Raphael sighs, relieved, as he finishes the last cut under the doctor's careful guidance. Setting aside the scalpel, he asks Gill, "What next, doctor? I assume the good father is correct, and that... thing... must be disposed of as quickly as possible?"
He glances away from the woman a moment when Augustine admonishes the young Tizonan. Curious, really...
"I am willing to stay. My previous experience might be useful to your back up." Seth then thinks for a moment and then what Gaston said clicks in his head. "Wait, did you just say the Colonel is coming herself?"
"Can't say for certain, but she's a bit fired up after New Year's." His face falls. "'Fired' up. Don't go tellin' her I let that one slip."
But I'd expect her. Been itchin' to learn about this one rather than talk about it. Tips I learned the hard way - Colonel prefers "Ma'am" to "sir," no slackin' when you speak to her, be direct, and you'll be wise avoidin' flattery."
Guard Colonel and Councilwoman Violette Emberborne, Knowledge Local
"Well shit. I haven't need to be that formal to someone in a military sense in a long time. Better late than never to shake off the rust I suppose." Seth now takes a minute to think of any knowledge he has on the Colonel.
Halcyon emerges from her reverie near the mirror, touching the frame. "I'm pleased to report I'm getting better at reading objects. At least I hope I am. I got two visions just now. One makes me think this mirror was involved in transporting the wine that delayed the poison that killed the Galatian ambassador on New Year's Eve." She locked eyes with Vincent, knowing he is so familiar with that crime. "The other involved our sorcerer with the fiery hair. So that at least confirms that the two events are related, at least if I am properly interpreting the vision."
"You boys do what you think best here. I want to check on the operation on the Spymaster. Vincent, just so you know, it just occurred to me that the poison might have been delivered to the de Beaux manor through a mirror, through this mirror. I'll visit as soon as I can arrange and test the large mirrors in the place, to see if I can learn more about that."
She leaves by does so by moving past Vincent and touches his hand as she passes. Gods be with you, she murmurs and makes eye contact before hurrying away, her staff clacking on the floor as she resumes her charade of needing the staff to compensate for her poor sight.
Gill backs away very slowly from Luc, pulling the plant gently from his body. "Boy, it sure is long," she jokes nervously. As it finally comes free, she stumbles back a few steps, teetering at the edge of the stage.
roll + ability - circumstance (vine)
"Shit!" she manages to utter as she loses her balance and falls from the stage.
roll + ability - circumstance (vine)
for
for
The vine loosens from the spymaster, until finally, it is free of the elf entirely. Vine wrapped around her, Guillaumine tumbles off the stage, falling onto her shoulder. Quickly, the plant attacks the doctor, lashing out at her, twisting her around the ground by her arm.
Surprise Round
- Assassin Vine (Maintains Grapple, Attack + Constrict for 12 total )) (1 nonlethal)
- Guillaumine (fails escape artist) (12 lethal, 5 nonlethal)
The doctor's bones feel as though they are breaking as the small plant focuses it's attention onto her. Released from the spymaster, the plant shows little hesitation to attempt to maim Guillaumine, quite uncharacteristic from what has been seen thus far.
The doctor struggles vainly in order to free herself.
Round One
- Assassin Vine (Maintains Grapple, Attack + Constrict for 15 total) (1 nonlethal
- Guillaumine (Grappled) (27 lethal, 5 nonlethal)
- Raphael
- Augustine
- Jean-Christophe
roll + ability (DEX) + skill rank
Gill squirms on the ground, trying to contain the rolling mass of vines ineffectively with her arms. "Halp!" she cries out.
No other actions.
Perplexed by the doctor's intent, Raphael nonetheless quickly moves to assist the fallen dwarf. He draws his dagger and moves to assist her, chanting a prayer to Abadar as he goes. "Father, if you'd keep our patient stable I will deal with this vine."
Once Halcyon gets back to the warehouse where the auction was held, she first checks on the situation with the spymaster.
