Murder, She Rolled (D&D 5th Ed)

"Well... I say we begin with what is most urgent... lets find those four and bring them in so they can testify. So far it's our closest lead to find out what happened last night. The rats... lets leave that off unless we're dying of hunger" says Adelaide.

"Best things I've heard you said all day, human girl." Miron said, shuddering at the memory of rat bites.

"The Cracked Tooth Gang dwells near the Mage Towers, you said." Miron mutters, then turned to the nearest officer. "What about the Orc bouncer? His place of residence?"

"Darned if I know," Fennis replied, scratching his head in puzzlement. "Might be near his place of work, but it's not like I know where everyone in the town lives, and I don't think we've ever remanded him before - seems to be a clean-living chap. Now, if you'll excuse me, I'll need to supervise the autopsy before Crazy Cass mixes it up with our dinner - but if you need anything else, check with the guards at the HQ."

He walked to the entrance hurriedly, but just as his hand reached the door, he turned around to address the adventurers for a last time. "It's probably a little too late for this, but I'm obliged to give you the usual warning: Stay out of trouble. In Golimar, it'll find you easily enough."

And with that, he was gone, the door slamming shut in his wake.

edited 19th Sep '15 2:25:35 AM by Pyrite

"I guess it's settled then. Let's find us a killer" Ander thought for a moment. "Daren, you're a sneaky little bastard. Think you could spy on the autopsy for us? The rest of us could go back to the crime scene and preform our own investigation and maybe track down these guys" Ander points at the list of people wanted for questioning.

Daren payed a little attention to the message boards, but his feet and attention got immediately drawn to the map of Golimar on the wall."Okay, let's see what we've got here...Gorey-mar is not that different from my home town, obviously much more squalid, though...(I wonder where the rich important guy of this place lives, keeping taxes that put people in such a poor living). Well!"

He dropped his backpack, snapped his fingers and took a piece of chalk, and started marking X marks here and there, all the while muttering to himself, or stopping to make a pose in wich his crossed arms and an inquisitive hand was set on his chin. It was a rather comic scene because the effects of the hangover were still really evident on the half-elf, who seemed to struggle a little to think and talk. His eyes, however, were set on the map with a fierce stare.

"Okay, here is the Inn we were in...there are shortcuts heere and here, here, and...here" He muttered audibly for all to hear and started marking "X"s on the map. "Okay, local shady business bases could be here, here and here. What would make this route and this one great places to be robbed."

giving RP bases for my City Secrets background feature, and possibly trying to get some kind of advantage regarding the cities places, such as Survival checks made to navigate?

Then Ander mentioned his name.

"Oh, yeah, Ander, I sure could. But I'm as resourceful as ever, so I'm gonna give you guys three options:"

He started raising his fingers as he spoke:

"1- I risk our heads trying to see what old Ned The Headless to see if he has something to tell us, what I don't find very relevant(unless if it's to check if we won't eat him - does halfling tastes like rabbits? Anyway!) If you insist, I'd rather have Adelaide blessed or inspirated to convince Cass to watch and help her with the autopsy since she seemed to like our lady friend. Maybe you can help her with that, you're pretty persuasive.(You guys know I hate splitting the party, but she will probably be OK with Cass)."

"2- I take you guys to search in this radius of the Inn" He traced a circle with the inn in the middle and a radius of about four buildings to each side. "I can guide you guys trough town so we get there twice as fast, and really safe, but I honestly think we'll waste time with a lot of lack of cooperation from the civilians asked about Grogmorth and the others anyway."

"3-(And I favour this option) The captain said trouble would find us soon enough here, and I say we go find it first instead. I have already a pretty good guess of where the worst places in town are. So we head there, and I can signal to local criminals as if I'm falsely guiding you to a backalley to rip you guys off, only it's a bait the thieves of here will bite like starving dogs, and we'll be ready for them. Me and You, Ander, are pretty intimidating when we want to, so we might interrogate one of them and get acess to a bunch of information no normal civilian would ever have. I can also pay attention to potential informants on the way."

He laid back a little and started one of his favorites songs amongs the ones Ander played, tilting his head as he singed:"Trouble is a friend, well, trouble is a foe-oe-oe..."

