[WFRP] The Hour After Midnight

[goblinpaladin]

Lothar grins, and shrugs. "I'm making new friends, and some silver while I'm at it. The thing I find most interesting is what our friend we visited earlier had to say about that family with a sick baby and that it was close to the people we're looking for." He paused and frowned, stroking his beard.

"That kind of thing is common where there are refugees, true enough, but it could be the work of... well. You follow my line of thought. We ought to split into two groups tomorrow- you, Seth," he points a callused thumb, "poke around those merchants. Take our young bounty hunter here as muscle, pretend that yer a buyer an' he's your guard. Or something. You two," and the soldier nods to the elves, "come with me into the lower town, see if we can't poke about and hear anything interesting, mayhap have a chat to the neighbours or the landlord of that exploded basement."

He sits back in his chair and nods, pleased with himself. "For tonight though, that doesn't seem like half a bad plan. Just to see what's what, sort of thing. For now, I think I'll shout my fellow gamers a drink, to make up for stepping out early. A moment."

He scrapes his chair back loudly and looks around the table. "You all want one as well, I take it." His voice is very firm.

[Another_Poet]

Raffy

"I'll accept the drink," says Raffy with a nod and a smile. "But I've already promised myself to Ithelus for tomorrow."

[amgodtic]

"Which might be just as well," added Seth, "unless you want to be doing a lot of talking tomorrow; Raffy seems a bit the verbose type, and I've been shown my way around a formal etiquette lesson or two. Seems more efficient to separate us. And if I want to look like I have hired muscle, you're certainly at least just as convincing as Raffy."

"And I'll happily accept your donation of a drink," adds Seth, who, for some reason, counts out 4 shillings from his purse and places them in his breast pocket.

[Exeson]

Ithelus sits quietly, listening to the discussion, most of his attention still on the gambling. At the mention of his plans for the morning he perks up slightly.

'Well, you see the reason why I have asked of Raffy's services is that I was thinking tomorrow the two of us head over to Neumarket and see what we can about the more dubious powder merchant. I also think it would be a good idea to try and get a foot in with the black market, if anything we might be able to find more informants..... And well, out of anyone I'm the er.... most qualified for... such things.'

He trails off into awkward mumblings. 'As for the excursion tonight, I don't see why we shouldn't, as long as you all think the town at night is safe. I think it might be crawling with Hounds.'

[amgodtic]

"Hm...Well, in the interests of simplicity and logic, I feel t'were best that Lothar and I were the ones to visit both merchants; we shall find the one who's address I have first, then track down the other. That would leave the rest of you a few options.

"You could speak to witnesses concerning this basement; you said something about an ill baby, that might be worth following up on; or you could simply gather what eaves you can, so to speak in the Taverns.

"Or, alternately, you could even speak to that friend of the captain's, Klaus something-or-other, if you're careful about how you approach him. Though I gather he might be hard to find before the evening; we might be better off meeting and comparing notes one last time a'fore we speak to him."

[Another_Poet]

Raffy

Raffy gives Seth a wolfish leer. "Maybe they'd think I hired you as muscle," he says. And then laughs uproariously.

In response to the others he says, "I don't know about the Hounds, but if they're crawling the streets can always just keep on walking. And I wouldn't go looking for that sick baby - the leech thinks a plague may break out soon."

[Exeson]

Exeson grins slightly. 'So it is settled then? we all head over tot eh accident tonight, and tomorrow Lothar and Seth chase up the merchants whilst the rest of us do some general poking around. Then after we meet we tackle the revolutionary? I believe I have already fingered him at the Hammer, or his kind anyway.' He plays with the dice.

[amgodtic]

Seth shoots Raffy an affronted look, then softens when he starts laughing. He responds with a sly look of his own, "I am perfectly content to be mistaken for hired muscle-if the enemies of justice underestimate me, on their own head be it." Seth proceeds to linger over the remains of his drink, until such time as we are all ready to depart.

[Exeson]

Ithelus nods and gets up from the table. He moves over to the door and motions the group outside when they are ready. He then steps outside and pulls his hat down over his ears as he sweeps his coat and attempts to make himself look as inconspicuous as possible.

