Book II - Chapter VIII: Powers That Be

[Ancelas]

Book 2: Descent
Chapter 8: Powers That Be

The Lucky Hand had earned a place of respite at the Elfsong Tavern due to their actions the previous night, foiling an attack by cultists of the Dead Three, or Unborn, the Dreamers, or whatever the hell they called themselves. One had escaped, but one had been captured, and while he did not reveal much, he had still been chatty. The cultists had their sites set on the city for some reason, and now they were very aware that the Lucky Hand was searching for them.

Their investigation the previous day had taken them all around the wharves of South Brampton, from Insight Park to the Poisoned Poseidon. The tannery was a place of interest, as chemicals used in the tanning process had been found near discard refugee papers in Insight Park. Questions asked along the docks revealed a smuggling operation involving refugees entering and leaving the city, possibly tied to some place call the Low Lantern, a tavern and gambling hall located on the water that the party had not had time to investigate.

Furthermore, a letter left behind by a turned Hellrider in the Elfsong Tavern had revealed that a cadre of Elturian Hellriders were abroad in the city, performing an investigation of their own. They had found the smuggling ring to be in operation before the refugees had arrived at the gates of Wachovia, as though the well-funded operation had somehow anticipated the crisis. He had not been able to get his information to his commander, High Rider Reya Mantlemorn, but the fallen night had gathered enough insight to suggest a link between someone in the Upper City, someone on the docks, and the catastrophe that had befallen Elturel.

It was a lot to process, and the Lucky Hand still had their own pressing matters to attend to. They had accumulated equipment to assist in an exorcism of Trollskull Manor, though the house seemed dormant during their time away. The urchins who lived in the alley were as healthy as ever, and appeared to have developed a fast affinity for the Hand. Even the reclusive Victor Mordenheim had noticed it, and offered to help the Hand with their task by pledging to acquire a spirit board for their use. It wouldn't be long before they would be able to focus their attention on the manor in earnest.

The night spent at their room in the Elfsong Tavern had been far more restful than the night spent at Trollskull Manor, although strange dreams continued to swim through the minds of the Lucky Hand. Cerys dreamt of darting shadows and a hot, dark room, of creaks and hisses and crying. Jinn dreamt of a fist closing around his throat, and of a warm light flooding through him as he punched and kicked and wrestled back the dark. Vincent dreamt of his time in the seminary, of the road with Father Noah, of the charge to bring light to the dark places of the world, and how Wachovia was so very, very dark. Rey dreamt of a dark ocean roiling in a storm, and of safe harbor infested with dagger-bearing shadows and steel-clad monsters. Crystal dreamt of her home, the cabin in the village, of sheltering with her sister as monsters roamed the streets just outside the walls…

The Lucky Hand awoke to the sound of distant thunder. They had gained a full night's sleep, but the evening's dreams had left them with a creeping unease.

The sky outside their window was grey as distant rain clouds moved toward the city. Morning fog clung to the streets as the hot day clashed with the air blowing up from the bay. Carriages rattled by, neighbors shouted greetings to one another, and horses whinnied as the day clawed it's way out of the night.

As the Lucky Hand stirred and rose, the first person to open the door of their second floor room - its previous occupant having been forcefully relocated to the smaller room that had once been the Hellrider's - they found a single individual seated at the gaming table, laying out cards in a game of solitaire, a mug of something hot on the table beside him. He was dressed in the armor of the Wachovian city guard, and was easily identifiable by his dark skin, bald head, and patch worn over his left eye.

"Gooooooood morning," said Captain Zodge, drawing out the word without any particular inflection. "Gotta admit, I was starting to get worried I chose the wrong bunch of assholes to ask for help. Good on you for proving me wrong. That doesn't happen often."

((Initiative: Cerys 21, Jinn 18, Rey 15, Crystal 14, Vincent 3 ))

[redcoat]

Cerys was not doing a good job of putting forth an air of well put together high elf. Having woken from nightmares rested but unsettled, she'd thrown her hair back messily and decided a cup of coffee would be the way to go.

Only for Zodge to be right outside the door.

Frowning deeply, she'd sit at the table, watching him.

[Deleted]

Jinn was not doing a jobv of putting forth an air of a well put together human. Or an average put together human. He looked the part of a hung over vagrant, his hair off kilter and disheveled as he wore only slacks and a loose fitting sleeveless shirt. He followed the sound of Zodges'... unique tone of voice as he cupped the side of his head- a combination of nursing a headache and scratching the pillow-mussed mess of hair.

"Good mornin' yourself." He pulled out a chair, turned it about face, and straddled the seat with his arms over the backrest. Slouched, yawning, he looked... awake in only the strictest sense of the word. "Told you we don't fuck around. What's the good word, Ziggy Pop?"

[Kyt]

Dark dreams or no, Rey was just glad to be able to lay down someplace that wasn't trying to fuck them over. Unease was fine. A little paranoia kept you alive, after all. She still looked tired, but not as exhausted as she had the previous day.

