Blades in the Dark: Gangs of Duskovol IC thread

[Ramsus]

As the group unloads the crates per Mylera's request, Pepper keeps her eyes open for trouble. It's fairly clear at this point that any threat would come from something other than the Red Sashes as the others would be very unlikely to agree to go to this much trouble if they were concerned about that.

From the waters, a pair of eyes belonging to Salt watch as well and keeping unseen even to the point of having to ignore that delicious eel that just swam by.

Spoiler

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Group action Survey lead by Sledge.

Pepper: (2d6)[5][5](10)

Salt: (1d6)[1]

[dojango]

Mylera and Ifriti haggle over the proposed artwork. After a few minutes, Mylera finally says, "I would be more than happy to inspect your offering. If it is genuine..." she pauses, as if contemplating the fate of those who waste her time with non-genuine offers... "I would be willing to lay out [9 COIN] as an offering. As a favor to our newest friends in the art business."

Mylera nods to her bodyguard, who carefully moves one of the crates next to her. He pries off the lid. The older woman puts on her spirit mask, bends low, and peers intently at the crate for a few minutes. "All clear, mamzel," she says, stepping back and taking up a position behind the Mylera's chair. Mylera puts on a pair of silk gloves and begins pulling items out of crate. The coachman brings an electroplasm light from the coach and places it on the table. Next he takes a tarp from the ground and places it next to the table. Mylera peers at the art intently, turning them over in the light. Every so often she mutters something to herself, before laying out the items on the tarp.

"Well, these appear to be genuine! I knew I could rely on you, Ifriti. I see you have a fine ship at your disposal, now. I may have another project for you, soon. Nothing too outlandish, but I need some reliable outsiders. Hack, bring us my papers. And some wine, to seal the deal."

The coachman reaches into the coach and brings out a paper and lays it on the table in front of Mylera, who begins writing on it. Then the coachman goes to the coach and brings out a bottle and four glasses. He pours a measure of wine into each one. Mylera finishes writing and says, "Sign here, Ifriti. And you two. Your real names, please."

The scroll is embellished with a fine printed design; the seal of the Merchant Bank on the top, and elaborate scrollwork on the borders. The scroll reads, "I, Mylera Klev, in the presence of Salim Tarhaz, instruct my agents at the Mansfield & Hunter Merchant Exchange to pay out from my accounts the sum of [9 COIN] upon delivery of this receipt from the undersigned bearers." There is a blank space for your signatures.

[Ramsus]

Ifriti looks up sharply at Mylera when she says "real name". Then she tilts her head to the side in a gesture that might express something like "Really, you're offering me a cut of this money in exchange for information you could use to majorly mess with my life any time you want?"
Then, not really expecting any kind of response and a bit afraid of what one might be to that technically unasked question, she examines the papers to see if there's anything going on in the magical sense that actually requires they use their real names.

[Ramsus]

Seeing that there was nothing magical going on, Ifriti's first thought was to tell her clients, and now new crew through rather unforeseen circumstances, that they didn't actually have to sign their real names. Her next thought was more in line with her manipulative nature. She didn't know anything about these people and what kind of operation they were running. But if she learned their real names she might have some leverage. Sure it meant Mylera would gain it too, but she would be in better position to use it and able to use it for her safety... and to fulfill her own desires. Now she was thinking it was a shame Pepper wasn't down here too.

So she says nothing at to them, not wanting to say "it's safe" since technically that wasn't really true, and thought momentarily on what to put down as a false name. Something easy to remember. So she signs the paper with the alliterative and not unbelievable name of Kamala Khan.

[n0ble]

Skannon kept his eye's pealed. Well, not actually peeled. Taking something's eyelids took time and effort and a great deal of things that Skannon lacked the patience for. Yet even so he looked around.

The Red-woman's words snapped him from his look about. Skannon mulled her words over about as carefully as one might enter the pen of a Blackvale moutain ram. He shrugged. Anyone who would be trouble from it would know where to find him, and if they knew where to find him then that meant he knew where to expect them. He looked at the bodyguard and smiled again, before lumbering over to the table, past Ifiriti and to the other woman. For a brief moment Skannon was struck by how well she wore the red. How it clung to her figure in just. The right. Way. She was quite a bit easier to look at then what Skannon found himself used to. He signed his name in big, childlike scrawl. It was also in Skovish.

