"About that," Maura chimes in as the artist mentions the priestess, "We actually were originally coming over here to ask you if you had more information about the missing Priestess. Miss Winter says that she isn't the only one who disappeared, and apparently it has the town on edge. Well, more on edge I suppose, if what you said about their... welcoming nature... is accurate."
Maura smiles and pulls out her Harrow deck, shuffling absentmindedly as she continues.
"We were hoping that you could give us information about her disappearance and perhaps point us in a direction that might aid in finding her. Or failing that, finding what caused her absence."
Vix flips her hair at the ‘you’re perfect’ comment. “Model, huh? Well, I did have to work to get me statuesque physique.”
Much to her relief, it’s clear she isn’t being asked to model nude. Strangely, posing for a picture makes her feel comfortable. Rooftopolis. That was the city in her dream. She remembers leaping from a rooftop to drop kick the Tatterman to save the redhead that had a knife to her throat. Was she also me? Vix wonders.
“The way the cities blend reminds me o’ how the dream world blends with the real. And if I were to interpret this into me own feelings, one city’d be the forgotten world.” She decides the Forgotten is the biggest of the three cities.
She then imagines herself as a hero, so the artist will have a good facial expression to work with. Nah, not a hero. I didn’t beat Tatterman alone. I’d’ve died trying.
Part of a heroic team then. With that thought, her expression is still just as heroic, but also more positive—heroic, without the loneliness she’s known for longer than she can remember.
”I’m certainly not averse to earning coin,” Ci Ci says. ”And assuming you’ve had buyers, your work is clearly of a quality to support a comfortable lifestyle for you. We still need to find these missing people, though, before they mob up again and decide we are guilty, facts be damned. In other words, we can hang around all day and still keep our necks unbroken.”
”We still need to find these missing people, though, before they mob up again and decide we are guilty, facts be damned. In other words, we can hang around all day and still keep our necks unbroken.”
Hasok huffs, "I have the fresco in New Chapel to finish and other works to keep me busy. Just a few hours each night should suffice." He hands the party 500 gold, "Payment up front."
"We were hoping that you could give us information about her disappearance and perhaps point us in a direction that might aid in finding her. Or failing that, finding what caused her absence."
He frowns, "I wish I knew more. We had an appointment and she never showed up. I tried to report it to constable Cesyll and magistrate Padgett at Fort Hailcourse. But the magistrate is on an important errand and the constable said she was busy running the fort. I went to Iris Hill to report it to Count Lowls but he has also left on a trip, the guards there turned me away. I then went to the Sleepless Building to see if they could help but I fear they are a bit overtaxed."
Maura nods, the cards being shuffled in rhythmic fashion as she does.
"So Count Lowls, this Priestess and the magistrate are all conveniently... absent... at the same time. I suppose I can see why people might be more nervous, their leadership is slowly disappearing. No matter, you said that she used to reside in the apartment you are offering to us, correct? If so, did you go inside after she failed to meet you?"
Lily is more than excited about the prospect of modelling for some art and begins to instinctively bounce up and down a bit in excitement but before she can say anything the others start their grand inquiry and she frowns ever so slightly. When there is an opportunity she also asks "Uh, so as we have all seen this town is full of a bunch of grumpy pants, but they seemed to be particularly not happy with us. I mean... my companions even thought they might poison us!"
She lets her exclaimed statement sink in a moment before continuing "Anyway, since you've been here for a couple months, do you happen to know what went down with us by chance? Like, we totally don't remember almost anything so, if you have any ideas it could help too."
"Oh my no, she didn't live there. It's for guests of the church. Come to think of it I don't know where she lived. The priestess did mention a group of people to steer clear of, did the count's dirty work. Could that have been you? You don't seem like the type but you never know."
"I hope not. I'm going to be very disappointed in myself if I'm actually some amoral criminal thug," Ci Ci replies.
Maura merely shrugs. "I honestly do not know. I only have... well, I will be honest, recent memories. As in memories of this morning, plus a few older ones that are not properly my own." The grey skinned woman shudders involuntarily at the reference.