She also looks around for Mirabelle and Augustine. She wants to do a reading on the envelope given to her by Augustine and also on the wardrobe. She would also like to try to do an aura reading on Augustine.
Vincent’s eyes widen at Halcyon’s remark of the poisoned wine. “What?” His hand once more falls to his dagger. "These dastards were involved in that as well? You are making it awfully hard to stay my hand when I meet the one responsible for this."
"Don't go off visiting Emile by yourself. If that snake is involved, I'll want to make sure you are safe from him. Our familes are on good terms, he'd think nothing of my presence."
"Be safe," Vincent says sincerely.
Halcyon departs, seeking to ensure the spymaster is still well in her absence. Vincent stays behind, skulking close to the mirror, read to draw a blade for any of those who exit. For the next couple of minutes, Vincent and Gaston are silent, contemplative.
Without a conversation, footsteps echo throughout the warehouse. While Seth, Marcus, and the others tried their hardest to remain quiet during their entrance, those approaching did not. Quickly, six Guard soldiers march into the second warehouse, each gripping a musket close to their chest. Behind them, two officers follow.
Violette Emberborne enters first, immediately recognizable by rank and race. Her long, crimson hair dances like flames, and her open well-adorned jade-green jacket lay open, and trails behind her. The two holsters at her hip are empty, but each hand grips a silver-white piston of an unusual design. More so than any council member, Violette appears young - were she human, you’d suspect her to be twenty-five, but for an ifrit, you'd assume she was much older. She scans the perimeter, smoky black eyes pausing briefly at each person still alive.
Violette stands a bit less under five and a half feet. Her height deceives her low and toneless voice. Gaston salutes before she can speak. “Wounded and maimed to HQ. This one,” she gestures at Tuner, “we need answers from.”
It isn't immediately clear who the Colonel was speaking to. Trailing behind her, silent as he approaches, is a thin man with a smile that stretched cheek to cheek. Despite his silence, he bounces with a joyful glee. The Durendale man is tightly wrapped in a Guard jacket that denotes he is an officer, though he wears none of the pins and insignia that such an officer ought to wear.
Gilles de Flamberge (Know. Local) has chestnut hair pulled tightly into a ponytail that reached the middle of his back. His voice is opposite the colonel’s - where hers is monotonous and deep, his is sing-songy and shrill. “How lovely!” he begins, “Why Violette, I’d be honored! I was worried you’d never ask!”
The Colonel does little to hide her scorn, openly scoffing the torturer’s enthusiasm. “Quiet, curr. You’ll wait until my word.” She approaches the mirror. Pistol in hand, Violette extends a pinky, and touches the glass, sending a ripple thought it. “Well, Voidwalker (Local/Arcana) was onto something then...”
She turns to Gaston, giving the Halfling a quick nod. She turns to face Seth and Marcus, ignoring Vincent. “Two of you are raising a lot of questions being here. Detective Albert doesn’t believe in coincidences, what am I to make of this?”
Raphael gives his opinion, agreeing with the dwarf and ratfolk’s identification of the vine. “The species isn’t local. Murgleis may have the rare specimen, but much more common in Tizona. Transporting an assassin vine would be quite the dangerous affair.”
Augustine dashes to the stairs, reaching out from them to touch Guillaumine briefly on the shoulder. “C’mon! Kill it, hurry!” With the host’s touch, Guillaumine feels a surge of energy, feeling, rather, believing that she can take on this plant.
Jean-Christophe lingers on the stage, though does not wait to act. With the last of his divine energy, he heals those nearby himself. As his prayers are vocalized, Guillaumine’s bones are healed, and some of the spymaster’s wounds stitch together.
Jean-Christophe’s divine magic also heals the assassin vine. Across the plant, small buds form, previously cut from the plant. Despite this, the vine continues to attempt to hurt the doctor.
Despite it's best efforts, the Assassin vine untangles itself from the doctor. As it writhes on the floor, it once more begins to crawl towards Guillaumine.
