Jonathan Haykes's page

Sad to hear it, but I can't say I don't know what that feels like from time to time.

"You are correct, we are one wrong move away from failure. That is a reality I face every time I do my job, Lady Zalika; I have never before investigated the death of a Primarch, I will admit, but the principle remains the same. The work I do has very slims margins for error, and I would not suggest something like this if I did not believe the risk was not worth it." He rummages in his bag for a moment, pulling out the letter from the warehouse that they found. He sits it gently on the table, beckoning Zalika to look at it with him. "Look at how they refer to us in this missive; they refer to their targets as the drones without a queen, that the hive will be thrown into confusion... does that seem like someone who even views us as a genuine threat? Why would they flee the city if we react in the exact way they expect? They presume we will respond in a frenzy and leave their later targets open to them, making it a perfect way to draw them into a trap. Responding with caution, to not react how they may expect may cause them to cease underestimating us, which is something I would like to avoid; those who are overconfident become cocky, and becoming cocky is a quick road to foolish mistakes." He pauses for a second, before he arches one eyebrow. "Although a corollary to my main point, I do feel it prudent to mention this; if the women that accompanied this babau was capable of teleporting herself, why steal--and presumably use--the scroll the Primarch kept in his chambers?"

"Captain Rothos," Jonathan says, speaking to the man without turning around. "You know as well as I that such business as this is ultimately a game of calculated risks. I understand you may view this as a gamble much like Lady Zalika--and you both have every right to--but it is not one I suggest without cause."

This way, no one else has to go back and find it.

"You are both correct. It is an overzealous and reactionary response, and the manpower required would both weaken defenses and mean that many of them would go to ground... which is exactly what I want." He pauses for a second, taking a few deep breaths--not trying to calm himself, but presumably making sure he won't have another coughing fit--and then looks to both of them. "Do either of you play Dragonchess? I would not be surprised if you do. When you discover an opponent's strategy, do you reveal your hand and immediately act to counter it?" He pauses, hoping the two realize where he's going with his extended analogy. "Of course not. You do your best to act in a way that keeps them from suspecting you've determined their strategy while simultaneously turning that strategy into a trap of their own making. When they make their 'master stroke', as it were, your trap is sprung and they've caught themselves in it. That is what I intend to do here."

"They were a step ahead of us, Captain, and likely believe that they still are. I would assume they have a contingency for our discovering that warehouse or even simply planned that we would. They are expecting us to react in a panicked frenzy, and I suggest we give it to them... as far as they can tell." He takes another second to pause, feeling another coughing fit coming on, and quells it before continuing on. "There are mages amognst the guard, yes? The leaders would see through illusions but I doubt their rank-and-file members will tell the difference, so long as none of the illusions attempt to interact with them." As he speaks, he flicks his eyes over to Citizen Maximilian every once and a while with an innocuous flourish of his hand, knowing the man would know what it meant. "If we locate one of their leaders, we can follow them when they attempt to go to ground--I sincerely doubt they will leave the city, not when their plan is so close to fruition at any rate--and once gathered we reveal that while they might have taken our queen... we have caught their king in checkmate nonetheless."

"What do you think, Captain? Can you spare a few men for this ruse?"

Sleight of Hand: 1d20 + 10 ⇒ (11) + 10 = 21
Inspiration: 1d6 ⇒ 6
Total of 27.

"It looks like someone was writing these documents off of some sort of template," Jonathan says quietly, conferring with the man who brought them. "You are correct, it all looks completely uniform... a rookie mistake." Jonathan shakes his head with what almost seems like disdain--although you're hardly surprised at this point that the man would know how to draft up convincingly false documents--and sets them back down on the table. "There is too little fluctuation in their carried cargo and monthly revenue, and none of the expected relocating and reallocating of company assets in order to resume normal business. They are operating out of enemy territory or close to it, and yet report no real losses nor are there any significant interruptions... it all looks fine individually, but when put together the picture is rather clear." He looks to the captain, nodding towards the papers.

