Ismene adds her voice to Lady Pride's outcry. "Yeah! And what about the Goblinblood Wars? Asmodeus is Isger's Inheritor!"
"Don't look at me," says Cimri, shrugging, in response to the discussion of the donkey cart. "Animals and I don't really get along."
"I don't think it's fashionable at all," says Lacall to Muziel. "The Angel Knight's helmet should be safe with us. I don't know whether she's an actual angel or not, but whatever she is, she's proof that the corrupt business as usual cannot last forever."
As the rest of you start joining in, the two brothers start to get even more defensive. "Peace at the price of oppression is not a fair trade," says Loran.
"Abusive authorities are not proper," adds Lacall directly to Amanda. "Security from outside forces is worthless when the inside forces are worse. You twist words and their meanings until they don't make sense anymore."
"Asmodeus usurps, he does not inherit," says Loran to Ismene. "But we are neither the message, nor the messengers. If you wish to look at the message, do so. Otherwise, please be on your way in peace and may Iomedae's grace go with you."
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Amanda scoffs at Lacall's response and says, "And you think that our outside enemies will stand idly by as you lead Cheliax to tear itself apart from within? You preach of freedom but follow only the ideals of foreign lands. How do we not know you aren't working for those fool Andorians who so envy our vast empire and would jump at the chance at claiming new lands. Or those rebels from Galt still looking for a fight after ripping itself from the rule of law. For Cheliax to remain strong it must be strong within and without. The nation may not survive another civil war if this Glorious Rebellion has its way."
After his song Nikolai waits for an angry retort, what he would expect in court. When it doesn't come he is surprised. When Sister Ismene begins to chant, he will add his voice to it with come conviction. "Asmodeus! Asmodeus!Asmodeus!"
Kolaiah gestures to Penelope, "let's do this quickly, while they keep the brothers busy." He moves towards the pitch wagon.
Penelope shrugs and will go to the wagon. Looking to see if anyone notices them near the wagon.
"Light it and let's move, once the fire starts we should be away from the wagon and ready to snatch the helmet."
If she doesn't notice anyone watching her, which she probably won't with that roll, she'll dig her dagger into a barrel til it starts leaking, letting it pool, then release a little of the fire inside her to lick the blade.
Touch it to the tar and back away quickly.
The chanting of Asmodeus' name doesn't really catch on with what's left of the crowd, but it does make many of those who've sttayed to decide that this is a place that they'd rather not remain, further dispersing the people.
The two brothers decide that they've said their piece, and stop responding to the rhetoric being levied against them, standing in an uncomfortable silence instead. Meanwhile, on Seward Street, the neglected donkey cart starts to kindle, then quickly erupts fully into flames.
The donkey brays loudly and tries to run from the fire toward the church square, but pulls the source of its panic with it. The animal makes it to the middle of the square before succumbing to the heat and collapsing, causing the burning cart to crash and turn into a quickly escalating conflagration. The sounds of screaming, fleeing townspeople fills the square. The sheriff and her deputies strugle to figure out what do do and what caused this sudden catastrophe. Loran and Lacall start repeatedly casting create water to try to put out the flames.
Wow, that can't have been an accident! thinks Muziel. Noticing that the brothers are distracted, Muziel tries to snatch the helmet!
He then gets the heck out of dodge, moving away as quickly as possible and trying to find a place to make himself unseen.
Penelope will get back to her "employers". Sure is pretty she sighs, firelight reflecting in her eyes.
Kolaiah watched as Muziel snatched the helmet. To no one in particular, Kolaiah states, "Storing such quantities of flammables in such a carefree fashion is inviting disaster. There should be laws about this sort of thing!" He turns away from the flames and walks away with a smile on his face.
On his way back, Kolaiah will pray to the Prince of Locusts, in his aspects covering Catastrophe and Loss, "Lord of Pestilence, I pray that you found the mayhem back there to your liking, I can only apologize that I had no way of striking the Iomedaeans down with a disease, but I shall keep at it."
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Nikoali stops chanting as the fire erupts. "This bores me now. Are we done?" He says to Cimri yawning tiredly. "I do hope I can afford a carriage after this, my shoes are getting worn and my feet look 10 years older. "
Nikoali sees Muziel steal the helmet Greed indeed. and keeps an eye open for anyone that might be pursuing him.
Well, we've insulted people, set a massive fire, and stolen something... back home then?
"Not a bad day's work!"
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Amanda nods and says, "Yes I believe we've done our part and suitably embarrassed the Paladins. I shall return to the inn and then meet up with you to close out the assignment. Well done everyone."
And with that she leaves, goes back to the inn, changes out back into her gear and packs away the courtier garb, grabs her things and then heads off to meet with the rest of the party at the meeting point.
