[WFRP] The Hour After Midnight (II)

[LCP]

Lothar & Illiiya

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The militiaman shrugged. "Jus' said we was to watch the elf 'til mornin'. Make sure she didn't get up to no magic tricks."

[goblinpaladin]

Lothar & Illiiya

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"Ah, well," Lothar munched on his pie with growing enthusiasm- well, less distaste. "See, Illiiya here's the one who ID'd Maria for's, noted that she was all spooky." He wiggled his left hand to signify 'magic'. "But the Lector thinks that all magic is dangerous, even though elves are exempt from that stuff, on account o' how they're so smart. "We've just gotta make sure that Maria's put no curse on Illiiya for outing her, or that Illiiya ain't been tainted by the real witch."

Munch munch. "Sort've thing."

[LCP]

Lothar & Illiiya

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The man furrowed his brow and frowned.

"That ain't what the Sarge said," he said, slowly. "Sarge said she tried to kill Mister Jagrun."

[goblinpaladin]

L&I

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Lothar shook his head. "Nah, it weren't like that- she was trying to break up the fight between the kid Raffy and the Templar, Herr Jagrun. Raffy killed the Templar, the idiot. I get my hands on him, I'ma punch him inna face." Lothar scowled.

[LCP]

Lothar & Illiiya

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"Well, Sarge seemed pretty sure she'd done some kinda hocus pocus on him." He shot another suspicious glance at Illiiya. "If she was really on our side, she'd've done it on the kid, wouldn't she?"

He sat back in his chair.

"So, we got to watch her all night, eh?" he said. "I mean, I ain't complainin'. Rather in here than out there, when it's snowin' and there's work to do." He looked across at Lothar. "You play cards?"

[goblinpaladin]

Lothar and Illiiya

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Lothar's face -also unshaven- split into a grin. "Yup."

"Schillings or shrapnel?"

(1d100)[11]- 32

[LCP]

Lothar & Illiiya

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"I ain't a rich man, mister. Pennies is good for me."

OOC:

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Pausing here to give Illiiya a chance to get involved in the conversation (if she wants to) prior to doing any time-skipping. Here's a gamble roll for you, though.

(1d100)[51]

[BloodyAngel]

Illiiya Jaelrae: Pre-arrival of the new guard

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Illiiya smiled. An oddly blissful, genuine smile.

Thank you. For everything. She said, watching him through the bars with her bright green eyes, But... I don't think they will be letting me out. I... I've done horrible things. I deserve to be here. It is enough for me... to know that you care. Until came here... no one ever has.

Current

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Illiiya watched quietly as the man talked as if she was not here. In all honesty, she was glad to have voices about again. The quiet made her very, very uncomfortable.

I speak human-speech, you know. She told the newcomer, And do not worry. If I was going to cast spells to free myself, I would have tried already. I will give you no trouble.

She looked uncertainly at the pie passed between the two... She was very hungry herself, but the idea of becoming ill in here was unpleasant enough that she decided against asking for a piece. The Lector would leave her to drown in her own filth, she was certain.

[LCP]

Illiiya & Lothar

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The Hound gave a start as Illiiya spoke. Waving his crossbow in her direction, he narrowed his eyes.

“You just keep your mouth shut, witch.” He glanced sideways at Lothar. “She could put a spell on us with normal-like words, I reckon.” Turning his gaze back to Illiiya, he shook the weapon at her. “No tricks, y’hear?”

OOC: I put this up for you to respond to, but I’ll put up something more (with the gambling & time passing etc.) before I go to bed.

[BloodyAngel]

Illiiya + Lothar

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Illiiya sighed.

Don't be stupid. If I could do that, I wouldn't still be in here. She said wearily, But.... fine. I will be quiet.

She sat down and tried her hardest to make herself comfortable, and simply listened. It was better than nothing, at least.