- Assassin Vine (Maintains Grapple, Attack + Constrict for 15 total) (1 nonlethal
- Guillaumine (failed to escape) (27 lethal, 5 nonlethal)
- Raphael (move, cast Divine Favor)
- Augustine (move, cast Heroism)
- Jean-Christophe (Channel for 3d6)
- Assassin Vine (fails grapple)
- Guillaumine (15 lethal)
- Raphael
- Augustine
- Jean-Christophe
"I'm afraid your spell may have been better spent elsewhere," Gill mutters to Augustine as she stands up and reaches onto stage for her cane and multi-pouch.
Move Action: Pick up cane/multi-pouch from stage
Studying the vine with repulsed fascination, Raphael wastes little time in slashing the creature viciously with his dagger. He dances back after slashing the creature, addressing no one in particular, "If you've anything more substantial then this dagger, now might be the time for it."
He watches the Colonel go back and forth with the apparent officer she has brought with him. When her attention turns to Seth and Marcus, he instinctively straightens himself. "A series of lucky or unfortunate events. Depending on your perspective of course. All I know is that whoever these people are, they are very well organized and quite devoted. We talked to that one before you arrived-" Seth points towards Tuner as he speaks. "-and he clearly knew he was only here to buy time. He gave up as well, which I think is rather odd."
Halcyon makes her way back the way she came. When she comes to the area where all the people were burned, she finds only a few dazed and wounded bystanders, none of whom she recognizes, so she looks in the front entrance. Her disability prevents her from seeing anything at the stage end of the warehouse, so she continues around to get to the side entrance. There she finds some familiar faces in a small cluster of people.
"Hello? Beatrice? Lucia? Seth and Vincent and a few others are in another warehouse where we found the mirror that was used to transport that sorcerer with the red hair into the area. What is happening with the spymaster?"
Between the combined efforts of those still at the first warehouse, taking care of the assassin vine was a quick process, painful only to the Dwarven doctor. Were it a mature vine, perhaps it would have given more of a fight, though with each suffered cut and slam, it’s grip loosened on Guillaumine.
In a matters of moments, the vine’s movements slows, until only the occasional twitch reveals to it be something more than a normal plant. As it shrinks to the floor, bits of dirt on the stone floor coagulate into crimson beads from the coat of blood once from within the spymaster.
Before an utterance is spoken, a raucous cheering sounds off from behind the bar counter. Behind a towering pile of desert foods, Rosalie and Silas hoot and holler in celebration. “Yeah! Show it who’s boss!”
“Yeah! Lemme have a kick at it!” The woman tries to crawl over the counter, scattering plates and mugs, though remarkably, nothing shattered. By the time she reached the other side, Silas was able to walk around the counter and meet her. Together they inched towards the concluding operation, peeking over the chairs to watch the plant wiggle.
The Sarenrae priests lets out a sigh as the plant’s attack comes to an end. He turns back to the spymaster, free of the implanted vine and bomb, but still open from his surgery. “Monsiuer Gardinier will need to be dealt with before his coming days of rest and recovery. Before he expires now.”
Guillaumine, Raphael, and the priest easily sutured the spymaster. With a brief prayer, a warmness radiated from Jean-Christope, washing over those near him with a radiating light. Guillaumine watches as his cuts seal over, and the scars fade away.
Reyes opens his grip on the bomb he held. With a thumb, he smeared the blood from the vial’s glass, looking at the contents and mechanisms within. He turned to face Augustine. “I’ll just shatter it, that’ll work, won’t it?”
“Gilles, let’s not let our captive’s kindness go to waste,” she speaks out after Seth, “Ensure this one gives us more than names.” The Ifrit officer drags a finger across the surface of the mirror, watching as her reflection ripples, then returns to normal. She does this several times as she listens to Marcus. “Your crew has apprehended four from this petty insurgence. Were it not for these offerings, you’d be in a cell awaiting questioning rather than trailed.”