"Captain Rothos, we have a new subject; I will need your men to do what they can to round up every individual in Absalom associated with the River Hawk Trading Company, and in particular I will need to talk to any of your men that might have ties to them, if any such individuals exist." He pauses, looking back to the record keeper for a moment. "You said they have a new owner? What was their name? If they are in this city, they need to be taken into custody immediately."

You ever have one of those moments where you wonder why no one is posting and then when you look at the thread you realize it's because it's your turn to post?

Missed the post, or I would have, you know, edited mine.

"Yes, thank you." Jonathan takes the paperwork in hand, spreading it all out on the table in front of him, pouring over it with an almost disturbing speed; clearly yet another surprise from the masked man. "You said it looked 'too normal'? Could you perchance explain what you mean? I have a feeling it will make this much less time consuming." As he waits for the man to finish, he thumbs through page after page, looking not only for possible evidence of forgery but also inconsistencies in records or anything else that just doesn't quite add up.

Linguistics: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (18) + 8 = 26
Inspiration: 1d6 ⇒ 2

"I just told him that he is no longer a suspect, at least not to me," Jonathan says, coughing again. "But I agree, baseless accusations will get us nowhere fast. Captain, I would hesitate to state with confidence that one of your men is a traitor; I have not spoken with nor investigated them to the point at which that is an assertion I would truly be comfortable making. However, I would be comfortable saying that one of your men, possibly unwillingly due to magical influence, has given sensitive information to those who would seek to do the populace of Absalom harm. Lady Zalika is correct, we must be cautious when it comes to security arrangements--the cultists, they compared this meeting of delegates to a hive of bees; the babau was sent to kill the 'queen', while they were to deal with the 'drones' themselves once we were thrown into disarray. I think--" he starts, his voice cut off by the violent coughing. "We should wait for the records I asked for, as Lady Zalika suggests. Captain," he inquires, his voice weak. "Might you have one of your men send for a pitcher of water?"

Jonathan coughs again once or twice while the others talk, but eventually seems to have calmed himself. When Captain Rothos speaks to him, he glances up at the Captain. "I believed you might have been the traitor, Captain; do not worry, you are no longer under investigation as far as I am concerned. But you are correct, I suspect one of your men is a traitor." Jonathan clears his throat, seeming as though he's about to stand again before thinking better of it. "That is not the only option; one or more of them might have been compromised by the use of magic and unwittingly aided in the Primarch's assassination. Still, I believe it prudent to assume the worst until proven otherwise."

There are some more details. For instance, we found traces of the babau in the sewers near the Captain's house, and we could show them the note and scroll we found in the warehouse. Also, Triel could tell the specifics of her visions; Jonathan knows vague details presumably, but she can tell them exactly what she saw and the magic she detected in the Primarch's chambers, that kind of thing. We could talk more about how it's some weird super babau that did the killings and say some more about why we think they're possibly after certain delegates or specific people in Absalom. I may be forgetting some other stuff, but I wanted to leave it open for anyone else to fill in details I might have not mentioned yet.

"There will be a clerk from the Docks office who will need to join us within the hour, he will have important documents that I requested for the investigation. Please, allow him through when he arrives." Jonathan enters the room, his strike particularly confident and assured for a man wearing a mask. He returns Maximilian's nod with the same practiced motion, almost invisible to anyone not looking for it. "Captain Rothos," Jonathan starts, crossing his arms. "Before I forget, I should tell you your butler is currently barricaded in your pantry; he is unharmed, save for perhaps a bit of a headache. I would retrieve him when you are able, but not without armed guards; as I suspect all of you have assumed, you are in danger."

