[WFRP] The Hour After Midnight (II)

[goblinpaladin]

Lothar

Spoiler

Show

The solder rolled his eyes. "Sigmar's breath, man, I just told you--" He cut himself short, shaking his head. "No. Y'not worth my time, old man. I'll just head on out, then. Cheers."

The soldier headed for the stairs.

[LCP]

Lothar

Spoiler

Show

Kleiner nodded. "Think that'd be best." He gestured short-temperedly to the big bodyguard. "Bruno, show the gentlemen out."

Stepping to one side, the big man made to usher Lothar and his accompanying Hound down the stairs. The white-ribboned militiaman was being uncharacteristially meek...

[goblinpaladin]

Lothar

Spoiler

Show

Lothar whistled jauntily -and badly- as they ventured down the stairs, out the door- and then he paused, grinning at the Hound next to him. "Nicely played, quiet muscle like that."

He glared up at the top floor and shouted: "Oy, Kleiner! Forgot to mention- you're surrounded. Wanna start telling truthings now?" He unlimbered the gun he was carrying.

[-Sentinel-]

Pieter

Spoiler

Show

The initiate rolled his eyes, smiling. Those two badly needed some practice at the noble art of lying.

"Alright then, two crowns it is." He gave each of them a shiny gold crown. "And don't try to make me believe he gave you two each," he added with a chuckle. "There's a third crown for you if you tell me something really interesting about him. Don't make things up, I'll know it if you do."

[LCP]

Lothar

Spoiler

Show

The bruisers with the mops and buckets on the ground floor watched Lothar warily as he left - stepping outside the pawn-shop, the door was shut on him without incident.

Stepping back from the building, Lothar shouted up his challenge: a pane in the attic window hinged open, and one of Kleiner's men looked out.

"There ain't no-one here!" he called back, looking ready to duck back inside fast as he caught sight of Lothar's gun. "Just you two."

OOC: The attic window faces the front of the house: Mr Mook cannot see your two friends at the back door.

[hr]

Pieter

Spoiler

Show

The little girl held out her grubby hands eagerly for the coins.

"He were, um, young," she said. "Had sort of red hair. Like... coloured."
"He had a big gun!" added the boy.

[goblinpaladin]

Lothar

Spoiler

Show

"Oh, that's right. The window don't face the back door. Shame that- guess you'll have to try jumping to me. Old building like this, it'll go right up. Whoof!" Lothar gestured with the rifle, moving it up- funny how it landed right on the window like that.

"All them pawnbrokin' slips as kindlin', too."

[-Sentinel-]

Pieter

Spoiler

Show

...Rafale?!

"Was he taller or shorter than me, do you think?" he asked.

[LCP]

Pieter

Spoiler

Show

The children looked at each other.

"Taller," said the girl.
"Definitely taller," said the boy, nodding.

[hr]

Lothar

Spoiler

Show

His expression changing, the guard came back inside. There was a sound of shuffling footsteps, and a wooden thump - just audible over the sounds of the old man's chair being moved, the words "I have had enough of people threatenin' to burn my house down..." drifted out into the cold Delberz air.

"Yeah, he was here!" shouted Kleiner's voice. "Now he's gone. Don't know where he went. Said somethin' about gettin' even with your Sergeant. Now will you madmen leave me alone?!"

[goblinpaladin]

Lothar

Spoiler

Show

Lothar lowered the gun, laughing. "My apologies, Herr Criminal, for inconveniencin' ya. I'll leave you to repairin' stuff." He grinned at the Hound again, gesturing that they should leave, heading 'round back.

"Tell me that wasn't fun, soldier."

[LCP]

Lothar

Spoiler

Show

"You're mad," muttered the Hound under his breath, staring at Lothar as he stumbled along in the soldier's wake. "Mad as a bag of squirrels..."

In the narrow alley behind the poor beleaguered building, the other two Hounds were waiting for them, looking rather bored.

