It has been just over a week since the last altercation in the City Center, in which it was proved that Galinius Roderic was little more than a pawn, used by his assistants to dupe people into paying exorbitant prices for snake oil treatments and using Devil's Breath, an exceptionally rare plant to put people into a trance-like state of susceptibility, making them highly suggestive. Abridal, one of the assistants was captured, but Mordo was able to run before suspicion truly fell on him. The Iron Guard has been on the watch, but thus far there have been no clues as to where he has gotten off to.

This day began like any other, with the Upper Buroughs bustling with the wealthier class of commoners going about their business, congregating in little clusters as they gossip about this or that. So it is curious when a large crowd arrives, of those clearly from the Lowers, looking like some sort of bizarre raiding party, shouting threats and attempting to grab jewelry from people's bodies, like crows after shinies.

Cora is actually on her way to the Lowers when this happens, in fact she is taking a 'short cut' to get to the clinic and as a result is actually rather surprised to run into a group of this nature. "Excuse me!" she exclaims and outpaces her guards to stop one of those trying to grab jewelry off some poor passer by, "Discontinue at once!"

Auda is also from the Lowers, but she's not here as part of a roving raid! Instead, she's -staring- wide eyed at the group, and quickly moving in as well. Almost like she's Cora's shadow, or something! "What the fuck do you think you're doing?" It's practically hissed at the Lowers-person that she's confronting, while she reaches out to give them a little shake.

"Spirits save you," Aksel can be heard growling as he comes down the street with Rowenova. "When I find you, you are going to get it." The Northman pauses in his quick paced walk to look over the ground before throwing his hands up and saying to Rowenova, "That damn dog better not be begging in the apartments again." It seems Aksel pausing wasn't just about an errant dog. It seems the commotion of daylight thuggery seems to have caught his attention. His features light up as he realizes what is transpiring and the Northman makes a show of pulling up his sleaves and heading towards the direction of all the tomfoolery, "Well, this day just got infinitely better."

Likely heading to the beaches the timid Sheena is making her way off. Being the nervous thing she is Sheena pauses at the edges of where all the people are, completely uncertain to what to do. So many people. She does not do well with crowds, after all. THere is no hiding spot with no people.

Rowenova strides alongside her fellow Northerner, Aksel, cracking up about that 'damn dog'. "Well, I bet he just does it to watch you go off about it." says the young scout with a wolfish grin. "It is a good thing Sir Floppington is a person all his own, so he just does whatever he wants to, but he seems glued, to my side." She glances down toward where the greying hound politely heels alongside the walking duo. Then, she looks up. "Oh yes, yes it did!" says she with some glee around her concerned eyes. She pulls her gloves on tighter, walking faster to help out with what will surely be an ensuing brawl!

Coraline puts a sea serpent's battle helm in a simple velvet bag.

Coraline puts a sea serpent's battle sabatons in a simple velvet bag.

Coraline puts a sea serpent's battle pauldrons in a simple velvet bag.

Coraline puts a sea serpent's battle gauntlets in a simple velvet bag.

Coraline has rolled a critical success!
Coraline checked dexterity + dodge at difficulty 15, rolling 73 higher.

Rowenova checked dexterity + brawl at difficulty 15, rolling 33 higher.

Auda checked dexterity + brawl at difficulty 15, rolling 10 higher.

Aksel checked strength + brawl at difficulty 15, rolling 13 higher.

Coraline gets a black leather boots with sea-serpent designs from a simple velvet bag.

Coraline puts a sea serpent's battle breastplate in a simple velvet bag.

Coraline puts a sea serpent's battle cuisse in a simple velvet bag.

Reigna GM Roll checked dexterity(4) + dodge(3) at difficulty 15, rolling 30 higher.

Reigna GM Roll checked dexterity(3) + wedium wpn(3) at difficulty 15, rolling 26 higher.

Reigna GM Roll checked dexterity(3) + wedium wpn(3) at difficulty 15, rolling 18 higher.

Reigna GM Roll checked dexterity(3) + medium wpn(3) at difficulty 15, rolling 31 higher.

Reigna GM Roll checked dexterity(3) + medium wpn(3) at difficulty 15, rolling 48 higher.

