Yokini & Zashier, nice RP moments. Please mark inspiration for yourself, if you dont already have it.
Zashier, Salazar does not come to your rescue. Instead he lets out a good howl of laughter as you continue to dig yourself into a hole. He understands the look you gave Ideal, and he is not about to save you.
Ideal also understands, though she does not laugh. She does however give you a kiss on the cheek, and a knowing nod.
Your night continues in conversation, and they invite you to stay at the wall with them. Even if you wont be a guard, perhaps you can get a taste of guard life. You chat until you cant keep your eyes open anymore. Salazar and Ideal keep the watch through the night and into the morning as Zashier "saws logs" behind them. (I imagine with a trunk like that, your snoring would be very unique. You are welcome to describe how that sounds.)
Thistle shares her night with Bireal.
Lem spends a few hours reading, and finally falls asleep above the book repository.
Yokini falls asleep in her lab.
Zashier snores away at the North gate.
The town seems to slumber under a peaceful moon, everyone enjoying the celebration of the evening, willing to suspend their belief in reality for a few hours - the reality that their homeland is in the North, surrounded on all sides by an area of Orcs and Giants and Dragons. For one night, peace reigns in Fallcrest.
Thistle, you are awakened in the morning by a pounding on Bireal's door. Immediately she is out of bed, throwing on a robe, making her way to the door. Its obvious this is not her first rude awakening, being a captain of the guard. Its a modest sized house in Upper Fallcrest, but you can hear from your place in the bedroom hurried voices at the door, and crash as Bireal steps backwards into something knocking something else onto the floor, a loud "NO!" escaping her lips. You hear her say she will be right there. She moves back into the room in a flash, not speaking, but disrobing and hurriedly putting on her clothing and armor. Its obvious from her face and the tears streaming down her cheeks that she is distraught.
If you say something to her, it stirs her, almost has if she hadnt noticed you when she came back in. She looks at you, not stopping her rushed pace, her face smeared with tears. She says to you "I'm sorry, but I have to go. Something has happened to Romero. I must go. He was staying at the Ramblehouse last night. I...I have to go."
She grabs her sword, her hopeknife dangling around her neck, as she buttons up the remaining fasteners of her leather armor, and runs out of the house.
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Yokini, going to sleep so late, and being in the dungeon, you likely wake up a little late, not having the sun to wake you. Do you do some morning experimentation, or make your way upstairs for some breakfast?
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Lem, you wake in the morning, and outside your window you hear the hustle and bustle of the morning routine. Nothing out of the ordinary...except that something is...it takes you a moment to catch it. Mutterings and rumors of something that happened last night, up at the Ramblehouse. These bits of conversation waft their way up into your room as you get ready to face the day ahead...
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Zashier, you are awakened by the changing of the guard in the morning. You look up, and see Salazar welcoming in the guards for the next shift. They are a bit jumpy. Something happened last night at the Ramblehouse. It is making its way around town, just rumors, no one knows the full story. Something to do with Romero. Salazar takes off at a run. Next to you, you now notice, you feel the brush of a wing as Ideal also stands. She had been sitting next to you, resting her head on your shoulder, but stands (and her wings brush your ear as she does) as Salazar runs off. She turns to help you up to your feet, then turns and makes her way out of the guard tower.
At first, Thistle sleepily groans at the knocking on the door, reaching too late to keep Bireal from leaving. But at the crash from the entry, she is on her feet with her hand already on one of her scimitars. As Bireal comes back in, crying, moving automatically, Thistle shrinks into herself, but then forces a sound, reaches out. It knocks the half-elf out of her trance, and she explains.
"I'll be right behind you," Thistle says, her voice a little strangled.
She hurries into her clothing, gathers her items and races to the door. But she stops, returns and makes the bed, that when Bireal finally makes it back home, she won't be reminded of her hasty departure, of the morning's knocking. She folds the robe carefully and sets it on the foot of the bed. Careful to latch the door behind her, Thistle makes her way to the old Kamroth estate as quickly as she can.
The whole way, and once she arrives, she is alert to anyone amiss, anyone acting... well, more out of the ordinary than the circumstances would allow. She also looks for Bireal, Salazar, and any of the party.
Perception: 8 Insight: 22
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ey/em/eirs, or they/them works, too (just not he). Role-playing since that keep on those borderlands. I love it so.
Lem groggily starts to put pieces together, but as the idea of a threat takes form in his head, his mind clarifies with a sudden realization. Yokini. Her family. Romero?
