He's tried this before, but Utar decides it's their best bet.
"We're operating under urgent orders from Captain Aleyd Burrall of the Black Fist. We're on our way to meet her now and deliver this prisoner, I could have her meet us here instead?"
Utar shrugs and pauses as if mulling idea over.
"She did say that she wanted no delay in our return. She seemed quite busy when we left, maybe a little stressed? Boy, I'd hate to be the reason she got called away from Stojanow Gate and had to haul herself all the way down here. What's it to be?"
"Indeed. And unless you have a skilled wizard or the like to magical send her a maessage pronto on hand here, I can't even begin to imagine the level of her anger upon realizing the delivery was doubly delayed in a way, given the time it would take for one of yours messengers to get to her in the first place. Ain't that right, Utar?" Obsben stepped up to chime in as well, and briefly look up to Utar to flash a grin before again addressing the guards.
"And, she wouldn't leave the task to him, and by extension the rest of us, just 'cause of his handsome mug. For their are few braver souls or those so strong in their faith as my man here. Why it was just the other day that he played a pivotal role in my Graxx here slaying of a dragon just the other day." She glances back to Neya and Graxx, urging them to show the head with a nod.
-If allowed retroactively, granting Utar a bardic Inspiration(d8) and help for the check. -If the result of one die is lower than 12 still, using Chronal Shift as well to re-roll the lowest number.
The initial response to Utar's claims is one of surprise: "Captain Burral commissioned this arrest? Why would she be interested in arresting someone outside of Phaln?" The second guard seems to agree: "Yeah, this doesn't make any sense."
When others start to pitch in, the guards hesitate a bit more: "No, I can't cast spells." "The messenger is out on another delivery." "A dragon? What does that have to do with this prisoner?" "That's a fancy pike but what does that have to do with anything?" "By Torm's hammer, that is a real dragon's head!" By the end of the full presentation, the guards seem more confused than anything, and many folks are looking at CRAP.
Their next reaction will prove to be decisive.
(OOC: Let's have @MB roll that perception or deception check. It may be done with [Tooltip Not Found] and with a Bardic Inspiration die.)
Utar begins to explain that of course, Captain Burrall asked them to make the arrest following crimes undertaken within Phlan itself, but he hesitates as he isn't sure the little brains evident on these guards would be able to handle it. Instead he doubles down.
"Don't worry yourselves, I've a little magic myself and can message her directly myself and let her know about this delay. I'll just need your names."
As a flourish, and as if to prove his point, Utar casts guidance on himself, illuminating the holy symbol of Torm etched into his armour with a calming, holy glow. He hopes it might even push his point home a little further with one of the guards.
"Yeah, Yeah, nah, nah..." One of the guards reacts as he shakes his head and waves his hand. "Move along now. Be sure to tell the captain we expedited your arrival."
Assuming CRAP is heading straight to the Leadstopper Residence, you arrive to a interesting scene. Sagin is happily serving a thin-of-choice breakfast to both Moneus and Aleyd, who presumably arrived separately but still earlier than CRAP. The human knight and the tiefling smuggler are sharing a quip that brings a smile to both of their faces when you enter the room. Sagin looks a bit stressed, clearly taken aback by the sudden surprise demand on his kitchen. "Sagin wasn't expecting a troupe!"
Ellison looks as defeated as he has for the past day, but continues to give no signs of defiance. His gag is, by now, soaked with saliva and his discomfort is visible.
Just moments before Obsben enters the residence Sourpuss zipped up to sit upon the rooftop near the entryway, seemingly intent on lounging about there; and yet, there's a subtle intent to his casual scanning of the surrounding area as if on the lookout for trouble of things of interest. Though unbothered by this departure, hearing of Sagin's plight long after stepping inside spurred Obby to skip her way over to the Kobold, and try to catch him in a hug the moment he looked unburden by anything in hand. And if this meant needing to shadow him for a bit, Obsben would stalk him happily, waiting for that perfect moment to surprise him a little.
