Entry #27 - 1st attempt at securing the purse

We decide to head for the neighborhood, and allow Franklin to ask around to see if he can narrow down the location of the gang. When we arrive, he starts chatting with some shady characters in the street, and unfortunately he loses some money in a card game! But he does make a contact with France Shemak, a Damaran, who is part of a cat burgler group, named the Shadow Larks. He knows of the kids in question. Says he has seen some of the kids hanging out around the orphanage.
 
Franklin comes back and reports to us and Jean Marie says, "let's go!". So we head on over towards the docks, make a left, and see a slight tower of the temple to Lovetar. Then we come upon Mademe Drula's orphanage. We see some lighting, inns are active and open, some lights on.
 
As we approach, I fall behind, and due to my inability to be quiet at all, I rouse the attention of two guards, and unfortunately I had forgotten tthere was a curfew! They question me, and I try to question them about it, and I chat with them. I fail my attempt to pour water then freeze it, throwing waterskin in their face. They say they will take me to jail.
JM and Franklin see this, and approach. One of the guards tries to grab me, but fails to do so. I try to bewilder the other but fail.
 
JM comes up and attempts command, but the guard shrugs this off as well. I see Franklin jump around the neck of the other in a choke, successfully grappling him. I am intimidated by the guard with the halberd, and am unable to bewilder him. But JM is able to command him to grovel , which makes him prone.
 
Franklin tries to choke the guy he is grappling, but can't get a good hold. I attempt to hit the guy in front of me, prone, with my scepter but fail to get a good hit. JM commands his guard to sleep. The other is groveling. I reach out to grab the guard's horn, and Franklin assists. He grabs it, and we run. The guard gets an attack in my back while I'm running, but fortunately it was only a light wound. I try again to bewilder and fail, and he grapples me. I finally succeed on my bewilder, and he falls to his knees, but I am still grappled by this bastard, and JM and Franklin are away in the distance. JM attempts to come back and hit the guard with his staff, but doesn't succeed. I can't connect with my next attack.. JM keeps trying to attack but also doesn't succeed in breaking the guard's grapple on me.
 
Franklin runs off with the guard's horn, and blows it after getting away a few blocks in the opposite direction, while still stealthy. Franklin lights barrel on fire, runs to join the fight.
 
JM and I are in a battle with the guards. I hit one with a guiding bolt, and JM successfully loosens his grip. I succeed in dashing away, as does Jm. We are all now 60' away. They decide to dash after us, but that's all they can do. I turn and cast bewilder, JM throws a net, Franklin goes into the casino, one guard falls coming after JM after tripping in his net, I follow Franklin. JM heads for the alleyway. The tall guard is tangled in net, the other follows Franklin and I into the casino. I cast bewilder on that short one, and finally succeeds. Now is our chance to get away! I run into the casino, and run for what people are telling me is the back exit. Franklin goes up to the brothel on 2nd floor, I dash out to the back door, and immediately hide. We see a guard walking down. JM and I just stay hidden, not knowing what Franklin is doing.
 
After a while, we somehow manage to escape back to the Inn, resolving to pick this back up in the morning when we don't have to deal with the damn curfew.