Regular Normal Crime has started at Arx - Lower Boroughs - Nightingale Park - The Grounds.


The Lowers are used to handling things their own way, and now that the seige is over, it seems there's an expectation that things will return to normal. Of course, 'normal' in the Lowers...
So while the guards are making their way along the Commons Square of the Lower Boroughs, there's a strangled yell that's swiftly cut off from the direction of the Nightingale Park. There's some kind of activity going on at the far end of the park, still a quick jog away in the distance. It looks like a few people gathered around another under a tree.

Well, Armel is no stranger to the Lowers, because he's fond of the Murder (the tavern, not the act of) and despite his silver-edged armor provoking from looks, the recent deaths of /so many/ knights in the Lowers defending their homes means that overall, he probably gets a pretty good reception. And so he wanders into the park, spotting a couple people he knows and raising a hand. Buuut then there's a strangled cry, and he is looking over, barking out, "Who goes there!?" As he begins to move that direction, unholstering his warhammer. No question of this probably not being his business.

Armel checked perception + survival at difficulty 25, rolling 16 lower.

In theory, people are looking for Calbert! Is Calbert here? He could be. Maybe he's the one causing the commotion! It's worth a shot. Which is why Calaudrin appears on the scene, with Thena in tow? Possibly. He can be heard muttering, "You're being damn stubborn, woman." But he's not dragging her along by the arms. "What's that over there? Is that Armel's loud fucking voice?" Moving in that direction now.

Calaudrin checked perception + survival at difficulty 25, rolling 3 higher.

Mason GM Roll checked perception(2) + streetwise(2) at difficulty 10, rolling 0 higher.

Mason GM Roll checked perception(2) + streetwise(2) at difficulty 10, rolling 11 higher.

Mason GM Roll checked perception(2) + streetwise(2) at difficulty 10, rolling 15 higher.

Thena checked perception + streetwise at difficulty 25, rolling 27 higher.

Armel would be very loud. He is not a subtle man, nor does he /ever/ try to be, really.

Calaudrin and Thena both witness: Beneath the large tree, buried in the shadows of all things dark and seedy, three roughs are snickering and talking amongst themselves. A tall, skinny man, Les, is speaking aloud, "Give 'im a couple more to the stomach, I want him to suffer." Leigh, a thick, burly woman is holding up what can only be something that is not their friend. It's a man with a gag tied in his mouth, hands bound behind his back, that looks to be standing on a stool. He's partway hunched over save for a very taut, thick rope that's tied around his neck and secured to a tree branch above.
The last of the trio of thugs, Knapp, is a short, wiry, man with corded muscles and a particularly vicious expression on his face. He keeps prodding at the fellow up on the stool with stick, jabbing it at soft places where the flesh is more sensitive. Though, both Knapp and Leigh are turning their attention towards the yelling Grandmaster, and this is what the approaching Armel hears along with the two Iron Guard, "Fuck! Guards!"

Armel checked dexterity + athletics at difficulty 15, rolling 28 higher.

Thena checked dexterity + athletics at difficulty 15, rolling 8 higher.

Calaudrin checked dexterity + athletics at difficulty 15, rolling 8 higher.

"I am /not/ a fucking exhibit," Thena is grumbling to Calaudrin as she follows him into the park. "Is that Sir Armel?" She stops and peers into the darkness, then tenses like a cat getting its fur rubbed the wrong way. "What's-"

Armel isn't a damn guard, and thus he really doesn't have authority here. But he does hear Calaudrin and figures what the abyss, they won't turn down free help. He is blazingly obvious even in the dark, with his shiny-as-fuck plate. "Stay where you are!" he shouts toward the thugs, closing the distance in a deceivingly long-legged and powerful jog, hammer in his hands. He isn't going to immediately attack unless he is assaulted himself, just aiming to help the poor soul being..Mugged? Something bad.

"I'll hang up a fucking curtain." Calaudrin starts to growl at her before geting an eyeful of what's going on. Oh, that's fine. "Are they- what the fuck. Never a normal night in this town." He abandons Thena and her dog, taking off at a nice sprint. He probably assumes she's going to come along. His pace is pretty good for a man who's never been witnessed eating anything. Just drinking booze and smoking. How is he even alive? "Stop!" That never usually works. But a man has to try!

What breaks out is chaos. *None* of the three stay where they are. Les makes a wild sprint for an alley, running at a fast clip. He doesn't even look back. Leigh grunts in frustration and kicks hard at the stool, cutting it out from beneath the fellow that's trussed up. Then she turns to hustle for another exit of the park opposite the Iron Guards, cutting between several trees. Knapp draws a pair of daggers from a belt-of-many-knives and whips them both at the approaching law enforcers, then rushes for the nearby community hall.
The poor man on the stool? We'll call him With his hands tied together behind him, gag tied about his mouth, and suddenly no surface to stand on beneath his feet? He falls and dangles brutally from the noose, legs thrashing and true panic in his eyes as the rope begins crushing his airway. He won't survive for long, if at all.