The colonel pauses, then turns back to Marcus, speaking stern but honest. “So I assure you, your kindness is not forgotten. We’ll save the questions for a better time. Unless you have more to offer, the two of you are dismissed. Durant, a word”
Beatrice smiles upon spying the returning oracle, though in moments she shows despair. “Um, Marcus, and the, um, others, they’re safe?” When assured they were fine, Beatrice answers the oracle. “The doctor began her surgery on him. I’m too squeamish to be of any assistance, I’d do more harm than good.”
Though the charred bodies lay out of sight and around the corner, the occasional hint of their smell reminded those still present of what occurred.
The mercenary and the tavern owner arrive back at the what remained of the party. Lucia and Beatrice all stood outside, surrounded by crimson plumed bodyguards and wounded guests. Upon seeing the Kitsune, Beatrice broke from the clutter of survivors, dashing towards him. “You had me worried for nothing!” Her tone shifts from concern to curiosity. “Did risking your life do any good? Did you catch her?”
Vincent arrives outside the warehouse a minute after the other men. He seems relieved to see his sister still safe, though doesn't appoach her. Instead, he joins the plumed bodyguards in holding perimeter as Halcyon slips inside.
Sighing in relief, Raphael runs the back of his forearm across his forehead as the spymaster's wound knit closed. "Astounding work, doctor! And to you, Father Charpentier. I will pray to Abadar that our friends recovery is swift."
Turning away from the prone man, he pales at Reyes' thought, shying back a few steps reflexively, "I would suggest we find an expert in the magic of the device. Augustine may have some thoughts. Or perhaps Valentina will know more about disabling the mechanism itself."
"Oh, no no. You musn't break it!" Gill flusters, holding up her hands. "There's a strong miasma in there. We need a tinker to look at it. And if your holding it is containing the magic, please do not let go. The moment the magic returns, it will know it's left the spymaster, and will release the plague it carries!" As the moment of panic passes, Gill let's out a heavy sigh, which whistles a bit through the long nose of her mask. She nods appreciation to Raphael's praise, and then turns to regard those gathered around the unconscious spymaster. "Thank you all for your help. We have stopped what would mostly certainly been a terrible disaster, and it was only with everyone's help that it was possible."
She turns and begins gathering up her things, laid out as they are all about the stage. She stuffs her armor into her backpack, not taking the time to derobe and don it once more. "If someone would run to my clinic and bring back a stretcher, I'd really appreciate it. The spymaster needs to rest, and I'd like to keep an eye on him to ensure there are no lasting effects." She carries her toolbag to the podium and lays it out, wiping down the instruments that saw use and returning them to their proper places. She pauses for a moment, holding up the envelope Augustine gave Halcyon right before the attack. She folds it open, taking a long moment to read it, perhaps more than once.
Halcyon gives a grim smile to the women she was talking to. Then she asks that they point her in the direction of the warehouse door. She grips Mako's leash handle and lets the dog lead her to the warehouse where she approaches the stage. Her first concern is to locate that letter and envelope Augustine gave her. She tries to remember the blur of events that followed her reading the letter. Then she gives out a sigh of relief. She reaches into her small purse attached to her belt and finds the letter, somewhat crumpled but intact. She had tucked it away before casting her first spell.
She rereads the letter and then sits in a chair without anyone nearby. She relaxes and lets herself fall into a light trance and then holds the letter to her forehead, sensing for psychic impressions.
Psychometry Skill Unlock rules: Once per day, you can concentrate for 1 minute while in physical contact with an item or location, during which you receive flashes of insight regarding the subject’s nature and ownership. After 1 minute, you attempt a DC 15 Appraise check to decipher the visions. You gain one piece of information about the historical significance or the last previous owner—such as a glimpse of the last owner’s appearance or its emotional state when it last used the item—determined by the GM. You learn one more piece of information for every 10 by which your check result exceeds the DC, as long as you concentrate for 1 additional minute for each piece of information. If you fail the check by less than 5 or the item has no significant psychic imprint, you don’t learn any information. If you fail this check by 5 or more, the item appears to be psychically significant even if it’s not, and the information you gain is wildly inaccurate.
