Feeling good about their progress in the Nursery, the Raven sets out to stop a potential problem before it starts. Rumors of conflict between the tengu and tiefligns had occupied his thoughts for the past weeks. The two minority groups should be working together, not fighting amongst themselves. Doffing his spooky mask, the Raven makes for the locations to which tengu flock, sometimes prodding for information, sometimes just listening to what the gossips have to say.
Narcelia chuckles darkly. "Just because it hasn't found me doesn't mean it's not being used." She pauses, her brow furrowing in a baffled frown. "Why...?"
The young woman shakes her head. "Anyways, I guess we can go there. It's not exactly warm out, but I'll manage. I think I remember the spell to keep me from freezing..."
"Bleakbridge, yes. I've seen that before. Never crossed after the new Lord-Mayor came... I think. I don't really remember." Narcelia rubs her face. "Spells come and go, Vantine. I usually can keep one in mind from day to day... well, maybe two. But the others... they come and go. I think maybe I knew them before, but... forgot." She shifts uncomfortably. "Sorrows can be infectious, and I am a carrier of far too much of that. Other than that, my powers are as much a mystery to me as they are to you."
Jessi makes her way across town (again), and finds her way to Jarvis Square, and discovers that rather than on the bridge, the dottari are collecting tolls on its northern end. Once she's on Argo Isle, she passes by more than a few patrols of CCG, seeming eager to bring some "order" to the streets, whatever that means to them. Oddly, the dottari seem fewer and further between in the south than they do in the northern parts of the city, at least at this hour.
In his search, the Raven finds himself on Bleakbridge, speaking with a few dozen passersby. When he has finished, several hours later, he has discovered more about these tengu - they are known as the River Talons, a gang who lurk about on and beneath the bridge, though recent events have made them more reluctant to show themselves atop the bridge.
Supposedly, the River Talons are led by one Ravzee, and "Wouldn't you believe it that he's the younger brother of that Chuko who sells weapons and armor over at the War Cage." The War Cage is in the northwestern part of the Yolubilis Harbor, and it is, in fact, run by a tengu named Chuko.
Finally, the River Talons have been heard bragging about becoming a new "thieves' guild," but have been historically riven by such internal strife and squabbling that they're barely more than local nuisances on and around Bleakbridge. Word is, they're planning an attack on the Red Jills, to unify their numbers - something the Raven knows is unlikely to come to fruition now.
With the dottari having moved their tolls to the relatively north end of Bleakbridge, it seems likely that the River Talons might become a little bit more of a nuisance.
Vantine nods in understanding. I can work with that"[/b] she assures Narcelia, taking her hand. "I'll stay here tonight and we'll go tomorrow morning. Tell me what you now of it come tomorrow. It will be good to keep in mind in case it matters for our little trip out."
Jessibel makes her way through the city streets to the Bleakbridge without incident, her hooded cloak keeping her both relatively warm and anonymous. She notes the change in protocol when the dottari toll collectors collect her exorbitant crossing fee (without actually commenting on how exorbitant it is). The teen notices the increased presence of the CCG as soon as she sets foot on Argo Isle, her wariness about being accosted by Aspex or any of his friends increasing tenfold because of what she's carrying: the CCG armband and Thrune medallion she claimed off one of Rexus's attackers and the same medallion she'd taken off Aspex after their second run-in.
Jessibel makes it to the Solstine compound without incident, knocks on the manor door, is granted entrance, and takes off her cloak in the waiting room. She hopes that she looks more like a real adventurer in her sleek armor and magic boots, with her new silver rapier hanging off one hip...and not just like a silly noblewoman playing dress-up. Jessi recalls uncomfortably that when she first showed off her beloved armor to Carli, her friend had lightly rolled her eyes while commenting that the stylish suit was "better than nothing."
