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[Malikial]

karvan leaves the Kobold with Beatrice and Wanda, telling them to keep him for a bit and goes to try to find Latir. Once he finds him he says, "A kobold is here telling us that Lord Reinbach went missing after a dwarf from the Holding went and met with him. He broke in here to try to find out what we know. I don't know if you met with the Lord I just know that the little bugger is pissed and thinks we had something to do with his Lord missing."

[Joxam]

Maxi follows Latir to the HQ but in route he is 'retrieved'. He is told of the plan and meets Bertam just as the attorney is done introducing himself, he makes no mention of the seedier parts of what might need to be done but bows softly to Bertram in greeting, "Sorry about being so late, Latir and I had a something of a nap, and if I do say, we did need it."

[R^2]

"I did see Reinbach, but did not know he was missing. You had better take me to this kobold fellow."

And then,

"Oy, I recognize you. You sneered quite a bit when I showed up to talk to Reinbach. Is there any particular reason you chose to break into our office instead of asking me what happened?"

[Bongo Bill]

Bertram greets Tikka, lets her know that he's got an urgent plan to that requires a lawyer, and heads on in. She's definitely got something she's trying to rope him into, but that can wait until they've escaped debtor's prison (and, at any rate, despite his patrician bearing and passable fashion sense, Bertram isn't the most charismatic guy, so is he the best help available for a persuasion-based problem?).

To the lawyer, he says, "How do you do, Mr. Thistleweave; my colleagues and I are in need of counsel on a business matter of extreme discretion." (Perception: 1d20+14 = 30 to determine whether he's amenable to the idea of doing crimes, and, appropriately, Streetwise:1d20+9 = 16 to suggest in a circumspect and plausibly deniable manner that crimes are what we are talking about. Unless Maxi wants to roll to aid me, or I him.)

[Doom]

Maximilian, Bertram and Tikka: Barnabus ushers you into his building, shrinking each time he has to shepherd you past the watchful eyes of the crowd out front, the Gnomish mage inside and finally into his private office perilously close to the occupied Empress. He sits behind his simple metal-framed desk in a quaint office stocked with more files and books and little decoration save for a sad wilted plant set at a window-sill blocked by opaque glass facing the neighboring brick wall.

"Discretion is what I handle, Minotaur. Hem hem... hrrmph... Excuse me. I am well-versed in Pelor's Edicts, The Warden's Code and the Academy Laws, as well as a few trade lines connected to each."

Perception Success
Streetwise Pass, Neutral Outcome

"Now... you should know, I'm just a lawyer! Hrkhrk.. Excuse me, excuse me!" He coughs into his fist as he turns a little red. He seems very amiable to shady behavior but perhaps not really meant for such things. He seems to have gotten your hint. He lowers his voice after the last cough. "If what you have in mind is what I think it is, I can help you for my standard fees. However..." He sidelong glances over at the door. "I'm aware of your employers and your standings. I will not help you stand up against any winning team, do you understand?"

And thus, you're free to lay the entire plan out.

Latir, Karvan: As you head back to the little near-empty interrogation room, you catch Beatrice holding the door shut with a chair pressed against the doorknob. "As soon as ya let 'im go, 'e found a bloody knife!" Latir being a Tanky type, I feel it safe to assume he goes in anyway. The little cur is sitting on back of the chair and picking his claws with a make-shift shiv produced by wrecking one of the few fine bits of cutlery in the house as well as butchering a little end-table to produce a stronger handle. "Why'd I break in? 'Cause it's what I do... and well, right clever to set that trap. You'd have never know if'n ya didn't catch me." Calm, cool, collected. This guy's... a pro! "You weren't around to ask, and it was a pressin' matter. Besides... yer the last one ta talk to Lord Reinbach and then he's missin'? And you are too? Fer a week? Real great timing, I'm sure yer alibi is charming and easy to understand."

He flips the knife, lets it spin twice and catches it, gesturing forward but without aggressive intent. "I get the feelin' you don't have any answer by yer indignity. Just know this, Dwarf... keep it to yerself. Ya don't want things in the Belly to turn bad, especially if ya like folks livin' in misery instead of dyin' in it..."

He pockets the shiv. "I can see myself out."

[R^2]

"If you can hold off being surly and irascible for a moment, I will tell you everything I told Reinbach. He wanted to know where his lady was killed, and I told him. He is probably out looking for ruins on an asteroid in [sector]."

