The city of Djerad Thymar stands as a testament to the unique and famed architectural style of the dragonborn of Tymanther. An enormous, four-sided sloped structure that levels off to a flat top is supported by hundreds of pillars, each fifty feet in diameter. The lowest level is a foundation of granite that rises roughly two hundred feet off the ground, and from a distance, the city resembles an enormous pyramid with a flat top. The lowest levels are called the catacombs, and the topmost level is the protected city-bastion, where the majority of the population lives. Between the two lay the market floor, and it is on this level where Torinn Tormine meets Fiona, the halfling detective he hired some time ago to investigate the theft of a particular gold wristband.

Though the population of Djerad Thymar and indeed Tymanther in general remains overwhelmingly dragonborn, various other humanoid races have made their homes here over the years, as the dragonborn are not inherently hostile to any race other than dragons. Indeed, they welcome outsiders to their city in most circumstances, and Fiona has had no trouble setting up a modest office on the market floor, with a desk and several crates filled with various knick-knacks, documents, and investigation tools.

She regards Torinn, speaking between puffs of pipeweed smoked through a cob pipe, "So. Your missing wristband." She leans forward, still sitting behind her desk, with Torinn seated in one of two simple wooden chairs set in front of the desk. Rutger remains outside the office doors, keeping watch for any intrusion. "Yer description helped a ton, but there ain't a lot else to go on, unfortunately. But. I do have somethin', and frankly, it's somethin' I may need yer help with."

Fiona lowers her voice, speaking in a near-whisper as she leans as close as she can across the inappropriately-sized desk, "Ya ever hear of the Cult of the Dragon?"

Torinn is, for his part, nervous. He has survived up until this point, yes, and even managed to hire someone who could help him in his search. But when Fiona says that she's running into trouble, a lump settles into his stomach. This is the part where neither strength of arms nor force of personality would help him at all. So if his hired help is having trouble...

"I have heard of them, yes," Torinn admits slowly.

"Good. Well," she takes a deep breath, then a long drag from her pipe, and leans back a bit before releasing the smoke. In Fiona's gravelly, quiet voice, she continues to explain, "It seems as of late there have been some arrests made. Here, in Djerad Thymar, by the Lance Defenders."

Wrinkling her nose, she walks over to a window oriented out of the city itself, and opens it, letting the morning sun seep in and the smoke escape the office. She returns to her chair and continues her explanation, "The culprits were wearing black masks and capes. The masks were dragon-like, and though nobody is sayin' so, I think they were members of the Cult of the Dragon."

At this point, a yellow canary lands on the windowsill and chirps a few times, providing intermittent background noise to the halfling's exposition, "So I did some diggin'. Turns out, these arrests started around the same time your wristband was stolen--the first one, only a week before. Coincidence, sure, maybe. But here's the thing." She tips the remains of the pipeweed out of her pipe, and begins to stuff a new batch in at this point. "They're escapin'. Not all of them, but enuff to look suspicious. The Lance Defenders're very efficient, as I'm sure ya know. And these guys, Cult of the Dragon? Wearing dragon masks? Lance Defenders would hate them. What do you think?"

>>77299
Torinn nods, mindful of how out of place it is to wear a dragon mask in the city. He racks his brain for a while before speaking again. "A few possibilities come to mind," he replies, holding up his fingers to count along. "One, they're good enough at escaping that they can frequently pull this off. Two, someone is letting them out after they have been captured. Three, the Lance Defenders, for whatever reason, are allowing them to escape, and arrest them again. And four, some combination of the last three."

"First one could work, but seems unlikely. It also leads to two problems--first, it assumes the cult is capable enough to arrange escapes, yet stupid enough to get caught somewhere that would despise them openly," Fiona replies, leaning back in her chair and taking a few thoughtful puffs on her pipe as she does so. "Second one was my thought. Maybe they got someone on the inside, and that's why they're bein' so brazen as ta operate in Djerad Thymar. Three leads me the same conclusion I get from two: either one of these makes the Lance Defenders look bad. Even if they are recapturin' them, it hurts their reputation. Now, if we take that as a motive, then--"

At this point, Fiona is interrupted by the door being thrown open, and a commanding voice booms, "Torinn Tormine!" Barging into the office comes very large, hulking dragonborn with greenish scales, wearing scale armor being the markings of the Lance Defenders. This dragonborn has two very distinguishing characteristics apart from his size--there are square bits of gold studding the green hide beneath his eyes like teardrops, and he bears the rank insignia of general upon his breast. The Lance Defenders only have one individual with the rank of general, and that is their leader, Vanquisher Tarhun, who also serves as the civil ruler of Tymanther. The halfing barely has time to react by jumping in her seat as Tarhun moves over to Torinn and stares the paladin down. "Did you think you could hide by sneaking into some out-of-the-way hovel as soon as you entered the city?" the Vanquisher growls. Through the open door you can see two more Lance Defenders standing guard, their lances strapped to their backs, though Tarhun himself has a longspear in one hand, and holds it at his side when he speaks, adding additional menace to his words.

Tarhun is a major factor in the continued hatred of dragons by the dragonborn of Tymanther, and in the past, he and Torinn clashed on that ideal. The two have a rather hostile relationship.

>>77301
Torinn's instinctive reaction after the door opened so forcefully was to stand up and draw his weapon - something he'd been trained to do. Upon realizing who barged in, he lowers his blade - but does not put it away. The dragonborn grits his teeth and takes the insults in stride, putting himself between the halfling and the other dragonborn. "I did not run or hide from you, Your Majesty," the paladin says, the faintest undertones of anger at having this meeting interrupted bleeding into his words. "I just felt we both had more important things to do than engage in a pissing match right after I came into your city." A city that has a cult problem that your Lance Defenders aren't properly dealing with. A cult problem that, if everything I heard is true, could have been what landed my family in jail. "So I know you have a more important reason than that to come after someone like me."

