"All I know is that Rawl is involved and that I am to use my knowledge of him to follow what is happening. I do not know of these others of which you speak."

Madame Damass is now sitting in Brand's father's chair and that among other paraphernalia there is a large glass orb in front of her. 

"Very well, thank you again."

Brand turns to leave then pauses, considering, and turns back. "Will you be 'watching' us, and more particularly, me?"

"My task is not to watch you specifically," she replies, "but I can, now that I have seen you."

"My task is not to watch you specifically," she replies, "but I can, now that I have seen you."

Brand nods, "Then perhaps we can agree on a gesture; if I hold either or both of my hands up like this...".

Brand holds his arms spread, bent at the elbow so that his hands are roughly level with his head, "...the simple gesture of surrender", he says, "But then I wave either of them like this", and he starts waving his hands from side to side. "Then, perhaps you could relay to my father that I think I need help? I'm sure it won't come to such an end, and if it does, I'm sure it will be obvious I need help before this point, but it never hurts to improve the odds."

"Is that possible? Oh...and I just thought...can you hear what I sam saying or thinking, that would make the process a little easier!" he asks.

"You won't be able to hear me, but I will be able to hear you," says Madame Damass, "so hand gestures are not necessary. However, if at any point you feel that I am trying to contact you, please don't resist, as that can be harmful to me." 

Brand smiles and nods, "That's a relief. And a very useful talent."

"Would you mind trying now, so I can recognize it when and if it happens?"

Madame Damass smiles her little girl smile and then says, "It is not something I can do quickly... However, I have some time, so I will try if you wish... Perhaps you could also provide me with a lock of your hair to make sure there can be no mistake."

Brand pauses for a moment, "Ah, my apologies, I did not realize it was more than a simple task."

"I think I've taken up more than enough of your valuable time, and I have my own preparations to make. So, good luck to you this evening, at let us hope for an uneventful night."

Brand bows, and heads to the door, and thence the attic.

[[ Inclined to look at his wrist watch and say "Oh! Is that the time, I had not realized..." ;-) ]]

Brand heads to the attic, and gathers his gear. He wipes down his armour again, and examines his equiment.

Brand finds his plain scimitar there waiting for him and is just finishing wiping down his armour when Mikkel arrives with a thick sandwich of warm meat dripping with gravy and a cup of strong caf sweetened with honey.

"I take it you're going out again, Master Alaric," Mikkel says. He then hesitates for a moment before asking, "Will you need me to accompany you, or can I get my own meal now?"

"There is only one other thing, Mikkel: If you could bring me a pen[[quill?]], some ink and some paper, I would be most appreciative. But otherwise, I think we are done. Take what's left of the evening for yourself...and thank you for your help."

Brand smiles and nods, then starts eating the sandwich.

[[ Question: What is the time roughly: how long until dinner?

How does inheritance work: next of kin? So Brand's wealth would fall to his father, if he know about it?

Remind me of the geometry: Koric said he could look at the maps during dinner...where would be be best to go until then? Is there another door? Should he just wait in attic for now? Back to peep hole? What's the natural thing to do here? My inclination would be to sit in some ante-room that they are unlikely to use. But it depends how long he would have to wait.

]]

Quote from AlaricBrand >>

"There is only one other thing, Mikkel: If you could bring me a pen[[quill?]], some ink and some paper, I would be most appreciative. But otherwise, I think we are done. Take what's left of the evening for yourself...and thank you for your help."

Brand smiles and nods, then starts eating the sandwich.

[[ Question: What is the time roughly: how long until dinner?

[[Not very long at all. In fact, Brand hears a distant gong when he's about halfway through his sandwich.]]

How does inheritance work: next of kin? So Brand's wealth would fall to his father, if he know about it?

[[Brand's wife and children would inherit. Sans his own family, his parents would inherit his worldly goods.]]

Remind me of the geometry: Koric said he could look at the maps during dinner...where would be be best to go until then? Is there another door? Should he just wait in attic for now? Back to peep hole? What's the natural thing to do here? My inclination would be to sit in some ante-room that they are unlikely to use. But it depends how long he would have to wait.

[[A couple of minutes and his father's study should be free.]]

]]

"I will get you the writing materials you asks for, Master Alaric, but are you sure you don't need me to get my dagger as well? I can't really do my duty to my father sitting in the stables."

Brand looks at Mikkel, "The stables. Really?", then he shakes his head.

"Firstly, if you are sleeping in the stables, then I would prefer you sleeping here: there is greater safety in numbers, and unless you have a taste for cold draughts and the smell of horses, this attic would be preferable. Though I can see some advantage in you conversing with the current occupant; that might prove enlightening."

