It was a typical night for the five of you. You were all well into your drinks at the Blade and Stars in Baldur's Gate, looking for the next victim to fall prey to a game of Baldur's bones. Maggie the half-orc barmaid stops by your table to take any orders, top off any of your drinks as you pass the night for the, what sixth, seventh night in a row? They were starting to blur together. You came to Baldur's Gate to see if there was anything the Flaming Fists couldn't take care of, or some big heist you could join in on... maaybe. But so far? You were coming up empty and getting restless.
That's when a ragged looking human charges through the front door. She's tall, skinny, with long red hair braided down her back. Her common clothes are caked with dirt, looking road worn. The pain in her face is palpable as she tries to get people to listen to her. She pulls on their cloaks and bags, trying to get them to turn and listen, but they just yank their items away from her and turn their backs.
Then she lands at your table. Spreading her palms on the table, she looks at each of you, desperation in her eyes, "Please.. will you help me?" she asks, and before you have a chance to turn her away, she adds, "Happy Jack, he has my son!"
Sitting back in a chair at the end of the table with a Baldurian whiskey in one hand and a cigarette in the other, dressed in an impeccable three-piece suit, his magic cane by his side, the occult investigator Myles Ravencroft calmly sizes up the team's next potential client. The dame seemed desperate enough to hire just about anyone to help her out and it hadn't escaped him that his associates were more than ready for something exciting to happen, some more than others he thought, quickly looking around the table for reactions from the others. "Please try to calm down miss, you have definitely come to the right table..."The suave occult investigator says smoothly and gets up from his chair, offering the client a seat while motioning for the barmaid to get her something for her nerves, then taking his seat again, his assistant the raven Edgar hopping up on his arm, nimbly lighting a matchstick for a new cigarette. "...now please, tell us about this Happy Jack."
A tall, notably bald elf is sitting at the table and notes the sudden intrusion into their conversation. He is swirling a red wine in his glass as she approaches, listening to stories, interjecting observations and memories of his own at times. He has on clothing that is relaxed, appears comfortable yet dressy enough, and it fits him like a glove. When she mentions Happy Jack, you see his eyes glaze over for a moment, searching through memories, trying to recall names. “Have I ever heard of a “Happy Jack?” There was that ship captain I knew… but no, not him. Nothing “happy” about him. He had no sense of humor at all. Who the hell is she talking about?”
“Have a seat, my dear, tell us all about it. My name is Nephvir, I don’t know anyone named Happy Jack. He kidnapped your son? How terrible! Where and when did this happen?” His eyes dart around the table to his companions, looking for their reactions. He has an overly calm expression on his face, yet some curiosity and a very slight hint of amusement. “Is this a scam? Naah, she seems to be really serious. Or a damn good actor.” he thinks to himself.
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
A wizard is never late, nor is he early, he arrives precisely when he means to.
As the stranger takes her seat at the table and begins to weave her tale of woe, a friendly black cat stealthily slinks its way across the room and quietly hops up onto the stranger’s lap. Circling once, twice, it loudly purrs a friendly purr before laying down on the strangers lap, its calming purr soothing the stranger as it awaits a friendly head scratch between its ears.
To'Kurr Spicoli, a 60ish, tall human, sits at the corner of the table, a cloud of smoke lingering around his head. Dreadlocks hang down from under a multi-coloured cap. An unusually sturdy looking umbrella leans against his chair. To'Kurr's in the process of quickly rolling up some dried herbs in a piece of rainbow coloured paper when the stranger arrives. He blinks his eyes several times, trying to focus on her. He notices the other familiar faces at the table and smiles at them, wondering if they've been there all night.
Finally the woman's words filter into this head.
"Whoa, man. Happy Jack? I think I used to grow that up near Neverwinter," To'Kurr says.
He finishes rolling the herbs up in a cigarette like shape and offers it to the woman.
Siszhu sits at the table drinking ale and eating. Siszhu ate everything on his plate then ate everything on anyone else's place that they didn't eat yet. When Maggie walked by and refilled his ale Siszhu hissed a bit and looked side-eyed at her until she nodded and assured that she would bring more scraps... errr... food from the kitchen. Grunting, Siszhu glanced around the bar and was looking for someone to say the wrong thing or glance the wrong way. It's been a while since he's gotten to really haul off and punch anyone in the face. It was making him itchy.
