The Vixen is super sneaky.
If Fashion Bug is able to help, the Vixen drops her off wherever Cashara needs the fairy to be.
But before going anywhere, the Vixen casts message on six friends/allies around her—
• Cash
• Fashion Bug
• Cal
• Martha
• Hank
• and even Madam Zulu
—so all can keep in contact through VV.
Caledon wipes vomit and spittle from the corner of his mouth. In his mind he hears a memory of Aurddolen. Observe, orient, act
He mutters "observe" and looks for tracks, trying to recreate the scene of them being dragged from the house as best as possible. He pays special attention to oxen tracks.
He then casts an eye up to the clouds.
After divining what he can from the ground and the sky, he stares intently at the Henry's manor.
Caledon bellows. "Get on with it Goat! Penny didn't kill her self because you drugged and robbed her."
After a moment he adds "And you better not be doing anything lewd to my Ox!"
If the Message spell works, the Vixen tells Cashara, I’ll become a pixie and hide with me fairy friend.
She does so, though after hiding since without her sleeves she’ll shrink out of her clothes!
She shares the message with Cal.
"ok, just stay out of sight" she whispered. "I don't want you to be seen by anyone, and neither do I."
and with that, she makes her way to the gardens
As the Vixen-turning-pixie shrinks out of her clothes, she Messages back to Cashara, “Ooooohhhh, shit. Yeah, ye got that right, Cash. I’ll keep me li’l pixie bod outta sight!
Because... reasons.”
Cashara couldn't help but blush at the words.
"just think of it as more incentive to do so." she whispered as she looked for the dragon in the gardens
The pixelated Vixen responds with another message as she finally drags herself out of the enormous heap of clothing.
“What the f!@&’s with the granny panties?! Did whoever stole me bodysuit dress me in something out o’ Madam Zulu’s suitcase?!”
She had to hold back a laugh as she continued to look for the dragon
The Vixen looks around for her diminutive companion, but she's nowhere to be seen... A sense of panic becomes apparent when she realizes she can't even sense the fairy...
As the gunslinger stands the old woman on her lap rolls off, and let's out a groan. Across the porch, Hank shakes Lance awake and Minkins goes to check on his employer.
The wizard's eyes scan the scene. He notices muddy footprints going back and forth between the door and the unconscious bodies. Their are also drag tracks next to the prints.
A look at the sky says the it should be a bit cloudy for the next few days. Finally, the manor seems to be mostly stone, and the wet wood wouldn't burn well. But a fire from the inside could devastate the interior, but not level the house.
Caledon's shout causes DeVill to wake up and sit up suddenly, which causes Martha to yelp. DeVill covers his mouth with his hand as he scrambles to the edge and vomits over the side. When he's done he turns around, his once slicked hair dripping over his face. His pupils are like pinpricks as he scowls,
"What's going on!?!?!"
Cashara tossed the torn up pieces of paper and looked at him with a slight smile.
"we have been knocked out and messed with." she says, with a hint of her own irritation.
"I'll be back." she said, with some hint of suspicion. "If I'm not back in half an hour, I might have been displaced to another location."
and then she walks off to the gardens to find the dragon
The Vixen is super sneaky.
As VV sneaks off, she realizes her pixie form is far more suitable for hiding. But… after imagining the unintended consequence of size-altering magic, she thinks it’s just as well she can’t alter her body while not in possession of her suit.
I can still kick real hard without me boots. Oh, and I will. Whoever took Hanako, stripped me… ye’re gonna wish ye killed me.
Caledon checks to see if the front door is locked.
As the girls leave, Martha reaches for them, but then retracts her arm.
DeVill sees them going and shrieks, "Where are they going? WHERE ARE THEY GOING?" but everyone seems to ignore him. Although it does seem to wake Madam Zulu.
@Cash and Vv
You begin your decent down the stairs on the left side of the house, to the garden. From above, you can see a large assortment of plants and flowers, as well as many topiary animals, including a large dragon in the center of the garden.
@Cal
As you reach for the handle a loud crashing noise is heard from the balcony above you.
A voice cracks out and says "Not a step closer, wizard, endless you wish to be the first to die."
"Aurddolen told me everything."
I looked around, trying to act as though I really cared about if I was seen or not.
and I head straight for the dragon and see if I just pull it, or if I need to push it or if there is some secret way to open it.
I then check to see if I can see anyone looking before opening/moving it.
The Vixen keeps herself hidden and her eyes peeled.
Cashara weaves her way though the garden, the vixen stealthily following behind. As the cowgirl approaches the topiary dragon, she see's a large red flower, unbloomed, growing in the dragon's mouth.
She looks around but doesn't see anyone, but she does notice that the ground in front of the dragon had been disturbed.
The voice (which sounds like Dr. Watts, but scratchy and low) replies,
"He barely knows what he is talking about! Now, everyone! Back away from the door so we can begin!"
As the wizard turns to look behind him, he sees the other guests...
DeVill stands, leaning on his cane, looking up with a puzzled look on his face as Minkins hides behind him.
Madam Zulu's face is beet red and she seems to be shaking with anger.
Martha is also shaking, but with fear, as she dimly stares at the balcony.
Lastly, Hank and Lance exchange looks. Hank looks dumbfounded and Lance looks like he's about to be sick...
