Explorers of Acacia - Main thread

[RCgothic]

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Kel had spent the last few moments looking over the scene of a crime observing the outburst and the reaction of Hazala.

Kel steps forward as well Glad to meet you Arlia, I am Kel Serath a wandering druid. We simply were looking for ways to help. Who exactly was the person suspected to do this?... Kel's voice trails off when he sees Lyral. He then turns and address's Lyral Ah, hello again Lyral. Nice to see you again.

Turning to talk to Hazal Kel speaks again, Lyral was the man whom I talked with last night at the Church

After hearing Tarmikos's latest information dump Kel speaks, While I don't mean to intrude on your personal story of who this man is I think it is wise for you to tell us what he looks like and his name if you feel it is necessary. In order for him to do that kind of damage to a corpse he must do it after the corpse is dead or he must be fiendishly strong.

Halaza nods in recognition of the man who had come to the church the other night.


A crazy man who claims he is a hunter at the scene of a murder, and a rambling dragon kin of unknown origin scaring away city guardsmen... It seems you all have some explaining to do... Why are you here, who are you and what is the name of your rag-tag group?

She glares at the Dragonkin who has tried to evade her questions thus far.

And if you truly are not responsible for this mans murder, then who is this man you claim is responsible and how do you know of him...

Kel looks sternly at Hazala and speaks in a firm voice, Calm yourself! Nothing is to be gained by raising our voices. We shall discuss this civilly.

Turning to address the others in this tavern, Of course she does have a decent point. Lyral doesn't exactly have my full trust at the moment. What is your relation to Lyral?

Kel then turns to Latinskel and ask him Actually, Latinskel do you have any magic prepared that would help detect who did this?

Lia

"You don't trust Lyral? What did he do?" I turn to regard the strange man bent over Dagoc's corpse. His interest is a bit morbid, but it doesn't seem like he's taking pleasure in his own work. "We met him here last night - and all right, he's a bit of a creep - but I don't think he did this. Tarmikos is adamant this is the work of his quarry and I trust him. Although now would be a good time for some details..."

I'm confused by the crusader's persistence on the dragon thing, and it's starting to worry me. "I'm sorry, but why is that important right now? There's a murderer to catch and the guards don't look up to it. I've frankly never seen a more porous security cordon in my life!"

"Anyway, we don't have a group name yet and that's also not important to think about right now. I didn't catch your name by the way."

[Psymple]

Halaza looks a Kel, scorn in her eyes.
A rather stark difference to how she acted earlier and how she is acting now is very apparent...
Who is he to tell me to calm down... Does he even know what this thing could do if it was twisted towards darker ways...
Dragonblood, he could be a sorceror or maybe hes just a maniac murderer...
Calm down my love... Dont burn bridges with these strangers, you are not following the path of an inquisitor now, you do not need to suspect everyone...
But...
Shhh, find out what is going on... play along my dear...

The anger seems to slide off her replaced by no real emotion at all...
Her face cold and stirn, her eyes still twitching between everyone in the group.
But mostly resting on the Kel, Tarmikos and Lyral

Very well, Halaza... I am a Knight of the Copper Hearts. A Celestial Order that hunt the spawn and worshippers of Tiamat

[RCgothic]

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"My name, as I said before, is Tarmikos. Tarmikos Silverkin."

Just checking that I had caught Tarmikos' surname.

Lia

I sigh, crossing my arms. This Halaza is still acting surly (even if less irate than before), so it appears we're going to get sidetracked anyway. "Tiamat? That's the goddess of chromatic dragons, right? Well you're addressing Tarmikos Silverkin so I think we're probably all right." I can't help the small under-note of sarcasm creeping in, and immediately regret it. She's just trying to do her duty, even if it is patently less immediate than the murder we have in front of us.

I attempt to change tack, trying to engage with her and diffuse the adversarial mood of the conversation thus far:

"Though why would anyone admit to being descended from a dragon of colour when you've made it clear what the consequences would be? If they claimed to be of metallic descent, would you even know? And even if they were of unholy parentage yet commit no evil, why would that deserve automatic censure? Children don't always take after their parents; mine were a carpenter and an artist for instance!"

