AVB - Raerc

[Rizban]

This is a Private thread for Taelas and DMs only, please.

Raerc heads north along the Mastiff's Road towards Old Town. The buildings slowly become nicer, fancier, and more governmental in appearance. The foot traffic thins out a bit, though there are still people enough to make the road feel crowded.

Rounding a bend in the road, he sees a large wall built atop a stone rise in the ground, a narrow road leading up to a heavily guarded gate. He correctly surmises that this is where the king lives.

As you approach the wall, you see a much more modest wall to your left. A large wrought iron gate opens into the grounds of what appears to be a rather fancy estate with numerous odd people wandering about. A sign worked into the iron above the gate reads "Aldhaven Royal University of Scientific Esoterica".

Just ahead, the road splits as it reaches the stone bluff. To your left, the road continues into Temple District, while the road to the right continues further north into Old Town and to what's left of the Docks.

A few individuals catch your eye:

A man of middling height in a heavy cloak with the hood pulled up, his cloak pulled tightly about him is walking down the street, being very careful to not make eye contact with anyone. Since this is a fairly warm day, this is highly suspicious.
You spot an expensively dressed noblewoman, apparently alone, standing in the mud in front of her horse, pulling desperately on the reins in an attempt to calm the animal.
A well-muscled young woman bumps into you as she sprints past, pausing just long enough to look over her shoulder while grinning, wave, and shout an, "Excuse me! Sorry!" before continuing southeast back towards the Plaza.

[Taelas]

Raerc follows the woman with his eyes for a moment before shrugging and shaking his head slightly. He finds the man in the cloak again and decides to follow him for now. He walks down an alley between two buildings before leaping into the air, his wings unfurling as they bring him up to the roof. Once there, he follows the clashes man as best he is able, using short bursts of flight to brings him across the gaps between buildings.

[Rizban]

Rolling... [roll0]You make it to the top of the building and easily find him again in the crowd. He's rather conspicuous and draws odd glances from those he passes.

He walks several blocks before ducking into an alley.

Unfortunately, as you make your way across the roof of the courthouse, you hear an alarm bell ring and the sound of pounding feet running up the stairs behind you...

[Taelas]

Raerc starts when the alarm bell rings, and he looks around in confusion for a moment. When he hears the running steps, he groans softly. The dragonborn runs to the side of the building then leaps off, using his wings to boost the jump, then glides down to land near the alley where he last saw the cloaked man.

"Bah. The guards in this city seem to have their priorities mixed up..." he says in an irritated mutter, as he stands up straight after landing. Without a care for the commotion he has likely caused by dropping out of the sky, he goes into the alley.

[Rizban]

You see the man, a mongrelfolk with a small flame tattoo under his left eye. As soon as he sees you, he seems to panic and press his back into the wall of the alley.

"Who are you?!"

[Taelas]

"Someone you don't want to cross," Raerc replies flatly, pushing the mongrelfolk further up the wall and pinning him against it with one arm. "Relax, kid. I just want to ask you a few questions."

The dragonborn waits a moment for the words to sink in then goes on. "Why are you skulking about?"

[Rizban]

"Why did you single me out? I was blending in with the crowd. Not sticking my nose out, not making eye contact, not drawing attention. There's no reason for you to have noticed me!" he says as he continues to try to back away, blocked by the wall he's already pressed against.

[Taelas]

Raerc barks a short laugh. "You were sticking out like a sore thumb!" he says, shaking his head. "I am less conspicuous than you, and I'm a foot taller than most humans!" He takes half a step back and gestures towards himself, and his wings briefly unfurl as if to underline his point.

He pokes the mongrelfolk in his chest. "Now answer the question. Why are you skulking about? What is it that you have to hide?"

[Rizban]

He starts to shake violently from nervousness.

"Nothing! I was being subtle! No one is supposed to know about... " He catches himself. "Do you think I'm stupid?!"

