[WFRP] The Hour After Midnight (II)

[-Sentinel-]

Not Raffy

Spoiler

Show

Pieter's hand tightened involuntarily around the scruff of Mr Cat's neck, eliciting a mewl of protest.

"What are the theories about Maria?" asked the initiate coolly. "You mean an anonymous note saying that she's not what she seems? Oh, and Illiiya's instinct? That's pretty damn thin. Don't start rumors that could get her in trouble."

One bit aroused his curiosity: "What kind of deeply private letters?" he asked eagerly. He loved juicy stories about the nobility.

When Ithelus got to the part about his landlord, Pieter muttered a curse. "Now we're sure of it. It's really the rats that kill all those people. We must see Von Brucker as soon as possible: we need to know what's new today."

Once the Elf was done talking, Pieter could not suppress a joyless smirk. "You're absolutely right, Ithelus, Rafale will be out for your blood. Honestly, I can't blame him. But it's not for me to forgive or condemn you."

Mr Cat rolled over on his back, requesting to be scratched on the belly. Pieter obliged him.

[BloodyAngel]

Not Raffy

Spoiler

Show

Illiiya fretted with helpless concern over Ith's wounds... not certain what she could do to help, but concerned nonetheless. The majority of her actions seemed to be muttering under her breath in elven, though what exactly was anyone's guess.

He... he believed me. I knew he would!

And look what it has cost him. Soon, he'll tire of suffering on your account.

I'm s-sorry Ith. I'm glad you trust me. I never wanted you t-to get hurt because of it. She said softly, gently placing her hand on Ithelus', This is all a mess. I'm ready to just... give up. I... I couldn't handle having something happen to you. I d-don't even know what to do anymore.

[Another_Poet]

Raffy the Sparrowhawk

Spoiler

Show

((Actually, slight detour... possible change of plans.))

Opening the Box
Raffy crosses town some distance, keeping an eye over his shoulder for a possible tail, and draping his net over the strongbox to somewhat obscure it.

Once he's covered a fair distance he ducks into an alley and examines the lock and hinges. Can any combination of sword-edge and strength get this box open?

((If not...))

He stops by the home of the man in Helstrum's Ward who loaned him a pry-bar previously. He gave the man a 1 crown tip last time, and offers a crown again if he can use the pry bar. He forces open the strong-box.

Destination
Is the amount inside, when combined with his current sack of 80 gc, enough to purchase one or more firearms?

If yes -> Goes to gun shop

If no -> Goes to Fields

I'll wait to see which it is to post.

[goblinpaladin]

Not Raffy the Blunderbousiier

Spoiler

Show

Lothar slashed a hand through the hair, angrily glaring at Pieter. "Shut it, Pieter. Maria's neck deep in this thing, whatever it is, an' she's part of a group intent on overthrowin' the rule o' Law. 'Sperfectly normal to look into her."

He looked over at Ithelus and nodded. "Was a good idea, Ith. If you'd pulled it off smoothly, we would've had evidence -or not- on Maria, and without anyone the wiser. Shame about Raffy." The soldier scratched at his returning beard. "You say that the letters had nothin' saying 'I, Maria Samtzunge, am a traitor?' I s'pose that's a good sign."

He ran both hands through his hair and made grumbling noises under his breath. "Good thing Illiiya stayed here, I guess. I don't- anyway. Was he dead like the others, or just the ordinary kind o' dead? Were the rats just.... hungry, or was it all..."

Lothar trailed off and looked sideways at Illiiya, making a 'magic' gesture. "Spooky."

[LCP]

Raffy

Spoiler

Show

Attempting to lever open the strong-box with the edge of his sword, Raffy was forced to stop as the metal began to flex: stepping back, he picked up the box once more, heading in the direction of Helstrum's Ward.

The trader from whom they'd borrowed the crowbar seemed wary of loaning it to Raffy again, but eventually handed it over in return for a shilling and the assurance that it wouldn't leave his sight.

