[WFRP] The Hour After Midnight (II)

[LCP]

Pieter

Spoiler

Show

"Well, cross my palm," said Kleiner in surprise - the wiry little man cracked the first smile Pieter had seen on his stubbly face, displaying yellow teeth. "Why din't you say so? Always worth payin' one's proper respects to the gods."

He shuffled in his chair. "What was it you were wantin' to ask?"

[hr]

Raffy

Spoiler

Show

"I don't suppose there's a place in your attic for a Sparrowhawk to roost for the night, eh?"

"Your friend already came looking for you here. Even if you weren't putting my patients in danger, I'd say no." He paused. "I'll have enough explaining to do already."

"I... me too, Doctor. I told Marius I'd turn myself in if he'd just bring the Lector in for questioning." He gives a dry chuckle. "Don't suppose that'll happen."

The doctor gave Raffy a cynical look. "What do you think?" he said, flatly. It wasn't a question/

[hr]

Ithelus

Spoiler

Show

"Didn't you hear?" said the nearest ragged peasant, the young man's voice ringing with excitement. "Some kid killed the Witch Hunter! There were a priest of Ranald up here just a while back, tellin' us - sayin' we oughter chuck the Hounds out!"

At the last words, a few more heads turned towards Ithelus and the conversation, enthusiasticaly voicing their assent.

"We're going to, as well. Soon as they show their snouts round here, going to show them what we think of 'em!"

[-Sentinel-]

Pieter

Spoiler

Show

Pieter was not fooled by Kleiner's smile, but pretended to relax.

"I need to find Ithelus, a friend of mine. I've been wondering if you saw him recently."

[LCP]

Pieter

Spoiler

Show

"Yeah, he was 'round here not too long ago. Left in a bit of a hurry." Kleiner watched Pieter's face carefully. "Think he had some unfinished business with Sergeant Halbermann he was lookin' into concludin'. Wanted to know where he could find what was left of ol' Wilhelm Dort's operation."

The old man sat back in his chair, adjusting his blanket.

"Couldn't help him, I'm afraid."

[Another_Poet]

Raffy the Sparrowhawk

Spoiler

Show

"I'll have enough explaining to do already."

Raffy nods. "Fair 'nough. Doctor, if I were you, I wouldn't say anything to anybody." He suddenly realises this could be taken as a threat and holds up his hands somewhat clumsily to show he doesn't mean it that way. "I mean, if they don't ask again, don't speak up, it'll just go making things harder for you. The Hounds'll rip through here or something."

They continue to talk somewhat uncomfortably. "What do you think," Doctor Rasen states cynically of the Lector being arrested. But Raffy has some remaining optimism.

"I don't think he'll arrest him. But he might at least look into him, quietly. If he finds out the Lector is the murderer, I believe Marius, er, the Captain will act."

He looks at his shabby overcoat as if he is about to put it on and get going. "Doctor, my fever's up too. Am I.... am I in a bad way?"

[LCP]

Raffy

Spoiler

Show

"I don't think he'll arrest him. But he might at least look into him, quietly. If he finds out the Lector is the murderer, I believe Marius, er, the Captain will act."

The doctor shook his head.

"The Templar accused Maria, and she's gone into hiding? It's been a while since young Marius and I were speaking regularly, but if you want Johann Rasen's forecast, the young man will mope." There seemed to be a tone of gentle resignation in the doctor's voice. "He was always a great one for moping. I believe he thinks it makes him look noble."

"Doctor, my fever's up too. Am I.... am I in a bad way?"

Frowning, Rasen came closer again, putting a hand to Raffy's forehead. Furrowing his brow further, he told the Sparrowhawk to open his mouth, peering inside: pinching the skin of his cheek, he compared it against his own hand.

"Simply put?" he said, carefully. "Yes." He straightened up. "You already know what I'm going to prescribe, though. Rest. Something I imagine you'll be getting precious little of."

[-Sentinel-]

Pieter

Spoiler

Show

Pieter blinked in surprise. He had never expected the crime lord to suddenly become helpful at the mere mention of the Trickster's name.

"Ah. Thank you, sir." He bowed. "I won't bother you any longer. Ranald be with you, and have a nice bonfire."

He climbed down the stairs, took back his weapons and left the pawn shop. He was thoughtful. Ithelus' priority would surely be to rescue Illiiya. But why was he interested in Wilhelm Dort, the criminal they executed a few days ago? And what was the connection with Sergeant Halbermann?

"You wouldn't happen to know anything I don't, would you?" he asked Mr Cat hopefully.

Mr Cat did not answer.

