Ch. 2, Interlude 3: Coins and Blood

[NukeHavoc]

Chapter 2: Vermin

The investigation into Larur Feldin's death is ongoing. The man's apartment was clearly tossed, as though someone were looking for something. His blood-stained cloak was found in a pile of garbage behind Rat Street Loans, the office of Lymas Smeed. Smeed was a moneylender (a less charitable description might be "loan shark") who lent Saul 2,000 gp.

The Gold Goblin's owner was behind on his regular Tuesday payments, but planned to make it all up (and then some) with a 500 gold piece deposit made possible by the hugely successful Triton Championship hosted at the gambling hall. Larur was supposed to make the payment... but never made it. His neighbor -- a bedraggled woman with 9 children -- claimed he came home and then left to go somewhere carrying a small chest that sloshed with the sound of coins.

The Gold Goblin's junior partners investigated Smeed, but the greasy, slimy dwarf claimed not to have seen Larur. Worse yet, he believed that the partners sent by Saul to intimidate him. The partners agreed to pay Smeed an extra payment of 100 gp ... but the dwarf still refused to admit them to his establishment.

Frustrated, the dwarf Tholyr decided to break into the businesses' second floor while the monk Jheru talked with Smeed. Realizing what Tholyr was going to do, Jheru finished up his conversation with Smeed by warning him that a dwarf was about to break into his second floor window. Of course, that's exactly what Tholyr did, and he was surprised and dismayed to find an angry baboon waiting for him. Not wanting to fight the animal, he retreated and rejoined the party.

It is now early afternoon on Wednesday (this is the same day that Larur failed to turn up for work).

[EvilGenius]

Ok, so now the DM has told us that Feldin is dead. I guess that clears Feldin from having run of with the money.

[erilar]

Okay, so far it doesn't look like an inside job. Saul says that he had always waited until after hours, when other (potentially untrustworthy) employees are gone, to work on putting together Smeed's payments with Larur. Saul also says that only he and Larur would have known that this week's payment was particularly large.

Others have noted that some may have suspected a larger than normal payment due to extra-successful business week. Still, I don't think many other employees even knew that this loan existed. We certainly didn't, and we're basically Saul's management staff at this stage.

So, I've thought of several scenarios:

Theory 1

The thief might actually be Larur himself. We have no proof that he's actually dead. We have his bloody cloak, conveniently and rather easily found behind Smeed's establishment. If Smeed or his cronies killed Larur, why aren't there other bloody clothes or boots around? Even if Larur was fed to the pet baboon, there should be more bloody clothes residues than just a cloak. So, is the bloody cloak and the tossed apartment a setup to throw us off of Larur? He could buy lots of new clothes and stuff with 500 gp.

Theory 2

That powerful gangster (forget his name) had (or still has?) a bunch of cronies casing the exterior of the Gold Goblin. If Larur left late at night with a big chest sloshing with coins, they likely would have noticed, and maybe decided to intercept him. (KEN: Did Larur disappear the night of the snake attack and Great Stabby-Dwarf Debacle, or after that?)

Theory 3

Smeed did it. Still, he didn't seem all that bright, and he didn't seem to know anything regarding Larur's disappearance. He also doesn't appear to have anyone working for him that might have double-crossed him to steal his payment.

Troubling Bits

If unsavory folk did notice Larur leaving the Goblin with lots of cash (or even knew about the payment), one would think they'd intercept him en route - drag him into an alley and konk him on the head. This almost looks like someone had prior knowledge of the payment, or Larur's activities.

And if they did, why trash the apartment? One would think that Larur would have kept the cash with him whether he was at home or not. He would have wanted to get the cash to Smeed as quickly as possible, because it was essentially dangerous to have it on his person. So were the people tossing the apartment actually looking for something else?? Like the keys to the Goblin floor manager's office or something?

[setanta14]

Ok, one thing that Skender missed because he was watching the money-lender's house while "Arthal" went and got reinforcements: Is Saul aware that we found Feldin's bloodied cloak behind Smeed's place?

[erilar]

Is Saul aware that we found Feldin's bloodied cloak behind Smeed's place?

Phil was the only one to talk to him, and I don't think I mentioned that, no.

[setanta14]

Ok, so we still have the option to work both ends of the transaction investigation... I wouldn't put it past Saul to hit his own guy to get sympathy from us to front him more coin. Unlikely, but not out of the question.

Smeed isn't ruled out either... he mentioned something about other thugs showing up the night before? Can you clarify what was said again Ken?

Smeed apparently works for Boss Croat... we need to get some more info an that guy and his organization: Skender's roll is:
Roll(1d20)+9:
19,+9
Total:28 Diplomacy(Gather Information)

[NukeHavoc]

Ok, so now the DM has told us that Feldin is dead. I guess that clears Feldin from having run of with the money.

That's one interpretation.

[NukeHavoc]

Smeed isn't ruled out either... he mentioned something about other thugs showing up the night before? Can you clarify what was said again Ken?

No, he said that he wasn't going to be intimidated by Saul's thugs, with you being the thugs in question. He didn't mention a previous visit. Specifically he said:

"Tell Saul that he what he owes me is gonna double if he ever dares send his thugs to my place again!"

Ken

[NukeHavoc]

Smeed apparently works for Boss Croat... we need to get some more info an that guy and his organization: Skender's roll is:
Roll(1d20)+9:
19,+9
Total:28 Diplomacy(Gather Information)

One of the eight crime lords of Riddleport, the half-orc named Boss Croat runs several street gangs and controls much of the trade of illicit or illegal substances on the street. He is well known to hire only half-orcs as his enforcer. It's whispered that he is the man to talk to about professional assassinations, and that he has a group called hushmen that do this dirty work for him. He's notoriously fat, but still capable of crushing the skulls of those who disobey him, should the need arise.

His main compound is at the end of Silk Street in Northern Riddleport.

[setanta14]

Man, things just aren't adding up for this to be a hit put out on Saul's guy by Smeed, et. al.

[Jonkga]

Man, things just aren't adding up for this to be a hit put out on Saul's guy by Smeed, et. al.

Yeah, as much as Saul wants to lay this on Clegg, Smeed, Croat, etc., perhaps it has nothing to do with that.

Maybe we should move on to other avenues, and let this go for now - at least until other things happen to give light to this.

Perhaps we should have the arcane-inclined reach out to the mages,start investigating the BLot, the Cyphergate, etc. in the interim?

[setanta14]

Skender is down for some alternative income flow... Or at least a distraction from the daily grind of the gambling hall.

[erilar]

Are there divination spells (clerical, likely) that could help us determine Larur's fate? Maybe it would be that easy? Would they be within Saul's financial reach?

[Jonkga]

Are there divination spells (clerical, likely) that could help us determine Larur's fate? Maybe it would be that easy? Would they be within Saul's financial reach?

Or even ours? If we pooled our money? Maybe not a super-specific one, but at least a "he's dead, Jim" version...

[setanta14]

Yeah, we definitely should NOT ask Saul for the money, or even let him know that we're doing it since he's still a potential suspect... Plus, he likely doesn't have the coin anyway. Maybe someone with book learnin' should try and go over the Gold Goblin's ledger in Feldin's office (with or without Saul's approval) to see if any other surprises await. Who else does Saul owe? How much is he really making? Where is the income going? Can all of the entries be accounted for, or is the whole ledger bullshit?