"Sorry Sagin~ But there there."She pats him on the back(if able to get hold of him), then pulled away to smile softly at him. "I would've notified you sooner with a spell or two, but I very confident that if anyone could handle a few surprise guest, it'a be the best kobold in the world that I know." Obsben admits.
Despite the initial surprise, the kobold quickly grows fond of the new gesture Obsben introduced him to: "Urhg.. Oohh.. Sagin likes this!" If the cook could blush, he would, but his scales where not like those of a chameleon.
"Well, well... Who do we have here?" Captain Aleyd asks of the entire group while pointing to Ellison. "Hopefully the proof I was looking for," Moneus follows with a wishful reply. The duo are sitting down on the common table, which is fit for eight comfortably and a dozen with a bit of a squeeze. Sagin provided them with bread and cheese, and has now recovered from the hug and refocused on cooking some sausages. The bread didn't rise as high as the kobold had hoped, and the butter was purchased, not home-churned, but Sagin promised the sausages would taste great. "Just give Sagin some more minutes, yes?"
Ellison has behaved well so far and is not changing his demeanor now. That said, he begins to grunt from behind his gag, not in pain or discomfort, but more of a polite call for attention. "It looks like our thief wants to speak," Moneus interprets. Aleyd interrupts: "Wait, lets have those we trust speak first."The Tormites look at CRAP expectantly.
"So I think this tale might be best served by starting at the end, and it might be best told by the one who won the glory."
Instead, Utar pulls out a chair and sets to work making the necessary markings to create a zone of truth around it. Once the ritual is complete he points Ellison towards it, neither removing the manacles or gag from the former scribe. "That one's yours."
Moneus gestures forward and removes the man's gag: "I'll go first. Did you steal the three books: The Weave: A Collection of Impractical Observations; The Lords and Lineages of Phlan; and a volume of the personal memoir collection of Ren o’ the Blade?"
Ellison: "As I have mentioned to your companions, I am more than willing to answer all your questions and collaborate. Let it be know I did not resist arrest, did not take advantage of any opportunity to escape post-arrest, and did not directly harm any of these investigators, even when all odds were against them mid-battle. All I ask for is freedom."
Aleyd, always the righteous, replies with no hesitation: "I will give you no such guarantee, thief."
Ellison: "What incentive do I have to collaborate, then?"
Aleyd: "Your companions have hanged for less."
Ellison: "Then hang me without getting your answers."
Aleyd is already getting visibly irritated. Moneus interferes, ever so smoothly, and looks at CRAP: "Perhaps our investigators can facilitate this conversation."
Sagin leaves the room after putting the last of the sausages on the table. They smell delicious.
Utar shakes his head, guessing that this tale might be best told in a more traditional fashion. His companions can jump in as and when the mood takes them.
"It isn't the case that the noose is tightening around you, Ellison. You're caught. How things progess is up to you, but you're in no position to bargain, at least not yet. I suspect you'll need to be more forthcoming and prove your usefullness first."
Utar's voice is flat and matter of fact, he isn't trying to convince Ellison of anything, simply stating what he sees as simple fact. The half-orc can't resist the temptations of breakfast and puts a hot sausage into a piece of buttered bread and takes a bite. Hunger wins out over decorum and Utar's next words are intermingled with the sounds of chewing.
"Fine. I'll start then. Moneus, Ellison is the thief who stole those volumes as well as a few scrolls and a magical artifact. In our pursuit of them, Ellison arranged for some bored Red Plume mercenaries under the leadership of another cult member to put an end to us, so I wouldn't quite agree when they say they didn't cause us any direct harm. We tracked them back to Mantor's Library where they blew open a hole in the Library and murdered one of the other scribes in making their escape. We tracked them down and caught them passing the information gathered from the books to their contact. Graxx, want to jump in and let them know what happened to Rythnax?"
Utar pauses here, both to let the other CRAPpers jump in and allow Ellison to try to save their own skin. Finishing his sausage sandwich, Utar looks to Sagin and flashes the kobold a thumbs up and then a chef's kiss.
This post has potentially manipulated dice roll results.