"Let's go to the Tongs while we're around Judge's Square," he told his feline friend. "Maybe Klaus or Karl is there."

The cat remained silent. Pieter took it as agreement.

[Another_Poet]

Raffy the Sparrowhawk

Spoiler

Show

Raffy feels that moistness in his eyes that comes before tears, but it vanishes as quickly as it came. You chose this, Sparrowhawk. Better to die in glory than forgotten. Like Theo and...

He swallows.

"Right, well, I guess I'll be off then. If I die will you... well, please tell Captain that I'm sorry. And I think very highly of him."

He considers the winter cold and adds, "Since this is a robbery and all, do you have any warm clothes I can, um, defraud you of?"

Once warmer garb is procured he'll abandon his blood-soaked finery, put his leather jerkin and overcoat on, and pull the coat over his head. An exit by the side-door seems most appropriate. (He makes sure the note is in his bag with his belongings.)

((OOC: Earlier in the game we dredged up info on all the blackpowder dealers and their comparative reputability. If it's too much work for you to find that or write it a second time let me know and I'll dig through the old thread; but if you have a handy list, could you jog my memory?))

((Oh also, do I regain any Wounds?))

[LCP]

Raffy

Spoiler

Show

Seeming a little abashed at his hardness of before, the doctor nodded, mumbling something about '...duty as a healer' - he vanished upstairs, and returned quite quickly, bearing a bundle of clothes. They were not old clothes: he had already given them all of those after their encounter with the rats.

"You should definitely keep as warm as you can," said Rasen, seeming slightly more talkative than before. "And, um - well, make sure you have enough water to drink. Good water, mind, not that poisonous stuff out of Helstrum's Ward, or anywhere near it." He hesitated. "You're a young man, you ought to be alright. I mean, hopefully. I mean, if you can keep out of the Hounds' way."

He tried to crack a smile.

OOC: Sorry, yes - the doctor brings you back up to half your wound total, as he did after the beastman fight.

No need to go archive-trawling, I remember the gunpowder merchants. Greitling in the Altmarket sells it on the level; Karlsen in the Neumarket sells low-quality stuff exceedingly cheaply. You can check the map for the markets' respective locations.

[hr]

Pieter

Spoiler

Show

Heading down and out of the pawnbroker's, Pieter ignored the long stares the men downstairs gave him as they swabbed the floor. A couple of stoved-in barrels had been pushed up against one corner - he still had no idea where the smell of turpentine was coming from, but they seemed to be trying to scrub it away.

Heading back out onto the streets of the Lower Town with Mr Cat trotting expectantly along behind, he was heading back in the direction of Judge's Square when he heard a child's voice raised behind him.

"But mummy, that's one of them men!"
"Wicked child! Leave the man alone."

Looking over his shoulder, he saw a peasant-woman pulling her child along by the hand, the little grimy-faced girl squirming in her grasp with her eyes still fixed on Pieter. She looked familiar - it was the girl from Helstrum's Ward, the one who had told them about the hermit in the well.

"But mummy, they said they were with the guard!"
The peasant-woman raised her hand.
"What have I told you about telling tales, Lira?" she shouted shrilly, clearly at her wits' end with her daughter...

[Exeson]

Ithelus

Spoiler

Show

Looks like I was mistaken. He smiles, 'Why wait here? why not go find them. I passed this Noble's place not long ago and there were Hounds all over the place. I reckon you could catch them there.' He voices this slightly louder than usual, hoping to catch the interests of the people around.

[LCP]

Ithelus

Spoiler

Show

"What, like... Manor Street?" said the young man. He sounded uncertain, but the people were listening. "That's over the river, though. There'd be, like, guards on the bridges and things."

[-Sentinel-]

Pieter

Spoiler

Show

OOC:

Spoiler

Show

he still had no idea where the smell of turpentine was coming from, but they seemed to be trying to scrub it away.

Oops. I thought they were soaking the floor with it. I hope Kleiner didn't take my bonfire comment as a threat...

Pieter smiled to himself. First he considered ignoring them, but could not help saying politely over his shoulder:

"Don't be so harsh, ma'am. Lira isn't lying."

[LCP]

Pieter

Spoiler

Show

"See! See!" said the little girl, pointing at Pieter as if by his very existence he validated her claim.

"I saw him again," she continued excitedly, before her mother could intervene. "The Raggedy Monk! Down by the river."

[-Sentinel-]

Pieter

Spoiler

Show

That got Pieter's attention. He spun a bit too quickly, startling the little girl and her mother.

"When?" he whispered. "Where, exactly?"

[LCP]

Pieter

Spoiler

Show

"Just this mornin'!" exclaimed Lira. "He was lurking round down by the bridge, I saw him. He went inside one of the sewer pipes."