"That said, according to my admission paperwork I was in the employ of this Count before contracting a case of amnesia. I honestly cannot say if I was a member of a group, a maid, or just his personal soothsayer... the form is silent on the nature of my job, just that he was the one to have me admitted to the Asylum."
Maura puts away the cards once more as she finishes speaking, seemingly without thinking about it.
"Is there anything more you could tell us about this meeting that failed to happen? Where or when it was supposed to take place, for example?"
Vix is brutally honest. More honest than brutal, she lies to herself.
“I don’t remember Klynn. But earlier a man said ‘remember Klynn,’ and after he said that, people treated me real nice.
“We just rescued a group of innocents from an ultra-violent psychopath, and if not for Saiya and Ci-Ci here, I’d be dead. If we were the cold-hearted bastards people say we are, a lot o’ good people would be dead.”
Every memory the Vixen has of her past tells her she’s a hero… but evidence in this town doesn’t support that. Her recent actions do.
“Only thing I can be sure of… me mind’s been tampered with. Anyone with the power to erase a mind can probably control a mind. It’s the only explanation for why the townsfolk—like those people ye saw form an angry mob?—think we’re the a*#*++&s.
“Y’know… us being the people who spoke up to prevent violence.”
"It was supposed to be early in the morning just before sunrise at New Chapel. We were supposed to go over my progress. I don't know Klynn, maybe its a townie thing."
Saiya considers the little Hasok knows about what they might have previously done, and Vix's suggestion that perhaps they had been mind-controlled. She certainly can't imagine Vix or Lily doing something terrible enough to turn a whole town against them, so the mind control theory could fit. Doesn't mean she likes it.
She's far less disturbed by the thought of being an 'amoral criminal thug' than she is by the thought of being controlled so thoroughly. Doing someone else's dirty work was a balancing act: your conscience on one side and how good the pay was on the other. It was a choice. To not be able to choose...to be forced into actions you didn't want to commit...
She feels the distinct urge to flee back into the shadows.
"So." She swallows hard. "Thanks for telling us about the guest room. And, uh, everything else. If you really want us to model for you, then I have no objections." Not entirely true, the thought of seeing herself framed against that sickly yellow sky makes her feel a bit nauseated. But 100 gold was a lot of money, and she had the choice to decide that was worth some minor discomfort.
"Maybe Wrentz will know more. About these disappearances...and about us."
Maura nods at the added information. "We shall see if I have time for modeling. If I do, I will come over. If not, I will refund your deposit. In either case, please let us know if you remember anything else about the disappearance... anything odd or out of place about her behavior the day before... strange things that stuck out the day of... anything that you can remember." As she says this last bit, her face scrunches up, "No pressure though... we seem to not be the best models of memory ourselves." So saying she nods at Saiya's suggestion.
"Yes, we probably should move onward, if for no other benefit than to allow our artist... friend... here the space to create."
Vix says, “For what ye paid up front, I intend to make time for modeling.
“In fact, I know exactly what I wanna spend me share on, if ye happen to know where I can get spider silk for me own artistic talent.”
That said, she’s ready to head out with the others.
"Let's get to it," Ci Ci says as the group readies itself to head out. "I will definitely be back to model for your mural. Thanks for the upfront pay," she says to Hasok.
When Vix mentions the possibility of being mind controlled Lily looks visible taken back and concerned. She keeps looking like she is about to say something but hesitates and stops, waiting a moment before thinking about saying something and stopping again. Eventually just letting out a sigh she purses her lips and then frowns. When the others are ready to depart she notes to Hasok "Yeah thanks! We will totally be back to do some modelling, for sure!" Her thoughts turning back to the modelling and away from the potential of being mind controlled her smile returns and she is ready to follow along with the others.
Deep gray clouds loom like a low ceiling in a dark room. The Sleepless building is a large two story structure, home of the Sleepless Detective Agency. It is dark and quiet when you arrive, it takes more than one knock on the door to receive an answer.
A short human woman answers the door and smiles warmly when she sees Winter, but her expression quickly sours as she sees the party. Frowning she says, “Winter? What’s the meaning of this?”
