A quick, cursory glance of the alley reveals that it appears empty except for the faerie dragon, so Evander smiles and begins walking towards it. "Hello, there. Decide we were more interesting than the tavern?"
Gregor tries to ignore the little pest, and whatever its current shenanigans may be, but Evander decides to engage it. He reluctantly turns and follows Evander toward the creature. As they near, he continues his preparations for the 'trip to the ocean' in case they need to move out quickly. He removes his waterskin and the new morningstar, before turning to Matiscio and asking, "Could you hold on to these until we return? I just need to lighten my load a little bit."
Once that is done, he stands with his left hand resting on the hilt of his sword, and the other hand on his right hip. The stance is odd for him, at neither attention or hands clasped, but it is so that he is free to either draw his sword or the belt dagger hidden on his back if things get out of hand with the unusual prankster.
Considering Evander is walking up to the little creature without fear, Lia decides to follow him.
Gilda narrows her eyes suspiciously at the tiny dragon.
"Heeeey! I've had enough trouble with you fey this year!"
Her hand strays to the dagger in her satchel, Gilda being familiar with the duplicitous nature of fey and knowing the power of showing cold-forged iron.
"So it was you playin' the tricks?"
Gilda's tone softens as she recollects how events went down.
"I guess we owe you thanks for a free dinner! Though that last plate left me wantin' more..."
What's with the magic lizard?
Didiana didn't have the faintest clue as to the who, what and why of the tiny creature, but was fairly sure that it didn't present a major threat to the entire group. She wasn't entire comfortable conversing with a sentient, butterfly-winged blue reptile, however.
"Um... Yes? Can we... help you?"
At Evander’s question, the faerie dragon seems to grin and flies into the air, circling Evander as he says, “Oh, yes! You all are so much more interesting than that tavern’s usual fare.”
The dragon alights in front of Gregor and notes that the ranger has a hand on the hilt of his sword. “There’s no need for that silly archerman. I was just teasing earlier. I get bored easily, you see.”
As Gilda speaks, the faerie dragon twists in the air and flies toward her, stopping only when he hovers just in front of her face. “I’m no fey, oyster lady! My name’s Vendalfek and I’m a real dragon! Rawr!”
Vendalfek does his best to sound intimidating, but his efforts are completely undermined by his high-pitched, squeaky voice. He doesn’t seem to notice, though, and flies over to hover before Didiana.
“Help me? Vendalfek doesn’t need help. Unless you count finding ways to stave off boredom as a form of help. We dragons are quite capable of handling things on our own. But boredom, that’s something no dragon has managed to conquer on his own. You see, I was just looking for entertainment back there in ol’ Clenchjaw’s tavern, but they just found it annoying.”
Flying back to his perch on the barrel, Vendalfek continues, speaking to Gilda again, “And you’re welcome for the meal. I hope you’re able to get the stains out of your family heirloom.”
The faerie dragon seems to grin at his own joke, flicking his tail back and forth as he does so.
“So, where are you folks headed today? And can I tag along?”
"I'm not sure. Tell me, Vendalfek, what brings you to Kintargo? I thought dragons like you typically preferred wooded areas."
"This old thing?"
Gilda pulls the hem of her dress-smock and gestures at it.
"Pah! These only cost a few coppers. Seaweed Susan makes 'em from old sails!"
Gilda rubs a few of the smudges.
"I'd take it off right now and throw it in the harbor, 'cept I ain't got nothin' on underneath it 'cept my birthday suit!"
Gilda takes this opportunity to wink at Matiscio and smile at Didiana before she brings her attention back to the dragon.
"So, you gotta bunch of tricks up your dragon sleeves eh? Magic illusion? Magic slippery stuff? It just turns out we've been lookin' for someone of your..."
Gilda glances to the others, nodding her head to say yesyesyes.
".. skills."
"I'd take it off right now and throw it in the harbor, 'cept I ain't got nothin' on underneath it 'cept my birthday suit!"
Gilda takes this opportunity to wink at Matiscio and smile at Didiana before she brings her attention back to the dragon.
As convivial a mental image it made, Didiana still pushed the thought of Gilda Grapabble in all her glory aside with a frown.
"So, you gotta bunch of tricks up your dragon sleeves eh? Magic illusion? Magic slippery stuff? It just turns out we've been lookin' for someone of your..."
Gilda glances to the others, nodding her head to say yesyesyes.
