POVERO

[steveflam]

"Aldron, we might also be able to find out some information from the thug I tied up. That means you would have to go down to the jail , however."

[VAN]

Tom goes by the window and looks outside the sun getting down.

"Guys, I think we should just have a light meal and then hurry at the spot if we want Gem to track the thugs. Master Aldron, please excuse us, but even if Gem is great in tracking more time pass more difficult will be to follow your attackers."

Tom gives Gem some food and water.

"I want you to do a great job boy, show Master Aldron here what you can do, make us proud!"

[alhoon]

"Some of us can see in the dark, half-elf, including you if I'm not mistaken." Fild said with a smile and pet Gem. "But I agree. I find the price agreeable Master Aldon. Now let us make sure we're worth it. Thank you for this opportunity".

Fild asks for some cheese, bread and dried fruit to eat on the way suggesting the rest do the same.

[Varrus the Ethical]

Civic Temple

Titus frowns when he sees their flight feathers have been clipped.

"It is hard to augur birds robbed of flight." He sighs, sticking the knife through is belt and holding out his hands. "Let me take them to the Speaker's altar. The Lord of Storms will decide what he wants me to do with them."

[ewancummins]

THE CIVIC TEMPLE

Civic Temple

Titus frowns when he sees their flight feathers have been clipped.

"It is hard to augur birds robbed of flight." He sighs, sticking the knife through is belt and holding out his hands. "Let me take them to the Speaker's altar. The Lord of Storms will decide what he wants me to do with them."

She hands him the birds.

Then the old woman says,
"If the God gives such a sign, I can fetch a haruspex. I will await your command, signore."
She bows and retreats toward the center of the basilica's main chamber.

Stepping to the adjacent shrine alcove of the Speaker in Storms, Titus sees a familiar style of man-sized marble idol standing in the rear of the niche: the god shown as an old man with a billowing beard and robes with his hands cupping a lightning ball that radiates jagged bolts. On this image, the electrical orb is made of gold filigree. The statue's eyes are made of rosy crystal and seem to glimmer as they gaze downward from the shadows under the shrine arch.

A narrow marble altar stands at the idol's feet, above the steps/ kneeler for the worshipper. An enameled conch shell rests on a horned projection of the altar, connected to the right side of the table by a brass chain. The center of the altar dips down into a copperplated sink. The air above the sink carries an odor of blood, salt, and brimstone.

[ewancummins]

THE MEETING IN THE PRIVATE ROOM AT
THE ADMIRAL'S ARMS


-----

Tom smiles:

"You can count me in. Did you have time to look at them carefully by any chance? Was any of them familiar? I haven't noticed anything special in their clothes and weapons, did you? I know that you were pressed and defending yourself but you are clever man and may have noticed something. Also I know you said that you don't have any enemies but can you tell us more details about the other rich and important families you have mentioned? You are all doing same business or they have different like estates or agriculture etc?"

Aldron answers,
"They all wore masks, as you probably noticed. So, no, I didn't recognize any of them. Nor did their clothing or weapons seem remarkable to me."
He shrugs.
" As for the other aristocratic families, the business situation is complex and changing. We are all tied together, so that while we certainly do compete, some degree of cooperation must exist to ensure mutual prosperity. That is especially true for my house. The Folbres have for years invested in enterprises owned by the older families. When the Savelles and Holbins were friendly rivals, this was a good strategy. It made us useful to both families and it secured our fortunes against serious loss when the two engaged in sharp practice against one another. But now that the old rivalry between the Savelles and Holbins has turned nasty, the health of my businesses is endangered."
The merchant sighs.
" If it were only about protecting the businesses, I could simply make some changes of investment to protect my family interests. But if I did that, I might lose my limited ability to play peacemaker between the rival houses. And I have a good friend whose happiness is at stake...Well, that is all getting off course. If you like, we can discuss all this later. I don't want to detain you when you are about to go hunting for the ruffians. "

VIEW CONTENT:

OOC
Is the party leaving now?

