SPQM c1s8 Onwards, onwards.

Early summer, 2 weather twists

As a preparation for the journey they buy some crusts so that they if needed could travel a day without foraging which would make it possible to pick up the speed significantly for that day (Obstacle, buy crusts for one day for eight people: Resources Ob 4, Succeeded). 

They have just travelled a few days when they start to notice a hare that seems to be the same hare every time and after yet a day or two it's obvious that it's following them. Already at the first encounter with a hare they suspected that it was reporting to someone and they discuss how to lure it or scare it away but don't find a way. Also the hares are allies to The Pretorian Guard so they don't want to hurt it. They have to live with it following them (Obstacle: Get away from the hare, outcome the hare is following them is accepted and not dealt with).

The keep walking worried about an ambush around every corner (End of GM's Turn)

After yet another day or two they start to get really, really worried about the hare following them and decide to try to talk to it to talk it out of following them. They even go out to find some nice food for hares to offer it but still doesn't manage. On the other hand it seems to actively avoid them (Check, Talk with the Hare: Loremaster Ob 3, Failed with a Twist). Not so surprisingly there soon comes an ambush right after they have walked through a village where all the houses have the same decoration on the doorposts. It's some plant Lucius doesn't recognize but it's obvious that it's always there even if it's sometime mixed up among other decorations. Shortly after the village they hear a cry, but a new one this time.. ''For God. By God's Word''.

The philosophers get very upset when they hear someone use the word ''word'', a word which also has the meaning of ''order'' and ''reason'', in combination with the word ''god'' in real life. To them and the patrol ''god'' is some obviously made up entity used in theatre plays to have en excuse to introduce a character or other element in the play without having to really write the play so that it leads up to that moment. You just introduce this god entity who with it's power comes down and do stuff. ''This is ridiculous!'' they shout.

The patrol form up and meet a many mice but not that experienced and they fight them off (Twist, fight off the godmice: Complex Test: Fighter versus 4D, both Tests Passed). They quickly move on.

As they move on they don't get that much opportunity to forage and Dekia buys some extra food for them (Check: Resources Ob 2 Passed, Condition Hungry & Thirsty is removed). There's not much else to do than move on and keep every eye open for more ambushes. Not surprising at all they soon again feel that they are followed and start to take small detours and keeping away from the obvious road choices and manage to avopid their stalkers. 

As they travel on meet a scared family of a weak husband, a quite go-ahead mother, a young mouse and a small baby mouse. They're quite scared and says that a flying squirrel has been lurking around throwing glances at their youngest. Dekia gives the rest of the patrol no time to decide. Of course the patrol sahll help the family and so they form up to scout the the flying squirrel, protect the family and fight off the squirrel. They have just done that when the squirrel attacks from above in a silent glide. The patrol leaps forward as the civilians throw themselves to the ground and give the squirrels some good cuts that make the squirrel go away and find easier prey. They follow the family to their village which is approximately in the right direction. They then turn toward the correct direction and walk along towards Asylum (Check, get one third of the trip back to Asylum, Complex Test, part one avoid godmice, part two help family attacked by a flying squirrel: Passed Scout versus 5D and Passed Fighter versus Flying Squirrel 6D). Two weeks later they reckon they have during some intended and some not intended detours have gotten about a third of the rest of the trip to Asylum (End of Player's Turn).

illern (a) illertass.se

SPQM c1s7c: It must be destroyed or you’re doomed...

Early summer, 2 weather twists

As Dekia thinks the thing should be delivered to Asylum at almost any price and haven't trusted Nona since the events in Asylums harbour she immediately sides against Nona. Gaius is convinced that the orders should be followed as they were intended and that means that the thing and the philosophers should be escorted to Asylum and if that comes with a price that's a risk you take when in The Guard and working for the community.

Nona is actively trying to convince the patrol that they won't survive trying to get the thing to Asylum and that the thing getting into the hands of Navalia will topple the whole balance of The League of Mice Cities, maybe even destroy it. They all know that Navalia can't fully be trusted. She looks at Lucius who isn't really participating but seems to be filled with anxiety and asks why he isn't siding up with the family and why he, if any in the patrol, doesn't see the political catastrophic effects of the thing getting lost to Navalia. Doesn't he trust her? Lucius doesn't know where to turn, patrol or family and nobiles? He is convinced that a pretorian should represent The Pretorian Guard and not his family but still he often instinctively defend the nobiles and Nona is after all both nobiles and family (Lucius sits out the first three actions of the upcoming conflict).

