"Sure thing, sweetheart. Buy me a drink and let's chat," Cass purrs.
Once her whistle has been whetted, the woman with the eyepatch smiles at Dani. "So, you want to know about Ralso. She's the concierge at a hotel in Precipice called the Dreaming Palace. She's got a lot of gang connections, that one does, so the place is off-limits to my sisterhood--the Garrote Sisterhood, that is. We're assassins."
Cass casually sips her drink. "I'd been following a mark about a week ago, ready to take him out on behalf of a client, when he rented a room in the Dreaming Palace. I staked the place out, but he never emerged. I don't know what happened, and of course, I couldn't go in cause of Ralso. He just up and vanished. Never turned up again. Got me in some pretty hot water with my boss."
Dani nods and orders a pair of drinks for the both of them, taking note how much she missed this line of work.
She sips her drink casually while Cass talks, taking note of the names and places she gives up. "Damn." she says, shaking her head "Aren't boundaries a b@@~~?"
She pulls the hair on the left side of her face back, highlighting the scar that runs from her eye to ear. With a smirk she says "Had someone tell me that I couldn't do what I wanted, but he isn't telling anyone that anymore." With a nod of her head she motions to Cass's eye, "What got you?"
"May I?" Cass asks. If allowed, she gently runs a finger along Dani's scar before withdrawing her hand. She points to the eyepatch. "A burglar's knife. He broke into the abandoned house I was squatting in when I was a teenager and tried to take my worldly possessions. I didn't let him. Cost me my eye but earned me my first kill, and brought me to the Sisterhood's attention. They're no Red Mantis, of course, but they're the best guild Absalom's got."
Hoff eyes Jack up and down. "You're Molly Crimson's man? Yes, I can see it now. You're definitely antiseptic enough for her tastes. She's lost some of her employees, has she? Well, that's quite the shame. But it's not my job to keep track of prostitutes, no matter how clean they might be. If you need help finding laborers, though, then I'm your man."
"I heard you lost some people as well recently." Jack continues, "Something to do with the kobolds in that big pagoda? They've got the Watch looking into it now. But for a consideration I could deal with the matter before they bumble into anything more... sensitive."
Dora walks up to the bar and sits next to Edison, who seems to be having a well deserved stiff drink. She tries to make sure she is in hearing distance of Dani's intriguing conversation.
"I think you deserved that my dear fellow. 'Tommy' isn't it? I'll have something too." She says, ordering from the bar. When receiving the drink she raises it to Edison "Tommy, the man of the hour"
She tries to listen in to the conversation between Dani and Cass, appearing as if deep in thought staring into the depths of her drink.
Dani nods in approval, closing her eyes and leaning into Cass's traced finger. She opens her eyes when she finishes and listens to her tale about the knife. When she finishes, she offers a slight half-smile "Sounds like you know how to take care of things. I like that. How about you let me buy you another drink?"
Dani orders a second round of drinks for the pair. Once they arrive, she toasts Cass's and says "I'm thinking about getting into bed with Hoff. Any dirt you know that I should before I do so?"
Hoff scoffs. "A crew from the Dragonfly Pagoda did come to see me, complaining about the quarters I'd set up for them. I didn't want their complaints to reach the ears of the pagoda's architects and harm my stellar reputation, so I decided to appease them and agreed to pay for better lodging. The last I’d heard, the workers had gone to stay at a hotel called the Dreaming Palace. That’s all I know—I'm a businessman, not a nanny. If the work crew ran off, well, that’s what the architects get for bringing their own foreign workers along, since my own people would never abandon a job half-finished."
The man's grins cruelly. "Or maybe some locals got fed up with the hordes of newcomers and decided to take matters into their own hands—an inevitable consequence of the Radiant Festival. We Absalomians shouldn't have to bend over backwards to accommodate all these foreigners coming to our city."
***
Dora listens in on the conversation between Dani and Cass, and also notes Cass's demeanor. Despite her apparently relaxed attitude, the assassin is restless, her fingers tapping on the bar with nervous anticipation. She's clearly worried about something.
***
"I am quite skilled at taking care of things, especially for other people," Cass says. "Holding grudges is poison to the soul... which is why you should hire me to realize your vengeance for you, so that you may move on."
She clinks her glass against Dani's, grimacing slightly when she mentions Hoff. "Yeah. Hoff's really hates people who aren't from Absalom. He may pretend to be a man of learning and eloquence, but make him angry and he'll start dropping epithets that would make a sailor blush. Try not to make him angry."
