Thought engrosses Judoc as he makes his way back to the commons... was there some solution to this problem that was short of murder that did not involve him being expelled from the college?  Thinking he had reached a middle ground, Judoc puts pen to paper, disguising his writing as much as he is able.

Thresher,

A student will try to kill you, beware.

-A Friend.

---

December 2nd
2008 A.D.
Abandoned Guild Building
Market Street

It has been only a few hours since the Baron's 'exam' but Judoc feels no need to put off the inevitable.  The cold winter wind bites, although the air is crisp and sky cloudless.  The sun is still perched not far from it's zenith, although in this late time of year it is likely there are only a few good hours until sunset.  In his pocket rests his note, his hands intentionally resting on the front of his hips so that he does not sweat on the paper.  Though he does not suspect Thresher himself of having magical prowess, that does not imply he has no access to others who do.  Simply being at the college has exposed Judoc to spells that would likely foil his plan through a variety of means though at this point, his plan is at least as good as simply quitting the school or attempting murder.  As he passes the ironsmith, Judoc eyes the building which seems simply abandoned, though he knows it still has it's uses.

OOC:  We can't quite assume this part goes off without a hitch, so I'm going to go ahead and role play it.  You are currently about a dozen paces or so from the 'guild house' which seems like an abandoned building.  Let me know how you plan on planting the note.  Also roll against Observation and stealth.  Modifiers will depend on your actions so expect the results in my next post.

Judoc knows he's playing a dangerous game.  The Templars are powerful, and have quite a range of talents, magical and otherwise, at their disposal.  With this in mind, he takes care to seem nonchalant as he slides the note in his pocket and takes up his staff.  As someone who has already proved less than tractable when going along with what the Templars have in mind, he surmises that he may be observed leaving the castle, and he doubts that Graves trusts him, especially after the stunt in the arena.

But his plan is a good one, he thinks.  Who would dream that Judoc would sabotage his own efforts to track down Thresher?  No doubt the baron views Judoc as eagerly grasping for this chance of making an even bigger name for himself and little dreams that Judoc is playing his own game.  Judoc the Duplicitous.  No, Judoc the Cunning.  He allows himself a small smile, almost snickering at the thought of so deftly outmaneuvering the Templars.

As he walks toward the ruined guildhall, he takes a circuitous route, mainly to avoid being unpredictable, but hopefully to shake off any more mundane pursuers.  If he is being spied upon by more arcane means, however, he knows that he has a much smaller chance of avoiding that method of surveillance, and if his note is discovered and tracked back to him, he could be for some interesting questions, but Judoc the Bold will no doubt think of something.

OOC:  Don't go straight to the guild house.  Wander for a bit, lingering here and there as if searching for something in a shop or bar.  If Judoc is satisfied he's not being followed, go to the ruined guild house and leave the note, and then head for a bar for a drink.
This message was last edited by the player at 15:17, Mon 20 Feb 2017.

Judoc had been careful, once he had hit the northern roads of Azer he had weaved his way through the streets of the city, never being on a single road for too long.  He had walked always as though he was taking the shortest path to his destination, starting for the port before he turned in the direction of the cathedral and then finally backtracking his way to the markets.  All the while Judoc was casting sidelong glances into the reflection of glass windows and the shadows cast by the winter sun.  He could say with confidence that there was no one who was following him.  So as he stood there facing the abandoned guild house, why was Judoc's blood up?  Why was he so nervous about delivering the simple scrap of paper?  The windows of the building are shaded and crusted with dust making it near impossible to make out anything inside.

Uncertain as to his delivering method, Judoc looks first for a box or slot to cast the note through, though he finds nothing.  As he makes his way forward to improvise, he sees a shadow pass across one of the shades on the second floor.  Endeavoring to get away as soon as he can, Judoc wedges the note in the gap of the door at about knee level before making his way back to the streets, disappearing down a side road and into a pub by the name of The Dragon's Nest.  Saddling up to the bar, Judoc hails the keep and orders an ale, always keeping half an eye on the doorway...