Siszhu Eszalia is a large slab of a creature, all muscle and scales and teeth and claws wrapped in in some handmade jewelry and clothing that perhaps spares people a glance at the bits the laws insist you hide but does nothing to disguise the fact that Siszhu is over six feet of sinister, savage, man-snake... What such a creature is doing around civilized folk is a question not many have dared to ask loud enough for him to hear. Someone will though... And soon. For Siszhu is getting bored and if someone doesn't piss him off enough to cause a fight soon them he'll just imagine they did and attack them anyway. It's been far too long... Nearly a week since he's brawled. It's just not right. Not right at all...
When the commoner come in Siszhu's eye catches the movement immediately but dismisses her. She is no threat and she smells of fear and desperation. Even as she comes to the table begging and complaining Siszhu pays her no mind. The others do and that is fine. Siszhu doesn't care. Let them deal with her... If there is actual action to be had they will drag him along. In the meantime there's that pair of Tiefling's at the bar who seem to be laughing way too much. Siszhu may need to go have a chat with them... Though Maggie is headed this way again, if that plate of food is for him then perhaps the Tiefling's can wait...
Maggie scurries away when the newcomer arrives, noting the look from the yuan-ti as she does.
The woman looks to Myles first as the man addresses her, "Calm down? calm down?? Are you kidding? Everyone I've talked to turns me away, my child is gone and you tell me to calm down." she runs her hand down over her face, trying to collect herself as even now she is on the verge of completely breaking down.
A few of Nephvir's words penetrate through and she looks to the bald man next, "Yes, it is terrible! He has been missing for three days! Missing... no no, that's not the right word. Yes! Kidnapping, that is the right word! Happy Jack kidnapped him three days ago!"
She shakingly pulls out a chair and lowers herself into it. As she does a black cat leaps up and she lets out a scream as it does. Sitting there frozen, the woman doesn't know what to do. She stares looking at the cat as it makes itself comfortable and starts purring.
The old man that reaches out with a rolled herbs seems to break through her paralysis and she obediently reaches out and takes it. She holds it in front of her, staring at it for what feels like several minutes, but is more like 30 seconds, before she finally puts it in her mouth and takes a deep pull. She gives a big sigh and starts petting the cat.
Seeing that the woman appears to have calmed down, Maggie returns with some more uh, food, for Siszhu.
This post has potentially manipulated dice roll results.
He wasn't kidding when asking the woman to calm down but clearly his choice of words had been poor, and his offering of a chair and attempt to get the woman something to drink had done nothing to mitigate his faux pas it seemed. Myles gives Nephvir an appreciative look as the bald elf manages to calm the woman enough to sit down at least, and then To'Kurr a not quite so appreciative look as the groovy associate offers the potential client a potential trip into the dreamlands. "I'm so sorry miss, that was unforgivably insensetive of me, I understand you are upset with your son having been kidnapped. I just meant it could be helpful to be calm to tell your story to us so that we can bring back your son to you."He says in his most calm and empathic voice. "I am Myles Ravencroft, private investigator by profession as it happens, and these are my associates. I'm quite certain we can help you with your son's kidnapping, we have yet to fail a client. Now, please tell us everything about your sons kidnapping and of this Happy Jack. Do you have any idea why Happy Jack would have taken your son or any idea on where they could be for instance?" He then asks calmly, making another attempt to get Maggie to get the client something to drink.
Persuasion to hopefully smooth over his insensetive behaviour: 26
Nephvir seizes on one phrase that the woman says as she sits and turns to face her squarely. “By the way, ma’am, what is your name? You mention three days ago exactly - do you know where you saw your son last? From where was he taken? And where have you searched since then? Do you have any clues about where he might be? How do you know it was this Happy Jack fellow that took him? Can you tell us about Happy Jack, I don’t think I recall ever hearing that name….”
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
A wizard is never late, nor is he early, he arrives precisely when he means to.
Siszhu takes the plate and gives Maggie a disconcerting smile. Too much hunger, too many teeth in the scaled ones smile for it to be appreciative or happy. Maggie has seen it before though and is a trooper, she’s seen things offer than Siszhu and she does not wither.