Dani nods along with the information about Hoff, but her mind is now suddenly elsewhere. Not realizing that Dora is dropping eaves on her, Dani takes another sip of her drink and asks "Let's say I was interested. How much does vengeance cost?"
"Depends on how powerful or well-protected the mark is. The Sisterhood charges a premium for difficult jobs." Cass quirks an eyebrow. "You have a target in mind?"
"Powerful and well protected up in Ivy." Throwing down the rest of her drink, she leans forward and says "However, I can describe their protection detail, the layout of the building, optimal entrance points and suggest possible weaknesses that can be exploited."
"Ivy District? Fancy," Cass comments. "100 gold and they're as good as dead, love. Half now, half upon completion of the job. If you haven't got the cash yet, you can come back here when you do."
Dani takes in the information the best she can, but the drinks are distracting her and she's getting sidetracked as her mind wanders to the possibility of finishing the task that law was unable to do.
You mean what you were unable to do.
She clears her throat and nods, moving to place her left hand over top of Cass's right. "Got it. Thanks for the information. Have a pleasant evening."
She turns and looks for Edison, saying "Tommy? Let's go." She moves towards him and spots Dora for the first time. Straightening her dress she asks, "How's it going?"
"Its good Kris, I had such a heavenly time just now. I see you've made a new acquaintance this evening. Did it go well?" Dora says, trying to hide that she overheard anything to lessen Dani's embarrassment.
"Hoff's in hell, I got a look earlier and it looks like some sadistic torture chamber, but we may not have much choice. Jack is off in a mood somewhere or other and bit my head off whilst he is at it." She says, shrugging her shoulders.
"Oh, how was heaven? Sounds splendid" she says, looking sideways at Dora as she tries to get a read on what she means. "Yes... It went well. I learned some useful bits."
Once Dora spills the gist of the situation, Dani frowns "You talked to Jack? I think he wanted to be free of us. A bit of a loner, that one."
Nodding to Elysium, she holds out her arm for Dora to take "Would you like to accompany me to the lands of love and art?"
Calling over shoulder without looking back, she says "Tommy? Keep up."
"Never ask a foreigner to do a job in Absalom." Jack agrees easily. "We can find anything for the right price." Having extracted the information he's interested, he weighs up the benefits of pumping the crime lord for more information and decides against pushing it. "Enjoy your evening, Hoff." He says and retreats with a nod.
Outside he makes his way over to Dora at the bar. "Still here sweetling? Well I've heard everything I wanted to hear from tonight, so why don't you leave with me and we can discuss more... pleasant things."
The four of you find yourselves together in Elysium. Murals of impossibly high mountains and endless forests cover the walls here, while marble sculptures of winged snake-women curl around pillars in the corners. On one side of the room, a live griffon is chained to an artificial nest, glaring at patrons and snapping at tossed scraps, while waitstaff dressed as Calistrian clergy maintain a careful distance.
The most prominent figure in this room seems to be a dwarf with the dark skin and the shorn cheeks of the Osirian Pahmet culture.
"Love and art - sounds delightful!" Dora says, taking Dani's arm and heading towards Elysium.
When Jack approaches, she is surprised at his approach.
"I already have company but thank you Sir. You may join both of us ladies for a drink however." Dora says, ever so politely. She realises that, after Dani's comment, she shouldn't have 'recognised' him earlier.
----
Upon entering the room and seeing the Griffon, she grimaces. "Animals are not my cup of tea."
"Edison, how do you feel about Griffons?"
”I’m not good with beasts. Maybe we should skip the challenge and just try talking to the dwarf?” Edison suggests.
Dani's walk with Dora is less than straight, the three drinks she's had starting to catch up to her quickly. When she picks up her fourth drink that Dora orders, she takes a large sip and leans heavily against the sorceress and says "BAH! Animals. I thought we were done with animals!"
Taking another large sip, she nods to Edison in agreement, "We can always come back later or let Jacky-boy take care of it. Let's go see the short fellow."
She moves ahead on her own, her half-empty mug in one hand.
The dwarf nods respectfully as you approach. ”Good evening. You are making quite the name for yourself, conquering so many challenges in one night. I am Ahmoset Naz. I am a... procurement specialist. I can acquire whatever my clients need, no matter an item’s rarity, legal status, or current ownership. Perhaps you have need of my services?”
