Miracle Manny - RPLOG
Participants
Date
21/1/478
Log
The market is bustling with activity, even more so around the newly erected tent at the edge of the main market under the sign, "Miracle Manny's Exquisite Elixers!" Beings of all shapes and sizes are gathered around a caravan cart that has been transformed into a kind of stage. At a bit of a distance, a ragged figure in a long dark coat stands, observing the excitement.
Given her affiliations, it would be remiss of Lucasiel to not show up. By herself, today, and dressed in a fairly simple forest-green dress, the panther shuffles up towards the more suspicious looking individual in the coat, offering a nod of greeting.
Having just arrives in Promise a day ago, Elias felt it would be remiss not to explore the market. It takes him a while to meander his way over towards the newly set up tent, and the crowd that has gathered there, putzing as he is at each and every stall he comes across, showing particular interest in a stall selling handcarved wooden flutes. Though as he does finally make his way around to Miracle Manny he hangs back a bit, narrowing his eyes at the large crowd that has formed around the stage.
After a moment Elias spots the figure in the long coat off to the side. Maybe that was the one he heard about from the guild. It all seemed strange to the new arrival, so he shuffled over, his tall form not exactly subtle or well hidden in the crowd. Much like the woman who approached before him he offers a nod, the a bit more unsure.
"Miracle Manny, huh." Jera makes his first appearance in town for the longest while. Huddled close in his cloak. He has been out resupplying on his weapons. It has been a long trip, and the fatigue is visible from the way he shuffles his feet. He paused for a while. Thinking if he'd heard about a similar thing overseas...
An equine silhoutte is set against the dimming twilight, capped by a tall, domed hat. As it enters the flickering gaslight, it resolves itself into a familiar figure: Dupree the mad Mare. But she looks...changed. There's a certain focus in her misaligned gold eyes, an apparent wisdom in her countenance...and a long, curved pipe, clenched in her teeth. Decked out in the drabbest tweed money can buy, she rubs her chin, pondering the stage, the milling crowd, and the tall dark stranger who summoned her here.
"Is this a true mystery you'd called us for," she asks, an infuriating smirk forming at the edges of her mouth, "or are we just cheaper than the local constabulary?"
Drawing breath from one side of her mouth, she 'puffs' through the other, a stream of bubbles arising from the mouth of her pipe.
Amos Longtooth, spyguard spook nods to the Freeswords as they gather. "Lucasiel, Mister Vale, Lord Jera," he rasps, then hesitates as he looks to Dupree, "Detective," he finally ventures, "Glad you could make it." The rangy old Tomcat has glossy black fur, rather different from the patchy grey that some might remember, but his tattered ear and scarred, milky eye identify the spook as well as any paperwork. He nods toward the tent and the massing crowd. "Show should start any time now," he rasps, "Manny over there has miracled people back to health every hour on the hour today." The cat snarls, showing the oversized fang for which he is named. "Made a pretty penny off of the locals, too," he says, "I find myself thinking they're making more than donations though. You boys and girls up to checking it out?"
Lucasiel peers at Dupree for a moment, brow raised before looking back towards Amos. "What're you suspecting, exactly?" The feline asks, rubbing her chin. "Just... Finding where the money is coming from? The nature of the 'cures?'"
Elias frows softly, scratching at the base of one of his horns at the mention of his family name. It made him obviously uncomfortable to hear it. Hucksters and conmen on the other hand, he had some experience with those.. some. "Shouldn't we watch once? See if we can spot anything off?"
"Lord has a nice ring to it." Jera bowed his head politely, grinning a bit as he nodded to Elias. "I've heard of similar acts in my visits abroad. Not sure if it is the same person...but they never seem to repeat their trips."
Dupree snorts indignantly. "Surely you don't need a mind of my caliber to catch another market-square huckster. Audience plants, idle actors desperate for coin, given a few crown to play the invalid," she murmurs irritably, puffing another cloud of soapy bubbles into the air.
"It's all a bunch of cheap theater tricks," she adds, waving her hand dismissively, "And if you couldn't deduce that for yourself, I fear for the rest of the King's chosen."
