Hugo Fowl

Corvo, a normally polite soul rolled his eyes and sighed out. Aloud, he finally spoke. "Cliff. It's not sporting to engage in a battle of wits with someone unarmed. As for this...Plan, I could write entire libraries for just how stupid it is since apparently subtlety is lost here. First of all-irregardless of how you approached them, the end result is that you tried to kill their leader and were sent packing. So your glorious idea is to weaken yourself, walk up to their gates with the squishiest member of our group, and hope they don't recognize you from earlier. And even better! To hope that they don't associate our wizard with you, and HOPE they talk to her and not just pepper you both with arrows where you stand. Add in your obvious and unhidden wish to kill them all and I frankly, would rather entrust a rabid bull in your place in matters of negotiations. By the powers that be, this is beyond wishful thinking and segues into delusion." He paused for breath and sighed out. "And that's all I have for the first step of your 'plan'. Cliff is right. It's best you be backup and not be seen by them. You've blown whatever chance you might have with your actions and that's the whole of it."

"You got off lucky. Imagine if you'd have been slower?" Corvo pointed out before chuckling. "Too bad you're not a girl, otherwise they might have treated you more kindly and we'd have come to have seen you having finished everything up."

Corvo saw the hook and immediately did a little wave of his hand, the rust and filth falling away to make it nice,clean and gleaming as he spoke. "That looked unhygienic. Yes we are. Who are you and what's your involvement in this?"

Corvo weighed the pros and cons in his mind, considering before he spoke. "It's not a bad idea per se. I'd be more inclined for a figure of your armor to be better protected than our far more squishy Magi. As for you my felonious feline, I think we've already made it clear as a majority what we'd like to do. Everything else is details." OOC: Actually she didn't. Because someone got up to the bar instead of remaining to be healed. All she did was give back the dagger and assist you to the bar. No actual surgery or healing related. Why else do you think I'm trying to get it checked out?

With a clear majority for his side of things, Corvo felt a flush of victory. Bar active sabotage now, they had an actual chance to help people as he nodded thanks to Muggy and Cliff. "More than you know." He said with another eye-smile. "I'm glad I was able to make it at least." He shrugged. "You know where I'm from. Now that it's mentioned I would like to know more about you Clara." He paused and brushed his fingers on the hilt of his sword as he elaborated patiently. "Also,I am curious how you and our companion here met." There was another beat as he added to Elbaine. "You really should get that arm checked out."

He'd have been more inclined to listen were it not for several facts. One of which was the letter he wrote. The sheer cantankerous attitude he was all but certain extended to his 'talks'. Why, with what he'd seen? He wouldn't be surprised if he hadn't mooned them and prompted it all.* The second reason extended to the way he conducted himself, his wound still untreated and ignored by him. To say nothing of his lack of thanks for saving him and the constant plan to burn them all, etc. Ad nauseum. Most of which was voiced by Cliff as Corvo nodded. "Agreed. That said, I bet I could get them to talk. I'll even make it a wager." *He was half right as it turned out, though he wouldn't know this.

Corvo nodded. "Outside of battle I'm trained in negotiating techniques and the rites of my order. I'm fairly decent at athletic things and sneaky enough to watch my step when needed."

"I shall take that under advisement. This does seem like an able opportunity to share what we can do though." He added with an afterthought. "I'm a swordsman. I combine my martial skill with arcane might and have a particular...Talent that allows me to travel as swift as the Crow flies."

"Oh I think we have fuzzy covered my friend." Corvo remarked with a smile before adding more seriously. "If negotiations fail, then we will have no choice. But I would extend that chance to them if possible, especially after learning what I did. The majority of them have fled abusive homes, violence wrought against them and thus feel violence is their only recourse. I would show them another way if I could." In addition to the latter part he added. "Agreed. Also, the majority of all that from fire and so forth...Insofar as I am concerned, I'm just an acolyte. Such powers are beyond me in the bulk required to do all that at once. Our resources are limited so let's think about saving them and playing to our strengths before launching head first into a wall."

"Considering your plan prior ended up with you as you are, I'm not really inclined to go for any of the rest. Especially those that choose violence as the main objective." Corvo drawled as he rose up and approached the bar with a clink of his boots and belt. "So what we are going to do is deal with these battered women fleeing from violence is NOT to do so with violence, but to address their problems and talk it out. Should they refuse to do so? Then perhaps we shall see but not before and certainly not from ME." He leaned on the bar as he added. "Should you attempt otherwise, I will do my utmost to protect them. We have a chance to make things right for all. Ruining it for the sake of hurt feelings and poor choices is not the way."

"And why exactly are they angry?" Questioned Corvo aloud as he turned in his seat to look at him before speaking on. "Is that due to the actions that led to your wound?" He glanced at it...Still currently untreated as he added. "At any rate it can be salvaged. Tomorrow, we'll go and talk to them. Clara? As a level headed member of your gender, could I count on your support when I approach them? Muggy! What skills do you have which could help us either open negotiation or simply aid if things go wrong?"

"If this segues into some euphemism, I shall think less of you for it." Corvo mock warned, the warmth and fondness behind it belaying the words themselves. That and connected as they were, she knew him as well as he knew her. The bad habits he attributed to where he found her, as he took a seat so he wouldn't look like he was spacing out in the middle of the room. Leaning back, he contemplated before he spoke. "Done but I would have done it later anyway. You're my partner after all. So...Here's my thoughts." He drummed his fingers on the table as he went on, half listening to the information being spoken. "One...The Tabaxi apparently is in league with the bandits and was sent with a minor wound to gain our trust. My reasoning for this is the fact that despite being a guild members, they seem...Less than enamoured with the idea of being with a group. My second thought is that they were simply that incompetent and if they are,then my plans for the bandits group may just go up in smoke from the initial first impression. I'm stumped as to how we could fix that if so."

