How The Wicked Fall - Chapter 4

You all wake, only slightly refreshed. Your dreams were filled with cadaverous corpses with needle-sharp fangs and claws, chasing you through the streets and alleys of Martira Bay. No one would help you, and eventually the chase did end. You ran from your pursuers, and fell into a shallow pit. Looking up, you saw looming over the whole a tombstone, with your own name carved upon it. Then, your pursuers scuttled into view around the edge of the hole, leering down at you, and as one jumped upon your trembling forms.
But now you are awake, and the memories of the dream are fading like all do in the sight of the morning sunshine. Small birds sing sweetly outside, and the normal bussle of city life is already in full swing. How could anything bad happen on such a morning like this?
It is indeed, a fine morning to start off your searches for Wick's candlesticks.

Joran rises from his bunk bed.
He casts a look outside, at the crowd of people in the streets, then he moves to shave and wash, gathers his belongings and moves outside, towards the bar.
Two doors further he suddenly stops, he turns, counting the doors before he makes up his mind and knocks at the door.
"Ash? Are you in?"

Wynne stays the night with the halfling family. He talks with them about the halfling community in Martina Bay, specifically about possible merchant contacts.
Merchants generally like maps, so that will be his angle. He tries to find anything he can about the current owner of the candlesticks, as well as contacts and customers for the MCS.

Raven wonders amlessly through the near abbandoned streets in the misty pre dawn hours, unable to sleep. His mind as unclear as the docks on a foggy day. Memories flash past his eyes; faces without names, places both near and far, terrors of nightmarish proportion that pass with the next gust of wind. All the while, his face never showing any sign of emotion, telling the tale of the thoughts in his head.
Raven is jolted out of his reverie by Corvus, who lands on his sholder and reconnects him with the real world. Corvus places his beak near to Raven's head, and appears to be whispering something.
"Yes brother," Raven whispers to the large black bird on his shoulder. "The sun will be up soon. Perhaps we should return to the inn." and with that, Raven continues back towards the inn where most of the rest of the party is staying, passing by many early morning citicens preparing for the day's market.

Raven pauses.
He looks back at one of the young women that passed him by. She reminds him of someone, but he just can't remember who...

Natty has spend his evening in the woods looking for signs of abnormal undead traffic in the area. After sleeping the night in a tree, he hunts up a few small animals and brings them in to the inn to share for breakfast.

Richard goes looking for breakfast.

You all sit down in the small common room of the Inn, eating your breakfast.
Natty has broughten some small forest animals which the Innkeeper has prepared for you.
Pheasant, Duck, that sort of thing.
And you all discuss together with the morning light streaming through the windows about what to do to find these candlesticks.
Wynne stayed with a local Halfling family, and has learned that any merchants who might buy candlesticks would probably reside within the Merchant Quarter of the city, perhaps in the Marketplace, or the surrounding environs.
But something else was learned. Many foreign merchants frequent the area as well, and it might be possible that those candlesticks have already left Necropolis!

Sorry about the bad news, fellas.

"Ash is gone, too" Joran mutters. "Things aren't starting out well. Just Great. I guess we just get to that merchant, maybe he hasn't sold them yet, and otherwise he may tell us to whom?"

"Where's Ash?"

"She left. Her room is empty. The monster we met must have been too much for her." Joran finishes his breakfast, scraping the last bits of his meal from teh bowl with a piece of bread. "Let's just go and get this done with."

Raven looks up from his uneaten portion of duck, Speed is of the essence here. If we wait, who knows where the candlesticks might be. And in the hands of whome."

"I agree. Let us go at once."

Richard hurriedly shovels food into his mouth. "Wait! Can't I finish?"

Natty quietly eats breakfast. When the party sets out he takes position as rear-guard.

"Well, what are we waiting for? Let's go find some candlesticks! Lead us, Joran!"

As you all are getting prepared to leave, not sure where you are off to, a voice in your head rings out, a scarred face emerges, and a memory from the night before makes itself known:
"Wick places his hand on his chin and crosses his arms in thought.
"Perhaps ye can tell 'im that ye 'ave 'eard of the candlesticks. As a collector, Giles 'ill most likely find 'em interestin' enough ta talk about.
Feel 'im out, ye never know. Maybe the truth of it may 'elp ye, about the deadun's 'n whatnot. Of course, don't say ye 'ave been 'ired by someone else. If ye come across as it bein' ye're idea, me thinks he'll be a bit more receptive to ye.
Rina can show ye where 'e lives. After that, ye are on ye're own."
He flashes you a truly unsettling grin."
As the memory fades, the door opens, and there stands Rina, with an expectant look upon her face.

