milliways_bar | plot-locked

Graverobber listens to that and says, "All right, then I'll say to the coroner something like 'There's a man who's been killed! This isn't a distraction, it's important!' Because I'm Lawful Good and that sounds like what Lawful Good would say. And also because it's a mystery game and I figure this is the whole point."

Nodding at George, he says, "I also wanna do a -- an Insight Check, I think it's called? On the half-orc woman." He rolls for Insight, and then says, "Sweeeeet. Natural 20."

"I'm going to try to convince Oswald to let us help. Otherwise he's going to be a problem," Eden says, rubbing the back of his neck. "I'm going to tell him: 'Hey, these two deaths might be related, since they happened so close to each other, you know? We've got time to investigate both. Besides, if you were to discover how both of them died, I bet people would be impressed. There might even be a promotion in it for you.'"

He pauses, glancing at his character sheet, then his dice.

"I'm going to guess that's Persuade, so ..." He rolls, tilting his head a little. "Nineteen, plus my plus three modifier for a total of twenty-two."

Edited 2018-11-12 13:26 (UTC)

Sunshine is nodding along with both Graverobber and Eden, still a bit unsure as to how the game is meant to go but wanting to get as much information as possible. "Aldeyr agrees with his fellows, and not just from curiosity and finding it amusing to irritate the snooty government official. Some things one does because they are right to do, not just because you are being paid to do them, and as... Aldrich said, the deaths may be connected somehow. There have been two deaths of important local figures - the local knight and the village's blacksmith, who would also be a key figure in the local economy. I'm proficient in Persuasion, and if it'll help convince Oswald that it is the will of the group to investigate this death as well..."

She rolls.

"...Damn. Not great. But with the plus five modifier, it's a sixteen."

"Ember knows she is not one to succeed with honeyed words, so she looks down her nose at the man, Oswald, for a moment, just long enough to be insulting, and then looks over his head at the tavern keeper."

"Ember than says, 'Does anything about the stranger stand out? Clothing or weapons? Anything might help us in finding the party responsible.'"

"Do I need to roll for this? I am not certain, being more familiar with video games."

Edited 2018-11-12 19:22 (UTC)

Ooh! That's a tactic nobody took in the other group!

George has to think about it a moment and check his notes. Then, "Oswald is fairly intractable, but at the mention of a promotion, he does perk up a little." George huffs. "'Well. I suppose it couldn't hurt to take, say...fifteen minutes to look into this. It could be related.'"

He makes a few notes so as not to get lost. "Ehm, the Insight check doesn't reveal anything spectacular about the woman. She seems trustworthy and authoritative, and the other townsfolk treat her with respect. She'll also happily answer any questions directed at her."

Billy Connolly takes over again. "'Didn't see much. They were wearing a dark cloak, and if I had to guess, I'd say they were male, more than that, I couldn't say. It's been a rough few weeks here in Graymoor.'"

"All right, cool," Graverobber says, nodding slightly while he thinks. "Okay, so then I'll turn to the woman and ask, 'How has it been rough in Graymoor lately? Is it possibly related to what happened here?'."

Eden makes a quick cheering motion, and takes a moment to casually stuff an entire slice of pizza into his mouth.

After hurriedly chewing and swallowing: "Since there are people talking to the half-orc lady already, and other people here seem better suited for examining the body, I'm going to see about talking to the wizard woman," Eden says. "So I'll approach and say 'Hi! Hello. Hi. That guy is so dead. Did you see anything, or know of anybody who might want to hurt him?'"

The half-orc woman is being questioned, and now the wizard woman... "I'd like to approach the elf nearby, greet them and explain what we're doing... and ask if they knew Mr. Gilly, or if they've seen anything suspicious in the last couple of weeks - or specifically last night - in the vicinity of the Graymoor Bend."

Viv decides Ember is a blunt person and doesn't care what others think of her.

"Ember now sidesteps around the corner, without bothering to look at him. Once she closer to the woman she is assuming is the tavern keeper, she says, 'I am Ember, from the Northern Forest. What troubles have you been having here in Graymoor?"