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OOC: Well, I'm aiming to sort of not draw attention to myself, pretty much use the 'sneak' skill if it existed. Which skill should I test against? Concealment or Silent move, or both?

[LCP]

Trying not to draw attention to the elf’s inconspicuous departure, the others followed, Lothar waving his gambling companions goodbye for now.

The streets of Delberz were dark, the bustle of the day replaced by the shadows of the night – the odd person hurried past, their shadows stretched into wavering spectres by the occasional candle-lit window. The citizens of the lower town could not afford much in the way of lighting.

Following Ithelus’s lead, the party headed south towards New Street, pausing occasionally to take directions from Raffy and trying to stick to the wider roads – it was a difficult endeavour, the entire district seeming to be a warren of winding alleys and overhanging eaves. Hurrying down one such street, Illiiya flinched as a glossy black rat scuttled out in front of them, its glimmering, beady eyes turning to stare brazenly at the party before bounding away into the darkness.

Reaching New Street, they crossed it with their heads held down, doing their best not to draw the attention of the half-dozen men who leaned against the opposite street corner, the white ribbons of the Hounds tied around their arms. One of the militiamen watched them intently, standing straight as a sentry on parade on the fringe of his group – the rest were huddled around their sooty lantern, smoking or talking. They made no trouble, for now.

Faulkes street was as run-down as the neighbourhood of the Crow, although it looked like it might once have seen better days: facades of cracked and dirty plaster rubbed shoulders with those that had been smartened with cheap whitewash, giving a measure of their inhabitants’ pride. The lower walls were built partly of stone, the grey blocks streaked with the black of decades’ accumulated grime. There were no signs of any basement levels from the street – just rows of forbidding, closed doors.

“This is it,” said Raffy, quietly. “Thirty-six.”

Looking up, Ithelus saw a faint glimmer in the window on the upper floor – probably a candle. Aside from that, there was no sign of life on the dark street.

[Exeson]

The change in the elf was almost frightening. Where as before he was a slightly bumbling and flamboyant creature now he padded along the streets of Delberz with worrying subtlety. He was not perfect at his art yet, occasionally casting a shadow or steeping on a lose cobble, but at other times it was hard to distinguish him from the shadows even when you know where he was.

As they arrived at the house Ithelus pointed out the glimmer to the group with a gesture and then took up a position on the other side of the road, crouched low near a door frame. He also pulled a throwing knife from his sleeve, not that he expected to use it but the Hounds earlier had put him on edge.

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Waiting outside the building whilst the group do... whatever they do. Keeping watch basically whilst remaining hidden. Do I need to make a concealment test? If so: (1d100)[22] Target = 64

[goblinpaladin]

Lothar walked as casually as ever, looking all the part like a bored and slightly-tipsy unemployed soldier in the company of friends. He neither waved nor hid from the Hounds, but nonetheless kept a careful eye on them. He nodded to Raffy, clearly content to let the bounty hunter take the lead for now.

[Another_Poet]

Raffy the Sparrowhawk

When they arrive Raffy whispers, "Ith, you seem pretty quiet. Wanna walk around the building once and see if you can look in any cellar windows? Or find a cellar door? I'll cover you."

He indicates his 'buss. This is probably the only warning his companions will get that, should it come to it, he will favour their defence over stealth.

[Exeson]

Ithelus nods and stalks around the building, looking for any points of interest. Unless he runs into trouble he will mention them to Raffy and then return to his hiding place.

[LCP]

The alleys between the house and its neighbours were barely wide enough for a cat - Ithelus slunk through them like a shadow, his eyes flicking from side to side as he took in Number Thirty-Six from every angle.

There were no exterior entrances to any kind of a cellar - if what the Doctor said was true, the basement must be accessible only from the inside. There was a heavy-set back door, looking like it had not been used in a long time: the handle was grimy with dust.

The windows of the house were narrow and high - difficult to effect an entry that way, thought the part of Ithelus' mind that was always sizing up such things. Passing round by the other wall, he found himself back on Faulkes street.

"No way into the cellar from outside," he said to Raffy, keeping his voice low. "A back door, and that's it."

[Another_Poet]

Raffy the Sparrowhawk

Raffy nods and then waits expectantly. Suddenly he realises that Ithelus, and probably the others, are waiting for him to decide what to do. How did I end up in charge? he wonders. Oh, right. Gonna be famous. Guess I better get used to it.

