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Elene throws up her hands before making her way back down onto the balcony, into the house, and down to the others. "I only just managed to get up there, you know. And here you guys went explorin' anyway." She sighs, the events of the day beginning to set in somewhat. "Anyway, what's the plan?"

"That path won't be as easy as we would've hoped, so unless there are strong objections the current plan is to take the dark alleyway approach instead. Ideally someone who is good at sneaking and has good eyesight should take point, neither of which I excel at." The man looks specifically at the urchin and woodsman, recognizing their skill in stealth.

"That sounds like the best plan to me, I suppose. The dark will probably help us stay hidden from those things, and it's not like the other plan is any better," Liviana says.

Redros nods at Marcus.
"I can find us a path, certainly. Same plan as before perhaps, with the urchin on the rooftops and me proceeding?"

"The li'l one's bound to get into some danger up above like a bird," Weasel says. "Think it's better she stick here with us, y'know? She looks good with a knife, too." Cassia turns to Redros and Marcus. "I've got good eyes and I know these streets decently well, I suppose. I'll take point with Redros. First step is going back to that alley we met the orc in." She looks the other four over. "We all ready, then?"

"Yes, lead on," Marcus says, hating the words as he says them. If only this eye was still here, I wouldn't need to rely on others to lead. This is ridiculous. He keeps the feelings hidden, but he continues to silently fume about his situation - the first time it has really bothered him in years.

The six survivors head north across the plaza, the Watchman and the woodsman leading the others. With a silent nod, Cassia signals the garden whose vine-ridden corner conceals the entrance to the alleyway they had found Guthrik in earlier. "Aye, this alley goes on for blocks," Weasel whispers as they pad through the pristinely kept garden.

The group makes their way past where they met the orc. Instead of going straight, which would lead them to the apothecary, the Watchman turns left to continue down the dimly-lit passageway. There are no torches on the sides of the alley, but moonlight seeps its way down giving manageable vision. Along the sides of the alley are a few doors, which mostly seem like back-doors to the businesses and residences that line the main streets running parallel.

Weasel raises his hand as they pass a nondescript wooden door that is cracked slightly ajar on the right-hand side of the alley. "I think this is a shop. I'm just gonna ease in here, check through things, a'right? You won't arrest me for lootin' if it's for the good of the group, right, lady?" Cassia sighs at him, and responds in a whisper. "Make it quick. I'll stay out here. If I see you with jewelry instead of a blade or some food, I'll ring your neck myself." He cracks a smile and slowly creaks the door open, checking back at the others. "Stay here if you want, but I'm lookin' for somethin' to use," Weasel says, before stepping into the building and out of sight.

Marcus shoots Cassia a look of concern, then follows after the man. "I will come too, someone to watch your back," the man whispers, a half-truth meant to sound less suspicious of the man. Why this door? We've passed plenty of others already. There must be something special about this particular place.

"I'm gonna scout ahead, don't wanna stand around." Elene says quietly, slipping further down the alley. Even though she's immensely curious about what Weasel is up to, she realizes that she'd only get in the way at this point. Dammit. Maybe I c'n get that Marcus guy to tell me what that scumbag is up to.

She half-crouches as she moves forward through the alley, sticking to the shadows and keeping eyes and ears peeled for any signs of walking corpses.

MECHANICS

[SHOW]

Stealth check: 15
Perception check: 23

Redros nods as Marcus goes, looking about the streets.
"I will scout forward once more for signs of danger. Be careful inside. It will likely be dark, and hard to see them."
With that he moves forward, silent as ever, watching the side alleys and path ahead for danger.

Mechanics

[SHOW]

Stealth Check again: 10(1d20) +8 = 18
Perception: 17(1d20) +9 = 26
On a roll...

"I suppose I'll stay out here too. It seems strangely peaceful out here, and I enjoy that in such a chaotic time," Liviana says. "The same night sky as always makes it feel like everything is normal."

After sitting alone in the tavern for a while, Athena starts to get bored. She tries balancing her knife on its tip for as long as possible but quickly gives up. She scans the room and notices Guthrik, Burtin and, Smock sat talking. She walks over and takes a seat by them. "What are you three talking about?"