-Charisma Save(DC 16): 5. (For the Zone of Truth, as it covers a large enough area and Obby would try to resist it)
While most are distracted talking with Ellison or observing Moneus and Aleyd's inquiries, Obsben had followed-up her hugging of Sagin with finding a seat at the table, if not some corner of the room to busily unpack some of the books recovered(at least those from the dragon hideout) and seemingly copy some aspects of them down. But as she much as she seemed focused on the task, an absently spoken arcane phrase and casual gesture calls into being an extra hand to swipe some sausages and bring them over to idly chew upon.
"... As a note as well, Ellison -- and sorry Graxx for interrupting a moment -- but... I can always get more answers by reading your mind and inner most... concerns beyond present ones, ya know."She says without looking up from her project. "Some to most information found there might not necessarily be directly admissible to any eventual charges leveled against you. But, I'm sure I can dig up enough other incriminating things in that walnut of yours that when -- not if, but when we find more physical evidence you might've overlooked in the past, you'll only have damned yourself further by being oh so uncooperative now."
On that note, she looks up with a relaxed expression on her face, but notable coldness to her next words. "So, I'd suggest remaining cooperative and positive about your current circumstances, least you invite a far, far more terrible end to your story. And we don't want that now, do we?"
-Intimidation: 9. (I would use persuasion, but I believe she's coming out sounding more intimidating in this instance)
He turns specifically to Aleyd as almost if seeking validation as a Paladin.
"We slew the dragon! It was a mighty battle but we won out and took it's head!" says Graxx.
Graxx then holds his Pike out to Aleyd.
"Tempus even sought to bless me with this weapon as proof of the deed. My tribe will be proud." says Graxx.
Graxx's face grows a bit more solemn and he turns to Ellison.
"Ellison... You are a reasonable person. You must understand that while freedom is most likely out of the question, your life can be easier and it is much better than death." says Graxx.
"You see... My own tribesman fell in with this Cult. Even I could not save them from paying for their deeds entirely. But most of them were indeed saved from death. Please think about your next actions. There is no reason to make this worse than it is as you must take ownership of your actions." says Graxx.
"That is unfair." Ellison responds to Utar's first bit. "I have been very forthcoming up until this point. I told you everything you wanted to know and then some. You have everything you need from me already. Yet, you have taken none of that into consideration and are now saying I have yet to prove my usefulness. You are being disingenuous in front of these two additional investigators to make me look bad." This also serves as a response to Obsben's "uncooperative" accusations.
The scribe's defiance weakens a bit after Utar summarizes the developments, including accusations of direct assault and murder. Regarding the first, Ellison adds: "By definition, that is indirect, not direct." On the latter he adds: "I told you it was self-defense."
Graxx words then seem to get through to Ellison. He sighs and confesses. "Yes, I stole the books. I stole the book from Aya Glenmiir after apprenticing with the wizard. I knew how to get to the book. I stole it because it is the only book I was able to locate that had practical studies of the Pool of Radiance." He pauses for just a second and then continues: "I stole the book from Marten Foss because Ren o’ the Blade wrote about his personal experiences with the Pool of Radiance. I believed that it had information on the Pool's location."He peeks at a sausage and then adds: "I stole the book from Agin Lamarck for personal reasons; I was raised believing that I belonged to House Berenger, a noble house that once resided in Phlan. I wanted to know the truth."
Silence feels the room after that. Both Aleyd and Moneus see that CRAP's tactics are working and would rather let the party continue their interrogation.
(@Ori: What were the original rolls in your post above? Were they really 5 and 11?)
This post has potentially manipulated dice roll results.
Utar takes another buttered piece of bread and slides a sausage home, offering it to Ellison and stepping into the zone of truth and succumbing to the effects of the spell.
"When a General orders their troops, they set in motion a chain of events for which they are responsible whatever the outcome. You gave the order, you are responsible even if yours was not the hand to wield the weapon. If we had died in that alley, you would have reported a great victory to your masters and bathed in their adulation."
His face turns grave as Utar remembers the position of the poor scribe's body in the library. Imposing his full height over the seated scribe, the half-orc cannot hide his disdain from his voice.