When Carli strode into the room, Jessibel surprised her with the fierceness of the hug she gave. Once they had more privacy, Jessibel spilled all that had happened to her since Carli had left town, from the madness at the protest-turned-riot to her adventures in and around the Devil's Nursery. She left her stories somewhat vague, mostly to protect both Carli and the Silver Ravens should someone try to pry the details from her friend. Lastly, she told her friend about her run-ins with the CCG, asking her friend what she knew of the loyalist organization, and if it had even been in existence before the Aria Park riot. She shows Carli her trinkets as proof that her tales aren't made up to impress her, and adds that they'd make nice window dressing as part of a disguise, should either of them have to impersonate a CCG fanatic in the future.
After running on for several minutes about her own adventures, Jessi finally recovers her wits and manners and asks if Carli can tell her about the family business that took her out of the city.
Halfway across Bleakbridge, the Raven leans against the railing, staring down at the water passing below. What was the best way to proceed with the River Talons? True, they could possibly be put to work for the Silver Ravens own ends, but now was not the time to bring more people - criminals, no less - into the fold, even if he felt they could be trusted. The dottari and their seeming acceptance of the tengus presence on the south end of the bridge could be valuable, if the Talons could be convinced to cooperate, and the tengu thieves need not be made aware of any association with the still budding Silver Ravens. He only needed to find their leader so he could have a talk with the birdman alone.
Narcelia nods briefly. "Alright. That is good enough for me."
Carli embraces Jessibel back with some level of surprise, before stepping back and examining her carefully. "You look different. Like you've grown up some." She offers her a half-smile. "It suits you, I think."
At her question, Carli scratches the back of her head, sucking on her teeth. "I was over in Vyre, checking up on some old friends of the family. They weren't exactly easy to find - Vyre's not exactly the friendliest place, after all."
Guiding Jessibel to a chair, Carli settles down on her own. "Turns out, a couple were dead, and one had become a drunk. The last one turned out to be a Norgorberite who wanted more than we were willing to give. At least, she had the holy symbol and all."
With that, she turns to her own questions. "What's going on with you, Jessi? I heard there was a riot, and the new Lord-Mayor's showing his true colors and all that."
After another couple hours, the Raven finds himself in a meeting with Ravzee, in a small dining stall on the southern side of Bleakbridge. The tengu has the fashion sense of a highly stereotypical "thief," as though he'd watched too many operas in the past and decided to emulate their costumes to the best of his abilities. He is accompanied by a pair of female tengu, each with a knife at her hip.
"What d'you want, human?" One of the women asks. "This here's our territory, an' your kind's not welcome."
Jessibel pauses, hesitant to give away too much information about the Silver Ravens. She'd like nothing more for her friend to join in some capacity, but Jessi also recognizes that Carlissa has her own family obligations...and possibly her own secret agenda.
OK--she gets the truth for now, but with some details left out.
Jessi recounts the protest, the she-brute Nox shaking off a dagger to the throat, and the encounter with Rexus (though she refrains from using the nobleman's name for now). That memory stirs another.
"I met the Raven!" the teen announces, almost breathlessly. Digging into her pack, she pulls out and dons her mask. "In fact, I sometimes now travel at his side. Meet...the Magpie!"
Grabbing the edges of her cloak, Jessi raises her arms, trying to look like she's about to take flight.
On some level, Jessibel fully expects Carlissa to burst out into laughter.
"Hm. Well, that's... not a good sign for the future, now is it?" Jessi's friend says, sucking on her teeth. "Thrune's not exactly winning over the people. Not that his family ever tries terribly hard to do so."
Carlissa looks utterly bemused at Jessibel's claim, running a hand through her hair. "Uh... the Raven. That's the... outlaw? Criminal? So, are you one of those now?" A grin splits her face. "I'm not sure whether to retract my previous judgment or reaffirm it. You've grown up, maybe, but you're still up to your old mischief, then?"
The Ravens reunite in the Wasp's Nest near the end of the week, in the hopes of investigating the two remaining ruins from the Night of Ashes, a month ago now. The Thrashing Badger lies in the southwestern part of Yolubilis Harbor, nearly on the docks itself , while the Victocora estate lies in the northernmost part of the Greens .
