BE7s Frozen Sick (IC)

Akira takes a seat next to Kitsune and for the first time she takes down her hood and for the first time her fellow wanderers see her piercing pale eyes and dark blue, almost shimmering skin and white hair. 

“I did not notice much out of the ordinary” as she turns to Kitsune and answers her question. “However, I am a little skeptical that more of the crowd did not join in my prayer as I approached. I do understand though that not many would expect someone of my kind to know such a precious dwarvin prayer. Vayne, did you notice anything otherwise?”

Akira takes a bite of her soup and chuckles towards Twombley’s direction as she also believes the soup to be quite good. 

Torvil nods to Kitsune, saying “Aye, seems to be a sensible place to start.  Migh have some clues there.  You can set up more of your speriments.”  He looks over at Akira and Vayne as a bubbling, tinkling sound starts to be heard from his stomach.  He watches the others in the Yawning Yeti, watching who sits with who and who is doing what.  After a moment, he becomes very still and quiet.  Like he’s focusing on being calm, listening to each conversation in the room, closing his eyes and concentrating to hear better.  

Perception : 23 

A rush of warmth spills out as you open the door to the Yawning Yeti—woodsmoke, wet wool, and the rich, savory scent of stew that’s been simmering since midday. Boots thump on scarred oak floors, cloaks steam as they’re shrugged off, and laughter crackles louder than the fire in the hearth.  

Behind the bar, casks of dark ale rest like old friends, their contents poured generously into thick mugs that warm the hands as much as the spirit. The ale is malty and deep, with just enough bitterness to cut through the cold, and it goes perfectly with the inn’s pride: a hearty stew brimming with root vegetables, barley, and tender chunks of meat that fall apart at the touch of a spoon. Locals crowd the long tables, trading rumors and dice games, while travelers thaw out and realize—often with a sigh—that they’ve found the safest place in the village to wait out the winter. Outside, the wind howls and snow drifts higher, but in here there is food, drink, and the simple comfort of being warm.

The proprietor of the Yawning Yeti, Tharron Flintaxe, stands a dwarf among dwarves.  He is slightly taller than the average bearded folk, broad as a barn wall, and sported a belly that said in no uncertain terms I enjoy my own brewing and cooking skills immensely.  His hair, and beard which he had braded and tucked behind his apron, were streaked with gray, and his eyes seemed both welcoming and observant.  When you mention Elro's name his smile widens and he has a pitcher and mugs on your table before you could even get settled in.  When the steaming bowls of stew are served you find to your pleasure that the stew lives up to it's reputation.  

As your dishes are cleared, Elro joins you.  A second pitcher of ale soon follows.  When the initial pleasantries have been exchanged, Elro's demeanor becomes more serious. He leans in slightly, speaking to you all in a voice that cannot be overheard by the other patrons. You have my gratitude for agreeing to meet.  The Glassblades are reliable and talented defenders, but they lack the keen eye and social graces needed to conduct a proper and thorough investigation.  The people are uneasy, and we do not need fear gripping our community.  As you would guess, the loss of a seasoned adventurer in such an odd manor has the local lips flapping. This is what I know.  Two months ago, Urgon Wenth returned home after exploring Eiselcross for a year. He had been back for only for a few days when he came down with a strange affliction, which made the dwarf move slowly and caused blue veins to appear all over his body.  The village’s priests of Moradin and Corellon used every spell they could muster to attempt to heal Urgon, but nothing they tried could stop the bizarre malady. Urgon battled the affliction for weeks, until his ever-slowing body eventually turned to ice.  Until yesterday, I and the rest of the community believed that Urgon’s sad fate was an isolated incident, most likely caused by something the dwarf came into contact with while exploring Eiselcross. Then I noticed Tulgi Lutan, a dwarf trapper, showing signs of the same illness.  I can offer you 100 gold pieces if you can find the cause of poor Urgon's demise. 

