"Do you have any sense of where he is heading?"

Brand looks more intently at the sphere, trying not to get in the way, and hoping his darkvision may reveal some detail.

Moving closer, Brand starts to see details. The small man looks to be somewhere outside—there is a muddy path beneath his feet—and he is leaning up against the side of a building set up on wooden stumps where the underneath of the building is walled off with horizontal wooden slats. There is the suggestion of a light source off to one side and in that vague light Brand can see the faint gleam of gold. The man is carefully building a small stack of coins on the ground; from their size, Brand believes they are Engles.

"He is in the timber district," says Madame Damass. "But I am not very familiar with that area, so I am not sure exactly where."

"I suspect he is considering his future. Run far and fast, or go to ground, perhaps at the Watering Hole inn. I wonder which he will choose. And I worry about Jon. This man has a strong sense of self preservation."

Brand continues to watch, fascinated to see where Brax goes, fascinated also to see if his surmise is even close to the mark.

"Yes," says Madame Damass. "Rawl mentioned a place with that name. Do you know where it is?"

Then she looks up from the crystal ball and asks, "Who is Jon you mentioned? Are you talking about my bodyguard?"

[[ Brand describes the location.]]

"Jon...is another who works for my father. He was sent after Brax."

Brand keeps watching Brax count coins. "Do you know anything about this one? Clearly he sees well at night."

"He is a strange one," Madame Damass says, looking back at the orb and frowning again. "And tonight is the first time I've seen him."

At this point, Madame Damass's bodyguard clears his throat and says, "I know Brax. He's a nasty piece of work, and will do anything for coin. I first heard of him about a year ago. He from Goth, I think."

Brand laughs, then checks himself. "Anything for coin, that sounds like someone Rawl would need."

He glances at the man, "What can you tell us of his past dealings?"

Brand listens to the response while watching the orb closely

"Nothing much," says the bodyguard. "I heard he killed a guy in a tavern who made some comment about him being stupid. Other than that, I think he works as a knife man for some of the protection rackets around town."

Brand shakes his head, "That's the disease that people like Rawl spread. Every time someone like Rawl abuses their power, you get a Brax. I saw it in [[quarter he spent time with Dalshsr]], and I'm..."

He stops himself, and looks around self consciously, and shrugs.

"Sorry. Long day."

Brand focuses on the sphere.

Nothing much has changed except the coins are no longer in sight.

"I can't be sure," says Madame Damass, "but I think he is waiting for something, or someone. If it's Rawl, then he'll be waiting a long time."

The door opens and Brand hears the bodyguard begin to challenge someone and then stop. 

Then he hears Koric's voice. "Back so soon, Alaric. I wish I could travel so fast."

Brand nods and smiles, "Father. How is Rima?"

Brands attention moves back to the sphere. [[Could the view be the Watering Hole from an unusual angle?]]

Quote from AlaricBrand >>

Brand nods, "Father. How is Rima?"

Brands attention moves back to the sphere. [[Could the view be the Watering Hole from an unusual angle?]]

[[Make a straight Wisdom check.]]

"Tomas will be fine once he gets his injuries seen too," says Koric. "What has been happening here?"

Brands attention moves back to the sphere. [[Could the view be the Watering Hole from an unusual angle?]]

[[Make a straight Wisdom check.]]

Wisdom. Hah. I laugh at wisdom: 15

"Tomas will be fine once he gets his injuries seen too," says Koric.

Brand nods and smiles again. "Is someone tending his wounds?" [[ This is supposed to be the appropriate form for asking if a med kit has been used....I could be crass and asked the question directly, but that would be...crass; I suppose he could say "I have a medkit and bandages; does he have all he needs?"  ]]

"What has been happening here?"

He lowers his voice a little, and speaks to  Koric but his eyes are still fixed on the sphere. "Brax is stationary,  outside — on a dirt path — and he leaning up against the side of a building on wooden stumps .. I'm guessing in the an area prone to flooding. Madam Damass says he's in the timber district.

[[ I think you said the Watering Hole was in the Western End. Is that the same as the Timber district? Or before/after? ]]

Quote from AlaricBrand >>

Brands attention moves back to the sphere. [[Could the view be the Watering Hole from an unusual angle?]]

[[Make a straight Wisdom check.]]

Wisdom. Hah. I laugh at wisdom: 14

[[Brand can't tell, he can't see enough. There are lots of wood frame buildings on stumps in that area.]]

"Tomas will be fine once he gets his injuries seen too," says Koric.

"Is someone tending his wounds?" [[ This is supposed to be the appropriate form for asking if a med kit has been used....I could be crass and asked the question directly, but that would be...crass ]]

"What has been happening here?"

Brand nods and smiles again. He lowers his voice a little, and speaks to  Koric but his eyes are still fixed on the sphere. "Brax is stationary,  outside — on a dirt path — and he leaning up against the side of a building on wooden stumps .. I'm guessing in the an area prone to flooding. Madam Damass says he's in the timber district.

