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Rigel wasn't sure, but he suspected talking to Thren would be less pleasant than with the older woman here. Casting aside the thought, for now, he instead listened to the conversation, hoping the woman could provide some more motivation for Aylincha's murderous act.
Best of luck to you, Oblivion. Hope everything works out for you!
Tenement: Rigel looked about, noting the large assortment of religious items, wondering if the woman's faith was what she used to blind herself to the criminal activity of the two young people. Maybe it was for the best. The investigator made a mental note to jot down the name Thren when they were done here. For now, he finally settled near a wall, leaning against it with his arms crossed, looking disinterested as Zandora talked to the older lady.
Rigel rolled his eyes as he quickly leafed through the mail, courteous enough to return it and close the small door before following Zandora in after she waved the all clear to the minotaur and himself. He peered all about with the curiosity of a policeman, taking in the surroundings to see if there were threats about or possible clues that could help the group. He kept an eye out for bags or packages, but kept his mind open for other possibilities, deferring to the fake detective Zandora as she started pumping the old woman for information.
As the trio entered the tenements, Rigel saw the mailboxes and whispered to Kolaiah, "Keep an eye out for me, will ya?". He then pulled out a few picks from his pack and tried to pick open the cheap locks before the group tried to gain entry and question the two families.
Rigel rolled his eyes at himself for forgetting the resourceful woman's magic clothing, chuckling, "Of course. After you, ma'am." He bowed a bit at the waist, letting the aasimar walk in front and eyeing the minotaur. "Just act like you have every right to be here with us and you should do fine. No one wants to ask a big, burly guy questions."
Rigel looked up a second, collecting his thoughts, before answering Zandora. "We're trying to figure out if these 'payments' made their way to the families of our two murderers yet. If not, then we'll scope out the place until the delivery shows up. If so, then we persuade our hosts to tell us who brought the goods." Rigel reached up and fiddle with his cap, and within a few moments it was replaced with a navy, flat-topped cap and a matching uniform. He grinned over at Kolaiah and then waved them through the door.
As they approached the tenement and the young man saw the sizable number of plane-touched, he looked over (and up) at the minotaur and then to Zandora. "Seems like this is more your crowd, beautiful. How about we spruce you up, and you can be the detective, and us as the grunt muscle to back you up?" If Zandora was agreeable, Rigel led the other two a short ways to a clothing shop, buying a couple pieces to lend some credibility to the disguise.
Rigel strode back into his small office building, feeling rather satisfied with himself. The self-congratulations would have to wait, he feared, for he surmised that the group was on a time crunch. Thinking that the digging into Vitruvio could wait, the young man found the minotaur. "Hey chief, before we check out Vitruvio, let's go check out this address in Oak Hollow. This is supposedly where the families of the perps live." If Rigel saw Zandora back in the establishment, he gave her a slight nod of assent, assuming she might want to join them as well. The young woman had keen eyes, and was pretty enough to cause a distraction if the situation warranted it.
Precinct: After he was done quickly scanning the info in the folder, Rigel placed it back neatly and closed the file, handing it back to the elven secretary. "Thank you, ma'am. Your help won't be forgotten. Take care of yourself." After flashing another grin at the woman, he gathered his coat and quickly strode out of the precinct, heading to meet back up with the minotaur and see where that string went.
Precinct: Rigel maintained eye contact with the elven woman when she stopped typing, portraying an aura of confidence that conveyed that yes, he was very much privy and entitled to the information requested. When the woman smiled and got up to go get what she could, the young man made sure to check her out as she walked off, just in case she looked back. Appearances and all had to be kept. When she returned with the file, Rigel leaned forward conspiratorially. "Main branch possibly could, but the folks over there aren't as efficient or helpful as you are. Thank you, doll." He flashed her a grin, then leaned back against the desk, rifling through the file, looking for names and addresses and anything else that seemed noteworthy.