"My name is Citizen Haykes, if you do not know, and I have been charged with investigating the assassination of Lord Gyr along with my compatriots." Jonathan clears his throat, before continuing on. "Lord Gyr was assassinated by a babau, in particular one we believe is known by the name of the Red Hand. Not only have we found the location of its summoning, a matter which one of Absalom's clerks is currently investigating for us, my companion Triel... was capable examining Lord Gyr's last thoughts and feelings, along with what he saw before he died. He was killed by this babau, who was accompanied by some dark-skinned individual; they were the one who ultimately killed Lord Gyr, with some strange dagger. We believe them to be a cult dedicated to Shax, the Demon Lord of Murder, and they have spread out across the city to assassinate their remaining targets. Personally, I believe they will seek to assassinate several of your number in order to implicate others, but we do not know for certain who their target is. Alternately, they will target other figures of importance within the city, such as yourself, Captain." Jonathan stops for a moment and raises his hand to his masked face, coughing for a few moments. After he calms, he continues. "This would destabilize the city and its defenses, allowing chaos to take hold. But perhaps more importantly, I believe there is a traitor somewhere in your midst, Captain. Lord Gyr was slain without warding spells being dispelled or activated, and his scroll of Teleport was stolen from his bedside drawer. According to your own men, only those either guarding the tower of officers amongst your ranks know of the exact defenses. I do not know yet who it might be--" Jonathan's speech cuts off, interrupted by a horrid, racking cough that shakes his body violently. The episode lasts for nearly half a minute, before Jonathan breathes heavily for a moment and steps back; if another chair is available, he will take it. "My apologies," he says weakly, "An old injury makes it... difficult to speak for so long a time." He breathes in again, looking to his comrades. "Perhaps one of you can continue our tail, you have been as active in this investigation as... as I have."

Maybe? Knowing Faceless, he also may have just not updated yet. After all, I'm not living in the next room over to nag him about it anymore, so who knows? I'm kidding, of course; I have a habit of not always updating my own games as often as I'd like, so I hardly have room to talk anyway.

In all likelihood, last time I talked to him outside of a game on Paizo he was asking me for the email addresses for our boss from last year and one of our professors in regards to job applications, so he very well may be busy with that in addition to the usual holiday craziness still dying down. According to my phone, that was last Thursday, so if I had to bet that would be what I'd put my money on. I don't talk to him as much over breaks as I do when school's in session, since he Skypes in on my weekly tabletop game.

Ah, that's unfortunate. If I remember correctly, Hero Lab doesn't have any sort of system for ignoring prerequisites or anything of the sort, does it? Ironically, my player who disappeared really loved Hero Lab and it caused him some problems as well. He used it extensively to keep track of things for the games he ran as a GM, too; he kept all of our sheets saved on their as a duplicate to check for level-up errors and the like. Much like Elek, feel free to pop in and submit a character if you change your mind! If not, well, we'll always have each other here.

And isn't that what really matters?

For those who are potentially interested, here is the link to the recruitment for my Kingmaker game.

And it's no problem, Elek. I can understand your reasoning, and I'm well aware with having to deal with chaos and stuff like that in real life; if you asked Aramus or the GM, I'm sure they could give you a list of examples. Still, feel free to pop in if you change your mind!

Feel free! Our Slayer was an Android with some very interesting and peculiar mannerisms, which I felt made him a very interesting character. If someone feels they can do that justice, I'd be more inclined to bring them on in that role as I liked the character and would rather not relegate him to a backseat in the campaign if someone else will pick him up. I'd love to see a role-playing sample of how you would continue that kind of thing if you submit for him, though. Also, feel free to rebuild him some if you wish, as long as the character stays mostly the same.

PS: By the way Zalika, I'd be willing to pick up more than one ranged combatant if you're interested in submitting one outside of the Slayer. As I've said to a number of people, I want to get a bit of a larger party for this game as it's very player-driven compared to some others, so doubling up on ranged combat isn't necessarily a bad thing.

