Monstrous Compendium Vol. 1: Spelljammer Creatures
Frozen Sick
D&D Beyond Basic Rules
Basic Rules (2014)
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Monstrous Compendium Vol. 1: Spelljammer CreaturesFrozen SickD&D Beyond Basic RulesBasic Rules (2014)Sign in to view your library & saved favorites.
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"As I said before, the ones we would likely need to speak with are all around us here." Brocc puts in again. "It is likely someone in this group knows what happened to the crown, and only someone who can tell lie from truth, or who can force someone to tell the truth, is going to be able to help us here." He glances to the others. "As it seems likely we have neither of those things currently at our disposal, then I am at a loss of where to go next."
"We can question them anyway. We may not have magic to sort out the lies, but we have our wits do we not? If nothing else, we can sus out who all had the means and motives to narrow our list." He states bluntly, turning to their guide. "Could you help us make a list of the ones who may have had possible access to the crown?"
Zeltheris nods, "I may not have magic particularly well suited to forcing the truth, but I can certainly be persuasive if one of you can help determine their honesty? But may I suggest we discuss this in a more secluded setting, rather than out in the open with all of them watching us?
" I can take you there, no problem."
The battered barbarian began to move away back towards the stone stairs, " It is up this way, past the griffons rookery. Be careful, the griffons won't attack if I'm with you. But the Tooki...", he indicated the much larger black furred and feathered griffons. " .....they only respect the King and the Royal Guards."
" None of the sub-chiefs, the inner council...the High Chiefs...they would have been allowed entrance but they would have been accompanied by the guardians at all times. Both of the guardians on duty were slain but we could speak with those who were on duty before them as well."
" Other than the High Chiefs, the King and the guardians......the only others that could enter would be the Sky Callers. I can't imagine any of them breaking their sacred vows....but we could speak with them."
" I'm not sure what an office is but there are a large number of caves and caverns that we could request for use."
"Then the High Chiefs, guardians, and Sky Callers are our prime suspects." Hatch stated bluntly. "What are the Sky Callers?"
Zeltheris shakes his head, "We can't really say that for certain. As the guardians were killed, it could have been anyone who could have done so. How were they killed? That might help direct us to who did it. If it was magic, we're looking for someone with magic, stealth, overwhelming force, even the type of weapon used might help guide our inquiry."
"I never said for certain, I said prime. They are far from the only suspects, but they are prime suspects, meaning only that they should be the first to be questioned. That's how interrogations work, starting from the most likely and working down to the least. Just because someone is a prime suspect doesn't mean others should be ruled out. Especially for the fact that the guardians were killed, that is the biggest concern." Hatch said, looking grim.
"How they were killed would be a valuable clue and that we do need to look into, but think about it. Magic and stealth? They could cast Sleep or Charm on the guards. They could have snuck past them. Overwhelming force? Implies someone who knew the force of the guardians, more so implies someone with the riches and power to have bribed at least two guards into service. But the guardians were killed. It means that the wealth of the crown itself was of little import, it wasn't a thief wanting it for sell or trade or because it was shiny. Which suggests an obvious motive. It was stolen most likely because it would make the king look bad. The ones who would most wish that are the ones in power, the High Chiefs, or those serving under him with a grudge and the means to take out the guardians, namely other guardians and Sky Callers. I'm not assigning guilt, I could be wrong. I'm just saying that as we look for evidence and as we make our interrogations, we keep them in mind. Particularly that we do not let down our guard near them."
Hatch, having spoken that much in one day, begins looking for a chair to have a little sit down while his overworked mind and mouth can vent some steam out.
Their guide turned to Hatch, " They are the wind priests who speak for and interpret the will of Sukh, Pangara, Rogaar and the Hawk Lord."
" No. The guardians were executed for failing at their duty, they claimed to have seen no one enter or exit the vault when the crown was taken."
" So who would you like to start with? Or look at the vault first?"
"Ah, execution, not murder. A pity that, they may have held valuable information even if they hadn't seen anyone enter. But this just makes it more likely to be an inside job. We should still start with the vault to see how the crown may have slipped out unnoticed." Hatch said, standing from his chair and holding his head. This thinking thing was rough ~ however did investigators do that all day?
"Yes, the vault seems like a good place to start." Brocc agrees, as he doubts they would get any true answers from the group of those assembled.
Zeltheris nods, smiling brightly again, "A fine decision! And with this fine group of heroes on the case, I'm sure the answer will be found!"
Their guide leads them away from the assembly and up the rough carved winding stairways that line the escarpment.
The companions are led up past griffons sunning themselves on rock shelves, they see more members of the barbarian settlement come out to look at them; women, children, old people and some of the younger men.
The steps become sharper and steeper as the companions ascend up past the rookeries and pass between the Tooki dens, the huge sable griffons watch them with glittering eyes but do not stir from where they lounge.
They approach a cave mouth barred by rough iron-bound wooden doors and flanked by two youths wielding spears. They both step back at once when they see the group, but one of them rallies and approaches your guide, " Why do you approach the vault , Shamed One?"
Your guide grimaces and steps forward, his ruined face bare inches from the boys, " Orders of the King, Lamto. Now.....get out of my way before I shove that spear sideways up your arse."
" Shamed One or not, I'm still ten times the warrior you'll ever be even after your beard eventually comes in."
Without waiting for a response your guide pushes the door open and walks in, indicating for you to follow.
Brocc shrugs and follows their guide inside.
Herman knows a nickname in a tribe is very important, he must approach the matter with discretion but he is curious
Once inside, Herman looks at the guide:
"eh, these kids nowadays, how dare they to call you SHAMED one, can't be your tribe name, can it?"
Hatch walks in with the rest and looks around, though clearly not the investigator that Banzo is. So he goes to the center and uses Divine Sense, in the long hope that perhaps he could detect something that way that might be hidden to his eyes otherwise.
Zeltheris looks at Herman for a moment to see if he's serious before sighing, "It's probably because of the same reason he was chained up and beaten when we arrived. You know, when they said he shamed the tribe with his failure to kill us."
The man looked at Herman for a moment, " For the time being, it is their right to call me so."
" The Skycallers can perform small miracles and the like......those born with other arcane abilities are usually shunned or sent elsewhere. The Sky Ponies often take them in."
" Indeed.....one who was invisible would have not been seen by the guardians.....though I would think the griffons or tooki may have scented them though I know little of such things."
Banzo inspected the chamber with a practiced eye and found it to be secure, though he noted that there was space in the skylight above that something slimmer than a human or dwarf could possibly enter or exit that way.....if they had a means of flight or exceptional climbing ability.
There were also scuffs near the walls where he guessed guardians would catch some sleep at times.
Inspecting the plinth itself there was a thick mark in the dust that denoted where the solid gold crown had sat, there were no marks in the dust so it had been lifted easily off the plinth denoting someone of some strength....or several someones.
Hatch finds no trace of anything even as he scours the vault.....he is confident that no celestial, fiendish or undead forces were involved in the theft.
The guide nodded, " As you say. But it is only until the next full moon and then I can reclaim my name if my griffon will accept me and I can win my way through the challenge."
Brocc moves around the chamber. As he does so he ritually casts detect magic
Once that is up he looks for any magic in the area, or if any strong magic remains from what might have been used in the theft. He will also study the area, to see if his knowledge of the arcane arts gives him any insights...
Arcana: 18 Guidance: 2
The guidance and arcana check are for after he has completed use of detect magic, as both take concentration.