Corvo sighed internally. He thanked the Gods for his face mask and the fact he had long since surpassed his blushes when she acted up. ...Well, most of them. Back at her, he thought back. "Not now Jess. I need your help here. Our dramatic compatriot came in wounded..I fear either he ran into the bandits or there's something else out there hunting Adventurers. Could they be in league?"

"Charming fellow." Corvo said dryly, glancing down at his sword before giving the tiniest of nods. "At any rate if he's not in any danger, perhaps we can find out what happened and make plans from there as a group?"

He raised an eyebrow. "This doesn't seem like our group member. Take a look Muggy." He tapped it as he spoke. "I don't think any of us met till now. So why would he hate anyone? I'm going to find Clara and ask about the handwriting. Search the body, see if his guild badge is still there?" If it was, it would have sure identification as he strode off to find the wizard. Seeking Clara out, he held up the letter. "Is this handwriting familiar?"

"If it helps, I've never actually done anything like this before." Said Corvo with a wince as he added. "Which is why I need Cliff-" Aha! "Muggy! Help me here-grab his feet and help me take him inside to the table. One-two-three!" With whoever aided him, Corvo would help transport the fallen body inside. Afterwards he added. "There was a letter in the cloak. Possibly stuck by the ones who dumped him on the doorstep." He opened it to read it.

Corvo nodded, seeing the letter as well as he pocketed it for them to look at after. He moved towards the beings arms, nodding to Clara. "Prepare a table, some hot water and bandages. And get Cliff please. I'm going to need his help. You!" He pointed to the Stargazer as he added. "Go inside, find the owner and ask if she has any supplies. A man's life is at stake! Go!" [Using Persuasion to convince civilians to hopefully get this more organized.]

"Well, I had some help in organizing my thoughts." He replied modestly with a wave of his hand before adding. "Everyone has a reason after all for what they do. No matter how odd." At the scream, Corvo would have already leaped up and ran out to help.

"Exactly! No man-or woman or other sort of race can stand alone. Even creatures in nature are social beings. My order simply recognizes it and seeks to encourage and cultivate it in people for good." He leaned back in his seat as he added. "It's why if possible, I'd rather not start with violence for the bandits. I've done some research on them. What strikes me is that many of them are victims of violence...From husband's, lovers. Such a violent direction towards men struck me as suspicious so I looked into it."

At Clara's presence, he rose to his feet and waited before she sat down,sitting down himself before addressing Cliff. "I'd be delighted to share." He clapped his hands together, the gloves making a faint noise as he began his sermon. "The Healing Church is a relatively new order-only fifty years old. We believe in the concept of harmonious unity, that everyone has a purpose and a place to uplift their fellows. For example, Miss Clara here is a magi of note. You yourself are a mass of muscle and Muggy here is adorable. All of you hold gifts that while great by themselves, can do many things if brought together-this is the Crux of our faith." Pausing for breath, he then continued on. "To heal, not harm. To uplift, not bring down. To not simply shun evil, but recognize that some may be lost and seek them that they may be healed. These are the tenants that have sent me here." He shrugged. "At some point, us Acolytes are encouraged to leave the Ravenholde Abbey and seek out our own personal truth of the tenants. And so here I am. Where better to find examples of unity than an adventuring party?" At Clara's announcement of his sword, he nodded. "Yes, she is." And that was all he would say on that.

"I don't suppose you saw any other travelers come through? They-." He paused, looking to the others on confusion. "What did our missing member look like?" As they looked at the cookies, Corvo would pat the hilt of his sword in seeming reassurance, looking at the notes he obtained on the identified bandits and their crimes.

Corvo shook his hand and gave that eye-smile again. "Unfortunately I had no idea there was one more. Still, chin up!" "-I'm sure he's fine and rushing to catch up to us like me!"

Corvo beamed(or might have beneath the mask), his eyes crinkling upwards as he rummaged in his coat before pulling out with a flourish a wrapped selection of toast! "....Wrong pocket. Sorry." He fished out his badge, presenting it towards them as he spoke. "Corvo of Ravenholde. Copper ranked Adventurer, Acolyte of the Healing Church." The badge would be returned and he extended a hand to shake. "I woke up late and positively had to fly to get here in time! Thankfully it's a well-documented rest spot."

Corvo screamed and turned, arms pumping as he fled the pub. Looking back and forth, he seemed to weigh a choice in his mind before running the opposite way. Better to go out of sight for this. ==== And that was why he would be resting outside of the halfway point pub on the map, looking out for unusual folks before calling out. "Group C? I'm Corvo! Sorry I'm late!"

He was late on his first day of the job. In his defense, he hadn't quite come to grips with the Adventuring Guild schedule yet and the loss of the Cloister Bells he had attuned his internal clock to in Ravenholde had played merry havoc with his sleeping schedule. But soon enough, he'd find the pub in question and burst through the doors like a charging ox. In the utter silence, he'd freeze and folks would be free to examine him. He was humanoid, though heavily covered up. A tricorne and face mask identified him as a member of the Healing Church, the sword at his hip within easy reach indicated familiarity as he moved around people, shuffling to the table. His eyes were warm, though tinged with a reptilian gold in the iris as he cleared his throat and spoke. "Hello. My name is Corvo and I too am part of Group C.-" He paused as the diner among the group pointed towards another table. "...." He nodded his thanks, did an about face and marched over as he gave a salute and spoke this time to the right people. "Hello! I am Corvo of Ravenholde and part of Group C! I apologise for my tardiness!" He bowed from the waist and rose up like a jack-in-the-box, an awkward pause ensuing before he finally gave up and took a seat. "...So what did I miss?"