Since it seems we are all here, I am curious what would make you bring together such a diverse group Master Dibaarn?
Aeron tries to look relaxed, but is inwardly on his guard.
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I am going to be in a seminar all day (Saturday) for work, feel free to bot Rowan if I am slowing things down. His main actions in combat will be flanking and sticking them with the sharp end of his sword.So..."stick 'em with the pointy end" ? (Apologies to Aria Stark) Yah, pretty much.
I will add to my profile, thanks.
Mikal looks at the list of purchases, not seeing anyhting unusual. He looks on as Aria continues to question the baker woman. He is getting the sense that this was a regular old burglary, someone stealing bread because they cannot afford to buy it. He wonders if that is what it is coming to in Coran, as the Mage's guild continues to ignore the plight of the citizens.
"Did they take any of your papers?" Mikal asks, hoping this may explain the break in. Seeing the reaction she is having to the questions and reliving the experience he decides to try to comfort her. It sounds like it may have been some hungry street people, taking advantage of the chaos on the night of the murders. I am sure you and your children will be safe. I will pass by on occasion to make sure everything is fine."
"Good morning, we know you are busy but were hoping you could answer some questions for us. We are with the guild and are investigating the burglaries that occured earlier this week." Mikal gives the woman some time to digest who they are as the group of armed and armored heroes enter the bakery. "Was there anything of great value taken, or anything unusual for a common burglar? Did they leave anything behind?"
Upon rising the next morning, Mikal gathers with the rest of the group in the sommon room of the inn. We should talk to the shop owners and see what else they could offer by way of information. We could start with the baker and then move on to the fruit vendor.
We should head back to the inn and aait the others so we can comare notes. Mikal moves to the door, hands Talathel back his vial from the door latch, and opens the door a crack to look out onto the street before exiting the building. Once it is clear he exits and heads back for the inn.
Satisfied that he has found everything he is going to find, Mikal turns to the others. "Well, there are no secret doors or such. It looks like our intruder here was either a small adult or maybe an older child. The mud may suggest that he came from the sewers, as there is nothing else close by that would be a good source for it. What do we know about the owner of the shop, does he have any ties that might have made him a target?"
Mikal checks the shelf and the floor for any sign of a secret or trap door to explain the footprint half buried under the shelf.
Seeing that Aria has found something, Mikal moves over to check it out. "That is strange." Mikal then checks for anything unusual about the shelf. "How do you suppose mud got there."
Mikal checks all the windows for interior shutters, if they are there he closes them all. He then moves back to the window where the intruders entered, and looks for anything that might be relevent (perception take 20). "I fear that the baker may have erased any clues by trying to get his shop cleaned up and reopened. We may have to come back and speak to him later if we don't find any leads." After examining the window, he looks about the bakery, taking in the smells of the bread. "It is a good thing my father made maps, if he were a baker I might never have left the shop." He thinks about grabbing a sweetroll, but decides against it.
I would rather not break the window further, would you be able to pick the lock on the door. Mikal will then examine the 'dirt' that makes up the smug to determine where the dirt may have come from. After examining the smug, he informs everyone, This appears to have been made by a human, probably a teen or small adult judging from the relative size of the fingers to the palm. knowledge (geography)
Mikal takes his mace and tries to dislodge the board without doing further damage to the window. Once the board is loose, he reaches in and opens the window so he can climb in. Once inside the shop, he searches thoroughly for anything that might be unusual.
I will head for the bakery, let us plan on meeting back up in an hours time. Mikal will head for the bakery mentioned in the guilds missive.
Once the group has gathered, and out initial examinations of the feather are done, Mikal suggests, We should look into this other matter that the guild has tasked us with, all these things may end up being related, and the more information we have the better we will be able to puzzle it out.
Mikal examines the feather this is obviously the token of some faction. Aria, can you detect if their are any magics at work on it? Turning to Mister Jumai, he asks,would you permit us to take the feather, to show to some of our contacts, they may help shed some light on who did this. He then asks James, Thank you for the descriptions, I am sure it will help us find these men. I can't imagine there are a lot of gnomes wearing emerald and bronze headbands running around Coran. To Mister Jumai, Rest assured, we will look into this, we will send word once we have something to report. In the interim, I suggest you keep a guard here at all times, and you should consider investing in some protection from enchantments and charms. You will here from us soon. After all the questions are answered, Mikal will leave the shop and rejoin his friends to report what they have found.
