Jan is a bit startled by Ethel's vehemence, as well as her baring the scars she otherwise tends to minimize to a room full of men. Her eyes flick to the Mayor, watching his reaction, and waiting for him to try something...

Avaria was starting to size up the guards, check and see what kind of weapons they were carrying with them and even the mayor, see what he had on him as she stood rooted to the spot.  The way the mayor talked, saying the Hargroves were a charade.. she didn't understand, and looking at Ethel, it didn't bring the reaction Ava would have expected.

But as Ethel responds, stands and demands back to the mayor, all checking of the guards desists and she watches her friend in a sort of awe as she bares the part of herself she seems to despise and demands right back of the mayor.  Ava holds her breath without realizing it, waiting for the response...

Marrin gestures for Ula to lead the way,

"Keep it up Geffroi, nearly there."

She encourages without having a slightest idea how far they have to go.

Once at the guard house Marrin will give a knock, if needed, otherwise will ask after Mard.

Spandeliyon Guard Barracks:

Marrin and the other three approach the guard barracks where one lone guard stands on duty outside, two lanterns casting crisscrossing shadows around them.

The guard watches the group approach with some interest, especially noting how much Geffroi is panting, probably because the streets are so quiet.

“Does that one need help?” the guard asks before hearing Marrin’s query.

She looks over her shoulder towards the inside of the barracks.

“Captain Mard’s inside, but what’s this about?”

Lord High Mayor’s Compound:

K'oshash is in range again and Jan gets an image of Marrin and the others at the Lintoll speaking to a couple of brigade members. Per instructions, and K’oshsash is very clearly eager to point out they followed them carefully this time, they left and came back to report as soon as they saw Marrin, Ula, and the others.

The mayor looks at Ethel, very little on display, as he takes in her impassioned response. Finally the mayor stands all the way up and heads to the second door (the one on the wall opposite where Ethel entered).

“I don’t know who you’re used to dealing with,” Mayor Klein begins. “But you will not, in my offices, in my town, try to intimidate me.”

He does look at her for a few moments longer.

“You survived that black death? Because you are its servant? Or because you have special powers to fight it?” Klein asks. “Perhaps you are just an innocent victim in all this. Maybe Owens is wrong and you and your friends aren’t involved. And if that’s the case, I apologize for what’s to come.”

He then signals to the four guards as he opens the door.

“Bring her along.”

(Ethel can go along with the guards and mayor, or everyone can roll initiative if she doesn’t want to go).

"Nah, just needs to catch his breath."

Then Marrin explains,

"Well some guards grabbed our friend and brought her back to Spandelyion. Something about the Mayor? I'm not entirely sure. We met with the Mayor earlier today, the whole pirate thing, so I don't know if that's right. I figured Mard would know best what the guards were doing and where we could find her."

Marrin gives the guard her most confused and slightly worried look.

((19 persuasion base, so hopefully that gets us to him!))

The guard at the barracks door looks confused. 

"No prisoners have been brought in this afternoon. It's quiet with everyone at the Lintoll," She says. She then looks up and down the street, decides there's no one waiting to sneak into the barracks and jail. "Come on."

The guard brings Marrin and the others inside then quickly darts into an office and returns with a puzzled looking Mard. The guard goes back outside on duty.

"What's this about the mayor and other guards grabbing someone? Jan?" Mard asks.

"Hello Mard, thank you for seeing us!"

She gives him a smile,

"They took Ethel, it was four guards. The Lintoll guards said they were leading her back to towards town. Jan was following, she said the guards were trying to take one of us to the Mayor? Jan and Ava were going to try and follow too, but I don't know how that went. There were a lot of people at the Lintoll so they maybe got separated from Ethel?"

She looks beseechingly at Mard.

"So any ideas? Should we go talk to the Mayor?"

"Ethel? The frail one?" Mard asks, more to buy time while he thinks than actually asking to get an answer. "If they took her to see the mayor and he didn't involve me, he probably just wanted to talk to her. He just honored and thanked you in front of the town. I wouldn't worry too much about it."

He looks around at the quiet reception area of the barracks.

"The mayor's likely at home in his compound." Mard says. "Do you remember the way?"

"Probably. What I don't understand is why it had to be tonight? And just one person? We'd have been glad to come tomorrow."

She shrugs and looks over to Ula for confirmation then answers,

"We can get there. Should we just knock and let him know you sent us over?"

"Yes, that will help with the guards at the gate. It's sure to be barricaded this time of night."

Jan thanks K'oshash, and is in the middle of giving them instructions when the Mayor seems ready to move Ethel to another location. Shit.

<Find Marrin, Ula, and the boys, get them to follow you back here as fast as you can, if you or they see Mard, bring him here now, somehow! Keep an eye out for Ava too!>

Marrin nods,

"Okay, well if they don't let us in we'll come back here?"

After getting her answer she turns and heads out, pausing a few steps away from the guard house and asking Ula,

"How far is your parent's inn from here?"

Then she'll address Geffroi and Hammerdasher,

"I think maybe you two should wait at the inn with Ula's parents until we figure out what is going on. Might be wise to let them know something might be up."

Ethel, stands in front of the chair, breathing heavily.  She had lost her composure, but despite her impassioned response, the mayor was completely non-plussed about it.  Now she stood, a mixture of shame and fury rising within her. 

As the guards close in on her, she grips her staff tightly... but then her rational mind seizes control again.  She is surrounded and though she is now quite sure Jan is somewhere nearby, she can't be sure the two of them can handle this alone.  

