Isow leads the companions through the streets as his men gather up the boy and lead him away in a reasonably gentle manner. You are led through an area that seems to teem with artisans shops, and another which seems more of a pleasure district until you near the centre of town where large estates surround a central hill, a large building project is underway.
A pit some thirty to forty feet deep, with bamboo scaffolding within, complete with ladders and crafted handholds. Garunam form the great majority of the work force, and carry earth from the pit to a slurry pile.
Isow approachs and is pointed towards the eastern edge of the project, there you all see a corpse lying semi-hidden behind a pile of clay and earth.
" Raj Senem....one of the better off Garunam....or at least he was..."
A Gurunam man stands by Senem’s corpse, wringing his hands and unable to look away from the dead man. Behind him, other Garunam are climbing in and out of the pit, small buckets of earth in their hands, all of them shooting regular glances at the dead man. The Merubat overseer shouts half-heartedly at them to continue their work, but the tension is obvious even among them.
Isow waves the group over, " I'm guessing some of you at least...", his eyes linger on the Denawan and the Orc-bloods. " ...have seen your share of dead men."
Looking the corpse over you can see Senem was a small man in late middle age with sharp, severe features, straight black hair, and the bronze skin of the local Garunam. His hands are soft but stained with multiple inks and herbal extracts. He wears the brightly-dyed sarong favored by the wealthy and a pouch at his belt. He appears to have died from a single knife-wound to the heart, delivered from behind.
Jupp and Keruda:
As skilled warriors you recognize the knifework of a practiced murderer in the placement and precision of the blow.
Rather grotesquely the corpse’s lower jaw has also been cut away and removed.
It is impossible to locate any tracks around the corpse as the area has been hopelessly trodden by workers.
“Hopefully the stab came before the jaw...” Samnang starts to scan the area, Removing the jaw would surely leave traces of blood? She thought to herself.
Keruda stands tall, looking quizzically at the corpse. “Do you know who would’ve wanted to do this?”
Isow frowned, " I will admit that he was not well-loved by his people. He had a very high estimation of his own rank and was harsh about maintaining Garunam customs. Those he exiled from the community usually starved or fell to bad ends in the town, or were forced to leave Parakan entirely. Still, he kept the peace between Garunam and others of the city and I respected him as a man who could be trusted to keep his word. Now the Garunam community’s leader will be his only child, his daughter Adik Kiwa. She is very young."
Jupp will walk over to the body and begin trying to guess how long he has been dead and look towards the foreman and make a come here motion.
Medicine 13
Jupp is fairly sure its been at least half a day or so.....the foreman looked up and wandered over, giving up on getting much work done while the body is there.
“Hopefully the stab came before the jaw...” Samnang starts to scan the area, Removing the jaw would surely leave traces of blood? She thought to herself.
Investigation: 13.
And indeed there was....but from the lack of arterial spray she was sure he was already dead and cold before the jaw was hacked away...
“Looks like someone took a trophy well after he was dead. Nasty.” Looking up Samnang notices the new group. “They look...organised.”
Robes, were they some kind of religious sect?
History/Religion: 15.
Most of the priests Samnang has come across on other islands wear white, either loose fitting open robes or a pairing of a light jacket and sarong. The red is unusual in her experience and probably speaks to some local fusion of older Garunam belief and the local animistic Lokanan beliefs....the Shrine of the Maw....
"Greetings, I wish for information for example a man does not lie here a half day without anyone noticing" Jupp looking at the foreman with a hard look trying to gage his reaction Insight 10
Looking up and noticing the preist "Purhapes someone of the local clurgie can shed some light and allow a poor man to answer some questions from the other side"
"Greetings, I wish for information for example a man does not lie here a half day without anyone noticing" Jupp looking at the foreman with a hard look trying to gauge his reaction. (Insight 10)
Looking up and noticing the preist "Perhaps someone of the local clergy can shed some light and allow a poor man to answer some questions from the other side"
The foreman frowned, " Well....he was noticed first thing....but he wasn't going to get any more dead and I needed the pit shored up....should have told someone earlier, yes. Not gonna get a decent days work out of this lot while he's there anyway..."