"Yeah, we're done," says Cimri as she also makes a hurried departure from the area. "You all know where to meet up," she reminds people. "I'll see you there!"
Upon returning to the Ash House and heading upstairs Razelago is waiting for you behind his screen. His shadow once again resolves itself from that of his chair. Cimri gives a detailed report of the sermon and the events following, including the theft of the helmet. Razelago chuckles, his shadow on the screen clasping its hands.
"That's a more dramatic move than I'd expect from a country priestess. I admit I'm impressed. Tileavia Allomar might be more interesting than I thought. It's this 'Angel Knight' and her helmet which has me most curious, though. I've heard rumors of the Glorious Reclamation, an overzealous mob of Iomedaean fanatics calling for a nationwide revolution, as if there was any hope of that. Still, Archbaron Fex should find this information valuable.
"In any case, you've done well and I applaud your initiative and outspoken loyalty on behalf of the Archbaron. You'll find the payment we agreed upon in its usual place in the parlor when you return downstairs. I shouldn't have any more work for you today, but if things go as I expect there will be some first thing tomorrow morning."
Nikolai rubs his hands with anticipation."Thank you my lord. I shall take my payment and retire for the evening." Nikolai does just that and has his valet prepare him a bath and do minor cleanup around his room. "Festus, when I first acquired this room I made a comment to the proprietor about performing here. At the time I was only half serious, but I think it might be a good idea. Can you set up an appointment with her to discuss it if she is interested? Hopefully my little performance today might have wetted some appetites, but either way I need to perform. There has to be some place in this dreadful town where people seek entertainment. "
Penelope will look in the chest, hoping dinner is also there.
"Let's see the helmet Muziel. Do you suppose it is magical?"
"I have to say, that was a lot of fun! Can't wait for the next job!" Muziel heads downstairs while holding his prized helmet, turning it from side to side. "So, what do y'all think this is worth?" . He hands it off to whomever is interested.
Convening downstairs, Ismene pulls Cimri aside. "What'd Sheriff Staelish want this time? Does she suspect anything about last night's job?"
"It is awful lucky that fire started when it did, I sure hope not too many people were injured or killed in the chaos!" Kolaiah gives Penelope a meaningful stare.
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Amanda says to Cimri, "It was my pleasure to help in kicking down those Imeodeans a few pegs and doing my part to turn people from rebelling against the proper order of this land. Still I would have preferred to have arranged the death of both of those righteous bastards. They will be trouble in the future, mark my words. Righteous Rebels cannot be bartered with, they should be cut out like the cancer that they are before they fester. When they raise blades against the authority of this country, I will be among the first to see that they they are dealt with harshly. Better still if we can take them alive so I can torture them personally."
Amanda gives a sadistic grin on her face, imagining the torments she'll inflict on these righteous fools.
"Hehe, that's a good one, Koliah!" says the gnome, more confident than ever that the fire was no accident. "Let's go see if there's dinner!" Muziel searches with Penelope for some delicious food.
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"Amanda, I do not intend to stifle your creative intent with respect to the brothers, but I will caution you. They are not inconsequential entities. They are both imbued with the power of their deity, and are not novices in exercising it. Either one of them would be a stout opponent, and together, well, together the whole would likely be greater than the sum of the parts. In short, let us not be rash in how we deal with those two."
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Amanda nods to Kolaiah, "Indeed I agree they are not inconsequential Kolaiah and thus something should be done about them. Still you are right that caution should be taken and we should not rush into a direct confrontation. Still by their own words they have shown their Treason and if we can get some "evidence" that can prove their outright sedition to Asmodean Disciplines we could see them in chains before they cause bloody war in the streets. As tolerant as the laws to their ilk are in this city, Treason is still an inexcusable offence."
Razelago's shadow once again merges with that of his chair as everyone leaves. Downstairs, the chest contains the payment promised: 200gp for everyone. No gifts or food this time, though, just cash.
"Oh, you know how she is," Cimri responds to Sister Ismene, with a wry grin. "She suspects me of having a hand in anything around here. We've got some seriously fast and fancy talkers in this group, though. I don't think she suspects anything about it anymore." She grabs the pouch set for her. "We keep makin' bank like this, this town won't hold us for long, though!"
"I shall speak to her at once, sir," says Festus nodding deferentially. "I believe most in this town seek their amusements at the Last Stand Tavern, though they currently already have a house performer. A young man by the name of Riley Kels, I believe. I don't know much about him, as I don't frequent the establishment much, myself."
