*shrugs* "oh well i guess we'll have to do this the hard way, i don't think smoke will do anything but advertise our location and presence a fog would have appeared a natural nuicance to those following"

"your call"

"I can't create fog, unfortunately," Lurel sighs, "and if we just walk through the wall that bird can track us, and we'll lose our advantage. Maybe we could wait until nightfall, and slip away under cover of darkness - though those men seemed to know precisely where we were even in the dark. How else could we lure this bird within range of your arrows, or drive it away altogether?" He grimaces. "Where are Avelyssians when you need them? They could have chased that bird away or distracted it somehow!"

He shrugs, and remembers something. From his pack he pulls the metal pipe the Archivist gave him. "I don't suppose it'll bring us help here, but perhaps the sound will alarm that bird."

He raises the metal pipe to his lips, and blows into it.

Lurel hears the Archivists voice in his head.

"Are you in danger, if so give me precise details and I will see what can be done."

'We think we are in a trap.' Lurel does his best to project a picture of their surroundings to the Archivist. 'We are being tracked by a group of men who outnumber us, and we think they use a bird or other winged creature to track us. We can evade their ambush, but we need to get rid of the bird first, and it is too far away for us to shoot it.' He carefully assembles an image of the circling bird in his head and hopes that it will be transmitted to the archivist. 'Is there any way you can help us drive the bird away, so that we can escape unnoticed?'

"I myself do not like to kill if I can avoid it. I will arrange for it to be distracted for a short time. Move as quickly as you can. You may not see anything but rest assured the bird will not be tracking you."

The voice fades.

Lurel breathes a sigh of relief, and tells the others about Archivist's offer of help.

"We need to move quickly, she said, so I'll start opening the rock - I only hope that the earth elementals will let me... Make sure you're ready to follow me in - I'll have to close the rock again behind us so that pursuit can't follow us. Ari, which direction do we need to go - through the rocks on the left or the right?"

Lurel waits for Ari's answer before attempting to open a passage through the rock wall for them.

*ari looks a little worried*
"I guess thats the best we can hope for, south west is the direction of ratz so i'd guess going throught the right rockface."

Lurel nods. "Well, let's hope this works. We need to stay close together, so make sure you're ready."

Lurel places his hands on the rockface to their right to try to get a feel for the rock. Calling upon his earth magic, he attempts to open a passage through the rock for them.

Lurel has no problem getting through the rock walls. The bird is nowhere in sight. However Midge remains uneasy. As you break through what turns out to be the final wall it is clear that the men have split up. One man is standing close to you. At the moment he his looking away.

The marshy land in front is not so deep. Midge can now stand but the level of weed makes it difficult to move quickly. The same presumably applies to the man you are looking at.

Ford lets Midge down in the grass. He looks to the man nearby and puts one hand on the hilt of his sword. He quietly whispers to the others.

"What do we do? Try and capture him? Sneak past?"

*knocks an arrow to his bow and whispers*
"either creep up to him place a knife at his back tell him not to call out and question him quietly about his purpose and his friend locations or creep past, or knock him out. i'll cover us which ever you decide all have risks"

*ari slips behind any undergrowth (if there is any) but keeps the bow ready to shoot the man if he turns and calls but prays it wont be necessary*

Lurel nods and whispers: "We should find out what it is they want - this may be our best chance. Ford, I'll do the werewolf transformation to try to pin him down and scare him - can you ask the questions? If I snarl at his throat, he might just be inclined to talk! Ari, you cover us with your bow - in case something goes wrong and he gets his hands on a weapon before we have him pinned down. Midge, you warn us about the others, ok?"

With that Lurel hands his stuff to the others and transforms into a wolf. He crouches low among the weeds, and moves as silently as he can to sneak up behind the man. If he succeeds in doing this without being noticed, he launches himself at the man's back, hoping to knock him over and pin him down with his weight.

Ford nods to Lurel and stands back, staying ready to give Lurel back-up if he needs it.

