[IC] Skin and Bones

[Wolfrin Fenris]

Wolfrin Fenris

Wolfrin waited with bated breath as Buddy sniffed the carcass. His mind started going through all the possibilities, maybe Buddy would catch the scent of the killer, and lead him straight to the man, where an epic battle would ensue before the man was brought to justice. Or maybe Buddy would catch a scent and lead him to something innocuous like a melon cart, and he would have to figure out how melons played into the villains scheme. Even if he just smells the victim and leads me to the mans home, Wolfrin reasoned, I can still likely find some clue as to why this man would be murdered!

It was at that point he felt something splash on his boots. His new boots. "My brand new boots!" Staring down in horror at the vomit on his boots, he watched as Buddy moved a few steps away and repeated the process, emptying his stomach. It struck Wolfrin that perhaps there was poison on the body that Buddy had inhaled, but he quickly realized that wasn't very likely. The wife had held the corpse quite close as well. As Buddy came back by his side, far from the corpse and looking decidedly more unsteady, he reached out to pat the wolf's side.

"Ahh well Bud. So much for that idea huh?" With that Wolfrin stood and proceeded down the alley, Buddy lurching along beside him, still shaking his head over his poor new boots.

It didn't take long to reach The Sword and Barrel, the alley was slightly winding but short, and the trip was rather uneventful. Though he kept his eyes sharp he saw nothing of interest in the alley, other than the poor urchins huddling in corners. The poor never approached him, whether it was because of his manner of dress or the large white wolf at his side he couldn't say, but he found himself giving them coins anyways. Tossing the kids coins certainly didn't solve their problems, and he knew that it was more to ease his own conscience, but he did it nonetheless. Perhaps it would make their lives a little easier, at least.

Walking through the front door, he motioned Buddy to follow. He wasn't sure what he'd find here. He noticed Maeve off to one side, and made his way  over to her, eyes scanning the room and ears preened.

[spoiler]Perception roll to see if theres anything he notices out of the ordinary[blockquote]Rolled 1d20+10 : 12 + 10, total 22[/blockquote][/spoiler]

[Linwelin]

Wolfrin

The children rejoiced at your kind gesture, immediately divvying up the sum amongst themselves. They seemed excited, and you heard whispering of 'finally having a meal'. It seems the orphanage in town was too small an establishment. Thus this was a bittersweet sight to behold.

Your initial observations brought attention to a few of the patrons, there were a few that seemed oblivious to the happenings outside, enjoying their drink too much for it being morning. You thought that they might have even carried over from the night before. After all, it was obvious there were others that had, as they were collapsed into a table slumbering. That only accounted for around four customers, however. The remaining five that you saw were wearing expressions of varying degrees of sadness, grief, or anger. These were the souls that mourned Ethan Holstein's passing. You were sure of it, as most of their heads hung low. There was a couple, man and woman, sitting together having a slowly paced conversation, with plenty of silent pauses between words. Other than those two there were three sitting around alone, all men. One was a rather slim, serious looking half-elf, looking down into his drink with a grimace. Another, a stockier man with thinning hair, was gripping his head in both hands, elbows on the table, seemingly in a state of intense distress. Finally there was a gnome, examining the same coin with disinterest as he flipped it through his fingers.

As you scanned the room, the barmaid approaches. "Good morning and welcome! I'm Luiza, what can I do for you today?" She notes the guild emblem on both of you, reading your demeanor. Speaking in a lower tone, "Ah, is this about Ethan?"

You note that at the mention of Ethan's name, even in a whisper, some of the downward heads turn.

[Ella]

Maeve Gallagher

It seemed there was nothing out of the ordinary following the main road to the tavern, nothing that Maeve noticed anyways. Entering the tavern, she eyed the men nursing their drinks, her attention lingering on the few who seemed like they might have been there a while. The white-haired man and his wolf joined her not long after she had entered, but before she could ask if he had found anything, one of the barmaids approached.

"It is." The tigress confirmed. "Is there anyone here who was present while... Ethan was here last night? We would like to ask a few questions." Although she could not watch them all, Maeve tried to keep an eye on as many of the people for their reactions as possible.

[spoiler=Perception for sight.][blockquote]Rolled 1d20+5 : 14 + 5, total 19[/blockquote][/spoiler]

[spoiler=Perception to see if Maeve picks up any interesting scents.][blockquote]Rolled 1d20+5 : 16 + 5, total 21[/blockquote][/spoiler]

[Linwelin]

The tense mood in the tavern only thickened. Your arrival and announcement seemed to trigger various responses.

The gnome seemed eager to speak, his face portraying an intention to help.

The couple gave a humoring smile, showing appreciation in the gesture of your desire to help, but not seeming to have much to offer.

The portly man's expression did not change, even though he did focus on you instead of the table before him. His distressed demeanor remained a constant state.