".. skills."
"What? No."
Though the sorcerer would freely admit that she rarely understood what went though Gilda's head, she was fairly sure that the older woman wasn't taking this whole rebels-vs-murderous-fascist thing seriously enough for her liking.
"This is not a stray we're taking in." And even if it was, isn't one enough for you? "'Stave of boredom'? 'Looking for entertainment'? We have no need of flighty, selfish hedonists. If anything such persons would harm our cause. We need dedicated individuals..." and here she turned her gaze over to Vendalfek.
"Not some pseudo-dragon without self-restraint."
If her words seemed provocative, it was because Didiana hoped them to be. If this fairy-dragon was all he appeared to be, an unbridled prankster, then she didn't want him anywhere near the group's organization. It was too great a risk to employ an operative who might simply leave due to loss of interest. But Gilda was right. Illusions? Flight? Tiny size? All assets to potential clandestine operations of the Silver Ravens. If he could show himself just a bit trustworthy, Vendalfek would be a great ally.
Now she hoped that the dragon would challenge her assessment, perhaps even ask for some way to prove himself. Mayhap the group could then issue him the challenge of say, keeping his mouth shut on a little reconnaissance mission to the old harbor...
After Evander’s question, Vendalfek almost looks… thoughtful… for a moment. Then his tail stops swishing back and forth and he looks downcast.
“Well… I would prefer Ravounel Forest. It has a much nicer smell to it. But, well, a bunch of strix hang out there and a few nasty hags also like to hang around there. They… they didn’t leave me many options in the forest.
“I found a nice tavern to call home here in Kintargo. But for some reason, it burned down a little over a week ago. Clenchjaw’s was the closest similar establishment. I don’t care nearly as much for its clientele, but it was all I had.”
Vendalfek perks up a bit as he says, “But then you lot showed up and I could picture days and days worth of entertainment, so I just had to see if you’d let me come along.”
The dragon’s mood brightens further at Gilda’s remarks and he begins swinging his tail again. “Yes, yes! Lots and lots of tricks. Days and days worth of tricks! Illusion and slippery stuff, sure. In a pinch, oyster lady, anything for you.” Vendalfek grins, knowing exactly what Gilda was referring to.
Beside himself in glee, the dragon continues,“Lots and lots of skills. I’m the skilliest of persons. The most skillsome dragon you ever did meet.”
Vendalfek’s revelry is shattered as Didiana speaks and his tail stops swinging once more. “Stray? I’m Vendalfek, I’m not some pet. And everyone gets bored every once in a while. Don’t you?”
The faerie dragon puffs up his chest and stands on his hind legs while flapping his wings, trying to put on a good show. “It’s not about need, lady. It’s about want. Everybody should want something every now and then. For me, it’s entertainment. For you, I’m sure it’s something else.
“I can be plenty dedicated when the want arises. See what I did there? And what is this ‘cause’ you’re so concerned about? Does it have something to do with that nasty fire? And, furthermore, you insult me when you call me a pseudo-dragon. They couldn’t possibly hope to ever achieve the level of greatness me and my kind exhibit on a daily basis.”
The proceedings confound Matiscio as he finds himself staring at Didianna, stubborn as ever, lashing out at an apparent inherent trickster and teaser. "It is apparant you're quite an intellectual individual, Vendalfek, and it is a pleasure meeting you. Do note though that we've been through some ordeals and it is starting to rub off on our mood."
He sighs. "Kintargo has seen better days."
Evander smiles. "Well, you see, a man named Barzillai Thrune recently took control of the city. He doesn't like people having any fun, so he's been passing laws to stifle it. Our cause is unseating him, and some of us were about to go check out a place where there are some people he locked up. We were going to determine if we could free them. It's a stealth mission, requiring caution, quiet, and careful observation. The rest of the group is going back to our base. We could use the aid of a skilled Dragon like you."
Lia's rather enamoured of the little faerie dragon.
"You'd be GREAT! With your illusions and speed, you'd be one of the best operatives we could have."
Her cheeks turn a bit pink. "...um... may I pet you?"
Didiana still thought that the group was unwise to speed into an alliance with a completely unknown prankster, but there was no backing out now, especially with Evander revealing the group's aim.
“And, furthermore, you insult me when you call me a pseudo-dragon. They couldn’t possibly hope to ever achieve the level of greatness me and my kind exhibit on a daily basis.”
