The Blue Line

[Morgrym]

Xander jolted into action, following Izzy. He silently loaded his hand crossbow, moved in, and attempted to jump up on the nearest table and fire his crossbow bolt down at the bull.

athleticshand crossbow shothand crossbow (adv)damage if hit

[RogetThesaurii]

Xander moved to agilely leap atop one of the nearby tables, but the cluttered floor was his foe here. Slipping on some spilled marbles as he entered, Xander tried to remain upright, but crashed prone as he went airborne. He stood up, viewing the room from his new height and eyeballing the fleeing bull. "Got it, Corporal." He let fly at the fleeing, dodging bull, nailing it to the floor with a well-placed bolt that nearly split the creature. The sudden silence of heavy breathing echoed loudly in the wake of the twanging crossbow.

Looking at the broken bull on the floor, the gnome came forward to prod it with his broom. It had no reaction and he tossed the broom to the floor before turning to the assembled police. "Oh! Thank you, officers! They nearly had me! The name's Wimop Wobblelbelt and I fear there's chicanery afoot!" He bustled forward to offer his hand to first Garkyn, then Izzy, Raz, Xander and finally Kayli.

"I'm a toymaker extraordinaire, or at least I was. I think those days may be behind me. Say, would you officers be able to help an old gnome fix some serious issues? I can, uh, I can pay?" The questioning tone from the gnome showed he wasn't sure if that was going to be a requirement from the Blue Line. Clearly he was used to BLM graft and corruption.

"I've got a few toys still out there, and I'm afraid of what might happen. It all started with that new wand I purchased. It was at an estate sale a few months ago. Some old wizard's tower was being cleaned out and it was a steal for a few dragons, and I needed a little something to enliven my creations, so I bought it. I think that was a mistake."

The gnome swept a clear spot on the floor and grabbed his broom, sweeping things into a pile as he spoke. "At first, I just felt urges to craft, but that's normal. I feel what is hidden in the wood and I free it. But, there were.... strange urges, too. Certain creations I wouldn't normally make. Like the wizard." Seeing the puzzled looks, Wilmop elaborated.

"At first it was just the normal stuff. Horses, knights, doll furniture. But then, I felt the call to... release creatures I'd only seen in picture books. Griffons and owlbears and well, wyverns and gorgons. A manticore, and that's one I worry about. The owlbear, too. And those swords..." Wilmop seemed distracted. He righted himself with prompting and kept talking.

"The manticore I sold to a mother and her boy just a few days ago. I'm not sure where they live, but I can check the receipt for you. The same for the swords. I don't usually make weapons, even faux ones, but there was the calling, you see. I made a pair, for some boys from the Wine District. La Peña was the House. I sold the pair to these twins, no more than ten winters they had. But the owlbear...it's, well, it's big. Not life sized, but big as a man, so it feels as big as a real owlbear to a child. But this is all the gnome's fault."

Realizing what he'd just said, Wilmop clarified. "Not me! The other gnome! The Wizard I carved! He's a tiny replica with my face, but in wooden form and dressed like a wizard. He took the wand when he fled. The callings, you see. They became overwhelming. Craft this wizard, make him able to hold a staff. No sooner did I lay the wand upon him than he leapt up, and cursed me. he knocked me down in my surprise, took the wand and used it on those toys you just destroyed. That's when they came to life and attacked me. The wizard, he vanished while they menaced me. He can't have gone too far. It's been perhaps a quarter of a bell. I'm not sure where he was heading, but my guess is to those other toy, the ones still out there. Officers, can you please go and follow-up on these toys? Make sure those children are okay?"

Drawing himself up to his full, if small, height, he spoke. "I can pay you each... fifty dragons? And I'll toss ina magic sack. it holds so much more than it looks like it should!" Wilmop went to a cabinet and retrieved a fine woven bag made of cotton and decorated with fireworks displays. It was otherwise a dark blue. He emptied, to his credit, quite a few tools from the bag onto a table, clearly evidencing what he described as 'so much more than it looks like it should'.

 

OoC

Xander failed to land the leap onto a table, but he had enough movement to stand anyway. Even without the mistaken Bless, he hits; even without advantage he would hit. With the Assassinate ability, he crits on a successful attack against anyone who hasn't acted in combat yet. Bull (gorgon) goes down!
Wilmop explains he has probably sent some deadly toys out into the world under the influence of a new wand, one he bought at a recent estate sale for a wizard's tower. He has carved a manticore (fits the description of the toy that opened this case, where the mother and child were injured) a gorgon and a wyvern (both destroyed by PCs) a Decapus (old school monster, ten tentacled land octopus the PCs destroyed in the warehouse), a pair of swords and a medium-sized owlbear, along with a miniature gnomish wizard. This wooden gnome replica seemingly came to life with a touch of the wand, started animating these other toys to attack, and fled the shop, maybe 15 minutes past.
Wilmop believes it is headed to the outstanding toys. Closest would be the mother and child from the beginning of the case. In the Garden District is the owlbear, in the Wine District are the swords.
Wilmop is not offering a bribe. He is in the Merchant's District, which is the BLM's stronghold. He is used to having to pay cops for their help. He really wants them to go help these kids. He also offers a Bag of Holding, which he will insist the group take, just because he feels they deserve a reward for saving him just now.
We are out of initiative. Free posting is on!

