Changeling-Earth 2: Freehold Earth - The Tenpenny Clan Goblin Market

[Dawn OOC]

Tyrol Tenpenny stood at the path coming into the market, as he always did. Today, he was wearing a breastplate of bronze, but the regulars to the market knew it was just for show. The muscle of the market - and the Tenpenny Clan - was Herina Tenpenny, the first child of Chief Magar. She was the biggest goblin in the clan, and possibly in the world. There were some who said she was really a boy in a dress, though why any goblin would do this was in question.

Visitors to the market are greeted with Tyrol's memorized welcome: "Hello there, and thanks for coming to The Marvelous and Amazing Tenpenny Clan Market! We welcome all buys and sellers, and free-loaders intending to do neither can getdafuckout. Slave cages are in the northwest corner, while the food stalls on in the east side. Mounts and pets to the west and mechanicals and gadgets just south of that! The pit fighting will be tonight, after dark. See Krond to sign up your pit fighter before sunset. Please do not litter or spit inside the bounds of the market. Have a good day!"

The 'market' is clearly thrown together in a forest clearing, but efforts have been made to give individual stalls a clean and appealing appearance. Brightly colored lights and colors were designed to draw the eyes to booths, and the vendors hawked their wares enthusastically. It was an assault on all the senses; a prime exhibit of a goblin market.

[Evan_Bishop]

The tree-man slunk cautiously at the market, unsure where to look first. Tyrol's welcome got a blink and a slow nod; Evan didn't really feel like vocalizing at the moment. He cradled his belongings protectively, watching the strange creatures through narrow, almost luminescent eyes. He didn't have much to trade, and thus he should probably 'getdafuckout', but he was curious.

The slave cages seemed the best place to begin. The other stuff was interesting, the whole situation was insane, and he should probably skulk around a bit, but if it was what it sounded like, Evan wanted to see it for himself.

[Dawn OOC]

Wooden cages held the miserable prisoners in a small area roped off. Some of those walking past were giving the area disgusted, angry glares, but given the heavy Tenpenny goblins guarding the area, glaring was all they dared do. Only a certain number were allowed in at any time, a count carefully maintained by counters on a rope, strung next to the door. Evan had to wait for a couple to leave before he could enter.

There had been history lessons about slavery; teachers had talked about how the selling of human flesh marked a barbaric society. Evan was inclined to agree, after seeing the misery of those enslaved. No one was being mistreated, but there was an overwhelming aura of hopelessness and despair here.

Then it became personal. Evan was shocked when he recognized someone, a young girl he remembered from the preparation for the trip on the Manifest. She'd been another outdoorsman, someone who had been in some of this classes. He couldn't remember her name, but he knew it was her.

[Khalid Al-jamari]

Khalid/Josef was excited to finally make it to the Market. From his masked face to his laced shoes, he was dressed as best, and as normally, as he could. He didn't want there to be anything out of the ordinary about himself or his companions. For what they had planned, everything had to be as expected.

He went to Slasher and had him lead the party to the gladitorial arena. Khalid/Josef wanted to check out the area he would be observing the fight as well as were he might be operating. He buzzed over to Saffron for any more information about this place even as he directed Orderly to set up the operating theater.

He couldn't hide his nervousness and asked Saffron to come along with him as he looked for some last minute things for the theater.

"Saffron," he whispered when they had gotten away, "do you want me to do the operation as soon as possible today, or should I wait to we are safetly away. I can think of pros and cons for each way, but its really your call."

[Dawn OOC]

The market made way for the masked group walking through their midst. Slasher's powerful, quadapedic, reptilian body cut a swath through the crowd without effort, as people got out of his way. The ogre, Orderly, had no problem continuing to follow him, as no one wanted to tangle with the massive man either. Saffron and Khalid, their heads close together, followed in the wake. It was easy to fall back and let the other two go ahead.

"I don't know," she murmured back, her mask frowning slightly as she eyed the crowd. "Won't I need recovery time? That seems like I should wait." Her hands brushed her chest lightly, a gesture that reminded watchers of an older woman clutching at her pearls.

[Khalid Al-jamari]

Khalid/Josef frowned too.

"I wish I know more about that - your physiology and recovery times. There is no accurate recovery time for a human, because this can't happen to a human ... or I can say that it's never happened yet."

"Fine. We'll wait until we have a safe hidey-hole then I'll do it."

"Now, I want to leave tonight, after the meet, as long as Slasher doesn't need my immediate care. Is that good for you?"

