Taking care of yourself is the most important thing. Be well, we'll be here when you're ready.
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Alfen nods to Morrigan and leads the group back to the previous room, ignoring the martial artist's taunts. "This way," he says, moving toward the warm room to the east. Hopefully they'll lose their nerve around more witnesses. As Alfen enters the new room, he looks around for anyone or anything that can help if things escalate.
"Yes, I know who that is. That's Mikhael. He's the masseuse here. I hope he didn't realize my identity. What do you think he said to those martial artists?" Alfen keeps his eyes on the approaching Mikhael and the students, subconsciously taking a few steps back in response. "Is he friends at all with the secret police? Or the Cloven Nine?" he asks warily, keeping his voice low. If a fight breaks out, we're at a severe disadvantage. Guess they can't make martial artists check in their weapons. "Perhaps we should move to another area? This is all very interesting, and I do want to ask about your heritage, but now is perhaps not the time?" Alfen nods quickly in agreement. "You're right. I think there was a room back where we came from that sounded like it had more people in it. We should move where there are more witnesses." The air coming from the room to the east is noticeably warmer, and the sound of voices indicates that the room in this direction is occupied by more people. (area 2.5)
Alfen's eyes widen as he sees the martial artists moving their way, seemingly focused on Ilyana. He quickly rushes back over to the others. "We might need to cut this short," he says quietly, indicating the entrance to the Lounge with a quick jerk of his head. "I don't know who they are but I think they're coming for you." Alfen looks pointedly at Ilyana.
Alfen watches with fascination as Momo talks to Ilyana. Despite being so... strange, she really does have a way with people. He can't help but admire the musicians as well. Alfen watches out for anything that might seem out of place.
Alfen approaches a nearby patron while Momo continues to chatter. "Excuse me, sorry friend," he says jovially. "Have you seen anything strange here today?"
Happy birthday! Take your time, I work for the post office and am dealing with tax week, so my posting will be pretty limited to evenings until Saturday.
I think that's a good idea.
With no sign if Ilyana, Alfen quickly follows Morrigan down the spiral staircase. He kneels down to get a closer look at the clear water of the pool, admiring the spring and the open air above. Maybe if they weren't dead after all this was over, he could come back and enjoy some much deserved relaxation. Alfen stands up and looks around at the different paths. "Maybe we should split up?" he suggests, though the doubt in his voice betrays that he's not sure it's the best idea. "With that creature possibly on the way, there's no time to waste."
Alfen reluctantly deposits his equipment into one of the lockers, not wanting to part with his instrument. He listens to Nik'olo's conversation with the clerk, not wholly convinced they can trust an eyewitness on something that blinks in and out of existence. Not much point in worrying though, he thinks as he looks at the guards standing nearby. Hopefully they can handle anything that might come through. As they walk through the entrance, Alfen looks around for anyone resembling the tiefling woman.
Yes I did! Sorry about any delay, I forgot to bring my laptop with me.
Alfen breathes a sigh of relief as they head to the surface and not toward the monster. He knows he wouldn't have won that argument if Nik'olo decided to stand his ground on facing it again. Thank the gods he saw reason. Nik'olo tries to keep his eyes from bulging as he takes in the wealth Momo carries with her: "Two pieces should be enough..." he says, controlling the impulse to take more, lots more... Alfen glances over curiously, wondering just how much money Momo brought with her to Zobeck. In another life, she could've been an easy mark for him and his friends. As the group stops for books, he quietly warns Momo, "Be careful not to advertise how much money you have when we're around others. There are plenty of thieves in Zobeck." Alfen grins as Nik'olo purchases the three books. It was a wonderful plan. Hopefully it worked on anyone else who came after them.
I've got about 208 gold so I can buyou a couple of them too.
Alfen balks at Nik'olo's words. "You want to go back after it!?" he asks incredulously. "That thing almost killed us! Even with the fire the kobolds used, how can we be sure that'll give us the edge we need?" Alfen looks to the others to get a sense as to how the others feel. "If it knows where we're going then we should hurry and try to beat it there."
