Low Estate/Turns/Turn 9

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• Aernoud van Nevel (josh_g): forest wanderer — FATE ▢▢▢▢▢ • Stress ▢▢ • Consequences unused (2), unused (4), unused (6)
• Antheunis Opgieten (lpsmith): slippery urchin — FATE ▢▢▢▢▢ • Stress ▢▢ • Consequences unused (2), unused (4), unused (6)
• Boudin Verdonk (maga): bravo and expeditor — FATE ▢▢▢▢▢ • Stress ▢▢▢▢ • Consequences unused (2), unused (4), unused (6)
• Mattius Rothmann (Fang): brutish warmage — FATE ▢▢▢▢▢ • Stress ▢▢▢▢ • Consequences unused (2), unused (4), unused (6)
• Willem de Vos (Jota): student magician — FATE ▣▢▢▢▢ • Stress ▢▢ • Consequences unused (2), unused (4), unused (6)
• Lazer Dennis (Rob): manic-depressive man out of time — FATE ▢▢▢▢▢ • Stress ▢▢▢ • Consequences unused (2), unused (4), unused (6)

Maldeghem's Headquarters

Boudin appears to have adeptly hit on a thing Maldeghem lacks, because it takes only a few days from when the word is passed via the East Arsebrouc Boys to when the five of you are walking into the courtyard of the place Maldeghem has set up as the seat of his kingdom. Security is lax in the outer areas: there are guards along the walls, and you're looked over as you come in, but it's a fairly casual inspection. The courtyard itself is full of cutpurses, pimps, rogues, and thugs, drinking or gambling or watching a dog-fight or fighting (or multiple as one tends to lead to another). Given all that, it's not too hard for Aernoud and Antheunis to slip away, while Boudin, Lazer, and Willem continue on for the interview in the main building.

Maldeghem is not the sort of person who is a natural leader, but nevertheless he draws the attention, in the same way a snake does -- he gives the impression that if you drop your guard at any moment it is possible he would go for your throat. Furthermore, the search upon entering the throne room (a dining room with a long table down the center and stained tapestries on the walls) is much more thorough than the one outside, and the bodyguards in here less distracted. But it soon becomes apparent that what Maldeghem wants more than anything is something to do with high society, and, not being able to figure out a way to kill for it, is completely at an impasse. He hangs on Boudin's every word while Boudin spins out gossipy little tales of the seamier side of high society (no names are given, but enough hinted at to make you feel of course you could deduce if you cared). Gradually, things wind along. Maldeghem does indeed have a certain privileged access to some trade goods of various descriptions which he would be happy to provide at a discount in exchange for favors which no doubt would be of mutual benefit .. and perhaps the lady in question could provide a sample of the assistance she could provide by arranging for admission to the upcoming masquerade ball? Just as he proposes this, someone comes in. She's dressed like a skilled artisan of some kind -- belt with a small hammer and tongs, leather gloves, pouch for quill and ink.

Meanwhile, Aernoud slips along the side of the main building, up onto a crate, and in a window. Unfortunately, once he drops through the window, landing heavily on the ground in a small study, he realizes the window's too high up on this side to get back through. Still, he's in, and that's what matters -- he can hear the conversation in the throne room faintly, and then he hears Maldeghem say "if you'll excuse me, gentlemen, I just need to have a brief discussion with this woman." Then footsteps come closer, towards the room he's in, and Aernoud ducks behind a tapestry. "Well? What is it?" Maldeghem snarls. "I'm busy!" "My apologies, sir," she says, "but I wanted to let you know the initial framework is complete, and seems to be able to hold the weight. Did you want us to disassemble again?" "Oh really! In that case, I want you to build a second one." "A second one? But I don't see how --" "You don't have to. But it appears a shortcut may be possible, and I intend to cover both eventualities." "But, the raw materials..." "I'll get you what you need. Now get on it! You have a week!" Footsteps head out again, and Aernoud is once again alone in the room, with no obvious exit save the one leading back to the throne room. [Amended the lack of exit, given his full success.]

While Aernoud is climbing into the building, Antheunis is exploring the back parts of the courtyard. There's a whole fenced-off section that the common rabble aren't permitted inside, and so naturally Antheunis wriggles his way under the fence. Inside are, curiously, picks, shovels, struts, and lanterns -- everything you'd need for a mining operation. Just as he finishes gathering it all in, he notices two distinct things: first, a folded note dropped on the ground on the other side of the pile of equipment; and second, the voice of one of the fence guards saying "ok, I'll take a look inside -- you watch the gate".

"My apologies, gentlemen, now where were we?" Maldeghem re-emerges from the back room (as does the artisan, who heads out into the courtyard), but he seems a trifle distracted. As Maldeghem implores Boudin to expand a little more on what happened after the courtesan mixed up the two boots, Willem's neck prickles slightly, as if he's being watched.

The Courtyard

[Antheunis: I think I need a bit more detail, either about the courtyard layout or about what possible actions are available here. Obviously I would like to snatch up the note--is the idea that if I do that, I'll definitely be seen unless I do something clever? Can I hide in the courtyard itself from my last Stealth roll? Are there places to hide at all? Behind the equipment? Can I go back to the gap under the fence that I came through? Is there a building the borders the courtyard I can scale and hide on the roof? Could I just scale the fence?]

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