A moment or two's strenuous work, and the box snapped open. Inside was a rather paltry collection of coin, of many denominations - the crests of three or four different cities were visible, as well as the odd foreign-looking piece. Certainly not enough to finance a new firearm.

OOC: A crown is worth a fair bit. Unless you really want to, I'm only charging you a shilling for borrowing the crowbar. The box contains 10gc, mostly in smaller change.

[Another_Poet]

Raffy

Spoiler

Show

Wow, that's pathetic, thinks Raffy. He sighs.

Leaving the man his schilling he decides it is still early enough to head to the fields. There he distributes 4 gc worth of alms. The other 6 remains in his pockets, financing his expenses as he told Kleiner.

He leaves the strong box with the prybar man, if desired, and otherwise abandons it in an alley nearby.

In the Fields he says the alms are from the Sparrowhawk and urges people to destroy any rats they see and seek out those they don't. "There's a bounty in the city of a penny a rat. The rats are murderers, controlled by magic. Join together with the Watch and the Sparrowhawk and destroy them!"

[Exeson]

Poor Raffy Is All Alone

Spoiler

Show

Placing his hand on Illiiya's Ithelus smiles, 'It's fine, I'm not dead and that's all that matters. We still need to find the source of this killer.'

Ithelus frowns, 'The letters were merely love letters from the Captain from the time when they were young.' He looks at Lothar, 'As for the Landlord, it was like the others.... all mutilated.' He shudders. 'It gets worse. The Landlord had obviously heard about the danger of rats and had boarded up all the gaps in the floor and and hole rats could enter through. They just gnawed a hole through a plank of wood. That's not natural.'

'I need to speak to Raffy, but I don't know where he is and for all I know he will shoot first and ask questions after.'

[goblinpaladin]

Raffy, O Where Art Thou?

Spoiler

Show

Lothar nodded. "We do. But I think we should see the Cap'n first. Y'not too badly hurt, aye? Can walk?' He rubbed the back of his neck. "I don't think rats gnawin' on some wood is all that unnatural, but this looks t'be either targettin' you, or revenge on him that stored Crab-hand for a bit. Either way, somethin' Captain von Brucker oughta know."

He looked between Illiiya and Pieter. "I think the girl can wait, if you two are fine with that."

[-Sentinel-]

Pieter

Spoiler

Show

"Gnawed through the planks, eh? Just like I saw at one of the murder scenes yesterday. Looks like no one is safe."

'I need to speak to Raffy, but I don't know where he is and for all I know he will shoot first and ask questions after.'

"Then we'll have to reason with that overreacting maniac first. I just hope he didn't tell Maria or the authorities about you. Things are complicated enough already."

Pieter frowned skeptically at Lothar's words. "Wait. Ithelus and Illiiya lodge at Faulkes' Street, right?" He tried to summon a mental map of Delberz. "It's pretty close from where the last murders took place... So it's not necessarily a targetted attack. But of course, we can't rule it out." He rose a bit too fast, forcing Mr Cat to land clumsily. "I agree, let's go see the captain."

[LCP]

Not Raffy

Spoiler

Show

OOC: BA, Exeson, if you have immediate plans other than going to the Guard House, please do not read the following.

IC: Leaving the inn, the group set off for the Guard House once again. Approaching their destination, they slowed a little – sounds of commotion were rising up over the rooftops and through the streets, a multitude of agitated voices coming from the direction of Judge’s Square.

Turning the final corner, they saw the source of the noise: a raucous crowd had gathered on the Captain’s doorstep, filling the square with its presence. Five uniformed guards stood in front of the Guard House door, doing their best to keep order: beyond their thin black line of civilisation, the mob shouted and chattered, some of its members waving hastily-constructed signs over the heads of the others. Pieter ran a quick eye over what they had scrawled: fragments of the scriptures of a dozen different gods adorned many of the signs, while others bore home-made slogans.

A Curse Upon This Town

Where Are The Ratte Catchers?

Howe Manie Must Die?

The doomsayers were having a field day. Spotted throughout the crowd, the occasional figure stood upon an upturned crate or an empty cart, holding forth to their captive audience in grand oratorical style.

