2017-11-22: Black Market Research

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  • Log: Black Market Research
  • Cast: Riesenlied, Leon Albus, Josephine Lovelace, Ambrosius, Lily Keil
  • Where: Little Twister - Dusty Lane
  • Date: November 20th, 2017
  • Summary: In order to get a lead on the auctioning of Dragon Fossils, the party infiltrates the Black Market to see what they can find.

======================<* Little Twister - Dusty Lane *>=======================

Little Twister is a small town in the southwestern part of the Badlands. It is nestled against the mountains, in one of the driest and most unforgiving parts of the Gunsmoke Desert. Life in the town isn't much better. The buildings are all ramshackle and thrown up quickly, made of battered wood, discarded metal, and the occasional armor plate from a long-scrapped gear. The settlers here are squatters, who take their homes when they please and leave when someone else pleases. All of its buildings are built along one street named Dusty Lane.

This town is lawless. Drifters who come through provide some semblance of order, in that someone who causes too much trouble is likely to be shot. ARMs are worn openly. However, this place appeals to Drifters and worse because of its lawless nature. No sheriff has lasted longer than a year in Little Twister, and the locals who remain either prefer to serve their clientele or have no choice. Drifters are also drawn to the place because a great many ruins are said to be located nearby, and excavation crews often base themselves out of the town. Inns and saloons are the most common businesses.

Saint Louise Station provides train service to Little Twister. As something of a joke among locals, it is a good twenty minute hike by foot from Dusty Lane, and newcomers are often dismayed to step onto the platform and find nothing awaiting them.
DG: A party led by Riesenlied is now entering The Black Market.
DG: Party formation is now over. An Entry Challenge will now be drawn and displayed to the party.
============================<* The Black Market *>============================
=====================<* CHALLENGE - Larry the Bouncer *>======================
|Type: Entry       |Dungeon Ability: Brute     |Challenge Rating: 1          | 
--------------------------< Challenge Information: >--------------------------
 You've arrived at the place where you're destined to meet your contact with   
 Gold Rush, a crook by the name of 'Fiddy Gella'. He's a limber, wiry sort     
 with a crooked nose. "'Ey, good to meetcha fellas. We godda bit o' an         
 initiation ritual, see? 'Fore we do anythin' else. Larry here, he's a strong  
 fella. He wants to test yer muscle's up to the job, yeah?"                    
                                                                               
 Larry is a heavyset fellow with broad shoulders who looks like the only       
 thing he does is lift, bro. He grunts and turns towards a nearby carriage     
 and... lifts it wholesale.                                                    
                                                                               
 "He's dumb as bricks, but that's his test. Well? Y'think you can match him?"  
=Dungeon Conditions: Overzealous==============================================
<Pose Tracker> Riesenlied has posed.

        In the preceeding days, Josephine has done quite a bit of work to establish herself as a known quotient in the underground trading channels -- her experience has led her towards a particularly promising lead: a limber and wiry 'fixer' by the name of 'Fiddy Gella' (so named for his willingness to work for a fiddy), who's part of the 'Gold Rush' Black Market.

        This is by itself not noteworthy, but he promised that he could get Josie and her Fossil into a particular auction for prominent Dragon Fossil pieces -- the likes that would be attended by the movers and shakers of such a market.

        He also suggested that the best way to get there would be the old underworld adage of a favour for a favour -- and to get her buyer to become well known in the circuit.

        As such... it is at a yard at the outskirts of Little Twister that the group meet.

        "'ey! Welcome," croons Fiddy Gella, seated in a hunch over a crate where he's palming a Gimel Coin. "This is the dame, huh?"

        Riesenlied, for her part, has utilised one of the hard light disguises supplied to her by Cetiri to assume the guise of a young human woman, dressed in a nice purple gown with a soft capelet. She looks somewhat like herself, if she were human... and her cover story:

        "Y-yes. My name is Olivia Carver, of Guild Galad," she speaks gently. "... I am willing to part with my inheritance, s-should the price be right."

        She looks at Josie, as if she's not sure if her acting is going to cut mustard...

        "... well, that's all good and all, but-- we got some doubters in our crew," Fiddy mentions -- and points towards a particularly huge man with broad shoulders who looks like he's made out of a drum can, who's lifting the carriage next to him casually.

        "Larry says he wants t'see that yer muscle's to be trusted. It's a rite, y'see? Common for Little Twister crooks like me. We're just old fashioned like that," he tries to pave the requirement away. "... y'think you can match him?"

        'Olivia' gawks for a moment and looks to the rest of the group. "Er..."

DG: Riesenlied has contributed a Brute Basic Action toward her party's challenge, Larry the Bouncer.
<Pose Tracker> Leon Albus has posed.

Leon Albus is, of course, hired muscle. Or at least posing as it. He stands a little behind 'Olivia' and Josephine. His eyebrow raises, as looks towards Fiddy Gella... and then towards the big brute of a man. An important step in this process, which he knows. He considers for a moment, before he takes a step forward. The advantage of working with Lily Keil for years is, simply put, he knows them well as a team.

He knows the times that he has to stop forward. He knows the times that Lily needs to take over. He can feel them without saying a word -- not true, it happens, of the rest of this team. So he steps forward.

"I think I might."

Then, he looks slightly to the side, and jacks a thumb backward, to point straight at the Lieutenant. "But I know she can."

Five time boxing champion, after all.

DG: Leon Albus has contributed a Brute Basic Action toward his party's challenge, Larry the Bouncer.
<Pose Tracker> Josephine Lovelace has posed.

        Things have a way of happening, sometimes. Specifically: they have a way of happening wherein they don't stop happening, no matter how much you might wish differently. Barely fresh off an expedition which had raised a few questions, Josie had received word, as it were...

        ...Which meant that exploring even something as important as this had to wait.

        She's always been a sucker for cute faces, she supposes. That, and it seems there's someone else out there who tried to get her killed, and she can't let that slide, either.

        Which is precisely the rough chain of events that leads up now, where Josie stands next to a dolled-up Riesenlied, who doesn't make a bad-looking human, despite certain differences. "That's the one. She came to me with her little sob story, and one thing led to another," Josie remarks, shrugging a shoulder (since Penelope is on the other one) in an absent shrug.