He grabs his things and takes off toward the Ramblehouse, ready find out what happened. When he gets there, he sends in Moon ahead of himself, toggling in and out of her vision.
(@DM: He's actually a fairly quiet snorer, if he snores at all. But if suddenly woken up, you can bet he trumpets to some degree!)
Although more observant of his surroundings then he used to be, Zashier still wasn't the sharpest tool in the shed. Still, the kiss came as enough of a shock to at least give him pause, before just sighing in defeat; dismissing it in mind as more teasing on her part. He continued to enjoy whiling away the hours with them all the same until dreams claimed him.
Zashier initially tried to brush off the noise, and might've succeeded, if not for just barely catching the look in Salazar's face as he ran off. Confused, he stirred more fully, trying to take as much as once, only to be further surprised at Ideal's closeness. It took a few more seconds than it should've for his brain to process it all, but soon enough he accepts the hand up; trusting her strength, where most underestimated it. For all the questions floating about in mind, the elephantine man wisely kept it shut to focus on following Ideal out, and presumably seek out Romero.
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When you realize you're doing too much: Signature.
Yokini wakes with inspiration tingling in her brain as it does every morning lately. It's like her dreams continue working, even when her body can no longer stay awake. She quickly dumps the experimental elixir she concocted the previous morning and almost instantaneously brews another. (2) As the chemicals finish mingling, she brings the sparkling blue mixture to her nose and takes a quick sniff. "Mmm ... " she smiles. "This will give someone a pick-me-up." Stoppering the vial and tucking it away for sake keeping, she decides to head upstairs for breakfast.
All of you are making your way to the Ramblehouse (minus Yokini who is there, just in the basement)
Yokini, as you exit the basement, your mother Cargya, and your sister Nyona run up, talking over one another “Yokini where have you been! Oh I cant believe it…And just when we were getting the business started. I mean, that’s beside the point. This is a man’s life we are talking about!”
You don’t have time to ask any clarifying questions as a Fallcrest Guard swoops in and ushers you all out of the Ramblehouse.
As you exit, you see Thistle, Lem, and Zashier, all coming at you from different angles. Up ahead of you Bireal is talking to another of the guards. You get the sense you shouldn’t impose at this moment.
After they finish talking, Bireal slumps down to the ground, tears in her eyes - unusual for a guard to let down her guard in this manner.
The four of you gather, giving Bireal some space, not having too many answers and more than enough questions.
Cargyra and Nyona are off talking to another guard. Giving a statement of sorts.
A few other guards are draping a rope to some erected stakes, cordoning off the Ramblehouse from anyone getting inside.
Lem shifts into Moon’s eyes and the white raven takes wing and begins circling the Ramblehouse, looking and listening for anything out of place, any person skulking about, anyone fleeing, anything burning, any damage, someone trying to hide, anything weird. He has no idea what happened but he just wants to get a sense of what might be overlooked.
Yokini is reduced to single syllables in her confusion. As her mother and sister are pulled away from her, she gets out an angry "Hey!" But then the others are there asking her what is going on. "I don't know," she admits. "I was asleep in my lab ... in the basement. I didn't see or hear anything." The whole time, she's watching her family from the distance, trying to make sure they're OK.
If not the only, Zashier is at least the first to sit beside Bireal, having seen the stakes and ropes go up, and understood enough. Even she yelled or tried to push him away, he stayed next her; a comforting presence, and in time pulls her into a side hug. Despite all temptations, he would wait until either one of the guards came up to say something, or she would say something of her own accord. Either which way, he would be as patient as always as he stared at the Ramblehouse, and keep up a strong front. About the only time attention waver was to see if Salazar might be spotted among the assembling of guards.
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When you realize you're doing too much: Signature.
Thistle gives Bireal her distance, but when she slumps to the ground Thistle makes a little moaning sound, and as Zashier moves in to comfort his friend, Thistle flees.
She thinks about going all the way to the farm, but stops once the crowd blocks her from Bireal and the others. Instead, she sets up a perimeter, and keeps watching the crowd. She fidgets, and paces.
Yokini, your mom and sister call over Nynoa's youngest son, Grubet. He moves towards them, a bit unsure. (Yokini posted her family earlier. Grubet is young, fighting growing up, lazy, and mischevious). He talks with the guards a bit, under the watchful eye of Nynoa.
Thistle, unable to respond to the moment, flees to be alone with her thoughts. She keeps an eye on the perimeter, but as she paces she cant help but look back at Bireal, sitting with Zashier and the others. You dont see anything suspicious in the crowd, everyone is just looking on at the scene.
