Riyphou watched as Maxie carefully worked on the documents, her small hands moving with surprising precision over the pages. The tiny mouse seemed wholly focused, her intense concentration making him smile despite the tension of the situation. When she finally looked up, holding out the altered paperwork for inspection, Riyphou shook his head with a wry chuckle. “Maxie, you’ve done a fine job,” he said, gently taking the documents. “But I’ll admit, I couldn’t tell a forgery from the real thing if my life depended on it. Let’s hope the guards won’t either.” He handed the papers back with a nod of approval. “It looks good to me. Let’s get Findal through those gates.” 

He'll ride on Findal's wagon, or Maxie's as he is reminding himself, to the gate and inconspicuously casts Veil of Dusk at Findal before they are interviewed. (If possible to do that without causing alarm with a 10 minutes duration spell that has a verbal component.)

Tyrgram frowned. 'I'm not that comfortable or good at lying so...' He climbed into the back of the wagon and sat down in such a way that he would block clear view of where Findal was hiding. 'I'll be taking a nap.'

With Findal carefully hidden in the back of the wagon, the forged papers, and the rest of the traveling group settled in a way to help hide Findal further, the wagon passed through the gates with little trouble. Once out of sight of the initial guards, Findal directed Maxie where she could park the wagon for the time being. It took a little work to lock everything up, and once done FIndal turned to regard the group with a nod of thanks.

"I appreciate your assistance in getting in. Ah, Tykus should be at his tower...hm, this way." Findal twisted and began to head out toward the main street, seemingly unbothered by his wanted status now that they were passed the gates of Grayhaven.

The street just beyond the gates, the Grand Avenue, is well-paved and wide. It serves as one of the main streets of Grayhaven, running straight through the heart of the city. Knots if citizens and visitors mingle on the cobblestones, giving way for horses and wagons to pass by. As a group you don't get far before a sudden cry rends through the air as a pair of horses pulling a carriage suddenly go wild. The driver is thrown from his seat as the carriage careens completely out of control down the road, straight toward the party and Findal.

Findal is unable to get out of the way in time and is knocked to the ground off to the side by the carriage.

(Dex save 6.looks like Maxie and her unseen servant are getting trampled, or at least knocked aside.)

While Maxie was riding her floating backpack (carried by an unseen servant), she was hit by the charging horses. The unseen servant poofed out of existence the moment a horse slammed into it. Maxie and her backpack were sent flying, to crash into the ground a few feet away. At least she missed being run over by the wheels, but her backpack landed on top of her, crushing the wind out of her and leaving her badly bruised.

(damage recorded)

'What in the blazes- ?' Was all Tyrgram could get out before he dove to the side of the road. Not quite fast enough it would seem, as Tygram misjudged the distance between him and the cart. He reacted a second too late and the cart slammed hard against his shins. The force of the impact caused Tyrgram to get ragdolled aside and if his legs were not broken, they certainly felt broken.

'Gah!' The dwarf cried and clutched his legs. He was not getting up any time soon.

Riyphou barely had time to react as the frantic cries of the horses filled the air, followed by the thunderous pounding of hooves on cobblestone. He turned just in time to see the wild carriage barreling straight toward him. His instincts screamed at him to move, but his bulk and the suddenness of the situation left him far too slow. In a desperate attempt to dive out of the way, Riyphou miscalculated, his massive form colliding shoulder-first with the side of the carriage. The impact sent him sprawling across the street, his staff clattering out of his grasp. The air rushed from his lungs as he hit the ground, pain radiating through his side where the carriage had clipped him. Stunned, he lay there for a moment, blinking against the chaos and the groans of his companions around him, before he managed to roll over, clutching his ribs.

"Is…everyone…all right?" he rasped, wincing as he struggled to push himself up onto his knees.

The carriage continues down the street, clearly remaining out of control. There is no driver, but the sound of someone inside shouting says there is certainly a passenger. It becomes quickly apparent that the wagon is going to come to a devastating crash if nothing is done quickly. Passerby's still throw themselves out of the way, scrambling to get away from the wagon as it continues toward the wall of another building.

Riyphou, still sore from the collision, forced himself forward, lunging after the runaway carriage. He seized the wagon’s side and hauled himself atop it (Athletics: 15), the reins nearly cutting into his hands as he fought to guide the terrified horses. “Easy… easy!” he shouted, voice strained, trying to channel calmness he didn’t feel (Animal Handling: 11). 

(I guess this will depend on whether you allow Riyphou to cast [spells]Guidance[spells], which he would do if there is enough time for it. I'm just not clear if there is enough time for the casting. )

Maxine will try a different method to calm the horses, instead of chasing after them and maybe getting trampled, she casts a sleep spell between the two horses, so that it catches both of them.

[Sleep has been completely changed in 2024 edition instead of putting to sleep the creatures with the fewest HP in a 20 ft radius, it now has everyone in a 5 ft. radius make a WIS saving throw (DC 13 in this case), or be Incapacitated for a turn, then save again, a second fail means sleep. Seems weaker, but at least Maxie doesn't have to worry about putting bystanders to sleep before they can jump out of the way, so it works.]

