[IC] Chapter 3: Wergynstone

[jp1885]

Suitably fortified, the Eton party takes their leave of the inn, stepping out into another drizzly day.

The village is somewhat more alive, with locals going about their daily business whilst studiously ignoring you.

Please roll a Spot Hidden and click here if you succeed,A number of rough looking fellows, who you assume are the New Squire's men, are lounging around various places. It seems that they are watching you whilst trying not to be noticed.

Miss Coates' house is a short distance from the inn, not far from the church and adjacent vicarage.

[Mr. Handy]

Cynthia opens up her parasol to shield herself from the rain, but it also obstructs her view.

OOC,Spot Hidden roll (55% skill) on the way to [b]Miss Coates[/b]: [dice]0[/dice]

[Zero]

Henry Joseph Lewis III was fairly accustomed to anyone and everyone bending over backwards to whatever whim struck him at a given moment in time, but the Eton group seemed more inclined to take a more roundabout way to reach their end goal. Besides, the young dilettante was mainly here as an observer, as such he was mostly content to let them do as they would had he not been there at all. He followed the others from the inn and proceeded towards their contact's dwelling.

Spot Hidden (25%),[dice]0[/dice]

OOC:   I may never pass a Spot Hidden roll, lol

[LTD1969]

Spot Hidden 45% [dice]0[/dice]

And that's a yes.

Professor Garrett mutters out of the side of his mouth, "I say everyone, those rough chaps yonder seem to be watching us."

[jp1885]

Prof. Garrett,Seeing as you rolled a hard success, I'll give you a little extra. As you eye up these suspicious characters, one of them peels off and heads towards Wergyn Hall (assuming the road signs are correct).

[Mr. Handy]

"I didn't even see anyone," says Cynthia. "Are they following us?"

[Whitehorse]

Spotting of the hidden = 55%,[dice]0[/dice]

[Whitehorse]

"They're not much of a sight to behold Miss Knight, but we do seem to be under observation."

"What shall we do? Confront one of them? Or continue with our trip to Miss Coates, and then see if she has a back door, by means of which we might elude these fellows...?"

[jp1885]

Grigori,Seeing as you rolled an extreme success, I'll give you a little extra. As you eye up these suspicious characters, one of them peels off and heads towards Wergyn Hall (assuming the road signs are correct). To your mind, they seem content to observe rather than confront.

[Whitehorse]

"It does look to me that they've got a watching brief rather than any desire to confront us... Perhaps they are eludable though..."

[Mr. Handy]

"All right," says Cynthia. "Let's see if we can lose them."

[LTD1969]

"I saw one of them head off towards Wergyn Hall - reporting on our movements no doubt."

[jp1885]

Should you wish to try to evade the gaze of these rough fellows, then perhaps a successful stealth roll from each of you is in order.
Otherwise it is a short (if rather visible) walk to Miss Coates' cottage.

[Mr. Handy]

Cynthia has a lot of experience moving about unseen and unheard in the library in order to avoid disturbing readers or, worse, drawing the attention of the ogre that inhabits the stacks - the other Mr. Lewis. "I'll meet you there," she says. She pretends to move off in a different direction, only to disappear from sight and make her way to the cottage behind the cover of the trees.

OOC,Stealth roll (60% skill) on the way to [b]Miss Coates[/b]'s cottage: [dice]0[/dice]

[Whitehorse]

Stealth does not come naturally to Grigori, and he watches in awe as Miss Knight disappears from sight.

Hesitantly he attempts to mimic her technique, with the resolution that if he patently akes a hash of it, her will change tack and directly and loudly approach one of the ruffians, hoping to distract them from his companions' movements...

Stealth is a miserable 20%,[dice]0[/dice]

[Whitehorse]

Too busy concentrating on moving in the shadows, Grigori fails to notice a strand of barbed wire between some bushes, and lets out a loud "OWW!" as the spikes draw blood from his calf.

Shame-faced at his ineptitude, he marches straight to the nearest ruffian in a bit of a temper.

"Who on earth do you think you are loitering and spying on your betters, intruding on our privacy and behaving like some petty criminal! Explain yourself, before I call the constabulary!"

[LTD1969]

Professor Garrett gives up all pretence of moving stealthily and tags along behind Grigori as he confronts the local ne'er do wells.

[jp1885]

Grigori & Prof. Garrett

The fellows appear somewhat contemptuous (and rather amused) at your attempts to intimidate them. The largest of the bunch, a rangy chap with rotten teeth and a squint, grins.

"Ain't against the law to take a mornin' stroll an' enjoy the country air is it? 's a bostin' day forra walk, in't it?"

He tips his scruffy cap.

"But if our 'betters' don' like uz spoiln' their view, then we'd best be off. Gotta go anyway - work to do, fires to put out an' that."

He jerks his thumb, evidently a signal for his chums to depart.

"Be seein' yow..."

Miss Knight

You move swiftly around the trees and hedges, slipping away from the no doubt salacious gazes of the rough fellows.

This stealthy route takes you around to the rear of Miss Coates' cottage. Here, the back garden is hidden from view by a tall fir hedge; a small wooden gate being the only visible way in.

[Mr. Handy]

Cynthia looks around for a way to get to the front of the cottage.

[Zero]

Had Henry Joseph Lewis III known of the sort of crowd these Eton folks were involved with he would have brought one of his personal security along as protection. The young man decided to separate from the others, but made no attempt to move stealthily. He merely moved along the busy street, occasionally peeking at shop windows whilst maintaining a general path towards the cottage.