Rexus looks up when they arrive in the meeting area of the Wasp's Nest, dark circles beneath his eyes. "Oh. Hello, everyone. I... well, it's good to see you all. I'm pretty sure I'm close to cracking the code here, but nothing significant yet."
After a light breakfast the next morning, Vantine gets Narcelia and herself ready to leave. She has Narcelia dress in a plain, cheap dress and cloak to protect against the cold.
Ideally she wants to cross the bridge when traffic will be heavier, so the dottari will be busier and unable to spend much time or attention on anyone in particular. She times their departure from the flat to put them at the bridge around the time she figures is the best estimate.
Vantine and Narcelia duck into an alley just short of the bridge where Vantine uses Disguise Self to transform her appearance to that of an old woman with a slightly hunched back wearing cheap plain clothing to match her age. She reminds Narcelia of her part in the ruse.
"Remember, you are my granddaughter and you are mute. Don't say a word yourself; I'll speak on your behalf. I'll pay both our crossing fares. In any case where you're not sure how to proceed, follow my instructions."
They emerge from the alley and cross the bridge.
Jessibel purses her lips into a faux pout. "I prefer the term 'vigilante' to 'outlaw' or 'criminal.' Sure, the Raven may ignore the occasional unfair or discriminatory law, but he does things that the dottari ought be doing but don't. Like helping hunt down the killers in the Devil's Nursery. The body count would still be rising there had he not stepped in!"
"We also broke some folks out of the Sallix Salt Works," Jessi confesses to her friend. "Thrune's started using his political prisoners as slave labor! No one's safe from his mad whims!"
Jessibel looks at her friend, trying to come to a difficult decision. If she feels Carlissa (and maybe some other Solstines) would be a great ally to the Silver Ravens' cause, she'd like to leave her silver raven figurine of wondrous power with Carli in case her friend had an urgent need to get in touch with her or the other Silver Ravens. Having a reliable agent on Argo Isle while the bulk of the Silver Ravens were headquartered in Villegre could prove quite the boon....
*************************************************
Jessibel looks a bit concerned about the dark rings underneath Rexus's eyes. "Good work," she praises her fellow noble, "but you need to take some time off here and there. It can't be good for your health to be down near the sewers at all hours of the day. You've got a coffee house and pastry shop just upstairs--take advantage of it! Get outside and smell the...well, it's mostly just snow outside now, but a good deal of it's finally melted! And pretty soon it'll be spring!"
Despite her pep talk, Jessibel doesn't offer to help with the translations. Too boring for an avant garde, up-and-coming, fashionable and fearless vigilante like the Magpie!
As the group plans their visit to the ruins of the Thrashing Badger, Jessi makes another push to also visit Clenchjaw's tavern while they're in the general neighborhood. Her alias du jour for the mission, she decides, will be the blonde-haired exchange student, Amanda Juliac.
Nyxra's arrival at the Nest is without fanfare. The focused anger and determination that was once part of her seems to have withered--her posture looks more tired, as if the weight of what the Ravens are trying to accomplish is finally starting to weigh her down.
The Raven strolls up to the counter and casually leans against it. Perched upon his shoulder is the animated silver raven figurine, looking just like any other bird of its kind save for the silver sheen of its feathers betraying its wonderous origins. He looks from one tengu to the next, taking each in in turn. Looking out to the other side of the bridge, he sighs heavily, his gaze dropping as he shakes his head. "We have a problem mister... Ravzee, is it?" Casting a sidelong glance at the lead tengu, the Raven snorts, unimpressed by the shabby birds shabby appearance. "Well, you have a problem." He traces a line of wood grain with a finger, not looking at the thugs. "And since you are in my territory, that means I have a problem. The Red Jills had a problem. And since the Red Jills were in my territory, I had a problem." The Raven gives the trio of tengu another sidelong glance, a smirk pulling at his lips. "Had a problem." The Raven pushes off the counter, standing upright and clapping his hands. The sudden motion startles his silver bird, which hops from his shoulder onto the countertop, its little, animated silver legs clicking metallically as it strut about. "The Jills were attracting just a little too much attention from the dottari, you see? They were... growing too bold, if you like. Trying to rise above their station. I cannot have the dottari looking too closely into my affairs. I am sure you, an intelligent, legitimate businessman understands my pain." The Raven does not wait for an answer. Twisting his wrist to trigger his spring-loaded wrist-sheath, one of his signature feather-handled daggers appears in his hand. He raises the dagger, held in an icepick grip, dramatically over his head and slams it into the countertop.