[Rorx]

Three figures emerge from the trees and enter the market. The smaller, dark cloaked figure reluctantly moving ahead of the two obviously warrior types.

"Don't worry, we won't interfere with your sales." says the taller, more human looking of the two Hunterhearts. His facial features are normal, but his ears are slightly pointed and wolflike although in the normal place so that they don't protrude above his head. At 6ft tall he stands a whole head taller than the figure hidden amidst it's dark green hooded cloak. His clothes are a contrast, with a green linen shirt under a waistcoat of furs above ship trousers and utility/gun belt. A large satchel rides on his right hip, semi hiding the pistol there and leaving the left clear for his scabbarded shortsword. Over his shoulder he carries what appears to be a bundle of long straight branches, but on closer inspection several reveal themselves to be shortspear hafts and something else deeper amongst the wood and the fur used to bind the bundle together. Further evidence of the Hunterhearts nature is found in the thick, black almost clawlike fingernails of the hand that balance the bundle, and on his bare feet. Around his neck hanging by the shoestrings are a pair of ship boots.

"Unless it's something of our's of course" growls his slightly hunched companion. This Hunterheart more generally fits the stereotype with the wolfman like appearance of his kith. As with his companion a scabbarded shortsword hangs from a ship utility belt over his ship trousers, but he is wearing his boots. His furred upper body is covered only by a ship waistcoat/vest and a baseball cap with the Manifests logo perches on his long wolf-like ears. On his back is small leather backpack, with waterbottles on either side and bedroll on the top.

"Now, now, Timothy. We are all friends now, aren't we Fingers?" replies the other, twitching his ears towards a group at a nearby stall as he scans the market, sniffing the air as though looking for something or someone.

"You don't need to remind me, Billy. Anyway, you two have already been through my stash, you've already got your stuff back." replies 'Fingers', not her real name by any means, but what she was given by her associates. Little can be seen of her under the long hooded cloak and that is the way she prefers it, but occasionally part of her tight seude trousers and soft ankle high boots emerges as she walks.

Billy looks around the market, sniffing the air once more while he nervously adjusts the bundle on his shoulder, his black, clawlike, fingernails leaving marks in the bark. "We'll go past the arena area first, then wherever you think is most suitable to sell your 'stock' Fingers. We'll leave the slave area until last. There are lots of competing smells here but I think that there may be no longer familar faces among them, or at least more equipment that has come from the ships."

[Dawn OOC]

There was evidence of the Manifest and the Intrepid all around the market. Merchants offered sections of the ships' bulkheads as 'ready-made' walls; some hawked clothing or equipiment. These weren't the only things being offered, by far - homemade items made of natural materials. And less substantive things were offered, too.

"Get dreams... get ya dreams here! Special two for one, today only."

"Goblin fruit, fresh-picked this morning by the Tenpenny children. The cure for what ails ya!"

"Childhood memories for sale! You know you want them! Get them before I run out!"

"We have Hedge Beasts! Large and small, broken and barely trained, all types - camels, horses, goats and things we don't have names for!"

One woman with an ageless face was near the end of the end of the first row. Unlike the others, she didn't have a booth. Instead, she had two coffin-like objects were propped in a semi-upright position; inside each was a sleeping person. One was tall and thin; the other shrunken to almost nothing. At the head of each coffin, a screen about the size of a wheel of cheese had been mounted. It was showing a movie or a show; after watching for a moment, viewers realized that it was from the point of view of someone. And when they compared it the images to each other, the viewer realized that they were seeing the show from the point of view of the person in the coffin. There was quite a crowd around them, as people paid her to change the screens. The gathered watchers seemed to react to what was happening, laughing or cheering or just offering suggestions.

"They're dreamers," Saffron said, her voice sad as she looked at them. "Their dreams are stolen for others to be amused by." Pausing she shook off the remark and continued, "We should leave after the meet... unless we are leaving Slasher behind - we could leave during the meet."

Fingers had moved ahead of the others, and Billy could see her eying the people paying more attention to the show than their pockets. As she glanced around, Billy saw the first furtive glimse of her features - dainty and bird-like, her lips and nose shaping almost like a bird's. Her hair was a crown of feathers. Timothy watched her before muttering, "Do we stop her if she tries to lighten someone's load?"

[Rorx]

"No Tim. We've not really known her long enough to presume to tell her what to do. However, we don't want to get caught up in her business either, so I think I'll just make a suggestion to her and then we'll continue to look around on our own."

