[4E] Adventures in Fallcrest - IC

[dariathalon]

Pavick - Gnome Wizard

Pavick smiles as his name was mentioned. "Sure did. I did some undercover work yesterday and was able to get some information before we had to blow the cover. The one I got to spend the most time with was named Ramelian. A dragonborn like yourself. After seeing that letter, we thought it possible he might have been a relative of yours. I guess that he must not have been, good thing too cause he's dead now. He was in charge of getting that wagon to a site somewhere just outside of the city; out the east gate." He shuffles his weight from one foot to the other, seeming uncomfortable standing still.

"Before we left I also met an elven woman named Kala; she had a lot of say in what was going on. I'm just guessing, but she might have been the Miss Leroux mentioned in that note," he gestures toward the pocket Rex tucked the letter into. "There was also a drow and a couple of goblin cronies. There was no love lost between him and Kala. I didn't get much information on the drow or his goblins, but when they left the area, they rowed upstream in a boat. Thought that seemed a little odd. Oh and of course there's Kelson the bartender down at the Lucky Gnome. I don't think he's really involved, but he knew enough to get me in touch with the right people."

[Nai_Calus]

Eltain keeps quiet and simply observes for the moment.

Spoiler

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(1d20+5)[17] Insight

[Nai_Calus]

Eltain realises that Rex knows more than he's letting on.

"Sir, I must agree with Lucan. If you know anything at all about anything related to that letter, it would be of great help to everyone. I can assure you that I will use the utmost discretion."

[spoiler]
(1d20+13)[24] Diplomacy

[Hzurr]

DM Post

At Pavick's mention of Kala, Tacitus flips through some of the papers on the desk, before sliding one to the gnome. "Is this the woman?" When Pavick looks at it, he sees that it's a fairly good sketch of the woman that he saw at the docks. On Pavick's positive identification, Tacitus nods. "Yes, that's Kala Leroux. We knew she was selling some of the goods, but I didn't realize she was more involved than that. That's good to know." He makes a few notes, as Lucan and Eltain speak.

Tacitus frowns. "Let's just say that if this is the bastard I think it is, I understand why he's targeting my family. Tacitus moves over to the door glances outside. "Leave us. he barks to the guard outside "And send Berrian down." He closes the door, and moves back to the table, thinking. "Three years ago, a young Dragonborn showed up at my door, requesting to see me, and bearing an old copy of my family's seal, one that I had stopped using once I became the head of the household." He glances down at the signet ring on his right hand. "He claimed he was my son, and was there for his share of the inheritance." He pulls out the letter, and reads it again.

"When I was young, I worked as an adventurer for several years, and during that time I met a number of young ladies who were more than happy to...well, I'm sure you know." His eyes dart to Shep. "Hmm...most of you know, at any rate." he clears his throat, and continues "At some point, in my travels, I lost my signet ring. Not sure how, not sure where."

"Naturally, when a dragonborn I had never met before arrives on my doorstep, asking for money, and his only proof is a signet ring and the name of a mother I don't remember, I became suspicious, and threw him out, because I believed that he was simply a petty con artist. I still maintain that belief, although apparently, he's taken the matter a bit more seriously."

A *creak* from the door announces the arrival of Berrian. Tacitus looks up, and says one word: "Oedipus."

Berrian says something in Elven that is not repeatable, then adds (in common): "He really believes his outlandish story? Well, that could explain it, but I never would have expected something like this from him."

Tacitus nods, and looks back to the party. "This changes nothing, however. Follow up on the leads you have, and finish the job. Are we clear?"

[Haberdashery]

Shep's blithely innocent eyes twinkle back at Tacitus Rex. Most likely his employer means young ladies who are more than happy to clean his armor. Seeing as though Shep wears no armor, it is only natural he has never encountered a young lady wishing to clean his. There is his shepherd's tunic, they could certainly wish to clean that, but Shep far prefers to do his own laundry. Goat's milk soap gets even the fiercest stains out.

He shakes the thought from his head.

"Any encounter with this supposed son of yours won't be a peaceful one. The bastard goat is quick with his hooves, after all. Would you rather we have mercy in such a situation, or would you prefer...?"

Shep brings his hands before him, the right one balling into a fist, and the left held flat and vertical, facing the fist. He slams his right hand into the left with a dull thud.

[Hzurr]

DM Post

"I leave that entirely to your discretion. If he's not willing to accept mercy, then show none to him."

Tacitus stands. "Now, if you'll excuse me, there are some things I should attend to. Now that I know who is responsible, there are a few other avenues I should pursue to remedy the situation."

[DSCrankshaw]

Lucan - Half-elf bard/MC ranger

Lucan may not be too bright, but he knows when he's being dismissed. He bows to Tacitus as he departs.

[Mando Knight]

"Of course, sir." Aramil nods and rises from his seat. "We'll be back tonight with an update, if all goes well."