[razorback]

Algrith sits back and watches the interaction from everyone for a few minutes, content to see how things play out.
He wasn't sure what dragons had to do with anything but he did get here later than everyone else. Skirting around the others as the talked, he walked over to the body. The look of distaste on his face might have been easily mistaken for the brutality, but Imaran would have known it was for the untidiness and mess of the bloody body that caused him to make the face.
Spending the time, he looks over to see if there is anything the others had missed, his own powers and magic not being of any help at this time.

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(1d20+5)[10](15)

[Silva Stormrage]

Lia

"You don't trust Lyral? What did he do?" I turn to regard the strange man bent over Dagoc's corpse. His interest is a bit morbid, but it doesn't seem like he's taking pleasure in his own work. "We met him here last night - and all right, he's a bit of a creep - but I don't think he did this. Tarmikos is adamant this is the work of his quarry and I trust him. Although now would be a good time for some details..."

I'm confused by the crusader's persistence on the dragon thing, and it's starting to worry me. "I'm sorry, but why is that important right now? There's a murderer to catch and the guards don't look up to it. I've frankly never seen a more porous security cordon in my life!"

"Anyway, we don't have a group name yet and that's also not important to think about right now. I didn't catch your name by the way."

Kel sighs, I don't think "creep" covers it for me. Last night Lyral showed up to the church Hazala and I were staying in and started rambling, similarly to how a madman would. In addition he essentially said that whatever the situation was he would try to betray me... He then asked if I could offer him a job. I assume he was either mad or drunk, and he seemed to steady to be drunk.

Though I don't think is the worst security I have seen in my day. The guards probably just aren't trained for dealing with mass murders that can cleave a foe in two.


Kel sighs and walks towards Lia once Hazala and Lia have another exchange. Hold on Lia. As much as I agree with you on the fact that members of a race are not always one alignment or another, I wish to table this discussion as it is irrelevant to solving who did this. Though first I must do something minor. Lia may I have your hand? Kel reaches out on hand towards Lia as if in a manor to shake hands.

[RCgothic]

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Kel sighs, I don't think "creep" covers it for me. Last night Lyral showed up to the church Hazala and I were staying in and started rambling, similarly to how a madman would. In addition he essentially said that whatever the situation was he would try to betray me... He then asked if I could offer him a job. I assume he was either mad or drunk, and he seemed to steady to be drunk. Though I don't think is the worst security I have seen in my day. The guards probably just aren't trained for dealing with mass murders that can cleave a foe in two.
Kel sighs and walks towards Lia once Hazala and Lia have another exchange. Hold on Lia. As much as I agree with you on the fact that members of a race are not always one alignment or another, I wish to table this discussion as it is irrelevant to solving who did this. Though first I must do something minor. Lia may I have your hand? Kel reaches out on hand towards Lia as if in a manor to shake hands.

Lia

Somehow I don't find Kel's explanation for his distrust of Lyral terribly surprising. Mad I could agree with... need to make sure I always keep an eye on him.

I shrug as Kel suggests tabling the discussion to another time - it's what I'd wanted anyway; I totally agree that we're wasting time when there's a murderer to catch. I'm caught off guard by his strange request though. Why would he want my hand?

"Um, okay..." I hold out my hand gingerly as though expecting a slap on the wrist.

[Silva Stormrage]

Kel reaches out and channels a good amount of holy energy directly into Lia's hand. Lia should feel the energy course around her hand but not cause any damage.

Kel nods and releases her hand, Well that settles it, Lia is not an evil creature. My touch if I so wish can cause damage to evil creatures. I use it as an impromptu way of learning if a creature is evil or not. It will damage regardless of any abjurations concealing their true nature as well. Hazala if you wish to discuss with Lia later on why colored dragon's are hunted by your order than feel free to do so. In fact I would suggest you two talk it amongst yourselves so that you can stop being at each other's throats. However, while we are here we still need to focus on him Kel points to the torn in half corpse and what caused his death. Bickering and accusing everyone here will not do any good unless we have proof or facts that incriminate someone.

Now, Tarkimos, who exactly do you think did this? You still haven't told us who or what he looks like. Also do you happen to have anything with his scent on it? Silvan is quite a competent tracker Kel motions to his giant wolf sitting next to him.

[Psymple]

Halaza looks to the woman who has just addressed her,
A look of desperation on her face and the smallest glint of anger at misunderstanding her.

