In-Character 2a Oh, what a tangled web we weave...

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61

[quote="Gwydion"] Taking stock of the situation, he elects to help his companions search the remainder of the premises, hopeful that something incriminating can be located quickly. [/quote]

 

[quote="Masov"] Masov raps on a door, cracks it open just enough to lean his face in. 'Look alive, deputies, Constable's on his way back over!' then closes it right back up. [/quote]

With Hengist turning up little of value, and forewarned by Masov, Gwydion heads upstairs to search. Much to his surprise, he finds Kaul kneeling before a chest, working at something on the front...the Thief suddenly hisses in frustration, pulling back from the chest, allowing Gwydion to see several small tools dangling from the keyhole on the front of it.

Gwydion moves to begin searching, almost immediately noticing the small, wooden box, perhaps the size of a backpack, sitting on the floor in a spot that looks as if it may have been occupied by a bed that has been pushed aside. Moving closer, he can see whorling leaf-patterns cover the surface of the ornately carved wooden container. Looking at the surface of the thing makes his skin crawl.

Tearing his eyes away from the small object, Gwydion begins searching the dwelling. After several minutes, he notices something strange about the wall behind the bed. The wooden panelling seems slightly ill-fitting, noticeable mostly due to the flawless woodworking elsewhere in the home...

Meanwhile, outside the carpenter's shop:

[quote="Masov"] 'We are simply waiting for the return of Constable Thorsdun, m'lady, to continue his investigations of the maladies investing this settlement. I believe he's rounded the corner just now,' Masov points, 'and he'd have proper authority to comment upon the current proceedings; I wouldn't dream of it.' [/quote]

"Well! Aramis will hear about this from me, I can assure you...whoever you are!" and with a huff, the heavy-set woman moves off, stopping across the street in an open yard to watch. Her armed companion pauses for a moment, sizing Masov up. Finally, he shrugs, then turns and heads after the woman.

Constable Aramis Thorsdun comes up the street at a quick walk, as if hurrying without wanting to appear to be hurrying. The two men that previously accompanied him by the gate are a few steps behind, still wearing their cloaks. Aramis walks directly to Masov before the door, although Dagmar and Miska are nearby. The look on his face is somewhere between fear and anger.

"You!" he leans in close to Masov, speaking quietly enough to avoid being overheard by the spectators, "What, exactly, is going on here?!"

 

62

Hengist

Okay, one of those small leafy pieces goes in Hengist’s belt pouch.

63

Gwydion

Gwydion looks about hastily in search of something with which he can pry open the panel whilst maintaining some standoff. “Perhaps place the chest in your pack if it is not too heavy,” he says whilst searching.

64

[quote="bobloblah"] "You!" he leans in close to Masov, speaking quietly enough to avoid being overheard by the spectators, "What, exactly, is going on here?!" [/quote]

Masov

'I have not yet entered, so I'm light on details, but I can tell you this - there has been a confrontation with the carpenter, who was mentioned by name to us by Lord Mallory as a suspect in the events of late. It appears his suspicions were well-founded. Our man Miska has skills in healing, and we need him inside.'

65

[quote="Hengist"] Okay, one of those small leafy pieces goes in Hengist's belt pouch. [/quote]

With the sound of voices directly outside, including what might be the constable, Hengist quickly slips one of the pieces of engraved wood in his pocket.

[quote="Gwydion"] Gwydion looks about hastily in search of something with which he can pry open the panel whilst maintaining some standoff. "Perhaps place the chest in your pack if it is not too heavy," he says whilst searching. [/quote]

Kaul starts emptying his pack, handing gear to Gwydion. Once he clears enough space, he lifts the box and slips in into his pack, then hefts the pack onto his shoulders, testing the weight. Seemingly satisfied, Kaul looks to Gwydion, shrugs, and then heads to the window and begins climbing through it...

After Gwydion stows Kaul's cast-off gear, he fumbles around for something to prise with. Finally settling on his own dagger, he pushes the tip into a barely visible seam in the wooden panel, rocking the dagger to loosen the section from the surrouding boards.

A door closes downstairs.

Grabbing the panel with both hands, Gwydion lifts it out of the way. A dark space is revealed behind the boards, perhaps large enough to hide a crouching person. The floor of the space appears to be the top of the foundation wall, and on that sits an iron-bound strongbox, strikingly similar to the larger chests in the living space.