7 inflicted and Coraline is harmed for minor damage.

Seeing that Auda is about to be attacked, Cora moves to block the board and indeed manages to succeed! However she just manages to not get skewered by that bottle, which doesn't mean she gets away unscathed. Cursing she scowls at both attackers. "The hell is wrong with you people?"

Auda was all ready to dodge that plank, but this isn't the first time she's been in a fight. She sees the shift in Cora's stance, and she changes her own tactics. Instead of dodging, Auda ducks under the attacks to punch the bottle-weilding ruffian right in the kisser! There, payback for Cora's scrape!

Into the ruckus does Aksel come with his fists flying. It may actually look odd to some, his style is certainly not Northern tradition, but rather more Valardian influenced. Still, whatever the influence is, Aksel packs a mean punch. Straight to the jaw he comes with a right hook. Ka-Pow. "Back to back, 'Nova," Aksel calls out to the other Northerly type.

All told there are thirteen attackers, the two attacking Cora and Auda, the three Aksel, Flops and Nova are attacking are weilding homemade weapons as well, and eight others who are still going after random civilians.

Moving as a unit with Aksel, Rowenova steadily approaches the group of thugs, doing so with her own fists punching hard at the first thug who about stole a wealthy woman's purse, but no, Nova clocks him good! As they move to breach through the very fringe of the enemy group, Nova happily adjusts her stance, "Okay!" says she as she turns to keep her back toward Aksel's with a jab of her sharp ended bracer (past the elbow) into that would-be purse stealer. Then, Sir Floppington valiantly leaps into the next guy who was about to come up and get Nova while she was distracted with this other guy, but the soulful hound protectively intecepts that from ever happening with shaking jaws side to side and furious growls!

The battle rages on! The pair brawling with Cora and Auda regroup telegraphing their intent to continue their attacks in a manner that is almost childlike. There is no skill or thought put into the attacks, the weapons are lifted and they charge.
Sir Flops has a good grip on his target, and the woman he is trying to keep pinned down is striking at him with a heavy table leg. Aksel's target, an older man in his forties is trying to attack Aksel with a heavy, burlap sack of flour, the sack has to weigh at least thirty pounds. It is unweildy, but would likely hurt if it connects. Nova's adversary has a butcher's knife and is lifting her arm to give a wild chop.

Coraline wields Amare, a diamondplate battle-axe.

Rowenova checked dexterity + brawl at difficulty 15, rolling 40 higher.

Coraline checked dexterity + medium wpn at difficulty 15, rolling 77 higher.

Sheena checked perception at difficulty 15, rolling 6 lower.

Aksel checked strength + brawl at difficulty 15, rolling 14 higher.

Auda checked dexterity + brawl at difficulty 15, rolling 55 higher.

Reigna GM Roll checked dexterity(3) + medium wpn(3) at difficulty 15, rolling 16 higher.

Reigna GM Roll checked dexterity(3) + medium wpn(3) at difficulty 15, rolling 20 higher.

There is a subtle shift in Aksel's bearing. His muscles become taught and ready to spring at a moments notice. His eyes narrowing just slightly but focusing on the task at hand. Razor sharp focused is the Northerner. Working in tandem with 'Nova and Sir Floppington, Aksel seems to be in a different sort of warrior. But that's likely the way the light hits. Sensing the time is right, Aksel goes forth and strikes at the Flour Man - ZLONK - right to the gut.

THe timid Sheena keeps on the edge of all the crowd, she is likely trying to decide what it is she should do. Between the crowd and the fights. Being the gentle thing she is Sheena does try to inch through the crowds to tend to those that are hurt. Though, she adbsolutely does try to stop them from jumping into the fight. Good people shouldn't be fightign and all that, without reason. She likely did not notice any pickpocketing.

Reigna GM Roll checked dexterity(4) + brawl(3) at difficulty 15, rolling 27 higher.

Finally fed up of this mess, Cora draws Amare. The diamondplate axe shimmers in the light as she uses it to try and knock some sense into one of the attackers. Oops, well apparently there are quite a few sharp edges on this thing and yeah that gash will definitely need to be seen to. She remains between Auda and the attackers but one is definitely out of commission.