Festus departs allowing you to enjoy your bath. He returns some time later. "Madam Cembers was particularly open to the idea of you performing, as early as this evening if you are so inclined, sir," he reports. "It seems that there's rumors spreading quickly around town about you, concerning your wit and loyalty to the Archbaron. I'm sure she was more interested in the latter. She's been trying to get Lord Fex to visit for as long as she's been running this place. She offered to pay you a flat two gold, plus commission on any business it brings in."
Nikolai held his tongue last time, but this trend needs to stop. "Cimri, I can't help but notice that the last two jobs you have been paid considerably more than us. I can understand for the first job as you arranged our coming together, but if we are to remain a team I believe we need to renegotiate our contracts."
"Excellent Festus, sounds like you just got a raise. I will give you the 2 gold flat fee I was offered. Thank you for arranging this. The Last Stand Tavern? Sounds...common. Still I should appraise the local competition I suppose. Tell Madam Cembers I will be performing here starting tomorrow night barring any unforeseen business. In the morning pay the remainder of the balance for our carriage. I will not hire a driver yet, you have proven most capable I am sure you can drive a carriage. I am going to this Last Stand Tavern tonight to see what this Riley Kels is about. I feel I should extend an invitation to my compatriots, I hope they can behave themselves." Nikolai returns to the Ash House after his bath to invite his fellow Sins to join him at the Last Stand Tavern.
Muziel hadn't noticed that Cimri was being paid more. Nor did it particularly bother him.
Muziel spends much of the rest of the day trying to find a time when the upstairs room did not seem occupied. If he could get a sense of when it was empty, Muziel intends to sneak upstairs and find a good place to hide the small mirror from the grooming kit he just bought so that next time they're summoned for a mission, he can get a view of the figure behind the screen.
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Penelope listens to Kolaiah and Amanda argue for a bit, then announces I'm grabbing something to eat. Muziel, you want anything? since he seems otherwise occupied with something and looks like he might forget the basics. She'll head out to the nearest not quite a hole, devour something mostly rare, drink a bit, then head back.
Muziel feels his stomach growl as Penelope mentions something to eat. "Oh yeah, food! If you find some, bring back some pie. I could really use something sweet. Promise I'll pay you back!" Muziel's mouth was salivating at the thought.
As the gnome waits for the right moment, he starts to pace back and forth, occasionally conjuring small gusts of wind to ruffle nearby objects. Perhaps it was a nervous twitch?
"Speaking of food, I am going to to the Last Stand Tavern to see this Riley Kels play. We can get the greedy little guy some pie also." Nikolai says interrupting Penelope.
"That's most generous of you, sir," Festus says, graciously. "I'll give madam Cembers the good news while you're out, and make sure to have the carriage ready and waiting for whenever you choose to go out tomorrow. Enjoy your evening, sir."
"Razelago really doesn't like discussing the money aspect," Cimri says, with a longer face than is normally characteristic of her. "But you guys were great today, and really helped keep my nosy aunt off my back. I really would hate to have any bad blood between us, so how about I give each of you twenty-five from my own cut to make things more even? I know it's not an exact split so I'll buy you all a round at the Last Stand, too."
Those of you heading to the Last Stand find colorful wooden shields and weathered antlers hanging upon the deck girdling the rustic building. Overhead, a sign carved with crenelations bears the name, with the 'L' and the 'T' formed by painted, green-fletched arrows. The inside is decorated much the same as the outside. A small stage rises to the left of the bar. Riley Kels, a blonde-haired young man with a salacious grin is sitting on a stool and singing a bawdy song and accompanying himself on a lute. Several in the crowd are singing along. Behind the bar, Bolgart Caggan, a large, simple-looking, red-headed man is keeping the drinks flowing, and liberally sampling his own stuff as well. Several waitresses are go between the bar, the back room and the tables keeping the guests supplied with food and drink.
"This place is the best," says Cimri, enthusiastically. "You guys find a table, and I'll be back with a drink for everyone."
Nikolai whispers "Very common, crowd singing? Oh joy, just the thing to go with my watered down horse urine they call ale. A lute player, gawd could it get more cliché." Nikolai is his usual cheery self as he sits and listens to the Riley Kels play.
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Amanda says, "I suppose a meal would not be too much of an indulgence. I will go there once I've gathered what is due."
After saying her peace takes her share of the money and heads off to the Last Stand to take part in the activities there. She joins the party at some tables and waits for the drink that is going to arrive.
Kolaiah will accompany the group out for food and beverage.
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Ismene gladly accompanies the others to the Last Stand. She and Cimri are regulars, as are many of the townsfolk, what with it being the only decent watering hole in town. The Arch and Lark was expensive and stuffy, just like its clientele, but the Last Stand was always good for a drink (and a brawl if you were lucky). Picking a seat with a decent view of the stage, she flags down a wench. "What's a Sister got to do to get a bowl o' stew around here?"
