Café de Nuit

inside

JMaytr wrote:"I have a bad feeling about this." Jon says as he inspects the body closer.

Just as the words leave Jon's lips, the corpse in the casket stirs....

In a flash of motion, Jon buries his silver knife hilt-deep in the breast of the corpse. The dead man ceases to move.

outside, on the Court of Crows-

The light within the understage vanishes from sight. Cirdan hears a distant and faint creaking sound - seeming to come from within the Great Gallows itself. He then hears footfalls receding into the distance, ever so softly. The gallows blocks Cirdan's view of the far side of the Court of Crows, so he cannot see who or what is making the noise.



inside the Doctor's workshop-

The corpse remains at rest. There is no hint of movement by it, nor any signs of life. No blood drips from the wound- just as you'd expect from a dead body [only the living bleed, after all].

Norzak follows the elf out of the building and whispers to him "How ye wanna go about this? I kin sneak up and mebbe get in an a ascare 'im or we rush in and get 'im good?"

Sword and shield in hand, Cirdan presses himself against the protecting wall - whatever should come around the corner/get in sight, he will attack if it gets any closer.

While waiting for whatever seems to be coming for him and his companions, Cirdan slowly draws back to where the others are...

outside-

The sound of footseps from across the plaza is very faint now, almost inaudible. It seems that whoever it is walking is moving AWAY from your position.

Norzak looks at Cirdan, pressed up the wall like he is. He nods and points to himself and then to the sound of footsteps. He sneaks off after the footsteps, keeping to the shadows. He unsheathes his shor sword.

Norzak is able to creep up behind the stranger. The small dog following the man, however, senses the approach of the dwarf. The animal barks to warn its master, who turns around to face Norzak.

He certainly looks familiar....




The man starts when he spots the naked blade in Norzak's fist.

''Ho there! I don't want no trouble. I haven't got anything worth stealing, as you can see. ''


He begins to back away from the dwarf. The small dog begins jumping about and barking furiously as its master retreats.

Norzak sheathes his blade and holds his hands out to his side in a friendly gesture. "Sorry, I thoughts ye was some varmint I bin lewkin fer, ol' man. Mebbe ye kin use this more 'n' I kin, tis on'y a few silvers but it's tha thought thet counts, bub." So the dwarf reaches into this pouch and removes a few silver, and hands them in a non threatening way to the old man.

"If ye don' min', mebbe ya seen that there Doc thas' bin in that buildin' o'er there." He points to the DOctor's office. Say I seen ye aroun' before ain' I? Ye gots a name? Mine's Norzak." He holds his hand out in a friendly gesture. With his other hand behind his back, he gestures to the others to stay back, so as not to frighten the man. Maybe he could get some information from this old coot.

"Ye seen anyone leave there in a 'urry in tha lass' hour or so an where they went?" He removes a flask of wine from his armor and holds it up for the man to see. "Ye thirsty? Tis some Dwarvish wine. It'll keep ye warm, thass no lie!"

He pauses, givng the old man a chance to react to his attitude and hopes the dog will stop barking. "Mebbe ye could tell a soul like meself where's I kin fin' the brute? Might be worth a few gold fer ye, bub."

tarlyn wrote:Norzak sheathes his blade and holds his hands out to his side in a friendly gesture. "Sorry, I thoughts ye was some varmint I bin lewkin fer, ol' man. Mebbe ye kin use this more 'n' I kin, tis on'y a few silvers but it's tha thought thet counts, bub." So the dwarf reaches into this pouch and removes a few silver, and hands them in a non threatening way to the old man.

"If ye don' min', mebbe ya seen that there Doc thas' bin in that buildin' o'er there." He points to the DOctor's office. Say I seen ye aroun' before ain' I? Ye gots a name? Mine's Norzak." He holds his hand out in a friendly gesture. With his other hand behind his back, he gestures to the others to stay back, so as not to frighten the man. Maybe he could get some information from this old coot.

"Ye seen anyone leave there in a 'urry in tha lass' hour or so an where they went?" He removes a flask of wine from his armor and holds it up for the man to see. "Ye thirsty? Tis some Dwarvish wine. It'll keep ye warm, thass no lie!"

He pauses, givng the old man a chance to react to his attitude and hopes the dog will stop barking. "Mebbe ye could tell a soul like meself where's I kin fin' the brute? Might be worth a few gold fer ye, bub."

The old man calms down a bit after taking the coins and a swig of Norzak's wine.

''Ah, thank you kindly master nain. You may have seen me around the town, plying my trade.''

The old man waves his staff in front of Norzak, drawing attention to the dead rat tied to it.

'' Name's Robert. The dog's Mathilde. ''


The ratcatcher takes another drink of wine before addding,

''I haven't seen the Doctor today- but I've only just now come round to check on my traps 'neath the hanging floor. That Doctor, he's a queer sort, more like to keep company with dead folks in a churchyard than living folk in a public house. Not that I've any complaint against him! No, why, he once stitched up Mathilde after a big rat bit her near in two. Didn't charge me for it, either. Why is it you....?''

Here, the man catches himself in mid-sentence. He stares past Norzak towards the Doctor's establishment. Backing away cautiously, he stoops and sets Norzak's wine bottle on the ground.

''Thank you kindly, but if it's all the same to you, I'll be on my way now. I don't know where the Doctor is, I'm sorry.''

"Ye kin keep tha wine, Robert. An' mebbe we kin 'ave a few pints sometime, on me. I'll e'en pay ye an Mathilde a nice juicy meal. Ye keep safe, ole timer. AN careful with them rats, I 'erd some is bigger n yer Mathilde." Norzak waits for the man to leave before returning towards the office and Cirdan. He keeps to the shadows until he reaches the half elf.

"I's tell ye bout this varmint later. We seen him afore, elsewhere in the city. He 'n' 'is dog hunt rats I thinks. I gave 'im some silver an me wine flask. Ne'er 'urts to have a pal among the city. Mebbe 'e'll come in handy one day, eh?"

"Says the Doc fixed up 'is mutt once so me thinkin is 'e won't sell out the pig. When's I asked about the Doc, 'e clammed up after he looked at tha office."

outside-

After Robert leaves [ thanking Norzak for the gift of the bottle] and the dwarf returns to Cirdan, the broad plaza is empty and quiet.

Alain gestures to Jon that he want to speak with him .

"Good that your blade was handy, lad. Here, step aside and let me take a closer look at that corpse." Bennedict blinks some of the fatigue out of his eyes and steps forward to examine the body more closely, looking for any signs of a ritual that may have animated it.