Steel Shadows: a cleric, a juggernaught, and a girl walk into a bar

[Seeker]

".... I didn't know you would respond so quickly."

Seeker looks up from the map, and around the room. "I am among brothers and sisters; why should I delay?" As if this settled the matter, he continues: "Have all the murders been at night -- or, rather, have all the bodies been found then?"


... oils of repair light. At this, Seeker will gesture for Reason to hold.

"I will help him, instead." At this, Seeker quietly tells Copper: "Be not afraid." (He casts Remove Fear. Heck, it's worth a try, right?) If Copper is injured, he'll follow it up with a Repair Light. Otherwise, apologize for disturbing him.


On a Take-10 Blacksmithing check of 24, how long (in terms of time) is the line for the forge? If it's long enough:

Seeker runs a professional eye over the forge and the waiting injured, and doesn't like what he sees. He heads towards the 'Forged with the crushed arm. "I may need an extra pair of hands," he says when he arrives, "and it looks like you don't have much planned for the next few days."

The 'Forged laughs bitterly. "I've only got the one," he says, picking up his mangled arm with his good one and letting it drop.

"And if I take care of that, will you pay the smith -- for I aim to do no harm -- and follow me and my directions until tommorow?" Pretending not to notice the look on the 'Forged's face, Seekers continues: "I should want, as well, that you keep Ash informed of what we find, so that if we find trouble, others may avoid it."

Disbelievingly: "You think it'll only take a day to figure this thing out?"

"If we're still at it a day from now, I'm sure I can come up a number of small, round, and flat reasons for you to stay. "


At some point before we leave, Seeker will cast a Detect Magic ("Give a minute to think," Seeker says, and begins to look slowly around the room.) and see what shows up, looking in particular at Copper, Ash, Shadowblack, and Dandy.

He'll also get directions to the Cannith forgehold, and, if the 'forged know, when Slogar is normally there, but suggest taking a quick look at where Leatherneck was found -- figuring the other places have been too trafficked since then for anything useful to remain.

 

[Jarrod]

Shadowblack bounces off Reason's armored chest.

So, you're one of them, are you? That's a loss. Looks like you know how to handle that sword of yours. Well, if you ever come to your senses look me up. Or any of my brothers. And let that meatsack know that as long as she stays out of my way, she'll be fine.

He returns to his corner. A small group of 'forged watch him go; looks like they quite enjoyed him having to back down.

Seeker looks up from the map, and around the room. "I am among brothers and sisters; why should I delay?" As if this settled the matter, he continues: "Have all the murders been at night -- or, rather, have all the bodies been found then?"

The bodies have either been found at night by people stumbling over them, or in the morning. It appears likely that the murders were at night.

"I will help him, instead." At this, Seeker quietly tells Copper: "Be not afraid." (He casts Remove Fear. Heck, it's worth a try, right?) If Copper is injured, he'll follow it up with a Repair Light. Otherwise, apologize for disturbing him.

The Remove Fear has no effect. It looks like you would need more powerful magic - something shattered his mind long ago. He is not physically injured.

On a Take-10 Blacksmithing check of 24, how long (in terms of time) is the line for the forge? If it's long enough:

Not particularly long. It's more of a social event, like guys in line for a shower at an athletic club. The 'forged with the busted arm is the only seriously injured one around. He will be happy to help out if you fix him up, though.

At some point before we leave, Seeker will cast a Detect Magic ("Give a minute to think," Seeker says, and begins to look slowly around the room.) and see what shows up, looking in particular at Copper, Ash, Shadowblack, and Dandy.

Ash has some minor magics (looks like something in the chest slot). Shadowblack has something in the chest slot, as well as two magical daggers.

He'll also get directions to the Cannith forgehold, and, if the 'forged know, when Slogar is normally there, but suggest taking a quick look at where Leatherneck was found -- figuring the other places have been too trafficked since then for anything useful to remain.

Consider yourself directed.

 

[Seeker]

I like the idea of a forge-as-social-event. Since Copper was uninjured, Seeker will definitely fix the smashed-arm 'Forge (who needs a name) up -- he wants to be seen helping 'forged out.

After the Detect Magic sweep, Seeker will propose looking where Leatherneck was found, and, assuming Melina and Reason have done all they wanted to, we'll all head over there. (Cue GM description of Scene 2.)

 

[Jarrod]

It's a walk of a few minutes to get to the alley where Leatherneck was found. The directions Ash gave you were clear, and nobody troubles you along the way.

Unfortunately, the mouth of the alley also looks to be relatively frequently travelled; a casual scan doesn't produce much in the way of clues. It's going to take some time.

Questions: how long do you guys want to take (call it 7:00pm, given early evening when you received the message and travel/conversation time). Also, I need Search, Spot, and Listen modifiers.

 

[Seeker]

Spot and Listen modifiers are +6, Search (untrained) at +2. Seeker will ask Melina for a Detect Magic sweep. He'll also want to extend the search into the alley, where Leatherneck was probably mauled.

Seeker would like to Take 20 (with Melina and Reason helping, minimum DC 26), but that may change depending on what Ash (et alia) could tell us about Slogar's hours, although Seeker doesn't think there's much he can do with the bodies for another eight hours and change anyway. We could always take a look at the Tain Foundry before then, however...

 

[JennB]

Spot +8; Listen: +8; Search, +4
Melina will gladly sweep the alley for magic. She can probably continue investigating for another 3 hours or so, but then she'll need to find somewhere to spend the night.

"Sorry, guys. I just <yawn> can't concentrate much longer."

She suggests visiting the Cannith forgehold tomorrow. "If Slogar d'Cannith is as stuck up as Ash says, maybe I should ask the questions. While I get some sleep, why don't you work out what we need to ask him? Then if he's a nasty little man, I'll talk to him. If he turns out to be ok, you can take over, Seeker. Sound good to you?"

After a little thought, "Maybe we can even claim the bodies. Ash said something about the proper rites. Does he follow the same philosophy as you?"

 

[Jarrod]

There is not much to be seen at the crime site; or, rather, too much. As you look around, passers-by stop to rubberneck before being shooed away by Reason.

After about two hours of searching, Melina spots the glitter of gold in a crack low on one wall. Something managed to get kicked into a crevice. A quick stone shape later, and Seeker holds a small piece of gold (about the size of the tip of your thumb) shaped like a link of a chain.

Another hour passes with nothing else being found, and Melina is yawning visibly. She suggests that you get a fresh start in the morning, and wanders off to find a place to sleep.

 

[Seeker]

Seeker will hand the link over for Reason to look at, and then meditate, to see if he gets any ideas on what it may have come from.

Since I don't know what to roll on -- if anything -- Knowledge (Arcana) and (Religion): +15 and +15, Knowledge (Architecture and Engineering): +5, Knowledge (Local) +3, Knowledge (Any Other, Trained) +3, Craft (Alchemy): +11.

Since Stone Shape uses the same domain slot Divination does, Seeker will wait until tommorow to try asking about the the investigation (or, if something more specific comes up, that). Also, he'll load up a number of Speak with Dead spells, and assuming he won't need Death Ward, a Scrying, in case all else fails.

 

[JennB]

Seeker holds a small piece of gold (about the size of the tip of your thumb) shaped like a link of a chain.

That's awfully big to be jewelry. Unless there are warforged who wear jewelry? So I'm thinking it must have been part of a magic item. What do you guys think?

 

[Jarrod]

Seeker, Reason, and Melina look it over. After a few detects, they decide that sometimes a gold chain link is just that - a gold chain link. Probably from a larger piece and designed to be decorative.

Is there anything else that you three want to do before morning?