IC - Mad King's Monkey II

[Axel]

Bayar hears the first part of Sour's story as he clumps closer, then stands and listens to the rest. "I be thinking this man be coming from the old flooded cellar over there. Be looking like boxes moved around and other things."

He sighed, scratching the back if his neck. "We not be having time for a manhunt. We be late to Herr Bourne's house already..."

 

[ghostcat]

Libros comes down the stairs from the party's lodging into the courtyard. He is looking much neater than usual: normally he doesn't pay much attention to his appearance but today is robe is looking clean and pressed. "Sorry I took so long" he says "my robe was covered in rat droppings and there was no way I was going to wear it in that state."

OOC: Guests have departed after a good holiday. Wife still coughing her head off but is much better

 

[Isida Kep'Tukari]

Ullara stares at Libros, her eyes wide, and her face a little bit pale. "Libros," she says, her voice even, very quiet, her inflection unchanging. "The man who stabbed Sour here with a poison knife is hiding in that wagon right over there." She whispers, "Thank you, Sour. You're very brave." She'll remand him into the care of the servants and rise with her staff, Bran at her side. "Before he escapes," she says, in the same, low, quiet, even tone. "Bran," she says, gesturing to the wagon. "Seek." And then steps close, her staff raised to strike if the man breaks cover.

 

[Scott DeWar]

OOC: I think Jan is still with every one, so . . . . .

Jan starts with a childs poem called out during a hide and seek like game, where the group seeks and the one runs around singing the rhyme.

Aid the party with Bardic performance

bardic performance [00000 00]

 

[Axel]

"He still be there? I thought he be over the wall by now?" Bayar frowns, then draws his sword and stalks over to the cart, laying a hand on the tarpaulin.

With a glance over his shoulder at the others, Bayar yanks the cover back and brings his sword up to the guard position.

 

[Scott DeWar]

Jan follows Bayar to have his back as well as to keep him in the range of his vocal effects.

 

[doghead]

Day Five, Morning, in the courtyard of the Baron's residence

"Bran," she says, gesturing to the wagon. "Seek." And then steps close, her staff raised to strike if the man breaks cover.

Bran bounds back to the cart. He hustles around the wheels, nose down, a few times, but his attention is most held by the wall. He leaps up, fore paws against the wall, sniffing the air below the object Jan spotted earlier.

"He still be there? I thought he be over the wall by now?" Bayar frowns, then draws his sword and stalks over to the cart, laying a hand on the tarpaulin.

With a glance over his shoulder at the others, Bayar yanks the cover back and brings his sword up to the guard position.

The cart is empty.

Largely unnoticed, the household Steward has arrived in the courtyard. He is a large man, once muscular but now less so. He wears a heavy cloak over his nightgown, and a wool nightcap over his balding head. He walks with a slight limp, the legacy of an old wound. Like most of the staff he was a member of the Baron's Enterprise. A good enough soldier, but a better quartermaster and organiser it was discovered after his wound took him off the field.

"Seems to me that dog hunts just fine?" he growls. "So then why be you standing around here and not running the killer to ground?

"Get them anything they need." This comment is directed at his staff, rather than the party members in the courtyard.

"An attack on the Baron's staff is an attack on the Baron. I won't stand for it. And you are wasting time." This is directed back at the party. "Run him down and bring him to me, alive preferably, before the city wakes up and destroys any trail left behind."

[sblock=Jan]Which Bardic Performance - Counter-song? Distraction? Fascinate? Inspire Courage? Inspire Courage seems the only one appropriate, but doesn't really fit the post. Were you thinking of Inspire Competence (3rd level)?

Jan starts with a childs poem called out during a hide and seek like game, where the group seeks and the one runs around singing the rhyme.

Aid the party with Bardic performance

bardic performance [00000 00]

[/sblock]

 

[Scott DeWar]

[sblock=Doghead]

Spoiler

expletive delete

er, Dang it! Never mind. I keep forgetting I ain't got that yet[/sblock]

 

[Axel]

Bayar stood and stared at the Steward for a long second. The man had no authority over him. And his allegiance was to the Chancellor in any case, not the Baron. Still, they were in the Baron's house and it would make life much easier for everyone if he just bent like a tree in a storm. He nodded at the Steward. "We be expected soon at Herr Borne's house. Best be sending a boy so we not be missed. And be keeping an eye on the old cellar in the passageway. Be likely he came in that way."

With nothing more to add, Bayar trotted upstairs to retrieve his shield and water skin. Slinging them both over his back as a way of indicating to authorities he was not an immediate threat, water skin first to cushion the inevitable chafing, he sighed. Today was going to be a long day... As an afterthought he retrieved the other letters they were carrying and brought them along too.

Back in the courtyard, he climbed onto the cart, his armoured bulk causing it to creak and groan, and peered over the wall. "Right then, who be coming out today?" he said, heaving himself up onto the wall before dropping over the other side. "Ullara, bring the dog around. He be our best chance I be thinking."

 

[doghead]

Day Five, Morning, in the courtyard of the Baron's residence

The Steward returns Bayar's stare with equanimity born from experience with soldiers.

From the cart flatbed the top of the wall is about at arms reach. Bayar can see how a nimble man might scramble up an over. But a fully armoured one will have a tough job hauling himself up and over. Bayar would struggle, and Bran would have to be tossed. Fortunately, there is a gate leading through to the street.

The up side of Bayar's excursion to the top of the wagon is that reason for the iron spike (for that it what it is jammed between some stones at the top of the wall) becomes apparent; a rope could be hooked around it allowing descent down the other side. Which would be particularly useful as the exterior wall is much smoother that the interior, and likely en-spelled (which is probably not a real word) to make climbing difficult.

[sblock=OOC] Keep in mind that while Bayar, Eban, Jan and Libros work for the Chancellor, the Chancellor works for the Baron. While the Chancellor outranks the Steward, the Steward outranks the PC's. Can the Steward order the PC's around, well that would require waiting until push came to shove, and seeing what the outcome was [/sblock]