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Post by Gregor on Jan 9, 2009 20:13:28 GMT
Gregor looks at Meldorac quizically.
"Well, I guess he came up the stairs and into this room.... so the same direction we all did."
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Post by zipp on Jan 9, 2009 20:57:16 GMT
The news that the merchant had died quickly passed down the hallway. Most of the travelers were only too happy to let the two healers deal with the corpse, and so the innkeep locked them in the room as requested and stepped away from the door.
Inside, the room became a mesh of shadows created by the glaring light of the lantern that Owain placed on a bedside table. The light cast strange shadows across the faces of the two healers, making their faces seem pitted and distorted.
By the way, everyone take one point of insanity for the scream and the sudden death of the merchant. Please keep track of your current insanity in your signatures (not jus the level, but also your current points). If anyone has any questions on how insanity works, feel free to ask.
For the two healers inside the room, I'll need to have you declare your actions. Checking the body requires a skill check at DC 10. Checking the room requires the same thing at DC 15 (because of the poor light).
If the two of you decide to work together, pool your dice.
If you want to make any secret checks, you can of course mention it in your personal thread.
Declare your next two or three actions. When I resolve them, I'll move you out of the room and push us forward again.
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Post by Bonnie Sommer on Jan 9, 2009 23:34:50 GMT
Bonnie moves outside the Merchant's door and take a post there.
Note: She will stop anyone who wants to gain access to the chambers and also take note of any people who lingers about in the corridor.
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Post by Michael of Eshnar on Jan 10, 2009 1:17:23 GMT
"My friend," says the Herbalish to the priest, "let us solve this mystery together. What is your opinion of this man's demise?"
Michael is seeking to cooperate with Owain as, despite not having formally met yet, this death is more important and benefits the innocents at the inn.
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Post by Brother Owain on Jan 10, 2009 3:39:27 GMT
"I did not expect anyone else to voluntarily choose to enter this room," says Owain. "But then I see from your robes that you are a fellow healer. Your help would be appreciated." I have no problem with cooperating with Michael here. Owain will want to examine the body, then the room.
Rolls for merchant: 2,9,13,3 Rolls for room: 19,5,2,19
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Post by Dirac Sil on Jan 10, 2009 6:33:07 GMT
Meldorac rolls his eyes at the words of the mage, and moves to the innkeeper. "If the man felt unwell, he may have left something by accident downstairs. Can we check the common room? No clue should be left unfound."
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Post by Gregor on Jan 10, 2009 6:48:16 GMT
"Cant hurt to check I guess..", says Gregor, respoding to Meldoracs suggestion. "I would suggest we move downstairs anyway; firstly cause thats where the wine is and second so we can properly discuss the mans demise when the healers emerge. No sense all jamming ourselves in a cramped hallway. The inkeep here looks like he could use a stiff one to calm his nerves!"
Gregor slaps his hand joyfully on the inkeepers shoulder as he says this, while turning and making his way towards the stairs.
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Post by zipp on Jan 10, 2009 8:31:16 GMT
The innkeep can't seem to believe he's following two complete strangers around his own inn, but the mention of drink seems to reach something in him, and he dutifully allows himself to be led downstairs by Meldorac and Gregor.
At the last moment, perhaps due to Bonnie's imposing presence at the door, the mercenary said he'd join them, and came downstairs, mumbling about the suggestion of drink being a damn good one.
I sort've get where you're going with this. Go ahead and post your actions and what information you're hoping to get out of this detour. Rather than play it out in full conversation, which could take days of internet time, I'll resolve it all in one fell post.
Meanwhile, inside the room, Owain found the herbalish Michael to be not only an able assistant, but someone whose knowledge of the physical condition of a person seemed to exceed his own. Working with him, the two healers quickly came to the conclusion that the Merchant had died of a heart attack... not surprising, considering his girth and the amount he'd eaten the night before.
What was more disturbing was the twisted look on his face. It was not one of the usual pain and surprise that graced the face of most heart attack victims. It was true terror painted on his features.
Something had frightened the man to death.
With this in mind, the two began a cautious search of the room. They found nothing amiss, however. No evil assailants or Helghasts hiding under the bed. The merchant's belongings didn't seem to have been tampered with. There was a mouse hole in one corner of the room, but it seemed ridiculous to think that the merchant could've died from fright at seeing a mouse.
Of course, stranger things had happened.