        Olivia's cover story may just be (at least partially) Josie's fault.

        She lifts a snowy eyebrow. "...Really, Fiddy? After all the business we've done? Well, fine." Dark eyes slide towards Lily. "Hey, go get 'em, tiger."

        This is, apparently, now Lily's problem.

DG: Josephine Lovelace has contributed a Brute Basic Action toward her party's challenge, Larry the Bouncer.
<Pose Tracker> Ambrosius has posed.

Standing with Olivia is a tall, imposing man, his face concealed by a black helmet. He has not said a word on their journey to the location where they would meet their 'fixer' though one would get the feeling that, behind that helmet of his, he is studying them carefully.

Those with him would recognize him as the same man who had accompanied Riesenlied to the meeting at Jolly Roger by the way he generally carried himself, but the armor he wore had been changed out for a different set that looked more fitting for the role of bodyguard to a young heiress.

A challenge of strength is issued, and Ambrosius is not content merely leaving it to a human. He will have to dial himself back a bit so as not to raise too much suspicion, but even so he moves forward, seeking to lift the carriage and prove that the party's strength is as good as their word.

DG: Ambrosius has contributed a Brute Basic Action toward his party's challenge, Larry the Bouncer.
<Pose Tracker> Lily Keil has posed.

To look at her attire, Lily Keil is not hired muscle at all. The black-haired woman is in a long dress, black with slight gold accents in places, thick fabric that keeps her skin covered. Her gloves are soft, disappearing under wide sleeves. She has a belt holding a wicked dagger, and a satchel of items... Along with what looks more like muscle on her: an ARM, a long-barrelled rifle, slung over her shoulder. She has said absolutely nothing since they arrived, since they reached the place where it was time to meet Fiddy. Her expression is a natural glare, without even the heat of real malice; she looks like she doesn't care about much of anything, save for the slight shine of gold to her eyes. ...She doesn't stand so close to Riesenlied. She sticks close to Leon in fact. ...She's a different kind of imposing than an armored man.

So when Leon points her out, she glances at him once, looks back to the strong man and the carriage. Ambrosius moves forward to show off his strength, and she looks to that, waits until he removes himself after he's done so. ...He's quite strong.

But Lily, at that point, steps forward in silence, pulls a small object from her satchel, and another, and another. She places them at mathematically precise locations, below and about and around, only four. At that point she steps back, cracks her neck, and lifts a hand.

...A small fireball erupts into being in her open palm, which she tosses up lightly, spins in mid-air, and twirls about her hand.

The sorceress turns her back, and tosses it over her shoulder, where it splits into four and crashes towards the fuses of her bombs.

Boom.

DG: Lily Keil has used her Tool Explosive Charges toward her party's challenge, Larry the Bouncer.
============================<* The Black Market *>============================
=====================<* CHALLENGE - Larry the Bouncer *>======================
|Type: Entry       |Dungeon Ability: Brute     |Challenge Rating: 1          | 
--------------------------< Challenge Information: >--------------------------
 You've arrived at the place where you're destined to meet your contact with   
 Gold Rush, a crook by the name of 'Fiddy Gella'. He's a limber, wiry sort     
 with a crooked nose. "'Ey, good to meetcha fellas. We godda bit o' an         
 initiation ritual, see? 'Fore we do anythin' else. Larry here, he's a strong  
 fella. He wants to test yer muscle's up to the job, yeah?"                    
                                                                               
 Larry is a heavyset fellow with broad shoulders who looks like the only       
 thing he does is lift, bro. He grunts and turns towards a nearby carriage     
 and... lifts it wholesale.                                                    
                                                                               
 "He's dumb as bricks, but that's his test. Well? Y'think you can match him?"  
=Dungeon Conditions: Overzealous==============================================
=======================<* The Black Market - Round 1 *>=======================
=======================< Results - Larry the Bouncer >========================
Player                               Exhaustion                      Pass/Fail
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Riesenlied                          0 --(10)--> 10                 Fail
Force                               0   Brute   Effects: BASIC                
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Ambrosius                           0 --(5)--> 5                   Pass
Force                               0   Brute   Effects: BASIC                
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Josephine Lovelace                  0 --(10)--> 10                 Fail
Force                               0   Brute   Effects: BASIC                
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Lily Keil                           0 --(5)--> 5                   Pass
Explosive Charges                   2   Brute   Effects: Strengthen           
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Leon Albus                          0 --(5)--> 5                   Pass
Force                               0   Brute   Effects: BASIC                
----------------------------------< Party >-----------------------------------
Leader: Riesenlied                  0 --(20)--> 20                 Pass
Conditions: Overzealous(2)
Effects: Strengthen(1)
==============================< Dream Chasers >===============================
DG: The party led by Riesenlied has passed this challenge! The party gained 20 exploration! If anyone needs to use party
management commands, do so now. Otherwise, the next round's GM may begin the next round with +dungeon/draw.
<Pose Tracker> Riesenlied has posed.

        "Y'know how it is round these here parts, Josie! 'sides, Larry here's got the memory of a brick," Fiddy waves his hands and grumbles, then leans a little closer, voice a bit lower. "Little flower like her's gonna get gobbled up 'n spat back out 'n the Badlands. Haven't seen you go for a mark like that before -- you're gettin' your own pockets lined up well, huh?"

        Well, Fiddy, at least, seems convinced of the disguise.

        "Still-- geez! What's with the fun police here?! He's tall! Was he raised by giraffes or somethin'?!" Fiddy has a lively outburst as he stares up at Ambrosius, clearly intimidated. "This another one of Livvy's bodyguards like Dumbledore there? Strong!"

        Fiddy's clearly impressed already by Leon and Ambrosius' show of power, but he gawks as she sets satchels and hucks a fireball to detonate the carriage and blow it up from four sides.

        "AUNT MARTHA'S MEATBALL RECIPE!" Fiddy exclaims, ducking for cover. "Okay, okay! Message received!"

