The other two guards move in to help dispatch the rats while the sergeant takes in Digger's words. He moves to pull a horn from his belt, but seems hesitant, his brain trying to decide what action to take at this news.
The two women with bows call out to guards, "They're not real, just an illusion." One of the guards having just stabbed one clean through to no effect turns back to the sergeant, "It's true. Someone is playing a trick."
The two women start moving around the pool, one points an accusing finger at Digger. "It must have been her... him. We saw him change when... before she started shouting." The confusion in the women's talk has left the sergeant off balance mentally and he is slow to react to the information.
Drewan, hearing the commotion behind him, pauses and looks back. Of course, something had to go wrong... He keeps an eye on the situation, in case he needs to intervene.
I check the door.
Digger looks sorely confused but still upset. "I have no idea what they're talking about ...but you must hurry! The butcher!"
The first has a thick cloak pulled over his shoulders, the hood pulled up close hiding his features from the light, though pucks black and white dark vision notes several white lines tattooed into the mans face running vertically from the top of his head crossing his eyes and down into his chest. Webbed hands mark him as an undine. He walks with an easy and casual stride. On his back is strapped a siangham, one of the eastern style of weapons.
The second is a young girl, perhaps 12. A dingy pink bow tied into her hair. And a dirt smudge dresses covers her body.
The last is a half-elven male. He is dressed in a breastplate with a heavy shield strapped across his back and a heavy mace at his hip. A symbol of some kind hangs from a chain at his neck, though Puck does not recognize it.
"Sergeant we should go lend our aid." calls out one of the men, his voice anxious.
The sergeant turns and starts to speak, then stops himself. He cocks an ear slightly, listening for... something. His eyes narrow. "I'm going to ask you to come with me miss while we figure this out." The sergeant extends a hand towards Digger gesturing that she come with him towards the guard house.
The guard who spoke before speaks up again, his voice still anxious, "Sergeant?"
The two women watch this entire exchange in silence.
I cast detect magic to see if the paper with the seal is magic.
If it's not magic, I'll grab it, stick it in my pack and leave quickly.
If it is magic, I'll just leave quickly without touching anything else.
"Maybe you guys ARE in the mages pocket! If you're not going to help, I am!" Digger bolts off towards the aforementioned tavern at top speed.
Dev smiles at Ivora while waiting for her to get a Bard Scroll of Silence.
Digger bolts suddenly, heading south and east.
"Hey wait... blast it. Men after her."
Dev hands over the money and takes the scroll. "Thanks."
Not having anything else to stay for, he heads to the nearest tavern to gather information.
I head off in the last direction I saw Rocosmia going, and go to the predetermined meet up point.
The sergeant is right on Digger's heels as he runs towards the south street. He draws his blade as he gives chase. His underlings are slower to react though and lag behind.
Several people in the street, hearing the shouting, stop to watch the scene unfolding.
"Help! Rape! Rape! He's not really city guard!"
Angry faces appear in the crowd starting to form to the south, though soon the two women with bows from the wash area join the crowd, having moved into the street from another alleyway.
"What?", bellows the sergeant. "You are under arrest and are to come with me quietly." He makes a clumsy grab for Digger as the other guards run up from behind.
The appearance of additional city guard behind the sergeant causes mixed reactions from the crowd, many turning way, though a few give angry shouts, "Leave her be man."
Hazan exits the guardhouse, the sealed letter in a pocket, and meets up with Rocosmia and Jake. Dev also soon joins them with the scroll of silence in hand.
I wonder how Candarel and Sisani are doing.
"Hey, folks," Dev says, beaming at his group. This seems extremely unusual for him since as far as you've met him, he's been quiet and stoic. Perhaps he's just playing up his disguise? You've never seen him expose so much skin before or hear his voice so cheerful. "Going back, yeah?"
Jake as been hanging out on the streets in the morning listening to conversations and generally gathering information (particularly looking for who will be at the council meeting).
He will then head to the Crow before everyone else is due back. Jake welcomes Roco when she arrives, "Is all well with you?"