[Hzurr]

DM Post

Tacitus nods to Aramil, and shuts the door hard behind him. Berrian stares at the door for a bit in thought, before turning back to the party. "I wish you had given me some warning that you knew it was Oedipus. It's not good for him to find out like that." He frowns, but after a moment he looks at the party. "So, where are you gong first? The whorehouse? To investigate this Drow? To talk to the captain?"

He waits for your answer, but even as he does so, he keeps watching the door that Tacitus went out. It's about mid-morning, and again the weather is slightly drizzly

[Mando Knight]

"We didn't know who it was, just that he had the initials O.R. and had access to an older version of the Rex seal. We thought it would be better if we confronted him directly about it, since it would be a bit easier to avoid miscommunication in person."

[DSCrankshaw]

Lucan - Half-elf bard/MC ranger

"Maybe it's time to get to work," Lucan says. "Where should we go first?"

[Mando Knight]

"We should probably talk to the captain of the guard first. Things will get out of hand quickly if he decides we're more of a nuisance to the town than he would like."

[DSCrankshaw]

Lucan - Half-elf bard/MC ranger

"Sounds good," Lucan says. "Let's go."

[Nai_Calus]

"Indeed, he did tell me yesterday that he wanted to talk to me, so he seems the most logical first choice," Eltain says. "And well, we did kidnap two of his guards, even if at least that half-elf has turned to evil."

[dariathalon]

Pavick - Gnome Wizard

"Maybe we shouldn't start with that bit of information. It hardly seems likely to make a good first impression." He shakes his head. "No, if we wait to tell him, he'll probably be even more likely to be upset. Maybe there's no good way to approach this situation," Pavick says as he begins moving toward the door.

[Nai_Calus]

"There really is no good way of doing it, no. Sometimes all one can do is try to apologize and effect damage control."

[Hzurr]

DM Post

As you make your way accross town in the light drizzle, things seem to be a fairly typical day. From time to time, you hear people whisper, or see them point at you and you muttering something of a battle in the marketplace. The snippits of conversation vary from the group of you attacking a lone swordsman to you fighting off an entire orc invasion.

Eventually, you make your way to a small fortified building on the south end of town. It appears to be abuzz, with a disproportionately large number of guards moving in and out. As you enter, a number of the guards turn to stare, several moving a hand to their weapons. Obviously, they heard the rumor as well.

Perception DC 15

Spoiler

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You see the short human with the crooked nose who was at the battle in the streets yesterday, and who had pushed to bring you in. He spots you, and stiffens, then walks over to a few of the other guards in the corner, and starts whispering something to them, while pointing towards you.

Before long, the awkward staring is broken up by a voice. "Did anyone check with Ilyana? She was close to Errol, wasn't she?" You see the captain step out from a corner office, and he takes half a second to survey the situation. "What the hells are you people doing, standing around here?" he yells at the guards staring at you. "We've got two men missing, I want you to get out there and find them, am I clear?"

He looks at you, and motions you inside. Once you're in, he closes the door behind them. He sits down, and gives a sigh. His voice drops back to his slow, steady drawl. "Sorry 'bout that. A couple of guys went missing from their shift last night, so things are a bit tense here." He pauses, and looks over the group, his eyes resting on Pavick. "So, I see you decided to bring the wizard with you." His gaze shifts to Eltain. "Care to tell me what really happened yesterday?"

[DSCrankshaw]

Lucan - Half-elf bard/MC ranger

Lucan, blissfully unaware of anything untoward happening, listens raptly as Eltain tells their tale. If Eltain is slow to tell said tale, he'll give the paladin a little poke. Not that doing so does much good when said paladin's wearing plate mail.

Spoiler

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OOC: I know plate mail isn't technically the right term, but I decided the rhyme was worth a little historical inaccuracy.

[Nai_Calus]

Eltain pauses for a moment to collect his thoughts.

"Our employer asked us to investigate some illegal activity that has been happening that's negatively impacted his trade. We found a likely lead on some of the people involved and Pavick here was able to get a 'job' with them. We had tracked down one of them who had quit at the bar Pavick made his contact at and were escorting him to our employer for questioning and safekeeping when we were attacked by agents of the group responsible. We fought them, and Pavick hid himself lest he be seen and blow his cover. It worked and our investigation last night was quite fruitful, although..." He sighs. "Do you... Trust all of the members of the city guard? I fear that..." He bites his lip and decides to get it over with.

"I'm afraid that at least one of your men is working with them. He was helping them and when we revealed ourselves he attacked us." Eltain puts up a hand before the guard captain can jump to conclusions. "He is unharmed, as is the man that was with him, who seemed to be being blackmailed by the half-elf into cooperating with him. They are both safe. I am sorry that it became necessary to deal with them at all, I dislike it when situations turn to such a state, but sometimes in order to protect the beauty of the world..." He sighs. "I deeply and humbly apologize for what we have been forced to do so far. I know that it does not make things easy for you."