Sighing, he looks back at where the others are hidden. What would be idea would be for just one of them to knock on the door, with the others all hidden, so that their faces aren't all learned at once. If no one answers then they can break in.

He approaches Lothar and shares the plan in hushed tones. "So, wanna be our knocker?" 'Knocker' never sounded so much like 'bait' before.

[LCP]

Stepping up to the door, Lothar knocked. The light in the window flickered – straining his ears, Lothar heard the thud of footsteps on stairs, growing louder from within.

There was the rattle of a key in a lock, and the heavy door hinged open by the merest crack – the face of an old, ill-shaven man peered round its edge, examining the man on his doorstep with a wary expression – one that only intensified as he took in Lothar’s swords.

“What d’you want?” he asked brusquely, not opening the door any further. “If you’re one of ‘albermann’s men, I ain’t done nothing’.”

[LCP]

“No, sir, I’m my own man,” said Lothar, grinning. “I was wondering if I could ask you about your cellar.”
The door opened a little further, the extreme wariness on the man’s face lessening a little.
“You want to rent it?” he yapped, regarding Lothar’s face with shrewd eyes.
“It’s not taken, then?”
“Was. Chucked the buggers out.” The little man looked Lothar up and down. “It’s a schilling a week, and that’s starving myself out of house and home, that is.”
“Why’d you chuck ‘em out?”
“’Cos it’s my cellar, and I chose to,” said the man, rudely. “I know my rights. You want to rent it or not?”

[Exeson]

Ithelus looks up, spotting what could be a very useful opportunity, if even just a cheap place to stay. Lothar and Raffy will probably kill me for this. He stands up and strolls over to Lothar from his hiding place, making sure to look like he has walked down from the street. He hails Lothar with a wave and a shout.

'Kurt! I see you made it ok, sorry to be late but I bumped into an old friend and we got drinking and sharing stories and well... Anyway! What does the man say about the celler? A schilling a week you say?... Hmm, that is more than reasonable, although it is getting late,' He turns to the landlord, 'Mind if we retire and discuss it, and get back to you tomorrow?' He smiles and nods his head. 'Although, sir, if we are not pressing you could we view the room now? or would you prefer we returned at a more amiable time?'

[LCP]

The man stared at Ithelus, blinking once or twice.
“An elf,” he said, seemingly to himself. “Um – I s’pose.”
Stepping back, he opened the door fully, revealing the grubby hallway within – he watched Lothar and Ithelus closely as they stepped over the threshold, as if suspecting they might suddenly vanish. The door closed behind them with a rattle, plunging them into near-total darkness.
“This way,” the landlord grunted. Passing a wooden staircase so dusty that the old man’s boot-prints were the only places where the colour of the timber was still visible, he stooped to open a trapdoor beneath it – a battered but sturdy-looking wooden ladder was fastened to the inside, leading down into the gloom.

There was a spluttering noise, and faint, yellow light bloomed from a candle the landlord had lit.
“Follow me,” he said, turning round and beginning to crawl down the rungs of the ladder. Lothar followed the light, Ithelus hesitating to look around the hallway with his more-than-human eyes – undecorated and squalid, it spoke of either poverty or exceeding tight-fistedness. Or both.

Finding nothing of much interest, he followed the humans down the ladder: the landlord’s candle cast a flickering illumination over an empty, stone-walled chamber with a packed earth floor. It was long – from his examination of the house, Ithelus would guess that it ran almost its full length – and low, both Lothar and the elf having to hunch their heads down onto their shoulders to avoid clipping the dusty beams that held up the floor of the house above. The diminutive landlord had no such difficulty.

“Clean and proper, basic'lly rat-proof” said the man, in spite of the evidence, “one schilling a week. Sixpence extra if you wants to bring people down there. No storin’ animals, or any dangerous rubbish. New rule, that one.” He nodded his head towards a black soot-stain on the far wall – it had the appearance of a scorch mark.

“Them’s the rules, I can change ‘em if I want, and if you break ‘em you’re out on your ear. If you don’t want it, there’s plenty who do.”

[Exeson]

Ithelus notes the scorch mark and turns to the man, 'What on this world happened there? And who would you define as er.. people?'

