Wildcard - First Deal - RPLOG
Participants
Date
26/5/479
Log
Beings of all shapes and sizes are fleeing from the buildings surrounding Mange Square. It is an orderly evacuation, but not without its share of panic. A number of beings remain in the square, arranged in front of the Diseased Pig and looking up at a rooftop opposite the tavern.
Peter seems quite interested in finding out what it is the various beings are fleeing from, making his way from the freeswords down into mange square. He shuffles sideways through the crowds, clutching onto his personal belongings as he walks up among the beings looking to the rooftop. It seems to take him a few moments before catching on to look to the rooftop as well.
Avalon had simply been wandering about the area, though the uproar from Manage Square quickly catches her attention, and in no time the lynx was fighting back against the people in the opposite direction, pushing through to get a clear view of what was going on. Despite her plantive, "Excuse me," repeated again and again, she still finds herself pushed back and forth, until she breaks through enough people to finally get a better view of what exactly was going on, curiosity getting the best of her.
Iorek till walking with his cane, the canine stands out as being one of the few people not fleeing, he takes some limping steps closer to find out what is going on
Up on the rooftop opposite the Pig is a strange sight. Four beings are bound up, kneeling along the edge of the roof, gagged and blindfolded. Standing behind them are four other beings, a fox, a cat, a horse, and a bat, all black as night, each with a pistol pointed toward the head of a captive. Behind them, at the peak of the roof lounges another being. A hyena perhaps, only his fur is dyed an inky black.
The hyena cackles and looks at the beings down in the square. "Do I have your attention now?" he asks, waving a hand to indicate a dead being sprawled on the cobbles below, "That's one down, four to go, Todd! Come out, come out!"
Peter looks up in shock at the various beings held hostage, taking some time to look at each of their captors. He looks at the others around him and lays a hand on the hilt of his sword, staring up in terror. "What is goin' on?!" he calls out, to nobody in particular.
Avalon's eyes widen at the sight before her, glancing back down at the body, and back up, piecing two and two together even as a noiseless scream escapes her mouth, a gasp of horror. An execution? Or perhaps just some thugs killing off innocent people. Either way, Avalon too takes a step forward, breaking away from the rest of the crowd. Something had to be done, right? Though she wouldn't speak just yet, simply analyzing the situation, lest another dead body falls.
Iorek decides to use this distraction to blend in to the crowd, planning to get out of sight before pulling his cane up till he's holding it half way up the shaft, sprinting through some alleyways to get to the building from another angle from where the gang are standing with the hostages, trying to assess who around looks like they may wish to intervene.
"Come on, now Todd!" the black Hyena cackles, "How many of your trusty little stooges have to die to get your attention?" He nods at the horse and a gunshot cracks through the tense atmosphere of the square. Another body tumbles down to the cobblestones!
A roar of outrage comes from the small group still remaining in the square and an ugly, scarred reptile raises a pistol of his own to fire, but is stopped by another being, a weasel with a long scar over one eye.
"I speak for the guild," the weasel growls, "What do you want?"
The Hyena cackles again. "I am rooting out corruption, O'Flanagan!" he crows, "What better place to start than the Thieves' Guild!"
The Alleyways around mange square are quiet and deserted. Seems that the word has gotten out that something is going down. The black beings have chosen their vantage point well. It is hard to find any way to get behind them. As iorek charges through the streets, he pulls himself to a halt just in time to avoid slamming into a huge, inky black rhino patrolling along the backside of the building. The thug does not seem to have noticed him.
Peter puts his hands on his hips, narrowing his eyes at the cackling hyena. "That's not what it looks like!" he calls out to the comment about corruption, folding his arms looking as intimidating as possible despite having no real means to do anything.
Avalon winces as the next gunshot pierces through the air, and the tell-tale thump of another body hitting the ground is enough to make the feline shudder all over. Though Avalon knew all too well she held no leverage here, she had to do something. "Rooting out corruption? This is not how you go about this!" she cries out, hands clenched into tight fists, tail lashing back and forth behind her. "Can we not just discuss this? People do not have to die!"
Iorek struggles to hold his breath as he nearly gives away his position. Hesitating slightly, but after hearing a second gunshot he's convinced that these people are screwed unless he acts. 'No room to pull my punches here' he thinks to himself as he pulls a dagger from his sleeve and stalks the rhino, leaping onto his back and aiming on planting the knife in his throat.