Skannon Harrow

"We are being in business now, ja?" In spite of the man's appearance his voice was friendly and welcoming. For [9 coin] he'd could be anyone's friend. Well, almost anyones After signing his name he moved to let the thin man come up to sign.The gun woman not being here was not problem. If anything it meant others could hold it over her head. Not that Skannon cared much to.

Spoiler: Rolls

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Survey roll, leading the group action: (1d6)[4]

---

Wicked moved past the skovlander and signed his name quickly and in elegant cursive. Under other circumstances he would have positively exulted in dressing someone down by alerting them to who he was. If some small time Iruvians wanted to try and blackmail one of the Six, then so be it. Let them. But then, as he bent over at the waist to sign, Willix's mind conjured images of the First & Second, both of their faces write large with disapproval. It was enough to make write this down instead:

Roeth Walund

Otherwise he put as much distance between himself, the skovlander and Klev's bodyguard. He'd no idea as to what would set such men off, but Willix was certain that, should it come to it, he'd like to be as far away from either individual as much as possible. That way he could retreat back to Peppers position if need be. Probably through a hail of her gunfire, by Scurlock's Gate. Then he could dose anyone the skov and iruvian hadn't mopped up with some more skullfire. If it came down to it, of course...

[dojango]

The Deal is struck!

Mylera Klev shrugs when Ifriti mentions her qualms about the name. "The bank's rules, not mine. This is easier than carting around the coin, no?" Once the three scoundrels have signed their name, Mylera rolls the scroll up and hands it to Ifriti. "The main bank's main branch is in charterhall, near the Iruvian embassy, but they have an office in the docks as well. My man will come to you in a week or so with the other little job. I look forward to doing business with you again." She turns to the two men. "Hack, Karm, pack up the crates. Let's go."

As Pepper scans the meet, it seems like everything is finished, although oddly enough, no coin has changed hands. Idly she sees a movement in the distance... the work crew has been slowly making its way towards the group, doing... something agricultural, presumably. There are a dozen men, plus the warden. The warden doesn't seem to be watching the gang, though. He is watching your group. He suddenly waves his hand and points towards the group. The work gang looks up, grabs their tools, and with a hoarse yell, charges! The warden picks his rifle up and is aiming it towards your allies...

Sledge steps back from the table after signing. He looks around, sees that the work crew is a lot closer than it was when they started the meeting. Strange. And then he hears the old Skovish war-cry, as they charge towards the meet, waving knives and axes... the faster ones outpace the slower ones, and you realize they aren't chained up like a work gang should be...

The coachman and the bodyguard turn towards the art, to begin putting it away. The coachman is bending to pick something up when the bodyguard looks up in alarm. "<Trouble! Mylera, get down!>" he shouts in Iruvian, drawing his sabre and moving to stand in front of Mylera.

[Ramsus]

As the work crew advances, Pepper lets out a whistle. A moment later Salt leaps up out of the ditch and gives a reptilian roar to send shivers down their spines. As their heads turn to face this unexpected threat, Pepper fires at the warden not even considering trying to aim for a non-lethal shot.

Spoiler

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Salt does a Set Up for Improved Position: (1d6)[5]
Pepper fires at the warden with her Fine Rifle (Improved Effect). Hunt: (2d6)[11]
Edit: Whoops, did the rolling wrong. Fortunately we can tell the result was a 5 and a 6. So yay, 6!

[dojango]

The bodyguard steps in front of Mylera as the whisper and the coachman look up in confusion. Their confusion is amplified when a crocodile suddenly leaps out of the muddy ditch by the road, roaring at the work crew. A few of them pause for a moment. The warden with his rifle, swings it towards the crocodile, and them back to the group. There is a loud 'crack' and a plume of white smoke from Pepper's concealed position. In the distance, the warden jerks back and falls to the ground, his rifle beside him. The thugs give out another cry in Skovish and charge the position, although two of them cautiously circle around Salt. While Salt roars defiantly at one, the other manages to sneak in a glancing blow against Salt's hide with his axe. She roars in pain, suffering from a nasty gash in her hide.

Back at the coach, Mylera looks up at the plume of smoke, and frowns. "Your insurance, I hope?"