Who threatened to smash up the shop, you surely would not take the threats of some riff-raff off the street so seriously. If you tell us who did this, we can endevour to make it go away before they return for that first payment. Mikal moves about the shop as he talks, attempting to see if there is any kind of back room and if any one is present but out of sight. You are right not to go to the guard, this is a task that should be handled in-house. What use is being in the Merchant's Guild, especially being on the council, if we cannot protect our own. Mister Jumai, we are but another tool not unlike the ones you use to make these beautiful sculptures, use us as we are intended.
Sensing that Mister Jumai is not being altogether forthright, Mikal presses him. "You say these men came in after closing, did you not have the door locked as you did just now before we entered? Or did you know these men is some capacity, which might explain them getting in here after hours? You say that they robbed you, robbed you of what? Did they just take coin, or something perhaps of a greater value?" Mikal stops for a second to catch his breath, and to let the weight of the questions sink in. "I do not mean any disrespect, Mister Jumai, but we need to know everything if we are to quickly put an end to all this chaos."
"Yes, that was our reason for noticing your shop. But your associate tells me there was an incident a couple of nights ago, the same night as the murders. We are investigating these events along different lines. Perhaps if you tell us what happened it will help to complete the puzzle and we can return Coran to normal, where an esteemed merchant such as yourself can ply your trade in peace." Mikal gives a look to Aria, and steps forward. "Mister Jumai, I feel I need to come clean. I am no priest, my friend and I here along with a few other companions are in the employ of the guild. We fix things. I was using this disguise for other purposes, but it came in handy for making your associate here stop in his tracks and it got me in your front door. We are very capable, and might be able to make whatever is troubling you and this city go away. But we need information to put this puzzle together."
"My concern is not the emotional state of Mister Jumai. There is something afoot in Coran, robberies and murders, and I have been tasked with getting to the bottom of it, along with my companions." He gestures towards Aria. "Before we go in, is there anything that you can tell me that will help us in our errand." As he is waiting for a response, he leans in to Aria so the others cannot hear and whispers. "Is there a way you can get a message to everyone to come down to Mister Jumai's shop?"
Banking on his percieved authority as a priest of Abadar, "Well, I would like you to indulge me in returnng to the shop to talk with Mister Jumai. Maybe we can come to some resolution, and he can explain what is troubling him so. I have found that the church can be helpful in such times of trouble." Mikal is not so much worried about these men accompanying him, but he wants to give them the chance to work things out with their employer. Whether they come with or not, Mikal will call for his companions to come out and explain to them what appears to be going on, and then will suggest they go to Miste Jumai's shop to talk to him.
Mikal Approaches to within 10 feet of the thugs, trying to look as priestly as he can. "Are you responsible for the breakage in that store there. You should not be running away, the shopkeep must be made whole. Let us go back in and straighten all this out." As he speaks to the men, He looks them over for any sign of their intent or to identify who or what they may be affiliated with.
Hey everyone, I know charging after the 'robbers' in such a public way was probably not the optimal choice. But, given the situation, coming out of the other building and having no knowledge of the thugs entering the shop across the street just minutes before, I felt like Mikal had to confront them. The action fits with his alignment and him being an agent of the god of commerce. I don't want everyone to feel like I am railroading us into actions, but I felt like it is what the character would do. If anyone gets to banged up, healing is on me.;)
Hearing the crash of glass across the street, Mikal's attention is drawn to the men leaving the shop. Remembering he is dressed as a Priest of Abadar, he desides to take advantage of his perceived piety and authority. Receiving Aria's message, he replies in his own special way. In his most commanding voice, Halt! In the name of Abadar, you men stop! He starts to hustle in their direction. Hoping to get in range of a command spell, forcing one of the to halt.
Mikal examines the list and powder, trying to discern what it might be.
After looking at the powder, he scratches his beard while thinking. There is nothing else here to find, we should join the others and check into the business the guild has sent us. With that, he makes to leave the Duresu home, walking out into the street, making it look as normal as possible.
Mikal moves about the room, inspecting the bloodstains and wondering what they could have done to deserve such a fate.
Mikal searches the room for anything that might be a clue to who did the killing, checking under the bed and lifting the mattress.