What breaks out is chaos. *None* of the three stay where they are. Les makes a wild sprint for an alley, running at a fast clip. He doesn't even look back. Leigh grunts in frustration and kicks hard at the stool, cutting it out from beneath the fellow that's trussed up. Then she turns to hustle for another exit of the park opposite the Iron Guards, cutting between several trees. Knapp draws a pair of daggers from a belt-of-many-knives and whips them both at the approaching law enforcers, then rushes for the nearby community hall.
The poor man on the stool? We'll call him Gerry. With his hands tied together behind him, gag tied about his mouth, and suddenly no surface to stand on beneath his feet? He falls and dangles brutally from the noose, legs thrashing and true panic in his eyes as the rope begins crushing his airway. He won't survive for long, if at all.

Mason GM Roll checked dexterity(2) + small wpn(3) at difficulty 25, rolling 5 lower.

Mason GM Roll checked dexterity(2) + small wpn(3) at difficulty 25, rolling 12 higher.

If it were lighter out Calaudrin would get the full force of one of Thena's glares for the curtain remark but it isn't lighter and he's running anyway. The woman heaves a weary sigh and lopes after, reaching for the dagger at her hip. She seems to be heading Gerry-ward.

Calaudrin checked stamina at difficulty 37, rolling 15 lower.

Mason has rolled 1 15-sided dice: 1

Armel is initially moving toward poor Gerry, seeing his plight, but when he spots Thena making the same move, he shifts, chasing full-tilt after the knife-throwing asshat that threw on him. "Halt in the name of the Gods!" It won't work, but hey, why not, right? Aiming to catch and bring the man down, either by tackling or with a hammer to the knee, either one works, after all. He isn't a kind sort to sharp things flung at him or his friends. And he /is/ in decent shape, for an old fart.

They never do! No one can ever just hang around and get arresed properly. Calaudrin runs straight on at them, grunting when someone throws a knife at him. Which hits and somehow nicks him. "What the..." With Thena going to help the dying man an Armel chasing after knife throwing man, Cal just stops and throws his hands up as people run. "Unfuckingbelievable." So he draws his bow off of his shoulder and fires at Les. Hopefully getting him in the leg or something. Or the knee.

Thena wields a sleek steel dagger with carmine leather handle.

Armel checked dexterity + athletics at difficulty 15, rolling 54 higher.

Calaudrin checked dexterity + archery at difficulty 15, rolling 31 higher.

Mason GM Roll checked dexterity(2) + athletics(3) at difficulty 69, rolling 34 lower.

Mason GM Roll checked dexterity(2) + dodge(1) at difficulty 46, rolling 29 lower.

Thena checked strength at difficulty 15, rolling 9 higher.

Mason GM Roll checked dexterity(2) + athletics(3) at difficulty 15, rolling 10 higher.

Mason GM Roll checked dexterity(2) + athletics(1) at difficulty 20, rolling 9 lower.

Knapp hurries for the wall of the community center aiming for some lattice with hands reached out to try and grab for it. Before he gets there, Armel closes in on him like a horse stampede, slamming into the knife-thrower and slamming him against the wall in a brutal pin.
Les is zipping through the alley, dodging piles of debris that have yet to be cleared from the battle. As he races by a high pillar of stacked wooden crates, he stops to pull at them, likely intending to pull them across the path of any pursuit. When he gets instead is Calaudrin's arrow burying into his side. The man screams, falling to the ground just as he gets momentum pulling at the stack, so all of the crates topple over onto him as well. He's probably going to stay put for now.
Back at the tree, Gerry is grabbed by Thena, who despite her slight size has enough strength to hoist him for some slack in the noose. He desperately sucks air in through his nose, making moaning sounds through the gag.
Leigh does her best to zig and zag through the trees, heading for for the streets that lead to the docks as she tries to put distance between herself and the soldiers. She trips on a root, almost toppling but stays on her feet. It does slow her down.

Thena checked dexterity + athletics at difficulty 15, rolling 18 higher.

Thena manages to catch at the stool with the tip of her boot and drag it over under Gerry, which probably joggles the poor man but does hopefully give him enough slack in the rope to stop dying. Once she doesn't have to support the full brunt of the man's weight, she'll jump up and slash the rope. "Sit down." She immediately starts examing the man's neck as best she can in the low light.

