"No. Not until we find out just what is occurring at this place. What exactly was the Splithog Pauper doing here? What was your assignments? I think you know much more than you let on; it would go much easier if you just told us everything and held nothing back."
Knuckles seems willing to talk, but not too bright.
"What was he doing here? Just staying I guess. Me and Gar were lookouts, he watch the back an' I watch the front."
"I don't know. I can talk to them, but you'll have an uphill battle here. I'm behind you, though. If not, we find another way."
"Thank you, thank you so much Ma'am."
The blind man on the deck tilts his head to the side slightly as he hears Zavos approach.
Downstairs, the opened door reveals a wide hallway with a curving flight of stairs going up at its end.
"Not to worry, Granther, the fighting seems to be over."
"Do you know anything about the activities of this 'Splithog Pauper' and his thugs?"
"No. Not until we find out just what is occurring at this place. What exactly was the Splithog Pauper doing here? What was your assignments? I think you know much more than you let on; it would go much easier if you just told us everything and held nothing back."Knuckles seems willing to talk, but not too bright.
"What was he doing here? Just staying I guess. Me and Gar were lookouts, he watch the back an' I watch the front."
"Hmm. Just staying. I'm sure that was it. What exactly were you looking out for? And why did he need lookouts?"
"Not to worry, Granther, the fighting seems to be over."
"Do you know anything about the activities of this 'Splithog Pauper' and his thugs?"
"I don't know any thugs. I have heard the name 'Splithog Pauper' before, but I have never met him. I just send messages on my birds for Father Padrick. I can't see so well no more, so Baslton helps me with the messages. Would you be so kind as to fetch me a bag of feed from my room there so I can feed my birds?"
Then the man adds "My name is Geezer Pidge. What is yours kind sir? And what was all the fighting about? I can still smell the blood."
"Hmm. Just staying. I'm sure that was it. What exactly were you looking out for? And why did he need lookouts?"
Knuckles explains "Well, we was looking out for folks like you, comin' to cause us trouble. Alot don't like the game we ran outa here, and were always lookin' to move in on the Pauper's action. Looks like y'all done did it."
To this Gar adds "Ya, we was just lookouts, we didn't do nothin' wrong. Just let us go."
For Zindit and Kelne downstairs:
Perception DC 14:
Zindit was just about to start wandering up the stairs beyond the door when she noticed the tripwire. With a hiss, she turned around to stop Kelne from moving past her, waving her arms around to make up for her lack of bearing in size. "Wait! Waitwaitwait! It's trapped! We have to be careful and step over it! Is anyone else coming up behind us?"
"We're it for now," Kelne says quietly, accepting Zindit's spotting of the tripwire with a grateful nod and stepping carefully over it on his way upstairs. Either both priests knew about in on their own way up or it's quite recent.
"I don't know any thugs. I have heard the name 'Splithog Pauper' before, but I have never met him. I just send messages on my birds for Father Padrick. I can't see so well no more, so Baslton helps me with the messages. Would you be so kind as to fetch me a bag of feed from my room there so I can feed my birds?"Then the man adds "My name is Geezer Pidge. What is yours kind sir? And what was all the fighting about? I can still smell the blood."
"I will be happy to help you with the feed in a moment."
"I am Zavos. My friends and I were attacked by a group of armed ruffians working for this Pauper fellow."
"Why would Father Padrick allow crimnals to operate here? Or would Baslton do that? I assume that is the initiate?"
Zindit stepped over the wire and ran after Kelne, trying to keep up with him so that she could spot any further trouble. Kelne had to make it back to tell everyone how useful she was after all!
Kelne and Zindit avoid the trap and climb the curving stairs at the back of the hall to emerge into the same cloister in which Kelne spoke to Jhonas and Father Padrick earlier. The cloister is divided into two bed chambers. In the larger on Father Padrick is snoring loudly on his bed, an empty bottle of wine on the floor next to it. Jhonas approaches them form the other.
"You again! How did you get in here?!"
"I will be happy to help you with the feed in a moment."
"I am Zavos. My friends and I were attacked by a group of armed ruffians working for this Pauper fellow.""Why would Father Padrick allow crimnals to operate here? Or would Baslton do that? I assume that is the initiate?"