[Dorgyn]

Absorbing every word the shop keeper said, the dwarf nodded in understanding.  “You can keep your coin, good sir.”  Reaching out, Garkyn placed a reassuring hand on his shoulder.  “We will find these toys and dispatch them as we have done with these,” he said, waving his hand to indicate the destroyed constructions.

 

Turning to his commanding officer, he spoke in urgent tones.  “We should head to the purchasers of the Manticore, as I believe them to be the closest to our current location, then work our way down the line and put an end to this arcane menace!”

 

OOC

Garkyn will decline the offer of coins as he’s a ‘Good Cop’.  But, if pressed, he will accept the offer of the bag, but only after protesting.

[Jarlaxle91]

 Looking at the broken bull on the floor, the gnome came forward to prod it with his broom. It had no reaction and he tossed the broom to the floor before turning to the assembled police. "Oh! Thank you, officers! They nearly had me! The name's Wimop Wobblelbelt and I fear there's chicanery afoot!" He bustled forward to offer his hand to first Garkyn, then Izzy, Raz, Xander and finally Kayli.

Cold Case shook the gnome's hand as she eyed the littler fellow up and down. Her keen eyes sought evidence that his wounds were more than superficial. For some reason she couldn't shake an instant feeling of distrust.

Later...

“You can keep your coin, good sir.”  Garkyn turned the bribe for the rest of them and Izzy could only smile and shake her head.  “We will find these toys and dispatch them as we have done with these,” he said, waving his hand to indicate the destroyed constructions.

 Isabella stood before the wyvern transfixed by her arrows and wondered if either of them were salvageable.

Then she heard the dwarf speaking in a serious tone “We should head to the purchasers of the Manticore, as I believe them to be the closest to our current location, then work our way down the line and put an end to this arcane menace!”

 

"Agreed. Kay?" Izzy said as she pulled one arrow free.

 

Insight

OoCAction: n/a
Bonus: n/a
Movement: n/a

Skills:
Insight check on Wimop Wobblebelt. Izzy doesn't trust him and wants to see if she has good reason for it. Are his injuries self-inflicted or real? Are they serious or superficial?

CSHP: 37/37 [B]Hit Dice: 5/5[/B]
Ki Points: 5/5
AC: 18/20 (+4 dex, +4 Unarmored defense, +2 Agile parry)
Initiative:+4
Speed: 40
Languages: Lisezian (Common), Lai-Nu

Saves:
Str +5
Dex +9
Con +2
Int +1
Wis +4
Cha +1

Skills:
Athletics +5
Acrobatics +7
Stealth +7
Perception +7
Insight +7
Handle Animal +7
Investigate +4
Survival +4

Magic Items:
Orb of the Dryad (Uncommon Wondrous Item, must be attuned by a Monk or Druid):[spoiler=Orb of the Dryad] While attuned to this object you can have it float in any place in a 5' radius around you. You can command it to shed light. This provides Bright light in a 20' radius and dim light for an additional 20'. As an Action you can make the orb float in a straight line to a creature within 100'. The orb becomes ethereal and heals every creature it passes through and the target for 1d4+1. When it arrives at your chosen target it stays and heals the target for 1d4+1 for the following 3 rounds. Afterward it returns to you if you are within 100'; otherwise it will stop hovering and drop. You can use this feature 1/day. When ethereal the orb can penetrate most barriers but is blocked by 1 foot of stone, 1 inch of common metal, a thin sheet of lead or 3 feet of wood or dirt.
Thorn of the North +1 bow (damage and to hit) and recharges 1d6+2 charges/day.  Add +1d4 Thorn damage for barbed shots at the cost of 1 charge. [8/8]
Twin Bolo-Tie This narrow blue necktie is worn around the throat. It gives the wearer the ability to use the Invoke Duplicity ability of the Trickery Domain Channel Divinity Feature twice per day, but not in the same encounter.


