Ptolus: The Legend of Longcoat

[Voadam]

"Kaleck, restrain the half-orc," barks a voice from near the top of the stairs. "Crippen, Armstrong, Bailey, Wechsler: Go check out their story."

As four watchmen bustle past the group, back toward Longcoat's lair, Watchman Kaleck's impressive silhouette suddenly appears before Garn.

"Get your hands up, you. No clever moves from you, no terrible accidents for you after."

The figure on the stairs thumps down a few more steps, and the remaining watchmen spread out, their lanterns no longer blinding the group. In the light, the commander is revealed to be Watch Captain Nurgrim Ironsole, the only dwarf captain in the watch. His dark beard is streaked white with salt, and he runs a hand over it as he considers the group.

"You lot Delvers? Vigilantes? Smugglers?"

Garn can't help but snarl back though he keeps his hands up and open "!@#$ing alms collectors. Care to redeem your worthless souls by giving some of your kickbacks to the poor?"

Garn chuckles as the men head down "Hope you had hearty dinners!"

 

[Trench]

Ada winces at Garn's reply. She looks toward the eunuch and motions with her eyes toward the dwarven captain.

 

[Cthulhudrew]

Vanden places himself diplomatically between Garn and the watchmen. "Please excuse our companion here- he has fallen victim to Longcoat's wrath more than once this day."

"We, collectively, have come to this place in search of justice- for the victims of Longcoat, many of whom we knew personally." He bows his head respectfully. "I hight Vanden, a eunuch in service to the Sisterhood of Silence. Garn you already know, I see. These others are Maugra, priestess of Tuen, Jarem, and err... Ada," he finishes awkwardly, struggling to recall the large woman's name.

Slowly reaching into his pouch, he produces the two journals he procured from upstairs. "We discovered these upstairs- they detail the horrific plots of the Longcoat murderer- a man we believe to have been the former innkeeper, Henry Crofter."

[sblock=ooc]Diplomacy check to win the watch captain's confidence- possibly with heavy penalties due to Garn's big mouth. ;p[/sblock]

 

[Whizbang Dustyboots]

Kaleck takes the journals and hands them off to another watchman, who in turn hands them to the captain.

The dwarf known as "Saltbeard" flips through them, holding up a finger when a watchman tries to interrupt. He glances up only momentarily when there's a sound from the direction of Longcoat's lair of at least one watchman losing his lunch.

After he finishes flipping through the second journal, he snaps it shut.

"Crofter was a little boy when the first murder happened. His grandfather used to own this place, as I recall. I used to drink here when I was still earning my stripes. Still, it looks like Crofter was pretty well turned around, which is never good news." He nods his bristly chin in the direction of Longcoat's grisly chamber. "What are they finding back in there?"

 

[Erekose13]

"As my companion Vanden has indicated, I am Maugra Ironcrane of the Docks Ironcranes. What lies below will shock even the most hardened investigator. Longcoat was a truely deranged individual. His larder contains the remains of his grisly experiments on his victims as well as his own deceased body. I warn you though, what ever he has become, it is no longer human." replies Maugra.

 

[Trollbabe]

Garnet remains silent, watching his allies converse with the watch. He whispers to Kiver who remains hidden beneath his tattered surcoat. "Stay calm... It will pass."

 

[Voadam]

He nods his bristly chin in the direction of Longcoat's grisly chamber. "What are they finding back in there?"

"Bit of this, bit of that. Sometimes its tough to tell what your looking at when it no longer has skin. Or when they are separated from the rest of what should be there. Course I can't tell a !@#$ing dwarven spleen from a @#$ing elven liver. You should all go see it, I wouldn't want any of your lot to miss this one up close." Garn's solicitous grin is nasty.

 

[Whizbang Dustyboots]

Watchman Kaleck shoves Garn back up against the wall to knock the air out of him and temporarily shut him up.

"That could be con- ... cons- ... that could be called a threat, captain," he grins at Garn before looking back over his shoulder at Captain Ironsole. "Want us to drop him off at the prison?"

The captain looks blandly down at Garn from the stairs.

"No, send them on their way. We know where to find them if we need them."

At this point, one of the watchmen sent to investigate the crime scene reappears in the doorway of the secret door, his face ashen.

"Well?" Ironsole snaps.

"I-it was Longcoat," the watchman says quietly. "They killed him."

"Well, then," Ironsole says, grinning, motioning for Kaleck to release Garn. "Now we have a different reason to find you. The Dockmaster said something about a reward. I didn't read the whole message, since I didn't expect some saltwater Delvers to do the work for us. Someone will find you tomorrow.

"Now, until then, get out of my crime scene."

 

[Trench]

Ada nods silently and quickly moves out past the watchmen, clutching the chest close to her. She'll wait outside very briefly for the others to catch up.

 

[Trollbabe]

Ada nods silently and quickly moves out past the watchmen, clutching the chest close to her. She'll wait outside very briefly for the others to catch up.

Swiftly follows Ada out with a sigh of relief. Once outside he takes a deep breath of salty air. Garnet is very happy to be out of that "dungeon".