Bold. Perhaps too bold, but the Raven doubted the smalltime criminal would attack in broad daylight. The Ravens silver companion launches from the tabletop as the impact of the dagger disturbs its strutting but, not being a real animal, the animated figurine quickly settles on the handle of the protruding dagger.
On their way through Yolubilis Harbor, they pass by a tavern, where a few now all-too-familiar CCG thugs are chatting with a muscled man with short-shorn hair. He looks more amused than anything, and Aspex and his Shoanti comrade are behaving with significantly more respect than she has seen them doing. They, along with their third, lady friend, are talking about the troubles that have been happening in his tavern of late. The muscled man - presumably the owner - firmly, but politely tells them that he will be handling any business there is with troubles - unless the dottari wish to intervene. Surprisingly, the trio seem to accept that.
Fortunately, they don't seem to notice Vantine - certainly not as the beautiful young witch who has been foiling them.
"I'm honestly surprised that they didn't enslave the prisoners outright, but I guess that's a bit too far even for Thrune - at least at the moment. Martial law means a lot of legalities can get... overlooked. I didn't even know there were deaths happening in the Nursery, but... I'm glad he put a stop to them, anyways."
As a longtime friend of Carli's, Jessibel can tell that she's telling the truth, but is at least somewhat ambivalent about overtly helping her - at least for now. "But with only two of you, how much change can you hope to make?"
The two women look significantly alarmed at the Raven's sudden shouting, and passersby turn to look at the stall in which they are situated. Ravzee himself looks somewhat calmer, but rather than going for the sword at his hip, he gestures. "Please, sir. Calm down. This isn't the place to discuss such things. If you want something from us, we should discuss it in a more appropriate setting, where there're fewer eyes about - yes?"
As he speaks, a group of three more tengu arrive, each one looking at Ravzee for orders. "It's alright, boys and girls." He chirps in their native language. "We're just going to have a civilized conversation back at base."
He looks back to the Raven. "So please, sir," he switches back to Common, his voice painfully courteous, "put the weapon away before you bring down the dottari or worse down on us." He lowers his voice, leaning in closer. "There are devils about, and I, for one, have no wish for them to report back to the Asmodeans or governmental types, you get it? Maybe we can go somewhere less... open?"
Despite his best efforts, there's little more that the Raven can do to help the others with their own tasks over the past few days.
"Miss Nyxra, you look almost as weary as I feel." Rexus says with a sigh. "Nonetheless, it is good to see you again. I hope you've been managing..." He swallows, rubbing his eyes. "And you're right, Lady Jessibel, but I'm not sure how actively I'm being hunted. Admittedly, I do know how to hide myself fairly well, even in plain sight, but there's always a risk, especially this close to the Greens, that someone will recognize me. If that someone's the wrong someone, well... I'll put everyone at risk."
"Besides," He adds after a moment's thought. "The Fushi sisters and our honorable warriors of the Scarlet Rose have been working hard on blocking up the sewers and rerouting our water to a more clean system - a reservoir, I think. I've been helping as and when I can, but it's slow going so far."
Nyxra nods in agreement with Rexus. "...I'm getting by."
"Actually, the Raven and I are part of a core group of five, doing what we can to thwart Thrune or at least help the good folk his stupid proclamations are hurting...or folk like the tieflings that he's ignoring or even trying to stir up."
With Carli being less gung-ho than she'd expected, Jessi opts to hold on to her silver raven figurine for now.
*******************************************************
Jessibel does some stretching routines and vocal exercises while waiting for the others to head out.