[LCP]

"The lot what came before were muckin' about with blackpowder. 's why I chucked 'em out. Dangerous clowns could've brought the whole house down."

He gestured around him.

"The sixpence is if you want to have anybody sleepin' down here, or hold meetings or such like the last lot did. If there's people in it, that's more of a disturbance to me than jus' storage - you got to pay extra. I don't care who they are, so long as they pay."

[Exeson]

Ithelus nods, 'Indeed that is what we would use it for.' he walks round the celler. 'What were those idiots doing with blackpowder? It was as if they were trying to blow the place up!'

After he receives an answer he nods. 'Indeed myself and Kurt must be heading of now, and return to you tomorrow with out decision... I thank you, very few people would allow an elf into their homes, and indeed with the Hounds all around I fear it has become even harder to find accommodation. I have been in this city for three weeks now and well, finding anywhere to stay has been a task indeed.'

He motions Lothar to the door.

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search test just to see if I spot anything in the celler as I walk around: [roll]1d100/roll]

Edit: woops, roll in OOC

[LCP]

"I don't ask questions," said the landlord, shrugging. "They were usin' the place to have meetings, three or four of 'em at a time. One day there was a funny smell and a bang, and it turned out they'd brought a barrel of powder down with 'em, so I turfed 'em out for mucking about. Place is still stable, though, don't you worry."

He hit the wall with the side of his fist - a drizzle of dust drifted gently down from the beams overhead.

"As for your bein' an elf - like I said, it don't matter who you are as long as you pay, and you keep out of trouble."

Scaling the ladder after them, the man closed the hatch to the cellar behind him, following Lothar and Ithelus to the door. "You come back tomorrow, then. I'll be here."

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It's perception you want - as indicated by your roll, you spot nothing unusual. The cellar is pretty bare.

[Exeson]

Ithelus walks along the road and out of sight with Lothar, knowing the rest will catch up with them when they are out of sight. He gulps slightly, knowing that he will most likely get reprimanded for revealing himself.

[Another_Poet]

Raffy

Once the landlord's door is closed Raffy pads up to Ithelus and Lothar and slaps them on the back. "Nice work," he says in a low voice. "What'd you find out?"

[Exeson]

Ithelus strains to keep his smile concealed, attempting to look non-chalet. He fails. With a few excited hand gestures he informs the rest of the group what occurred in the house.

'I really think it would be a good idea to rent it out, if only as cheaper lodgings. Of course myself and ... Kurt' he nods at Lothar 'would have to be the ones staying there, but it would also provide a more secure place to meet.'

He pauses, 'Although we would have to do a little more poking around to establish how trustworthy the Landlord is.'

[BloodyAngel]

Illiiya Jaelrae

Oh... Are you going to be staying there, then? Illiiya asked Ithelus meekly.

He seemed excited, and she liked when he was in a good mood... but the thought of staying someplace alone made her distinctly nervous. She considered whom else amongst their number she could keep close to, just in case. Seth perhaps? He seemed quiet and inoffensive... and she'd heard things to the extent that knights were supposed to treat women with kindness and respect. Also, he was staying at the nicer of the two inns, which comforted her. The Crow unsettled her in a way she couldn't entirely explain.

I-if you do that... Can I stay with you, Seth? She asked, turning to the quiet young man, I... um... I don't like to be alone.

[Exeson]

Ithelus stopped dead at Illiiya's question. S***, I had not thought of that. His face drops all signs of excitement and instead turns to slight dismay. 'No, no no, I'm sorry, I didn't mean it like that. You can come stay too, or someone else can stay instead... I'm sorry.. I didn't think...'

...I was too worried about pissing the others off.

[BloodyAngel]

Illiiya Jaelrae

Ithelus, no. You looked happy. Illiiya scolded him, You stay here and do things. Be happy. I'll stay with someone else and be all right.

She refused to keep him sequestered away like some beleaguered caretaker with no life of his own. Ithelus had been kind, and taken care of her for some time now. She did not want to punish him for it. One night without him wouldn't kill her.

I... I don't want to... She said, pausing for a moment, as if hesitant to admit it herself, ...to be broken. You should not have to be broken with me. I will be alright for one night.