The discussion goes high and quickly involes insults and challenges for duels. Dekia and Gaius is also frustrated about the civilian mouse, Nona's client, who apparently knows a lot about the secret maters and who talks about being in the guard as if he know anything about it. After a while Lucius joins on the patrol's side (Check, Get all the philosophers and the thing to Stameus in it's current state: Conflict versus 4-5D, Won with Major Compromise, New Twist: The thing has to be dismantled and sent two different ways and they’re in  a hurry not to be discovered).

Nona backs off in front of their arguments and her cousin Lucius taking the other side but only if the thing is dismantled and sent with two different parties rather than with one big party. Everyone agrees on that although Aeneas himself is skeptical. Now they only have to find a trustful smith that can modify a chisel into a special one needed for dismantling the thing and all the normal tools needed. They manage to find a smith that can do it and try to pay him to not talk about what they have ordered and what they have done in his workshop (Twist, Find a skillful smith and dismantle the thing within two days: Failed Physiscist Ob3 Succeeded with Condition). 

After two days of hard work, a lot of lost money, little sleep and not that much food they look at the thing dismantled. The thing that, as Lucius trained in mechanics, is some kind of mathematical device is dismantled into it's four modules and a central piece is taken from each module and given to the wrong module. In that way, should a module get lost it will still not be functional and it will take a lot of work to reconstruct it and to guess one's way about the other modules needed. Lucius doesn’t really get the grip on the thing but a mathematical device could mean a lot of things. If one could just crank a dial and get the results of formulas then a big step would be taken for physis knowledge among mice. Lucius is still guessing a lot and he knows that Aeneas snatched a few things away from the device before he let them get at it...

illern (a) illertass.se 

SPQM c1s7b: Stameus finally?

Early Summer 2 Weather Twists

Gaius chase of the robbers but don't follow them into the night. When they finally after a while wind down the manage to get some sleep and nothing more happens that night. THe next day the philosophers decide to go to the library and the patrol decides that they have to be escorted and since Lucius doesn't mind going to the library he volunteers. Dekia feel the duty to protect the philosophers. Gaius conclude that the mice trying to stop them won't be back already today and not during daylight so he decides that they don't have to escort the philosophers all three of them. He therefore takes the chance to go to the palestra instead of the library.

As the part and all but Gaius head for the library they manage to not take the shortest route to the library and end up on smaller streets than planned and suddenly some mice pop out in the street and tells them to hand over the box. All three of them is armed with knives, Lucius and Dekia has no weapons at all and the philosophers has only done some friendly wrestling on the palestra.

''Run!'' Lucius shouts turns Aeneas around and runs with him. Dekia stays behind a fraction of a second staring at the bandits and then runs after Aeneas and Lucius managing to buy the company a short head start. They run for their lives while the rest of the philosophers hide against the wall. The hunt goes on and the bandits manage to keep up. Gaius hasn't strolled that far towards the palestra when he hear mice come running. He turns around and see Aeneas, Dekia and Lucius come running along the street with three armed bandits after them.

As his patrol mates and Aeneas pass by he steps out in the street bravely taking the risk of fighting with three armed mice but thereby saving his friends, Aeneas and the mission. One bandit pass by on each side of Gaius but one has to stop and Gaius thereby evens out the struggle a little to his mates advantage. A quick and dirty fight starts. With his superior fighting skill Gaius even manage to knock down the bandit without any serious wounds which usually is the result of a knife fight (The Chase Conflict becomes a complicated Test with two Conflicts. If Gaius wins his Conflict only two mice will make up the opponent team for Dekia, Lucius and Aeneas. Gaius wins the Conflict, Fighter versus 3D, without Compromise).

The other two bandits keep chasing Aeaneas, Dekia and Lucius but the chased ones manage to keep the distance long enough for reaching better quarters with at least some city militia and even maybe one or two merchant body guards interested in the order in the city. The bandits give up and scatter off (Won Conflict, 5D at first but then just 4D, with minor Compromise). What Aeneas and the patrol hasn't noticed though is that some cog fell out of the thrashed box and that the bandits grabbed these when they ran off (Minor Compromise).

