Mists over the Musarde, Chapter Two

[Brock Marsh Runoff]

Dorgio is in the same alley as Norzak and Cirdan, bow already notched and at the ready. Knowing he has no skill at hiding, he stays back and lets Norzak do the scouting. When he hears the rap and sees his allies go for their weapons and shift postures, he infers that the time has come. He puts a hand on Cirdan's shoulder. He then puts a finger to his lips, hoping to remind Cirdan to not say anything at first, to see if the knight will be recognized. He then points the finger out of the alley, towards the rafters, and nods to Cirdan.

Oh blessed Morninglord, he thinks, don't let him be too love drunk to to this.

[Adam]

Benn sniffs the dish appreciatively, picking up the cutlery and nodding to the server. "No, this will do nicely." He tears a strip off of the bread, dipping it into the pudding and taking a bite. "My compliments to your chef," he says after a moment to chew and swallow.

"Apologies for my demeanor, Madame Renier. Lamordian fare is not well liked by the rest of the core, but it reminds me of home." He settles into conversation with Le Grande Dame for the evening.

[ewancummins]

He settles into conversation with Le Grande Dame for the evening.

Bennedict wakes with a start! He's been dozing in the plush armchair- for how long, he doesn't know. The room is lit only by moonbeams falling through a window to Benn's left, the chandelier having been extinguished at some point while Benn was sleeping. Madame Renier gone from his view. Bennedict seems to be alone in the room. Someone has placed a glass of water on the small folding table next to Benn, and cleared away his dinner platter.

[Adam]

Bennedict looks around, disoriented for a moment. He feels around for a moment, before picking up the waterglass. Fighting off the nervous edge of panic, he whispers the words to the basic prayer of the Morninglord, lighting the glass and shining it throughout the room.

He puts a hand to his head as he stands. "Mein gott, what happened? I didn't even have anything to drink?"

He looks around for his things, mortified that he may have dozed off in front of the most powerful woman in the city.

[Lord Skybolt]

Alain positions himself in such way as to not reveal the rest of the group, but closer to the meeting site making like he is hiding but letting the possible note writer see him. (Like within 50 feet if possible)

[ewancummins]

Bennedict looks around, disoriented for a moment. He feels around for a moment, before picking up the waterglass. Fighting off the nervous edge of panic, he whispers the words to the basic prayer of the Morninglord, lighting the glass and shining it throughout the room.

He puts a hand to his head as he stands. "Mein gott, what happened? I didn't even have anything to drink?"

He looks around for his things, mortified that he may have dozed off in front of the most powerful woman in the city.

The light of the glass reveals something Benn had somehow missed in the semi-darkness- a slender figure standing just outside the circle of light, wrapped in some sort of billowing robe or shroud.

The figure moves into the light. It's Madame Renier, wearing a nightgown. She must have changed clothing at some point while Benn was sleeping.


Her voice is soft, almost a whisper, as she approaches him. Her bare feet make almost no noise at all as she walks across the polished hardwood floor.

''Ah, I didn't want to wake you. You looked so very peaceful. I just came back to check on you. You've an appointment, do you not? ''

The door to the room remains closed, and Benn is certain she couldn't have come in through it since he's awoken. He's also pretty sure that he did not see her anyplace in this room a moment ago. Was she hiding in the shadows?

[ewancummins]

Court of Crows.....

The man at the gallows notices Alain, who's lurking near the corner of a building at the edge of the square. He becomes visbly agitated, looking over at Alain frequently, but not moving away from the gallows or calling out.

Sir Cirdan walks out of the alley, still wearing his disguise, and starts across the plaza towards the stranger.

When the stranger spots Cirdan he sits bolt upright. He gets up and takes a couple of steps forward before halting.

As Cirdan draws near the man calls out, not too loudly-

''Ho there friend, what brings you out so late?''

[Le Noir Faineant]

Under the safety of his hood, Cirdan whispers, as maliciously as the knight can make up a presumed evildoer's voice.

"I am here to meet a friend. To give and to receive something.
- Are you the one I have been looking for?"

[ewancummins]

Under the safety of his hood, Cirdan whispers, as maliciously as the knight can make up a presumed evildoer's voice.

"I am here to meet a friend. To give and to receive something.
- Are you the one I have been looking for?"