[Taelas]

Raerc lets out a soft chuckle. "Do I think you are stupid?" He shakes his head, then suddenly grabs the mongrelfolk by collar and violently yanks him up to bring him close to the dragonborn's helmeted face. "Not at all! In fact, I think you are smart enough to tell me exactly what it is I want to know!" he snarls, shaking the small man a little.

[roll0]

[Rizban]

He suddenly gets very defiant but begins shaking even more violently.

"I can't tell you anything because... because my master said if anyone finds out that I'm smuggling illegal mushrooms for him that he'll fire me, and I need this job!" He shouts before realizing what he just said.

At this point, the stress overwhelms him completely, and he passes out.

[Taelas]

With a dismayed grunt, Raerc lets go if the mongrelfolk, letting him crumble to a heap in the alley.

"Not quite what I was looking for, but I suppose an illegal smuggling operation is a start," he muses to himself.

He glances down at the unconscious mongrelfolk with a look of pity. "Not exactly a criminal mastermind, this one. The guards will probably just laugh off a mushroom smuggler. Ah well."

Nonchalantly he walks out of the alley, leaving the mongrelfolk behind.

Once out on the street, he heads back in the direction of the courthouse, to get a look at the aftermath of the alarm.

[Rizban]

He can't really see the roof clearly from the ground. It is a fairly tall building, after all. Of course, if he wants to fly back up there...

[Taelas]

Glancing up at the courthouse from the street, Raerc sighs at being unable to see what's going on up there, rolling his shoulders. He tries to find a guard, telling them about the mushroom-smuggling mongrelfolk and pointing them in the direction of the alley.

[Rizban]

You find a member of the City Watch not far away and point him in the direction of the alley.

"I'll take care of this. Move along now," he says.

[Taelas]

Nodding, Raerc rejoins the crowd, walking through the district in a northern direction, heading towards the remains of the docks.

[Rizban]

You move north along North Mastiff's Road to River Gate. A barricade blocking the road has been erected near the Fortress, across King's Causeway (http://www.mornproductions.com/aldhaven/AVB/Locations/KingsCauseway.jpg), which has been damaged and, in some places, washed away by the great flood. You notice a dirt and gravel embankment has been built up from the downriver side of the causeway up to the road just beyond River Gate, and a pair of large barges ferry people and carts across the river for a modest fee.

In the distance, you see Dockside Gate (http://www.mornproductions.com/aldhaven/AVB/Locations/DocksideGate.jpg), which was until recently a freestanding gatehouse fort built on the riverbank. It now leans precariously to the left, large cracks visible in the stones and portions of it have collapsed.

Several well armed Watchmen closely monitor the traffic through Riverside Gate but don't seem to be interfering with anyone who passes by.

[Taelas]

Raerc walks over to one of the Watchmen, nodding his head in the direction of the damaged gatehouse. "What happened here?" he asks in a brusque tone.

[Rizban]

The guard seems more than a little incredulous.

"You must be from out of town. Way out of town. There's no other way you don't know what happened here."

[Taelas]

"Yes. I only arrived recently," Raerc replies with a deep sigh.

He glances over, shaking his head. "What was it, a flood?"

[Rizban]

The Watchman glances over his shoulder at the wide swath of destruction as far as the eye can see along the river.

"Yeah..."

[Taelas]

Raerc rolls his eyes a little.

"Right. Thanks for that," he says sardonically, then turns to leave, heading back in the direction of the plaza.

[Rizban]

You find yourself in The Plaza (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?550388-AVB-The-Plaza). Feel free to post your actions either here or there.

[Rizban]

Not too long after, Raerc returns to the Plaza, annoyance written in every step he takes.

Upon hearing of a job offer, the dragonborn walks over to Sendungen Imports, and steps inside.
Entering the building takes you out of sight of those in the Plaza, and thus out of that thread.

You enter the shop to find it stocked primarily with spices and fragrant woods, oils and extracts, and a number of curiously carved statuettes. A man at the counter looks up at you over his reading glasses as you enter, adjusting them to see you better, but says nothing. An open book lies on the counter in front of him. From what you can see across the room, the writing is not in any language or script that you know or have seen before.