"If you will allow your hatred of those of us topside to turn away the information that would solve your problem, the door is down the hall. Wanda, what is next on my agenda today?"

Diplomacy: 32.

[Bongo Bill]

Bertram explains that the plan is to set it up so it appears that only Ilex is personally liable for the debts his company incurred. If the documents to that effect can be made to look authentic, we'll handle planting them, as well as silencing anybody who might remember that they ever said anything else. If enough (How many is enough? Everybody except Fireband?) of the authorities are convinced that we're in the right, then the only ones not on the winning side should be Firebrand and Ilex.

Most importantly, nobody needs to know who was the expert who verified the finer legal details. Nor does said expert need to remember ever having provided such services.

[Malikial]

Karvan snorts out a laugh at the tiny Kobold's tiny attitude and gives a shark-like smile before growling out, "Excitable little nipper, eh?" He crosses his arms and stands behind Latir, looking like a massive wall of bodyguard Dragonborn. "Maybe if you tried acting like you had some sense instead of barging in an wrecking up the place you would get a bit of a better greeting, eh, morsel?" Karvan pipes down, not wanting to ruin Latir's diplomacy after the dwarf speaks.

[R^2]

Latir waits to see what the kobold does. Since apparently he continues to storm out heedless of what Latir actually said, the dwarf shrugs.

"Humphrey, was it? Where is he? I suppose I had better try to calm him down before he gives himself a fit."

[Doom]

My, but all this walking and talking is making it rather late. The day/night cycle aside, exhaustion begins to mount and the day will end soon.

Latir/HQ: That he does. Maybe your Diplomacy should have included some mangled Common. You catch Humphrey attempting to settle down into one of the rare comfy chairs in the barracks, one of the usual wood-works situated with a few poorly stitched cushions. He's reading some dime-story novel about space cowboys or something.

Bertram/Lawyer's Office: Thistleweave almost winks, but becomes overcome with self-disgust and sighs, affecting an eye-roll. "I know how the game is played, friend. A thousand coin(gold) and the documents shall be drawn up for you and I shall adjourn to my Winter Office in Labyrinth. I am familiar with Firebrand's style of legal writing... he was rather close to being the fourth wing of the Council, was quite a profitable bit of code... hem hem..."

[R^2]

"Mr. Humphry, before you get too involved in that, or when you get to a good stopping point, I would like to speak with you about the agreement you and Miss Holsten came to regarding your presence here."

[Doom]

Humphrey barely looks over the spine of the little book, his nose poking out over the top of it, scrunched up as his eyes are to match the scowl of the nefarious black-hated cowboy gracing the cover. "If it is all the same to you, my good fellow, the only agreement I know of is that she saved my life... then er, rather vanished so that it might be snuffed out after all!"

[Bongo Bill]

Bertram/Lawyer's Office: Thistleweave almost winks, but becomes overcome with self-disgust and sighs, affecting an eye-roll. "I know how the game is played, friend. A thousand coin(gold) and the documents shall be drawn up for you and I shall adjourn to my Winter Office in Labyrinth. I am familiar with Firebrand's style of legal writing... he was rather close to being the fourth wing of the Council, was quite a profitable bit of code... hem hem..."

"A bargain at any price," said Bertram, stacking ten platinum pieces on the attorney's desk. "While you're in Labyrinth, you might be interested to hear that there was some trouble there at the High Society Ball very recently - violence, property destruction, confusion - which might profit an enterprising and discreet man of letters such as yourself." (This he added by way of small talk, not a proposition.)

[R^2]

Latir looks dour. "It is all the same to me, honestly, but as I understand it you are rather upset about the whole ordeal. Since I am leading this merry band in Miss Holsten's absence, would you care to fill me in on the details of your predicament?"

Because I seriously could not give less of a shit about you personally, little gnome, and if you snark at me again I'll turn you in myself.

[Doom]

Bertram: Thistleweave tests each coin with his teeth before pocketing them with great care, then gives you a sour look. "Unfortunately, Minotaur Law tends to revolve around a lot of... physical might. And great shouting. If that is all, I bid you farewell. I have some packing to do."