Apparently, that first punch? It was testing, getting a feel for the fight. Warming up. This time, when Auda strikes? It's right to the temple of the man wielding the bottle. Auda moves with practiced grace and quick strikes, clearly no stranger to brawls like this. She doesn't even watch the man crumple to the ground, but instead turns bright emerald eyes to her next target.

Rowenova audibly rages, "Don't you dare hit Sir Flop! I will thrash you to within an inch of your life!" She suddenly kicks the fallen woman's fingers, smashing those between the table leg that person was holding and the front of her sturdy boot, following through until that table leg is sent sailing and that foe kept wailing whilst being dog mauled. Meanwhile, Nova probably takes that cleaver chop, hopefully somewhere along her refined armor.

20 inflicted and Rowenova is unharmed.

16 inflicted and Aksel is unharmed.

Just as Aksel's blow lands to gut of the Flour bearer, the old man absorbs the punch and shifts so he can bring is Floury doom upon Aksel. It'll take a lot more then a sack of flour to take down Aksel, but it does manage to move him about an inch. It's a solid blow, but Aksel has the power of youth on his side. Let's just hope that the Old Man Strength doesn't kick in at some point.

Coraline's victim, should be screaming. He really should be. Instead he looks down at the gash along his left leg rather disapassionately, blinking owlishly at it. The power of the blow knocked him on his ass, and instead of howling in pain or trying to run, he simply is trying to get back on his feet. It isn't really working out very well for him. It is going to take a couple rounds.

Auda's punch sends the guy with the broken bottle down to the ground in a limp pile. Dude is knocked OUT.
The woman chopping the cleaver at Nova strikes with all the finesse of a toddler, and the blade hits the wolfscout's armor and does nothing more than trip some fur off, here or there. Meanwhile, between Nova and Flops, the woman with the tableleg, loses her grip on her improvised weapon, her hand breaking audibly from Nova's kick, and Flops' pulls her back further. Despite the broken hand, she is not screaming either.
The Baker takes Aksel's punch like a champion, and again there is an audible, meaty sound of something breaking, yet the man does not flinch, already swinging the sack of flour even though it HAS to hurt, and the resulting blow to Aksel does nothing.

Rowenova says in Northlands shav, "This feels like Riverbend."

"I think these people are drugged." Cora says dryly and goes about trying to treat the guy who she just incapacitated. At the least to staunch the blood. "We need to stop the others as well, and we need to do this in a planned careful manner."

When Cora approaches the bleeding guy, he tries to swing at her, with a fist. He's got no power behind it and swings wide, but he is not going to be cooperative.

If Cora means knocking people out with fists, Aksel is totally on board with that plan!

After hearing Cora's words, Nova pipes up, "Flop, let her go. Go find Fury. Stay with him." Sir Floppington does not like it, but he withdraws out of the crazy fray. He does so with many growls, maybe even a few toward Nova before trotting off to go find his other buddy. Maybe they can beg in apartments, doing so together! Nova keeps punching and kicking, back to back with Aksel!

Sir Floppington, the soulful hound have been dismissed.

Aksel checked perception + survival at difficulty 25, rolling 8 higher.

Rowenova checked perception + survival at difficulty 25, rolling 51 higher.

Coraline checked perception + survival at difficulty 25, rolling 1 lower.

Auda checked perception + survival at difficulty 25, rolling 10 lower.

Rowenova says, "Some creepers are getting the chest ready for the coins and the jewels, to the left, to the left!"

"I think we all need to start punching these people out yes, but we need someone to be a decoy and get them ready for punching. Who is doing what with a chest now?" she asks confused lookign around.

Rowenova suddenly punches the next person in the face in the left direction, then her finger shoots out, "Over there." before she quickly draws that up, with her elbow bent, and then slams down the pointed end of her bracer into the shoulder of that same person she just punched a second ago!

"I can go after the creepers?" She glances to the left, then just darts that way when it looks like Cora and Nova have this puunching people thing going on!

"See em," Aksel calls out to 'Nova, "Get these guys, I'll go after them." And we're a rumbling and a stumbling.

