Andrelis, Parrameleh, and Gareleth all attempt to sneak into the house. The door creaks loudly. Very loudly. A quick look in to the house reveals that the room is a bedroom. Andrelis hears footsteps slowly approaching and the door to the bedroom starts to jiggle.
Yuzu (and Nereus and Tuck) walk up to the front door. Yuzu ties up Satsuki right outside. The door has a small stained glass window insert with a patch of fogged glass. The three approach and try the door. It is locked. ()
*knock knock knock*. Yuzu knocks on the door with her companions behind her.
Through the door, Yuzu hears a voice - that of an older woman. "Hello. Can I help you?". She does not open up the door but will listen for a response.
"No. Go away. We're not open."
At the mention of Zefiro, the door opens slowly. An older woman, perhaps early 60s, peers out. "Zefiro, you say? Come on in then. We have a lot to talk about. Please remain silent as you come in.". She opens up the door and rushes everyone in. She looks around to make sure no one is looking, then closes/locks the door behind everyone.
Inside, a cheery fire warms the cool sea air. Nine young children of varied ages sit around Mireille - a slender, middle-aged elven woman with chestnut colored hair and a simple, yet elegant rust-colored dress. Her eyes are closed and she commands the attention of the children.
"This is a tale of Rius Galdaeon, a kind Chelish architect and paladin of Shelyn. His allegiances aligned with Chelish loyalists when Thrune began to take control. He viewed Thrune's reliance on devils as a blight on Chelish achievements. So he confronted a powerful barbed devil named Baraxial. Their battle shook the foundations of Aroden's Arch, and its said great pieces of it crumbled into the sea when Baraxial dragged Rius with him back to Hell. The entire city felt each blow land and it was the signal I needed to flee from Corentyn while civil war raged on."
Mireille finishes the story and opens her eyes. With a strained smile, she welcomes the Pathfinders. "Welcome. What brings you here? Velia wouldn't let just anyone in right now. You must be here for a reason."
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"Zefiro said the Rack were after you." She shrugs, "He wasn't entirely clear on what you wanted... besides protection."
The tall woman looks around at her companions for confirmation, "We thought that perhaps you were looking for a way out of the city? Perhaps a chance to share what you know with the chroniclers of the Pathfinder Society: ensure that your truth is recorded for posterity?"
"This all needs to happen very quietly. The Society wants to keep access to Cheliax."
She smiles, all teeth, "You're lucky we brought a ship."
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Gareleth gets completely distracted at the sight of the children. He walks right past Mireille and begins endearing himself to the children by sharing stories about the random apparel he has including some stories his companions know are true, like the story about the leshy who gave him his feather of protective magic, and others that are clearly fabrication. While Gareleth may not be the most talented storyteller, he makes up for it with enthusiasm and solid attention to detail.
Mireille laughs at Parrameleh. "Oh that silly man. I'm surprised he felt the need to send me protection. His worries are simply paranoia.". She waves off Parrameleh. "We're fine here."
While the woman talks with the shifter, Gareleth decides to chat with the young ones. They laugh at his storytelling, distracting his story with lots of giggles. "No, no. Leshies aren't real. Everyone knows that," one of the older kids yells at him.
A bullmasstiff sleeps by the fire. One of his ears twitch.
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Yuzu, as always, turns her attention to the children.
"Leshies aren't real, or so it's been said;
Now, how did that idea enter your head?
Are elves all made up, are mermaids just fake?
Do the foxfolk exist, or am I a mistake?"
She crouches down near them; admittedly, it's hard to be certain that she is anything but a human in an elaborate mask, until she removes her fox-shaped facemask to reveal a smiling, fox-shaped face beneath it.
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Gareleth gets a mischievous smile and then mimcs the poetic voicing adding:
"She called you out
on what is true.
Still doubt my tale?
Then shame on you,"
and he boops the child on the nose as he delivers this last line and gives a smile and a wink to the children.
The hair on the bullmasstif's back stands up. He heard something.
*knock knock knock* Three loud knocks at the front door. Immediately, the blood drains from Mirielle's face. "Um, were you followed?". With the help of Velia, the children are rushed into a bedroom.
From the front door, they can hear a loud, booming voice. "We're here on orders of Iluvia Thorn. Is Mirielle in there?"
The woman looks in shock. "Save me. Please. They wont look for me at my house . There's a secret door out back. We can sneak back there. Though if those are hellknights, maybe one of you can talk to them."
Andrelis sees four guards walk closer. He manages to hide behind the house. None of the four guards approach him - for now at least.
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Yuzu turns to Mirielle. ”A winding word can some confuse,
While secret exit you do use.
An elf is there, awaiting you
He is a friend; he will help too.”
She rises back up and leaves her mask tied to her neck.
Her features shift; her face flattens and her fur recedes, until she is a very plain-looking Minkaian woman. She approaches the door.
"We have a few... weapons if you can call them that. Left by drunken patrons leaving them behind.". The weapons include a broken masterwork longsword emblazoned with the symbol of the Chelish navy, a sap, a heavy mace, and a jar of defoliant polish.
