City of Strangers

[zizazat]

The boy nods meekly. You examine the boy, but notice nothing out of the ordinary with his ears, nose or throat. Taking a closer look at the chest, you see the effects of Gyle's healing have done well in repairing the boy, but notice that some of the skin has not fully healed, and you suspect based on past experiences that it will never truly heal. The skin shows signs of acidic burns.

Looking around the bed area with a sudden urgency, the boy says "Where's my mask? I had it, and now it's gone!? Father is going to be very upset that I've ruined my clothes and lost my new mask he just bought for me?"

 

[ExaltedDarkness]

"Were you playing with another boy? What is your father's name?"

Rory looks around and calls acolyte Durnish over. "Can you please bring some fresh clothes for our young guest, and another pitcher of water."

Rory begins mixing a Polypurpose Panacea infusion as an analgesic to help soothe the boy.

He looks at the young boy and smiles reassuringly. " Drink this," he says, and gently pats the boy on the head. "Now then, please tell me who your father is, and where we can find him. Then I want you to tell me all you can remember about what happened - the mask, the alleyway, anything and everything you can remember. "

 

[zizazat]

The boy drinks the panacea, making a small grimace as he does. "My father is Bilic Nyss, and I am Rekar. We live in the Highside Stacks." He pauses as if waiting for you to be impressed. "I was playing goblins in the alley, see Father bought me this really scary looking goblin mask yesterday on account of me doing really well in school. I heard a noise, like hooves on a horse behind me and when I spun around to look there was this black...shape standing behind me! Then it snarled and clawed me in the chest! That's all I remember until I woke up here."

 

[IronWolf]

Brannon motions to Tiki, his thrush, and signals for her to fly above the rooftops to possibly alert the pair of anything unusual or of threat up there.

Pausing a minute or two, Brannon speaks "Let's check the other side of this alley where the boy escaped. Perhaps we will find something there." Brannon then proceeds to the other side of the alley to see what he can find.

[sblock=OOC]

Let Brannon's familiar check out the roofs from above. Then to the other side of the alley to search it. Take 20 for the Perception check for a 22.

[/sblock]

 

[timmythetooth693]

Gyle will follow Brannon, defending his flank if need be.

 

[zizazat]

The thrust flies around and up over the rooftops calling out a short volley of soft notes, which in your experience mean she is happy. The alley itself continues onward and ahead you see it opens back into Rosetower Way, an east-west road which you can tell from here is fairly busy. Following it west would take you toward the Highside Stacks and east deeper into the Bottoms.

Brannon notices a spot in the alley, a small dark spot about 2" in diameter which has a strong and peculiar odor. You training and knowledge of arcana let you deduce that the spot is a side effect of an extra-planner summoning.

 

[IronWolf]

"It appears that dog may have been summoned. Which likely means someone was watching us in that alley." Brannon says softly. "Tiki seems happy enough above the roofs, so at the very least the threat is not there, though perhaps we could find a clue on the roof as well as to where this hoofed beast went."

Brannon will look for a route to the roof and examine it for its safeness.

 

[ExaltedDarkness]

Rory will continue questioning the boy, specifically asking if he was playing with another boy, and who that other boy was. If this line of questions goes nowhere, Rory will be content to get the specifics of where the child lives, and will entertain the boy until Gyle and Brannon return. If they're gone for longer than another hour or so, he'll take the boy home himself. It is still afternoon, correct?

 

[zizazat]

Brannon and Gyle have an easy time heading up to the roof the build the old woman came out of. This is the same building the fur was found on the drain pipe. The building itself has 3 residential floors and roof access from the central stairwell, the door is unlocked and you both continue onto the roof. From here, you do indeed have a clear view of the alley below. You spot an additional tuft of fur near the edge facing the alley. There is also a smashed wooden crate. There is not direct or easy access to any other rooftop from here for you. Based on Gyle's description of the beast climbing the outside of the building however, it's not unreasonable to assume it could have easily done so.

---

Rory continues to question Rekar, the boy says he was playing alone until he heard the hooves and turned around. He also gives you directions to where he lives in the Highside Stacks, which as it turns out isn't that far from where you are.

 

[timmythetooth693]

We will need to question the people responsible for watching over the boy if we are to discover what truely happened here.