Post by Derthaad on Nov 13, 2021 18:59:04 GMT
Week 45, 1498
13th of Uktar
Melissa Buttons of Daring Heights City Watch looks the dragonborn investigator up and down (mostly up, at her 3 foot something height).
"Huh, so you're the new guy? Congrats on the catch! Pretty good for your first year. She's all yours for an hour. The captain asked to remind you the prisoner needs to be in one piece and presentable afterwards." she adds in a conspiratorial whisper before motioning Derthaad to a holding cell and winking in a friendly manner. "Good luck!"
Derthaad stands for a few short seconds outside the cell door thinking of a plan. Before he came down he took the time needed to prepare a Comprehend Language just incase she decides that common isn't a valid form of communication. He also acknowledges that he isn't the most intimidating of people so an Enhance Ability would do the trick. He calmly enters the cell where the hag is being kept. Looks her in the eyes.
"You want to do this the easy way, or the hard way?"
Hecate, currently in her human form, smiles condescendingly:
"Do you have a rack that holds the victim under a constant avalanche of rocks while not allowing them to die? Cause if not, I'm afraid we'll have to settle for the easy way."
Derthaad raises one eyebrow in surprise, but then his face immediately changes to a disappointed one.
"Aww, I didn't even get to list what the hard part was." Derthaad proceeds to take the seat opposite of Hecate, take out his ledger and starts taking notes:
~ Interrogation:
~ Hecate, hag of hell, currently in her human form.
"Okay then, let us begin: What is your business in Daring Heights?"
~ What were Hecate and her sisters doing in Daring Heights?
Hecate shrugs nonchalantly. "Told you. We were subcontractors for the OMTC. Hauling stuff."
Derthaad gives a dramatic sigh. "Let's start again..." as he casts dispel magic to remove the disguise. Hecate, still unchanged, looks around in mock embarrassment, and says: "Well, somebody hasn't done their homework, huh? This interrogation is going splendidly so far. You're doing great," she mocks with a grin.
"Well, it was worth a try." Derthaad still calm and completely unfazed by her mockery. He feels only slightly embarrassed inside but he brushes the embarrassment off easily rookie mistake, it happens to everyone.
~ a hag's disguise - most likely shapeshift, not magic
"Oh, regarding your response, I highly doubt that three hags from the nine hells suddenly decided to be goodie tooshoes and just take up job offers for an honest gold piece. So, I ask again, what is your business in Daring Heights. Oh, and I know of your appetite, it doesn't take a genius to figure that out. I highly doubt that you went through all this trouble for that alone. There are easier ways that don't involve bumping into adventurers and foiling your plans."
Hecate looks somewhat confused for a moment,
"I fail to see how my appetite is relevant, unless you're asking me out on a date. I wouldn't go, of course. Not with someone so illiterate not to know what circle of hell hags come from."
"~ where"
"~ where circle of hell hags come from. Talk about illiteracy. But, since you didn't want easy way I guess hard way it is. Now, here's the best part - as Derthaad gets slightly more excited - there are two hard ways that you get to choose from.
Hard way A: I may not know where specifically you come from, but I do know hags are carnivorous. I'm pretty sure the commander here can arrange for you to be locked up and have nothing but bread and water which I highly doubt that will suffice. At some point your hunger for meat will set it. You know what the best thing about hunger is? It's slow, constant and better than any other form of torture. It can also push someone to do anything to make that hunger go away.
Or, Hard way B: I can call in a certain paladin to help us out with this. I was told to leave you unscathed, which is the reason I'm not torturing you myself. However I don't think anyone will care what happens to you once they realize that you're not useful in any way, shape or form, so I'm pretty sure that after you'd be interrogated with the help of said paladin the watch would not care if you'd be alive by the end of it. Oh, and don't bother to act brave, I've seen the fear in your eyes when you laid said eyes on said paladin."
Derthaad leans forward with clear excitement in his eyes:
"Your choice."
Hecate's smile wavers and she shifts uncomfortably at the mention of a paladin. "What circle, as in which one" she says begrudgingly. "I'm from Malbolge, not all the fucking hells, trust me, even one circle is more than enough. And the Princess" she says bitterly, "hasn't sent me, if that's what you're asking. So don't worry, your puny little cities are safe from our wrath" she scoffs.
Ding goes off in Derthaad's head. Slightly pleased and with the same excited expression on his face he ads:
"I admit I have not been up to date with the nobility. They always seem so full of themselves and think that wealth gives them everything... until they have to do things themselves then it's fun watching them fumble over themselves. Care to enlighten me about this Princess?"