"'Greatness?' Forgive me, dragonling, but where should we have seen this greatness? In you lounging about a tavern? In your petty tricks on passersby? In harassing others for entertainment? No? You seem to measure your worth in your skills. Well, I say one's worth is measured in how we apply those skills. And as of now, I'm not impressed."
The armiger was perfectly comfortable playing 'bad cop' in the routine. Hell, she was part of a nation-wide order of knights dedicated to playing bad cop. If Vendalfek came out of this disliking her, then so be it. She wasn't in this mess to make friends; she was here to save Kintargo. Either the fairy dragon took Evander up on his offer and proved that there was use in him, or he took off and confirmed that he was a fickle juvenile. Didiana found both options agreeable.
"Can you apply your skills to anything worthwhile?"
Gregor doesn't like this notion of trying to recruit a simple prankster, even if it is a dragon prankster. Everything that needs to be said has been covered by Didiana, to which he merely nods his agreement. Even still, if they intend on trying to convince the thing to help, the Armiger's question hold the most weight. Knowing how it can help would be much better for them. "Well, it turns invisible and looking at its wings it flies. If nothing else, it could at least provide overwatch in case we ever do need to avoid detection."
Vendalfek perks up when Matiscio refers to him as ‘intellectual,' making Didiana's verbal lashing all but forgotten.
“Seems like most of Ravounel is hurting these days. I’m sorry to hear Kintargo’s no exception,” the faerie dragon says.
Despite Evander’s apparent lack of diplomatic skill, Vendalfek listens closely as the investigator speaks. He looks aghast when Evander mentions that Barzillai is stifling fun.
“Someone who doesn’t want people to have fun is no fun at all. It sounds like this Beerbutt needs to be taught a lesson or two. And I’m perfect for a stealth mission. I don’t know if you lot are worthy of my skills, though…” Vendalfek trails off, unconvinced by Evander’s spiel.
Lia, on the other hand, seems to leave quite the impression on the diminutive dragon.
“‘Operative'... I like the sound of that. Oh, oh, can this stealth mission be my first mission?” Vendalfek begins flapping his wings excitedly. He’s a bit taken aback when Lia asks to pet him. “As I mentioned before, I’m not some pet… but I guess a nice pat or two wouldn’t be too terrible.”
Vendalfek chooses to ignore most of what Didiana says as she isn’t particularly compelling compared to Lia’s enthusiasm. Instead, he answers her question and addresses Gregor’s comment indirectly when he says to the group as a whole, “I can demonstrate my skills in this ‘stealth mission’ of yours. Just you wait, I’m super useful. You’ll see. And overwatch would be perfect for me. No one’s going to spot me when I vanish, since I’m invisible!”
The dragon seems oblivious to the fact that his ability to turn invisible was already known to at least one member of the group. He looks quite proud of himself.
After a moment, he adds, “Er, where are we going, exactly?”
Gilda sticks out her hand in order to formally shake the dragon's claw.
"Sounds like your in for some fun!"
She gives a nod to Didiana.
"Don't mind Sour Red, she's been in a mood of sorts since the whole city went down the drain, and there's only a couple things that cheer her up since!"
Gilda's eyes dart to Matiscio for a brief moment before she returns to focusing on the dragon.
"So yeah, we're tryin' to make things right. You know this new chump, Barge'o'flies.. he's kinda like them strix all up in your business, if you catch my drift? And we're thinkin' just like you wantin' to take yer Ravounel back, we're wantin' to take our Kintargo back."
Gregor shakes his head, "We're not doing this for fun, so I'd rather you not encourage this.. Vendalfek to treat it all like a game." Turning to the faerie dragon, he lays out the requirements for the mission. "It is a scouting run only. We are taking no action. See everything, and remain unseen. We share what we learn with each other after the mission. Can you do that?"
Finalizing his own preparations, he clarifies one last time, that he can unload some extra weight that he's carrying. He turns to Didiana, takes off his waterskin, and draws the morningstar, before handing them both to Didiana.
Down in the Wasp Nest, Didiana had stripped the flesh off the unfortunate smuggler's bones and was making bone meal out of the remains. Satisfying cracks, snaps and crunches echoed through the chambers. The visual affair was less visceral than the oral display, however; the skeleton was still wrapped in its tarp so as to not spread splinters and dust everywhere. Let it never be said that the armiger was not a practical soul. The group should do something for Crissali, she reflected as what she presumed was a femur snapped underneath her mace; the man was a staunch ally indeed for providing the decomposition scrolls without charge or questions. Didiana found it remarkably easy to reflect and think overall, as she just let herself go though the paces of manual labor. It did a body well.