"I would wonder how a plea of self-defence would work when your victim was sat, facing away from you and was attacked from behind. Be honest with us but more importantly, be honest with yourself."
Having said his piece, Utar steps out of the zone and glowers at Ellison, his tusks unconsciously gritted. Intimidation - 18
(OOC Don't think Utar will get Ellison to break on this, they clearly believe what they are teling themselves about their actions. Hopefully Utar's check is good and is maybe helpful for the everyone else.)
Utar's second go at Ellison acts as a magnet capturing all of the room's attention. Ellison hides behind the sausage and bread offered to him, using the action of chewing as an excuse not to speak for a bit. His eyes do not hide well, though, and it is obvious that fear has started to creep into the scribe's mind, especially if you account for the fact that Graxx was already pushing him that way.
Graxx sees an opportunity to switch tactics, spurring Ellison to speak again. "I have cooperated... I don't know what else to say... I stole the books on behalf of the Cult... I killed my library colleague... I hired thugs to delay my pursuers... I took advantage of past professional relationships to advance my mission... I did it all out of fear the Cult, especially Rythnax, would kill me upon failure... When failure arrived, it was thankfully after the dragon's defeat... I fully intended to leave the organization once the mission was completed."
Ellison stops talking then. He looks emotionally and morally defeated.
Prior to the latest admissions, Obsben lazily smirked at Ellison, before with a casual shake of the head she'd return to her books and transcribing for the foreseeable future. However, she makes one final point to check in on Sourpuss, and ask through the bond if he'd spied Harper by any chance.
He's tried this before, but Utar decides it's their best bet.
"We're operating under urgent orders from Captain Aleyd Burrall of the Black Fist. We're on our way to meet her now and deliver this prisoner, I could have her meet us here instead?"
Utar shrugs and pauses as if mulling idea over.
"She did say that she wanted no delay in our return. She seemed quite busy when we left, maybe a little stressed? Boy, I'd hate to be the reason she got called away from Stojanow Gate and had to haul herself all the way down here. What's it to be?"
"Indeed. And unless you have a skilled wizard or the like to magical send her a maessage pronto on hand here, I can't even begin to imagine the level of her anger upon realizing the delivery was doubly delayed in a way, given the time it would take for one of yours messengers to get to her in the first place. Ain't that right, Utar?" Obsben stepped up to chime in as well, and briefly look up to Utar to flash a grin before again addressing the guards.
"And, she wouldn't leave the task to him, and by extension the rest of us, just 'cause of his handsome mug. For their are few braver souls or those so strong in their faith as my man here. Why it was just the other day that he played a pivotal role in my Graxx here slaying of a dragon just the other day." She glances back to Neya and Graxx, urging them to show the head with a nod.
-If allowed retroactively, granting Utar a bardic Inspiration(d8) and help for the check.
-If the result of one die is lower than 12 still, using Chronal Shift as well to re-roll the lowest number.
When you realize you're doing too much: Signature.
Graxx nods in agreement and gently (non-threateningly) leans his Dragon Pike forward as proof of the deed.
Taking Obsben's cue Neya sets down the bag of holding on the ground and carefully works the dragon's head out for proof of kill.
"Despite its size, even a dragon like this might have been an issue being so close to town, yes?"
Extended Signature
The initial response to Utar's claims is one of surprise: "Captain Burral commissioned this arrest? Why would she be interested in arresting someone outside of Phaln?" The second guard seems to agree: "Yeah, this doesn't make any sense."
When others start to pitch in, the guards hesitate a bit more: "No, I can't cast spells." "The messenger is out on another delivery." "A dragon? What does that have to do with this prisoner?" "That's a fancy pike but what does that have to do with anything?" "By Torm's hammer, that is a real dragon's head!" By the end of the full presentation, the guards seem more confused than anything, and many folks are looking at CRAP.
Their next reaction will prove to be decisive.
(OOC: Let's have @MB roll that perception or deception check. It may be done with [Tooltip Not Found] and with a Bardic Inspiration die.)