"In terms of coming with me...I would welcome that if you were skilled in stealth and were able to make yourself effectively unseen at will. This task requires considerable stealth. I do not know your background well; Is that something you can do? Also, there are certain things that are best done alone...and I don't think my father intended for me to bring anyone on this particular endeavour. This does not reflect poorly on you."

"Make myself unseen, Master Alaric? I don't know what you mean?" says Mikkel. "But I do understand that I might at least slow you down, if not give you away."

"Still, if you are interested, I can try to find out more about this iMad fellow I'm sharing the loft in the stables with."

"It's the last I'm worried about: stealth is critical here, and I have certain advantages in that respect."

"But if you are willing, then speak with iMad; no need to press, and -- needless to say -- don't discuss what is going on tonight, but he may have useful insights into the other people here. I think he's recently in town, but news is always news."

Brand considers for a moment, "If things...don't go well tonight for me...then there could be some value in being ready to respond. Either here, or elsewhere. Bear that in mind. Keep your dagger close, and sleep lightly."

Brand laughs, "Words to live by."

"In any case, if you could collect the items I need and bring them to the study, I would appreciate it."

[[ Sanity check...just saw your comment about time....would the study have what he needs, or is it better to get some from Mikkel; if the former, then: ]]

"...come to think of it, never mind, I'm sure there will be something I can use in the study."

[[ End If ]]

With that, Brand finishes dressing and collecting his gear, then heads to the study.

[[ Does the study have a window? If so, Brand might leave via that...when he's done

Also, there was a dinner gong...does he have any means to assess when dinner is nearing completion? Desert gong? 8-).

Perhaps he should just loiter in the kitchen? ]]

Quote from AlaricBrand >>

"It's the last I'm worried about: stealth is critical here, and I have certain advantages in that respect."

"But if you are willing, then speak with iMad; no need to press, and -- needless to say -- don't discuss what is going on tonight, but he may have useful insights into the other people here. I think he's recently in town, but news is always news."

Brand considers for a moment, "If things...don't go well tonight for me...then there could be some value in being ready to respond. Either here, or elsewhere. Bear that in mind. Keep your dagger close, and sleep lightly."

Brand laughs, "Words to live by."

"In any case, if you could collect the items I need and bring them to the study, I would appreciate it."

[[ Sanity check...just saw your comment about time....would the study have what he needs, or is it better to get some from Mikkel; if the former, then: ]]

"...come to think of it, never mind, I'm sure there will be something I can use in the study."

[[ End If ]]

With that, Brand finishes dressing and collecting his gear, then heads to the study.

[[ Does the study have a window? If so, Brand might leave via that...when he's done

[[The study has windows.]]

Also, there was a dinner gong...does he have any means to assess when dinner is nearing completion? Desert gong? 8-).

Perhaps he should just loiter in the kitchen? ]]

[[There is no dessert gong, what do you want Brand to do? But that will be in the morning now.]]

 

[[ First stop: study -- needs to look at maps ]]

Brand heads to the study.

[[ He will peruse the maps looking for likely routes, likely escape routes and alternate routes, and any other signs of what they may have been considering. He will also scan for other relevant documents that may be lying around. ]]

The map is the basic layout of river-side part of the Temple Ward of Constantine. It is drawn in black ink on a large piece of vellum and it shows several important buildings of that Ward that catch Brand's attention namely: the Temples of Mithra, Donai and Aieda; the Bank of Sorenden; a shrine to Oannes; and the water cistern for the Ward (the temples and the bank all border a large square in which the covered cistern sits). There are also a number of residences marked on the map that Brand knows belong to high profile members of the Constantine religious community.

The map has been added to with markings done using a red wax marker (i.e., basically a crayon). The markings add the following details:

There has been a jointed line drawn from the river's edge to cistern. This line has arrows drawn on it that all go in the direction of the cistern.

A lot of Xs have been placed on the map at the entrances to all the temples, the Bank of Sorenden and the cistern. Brand suspects these Xs represent the presence and numbers of guards.

There is another line drawn on the map that leads from the cistern to the shrine of Oannes, which lies on the banks of the river upriver from the cistern; perhaps strangely, the arrows on this line also point in the direction of the cistern. This line passes close by one side of the Bank of Sorenden and there has been a big question mark drawn on the map at that point along with the word 'rats'.

[[ Assuming Mikkel arrives with paper and pen/crayon/quill, or he has plenty here, then Brand will make a very rough quick copy in order to get a sense of the relative positions of each of the two lines. He will also very roughly mark the river and a couple of building edges to help him orient himself and the starts/ends of the lines, but not so much as to make it obvious what the map is of to an outside observer.

His presumption at this point is that the second line marks the route taken by the dead investigator, and the first line is the one planned for tonight. Does the latter accord with what you have said before and what he has heard -- specifically, that they plan to enter via the river area? Just a sanity check.

