Amy might not be paying too much attention to who is in the square to start with, but she does turn as Filinia approaches her. "Oh hey," she says with a smile. "How are you doing, Filinia? Is all at least mostly okay?"

Filinia grins, as she gets close. "Yeah. Thanks. Want half an apple?" She holds it out, like that's a genuine offer.

The square swelters in the summer heat, as the sun bounces its happy, joyful, murderously hot rays off the whitewashed walls. Officially hot here now. And quiet.

Amy chuckles, but shakes her head negatively. "No thanks," she says easily enough. "Appreciate the offer, but I just ate." She accepts it as a valid offer. "I don't think I've been by this square before - but there seems to be more and more of the city becoming visible."

Filinia says, "Yeah. It was all fog before. That weird black stuff." She turns to look around. "Anyhow. I found out that my gang isn't here at all. And there's probably trouble around here. A lot of sets of people wanting what they're finding. And nobody keeping them from doing anything about it."

Amy pauses at that, arching a brow. "So what do you recommend?" she asks, curiously.

Filinia replies, "Keeping out of the way?" with a nervous look around. Then every window breaks for fifty feet around them, and the fog pours out.

Kyrie is out walking, idly rolling a coin over her knuckles as she looks around at this and that. There's no hurry to her, or concern. Just a stroll in the heat. Her hat, of course, keep some of the sun off her.

The fog is not far from Kyrie, who did have just that one moment to almost see someone small, blonde... was that Amethyst?

Amy blinks at the answer, shrugging a bit. "I think that Kerf and Maggie and maybe Lucafrase are trying to work with some of the gangs in the Docks area and wareshouses," Amy says, though her words then cut off as the fog comes rolling in. "Hey!" she calls, sounding irritated.

Filinia screams and jumps back, almost into a fog bank. Her apple is dropped - she draws a small knife instead. To her at least, this is a new, terrifying thing.

Kyrie rolls with advantage 0 at difficulty 15, using survival.
The result is a failure.

Kyrie rolls with advantage 0 at difficulty 15, using survival.
The result is a success.

\Window break, and fogs rolls out. That will certain get Kyrie's attention. She frowns, and her free hand goes immediately to her blade. Not that slicing the fog has historically been effective.

Kyrie rolls with advantage 0 at difficulty 10, using survival.
The result is a success.

To Kyrie the fog is clearly visible, the scream clearly audible... and from behind her there is the sound of running feet, almost as soon as the grey-black tendrils begin to exist.

"Filinia, wait!" Amy calls, as the other woman tears off - who knows where. "It's not safe in the fog alone," she finishes, with a sigh. Then she turns to glare at the fog that she can see. "You can just bugger off now, whoever you are," she says crisply. Her and what army?

Kyrie doesn't spare a glance behind, at those fleeing. It's always best not to take one's eyes off the fog when it's moving. She frowns, and summons that something in her that they've learned helps to drive back the darkness. "I don't *think* so." she shouts at it as she takes a step forward. "Back, you! We won this ground fair and square!"

From behind Kyrie comes a shout, "I told you! They're bringing it!" And there is another thing it's not good to turn your back on, and she just has - the footsteps are getting louder. Coming towards her.

The fog vanishes. But the mob stays.

Filinia is left behind, for the fog did not grab at her - it just appeared, and now it is gone. The windows that shattered are all shuttered up now, although there is still glass on the ground, in the street.

Amy blinks a bit, as the fog vanishes, now turning to see where Filinia is. And is that Kyrie? And ... "What is going on?" she calls out, somewhat plaintively.

The fog stays. That's good. Mob? Less good. Not entirely moving her attention from where the fog was, she does spare a glance for those approaching. "Oh, for fucks sake." she grumbles, letting out a breath. Her next shout is for the oncoming people. "We did *not* bring it. We're the reason you *noticed* it." To be fair, she can kind of see where they are coming from.

Half a dozen men are bearing down on Kyrie, with look ranging from fear to rightous - if misplaced - fury. Eash has a smear of white down their foreheads, some kind of mark of their own gang, perhaps. A couple are armed, but mostly their fists are their fortunes.

Difficulty has been set to 12 in this area.

Kyrie rolls with advantage 0 at difficulty 12, using influence.
The result is a success.

The largest of them, and the loudest, does not swing immediately. Instead, he stops in front of Kyrie to shout, "Look at her! We found a witch!"

Filinia steps forwards, nervously. She still has the knife.

Amy's eyes widen, and then she scowls. After a moment, she pauses, examining the folks there quietly. "Are you kidding me?" she asks, when the word witch gets bandied about.

Filinia asks Amy quietly, "What's a witch?"

Amy looks at filinia, and replies, "Any woman who is competent and thus scares men."

Filinia says, "Oh, right. My mam's a witch then."

Filinia does, fortunately, say that quietly.

"Mine too," Amy replies, with a grin. "And technically they'd probably say we all are. But frankly, I think they're misled or deliberately being annoying. Too bad my conscience won't let me feed them to the fog."

Amy too is speaking very quietly. She slowly moves though now, to help Kyrie.

Kyrie's hand continues to rest on the hilt of her sword, though she hasn't yet drawn it. She stares down the group, instead. "I understand your anger, good folk. I know Amber is a mighty realm, and her people are proud and strong." Spewing crap like that convincingly is one reason she's so good at cards. "And there must be a witch of some kind, that laid a spell on all of you. But we are here trying to break it, and with you waking now from your dream surely we will all triumph over the true evil here!" She glances briefly at the peanut gallery, with a quick expression that says 'not helpful.' Her attention mainly stays on the man in front of her, though.

Filinia follows, shaking a little.

