It is very very early morning, in the fountain square. The sun is just peeping up over the tops of buildings, and there is some sort of ritual going on among dozens and dozens of unicorn worshippers, who seem like they have been here for some time.

Mortimer rolls with advantage -1 at difficulty 10, using no talents or gifts.
The result is a success.

Danielle rolls with advantage -1 at difficulty 10, using no talents or gifts.
The result is a success.

There is an oddity here. It was very early morning not long ago. And it is still very early morning. The sun should be higher.

Gavin rolls with advantage 0 at difficulty 10, using notice.
The result is a success.

Mortimer looks to be on the end of another /successful/ experiment with magic and sorting out how to control it in this land of forgetfulness. The remains of someone's work at their prized still sit in a small clear jug in his hand as he saunters through the lower city. A smirk plastered to his face, as he flourishes lavish bows and a wave of his free hand to every lady that he passes. He settles upon the edge of the fountain to take another sip of the gin with his eyes closed then as he opens them is looking at the sky and holding his hand palm facing the sky. To no one at all, "The sun should be there. Not there..."

Danielle yawns, coaxing her brain into a wakeful state which doesn't take long considering something is off. She looks up "Um. I'm not at all certain that's a positive development" she offers to no one in particular, heading over toward the ritual just near enough to be in earshot as she gives mort a wave

\

Gavin had been out early in the morning going through martial training drills and that over along with something for breakfast. He'd made his way to the courtyard. The hospital had been his orginal destination but well the unicorn worshipers had proven a distraction. He draws closer to Mortimer and Danielle. "Has anything out of the ordniary since we arrived here turned out to be a positive development?" Then he eyes Mortimer, "Except the Still, of course. Any ideas of what we should do and if there is something I can smash to help?"

Dirk rolls with advantage -1 at difficulty 10, using no talents or gifts.
The result is a success.

The cultists are mostly on their knees, praying, but one - a very young man with a beatific smile, is holding his arms out and apparently praying to what can be seen of the sun.

Dirk looks up as he approaches. He heads for the group of familiar people.

The prayers are continuous, a murmur of sound. Around them, people walk, dressed in ordinary clothes with white marks hurridly painted on them, showing simple pictures of the sun rising.

There's a smirk and small laugh as Mortimer looks to Gavin, "Smashing sounds lovely my dear. I've a few ideas of where to start, though these folks seem to have some idea?" He then squints in the low morning sun and the Unicorn Cultists, looking back at the remains of the gin and shaking his head. "Though I am low on gin, we should find another supply?" He looks over to Danielle with a grin, "At least you're feeling better? We could pop them all into the lowers of the hospital, snap our fingers and see what happens?" The final swig of gin is made and Mortimer has a funny smile as he tries to get that last drop out of the container before putting it aside and yelling at the cultists, "Is this place on a weird axis or something?! If praying to the sun will rise it, then tell it go back down so we can have a decent party!" Mortimer does not appear to be a /morning person/ though is trying his best to be.

A couple of large sorts, armed with clubs, detach themselves from the crowd around the worshippers and angle towards Mortimer. They will take a little time to arrive, for they are careful not to go through the open space where the prayers and chanting and marching are happening. However, they do look rather less joyful than the young man leading the prayer session.

Danielle blinks as she watche "He couldn't possibly be actually controlling the sun?"Fohe queries her companions even as she reaches out to sense any magic in use

To someone with magical senses, there is definitely *something* going on there. The ritual has some power, whether by accident or design. Magical forces are growing slowly, in a circle that moves at about the same speed as the walkers on the outside of the ritual. It is a massively inefficient, lossy method, but it is working. What it is doing is hard to make out.

Dirk says "Hello." to everyone. He looks joyful and bouncy. "Mortimer? We seem to have incoming potential hostiles."

\

"Morning Dirk." Gavin says to the newly arrived man then nods his head to the two thugs heading their direction. "Mortimer, it seems you have attracted admirers it seems." Then his hand rests on his sword ready to draw it. He crinkles his nose, "Do they do this every morning? Perhaps they are slowing the sun rise." He shakes his head, "It seems off."

Mortimer rolls with advantage 0 at difficulty 15, using influence and spending will.
The result is a success.