Eating again, now from a plate of slop likely formed by half eaten meals of others, Siszhu lends half an ear to this woman and her complaints, though looks more to the Tieflings than her. “We murder Happy Jack for you,” Siszhu says in his hissing, weaving but emotionless voice. It’s unclear even to his associates if it is a statement, an offer or a question.
"This is a heavy story, man," To'Kurr says as he inhales from his pipe and adds to the cloud of smoke swirling about his head.
He then blinks his eyes a few times, taking in Siszhu's statement, letting the words float through his mind while he samples the way they sound.
"Oh, wow, murder, Siszhu?" To'Kurr asks. "I know you're jonesing for some action and I'm all for letting your groovy freak flag fly, man. But let's not let the heat pin premeditation on us, my compadre."
To'Kurr then turns to watch the newcomer, awaiting her answers to the other's questions.
The woman returns the smoke to To'Kurr, and looks at Myles. She slowly nods at the man and takes her a moment to find her voice. "Yes, okay, Mr. Ravencroft. My name is Megan and I'm from Fernwood which is where they all are."
Hearing the bald elf start berating her with questions, she tries to look at the two of you. "Yes, my son is in Happy Jack's Funhouse. He has been there for 3 days. Him and the other children. We can't seem to get them back! Why? I don't know!! It started out fun.. and now well.."Megan starts crying and covers her face with her hands.
She hears the emotionless voice give his statement and she peeks out at him between her fingers. In a shaky voice she says, "I don't care what happens to him, I just want my son!"
"Whoa, whoa, that's heavy, man," To'Kurr says, taking the joint back from the woman. He looks at it for a moment, then takes the pipe out of his mouth and slips the joint in, taking a very long toke as he does.
"So, like, did the roof come down or something, and the little kiddos are trapped?" To'Kurr asks.
When To'Kurr squawks over the word murder Siszhu merely shrugs. Kill, murder, defeat, self defense… the subtleties of the differences are lost to him.
All in all, he has heard enough. Siszhu can tell the others will be talking more, they do like their talking, but he knows them well enough. Missing young plus crying mom means they will go and do what they do. Quite often that is violence so Siszhu happy to go with them.
"I must ask you Megan, this Happy Jack, would he be the clown Happy Jack who has some traveling zoo-like attraction? And his Funhouse, is that some new attraction he has set up in Fernwood recently?" The investigator continues, taking care to speak calmly and politely to not pressure their client, trying not to be distracted by the talk of murdering the kidnapper. He fully expected Siszhu to bite the head off this Happy Jack if the clown had indeed taken children from their mothers, and although Myles considered himself more sophisticated than that he already saw it as a fitting end for one who took and hurt children. The case already gave the investigator a sense of something supernatural being at play.
Still sitting in the mother’s lap, purring away to help calm the poor thing down, Necyra listens without comment and without changing back into her normal humanoid form. Rather, she’s beginning to wonder if they’re being set up, or if this mother is telling the truth. They’ve been hired a number of times, only to realize when it was almost too late that they were rubes and being setup for the fall, usually by a jealous lover or a conniving politician. She remains wisely skeptical.
Megan looks confused at To'Kurr, "What? The roof? No! The kids are trapped in the funhouse, we can't get them out, we don't know how! Well, Happy Jack of course is him, who else would I be talking about!" She starts looking exasperated at the man.
She brightens at Myles's questions, "Yes!!! How do you? Nevermind, yes, he arrived about a week ago, set up this crazy funhouse and it was fun for all of us, for awhile... but now?" her emotional rollercoaster is a bit intense as she stops talking and just starts petting the cat again.
"I see..."The investigator says calmly, pondering the information for a brief moment. "...so can you explain a bit more about what happened at the funhouse? Did Happy Jack lock it up?" Myles patiently continues, not wanting to rush the inquiry.
Neph looks at the others in turn, “House of mirrors. I bet he’s lost in th house of mirrors. Am I right? Make you look weird, distort your body parts and all…”. His hand goes up to his bald pate and rubs it absentmindedly.
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
A wizard is never late, nor is he early, he arrives precisely when he means to.
"This is a real bummer, man." To'Kurr says, once he's caught up to the conversation again. "So, like, maybe Megan can lay it all on us on the way to Fernwood."