The dire corby's corpse, Chough, was still entirely whole. The sorcerer had told the tengu sisters of what was to come, and had left them with the remains for now. She wouldn't dispose of it before letting the Fushis get a chance to say goodbye or what have you. It was important to remain humane, she thought as the bones rattled and shattered beneath her.
"Vendalfek, you, me, Gregor, and Lia here are going to take a quiet walk to the Salt Works to scout the place out. Our goal is to get information without being seen. If we are seen, we run away. If you lose sight of us, go back to Clenchjaw's, and one of us will find you there. We don't want to draw attention to ourselves. Ready to go?" Evander gestures to each of those being named as going on the scouting mission.
He will hand the cloak of elvenkind over to Lia to use, and also hands his extract creating reagents and materials off to Matiscio to take back to the coffee shop, with strict instructions not to mess with any of the materials.
Lia takes the offered cloak with a flourish and fastens it around her shoulders. "Thanks."
She then gives Vendalfek a little pat on the head, giggling a little. Oh, he's just so adorable...
"Shall we, Super Flying Adorable Stealth Dragon?"
Gilda mentally sighs as Dottari Gregor quickly pivots to his usual serious self.
Seizing the opportunity, she takes a few steps over and shields her mouth as she whispers to him.
"We can take it serious, but to.."
She tries to seize on a word that she believes will appeal to the marksman.
".. manage a fey, you'll need to make serious work appear like fun work."
She winks at him as she steps away.
"Yes, yes, Vendal. You'll play the part of a highly elite stealth scout, the whole purpose of this game is to see as much as possible and not be seen. If you're seen - you lose! And each interesting thing you see gains you a point!"
Matiscio follows the proceedings with a growing sense of trouble. Yes, he knows his companions are aware of the risk and danger of their apparent rebellion against the Thrune dynasty, but the constant banter and jokes made him feel the need to remind - wholly unnecessarily other than for his own mental comfort - of the precarious nature of their situation.
"Please, friends, be careful. I know humor is a great way to alleviate the stress and anxiety that come with these situations, but know that our enemy will show us no mercy nor pity if we somehow screw up."
Vendalfek isn’t terribly impressed with Gilda’s demeanor, but nods in agreement with her desire to take back Kintargo.
“Take back Kintargo… I like the sound of that,” he says. “First Kintargo, then all of Ravounel!” The dragon may or may not know what he’s talking about when he refers to ‘all of Ravounel.’
To Gregor, Vendalfek says, “It doesn’t have to be a game to be fun. And yes, I can do that. I’ll probably beat you all when it comes to my stealthiness. You lot would never have found me in the first place if I hadn’t called to you.”
When Evander mentions the Salt Works, Vendalfek tilts his head in curiosity. “A place where they work... salt? Seems like a strange place. But I got it. Gather info. Be nice and quiet. Meet back up at Clenchjaw’s if things go bad. No problem! Here we come working salt place!”
Vendalfek stiffens a bit when Lia pats him on the head, but quickly relaxes again when she refers to him as a ‘Super Flying Adorable Stealth Dragon.’ “Yes, that’s me,” he says in delight.
The faerie dragon glances over at Gilda as she whispers to Gregor, but he doesn’t seem to comprehend what they’re saying to each other. When Gilda refers to the mission as a game, the dragon looks confused.
“But… but I thought it wasn’t a game? It really doesn’t need to be, you know. As the good Ms. Half-elf said, I’m a dragon and we dragons know how to entertain ourselves, game or no game.”
After a final admonition from Matiscio, the party splits into two and the new groups go their separate ways.
-----
Didiana, Gilda, and Matiscio head back to the Coffeehouse to report to Laria and Rexus.
By the time the three arrive at the Coffeehouse, it is about 6 o’clock and Kintargo’s sky is darkening fast. The three enter the building and something immediately seems off. There are no patrons in the main area and Laria’s halfling workers are nowhere to be found.
The group descends into the storeroom below. As they near the secret entrance leading into the Wasp Nest, they start to hear shouting and giving of orders. The shouts become distinct words as the three enter the Wasp Nest through the secret door.