DG: Josephine Lovelace has drawn a new Challenge.
=============================<* The Black Market *>=============================
=================<* CHALLENGE - Phony as a Three-Dollar Bill *>=================
|Type: Exploration |Dungeon Ability: Wits      |Challenge Rating: 2          | 
---------------------------< Challenge Information: >---------------------------
 "A'ight! We got em in the bag!" Fiddy exclaims cheerfully during one of your  
 deals. You look closely towards the briefcase full of gella and notes... and  
 realise that something doesn't quite add up. It's going to take an expert     
 and some cross-checking, but you get the hunch that your client isn't being   
 quite on the up and up with you...                                            
=Dungeon Conditions: Secret===================================================
<Pose Tracker> Josephine Lovelace has posed.

        Longsufferingly, Josie sighs, though the faint twitch of a smile on her lips might give lie to the full length and breadth of her emotions being exactly as is on the table. "Well, at least it's a simpler life," she comments brightly, briefly glancing up towards the heavens.

        Her gaze slides over to Riesenlied. "...Something like that. I guess you could say I got a little lucky this time around..."

        Josie might not be much help here but Lily sure comes through.

        A few hours transpire. The bulk of them involve chatting up this or that shady member of the market to find out what's ticking -- talking to this one about their latest shipment of ARM parts or relics, for example, or simply just talking to find out who's not talking to who and the rest of the latest dirt circling about the market.

        To work the market you need to know the market.

        And the rest of it is the fine art of currying favor. Someone more 'big league' than any of these chumps selling somewhat valuable junk or looted relics is behind the whole thing at the docks, and the only way to find them is play the game.

        Which they almost suspiciously manage in that few hours span, as someone offers quite a lot of cash in exchange for excavated relics. The coins look right on the surface -- down to the glint of the coins, but...

        "Hmm," Josie murmurs, glancing over at Fiddy, then back at the case. She reaches up to gently prod Penelope.

        Who abruptly alights on the table the case is propped upon and stares, beadily, at the gella.

        "This some kinda... money-readin' bird, Josie?" Fiddy asks, taking in the sight.

        Penelope's intent inspection continues--?!

DG: Josephine Lovelace has used her Tool Penelope toward her party's challenge, Phony as a Three-Dollar Bill.
<Pose Tracker> Riesenlied has posed.

        Riesenlied does, at the very least, play the part of the fool quite well -- because she doesn't seem particularly comfortable in the black market environs, staring uncomfortably at the kind of rough customers that inevitably come up here and there, the belligerent talk involved...

        She's pretty impressed at everyone's strengths, though.

        "Y-yes," she addresses Fiddy, "This is my personal protector -- Merlin. Y-you'd best not cross him, for he is quite the individual when he is cross."

        She does look towards the case and looks at the gella again -- and there's a thin shimmer as the Dragon's Tear begins to shine underneath her disguise. "Ah-- eh?"

        A pause, as she clears her throat and bites her lip.

        "This is-- I--" A longer pause, before she looks at Josie, then suddenly exclaims vivaciously: "D-do you take me for a simpering simpleton?! These gella are of poor workmanship and are counterfeit! This is no truesilver! We have been had! I demand we confront those craven curs!"

        There's a little hopeful look at Josie again, as if she's silently asking 'did I act well?? pat me! pat me!'.

DG: Riesenlied has used her Tool Dragon's Tear toward her party's challenge, Phony as a Three-Dollar Bill.
<Pose Tracker> Leon Albus has posed.

Leon -- excuse me, Da Vince Dumbledore -- fights a smile when Lily makes her point.

He does a little talking. He is the charismatic one, which means that the soldier proves skilled at chatting with the various comers-and-goers in the market. He also takes a few notes, subtly. When asked, he claims it was solely to have stock of what someone might want. He still isn't a professional at diplomacy. She stops, though, and peers down over Josie's shoulder.

His eyes narrow. He takes one of the coins, turning the piece of silver over in his fingers. His lips curl back, into a frown, and then he looks up at Fiddy. "This one's weight is a little off," he remarks. "Where was this minted? Guild Galad?"

And then, 'Olivia' makes her declaration. He winces, for a moment, before he fixes Fiddy with a look.

"...Or your studio, Fiddy?"

DG: Leon Albus has contributed a Wits Basic Action toward his party's challenge, Phony as a Three-Dollar Bill.
<Pose Tracker> Lily Keil has posed.

Lily does not smile of course when Fiddy ducks for cover. ...It would rather ruin the effect. But she does let her gaze linger on him for a few moments as he says he receives the message. That works well enough. They all do, after all.

She spends some extra time keeping an eye on Josie in the intervening hours, but mostly stays near Leon, the silent support to his more charismatic means. She is patient enough as they walk through the others, as they talk, as they... catch... a break.

And Penelope checks.

Lily glances at the coins herself, but the others are already making a fine job of their analysis, so she decides to set her wits to work on a different aspect of this problem. ...Especially as Riesenlied's gem glows, as Riesenlied exclaims the way she does. She 'demands' that they confront these craven curs, as it will.

So Leon, staring down Fiddy, marks the presence of Mona Lisa who steps up behind him, beside, looks down at the table. She considers the coins, before smoothly, casually, she pulls the wicked-looking knife at her belt--a knife that has seen more blood than many of the toughs here--and jabs it down point-first into the table.

She stares Fiddy down, both golden eyes intent upon him. She says nothing. She suggests nothing in her expression. She simply waits for him to talk.

DG: Lily Keil has contributed a Wits Basic Action toward her party's challenge, Phony as a Three-Dollar Bill.
<Pose Tracker> Ambrosius has posed.

For Ambrosius - or rather, 'Merlin' - the task is pretty easy. He just has to follow the rest of the party around and look suitably intimidating while keeping an eye out for anyone who might try something foolish.

Eventually they get their break...or, at least, that's the way it seems, but when a case of gella is offered to them, the pigeon seems suspicious. And so does the rest of that party, for that matter.

Riesenlied makes a direct accusation, and Leon follows it up. Well, whatever the situation, they would have to deal with the consequences of this...

While Lily stares down Fiddy, Ambrosius turns his attention on the crowd around them, keeping an eye on the situation.