Zashier you do see Salazar, he was chatting with a few of the guards. He is holding himself together a little bit better than his sister, but not by much. He joins you and Bireal.
I will share this the whole group, assuming Thistle makes her way back at some point - either after she deems it safe, or whenever she is able to gain her composure. She will either hear it, or someone will pass it along.
Salazar says "He's dead. I cant believe it. He's dead. Suicide, they are calling it. "
Bireal interjects "Suicide? No way Sal, no way! Rome would never do that."
Salazar "I know, and you know, but the evidence says otherwise."
Bireal "You know what Romero used to say; these guards wouldnt know a clue if it snuck up on them and bit them in the arse!"
Salazar "Yea, Romero was the brains."
They both look to you Zashier, and Salazar says "Z, please. Can you and your friends help us clear up this mess? These other guards are all brawn and no brain. My brother would never kill himself. Its just not possible! Someone killed him, and I want to know who!"
You can see him getting worked up. Bireal has given in to her emotion of sadness, but Salazar...well, Salazar is angry, and getting angrier.
Salazar continues "You gotta help us. If he was killed by someone, it had to be someone in town, right? I cant trust anybody else. You, I trust. You, I know. If you vouch for your friends, then I trust them too. Bireal, we need to go tell dad (not sure if this was clear or not, but their father is Jagrin Grath, the captain of the guard. If I didnt say it earlier, I am sorry. Perhaps I thought it, but didnt type it....)
Bireal waits for Salazer to leave, knowing he needs some room/time to cool off. She slides something out of her pocket. Its a hopeknife, with blood dried on it. "Please, clear my brother's name, and bring whoever did this to justice. This is Romero's hopeknife. They found it next to him. Yokini, maybe you could check with your family, see if any of them saw or heard anything last night."
She starts to walk away, then turns back "You may also want to talk to Brinya (Brinya Kelver, half orc, you saw her arguing with Romero the night before). I just found out from Romero yesterday that she and him were in love. He kept it a secret because our father still holds onto some racial bias towards all orcs, even half orcs. Oh, and you could also talk to Omast, (Omast Frum, a patrol sergeant in the militia, long-time friend of the Graths and one of Romero’s frequent patrol partners, Zashier and Lem you know him from your war days). Perhaps they can shed some light on what has happened. I need to catch up to Salazar"
She turns to go, and either sees Thistle there, or runs into her as she is trying to catch up with Salazar. She gives Thistle a brief kiss on the cheek, takes a deep breath as if she wants more, but her other emotions are too much at the moment. She turns to catch up with Salazar.
Thistle will have made her way back, once she manages to find some composure, and catches the end of it. When Bireal approaches her, she doesn't flinch, in fact leans in to the affection, squeezing Bireal's hand and holding it a little long as Bireal moves away, letting it trail after her. She watches her move off after Salazar, then turns to the group.
Her face is set, gaze dark. "We are going to solve this. Zashier, you know this town and the people in it, and they know you, you should lead any interviews. I've studied people, and I'm good at telling when they're lying, so I'm with you. Yokini, Lem, you're the smartest of us, you're in charge of examining the scene and the clues, and that knife. Have you got any way for us to contact you, or you us? Magic, maybe? Or we could send Moon back and forth, with messages... or... maybe this town already has a way..." She looks around for anyone who might look like they're part of a street urchin gang or the like.
OOC: How much can forensics play into this? Can Yokini make sure the blood on the knife matches Romero's? Also, as I'm sure there's blood at the scene, the blood there? Just making sure there isn't more blood, implicating a second party.
Yokini listens to all that is said, but her eyes keep darting over to her family members as she impatiently waits to speak with them. Now, with more questions filling her mind, she wants to speak with them even more.
For Zashier, there was much to take in one after the other, so he stayed seated for moment longer than at least Bireal, just trying to take it all in and commenting not even a word. By the time both Bireal and Salazar looks to their oversized friend, tears had begun to flow in silence as he stared at the ground. Despite anticipating the truth, in the initial brief moment left to ponder, it was... too much. Still, hearing the nickname, he looked up with a start, seeming unaware of the tears.
Silently thankful all the same for the distraction, he met Salazar's intensity with calm and renewed determination, knowing the man would need it. Not in words, as some might mistakenly believe, but in appearance and in just being. "Sal... You know I always have the family's back."He said eventually upon sensing the man had spoken his piece. Of the other questions, they needed no reply, for it went without saying just how far the elephantine man would go for Salazar's family. The proof of this he had bore as toughened hide and elephantine without a word of complaint...