Utar begins to explain that of course, Captain Burrall asked them to make the arrest following crimes undertaken within Phlan itself, but he hesitates as he isn't sure the little brains evident on these guards would be able to handle it. Instead he doubles down.
"Don't worry yourselves, I've a little magic myself and can message her directly myself and let her know about this delay. I'll just need your names."
As a flourish, and as if to prove his point, Utar casts guidance on himself, illuminating the holy symbol of Torm etched into his armour with a calming, holy glow. He hopes it might even push his point home a little further with one of the guards.
Persuasion - 20 plus 5 from BI and 2 from Torm.
"Yeah, Yeah, nah, nah..." One of the guards reacts as he shakes his head and waves his hand. "Move along now. Be sure to tell the captain we expedited your arrival."
Assuming CRAP is heading straight to the Leadstopper Residence, you arrive to a interesting scene. Sagin is happily serving a thin-of-choice breakfast to both Moneus and Aleyd, who presumably arrived separately but still earlier than CRAP. The human knight and the tiefling smuggler are sharing a quip that brings a smile to both of their faces when you enter the room. Sagin looks a bit stressed, clearly taken aback by the sudden surprise demand on his kitchen. "Sagin wasn't expecting a troupe!"
Ellison looks as defeated as he has for the past day, but continues to give no signs of defiance. His gag is, by now, soaked with saliva and his discomfort is visible.
Harper has not arrived.
Just moments before Obsben enters the residence Sourpuss zipped up to sit upon the rooftop near the entryway, seemingly intent on lounging about there; and yet, there's a subtle intent to his casual scanning of the surrounding area as if on the lookout for trouble of things of interest. Though unbothered by this departure, hearing of Sagin's plight long after stepping inside spurred Obby to skip her way over to the Kobold, and try to catch him in a hug the moment he looked unburden by anything in hand. And if this meant needing to shadow him for a bit, Obsben would stalk him happily, waiting for that perfect moment to surprise him a little.
"Sorry Sagin~ But there there." She pats him on the back(if able to get hold of him), then pulled away to smile softly at him. "I would've notified you sooner with a spell or two, but I very confident that if anyone could handle a few surprise guest, it'a be the best kobold in the world that I know." Obsben admits.
When you realize you're doing too much: Signature.
Despite the initial surprise, the kobold quickly grows fond of the new gesture Obsben introduced him to: "Urhg.. Oohh.. Sagin likes this!" If the cook could blush, he would, but his scales where not like those of a chameleon.
"Well, well... Who do we have here?" Captain Aleyd asks of the entire group while pointing to Ellison. "Hopefully the proof I was looking for," Moneus follows with a wishful reply. The duo are sitting down on the common table, which is fit for eight comfortably and a dozen with a bit of a squeeze. Sagin provided them with bread and cheese, and has now recovered from the hug and refocused on cooking some sausages. The bread didn't rise as high as the kobold had hoped, and the butter was purchased, not home-churned, but Sagin promised the sausages would taste great. "Just give Sagin some more minutes, yes?"
Ellison has behaved well so far and is not changing his demeanor now. That said, he begins to grunt from behind his gag, not in pain or discomfort, but more of a polite call for attention. "It looks like our thief wants to speak," Moneus interprets. Aleyd interrupts: "Wait, lets have those we trust speak first." The Tormites look at CRAP expectantly.
"So I think this tale might be best served by starting at the end, and it might be best told by the one who won the glory."
Instead, Utar pulls out a chair and sets to work making the necessary markings to create a zone of truth around it. Once the ritual is complete he points Ellison towards it, neither removing the manacles or gag from the former scribe. "That one's yours."
Since you know if the creature saves or fails, I'll roll this one out in the open:
-> CHA saving throw {DC 16}: 19
Moneus gestures forward and removes the man's gag: "I'll go first. Did you steal the three books: The Weave: A Collection of Impractical Observations; The Lords and Lineages of Phlan; and a volume of the personal memoir collection of Ren o’ the Blade?"