~ Hecate, along with her other two deceased sisters, are from Malbolge - will have to do some research on the hags from Malbolge
Hecate's mouth opens unnaturally wide, and she gapes at Derthaad for several uncomfortable moments.
"You don't know about Glasya? The Princess of Nine Hells? The ruler of Malbolge? Do you know... like, anything? I'm surprised you're capable of speech at this point."
Derthaad rests his right elbow on his knee and his chin on the knuckles in an almost comical representation of him thinking and looking to the side while softly saying:
"What do I know, what do I know... I know four languages, learning a fifth, I know how to make a killer braised steak with garlic potatoes, I now know the name of the princess of the nine hells - as he turns towards Hecate - Glass, was it? Oh yeah, I still don't know why you and your sisters decided to choose Daring Heights though. It's so hectic around here."
Hecate rolls her eyes.
"Glasya, not that I cared. And I don't have any sisters. Not that I know of."
~ not sisters, other hags who came here together - only three at Drover's Yard, but more within Daring Heights?
"Same, dragonborn don't usually have siblings, it's quite rare actually." Derthaad's face lights up as if he just remembered something. "Oh, how many more of you are there in Daring Heights?"
~ third time she avoided the topic - changing the question
~ Are there more hags in Daring Heights?
"Hags? None that I know of, but you're welcome to look for more," she scowls.
"So no hags, what about other demons?"
"None unless they summoned more," Hecate shrugs.
~ Hecate, Jocaste and Irene not sent by those in high places, nothing of scale - most likely came by themselves
~ No other demon may have been sent with them, but my suspicions remain on the presence of others in the city
~ Question still unanswered: "What were they doing in Daring Heights?"
~ No use going further. Will have to bring in Tim.
Derthaad closes his ledger and puts it inside his coat.
"Well, thanks! Hag hunting does seem like a nice sport. I'll make sure to bring some of my friends, they'll enjoy this.
Have a pleasant day."
Hecate follows him with a gaze that is half-surprised, and half-disturbed, but says nothing.
After Derthaad exits the cell, he looks down at Melissa and relays the findings.
"Well, it seems that she and her two friends came here alone. I asked if there are more hags in and around Daring Heights but she has no information on it. What are your plans with her?"
Melissa shrugs.
"Dunno, really. Maybe the captain will have a go. She's a strange one. Technically, we've got nothing on her. We can't prove she's eaten anyone, we don't have eyewitnesses. And yeah, she's a hag from hell, but... we've got people from Feywild around, this would be profiling. Anyway, did you find out what she was after?" She raises her eyes hopefully.
Derthaad's takes in a disappointed breath
"Unfortunately not, she was pretty stubborn. She clearly has nothing to lose which is why she seemed so confident about herself. Also, Feywild do pranks, they don't run around eating other people. I do, however, have an eye witness, someone whom my companions rescued from their clutches. True, he may be classified more as a victim rather than an eye witness, but he is the guy who gave us the warning about these hags. I also know of a paladin who may help with her. She is clearly terrified of him."
~ also Stan as a witness
"Worth bringing them in to give a statement, then!" Melissa says excitedly. "The sooner we're done with her, the sooner she's out of our hands. I don't like having a hag around!" She shivers uncomfortably as she starts walking down the corridor, away from the cells, busy in whatever paperwork she received over the last hour.
~Now that I think of it, all of Tiny Tim's ensemble seemed to know of these hags. Were they all victims, directly or indirectly? Did the hags targeted Tiny Tim's groups specifically, or did the survivors just happened to congregate all there?
~ Did the hags accept the subcontractor job to target Stoneleaf Village specifically?
~ Possible question: "What is their business with Stoneleaf Village?"
"Am I overthinking things again?" Derthaad muttered to himself.
Letter to Tiny Tim at Stoneleaf Village:
13th of Uktar
Melissa Buttons of Daring Heights City Watch looks the dragonborn investigator up and down (mostly up, at her 3 foot something height).
"Huh, so you're the new guy? Congrats on the catch! Pretty good for your first year. She's all yours for an hour. The captain asked to remind you the prisoner needs to be in one piece and presentable afterwards." she adds in a conspiratorial whisper before motioning Derthaad to a holding cell and winking in a friendly manner. "Good luck!"
Derthaad stands for a few short seconds outside the cell door thinking of a plan. Before he came down he took the time needed to prepare a Comprehend Language just incase she decides that common isn't a valid form of communication. He also acknowledges that he isn't the most intimidating of people so an Enhance Ability would do the trick. He calmly enters the cell where the hag is being kept. Looks her in the eyes.