DG: Ambrosius has contributed a Wits Basic Action toward his party's challenge, Phony as a Three-Dollar Bill.
=============================<* The Black Market *>=============================
=================<* CHALLENGE - Phony as a Three-Dollar Bill *>=================
|Type: Exploration |Dungeon Ability: Wits      |Challenge Rating: 2          | 
---------------------------< Challenge Information: >---------------------------
 "A'ight! We got em in the bag!" Fiddy exclaims cheerfully during one of your  
 deals. You look closely towards the briefcase full of gella and notes... and  
 realise that something doesn't quite add up. It's going to take an expert     
 and some cross-checking, but you get the hunch that your client isn't being   
 quite on the up and up with you...                                            
=Dungeon Conditions: Secret===================================================
========================<* The Black Market - Round 2 *>========================
===================< Results - Phony as a Three-Dollar Bill >===================
Player                               Exhaustion                      Pass/Fail
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Riesenlied                          10 --(5)--> 15                 Pass
Dragon's Tear                       1   Wits    Effects: Cleanse              
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Ambrosius                           5 --(5)--> 10                  Pass
Investigate                         0   Wits    Effects: BASIC                
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Josephine Lovelace                  10 --(5)--> 15                 Pass
Penelope                            3   Wits    Effects: Resilient and Liabili
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Lily Keil                           5 --(5)--> 10                  Pass
Investigate                         0   Wits    Effects: BASIC                
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Leon Albus                          5 --(10)--> 15                 Fail
Investigate                         0   Wits    Effects: BASIC                
-----------------------------------< Party >------------------------------------
Leader: Riesenlied                  20 --(15)--> 35                Pass
Conditions: Overzealous(1)|Secret(2)
Effects: Cleanse|Resilient(1)
===============================< Dream Chasers >================================
DG: The party led by Riesenlied has passed this challenge! The party gained 15 exploration! If anyone needs to use party
management commands, do so now. Otherwise, the next round's GM may begin the next round with +dungeon/draw.
<Pose Tracker> Josephine Lovelace has posed.

        Josie's answer is simply to... shrug and smile.

        "You callin' me a liar, little lady?" Fiddy retorts at 'Olivia's' accusation, tapping his fingers agitatedly on the edge of the case. "This 'ere's nothin' worth sneezin' at -- you know how lucky we were to get this deal? C'mon." His gaze though is just a little on edge as it passes from her to person to person gathered here about the case.

        "--Hey, no samplin' the goods--"

        He lunges out a hand to attempt to slap the coin away from Leon. "Can't trust your hands 'round nothin'," he mutters, his gaze distracted from the bird examining the coins herself.

        Penelope all told stares at the gella coins for perhaps all of ten seconds before she launches herself into the case, scattering them hither and yon.

        Tellingly, they sound wrong as they crash across the table and onto the floor.

        Just as Leon noted.

        And Lily steps forward to stab a knife into the table.

        Fiddy takes a step back, staring at it for a moment. Then palms forwards, "Whoa, whoa, whoa. Whoa, there, lady. Maybe... maybe let's talk about this one first, yeah?"
        He draws himself up... only to deflate a touch.

        "Awrite, fine, I done you dirty on this one. But," and he points at the group, "Think of it as buildin' connections. That guy was pleased as punch 'bout that. The next job's sure to be a cinch. Eh? Eh?"

        ...Assuming they don't kill him first, anyway.

DG: Lily Keil has drawn a new Challenge.
=============================<* The Black Market *>=============================
========================<* CHALLENGE - It's The Fuzz! *>========================
|Type: Exploration |Dungeon Ability: Agility   |Challenge Rating: 2          | 
---------------------------< Challenge Information: >---------------------------
 In the middle of your next deal, a gunshot is heard ringing through the air   
 outside. Fiddy swears and ducks down under the table. "Aww shoot, it's the    
 Sherriff and his blokes! Look, we don't got time for a shootout here. We're   
 gonna have to make a break for it!"                                           
                                                                               
 There are plenty of back alleys and doors to take advantage of -- but you're  
 going to need to have the speed to do so!                                     
=Dungeon Conditions: Wound====================================================
<Pose Tracker> Lily Keil has posed.

'Mona Lisa' can appreciate 'Merlin' and his stoicism here. She can appreciate his quiet maneuver to watch the crowd. There's something to be said for being quiet and intimidating. ...But for her part, Lily continues to watch for the moment. Fiddy may retort, and Josie may smile, but regardless...

She has enough self-control not to react to Fiddy actually extending a hand towards Leon, though it is a very narrow thing. Already she calculated where his blood might fall.

...So maybe it's fair that he reacts the way he does to her, though his suggestion of talking it out gets her to lift one eyebrow straight at him. He admits it, and she lets it be at that... after a glance to Riesenlied, their 'leader' here. She does not in fact move to try to kill Fiddy. Even if she did think about it.

Unfortunately... Before they can solve the rest, the gunshots start. Fiddy ducks down, complains about what's happening, mentions the Sheriff. They'll... Have to make a break for it, apparently. Without time for a shootout.

Lily frowns sharply as she eyes the space where the gunshots come from, debates her action--

And moves with the others, taking up the rear because she's just not that fast at running. She's going to get shot, but at least it isn't going to slow her down.

There's about five people with guns rushing though, and not all of them are blokes. Injury lingers. It's pretty unpleasant.

DG: Lily Keil has contributed a Agility Basic Action toward her party's challenge, It's The Fuzz!.
<Pose Tracker> Leon Albus has posed.

"Building... connections," Leon repeats, a little flatly. He sighs, then rubs at his nose for a moment. He never pretended to understand the criminal mind, really.

'The Sheriff and his blokes!'

Leon's expression screws up in an instant -- and he looks sideways at Lily, just before he steps ahead of her. He pulls out his climbing rope and spins it, before he bolts into a run. It serves many a function -- and beyond climbing, it can make a trip wire. He drops to the back of the group as he runs, and ducks, before he slings a length of rope around a pole, then loops the other about another pole. He abandons the rope, after he hops over it.

It makes a makeshift tripwire, today.

"Go!" he calls out.

DG: Leon Albus has used his Tool Climbing Rope toward his party's challenge, It's The Fuzz!.
<Pose Tracker> Riesenlied has posed.

        'Olivia' looks rather agog as she expresses, "H-how could you so glibly admit to that after your insolence earlier--?!" she pauses and cups her mouth, as she steps back as 'Mona Lisa' gives him a death stare...