Passive perception over 13: 

 Torvil:

Kitsune listens with a stillness that matches Wolfun’s concentration, though her focus is less on the room’s ambient noise and more on the Mayor’s specific terminology.  Blue veins and ever-slowing body are far more useful than mippy mopping.  She pulls a small charcoal pencil and a weathered notebook from her gear, scribbling the name Tulgi Lutan in sharp, precise script.

"Social graces are a subjective metric, but my eye for detail is objective" she says to Elro, not a hint of irony in her voice.

Kitsune’s pencil pauses over her notebook as she calculates the timeline.  Urgon was away for a year, but the symptoms appeared within days of his return.  The incubation period is currently an unknown variable ranging from forty-eight hours to twelve months—a statistically problematic range.  She taps her pencil against the table, her mind already discarding the idea of a simple environmental toxin.

"A two-day onset after a year-long expedition suggests either a very recent exposure near the end of his journey or a dormant toxin triggered by Palebank’s specific environment" she says, her voice flat and focused.  She doesn't look at her soup...she looks at Elro.  "The fact that Tulgi Lutan is now symptomatic suggests a point-to-point transmission.  If Urgon was the Patient Zero of this village, we must identify the vector."

She leans in, her unblinking gaze intense.  "Do we know if Tulgi had direct physical contact with Urgon or his belongings after his return?  If magic cannot halt the tonix's progression, we are likely dealing with something more sinister.  May I inquire into Tulgi's current location?  It is more efficient to study a living specimen than a frozen one."

Vector? Elro says/asks to the unfamiliar word.  With a quick shake of his head eh manages to pull his focus back to the business at hand.  I do not know if Tulgi had contact with Urgon.  I attempted to speak with her this very afternoon, but she refused to open the door.  Her cabin is easy enough to find.  Simply travel towards the graveyard, when you are almost there, follow the game trail north.  There are several cabins located on a ridge that overlooks the village.  Tulgi lives in the second cabin you will see along the trail.  Urgon lived in in the fourth.  Most of those who live there seem to prefer the wilds to the confines of the village.  

If you are willing to take the case, the Village will pay for your room and board at the Yeti.  I have already spoken with Thorran, you need only ask him for your room keys.  He pauses for a moment, giving the group a thoughtful look before going on, I would recommend traveling in the light of day until you are familiar with the area.  The lands around the village are patrolled by Greenblades, but the bears, yeti, goblins, ogres, and a hundred other things that would think you a proper meal, do manage to wander into the outskirts of the village under cover of darkness from time to time. 

He stops to take a long pull from his mug, stopping only when he could see the bottom with his emerald green eyes.  Wiping the foam from his mouth with the back of his sleeve, he looks to you expectantly.  What say you all?  Will you help the goodly people of Palebank?

Kitsune blinks slowly at Elro’s confusion, filing vector away as a term too advanced for the local dialect.  She closes her notebook with a gentle thud.  The 100 gold pieces (per person or for the group?) and the promise of a room are acceptable, but the chance to study a magic-resistant toxin is the real incentive.

"I accept" she says, her gaze shifting to her new companions.  "The financial compensation is adequate, but the data is invaluable.  However, if the incubation period is short, we are wasting time.  Every hour we wait increases the probability of Tulgi Lutan transitioning from a living specimen to a frozen monument."

She stands, her specimen jars clinking softly.  "I suggest we depart at first light.  I would prefer to arrive while she still possesses the motor function required to answer our questions."

OOC: Anyone else have any questions for Elmo Elro?

Kitsune begins the interrogation, being Kitsune, and meanwhile Torvil looks at a street urchin moving fast through the room toward the exit out of the corner of his eye.  He stands up, holding his hand over his abdomen, saying “Ugh, the beans in the soup, going right through me…”. He wanders purposefully and with speed, acting like he is looking for the bathroom, but really making a beeline for the urchin.  “Where is it?  They always hide the bathroom in these places, when ya need a s&$@pail really quick, they go hidin’ it on ya…”. And the fast moving dwarf reached his hands out toward the urchin, grasping his arm with a vice like grip.  “Bathroom, you know where it is?  Say, whatcha got there?”  He leaves the interrogation of Elmo to Kitsune, knowing that he can catch up later.  He wants to see what the urchin has nicked and is hiding ..