Marcus follows Weasel into the backdoor of the building, and the light is very dim here. There is a brick hearth against the wall, with a few almost-dead embers in it from a fire earlier in the day, and Weasel quickly grabs a lantern from a counter nearby, lighting it carefully. The room lights up a bit, and it appears to be a respectable living room. Weasel speaks in a whisper. "Guess noone's home," he says, before checking through a few of the cupboards.

The woodsman and the scamp edge forward, past Cassia as they investigate further down the alley. They walk down about another 10 yards or so, coming to an intersection. The alley continues straight, but the branch to the right has a low, stone arch connecting either side of the buildings and looks to lead to the same street the apothecary is on. Straight ahead looks safe for now, but looking down this side-passage, they see a few of the creatures in the main street.

Cassia turns to Liviana as the others split up to investigate. "I wonder if things will go back to normal," she ponders aloud to the princess. "I'm sure you feel the same," she says with a wan smile.

Back at the Gilded Mare, Burtin smiles as Athena sits down. "The state of our situation, miss." he says. Smock, staring between them, picks at the table idly, a frown on his face. He looks up at the newcomer. "I'm stuck 'ere with you snobs n' the booze'll run dry in a few days. The state of our situation, y'see, is a horse's arse." The injured man ignores Smock's comment. "I gotta say, I'm thankful you went with the others to find me some medical treatment. I'll probably make it through now."

The orc turns toward Burtin. "Keep an eye on your wound, we don't need it to get worse, now. And this tavern looks like it could be defensible, given enough work and enough planning." Burtin nods. "I worked as a laborer before all this happened. Chances are if my wound clears up, I can plan out how to fortify this place. Maybe even help make it happen physically."

Marcus looks around the shop, trying to see if there is anything to give him a clue as to which place it is. He keeps his eye on Weasel, not because he cares if he steals anything, but mostly just to watch his own back. "Find anything useful?" he says, as the man begins looking through cupboards.

Mechanics

[SHOW]

Streetwise, to see if Marcus recognizes the shop: 14
Perception in case it is needed for the above, and to see if there is anything useful in plain sight: 8

"Heh, I took you for a resourceful man, myself. A bitta dishware, some linens, nothin' good," the man concludes as he shoves one cupboard closed and checks another for good measure. "Let's move through a bit, yeah? See if we can't get sommat that the guard lady won't tie me up for." He steps toward the door in the far wall that is closed, but stops mid-motion as you both hear a thump noise from behind the door. "The hell? Those things in here?" he whispers.

Marcus

[SHOW]

The interior of the room you are in definitely looks like living quarters, but as to whether the adjacent room is part of a shop or is the rest of the residence, you are unsure.

"I imagine they are most everywhere by now," Marcus responds quietly. "Maybe it'd be best to leave this building until after we are armed." He begins to move back towards the way they came, not too keen on the idea of facing those creatures with only a street thug as an ally.

"Yeh, we'll come back," Weasel says, agreeing with the ex-soldier. Stepping out, Weasel closes the door quietly before pulling out his thick blade and gouging an X on the door. "Just to remember which ones we need to hit. Y'know, supplies 'n all. Gotta eat," he says, defensively.

"The others went up ahead. I'll lead us," the Watchmen says before stepping further up the alleyway. The three of you follow until you hit the crossroads that the two scouts are stopped at. "Looks like we're goin' straight then, yeh?" Weasel says, pointing toward the creatures off in the distance to the right.

Redros nods at the man.
"That would be the assumption, yes. That way would lead us to the apothecary. Perhaps we may look through the apothecary more thoroughly in the future, but for now we should focus on armaments. I must say, however, never before have I wished for a map as badly as I do now. The forests may be thick with trees, but knowing the direction is what is mainly needed for navigation. This is like a maze."

"It's not that bad once you get used to it," Marcus adds, confident in his knowledge of the city after so long on the streets. "Either way, right now there is not much to know. Just head straight a bit more, same way as the main road would've led us, and we will be there. Let's move."

Mechanics

[SHOW]

Streetwise, to see if Marcus remembers/knows the specific location of this guard place: 15

"Yeah, y'learn the twists after a while." Elene pipes in, adding to Marcus' comment, before slipping forward into the alley across the intesection. "I'm goin' ahead again."

