Gauntlet waits patiently for one of the more mobile group members to alert him to a probable target and a place to move to.
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Stick with communicators for now I think. Although the augments give me vibes...
Ouch. I have Craft Armor so I can repair myself, but that won’t help me there. Even with a +5 bonus, my chances of activating it would be low. My body slot is already taken (magical Docent) and my armor is built into my body I think.
"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."
Can you make anything that can increase our foot speed or give temporary flight? That would be excellent.
I think keeping the protected target unknowing about the protection is the best bet. He will act more normally that way. We should keep the rest unaware too. If the wife leaves, we should have someone ready who can follow her the most easily without being noticed...but I suspect she might be targeted last since the attacker seems to wait until their targets are home alone first.
We could hire House Deneith to protect one of the potential targets, but we tell them to make it semi-obvious. The murderer will think that target hired them and hopefully that will force them to focus on the other two targets. Then we only have to watch the other two targets ourselves.
Sorry. I've slept since then...
”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.”
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?”
How about we talk to them, explain the situation, and tell them their best bet is to gather in one place so they can be easily protected? This is our best bet. If not, maybe the Watch could loan us some Sending Stones? Sending Stones
Sending Stones come in pairs, with each stone carved to match the other so the pairing is easily recognized. While you touch one stone, you can cast Sending from it. The target is the bearer of the other stone. If no creature bears the other stone, you know that fact as soon as you use the stone, and you don’t cast the spell. Once Sending is cast using either stone, the stones can’t be used again until the next dawn. If one of the stones in a pair is destroyed, the other one becomes nonmagical.
Nodding easily, Gauntlet agrees with Ratchet. "We need to report this and get the remaining possible victims somewhere they can be safer."
Once he gets there, Gauntlet will look dismayed at the death, but will still look around for clues...
We may have in the past. The GM has his own version of them. Storyteller Shadow's House Rules for Hero Points! (If he allows them here?) Hero Point Mechanics:
3) Temporary Hero Points may be expended to power Feats. These grant a lasting bonus for a one scene or one round duration depending on the feat description, 4) One temporary Hero Point grants a character a chance to supplement their d20 roll by 1d6 and add the result (whatever it was - no re-roll) to the d20 result, Progression system:
5) No more than one Hero Point may be expended per round. Optional rules mostly in the form of New Feats for Hero Points: Arcane Surge (Prerequisites - Arcane Class) (Allows wielder to increase a spell DC by 3 for 1 round by expending a Hero Point), Attune Item (Prerequisites - A Weapon of Legacy) (Allows wielder to expend one hero point to add +3 to attack and damage for the scene with chosen item), Defensive Ward (Prerequisites - Dodge) (Allows wielder to expend one hero point to give yourself a +3 Luck bonus to AC for the scene), Divine Surge (Prerequisites - Divine Class) (Allows wielder to increase a spell DC by 3 for 1 round by expending a Hero Point), Heroic Feat (Prerequisites - None) (Any saving throw successfully made 10 points above an effects DC automatically allows the character to regain 1 used Hero Point), Heroic Grace (Prerequisite - None) (Allows wielder to expend one hero point to add +1 to all saving throws or +3 to one saving throw for one scene), Heroic Quickness (Prerequisites - Improved Initiative) (Allows wielder to expend one hero point to add +3 to Initiative checks), Manifesting Surge (Prerequisites - Psionic Class) (Allows wielder to increase a powers save DC by 3 for 1 round by expending a Hero Point). ...And I would not assume anything without talking to him first.
You arrive and find him sleeping on his couch, only a few bottles of beer are at his feet, he is reading the Sharn Inquisitive so that's a good sign. He looks fairly serene snoring away! Gauntlet sighs and cleans up the bottles, carefully places a blanket on the sleeping man, and makes sure there is a small bowl of fruit nearby when he wakes...just in case he actually might bother to eat some solid food. He then leaves to attempt to catch up with the others.
With nothing else going on, Gauntlet insists on going back to check on Mickey P. He suggests the others go meet up with the rest of the 'crew' on stalking duty. He will join them as soon as he's sure Mickey has not drunken himself to death, and is relatively safe.
Unless the aids at the Watch have any suggestions, Gauntlet agrees its time to move on. "We will keep looking out for signs of the murderer, or of Ziki being in Sharn. But unless something else rears its head, I'm afraid this particular hydra is still hiding from us."
Nodding Gauntlet agrees.
Gauntlet introduces himself, his companions, and his mission. He then carefully alerts the guards to their goals for the local watch. ”We are not here to cause trouble or stir up problems. Merely looking for some solid facts about a possible suspect we have been hired to find.”