"Well if that was the goblin that Momo saw, it either knew we were here and ambushed us or ran into us by chance." Alfen frowns. "And if it did manage to run off like Morrigan said, it definitely knows we're here now."
Alfen's face falls. "So the Cloven Nine know where we are." So much for being secretive. I wonder if they have spies down here who heard us talking to Radu. Alfen shakes his head rubs his forehead in frustration. "There must be another way out of here, right?" he asks no one in particular. With no sign of the beast after being doused in flames, Alfen doesn't feel safe trying to go back the same way.
Seeing that Irwen is being taken care of by Morrigan, Alfen rushes over to Nik'olo. "Here, hold still," he says as he places a paw on the injured man.
He turns to the kobolds, a relieved grin on his face. "Yes, thank you," he says. "We were dead meat out there." He glances at the others. "Anyone have any idea what that thing was?" Alfen shudders slightly, remembering how hopeless it felt trying to fight off the monster. "You say it was an assassin?" he asks Irwen.
Alfen curses himself after the failed Flare and quickly runs after everyone else following the kobolds' command. He grimaces as Irwen begins coughing up blood. "Give me a moment to catch my breath, and I can heal you and Nik'olo," he says, panting.
Alfen nods at Morrigan's demand. "There's no way we can beat something we can't see!" And hopefully it doesn't try to rip the throat out of everyone there. In an act of desperation, Alfen shouts another incantation as the creature appears again, causing a bright burst of light in front of what Alfen hoped were functioning eyes.
Alfen stares in horror as the creature bursts back into existence. Nik'olo's words do little to steady his resolve as memories of his childhood flash before his eyes. Never knowing his parents, living on the streets, scrounging for food and barely surviving. What was he doing getting involved with the affairs of the aristocracy, the secret police, the Cloven Nine? He's just a street urchin playing pretend. Alfen shakes his head violently, as if trying to expel the thoughts from his head. He quickly moves his arms in an arcane motion and speaks an incantation. As he does, four bright lights resembling torches appear and illuminate the creature.
Nik'olo keeps walking, his cane striking the rhythm on the stone underneath: "I do. The Bathhouse is something to see! One of the few reminders of the Stross's extravagances. Only the Watch can enter with weapons or armour. It's the perfect neutral ground. All sorts of people commingle there..." Alfen nods as Nik'olo speaks. "From what I recall, it used to cater strictly to the upper crust. Once upon a time, they wouldn't have let riff-raff like us in there," he adds with a grin. "Momo and I are strangers here and so much of what was said was largely meaningless to me. What did you think of what the dead one said, or of his plan?" Alfen's grin quickly turns to a frown. "I was skeptical of him at first, but he seemed pretty earnest in his desire to help us. I just wonder what business he wants with Lady Marack." He shrugs as Morrigan glides past him, and he trails slightly behind. As they reach the surface, Nik'olo adds, now out of Cartways' earshot: "I have one or two things to buy along the way. Keep your eyes peeled for a library or any other place that would sell books, full or empty."
"I've spent quite a bit of time in libraries, but rarely in this part of town," he adds mournfully, trying to recall any booksellers that might be on their path.
I hope that things calm down for you and you're able come back! I feel comfortable with the pace we've set. Like you said, I think everyone's posts have been pretty high caliber, so even on the slower days the story still moves.
"Let me explain. Each side is after the same thing, and has charged you with getting it for them. But neither knows the other is involved. If you invite them both, each will blame the other for interfering... and you can slip off the hook in the chaos that ensues." Radu rubs his hands together conspiratorially. Alfen nods excitedly as Radu explains his plan. This is what he had been hoping for! A way to go against the Spyglass Guild and the Cloven Nine without either one suspecting a thing. But there is still one thing that's nagging at him... "What exactly do you get out of this?" Alfen asks bluntly. "Not that I don't appreciate your help," he adds quickly, "But this plan of yours must benefit you in some way." It could be as simple as what Momo said. Maybe he wants to see both groups dead, Alfen thinks to himself. But what if he wants something from us? He shudders to think what being indebted to Radu Underhill would be like.
