Lirian looked at the librarian aide. “What do you mean nabbed? Who did it? And how?”

She sat on a chair, looking disappointed for the news and listened at Elysia’s explanations. “But if this “secret” entrance is known by us it’s quite likely to also be by them… Even there may be some of them that were here when they were ousted, if it was just some decades ago… How long do Infernals live, by the way? How likely some survivors of the original Covenant remain?

I guess going to fetch Hunter is pointless now, and if we want to recover him this would have to be a rescue mission…” She looked at the gathered people. “And we’re down to three now, five if we count the dogs…” she added, waiving her hand on one of them (OOC: if they were present, I guess they were).

She turned to Elysia. “Needless to say, you should send some trusted person to inform the King and his elite Guard.” Then she turned to Quentin and Daremo. “And what about us? Do we try to rescue Hunter before the Guard intervenes, as this intervention may be dangerous for him? And if so, how? I’m not precisely a great fighter or mage to undertake this enterprise, but I’m ready to try if needed…”

"The man being apprehended means we are less in a hurry and more in a planning stage. I think we should have the rest of today, at least before dark. I should be able to pay about a dozen of men, but I'm not going to find even half that anytime soon. Not without contacts in the city. And we shouldn't spread out to arrange the things... so, Elysia, your take on getting the guards to go there with us, assuming we can bribe someone?"

Quentin seems a bit troubled. While he's thinking what to do, he is also not quite sure he trusts the premise. Too much about this secret society seems to be like public knowledge and they don't have to be particularly predictable if they are aware of that.

"I'll want to know stuff about the events. Namely, where and how they were gotten and where and how they were seen. Do you say people let people handle captive people around without some alarm being raised?"

“Are you sure we can trust hired hands, or even the Guards?” Lirian asked. “If they have returned, it’s logical to think they have first infiltrated someone, and hired hands ae always of dubious loyalty…”

She then looked to Elysia. “I don’t mean there’s wanton corruption in the city, but a single person among the Guards that could inform them and our cause is lost… And even if not, the Guards would be too noisy for a rescue mission. I would rather try with a small group, as risky as it may be. The Guards should be warned to intervene if we fail…”
This message was last edited by the player at 14:46, Fri 15 Sept 2023.

The short man looks up at Lirian, "I am unsure. I was following behind him going to the market and then next thing I know he is attacked by at least three masked men. To be honest, he and the goblin didn't put up much of a fight. Seems rather soft."

Some of the people around listening to the conversation speak up, "I could alert the Kings guard my lady.".

The lanky elf stands before you ready to leave on your command.

The small man listens to Quentin's question then replies, "The kings guard is too overwhelmed with the rat problem. You have an unlikely chance that they will save your friends. Hunter was walking down one of the alley's close to Silvers when he was nabbed. Most likely a block or two away from the area. Most people only go to Silvers when they are looking for things that they can't find on the market at the Sunset."
This message was last edited by the GM at 16:09, Fri 15 Sept 2023.

Daremo listens closely to the group and then puts his hand on his chin, "Quentin is correct. We can not move freely inside of the city without a disguise. However, once we make it to woods edge it could be possible to ditch our "friends". Miss, do you have any clothes that we could possibly use to cover our face? If not would you have a wagon we could sneak out on?"

"We don't have any wagons but we most certainly do have some clothes here. I believe at some point we had monks come this way that wear specific robes with hoods. These could possibly cover you enough for you to get away from here.", says Elysia.

She leaves to go fetch the clothes required while you continue to talk and plan.

OOC: Lirian, I'll give you a Benny if you act out your loyalty hindrance to save Hunter sooner rather than later. ;)

“I believe they are related, and if we could find what’s behind this all, the rat problem could be better solved than just hunting them, though convincing the Guards about that might not be easy…” Lirian asked to the man.

“Leaving in disguise would probably be our best possibility, but how do we disguise the dogs?” she asked. “I don’t believe you want to leave them behind” she said, looking at Quentin. “And they are a good share of our fighting power, if it comes to that…”

She remained thinking for a moment.