"AH!" the hyena cries, nearly skipping across the rooftop, "Spectators to witness my heroic debut!" The black-furred being does not seem the least bit concerned by the collection of ruffians below in the square and slips close to the edge to look down at the protesting Peter and Avalon. "For the boys and girls just joining us from home, let me introduce my special guests!" he calls gleefully, stepping up next to a bound and blindfolded beaver, who shudders when the hyena lays a hand on his shoulder, "Meet Kenneth Hardtooth! Fat Todd's most trusted bookkeeper and money mover! This being is responsible for nearly eighty percent of the illegal Ebon trade in Firmament! Is that corrupt enough for you?" He skips back to his high perch and grins manically over the crowd. "I still don't see Todd, O'Flanagan!" he shouts down, "I'm beginning to think he does not want to come to my party!"
The rhino in the back alley goes down with nothing more than a rattling gurgle as Iorek neatly slices his throat. A ladder leans against the side of the building and would be easy to climb.
Peter folds his arms and shakes his head disapprovingly at the theatrical performance that the hyena was keeping on. "You're gonna kill people over a bookkeeper?" he asks, incredulous. "That ain't as corrupt as what this is! This is cold blooded!" He draws his sword, still not doing much with it. "And who's Todd?!"
Avalon takes deep breaths, trying her hardest to regulate her growing anxiety for the situation. This hyena was mad out of his mind! With the chipmunk drawing his sword, Avalon makes a silent motion with her hand, hoping it would deter him from such an action. From here, they were literally helpless against the act. "Just give us a moment!" Avalon cries out, fumbling about for the words to say. "Just hear reason for heaven's sake, the man you are seeking might just be delayed!"
Iorek tries to climb the ladder opting for stealth rather than speed as the chatting seems to be stalling the leader. peering over the top when he gets to the top, judging the distence and his chances before he sneaks up, hoping to get his musket barrel to the hyena's head before anyone can react "Now, how about you fellas let them go and this loud mouth here gets to remain attached to this hyena?"
"A doctor has no pity for the disease," the Hyena says, nodding to the cat this time. Another gunshot rings out and another body tumbles to the cobbles of the square. How is it possible that the guards are not here yet?
The motley crew standing in front of the Diseased Pig are not sitting idly. Motion from various rooftops, including that of the Pig itself show beings preparing themselves with long rifles, all pointed toward the rooftop, but no one is shooting yet.
"You know that Todd isn't coming," growls the one eyed weasel, "So you got some bean counters. So what? You think you got the Guild by the balls? We got plenty more where they came from! Why don't you just come down and let me gut you like a man!"
Iorek's plan was noble, but maybe could have used a bit more planning. Even as he finishes his speech, a hand slides up under his musket, raising it to point in the air while the point of a long, crooked dagger rises to rest under his chin. Worst hug ever. "Or," comes a smooth, low voice in his ear, "You could come and get a front row seat." It looks like the well meaning canine missed the snake guard waiting at the top of the ladder!
"A doctor don't go around killing helpless beings for no reason either, you rotten bastard!" he calls out, marching around to the alleyway Iorek had gone down in hope of finding a way up there himself, following the trail of dead rhino that Iorek left in his wake. Upon locating such a ladder, he'd try to make his way up, though he is far less subtle than the dog before him.
Peter did that!
Avalon whines under her breath as the next body falls. This was getting nowhere. Literally, though it seemed like the chipmunk was taking initiative to stop them, running off and leaving the lynx within the crowd. With a sigh, she simply goes silent, resigning the others left to their fate, lest they could be saved by the chipmunk. As much as she wanted to go and assst, what good would she do being taken and left to the same fate?
Iorek with a slight "hmph." he resigns that they will likely kill him now if he lets them, might as well try something.
Bringing one hand up to grab the blade of the curved dagger to pull it forward, he swings his head backwards aiming for the snake's face as he elbows back with his other arm, letting the musket drop, putting all his weight into the elbow praying it will do some damage.
"WHO IS INTERRUPTING MY Wo-" the Hyena shouts, then cuts off abruptly when he sees Iorek being frogmarched across the roof by his serpentine lackey, "Creators and Gods!" he says, breaking into a huge grin, "It's you! I would never have believed it! I am so glad you are here!"
Iorek's furious escape attempt does not quite go as planned. Yes, he gets his hand on the blade of the knife, and yes, he gets in a headcracking thump on his serpentine captor, who staggers backward a little. But he also loses his musket and finds the pistols of the two unoccupied members of the hyena's group pointed at him, along with a sudden warm, pulsing sensation from the deep cut in his hand.