        ... and then the gunshots start, sending out a yelp as she instinctively ducks for the floor. "B-but I am no criminal?" she asks, before pausing to realise, "O-oh, wait, yes, this would be less than savoury in the court of a law, I assume--"

        Go!

        'Olivia' starts booking it, though she's really awkward and might need to be helped.

DG: Riesenlied has contributed a Agility Basic Action toward her party's challenge, It's The Fuzz!.
<Pose Tracker> Josephine Lovelace has posed.

        "Fiddy..." Josie sighs, reaching up to touch her hand to her forehead. "Don't even start, okay? Time's a-wasting. Just put us in contact with--"

        A crash rings out before Josie can even finish her thought.

        The Sheriff and his blokes!

        The way Josie's lips press thin lasts for only a split-second.

        She's off mere moments later, a blur as she races, head down, for the nearest doorway.

        One hand snakes out to attempt to grab 'Olivia's' arm, followed by a quick hop over the makeshift tripwire.

        Penelope takes to the air as bullets ring out, a few stray feathers fluttering down.

        It's a little... too dramatic, honestly.

DG: Josephine Lovelace has contributed a Agility Basic Action toward her party's challenge, It's The Fuzz!.
<Pose Tracker> Ambrosius has posed.

Gunfire. Behind 'Merlin's helmet, his eyebrows furrow. A run-in with the law was the last thing they wanted. Dealing with them would be easily enough, but it might very well jeopardize the mission at hand.

That could not be allowed.

He starts to move after the others. It seems simple enough, but from the subtle movements of his hands as he follows behind them, there's more at work here than that.

Powerful geysers of water will start shooting from the ground, aiming to form walls to impede the progress of the Sherriff and his team.

While he's certain that they can't be connected to him specifically, he is not a very fast individual and so he is certain that he is going to take a few shots.

Nothing that was not within calculations, however.

DG: Ambrosius has used his Tool Jet Geyser toward his party's challenge, It's The Fuzz!.
=============================<* The Black Market *>=============================
========================<* CHALLENGE - It's The Fuzz! *>========================
|Type: Exploration |Dungeon Ability: Agility   |Challenge Rating: 2          | 
---------------------------< Challenge Information: >---------------------------
 In the middle of your next deal, a gunshot is heard ringing through the air   
 outside. Fiddy swears and ducks down under the table. "Aww shoot, it's the    
 Sherriff and his blokes! Look, we don't got time for a shootout here. We're   
 gonna have to make a break for it!"                                           
                                                                               
 There are plenty of back alleys and doors to take advantage of -- but you're  
 going to need to have the speed to do so!                                     
=Dungeon Conditions: Wound====================================================
========================<* The Black Market - Round 3 *>========================
==========================< Results - It's The Fuzz! >==========================
Player                               Exhaustion                      Pass/Fail
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Riesenlied                          15 --(7)--> 22                 Pass
Rush                                0   Agility Effects: BASIC                
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Ambrosius                           10 --(7)--> 17                 Pass
Jet Geyser                          3   Agility Effects: Quicken and Sacrifice
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Josephine Lovelace                  15 --(7)--> 22                 Pass
Rush                                0   Agility Effects: BASIC                
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Lily Keil                           10 --(7)--> 17                 Pass
Rush                                0   Agility Effects: BASIC                
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Leon Albus                          15 --(7)--> 22                 Pass
Climbing Rope                       2   Agility Effects: Quicken              
-----------------------------------< Party >------------------------------------
Leader: Riesenlied                  35 --(30)--> 65                Pass
Conditions: Secret(1)|Wound(2)
Effects: Quicken(1)
===============================< Dream Chasers >================================
DG: The party led by Riesenlied has passed this challenge! The party gained 30 exploration! If anyone needs to use party
management commands, do so now. Otherwise, the next round's GM may begin the next round with +dungeon/draw.
DG: Ambrosius has drawn a new Challenge.
============================<* The Black Market *>============================
===============<* CHALLENGE - It's the Fuzz! ...Shoot Them! *>================
|Type: Exploration |Dungeon Ability: Combat    |Challenge Rating: 2          | 
--------------------------< Challenge Information: >--------------------------
 "A'ight, good work," Fiddy claps for you-- before the whizz of gunfire zings  
 on by. The holler of, "Give it up! This is the Sheriff! I know you villains   
 are in there somewhere!"                                                      
                                                                               
 A getaway vehicle is going to be prepared soon, but until then, you're going  
 to have to cope with the sheriff and his men -- and he's got the Sheriff      
 Star on his chest!                                                            
=Dungeon Conditions: Tire=====================================================
<Pose Tracker> Lily Keil has posed.

That tripwire moves into action quickly; it's right there, settled, ready, and it's about the connection they need. 'Olivia' gets with the program quickly and books it; while she's a little awkward, she manages it with Josie helping, and all of them get to movie. Ambrosius's water geysers impede progress enough to herd the Sheriff and his team straight towards the tripwire...

And thus, the group impedes law enforcement, like the total criminals they are. Sheriff and buddies end up in a pile of cursing and important-looking hats. They'll be up soon...

But the group is well out of the way before they get there. Or...

Are they!?

Either way a few gunshots aren't going to end the group.

<Pose Tracker> Lily Keil has posed.

That tripwire moves into action quickly; it's right there, settled, ready, and it's about the connection they need. 'Olivia' gets with the program quickly and books it; while she's a little awkward, she manages it with Josie helping, and all of them get to movie. Ambrosius's water geysers impede progress enough to herd the Sheriff and his team straight towards the tripwire...

And thus, the group impedes law enforcement, like the total criminals they are. Sheriff and buddies end up in a pile of cursing and important-looking hats. They'll be up soon...

But the group is well out of the way before they get there. Or...

Are they!?

Either way a few gunshots aren't going to end the group. ...unless it becokmes more than a few...

DG: Riesenlied has used her Tool Dragon's Claw toward her party's challenge, It's the Fuzz! ...Shoot Them!.
<Pose Tracker> Ambrosius has posed.

For a moment, it looks as if they've managed to shake off the Sherriff and his posse. The party hunkers down in a building off the side of the main street. It sounds like things are calming down outside...

...And then gunfire starts to erupt around them once more, perilously close. Bullets whiz overhead, letting sunlight into their shelter as they pierce through the walls.