Special Abilities:
Unarmored Defense Beginning at 1st level, while you are wearing no armor and not wielding a shield, your AC equals 10 + your Dexterity modifier + your Wisdom modifier. Beginning at 1st level, while you are wearing no armor and not wielding a shield, your AC equals 10 + your Dexterity modifier + your Wisdom modifier.[/spoiler]
Martial Arts At 1st level, your practice of martial arts gives you mastery of combat styles that use unarmed strikes and monk weapons, which are shortswords and any simple melee weapons that don't have the two-handed or heavy property.
You gain the following benefits while you are unarmed or wielding only monk weapons and you aren't wearing armor or wielding a shield:
You can use Dexterity instead of Strength for the attack and damage rolls of your unarmed strikes and monk weapons.
You can roll a d4 in place of the normal damage of your unarmed strike or monk weapon. This die changes as you gain monk levels, as shown in the Martial Arts column of the Monk table.
When you use the Attack action with an unarmed strike or a monk weapon on your turn, you can make one unarmed strike as a bonus action. For example, if you take the Attack action and attack with a quarterstaff, you can also make an unarmed strike as a bonus action, assuming you haven't already taken a bonus action this turn.

Ki Starting at 2nd level, your training allows you to harness the mystic energy of ki. Your access to this energy is represented by a number of ki points. Your monk level determines the number of points you have, as shown in the Ki Points column of the Monk table.
You can spend these points to fuel various ki features. You start knowing three such features: Flurry of Blows, Patient Defense, and Step of the Wind. You learn more ki features as you gain levels in this class.
When you spend a ki point, it is unavailable until you finish a short or long rest, at the end of which you draw all of your expended ki back into yourself. You must spend at least 30 minutes of the rest meditating to regain your ki points.
Some of your ki features require your target to make a saving throw to resist the feature's effects. The saving throw DC is calculated as follows:

[B]Ki save DC = 8 + your proficiency bonus + your Wisdom modifier = 14[/B]
[B]Flurry of Blows.[/B] Immediately after you take the Attack action on your turn, you can spend 1 ki point to make two unarmed strikes as a bonus action.

[B]Patient Defense.[/B] You can spend 1 ki point to take the Dodge action as a bonus action on your turn.

[B]Step of the Wind.[/B] You can spend 1 ki point to take the Disengage or Dash action as a bonus action on your turn, and your jump distance is doubled for the turn.[/spoiler]  Ki Save DC 14

Unarmored Movement Starting at 2nd level, your speed increases by 10 feet while you are not wearing armor or wielding a shield. This bonus increases when you reach certain monk levels, as shown in the Monk table.

Ki-Fueled Attack Also at 3rd level, if you spend 1 ki point or more as part of your action on your turn, you can make one attack with an unarmed strike or a monk weapon as a bonus action before the end of the turn.

Slow Fall Beginning at 4th level, you can use your reaction when you fall to reduce any falling damage you take by an amount equal to five times your monk level.

Quickened Healing Also at 4th level, as an action, you can spend 2 ki points and roll a Martial Arts die. You regain a number of hit points equal to the number rolled plus your proficiency bonus.

Agile Parry If you make an unarmed strike as part of the Attack action on your turn and are holding a kensei weapon, you can use it to defend yourself if it is a melee weapon. You gain a +2 bonus to AC until the start of your next turn, while the weapon is in your hand and you aren’t incapacitated.

Kensei's Shot You can use a bonus action on your turn to make your ranged attacks with a kensei weapon more deadly. When you do so, any target you hit with a ranged attack using a kensei weapon takes an extra 1d4 damage of the weapon’s type. You retain this benefit until the end of the current turn.

Stunning Strike Starting at 5th level, you can interfere with the flow of ki in an opponent's body. When you hit another creature with a melee weapon attack, you can spend 1 ki point to attempt a stunning strike. The target must succeed on a Constitution saving throw or be stunned until the end of your next turn.

Extra Attack Beginning at 5th level, you can attack twice, instead of once, whenever you take the Attack action on your turn.

Feats:
Sharpshooter You master fighting with two weapons, gaining the following benefits:
• Attacking at long range doesn’t impose disadvantage on your ranged weapon attack rolls..
• Your ranged weapon attacks ignore half cover and three-quarters cover..
• Before you make an attack with a ranged weapon that you are proficient with, you can choose to take a -5 penalty to the attack roll. If the attack hits, you add +10 to the attack’s damage
Magic Initiate Choose a class: Druid  You get two cantrips and 1 first level spell.  Your spellcasting ability for these spells depends on the class you chose: Charisma for bard, sorcerer, or warlock; Wisdom for cleric or druid; or Intelligence for wizard.
• Cantrips:  Thunderclap and Guidance
• 1st Level:  Faerie Fire
Child of the Green Increase your Constitution or Wisdom by 1, to a maximum of 20. You are a member of the Green Brethren, led by the Druid Keepers of the Garden District.
You gain proficiency in Handle Animal. If you are already proficient, your proficiency bonus is doubled.
You have advantage on Charisma Skill checks and Saves vs Fey and Fey-cast spells and effects in the City of Cordoba. 
You can draw upon the vitality of the city to heal 1 HD as an action. You may use this ability again after a long rest, and no more than once per 24 hours. You may instead use this ability to confirm one death save as a non-action.