Joran nods at her in acknowledgement, then rises from his seat.
"Let's go. If the sticks have been sold we'll find out soon enough.
Lead on, Rina. Wynne, you'd better walk in front. And try to look important."

Wynne puts on a regail air and steps to the door. He turns around weighting for everyone to fill in.

Aren shrugs and falls in line.

Natty, takes his position as Rear Guard, ever wary of back and side attacks.

"Relax, Natty. We are in a city. It's broad daylight. They're not going to jump on us here. I'm certain of that." He pauses as he regards Rina. "Well, fairly certain..."

Raven takes up position near the rear, trying not to draw attention.

You all set off, into the bright morning sunshine. Birds chirp around you, competing for sound amongst the hussle and bussle of city life. A small child brushs past you all, smiling as he runs towards a man holding an apple for the boy. A mother walks buy, eyeing your group as she does so. However, she has a pleasant smile upon her face, so she obviously doesn't think ill of you.
Rina turns to you all, and motioning slightly, she indicates you to follow her. Then, she turns and nonchalantly heads off down the street.
You follow her for about half an hour, as she wanders the marketplace. It becomes obvious that she is looking for something.
On her third pass through, she turns to you, with an exasperated look upon her face. "Have any of you seen a Halfling merchant? With a patch on one eye?"

Wynne replies with a wry smile, "I'm sorry, but I haven't. I am the only halfling that I have seen, and I'm certain I know what a halfling looks like."

"Perhaps we should send Wynne ahead of us by himself with the more stealty of us shadowing him to make sure that Wynne stays safe. Perhaps the Halfling merchant is leary of Wynne's large companions."

"That's fine with me."

"That sounds like a good idea."
Actually, Aren is looking forward to slightly splitting off from the surveiling group and wandering around the marketplace by himself... he figures everyone else can find the merchant without his help. He will stay close enough that he knows where the group and/or Wynne are at all times, however.

"That sounds like a good idea. Also, since there does not seem to be a whole lot of danger here maybe we should split up to cover more area and meet back here in an hour or so."
Many of you notice that Raven is both squinting heavily and is visably uncomfortable in the early morning sun.

"I thought you were supposed to bring us to him?
This way we could as well have done this ourselves."
Joran looks at Wynne.
"Let's just ask one of the merchants. They must know him."
He points at one of the stalls, tended by an older woman. "That seems like a regular. Let's ask her."

"Yeah. What he said." Richard turns to follow Joran.

Rina scowls at Joran's words.
"You know it's not easy to find his kind of person. The little rats can disappear like..."
She suddenly stops and turns bright red.
Looking down at Wynne she mumbles an apology and steps back, her head down.
Then she looks back up and says quickly "Well, he was here in the marketplace. I don't know where else he would be."

Wynne responds indignantly, "Well, maybe this isn't really our problem after all. I'm sure it wouldn't be hard for us to disappear, even my large "oaf-like" friends shouldn't have much of a problem in the marketplace.
"At the very best we are cleaning up someone else's mess that only effects them, at the worse we are walking into a trap of insurmountable odds that we can't possibly overcome. Now you tell me, why should we continue. Your personal charm and demeanor surely isn't going to be enough to be sole motivator.
Wynne stands back, crosses his arms, and waits for her answer.

As Wynne finishes speaking, Rina blushes and turns away to fade into the marketplace without comment. Just as Wynne is about to call after her, he feels a tap upon his shoulder.
Turning, Wynne sees another Halfling. Dressed in decent clothes, the small being seems to have an uncanny resemblance to Wynne himself about him...
He has a smirk upon his face and says "I couldn't help but overhearing, but you might be looking for me?"
Then he stops, and a puzzled look comes upon his face. "Say, don't I know you?"

Richard watches with interest.

"Much use was she.", Joran mutters.
The he turns to regard the halfling.

"It's as if everyone seems to know me. I am a halfling. I look for other halfling contants everywhere I travel. I was told there was a halfling merchant of some renown in this market. It seems you are the man for whom I search."

Natty remains in quiet vigilance while Wynne converses with the other halfling.

Aren watches Wynne's conversation with the other halfling while idly browsing through the wares on display.

