Vars looks thoughtfully at the corps, and then at the tunnels. "How can we be sure that this was the wizard's servant? What if Aberanth caught this fellow sneaking around in here and killed him? I know Aberanth was supposedly a good fellow, but this murder could have been out of self defense. That could explain why it was hidden, perhaps he didn't want to acknowledge his actions. However, it wouldn't explain these tunnels...unless..." He thinks for a moment, "Perhaps this was a servant who turned on him? Or knew to much... I know I keep going back to this book idea, but I don't know why Irongrass would have bothered mentioning it if Aberanth wasn't exceptionally excited about it? Perhaps this goblin either was selling information to an outside source or simply saw something he shouldn't have, so Aberanth killed him. That would explain these tunnels, as only someone of the goblin's stature could comfortably use them."
He shakes his head, "I'm just throwing out options at this point... It would be good to know where these tunnels go. Frangipani, if you don't mind..." He gestures to the tunnel and mutters almost to low to hear, "It would be nice to have the rats on our side..."
Frangipani nodded and concentrated going through all the animals she had come in contact with over the years....for some reason she wasn't able to do seabirds or fish even though they were the ones she knew best but she had run into a lot of rats over the years.....she scrunched up her eyes and....
A dark black-blue furred rat sat on the floor of the cellar looking up at Vars and the captain, it nodded then headed into the tunnel....
Sparhawk also inspects the dagger (anything distinguishable about it, and trying to surmise the hand size of the strangulation (inspection : 22 such as orc made, etc.
The dagger is fairly ordinary. Cheaply made hunk of steel, possibly a shard off a larger blade reformed to a dagger. The strangulation was via a thin wire or rope as it cut into the throat of the victim as he was strangled.
Frangipani scurries rapidly through the tunnel which heads slightly north and mostly to the east. It is a very short tunnel that ends with a trap door leading topside. Would need a larger body to open it. She can’t quite tell where it comes out, but she thinks it may be somewhere near the front of the house
Frangipani pushes on the trap door. It has a little bit of extra weight on it, but nothing she can’t easily push. The door opens up onto the porch under the collection of old bottles, which are adhered to the door as camouflage.
"I doubt a wizard of Abernath's status would crawl through a dirty tunnel, even if he did design it. I suspect this tunnel is for the goblin, which would mean the goblin was doing crimes for Abernath. He couldn't be seen entering the front door."
Bjorn frowns. "I'd be willing to bet that the wizards in the Brotherhood can get away with small crimes without trouble. This smells like treachery. Crimes against the Brotherhood. Against Irongrass specifically, if the bounty is any indication."
He claps his hands together as if closing a book. "I think Abernath is on the run. So, where would a wizard go to hide from other wizards? Is there somewhere that's protected from magic?"
Sorsha gives Frangipani an appreciative nod as she comes back and reports. "I don't mind hearing all your theories of what all this means but we still have almost a whole house to investigate." She says to the others, and unless someone has anything else they want to investigate in the basement she leads the crew up to the kitchen and out into the corridor taking the next door to the right, peeking in. Peerception: 21
“Indeed, there are some different theories. Let’s continue our examination and see what else we can dig up.” Sparhawk tries to let the evidence tell the tale, instead of finding clues to fit a hypothesis.
Sorsha gives Frangipani an appreciative nod as she comes back and reports. "I don't mind hearing all your theories of what all this means but we still have almost a whole house to investigate." She says to the others, and unless someone has anything else they want to investigate in the basement she leads the crew up to the kitchen and out into the corridor taking the next door to the right, peeking in. Peerception: 21
Down the hallway you can now see more clearly the other paintings are portraits. One of Abernath among a group of carnival people. One is of Abernath standing next to a strange, ancient temple with Jungle surrounding it, giving the thumbs up sign. As you open the 1st door on the right you see a small, but well kept bedroom. The bed itself is built for a smaller person. There is a chest at the foot end of the bed and hand woven area rug. A small desk with a mirror sits against the wall across from the bed and neck to it is an empty coat rack. There is a smaller painted portrait of a bristly look Gnome with big sideburns and pipe in his mouth.
13“Let me take a look in the chest and closet of our little friend. (Perception 13
There is no closet, just the chest. You open the unlocked chest and inside you find some neatly folded shirts, and pants and some socks. Some papers that appear to be receipts for purchased goods. The items only take up about 1/2 the space of the chest.
