A Crow Left of the Murder [D1, EM, Rhaunades's Library Remains] (Closed)

[Flession]

The woman’s eyes peer out over the charred and destroyed structure, noting the investigators and how they move as they search. Spotting the Captain, Amelie moves to meet her. She clears her throat politely before extended a gloved hand and speaking.
“Captain Stonehammer. Justice Amelie Crane. How may I be of service to this investigation?”
The silver-haired woman ended her inquiry with a polite bow of her head. This would be her first real foray into faction business since she arrived in the city, and she eagerly anticipates an opportunity to prove herself—to her self, if nothing else.

The dwarf woman looks you over and nods. "Didn't expect the Mercykillers out here. Can't complain, though. Best thing I can use you for now is backup. Can't say it was not refreshing to see one willing to delve into this sort of thing." Stonehammer looks around.

"Start to explore the wreckage, assit any of the Harmonium forces as you see fit. Damned smog's going to make it rough soon. Or go keep a eye on that Signer over there and make sure she keeps her nose clean." She motions to Naila. "She's good, but she's not formally with the law. "

[Desten Callor]

Desten had arrived on the scene after many if the others he reported to captain Stonehammer. "Captain. My apologies on being late, there was a mugging I stopped on my way here and the perpetrator took longer than expected to haul in." He spoke with a slightly dissatisfied tone but one could easily tell any disappointment was targeted in ward.

A curt nod was given to the Mercy killer present.

[Flession]

"Crime never sleeps, as the old addeage goes. Just file the proper paperwork later. We're on a time crunch."

With that, she leaves you all to do...whatever it is you will do here.

Skill Challenge: A Crow Left in the Murder



Most of Rhaunade's building is gone, but the structure is still around, albiet in rough shape. If there is anything useful to know about what happened here, it would likely be where the fire started. Unfortunately, the smoke is still lingering so it's still hard to breathe. If you're going to find any evidence about what went on, you're going to put a cloth over your face and hope for the best.

Goal: 5 Success before 3 Failures
Magic: Allowed
Rules: Each participant must make at least one skill roll of their choice. The DC will be determined by what skill is chosen and what you are using the skill for. Individual PCs cannot roll the same skill twice, but PCs can choose a skill already chosen by someone else.

When making a roll, you may choose to investigate outside or inside of the library. Inside of the library will grant you advantage on a roll, but you must make a DC 13 Constitution saving throw or suffer a level of exhaustion after the skill roll. Exhaustion levels will reduce by 1 by the end of the scene. Outside of the house is a safer way to make the investigation, but gets you away from the crime scene. Roll disadvantage on your check.

[Naila Drooten]

Day 1 EM A Crowd Left Constitution Saving Throw DC 13, bless and aura: 1d20+5+1d4 9

((Naila has 1 rank of fatigue))

Naila holds a scented handkerchief over her mouth.

"Well then, I suggest we start before we lose the light. I myself will survey the inside of the building and attempt to divine the source of the fire. Whether it be magical, intentional or otherwise."

The investigator heads in and immediately starts wheezing painfully.

"Oh it's...it's quite ashy in here...still" WHEEZE "Very fresh, doubtless the evidence we seek is only moments away." HACKING COUGH

Day 1 EM A Crowd Left, Round 1 perception roll looking for the source of the fire, exhaustion disadvantage vs shield advantage cancel out.: 1d20+10 18
Day 1 EM A Crowd Left, advantage because the exhaustion kicks in after: 1d20 9

(( A 19 on perception trying to work out what the source of the fire was if that's a possible goal))

((GM's Note: DC 15 Pass. There appears to be some charred pieces of glass shattered against the wall. It does not appear to have blackened completely, despite the extreme heat from inside the house. Upon closer inspection, it appears to be made of tempered glass.))

[Mysti]

Mysti didn't move from her place at first, watching the Mercykillers and whomever else decend upon the ruins and ashes of Rhaunades's Library. What a shame.