The guard sees Yuzu open up the door a crack. He attempts to push the door wide open. "Let us in. We're here on orders of Iluvia Thorn. Is Mirielle in there?" the guard repeats. "We have evidence to indict the curator known as Zefiro. We believe Mirielle can help us with this indiction."
Gareleth and Parrameleh escort Mirielle to the secret door while Andrelis finds a shadow to hide in.
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Yuzu keeps her booted paw pressed against the door.
"Ah! My apologies, sirs and ladies.
This door has a trick; 'tis a thing of Hades!
We must the knob at once both turn;
See, it is easy when you learn!"
She'll wrap her hands around the doorknob.
As soon as it starts turning in one direction, she'll hold it steady.
"Did you turn left? We must agree!
The way we turn must be the same, you see!"
The guards stand firm. They are insistent on getting in. [b]"We work for a Hellknight signifer. Stop with this tomfoolishness. Is Mirielle here or not? We need to apprehend her to ask her a few questions about her friend Zefiro."[/ooc]
Yuzu talks with the pink and blue guard. The blue one looks confused at Yuzu's poetry. "What... weird... what are you trying to say?". The uncultured guard starts to pull out his sap.
But pink puts his hand on the blue guard's shoulder. "No. No violence Oren.". Pink steps up. "Sorry miss. My associate here isn't cultured. You're not from here, right?". Then the guard starts speaking in Tien... or what he thinks is Tien.
"Yuth name is I. Cheliax I am."
His Tien is not very good. In fact, that's probably all he can say.
While Yuzu (and Nereus?) talk with the guards up front, Parrameleh quietly stealths away to the house to the south.
However, the yellow guard senses something is amiss. He hears Garaleth and Mirielle fumbling about outside and comes to investigate. A very large raven flies over and watches the Pathfinders.
"What's this? Who are you?". The yellow guard questions.
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Yuzu, eyeing the door now that Mirielle has slipped away, moves her foot aside.
I no longer feel quite so alone.
As you say, there is no need to fight.
Simply take the knob and hold it right."
Without further ado, she lets them inside. "You think someone might in here hide?
Would you like me to help, or to stand aside?"
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"Sorry," Gareleth says in response to the guard, "it's just, being at a house of ill repute and all, that's bad for one's reputation. It's just, ever since I lost my dear wife, I've just been so...lonely, you know? I just wanted to be comforted, is that so wrong?" and he begins having tears forming in the corners of his eyes at this point as he does, genuinely, miss his "wife."
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Good afternoon guardsman, we're just here sampling the wares of the local establishment, there isn't a problem correct? I assume this establishment is licensed? As you can see, my brother is feeling a little down, and its been a hard year for him. the elf adds to the attempt to bluff the guards down.
The guard looks blankly at Yuzu. "Sorry, I don't actually speak Tien." he says snidely. "Let us in now. Stop stalling."
At this point, the green guard comes around the corner. "What seems to be the problem here?". He seems a bit more experienced. "Do you know what happens when people do not do as they are told?"
Nereus pokes his head out from behind Yuzu. The aquatic elf seems forlorn, wanting to go swimming instead of talking to Chelish guards. "I will tell you this... We have nothing to hide."
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Gareleth and Andrelis seem to distract the yellow guard. "Umm, I'm sorry." The guard says as he half-heartedly/awkwardly pats Gareleth on the back. "Where did you lose your wife?". He seems a bit confused at first. "Oh... well this establishment isn't... well let's say I know better places. I can offer a few suggestions if you want. My sister is single. Perhaps I can set you up on a date with her."
"Huh, what was that?" The yellow guard looks up and around. "I heard something... suspicious."
A large raven does take notice and flies towards the building the two are skirting.
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"You're so kind," Gareleth says, sniffling a bit and wiping at his eyes. "My wife was a great sorceress and perished fighting in an epic battle. I...maybe...what's your sister's name?"
And at that point he turns to his more smooth-operating brother and asks, "What do you think, Andy? Is it time I get back out there, as they say?"
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Tuck reenters from the back room where he was watching to see how things progressed.
He walks into the main room and greets the guard.
"Hello there, nothing suspicious, just me waking up after a nice nap. Had a good feed and needed to sleep it off."
Tuck pats his belly with a smile.
"Now I'm ready for round two, would you like to join me?"
"Uhh. Susan.". He seems distracted by Gareleth and Tuck. "She lives in Egorian. You look like you're from there, right?"
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Parrameleh leads Mirielle closer to her house. "We're almost there, that house!" she whispers and points ahead.
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The three guards look at Yuzu and walk in, shoving her and Nereus aside.
"Where is she? I know she's in here. The pink and blue guards start opening up doors while the green one stands by the door. They open up one of the rooms and find Velia and the kids (represented by the smiley face). [b]"Aha! I found you. You're coming with us!". The blue guard takes a hold of Velia and starts dragging her outside.