The man is oblivious to Lurel's approach but turns in time to see Ford and Midge Lurel finds it hard to move in the reedy water but gets there while the man, clearly wondering whether the two he can see have anything to do with the four he expected, has made no move. Lurel knocks him flat into the water where he will quite naturally drown if left.

//OOC - is the attacker conscious and struggling, or unconscious?//


If the attacker is conscious, Lurel does not dare to let him get up until his friends have arrived to help restrain him.

If unconscious, Lurel tries to drag the man out of the water by grabbing hold of the man's clothes with his teeth.

Is Zorn's place a store, or just a house? Also, is the girl still following us?

Lurel's party

You appear to have knocked him unconscious. Lurel drags his head above water but needs help.

Siffli and Lisette

Zorn's place is a house from which he conducts his business. The little girl has run away but is still watching you.

"Nice!"

Ford grins and runs over to Lurel, helping him drag the man out of the water.

"Wow, you knocked him out cold... got anything we could wake him up with?"

Lurel shakes the water off his paws and begins to transform back into his usual shape.

"Water, perhaps," he replies to Ford while getting dressed again. "Though before we wake him up we should probably make sure he can't harm us."

He thinks for a moment.

"I'm not sure whether we should use this chance to get away unobserved, and hope he'll slumber on for a few hours, or whether it would be better to ask him a few questions first.. so we know what those men are after."

He sighs. "What do you think?"

Ford ponders as he checks the man's body for any weaponry, taking them as he goes.

"I think it would be silly not to take advantage of an opportunity like this. If we don't find out what they're after now I doubt they'll be stupid enough to let this sort of thing happen again... besides, so long as we disarm him fully he shouldn't be too much of a problem. He doesn't look like the type who could wield any sort of powerful magic to me."

"i hope you're right ford, best bind his hands first as well"
*ari continues to keep an eye out with his bow ready*

ooc> its not whether you're paranoid it whether you're paranoid enough

Lurel hesitates. "I know it would make sense to bind his hands and maybe even blindfold him, but I'm reluctant to do that to someone who isn't proven to be an enemy... and so far we've attacked him, not he us."


He uses his empathy skill on the unconscious man, not sure whether it will work or whether he will have to wait until the man has regained consciousness.

"true however we are in more control on how he reacts if hes tied. i'd hate to have to shoot him for trying to kill you when he just thought he was trying to defend himself and escape some bandits. i'd feel far worse doing that than tying up an innocent man, and untying him again later and apologising for it."

As the man comes round, tied or untied, it is clear he is not the kind to take four of you on by himself. On the other hand he is not particularly nervous. Lurel finds him surprisingly relaxed. He also senses that part of the man's mind is shielded. Midge can sense that the man is a potential source of danger.

The man says: "So! What have I done to you that you jump me from behind and rob me of my defences?" He is smiling patronisingly.

Ford looks down at the man.

"We decided to take this opportunity to ask a few questions. For starters... why are you and your friends following us?"

"Who sent you?" Lurel asks. "What are your instructions regarding us?"

"Well now, as you came from behind me I can't very well be following you or sent by anybody can I?"

He glances ironically at Lurel. "Our instructions regarding you were simply to make sure that you were not going to interfere in our plans. We were trying to establish where you were going, that was all. And we have split up to make sure we find out what you are after and why. If it has nothing to do with us, then you're in no trouble. If it does, we will ask you, politely the first time, to keep out of our affairs. And should you wish to know, I am Stephan Kovaks, leader of the Lindan Yar."

"And why this interest in us?" Lurel asks. "I doubt very much that you follow every group of travellers - so why us? Who precisely has hired the Yar to shadow us?"

OOC> Damn, I'm a bit confused, what is actually going on for me and Abramul?

Lurel's party

The man examines you languidly.