Once inside they can hear a pair of distinctive voices shouting back and forth.
“...do you think we brought the wall down? It just fell all of a sudden! We were just clearing some boxes when it fell on him.”
Another voice, Laria’s, replies, “I’m not saying you brought the wall down, but a wall just doesn’t fall on its own.”
The first voice replies, “This place is old. Who knows how long that wall’s been on the verge of collapsing? I just hope my team can get to him in time.”
As the three near the place where the voices are coming from, a pale-faced and trembling Rexus walks into the hallway and runs over to the group as soon as he sees them.
“Thank goodness you’ve come!” he says. “I couldn’t stand to be in there another minute. I… I had just come down here to set up a place to study the documents away from prying eyes. Some of the freedom fighters you recruited came as well and started organizing the main room. Next thing I know, there’s a loud crash and people are shouting back and forth to each other. They’ve been trying to dig out one of their own for the better part of an hour now. I’m sure Laria will be eager to see you.”
Rexus leads Didiana, Gilda, and Matiscio into the Wasp Nest’s main room where a scene of chaos is unfolding. Three men and one woman are frantically removing rocks and other debris from a pile that has formed on the ground near where part of one of the room’s walls once stood. Now only dirt and clay form a wall where the collapse took place.
Off to the side, Korva and her sisters look on nervously. Korva in particular paces back and forth, glancing over at the four people working to remove the rubble. It seems as though she wants to help, but there isn’t enough room for more than four people to work on the rubble at the same time.
Laria and the head freedom fighter glance over at the group as they arrive. They both seem desperate for some sort of resolution and look to Didiana, Gilda, and Matiscio for help.
-----
Evander, Gregor, Lia, and Vendalfek make their way through the darkening streets of Kintargo. Crossing back over Bleakbridge, they pass through the Temple Hill district and circle around the Castle district, before finally making their way into Old Kintargo and through the Salt Gate.
The group passes by the Old Harbor by way of the Salt Market before Sallix Salt Works looms in the distance. The gathering, drying, packaging, and resale of Kintargan salt is a thriving business, with Sallix Salt Works being the largest and oldest such business in town.
From a safe distance, the four can see that two guards lean against the front door of the Salt Works, glancing up from a quiet conversation every couple minutes to look around. The front entrance is double-doored. To the right of the main entrance, the Salt Works’ silo sticks into the air. From the group’s current position, they can barely see a second, smaller structure tucked away to the right behind the main structure.
The faerie dragon squints at the Salt Works then says to the rest of the group, as quiet as he can, “Er, those guys out front look suspicious, I think. Maybe? It’s possible, at least.”
"Did anyone else get hurt?" is the first thing Matiscio blurts out as he eyes the scene. Such a collapse didn't surprise him what with the sorry state of this place, but the thought of someone being trapped underneath that rubble makes him ache to put his muscles to use and save the hapless individual.
"Very good, Vendalfek. They do indeed. They also aren't paying particularly close attention to their surroundings. There are also voices behind the main building, although I can't make out what they are saying. Gregor, Lia, is it just me, or do they look like a couple of the CCG thugs from the protest?"
At the signs of chaos in the wake of the collapse and the groups shouting at one another, Gilda sighs.
She starts to open her mouth to let everyone know just what she's thinking, but her decades of experience cause her to stop just short.
She instead nods to herself, certain that Didiana is about to lay into them with her 'bossiness' in a way that Gilda couldn't even hope to approach.
She crosses her arms in anticipation, smiling to herself and giving the assorted 'rebels' a look that seems to say, you all betta' listen up!
"...those bastards look familiar." Lia whispers, her hand moving to the hilt of her rapier. "Good thing they aren't paying too much attention."
"...and I think there's some more people around the back of the building. They're talking too."
“I… I had just come down here to set up a place to study the documents away from prying eyes. Some of the freedom fighters you recruited came as well and started organizing the main room. Next thing I know, there’s a loud crash and people are shouting back and forth to each other. They’ve been trying to dig out one of their own for the better part of an hour now. I’m sure Laria will be eager to see you.”
Better part of an...?
Didiana walked straight past the nobleman into the dusty disarray where the excavation was still in full swing. And then put on her best stern officer voice circumstances allowed.
"You four; back away, now."
Unless the quartet of recruits all had giant blood in their veins, they had to be tired from digging away at rock and dirt for a near hour. Whoever was caught underneath the rubble was not best served with an weakened rescue team.