MECHANICS

[SHOW]

Stealth check to move quiet-like: 20

Perception check to look for dangerous/useful things: 28

Streetwise check to see if I remember what kind of shops and such are around here: 8
Great rolls until just then. :/

"The city at least has signs that make it easier to get around unlike forests. Not to mention a forest likely wouldn't have other people to ask for directions," Liviana says. He's such a strange man. Who would even want to live in a forest? "I just hope other people didn't have the same idea and try to raid the barracks for their own weapons and armor."

"We probably shouldn't commit to staying here just yet," Athena says. "The others might find a more defensible position, or even the town guard," she says hopefully.

Redros sighs as he walks, thinking of his home in the forest. He wonders if any predators have ransacked it and stolen some of the food he was storing. There's also his crossbow that he left behind, how he wishes he still had it.
"I suppose signs are useful. Yet if I was still in the forest, I would be encountering far fewer of these beasts, and I am certain the animals of the forest would be repulsed by their nature. Likely they would be driven swiftly from it's land."

Marcus

[SHOW]

You remember it as a few more blocks to the northwest, about a 10 minute walk from here at your current speed.

Elene

[SHOW]

You know that you are in the alley between two major streets, but you aren't sure of whether the backdoors on your flanks are to residence or shops, or both.

Back at the Gilded Mare, Burtin nods to Athena's suggestion. Guthrik speaks up: "True, but this is where we are at until that. There's nothing wrong with planning for the future, I'd say." The laborer joins in. "Even if we do a bit of temporary fixing up of this tavern, that's better than nothing. Say, did you work here? You look sort of familiar," Burtin asks the lady.

As the young girl and the woodsman lead the group another few yards forward down the alley, one of the doors on the left opens up carefully and a man steps out. He is alerted upon noticing the group of you treading up the alley. Although he looks to be carrying something heavy in his hands, he shifts the weight quickly to put his one hand up to signal his two allies who stand at the threshold to stop. "And who the fuck are you lot?" he asks, with brutishness, making no attempt to keep his voice down.

Elene quickly stalks over to the man, violently gesturing for silence. As she gets closer she begins to harshly whisper at him. "Will you shut yer mouth! Or do you want th' things around the corner t' come runnin' for us." She clutches at her knife, fear showing slightly on her face as she remembers the recent fight in the tavern. "They're no fun up close, and I've half a mind to slit your throat before lettin' you get 'em coming over here!"

"Calm yourself, girl," Marcus pipes up. Slit their throat some other time, not here.

"We are other survivors of this plague, same as you. Does it really matter? You should listen to her and keep your voice down, though. They respond to sound." If we get in another fight on account of this fool I will slit his throat myself. He moves forward, placing himself between the street urchin and the men. He leers at them, not quite trying to scare them off, but intent on making it clear that he is not to be messed with.

The man reacts as Marcus and Elene start moving forward, the latter's blade glinting off of the moonlight above. "Jurgis, here!" he urges, as he throws the heavy bag toward one of his companions at the door, before turning back to face you through the dimly lit alley. "Now, listen: we rule these streets. You'd best stay out of here, unless you've got a death-wish." he says, his voice a calm but terrifying tone.

Suddenly, he jumps forward, putting all of his weight into a stack of crates nearest the back-alley door. They topple away from the neat stack against the wall, falling with a massive crunch, spilling the contents of rope, stacks of parchment, and other things across the alley's path. The man grabs a torch from his other partner, throwing it atop the rubble, which catches flame. The light from the fire he has created illuminates him and he looks to be quite tall, brutish-looking, and dressed in some sort of leather outfit. "Next time I see you lot, I'll kill you," he threatens, his face showing no remorse. He stares at you, Marcus especially, for a moment before turning back to the others who have now edged out of view inside the building.

"Let's go!" he calls as he shoves back through the door, slamming it tightly behind him heavily. The fire quickly engulfs the pile, causing the broken crates and their contents to shrivel and crack. The fire paints the alleyway in a red glow, sending thick smoke billowing up through the canopy of eaves into the night sky.