[ewancummins]

AFTER THE MEETING AT THE ADMIRAL'S ARMS


The party has left Aldron at the public house, with his servants and personal guards (they arrived after a brief delay).


Tracing their footsteps back the way they had come, the adventurers reach the covered , dead-end alley where Tom and Gertie came to Aldron's aid against the six ruffians.
Tom and Fild begin an investigation while the other hang nearby, keeping watch.


Tom walks Gem about the dark alley, letting the dog sniff at the pavement. Then he leads Gem out into the street and retrieves from his cloak a swatch of cloth the animal had torn from the seat of a robber's britches. Kneeling, he waves the torn cloth under his dog's nose.

With the dog out of the alley, Fild enters and searches for any little nook where small creatures may lair. Observing the dog's snuffling about gave him some hints on where to look. He soon discovers a promising spot, a four -finger wide pipe mouth set in the left-hand wall, far back near the bricked up dead end. To his plumber's eye, it seems to be a disused drain left over from older construction.
The gnome leaves morsels of food taken from the pub, placed just within and just outside the pipe mouth.
He whispers into the pipe in the chittering language used by small burrowers.

Outside the alley, Gem sniffs about the cobbled street, tugging on his leash as he moves west (Tom recalls that was the way the ruffians fled).

The sun sinks behind a low building. Long shadows creep eastward.

In the alley, Fild chatters into the pipe. Something scurries within the dark hole, and seems to answer him with squeaks and tittering noises.

[steveflam]

Gertie nudges Tom, whispering "That pipe sure makes some odd squeeky noises. Weird, big borther, weird"

[Adam]

Alfonse mutters to himself as he ruffles around in his pack. "'Some of us can see in the dark, half-elf' Yes, well, some of us can't." With a cry of satisfaction, he pulls out his hooded lantern, lighting it and closing the slats to keep its beam shining in only one area.

He watches as the dog searches around for a trail but is infinitely more interested in the burgeoning discussion with the mouse. "It never ceases to amaze me," he confides to his little companion, "How you can understand the speech of these little creatures." He carefully keeps the beam of the light away from the pipe to keep from startling the critters.

[ewancummins]

Alfonse mutters to himself as he ruffles around in his pack. "'Some of us can see in the dark, half-elf' Yes, well, some of us can't." With a cry of satisfaction, he pulls out his hooded lantern, lighting it and closing the slats to keep its beam shining in only one area.

He watches as the dog searches around for a trail but is infinitely more interested in the burgeoning discussion with the mouse. "It never ceases to amaze me," he confides to his little companion, "How you can understand the speech of these little creatures." He carefully keeps the beam of the light away from the pipe to keep from startling the critters.

Alfonse discovers some bits of sliced rope in the alley. Looking about further, he also finds a dagger lying in a pothole, partly hidden by slime and dirt.

[steveflam]

Gertie nods to Tom and heads into the alley to help with the searching of it.

[alhoon]

Fild joins the others. "A rat said someone was caught here in a trap or something and others with knives came and set him free. They also gave him clothes. No idea what that mean. Could be a hood, could be a cloak, could be anything.
Did you guys see any of that before our patron was attacked? Found him tied or something?"

[steveflam]

Gertie grins at Fild.. "We left him naked and tied him up. Serves him right."

[alhoon]

"You left... whom? The thug? Didn't you turn him over to the guard? Well, if that's the case then others came, freed him, dressed him and left. No idea about that dagger. Perhaps a warning for us cause why would anyone just drop that nice dagger?"

[VAN]

Tom waits Fild to finish talking with the rodents. He believes the gnome is gifted but he is also happy to have Gem.

"Guys, Gem picked the thug's smell. Lets follow him. Fild, as Gertie said the rats were right, we left him here because we tried to get Aldron back to safety and since they were 6 of them I didn't want to case them alone. We hoped the authorities would have come earlier but we were wrong. For sure next time we will alert them sooner."

Turning to Alfonse he says:

"Great job Alfonse finding thsi dagger! Your eyesight competes with mine! Can I have it? Maybe it has something engraved. I will return it when I finish examine it."