Dekia gets some city militia to come over but they're not that interested in mice chasing each other. Strictly that's not forbidden and after all Aeneas, Lucius and Dekia is citizens from another city and not formally included in the primary group of mice to protect - that's the citizens of Navalia. Meanwhile Gaius has manged to get another mouse to get some other militia mice who arenät that interested either but it's definitely very forbidden to bear arms inside the city walls so the grab the bandit and drags him away. The patrol gathers and go back to where they met the bandits and to their relief they find the philosophers hiding at a tavern (End of GM's Turn).

A little shook up they go to the library to do the research. THe philosophers order copies to be sent to them and Lucius look up some of the pictograms he found at the inner box (Check: Failed Archivist, Succeed with Condition). When they later eat they manage to convince the philosophers that Navalia actually is that dangerous that they have said all the time (Check: Passed Persuader versus 4D). Satisfied with that the patrol can conclude that they will do least wrong by escorting the philosophers to Asylum rather than wait in Navalia (although that's their new orders). Lucius try to soldier on and Gaius try to get rid of his frustrated thought after his misjugdement about the bandits but neither succeed (2 Failed Checks without Twists).

They now decide that it's time to leave Navalia as soon as possible and early the next day they leave for Stameus. They get to Stameus a little shaken and paranoid but without any mishaps but as they walk into the Inn an old enemy to Dekia sits there and directly greet them. It's Nona Iustus Carnifex, a not too distant relative to Lucius. Apparently she's there to meet up with them and see if they need any help and what kind of help they might need. It's a little strange though because she also has an client with her and has sent away the rest of the patrol as she wants to talk to them alone. She explains that they won't reach Asylum alive and that the box then will fall into the hands of the enemy and the box is mighty enough to give Navalia total power on the sea wich would topple the balance between the cities and Asylum, Saoientia, The Pretorian Guard and The League of Mice Cities would all lose in that case. Therefore they has to destroy the box. (Check, Get to Stameus with all the philosophers and the box, Conflict, resist getting convinced to destroy the box).

<GM's Note>Here it was late again and we decided to paly the Conflict the next meeting when we would be less tired and fully appreciate the exciting and quite importantat and crucial Conflict.</GM's Note>

illern (a) illertass.se

SPQM c1s7a: Navalia it is after all...

Early summer, 2 weather twists

When the patrol arrives with the broken box to the philosophers and the trader they try to break the new slowly to Aeneas but he's of course very interested in whether they got the box back and almost immediately spot the thrashed box and is devastated. They don't really manage to calm him down but when he instead lapse into some kind of depression they manage to get him walking toward Navalia and the company moves again.

They arrive to Gaius' friend's inn outside Navalia. Gaius' friend greets them warmly and gets them food and drink and, do they discover lately, new bedrolls and sheet. They eat, drink, talk and tuck in for the night. The next day they and the trader go separate ways as he's going into Navalia and the patrol just want to see if there's any patrols or new orders in Navalia. Lucius visit the post office in Navalia and gets one letter fro the patrol, one letter for the philosophers and one order from The Guard. He opens the order and the letter to the patrol. The order is an order to wait for reinforcements or new orders in Navalia and the letter is a short private letter stating that it is good that they are in Navalia, since they are reading this letter. It would be very good for the patrol and their families if they just stayed there.

Lucius returns and shows the orders and gives the philosophers their letter. They don't tell what it's about but from their expressions it's not good. When asked they tell that terrible things have happened at home. As they sit at the inn and damn the new orders things get worse. In comes a small company of three mice and quite soon oit's obvious that they are among the few mice who don't believe in the forfathers and the need to please them to gain backing in this life and also speak of a god, something only talked about in strange stories or comedies. Sometimes it's joked about that the weasels believe in a god.

Gaius can't take this and explain to them that since they're outside the city they'd better take that talk somewhere else since it's illegal, even of the second sanctum degree, to deny the existence of the forefathers and the penalty for that is death. The three mice gets very, very smooth, irritatingly smooth and mild and manage to duck the question whether they deny the existence of the forefathers or not but leave the inn when confronted with the angered centurio.