I asked who he was and why he was on the scene of a murder He may be of Silver Dragon blood but that does not explain his crazed behaviour or his association with those that walk into churches with threats.

Not to mention his apparent acquaintance with the being that, according to him, committed that atrocity.

She takes a breath before continuing.

Do not tar me with zealous bigotry, I care only about the actions of others...
He is of Dragon blood, that means he has the potential to wreak destruction and misery.
One does not have to be evil to destroy those around them, whether he committed this act of barbarism or intends to peruse the one who did...
If he can lose his temper like that he has the potential to injure innocents around him.


She looks at Kel, their discussions of last night at the forefront of her memory.
Her anger sliding away and her voice once again losing its hostility.
Further this time, her tone quiet and soft.

Her point made she turns to Tarmikos,
whilst Kel and Lia introduce themselves,
waiting for him to say his piece.

[INoKnowNames]

Tarmikos stands up, after having inspected the body once again. "Things would be much easier if this city was defended by actual soldiers, rather than mice... then again, so few can truly be expected to bare their lives for the sake of the cause..." He exhales yet another frosty breath, continuing to expel and control his frustrations.

Tarmikos takes stock of each of those that remain still. As his eyes rest upon the visitor alongside the knight, Tarmikos visibly gasps, averting his eyes rather quickly. What is he... man? Or beast? he ponders to himself, doing everything he can to subside the trembling brought out by the visitor. "Pardon me for my various acts of rudeness here. Today just doesn't seem to be my day." he responds.

Looking back at the corpse, a sense of duty allows him to fight his fear, at least for the moment. "I cannot say, without witness testimony or further evidence, whether or not the man I seek is connected to this atrocity. And to close off any further options in mind would only make the hunt for the true killer a harder task. It is better to keep such unprofessional mistakes at a minimum." He turns his gaze back onto the group. "Even the weapon used in this crime could be simply coincidence, though it is a shame that multiple weapons of such evil could exist. Without more information, particularly about who the victim was, or of anyone that may have had further business with him, I cannot make any assumptions yet. This is the reason we need those guards to return. The knowledge that -someone- in this city holds is invaluable..."

Tarmikos walks toward the center of the room, and looks back at Lyral. "As for him, he was one of the adventurers that gathered here. He doesn't seem to be of trouble, or else coming back to the scene of a crime would be quite a foolish move on his part. At the very least, he doesn't appear to be inhibiting our efforts, at all. There were quite a few of us together last night, and most of us were staying at the Inn across the street. For the sake of this task, gathering such talented people might be just as prudent as attempting to wrest knowledge from the guards..."

Tarmikos' eyes light up. "Not only might someone in the Inn have seen something, considering how recently Dagoc was killed, but a guest staying there might be able to use his abilities to help us!" He appears to be puzzled for just a moment, before snapping his fingers. "Jorah! He was one of the many adventurers that had gathered here last night. We spoke together for a bit while I inquired with Dagoc for information. He-Jorah, that is, said he was particularly skilled with Divination Magic! It's a bit of a long shot, but it would be foolish to not try and see what he could do."

Tarmikos thinks for a moment, and then continues speaking. "I propose we split into groups. I'm not sure how well I'll be able to convince the guards to come back, but I would greatly appreciate their testimony. Maybe a couple could try to bring back the most competent of them who can speak, and are not afraid to answer the call of duty?" It would be also important to speak to the people nearby, and see if there's a chance that anyone has seen anything, particularly at the Inn, since it's directly across the street. I intend to fetch Jorah myself."

He turns to Halaza. "If you would like to judge me, and see for yourself what my true colors are, feel free to come with me. I don't mind in the slightest. If you want to help, I would be grateful. But I would prefer it if you didn't mar this investigation. You needn’t worry about me. I have nothing but the most honorable intentions, and while I allowed my personal experiences to flare my emotions, I’m fine. And I would never be a threat to the innocent."

The color in his face drains for a moment, as he returns his glance to Kel. "For my own preference, maybe Kel... and his friend..." Tarmikos speaks, much of the passion in his voice attacked by fear, "could stay and assist here, or speak with the guards?" It takes everything he has to not back away from the two. Such... beings make him nervous.

[Demidos]

Imaran turns to watch his friend examine the corpse, then turns back to the matter at hand. You have given us, as yet, no good reason to trust your words or your leadership. If we are in as grave a danger as you might assume, or indeed, if there is even the slightest chance of somesuch, then it would be foolish, or perhaps even suicidal to leave here. Why do you not simply tell us what you know?