OOC:  Ok, we don't have to roleplay this too far.  Just let me know how long you want to stay in the bar to make sure you weren't followed.  Also, from here, give me a general idea when you want to start looking for Thresher, if there is anywhere specific or if you just want me to start rolling for you.  Probably I can handle most of this through just regular dice rolls and I'll pick things up from where something really good or really bad happens.  Let me know if you have any more guidance before I break out the dice.

This is a bad idea, Judoc thinks, sitting at The Dragon's Nest, nursing an ale and trying to decide what to do next.  Honestly, if it works as he intends, he'll still lose face, maybe even be drummed out of the college altogether.  Judoc wants to learn, to expand his repertoire of spells, and he can't do that by being expelled.  At the same time, the Templars want him to kill a man, and Judoc's not convinced that Thresher deserves death.  There's always more than one story, he muses, and this time, he's sure that the truth lies somewhere in the middle between Graves' icy hot rage and Thresher's friend who had assured Judoc that the men in the arena had did little wrong.  No, probably nothing worse than fomenting rebellion.  Likely there was some power play going on.  But how can Judoc make the best use of the forces at work without becoming an unwitting pawn in whatever is stirring?

Who had been there at the guild?  He's screwed if it had been one of the Templars' men, but he suspects it's likely one of Thresher's crew.  Had Judoc been seen?  Now that would be tricky.  Someone sees Judoc leaving the note, they think Judoc's one of the angels, Judoc gets the jump on Thresher, is about to kill him and then lets him go.  Yeah, that'll look real good to his superiors at the College.  The thought that Thresher might be able to overpower him, even kill him, does not even occur to Judoc.

No, what the young mage thinks now is, Now what?  It would be child's play to arrange a meeting with Thresher, but that would put Judoc exactly where he does not want to be - close to his target, close enough that he could kill him if he needed to.  And then what would his excuse be?  He could simply tell Graves to go fuck himself, but that would necessitate a much lower level of self-preservation than Judoc is capable of.

So.  Here he is, in a bar, drinking an ale, wondering what the hell he's going to do next.  He needs time for the message to get to Thresher, that's for certain.  It would be ridiculous to run into the man now.  No, he needs a day to get the message, maybe clear out of town for a while, and then Judoc will begin his hunt.

Judoc's mind squirms as he slowly absorbs his beer, sitting on the high, barstool of the Dragon's Nest.  Though he is alone at the bar, the barkeep pays him little mind, preferring to attend to the menial tasks of getting his establishment ready for the evening.  To Judoc it is just as well.  He is not fond of his situation.  Though he thinks little of his chances to realistically accomplish his goal unless Thresher leaves Azer of his own accord.  If the two meet, then if Judoc kills, he will be a murderer, if he does not, perhaps Graves will expel him for failing at his task.  But what if Thresher does leave?  Will that suffice to mollify Graves?  There are only two things that Judoc is sure of, he has no wish to be expelled just yet and that he has no wish to become a murderer.  Pouring the last dregs of his ale into his mouth, Judoc thanks the barkeep, places a silver penny on the bar, and departs.

---

December 6th
2008 A.D.
The Dragon's Nest
Azer Market

Sometimes it is funny the sense of Deja Vu that will strike a man though the circumstances may be completely different.  For Judoc, he cannot help but remember only a few days ago, sitting at the exact same bar with the same feeling of listlessness.   It had been four days since he had placed the note and formulated his plan.  Since then he had spent a night listening for references to his foe, then another two actively searching for him.  So far, Judoc had come up entirely short, though he was not sure whether that meant that Thresher had indeed left or that Judoc was searching in the wrong places.  Most of the people he had been asking had given him entirely blank stares, some of the seedier sorts looked just short of hostile at points.  Judoc had just started his mission again fresh for the night, deciding to try the Dragon's Nest though it had not been one of his normal stops.  As Judoc sits again at the bar, he notices the stark difference that only a few hours of the day can make.  His previous trip here had been just prior to dinner time and he had been the only person in the establishment right as it was opening.  Now, though the sun has been set for only few hours, the place is much more lively with nearly every seat at the bar taken and most of the tables spoken for as well.  There is a moderate hum of conversation that flows throughout the room making listening difficult to anything outside of a few feet.

