Vigwyn's 'A New Beginning...' [IC]

[Vigwyn the Unruly]

After a bit of hurried stamping, Edgar and Gallo manage to smother the flames before they spread too much farther, thus saving Brolinar's bookstore. As they finish up, they hear a voice coming from the front door.

"Well isn't this a pretty sight," says a silky smooth voice. Standing in the doorway are two members of the town watch. In the front is a fairly large man holding a longsword. Behind him, a younger man has his shortbow trained on you, in case you make any false moves. You recognize the younger man from the Port Hole earlier: he was the young watch officer conversing with the bearded man.

But it is the larger man that speaks now. "If it isn't the elf and his companion. We all thought you'd find your way into some treachery, but I don't suppose anyone thought you would be brave enough to try and rob old Brolinar. And I see you almost burned the place down as well." He takes a step into the shop. "You'll be spending the evening in the jail. I'm sure the sheriff will be happy--but not surprised, I think--to see you in the morning. Don't bother fighting, we've already sent for backup. Just lay down your arms, and walk slowly toward me."

 

[industrygothica]

Gallo smiles as he raises his hands and takes a half a step to his left (if he's facing the front door). "But you're mistaken, my large friend. For it is we who put the fire out, thus saving Brolinar's fabulous store. But there were others..." He points slowly to the back door, meeting Edgar's eyes as he does so, hoping to get some clue as to what he intends to do--run or comply. "They went that way," he says.

[sblock=ooc]I'd think Gallo would've either stowed his bow on his pack or already dropped it while he was helping with the fire. Hopefully he'd have had time to put it on his pack.[/sblock]

 

[Creamsteak]

Completely ignoring the guards claims, Edgar shakes some dust and soot off his clothes and asks absent-mindedly... "Out of curiosity, do you know anyone in this town named 'Charlie'? Or potentially, have you seen a man running down the street bleeding to death yelling that name?"

 

[Vigwyn the Unruly]

"Others, eh?" The larger man still seems to believe that the most likely explanation of the scene in front of him is that the two of you broke into the bookstore in a burglary attempt, and he continues to look at you with suspicious eyes. However, the fact that you have dropped a specific name gives him pause. "Are you talking about 'Drunk Charlie', the cutpurse that lives outside North Gate?"

"Don't let them put one over on you, Aget," interjects the young watch officer from the doorway, still with his bow trained on you. "It's perfectly obvious what's going on here. This elf and his friend have shown their true colors. I'm only surprised it took so long."

"Hold your tongue, Tinnel," replies the larger man, who seems to be in the position of authority between the two. "Let them answer my questions."

[sblock=OOC]Aget's current attitude toward you is Unfriendly. Tinnel's is Hostile.
Incidentally, the burglars ran out through the back room, so it is unlikely that these watch officers would have seen them fleeing.[/sblock]

 

[Creamsteak]

"I don't know 'which' Charlie it was, I didn't get to see him. I don't believe either myself or 'the elf' have been injured at all, yet there's probably some blood on the floor behind the counter from the man Gallo hit."

Edgar scratches his head a bit and ponders checking out the back room that was being "investigated."

 

[industrygothica]

"Twice," Galloe finishes with a wink at Tinnel.

 

[Vigwyn the Unruly]

Tinnel glares at Gallo with murderous eyes. "Don't listen to them, Aget. I saw these two in the Port Hole earlier tonight. No doubt they were planning this evil even then."

"Tinnel! Keep your peace!" the larger man snaps in return. He then turns back to the the two of you, and addresses you calmly, "Step out of the way so I can have a look--and no false moves."

 

[Creamsteak]

Sure enough Edgar will move out of the way.

 

[industrygothica]

Gallo also steps out of the way, keeping his hands up as the man walks by.

[sblock=ooc]He'll move two squares to the right, directly in front of the third small shelf. His intent is to put a greater distance between he and Edgar, making it more difficult for Tinnel to cover both of them at the same time.[/sblock]

 

[Vigwyn the Unruly]

As Edgar and Gallo separate and allow Aget to pass, the man moves past the charred area and around the counter. At the sight of the blood, he turns even more serious than before. He looks at the two of you to judge your faces. He then orders Tinnel to stand down and help him investigate. Making the two of you follow him, with Tinnel backing things up, Aget follows the trail of blood into the back room.

The back room has clearly been ransacked by someone looking for something quite specific. The room is filled with all sorts of wonderfully rare and arcane items--a stuffed porcupine; a ram's horn that balances on its tip, seemingly by magic; an elaborate rug of obviously eastern design; a pickled aboleth embryo in a large jar; and on and on. But none of these fantastic items has been disturbed. Instead, drawers have been opened and rifled through, books have been taken from the shelves and paged through, and there are various other signs that someone has been looking for a document of some sort.

Aget follows the trail of blood out the back door to the alley, but it is quickly lost in the night. The four of you return to the back room of the book shop. Although Tinnel is still obviously convinced that you have perpetrated some crime, Aget is beginning to believe your story. "Are you willing to come with me now to the sheriff's house and allow him to question you about this?"