Torvil:  athletics or acrobatics check please.

Torvil athletics : 20

OOC: Insert any other characters comments/questions here first!  Once we're ready, go forward with this-

Kitsune watches Torvil’s sudden, gastrointestinal-fueled exit with a slight, clinical lift of her brow (OOC: picture Spock giving his traditional eyebrow raise here...).  She calculates the probability of bean-related distress against the trajectory of the urchin he is currently intercepting and concludes that the dwarf’s tactical instincts are simply masked by his boisterous biology.  She turns back to Elro, undisturbed by the commotion.

"Your offer of room and board is accepted.  I shall require the keys to a single occupancy unit...proximity to the heat source is preferred to prevent my own biological processes from slowing in this climate."  She gives a short, stiff nod to the Mayor, then looks toward the fireplace.

As she waits for the keys, she begins mentally drafting a list of symptoms to check for when they reach Tulgi’s cabin.  If the veins are blue, it suggests a lack of oxygenation or a chemical shift in the blood.  If the skin is cold but the patient is conscious, the ice may be a byproduct of an obscure endothermic reaction.  She takes one last look at her jar of Urgon-air, then at Torvil who is searching for the "bathroom", wondering if the urchin holds a piece of the puzzle or merely a stolen coin.

Akira take in the scene around her and all the information given. She slowly opens up her closed and focused eyes and states “I believe the information that we would acquire for this job would be crucial and would like to accept the position.” After she states this she has been very carefully watching Twombley (as we know she cares for Dwarves very much) and stands up. “Excuse me as I need to visit the water closet as well. 

Akira stands up and walks over to the lady’s facilities and listens through the walls to be on alert if Twombley is in need to assist with his following the urchin. 

Perception roll: 14

Torvil:

Torvil explodes from his seat.  Based on a quick glance at his now vacant chair and unstained trousers, you are pleased to know that the explosion was not bean related. The burly dwarf, all red beard, shoulders, and determination did not dance through the common room like an elven ballerina, he was the bull in the china shop.  He knew immediately that the boy was too close to the door to take the subtle approach, it was go time or a no go. There were, in fact, people, tables, chairs, drinks, and a hat rack in the line of his quarry.  These things did not matter, the hound was on the scent.  Torvil dipped into a low spin, grazing a gawking human male before spinning away around a table of startled elves.  A server shrieked, tripping over a halfling who was most likely also trying to pick-pocket someone, and tumbling into his straight line to the thief.  Spring into the air, like an iron-clad cat, he pushed off the chair, gaining momentum forward!  By grace or good fortune, he landed on a drunken fisherman just right.  The force of the collision bashed the already inebriated human's head into the table, but the maneuver sent Torvil toppling into a perfect barrel-roll; landing on his feet even as the "crack" of the mans head hitting the table rang out.  It was the most magnificent display of skill copulating with good fortune that any of you had ever witnessed.  With one final reach, Torvil grasped the young thieves cloak.  The thin young man stopped suddenly, seeing his feet at eye level for the briefest of moments, before crashing into the floor with the tell-tale "whumph" of lungs being forcefully evacuated of air.  

Merlin:

If you asked a question or commented, nobody noticed it during the veritable explosion of chaos. All eyes followed the dwarf, the thief, and the wardrobe.  ***(Sorry, but it felt like it belonged there.)***

Akira: 

You politely excuse yourself to the ladies room.  As you pull the flimsy wooden door closed you fear that perhaps you have inadvertently brought down the building.  You hear a female elf shriek, a serving girl utter a curse you dare not repeat, the crashing of what you assume to be a chair being broken, multiple convoluted gasps and screams, the shatter / clatter combination of a heavy tray and several full mugs hitting the floor, followed by a heavy thud and then complete silence for several seconds before the clatter of voices blended together in a tidal wave of energy and chatter. 

