"Hold on, he told me he had some of my family's property.  I'll never get it back from the guards, can we at least search the place before we call them?  And we might find some evidence of who did this too."  Aeress plead.

After breakfast Piper had gotten ready to travel, and had outfitted Mosii with some lengths of leather lacing that attached to a collar and even a bit of outerwear custom sized for the furry beast.

En route to the shop the feline kept the pair to the high ground, prowling along the rooftops as they went to have a better view of things.

Once at the actual shop Mosii leapt onto the counter where Piper dismounted to have a look at things while her companion began contemplating a few bits of bric-a-brac that might look better knocked onto the floor.

"Did he seem part of the ambush plot when you were here?"  She asked Aeress.

"Forced into service perhaps, or a willing ally, double crossed in the end?  We've already seen evidence that kinship is not their strong suit."  She pondered aloud, thinking back in the dead cultists found in the basement lair.

"The shopkeeper triggered the trap which expelled the fumes, so to me that's pretty clear evidence he was in on it.  Though the question of how in on it he was remains."  Aeress recalled.  She began to check behind the counter where the mechanism seemed to have been tripped.

Carefully.

Does the smell come from the body, or somewhere else? Or is it the knockout gas?

While searching the man Jenkins finds a number of coin on him and pockets it. She does find a pendant that looks interesting.

Taking a quick look at the man you determine that under the counter is a button it seems to be mechanical tied to something that runs along the base of the counter and into the floor. Judging from looking closer to the face of the man you can tell it appears to have been ripped off. Whatever took a bite was big and probably several bites after.

The shop is filled with a number of different maps and trinkets but hunter glances at them and very few are probably worth much of anything. Most don't even look like things Jenkins would steal. Towards the back of the shop Lirian does find something of interest. It appears to be a book of sorts, it's open and there are a number of signatures. The book itself when she checks the cover says "History of Stormharbor", one of the names you find is Lord Blackpaw. Which rings a bell.

Aeress searches and manages to find a ring that was originally with the crest of her family seal. The ring itself seems to be big enough to fit her finger.

Outside Quentin notices a patron walking towards the shop obviously with some maps in hand ready to sell to the shop keep. They seem in a hurry to get in and sell the maps to the shop owner.

The lone man seems harmless enough, so Quentin makes sure he gets in and does not get out. He leaves the preliminary talking to the people inside.

Lirian did not hide she was uncomfortable by not calling the Guard, though she understood Aeres’ concern about her family heirloom and the possibility to find some clue.

“I see you move though the roofs with your kitten” she said to Piper in the meanwhile. “It would be a good position to see if we wear a tail… We should agree some way you warn us if so, don’t you think?”

She saw how Aeres had found the ring, and that Jenkins found something in the body.

“Well, I guess now we should call the Guard before they assume we’re the ones that killed him” she said, moving to the door with the intent of calling them. She then saw the man moving in and intercepted him.

“You better don’t go in, Sir” she told him. “The image inside is disgusting. Do you have in this city a quick way to call the Guards, as a specific cry or whistle, if there’s a patrol nearby?”

The man looks at Lirian with a bit of surprise, "Why yes but what is going on? We have that bell over there."

The person points to a bell that is free standing that is placed throughout the city that people can use to alert the guards.

“Someone has killed the shopkeeper” Lirian answered, moving to the bell and ringing it. “Believe me, it's not a pleasant sight...”

Within a few minutes the guards are upon the shop and asking Lirian what happened they begin their investigation. They force everyone out of the shop while they research the event and learn of what took place. You are left standing outside of the shop waiting for them to conclude their investigation but wondering how long something like that may take.

What do you want to do?

"Right well, enough of this. We're wasting time. I'm off to see Cousin Sheldon, I'll see you at the palace later."

Walking authoritatively up to a guard, he informed her "We are staying at the Ship Inn if you walk to talk to us later."
This message had punctuation tweaked by the player at 02:45, Fri 01 Dec 2023.

Aeress pocketed the ring.  She was grateful to see it, not because of any value it had, but because of what it meant to her and her quest.  She was beyond grateful, though perturbed the man was dead because she might never know how they found this ring.  She took nothing else, considering this alone to be her legitimate property.

What did they know about her?  Well, there was really only one way to proceed.

"What was the next place to check, the library?"