Winter serious, replies, “Meg, these are the people who helped me survive the asylum, we need to speak with Cesadia”
Meg leads you into a neatly appointed office with a fit woman approaching middle age sitting at a desk. Her hair is reddish-brown that is kept trimmed short. Her eyes are large and inquisitive, and her pale skin is scattered with freckles. She speaks with a calm assertiveness, "I assume you have a good reason to bring Lowls' cronies here with you."
Winter clears her throat, "Yes, they were instrumental in helping us escape the curse that was placed over Briarstone asylum. I doubt I or anyone else from there would be alive today if it weren't for them. We found documentation that indicated the count had committed them. And they don't remember much, if anything. They find themselves in a town hostile to them and have no idea why."
Cesadia looks at each of you assessing you with a piercing gaze. "Do you have anything to say for yourselves? "Vermilion Vixen?" Cerise? Maura? I doubt Allard has forgiven you since you were here last Saiya. Lady Avenfall you may be the counts cousin but don't think that your station carries any weight here."
”What do I have to say for myself about what? Ci Ci snaps back, clearly annoyed. ”Am I supposed to apologize for something I have no memory of doing? Just take your word that I’m some kind of monster? I tell you one thing, if I was half the villain this town is making me out to be I would’ve just burned the whole place to the ground and been done with it! But hey! Look! Here I am, trying to help everyone, despite how I’m being treated.”
Maura looks the woman up and down appraisingly.
"You ask what I have to say for myself. How about this: First, I only just found myself awakening in your chapel under the care of Miss Winter here. I have no memories of this Count that committed me to the Asylum, the Asylum itself, how I got out of it, or any of anything in my own past prior to that moment of awakening this morning. Second, I know that I can sometimes listen to the objects around me, hearing their stories. As a result, I have three other memories knocking around my head that are not properly mine. I would willingly trade them to you for my own, as they cannot be darker than these, no matter how bad they are. Third, I can also read people and their body language. You are trying to get a rise out of us in order to see if we really do have memories of our time previously spent in this town. I do not, and if you are anywhere near as good of a detective as you claim to be you should be able to see that."
Maura says all of this in an even tone, shuffling her Harrow deck as she does.
"Which leads me to fourth: we were asked to help find this missing priestess. We spoke with the artist who reported her absence, and you were the only one to seemingly take him seriously. Have you had a chance to look into this yet or have you been too busy?"
"No idea who 'Allard' is or why he'd be mad at me." Saiya can't read Wrentz's expression, but Maura's assessment that she's testing them seems plausible enough. "The real question though is this: Does it matter whether we remember or not? So we did some nasty s#&* while working for Lowls. He isn't here anymore, and since he locked us all in an aslym I think we can safely consider ourselves unemployed."
"Even if we are lying about the whole amnesia thing and are still actually the a#~!#~!s you remember, Winter wouldn't have asked us for help if you didn't badly need it. Meanwhile we need information about what Lowls was up to and why he f*~!ed with our heads. Mutually beneficial relationship, no trust necessary on either side." A mirthless smile spreads across her face. "I'm sure you've worked with worse."
“I’m sorry.”
The deadpan delivery might come off as Vix being a smart ass. But she means it.
“I really am. People fear me hear, but that’s not what I’m about. If I hurt someone, they deserve it. The innocent’re protected by me, and those who think like me. That’s what I did in the nuthouse. Here, I don’t remember Klynn, but utter his name in a bar and everyone’s too scared to gimme any s&@$. I’ll bet if I put someone’s face through a table, they’d’ve drawn a bath for me.
“It sucks. Fear ain’t respect. I hate being feared by the masses.”