"In case you need it, I roll a...15 with a -1 for my Charisma?" Viv doesn't need to look at her character sheet, having scanned it and entered it into her memory.

Wow, they're way chattier than the other group had been.

"Okay, so...the innkeeper is happy to have an introduction to go with, so she'll be addressing her answers to Ember. 'Name's Sagh Gazara. Good to meet you. Well, George here is the third murder we've had in the last two weeks. Ser Thames was first, and then there was Quentin Nary about a week ago.'"

He clears his throat. "And ehm, the wizard woman says to Aldrich," here his voice takes on a clipped, efficient tone, "'Mr. Gilly? Oh no, the man didn't have an enemy for miles round. He was well liked. If you've not spoken to Sagh, I suggest it. This all started with her horse, even if she won't admit the similarities. And Mr. Gilly was in the Graymoor Bend last night. Nothing happens here without her hearing of it.'"

George is going to have to stretch his dramatic muscles here to come up with a voice for the elf, but he eventually settles on something vaguely Tilda Swinton-esque. "The elf introduces themselves as Eldariel Hoxias, the local apothecary. 'I cannot say that I've noticed anything or anyone out of the ordinary, though people do come and go for the market. It's why poor Mr. Gilly was in town in the first place.'"

"I look appropriately chagrined at the thought of three murders," Graverobber deadpans. "And then I ask, 'Would you be able to tell us what happened to Quentin Nary last week?'"

Eden cocks his head.

"Aldrich is a little confused, so he's just going to seek clarification from the wizard woman: 'A horse was the first murder victim?'"

Sunshine grins a little at the Graverobber's remark, chuckling. "Aldeyr thanks Eldariel for their help, and ask that if they see anything out of the ordinary that might be connected to the case, they let us know."

Dropping the slightly sing-song tone of narration, Sunshine looks around the table. "We're hearing a lot of information from various sources, some of which our... characters wouldn't be overhearing at the time. Should we just figure that we'll share the information we're hearing when the party regroups?"

Is that how this goes?

"Ember shakes her head sadly at the tavern keeper's words and then gestures to the druid, saying, 'This is my companion Riswynn. He is also working with the coroner.'"

Viv doesn't have Ember say anything else, as Graverobber's question is a good one.

Dropping character as well, Viv nods to Sunshine and replies in her normal voice, "That would be wise. What would be the proper honorific for the tarvenkeeper?"

"Good suggestion, Sunshine," George says, making a note of the idea in case he ever does this again. "The tavernkeeper would be fine with Miss, Ms., Madame, or the like, but she'd probably just prefer Sagh, honestly."

It's possible George projects a little in his DMing.

"At any rate, she'll answer Riswynn's quesetion. 'Quentin Nary was a cooper, just passing through town on his way to the next village over. He was in the Bend that night and got into a bit of a row with someone. He was found the next morning on the road out of town, same as George here, slashed across the back.'

"The wizard woman answers, 'Depends on who you ask. Sagh thinks it was wild dogs, but I've seen livestock taken down by wild animals, and I'd almost believe it, but then Kathra Fengolve's cattle were slaughtered a few days ago.'"

Graverobber makes a tiny waving motion, as if to say 'hello' when Viv speaks to the tavern keeper. "I add, 'Sup?', when Ember introduces me," he says. "And then I ask, 'A row, huh? I don't suppose anybody overheard what they might have been fighting about?'"

"Hm, intriguing," Eden says, stroking his chin. Slipping back into the cadence of his character: "'And had the horse or the cattle been eaten at all, when they were found? Or were any of the cattle missing entirely?'"

Sunshine looks intrigued now, taking notes on a spare slip of paper. The knight a couple of weeks ago, Quentin Nary a week back, and George Gilly last night. Large slash across their backs, all killed about a week apart. And livestock attacked and killed a few days ago.

"Aldeyr thanks Eldariel, and excuses himself so he might approach the... there was a dwarven man a little ways away... I approach him and greet him with a nod, and say, 'Excuse me. I am Aldeyr Barorin. My fellows and I are being retained for the purpose of investigating the recent deaths in the area.'"