"Mi-mi-mi-mi-mi-mi-mi! You-you-you-you-you-you-you!" It's almost as if she's trying to annoy the other Ravens into action. ;)
Vantine enters Longroads Coffee House with Narcelia and finds a table for them. If one of the staff approach she orders coffee with milk for herself, along with whatever Narcelia prefers. She also asks for a assortment of pastries on a tray for sampling.
If it's Lauria herself who waits on them, she opens with "Hi Lauria, it's good to see you. I feel terrible it's been so long since I've been a customer here" to signal the situation to her. She then asks for the same things.
When they're alone again with their order, Vantine sighs with contentment and asks Narcelia "So, what do you think? Try some of everything." Vantine nudges the pastry tray toward her.
"That's really good news Rexus! I know I wouldn't have had the patience for doing all the work you've done!"
Vantine wants to encourage Rexus and offer some thanks to him for his work on the documents. Truthfully though she rarely thinks of them anymore unless reminded like now.
She has no objections to a trip to Clenchjaw's place soon, and/or the Thrashing Badger for that matter. Vantine still has her mind more on the mystery of Narcelia than anything else.
"Is this area not dedicated to commerce?" The Raven asks, gesturing to the other nearby stalls and storefronts. "What are we, if not businessmen?" He wraps his fingers around the handle of his dagger and pulls it free of the wood. "Stay out of southern Kintargo. I won't ask so nicely next time." It would be foolish for the Raven to go anywhere with these cutthroats and if he really wanted to know where they nested, he could simply stalk one of them. His animated silver bird finds its way to his shoulder again and he turns to leave.
"I would like the record to reflect that I still think burning down the cathedral is a great idea. Unless... I wonder if any of the sewer tunnels lead underneath the cathedral? A visit to our goblin friends may be in our future."
Jessibel puts a hand on the Raven's shoulder. "Didn't Rexus say the old Silver Ravens' headquarters was beneath the Opera House, not the cathedral of the Asmodeans? A lot of Kintargans look to the productions there for entertainment; and a lot of entertainers earn their living working there; not to mention all the seamstresses and tailors who make money creating costumes or the carpenters who built the sets. And the place is one of the most famous centers of enlightenment throughout all Avistan. We'd be considered villains if we burned that down."
Rexus nods slightly, still horrified at the suggestion. "Yes, it's beneath the Opera House... which is probably very closely guarded, because that's where our honored," the word drips with sardonicism, "Lord-Mayor has set up his base. I... well, while I hope the old base hasn't been found, I wouldn't be shocked if it has. To say nothing of the points that Jessibel makes - our people love the Opera House. Destroying it is no way to free them - it will only make them fear."
The noble born sorcerer sighs, rubbing his eyes. "Mind you, even the Cathedral is beyond our reach. We have no idea how many devils they've summoned to protect the place, and trying to torch it would only give Thrune and the Asmodeans more fuel to call us destructive anarchists. They might actually start looking for us, actively. So far we've avoided that, and I'd like to keep it that way as long as we can, no?"
Vantine simply rolls her eyes at the Raven's recommendation, something that certainly will NOT be happening.
Nyxra waves her hand. "Let's... let's just get to the Badger. We're at a lack of options, and we're running out of time to act."
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Jessibel recognizes Pezzack as the other hotbed for dissent on Cheliax's west coast. Once the capital of the Duchy of Hellcoast, Pezzack has been under blockade and siege for years now, but no one seems able or willing to break the siege to seize the long-since lawless town, while the independence faction is too small to break out of the city.
Laria chuckles. "Good morning, Vantine. Good to see you. What can I get for you and your lovely companion?" Her eyes quickly scan Narcelia, and Vantine notes a touch of concern in her gaze. She's probably more than a little concerned at the young woman's skinny frame.
"Please, go have a seat by the ovens, dears. You look like you're a little chilly."
Narcelia orders a humble cheese pastry and a cup of dark Rahadoumi coffee. She eats slowly, with the experience of one who has faced great hunger before and knows that glutting oneself will only lead to stomach troubles. "It's good." She says between bites.