[3SecondCultist]

"No reason for us to walk into an ambush." Lyral looks pointedly at Tarmikos. He seems trustworthy enough, although Lyral never really bothers with things like that.
Everyone should be entitled to their own duplicity. All told, they all seem very competent, although they are much too cautious for my tastes. Still, I had best stick with them, at least for now. Strength in numbers, and all that. They're interesting creatures, if nothing else. He stands up again, looking first at Lia's hand, then Kel, to Halaza, Imaran, and Algrith, and finally back to Tarmikos. He stops for a moment, in thought, before speaking.
"We should wait for Zrekha the half orc." He smiles once more.

[Silva Stormrage]

Kel listens intently to Tarkimos' words then speaks, Sorry to pry into this but you seem to be nervous about speaking to. Are you afraid of Silvan? Kel motions to his wolf. I assure you he won't harm anything he is quite well trained. Also you mentioned that a particular weapon caused this? I do not know of any weapon's whose traits included bisecting men in half. I had simply assumed it was a feat of great strength. But either way I feel that you should at least explain what you know. Potential suspects is better than no at all. As well, I do not think hanging around a corpse would be the best use of my abilities. I would much rather be trying to find out something about the killer than stand around here like a guard dog. That is the city watch's job. And finally I suggest that we wait until my cleric friend comes back. They may be able to help determine the cause of death more accurately then we could

[Psymple]

Halaza listens to the man, his words seem to ring true.
Yet she still feels drawn to keep an eye on him.
Whether it is because she still feels his has something to hide or because he is mearly another of her kin, even she doesn't really know.

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He has a highish sence motive so.

I agree with him, we should split up and do what we do best.
Kel you have a way with words, it may not be glamerous but you are probably the best at getting what the guards know about this and other similar cases.


She moves to stand shoulder to shoulder with Tarkimos.

So where to lead investigator?

[INoKnowNames]

Tarmikos closes his eyes; a smile crossing his face. If justice is to be meted out, then the cooperation of everyone willing to help is essential. To get everyone on the right track is not an easy task, and time is more valuable than gold.

“I find that you are willing to trust that I know something about this situation, yet hold little faith for my suggestions, an amusing prospect.” Tarmikos responds, more than a hint of humor in his voice. “So long as several skilled adventurers are together, no criminal should present an immediate danger, or a simple assassination would be far below the abilities of whoever our enemy is. In fact, we would be in more danger staying in one spot without acting, should our foe be such a threat to us as a group.

My reasoning behind hiding my personal story is simple. Why do I need to taint your expectations? It has been some time since my query has last appeared before my eyes. It was difficult enough to know which direction to even look for him. If he is not involved in this crime, then I would do you injustice to send you on a wild goose chase, and would be putting all of the people that live here in terrible danger by giving the real murderer an additional cover to hide behind.

I’d like to acquire more knowledge, if I can. Should the situation prove the suspicions true, I will share everything I know about the man I seek, I swear it. Whether or not that holds value to you is your choice. Without witness, or evidence, such information would only inhibit our abilities.” During his speech, Tarmikos looks back and forth, between Lyral and Imaran, as well as the rest of the allies gathered presently, a look of alertness and duty embossed in his sight.

He turns his attention to Lyral. “I have no intention of waiting. To do so would be a grave injustice to the innocent that live here. But to gather more qualified individuals would indeed be an important use of our time. Mayhap you could come with me to seek Zrekha. I assumed the rest of our party was staying at the Inn. Gathering anyone who can help, and as many clues as we can, is my prime focus.”

With some difficulty, Tarmikos lays his eyes upon Kel again without flinching, though his nervousness tears at his demeanor. “If I may be so honest, it is both you and your companion that give me fright. Of no fault of your own, I assure you. I’m not much… of a man of nature, so to speak. Pardon me if this is insulting.” He straightens himself out, and continues. “The physical act is not as uncommon as one might suspect. The field of war bears injuries just as violent. But a vile-ness was crafted into the weapon; an incredibly evil blade was used for this murder. May we be helped if such a weapon is common-place.”