For perhaps the twelfth time in three days Judoc nonchalantly asks the barkeep if he has heard of anyone named Thresher as he pays double for his copperhead ale.  Nodding in appreciation for the tip the barkeep gruffly offers, "If you're bloke is anything what he sounds like, Finny is you best bet, keeps off in that back corner over there."  The bartender jerks his chin towards the back of the bar.

Uncertain as whether or not he wants this lead to pay out, Judoc thanks the man and decides to at least follow through with the charade.  He makes his way towards the back of the bar, finding an older scruffy fellow in the area that the barkeep had mentioned.  "Finny?  I hear you might have heard of a man called Thresher?"

Finny seems perhaps fifty in age, though he is worn rugged with course skin and thinning and unkempt hair.  His clothes are mostly patchwork, though there are no holes to speak of and they seem barely warm enough for the cold of the winter night.  As he hears the question, Finny smiles a grin that is half empty for lack of teeth.  "Oh, I've heard of him neighbor,"  His voice is gruff and cracked though his response seems in a whimsical tone.  "An I think I've heard of you too son, what's it worth to you to hear what I know?"

OOC:  You have spent a total of $45 in tips over the past couple days.  You have $42 still on your person right now, the rest is back still back at the college.  You have 3 days left in the week to kill Thresher, or otherwise fool Graves.

The days pass quickly for Judoc.  It is an odd feeling, this manhunt for a man Judoc does not want to find.  If Thresher is still in the city, Judoc will find him, of this the young mage is certain, but what will he do when he does track the man down?  Strike down upon him with great vengeance and furious anger?  That's what Graves expects.  What Judoc has to figure out is how to get what he wants, and that's going to mean playing his own hand.

Here again at The Dragon's Nest.  Judoc's been asking around, splashing out a little coin, not too much, but enough to hopefully find what he's looking for.  Because of course he has to look for Thresher.  He has to do his best to sell the idea he's trying to run Thresher to the ground.  And when he finds him?  What then?  Will he finish what he started, immolate the poor bastard for Graves's amusement?  Or will he let Thresher go and face the consequences of disobeying the Templars?   Sure, Judoc will end up fine, but he won't have access to the Templars' library and teachers any more.  He'd hate to have to give that up just for some street rat that he doesn't know from Adam.  Judoc already spared the man one time.  Maybe that hadn't been such a good decision then.

Finally, a lead.  "Much obliged," he murmurs, and standing up, he walks over to the corner to the man named Finny.  What's he going to say?  Eh, he'll just roll with it.

So Finny's heard of him, has he?  Yes, Judoc's certainly coming up in the world.  Judoc the Merciful they call him now.  Not his first choice.  Makes him look a little soft, for one thing.  But hey, he'll take the boost to his rep.

"I see my reputation precedes me," he says, grinning.  "Yeah, I need to find Thresher.  I need to tell him something, but face to face.  I've only met him the one time."  If only Judoc had brought more money with him.  How much was this bribe going to be?  "How about I buy you a drink for starters?  And then we can go from there."

OOC:  Judoc's willing to give up to $42 here to get what he wants, but he doesn't want to appear too eager right away.  He'll offer $20 to hear what Finny has to say, and more depending on what information he has, including $50 to arrange a meeting.
This message had punctuation tweaked by the player at 10:33, Sun 26 Feb 2017.

"Much Obliged."  Finny says as Judoc offers a drink, though his face sours somewhat at the tepid interest in his information.  "Take a seat."  The other offers, pushing one of the chairs outward towards Judoc as he hails the waitress with a single finger.  "I've heard tell that there's a man looking for Thresher."  Finny offers his hand, palm up at Judoc, insinuating the obvious.  "An I've heard that Thresher hasn't been taking too keen on the idea that he's suddenly so popular.  In fact, I might have heard of some little plans he has in store, but at this point, my memory's getting a little fuzzy."

The wench stops by the table, saying only "Ya?" as Finny redirects his attention.  "The usual dear, an my frien's payin."  Finny smiles at Judoc, waiting for him to take the next move.

OOC:  I haven't moved forward with the $20 bribe yet based on the context of your post, just your offer for a drink.  If you want to hear Finny's story please post your offer IC and at that point I'll mark it off your inventory.