***There is none of the swath of destruction in the Yeti, but I liked the pic :)  Torvil got through clean with only a few friendly fire 'incidents' and no blood spilled or hard feelings.***

Kitsune remains perfectly still as the chaos erupts, her notebook still open and her pencil poised.  She watches Torvil’s iron-clad cat maneuver with a calculating gaze, mentally recording the kinetic energy required for a dwarf to barrel-roll over a fisherman.  When the room finally explodes into a tidal wave of chatter, she doesn't move to help or even stand.  She simply looks at Elro, whose focus was likely broken by the crash.

"The statistical likelihood of the water closet being located exactly where that gnome was fleeing is near zero" she says, her voice cutting through the post-crash silence with a calm, eerie precision.  She doesn't seem annoyed that she was ignored...she simply waits for the environment to return to a state where data can be exchanged.

She turns her head slightly toward the door where Torvil is currently standing over his quarry.  "It appears the investigative phase has commenced ahead of schedule.  Mayor, if you would be so kind to excuse me, I would like to examine whatever evidence my associate has just forcefully acquired."  She gives Elro a thin, expectant look, waiting for her room key as if a man’s head hadn't just been used as a springboard.

OOC: Since Kitsune is effectively a forensic researcher, can I make a Medicine or Nature check now to see if she recognizes the "Blue Vein" based on Elro's description?

• Medicine: 5
• Nature: 7

 OOC: Not sure what's going on with the Forum's dice roller, but that Medicine roll was a 5 and the Nature roll was a 7.  Obviously dumbfounded blank stares ensue.

Torvil looks back for just a tick to look at his destructive path through the room, just a fleeting blush of red hitting his face, then he turns back quickly to the object of his pursuit, righteous anger replacing any embarrassment for his methods.  He looks down at the thief on the ground, lifting him up by his cloak and clamping his hands on his forearms, he leans in with a suspicious eye, wanted to confirm what he heard and saw.  “Now there boyo, let’s see what you are skeedaddling off with.  What did you filch?  Better give it up now.  You know anything about what happened to poor Urgon out there?  Or are you just pinchin a coin or some such from one of his mournin’ kin in here?  Out with it!  I’m onto ya, Mr. Fleet Fingers!”  Torvil shakes him a little as he’s speaking to him, for effect.  

Tovil, intimidation check please.

Vayne amidst the chaos stays composed and turns to the mayor “ well quite the night this is turning into new town new thieves new mysteries to be unlocked” he pauses looks away and turn back with an interested smirk “ im in” as Vayne finishes his bowl letting out an exhale of finally a full belly. 

Vayne has a slurry of questions for the mayor but with all eyes on the thief he excuses hisself and begins to start picking up the turn over tables and chairs to take away from the attention and slight embarrassment of his new fellow mystery solvers

as Vayne is picking up the room he is looking through the mess of ale and table and chairs

-rolls investigation 17+3

Hoping to find something of importance or out of the ordinary while everyone is slightly distracted

Torvil hoists the puny human male easily off the floor.  Your "gentle" shake still sends his skeletal frame bouncing about like a child's marionette. He is still heaving for breath, eyes bulging grotesquely from his skull, clearly he thinks death is upon him, but he yet lacks the breath to make words.  You estimate his age to be around 11.

Elro glances from the carnage back to Kitsune, then back and forth one more time.  He looks dumbfounded, and clearly at a loss.  The citizens arrest, graceful bowling ball of a dwarf, then something about static and lighteninghood?  Who the hells are these people?? he wondered to himself briefly.  "Yes, yes, very good, you're hired," he replies to Kitsune and Vayne.  "Excuse me," he manages to say before side-stepping a broken mug and hopping, quite gracefully, over the puddle it's contents left.  He was clearly on his way to Torvil and his catch to see what exactly was going on.  

Kitsune: passive insight

 Kitsune:  medicine and nature checks

 Vayne:  investigation check