As the newly acquainted band prepares to leave the alley (keeping a close eye on the face-painted thugs all the while), a woman's voice suddenly rings out from somewhere above. "Well done! But the cleric lives because we wish it so, not because of your misplaced bravado." The source of the voice is barely distinguishable through the drizzle, some 20 feet above on the rooftop of one of the buildings enclosing the alley. A lithe figure lurks there, clad all in black; she also has her face painted white and black into a grinning harlequin's visage. She points a baleful finger at Ruphus and says, "Take these words back to your temple, priest! The children are lost and no longer St. Cuthbert's concern." She then retreats onto the rooftop and disappears from view. Taking their cue from the mysterious figure, the three assailants now dash from the alley's opposite end, disappearing with muffled footfalls into the fog and damp of the city streets.
Scotley said:
William moves off supporting the lad as needed. "Thank you, we would certainly appreciate a dry place. So what does the face paint on your attackers represent?"
Ruphus shrugs his shoulders. "I really don't know what their painted faces mean. Maybe Jenya will know something about it once we reach the temple."
Krug said:
"Well yes, it would be good to get out of the rain, to someplace... friendlier," says Eliara, glancing at the thugs. The city made her uncomfortable. She was out of her natural habitat, and something inside her screamed for her to dart off to the nearest patch of forest, but she kept herself calm.
If they go towards the church, Eliara will check to see if they are being followed.
Dichotomy said:
As Ruphus introduces himself, Konstantine gets a startled look on her face. "Oh, where did my manners go. I am so sorry. My name is Konstantine. It is good to meet you. I will let the others introduce themselves. We actually don't know each other that well, but" the bard looks at William with his axe, Eliara with leaves in her hair, Galen with his spear, and the young Intari and she smiles "it seems that we are alike enough."
When the discussion turns to moving to the temple, Konstantine nods at the thought of going someplace dry. The bard walks close to Ruphus and listens eagerly for his answer to William's query.
Well, it is obvious that it helping Ruphus was the right thing to do. This is a mystery, though. Why would people ever attack a man of the cloth? This orhpanage? There are many questions to ask...
Mark Chance said:
Galen follows along, bring up the rear, walking or glancing backwards nearly half the time to see if the face-painted goons (or anyone else for that matter) is following them.
Eliara and Galen keep a close watch behind to ensure they aren't being followed. [Eliara Spot: Roll = 7, Total = 12; Galen Spot: Roll = 11, Total = 12] Neither of them see any signs of pursuit as they walk.
Caliber said:
Stepping back, Intari nods at Ruphus's disinterest. "I am Intari, acolyte of the Scorpion. I would be glad to get away from so much water. It is unnatural."
As the Intari and the others walk towards the Temple, Intari seems uneasy in both the close confines of the city's walls and underneath the falling rain.
"Is it usual for those within your city to be accosted by such men Ruphus? And what terrible events at this orphanage do you speak of?
As they walk, Ruphus turns to reply to Intari's comment.
"Well, I don't know if it's unnatural, but I do hope it doesn't make the lake rise too much. They say some sort of tentacled beast lurks in the cold depths there, but I doubt it's true. The danger of flooding is real enough, though."
Continuing, he answers the shaman's questions. "No, it's not usual at all! I realize that crime happens, but it's not even fully dark yet...and this doesn't seem like a normal crime. The church is helping with the investigation to find the four missing children from the orphanage, so I went there for a visit this afternoon. It seems that those people don't want us involved, though I can't fathom why."
A light of understanding flickers in Ruphus' eyes, and he continues, "You're new in town aren't you? Well, I'll try to explain a bit of what's been going on. For a couple of months now, Cauldron has seen a string of disappearances of its citizens. Random folk, just up and gone from their homes, along with their valuables. The thing is, there's no sign of a break-in, no sign of a struggle...they just vanish. The authorities have been trying to solve the mystery, but they haven't gotten far. Now, just three nights ago, it turned even worse...the children disappeared. This was the first time children were involved, all the others had been adults at least. That was the last straw for Jenya, so the church pledged to help. I was at the orphanage today, consoling the other children and the staff. Who could be opposed to that?" The young cleric shakes his head sadly as the group proceeds.
(OOC: The walk to the Temple of St. Cuthbert is a great opportunity to ask further questions of Ruphus. I'll pause to allow such conversations before posting the arrival at the temple.)