The two men get over towards Mortimer. One is just in front of the other. The one at the front pauses just short of friendly distance, and leans in a bit. "Maybe you wanna keep quiet while the brothers are concentrating?" he suggests. The other pats his palm with his club, making sure the Idea Is Got. Or at least, offered up. The whole situation looks like it could fall apart very quickly.

Both have lines drawn in white paint down the middle of their foreheads, token of their faith in the Unicorn.

To Danielle, magical senses open, it seems that for a brief moment, Dirk flashes with some strange colour she half remembers. Just a moment, but so close to a thing she almost had.

Mortimer straightens up as his new admirers get closer, running a hand over his frock coat and looking over to Gavin with a /hold my empty gin bottle/ smile and quick up nod. Then turning to the two that are attempting to be threatening to him, "Gentlemen, my you're looking absolutely lovely this...morning? Early day? That time in which I am out of gin and you might want to reconsider what you've offered to me, unless it is for a moment aside and I get to use my talents while you rethink your life's choices leading up to this exact moment." He pauses a little while looking over the clubs then looking to both of the men, with a direct eye contact of a stare and small waggle of his eyebrows. "Please think about your next answer, carefully. Unless you are coming to show me to the next distillery and offer a free drink, I'd like both of you to take the moment and ask the question, who are you threatening right now and is it worth it? Or, would you prefer to rethink your choice of words and actions?"

The ritual keeps going on. The chanting stays steady, and the smile on the face of the young man facing the sun widens, becomes more beautiful. And, over by Mortimer, two people look at the ex container of gin, and maybe work out which still it has come from, and look at each other. "Say, we're not the ones here causing trouble," the designated speaker says, rather less certainly. "You shouted..."

\

"Let's chalk it up to strangers in a strange land, lads. We're just here to learn ... and drink gin. We're out of gin." Gavin says with a smile. "The brothers are doing just fine and the odds favor me. So lets take some deep breaths." He looks at the two men, "Just for sake of knowledge, are the brothers helping the sun rise or trying to keep it from rising? It's running a bit behind."

In an odd moment of juxstaposition, Danielle is completely ignoring mortimer to focis on dirk

The man at the front says, "You may join our worship if you wish?" rather unsteadily, to Gavin. He has realised how much he bit off. "Little Brother is intereceding to be sure the sun rises." Maybe Gavin and Mortimer are not the only things he is nervous about.

Mortimer smiles to both of the men, holding his finger up, as a hold up a moment. Then looking to Gavin with a nod, "See that would be perfect, never mind if it's running behind." He laughs to his own idea "oooh, this could be fun!", just lost in the moment, then turns back to his admirers with their clubs, "Yes. I did shout. Specifically to put the sun back down." His hand moves to point at the ground as he smirks, "Thus, we can have a lovely evening party." He waves his hand some, "If we can control where the sun is, I would much rather have a longer period of night. Just imagine how great that would be. The alarm rings to wake up and instead of having someone fix the alarm because of its sudden flight through the air to meet a sudden end of life against the stone wall... We simply push the sun back down for a few hours! It would be marvelous." The smile on his face tells the story well, he's tipsy drunk, right in that perfect little window, not quite very full, though full none-the-less.

Dirk is moving closer to Mortimer . He is being quiet as requested. He gives the two gentlemen a nod as he pokes Mortimer and says "Shh let the sun rise."

Mortimer's speech, finally, snaps the man to threats. "NO! The sun must rise! The Unicorn says so! Be gone or we will destroy you!" He brings the club up to be ready.

Behind them, the chanting rises.

Behind the pair with clubs, the chanting rises.

Danielle sighs "Of course the sun must rise, it is the order of things but why must it be coaxed so, Does it not rise on its own?" she waves a hand impatiently at Mortimer in a a cut the crap sort of way

\ Gavin motions to Danielle, "Yes that is the important question. Let's figure out how this works Mortimer before you start your own daylight savings programp."

Mortimer rolls with advantage 1 at difficulty 20, using gambling, sorcery and spending will.
The result is a success.

Mortimer smirks at the not-so admirers, "Fine. Sun up." And he snaps his fingers.

At about that point, the sound stops. The smiling young man falls to his knees, still smiling, but several people look at Mortimer, because from the finger-click there were sparks, and then a bright light, which disappeared as it went upwards. And the ritual is over. And... did he do it?