“Are you going alone?” Lirian asked, showing some concern. “Please, be cautious, remember what happened yesterday…”

Then she turned to Aeress


“That’s what I understood.” she said. “I want to see if Elysia has found anything else in her research, recover my lute and see if anyone there can open the book…

I guess Quentin would like to research something there too. Have you any idea about the mysterious potion you gave Orin? ” she asked him. “Maybe you can find something about it there. I also would like to research something about the magic of the songs, as it can be helpful if I learn to control it a little more, an also about this name seen in the shop. Lord Blackpaw was it, wasn’t it? I seem to remember I heard this name before, but I’m not sure where or why…

And maybe she can give us a letter of presentation to the King’s Guard Captain, or another high raking officer…”

[Private to GM: Can Lirian remember why this bell was ringed by this name? If possible she has taken the book before calling the Guards.]

As the shop yielded nothing of highly significant interest based on the reactions of the others, Piper joined the rest outside as the guards had their way with the place.

She yawned and then looked about at nothing in particular as plans were discussed.

"I'll go with him."  She announced when Lirian voiced her concern over Hunter going off to find his relative alone.

"I can go wherever, I merely seek to learn what more there is to know of this conspiracy.  I fear I am of little direct aid other than as another person, whose presence might deter a foolish action."  Aeress offered honestly.

“In fact I thought about this possibility, but I didn’t dare to ask you” Lirian answered. “You can follow him from the roofs, and either warn him if he has a tail or ambush the trailer. I guess Quentin would not be disgusted by more samples of the potion, if we can ambush another of their agents…”

Then she thought something before Jerkins left. It was a long shoot, but worth trying, as there was nothing to lose…

“Jerkins” she closed with the goblin and said him in loud voice, trying not to be heard by the Guards or other people. “Was it a key wat you found on the corpse? Please, lend it to me a moment to check it on the book. Can I keep it until latter? I promise to return it to you, but I don’t want to take the book out of the backpack before strangers……”
This message was last edited by the player at 15:40, Sat 02 Dec 2023.

Jenkins slowly and reluctantly pulled a pendant out of her pocket and handed it over with grubby fingers. The pendant was a big sticky, and appeared to have fish scales stuck to it. It would probably be best not to think what else might be in the goblin's pockets.

Hunter eyed the conversation between Piper and Liriam with bright interest. "That is a most excellent idea. Truly, that would be most useful. If we do get kidnapped again, you at least know where the others are" he said earnestly.
This message was last edited by the player at 22:37, Fri 01 Dec 2023.

“Thanks, Jerkins, I promise to return it latter, if at all possible” Lirian said to the goblin, trying to seem friendly. Then she closed with the oen among the Guards that seemed in charge.


“Excuse us, Officer, do you need us anymore?” she asked him.

“We have some urgent business to do, if you allow us. We have the intent to go to your headquarters, or to those of the Kings Guard latter, and we can then make a full report if you so need, but now we’d like to keep with our duties,if at all possible…”

She was hessitant to tell they were goin to the Library, not being sure about who could hear them.

[Private to GM: Is the pendant like those taken from the cultists?]
This message was last edited by the player at 15:41, Sat 02 Dec 2023.

"Great, then off we go."  Piper announced before having a few words with Mosii and then waiting for Hunter and Jenkins to lead the way.

Aeress simply waited to see if they were cleared to proceed or not.  She too was not volunteering anything more.

If the guards do not mind, Quentin agrees to leave the area and rides with the rest of the group.

OOC: To make sure I got this right.

Hunter + Piper = Going to his contact house
Everyone else going to Library

OOC: Lirian the pendant is the same as you have seen before. You are able to take the book before the guards show up.


If so we are going to break into two groups. See the next two threads.

Hunter check your PMs.
This message was last edited by the GM at 15:09, Mon 04 Dec 2023.

“Don’t undervaluate yourself” Lirian answered. “You’ve shown courage, and that’s all that can be asked. We all seem to be into a conspiracy that may be be too big for us, but we’re caught by it, and the most we can do is trying to overcome this ordeal. And I’m sure you will be quite better at talking with authorities than myself, just to give na example, as you come from this kind of environ. I’m lost at it…”


OOC: So I understand too…  We’re just waiting for clearance from the Guards, as they are still searching the shop.
This message was last edited by the player at 16:40, Mon 04 Dec 2023.

The guards come out the shop and one guard comes up to your group after forcing you out. "Obviously, you did not do this. You are free to leave. Unless you have anything else to add?"

Aeress was about to reply to Lirian when the guard spoke up.  She quickly replied to him.  "I don't believe we do.  Thank you for your assistance!"

She practically pushed Lirian along, though it was doubtful whether Lirian actually needed any such encouragement at all.