The game is currently level 2, and they're probably only about... 1/2 of the way through the first book, maybe closer to 3/5ths of the way there. If you are familiar with the AP at all, they're currently clearing out the Temple of the Elk, but with a very different enemy at is core due to a side-quest I threw together. My games don't tend to move at a great speed--although it is currently moving fairly quickly as I'm not at college and can update whenever I please--so not have a ton of time to post isn't necessarily a problem. My goal is to try and average 4-5 posts a week as a GM once school starts up again.

You wouldn't necessarily have to play that Slayer, but I more just want anther ranged character to take his place. That said, I'm also accepting characters other than just the one replacing him, I'm going for at least 1-2 extra characters as well. Feel free to submit as well when the thread goes up! I'll have a list of all current characters when I do so to help people make something that fills a niche the group might need.

Hey guys, I just wanted to pop in and let you guys know I'm gonna be opening up some recruitments in the future you might be interested in. I generally try to let people I'm in games with know I'm planning on doing stuff as I know how you all tend to play, and so I like to give you a heads up as I know we can mesh as players which means meshing in a DM--Player scenario is also more likely. Two of the recruitments are games already in progress that have lost players, the other two are gonna be new games going up on the forums.

Kingmaker: A Light in the Dark is a moderately-modified Kingmaker campaign that will feature signficant homebrew elements as well as incorporating some published modules. Some things as written are changed significantly, and so prior knowledge of the AP isn't a problem; the game no longer even has the same main villain, but it still has all the Fey flavor you might expect. I'm looking to recruit a replacement for a ranged Slayer who left the game (either having someone take over the character or making one to fill the same role) and picking up 1-2 more as well.

XCOM: Enemy Unleashed is a Savage Worlds game based on the XCOM video game series, in which the player characters are former UN Peacekeepers who discovered the first leg of an alien invasion after investigating the destruction of a city by unknown forces. Familiarity with Savage Worlds is not really a requirement as the system is very simple and easy to learn, and some of the current players came in with no knowledge of the system before playing. However, being familiar with the XCOM series will be a plus for you. We just lost a player who was filling an Assault-style role, so that's what I'll be looking for. Our sniper has left for the time being but will be returning, so she's a DMPC for now.

Also, I should note that both our GM and Aramus are involved in both of these games as well.

The two new recruitments that are going up are going to be using Shadowrun 4E and Pathfinder; the Pathfinder game will be set in a custom setting with some new magic rules and spells, as well as a vastly different cosmology that impacts the game world. If you're interested in any of these, keep your eye out for the recruitment thread. I'm obviously not guaranteeing a spot, but you'd have a good chance at getting in if you submit a character. The re-recruitments will likely go up in a few days, while the others may be a week or two.

Nodding as Zalika encourages the man to complete the task he asked of them, he waits for the clerk to finish before speaking again. "I understand that not everything I have asked for falls under your jurisdiction, but I thank you for collecting it regardless. If anyone questions your needing these records, just tell them who requested them. If they want to know why I need them, they are more than willing to find me and ask." He does his best to dial back his force of personality, much more used to being forceful or prying information out of others rather than having it given by request. "Within the hour will be fine, I suspect filling in Captain Rothos and the delegates will take some time, and we will have much to discuss. I will make sure whomever is guarding the door is well aware you are on your way. You are doing Absalom a service today; I will do what I can to make sure that service is rewarded." Jonathan pauses for a second, before looking over at the rest of the group. The silence hangs in the air for a second, but then the masked man speaks again.

"I do believe it is time to meet Captain Rothos; I am sure he will find it reassuring I no longer believe him to be a suspect in the Primarch's assassination." It almost sounds like the man from Galt made a joke, but his tone is always so serious it's honestly hard to tell.

"There was no upset in their business after the River Kingdoms were taken? That seems... unlikely." Jonathan's eyes narrow while he thinks for a moment, his hand rising to his chin. "Are there any other properties in the Docks that are owned and operated by this River Hawk Trading Company? However legitimate this business might have been, it seems likely it has become a front for this... cult." He turns to his companions, the scowl on his face visible despite the mask. "We do not have the time to do it now, but it is imperative we track down all record of this 'trading company' within Absalom. Any other locations they operate or work through could be--and likely are--connected. If anyone with stakes in this company lives in Absalom, they should be questioned." After a second, he turns back to the man after doing his best to keep an even expression.