The men with clubs just *stare*. One at the fingers that clicked, one at the smirk.

Dirk looks at Mortimer and then back to the crowd. He chuckles quietly to himself.

When Dirk looks around, plainly there are many in the crowd who are looking at Mortimer, not believing, or... believing.

Danielle blinks and sighs and whispers sideways to Mort "You did not do that"in a tone which suggests she is almost certain "Does the sun always need help to rise" she tries again?

"No," says club-man number 1. "But today Younger Brother said... said..." Then he backs away from Mortimer and heads away at a panicked run.

Mortimer continues to smile, leaning over a little to hear Dani's whisper, adding his own. "But they don't know that." Then looking back to the now single admirer, "Oh. Drat. Your friend ran away. Will you be getting me gin then?" He then turns to Dirk with a renewed smile, "Dirk! Where /have/ you been?"

The ritual circle is slowing down, watching the shadows begin to move.

\

"Illusions or Weather magic?" Gavin asks those who know alot more about magic than the others. Then he looks back at Mortimer, "I don't know if this is a good thing or a very bad thing. He shrugs, "If we end up with another Unicorn cult. I mean Kyrie had one doesn't she?"

Dirk smiles "at the edge of the forest. " He looks a bit sad for a quick second. "How have you been?" He sparks up happy again.

The young man who was apparently heading the ritual gets up, and turns to bless those who took part, with a gesture of his hands.

Danielle blinks "Not whether magic the sun actually moved. Someone was doing something before we arrived with the gin drinking savior who if i'm right will have just made some enemies as well. if i'm right he's not the only one making a power grab" she watches the young preist intently

The young priest puts his hand together, touches them to his forehead, and bows his head. There is a brief flash of gold-white which Danielle - and everyone watching can see clearly.

Dirk says "You can rest assured of that." Dirk gives a little chuckle.

Mortimer replies to Dirk, "Oh, found a couple of stills, more... large hairy legged things. You know... and there was a goat." He looks back to the cultists, Danielle and Gavin, "I mean, the sun could have gone down..."

Dirk says "You'll have to take me on a scenic tour. A goat? You should look for the tiny red sheep. "

Gavin sighs, "Of course it's a power grab, without proper royalty and nobles, the religious types are going to try to set themselves up. What easier way to set yourself up as messanger from the gods than a bit of magic." Gavin narrows his eyes, "So yes people are power mad. Since our aunts and uncles aren't around if we should reveal ourselves or if that would just cause more problems."

Danielle sighs and looks to Mort "I think that ship may have just left the harbut there was real magic here. Old magic. Can the "brother" actually control it or is he just playing at it like mort was and got lucky himself. At any rate he's figuired out a bit more than we have

Dirk says "I intend to steal the underworld from my father so you do you." He looks at Danielle. "You ok?"

Mortimer nods to Dirk, "I'm sure I can remember where things were." Then looking to Gavin, "Then we should lay claim to some of this power, yes?" He shakes his head in a little wobble, "Or is that a no? And we let them sort it out, and be stuck in a forgetting land without any chances?"

The young man turns to walk away, with several people following him. The rest just walk off, or stay to discuss the day's work taht they are about to do, or what just happened - it is like any sermon ending. The crowd talks like they might after any religous ceremony anywhere.

Gavin shrugs, "Sometimes you have to step up and do something to keep those who would make it worse from seasing the power." Then he looks at the scene, "I mean I'm sure human sacrifices shouldn't be involved maybe goat but that's for reason." He looks to Danielle. "Did the lady of the web follow you back?"

Danielle hms "I don't know, it took me a while to rember what happened before i fell through the floor after is a total blank

Mortimer looks to Gavin, "And which slot do I fall into? Keeping from being worse, or making it worse? Or does it really matter? As in the end the same result was given. Just that there's a couple that might believe that I did it."

Dirk sighs softly.


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Rumours run rampant, run rife, run with scissors, run in undercurrents and overcurrents and are whispered over the new and the current... Mortimer brought back the sun. Mortimer, the gin-man, the one who knows where all the stills are, who knows where all the stiffs are, who knows where all the bodies are buried.

Mortimer is a man to be around.
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