In response to Talathel If I understand correctly, the entire family was wiped out. I am sure the guild has some contingency for such an event, but sometimes the gears move slowly. Once done with the small room, Mikal makes for the other door and opens it to examine that room.
Mikal moves through the store searching carefully so as not to miss anything. It seems a shame that these spices will just sit here and rot. Perception Take 20 + 10 = 30 After the search of the shop is done, Mikal heads for the door closest to an outside wall and checks to see if it is locked before opening it.
Mikal does as he is told, and does not look around. He does inspect the door as nonchalantly as he can for any signs that the door was forcibly opened. perception Once Talathel has opened the lock, he steps inside as if he belonged there, one hand firmly on the hilt of his sword underneath the folds of the robe. Be ready for anything he whispers to his companion.
Well then, if all are ready, we should head for the Duresu home. Mikal leads the group down to where the shop is, stopping a short distance away, checking ou the scene carefully to see if anything looks amiss. perception take 20 + 10 = 30
Upon rising in the morning, Mikal seeks out Talathel. If you are up to it, I have a job we could do today. Some of the victims were the Duresu family, known for skirting some of the tariffs but in good standing with my church. I have a hunch their murders were not coincidental. It will involve us impersonating priests and possibly some breaking and entering. Are you up for it? After receiving the missive from the Guild, He approaches the rest of the group to discuss how to proceed. I have a need to check the shop and home of the Duresu family for the church. I have two pairs of vestments and we willl be going in disguised as priests. We could use someone to act as a lookout. Once this is done, we could start to look into these burglaries. After the discusssions, Mikal washes himself up and prepares his disguise using some extra padding to hide his armor under the vestments, and the folds of the robe to disguise his sword. Disguise
yes, you are correct. Sorry. I will want something extra added to his longsword, but want to get a better feel for what we will be coming up against before investing the coin and Aria's time.
High Justice Fisbe:
That is terrible news about the Duresu family, I only knew them by reputation. Can you tell me where their home was, and possibly where they had warehouses or storefronts, so I may have a look around to see if there is anything thst might explain their being targeted. Mikal scratches at his beard, a plan starting to form, And I will need to the church to lend me a set of vestments, which should get me past the city watch. Once Mikal is done at the church, he heads back to the inn to catch up with everyone, sharing what he has found out.
@aria, I am rethinking the Bane ability. I will get it as a class skill in a couple levels and that bane will be changeable to whomever we are fighting. I think for now I will save up for a burst ability. As for the Great Axe, I think Cindy should hold on to it. You never know when it will come in handy.
As day starts to settle into dusk, Mikal leaves the inn and makes his way to the temple of Abadar, entering through a door in the annex rather than through the temple proper. He waits patiently for his superior to finish up some business with a local merchant, then approaches. "Good evening High Justice, would you have a minute to talk about the troubles that have plagued the city in the last day. Do you know anything about who was targeted or what the goal they hoped to achieve? Is there anyone among the dead that might be of interest to the church?"
@aria, If we have time in game, I have 3000 gold I am itching to spend on adding the Bane (Human) ability to my longsword. I think Mikal would want to pay you for the service, due to his religious affiliation, and would offer a quarter of his share for the next payday from the guild.
On his way back to the inn, after leaving his parents, Mikal heads to a church sponsored market where he sells his Chain Shirt +1.
Breathing a sigh of relief, he embraces his mother. "All is fine, I had heard a rumor that some shopkeepers were being harassed and I was suddenly taken with a panic. I think what I have seen on the road led my imagination to run away with me." Seeing that all is well, he sits down to breakfast with his parents, telling them tales of everywhere he had been of late. He rummages through his fathers maps, showing him where they were, and takes one out of Turon to show where the pirates had come from. As midday came near, he says goodbye to his parents. Telling them to be careful and asking them to look in on the old half-orc healers husband if they can. He makes his way back through the city to the inn where the group spent the evening. He stops to listen to Talathel sing and flips him a few coppers with a wink. He returns to his room and takes time to pray to Abadar. As evening approaches he heads down to the taproom to see if anyone else has returned to the inn. He speaks with Talathel, who gives him his share of the loot. Mikal weighs the bag of coins in his hand, giving Talathel a stern look as though not sure if the weight were right. He then smiles and clasps his hand, thanking him for handling the sale of the items for the group.