"I suspect you do not have records on such things, but I would imagine you know those who do. Tell them to gather all records they have available on this trading company, and deliver them to the private conference room where Captain Rothos is speaking with the collected delegates... we will be with them. I want every scrap of information you can collect; all of their holdings in Absalom, anyone associated with them, every rent payment for every rented storefront they happen to have operated out of. Do you understand?"

Jonathan pushes the door open with one hand, speaking as he enters. "I need the records of ownership for a warehouse located in the Docks District; I was told you were the person I should speak to about this." Jonathan rattles off the address for the warehouse, before continuing. "This is related to the assassination of the Primarch, and as such I will need all available records that you possess. Unless they have been killed as well, it is extremely likely that whomever owns that warehouse is in league with his killers."

"We will speak with the district offices here at the Keep," Jonathan says, nodding to the guard that his job is done for the moment. "I suspect what records we find will be of interest to the Captain and the gathered delegates, and will take less time to acquire." With that, he motions for the others to follow him to the district offices to find whatever information they require.

When they reach the guards that are holding down the keep, he approaches whichever appears to be of the highest rank. "Listen to me; there is a cult operating within Absalom, worshiping Shax, the Demon Lord of Murder. They have summoned some babau, known as the Red Hand, and used it to slay the Primarch. The cultists are now preparing to strike against others, either other delegates or others with positions of power such as Captain Rothos... this Red Hand was tracked through the sewers to a location near his estate." Jonathan pauses a moment, breathing heavily as he raises a hand to his masked face. When he speaks again, it is slower and more deliberate. "Wherever he is, the Captain is in danger; if I were tasked with destabilizing this city, he would be my second target after the Primarch. Tell the delegations to secure themselves, work together as much as they are willing to stomach it; none of them, at least as a whole, has killed Lord Gyr. If Captain Rothos is present at the Keep, I would speak with him--" he starts, before Elek comments on where to find who owns the building.

"Where are the offices of whomever runs the Docks? I would like to speak with them; afterward, let Captain Rothos I would speak with him within the hour, if possible." Another pause, and he coughs once and adds. "Under the authority of Citizen Maximilian of Galt, to be specific."

Knowledge (Local): 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (18) + 8 = 26

Yeah, it would make you less likely to assassinate them if you were trying to form an alliance. My point is, the fact that you've been seen meeting with him before he died could potentially be construed as something else. After all, it isn't as if the meeting was official or recognized; it was a back room deal to discuss alliances outside of the actual conference. No one else knew it was happening, and anyone who asked a clerk working there would probably just get a response that they recognized you. Because it wasn't any sort of official meeting, everything you say about it is (theoretically) conjecture. Someone can claim that it was all a front in order to gain their trust in order to assassinate him. What you were actually doing doesn't matter, at least in this scenario. Zalika doesn't even have to know that it was an assassination plot, either; someone could have used information she gave to kill him, or she could have been magically watched.

On the note of the Firebleeder, I more meant that Deskari's power could potentially be a draw to siding with him in order to deal with the threat of the Firebleeder. If he could promise to defend you from it, that would be a compelling reason to do his bidding. After all, it's the far more pressing issue for you.

I was addressing being framed, specifically. I know it's fairly obvious she could be assassinated, but given Osirion's pleas for help against the Fire-Bleeder and overall weaker standing, Jonathan is asserting it might be prudent to consider the fact that framing an Osirion delegate for killing someone, especially someone whom they might have already met with to forge an alliance, in exchange for being protected from the Fire-Bleeder. In particular, you've already met with the Chelish representative and Jonathan isn't the only one who knows--for one, he's already reported it to the Galtan party, and not to mention all the clerks and such who saw you enter the Embassy, plus any other spies who might have happened to be there--and Cheliax is perhaps the evil nation that would most like to stop Deskari. Crippling them and forcing them to withdraw from the conference, even if it doesn't destabilize the whole thing, is a huge win for Deskari. I wouldn't be surprised if Thrune ends up dead and either you or someone working with you is implicated.