He looks at the others.
"We're going, right?" he asks.
To'Kurr blinks his red, watery eyes a few times.
"Like first thing in the morning, right?"
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
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It was a typical night for the five of you. You were all well into your drinks at the Blade and Stars in Baldur's Gate, looking for the next victim to fall prey to a game of Baldur's bones. Maggie the half-orc barmaid stops by your table to take any orders, top off any of your drinks as you pass the night for the, what sixth, seventh night in a row? They were starting to blur together. You came to Baldur's Gate to see if there was anything the Flaming Fists couldn't take care of, or some big heist you could join in on... maaybe. But so far? You were coming up empty and getting restless.
Sitting back in a chair at the end of the table with a Baldurian whiskey in one hand and a cigarette in the other, dressed in an impeccable three-piece suit, his magic cane by his side, the occult investigator Myles Ravencroft calmly sizes up the team's next potential client. The dame seemed desperate enough to hire just about anyone to help her out and it hadn't escaped him that his associates were more than ready for something exciting to happen, some more than others he thought, quickly looking around the table for reactions from the others. "Please try to calm down miss, you have definitely come to the right table..." The suave occult investigator says smoothly and gets up from his chair, offering the client a seat while motioning for the barmaid to get her something for her nerves, then taking his seat again, his assistant the raven Edgar hopping up on his arm, nimbly lighting a matchstick for a new cigarette. "...now please, tell us about this Happy Jack."
A tall, notably bald elf is sitting at the table and notes the sudden intrusion into their conversation. He is swirling a red wine in his glass as she approaches, listening to stories, interjecting observations and memories of his own at times. He has on clothing that is relaxed, appears comfortable yet dressy enough, and it fits him like a glove. When she mentions Happy Jack, you see his eyes glaze over for a moment, searching through memories, trying to recall names. “Have I ever heard of a “Happy Jack?” There was that ship captain I knew… but no, not him. Nothing “happy” about him. He had no sense of humor at all. Who the hell is she talking about?”
“Have a seat, my dear, tell us all about it. My name is Nephvir, I don’t know anyone named Happy Jack. He kidnapped your son? How terrible! Where and when did this happen?” His eyes dart around the table to his companions, looking for their reactions. He has an overly calm expression on his face, yet some curiosity and a very slight hint of amusement. “Is this a scam? Naah, she seems to be really serious. Or a damn good actor.” he thinks to himself.
A wizard is never late, nor is he early, he arrives precisely when he means to.
As the stranger takes her seat at the table and begins to weave her tale of woe, a friendly black cat stealthily slinks its way across the room and quietly hops up onto the stranger’s lap. Circling once, twice, it loudly purrs a friendly purr before laying down on the strangers lap, its calming purr soothing the stranger as it awaits a friendly head scratch between its ears.
Last to know and first to be blamed...
As a free action, can I regret my life choices?
To'Kurr Spicoli, a 60ish, tall human, sits at the corner of the table, a cloud of smoke lingering around his head. Dreadlocks hang down from under a multi-coloured cap. An unusually sturdy looking umbrella leans against his chair. To'Kurr's in the process of quickly rolling up some dried herbs in a piece of rainbow coloured paper when the stranger arrives. He blinks his eyes several times, trying to focus on her. He notices the other familiar faces at the table and smiles at them, wondering if they've been there all night.
Finally the woman's words filter into this head.
"Whoa, man. Happy Jack? I think I used to grow that up near Neverwinter," To'Kurr says.
He finishes rolling the herbs up in a cigarette like shape and offers it to the woman.
"This will mellow you out," he adds.
Siszhu sits at the table drinking ale and eating. Siszhu ate everything on his plate then ate everything on anyone else's place that they didn't eat yet. When Maggie walked by and refilled his ale Siszhu hissed a bit and looked side-eyed at her until she nodded and assured that she would bring more scraps... errr... food from the kitchen. Grunting, Siszhu glanced around the bar and was looking for someone to say the wrong thing or glance the wrong way. It's been a while since he's gotten to really haul off and punch anyone in the face. It was making him itchy.