Tarmikos looks onto Kel’s companion. “While I bear nothing related to the killer, if we are lucky you and your pet may have better luck than myself in searching for clues. Perhaps you could look around for yourself, taking the utmost of care, and see if you can find anything, if you intend to wait for your friend. I, however, have spent enough time doing nothing. I must act on what little information we have.”

He finally turns to Halaza, and smiles at her. “Thank you for your understanding. As I mentioned, the Inn across the street is where most of those who gathered here last night were staying. One of Lyral’s allies, and a friend of my own, Jorah. There is strength in numbers, and Jorah’s abilities in particular may be of use, so I intend to fetch them both. Afterwards, I want to inquire at the inn. Considering the crime occurred maybe… two and a half hours ago, give or take, it would be odd to believe there to be no witnesses… if only the dogs of this town had not fled with their tails between their legs, they could have satisfied my curiosity.”

[Silva Stormrage]

Kel turns to Hazala No you misunderstand me. I don't wish to be the glorious person who solved this crime, I simply want him brought to justice. And talking to guards who quiet frankly don't appear to be all that useful or knowledgeable, doesn't seem quite worth it.

Kel listen to Tarkimos, Hm, he seems uncomfortable around animals. Interesting. That is probably why he wishes for me to remain here and get out as soon as possible

Kel starts to walk over to the seen of the crime Well regardless, it will be quite easy to tell if it was the criminal you are hunting. If you have anything of his that might harbor a bit of his scent hold it up to my nose. Also I believe I will be waiting for Latinskel since I was the one who told him to come back. Though I do believe it would be smart for us to meet back together at a certain point. I may have valuable information for you later. Were do you suppose we could meet. I am currently staying at the Church of Saturn. You can tell me where you want to meet after I shift into a dog, I can still understand you. with that Kel directs Silvan to sniff for scents and Kel himself shifts into a bloodhound and sniffs around the crime scene.

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Taking 20 for search, or 20 for survival, not sure which one is applicable.
42 for Survival
22 for Search

If bloodhound's don't exist then the nearest animal with super scent

[qwertyu63]

Kel starts to walk over to the seen of the crime Well regardless, it will be quite easy to tell if it was the criminal you are hunting. If you have anything of his that might harbor a bit of his scent hold it up to my nose. Also I believe I will be waiting for Latinskel since I was the one who told him to come back. Though I do believe it would be smart for us to meet back together at a certain point. I may have valuable information for you later. Were do you suppose we could meet. I am currently staying at the Church of Saturn. You can tell me where you want to meet after I shift into a dog, I can still understand you. with that Kel directs Silvan to sniff for scents and Kel himself shifts into a bloodhound and sniffs around the crime scene.

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Taking 20 for search, or 20 for survival, not sure which one is applicable.
42 for Survival
22 for Search

If bloodhound's don't exist then the nearest animal with super scent

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The trail vanishes at the doorway into and out of the bar. (Knowledge [Arcana] check: failed). The path within shows the target walking into the bar and taking a seat. After some amount of time, he stands up and strikes at Dagoc, who was behind the bar. The first swing misses, as does the second. The third hits true, slaying the bartender in one hit. After this, the target leaves, and you lose the trail at the door.

Algrith sits back and watches the interaction from everyone for a few minutes, content to see how things play out.
He wasn't sure what dragons had to do with anything but he did get here later than everyone else. Skirting around the others as the talked, he walked over to the body. The look of distaste on his face might have been easily mistaken for the brutality, but Imaran would have known it was for the untidiness and mess of the bloody body that caused him to make the face.
Spending the time, he looks over to see if there is anything the others had missed, his own powers and magic not being of any help at this time.

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[roll0]

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You fail to find anything new.

[Psymple]

He finally turns to Halaza, and smiles at her. “Thank you for your understanding. As I mentioned, the Inn across the street is where most of those who gathered here last night were staying. One of Lyral’s allies, and a friend of my own, Jorah. There is strength in numbers, and Jorah’s abilities in particular may be of use, so I intend to fetch them both. Afterwards, I want to inquire at the inn. Considering the crime occurred maybe… two and a half hours ago, give or take, it would be odd to believe there to be no witnesses… if only the dogs of this town had not fled with their tails between their legs, they could have satisfied my curiosity.”

Attempting to keep up her custodial tone over Tarmikos.
Then I shall go with you.