( He seems mostly concerned about work delays rather than the murder scene.)
Clancy looks at the body curiously as Jupp passes by with it, "Hmmm someone really messed with his face. The jaw... hmmm... seems almost ritualistic..."
"Thank you for your time" and Jupp will stand up and carry the body up to the priest in a bridal carry as a sign of respect.
Isow seems to be making a point that the murderer could have been anyone, but the Guru dismisses him saying its obvious the Garunam was killed by one of his fellows.
As the body was brought to him he twined a fist in the dead man’s hair, yanking the head up to scowl at its mutilated face.
“Look at these imperial trinkets,” he demands as he reaches down the front of the corpse’s shirt to pull out a handful of jade-beaded necklaces, thumbing through them for a moment before he lets the baubles drop back. The fists of the Garunam workers clench with fury, but they do not utter a word. Isow stiffly “requested” that Upright Osaze leave the body alone and the priest stepped back with a sneer.
Clancy looks at the body curiously as Jupp passes by with it, "Hmmm someone really messed with his face. The jaw... hmmm... seems almost ritualistic..."
The priest looked at Clancy as if he was a simpleton, " It was done so that none may question his body about the murder, it is a foul practice...but one well known to these Garunam thugs."
Isow leads the companions through the streets as his men gather up the boy and lead him away in a reasonably gentle manner. You are led through an area that seems to teem with artisans shops, and another which seems more of a pleasure district until you near the centre of town where large estates surround a central hill, a large building project is underway.
A pit some thirty to forty feet deep, with bamboo scaffolding within, complete with ladders and crafted handholds. Garunam form the great majority of the work force, and carry earth from the pit to a slurry pile.
Isow approachs and is pointed towards the eastern edge of the project, there you all see a corpse lying semi-hidden behind a pile of clay and earth.
" Raj Senem....one of the better off Garunam....or at least he was..."
A Gurunam man stands by Senem’s corpse, wringing his hands and unable to look away from the dead man. Behind him, other Garunam are climbing in and out of the pit, small buckets of earth in their hands, all of them shooting regular glances at the dead man. The Merubat overseer shouts half-heartedly at them to continue their work, but the tension is obvious even among them.
Isow waves the group over, " I'm guessing some of you at least...", his eyes linger on the Denawan and the Orc-bloods. " ...have seen your share of dead men."
Looking the corpse over you can see Senem was a small man in late middle age with sharp, severe features, straight black hair, and the bronze skin of the local Garunam. His hands are soft but stained with multiple inks and herbal extracts. He wears the brightly-dyed sarong favored by the wealthy and a pouch at his belt. He appears to have died from a single knife-wound to the heart, delivered from behind.
Jupp and Keruda:
As skilled warriors you recognize the knifework of a practiced murderer in the placement and precision of the blow.
Rather grotesquely the corpse’s lower jaw has also been cut away and removed.
It is impossible to locate any tracks around the corpse as the area has been hopelessly trodden by workers.
“Hopefully the stab came before the jaw...” Samnang starts to scan the area, Removing the jaw would surely leave traces of blood? She thought to herself.
Investigation: 13.
Jupp will walk over to the body and begin trying to guess how long he has been dead and look towards the foreman and make a come here motion.
Medicine 18
DJ
Clancy recoils slightly at the sight of the mutilated corpse, then glares at Isow "Okay, wow! A bit of warning would've been nice!"
Clancy stays well back and starts to take in the surroundings.
Are there any people hanging around or watching the goings on in a suspicious manner?
Perception 11
Keruda stands tall, looking quizzically at the corpse. “Do you know who would’ve wanted to do this?”