[n0ble]

Skannon’s eyes narrowed as familiar cries entered his ears. He took his hands out from their pockets and directed them to where the old friend on his back typically rested. <Ah. I hadn't realized you were so close. I would have looked for you sooner otherwise.> As his hands closed around the driftwood handle, his face broke out into another pink toothed grin. The head of the hammer was flecked with rust, he’d not had a chance to lubricate it at the slaughterhouse for quite some time.

The wiry man had noticeably blanched at the approach of the workcrew. Skannon turned his smile onto the Leech. He put a hand on the man’s shoulder and he visibly flinch. “I would not be worrying yourself friend, is just being Skovish foreplay, ja?” Having said all he wanted to with words, Skannon hefted his hammer onto one shoulder and then began to stroll towards the workgang with patience appropriate to a man of his age. He struck up a jaunty humming tune, even though he was fairly certain no one else could hear him over the enemies yelling. As the first of the meat came forward Skannon’s face contorted into a mad rictus as he took the hammer from where it rested and brought it down with both hands at the man’s skull.

Spoiler: OOC

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Gonna mark off that fine heavy weapon for 2-load (if i didn't mention it before btw, Skannon has medium)
Gonna push for an extra dice on roll to skirmish (3d6)[3][1][5](9) with the work gang.

[dojango]

Sledge steps into the oncoming assailants and swings his hammer down. He hits the leading thug in the shoulder with a satisfying crunch. He goes down, screaming, and the others hesitate for a moment. But three of the them circle Skannon with the practiced ease of warriors. He can't fend off all their blows, and one of them lands a solid hit on Skannon's side, leaving him badly winded...

Nearer to the coach, the black-cloaked coachman coolly draws a pistol from his belt and shoots at one of the thugs. The man clutches at his wound, arm hanging limply from his side. The bodyguard draws his sword and begins fighting with several more thugs. He is able to hold them off, for now, but they too try to flank him, pressing him back.

One of the assailants shouts out in Skovish, "Uncle, avenge yourself", and throws something towards the coach. It cracks open as it hits the side, and the air grows colder and darker as a shadowy figure billows out. There is a loud shriek as you realize an angry ghost is in your midst.

Spoiler: OOC

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The gang breaks! 2/8. The Red Sashes break! 1/6. Skannon takes a level 1 harm, "winded" unless he resists or uses armor. There is also a ghost coalescing near where Ifriti, Wick, Mylera and the other whisper are.

[Ramsus]

Ifriti looks around as the fighting starts, a man already being dead before she even knew they were in trouble. She thinks to herself, "Glad that didn't happen to our side."
Then she looks around wondering what to do. With the goods around and allies all around, calling upon her more offensive powers seems like a poor idea and unfortunately she's not a skilled combatant, what with spending all her time with old tomes and scrolls. Something she thinks to herself that she needs to fix quickly if she's going to be spending a lot of time with these sorts of people.
And then the enemies threw a ghost right in front of her. Not being at all phased by a single ghost now that she's been in this crazy city for long enough to get used to them, she mentally thanks their opponents for providing her something to do that proves her worth to her new group and their allies rather than having to just hide or do something that might result in her just looking foolish or hurting herself.

She whips the lightning hook off her back and extends it. The wire loop crackles with energy and there's a faint ozone smell in the air. "Don't get used to the fresh air." she snarks at the ghost as she attempts to capture it.

Spoiler

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Attune with Fine Lightning Hook (Improved Position) and a spirit bottle: (2d6)[4][5](9)

[dojango]

As Ifriti reaches out with her lightning hook, the ghost screeches in frustration, and drifts back. The other whisper holds out her arms, as if to embrace the ghost, and begins singing a lullaby to it. Seeing that the two whispers have the ghost under control, the fighters carry on with their deadly work, unafraid.

The ghost is stronger than Ifriti anticipates, though. It appears to be drawing in power, readying itself to attack. The other whisper says, "He's feeding it power! I'll distract the ghost, you take care of the enemy whisper!"

[Ramsus]

Pepper's first instinct for her next shot is to help out Salt after seeing her get a bit hurt. But she knows Salt will pull through the situation a lot better than those idiots who decided to get up close to her crocodile, so she scans the melee for more vital targets. Sledge is in a three on one fight, but he also looks like he's enjoying himself and she'd hate to ruin his fun. Mylera's bodyguard on the other hand seems like they're about to be overwhelmed. She sees the ghost and the maybe a Whisper as well, but the two other Whispers seem like they're currently handling that situation. She'll certainly get back to it if it looks like they're really having trouble.
So she shoots into the group around Mylera's bodyguard.