In the afternoon the patrol has decided that they can't sit outside Navalia but has to go inside and stay there instead. The philosophers see that as an opportunity to meet other well of citizens and going to the library and don't see the same dangers as the patrol does. When they wait outside the gates they hear the three god mice again and Gaius approach them and tell them that if they don't leave very, very soon, like immediately he will have to arrest them. They are still outsiode the cities and under Pretorian Guard jurisdiction. They scatter off.

When they have gotten a room at an inn they go to the baths to clean up for real and live some civilized life again. During this Lucius accompanies the slave who guards their clothes and the mysterious box and actually manage to make the slave belive that it won't harm if Lucius get to look in the box and so he does. He gets a good look and bunch of old., old pictograms on the outside of the box and memorizes them to be able to look them up at the library.

The next day when they pass the main square they hear another mouse speaking about ''god'' and about the forefathers. Lucius can't let this go on but takes a stand and starts to speak against him and a row of replies follow during the coming days. In the end Lucius lose but at least someone stood up against these craziness (Orator versus 5D, Lost with a Twist).

Suddenly one night they wake up and out from the room some mice run very quickly. Gaius is first on his paws and run after and hunts them out of the inn. Someone tried to steal the box! In the middle of the town on a repsectable inn (Twist; Passed Scout versus Scout 4D). Now hte philosophers start to accept that there are dangers inside Navalia too but still don't really fear that anything dangerous could happen. In the evening they go to a symposium with some other philosphers while the patrol is treated as regular body guards and has to stay outside the triclinum where the actual symposium is.

<GM's Note>Here much time had passed in real life and we decided to take a break since we all have to get up early the next morning.</GM's Note> 

illern (a) illertass.se

SPQM c1s6b: There goes the box...

Early in the morning the patrol and the caravan leaves towards Navalia and Camillius and his patrol travels on towards Sapientia. As they travel on they discuss the latest happenings and Lucius let out a little idea he has; what if someone sent the hare to find out if they were carrying the something? Even if not it's a matter that a lot of animals is able to sniff the big amount of bronze in the box. They decide to shop an iron pig, iron smells more than bronze, and some garlic to camouflage the smell from the something and to make a decoy. The next day they reach a smith by the road and but a iron pig wich they put in a wooden box on one of the bugs who isn't that much loaded right now. They also buy some garlic and put into Dekias bag next to the something to hide the smell (Check: Resources Ob4, they use some of the guard money to protect them from Resources Depletion but that isn't needed as they Pass the Test).

As they travel on they really start to feel the toll of protecting the civilians, the something and not knowing what it is and never being able to really rest or lower the garde. Gaius tries to be a good example and lift his head and struggle on (Check, Soldier On, Passed Health Ob 3). When Lucius the nobiles see his plebeian leader straighten up and carry on he tries to do the same, he can't be weaker but apprently he is (Check, Soldier On, Failed Health Ob 3). Dekia on the other hand gets inspired and find some inner resources and straighten her body and correct the bag hanging and disturbing her all the time and carry on (Check, Soldier On, Passed Health Ob 3).

As they slowly travel on they discuss the matter that they have to visit Navalia after all and get the idea that someone could leave and travel att normal speed and reach Navalia, go inside, check for orders or reinforcements, get outside again and meet up with the others. In the end they decide that it's probably to dangerous (after hearing the resistance to be overcome with the Check). They travel on but decide that they should visit Gaius old friend who runs a tavern outside Navalia and rest there while one of them goes inside to check for reinforcements and orders (Check, get to Gaius friend outside Navalia, Complex Test; avoid Navalia's Liberation Front and robbing attampt at demolished road).

Suddenly their hear the call again ''For the freedom of Navalia!". They throw down everything and raise their weapons and fight well but as they kill two rebels two other knock down Dekia, grab her and the box and run of with her (Avoid Navalia's Liberation Front, Conflict, Rebels Win with Major Compromise, two of them die but they manage to get the box). Lucius and Gaius tell the other to stay beside the road and hide and runs after the rebels. As they run Lucius look for some Mentha and they stop for a short moment while he crush a leave and mix with another leave from his medicine pouch and make a substance to snort to clear the respiratory tracts and make it easier to sniff the rebels as they hunt them down (Lucius lower his Nature from 4 to 3 to raise his Temporary Nature from 2 to 3, Check, Construct a Tool to gain an extra dice in the hunt, Passed Scientist Ob 2).