Isow frowned, " I will admit that he was not well-loved by his people. He had a very high estimation of his own rank and was harsh about maintaining Garunam customs. Those he exiled from the community usually starved or fell to bad ends in the town, or were forced to leave Parakan entirely. Still, he kept the peace between Garunam and others of the city and I respected him as a man who could be trusted to keep his word. Now the Garunam community’s leader will be his only child, his daughter Adik Kiwa. She is very young."
All of the workers are taking an intense interest, but no one can see into the worksite from the street.
Jupp is fairly sure its been at least half a day or so.....the foreman looked up and wandered over, giving up on getting much work done while the body is there.
" Salamat, Big One. What you need?"
And indeed there was....but from the lack of arterial spray she was sure he was already dead and cold before the jaw was hacked away...
As the companions spoke and investigated a small cluster of tight-faced mercenaries dressed in black sarongs and vests entered the site.
At their head is a white-bearded priest with sunken eyes in a red open fronted robe.
As he approached, Isow identified him as Guru Jujur from the Shrine of the Maw, speaking with no great love in his tone.
The priest gave the party a sharp inspection as he approached, but called Isow over to speak with him privately.
“Looks like someone took a trophy well after he was dead. Nasty.” Looking up Samnang notices the new group. “They look...organised.”
Robes, were they some kind of religious sect?
History/Religion: 15.
Most of the priests Samnang has come across on other islands wear white, either loose fitting open robes or a pairing of a light jacket and sarong. The red is unusual in her experience and probably speaks to some local fusion of older Garunam belief and the local animistic Lokanan beliefs....the Shrine of the Maw....
{Sounds ominous}
"Greetings, I wish for information for example a man does not lie here a half day without anyone noticing" Jupp looking at the foreman with a hard look trying to gage his reaction
Insight 10
Looking up and noticing the preist "Purhapes someone of the local clurgie can shed some light and allow a poor man to answer some questions from the other side"
DJ
Can Clancy hear anything of what is being said?
Perception 4
( Not with that roll unfortunately)
The foreman frowned, " Well....he was noticed first thing....but he wasn't going to get any more dead and I needed the pit shored up....should have told someone earlier, yes. Not gonna get a decent days work out of this lot while he's there anyway..."
( He seems mostly concerned about work delays rather than the murder scene.)
"Thank you for your time" and Jupp will stand up and carry the body up to the priest in a bridal carry as a sign of respect.
DJ
Clancy looks at the body curiously as Jupp passes by with it, "Hmmm someone really messed with his face. The jaw... hmmm... seems almost ritualistic..."
Clancy follows Jupp towards the priest and stands just beyond where he is talking to Isow.
Can Clancy hear anything now?
Perception 5
(nope Clancy has gone deaf)
Isow seems to be making a point that the murderer could have been anyone, but the Guru dismisses him saying its obvious the Garunam was killed by one of his fellows.
As the body was brought to him he twined a fist in the dead man’s hair, yanking the head up to scowl at its mutilated face.
“Look at these imperial trinkets,” he demands as he reaches down the front of the corpse’s shirt to pull out a handful of jade-beaded necklaces, thumbing through them for a moment before he lets the baubles drop back. The fists of the Garunam workers clench with fury, but they do not utter a word. Isow stiffly “requested” that Upright Osaze leave the body alone and the priest stepped back with a sneer.
The priest looked at Clancy as if he was a simpleton, " It was done so that none may question his body about the murder, it is a foul practice...but one well known to these Garunam thugs."
Isow made a curt acknowledgement of the Gurus opinion and watch in silence as the priest gathered his men ready to depart.
Samnang keeps a close eye on the guru, after all priests are often the most skilled charlatans of all.
Did the priest take anything when he inspected the body?
Perception: 14
Clancy would like to insight check the priest, does he seem dodgy? Or is he just a sanctimonious *******?
Insight 19
(Wow DnD Beyond censors shit?)