She couldnt help what was going on with her head.
Is it because he is of Dragonblood? I miss my kin dearly... Is it because he is a leader figure and I am slipping back into my role as a knight?
I have been without my kin so long... No, I must watch over him, he still may be volotile...
But he seems to be barely holding together... [high sence motive]
She attempt to wrap him in her courage and offers out her cupped hands. [aura of courage]


We will get whoever did this, I am sworn to protect the world from Dragonkin and Dragonkin from the world, whilst this madman exists I will be by your side hunting him down.

Well it looks like I just signed us up for a long haul Jessyka, I am sorry...
You did what was right...

[Shazek]

Jorah Derias had not slept much at all, last night. He ought to be used to that, by now, but this ring of his still took him off guard at times. It made him seem almost undead, never eating, shunning sleep. He wondered how the people he had met in the bar would react to that. It did not truly matter, as they were all but strangers, but it seemed possible they would eventually begin to work together, adventuring for the sake of knowledge, at least in his case. At least one of them had something hidden, something he had spoken with the bartender about. It was nothing to truly worry over, merely a matter for consideration.

His introspective mood about life and death led him to prepare spells for dealing with those in between. Speaking with the dead had aided him in the past, after all. In his wanderings about the city while others slept, he continued to wonder about the coming day. Realizing with a start that dawn was approaching, he took refuge in an alley to meditate on his arcane knowledge and to pray. Upon finishing his tasks, well after the sun had risen, he returned to the inn, only to find a scene of immense commotion. Noting that it seemed to focus on the bar, he approached the building.

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Unless Qwerty rules otherwise, Jorah will approach the bar fully rested and with all of his spells prepared as they currently are on his character sheet, just after the latest words of Halaza, who he does not recognize. He did not hear them.

[qwertyu63]

Jorah Derias had not slept much at all, last night. He ought to be used to that, by now, but this ring of his still took him off guard at times. It made him seem almost undead, never eating, shunning sleep. He wondered how the people he had met in the bar would react to that. It did not truly matter, as they were all but strangers, but it seemed possible they would eventually begin to work together, adventuring for the sake of knowledge, at least in his case. At least one of them had something hidden, something he had spoken with the bartender about. It was nothing to truly worry over, merely a matter for consideration.

His introspective mood about life and death led him to prepare spells for dealing with those in between. Speaking with the dead had aided him in the past, after all. In his wanderings about the city while others slept, he continued to wonder about the coming day. Realizing with a start that dawn was approaching, he took refuge in an alley to meditate on his arcane knowledge and to pray. Upon finishing his tasks, well after the sun had risen, he returned to the inn, only to find a scene of immense commotion. Noting that it seemed to focus on the bar, he approached the building.

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Unless Qwerty rules otherwise, Jorah will approach the bar fully rested and with all of his spells prepared as they currently are on his character sheet, just after the latest words of Halaza, who he does not recognize. He did not hear them.

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That seems fine to me.

[INoKnowNames]

Tarmikos is perplexed for a moment, then all but terrified by Kel’s shift in form. His eyes widening in fear, he freezes in place, locked onto the being moving about. I certainly wouldn’t have imagined –that-, he thought to himself, fighting back nearly yelling out in shock.

What the hell am I DOING!?! I can’t allow myself to stop at a time like now! Jorah’s my biggest chance right now; this is no time to be scared, Tarmikos! Get your act together! Motivated by self-loathing and hatred, he shakes himself back together.

“As pathetic as those guardsmen may be, the knowledge they may have that we lack would still be useful. Once business is taken care of here, I’ll go speak with them myself if I have to. But first, I need to check on my friend, Jorah. I’m done with not doing anything. More innocent lives could be falling as every moment passes without action!

I’m fine with meeting anywhere, provided the location is secure. The church of Saturn, or the Inn right here next to the crime scene; it doesn’t matter to me. My only bias is that most of the group was staying at the Inn. Good luck finding things, and hopefully… Latinskel, was it, will have more information for us.

And unfortunately, I bear nothing on myself but my own personal affects and the scars of a warrior’s life. That’s the main reason such knowledge is important. Good luck, my friend.” He finishes speaking to the animals, his teeth all but chattering during his conversation. The being truly does frighten him.

Shaking away those feelings, Tarmikos turns to Halaza. Perplexed by her gesture, he places his hand in hers. “Thanks for all the help.”

