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Seeing that the smelter's fire is going well, Arulia nods in satisfaction and prepares to add the ore. Sparing a glance for Bear, she asks, "You sure don't like the army much, do you? I can't blame you, but...if you don't mind me asking, what did they do to you?"

"No master, I have no questions regarding these subjects. Can you create challenges for me to put all those concepts to practice?" Tulbas asks trying to hide his fatigue.

Kendra Greylock (Grand Market)
Camilla shrugs. "Nobody likes me. I don't got any friends. Everyone picks on me, so I just beat 'em up." She adds, "I ain't 'fraid of the dracs. And you're a woman, and you're doing okay, right?"

Tulbas Erogund (Mageware Shop)
"I can," Magnus replies. "But it will take time. I'll set them up tonight and we can perform them tomorrow. Until then, perhaps you should get some rest. It's already Ninth Watch anyway. We've been working for hours now."

Arulia Seroth (Thoron's Blacksmithy)
"I don't like goblins or anyone who works with them," the man clarifies. "I hated the Seekers for the same reason. And look what happened to them? You work with lowlife scum like goblins, ogres, kobolds and their like, then you're no better than they are and shouldn't be considered human." He adds, "Besides, I think the army had something to do with my mine having problems in the first place, even though they deny it."

He explains that about a month ago, he had to shut down his mine because the workers kept turning up dead. The miners claimed 'demons' were attacking them and most of them fled. So he hired a group of mercenaries to go clean them out. It turned out they were mostly kobolds and sligs, but they were working for some goblin mage and a pair of creatures that he thought were demons at the time...but now recognizes as draconians.

"They say they have no idea what I'm talking about, but it seems like a big stretch to say that those dragonmen just happened to have invaded my mine right before the town was occupied," he concludes.

Felran, Ne-Chanz and Shima (North Haven Sewers)
The gully dwarves are mostly flummoxed by Shima's orders, especially when he starts counting from impossibly high numbers that they've never heard of before. "Saving from you?" repeats the guard, clearly confused.

"You no kill us then?" asks the man with the crown of Shima. "No have to kill us. Just go, leave us alone."

"Go where?" asks one of the women when the minotaur speaks. "You try and take our home?"

"This best part of sewers," says another. "No monsters and plenty rats to eat."

(OOC: The gully dwarves have been speaking Common this entire time and have responded to Ne-Chanz, so it's pretty clear they understand and speak Common. There is no language barrier here.

I'll leave it up to spyguy as to whether Ne-Chanz releases the guard or not.)

{OOC: Thanks for the clarification on language barriers, Jaded. Was just covering the possibility that not all of them spoke Common.}

In between the counting down, Shima explains, "Felran, Ne-chanz, assuming you're not abandoning your quest here, then unless either of you have implemented another solution, when the countdown is complete any Gullies lined up on the right can be lead to safety by Felran to wherever he can in mind and the rest, well, too bad. Feel free to agree. Or not. 210, 209,.."

"That is because I can defend myself," Kendra points out. "Though, that doesn't stop them from hitting on me," she adds. She wrinkles her nose a little bit at the thought. "But why don't you have any friends?" she asks curiously. The more she talked to this girl, the more she realized that she was a little bit like her. Though, she didn't go around beating people up because they didn't like her.

"Sure. Is there anything I can do for you master?" Tulbas asks before turning to leave the laboratory.
If Magnus will have no request Tulbas will excuse himself and leave hurrying to meet Haaque. Since it is so late he will assume Haaque already gone to the marketplace to make final preparations before his performance.

=====================================================================
(OOC: Did Tulbas casted any spells during the practice or does he have his spells full?)

As it draws closer to his performance, Haahqae puts away his torches and sits on the bench farthest from the stage, where he can keep an eye on things in case anyone shows up for the show, while being a small enough figure that he can keep his thoughts to himself without standing out any more than usual.

Thinking on his close friends is troubling, so Haahqae tries thinking about those others he’s worked with recently and those thoughts aren’t much better. Rena and Burzan tried to kill him, Yvette and Xyleena stole from him, and now Myriam is trying to take Ismene from him. If she’s as righteous as she said she was in their argument, how could she have possibly survived the occupation so far? Maybe she’s a liar and a thief like all the others and she’s also part of a cunning plot to steal everything Haahqae has away from him. He had even trusted her! Considered her a decent person! It sure is fortunate that Haahqae figured this out before she managed to leave with Ismene, now he has time to…

Haahqae can’t go confront this new villain now, he wouldn’t have time to travel to the Masked Dragon and back before the show, and he HAS to have this show go well to possibly start turning his life around. A simple one performer show that was the only way he could ensure some income in this town without any significant risk. He just has to hold out for a few more hours and things will start looking up due to his gnomish ingenuity (and good looks), even incompetent Tulbas isn’t here to mess up his show.