Geezer looks confused. "Father Padrick? Criminals? Balston is not his initiate, that is Jhonas."
"Hmm. Just staying. I'm sure that was it. What exactly were you looking out for? And why did he need lookouts?"Knuckles explains "Well, we was looking out for folks like you, comin' to cause us trouble. Alot don't like the game we ran outa here, and were always lookin' to move in on the Pauper's action. Looks like y'all done did it."
To this Gar adds "Ya, we was just lookouts, we didn't do nothin' wrong. Just let us go."
"Ahh, see now we start getting somewhere. What game is it that you were running here? And was the Pauper the head man in charge, or were there others?"
Kelne and Zindit avoid the trap and climb the curving stairs at the back of the hall to emerge into the same cloister in which Kelne spoke to Jhonas and Father Padrick earlier. The cloister is divided into two bed chambers. In the larger on Father Padrick is snoring loudly on his bed, an empty bottle of wine on the floor next to it. Jhonas approaches them form the other.
"You again! How did you get in here?!"
"We picked the lock and stepped over a tripwire and came up the stairs!" Zindit replied helpfully. "There's a tripwire down there." She motioned behind her with her dagger.
Tessirda shook her head. "You can thank me until you are blue in the face, Maybell, and it wouldn't do anything good. I like you, really. But i can only help you out so many times, and this one counts tripple at least. Sooner or later, you've got to take control of what you want to do. Not a pimp and not the tiefling. You."
She gave her an encouraging prod below her lowered chin. "I'll test the waters with the others. You think about what I told you... but first, I think I've got to help mop up this mess here. You tagging along?"
"Ahh, see now we start getting somewhere. What game is it that you were running here? And was the Pauper the head man in charge, or were there others?"
"The Splithog Pauper was the boss. We ran everything in this part of Rotgut." Knuckles says.
"'Till now." Gar add, then spits.
"We picked the lock and stepped over a tripwire and came up the stairs!" Zindit replied helpfully. "There's a tripwire down there." She motioned behind her with her dagger.
Jhonas laughs. "Yes I know. Those were meant to discourage intruders like yourselves."
Tessirda shook her head. "You can thank me until you are blue in the face, Maybell, and it wouldn't do anything good. I like you, really. But i can only help you out so many times, and this one counts tripple at least. Sooner or later, you've got to take control of what you want to do. Not a pimp and not the tiefling. You."
She gave her an encouraging prod below her lowered chin. "I'll test the waters with the others. You think about what I told you... but first, I think I've got to help mop up this mess here. You tagging along?"
"Okay, okay. I'll try my best ma'am." Maybell nods.
"So, then, Jhonas, care to explain yourself?" Kelne asks, deciding to strike while the man's in a relatively good humour, "I am quite prepared to believe that he," he waves a contemptuous hand at the snoring priest, "Is a drunken old fool. You, however, are not. I find it impossible to believe you were unaware of the hoodlums muscling their way into the mission."
Tessirda, with the safed girl in tow, began to survey the scene, assess the damage the thugs (and their less than planned rescue) had caused. The mission was in sorry shape... but maybe, with a little work and money, it might turn out to be a good place inside Riddleport.
"So, then, Jhonas, care to explain yourself?" Kelne asks, deciding to strike while the man's in a relatively good humour, "I am quite prepared to believe that he," he waves a contemptuous hand at the snoring priest, "Is a drunken old fool. You, however, are not. I find it impossible to believe you were unaware of the hoodlums muscling their way into the mission."
Jhonas's mirth disappears.
"Sir, I resent the way to speak to me. It is true that Father Padrick may be over-fond of his wine, but he is a good man and cares very much about this mission and the people who stay here. As far as what I know about 'hoodlums taking over the mission', well this is Rotgut after all, and there will always be an undesirable element present here. However, this mission is to serve all who might need it, and the outside behavior of people who stay here is of no concern to me. My only concern is the well-being of Father Padrick."
"Now I can ask of you, what gives you the authority to break into our quarters and ask questions of us, and to wantonly slaughter guests of the mission, be they criminals or not?"