"There." Calaudrin huffs in satisfaction as the one man gets stuck under a pile of crates. "Run from me, you giant pile of dicks.." He mutters, glancing around to assess where everyone else is. Leigh making her escape and falling down is noticed, so he twists and heads at a dead run that way. He'd rather capture her alive than shoot her and leave a tramautic injury. So he'll try one more time: "Stop! Do not run again! We're the guard!"

Knapp is more than a bit dazed to have the plate-armored Armel /slam/ him against the wall, and he doesn't improve this situation by taking his head and 'thwack'ing it against the wall for good measure. "That's for hurting a guardsman," he intones. Then does it again, not hard enough to maim, just enough to hurt like hell. "That's for hurting my friend." Mission of stopping this guy accomplished, he glances around, spotting the fleeing woman and shouting out toward Calaudrin, "Shoot that prick!" Hey he's not a Guard, he's used to just making sure /nobody/ gets away from him, if it can be helped. He then begins to drag the knife-throwing, dazed punk back toward the tree, depositing him on the ground face-first and resting his foot on the back of his neck. And his warhammer against the side of his head, the insinuation obvious of what he'll do if he tries to move. He looks to Thena and peers over Gerry, calling over, "He gonna make it?"

Thena checked intellect + medicine at difficulty 15, rolling 11 higher.

Calaudrin checked dexterity + athletics at difficulty 15, rolling 27 higher.

Thena doesn't have to tell Gerry to sit down. As soon as the rope is cut the man slithers down to the stool, then onto the ground, coughing behind the gag tied over his mouth. There's an ugly red welt around his neck from the rope. He looks like he'll make it with some proper care.
Calaudrin runs Leigh down like a boss, easily closing the distance to her and cutting her off. She starts to grab for a sword, but throws her hands up instead. "I didn't do nothin'!! That asshole back there's a demon worshiper!"
Knapp is too dazed from Armel's beating his head against the to do anything after the man drops him in the dirt and pins him down. There's a muffled groan.

Calaudrin stares at her with an 'are you kidding me' look on his face. "Yeah, you seem like a regular upstanding citizen. Lets go." He'll put his hands on her shoulders and march her back over to Armel and Thena. This is assuming she doesn't fight back and force him to wrestle her around on the ground first. Which would be highly aggravating to a man with his level of exasperation.

Armel looks up at Gerry at the accusation, /completely/ ignoring Knapp at his feet, although the hammer doesn't waver so much as an inch from his head. "Don't move, asshat," he tells Knapp for emphasis. So not completely ignoring, apparently. "He's no sorceror," he decides, seeming very sure of this for some reason, squinting. "What the abyss makes you say that, or just trying to avoid that noose yourself?" It is abundantly clear he considers this the most likely option."

Thena can't help it, she looks pretty bloody satisfied when Armel drags his prize back to the tree. Dude's lucky to be alive. She undoes Gerry's gag and throws it on the ground in distaste. "He'll live. Needs some salve and some rest, that's all." If Armel says Gerry is not a sorceror? Gerry's not a sorceror. "Might want to wear something with a high collar for a few days, if you want to avoid awkward questions." Directly to Gerry.

Leigh sneers at Calaudrin, "Don't believe me? Doing your fuckin' job for you. Was worshipin' demons and drinkin' blood, 'e was. We all saw it. And he 'ad some Dust. Stuff they say makes ya see things. Evil things." She doesn't fight though, limping back slowly on a twisted ankle after that spill over the tree root. Armel gets a dark look. "Fuck you. You ain't got no business down here. Lowers handles things on their own. He's a fuckin' Eegeltin. Their family always been evil."
Knapp just lays in the dirt, grimacing as his head pounds, twitching against the boot grinding into his neck.
Once Thena helps free Gerry of the gag and his bonds, he coughs heavily, struggling for breath. "Liar... *cough cough* ... She's.. *cough* lying. *cough*. My name's *cough cough*, Gerry." Though the cough makes it sound more like Gary. "Leigh Pawny and her goons... exploit for money."

Calaudrin sighs tiredly, reaching down into the dirty grab a piece of rope cut from Gerry's bonds and use them to tie up Leigh's hands. "You'll spend some night time in the Iron Prison to think about what you just said to me." Then he stomps off to go find that guy he shot with an arrow who's more than likely bleeding out under some crates.

Armel checked command + intimidation at difficulty 15, rolling 15 higher.

Calaudrin checked strength + athletics at difficulty 15, rolling 8 lower.