"He's a madman..." Cassia says, surprised by the whole encounter, as she edges forward next to Marcus and Elene. Weasel stands behind with the others, wide-eyed and holding his blade in a tight grip. "Bastard," he mutters under his breath.

Hm, looks like I will be coming back here later. That piece of shit won't survive this. "We should keep moving," Marcus says calmly, hiding his anger. "There still seems to be room to get by that blaze if we move quickly." If they try to stop us we can just toss them into that pile. He continues to move forward despite the obstacle, eye glued to the door ahead in anticipation of any sort of retaliation.

Marcus steps up to inspect the fire and find a way around it. The way is mostly blocked, save for a couple of feet to slip around the fire on the right side of the alleyway. Suddenly, Cassia flinches, stopping in place. The group of you began to hear the familiar screeches, grunts, and gurgles from what can only be the terrible creatures approaching from past the fire. "They're up ahead!" she says, frantically.

Marcus looks around, hoping to find something that he can toss onto the pile to fill the gap, leaving the creature's only option as a wall of fire. Yeah, that guy is dead.

Spotting the barrels, Marcus moves towards them and begins moving one towards the space. He motions for Weasel to join him as he tries to complete the flaming barricade keeping the creatures away.

"Yeah, smart move," Weasel replies as he deftly sheathes his blade and helps Marcus with the barrels. Cassia stands near the fire, scouting over it for any sign of the monsters. "There!" she says, a bit calmer now. "I can see them coming." She points through the fire, sighting them for Marcus who can just make out the dimly lit faces of the decayed walkers ahead.

The barrels are thrown over the gap and the fire quickly spreads, about four or five feet now from the ground in a thick wall. "Let's get to a safe place," Weasel says, worriedly. "These lil' bastards give me the creeps,"

Shit! Elene thinks, darting away as the man first makes an even bigger racket before setting the whole alley on fire. That bastard's gonna get my knife through his throat, I swear. She hears the sounds of the approaching zombies coming from the other side of the fire, and curses again. "The other ones back th' other way prob'ly heard that too! We need to get out of the street, an' fast!"

She dashes to an alley door between the fire and the crossroads that the group passed, grabbing for the handle and attempting to throw the door open. Please please please please be unlocked.

Redros watches the fire burn and curses to himself. If the fire spreads it could be trouble for this entire block, creating a lot of burnt buildings and gaps for the monsters to walk through.
"Although smart, this fire may be more trouble than it's worth to keep a small group at bay. Let us hope the surrounding area is wet enough to keep it from spreading and move."
He swiftly moves to the urchin, ready to kick the door down if it is locked.

Elene checks the door, finding it unlocked, before swinging it open. Cassia places her hand gentle on the shoulder of Liviana. "C'mon, Princess. We need to get you to safety," she says, looking back at the fire and the incoming threat of walkers. Weasel and Elene step into the building, a candle on its last legs still burning on a wall-sconce illuminating a storage room of what looks to be a residence. To the left are a few cabinets, crates, sacks, and barrels. A set of stairs beginning in the far left corner lead above your heads to a second floor above you. Straight ahead is a door that is slightly ajar, with dim light emanating from the gap.

OOC

[SHOW]

Those that enter can see the same thing.

Elene motions for everyone to get inside quickly, before whispering to Weasel. "Shut th' door up tight soon as ev'ryone's in. I'm gonna check the rest of the place."

Quietly moving to the slightly ajar door, she peeks past it, trying to see what is beyond.

MECHANICS

[SHOW]

Perception check: 13
I'm getting terrible luck with these.

Marcus follows the others into the building, frustrated with the entire situation but most of all with the man in the other building. He finds it difficult to keep his thoughts away from the idea of killing the man, but keeps a straight face nonetheless.

Inside the building he quickly takes in the surroundings, eyes instantly setting on the cabinets and crates. "You do that," he says to the girl as she trounces off. He moves towards the left and opens one of the cabinets to inspect its contents.

Elene

[SHOW]

The adjacent room looks to be a standard living room. The hearth has embers in it, giving off a dim glow. You do not see or hear anybody or anything through the half-foot gap that the door is ajar.