Trying to draw the least possible amount of attention as they hurried inside, they found the interior of the Guard House almost as crowded as its exterior: guards hurried frantically to and fro, gathering up little patrols and appearing and vanishing in a continual stream via the back entrance of the building. In the centre of the main room, the all-too-familiar map was laid out again: it had new pins stuck in it, their meaning by now all too clear.

Spoiler

Show

Noticing them enter, Marius glanced up from the table, his attention still mainly on the map. “It’s happened again. Same as last night, and the night before,” he said, darkly. “Anything else to report?”

OOC: Sentinel, I'm guessing you'll want to specify whether Pieter entered with the others or hung back to avoid talking to the Captain.

[hr]

Raffy

Spoiler

Show

The man with the crowbar looked at Raffy suspiciously as the young man pried open the box – but seemed to think better of questioning the young man with the iron bar. Taking back his tool, and the Sparrowhawk’s schilling, he let Raffy go his own way.

Across town, the Fields were in an even more miserable state than usual – last night’s rain had turned the muddy camp into a quagmire, and the refugees shivered in their damp clothes. They took Raffy’s alms with gratitude, and listened to his words – but many of them hardly had the energy to stand, let alone hunt sorcerous rodents. The mention of the penny’s bounty, however, woke a certain spark in the eyes of a few…

[Another_Poet]

Raffy the Sparrowhawk

Spoiler

Show

Stepping back: When the prybar man looks at Raffy suspiciously he will say, "This was taken from thieves. I don't know who they stole it from so it's going to be given as alms. Minus your payment," and flips it to him. "The Sparrowhawk remembers his friends."

((Can't have people saying I'm a thief myself....))

* * * * *

Raffy feels a sense of sadness, not so much at the quagmire of the Fields or the frozen and starving conditions, for which he had braced himself; but for the hopelessness, weakness, and despair in the eyes of so many. As a young man, and a brashly brave one, he had somehow failed to expect hopelessness.

He keeps on his strong face though and encourages those whose eyes lit up. "Money for brave deeds. It's not as safe as money for hard work, but it's quicker and right now it's available. Travel in pairs or groups and split the bounty. There's sorcerers out there - don't be caught alone and surrounded by the rats." He continues to advise and encourage those who seem to be gearing up.

Once he completes his circuit through the Fields and gives away all the alms, he turns his head toward the Captain's office, preparing his story in his head and deciding how to handle the elf if he sees him. He does his best to look out for anyone Kleiner might send to follow or assault him.

OOC:

Spoiler

Show

I'm going to the office. OOC I know the others are there, or going there; IC I think it's a reasonable guess too.

If I encounter Ithelus inside the office or in the presence of Marius' guards I will act completely neutral as if nothing happened. I'll just greet him with a nod that is loaded with meaning. Maria said not to let anyone know I was there so no use duking this out in front of Marius or getting him involved. I'll have to wait till we get away from the Watch to confront Ith.

If I encounter Ith outside the place before getting too close, I have some questions for him, and hand will be on bluss.

[-Sentinel-]

Not Raffy

Spoiler

Show

"Chaos," observed Pieter as they crossed Judge's Square. "That's what the killers want. I still think it's all a scare tactic."

Pieter followed the others inside the guard house, but remained motionless and bored-looking behind them to avoid the captain's notice. He found the map most interesting, if puzzling.

"It looks like they're circling the new cathedral," he muttered to his companions, frowning. "And the Slaaneshi murderer strikes closer to it. But why?"

[goblinpaladin]

Not Raffy

Spoiler

Show

"Chaos," observed Pieter as they crossed Judge's Square. "That's what the killers want. I still think it's all a scare tactic."

Lothar turned his head and spat. "All a scare tactic, huh? Tell that to the dead men's families. Tell it to their wives. For someone who goes on about bein' a man f'the people, you've less soul than a Templar three weeks dead."