Alfen climbs the ladder, unable to stop himself from staring at Radu Underhill. The ghouls by themselves were frightening, but there was something disturbing about one that seemed to masquerade as if he were still alive. The kitsune glances around at his companions. Nik'olo was being strangely silent, did he find the Dharakul as off-putting as Alfen did? Momo, on the other hand, didn't seem bothered at all. Momo’s ear lean back and words keep spilling out: ”Actually, if I’m being completely honest, the people after Ilyana are after us too. The thief – Grigori - randomly approached us and the wrong people saw. Now they want us dead regardless if we help Ilyana or not.” Momo wrinkles her brow, ”But I do want to help – I want to be an adult – and help." Momo finishes her rant with: "Regardless of what the Cloven Nine or Spyglass Guild may do to us.” Alfen shoots Momo a pained look as she offers up way more information than was necessary. "As you can see, time is of the essence," he interrupts before the young catfolk divulged even more details about themselves. Alfen isn't sure how much more information Momo could give away, but he's worried that she'll still manage it if left unchecked. "We need to find Ilyana and keep moving."
It's doing the same thing for me. And under the focused messageboard tab, anything with new posts will be bold like normal, but it won't have the (x new) after it. And I like the battlemap! I'll have to wait until I have my laptop again to check out the tokens.
The deep dwarves chuckle at the threat. "Come and arrest us then! We have come here a long time for slaves. We know your law means nothing in this place." Alfen deflates as his attempt at appearing threatening falls embarrassingly short. He used to be more threatening. Or did he? That part of his life was what felt like a long time ago, and memory could be a fickle thing. Either way, it is clear to Alfen that it's better to leave any intimidation tactics to Nik'olo. "Do you need our help carrying those items? Purr?" Momo tilts her head. "We have to go... Let's go." comments Nik'olo, wanting to leave this dangerous place, but not wanting to leave Momo behind. Alfen looks anxiously between the two, and slides next to Momo. "Nik'olo's right, we should get going," he says quietly. "He'll be safe with the guards." Alfen gives a pointed look to the kobold guards, as if there could be any confusion as to which guards he meant. "But we don't have much time to find Radu."
Alfen grimaces as the violent scene unfolds. He can't say he's ever been a big fan of the kobolds, but no one deserves to be treated like this. Momo looks on in horror as the dwarves beat up on the kobold tinkerer. ”We have to save him! He didn’t do anything wrong!” Momo pleads with her companions. Alfen looks to Momo and nods fervently. We can't just stand by and watch this happen. He is about to say something to the dwarves when Nik'olo steps in. He grabs his cane in the manner of the Spyglass agents he saw earlier that day, the pommel mekes the cane look somewhat like their silver-tipped stick, and advances defiantly to the Dwarves: "OY! Stop kicking! That Kobold is wanted for questioning at the Blue House! Back off or I'll call for reinforcements!" Alfen quickly turns his head so that the dwarves and guards can't see his smirk. When he turns back, he is scowling with arms crossed and fangs showing. "You don't want to see the bottom of the Blue House, do you?"
Alfen eyes the dwarves and ghouls with suspicion, sticking close to the group and subconsciously holding on tight to his now-heavier coin pouch. He looks around at all the hustle and bustle for anyone who might be a Dharakul, though he has never seen one personally. Alfen wonders how much would they stand out from the regular ghouls that seemed to be everywhere down here? "He's a merchant here," he offers. "Radu shouldn't be too hard to find. Or we could just ask." Alfen approaches one of the kobolds currently on guard. "Excuse me, friend," he greets the guard, smiling knowingly. "Can you tell me where I can find Radu the Fixer? I have a... problem that needs taken care of."
Alfen smiles widely as he sees the coin taken from the thugs. I can only hope every step of this mission ends so lucratively. "We follow the only lead we've got" she answers the unspoken question. "We go find Radu Underhill. But first, we still have to get out of here." Right. The Dharakul. Alfen nods in agreement, taking a moment to revert back to his normal shape. "Then let's get out of here before the others show up to check on their friends," he says. But where is the Black Market?
