A curious look comes over Amylarn's features after a moment. ”On second thought, that might prove to be too much trouble for one necromancer in training. Maybe it would be simpler to ask around and find someone who knows her personally.”

Drake listens to the Amy's complicated plan and guesses that the girl's mind always works in this fashion.

I am not one for tricks. I am a little more straight forward in my approach, so others may have a better idea than mine. Drake pauses and continues "Of walking up and asking to talk to Constance. Since some of us, if not all might be recognized as the ones protecting the wagons."

The party hears the chime of a small bell and the two guards look through an opening in some shrubs on the estate.  One of the men goes to the back of the estate.  The other guard takes up a place near that open spot in the shrubs.

Amylarn and Drake are quick-witted and keen-eyed enough to glimpse what attracted the guard's attention: a tall blonde man in a royal blue cloak is waiting at the back gate, his hand still on the chain to the summoning bell.

The guard greets the man, and Drake can make out the name "Master Shark" in the greeting.  The man seems not to respond and is in a hurry to get into the estate.

A minute or so later the guard returns to his post, shrugging to the other one who stayed out front.

Drake relays what he made out from the guards, but the name means little to him.

"It appears that there is more traffic from the rear of the residence. Would some of you like to make your way back there to see what you see?" Drake inquires and then tries to not make it look so obvious that he is here to stare at the estate.

After taking a moment to consider what she has seen, Amylarn points out, ”One of the Shark brothers have come ashore. That would make him a land shark I suppose.” She smirked at her own pun. ”Any guesses what his relationship is to the would-be-necromancer? Business or pleasure?” Drake’s idea sparks her imagination. ”Mayhap I can find out some information with a bit of a ruse. I might pose myself as a seamstress come to fit the lady for a gown. Of course the man at the door will stop me and explain that the Lady Constance is preoccupied. And I, being the friendly and charming young woman that I am, will persuade the man at the door to offer me the gossip on the lady of the house." Drake's earlier guess was correct; Amylarn's mind does generally work this way. "Who thinks we can make use of this idea?"

OOC: I'm going to set things in "by the nose/fast forward" mode for a bit, so we can get moving in the region.  My fault for not having the time to get on until tonight, I know, but I don't want things to get totally stagnant.  Bear with me, all.

---------------------------------

It is agreed that Amylarn's idea was a good one - not too risky, and the benefit of finding out more information would be worth any risk.

She produces a bag that contains bits of hair, make-up, scraps of cloth, wax, and other items and as she hums to herself quietly, her face and form undergo subtle changes until finally before you stands a woman who looks a good 20 years older than Amylarn who has a bit of a hump on her back and greying brown hair, not the rich blonde hair of the young rogue.

She winks and heads for the back gate.

You hear the soft ringing of the bell and the guard who answered the gate for the Shark brother goes to answer it now.

You can spy through the shrubs that he shrugs and indicates for Amylarn to wait.  He closes the gate, leaving her on the outside, and goes into the house.

He returns a few minutes later with a cloth sack and he plops it down into Amylarn's arms unceremoniously.

Amylarn comes back with the sack.

The man told her that Miss Ilithane expects the closes to be darned and washed by mid-week.

So much for intelligence gathering!

------------------------------------------------------

About 10 minutes later, the guards hail a cab and a small two-seater pulled by a young mare pulls up at the back gate.  The man in the blue cloak gets in and as he does, you spy him looking up to a second-story window.  He gives a nod the window and has a somewhat whistful look on his handsome face.  Then the wagon pulls away.

It's "follow that cab" time, and you hire a large cab of you own and follow the two-seater down into the docks to a rough section.

The driver says "Ah, the fishmonger, gutter, and rending district!  Highlight of anyone's day".

You get out and see the three large buildings on the block, "Aris Fish" "Filets and Other Cuts" and an unmarked building that has a painting of a giant shark over its door.  The jaws of a huge shark are mounted inside the painting of the shark.

The Shark brother went into...the building with the shark on it.

And from the smell of the smoke coming from the building you can tell it is a rending plant.  No doubt there is a gruesome sight somewhere in that building, for a render often does slaughtering in a town of this size.

The building has a brick and mortar first floor and a wood second floor.  Some windows are shuttered and closed, but a few, mostly on the second floor, are wide open.

It is now about 5pm and the sun is setting.

What do you do?
This message was last edited by the GM at 01:41, Sun 17 Sept 2006.

"So... want to check out this shark-place?" Elodeir suggested, and shrugged, ready to follow the others if they were to go anywhere.