"Plans, eh?"  Judoc settles into his seat and grins.  "That's probably a real good idea, from what I hear."  So far, so good.  Ol' Finny looks like he's opening up right away.  To the serving girl, he says, "Give me the same thing."  He reaches in his pocket and pulls out some coins, paying for the two drinks and a tip and leaving five silver pennies on the table.  He pushes them over to Finny.  "A down payment," he says.  "Arrange a meeting, and I'll be even more grateful."

He waits until the waitress has moved off to get their drinks, and he says more quietly, "Now, I don't know you, Finny, but maybe you heard about me and Thresher.  They wanted me to kill him in the arena.  It was all a set up."  He shrugs and gestures with his hands, palms upraised, fingers slightly curved upward, as if to say That's life.  "I've heard things, too.  I know for a fact that two different people have been told to kill Thresher.  Seems like he has some dangerous enemies."

He leans back in his chair.  After Finny tells him what he needs to know, it will be time to make his next plans.  Stage an attack on Thresher?  Make it seem like Thresher only got away by the skin of his teeth?  Or just kill him and be done with it?  "Good to hear he's making some plans.  What's he planning on doing?  Lying low?"

OOC:  So that's two drinks, $1 tip, and $20 for Finny up front.

Finny smiles at the silver on the table and he scoops the coins into a hand, stashing them away on his person.  "I done thin you want a meet in as much as you thin, son.  I done know nothing about the arena but what I do know is that he's heard there's someone out to kill him, an he hasn't taken kindly to hearing there's a man asking all over town about him."  Finny flat out laughs when Judoc asks if he is going to lay low, though his chest moves up and down only a wheezy whistle of noise escapes his lips.

"Ah done thin so.  Ah heard he's plan in to take matters a little more physical like.  An ah thin if you ask questions around much more you're like to fine yourself get in roughed up by a few a his friends.  In fact, ah think they set a trap tonight in case you came ask in around again.  Ah might even remember where if you have a mark on you."

OOC:  I'm like 51% certain that you had already bought a drink in the bar based on my previous math.  I may or may not have posted that and I'm not worried enough to look through the posts again.  So I didn't have you order what you had, but instead just keep drinking what you already had.  With the bribe and the drink, you have $19 left on your person.  In case it is confusing, Finny is asking for $200 to tell you where an ambush is set up to get you tonight.

"Oh, believe me, it's very important that I catch up with him."  Too bad Thresher hadn't skipped town.  Now Judoc might have to kill him.  You don't have to do anything, he tells himself.  Graves isn't God on his throne.  He doesn't decide who lives and who dies.  You do.

He smirks at the thought of some street thugs getting physical with him.  "I appreciate the tip, but I can take care of myself," he says.  "I guess I have been asking too many questions."  He reaches into his pocket and puts a few more silver pennies on the table.  "That's all I have on me tonight.  I'll be seeing you, Finny."

He stands up from the table and walks back to the bar, holding his ale.  OK, so Thresher and his mates plan on a confrontation with whoever's asking questions.  Good.  This all is working out exactly as Judoc has planned.  Get the word out, get Thresher riled up, force some kind of confrontation.  Judoc lays down the righteous smiting, roasts Thresher's cadre, but Thresher gets away in the confusion.  Judoc tells his superiors that he did his best and took down half a dozen thugs, but there were just too many of them.  Graves is furious, sends Judoc to remedial classes, probably threatens to kick him out, but in the end, Judoc doesn't have to kill anyone and can stay on.

Worst case, Graves tries to kill him, he reasons.  That would be tricky.  With the magic at the Templars' disposal, Judoc figures if Graves wants him dead, it would be better not to stick around and give him an opportunity to do it.  He'd have to plan for that contingency - probably just get the hell out of Azer if it comes down to that.  But that's worst case scenario.  Or the guards come along, see the brawl going on, and just arrest everybody.

Or - well, Judoc kills Thresher.  Graves is pleased, the common folk in Azer aren't, but at least they know not to cross Judoc the Deadly.  Yeah.  That's a better sobriquet for a battlemage, anyway.

OOC:  Leave $16 more on the table and walk back to the bar.  Wait here another hour or so, ordering one more drink, and then wander around a bit, seeing if Judoc can crash the ambush.