"We done here?" said one of them, oblivious to the shell-shocked look on his colleague's face.

[-Sentinel-]

Pieter

Spoiler

Show

"So what did he do, exactly?" asked Pieter with a frown. "He comes to you, pays you to throw things at the Hounds, then wants you to tell everyone that he looks like the sergeant, only younger? Is that it?"

Did Rafale somehow learn the concept of subtlety?

[LCP]

Pieter

Spoiler

Show

The kids shrugged.

"He was askin' about people who'd left town on the road," the girl said, pointing to the Middenheim road. "Then he had, he had thirteen marks, and he gave 'em out to people askin' 'em to throw things at the Hounds, make trouble. Said we weren't to get hurt if they caught us, that we should just tell 'em that he tol' us to do it, and that he looked like the Sergeant, but younger."

[goblinpaladin]

Spoiler

Show

Lothar puffed out his cheeks and blew out. "Aye. I was right, but he rabbited afore we got here. Damn and blast," he added slamming a hand into the other, the gun now shouldered again.

"He left this a-ways, though, so maybe we should see if anyone saw him doin' his runner. Not many kids about all dripping blood and carrying guns, so he'd make a scene."

Make it quick, the back of Lothar's mind added. Ith's heading for Halbermann or Illiiya, soon as he can. We'll give it five minutes to get a solid lead, or we're heading straight back for the house with a fox on it.

Spoiler

Show

Gossip Test: (1d100)[39]- effective Fel 29, thanks to injuries from the rats, so that's a scraping fail. Imagine my shock.

[LCP]

Lothar

Spoiler

Show

Scouring the streets around the pawnbroker's, Lothar and his accomplices asked their questions. A few people had seen the bloodied Sparrowhawk approach the place, identifying him if not by his name then at least by the state he'd been in. However, none seemed to have observed his departure.

[-Sentinel-]

Pieter

Spoiler

Show

"I see." Pieter smiled joylessly. So the 'bastard' was Rafale. What a waste of his hard-earned (well, hard-stolen) money.

"That was certainly interesting," he admitted. He handed the girl his promised third crown. "Share it with your brother, young girl," he said, his tone at the same time stern and amused. "You're now the two richest children in the Flüchtling Fields. Take care, don't waste your gold, and from now on don't cause trouble. The Hounds are very bad people."


OOC: My next step will take some time to think about.

[goblinpaladin]

Lothar

Spoiler

Show

Lothar gave a curse, naming some god -Dazz? Darz?- and pointed back in the direction they originally came from. "We're getting nowhere. Back to Halbermann. A half crown wagers that Raffy and Samtzunge House or -maybe and- the Sergeant meet up at some point. The boy's stupid enough to try something."

The soldier paused, frowning. "Unless one of you lads has an idea? I'm all ears- wait, wait, wait." He sucked on his teeth. "Damn. I know where I'd go, if I were him."

He fingered the healing scar on his forehead. "Right. I know Halbermann said not to leave me, but this is gonna be trickier than I though. Volunteer for whichever duty ya want, boys- I need one guy to keep poking around, heading toward the Fields, see if the kid went that way. I need one to come with me, and the last to head to Halbermann, tell him to keep an eye out, that Raffy might double back to him."

"Got it?"

[LCP]

Lothar

Spoiler

Show

"Alright," said one of the Hounds, slowly. "Guess I'll go warn the Sarge, then. Who's checkin' the Fields?"

"Me!" said the Hound who had gone inside the pawnbroker's with Lothar. "I mean, um... me."

[goblinpaladin]

Lothar

Spoiler

Show

"Aye, good. Initiative, I like that." Lothar smiled wryly. "Follow the trail o' folk what've seen him, and if it peters out long before the Fields, then we know that isn' it, and head back to Samtzunge House. Try to avoid squirrels."

He scratched the hidden inflammation on his leg, and nodded to the group of men. "Righto then. Let's go."