She will expend an inspiration point to improve this.
Following her attempt, she spends a minute mulling over the visions she received, drawing a Harrow card to see what guidance it might provide.
She draws The Keep, a card of strength, security, and stability. Her thoughts went immediately to Vincent, causing her to blush and put the card and the letter away.
Following this, she strolls around checking on people she knows, but also keeping watch for Augustine. When she sees him, she will approach him and say, "That letter was not an auction item from me but instead a taunt from whoever orchestrated this chaos. How did it come to be in your hands?" Her accusatory tone made it clear she is suspicious of him.
|
Beatrice smiles upon spying the returning oracle, though in moments she shows despair. “Um, Marcus, and the, um, others, they’re safe?” When assured they were fine, Beatrice answers the oracle. “The doctor began her surgery on him. I’m too squeamish to be of any assistance, I’d do more harm than good.”
Though the charred bodies lay out of sight and around the corner, the occasional hint of their smell reminded those still present of what occurred.
The mercenary and the tavern owner arrive back at the what remained of the party. Lucia and Beatrice all stood outside, surrounded by crimson plumed bodyguards and wounded guests. Upon seeing the Kitsune, Beatrice broke from the clutter of survivors, dashing towards him. “You had me worried for nothing!” Her tone shifts from concern to curiosity. “Did risking your life do any good? Did you catch her?”
Vincent arrives outside the warehouse a minute after the other men. He seems relieved to see his sister still safe, though doesn't appoach her. Instead, he joins the plumed bodyguards in holding perimeter as Halcyon slips inside.
** spoiler omitted **
Marcus winces at her words as he shakes his head [b]"not as such, no. Just some goons again, I can only hope that they have limited manpower and loosing these people actually matters to them. If not it's up to the guard to find out more from them."
Gill finishes packing up her tools, and then hops down from the stage with an audible thump. "I'll take the vine too," she mutters, more to herself than anyone in particular. "Maybe we can learn something from it."
She begins stuffing the assassin vine into her already crammed backpack as Halcyon enters the warehouse. She pauses, the vine halfway into the bag, when Halcyon makes her accusation. She doesn't speak, seemingly content to remain an observer for now, though she does straighten up and has certainly shifted her attention to the exchange.
Seth nods to the colonel at her dismissal, not saying another word. He leaves the warehouse and returns to the auction and looks over at Lucia walking over to her first making sure she is safe. He then moves his gaze over to Evelynn and approaches her. ”What did I miss?” He looks into the warehouse, not really able to discern what happened.
“I know the way to your infirmary, and I know what we'll need from your stock” Jean-Christophe say., “I’ve near exhausted Her blessings, it has been a long time. Give an old priest a moment to catch his breath, and I’ll be on my way.”
Tapping into her inner psychic energies, Halcyon holds the letter in front of her. Eyes blank, the oracle spies brief insights into the letter's history.
Old friend,
You’se a nosy little one, ain’t you? Can’t quite say
I like a girl who don’t let things go. Lucky you I’ve
always supposed myself a gentleman, so I can’t
quite ignore all this attention you’ve been giving
me.
Suppose this’ll be up to you, but I reckon you
should consider how much this gift’ll go for.
Ain’t much for knowing what’s worth what, but
try starting the auction at a hundred, see where
that goes.
Don’t say I ain’t ever done you nothing, but
don’t blame me if what you were wanting
ain’t what you were expecting. It’ll be coming
on through in just a moment.
Be seeing ya.
The second scene is at the warehouse, though before the auction took place. Augustine directs the staff as they set up chairs and the food. Nearby, behind the counter, the bartender nearly slips. He looks at his feet, leans down, and picks up a sealed envelope. Quickly, as if to hide his mistake, he brushes his footprint off. Then, he nods to two of the staff nearby stuffing papers into identical envelopes, waving the one he found. “Think you’ve dropped one, friends.”
