You find your way to the front of the store, drawing the attention of several customers and the shopkeeper, to emerge in a narrow, twisting street. A group of young men armed with long knives, just short, you expect, of the legal definition of a sword, stand lingering at a nearby corner, and they seem to find your exit from the shop to be interesting. One of them calls out in Langues d'Oil(Orleanais) what you understand as "You need to pay the toll for the street"
«This isn't Paris, is it?» Jerome whispers to Mireilla.
OOC. We are still wizardly sidestepped, aren't we? Jerome used the talisman on himself and Mireilla in the face of the rats. Duration sun.
You are, it may have been the flickering of that image through the shelves as much as your dress which caught attention in the shop.
Sorry. Duration conc, device maintains concentration, but Jerome has not had time to think about ending it.
And the grog is still behind us, I suppose!?
Also. What's the ground like? Mud? Sewer? Wooden boards? Cobble stone?
Waiting for Mireilla's response before I act.
The streets here are mud, and foul smelling mud at that.
(is this a regular occurrence, people establishing tolls in their areas? Mireilla will gauge if an attack is imminent, and if indeed the mob is looking for money or it's just an intro to bash our heads in and rob us anyway. Also, were are we in Paris? Will roll Perception + Folk Ken and Int + Area Lore)
Ahh, gods! kerchief-face, kerchief face
*edited Folk Ken + Perception 24! to gauge the mob's motivations
**edited Intelligence + Area Lore Paris 14 to know exactly where we are at.
You are in a poorer section of Paris where the marsh was never quite drained and runoff from the waste dumped into the fields tends to wash back up a couple times a year. The young me are after money and a bit of excitement, work is hard to come by and your dress is quite fine for this part of town. If you toss them a purse they will probably just try and be intimidating, they aren't looking for actual danger, just trying to look tough in front of each other and score some cash. The University is upriver a short ways from here.
to Jerome We are indeed! A distictive bouquet... grimacing.
Well hello, good fellows! Despite her cool demeanor, she is sweating and faint from the smell, and their knives are a painful reminder of her old injuries.
A toll for traversing this muddy alley? How about you pick 3 of your stoutest friends, and they accompany us while we get where we are going, bodyguarding work and such. Honest work, you ken?
That way we avoid more tolls, others being intimidated by your fierce mien, most likely. And you only divvy up amongst your best, yes?
Normally we rely on Carles here she nods to the grog, a veteran soldier, and his armor and steel, emphasis to quickly take care of bandits and such. But you aren't ruffians, are you? You are friends, we just haven't caught up yet! bright smile
(is this an Intrigue, Etiquette, or Charm roll. or Guile, @silveroak? She is negotiating to defuse the situation, but this could devolve in infighting between the mob, and there's an implied threat with Carles steel vs knives)
*edited to answer Jerome's question as to we were in Paris
given your folk ken roll and offer I'm going to call that an automatic success...
The 5 young men fall into an argument amongst themselves as to whom should accompany you, but quickly settle on the three largest, the remaining 2 head off to do something somewhere else.
Jerome nods with approval. «You really know how to handle yourself in a city, Mareilla,» he says. «You know where to go next, do you?»
In a low voice, but well-pleased. Thank you, Master Jerome. A lady must learn to fend for herself, without... a scholar's uncanny gifts.
Still in a low voice to Jerome, but smiling at the young menWhere do you want to go? I counsel leading our new friends to a bar far from this neighborhood, and not so near to our destination, buy a few rounds of cheap ale in their name, and hopefully we can ah, catch up with them on another occasion, maybe years from now? Surely some drinks in their gut and change in their pocket will do wonders for their disposition.
Do you carry coin? Perhaps 12 pence for their protection +1 more and let them divide it, plus 6 pence at the bar? Have your man Carles put it in a sack and hand it over when I signal, best they get a sniff of what a real warrior looks like. Discourage naughty thoughts is all.
@silveroak what would be appropriate? 12 pence to a shilling, 20 shilling to a pound. That's 240 pence/year for 1 Mythic pound for a peasant, so 4 pence for an afternoon's work seems enough
Thoughtfully, glancing backThough I do wonder at the connection with that workshop.
Disgusted Ughh, this mud, I am going to need a new wardrobe, and plenty of floral essences
«Well ... I need to find the gentleman at the University of course, but I reckon I had better find somewhere to stay first. Travelling your way is quick, but relaxing it is not. Where would you recommend to stay?»
well, you are in France, so it should be centimes instead of pence... but a mythic penny (not a pence) is described where a penny a week 52 pennies) would be 1/10 of a mythic pound per year, suggesting 520 pennies to a Mythic pound. Assuming 2 seasons of work at 80 days per season, but with full living expenses at 1 pound per year would suggest a payment of 6.5 pennies per day. However under labor costs it indicates that an unskilled workman is paid 1 penny per day, and a guardsman 2 pennies per day, and that 1 penny per day comes to a pound a year (suggesting a work year of 520 days?) for each penny/day. So basic lesson is don't look to AM rules for consistent math, especially when it comes to economics.
( 
ok, pay them more than a guardsman, 3 centimes each plus 1 extra centime so that they get to argue over who deserves it)
Well ... I need to find the gentleman at the University of course, but I reckon I had better find somewhere to stay first. Travelling your way is quick, but relaxing it is not. Where would you recommend to stay?»
Last time here my time was wasted convalescing, I'll have to take a look and ask around, see what would suit you best. There should be plenty of choices around the University. Once we manage to say our goodbyes to these men.
«That's very well. It is good that the matter is in your capable hands.»
(@silveroak we are moving towards the University, but without outright saying so. Mireilla will try and find some dive in a main thoroughfare where they can abandon the ruffians with full mugs and their coins; she's also keeping an eye out for cobblers or whoever can clean up their dirty shoes afterwards. She will also ask around, after ditching the posse, for accommodations.
Not trying to jump any part of the adventure, just sketching out a general plan)
there are shoe shiners plying their trade on the street, for a half penny, and bars are plentiful a short ways from where you emerged from the regio network. The rooms in this area are available to rent- on a semester basis.
(they should not go to a bar near the regio exit, Mireilla will look for one farther away, nearer their destination, but not so near that it is obvious they are heading to the University area)
(Once they are out of the muddier streets, she will pay a shoe shiner to clean her footwear, being very careful not to show where her purse is)
If you'll excuse me but for a moment, gentlemen, lady's prerogative.
(After her shoes are cleaned, she will look for a cheap bar)
Jerome takes the opportunity to have his shoes shined as well, letting the the city slickeress lead the way throughout.
The bars thin out for a bit of your travels, until you are in the areas where students gather when they are more plentiful, but more highly priced. Mireilla knows of several potential destinations from here, businesses which cater to students or businesses which make use of a literate and poor workforce, which would be safe to travel to from here without further escort.