Rowenova wolfishly grins then almost gets punched in the face while doing so, but she barely dodges it as the hand goes grazing past her pelt-covered ear. "Okay!" says she to all those who are going after the creeper dudes. Then, "Your Highness!" she sing songs, as she keeps punching and kicking through this mindless horde to try getting to Coraline and have her back!

Cora starts punching baddies as she too makes her way to Nova, punch punch dodge punch. When she gets close enough she goes back to back with Nova to take the form of SUPER PUNCER!

Spotted! The man sees that he's been spied and the chase is on! He tries to run, but people have gathered around to observe the altercation and they are making it difficult for the man to get far. Still, he's not above pushing and shoving to get them out of his way.

The duo of Cora and Nova are churning their way through the rest of the combatants by working together to distract and attack. Three more quickly join the growing pile of unconscious bodies.

Rowenova checked strength + brawl at difficulty 25, rolling 11 higher.

Coraline checked dexterity + athletics at difficulty 30, rolling 45 higher.

Auda checked dexterity + athletics at difficulty 30, rolling 1 lower.

Aksel checked strength + athletics at difficulty 25, rolling 7 higher.

Reigna GM Roll checked strength(3) + brawl(1) at difficulty 25, rolling 10 higher.

Nova doles out some extreme harshness: doing so with SUPER PUNCHES, leg sweeps, elbow jabs, knee ups, and chambered kicks. She moves with the princess whilst merrily intoning, "I am going to owe you TWO drinks after this!" says she with giddy glee, really having a great time, even if these poor saps barely know whatever it is they are currently doing. She takes care to try for knock outs, rather than broken bones, but THINGS HAPPEN.

Aksel has decided to take the bowl people over approach. A bear in a china hutch if you will. Pushing and shoving people to the side to get towards the bad, but flashy dressed, dude. "Stop!" He calls out, knowing full well that ain't happening.

The Dynamic Duo orchestrating the Punch Train are quite successful in continuing to take down the mindless attack drones. They continue to churn through using precise strikes and distraction to render their targets unconscious.
The man fleeing is making fairly decent headway, shoving his way through the crowds in a brutally efficent manner. The only problem is that people are starting to notice and become irritated by him. Auda is held up by some of the displaced people the runner is shoving into her way, but she is not falling too far behind.

Wham Pow blam! All the comic book noises are to be had as feet and fists and knees and elbows connect with flesh to incapacitate the druggies. "We will make a nigh tof it!" she intones to Nova with a wild grin. "Damn I do love days like this." Ok so maybe she has been stuck behind a desk for a little too long as she goes at the fight with wild abandon, cheering and crowing as she does so.

Sheena checked charm + performance at difficulty 15, rolling 3 higher.

Aksel checked strength + athletics at difficulty 25, rolling 27 higher.

Reigna GM Roll checked strength(3) + brawl(1) at difficulty 25, rolling 8 lower.

Alas, Sheena isn't a creative person when it comes to not clothing so she just flails about and trying to talk to the people 'lined up' to get a fist to face by the uncher types. She is somewhat successful at it.

Auda checked dexterity + athletics at difficulty 30, rolling 2 higher.

Auda has a bit of a tough time getting around people, but once Aksel opens the way with brute force? The nimble young woman darts through, sprinting up ahead to cut off the fleeing theif! She doesn't try to engage yet, but just does her best to give him nowhere to go.

At one point, Rowenova completely disarms some poor sod of the fire stoker with which they failingly prodded her. She tosses that aside with a clang, doing so where the next foe is fortunate enough to trip over it. She keeps cracking up -- with sudden laughs here and there -- as she cracks down on the mindless folk, "Aye, I do, too! I wish they knew what they were doing, though! Poor bastards. Been yearning for violence for so long, though." She really lets it out, too, sweeping up the next person with a boot hook as she simultaneously punches before quickly balancing into a fighting stance once more.

.. And that is all that is needed. Auda's slowing the man down gives Aksel time enough to catch up and using a small crate as a spring board he launches himself at the Large man. Size meets size but Aksel has the science of Momentum with him and with a resounding thud places a perfect shoulder tackle about the mans upper chest. In today's NFL it would be a 15 yard penalty on Aksel, but we don't play by them rules. The works of Auda and Aksel once again prove that the A team rules the day.