Beatrice seems to be holding off tears, grabbing the kitsune’s hand and dragging him inside. “They should enlist you as an officer, you’ve already done more than half of them for this city. ” Beatrice smiles weakly. “You have a way of, um, making terrible days, um...” she trails off. “You, um, you help me through them.”
By the time Marcus is inside the warehouse, Augustine is already defending himself against Halcyon.
Long strands of black hair fall over his face, sullying his otherwise presentable appearance. Behind his eyes, however, the host appears drained, exhausted despite his lack of magical support from the surgery. “I’ve quite a few thoughts, some I’ll keep to myself.”he sneers. Augustine leans in towards Reyes, not quite closing the space between them, but allowing the host to inspect the bomb. “I-I’ve a few friends in the Society who could, could, no - maybe not them. Don’t let go, Reyes, I think I know a wizard who values gold as well as I value discretion.”
Augustine seems caught off guard by Halcyon’s accusatory tone. “Me?” He bites his lip slightly, as his brow falls low. “Oh~h,” he drags out his exclamation, understanding now, “Did you play this same game with Emile, d’Orsay? Very well. I gave the servants the list of items to auction this morning. They wrote each item on a letter for me, and wrote the name of a preferred speaker, if any, on the envelope. Your letter,” he emphasizes Halcyon’s possession of it, “came to my hands just before it arrived in yours. ” Augustine sounds genuine, if a bit annoyed.
"One of the servants then? They wrote the letters and placed them within the envelopes. Perhaps the one responsible is among the living."
While Evelynn looks relieved to see Halcyon, Marcus, Seth, and her brother return, the bodyguard doesn’t let down her stance, and watches the skies warily. “Not much. The doctor started surgery, I’ve been on perimeter. Guard’ll be on site soon, the day will only get longer.”
She takes a fleeting look at Seth, and returns her gaze to inspect some of the damage to his armor. Despite the mood, Evelynn flashes a quick grin. “Whoever did that better look worse than you.”
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Halcyon glares at Augustine a moment, processing what he said along with what she learned in her psychometry of the letter. "Perhaps," she says finally. "Would you make a list of those servants and give it to the investigators? This letter was from the one who attacked your guests. The police will want to discover who within the organizers of this event is in on the conspiracy. I will pass this letter on to them and tell them you'll have that list of servants."
She takes her leave of Augustine and seeks out those who were at the New Year's Eve party and the encounter with the Man in the Mirror afterwards. She shows each the letter and lets each read it. She explains the events in the other warehouse to those who were not there:
"I located a large mirror in a nearby warehouse and it was being guarded by some mercenaries, likely members of the gang with the Man in the Mirror. Seth and Marcus and a few others subdued them. I did a reading on that mirror and got some interesting impressions that link that mirror to the events of New Year's Eve, particularly the wine that carried the potion that kept the ambassador alive."
To everyone she says, "The envelope Augustine gave me just before the attack was apparently from the Man in the Mirror or someone related to his efforts. The part about me being nosy is likely some investigating I did after the party. Pathfinder, that young woman with the dog we captured with the Mirror Man, she mentioned something about the spymaster, so I tried to see him. I found he had disappeared on the same night as all the attacks and the assassination of the ambassador. I was given one of the Spymaster's cloaks by one of his servants and when I presented to Mako here, and he was with Pathfinder when the Mirror Man kidnapped Luc."
"I hardly need to tell you the language of the writer of this note is similar to the way the Man in the Mirror talked. So just be wary. We may be in danger for what we witnessed. According to Augustine, servants were responsible for placing the auction items into the envelopes with a name on the cover for who was donating it. So someone perhaps present here today is part of the conspiracy. Also someone had to relay the information that I was on stage reading the note to know when to send the Spymaster through the mirror."
She asks those present to recount what happened to the Spymaster after she left the warehouse. Once she has that narrative, she'll add, "I hope he recovers. He knows who did this, if he can recover his senses in time to share it with the detectives. He needs to be protected. I'll emphasize that when I can talk to the detectives. I had a good interview with detective Albert. I expect we all may have to have another chat with him."