"You've done your part, you're exhausted. Make room for those rested and ready. We have ten pairs of fresh arms down here. Let's put them to use!"
With Matascio immedietly filling up some of the newly freed space, the armiger looked to the head freedom fighter.
"You too, gabby! You wanted to beat up Thrunies? Well, put those muscles to use now. Fushis! Two of you over here. C'mon!"
While Didiana was ready to get her own hands dirty, she was also perfectly aware of her own strengths and limitations. And while she was no pushover, she knew that most every other person in the room was physically stronger than her. Launching herself front and centre wouldn't help here. Instead she looked to one of the two remaining tengu sisters.
"Treep! Take this." The sorcerer handed her the small bottle of curative drops the group had just found in the ruins of the Silver Star. "Stay behind the others. Be ready to apply this as soon as they pull anyone out. Understand?"
Unsure what to do with herself, Didiana picked up a rock, applied Light to it and positioned herself behind the excavators, trying to give everyone the best possible chance to spot the buried as soon as possible. She hated that playing the role of commandeer was the best she could do in this situation.
Gregor gives Gilda an odd look of working through what she told him, and finds that he can actually see the rationale behind it. He's not sure that he likes the idea that Gilda makes sense to him, but since he's been working with this group, he's learned a few things. The key among these is the fact that there are other ways of encouraging others toward certain actions beyond the methods the Dottari have taught him. "Very well, ... Vendalfek? I look forward to seeing you prove just how stealthy you can be." He gives Gilda a slight nod, indicating that he will get the hang of learning how to get others to work for you outside of fear.
Agreeing with the assessments of the other two, he offers, "It makes sense with the state things are, that they would plus up the Dottari with the aid of these thugs. Loyalists are cheaper, and easier to claim as acting under their own devices if they misstep." He looks at the size of the building, and the height. "Dragonling, how capable are you at both getting a bird's eye view of the site, and recreating a crude map of it for us? 'Lady' and 'Reverend'," It's clear he's using the informal names not out of disrespect, but more for a need for false identities in case they are overheard, "I think we should walk the perimeter, look for any more possible, less visible, entrances." He indicates they move towards the nearest side that they are on.
“No one else hurt. Not that I can tell, anyway,” Laria replies to Matiscio’s question.
Treep nods solemnly as she takes the bottle from Didiana. The tengu seems to take her duty very seriously.
Between Matiscio helping to clear the rubble and Didiana getting things better organized, progress is quickly made. The three men and one woman were apparently very close to uncovering their companion as a few minutes after Matiscio, a couple of the Fushi sisters, and the head freedom fighter begin working on the pile, they uncover a hand. Then an arm. Then the rest of the man. His eyes are closed and his face is pale. He doesn’t appear to be breathing and there’s a large gash on the side of his head.
-----
At the Salt Works, Vendalfek nods in thanks to Evander when he confirms the faerie dragon’s suspicions.
When Gregor asks Vendalfek if he can survey the Salt Works, the dragon nods and says, “I’ll do you one better and give you a dragon’s eye view. I’m not so sure about drawing it for you. I don’t really write or draw or anything.”
After a moment, the faerie dragon flies into the air at Gregor’s behest to survey the place.
The faerie dragon goes completely unnoticed by the guards in front of the Salt Works. In fact, there's a good chance none of the rest of the party see where the faerie dragon went either.
While Vendalfek is gone, the two guards at the doorway are greeted by another set of guards who appear from inside the main building. The two guards outside nod at the newcomers before going inside. While the doors are open, the party catches a glimpse of a cart and part of the area where it looks likes the salt is dried.
A few minutes later, Vendalfek suddenly appears beside the party again. A bit out of breath, he says, "The main building is really just one long place. I couldn't see any doors when I flew overhead, but there was some sort of covered area on the back side between the big building and the little building."
Vendalfek perks up a bit when he says, "But that wasn't the best part. I heard a couple people arguing in that covered area. Sounded like stupid human stuff, but might be worth looking into."
Gregor nods in appreciation at the dragon. Pulling his cloak's hood up, and wrapping it around a little tighter, he suggests "Just once around real quick." He heads toward the east side, hoping to see about this covered space Vendalfek mentioned.
"Thank you, Vendalfek." Evander also pulls the hood of his cloak up and slips along, night falling quickly. "Agreed."
