"Your man with the newly earned prosthetic can attest to what happens when we decide something is actionable. And clearly, we're still listening, so the real question is what is this entire part of town not being turned upside down by every officer looking to make a name for themselves with a big collar worth to you? While I have no doubt you'll come out of it just fine.....it wouldn't be that great for business would it?" Corynne asks calmly hoping Alice wasn't about to shoot him in the face.
There was a lot of death in this building, she could feel the restlessness of those who met their end here over the years.
Kell roars with laughter at Cornne's veiled threat. "You've got stones, little missy! Tell you what: cause you're funny, I'll let you have the doctor for the low price of a thousand gold. Seeing as he's clearly important enough for RHC officers to come here, I'd say you're getting quite the bargain."
Meanwhile, the 'show' begins. A drunk and confused docker is pushed out onto the stage, and a scandalously-dressed seductress flirts with him and makes a show of picking his pocket while he's distracted by his advances. Then another thief posing as a jealous boyfriend makes an appearance, and after chasing the docker with various objects - eliciting guffaws from the crowd - the seductress and her 'boyfriend' begin beating the man.
"Not really... what could LeBrix have seen that we don't? Actually..." she trails off for a moment, yawns. "Sorry. What time is it? We could go back and ask him."
"Sounds like a plan," Miselle agreed.
As a matter of fact, Alice was extremely tempted to shoot the man in the face, and had she been alone she might have done just that. But Corynne and Azaghal were there, so she attempted to be as diplomatic as possible. Her voice low, so that Kell wouldn't feel challenged in front of his men, she addresses him glacially.
"Do you believe in chance? A long time ago, your namesake King Lorcan defeated the Cauldron Hill witches with the help of a Crysilliri geneu credetos. And not only did we recently visit Cauldron Hill, but it turns out that there is a Crysilliri player, hostile to you, in a grotesque reversal of that old alliance."
"Now, I strongly dislike the Family and its leader, so I'm partial to staying out of your power struggle unless we are tasked otherwise, and unless one of you takes action against us. Something like an attempt at kidnapping and extortion. And if he doesn't scare you, there are people in the Royal Navy who still owe me a favor, you know firsthand what Azaghal can do, and Corynne has mastery over the spirits of the deceased. Should you do something as uncouth as trying to kill us, and there are at least two armies that can vouch for how hard that is, I would have no qualms unleashing everything I can on this place."
"Which is to say, this doesn't have to turn ugly. I say that no gold changes hand, we and the doctor walk out of here, and tonight I'll have a chocolate éclaire and forget the unpleasantness. Or we can turn Parity Lake into a recreation of the Fourth Yerasoli War."
Kell gets a nasty gleam in his eye. "That's twice you've threatened violence against me - in my own home, no less! I didn't realize RHC constables were so bloodthirsty. Tell you what, seeing as you've caught me in a generous mood, I won't take your gold this time. Final offer: I'll give you the doctor if you kill the drunk." He points at the half-dead man onstage.
Taking a quick peek outside the nearest window, Ellena looked to Miselle "It's late, but not that late and I really don't want to wait another night... do you think we can go now?"
"If we still need to work, we might as well make him work too," Miselle replied cheerfully. The sooner they had answers the sooner this whole diplomatic nightmare could be undone.
Alice glares silently at Kell, knowing that anything she could say will lead to violence. A drop of blood appears on her mouth as she bites her lip in silent rage. "Corynne, Azaghal, thoughts?"
Corynne takes a deep breath. She could see Alice desperately trying to restrain the urge to kill Kell, and most likely them all. The room practically radiated death, and in the moments they wavered in the decision, a man got closer and closer to death.
Seeing the look on Az's face mirroring her own, distaste and acceptance, she levels her gaze on Kell, her usual eerie calm notable in the tense scenario.
"A thousand gold and you let us take the drunk to a healer. I doubt a murder with three Constables at witnesses is a headache even you want. Hell, I doubt he's worth as much trouble to you as the one we shot on the way in."
Kell pretends to think it over before barking out a laugh and signalling the 'actors' to stop the show. "Fair enough! Let's see the money, then." "He's stashed away in the abandoned rock church in the Nettles. Password is 'Back to the theater, boys.'"
Miselle headed towards the embassy, occasionally whistling.
Taking the beaten man with them, Corynne waits until they're a good distance away before taking the time to access his condition.