Tarhun clicks his tongue, and adjusts his posture to that of a military leader. "You will address me as General, as I am acting as the General of the Lance Defenders, rather than the civil leader of our great nation." He nods to the two guards outside and says, "I may be suffering your presence here for a time, Torinn Tormine, but you will be under watch. These two loyal defenders will accompany you wherever you go--and they will report to me directly if they lose track of you, at which point your permission to freely roam the city will be immediately revoked." Taking a step back, the Vanquisher notes, "You were once a Lance Defender, Torinn. You understand they are not here to spy on you, so they will remain outside. But they will be following you as you go from place to place within the city walls, until such a time when you depart the city proper. Which cannot come soon enough, if you ask me." He turns and faces the door out, but before he moves to depart, he adds, "Whatever business you have here, do see to it that you finish it quickly. Your courageous acts in far-off lands have bought you this respite, but your naivete has no place in the streets of Djerad Thymar."

>>77303
Suspicious, but it is protocol for dangerous persons. It's the filing of him under that heading, in spite of what he's done, that he finds offensive. Still, he can't make a scene here. Torinn responds, "Understood, General, sir," and snaps off a smart salute. He's not sure he recognizes those two Lance Defenders stationed outside, though.

Last edited at 15/08/14(Fri)13:08:47

The two Lance Defenders outside are not familiar to Torinn. A orange-scaled male and a reddish-pink-scaled female, both stand around medium height and carry lances, and wear full plate armor. Tarhun departs at this point, and the door closes behind him as he does so.

The halfling finally relaxes back into her chair, and the canary seems to have flown off in the intervening period. "Wow," Fiona finally manages, seeming to struggle to find the words. "Um, pardon me for sayin', but that seemed more personal than I imagined it. He didn't even mention the crime ya stand accused of. Seems like you and he had other disagreements?"

>>77305
Torinn waits a moment before resheathing his weapon. "As far as I know, it's guilt by association," [i]he answers. "I'm associated with my family, therefore I must guilty of what he thinks they're guilty of." The dragonborn sits back down. "He also thinks that all dragons are evil and can't be convinced otherwise. We've butted heads before."

Lowering his voice, mindful of the sentinels placed outside, Torinn says, "But that's not important right now. You were saying something about a motive?"

Fiona folds her hands in front of her, and gnaws at the end of her pipe thoughtfully as she replies, "...it might be. If we assume that the motive is to discredit the Lance Defenders, you might also have been targeted because the one responsible wanted you discredited for a specific reason. Perhaps a personal one." Shaking her head, she adds, "Not that I imagine someone like Tarhun could be involved in that regard, but... well, if we are lookin' fer motive, for a reason someone has to discredit you and yer family, then the most obvious place to start is with people who have personal vendettas against you. We can work our way up to people with" She gestures in an off-handed way, then adds, "Anyway, the reason I asked for yer help in particular is I thought it might be beneficial to explore personal vendettas against you, and it's hard to ask around about that without your input. That, and you can protect me if the Cult of the Dragon really is behind this and comes after us."

>>77307
Torinn scratches his head. "Other than the obvious, I can't think of any personal vendettas against myself. Not from all the way back then, at least."

"Hmmm. Well, I think we should pursue the angle of a conspiracy against the Lance Defenders, then," Fiona replies, leaning forward. "Another thing that may work in your favor is that there have been a few additional high-profile thefts since your departure, and they cannot possibly be connected to you. If--"

Again, the door to the office opens--though with significantly less force than before. This time, the voice that booms is friendly and enthusiastic, "Fifi! I hear Torinn has returned to Djerad Thymar! The big break for our mysteries has finally arrived!"

The voice belongs to a boisterous human male dressed sharply in a black-and-white tuxedo and matching slacks. His build is muscular, and he has a neatly-trimmed beard that is brown like his short, straight hair, and a red rose protruding from his left breast pocket. As he walks into Fiona's office, a fey-looking woman follows behind him. She has a somewhat mousy look about her, with a cute, round face, glasses, and shoulder-length black hair. She is wearing a faintly pink coat that looks just slightly too big for her and form-fitting gray leggings. Her eyes appear slightly glazed over, and her walk is slightly listless.

In contrast to the man's overly friendly behavior, Fiona's expression suggests that she just received a migraine. "...Inspector Manderville. Yes, Torinn is here, though I must again emphasize--"

The man interrupts the halfling loudly, raising one finger as he does so, "Splendid! Then with your assistance and his help, I have no doubt that we'll crack these cases wide open!" He looks over at Torinn, as if noticing him for the first time. "And who might you be, good sir?"

>>77309
How did this person not raise any alarm bells from the guards posted outside? Torinn clears his throat, and allows some of his irritation to show. "I am Torinn Tormine, and I'm in the middle of an extremely important discussion. Can you and your companion wait outside for about five minutes before you ask anything of me?" Torinn then nods at Fiona to continue.

Diplomacy: http://orokos.com/roll/317113 (16)

Last edited at 15/08/14(Fri)17:14:41

The well-dressed man seems a bit taken aback by Torinn's response, but he doesn't seem to let it break his stride, as he continues to hold up a finger as he explains, "Ah, Torminn! I am Hildibrand, agent of inquiry and inspector extraordinaire!" With this, the man strikes a ridiculous pose, seemingly not hearing the dragonborn's request for him to wait outside, and says, "My good man, I have been waiting for you to arrive! I already know of your situation, so there's no need for secrecy! In fact, I am here to help! I have information related to your case!" He straightens, then nods towards the girl beside him, which you have just determined to likely be a half-elf, given her mix of fey and human features. "And this is my assistant, Nashu!"

The girl gives a sleepy nod in Torinn's direction, and seems to be having some difficulty staying awake. Fiona grimaces as she explains, "This man's been investigatin' a different crime that took place here a while back... the theft of Ascalon, the Wyrm's Bane."

"The spear that's said to have slain over a dozen dragons!" Hildibrand emphasizes, holding up a finger again and regaining his excited composure. "And good Torminn, I have no doubt that the individual that stole Ascalon is the one behind the theft of the Golden Narwhal!"

The halfling gives an exasperated reply, "I've heard nothin' from ya regarding that except baseless speculation!"

