Midnight, the arranged time to meet at the Raven's Claw, comes. However, there are no lights on in the back shop. Zuul must not be there...

In an alleyway near the Raven's Claw, the same one Iridia and Whisper met Joe in, a figure cloaked from head to toe stood in its shadows, barely visible under the moonlight.

Iridia's muffled and hooded face peeked from the corner to check if anyone made it to the Raven's Claw. The three, Gaiven, Frank, and Iridia, were supposed to meet this midnight and head for the Raven's Claw hideout for their initiation party. If any time, this it would be the chance to find Gaiven. However, if Frank ratted out this meeting spot, Iridia would be ready to slip away before anyone can notice. She wasn't worried about Gaiven because he is mute.

She would wait for half an hour, then take her leave.

Sitting in a shadowy spot between two chimneys on a rooftop opposite the Raven's Claw, Gaiven scratched his chin. His new cloak was doing a good job of keeping the slight night's chill away from him, but it did nothing to assuage his boredom. Still, being bored was better than being dead. And the current situation was troubling him.

Given his early exit he hadn't seen what had become of the other three. And the possibility that they had been captured seemed greater and greater for every given minute. Though he hadn't seen any of the guard entering the shop, neither had any of his colleagues showed up. Even Zuul seemed to be missing the opportunity for a profit, and that stank to high heavens.

Pulling the cloak a bit closer around himself, Gaiven resolved to wait a bit longer for any sign of what was going on.

Whisper had traveled near the Raven's Claw early in the evening, not wanting to arouse suspicions he made note of those that lingered more than a few moments.  Looking at each person nearby, Whisper calmly turned and left the area and headed back to his lab.  As the evening progressed closer to midnight, Whisper once again made his way towards the Claw. Only this time after a few quick finger movements, he disappeared after rounding a corner not too far off.

[Private to Stripe:
Finding a spot near the door that was already deep in darkness, Whisper sat in the shadow and cast yet another spell.  This spell increased the level of darkness around him, blotting him from sight.  He waited there cautiously until Zuul made his appearance.


OOC: Cast Invisibility, then cast a 1-hex Darkness
Whisper rolled 12 using 3d6. Cast Darkness.
Whisper rolled 10 using 3d6. Cast Invis.]

Time drags on in silence.

[Private to Gaiven the Dumb: You see a figure resembling Iridia standing in the alley near the front of the Raven's Claw.][Private to Whisper: You see a figure resembling Iridia standing in the alley near the front of the Raven's Claw.]

It wasn't long before Iridia lost patience. She stepped in in front of the Raven's Claw door, and started to pace back and forth. She would wait for five minutes, and then leave if no one showed up.

Whisper had sat in his self-created darkness and wondered when the old gargoyle would come around.  As the night slowly progressed, Whisper wondered what had happened to Zuul as well as the others.  As Iridia came close to the door, he peered past her to the alley and the rooftops, looking for anyone else. Once he was sure, no one else was within earshot, he spoke quietly to Iridia, his voice creeping from a pitch black corner near the door,

"Where is everyone else?  Have you spoken with anyone?

"We were supposed to meet tonight to head for our initiation party at the Raven's Claw. If Gaiven didn't show up, then he must have been captured too." She replied.

Peering across the road, Gaiven regards the figure hidden in the alley across from him. A waft of whitish hair. The female curves. The way she hid in the shadows. In the end he comes to the conclusion that the person really is Iridia. Having seen no one else, he decides to take the risk necessary to gain contact. Withdrawing from the chimneys, he makes his way back to the edge of the roof, and down into an alley connecting to the street.

Looking out into the street, he quickly checks if anyone else is out, then crosses the street to Iridia's alley. He doesn't give any greeting as he slips into her shadows.

Iridia spots a figure approaching through the alley and steps back behind Whisper. She peered from Whisper's shoulder to see who it was.

"Oh, its you Gaiven." Iridia said as she abandoned Whisper to move closer to her mute friend. "I am relieved to see you. I persume that you know about Frank. They raided my house at daybreak today. Whisper said that they used magic to find us. And we saw their mage tracker."
Iridia paused to take a breath and to look around for anyone who isn't supposed to be there.

"I... I don't think its safe for me to be in Rimuldar, so I am going to leave for a few months then come back when the situation have calmed down. You aren't safe either." Iridia continued.

Judging by Gaiven's reaction as Iridia speaks, he hasn't heard about Frank, or any of the other things that has occurred to him and Iridia. Giving Whisper a mistrusting look, he motions for her to continue.

"When the guards raided my house, Whisper helped us escape. But Frank was captured before he could make it out safely. Poor Frank." Iridia explained. "I don't know what magic could make them track us, but they could use it again, and maybe on you this time. You... You should come with me."

Gaiven hesitates, then nods softly. However, then he points to Zuul's shop and raises a questioning eyebrow.

Iridia nods back. She felt relieved that someone is coming with her. Now she knows she isn't alone in this.

"You want to go in?" She reflects what she thinks Gaiven is saying.
This message was last edited by the player at 00:52, Sat 27 Dec 2008.

Gaiven makes negatory hand movements, then places his hands to his forehead, jutting out a finger from each. Either mimicking horns or some kind of antenna. He looks pretty silly, and judging by his facial expression he knows this, and isn't particularly happy about it.

"You think Zuul ratted us out?" Iridia attempted to reflect again.

Gaiven lowers his hands, apparently satisfied, then gives a noncommittal half-shrug.

Whisper watched and listened to the conversation between the two from the relative safety of his self-created darkness in the shadowy nearby corner

"You really think they would be after us if Zuul ratted us out?  We are just small time crooks compared to the amount of stolen goods that old buzzard churns through these doors."  Whisper caught himself as his voice began to rise,

"Something is happening, what I don't know, but Zuul wouldn't turn on us.  It would expose himself to the authorities and end his little nighttime activites.  If you enter through that door, the only thing I smell is some sort of trap."

Taking a deep breath, Gaiven launches into some more advanced signing.

OOC: Basically he is inquiring where Zuul is, considering that we're supposed to deliver the necklace.
[Private to Whisper: For some reason, Gaiven seems somewhat distrustful towards you]

"The necklace is gone, Gaiven." Iridia said in a frustrated tone, but then she paused regretfully. "Now that you mention it... Where is Zuul?"

The only obvious answer to Iridia's question is "not here."


[Private to Gaiven the Dumb: OOC: Which seems to answer both of Gaiven's questions as well, so I'll leave your advanced signing alone, unless you want something more from it. ]

"If you really want to know if he's here, let's go in.  If not then go back to your normal boring life."  With that, Whisper stood from his sitting position in a corner completely shrouded by darkness and approached the door.  "After you."  Whisper made an overly emphasized bow before Gaiven and gestured towards the door with his hands.

Gaiven looks with disgust at Whisper, and throws a rude gesture. Turning his face to Iridia, he raises a questioning eyebrow and jabs a thumb towards the street.

"Seems the big quiet one wants to leave, perhaps then we should all leave.  Until things cool down a bit."

Whisper will follow the others, out of town if necessary, until life returns to normal.

Iridia would be the first to want to get out.

When out of town, she would try to earn some sustainance money by working as a barmaid or such low-income jobs.