"Please," Amos rasps, "Be my guest!" He waves a hand at the stage before jamming it back into the pocket of his black coat. "Just keep an eye on this Manny character," he says, "I am pretty sure his cures are fakes, but that doesn't bother me. Charlatans blow through all the time. I need to know what sort of things he's selling in that tent." The ragged tomcat nods to Jera. "Yeah," he says, "Thought you might have heard of him. Usually there is a pair of them, but their act seems to have changed recently."
Just as he finishes speaking, there is a tinny fanfare as the makeshift stage lights up with a bit of fire magic and a fox in a gaudy robe and turban takes center stage. "Beloved!" he cries out in a rather ridiculous and obviously false accent, "I sense that there is one here ready for healing!" The audience brightens up and crowds closer. Seems that they have been waiting for this. The fox closes his eyes and holds out his hand in a dramatic gesture, waving it about until pointing, seemingly at random at a little sparrow woman not too far from the stage. "YOU!" he shouts, "The spirits tell me to heal your ills!"
Lucasiel hums in thought before turning to move off towards the crowd, intent on seeing what's going on. Not before making a passing quip to Dupree, though. "If it's too much for you, you are, of course, welcome to go elsewhere. Not everyone has the talent for this kind of thing, I understand."
Elias blinks a few times as his eyes dart between Amos and Manny, at least until the show starts. He wrinkles his nose at the rather.. awfulness of the whole thing. The act wasn't all that impressive, and real merchants didn't need those sort of tricks to sell. Still, he gives a slow nod and makes his way to the crowd, his Heavy clan bulk and height letting him jostle for a good viewing spot where he could see over the heads of those in front of him.
Jera watched the act with avid attention paid. He wasn't so quick to disbelieve, given what has happened to him before. He tries to make his way closer to the front.
Dupree gives another snort in response to Lucasiel. "Would you buy fine Shralestan silk to use as your kit's nappy? 'Tis throwing away money on a product for a purpose far below its proper use. Nonetheless," she pulls that smirk up tightly, as if trying to offer pained disdain, "I shall endeavor to help you all well as I can; perhaps something of true interest will break out while I am distracted." She shifts her attention to the Sparrow, eyeing her closely. It would be most helpful if she could recognize them and prove her hasty assumption correct...
The sparrow cries out joyfully and starts to pick her way through the crowd to the stage. As she mounts the little set of stairs, it becomes evident that her left arm is twisted and stunted. The robed fox welcomes her onto the stage. "Now!" he cries, holding aloft some sort of purple crystal and waving it through the air, "With the power granted me by the great spirits, I heal you!" His accent is really quite appaling, but the crystal suddenly bursts into radiant light! The purple light spreads gradually from the gem to the afflicted arm which visibly twists and stretches until the little sparrow is completely whole!
"I think this would be more akin to... Buying burlap, rather than silk," Lucasiel murmurs, folding her hands behind her back. She watches the display for a moment before her ears perk. She certainly wasn't expecting -that- outcome. Well then... She leans forward a little, tail twitching behind her as she eyes the fox over.
Elias perks up as the crystal is raised into the air. Here he was expecting some sort of bottle full of funny colored water to be offered up and instead this thing pops up. He squints slightly against the light, he doesn't want to miss anything that might be going on on stage. If this is more parlor tricks, it was certainly more impressive than what they had done so far.
Jera claps for the performance! Taking use of the time that he had while the crowd was fully enthused to try to sneak around to the back of the stage via the left.
Dupree frowns. She hadn't yet been proven wrong, per se...but she still could not put a finger on it. And then, at once, an idea! She tugs on Lucasiel's great arm and whispers, "We have an interest in solving this or exposing them to the crowd, no? What will they do if an actual injury occurs intheir midst?" The long mouth is extended into an eminently punchable grin, a bit of acting, a bit of self-satisfaction.
"Punch me. Right here." She taps a spot below her eye. "Give me a black eye. They'll have to tip their hand, or admit they're frauds. Go on."
On stage, the little sparrow girl shrieks with joy, holding up her healed arm where the crowd can easily see it. The fox, Manny if one had to guess, stows the crystal reverently within his robes. "Behold the power of the Spirits!" he cries out, "Now! While the stars are aligned, I, Manny the Magnificent will accept the petitions of those whose auras are prepared!"
The crowd gives a murmur of appreciation and joins Jera in his applause. One member of the mob, a raccoon comments appreciatively to her friend beside her. "Always a different way! Earlier he gave that Akita a potion for hair loss and then there was the swan with that terrible scar that he just chanted over! Amazing!"