[LCP]

Raffy

Spoiler

Show

Turning away from the misery of the Fields, Raffy struck back into town, crossing the northernmost bridge over the Delb and forging a path towards Judge’s Square. The city was shaking itself awake, the day’s business beginning to commence: there was a tense, excited undercurrent on the streets that Raffy couldn’t quite place.

As he drew nearer to his destination, its source became more apparent: the clamour of a great number of voices was rising from up ahead, chattering and shouting at cross-purposes. Rounding the final corner, he saw a great crowd filling the square – they toted placards and improvised banners, soap-box agitators and doomsayers rising here and there above the multitude.

“It is Sigmar’s judgement upon this town!” cried a gaunt, ragged-bearded man nearby. “A judgement upon the Lector! The gods despise vanities, my friends, and the Cathedral is his vanity!”

“Where are the rat-catchers?” shouted another voice in the crowd. “The Baron’s payin’ for guards, the Lector’s payin’ for Hounds, why can’t they pay the rat-catchers? The little buggers are eatin’ people alive!”

“The Ruinous Powers have set a curse upon us! Flee, flee the city while you can!”

The great mass of people was between him and the Guard House. Peering over their heads, he could make out a thin line of guards, doing their best to keep order as they held the crowd back. Hopefully they would recognise him...

OOC: Since I’m waiting on Exeson before I can bring you to the Guard House, I have the luxury of presenting this post in two pieces, to give you a beat for any reaction you might have to the crowd. If you don’t have anything, going inside the Guard House will follow just as soon as I have something from Ithelus.

[Exeson]

Not Raffy

Spoiler

Show

'Well sir, I think I can confirm that is rats behind the killings. One of the murders, the one on Faulkes street, was from a man who's celler I'm renting out as a place of residence. I came back and stumbled upon rats actually eating his corpse.' He shudders slightly.

[LCP]

Not Raffy

Spoiler

Show

"Well, that does confirm it, then," said Marius. Blinking, he looked twice at Ithelus. "Sigmar's bones, what happened to you?"

Behind them, the front door opened again: looking round, they saw Raffy standing at the threshold. He looked a little unkempt, his henna hair jammed down every which way under his fine new hat - perhaps the result of having passed through the crowd outside...

[hr]

Raffy

Spoiler

Show

Shouldering his way through the crowd, Raffy wormed his way to the front: recognising him, the Guards let him through, the Sparrowhawk ducking through their cordon and making for the front door of the Guard House.

Inside, he immediately found himself looking at the others' backs - Ithelus included. The elf looked as if he had been dragged backwards through a bush by a particularly disgruntled horse - his hands and forearms were bandaged, his clothes dirty and his knees bloody, and a huge black eye adorned the left side of his face.

Behind the others, Marius and bevy of guards were gathered around the familiar table, on which was laid out the familiar map - now adorned with six new pins...

OOC: Annnnd no more spoilers are necessary. Hooray!

[Exeson]

The Family is back together!

'well sir I-' He was interrupted by Raffy's entrance, '- 'scuz me sir,' He quickly moved over to stand infront of Raffy. 'A word please? Outside?' his words had an almost pleading tone to them.

[Another_Poet]

Raffy the Sparrowhawk

Raffy keeeps a perfectly neutral expression and simply nods by way of greeting as he enters.

To Ithelus' query, he says, "Afterward, with the others."

He salutes the captain by removing his hat.

[LCP]

Marius nodded back.

"You haven't been with the others, then, I take it?" he said, circumspectly. "Any exciting developments? Ithelus was just about to tell me how he ended up so black and blue."

[Another_Poet]

Raffy the Sparrowhawk

"Yes I'd like to know that too," says Raffy, dodging von Brucker's first question by following his second. "Whatever happened to you, Ithelus?"

[Exeson]

Ithelus nods, 'I was a victim of a gang of thugs. A xenophobic attack as far as I know.' He pauses, 'Indeed where were you last night, I dropped in at your usual residence to find you missing. I hope you did not sleep on the streets.' Yes you bastard, I'll push back if you really want to play this game.

