Chapter 2c: Of Priests and Thieves

[BrokenWire2086]

Matthew places the lock into a pocket and follows Hanz into the offices. His hands remain locked behind his back as he looks arround the room, paranoid as always the young man keeps an eye out for traps aswell as perusing the shelfs without touching anything, atleast not untill he is sure no poison darts or hidden asps of death are there. Cautious as always, except for that bit with the well. "It is a lock afterall, much more usefull than a scrap of mettal. It would not do to the builder to break everything that stood in our way. Instead we must preserve the works of others."

[Shinling]

Hanz grins widely, "Gee Matthew, that sounds alot like a passage that tib had read on our first trip. Do you remember the name of the book it was in?" Hanz doesn't seem to care that its a bad time for a quiz. While he is speaking, he is looking around; maybe the conversation is to take some of the edge and nerves off of the unexplored.

[BrokenWire2086]

The young man shrugs, "I dont remember, I listened to what he was saying, but what book or passage I dont realy have a head for such things. Though I am trying."

[Bitom]

The town office is very dark inside, and full of all the city's records, offices, and courtrooms. Just inside the main doors is a huge sign pointing off to the left for "Evacuation registration" Fifty years of dust lies undisturbed on everything.

[Shinling]

Hanz pauses reading the sign, "hum... looks like this way..." he turns on his heels and heads to the left. "Tell me something matthew, how many times when you left a city, did you have to register during an evacuation?" His question is very rhetorical, and it can be heard in his voice - if one were to look for it of course.

[BrokenWire2086]

"Me personaly?" He lets the question hang for a moment then goes on, "That dose seem a bit odd, perhaps they were leaving for a place and hoped to all meet there, but.... why would they leave the book behind?"

[Shinling]

Hanz smiles, "good question, here's another... how many cities do you think would make you register before Fleeing from an undead army?... order is good, but, when people are under siege, few thing about the paper work for leaving... makes me wonder if maybe they were trying to keep the threats inside the city... to stop its spread... like a plague or something. "

[Bitom]

When the pair reach the room for "Evacuation registration" it becomes rapidly clear why registration was needed. There were a limited number of ships, which were the only method of egress. The ships made multiple trips, but those in the later trips would have to fight for their lives every night for weeks, perhaps months. The city elected to go with a very strict 'women and children first' policy. The lists themselves are not present, but all of this is detailed in signs hanging in the registration room, along with a lot of legal jargon and instructions about exactly how much weight each evacuee was permitted to carry. There is also evidence that some people didn't agree with the ordered policy, and one sign in particular notifies the citizenry that anyone found unassigned on an outgoing ship will be summarily executed.

[Shinling]

Hanz begins to realize as he's thumbing around the papers that this area my not have what he is looking for, but he continues looking. Hoping for some reason as to why the evacuation took place. "well, so much for my ideas" Hanz chuclkes to him self. The next though manages his mind is... where did everyone go?

[BrokenWire2086]

Matthew seems to see what he was looking for in the marquee and tunrs back to Hanz, "I dont see how that would be our concern, as if they are gone they have received the help they were looking for.... or died, either way they arnt the walking dead in this city."