Turning to Bireal next, he listened attentively, though his eyes had gone wide at the mention of the secret tryst. Despite remembering events from last night, he chose the wiser course of keeping quiet. He would ask to borrow the knife for a brief moment, and give it a good few whiffs, hoping to catch other scents upon besides just Bireal's and... Romero. Afterwhich, unless given leave to hold on to it, he passes it back to Bireal.
'Ah, it's nice to see Thistle's been making more frie-.... wait... ho-... H-hold on-...!'He thought, shooting up to his feet, but not in time to get in a word before Bireal is off and Thistle is suddenly addressing him. And while there are several times to work in a word after the fact, between everything floating around in his head at once, he ends up just nodding and going along with things without much of a word. Presuming Thistle would follow along shortly, Zashier gives the Rumble house one last once over, looks to the bloodied hope knife in hand, and then sets off to find Brinya next, knowing or believing her to be the closest.
Thistle will stick with Zashier. She’ll survey the scene with him, then go with him to see Brinya. If Romero’s... body, is still available, she would like to see it, and his wounds, with her own eyes.
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ey/em/eirs, or they/them works, too (just not he). Role-playing since that keep on those borderlands. I love it so.
Thistle, you don’t see anyone that looks to be in an urchin gang, unfortunately. One of the guards tells you that Romero's body is being held at the new Sanctuary until the funeral arrangements can be made.
Yokini, as much forensics as you want, I will roll with it. You do have a lab. It will take some time for you to analyze the blood on the hopeknife, and then you would need a sample of Romero’s blood. There likely is blood at the scene, but you haven’t visited the scene yet…
Also, Yokini, your family finishes chatting with the guards, and they are allowed back inside the Ramblehouse, since it is also their home, but you hear a guard asking them not to disturb the crime scene or any of the other rooms for the time being. Business is going to be slow for a few days.
Zashier, caught up in your emotions after hearing the news, and all that followed, you are taken aback, but you are committed to helping this family that has been so kind to you over the years. Bireal says you can hold on to the hopeknife for the time beings, saying that perhaps it could help in your investigation. You examine the knife, (and that is a good roll, but…) but you had never seen his hopeknife before, so it looks like a hopeknife to you, though it doesn’t look as high a quality knife as the one you saw on Ruby yesterday, or the one that Thistle now wears. The craftsmanship looks sub par.
It seems as if Zashier wants to go find Brinya (possibly with Thistle), and Yokini wants to talk to her family, and Thistle wants to examine the body. Are you all splitting up to investigate separate locations, or are you sticking together (and if so, where do you want to go first?)
As the group mills a little, Thistle pipes up again. "We should all go look at the scene, before we split up. Zashier, give Yokini Romero's hope knife. After we're done here, see what you and Lem can find out about it, Yokini."
OOC > In other words, we should all go see the scene, so djsteele888 can describe it to us, then we should decide how we proceed. I'm in favor of Yokini and Lem doing forensics, and Zashier and Thistle doing interviews, because it seems like time might be an issue, but we could all four do all the things, too, as "splitting up" is impractical on the DDB Forums.
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ey/em/eirs, or they/them works, too (just not he). Role-playing since that keep on those borderlands. I love it so.
This post has potentially manipulated dice roll results.
Lem, after hearing what happened, freezes up, knowing he was the person who accompanied Romero back to the Ramblehouse that night. He thinks back to anything odd Romero said, anything he had on him, any odd smells, anything at all that might seem more relevant now. After he dropped him off at the Ramblehouse, did anyone seem like they were headed there in pursuit? I'm guessing this is just a check to see if he remembers? (Vanilla d20 roll: 1)
"Last night, when he wandered off after that fight with Brinya, I walked him back to the Ramblehouse. He seemed remorseful over something he said to her. He seemed sad. I don't... I don't know what that means. But it might help. He survived so much... he deserves justice."
He'll ask if he can head to wherever the crime scene is. "Who found him? When? How? Where? I'd like to inspect the crime scene."(Picture Sherlock-levels of formulae and schematics dancing around his head.)
He's not surprised that Salazar and Bireal and the others barely seem to remember him from the war. He never really stuck in people's minds, and could basically hide in plain sight.
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Yokini & Zashier, nice RP moments. Please mark inspiration for yourself, if you dont already have it.
Zashier, Salazar does not come to your rescue. Instead he lets out a good howl of laughter as you continue to dig yourself into a hole. He understands the look you gave Ideal, and he is not about to save you.