She looks to Jake with a curious expression, clearly brought out of her thoughts. "Yes, of course. Ah, we got what we needed, so Drewan should be bringing them in soon." She looks to Dev, his seemingly unusual cheer rather unexpected. She smiles, though only in a friendly manner. "Did something brighten your day? A girl or a gold coin on the street?"
She recovers from her introspection -- something dangerous for Rocosmia to do too much of, lest she grow restless and discontent.
"Nope," Dev says, making a popping sound as his mouth shapes itself over the 'p'.
Hazan enters the Crow, and walks directly to the bar and orders a drink. Once it arrives he looks around and spots his new companions. He turns to the barkeep and asks that a round of drink be brought to the group, then heads over smiling.
Hello again, friends. Has everything gone well so far?
As Puck moves about the shop nothing seems to be out of order. The back of the room contains a couple of boxes with a few supplies in them. Paper, a small cooking stove and a pot, and other odds and ends.
Master Liam, seventh seat of the council is expected to be there of course, he frequently runs these public meetings. There doesn't seem to be a consensus on who else will be in attendance among the mage council, though typically only three of the seven attend.
The most likely suggests it will be from among Master Veray, first seat of the council, Masters Akeli, third seat of the council, and Torenest, fourth seat of the council.
Among the merchants guild it is believed House Sorrin and House di Alkanov, the two most powerful merchant houses plan to be in attendance, an uncommon occurrence indeed.
The tavern is nearly empty at this early time of day.
A balding man smoking a pipe sits in a booth slowly sipping at a drink.
A woman with a low cut blouse busies herself using a rag to wipe down mugs behind the bar.
The bartender gives each of the group a small nod as they enter the tavern. But then he gives almost everyone who enters the tavern a nod.
With a round of drinks ordered by Hazan a somewhat plain serving girl wearing glasses carries the mugs over to the table.
"We probably should get a private room again"
Digger runs faster than he ever has before, hoping to find a crowd to get lost in.
The sergeant lunges for Digger as he takes off into a run, trying to club him with the hilt of his blade.
Digger takes a bruising blow behind one shoulder, propelling him forward as he dashes away. The crowd falls back a step making way for him as he passes. Then starts to scatter as the guards come barreling through right behind with blades in hand, one man is knocked to the ground as the sergeant plows into him, slowing him down.
A mixed babble of voices from the guards echo's off the walls of the nearby buildings.
"Stop her."
"Out of the way fools."
"Cover the alleys."
The two women with bows from the wash area also join in the chase, having taken a different alley to reach the street. Both draw arrows and take a shot.
Ahead at the intersection of the two roads is a slightly larger crowd of people as commoners, merchant's and others head in various directions. Heads turn to the west as the sound of the commotion.
At a request for a private room the serving girl escorts those waiting around to a back dining room. "Would you like lunch served now?" she asks.
Taking his time to look around the shop only one thing catches his eye. Underneath the front counter is a shelf. A few odds and ends rest of the shelf, but what catches his eye is a place in the wood where the coloring is different. A box once sat there, 8 inches wide and six inches deep.
Drewan, realizing that Digger isn't likely to get away unaided, sighs. Guess this is gonna have to get ugly. He stands and fires two arrows at the guards, then runs northwest, hoping to draw the guards into a chase across the rooftops.
"Yes, please," Dev says, smiling at the girl. He waits until she disappears before turning to look at the others. "Didn't manage to get a Scroll of Dimensional Anchor. Ivora won't be able to have one until tomorrow, and by then it would be far too late."
He flies out of the shop (careful to check noone is watching) and locks the door behind him. Assuming there is still time he'll head back to murder site and search it carefully.
"That's alright I suspect the silence will be enough. Rocosmia can you cast it from the scroll? Jake asks.
"Let me see it." A quick glance at its lines is all she needs. "No problem, and a good job getting this one."
She rolls it up and stashes it away. "So, do we have someone picked out?" She tries to sound optimistic.
"Master Liam will be there and probably two from Masters Veray, Akeli, and Torenest. Rumours suggest House Sorrin and House di Alkanov, the two most powerful merchant houses plan to be in attendance which is unusual and will probably increase security." Jake replies.