Perhaps she should just let the Mercykillers do all of the dirty work - and then when they catch the guy - or girl - or it - they can just bring the perpetrator to the Harmonium. It was dirty in there. And ashy. No doubt it was that nasty wet ash, too, after gods knew how many buckets of water were tossed in there. Water plus ash meant wading through something with the consistancy of glue.

Normally she didn't walk around the city wearing anything that connected her with the Harmonium - but in this case - she affixed the badge to her leathers so no one chased her out of there. After all, it looked as if she were the only one of the Harmonium present. For now, at least. Once that was done, she slipped into the ruins as soundlessly - and as unobtrusively - as dhampirically possible.

So ... arson. She knew as much about fire as she did about Loviatar's bedroom. Which was to say - nothing. At all. But she wasn't really concerned with that. If one wanted to know the perpetrator - the big question was always: Why.

"It always came down to why." Mysti said those words between breaths -- barely a whisper. "Once the 'why' was answered, the brute responsible would light up like a torch in a cave. Why did you burn the place ... which brings us to the 'what.' Just what were you trying to hide."

What was this library all about? What kind of knowledge did it contain? Was it heavy in magical lore? Perhaps -- forbidden lore, yes? And forbidden lore would not be left out in plain view now -- would it. Of course not. And that meant -- secrets. Hidden rooms. Concealed cellars. Perhaps there was an entire network of caves and catacombs beneath this place. Rooms yet to be discovered that even a fire may not reveal ...

Mysti pushed clumps of ash aside with her unpolished boot until the stonework beneath was revealed. This ought to be easy. Ash should accumulate within the seams of any trap doors in the floor which, otherwise, would have been almost undetectable. But just to make sure, she unlimbered her bow and tapped it against the floor. Tap. Tap. Half a step. Tap. Tap. When she arrived at a wall, her opposite hand meticulously knocked the metal pommel of a throwing dagger against it, her ear pressed against the cold stone causing her skin to feel clammy.

Her work was slow -- but thorough -- the kind of patience that only a being with a very long life could have ever tolerated. "There better be something here," she growled -- and continued checking.

A Crow Left in the Murder - Con Save vs. Bad Air Quality Bless & Aura | 1d20+1d4+4 ⇒ 11
A Crow Left in the Murder - Con Save vs. Bad Air Quality Reroll (Lucky) Bless & Aura | 1d20+1d4+4 ⇒ 14

A few ashes caught in her throat as she moved them around, their dark little flakes swirling upwards in the warm eddies leftover from the fire. And it stank ... like ... ashes. There had best be something here ...

A Crow Left in the Murder - Investigation (Ooh! Secrets!): | 1d20+11 ⇒ 16

((DC 15: Pass. Your investigation of the library finds a metal basket containing the charred remains of some fruit. Apples, specifically. Maybe the wizard just liked apples, but it's not something commonly found in a library itself, moreso on display on a foyer or in a kitchen.))

[Gabriel Morningstar]

Gabriel and Rufus stepped inside the library, a stalwartaura of infernal power radiating from the Red Death. It did nothing to calm his coughing at the smell and soot though. Well, this is embarassing.

"What are you two snickering at? Haven't you seen a superior with allergies. Come on then! Did you find anything useful, or were you just dicking around all this time then?!"

His verbal assault aimed at a pair of junior Hardheads might yield some results. Or at least distract others.

OOC:
Both Gabriel and Rufus are exhausted 1

D1 EM, Constituion Sacing Throw vs 13, untrained, Aura of Protection: 1d20+5 6

D1 EM, Crow Investigation, Intimidation (charisma), DC ??, disad from exhastion, adv from library inside: 1d20+7 15

D1 EM, intimidation (Charisma) advantage roll: 1d20+7 15

((DC 18: Failure. If you were dealing with the riffraff or the regular citizens of Sigil, you'd have come across as scary and intimidating. However, you're dealing with the Harmonium, who are trained to handle these sort of things. They don't disrespect you in front of your face, but they quietly ignore you otherwise and go back to work.))