"Please don't encourage her, sir," said Lira's mother, wearily. "She gets these stories into her head..."

"Is it true?" asked Lira, looking up at Pieter with wide, excited eyes. "Is it true the Sparrowhawk killed the Hunter with a spoon?"

[Another_Poet]

Raffy

Spoiler

Show

((OOC: What part of town am I currently in?))

[Exeson]

Ithelus

Spoiler

Show

Oh how I hate dealing with people. 'Haven't you noticed? You outnumber the guards! Heck, you probably outnumber the guards and Hounds combined!' He paused and raised his voice slightly, 'It would be a crime not to act on such strong feelings. The Hounds have done you wrong! They have stolen your money and the claimed it was for your own good! If you just stay here they won't learn to be scared of you. To be scared of good, honest people.' With a sweep of a hand he gestures towards the Town, 'Now who here is coming with me? Who her wants to teach those bastards a lesson?'

[LCP]

Ithelus

Spoiler

Show

There was a mutter from the crowd immediately around him - some uncertain, others agreeing. They were hesitating on the brink of becoming a mob...

OOC: Care to make a Fel test?

[-Sentinel-]

Pieter

Spoiler

Show

"With a sword, actually," said Pieter gravely. "And it's nothing to be happy about, young girl."

To her mother, he said: "Ma'am, I have good reasons to believe Lira knows something related to... the current grim events. Let her speak, please."

"Which bridge was it?" he asked the girl. "Did you see him do anything, except enter the pipe?"

[LCP]

Pieter

Spoiler

Show

"With a sword, actually," said Pieter gravely. "And it's nothing to be happy about, young girl."

"Slish slash!" exclaimed Lira, oblivious to Pieter's admonition as she made an enthusiastic sword-ing motion - a look of fear and disapproval crossing her face, her mother pushed her arm down.

"Which bridge was it?" he asked the girl. "Did you see him do anything, except enter the pipe?"

"It was the Gods' Row bridge," said Lira, keenly. "He was climbing down from the west side, and then he ran into the pipe." She paused. "I could tell it was him, 'cos he was in a hurry, 'cos he wanted to go back to his well," she added, proudly.

[-Sentinel-]

Pieter

Spoiler

Show

"Thanks a lot, Lira," said the initiate with heartfelt gratefulness. "Here, you deserve this."

He took a penny from his purse and handed it to the girl.

OOC:

Spoiler

Show

By means of misdirection and dexterity, I keep the copper and give her instead a shilling, but try to make sure her mother doesn't notice.

Sleight of hand 37: (d100)[91]

(Edit: Guess I clumsily drop the shilling. But I give it to her anyway.)

"If you see the Raggedy Monk again," he told her in a serious tone, "don't let him see you. He's a bad person."

Then, to her mother: "Take her to captain Marius von Brucker and let her tell her story." His tone was direct, almost imperious. "Tell the captain that Lothar wants her to be taken very seriously." He used Lothar's name because he doubted von Brucker would trust his name. "I can't overstate how important this is, madam. Lives are at stake, and I'm sure the 'Raggedy Monk' is involved in the killings. And for the gods' sake, be discreet about it all. Trust no one but the captain. Is that understood?"

[LCP]

Pieter

Spoiler

Show

"Lira!" said the mother. "Don't take money from strangers." Smacking the little girl's hand, she took the shilling herself, pocketing it.

Looking up at Pieter's words to her, her face fell.

"The killings?" she said, fearfully. "Like... the rats?"

[-Sentinel-]

Pieter

Spoiler

Show

The initiate scowled with disapproval at the mother's greed, but did not comment on it.

"Yes. I know, it sounds far-fetched, but I trust the captain will take it seriously. Tell him that your daughter saw the 'Raggedy Monk' enter and leave the well of Helstrum's Ward several times. He'll understand the implications."

He smiled briefly. "And I'm sure he'll pay good coin for such useful information."

[LCP]

Pieter

Spoiler

Show

"Well... if you say so, Mister Lothar," she said, Pieter's last comment evidently winning her over. "Come along, Lira, leave the gentleman in peace..."

"See, see?" said the little girl as her mother ushered her away. "I told you they were with the Guard..."

[Another_Poet]

Raffy the Sparrowhawk

Spoiler

Show

((Does the warm clothing include a scarf? If so you can bet that scarf is wrapped around my face, plus the wide-brimmed hat on top...))

Raffy makes his plan carefully and step by step. Departing the Doctor's, he heads toward the Crow at the edge of the Neumarket. He surveys at all times for guards or Hounds - both to steer clear of them, and to guage whether or not the sewer plan is going into effect.