Attacks:
Thorn of the North Ranged 150'/600' +8 1d8+5 piercing +1d6 cold
Melee +8 1d6+5 slashing +1d6 cold
Bola 20'/60' +7 1d4+2 blunt  + grappled condition dc 10 strength to break out or 5 damage caused
Dart +7 1d4+4 piercing
Martial Arts +7 1d6+4 blunt
Sharpshooter -5 to hit/+10 damage
Kensei's Shot +1d4 damage to ranged attacks

Reactions:
Deflect Missiles Starting at 3rd level, you can use your reaction to deflect or catch the missile when you are hit by a ranged weapon attack. When you do so, the damage you take from the attack is reduced by 1d10 + your Dexterity modifier + your monk level.
If you reduce the damage to 0, you can catch the missile if it is small enough for you to hold in one hand and you have at least one hand free. If you catch a missile in this way, you can spend 1 ki point to make a ranged attack with a range of 20/60 using the weapon or piece of ammunition you just caught, as part of the same reaction. You make this attack with proficiency, regardless of your weapon proficiencies, and the missile counts as a monk weapon for the attack.

Spells:
Cantrips:  Thunderclap, Guidance 
1st Level:  Faerie Fire 1/1

Gear:
1,200 gp (Deposited in Twine Street account)
25gp (in pouch)
(15) Arrows (3) Blunt Arrows
Bladed Bow "Thorn of the North - [I]+1 Longbow with a flexible vine and barbed payload.[/I] Upgraded with Mithril Blades
x1 Blue Heal Potion
x1 Potion of Greater Healing
x1 Green Acid Bomb
x10 Darts
Short Sword
Explorer's Pack
Bolas
x4 Manacles
Manacles
Torch 
Horn 
BLM Uniform (Blue and white Skirt and blouse, no armor)
Expensive blue dress w/ jewelry accents (Between Noble and Royal Quality) 
Forearm Guard
Gloves 
Makeup 
Hair Ties
Standard issue BLM Uniform and Boots
 

[RogetThesaurii]

Izzy and Garkyn both took a moment to explore the shop, and ask some basic questions of poor Wilmop. His whole shop was shattered, as if a bull had run amok in a porcelain shop. Cuts and gouges in his skin bled, easily passed off as the work of the bull or the winged dragon-kin. The bloodshot eyes was the one that really gave it to Izzy. He had that wild-eyed, worried look. He wasn't thinking about here, he was wherever those kids were, with his creations. He felt responsible, certainly, and he had confessed right to it. He was more concerned with the safety of children than his own fate. He was being true.

Garkyn and Izzy voted to go to the closest first, the manticore, reasoning it was the easiest cleared and then they could decide to follow up on the other toys. It made sense, so Xander stayed to take the official statement from Wilmop while the others circled back, again, to their first stop. It was a fast jog of four city blocks and a jaunt down the mid-block alley, to a stoop where a boy wearing bandaged legs and belly played with some chalk, drawing on the wall of the house. A woman, also bandaged, sat darning socks. Neat bundles sat in a basket beside her.

The woman had bandaged hands, arms and face. Neat holes punched her cheek, neck and brow. The holes were stitched closed and her pain was evident. If she was before, she was no longer a beauty, and never would be again. There would be terrible scars. The life of the poor was hard in the city. As the officers approached, pausing at her feet, she looked at them. "Cahm fu mah stahtmaht?"*

Ayny from Crowsmeet was the young mother of Fergal Reykfiordr. Her man, Fergal's father, was a Gornrog Teamster, killed in the fall by rioting gangsters brawling in the streets. her home was afforded to her and Fergal as a gift from the Teamsters Benevolent Fund. Some gift. The hovel inside was a single room, crowded with storage and a small bit of room made in a corner for her bedding, a cookfire pit and a curtain to hide them from the surrounding crates. It was dark inside, for she had only 2 candles to last her to week's end, when the Fund agent came to give her her stipend.

"Tha tahmukah wa nithe. He gafe Ferga tha fyuh wuh. Fergah luf uh!. Thuh, thruh duhs agah, it wen crathy. It hah thethe pinth... in ith taiuh? And it whu whih thah pinth at uth. Fergah gah ih in tha sthomach, an' I gah ih in thah fathe. I sthtop ih fruh hurtigg Fergah." Aynye reached out her hand to tousle the boy's head. He giggled good naturedly, farted, giggled at himself, and returned to his drawing. "I thore ith to peetheth with mah baeh hanth." The sudden sharp tone in her voice revealed the inner Mama Bear. For her child, anything.