As for being an assassination target, I know you did mention that. I was more talking about being framed, as I think that's the far more likely way Osirion would be implicated; you have everything to gain from this and nothing to lose, after all.

In all seriousness Zalika, will you point to me where you posted what I said? All you said was that if delegations were targets, you might be one yourself; you never mentioned that considering your nation's weak standing in the conference, it would make you or other members of your delegation a likely target for being framed. I'm willing to admit that maybe I'm missing it wherever it is you wrote it, but as far as I can tell the post to which you're referring simply states that he may frame another nation as opposed to simply slaughtering higher-ups from all of them. You never mention Osirion itself or that it'd be a likely target. You've said twice that you've already said this but I honestly cannot find wherever it is that you did it. Not trying to be rude, I'm honestly just confused as to where you said this that I'm not seeing it.

"I heard you, Miss Caliana," Jonathan says, looking over his shoulder as Elek begins to speak. "My point is, you and the others of your delegation are much higher-profile targets than some others... and you are a prime candidate to be framed for an assassination. Still, the others are right, we ought to go and make sure those protecting the delegations are aware they are now all possible targets."

I'm ready to go.

"You do realize that 'any nation in a weak position' includes your own delegation, correct?" Jonathan gives Zalika a pointed look, making sure that reality has sunken in. "Alternatively, additional assassinations could serve to implicate a less-powerful group, so as to look as if they were trying to gain a political advantage. Implicating Cheliax... no, that would be foolish. No one would believe it, not with House Thrune still hand in hand with Asmodeus. Despite their misgivings about the others at this conference, they are perhaps one of the most trustworthy allies against Deskari one could hope to gain. Still, it seems too likely that other delegates will be targeted. We must send word to them before we continue, one way or another."

"Yes, quite possibly. Either way, we need to sound a warning."

"A letter from their leader," Jonathan says plainly, reading it over as he leaves the office and heads downstairs. "As was suspected, it appears Deskari's horde is behind the attack. This woman, Yvonne, appears to be the leader of the cultists gathered here in Absalom. They have summoned this Red Hand--the babau, I would guess--to kill the 'Queen', obviously the Primarch. His 'drones', I would assume, are the gathered dignitaries; even the death of a few will cause this already unstable alliance will crumble. We need to protect the ambassadors at all costs." He looks up, towards the others. "This other sheet, it appears to be some sort of magical script; I am unable to read it."

Jonathan frowns, and adjusts his grip on his pick to better hold the tumblers before continuing.

Disable Device: 1d20 + 13 ⇒ (8) + 13 = 21
Inspiration: 1d6 ⇒ 6
Total of 27.

Okay, Jonathan just opens the box (or tries to).

Jonathan curses under his breath as the arcane symbol glows with power, but in the instance before the magic attacks his body he manages to steel his senses, preventing him from harm. Still, he grunts from the effort and slams the lockbox down onto the top of the desk, keeping Elek or the others from falling victim to it. "A Symbol of Pain," Jonathan remarks, breathing heavily. "If we must, I will attempt to disrupt the rune... but let us see if we cannot inspect the box's contents without doing so." The masked man seems taxed, but not unduly so; he pulls his lockpicks again from his bag and works on the box's lock, hoping to pry it open without revealing the symbol again.

Fortitude: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (11) + 5 = 16
Inspiration: 1d6 ⇒ 2
Total of 18.

Disable Device: 1d20 + 13 ⇒ (9) + 13 = 22
Inspiration: 1d6 ⇒ 2
Total of 24.