[LCP]

Illiiya & Lothar

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Keeping his eyes on Illiiya until he could be sure she was not about to transform into a hydra or some other act of black magic, the Hound turned back to Lothar, pulling a deck of dog-eared cards from the mysterious recesses of his jerkin. They played into the small hours of the night: Illiiya took a quiet satisfaction in seeing that Lothar had the advantage over the crude, pie-chewing militiaman, coming away a schilling and some pennies richer than he had begun.

As the night wore on, Lothar’s head began to nod, the exertions of the day before making it a struggle to stay awake: shaking his head for what seemed the hundredth time to dispel the sleepiness creeping over him, he realised his companion too was dozing, the Hound’s chin resting on his chest.

It was then that he heard it – a quick, soft scuttling from the direction of the door, coming nearer. Scurrying along the join between the wall and the floor, a sleek, black rat was approaching: it darted between the bars of Illiiya’s cell, the elf starting from her own half-sleep as she recoiled from the rodent.

Trying not to wake the Hound, Lothar peered in through the bars of the cell, his hand straying to the hilt of his sword – the rat was behaving in the strangest way he had ever seen, scrambling back and forth in a chaotic fashion over the cell floor. It had a splinter, or a piece of rush, or something, in its mouth – as it moved, it was dragging out crude, shaky letters in the dirt and dust behind it...

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[Another_Poet]

Raffy, with the Irascible Pieter

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Raffy stands up when Maria looks to him. He removes his cap again addresses those assembled.

"In the course of my investigation on behalf of Captain von Brucker, it became clear that the Witch Hunter was lying and misdirecting the investigation toward innocent people. When I went to the guard house to try to alert the Captain and the other investigators, he appeared in person and tried to blame the murders on m'lady Samtzunge. He had hired thieves to break into her house and plant false evidence. Since Captain von Brucker would not arrest him, and my companions such as Pieter here were too afraid to do anything, I dueled him and killed him.

"In the course of the duel our elf friend cast a spell on him. It caused him to drop his sword. I then offered him the chance to confess and he would not do so. So, as he had declared it a holy trial by ordeal, I executed him.

"I then escaped, thanks to the bravery of my elf friend - and more than a few of yourselves. I imagine she has been arrested, though she is not guilty.

"While I was sleeping a message was delivered to me. It told me to come to the house where we killed the mutant Puderbrand. The message purported to come from an ally. Foolishly, I went there. The inside was dark, and I was shut in a room with a freshly murdered woman. It was the Baroness von Brucker."

((I assume there is some murmuring, possibly some cheers....))

Raffy raises his voice. "I want it known that the Lady von Brucker is not, and NEVER was our enemy! She financed the Cathedral because of the sick hold the Lector has over her. She thought she was doing good by it - naively perhaps, but nonetheless. I bore no grudge toward her and if I discover who cut her throat it is my intention to strike him down."

He clears his throat. "While I was shut in the room, there were rats about, and someone else in the building spoke to me. He said that since I began to help 'his greatest enemy,' Maria Samtzunge, I had become a nuisance, and that by killing the Witch Hunter I had greatly angered him."

He lowers his voice again, clearly coming to the end of his tale. "And so I put it to you, fellow citizens. If a man who murdered our Baroness, a man who cohabits with rats, hates Maria Samtzunge and championed the witch hunter Jagrun - where then should we look for our sorcerous murderer?"

((more murmuring maybe?))

"I made a promise that if Lector von Kemperbad was not arrested and questioned on these matters, I would come for him myself. Tonight I invite any brave men or women here to help me do just that. I intend to break the Hounds, expose the Lector and have him pay for what he has done."

[-Sentinel-]

Pieter and Raffy

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Pieter believed Raffy's word that he had not killed the baroness, but remained skeptical about the witch hunter's dishonesty. He had always thought of Jagrun as a brutal fanatic, but also a true believer, not a sneaky schemer like von Kemperbad.

and my companions such as Pieter here were too afraid to do anything

It took the initiate great strength of will to bite back a snappy retort.