[Desten Callor]

Desten said a short prayer to Cuthbert to bolster himself and a couple of the other investigators as they entered the ruined building. The integrated protections on his armor helping magically filter the worst of the smoke helping him breath easy enough.

His eyes scanned the area looking for any clues as to who could have done all this.

----------------
D1 crime scene constitution save aura and bless active | 1d20+1d4+7 ⇒ 16

D1 crime scene Perception check | 2d20kh1+8 ⇒ 18


((DC 20, fail. The mess is a bit hard to sort thru for such a generalized approach. Charred remains of books and objects make picking something out difficult specifically.))

[Amelie Crane]

"Start to explore the wreckage, assit any of the Harmonium forces as you see fit. Damned smog's going to make it rough soon. Or go keep a eye on that Signer over there and make sure she keeps her nose clean." She motions to Naila. "She's good, but she's not formally with the law. "

"Aye ma'am. I'll begin my investigation inside."

A curt nod was given to the Mercy killer present.

The nod is returned in kind. The silver-haired woman took a moment to look over the other cleric, noting his armor, holy symbol, and faction rank before meeting his eyes in acknowledgment and departing to begin her search. Standing at the charred opening where used to stand the library door, she peered inside, took a deep breath, whispered a silent prayer, and entered.

Taking a sun-shaped broach from a pocket on her coat, she quietly casts light onto the object and cups it in her hand, acting almost like a small directional torch to light her search as she tries to squint and search through the haze.

Constitution save inside library | 1d20+2 ⇒ 15 Constitution save. success.

Using her handheld light and trying as best as possible to avoid the thickest patches of the smoke that hung heavy in the stagnant air, Amelie began to search the structure for anything that could provide insight into a "why". Beginning with where the fire began, and if there is anything that would point to some resources being removed from the library before the blaze began.

Closing her eyes for a brief moment, the inquisitor again utters a quiet prayer as she casts guidance upon herself to try to heighten her perception divinely.

Perception check in the library + guidance. | 1d20+1d4+12 ⇒ 30 roll of 30 to achieve her goal.
Perception check in the library + guidance. /advantage roll | 1d20+1d4+12 ⇒ 21

((DC 20: Passed. You notice (quite easily, I might add) there are a scratch marks on the ground around a table in the center of the library, to look as if something was dragged across the way several times, maybe with claw marks or some other scuffing. Hard to tell, due to the overall damage))

[Flession]

((Awaiting Morningstar to make a advantage roll (because first the skill, then the save), but the current score is 3 successes, 1 failure. Feel free to go again.))

[Naila Drooten]

((Naila will roll insight to look into any possible witnesses and see if people are hiding or forgetting anything))

Naila is impressed by meticulous approach to crime solving on display. It looks like the Mercykillers and the Harmonium had upped their game. She'd simply have to do the same, if she could just stop sneezing. Damned ash.

"I see, so you are su-ACHOO that you didn't see-AHAHAHAHHHHHHCHOOOOOOO, anything at all?"
The staff member backs up slightly, no doubt under the threat of her fearsome interrogation.

Still holding her now thoroughly ruined handkerchief to her nose the investigator presses forward. A city this dense, a crime this spectacular? There must have been witnesses.

"You can tell me, I'm a professional."

Day 1 EM A Crow Lef , Round 2 insight to check if people are LYING. Disadvantage from exhaustion: 2#1d20+10 17 23

(( Ear for Deceit to make the result an 18))

((DC 15 Passed. Those around you seem concerned for your health more than what you're asking. Still, you get the sense that the witnesses have been pretty forthcoming with the details given. Which doesn't grant you much in the way of further evidence, but at least you feel comfortable on focusing on something else))