[Exeson]

Ithelus

Spoiler

Show

Ithelus drops a crown into the man's hand and leaves, donning his new cloak, pulling off his hat he puts he hood up and continues on his way. He heads over to Neumarket, asking people who look like they might know where he can find some of Dort's old men. If he catches sight of the Hounds or Guardsmen who seem to be searching rather than just manning positions he will try and avoid their path.

[LCP]

Raffy

Spoiler

Show

Raffy awoke from his fitful slumber with a start – and immediately found himself in pain. His back and shoulders were stiff from sleeping against the wall, the wounds Jagrun had dealt him seeming to bite into his very bones with renewed savagery – and worst of all, he realised he had not been imagining what he had thought as he slipped off: he was running a definite temperature, sweat drenching his shirt. The duel must have been the final straw to bring on the fever...

Looking around, he muzzily tried to see what had woken him – he had the vaguest impression of a ragged figure disappearing around the corner of the alleyway before his eyes focussed on the item that had been left in his lap. It was a tattered note, scrawled in the same jagged, scratchy handwriting as the two before – cursing his luck, the Sparrowhawk wished he could read.

His ears pricked up in alarm as he heard footsteps from the direction of the main street – they were ascending the steps to the doctor’s door, two men at least. His eyes widened as he heard the door open – Rasen must have returned.

“Oh – um, hello,” came the doctor’s voice. “Can I... help you?”

[hr]

Lothar

Spoiler

Show

Making his way quickly through the buzzing streets, Lothar found himself before the doctor’s door, the narrow, tall house standing proud of the sliver-thin, shadowed alleys to either side. Ascending the three steps to the much-used door, he gave a firm knock: after a short pause, footsteps approached from within.

Doctor Rasen opened the door – he paused as he saw the Hound standing behind Lothar, his eyes flicking from the militiaman to the soldier and back.

“Oh – um, hello,” he said. “Can I... help you?”

[hr]

Ithelus

Spoiler

Show

OOC: Can you give me a Gossip test, please?

[goblinpaladin]

Lothar

Spoiler

Show

Lothar nodded at Doctor Rasen, half-saluting with the other hand. "Morning, Doc. It's been quite a day. Wouldn't happen to've seen Raffy would you? After that mess near the Guard barracks I imagine he may have dropped by- he was cut up quite badly."

[LCP]

Lothar

Spoiler

Show

"Raffy? No, thank heavens. I've just got back from seeing what he did to that dreadful man in the square."

He paused as he remembered the Hound.

"I mean... what he did to Mr Jagrun."

[hr]

Raffy

Spoiler

Show

In reply to the doctor, Lothar's voice sounded out.

"Morning, Doc. It's been quite a day. Wouldn't happen to've seen Raffy would you? After that mess near the Guard barracks I imagine he may have dropped by- he was cut up quite badly."

"Raffy?" came the doctor's reply. "No, thank heavens. I've just got back from seeing what he did to that dreadful man in the square."

He paused.

"I mean... what he did to Mr Jagrun."

[Another_Poet]

Raffy the Sparrowhawk

Spoiler

Show

Raffy fights several kinds of confusion. Raggedy monk. He smiles like it's a joke. Tucking the note into his middle jacket his hand encounters a foreign object - ah yes, the butt of a pistol. He finds little comfort in being well-armed, worried instead about who might be at the Doctor's door.

Making sure his disguise is in place and hunching low, he follows the shoulder-wide side alley back to the rear of the doctor's house, getting out of view should anyone look down from the main street. From there he creeps beneath the window of the surgery - beneath it, out of sight, not trying to look in at all - and simply listens.

edit:

Lothar's free! he thinsk excitedly, and listens all the more intently.

[goblinpaladin]

Lothar

Spoiler

Show

Lothar grinned. "Sigmar shone on one o' those two today, I'll give him that- for all that he's gone mad, seems like." He frowned, rubbing his chin. "Honestly, doc, I'm worried- the whole world's gone turned about today."

"Anyway. Only just got back, like?"