>>77311
"And you're basing that assumption on... what?"

History check on Ascalon: http://orokos.com/roll/317129 (17)

History: Torinn has heard of Ascalon. This legendary greatspear was wielded by a family of dragonborn heroes back on Abeir. It was simply a magic greatspear at first, but as the heroes who wielded the spear slew dragon after dragon, it became an artifact of incredible power, called the Wyrm's Bane because it was especially dangerous to dragons. Eventually the Vanquisher (not Tarhun, a prior leader) deemed the weapon too powerful to risk falling into enemy hands, and after the Spellplague, it was sealed in the vaults of Djerad Thymar, under the condition that it would be brought out of storage in the event of an especially dangerous dragon-related threat to the realm.

"I understand your confusion--interpreting this evidence is why I am called an Inspector Extraordinaire, after all!" the human replies, adjusting his monocle and grinning. "Those guys wearing dragon masks started showing up in the city right around the time your Golden Narwhal was stolen, correct? But that object has no magical power, so it must have been stolen to give as an offering to a dragon! And now they serve this dragon, and to keep it appeased, they have stolen the Wyrm's Bane, no doubt to allow the dragon to continue to hide here in Djerad Thymar without fear of the artifact's deadly power!"

The halfling shakes her head slowly and wearily. "...'s a bit of a stretch."

>>77313
Torinn shakes his head. "I'm really not seeing the connection. Look, if you're going to help me find the Golden Narwhal then that's fine, but unless you have something more concrete, I don't think I can help you."

"Look, the thing we need, no matter what, is more evidence, not just theories," the halfling woman interjects, sounding a little strained. "...do ya think ya could get us access to the Lance Defender's prisoners, Torinn? They're still holdin' one of the dragon-mask guys. If we could interrogate the cultist, we'd have a startin' point."

"Capital idea!" Hildibrand says, nodding and gesturing with a finger. "And if they won't allow it, we could always find a way to sneak in! Perhaps a disguise..."

Fiona manages to cut him off with a sharp look, and says evenly, "Let's try... a diplomatic approach, for now, yes?"

>>77315
And sneaking in won't work with these guards listening, Torinn thinks but doesn't say.

Fiona raises a very good point, though. A captured cultist may know something.

"I agree with Fiona's idea," Torinn declares, getting out of his seat. Making sure the Lance Defender guards are still close by, he tells them, "I'm going to visit a prisoner," and leads everyone towards their destination.

Last edited at 15/08/15(Sat)08:06:12

Fiona directs Torinn towards the guard station wherein she believed they were holding the prisoner. Hildibrand is tagging along, and Nashu managed to snap out of her standing sleep long enough to make the trip as well.

You arrive at the guard house--one of many scattered throughout Djerad Thymar, as befitting the militaristic nation of dragonborn. Rutger joins the group up from, still carrying the Fell King's artifact blade, Nightfall, and the two Lance Defenders trail behind the group.

Along the way, Hildibrand seems to take notice of the artifact, and asks Torinn, "So mister Tormin, that's a peculiar sword your pet tiger is carrying! Is it a spoil from your many adventures?"

>>77317
While he'd rather be discussing case details, Torinn still humors the man and gives a nod. "It belonged to someone very powerful, and is the only trace left after they vanished in a tremendous explosion," he explains.

And he's been carrying it out in the open all this time...

"Now if I could ask something of you, Mister Hildibrand," Torinn continues, keeping his voice calm, "how badly do you think the dragon mask wearers would want an artifact sword?"

Last edited at 15/08/15(Sat)09:02:11

"That does sound like the mark of a reputable adventure! Just the kind you'd be known for, mister Tormin!" When the dragonborn makes his query, he stops to consider for a moment, placing his fingers on each side of his head and closing his eyes, in an exaggerated gesture of deep though. "As for the dragon-masks, I do reckon they would be drawn to artifacts of substantial power, though they certainly targeted Ascalon in particular because of its unique dragon-slaying capabilities! Still... an artifact sword might make a wonderful gift for a dragon, so it might be a good lure for a trap!"

"There's no evidence of a dragon's involvement, egghead!" Fiona sputters, clearly exasperated. She wipes her forehead, as if exhausted, saying, "Let's... let's just get what we can out of that cultist. And in the off-chance that sword does attract them, maybe it'd be better to hide it, at least until we decide on whether or not to use it for a trap."

Though in its greatsword form, the blade is too wide to fit into his bag of holding, Torinn believes if he split it into twin-blade form, the individual swords would certainly fit inside.

>>77319
Torinn does just that, splitting the weapon apart before putting it in his bag of holding. "Should've done this sooner," he murmurs.

The group arrives at the guard station a short time later, and find it to be a short, squat gray building in the middle of the much nicer-looking market buildings. Outside stands a dragonborn female with bronze scales, clad in the typical armor of the Lance Defenders, addressing a much larger man dressed in a garish red outfit. The man has a peculiar look, and his size suggests he is perhaps a half-giant, but two black horns protrude from his head--it's hard to tell if they are part of the red headdress that seems part of his larger top, or if they are part of his body. His face is painted white with red designs, and he wears black gloves and boots along with grey breeches.

"--You're not in any trouble--yet, but yer attracting a lot of attention with your questions. Cause any trouble, and you will regret it!"

The man dressed in red snorts. "Hmf, I will cause no trouble. I believe my questions have been sufficiently answered anyway, and I see little reason to linger in the city much longer."

The female guard seems satisfied, and moves to walk off. When the group approaches the guard station, the man in red turns to face the group, and Hildibrand moves forward to address him. "Good sir, you seem to be having some trouble with the local constabularies?"

The garishly dressed giant man regards Hildibrand, and gives a gruff response, "A small amount. Who might you be?"

Hildibrand adopts his signature pose, and Nashu poses alongside him (having seemingly finally woken up), "Inspector Hildibrand, agent of inquiry, at your service! This is my assistant Nashu!"

"A pleasure," is all Nashu says in her light, airy voice.

Fiona declines to introduce herself and instead address Torinn in a low voice, "Perhaps we should hurry inside while he's distracted."