Waiting on drinks and food, Ismene joins in the sing-along chorus, pounding on the table in time with the tune, paying no mind to Nikolai's grumbling.
"Good idea about the Last Stand! You all go on ahead, I'll catch up with you after I take a break here." Given that he's pacing, it's not at all clear that he really intends to take a break. In truth, Muziel is quite pleased that most of the others are conveniently leaving before he does his bit of sneaking.
Once the party is gone and he goes upstairs, Muziel slips the mirror in a discrete location, so he'll have a pretty good view of the guy when the group is standing in their normal spot. He sees if he can see anything right now.
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With the deed done, Muziel catches up to the rest of the party. He pulls up a chair and looks for a hard object to add as a booster seat on the chair. He then tires to get the attention of a tavern wench. "Hey pretty lady, can I get a pie? Apple or berry pie would be delicious. And how about some milk, too!" He looks around to see if there were others of short stature at the Last Stand that he might talk to.
Cimri joins everyone at the table with a waitress beinging a tray with ales for everyone. She takes orders from those of you who want food and returns several minutes later with a bowl of stew for Sister Ismene and some berry pie and milk for Muziel. As far as other small folk go, there are a trio of halflings sitting at one of the tables, two female and one male, but no Gnomes are in sight.
The crowd reacts with confusion to Nikolai's operatic interlude. Kels seems to take it in stride, though, and takes the opportunity to swap his lute for a fiddle, which he tunes quietly during the performance between drinks from his own mug of ale on the floor next to him. When the finale is finished, there's a smattering of polite applause and Kels speaks up.
"You've got a good set of pipes on you, my friend," he says, grinning. "I'd wager that you're a long way from home, by your taste." There's some light chuckling throughout the crowd. "Well, my fancy friend, this song goes out just for you!" He starts stomping his foot and singing along while some people in the crowd stomp or clap along, eventually joining himself by sawing on the fiddle.
"Just as I assumed, not a cultured man in the whole place. I believe I have realized my calling. Asmodeus has sent me to force taste down these yocals throats. So be it." Nikolai says to himself and smiles with a wry grin formulating a plan to bring a level of elitism to Longacre.
Pffff.... halflings thinks Muziel. He never did like them very much, and he likes them even less after recent events. Even though they may have inadvertently helped him out. Instead, he very much enjoys his pie and milk, and indulges some curiosity while he's at it. "Hey, Cimri? When did you start to work for Razelago? And how were you first introduced to him?"
"I only started working for him a few days before I recruited you all for that first job," Cimri answers, shrugging. "I'd been squatting in the ash house for a few weeks, to get out from under Aunt Rhona's thumb you know, and one night as I was stumbling back drunk I noticed there was a light coming from upstairs. I went to check it out, and that when I met him in that 'office' of his. Not sure why he was there, but he offered to pay me for some extra-legal fun and I figured I found my ticket out of this dump of a town."
When Nikolai starts belting opera, Ismene rolls her eyes. Read the room, Sarini! But the chorus is surprisingly catchy, and she finds herself humming along by the third verse. When the song is over, she begins clapping, but quickly stops when nobody else in the room joins in. "Hey fancypants, you ever hear any Isgeri battle hymns?"
Nikolai considers Sister Ismene's question as he takes a small sip of the poorly crafted spirit offered at the Last Stand.
"Ah yes, General Henderthane once got drunk at an assembly and began chanting one about the Goblinblood wars. Not the best display, but perhaps I can recall some of it, give me a moment."
(+11 vs. members of Chelish aristocracy), Nikolai begins to sing -To the Hilt
"I only started working for him a few days before I recruited you all for that first job," Cimri answers, shrugging. "I'd been squatting in the ash house for a few weeks, to get out from under Aunt Rhona's thumb you know, and one night as I was stumbling back drunk I noticed there was a light coming from upstairs. I went to check it out, and that when I met him in that 'office' of his. Not sure why he was there, but he offered to pay me for some extra-legal fun and I figured I found my ticket out of this dump of a town."
Muziel begins to twirl his mustache, something he tended to do when pondering deeply on a topic. "Did you ever go upstairs before then, or was it your first time? Did anyone know you were crashing at the Ash House?"
*Edit* - "Also, did Razelago seem to just know things about you? He seems to know a lot more about me than I ever expected!" Muziel, after all, did not widely share information about his magical powers; indeed, he hadn't had a reason to do much other than flutter a few papers around at the Ash House for amusement!
* * *
Muziel doesn't know anything about battle songs, but is pretty excited as Nikokai sings the tune! Seemed a lot more fun than that Chelish opera stuff. He tries to sing along. . But he sounds screechy, off-key, and keeps getting the words wrong. And to think, he hadn't even had any alcohol!