[[ I think you said the Watering Hole was in the Western End. Is that the same as the Timber district? Or before/after? ]]

[[The Timber district is a part of the larger Western End District and the Watering Hole is on the outskirts of the Timber District.]]

"Tomas is being cared for downstairs," say Koric in response to Brand's question. Then he says, "I've never heard of the Watering Hole? I presume it's some sort of drinking establishment."

Koric enters Brand's field of vision and peers into the crystal ball for a moment before continuing, "I can't see a thing, are you sure it is working?"

"Something is happening," says Madame Damass suddenly instead of answering Koric's question.

Brand can see that Brax is moving backwards away from the faint light. He also sees that the man has tensed up and drawn his short sword.

"Oh," says Madame Damass, with a girlish giggle. "It's only someone pissing in the alley."

Brand can see none of this, but does see the view in the crystal ball change once more when Brax moves back to his original position.

"I don't like this," says Koric. "What's he waiting in the dark for? He was supposed to meet them in the inn."

Brand nods. "Yes, in the Western End. Axemen territory. And I think the words were 'meet up at the Watering Hole'. That does not necessarily imply inside. Also, they didn't part of the best of terms, Brax may not want to be seen by Rawl should he return; and we did talk about the possibility of someone behind the robbery. He may be waiting for them."

"Madam, is there any chance we could see the front of the building...without risking you losing sight of the quarry? I think I would recognize it from the front. [[ Is that correct? If not...he would ask for a view of the street ]].

[[ How far is the Watering Hole; in minutes? ]]

[[ Edited first sentence ]]

Quote from AlaricBrand >>

"I think the words were 'meet up at the Watering Hole'. That does not necessarily imply inside. Also, they didn't part of the best of terms, Brax may not want to be seen by Rawl should he return; and we did talk about the possibility of someone behind the robbery. He may be waiting for them."

"Madam, is there any chance we could see the front of the building...without risking you losing sight of the quarry? I think I would recognize it from the front. [[ Is that correct? If not...he would ask for a view of the street ]].

[[ How far is the Watering Hole; in minutes? ]]

[[Between 15 and 20 minutes by foot at a run, Phill says pulling a number out of think air. Brand wouldn't know how long by stone flight.]]

When Brand asks his question of Madame Damass, she shakes his head and says, "Not without Brax moving closer himself."

[[And sorry, but that is it for me for the night. Ciao.]]

[[ I edited my previous reponse slightly to actually answer Koric. Revision started with: Brand nods. "Yes, in the Western End. Axemen territory..."

No big deal, but I did not intend to ignore Koric.]]

[[And sorry, but that is it for me for the night. Ciao.]]

[[ No problem. I think at this point we settle in and watch the 70's TV until something changes (or Brax seems to be settling in). The situation seems too fluid to risk even a 10 minute comms blackout, let alone a potential 20 minute one. He probably should have followed Jon, rather than gone home. ]]

Time passes slowly and Koric, who can't see anything in the crystal ball, heads off after a few minutes chasing the brandy he ordered and also to get another pot of hot Caf.

Brand and Madame Damass are about halfway through their cups of caf, when Brax starts doing something unusual.

He has started rubbing his hands on the ground and transferring the mud he has picked up to the exposed parts of his body: mainly his face and hands. Brand notices that, in the process, he winces occasionally as he touches certain parts of his face and arms and that what Brand had thought was either mud or dirt was actually blood, both dried and fresh.

 [[Sorry for the delay. I did this earlier but forgot to hit 'Post'.]]

"Will the mud stop you tracking him?"

 [[ Arbitrary aside. Too hot to think about much. Some death statistics.

Probability life/death result determined by round 1 is: 5%
Probability life/death result determined by round 2 is: 14%
Probability life/death result determined by round 3 is: 42% (cumulative)
Probability life/death result determined by round 4 is: 76% (cumulative)
Probability life/death result determined by round 5 is: 100% (cumulative)

Probability of Dying/Living: 40% / 60%

Probability of Death in 2 rounds: 4.25%
Probability of Death in 3 rounds: 16% (cumulative)
Probability of Death in 4 rounds: 30% (cumulative)
Probability of Death in 5 rounds: 40% (cumulative)

Probability of Life in 1 round: 5%
Probability of Life in 2 rounds: 10% (cumulative)
Probability of Life in 3 rounds: 27% (cumulative)
Probability of Life in 4 rounds: 46% (cumulative)
Probability of Life in 5 rounds: 60% (cumulative)

P(Wake 1) 5%
P(Wake 2) 9.75% (cumulative)
P(Wake 3) 14.05% (cumulative)
P(Wake 4) 16.94% (cumulative)
P(Wake 5) 18.14% (cumulative)

I used to prefer an open ended system where HP are added/subtracted. But I also like the immediacy this system brings. It's an interesting balance.]]