"While I was shut in the room, there were rats about, and someone else in the building spoke to me. He said that since I began to help 'his greatest enemy,' Maria Samtzunge, I had become a nuisance, and that by killing the Witch Hunter I had greatly angered him."

So, Maria was someone's greatest enemy? Pieter's suspicion grew, no matter how much he hated to admit that Maria was not what she seemed.

"where then should we look for our sorcerous murderer?"

At that, Pieter tried to meet Raffy's gaze. Once he did, he raised an eyebrow gravely: I know something.

"I made a promise that if Lector von Kemperbad was not arrested and questioned on these matters, I would come for him myself. Tonight I invite any brave men or women here to help me do just that. I intend to break the Hounds, expose the Lector and have him pay for what he has done."

This time, Pieter decided to speak.

"Don't get me wrong, Rafale, I hate the Lector as much as you do. But why would he have Lady von Brucker killed? Much of his political power derived from her. Her death is a terrible blow to the Sigmarite church in Delberz." He shrugged. "He's a wicked old vulture, but I doubt he's our murderer." He grinned. "Of course, we were going to bring him down anyway, so it changes nothing."

[Another_Poet]

Raffy and Pieter

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"Don't get me wrong, Rafale, I hate the Lector as much as you do. But why would he have Lady von Brucker killed? Much of his political power derived from her. Her death is a terrible blow to the Sigmarite church in Delberz." He shrugged. "He's a wicked old vulture, but I doubt he's our murderer."

"It is true," Raffy says, doing his best to play the part of orator and play the answer to the whole crowd, "That I cannot see why the Lector would murder the Baroness. However if he is not our murderer than he knows something about our murderer. Otherwise his servant Jagrun would never have tried to protect the murderer's identity. It is time we discover just what exactly our Lector knows, and if he is innocent of that crime, then we can simply hold him to account for his many others."

"Rape. Abuse. Starving the poor." He raises his voice so those in the back can hear and tries to remember the eloquent words Maria used to describe it. "His entire Church is rotten through!"

[Exeson]

Ithelus

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Ithelus tilts his head to one side, 'Tell me what?'

[-Sentinel-]

Pieter and Raffy

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He's delusional, thought Pieter, shaking his head. He's obstinate, irrational and unstable. He paints the world black and white, like the witch hunter.

The initiate shuddered. The revolt would be violent enough in itself... but if this lunatic was allowed to lead it, Delberz would burn to the ground. In a way, well-meaning madmen were far more dangerous than genuinely evil people.

Still, he could not disagree with Raffy's last statement: "True, that. Time to take back Delberz. The Hounds are not welcome here."

[LCP]

Ithelus

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”The monk!” said the child, bursting with excitement at having Ithelus’ attention. “I saw the raggedy monk again! Down by the river!”

[hr]

Raffy & Pieter

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It is time we discover just what exactly our Lector knows, and if he is innocent of that crime, then we can simply hold him to account for his many others."

"Rape. Abuse. Starving the poor." He raises his voice so those in the back can hear and tries to remember the eloquent words Maria used to describe it. "His entire Church is rotten through!"

“Hear hear!” came a cry from down the table – it was taken up by the whole gathering, hands pounding the table in a thunderous chorus.

“Hear hear!” came a cry from down the table – it was taken up by the whole gathering, hands pounding the table in a thunderous chorus.

Holding up a hand for silence, Klaus rose to his feet.

“Von Kemperbad is at the end of his rope,” he said, speaking with an oratorical flourish. “The Baroness is dead, and the masons will not work if they are not paid. The people won’t accept a levy. We saw that already today.” His eyes swept the table. “Tomorrow, he will have to make his move – to tell the city what will become of the Cathedral. The people and the Hounds will gather. That’s where it begins.”

“We have Rafale’s story – and everything he represents, to the people who’ve been beaten and robbed by Halbermann and his dogs, living in fear of the Hunter’s shadow. But we have something else, too.” Extending a hand, he gestured down the table, where the young woman Raffy had seen in the corner was sitting.