Armel just ignores the response of Leigh, obviously considering it beneath contempt, and besides, Calaudrin is handling him, right? So instead he drags Knapp up by the scruff of his neck, none-too- gentle and hammer in his other hand, spike pressed against his stomach. "How about you, buddy? I mean, I've got inplication of demon worship here, and my hearing is mighty poor, I think. Instead of the Iron Prison, how would you like to spend the evening in the care of the Inquisition? I can tell you, the shit they'd do to you is enough to give /me/ nightmares. Unless, of course, you care to confess that this is just a bullshit extortion scheme, and I'll pass you to the Guard here." He shoots the two Guard a small look that probably is telling them to play along just for a moment, after leaning back a bit so the man can't see it.

Thena fusses over Jerry with surprisingly care, coming from her, and given that it's Gary, and then dusts her hands off and straightens up at about the time her ugly-ass dog manages to shuffle over. He's big, and slow. "Demon worship's definitely above my paygrade. Would be happy to hand 'em off to someone else."

As Calaudrin reaches the alley with the collapsed pile of crates, they prove to be filled with heavy bags of dirt and sand, likely to help in the reconstruction? It takes some brawn to drag them aside, and alas, by the time Calaudrin finds Les under that mess, the man has bled out and breathed his last breath.
As Knapp is hauled up and the spike dug into his stomach, he takes on stubborn expression at first. Though, as Armel lays out that threat of involving the Inquisition, the criminal's eyes widen in alarm and horror. "No!! No no. Just a debt. He owed it! It was Leigh's idea!" He spits out quickly, because selling her down the river is way easier. "She extorted me too! She's a monster!" He says, and spits in her direction for good measure.
Leigh snarls up at Knapp, "You fucking idiot!!"
Gerry is still coughing, but murmurs in a scratchy voice, "Thank you. Thank you so much."

Calaudrin would probably happily let Armel take /all/ of these people away to the Inquisition tonight for forcing him to run! Don't they know he smokes? And throwing /knives/ at them. He's not graceful! But he's over here digging crates and sandbags off of this other guy who is... really quite dead. "Ah, well." He sighs, because if Les dead than Les isn't going to stand up and help walk himself back to the tree. He grabs him by the arms and begins the slow process of hauling the dead body back out into the open. "Gonna need to get someone down here to get this one." He comments upon his return.

Armel arches an eyebrow, looking over the others. "See? Simple, when you have the right tools." Like implication of torture and death. Those kind of tools. "He's all yours, guys." He takes the man and, commanding him simply, "Stay still, or I'll kill you, Guard'll have to get over it." And he rips a strip of the man's tunic off with the sharp spike of his hammer as an aid, quickly fashioning a binding for the man and leading him over toward Thena. "Sit." And he thrusts him down, trusting the armed and not-bound Thena can handle the others easily enough. "If you run, we got your names," he reminds them, moving off to help Calaudrin with the body. "You could have shot him in the leg, you know!" He calls toward him, so very helpful as he makes to grab one end.

Thena rubs at her eyes and sort of flaps a hand at Larry for his thanks. "Just go to an apothecary when you get a minute, they can set you up with something." She ruffles a hand through her hair and heaves a long-suffering sigh when the ruffians confess. "And now we're stuck with you." She makes her way over to the tree and slumps against it, toying with her dagger.

Leigh and Knapp are both adequately caught and subdued. Knapp is looking very dizzy and muttering about not being turned over to the Inquisition. Leigh gives him a hard kick. "You stupid fool!" She snarls. "Shoulda brought Lil' Bastien for this." Gerry is slowly getting to his feet, his hands shaking from the shock of the encounter. He looks between the guards and soldier, "Am I free to go?" His voice is still scratchy, but he's alive. Then he takes Thena's dismissal as such and staggers off.

Armel calls out toward Gerry, "Get yourself on to the House of Solace, tell them Armel sent you. They'll salve you up quick and proper, free of charge." Because hey, they are nice people, really.

"I did shoot for the leg! It's not my fault he tried to run and jump around on the boxes... Stupid criminals are stupid." Mutter, mutter. Because naturally the man should have known that Calaudrin was aiming at him and stood in the appropriate place to be shot non-leathly! Whenever they get back to the tree, he'll lower the dead guy down. "Well. I'll call for a patrol to come bring him back. Couple of strong guys. He's not going anywhere. Thanks for your help, Grandmaster. Nice seeing you again." Under such lovely conditions!

Armel nods, clapping both Calaudrin and Thena on the shoulders. "Well, didn't mean to get in your business, trust me, but good to see you, regardless." And then, oddly, after he touches them both, he grimaces, working his mouth as if he tastes something foul, especially on thena's part, although he covers it with a possible explanation. "We really need to get moving on that other issue, and soon, alright?" He steps back, dipping his head. "Walk in the Light of the Gods, all of you. Especially you." He grimaces at the ruffians.