There is no one to impede Jera as he scoots around the back. Looks like everyone's eyes are on the stage. Behind the caravan is a small open space with three or four crates stacked up and a rear entrance to the large, striped tent.
"No thank you," Lucasiel says to Dupree, keeping her eyes on the fox. There was no doubt, she knew him. But without her armour, she doubted that -he- recognized her. "I try not to resort to violence unless needed. Pardon me." She starts to work her way through the crowd, up towards the stage. "Hello up there! Might I have a word! I am curious as to your healing! I have something that could use a looking at."
Elias looks around the crowd, trying to catch the snippets of conversation going on around him. He starts to move closer to the stage as he sees once of the other invetigators doing so. Better to be close by if needed then off in the back of the crowd where he wouldn't be able to do anything.
Jera has his mark! Looking around to make sure he is alone and then starting his careful rummage. Peeking into crates half heartedly before heading through the entrance to the tent.
It would figure that Dupree couldn't get the person she'd been bickering with to actually strike her. She remains convinced of her idea, though, and elects to needle someone on the crowd, shoving and elbowing her way forward, 'accidentally' fluttering her wing into someone's face...something to provoke someone. She wanted to see the 'healing' for herself, and mere quesitons and skulking about weren't going to suffice.
The fox in his gaudy clothes and turban bows to the audience, waving dramatically to the healed sparrow. He waves his hand once more and suddenly vanishes in a cloud of purple smoke that spins and streams away toward the large, striped tent, slipping through the open flap and vanishing. The sparrow woman, left on stage starts to carefully make her way down, gladly accepted by the crowd who all want to touch and examine her now healthy arm.
There seem to be a collection of crystals, vials of some sort of liquid, and a number of little ornamental scrolls tucked into the crates, but none of them seem all that impressive. Though the crystals look like the one Manny had on stage.
Dupree is quite successful as she tickles the ear of a large rhino. "Hey!" he rumbles, "Back off feathers!" After another tickle or two he spins around and plants a fist right in Dupree's left eye!
Lucasiel furrows her brow as the fox on the stage not only ignores her, but moves back into the tent! Well that just isn't nice. She decides to approach the entrance of the tent, herself, seeking an audience through more direct means.
Elias looks between the stage and the tent, blinking in bewilderment, not sure what to do.
Jera senses his time to search is running out. He makes headway for the large table in the tent. Admiring the crystal ball in the middle. He calls out his earth wisp with a flick of his tail to watch his back while he searched.
Dupree loses her pipe and deerstalker as she tumbles to the ground after a painful sounding SMACK, offering a wink with the un-punched eye as she yelps in pain. Blubbering and shoving her way blindly to the stage, she cups a hand over her afflicted eye.
"OW! Oh creators, ow! Please, you must help me, sir!" she cries aloud, staggering through the tent and eyeing Manny with the one that hasn't been bloodied. "I...I think I'm blind! Oh, by the saints, help me!" Given that the blood is welling up around her eye and starting to give that black outline, it's not ALL acting...
There is already a bit of a queue at the door of the tent. Several beings, some of them with obvious deformities or illnesses, are lined up waiting to be admitted. The rest of the crowd seems content to wait for the next show, but these all seem to be waiting to be admitted into the presence of the miracle worker. They all seem worried and irritated as Dupree staggers to the tent, and a couple of them cry out in dismay when the mare shoulders past them, only to find the tent empty.
Well, aside from Jera rooting around under the table. Jera has managed to find a few locked boxes beneath the table, along with a covered collection of other items, many of which look rather valuable.
Lucasiel looks amongst those lined up outside, frowning. Surely this many people couldn't be in on the show. "I am... Sure you will all get what you need soon," she says, trying to reassure them. Hopefully not in vain!
Elias watches Dupree stumble towards the tent with a degree of utter bafflement. That.. is decidedly odd. He turns and walks towards the tent, not trying to shove his way to the front, but rather using the distraction Dupree is causing to get a better look at those lining up and their assorted ailments if visible. They can't all be plants, but perhaps a few..
Jera decides that his search is futile. Anything he discovers would have to be from the person himself. He slides his hand over his knife and waited for Manny to appear. Going to be wounded.
