Weird.
Would this suffice to know if there is a trap ?
Would this suffice to know if there is a trap ?
** spoiler omitted **
"Forgive my intrusion, ma'am. I'm lookin' fer a friend of mine, and I was wonderin' if ye'd seen him t'day?"
"Forgive my intrusion, ma'am. I'm lookin' fer a friend of mine, and I was wonderin' if ye'd seen him t'day?"** spoiler omitted **
"Ain't seen nobody! GO AWAY!"
Makoa ? Jagor ? Can you take this door and put it aside , please . There is no sign of a trap , I hope
"I get it, Cliff." Makoa picks up the door and sets it to the side somewhere out of the way.
The flat has clearly been trashed; piles of clothes, toppled furniture, and scattered papers litter the floor. In the center of the small front room, a squat dwarf raises her hands in shock, staring at you as Makoa lifts the door aside.
"What are you doin' in my house?" she demands.
The flat has clearly been trashed; piles of clothes, toppled furniture, and scattered papers litter the floor. In the center of the small front room, a squat dwarf raises her hands in shock, staring at you as Makoa lifts the door aside.
"What are you doin' in my house?" she demands.
"You not Lah-roor - where Lah-roor?"
Madam , if this was your house , you would be a lousy housekeeper !
Now you'd better give me all you know about what happened here and maybe we'll let you stay here after ...
"You not Lah-roor - where Lah-roor?"
"Lah-roor? Who's Lah-roor?"
Madam , if this was your house , you would be a lousy housekeeper !
Now you'd better give me all you know about what happened here and maybe we'll let you stay here after ...
She stares at the halfling in confusion and mounting anger. "Now look here, you little twerp, I got here first. It's mine, fair and square - you and your... friends..." and here she trails off, clearly taking in Makoa's and Jagor's sizes.
After a moment - a moment in which the anger fades to fear - she starts up again. "Uh, are you the local protection people? I mean, I can't pay much, but I know how this works, and this flat really is a good spot. Can we work somethin' out?"
"You not Lah-roor - where Lah-roor?""Lah-roor? Who's Lah-roor?"
Madam , if this was your house , you would be a lousy housekeeper !
Now you'd better give me all you know about what happened here and maybe we'll let you stay here after ...
She stares at the halfling in confusion and mounting anger. "Now look here, you little twerp, I got here first. It's mine, fair and square - you and your... friends..." and here she trails off, clearly taking in Makoa's and Jagor's sizes.
After a moment - a moment in which the anger fades to fear - she starts up again. "Uh, are you the local protection people? I mean, I can't pay much, but I know how this works, and this flat really is a good spot. Can we work somethin' out?"
Jagor scowls. "This not you house. This Lah-roor house! What you do with Lah-roor?" He's clenching his fists and takes a couple of steps toward her.
Taking a cue from Jagor, Makoa grips his Earth Breaker in his hands tightly, looking at the woman with a scowl.
Yes madam , I understand you learnt that this flat was free and you hurried to make a claim on it . That's not a problem
Now this flat belong normally to a friend of us so me and my friends here want to know what you know of this situation . For example , how did you know that the previous occupant would not come back ?
The woman quails away from the half-orcs, but answers Clifford's question quickly. "Door was open - off its hinges, really. Stuff was taken, whole place was trashed... I kinda figured that meant they weren't coming back. But it's mine now - I been here since late last night, and ain't seen nobody but you!"
Then the sooner you'll let us check what we need, the sooner we'll be out of here
Taking 20 on search : 24
"Ain't seen nobody! GO AWAY!"
"Sorry fer the intrusion, ma'am. It's just we've had reports o' jack-skinners runnin' about the area of late, preyin' on the elderly an' leavin' nothin' behind but the eyes."
"If ye do hear anything, please inform th'coppers"
Then the sooner you'll let us check what we need, the sooner we'll be out of here
Taking 20 on search : 24
The woman steps aside fearfully and lets Clifford and the half-orcs go through the apartment. Unfortunately, it does them little good - there is no evidence that indicates anything in particular happened here other than robbery, and that probably over the course of hours.
"Ain't seen nobody! GO AWAY!""Sorry fer the intrusion, ma'am. It's just we've had reports o' jack-skinners runnin' about the area of late, preyin' on the elderly an' leavin' nothin' behind but the eyes."
"If ye do hear anything, please inform th'coppers"
Jugger hears a muffled squeal and the thump of hurried footsteps, followed by what sounds like something heavy being dragged across the floor and placed in front of the door.
Most of the other doors are silent no matter how much he knocks, but Jugger does a similar routine at two other apartments. No one has - or at least is willing to share - any information.
Was the door forced in any way ?
I take it there was no trace of violence
Was the looting systematic (slit mattress , books checked page by page , things like that) or more uphazard ?
Was the door forced in any way ?
I take it there was no trace of violence
Was the looting systematic (slit mattress , books checked page by page , things like that) or more uphazard ?
Ok, we are done here . Let's go !
Ok, we are done here . Let's go !
Hezekiah will collect Juggers, while mourning for the ruined books. Such wanton destruction! *shakes head*
Jugger thumps down the stairs, actually leaping the last several feet. Grabbing Hezekiah by the arm, he follows closely behind the other three adventurers, mumbling something about 'cowards and fools' under his breath.
A problem , Jugger ?
A problem , Jugger ?