GM: The young man walked into the entry room, arching a brow at the general state of the place as he walked the short distance to the desk. A polite smile appeared on his face, his voice warm and friendly. "Good evening, ma'am. I'm needing the names of the two that were picked up over at the Lounge, and next of kin if you have it. I was told at least one of them was in really shape, and we want to make sure the family can get in to see them before they're off for the Boneyard, if you get my drift."
Rigel paused for a moment, then called back to Kolaiah, "If you want to wait a bit, I'll come with you after I finish at the police department." The young man didn't envy the minotaur the task, and if he was uneasy the crime syndicate would likely figure that out quickly.
Mulling it over in transit, Rigel made a decision and took a turn to head towards the 3rd Precinct. It was unlikely that the criminals had actually been taken there, but the building was closer and the young man found the officers and support staff there much more willing to impart information to someone who technically didn't have a need to know.
Rigel explained what he knew about the third Vitruvio to the fairy and the dragon. Perhaps with the possibility of magic items there was something more to it. But the investigator would still wager that the crime-related Vitruvio was the one they were looking for. Once he explained what he knew, he thought about how to approach the police about the perpetrators of the heinous murderer. After a short pause, he came to a decision and rose. "I'll go ahead and try my end of things now...hopefully I'll get the info we need before the promised payments occur. Feel free to welcome yourself in to the lounge when you're done. I'll be back when I'm done." The young man then waved to the others and excused himself, heading out the door to the local police precinct he thought the criminals might have been taken to.
Rigel nodded at Milo's offer to go to the baker. "Alright, then. That takes care of the baker." The young man looked around for Zandora, but found she had already left, likely to go follow up on leads herself. Shrugging, he continued, "DP...the initials are in the wrong order, but that could be Phillipe Donadieu, a rather well-known and well-connected person in Crossroads. Possibly just a coincidence, of course. I'll follow up with the police and see if I can learn about our paid murderers. Kolaiah, do you have anyone in the Lucenzo organization you can ask to see if there was beef between their Vitruvio and the Starling?" Glancing between the dragon and the fairy, Rigel said, "And we still have our other businessman Vitruvio. You two seem pretty adept at looking around unseen. Want to check in on our third V and check him out?"
Rigel frowned as he glanced around at the motley crew in his lounge. He shrugged, though...if some of them wanted to go gather the handwriting of the baker Vitruvio, it would likely narrow down the list of possibles. His brow screwing up in confusion at the dragon's words, he had an epiphany that the creature was a carnivore and likely to not get the point of any plant processing. Seemed like it was going to be one of those nights. "Sure, we can send someone or a couple folks to the baker's business to buy a loaf." Turning to Zandora, Rigel replied, "No, that's why we need to inquire with the coppers to get the names. Probably be an arrest record somewhere."
Rigel had stifled a grin at the minotaur's comment, but he couldn't help but chuckle good-naturedly at the halfling's reply. Turning to Zandora, he said, "Yes, but we don't know which Vitruvio." The man's dry tone clearly indicated he himself was pretty sure, but was accommodating the thoughts of others. "So if we intercept these payments, we can trace them back to where they came from. Try to flesh things out before we investigate Vitruvio himself. Establish motive, figure out this 'ritual', whatever that could be."
GM Coyote:
Rigel just shrugged, pondering the initials on the handkerchief like everything else. It was clear the handwriting matched, so apparently this Vitruvio had tried to warn the Starling, and when the warning failed he had pulled the trigger on the escapade in the Lounge. It was a shame, really...the woman had been a talented singer, even if her act was similar to several others in the city. "Let's put that thought aside for a moment, if you will. The Starling's race or gender doesn't change the fact that they're dead and someone is responsible for it. Let's see if we can get some names on those responsible for the killing. The note promised compensation. Let's see if we can figure out who their families are and maybe watch out for these mystery payments that are supposedly coming. That might shed some light on who's behind all this."
Rigel pulled out the note he had found on the person of the thug who had likely killed the Starling so the group could compare the handwriting. "Let's check the pockets then, just to see if we can learn any more about our murder victim."