Ideal also understands, though she does not laugh. She does however give you a kiss on the cheek, and a knowing nod.
Your night continues in conversation, and they invite you to stay at the wall with them. Even if you wont be a guard, perhaps you can get a taste of guard life. You chat until you cant keep your eyes open anymore. Salazar and Ideal keep the watch through the night and into the morning as Zashier "saws logs" behind them. (I imagine with a trunk like that, your snoring would be very unique. You are welcome to describe how that sounds.)
Thistle shares her night with Bireal.
Lem spends a few hours reading, and finally falls asleep above the book repository.
Yokini falls asleep in her lab.
Zashier snores away at the North gate.
The town seems to slumber under a peaceful moon, everyone enjoying the celebration of the evening, willing to suspend their belief in reality for a few hours - the reality that their homeland is in the North, surrounded on all sides by an area of Orcs and Giants and Dragons. For one night, peace reigns in Fallcrest.
Though, it will not last....
Thistle, you are awakened in the morning by a pounding on Bireal's door. Immediately she is out of bed, throwing on a robe, making her way to the door. Its obvious this is not her first rude awakening, being a captain of the guard. Its a modest sized house in Upper Fallcrest, but you can hear from your place in the bedroom hurried voices at the door, and crash as Bireal steps backwards into something knocking something else onto the floor, a loud "NO!" escaping her lips. You hear her say she will be right there. She moves back into the room in a flash, not speaking, but disrobing and hurriedly putting on her clothing and armor. Its obvious from her face and the tears streaming down her cheeks that she is distraught.
If you say something to her, it stirs her, almost has if she hadnt noticed you when she came back in. She looks at you, not stopping her rushed pace, her face smeared with tears. She says to you "I'm sorry, but I have to go. Something has happened to Romero. I must go. He was staying at the Ramblehouse last night. I...I have to go."
She grabs her sword, her hopeknife dangling around her neck, as she buttons up the remaining fasteners of her leather armor, and runs out of the house.
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Yokini, going to sleep so late, and being in the dungeon, you likely wake up a little late, not having the sun to wake you. Do you do some morning experimentation, or make your way upstairs for some breakfast?
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Lem, you wake in the morning, and outside your window you hear the hustle and bustle of the morning routine. Nothing out of the ordinary...except that something is...it takes you a moment to catch it. Mutterings and rumors of something that happened last night, up at the Ramblehouse. These bits of conversation waft their way up into your room as you get ready to face the day ahead...
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Zashier, you are awakened by the changing of the guard in the morning. You look up, and see Salazar welcoming in the guards for the next shift. They are a bit jumpy. Something happened last night at the Ramblehouse. It is making its way around town, just rumors, no one knows the full story. Something to do with Romero. Salazar takes off at a run. Next to you, you now notice, you feel the brush of a wing as Ideal also stands. She had been sitting next to you, resting her head on your shoulder, but stands (and her wings brush your ear as she does) as Salazar runs off. She turns to help you up to your feet, then turns and makes her way out of the guard tower.
What will you do?
At first, Thistle sleepily groans at the knocking on the door, reaching too late to keep Bireal from leaving. But at the crash from the entry, she is on her feet with her hand already on one of her scimitars. As Bireal comes back in, crying, moving automatically, Thistle shrinks into herself, but then forces a sound, reaches out. It knocks the half-elf out of her trance, and she explains.
"I'll be right behind you," Thistle says, her voice a little strangled.
She hurries into her clothing, gathers her items and races to the door. But she stops, returns and makes the bed, that when Bireal finally makes it back home, she won't be reminded of her hasty departure, of the morning's knocking. She folds the robe carefully and sets it on the foot of the bed. Careful to latch the door behind her, Thistle makes her way to the old Kamroth estate as quickly as she can.
The whole way, and once she arrives, she is alert to anyone amiss, anyone acting... well, more out of the ordinary than the circumstances would allow. She also looks for Bireal, Salazar, and any of the party.
Perception: 8
Insight: 22
ey/em/eirs, or they/them works, too (just not he).
Role-playing since that keep on those borderlands. I love it so.
Lem groggily starts to put pieces together, but as the idea of a threat takes form in his head, his mind clarifies with a sudden realization. Yokini. Her family. Romero?
He grabs his things and takes off toward the Ramblehouse, ready find out what happened. When he gets there, he sends in Moon ahead of himself, toggling in and out of her vision.
(@DM: He's actually a fairly quiet snorer, if he snores at all. But if suddenly woken up, you can bet he trumpets to some degree!)