Using Inspiration on my Fortitude save exhausts two uses of the ability, meaning I have no points left daily. However, Underworld Inspiration lets me use it with Disable Device without spending any points; none of the abilities that do this seem to require you still having inspiration explicitly, so I went ahead and added it. That said, if you want to rule that still having at least one point is required, Jonathan instead gets a 22.

I suppose that's a fair point. I was still thinking from the logic of Disable Device, where the idea was I didn't even know whether I would have to roll Disable Device or not at all. With Perception, that's... less of an issue. I'll go ahead and roll Fortitude, then.

Okay. I'm still not sure if you'd let me add Inspiration to the roll or not, so I'll go ahead and roll it here?

Inspiration: 1d6 ⇒ 6

That would give me a 26, which makes it a success. Again, I understand if that's not cool... I'm just not certain on whether or not that's something you're allowing. If not, let me know and I'll go ahead and roll the Fortitude save.

A question about the Fortitude save; is this a case where I failed the Perception check so I can't roll Disable Device, or my Disable Device roll itself was too low to disarm the trap? If it's the latter, would you allow me to add Inspiration to my Disable Device check? I'm just curious, seeing as though I rolled before I knew if there were traps/what they might be. If not, I'll just roll Fortitude, I just wanted to ask.

Jonathan stands after popping the lock, noticing a lack of immediate danger. Still, the masked man looks around carefully and with purpose, checking the area not only for traps but any valuable information that might get them closer to their target. "Take caution; if these cultists have used this office, it is likely to be trapped. I will do my best to disarm them if I come across them."

Perception: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (12) + 8 = 20
Disable Device: 1d20 + 13 ⇒ (12) + 13 = 25

Upon hearing Elek's call, Jonathan heads up the stairs and pulls his lockpicks again from his pack. "Here, step aside and I will see what I can do." With a bit of effort, Jonathan manages to catch the tumblers just right, and with a flick of his wrist the lock audibly pops open. Jonathan keeps his hand clasped on the hilt of his rapier, gently pushing the door open as he looks back at Elek. "Elek speaks the truth; we ought to see what else we can glean from this place before deciding where to go. Shall we?" he asks, gesturing for Elek to head through the now slightly ajar door.

Disable Device: 1d20 + 12 ⇒ (13) + 12 = 25

"While I agree that discerning whomever summoned this creature is important, I might argue that stopping it from further destabilizing the city of Absalom as best we can is a more pressing goal. The people have already lost their Primarch, losing the Captain of the Guard, assuming he is yet another target, would likely incite chaos." Jonathan frowns, looking back in the direction of the Primarch's tower, his eyes narrowing. "We ought to send them a message, at the least, if we do not intend to track the demon. Securing Captain Rothos will help maintain some modicum of order within the city."

"Possibly. If nothing else, we should investigate which direction the path is leading, now that we know its beginning. If the Captain is in danger, he must be warned immediately, and we cannot know this until we find him or whatever he might still be hiding. I believe, again, our answers will lie below ground."

Jonathan's eyes narrow slightly as he looks around the room, listening to Triel describe the cultist she's seen within her visions. After a moment, though, he shakes his head. "We have forgotten something important. This creature was summoned from this place, meaning the trail we followed was not leading here; it led somewhere deep beneath the city streets. This creature may be hunting down our own Captain Rothos, as opposed to working for him. The first of these marks appeared not far from the entrance to his home through which we traveled. If I were seeking to destabilize this city, that is what I would do."

"I would guess that was the same woman you observed in the Primarch's quarters," Jonathan says plainly, no longer examining the bodies. "If not drow poison, I would assume magic. Still, it seems these cultists are more widespread than we thought."

"Not drow poison, no... perhaps just magic, then?" Jonathan's head snaps around as Triel falls, but he seems less worried when he realizes she's come to again. "What did you see? Could you see the face of whomever summoned this creature, or anything that might help us find its master?"

