Evgenis' eyes go wide when Stalsii flees.

"Um, sorry," he says to the guard, quite in earnest, before running after his companion, chicken-sack under his arm.

Love it ;) You have Manny's utmost esteem, even if he doesn't know it yet.

Stalsii, Evgenis, and Rae take off. The dwarven guard utters a curse and all four move forward for Fimbur and the oblivious Arbwynn. Fimbur shoulder-checks the bugbear, sending him sprawling, and gives Arbwynn a shove in the direction of the others as Fimbur goes down. He tries to stand but is quickly pinned by the half-orc and dwarf. The bugbear scrambles back to his feet and joins the others in apprehending Fimbur. The fourth guard runs a few yards after the rest of you but stops short, leaving you to escape and helping to wrestle Fimbur to his feet. The last thing you see is Fimbur being led back towards the road with a smile on his face.

Arbwynn came back to her senses, the big crow suddenly wheeling and panicking, cawing in the sky as it loses the connection to its master. Panicking, Arbwynn thought about fighting the guard to save Fimbur, but her instincts as a member of the Flock took hold, and she was running immediately, fast like the wind, taking her dwarf friend's hint.

OOC: run for the others

Once they got far enough away Stalsii said, "I think we lost them. We better get the chicken back to the Lydan Arcanum, and be done with it. We can regroup with Manny after to split the pay." They started off weaving through seldom used streets and back alleys while keeping a lookout for any guards, and headed toward their destination.

"Yes, best get rid of this thing as soon as we can," Evgenis agrees.

You find you have to double-back through some of the alleys and streets in order to avoid the guard. After a bit of time between moving and waiting and working through the city, you finally reach the Lydan Arcanum. There you find Brunhild, the half-elven Professor of Enchantment. "Oh, joy," she exclaims. "You found Chukchuk. I'm so glad. More so since," she looks over each of you top to bottom, it looks like he didn't get a nip on any of you, and that's good."

Meanwhile, back outside of the city Jellybean has been casually grazing in the fields. Somewhere about the same time the rest of your group finds themselves at the Lydan Arcanum Jellybean returns to its normal draft-horse size. The smoke stops flowing from its nostrils and all other oddities from the potions seem to have subsided.

Rae, out of breath, looked at the two. "That horse and the goblin's obsession is going to get us arrested - or killed." She sighed as she took a breath. She nodded none the less.

"Lets just hope Manny will give it up!"

Arbwynn puffed herself up big and stood tall

"Big chicken captured, and the day is saved!"

"Hey, lookit!" Manny exclaimed excitedly. "You did it, Jelly! You're back to normal again!"

"I wonder if I ought to get you back..."

Manny looked back over his shoulder, his gaze falling upon the clipped city wall way off in the distance and the general hubbub surrounding the gate.

"On second thought, that's probably not the best idea just now..." he mused.

"You stick with me, Jellybean. Ol' Manny'll sort you out."

Stalsii smiled broadly at Brunhild while holding out their hand, "we're so happy we could be of assistance.  By the way, how do you cure a cockatrice nip?"

Brunhild counts out 25 gold coins and hands them over to Stalsii. She seems slightly alarmed and looks over you all again, "Well, with most cockatrice, the bite will cause the petrification for 24 hours after which they return to normal. But Chukchuk here is different due to the experimentation I've been conducting. If he scratches you, rather than biting, for those around my size whatever was scratched, an arm, leg, foot or otherwise, would petrify for 48 hours. However, if I, for example, get scratched enough, then the petrification would spread to my whole body. A...verdan, I believe you're called? or one your size would be fully petrified. Regardless, the effect should fade after 48 hours time.

"I've succeeded in lessening the immediate potency of Chukchuk's magical petrification but at the trade-off of the duration, for the time. Hopefully, with some more research and testing now that you've returned him, I can figure out how to lessen it more and more, if not negate it completely. Unfortunately, beyond Chukchuk escaping, some of the materials needed to really dive into the experimentation are more difficult to come by."

Evgenis cocks his massive head. "Fascinating!" he rumbles, "And these materials, do you need someone to find those for you?"

Evgenis is not too sure about working as an axe for hire, that's never been his plan. But doing so for arcane experimentation may be at least of interest.

"Yeah, what's the materials? We could try to find some, or you could post a bill!"

Arbwynn's mask lenses followed the coins as Statsii was handed them, the hunched and cloaked figure eager to get some shines in her coin purse.

With the DM's blessing

Manny had made his way back around to the Lydan Arcanum by way of the 'scenic route', taking pains to keep out of sight of the guards on the wall. With Jellybean looking like - well, Jellybean again it was easy enough to tie the animal off to a hitch without drawing undue attention. Afterall, hundreds of horses plied the roads around Lydan on any given day. There was nothing about this one that was distinguishing any longer.

"'allo, Arby!" he said, bustling through the doors of the Arcanum with a big, toothy grin. "Gents," he added with a familiar nod for the remainder of those assembled, irrespective of actual gender. "I hoped I'd find you here."

"How'd you make out? All good then?"

"Allo!"

Arbwynn flourished her cloak and the beeg crow appeared again, suddenly grasped by both of Arbwynn's hands with a look of bewilderment on its face

"We did great! Made a new friend out of trash!"

"Oh! Well that's good then." Manny was by now well accustomed to Arbwynn's peculiar mannerisms. "Have we settled up yet? Where's Fimbur, by the by?" He craned his neck looking about for the conspicuously absent Dwarf.

Brunhild perks up, "I certainly wouldn't turn down help in getting them. Some are difficult to find, some to reach, and some are in dangerous environs or part of deadly creatures.

"I'd of course be willing to offer compensation. If you're willing, I can make a list of the items needed for my experimentation with Chukchuk, though to be honest, there's plenty more I'd be open to if it's some intrinsically magical or spell-like ability of a creature or plant. Don't feel obligated to go right out and charge forth to complete the list, but if you come across something and can safely get it, well I'd be appreciative."

She quickly scribbled down several items:

• Basilisk eyes
• Medusa head
• Cockatrice, preferred live
• Kliostyus fish
• Roots and base of the Stone-root vines
• Essence of Blacksea urchins
• Xorn and/or Galeb Duhr excrement

[Private to GM: Kliostyus Fish is a variation of a Dunkleosteus, found in deep water
stone-root vines found in mountain domain
Blacksea urchins found super-deep in water domain]

Manny looked about the assembled faces expectantly, but after a few moments with no answer forthcoming he pursed his lips. "I see. Well. We should probably give Lydan a bit of time to cool off. I'm headed Grofe-ways. Any of you lot are welcome to join me."

Stalsii took the paper and whistled, "that's quite a list! we'll keep this in mind. Thank you."

To Manny they said, "Lets meet up at Predator's Cove where we can divvy up, and talk."

Manny nodded in acquiesce. This seemed liked a reasonable concession.

-> To Predator's Cove

Stalsii bowed to Brunhild, "It's been a pleasure. May we do business again." and they left.

To Predator's cove

"I could take a look at Grofe if you need the company . . . "

Arbwynn followed the other two to Predator's Cove

-> To Predator's Cove

Leaving a satisfied Brunhild scolding Chukchuk for the trouble he's caused. You all leave the Lydan Academy for the Predator's Cove.

You each gain 200 xp.