Back across the bridge... (New City)

[DM Bob]

Yes. It is much more expensive to live on the new side of Celik while unaligned.

And you are watched much more than you first thought. As you pass the guard towers on the old city side, a horn is sounded. A repeating call is given from across the stone span. A half dozen spear and shield armed Maraneth guards appear from the new city and slowly advance to meet you halfway this dry, sweaty morning. They call out.

"Find anything useful?" Calls one, a larger man with some light facial scarring and long blond hair.

"Crazy weather last night for yeh to be out overnight." Adds another... a squirrely woman with dark short hair (and a prominent gap tooth). Think Agata Jarosz from the band Kontrust, but with dark (not blond) hair.

"Must be kank-shit crazy to rest near them basilisk hutches, if ya ask me. Let's see what yeh got. They always got something." States a hairless dwur (not Voi, but could totally be related for all you know).

Yips can be heard beneath the span of the bridge. The big battle cats both look over.

[ascieszl]

(Ibubesi withdraws and opens a small well wrapped bundle from his pack, pushing it closer to the inquirer than they'd prefer, but not so close as to enrage them)

"Kes'trekel droppings to inquire about selling as fertilizer, and a source for more. We need food and water - it was a long, cold night. The storm."

[Attilius]

Dec 8, 2021 15:19:00 GMT -12 DM Bob said:

Yips can be heard beneath the span of the bridge. The big battle cats both look over.

As does Hawkings...

[Quila Oris (John M.)]

(Bob, do I know these agents? You call them Maraneth guards, but they are like us, just indentured servants, right? No special rank or anything? Also, where do they meet us -- half-way on the bridge itself?)

"Now now, your enthusiasm about possible findings is commendable. Poop. Lots of poop, good dwur. That we even share this fact with you is to show our good faith as we have no duty to do so. This you know as well as I do."
(OOC: Bureaucracy npw, rolled 1 vs 14 - done to play on the rules and established routines)

"Now if you would all be so kind as to let us pass, we can sell the kes'trekel droppings while it's still hot. Have a nice day."

Quila makes a move forward and looks how they respond. I am on edge and very much alert.
(OOC: Alertness nwp, rolled 9 vs 18)

[Niachi]

Moktli silently matches Quila's forward momentum, his empty hands at his sides. He tries to keep at least one of the cats in his peripheral vision.

[DM Bob]

The cats stare down at what look to be even more sand howlers. Maybe a full baker's dozen (13). Having tasted them recently? The giant felines visibly salivate. They rough house in a circular chase below the ancient bridge.

The woman shakes her head and holds up a single palm. They stand within 15 feet of you and the newly familiar mental itch of those who are house members verify that they are indeed Maraneth.

"Nah. Pretty sure they found something other than dung... those ruins have been pretty much untouched. Erent," She remarks to the dwur. "Go get Voi. Need to teach the noobies that the bridge gets first inspectin' (an' cuts)."

The dwarf nods and runs off to the leftmost guard tower. Shortly after, 2 blasts from the horn a pause and a single additional toot call.

[Quila Oris (John M.)]

(Bob, Bureaucracy did not give me anything useful here at all? Bit peeved that after a month I did not know about this procedure at all.)

[DM Bob]

OOC: Having a rough week getting things together at the new place. I admit I missed the critical success on that bureaucracy roll.

This isn't something Quila has had to deal with personally. But she has heard that the north bridge guards are more lax - as they don't have the merchant traffic there. Everyone expects to get shaken down at least once in new digs.

Offering a bribe might help... but the guardsmen and women also can be useful to sell to as well (not that they offer much in the way of full value).

This is my way of saying, expect to report to a House person most times you cross. This also means smuggling or stashing is encouraged... or finding an alternate route into and out of the city/ruins.

[Attilius]

[Bob what's the distance from the nearest building or alley that breaks Line of sight to the guard towers/bridge guards and the opposite side of the wall that doesn't have immediate foot traffic (somewhere just before you leave the new city that's out of the way. Maybe an inner wall nook or corner of an inner building?)]

[DM Bob]

Answered in chat. 350' total bridge. Past the bridge 20-30' to an alley, etc...

[Attilius]

Ty Bob.

The young Halfling pipes up loudly at the back of the group "Come friends, let us venture back out and leave these diligent guards to... their work."
Hawkings does an about face, begins whistling and briskly walks to the nearest building and turns the corner. He waits for the rest of the group to follow him around the corner and break line of sight to the bridge...

[Attilius]

Once the team is with the halfling, out of sight, he frustatedly chirps "I didn't study the Way for endless hours to be taken by crooks!"
He closes his eyes and concentrates hard. He hick ups and nothing happens. (Insert Millennium falcon engine break noise)

"Shit, hold on I got this... it's further than I normally like to go."
The little man closes his eyes once again, takes a big calming inhale, then slowly exhales as he connects to his nexus and opens a portal to beyond the guard wall. A 6' hole appears against the buildings wall. He puts his finger to his lips, walks through and moves to the left to not be in anyone's way.

[First roll was a 10, fail = 4 PsP's
Second was a 3, success, another 4
Finally, Power Manipulation 18, rolled 4 = success, 5 psps: No one is disoriented as they walk through)

[Niachi]

Moktli steps along a bit nervous but after appearing on the other side, he cracks a grin and waits for the others.

[Coden Rokos (Jesse H.)]

"Hope they don't have someone on the otherside waiting to detect teleporters for security purposes and then rounding us up," says Calidane before he steps through.

[Skrye [AC3; 48/48HP]]

- That would be very unfortunate, just be ready - Valmera replies to Calidane - I need to buy some ingredients and I'm good to return - before she steps through