Alfen quickly puts away his instrument and helps drag the other lookout into the same alley. "Can you believe that?" he says excitedly in a hushed whisper. "It all happened so quickly!" Leaving Momo to sniff them out, Alfen takes a moment to catch his breath from the adrenaline rush. He glances over to Nik'olo. "Find anything good?"
Alfen curses himself as the guards regain their senses. He's about to play it off when he is suddenly startled by the sudden flash of a sword. He quickly steps to the side and in front of the guard struck by Nik'olo as to prevent his escape, and regains his composure. Alfen continues playing, but his song suddenly changes. Instead of the dreamlike tune heard before, a more intense piece begins. Anyone paying attention might recognize it as strange variant on the Rill of Bill.
Inspire Courage: Inspire Courage (Su): A 1st-level bard can use his performance to inspire courage in his allies (including himself ), bolstering them against fear and improving their combat abilities. To be affected, an ally must be able to perceive the bard’s performance. An affected ally receives a +1 morale bonus on saving throws against charm and fear effects and a +1 competence bonus on attack and weapon damage rolls. At 5th level, and every six bard levels thereafter, this bonus increases by +1, to a maximum of +4 at 17th level. Inspire courage is a mind-affecting ability. Inspire courage can use audible or visual components. The bard must choose which component to use when starting his performance.
Oh shoot! I'm so sorry, I knew that and completely forgot.
Sounds good!
Alfen curses himself as the guards regain their senses. He's about to play it off when he is suddenly startled by the sudden flash of a sword. He quickly steps to the side and in front of the guard struck by Nik'olo as to prevent his escape, and regains his composure. Alfen, still grinning, continues to play. "Come on now, fighting is so hard, isn't it? And so unpleasant! Just sit down and listen to my music." I'm taking a gamble getting this close to the guy, he thinks grimly to himself. If it doesn't work this time I need to bolt and switch tactics.
Fascinate: Fascinate (Su): At 1st level, a bard can use his performance to cause one or more creatures to become fascinated with him. Each creature to be fascinated must be within 90 feet, able to see and hear the bard, and capable of paying attention to him. The bard must also be able to see the creatures affected. The distraction of a nearby combat or other dangers prevents this ability from working. For every three levels the bard has attained beyond 1st, he can target one additional creature with this ability. Each creature within range receives a Will save (DC 10 + 1/2 the bard’s level + the bard’s Cha modifier) to negate the effect. If a creature’s saving throw succeeds, the bard cannot attempt to fascinate that creature again for 24 hours. If its saving throw fails, the creature sits quietly and observes the performance for as long as the bard continues to maintain it. While fascinated, a target takes a –4 penalty on all skill checks made as reactions, such as Perception checks. Any potential threat to the target allows the target to make a new saving throw against the effect. Any obvious threat, such as someone drawing a weapon, casting a spell, or aiming a weapon at the target, automatically breaks the effect. Fascinate is an enchantment (compulsion), mindaffecting ability. Fascinate relies on audible and visual components in order to function.
I'm fighting power outages and a tree that might be falling down in my parking lot, so I might not be able to get back until tonight. -Posted with Wayfinder
Alfen eyes the lookouts for a moment, and retrieves his fiddle from his pack. "You fellows seem tense," he says cheerfully. "Allow me to take your mind off of things with a bit of entertainment. And maybe if you're feeling generous afterward...." Alfen winks and, without waiting for an answer, begins playing quickly and quietly to avoid alerting their nearby friends. In his simple but fast tune, Alfen imbues some of the arcane power he has taught himself into his performance in an effort to fascinate the lookouts.