>>77321
Torinn gives the stranger a passing glance and nods at Fiona. He goes inside with her while Hildebrand is distracted. The investigator seems like he'll be okay without his protection for now.

Last edited at 15/08/15(Sat)13:16:06

Torinn and Fiona enter the building, seemingly escaping the notice of the group gathered outside, and the guards trailing Torinn remain out the door as well.

Inside is a rather extravagant foyer for a simple guard station--apparently, the dragonborn's architectural prowess had to be on display even in a place like this. There is a lot of seating around some nicely carved tables, and lots of ornamental weapons and shields cover the walls, as well as murals depicting dragonborn in battle against fierce dragons. There appears to be only one other person present besides Torinn and Fiona: a uniformed male dragonborn with yellow scales sitting behind a desk sparsely populated by paperwork. He eyes the two as they come inside, and asks, "You have business here?"

Fiona tilts her head, gesturing for Torinn to do the talking here.

>>77323
Taking a moment to appreciate the architecture, Torinn takes his cue and responds, "I'm here requesting permission to speak with a prisoner."

diplomacy: http://orokos.com/roll/317237 (25)

"A prisoner? And just who are you?" the secretary replies suspiciously.

>>77325
"I am Torinn Tormine. And as I said, I am here to speak with a prisoner," Torinn responds professionally.

diplomacy: http://orokos.com/roll/317244 (31)

"Torinn... hmmm," the secretary considers for a moment. "I should probably deny you outright, given your status with the Lance Defenders, but... well, let me contact the ranking officer on-site. He can handle your request." The dragonborn rises from his seat, and exits through a doorway deeper into the building.

A few moments later, a rust-scaled dragonborn male in black-and-green armor bearing the crest of the Lance Defenders enters the room. He wears what looks like a carefully-controlled smile, and addresses Torinn, "Torinn Tormine. You've come a long way back to Djerad Thymar. I am given to understand you wish to speak to a prisoner." He clears his throat, and the smile is replaced by a look that is somewhere between suspicion and curiosity, "Now, granting you an audience with the prisoner is strictly against procedure, you realize, at the very least because you are no longer an official member of the Lance Defenders. However, I am curious as to your purpose for wishing to have access to this prisoner, so I must ask: which prisoner are you wanting to see, and why?" His eyes glitter briefly, and he explains, "I am not unreasonable; I am aware of the good you have done in far-off lands. I don't believe your motive is a bad one, likely, it is for a greater good. Still, I must hear it for myself in order to decide."

>>77327
Torinn tries to be as honest as he can in the hopes of persuading the official. "I came to talk to a prisoner that was wearing a dragon mask," he explains. "I have reason to believe that they can point me towards where the stolen Golden Narwhal, and various other things stolen after I was gone, were taken."

take 10 on diplomacy

The dragonborn with rust-colored scales looks quizzical. "Really...? While I have a hard time believing it myself, you have piqued my interest. Perhaps I can be of some assistance in this matter." With a friendly nod, he says, "My name is Theskan. If you're comfortable with me observing the questioning, I can arrange it. However, it will need to be done somewhere off-site, and later today, because I cannot officially grant you access to the prisoner while she's under lock and key." Then, Theskan gives a sly grin, and adds, "But the rules are less strict about procedure when transporting prisoners from one location to another. Do we have a deal?"

Fiona seems taken aback by the whole exchange. "If this is legit, it'll be a major breakthrough... assuming our interrogation pans out, of course."

>>77329
Smiling back, Torinn shakes Theskan's hand. "You have a deal."

"Excellent," Theskan replies, shaking Torinn's hand and smiling. "I will arrange it, then. Give me two hours to work out the details, and meet at the old abandoned guard station in the Lashalart district in the Catacombs."

The halfling detective nods, and moves to leave the guard station.

>>77331
Torinn nods and also makes to leave.

When Torinn and Fiona exit the guard station, they find Hildibrand, Nashu, and the red-garbed individual waiting for them.

"Ah, welcome back!" Hildibrand greets enthusiastically. "I trust your proceedings went well?"

"They did," Fiona replies, nodding curtly, hoping to keep the conversation short.

"Very good! I must inform you that mister... Gilligan, Nashu, and I have a lead of our own to pursue now!" the human explains, gesturing dramatically with both hands.

"...if Gilgamesh is too difficult, then you may call me Gil," the red-garbed goliath-like figure says quietly.

Hildibrand turns and nods towards him, "Very well, Greg! Now, as I was saying," he turns back to Torinn and Fiona, again gesturing as he continues his explanation, "It turns out we are both very interested in the theft of an artifact, and Greg has provided me with several clues he's uncovered in his own intelligence-gathering that I think will lead us right to our thief!"

"To steal a warrior's weapon is an act of utter cowardice!" Gilgamesh spits, joining Hildibrand in his enthusiastic gestures.

"Indeed, indeed. So I wish you the most of luck with your own investigation, and as soon as I discover more evidence to link it to your case, dear Fifi, I will bring it to you! And have no doubt, I will!" Hildibrand says self-assuredly.

"The inspector always catches the perp!" Nashu adds, jumping into the air enthusiastically, before turning back to Hildibrand. "Come on, come on, let's get going!"

With that, the trio of Hildibrand, Gilgamesh, and Nashu depart. Fiona shakes her head slightly, then turns back to Torinn and says, "That was almost too easy, and that makes me suspicious. But it could be our lucky break, and our only chance. Whatya think?"

>>77333
"I think we don't have any better leads."

Fiona shrugs and says, "Yah, I agree. But this kind of thing is why I need someone like you around. If things go south, we might need some muscle."

Looking around, she then suggests, "We got some time, whatya say we go scout the place out? Might need to ask around to find out where it is, if ya don't know."

>>77335
"Scouting sounds like a plan," Torinn says in agreement, leading Fiona and Rutger towards the catacombs.

It's been quite a while since he's visited the city, though, so he doesn't move as quickly as he could. He's too busy taking in the sights and smells of home along the way.