Dani sips her drink before speaking, "Perhaps we do." she says with a nod. "Are you not going to require us to conquer your challenge before we speak?"
”We may still talk, I just might not be as impressed with you!” Ahmoset says with a chuckle. The griffon shrieks behind him.
Dani finishes her drink and shouts over to the bartender
"A young, talented and extremely beautiful woman stands before you and you want her to stick her head inside the griffon to impress you? That's a bit crude, no? Alright then. I'll do it."
Dani belches loudly, following it up with a batting of her eyelashes, waiting to see what the dwarf has to say about that.
”Well, go ahead, then,” Ahmoset says, gesturing toward the shrieking griffon.
Dani nods and turns to Dora and whispers in her ear "The things I do for this job."
She takes Dora's drink from her and takes a huge sip of hers for liquid encouragement and mutters something about regretting this in the morning before turning around and striding purposefully towards the griffon.
Once there she commands "Open up, big boy." and watches the creature, trying to time the motion correctly. She bends over and inserts her head into the creatures mouth, holding her breath and trying not to piss her pants.
To everybody’s amazement, including Dani’s, the griffon doesn’t snap its jaws closed until a moment after she pulls her head free! Ahmoset laughs heartily. ”Well done! Your next drink’s on me!”
Dani claps her hands loudly and half-stumbles on her first step back, but she catches herself and saunters to the applause as she plops down next to Ahmoset. She kicks her legs up on a nearby chair, crossing them and adjusting her dress so there isn't more showing than there needs to be.
She takes the drink "So. I've amused you and proved my worth. Procurement specialist, eh? Picked up anything of interest recent? What's the gossip?"
Ahmoset has done a number of interesting jobs that he’s happy to reminisce about, such as acquiring the griffon in this room for Hoff or procuring a live ochre jelly for Hendrid Pratchett, the proprietor of the Dreaming Palace, who said he planned to use the creature as part of a unique garbage and sewage disposal system. Ahmoset didn’t ask any further questions.
When talk turns to missing people, Ahmoset notes that his work often takes him into the Undercity, and he’s pretty sure any disappearances are the work of monsters from beneath the Isle of Kortos, vagrants, or even undead stirred up by the festival and the resurrection of the Precipice Quarter. ”Bad business to reclaim a lost district, my friends,” he notes about the latter. ”Where I’m from, when the desert claims a city—you leave it to its ghosts.”
"I don't know, it might help out the lost residents too. They deserve a chance at life." Dora remarks, casually pushing Dani's drink further away from her on the table, hoping she wouldn't notice.
Turning to Dani and Jack, Dora smiles.
"You know, I think we've probably had enough merriment in here this evening. How about we head back out to the main room?"
---------------
Dora supports Dani out to the main room with a steady arm. "So, Pestilence was it? Was your trip to Hell useful?" She asks, shooting him a hopeful look.
"Yes." 'Pestilence' replies shortly, "But I do not care to remain any longer here." With that he heads for the (main) exit.
------------------------
"Everything leads back to that Hotel, the Dreaming Palace. Hoff put the workers up in rooms there. The place sounds much too well defended to be a hotel. From the people I spoke to it has golems, as well as this ochre ooze that the dwarf spoke about. And a notable madam has lost a number of her boys and girls in the area. Now I may be extrapolating too much but I suspect someone, or something, at the Dreaming Palace is abducting people and has arranged considerable defenses to cover this fact."
"What did the rest of your discover?"
"Sounds like you were efficient Jack."
Dora clears her throat and swallows deeply as if a little embarrassed.
"Well, I found out where Hoff was, but you obviously found him yourself." With some hope in her eyes, she adds; "I also made a slight connection with Reginald Vancaskerkin. You know, the owner of Eyes on Absalom tabloid, I guess he could be useful one day?"
Dora looks sympathetically at Dani.
"Dani here managed to make an acquaintance or two, especially with Cass. It seemed like you two had a lot to talk about? Did you get to learn much?" She asks, yet again giving Dani the chance to believe that Dora didn't overhear anything important.
Dani reaches for her drink but swipes nothing but open air as she talks with Ahmoset. She is more intruiged in his information than her drink however, so she doesn't think too much about it when she can't grasp it.
"Said thing, Precipice." she remarks despite a difference in opinion. This is not the time to get into the philosophy of extinguishing the stain of undead apparently. To her surprise however, Dora does speak up. This causes Dani to smile, proud that she said something.