Finny smiles gleefully again when near the last of Judoc's money is placed on the table, scooping it up with both hands.  "Good luck then."  He offers smiling unabashedly through his missing teeth.

Judoc walks to the bar, finishing his drink and ordering anther before he eventually gives up on the Dragon's Next as a bad job.  He wanders outside, trying to make sense of all the clues he'd learned from Finny.  It only stands to reason that his efforts in the last two days to find Thresher had made their way back, so perhaps if he started to revisit some of the establishments he had seen over the past two days?  Judoc wonders exactly how far he will get with empty pockets seeing as he had left Finny and the barkeep the last of his coin... still wasting the rest of the night wasn't exactly his best option either.  There were a pair of bars he had visited each of the last two nights, mostly last night because each of them were on his route.  Judoc decided first to try the one that seemed a little more friendly, the Silver Thatch Pub which had boasted a pot of mutton stew first then lentil soup and bread on each of the nights he had been there.

Finding his way back to the Silver Thatch, Judoc pushes his way through the door, waving to the keep but moving to one of the smaller tables rather than the bar as had usually been his habit.  There is a serving girl making her way around the bar that Judoc looks after for a moment before remembering that he has spent all his coin at the Dragon, but as his gaze wanders, he finds himself looking at a balding, middle aged man across the bar, who is looking directly back at him from the shadows of a table against the wall...

OOC:  Roll vs. IQ.  You gave $16 of your coin left to Finny and the other $3 to buy one more drink of the barrel of watered down house brew at the Dragon.  Make a roll against straight HT, if you fail you are at -1 to DX and IQ for the next 30 min due to drinking so much alcohol with no food.

So far, the night has been pretty successful.  Judoc has learned that he has succeeded in agitating Thresher.  He can't help chuckling a little to himself.  Everything is going according to plan.  Thresher is playing right into his hands.  Soon, they'll have their confrontation.  Judoc will thrash Thresher to within an inch of the other man's life and at the last minute let Thresher get away.  Reinforcements will arrive for the half a dozen thugs Judoc's already incapacitated, with the watch, too.  Yeah, then Thresher will disappear, and every trail will grow cold.  He will have failed to kill Thresher, but not for lack of trying.  Sometimes, fate just intervenes on a rogue's behalf in spite of everything one does.

By now, Judoc is feeling a little tipsy, but he has a hearty constitution, and he can hold his liquor reasonably well.  After thinking for a moment, he sets off toward the Silver Thatch Pub.  Somewhere out there, Thresher thinks he's setting a trap for the man who's been asking after him.  The young mage grins wolfishly.  Yes, yes, Thresher, you're so smart.  You know so much, don't you?  Heh.

Once he arrives at the Silver Thatch, he sidles inside and makes his way over to a table.  He's just about to order a glass of wine when he realizes that he's spent all his coin for the evening.  He frowns.  Why the devil hadn't he brought more money with him?  He has plenty back in his room.  Now he feels silly.  What's he supposed to do now without any more money?  Blast it.  He might as well go back to the castle and get some more coin.

Sullenly, he is about to stand up and leave when he catches sight of the man looking at him across the way.  Judoc leans forward and looks back, leaning forward and resting his elbows on the table.   Who's this now?  One of Thresher's lads?  Kind of old to be a lad, he thinks.  He is looking at Judoc, though.

Curiosity gets the best of him, and pushing up from the table, he begins to stroll towards where the other stands.

GM Edit to account for NPC action
This message was last edited by the GM at 01:05, Wed 01 Mar 2017.

Judoc's mind races as begins to stand.  He has seen this man, somewhere recently.  Yes, he was in one of the bars last night.  Judoc never talked to him but he was standing near enough.  As Judoc is looking at him, the man stands and rushes towards the front door!

OOC:  The man is walking quickly in the direction of the door.  He is slightly closer than you are at this point and he is still a good 10 or so yards away from you.  Tables and patrons are scattered throughout the bar, obstructing everyone's movement.  If you plan on moving anywhere at a speed greater than a walk, roll vs. DX to see how well you do with the obstacles.  Also state what speed you are going to go.