After hearing what she has to say, Tarmikos nods at her. I guess she’s a slayer of dragons? he thought. No wonder she was so hostile toward me… although her skills might be more useful than my own. He lets go of her, feeling better than he had, and makes his way outside of the bar. Whatever may happen, it’s time to get down to business.

“I’ll be back as soon as I can. No matter what the rest of you do, please be careful.”

OOC to Psymple:

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Psymple, I'm under the assumption that our conversation played out using the first spoiler, although you might want to make that a bit clearer...

[3SecondCultist]

Lyral, upon seeing Kel change form and begin to sniff for a trail, stands a bit straighter, his eyes brightening.
A shapechanger! That explains a great deal. There is power in an individual such as this one. Just as in the church, he is struck by a sort of solemn reverence. From what he could gather, this was one of the guardians of the wild, a great druid. The feeling lasts about as long as it takes to discover that the dog has not actually found anything, however. Lyral then subtly watches the rest of the group, in particular savoring the visible fear on Tarmikos' face.
Has he truly never met a druid? What a pathetic, narrow-minded man. He has had enough of their word-dancing. Ensuring that his knife and longbow are secure, and that the rest of his gear is accounted for, Lyral makes straight for the door.
"You all talk too much." With that little barb in the air, he opens the handle, roughly brushing anyone out of his way.

[Shazek]

Jorah sees Lyral depart from the bar as he comes near, and smells the stench of death from within. He accosts the man as he approaches. "I remember you. You were in the bar last night, and went to sleep out under the sky. What has happened here?"

His inquisition is forceful, displaying a degree of steel he had not shown the previous night. He continues, "It smells as if a man has died within there, and the panic surrounding here tends to support that. You have been within the scene of the crime, haven't you? Where are the guards, should they not be here? For that matter, how is it that you made it here before them? How did the man die? Who is currently within? What was the manner of his death?" His voice has raised nearly to a shout by the end of his monologue, and impatience seems to be rising within him. He places a hand by his side, prepared for any act of aggression.

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Yeah, Jorah is not a people person, especially when under stress, such as a death in a place he had visited recently might cause. The whole people dying in his wake thing happened to him once before, and it did not end well.
Edited to fix the stupid knowledge mix-up I had made. Hopefully this will work such that nobody else needs to edit anything.

[Psymple]

Halaza takes a curtious bow to those still present in the inn before leaving following Tarmikos out the door.
Now she has him alone and she is attempting to get on his good side she might be able to get a few more details out of him...

This man,
She starts abruply without any indication.
Hes a Dragonkin too? Its important, because if he is I can detect him if he is near...

[INoKnowNames]

OOC Spoiler:

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I will be operating on the assumption that everyone except Lyral, Tarmikos, Halaza, and Jorah are all inside, and that the four of us are together, Lyral in front of Tarmikos after butting his way through, with Tarmikos behind him and Halaza on his arm (so to speak). Jorah is on the other side of Lyral, shouting. *edited the rest out*

As he hears his other ally's voice, Tarmikos' focus diverts from Halaza. He breaks away from his fair companion, and stands in front of Lyral. "Calm yourself, Jorah. Lyral's been nothing but help for us." Tarmikos begins with a smile, backing up and planting an elbow on Lyral's shoulder. "You've got pretty good senses on you, but your profiling needn’t not be so assuming. Lyral's not an enemy! Right?" Tarmikos finishes, smiling at Lyral.

Tarmikos walks toward Jorah, his smile disappearing. "Yes, there was a murder. Dagoc, the bartender, was slain only a few hours ago. The guards came and went.... I actually scared them off, on accident. I intend to reconcile with them, and bring a few back to help, after finishing a few things here. But before I do any of that, I wanted to come get you.

Most of us present from yesterday gathered again, save Lyral's paramour. Considering there is a significant amount of power in numbers, gathering everyone together seemed like a wise move. Additionally, I remembered your claim to be decent at Divination Magic. If you are truly so skilled, you may be the most important person to help deal with this crime. Please come with me. You'll probably learn more, and teach more, than I could."

Tarmikos turns to head back to the bar, before stopping to glance at Lyral. "You should hurry back, and bring your companion along. The longer she stays alone, the more danger she is in. And the longer you travel alone, the more danger you are in. It would be a shame to lose another friend so quickly."