Fiona and Torin head down towards the catacombs, taking in the sights of Djerad Thymar as they go. Though the structure itself is a marvel of dragonborn ingenuity and engineering, the interior buildings themselves are also largely elaborate displays of dragonborn architecture. Though the buildings at first glance appear to be squat rectangles, they are accented with rounded pillars and domes that curve in aesthetically pleasing shapes, and many of the lower class and more temporary establishments substitute segments of cloth for doors as well as hanging such things over their windows. There are also lots of balconies that lead from one structure to another, allowing citizens to bypass the main roads if they so wish. As there are few egresses for natural light, magical lightning provides a sun-like illumination within the pyramid.

This kind of thing becomes more common as they descend into the catacombs, which are largely devoid of structures that were designed for habitation, but there are a large amount of warehouses down here, most with elaborately designed doors that suggest they use magical locking mechanisms, as this is where the city's military police stores its weaponry. The magical lightning from the Market Floor is still present here, though somewhat dimmer, and there are far fewer people milling about. Torinn directs Fiona to a unremarkable old building that appears to have fallen into disrepair, surrounded by several other such buildings. Though it looks like at one point these buildings were just as well-kept as the other buildings used for storage, they have been disused for some time. It is eerily quiet here, and not another soul in sight.

"This place is givin' me the creeps," Fiona comments.

>>77337
Torinn checks for danger before taking further action.
perception http://orokos.com/roll/317435 (21)

Torinn's investigation turns up no sign of anything. Fiona helps him look around, but just shakes her head. "Place's deserted. No sign anyone's been here for a long time."

>>77339
"It'll be plenty discreet, then," Torinn says decisively. He's pleased for now. "Let's get things squared away with the guards and Theskan before then."
make to leave unless stopped

Last edited at 15/08/16(Sun)18:41:05

The guards are waiting a distance from the building, keeping an eye from afar. As Torinn approaches them, their postures stiffen, but they show no other response. Fiona follows behind Torinn, looking nervously around as she does so.

>>77341
Putting a bit of distance between himself and the guards, Torinn asks Fiona quietly, "Is there anything else you feel like I need to know?"

The halfling shrugs, then says, "Let's see what we can get out of Theskan's deal... until then, I can't think of anything."

Some time passes before Torinn spots Theskan entering the abandoned guard station from a balcony spanning the gap between another warehouse and the guard station. The angle from which he approaches is not within the field of vision of the two guards trailing him, and it's fortunate, because he is trailed by a human female, blindfolded and with her hands bound, in a ragged-looking black cowl. Fiona is also quick to spot Theskan's approach and moves back towards the abandoned guard station.

>>77343
"Hold on," Torinn says, "could you tell Theskan about our guard situation and ask him to do something about it? I'll stay here so the guards don't see him."

"All right," Fiona replies, moving into the abandoned guard station. There's a tense stillness in the air for the few moments when Torinn is left alone outside with the guards, and then Theskan himself exits, smiling and obviously trying to exude an aura of confidence.

"Torinn! Feel free to go inside," he says, nodding to the dragonborn. "I'll smooth things over with our associates." With that, the rust-scaled dragonborn moves over to the two guards and begins to quietly converse with them.

>>77345
"Thank you," Torinn replies. He enters the guard station and looks around while he waits.

Perception fail: http://orokos.com/roll/317661 (6)

Moving into the guard station, Torinn clumsily follows the sound of Fiona talking until he enters a small, simple room that is devoid of furnishing and only has a single entrance. It is rather dark, though Fiona is holding an ever-burning torch which provides some illumination.

Inside, the human woman is leaning against the wall farthest from the entrance, and though her blindfold is lying on the floor next to her, her hands are still bound. She is stocky and stalwart, and clad in a black cowl over a dark brown jumpsuit of some sort. It looks like it had many holsters for assorted weaponry, but there are no weapons visible on her person. Fiona is rather busy talking to her in an annoyed tone, "--so if ya know what's good fer ya, you'll cooperate, egghead! You may think things can't get much worse for ya, but believe me, they can."

The human woman is smirking oddly enough, and faces the dragonborn as he enters. "So you must be the adventurer... Torinn, was it? Fiona told me about you."

>>77347
Torinn smiles in return, though only with his mouth. "Good," he says, "that saves me the trouble of introducing myself. You know why we're here and what we want."

"What you want could be any number of things. You're going to have to narrow that down for me," the "cultist" replies sweetly, then adds, "And then I'll decide whether or not to give it to you."

>>77349
Torinn leans against the wall, settling in for what might be a very annoying interrogation. "The stolen items," he says, "where are they going? And why?"

"Stolen items?" the human woman shrugs, as if not comprehending. "What stolen items could--"

Fiona cuts her off tersely with, "Ascalon--and the Golden Narwhal, ya twit! Don't waste our time witta innocent act!"

"Oh, those little old things," the cultist replies, smiling again. "I am given to understand they were gifts for a very special client of ours." She nods and her smile goes a little crooked as she adds, "Though I'm given to understand the spear delivery had a slight hitch, and someone else ended up with the item."

"And where are they now?!" Fiona demands, but the human woman only shrugs in response.

"In the city. Can't really say where," the cultist offers.

>>77351
"And who is your client?" Torinn asks patiently, "And where are they?"
diplomacy http://orokos.com/roll/317863 26

The human woman seems to consider Torinn's request for a moment, then admits, "No one you've ever heard of, most likely--Thrilvian is his name. He does not operate openly in Tymanther, you understand--his presence would almost certainly unsettle the populace."

"So he's here? In Djerad Thymar? Where?!" the halfling woman presses.

"Well, I admit I don't really get to keep track of his day to day activities anymore, given my incarceration," the cultist notes, shrugging and indicating her bindings. "But I know she keeps a storage warehouse here, in the Catacombs, in the south wing. Warehouse fifty-two. If you wanted to get her attention, you could always go there."

"Yer giving us this shock awfully easily, egghead" Fiona says suspiciously. "Makes me not trust it."