Marcus

[SHOW]

Inside the cabinets and such, you find some potatoes, carrots, and various vegetables. There are about 2 full-sized barrels full of them from what you can tell. Another thing of note is a handsaw you find within one of the cabinets.

Handsaw - 1d6 damage, +2 proficiency bonus, Brutal 1. It isn't flimsy, but you don't think it would survive much wear-and-tear from being used as a weapon.

Not being able to pick up any signs of movement from the room, she nudges the door open and slips inside. Quietly sneaking around the room, she searches around for anything that could be useful to her.

MECHANICS

[SHOW]

Stealth check: 28
Perception check: 19
In my perception check, I want to especially look for things that could be used as a lockpick.

"There is food over here," Marcus says to the others, as he searches the cabinets. "We should grab what we can carry on our way back through this way, after we get some better gear." Before closing the last cabinet he removes the handsaw, figuring it might come in handy if they do end up needing to fight again. I'm sure this will do more damage than a knife.

With the cabinets accounted for, he moves to the crates and begins to search their content as well.

"What a foolish man he was. They rule the streets? As if. My family rules these streets. That stupid man thinks he's better than the Arvinas, and look where that's gotten him. I just hope he gets what he deserves, though he likely will with all the noise he made," Liviana says as she enters the house. Seeing the staircase in the dim room, the princess adds, "Someone should check the upstairs as well. There may be nothing, but better safe than sorry. There may be something useful up there too."

Redros begins to move towards the stairs at the princess' asking, sighing as he goes.
"Do not fool yourself. You own these streets as much as a tree owns the forest. You have been reduced to one of many trying to survive. You will have to make a choice. Either lose your idea that nobility is worth anything in these conditions, or let your pride be the end of you when next a man threatens your life. That is the fact of survival, no matter the conditions. Now please, if you wish to show you are more than a pretty face and name, help me search the upstairs."

Not waiting for a response he climbs the stairs, silent as he moves, listening for anything above them.

Mechanics

[SHOW]

Perception:14(1d20) +9 = 23

Weasel closes the door and locks it behind himself as the princess, the Watchman, and the woodsman enter. "He looked like he could handle himself," Cassia says in response to Liviana's wishes. "I hope he doesn't become more of a problem." She silently creeps into the next room behind Elene, while Weasel helps Marcus with checking the storage-room.

Elene

[SHOW]

There isn't anything small enough but the closest thing you find is a rather sharp fire-poker next to the glowing embers in the hearth. Within a couple inches the sharp end tapers into a half-inch thick diameter of iron that spans about two feet in length. It would be quite unwieldy to use compared to actual picks, but possibly more effective than the shattered dagger you currently have to work with.

Judging by its function, you realize you could probably heat up the end and use it as a decent weapon.

1d6 damage, +2 proficiency bonus. The tip can be heated for a bonus.

Marcus

[SHOW]

Within the two crates, you find a moderate quantity of thick material in sheets, probably jute or burlap from the look of it. It looks to be in good condition and pretty sturdy.

Redros

[SHOW]

The boards creak inevitably as you move up, and you notice a door at the top of the steps. It appears to be unlocked. You hear nothing behind it as you listen intently.

Hm, not as useful as food but may come in handy at some point, Marcus thinks as he closes the crates and moves on to check the barrels and sacks, figuring it best to get a good inventory while they are already stuck in this building rather than waiting until later.

"No I didn't work here," Athena says slightly offended by Burtin's comment. "I do live in the area though, so you might have seen me around I guess."

Burtin nods. "Probably. I work on the docks along the canal, so I'm always around these parts for a drink or two. Speaking of," he says, as the bar-keep, approaches the table, his face grim. "I need a hand," Drozga says to the four of you at the table. "I... need to get something from my attic."

Curious at the smell, Marcus slowly plunges his hand into the salt pile dagger first, hoping that it is merely meat being cured and not something else hiding underneath.

Marcus boldy plunges his hand into the barrel of meat, curious to find the source of the smell. You make contact with something solid and pull it through the sand, revealing curing pork that looks fine for consumption. "Ah, thought I smelt a pig in 'ere," Weasel says with a smirk. "Least we know we've good eats for a bit or so," he notes cheerfully.