Birthright 3: The Worm's Supper , Chapter 2

[Adam]

Cormac points to the tunnel with the tracks. "Looks like some little blighters went down that way. Not sure if it's best to go towards them or avoid."

[VAN]

Filbert/Perry

Filbert shrugs and put on his mask.

"I'm ready to go. So the plan is find the Allamies and rob them right? I better not pick a fight with them I'm not that strong. But their gold is mine."

He smiles sardonically as a devious idea gets his mind.

[ewancummins]

Filbert/Perry

Filbert shrugs and put on his mask.

"I'm ready to go. So the plan is find the Allamies and rob them right? I better not pick a fight with them I'm not that strong. But their gold is mine."

He smiles sardonically as a devious idea gets his mind.

"Right,now you are getting into the right spirit."
Terem leads the gang out the back way...

[VAN]

Filbert waits till they are out and asks Milo this time:

"This is a gang thing or we can go by ourselves? I think I can use my small size and be more effective alone or at least in small groups then we can meet back at Three Penny with the loot."

[ewancummins]

PERRY/FILBERT


Milo, now wearing his mask, says, "What? No, we are all going together. Right now."
He gestures towards the open back door.

[steveflam]

Lord Bramm / Delsenora

Eating a bit of her food, she looks around, before turning her attention back to Lord Bramm.

"Besides the wedding and the activities, have you any other business or affairs you will be attending to here in the city."

[ewancummins]

Lord Bramm / Delsenora

Eating a bit of her food, she looks around, before turning her attention back to Lord Bramm.

"Besides the wedding and the activities, have you any other business or affairs you will be attending to here in the city."

''Hmmm, well, I will be visiting my children and some friends, but I'm not busy every day. I might take a day to ride about the city and view things. It seems different now than it was last year. I don't come here often, and the war..Hmmm..."

[ewancummins]

PERRY/FILBERT


The gang walks out into the street as the sun sinks low in the sky.

They reach the River Gate as people have begun retiring for the evening.
The gate remains open.
None of the small number of watchmen on duty stop and question anyone passing through.


Filbert hears one of the masked men tell the guards ''We're mummers, coming to put on a show for the poor visitors."
The gate guard smiles and says ''Your mates have already gone in and are entertaining the people. Have a good party tonight then, friend." And this guard winks at the masked speaker.


The Hooded Hunters walk through the River Gate and head into the Riverside district.
There a large gathering of hooded men caper about the street, juggling, singing, dancing, and waving mugs in the air.
A crowd of local folk, most of whom wear poor quality clothes, have gathered around and are watching the fun.

One of the Hooded Hunters falls down and begins kicking in the muddy road. Another falls and also begins jerking and flailing about.
A young woman in the crowd of spectators begins to dance madly about. She screams and falls down.
Someone shouts ''They been bewitched!" Someone else cries ''They've been poisoned!''
Confusion breaks out in the crowd. Voices rise in anger.
A masked man jumps up on a wagon and starts shouting accusations at Alamiens in general, mixed in with loud exhortations for all loyal Tuors to act to protect the duke and their homes.

A number of unmasked watchers separate themselves from the crowd and begin pointing fingers at other people and shouting ''Those are Alamiens, not us!"

[ewancummins]

SAFANA AND TEMERLAN

The two visitors evade the Lofton watchmen and take a twisting route through narrow lanes, covered alleys, and open courtyards, heading back to the stairway down the bluff. But now the city watch is out in force, and several times the pair must turn back as they near escape from the city. A stray dog starts to tail them, howling and sniffing at their trail. Soon they have become quite lost. The suns sinks lower as minutes creep closer to a full hour, and the two visitors still haven't gotten out of town. Temerlan finds a broken cistern where he can wash his hands and neck with muddy water.

And then Safana spots a familiar looking building. Soon they are back on track, headed out of the city the way they came in. The walkway down is crowded this evening, as other travelers who have stayed later than planned hurry to their homes before the night watch comes on duty and the gates are closed. By the time they reach the bottom, it's nearly sunset. Hastening to find the boatmen, the pair discover them already at work loading the vessel with light cargo. The pilot welcomes them aboard, no questions asked.

...

After a cold, windy crossing of the river, they debark on the western side. Now the sun is low indeed. The downscale riverfront district outside the walls of Haes seems lively tonight. They hear singing and shouting. A lot of ruckus, revelry, and what sounds like a big brawl.
And then they hear a woman screaming. "Help me!”


Moving to investigate, Safana and Temerlan round the corner of a warehouse to find a woman held down in the muddy alleyway by three men wearing sack masks. A fourth man, also masked, stands over the woman, tugging his rope belt loose. A boy lies in the alley near the woman and her attackers. He isn’t moving.
The standing man faces in the direction of Safana and Temerlan, but his head is tilted down a bit. It's hard to say because of his sack mask, but he seems too intent on the woman to have yet noticed them.

[ewancummins]

THE SEARCHERS

Cormac points to the tunnel with the tracks. "Looks like some little blighters went down that way. Not sure if it's best to go towards them or avoid."

Sir Boarhort says, ''Well, if they are using this passage, doesn't that suggest it's not as likely to be trapped?"

[kintire]

Safana looks a little whimsical as the pair wander through the back streets of Lofton.

"You know, this reminds me of my last visit to Lofton. I don't seem to have much luck with the place. Maybe I should just stay in Haes..."

She relaxes as the boat pushes off and hums tunefully as they cross the river, gazing back at the lights of Lofton and on one occasion giving a cheery wave. She looks relaxed and amused at the bustling pier, especially at the sounds of the huge brawl, and seems on the verge of suggesting they should go and spectate.

But all levity vanishes as she takes in the scene in the alley, and her lips move in a curse. Then she lifts her hands and begins to speak in a strange tongue, gesturing at the scene ahead. Wisps of glittering, multicoloured light shimmer in the darkness writhing hypnotically as they surround the men, the gleaming seeming to tug at their gaze, and their minds...

[alhoon]

SAFANA AND TEMERLAN

Once they happen upon the ruffians, Termelan doesn't wait for them to be discovered, or to find out what spell Safana will unleash on them. He falls into spellcasting himself, his hand going to his spell pouch and drawing out colored sand he needs to bind the spell. His voice and spell is melodic, calm and soothing although his words carry the unmistakable power of magic. As if he's singing a lullaby compelling the ruffians to -sleep-

[ewancummins]

SAFANA and TEMERLAN

The masked ruffians react slowly.

The one standing looks up as Safana completes her incantation and the colored lights appear. He lurches forward, stepping over the woman his mates hold down on the ground.
And then he begins to sway before the pattern of lights.

Two of his companions get up, leaving the last of the thugs to hold down the woman by himself.

But before they can do anything more than stand and stare at the lights through the eyeholes cut in their masks, Temerlan finishes his lullaby and the whole crew goes down for a nap in the cold mud. Even the screaming woman falls asleep.

[Adam]

Cormac shrugs. "Or they just know where they are. But I'm willing to go with it, so long as we keep moving."

If no other dissent is expressed, he'll head that way.

[alhoon]

Safana and Termelan

Quite happy at his hand-work, Termelan rushes to the downed man to see if he's dead or unconscious. While he moves he calls to Safana "Could you please tie up the ruffians before the spell wears off? We could wake the woman after the ruffians are secured" And after a moment he adds, in a lower voice "perhaps after tying them up, you could check their pockets. They won't need money in jail or if they face the gallows. So... to the victor goes the spoils and all that. They owe us a few drinks after all."