Keeping pace, you follow the carriage awhile more. Eventually, it stops outside one of hundreds of ramshackle dwellings. and a young kid with red hair and tattered brown clothes steps out with all the majesty he can muster. The coachman bows slightly, then proceeds off.
So we check out the garage or follow the coachman?
Erick looks thoughtful for a second. "Coach isn't likely to leave by itself, we can come back later to check the garage. Follow the coachman. Lesson for everyone. Clyde goes first, stays about 15 ft back. I go second, 15ft behind Clyde, then Henry 15ft back, then Telsyn another 15ft. When the coachman turns, you Clyde, do not. You go on straight, I turn and follow the coachman, then Henry follows me, then Telsyn, and you drop in behind Telsyn. Every time he turns, we do the same thing, make it harder for him to realize he's being followed, and we're all within a few seconds of each other if something happens."
Sounds like a plan to me. Clyde will start trailing the coachman when everyone is ready.
Telsyn likes the plan and sticks to it.
Clyde follows the man with the others
After having no luck getting into the garage, Henry rushes to keep up with the others, but stays well back.
Moving into your positions, you follow the driver. Soon enough, he arrives at his destination, a tavern- yours, in fact.
He goes inside, orders a pint from Micah and sets himself down by the fire.
Erick frowns. "Now that's an odd coincidence... Wish I believed in coincidences..." He looks at the others to see what they think.
Erick, you go deal with the driver. Henry, I'll make you invisible so you can check out the garage. Clyde, you stay with Erick. This'll work.
Telsyn just has an idea, sometimes.
Clyde hangs back
Erick nods. "Sounds good." Erick has never had a problem going with someone else's suggestion.
He takes his hat and coat off, to change his appearance roughly, folds his coat and hat over his arm, and heads into the bar and nods at Micah. He takes a seat a table over, and orders an ale, before givving Micah an eyebrow and nodding at the driver (when the driver isn't looking in his direction).
"I'll give it another shot, but that garage may well be my bane. "
You'll be invisible for 4 minutes, the elf says to the halfling.
4 more, if you need it. Let's get magical, Telsyn says to the little one.
Micah similarly raises an eyebrow and walks over to Erick to ask what he wants.
Mustering incredible stealth, Henry sneaks inside the garage; a small building with one old coach being slowly restored and one new one. Poking his head and fingers into various corners, he isn't able to find anything useful. Plus, he manages to leave a nasty nick on the lock; someone might notice tomorrow morning.
"You know that guy? He was the driver of the coach..." Erick says in a very soft voice as Micah gets there. "I find it odd in the extreme he would come here after driving kids all around all day. Especially since we were following him. I don't believe in coincidences."
Micah blinks. "Well... that's Welkin. Quiet sort; comes in here a bit. Pretty sure driving that coach is his job, for whoever contracts for it..."
Clyde stands ready!
Henry will report back to the rest
"Garage was a waste of time. Didn't find anything interesting. "
Might have something here, dunno.
Clyde goes up to Erick. You find out anything? If everything is on the up and up we can do something like bounty-hunting.
"Was waiting for you guys, just in case." He answers Clyde, before moving up to the bar to sit next to the driver.
"Evenin'. Looks like you had a long day. Thought I saw you riding a kid around in a carriage today, some rich snot?" He asks the driver, trying for casual.
The man pauses, sizing up Erick's friendly gaze; then he softens, taking a deep sip from his drink. "...mmm. A new contract I was given; carry around kids as directed, take them where they want to go for the day. An odd job, but hey, it pays the bills."
Clyde wonders what it is all about. Can't be just that. Creepy as all heck, is there some kind of mark tracking going on?
"Does sound like an odd job, at that. Who'd pay for something like that?"
Telsyn will actually cast a spell. This is a first, I think.
He'll cast Detect Magic and look all around.
Welkin shrugs. "Some outfit named 'Infernal Imperial Allegiance'- probably some lord trying to curry favor by praising the Queen."
"Possibly, you never know around here. Say, I think you may have taken one of my companions cousins around, now that I think of it. Short kid, male, black hair, green eyes. Name of Talbot?" Erick mentions off handedly.
He pauses, thinking, then shakes his head firmly. "Talbot... no. No one by that name, that description. Never. Haven't heard any of my other driver mates carrying about someone like that, either."
"I'm not really sure I'm qualified or interested in being a nanny. "
Just what is this Infernal Allegiance thing?
Clyde has never heard the name before it was mentioned on the flyer.
"Some company. All I know is, the cheques come on schedule from their offices."
With some quick bluffing, Erick is able to convince the man to cough up the address he receives payment from; 17 Beauregard Avenue, an address fairly familiar to you all.
Well we should check this place out, If'n it is just kids being driven around than I don't see a real problem but it is mighty strange.
Erick grunts as he hears the name of the location. "Clyde... you might remember we've been to that address? Then again, we were very drunk at the time, and you punched that guy in the nose for no reason, so you might not remember, although we had to get out of their fast to avoid getting into trouble."
OH! Yea, I think it might be time to clear that place out
Leaving Welkin behind with his drink, you head for the address. Late in the day, all down the street shops and business are closing. From the sight of movement in the windows upstairs however, the House of Infernal Lies (CCA) is still within operating hours.
"I don't want to say it in front of the other guy, but I get the feeling this is a trap. "
Heh. No doubt, remember they had that magic trap last time when we tried making it look like a robbery. So, do we want to try things with Henry going through the chimney again?
"At least I taught myself to pick locks, so I think we're better prepared this time. "