"The fog wasn't here before your type came," the man says sullenly. And then, more confidently, "You're bringing it! We saw you! It came when you made those magical signs!" With the magical coin she was flipping on her knuckles, presumably.

Behind the big man, a couple of his friends are looking uncertain.

Amy eyes the sullen man. She opens her mouth, closes it, and then sighs. "See if I help treat your wounds when you get hurt," she grouches half under her breath. "Good sir, do you not know that we are here to help? If my father was here, he'd certainly be telling you that we are helping here,fighting this horrid fog not bringing it."

Filinia stays backgrounded, although she no longer looks so nervous. Maybe she has counted up and likes the odds. Maybe she is beyond fear.

Amethyst rolls with advantage 0 at difficulty 15, using no talents or gifts.
The result is a success.

Difficulty has been set to 12 in this area.

Kyrie looks at the man for a moment, then at the crowd with him, then back. "Okay. I know there's something terrible going on, but nothing *I* do is magic. I'm just as weirded out by that crap as you all are. But, we have learned a way to fight off this fog. Not with magic, but with the power of faith." It's as good an explanation as any for the simple folk, right? "What do your people revere? I've seen a wonderful church, with a unicorn fountain. Is that your faith?"

The big man points to the white mark. "The power of her horn protects us," he says. "We all know that. Don't we!" He looks around at his friends, who nod. One of them is giving Amy a look and a nervous smile.

Filinia has somehow vanished her knife.

Kyrie then finally smiles at the big man. "Some evil has broken the mighty city and her people. Its fog submerged you all in a dream. But the more of you that wake, the stronger we are against it. We must do this, for her. We must work together, to save her realm and then to destroy what evil created it." Her voice rises as she goes for inspirational. "And together, we *will* save Amber and destroy the evil that would dare try to crush the people of the Unicorn."

"Prove it," the man says. "Put the mark on yourself." His friends are wavering. "Show us you're not bringing the fog. The faithful are saved!"

Amy crosses her arms in front of her, as she listens. She looks imperious enough though earnest. "You want us to put that white mark on our faces?" she asks, curiously.

Amethyst rolls with advantage 1 at difficulty 12, using healing, healing nature.
The result is a success.

To Amethyst, the mark looks like white lead. In the long term, it is bad. On the skin for a few hours, it should not be a problem.

Filinia mutters to Amy, "Not sure I want to join a gang."

Kyrie holds her hand out, as though for the paint. "I am not from Amber, so I am not of the faithful. But, we do this *for* Amber and her people. My heart is pure in this matter." more or less........ It does benefit her to fight off the fog, after all. "I will fight in her name, at your side and at the side of all who would defeat her enemies."

The big man has a pot of it - of course he does. "Yeah. That's it!" He is enthusiastic, opening the pot - it has a metal lid, and a colourman's logo on the side to say its quality. A dipped forefinger is extended - he means to paint the mark himself.

Amy's gaze goes more carefully to the white paint at this point. "I don't have anythijng against this white mark," she says softly. "At least not for short periods of time." A glance to Fil and Kyrie and then back to the enthusiastic fellow with the white paint made of lead. "If your folks seem to go mad after a few months or so, you might ease off on that mark. I'm not sure it's safe to wear as make up, for more than a little at a time." The healer in her just can't not say something.

A group of people, a lot of glass scattered across the road - but no actual broken windows... Filinia half hides behind Amy, who is rather short to hide behind. Kyrie is doing the talking to a group of men with white marks on their foreheads.

The group is just at the edge of a small square baked by the sun. It's... a day. Only all days might have trouble in.

\Alright, then. In for a penny. Kyrie steps forward, so the large man can paint her. Probably not how she saw the rest of the day going when she left the card parlor earlier. But, she's committed to the role. Whatever that role turns out to be. Her glance flickers towards Amy, at that caution, and she nods slowly. "Maybe we can find them a paint that's a little less toxic."

The man draws a white line down Kirie's forehead, and everyone relaxes. "The Unicorn will save us," he tells her. "She has the strength."

Amy stares at the man. "Sure she does, but she expects us to look after ourselves too," she comments. C'mon, seriously?

Filinia says, "We do," says the man who was talking to Amy. "And we look after other people. Keep our street safe."

Once painted, Kyrie nods to him. "She has the strength, and it flows from her into us. And we will use that strength to fight in her name. To show our worthiness. And as the people wake, we will add their strength to ours until we are a mighty army and the fog is fully driven from her realm." Man, does she need a drink.

Fanaticism burns in the man's eyes. "Preach it!"

Amy eyes the man, Fil, and Kyrie. She stays quiet now, though she does turn to murmur something to Fil.

"Preach! Yes!" Kyrie agrees, her voice carrying. "The people are waking! The Unicorn is among us! Fill them with the good news! Go out into the masses, and help them find the strength within!" The check engine light is coming on in her head, saying this might not go the way she wants, but there isn't much backing down now. "We will come together as one people! One voice! And we will be triumphant against the enemies of Amber in her name!"

Filinia begins to sidle away. Nobody - as yet - comments on her leaving.

"One voice!" The big man calls out. Yes, he will! Yes, he believes! ... And they turn off to go give the good news to others.

Kyrie holds character and looks so proud as the mob rushes off to spread the word and bring more people into the fold. Though, there's something creeping into her expression as they withdraw and can no longer get a good look at her face. Once they've vanished though, she can finally release the breath she's been holding and release that posture of authority. And then, the only reasonable reaction that passes her lips is 'Holy fuck. What the hell happened there?" She clearly knows she's neck-deep now, without an exit strategy. Just where every gambler wants to be...

Filinia stares, from not far away. "Uuuuh...."