Dupree snaps her fingers and stomps a hoof in frustration. If that foolish cat would have done her part, she could've caught the attention of that fraud and forced them to respond. Her long face pulls into an analytical frown. She lost a perfectly good bubble pipe for this?
"Well, he couldn't have left out the front. No holes in the roof, no holes in the ground. You there!" she shouts, snapping her fingers and pointing to Jera. "What way did you come in?"
Along with those in line are a number of what can only be fans. One among them, a rather gaudily dressed skunk, that some might recognize as the lady Lucretia Blackback under all her scarves and trinkets. "Pull back the veil, great one!" she shouts toward the tent, ready to jump onto any occult wave that comes her way, that one.
One of the beings in line, a rather unhappy looking otter on crutches, growls after Dupree. "Always the pushy ones and the rich ones," he grumbles, "And all of em coming out just as pleased as punch!" It seems like he has been here for more than one performance.
Within the tent, Dupree and Jera suddenly find themselves in the presence of the Magnificent Manny himself as the fox twitches aside the rear entrance and steps into the tent. He stares, befuddled at the two for a few seconds, before he can recover himself. "No! No!" he cries in that ridiculous accent again, "Your auras are all wrong! Out! Out!" His eyes focus worriedly on Jera, apparently recognizing a threat.
Lucasiel perks her ears again, steeping forward towards the otter. "Oh? Have you been here before, sir?" She asks, tail curling around behind her. "Please, do tell me more! I am trying to learn more about this... Healer, as it were."
"Ah, my mistake. I stumbled into the wrong place. Was I late for the show?" Jera turned and took his leave. Large tail brushing over the locked boxes under the table as if to signal to Dupree. Heading out and looking back for Lucasiel, the other assignee for this mission.
Elias walks alongside the line towards the entrance to the tent. He doesn't make to enter though, instead taking up position along side the tent flap. He keeps one ear on the crowd, but leans his head in and presses his other ear up against the tent, trying to hear what's going on inside.
"Oh! My sincerest apologies, Magnificent Manny," Dupree wheedles, disregarding Jera's hint. "Only, you see, I seem to have suffered quite the nasty blow," she pauses to gesture to her swollen and blackened eye. "And...well, as I'm already in here, so...if you could be so generous, I would be greatly in your debt, Mister Magnificent..."
It did seem quite interesting that this charlatan actually seemed to believe in his tricks--the average huckster would either fight or flee when revealed, not carry on their delusion...
"All day!" the otter moans, "Been watching him heal all those crazy, hopeless cases on the stage, but I never got into the tent! Guy says the stars en't right or my aura's too muddled." He points a hand at the exultant Lucretia. "That one, though," he says, "She's been in there no less than four times today. Comes out looking like the cat what ate the canary every time, too!"
Inside, Manny looks rather relieved as Jera turns to leave. He turns his attention to Dupree. "And you!" he says, "You must go too! You, uh, you have a wicked spirit that follows you! Look!" The fox waves his hand and the dim light of the tent darkens further and a distorted, flailing shape rips itself from the shadows of the tent! The black form shrieks horribly as it streams across the tent toward the turbaned fox. He waves his hand again and the apparition vanishes. "You see?" he says in his awful accent, "You must first fast and meditate to banish this spirit, then I can use my powers to help you! Now go!"
Lucasiel closes her eyes and takes a deep beath. "I see. Thank you. I will go have a word with the 'healer' and see if I can't get him to reconsider tending to you folk," she says, turning and moving off towards the tent, a hand straying towards her satchel.
Elias grumbles softly as he hears the otter mention the Lady having visited four times in one day, muttering under his breath, "And did nothing for the halitosis.." As Lucasiel approaches the entrance to the tent, he looks right at the first person in line. "Sorry, offical business." He pushes aside the flap for the panthress to enter, then moves to follow in right after her.
Dupree steps back and plants her hooves, shaking her head with an oddly equine snort. "Effective enough for your audience, I suppose, but you are in the presence of a mind trained not to fall prey to such illusions!" she announces, looking left and right for some backup. Damn these scattered minds! If only she'd had a trusty assistant with her...maybe a combat veteran who was looking for a peaceful flat in the city after what he'd seen...
Oh well, make do with what you can. She advances on the man, circling about warily, her one good eye still on him...