A brief shout can be heard from outside via the ramp...

 

66

Gwydion

Gwydion considers whether sufficient room exists to crawl inside and pull the panel back into place. If so, he does so quickly. If not, he hastily throws anything that might hint at the rummaging of Kaul and himself, replaces the panel, and rushes downstairs to rejoin Hengist.

67

[quote="Gwydion"] Gwydion considers whether sufficient room exists to crawl inside and pull the panel back into place. If so, he does so quickly. If not, he hastily throws anything that might hint at the rummaging of Kaul and himself, replaces the panel, and rushes downstairs to rejoin Hengist. [/quote]

The space is probably just large enough. As no one seems to be ascending the stairs, Gwydion hunches down, clambering into the space. He finishes doubled over, sitting on the iron-bound strongbox. Reaching out, the enchanter lifts the wooden panel, and levers it into place. It slips in with a "thunk!" leaving the elf enveloped in complete blackness.

68

[quote="Masov"] 'I have not yet entered, so I'm light on details, but I can tell you this - there has been a confrontation with the carpenter, who was mentioned by name to us by Lord Mallory as a suspect in the events of late. It appears his suspicions were well-founded. Our man Miska has skills in healing, and we need him inside.' [/quote]

Aramis appears troubled, and looks over his shoulder to the men accompanying him, though neither lifts their hood. After a moment's consideration, he looks back to Masov, "They'll guard the door. I'll see this for myself before anyone else enters..." he makes to push past Masov, as the men accompanying him step forward towards either side of the entrance.

 

69

[quote="Kerrick Helmsworth"] Kerrick rides forward, using his position of implied authority as someone mounted and well-equipped to get through the crowd and see what's going on. [/quote]

Moving past the stragglers observing...whatever it is that's happening, Kerrick approaches the building where his companions had intended to speak to the carpenter. As he does so, he sees the man who accosted the group on entry to the town, Lord Mallory's constable, Aramis Thorsdun. The man seems to be trying to pass Masov at the front, and enter the building by a large, swinging wooden door. Aramis' two companions from earlier are moving to take up what appears to be positions on either side of the door.

"You, there! Sir knight! I would have a word with a man of high social-standing, such as yourself..." Kerrick looks over, and sees that the person hailing him is a middle-aged woman, adorned in clothes too fine for a simple fisherman. She stands in a garden across the street from the carpenter's shop, waving, but as Kerrick looks to her, she marches towards him. The woman is accompanied on her approach by an armed man who walks several paces behind her.

70

Masov

...lets him pass, but stands in the doorway, propping the door open with his body. 'Constable, you'll certainly want a healer immediately,' he says, waving Miska up, while eyeballing everything he can see within. If he catches any of the party's eyes; he'll count 1,2 with his fingers against his nose and nod his head to either side, to indicate the guards.

71

[quote="Masov"] Masov lets him pass, but stands in the doorway, propping the door open with his body. 'Constable, you'll certainly want a healer immediately,' he says, waving Miska up, while eyeballing everything he can see within. [/quote]

Speaking to his companions the constable says, "No one else comes in..." then pushes into the workshop, spotting Hengist at the back. His right hand goes to the pommel of his sword, "You, there...what's happened here? Where's Eduard? Speak quickly!"

Looking past the constable, Hengist sees Masov in the doorway...

[quote="Masov"] If he catches any of the party's eyes; he'll count 1,2 with his fingers against his nose and nod his head to either side, to indicate the guards. [/quote]

...then snaps his eyes back to the man questioning him as Masov closes the door. It would seem Aramis has not yet spotted the carpenter's body from where he's standing.

Outside, the constable's companions each stand in front of one of the doors to the workshop, the butt of their spears on the ground, the shafts leaning towards each other, not quite crossing.