The one thing that seemed odd was a thin line of grease along the window sill. Neither man could explain its presence, but then it didn't necessarily mean anything, either. Mold, perhaps.
I went ahead and rolled for Michael's skill, to help your own checks, since he declared that's what he'd be doing.
Merchant: 15, 13, 19 Search: 13, 3, 14
You guys could probably take another couple actions if you wanted, before I move us on.
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Post by Dirac Sil on Jan 10, 2009 9:03:18 GMT
Meldorac poked half heartedly at the place where the man had sat, looking under the table and under the legs of things close by. He also around the front entrance where any overclothes might have been deposited.
"Did the man mention where he had travelled from?" asked Meldorac of the innkeeper. Meldorac also looked intently to anyone else who spoke, though wherther caring about the question or caring about the people was harder to gauge.
At length, Meldorac fished out the key for his room he had taken down, and laid it on the bar. He then found a seat and sat at it. He had his possessions with him, and so fished around for a small item. He looked at it for a while, shaking it occasionally. He then placed it back in his pack then continued sitting looking to his companions to see if they were done.
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Post by Brother Owain on Jan 10, 2009 11:27:58 GMT
"This man was frightened to death? Could he have been drugged with anything that would produce such an effect? He was visibly terrified by what the mercenary said to him about the plague, yet continued eating." Owain says to the herbalish. "He ate an incredible amount of food earlier this evening - perhaps this was his habit, or might he have been experiencing increased hunger as a side effect of some poison that makes the victim suggestible enough to die of fear?"
Owain then decides to investigate the grease on the windowsill, to try and determine if it has been there long. Could it have resulted from someone tampering with the window, an assassin perhaps? He also decides to examine the mousehole to see if anything might have been hidden inside it, doubtful though it seems.
I'm thinking Owain and Michael might be able to make another joint SKILL roll to try and identify any poison that may have been used here. Both characters are experts in herblore.
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Post by Michael of Eshnar on Jan 10, 2009 14:03:31 GMT
The Herbalish comes over to assist the priest and peers at the grease. "Hmm, this is odd. Maybe it's some sort of lubricant. It might even be a remnant of some sort of binary poison, so that he could eat his food heartily and only later die of something else he consumed.
Michael will assist Owain in scouting out the room and its mysterious contents.
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Post by Bonnie Sommer on Jan 10, 2009 14:12:22 GMT
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Post by Gregor on Jan 10, 2009 19:51:30 GMT
Gregor takes point and heads straight behind the bar. Before the inkeep can say anything, he has found, drawn and poured 4 glasses of wine. He thrust one into the hands of the inkeep and taking one up himself, raises the glass and takes a large swig. Placing his glass down, he moves round and hands one to the mercenary then places one in front of Meldorac, then pats the same man on the shoulder twice in a "stay attentive" sort of way, then steps back to the bar to collect his own drink. Heading round the back of the bar again, Gregor plays at preparing another drink while searching through the bars shelves and cupboards. Search check behind the bar (1d20=3, 1d20=12, 1d20=12)
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Post by zipp on Jan 10, 2009 20:06:55 GMT
Owain and Michael poked around for a bit more (Owain even checked the mouse hole) but they could find nothing of more interest than the grease. Unfortunately, it's origins remained elusive, and despite the two healer's extensive knowledge of herbs, which extended somewhat into the realms of poisons, they simply did not have enough information or equipment to truly identify it. Based off their examination of the body, however, it was unlikely that poison was used. Certainly the body showed none of the signs the usual poisons, such as graveweed, left. If the body had been poisoned, it had been with something obscure. That knowledge was hardly calming, though. I went ahead and did a joint roll at DC 12, but as you can see it didn't turn out too well.
invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/1886841/Suddenly the two healers felt like they needed a breath of fresh air. The room smelled like recent death, and the poor light was beginning to give them headaches. They emerged from the chamber to find Bonnie guarding the door. Together, the three of them went downstairs. Everyone was gathered at the bar. The glasses of wine Gregor had poured had disappeared quickly, to be replaced by some clear liqour that the innkeep steadily poured for everyone. If there's any information you want to share with the others, now is the time to do it. My next post will probably end the scene.
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Post by Brother Owain on Jan 10, 2009 20:13:17 GMT
On leaving the room, Owain will merely tell anyone who asks that the merchant died of a heart attack. The apparent cause of this - mortal terror - will be shared only with the other player characters if the opportunity arises.
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