Re: 1.2 Zer-wedula
Zer-wedula blinks several times until he realizes that her father won't listen, not the rat.
"Of course I will aid you," he says. "Then we shall see, we shall see. Why don't you lead me to the basement."
[I assume that Zer-wedula currently has the masterwork ranseur since no one said they were claiming it.]
Shayliss takes Zer-wedula's hand and pulls him along to the store, "Thank you so much, I'm not sure how I can repay you for this." As she enters the General Store; Proprieter: Ven Vinder, she calls "Father?", but there is no answer. She leads him to a cellar door and cautiously looks inside, before stepping back and looking at Zer-wedula. "You're so brave, it gives me goose bumps just thinking about them." She can hold a torch on the stairs if Zer-wedula wants her too. She is breathing heavy from the excitement and anticipation.
Caution makes Zer-wedula cast Mage Armor on himself before taking up the ranseur and trying the door.
"Hold the light and be ready to step back. I can hold the doorway with this weapon easily," he ordered the girl.
After she complied he opened the door, not really sure what to expect.
The stairs down into the darkness look clean and dust free. In the light from the lamp Zer-wedula can see crates and stuff sitting around, a typical store storeroom. As he descends the stairs, she follows him down, holding the lamp. At the bottom of the stairs, she puts the lamp into a holder. Zer-wedula notices she is breathing faster now.
Give me a listen and initiative rolls
19:01, Today: Zer-wedula rolled 13 using 1d20+2. Initiative.
19:00, Today: Zer-wedula rolled 7 using 1d20+6. Listen, with Alertness from Willi.
It was dark and nigh silent. Zer-wedula held the ranseur ready, should he see a rat, a bat, or a spider.
As Zer-wedula starts to carefully poke around the crates and barrels he hears Shayliss moving something back by the foot of the stairs. He makes 1 circuit of the room without seeing any dire rats, but when he gets back to the foot of the stairs he finds that Shayliss has been busy. She's set up a cot by the stairs and as you come into view she is removing her dress, leaving nothing to the imagination. When she sees you, she throws her arms around your neck and whispers "And now for your reward".
Zer-wedula conquered his momentary confusion and disrobed, carefully placing the silver dagger beneath the cot and the ranseur in arms reach. It never paid to be too careful. Then he turned his full attention to Shayliss and gratefully accepted his reward.
Zer-wedula starts to undressed with Shayliss trying to "help". This usually simple chore is made more difficult with her "help". They are both so excited with mutual anticipation that neither hears the door to the basement open or the creak of the stairs. Zer-wedula is half undressed with Shayliss all over him, when they are both startled by a bellow of rage "What are you doing with my daughter?" Shayliss pales and says "Father, it's not what you think" as she grabs her dress and covers herself.
Ok, it is quite obvious. The cot, the undressed girl and half undressed guy...
"Yes, dear sir, what do you think?" Zer-wedula asks with all the innocence he can muster. "As anyone could tell, we were looking for my weasel, which appears to have been misplaced."
"Willi!" he shouts. "Show yourself, you mischievous little furball!"
07:00, Today: Zer-wedula rolled 20 using 1d20+4. Diplomacy.
Taking his cue, Willi sneaks into her dress. Ven replies "Looking for your weasel, then why is she undressed? And why down here?" He still looks angry, but he unclenches his fists. Shayliss looks at you incredulously.
I like it, clever.
"Well, the story is as follows. Knowing of my history saving the town from first the goblin attack and then raiding the glassworks to prevent further risk to the good townspeople, Shayliss asked me here to look into a more common task," Zer-wedula began.
"It seems she is convinced there is a large rat down here, or perhaps several large ones." He paused dramatically. "Or maybe even a skin-changer, a man who can become a rat."
Zer-wedula nodded sagely. "Whilst I scanned the room with my magics I set my weasel loose to scout about, for she is fearless, fast, and wily; more than a match for any common rat. Imagine my consternation when she scrambled back here and ran up your daughter's leg. Never have I seen Willi act in such a manner. Certainly not when confronted with the horror and death of the glassworks!" Zer-wedula continued, warming to his task.
"Of course your daughter leapt towards me for protection, for have I not punched a goblin in the face? For her part Willi was winding through our garments like a swarm of angry hornets. Something is surely amiss down here, good sir. But to ascertain what it is, I needed to calm Willi. For that, I needed to catch Willi. Hence our disarray."
With a certain look of condescending disdain Zer-wedula scooped up Willi and murmured to the weasel. "Now, if you will leave me to deal with whatever nest of foulness lurks in the basement of yet another building in this town, good sir, I will provide a discrete remedy to the issue."
15:36, Today: Zer-wedula rolled 20 using 1d20+4. Diplomacy, if needed.
Ven stands there during your reply, hands flexing into and out of fist form. When you tell about the potential rat problems, he peers around the basement suspiciously. When the weasel on cue, pops up out of her dress and shakes his head comically, Ven gives a slight smile and relaxes. "I haven't seen any such rats," obviously trying to come up with a flaw in your argument. "But, ok. Come Shayliss, lets leave this man to his work."
As her father escorts her upstairs he regains some of his composure "I didn't ask for this so I'll only pay if you find something." Shayliss' emotions are unreadable as she slips on her dress and goes up the stairs with a long look at Zer-wedula.
[19:05, Today: Zer-wedula rolled 22 using 1d20+5. Search. ]
Determined to find something, Zer-wedula attired himself. "Well, Willi," he said. "The man will only pay if we find something, so a detailed and noisy search is in order."
With that he placed the weasel on the floor and set about cataloging the contents of the basement. Surely there was something of interest, either to himself or to Willi.