"So! What's gonna be: one, two or three? (weird, it rhymes). Oh, and if anyone has some ink and pen I could make a simple map our main paths on the back of the one from my city, so we avoid being lost, so I'd appreaciate greatly.

edited 19th Sep '15 11:45:42 AM by Kyef

The map on the board looked almost as old as the building, with its faded patches and ragged, moth-eaten edges - but the important details were all still legible, and Golimar's official symbol was in the top-left corner - two hands clutching a brass ring from the left and right, and marked with the four cardinal directions: N, S, a slightly-faded E, and W.

As for the city itself, an ordinary visitor would have taken half a day to walk from one end of Golimar to the other, if he survived the trip. A river bisected the city diagonally from the Northeast to the Southwest, and Golimar's planners - in one of their few good ideas - had subsequently further divided the town into five districts.

Daren would've marked out the following based on the key:

• In Golimar Central, the Guard HQ had been labelled in bright blue, and the mayor's office was just a stone's throw away from their current location.
• The Northern and Western Districts seemed to be residential areas, judging from the many unlabelled houses in that region. The only difference between the two was that in the North, a fairly large region had been sectioned off and marked with the title, "Golimar Graveyards". A few religious shrines had been set up around it as well, if the holy symbols on the map were any indication.
• The Eastern District had a number of locations of interest highlighted: various blacksmiths, apothecaries and other stores scattered in a maze of winding streets, with a small drawing of a broken tower right on the edge of the city limits, just beyond the eastern gates. (Understandably, the Dirty Duergar brothel had not been labelled.)
• The sole entrance into Golimar was via the gates of the Southern District, which the adventurers had traversed en route to the House of Loaves and Fowl. The buildings there had been mostly warehouses, their overly-optimistic owners hoping to make a profit from on the traders and merchants who passed through the city. The rows of warehouses were punctuated by the odd shop as well, but there were far fewer stores compared to the Eastern District - although a small area adjoining the Eastern District, the Golimar Market, made up for it somewhat.

edited 20th Sep '15 4:51:31 AM by Pyrite

"Yes... you go ahead and do that," Vondal said in response to Daren, coughing to clear his throat. "Anyway, this sort of matter could use some divine inspiration. I'm going to go and confer with the local clerics. You're all welcome to join me if you wish, perhaps you may find the truth your soul seeks in the Lady's presence."

With that, he began to head towards the Temple of Serena in Golimar. Or at least, the closest thing they had.

With slight distaste, Miron addresses the drunkard half-elf. "I'm willing to go with your third plan. Logically speaking, my affluence and noble bearings should make me look a fine prize for your knavish kin. Do not make me regret this."

"I trained all my life to make big cuts in people... not small ones... an autopsy is kind of far away from my capacities. Besides, that should take some time... when we come back to report our progress they will likely update us on it. I say we start looking for the gang that dwarf and elf are a part of... just ask around to talk about it with them. If we're stopped or they avoid us too hard... then that may be suspicious" offers Adelaide as a course of action.

"Okay, one of the few things I remember was that those two were responsible for helping keeping the city safe, and they seemed to like me and Ned aswell - they probably want to know what happened to him, too. I say we invite them to make part of out little trap, what say you?"

"Of course informing them could claim the attention of people wanting to ambush US, but we can prepare for that."

edited 21st Sep '15 3:00:51 PM by Kyef

"OK, I like plan 3. Let's go with that."

Golimar Central - Bounty Office

It wasn't too long before the remaining adventurers were interrupted by Vidas of the weak stomach - and from the queasy look on his face, it seemed that things hadn't improved much.

"Uh, you lot. Captain Fennis says that when he said 'trouble will find you', he didn't mean it as a suggestion, and would you all please kindly 'move your collective posteriors' off the premises post haste."

Outside of the Bounty Office, it was clear that most of the people of Golimar were trying their best to avoid the heavily-armed outsiders, giving the party a wide berth as they went about their daily business.

All, that is, except for the man who stumbled up to them - a dishevelled, drunken sot in ill-fitting clothes who smelled of cheap ale and vomit. "Ehhh... it'sh you folk." He hiccuped, staggering slightly from the recoil. "The onesh from the inn. Fanshy seein' youse here."

Northern District, Entrance

Vondal's walking had taken him to the Golimar Graveyards, where the shrines had been marked out - but there was no peace to be found there, if the lingering wreckage and debris that littered the streets was any indication. There'd been a fire here some time ago - the ashes were cold, and the larger pieces of rubble had been removed. And while the houses seemed to have escaped the fire mostly unscathed, the graveyard itself was a complete mess, with scorched gravestones and the occasional burnt-out husk of a shrine.

