Tulbas' Vignette

[BishGada]

Tulbas follows several paces behind the young guard.

As the guard catches the woman and threaten her, Tulbas intervenes and suggests "Maybe cutting off your hands won't be necessary if you can give some useful information that will help with the investigations of today's events. Obviously you will also have to give those people their coins back."
As he speaks Tulbas inspects the woman trying to figure if she is local or a refugee from the camps.

[JadedDM]

The young woman has long red hair, pulled back into a ponytail, pale skin and green eyes. She's dressed as a refugee, wearing a tattered cloak, but she carries herself with pride. It's not really possible to tell from a look whether she's a refugee, a local, or a foreigner. She seems healthy enough, but is quite dirty, also.

Pickpocket.jpg (57.2 KiB) Viewed 9210 times

"Oh, she's losing her hands regardless," the guard says, still grasping her by the arm. "The law is the law, and theft is punishable by cutting off the criminal's hands."

The woman continues to pull away, or try to, but is unable to break free of the guard's grasp. "I will not be spoken to by such a lowlife!" she insists, staring the guard down, to no avail. Her green eyes flick over to Tulbas, an intellectual curiosity to them. "Yes, I'll tell you whatever you want, if you save me," she says.

[BishGada]

Tulbas thoughts dart to several direction at once. If she actually can help with the investigation, the guard attitude will only purse her lips, and soon he will probably call the other guards for assistance... On the other hand, if she has nothing to offer, I wouldn't want to intervene, she knew the risks of being convicted at crime... And what was that with her refering to the guard as "lowlife". Is she a high born?.

Hoping the guard is an ambitious man, Tulbas tells him, "Wait, take a minute to consider your options. Currently, you caught a mere common pickpocket, but if she does have useful information, you might be the person that solved the incidents of this morning, and maybe even the one that will lead to the capture of the rebellion leadership... Think how you will look at the eyes of the Seekers captain. The citizens of the city will consider you a hero... and don't forget the young women..." Tulbas adds with a wink.

"As for her being a criminal, if she has no information, you still have your pickpocket, but otherwise, you can say that her pickpocketing was coverup story to get into the refugees lines as a spy. And after all she needs to keep her hands, in order to keep her cooperative attitude."

To the woman he says. "Saving you is up to this young hero here, not me... but he will surely need to hear you sing songs that will accelerate his heartbeat if you know what I mean... Some interesting information."

Worrying the guard will soon call his friends, Tulbas prepare himself to cast Charm Person on the guard if he will feel that he situation is getting out of his hands.

[JadedDM]

The guard looks at Tulbas, clearly bewildered by his words. "What? Rebellion? Leadership? What the Abyss are you talking about?" He looks to the woman, as if expecting an answer, but she keeps her mouth shut. She has the look of someone biding her time. Her green eyes dart from Tulbas and the guard.

After taking a moment to think about it, the guard says to Tulbas, "What are you saying? That the riot was organized? That the refugees are planning something?"

[BishGada]

Tulbas says thoughtfully, "I'm not sure, don't the Seekers investigate the subject? Do you know any details about what happened today? Maybe the lady here will be able to shed some light on the subject."
Turning to the woman Tulbas says, "I believe this is your best chance to save yourself. Choose your words carefully."

[JadedDM]

"The captain didn't say anything about any kind of investigation," the guard says. "I just thought it was a random riot." He looks between the elf and the woman, confused. He thinks about it for a moment. "I should bring her in either way. She's a thief, but if there is some kind of conspiracy, and she is in on it, the captain'll want to interrogate her anyway. So, either way, I'm taking her in."

[BishGada]

Tulbas says to the lady, "Well, I believe this is your last chance... Do you have anything to say that might get you out of this mess?"

[JadedDM]

The woman frowns at Tulbas. "If I say I know nothing, then I'll be taken in as a thief and have my hands chopped off. If I say I know something, I will be brought in as a conspirator and likely be put to death. If you are proposing there is some third option I haven't considered, I'm all ears."

[BishGada]

"I thought there was a third option..." Tulbas mutters under his breath.
Tulbas hides his thoughts under calm indifference face, but he is torn apart between his options. "That thick guard is obviously of no use to me... and that young woman, I'm not sure she is anything but a thief... Helping her might just get me into trouble... But on the other hand, I've a hunch about her..."

Taking only a second to consider, Tulbas decides to risk it and casts Charm Person on the young guard. With a little waving of his hands Tulbas catches the guard's eye and summons his sorcery powers whispering "Till the end time, the ringing of chime, will make our souls bind, and your friendship be mine" in an ancient evlish dialect.

Without waiting to the realization whether the spell had his effect, Tulbas lays his hand on the guard shoulder and says "Hey... I just remembered where I know you from, old friend. We have met in the ivy inn few months ago, and shared several tankards while you told me about the guards work, as I considered joining your forces... remember?

"Now, I have a little problem. Yesterday, I've been to one of the burnt shops..." Tulbas points to the farthest burnt shops, "And I've lost one of my pouches. I believe it's remnants might be in the shop itself. The pouch has my name embroidered on it, and if it will be found, I might get into a lot of troubles...

