After turning the thief over to another pair of guards to be taken into custody, you continue your patrol of the district. As you are walking along the eastern borders of the fairgrounds, screams erupt from an excavation project on a nearby street. Workers flee, scattering their shovels and pickaxes as four skeletons in rusted armor clamber up from a hole in the pavement.
The Doctor eyes up his enemies and runs through the combat possibilities.
He closes in but his thrust is a little off and passes harmlessly between the skeleton's rib bones. It would have pierced the heart if there was one...
"Skeletons? I can't say I expected the undead in our route today."
Dani follows Jack, playing her violin to inspire her comrades as they stride forth in style to theme music.
Edison {A}runs in at the first skeleton and tries to smash it with his fist shaped Monkey's fists.
"SOMEONE is going to get a thorough lashing."
Edison shatters a skeleton with his first blow, but misses with his follow up. Jack also misses. The undead retaliate, Edison taking two cuts from their scimitars.
"Since when are there animated skeletons in the centre of Absalom?!"Dora exclaims.
She fires off a magic missile after its earlier success. She aims one missile at each of the remaining skeletons.
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Edison's {A}hands glow with righteous power and the cuts start to knit themselves back together somewhat.
Then he comes down on another Skeleton.
Doctor Jack, seeing that the others are doing a far better job than he is, retreats to block the skeleton's path to the women but not before taking a parting swipe at a skeleton.
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Dora’s magic missiles each destroy one of the remaining skeletons! Jack and Edison heal the champion’s wounds.
The workers thank you profusely for dealing with the undead menace. Since an earthquake nearly destroyed the district decades ago, the Precipice Quarter has been haunted by the spirits of those who died in the catastrophe. While the city has made an effort to clear out the monsters in advance of the Radiant Festival, incidents are still disturbingly common. In this case, street workers accidentally disturbed four undead soldiers trapped within a collapsed chamber. Now, the area should be safe again.
You complete you circuit of the Precipice District, coming upon the scene of the second incident Sergeant Ollo told you about. High-pitched shouts and the sound of breaking glass emerge from a narrow wooden building painted with mystic runes. A woman in a floppy, wide-brimmed hat stands outside the door, arms crossed and tapping her foot impatiently. She looks up to the sky in exasperation and snaps, "Finally! It took you long enough. I'm Marin Porphyry. There's a boy inside my workshop smashing up the place! He says he's the apprentice of a wizard named Kemeneles. He's convinced that I kidnapped or murdered his master or some such and won't leave until I release him! I barely remember Kemeneles from our time together at the Arcanimirium, and I absolutely had nothing to do with anything that might have happened to him. I am a far more powerful wizard than this little whelp, but I'd prefer to let you handle matters. This sort of thing is your job, isn’t it? Besides, roasting my own workshop to remove a housebreaker rather defeats the point."
Edison moves to the doorway and peers inside, "Son, come out and talk to us, before I thump you into unconsciousness. I'll listen to you, if you come out."
The door is locked, but peering through the windows, Edison can see a teenage Taldan boy pulling books off of shelves and smashing glass equipment. "Go away!" he shouts, his voice cracking from puberty. "I am not the villain here. Marin is! I know in my heart she's responsible for my master's disappearance, and I won't stop until I find the evidence!"
"Oh Edison, threats of violence are not going to help, he is just a boy. Try being a little more gentle." Dora says with an exasperated tone.
"Young Apprentice, please just put down what you're holding and take a deep breath. We can come and talk to gather evidence to work out where your master has gone. We do not want to hurt you." She says loudly over Edison's shoulder. She glances around at her colleagues for more support.
"Oh, yeah?" the boy squeaks. "Why should I trust you? What do you know of arcane magic, anyway?"
Speaking as softly as she can to still be heard, "I studied for a short while at the University here too, I'm not a powerful wizard but absolutely capable of the mysteries of the arcane myself. If you come out here, I can prove it."
Whispering behind her, she asks "Can anyone else cast arcane here to help out, it might help him trust us?"
His interest piqued, the boy cautiously unlocks the door and peers out. "Show me."
Once Dora demonstrates her arcane abilities, he sighs and comes out of the workshop. "Okay, fine. I didn't mean to cause trouble, honest. I'm just really worried about Master Kemneles. We came to the city two weeks ago and split up to run errands, but I haven't seen him since! He always talked and talked about the villainy of his sworn rival, Marin Porphyry! I was convinced she was behind his disappearance, but now I'm not so sure."
Marin snorts derisively. "'Sworn rival?' Guy's got a high opinion of himself, it seems."
"Well done for coming outside. Its hard to control our feelings when we're worried sometimes. You need to apologise to Marin here, as smashing up their shop was certainly not the best way to go about it. Next time you're worried, you need to come to the City Watch."