And with that, Tarmikos holds the door to the bar open for his allies.

[Shazek]

Jorah relaxes upon the appearance of Tarmikos, and adresses him."Show me in to the scene, then. By some lucky happenstance, I prayed for the spell needed to speak with the dead this morning. If Dagoc saw anything, I can likely learn what it is. If not, I can at least find out something of how to proceed from here, investigating."

Immediately thereafter, he says to Lyral, "I apologize for my behavior. Death following me makes me uneasy, but I should not have acted as I did." Finished speaking, he enters the bar through the door held by Tarmikos, and stumbles in shock at the gory scene.

[Silva Stormrage]

After failing to find a permanent scent Kel shifts back into the form of a human. Though if there is anything that has the scent of the criminal he keeps it and puts in his pack. He notices Tarkimos returning and raises an eyebrow Is this your friend you were talking about? That certanitly was fast. I wasn't able to find anything regarding the criminal's scent. It simply vanishes after leaving the bar. Hopefully Jorah and Latinskel, once he returns, will be able to shed light on this mystery.

[3SecondCultist]

Throughout Jorah's nonsensical tirade, Tarmikos' attempts to at diplomacy, and Halaza's presence, Lyral remains impassive. He does not respond beyond basic gestures, such as shrugging or nodding his head. He is bored of talk. Inside the man's brain, however, there is a hive of activity.
... find out first how it moves, what its patterns are. Does it have any allies, or a preferred hunting ground? Why that bartender? Was his death meant as a threat? No. No, it was more of a simple message. Sort of like, 'hey, wanna play?' And yes, I do want to play. I really, really do. As he walks away due northward into the crowds of the morning, a smile spreads slowly across Lyral's face. This is what he was born to do.

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Let us begin with a simple tracking attempt, shall we? I believe that would make a good starting point. Do you mind terribly that I post my dice rolls in spoilers here instead? This is usually how I do things.
Survival: (1d20+16)[24]

[Shazek]

Jorah recovers from his initial shock at seeing the dead man, and immediately turns towards Kel. "I was out and about of my own accord well before this occurred. Sheer chance brought me here now." He then speaks to the room at large, noting that both Kel and Halaza were not in the bar last night, but dismissing it. "Does anyone have objections to me casting spells on this man to learn more?"

While waiting for a response, he moves over to the body and begins examining it, using a spell on himself to see any magic on it.

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Casting Arcane Sight and examining the body. Rolls are:
Spot:18
Search:10
Knowledge: Arcana:19

[qwertyu63]

Throughout Jorah's nonsensical tirade, Tarmikos' attempts to at diplomacy, and Halaza's presence, Lyral remains impassive. He does not respond beyond basic gestures, such as shrugging or nodding his head. He is bored of talk. Inside the man's brain, however, there is a hive of activity.
... find out first how it moves, what its patterns are. Does it have any allies, or a preferred hunting ground? Why that bartender? Was his death meant as a threat? No. No, it was more of a simple message. Sort of like, 'hey, wanna play?' And yes, I do want to play. I really, really do. As he walks away due northward into the crowds of the morning, a smile spreads slowly across Lyral's face. This is what he was born to do.

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Let us begin with a simple tracking attempt, shall we? I believe that would make a good starting point. Do you mind terribly that I post my dice rolls in spoilers here instead? This is usually how I do things.
Survival: [roll0]

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You find no trace of your quarry's passage. It seems he just vanishes while leaving the bar.

Jorah recovers from his initial shock at seeing the dead man, and immediately turns towards Kel. "I was out and about of my own accord well before this occurred. Sheer chance brought me here now." He then speaks to the room at large, noting that both Kel and Halaza were not in the bar last night, but dismissing it. "Does anyone have objections to me casting spells on this man to learn more?"

While waiting for a response, he moves over to the body and begins examining it, using a spell on himself to see any magic on it.

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Casting Arcane Sight and examining the body. Rolls are:
Spot:18
Search:10
Knowledge: Arcana:19

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You spot a slight glint under his shirt. Taking a look, you see that it is a holy symbol of some kind.
You can tell that the weapon that did this held a dark magic within the steel.

[Shazek]

Jorah closely examines both the residual magic of the wound and the holy symbol Dagoc had possessed.

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Spellcraft: 30
Knowledge:Religion: 19