Spoiler

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Pepper Hunt with Fine Rifle (Improved Effect): (2d6)[3][5](8)

[n0ble]

Willix forced himself to look away from the gathering horror near the coach and looked towards the melee instead. He pinched the bridge of his nose in frustration, then his voice rose an octave, and he had to physically fight down his pitch becoming a bit shrill. “This is why everyone ****ing hates Skovs!” All they ever seemed to do was complicate things. Ghost appears? Skovlander. Ensuing brawl that could have been handled LITERALLY any other way? Skovlander. Bonechanter cadre sinks a naval vessel? Skovlanders. The help complains? Willix would bet his entire formula booklet that it was Klaudia who’d gone and told the Second of his advances. His brow furrowed into a look of concentration.“Mmph!”

Thoughts of home were scant comfort amidst the injured mans wailing. Willix sighed to himself then withdrew a globe of skullfire poison from the bandolier in his jacket and lobbed it at the messy looking brawl.

Spoiler: OOC

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Marking off a bandolier, skull fire poison and alcahest for Wick, along with one stress for a flashback to have given Skannon some alcahest.

Set up action (I'm assuming it's tinker like last time): (2d6)[4][5](9)

---

Skannon grunted as his arms absorbed the shock of the impact. His aim had been off and somehow that made him madder than the club that tickled at his ribs.Then he was amongst them yelling and snorting and stomping and swinging his hammer in great circles. Rather than seeing red like usual, Skannon found a blue haze settling over his eyes. "Heh" Though seeming not possible, the big man grinned all the wider. He flared his nostrils and drank in the poison. It smelled of Lockport. Of home <-ust when I am thinking you are most useless **** in fight you bring me keepsake thin man!> He stepped back from the melee, then withdrew and smashed the vial of curatives into his forehead in one sooth motion. It took the burn away. Skannon let out a mad howl and swung his hammer again , aiming for the face of the man who’d tried to hurt him before.

Spoiler: OOC

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Skirmish roll to try and break the attackers, following through on Wick's setup action:

(extra dice from devils bargain where the violence is so frightening that it fills in a slice of "The Red Sashes Break)

(4d6)[4][5][2][5](16)

Edit: The number of fives rolled this game...

[Ramsus]

As Sledge continues the attack against their opponents, Salt continues to occupy her fair share and pay them back for their kicks with bites to the legs since they were foolish enough to offer them to her so readily.

Spoiler

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Salt is participating in a group action lead by Sledge and Set Up by Wick.
(1d6)[1]

[dojango]

Pepper quickly and efficiently reloads her rifle, and then fires at one of the combatants. Whether it's from less time to aim, or from a desire not to hit one of her new-found allies, the shot takes one of the assailants in the shoulder, instead of the head. He drops his weapon, turns and points towards where Pepper is hiding and yells something. The bodyguard takes advantage of the respite to press his assailants back, while the coachman expertly finishes reloading his pistol. He aims at the melee, trying to figure out who to shoot next. He and Mylera look around to where Sledge is fighting...

Wick's globe lands behind where Sledge is fighting. Two of the thugs breathe in the fumes, while the third backs off in surprise. Sledge also breathes in the Skullfire poison for a moment before downing his alcahest. His stomach roils and churns at the brief dose he received, although the antidote prevents him from being harmed further. The two dosed assailants are not so lucky. They fall back, clutching their heads. Sledge takes the opportunity to ruthlessly knock down the man who had hurt him, and takes his time making sure he dies painfully. The unaffected assailant watches in horror, before backing off and running away, while the Red Sashes hesitate, shocked his cruelty.

Salt, on the other hand, is left alone against her two assailants. They hack and jab at her, not finding any purchase. But neither does she as she snaps back at them. The whisper stands alone by the side of the road, concentrating on the ghost. He suddenly flinches as a bullet flashes by, inches from his face. There is a sharp crack and a puff of smoke from the direction of the pumphouse. "<Stop ****ing around and kill them," he shouts out in Skovish.>" There is a shrill edge to his voice. For a moment, his control on the ghost slips.

