Dragon Messiah: Visions Unfold

[Techwarrior]

"Then I only have 2 questions. First, where does he live? Second, are you hoping to come with, or should I take care of this myself?" Aandilar doesn't particularly like the idea of killing, but definitely agrees that this needs an exacting punishment.

[planswalker]

"I-I don't think I can face him." she says. She give you his address, a small flat a few blocks away.

[Techwarrior]

"On second thought, will he know that someone is coming or have some other reason to be looking over his shoulder so to speak?"

[planswalker]

At this, she looks at you ashamed, her face downcast. "No, no. He knows his victims. None of us would dare cross him."

[Techwarrior]

At this Aandilar looks shocked.
"Are you saying he's done this more than once?!" He asks.

[planswalker]

"Of course. Do you think he waited until I moved into town before learning to be a predator?"

[Techwarrior]

"I'll take care of it then." Aandilar says, a fierce glint in his eyes.

OOC

Spoiler

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I apologize for the short notice on this...

I will have to go on a temporary hiatus of an undetermined length so that I can deal with a family matter either today or tomorrow. I will try to continue posting, but it will be incredibly sporadic, as I will not have easy access to the internet.

[planswalker]

Spoiler

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I understand. Don't sweat it, this is a solo game. It'll be here when you get back.

"Thank you." she says, reserved relief in her voice.

[Techwarrior]

"Will you be here when I return? Do you want some kind of... proof? I won't do anything horrifically depraved."

[planswalker]

"IF you actually kill him, it won't be hard to find out. He's not... inconspicuous."

[Techwarrior]

Aandilar looks at her with questioning eyes.
"Does he have some kind of special talent I should know about, or is he just a common thug?"

[planswalker]

"He is a warlock. He makes you... want to do things for him. He doesn't even hide his actions, as the Watch also 'wants' to do things for him."

[Techwarrior]

"Doesn't sound like much trouble. I'll be right back."
Aandilar heads off to this creeps house, he also fires off a scroll of Mage Armor

[planswalker]

You arrive at the front door of a small, neatly maintained house in the middle of a neighborhood of houses that would have been identical if they'd also been meticulously maintained. As it was, this house was spotlessly clean in the middle of a neighborhood that, while not decrepit by any stretch of the imagination, was filled with all the usual signs of habitation by people who spent most of their waking hours working for a living.

There is no one outside the house, and the single door appears locked. Both windows have thick black curtains over them.

[Techwarrior]

Are there any other entrances? Possibly a side door on an alley, or a backdoor?

[planswalker]

None are apparent from the front, but you do seem to recall that there's a back alley behind the houses. However, the houses in this district are built with the walls of one house touching the walls of its neighbors, likely because they were build off the building before it. Your sense of tactics indicates that, with the main road blocked off, most buildings in this district could become walls used to slow down invaders.

[Techwarrior]

Aandilar goes around to that back alley.

[planswalker]

The back alley does indeed have backdoors that lead out from each house. Each of them seems to be reinforced with steel bars. Testing the handles on a door will reveal that they seem to be locked. There are no windows on the backs, not that there would be anything but a near-identical back of a house to look at. Again, Hagran's house isn't hard to spot. It's the only one that is meticulously clean.

[Techwarrior]

Did the windows have glass? Or were they just empty?

[planswalker]

The two front windows were indeed just gaps in the wall with wood cross-bracing.

[Techwarrior]

Aandilar goes around to the front, waits until no one appears to be looking, and then climbs up through one of the windows.

[planswalker]

Although possible to squeeze through, the windows are a tight fit. You'll need an escape artist check to pull that off.

[Techwarrior]

(1d20+2)[15]
If that fails, Aandilar is willing to take 20, and hope that he doesn't get caught.

[planswalker]

It fails, and halfway through your efforts to meticulously wriggle your way inside, a rich, masculine voice says, "Boy, if you wanted to see me, all you had to do is knock." From your position, all you can see is well-tailored brown leather pants and heavy leather boots.

[Techwarrior]

Aandilar pulls himself out of the window, and looks up at the man, all smiles.
"Yes, I did want to see you, I have some information about someone who is trying to do you in, so I've come to warn you."

Bluff: (if necassary)
(1d20+2)[6] Aandilar has chosen his words carefully, and actually is telling the truth. He did wish to speak with him before he killed him.

[planswalker]

"I take it that someone who feels I have wronged them has hired you to kill me? Please tell me that you're not quite as stupid as you look, breaking into my house through the window an hour after dawn. Still, you want to talk? Let's talk. But first, how about I unlock the door and let you in before a neighbor reports you to the watch?"

[Techwarrior]

"I'm not here to kill you, I'm just here to warn you about someone who will kill you. But sure, let's go inside. I was hoping to just leave you a note."

Bluff: (crosses fingers)
(1d20+2)[4]

[planswalker]

He winces in pain at that last line. "Look, kid, you've got some good ideas. Mix in truth, whip it up until it's done right, and keep it simple. But you're going about it all wrong. Your voice changes more that chiorboy halfway to manhood. You hold your breath for about three seconds too long after you finish your piece. If you don't stop lying, it's just going to be painful."

After he lets you into a clean, immaculate receiving room, he says, "Here, allow me to demonstrate: I will lie to you and give you a truth about something. Discern which one is which, if you can."

"I use money that I gain through abusing dark powers to hire the best cleaning staff in this part of town."

"I use my dazzling charm and goodwill to convince my neighbors to act as my household servants at the expense of their own at times."

"And yeah, I'm not going to pretend to be a righteous man. Whatever woman set you on my trail, I'm sure that protesting my innocence will not deter you."

Spoiler

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that'll be two sense motive checks. I'm allowing you to roll them because this bluff is coming up in peculiar circumstance.

[Techwarrior]

......I'm so screwed...
(1d20)[1]
(1d20)[16]

[planswalker]

You cannot tell which one is the lie.

The look of confusion on your face says it all for him.

"Look, fella, I'm sure you mean well, but you're outclassed. You clearly don't know what you're doing int the 'vigilante justice' department. I don't want to see you get yourself hurt or get in trouble with the law. You've got a good heart, and I respect that. Ever consider signing up for the Watch? They train you for this kind of stuff, and you'd then be working with the law instead of against it. Of course, the pay's not as good as bounty hunting. Still, dead men neither get nor spend coin." Throughout the whole speech, he keeps it very non-threatening. His body language tells you that he would never harm you, he's just trying to give you advice before you hurt yourself.

"Besides which, not giving names of course, but what crime did you think you were gonna punish me for?"