"Stay out of southern Kintargo?" Ravzee tilts his head, eyes narrowing. "You know, there're six of us and one of you now. I think, unless you have an offer - not an ultimatum, you should leave." The Raven does realize that the odds are very much out of his favor, especially with the easy, lethal grace that Ravzee has as he stands up.
Rexus nods. "Good luck out there - I'm not sure you'll find anything, honestly. The Milanites probably didn't have much there, but maybe you'll find some evidence we can use to spread the truth that Barzillai's minions burnt the place down." He frowns. "Not that I think many doubt that, but it still might sway public opinion in our favor."
The Ravens depart, heading south to the Yolubilis Harbor district. As they go, they pass by the shops that are opening for business, as well as increasing crowds going about their daily routines. Before long, however, they hear an unearthly howl ahead of them. Within moments, a youngish human man dodges through the crowd, staggering and puffing heavily.
Behind him, the crowds split open, as a hellhound dashes after him, its fanged jaws open, hellfire flaring in its mouth.
Amanda Juliac (aka Jessibel Aulamaxa) surreptitiously draws her silver rapier while seeming to stand aside. She keeps her weapon hidden against the side of her body opposite the approaching hell hound.
People around Jessibel curse and dodge away from her. "What the Hell are you doing, idiot?!" One of them says, cursing her darkly and stepping back. "I will call the dottari!"
The hound continues rushing towards them, and the fleeing man dodges deftly through the crowd, though he's obviously getting tired.
"Cozy here isn't it? And so friendly!"
Vantine stays very still but watches the hellhound, wishing it the worst.
"There were a dozen Jills. Now there are none." The Raven inspects the blade of his dagger. Content the tip had not been bent, he slides it back into its hidden sheath, takes a step, and stops. Without turning, he adds "We won't speak again. Have a nice life, mister Ravzee." He walks away, strutting with the arrogant confidence only a bird can muster.
He wasn't sure what it was he had been trying to accomplish. The thugs had no reason to believe the Raven had slain the Red Jills, but they also had no reason not to believe him. The threat of a new gang taking out rivals might be enough to convince the River Talons to slow down their operations for a while, relieving some of the pressure they were putting on the residents of Redroof, until they can figure out if the Raven can make good on his threats. That would give the Silver Ravens time to sort out their other affairs before tackling the River Talons. A bunch of thugs with knives would stand little chance against the heavily armored former gray maidens, but arranging a meeting between the two was not a simple task, what with the Scarlet Rose being in hiding and all. At least he knew where their boss spent his workdays.
The Raven slips his silver dagger into his palm from its wrist-sheath does his best to casually throw it at the hellhound.
Nyxra does her best to 'accidentally-on-purpose' trip the hellhound up by sticking her leg out just as the beast lopes past...
As the hound continues forwards, Verene unleashes her hex upon it, but something in its infernal nature pushes back against her magic, though it ploughs on, oblivious to her efforts.
The Raven, less concerned with being surreptitious, launches his dagger at it, and despite the intervening crowds, the blade spins end over end and strikes it square in the flank, causing it to whirl and growl, its eyes flaring at him. It howls again, and the civilians begin fleeing every-which way.
It begins running at him, only for Nyxra to try to trip it, but though her leg gets tangled with one of its own, it has three others, and remains easily on those three.
Infuriated at its wound, the hellhound lunges at the Raven, its smoking maw reaching hungrily for him, but his armor keeps the infernal beast's fangs from penetrating his skin. He still feels the heat from the attack, nonetheless.
"Shit..." Nyxra curses as she starts running with the crowd.
I might have to find them later.