Aynye placed the toy bits in her firepit, not to be wasteful of free wood. She rushed herself and Fergal to a local healer, a tiefling named Doctor Faithless, down in Dockside. He had done what he could for both mother and child. But much damage had been done, and magical healing was beyond her means. She would have to heal naturally.

 

OoC

Wilmop's shop is easy to search and investigate. It' thrashed. A melee happened in here and it had a lot of delicate wooden and glass and metal stuff that's been scattered and destroyed everywhere. Clear signs of a combat. His wounds are the same kind the wyvern's stinger and the gorgon's horns would have made. He is deeply sincere in what he said. He is a talented toymaker with a good reputation and a fairly long (30+ year) legacy in the area.
Then, about six months ago, he attended an estate sale for a deceased wizard and purchased a wand. He used it to magic his creations, giving them that extra special edge.
A few weeks ago he started 'hearing voices' that told him what to carve, and he would go into like a short fugue state and carve like mad. He made several things, more and more time spent carving and magicking that he can't clearly recall details. The Manticore he gave away, the sword were purchased by rich youngsters. Then, he carved a medium sized owlbear out of a big piece of wood, and the leftovers allowed him to make the gnome wizard mini. As soon as he made the gnome wizard and finished, it came to life on its own, grabbed the wand (it's staff-sized to the wooden wizard-gnome) and started blasting the toys before escaping into the streets. That's when the toys attacked and eventually the PCs arrived.

The woman and child are only like 4 blocks away. They live in a storage room, with a private corner big enough for a sleeping mat and a firepit and a little sitting room. It's... not great. This is somewhat common in the Merchants District. Its about the cheapest housing there is. She's a young widow, maybe 19, with a 1-11/2 yr old kid.
Crowsmeet is where Kayli and Wes went to take care of that headless horseman. Its a small village a half day of travel outside the city.
Gornrogs are bigger than other humans. Its that difference in size between the Romans and the Germanic tribes (in this case they are the Germans). She's not a big girl, either. She darns socks and mends clothes for side work, and gets a stipend from the Teamsters' version of a widows and orphans fund. When it attacked, she grabbed it out of the air, put her body between it and Fergal, and pulled its wings off then pulled its legs and tail off. It shot her at point blank range in the face. A lot.

Dockside is about 30 blocks from here, at the closest. This lady got shot in the face doing unarmed damage to a deranged toy while keeping it from continuing to hurt her kid, then, wounded badly, ran with her kid for a doctor at least 30 blocks away. She got about 8 blocks before a passing Teamster team picked her up and took them the rest of the way, but yeah. She's badly scarred as a result.

Give me
Investigate: Storage Crates DC 20

History: Teamsters Benevolent Fund DC 13/15/17

History: Fergal's Father (a Gornrog Teamster killed last winter in a gang-related riot) DC 12/13/16

Medicine: Aynye's Wounds DC 13

History: Doctor Faithless DC 12/13

* (What Aynye said): 1. "Come for my statement?" 2. "The toymaker was nice. He gave Fergal the flying one. Fergal loved it. Then, three days ago, it went crazy. It had these pins... in the tail? And it would whip the pins at us. Fergal got it in the stomach. And I got it in the face. I stopped it from hurting Fergal." 3. "I tore it to pieces with my bare hands."

 

 

 

[Dorgyn]

Having found Wilmop the toymaker to be on the up-and-up, the dwarf jogged quickly to their destination, finding the situation to be well under control of a resourceful parent.

 

Garkyn listened to the young mother’s recount of the terrible battle with the magicked toy, concern showing on his face behind his thick beard, as he pieced together the meaning of her accented words.  “You are a brave mother and are to be applauded for keeping your boy safe!”  His words were low and meaningful, as he watched the mother as she toiled over the repair of socks.  Looking over her wounds in a manner that did not seem as though he were rudely staring, he ensured that her injuries had been properly tended to before he began his further investigation.

 

OOC

Storage Crates Investigation DC20

 

Teamsters Benevolent Fund History

 

Fergal’s Father History

 

Aynye’s Wounds Medicine DC13

 

Doctor Faithless History

[Drakestendor]

 

Kayli took it all in…

[RogetThesaurii]

The details of Aynye's story left a simmering fire in Garkyn. The Benevolent Fund was just another arm of the BLM's Orphans and Widows Fund. If she were receiving payments, her husband had been in the BLM. And if he was killed in some gang riots... Garkyn began doing some calculations. He gauged the girl, and her recounting of her husband, and then leaned in close to his Corporal.

"Kay, Fergal's dad was BLM; I'm sure of it. This gang riot she speaks of... it was between some real zealots calling themselves the Red Hand, and what were suspected BLM members. There was a raid by the Red Hand on a BLM Rush cook lab. Something went wrong and there was an explosion. A bunch of teamsters and some 'off-duty' Watch were killed, and there was some sort of blowback. About five dozen teamsters went on a tear in Dockside. Watch were sent in to defuse it, but none of the teamsters got arrested. Just those Red Hand folks. Some of them are still in lockup awaiting trial, I think."