Two guards stood at the gates to the graveyard, denying entry to gawkers and outsiders. They had just finished talking to a bald, gaunt-looking elf, dressed in the robes of a priest and bearing an ankh in his hand.

He turned from them and caught sight of Vondal, walking towards the dwarf with an unreadable expression on his face. "I haven't seen you before, brother. Priest of Serena?"

edited 23rd Sep '15 8:08:47 AM by Pyrite

Northern District, Entrance
"Good morning, brother," Vondal replied with a nod of his head, a gesture that all males used to acknowledge each other. "Yes indeed. As Fate would have it, I have been tasked with a quest against the forces of chaos in this city, and I sought out counsel of others of my order. But, it seems that the Lady herself has guided my steps to lead me to you. After all, did not Melvira seek out the followers of Kitto, O'Robachi, and Toh-Mino before she slew Nokatdav the Undying?"

"Well, hardly even needed to step out of the door." Daren thought, a smirk on his face "This is almost too easy."

He opened a big smile and made his best to have a invinting look, raising his hands to the complete stranger.

"Well, hello there old chap! Great meeting you here as well, I have to tell you, what was last night, huh? Crazy! I remember every detail, specially about you! You, me and the tavern drinked as the world spinned upside down and the ground left our feet! You hear me out, me friends" he turned to the other adventurers "In all of Golimar you'll hardly ever see someone that drinks as good as this gentleman here, and will never see someone who drinks as merrily!" He tried approaching and ignoring the smell, to then give little gentle taps on his back.

"We were just leaving trying to find a...new place to drink, and I was going to tell what you did on the way! So, what's your business here?"

[spoiler: do I need to tell I'm rolling for deception? I hope not]

edited 23rd Sep '15 1:17:40 PM by Kyef

I'm waiting for the others before I post your part, but it's probably a fairly low check since he was even more drunk than Daren was. Also, it's two square brackets.

Northern District, Entrance

"Indeed she did, as it is written, and that which was not dead did eternal die. It is good to meet one who knows the old ways." The elf nodded approvingly. "I am Da'nass, priest of the Three, and temporary caretaker of the cemetery - or what is left of it. A pox on adventurers and their ilk."

He grimaced and clutched his ankh. "If you seek to worship, unfortunately, the shrine of Serena was caught in the fire, and Her cleric has taken up residence in another district. But what is it that you seek?"

edited 28th Sep '15 9:12:05 AM by Pyrite

Northern District, Entrance
"I have come not for worship, but for knowledge," Vondal said. "Thank you for informing me about the shrine, though. Its destruction must be made right, and I shall see to my brother when I have the opportunity. However, at the moment, I would ask you to show me a kindness and share what knowledge you have. I feel there is a dangerous plot going on in this city, and a certain item is at the center of it."

He took a step towards the priest and spoke in a hushed tone. "What do you know of the Skull of Neruok?"

Seeing the current conversation and the clearly drunk man, Adelaide tried to place him in her memory... but for the moment merely sighed and let Daren go on with his words.

Ander thought 'This is his plan? Well it'll be entertaining at least.' Ander just smiles awkwardly.

Golimar Central - Bounty Office

The drunk stared hard at Daren through rheumy eyes. "Ya must've been real drunk, if ya remember as little as I do, lightweight! Last I recall, I saw ya half passed-out and turning down those two fine ladies - and now yer hankerin' fer another drink?"

He cackled maniacally, drawing disapproving stares from passers-by, and flung an arm around the half-elf's shoulders. "It's yer funeral, but if I pass up a free drink, my name isn't Al! Now, where'd you have in mind?"

Northern District - Entrance

The moment Vondal mentioned the skull, Da'nass's eyes narrowed in suspicion. "Rumours. Legends. A terrible prank created to cull the stupid. Why do you ask?"

Northern District
"I would think the same thing, but today's events lead me to think that it, or at the very least a fake, is in Golimar," Vondal replied. "Last night I offered my services to an innkeeper to remove a necromantically cursed skull from his possession, which he had purchased from a group of adventurers believing, for some reason, that it would bring him luck. I was to wait until morning so he could secure a ladder to remove it, and as we spoke, a man mentioned it was the Skull of Neruok and that he knew how to use it properly, but I ignored him as he was clearly just a drunk."