Besides, there is still more to be learned here.  With every word, the mayor reveals a deeper involvement in all this.  He is working with Professor Owens?  She needs to buy more time, until she can tease out more information and work out a plan to get back out of here.

She huffs and pulls her robes back up to preserve what remains of her modesty and does her best to stand up straight.  She proceeds as beckoned without resisting, though if any guard attempts to man-handle her she pulls away with a sharp, warning look.  But she does follow willingly.

"The assassin didn't betray your involvement, though it did give up Owens' name.  I had planned to look into why an old scholar was sending murderers after us, but it seems the answers were closer than I could have imagined.  Now that you've decided to out yourself, can we dispense with the dramatic theater?"  She follows through the second doorway.  "What is your interest in all this?  No sense holding back now... you control the game board."  She gestures at the mayor's offices and guards.

As movements of the guards and mayor allow, Jan will want to move to where she can get a line of sight through the second doorway that Ethel seems to be confidently following through.

((How tight are the quarters in there? Is it a second room, hallway, etc? Are any guards remaining in the office? She's trying to judge whether she even has a chance to follow after Ethel.))

Mean Streets of Spandeliyon:

Ula gestures down the street heading more or less due east from the barracks.

“It’s a little closer than the mayor’s compound, though heading the opposite way.”

Once Ula points out the street, Marrin recognizes the way.

Between gaps of air, with Hammerdasher giving him a shoulder to rest on, Geffroi nods and throws Marrin a salute. “You can count on us. We’ll let them know.”

As Marrin and Ula head off at a run towards the mayor’s compound on the peninsula, they can hear Geffroi add to Hammerdasher. “Maybe a touch of tea too.”

The pair haven’t gotten far when what looks like a scary child’s doll, made out of dust, sand and clay comes flying down from the sky and hovers in front of them.

A small mouth opens and what sounds like rocks being scratched against a stone emerge. Is it speaking to you? It tries again but seems to get frustrated when it’s clear you don’t understand it. Finally it waves a stony hand at you, beckoning you to follow; coincidentally beckoning you to follow it in the same direction you were already headed.

Lord High Mayor’s Council Hall and Home:

When Jan peeks into the next room, low-burning lanterns cast a gentle glow over what appears to be a reception / meeting hall of some kind. A long table dominates the center of the room. Tapestries depicting different images of Spandelyion hang from the walls. She can just catch a glimpse of a staircase leading up, and on the other side of the room, a staircase that appears to lead down.

Where the office you’re currently in appears to be about a 25’ x 30’, near square, the next room is larger; closer to 35’ x 35’.

The guards lead Ethel into this room with the mayor following closely after. With the first doorway back to the entrance hall already closed, no one seems to feel the need to close this doorway after everyone is through.

Jan and Avaria are able to move through (Stealth checks at advantage, but also a d4 from each of Jan and Avaria as well – if they’re following).

As Ethel continues along, the guards guide her towards the staircase leading down.

“That buffoon came highly recommended. Too bad he was an idiot and didn’t understand directions. Killing any of you was not part of his orders. It’s exceptionally hard to get information out of dead people,” the mayor says. But then he chuckles. “Not impossible mind you but difficult. Best to keep that in mind I think.”

The mayor looks up at one of the tapestries as they cross the room.

“I do love this town and I’ll do anything to protect it.” The mayor says with what seems like genuine passion. “Owens scared the hell out of me the last time he passed through here. Talk of a darkness coming out of the desert mountains. But he said he could stop it. Well maybe not right now, but with the right tools he could.”

He gestures down the stairs.

“Down this way if you don’t mind,” the mayor says. “Owens wouldn’t stop about needing to find the prophecy and something about a key stone to open a vault and something about Osiris. But what I did understand was that if I helped him find the key stone and some book about a prophecy, he could protect Spandeliyon from what’s coming. And that’s where you and your friends come in.”

Ethel has reached the top of the stairs, one guard ahead, the mayor and three guards behind.

Marrin pulls up and blinks at the little nightmare gravingly at her.

She whispers out of the corner of her mouth to Ula,

"Do you know this thing?"

When it gives up and waves to the manor she shrugs to Ula and chances,

"Lead on, I guess. Do you, by any chance, know where Jan, Ava and Ethel are? Hold up one...claw for yes and two claws for no."

She'll keep moving whether it responds or not, but prefers it lead rather than be behind them.

Grateful that they aren't closing the door off and keeping her from following, Jan creeps carefully after.

Stealth: 29 with 2

Jan had been thinking of how to damage as many of the guards and mayor as possible, but now that it seems he knows more than she'd given him credit for, she wants to hear what else he has to say... and Ethel would surely not be cross if she kills the man before he has a chance to be pumped for information.

@DM

Ethel pauses at the top of the stairs, not delaying but genuinely halted by the Mayor's words.

'This 'book about a prophecy' Owens was seeking... it wasn't, by chance, the 'Chronicle of Years to Come'?"

As she gives him a second to answer, she looks down the stairs to see if there is any hint of what awaits her down there.  Perception:  19 

As the guards, Mayor and Ethel move down the stairs, Jan will listen for any steps that are particularly squeaky.

Avaria follows right behind, a little blown away by the story that is unfolding.  She wonders a little about Marrin, Ula and the others and what they are thinking with them being gone so long.

Stealth w/adv:  17 

and the d4:  2