As for Doctor Faithless, most everyone on the force had heard of the tiefling. He ran a free clinic in Dockside, moving it as necessary when things nearby got too violent, or expensive, or intolerable. Folks who had no options wound up at his doorstep all hours of the night and day. For someone with no known magical ability, he did good work. Her cheek would hold, but there had been little he could do, once it was torn open that way, using only needle and thread.

Kayli was moved here. She understood what Garkyn was saying, in regards to Fergal's father, and she recalled the incident clearly. It was shortly after she had joined the force as a full-fledged Officer of the Watch. Something perhaps Garkyn did not know about the Benevolent Fund was that it was administered by the same folks who ran the Orphans and Widows Fund for the Watch. All the money was controlled by the BLM, and it was doubtful it was making its way fully to those it was 'intended' to help. A fraction of what was collected was parceled out, and those doing the parceling were notorious about dipping into the funds they were supposed to dispense for their own benefit.

But Kayli was happy to hear that Aynye had been able to reach Doctor Faithless. The tiefling healer was good, but nothing replaced magic. She knew from looking over the woman's face that with a bit of divine inspiration, her healing would be accelerated immensely, and the scarring would be minimal. A simple dose of magical healing would fix what the tiefling simply could not.

Doctor Faithless. Dockside's own burgeoning saint. He healed the sick and injured, he sheltered the lost and needy. He stood up to gangsters, corrupt officials, and every day bullies with the same kind restraint and cooperative demeanor. He was opposed to cruelty and an advocate of compassion in all interactions. Kayli almost felt as if Starlight had guided her here in this moment, to go beyond where the Doctor could not.

OoC

For the record: Doctor Faithless is the Fred Rogers of Cordoba. Hard-ass gangsters who kill children without a backward glance respect and honor him. His clinic is sacrosanct among most of Dockside, wherever it might be at any given moment. Folk who have dared to harass him, his patients or those he is actively helping have faced stiff repercussions, based on what interference they did.

Kayli recognizes that magical healing would fix Aynye's face, mostly. It would take the Spell Restoration to return her lost ability score points from the wound but she would no longer be in pain, and she would not risk infection or worse in the wound.

Edited March 31 by RogetThesaurii (see edit history)

[Vexo]

Toymaker

As like the others, Raziel listened to the toymaker's tale... a wild one indeed. It rang true though, so they were on the hunt for renegade toys. When the toymaker offered the coin and bag, Garkyn refused as did some of the others, but Raziel took the coin wiyjout a problem. "The bag will be useful as will these. Thank you Wilmop, your donation will be dully noted." Raziel put the coin in his pouch and followed the rest towards the family who bought the manticore. He noticed some of the side eyed glances but he ignored them... they didn't know him well yet, let them make their assumptions.

 

Aynye's House

The house was sad for what it was, no one should live in such squalor but he knew the poor would live where they could afford. Hearing her tale, Raziel felt for the woman and her child. He knelt beside her and placed his hand on her cheek as magical healing flowed into the woman. "There, that's better, and do not worry. We find the rest of these toys so they don't hurt anyone else." Raziel stood and looked at the child again. "... And take this. Some reparations from Wilmop. Get better living for yourself and child. You and he deserve better." Raziel placed all fifty gold in the woman hands before turning away. "Let us find the rest of these fiends before more are injured or worse." Raziel said heading back outside and waiting for his superior to make decision for the group.

 

OOC:

Investigate Crates

I won't bother with the Benevolent Fund since Kayli and Garkyn rolled high

Fergal's father

Won't bother with the other two either since they covered most of it.

Will expend his last 4 points of Lay on Hands to heal Aynye, and give her the 50gp he took from Wilmop

Edited April 1 by Vexo (see edit history)

[RogetThesaurii]

Raz's healing magics flowed into Aynye's ruined face and the swelling diminished completely. Her stitches came free and fell to the street as her scarring was reduced and her torn face mended fully. His words did almost as much healing as his magics. The coins clinked into her hands like a golden waterfall as she upended the bag. She stared in awe.

"I will not ferget ye!" She ran a hand across her smoothing cheek in wonder. She slid the gold coins back into the purse that held them and clutched it to her bosom. "This'll send me home. To my family! Oh! Thank ye!." Aynye rose ad hugged Raziel tightly. She seemed to relax in his arms for a few seconds, relief finally unwinding her worry-taut muscles. "We'll be gone out Sunset tomorrow morning. I do like the city, but its home in Crowsmeet, and Fergal should meet his kin, for I've no idea where his father's folk might be." Another tight hug preceded the departure of the team and the planning of the young mother to escape her poverty.