"You want to do this the easy way, or the hard way?"
Hecate, currently in her human form, smiles condescendingly:
"Do you have a rack that holds the victim under a constant avalanche of rocks while not allowing them to die? Cause if not, I'm afraid we'll have to settle for the easy way."
Derthaad raises one eyebrow in surprise, but then his face immediately changes to a disappointed one.
"Aww, I didn't even get to list what the hard part was." Derthaad proceeds to take the seat opposite of Hecate, take out his ledger and starts taking notes:
~ Interrogation:
~ Hecate, hag of hell, currently in her human form.
"Okay then, let us begin: What is your business in Daring Heights?"
~ What were Hecate and her sisters doing in Daring Heights?
Hecate shrugs nonchalantly. "Told you. We were subcontractors for the OMTC. Hauling stuff."
Derthaad gives a dramatic sigh. "Let's start again..." as he casts dispel magic to remove the disguise. Hecate, still unchanged, looks around in mock embarrassment, and says: "Well, somebody hasn't done their homework, huh? This interrogation is going splendidly so far. You're doing great," she mocks with a grin.
"Well, it was worth a try." Derthaad still calm and completely unfazed by her mockery. He feels only slightly embarrassed inside but he brushes the embarrassment off easily rookie mistake, it happens to everyone.
~ a hag's disguise - most likely shapeshift, not magic
"Oh, regarding your response, I highly doubt that three hags from the nine hells suddenly decided to be goodie tooshoes and just take up job offers for an honest gold piece. So, I ask again, what is your business in Daring Heights. Oh, and I know of your appetite, it doesn't take a genius to figure that out. I highly doubt that you went through all this trouble for that alone. There are easier ways that don't involve bumping into adventurers and foiling your plans."
Hecate looks somewhat confused for a moment,
"I fail to see how my appetite is relevant, unless you're asking me out on a date. I wouldn't go, of course. Not with someone so illiterate not to know what circle of hell hags come from."
"~ where"
"~ where circle of hell hags come from. Talk about illiteracy. But, since you didn't want easy way I guess hard way it is. Now, here's the best part - as Derthaad gets slightly more excited - there are two hard ways that you get to choose from.
Hard way A: I may not know where specifically you come from, but I do know hags are carnivorous. I'm pretty sure the commander here can arrange for you to be locked up and have nothing but bread and water which I highly doubt that will suffice. At some point your hunger for meat will set it. You know what the best thing about hunger is? It's slow, constant and better than any other form of torture. It can also push someone to do anything to make that hunger go away.
Or, Hard way B: I can call in a certain paladin to help us out with this. I was told to leave you unscathed, which is the reason I'm not torturing you myself. However I don't think anyone will care what happens to you once they realize that you're not useful in any way, shape or form, so I'm pretty sure that after you'd be interrogated with the help of said paladin the watch would not care if you'd be alive by the end of it. Oh, and don't bother to act brave, I've seen the fear in your eyes when you laid said eyes on said paladin."
Derthaad leans forward with clear excitement in his eyes:
"Your choice."
Hecate's smile wavers and she shifts uncomfortably at the mention of a paladin. "What circle, as in which one" she says begrudgingly. "I'm from Malbolge, not all the fucking hells, trust me, even one circle is more than enough. And the Princess" she says bitterly, "hasn't sent me, if that's what you're asking. So don't worry, your puny little cities are safe from our wrath" she scoffs.
Ding goes off in Derthaad's head. Slightly pleased and with the same excited expression on his face he ads:
"I admit I have not been up to date with the nobility. They always seem so full of themselves and think that wealth gives them everything... until they have to do things themselves then it's fun watching them fumble over themselves. Care to enlighten me about this Princess?"
~ Hecate, along with her other two deceased sisters, are from Malbolge - will have to do some research on the hags from Malbolge
Hecate's mouth opens unnaturally wide, and she gapes at Derthaad for several uncomfortable moments.
"You don't know about Glasya? The Princess of Nine Hells? The ruler of Malbolge? Do you know... like, anything? I'm surprised you're capable of speech at this point."
Derthaad rests his right elbow on his knee and his chin on the knuckles in an almost comical representation of him thinking and looking to the side while softly saying:
"What do I know, what do I know... I know four languages, learning a fifth, I know how to make a killer braised steak with garlic potatoes, I now know the name of the princess of the nine hells - as he turns towards Hecate - Glass, was it? Oh yeah, I still don't know why you and your sisters decided to choose Daring Heights though. It's so hectic around here."
