Shades reaches up to the barkeeps hand and places 10 guilder in his hand. “That’s all I can spare for the moment. Is there anything else you can tell me about him? Or anything about what going on at the slaughterhouse?”

Terin, you clearly make out the family crest, but as you torture your brain to recall whether the Moon and Stars belonged to House Bormul, Oberon, or Jhasso. As soon as you ask about the medical supplies, you see one of the guards give you a puzzled look, before trying to control himself and asking mischievously:”The bandages and poultices? We have them stored separately. Please follow us along...” Out of the corner of your eye, you notice two of the junior watchmen with the same puzzled expression, before a glance from the man in charge shifted their demeanour, and all four of them looked determined, perhaps even grim, as they parted for you to make your way outside and follow their sergeant.

The barkeep’s eyes widen at the money, and then he adds:” No surprise Copperbeard seems ta do fine, wi’ friends wi’ deep pockets like that. Honestly, I jus’ thought he was crooked- not like them “fishermen” down in Brampton though, occasionally haulin’ something that ain’t fish- no, wi’ Magnus, I always thought somethin’ was off. He’d been ta Thrane wi’ the army, an’ though ‘e looked an’ dressed the same after, he jus’ always seemed ta have money, but none o’ his friends stayed ‘round fer long, always disappearin’ after a while. Whatever gig he’s got though, ‘e must be doin’ something right, since the Watch never caught him so far.”

Terin frowned as he saw the ruse was up, he had been too brash and blunt. He nodded in thanks as the junior watchmen stepped aside and began weaving through the chaos of crates, barrels and boxes. When he estimates he is half way through the cellar he will pitch over and attempt to put as much crashing items between himself and the guards behind him and make a dash for the door.

"A thief! A thie,f there is a thief go help them," he yells as he runs to try and throw off any guards at the exit door.

Remarkably quickly for his fine flowing robes, Terin pushes over a large crate that crashes into another, causing a small domino-effect resulting in three of the watchmen trying to stem against the large crate to avoid it slamming into the shelf with the expensive liquor.

Before the guards could react, Terin had slipped out the door and was on the streets, quick to try and turn a few corners to break contact. It took him a good half hour and constant glances over his shoulder and into the reflections of storefronts to ensure he wasn’t followed. He had been heading southwest towards the Seatower district. He wasn’t too familiar with it, but managed to find the tavern the cell had met at in the morning. Maybe he could stay here until the next morning.

Terin does make himself comfortable. His heart finally calming though worry and hindsight haunts him as he paces until morning.

Finishing up with Gavin at the stubborn mule, shades heads back into the city to look for uncle and tell him of what he’s discovered and to get his assistance with tomorrow evening’s distraction. 

Uncle sits on the ground, leaning against his potato cart. His hat is pulled down low to block his eyes while he pretends to take a nap waiting on customers. He looks up as Shades approaches and begins slowly getting to his feet while dusting off his pants. "Yeah, yeah...lemme get sorted I'll get yer dang potatoes. They're a copper a'piece, and ain't none of 'em mushy." He grabs a few and pretends to show them to Shades. "What the deal?"

Shades glances around taking note of any watch of flaming fist members and tries getting a sense of anyone is paying more attention to them more than just a passing glance. 

Perception: 18

Satisfied that no one is paying them to much attention he begins in a hushed tone “I went to the slaughterhouse near where I lived and wasn’t able to learn much more than the army is responsible for buying most if not all of the livestock”

He takes a brief pause glancing around again and grabbing a couple potatoes from uncle before continuing, “I met a fellow by the name of Magnus who says he’s one of the crew on the emerald empress and needs someone to cause a distraction for about thirty minutes to draw the watch and fist away from the waterfront in Tumbledown. There’s 20 guilder in it for us and maybe a way on to the empress if we ask nicely?”

Uncle makes a show of digging through the potatoes. "MUSHY? You squished it with your clumsy handling!" He then hands a few more to Shades while continuing in a quieter voice. "Hmmm, Magnus you say? Could be a set-up. Then again, doesn't look like we can afford to ignore it. I think we need to get the others in on this. We may need the extra hands, and maybe someone knows some dirt on Magnus if things go South. You agree?"

“I did no such thing!” Shades says rather indignantly. He says in a much quieter tone, “Yes, I think the more of us the safer we will be.” Then continues in a louder voice, “Perhaps it’s how you have them all haphazard in your little cart there” 

Uncle starts taking all the potatoes from Shades' hands roughly. "Haphazard! Haphazard! You won't find better!" He starts putting the potatoes back into the cart while he gets the time and place for the meeting. "Help me round everyone up - maybe  few hours before the distraction."

“Take your potatoes then! Seemed a bit overpriced for their size anyway!” As he gladly hands over the rest of the potatoes. “Sounds good to me, I’ll look for Sparks and Harper and let them know to meet at the tavern in tumbledown so we can plan a distraction.” ... “Good day sir!”