The man is badly bruised and appears to have a couple cracked ribs, but he'll live. One benefit of being extremely drunk: he doesn't seem to be in much pain - although that's sure to change once he sobers up.
Walking in-step with Miselle, Ellena seemed completely lost in thought - she very nearly stepped into a carriage. Twice.
Barundar spits on the ground as they walk away with the drunkard under in tow, a scowl on his face. "Bah, a curse on that foul excuse for a sentient creature! We will be giving him his comeuppance, one day. We will take back our gold from his cooling corpse." he says, his gruff voice filled with a venom unusual for him.
Sighing softly, he looks to the others. "Should we meet up with Ellena and Miselle before heading to the rock church?"
Fuming for allowing herself and the team to be caught in a trap, Alice walks with her hands behind her back, thinking of revenge, death and war. "Oh, more than killing him, I want to ruin him. To see him squirming and powerless, and then to have him meet his end by the unpassionate hand of the Law. Cippiano is as much as a scumbag as his, but at least he maintains a façade of civility."
A pebble is thrown violently from steel-toed boots. "Yes, let's go together to the church, so we'll be prepared for unpleasantness. And we can leave this poor man to sleep off the alcohol in a cell."
"That sounds like the best idea. He'll be in a world of pain when he wakes up, at least a few ribs broken. He'll probably be very grateful for a bit of healing in the morning." Corynne comments as they help the barely conscious man along.
According to Kell, the doctor's holed up in an abandoned Clergy church built into a rocky cliff face in the Nettles. Its keepers left decades ago after an influx of factory workers; their adherence to the Old Faith overwhelmed the Clericists. Now, the plateau facade is obscured through a tangle of brush, vines, and tumbled stones, but out of some sense of respect, the locals give it a wide berth. The nearest homes are a hundred feet from the entrance.
"So... do we... what? Walk up and knock?" Ellena asks, looking at the others. "Because I remember *some* things from Defensive and Offensive Architecture, and one of them is what a killing field looks like. I doubt they'll be happy to see our uniforms; they may not give us the chance to speak."
Corynne studies the building, her knowledge of the Nettles rich history filling in the blanks as to what they might expect.
"Clergy, eh? Ironic, considering who their adversary is. I'll check ahead."
Drawing her rapier, Alice creeps through the foliage towards the entrance.
The "Church in the Rock" was originally built by the favorite meditation spot of a legendary paladin of yore. Although his name has long been forgotten, his selfless dedication influenced the entire area. In fact, almost all of the aasimar in Flint were born near this area.
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A pair of bored-looking thugs are waiting just inside the entrance. They don't appear to have noticed you yet. Based on their appearance, they're likely Kell's men - and they have the familiar demeanor of (not particularly motivated) guards.
Az hangs back, holding his musket in the crook of his arm, the muzzle pointed toward the ground but ready to swing up at a moment's notice. He knows to leave the talky parts to the more talky people.
With a wolfish grin, Alice draws the gun too and emerges from the brush, pointing the firearm at the closest guard's face. "Go back to the theater, boys, or put up a fight. Either is fine by me."
The guards grin wolfishly at Alice but keep their hands away from their weapons. "If you want 'im, be our guest. Bit of advice: don't get too close to his nook. He says he's got it booby-trapped." They then proceed to walk past you and head back toward the city.
Alice puts back the gun, but keeps the sword in her hand, addressing her companions. "Alright, looks pretty clear. I'm taking point."
Cautiously, she enters the church. An uneasy feeling makes her shiver as the ancient blessing embraces her, keeping death just a bit away. She is still used to the dark presence being close to her.
"Um..." Ellena whispers, hanging back. "Should we let him know we're coming? We want him to like us."
Inside the church, the first thing you see are broken and scattered pews. The 20ft-high arched ceiling here once reverberated with the sound of singers, but now the only sound is the eerie echo of your footsteps. The doorway at the end of this room lacks a door, and the hallway there is cluttered with debris. Through there, you find the common room. Once the center of activity for monks, the room is now no more than a broad flooded sump. Of the four pillars holding up the roof, one has crumbled, and another has toppled - perhaps due to the recent earthquakes. The doctor must be hiding here somewhere, as there doesn't appear to be any way out aside from whence you came.