Hecate rolls her eyes.
"Glasya, not that I cared. And I don't have any sisters. Not that I know of."
~ not sisters, other hags who came here together - only three at Drover's Yard, but more within Daring Heights?
"Same, dragonborn don't usually have siblings, it's quite rare actually." Derthaad's face lights up as if he just remembered something. "Oh, how many more of you are there in Daring Heights?"
~ third time she avoided the topic - changing the question
~ Are there more hags in Daring Heights?
"Hags? None that I know of, but you're welcome to look for more," she scowls.
"So no hags, what about other demons?"
"None unless they summoned more," Hecate shrugs.
~ Hecate, Jocaste and Irene not sent by those in high places, nothing of scale - most likely came by themselves
~ No other demon may have been sent with them, but my suspicions remain on the presence of others in the city
~ Question still unanswered: "What were they doing in Daring Heights?"
~ No use going further. Will have to bring in Tim.
Derthaad closes his ledger and puts it inside his coat.
"Well, thanks! Hag hunting does seem like a nice sport. I'll make sure to bring some of my friends, they'll enjoy this.
Have a pleasant day."
Hecate follows him with a gaze that is half-surprised, and half-disturbed, but says nothing.
After Derthaad exits the cell, he looks down at Melissa and relays the findings.
"Well, it seems that she and her two friends came here alone. I asked if there are more hags in and around Daring Heights but she has no information on it. What are your plans with her?"
Melissa shrugs.
"Dunno, really. Maybe the captain will have a go. She's a strange one. Technically, we've got nothing on her. We can't prove she's eaten anyone, we don't have eyewitnesses. And yeah, she's a hag from hell, but... we've got people from Feywild around, this would be profiling. Anyway, did you find out what she was after?" She raises her eyes hopefully.
Derthaad's takes in a disappointed breath
"Unfortunately not, she was pretty stubborn. She clearly has nothing to lose which is why she seemed so confident about herself. Also, Feywild do pranks, they don't run around eating other people. I do, however, have an eye witness, someone whom my companions rescued from their clutches. True, he may be classified more as a victim rather than an eye witness, but he is the guy who gave us the warning about these hags. I also know of a paladin who may help with her. She is clearly terrified of him."
~ also Stan as a witness
"Worth bringing them in to give a statement, then!" Melissa says excitedly. "The sooner we're done with her, the sooner she's out of our hands. I don't like having a hag around!" She shivers uncomfortably as she starts walking down the corridor, away from the cells, busy in whatever paperwork she received over the last hour.
~Now that I think of it, all of Tiny Tim's ensemble seemed to know of these hags. Were they all victims, directly or indirectly? Did the hags targeted Tiny Tim's groups specifically, or did the survivors just happened to congregate all there?
~ Did the hags accept the subcontractor job to target Stoneleaf Village specifically?
~ Possible question: "What is their business with Stoneleaf Village?"
"Am I overthinking things again?" Derthaad muttered to himself.
Letter to Tiny Tim at Stoneleaf Village:
Greetings Tim,
I am sending you this letter for I am in need of your aid. The interrogation of the hell hag known as Hecate is at a stand-still. I was unsuccessful on finding out what her plot was and what the three hags were doing in Daring Heights. I have my suspicions that there may be more like them, but she had no knowledge of that. More may be unearthed once their plot has been unfolded. I know she is terrified of you, which is why I ask for your assistance on this matter. I hope that we can use that fear when interrogating her in the hopes of uncovering whatever is going on.
Also, an eye witness is required, which is why I ask that you also bring Stan along. By my companions' accounts, he was there when the three hags claimed the lives of his friends. He ay be a valuable asset in this.
Regards,
Derthaad
Investigator, Daring Heights City Watch
I am sending you this letter for I am in need of your aid. The interrogation of the hell hag known as Hecate is at a stand-still. I was unsuccessful on finding out what her plot was and what the three hags were doing in Daring Heights. I have my suspicions that there may be more like them, but she had no knowledge of that. More may be unearthed once their plot has been unfolded. I know she is terrified of you, which is why I ask for your assistance on this matter. I hope that we can use that fear when interrogating her in the hopes of uncovering whatever is going on.
Also, an eye witness is required, which is why I ask that you also bring Stan along. By my companions' accounts, he was there when the three hags claimed the lives of his friends. He ay be a valuable asset in this.
Regards,
Derthaad
Investigator, Daring Heights City Watch