Digger darts towards the crowd, shifting his features quickly while running through.
While we're on the subject of scrolls, I managed to lift this from the guard house your noisy companion managed to empty. Haven't met him yet but he does good work.
Hazzan pulls out the scroll and opens it.
Let's see if anything on this is usefull to us.
To Jake, "Master Liam might be the least cautious, if he's sure to be there. Do you have anything to go on to choose any of them in particular? I don't want to mess this up and just injure a man."
Gently pulling and turning the scroll toward her, she peers at it as she breaks the seal and unrolls it. "Probably a muster or arrest order... might be handy. Let's see what you've got here."
Anything known about their particular skills and abilities and probably more importantly to Jake their reputation for fairness or cruelty.(Feel free to take first roll for the lot if you think that is more appropriate)
Anything about what interests they have and important members
Puck would have told Jake by now what he saw last night does Jake recognise any one or know about the shop.
Standing from his crouched position where he has been hiding on the rooftops Drewan unleashes two arrows with deadly aim at Digger's pursuers. Both guardsman tumble to the ground and lie unmoving. Shouts and screams erupt from the common folk, panic setting in.
"Take cover." shouts the sergeant.
The street before Digger is almost instantly clear of all people, as the crowds vanish around corners and side alleys, the only ones remaining those to old to move swiftly or who the confusion hasn't worn off of yet.
The sergeant and two remaining guards take cover next to the edge of the building Drewan is standing on while the two women continue in Diggers direction but duck down an alley to the south. The sergeant sheaths his blade and pulls a short bow off his back.
"Yes sir" the serving woman gives Dev a curt nod then departs.
The document Hazan lifted from the guardhouse is written in common.
"Captain Kaleg:
Evidence so far regarding the murders of two nights ago continues to point to some internal power struggle with criminal elements.
Efforts should continue to be directed towards finding additional information on the perpetrators.
All watch patrols during night hours should remain on high alert with patrol groups doubling up."
Master Liam is at times absent minded and is frequently seen visting the library researching some subject or another. He has an interest in history, but is knowledgeable on a broad range of topics and is able to address a broad spectrum of issues as they come up at these public meetings, often quoting from memory various historical accounts, philosophers, and teachers as a means of bringing understanding and perspective to current day problems. Master Liam is human, and age is beginning to catch up with him.
Master Veray has only been on the council for a few years, so his position as the head of the council surprised many people. He is very rarely seen in public, and many speculate he does not spend much time at the tower itself. Not much more is known about him. Master Veray is also human, early forties in age, slightly overweight, and his face frequently portrays cheer and kindness when he is in public.
Master Akeli is a half-elven woman. Her skills in the arcane arts are of a different sort than many in the tower, a summoner of natural talent. In her public appearances she is often stern, letting little emotion escape from her face. She spends most of her time inside the tower in her work.
Master Torenest is well renowned for his skills as a battle-mage, a magus, blending magic and steel into a deadly art. An imposing figure standing at 6'5", blonde hair which he wears long, and a sharpness of intellect that defies his bulky stature. He often works in diplomatic negotiations with neighboring countries.
House Sorrin has many business interests throughout the empire and many neighboring nations. If there is something for sale, the Sorrin's probably have a finger in the pie. The Sorrin family makes their home on the Ioso islands, said to be a large estate with numerous servants, rivaling the kings and queens of smaller nations. Cal and Ideni Sorrin are nearing their fifties, and when gossip among locals includes the Sorrin's there is often talk of a daughter who has run away from home.
House di Alkanov is tied closely with another merchant house, the Murdochs. These two houses have a long history together and share in a large number of business deals. A few of the di Alkanov's rivals have run into accidents which has led to a few rumors, but substantial proof of any kind has never been brought to light.
Of the three people Puck witnessed there was nothing in their manner or looks to distinguish them from others of their respective races.
The fruit shop itself belongs to one Lady Yisa and is one of several such shops scattered about the city. Her shops are known for having fresh fruits of all variety nearly all year round but are otherwise unremarkable.