Again, the cultist shrugs her shoulders. "If you try to match your wits against those of Thrilvian, you'll lose, and my compatriots will be free of one more irritation. Feel free to believe or disbelieve my words, however. You can't stop the plans we have in motion."

>>77353
"I'll keep that in mind," Torinn replies. "But as long as you're being generous, why not tell us how you and your friends keep getting loose?"

"Oh, you wouldn't believe that even if I told you. Better for you to find out for yourself," the cultist replies, sneering. "I'm sure you can piece it together from what you find out when you keep chasing this trail."

>>77355
Torinn considers what the woman has to say for a moment, then asks Fiona quietly, "Did I forget anything?"

Fiona slumps briefly, then shakes her head. "Naw, I think we got everything useful outta her that we can. At least, the crap related to our case."

>>77357
"Good," the dragonborn whispers back, "get ready to put her blindfold back on."

Torinn tries to recall a name as he reaches into his bag of holding. When he has it, he addresses the prisoner again. "Alright, we're about done here. Do you recognize the name 'Kollritza'?"

As Fiona reaches for the blindfold, the prisoner nods nervously, "A dracolich, operating out of Baldur's Gate."

>>77359
"Thought so," Torinn replies. "Last question," he starts as he pulls out the skull mask and holds it up. The skull mask made from the skull of the dracolich in question. Just as the blindfold goes down, he asks the cultist, "Do you think Thrilvian will make a better hat than Kollritza does?"

intimidate to frighten/enrage cultist: http://orokos.com/roll/317937 (33)

Last edited at 15/08/18(Tue)19:53:27

The cultist appears visbily shaken, and as Fiona ties the blindfold, she barely manages to stammer out, "I-I think you'll find that Thrilvian is in a different league..."

>>77361
"That's what I just said," Torinn replies. While leading the cultist back outside, he asks Fiona, "Did Theskan say he was going to wait outside?"

On the way outside, Theskan encounters Fiona and Torinn in the hallway before the halfling gets a chance to answer. "Finished, then?" the rust-scaled dragonborn inquires. "I will take charge of the prisoner again then, yes? And do not fret, the guards trailing you are now quite understanding of the situation. They will still be following you at a distance, but I've impressed the need for privacy on them."

>>77363
Torinn thanks Theskan and returns the prisoner to him. He looks back to Fiona and says, "Well, we found our lead."

"I just hope it all works out," she comments, shaking her head. As Torinn and her leave the guard station, two canaries perched on a nearby warehouse begin to sing. The halfling woman turns to Torinn and says, "I suppose yall wanna check out that location then yah? I can't help but feelin' like we're gettin' played here... hopefully those guards can help us out if things get rough."

>>77365
Torinn glances at the canaries for a moment, then shrugs. "I don't have any better ideas right now," he admits, adding, "especially because the alternative involves meeting up with the inspector again and..."

Something clicks for Torinn, and his eyes widen in shock. Which leads to him slumping in resignation.

"If we take her at her word," he says, "then Hildebrand was right about the cases being related."

"Yah, I picked up on that too," Fiona replies, sighing. "I guess a broke watch is still right twice a day, as the sayin' goes. Which makes me a little curious, too." She straightens, and addresses Torinn seriously, "Did that wristband have any magic to it? I know ya said the stone set init contained the ashes of one of the foundin' clan lords."

>>77367
history check on golden narwhal having any sort of magic, or something related to magic: http://orokos.com/roll/318100 (17)

Torinn doesn't think the Golden Narwhal has any magical properties. Or at least, he has never heard that it did.

>>77367
Torinn shakes his head. "Not that I'm aware of." While he looks like he regrets saying so, he still says, "I think we may have to tell him about this. I mean, there is the off-chance that he found something."

search for Hildebrand: streetwise http://orokos.com/roll/318104 (25)

Last edited at 15/08/19(Wed)16:49:57

Hildibrand has made quite the impression around town, so it's not too hard for Torinn to get his location from the townsfolk. Strangely enough, his search leads him to the guard house where he met Theskan before. Hildibrand himself isn't immediately visible, but Gilgamesh and Nashu are standing outside the building, and turn to face Torinn and Fiona as they approach, with the two guards trailing at a distance behind them.

A canary suddenly flies away from the roof of the guard house as Gilgamesh addresses Torinn, "You all again? Strange that we'd encounter each other in the same place twice." Looking over towards Nashu, who seems to be looking around nervously, Gilgamesh then turns back towards the group and says, "Hildy said that the guards assigned to watch Ascalon operated out of this guard house. He seemed to think a dragon perhaps bribed them to allow the theft, but..."

At this moment the doors to the guard house are thrown open, and Hildibrand is roughly ejected from the premises, landing on the ground in a heap. Nashu jumps slightly, startled out of her daze by the inspector's sudden reappearance. "Keep up these insulting accusations, and you're going to find someone invoking an honor duel upon you! Get lost!" the secretary dragonborn from earlier snarls, slamming the doors closed.

Hildibrand, seemingly unshaped, collects himself and begins to dust off his suit, and finally notices Torinn, "Ah, Tormin! Good to see you again! I think I'm getting closer to unraveling the identity of the culprit, I'm sure you'll be pleased to hear!"

>>77371
Canaries again. And Hildebrand acting like... well, this. It doesn't fill him with much hope. Torinn explains, "We've been busy as well and found some interesting information." He pauses, then poses a suggestion: "Let's compare notes." Let's get this trainwreck started. "What've you found out?"

Religion check on canaries: http://orokos.com/roll/318122 (14)

Torinn: You can think of no relevant information regarding canaries.

"Of course, of course"! Hildibrand replies, enthusiastically nodding his head and holding up a finger. "The first bit of useful intel I was able to dig up was the date of the theft of Ascalon--two weeks ago. What is so significant about this date, you ask?" Here, Hildibrand gestures in an exaggerated manner, and then exclaims, "Because one year prior on that date, the green dragon Tarnazek was slain, which was the most recent time when Ascalon was used in battle! As I followed the trail of this story, I learned that the dragon laired in the ruins of Unther, and attempted to infiltrate Ruinspoke, but was foiled by adventurers! Vanquisher Tarhun himself immediately gave permission for Ascalon to be used against the dragon, and the deadly foe was laid low!"