Hustling Upslope towards the Wine District, the Blue line crossed Gate Street whilst the Garden District was still across from them. The owlbear had been sent to a house there. It wasn't exactly on the way, but it was right there. Continuing on to the Wine District would allow the team to circle back as they worked back to their own precinct again to finish their patrol and close their shift.

OoC

The team can move on from here to the next scene. They have a choice. The garden District is right there and the owlbear was sold to someone in the District. But the Wine District was the one Wilmop was most worried about: two boys with wooden swords.

I'm gonna roll an Investigate for Izzy and one for Xander as well, who would join you after taking Wilmop's statement. If she rolls well enough to get the crates, then more stuff, but its a hard DC for a reason. If Mark gets in a post for Izzy here, and he wants to roll himself, that's fine with me, too.
Investigate (Izzy)

Raz, that woman can be an informant for Raz in the future. She can speak to who handled the payoffs, and how she knew them, associates of her dead husband, etc. Might come in handy later...
Xander-Investigate

Edited April 2 by RogetThesaurii (see edit history)

[RogetThesaurii]

Kayli paused the team at the first gate into the Garden District they reached and thought for a moment. There was at least a fifty-fifty chance the owlbear wasn't even near anyone. Garden District housing was extremely limited and exclusive. Noble families shared houses, allowing for only a few weeks a year to enjoy a stay. This owlbear might even simply be in storage. Better to go find these swords. Boys and their toys, it was unlikely they didn't have the blades in hand now.

The team ran down Gate Street as Kaylie imagined two boys attacking each other with wooden swords, possibly even killing one another, under the effects of some magical influence. There was time later for the owlbear. Slowing from a solid run after nearly twenty blocks, Izzy suggested a cut through a corner of the Garden District along the edge of the Wine District. "There's a bridge that puts you right south of the Lord's District gate by about seventy blocks. The address is on that street."

She trotted out ahead as Garkyn labored to keep up, panting in his heavy armor on short, strong legs. "We're natural sprinters, Izzy! Dwarves are ruined on such long distances!" Izzy didn't slow down, and Garkyn didn't blame her as he hustled along at the back. Lives were in danger. The jogging Blue Legs got a few stares from passersby as they sweated in the growing heat of the day. It was barely halfway through the morning and mid-day couldn't feel further away.

Izzy reached the address first, skidding to a halt. The rest of the team were strung out along a half a block, Garkyn at the back puffing along doggedly. She leaned against a gate to catch her own breath and waited for Kaylie and Raz, then Xander and finally Garkyn to reach her. All paused to slow their heart rates and breathe. "Kay, how we gonna do this?"

OoC

Xander left on a tuning trip last night, so he might be MIA this fight. Xander will offer to get up high on the house and scan the area real quick, then darts off into the shadows. The House is a manor house with a privacy fence (about 7' tall) blocking it from sight. The entry is open and ungated and sits at a corner. Ahead is an expanse of lawn (75'x90' with a meandering gravel carriage path from the entry to the house. The house is a five story keep with a Hedge-walled garden that encompasses the flanks and back of the manor. Wrought iron gates for single file entry pierce the hedge to the left and right side. They encompass a space probably twice as long 150') but the same width (90'). The keep itself is triangular in sides, each 50' long. The 'point' pierces deep into the garden.

What you would see when entering the property through the privacy fence is a 20' long wall of green hedge that runs from one side to the keep's flat side, then after 50' of keep, another 20' of hedge runs to the wall, sealing off the back of the property. There's a big lawn with a driveway that runs up to the house,, and a modest door entry (10' wide and made of heavy and reinforced hardwood). Ten feet in from the wall on either side is a narrow gated entry to the back of the property, which runs twice as deep as the lawn. Beyond the gates are hedge mazes leading to a central or keep-adjacent garden area.

Stone keep, with gargoyles and whatnot, so climbable. Only windows on this side start at the 3rd story and only higher floors have them. And there are only six total (2 on 3rd, 1 on 4th, 3 on fifth). Door is reinforced wood, but you can always knock. You could circle around the house to the backyard via entering the hedge mazes and traversing them successfully.

I'll want a plan, feel free to use the Planner...
Gimme Perceptions; Investigates for anyone who wants to try a hedge maze entry, gimme an Athletics if you choose the front door approach. Gimme History if you'd like to know about this family. Assuming PCs run into a servant either at the door or in the garden, gimme Persuasion. Anyone who speaks BackHand can do so with Advantage.

[Dorgyn]

With heaving breaths, Garkyn caught up to the others, setting his maul upon the ground and leaning on it for balance.  A quick visual survey of dwelling revealed nothing of merit, with multiple possible points of entry.

 

“One of us should check the back, don’t you think Kayli?” he asked regarding the hedge maze.  “I’d be up for that if you approve.”

