Shinon frowns and looks at the other corpse. "This guy's a criminal. I can hardly approve of vigilante justice when it's seven on one, but still. They weren't robbing him, or silencing him, or anything like that. At least, not unless they were working with him. So it's either they're criminals and they didn't want him competing with them, he knew something and they wanted to shut him up, or...they were killing him to keep the streets safe."
Duncan begins lightly slapping the Tiefling's cheeks. The option SHOULD revive him,were he alive, but Duncan casts stabilize anyway.
Don't be dying. Yer either worth living or ye're a bastard o Erebus and yer gonna talk.
[b]Wake up
He lightly slaps him again.
Shinon grimaces and walks over to the corpse, closing his eyes and whispering a prayer, before closing the man's eyes. "He's dead. Looks like these gentlemen were engaged in a bit of vigilante work."
So we attacked a gang that might of been doing the same things as us? WONDERFUL! Andrea storms over to Duncan and Shinon
Andrea then checks on the downed Tieflings, casting Stablize.
When Shinon checks on the fallen tiefling he is in very bad shape but he is stablized.
Duncan pours the cure light down his throat but he is still unconscious.
"He's still alive...this guy was recently acquitted on an arson charge. Hmmm...strange. If he's innocent, why would they go after him? Unless the trial was a farce, but even then, a murder over starting a fire?"
Shinon contemplates the article he read for a few minutes, trying to recall any other details about it.
()
Shinon turns to the cleric. "Andrea, Andrea, Andrea. I just want to make one thing perfectly clear." He points to Duncan. "This is his fault, not mine."
Thats why you both got it. Andrea looks utterly disappointed and digusted as she checks both Tieflings. We need to get them someplace safe and we are banned form the tavern. Andrea curses again. I have no idea what we are going to do next.
Well, it be too late for the assault on the Bastards. Believe me Andrea, never.would a shot if I'd a known. But it was damn suspect. We stir the nest, next thing we got 7 armed to the teeth Tieflings at our backs. In any case, mebbe we can make this right. I say we tie up the arsonist, then you channel to wake em both. I apologize and we see if our do gooder holds a grudge.
Janiven mentions, "I really can't recommend another place in the ruined district. Someone should search both of them before we do anything." She uses her foot to point at the tiefling, "You said he had six friends, eh? They will be back for him, touching business leaving him here though and touchier if you get him awake again."
Her measured look is taking in the situation clearly perplexed with the situation.
Well, it be too late for the assault on the Bastards. Believe me Andrea, never.would a shot if I'd a known. But it was damn suspect. We stir the nest, next thing we got 7 armed to the teeth Tieflings at our backs. In any case, mebbe we can make this right. I say we tie up the arsonist, then you channel to wake em both. I apologize and we see if our do gooder holds a grudge.
"This really is quite a mess. We need to find lodging for the night. I don't suppose the shadow beasts only hunt south of the gate?" Orsin kicks up some dirt and releases a loud curse. "And now I'm down a hundred and fifty crowns, thanks to you lot!"
We'll make good. Andrea, wake up the tiefling please. Depending on how that goes we may need.to get to the gate.
Frisk the dead human, lets get out of sight of the street. Assumimg everyone moves, Andrea prepares to channel. Masks on, we can't let the tiefling see our faces. Andrea gets her mask on and waits for the others before channeling.
Shinon feels the burn on his chest heal up and he sighs in relief as he quickly searches the human's body.
The human remains unmoving without a pulse. Shinon, the arsonist has three empty danger sheaths, his belt pouch is empty. Looking on the lining of his clothing you can see he has tinder, flint. There is a vial of alchemist grease and another of alchemical solvent. He has a coin tucked into the lining of his trousers it has an usual symbol on it's face.
---
The tiefling's eyes pop open as if a bolt of electricity gaspsing for air. U..U...ck," is the sound he makes as his lungs try to expand.
Don't move. Andrea urges. You were the target of an attack, what happened?
"Why do you have masks on? Why did you shoot at me? Where's my squ...companions?"
Orsin kneels down to meet the tiefling at eye level, speaking as smoothly and calmly as possible. "Calm down, you're safe with us. We don't mean you any harm. Please, just tell us what happened so we can help you." Though the lower half of his face is veiled, his dark green eyes are glassy and sincere.
I shot ye because I saw 4 armed to the teeth Tieflings against one man. Didn't realize who that man was an so we healed ye. Now ye were gonna say 'Squad'. Might we know who ye work for and we part as friends. Knocking off Arsonists ain't a bad thing in my book. Specially if they can just by their way out o lawful justice.
He sits there listening to the soothing voice of kneeling person. "We were ..." Then the gruff admission rings through the air.
His eyes shift to dwarf, "Sometimes civilians don't get it right with their verdicts. Othertimes, infiltration is necessary."
He clearly doesn't like the dwarf, and turns back to the kneeling human. "I suspect that there will be dottari squad moving in shortly."
Really? I heard that the dottari rarely patrol in the north.
Andrea looks at the corpse of the arsonist. So did this man burn down your homes and use bribes to get free? Just who was he exactly?
Shinon gently tugs the arrows out of the tiefling's stomach, where his wounds have started to close up. He leaves the arrows on the ground and turns back to the wounded man, offering one hand. "Can you stand up?"
If the man takes his hand, Shinon will help him into a standing position and say, "I apologize for attacking you, but I am grateful to your squad for doing the right thing and retreating rather than engaging us and possibly taking our lives in retaliation."
"I can understand if you need to keep your squad and your comrades' identities a secret, as well as your location. We are in a similar situation. If you're well enough to walk, then please, return to them. I promise you, you won't be followed."