Tessirda, with the safed girl in tow, began to survey the scene, assess the damage the thugs (and their less than planned rescue) had caused. The mission was in sorry shape... but maybe, with a little work and money, it might turn out to be a good place inside Riddleport.
"Well..." Zindit started, a bit nervously this time now that she knew the two were supposedly priests. Touching both index fingers together childishly, she gave the only excuse she could. "They attacked us first when we came to help somebody."
"Indeed," Kelne remarks, "I'm still quite ticked off about that. Those men were quite capable of looking after themselves, and did not need charity of any kind, let alone preferential treatment. As to Father Padrick, I'm not the one who's been letting him drink himself into a stupor, am I?"
"But we were speaking of authority. You're quite right - I have none. Which is why my colleagues and I will be raising this sorry debacle with your superiors - whoever they may turn out to be - and suggesting they find someone else to run the mission."
Gods knew whoever they selected would only be an improvement over the drunken sot and this glib phony.
"Ahh, see now we start getting somewhere. What game is it that you were running here? And was the Pauper the head man in charge, or were there others?""The Splithog Pauper was the boss. We ran everything in this part of Rotgut." Knuckles says.
"'Till now." Gar add, then spits.
"And how did the priests of the mission not know you were here? Unless they had the observation skills of cave bat, someone would have noticed. Were they a part of this?"
"Indeed," Kelne remarks, "I'm still quite ticked off about that. Those men were quite capable of looking after themselves, and did not need charity of any kind, let alone preferential treatment. As to Father Padrick, I'm not the one who's been letting him drink himself into a stupor, am I?"
"But we were speaking of authority. You're quite right - I have none. Which is why my colleagues and I will be raising this sorry debacle with your superiors - whoever they may turn out to be - and suggesting they find someone else to run the mission."
Gods knew whoever they selected would only be an improvement over the drunken sot and this glib phony.
Jhonas laughs again "Out superiors? And who would those be in this godless town? Now, unless you have something constructive to say, would you please leave our quarters?"
"And how did the priests of the mission not know you were here? Unless they had the observation skills of cave bat, someone would have noticed. Were they a part of this?"
"I dunno what they knew. But even if they did, what could they do about it? Nuthin'."
"MissLadyTessirda's a priest of Sarenrae I think. Should we let her talk to them?" Zindit whispered to Kelne, dropping her voice even further and looking around nervously before speaking Sarenrae's name.
"Alright, first things first." Dead bodies didn't make for an inviting mission, and besides... they were too grisly a reminder on what it had taken to free it. So she decided to use one of the side chambers as a makeshift morgue.
Getting a few worksmen here was the next step, but she would take care of that in the evening.
"And how did the priests of the mission not know you were here? Unless they had the observation skills of cave bat, someone would have noticed. Were they a part of this?""I dunno what they knew. But even if they did, what could they do about it? Nuthin'."
"Well, then. Since I've learned very little, all I can do is keep you here for now."
"Absolutely. She'll do if he doesn't want to nominate his own superiors," Kelne says cheerfully, "It certainly makes life easier for us. We might have a bit of trouble coming up with replacements. Still, we have only ourselves to blame."
That smile took on a rather malevolent edge, "You may want to consider a new career path. Father Padrick may be salvageable, but I have this dreadful, baseless suspicion that you've thrown your lot in with the Pauper's men. No doubt evidence one way or another will prevent itself."
"You may want to consider a new career path. Father Padrick may be salvageable, but I have this dreadful, baseless suspicion that you've thrown your lot in with the Pauper's men. No doubt evidence one way or another will prevent itself."
"I have not 'thrown in my lot' with this 'Pauper's' men. I already said, my only concern is for Father Padrick. Now please leave us alone."
"I'll go tell her what's going on!" Zindit happily exclaimed. Maybe now she could get someone else in trouble with Tessirda! She won't have time to suspect me of anything then!
She ran back downstairs to inform the elven priestess of what little they had learned, but stopped again at the tripwire. If someone were to get hurt here because they forgot to mention it, she would surely be in trouble.
She got down on all fours and went to work at removing the tripwire, and disabling whatever it might be attatched to.
Tessirda:
When Tessirda opens the door to the room she is going to use for the makeshift morgue she finds what appears to be an unoccupied bunk room, with the additional feature of the youth who ran away earlier cowering in the corner.