She smiles a little. Aldeyr is not telling the exactly the truth of their employment, but it's more honest to the spirit of the party's intent.

"'Have you perhaps noticed anything odd or any suspicious behavior from anyone lately? The knight recently died under mysterious circumstances, and now the village blacksmith as well, after coming to town, presumably for the market...'"

Viv has Ember nod encouragingly, and then George cracks his knuckles, because now things are getting good. He's sort of proud of this group for asking all the right questions!

"Right, so! Sagh says, 'It was only a scuffle really. Nary claimed the gods care nothing for common folk, and...well...Grimmund Daldrin gave him a black eye for his trouble. Grimmund's not bad, really. He's just...pious.'" George makes a face on the word 'pious' to indicate Sagh's feelings on the matter.

"And then the wizard woman...who's name is Henriette, though no one's bothered to ask," tsk, tsk his tone implies...but also he's tired of saying 'wizard woman' every time, "says, 'No, neither time. That's what makes me think it's connected. And wild dogs won't slaughter a whole herd like that. They're not like people that way.'"

And lastly, "The dwarf is more suspicious of strangers than the others have been, and when Aldeyr approaches, he's gruff and curt." George's dwarf sounds not unlike Hagrid. "'Don't know nothin' about any of that. I am sorry to see George go. He was a good man, but that's all I have to say about the matter.' And then he scurries off like a man...who's...late for something? Sorry, I didn't think that simile through before it started."

"Ah, fights over faith can be quite the trouble," he says with a faux-solemnity that it strains him to maintain. "Is there anyone else pious here that might have taken greater offense to such a thing? Enough to maybe do more than give him a black eye?"

Eden tilts his head, thoughtfully.

"So, something that kills like an animal but acts like a human, and started off on animals before upgradin' to killin' people," he murmurs. "I'll thank the wiza -- Henriette -- for her time and return to looking at the body. See if I can notice anything new now that I've got more information."

He rolls the dice. "I'm guessin' that's Investigation, which I haven't got any points in, and I rolled a seven."

"Minorly suspicious," Rae mutters, wry, about the dwarf. "After watching the dwarf leave... do I see which way he goes, by the way? I come back towards the conversation between Sagh, Ember, and Riswynn, and say to Sagh..."

Aldeyr's tone is a bit lofty, and a lot less considerate. The proper, polite words are there, but the assumption in the tone is that he'll be listened to. "'Excuse me, I do so hate to interrupt - I am Aldeyr Barorin, and I was just speaking to the dwarven gentleman who was here when we arrived. He seemed... preoccupied by something, and hurried off before mentioning his name. Do you know who he is?'"

"Ember doesn't quite roll her eyes at Aldyr but that's only because she is scowling."

"To Sagh, Ember says, hooking a thumb at the newcomer, 'With me, but I'm more curious about this pious guy. He trouble other times? He live here?'"

Viv finds she is enjoying Ember's curtness.

Everybody's talking to Sagh now, which is great for George. It was getting to be a lot to juggle.

"Aldrich doesn't notice anything more than the cause of death. Sagh gives the group a wry smile and says, 'I can answer two questions at once there. The dwarf you spoke with is Grimmund Daldrin. As I said, he's a good fellow, just a bit more pious than some round here, and he was well into his cups that night or he'd never have started a row. As for who's more pious? Hard to say. There's a lot of folks who go to chapel regular, but Father Daragor's always been more for community than religion, if you know the type.'"

George takes a quick drink before adding, "At this point, Oswald is starting to get restless, and he'll come over to where the group is gathered. 'I think we've wasted quite enough time here. The day is getting on, and we are no closer to Ser Thames' home.'"

"I look morally affronted at Oswald, as a good and noble Lawful Good dwarf does sometimes," Graverobber deadpans. "And I thank Sagh for the information before I turn to my comrades and ask -- low enough that Oswald can't hear me, ideally -- 'Should we stay here or keep going? As much as Oswald is a giant walking stick up an ass, I wonder if we might learn more at Ser Thames' home if these are all truly connected'."

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