Resisting the urge to roll his eyes, Rigel led the way to his establishment downtown. He'd rather this lot just follow the advice of someone who had a fair amount of experience doing this sort of work, but apparently they wanted to talk things through. Noting the departure of Voodoo Slim, the young man made a mental note. Probably just the man trying to get out before he got bogged down with the cops, but maybe something else. They'd have to check that out, as well. Taking out his key and unlocking the front door, he led the group to the modest lounge he had for his customers to wait in. "Alright, then, let's talk. Anyone notice anything about the place that any of the rest might have missed? Any small detail could be the difference between enlightenment and ignorance." Speaking further, he continued, "I checked out the Starling's wound...it almost looked crystalline in nature. Nothing I've ever seen before. And her mask was practically glued onto her face. I couldn't remove it."
Rigel stifled the urge to roll his eyes at the mention of the baker, though one never could tell, he supposed. Perhaps the Starling had rejected the man's advances and he had slowly gone insane as he lusted after what he couldn't have. People had been killed for less, for sure. Instead, he offered a shrug to the minotaur's question. "I don't rightly know, my friend. I tend to start investigating the highest probability. And with there being paid killers involved, along with a Vitruvio that seems to answer to someone else, I am going to start with the Lucenzos." Rigel wasn't sure how yet, but he was confident he could turn this event into either an increase in status or cash, preferably both. His voice lowering to a whisper, he confided, "I tried to take off her mask...damn thing wouldn't come off. I couldn't see where it was attached, either. Maybe some kind of glue or something? Also, there was a strange crystalline texture to the wound on her chest, but nothing that I could recognize. I suppose I could ask around about what could cause a wound like that." It had seemed like the tiefling's hand had caused it, but what process had allowed it to kill the Starling like that? Maybe that could narrow things a bit.
Rigel gave a slight roll of his eyes at Zandora's softly spoken words, but continued towards the minotaur and halfling, giving the aasimar woman a nod to indicate he had understood. The young woman's soft heart would be her downfall one day, he was sure of it. That fairy seemed very sketchy, and the dragon was eager to search someone's belongings. Well, maybe he was too, but he was an investigator, so it was different. Catching up to the unlikely duo, Rigel walked on the side of the halfing, away from the minotaur. "Either of you fellows ever work for or with the Lucenzos? I can start looking about, but if you have any current contacts or leads that would be preferable. Murder isn't unheard of in this city, but the method was very strange."
Once outside, Rigel stepped a bit away from the front entrance before becoming visible again. Waiting for Zandora to exit, he saw Milo and Kolaiah come out the entrance together, the young man not surprised. The resourceful halfling seemed a likely fellow to be friendly with, especially for someone who was probably discriminated against as the minotaur likely was. He offered a small wave to the duo, not sure of the mechanics of this patchwork team but resigned to working with the four others, along with the aasimar. He ran his hand through his hair, thinking of how he could possibly explore the leads they had.
GM:
Hearing the officers respond to Milo's speech and then Zandora's que, Rigel made for the front exit, waiting for someone else to open the door and then slipping out and slinking off to the side of the building to wait for the aasimar outside.
Rigel glanced about, making sure no one way paying any undue notice, then reached down and felt the impression in the Starling's chest, touching the marks in the wound. Regardless of what he found, the self-titled investigator then quickly snatched up the woman's mask, taking a look at her face before swiftly moving away from the corpse.
Rigel rolled his eyes at the tooth fairy's mention of the baker and his possible menace. "I never discount that anyone could do something bad if given enough motive. But when one of the fellows is literally involved in organized crime, I'm thinking an investigation would probably need to start there. My opinion, of course." The young man's stance and tone make it perfectly clear that his opinion was the only one he cared for in this instance. As Zandora decided to go ahead and possibly search the Starling's backstage area, Rigel nodded. "Makes sense. I'll go have a looksie at the corpse and see if there's anything obvious on it that shouldn't quite go to the morgue yet." Looking over at the minotaur and the halfing, he said, "You two want to keep an eye out for the coppers while I perform our unofficial crime scene once over?" Regardless of the answer, he got up and stepped around the minotaur before taking a small potion from his belt and quickly quaffing it, becoming transparent and disappearing from view. Once invisible, he quickly moved to the Starling's corpse and looked for any kind of valuables, going so far as to gently rub over the corpse to look for anything concealed on the legs or torso.
