A cursory glance about the room doesn't reveal anything too interesting as the piles are deep and closer inspection would require more than a few seconds.
The toughs carried nothing more than their leather armor, heavy shields, and maces. Arthuro is also wearing leather and you find several daggers hidden within the folds of his waist coat, in his boots, and up his sleeves. The dagger he was holding in his hand, however, is obviously of a much higher quality.
A cursory glance about the room doesn't reveal anything too interesting as the piles are deep and closer inspection would require more than a few seconds.
The toughs carried nothing more than their leather armor, heavy shields, and maces. Arthuro is also wearing leather and you find several daggers hidden within the folds of his waist coat, in his boots, and up his sleeves. The dagger he was holding in his hand, however, is obviously of a much higher quality.
Galad examines the creature before searching through the junk.
"Glad to help, glad to help," Kenneth answers Dannad absently, as he starts poking through the goods. "Good work, there, Dagobert -- remind me not to get on your bad side!"
With that, he launches into a long, rambling, but somehow entertaining, story about one of his relatives who once got mistaken for a wererat.
Nature DC 15:
Nature DC 20:
Galad shifts through several of the piles and finds one interesting item that stands out among the pots and pans. At the bottom of one pile Galad finds a custom-made iron mold used to make sling stones. The mold bears the sigils from a host of several good-aligned deities.
Kenneth also shifts through the piles and finds a silver filigree lantern. What first appears to be a clump of old rags tumbling inside the lantern turns out to be the body of a small, winged fey creature.
Picture of a filigree lantern
Five minutes of searching have now passed.
Dagobert rootles while everyone recovers themselves to the accompaniment of Kenneth's story.
Dagobert rootles while everyone recovers themselves to the accompaniment of Kenneth's story.
Dagobert pokes around for 5 minutes but fails to find anything of interest.
"So that's what this was, eh?" "Sounds like a good job we killed it.
"Now, this is interesting," Kenneth goes on, lifting out the lantern. "What kind of creature was this?" he muses.
Dagobert tries to find somewhere to sit down that isn't covered in filth and realises that he really knows nothing at all about the thing they've just killed.
Dannad carefully rolls Arturo for his belongings, taking the weapons and tying the fence up before spending a bit of time examining the dagger.
"Oooh, this looks like somethin' special."
He spins it with his right hand a few times to get a feel for the weapon before walking over to Kenneth.
"I think ye've seen a bit more o' this kind o' stuff than I. What do you make of this knife?"
Kenneth:
The creature appears to be some breed of pixie.
The further you get from the otyughs, the less filth there is. The room isn't exactly dirty as much as it is cluttered.
"Nice little toy you've found, Dannad. Might come in handy."
Perception and a d12 (1d20+4=22, 1d12=10)
Now that he comes to think about it, Dagobert realises that Arthuro was a highly unreliable type. It's quite possible the fence was lying about having desiccants.
He glares hard at the unconscious man.
"Slobber and mucus isn't proper garbage clearance," he sniffs. "He's probably got fine ways of attacting rats if he only knew it."
As Dagobert rootles, so rootles Kenneth.
Dagobert rummages around and finds what appears to be an ornate dragon-headed walking stick. Upon closer inspection, however, it is much heavier and reinforced with iron. Dagobert, with his exceptional perception, quickly deduces that the dragon's head can be twisted and removed from the cane, revealing a hollow interior. A slender, wooden wand slips out into Dagobert's hand. It is made of dense wood and has arcane markers burnt precisely down its length. The walking stick itself could also be used as a very sturdy club.
Kenneth's searches turn up an interesting set of small ceramic bulbs strung along a bandoleer. Each bulb is hollow and sealed with cork. They seem empty at the moment but could probably be filled about 1 flask's worth of liquid.
While searching around you get a better look at the area beyond your current room. A set of old wooden stairs lead up to another curtain which blocks your view of the top. There also seems to be another area around the northern wall of this room.
"Might be interesting. I wonder what it does." Dagobert prods experimentally. "Not that I can use it, but someone can I don't doubt."
"Might be interesting. I wonder what it does." Dagobert prods experimentally. "Not that I can use it, but someone can I don't doubt."
"No doubt," Kenneth murmurs. "And look at this -- handy for anyone who uses a sling and perhaps something alchemical."
The wand is easy to identify as it is a simple +1 wand. The cane is approximately the right size and composition of a rod and the iron reinforcement could make it a decent implement in a pinch. It contains no magic, however.
"Reminds me of that story you told about your cousin who used his old wand as chopsticks and got turned into a cockroach. Do you want this?"