He stares at you somewhat impatiently.

[Taelas]

Raerc walks up to the man, nodding to him. "I am looking for.. Isla-bera?" The dragonborn says the name hesitantly, unsure of the pronunciation. "I was told this person is looking for someone to recover stolen goods."

[Rizban]

He jabs a thumb over his shoulder.

"She's in the back. Knock first."

He readjusts his glasses and goes back to reading his book.


Assuming you go to the door behind him and knock, you hear a harsh male voice call out from inside, "Come in!"

[Taelas]

With a "thanks" to the clerk, Raerc walks through to the back and knocks on the door loudly.

When the voice calls out, he opens the door and walks in.

[Rizban]

You enter what is obviously a storage room, smaller crates are assembled into a makeshift desk in the middle which is strewn with papers. Goods of various types are scattered somewhat haphazardly, some of which appear water damaged and set out to dry. Along one side of the room is a simple shelving unit which contains a few small chests and some books that look like ledgers for keeping track of the business.

A male dwarf, likely the one who spoke, stands off to the side, eyeing you suspiciously. He has bright red hair and bright hazel eyes. His fullplate is finely crafted with red gold inlay scroll work displaying a distinct fire motif.

A stocky dwarf woman, whom you presume to be Islabera, sits at the desk, wearing finely crafted platemail which shimmers a pale blue. She with her fingers steepled just under her nose, watching you. She has a stern but not unpleasant face.

"I assume you're here for work," she almost growls at you with the unmistakable, thick accent of the dwarves from the western clan holds.

[Taelas]

Raerc tilts his head slightly. "Why else would I knock on the door?" he asks, walking over to stand next to the makeshift desk.

"I heard you were looking for someone to recover stolen goods. I may be interested, pending details."

[Rizban]

Her right eye twitches slightly as her frown deepens almost imperceptibly. She does not seem to have a very good poker face, but she is definitely trying.

"An antique horn was stolen from me not too long ago. It's a family heirloom, quite sentimental, carved by my great-grandfather. The thief is a former employee of mine. I know him to still be in the city and am fairly confident he still has possession of the horn, but he has warded it and himself against all manner of divinations that I have been able to bring to bear against him."

[Taelas]

Raerc lets out a surprised grunt. "If you know so much about who took it and where they are, why haven't you sent the City Watch after them?" the dragonborn asks, sounding a bit incredulous.

[Rizban]

"They have been a bit... preoccupied with the total destruction of an entire city district and the resulting unrest, hardship, and increase in violent crime. Petty theft is beyond their ability to handle on a regular basis. Additionally, I'd prefer to get my horn back soon and in one piece rather than four years from now after it's been held as evidence for the ongoing trial, appeal, higher appeal, etc., assuming it isn't lost or broken in storage and transfer in the interim.

I trust that answers your question sufficiently."

[Taelas]

Raerc processes this for a moment then nods. "All right, that makes good sense. What can you tell me about the thief, then? And why would he steal a horn, no offense?"

[Rizban]

"Dandri and Pano, a pair of halflings, an arcanist and a sneak thief, worked for me on a project some time ago in the Docks. Not exactly above board, but this was the Docks. Nothing there ever was. Anyway, they demanded more than double the agreed upon price for their services. When I refused, they made off with the horn, knowing it was important to me, as well as a few more fiscally valuable items. Simple goods are easy enough to recover, or were before the flood. The horn however, is unique and irreplaceable due to its history, though not intrinsically of much worth."

[Taelas]

Raerc makes a harrumphing noise. "Halflings," he says with a flat tone. "Do you know where they lived before their theft? Even if they are hiding somewhere else, maybe they left something behind."

He hesitates, then goes on: "If it's of little intrinsic worth, they must have taken it either to spite you or to try and get you to pay for it. If the first, it doesn't help, but if it's the second..." He trails off, looking expectantly at Islabera.