Who is this guy?  He apparently recognizes Judoc.  Is this a trap?  Do they think they can easily bait Judoc this way?  Ha!  The simpletons.  Judoc is so far ahead of them.  He wants to be caught!

Judoc pivots and darts after the man.

OOC:  Try to match the man's speed.

Judoc does not delay a moment, but matches the man pace for pace, making his way in a cutoff to intercept the bald man before he reaches the door.  As the man sees him moving, he breaks into a run and it takes Judoc only a moment to match the movement.

Though some patrons of the bar seem to be recognizing the situation, most still stand in place, or around their tables and running in the midst of the crowds is no easy feat.  The man nudges his way through several groups, slowing at each interruption.  Judoc however, seems to weave his way through the assembled crowds magically, glancing not even a single shoulder as he moves uninhibited.  Judoc can see himself making up the distance and as he closes he sees a single moment where the two will cross paths, just before the other makes it to the door...

OOC:  Basically, you have made up enough ground that you will get a fleeting moment if you want to influence the man's path rather than just following him.  Just based on the different courses, and the running speeds involved any attack or grapple will need to be a wild swing or slam to hit.  Let me know if you want to do any of those things, or any other action and roll vs. the appropriate skill if necessary.

When the man runs for the door, Judoc reacts instinctively, moving to close with him.  Obviously this fellow has been waiting for Judoc, but due to Judoc's uncanny knack for being in the right place at the right time, he has been able to turn the tables on this rube.  The pursuer is now the pursued.

"Just a minute, friend!  A word, if you please!" he calls out, sticking a foot out to try to trip the man up.

Judoc's decides his course in a moment, reaching the man's path just moments early and putting his foot down hard just in front of the man's ankle.  The result is an overwhelming success.  The man is going just fast enough that he attempts to slip by but does not notice the obstacle to his path.  His leg jars against Judoc's painfully as he flies another two feet before he comes into contact with the ground.

"What's he stolen?"  One of the patrons barks, though Judoc already has his mind wrapping around a spell meant to stop the man in his tracks.  The bald man does not hesitate, but moves his body back up to his knees, crouching first before he attempts to run off once again.  Judoc lets his spell loose just in time, but the mana does not act as he commands, and the bald man is off and moving before Judoc has another chance.  Cursing the man's luck, Judoc takes off in hot pursuit.

The two are out of the door within moments, the bald man taking off down the street as fast as his legs will carry him, Judoc continues to stay in trail, just slightly behind, though he is slowly losing his quarry.

OOC:  Bummer, you almost had everything.  I handled the trip as an attempted 'evade' on his part and you waxed him in DX dice rolls.  However you just barely made your levitate roll and he managed to resist the casting.  You are down 2 FP from the effort and are now about 5 yards behind him, although since you left the door the gap is opening just slightly.  No one got in either of your way on the way out.  You obviously have several options here for spells, not to mention extra effort in running if you want, otherwise you can just continue running at full move to try and outlast him.  Let me know what your general plan is and I'll keep going along that line.

Judoc had envisioned the man dangling upside down, forced to spill his guts over what Thresher might be planning.  All had been going according to plan, but somehow, the bald man had shaken off Judoc's Levitation spell.  Funny how that had happened twice now.

Instead, Judoc now gives chase, his feet pounding the pavement in pursuit of the man who obviously recognizes him and who is undoubtedly a lookout for Thresher.  This just isn't his lucky day.  The other man seems to be faster than the mage, too, gradually putting on some distance.

For now, though, Judoc wants to see where this guy is going.  Hopefully, he'll lead him right back to Thresher.

OOC:  Continue running.

The bald man picks a direction quickly in the street, sprinting for all he is worth down the well cobbled road.  At first, Judoc keeps his pace moderate, letting the man outstrip him slightly but he quickly realizes that if he wants to have any chance of finding this man again he will have to go his maximum speed.  Judoc launches himself forward with his feet as fast as they will go and finds that going as fast as he is able he is at least keeping the gap even if not gaining on his quarry!