"I'm really out of my comfort zone being on this side of the lecture." she muses.
"Just sit down here for a second and Agent Dani and I can have a chat with you about your master whilst Agent Marturin and Agent Whitechaple here can try to work out what Madam Marin may know about your master too." She looks pointedly at the two men, hoping that they take her up on this. This also hopefully takes Edison and the shopkeeper away from the boy before any more arguments may start!
Gesturing for Dani to join her and help, Dora begins the questioning:
"So, when and where did you last see you master, and what is his name?"
"S-sorry," the young apprentice stammers.
Marin shrugs. "As I said, I barely remember this Kemeneles guy. Got no idea where he might be. I don't want to press any charges against the kid. I'm just happy he's out of my damn shop."
The apprentice, who gives his name as Eunice, reiterates that he last saw Kemeneles two weeks ago after arriving in Absalom. They split up to run errands, and they were supposed to meet again outside the gate to the Precipice Distric, but Kemeneles never arrived at the appointed meeting spot. Eunice has not seen the wizard since.
"Doctor, inspect the crime scene. Please let us know if you find any evidence supporting the young man's accusations."
Edison turns to Madam Marin, "We'll need an accounting of the damages, in writing, delivered to the station. You can fine the boy coin, or he can work it off in your shop. When was the last time you saw the boy's master?"
There is no indication that Marin is involved in Kemeneles's disappearance in any way.
"I haven't seen him--or even thought about the guy, really--since our days in the Arcanimirium. Twenty-odd years ago? I can take care of the damages, it's fine. Sounds like the boy's been through enough anguish already," Marin says.
Dani stands alongside Dora as she coaxes the boy out and seemingly calms him down to the point of reason. She looks over at Edison and gives him a nudge of her head indicating she would like him to move Marin further away to speak so they are clear.
Once she's gone, she asks "What can you tell me of this supposedly villainy that Madam Marin is responsible for in the past? What is it he had said she had done?"
Eunice lists the grievances his master has against Marin. Most of them boil down to petty or inflated accusations that seem to stem from her ignoring his clumsy advances during their university days.
"I'm a doctor, not a flatfoot!"
The Doctor conducts a thorough and systematic search of the shop, finding a lot of teenage angst and little else. He appears disinterested the in's and out's of the boys story, leaving the interrogation to the women while he idly scans Marin's shelves.
"If she does not wish to press charges Edisson then there will be no need for a written statement of damages Agent." He points out and soon moves Edisson away from the woman
"We had best finish the patrol route." He suggests once Marin has regained her shop and Eunice has left again. "Unless efforts need to be made about finding this missing wizard."
Dani gets the senses that while the wizard may be missing, it doesn't appear that there is more here to help them find him. "Let's move along. We will keep an eye out for the wizard. Could you please describe him for us?"
After getting the description of Kemeneles, you finish your patrol without any further incidents.
When you return to Edgewatch Headquarters after completing the beat, you're met at the door by an uncharacteristically animated Sergeant Ollo. "Agents, there you are! I've just received word that some of the creatures from Knight's Marvelous Menagerie have managed to escape and are terrorizing not just the zoo’s visitors, but surrounding businesses! We need you to put things right as quickly as possible and then report back! Go, go!"
"We're on it L-T." Dani says, saluting and heading out the door. "You know, I was really looking forward to getting some tea before set out. I'm not used to this constant back and forth business." she remarks once they have left.
She shrugs and says enthusiastically, "Let's go capture some wild animals!"
"Absolutely - we should all catch a meal together to get to know each other!" Dora suggests enthusiastically. "I've only had guards rations for the last few days and I am craving something good. Maybe some Qadiran fried dough?"
"Shouldn't the pest control be on this, or do they not have that here in Absalom? I really hope one of us knows something about animals, I had a pet cat for a short while once...." her voice trails off, frowning at a bad memory.
"The City Guard is pest control, along with rubbish disposal, homeless patrol and graffiti removers. And that is simply on a good day." The Doctor comments dryly. On the rest of the patrol he has taken the time to work on people's injuries, starting with his own.
Tents, wagons, and carpets displaying goods for sale define a small marketplace just outside the zoo’s fence. Panicked merchants shout from behind wagon doors or tightly closed tent flaps. On one of the carpets, a life- sized statue of a merchant wraps its arms around an array of fine vases, as if trying to protect them from something. Several other small rugs and pillows have been piled haphazardly in the market’s center, around which stalks a strange creature resembling a bat-winged chicken screeching challenges. As soon as it sees you, it charges!
At the mention of Qadrian dough, Dani's eyes light up "A girl after my own tastes! It's a date then, we'll find some place tonight so we can all throw back a few and chat? Hmmm?"