 

OOC

Perception Check regarding the Hedge Maze

Investigation Check on Hedge Maze

History Check regarding the family residing at this location

 

If he runs into anyone, he will try and reason with them as an officer of the law to gain access to the residence.

Persuasion just in case Garkyn encounters anyone along the way

 

Please Note:  As I mentioned to the DM, I will be unavailable to post through Saturday!

[Drakestendor]

 

Kayli was impressed with her squad. They took initiative and little delegation was necessary. They handled the last location quite well! Commendations would be going in the report, especially for the new recruit. He had a calm demeanor and it smoothed out the squad’s rough edges. The 304 was definitely the precinct for him. Also, sexy-boy eye-candy was a nice thing… Window-shopping and admiring a beautifully constructed male was not against her tenets of purity. And also, having a clean boy around Izzy might convince Wes to bathe and shave a bit more.

 

***At the Manor House***
 

Kayli and the squad rolled up on the location.
 

“We should follow protocol. Announce Presence… Check Perimeter… Ingress. Blue Line…with me! Squort… fly around the house and look for activity!”

 

Squort hollered “Okay!” and Kayli boldly walked up to the front door and used the butt of her cudgel to “cop knock.”

 

Boom Boom Boom Boom Boom!!!
 

 

Edited April 4 by Drakestendor (see edit history)

[RogetThesaurii]

The Squad waited for a moment to allow a servant to respond, but none came quickly. It was Squort who brought them their first communications. "Kay!" the little sprite buzzed as she closed on Kayli. "I saw two boys play-fighting in the backyard. With wooden swords! There was someone else there, too, someone in the bushes, but I couldn't wee who."

A second 'cop-knock' had the door shuddering in its frame. But the hurried step of a servant was not forthcoming quickly. Garkyn took off to the right, entering the gate to the backyard maze there and stomping forward. Raz and Izzy looked at Kayli, to see if they, too, should make entry to the rear areas. Just then, the door slid open a crack and a tiny old woman, nut brown from a life in the tropics Colonies, looked out at them. "Cand I helb you's?" she said good-naturedly.

Garkyn swung into the maze and plunged ahead through a gloomy shade. The narrow area t the beginning was overshadowed by eaves from the keep's roof and the close fencing at first was overgrown and leaf-heavy. It made for a scene any elf would love, the old dwarf surmised. He stumped along, avoiding doublebacks and a few dead ends to break quickly into the open.

Garkyn was in a centralized area of the maze. He was next to a fountain spewing cold water tinged slightly blue. Just then, the clack of wood on wood echoed to him, as well as the sounds of two piping young voices. Then, the first shriek broke out. Cries began to replace the sound of wood on wood and Garkyn didn't hesitate. He barged to the left, towards the keep, and very soon found himself exiting onto a patio that faced the 'point' of the keep's façade. There, he found two boys, cowering on the ground as a pair of floating swords swatted at them. A woman in house colors lay slumped over on the patio near a door leading into the keep. Blood seeped from a wound to her head.

OoC

Garkyn has found the way through the hedge maze really easily. Nice work on the Investigate. He heard the boys' cries and the swords, nice Perception check on the garden. Garkyn sees two swords hovering in the air ('ws'), each attacking a young (10ish) human boy ('b'). The woman with the head wound (W) is lying unconscious near the door leading into the keep, which is shut. Garkyn is currently alone. Anyone who wants to wait for the lady at the door can give me a Persuasion in their next post. Anyone who doesn't want to wait can make an Investigate to navigate the maze and a Perception to follow the sounds of combat to their source. Garkyn, I'll roll Initiatives for you and the swords.

Initiative (Garkyn)Initiative (Swords)

Raz, Izzy and Kayli will be at least one round behind, so let me know What you did (maze or wait at door) and roll Initiative, and I will slide you in during the appropriate round of your arrival.

 

Edited April 4 by RogetThesaurii (see edit history)

[RogetThesaurii]

Garkyn slid to a halt as he took in the scene. Even before he could react further, he watched as the two blades battered the already bloody boys. He didn't hesitate and plunged into the melee, Gefrierschrank coming into his grasp as he closed on the nearest blade. "Blue Line! Back here!" he yelled loudly.

Garkyn swung hard but the agile blade side-stepped his attack ad he narrowly missed the prone boy on the ground. The other sword he wasn't engaging slashed open a wide gash in one child and Garkyn knew the next blow was likely a killer. Though prone, the rolling of the boy nearest him had avoided a similar wound. Garkyn would need help. Soon.

OoC

Izzy, Raz and Kayli can still take actions. Garkyn will wade into the fight, but the swords attack the boys first this round.

Garkynvssword1Damage1Sword1vsBoy1 Sword2vsboy2Damage2 GarkynDamage

Edited April 6 by RogetThesaurii (see edit history)