[quote="Aryxymaraki"] Kerrick Helmsworth Kerrick holds position and waits for her to approach him. "Yes, madam? Do you have some knowledge of what is going on here?" [/quote]

The man slightly behind the woman appears uneasy as he looks up at Kerrick.  He has the slightly grizzled look of a man who has seen combat before; a veteran, perhaps. The woman sniffs, tiltting her chin upwards as she addresses the Paladin, "I most certainly have no involvement with whatever is happening here! You appear to be a man of courage...you follow the temple of Thor, by your look..." she says, nodding at the pennant hanging from Kerrick's spear, "...there was an argument of some kind, then we all heard our carpenter's wife, screaming most horribly! Our own constabe just arrived, but he is a man of little competence. A man of courage, such as yourself, is far more what is needed. Someone to boldly take command..." she pauses, and it takes a moment for Kerrick to realise that she just fluttered her lashes at him.

72

The woman makes an attempt at a charming smile, but it seems hollow, "Thank you, noble sir!" she says as she makes an awkward attempt at a curtsey, her weight rendering the movement clumsy. Her expression clouds as she continues, "Our constable has visited with Eduard the carpenter many times since he began acting strangely..." she shakes her head, "...and yet it has still come to this!" she finishes, indignantly. The woman turns and walks back towards the yard across the street as Kerrick nudges his mount towards the workshop. As he approaches, the constable's two companions become noticeably more alert, their spears crossing as they stand at attention. Their voluminous blue cloaks hide their eyes, so Kerrick cannot be sure whether they have tensed at his approach, or for some other reason...

73

Hengist

"Thank the gods you're here! I was just assaulted by the carpenter, for no reason. We were just having a pleasant conversation about toys and his children and creeping things that come in the night, if you know what I mean - as one does when you make a social call, when out of nowhere he came at me with a knife. Guy was a surprisingly good fighter too, for a carpenter. It was all I could do to defend myself - unfortunately I had to put him down at the end. But I know we had a healer in our party at one point, so perhaps we can yet save him.

Um... Maybe not his wife though. That looked like a nasty chest wound.  I'm a little sorry about that one, but she shouldn't have swung that axe."

74

Masov

...is not sure what side of the door he's on....

75

As I understand it, Masov is directly outside the door.

76

Kerrick Helmsworth

Kerrick shows no awareness of what she is trying to do.

“Thank you, madam. I will go speak to them now, then, and we will see what can be done about this.”

(Assuming she neither asks nor acts to stop him, Kerrick will continue to ride at a walk towards the workshop.)

77

Kerrick Helmsworth

Kerrick holds position and waits for her to approach him.

“Yes, madam? Do you have some knowledge of what is going on here?”

78

[quote="Hengist"] "Thank the gods you're here! I was just assaulted by the carpenter, for no reason. We were just having a pleasant conversation about toys and his children and creeping things that come in the night, if you know what I mean - as one does when you make a social call, when out of nowhere he came at me with a knife. Guy was a surprisingly good fighter too, for a carpenter. It was all I could do to defend myself - unfortunately I had to put him down at the end. But I know we had a healer in our party at one point, so perhaps we can yet save him..." [/quote]

Aramis' eyes widen as he listens to Hengist's rambling speech, looking from the fighter to the body of the carpenter's wife. His grip on the pommel of his sword visibly tightens.

[quote="Hengist"] "Um... Maybe not his wife though. That looked like a nasty chest wound.  I'm a little sorry about that one, but she shouldn't have swung that axe." [/quote]

As Hengist finishes, Aramis carefully moves towards the opposite side of the workshop until he can see the corpse of Eduard the carpenter, never turning away from Hengist. He blanches upon seeing the carpenter, and after a moment of indecision, lowers his hand from his sword, and moves past Hengist up the ramp.

The man is gone for an interminable period, then comes back down the stairs with blankets in hand. He drapes one over the fallen figure of the carpenter's wife, then places another on the body of the carpenter.

79

Hengist

"Well, this is awkward. I'd swear he was still kind of burbling there when I checked on him."

OOC:  Can I see any kind of brooch or cloak clasp on Aramis?  Say, something vaguely raven-ish?  Hengist cocks his head and looks in what he believes to be a subtle and nonchalant manner.

80

[quote="bobloblah"]

As I understand it, Masov is directly outside the door.

[/quote]

 

Masov

dimensional crisis settled, Masov eyeballs  the two guards for any notable details. 'So! We've been looking into events after our conclave with Lord Mallory - what can you two fine officers say about what's been going on? Have you been present at the investigations of these unfortumate events?'