GREYHAWK: The Golden Era CY963: A1-P1-S2 [RESTORED CAMPAIGN THREAD]

[Aust Thale]

Respen - Let's Finish What We Started...

~ It's appropriate that the sheriff be there for his imposter's postmortem inquisition ~

Respen, to Sheriff Denby out of earshot of the captive spy, but within earshot of the others, "Sheriff, you might want to accompany us back to the Inn. We have some questions for the imposter that you might find enlightening as well. Vale has tempered his...enthusiasm...for fisticuffs with the Orc Paladin. He has spells to pose questions to Vaelik the Assassin's corpse. "

Respen holds back a little on the other matter he wanted to mention to Denby, as well as everyone else. This captive spy with the wealthy Dyvers family presents an opportunity. Perhaps Nightwind might care. Were this Beringer more...well...more, Respen might not be so hesitant. However, misguided as it might have been, Vale's threat toward him as well as Vale's not so tête-à-tête with Kasnik clearly exposed this fellow's flaws. Aimless, spineless, a tad lazy, this Beringer fellow is, at the end of the day, little more than a dandy...a buffoon. The upside to this is that he could be manipulated. The downside...well, he could be manipulated. "But wait a moment...."

~ What to do with the spineless spy indeed?...~

Respen turns back toward Beringer...walking quickly toward him, with purpose, stopping short of him.

"Beringer, I have a question...actually, several. The strength and velocity of your answers will go a long way to establishing goodwill here."

Without waiting for Beringer's consent, Respen turns and looks directly at Kasnik during his 1st interrogative, toward Dewydd his 2nd interrogative, and to Sylvar for his 3rd, and then to Sheriff Denby for his 4th, not stopping to let Beringer finish until the questions were all out there. Upon his last question to Beringer, Respen looks directly at him.

"Tell us about this Shem fellow, would you?
Tell us who he is...where he is...who else assists him, could you?
Where would you go, perhaps a cache of supplies, or a safehouse nearby?
Where might this trail go, were we to wander it?

Looking directly at him, stated loudly, "Mr. Beringer, careful before you answer. For my last question is a yes or a no: Are all of your answers completely truthful, without omission or embellishment?"

Upon Beringer answering his questions, regardless of what he says, Respen thinks for a moment, and then turns back toward the group.
"I think it's time to sort out the rest of the story."

"Sheriff Denby, I presume you want to accompany us?"

 

[Tellerian Hawke]

More Questions...

Beringer is visibly non-plussed by your further attempt at interrogation, but sighs, and keeps his complaints to himself.

"Tell us about this Shem fellow, would you?
Tell us who he is...where he is...who else assists him, could you?
Where would you go, perhaps a cache of supplies, or a safehouse nearby?
Where might this trail go, were we to wander it?

Looking directly at him, stated loudly, "Mr. Beringer, careful before you answer. For my last question is a yes or a no: Are all of your answers completely truthful, without omission or embellishment?"

"Shem is a handler, a middle-man. He gave me my orders, and paid me in platinum. He didn't talk, except to tell me things that were necessary. He was extremely professional. Where is he now? I have no clue. His other jobbers? He never mentioned them, if he even had any. I had no safe house, although I did bury a chest with some platinum in it underneath a fire pit, a little ways south of here. What trail? The campsite is due south. There is no trail. It's just a clear spot behind a hill. Yes, my answers are truthful, without omission, and without embellishment."

Upon Beringer answering his questions, regardless of what he says, Respen thinks for a moment, and then turns back toward the group.
"I think it's time to sort out the rest of the story."

"Sheriff Denby, I presume you want to accompany us?"

Sir Denby (To All, In Common): "To the Inn? Sure. Why not?" And with that, he motions for Edward and Harold to cuff Beringer, and take him back to the jail house.

[Everyone: What do you do?]

 

[Aust Thale]

Vale and Gus take a walk...

~ Platinum? Hmm. Interesting thought. ~

"Sylvar, would you give me a sock of Crestwall's, please? I'll have Gus smell him real good, at least the sock such that Kasnik doesn't get the wrong idea, and we'll wander over and appropriate his chest. If the Sheriff allows us to confiscate his magicals and the platinum, we can consider the escort compensated and then some. If it's excessive, then perhaps we allow him Crestwall's family heirlooms back to him in trust of this Lt. Benquist in Dyvers? Whatever the Sheriff feels appropriate. "

Vale attends to Gus...as he wandered away from the temple and was receiving attention from some children not far from the outer gate. Gus seems pleasant. When he sees the former green rider in manacles, he proceeds to sniff him with a curious look on his face. ~New people.~

 

[Sylvar B.]