Gauntlet seems dispassionate on the subject. "None of the ones I helped interview showed any signs of guilt or spiked any feelings of suspicion from me. I still think we should find the Changeling mother. Even if she had nothing to do with the murder, she might have an idea who it might be. The Sharn watch might be able to find records from the war about who she might be. The incident happened here in Breland, correct? There should be official records of it somewhere. I filled out enough forms to choke a mule each week when I was in the Last War."
”I have no problem staking out those we think are suspicious. If we find nothing, no harm done. Correct?”
I think the Changling is our primary suspect so far. Or someone she knows might be. We should talk to her.
Not seeing anything else to discuss, Gauntlet thanks Drummer and suggests to the others that they leave him to his personal space. He turns back at the last second... "If you can think of anything else, or...if someone attempts to remove you from this world...try contacting us or the local watch ASAP. They are alerted to this murderer and the possibility that it could lead to new killings, and should be able to help you directly or put you in contact with us if needs be."
Moving closer, Gauntlet glances for a path through the junk. ”We are sorry for your loss. Do you know of any reason someone might have meant him harm?”
Nodding in recognition, Gauntlet waves casually. ”Greetings Drummer. We apologize for disturbing your personal time, but we come on a semi-important matter. We are currently under the employ of the Sharn watch and need to ask you some questions about a recent death of someone you might have known. Would it be ok to approach and speak further?”
Pointing out the obvious, Gauntlet sighs for effect…if not need. ”Simply getting a suspect of any sort is an improvement to what we had before. We should try and find the mother with the missing fingers and speak to her. Although if she is innocent, it will suck that we have to force her to deal with her tragedy again.”
”Stealing…or collecting the tattoos? This could be a murder for hire. It does show the signs of expert infiltration techniques. And I hesitate to think the murderer was just ‘lucky enough’ not to leave any signs of himself or his escape.”
Using his natural intelligence, Gauntlet lets his brain lead his search among the stacks.
Gauntlet pays the fee for everyone.
Nodding at the news, Guantlet agrees. "We need to look into what happened with the circus more. Whomever is in Sharn that had anything to do with it needs to be interviewed ASAP. It may not have anything to do with the accident or the animals, but it probably has 'something' to do with the circus and our victim's ties there."
”I only have one last question. Do you know of anyone else from the circus that lives in Sharn? May know our victim? Any insights you have may help. Did he have any enemies you knew about? Things like that.”
Finally noticing the tattoo, Gauntlet looks at it carefully.
Gauntlet glances at the Raven on his shoulder, his stone-like face impassive, but he is obviously wondering where his questions are going.
Oblivious to the whole situation, Gauntlet accepts the man’s simple response and glances at the others to see if they have any questions.
”Apologies if we are interrupting you Sir, but we have some questions for you if you don’t mind.” Unless interrupted, Gauntlet will explain the situation again, and ask him if he can relate any information he might have about the murder.
Gauntlet steps up and knocks once the lute finishes playing.
"If you can lead us directly to his residence, then lead the way Brennus! We are striking out so far. We need something or we won't earn our pay."
Gauntlet would smile if he could. "Yes...my feathered friend here is quite intelligent, and I do appreciate your candor today. If you can think of anything else, let the watch know and they can relate it to us I'm sure. Please have a pleasant rest of your day."
”It is undetermined at this time if or when he will have a funeral. He had no known family and his murder investigation will delay it if nothing else. At least until the guilty person is identified. I will pass your concerns on to the watch. Hopefully they will can send notice if he is indeed given any sort of rites. Do you happen to know what religion the man might have looked to? Nothing was obvious of that nature in his home.”
"I daresay you are not here to deliver the set I was waiting for. If you got past Rufus, you clearly have a reason to be here. I am Cassa Faer, proprietor of Art Temple, what can I do for you?" Gauntlet repeats his request for the artist. ”Could we speak with him? It should only take a few minutes of his time.”
Gauntlet will reply to the nice sounding dwarf security guard. "Thank you for the information. I must ask however...we are looking for a particular artist. Do you by chance know Pyron ir'Clarn, or where we could find him? We are assisting the Sharn watch in a certain matter, and our inquiries have led us here. We were told he frequented the Art Temple most days?"
”No trail could mean they teleported away. Can anyone trace that kind of magic?” Turning to Brennus, Gauntlet points at the book. ”The Talenta Plains? How could the land of the native halflings and giant lizards have anything to do with this murder? Unless the person’s name we are looking for is written in the book somewhere… We can talk to the painter if we run out of leads. I don’t see an artist killing this man without leaving some sort of clue, although its possible he just might know more about the man killed in general.” He looks out the doorway to the balcony where the man fell. ”We will have to earn our pay on this job it seems: No easy task. Hopefully our compatriots will have better luck.” |