The most unexpected was the half-elf's response. "Oh, happy day! The Guild of Galas'nor has come to aid the town!" His joyful tone quickly turned to a sneer. "Heh. As if. You lot will only make things worse. Selling falsely advertised goods, bringing us into the middle of some weird turkey feud multiple times, and even meddling with some strange wizard's goods. Your decisions there killed a man, remember that!?" The man was glaring in accusation at you both. "Simply by the fact that you're associated with Galas'nor tells me not to trust your methods. I've no information for you anyways, but I'll do my own investigation, so try not to get in my way. I was hoping they'd ask for more competent individuals than you Galas'nor quacks."

The room was stunned in silence as the half-elf departed from the bar, glowering the entire way. Luiza stepped forward, "Please try not to mind his comments. Lanthir's off balance since he was a personal friend of Ethan's, he's just taking out his frustration on you all. The bulk of those here now were close to Ethan as well, I'm sure they'll be happy to do what they can."

[info]Pick whoever you wish to talk with first. Garrin and Henon are free to enter the scene now, as well.[/info]

[Oath]

Garrin Ravenhorst

Garrin entered the tavern as the half-elf was spouting his piece. It certainly what he expected. He hadn't been around the guild long, but it would figure that some would have some resent for them. He knew well that not everyone could like you. He scanned the room and set his sights on a portly fellow. Waving to the other guild members as he passed he worked his way over to the table.

Hello sir, my name is Garrin Ravenhorst and I plan on working tirelessly to get to the bottom of this rather gruesome case. I'd like to ask you for your cooperation and sharing any information you may have about Ethan and his circumstances that may have led to him being targeted, or any other information you might find relevant to the case. He extended his hand for a handshake and gave a small bow.

[spoiler=Diplomacy check]
Diplomacy: [blockquote]Rolled 1d20+9 : 19 + 9, total 28[/blockquote]
[/spoiler]

[Linwelin]

Garrin

As you introduced and extended your hand in greeting, the man shakily took it, but instead of managing a smile back, he seemed to shy away, almost as though he didn't wish to speak. It was then that Luiza stepped next to you.

"Please excuse him, he's not himself right now. Hasn't talked much since last night either. George here had seen Ethan off last night. He's the last person to see him alive last night...and was also first to see the corpse. But the shock of it has disturbed his mind, and has exaggerated much of what he remembers-"

"You're wrong!" George shouts suddenly before shrinking back again, taking everyone by surprise. "I saw it Luiza. That...who or whatever it was. It moved right past me...I swear I shouldn't be here right now." George was shaking again, avoiding eye contact by just staring at the table. "That wasn't human, nor elf, nor any of the normal sort. It was monstrous..."

There was a long silence, with no one moving, the mood of the room further disturbed, with everyone watching George.

[Wolfrin Fenris]

Wolfrin was quiet. It was in his nature. He was far more comfortable sitting back and studying the interactions of others, or ignoring a conversation all together - that happened too, then he was being directly involved. That's why he surprised himself when he asked,

"Could you describe what you saw? In detail?"

[Linwelin]

George looks over at Wolfrin, continuing his vacant stare, with Luiza crossing her arms in disbelief. Finally, the man began to recount what he saw before dawn. "Ethan and I had been enjoying our evening after work as usual, along with Lanthir and the couple over there." George points to the couple that you had noticed conversing when you entered. "But last night we might have enjoyed ourselves a bit too much. The other three turned in while Ethan and I continued past midnight. Ethan had just struck a mighty deal with a client, along with his business partner over there, Farvyn." The gnome looked up disinterestedly, with an expression that said he'd already heard the tale.

"It was getting to be twilight when we were ushered out for the night to head home. I told Ethan to let me take care of the bill as a sort of well-wishing deal. After all, we'd been celebrating him. He left around 5 minutes earlier than I, as I was rounding up the tableware so we didn't leave a disaster behind us." George took a pause, hesitant to continue. Until now, he'd been speaking fondly, in a wistful manner, reminiscing about what seemed a great evening. His voice began to shake, "As I left to follow after Ethan and head home that I saw it. No more than 5 minutes after leaving the tavern here. not that I could see much. It was like a moving shadow, one that I could barely make out from its surroundings. I probably wouldn't have even noticed it if not for the eyes." He'd slowly began to hold his head in his hands, elbows on the table before him, his shaking continuing. "Those purple, fiery eyes. It was like I was staring into my own grave. The thing passed me, within a few feet, moving deeper into the city. I've never been so scared in my life. He stopped, obviously trying to suppress his tears of fear.

"Not long after I began running for my life in the opposite direction did I stumble across the corpse under the dim lamplight in the streets. I didn't know it was Ethan at the time. I only learned that when his wife declared it a short while ago..."