2 House Velenosa Guards arrives, following Alistair.

2 House Velenosa Guards leaves, following Alistair.

Between Sheena's distraction and the power punching of Nova and Cora, the last of the attackers are knocked unconscious and grouped together in the center of the street. Citizens are clamoring, calling for the Iron Guard and generally complaining about how this sort of thing isn't supposed to happen HERE.

As Auda cuts the man off he curses, trying to find another route out and that hesitation leads him right into Aksel's tackle. He goes down with a crunch and a groan, proving that while the others might not have been feeling the pain, he most certainly is. The man holding the chest calmly walks up next to the tackled Mordo and simply stands there, holding the chest.

1 Grayson House Guards arrives, following Macda.

1 Grayson House Guards leaves, following Macda.

Cora grins at the pile of unconsceious peoples, "Job well done this, shall we go help with the runner?" she asks Nova before getting ready to head that way.

He little Sheena keeps flailing and trying to talk to people in only the way a timid thing can by having the 'deer in the headlights' look and being a distraction by being all targety or sometihng. Basically useless and all.

Nova similarly grins before she hooks arms with Cora and then follows along after the princess woman. "Aye, let us go!" despite all the punching action previously applied to a big group before, she politely excuses herself to everyone else who is not fighting through which they must progress.

Aksel does what Aksel does best and that is sit on the guy. "I told you to stop," He waggles a finger down at him. He glances up at the chest holder, "Probably want to put that down, gently like."

"Get off me, you... you...!" The man Aksel is sitting on is definitely recognizable to some of those present -- Mordo the missing assistant. "If you do not let me up, I'll have you in irons!"

Several members of the Iron Guard arrive and begin trying to make sense of the reports being given by concerned citizens regarding the pile of unconcious folk from the Lowers.

Arm in arm with Nova Cora smirks down at Mordo, "Will ya now? What were you doing being so sneaky? I think if anyone will be in irons it will be yourself. Don't make me hurt you, start talking." Her tone is friendly but her body languages screams she will hurt him so hard. She was very pleasant and polite to those Nova and she went between to get here though.

"..I'll take that, thanks." Auda beams up to the man holding the chest, and just... goes to take it from him! She seems happy to liberate the chest from the thieves, hilariously enough.

The man with the chest does not resist when Auda takes it from him, standing there placidly, his eyes glazed and focused on the horizon. When Mordo sees familar faces there is a curse under his breath and he snarls, "You cannot prove *anything*. It was the old man. He's behind everything!"

"Sorry, not into that sort of scene." Aksel says down the man, not moving an inch. "I prefer the leathery ones, less chaffing." His gaze turns further down to Mordo fully, "Why is it always the old man's fault? That's the problem with today's crooks, no personal ownership of there stupidity."

When she and Cora make it to the others, Rowenova points down, "Mordo!" with recognition in her eyes. "You bastard!" says she before calling out to those Iron Guardsmen, "Over here! It is the assistant from the last Galinius show! Lock him up with Abri! Get the Inquisition to interrogate him!"

A pair of Iron Guardsmen come over at Rowenova's call, the elder of the pair squinting, "Oh. We've been looking for you." A brow goes up and she grins at Rowenova, "Good work here, you all. We get to thank you for stopping the robberies too? People around here have been complaining that things have been going missing for the last week." Mordo is spitting mad and trying to get out from under Aksel, "Let me go! I am telling you it was all Gallinius' plans!" I was just trying to escape with my life. Now let me take my belongings and go! I won't come back to this wretched city!"

"Oh sure, everyone totally believes you too." Cora nods to Mordo clearly not believing him. "So um, might wanna brush up on law, and get some acting lessons, and oh wait you are screwed, nevermind." she beams at him and nods at Nova's directions, is she a little sadistic in enjoying tormenting this guy? Nawww.

"I could talk him out to the forest for ya," Aksel says looking up at the Iron Guard that have arrived, "Save you some paper work, promise I'll let you know what he screams." He looks a bit hopeful, but likely the Guardsmen have other ideas. "No? Damn. Well, I'll you have him." He rises in such a way that Mordo doesn't get the idea that he can bolt.