“Ilsa - for the benefit of the gathering, will you repeat your story?” asked Klaus sitting down. Looking a little like a cornered animal, Ilsa rose to her feet: coughing once to clear her throat, she spoke.
“Um,” she began, “I’m not very good at speeches.”
There was a long pause, the Society not realising that her words were less of a prelude and more of a request to sit back down. Seeing, their blank stares, she pressed reluctantly on.
“Klaus – Klaus wants me to tell you about the Lector.” Her face setting in a slight scowl, she continued. “It was about fourteen, thirteen years ago, a priest called Theophilus von Kemperbad came to my village. It’s not far from here,” she added. “We’d been having trouble, with something taking the livestock – the people said it was a witch, a shapechanger. They sent word to the Church, and the Church sent von Kemperbad – he wasn’t a Lector then, just a priest, before he had grey in his hair.” She coughed again. “He hunted out the witch, sure enough. A girl, living wild in the woods, they said she could take the form of a wolf. Von Kemperbad burned her in the village square, and when the ashes had settled, they pulled out a wolf’s skull.”
She paused before continuing.
“Von Kemperbad was the hero of the hour, and my sister Freya, she went to him,” she stated, matter-of-factly. “I was just a little kid then – Freya would have been about the age I am now.” There was a flinty cast to Ilsa’s eyes. “Von Kemperbad went back to Altdorf, and it was about a week or two before Freya found out she was with child.”
“She was convinced if she could find him again, he’d marry her – that a man of Sigmar wouldn’t leave a child to be born out of wedlock. So she set off south, and we never heard from her again. My parents just... let it go. They said she must’ve found him and got married, otherwise she’d’ve come back to us. The pox took mother when I was fifteen, and father the year after, so I sold our things and went looking. I thought maybe if she was a fancy priest’s wife, she could look after her sister.”

“Followed her trail to Altdorf, and that was where it stopped – dead at Theophilus von Kemperbad’s door, thirteen years ago. Three people saw her go into that man’s house, and not one saw her come out.” Despite her reticence, there was steel in the woman’s voice now. “Now he’s come back to Delberz, and it turns out all that time, he was climbing the ladder, making friends in high places. A bastard child, of a peasant girl – I don’t think that would have reflected well on his prospects.”

She looked around the circle of listening faces.

“So you want to talk about the crimes the Lector’s committed... tyranny, oppression, all those long words. I say, he murdered Freya Weisemann. And that’s all I have to say.”

Slightly red in the face from embarrassment, anger, or both, Ilsa sat back down – somewhere on her left, someone began to clap, a firm round of applause rippling round the table. Standing again, Klaus nodded in her direction.

“Thank you, Ilsa,” he said. “Many of us here have known Ilsa’s story for some time – and now it’s time we used it.” He gestured to the woman beside him. “Magda has been printing our last handbill, bearing Ilsa’s charges along with the others. Tomorrow, when the people are gathered to hear what von Kemperbad will say, we will use it. The Lector cannot let such accusations stand – the people are already saying these deaths are a punishment from the gods for his wickedness. We will draw the Hounds into open war.”

“We saw that today,” came a sceptical voice from down the table. “It didn’t end well.”

“That was a mob,” said Karl, leaning in to make his voice heard. “Drawn from the Fields, unfamiliar with the streets – penned in against the Guard. This time, we have a plan.”

Klaus nodded.

“The Hounds have only one advantage – weapons. It’s down to us to fight this battle on our own terms.”

He leaned forwards, placing both hands on the table.

“The Lector cannot allow us to defy him. We’ll make our stand in the lower town – where the river can’t separate us from the Cathedral, where the streets are narrow and the people hate the Hounds the most.” He paused. “Some of us will have to stir up the Fields, as well, to keep the Guard busy blocking off the bridges – too busy to help the Hounds. But it’s the lower town, between the Neumarket and the Altdorf road, where we can break Halbermann and his mob.”