Amylarn reminds herself that their objective is to find out what the necromancer Constance and her black crow were doing at the funeral. What specifically, aside from making a tragic mess of the whole thing. “I would wager none of you know anything about this rendering business yes? No? I know nothing myself but we ought find out. I cannot say if mister Shark was involved in the problems at the funeral but he gives me a bad feeling.” As usual, the roguish blonde looks around for a way to find out what she wants to know without a direct confrontation. Or at least under some guise other than her own. "Who thinks they can get up to those second floor windows in a quiet manner?"

---

OOC: DM, what can we see without getting too close? Is it busy?

PCs, Does anyone think we should just break the door down with blades swinging and threaten everyone if they don’t tell us what’s going on in there?

========================================

FROM DM:

OOC: What you see as described above is seen from the street.  You really can't get much closer without going right next to or into the building.

The street around the buildings here is not crowded in any way, but there are people here and there who go about their way.  You draw no real attention from any of them.  None of them go into the Shark Rendering House.
This message was last edited by the GM at 01:56, Tue 26 Sept 2006.

Drake listens to Amylarn's suggestion and feels a need to do something.
"I am willing to go through the front door, but it would be great if we had some advantage of surprise.  Like Amy has asked, maybe a couple of you might be able to sneak in.  You could provide support if needed, or look around, while the others inside are preoccupied with myself and whoever else would like to join me"

Drake is sure he can defend himself if needed, but may not have to
"I can inquire to see if someone might need a hired sword."

”Hiding and sneaking might be a option. I could probably never climb to that second story without a ladder. But I have done a bit more than my fair share of moving about unnoticed.” The possibility of breaking into the warehouse, especially by herself, doesn’t thrill the talkative blonde. ”Although if we plan to go in though the front door I must say I myself would feel more comfortable with a bit of interception and misdirection. Find ourselves some reason to actually be there in case someone decides to ask what we’re about.” Amylarn looks to the others for input. Whatever they decide to do she doesn’t want to go it alone and she can’t very well force the others to follow her ideas. ”Come now, speak up then. I easily admit I am but a simple tailor’s assistant. Who has a better thought than mine?

"I'm afraid I'm no good at hiding, sneaking, or climbing - I am but a lowly sorcerer, and most of my magics seems to be battle-magics, and other than that, my only skills worth noticing are my trusty crossbow and my talent as a poet - neither of those are likely to help us here, I reckon.  Well, and I run pretty fast, too, I guess.  Still, that won't help us either, will it?" Elodeir said, and shrugged - his strengths were limited, very much so, he admitted as much.

Reply in Amylarn's first post after mine above.

====================================

The front door of the rendering house opens and a handsome and slender man with bright blue eyes and long blonde hair comes out, wrapping an expensive-looking red cape about him.  He sees you and bows.

Well met.  Are you awaiting an order or simply lost down here in the docks?
This message was last edited by the GM at 02:04, Tue 26 Sept 2006.

Denira is glad for her mask as she screws up her face. What was a rendering house and why did it smell so bad? It was like a butchers, only much stronger smelling.

Drake steps forward and separates himself from the others, "I was told at one of the inns that this is a good place to come, if one needed some work" and Drake casually, but obviously moves his hand down to his sword and gives it a tap.

Drake inwardly kicks himself. He hates it when he is put in this kind of quick thicking situation, because his heart usually overrides his head.  Hopefully he will get inside and the others will either join him or he will be able to provide some distraction as they gather any information they may need


OOC:
Sorry for not settling on a plan in OOC. I don't normally like to plan outside the game, what a group should do.  It takes a little away from the game for me

The handome man shakes his head.

My brothers and I run the place.  I mean, if you want to sweep out some of the sluice, sure.  But we normally get a rummy in here, and all he wants is a bottle of rotgut.

If you have some hides you want to sell, or something a bit more exotic than rothe to sell us, we're interested.  But work itself...?  No, not us.

He smiles, bows a bit, then makes ready to head up the street.  He turns again and smiles.  Weren't you the ones at the graveyard trying to protect the body of that Silent Slayer fellow?  You, the caster from the east.  You were the only one there with such garb, such a mast on...

His smile freezes, but does not leave his face.
This message was last edited by the GM at 03:45, Mon 02 Oct 2006.