The Guardsmen take custody of Mordo, and glance to the trunk. "Anyone know what is in there?" Shackles are applied to the still complaining Mordo and then he is led off towards the other Iron Guard, while the leader stays, talking to Aksel and the rest.

Rowenova pipes up, "Glad we could help! Just check his pockets. Strip search, cause he might have evil Alchemy on him. Devil's Breath. Or other tricks!" Indeed, she also seems to be equally pleased to dole out more torment for this rotten fellow. She laughs brightly about Aksel's offer.

Rowenova says, "Plus those clothes should be burned anyway."

"No idea what is in the trunk but be careful, could be trapped knowing this lot. And hey, glad we could help." Rai says cheerfully nodding at Nova's words, "Yup, strip search for sure."

Coraline checked dexterity + legerdemain at difficulty 15, rolling 3 lower.

Rowenova has rolled a critical success!
Rowenova checked dexterity + legerdemain at difficulty 15, rolling 19 higher.

Cora tries her hand at sneakiness. She shoulda tried to break it, instead she does a good job of trying to break her own hand at it. "Ow!" she says before cursing a blue streak. "That hurt."

2 House Velenosa Guards arrives, following Alistair.

2 House Velenosa Guards leaves, following Alistair.

Rowenova gets out a fork and butter knife from her Messenger Bag. Why does she even have those in there? She visibly grimaces, "Are you okay?" Though, the wolfy scout already knows the Thraxian princess is her own best doctor, and without knowing much of the healing realm, Nova sets herself to picking open that massive trunk with her dinner utensils! *CLICK*

"Ya, know it's easier just to break the damn thing." Aksel comments as his head tilts to watch Cora go to town on the lock and failing spectacularly. He doesn't move to do it though, especially when he spies Rowenova moving to pick it. "Your past life in crime is serving you well, 'Nova."

The trunk is opened and there was indeed a boobytrap inside, one that Rowenova deftly avoids. Once opened, the trunk has... a LOT of stolen goods in it. Gems, jewelry, fancy knick knacks, pocket change, you name it, it is in there. And on top is a particular piece, a gold hair comb set with a blood red ruby. Something belonging to a certain Tyde lady that is likely familiar to those who know Lethe.

Shaking her hand Cora grins at Nova, "I will be alright." To Aksel she laughs, "Maybe it would be easier but could damage whats...in..side. Damn." she whistles when she sees the loot.

Rowenova almost answers Aksel, but then she suddenly bails in a rolling tumble which only adds to this criminal perception of her past life! "Well, mayhaps! Though, I never had past dreams, so who knows!" She slinks back up there, "Wow... they even stole from Lady Lethe! Does anyone care if I take that back to our dear friend?" She looks up to the Iron Guard whilst pointing down to that hair comb.

"Ah," Aksel says to 'Nova giving her the side eye as she goes rolling about. "Just stuff in a trunk," he says giving a shrug of his broad shoulders obviously not all that interested in such things.

The Iron Guardsman looks from the comb, to Rowenova, to the Thraxian Princess and back, "You keep good company. If you are positive that belongs to Lady Lethe, go ahead and take it back to her."

Cora nods and frowns at all the stuff, "I don't envy you figuring out who's is whats. This guy must have fleeced so many!" She sighs, "I can't stand people like that."

Rowenova picks up the hair comb, "Quite positive. Thank you so much! You are going to make sure it is all returned, promise?" She will bind them to do no broken oaths! She shoulder pats Aksel with her free hand then looks around, "Wonder where Fury and Flop are now." She hmms softly with a quick nod in Coraline's direction. "I agree!"

There is a look that is almost affronted by the lady Guardsmen, "Of course it will all be returned." This is said in crisp sort of voice, a nod before the chest is picked up and taken away.

And look who's decided to show up. Or perhaps, Fury has been here the whole time arriving during the melee. What's he doing, you wonder? Sleeping. A single boot laying before him. Aksel gives a hitch of his thumb towards Fury, "Been there for a bit. Purloined a new boot it looks like." And that folks is a story for another day.