Cesadia sighs while leaning back in her chair and pinches the bridge of her nose between two fingers. She gives you an appraising gaze, "I believe you. Also I'm desperate. 'Mutually beneficial relationship' those were the words you used when I hired you. You got a better offer in count Lowls. Allard took it personally, things were said that couldn't be unsaid and well, you came to blows. Allard was lucky to come out of it alive. Cerise you were arrested for starting a bar brawl at the Silver Wagon, it nearly burned down from your 'brawl', luckily no one died, and you got off with a single night in a Fort Hailcourse cell. Klynn was a local roustabout, he was last seen with you Vermilion Vixen. He disappeared mysteriously. Omari found a letter of formal protest from magistrate Padgett in her investigations, it describes how Lowls insisted that Maura and Lady Avenfall personally deliver taxes that were due to the crown three months ago. You were without guard and you were beset by brigands. The magistrate suspected fouler play than mere brigands. I can't prove the worst of it and if that makes me a bad detective so be it."
"Its worse than just Priestess Mavaine. Twenty odd people have gone missing. Constable Cesyll has shuddered the Fort. Half of the people who manned it have deserted, turns out soldiers will only stay if you pay them, which Lowls neglected. According to Cesyll the magistrate is away on important business, but I suspect he might be dead. The count's steward fired all of Iris Hill's staff after the count left town and hired a number of foreigners brought in by ship, I have reason to believe it was a slave ship. Me and my four agents have been inundated with requests to investigate the disappearances but I just don't have the staff for it. Dena Gallegos from the Silver Wagon and Emman Gulston from the Stain have been having trouble with a doomsayer driving away business. Toli Remsatter, fisherman, has been spreading rumors about ghostlights out on the bay, he says the Briarstone Witch has returned to reenact the Thrushmoor Vanishing."
"Can I ask for the story behind the brawl I supposedly started? I mean, I'd be more likely to break my own hand punching someone, and I'm trying to envision myself walking into a crowded pub and flinging fire about just because," Ci Ci asks, her annoyance not assuaged by the new information thus far.
”If I had to guess you were drinking, and I wouldn’t blame you for that, but someone probably said something they should have kept to themselves and you lost control.”
Cesadia leans back in her chair, ”You say you want to help, that’s great. I know how you can start, Toli Remsatter is a fisherman who saw the ghost lights out across the bay. He’s the one of the people spreading rumors that the Briarstone Witch has returned. See what he has to say and if the rumors can be disproven. If the rumors are true, then at least give me a heads up so I can get my people out of here.”
Saiya's face is impassive as she listens to Wrentz's litany of wrongs. Bar brawls? Tax fraud? Changing employers?! She'd been expecting far worse than some bullies roaming free with the Count's blessing. The only thing that actually seemed worth an entire town's scorn was Klynn's disappearance and possible murder.
(Okay, so burning down a tavern probably also made an impression. Saiya makes a mental note to add Ci Ci to the list of people to not piss off.)
"If it helps, you can tell Allard he gets to say 'I told you so.' I suspect remaining in your employ would have resulted in less amnesia." She pauses for a moment as a thought occurs. "I would appreciate any employment records, if you have them. At the moment I'm not even sure how old I am, so any information is helpful."
"In the meantime..." She leans forward, unable to entirely control her curiousity. "This 'Toli' is claiming that the Briarstone Witch has returned? And Maura, you said you had a vision of the Tatterman pledging his loyalty to the Briarstone Witch, correct?" As an aside, she offers a quick explanation to Cesadia. "The Tatterman was the one haunting us in the aslyum, until we killed him. Maybe if he came back the Witch did too."
Maura shrugs at the news, turning to the seemingly ever cheerful Lily. "If bandits tried to rob me, I would likely give them what they were asking for, how about you? That one strikes me as... well... odd, in comparison with the other complaints. If anything, I would have had issue with the Count for not giving us any form of guard... though, not having any memories of collecting, transporting, or vouchsafing revenue for the crown at all, I cannot say if there is more to the story or not."
Hearing the reference to the witch, Maura shudders. "Legends have kernels of truth to them." She pulls out the Tatterman's blade and offers it to Cesadia. "This was gifted to the Tatterman by Ariadnah - or the Briarstone Witch, as she became known - four thousand years ago. Normally I would rule out someone living that long, but if the Final Dream could do it... well, perhaps you should not be so quick to assume that he is the only one."