Another young man – Raffy didn’t know his name – stood up. He had the rough hands and rough voice of a commoner, rather than Klaus’ educated tones.
“We’ve got agitators in the streets around Helstrum’s Ward, ready to stir up the people and throw up barricades. Six stashes of weapons that we’ve scavenged, ready to hand out to those who can use ‘em.” He looked around the table. “There’s veterans on the Fields, too – some of ‘em’ll have swords, crossbows, even guns that they haven’t yet sold to feed ‘emselves.”

Klaus nodded. “The Hounds are cowards. Face them en masse, across a broad street, and they can cut down a mob – draw them in, split them up among the alleyways, and the city will eat them alive.” He looked from face to face, the light of excitement in his eyes. “And when it has, we march on the Cathedral, to make our demands.”

[Exeson]

Ithelus

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Raising an eyebrow Ithelus squats down to the child's level. 'The one from the well? Where by the river?'

[LCP]

Ithelus

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"Under the Gods' Row bridge!" said the girl, her mother seeming to abandon all hope of keeping her under control. "I seen him. He went into one of the sewer pipes!"

[-Sentinel-]

Pieter and Raffy

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Pieter smiled encouragingly at Ilsa at the beginning of her speech. As she told her story again, he felt the same outrage as the first time he had heard it. Then he listened to Klaus' strategy and was pleasantly surprised by the young man's tactical talent. Of course, when it came to leading an angry mob, one could not rely blindly on a plan...

"I'm confident I can stir up the Fields" (again), Pieter intervened. "They know me well. Once battle is joined, I'm volunteering to man a safe sector where the wounded can be treated. I'm trained in medicine, but I'm going to need assistants... people who don't feel at ease with a sword, but can stand the sight of blood."

He had a bad feeling about the plan to march on the cathedral, but could not find a way to voice his doubts without sounding like an idiot.


OOC:

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"It's three men dead, not two. They called on Doctor Rasen, but he was too late."

Sorry for the belated question, but what good was Lothar's successful Heal test?

[LCP]

Pieter & Raffy

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The man who had spoken of weapons chipped back in.

"Like I said, we can barricade off Helstrum's Ward. We'll have the yard there and the buildings around for anyone who's wounded." He nodded at Pieter. "I'm sure you'll find some volunteers."

OOC:

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Sorry for the belated question, but what good was Lothar's successful Heal test?

It prolonged Mr NPC's suffering

[Another_Poet]

Raffy, Pieter, and a Few Good Men

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Raffy seems very unsettled by Ilsa's story and has to blink back tears. By the time Klaus, Pieter and the peasant are discussing tactics he's managed to recover himself.

He stand up again. "It would be better if there were less Hounds," he says. "And I have a plan for that."

He glances toward Maria, and goes on. "The Hounds are citizens. They're doing vile work, but a few of 'em might think it's the right thing, and a lot of them are just trying to avoid the poorhouse. I don't want to see them killed."

He holds up his hands for quiet over some booing ((I assume)).

"Instead, I intend to thin their numbers tonight. I'll be hunting. Hunting for Hounds. I'm going to stalk them in pairs or on their own, and hold them up. Take their weapons, their coin - and every stitch of clothing on them. That'll humiliate them leave them poorer and unarmed, make them afraid to go back to their Sergeant. But it won't make their families hate us and fight against us like killing them will. Tomorrow morning, there'll be less men willing to put on the white ribbon."

He looks around the room almost as if afraid he's going to be laughed at. "Well, I told Maria earlier I fight dirty. That's my plan. I'm doing it with or without any of you. On my own I can get maybe four, maybe eight men tonight. But if groups of you went out in four-person teams and did the same, there could be fifty less Hounds tomorrow with no bloodshed."

His piece said, he waits to see what the reaction is.

[-Sentinel-]

Pieter and Raffy

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"Now, that's the kind of crazy plan I like," Pieter congratulated him. "If it can reduce the bloodshed tomorrow, it's certainly worth the risk. I'm with you."

He was relieved that Raffy intended to cut down casualties: he had half expected him to lead the rebels on a merciless rampage. Perhaps Maria had a moderating effect on him...