Brand will also note the nearest sets of guards, primarily as a source of potential distraction and help in the event of pear-shaped-ness.

Other questions:

- are there any other routes marked to/from the cistern? Seems not, but checking.

- From what Brand knows, what is the architecture of the cistern -- it's underground by definition...any above-ground structures? How to water-carriers get access?

- Does he know of any other egress points once he's at the cistern?

- Any other documents of interest?

]]

Quote from AlaricBrand >>

[[ Assuming Mikkel arrives with paper and pen/crayon/quill, or he has plenty here, then Brand will make a very rough quick copy in order to get a sense of the relative positions of each of the two lines. He will also very roughly mark the river and a couple of building edges to help him orient himself and the starts/ends of the lines, but not so much as to make it obvious what the map is of to an outside observer.

[[Done.]]

His presumption at this point is that the second line marks the route taken by the dead investigator, and the first line is the one planned for tonight. Does the latter accord with what you have said before and what he has heard -- specifically, that they plan to enter via the river area? Just a sanity check.

[[Not going to say yes or no here, as there is no one for Brand to check his presumption with. However, the above is certainly a valid interpretation. Also, something that I perhaps wasn't clear about is that the line between the shrine and the cistern doesn't necessarily reach the river whereas the first line I described definitely does.]]

Brand will also note the nearest sets of guards, primarily as a source of potential distraction and help in the event of pear-shaped-ness.

Other questions:

- are there any other routes marked to/from the cistern? Seems not, but checking.

[[Presuming that the lines represent underground tunnels, there are no other tunnels on the map. However, Brand is aware that the water in the cistern can be reached from the square, that is how servants and water carriers gain access to the water.]]

- From what Brand knows, what is the architecture of the cistern -- it's underground by definition...any above-ground structures? How to water-carriers get access?

[[See above about access. Brand's memory of this cistern is that it is roofed and there are stairs down to where the water is.]]

- Does he know of any other egress points once he's at the cistern?

[[Going to have to explain what you mean here, but if you can enter the cistern from the square, then you can certainly leave the cistern by the stairs.]]

- Any other documents of interest?

[[There is nothing else of interest on the table.]]

]]

[[I'm roleplaying tonight, so this is probably going to be it until either very late or tomorrow.]] 

[]the above is certainly a valid interpretation ]]

[[ Cool. That's pretty much all I wanted; making sure no radical misinterpretations! ]]

[[ Edit: Re map: also mark bank and rats location...]]

[[ Edit2: How much would it cost to send a message to Ilbarsis?]]

[[ the line between the shrine and the cistern doesn't necessarily reach the river whereas the first line I described definitely does ]]

[[ Interesting. Which is nearer (by boat) to the estate? ]]

- Does he know of any other egress points once he's at the cistern?

[[Going to have to explain what you mean here, but if you can enter the cistern from the square, then you can certainly leave the cistern by the stairs

[[ Being cautious, and wondering if there were one-way routes: overflow areas (not scalable, but drop-able), slimy slipways etc. Or just one-way gates.]]

[[I'm roleplaying tonight, so this is probably going to be it until either very late or tomorrow.]] 

[[ OK. No worries. Have fun. Envious. 8-( ]]

[[ Assuming he has not been long:]]

Brand returns to the attic, writes a short note [[will add later]] which he leaves under his bed, then checks his gear and heads to the kitchen, and tries to be his normal annoying self. ]]

Brand walks into the kitchens, looking like he might pounce on available food, "I can't believe that I was un-invited!"

He shakes his head and looks around at the food being prepared, "What are they having for desert? I really hope father won't be giving then the '33 with desert...there's only a few bottles left!"

He waits, surveying the scene and hoping for a response, and assessing the progress of the meal.

[[ Sealed and folded note, hurriedly written, and hidden in Brand's satchel (at least for the time being) ]]

On the outside is written: To be opened by Lord Koric Brand in the event of my Untimely Death -- Alaric Brand

Father,

I have not much time, and there is too much unsaid to attempt to say any of it here; thus, I will limit myself to practicalities.

If you were not already aware of the fact by your own means, I have some considerable investments in both the Bank of Constantine and the Bank of Sorendon, as well as with Uncle Malacai's shipping enterprise. I would hate to see it go to waste. Perhaps some could be left for my brother/sister when they are of age.

- Alaric.

P.S. My lockbxes also contain various tools, as well as copies of a shared title to a tower near Ilbarsis. 

P.P.S. You may also find many and various useful items. Beware the stones; they may come with a price.

]]

[[ OT: Just read this:

Dworkin (a.k.a. Dworkin Blackfeather)

A former associate of Brand and Guilliame's.

Who is this Guillame fellow!!!!

]]