Although more observant of his surroundings then he used to be, Zashier still wasn't the sharpest tool in the shed. Still, the kiss came as enough of a shock to at least give him pause, before just sighing in defeat; dismissing it in mind as more teasing on her part. He continued to enjoy whiling away the hours with them all the same until dreams claimed him.
Zashier initially tried to brush off the noise, and might've succeeded, if not for just barely catching the look in Salazar's face as he ran off. Confused, he stirred more fully, trying to take as much as once, only to be further surprised at Ideal's closeness. It took a few more seconds than it should've for his brain to process it all, but soon enough he accepts the hand up; trusting her strength, where most underestimated it. For all the questions floating about in mind, the elephantine man wisely kept it shut to focus on following Ideal out, and presumably seek out Romero.
When you realize you're doing too much: Signature.
Yokini wakes with inspiration tingling in her brain as it does every morning lately. It's like her dreams continue working, even when her body can no longer stay awake. She quickly dumps the experimental elixir she concocted the previous morning and almost instantaneously brews another. (2) As the chemicals finish mingling, she brings the sparkling blue mixture to her nose and takes a quick sniff. "Mmm ... " she smiles. "This will give someone a pick-me-up." Stoppering the vial and tucking it away for sake keeping, she decides to head upstairs for breakfast.
All of you are making your way to the Ramblehouse (minus Yokini who is there, just in the basement)
Yokini, as you exit the basement, your mother Cargya, and your sister Nyona run up, talking over one another “Yokini where have you been! Oh I cant believe it…And just when we were getting the business started. I mean, that’s beside the point. This is a man’s life we are talking about!”
You don’t have time to ask any clarifying questions as a Fallcrest Guard swoops in and ushers you all out of the Ramblehouse.
As you exit, you see Thistle, Lem, and Zashier, all coming at you from different angles. Up ahead of you Bireal is talking to another of the guards. You get the sense you shouldn’t impose at this moment.
After they finish talking, Bireal slumps down to the ground, tears in her eyes - unusual for a guard to let down her guard in this manner.
The four of you gather, giving Bireal some space, not having too many answers and more than enough questions.
Cargyra and Nyona are off talking to another guard. Giving a statement of sorts.
A few other guards are draping a rope to some erected stakes, cordoning off the Ramblehouse from anyone getting inside.
Lem shifts into Moon’s eyes and the white raven takes wing and begins circling the Ramblehouse, looking and listening for anything out of place, any person skulking about, anyone fleeing, anything burning, any damage, someone trying to hide, anything weird. He has no idea what happened but he just wants to get a sense of what might be overlooked.
Yokini is reduced to single syllables in her confusion. As her mother and sister are pulled away from her, she gets out an angry "Hey!" But then the others are there asking her what is going on. "I don't know," she admits. "I was asleep in my lab ... in the basement. I didn't see or hear anything." The whole time, she's watching her family from the distance, trying to make sure they're OK.
If not the only, Zashier is at least the first to sit beside Bireal, having seen the stakes and ropes go up, and understood enough. Even she yelled or tried to push him away, he stayed next her; a comforting presence, and in time pulls her into a side hug. Despite all temptations, he would wait until either one of the guards came up to say something, or she would say something of her own accord. Either which way, he would be as patient as always as he stared at the Ramblehouse, and keep up a strong front. About the only time attention waver was to see if Salazar might be spotted among the assembling of guards.
When you realize you're doing too much: Signature.
Thistle gives Bireal her distance, but when she slumps to the ground Thistle makes a little moaning sound, and as Zashier moves in to comfort his friend, Thistle flees.
She thinks about going all the way to the farm, but stops once the crowd blocks her from Bireal and the others. Instead, she sets up a perimeter, and keeps watching the crowd. She fidgets, and paces.
Perception: 25
Insight: 10
ey/em/eirs, or they/them works, too (just not he).
Role-playing since that keep on those borderlands. I love it so.
Moon perception: 21
Moon is unable to see anything suspcious.
Yokini, your mom and sister call over Nynoa's youngest son, Grubet. He moves towards them, a bit unsure. (Yokini posted her family earlier. Grubet is young, fighting growing up, lazy, and mischevious). He talks with the guards a bit, under the watchful eye of Nynoa.
Thistle, unable to respond to the moment, flees to be alone with her thoughts. She keeps an eye on the perimeter, but as she paces she cant help but look back at Bireal, sitting with Zashier and the others. You dont see anything suspicious in the crowd, everyone is just looking on at the scene.