"Tsk," the hyena clicks his tongue, "That was a bad idea. You probably ought to sit down. Don't worry, I'll be with you in a moment." The hyena snaps his fingers. "Oops! Almost forgot!" he waves a hand and another gunshot, and another body. Why haven't the beings in the square retaliated yet!?
Trotting and clanking around to the rear of the building does not do Peter much good. All he finds is another murder and a broken ladder that seems to have fallen from where it was leaning on the building.
Peter throws his hands up in frustration when he finds the ladder broken, simply moving back to the main square with a stomping step.
The feline glances around at the square, breaking off from the crowd to look back at the others simply watching, or bumbling about. "You fools, what are you doing?! Help them!" she cries out, jutting her finger toward the rooftop, sething in her boots. "Do something!" Avalon reaches to her back, unhinging a crossbow and taking aim. Though her ability with it was ony limited, she would do something. Anything at least, releasing an arrow to soar over into the rooftop at them.
Iorek growls at the hyena, slightly confused that he was recognised he looks rather uneasy on his feet as his anger seems to drain as he tries to focus on the assailants.
The canine falls to one knee, being powerless to do anything being the worst wound of them all as he scrambles for the cane on his side to get some balance, leaning on it straining to get back to his feet. He mouths something, as if trying to ask the hyena a question.
The collection of ebony beings on the roof watch Avalon's bolt soar over their heads and vanish somewhere behind them, then move their final captive front and center, forcing him roughly to his feet, then back to his knees.
"You are my inspiration," the Hyena says, grinning at Iorek, "Don't worry, the dizziness will pass. Probably long before you bleed out. I cannot TELL you what an honor it is to actually meet you when you are not bound and gagged on the floor! Those legs healed up well!" He turns his back on Iorek and looks out on the angry beings in the square, his grin turning into a pout. "Still no Todd?" he asks, crestfallen, "Oh well. I'll just have to pick him up another time. There is plenty of work for Wildcard to do! I'm going to burn the corruption right out of this city! Just you watch!" He strides up to the trembling, bound beaver and takes the pistol from his henchman to hold it against his captive's head. "This is the beginning!" he cackles, "And it won't stop until Firmament is truly cleansed!"
Avalon sighs, stowing away her crossbow. A feeble attempt, though she would not subject herself to watching this massacre. Turning her back, she simply takes a deep breath, listening out for that tell-tale gunshot to signal the beaver's demise. What kind of place was this. Nobody moved, just watched. It was disgusting, and not just at the hyena, but the others as well.
Iorek seems to be struggling between the poison and figuring out what the hyena was meaning, clearly he knows Iorek as he tries to place the face. The canine falls on his face, staring at the Hyena appraching his target and trying to reach out, in some last attempt to stop it.
"You're not the first to threaten the guild," the one eyed weasel shouts, "And you won't be the last." He raises a hand and gives a signal, heralding the crack of a plethora of rifles around the square. Trouble is, none of them manage to strike the hyena. Or his men. Or the roof. Instead, a number of cries come from the rooftops where the Thieves set up!
The hyena cackles in hysterics and he simply puts a foot to the beaver's back, shoving him, alive, off the roof and to the street below. He nods to his compatriots, and the rooftop is suddenly covered by a thick haze of white smoke!
Peter watches the spectactle, wincing at the gunshots. At the sight of the beaver falling to the ground, he hurries up to check and see if the poor being managed to survive the fall, stowing his sword away in it's sheath.
Avalon does not turn around, simply frozen in place, lost in her thoughts, waves of confusion overwhelming her functions. It did not make sense, it was all so.. awful, so dirty and foul.
The square breaks out into chaos, beings rushing in all directions, probably in hopes of catching at least some of the strange hyena's followers.
The fallen beaver seems to be breathing, but one of his legs is twisted at an unnatural angle and he is bleeding profusely from a head would. He is alive, but he might not stay that way long.
Peter breaks off into a sprint to find some help from the church - most likely spending some time trying in vain to convince a doctor to come to mange square.
The thieves' guild thugs swoop in and drag away the corpses, while a particularly large rhino hurries up and bundles away the wounded beaver. Maybe they will be able to help him. It is only a few short moments until the square is totally deserted. Nothing but a few new stains on the ground to show that anything happened at all.
Iorek himself comes to a short while later sitting on a bench in the marketplace, his hand stitched up and well tended to. No one can seem to tell him how he got there.