"As you remember, since I considered to join the Seekers guard, I know Orin Woodwind, and also want to purge the streets of crimes and thievery. I need you to stay here and cover up for me. Maybe you can even try and look if remnants of my pouch are in the shop and destroy them. And since it'll be best for me not to be seen near the market, I'll take the woman to jail and report to Orin... Agreed?"

[JadedDM]

Tulbas casts his spell over the guardsman quickly, hoping nobody notices. Indeed, nobody around is paying any particular attention to him, although the young woman seems to recognize what he is doing, and her green eyes widen--but she says nothing.

The young man's eyes glaze over a bit, then he blinks and listens carefully to what Tulbas has to say. "We did? I don't remember that at all," he admits. "I guess I had more than a few that night." He scratches the back of his head, a little embarrassed. "Well, I really am supposed to stay here and keep an eye on the place, so if you could turn her in for me, that'd be great. You seem kind of young, but we're really hurting for people, and if you can handle a sword, you can probably get in. Let me know once you're ordained, and the first drink'll be on me," the young man promises.

He offers the woman's wrist over to him. She doesn't make any effort to resist, but instead looks at Tulbas with a very analytical gaze.

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Tulbas casts Charm Person on the Holy Guardsman.
----Holy Guardsman saves vs. spell (1d20): 5, fail. He is charmed for three weeks.

[BishGada]

To the guard Tulbas says, "Sure thing. Always glad to help." Then he grips the woman's wrist with some force and shove her forward through the crowd, in the direction of the jail. "Let's go. Your thievery days are over," he mutters.

After fifty or so paces Tulbas glances back to see if the guard still watches him or someone follows them. Then he continues in the direction of the jail until he gets out of sight of the marketplace ground.

Tulbas looks for a small alley hidden from the public, leads the woman in quickly, then presses his face close to hers. "Do you understand the risks I took by saving you?" Tulbas growls. "That guard might still recognize me and I'll have to come up with some trustworthy excuses for not delivering you to jail. We are lucky he didn't suggest one of the other guards to help me!"

After several heartbeats Tulbas calms down. Still holding the woman he speaks to her more softly, "First, I've no intention to harm you. You can calm down... Second, we should be heading to a safer place, but please tell me what's your name and where do you live."

[JadedDM]

The woman doesn't resist Tulbas like she did the guard, and cooperates with following him, watching him with a mix of curiosity and analytical assessment.

Once out of sight of the marketplace, they duck into an ally and she listens to what he has to say. "You are a wizard," she states, crossing her arms. "I saw you cast a spell on that guard." There's nothing particularly judgmental in her tone; she's simply stating fact. There is a hint of fascination in her voice, though.

"As for me, my name is Keira. I'm originally from Crossing, but my family fled here when the city was invaded."

[BishGada]

Tulbas doesn't deny nor confirms Keira's statement. "Think what you will... I'm Tulbas, and given the circumstances of our meeting, it's difficult to say it was nice meeting you." Tulbas says with a small smile.

Having been a victim of the 'Red Army' invasions himself, Tulbas sympathizes with Keira.

"Keira... I'm concerned about the situation with the refugees. I myself got here only three years ago, after the convoy my family traveled with was attacked by the 'Red Army'. I'd like to know what initiated the riot today... Was it only a random riot, or there is more to it. But lets not speak of such matters here. Does your family live in the city or in the camps outside? Please lead the way and once we are there we can speak more freely.

Until then you can tell me about your family. How long have it been since you fled from Crossing? How many sisters and brothers do you have? Why can't you find a decent work and averted to pickpocketing? And by the way, how much money did you 'find' today?" Tulbas asks, winking at the last question.

[JadedDM]

"I don't live in the camps outside, obviously," Keira points out, "as if I did, I couldn't be here now. The Seekers closed off the gates months ago; nobody on the outside is allowed in anymore." She looks away. "As for my family, we'll...it doesn't matter. They're all dead. Those that didn't die on the journey, died of starvation or exposure here in the city. So it's just me. I live in an abandoned warehouse in the dock district. A lot of us squat there; I can take you there, if you like," she offers.

[BishGada]

"I'm not sure it's a good idea. We might just get robbed, or worse..."

Tulbas, still planning to dig some information about the refugees in the docks and who was responsible for the riot, but fearing it is still too early to bring the subject up, suggests to Keira,
"I tell you what. Before coming for your rescue, I was heading to the Steel Tankard. Why don't you join me, especially since you are on your own, and buy us some drinks to celebrate you keeping your hands? We can hear some rumors of today's events from the barman, and later we can find there a side table that no one will hear us over the bar's commotion, and you can tell me some more about yourself..."

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(OOC: I'm not sure if you will allow it. In the bar Tulbas plans to use one of his cantrip spells to keep himself sober. There is a reference to it in the 'Great Net Spellbook' (p. 12, Sobriety (Alteration))