The streets ahead are empty enough at this late hour that he does not have to dodge any crowds but instead he makes a straight bee line in trail, following the smokey light of the oil lamps that illuminate the street.  After less than a minute of this pace, the man dashes off to the left down an alleyway and in just a few moments Judoc will follow behind him.

OOC:  Sorry I keep stopping you with minimal action but I just want to make sure I get your intent right before moving you on and potentially doing something you didn't exactly see yourself doing.  The Silver Thatch Pub is in the northwest portion of the merchant's district just bordering near the high ground of the city where the Governor's Manor and most of the nobility live (the snooty part of town).  The bald man is running generally southwest, towards the heart of the merchant's district.  Because the bald man was losing you at a fairly rapid pace I had you start sprinting about half way through the action, at which point you started gaining back on him slightly.  You lost 1 FP in the effort.  He has now ducked into an alley way and if you keep moving at a sprint you will be there in about 9 seconds.  The sun set about two hours ago and Judoc would know that most of the back alleys are not well lit at night, and you would be at a penalty for vision rolls.  If you want to keep moving at a sprinting pace, roll vs HT and you are down 1 more FP if you fail.  If you want to slow to a running pace, it will take you about 18 seconds or so to make it there, but you will not suffer any FP.  Let me know what your general intentions are, how far you want to follow this man and at what speed and we will keep moving.

So far, all has gone according to plan.  Judoc has deftly created rumors that someone is searching for Thresher.  Thresher has made plans to deal with his dangerous hunter, and the poor slob currently running for his life is some kind of point man for the whole escapade.  Even now, Judoc is gaining on the fleeing man.  I have you now, he thinks as he darts down the half-deserted streets.

Just ahead, the man ducks down an alleyway.  Trying to turn the tables, is he?  Set up an ambush?  Judoc slows down just enough so that he can react to whatever the man and his associates might have waiting for him around the corner.

OOC:  Keep running, but slow down to a running pace, enough so that he's not barreling around the corner at full speed. Once he gets to the corner, have a look down the alley before going further.

Comfortable with his progress, Judoc slows his footfalls to a jog wanting to have some idea what he is getting himself into before he turns the corner.  It did not escape him that the 'plans' that Finny had spoken of could very well be an ambush laid out somewhere very close to where he is now running...

Judoc lets his vision expand taking in the blackness of the night as he searches for as much information as he can while he reins in his breathing to listen to the night sounds.  Darkness has fallen some hour and a half ago, and the night sky scintillates with starlight that is only partly occluded by puffy grey clouds drifting their way lethargically across the sky.  The masonry and wood buildings of the city pass to each side, still well kept in this part of town so that there are no loose boards or broken mortar.  The light of the oil lamps to each side flicker and warm, pulsating their dull light in sloppy, circular patches across the street.

The noise of city also hums along, giving him more to think on than just the thudding of his pulse in his ears and the smack of his shoes on the road below.  Up ahead two men talk loudly as they walk.  To the left, Judoc passes a beggar sleeping against a building, oblivious to the late hour and the increased potential of the watchmen in this better part of town.

As he turns at the alley to follow the bald man, Judoc is confronted with an open alley that spans perhaps three shoulder widths and is only a few dozen yards long until it opens out into another main thoroughfare.  The buildings on each side are each three stories, though Judoc did not get a good enough look at the one he ran past to know exactly what it was.  Up ahead he can see a single access door for each of the buildings, a few windows higher up on the second and third floors of each, and the remnants of various refuse that litters each side of the alley.  However, he does not see his quarry ahead.

"Roknar!"  Someone calls out in the night, but it is difficult to determine from such a distance if it comes from ahead or not.

OOC:  You don't see the bald man at this point, but the alley is probably only 40 yards long or so and the bald man could have easily made it to the other side by now if he kept up his pace.

One thing is on Judoc's mind as he jogs down the street - Thresher's ambush.  How will he handle it?  Like he had in the arena, raining down fiery death in explosive fireballs?  Nah, Thresher will be expecting that.  No, he'll think of something.

Two men up ahead of him.  Part of Thresher's gang?  Could be.  The beggar to the left.  A lookout of some kind?  Maybe Thresher himself.  Judoc grins.  A bold move if it's so.  It may be the reason the beggar is risking getting picked up by the local watch, but Judoc bets Thresher is waiting somewhere, ready to spring his trap on Judoc.