“Would they follow us if they are left here and released some minutes after we leave?” she asked to Quentin again.

"Sure taking the dogs with me, and even then, I'm not rock-solid about our chances. I can pretty much guarantee getting the dogs to me within hearing range assuming I whistle. I haven't trained them to follow me after a delay, but I can designate a person as friend and have said friend say "Go find Quentin". Might work. Do we want to leave the horse behind? It is a tough beast, but it's located at a well-known spot, so..."

"Say, Elysia, any spellcasters of yours willing to risk their lives sooner rather than later? I mean, it sure would be later if we fail, so likely no big difference. I'll compensate for it."

OOC: I'll need the mechanical details of how the dogs will "Go find Quentin". They have a pretty good Notice, but no Survival. Assuming you'll let Alertness apply to the tracking roll and give decent modifier for very fresh very well-known scent, they should be able to make it work even with default Survival.

OOC: How is the tavern located relative to our starting and target points? Is it a serious detour?

[Private to GM: 01:51, Today: Quentin Fox rolled 4,7 using 1d6,1d6, rerolling max with rolls of 4,(6+1)7.  Persuasion. Not sure if +1 applies.]

“Good part is they seemed to want Hunter alive. Bad part is that’s likely to interrogate him, and probably with no gentle means…” Lirian said.

“So I guess if we have to move we’d better do so quick. I’m sure your dogs will be able to track you. All dogs are good at it. Your horse may remain where it is. If we return, it will be here, if not, who cares?

The other option is for Daremo and myself to leave in disguise, and after a while, you can leave on horse as if you were fleeing the city, meeting us out of it. I’n not sure they will want (or be able) to pursue you on horse… But you’ll have to leave the horse if we locate the secret entrance, I don’t expect it to be horse sized…

And, of course this is against Master Ezekiel advice to keep together, if even for a while…”

"I can create a distraction. I can shapeshift afterword's and have them lose my trail. You and Quentin get to whatever that location is as fast as possible. Wait for my signal then leave on horses if you can. I'll try my hardest to lead them far enough to the other side of the city as they won't be tracking you."

“I’m afraid Redmane, my horse, is in the inn” Lirian said. “I didn’t think I’d need it to move through the city. After all, I was just going to the Temple and then I planned to go to the Promenade, no use for it…

Could your horse support both of us or we better leave disguised on foot?” she asked to Quentin. “Remember you’ll probably have to leave it behind if we go through the secret entrance…”

"My horse can easily bear two of us, and yours can bear you, so we can be fully mounted from the inn on. I left mine there too, so the question is if we want to visit that place for extra overland speed and outdoor fighting power. Seems at least somewhat risky, so I am willing to skip it if you are inclined that way."

OOC: somehow I (miss)understood your horse was in the Library too

“I guess stealth is our best possibility now” Lirian said. “So my suggestion is to leave disguised as monks, as Elysia suggested, and try to reach the secret entrance. Daremo may join us with the dogs if he can shapeshift as he says. He may Shapeshift into a dog and follow us after some minutes, moving to another direction at first to try to lose our tail... I guess dogs are quicker than our trailers, unless they go on horse…”

She took a deep breath.

“Not that I like to divide our scarce forces, but if that can avoid confrontation now and allow us to reach the secret entrance to rescue Hunter, I’m ready to take the riks, and would Gods help us.”
This message was last edited by the player at 10:38, Sat 16 Sept 2023.

Elysia comes back shortly withe clothes and gives each of you monk robes. Daremo takes one and stuffs it in his bag.

"Good luck!", he says to both of you before you take your leave.

He steps out into the doorway of the library before causally strolling out. You take a glace at one of the windows trying not to draw attention to yourself just glancing but a bit and see no one. He makes it nearly through some of the streets when you are about to lose sight of him thinking that no one has made a move on him. Suddenly some figures from one of the shops come out grouped together and begin tailing his every movement before they all disappear on one of the side streets.