He paused and cleared his throat. "And I would have continued to think that had things gone as planned. However, I woke up this morning to find the skull missing. As was the innkeeper's head. His body, though, was found in his room, and resulted in the other patrons and me being questioned by the constabulary. Whether or not this is the real Skull of Neruok, the magic on it was certainly real, and someone out there certainly seems to believe it's real enough to kill for. I was hoping to find someone who might be able to tell me more about either the skull or the man, perhaps if there are any disgraced clerics or sorcerers known to reside in the city."

edited 28th Sep '15 9:40:24 AM by nman

Daren did his best not to shrink under Smelling Al's arms.

"Fine ladies?" He thought "I'm sorry, friend, but I find you are a liittle biased on that, considering you live into this place and frequent these kinds of taverns"

He looked at the others and the more observant between them may have seen his first doubtful look since he set out what to do. But then there was his fierce look again, despite his awkward smile:

"Well, what are we waiting for, then? Those mugs aren't drinking themselves!Pray lead the way."

He looked at the adventurers and gave them a shrugging look of "not my fault, we're gonna pay his ale now".

On the way, he would keep his eyes open for beggar, specially children, and for anyone having the subtle manneirisms he learned to indentify as a proof of a shady living.

perception check for perceiving anyone who seems to be criminals and the street urchins too if needed

edited 28th Sep '15 1:40:36 PM by Kyef

Golimar Central

Perception check: 1d20+3-1 = 14

"That'sh mighty generoush of ya," Drunk Al slurred, and began to stumble in a vaguely eastward direction. "Ned'sh not open - godsh know why - but there'sh this little place I know..."

Meanwhile...

Northern District

Da'nass's lips tightened as Vondal recounted the night's events, his face a mask of disapproval - and when he heard about the murder, the elf could bear it no longer.

"Another one gone, another one gone; another one bites the dust," he exclaimed. "No doubt that fool wyrmspawn has put up bounties for this murder too? He never learns..."

The priest of the dead cleared his throat, regaining his composure. "As I said: rumours. Neruok the necromancer died last century, slain by his own cleric. There are those who claim to see him still alive, and the odd cult has formed around his worship, but there is nothing material to any of these claims. Aside from that, I am afraid that I cannot help you."

Eastern District

In spite of Al's directionless weaving, the party made it to the edge of Golimar's Eastern District without incident. "Here we are. The pearl of Golimar, the Eashtern Dishtrict." The drunk flung his hand out at the streets, which somehow managed to remain dimly lit in mid-day.

The next thing the party would've noticed would've been the smell. Most of Golimar was lightly scented with the stench of sewage and rot, and the Eastern District was no exception - but here, it mingled with other smells: the smoke from a blacksmith's bellows, baked goods and roasting meats, and incense of questionable legality. And while it was still too early in the day for streetwalkers to be plying their trade openly, the gaudily-decorated buildings were a clear sign of their presence.

Daren would find no shortage of urchins among the beggars in the Eastern District, holding out their begging bowls as they sat in the street - and no doubt, hoping to scam an unwary stranger out of his hard-earned savings. Nor would he find himself bereft of suspected criminals, judging from the rough mannerisms of the people that passed them by - but the two that caught his eye were a pair of greasy-looking men with slicked-back hair, standing under a lamppost and giving Drunk Al the evil eye.

Daren stopped All, turning his back to the strange pair of men. He muttered as discreet as he could.

"Now Al, wait a second. I'm going to ask you about some people who's behind me - but for gods sake! - do not let them know we're talking about them, or get their attention in any way. Or else you'll fail to see any coin dropping from my pockets to buy you a drink."

He motioned his head sideways to the direction. "These two, who are them?"

edited 30th Sep '15 12:12:57 PM by Kyef

"Oh, them," Drunk Al said somewhat hurriedly, turning quickly away. He attempted to pull Daren with him too, but there was something distressingly greasy on his hands, and after a second attempt, he settled for wiping his palms on the rogue's jerkin. "We don' needa talk about them or look at 'em or pay 'em cash. They're not nobody but don' let 'em hear me shay that, yeah?" He glanced nervously over his shoulder at them. "Them's Bulettesh. Many'sh an honesht gentleman who owesh them lotsh of money for the pleashure of the company of all their lady friendsh, if ya getsh me."

Daren looked alarmed at Al's hand, but his info was actually worth it.

"Oh, I understand clearly. C'mon, we must go before they think something unpleasant about us. Lead the way, lead the way!"

And as Al advanced, he would stop his allies for a second.

"Hear that? Bullettes or Bulletesh, whatever their name. People who apparently run a brothel and loan shark people. One piece of the puzzle, we've got one more option to our decks."