After a bit of chin-rubbing and thought, Rigel had sifted through his mental information and come up with the some hits for the name Vitruvio. His thoughtful expression shifted to calculation as he started to speak to his companion and the fairy. He started as the dragon suddenly plopped into a nearby chair, rolling his eyes as Zandora inferred an invitation to the eavesdropper by asking her question. "I know of three Vitruvio's in the city," he said, pointing to the brief note for the benefit of the dragon. "I'm going to guess our bakery owner is probably not involved. So that leaves the businessman in the Burrow and the one who's worked with a leading mafioso family who happens to have a sitting councilman among them. I'm willing to say I'd start with the latter, were I going to look into this." Scowling at Zandora for a brief moment, he looked over at the minotaur. "That fellow looks like the sort the Lucenzos employ. Maybe we should invite him over, since we're turning this into a group effort." He looked back to the young woman and arched an eyebrow.
Rigel looked down at Zandora's hand idly touching his own, sneaking a glance at the fairy before slightly arching a brow. Relenting, he nodded his assent, thinking it couldn't hurt to include the little man. If they remained friendly, chances are the little creature could get into a lot of small places that the pair of them couldn't. "Let think a minute if I know the name...and let's not be too hasty. The Starling is dead as can be already, and this is information that might be more profitable to us not in the authorities' hands. I wonder what that ritual was...maybe that could give us some more insight." The young man stared over at the lifeless corpse of the singer for a few moments, clearly in thought.
Sitting down next to the young woman, he used the cover of the book to swiftly draw out the note he had found on the tiefling and laid it against the pages of the book, smoothing it out while looking at where she was indicating in the pages as though he was reading a particularly favorite passage of hers.
Rigel was pleased that the halfling also seemed to be able to speak eloquently enough to help the situation, so when the minotaur spoke and didn't seem the stereotypical hulking brute it became much harder for the officer to continue to accost Kolaiah. When the policeman said the group was free to leave (although the young man and his companion had technically always had such freedom) he grinned and tipped his hat to the minotaur, finding his lovely companion linking her arm through his. Feeling her warm breath on his ear, his grin turned into a sly smile, his free hand patting her lower arm as he turned and whispered back once she turned her head. "Let's stick around, my dear. Let's head over to an empty table, though...I need to take a look at something." He glanced down at Zandora's bosom at that point, just in case someone else was eavesdropping, but he idly extended his thumb from the hand on her arm and pointed at his own breast as he led her to an empty table as far from anyone as he could find.
Rigel maintains a neutral face, even though the officer's racism (speciesm?) is on display. Stepping forward, he spoke in measured tones. "Actually, officer, this fine fellow here likely saved you a lot of grief and the wrath of a superior that comes with a cold case. These two were trying to beat a hasty retreat after the lights went out and the Starling over there..." he jerked a thumb over in the dead singer's direction, "was killed in horrific fashion. As a matter of fact, when these two were trying to fend off these heroes here, one of them was using a flaming fist that probably resembles the scorch mark on the singer's breast."
The young man backed off a couple of steps to allow the officer time to chew on the information dump he had just received. He looked over at the trio of good samaritans who had stopped the fleeing tieflings, making it a point to not look up to where the fairy had flitted off to. He didn't really have a dog in this race, but if his talking helped bail out the minotaur and the others they likely would be grateful for the help. And grateful people tended to return the favor at some point.
After finding the envelope, Rigel quickly stowed it inside his coat, standing and eyeing the two police officers. He opened his mouth to speak, but when the one officer started specifically asking the minotaur questions, he remained silent, ready to jump in and assist if the brute started tripping over himself.