Turning his gesture into a dramatic pose, the inspector continues, "But! When exploring the dragon's lair and looting its spoils, the adventurers discovered that there was significant evidence to suggest that two dragons lived there--a mated pair, in fact. With the female slain, the male's whereabouts remain unaccounted for! I believe that surely, this dragon has already infiltrated Tymanther and operates herein now! The theft of the weapon that killed his mate would no doubt be a priority for any evil green dragon."

"Moreover!" the inspector continues, relaxing his posture. "If the dragon could not accomplish this on his own, then it makes sense to operate through agents, such as the Cult of the Dragon! Green dragons are especially well known for disguising themselves and meddling in mortal affairs. Therefore..." After a dramatic pause, Hildibrand finishes his thought, "I must assume that this dragon intends to conquer the realm, and has no doubt already killed and replaced Vanquisher Tarhun! Once the cult has fully infiltrated Djerad Thymar, he will stage his takeover and rule openly!"

Fiona seems to stagger from the ridiculous accusation, but Nashu gestures enthusiastically and says, "Brilliant deduction as always, inspector!"

>>77373
Torinn is momentarily stunned from how quickly the conversation went from outrageous, to plausible, and then back to outrageous again. Finally, he collects himself and replies, "Interesting." Before Fiona can lay into Hildebrand, Torinn says, "I suggest we walk and talk, before the trail goes cold." [i]Bringing Rutger closer to him without actually jumping on, he goes on to say, "We're only going off of information from an interrogation, so it's not concrete, but, among other things, we might have a location and a mastermind."

The trio of Hildibrand, Gilgamesh, and Nashu join Torinn, Rutger, and Fiona as they walk down the street. "Oh? What have you uncovered, then?" the inspector asks with exaggerated curiosity.

>>77375
Torinn begins relaying what he acquired from the interrogation. "First off, there was indeed a connection between the theft of the spear, Ascalon, and the Golden Narwhal armband. Those were carried out by the dragon mask wearers. The very ones that keep escaping incarceration lately. However, somebody took Ascalon from them. The Narwhal, meanwhile, is still somewhere in the city."

Giving them a moment to process this, Torinn continues, "And second, the one they're delivering the items to is called Thrilvian, who is likely a dragon. They use Warehouse Fifty-Two for storage purposes. That's where we're going. And hopefully where we'll find some answers. Assuming any of this is true, of course."

As the group descends back into the Catacombs, Hildibrand seems to consider Torinn's words, then suddenly regards the giant tiger accompanying them. "Ah, is this a friend of yours? Should we be walking into a trap, I'm certain he will come in handy!"

"So Thrilvian... do ya think that's Tarnazek's mate?" Fiona wonders out loud.

Nashu looks around, suddenly confused. "I don't think that red giant is following us..."

Hildibrand stops and addresses Nashu, "Ah, yes, just before we arrived, Greg told me he would need to leave soon to see to some business! I guess he took his leave already!"

Fiona scowls and says, "Let's just get to the warehouse fer now."

>>77377
Torinn doesn't say anything until they get to the warehouse.

When the group approaches the warehouse, they find that it is a smaller structure with no windows and apparently only a single, rickety-looking metal door leading inside. The walls are about twenty feet high, and the warehouse itself sits about thirty feet long and twenty-five feet wide. It looks like there used to be a metal fence around the area, but it has been removed, and there are several similar-looking buildings surrounding it, though no balconies connect these buildings, there is only the main entrance on the street below, and only the large "52" etched into the wall above the door gives any indication that it is the correct place.

The area is mostly deserted as the large group approaches, except for one figure--an average-looking human man dressed in a dark green hooded robe. He appears to be elderly, and wears glasses with a silver rim, giving him the look of a sage of some sort. Seven canaries flock around the man, flying from his shoulder to perch on one of the warehouses and back again frequently. The man stands slightly to the side of the entrance to the warehouse, and seems to have his gaze fixed on Torinn as the group approaches.

Fiona stiffens as the sight of another humanoid here, and though Hildibrand and Nashu show no obvious signs of being phased by the sight, the group does seem to be deferring to Torinn for an introduction.

>>77379
Whatever Torinn was expecting, it wasn't this. Not some old man with a bunch of canaries following him.

He doesn't seem to be standing in his way, so Torinn slowly continues walking toward the entrance. "Sir?" he asks of the man, "why are you here? This area is dangerous."

The man continues to stare into Torinn's eyes as he replies in a strangely melodic, booming voice, "Indeed. The fate of many hangs in the balance." The man begins to move towards the group slowly, his canaries trailing behind him at a distance, still moving erratically and chirping. "I have been observing thy deeds, child. Know that thou art key to the balancing of the scales... thy actions carry more weight than most."

The man stops just in front of the group, and nods briefly before adding, "See that thy deeds are just; do right by thy people. For thusly art thou gifted."

>>77381
Torinn isn't sure what to make of the old man's message at first. Least of all because of his antiquated linguistics. But the more he thinks about it, the more important it seems. This feels like something out of a story book. Something important. A turning point. And besides that, there was something inspiring about the man's words.

The fate of many hangs in the balance, huh...

"I understand," Torinn answers, a certainty filling him, telling him that, in more ways than one, he's on the right path.

"Justice," the old man repeats, moving to pass past the group, before stopping suddenly and adding, "But also, protection. To be just is to protect that which is important to thee. Weigh such matters with the greatest care, child."

With that, he passes between Torinn and Fiona, and as the group moves to track his steps, they find that the old man and his canaries have seemingly vanished into thin air--with one small exception. A single canary flutters near Torinn and lands on his shoulder.

Hildibrand offers, "Friend of yours?"

>>77383
Torinn looks back at where the old man disappeared, then at the canary on his shoulder. There's a moment of deja vu, like he's heard something like that before. After all, justice and protection sounded like-

Oh.

"As a matter of fact, yes, he is," Torinn replies, in awe of what just happened. This was more than just a blessing. This was an audience. The dragonborn wishes he'd recognized his god sooner.