Drewan sighs when he sees the guards go down. Hope they can get them patched up...if not, I guess I'll hear about it. Then, aloud, "Greetings from the Thieves' Guild! Stay out of our business, or you'll be next!"
With that, he runs straight north, leaping over the 20' gap to the next building, and continuing to leap from building to building until he is thoroughly out of sight. Then, he will hide and make his way west to the rendezvous point.
"Gods! Madmen! Madmen everywhere! Thieves and fake sergeant and butchers ...Gods help this poor city!" Digger flees.
As Drewan heads northeast across the building tops, as he does so the three guards step out from behind the wall, launching a volley of arrows at him. By some misfortune one of them grazes him, not much more than a scratch though. He easily moves from building to building though, leaving the guards behind, unable to follow easily, there shouts fading in the distance.
Digger quickly turns north at the intersection, merging into the crowd fleeing the area, blending in as one of them.
The meeting will start a little before sundown, leaving another five hours to plan, rest, or make other preparations. It is expected to last several hours into the night.
The entrance to the library lies on the west side of the building, a half circle with two doors on the northwest and southwest edges of the circle. A large reflecting pool sits outside the library.
On the inside a large set of ornate double doors leads into a chamber where clerks will help direct those coming to the library to the correct section depending on what they are looking for. Four large bronze statues sit in each corner of this inner entryway.
Another set of double doors leads out on the east side into the main hallway of the library. The hallway is open all the way up all three floors of the structure. Balcony walkways on the second and third floor overlook the hallway.
Doors on the east and west sides of the hallway lead into chambers filled with shelves and thousands of books. One room on the east side contains tables and chairs where visitors may sit down to read in quiet. Large stained glass windows in all the rooms allow in plenty of light during the day, and sun rods are also placed in each room to give illumination at night.
At the south end of the hallway is a wide set of stairs leading to the second and third floors. These two floors are much like the first.
The north end of the hallway opens into a large meeting room where the public meetings are held. A pulpit of sorts will be set up at the east end, and the entire room will be filled with chairs. The front two rows of chairs will have tables set before them where more honored dignitaries, the merchant's guild members and other notably public figures, will be seated. With the recent murders in Coran, news of The Butcher, and other rumors floating about town it is expected to be a packed meeting. All members of the public are welcome to attend as space permits, and the pulpit will be open, as time permits, for anyone to speak their concerns.
Beyond the third floor the clock tower rises another 30'. Stained glass windows of an angelic being wielding a flaming sword portrayed on each side.
The library itself has about a dozen guards on duty at any given point in time. During the public meeting it is expected about a dozen city guard will also be in the meeting hall, and perhaps a dozen more keeping close watch in the vicinity. These would be expected to disperse once the crowds are gone.
The north, east, and south sides of the library are surrounded by flower gardens and shade trees. Walking paths through the gardens allow for easy movement through the area. A 5' tall hedge surrounds the outer edge of the gardens.
To the west of the library are several temples, each trying in their own way to compete with the magnificence of the library, but all falling short of it. Immediately west is a temple of Irori. To the south is a temple of Nethys. And behind the temple or Irori is a temple to Shelyn, a large garden park to the south of this third temple, tended by the priests and monks of Shelyn.
South of the temple of Shelyn is the headquarters of the Mithral Rose. An order of paladins who collectively represent the various good and lawful aligned deities, but have banded together to increase their influence in the region.
A street to the north of the library runs east to west, a number of larger homes lining the north side of the street.
On the east side of the library are a number of large estates surrounding a park with trees and fountains. Large luxuriant homes surround the park, owned by wealthy merchant's and retired adventurer's. All of these homes have a few personal guard.
"Thanks for the assist, Drewan. Hell of a marksman."
Dev listens intently and seems to express much interest when Master Akeli is mentioned. "I'm fine with whoever we target," he says in between bites of his lunch. "But we haven't much time until the meeting now. We should decide when to attack and how we'll go about it and move soon."
Dev leaves for a bit, carrying a change of clothes after he demolishes his meal. When he returns, he's donning his usual outfit, hood masking his features again. "Have we decided on a plan?"