Zashier you do see Salazar, he was chatting with a few of the guards. He is holding himself together a little bit better than his sister, but not by much. He joins you and Bireal.
I will share this the whole group, assuming Thistle makes her way back at some point - either after she deems it safe, or whenever she is able to gain her composure. She will either hear it, or someone will pass it along.
Salazar says "He's dead. I cant believe it. He's dead. Suicide, they are calling it. "
Bireal interjects "Suicide? No way Sal, no way! Rome would never do that."
Salazar "I know, and you know, but the evidence says otherwise."
Bireal "You know what Romero used to say; these guards wouldnt know a clue if it snuck up on them and bit them in the arse!"
Salazar "Yea, Romero was the brains."
They both look to you Zashier, and Salazar says "Z, please. Can you and your friends help us clear up this mess? These other guards are all brawn and no brain. My brother would never kill himself. Its just not possible! Someone killed him, and I want to know who!"
You can see him getting worked up. Bireal has given in to her emotion of sadness, but Salazar...well, Salazar is angry, and getting angrier.
Salazar continues "You gotta help us. If he was killed by someone, it had to be someone in town, right? I cant trust anybody else. You, I trust. You, I know. If you vouch for your friends, then I trust them too. Bireal, we need to go tell dad (not sure if this was clear or not, but their father is Jagrin Grath, the captain of the guard. If I didnt say it earlier, I am sorry. Perhaps I thought it, but didnt type it....)
Bireal waits for Salazer to leave, knowing he needs some room/time to cool off. She slides something out of her pocket. Its a hopeknife, with blood dried on it. "Please, clear my brother's name, and bring whoever did this to justice. This is Romero's hopeknife. They found it next to him. Yokini, maybe you could check with your family, see if any of them saw or heard anything last night."
She starts to walk away, then turns back "You may also want to talk to Brinya (Brinya Kelver, half orc, you saw her arguing with Romero the night before). I just found out from Romero yesterday that she and him were in love. He kept it a secret because our father still holds onto some racial bias towards all orcs, even half orcs. Oh, and you could also talk to Omast, (Omast Frum, a patrol sergeant in the militia, long-time friend of the Graths and one of Romero’s frequent patrol partners, Zashier and Lem you know him from your war days). Perhaps they can shed some light on what has happened. I need to catch up to Salazar"
She turns to go, and either sees Thistle there, or runs into her as she is trying to catch up with Salazar. She gives Thistle a brief kiss on the cheek, takes a deep breath as if she wants more, but her other emotions are too much at the moment. She turns to catch up with Salazar.
Thistle will have made her way back, once she manages to find some composure, and catches the end of it. When Bireal approaches her, she doesn't flinch, in fact leans in to the affection, squeezing Bireal's hand and holding it a little long as Bireal moves away, letting it trail after her. She watches her move off after Salazar, then turns to the group.
Her face is set, gaze dark. "We are going to solve this. Zashier, you know this town and the people in it, and they know you, you should lead any interviews. I've studied people, and I'm good at telling when they're lying, so I'm with you. Yokini, Lem, you're the smartest of us, you're in charge of examining the scene and the clues, and that knife. Have you got any way for us to contact you, or you us? Magic, maybe? Or we could send Moon back and forth, with messages... or... maybe this town already has a way..." She looks around for anyone who might look like they're part of a street urchin gang or the like.
Perception: 9
OOC > Well, carp. So much for the sneaker net.
ey/em/eirs, or they/them works, too (just not he).
Role-playing since that keep on those borderlands. I love it so.
OOC: How much can forensics play into this? Can Yokini make sure the blood on the knife matches Romero's? Also, as I'm sure there's blood at the scene, the blood there? Just making sure there isn't more blood, implicating a second party.
Yokini listens to all that is said, but her eyes keep darting over to her family members as she impatiently waits to speak with them. Now, with more questions filling her mind, she wants to speak with them even more.
For Zashier, there was much to take in one after the other, so he stayed seated for moment longer than at least Bireal, just trying to take it all in and commenting not even a word. By the time both Bireal and Salazar looks to their oversized friend, tears had begun to flow in silence as he stared at the ground. Despite anticipating the truth, in the initial brief moment left to ponder, it was... too much. Still, hearing the nickname, he looked up with a start, seeming unaware of the tears.
