(Alec gets 1 xp but takes -1 forward.)

It occurs to Jack that maybe one of his new pals could take his own ("Sneaky") robe off and use it to wrap around the guard and prevent any blood trail...

(Does he suggest it...?)

Jack looks at them as they start to drag the body and suggests, "Use your robe underneath him so that it doesn't leave a streak on the ground, we can get you a new robe when we get back to the fort," his voice quiet. He waits then for them to hide the body and gestures for them to lead the way to the second location where they might find the wire.

"Aww, but this is my Sneakiest robe..." Petey whispers, but he apparently knows a smart idea when he hears it, so he takes it off (underneath, he is wearing extremely threadbare jeans and a shirt and sneakers) and wraps the body in it. He and Whitey start to lift the body... but its weight would be nothing for a royal son of Amber... does one of you offer to help...?

Jack would have done it, if they hadn't sprung to like it was no thing. Seeing that they are having some effort involved, he goes over and grabs the body and walks it around the corner, following that arc they'd planned. "Let's go," he reiterates.

There is more moving cautiously, listening, stopping, waiting, starting... but not quite as much as before.

Soon, you go through another door... and are in darkness again.

"This used to be our territory," Petey whispers, "just a few years ago. That's how we know our way around so well. Then the false viewers drove us out."

He turns on a new light bulb.

The new basement-like area is between 10 and 20 percent bigger than the last one, and is much more obviously full of electrical wires and parts of all kinds. "Have to have a storage area like this," Whitey whispers, "so that you can still watch the show if a part wears out or otherwise breaks down. At least the false viewers and us are alike in that respect..."

(One of you (whomever does it first) do a Perception check for what you're looking for... this time, the number you will need for success will be MUCH lower...)

Once again, Jack moves forward with the Sneaky Petey and Sneaky Whitey. The two leading the way, the lean prince of Amber, son of Benedict, the sword at his side, his armored motorcycle jacket behind them. In their path he walks patiently, mirroring them as best he can, letting his eyes grow steadily more accustomed to the darkness. Walking into the next room for searching purposes, he quickly begins to go through all of the small bins and cases.

Moving things out of the way, pocketing a few things like spark-plugs that he thought might work, but not making a deal out of it. As he progresses, he looks over at the duo and Alec.

"We're going directly back to the truck," he mentions. "Regardless of what I find."

10:48, Today: Jack rolled 8 using 2d6 with rolls of 4,4.
This message was last edited by the player at 15:51, Tue 20 Aug 2019.

It takes a few minutes longer than anyone would prefer because there's precious little organization to the things stored in the room, but then Jack suddenly finds exactly what he's looking for-- it should replace the missing cable perfectly, and fairly easily.

But two seconds later, Whitey turns off the lightbulb.

Darkness.

"Shhh--" Whitey (or Petey) says.

A few seconds later, several feet hurry by the door outside, and voices murmur to one another-- which, down here, is the equivalent of an enraged mob running and shouting.

When they have clearly gone for about 30 quiet seconds, Petey (or Whitey) whispers: "Time to go. But should it be back the way we came... or will they be expecting that, and we should maybe kind of go around and get to the surface another way...?"

Alec is still watching and turns to watch behind them when the light turns out and backlights him. He quickly closes one eye, knowing that it took a few minutes for his eyes to adjust to the dark and anything he can do to speed that up will be a good thing.

Jack searches for and hopefully finds what he is looking for, and Alec is more listening than watching since he has one eye shut until the light bulb is turned off again. He moves to the side of the doorway so he is not fully silhouetted and least has a little bit of cover, but he continues his watch.

Jack holds up the wire to show Alec and slides it into his jacket's interior-most pocket. Hearing the question from thinks for a second. These people were a quiet sort usually, since they were hiding from the Truancy Officers, whatever those are.  That they were yelling meant they'd found something, and the only something he can think of is the body.

But maybe not.

Stepping over to the door he puts his ear to it, trying to stretch himself to hear as much as possible.

(Perception check, please...)

14:23, Today: Jack rolled 5 using 2d6 ((2,3)).

(Jack gets 1 new XP, but takes -1 forward.)

Jack hears nothing.

Does that mean -1 on perception checks to do that thing?

(No, just that you take a one-time -1 penalty on your next roll, whatever it is.

Of course if your next roll turns out to be something you would normally get a +2 on, then you'll just get a +1 instead, if you see what I mean...)

Not hearing anything through the door, Jack points that they should go back the way that they'd come. Hopefully whoever was there wouldn't be hanging around waiting for someone to come back using the same route. Tactics dictated not to take the same route twice, but he was more concerned with speed in this case. Being located would be a death sentence, or at the least, a 'bad day' sentence.

He nods to Petey and Whitey and makes to follow them out and back the way they came.

"Back this way."

(New Agile rolls, please, for stealth, from each of you...)

Alec has his knife out. Again, there is better chance of running into someone in the darkness than there is of finding a somewhat lit area where a sword would make more sense.

14:00, Today: Alec rolled 8 using 2d6+2 with rolls of 1,5.

Moving with a fair amount of stealth, Alec tries to listen or smell for someone nearby, since the darkness is near total.

14:10, Today: Jack rolled 8 using 2d6 with rolls of 3,5

As the four of you move, trying to rush and not make noise at the same time, there eventually comes a time when you hear noise from up ahead.

"What was that?" someone whispers loudly.

"Don't know. Might be one of our own patrols. Running Bear, Bloom, you go check it out. Holler if it's Apaches," says someone else.

They all move on... except for two sets of footsteps that come hurrying in your direction...

Jack makes a few gestures for everyone to find a spot to hide and wait for the incoming footsteps to materialize into people to stab. Finding a spot in the shadows, he tucks up and draws his best dagger again, its well-honed edge glinting only faintly in the darkness. Crouching down. His eyes focus intently.

Alec does the same thing Jack does. He finds some welcoming shadows and keeps the dagger at the ready. He has a pretty good idea where Jack is since the last thing he wants to do is stab Jack.

Anyone else...there would be different levels of problems if he did that. As for whoever was moving towards them, hopefully, a friend and not a foe.

Hm. There's not a ton of places to hide in the tunnels... but there are some.

(Each of you please give me a Perception check to find good spots to wait...)

11:13, Today: Jack rolled 10 using 2d6 with rolls of 6,4.

20:10, Today: Alec rolled 4 using 2d6 with rolls of 1,3.

(Alec gets 1 new xp and takes -1 forward... and is a visible target of opportunity)

Two men come into the dimness... another guy made up to like a Native American, and a guy sort of dressed as a cowboy (maybe a cavalry officer, specifically...?)

They walk right past Jack, but their eyes must be as good as Whitey and Petey's, because they immediately attack Alec.

(GM rolls dice)

Both men hit, but the first man's blow (with a tomahawk) is very slight.

The second's (with a saber), less so.

(Alec takes 1 and 4 damage... but as I recall he's got a leather duster that absorbs 1 point of armor each time, so I guess he takes just 3... but that duster could stand to be repaired one of these days soon...)

The most important mistake the two men have made, though, is they jumped to attack Alec so fast, they forgot to yell "HEY" nor "INTRUDERS!" nor anything like that.

So now's your chance to try to take 'em down fast and silently.

(Alec gets a free counter-attack against the cowboy... and then, he can attack or do whatever he wants)
This message was last edited by the GM at 16:46, Thu 29 Aug 2019.