“I believe the implication’s that the tax money mysteriously disappeared as Klynn did. I don’t remember murdering him, but…”
Vix thinks of the glorious three-on-one battle in Rooftopolis… then of the doppelgänger that took the form of an old lady and nearly killed her.
“…I’m as capable o’ killing a man as Ci-Ci is o’ burning a bar. And anyone can ride off with someone else’s money and claim it was stolen. It’s even still technically true if the person making the claim is the thief.
“I ain’t accusing or confessing anything. Just trying to wrap me head around what the evidence says o’ me. I don’t remember meself any different than devoting me life to protecting the innocent. I don’t remember being feared by the masses, I was…”
Vix’s lips curl into a doubtful expression. She doesn’t bother finishing that last sentence.
Maura shrugs. "If we did... help ourselves... to this money, as you seem to believe the implication was... well, it must not have been that much. Or we buried it somewhere. I have money, and some items worth money, but I am relatively confident that it is my own."
As she shuffles the cards, a look comes across the grey skinned woman's face. "I could always consult the cards, see if they have any guidance. I doubt that anything they would say would make sense, even if they were telling facts, but I can try tonight if it will bring comfort."
Giving them one final shuffle, she puts them away once more.
"Would this Toli the fisherman have any objections to speaking with us on this matter? If so, perhaps you should write him a letter or come with us to explain that we are trying to help get to the bottom of all of these strange occurrences. Not the least of which being our lack of memories."
"I'll tell Allard. He might get a kick out of it."
Cesadia shudders when she's shown the Tatterman's war razor, "Let's hope that's not the case."
She gets out a quill and a piece of vellum and begins to write on it. "A letter of introduction saying you are working for me in the disappearance investigations. That should help alleviate some concerns about your motivations." She puts her seal on the document and hands it over.
"Did you have any other questions?"
Maura nods her thanks to Cesadia as she writes the letter. "Thank you, anything that will aid us in aiding the investigation is a help. As for questions... well..."
Maura pulls out a journal and pen.
"You said that there were... well, many would be putting it lightly... other disappearances. Do you have a list of names and residences of the missing? Perhaps time frames of reported absence? Who reported their absence? Any other details or circumstances noted for these disappearances?"
She waits for the answers to these questions, writing down details as provided.
"The other question I had was regarding this doomsayer. Is this person a local resident? Do you have any other information about them or about how they are driving off business from these establishments?"
"Doomsayer...Tatterman...the Briarstone Witch...all these scary evil things running around and this town is worried about the trouble we'll cause," Ci Ci mutters.
Vix chimes in, “Yeah, with the intro letter and us taking care o’ local witches and s%+&, maybe people’ll see we don’t start trouble. We finish it.” She keeps the I hope part of that thought to herself.
Cesadia provides a list of people who are missing, and answers Maura’s questions as best as she is able. It notably contains a number of people of authority in town. One of the things that jumps out is that a majority of the disappearances are first noticed in the morning, suggesting that people are disappearing at night. Priestess Mavaine was reported missing by Lellwyn Hasok a few days ago. Count Lowls left on a sudden business trip shortly before accuser Omari arrived in town, a little more than a week ago. the night before you defeated the Tatterman, Omari and her retinue went to Fort Hailcourse to request aid from the magistrate and disappeared shortly after. When some townsfolk went to the fort to request assistance, constable Cesyll turned them away and indicated the magistrate had left on business. A number of soldiers who did not live in the fort were reported missing between a week ago and two days ago. There are a number of other civilians who have gone missing, including a few former servants who worked at Iris Hill.
”The doomsayer’s name is Elgrior Nasmeth, he’s a homeless man who should have been committed to Briarstone a while ago.” She pauses, ”Perhaps he got lucky. In any case he paces in front of the Silver Wagon and the Stain, complete with sign board preaching about how a second Vanishing is upon us. A lot of people are starting to believe him.”
"I mean, I'm half-inclined to believe him, so I can't blame the townsfolk for doing so." Saiya isn't normally inclined to listen to prophecies of doom and gloom, but things certainly were very strange around Thrushmoor. Murals and witches and disappearances and someone who'd never met them painting them in front of a yellow sky...