Passing the bundle he carried to Tim, Billy quietly steps up behind Fingers, leaving plenty of room for her reaction, and with a long reach gently puts his hand on her shoulder. He had moved quite quietly for a man of his size, or perhaps the shadows had shifted, but something gave him away. Before his hand came down she whirled around to face him, her hands disappearing within the cloak.

"Gently lass." he says quietly, showing her his large but empty hands. "Just a piece of advice. Maybe it would be better to make what trades you want to do before you engage in other activities, in case you suddenly decide to leave? Either way perhaps we should split up for a bit, and meet back up at the entrance end of the arena at sunset?"

Having got a curt but thoughtful nod in reply Billy returns to Tim. "I told her to meet us by the arena at sunset. Let's see if I can trade one of the fruits I picked up on the way here for some more standard fare, then have a general wander about. Keep an eye out for anyone you think you recognise from the ship, I want to try to pool information if not resources."

As they move around the market Billy uses all his senses [beasts Keen Senses]to try to identify anyone he might know or have met from the Manifest, or who seems to be another member of the Spring Court.

[Khalid Al-jamari]

"We - I, make sure Slasher is okay after the meet then we go. I don't want to leave him to die."

Khalid/Josef was surprised how strongly he felt about that. He had never felt so strongly about his Hipporcratic Oath before. He squeezed Saffron's hand to reassure her and himself.

"Were are we going? Do you have any idea? What is this Hedge they are going on about? Some wild country?"

He stopped and observed the dreamers for a second, sadly. He imagined that the shrunken one was having its very vitality stolen away by the Dream-stealers. At the same time, it was almost hypnotic.

Saffron tugged him away as they had to keep up with the others, but the lingering sadness remained.

[Evan_Bishop]

Evan didn't hesitate. It wasn't in his character to do so. He gave the situation one last appraising look before stepping past the couple, eyes on the girl. "How much?" He rustled autumnally at the slave trader, twisted teeth barely visible between his bark lips. Evan held the lantern tightly and nodded to the girl, gesturing at his satchel. "For the girl." He'd observed the strange ideas goblins had about appropriate barter materials and was determined not to trade what he instinctively felt was a valuable piece of equipment over if he could help it.

Of course, if it came down to that, a lantern for someone's freedom was a small price.

[Dawn OOC]

Billy: Fingers slipped away into the crowd, her possessions clutched to her chest as she walked. Billy knew that she had a few small trinkets that she was interested in bartering. Hoping that trading was all she did, he turned his attention back to finding other captives from the Manifest.

A woman tugging on a man's arm catches Billy's attention; he isn't sure why the man looked familiar until he got a good look at his mask. It reminded him of someone, maybe someone from the ship.

Kahlid: Saffron pulled him along gently, leaning toward him to murmur, "The Gentry demark their border with rambling briar. We've been walking through it, in a way; the further you get from the main roads, the more you see it. The Hedge is a twisted, feral place. It makes a good barrier."

Evan: The goblin in charge wrinkled his nose. It would have been alarming, but he appeared to just be thinking. "Lemme see whatcha got," he said, grabbing at the bag. To Evan's surprise, when he pulled out one fo the blanekts and shook it, knocking loose a purple ribbon. The goblin stopped, his eyebrows rising as he picked it up. "Her for this," he said, holding it up. "Is it a deal?" Now that the goblin has it in the sunlight, Evan could see strange markings on it.

[Rorx]

Billy half turns to Timothy, "The guy over there in the mask, no not the ogre the one with the woman. I think he might be someone from the Manifest." His gaze falls on the pair on the bream berths and those clustered about them, then looks up to see the images on the screens that has so captivated the crowd. The image of a girl on one of the screens brings to mind, and matches that of an obviously tired, but cheeky grinned tech emerging from the tight confines of a vehicle maintenance hatch during training for the Manifest.

"We going to go talk to him then?" replies Tim looking at the retreating backs of the masked group.

"Not yet, we can find him again in a minute. We need to look at those two first," says Billy, nodding in the direction of the dream berths. As they get closer Billy lowers his voice, "I'm sure the girl is a tech I knew on the Manifest called Roach. Shit, yes it's her, she wasn't to big beforehand but she wasn't that small. I hate to think how long she's been in there, and what else it will have done to her." Working his way around the crowd, as though trying to get a better look at the screen, Billy makes as good a visual examination as he can of the coffin-like device that Roach is in, looking for how to get her out.