Evander follows Gregor, keeping as to the shadows as possible.
Lia tries to be stealthy...
...keyword here being 'tries'.
Unfortunately, she stubs her toe on a nearby trash bin and yelps.
Matiscio furrows his brow as he observes the man's mortal remains. He then eyes Didiana, catching a glimpse of a hammer and chisel and so his eyes drift away from hers to these tools. Had the man been trying to quite literally undermine their operations? Or what was going on here? Matiscio keeps his mouth shut, waiting for a reaction from either Gilda or Didiana.
Didiana stared down at the newly uncovered corpse. So this was it, huh? The first casualty of the rebellion. She had toyed with the idea before; that some would die working for this operation of theirs. It was inevitable, of course. But she never imagined that it would happen this early. The armiger hoped that his death had been equally swift.
It was good to have alert allies, because while Didiana didn't spot the tools hidden near the collapse, she did catch Matiscio's subtle gesture towards them. Her eyes flew open after realizing their significance. Was it possible that this had been no accident? Had someone been chiseling away at the wall? The implements were hidden away indicating guilt. Guilt for what? Could this collapse even have been intentional? Were they looking at... murder?
Didiana nodded to Matiscio, letting him know that she had understood his intent and, crucially, that they should remain quiet about his find for now. Turning towards the mixed crowd of human, tengus and halfling, she surveyed those gathered. It wouldn't do to jump to conclusions. They needed more information.
Speaking very quietly and very gravely she asked the room, "Who was here at the time of the collapse?"
To whomever affirmed their presence she then simply asked, "What happened?"
Gregor stops in place, making no move in hopes that it doesn't blow the cover of he and Evander. He whispers the only warning he dares, "Lie or flee, do... not.. fight."
Most everyone in the room besides, perhaps, Laria acknowledged the command inherent in Didiana’s words. The five remaining freedom fighters raised their hands, Rexus, and two of the Fushi sisters, Jay and Treep.
The head freedom fighter says, “My name’s Geoni and I was overseeing the moving of some boxes with the rest of my team, Pilori, Morgar, Yarz, Aiala, and the late Bix. We were just sorting that stack of boxes there,” Geoni points toward a stack of boxes near where the wall fell, “when Bix picked up one to move across the room. The wall just fell on him. It happened faster than we could react. The wall and Bix were perfectly fine one moment, then fallen and buried the next.”
-----
The three compatriots do their best to stealthily move toward the east side of the Salt Works. Gregor and Evander move in complete silence. Lia, on the other hand, stubs her toe shortly after moving to join them and lets out of a yelp.
This would have been disastrous were it not for both guards laughing loudly at the exact same time, perhaps at some shared joke. Their laughs completely cover Lia's misstep.
After Gregor’s urgent whisper, Lia hurriedly follows him and Evander the rest of the way to the east side of the Salt Works.
Now on the eastern side of the Salt Works, Evander, Gregor, and Lia can see that the smaller building is completely detached from the larger structure. Through the small gap separating the two buildings, they also see that the covered area Vendalfek referred to is a work yard.
As the group stands on the eastern side of the Salt Works near the gap between the buildings, they can clearly hear an animated conversation taking place between two individuals and can see them as well.
One appears to be a dwarf wearing a belt and shield that both bear the mark of Asmodeus. The other is a human man who looks similar to the guards at the front of the Salt Works.
The human says, “Look, Kossrani, all I’m saying is that we should all be getting a cut. Doesn’t have to be the same amount, but it should be something. We’re all at risk with you skimming off the top. If Thrune finds out, we’ll all be executed.”
The dwarf the man referred to as Kossrani says, “You shut your trap. None of the others know anything about my little side operation. And if you want to continue breathing you’ll shut your mouth and stop asking about getting a cut. It’s my operation, so it’s my profit. That’s the last I’ll speak of it and the last you will too if you’ve got a smidgen of sense. Now go check on the prisoners.”
The man slouches at the dwarf’s words and goes inside a door under the covered area that leads into the main building. Kossrani smiles, looking satisfied with himself, and goes the opposite way. Though the three companions can’t see it happen, it sounds like he opens a door into the smaller building, goes inside, and shuts it behind him.
Lia lets out a breath she didn't realize she was holding.
"...hmm... this Kossrani... I reckon we ought to turn his corruption to our advantage, eh?" She smiles. "What's that old saying? 'Pride goeth before a fall?'"
