CHAPTER TWO: THE LORDS OF HEAVEN AND EARTH



Kate and Stephanie returned with their thieves in tow as dawn began to slowly break in the east. It took a long, long time for the sun's rays to reach the docks, blocked as they were first by the Bludhaven Mountains and then by the looming sides of the city itself. Still, a pinkish hue was beginning to find it's way through the sky when they returned to the Guild Hall.

They kept the thieves tied up near one of the large moorings on the docks and made their way inside.

Things here were a bit brighter when they walked in than they'd been the prior evening. For one thing, more of the hall's interior lanterns were lit, illuminating a room that had once been cast in deep shadows. Second, there were more people here. Fox was leaning against a bookshelf, sipping what smelled like freshly brewed tea. He was accompanied by two of his employees, a man-at-arms you didn't recognize and a bookkeeper with an insignia over his heart that denoted a fairly high rank in the Merchant's Guild, for whatever that was worth.

But that wasn't all he had with him. Two other figures now greeted the women as they entered the hall.

The first was an older man -- not too old to be completely out of his prime, but steadily working his way to the darker side of middle-aged. His hair and slight beard were silver, and he wore a long brown leather coat, over what appeared to be an exquisitely crafted suit of brigandine armor. He had tall dark boots and a belt festooned with pouches and various tools of his trade. A crossbow bolt quiver sat on one hip and a long sword on the other, and a heavy, magically enchanted repeating crossbow was slung over his back -- Stephanie eventually realized it was the one that had been sitting on Fox's desk the night before. He wore a silver shield badge over his left breast, with a heraldry embossed on it that neither of them recognized.

Standing next to him was a much younger looking lad. He had dark, charming features and wore a self-confident grin, along with a dark red tunic and a deep black cloak, lined in gold (the color not the metal). He also wore an insignia on his chest the ladies didn't recognize.

"Ah! You've made it! And relatively unscathed, I see!" Fox exclaimed. "Though I have to express some concern. I seem to remember sending four of you out last night."

"Oracle's coming back with the Justicar's from Saint Mary's Tower," Stephanie assured him. "The other fellow ran off though. Provided us with one hell of a distraction. Not sure if he made it out, but if he did we'll try to track him down for you."

"Ah, I see." Fox replied cautiously. "Made it out...so I take it you all found some trouble last night."

Kate and Spoiler regaled Fox and his guests with the short version of their mission; Raam and his Thieves had gone after the Chraal, and they'd been definitively stopped.

"We've got a whole batch of presents for you and the Justicars outside. Unfortunately not as many as we'd hoped -- we lost a good number of them in the Gotham." (Meaning, of course, the River.)

Fox leaned outside to see Raam and his remaining, miserable looking compatriots tied up to the moorning.

"Well I'll be damned." he shook his head. "Is that Captain Raam, the half-giant of the Fort Clinton Thieves Guild?"

"Oh yea. That's him." Kate confirmed.

Fox just shook his head and laughed.

"Well Alfred, seems you were right. This might just be the bunch we were hoping to find."

"Come Lucius. I'm always right." The two men shared a knowing laugh, before Fox seemed to remember himself.

"Ah, my apologies ladies. I almost forgot. Please, allow me to introduce my two companions here. This gentleman in the long coat is Sir Alfred Pennyworth, a knight in the service of House Wayne, our one-time benefactors. And this young lad here is Damian Wayne, Lord Bruce's squire."

Spoiler: OOC: Kate, Barbara, Stephanie, Damian
Show
I hope I didn't speak to much for you. I'm going to leave this here and let you take the wheel for your characters. Also it's none of my business but I'm going to imagine that for the time being Damian may want to explain his last name by claiming he's adopted -- but you do you, Abdiel.


Spoiler: OOC: Jean-Paul, Barbara
Show
Your introduction is coming up, I would just like to not 100% railroad the others before moving on. I'm going to give Kate/Damian/Stephanie all a chance to speak and then I'll bring you both (back) in. Jbre you're also not seen since you're just now on your way back with the Justicars.