Rising from her seat, she bids farewell to the dwarf and the griffon before accompanying the duo back to the main room. While holding Dora's arm, she puffs her chest out and looks back at the griffon and said "Ssoooooooo? Did you see that? Did you know I was so brave?"
"But I do not care to remain any longer here."
when Jack says he wants to leave, Dani frowns "Already? We just got here."
Dora clears her throat and swallows deeply as if a little embarrassed.
Dani squeezes Dora's arm "Oh Dora, you did great! I'm proud of you for branching out and doing your best to work the room."
"Dani here managed to make an acquaintance or two, especially with Cass."
And finally Dora's comment about acquaintances causes Dani to laugh "I've been quite busy tonight and picked up several useful things. First Ralso, well she's a thief and concierge at the Dreaming Palace which is protected from the Garrote Assasins, Cass Hamish's crew. Cass told me a mark went into the hotel a week ago and disappeared, never to be seen again. Her crew isn't allowed into the hotel and it's off limits from them. Anyway, recently Ralso sold Leila, a fence, a bunch of stolen Minkai items. Likely came from our missing folks, hmmm? There is definitely something with that hotel that we need to look into."
"Oh! And that dwarf, Ahmoset, he's a-", she holds up her free hand and makes air quotes "procurement specialist". She shakes her head "That hotel, well he placed a live ochre jelly their for "garbage and sewage disposal" purposes. I think our missing bodies are ending up in there."
"Thanks Dani, I hope it was useful. Jack, I'm sorry for the mistake I made earlier too, I didn't think it through."
"It sounds like Ralso might not be just a thief?" Dora ponders.
"I'm thinking we should all get a good night's sleep and put together an action plan and make preparations in the morning when we have...a clear head." She says, looking cautiously at Dani who looks a little merry.
"We should also report in to let them know what we've got right. Noone seems in immediate danger though, so I think we're alright for tonight."
When you report back to the station, Sergeant Ollo is impressed with your work and agrees that the Dreaming Palace and its proprietors seem like the common thread. Pulling station records, the meager documentation available reveals that Ralso is a convicted thief, though she served her time and has no outstanding warrants, while the hotel’s owner Hendrid Pratchett has no record at all. Without further information, agrees with your decision to begin investigating the Dreaming Palace after a good night’s rest.
You feel your recent experiences have prepared you for the challenges ahead!
"Jack, I'm sorry for the mistake I made earlier too, I didn't think it through."
"There was no harm done." The Doctor replies, relatively kindly. "Simply remember that the first rule of going undercover is to never make contact with other undercover operatives unless you absolutely must. Better that you not be known to know each other."
That night Jack heads out to the Dreaming Palace and takes up position nearby before drawing on the powers of his unusual heritage.
Dani is indeed a little merry. "Sleep? It's still early? I was thinking of going back to uhm, work, a little more. What do you think?"
The agent looks at Dora and Jack's frowns and holds her hands up, "Alright. Alright. Enough undercover for one night, I suppose." and reluctantly retires for the evening.
The following morning, Dani does not arrive on time and strolls into the morning meeting with Ollo halfway through. She stands behind Dora and Jack and tries her best to avoid the sergeants ire.
After making sure that Dani gets back without getting sidetracked by any other temptations, Dora retires to her bunk. She hangs up her dress to liven the area up a little and hopes that she could get away with not returning it for a while.
She sleeps well, but ends up waking early with possibilities about the Dreaming Palace running through her head. Eventually giving up trying to sleep, she gets up early and pens another letter to her younger sister.
The Dreaming Palace is a recent construction in the Precipice Quarter, situated at the junction of quiet Osprey Lane and the busier Sabaton Road, completed only a few months ago in preparation for the Radiant Festival.
From the outside, the hotel appears nice enough, if a little strange. Several of the street-level walls are the original thick gray stone from the foundry, with windows irregularly placed and half-concealed by elegantly draping ivy. The second floor is more conventional half-timbering with whitewashed panels and leaded windows, several brick chimneys, and a small, round tower poking up from the northeastern side.
Jack finds several rats in nearby alleys to question about the hotel. They don’t have much to offer—they see numerous humans coming and going from the building, but more seem to enter than to exit. There is no outhouse to create filth for them to feast on, suggesting that the hotel may make use of indoor plumbing—a rare novelty!