Grumbling under her breath as voices outside were heard, she poked her head out, dagger held ready under her cloak. Seeing it was only Zodge, she grumbled more but stowed the weapon. "S'too early for this."

[uberwulfx]

Crystal was the outlier in that while she yawned as she looked out from behind Rey's body at the door, she looked awake and rested. The dreams were... not that bad. 'Unsettling' didn't equate to 'nightmare,' and while she certainly looked about warily once she arose, but she felt safe with her allies, and was able to let herself be comforted by that.

She didn't say anything as she waited for the Captain to ask his questions and start the dialogue off properly.

[CautionCat]

Vincent was up earlier than most of the party, besides Cerys- who only really needed four hours of rest due to being an elf and all. He was dressed besides shoes, and his cloth, wearing just his loose white shirt and brown pants. Vincent writing in his journal when he heard Zodge's voice, and everyone started to meander out into the common area. He closed his journal, tucked it into his bag, and got up to join the others.

"If we didn't get side tracked trying to find a place to rest our heads for the first night, I am sure we would have gotten back to you sooner."

[Ancelas]

"Captain," Zodge said, at first not seeming to answer... anyone. "Zodge. Or, if you really want to be my friend, Captain Zodge. Not whatever the fuck you just called me." Zodge turned his eye on Jinn and arched an eyebrow, then swept his cards up and began to shuffle out a new game.

"A couple of guards brought in a lunatic last night," he went on. "Seems my name was dropped, and some back channel friends of mine got word to me. Despite my busy schedule, I knew I just had to check it out. Surprise surprise, turns out there was a ruckus at the Elfsong, and some outsiders busted up some troublemakers. At least, that's what the heralds will say."

He paused and looked around at the Lucky Hand. "As far as anyone knows, that's exactly what happened last night. Sound about right...?"

[redcoat]

"Don't mind Jinn- he butchers everyone's name equally. Captain Zodge." Cerys said- though there was a fondness in her tone for Jinn- frankly, she liked that he had a nickname for her.

"That seems correct to me. Dangerous times breed wild men. Thankfully we were here to help, and got rewarded for it."

[Deleted]

Jinn pinched and rubbed his nose, sitting back some as he continued to rub, brush, and itch the sleep out of his face and hair. By the time Cerys spoke up, he was sober enough to chat. "Sounds about right. Somebody got hurt bad, troublemakers were out for blood. It is what it is." He looked Zodge over.

"Don't suppose that lunatic had much to say?"

[Ancelas]

"Not the first time it's happened in Wachovia. Sure as shit won't be the last." Zodge nodded, apparently satisfied.

"Not much useful, as of yet. Smug little prick thinks he's too tough to break. We'll see how he holds up to interrogation. When we get around to it, of course. 'Till then, we have him locked in a dark hole, waiting for us to remember he's there."

His expression darkened as he flipped his cards. "I've got a shit ton of questions to ask, but technically he's not in my jurisdiction, and the guard has bigger problems to grapple with. Thankfully we got some independently-minded outsiders looking to get to the bottom of things.

"I spoke with Alan downstairs. They think you're good people. I trust their judgement. And with Tarina gone to ground again - yeah, she took off after the fight - ya'll are my only assets with any clue just what the fuck is going on in this city."

[Kyt]

Rey snorted at being called "good people".

"Knew you had it bad here, but if we're your best assets, this city's fucked." She seemed content to listen and snark, watching Zodge and the area, but not giving much else for input.

[uberwulfx]

Crystal nudged Rey. "Now, now, the good Captain trusts us enough to have given us this duty, right? I'm sure it has nothing to do with desperation," she said with a sheepish smile, before focusing on Zodge's hands as they manipulated the cards.

"That said, I really was hoping that your guys-- or at least someone who had the jurisdiction-- would be able to get some good answers from him about his group. Don't want his friends to make trouble for any more people. Is there nothing else we can do but wait?"

[Ancelas]

"That's the benefit to being free agents, isn't it?" Zodge observed. "You don't got to wait for shit. I certainly ain't your boss. Where you go and what you do has nothing to do with me or the Wachovian Guard, so long as you don't cross any lines we're obliged to enforce. Killing a couple knife-wielding zealots in a bar brawl? Hell, you're doing us a fucking favor.

"What I'm interested in is what led to this little encounter, exactly. I asked you to speak with Tarina, and now she's in the wind. Did you find out anything before she vanished? Any reason why these fucking nutjobs tried to make a show of things in one of the most well-known landmarks in the city?"

[CautionCat]

"We certainly stirred them enough to see us as a problem." Vincent frowned, and folded his arms. He proceeded to tell Zodge about the past couple days, their investigations between the park, the tannery, and what they talked to Tarina about.

"Didn't mean to spook her, but the fight probably sent her the hell out of here. I don't blame her."

[redcoat]

As Vincent would settle in to get Zodge caught up, Cerys would duck quickly downstairs. The group needed coffee, and something that would pass for breakfast.