The man takes Shinon's hand and heaves himself to his feet. He quickly brushes himself off. "I'd get going if you're smart, it's not going to be safe for you. Avoid the northern gate." He is expressionless.
He nods his thanks at Andrea, "If it was a misunderstanding the dottari coming will still question you and work every ounce of information from you and that's before your turned over to the Rack." His tone is without threat or emotion.
Shinon nods. "Thank you. Have a good day."
After the man leaves, Shinon nods. "Right. Well, breaking into an empty building isn't a good idea. And we want to avoid the gate. Guess the only thing left is for us to try and get out of the city before nightfall. The surrounding area might be a bit dangerous, but I'll take my chances with wild animals and thieves before those monsters in the shadows any day."
"This is ridiculous. I'm baffled we even let it come to this," says Orsin, fuming. He sighs and turns to the others, "But I suppose we're running out of options. How far are we from the city walls?"
There is sound of heavy boots on cobble coming from a distance.
Here is map of the current situation.
I need to make another token for Fiosa. I'll do that in the near future.
"I suggest we leave now, and losing the mask might help."
Janiven is hustling, "Let's go," guiding Duncan towards the alley the inn is on. "Come ...now."
Shinon frowns and quickly rushes into the alleyway, hiding behind whatever cover he can find and holding his breath, doing his absolute best to stay unseen.
Janiven leads the group through a few twists and turns in several alleys. After about 15 minutess, she exhales "We could try to get to the outside wall and get outside the city. Otherwise, we need to break into a two or three story buidling near the wall to either try to cross or to take cover for the night."She looks up at the sky, "Only have a few more minutes of daylight even if we manage to get to the other side."
"Suggestions?
Shinon frowns. "If we break into the wrong place, we might not wake up," he mutters seriously. "I vote for getting out of the city for the night."
Andrea has yanked her mask of of course. Just how safe is the countryside? Do the shadow beats roam outside as well? If that is true, we would be wide open to an attack.
Andrea has that familier tight expression she gets when under a lot of stress/frusteration, something that tends to forshadow one of her episodes.
If they do roam the outside, then we will be better off fortifying ourselves. I can produce light as needed to keep the creatures away.
"Well, from the outside it looks like a lot of the buildings around here are condemned or abandoned. Could we take shelter in one of those?"
"I'm not too keen on breaking into a building, even it is abandoned."
Shinon frowns. "Well, what about a roof? If we climb a building, will that stop the beasts from hunting us? It's not trespassing or anything to just crash on someone's roof for the night."
[ I wouldn't be surprised if they can climb. If we leave the city we'll need to travel far enough so any wandering shadow beasts won't come across us.
"Well, we haven't got much time, we need to make a decision before we become easy prey. Looking at the condition of these buildings I wouldn't trust their roofs to hold our weight with ease. I vote for the wilderness."
Andrea sighs. Wilderness does sound the best. We will need to keep watches, two on a watch.
Andrea hurries along with the others. I don't know if any of us have special abilities to, but anyone wiht good night vision should share watch with one who doesn't
Wilderness it is, we will exit a breach in the outer wall up ahead. We can hit do a good job once we get away form the wall and find a camp site. She leads you through the city, starnge sounds coming form various buildings. The slamming of doorways and windows can be heard.
"Pssst, ov'r 're 'urry up 'fore the beasty's" the little voice behind the pierecing emerald eyes beckons. There's a reinforced wooded covering over the bottom basement window, which is propped up by the little arm waving at you. "comes 'urry, now."
Orsin exchanges glances with the others in response to the little voice's invitation. "Do we take our chances?"
Well we better make our choice darn quick! We have no idea how far the beasts roam.
Shinon nods. "We go. Whatever's over there can't be worse than what's waiting out here after the sun goes down."
Shinon rushes over to the window. "How do we get inside?" he calls to the owner of the hand.
The little waif girl pushes the wooden window open. It's dimly lit inside as the opening reveals a damp musky basement, with nine kids of various degrees of shabbiness inside huddling around a small fire roasting three thin rats.
There are an assortment of torn and tattered rags used for bedding throughout the basement. A heavy door is open on one wall and that room is lit by a single candle inside the room. The room was obviously once a canning or fruit cellar. Now, the last refuge of shelter when hiding.
Several crude clubs, a few short spears, lay near the children. Several of the children have their most cherished position in hand - a pitted dagger or rusty knife.
The emerald eyed girl waves, "Come come...'urry, sun going sleep. Beasty's come soon."
As the last of the party enters the little girl tells Orsin to lock the wooden window convering. The window is obviously rigged to be locked from the inside with a couple of wooden bolts.
Andrea wiggles into the window and helps the others inside. Lookign around, she notes the squalid conditions. [i] Not surprising that there would be orphans here. No one wants to build orphanages in this part of town no doubt.[/b]
As Orsin locks the window, Andrea knows they are commited no matter what happens now and nods to the waif. Thank you.
Shinon grits his teeth as he looks around. "Damnit...why? Why are these kids forced to live here in this shack? I've got to do something about this...before they turn out..."
He looks down at his own hands, thinking about all the blood he has spilled. Even innocent blood now, misunderstood though it was. "Before they turn out...like me," he finishes solemnly.
Shinon nods to himself. Maybe he can appeal to Traine about this. Traine's got money to burn, obviously, if he's backing that moron Thesling's play. He'd definitely be willing to take care of these kids on his estate, right? Even if he put them to work as butlers or chefs or servants of some kind when they got older, that would be better for them than staying out here.
Shinon clenches one fist and burns the location of this place into his mind. He will be back soon.
"I'm 'mily...these 're mifr'nds." Her dirty little hand extends to Andrea. "Beasty's haven't found us yet. 'ot like las' place."