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"Pleased to meet you. I am known by many as the Witchbrand."The caliban approaches the man. "What is your name?"The man, his gratitude readily apparent on his face, grasps Witch's hand, ignoring the color of his skin, and shakes it, "Thank you very much. Know that you have just saved Julian d'Sand, recently of Richemulot."
"I am more than pleased to meet you. Please take my card and accept this." Julian D'Sands hands Witch a small pouch.
For Witch
"The money is unnecessary. I'm happy to have been of help, but really I did nothing but direct Haelyn. If you want, than I'm sure the others would like a reward."
"Take it I insist. Tis the least I can do."
"Alright, if you must." Witch examines the contents of the bag.
Shaken into wakefulness by Vivienne, Nathaniel starts as if someone woken from a nightmare. For a moment upon seeing the woman, his hard face softens, and he almost says something, before looking quickly away and reaching for his dropped weapon, assessing the situation and noting the downed chef.
“What happened?” he growls, climbing to his feet. “What foul sorcery?” He looks between the unconscious chef and Dayenn, his face a mask of barely controlled anger – he vaguely recalls the professor stepping forward, mumbling whilst reaching for his beltpouch a moment before he fell. “Why did I fall asleep?”
Shaken into wakefulness by Vivienne, Nathaniel starts as if someone woken from a nightmare. For a moment upon seeing the woman, his hard face softens, and he almost says something, before looking quickly away and reaching for his dropped weapon, assessing the situation and noting the downed chef.
“What happened?” he growls, climbing to his feet. “What foul sorcery?” He looks between the unconscious chef and Dayenn, his face a mask of barely controlled anger – he vaguely recalls the professor stepping forward, mumbling whilst reaching for his beltpouch a moment before he fell. “Why did I fall asleep?”
"You can thank that fool 'professor', for your sudden slumber. I'd like to know...", he says, turning to Naight, "Just why you did that. You tried to get me, too, but nature protected me."
Marius chuckles at Nathaniel's questions and then looks away from De'sands. Marius stands up and sheathes his hand axe but holds onto the cleaver. "Hows he doing Professor?" he motions to the chef
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A loud, gruff voice booms from the outside, "To those inside, we have the cafe surrounded! Come out in an orderly fashion! You have sixty seconds to comply!"
Looking outside, you see quite a number of gendarmes armed with new-fangled weapons called rifles. The avenue appears to have been blocked off. Darby, Dayenn's butler, can be seen kibitzing with the bystanders.
As he wakes up, to Vivienne: "Hi baby."
After he gets his bearings and hears the gendarmes: "Gentlemen. Shall we stroll outside and see if Dayenn can talk us out of this? I know I can't. Or shall we run like hell out the back door."
Sense Motive (Nathan) (1d20 1=18)
Vivienne watched Nathan's face carefully as his consciousness returned, but she keeps herself from making any remarks or snippy comments.
As the other one rattles off his sleepiness, she helps the big man up.
"Grim, you don't want to go down that road. Just a tip for you to stay alive." Vivienne says to Grimnebulin, but loud enough, that Nathan is also able to hear, what she is saying.
"Collaborating with the gendarmerie should be our better choice of avenues. We have nothing to hide... haven't we?"
"Perhaps if you had seen the carnage I saw coming into town you wouldn't be so comfortable placing yourself in their custody, Vivienne."
"Sorry about the 'sleep'. I thought this was a set up and that 'Witch' and 'Grim' were its targets. Now, I think we all were. Ensuring there was no combat seemed the best way out of here but ...," Dayenn begins.
"I suggest we comply," says Dayenn. "So-called 'normal' looking people first."
Dayenn opens the door slowly and exits holding in one hand a pinch of wool hidden between his thumb and foreginger (spell components for 'Daze').
"I would like to speak to whoever is in charge here."
Meanwhile, Witch runs over to heal the maddened cook.
"It'll work out better if they don't come in here and find a dead body", he says, "And anyways, killing isn't my way."
Heal check 1d20+8=20
Vivienne:
Nathaniel looks to the professor: “If you EVER put me to sleep again…” he growls, fingers curling and uncurling on the haft of his scythe.
He then looks to Grim. “Help me with this one,” he says, gesturing to the unconscious chef, intending to pick him up and carry him out of the door.
Nathaniel looks to the professor: “If you EVER put me to sleep again…” he growls, fingers curling and uncurling on the haft of his scythe.
"Some people just don't know how to say 'thanks'," mumbles Dayenn as he exits the building with his hands visible.
"Thanks for the friendly fire."
"Grim, you don't want to go down that road...."
"Too much traffic?"
As Nathaniel and Grim move in to lift the unconscious chef Armand steps aside.
"Careful now, he's quite hurt."
"I am Dayenn Naight. My colleagues and I were in the restaurant when an altercation broke out. I'm sure they would feel more comfortable exiting the restaurant if they weren't walking into a wall of rifles."
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"I am Dayenn Naight. My colleagues and I were in the restaurant when an altercation broke out. I'm sure they would feel more comfortable exiting the restaurant if they weren't walking into a wall of rifles."
"Sounds reasonable. You have my word that your colleagues will not be shot on site. That is if they exit the cafe in an orderly fashion in the next thirty seconds. You may go back to confer with them."