Cashara quickly starts to remove the disturbed earth to see what might be there
Loud enough for Wendy to hear."Curious. Test subject 'Wendy' is easily agitated by negative verbal stimulus. Further, it still believes it is conducting the experiment instead of vice versa. Even my initial estimate of it's intelligence was too high. I will continue with negative verbal stimuli."
Caledon dramatically clears his throat and then speaks in a loud vaudevillian stage voice "All that trouble and you forgot to lock the door!? That's as sloppy as your essay comparing the regeneration abilities of ice trolls and the common flatworm. When the scientific community calls you goat behind your back it's not only because you smell like one."
He pauses for a second. "That probably wasn't clear enough for a simpleton. Let me edificate you further, but on your level. We call you goat because you're stupid and you smell bad."
The Wizard DOES NOT move away from the door as instructed.
The Vixen, feeling lost without her little fairy friend, gets as close to Cashara as she can and looks around—
She tries using her psychic link with Fashion Bug. Can ye feel me? Is it the magic dampener, or…? VV dares not put her fears into words.
There's silence for a moment... The Amp's distorted voice replies,
"For one, that essay was written in my earlier years. But, that doesn't matter because if you think your schoolyard insults are going to rattle me then your sorely mistaken. You see, I'M the one safe and sound and YOU'RE the ones cold and wet outside. Furthermore, if you don't step away from the door..."
You hear the click of a gun as the other guest flinch and gasp.
The Vixen creeps closer and looks around but it seems the only living things around are herself, Cash, and a small black bird with a long beak that's attempting to get something in the dirt in a flower patch. The Vixen can't feel even the slightest trace of her pixie friend...
From over Cash's shoulder she sees...
The gunslinger quickly pushes aside the dirt and find four crudely made brass daggers resting in a pile as well as another crumpled sheet of paper.
Cashara cautiously, and safely pockets 3 of the four daggers and holds the four as she reads the note.
"how good are you at throwing daggers?" she asks softly, but sure it was loud enough for Vermilion to hear
“I’ve a decent throwing arm,” the Vixen replies. “And I’m otherwise empty-handed, making me among the few actually better off bringing a knife to a gun-fight.”
She tries to grin at the comment, but fear for her missing fairy friend makes her delivery less than chipper.
Cashara passes back the one she is holding and another one, keeping two for herself as she reads the note
The letter written with the same fast but neat lettering as the first. This one only states They are in the jungle, the mountain, and the savanna.
“Me fairy friend,” the Vixen says to Cashara. “Me guess is she’s in the jungle, yer stuff’s in the savanna, and maybe Caledon’s is in the mountain. Or something like that. Something dear to us, taken from us, and we need to get it.”
Noah DeVill push Lance to the side as he hobbles over, leaning heavily on his cane (odd...). He reaches out and says as his eye twitches,
"Are you trying to kill us?!? Get over here immediately!" he punctuates this with a load tap of his cane and a hurried waving motion.
"It's worth checking." she said. "I suggest heading out now. Do you know which is closest right now? I still don't remember East from North or South."
She waved a finger around to help emphasis.
VV shrugs. “Maybe Cal can help. He seems kind o’ nature-boyish. I’m too much a city gal.”
And, try as she might to recall any hint as to where anything is, the Vixen’s just too distracted with her fears for Fash’s safety and Uncle Henry’s death…!
Caledon takes a quick glance at the DeVill's cane to see if it is a sword or pistol cane before attempting to open the door.
"well then, let's get going." Cashara said as she stood up. "if anything, DeVill might be causing a little trouble."
She quickly picked her way back out of the garden and ran back to the house.
She tried to get a good idea of what's going on when she got back.
@Cash
The garden is a maze of neatly laid flowers and foliage but you quickly find your way back to the start. You fly up the steps and see the oddest of sights...
You see Caledon standing in front of the main door with DeVill slowly inching closer. The other guests (sans Frogmouth of course) are huddled in terror and awe of the thing on the balcony. And on the balcony is...
Henry?
@Cal
Its quite apparent (to you at least) that the cane is in fact a very very very fancy and well made pistol in disguise. DeVill inches closer and swears under his breath.
You place your hand on the doorknob...
Character Info...! Finally!
Madam Vivian Zulu: The exact age of Vivian Zulu is highly debated with guesses from a very stressed 40 to 600. Whatever her age it is rather obvious she has lead a odd life. Orphaned at 3, Vivian and her brother Ishmael (now deceased) were raised by their possibly abusive Grandfather Rainsford Zulu (also now deceased). Although her grandfather was very rich he left nothing to either of his grandchildren when he died, leaving them homeless and penniless. Vivian and Ishmael learned the ways of the street quickly, Vivian giving psychic reading and her brother making a tumbling troupe with the other boys. Their little show grew in popularity and they were soon recruited by Dr. Cashus J. Winkle's Traveling Troupe. Very successful as side show attractions Vivian saved every Gold piece she got in till she was able to buy stocks is several big companies and live the rest of her life in comfort. Her brother on the other hand refused to join her in the ranks of the rich claiming the circus was his calling. Because of this Vivian cut all ties to her family and lived a life in style while her Brother remained poor but happy, earning the title "The Flying Ishmael" after becoming a trapeze artist. Vivian is a widow and never had any kids.