[ooc]Nyxra: HP 25/25, AC 16, touch 13, flat-footed 13, death vow 1/1
Raven: HP 24/24, AC 19, touch 14, flat-footed 15, Shielded Gauntlet Style
Aisling: HP 21/21, AC 21, touch 13, flat-footed 18, channel 5/5, touch of good 7/7
Jessibel: HP 21/27, AC 17, touch 13, flat-footed 14, performance 10/14, Possessed Check 1/1
Vantine: HP 20/20, AC 17, touch 13, flat-footed 11, Cryptic Omens 2/2
Vantine walks slowly a little, to clear herself of the running crowd. She's shocked The Raven has attacked the hellhound, but not so much as she pretends for the sake of witnesses. To them it looks like she so confused or frightened so lacks the presence of mind to flee.
Annoyed her hex failed to take hold, she fixes her eyes on the hellhound again, determined to harm it.
"The beast has lost its mind!" The Raven crows, spinning away from the hellhound, his elven cloak flaring dramatically. As he spins, he reaches into his thieves satchel and pulls out one of the unused tanglefoot bags he had purchased for Dove and Magpie so long ago, tossing it at the devil-monster.
A creature that is glued to the floor (or unable to fly) can break free by making a DC 17 Strength check or by dealing 15 points of damage to the goo with a slashing weapon. A creature trying to scrape goo off itself, or another creature assisting, does not need to make an attack roll; hitting the goo is automatic, after which the creature that hit makes a damage roll to see how much of the goo was scraped off. Once free, the creature can move (including flying) at half speed. If the entangled creature attempts to cast a spell, it must make concentration check with a DC of 15 + the spell’s level or be unable to cast the spell. The goo becomes brittle and fragile after 2d4 rounds, cracking apart and losing its effectiveness. An application of universal solvent to a stuck creature dissolves the alchemical goo immediately.
Jessibel breaks into a battle chant and positions herself closer to the beast to make it difficult for it to pursue the fleeing man.
The tengu snorts, but waves his minions away before they attempt to follow the Raven. "Let 'im go." He says in their native tongue.
Nyxra turns to flee, and the hellhound proves too distracted to pursue her, focusing its attention on the Raven as it is.
Vantine unleashes another hex on the infernal dog, and this time she feels its threads of fortune sever away, guaranteeing that its success is significantly less likely.
The Raven lashes out to punch the hellhound, but its tough hide deflects the blow. Fortunately, he manages to dodge away before the beast can counterattack.
Jessibel steps to interpose herself between the beast and the hunted man, who continues dashing away and loses himself in the crowd. Her song rises over the din of the fleeing passersby, inspiring her allies.
The beast looks back and forth between the Raven and where its prey has disappeared to, before glowering at Jessibel and rushing towards her, its fangs bared and flaming. Fortunately, the bard manages to keep the fangs away from her, swatting at it with her rapier and managing to keep it just far enough that she can feel the searing heat of its breath.
Vantine, keeping to her strategy of keeping her actions against the hellhound as far on the lowdown as possible, tries to find a position where she won't easily be seen by anyone. After letting a nervous, but unsettling laugh, she casts a spell in as underhanded a way as she can.
"Oh gosh..." Vantine thinks for a moment. "I couldn't even tell you really. I used to live on this side of the river for years when I was younger, so I've known about it forever it seems."
Jessibel stands her ground, maintaining her chant while stabbing at the beast. A little late, she notices that Nyxra and the Raven have retreated a bit from the rampaging hound.
Wait--I thought the Silver Ravens stood up to the hounds of Hell when they were released into the city streets. Isn't that what we did to help Narcelia??!!
for
As she goes about her daily business, Aisling hears from Darisca that there's been some progress with her attempts to gain influence over the city and get a chapel for Iomedae - apparently, an old Arodenite church-and-orphanage was found abandoned and unoccupied, and she's focused in on arguing the inheritance laws that concern the Church of Aroden to that of his Inheritor. She requests that the younger priestess come offer some advice and aid.
Aisling has not let her more recent activities stop her from keeping up to date with the lastest case law, and there is precedent in a recent judgement of the royal coutt in Egorian. In that case, the ruling Thrunes argued that property which had been abandeoned in the civil war was still transmissible to an inheriting party - in that case, a cousing of the queen. The court had - not sruprisingly - found for the queen in that regard, and Aisling spends several satifsying days writing out a long legal brief which argues that the present situation is completely identical, and hinting that the local judge would do well to follow the decision from Egorian if they want to advance their carreer.