"Give it up! This is the Sheriff! I know you villains are in there somewhere!"

Ambrosius shoots Fiddy a Look. Even though his face can't be seen, the sense of 'do something useful' somehow manages to still get across. And then Ambrosius rises, emerging from the building in plain view of the posse.

He figured they could probably use a distraction.

Their guns are trained by him. He raises a hand...and then moves it to the side, and at his command another geyser emerges, this time from the side of the building in an attempt to simply wash away some of the opposition.

But there are still more remaining...

DG: Ambrosius has contributed a Combat Basic Action toward his party's challenge, It's the Fuzz! ...Shoot Them!.
<Pose Tracker> Riesenlied has posed.

        Riesenlied looks kind of anxious as she hides behind a table, cupping her hand as she stammers, "I--I am no villain..." and maybe just mixing character and real inner thoughts just a little. It's fortunate that Josie was able to grab hold of her and pull her, though, because outside of the charade, she probably would've tripped on her own.

        She breathes in and out and murmurs, "... positive thinking... positive thinking! Let's positive thinking!"

        Not mentioned: The positive thinking of empathic photons that are currently lightly spreading around the Sheriff and his men outside to pacify them, thanks to several strategically placed Pinions that have fled Riesenlied's body in the wake of their escape.

<Pose Tracker> Leon Albus has posed.

"We haven't lost them yet!" Leon calls out, even as Ambrosius gives Fiddy that look. He scowls, before he turns, and looks towards the Sheriff and his deputies. Leon reaches down, drawing out Argent Divider. This may make his cover questionable; the gun is distinctive. "I'm going to flank them and distract them. I'll catch back up."

He nods, then bolts to the side. It takes him out of range of the group, and out of sight for a moment, as he ducks past a few stalls, and then comes up to the left of the bandits.

A flare round fires into their midst, exploding with bright light.

And, a moment later, a couple of slugs fly out, as he fires the shotgun-like ARM in rapid succession.

DG: Leon Albus has used his Tool Flare Gun toward his party's challenge, It's the Fuzz! ...Shoot Them!.
<Pose Tracker> Josephine Lovelace has posed.

        The very last thing Josie wants or needs is to join a certain young couple with her face plastered on a bounty poster.

        So she keeps her face down as she dodges a hail of bullets, dragging Riesenlied along for the ride as she slips out into the side street.

        "Looks like we lost 'em," she murmurs, releasing her grip as she dares a glance--

        as more bullets fly

        --and Josie flattens herself against the wall, reaching for her sidearm, hesitating, then reaching for her hip flask first.

        Point of order: if she's about to start a firefight with law enforcement, risk her future as a carefree rogueish archaeologist without a price on her head...

        She's going to do it after she has a damn drink.

        Which she helpfully hands over to Riesenlied with a grin and a helpless shrug.

        Before she draws and, crouching behind a handy broken crate, returns fire.

DG: Josephine Lovelace has used her Tool Liquid Courage toward her party's challenge, It's the Fuzz! ...Shoot Them!.
<Pose Tracker> Lily Keil has posed.

Shelter. ...And then 'villains'. Lily scowls as she hears it, hearing the persistent sheriff ahead. Ambrosius may already be ready for the distraction, but she is taking a slightly slower approach to the matter. She turns, glancing down at herself to check for too necessary injuries, as Leon gets to work. ...But she does not move until he does, this time. What she does do...

"...No, you're not," Lily tells 'Olivia', the first words she's spoken seemingly all day, certainly enough to be notable to a certain Fiddy. But from there she slings her rifle off of her shoulder, hefting the ARM as she checks its ammunition, seeming almost leisurely in the casual nature of her actions except for their sheer speed. Her own cover might or might not be questionable already, but Rosenwasser is not as... storied, as Argent Divider. When Leon bolts, out of range of the group, Lily immediately darts to the other side, taking up position behind some crates and starting to aim. She waits for the flare round--

Waits, and then there's a crackle about her hands and a glow in her eyes as she stares down the barrel, air rustling about her enough to shift her hair as a pressure shifts towards her weapon. She takes aim for the center of the group--

And fires, the bullet rocketing into nothing... and then exploding in a pulse of vantablack, dark energy crashing about outward and then slamming inward in horrible, bone-crunching force.

The sound is worse, an anti-sound that brings with it the way her magic saps at life force just by touching.

DG: Lily Keil has used her Tool Rosenwasser - Infuse toward her party's challenge, It's the Fuzz! ...Shoot Them!.
============================<* The Black Market *>============================
===============<* CHALLENGE - It's the Fuzz! ...Shoot Them! *>================
|Type: Exploration |Dungeon Ability: Combat    |Challenge Rating: 2          | 
--------------------------< Challenge Information: >--------------------------
 "A'ight, good work," Fiddy claps for you-- before the whizz of gunfire zings  
 on by. The holler of, "Give it up! This is the Sheriff! I know you villains   
 are in there somewhere!"                                                      
                                                                               
 A getaway vehicle is going to be prepared soon, but until then, you're going  
 to have to cope with the sheriff and his men -- and he's got the Sheriff      
 Star on his chest!                                                            
=Dungeon Conditions: Tire=====================================================
=======================<* The Black Market - Round 4 *>=======================
=================< Results - It's the Fuzz! ...Shoot Them! >==================
Player                               Exhaustion                      Pass/Fail
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Riesenlied                          22 --(5)--> 27                 Pass
Dragon's Claw                       1   Combat  Effects: Cleanse              
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Ambrosius                           17 --(10)--> 27                Fail
Fight                               0   Combat  Effects: BASIC                
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Josephine Lovelace                  22 --(10)--> 32                Fail
Liquid Courage                      3   Combat  Effects: Rally                
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Lily Keil                           17 --(5)--> 22                 Pass
Rosenwasser - Infuse                3   Combat  Effects: Rally                
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Leon Albus                          22 --(5)--> 27                 Pass
Flare Gun                           3   Combat  Effects: Fanfare              
----------------------------------< Party >-----------------------------------
Leader: Riesenlied                  65 --(20)--> 85                Pass
Conditions: Tire(2)|Wound(1)
Effects: Cleanse
==============================< Dream Chasers >===============================
DG: The party led by Riesenlied has passed this challenge! The party gained 20 exploration! If anyone needs to use party
management commands, do so now. Otherwise, the next round's GM may begin the next round with +dungeon/draw.
DG: Leon Albus has left your party.