Ellison: "As I have mentioned to your companions, I am more than willing to answer all your questions and collaborate. Let it be know I did not resist arrest, did not take advantage of any opportunity to escape post-arrest, and did not directly harm any of these investigators, even when all odds were against them mid-battle. All I ask for is freedom."
Aleyd, always the righteous, replies with no hesitation: "I will give you no such guarantee, thief."
Ellison: "What incentive do I have to collaborate, then?"
Aleyd: "Your companions have hanged for less."
Ellison: "Then hang me without getting your answers."
Aleyd is already getting visibly irritated. Moneus interferes, ever so smoothly, and looks at CRAP: "Perhaps our investigators can facilitate this conversation."
Sagin leaves the room after putting the last of the sausages on the table. They smell delicious.
Utar shakes his head, guessing that this tale might be best told in a more traditional fashion. His companions can jump in as and when the mood takes them.
"It isn't the case that the noose is tightening around you, Ellison. You're caught. How things progess is up to you, but you're in no position to bargain, at least not yet. I suspect you'll need to be more forthcoming and prove your usefullness first."
Utar's voice is flat and matter of fact, he isn't trying to convince Ellison of anything, simply stating what he sees as simple fact. The half-orc can't resist the temptations of breakfast and puts a hot sausage into a piece of buttered bread and takes a bite. Hunger wins out over decorum and Utar's next words are intermingled with the sounds of chewing.
"Fine. I'll start then. Moneus, Ellison is the thief who stole those volumes as well as a few scrolls and a magical artifact. In our pursuit of them, Ellison arranged for some bored Red Plume mercenaries under the leadership of another cult member to put an end to us, so I wouldn't quite agree when they say they didn't cause us any direct harm. We tracked them back to Mantor's Library where they blew open a hole in the Library and murdered one of the other scribes in making their escape. We tracked them down and caught them passing the information gathered from the books to their contact. Graxx, want to jump in and let them know what happened to Rythnax?"
Utar pauses here, both to let the other CRAPpers jump in and allow Ellison to try to save their own skin. Finishing his sausage sandwich, Utar looks to Sagin and flashes the kobold a thumbs up and then a chef's kiss.
-Charisma Save(DC 16): 5. (For the Zone of Truth, as it covers a large enough area and Obby would try to resist it)
While most are distracted talking with Ellison or observing Moneus and Aleyd's inquiries, Obsben had followed-up her hugging of Sagin with finding a seat at the table, if not some corner of the room to busily unpack some of the books recovered(at least those from the dragon hideout) and seemingly copy some aspects of them down. But as she much as she seemed focused on the task, an absently spoken arcane phrase and casual gesture calls into being an extra hand to swipe some sausages and bring them over to idly chew upon.
"... As a note as well, Ellison -- and sorry Graxx for interrupting a moment -- but... I can always get more answers by reading your mind and inner most... concerns beyond present ones, ya know." She says without looking up from her project. "Some to most information found there might not necessarily be directly admissible to any eventual charges leveled against you. But, I'm sure I can dig up enough other incriminating things in that walnut of yours that when -- not if, but when we find more physical evidence you might've overlooked in the past, you'll only have damned yourself further by being oh so uncooperative now."
On that note, she looks up with a relaxed expression on her face, but notable coldness to her next words. "So, I'd suggest remaining cooperative and positive about your current circumstances, least you invite a far, far more terrible end to your story. And we don't want that now, do we?"
-Intimidation: 9. (I would use persuasion, but I believe she's coming out sounding more intimidating in this instance)
When you realize you're doing too much: Signature.
Graxx grins at the mention of Rythnax.
He turns specifically to Aleyd as almost if seeking validation as a Paladin.
"We slew the dragon! It was a mighty battle but we won out and took it's head!" says Graxx.
Graxx then holds his Pike out to Aleyd.
"Tempus even sought to bless me with this weapon as proof of the deed. My tribe will be proud." says Graxx.
Graxx's face grows a bit more solemn and he turns to Ellison.
"Ellison... You are a reasonable person. You must understand that while freedom is most likely out of the question, your life can be easier and it is much better than death." says Graxx.