Once done, she passes the letter on to someone she recognizes as part of the police investigation, hoping to see Detective Captain Albert, but if not him then Colonel Emberborne.
She'll try to talk to Marcus and Beatrice before leaving. "I now have a second connection to Emile in all these events. It is slim but I want to look around his house for any large mirrors. I want to check them for psychic residue that might shed light on events on New Year's Eve. I don't want to cause trouble for him, but one connection could be coincidence, but two is a little hard to write off that way. I'll be discrete and I'll let Carolyn know as well. I'll let you know what I find before I tell anyone else."
Feeling exhausted, Halcyon remains in the warehouse as long as Vincent is around. But she'll leave as soon as he is ready to walk her home.
With the tension between Halcyon and Augustine seemingly relieved, Gill resumes stuffing the inert assassin vine into her pack. Finishing this, she approaches Augustine and Reyes. "Thank you both for all your help," she offers, reaching up reflexively to rub the back of her head with one hand. "I just wanted to...well, uh...I mean," she stutters before glancing about and then lowering her voice to a whisper.
Returning to her modal register, Gill continues, "If you would both come with me to my clinic when Monseigneur Charpentier returns with transport for Maître Gardinier, I would certainly...uh...welcome your company?" Her tone drifts into a question towards the end, as though she's at a loss for what turn of phrase to use here. "Ah!" she suddenly exclaims. "I forgot to tell Monseigneur Charpentier to arrange a carriage! What was I thinking, asking for a stretcher when we're so far away?"
She spins around and makes her way towards the entrance, where a guard is standing by. "Excusez-moi, Monsieur! I have need of a carriage. I would like to transport Maître Gardinier to my clinic for observation. Can the Guard get one for me? And a stretcher, to move Maître Gardinier into the carriage, as well." She pauses, but only long enough to refill her lungs. "Oh, and there were others wounded here as well. I believe many were treated with magic, but please let everyone know that they are welcome at my clinic. It is, uh, it's the nearest standing structure to the Crater...if they ask where it is."
"I'm not sure if the Colonel will follow up here as well, but she was at the other warehouse." He looks down at the small dent in his armor. "Heh, he just got lucky hit in. He lost his spunk real fast once I returned the favor."
When Halcyon calls Seth and the others at the last mirror incident, he walks over hastily and listens to Halcyon intently. He nods once she finishes, and speaks up. "Whoever this guy is and whatever this organization is they have ties to a lot of people with a lot of power. Them being able to take a member of the council and even have a connection to one of the nation's most powerful sorceresses is bad news."
Augustine seems to have none of the same faith of his servants and staff that Emile had at his own party weeks ago. Where Emile attempted to defend his servants from persecution, Augustine instead seems to welcome the idea that they may be responsible. When the attention moves off of him, the host appears more composed and acts chipper once more. “I have their names, addresses somewhere, darling. An easy task. Hiring new helping hands however, trusted ones at that, will take months.”
When Halcyon departs and Guillaumine whispers to the host, Augustine cuts off the doctor, putting a finger to his mouth in a hushing motion. “Oh, it won’t be needed, Gill, you’ve done plenty for us already.” Despite his friendly tone, Augustine does little to hide his minor annoyance with Reyes’ predicament. “I think the spymaster needs you more, wouldn’t you agree, Doctor? Leave the magic, or the absence there of, to the sorcerer. You know your craft, darling, I know mine.”
Reyes bows to Guillaumine, lacking the annoyance of Augustine. “Thank you, médica.” He rises, looking at the doctor. “Most healers are divine, but faith does me little. Your infirmary - it is a place I'd like to visit if injured.”
“If injured,” Augustine corrects, “and if I decide you are indeed the best option to treat him, then you’ll come to us, darling.” Augustine smiles. “Pray that never happens, though.”