Spoiler

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They break: 6/8, the Red Sashes break, 3/6

[Ramsus]

Since she was asked to deal with the enemy Whisper feeding power, Ifriti decides to do just that. As she momentarily thinks on exactly how to do that, the word "feed" sticks in her mind and she has a devilish idea.
Ifriti turns to face the enemy Whisper and attunes. In his, also attuning sight, he would see her eyes flare up into spouts of flame as well as flickering flames dancing all over her body to some strange rhythm. Almost as if to some unheard music.
She reaches her hands out in his direction as if she were trying to physically grab onto the power he is sending the ghost. Then she sharply wrenches her hands to the left over towards Salt as she tries to redirect the flow of ethereal energy to the ghost eating croc that thanks to it's unnatural nature will be able to receive it, or at least feed off of it.

Spoiler

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Ifriti Attune: (2d6)[3][2](5)

[dojango]

Ifriti tries to wrestle with the aethyric torrents. Under ideal conditions, this would be a daunting task, but while a melee rages around her and a ghost is trying to feed on her very essence, it proves too much. There is an arcane backlash that sends her sprawling, dazing and deafening her senses. The other whisper is also caught in the backlash, and loses her concentration. The ghost, free to move once again, leaps at the coachman, trying to sink its ethereal claws into his soul. The coachman shrieks and waves, dropping his gun as the ghost attempts to feed on his very soul...

[dojango]

Sledge laughs as he brutally kills one of the attackers. He turns to the other disabled man, and brings down his hammer on the stricken man's head. "I got the cure for your headache right here," he shouts. By the coach, the bodyguard takes advantage of his assailant's distraction, and skewers one with his sword. The other, seeing the tides turn, runs away, leaving his wounded comrades behind.

Mylera has her sword out in a flash, at the neck of the wounded man. "Drop your weapon and you may yet see the snows of home," she says, in Skovish. He complies, a decision he probably will regret for the rest of his life. With 4 men dead, and two badly wounded, the enemy is broken. The four healthy men run as fast as their legs can take them, while the wounded man limps away, clutching his side. The ghost remains, however...

[Ramsus]

Pepper had been keeping an eye on the situation with the ghost. The moment it looked like the work crew was going to turn tail she loaded in an electroplasmic round into her rifle. She was glad things had turned out this way. She enjoyed killing ghosts. There was something about the energy of it that appealed to her. As she took aim she whistled to Salt, who knew this was the signal for "ghost chow time!" and the crocodile rushed over to take a bite out of crime the spirit at the same time as Pepper shot at it.

Spoiler

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Pepper leading Group Action of Hunt with herself and Salt. Using Electroplasmic ammunition so, potency. Using fine rifle for improved effect. I think her position is still controlled. Not sure if I need to trade position for effect with those two other things going on, but I will if that resolves the matter. If for some reason I'm at Risky I'll trade down to Desperate. Can I trade all the way down to Desperate from Controlled? Knowing your options for extra xp is good.

Pepper: (2d6)[1][6](7)
Salt: (1d6)[4]

[dojango]

The end of the brawl


As Salt shifts into the ghost field and growls, the ghost stops its attempt to possess the hapless coachman, and freezes. As if it can't believe its eyes. Or whatever senses it has, at least... Which is why it doesn't see the electroplasmic bullet that tears the spirit in half. There is a wail as its energy dissipates. Salt leaps around, eating the scraps of energy. The other whisper looks on in awe. "Aye, that's one way to deal with a ghost."

Mylera helps the coachman up, and he pats himself down. She holds the blade to his throat and says in Irruvian, "What's your latest mistress's name?"

The coachman says something, shakily. Mylera grins and puts her blade down. "OK, he's still him. Damn my eyes, I..." she looks down. There artwork is covered in the dirt and blood from the brawl. Someone has put their foot through one of the paintings, and a few of the little animal statuettes have broken. She picks up the weird landscape and brushes it off, carefully. "Thank the stars, the Pietres is safe..."

Meanwhile, the bodyguard runs down the wounded man, and drags him back to the coach, while the sniper they spoke to earlier comes down from the pumphouse. Mylera glares at everyone and says, "Alright, who else knew about this meet? We're going to take our time questioning these idiots, find out who set us up. Now I'm sure you lot weren't up to anything funny," she says to the group. "Let's pack this stuff up and get out of there. The crows are coming..."

