PlanetADnD.com

Tulbas takes a deep breath and then, "Hey Haaque! I came as soon as Magnus released me. We practiced these days a lot. Sorry I couldn't come earlier. I have the book to return to you. I was sure you would come to the mageware shop in the evening the other day as we agreed." he stops for a moment to greet Gobax, "Hi" he smiles, "Good to see you. Did you come helping Haaque in his performance too?" and then he looks around and tells Haaque appreciatively, "I likd what you have done here in such a short time. Do you still want my assistance or are you all set up? And why the hell Kendra is wearing the prefect guard uniforms?!? And what is she doing here?" he waves to her.
Usually Tulbas doesn't speaks a lot but tends to listen, but obviously he had a lot to say after not seeing whom he considered his friends for more than a day.

"I have swords at home that you can use," Kendra says. "As for armor, that might have to wait. Right now, things are kind of tight, so I think I'll only be able to teach you a few things once a week." She looks up when she notices someone waving at her, and waves back to Tulbus. "I really need to finish this patrol and report back before the performance starts. Try to stay safe, okay?"

So Tulbas speaks. Should Haahqae even deign to reply to him? Yeah, probably he should, because Haahqae's a good person and a hero and Tulbas did help him out earlier. It doesn't mean he has to like it. "You're three days late." His words colder then the winter day.

A pause. Haahqae carefully chooses his next words. He has to stay benevolent and heroic, despite how his thoughts pull him towards hating Tulbas as a prime example of the incompetence of his male friends.

"I'm all set up. Just waiting for the guards and audience to arrive. You can help Gobax with the collection of the seat money. I think Kendra's part of the security, although I don't recall her name when I was hiring the guards."

Arulia throws a look at Bear's mention of people of faith. "Not all faiths are the same, though. Maybe all of them think that they're right, but not all of them feel the need to make others believe as they do." She shakes her head. "It just seems that all of the ones around here are of the second kind--all of those who don't follow their ways are wicked and all. But I suppose that even the first kind can have its fanatics, too."

Haahqae, Tulbas and Gobax (Grand Market)
Tulbas hands over Sekla's spellbook back to Haahqae. He places it in his pack.

Kendra Greylock (Grand Market)
"Okay, see you later," Camilla says. She heads off to find a good place to sit for the upcoming show.

Arulia Seroth (Thoron's Blacksmithy)
The man shrugs. "That's the problem with faith right there. It always convinces you that you are right and everyone else is wrong. Once you start thinking like that...that's when things go to the Abyss. A person that never questions if they are doing the right thing is dangerous. Anyway, if you ask me, I say we were better off without gods, real or not. They just make everything worse. Throwing fiery mountains on cities, starting wars, conquering cities..," he says, shaking his head.

"You're probably too young to know this, but life in Haven used to be pretty good. Before the dragonarmy, before the Seekers, before the Belzorites. Back when crazy cults weren't ruling this city, things were good. Maybe not perfect...but better than they are now or were under the Seekers and Belzorites."

Shima says once more, "You lot will perish if you stay here. If you lot want to be lead to safety, stand over there." He points over to the right.
Then continues quietly, "...75, 74..."

{OOC: Feels like I'm alone here, but the chapter title is amusingly relevant.}

Tulbas can't do nothing to hold his smile at the grumpy Gnome. "It would be my pleasure to work with Gobax, but wouldn't you prefer I'd spice your performance with a little magic?" he asks. "We still have time for planning it and I chose specifically spells that might help the show. We can discuss it privately if you can spare few minutes."

==============================================================
(OOC: Pity Tulbas spent all his Cantrips for today, but practicing for The Test is at high priority. )

All attempts to hold back his feelings about Tulbas fail as Haahqae sees the half-elf treat his disappearance so lightly, even smiling about it. There's no coldness left in Haahqae's voice, instead it's replaced with fury.

“Time for planning? What time do you think we have? I’ve been planning this show for days, preparing the stage, security, getting permission to use the square, looking for drinks, promoting, arranging collection and practicing the show. This is not some child’s performance which can be changed at a moment’s notice! Each act is carefully planned to follow the last in an aesthetically pleasing way, and each act has been rehearsed for hours every day since the show was announced. You don’t even have the basic understanding of such things that I could expect from another wandering performer that I’ve never met before. Any moment now people will start arriving to see the show. There is no time to even go over the acts with you, much less attempt to change what I’ve spent days preparing for after years of performing. You should be happy to help out with the collection.”

Ne-Chanz makes a few practice sword swings, very menacingly.

Kendra watches the girl walk off for a moment before she finishes off her patrol. Once done, she hurries back to tell Tethys that she didn't find anything that would suggest that there would be an attack of any kind, but she will certainly go back to help keep order during the performance.

For a time, Grubnick almost considers calling off the operation; but he knows he will never get a chance like this again... so many unsuspecting soldiers and the prefect? He couldn't stop it now. He opened his mouth as if to say something to the Gnome, but no words came to him. Looking around to avoid looking at the two of them he spots the girl... Camilla... Light, is she staying? A panic started to rise in him but he stamped it down. No... once the trap is set he would find a way to protect the innocent girl... or perhaps this Kendra would... she seemed to know her... Maybe he should stick close to her after collections... he didn't really trust the Draconians not to bother her anyway...

"I remember before the Belzorites and the Dragon Army, but the Seekers have been in Haven since before I was born," Arulia replies. It's not what she wants to say...Bear's comment on being better off without the gods stings, as she knows that the world is a better place with Fizban. But arguing theology with the man seems likely to be fruitless, and worse, it might raise difficult questions for her to answer safely. Instead, she continues with the easier topic. "Things seemed pretty good with them in charge until...well, until I found out how false they really were. And even then, until they closed the city and let everyone outside starve and freeze it didn't seem too bad, even if I knew they were lying."

Haahqae, Kendra, Tulbas and Gobax (Grand Market)
As Haahqae is yelling at Tulbas, some soldiers begin to appear. Most of them come from the fortress to the north, but some start filing in from other directions, too.

"You think this is going to be any good?" they overheard one ask.

"Better be," replies another. "This city is boring enough as it is...at least until they open the brothel."

Kendra realizes that if she leaves now, she will miss the show as it is about to begin. Is she certain she wants to leave now or wait for the show to be over so she can make a full report?

Arulia Seroth (Thoron's Blacksmithy)
The man snorts. "The problem wasn't that they stopped letting in refugees after the first 10,000," he says. "They never should have let that many in to begin with. The city was flooded with more than twice the population it could handle. People were sleeping in the streets, crime was everywhere, the inns were all full. Most of them didn't even have money. The Holy Guard were spread too thin to do much of anything, there were riots in the streets...the Seekers lost control when they let in those refugees. It was damned stupid of them. If you ask me, that was the beginning of the end right there. If they had kept the gates shut, the Seekers wouldn't have been such a mess when the dragonarmy showed up. Maybe that wouldn't have mattered in the end, but they at least could have put up some kind of fight." He shakes his head. "Not only were they fakes, but they were stupid, too."

Felran, Ne-Chanz and Shima (North Haven Sewers)
The gully dwarves drop to their knees, wailing and crying. "No hurt us! No kill us! We just wanna be left alone!" They squirm and scream and make all sorts of racket. It's a pathetic sight as they roll about on the ground, pleading for their pitiful lives. The cacophony of wails echo throughout the sewer.

"You can line up over there," Shima repeats, pointing. "And be lead to safety by him," he continues, pointing at Felran. "Or perish here."
The dwarf continues counting, "...24, 23, 22."