DG: Riesenlied has drawn a new Challenge.

============================<* The Black Market *>============================
=================<* CHALLENGE - Bob the Thinker - Reprise *>==================
|Type: Final       |Dungeon Ability: Wits      |Challenge Rating: 2          | 
--------------------------< Challenge Information: >--------------------------
 "I know what you're thinkin' -- I'd be happy to just call it square and tell  
 you you done good, but..." Fiddy starts, then gestures.                       
                                                                               
 Bob the Thinker is here again, and he looks rather upset. It seems that he    
 wants another contest with you, and he's keeping it real this time -- he's    
 not only seated like a statue, he's also painted himself like a bronzed       
 statue! Now that's dedication!                                                
                                                                               
 "You're gonna have to give it all you got, for the Gold Rush! I believe in    
 ya, pardner! Show us how much of a brilliant thinker y'all are!"              
=Dungeon Conditions: Suffer===================================================
<Pose Tracker> Riesenlied has posed.

        'Olivia' is looking particularly weary and ehxausted by the time the group return to the building they're using for their hideout; utilising her photons in such a way was always draining, but she was glad that the fields were able to dampen the bullets enough that they only injured, not killed, the Sheriff and their men.

        "This is a particularly uncouth deal, and I am uncertain if I truly trust this 'fixer'," 'Olivia' finds herself grumbling -- earnestly, actually, as she glances at Fiddy.

        "W-we're nearly done, promise! Josie, back me up here! I got the contacts for the Fossil auctions all lined up, I swears!" Fiddy starts to sweat again.

        That's when the group notices that there's a particularly... grand object seated in the corner.

        Glazed in a shiny statuesque bronze, a man is contemplating the grand mysteries of life and Filgaia in a seated position, one elbow pressed onto his knee as he ruminates.

        "... um-- is that... a statue? Or a man?" 'Olivia' has to ask.

        "Oh-- heh heh! Well-- I mean, that's just the ticket, ain't it? Speaking of ticket, why don't you talk to Bob while I get your ticket out back? It's right just... here, I swear..." as Fiddy starts to sidestep and pretend like he's rummaging through his bag.

        'Olivia' can't help but stare and say, "He... he truly is statue-like... it is dedication to his craft, I must admit..."

        Riesenlied, don't get distracted by shiny things...

DG: Riesenlied has used her Tool Dragon's Tear toward her party's challenge, Bob the Thinker - Reprise.
<Pose Tracker> Ambrosius has posed.

They were almost done? Good. Ambrosius was starting to get a little tired of this. He could only put up with people like this for so long...

And then Riesenlied - er, 'Olivia' - points out a statue in the corner.

Ambrosius stares at it, quietly and still.

Even though you can't see his face, he is very obviously staring right at Bob. If his eyes were visible, they might very well be boring right into him.

...They might be, regardless.

Is he attempting to unnerve the statue man...?

Staaare...

DG: Ambrosius has contributed a Wits Basic Action toward his party's challenge, Bob the Thinker - Reprise.
<Pose Tracker> Josephine Lovelace has posed.

        Josie being Josie, it's probably just as well that she, having just downed half a flask of some liquor or other and shooting from a bit of a disadvantage (also the shortened range on the sidearm compared to the rifle) is not the best of shots at the moment.... even without some intervention, on that end.

        She probably just wings someone at best.

        Which probably is the best, considering possible long-term outcomes for 'shooting at the law enforcement', even in a town where such a position is rightfully flagged as 'dubious, at best'.

        In any case -- confusion, chaos, disorder all ensue, and Josie makes tracks the moment she's able.
        There's a job to do here, and if Fiddy's not actually talking nonsense, which, after the business with the briefcase, she can't discount...

        But here they are, back in the hideout.

        Even Penelope has returned, settled again on the archaeologist's shoulder.

        Lazily, Josie glances down at the ARM she holds, glancing over the weapon in a sort of post-battle check. Her thumb, absently, rests on the safety as she glances up at the fixer, her gaze briefly hooded. "Well, I sure hope so, Fiddy <3 It would be a shame if we'd gone to all this trouble and we didn't even meet the man with the money~"
        She says, u n r e p e n t i n g l y sunny.
        That's also not a nice smile.

        Before her gaze slowly, slowly slides towards the statue as 'Olivia' mentions the odd man in the corner.

        Her gaze lingers there for a moment. Then she turns her head and mouths something to the pigeon, who abruptly launches herself towards the statuesque man.

        From Bob's perspective, perhaps it's something like this:
        Here he is, dressed as a statue and doing his best to be the most statue-like of them all.
        And here comes a pigeon.
        ...

        Josie, in the meantime, has begun to approach Fiddy.
        "So, Fiddy, I never did ask -- how are the kids?"
        Once again, a little too brightly, with a smile that can't be called kind.
        Someone might be about to have a bit of a bad day.

DG: Josephine Lovelace has used her Tool Penelope toward her party's challenge, Bob the Thinker - Reprise.
<Pose Tracker> Lily Keil has posed.

Lily finds herself wondering whether the Sheriff and his posse will try another angle of approach, given their escape--a dour thought made moreso by the fact that Leon has broken off from the group as part of the distraction. Little shows in her expression... But then, little was showing to begin with. She remains quiet for a while after that, but her fingers stay ready just in case.

...So by the time they do get back to the hideout, with Lily listening to 'Olivier', she looks to Fiddy. He's... sweating. There's a statue. ...No. It is not a statue. It is a man looking like a statue, posing like one, as Fiddy continues to act suspicious. So, of course, the Kislevi woman looks over in what assuredly is some kind of a glare. She doesn't so much as flinch as Penelope moves abrubtly. ...Nor does she move as Josie approaches Fiddy. Not at first, anyway. Instead...

She moves over, and takes a seat, pulling a chair out and placing herself in it gracefully, smoothly. Sidelong, she glances between Fiddy and then Bob.

Is it... getting darker in here??