With regards to animals, Dani grimaces "I know nothing of animals, it's a little below the previous assignments I've been on. I'm not sure I'm going to be of much assistance on this one."
Once at their destination and the creature is revealed, Dani's eyes widen and she staggers back several steps, pointing at it. "What is that!" she gasps.
She hesitantly pulls out her violin and starts up a little ditty about a red-plumed, over-sized chickens.
Dani reaches out to an unoccupied chair and lifts it up, throwing it at the big chicken.
Edison glows with righteous light and rushes the cockatrice, swinging a monkey's fist down before kicking the legs out from under it!
Dora can't quite decide if the creature is dangerous, slightly adorable or dangerous adorable...
When it charges however she sends a jolt of electricity leaping from one hand to the end of the chicken's beak!
Dani bashes the creature with a chair, wounding it. Dora identifies it as a cockatrice! A cockatrice's peck releases a magical toxin that causes flesh to quickly calcify, and any creature pecked repeatedly by an irritable cockatrice eventually transforms into a stone statue of itself.
The sorceress fires a bolt of electricity, but the cockatrice squawks and leaps clear of the blast! Edison moves in and clobber it over the head, scoring a critical hit, then he knocks it to the ground!
Angry, the wounded beast scrambles to its feet and attacks the champion. It repays the critical hit with one of its own, then it lands another hit as well. Edison feels his body starting to calcify!
Dani picks up the second chair while continuing to play her violin. She attempts to hit the cockatrice again, but is more intent on playing than throwing it appears.
Doctor Jack circles around the creature so that he can strike from behind and flank with Edisson. He examines the creature's movements while formulating a plan!
Unfortunately the creature is thoroughly unpredictable and the doctor settles for merely menacing it.
Dora takes a few strides to her right, trying to get a better aim at the Cockatrice.
Edison slows significantly as his body calcifies, leaving him nearly petrified! Badly hurt, the champion staggers away from the cockatrice before it can completely turn him to stone!
The cockatrice shrieks and jerks as Dora's lightning strikes it, but Jack and Dani miss with their attacks. It lashes out in a frenzy, pecking Jack!
Dora, seeing Edison stiffening after the cockatrice's attack, resorts to more desperate measures.
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Dr Jack feels his limbs beginning to seize up and a part of his mind rapidly codifies the malady. The rest attempts to devise a suitable stratagem.
Before striking for the creature's head!
Dani batters the cockatrice with magic missiles, then Jack devises his stratagem and bashes the beast over the head! It crumples to the ground, unconscious!
Dora looks around, checking for any other loose or wild animals before then moving forward to look at the cockatrice.
"I really hope this was the only loose animal! He did say animals - plural..." Her voice trails off in dread. "We need to ask around to see if the locals have seen any more mayhem."
The doctor meanwhile draws the blade from his cane, looks around for anyone about to claim ownership and then calls one of the zoo attendants over.
"This creature was an uncontrolled menace." He says firmly. "It cannot be allowed to get free again. You will secure it at once!"
He then leads Edisson through a series of stretches which effectively remove the calcification over the next minute!
You can hear crashing sounds and growls coming from a nearby greengrocer's shop. Shouting and the sounds of clanging and breaking also emerge from the open-air entrance of a blacksmith shop bearing a sign reading “Parva’s Ironworks.”
Dora rushes towards the sounds of clanging from blacksmith shop, concerned that whatever animal is in there may get out much easier than from inside the greengrocer's shop.
"Blacksmith's first!" she shouts.
She tries to get a better look at the type of animal there, rather than getting too close herself for now.
Dora rushes into the smithy first. Inside, a large man wearing a turban and leather blacksmith’s apron flails with a broom at a five-foot-long lobsterlike monster, shouting, “Out! Out, you feather-faced bastard!” Most of the shop is in shambles, the shelves toppled and coated in the rust-colored dust that used to be Parva’s wares.
As you move to intervene, the monster turns its attention to you, antennae waving menacingly!
It makes a beeline for Jack, attracted by the metal blade of his sword cane. It brushes it with its antennae, causing it to start to pit and corrode.
"Oh my." Dani says, taking in the sight of the large bug. She slips her bow on her strings to start a tune of something more appealing, like food.
While playing, she takes a few steps back and with her magic picks up a broom and makes it fly end over and towards the feather-faced bastard-bug. Unfortunately however, it catches on the rung of a bucket and never makes it close to her target.
The Doctor is no fool and immediately sheathes his sword cane to save the blade as best he can. He then evaluates the situation...
and decides the best action is to hit the creature over the head with the sheathed weapon.
Dora, disgusted by the foul creature in front of her, rushes backwards to get away from it whilst letting an arc of electricity fly at it.
Edison spins with his arms out wide, bringing the his fists down on the rustmonster.