Rigel looked back at Zandora, pleased to see that she had moved closer to the back and whatever exit might exist back there. Surely there was one. Turning his attention back to the minotaur and others, he saw the fairy hastily make its way to the rafters, understanding its position. Since the young man had little to lose, since he hadn't participated in any of the violence, he shrugged. "I can do that, Kolaiah, no problem. Just a few good samaritans doing their part to make sure everyone stayed put until the authorities arrived." The police might consider the effort a little overzealous, but they could all vouch for each other being seated at their tables when it happened. Rigel's eyes flicked over to the bar, calling out, "Hey, anyone call the police yet?" It was strange, but in a lot of cases like this no one did so, because everyone thought someone else was going to. It was certainly an interesting phenomenon, but to Rigel it was just proof that people were all too willing to escape responsibility if they felt they could.
Well that was quick... Rigel decided not to let his enhanced speed go to waste, hurrying over to where the others were gathered around the two who had been fleeing. He holds up a hand to forestall the minotaur from picking up the unconscious tieflings, getting on a knee by each one and carefully but quickly searching their person.
Rigel gracefully stood as he was finished, frowning and rubbing his chin before looking up at the minotaur. "Unless you're a member of the local constabulary, good sir, I would suggest against such a course of action. These fellow patrons can attest to the crime committed here and the fact that these two", he pointed at the two unconscious tieflings, "were trying to flee and one of them even had a flaming hand that looks suspiciously like what killed the Starling. If we drag them away, it looks way worse." The young man took a couple steps away to let the foursome digest his words. Behind his back he flashed a full palm to Zandora, as he wanted her near the back in case things got heated when the authorities arrived and they needed to make a break for it.
Rigel turned back at the commotion, his eyes widening as the one tiefling tried to beat a hasty retreat while the other provided cover. Seeing the smoking fist of the one that at least had a passing resemblance to the damage done to the Starling, the young man's eyes cut over to where the second one was running. With his free hand, Rigel pulled out a small vial from his coat pocket, tossing it back. Almost instantly he felt invigorated, his feet practically twitching they were ready to move. Seeing his companion fire an arrow at the flame-fister, he made ready to start darting after the other one.
Thinking that the minotaur and dragon were sufficiently intimidating to keep the two fleeing suspects in check, Rigel stepped forward and hopped up to the stage, bypassing the corpse of the Starling and heading towards the back to see if he could pick up a trail back there or find anyone who might have seen anything.
The young man glanced back at Zandora, motioning her to come with him. She was clever enough to know that if she felt more needed where she was she should stay. Once Rigel was out of sight of most of the patrons, he reached with his right hand inside his navy blazer and pulled out his Colt 1903, keeping the weapon aimed down as he proceeded.
Rigel gave the halfling newcomer a curious look, wondering if the man had come in so flamboyantly on a dare. A quick glance around didn't reveal any snickering companions, so he assumed the man was legit. When Kolaiah indicated that the proffered drink might come from the newcomer, Rigel sat back, flicking his eyes over at an empty seat before glancing over at Zandora briefly. The lights then went out, the young man's exceptional vision not giving him anything in the room. Feeling a little panicked, as he always had been able to see in any room before, he reached forward to feel for the table in front of him. Then suddenly, the lights came back on and the Starling tragically lay upon the floor. As his aasimar companion leapt to the aid of the fallen singer, Rigel stood up quickly and scanned the crowd, seeing the two trying to slink away that the minotaur was storming after. He narrowed his eyes, attempting to see if there was anybody else suspect that wasn't acting as overtly shady as the duo.
Rigel listened to the small dragon's response to his greeting, cocking his head slightly. It seemed the creature liked the bustle of other people, or rather beings, around him, but still preferred a certain amount of quiet and solitude. Interesting. "Having lots to ponder this evening, I take it? I get it...the Starling sings like a dream, but her songs are introspective in nature. Turns the gaze inward." He raised his glass up to the dragon in an air toast before taking a sip, setting it down on the table before leaning forward and extending his hand to the minotaur (with the previous greeting). "Well met, Kolaiah." He leaned back in his chair, making a show of glancing at the bullman's wide shoulders before nodding. "I imagine you are, at that. You have a steady employer, or more of an at your service type?" Rigel glanced over at the other table Kolaiah indicated, watching Zandora trade words with the fairy thing. She seemed to be doing well, so far. Turning his attention back to the minotaur, he calculated which direction he should go in his answer. Shrugging, he said, "She's a curious thing, always wanting to talk to those who seem to have a story." Smirking as he looked back at the minotaur, he continued, "I guess I've become rather boring to her. So if you're offering, sure, let's have a drink to the whims of women." Picking up his glass, he tipped it high and drank the remainder, giving a satisfied sigh as he slapped it back on the table.