Then Shades walks off haughtily and begins looking for Sparks and Harper if there is time left in the day. If there isn’t enough time before curfew then Shades will make his way to their morning meeting spot with all due caution and care and spend the night there and look for his companions in the morning.

Harper, Sparks, Doc, you each hear a knock at your door or window, and upon opening them, find no one there, only a slight marking in chalk inside the door or window frame. You all knew the code:

”Meet in the Cliffside Cemetery, by the Valkyries, at eight in the morning”. 

The statues had been gifted to the village and the cemetery by Calimshan artisans, unable to sell statues with such obvious northern motives to the Calishite citizens of their own neighbourhood. The three figures had become a local attraction, and in the local folklore, they were turned into a shrine to the brave but poor of the community who had been buried on battlefields far away.

Having received the message, you all wipe the markings away and turn in for the night, thinking over what you learnt and why your usual meeting was moved forward by a day.

Lia relocks the window, and resets her security measures, before returning to her bed.  It takes her a few minutes to relax, tossing and turning as she considers why the meeting would have been moved up a day.  She hoped the others had found something of interest, her drudgery work at the newspaper had gotten her no where after all.  Eventually she manages to settle down enough to fall asleep.

She woke early though, and moved out, wanting to get to the meeting a bit early, to do some scouting prior to the others getting there.

Moving casually through the cemetery she passes by the statues, looking around for anything of concern.  She continues walking around the cemetery, passing the statues a couple more times.

Perception: 18

Deception: 16

Terin takes one last look in a mirror and picks at a stray thread. Satisfied he looked his appropriate self he heads out, strolling in that slow noble roll that he has adopted throughout these many years. He keeps a strsy eye out for the Watch though he doubted they would recognize him. He purchases a small bouquet of flowers and heads in to the cemetery, visiting a randpm grave near the statues.

Perception for the walk: 18

Uncle arrives soon after with a rather pathetic looking bouquet of flowers. He walks slowly and dejectedly up to the others. "Well. We'd better figure who it is we are hear to see in case anyone comes around stickin' their nose in. I can sell a departed wife pretty well if needed." He looks around for a gravestone with an appropriate name and passing date within the last few years. "This'll due. Guess her name was Gladys. I suggest you all think of some connection with her to explain us bein' here at once."

(You have heard Martin mention his previous wife and kids rarely - he has said they are not dead, just "gone, and fer the better.")

Sparks, the cemetery is an odd place. You find plenty of people here that seem to live in the crypts, using them for shelter, and as a place to live outside of the village of Tumbledown. As you approach, you realise why: most of the people here seem to be veterans or lepers, with horribly scarred faces. But they help each other, whilst shunning the other people on the cemetery as best they can, giving you some birth as you pass nearby. Other than that, you only spot a young woman in a simple dress, silently crying at one of the graves that appears to be recently dug. You notice by it's size, that it must belong to a child.

Harper, as you make your way through the city and out to the Tumbledown cemetery with an appropriate floral arrangement, you can't help but be amused by the cultural aqcuity or lack thereof in the city Watch: the first couple that you pass, in the Upper city look at you sympathetically, assuming you're on your way to grieve. As you reach the Steeps though, most just give you a passing glance, taking you for a noble and then continuing on their daily chores. Out in Eastway, you can't help but feel some hostility in their glances, as your floral arrangement probably costs as much as their family has to spend on food a day. As you approach the cemetery, you see a sight sadly all too common these days, with plenty of the urban poor having taking shelter in the mausolea and crypts to avoid the cold autumn nights. They try to avoid their gaze, used to a lifetime of cruel punishments and general disdain by patriars and their ilk.

You both approach casually as you see uncle appearing, making it look as though you were looking for a particular grave to slowly get closer to him. You keep your voices low, both to feign respect for the dead, and also to keep the passersby in the dark. Sparks, in an attempt to sell the ruse, even manages to start crying silent tears next to this stranger's grave. It'll buy the others a bit more time to get here, though the clocks had already struck eight.

"Who picked this place for the meeting?"  Sparks asks between sobs as the tears run down her face.  "Lots of people here to see us..." She hisses out.

After having delivered the message of the meeting Shades makes his way back to the family farm in Sow’s foot. He takes a few moments to say goodnight to his parents and sisters and then retires to his room.

With everything he discovered during the day, Shades is unable to quickly fall asleep and spends a couple hours pacing, trying to come up with a plan to help the unbowed get the 20 guilder for helping Magnus, or was it all a set up like Uncle said. Finally calming he goes to sleep comforted knowing that between Uncle and the others, one of them will have a good idea for a distraction.

Shades walks to the cemetery with a handful of wildflowers just in time to overhear Sparks comment and says “I picked it, not sure if you noticed but there’s very little in the way of watch or fist presence here. Further, we are in the midst of a group that few care about. I doubt any would pay us much heed”

With that he places the flowers he picked on the ground next to the headstone that everyone else is clustered around and whispers to Uncle “Who are we here to see this time? A dead relative of yours I presume?”