Manny takes one look at Lucasiel as she comes into the tent and his sensitive spiritualist act drops. "Well, Damn," he says, silly accent gone, "Knew I should've worn the mask." The fox raises a hand and the tent is suddenly filled with a dazzling light!
Lucasiel bows her head to Elias as he holds the tent flap open for her, allowing her in. She heaves a heavy sigh towards Manny and withdraws the length of whip from the satchel. "Stand down, you're not getting away again- " As soon as the light show starts, she's not about to risk letting him slip away in the diversion. She lashes out with the whip, trying to snare his legs.
Elias follows in behind Lucasiel, folding his arms over his chest as he stands just inside the entrance to the tent. He know he might not be the best fighter, but when you have size behind you sometimes thats enough to be intimidating. Well, at least until the light show starts, at which point this throws up a hand to shield his eyes.
Dupree crouches slightly, readying herself to tackle the charlatan--until she sees Lucasiel pulling out the whip. "Mother's mane! Didn't believe in violence enough to help me, and you whip out this...whip?" That didn't really roll of the tongue. "Why didn't you tell me you knew this man?" she asks the Panthress irritably. Their employer probably wouldn't want to sabotage their mission, but why was this woman being so beligerent?
Jera had barely left the tent moments ago and he hears the commotion sound already. Both daggers come out as he joins the dance, searching for any escaping foxen to make his mark...
There is a cry from across the tent and the light vanishes as abruptly as it appears. It seems that Lucasiel's whip found its mark and is wrapped around the fleeing fox's leg! Looks like the poor con artist took a dive and is looking rather dazed on the floor. There is a bit of belligerent murmuring from outside as so many beings have somehow forced their way into the healer's tent without going through the line.
Lucasiel strides across the tent and promptly kneels down atop the fox, placing her knee on his back between his shoulderblades. "Because," she replies to Dupree, pulling the whip back from his leg and stowing it away. "I was not aiming to harm, but to take down. This is a known con artist that managed to slip through my grasp last time. Along with his associate." The whip is tucked away and she tries to grab the downed fox by the arms to hoist him up. "This time, he will be dealt with properly."
Elias turns to look behind him as he lowers his hand. "May I suggest taking him out the back way. There might be a small riot if you take the healer all those poeple are waiting for out of here in chains.." He looks at the whip. "So to speak."
Dupree kneels down beside the prone form beneath Lucasiel's knee. "Well, you were an easy enough dupe to catch, and you'll take his majesty's justice and be on your way to decieve again, but...it must be expensive to create and maintain this, and there must be a cheaper way to extract money from the naive. What else drives you to decieve these poor rubes?" she asks, shoving her puffy black near to his face.
The fox snorts at Dupree, still rather dazed and very restrained. "Cause it's damn funny is why," he gives that sly, salesman's grin again, "And because you don't have the slightest clue how I did it, do you?" A trickle of blood runs from his nose and he leans against Lucasiel with a sigh. "Take me away, pretty lady," he says, completely unrepentant.
"And indeed I shall," Lucasiel says, hauling the fox up and nodding at Elias. "Good thinking. Think you can tell them that he won't be able to see them today?" She asks, already moving to take the fox out of the back to deliver him to Amos. Or to the prison, herself.
Dupree's long face suddenly scowls as if she'd mistook a lemon for an apple...and then breaks into a geniune, unaffected smile. This was precisely what she had been looking for all night! She claps the Fox firmly on the shoulder as he's led out. "Indeed! Any idiot can scam the public, but it takes a true genius to deceive genius!" she exclaims, not seeming to notice how arrogant it sounds. "Thank you, Mister Miracle--you've saved this night from being a complete bore!" She claps heartily, following him to search for the pipe and hat she'd lost this evening.
It does not take long to get the fox out the back and out of his turban and robe. The clothes he has underneath mean that he won't stand out much. Lucasiel has no trouble transporting him to where Amos waits to take him into custody. Fortunately, Elias and Jera are able to talk down the crowd outside and convince them that Manny could perform no more tonight. Shame that they had not figured out how the scam worked.
"Not too bad," Amos rasps to Lucasiel as he takes the prisoner, "Good work getting him without causing a riot. Tell your friends they can pick up their rewards at the city barracks. They will be expecting you."
