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

[lostsole31]

R3T10: Martin skids to a halt then glances around the man in front of him, "Let me past you fool" he snarls and pushes roughly past heading south towards the sounds of struggle and Draegra's voice. "Shout out if you need help, we are a-coming!" Plunging forward he makes his best speed towards the struggle, getting there at the end of his hustle.

Doctor Habe shrieks in terror and leaves the large room. Norton sees him cross the reception room and unlock (not open) the door to the north.

The orderlies are too freaked out by the deal with Grayst and all of these people jumping on their charge and one of them with a glowing sword to help.

End Round 3, Begin Round 4 ...

R4T20: Grayst is unable to break out of his pin.

R4T15: Alvor, what do you do? The orderlies didn't help you.

Steingott on deck, Zada in the hole, Norton delaying ...

[rypt]

Alvor very nearly curses aloud at the orderlies for their inaction, but recognizing how strange the last few minutes have been, he merely growls in frustration instead.

"All I've got is damned string!" He reaches for the bag on his back as the others draw near. "Tell me one of you has rope!"

Spoiler: OOC

Show

Move action: Retrieve the bundle of string from his bag.

Free action: Drop the string beside him.

Standard action: Ready an action to tie up Grayst in the event he is handed or tossed a length of rope.

[digiman619]

Upon hearing that they needed rope, Zada dissipated their mind blade and pulled their pack off to withdraw their rope. "I've got some!" they exclaim

Spoiler: OOC

Show

FrA: "Drop" the mind blade, where it dissipates into nothingness
I'm 90% sure that it's two move actions to get the rope from Zada's pack. If I can do it in one, I'll toss it to Alvor. Otherwise someone is going to have to transfer it from the to him.

[lostsole31]

R4T15: Alvor very nearly curses aloud at the orderlies for their inaction, but recognizing how strange the last few minutes have been, he merely growls in frustration instead.
"All I've got is damned string!" He reaches for the bag on his back as the others draw near. "Tell me one of you has rope!"

"I've got some!" exclaims Zada (who has yet to take her action).

R4T14: Steingott, what do you do?

Zada on deck (action defined), Draegra in the hole ...

[TooterfishPopkn]

Steingott drops Alvor's shield where he stands. Noticing the skirmish and knowing there was a non-lethal battle going on, he puts up his dukes and rushes around the corner.

Spoiler: Action!!!

Show

Should be able to move around the corner and get in the spot just above Grayst. Calling my 1/day knockout ability on Grayst.

(1d20+8)[18] To hit.

In the event knockout is a full round and I can't do it, I am just going for a punch.

Potential damage on the punch is:

(1d8+4)[11]

Fortitude save on the knockout should be 15.

[lostsole31]

R4T14: Steingott drops Alvor's shield where he stands. Noticing the skirmish and knowing there was a non-lethal battle going on, he puts up his dukes and rushes around the corner. He pops Grayst right in the jaw for a resounding 11 as bones crack, but this man's deadened nerve-pain centers must protect him because it looks like it definitely hurt him ... but doesn't slow his wrath at being pinned.

R4T13: Zada dissipates their mindblade and retrieves the rope from their pack, and steps a few feet closer, tossing the rope toward Alvor.

R4T12: Draegra puts the squeeze on Grayst while continuing to pin him, doing 4 NL.

R4T10: Martin, what do you do?

Grayst on deck, Alvor in the hole, Norton delaying ...

[DrK]

Martin Bevuk

Martin pauses, "What is wrong with this one, he looks past Pharasma's gate already!", plunging into the flailing mess he ducks and weaves standing beside the others and lashes out with a pair of brutal jabs seeking to subdue the madman.

Spoiler: OOC

Show

Bronze knuckle strike (whilst in pugilist stance) - hiting non lethal
(1d20+9)[18] dam (4d6+4)[15] ignore DR

[lostsole31]

R4T10: Martin pauses, "What is wrong with this one?! He looks past Pharasma's gate, already!" Plunging into the flailing mess, he ducks and weaves while standing beside the others and lashes out with a crushing blow to subdue the madman that does 15 NL.

End of Round Four: Norton sees Dr. Habe open the door, step north into that room, and then shut the door. The orderlies, seeing that Dr. Habe left them, and there is now a group running amok in the asylum, peace out. They are now outside, right by Norton.

Begin Round 5 ...

R5T20: Grayst, with a greater reserve of strength and desperation, throws off Draegra and is no longer either pinned or grappled! He then steps out of the mix of melee-ists surrounding him.