"We have not been hired to investigate you. You have business in Branden Forest and we have business in Branden Forest. We just wish to be sure that there is no conflict of interest. And before you ask, our business is confidential. Now, perhaps we can sort this out quickly. If you tell me where you are going and why it may be that we need take no further interest in each other."

Siffli and Lisette

Reminder
You are standing outside the house occupied by the merchant Balthazar Zorn. You have been told he was one of the three who bought arrows from the Held. The child Smudge was another purchaser and he should contact you in a day or so. The third buyer is in the other inhabited part of town.

You have been asked to 'obtain' the arrows by the men in the previous house you entered.

You are being watched out of curiosity by a small girl.

Bon chance!

Siffli knocks at the door to Balthazars house

Lurel stares at the man. "Perhaps our business is as confidential as yours? Our business in Branden Forest is simply walking through it on our way elsewhere. I don't see how that can interfere with your business - whatever it may be - in any way."

He pauses, then adds almost conversationally. "I suppose you must be very familiar with this forest and it's wildlife? We saw some very unusual birds on our way, and wondered what kinds they might be..."

Lurel's party

The man laughs. "You mean our trained owl? We use it to let us know who is around us in the forest. That way we keep out of their way. Something spooked it a while ago but I'll come back. If your business is not in Branden forest then we are not interested in you. Which way you are going? You may as well tell me as we'd be able to track you through our agents but I'd rather not waste the effort."

Siffli and Lisette

The door is open and you knock and go in. There are several people about, servants, guards and a tall imposing man dressed in very expensive looking furs. He glances up at your arrival.

"Yes?"

"A trained owl?" Lurel replies. "I've never heard of trained owls before! How do you train owls?"
He nods towards the direction of Ratz. "Just now we're heading towards Ratz. You wouldn't know of a way that avoids this marsh, by any chance?"

Lurel's party

The man smiles but does not divulge his secrets. "You cannot avoid the marsh but it is not extensive. You will be in Ratz in three hours. Where do you go afterwards?"

*ari quiet till thiss point steps forward* "that would be our buisness and following us that far would be a difficult inconvienience at best IF you were capable of it..."

"now as it is Us who have You tied up would you mind telling us at least where you're heading so we can insure our paths don't cross again" *Smile*

'i wonder if these people are responsible for the drugs that did that to the children?'

ooc:was it drugs that resulted in the kids being like they were or have i got the wrong end of the stick can you pm me on that?

"Hi" Siffli says with a smile, "I wonder what sort of wares you are selling here?"

Siffli and Lisette

The man looks a little surprised. "I haven't opened for trading in Witten yet and when I do my shop will be in the other area. I shall be pleased to get business there. I have a shipment of furs arriving from Olden. My men are escort it. There is too much thievery around these days. I've heard rumours that my furs are to be targetted but don't worry. We'll get the furs here in one piece. I've learned from previous mistakes. The guards have bows as well as swords."

He gets up and points to several furs lying on the chair behind him.

"These are samples. They are not for sale but you are welcome to look through them to find out if there is something you like."

Lurel's party

The man laughs and suddenly he is not there.

"Where did he go?!" Lurel exclaims. "We'd better be on our way, I'd say, before he brings his friends, and while that bird is still otherwise occupied!"

He uses the spell to contact Thail and tell her what happened - if the Yar have an ability to teleport Lisette and Siffli need to be warned.

Ugh! How did I manage to double post?

OOC> Info on the drug Arturius was asking about

Th drug is produced from CHEweed a small plant that grows in only two or three locations in the Bergen close to the town of Heidal. It has many uses. In very weak concentrations it is a cure for many ailments. It is regularly burned with incence to induce mind-bending visions. If taken orally, or by skin contact, it makes you feel as if you are a god king. Although the reaction when it wears off is pretty ghastly aftre a day or so only the 'high' is remembered. It is highly addictive. Total addiction arriving on the third use of the drug. A secret teleporter is found in a cave close to Heidal. It leads to Colembaru in the dimension of Bashkher where it is transhipped widely throughout the world of Zorlon. Needless to say it commands a very high price. Although production is difficult and slow, the townsfolk of Heidal had managed to accumulate a huge stock as a cushion. The stock was kept in the same cave as the teleporter

The children were never supplied with the drug. They were born to addicts and are sad side effects of the addiction. The parents die leaving the seriously damaged children to be cared for by the town. No one except Varna has been prepared to look after them.