Nudging Tim on the arm Billy starts to walk away, "We can't do anything much with this crowd here, and we may need some help, so lets go find the masked guy. I think he was heading towards the Arena."

Once free of the crowd Tim grabs Billy's arm, almost spilling the bundle to the floor, "You planning to get her out? Good, no-one deserves that. Do you think this masked man will help?"

"I don't know. If he is from the ship I hope he would be inclined to help another of ours out, although he may want our help with something in return. In either case, he had a couple of Ogres with him, and I'd much rather they were on our side, or at least neutral, if we end up having to fight our way out of here."

The two Hunterhearts quickly work their way through the market goers and soon see the group of masked people setting up their surgery beside the Arena. Walking up to them Billy passes his bundle to Tim, before approaching the masked man he thought he recognised with his hand out to shake and a smile on his face.

"William McInness, I was with the Manifest's sceurity crew before I was taken during the first night after the crash, and you I believe were with the medical crew."

[Khalid Al-jamari]

Khalid/josef was almost taken by surprise by the arrival of the the two Hunterhearts. Even the speaking of the other man's full name was a shock to him.

"I'm Josef ... Khalid Al-jamari. That is, I'm Dr. Khalid Al-jamari and I was of the Manifest's crew. I got taken ... late on the second day. How long has it been?"

While he talked he realized that Slasher and Orderly had come around from their stall to look the interlopers over. Saffron had become a cipher. Khalid/Josef waved off the Ogre and gladiator. He didn't know what to make of this totally unexpected turn of events. With a thin smile behind his mask, he added at the spur of the moment.

"Have you seen someone also taken on the first night? One Evan Bishop. He is my brother-in-law."

[Rorx]

"Well Dr Khalid, I'm afraid I have no idea how long it's been. Tim here," Tim nods to the doctor," thinks he was taken a couple of days after the crash. However, that's not certain, until a day or so ago we had been reduced to little better than animals, and it can still sometimes be a struggle to hang on to our intelligence. Thankfully those episodes are short, and seem to be getting further apart now." He looks to the ground, embarrassed to have to admit such things, but determined to make Khalid understand.

He looks up at Evan's name. "Evan, yeah, I know Evan. He was with the group of colonists I was originally assigned to protect when they moved away from the ship. That was before the crash of course, but I had gotten to know a most of them. Thinking about it, that must be where I recognised you from, when you came down to see him and the family. How were the others? Did they know he had been taken? No, I haven't seen him, but then this market is the first oppurtunity I've had to look for other of us. Indeed that was the main reason we came here. I'll look around here for him later if you are going to need to stay here with your surgery?"

He pasuses to take a breath,"Sorry, I know, I'm babbling a bit. I'll try to slow down. Speaking of others who were taken, I was hoping you might be able to help us out. I've recognised someone else I know from the Manifest, one of the techs, but she'll need help getting free. She's the smaller of the two dreamers back in the berths you saw back there."

[Khalid Al-jamari]

"Well, I know he left a daughter in the orphanage, a wife in Medbay, and no body in the morgue. I kind of made the assumption that he would have gone out, doing his job. I think he got nabbed, but I certainly didn't witness it."

Khalid/Josef sighs.

"Sorry, I went out to find him and to try and make sense of what was happening to the colonists ... and I ended up captured and sold. Belonging to someone isn't a comfortable sensation."

"I did tell others of what I had found out, but not the central authorities. At the time they didn't seem to have their act together, or so it seemed to me."

"I mean, they plan to use our resources to get the engines rebuilt and functioning on one of the ships and getting away back into orbit ... without first understanding why the systems all failed us. I, and a few others, felt like trying to understand the underlying problems first. I doubt I was popular."

"Anyway, I will be staying here til dark, then there is the fight and I am afraid my services will be needed. After that, who knows?"

[Evan_Bishop]

Evan nods. Why not? "Sure, that'll pay." He looks towards the girl, trying to communicate without words, tell her that it was alright. Being something like a small tree with golden eyes it probably did not translate very well. He took a step closer to the cage, looking at the creature, apparently emotionlessly, before suddenly turning. "Do you really think this is a fair trade?" he asked softly. "That nice little ribbon...for this plain creature?" He nodded towards the cage. Evan knew he was taking a risk here, but he'd never gone to casinos for the ambience.

[Rorx]

"I'm sad to hear your sister was injured, but perhaps she is on the road to recovery if we have been away for a while. It certainly sounds like Evan was probably taken as well."