R5T15: Alvor, there is rope on the ground behind you (to the E). Grayst is now out of the hold. What do you do?

Steingott on deck, Zada in the hole, Norton delaying ...

[rypt]

Alvor's frustration only grows as both Steingott and Martin attempt to beat Grayst senseless rather than simply hold him down. "We had him, damn it! He knows the killer, but can't talk if you break his jaw!"

Reaching down to grab the rope, Al shifts closer to Grayst while trying to catch Draegra's eye, hoping to signal his readiness to help him get hold of the madman once again.

Spoiler: OOC

Show

Move action: Pick up rope.

Free action: 5-ft step to the west.

Standard action: Aid another action to assist Draegra's next grapple check.

[lostsole31]

R5T15: Alvor's frustration only grows as both Steingott and Martin attempt to beat Grayst senseless rather than simply hold him down. "We had him, damn it! He knows the killer, but can't talk if you break his jaw!"

Reaching down to grab the rope, Al shifts closer to Grayst while trying to catch Draegra's eye, hoping to signal his readiness to help him get hold of the madman once again. But to do so he has to be as open in the action to aid as in the action itself, and Grayst whallops Alvor in the stomach for 5.

R5T14: Steingott, what do you do?

Zada on deck, Draegra in the hole, Norton delaying ...

[TooterfishPopkn]

"So much for a quick and easy knockout!"

Taking Al's words into consideration, Steingott turns and attempts to put the hold on Grayst.

Spoiler: Action

Show

(1d20+7)[16] to grapple Grayst

[lostsole31]

R5T14: "So much for a quick and easy knockout!" Taking Al's words into consideration, Steingott turns and attempts to put the hold on Grayst. Despite the man seeming to be strong and a capable wrestler (though nothing like Draegra), Steingott just manages to put a hold on him!

R5T13: Zada, what do you do?

Draegra on deck, Martin in the hole, Norton delaying ...

[lostsole31]

R5T13: Zada double moves to get near Draegra.

R5T12: Draegra nods to Zada, understanding why she didn't take flanking position (unarmed right now as she is) and showing some quick gratitude. He takes the position and while Steingott grapples the madman, Draegra gives two quick jabs to Grayst's jaw for 9 NL total.

Combat Ends ...

Alvor is able to truss Grayst up pretty easily. Whle Draegra calls out that the all clear ... and Norton finally joins the group from his strange, mid-battle reverie. Draegra goes and knock on the door to the office Dr. Habe locked himself into, and the orderlies didn't get any farther than the porch (they didn't keep going, as worried).

Dr. Habe begs for the PC's forgiveness. "I truly had no idea he would react in such a manner, but more to the point, my orderlies don't get paid enough if there is an actual armed attack here, but all of this would be awful if word of mouth got around that I or my Sanatorium were not a 'safe place.' Please, the orderlies will carry him up and latch him down, and I will administer a sedative for now. Please promise me that you won't let this get out."

What does the party do/ say?

[digiman619]

Zada was actually quite angry. "What the hell kind of doctor do you claim to be? That man clearly has an advanced case of ghoul fever and needs immediate restorative magicks. He can't have more than a day or two left before the disease takes him and then you'll have a bigger problem than your reputation to worry about!"

[rypt]

Alvor picks up his shield and thanks Steingott for hauling it inside. While Draegra goes to retrieve Habe, the former watchman keeps a close eye on Grayst, wary of the fact that he had freed himself from his earlier restraints.

When Zada reveals the truth of the madman's condition, Al's eyes grow wide as he looks down at the spot where Grayst had hit him. He curses under his breath and touches the back of one hand to his forehead, but otherwise says nothing until Habe has responded.

[lostsole31]

"I have some medical training, yes!" Dr. Habe blurts out, "but I have never dealt with anything like ghoul fever. They don't prepare you for that at the university!"

Okay, does anyone else have anything more regarding Grayst before the orderlies take him back and secure him?

Meanwhile, Dr. Habe adds, "He seemed to be his normal fitful self, until Mr. Sevilla became aware of him, then he started saying something strange and in a low, controlled voice before dropping, that .... shrieking and tearing off his straitjacket ... and then attacking your friend."

[rypt]

Alvor steps between the bound Grayst and the approaching orderlies. "Hold on a second, fellas," he says, holding out a hand.

"Doc, we gotta talk about some of the things Grayst had to say. But before we do -- are you able to cure this man or not? Because if not, if ghoul fever does what I think it does, then we've got a whole other problem here."

[TooterfishPopkn]

Steingott looks to Al.