Amylarn has come to realize that she is probably better spoken than the rest of this group and so she speaks up for them. "Right you are good-sir. And a fine eye you have to take such notice." The man recognized them so there was hardly a need for Amy to be subtle. "These brave souls put their lives on the line for the protection of this good city and its citizens, such as yourself. Only the interference of evil magic prevented them from their assigned task. And so they have taken it upon themselves to seek out the source of that evil. Naturally they were concerned when your employer was seen in the company of a person under suspicion. Protecting the law-abiding citizens is as important as apprehending those who are not. We have come to ask his assistance in this matter and you would have our thanks if you will lead us to them" Amylarn works to convince the man of what a good thing he would be doing to help the heroes.

---

OOC: DM Mike, would this be a Diplomacy check or Intimidate?

OOC: No roll is needed.  When a player (through her PC) says certain things that would automatically create some effect from an NPC, as has just happened, I go with it, sans rolls.

=================================

The smile disappears from the man's face and he draws five steps closer to the group, eyes darting to each of them, then settling on Amylarn.

I know not of what you speak, for it is folly.

We have no "employer".  We own this shop ourselves and run it ourselves.  I manage the business affairs and book-keeping myself.

His tone gets heavier, deeper.

If you mean to insult me, you have done so.

If you have something else to say beyond this foolishness, say it and begone.

We have many friends in the city's guard and at a signal from me, a force of them would be upon you in seconds should they think I, my brothers, or our business were in any danger.

=========================================

OOC: Okay, his mood went from so-so to nasty.

You may be able to adjust that with Diplomacy or alter the situation altogether with a good Bluff check.

Drake is sure that Amy has struck a nerve. The man feels threatened, but is bold enough to challenge a group of obvious adventurers that he may or may not know was hired by the city to do what they did.

Drake waits for Amy's response, or another's.  He has nothing to contribute, but stands ready to defend, though shows no sign of it, his hands away from his blade now.

The man looks grimly at you all, his eyes darting from masked Denira to Amylarn mainly.

The friendly smile on Amy's face never waivers nor did her optimism. She chose her words carefully to color her speech in a positive light. "I have no intent to insult you good-sir. A fine citizen with a solid business does not deserve that sort of treatment." The girl doesn't even pause to take a breath. "You have friends in the city's guard? That is most excellent. These heroes with me have friends in the city guard as well. Perhaps a mutual friend. It is good that you can call them to your aid in case the evil I spoke of ever wishes to do you harm. Though I tell you true these men and women with me are seeking the protection of this entire city by seeking out those criminals and being rid of them. And that, as I mentioned, is the reason for our visit today. Would you kindly show us where to find Durken Shark? We are in hopes that he may help us in this cause with a little information, for the safety of the city and its people of course."

The blonde man smirks.

Well, friends one night may not be friends the next, you know?  Maybe we have mutual friends, maybe not.

And Durken is my older brother.  I'm not his keeper.  I know not where he is, except that he is not here.

And where you'd get the idea that he'd know about this "crime" you're talking about is beyond me.

So far as I know, the killer was to be buried, there was a commotion at the graveyard, and the body went "poof", gone under your noses.

Now what my brother would have to do with that, I can't say.  He was here rending an ox.  Farmer Shmalz brought it is yesterday, got some coin for it, and we're rending it for meat, fur, and bone gruel.  Takes a better part of a day to do an ox, and Durken, fast as he is, can only do so much himself.

The man nods his good-bye and makes his way up the street, turning the corner toward the town.

After watching the Shark head toward the city center, Amylarn turned to her companions. ”Heees lyyyiiinnng.” She made the statement in a sing-song voice and chuckled to herself. ”Why do they do that? Why do they lie? We saw Durken Shark go into that building just a little bit ago.” Casting a glance back toward the town center she asked them, ”Should one of us follow him? Or shall we all stick with Durken? Night is falling and making our way into the rendering building to poke around will be much easier. But if one of us wishes to follow the other brother into town we had best be quick about it.” Once again, Amy doesn’t assume she knows what the others wish to do. She still feels like something of a tag-along at the moment.

"I would be in favor of going in. If we are going to make some enemies, why wait." Drake says.  He is not looking completely for a conflict, but if he is going to be involved, he personally needs to find out something of substance.

"We do know people of power in this town, so hopefully the corruption does not run too high" Drake adds, thinking of what might cascade from tonight's meeting.

Elodeir watched the exchange in silence, not able to improvise anything just yet, and so he merely watched, and waited. . .

"I agree - we might as well go in," he added in agreement to Drake's suggestion - at least if they did make enemies, he might be useful, he thought, and grinned.

OOC: I'll wait a day or so to see if other PCs/Players post.  If not, I'll move on as the team sneaks into the rendering plant.