At Wynne's words the small Halfling starts and looks rapidly over both of his shoulders. Then he turns back to Wynne and says "I'll not speak another word to you until you tell me who sent you, and why! But not here. Follow me."
With that, the small fellow turns in a huff and almost hurries into a nearby shop.
Following him, you all find yourself in an odds & ends shop. It seems to sell a little bit of everything, barring actual food. A man sits behind the counter, and as he sees you, he speaks "Yer friend went in the back." He motions with his thumb to an open doorway behind him.
Heading into the back, you find the small halfling sitting on a chair watching you all with narrowed eyes. He gets up and after you all enter, he closes the door behind you, turning back to your group.
"Now. You are going to give me some answers, and if I don't like them, then none of you are going to leave this room alive. Am I understood?"

"You will get answers, and honest ones at that. But make no mistake... We leave this room on our terms."

Raven examines the room carefully, seing if there is any tricks about that one halfling would use to take on a well armed party.

Natty searches for possible attack points from above, below, and sides where arrows, missles, line of sight magic, and other attackers might come. Natty will quietly position himself where he can get a clear shout at the merchant and if possible whomever comes in any of the rooms entry points.

"That is a pretty bold statement." Joran grins.
"Against five people in armor. Almost makes me like this guy."
Joran positions himself behind Wynne, his hand resting on his sword hilt. While he appears calm, he is ready to pull Wynne back should a fight erupt.

Wynne acknowledges Joran's position, without taking his eyes off of the merchant. Being at no height disadvantage, Wynne places his right hand into his pouch of sling bullets.

Richard does his best to look bored.

Seeing your reactions, the Halfling immediately steps back and places his hands up.
"Whoa. I wouldn't recommend any of that. That's exactly what will get you killed. I, and only I have the power to get any of us out of here. But if you kill me, then none of us leaves. So. How did you hear of me? From whom? And what do you know about the candlesticks?"

"What powers do you have, that the lot of us do not, that will get us out of here?
I don't know if our benefactor wishes to be known. You may guess, and if you guess correctly, we will tell you. We know enough of the candlesticks to know they belong in the hands of no one."

Natty remains vigilant looking for attacks from any angle.

"Interesting that you mention candlesticks," Richard says casually.
"Something on your mind? Guilty conscience?" He raises an eyebrow at the halfling.

Joran shrugs. "That's hardly a threat. I am already concidered dead by some."
He grins, seemingly amused by the halfling's threats.
But his hand doesn't waver from his sword.

Raven leans against the wall by the door, Letting the others carry on with the conversation.
He seems lost in his own thoughts.

"What power do I have to get us out of here?" speaks the Halfling. "Knowledge. Plain and simple." You are all struck again by his likeness to Wynne.
At Richard's remarks however, the small fellow is taken aback. "Well, uh, ummm. Of course you're looking for the candlesticks. It's the...uh...most valuable thing I've sold lately. Uh..."
Then he regains his composure. "Listen. Who sent you? You at least owe me that much. And why?"

"Valuable? Valuable to whom? You don't seem so sure of yourself now."

Joran look on.
He drums his fungers on the pommel of his sword, signs that he is getting impatient.

Aren makes no outward sign he's doing anything other than idly glancing around the room and not really paying attention to the conversation, but he is listening, and is mentally preparing himself to use a power or draw (ie quickly) if something happens.

Wynne grows aggitated, "Why don't you tell me who in the Mists you are," his voice fades, "and help me figure out why I feel like I'm staring into a mirror."

Dyreth looks down at Wynne and gives what would be a warm smile.
"The Cade I knew had a scar on the back of his ear. I was only checking. There is no need to not trust me. I'll never harm you."
He takes a step toward Wynne again. "Haven't...and won't."

Natty tries to decern if Stefan is or works with undead using his tracking skills. Also Natty looks for signs of undead in the house.

Joran, who is standing behind Wynne, can't help but glance at the halflings ear.

He sees upon Wynne's ear a small white, puckered line. A gash at the time, but now nothing more than an ancient line of scar tissue.

"You aren't the only one in the room with a pair of eyes. Joran?"

A flash of annoyance crosses his face, but soon melds into one of suffering patience.
He crosses his arms under his bat engraved medallion and waits, white eyes boring into Joran.

"There.. ehm... is.. hm.
There is a scar, yes."

"So what does this prove."

Richard stares at the medallion, watching it closely.

Dyreth nods slowly. His eyes turn on Wynne. "You have somehow lost memory of your time staying here, Cade. Now you have returned to me."

"I have returned to no one. I am a free man, acting of my own will, and I will continue to do so. We are here on an errand, and intend to see it through."

"Wynne is right. We are here on business, and as such I feel we should talk business. There will be plenty of time for heart-felt reunions after." The sarcasim of this last comment is obvious even through Raven's husky whisper.