CH. 11: The Show Must Go On

[BishGada]

"Friendship... this is a rare commodity... just stick close to us and it might rub off to you." Tulbas says with a grim smile. "If it weren't for this curfew we would have more time to help clearing the sewers. I bet Haaque would be interested in having leads on the robbers. I know I am." Tulbas rubs his chin. "Tell you what. I would like to meet both of you and preferably Haaque as well. We have few things to deal with. The only problem is that I can't predict when Magnus will excuse me from the training. Is there a place and time I can find you for sure?" he asks both Shima and Gobax.

[TristenC]

I don't know how much I can help him, my bandages don't help much this long after wounding... unless you mean finding a place to stay. Grubnick says, giving Tulbas a warning look when Shima can't see. Wasn't that job offered to Felran? How do we expect to take over if they're still in the sewers doing it? Much less convince the 'employers' to give us the info? We'd have to convince Felran and Ne-Chanz to give it up or let us join in... He was still unsure about this shady dwarf... he had tried too hard to find Haahque, someone he had no reason to know. It smelled like a trap... like a 'job'... after all of the infighting in his tribe growing up he had trouble trusting people he hadn't been in combat with...

[djhyland]

Arulia removes the last ingot from its mold and places it on the stack to cool. "Just in time," she mutters. Turning to Camilla, she says, "The whole thing sounds strange, and I can't imagine that it just appeared by itself. I'm glad that Kendra managed to kill it without getting hurt, and I'm glad that not many people were killed. And that it didn't set any more buildings on fire."

Turning back to start snuffing the furnace, Arulia says to Bear, "All that's left is for these ingots to cool. Your bag will burn up if you put them in it while they're still this hot, but if you have a cart that you can haul them in, I'll help you load them up before curfew. Otherwise, you can come pick them up in the morning."

[Haahque]

With everyone leaving, Haahqae is left to scramble around and make sure everything is in order before he also plans to head off home. Scramble around, mostly because he can’t really think strait right now. He did enough thinking during the show, during the attack and during the speeches. Now, well, he’s left to try and put all the pieces together and figure out what he makes of all of it.

Really, nothing much happened. He performed a show, some of it at least, and there was no problems in getting the baaz to pay the paltry sum that he charged for it. The show was going fine, that little girl from this afternoon was there, although Ismene apparently didn’t find the time to show up. Then he was attacked, something that has been known to ruin travelling performers in so many different ways before. However, as it appears right now he’s not being blamed for it, rather, it more appears that people forgot about him completely during and after the attack, except for his little speech he gave. He didn’t get any of his equipment damaged, mostly because it wasn’t his equipment that was damaged. He didn’t manage to do anything against the monster, because it had died so fast that none of his masterful plans had come to fruition. He seems to have managed to get Kendra some praise for the attack, but she seems rather capable of forgetting good deeds like that done for her, and just disappearing without any obligation to return the favor later. And now everyone’s leaving, the events surely making them forget about some of the finer parts of the performance. No questions about if he’s magic to be able to juggle like that, no groups of fans trying to push past security to meet him in person. Even the security seems to be leaving without a word.

As Haahqae finishes gathering his ideas and equipment, he shoulders his bag and glumly starts making his way back to the Tankard. No time to deal with Ismene today, he’ll have to go see her tomorrow. Maybe if he lends her Sekla’s spellbook she’ll be less inclined to run off to a different country with Myriam. Or maybe if he gets that promised book from Tulbas that could help his case. Where is Tulbas? Wasn’t he around here during the performance?

Haahqae looks around for the half-elf and adjusts his course to greet him before leaving the market square.

“Hey Tulbas, I was pretty sure that we had a trade which I held up my end of the bargain for. Are you planning on lending me a book in return for the one I let you read?”

[JadedDM]

Haahqae, Tulbas, Gobax and Shima (Grand Market)
The four continue to talk as the grand market clears out.

(OOC: Chris, one of the stipulations of the job was that you weren't allowed to tell anyone else about it. Did you forget that? Or was that meant as one final middle finger to chese and spyguy on your part?)

Kendra Greylock (Prefect's Mansion)
Tethys chuckles. "But I cannot. My wings allow me to glide, but for true flight, a dragon is needed." He pats the scaled neck of the beast. "Besides, there was just an attack on the square. As far as I know, the attackers were still nearby. I would have made a tempting target. Having Inferno nearby was for protection as much as transportation."

The dragon makes good time, arriving at the mansion quickly. Here, Kendra and Tethys dismount from the massive beast. "Come inside," Tethys tells her. "You can make your report while we have some tea."

Arulia Seroth (Thoron's Blacksmithy)
"Aye, I have a small cart waiting outside, thanks," the man says. With Arulia's help, he loads the ingots up and heads off. It took some time, but at least she made some decent coin out of it. She now has enough to save at least one person in her family before the month's end.

Camilla was still quite energetic and is brimming with energy, constantly fidgeting and such while she waits for Arulia to finish up.

[HorizonsDream]

Kendra follows Tethys inside after making sure she is steady on her feet. "There isn't a lot to report," Kendra admits. "The gnome putting on the show and those helping him were just as surprised by the attack as anyone else that was there," she admits. "Matter of fact, they tried to help me when...whatever that was appeared out of no where."

[BishGada]

Tulbas, glad that Haaque returned to his senses and speaks to him says, "Hey Haaque! What a spectacular performance. Have you noticed where this elemental came from? What a coincidence, or maybe someone planned it after hearing about your performance. In any case, so many came to watch you! I bet now many people speak highly of you." He tries to compliment Haaque as best as he can, since he felt the Gnome moral was pretty low lately. "Sure, you are always welcome to browse my uncle's library, even without bargains made I enjoy sharing information and ideas with colleagues, but since Magnus now owns it, not sure he will allow taking it out of the shop. You can also ask Ismene if you like!"