Elysia gives a simple smile, "One more thing bard.", she says to Lirian. She pulls out a scroll and hands it over to her. "I dug it up while I have been here and thought one day it would be of use. While, I wasn't sure you had magic in your blood, I can see I was wrong. This scroll is called "Slumber Serenade Scroll". It can be used to render even the biggest of rooms into a full sleep, it may come in handy where you are going."

OOC: As soon as you leave I need you to make stealth rolls.

OOC: Two questions:

1. Stealth roll (to go unnoticed), performance roll (to pass for monks) or any would do?
   
2. Are scrolls single use, as in D&D, or their limits are per PP?

This message was lightly edited by the player at 15:41, Sat 16 Sept 2023.

OOC: Scroll is one use. You can choose to go performance if you wish. Stealth if you decide to try to stay out of sight.

Lirian put on the monk clothing and disguised her staff by making a paper ball on one extreme (of course the one that will be high when walking). She left her lute to Elysia. “I’ll play it for you when I return” she said her with a wink, trying to raise the morale.

Then she put on the hood of the clothing left the Library trying to play the old monk walking with the help of her staff, trying to seem unconspicuous while trying to see if anyone trailed her.

21:03, Today: Lirian rolled 5,4 using d6,d6, rerolling max with rolls of 5,4.  Perform: Playing a monk.

Quentin is not good at acting up. Nor he is good at dressing up. He thinks it would be no good to try stealth alongside someone who walks in the open, so instead he keeps some distance and "plays" a monk sneaking out with a bag full of stuff, while keeping an eye on whether either of us is followed.

[Private to GM: 21:15, Yesterday: Secret Roll: Quentin Fox rolled 3,3 using 1d4,1d6, rerolling max with rolls of 3,3.  Stealth.
00:14, Today: Secret Roll: Quentin Fox rolled 5,9 using 1d6,1d6, rerolling max with rolls of 5,(6+3)9.  Notice.]

Lirian's disguise holds up but half way on the way to the tavern itself to get the horse. Quentin notices a lone man following you. He walks a decent distance behind you trying to keep watch of you two but doesn't seem to be making any moves. For now it appears he is trying to monitor who you are. The man looks similar to that of the ones that went after Daremo.

Since the tavern was situated close to the route from here to there, Quentin decided to get his horse with him in the end. He warned Lirian about the guy shortly before the tavern and proposes a rather simple plan of what to do:
1. We enter the tavern, with Lirian remaining near the entrance to prevent the man from following Quentin in and chats with Orin to get him updated in as much details as she sees fit and requests him to maybe start gathering relevant infos if we are unable to spread out for that. At least he should be updated about the types following us.
2. Quentin enters with Lirian, gets changed into his usual outfit, complete with rapier and ready-to-use flasks of stuff, then heads to the stables.
3. Lirian leaves the tavern the way she came and sees if the man will follow her. On a signal by Orin, Quentin gets riding out of the stables to close in with the man real fast and confront him.
4. When the man is out and left for Orin to deal with pretending that he's not associated with us, we ride like a wind and will not be easily followed.

Vaelan Nightshade:

Lirian's disguise holds up but half way on the way to the tavern itself to get the horse. Quentin notices a lone man following you. He walks a decent distance behind you trying to keep watch of you two but doesn't seem to be making any moves. For now it appears he is trying to monitor who you are. The man looks similar to that of the ones that went after Daremo.

Im not sure to understand, the man is following Quentin or Lirian?

OOC: Right now he is suspicious of Quentin.

OOC: Is Lirian aware of Quentin being followed?

As Lirian plñays monk while Quentin just tries to go unnoticed, I guess they walk separated, through at supporting distance...

[Private to GM: If a Notice roll is needed:

19:35, Today: Secret Roll: Lirian rolled 2,3 using d6,d6, rerolling max with rolls of 2,3.  Perception. I guess she is unaware unless Quentin makes her note it.]
This message was last edited by the player at 17:36, Mon 18 Sept 2023.

OOC: This is all correct. What do you want to do? Give me the plan and I will react according to what you have decided.