Returning to HQ to seek the company of your bunk, you come across Latir's scene where Humphrey drops his book and dissolves into a pleading weepy mess, falling onto his hands and knees in front of Latir. "Ohh! I thought nobody might ever ask!" He messily summarizes his end of the Ilex branch of Ottimus' little sewer lab. It seems he's worried sick that his younger brother has gone missing barring an accidental discovery of something unknown on Academy grounds and that he has run afoul of a rumored and mythical "Shadow Guard." He ended up running afoul of Ottimus' lot on his own investigation and seems to think that one way or another, Ottimus or Shadow Guard, he will end up killed by mysterious assassins for knowing too much about the School's secrets. Whatever they are, or wherever his brother is.

Humphrey blows noisily into his personal handkerchief. "An.. and that's it, all I know, I swear! And your Captain, Holsten... she vanishes without even asking! I'm doomed! A dead man walking! I don't even know if... if... your territory will remain sovereign... *sniff, snort, HOONNKK*... er... after the Hearing."

[R^2]

"Bad news and good news there. Ottimus does have some sort of oozing automata constructed as an assassin. The good news is that from all we have gathered you are not a target."

"To be technical, I do not have any territory. Holsten's territory will certainly be seized by Firebrand." He looks off into the middle distance, muttering to himself, "I still need to get someone on the task of scoping us a new place to stay once that happens, I suppose, since Maximillian ignored my request to do so." And to his assistant, whom I assume is present, "Wanda, please do not let me forget to line us up some lodging for after the trial."

"Anyway. I will add your concerns to our growing list of things to solve once the trial is over. Do you think you can keep a low profile until after we are certain we are not slaves to some mining overlord? I am off to the Academy for a contingency plan -- I will be certain to not ask anyone about any mysterious Shadow Guard who might be looking for a gnome in our HQ. That would be... imprudent, I think."

[Niku]

Tikka spends most of her time staring at walls, ceilings, and fiddling with her fingers in mid-air -- quite literally, if soundlessly.  Having no head for things like law and preoccupied with thoughts of Artifacts and alleyways, she finds it most prudent to just be unobtrusive for like a month or so before following right along back to the headquarters.  The headquarters!  Where Artifacts are!  And the current keepers of the same! 

"Bertram!" Tikka hisses as quietly as she can manage upon stepping foot back into the headquarters, turning her head sharply in his direction.  "I would most appreciate you sweet talking out friend into .. no!"

Tikka has hit upon a brilliant idea.  Clearing her throat with a grinding, gravelly noise, tilting her head left and right, she steps ahead to interrupt Latir's conversation forthwith.

"Latir!  I have come across a most quaint little shop that specializes in the care and polishing of Artifacts!  I would like to do something nice for you!"

Smile!

Tikka Bluff
1d20 + 15
9 + 15 = 24

[Malikial]

Karvan growls out, "Thanks for reminding me I need to get my arms and armament out of Holsten's storage." He pats Latir on the shoulder and grumbles, "I'll move my stuff tonight to an Inn, if you want I can put some coin down for you to have rooms after the trail, which we will NO DOUBT lose." He crosses his arms behind Latir and lets out a grumbling growl, "That girl changed so much, I joined her thinking she was a good person to be good around, but damn." Karvan lets his guard down for a bit and just looks tired and slightly depressed before resuming his normal scowl.

[Doom]

Karvan, it'll be 20 gold to secure a long-term safe room at an Inn. It makes a good spot for you to fall asleep.

Bertram, you're armed with the false papers.

Humphrey seems a bit cheered up and horrified(but only a tiny bit) at Latir's "reassurances." He agrees to keep a low profile.

Latir, invigorated as you were by your earlier visit to Elizabeth's, you can work throughout the night. But nights always run long, so do tell what this contingency plan begins with. The Academy District has greatly diminished activity but a good number of night owls are still occupying the streets. Guards are working in trios, a dramatic increase from the usual.

And Tikka had... a plan!

The second day begins bright and early. Your Hearing will occur in 2 days. You still owe Dr. Quint a trip to his former Wardens and Justice.

[R^2]

"Tikka, as far as I can tell no one actually knows these artifacts exist. I did not until just a few weeks previous, and since then everyone I have met who possesses an artifact has wanted to kill me for mine. So if there is such a place where artifact-owners are likely to be, I would rather avoid it."

Latir isn't a sneak or a skulk, he'll wait until whatever passes for morning on an asteroid with 3/4 of its time in shadow to go to the Academy, when people are likely to be awake.

"When I get back, I will hold a meeting with everyone. Anyone not present I will assume has fled to avoid Firebrand."

Seriously. If you're still in the game, post in the damn thread, or you'll be on your own post-trial.

Everyclass Get in Here!