Once Dayenn goes back in the cafe, the count resumes: "One!"
Dayenn re-enters the cafe and suggests a quick orderly exit.
"Yah yah. Should have never come to the city."
Grim puts his hands high and marches out. He eyes the guns.
Quietly to anyone marching out next to him: "Gonna get myself one of them."
Vivienne looks at Dayenn and Grim and says to the others: "We'd better follow them, we'd be taken for guests that are not members of the professor's matinee, otherwise." I should keep a look on this other fellow, who was attacked by the mad cook, he seems fishy to me. And this Grim, he will certainly learn not to mess with me.
With these words spoken Vivienne walks outside following Dayenn Naight and Grimnebulin.
Witch sighs and, rather nervously, steps out. All the time hiding behind Armand.
Marius rolls his eyes and steps out beside Dayenn with his arms up and a big grin on his face.
Nathaniel, thinking that dragging out the wounded cook on his own may not be wise, likewise exits the place, looking around warily, not making any threatening moves.
Armand is more than willing to exit slowly and without any furor. As he exits the door he looks up at the mounted figure.
"We have a seriously wounded man in there, I suggest he receives immediate medical attention."
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You see the gendarmes stand down as you file out of the cafe with your hands raised, though several unwelcome stares were directed at Grim and Witch.
"What is that thing?" Says the horse-mounted leader of the gendarmes, as he points at Witch's animal companion.
At the same time, a squad of gendarmes enter the cafe.
"What is that thing?" Says the horse-mounted leader of the gendarmes, as he points at Witch's animal companion.
"We call him 'The Witchbrand'. Don't believe I've learned his birth name. And may I be asking yours sir?" replies Dayenn innocently.
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"I am Marshal Ney of the First Port-a-Lucine Regulars."
One of the gendarmes who went inside the cafe shouts, "We got a man in here with a snake bite."
The marshal, upon hearing this, turns to levy his judgment on Witch's animal companion, "That blasted animal is a danger to public safety, whatever its name maybe. I'm sorry that thing would have to be destroyed. Men seize that thing."
Three gendarmes move to implement the marshal's order.
“I wouldn’t do that,” says Nathaniel quietly. “That’s an albino square nosed viper – they’re one of the most venomous variety of snakes of their size. They’re normally fairly docile, but if panicked – such as by armed men trying to grab them – they tend to lash out. They strike fast, and their victims can die in seconds.
“The Witchbrand knows how to handle such snakes – best let him get it out of here.”
"Yah, you don't want that snake to get nervous. Gunfire drives it crazy."
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“I wouldn’t do that,” says Nathaniel quietly. “That’s an albino square nosed viper – they’re one of the most venomous variety of snakes of their size. They’re normally fairly docile, but if panicked – such as by armed men trying to grab them – they tend to lash out. They strike fast, and their victims can die in seconds.
“The Witchbrand knows how to handle such snakes – best let him get it out of here.”
With those words, the gendarmes screech to a halt and look at their commander.
Marius chuckles and smiles at the commander "I would think fast Mister before the snakes gets angry...he is likely to off and bite someone"
Looks at Dayenn.
The commander looks at Witch and screams, "Restrain your pet or I'll have you arrested!"
The Witchbrand glares at the commander. "What do you want me to do, get a leash? He won't attack anyone unless I tell him to."
The commander looks at Witch and screams, "Restrain your pet or I'll have you arrested!"
The Witchbrand glares at the commander. "What do you want me to do, get a leash? He won't attack anyone unless I tell him to." He pats Haelyn on the head.
“I wouldn’t do that,” says Nathaniel quietly. “That’s an albino square nosed viper – they’re one of the most venomous variety of snakes of their size. They’re normally fairly docile, but if panicked – such as by armed men trying to grab them – they tend to lash out. They strike fast, and their victims can die in seconds.
“The Witchbrand knows how to handle such snakes – best let him get it out of here.”
"For your information, Haelyn is not a viper, he's an albino rattlesnake. Of unusual size."
"Dear Marshall, witnesses will tell you, that the this weird looking comrade at the table was cleaved down by the mad cook. Only after we had revived him from his near fatal wounds, he called upon the snake to attack the cook, as the ravening madman was still advancing on his victim. He only did that out of fear for his life and the life of the intended victim of the cook. No other guests were harmed by the snake, and you can see clearly, that it follows his orders."
Armand stands quietly in the background. The morning has definitely taken a turn he didn't count on.
"Dear Marshall, witnesses will tell you, that the this weird looking comrade at the table was cleaved down by the mad cook. Only after we had revived him from his near fatal wounds, he called upon the snake to attack the cook, as the ravening madman was still advancing on his victim. He only did that out of fear for his life and the life of the intended victim of the cook. No other guests were harmed by the snake, and you can see clearly, that it follows his orders."
Dayenn checks out Vivienne's diplomacy skills with great appreciation.
"The lady has summarized the events quite nicely. If you would like to further investigate, sir, we could go inside. I'm sure that something refreshing could be brought from the kitchen while we explained what happened and where."
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The marshal is silent. He is obviously thinking and weighing the words of Vivienne and Dayenn. But he appears to be undecided.
For Vivienne and Dayenn