"You were captured and sold? That's a nasty thought, there is a slave area here, I wonder how many other from the ship might be there. We'll take a look when we finish our discussion, see what we can find." Tim nods, looking grim at the prospect.

Billy shakes his head at Khalids tale of the leaderships plan, "Those that captured us have many strange powers, it is obvioius to me that they must have been responsible for the crashes, and while they want us here there is no way we will escape the planet."

He looks a bit surprised at the Doctors plan, "I'm sure your an intelligent man Khalid, you must be to have gotten your qualifications, but I'm not sure you've thought this through. You intend to patch up those injured in the Areana tonight, a laudible goal, but how are they to pay you back for this service, and what are you going to do with those you save who can't walk away under their own or their associates power in the morning? You could be left with a number of badly injured people and no means to support them if you are not careful and prepared."

He rubs thoughtfully at the stubble already growing on his face, despite the shave he had this morning, "In addition it rather pins you here, at least until morning, which is likely to make getting Roach free and out of here more difficult if we wait until then. Oh well, perhaps we'll just have to play it by ear."

The Hunterheart's face hardens with resolve,"If necessary though, I'll just bust her out and take my chances escaping with her into the Hedge. I will not leave the market with her still captured in that thing."

With a bleaker look, he nods to his companion,"I guess we better face the possibly worse news, and check out the slave market and look around for Evan. We'll meet you back here then Khalid, by sunset at the latest. I could even help you tonight, if you want, all the security teams are trained in first aid."

[Khalid Al-jamari]

Khalid nods.

"I say because its my Oath. I swore to come here and heal the gladiator and I will stand by him ... before I think of my self."

"Meeting you here is a welcome surprise, and I would like to work with you," he looks around and then leans into Billy, whispering, "in leaving this place. Allah the Merciful, how I want to get my people out of here."

He leans back.

"If you can come bac, please do, but if you can free another I certainly understand."

Again, he whispers,

"We will follow when we can."

[Rorx]

Billy nods in understanding, "Yeah, the old Hippocratic. If it's just your own guy you are mainly concerned with then I doubt you'll too much trouble, and if it will help I can donate a Goblin Fruit or two that have minor healing properties. They may be enough to get him moving on his own feet at least. Ok, we'll see how your man does in the arena before we decide about making an attempt on Roach, and I'll be back by sunset to assist you if it should be necessary."

With a shake of his hand in departure Billy and Tim head for the corner of the market holding the slave area. They scan the crowd for anyone that might be a transformed Evan as they go, once Billy has described the Evan he remembers to Tim.

Arriving in the slave corner without seeing him they spend a few minutes looking over those they can see in the wooden cages outside before moving inside the roped off area. Luckily, it seemed one of those times when people think of food during the day and the numbers visiting the slaves were down, while the food stalls seemed to be doing a roaring trade.

Inside they can scent the fear and despondencey of those in the cages, so they unconsciously pick up their pace. They soon come upon a sale being haggled, between a long nosed goblin and some strange figure more tree than anything else. However, as they get closer Billy does recognise the merchandise they are bargaining over as one of the agronomy group that Evan was among.

"Damn," he whispers to Tim, "no sign of Evan amongst thse cages, but that girl they are haggling over was one of his group. She doesn't look physically injured, so perhaps we'd have an ok chance of getting her free. Best do that after she has been sold to the treeman though I reckon. I doubt he has as many guards as the goblins do around here. Ok, as we go past them, we both try to memorize what he looks like, although I doubt there is more than one like that here so far it's better to be safe than sorry. We'll pause to look over the girl and listen in to see what he pays for her in case we want to buy other free in the future. Once they are done we'll head back out and continue looking around the place."

That said they move towards and circle the sales group and obviously watch and listen in while it continues, but from a respectful distance of 5 feet or more, so as not to intrude.

[Rorx]

However, Billy is too impatient to wait for the haggling to finish, "I can't just stand around here", he whispers to Tim as the haggling goes on. "I'm off to check on Roach and then go look at the animals they have to buy here. I'll keep a look out for other from tehship and Evan while I do that then head back to the surgery. Do you want to come or wait here?"

"I'll come with you", he whispers back, looking around the slave area. "It's too depressing here."

Outside they head off back to the dream berth. Billy slowly moves forward in the crowd of beings still clustered around them berths until he can get a clear view of Roach inside the device. He has to force himself to look and take in the details as it sickens him to see the changes in teh once happy woman he knew.