[Another_Poet]

Raffy the Sparrowhawk

"Oh, I'm sorry I missed you." He turns back to Marius. "Sir, are we going ahead with the... plan this evening? I looked at the sewers again, and... well I have a thought. Turpentine, Sir. You were worried we couldn't get much of a fire going in those sewer grates, but turpentine'll burn even floating on water."

He pauses. "This lot out here is all in a panic. But out in the Fields there's some who would gladly trap rats for pay. Sir, if you hire some refugees you'll have more men on the job at the sewer grates tonight, and this mob might thin out a bit. The refugees wouldn't want much, just a fair wage for a few days, and they'll fight hard what with nothing to lose."

[LCP]

Marius nodded. "I don't see why not. The river's high after last night's rain, but if all else fails we can get down into the pipes themselves from the streets." He paused. "I've spoken to some people at the carpenter's guild, they have some dud lumber they can spare as well. The only thing I haven't done yet is speak to the Sigmarites." He made a face. "Couldn't find the Templar yesterday. If we're to act on this, he needs to be informed."

[goblinpaladin]

Lothar frowned. "He's not missing, is he, sir? That's the last thing th' city needs, a Hammer o' Sigmar vanishing durin' his queries."

[-Sentinel-]

Who is that young man who looks a lot like Rafale, yet seems capable of self-control? thought Pieter wryly. I rather like him.

Lothar's concern about the witch hunter made him frown.

"Good riddance, I say," he muttered between his teeth, just loud enough for the soldier to hear.

[BloodyAngel]

Illiiya Jaelrae

Illiiya gave Raffy an intense look as he made his appearance, making certain to stay beside Ithelus throughout, almost as if she were afraid that Raffy was to blame for his injuries, rather than the thugs Ithelus had spoken of.

He's gone. It's only a matter of time before you'll have to kill him. Or he will do the same to you.

Rats...? Rats don't kill on their own. Illiiya said, intense in a way she only was during her more raving moments, You're trying to stop the symptom... not the illness! Kill the rats all you like... there will always be more rats. The sorcery behind this has to go... That is the only way.

[Another_Poet]

Raffy the Sparrowhawk

Raffy seems to grimace at the mention of the Hunter.

"Well Sir, if you don't mind my saying, you have to do your job whether he's around or not. You made your best effort to contact him... beyond that, no sense in letting four or five more people die tonight."

He pauses, another of his brilliant ideas on the tip of his tongue. He seems to think the better of it and lets it go.

"Well Sir, should I go recruit from the Fields, or what's next?"

[LCP]

Marius nodded - not quite sure what to make of Illiiya's comments, he politely moved on to Raffy's.

"Seems like an idea to me. You can tell them the office of the Guard will pay them a schilling a head for their evening's work, and that they should be in the square, here, by four." He paused. "I'll get onto the Hounds, painful as that may prove..."

“That won’t be necessary, Captain,” came a voice from behind them. Looking round as one, they a tall, black-coated figure standing in the doorway. Stepping over the threshold, Jagrun removed his hat, bowing his head ever-so-slightly to Marius. “Master von Brucker. Good day."

"And you," said Marius, warily. The Witch Hunter looked around the group, his eyes lingering for a moment on Pieter.

"You are addressing the effects, Captain. I am pleased to say that I have located the cause." He looked back at Marius. "There will be no need for any further plans."

[goblinpaladin]

Lothar shot Pieter a look as the cultist muttered something, but his attention was immediately drawn by the entrance of the Templar. The soldier instinctively saluted, moving out of the Sigmarite's path.

"Ah. Um, glad to hear it, sir. We, um-" he paused, rubbing at his leg, "well, I hope you'll tell us- I mean, now. Er. First. We have been helpin'- ah, helping, after, uh, all..." He trailed off, looking between the Captain and the Hunter- clearly, he realised that he had spoken out of turn.

[Exeson]

Ithelus's stare shoots daggers at Raffy. As the Hunter appears Ithelus cowers slightly, 'Please enlighten us? Sir?'