"You see... My own tribesman fell in with this Cult. Even I could not save them from paying for their deeds entirely. But most of them were indeed saved from death. Please think about your next actions. There is no reason to make this worse than it is as you must take ownership of your actions." says Graxx.
Persuasion: 14
"That is unfair." Ellison responds to Utar's first bit. "I have been very forthcoming up until this point. I told you everything you wanted to know and then some. You have everything you need from me already. Yet, you have taken none of that into consideration and are now saying I have yet to prove my usefulness. You are being disingenuous in front of these two additional investigators to make me look bad." This also serves as a response to Obsben's "uncooperative" accusations.
The scribe's defiance weakens a bit after Utar summarizes the developments, including accusations of direct assault and murder. Regarding the first, Ellison adds: "By definition, that is indirect, not direct." On the latter he adds: "I told you it was self-defense."
Graxx words then seem to get through to Ellison. He sighs and confesses. "Yes, I stole the books. I stole the book from Aya Glenmiir after apprenticing with the wizard. I knew how to get to the book. I stole it because it is the only book I was able to locate that had practical studies of the Pool of Radiance." He pauses for just a second and then continues: "I stole the book from Marten Foss because Ren o’ the Blade wrote about his personal experiences with the Pool of Radiance. I believed that it had information on the Pool's location." He peeks at a sausage and then adds: "I stole the book from Agin Lamarck for personal reasons; I was raised believing that I belonged to House Berenger, a noble house that once resided in Phlan. I wanted to know the truth."
Silence feels the room after that. Both Aleyd and Moneus see that CRAP's tactics are working and would rather let the party continue their interrogation.
(@Ori: What were the original rolls in your post above? Were they really 5 and 11?)
Utar takes another buttered piece of bread and slides a sausage home, offering it to Ellison and stepping into the zone of truth and succumbing to the effects of the spell.
"When a General orders their troops, they set in motion a chain of events for which they are responsible whatever the outcome. You gave the order, you are responsible even if yours was not the hand to wield the weapon. If we had died in that alley, you would have reported a great victory to your masters and bathed in their adulation."
His face turns grave as Utar remembers the position of the poor scribe's body in the library. Imposing his full height over the seated scribe, the half-orc cannot hide his disdain from his voice.
"I would wonder how a plea of self-defence would work when your victim was sat, facing away from you and was attacked from behind. Be honest with us but more importantly, be honest with yourself."
Having said his piece, Utar steps out of the zone and glowers at Ellison, his tusks unconsciously gritted. Intimidation - 18
(OOC Don't think Utar will get Ellison to break on this, they clearly believe what they are teling themselves about their actions. Hopefully Utar's check is good and is maybe helpful for the everyone else.)
Graxx nods in approval at Ellison's comment.
"Honesty is good, Ellison. Thank you." says Graxx.
"We must all own our actions. Unconfessed transgressions will only hinder our soul." says Graxx.
(OOC: Little different than the normal Bad Cop Crazy cop!)
Utar's second go at Ellison acts as a magnet capturing all of the room's attention. Ellison hides behind the sausage and bread offered to him, using the action of chewing as an excuse not to speak for a bit. His eyes do not hide well, though, and it is obvious that fear has started to creep into the scribe's mind, especially if you account for the fact that Graxx was already pushing him that way.
Graxx sees an opportunity to switch tactics, spurring Ellison to speak again. "I have cooperated... I don't know what else to say... I stole the books on behalf of the Cult... I killed my library colleague... I hired thugs to delay my pursuers... I took advantage of past professional relationships to advance my mission... I did it all out of fear the Cult, especially Rythnax, would kill me upon failure... When failure arrived, it was thankfully after the dragon's defeat... I fully intended to leave the organization once the mission was completed."
Ellison stops talking then. He looks emotionally and morally defeated.
Prior to the latest admissions, Obsben lazily smirked at Ellison, before with a casual shake of the head she'd return to her books and transcribing for the foreseeable future. However, she makes one final point to check in on Sourpuss, and ask through the bond if he'd spied Harper by any chance.
When you realize you're doing too much: Signature.