CH. 13: Consequences

[Chris1234]

"Seems ok," comments Shima. ""But maye you want to do the western area over there first where we, ok, I mean you, don't have to cross the bridge yet?"

Either way, Shima continues to follow Ne-Chanz.

[djhyland]

Scouting? If you say so." Arulia considers for a moment. "Do you think that it would look suspicious if we met at the Steel Tankard? If you follow them long enough to find their hideout, they shouldn't be watching to see where I go, but maybe they have other people looking out for them too?"

(OOC: if it's now ninth watch, how long is it until the scheduled meeting? Seeing as how the first post of this thread says that the meeting was scheduled for third watch, did I screw up royally by not reading carefully?)

[spyguy1503]

"Sure. Let's check out this side first." He carefully opens the nearest door.

[Haahque]

"Sure, the Tankard should work. I'm there regularly and I'm sure you can find some excuse to be there as well. Maybe you can say you're there to try and extort money out of me again." Haahqae replies almost out of hand, and looks impatiently at the meeting spot.

"So, how long do you figure we have until they arrive?"

[JadedDM]

Haahqae, Arulia and Gobax (Abandoned Warehouse, Exterior)
As the three are talking, they notice increased activity in the street around them. People are hurrying past them, some even jogging in their haste. A pair of young human lads pass by them. "This way!" says one to another. "They're taking him to the temple now!"

"Who?"

"The one who attacked the marketsquare today and a week ago! They caught him!"

Kendra Greylock (2527 Market Street, Greylock's Gorgeous Gems)
"Well, I'm not going anywhere tonight, to be sure," Sadron admits. "So no need to worry about it now. But I should start making plans. It's not going to be easy to slip out of here undetected with all those guards outside your door."

[TristenC]

Grubnick's blood runs cold as he hears the people call out. Wha... what?! He grabs the sleeve of one of the lads and stops him. What did you say? They caught someone?! Who is it? What does he look like?

[HorizonsDream]

"I'm not use to being home early," Kendra admits. "I'm not sure what to do with myself."

[JadedDM]

Haahqae, Arulia and Gobax (Abandoned Warehouse, Exterior)
The young man yanks his sleeve away from Gobax, clearly unnerved at having been grabbed at by a goblin. "I don't know. Some dwarf. Look, here they come now!"

A group escorting a dwarf are heading their way, down the street. The dwarf is badly beat up, sporting a black eye and bloody nose, among other things. The dwarf's hands are chained together and behind his back. Haahqae and Arulia have never seen him before, but Gobax recognizes Delharn immediately.

The group escorting him consists of a dozen baaz soldiers, all armed and four others. Two of those four are easily recognized by Haahqae, Arulia and Gobax as Yvette and Xyleena. Yvette waves to the crowd, quite pleased with herself while Xyleena looks stern and alert. The other two are a male half-ogre and a female dwarf. Arulia has never seen either before, although Gobax recognizes the half-ogre as the same one he saw speaking with Green Tears earlier. Haahqae, however, recognizes both of them--Burzan and Raena, from the giant job.

A large crowd has started to form around them, walking alongside as they watch. Some hurl curses or insults at the dwarf, others just seem curious. The baaz make sure nobody gets too close.

"Quite a team, aren't they?" asks a voice from behind them. A young woman, pushing a cart of oysters, has somehow managed to come up behind them without making a sound. Arulia and Haahqae recognize her as Elara. "They were the ones who came up with the idea of throwing a parade in honor of the Hero of Haven. Presented their plan to the prefect, who approved it. Sure enough, the parade drew out the rebel cleric who attacked the square last week. Almost killed the Hero of Haven, they say. But she made it out alive after all. Those four were waiting for him to show, knowing it was a dwarf based on the Hero of Haven's description. Ran him down when he was trying to escape. Now they'll be made official agents of the church and get the big reward, too. They're taking him to the temple now, to be interrogated. The priests should find out soon enough if he was working alone or not."

Kendra Greylock (2527 Market Street, Greylock's Gorgeous Gems)
"Did you want to go out or stay in?" Sadron asks. "I wish I could go out with you, but obviously that's not an option."

Ne-Chanz and Shima (Central Haven Sewers)
Ne-Chanz heads back to the west and checks the hallway past the ladder. Shima, naturally, follows. Turning north, they find the path ends abruptly at a wooden door. It does not appear locked.

[HorizonsDream]

"I'm known as a hero in this town, and I was just recently hurt," Kendra says with a shake of her head. "I might be mobbed if I go out, so I think I'll stay in."

[Haahque]

Given the church's track record on these things, that dwarf is probably just an innocent victim blamed of a horrible crime to make the church look better.

Taking in the scene Haahqae replies in a quiet voice. "Yep, quite a team indeed. All four of them have a history of backstabbing and double-crossing. I wonder what the church would think if they were informed of how many of their plans those four had foiled."

Well, it appears the plan of following them can take place sooner then expected. Four on three was bad odds, but if they were about to be allowed to carry weapons, things might get a lot harder fast. Poison might work, where could he get a hold of some good poison? Maybe he could fake it.

"Tell me Arulia, were they planning on meeting with you before or after they paraded this dwarf around town? Perhaps this is how they're making the money to pay you?"

As if they didn't have enough already after all they stole.

Regardless, he would prefer to not be seen by any of those four in a place like this, so Haahqae takes a few steps back into the shadows between nearby buildings.

(Haahqae hides in shadows)

[spyguy1503]

Open yonder door.

[djhyland]

Arulia shakes her head at Haahqae's question absently, as if she's a bit shocked. "I had no idea that they were doing anything other than hiding," she says, her voice empty. "I didn't know anything about them until last night."

[Chris1234]

Shima prepares shield and sword and, just in case, hides in the shadow just around the corner (to the east of Ne-Chanz.)

[TristenC]

Grubnick stands, stunned to the core when the procession comes into view. He only half-hears the girl who sneaks up behind them. Someone attacked the... In a daze he follows with the curious onlookers, unsure what he could do, but knowing he had to go...

[JadedDM]

Haahqae, Arulia and Gobax (Abandoned Warehouse, Exterior)
It suddenly occurs to Arulia that this was likely the dwarf that Yvette and Xyleena had been searching for. She had just assumed it was Shima, but there are over 150 dwarves in the city. There was no reason at all to believe they were looking for the one dwarf she just happened to know personally.

Haahqae attempts to slip back into the shadows, so he isn't seen. But Yvette, Xyleena, Burzan and Raena seem to see him--and Arulia and Gobax, as well, quite easily anyway. They all seem fairly amused, not to mention smug, that the three get to witness their victory. Yvette even offers them a cheerful little wave, as if she were a princess at a parade.

The assemblage moves past them, toward the temple. Gobax joins the crowd on onlookers as they do.

==========

Haahqae attempts to hide in shadows [TN 70%] (1d100): 79, fail.

Kendra Greylock (2527 Market Street, Greylock's Gorgeous Gems)
"We should probably draw the curtains then, and I should keep away from any windows, just to be safe," Sadron remarks. "I'd start on dinner, but I guess it's still kind of early for that."

Ne-Chanz and Shima (Central Haven Sewers)
While Shima backs away, back around the corner, Ne-Chanz opens the door. It reveals another short hallway, this one fairly empty. There is a door at the end, to the left, however. It does not appear locked.