"These weapons weren't use to kill the victims," Jonathan says, picking one up in his hand. "These wounds are too small, too clean; they were killed with a knife. The cuts are smooth, too, no jagged edges or changes in the trajectory of the cut. These victims, they were helpless... I would guess they were sleeping, considering they don't seem to have any defensive wounds; if they were hit in an alleyway or bound, I would expect to see at least some sign of a struggle before they were killed. They could have been drugged..." Jonathan says, his voice trailing off as he remembers an account of the drow who commanded the babau. "Help me search the bodies; look for a point of injection. This babau serves a drow... meaning they were likely poisoned and rendered unconscious." Jonathan, undeterred by the gore and viscera, begins turning over the bodies and searching them inch by inch for any small wound indicative of them being poisoned.

Perception: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (16) + 8 = 24

When I said help, I did mean aiding me in the checks; Jonathan has good Perception, but he's only got a Wisdom bonus when it comes to heal.

PS: If it's too far that Jonathan knows about Drow Sleep Poison, let me know.

"Clearly, our killer was summoned here. But, this summoning circle... I know little of the occult, but it seems quite the effort to go through in order to summon a simple demon. No, whatever they summoned from here was far more powerful..." Jonathan kneels next to the dead bodies, examining them in an attempt to ascertain their cause of death (and perhaps the murder weapon), as well as how long they've been here. "I have a feeling those weapons were used either to kill or dismember the victims, but I cannot be sure until I take a look. Triel, reading their blood may reveal valuable information." Jonathan stands up after a moment, to give Triel room to work. "It makes sense, though... Lord Gyr would likely have no trouble incapacitating a simple demon. They would need something stronger, a paragon of its kind..."

"Or, perhaps, Shax himself?"

Perception: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (8) + 8 = 16
Heal: 1d20 + 1 ⇒ (10) + 1 = 11

Not sure which check you'd want for that; rolled them both. Some help in this might be appreciated.

Jonathan places his tools away after effortlessly popping the lock, and motions for the others to wait as he slips through the door, his practiced footsteps practically silent. "Keep your eyes on me, if you can. I will motion for you to follow," he says, leaving the door ajar. "If you hear fighting, I would appreciate your assistance."

Perception: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (6) + 8 = 14
Stealth: 1d20 + 12 ⇒ (16) + 12 = 28

Someone forgot to actually roll Disable Device!

Disable Device; Inspiration: 1d20 + 1d6 + 12 ⇒ (9) + (6) + 12 = 27

"Of course," Jonathan says, dropping to one knee as he pulls out a set of fine tools. He gives the handle a gentle try, and if locked, he begins to work on it as he speaks. "Where was this creature going? We've only found the one trail, but it certainly wasn't in the Manor; we found no sign of its passing, at least. Did it come from there, then? Did it double back along its own path for some reason? I do not like the way this looks," the Gardener says, his mouth moving just slightly beneath his mask. "We will find some answers here, I think. Regardless, I fear things do not look good for Captain Rothos, independent of his guilt or innocence."

Ah, so we stumbled upon the trail of it doubling back, but it wasn't doubling back from going to the Captain's house. We're basically following it after it turned around from wherever it was, or where it was going. Is that right?

Question: You said it looked like the babau came out of a building and went into the alleyway, but we tracked it from the sewers? The first thing springing to mind is that we've just tracked the thing in the opposite direction, and it's currently milling about in the Captain's home. Am I just confused on the logistics of where this thing was, or am I right in assuming it was headed INTO the sewers from here?

I've had a player Fireball a Red Dragon; we all make mistakes.

"I doubt it would travel by ship, could it not simply return to its home plane? What need does it have for mundane travel?" Jonathan says, examining the alleyway with the other man. "However, if it has continued to travel on foot, I would not be surprised if it took an alleyway or something of this nature. It would be too easily spotted on the open streets. Perhaps a clue could be found in these warehouses?"

Perception; Aid Another: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (6) + 8 = 14