It's dusty work and she goes through almost a dozen quill pens over the course of several days, but as she watches Dariska fix her seal to the document and subiit it to the court, she feels a great sense of satisfaction.
She idly wonders what the others are up to - nothing to interst her, she imagines.
The Raven makes his way through the crowd towards Magpie, the crowd jostling him about. "Do not flee, you fools! Save this unfortunate maiden!" He cannot get near enough the beast to punch it with his mighty talons. Dearest Magpie, not every confrontation need end in a deadly duel!
Seeing that Jessibel is in melee with the hellhound, Nyxra lets out a sharp curse and starts trying to get back to her.
We need to go! Or at least lure the damn thing to a side street!
Nyxra rushes back through the crowd as fast as she can, though she has to fight against the current of people fleeing the combat.
Vantine's chuckle draws a few alarmed glances from the crowd, though her chanting and secretive gestures practically guarantee their flight. The hellhound's shadow twists and warps as she attempts to pin it to the ground. The creature growls, apparently aware of the sudden binding of its shadow.
The Raven leaps back into combat to defend his partner, throwing a series of punches at the devil dog, but its thick hide blocks the blows just enough that he cannot harm it overmuch. It whirls on him, growling deep in its chest.
Jessibel thrusts at the infernal creature, but it hops slightly to the side, dodging her rapier with ease, despite the song that resonates along its blade.
With two targets to choose from, the hellhound goes for Jessibel, lunging hungrily at her. Fortunately, she manages to get her most vulnerable points out of its way, but its fangs still sink into her right arm, searing the flesh and tearing it away.
"Are you feeling alright? Is there something wrong?"
Knowing her spell has taken hold, Vantine springs into action. She stays out of reach of the hellhound but finds the others, especially Jessi and the Raven and urges them to take the opportunity to flee.
"It can't chase us right now, time to go!"
Nyxra moves up and grabs Jessibel.
"We gotta go! Come on!"
She will then retreat back the way she came, aiming for a side street.
The Raven steps away from the somehow-trapped devil-dog and takes to the skies! scrambling up the side of a building so that he might keep an eye on the monster from his perch.
Jessibel shrieks in pain as the hell hound tears a chunk from her arm. Even as she does so, the more detached part of her mind realizes the beast's fiery breath has cauterized the wound; she should be able to heal herself good as new.
Were it not for Nyxra's intervention, the bard likely would've stood and fought. Knowing she's no match for the beast alone, she allows the bigger, stronger (and likely wiser) elf to drag her away from the battle.
"If it comes after us, I say we surround and slay the beast!" Amanda/Jessi growls. "We can't allow such menaces to roam the streets of our city!"
Vantine is outta there with the other girls.
Nyxra grabs and drags Jessibel away as Vantine cackles and makes good her own escape. Meanwhile, the Raven agilely dodges out of the hellhound's reach and scrambles up a nearby building, though he nearly slips a time or two.
The hellhound, unable to break free of Vantine's spell, is left behind in the crowds.
After a few minutes, the Ravens manage to reunite near the wall that divides the nobles of the Greens from riffraff of Yolubilis Harbor. Few people are nearby, and none seem interested in the fleeing fugitives.
"Wrong? No. Just enjoying the atmosphere here, I suppose." Narcelia seems mostly content, insofar as Vantine can tell. She folds her hands on the table, flexing her fingers idly. "But when are you going to tell me why we came here, rather than anywhere in Jarvis End? Crossing the bridge in this weather wasn't exactly comfortable."
Nyxra leans against the alley wall. "Well, that worked out. We saved someone and didn't even need to draw more attention than we had to."
"Yeah, but that hell hound still lives to attack someone else tomorrow," Jessi grouses before singing a healing spell to undo the damage the hound caused to her arm.
"So...we taking the long route back to the Thrashing Badger?"