Fascinate:
Fascinate (Su): At 1st level, a bard can use his performance to cause one or more creatures to become fascinated with him. Each creature to be fascinated must be within 90 feet, able to see and hear the bard, and capable of paying attention to him. The bard must also be able to see the creatures affected. The distraction of a nearby combat or other dangers prevents this ability from working. For every three levels the bard has attained beyond 1st, he can target one additional creature with this ability. Each creature within range receives a Will save (DC 10 + 1/2 the bard’s level + the bard’s Cha modifier) to negate the effect. If a creature’s saving throw succeeds, the bard cannot attempt to fascinate that creature again for 24 hours. If its saving throw fails, the creature sits quietly and observes the performance for as long as the bard continues to maintain it. While fascinated, a target takes a –4 penalty on all skill checks made as reactions, such as Perception checks. Any potential threat to the target allows the target to make a new saving throw against the effect. Any obvious threat, such as someone drawing a weapon, casting a spell, or aiming a weapon at the target, automatically breaks the effect. Fascinate is an enchantment (compulsion), mindaffecting ability. Fascinate relies on audible and visual components in order to function. -Posted with Wayfinder
"Sorry about that. We're after a fox and a cat. Did you see them?" Alfen's ears twitch as he catches the words. As Momo starts to get restless, he whispers quietly to her, "Morrigan's right, don't make any sudden moves. They know they're looking for people who look like us. A cat and a fox," he clarifies with a grimace. "We need to be careful." "I'm going to change shape and go up there. If things get ugly we don't want to waste time getting everyone out of the tunnel." All of a sudden Alfen's body transforms to that of a human once again; taller and skinnier than before but with auburn hair and the same blue eyes. Carefully, Alfen climbs the ladder and opens the hatch.
"Oh!" he exclaims, feigning surprise. "The ladies told me there would be no one here." He grins sheepishly, trying to look embarrassed. "Let me tell you, gents, they can really party in the Silk Scabbard. They know just how to treat a man."
After a moment of indecision, Alfen shakes his head and follows the group into the tunnel. The transformation trick was handy, but the problem was it only worked once. And if it was just him going out the front, well... One person does not make an ambush. Better to save it for a more desperate situation. And Alfen can't help but feel that such a time would come soon. As they near the exit, he offers, drawing his cloak over his head: "I'll go first, with Irwen, arms locked like a couple. We'll signal the rest of you. If you see we get approached, wait. They might just question us. If they believe us, we'll get the drop on them right after, as you come out. If they don't believe us, then come running." He ends with a wink. Alfen nods quietly and slows his pace to drop to the back of the group as Nik'olo and Irwen take the lead. Following the stern man's advice, Alfen assumes an anxious expression: eyes wide, head jerking to look behind him and to the sides, nervously wringing his hands. Hopefully they could avoid an outright fight.
Coming once more to the present, she shakes her head. "I am not sure we have time for disguises, unless you mean of the arcane sort. They are here now." "I can easily transform myself to appear human," Alfen quickly reminds them. "But it sounds like we don't have time for that." He stays close behind Morrigan and Momo as they begin to move toward the tunnel.
Alfen's ears twitch as Iskra redirects their attention to the curtain. He begins to make his way to the curtain in an effort to get out before the Cloven Nine show up, but he stops before moving the curtain and turns around to face Filipa and Iskra. "Will you ladies be alright?" he asks anxiously. "I couldn't stand myself if any harm were to come to you just because we were here."
Alfen nods grimly at Filipa's statement. "Yes, from what I understand he's a Dharakul. I can't imagine what it must be like to be a monster and be fully aware of your nature. I think I'd rather just be a ghoul. Not that I want to be either, of course," he adds hastily. As Iskra suggests walking away you all remember the words of the Spyglass Guild outside the Wheatsheaf. Find the girl and give her to us or you'll all see the bottom of Blue House. And don't try running... you aren't hard to find. Alfen grimaces as these words echo through his mind. He really doesn't want to cooperate with the Spyglass Guild or the Cloven Nine. He wasn't lying when he said he had no intention of turning in Ilyana to anyone, but it was getting hard to see a way out. Speaking of the Cloven Nine... "We should probably get out of here soon, before that tiefling from Wheatsheaf shows up. How do we get out of this room without being seen?" he asks, looking around for the secret exits to the tunnels Irwen and Katya had mentioned earlier.