[Ella]

Maeve Gallagher

Maeve frowned at the half-elf as he went on and on about the guild. She had not realized that the guild had caused trouble such as that the man described. Of course, she was still new to the guild and did not know much about it or most of its members. She would have denied the man's words about the guild, but knew that if any of it were true, then she would only make herself look like a fool. Standing there next to her guild mate, she took in everything that he said. She would investigate his accusations later, after the current issue was dealt with.

Another half-elf, another one of her guild mates, entered at some point during the half-elf's rant. He immediately went to work asking questions of their witnesses, going straight for the man Maeve had wanted to ask questions of. The gnome, seeming eager to help, she was sure would hang around until she could get to him. The couple probably would as well if they had information to provide. This portly-looking man, however, may get up and leave as much as sit there and wait for them to finish talking with the others. Thus, it was important to talk with him first.

The tigress followed her guild mate. Although she did not wish to crowd the man, she did want to know what he had to say to her companion. Her eyes narrowed as she listened to his description of what happened. This was not right. It was not natural. It must be something to do with the undead, perhaps even a necromancer. She looked at the couple and then at the gnome to tell them that the words she was about to speak would also be for them.

"Do you know of anyone who dislikes Ethan or who Ethan may have had issues with personally or professionally?" She asked, making sure her voice was loud enough for all of the intended parties. She would ask Farvyn who this client was later, as well as request a list from of him their previous clients, just in case.

[Linwelin]

George looked toward Maeve as though she'd said something preposterous. "I don't think there was a mean bone in that man's body. Always wore a smile, and had a very gentle heart. The kind of man you'd be proud to have as a friend, which I still am. I can't see a reason for anyone to hate him." The rest of those present noticed that the guild members did not dismiss George's tale, instead asking further about intent. At that, everyone felt a chill up their spines, a dread which you could notably see in their facial expressions. It seems they had not personally seen the corpse as George had.

Luiza spoke up a moment later. "So...it's real? He wasn't just seeing things in a drunken stupor? Do any of you have an idea what it could be?" She began wringing the cleaning rag she had in her hand, which she'd been using to wipe down a table.

[Ella]

Maeve Gallagher

He could not see why someone would dislike Ethan, but Maeve could. Some people disliked people like Ethan for the very reason that so many others liked him or that he always wore a smile. It was usually a jealousy thing. These people must not have had to deal with people like those before. Strange, considering they lived in a city. But then, the city housed the Guild of Galas'nor, which was strange itself.

"There can only be one thing it could be." Maeve stated, completely serious. Regardless of what the others investigating this murder thought, Maeve could only believe that it was something related to a necromancer or the undead. "My archenemy."

"Unless we can find out how Ethan is related to a necromancers ire, I would recommend avoiding being outside during the night." She once again looked around at everyone in the room. Finishing her statement, she moved over to Farvyn.

"Since everyone seems to agree that no one could dislike him personally, we must make sure that it was not due a professional issue. We will need to see your list of clients so that we can speak with them."

[Linwelin]

The mention of a necromancer caused the whole room to stir. It certainly seemed to make sense, but it was hard to believe one would dare to hide in the city. Farvyn scrounged up a paper from his pack, having torn it from a notepad, and begins scribbling down some names.

"So far we only had a few clients, since we'd only just started doing business together." The gnome stated as he finished filling out the details. "Here are the three names. But I'm seriously doubting they had anything to do with this. We buy and sell ceramics, you see. Plates, pots, vases and the like. Sure, we've had a couple treasures come and go through our stock, we don't speak of the details publicly, so it not like competitors would know. Other than those three, we run a market stall in the town square. There's no way I could get you names from that. It's the general populace." He hands you the list, watching as you read over it, awaiting any questions you might have.

Maeve

This is the note you've been handed.

Garen Nolls, chef and owner of 'The Hyena's Den', a tavern.

Lara Biskup, owner of 'Maiden's Trinkets', an antique shop.

Petya Markov, artist and ceramic enthusiast.

[Ella]

Maeve Gallagher

Looking at the list, only one seemed to be the most likely suspect. The first two seemed to be merely regulars. They were citizens of the town and ran their own shops. Why would they put so much at risk by attacking an upstart businessman? A private collector, on the other hand, did not have to upkeep respectability like shopkeepers did. Still, Maeve would make sure all three were visited. It was never good to overlook someone just because they seemed normal.

"I assume these two are ones you regularly do business with?" Maeve pointed at the first two on the list, not saying names in case their client base was not public knowledge. "Would this client be the one who made the big deal?"

"A tavern main room may not be the best place to discuss all the questions that I have about your business and its clients. Is there someplace we can meet you to talk further?" She and her guild mates who had decided to participate in this investigation would also need to discuss what all they would do. They could split up again, with team Crrrrrowd Control continuing to question the others in the inn and her team going with the gnome to first ask questions and then go on to investigate the current list of suspects. From what she could tell, they seemed to be done at the tavern for now. If all of her comrades were satisfied here, then they could all go with the gnome and then split up to question the individuals on their list.