"Agreed. We need to meet with the others to determine a plan to move forth. Let's go."
Gilda smiles as Didiana lays into the newest members of the rebellion, somehow finding relief that the armiger's ire is directed outward from the group rather than to members within it. How quickly that happened!
"The wall definitely did it.. see here, matches the shape of the rubble and at this angle, unless someone threw it while on stilts... it was the wall. But this rubble.. she holds it up for a moment, leaving a question on the tip of her tongue unanswered."
Gilda checks the man further
"Looks like he might've favored the bottle. Callouses, maybe worked the docks in his youth. Looks like a scar from his childhood below his left eye, maybe from glass.."
Gilda grunts as she finishes her forensic investigation into the man before gesturing at the hammer and chisel.
"Grab those tools, might be we can tell who last used them from marks or impressions on their handles..."
Gilda eyes the motley collection of rebels as she says these words, letting them linger in the air along with her evident skills at identifying the man's assorted injuries and ability to spot a black moth at midnight.
Which one of these jokers is our Nervous Nelly?
She met each of their eyes in turn, giving each a careful scrutinizing stare.
“The wall just fell on him. It happened faster than we could react. The wall and Bix were perfectly fine one moment, then fallen and buried the next.”
"The wall was 'fine'? Did it appear entirely whole? Did any of you notice cracks, faults, anything of that nature?"
As she addressed the whole group, hoping to hear from everyone present at the collapse, Didiana wondered if it was possible that the boxes the team moved had been the only thing holding up said wall.
"We must ensure that nothing like this happens again. Have you observed anything unusual at all?"
The armiger strained herself to make her words seem as non-accusatory as possible, an effort almost certainly ruined by Gilda's bluff.
Gregor nods, the only agreement needed while scouting, and turns to return to their current hideout with the others.
Evander, Gregor, and Lia leave by going around the back of the Salt Works to avoid the guards in front entirely. Shortly after they leave, Vendalfek rejoins them.
The faerie dragon looks excited as he says, “Are you going back to your base now? And can I come?”
-----
Gilda is quite certain the man is dead, but also that he didn’t suffer. His death was quick and as painless as it could be.
Gilda and Didiana both survey those who were present when the wall collapsed. Geoni and the other freedom fighters all seem genuinely perplexed and upset about what happened. None of them seem deceitful with their words.
Neither Gilda nor Didiana are able to get a read on Rexus. Just looking at him, he seems troubled, but it's difficult to say about what. Of those who were present for the collapse, he is certainly the largest enigma.
The Fushi sisters, Jay and Treep, similar to Geoni and his crew, seem perplexed about the situation. They don't seem as upset as the others, but that's likely because they weren't as close to Bix as the other freedom fighters.
Geoni clears his throat before responding to Didiana's questions. "Like I said, it was fine one moment and not fine the next. I don't mean to be rude when I say this, but I don't make it a habit to examine walls. I like to think they're sturdy as a general rule.
"And, no. I haven't seen anything unusual. Though we haven't been here long, so that doesn't mean much."
The other freedom fighters, Rexus, and Jay and Treep also shake their heads to indicate they haven't seen anything unusual either.
Evander smiles and says, "We are. And since you've been fairly useful, I see no reason why you couldn't come. But you have to keep it a secret, and you can't tell anyone. Or talk about it outside."
Matiscio tries to divert the discussion, but his voice falters halfway through when he notices that opening his mouth makes all the others look at him. Speaking in public had never been his forte.
"Perhaps it is best if we change our focus from the wall to our fallen comrad.."
Gilda twists her nose at the walls that remain around them while glancing up at the ceiling.
"Be mindful of the walls and ceiling then. Looks like we'll need to recruit a structural engineer next. Or consider a sturdier place to conduct business."
She allows her eyes to linger on Rebel Rex for the briefest of moments as she tries to work out the feeling she just got about the aristocrat. She doesn't imagine him getting his hands dirty with a chisel.
She turns to Didiana.
"Looks like we'll need some more acid."
Gregor nods, begrudgingly, at the little dragon. "You have shown tonight that your skills could come in handy. We just need to find something to keep you working, so you being bored doesn't become an issue."
"Come on, Vendalfek. Let's go back to base." Lia smiles at the faerie dragon. "Maybe I could show you some of my political cartoons that I've been working on? They're all making fun of Barzillai Thrune and his cronies."