They run further and gain on the rebels and finally catch up with them. They run towards Dekia and tackle the two rebels and run of with Dekia and the box (Check, Complex Test, Catch up with the Rebels and Free Dekia and the box). They quickly ran away and hide (Test 1, Passed Scout with Tool versus 5D, Test 2, Passed Fighter versus 5D). Cautiously they return to the other and move away.

Some days later as they has to pass a part of the road ruined in the summer rains and are stringed out a few bandits appear and distract them as two throw themselves at Dekia, hold her down and destroys two swords and an axe to cut the chain and run off with the box (Robbing Attempt, Failed Scout versus 6D -> Twist).

The patrol gather and Dekia is almost chocked over her luck that they didn't cut her arm instead of the chain. Quickly they send the trader adn philosophers into the bushes out of sight from the road and sets off after the bandits. They run and catches slowly up with the bandits. As the bandits reach an open area they realise that they can't outrun or hide from the patrol (Twist: Passed Scout versus Early Summer 3D). The bandits stop and drops the box with the thing and seem to ready themselves for fight. The patrol slow down and take a look at the surroundings. One of the two bandits raise his spear in a two handed grip and the other one shouts that if the patrol don't leave the box gets it. The patrol stare at them, everyone trying to figure out if they're serious and what they think about the box.

Lucius doesn't care theat much about the box, he rather get the bandits and makes the road safer for civilians guards alike and suddenly he charges the two bandits and then the rest of the patrol can do nothing else but follow. The bandit thrusts his spear into the box, again and again and again but the patrol doesn't stop. The other bandit gives him a nudge and they run off.

The patrol follow the bandits and at small hole under the nearest oak the bandits take a stand. This is gonna be hard fight two desperate bandits at a good position against three pretorian guards. The fight begins and both parties are fighting fiercly and slowly the bandits has to back and suddenly Gaius and Lucius fell one of them. THey're all three quickly after the third and Dekia tackle him to the ground but he get to his feet and run as Dekia tackle him again and he falls down a hole between two small roots and in the darkness they hear him tumble. No one survives that they say and quickly return to the box (Check: Fight Conflict Won with Major Compromise, the bandits wanted to get the patrol to leave and the patrol wanted to kill the bandits, one of the bandits are killed and one disappear in the darkness and are left for dead).

The box broke at the first thrust and the other three or four went into the thin copper housing of the thing and through and into the machinery - a lot of cogs. As they lift it up they hear loose parts tumble around and although they try to carry it carefully it makes clanking and rattling noises and seems quite broken. They don't look forward to telling Aeneas about. Telling their superiors won't be fun either but at least Lucius is convinced that the box isn't worth any greater sacrifices and are ready to declare that standpoint and why he thinks so. During the walk backLucius has a hard time not looking inside Dekias bag with the thing (End of Player's Turn).

illern (a) illertass.se

SPQM c1s6a: And everyone considered...

Early Summer, 1 Weather Twist

Suddenly they hear the thunder of a hare or two coming from the side of the road. Lucius tries to get the foremouse and the bugs close to a cliff where the the hare will take a jump over them if it comes that way while Gaius and Dekia tries to get the others into safety in holes. Before Dekia can get Aeneas safe the hare lands among them, turns around and jumps towards her, topples her and starts to sniff her intensely (Nature versus Hare Nature 6, Failed with a Twist).

The hare that toppled Dekia and sniffed at her or rather the box suddenly sets of in long jumps and the beaten patrol and body guards can cool down a little. Almost everyone got a nudge from the big animal as it landed among them and went for Dekia and the box. Dekia is quite upset and tries to corner Aeneas and force him to tell why the hare was so obviously interested in the box. He doesn't know, or at least he says so. Dekia's skeptical but he seems honestly surprised. Both he and the other philosophers suggest that hares maybe are a little crazy. There must be a reason why an animal almost as intelligent as mice hasn't built a civilization. As one of them comment ''Even the weasels has completed more''.

They move on towards Navalia. The vegetation and on top of that a hard rain makes it hard for them to move on in something that at least could be compared to advancing towards Navalia. They take shelter for a while until the worst is over. Lucius then takes on the weak old and philosophers (Aeneas is younger, fitter and more interested in getting to Asylum) and they take another route to avoid the muddiest main road. Lucius uses all his instruction tricks to get the philosophers along the route without falling and getting entangled and after a while the get back to the road and has even managed to keep the cadence (Twist: Pathfinder versus Early Summer, Failed with a Twist. Twist: Instructor versus Early summer 3D, tied, Succeeded with Will Roll). 