I could give you his sock, except that I only relieved him of his magical items. His socks, along with the rest of his undergarments are not magical. However, were I to posses one of his socks I would gladly give it to you. Given the circumstances you'll have to ask Beringer for whatever articles of clothing you desire.

 

[Aust Thale]

~ I could have sworn you got his socks. Perhaps I am simply feebleminded today. ~
"My apologies good elf. My mistake. I must be addled of late."

As Crestwall is being moved to the outside, Vale directs Gus to sniff him good.
"For the record, he will only sniff him to track his trail later if need be. Will help later. He will not touch him. (Toward Crestwall): Yeah, I was bluffing a little when I said he'd eat you. More likely he'd lick you to death as long as you are nice. Puppies may be bred to protect, but it takes a real SOB to teach them enmity. They don't come by it naturally. "

 

[Tellerian Hawke]

Edward and Harold escort Beringer out the door, out of the courtyard, and into the street, heading back to the jail house, taking Beringer's items with them.

Sir Denby follows the party (Dewydd, Vale & Gus, Respen, Sylvar, and Kasnik) back to the Inn, where Vega, Maxwell, and Karth are all hanging out in the common room.

Karth and Maxwell virtually ignore the party, because they are both deeply involved in a conversation (with each other) about Dwarven history.

GM: Karth (a PC) is "parked" here until his owner decides to play him again. Maxwell (an NPC) is "parked" here until the party can arrange for his safe passage home. (Not a pressing matter.)

Vega, however, joins the party as they arrive.

GM: Time of arrival = 1:30 pm. Patchwall 11, CY 963.

Sir Denby, having been informed of what is going on, suggests that the bodies be taken to a quiet meadow outside of town, where they can be buried properly after the spells have been cast.

GM: In the interests of moving the story along, I am assuming that the party agrees with him.

The party returns to the stables, and leads the three horses that are bearing the wrapped bodies out of town, to the quiet meadow that Sir Denby spoke of. The party also brings along 4 shovels.

By the time the party arrives at the meadow, tethers the horses, arranges the bodies on the ground, and unwraps the heads of the corpses (so that they can speak) it is 2:15 pm.

GM: A scroll of Speak With Dead, which is cast at 5th level, will allow you to ask two questions of the subject corpse. These corpses, which are differently aligned from the caster, each get a Will Save DC 14 to resist the effect. Figure out what questions you want to ask of each corpse, and post them. I will then roll saves, and post the answers that the corpses provide you with.

 

[Aust Thale]

Vale:

As they are leaving the Temple of St. Cuthbert, he stops for a moment, stroking his chin in thought. He announces, "I am limited in just how many questions I can coax from the dead with these scrolls. It's a powerful tool, but in concept as well as practice. However, I'd be remiss if I didn't point out that Father Xavier would undoubtedly be able to ask more questions with a similar spell or scroll. I am pleased to lend assistance, especially given I am accompanying you to investigate and fight these undead. I simply feel the need to suggest more optimal options."



Respen:

~ I wonder if this is the direction of the platinum...nice to have shovels. ~

[sblock=OOC] As Respen can track, is the party heading to a meadow which is south of town, perhaps to the camp mentioned by Crestwall? Perhaps we can kill two birds with one stone. [/sblock]

GM: The meadow is West of town, not South. Sorry.

 

[Diarmadhim]

I get quiet again when talk of speaking with the dead and other magic is discussed. Not out of fear, but out of curiosity. To even the casual observer it appears that I am riveted by the subject matter and attempting to learn everything I can.

"What was Vaelik's goal in town? Did the orcs have a purpose in being this close to town? Vaelik coming upon our location seems too suspicious to be happenstance..." I muse aloud.

 

[Tellerian Hawke]

Vega pipes up and says, "I agree. One of the questions we ask should be, 'What was your goal in Caltaran?' Dewydd has good instincts, knowing a person's goals can tell you much more about them than you might at first expect."

 

[Tellerian Hawke]

Sir Denby offers the following:

"I agree with Dewydd, also. Were it me, I'd ask about his goals, and my second question would be 'Who was your employer?' ... As for the other two, since they were both traveling together, I'd ask: 1. Where were you going? 2. Why were you going there? 3. Who were you going to meet? 4. Who sent you? ... Seems pretty straight-forward to me. Does anyone have any different ideas? Better questions?"

Sir Denby waits for a response.