( remember, for detailed looking, investigation is the skill)
Vars looks thoughtfully at the corps, and then at the tunnels. "How can we be sure that this was the wizard's servant? What if Aberanth caught this fellow sneaking around in here and killed him? I know Aberanth was supposedly a good fellow, but this murder could have been out of self defense. That could explain why it was hidden, perhaps he didn't want to acknowledge his actions. However, it wouldn't explain these tunnels...unless..." He thinks for a moment, "Perhaps this was a servant who turned on him? Or knew to much... I know I keep going back to this book idea, but I don't know why Irongrass would have bothered mentioning it if Aberanth wasn't exceptionally excited about it? Perhaps this goblin either was selling information to an outside source or simply saw something he shouldn't have, so Aberanth killed him. That would explain these tunnels, as only someone of the goblin's stature could comfortably use them."
He shakes his head, "I'm just throwing out options at this point... It would be good to know where these tunnels go. Frangipani, if you don't mind..." He gestures to the tunnel and mutters almost to low to hear, "It would be nice to have the rats on our side..."
Frangipani nodded and concentrated going through all the animals she had come in contact with over the years....for some reason she wasn't able to do seabirds or fish even though they were the ones she knew best but she had run into a lot of rats over the years.....she scrunched up her eyes and....
A dark black-blue furred rat sat on the floor of the cellar looking up at Vars and the captain, it nodded then headed into the tunnel....
OOC: Wildshape- Rat.
The dagger is fairly ordinary. Cheaply made hunk of steel, possibly a shard off a larger blade reformed to a dagger. The strangulation was via a thin wire or rope as it cut into the throat of the victim as he was strangled.
Frangipani scurries rapidly through the tunnel which heads slightly north and mostly to the east. It is a very short tunnel that ends with a trap door leading topside. Would need a larger body to open it. She can’t quite tell where it comes out, but she thinks it may be somewhere near the front of the house
Frangipani shifts back to her genasi shape and pushes on the trapdoor.
(Good luck)
Sparhawk looks for anything else that stands out in the basement area (or if more specific, additional secret doors/ traps. (Investigation: 15
Frangipani pushes on the trap door. It has a little bit of extra weight on it, but nothing she can’t easily push. The door opens up onto the porch under the collection of old bottles, which are adhered to the door as camouflage.
Sparhawk doesn’t find any secret doors or traps. Just the storage items and the crates with danger printed on them.
(Is orchish similar to goblin?) can Sparhawk understand any of the letter?
Frangipani heads back inside and downstairs telling the others where the tunnel comes out.
"I doubt a wizard of Abernath's status would crawl through a dirty tunnel, even if he did design it. I suspect this tunnel is for the goblin, which would mean the goblin was doing crimes for Abernath. He couldn't be seen entering the front door."
Bjorn frowns. "I'd be willing to bet that the wizards in the Brotherhood can get away with small crimes without trouble. This smells like treachery. Crimes against the Brotherhood. Against Irongrass specifically, if the bounty is any indication."
He claps his hands together as if closing a book. "I think Abernath is on the run. So, where would a wizard go to hide from other wizards? Is there somewhere that's protected from magic?"
Sorsha gives Frangipani an appreciative nod as she comes back and reports. "I don't mind hearing all your theories of what all this means but we still have almost a whole house to investigate." She says to the others, and unless someone has anything else they want to investigate in the basement she leads the crew up to the kitchen and out into the corridor taking the next door to the right, peeking in.
Peerception: 21
No
“Indeed, there are some different theories. Let’s continue our examination and see what else we can dig up.” Sparhawk tries to let the evidence tell the tale, instead of finding clues to fit a hypothesis.
Down the hallway you can now see more clearly the other paintings are portraits. One of Abernath among a group of carnival people. One is of Abernath standing next to a strange, ancient temple with Jungle surrounding it, giving the thumbs up sign. As you open the 1st door on the right you see a small, but well kept bedroom. The bed itself is built for a smaller person. There is a chest at the foot end of the bed and hand woven area rug. A small desk with a mirror sits against the wall across from the bed and neck to it is an empty coat rack. There is a smaller painted portrait of a bristly look Gnome with big sideburns and pipe in his mouth.
5“Let me take a look in the chest and closet of our little friend. (Perception 18
If nobody else does, Bjorn pockets the goblin note. Maybe we can get it translated later.
[None of the coats at the front entrance were gnome-sized, were they?]
There is no closet, just the chest. You open the unlocked chest and inside you find some neatly folded shirts, and pants and some socks. Some papers that appear to be receipts for purchased goods. The items only take up about 1/2 the space of the chest.
( remember, for detailed looking, investigation is the skill)
The coats in the entryway were human sized