"I don't know much about ghoul fever. Are we still able to question him? Is there time? Or should we be preparing for something worse?"

[digiman619]

Zada pinches their brow, their anger ebbing into disappointment. "And the reason you didn't reach out to the chapel for specialist help was...?" They sigh. "Never mind. Okay, I'm going to have to talk to Father Zantalus and see if we can save this man because I don't have the proper spells prepared here." This was followed by an exhalation of frustration. "Not that I have strong enough magicks to heal the disease anyway."

[DrK]

Martin Bevuk

Martin looks at the man and shakes his head sadly at the state of the man. At mention of the ghoul fever and the sedative he shakes his head, "Shall we question the lad before he corks it?" . He glares at Habe, "You ain't a real doctor are you there?" Kneeling down beside the man he nods to the others "Pretty handy in a fight you lot are."

[lostsole31]

Dr. Habe looks aghast at Martin and with great indignation, "Excuse me?! I graduated summa *** laude, I'll have you know. But the problem with being a doctor of physical maladies, and particularly a theoretician of mental afflictions, is that my training doesn't really cover supernatural issues. Now that I know he has ghoul fever (if that is really the case), I have the means to look into my books at possible treatments."

Draegra speaks up, "I think we got all we're going to get from Grayst, so there shouldn't be an issue of at least getting him to a place of safety for himself and others by being sedated and strapped down. I do remember what he said to me. I'm going to write it out, instead of regurgitate it to you now."

Dr. Habe, placated some by Draegra's words says, "There, now can we get him to isolation before he awakens and has a dangerous episode? And I will work on curing this affliction, now that I know what I'm dealing with."

[digiman619]

Zada's anger quickly returned, their voice flat. "Fine. Check your books. But unless they recommend a rapid course of treatment with medicine you have on hand, you will go to the chapel and get some divine aid. This man shouldn't have to die because you were too proud to ask for help"

[rypt]

Alvor begins to say something, then stops himself, sighs, and starts again. "Doctor, in those letters he wrote you, what did the sheriff say about our reasons for wanting to speak with Grayst?"

[lostsole31]

"That he was a possible material witness to a murder," answers the doctor.

[TooterfishPopkn]

Steingott squints at Habe.

"You sure that's all, doc?"

Spoiler: Action

Show

(1d20+9)[21] sense motive on Dr. Habe

[lostsole31]

Dr. Habe seems kind of confused, and Steingott senses that. He doesn't feel that every nuance of every word in the messsage matters and that the "meat of the matter" was already discussed. He figures it is some dwarven idiosyncracy that if you don't quote an exact transcription you must be a liar .... and that silliness is likely why Dr. Habe doesn't much like dwarves (but that's secret, learned by a Sense Motive).

[rypt]

Alvor nods. "Yeah, that's right. And I'll be honest -- I'm still not sure what he saw and what he didn't. But the name Grayst mentioned -- 'His Lordship' -- that's one we've heard before. Grayst said this person told him to expect a visit from Draegra, even made him memorize a message.

"My understanding is that Grayst has been in your care more or less since the day he was found. That would mean that either this Lordship individual prepared him for Draegra's visit before he was committed here and before the sheriff even enlisted Draegra's assistance -- in which case I figure that makes Grayst something more than just a witness -- or, His Lordship found a way to reach Grayst inside this facility and has been in contact with him while you've been treating him as your patient. Both are troubling for their own reasons, but either way, there's a very real chance that his presence here is putting you and the rest of your patients in very real danger."

[DrK]

Martin Bevuk

Martin nods as he looks to Alvor, "Strange things occurring here. Not sure where to go next, maybe we just do some patrols, we can be look for some trouble and keep a weather eye this?" Looking back to Grayst he shrugs a little, "Not sure much beyond prayer can be done for this fellow mind. best leave him 'ere with Habe's tender mercies."

[lostsole31]

So, everyone fine now for Habe to have the orderlies take Grayst to isolation? Dr. Habe promises he will do what he can for the man, but he won't have him transported to the Chapel. It's more that you would need Father Zantus to come here, and even then Father Zantus may be required to be given a donation that Dr. Habe's Sanatorium cannot afford for magical treatment if Dr. Habe's mundane ministrations cannot help.

[TooterfishPopkn]

Steingott continues eyeing Dr. Habe.

"Well, looks like we've seen everything we're going to see today. Let's get out of Dr. Habe's hair. I'll wait for the rest of you outside."

Steingott walks outside and waits patiently for the rest of his party.