The red-plumed guards do little to react to Guillaumine. After she makes her request, one of them shakes their head. The voice is low and monotonous, but seems to belong to a woman. “Ordered to stay and protect, we remain until ordered otherwise or slain.”
The remaining injured guests seem to scoff at Guillaumine's offer for assistance. Some openly announce that they’d rather pay to be treated in a chapel than to venture towards the Crater or be around those living nearby.
One man seems to heed the doctor’s call, running toward her. He ran past her to the bar counter, however, revealing his true intentions. The unkempt bartender curses under his breath, “Oh no, oh no, where is it, where is it...” Behind the counter now, Alderic Fortier searches among the food and drink for something. “No, no, no , no, th-that wasn’t mine to lose, it wasn’t stolen, was it?”
“The Councilwoman?” Evelynn sounds curious by the Colonel’s presence. “She, she is here? Personally?” Evelynn gives a quick passing glance above the nearby warehouses, still wary that the sorceress may be nearby. “She finds those responsible, I doubt they’ll be bodies to provide answers for this. Hells,” Evelynn curses.
“Lucky hit, huh?” She tries to smirk. “Say the same thing after our little skirmish? Nevermind, Lucia and your friend’re still around. I hear you talk heroics in there, I’m calling you out, soldier.” The bodyguard gives a quick salute before gripping her spear, and scanning the alleys for further threats.
Beatrice chimed in after Seth, “her sentence was for a lifetime. People don’t escape from the Island, it’s, it’s unheard of. They, they had the Archmage tear the very essence of magic from the cells of people like her. I can’t, I mean, I wouldn’t believe it, I mean, if she, she wasn’t...” Beatrice trails off. Here, she may have finished, though her sentiment came through.
When Halcyon brings up the possibility of Emile’s involvement, Beatrice listens wide-eyed, lips pursed, hardly able to hide her anger. “Emm?! Y-You’re the common thread! You predicted poor Abigal’s death, the letter was written for you! And - And how can a blind woman even read a letter? How’d you know that, that this all would happen?” Beatrice turns to Marcus, her hand retracts, and her arms crossed as she calls for his backup. “Well, Marcus? How many times can an oracle see this coming and fail to help before you're suspicious?”
The note in itself was rather peculiar - the written words were given a strange attention to detail as to read as if The Man in the Mirror spoke them, rather than how a letter should read. His contractions, his word choice, and his tone seems to have painstakingly attempted to capture his voice. It almost comes off as a performance piece, like attempting to stay true to a stage character.
All at once, Guard officers and infantrymen swarm the warehouse. Their arrival quickly relieves the red-plumed bodyguards hired by the missing Alexander Ravenhall. Though the colonel is nowhere to be seen, several detectives begin to analyze the scene both inside and outside the warehouse.
One particular fidgeting man is familiar: hidden underneath a beige trench-coat, eyes warily flicking around the warehouse was Detective Francis Albert. He smokes, despite being indoors, and wore large, gray circles beneath his eyes. He walks inside, ignoring the occupants, instead lingering on small details throughout the warehouse.
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Marcus holds his hands up in a placating manor between the two [b]"now now, both of you calm down, we've all been under a great deel of stress recently, but that's no reason to throw out accusations. Besides, it was a wise man that once said once is happenstance, twice happenstance, thrice is enemy action"
"Ah-" Gill starts, stopping and looking down for a moment for some inspiration. "Alright. Just, uh... make sure it doesn't go off. It's not like alchemist fire - lots of fire in a limited area - that bomb carries a disease, and for it to have been effective after that sorceress's incursion, it must be able to spread its miasma very far."
"Oh, sorry to be a bother, then." Gill nods her head, not deeply enough to be a bow but certainly deeper than a typical nod, and then hastily makes her way back to the stage. "Maybe Jean will realize I need a carriage too. I shouldn't doubt him." Arriving at her destination, she takes a seat on the top step, before turning to Verrill and asking, "How are you doing?"
Regardless of her conversation with Verrill, Gill will probably have remained seated on the steps near Luc by the time the Guard arrives.