[DSCrankshaw]

Lucan - Half-elf bard/MC ranger

Lucan nods when Eltain finishes. "We truly are sorry and would prefer to work with the guard in this manner if possible. But it does appear that the guard may be... compromised." Lucan has to fight not to smile, as he's quite proud of himself for finding a place to use that big word.

Spoiler

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Use Words of Friendship:
Diplomacy - (1d20+17)[23]

[Mando Knight]

"Oh, and don't let crooked nose there do what he wants. I don't trust his face."

Is it the crooked nose? Probably.

"And, in our defense, they opened a gate to mysterious beings late at night, and then they attacked us while outside the town walls."

[Hzurr]

DM Post

The Captain looks at you for a long moment. With a grimace, he leans down, opens up one of the drawers in the desk, and pulls out a clay jug, and a set of glasses. Pouring a cup for himself, he drinks it slowly, and walks over to stare out the window. He motions for you to help yourselves to a drink, as he continues thinking. Eventually, he drains his cup, and sits back down.

"I'm aware of the Rex family's trade issues, and the filth that's being smuggled into the city. I haven't been able to make much progress, since the perpetrators always seem to know when we're coming. The half-elf you captured," he says, looking up at the party, "is named Errol, and I've suspected him for a while. When we went up to the gate that he and Phil were guarding last night, we didn't find any trace of them, just some blood on the ground, and a lot of tracks just outside the gate. No bodies." He jerks his head towards the door leading back to the main part of the office where the rest of the guards are working. "They assumed the worst, and there's nothing that will motivate a city guard like one of their own getting hurt. And as much as I'd love to let them know that everything is ok, I'd rather use this as an opportunity to root out anyone else who may be of questionable loyalty."

"So, here's the plan for now. We'll continue our search for the 'missing' guards as if nothing has changed, and you go ahead with whatever you're doing for the scalies up on the hill. While you're doing this, if you can help me turn up any information on who else in my team might be compromised, then I can make sure that the watch doesn't interfere with your investigation. And," he adds, looking at Aramil, "I do need a bit more than simply 'not trusting his face."

"So, now that I've identified the mysterious wizard from yesterday, I think we're all done here." He stands, and extends his hand. "Do we have a deal?"

[Haberdashery]

Shep has been silent for the entire conversation, standing behind his fellows with an intense furrow on his forehead, and running his stony fingers through his tangled beard. Things happen so quickly now, he finds it hard to keep up with events as they blaze past his head. He can't help but feel strong appreciation for the savviness of his companions.

[Nai_Calus]

Eltain shakes the guard captain's hand.

"I shall do my best to help, and I'm certain my companions will as well. The ugliness that corruption brings to this world is an affront to Corellon, and I will seek it out and eliminate it in his name."

[Hzurr]

DM Post

@Shep - your keen Shepard nose notices that the drink he offered is, in fact, milk. Although you suspect it may be cow, rather than goat.

The captain shakes Eltain's hand, then moves over to open the door. As you leave, most of the guards continue about their business, but once you step outside, Lucan, out of the corner of his eye, catches a glimpse of the guard with the crooked nose talking to a gnome, and pointing out you. The gnome nods, and slips off into the shadows as the guard goes back inside.

[DSCrankshaw]

Lucan - Half-elf bard/MC ranger

Once out of earshot of the guard, Lucan whispers to the others, "I think that an unlucky gnome may be taking an interest in us."

[Mando Knight]

Aramil responds in an equally hushed voice. "Don't do anything to the poor sap yet. Even if he's a spy, us attacking him will give the villains valid reason to imprison us. I suggest we next investigate the Leroux woman."

[Haberdashery]

Shep's nose twitches. Cow's milk is goat's milk lesser known bastard in-bred lilliputian and warty step-cousin. He takes a step back from the table, and its horrid contents. Were he to return to his flock smelling of cow's milk they wouldn't speak to him for a week for being such a gutter harlot.

Shep clears his throat at Lucan's comment. "Never fear, our Lucky Gnome will cancel out the Unlucky Gnome. Granted, we will no longer have the upper hand, but the playing field will be even."

[Nai_Calus]

"I agree with Aramil, we should investigate this woman. Should we do it professionally or, ah, more... Personally?" He indicates with a gesture what exactly he means by 'personally'.

(OOC: Oh Eltain, you pervy little ball of hormones, you.)

[dariathalon]

Pavick - Gnome Wizard

"I apologize for having to hide from you yesterday. I hope you'll understand, undercover work and all that. Couldn't risk my cover being blown until I got some more information about them." Pavick adds to the conversation with the guard captain.

As the group leaves the captain's office Pavick pulls a coin from his belt pouch and begins flipping it into the air and catching it. After the other gnome is spotted, Pavick comments, "I just hope I haven't worn out my luck then."

"I think you're right, Kala would be a good avenue to 'pursue'." He winks at Eltain. "I'm sure she won't react well to seeing me, but you might be able to talk her into giving up some information. It's too bad we left that letter with Rex, that evidence that they were planning to get rid of her soon could have gone a long way toward convincing her to help us. Though there still is the question of where we'll find her."