"Right then." Torinn goes up to the entrance, throws open the door and uses his sword to illuminate the inside of the warehouse before entering.

perception: http://orokos.com/roll/318328 (13)

Fiona seems lost in thought as Torinn opens the door, peering inside the miniature warehouse. There appear to be no creatures of any sort inside, and there are few places to hide, as the only thing in the warehouse appears to be numerous wooden crates stacked against the wall furthest from the entrance. Dust floats heavily in the air, and Torinn's sword's illumination helps to provide extra illumination to aid the faintly glowing bauble hanging from the ceiling like a magic lamp.

>>77385
Torinn motions for Rutger to enter, and he climbs onto the big cat. Putting away his shield long enough to secure himself in the saddle, Torinn urges his company to join him as he starts to investigate the place as slowly and methodically as he possibly can.

perception: http://orokos.com/roll/318396 (25)

The only thing Torinn notices as he slowly makes his way through the warehouse is that the wooden crates appear to be mostly nailed shut, though one on the top seems to have been opened recently, as the top section is slightly ajar. Hildibrand, Nashu, and Fiona follow behind Torinn and Rutger into the warehouse, and Hildibrand immediately turns his gaze upon the crates. "Ah! So you wanted... these crates?"

Fiona moves forward towards the crates and says, "Not even locked. I guess the cult figures hidin' them is enough." Removing the top of the open crate, Fiona reaches inside, and pulls out a stack of paper. "It's full of... documents, far as I can tell." She begins to read through them. "Looks like missives from abroad. Encoded, but I think I can crack it." With that said, she pulls out a set of spectacles from her pocket and places them on her head, then resumes reading. "These things are enchanted to be able to crack most mundane codes, given a few minutes. Maybe you could check the other crates while I read this stuff."

>>77387
"Thank you," Torinn replies, then gestures for Hildebrand to try and open one of the other crates. Using his weapon, begins to pry one of the crates open.

take 10 on strength check

"Certainly!" the inspector replies, heading over to ineffectually tug at one of the crates with his bare hands. Torinn has more success using his weapon, as one of the crates bursts open, revealing several small black dragon masks that seem designed to be worn on the top of the head and over the eyes.

Fiona mutters to herself as she scans the documents, "Hmmm, orders from someone called Severin Silrajin, or a representative of him. Make contact with green dragon Thrilvian... offer it gifts... seems like directives for this particular Cult of the Dragon cell, to gain favor with a green dragon in the region." She tosses aside a few documents and reaches for another set, thumbing through until she stops at something that seems to have piqued her interest. Meanwhile, Torinn bursts open another crate, this one containing black capes. "Let's see... designate 'Vanquisher' will continue to promote dragon hatred? Designate what? That can't be right." The halfling shakes her head, then removes the glasses briefly before putting them back on. "This... this's sayin' they have an agent in place in the Vanquisher's inner circle! That's how they're arranging the cultists' escape!"

"Ah, exactly as I suspected!" Hildibrand exclaims, having apparently given up on the crate he was futility attempting to open. "Nashu, quickly, we must find Greg and warn him!" Before either Torinn or Fiona can reply, the half-elf and the huamn dash from the warehouse, back out into the catacombs.

Fiona sighs and lightly drops the documents back into the crates. "Could be a setup, this is all way too convenient. But it's a reasonable explanation all the same... after we finish up here, I think we have to tell the Vanquisher about this. One way or another, this confirms the Cult of the Dragon is definitely operating here, and are almost certainly in contact with a green dragon called Thrilvian."

>>77389
Too slow to catch the inspector leaving, Torinn focuses on the task at hand. "But why promote hatred of dragons?" he asks, still opening the crates. "Wouldn't that work against them?"

"That's what I think too. So maybe they don't think they can control the Vanquisher. Not directly," Fiona hypothesizes. "Yeah, I don't buy into what the 'inspector' says about Vanquisher Tarhun bein' on the cult's side, but maybe he's bein' played. If Tarhun gets discredited, it could reflect badly on the stance he took too, given how hard-line he is about that. Maybe they're settin' him up for a fall."

As Torinn continues opening the crates, he finds lots of mundane items of various kinds, including disguise kits, investigation tools, and other assorted items of minimal value that are nevertheless useful for everyday tasks. He also finds a jade statuette of a dragon, valued at around 750 gold pieces. There are a lot more black robes and cult masks too.

>>77391
Torinn sets the statue aside - it may have been stolen, same as the Golden Narwhal - and finished opening the last of the crates.

Torinn finds ration bars of all things in one of the last remaining crates, and finally, what appears to be several labeled bottles of alchemist's fire. Fiona appears to be looking at the dragonborn expectantly. "Ya figure our next move's to go to the Vanquisher with this? Or Theskan, or someone?"

>>77393
"We'll take it straight to Tarhun himself," Torinn insists. "No doubt the investigator already has. Saves us the trouble of broaching the subject." Torinn takes a couple samples of everything and puts it in his bag of holding. He also puts away the jade statue. Finally, he gathers up all the letters.

"Let's not wait around for the cultists to come back," Torinn says.

"All right. From the sound of things, Hildibrand was going after that... guy... dressed in red," Fiona offers. "With luck, that may distract him from finding Tarhun, so we hopefully have time."

The two depart the catacombs and begin to work their way up to the City Bastion. The canary remains on Torinn's shoulder, and Rutger follows at his side while the two guards trail a distance behind the duo. "Let's go over our info before we present it to Tarhun. We have testimony from interrogatin' a cultist that the Cult of the Dragon is linked to the theft of both Ascalon and the Golden Narwhal. We have evidence linking these acts towards gaining favor with the green dragon Thrivlian, which is possibly the mate of Tarnazek, the green dragon slain near Ruinspoke a year ago. We speculate that the cult and Thrilvian are working together at this point, concocting some sort of scheme to either undermine the government, or discredit the Lance Defenders, or... well, we don't have a good idea of what they're up to, but if it's the Cult of the Dragon, it's bad. Anything else?"