Siszhu Eszalia is a large slab of a creature, all muscle and scales and teeth and claws wrapped in in some handmade jewelry and clothing that perhaps spares people a glance at the bits the laws insist you hide but does nothing to disguise the fact that Siszhu is over six feet of sinister, savage, man-snake... What such a creature is doing around civilized folk is a question not many have dared to ask loud enough for him to hear. Someone will though... And soon. For Siszhu is getting bored and if someone doesn't piss him off enough to cause a fight soon them he'll just imagine they did and attack them anyway. It's been far too long... Nearly a week since he's brawled. It's just not right. Not right at all...
When the commoner come in Siszhu's eye catches the movement immediately but dismisses her. She is no threat and she smells of fear and desperation. Even as she comes to the table begging and complaining Siszhu pays her no mind. The others do and that is fine. Siszhu doesn't care. Let them deal with her... If there is actual action to be had they will drag him along. In the meantime there's that pair of Tiefling's at the bar who seem to be laughing way too much. Siszhu may need to go have a chat with them... Though Maggie is headed this way again, if that plate of food is for him then perhaps the Tiefling's can wait...
Maggie scurries away when the newcomer arrives, noting the look from the yuan-ti as she does.
The woman looks to Myles first as the man addresses her, "Calm down? calm down?? Are you kidding? Everyone I've talked to turns me away, my child is gone and you tell me to calm down." she runs her hand down over her face, trying to collect herself as even now she is on the verge of completely breaking down.
A few of Nephvir's words penetrate through and she looks to the bald man next, "Yes, it is terrible! He has been missing for three days! Missing... no no, that's not the right word. Yes! Kidnapping, that is the right word! Happy Jack kidnapped him three days ago!"
She shakingly pulls out a chair and lowers herself into it. As she does a black cat leaps up and she lets out a scream as it does. Sitting there frozen, the woman doesn't know what to do. She stares looking at the cat as it makes itself comfortable and starts purring.
The old man that reaches out with a rolled herbs seems to break through her paralysis and she obediently reaches out and takes it. She holds it in front of her, staring at it for what feels like several minutes, but is more like 30 seconds, before she finally puts it in her mouth and takes a deep pull. She gives a big sigh and starts petting the cat.
Seeing that the woman appears to have calmed down, Maggie returns with some more uh, food, for Siszhu.
He wasn't kidding when asking the woman to calm down but clearly his choice of words had been poor, and his offering of a chair and attempt to get the woman something to drink had done nothing to mitigate his faux pas it seemed. Myles gives Nephvir an appreciative look as the bald elf manages to calm the woman enough to sit down at least, and then To'Kurr a not quite so appreciative look as the groovy associate offers the potential client a potential trip into the dreamlands. "I'm so sorry miss, that was unforgivably insensetive of me, I understand you are upset with your son having been kidnapped. I just meant it could be helpful to be calm to tell your story to us so that we can bring back your son to you." He says in his most calm and empathic voice. "I am Myles Ravencroft, private investigator by profession as it happens, and these are my associates. I'm quite certain we can help you with your son's kidnapping, we have yet to fail a client. Now, please tell us everything about your sons kidnapping and of this Happy Jack. Do you have any idea why Happy Jack would have taken your son or any idea on where they could be for instance?" He then asks calmly, making another attempt to get Maggie to get the client something to drink.
Persuasion to hopefully smooth over his insensetive behaviour: 26
Nephvir seizes on one phrase that the woman says as she sits and turns to face her squarely. “By the way, ma’am, what is your name? You mention three days ago exactly - do you know where you saw your son last? From where was he taken? And where have you searched since then? Do you have any clues about where he might be? How do you know it was this Happy Jack fellow that took him? Can you tell us about Happy Jack, I don’t think I recall ever hearing that name….”
A wizard is never late, nor is he early, he arrives precisely when he means to.
Siszhu takes the plate and gives Maggie a disconcerting smile. Too much hunger, too many teeth in the scaled ones smile for it to be appreciative or happy. Maggie has seen it before though and is a trooper, she’s seen things offer than Siszhu and she does not wither.
Eating again, now from a plate of slop likely formed by half eaten meals of others, Siszhu lends half an ear to this woman and her complaints, though looks more to the Tieflings than her. “We murder Happy Jack for you,” Siszhu says in his hissing, weaving but emotionless voice. It’s unclear even to his associates if it is a statement, an offer or a question.
