Rise of the Runelords [The Skinsaw Murders] (IC)

[DrK]

Draegra

Draegra looks at the snow covered dirt and shakes his head. "I guess we all must have had had too much to drink last night to think we'd find tracks in the snow." Shrugging he nods at Zada, "Aye the tower may as well be checked now and if not we can speak further with the sheriff." Glancing at the snow filled sky, stamping his cold feet in the muddy slush he looks at the others, "Mind, today may not be the best day anyway to to be roaming and investigating with the weather what it is."

[meemaas]

Norton nods, still silently kicking himself for his mistake.

[lostsole31]

The party trudges across town to the Old Light.

The party finds a spot to enter the ruins of the Old Light. They are standing in a field of rubble and ruin. Looking around for any kind of clues or secret entrances below or the like for about an hour ... they find nothing. It is the ruins of an old tower of some sort.

[rypt]

Spoiler: OOC

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Al's Fort save (including +2 bonus from cold weather clothing): (d20+8)[25]
If this qualifies as a fatigue or exhaustion effect, Al's presence adds an additional +4 bonus.

[meemaas]

Spoiler: Cold Weather Saves

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Fort Save 1 (1d20+10)[15]
Fort Save 2 (1d20+10)[30]

[rypt]

Spoiler: OOC

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Sorry, forgot the second fort save. (d20+8)[13]

[TooterfishPopkn]

Spoiler: roll

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(1d20+10)[29] for the save

[TooterfishPopkn]

Oops.

Spoiler: save 2

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(1d20+10)[18]

[DrK]

Draegra

Draegra shivered in the cold and drew the fur cloak tighter around him. The sounds of the inns nearby beckoning…

Spoiler: Fort saves

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(1d20+9)[26]

(1d20+9)[20]

Base of Fort +7+2 for cold weather gear

[lostsole31]

Everyone is buttoned and zipped up well, and the cold isn't biting anyone's bones yet.

What now?

[rypt]

Al stares up at the tower, squinting through the falling snow. With a sigh, he turns back to the others. "We're running out of threads to pull here. I know folks weren't expecting to get much out of him, but we ought to speak with Ven anyway. We've got nothing to lose at this point."

[TooterfishPopkn]

"Yeah. It's Ven or nothing until tomorrow."

[DrK]

Draegra

Draegra kicks one of the snow covered lumps in frustration. ”Aye, let’s go and see Ven then.”

Looking about at the grey snow packed clouds he shivers. “Not a day to be leaving the village. At this point I feel we are waiting for the ghouls to make their next move.”

[meemaas]

Norton nods. "Lets get to it then."

[lostsole31]

The party trudges through the snow to get to the General Store (26). Owned and operated by Ven Vinder (male human) and his family, Sandpoint’s oldest and best-stocked general store has a little bit of everything—farm equipment, weapons, tack, tools, furniture, food, and even homemade pies baked by Ven’s wife Solsta (female human). Ven even keeps a shocking supply of alcohol in his basement, although a customer has to ask to see the “wine cellar” before Ven’ll admit to his special stock. Ven has a particular fondness for bitter grog and rotgut imported from places as far as the orc city of Urglin. His true prides, though, are his daughters, whom he dotes upon.

[rypt]

As they approach the store, Al asks of the others, "Any of you know Ven well enough that he might share something with you he wouldn't share with the rest of us?" He waits for any answers before following up. "Anyone on the other end of things -- think their presence might give him reason to withhold?"

[meemaas]

"Can't say for sure, but I've seen him once in a while when I needed to pick something up. Don't know him all that well though."

[DrK]

Dreagra

Dragera shakes his head. "Only know him by reputation I'm afraid. I suspect he'll be a changed man now anyway having lost a daughter." He looks to the door and approaches the Vinder shop. Hammering on the door he pushes the shop door open slightly "Master Vinder, are you here? We are helping the sheriff. Are you here to speak with us?"

[lostsole31]

Ven looks at the blue-skinned man who only last month directed the purchase of a particular amount of chain and other excavation equipment. "I don't understand. I'm here to tend my store, but just a minute."

He has his wife take over, and then says to Draegra and Norton, both who have been customers in the past, "If the two of you will come with me to the back office, we'll see what you want."

If any other PC tries to assume that they are "therefore included," he gives them a funny look, shakes his head, and says, "I don't know you ... just these two."

[meemaas]

Norton nods at Ven, and then looks to his allies. "I assure you we won't be long." He then follows Ven to his back office, alongside Draegra.

[lostsole31]

Ven takes Draegra and Norton to a back office that is more a crowded broom cupboard.

"Well," says Ven. "What do you want to know?"

[meemaas]

"To start, I'd like to offer condolences on the loss of your daughter on behalf of myself and my comrades. I know it may feel difficult to talk about, but we're investigating the deaths and the incidents around it. We wanted to know if there was anything you might know that might help our investigation. Do you perhaps know why she might have been at the mill?"

[lostsole31]

Ven seems to have some trouble speaking about it. "My daughter Katrine ... I told her not to be seeing that no-good Harker from the lumbermill. But I hear they've been thick as thieves, with Katrine making late night visits. When the sheriff told me what happened, I flew into a rage. Wasn't thinkin' straight. My daughter, oh, my darling, Katrine...." and Ven begins to break down and give heaving sobs.

[DrK]

Draegra

The blue skinned adventurer pats the shopkeeper on the shoulder. ”She was a Nobel soul. Phantasms will see she is well cared for”. Glancing at his companion he presses on. “we would like to know if she had mentioned anyone being unusual or hassling her in recent days, or anything unusual. We do not think she is anything but an unfortunate.

Looking about he tries to spy a bottle of something to offer to the man steady his nerves

Spoiler: Skill checks

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Diplomacy for calming him (1d20+8)[15]
S motive to see if he is being evasive or false (1d20+9)[15]

[lostsole31]

Draegra will actually spot a bottle out of the way, and Ven doesn't question when it is handed to him and takes a heavy swig. He seems sincere in his rage, anguish, ans shock at his daughter's passing. Draegra doesn't feel like Ven killed his daughter accidentally while "dealing with" that "no-good Harker."

Ven Vinder is an example of the victims that murder leaves behind, but he seems like a dead lead.

[DrK]

Draegra

Watching the man drink Draegra feels it sympathy for the old man, a wave of sadness as he tries to comprehend a loss that he knows he will never understand.
Leaning in close he speaks quietly, ”I am sorry master Ven, but know this, we will find the creatures that did this and destroy them. We will avenge her and her spirit will be at peace.”


Rising he shakes his head at the others and motions to the door. When he is safely outside he looks at the others, a deep breath, “And now what? This was a dead end in more ways than one. Back to the inn for done warmth and food?”

[rypt]

Al winces at Draegra's message, mouthing a silent curse in a not-entirely successful effort to hide his frustration while potentially in view of Ven and his wife.

"I don't like this one bit," he says lowly. "Starting to feel like we're just waiting for more bodies to show up." He sighs. "If you want to head back to the inn, I'll see you there shortly. I need to walk, clear my head. Try to think if there's something we've missed."

[TooterfishPopkn]

Steingott shrugs.

"A meal and a drink sound good. Maybe we buy a few rounds for some folks at the Hagfish and perhaps someone might remember they'd seen something?"

[digiman619]

Zada frowns. There was clearly something they were missing, but with every lead growing cold, they needed to find something new to help the case, lest the "lordship" provide them with more evidence in the shape of extra bodies.

[lostsole31]

It's annoying trudge through a few inches of snow to the Hagfish, but everyone is there for midday repast.

Annnnd go...