The children are supposedly doomed. Only Vreli has shown any hope of recovery. The damage leaves all the children in great distress. Only by small daily intakes of the drug are they given any rest from pain.

Earlier in the quest (a part not involving any of you) a boy called Tiemmo destroyed the stock. However before he did so he made sure Varna was given an adequate supply to tend her children and any new inmates that she might have to take.

On topic:-

Lurel's party

You make it to Ratz a pretty little village on the river Hamm without further mishap. Merchants from Ratz will sell you any provisions you need and supply food and lodging should you want them. There is nothing special about the place.

Ford blinks as the man disappears.

"What the... damn. How did he do that!?"

He nods to Lurel in agreement. Later, when they reach Ratz, he looks around and smiles.

"Pretty. Do we need any more supplies? We stocked up well back at Ari's new village. I, personally, after all that could use a little rest though."

Lurel's Party

Assuming you are all happy with what you have, you look at the lodgings available. There are three possibilities. The tavern 'The End of the Road' perched right on the edge of the river has a few rooms. A more upmarket hostel above a small eating house 'The White Cockade' has more but at a higher price. One house has a sign indicating lodgings. As you are examining these you notice the man you had been questioning entering The White Cockade. He was taking to another very well dressed man and did not notice you.

"On second thoughts, spending the night here might not be such a good idea," Lurel mutters. "I don't think he's seen us - let's try to keep what little advantage we have, and go now. If their bird is still otherwise occupied they might lose our trail here. Ari, is there another town not too far away, but in the opposite direction from Witten? Let's ask someone for directions there and pretend that's where we're headed... if our friend asks around, with some luck he'll think we have gone there..."

Siffli says: "Bows you say? Sounds good, that is the best defense against bandits, better to take them from a bit of a distance eh? I mean, one don't want them to come close enough to actually steal anything".

Attempt to Lie: "I'm sort of a trader myself, and I know how to deal with bandits, maybe I can assist you a bit in the chosing of bows and arrows. I mean, if one have a good bow, but a bad arrow, then one isn't someone to count on in a fight. So, what do you say? May I take a look at your weapons? I'm allways glad to help a fellow trader".

Lurel's party

There is a prominent signpost in the centre of the village, so asking the way to Meers or Luna would sound odd. Better to be overheard saying you are going to one of these places. Either is in the right direction for your ruse.

Siffli and Lisette

Balthasar Zorn opens his hands in a shrug. "Thank you, if you have experience with bows and arrows I would have liked the help. But they are all with the guard. He will be back here within the next three days. By all means come and look at them then."

He pauses for a moment then adds: "I'm sure they were good arrows. I heard that woman expert in the other part of town bought several. She wouldn't buy anything that wasn't top quality and mine were from the same source. She might still have hers. If you do see them come back and tell me what you think. I'll give you a discount on the furs when they come in."

"Sounds like a good deal, I be back when I have looked at her arrows"

Ford sighs.

"That guy is starting to get on my nerves. Good idea Lurel, although it looks like there are large obvious signposts pointing to the nearby towns... maybe we should go in there and get some drinks, and then try and hold some conversation about our heading near him?"

OOC> Off for the weekend. Wait to see where Lurel's party is going before I post for them.

Siffli and Lisette

You leave the mansion and walk towards the second 'inhabited' area of Witten. Then you realise that it is getting dark. Your lodgings are nearby. Do you go back or continue to the second area?

[OOC] Bad grades, computer restrictions...should be on more frequently now.[/OOC]
"Siffli, we don't know what sorts are around after dark, it might be best to call it a night."