Miselle nodded to that idea. "Doctor von Recklinghausen? Professor Kindleton sent us to help you."
Corynne stands just inside the doorway, extending her senses into the supernatural realm, to peer beyond normal sight.
There's a long silence before an educated-sounding (but moderately frightened) voice responds from somewhere to the northwest. "Who are you?"
"Constables Kildare, Durande, Tabbitt, Flintbreaker and Fitelle, RHC!" shouts Alice towards the voice. " You may know my brother Andrew, he's a surgeon too!"
Miselle winced delicately. Given the fake officer chasing the man, she hadn't been intending to mention that. Hopefully, the mention of Alice's brother would help persuade the man. "Do no worry, we are not like the man who was following you. We are genuine officers. Your friend trusted us enough to speak to us. We ask that you do the same."
An intelligent-looking gentleman cautiously steps out from behind a ruined wall - although he remains well out of reach with his hand on a sheathed rapier. "I've heard of Dr Fitelle, but that doesn't mean you're actually who you say you are. I will listen to what you have to say, but if you approach, I will activate my defenses."
Miselle nodded. "Wise. We are from the RHC. We were assigned to the death of the young woman who, for lack of a better term, fell to her death and understand that you, sir, were a witness. That you're the last person with her, a trained medical professional, and in possession of something she had on her at the time she died. We would like to speak to you about her wounds, her final words and what she was carrying, and if you have any idea why this imposter policeman is following you now."
After Miselle speaks, Alice adds a few remarks. "We spoke to Professor Kindleton and Doctor Camp; the Professor told us about the help request you had sent to her through magic, of course after questioning extensively our identity. What even is the use of badges if nobody believes them?"
The doctor responds (somewhat snootily) to Alice first. "When credentials are easily falsified, it's unwise to trust them without additional verification. And if 'Officer Porter' has genuine credentials, that's even worse, as it reveals that your organization has been infiltrated. Neither option is appealing to me." Despite his words, he seems slightly calmer now. "The woman you're referring to leapt out of a window and landed in front of me. Unfortunately, it was instantly apparent that her wounds were beyond my skill to heal. She handed me a pendant and a stack of documents before expiring. Then someone shot at me from the window she leapt from, so I fled. Minutes later, I was attacked in an alley but escaped. I've been on the run ever since."
"I can assure you, Porter is not among our officers. However, I cannot prove that to you at this moment." Miselle considered for a moment. "This person who fired upon you, did you see them? And the attacker in the alley?"
"Something unnatural - a creature imbued with energy from the Bleak Gate. I don't think it expected me to be able to injure it, but I managed to slice its hamstring."
You hear footsteps stealthily coming up behind you. One set is limping slightly, but there's at least one more set.
"The Bleak Gate? Corynne, maybe that ritual might help?"
"It might well," Miselle agreed, noting that the doctor was indicating whoever attacked him in the alley was the same as the one in the Embassy. Fast little beggar, if so.
"There's something coming behind us!" Ellena half-whispers, trying to fight the stress and keep the Doctor from hearing. Drawing Fabian, she moves back towards the noise.
Drawing her gun and turning in one movement, Miselle scanned the area for what she assumed would be Kell's thugs, coming in to betray them. There were days when she regretted using non-lethal ammunition.
Almost as soon as Ellena gets it out, Az whirls on his heels, calling aloud,"Behind us!" as he raises his musket to the crook of his arm, ready to fire.
Alice draws sword and pistol, a manic grin on her face. "Doctor, those defenses might help now."
Rushing to the side of the entrance, she flattens against the wall to ambush the intruders.
You barely have time to turn and draw your weapons before they're upon you: a pair of shrouded humanoids with daggers. Coming up behind them is a creature that appears to be formed from pure shadow. It's unarmed, but judging by the size of its claws, it doesn't need any other weapon. It's limping slightly and has a shallow gash on its chest that appears to be a few days old. Then the lights go out.
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"Looks like it's a little late for that." Corynne replies as she turns toward the incoming intrusion. As eveything goes dark, she reaches into her potion belt, popping the seal on a vial that she brings to her lips and swallows quickly.
"You won't mislead me in my city, monster." hisses Alice, reaching for her breast pocket for a spherical, grey trinket. A heatless flame envelopes the consumed ioun stone, shining against the darkness as the item flies to Alice's head. "Ellena, by my side, keep your defense up!"