be best to see if Zindit can open the door. What do you think, Zindit, can you get it open?"
Tessirda mulled things over for a moment before replying to Amunyet. "I don't know. If he's behind that, I don't know what he stands to gain from it. I mean, if Lahur was carrying a big payment, there's no reason at all to kill him off. Sure, you pocket the money now, but you risk angering a customer who's already on the way to paying you." "Unless, of course, someone else has paid you a larger sum of money to make things as difficult for Saul as possible. And we may very well have met someone like that." Of course, after being reunited with Zindit and Kelne and seeing the cloak, Amunyet's demeanor does change. "Hmm, besides my earlier thoughts, I agree with Kelne that we may be being played for fools. Perhaps Saul himself is willing to set this up to have us take care of his debts for him. Maybe Larur is in on it, or maybe Saul is willing to sacrifice his people to get his way."
Amunyet comments to Zavos and Tessirda, "Do you think perhaps this Boss Croat decided to take repayment into his own hands? Which do you think is the better course now - investigating Larur's, or visiting this Croat person?"
"Very well." Amunyet seems dubious that investigating with the neighbors will turn anything up, but she'll do it. Turning to Zavos, she says, "Shall we start there?" pointing to the closest neighbor. Amunyet will work in support of Zavos (he has the higher Diplomacy score), and is willing to spend a few gp to get some answers. diplomacy (aid another); sense motive (1d20+6=14, 1d20+7=10)
"Let's give him the benefit of the doubt for the moment, shall we?" Kelne says mildly, "Saul wasn't exactly straight-up with us; I'd like to have the facts before I start kicking in doors." "Hmm. True. I suppose I was a bit hasty in judgement. I trust none of these individuals our employer deals with, or our employer either, for that matter. What do we do as our next step then? Trace the route back to Larur's? Check his residence? "That brings up an odd item. Saul said Larur's apartment had been vandalized, which means he had been there. Yet, he seemed eager to have us head to Smeed's, first. Perhaps Larur's would have been the better starting point, after all."
"I believe I heard him invite us in. Kelne, Tessirda, perhaps the door is stuck, should we help him force it open?"
"Would that include the payment that Larur brought you last night?" "Indeed. Add to that Larur himself, and it would seem you were more than adequately compensated, Mr. Smeed."
"On the contrary; we are not 'thugs'. In fact, we would like nothing better than to see you paid, as does Saul. You are Lymas Smeed, yes? If you allow us in, we'd like to discuss your payment with you." Despite her calm words, Amunyet's hand noticeably drifts to the scimitar sheathed in her belt.
Amunyet bristles a bit at the harsh reaction from Saul. "I'm sure you're concerned for the man, but a few questions could be the difference between finding him quickly, or having to search the city block by block because we didn't have all of the information. So, unless you know of a reason why time is critical, we will work quickly, but also efficiently." She will follow after Kelne once he leaves to go to the lender's.
Amunyet thinks for a moment, then says, "It sounds as though Saul has already checked Larur's apartment. Perhaps going directly to the destination (Lymas Smeed's dwelling), and then back along the route to end at Larur's, might bear more fruit."
"Yes, we can, my friend. But I prefer my scimitar, and would likely use it only sparingly. Better it was in the hands of someone who would have more use. I also suggest we split the two spider climb potions between you and Zavos. Perhaps Kelne or Tessirda should take the shield of faith potion."
Amunyet's willing to try and identify the potions.
Amunyet collects her pay from Larur, and quickly settles back into her normal routine.
"Excellant idea, Zavos. I'm glad you thought of that!" :-D
"Well, let us go find Tessirda, and Zavos as well. It is time we reassembled; it would be far safer than split up as we are." Amunyet goes and tries to locate both Zavos and Tessirda before heading to Kelne's location.
"OK, that should hopefully take care of them for some time. Zindit, can you show me where Kelne went to? And have you seen Tessirda?"
Once they are tied up securely, Amunyet will walk up to the first one, and crack him across the back of the head with the pommel of her scimitar . "Zindit, dear, could you knock the other unconscious? Additional insurance against escape."
"Zindit! I am glad you're here! I feel as if Kelne may need our help, and I cannot leave these two. Do you have rope we can use to tie them up? If so, I'll hold my scimitar on them while you do that!"
"And how did the priests of the mission not know you were here? Unless they had the observation skills of cave bat, someone would have noticed. Were they a part of this?""I dunno what they knew. But even if they did, what could they do about it? Nuthin'." "Well, then. Since I've learned very little, all I can do is keep you here for now."
"Ahh, see now we start getting somewhere. What game is it that you were running here? And was the Pauper the head man in charge, or were there others?" "And how did the priests of the mission not know you were here? Unless they had the observation skills of cave bat, someone would have noticed. Were they a part of this?"
"Hmm. Just staying. I'm sure that was it. What exactly were you looking out for? And why did he need lookouts?" "Ahh, see now we start getting somewhere. What game is it that you were running here? And was the Pauper the head man in charge, or were there others?"
"No. Not until we find out just what is occurring at this place. What exactly was the Splithog Pauper doing here? What was your assignments? I think you know much more than you let on; it would go much easier if you just told us everything and held nothing back." "Hmm. Just staying. I'm sure that was it. What exactly were you looking out for? And why did he need lookouts?"
"No. Not until we find out just what is occurring at this place. What exactly was the Splithog Pauper doing here? What was your assignments? I think you know much more than you let on; it would go much easier if you just told us everything and held nothing back." Amunyet steps forward, brandishing her scimitar menacingly ...intimidate (1d20+2=16)
For now, Amunyet will stand watch over the two thugs. She won't be overly threatening, but will not sheath her scimitar, either. "Why do you not tell me all that you know now? It may make things easier on you later. Perhaps we could even speak a good word or two on your behalf?"
"And accuse them of what, exactly? Squatting? Let's gather up a bit of evidence first and then decide. We can hold them in one of the rooms in the meantime. Oh, and we'd better collar that young chap who Knuckles here doesn't know is a priest." Kelne smiles faintly - the kind of smile it's best not to be on the receiving end of. "Agreed. Don't ask me why, but I think our little friend Zindit might be good at searching for evidence." Amunyet smiles over at Zavos, and asks, "Zavos, would you be so kind as to get Zindit and Tessirda in here? And ask them to bring the young 'priest' as well, if you don't mind."
Amunyet asks Kelne, "What do we do these two? Call the gendarmes?"
Amunyet, scimitar still unsheated in her hands, walks over nearer to where Kelne is interrogating Knuckles. She adds her own question. "And who was Belitas, who was in such urgency to escape that he decided death was preferable to capture?"
Amunyet kneels down next to the man she cut down, bringing her holy symbol to her lips and forehead. "Most wise Pharasma, Lady of Graves, Judge of the Fallen. Weigh the soul of this wretch and bring him to his deserved eternal, wherever in the Great Beyond that be. Gray Lady, grant him peace he did not have in life, that he may not rise in the mockery of death and life." She touches the holy symbol to the man's body, and stands back up.
|