Iskra yawns. "I'm sorry, no. I really don't know anything about Radu Underhill. I just know that Ilyana was a little scared of him, but she felt he would be able to hide her." Alfen grimaces at this but says nothing. He had never been down into the Cartways himself, but he was more than familiar with their reputation. And he knew Radu Underhill as well. Some kind of Dharakul, he had heard. But he would wait to tell the others once they were out of the Silk Scabbard. "Yes, the Cartways are extremely dangerous," he agrees with Irwen, nodding. "Maybe we can find a kobold to guide us through," he adds, half-jokingly. "Hand her over to whom, Filipa?" Iskra replies icily. "I have to tell you, I don't really see a happy ending in any of this, especially for Irwen and her friends. The Spyglass Guild and the Cloven Nine. Both are dangerous, and both want Ilyana. To comply with one is to earn the wrath of the other, a death sentence however you slice it." Alfen's face falls as he stares at Iskra and processes what she's saying. He hadn't even realized, but being in trouble with the secret police and the Cloven Nine? He might have to leave Zobeck if they didn't cooperate with one of them.
"Of course we wouldn't turn her over to anyone," he says defiantly, though he is uncertain if this will be true. Maybe there would be a third option that did have a happy ending, despite what Iskra says.
Momo sits back down next to Alfen. "What is the Black Book anyway? It doesn't sound edible." Momo folds her arms over her chest. Alfen shakes his head in response. "I'm not sure what exactly the book is," he says, "But it seems very important to Lady Marack. Probably don't want the Cloven Nine getting ahold of it. I'm no fan of the Blue House, but at least they're not out to kill us." Yet, he reminds himself silently. He listens to Filipa as she starts talking about Ilyana, trying to take in and remember as much as possible. Alfen glances at Iskra and realizes how lucky they are that Filipa decided to come down and join them, he doesn't think Iskra would have been nearly as talkative.
Alfen almost jumps out of his seat at the accusation, but breathes a sigh of relief as Iskra is calmed by Nik'olo's words. He stands up and asks, "Is there anything we can say to Underhill to get him to trust us? I doubt he'll just take us at our word that you sent us to him."
Sorry! Been running around all weekend and hadn't really had time to sit down at my computer until now.
Alfen gapes in disbelief as Momo begins her fort building and quickly shuffles out of her way as she begins dismantling the furniture. "We actually need to find a woman named Ilyana. It seems that a certain gentleman friend of hers may have gotten her into trouble, or perhaps it is vice versa. I'm not really sure which, and don't care frankly, but now they've somehow dragged me into it, and it seems I must get to the bottom of whatever is going on with them, and to that end Írwen needs to speak with Ilyana. I understand one or both of you know her?" Alfen nods along with Morrigan's explanation. "Yes, and there are dangerous groups after us as well!" he adds, more enthusiastically than what may have been appropriate. Alfen finds himself terrified of being killed by the tiefling, of course, but he is also overwhelmed by the sheer excitement of the night. It's become a little hard for him to process. Once Momo has completed her pillow and blanket nest (although perhaps highly inappropriate for the current situation) Momo tugs at Alfen's hand. Momo purposefully picks the hairiest looking creature to prospect cuddling. Momo will generally always pick the furriest or largest creature because she assumes they will be the warmest. "Do you need a rest?" Momo tilts her head in question to Alfen. Then, she points to the nest of pillows and blankets. "While we wait," Momo adds. And that didn't make it easier. Alfen shakes his head, wanting to wait and hear what Iskra and Philipa had to say. Momo becomes more insistent - regardless of Alfen's answer - pulling harder on Alfen's hand and arm. "Come, come" Momo crawls into the "nest" and pats a hand next to her on a blanket. "Comfy and warm," Momo encourages. Sometime during her crawl inside, the hood of her cloak fell back, exposing two perky ears. Momo peers up at her companions from the safely of her fort. His attention is drawn back as Momo begins tugging on his arm. "Okay, okay," he says, shrugging sheepishly at anyone whose attention is pulled to the two animal people. He carefully sets himself down on one of the cushions and sits there awkwardly.