Uzés starts to move the bodies to the room.
Zindit easily disables the simple trap, but does not find Tessirda downstairs.
"Hee..." Zindit grinned at yet another job well done! This was the best day she could remember in years!
Putting the wire aside, she looked about for Tessirda. When she didn't find her, her cheer faded somewhat.
She continued to wander around the first floor, looking for the others and growing increasingly worried the longer she went without seeing Amunyet, Zavos, and the rest. She kept her knife out as she wandered from room to room, hugging the walls and trying to stay out of the beggar's path yet giving every last one of them suspicious looks.
Tessirda moved the bodies to the room, putting them next to each other. Each of them she cleaned up as well as she could, given the little time. She'd ask the priest to say a small prayer for their benefit. They were evil, but maybe their evil was rooted in desperation rather than malice... a slim distinction, one she wouldn't have paid any mind a few scant weeks ago - but now, she forced herself to count on it.
"Zindit! I am glad you're here! I feel as if Kelne may need our help, and I cannot leave these two. Do you have rope we can use to tie them up? If so, I'll hold my scimitar on them while you do that!"
Zindit yelped when Amunyet called out to her, but quickly composed herself as much as she ever could be. She nodded eagerly at the priestess' question. "Yes ma'am! I have lots of rope, lots and lots!" She pulled a coil of old, somewhat frayed, but still useful rope from her pack and went to work tying the men up, smiling innocently at both the priestess and the prisoners as she worked.
She was becoming downright giddy by this point.
Zindit ties up the two prisoners securely.
Tessirda looked up. The pile of rags she had dimly registered before had just started quivering. It could be the boy she saw earlier. So she put aside her grisly work for the moment, and took a few steps towards him. Not yet within arms reach (the boy was going to be too frightened), but close enough he'd know she was adressing him.
"Hey... Is this your room?" She asked, intending to calm him down a bit, so she could talk to him longer.
"Yes, well, that's not going to happen," Kelne says, "Barging in, throwing out the local petty tyrants and then turning around and leaving? No matter what motives you ascribe to us, you have to admit that would be a long shot." He finds himself a comfortable section of wall to lean against, making it clear he's not going anywhere soon.
Once they are tied up securely, Amunyet will walk up to the first one, and crack him across the back of the head with the pommel of her scimitar . "Zindit, dear, could you knock the other unconscious? Additional insurance against escape."
"Hey... Is this your room?"
"No. If I hid in there the Pauper would find me and kill me. Are you gonna kill me?"
"Yes, well, that's not going to happen," Kelne says, "Barging in, throwing out the local petty tyrants and then turning around and leaving? No matter what motives you ascribe to us, you have to admit that would be a long shot." He finds himself a comfortable section of wall to lean against, making it clear he's not going anywhere soon.
Jhonas sighs. "Very well then." He goes back into his part of the cloister.
Amunyet and Zindit put the two prisoners out.
Meanwhile Uzés continues to bring the bodies into the room and loot them. One of them is still breathing.
"OK, that should hopefully take care of them for some time. Zindit, can you show me where Kelne went to? And have you seen Tessirda?"
"Um..." Zindit scratched her head. "I don't know where MissTessirda is. I was trying to find her for Kelne. He's upstairs with those priests that he doesn't think are really priests I think. There was a trap going up the stairs to their room but I got rid of it so it's safe to go up now!" she pointed out eagerly.
"I think Mr. Kelne wanted me to get MissLadyTessirda to come upstairs to him because of those priests. He thinks one of them is bad maybe."
Oblivious to the activity elsewhere in the shelter, Zavos helps Geezer feed the pigeons.
Tessirda looked at the child, and smiled. This was easier than she expected. "Why would I slay you? You've done nothing to me, and as far as i know came to this sanctuary with no bad intentions."
She paused, and offered a hand.
"Well, let us go find Tessirda, and Zavos as well. It is time we reassembled; it would be far safer than split up as we are."
Amunyet goes and tries to locate both Zavos and Tessirda before heading to Kelne's location.
"Yup-let's!" Zindit chimed in, nearly bolting again but holding back her step to keep the Osiriani priestess within sight.