After some days more they're almost halfway from Cyprios to Navalia and enter a bigger village and the tavern there. As they take up most of the floor there and are preparing for the night three ragged mice walk in. At first the patrol ready themselves but then they see that it's mice in guard cloaks and when they fold down their hoods Lucius see that one of them is his old friend Camillius. What are he doing here in a guard cloak? Has he joined the guard?

As they sit down to talk they that Camillius is bringing a diplomatic message from The Senate and the Mice People to Sapientia and that the whole guard knows that Gaius' patrol is on a secret important mission. The not so discreet message they got at the gate when they left gave that away. Gaius' patrol sighs heavily. They also learn that the patrol escorting Camillius lost a member in an ambush from Navalia's Liberation Front. Gaius warn them for the liberations groups further on down the road and that both Navalia and Sapientia have got one each. After a while it becomes obvious that Doros' patrol, the one escorting Camillius, somehow also has found out that Gaius' patrol is escorting an important something. Camillius is strongly convinced that they should rather destroy the something than getting it lost or making the guard suffer losses while Doros speaks for getting it to Asylum at all costs and in between Gaius' patrol sits with orders that they should bring the thing to Asylum even at significant costs. From the patrol they also get a copy of an order to wait for reinforcements or new orders in Navalia which upsets the patrol since they’ve working the philosophers to accept not staying in Navalia since that will be dangerous and probably uphold them on their journey.

Although the trader and his foremouse and bodyguards wants to sleep the discussion goes on and in the small dinner room it's impossible for them to sleep. Especially since the philosophers also sit up and talk about the spheres that make up the sky firmaments and how to calculate the music they make. After a while the discussion gets animated and arguments fly through the air as spear thrusts and sometime defenses are made like shield blows and Camillius tries some sneaky maneuvers but he's not used to these small companies but rather the big masses at forums. Suddenly Gaius has it and hit the floor with his paw says that the discussion ends here. They have their orders and they're leaving early tomorrow. Doros and Camillius give up but meanwhile Dekia and Lucius has changed their mind. In the beginning they were totally on their centurio's line but now Lucius thinks that the thing shall reach Asylum at all costs and Dekia thinks that they should rather destroy than losing it or The Guard losing any members. Gaius is still prepared to follow the orders and make some sacrifices to get it to Asylum. Doros and Camillius isn't unaffected either and actually has switched opinions and Camillius now thinks that it must reach Asylum at all costs and Doros thinks that that it would be better to destroy the thing than make sacrifices for it.

(Conflict: Part 1, Camillius, wants to convince the others that the thing should rather be destroyed than The Guard losing any members. The guard members are more valuable in the long run. Part 2, Doros, wants to convince everyone that the thing must reach Asylum at all costs, obviously it's very very important. Part 3, Gaius’ patrol, the patrol sticks to their orders and want to end the discussion as soon as possible. The conflict sways back and forth and it seems like the patrol is getting it and Doros and Camillius will slug it out over the heads of the patrol with probably Camillius winning but then Camillius makes a mistake, using Feint, and loses a lot of stance and it gets quite even and everyone sets in their final move and everyone's Disposition reaches 0. Everyone reach their goal. We decided that Camillius manage to convince one patrol member and Doros, that Doros managed to convince Camillius and one patrol member and that Gaius managed to finish the discussion without getting his opinions changed).

(End of GM's Turn)

<GM's Note>A lot of Checks were earned in the obstacles, totally the patrol has seven checks, so we decided that it would be better to take a whole Player's Turn the next meeting rather than splitting it up. Also the Conflict was pretty intense and everyone excited.</GM's Note>

illern (a) illertass.se

SPQM c1s5: Threats and curses

Early Summer, 0 Twists

As they sit at the inn, the respectable but not luxuary one, in Cyprios they are approached by a well clothed but not spectacularily clothed mouse who presents him and asks if they're Gaius' patrol. They answer ''yes'' and he seems relieved and says that he has asked a few patrols already. He starts the conversation by asking if he should address the nobiles or the centurio, the patrol leader, first and they indicate the centurio. He continues by brining up that Gaius' siblings has got childrens. ''Well, yes that's natural.'' Gaius says. The mouse then continues ''It would be very un-natural if that was to be made undone''

Bam!