Judoc enters the alleyway.  Had the man dashed on down to the end of the alleyway?  He picks up his pace to see what he can see on the other end of the alley, but perhaps the man ducked into one of the side doors, no doubt thinking to lose Judoc in one of these tenements.

Roknar.  What did that mean?  A password of some kind?  A warning?  Judoc smiles.  He must not underestimate these men, but it all seems so laughable how easy they were being manipulated.

OOC:  Jog down to the end of the alley and look both ways.  If Judoc doesn't see the bald man, go back into the alley.  Flip a coin to decide which door to go into.

Judoc continues his pace, running down the alleyway at an increased clip as he thinks to himself the most likely direction his prey had gone was to continue all the way down the alleyway.  As he slows to make the corner on the next side he quickly confirms his suspicion, craning his head in both directions before he recognizes a bald head, craned to the right as if he is looking down another alleyway.  The man has stopped for the moment, breathing heavily, though he makes Judoc out of the corner of his eye and quickly resumes his flight.  Judoc continues his run, measuring his strides to keep from falling back too quickly.

The path he now runs along is not quite as wide as it had seemed from the alleyway and proves to be more of an access to the backside of each row of buildings than an actual thoroughfare.  The chase continues for perhaps another minute before the bald man looks to his right, halts himself and then darts down an alleyway.  Now progressively catching up to the man, Judoc only takes a few more moments before he makes the turn himself and is overjoyed with the view.

At the end of the alley there is no access to another road.  The bald man is trying his hand at a doorway in the alley and having no luck pushing it in.  Judoc takes a step into the alleyway behind him, sealing off what is likely the man's last escape.  Frantic, the man turns back at Judoc holding out a hand, palm outward as if bidding Judoc to stop.  "Stay back!"  The man shouts.  "I'll not be intimidated by you!"

OOC:  You are at the end of the alleyway (the intersection with the street) and about 15 yards from the bald man.  He is at the end of the alleyway, which is about two yards wide.  It looks as if there is only one door at the end, which he doesn't seem to be able to open.  The only other way out seems to be to climb straight up two stories.  Roll vs. Perception -4 and shoot me a PM before you post if you succeed.

"Hey, hey, friend, I mean you no harm."  Judoc smiles, and his tone is placating.  "I just want to talk to Thresher is all."  If this guy is working for Thresher, then Judoc must have them scared out of their minds.  Good.  If they're fearful, they'll act irrationally, and Judoc can exploit that.  The mouse is caught in the trap.  But with Judoc's prey captured, now what?  How can he flush out Thresher for Judoc's staged attack, and how can he pull it off in such a way that Thresher lives and Graves is satisfied?  His two intended outcomes seem mutually exclusive, but surely there's a solution to meet both.

Footsteps behind him make him turn his head.  No doubt the beggar from earlier, looking for a handout.  Well, Judoc's given out all the money he's intending to give this evening.  Still at the mouth of the alley, he turns to face the newcomer.  "If you're looking for money, I haven't much," he says to whoever's coming up behind him.  "Though I can toss you a couple of farthings if that's all you want."

Ahead, the bald man continues to talk, even over Judoc.  "Stay back I say, don't you dare come any closer!"

Judoc turns his head midsentence, thinking that next to him will be a beggar, but it does not seem so.  For it is another middle aged man dressed in common clothes and a deer skin jacket.  He has a wide scar down his jawline and is walking not straight like a normal man but slightly hunched over as though he is skulking.  He has his left hand held low and outward, his palm held down.  The other hand holds a ball of cloth or rags and is held slightly up and reaches out ever so slightly to Judoc.  And as he sees Judoc turn his head he breaks into a run directly at him!

"Shit!"  The bald man curses from the end of the alley.

OOC:  The bald man is still 15 yards away and holding both empty hands outward in a defensive/unaggressive stance.  The new approaching man is about 6 yards away and is moving into a full run directly at you.  Realize that because you "turned your head" he is attacking from a side hex - so defenses will be at -2 if he has a greater combat initiative than you (and if he attacks you and you need to defend).  He does not have a visible weapon on him.