"Aye.. Those what would stand silent while a mate comes to harm."
"If we find Larur has been laid low, I assure you that these bandy-kneed sons of whores will be held accountable."
" Are you joking there ?
This is not the kind of town where you are 'mates' with your neighbour here . This is a real city not 'vanilla' smalltown .
When a pretty girl smiles at you here, you'd better look around to see if her friend is not pickpocketing you and then if not , you really begin to worry why.
Best of case , she smiles at you because she wants your protection ! "
"Are you joking there? This is not the kind of town where you are 'mates' with your neighbour here.
"It's that kinda thinkin' what's turned this city the way it is. If ye let th'criminals an' slavers an' thugs get what they want without a fight, not only will they take it, but they'll keep takin'. I done enough takin' in my time t'know.
Just 'cuz that's how it is, don' mean that's how it should be. Just cuz my skin ain't worth savin' don't mean yours ain't."
"An' if the pretty girl's are smilin' at me, it's only cuz they think I'll set'em up with my straw-headed friend, 'ere," Jugger laughs as ruffles Hezekiah's hair.
As the ethics debate continues, the party winds their way through the streets of the Leeward Quarter of the city, until they find themselves making their way down Rat Street, approaching a townhouse squeezed in between tenement houses on either side. A sign out front shows a stack of gold coins above the words, "Rat Street Loans - By Appointment Only." A single door faces the street, and there is no sign of a ground floor window (though there is one such on the second floor, overlooking the street). A pair of narrow alleys give access to the rear of the building.
Jagor's not paying attention to their location, watching around as the group walks for threats to his friends. He stops suddenly when it appears that the others have arrived at their destination.
A single door faces the street, and there is no sign of a ground floor window (though there is one such on the second floor, overlooking the street). A pair of narrow alleys give access to the rear of the building.
Jugger's usual bellow turns to a conspiratorial whisper. "So.. we gunna go about this diplomatically, or does th'front door make an appointment with my boot?"
There is a third way but I have to know :
'How do you figure we could do this diplomatically ? '
As you study the place, you all notice a small sliding plate set into the front door, about three inches by six, which Lymas undoubtedly uses to look out at those on his doorstep without having to open the door.
'There is a third way but I have to know: How do you figure we could do this diplomatically?'
"Well, we go on in, diplomatically ask them t'hand over Larur, an' wait for'em t'say 'no' so we can pound on'em 'til they change their minds or quit breathin'.
I s'pose yer talkin' about sneakin' in as yer third option, which I appreciate - I'm just thinkin' that given our companions' fondness o'bashin' things, we'd be best to leave the sublety behind."
"That's why you are all stayin behin while I reconnoiter
Just be ready to come runnin if you hear me shouting . "
With this , Clifford go to the door and tries the following actions : listening at the door , if he doesn't hear anything , he'll try to open it quickly (if this doesn't work , he'll take twenty to do so ) . during all this time , he'll try to be stealthy .
Clifford hears nothing when he listens at the door, and - though he initially has trouble with the door - he is able to get the door unlocked after a couple of minutes. (It's a comment on the quality of the neighborhood that no one stops to investigate why a halfling is standing right in front of and apparently fiddling with a door for two solid minutes.) Eventually, though, the door opens, and Clifford can slip inside .
As Clifford starts attempting to crack the lock, Jugger shrugs and turns to the others, "Perhaps we should be findin' someplace less obvious to wait?"
He then looks around for a reasonable place to hide.
Hezekiah tries to make himself inconspicuous as well, after granting Clifford some Diviner's Fortune.
Realizing he shouldn't be standing in the middle of the street watching Clifford, Jagor will slip into one of the narrow alleys . He will check things out there, looking for windows, areas he could maybe climb, etc.
Clifford quietly open the door and slips inside ...
Realizing he shouldn't be standing in the middle of the street watching Clifford, Jagor will slip into one of the narrow alleys . He will check things out there, looking for windows, areas he could maybe climb, etc.
Despite the casual nature of Jagor's inspection, he nevertheless manages to notice a cloak half falling out of a trash can behind the building. The cloak is green and lined with fur, and Jagor recognizes it instantly as belonging to Larur.
Clifford quietly open the door and slips inside ...
...only to be met with another door. The outer entrance opens into a small entry hall, 10 feet by 10 feet, with another closed door on the far side. Even without trying, Clifford can hear the sounds of something or someone moving around on the other side of the door. It is making snuffling noises as it shuffles around the room beyond.
Despite the casual nature of Jagor's inspection, he nevertheless manages to notice a cloak half falling out of a trash can behind the building. The cloak is green and lined with fur, and Jagor recognizes it instantly as belonging to Larur.
Jagor walks back to the street and calls to Hezekiah. "Jagor find something. You look." He leads the mage to the cloak he noticed, "Jagor think that cloak belong to Larur, right?"
Is the new door locked ?
If so , Clifford will take 20 to silently open it
Then he'll open it just a smudge to better listen and see who or what is on the other side ...
Is the new door locked ?
If so , Clifford will take 20 to silently open it
Then he'll open it just a smudge to better listen and see who or what is on the other side ...
Not realizing what he was supposed to be doing, Makoa follows to the area Jagor is pointing to the cloak.
"Me not remember. If that Lah-roar cloak, where Lah-roar? You no think he.."
Makoa trails off, thinking of a couple ways to finish that sentence.