Now she looks shrunken and wrinkled...she's about the size of an adolescent...like an 11 or 12 year old, and her skin is kind of in baggy folds like the stuff inside is shrinking under it. Her head looks too big for her body, and her skin is drawn tight against her skull. The veins in her head are standing out in stark relief.

With some relief he turns his eyes to the berth itself, looking for ways to turn it off and/or open it, and to the woman controlling the two captive dreamers.

[Dawn OOC]

The 'coffin' looked as though it had been carved from a soft black stone, and black leather straps somehow merged to the stone. Those straps crossed over Roach in a crude four-point harness with wrist restraints, while a strap across her forehead kept her head upright. There didn't appear to be a cover over the coffin-like container. It looked like she would be freed if someone cut the straps, but Billy didn't that - not everything was what it appeared in this strange world.

[Dawn OOC]

Originally Posted By: Evan_Bishop

"Do you really think this is a fair trade?" he asked softly. "That nice little ribbon...for this plain creature?" He nodded towards the cage. Evan knew he was taking a risk here, but he'd never gone to casinos for the ambience.

The goblin's nostrils flared, as if he were trying to scent any deception on Evan's part. The girl's eyes were wide; she'd been crying, the tracks clear in the dirt staining her cheeks.

"What else you want?" the goblin asked, oozing suspicion.

[Dawn OOC]

Billy stared at the 'machine' holding Roach, trying to see the best way to free the Changeling. She didn't appear to be imprisoned in any way, beyond simple straps. But knowing the devious True Fae, there was probably more here than appeared. And he didn't know enough about the dream-craft to know if he was going to hurt Roach by removing her.

Billy glanced at the woman controlling the devices. She wasn't a True Fae; probably a Loyalist who could be trusted to come to market. She didn't appear to be old, or young, but Billy was surprised to realize that he recognized her. She had been working at the Manifest! He remembered working beside her as they had pulled people out of the weckage. Had she been one of the first taken? Was she that eager to sell out to the damned Gentry?

Billy didn't know, and he needed to focus on Roach. But he still had questions about this woman, and why she would so eagerly help the Fae enslave her own people.

[The rolls:

Int+Crafts (1d10=10, 1d10=4, 1d10=1, 1d10=9, 1d10=5)= 2 sux

Poppin' the ten (1d10=3)

Int + Occult (1d10=2, 1d10=9, 1d10=4, 1d10=6) = 1 sux

Wit+Com (perception roll) (1d10=3, 1d10=7, 1d10=2, 1d10=3, 1d10=9) = 1 sux]

[Rorx]

Billy mutters to Tim, while apparently still viewing the dream sequence on the screens, "Damn, I can't make how she may be held there. The straps are too obvious, I think there may be something else, do you have any ideas? By the way, the woman running the 'show', I think I recognise her from the Manifest, can you remember her name or anything about her?"

He looks up to the sky to try to gauge the time of day then comments in a more normal tone, "Perhaps we should go see how Fingers has done with her trading, and perhaps get something to eat before we continue looking around much more?"

[Dawn OOC]

"Agatha," Fingers said, appearing at his side as if magic. "Her name was Agatha." The young Beast shifted a little before stating, "I don't like this. I hate being so close to damn traitors." Her glare clearly included the ageless woman, who conducted her business unaware of their focus. She appeared to be altering the stories in the view-screen when payed by the viewers, even conducting a quick auction between bidders when two wanted opposing stories.

Tim nodded as he watched her. "Yeah, I remember her in the rescue, but she must have been in a different department, because I won't remember seeing her on-ship." That didn't mean much; there'd been hundreds of people on board.

[Rorx]

Billy half-turns to the young woman who has virtually appeared beside him, "Back so soon Fingers? How did your trading expedition go? Without incident I hope?" In a quieter tone he continues, "Can you see how to get Roach out of there, the shrunken woman in the device was a tech I knew. I've tried looking from back here but I simply can't see anything beyond the straps holding her, and I don't trust the Gentry to make it so simple as that."

"And while your at it, keep your views about these traitors under control, until we can get back to the ship or colony they are who we are going to have to work with or around. So we make what use of them we can, and get back to the others as quickly as we can with as many of us released as we can, agreed?"

[Dawn OOC]

Fingers tilted her head to the side and studied the device for a moment before shrugging. A small black feather fell out of her hood and drifted to the ground as she spoke, "I'm sure that you'll have to wake her up as well as undo the bonds. That might be as simple as a quick shake or something more. I dunno. But I bet her... handler would know exactly how to wake her up." Fingers turned and looked at him dead-on for once, revealing her narrow, bird-like face, framed with dark feathers. "Shall we tuss her up and take her somewhere private and inquire further?"

