I stopped playing yesterday to give myself time to create some NPCs. I have done this entirely randomly. The two NPCs are both Dwarfs, one is a mage (Divination and Power Arcanas, lower-class former sailor), and the other is a rogue (upper-class dilettante). I have asked a couple of oracle questions and the deceased lady in the bed is the goal of their quest. I followed up to see if they are interested in the letter. I got a yes, and… I think they want the letter and the robes with the coat of arms as proof of prominence. I haven’t dug any further into their motivations yet.
I start the session with the two newcomers opening the door to the cell. I tried to hide around one of the corners, a Dex(stealth) roll. I don’t have stealth focus, but I have +4 dex. It is a small room, and I have snapped the Arcane Light shut so I am in the dark. My ability test fails, but I am away from the body when the door opens. I give both NPCs a Perception (seeing) test to notice me, and the Mage starts to swirl his morning star menacingly and challenges me to stand where I am. This obviously gets the rogue’s attention.
As far as I am concerned I am outnumbered, caught red-handed and these guys look like they know their business. I don’t put up a fight to start with. I am not about to hand over my weapons, or money, but I also don’t want to have to fight two on one in a confined space.
Are these two agressive? No, because… because they know they have me outnumbered. Are they outlaw types that would rob someone just because they could? No, and… if anything they are willing to add a new person to their band for strength in numbers.
I think this is enough to play out the initial contact.
The dwarf with the morning star wants to hang back, but also wants to get the door shut. The second dwarf is armed with a pistol in one hand and a dagger at their belt. An Arquebus is strapped across their back. Seeing the pistol. I raise my hands, there is no point in provoking them! The dwarf with the pistol twitches it to one side and tells me to ‘get over there’ motioning away from the body on the bed. The one by the door shuffles around behind their companion and makes their way to the figure on the bed. The one with the gun commands the center of the room.
The dwarf at the bed spends a moment reading the letter, by lantern light, and then examines the body, then in a guttural language, I do not understand reports something to the other dwarf. The dwarf then takes a leather wallet out of a satchel and slips the letter inside with great delicacy. Then the dwarf tries to carefully remove the coat of arms from the robe that the body is wearing.
All this time the other is covering me with the pistol.
When the first is finished, they stand and turn to me, addressing me in common, they ask, “what are you doing here?” I respond with how my village is not far from the entrance and I had been sent in to assess the threat. These two seem surprised that there is an entrance nearby. I get the impression that they came in from a different direction. They then ask me questions about do I know who the body on the bed is, which I admit that I have no idea. They ask me if I had read the letter, which I say that I had. As far as I know, they may have seen me as I was trying to get away from the bed.
What follows is a short discussion between the NPCs
Do they want me to join their group? No, because… I am human, and they don’t trust humans. Are they prepared to let me go, now that they have what they came for? I think this is likely, as I am not imagining them as cold blooded killers. No, but… The one with the morning star wants to kill me, but his companion, refuses. Who wins the arguement, odds morning star, evens pistol guy, Evens.
The dwarf with the morning star, looks disgruntled and gives me a dirty look, and then backs off. He says that they are leaving, if I have any sense I will forget that I saw them, go home and don’t come into this place again.
With that they back towards the door they came in, check both ways, then disappear the way they came. I breathe a sigh of relief and wait a minute to give them time to get away down the corridor. What was that all about?
I crack open the Arcane Light just a little and find the door into the next chamber.
I had already decided that this was going to be the living quarters for the woman. I will test to see if there is anything of value in here. I will make it a very unlikely question. No, because… they were a prisoner and you don’t give prisoners valuables! D’oh.
I search the room and find a few basic personal effects, an open book, and some embroidery. I am not surprised, the two dwarfs would probably have known if there was anything significant that the woman was supposed to own. I listen at the door to the corridor before I look out into the corridor.
Perception (hearing), I don’t have the hearing focus, and fail the perception test. I don’t hear anything, so try the door and look out into the corridor. Is there anything out there? Yes, and… Is it those dwarfs? Yes, and… they are dead? yes, because… they were ambushed.
Looking out of the door I see a pair of booted feet protruding from about the corner. I try and sneak up towards the corner to have a closer look. Dexterity (stealth) success, I get to the corner and both dwarfs are there and dead.
I will roll to see what killed them, just to give me an idea of what wounds they have. I rolled Giant Spider! Another one! I am going to assume that they have their equipment because a spider would have no use for a satchel or pistol.
I look over the bodies and see the fang marks from a spider attack. I grab that satchel, Arquebus, and pistol. I also look over them for any black powder and bullets. I also find 110sp. I leave the morning star as I cannot use it and it is just excess weight. The gun-toting dwarf also had a couple of throwing knives.
Having looted the bodies, I have a choice to make, the corridor curves away, but there is a door on my right. I am assuming that spiders don’t open and close doors. If I do down the corridor I am more likely to run into that spider. If these guys were not killed instantly, they must have wounded the spider. If I track it down now, I will never get a better chance to kill it.
That is my plan.