"That is amazing! Have you ever heard of a cave outside of town, up near the top of the mountain? I've heard some talk of it, but no one else in town seems to know anything about it. It seems to sound like the same effect that you describe about the night the nobles disappeared."
I will need to start scraping together some coin, we will have to get ourselves some downtime in game to get it done.
Aria, would you be able to add the bane ability to Mikal's longsword. I think having bane (human) would significantly increase its deadliness.
Mikal spends some time going through manuevers with the axe from the half-orc captain and it somehow feels wrong, his buckler getting in the way of him properly using the weapon. He decides to offer the axe to his companions. He makes a mental note to find someone to enhance his longsword, to make it more effective. "I do not think that this axe suits me, I hope someone else can use it. I think Aria would do well to have one of the cloaks. How much did we get for the jewels by the way, this is rapidly becoming one of the most profitable trips I have ever made." Upon rising in the morning at an Inn by the docks, Mikal begins to hear the general clamor in the streets. He leaves the Inn and talks to several people on the street what had happened. When he hears that shop owners were possibly killed, he takes off like a shot for his parents map shop. Arriving at the door, he calls inside to his Mother and Father, "Torv! Anna! mom! dad! Is everything alright!"
Mikal takes in the sights and smells of his home town, glad to see it again. He stands a discrete ditance from the dock master and Talathal as they discuss the manifests, trying to look like a disinterested bodyguard.
"It is gracious of everyone to let me take the armor and axe, I will undoubtedly deduct their value from any gold we divide from the rest of the loot."
Mikal spends the rest of the voyage working on the manifests with Talathel, and each evening giving prayers to Abadar. Explaining to his god that his actions in the forgery will allow more commerce to flow to more people. On the last day of their voyage as the group is gathered for the morning meal, Mikal brings up the subject of their hard earned loot. "It might be wise for us to divide up some of the items we have captured from the pirates. They might be of use to us on the mission in the sewers. We can come to a final decision about what to keep and what to sell after the mission is complete. I for one am intrigued by the orc's breastplate and greataxe. I think they would make me a more stout combatant in the close quarters of the sewer."
As they leave Anton's cabin, Mikal talks to Vados about moving the goods through the sewer. "We should try to recruit a couple of the sailors to work the small boats and help carry the tobacco through the sewers. We don't need to spend our time dropping cargo if we are ambushed." He also approaches Talathal about the manifest, seeing if his knowledge of linguistics might be of use (Mikal has 2 ranks in linguistics and might be able to 'aid another' with the manifest.)"Talathal, during my time in the temple of Abadar I learned some of the tells they look for when trying to detect a forgery, I might be able to help you make a more convincing manifest if you would like." He also suggests to the rest of the group that we gather after dinner that evening to distribute the loot from our fight.
"If I might be so bold, Master di Alkonav, the first mate of this vessel is an able man and would make a fine captain of the captured ship. I think you are right about blending the crews among the fleet. The wizard we captured would make a fine addition to any crew." Mikal sees the wisdom in 'buying' the loyalty of the pirates and adding to the earning potential of the fleet. "I would not be much help with any documents, but if you need protection to get some of the cargo through the sewers I can help with that." Mikal liked the idea of doing something rather than all the talking and diplomacy.
"What do we know about this new dock master? Is there anything in his background that might be used to make him consider entering into a similar agreement to the one you had with the old dock master?" Mikal racks his brain to come up with some contractural gymnastics that he had seen used in the church of abadar as he was being trained in the inquisition. "Maybe there is a chance to use the weapon of our enemy against them. I am sure that the guild controls the loading and unloading process, the dock workers usually don't like others taking their work. But we could perhaps use magic to either effect the apparent value for tax purposes or move the goods through town faster." I am not sure about the influence of the church in Coran, having been trained in Gumlat and spending most of my time on the road. We might be able to use the church to avoid some of the tariffs, but they might want a small cut for the effort."
I would be fine with Aria using some of the gold we get for selling the silk to take care of spellbook issues. Of course, Mikal being LN and an agent of Abadar, he will want a careful accounting of all the loot. I see this as a great RP opportunity for he and Talathel to have some good natured friction in their relationship. Kind of like the mom who is always saying no when her kids are trying to take a cookie from the jar.
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