DG: Lily Keil has contributed a Wits Basic Action toward her party's challenge, Bob the Thinker - Reprise.
============================<* The Black Market *>============================
=================<* CHALLENGE - Bob the Thinker - Reprise *>==================
|Type: Final       |Dungeon Ability: Wits      |Challenge Rating: 2          | 
--------------------------< Challenge Information: >--------------------------
 "I know what you're thinkin' -- I'd be happy to just call it square and tell  
 you you done good, but..." Fiddy starts, then gestures.                       
                                                                               
 Bob the Thinker is here again, and he looks rather upset. It seems that he    
 wants another contest with you, and he's keeping it real this time -- he's    
 not only seated like a statue, he's also painted himself like a bronzed       
 statue! Now that's dedication!                                                
                                                                               
 "You're gonna have to give it all you got, for the Gold Rush! I believe in    
 ya, pardner! Show us how much of a brilliant thinker y'all are!"              
=Dungeon Conditions: Suffer===================================================
=======================<* The Black Market - Round 5 *>=======================
===================< Results - Bob the Thinker - Reprise >====================
Player                               Exhaustion                      Pass/Fail
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Josephine Lovelace                  32 --(5)--> 37                 Pass
Penelope                            3   Wits    Effects: Resilient and Liabili
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Lily Keil                           22 --(10)--> 32                Fail
Investigate                         0   Wits    Effects: BASIC                
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Riesenlied                          27 --(5)--> 32                 Pass
Dragon's Tear                       1   Wits    Effects: Cleanse              
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Ambrosius                           27 --(5)--> 32                 Pass
Investigate                         0   Wits    Effects: BASIC                
----------------------------------< Party >-----------------------------------
Leader: Riesenlied                  85 --(30)--> 115               Pass
Conditions: Suffer(1)
Effects: Cleanse|Resilient(1)
==============================< Dream Chasers >===============================
DG: You have overcome the dungeon's trials! This run is a success!
DG: The party led by Riesenlied has successfully explored The Black Market!
============================<* The Black Market *>============================
==================<* CHALLENGE - The Ones That Fiddy Sent *>==================
|Type: Discovery   |Dungeon Ability: Conclusion|Challenge Rating: 1          | 
--------------------------< Challenge Information: >--------------------------
 Fiddy is deeply appreciative for all of your hard work - and while you        
 haven't managed to secure anything particularly special, he promises you      
 that he'll do you a solid the next time you need one - his extensive          
 commercial contacts are yours to call on, to help you track down a special    
 item... once.                                                                 
                                                                               
 You should send in a +request to cash in this favvour!                        
=Dungeon Conditions: Treasure=================================================
<Pose Tracker> Riesenlied has posed.

        Bob the Thinker is, as his nickname purports, a man who thinks a lot. Some would say... too much. Just what kind of thoughts go down in the depths of someone who contemplates the way he does? Does he think of fine arts and philosophy? Perhaps, the sophistry of political climes and the manners in which they intertwine all too timorously with the military-industrial complex of recent times? He--

        I really need to go to the bathroom.

        Ah, so is the curse of Bob the Thinker, professional living statue, in the need of a bathroom break. Especially when someone starts pointing him out, and--

        Oh granas is that man in the helmet looking at me

        Ambrosius peers. Bob cannot meet his own gaze, for it is shielded behind a black mirror, but 'Merlin' emits a wave of terror the likes that even bronzed-over men cannot help but start to sweat profusely at.

        oh granas that lady's sniper rifle is bigger than me

        So Josie starts to put on her best and most cheerful* face to grill Fiddy, who's starting to seriously squirm as he loosens his collar and starts to sweat as well, especially when Lily casts her dark look upon him too.

        "I--I swear, I swear!"

        Penelope lands on Bob's shoulder, and he's got no choice but to stare, transfixed, into Penelope's black eyes.

        The eyes that allow him to gaze into an abyssal window beyond time itself...

        all ravens are black
        if something is not black
        then is it not a raven??
        a green apple is not black...
        hence... it is not a raven.
        makes... you... think...

        Such is the complicated thought processes of Bob the Thinker.

        The door swings open, and suddenly, there stands at the back a tall lady in a black leather suit with a hood. The way she limberly moves exudes experience, confidence and danger, all of them. There's a small smile on her face.

        "Fiddy," speaks the newcomer. "So, these are the customers? I can see that you were, for once, not bluffing."

        "I--I toldja I wasn't!" Fiddy squeaks with a gasp like he's about to run out of oxygen.

        "How do you do, ladies? And gent. My name is Black Cat, and I am the handler for the patron interested in your Fossil."

        She doesn't appear to be lying, as she bows and gestures particularly grandiosely. She slips her hands to an attache-case that she holds up to the table, and says, "Consider this a... gift of generosity from my patron, in exchange for your presence at the auction. We hope that it will suit your tastes?"

        The attache-case opens, which reveals... gella. Neatly stacked, in the way that professionals often show their gella -- unlike Fiddy and his phony attempt.

        "Of course, more awaits you when we forge our deal..."

<Pose Tracker> Ambrosius has posed.

Ambrosius's attention turns as the woman in black enters the room. He watches her carefully, studying her for signs of hostility. She doesn't seem aggressive...but there's something about her that's different than the run-of-the-mill criminals they've been dealing with so far.

Whoever this 'Black Cat' is, they'll have to be careful when dealing with her. He acknowledges her with a nod but doesn't speak, instead glancing toward Riesenlied to see how she handled this.

<Pose Tracker> Riesenlied has posed.

        There's a concerned look from 'Olivia' as she shies a little into Josephine, but... she does remember herself, bowing her head. "... then, please know that these three are my contact in this transaction--" she clears her throat. "But we would be more than happy to be present at this auction."

        The auction, after all, would attract a lot of powerful people -- movers and shakers, and possibly even their target...

        Black Cat bows with a rather vivacious, easy smile as she says, "Yes, Miss Carver." She holds out a small card with a stylish cat icon on it to Josephine, Ambrosius and Lily. "I shall provide you discreet details, then. I hope you understand. The ears have walls..."

        A pause. "Until then, please enjoy our gift."

        She slips away with a grace that feels too practiced to be comfortable to anyone, like she were a performer at a theatre. The case of money is very real, at least......

        Mission successful?

        It'll have to be.