Baron Steps out into street and head out towards the Alley. He turns and see a couple of the urchins. He looks over to them. He pulled out a handful of Crowns (cp). He hold them up and heads over to the kids, "I am hoping to hire a few of you. Any one want a couple of crowns." These kids know the dangers of getting paid on the streets but slowly approach for the coin. He hand each of them a couple of coins, "I am looking for a couple woman. I want to know where they are staying. I have some Guilders (gp) for the information." The Urchins gather the coins and look as if listening. Most know they will never see the guild.
Baron describes the two woman and explain that they are very dangerous. He makes sure the kids know to stay away from them. They are witches and should not be approached. He explains that he needs to know where they live so he can find them. Again he tells them to stay away from them and gives them each one more crown as he does.
Roll Persuasion: 17
Baron had a little to drink with his new friends. He was not drunk but was feeling loose. He felt bad having a good time with his new friends with Ysera still dead. He found himself walking towards the alley where her body was found. His head was surprisingly low to the ground. He knew he should be watching the streets around him, but he was watching his feet too much. His eyes caught a pattern in the tiles in the street near the alley. There was a pattern of in the pavers. They were made from a slightly red stone. At first he presumed it was just a strange pattern, but it was made on purpose. He knelt down and ran his fingers over the pattern. It was clearly made into some symbol. He heard the mournful wail of a Lothcat nearby. It was late, but this area around the alley was awake. The music the cat created gave him pause.
He stepped up to the Alley. A smell of death came pouring out of the alley. There were a couple of dead Mul in the alley and they were starting to smell. He also noticed that no one had cleaned the alley yet. The beds were still stacked against the wall and even the drawer the guard kicked was still in place. The forks still displayed on the ground. He was looking in the Alley, up to the walls. A voice came from behind him, "don't go in there." Behind Baron was a old beggar. he had a cup out, "That alley is cursed, if you go in there you will die."
He is definitely going to try and see what the pattern on the ground is. And ask the bigger for more information and give him a silver. A couple other side things he was gonna do: give a handful of copper to some urchins, telling them to be on the lookout for 2 women (describe the Enclave women), warn them to stay away at all costs, and spread the word. There will be a 2g reward for information on where they might be staying...again stress, stay away from them though.
And at one point have a beer and sausage with Nugget, and ask him about his former owner, and try to figure out of she was of the Enclave and what her name was ....and see if her description matches one of these women (longshot) - Note: he did not get a chance to do this.
We can do this one in game if you want
He would also examine the mul bodies and see if they were killed the same way ysera was . Examine mattresses, how did they get here. Any reason for their stacking?
I seem to recall that they might have been stacked in such a way to allow for someone jumping off of a roof?
Roll a History Check at disadvantage: 15
Roll an investigation: 17
Baron walks back to the street intersection and starts to examine the symbol again. Nothing came to him. He pulled out a small piece of paper and drew the symbol on it. It felt like he had seen something like this but could not place it. Maybe with a fully sober mind he could pull it out of his own skull but not here, not now. In frustration he headed back to the alley.
The Beggar was still bugging him from behind. Giving him warnings and shaking the coins in his cup. Baron looked back and could see a stashed pouch holding a somewhat larger amount of coins. This beggar was good at his trade or he was gathering crowns in some other way. He wanted him to go away, at least for a few minutes, stepped over to him and gave him a couple of coins. The beggar backed off for a minute. In the new silence Baron stared down the alley. He looks at the beds. His memory was that they might be there as a landing spot. His did some internal math to figure out where someone might be jumping from to reach the beds. He could not find it. They did not make sense as a place to jump. He then looked to see if they are maybe moved from time to time, but so much trash was stacked on them that they could not be easily moved. Behind him the street seemed alive, awake as he stared at the beds.
Baron thought about Ysera. He wondered what her family wrote into her "Death Letter". He did not know her super well so he did not know what he would have added. It was really a way to think about his friend Aqima. He hoped she was okay and maybe if he can find her killer she would feel better. The smell of the dead mul reach him again on a breeze. He stepped into the alley. He stay ultra aware. He moved over to them. Their skin did not have that same gray color, but they clearly did not have blood within them. He looked and he saw tiny pin like marks all over the bodies. He could not remember if he saw this on Ysera, but likely yes. He decided that this was how she died.
Roll Perception: 26
Roll Initiative: 6
Does Baron have any special ability like Alert. No
You look up just in time to see a fog descend upon you. It throughout a bunch of tendrils like a jellyfish and attacks.
Note you are lucky you spotted it, but it managed to go first. No surprise round.
So, what I really want to do is a "slightly too late" is do an insight check on that bum....does his money come from robbing this place by day?
Does he send people down here to loot them later. Why is he helping me? His Sack of coins....earned by begging or looting?
If he is still close by I will use an inspiration to read him....otherwise it's not important to me.
It is +3...so 17 if he is still near when the creature attacks, otherwise I do not care too much and have a 7
He is still around when you enter the alley. Baron try to get some insight from him. With the 17 you pickup a couple of things
He is genuinely worries about that alley and believes what he is telling you. He might not believe it is cursed but he knows that people die in that alley.
You get the feeling he will not enter that alley.
When you gave him a few coins he moved them into his hidden pouch so fast and silently you presume he is a pickpocket. You actually instinctively checked your own pocket afterwards just to make sure he did not take any coins from you. He did not.