[Rorx]

"It may well come to that Fingers, but we better leave that until there are less people about, perhaps once the Arena starts? Having said that, I know of a Spring Contract that gives someone a burst of energy, that might be enough to wake her up."

Billy examines the images for any indications that Roach is aware of her predicament, or anything else that might some how be of some help.

After 5-10 minutes, he turns back to the others, "Lets get something to eat and check back in with Khalid. Fingers may I ask which section you were with on which ship, just in case it may help us to track down or identify others who were taken. For example, the surgeon set up over by the Arena was someone I recognised and he seems keen to get out of here with us after he has checked on an associate of his who is fighting in the Arena tonight. He has also asked us to look out for a guy called Evan Bishop, who is his brother-in-law and who he believes was taken on the first night or two." Billy gives her the best description he can of Evan from the last time Billy met him,"Keep any eye out for him in the Market unless you've seen him already, but obvioulsy he ould have been changed in any number of ways during the time we have been away."

[Dawn OOC]

Fingers paused, then sighed and said, "I was in the brig." At Billy's surprised look, she said, "I'd stowed away. What, did you really think they'd take someone like me? I managed to convince someone to let me take their spot, and I got past the inital check, but when I got my checkup, they compared my DNA and found that it didn't match. The asshole who got scared and sold me his spot didn't mention that. So I was in the brig when we went down."

"Why am I not surprised?" Tim asks, shaking his head ruefully.

Fingers giggled a little. "Hey, fish has gotta swim, birds don't change their feathers," she said, holding up her hands in a what-are-you-going-to-do gesture. "But yeah... I'll keep an eye out for this Evan. Sounds cute but watch him be an ogre now."

On the screen, Roach is running from threatening nymphs and satyrs, who no longer seem to have forinication in mind.

[Rorx]

Billy looks more closely at the action on the screen, he didn't remember anything like this occurring before today. In particular he looks to see who seems to have intiated this chase, and who is in charge? Has Roach started running and the others are trying to catch her, or did they set her off and they are now enjoying the hunt, perhaps deaying it or dragging it out?

"This looks new. Better get ready, if I think this is going to turn ugly in there I'll see what I can do to bring her round, so be ready to cut her out and intercept the keeper."

[Dawn OOC]

Roach escaped from her pursuers, getting through a gate in a wall and wedging it shut behind her. Tim and Fingers relaxed a bit at the sign of her safety. "So then," Tim said, "Dinner?"

[Rorx]

"Yeah, lets go grab some grub and see if the others have any ideas."

Look to see the woman's reaction to what happened to Roach and what she did as we go.

[Dawn OOC]

The woman continued her hawking, allowing those watching to alter the scene - for a small monetary compensation, of course.

After they'd eaten food, the sun had set, leaving blood-red rays of light to pierce the sky over their heads. The arena glowed in bright defiance to the darkening sky, throwing the pit into stark contrast. The fresh sand that had been tossed down covered the old stains and blood, but there would be a whole new mosaic of pain and fluids by the end of the night.

Slasher was perched on the edge of the arena, his tail flicking back and forth as he watched them finish raking the sands. Orderly stood well back, not looking at the arena as he went over the equipment, over and over. He didn't look like he was having fun.

And back at the coffins, the handler suddenly collapsed. There was little question in the viewer's minds what had happened; on the screen, a dread fae form had appeared. No doubt that Agatha had been struck down by her Keeper. Most of those watching hurried away - they didn't want to be anywhere close to anything that hinted of a Keeper.

In the coffins, the two Changelings stirred and slowly woke up. They were still physically bound to the holders, but whatever mystical energy had held them was gone.

[Khalid Al-jamari]

Watching them rake the sand brought Khalid/Josef back to his days as a medical student. One of the Doctors had gone on and on about the tranquility of racking a sand garden and the healing properities it provided. He wondered what the doctor would make of this type of garden. He chuckled over his musings. What did it matter to him anymore what this other person on some distant world thought?

Khalid/Josef went over to Orderly and talked to him soothingly.

"Everything is going to be fine. Everything is laid out and we all know our jobs. I know what I'm doing."

It wasn't totally a lie.

[Rorx]

Billy walked over to Khalid from the main part of his 'surgery', waiting until he had finished talking to his companion.