Here she'd been thinking she'd leave the craziness behind in the asylum.
"Do you know who started the rumors about the Briarstone Witch returning? Was it Toli, or Elgrior, or some as-of-yet unnamed third party? 'Cause I think our first stop should be the source if at all possible." She considers for a second. "If you don't know, then I'd say start with Toli. At least ghostlights are something sort-of concrete we can look into."
"Vanishing... as in the one that happened four thousand years ago?" Maura shudders, the memory of the witch and the tattered man's agreement still fresh enough to be haunting. "Given at least one of the major actors tied to that event was recently in the area, according to my companions, I would not be so hasty to discount it as mere ravings. Perhaps we should let this man know we wish to talk to him later on our way to talk with Toli." She gives her companions a smile as she adds, "After all, given this town's way of dealing with problems, I would not be surprised if these shop owners tried to take matters into their own hands."
After asking after Toli for a few hours they eventually find him coming to shore in the spare hour before dark on pier 7. The hoary man eyes you suspiciously, "Whot do you folk wont? Me fish goes ta Lysie.”
Vix asks, “Lysie yer wife?” Well aware of how she’s perceived, she goes on, “No worries. Yer fish goes where ye say it goes.
“We heard o’ trouble by bay. Like, ye saw ghosts. Or lights.” Vix settles on “Ghost lights.”
Maura nods. "Yes, ghostly lights. We heard from Cesadia over at the investigation shoppe that you had been seeing them, and that you believed them tied to... an older legend that we might wish to discuss inside, lest we cause a panic." She gives the man a smile.
"Oh, lest you are concerned, we are working on the agency's behalf. We have a letter to prove it if you require."
Toli glances at the papers and grunts, he then spits into the bay, ”She’s nah me wife. She runs the smokehouse. I saw the lights ye-ah, tha Elgrior feller says it was tha Briarstone Witch, whot did the vanishing, an I believe him. We’re gonna face an early grave ifn no one does sometin bout it. Saw the light came from an old smuggler cave.”
“Sounds dangerous.”
Vix of course feels that sense of purpose, that heroes’ calling… she almost forgets the awful thing she did to a possibly-innocent man.
“Ye mind directing us toward this smuggler’s cave?”
"You're in luck. We're going to do something about it," Ci Ci adds when Vixen asks for directions.
"I won't hold my breath that we'll get any gratitude for it out this town, she adds under her breath.
"I'll take you close enough fer a gold."
A small strip of muddy sand choked with reeds sits at the entrance of a low cave just at the lip of the bay. Scraggly vines drape over the top of the cave and hang like tangled hair over its mouth.
The grotto’s entrance is dark except for whatever outside light might be streaming in. The muddy floor is tracked with footprints, and a wooden barricade seals off the tunnel at the back of this area.
Ci Ci speaks an incantation and moves her arms in a circular motion about herself.
"Any takers on going in first?" she asks the others.
Vix replies, “Let’s do this.
“Um… in case it’s dark, someone here can cast Light spells, right? Not like I need one now.”
Vix moves up to the intersection and peers around the corner, stealthily…
…for someone clacking about in metal heels.
"I got it covered," Ci Ci replies. "I'll light us up if it gets dark, and doesn't seem like it would be an invitation for something to kill us."
This dark limestone chamber smells like wet mulch and is bare aside from a scattering of animal bones. The muddy floor is covered with tracks some human, others look like they were made by some sort of animal, a third set are strange stumpy marks.
The wooden barricade is fashioned from small tree trunks lashed together with thick twine. Loops of rope that serve as handles are tied into the barricade on each end.
From behind the barricade a woman's voice is heard, "So who decided to come up to my door and creep about like some sort of Ivy?"
Vix walks up to the barricade with her hands up and fingers spread (to show she’s unarmed), replying, “Oh, how completely awkward. Name’s Vix. I’m helping with an investigation and was told this is a place we should check out.
“No one mentioned this being anyone’s home though. Else, I’d’ve knocked on the, uh… wood.
“So anyway, mind if we take a look around?”