Haahqae (Grand Market)
Even as Haahqae thinks that final thought, he spots Tulbas rushing to the market square as if in a big hurry over something. And with less than an hour before the show starts, too.

Kendra Greylock (Grand Market)
Camilla shrugs petulantly again. "People make fun of me, of my family. They say my father is cuckolded. That our mother cheats on him with an elf, and that he's dumb to raise a daughter that isn't his own. But it's not true! Mother married father after she had Arulia. But people don't care about the truth. At least, not until I beat 'em up. That at least shuts them up. For awhile, anyway."

All the while, Kendra keeps an eye out for anything suspicious going on. She doesn't see anything that really jumps out at her, but she does notice Tulbas hurrying into the square at that moment.

Tulbas (Grand Market)
"Not at the moment," Magnus replies. "But be home in time to get dinner started."

Tulbas departs and hurries out to the grand market. When he arrives, he spots a hastily constructed stage in one section of the square. This whole area has been cleared for a large potential audience. He sees Haahqae near the stage, thinking to himself.

He also spots Gobax speaking with a dwarf in the middle of the square. Furthermore, Kendra is patrolling the outer perimeter of the square while speaking with a young woman of about 12. Strangely, she is wearing the uniform of one of the prefect's elite soldiers, his personal guard.

(OOC: No, I assumed they just used cantrips instead. So he is out of cantrips for the day.)

Grubnick (Grand Market)
"Aye, fair enough," Delharn replies. He watches the woman patrol around the area, speaking with a young girl. "Sure is taking her sweet time, though," he adds.

Around this point, Grubnick notices Tulbas hurrying into the square. He looks like he arrived in a hurry.

Kendra lets out a sigh. "Listen," she finally says. "Why don't I try to teach you a few things?" she offers. "I think you might be too young to join the army right now, but I can at least teach you how to use a weapon properly. Though, I wouldn't suggest using it on those that make fun of you."

Seeing tulbas rush over Grubnick mutters to Delarn, Fires of heaven, what now... You'd better get out of sight and prepare. I'll go see what in the deepest pits of the underworld is going on now. I'll try to lay some surprises, but I may not get the chance with all the activity about... Remember the plan about the targets. If the Prefect doesn't show I'll try to pick out an officer or something to 'bow' to... Luck in battle. Sirrion preserve us. With a friendly clap on the shoulder for the wild dwarf, Grubnick hustles back over to the gnome as Tulbas approaches. Found a sack for collections. he says to Haahque, nodding to the newcome elf in greeting.

"I was a member of the Seeker guard," Arulia says. "At first, I believed in their gods, and wanted to help as best as I could. But later on, when the Seekers seemed like they were more interested in hanging on to their power than seeking the truth, I stopped believing. But it wasn't until they started working with mercenaries and goblins that I quit. The money wasn't worth it to me anymore."

Arulia shakes her head sadly. "Now, of course, I wish I'd have stayed on. A few more steel saved up would be nice now...and I'd rather work with the goblins on the Seeker guard than the ones with the Dragon Army. At least the ones with the Seekers were just in it for the money. This Dragon Queen of theirs, though...there's no doubt that she's real, but she terrifies me. And those that follow her--goblins, dragonmen, and humans all--aren't much less terrifying."

Why is it that whenever Haahqae's thinking about someone today, they seem to show up soon after? Maybe he should think about... no, no he shouldn't think about THEM right now. Regardless, Tulbas has a lot of nerve showing up here and now, after he missed three days of practice in a row. Maybe Haahqae can let him help collect money. If he's lucky. For now he deserves a cool reception.

Oh, and the goblins here too. Haahqae just coldly replies "Great," as the goblin announces his acquisition of a sac.

Shima continues counting down until either Felran siezes the initiative to lead the Gullies to safety or at least some of them line up thereby saving themselves, "...140, 139, 138..."

Kendra Greylock (Grand Market)
"Okay!" Camilla says brightly. "But I don't have a sword. I can't afford one. Or a shield or armor or anything."

Arulia Seroth (Thoron's Blacksmithy)
"Aye, true enough," the man agrees. "Mercenaries are at least predictable. Even trustworthy, as long as you pay them well enough. But people of faith...fanatics...you never know what they'll do. They'll throw their own lives away. Can't even be counted on to do what's in their own best interest. 'Terrifying' is the right word, I'd say. Even without the dragons and the magic, they'd still be something to fear."

Grubnick (Grand Market)
Delharn wishes Grubnick luck, then disappears into the crowds to make preparations.

Felran, Ne-Chanz and Shima (Haven North Sewers)
It's quite clear the gully dwarves don't understand what is happening or why, what Shima is counting down to or what any of it means. They just stand there, confusion clear on their faces.