[Ramsus]

"What in the hells?" Ifriti says to herself as Salt eats the ghost. She's heard of strange animals, like those in the deathlands, but she's never seen any. And she hasn't read about any ghost eating crocodiles. Nor had anyone mentioned there was a pet crocodile in this group at all. And now it was standing there uncomfortably close to her.

Pepper comes down after being signaled. She pets Salt and murmurs things like "Good girl!" to her as Ifriti repeats Mylera's question about who knew about this meeting.

The group discusses as they help the Red Sashes load everything up and the answer they give is Ifriti telling Mylera, "On our end the only people who knew were the members of our group."
((If I'm forgetting someone else who would actually know, Ifriti includes that information. Though I don't recall there being anyone else.))

Then she asks, "Do you happen to know who those guys were?"

[dojango]

"We'll find out all they know, trust me," says Mylera. She jabs one of the captured men with the point of her sword, "Who are you? And who sent you?" She repeats the question in Skovish.

The prisoner groans, and says, "It was supposed to be an easy job. Get the stuff, get the papers. Sodding hell."

"Who put you up to it? And where'd you get the prisoner's clothes?" she asks.

"I don't know what you're talking about. Harald set everything up, it was his idea..." the prisoner waves out into the field, where the 'warden's' body lies.

"Check him out," Mylera says, and the sniper and the whisper jog over to where the body in the fields is laying.

[Ramsus]

Ifriti goes along with them to see if there's anything of note on the body.

[dojango]

The three of you hike out to the body. It is very messy. The sniper rummages through the man's pockets. Odds and ends, a few copper coins, a penknife, some bullets. Nothing interesting. The man picks up the rifle, looks it over. "Army issue. Must have made thousands during the wars. Tens of thousands."

The whisper, on the other hand, looks over the body. She carefully lays a few copper wires on the corpse, in a strange pattern. She pulls out a spirit bottle and begins singing softly to the body. After a few seconds, Ifriti can see the spirit leaving the body with her astral senses. The spirit is slowly drawn to the bottle. As it realizes what is happening, though, it lets out a long wail that only Ifriti and the whisper can hear, although the sniper starts looking around nervously, as something at the edge of his senses bothers him. The whisper finishes and caps the spirit in the bottle. "Got it. We can ask him all sorts of questions now. Better move though, I think the crows heard the scream. They'll be coming soon..."

[Ramsus]

Ifriti moves back with them and says to the Whisper, "We'd appreciate it if you let us know anything you find out."

[dojango]

The whisper nods, and says, "Keep in touch, yeah? Here, that guy threw this at us. Maybe you can get something out of it." She hands you pieces of a small clay figurine.

The sniper drops the rifle next to the body and sighs. "You done with the spook stuff? Let's get out of here. They hustle off back towards the coach, where they are finishing loading the prisoners and the artwork.

"I will find out who's behind this," Mylera says, "and they will regret it. I may have some work for you soon. Be seeing you..." the coach drives off into the darkness. In the opposite direction from where the men fled.

Sledge and Wick look up from where Wick is trying to explain the concept of banking to Sledge. "Let's go to the bank," says Wick. "This barbarian doesn't believe that they will just hand over the money to us."

[Ramsus]

Ifriti takes the clay figurine and nods, pretty interested in the little puzzle she's just been given. She hadn't been much thinking about taking items off the bodies, but the man dropping the rifle makes her realize that sure there might not be a lot of value in the gun, it's still a spare weapon or at least spare parts for repairs for Pepper's weapon if need be. So she takes that too.

Ifriti nods at Wick's suggestion and they head off to get their money.

[dojango]

The sniper raises an eyebrow at Ifriti. "If you need a gun, miss, you can always call on the Red Sashes. A man, shot dead in a field, unarmed, is a mystery. A man with a gun, not so much."

[Ramsus]

"Ah. I hadn't considered that." Ifriti says, deciding to keep that particular bit of advice in mind in the future as she tosses the gun back on the body. Because she doesn't know anything about firearm safety.
Seeing that, Pepper has a moment of silent panic and then breaths out a sigh of relief when nothing happens.