As they walk to the hotel, Dani cradles a steaming mug of some dark liquid. She sips it slowly and chats about their plan while they walk. "So, what's our plan? Shall we try some undercover work again or are we going straight in for some questioning?"
"I've been wondering about this as well. On one hand, undercover might be more dangerous, but it does also mean that we might find out more than just going in to ask questions, which I am presuming they are not going to be receptive to."
"On the other hand we actually don't know much about the clients who typically go there, how long they go there for or if its one of those strange places you can only go to with a recommendation from someone, we also might get split up so its not a clear-cut decision really." Dora has clearly thought about these possibilities quite a bit this morning.
"What do you think Jack?"
"My sources weren't able to tell me much." The Doctor replies. "If you recall we have met the man once before, although only briefly, so there is a certain risk in an undercover operation. The potential for success is significant however. If one person could take a room and smuggle the rest of us in then that could be extremely useful. The clientele seems varied however so most aliases should work I think."
"Unless..." The Doctor continues. "We would have to speak to the Lieutenant, but perhaps we could request a new operative, someone who has not been to the Hotel before. With a suitable briefing the situation would be clear enough."
Sergeant Ollo brings your request to Lieutenant Lavarsus. There is much shouting and grumbling from behind closed doors, but at length, the dwarf emerges to say that your request has been granted, on the condition that Edison is transferred to another unit. The Edgewatch isn’t exactly flush with agents, after all.
Ollo introduces you to a hale and handsome man with slicked back dark hair. A rapier is at his belt, and a holy symbol of Cayden Cailean hangs over his Edgewatch uniform. ”Devon Durant, at you service,” he says with a bow. ”Ladies,” he adds, flashing a charming smile and reaching to kiss Dani’s and Dora’s hands.
”So, undercover in a hotel? How big of a bed should I get us?” he remarks. ”Joking aside, though, how do you want me to proceed?”
"Dani, remind me never to ask for anything from the Liutenant."
------
"Charmed to meet you Devon, I'm Dora." She replies, offering her hand in a business-like fashion, trying to hide a blush.
She fills him in on their understanding of the situation so far, "I think booking a room for a night, asking what they have available for dinner in the local area as a normal guest would do and then return to us at a nearby agreed location as if you're going exploring for a short while may be a place to start? Is there anything I have missed Dani, Jack??"
"I suggest specifying a rear facing room on the first or second floor." Jack adds, "It may be a useful way to get into the building if we don't want to march in with the full force of the law."
In contrast to the ladies reception the Doctor seems very cool towards the newcomer.
"Oh my... And is that Cayden I see?" Dani says under her breath to Dora, eyeing the handsome new agent.
Dani isn't all business like Dora is, grinning wildly from the kiss on the hand. "Agent of Edgewatch, indeed. Call me Dani."
She takes up Devon's hand and intertwines her fingers in his. "I suggest that we go undercover together. It would make more sense for a pair of lovers renting a room, hmmm? We can then individually bring Dora and Jack in at separate times later and launch our infiltration from the inside, without fear of being noticed."
”Oh, fine suggestion, Dani,” Devon says. ”And, uh, just how far are you willing to commit to our aliases?” His eyebrows raise suggestively.
Dani bats her eyes at Devon "Oh. I'm very committed my duties, Dev. Can I call you Dev?" she asks, looking up at her new partner undercovers companion.
”You can call me whatever you’d like, darling,” Devon says, sliding an arm around Dani’s waist. ”I think this is the start of a beautiful partnership. Care to celebrate with a drink?” He unscrew the top of his holy symbol and offers the flask to the bard.
Dani moves her right hand to cover her lower jaw in mock surprise "A drink? I don't usually like to consume alcohol while on duty, but... Since we're going undercover, perhaps it would make for a more reliable story if we both come in after a few?" Dani suggests.
She turns to Dora and asks "What do you think, Dora?" Her look to her fellow agent, and closest friend in Edgewatch, is one with a raised eyebrow that insinuates You better agree with me!
Dora's nod in agreement is all she needs to turn back to Devon and say "Both Dora and Jack agree."
Nudging Devon towards the Amazing Wardrobe of Many Outfits, Dani says "Dev. Can you see the gear they keep on hand for undercover operations?"
"I do not agree." The Doctor says to the empty room as his fellow agents race for the wardrobe.
He sighs and goes downstairs to his cold room. There's a corpse that needs dissecting and it'll be better company than the new guy.