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...