He glances at the Crow as he approaches. if there are guards posted it's time to turn around go elsewhere.

But if it looks like the usual shady clientele are left to their own devices, he'll go in and look for someone with the following qualities:

• Alone
• 40+ years old
• Impecunious

He sits down at that person's table, not across but beside from him ((if there is such a person)).

"Friend," he says in a low, throaty voice that is clearly not his own. He doesn't make eye contact and indeed keeps his head down. "How would you like to make some money and not have to fight anyone."

If the man is at all interested he will hold out his fist and open it just enough to show that there are whole crowns in the palm of his hand. Then he closes it.

"I need you to go to Greitling and buy some shot for me. With no questions."

If accepted his order is:

Spoiler

Show

20 pistol balls
8 shots of buckshot
26 shots' worth of powder
An extra 1 pound (~500 grams) keg of powder
Fusecord

This is assuming that there are legitimate purposes for such thing e.g. mining; if fuse cord would raise eyebrows then forget that part.

He makes the man repeat the list. He says he will walk with him to the shop and wait nearby. On delivery the man will make two crowns for himself.

((The above rests on a lot of assumptions so feel free to cut me off at any point. I just wanted to put the whole plan out so you can adjudicate.))

[LCP]

Raffy

Spoiler

Show

Creeping up to the Crow, Raffy sidled inside: fortunately him, at this particular tavern, that method of entry didn’t look at all unusual.

Gravitating to a man who sat looking alone and down-at-heel in one corner, he took a seat opposite him: the strong smell of alcohol from his new soon-to-be-friend showed that two-thirty in the afternoon was not too early for this particular gentleman to be drinking heavily.

"I need you to go to Greitling and buy some shot for me. With no questions."

Hearing Raffy out, the man blinked hard at the end of his list, seeming to forget the ‘no questions’ clause for a moment:

“A whole keg?” he said, slurring his words a little. “Ulric’s teeth, what d’you want that for?”

OOC: Yes, there’s a scarf: with the fever in mind, the doctor gave you the kind of clothes a worrying mother would give her young child on a snowy day.

[hr]

Ithelus

Spoiler

Show

”I say the elf’s right!” shouted one of the men. “Why wait for ‘em to come here?”

A rustle of “aye”s and “yeah”s ran around the crowd. With a rising clamour of voices, they began to drift in the direction of the Delb, heading towards the Drakwald road – other groups scattered around the Fields turned their heads to notice, the nascent mob pulling a tail of maybes and spectators behind it by sheer gravity...

OOC: Does Ithelus tag along?

[-Sentinel-]

Pieter

Spoiler

Show

Pieter was about to walk away, but doubt gnawed at him. What if Lothar was still under arrest? Von Brucker would obviously think of this as a ploy to mislead his men.

"On second thought," Pieter told the woman, "maybe it's better if I come with you. Otherwise, you'll have trouble getting to the captain."

He'd worry later about not getting arrested.


OOC: Sorry for the change of plan, I just didn't think things through.

[Exeson]

Ithelus

Spoiler

Show

Ithelus tags along with the mob, not right at the front but near enough the the front edge that a quick escape could be made. Humans can be so simple, so... Human He spits onto the floor. As he walks he draws a throwing knife, but keeps it hidden up his sleeve.

[LCP]

Ithelus

Spoiler

Show

As the crowd approached the North Bridge, Ithelus spotted two figures up ahead: they wore the ribbon of the Hounds, the two militiamen looking increasingly nervous as the mob drew nearer.

One of them tapped the other one on the arm as quickly as he could - turning, the other nodded and set off at a quick march towards the bridge, leaving his companion behind. The man straightened up, facing the oncoming crowd - he said nothing, but neither did he move...

[Exeson]

Ithelus

Spoiler

Show

Ithelus cursed slightly, 'Hound!' he called out, 'remove your ribbon and step aside and you may go about your day.' He tried to remain hidden behind the front row of the mob. We'll have to deal with the other one later, he'll most likely get the guards...

[LCP]

Ithelus

Spoiler

Show

The man looked around at Ithelus' shout, swearing under his breath to himself - stepping forwards, he spread out his arms to the crowd, trying to look authoritative.

"Um," he began, before raising his voice. "Oi! You, er, people." He took a breath. "This here is looking... looking like a disorderly... disturbance to me." He planted his polearm on the ground. "You all should just go 'bout your business, or there'll be trouble."

There was a long, pregnant pause.

"Get him!" came a shout from somewhere in the back ranks. With a roar, the mob surged forwards, the man's face paling before the oncoming wave of humanity...