[BloodyAngel]

Illiiya and the prison cell of EVIL!

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Illiiya recoiled in panic. Part of her started slipping into old habits, as she pressed herself against the far wall, and had to do her best to avoid screaming.

N-no. No. No no no no. She babbled in a quiet voice, trying not to look at it. N-not real. It was never real. L-lothar? Please.... please tell me that... that you see it too. Please...

[LCP]

Illiiya & Lothar

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At Illiiya's words, the Hound stirred in his fitful slumber, snuffling sleepily: the rat continued to scurry back and forth, its makeshift stylus dragging out scrawled letters that would have shamed a half-literate child. It wrote over and over its own words in the dust, writing almost faster than she could read.



Dragging out the last ‘E’, it sat up on its hind legs, whiskers twitching as its beady eyes stared up at Illiiya’s face...

[hr]

Raffy & Pieter

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Doubt rippled around the meeting-table – one of the young men stood, addressing Raffy directly.

“If you’re caught, it’ll be a bigger blow against the rising than if you humiliate twenty Hounds. The people need to see the man who killed the Templar. They need to see they can defy the Church and not be destroyed.”

“What makes you think the Hounds will be out in ones or twos?” said another, leaning in to speak. “Halbermann may be brutish, but he’s not stupid. After the riot today, they’ll be on their guard.”

[Another_Poet]

Raffy the Sparrowhawk & Pieter

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OOC:

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Actually Maria laughed at the idea. Wait... our PR plan said not to mention that.... I mean yes, Maria said we should shed as little blood as possible.

"They may not be," Raffy conceded. "If you see a group of four or six, just keep walking. You're just ordinary citizens to them. But there will be some who wander on their own. Or use distractions or false alarms to divide them up if you want... one of you run up to a group, tell them there's been a murder. They'll send one or two running for Halbermann while the others go to the scene. Ambush both groups separately.

"As far as seeing the Sparrowhawk," he holds up a bottle of some reddish liquid. "I believe there should be a Sparrowhawk at every gate of the city tomorrow, one with every band of fighters. We must recruit tall young men willing to dye their hair henna like mine. Hearing reports of the Sparrowhawk sighted all over the city will further divide the Guard and the Hounds and put the fear of the gods into them."

He sighs. "We can expect some of them will be killed. My own life is already in the pot. I was told you are brave people and you're willing to fight. If that's true then do it smart. Strike the Hounds tonight and scatter them tomorrow."

He looks off into the distance. "If you don't, I won't blame you, but you won't have me with you. I killed the Hunter and I'll kill the Lector too, on my own if needed. His castle can't protect him."

((@LCP: reasoning and ultimatum delivered. I'm content to see how they vote now, obviously after Pieter has had a chance to pipe in - but I don't see a need to go through further debate otherwise.))

[-Sentinel-]

Pieter and Raffy

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Pieter shook his head skeptically at the boy's overdramatic plan. The thought of a dozen Rafales all over town was almost too scary to contemplate.

He looks battered, but at least his ego is intact.

"As a matter of fact," Pieter said a bit patronizingly, "yes, the Lector's castle will protect him from you. Unless you own some heavy artillery you didn't tell us about, you're going to need us."

His tone softened. "Please listen to reason, Rafale. You're but one man."

[BloodyAngel]

Illiiya Jaelrae

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GO AWAY! Illiiya shrieked, punching at the rat with her bare hands, I don't want want this anymore! I don't want to see things anymore! You're not real!

[goblinpaladin]

Lothar and Illiiya

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"I see it, too." Lothar glanced at the Hound, see if he'd awake. "Looks like they're after you now." He put his hand on the hilt of a sword. "You want, I should kill it?"

[BloodyAngel]

Illiiya + Lothar

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It's real?! Illiiya said, seeming almost MORE calm at knowing that there might be a genuine threat on her life, rather than just one in her head.

I.... I don't know. Rat! Tell me who is doing this! Tell me, damn you!