Silently thankful all the same for the distraction, he met Salazar's intensity with calm and renewed determination, knowing the man would need it. Not in words, as some might mistakenly believe, but in appearance and in just being. "Sal... You know I always have the family's back." He said eventually upon sensing the man had spoken his piece. Of the other questions, they needed no reply, for it went without saying just how far the elephantine man would go for Salazar's family. The proof of this he had bore as toughened hide and elephantine without a word of complaint...
Turning to Bireal next, he listened attentively, though his eyes had gone wide at the mention of the secret tryst. Despite remembering events from last night, he chose the wiser course of keeping quiet. He would ask to borrow the knife for a brief moment, and give it a good few whiffs, hoping to catch other scents upon besides just Bireal's and... Romero. Afterwhich, unless given leave to hold on to it, he passes it back to Bireal.
Seeing the kiss soon after though.....
Insight: 15
'Ah, it's nice to see Thistle's been making more frie-.... wait... ho-... H-hold on-...!' He thought, shooting up to his feet, but not in time to get in a word before Bireal is off and Thistle is suddenly addressing him. And while there are several times to work in a word after the fact, between everything floating around in his head at once, he ends up just nodding and going along with things without much of a word. Presuming Thistle would follow along shortly, Zashier gives the Rumble house one last once over, looks to the bloodied hope knife in hand, and then sets off to find Brinya next, knowing or believing her to be the closest.
.
Perception: 20 (for the knife, if necessary).
When you realize you're doing too much: Signature.
Thistle will stick with Zashier. She’ll survey the scene with him, then go with him to see Brinya. If Romero’s... body, is still available, she would like to see it, and his wounds, with her own eyes.
ey/em/eirs, or they/them works, too (just not he).
Role-playing since that keep on those borderlands. I love it so.
Thistle, you don’t see anyone that looks to be in an urchin gang, unfortunately. One of the guards tells you that Romero's body is being held at the new Sanctuary until the funeral arrangements can be made.
Yokini, as much forensics as you want, I will roll with it. You do have a lab. It will take some time for you to analyze the blood on the hopeknife, and then you would need a sample of Romero’s blood. There likely is blood at the scene, but you haven’t visited the scene yet…
Also, Yokini, your family finishes chatting with the guards, and they are allowed back inside the Ramblehouse, since it is also their home, but you hear a guard asking them not to disturb the crime scene or any of the other rooms for the time being. Business is going to be slow for a few days.
Zashier, caught up in your emotions after hearing the news, and all that followed, you are taken aback, but you are committed to helping this family that has been so kind to you over the years. Bireal says you can hold on to the hopeknife for the time beings, saying that perhaps it could help in your investigation. You examine the knife, (and that is a good roll, but…) but you had never seen his hopeknife before, so it looks like a hopeknife to you, though it doesn’t look as high a quality knife as the one you saw on Ruby yesterday, or the one that Thistle now wears. The craftsmanship looks sub par.
It seems as if Zashier wants to go find Brinya (possibly with Thistle), and Yokini wants to talk to her family, and Thistle wants to examine the body. Are you all splitting up to investigate separate locations, or are you sticking together (and if so, where do you want to go first?)
As the group mills a little, Thistle pipes up again. "We should all go look at the scene, before we split up. Zashier, give Yokini Romero's hope knife. After we're done here, see what you and Lem can find out about it, Yokini."
OOC > In other words, we should all go see the scene, so djsteele888 can describe it to us, then we should decide how we proceed. I'm in favor of Yokini and Lem doing forensics, and Zashier and Thistle doing interviews, because it seems like time might be an issue, but we could all four do all the things, too, as "splitting up" is impractical on the DDB Forums.
ey/em/eirs, or they/them works, too (just not he).
Role-playing since that keep on those borderlands. I love it so.
Lem, after hearing what happened, freezes up, knowing he was the person who accompanied Romero back to the Ramblehouse that night. He thinks back to anything odd Romero said, anything he had on him, any odd smells, anything at all that might seem more relevant now. After he dropped him off at the Ramblehouse, did anyone seem like they were headed there in pursuit? I'm guessing this is just a check to see if he remembers? (Vanilla d20 roll: 1)
"Last night, when he wandered off after that fight with Brinya, I walked him back to the Ramblehouse. He seemed remorseful over something he said to her. He seemed sad. I don't... I don't know what that means. But it might help. He survived so much... he deserves justice."
He'll ask if he can head to wherever the crime scene is. "Who found him? When? How? Where? I'd like to inspect the crime scene." (Picture Sherlock-levels of formulae and schematics dancing around his head.)
He's not surprised that Salazar and Bireal and the others barely seem to remember him from the war. He never really stuck in people's minds, and could basically hide in plain sight.