"Khalid, it looks like people are heading this way now, we'll drift off and see what we can do for Roach and the other guy. Do you think it best to hide them here under sheets or something as patients, or should we just try and head straight out and meet up with you later?"

[Khalid Al-jamari]

"Sure thing. If they are out, or helpless, I can put them on a gurney and call them 'parts'. If they are mobile, I can call them assistants. All they need to do is hide in plain sight. I have some changes of clothes and then there are the masks."

Billy can't be sure if Khalid is hiding behind his own mask.

"Just be careful out there. If we muck this up, I don't know when we'll get another chance, if ever. Also, call me Josef. It's my ... given name."

[Rorx]

"Josef it is then, if it makes you more comfortable. Ok, we'll head over there and see what we can do. If we can get away clean with them we'll bring them here, otherwise we'll try to disappear into the Hedge for at least the rest of the night and track you down later."

With that Billy turns back to the wagon to pick up Fingers and Tim, and they all sneak off into the gloom, taking a roundabout path to the dreamcoffins in order to keep way from the bulk of people heading towards the Arena.

Drawing closer to the stall, they spot the woman on the floor and hear some sounds of struggling from the coffins. Billy draws his knife and mimes to Tim to cut the man's straps, then gestures a question to Fingers about grabbing the woman's takigs for the day. That done they move forward to attempt their tasks.

[SalmonMax]

Rochelle opened her eyes with a gasp, and a surge of exultance.

Gotcha!

Her experience in the dream was already fading, despite how real it had seemed while having it. It even seemed funny to her in a way. Amusing. The sort of thing she'd have a good laugh over as she told the other engineers about it.

Well...the ones that survived the crash. And the...

Then Roach remembered where she'd gotten the inspiration for her final gambit...the woman who made people explode. The panic in the tent. There'd been an impact on her head as she tried to cut her way out...

She sat up, or tried to, and realized her arms were bound to her sides. She was in a plain white garment, sort of a one-piece sleeved smock, like a hospital gown. Leather straps, buckled tightly around her forearms and her legs. And her skin seemed sort of wrinkled...like bathtub fingers, only her whole arms and legs. The wrinkles were slowly evening out though as she watched, returning to normal.

What the HELL was going on?!

The next thing she knew, men were running up, and Rochelle got yet ANOTHER shock.

They were HUGE!

One went off to one side, she couldn't see him anymore, but then she realized that she -knew- these guys. She'd seen them on the Manifest Destiny! But why were they so enormous?

At the sight of Billy's knife, the relief on recognizing them turns sour, and she pleads, "Please get me out of here! I don't know what...I don't understand...I was in the tent and someone hit my head and then I was here!"

Her voice sounds strange to her...thinner and higher in pitch, as if she'd gulped a tiny amount of helium. Compared to everything else though, that was small potatoes.

Why was it that reality suddenly seemed so much more surreal than the dream?

[Rorx]

"Roach, your awake, I know it may not seem like it but you are. Do you remember me? I'm William McInness, Mac, from the Manifest. You used to laugh at a security guy doing his own vehicle maintenance."

In the meantime, Billy cuts through the straps restraining her as quickly as he can.

"We, and quite a few others, have been grabbed by some local aliens, and they have done something that has changed virtually all of us in various ways. It may seem like a nightmare, but it is unfortunately real. I know a doctor nearby and we'll take you straight to him, but first of all we need to get you out of here."

He turns to Tim working on the guy in the other coffin, probably revealing his altered ears to Roach's view for the first time.

"Tim, how are you doing with that guy? I'll carry Roach until we get back to the Doc, can you manage him?"

Looking beyond him Billy quietly calls to his other associate, "Fingers, you done yet? We need to get moving."

The straps cut, he lifts Roach free.

"I'm sorry Roach, but whatever happend to you has shrunk you down to the size of a kid, which in this case could be an advantage, I'm going to carry you next to me under my cloak until we get back to the Doc. You'll meet others who have been changed in different ways, like Tim, Fingers, the Doc and his associates, but Tim and I will make sure you don't come to any harm. I don't know how long you've been strappe din this thing, so I'm going to try to give you a burst of energy to help, then we'll go."

(OOC try to use a Contract on Roach: Gift of Warm Breath.)

"Lets's go Tim. Fingers, help him if you can."

Then Billy wil pick Roach up in his arms and drape his cloak of his shoulders so that is covers her from view, head back to the Doc's by the Arena keeping to shadowed/dark areas as much as possible.