[LCP]

Lothar

Spoiler

Show

"Pretty much, yes," said the doctor, wearily. "Can't help but agree with you on the first count, I must say. I just hope it doesn't end up sending too many people my way by the end."

[hr]

Raffy

Spoiler

Show

From behind the house, there were two corners between Raffy and the door - he had to strain his ears to make out the words the doctor and Lothar were speaking.

"Sigmar shone on one o' those two today, I'll give him that," came Lothar's voice again. "For all that he's gone mad, seems like. Honestly, doc, I'm worried- the whole world's gone turned about today."

"Anyway. Only just got back, like?"

"Pretty much, yes," said the doctor, wearily. "Can't help but agree with you on the first count, I must say. I just hope it doesn't end up sending too many people my way by the end."

[goblinpaladin]

Lothar

Spoiler

Show

Lothar frowned. "What do you mean, 'send more people your way'? What's happening?" He turned to the Hound and spoke in a low voice: "I trust the doctor- you oughta ask around the street, see if the lad came this way and then left, seein' as the doc weren't here." Lothar gestures vaguely in the south.

Turning back to the doctor, he added: "The city has this weird feelin' in the air. Is this what it's like before a riot?

[LCP]

Lothar

Spoiler

Show

The Hound nodded, heading back down the steps and abruptly accosting the first person to cross his path. Hearing the militiaman begin to go about his unsubtle work behind him, Lothar turned back to the doctor.

"I'm just saying, the Church has been given an almighty kick," said the doctor. "Men like the Sergeant have a tendency to kick back. The Hounds aren't exactly... well-liked, either. Powder-keg, seems the appropriate metaphor."

[hr]

Raffy

Spoiler

Show

"What do you mean, 'send more people your way'? What's happening?" Lothar seemed to stop and address someone else, proceeding to say something in a voice too low for Raffy to make out - footsteps descended the doctor's steps once more, heading out into the street. A stranger's voice began to speak to someone else, Lothar and the doctor's conversation resuming.

"The city has this weird feelin' in the air. Is this what it's like before a riot?" asked Lothar.

"I'm just saying, the Church has been given an almighty kick," said the doctor. "Men like the Sergeant have a tendency to kick back. The Hounds aren't exactly... well-liked, either. Powder-keg, seems the appropriate metaphor."

[goblinpaladin]

Lothar

Spoiler

Show

"Ha." Lothar's expression didn't match the syllable. "That's a funny, funny joke, Herr Rasen." The soldier sighed, casting a glare at the Hound as the thug started harassing people. "Misliked ain't the half of it." He shook his head.

"I have to find Raffy- I'll let you get back to sewin' up the kind of messes the lad makes. I'll wait for a minute, see if he turns up later rather than sooner. We won't make any trouble for you." Lothar touched his forehead. "Shallya watch your stitchings, eh?"

[LCP]

Lothar

Spoiler

Show

"Right. Um. Would you like to come inside?" said the doctor, "Makes no difference to me, but I'd imagine you'd rather wait sitting down. I'm sure your... friend will keep himself busy."

[hr]

Raffy

Spoiler

Show

"Ha," Lothar said, rather strangely. "That's a funny, funny joke, Herr Rasen." His tone lowered. "Misliked ain't the half of it."

"I have to find Raffy- I'll let you get back to sewin' up the kind of messes the lad makes. I'll wait for a minute, see if he turns up later rather than sooner. We won't make any trouble for you. Shallya watch your stitchings, eh?"

"Right. Um. Would you like to come inside?" said the doctor, "Makes no difference to me, but I'd imagine you'd rather wait sitting down. I'm sure your... friend will keep himself busy."

[goblinpaladin]

Lothar

Spoiler

Show

"Oh!" Lothar's face lit up. "Much obliged, I would- I didn' want to get in your way." He cast a glance back at the Hound, shrugging. "No friend o' mine, and I'd rather gaze on your work some. I can manage a battlefield dressing, but that's about it..."