Dagobert offers the wand to Kenneth.
"Ah, yes, good old Gregory. Went on to have about 3,000 children. Don't mind if I do, and I'll take a cautionary lesson." Kenneth happily pockets the wand.
Vandis groans at the continual chatter of Kenneth and Dagobert.
"Care to help look, Vandis? We might even find something that fits you."
"There is naught to be found on the likes of trash such as these." he says with disdain, indicating the fallen thugs.
Dagobert politely ignores Vandis's grumbling and prods experimentally at the northern wall.
Galad quietly pockets the sling casts and stands ready to continue.
Dagobert ventures around the north wall and finds a pair of greasy fat lamps casting flickering light over a filthy study. A black desk is overflowing with scrolls and spilled inkpots, a grimy scale, and stacks of copper coins. A ratty, moth-eaten blanket hangs over a hole cut in the back of the tiny study.
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"I shouldn't care to live here." Dagobert looks disapprovingly at the squalid living arrangements.
"Very messy. I don't suppose he kept accurate records either." He complacently pats his own meticulously filled notebooks.
Vandis rolls his eyes as Dagobert chatters.
It appears Arthuro actually did keep meticulous notes of nearly all his transactions. The only problem is that they are all nearly indecipherable to anyone but The Fence.
After double checking on Arturo and making sure he was well tied up, Dannad had distractedly picked at the junk around him.
As Dagobert ventures to the north, Dannad moves to follow him. In the study the aspiring thief goes though some of the ledgers before giving up in a huff as he starts to get a headache.
Dagobert can't make head nor tail of the Fence's writing.
Vandis muscles and bustles in, and grunts "Let me see."
"There you go."
Dagobert hands over the account book with a happy smile, pleased that Vandis is pleased.
Galad stands there, stock still.
Those still in the junk room notice that Arthuro has started to stir and test his bonds.
As for the piles of papers, Vandis (possibly Galad) is/are the only one(s) who seem(s) to make heads or tails of the writing. The transactions shown are mostly pittances, worth no more than a silver or two. In the last month, however, Vandis spots 5 entries that stand apart from the others.
Vandis/Galad:
- crown, cur/ sharped b. Abbess Jeny/A3
- sword, 2hnd/ brandy coved b. Clovis/ Trans. t. Cpt. Irocar
- dagger, slayr; right bloody beat b. Tuld the Toad/ T11
- cloak, sylv/ cribbed b. Blackjack Droug/O7
- staff???/ resurrected b. Lud the Magsman (deceased) /Trans. t. Mad. Zeb'oltha
Vandis/Galad:
** spoiler omitted **
Vandis is familiar with criminal and ledger codes from his mercenary work, and explains it to the others.
Dagobert ponders, lips moving silently as he goes through the names.
Streetwise (1d20=19)
Dannad, seeing the rest of the group huddled around the ledgers of Arturo, has sense enough to go check on the fence. Wary of any additional surprises, the thief steps lightly through the cluttered room.
Arthuro definitely hears Dannad coming and he looks up wearily from the floor but appears to be at a loss for words. He looks surprised more than anything else, and also quite frightened.
Kenneth and Dagobert:
The name Zeb'oltha is familiar from the rumors you heard earlier. She was referred to as a demon-blooded black sorceress.
You are currently unfamiliar with the other names.
"Dearie, dearie me. I know he's a Fence, but he's not picking his customers with much care."
Dagobert sticks his head back to the main room.
"Now then, what do you think we need to know about the human rodents in this place? I'm asking nicely at the moment, but there's no saying how long that will last."
Something about Arthuro's failure to see the merit of rats has profoundly upset him.
Arthuro struggles about in the junk about him, trying to sit up despite his bonds. His prominent nose whistles furiously as he breathes with the effort. When he's finally up against a nearby barrel, he levels a steady gaze at Dagobert.
"What is it you people want exactly? If yer' workin' for the thieves guild yer' makin' a mistake. Goin' against the Beggar-King on his own turf is suicide. If ya' go now he might let it slide."
Dagobert looks mildly at the decrepit human.
"Now then, I don't think a man who keeps a thing like that as a scavenger has too many scruples about the company he keeps."
A strong note of disapproval creeps into his voice.
"Why are you working for the King Rat if he's so dangerous then?"
"The otyugh's just there to dispose of refuse. I'm the one that trained it in case things got bad. Looks like she was gettin' a little too old for the job though. As for the Beggar-King, the guy's a loon but his gold's just as good as anyone else's. He lets me do my job and that's all I care about," replies the face in his nasal tone of voice.