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(OOC: Regarding the conversation with Shima, I don't mind neglecting all the info about the sewers. It still doesn't change his plan to meet the guys to see how they help Gregeddin, and/or deal with the church request. Last time the priestess didn't appreciate their late report.)

[Haahque]

Maybe someone planned it after hearing about his show? That was a scary idea. Haahqae knew that fate seemed to be conspiring against him recently, but what if it's actually the act of someone in Haven? "I have no idea where it came from. It just sort of... appeared. Oh I hope it wasn't planned after someone heard about my show. Knowing my luck it probably was, but who in their right mind could be targeting me like that? Was it Yvette and Xyleena rubbing the salt in the wound? Or was it someone else with even more sinister plans for me, trying to bring down a fate worse then death upon me for unknown reasons? Fortunately it appears that I avoided most of the difficulties that happen when one's show is attacked, and with a little bit of luck I won't have to worry about it unless my next show is also attacked."

Haahqae looks around the others gathered here. It couldn't have been any of their work right? Tulbas was a friend who wouldn't try to hurt him like this, or was he? He knew about the performance early, he knows magic and could have summoned the elemental and he didn't show up to practices... He could have been the one to cause the attack. Does Tulbas have a sinister plan for Haahqae and is just keeping up the friendly appearance to loll him into a false sense of security? Or Gobax, he only knew about the performance on shorter notice, and he appears to be the nicest goblin Haahqae has ever met... but that's not saying much. And he is still a goblin. Goblins often like to make people suffer just to see them suffer. As for his capabilities? Haahqae knows nearly nothing about what he's capable of. Maybe he was behind the attack?

However, Haahqae came here for a purpose, and no amount of dark thinking should be able to shake him from his course. Potential knowledge AND good will from Ismene was potentially to gain from this exchange. "Oh, actually I was wondering if there was a book I could borrow that Ismene would like to read. I hear that she's quite fond of her studies so I thought she might like the opportunity. However it's much too late in the day to be going to your house with my little legs, I was hoping you'd be able to drop it off with me at the Tankard so that I could take it to her tomorrow. I think she's fond of Illusions, if that would help you pick out a book. Or, if Magnus doesn't allow lending books in a fair traide, perhaps I'll try swinging by with her tomorrow."

[djhyland]

After helping Bear to load his cart, Arulia returns to the furnace to finish shutting it down. Once the fires are suitably snuffed and the tools put away, she turns her attention to Camilla. "You seem...excited, Camilla. Is it just what happened out there, or is it something else? Is everything all right?"

[TristenC]

Maybe the attack was directed at the soldiers, not you. It didn't seem interested in attacking you or the stage. Or maybe it was a rival entertainer in town? Is there any performer you know that might be jealous of your skill?

[Chris1234]

"So what's the plan? Looks like I'm now jobless, weaponless, income-less, lunch-less and weaponless, so might as well try and help you. If you want me to, of course," tries Shima.

If there's no take up, the dwarf will bustle round to the inn where he met the woman that gave a task to Ne-Chanz, Felran & him to see if she's got anything going.

[JadedDM]

Kendra Greylock (Prefect's Mansion)
Tethys leads them inside to the dining area and offers her a seat before sitting himself. Just as she finishes speaking, the old butler steps through the door with a pair of cups of piping hot tea and places one before each of them. "Should I take that to mean, then, that you do not know who was responsible for the attack? Summoning a fire elemental is no small feat. It would take someone of great power. The person in question would need to either be a powerful mage or...a true cleric."

Arulia Seroth (Thoron's Blacksmithy)
"It was a pretty exciting day!" she admits. "I got to juggle and watch juggling and found out gnomes are real, and got a mentor who is a hero and who fought a monster made of fire!"

[Haahque]

"That doesn't make sense... there are soldiers all over the city. If the attack was aimed against the soldiers they could have done it anywhere, at any time. But I was only putting on one show. I haven't made any enemies of other entertainers around the city unless... that bastard... I only interupted his show for a short while, and I had very good cause! If it was him, he must be very powerful to have retaliated so swiftly." Haahqae doesn't recall the name of the entertainer he interrupted this morning to announce his show, but it does add up. He gave Haahqae the stinkeye, Haahqae told him where the show was and when. Why do people make mountains out of such small infractions so often?

[HorizonsDream]

"True clerics have the power to summon a fire elemental?" Kendra asks.

[BishGada]

"OK then, I'm heading back home. If I don't appear at the Tankard, then come to meet me at the shop tomorrow. Learning from the last few days I assume I'll be busy training with Magnus since morning till noon. You could meet without me and look for Kendra to see if she can help rescuing Gregeddin." he then goes to Shima and speaks with him in private no to shame him. "Shima... You stay at Gregeddin house? Hmm... here, take this money to buy some food. I'd invite you to the shop but I'm not sure what Magnus will make of you... You can return it once you earn some." And with that Tulbas splits and heads home.

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(OOC: Tulbas gives Shima 2 steel pieces since he the tone of his comment being lunch-less seemed sincere to him.
At the shop Tulbas would like to speak with Magnus about choosing spells vs. specific elements or type of opponents, about what happened in the marketplace, about true clerics, about the priestess and ask if he has any missions for him. But I don't know if you planned for something else in the middle so I don't role-play it now.
)