Rigel smiled as Zandora rose, giving his hand a light touch before moving over to the next table. He watched her walk for just a moment before turning to his current company, grinning at Kolaiah as the minotaur mentioned his reasoning for being there, he took a sip of his drink, letting it dangle loosely in his hand while he said, taking another glance at Zandora before grinning slyly, "I hear you there, my friend. The company of a lady is second to none. But in the mean time, tell me about yourself." Reaching across the table with his free hand, he said, "Rigel Pordyras, good to meet you."
Rigel was rather impressed by the sizable creak that came from the chairs even though the minotaur doubled up, but he was truly surprised when the small, blue dragon came strolling up and made his remarks. "It just got more interesting, it seems." The young man chuckled with good humor, noting the reactions of both the minotaur and dragon before continuing to address the hulking bull-headed creature. "Not particularly crowded...it's just that most everyone is feeling rather anti-social this evening." He gestured to the table nearby where the tooth fairy sat alone, along with all the other tables with mostly empty chairs. "It's a shame, really. You never know what kinds of fascinating people you might meet if you don't say hello." He turned his attention to the Starling for a few moments, enjoying the singing, while briefly glancing at Zandora to find her enjoying herself and still trying to take note of everything else going on. Good. "What brings you two gentlemen to the Lounge this evening?"
The singing of the sultry starlet washed over the young man as he took a sip of his pale drink, the burn of the alcohol bringing a slight grimace to his face even as it faded do a dull, pleasant warmth as it slid down his throat. The light of the place was both dimmed and enhanced by the smoky haze, the fog scintillating even as it obscured. Taking his eyes off the singer, he turned his attention to his companion as he sat at the open table on the left with her, his gaze roaming about briefly with a rather skeptical look on his face. Rigel's return smile to Zandora was much more reserved, taking another sip of his drink before setting the glass on the table. "We always are working, darling. That doesn't mean we can't enjoy an evening out." Rigel's dark eyes settled on hers for a moment, her lovely features so close a contrast to the shimmering view of the Starling on stage. His gaze trailed down her face, her pale neck in opposition to the dark, bluish hair around it. He could just faintly see the vein pulsing there, the woman's excitement about the Lounge evident. He smirked at himself, tearing his vision away from her neck to look up at the lumbering minotaur that had just walked up. He thought about responding, but the half-man had addressed Zandora, so he just smiled politely at the brute and waited for her to respond. Although Rigel doubted the minotaur was a mover and shaker in the city, he had the look about him of someone who was employed by those that were.
I've played through Book 1 of Tyrant's Grasp, and the tooth fairies there are a pain in the butt. That's mainly because there are several of them, though. The image you have right now is pretty good, I suppose, Raton Perez. I honestly don't pay much heed to the avatars, anyway, except to distinguish the posters. I'm excited to get started. I envision Rigel leaning either way in the setting, so I'm curious how it turns out. :)
I see the decision has been made, but I also would prefer only 6, especially in a story-driven campaign. 6 is already a rather large party size, so I think you're making the right call.
Hello to all! Thanks for the selection, GM. Looks to be a great concept, so I hope I am able to enhance the gameplay for everyone involved.
Alrighty, here's my submission for the game. I might be tweaking between now and then, of course.
Submitting Rigel here as a last-minute addition to the available pool to choose from. Just a straight-up tanky fighter. Thanks for your consideration!
I think the intent was that the boar was hiding, so everyone who noticed it and the boar are going in the surprise round.
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