Gaius is standing up with his small stool in the hand and the muse is lying on the floor bleeding from the head and the whole inn falls silent and mice move away.

The patrol calms Gaius and says that he could have been there to warn them as well as threatening them. Dekia turns the mouse over so that he should not choke on his toungue or saliva where he lies but can't do much more for him. Instead she goes out to find someone from the city guard. After a while she finds a patrol and manage to get them to come over to the inn since it's quite a respectable place and because there's been fighting which might start wider unrestfulness.

When they arrive they and patrol, from an iron ring and a diploma like neck band, find out that the mouse is a freed mouse from a lesser nobiles family. The city guard immediately gets less interested since there's no concern for any citizens of Cyprios although they fine Gaius for disturbing the city peace, an action that _could_ have resulted in wider violence. By literally emptying their purses Gaius and Dekia manage to pay the fine. Lucius refuses to help Gaius pay the fine and consider it to be a private matter, not a guard matter (Reources Ob4, Succeed with Condition Resources Depletion, -1 Resources). The guard leaves them with the knocked down mouse leaving the care taking to them. They decide to sleep in the dining room that night in case he should wake up from the coma or if there could be anything they could do. In the morning he is dead, probably from internal mixing of body fluids. According to Dekia that's not at all uncommon when blows are dealt to the body.

The atmosphere is not that good in the morning, everyone is feeling a little worried about what the mouse meant and also what to do with him. In the end Gaius picks him up and disposes him in an alley. The worries are eating at the patrol althoug Lucius manage to shake off his worries. Gaius was directly aimed at as he experienced it and Dekia is really, really skeptical and anaslyses everything (Trait Skeptical) but in the end the analysis goes berserk and she comes up with a lot of new ways that her family might be threatened (Roll versus Deceiver 5D + Trait Calm 1D + Scary-wise 1D, Lucius Pass and Dekia and Gaius Fail and get Undiciplined (Angry) Dekia gets a Tie and uses her Trait Skeptical to Fail and get 2 extra Checks). They decide that they need some rest, food and try to find out if there's a tribunis in town (End of GM's Turn).

Dekia asks the owner of the inn if she knos if there's any tribunis in town. She says that there might be. She doesn't know but she got the impression that a guest at finer inn closer to the main agora was connected to The Pretorian Guard but he was living at a citizen's house and might have left now. Dekia decides to try to find out and hopefully find him and get a meeting. She finds the inn but no tribunis, hard without a name when the tribunis is there as a private person and not on duty. Politics! She return later without completing her task (Check; find tribunis, Circles Ob3, Failed with a Twist).

During this Lucius is sitting and memorizing and thinking about the strange ancient pictograms on the inner metal box that holds the very secret thing and Gaius takes it slow. They both later orders some extra food and drink to at get in balance again (2 Checks: Resources Ob 1; Lucius pass and Gaius pass). Later they gather and talk about the strange wax mouse inside the box. When Aeneas is told he gets very upset, maybe mot so much that someone might try to cast a curse on them as that someone in his workforce has betrayed him and put it there. He agrees on opening the outer box a little to get it out.

Dekia and the philosophers talk about what to do with and among other things point out a few important things; all real mouse material must be removed (whiskers, fur and so on), the miniature cloak should be lost somewhere in the wilderness where it will go back to the earth, the lead thread around the mouse shall be removed and melted and divided into several pieces and the mouse itself remolded and melted to wax with no similarity to a mouse. The last part is the most dangerous because that's when it's the biggest risk that any effects are transferred to a real mouse. The remolding should also be done at anti zenit as the philosophers call midnight. 

Sometime during the day a letter is delivered to them. In it someone explains that they now has to actually set their plans into action and that it's totally their own fault. This doesn't help Gaius to get less nervous,upset or angry (Check: Failed Will Ob 2, still Undisciplined).

Dekia is skilled in ceremonies and take on the task armed with the philosophers knowledge (Check: Passed Ceremony Master with Tool, philosophers' knowledge, Ob 4). When they melt the remodeled wax they all start to sweat, apparently there's still some connection between them and the wax.

In the morning, just before they leave the city, they go to a smith who melts the lead and divide it and then they chek the post office and set off towards Navalia.

illern (a) illertass.se