"This is a heavy story, man," To'Kurr says as he inhales from his pipe and adds to the cloud of smoke swirling about his head.
He then blinks his eyes a few times, taking in Siszhu's statement, letting the words float through his mind while he samples the way they sound.
"Oh, wow, murder, Siszhu?" To'Kurr asks. "I know you're jonesing for some action and I'm all for letting your groovy freak flag fly, man. But let's not let the heat pin premeditation on us, my compadre."
To'Kurr then turns to watch the newcomer, awaiting her answers to the other's questions.
The woman returns the smoke to To'Kurr, and looks at Myles. She slowly nods at the man and takes her a moment to find her voice. "Yes, okay, Mr. Ravencroft. My name is Megan and I'm from Fernwood which is where they all are."
Hearing the bald elf start berating her with questions, she tries to look at the two of you. "Yes, my son is in Happy Jack's Funhouse. He has been there for 3 days. Him and the other children. We can't seem to get them back! Why? I don't know!! It started out fun.. and now well.." Megan starts crying and covers her face with her hands.
She hears the emotionless voice give his statement and she peeks out at him between her fingers. In a shaky voice she says, "I don't care what happens to him, I just want my son!"
"Whoa, whoa, that's heavy, man," To'Kurr says, taking the joint back from the woman. He looks at it for a moment, then takes the pipe out of his mouth and slips the joint in, taking a very long toke as he does.
"So, like, did the roof come down or something, and the little kiddos are trapped?" To'Kurr asks.
He thinks for a few moments more.
"Who's him?"
When To'Kurr squawks over the word murder Siszhu merely shrugs. Kill, murder, defeat, self defense… the subtleties of the differences are lost to him.
All in all, he has heard enough. Siszhu can tell the others will be talking more, they do like their talking, but he knows them well enough. Missing young plus crying mom means they will go and do what they do. Quite often that is violence so Siszhu happy to go with them.
"I must ask you Megan, this Happy Jack, would he be the clown Happy Jack who has some traveling zoo-like attraction? And his Funhouse, is that some new attraction he has set up in Fernwood recently?" The investigator continues, taking care to speak calmly and politely to not pressure their client, trying not to be distracted by the talk of murdering the kidnapper. He fully expected Siszhu to bite the head off this Happy Jack if the clown had indeed taken children from their mothers, and although Myles considered himself more sophisticated than that he already saw it as a fitting end for one who took and hurt children. The case already gave the investigator a sense of something supernatural being at play.
Still sitting in the mother’s lap, purring away to help calm the poor thing down, Necyra listens without comment and without changing back into her normal humanoid form. Rather, she’s beginning to wonder if they’re being set up, or if this mother is telling the truth. They’ve been hired a number of times, only to realize when it was almost too late that they were rubes and being setup for the fall, usually by a jealous lover or a conniving politician. She remains wisely skeptical.
Insight: 21
Last to know and first to be blamed...
As a free action, can I regret my life choices?
Megan looks confused at To'Kurr, "What? The roof? No! The kids are trapped in the funhouse, we can't get them out, we don't know how! Well, Happy Jack of course is him, who else would I be talking about!" She starts looking exasperated at the man.
She brightens at Myles's questions, "Yes!!! How do you? Nevermind, yes, he arrived about a week ago, set up this crazy funhouse and it was fun for all of us, for awhile... but now?" her emotional rollercoaster is a bit intense as she stops talking and just starts petting the cat again.
"I see..." The investigator says calmly, pondering the information for a brief moment. "...so can you explain a bit more about what happened at the funhouse? Did Happy Jack lock it up?" Myles patiently continues, not wanting to rush the inquiry.
Neph looks at the others in turn, “House of mirrors. I bet he’s lost in th house of mirrors. Am I right? Make you look weird, distort your body parts and all…”. His hand goes up to his bald pate and rubs it absentmindedly.
A wizard is never late, nor is he early, he arrives precisely when he means to.
"This is a real bummer, man." To'Kurr says, once he's caught up to the conversation again. "So, like, maybe Megan can lay it all on us on the way to Fernwood."
He looks at the others.
"We're going, right?" he asks.
To'Kurr blinks his red, watery eyes a few times.
"Like first thing in the morning, right?"