Momo looks over at Alfen. Is he going to play for a mate? I wonder if kitsune work here. Or does he have a thing for humans? Momo's ears twitch as she thinks, her gaze lingering on Alfen. Then, she bluntly asks Alfen: "Have you been here before? Which one is your favorite?" Momo thinks the notion of money in exchange for mating is strange, but she wants to fit in and therefore tries to go along with it. Alfen can't help but laugh at Momo's question. "No, I can't say that I have," he says. "Not to say I've never thought about coming here, I just, ah..." He trails off. "Well, I certainly never imagined my first time here I'd be crowding into one of their rooms with five other people," he says, shrugging. Nik'olo offers: "Shouldn't we wait for her friend?" Alfen nods in agreement. Both of the women should know they might be in danger. Or were they putting them in danger by seeking them out? The kitsune grimaces at the thought, but says nothing. It was too late for that now.
Nik'olo blushes while looking outraged by Alfen's insinuations. Alfen grimaces at Nik'olo's reaction and decides not to make a comment about taking a spongebath. He glances at Momo as she asks Katya about their food selection. Can't believe she's still hungry. I guess tracking that tiefling across the city took a lot out of her. "You know you lot really paint quite the picture. You look ready for war. Are you going hunting Irwen?" Alfen shrugs nonchalantly at the question. "You never know what you might run into," he says, all too aware of what they might run into once they've left. "Better to prepared, that's my motto."
Alfen swallows a chuckle as Nik'olo and Irwen work Katya to their advantage. Private rooms, secret exits, and the girl we need to talk to is right there at the bar? Too easy! Alfen suddenly glances around the room anxiously. Actually, it did seem too easy. Where were the Cloven Nine right now? Could they be absolutely sure that they hadn't been spotted and followed after the Broken Seal? Not that it mattered, since they were apparently headed this way anyway. He eyes the gaming table and Iskra's client with suspicion. They seem to be the only ones in the room who weren't employed here; if there was anyone here to spy on their group, it could be one of them. Alfen turns his attention back to Katya and the table. He chides himself for letting paranoia get the better of him. The tiefling from Whatsheaf was fast, but according to Momo he had only just been ordered to ambush them as the group was quickly leaving the Broken Seal. There was no way he had gotten here before them. Everything would be fine. Probably. "Two girls, eh?" he winks at Nik'olo and grins at Katya. "He's quite the rascal, our Nik'olo."
Alfen grins at Katya as she walks over to the table, but it quickly disappears as he notices how rude she is to Irwen. Thankfully, her off behavior seemed more out of hurt than actual malice. They had made enough enemies already in the short time since leaving the Wheatsheaf. "The rest of you, if you want to see what a real lady is like, there are plenty still here since Irwen moved on. Two silvers for a private room." She addresses the table as a whole with this last invitation but her eyes linger on the men, and Nik'olo in particular, profiling being part of her trade. Alfen would flush with embarrassment if his cheeks weren't already covered in red fur. He looks at an interesting spot on the wall past Katya, unable to make eye contact. "I agree with Nik'olo, a drink would be great," he says, avoiding responding to the proposal directly.
On a flight of stairs just to the left as you enter, a particularly lascivious looking lady leans out of the shadows over the rail, covering her otherwise bare breasts with her hands alone. She withdraws again after making eye contact with Nik'olo. Alfen flashes a quick grin to the girl just before she takes off. Guess we don't look like their normal clientele. He shrugs and quickly takes a seat at the table with everyone else. Momo looks startled and continues in a whisper: "The don't know where she is hiding and they think we will know after talking to the people at the Silk Scabbard. The goblin told the horned one to ambush us, torture us for information, and then kill us. And... they spoke to the girls at the Silk Scabbard before but they said the girls didn't know they are the... Cloven Nine? Do you know what that is? We need to prepare! I don't want to die!" Alfen leans in with interest as Momo recounts her experience in the Broken Seal, but involuntarily throws himself back at this last part. "Are you serious?" he whisper shouts, trying not to raise his voice loudly. He looks around frantically to see if anyone else is listening and is relieved to note that the nearby tables are currently empty. He turns quickly to Irwen. "Who was your friend that knew this Ilyana? She might be in danger too." |