Tyrgram, in a bad combination of physical pain and middle age, could only stare up at what the others were trying to do. He willed himself to stand up, though at great pain, and hobbled after the cart right when Maxie began casting her spell.

 Maxie's spell goes off, but the horses are too wired and anxious to actually be affected. Riyphou's attempts to calm the horses is also not successfully in his initial attempt. It is very clear within a few seconds or so the wagon will crash if nothing can be done.

Riyphou grit his teeth, knuckles white around the reins. The world seemed to narrow down to the thunder of hooves, the terrified cries of bystanders, and the overwhelming scent of sweat and panic. With time slipping through his fingers, he whispered a prayer under his breath—a quiet invocation to Myrrah, a call to the primeval rhythms of nature he had come to sense in the wild. A soft warmth coursed through him, guiding his voice and stilling his trembling hands. He leaned forward, careful not to spook the horses further, and spoke in low, steady tones, matching the cadence of their gallop with calming words. His hands eased their pressure on the reins, coaxing rather than forcing, trying to show the frantic animals that he meant them no harm. He reached deep within himself, summoning that gentle primeval current, hoping it would carry reassurance to the frightened creatures before disaster struck.

Action: Animal Handling 17 plus 4 from Guidance

Seeing how Riyphou stopped the horses and cart, Tyrgram doubled his effort to catch up to it. Which is to say he muttered in pain twice as much as his aching legs bore the brunt of his efforts.

'Anyone hurt?' He asked. 'It's okay now. You're okay. What happened?' The last part was no so much directed to Riyphou or anyone else but strangely to the horses.

(Unknowingly) Casting Speak with Animals as warlock invocation.

Riyphou took a deep, steadying breath, still shaken by the close call. He glanced around, noting toppled crates, scattered crowds, and the faint cries of startled onlookers. Turning to Tyrgram, he blinked, trying to process the dwarf’s strange words. “What… what did you say?” he asked, voice still uneven.

 Tyrgram looked as puzzled at Riyphou as the elephant druid looked at him.

'What do you mean?' He asked confused. 'I'm just asking if... the horses... are okay.' He fell silent towards the end of his sentence, his brow furrowed in a quizzical manner.

'Well, are you?' Tyrgram shrugged and addressed the horses once more.

"It hurts. Burning, stinging." The response sounds like a bunch of slightly distressed neighing to everyone else as the horses stamp their feet and shift. They are still clearly nervous, anxious for something, but otherwise they are staying mostly calm. One of them, now that they are no longer running down the street uncontrolled, clearly has what looks like a hand crossbow bolt sticking out of its flank.

The carriage door itself bursts open as it settles into place and refuses moving, letting out a richly dressed dwarf who stumbles from the confines. He looks rattled, eyes wild as he glanced around with heavy, heaving breath. "Who--who stopped the ride?" he bite out, slightly on the edge of breathless as he looked over the gathered crowd and landed on Tyrgram, Maxie, Findal, and Riyphou. "Was it you?"

Riyphou turned a perplexed gaze on Tyrgram. The dwarf’s strange line of questioning toward the horses only deepened his confusion. Had Tyrgram really just asked the horses if they were okay? Unsure if he’d misunderstood, Riyphou rubbed the back of his head, wincing a bit from the lingering pain. “I… wouldn’t know,” he finally managed, still baffled by the exchange.

As he began climbing down from the wagon’s driver’s perch, the carriage door burst open and the richly dressed dwarf stumbled out. Riyphou blinked at the newcomer’s incredulous inquiry, stunned by the dwarf’s attitude. “You call that misadventure a ride?” Riyphou asked, voice firm but calm despite his own frayed nerves. “You could have gotten someone killed. What were you thinking?”

"It was you? Oh! Oh, thank you," the dwarf stumbled forward to grasp at Riyphou's hands and quickly began shaking it. "Argus Goldblood. Thank you. All I heard was a shout and then the carriage went completely out of control. I thought I was going to die!" There is a clear bruise beginning to form just at the point of his hairline. It looks like the 'ride' wasn't exactly what this dwarf wanted, either.

Maxie starts gathering herself together. She sore, and doesn't really want to move. But staying in the middle of the road isn't safe, she could get run over by another cart that didn't see her!  So with a reluctant groan, she lifted her full sized pack over her head and waddling over to the stopped carriage where the others were gathering. 

Once there she put down her big pack near the stopped carrage, though not in line with it's wheels, in case it took off again. Then climbed on the pack and started summoning another unseen servant (ritual casting, will take 10 minutes).

[OOC: Anyone doing anything about the hand crossbow bolt stuck in the flank of one of the horses? Maxie hasn't seen it, so she can't comment on it, but this may be an assassination attempt.]

At the horse's reply Tyrgram's eyes spotted the crossbow bolt sticking out of its flank.

'I'll get it out but I need you to stay still, okay?' He told the horse in a calming voice and stroked its mane. His hand reached for the bolt. 'Three, two, one-'

Animal Handling check: 6