''Yes, I am. You're with those investigators,right? I have some information for them. Word is, they did for Malreux. Some of his men are still out and about. I've heard that several of them are looking to get even for their patron- not to mention the friends they lost to these troubleshooters of M. Sancerre's. Gaston Van Deicks is the head of the crew now that Malreux is dead. ''

The man pauses a moment, casting a nervous glance over his shoulder to where he spotted Alain, then adds-

''I didn't ask for a particular payment up front, but I expect this information is valuable to you. I may know a little more.....''

[Le Noir Faineant]

''Yes, I am. You're with those investigators,right? I have some information for them. Word is, they did for Malreux. Some of his men are still out and about. I've heard that several of them are looking to get even for their patron- not to mention the friends they lost to these troubleshooters of M. Sancerre's. Gaston Van Deicks is the head of the crew now that Malreux is dead. ''

Cirdan will listen without a word, his face safely covered by the hood.

''I didn't ask for a particular payment up front, but I expect this information is valuable to you. I may know a little more.....''

Something deadly comes into Cirdan's look, and his fists clench under the robe.

"First tell me how you come to have this information. - Be sure that the... Brotherhood I work for will reward you well if this turns out to be true."

[ewancummins]

"First tell me how you come to have this information. - Be sure that the... Brotherhood I work for will reward you well if this turns out to be true."

The man seems to be getting jittery. His breathing is coming faster now, and he's making nervous movements with his hands.

''I have some contacts in the underworld. I keep my ears open. That's all. Nothing for you to worry about. Now, if you want more information, I'd like a reward now. I think you'll want this next bit. Trust me.''

[Brock Marsh Runoff]

Dorgio winces as he hears the situation grow more tense. He takes the bolt from his crossbow and tucks it into his belt. He then doubles back to exit the alley from a different path, so as not to give away Norzak's position.

Once out of the shadows, he'll then approach Cirdan and the other man. "Hold," he tells them. He then looks at the man, making sure to hold his crossbow with the point facing to the ground. "You know who I am?" Dorgio asks. Regardless of the answer, he continues, "Just going for your payment." He slowly reaches into a fold in his cloak and produces five gold coins.

"You were saying?"

His eyes flick briefly to Cirdan, but he avoids looking at Norzak's or Alain's hiding spots.

[steveflam]

Norzak sneaks out of his spot and approaches the man from behind. He puts away his bow and grabs a dagger from one of his hiding spots on his body. HE sighs when Dorgio moves out from his hiding place as well. Bah! Now I canna' scare the dimbulb! Might as well scare 'in tha ole fashion way.

Norzak moves up to the man and spits on the ground. "Too easy ta give him money, Dorgio" he looks at the man, winking, then back to the informant. "Way I sees it, ye's gots one choice. Talk or I cuts a finger at a time, ya got it?" He flashes his blade close to the man's hand and grins evilly, cackling to emphasize his willingness to really cut the man's ten fingers and more off.

[Brock Marsh Runoff]

Kurva! Dorgio thinks. This isn't how he'd hoped to deal with this. He'd come to this meeting hoping to find out more about the Ezrans, but this news was too valuable to pass up. So he can't let the dwarf exercise his psychopathy on the informant, but if he risked a confrontation with Norzak, things might only get more out of hand.

But this situation isn't something he's a stranger too. He remembers an old band he once ran with, remembers the Barovian prisoner they once took...

Instead of leaping to stop Norzak, he calmly interposes a hand between the informant and Norzak. "Come now, friend," he tells Norzak, affecting an easy smile, one he hopes belies his tension. "Our friend here, he's the honest type." He looks to the informant, then rakes his thumb across the coins in his palm. "No sense punishing a man for doing what's right. I think our friend here, maybe he's telling the truth."

He looks at the informant, then cocks his head to one side. "Correct, no?"

[steveflam]

"Bah!" Norzak eyes the man's hand with interest "I allas' wonnered what a few fingers 'd' taste like in me dwarven stew. Lemme have just one or two, bub. He kin sitll use his hand even after e's lost the two fingers. C'mon!" The dwarf toys with his dagger, moving closer to the informant. "Keep yer gold, man. His payment kin be he on'y loses two fingers, not five." At that moment, as if on cue, NOrzak's stomach grumbled loudly. " 'Urry up! I's mighty hungry!"