Chapter One: The Iron Sphere of Sthombo

"WE'RE ACTUALLY *huff huff* INNOCENT!" Leth shouts over his shoulder at the guards chasing them as he sprints east. "YOU WANT TO FIND *wheeze* THE REAL CULPRITS? *gasp* INVESTIGATE THIS *huff puff* SYMBOL!" Leth yells as he briefly holds up the dagger, and then vaults over the garden wall, leaving the dagger with the crown symbol sitting there on top of the wall itself.

"SORRY TO RUN, BUT *pant* WE'D BE WILLING TO TALK IF *gasp* WE KNEW YOU WOULDN'T *gulp* TRY TO HURT US!" He finishes as he runs, doing his best to keep up with Felor.


Because why not? Even if they think the party is guilty, I'm guessing they might still want to check the symbol out... unless the Witch-men and the Justiciars are in cahoots, which I'm considering as a possibility.

Felor hears the barking but continues to head towards the side of the building, an idea forming in his mind.

I want to head past the building, assuming there's a path down the side? (i.e. without having to go through the house)

Vad does his best to keep up with the others fighting the temptation to let some magic fly towards the pursuers.

...These guys are idiots. Leth thinks, but his thoughts quickly shift to the task at hand. He can't help but wonder what Felor is up to as they approach the sound of the dogs, but continues following right behind him.

I hope you've got a plan...

As Felor rounds the corner and sees the dogs, he slows slightly and calls on some knowledge he learnt from a wilderness druid many years ago, muttering a brief incantation and hurriedly waving the appropriate sigils with his free hand. As convincingly and urgently as he can, he yells at the canines: "THE GUARDS CHASING US HAVE SOME DELICIOUS SAUSAGES FOR YOU!".

Cast Speak With Animals on myself.

Is Felor... Barking???

OOC: Totally stolen from Felor's twitter feed.

Hearing that the dogs appeared to have at least slowed the pursuers Vad suddenly stops while waving the others on. He starts to motion with his hands and as they begin to glow he takes on the appearance of an old man, nearly a foot shorter than Vad, and dressed in common clothing. As the guards approach he starts to yell, "Three men pushed me down!! Than ran off that way!", pointing in a direction that the others totally did not run.

OOC: Cast a Disguise Self spell.

"I hope they're buying this. "

Vad will follow Scarlip from a respectable distance.

As far as Leth could tell, they were doing a good job at keeping ahead of their pursuers - though he had lost track of Vad and could only hope he was still following behind - but they were doing just that; staying ahead. They needed to lose them entirely. Leth, continuing to follow just behind Felor towards the docks, racks his brain trying to come up with a way they could possibly shake the guards off their trail entirely - perhaps a zig-zag path or tunnel or side alley that would force the guards to try and guess which direction they went. Perhaps a less linear path would give their pursuers a much harder time of, well, pursuing them.


edit: ...gah.

They hadn't been caught yet, but if they kept going towards the docks Felor feared they'd be trapped. He wasn't the nautical type, but chartering and boarding a boat didn't seem like something one did in a hurry. Circling round to the mercantile district in the southern part of the city and trying to leave via a town gate seemed like a better idea, but first they had to lose their pursuers. Felor scans the surroundings, looking for an idea.

Recalling that he's heard tell of sewer access tunnels between the residential district and the harbour, Felor decides these are as good a way to try and lose the pursuers as any. The sewers would hopefully allow them to double back towards the south edge of the city.

Felor will continue out of the residential area, and then drop down the cliff and look for an access tunnel.